Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Personnel Hr topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Select Board hears proposal to add a full‑time HR manager to relieve town‑manager workload
Summary
Town staff proposed creating a full‑time Human Resources manager position to take on HR, benefits and payroll duties currently handled across multiple offices. Board members voiced support but raised funding and role‑definition questions and asked staff to return with a job description and funding options.
Town staff presented a proposal to create a dedicated HR manager position to relieve the town manager and finance staff of a growing load of HR, payroll and benefits responsibilities.
The town manager framed the issue as structural: "it's not just town manager, it's also finance director and HR director," and said one person is currently covering multiple functional responsibilities. Staff and board members agreed that a dedicated HR professional could improve policy consistency, recordkeeping, benefits administration and hiring processes.
Discussion among board members covered whether the new role should be full‑time, whether it could be combined with some finance duties, and whether the existing vacant project‑manager salary line could temporarily fund the position for the remainder of the fiscal year. Some members suggested a contracted HR manager while others preferred an in‑house hire for continuity. Concerns were also raised about displacing an existing project manager position and whether project management should instead be handled by consultants when large technical projects arise.
The board expressed general support for pursuing an HR manager, asked staff to refine a job description that allows flexibility in duties as needs change, and requested a funding proposal for consideration at a future meeting.
