Foster council hires retired planner as temporary town planner and authorizes municipal fellows grant

Foster — The Foster Town Council on Jan. 9 unanimously approved hiring retired planner Peter LaPolla as a part‑time temporary town planner, and authorized the town to accept a state municipal fellows grant that would place a planning fellow in Foster under town supervision.

LaPolla, presented to the council as a retired planner with municipal experience, would be hired as a limited 75‑day employee (the statutory cap for retirees working in a temporary role). Kelly (town staff) will negotiate an hourly rate for the temporary appointment. The council’s motion to hire LaPolla passed after a second; the hire was approved subject to standard background checks and reference verification.

Council members and planning-board participants discussed how the temporary-planner post and the fellows grant would interact. The municipal fellows program is a state reimbursement grant: the town would supervise the fellow, pay salary and benefits, and then submit timesheets and deliverables to be reimbursed monthly. The council was told the state’s fellowship deliverables emphasize housing but the fellow may undertake other planning work so long as the grant deliverables are met.

Susan Joyce, identified as a Planning Board member, asked whether an interim supervisor arrangement had been clarified; the council said they would confirm whether Warren Ducharme or the temporary planner would serve as the fellow’s supervisor. Resident Nicole Andrews Gavage asked whether an independent‑contractor arrangement for the temporary planner would affect supervision of the fellow and whether LaPolla had been asked about supervising the fellow; the council said those supervisory and contracting logistics will be clarified in negotiations.

Councilors said the state has a small pool of candidates for the fellows placement (the council was told there are three candidates currently in the selection pool) and that the state would submit candidates sequentially: if the town rejects the first candidate, the state will send the next candidate for interview. The council authorized the town council president to sign the fellowship agreement if the town proceeds.

Ending — The temporary planner hire provides local capacity to review submissions and oversee planning work while the council continues to search for a permanent planner; the fellows grant creates a supervised, reimbursed position intended to add short‑term planning capacity.