Ellsworth City Council ratifies Sarah Devlin as deputy city manager

The Ellsworth City Council voted to ratify Sarah Devlin as deputy city manager, approving her hiring to support infrastructure planning, centralized grants management and department oversight.

City Manager Charlie Pierce told the council that Devlin was selected from an applicant pool of about 200 and that the council and staff rated her highly during interviews. "After the first interview with Sarah Devlin, I looked at the group and I said, should we just end it right here?" Pierce said, describing the hire as the result of an extensive selection process.

Pierce said Devlin joins the city from the Bangor Area Comprehensive Transit System, bringing regional transportation, state government and municipal planning experience. He said she will share administrative duties with the city manager, help finalize capital and infrastructure planning during the budget cycle and centralize grants management.

A motion to ratify Devlin's appointment was made, seconded and carried by the council. The hiring is effective immediately; Pierce told the council the administration will return in June to amend department-head lists required by the charter so Devlin can be fully codified in those records.

Devlin will begin work during the city's annual budget process, which Pierce said will include more frequent workshops and a publicly posted managers' memo to make recommendations and departmental requests transparent earlier than in prior years.

Council discussion included expressions of support for Devlin's experience and one councilor's objection to expanding managerial ranks on principle; that councilor voted against the appointment but did not block the ratification.

The council did not set additional conditions or changes to the employment contract at the meeting.