52 apply for town manager position

PARIS —   The town has received 52 applications for the town manager position, Town Clerk Elizabeth Knox reported on Tuesday afternoon.

The board of selectmen discussed the town manager search during its Monday meeting.

The town is currently in the process of negotiating a separation agreement with Phil Tarr, its current town manager and hopes to have a new manager in place by January. The board plans to discuss the separation agreement in executive session on Friday.

Postings for the job have been running in two Sunday newspapers and on the Maine Municipal Association website since August 6. The application deadline was September 10.

Selectmen agreed that the number of applicants was an adequate pool from which to select a good candidate and decided not to place any additional advertisements for the position.

At the meeting, the board also voted to modify the hiring schedule – board members will review the applications individually and meet in executive session on September 19 to choose their top three candidates.

Vice-Chair Bob Kirchherr estimated initial interviews should take place between the last week of September and the first week of October.

At its Monday meeting, the board reported that attorneys were still reviewing the separation agreement with Tarr, who did not attend Monday's meeting. It will discuss the agreement with him during an executive meeting on Friday at 7 p.m., which, according to Tarr, is his last day.

The board appointed Knox as interim town manager, tax collector and road commissioner and Marjorie Risica treasurer in the event the town manager leaves his position.