Hopkinton town administrator search: 17 applicants, department‑head screening committee proposed

Neil, the town administrator, told the Select Board that the search for his successor had drawn 17 applicants as of the meeting and recommended creating a six‑member department‑head screening committee to perform initial resume reviews and interviews.

He proposed that the committee be comprised of department heads: finance director Kelly; tax collector Christine Johnson; police chief T.J. Hennessy; fire chief Jeff Yale; DPW director Dan Blanchett; and recreation director Paula Sipkins. Neil said the committee would screen resumes, conduct initial interviews and present two or three finalists to the full Select Board. He also said department heads would use the job description and minimum qualifications as the baseline for evaluation but noted that resumes and interviews are inherently subjective and that person‑fit matters.

Board members asked for written notes from the department‑head interviews so the Select Board could understand why candidates were advanced or eliminated. Some members urged shortening the advertisement window to attract more candidates sooner; others said the screening process could begin immediately. The committee membership was approved after the board confirmed members’ willingness to serve.

The board discussed logistics—whether there would be phone screenings, in‑person interviews, sample tasks, and the number of finalists to bring forward (six to eight interviewed in person was suggested, with the final panel likely two to three candidates). Neil and Kelly will coordinate the committee and share candidate materials with the board as appropriate.

Next steps include committee formation, scheduling initial screen reviews, and collecting departmental written feedback on candidates to aid the board’s deliberations.