HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-09-08 Select Board Minuteso" r Town of Reading RECEIVED
Meeting Minutes TOWN CLERK
READING, MA.
PL
2021 OCT 12 AN 0 22
Board - Committee - Commission - Council:
Select Board
Date: 2021-09-08 Time: 12:00 PM
Building: Location:
Address: Session: Open Session
Purpose: General Business Version: Final
Attendees: Members - Present:
Mark Dockser, Karen Herrick, Carlo Bacci, Chris Haley, Anne Landry
Members - Not Present:
Others Present:
Executive Assistant Caitlin Nocella, Town Counsel Ivria Fried
Minutes Respectfully Submitted By:
Topics of Discussion:
This meeting was held remotely on zoom.
The board was holding this additional meeting today to talk about the Town Manager screening
committee. This committee will help assist the consultant in finding Town Manager search finalists for
the Select Board to formally interview.
Karen Herrick and Anne Landry have been working offline with Town Counsel. It was noted everyone on
this selection committee needs to be a Reading resident per the Charter. Anne Landry recommended a
5 -member committee. Of the five members on the committee, 2 would be Select Board members and 3
would be members of the community, who could be but need not necessarily be members of staff or
members of other boards to be considered. The full Select Board could interview candidates with a set
list of questions to pick the 3 community members.
Karen Herrick noted she spoke with the Superintendent who is willing to be a part of the process and
meet with the finalists one on one at the end.
Carlo Bacci felt 5 members may be too small and suggested 7 or 9 members. He also feels it is important
to have staff on this committee; people who work with Bob every day. Counsel noted it is very common
to have some department heads as well as the police and fire chiefs on these types of committees.
It was noted the consultant would meet with Department heads as a part of the process and get their
input that way.
The board then discussed how they will pick the two select board members to be on the committee. The
Chair noted that during the last Town Manager hiring process the Chair and the Vice Chair served on the
screening committee, so there is precedent for that structure. Anne Landry noted she would like to be
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on the committee and also noted she and Karen have already done a lot of the work to get the ball
rolling with respect to the Town Manager hiring process and hiring a consultant and she knows that she,
and she expects Karen, would be happy to take the ball and run with it.
Chris Haley feels Mark Dockser should be one of the members on the committee because he has the
experience from being on it the last time the town searched for a town manager and he is worried about
the optics if the Chair and Vice Chair are the two on the committee.
Carlo Bacci agreed with Chris Haley and then suggested the board use the VASO members for this
committee which would be Mark Dockser and himself.
Mark Dockser noted he believes that any of the board members would do a very good job serving the
community by representing the board on the committee. He feels 7 is a good number for this committee
and would not want to go over 7. He also suggested having the Library Director on the committee.
Chris Haley and Carlo Bacci expressed concerns about optics if the Chair and Vice Chair (were to serve
on the screening committee) and it was noted all five members are elected to be on a nonpartisan
board so this should not be issue.
Anne Landry noted she worked to help draft the scope of work for the consultant and she wants to be
involved and have a seat at the table to ensure a good process and outcome, given that this Is arguably
the most important task to come before the Board since she was elected to serve the community.
Alan Foulds suggested the moderator be on the committee.
The board then worked thru who the 7 members would be.
Mark Dockser made a motion to create a Town Manager search committee comprised of 7 members
as follows:
e 2 select board members
e The town moderator
e 2 residents
Up to 2 department heads who are residents, to serve ex -officio, with one position to go to
another resident should 2 department heads not be interested
And to authorize requests for people to apply with a deadline of 10 days. [Anne Landry had offered a
friendly amendment to motion to change "Library Director" and "One of the Public Safety Chiefs" to
"2 department heads" given they had not spoken to any of the Department Heads about their interest
or availability. This amendment was accepted. Anne Landry had offered a friendly amendment to
replace "the town moderator" and "2 residents" with "3 residents" to allow a more open application
process but withdrew the amendment when no one supported it and the sentiment of the Board was
that the Town Moderator's voice was important to ensure[.
Karen Herrick seconded the motion.
The board then discussed if someone from the school side should be on the committee. They also
discussed having the Town Accountant involved.
The board then briefly discussed how to have residents apply with the normal board/committee
application and then they would interview them all as a full board and pick two for the committee.
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The board took a roll call vote as follows:
Bacci — yes; Landry — yes; Dockser- yes; Haley — yes; Herrick — yes.
Mark Dockser moved to adjourn at 1:18 PM. The motion was seconded by Anne Landry and approved
with a unanimous roll call vote.
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