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Selectmen debate part‑time vs. full‑time Family Services administrator role as incumbent departs
Summary
Town administrators asked to post the Family Services/Welfare Administrator position after Alana's departure; Selectmen discussed advertising the role part‑time to save money versus keeping it full‑time to maintain service levels during winter and holiday demand, and asked the administrator to prepare a draft job description and staffing plan.
The Allenstown Board of Selectmen on July 13 directed town staff to prepare a job description and an options paper after administrators requested permission to post the Family Services/Welfare Administrator vacancy left by Alana, who is leaving the town.
Board members expressed a split view about whether the position should be advertised as part‑time or full‑time. Several members with direct experience in the role warned that winter and holiday periods create intense demand for family services that a single part‑time person might not meet. "It is intense. Winter gets intense. Holidays get super intense," said a resident who had performed the role and urged caution about cutting hours.
The administrator and other board members said a part‑time, salaried arrangement (for example, 20–32 hours weekly with seasonal flexibility) might be a cost‑effective way to retain experienced candidates, but they requested a written job description and an analysis of service coverage and contingency plans. The board asked staff to attempt a part‑time posting initially and to revisit the question at the next meeting if application levels are insufficient.
Members emphasized the need for backup coverage, described how prior staffing models relied on multiple part‑time contributors, and asked that finance and human resources assess whether savings from a part‑time posting would jeopardize the later goal of hiring a full‑time finance director. The chair asked the town administrator and HR to draft the posting and return to the board for final authorization.
No formal vote was recorded to set the position type; the board authorized advertising the vacancy and requested documentation to inform a final decision.
