Chelsea council hires Elke Doom as interim city manager, approves $250/day stipend for acting director

Chelsea’s City Council approved a contract on May 22, 2023, to appoint Elke Doom as Interim Acting City Manager with a start date of May 23, 2023. Council also unanimously approved a $250-per-day exempt stipend for Community Development Director Adrianna Jordan for the period she served performing both the acting city manager and development director duties, retroactive to May 1, 2023.

The action followed the April 21, 2023 resignation of City Manager Roy Atkinson and earlier direction from council to seek an outside interim while staff completed existing workloads. Council reviewed negotiation materials prepared by staff, including wage comparisons and local non-union scales, before voting on the stipend and the Doom contract. The stipend motion (moved by Peter Feeney, seconded by Eric Keaton) and the contract motion (moved by Tony Iannelli, seconded by Charles Wiseley) each passed on voice vote with "All ayes."

Council members directed staff to complete any required background checks and finalize contract details. Council also discussed next steps for a permanent city manager search, including re-engaging Walsh Municipal Services for recruitment and asking interim staff to coordinate a projected timeline. The transition team—comprising department heads, the Interim Acting City Manager, the mayor and two council members appointed by council—was formed to advise the interim leadership during the transition.

The council’s motions record the immediate staffing and compensation decisions; formal contract documents and any future changes are expected to be returned to council for approval or confirmation.