Clarksburg Setting Search Panel to Vet New AdministratorBy Tammy Daniels, iBerkshires Staff
11:55PM / Wednesday, January 25, 2012 | |
 Carl McKinney was elected chairman and Lily Kuzia vice chairman for the now two-person Board of the Selectmen. |
CLARKSBURG, Mass. — The new chairman of the Selectmen pledged a "transparent process" in the selection of a new town administrator.
Carl McKinney, elected as chairman just minutes before, told a crowded Selectmen's meeting on Wednesday that the replacement for Town Administrator Michael Canales would be vetted by a search committee.
"I would like to have an open and transparent process," said McKinney. "There are no backroom deals. There is no preferential treatment; there is nobody who has been selected in a backroom discussion. ... My goal is to get the town back to where we were."
But the problems of having a two-man board quickly surfaced as he and Selectwoman Lily Kuzia failed to agree on the size of the search committee, putting the appointment process off until next Wednesday.
Rumors have been rife that former Chairwoman Debra LeFave had a lock on the post since news broke last week that she had resigned to apply for the job. Both McKinney and Kuzia said there have been no discussions about the longtime board member; their only response so far has been the communication of a list of possible search committee members through Canales.
McKinney said he would not sit on the search committee to ensure no taint of favoritism and would follow the committee's recommendation.
"The majority of that board will get my vote, it will be that simple. I will not interfere with the process," he said, although he glumly noted he was in a no-win position if LeFave's name was put forward — he'd either be accused of favoritism or sour grapes.
The abrupt departure of LeFave, who had another year on her fourth term on the board, came the same day that Canales submitted his resignation to take the administrative officer's job in North Adams. The loss of two of the town's leaders, both with the more than a decade of experience, leaves the small town in a tough spot as it enters budget season.
That was enough for McKinney, who had also eyed the administrator's post, to stay put. "We would have a decapitated town government with a select board unable to conduct any business and unable to appoint a new administrator until a new board is seated in May," he said.
Canales' last day is March 5; the city has agreed to give Canales some rein in helping during the transition period. Applications for town administrator are due Feb. 5, although applications will be accepted until the post is filled.
"We need to do things right, we need to take our time," said Kuzia. "However, we need to do them as soon as possible."
But she and McKinney were at loggerheads on whether to appoint five or seven members to the committee. An original list McKinney had passed through Canales included all three Finance Committee members and a School Committee member. Kuzia agreed to that list, with the addition of herself as representative of the Selectmen, and balked at McKinney's reconsideration to add another School Committee member and possibly a library trustee as being too unwieldy.
A number of audience members backed McKinney's call for seven but Kuzia said she would stand firm. "We should appoint those who already have shown interest," she said. "I feel that five are sufficient."
"Given the scope of what we need to do I would like to see a broad spectrum of the town represented by the town departments," McKinney said. He added he had told School Committee Chairman David Berger it would be preferable if Berger was not on the search committee because of his relationship with LeFave — the two had frequently butted heads — but he would "let the School Committee select their members."
Resident Mary Giron asked that the board consider posting the job more broadly to attract a wider range of candidates. The board took her request under consideration. The job had been posted three days in The Berkshire Eagle and also appears on Monster.com.
In other business:
â–º The board accepted both LeFave's and Canales' resignations with deep regret.
â–º Approved joining a collaborative agreement on a veterans agent with Adams, Williamstown and North Adams. The town will be responsible for expenses incurred for its veterans and will be charged for the agent's time.
â–º Kuzia, director of the Council on Aging, relayed information that Medicare Part D would not cover self-administered medications (like pills) for seniors who stay overnight at the hospital as outpatients. She suggested seniors check their coverage.
â–º Canales said the repair work on the washout of the Hoosic River at Cascades School Supply was completed but would have to monitored for several years. He was meeting with Federal Emergency Management Agency officials on Thursday to discuss fixing the East Road bridge, which could wrap up the final damage from Hurricane Irene.
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