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Bluff Council approves two summer internship offers amid budget debate
Summary
The Bluff Town Council voted to extend eight-week internship offers to two local applicants, while members debated adding a third hire and worried about near-term budget constraints.
The Bluff Town Council voted to extend summer internship offers to Samuel (Sam) Bouchard and Josie Lott, approving eight-week positions of up to 30 hours per week for each intern.
Council members and staff discussed three candidates interviewed for communications and technical-project support roles: Josie Lott for community engagement and communications; Sam Bouchard for technical/project support; and Thomas Hayden for technical/project support. Staff reported the applicants performed well in interviews and that the town has projects that could provide substantive work for interns, including road mapping and website updates.
Council members expressed a preference for hiring all three finalists if the budget allows, but raised concerns about whether the current budget could absorb three hires without impacting other personnel costs. One council member recommended hiring the two local applicants and contracting Thomas Hayden on specific projects if needed. Staff estimates and proposals mentioned in the meeting included a part-time/short-term structure described in planning discussion (example frameworks given during discussion: Josie — 12 weeks at ~20 hours; Sam — 8 weeks at ~30 hours; Thomas — up to 12 weeks at ~30 hours) and an estimated wage rate of $16 per hour. A staff estimate mentioned a total labor cost figure of $15,440 plus employer benefit matches under one proposed schedule; council members emphasized that final budget authority would be confirmed when a tentative budget is presented on the council’s June 6 meeting.
After discussion the council moved and seconded a motion to extend offers to Samuel Bouchard and Josie Lott for two internship positions for summer 2025. The motion was seconded and approved; council minutes record the outcome as approved with a tally given in the meeting as "it passes 4 0 1." Following the vote, staff confirmed formal 8-week offers up to 30 hours per week would be extended to Josie Lott and Samuel Bouchard.
Council members stressed practical implementation details discussed during the meeting: start-date flexibility (one applicant could not start until mid-June), the option to cap weekly hours to control costs, and the alternative of hiring contractors for discrete projects if budget constraints prevented hiring a third intern. Several council members said hiring local youth provides community benefits by exposing students to local government work.
The council did not commit to hiring the third candidate, Thomas Hayden, as a town employee; discussion left open contracting or revisiting the budget at the next tentative-budget meeting.
The council recorded no amendments to the motion. Staff said they would extend the specified offers and use the council’s stated caps (eight weeks, up to 30 hours) when issuing offer letters.
