LIMESTONE, Maine — Limestone’s selectmen on Wednesday voted to form a committee of local residents to assist in the search for a new town manager.
In starting the discussion, board member Fred Pelletier suggested that the community had three options — bring back one of the candidates who applied earlier this year, hire an individual to screen applicants, or put “together a citizen committee to join us while we are doing interviews.”
Pelletier clarified that while members of the committee would be able to ask incoming applicants questions, the board will ultimately decide who to hire.
Police Chief and Interim Town Manager Stacey Mahan said that, in researching towns that have formed such committees, it’s not unheard of for a five-person committee to consist of “a couple board members, a couple members of the public, and a business owner.”
He added that, “for safety’s sake,” members of the public in the committee should be required to sign a non-disclosure agreement to prevent any sensitive information from spreading to the general public.
Selectman Tom Albert said that, instead of going through the resumes sent in between former Town Manager Fred Ventresco’s departure and Town Manager Matthew Pineo’s removal by the board, the town should put an advertisement for the position “back out, just to be fair.”
Limestone Economic Development Coordinator Dennis McCartney disagreed, citing his previous experience hiring employees as a business owner.
“I’d get 40 resumes, throw away half, and bring in the best one for a trial period,” he said, adding that if the trial didn’t work out, the “first thing I’d do would be to pull in the next best.”
McCartney said he does not know what other applicants were on file during that period, but “if a couple people looked good, maybe talk to them again and do a heavy background check to move the process along.”
Albert said he thought “it needs to go back out, at least for a short period of time,” adding that the individuals who applied previously will likely apply again.
Board members agreed with him and discussed a suitable application cutoff date, ultimately deciding on Feb. 23.
In the meantime, the town plans to advertise positions for the citizen committee. No number was set.
Pelletier told Mahan that he and the board would work on getting the word out, and Mahan said he would contact towns who have formed these committees in the past to “see how they did it.”
The board then voted in favor of both the Feb. 23 cutoff date for applications for town manager and approved advertising for members of the citizen committee.
