Date of Meeting: Friday, July 25, 2008
Location: Town Hall, 221 Main Street
Time: 2:30 PM – 5:25 PM
Members Present: Chairman James Stanton, Ken Sydow, Roger Deal
Others Present: Lori Esposito, Administrative Assistant; Stephen Madaus, Town Counsel; Interview Candidate Steven Thomas Magoon; others as noted on attached sheet
Meeting convened at 2:30 PM.
Don Jutton introduced Mr. Magoon a candidate for Town Administrator.
Mr. Magoon provided some background information:
- Previously Regional Planner in Charles County, Maryland.
- Elected officials relied heavily on him for opinions to address various issues.
- Planner and Planning Director in Gloucester, then Community Development Director.
- Mayor asked him to take Chief Administration Officer position in Gloucester when previous CAO left; he agreed. He was in the position for two years but was removed when a new mayor was elected. This was not an indication of his abilities’ she is listed as one of his references.
- He is attracted to the Town; from what he has seen it is a community he would like to participate in.
Roger: You have extensive planning background; your resume indicates you have dealt with major personnel issues. Please elaborate.
Mr. Magoon: In Maryland I managed staff and periodic personnel issues arose. In Gloucester, as CAO, some sensitive issues needed to be dealt with, e.g., a police officer on administrative leave was a discipline problem according to the Chief. Also, he was the only African-American officer on the force. To make a long story short, [Mr. Magoon] worked out an arrangement for him to return to work. Policies and procedures incorporated in the Police Department as a result of a long, difficult situation.
Mr. Magoon also helped resolve an issue when a gay man was not hired into a position and perceived the reason to be that a city councilor was anti-gay. That was not the situation; he just wasn’t the best candidate for the position.
Roger: Have you been involved in the budget process? Mr. Magoon: Yes – two Gloucester budgets were prepared.
Jim: Were you involved in any overrides? Mr. Magoon: No, only a debt exclusion that failed.
Jim: Health insurance, costs, increased? Mr. Magoon: Large increases; were self-insured.
Roger: What is the average wage increase in Gloucester? Mr. Magoon: It averages about two percent a year.
Jim: What was your most significant cultural impact during your tenure as CAO? Mr. Magoon: My approach is an open door to listen to different people’s perspectives, understanding what’s important to a community to help them achieve those things. It isn’t something that should be dictated by an administrator. While in Gloucester, his interaction with staff and managers was very positive. Also, Gloucester’s Harbor Plan: he addressed needs and came up with a solution for the fishing industry by getting additional docking space to keep it a working harbor. He left office before it was actually implemented.
Ken: Revenue is limited and we need long-term solutions to attract business and increase tax revenue. How would you approach the potential for business development and encourage business to move into Boylston. Mr. Magoon: Assuming they know what types of business they want to attract, identify potential barriers and address those issues. Ultimately, business needs to feel comfortable investing in the community.
Ken: Being a small town, some things have seemed the same “forever.” Part of the Town is resistant to change, part is ready for changes. How would he manage the situation? Mr. Magoon: Lots of people are resistant to change; they want the community to stay the same forever. The key is to make changes that are positive and help people understand. Also, maybe there are concerns/reasons behind the resistance. It is necessary to learn why and then address those concerns. His management approach with boards and committees is the same: find ways to fairly and effectively address concerns. In Gloucester, the Plan Implementation Review Committee yearly reviewed plans and reported on status and progress.
Ken: What do you know about regional schools? Mr. Magoon: There is no regional district in Gloucester. In Maryland, it was regional county system with several towns involved.
Ken: How would others view working with you? (From the Mayor to your peers and subordinates.) Mr. Magoon: From the perspective of my superiors, they relied on me for many issues. Regarding staff that worked for him, they would view him as very approachable and someone who listens.
Jim: Are you involved in any regional arrangements with other towns? Mr. Magoon: Gloucester provided several services for Essex; there were some problems with the issue of rates charged, etc. The key to being successful is addressing autonomy. He was a regional planner for southern Maryland.
Roger: How do you feel about shared services? Mr. Magoon: It makes sense but there is not a lot of it in Massachusetts. Financially, it might be a way to address shortfalls.
Jim: The harbor plan and the compensation plan? Mr. Magoon: The harbor plan dealt only with the fishing industry, harbor business, waterfront, etc.
Jim: Give us an example of a project that best describes your skill set. Mr. Magoon: The School Adequate Facilities Program in Maryland. Also the Maryland Land Use Program. “Suburban sprawl” was happening and the program needed to be redesigned. He chaired an architect review board and implemented a new project design. He made a major difference in the county.
Ken: Hillside – Studies have been done on how to best utilize it. How do you develop a plan and follow through with a continual revenue source for the Town? Mr. Magoon: The plan would clearly identify usages and then create steps for each piece. Then you would create an implementation schedule. Committee and resident pieces would be coordinated to produce a revenue stream.
Ken: Do you have any Grant experience? Mr. Magoon: There are several types of grants available. Many require a match and only make sense if the use were already planned.
Ken: Various departments have needs for GIS. What do you feel about the value of GIS? Mr. Magoon: Very valuable; should be a system that can be implemented across the board.
Brief discussion re: GIS.
Ken: What have you been doing since February 2008? Mr. Magoon: Job searching and spending time with family.
Ken: We have no residency requirement but living in Wakefield, how would you handle the commute – move, etc.? Mr. Magoon: I would not be interested in relocating. I understand that around-the-clock issues could come up and I’m okay with that. I am a bit concerned about the length of the commute but, depending on if something works out with the Town, I’d be willing to do so.
Roger: How would you handle implementing difficult changes with staff. Mr. Magoon: Try to help the person understand the reason for doing something differently, why it makes sense, etc. If there is still resistance, then communicate that it is not a choice. He is not afraid of making changes. In Gloucester, he had to eliminate positions due to lack of funding. It was very difficult, but it had to be done.
Ken: How to crack the “old boy” network. Mr. Magoon: It is very difficult, but he would do what needed to be done. Roger: It’s a balancing act to get groups of people working together.
Lori: Assumes it would be an adjustment from reporting to the Mayor to a three-member Board, as well as less support staff; you would have to be a “hands on” manager. Mr. Magoon: I have also dealt with a five-member council. Regarding less support staff, I would be a little concerned but would figure it out as I go. What is the status of the search process right now?
Ken: We’ve done our own searches and received many resumes, but few viable candidates. We then hired MMR to be the screening committee for the Board of Selectmen.
Don Jutton: If the Board of Selectmen is interested in him, he will hear back regarding the next step. If not, then Don will notify him as soon as possible.
Ken: We are also looking at the possibility of an interim administrator while the search continues.
Brief discussion regarding history and possible next step. E.g., Town Counsel changed; TA partially retired, etc.
The Board of Selectmen held a brief follow-up discussion regarding the candidate.
Don will check additional references and background. He’ll get back to the Board of Selectmen with results. Will explore additional options, including potential part-time.
Interim Town Administrator’s Contract (Joe Connelly) – Kim Rozak from Mirick O’Connell drafted
Discussion held regarding how to transition with Sue being able to leave. Joe is able to start August 4; Sue will be on vacation August 4, returning August 18. Then she will work two days per week for two weeks in August. As of September 1, she will be on special projects only as needed.
Ken: We need a letter from the Board defining specifically when Joe will start and what days Sue will be needed in August. Jim will draft a letter to Sue with specifics before she leaves for vacation next week.
Roger: We need to meet to decide on projects and expectations for the new Town Administrator. Hold a brief discussion when all are available…no date decided.
Lori: Feels the Board needs to have a discussion regarding her [Lori’s] responsibilities and priorities for the incoming Town Administrator. No one is sure how much support will be needed but Lori feels her role needs to be reviewed and upgraded, as she has been working far outside the scope of the job description of Board of Selectmen Administrative Assistant for years.
Police Chief’s contract signed – Lori to deliver to Chief Sahagian.
Fire Chief – contract draft discussed.
- Change to a one-year contract, then do a subsequent three-year contract.
- Ken would like to re-evaluate the salary survey and give prorated increase to get him closer to the middle of the scale.
Town Administrator priorities.
Ken's List:
- Applicant Advisory Board
- Town Administrator/Selectmen’s office evaluation. I.e.: responsibilities and support.
- Building services/special projects
- Then need tax title prep – 140 corridor study
- Consensus building with department heads
- Schools
Meeting adjourned at 5:25 PM
Respectfully Submitted,
Lori Esposito
Administrative Assistant
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