By Chris Frost
EAGLE TIMES NEWS EDITOR
NEWPORT, N.H. — The Town Manager Search Committee discussed its recruitment ad, community profile, and job description at a meeting on Aug. 15.
The group tentatively agreed the ad should include:
“The Town of Newport, NH, an attractive, rural New England town (approximate population 6,500) in the Sugar River region, located in the scenic Connecticut River Valley of western New Hampshire, seeks an experienced, hands-on Town Manager. Immersed in the natural beauty and opportunities provided by the lakes, trails, and mountains, with just a short drive to the regional business, tech, and engineering centers and all the cultural, medical, and educational assets of the Lebanon and Keene regions. Newport is 10 miles from the Vermont border. The ideal candidate should be willing to make a long-term commitment to the town. Residency is desired. A bachelor’s degree in public administration or a related field with five years of progressively responsible municipal management experience or five years of any equivalent combination of education and experience is required. A master’s degree in public administration or a related program is preferred.”
Interim Town Manager Paul Brown said the committee should be concerned about the ad and the job description.
“Realistically, this is what we are taking back to the Board (of Selectmen); this is what we’re going to recommend for the job description,” he said. “This is what we are going to recommend for the ad, and this is what we’re going to recommend for the community profile.”
Herb Tellor Jr. noted that on Aug. 14 the Board of Selectmen members wanted to see a chairman and co-chair who could fill in, if needed.
“Just for organizational purposes,” he said. “While we are in a public forum such as this, they thought we should not limit public input. I suppose if it gets out of control, we could, but I don’t think we’re going to have that issue.”
Search Committee members selected Virginia “Biddy” Irwin as chair and Tellor as co-chair.
Once they get into the interviews and in-depth discussion about the interviews, Tellor said public participation will have to be limited.
Irwin said she was not willing to do that.
“This is a search committee for a new manager; this is not a public free for all for everyone’s opinion,” she said. “I’m certainly willing to hold a meeting or have us hold a meeting that is specifically a public open forum to come and look at or give us their thoughts they like to see in a manager or their concerns. This is, in my opinion, a public meeting but not an open meeting. The public may come, but it’s not open.”
Tellor said that’s what the board had in mind.
“They think public input, but not a public discussion and argument over specific details,” he said.
Irwin is willing to hold one meeting for public input.
“We’d advertise it and say on Aug. 28, the search committee will hold an open forum for the community residents to come and give us their input,” she said. “We could agree on a time and set a time limit for speaking; we can meet from 6:30 p.m. — 8:30 p.m., and anyone with an opinion, concern, or question can feel free to come or email [email protected].”
She said the ad should say they’re looking for somebody who has to have “X,” and we’ll pay you “Y.”
“The Devil’s in the detail of the job description and the characteristics,” Irwin said. “I think that has more for the public to be concerned about.”
She doesn’t think they’ll have the job description, community profile, the website updated by Oct. 1. She suggested Oct. 15.
“It makes us look a little less than professional when we try to attract somebody when our website isn’t exactly great,” she said. “I know people that are looking for jobs are looking at that.”
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