Wiscasset selectmen met with former Brunswick Town Manager Donald Gerrish during their Jan. 12 meeting to discuss the possibility of hiring him for consulting services to the town on management issues. Board members met in two separate executive sessions during the Tuesday night meeting to hold a disciplinary hearing and to discuss the board’s legal rights and duties with the town’s attorney. At 9:45 p.m., selectmen authorized the chairman to accept and sign the separation agreement when signed and returned by Arthur Faucher. The vote was unanimous.
Previous to the meeting, board chair Bob Blagden said Arthur Faucher, who until recently had been Wiscasset’s Town Manager, would not be at the disciplinary hearing. He said Wiscasset Police Administrator Lt. John Allen would be present at the hearing in Faucher’s absence, joining the town’s attorney, the town’s investigating attorney Peter Lowe, and any witnesses. According to Blagden, the town hired Lowe to investigate issues regarding payroll and Faucher.
During their Jan. 5 board meeting, selectmen approved Assessor’s Agent Sue Varney as interim town manager and briefly discussed advertising to hire a new town manager. Varney said she is able to act in the capacity of interim town manager for 30 work days and is trying to administratively keep the office running.
Following the first executive session, which lasted nearly two hours, selectmen approved Blagden’s motion to table the hearing until the next board meeting. Gerrish then spoke to the board about his experiences as a town manager and expressed his interest in assisting Wiscasset.
Gerrish said he retired from his management position with the town of Brunswick after serving the town for 20 years. Before going to Brunswick, he served as a town manager in Gorham for 10 years. Gerrish said he worked as assistant manager in Brunswick and Auburn, as well. He started out his career as a tax assessor in Rockland. Having retired after 37 years employment in municipal government, Gerrish currently works part time for Eaton Peabody Consulting Group.
He told the board his uncle was a Wiscasset selectman and his aunt worked for a school in Wiscasset for a number of years. He said he is from Bangor originally and used to visit Wiscasset often.
“I think I could help,” Gerrish said in response to the board’s interest in finding a new town manager, adding he is a strong advocate of a management/selectmen form of government.
Gerrish said he does not want a full-time job, but is willing to come and help the town three days per week.
“I know you have to hire a new manager,” he said. “I think I have the capabilities to help do that, too.”
Gerrish said he has experience working with a board and would be able to help Wiscasset selectmen find a good candidate. Blagden asked Gerrish when they could expect to have a town manager on board.
Gerrish replied there are a number of steps they have to take to get to that point and said selectmen ought to start out by exploring the job description they have put together and deciding what traits they would like to see in a town manager. They also need to determine what tasks lies ahead for a future manager and how the candidate would fulfill the needs of the town.
Selectmen need to advertise for the position for about a month, Gerrish said. Some newspaper advertising would be expensive, but he mentioned cheaper online advertising venues that are available. He suggested selectmen take a couple weeks to gather candidates and allow another three weeks for interviewing. Town officials should do a second round of interviews as well as to conduct background checks early on in the process.
Gerrish said most managers expect a contract, so selectmen should anticipate this. They should also take into consideration the amount of time a new candidate would need before starting the position.
“I’d say it’s going to be another three to four months before you have a new manager,” Gerrish said. “You have to understand it’s going to take some time.”
Selectman Philip DiVece said the town is in the process of changing its budgeting method to a gross budget, eliminating some of the enterprise accounts the town has had over the last few years. He asked Gerrish if he had experience in that regard and whether he would be able to help the town as it moves forward into the new budgeting method. Gerrish said he has been involved in budgets for a number of years and supports a gross budget.
“I’m not a big supporter of having dedicating funds,” he said. “I think you have to look at the big picture of the budgeting.”
Toward the end of the discussion, selectmen agreed to have Gerrish sit down with Varney and work out the details. Selectmen have the option of hiring Gerrish to act as a consultant in the recruiting of a new town manager, but several details need to be ironed out. Gerrish said he could write out an agreement to clarify his position and let selectmen know what they can expect with regard to his time, salary and any other issues.
Approaching the board, attorney Ervin Snyder spoke on behalf of Gerrish as his former employer and resident George Green also expressed his support.
“If you’re able to work something out with Don Gerrish, it will benefit the town of Wiscasset,” Snyder said, adding that Gerrish is an “excellent person’s person” and is very knowledgeable of budgets and financial matters.
