DALTON, Mass. — The Select Board is considering hiring a firm to aid in the search for a new town manager. 

 

Several board members agreed on having an external recruitment firm to aid in the hiring. 

 

Town Manager Thomas Hutcheson, who intends to retire on July 1, will present materials on potential firms during a Select Board meeting on April 14. 

 

During Monday night's meeting, he highlighted three potential firms to consider: Community Paradigm Associates, Municipal Resources Inc., and the Collins Center at the University of Massachusetts at Boston. 

 

The town would need to go out for quotes when hiring a firm, Hutcheson said, and would have to tap into the reserve fund. 

 

The prospect of hiring a firm was presented by resident Tom Irwin during the March 17 meeting. Great Barrington has used one in its town manager search, he said, and gave a projected cost in the ballpark of $15,000.

 

"I do think it's worth looking into hiring a recruitment firm to get some candidates out here," board member Marc Strout said during the March 17 meeting. 

 

Time is a limitation, member John Boyle said. 

 

"We would hopefully be able to choose someone and have them up and running in a training session by the middle of June, but what you're saying is absolutely right; we probably need some professional help with that," he said. 

 

Hutcheson said during the March 17 meeting that the town should consider hiring an interim town manager until a permanent one can be hired because using a firm would take longer. 

 

"You would want someone in place to smooth things out in the interim," he said. 

 

Resident David Pugh highlighted the hiring of a firm was very helpful for a neighboring school district in its search for a superintendent, especially in vetting the applicants. 

 

"The whole idea of vetting, I agree is tremendously important. It has to be a really diverse group of people, but also people that are knowledgeable of town government," he said.

 

Joe Diver, a former board member, also emphasized the importance of hiring an external firm for selecting a new town manager, given upcoming significant decisions like the police station and potential use of land behind the senior center. 

 

At the end of the March 17 meeting, Dan Esko, board vice chair, expressed his disapproval of comments made by Henry Rose during the previous meeting regarding the Town Manager screening committee, specifically criticizing the assertion that the committee members are biased towards the police department. More information here. 

 

"I find that, frankly, it's insulting to the people who wanted to volunteer their time on the committee that people are making judgments about that that are really not founded in any sort of uh factual basis. It's just their opinion and frankly, I don't understand why it was even given the media attention that it was," Esko said. 

 

"I think it was incredibly judgmental and presumptive to those people's motivations. They're just good people who want to serve the town and volunteer and to pass judgment like that was unfair."

 

Select Board chair Robert Bishop also shared this sentiment.

 

The board will be appointing volunteers to serve on its screening committee during next Monday's meeting. 

 

The board intended to appoint members to the screening committee during its meeting on March 10, but it was postponed due to concerns from residents. 

 

During the meeting on March 17, the board voted to establish the screening committee, but members were not appointed, and the chair was directed to consult members of the board and the public on membership. 

 

During the March 17 meeting, Rose also proposed the town consider amending its bylaw requiring that the town manager live in Dalton as it would open the position up to more applicants. 

 

"I don't think that helps ensure that we get a better town manager," he said. 

 

Boyle agreed adding that the bylaw can put a "damper on a lot of good resumes" and is worth looking into. 

 

Chair Robert Bishop explained that it would have to be approved at a town meeting. 

 

"I would support that," Bishop said. 

 

Hutcheson said it is not too late to add it as a warrant article for the May annual town meeting. 

 

"Put it on the warrant and honestly let the people decide I'll support it," Bishop said.

 

During the meeting on Monday, Hutcheson updated the board that the change must be done by a ballot vote. 

 

"I've asked whether we could also have the question at town meeting with the understanding that it would not become binding unless it were passed through the ballot question so that we could have some discussion on the question at town meeting," Hutcheson said. 

 

The town is awaiting a response from town counsel to see if this is permissible, he said.