Search results matching tag 'town administrator'

New town administrator hired in Weare

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 20:23:00 GMT

By SARAH LEBRUN

Weare has hired a new town admimistrator, Naomi Bolton, who officially took the post Aug. 7.

Bolton has worked for the town since 1995 in various posts. She has been the land-use coordinator since 2001. She is cross-trained and certified by the state of New Hampshire to do motor vehicle registrations. She has been the secretary in the Highway Department. And she is the finance administrator’s backup.

“I’ve actually worked in every department,” said Bolton. “I’ve been here for the last seven or eight town administrators. I’m very active in the community. I was ready to take the next step. I was ready to lead the ship instead of working on it.”

Bolton’s annual salary as town administrator is $60,000, $12,000 less than what Fred Mullen, the previous town adminstrator earned.

Currently, Bolton does not hold a degree in public administrator, however, she does plan to further her education, as she was given an annual $6,000 educational allowance.

“I plan on taking some classes, but balancing the classes, night meetings and family, it’s going to take some time,” said Bolton.

She has, however, done many hours of study through Local Government Center.

Selectmen Chairman Tom Clow said the town received approximately 60 applications for the town administrator position. After a lengthy process of weeding out resumes and interviewing candidates, the selectmen felt Bolton was the best person for the job.

“More than anything, we’re looking for a level of stability we feel Naomi can give us. She’s extremely dedicated to the town,” said Clow. “Naomi is a good match for the town, and we’re looking forward to many years of stability in that position.”

Bolton has lived in Weare for 25 years and resides with her husband, Bill; and has two sons, Jason and Jeremy.

Hopkinton town head resigns

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:20:00 GMT

By MATT SCHOOLEY

Hopkinton town officials will once again begin the search for a town administrator, as Leon Kenison has announced his resignation.

Kenison, who accepted the job last fall, will serve his last day in Hopkinton on July 17 before taking over as the Nashua Public Works director.

In recent years, the town has gone through several permanent and interim town administrators.

Board of Selectmen Chairman Scott Flood said that while the board hadn’t yet met to discuss the process, he believes the town will handle it similarly to how it did when Kenison was hired.

“I think the process we employed last time worked well where we had assistance from an outside organization and internally had a committee as well to screen the applications before they got to the selectmen,” said Flood. “Personally, I look for someone with management skills, as those are critical.”

In addition to being the Board of Selectmen chairman in Bow, Kenison also has a background in engineering, and he has previously spent 37 years working for the state Department of Transportation.

“It’s going to be more challenging and perhaps incorporate my background in engineering more than being a Town Administrator does,” said Kenison. “There are many things I may be able to help them with.”

Flood said it was Kenison’s wealth of experience in multiple areas that made him a good town administrator, and that he will be missed by the town.

“This did come as a surprise to me,” said Flood. “While it’s a loss for Hopkinton, I can certainly understand where Leon was coming from in wanting to move on to a better position.”

While searching for a replacement for Kenison, Flood said the board would ideally find someone who could bring longevity and stability to the position.

Kenison said he knows what he will miss about his months in Hopkinton.

“It will definitely be the people,” said Kenison. “The staff, the board and just about everyone I met have been great. I met a lot of people since last fall, and I consider it an outstanding staff. It meets the needs of the town and they’re all great people.”

Dunbarton town administrator settles into job

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 23:25:00 GMT

BY CAROLE KLEMENT HUXEL

Line Comeau took the position of Dunbarton town administrator in December, after seven years working in Town Hall.

“I was startled when people seemed pleased to see me as the new administrator,” said Comeau. “Then I realized how encouraging that was!”

Comeau began working for Dunbarton as a part-time secretary in the Assessors Office after two decades in retail management. She and her family have lived in Goffstown for more than 20 years, and she had grown tired of the long commutes, and especially of the schedules that demanded she work on holidays while her family was at home.

“I was working two parttime jobs when I heard about the opening in the Assessors Office, and I thought to myself, ‘Gee, that would be a nice place to work!’”

Her job soon had her assuming the secretarial duties of the Tax Assessing Office, and she was then offered a full-time position in the Building Department.

“When I went full time in the Building Department, it was at a peak here in Dunbarton, and we were very busy. It’s always a good challenge to be busy!”

Working at Town Hall was a positive change for Comeau.

“I actually began to learn to relax and see the scenery again,” said Comeau. “I really noticed that first fall foliage after working nights.”

After many years dealing directly with the public, she was concerned that her new position as administrator would prevent her from interacting with the community.

“(But) I was really surprised at the involvement of the public,” said Comeau.

Comeau labels herself a “people-person” and describes herself as patient and someone who enjoys extra challenges.

The selection process for the new town administrator was fraught with challenges. When Janice VanDeBogart retired in June, Dunbarton selectmen needed to interview candidates to replace her. Two selectmen are needed to vote on any issue, and at the time, that was impossible.

One of the candidates up for the job was Selectman Mert Mann, and he would not have been able to participate in the vote.

Another selectman, Rene Forcier, was battling cancer at the time and was not able to sit through the interview process. He died in November. That left only Selectman Leslie Hammond available.

The town then hired the Local Government Center for initial job screenings, as well as a second round of interviews.

Unable to move the selection process forward, the selection committee chairman asked Comeau to step in and run the Town Hall offices as the search continued. There were no job promises, but Comeau rose to yet another challenge.

“I had a good connection with the people in the offices. I have really gotten to know department heads and how they run their departments,” said Comeau. “I understand their ideas and hard work and committment, and was able to bring that back to the selectmen. “The biggest change in the office since I officially accepted the position of administrator is trying to maintain a positive atmosphere,” said Comeau.

“The selectmen have been very supportive, but we are facing challenging times.

“I believe I will stay in the community for many years. The people who come into this office treat us very well, and are very involved in making this a great place to live. I care about the taxpayers and I care about their needs.”

Serving is two-way street for Hopkinton Town Administrator Leon Kenison

Bow Editor — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 00:38:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Two Wednesdays a month, Leon Kenison runs the show. Every Monday, he’s a part of it.

Kenison, who has settled into his role as Hopkinton Town Administrator, has been adjusting to a job that differs from his position as chairman for the Bow Board of Selectmen.

“The two are quite different,” he said. “I go from a policy-setting role as a selectman to an administrative and research role to present information to the board, decision-maker to information- provider.”

According to Selectman George Langwasser, Kenison’s experience in both sections of government have been the key to his success.

“He has an understanding and appreciation of what the selectmen need to do their jobs,” Langwasser said. “You ask him a question and he’ll give you an answer. He’s very low key and doesn’t come over robustly.”

After a year of interim town administrators following the departure of Ed Wojnowski, Kenison was hired in late September to fill the role full time.

The town administrator works closely with selectmen and community members. It’s this interaction that Kenison most enjoys about his job.

“You are directly involved,” said Kenison. “This is where the rubber hits the road. You’re dealing directly with the people who own the town. There’s not medium in-between. You look right into the face of the people who want the service.”

Langwasser said the town has switched its approach, as it is now Kenison that department heads report to, rather than the Board of Selectmen.

“By doing that, he stays much closer to the department heads than we do, and he becomes a very valuable source of information to us,” said Langwasser. “This way, they have someone to check with instead of trying to track down a selectman.”

There has been a learning curve for Kenison, who was previously the town administrator in Pittsfield for a year.

“Here, we have different people and a little different set up as well as what the community has for priorities,” said Kenison. “Every day I am learning a bit more and finding more about what things people have for visions for the town.”

With his differing roles in Bow and Hopkinton, Kenison has to keep himself in check at times during his Monday night meetings in Hopkinton.

“I do have to realize that I’m not a selectman here, and it’s not my role to be one,” he said. “I think that when the opportunity rises and I have suggestions, the board is quite willing to listen. I’m certainly not going to play the selectmen’s role.”

Search continues for a new town administrator

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 20:07:00 GMT

BY JENN McDOWELL

Pembroke selectmen are a few steps closer to wrapping up their search for a new town administrator, and expect to further narrow down the field of nearly 20 candidates down soon.

They’ve conducted several interviews already, and will go through some more over the next few weeks, said Fred Kline, Chairman of the Board of Selectmen.

In the meantime, the town has gotten along just fine with help from Caroll Murray of Municipal Resources Inc., an agency that provides municipalities with staff and consultation when needed.

Murray stepped into the shoes of former Town Administrator Geoff Ruggles, who formally announced his resignation before selectmen on June 30. His last day was July 18.

Kline said the self-sufficiency of the town’s departments has also been a blessing as the board searches for the right candidate. “We were lucky Geoff contacted MRI for us when we gave notice, and Carol was able to start instantly, so she started a day or two before he left,” Kline said, allowing Ruggles to train her. “We’re fortunate that we have so many strong department heads. Without them, we’d be falling apart.”

Ruggles, who lives in Gilford, said he took a finance director job in Gilford to be closer to home and family.

Ruggles had been working as permanent town administrator since December, having spent three months on an interim basis before that, taking over for the prior town administrator, Troy Brown. Before that, he was the town’s finance director.

“It’s a great place to work. The people have been very supportive and very easy to get along with and work with, and it’s really just been a great experience,” said Ruggles about Pembroke’s Town Hall employees as well as its residents. “I know that sounds so trite, but it’s true.”

Kline said the lull between administrators and some other shuffles in the town offices have afforded selectmen the opportunity to take a closer look at structure of the town’s governance.

The town did not replace former town planner Laura Scott, who resigned in fall 2007. Also, Ruggles was still doing part of his old job, which was the finance director for Pembroke, a position that was not filled when he vacated it.

The town contracted planning consulting services out to the Central New Hampshire Planning Commission, and Kline said the costs associated with that need to be re-evaluated. “The sub-contract hours kind of add up. Now’s the time to look at that again,” Kline said, to determine whether the town would be better off with a staffed town planner.

With a new U.S. president soon, the economy could take a turn that would give the town some wiggle room in terms of funding, or possibly restrict funding further.

“In election years, the economy can do funny things,” Kline said. “Next year, we might have a whole different economy.”

Pembroke searches for new town administrator

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 20:14:00 GMT

BY JENN McDOWELL

Pembroke Town Administrator Geoff Ruggles is leaving his post for a different municipal job in Gilford.

The town is currently taking applications for the soon-to-be-empty position.

Ruggles, who lives in Gilford, said he took the finance director job in Gilford to be closer to home and family, adding the pay is about the same as he is currently making in Pembroke.

“It’s a hop, skip and a jump to Town Hall” from his home, said Ruggles.

Ruggles called selectmen on June 27, he said, to notify them of his resignation. It was made official at a special meeting the selectmen called on Monday, June 30.

Ruggles has been working as Pembroke’s permanent town administrator since December, having spent three months on an interim basis before that, taking over for the prior town administrator, Troy Brown.

He has been working in different positions for municipalities for 15 years, he said. His last day is Friday, July 18.

The town has posted ads in newspapers, at Local Government Center and other places online to advertise for the job, said Selectman Larry Preston. Preston acknowledged that, in his five years on the Board of Selectmen, he has seen a tremendous turnover in town office employees.

This is the first time he feels such a profound sense of loss of one, he said.

“He’s going to be sorely missed by everybody,” said Preston. “The selectmen did everything but break his legs to get him to stay,” he half-joked. Preston added Ruggles put in long hours at the town offices, was extremely organized and knowledgeable and spent a long time learning the ins and outs of the community.

The town looked to the Local Government Center for help in covering Ruggles’ duties. Through LGC’s back-up service, the town was able to secure a temporary replacement, Carroll Murray, to “step in and keep the ship together,” Preston said. “We wish him luck,” Preston said.

Longtime town administrator to leave Dunbarton

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 20:35:00 GMT

BY JENN McDOWELL

After helping form the position of Dunbarton Town Administrator a decade ago, Janice VanDeBogart looks forward to her retirement in June and spending more time with her husband of seven years.

A resident of Dunbarton for 31 years, VanDeBogart started out as the town’s deputy town clerk in 1983, took a job as secretary to the Board of Selectmen several years later and was promoted to administrative assistant to the board for four years before she ended her string of service in the town administrator’s seat.

VanDeBogart is the first and only town administrator Dunbarton has ever had.

“It’s been wonderful working with her,” said longtime Selectman Leslie Hammond, touting VanDeBogart’s finesse in dealing with the public and departments competing for time and funding on a daily basis.

“It’s kind of a unique individual who can deal with people every day coming in here,” Hammond added. “That’s what I’ll be looking for when we’re hiring people.”

VanDeBogart, 60, said she chose to retire now to prevent the loss of her health insurance subsidy, which the state has said it will take away from town employees who are at least 60 years of age and have 20 years under their belts if they do not retire before July 1.

Her husband, Jan, was the town’s road agent for six years before retiring two years ago, VanDeBogart said.

While she admits she is exhausted, VanDeBogart said she will deeply miss the day-today interactions with neighborly Dunbarton residents and town officials that made her feel at home in the town offices.

“This is really a community atmosphere, and I’ve loved it,” said VanDeBogart. “Those faces that I saw when I first moved here 31 years ago, those faces are gone. There’s new faces, but I can see the spirit is still there.”

VanDeBogart is an avid painter on the side, working in acrylics and oils. While she hasn’t yet sold any of the 30 or so art pieces she’s finished so far, she hopes to make her hobby into something lucrative eventually, she said.

She also hopes to do some traveling with her husband, including visiting family out West.

In the meantime, the Board of Selectmen has just begun the process of searching for her replacement.

The deadline for applications was Monday, March 31. As of Tuesday, April 1, seven applications had been filed.

With her last day falling on June 27, the intent is to get someone into the position in mid-May to cross train with VanDeBogart. The money to allow this was put into the budget Dunbarton voters passed at the Town Meeting on March 11.

In addition to VanDeBogart, secretary Janet Plamondon is also leaving her job with the town to spend time with a new grandchild who is on the way, Hammond said. The new town administrator would have to learn both jobs.

“What I anticipate we’re going to do is we’re going to select some individuals to act as a screening committee,” Hammond said. The committee would then rank the candidates and submit their recommendations to the selectmen for final reviews.

Hammond said VanDeBogart makes about $50,000, and the salary for the chosen candidate would be negotiated at some number below that.

VanDeBogart said the biggest challenge for whoever fills her spot will be getting to know the town front and back. Being a longtime resident, she said she has been at a great advantage in being able to recall history for answers to present-day questions. Whoever it is, VanDeBogart said she knows he or she will enjoy working for the town of Dunbarton.

“I think it’s rewarding in the people you meet and the friends you make. It’s fun, interesting, challenging and stressful all at the same time,” she said.