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Groux picked to find new town administrator
Banner Daily Update posted Thurs. June 28
By Derek Burritt
Banner Staff
WELLFLEET—In a special meeting Wednesday, the board of selectmen voted 3–0 to hire Thomas Groux, of Groux and Associates, to serve as a consultant during the hiring of the new town administrator.
Groux, who recently worked with Provincetown to find its new town manager, also served as Wellfleet’s interim town administrator for 90 days in 2000 before helping hire Tim Smith, outgoing town administrator whose resignation becomes effective July 1. Groux retired as Chatham’s town manager in 1999 to start his consulting firm. He has also consulted during town manager searches for such towns as Lexington, Framingham, Winthrop and Harwich, and he’s proud to say all the people he’s placed are still in their positions. Smith will be the first candidate to leave that he’s helped to place.
The consultant interview process began at the regular board of selectman meeting Tuesday, at which Groux and former candidate Dick Kobayashi, of Bennett & Yaeger, were interviewed by the board. The third former candidate, Don Jutton, of Municipal Resources, was interviewed via telephone Wednesday at a special meeting at Town Hall. Selectmen Michael May and Jerry Houk were unable to attend Wednesday’s meeting due to unbreakable obligations. However, the other selectmen agreed based on previous discussions that May’s and Houk’s preference is for Groux. To be safe, Selectman Dale Donovan included in his motion to hire Groux a stipulation that if May or Houk have strong feelings against formally employing Groux, a special meeting can be held the morning of July 4 to address the matter.
Those who voiced their opinions at the well-attended meeting Tuesday made it clear that citizen involvement is very important to residents. Selectmen have the option of exclusively working with the consultant during the hiring process or including in the mix a search committee of citizens that would also assist the board, which will ultimately make the final decision. Many pros and cons to both approaches were discussed at Tuesday’s meeting. Most notably, involving a search committee will allow for confidentiality during the first screening of resumes. If selectmen handle this step, all applicants will be public record, which may deter some candidates from applying. However, Chair Jaqui Beebe expressed concern at Tuesday’s meeting that involvement from a search committee may delay the board’s goal of hiring a town administrator by November.
Beebe says selectmen will deliver their decision on whether to include a search committee at their July 10 meeting.
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Jun 28th, 2007