Selectmen approve short‑term part‑time hires for town clerk’s office; board urges expedited full‑time hire and assistant appointment

The Board of Selectmen approved two part‑time, as‑needed hires for the Town Clerk’s Office — John Amorillios and Deb Lyon — not to exceed 19 hours per week each and limited to a 90‑day period. The vote was unanimous.

Town Clerk Claudia (identified in the meeting as the town clerk) asked for the temporary help after a recent retirement left the office short‑staffed and to allow the office to catch up on backlogged filings, boards and commissions records, vital statistics and other administrative duties. She told the board some tasks require sustained work that is difficult to complete amid frequent counter traffic and phone interruptions.

Selectmen pressed for an expedited search for a permanent full‑time replacement for the retired employee and discussed appointing an assistant/ deputy town clerk who could carry required statutory responsibilities when the clerk is absent. First Selectman and other board members recommended a short trial period for the part‑time hires (90 days) and asked staff to post the full‑time vacancy immediately.

The board’s temporary‑hire approval allows the clerk’s office to use existing part‑time budget funds; members noted the town’s part‑time budget line is limited and that a full‑time hire remains the board’s priority. The motion approved the two hires as needed, limited to the 90‑day term, and asked staff to return with details about a full‑time hiring timeline and the process to identify an assistant town clerk.

No personnel salaries beyond the approved hourly limits were changed at the meeting.