By Chris Frost Eagle Times New Editor
NEWPORT – Newport began its search for a new manager on Monday, as selection committee members met for the first time to discuss recruitment efforts and a hiring timeline. Hunter Rieseberg resigned as town manager on July 10, almost six months in advance of a planned December 31, 2023 departure, to facilitate the search for a replacement.
To conduct the search, the Board of Selectmen created a committee which includes two members of the board, three citizens chosen by the board, Interim Town Manager Paul Brown, who is also the town’s longtime Finance Director, a representative of the Newport Chamber of Commerce, a town department head and non-supervisory town employee, both appointed by Brown.
As previously reported by the Eagle Times, residents chosen by the board include Virginia “Biddy” Irwin, Christy Whipple and former selectman Herb Tellor, Jr., who was defeated in May’s elections.
Three members of the Board of Selectmen will serve in a “rotating” capacity. Keith Sayer, Jim Burroughs and Jeff North, will attend meetings when available, given their work schedules. At no time will more than two selectmen be voting on or addressing issues that come before the committee, Brown told the Eagle Times.
Also serving on the committee are Malarie Starcher, representing the Chamber of Commerce and Recreation Director PJ Lovely. The non-supervisory staff position remains vacant, though Brown said it should be filled by the committee’s next meeting on August 15.
At the meeting, Brown said the committee must review the community profile, visioning information, job description and advertisement strategy.
“Our goal is to see what we need to update and have ready for the board,” he said. “The board changed their meetings from the first and third Mondays in August to second and fourth Mondays for August.”
He has an August 28 target date to report to the Board of Selectmen.
“We would be giving the advertisement to the Board of Selectmen,” he said. “They will set the salary rates and anything they want to change. We’ll update the community profile with any updates to the job description and visioning information.”
He said if the board approves the advertisement on August 28, they’ll send it out to local, regional and state newspapers and the New Hampshire Municipal Association.
“If we can get in, (we’ll advertise) in the Vermont League of Cities job advertisements and classifieds. We’ll go into the New Hampshire Municipal Manager’s Association and we’ll also get into the New England Municipal Manager’s Association,” Brown said.
The town will also look at the ICMA (the International Conference of Mayors Association) and, potentially, the National League of Cities.
“We’re not members, so I’m not sure what we’ll be able to do there,” he said.
After the advertising begins, he said they’ll have a few days off. Once resumes come in, they’ll meet and decide who they want to move forward with.
“We’ll narrow that down to 12 or so, interview them in person or on Zoom and find out where they’re located, with the ultimate goal of selecting 3-5 finalists for the selectmen,” he said. “They’ll take over and interview them, take them on a tour of the town, the projects, and the town’s highlights, have dinner, and meet them socially.”
Brown hopes the new Town Manager starts in November. “We have a good basis, based on what we’ve done,” he said.
The search committee also plans to get the school district’s profile.
“It probably wouldn’t hurt to advertise on Indeed,” Brown said.
Brown said they have documents, including job description, community profile, duties, supervision received, and the ad to go through and make public at the meeting on August 15. Another meeting has been scheduled for August 21.
Eagle Times Publisher Rich Girard contributed to this article.
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