With Younger Leaving, Selectmen Get To Work Finding Replacement

With the news just days ago that Thomas Younger was stepping down as Stoneham's Town Administrator, the Board of Selectman began the process of replacing him Monday night.

"The Board of Selectmen would like to express our appreciation for his efforts the last two years," said board chair Anthony Wilson of Younger, who started in Stoneham in August of 2016.

Younger will remain at his job until Nov. 16 and while it's doubtful his replacement will take over the next day the board hopes the steps they took will have a new Town Administrator hired by the end of the year.

The board started by discussing a job description. Each of the five members will send board staff administrator Dava Kilbride their thoughts on what the job description should entail by Sept. 6. Kilbride will compile them and the rough draft of a job description will be a part of the next board meeting on Sept. 11. The board hopes to formalize the job description that night, which would allow the town to start advertising the position.

The board also established a seven-member search committee. The committee would include two members of the Board of Selectmen, town accountant David Castellarin, the chair of the Finance and Advisory Board Susan Alpert Lippman (or her designee), one resident, Superintendent of Schools John Macero, and Police Chief James T. McIntyre. Human Resources Director Donna Gaffey would also be on the committee but would not have a vote.

Three board members expressed interest in being on the search committee, George Seibold, Caroline Colarusso, and Shelly MacNeill. The board voted and Seibold and MacNeill won. As for the resident, anyone interested in serving on the search committee should email a letter of interest to Gaffey by Sept. 6. Her email is dgaffey@Stoneham.ma.gov.

The board also briefly discussed salary, and established a rough timeline. Assuming the job description is done on or around Sept. 11, the board targeted Oct. 12 as the cutoff date to accept applications. Gaffey would then weed out the resumes of those applicants who didn't meet the minimum state requirements for the position. Then the remaining resumes would go to the search committee. The goal of the committee would be to present 3-5 candidates to the Board of Selectmen by early November and have someone hired by the holidays. The board felt it was realistic to think any new hire would probably start Jan. 1.

But all the dates discussed were in pencil, including time in October for community input. In the middle of the search effort is the state primary Sept. 4, as well as the October town meeting, and the Nov. 6 state election.

Town Counsel Robert Galvin speaks with the Board of Selectmen Monday regarding process to hire a new town administrator. Photo by Bob Holmes