MADAWASKA, Maine — Madawaska Town Manager Gary Picard, who submitted his letter of resignation earlier this month, will continue to provide advisory services for the town after his departure, according to a separation agreement approved by the select board on Tuesday.
The agreement, which was obtained via a Freedom of Access Act request by the Bangor Daily News, indicates that Picard’s last day of employment with the town will be March 5.
After that date, Picard will be available to provide services for $55 per hour in one-hour minimum increments. These services can be provided by phone, email or in-person, according to the agreement. The agreement will be revisited every 30 days, at which point Picard and town officials can agree to either extend or discontinue these services for an additional 30 days.
During this time, Picard will continue to receive coverage from the town’s health insurance plan.
Picard resigned on Feb. 5, and the town held an emergency meeting on Feb. 9 to accept his resignation. The board also voted during this meeting to request proposals from consulting groups and the Maine Municipal Association that could help the town in its search for a new manager.
Once the town determines which group will help with the transition, they will form a hiring committee. Several board members on Feb. 9 said they would like to have public involvement in this committee.
In his resignation letter, Picard wrote that he plans to enter another work-phase in his life, adding that he has enjoyed serving the Madawaska community for nearly seven years. Prior to his time as town manager, Picard wrote that he worked for two years as St. Agatha Town Manager, six years as a selectman in Frenchville, and for nine years as a local volunteer firefighter.
“After twenty-four years of public service,” he wrote, “I can walk away knowing that I have satisfied my desire / civic responsibility to serve the communities where I have lived and worked.”
He concluded that he would work with the town to develop a transition plan, and that he wishes the best for the board and community.
Just eight days after Picard’s resignation, selectman Christopher Braley also resigned.
In his letter, Braley cited family commitments and his work schedule as reasons for leaving. He wrote that he was proud to serve his community with the board, and that he believed the town has made significant progress throughout the past three years.
Braley’s term would have ended in June, just four months after his resignation. As a result, the board will not hold a special election to fill the vacancy.
Picard’s resignation comes about two months after the resignation of Public Works Director Kevin Dube and two other employees. The departures in the public works department led the board to approve $5 per hour raises for all employees in an effort to prevent more workers from leaving while enticing new employees to work for the department.
The resulting vacancies led to a slower response to snow removal, causing some residents to complain during a January board meeting.
The town has since filled nearly all of the vacancies and appointed office manager Mark Berube, who was serving as interim director, as the department’s new director.
