Clarksburg Administrator Choice Finalist in Northfield
 The Selectmen reviewed an agreement being sent to town administrator finalist John Sanguinet. |
CLARKSBURG, Mass. — Town officials are hoping they will have a new town administrator starting by April 15.
The Board of Selectmen met briefly on Wednesday to review a contract being proffered to John Sanguinet of Plymouth, selected last week among four candidates for the post.
Sanguinet is also a finalist for a position in Northfield, according to a story in the Greenfield Recorder that said he and another candidate were interviewed Tuesday night.
Interim Administrator Debra Choquette said she had been in email contact with Sanguinet but he had not yet confirmed whether he would take the position.
Selectmen Chairman Lily Kuzia and Jeffrey Levanos checked the contract on sick time, vacation and insurance benefits.
Levanos said he wanted to offer a three-year contract, pending a six-month probation period.
"If he relocates out here it's a big deal," he said. "It should at least be three years."
The board also selected a start date of April 15 after determining the beginning of the month could be too difficult because of Sanguinet's current location and probable commitments.
"We're so restricted," Kuzia said. "Everything's decided in the employee handbook and the salary by town meeting. Some places are open and have money to burn, but we don't.
"We can't really say anything because we're in this agreement phase."
Both agreed they needed to get an administrator on the job as fast as possible and directed Choquette to send Sanguinet the contract with a request for an answer by end of business Friday.
"There isn't anything else to negotiate," Levanos said. "We're done playing."
The full-time Clarksburg position will pay between $38,000 and $41,000; the Northfield post pays between $61,000 and $75,000.
The other three candidates were former Selectman Carl McKinney and Great Barrington Health Director Mark Pruhenski, both of whom were considered, and former Becket Town Administrator Craig Kleman.
Clarksburg will take applications for the position until it is filled.
Update: The Northfield Selectmen postponed a decision to next week after Sanguinet became the lone finalist Tuesday. They are expected to meet next week but had not determined as of Thursday morning if a second candidate would be interviewed.
Tags: contract negotiations, town administrator,
