Brookfield selectmen appoint Bob Ayers as town administrator; board authorizes Sarah and Lori to negotiate terms

Bob Ayers, a 67-year-old lifelong Brookfield resident, was moved into the town administrator position by the selectmen during their Jan. 13 meeting after a formal interview and a pair of board motions.

Ayers, who described a background in manufacturing, hazmat response, local volunteer boards and prior service as a police officer and EMT, told the board he is retired and has time to invest in the position. “Born and raised in Brookfield. . . I see from afar things that I think should probably go differently,” Ayers said, saying improved, “careful communication” would help the town resolve recurring disputes.

The broader interview covered department-head meetings, human-resources matters and a brief discussion of the municipal budget. Ayers emphasized policies and procedures, regular contact with department heads and visible day-to-day presence in the town hall so employees feel supported. “You have to have trust,” he said, describing routines he used in past jobs to build rapport with staff.

Board members repeatedly returned to two procedural issues: repeated Open Meeting Law complaints and the mechanics of the hiring process. Selectmen said many of the town’s attorney fees stem from Open Meeting Law disputes and argued a town administrator should handle day-to-day complaints and communications directly rather than routing them through outside counsel.

Several selectmen also said they would have preferred a broader or clearer candidate-review process. One member said information about applicants and screening notes was not circulated in a timely way and that some promising candidates left the pool after long waits. The board discussed the tension between acting quickly to retain candidates and following a deliberate, legal hiring process.

Following the interview the board made a motion to appoint Ayers; the transcript records a member stating, “I’m going to abstain,” and then the board welcomed Ayers aboard. The record in the transcript does not contain a full roll-call tally, but the appointment was advanced and the chair said Ayers would be welcomed to the role.

The board then voted to authorize two members—identified in meeting discussion as Sarah and Lori—to negotiate hours and a proposed contract with Ayers and to return the final terms to the full board for approval. Members discussed whether the hire should be a simple appointment or accompanied by a written contract; the board agreed that a contract is usual and customary for a town-administrator role and that final execution should return to the board.

As part of an agreed pre-hire process, the board directed that reference checks and criminal-background checks be completed (transcript references called them “Corey checks” and a board member offered to assist; the board’s requirement is to complete criminal background/CORI checks prior to finalizing employment). The board agreed to place any finalized contract on the agenda for the next meeting for final approval.

Next steps spelled out at the meeting: Sarah and Lori will meet with Ayers to set hours and compensation and prepare an offer and contract; reference and background checks will be completed; the board will consider the finalized contract at the next selectmen meeting. The meeting adjourned after the board confirmed those follow-up steps.