Bluff workshop participants spent a planning session identifying which municipal roles need formal succession plans and why the town struggles to recruit candidates for elected and appointed positions.

The discussion centered on defining “critical” roles that require documented succession profiles, with participants identifying positions whose loss would immediately disrupt operations — most notably the town bookkeeper — and elected roles such as mayor and town council seats that participants expect will require significant time commitments from candidates.

A facilitator leading the session said the group will compile role inventories and later produce success profiles and job descriptions so incoming officials and appointees understand responsibilities before they assume them. Participants emphasized focusing on the role rather than the individual when prioritizing documentation and continuity work.

Participants noted several recurring barriers to recruitment. Time commitment emerged as the most frequently cited deterrent: panelists described the mayoralty and some council responsibilities as effectively full‑time and said many residents cannot afford that unpaid workload. Concern about personal exposure to lawsuits and the demands of responding to state audit queries were also raised as reasons people decline to run or serve. One participant reported that recent town council filings included three declarations, two of them new candidates.

Workshop speakers also discussed demographic constraints in Bluff, saying a substantial share of residents are retired or otherwise unavailable to take on time‑intensive volunteer roles and that working‑age residents may lack flexibility to serve. Attendees flagged appointed boards such as planning and zoning as sometimes easier to fill because roles are more narrowly defined, but noted a recent vacancy on planning and zoning required another commissioner to stay on temporarily while the town recruited.

Several participants urged the town to professionalize certain functions to reduce pressure on volunteers and elected officials. The bookkeeping role was singled out repeatedly as requiring dedicated, skilled personnel and clearer documentation; one participant said a prior outsourcing attempt “didn’t work out” because the contractor lacked needed skills. The group agreed creating standard operating procedures, backup access and explicit success profiles would make transitions less disruptive.

The workshop covered a brief overview of risk and vulnerability assessment for roles, including using a numeric scale to rate how critical roles are and how imminent a vacancy risk might be. Facilitators said they will continue that work after the session and compile documentation for follow up.

Attendees also discussed retention versus recruitment: several said the early years of establishing the town required exceptional time commitments, and that much of the intense workload has been addressed, but prospective candidates still perceive the roles as more than part‑time. The group noted that demonstrating board effectiveness and avoiding meetings “just for meetings’ sake” helps attract volunteers to specific issues (for example, cemetery board interest was contrasted with lower interest in other topics).

Next steps identified at the session included producing clear job/success profiles for priority positions, documenting standard operating procedures and backup responsibilities (particularly for bookkeeping), examining demographic data to target recruitment, and continuing the risk/vulnerability assessment for town roles. No formal motions or votes were taken during the workshop; the session focused on planning and information gathering.