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Residents praise staff but disagree on manager role; Zoom commenter urges eliminating the position
Summary
Public comment included praise for the town manager and public-works crew and an opposing Zoom comment urging elimination of the town manager position as unaffordable. Trustees heard concerns and thanks but voted to post a revised manager position.
Residents used the meeting's public-comment periods to both praise town staff and question the cost and structure of a full-time town manager.
Lisa Bonwell thanked the town manager and public-works employees for responsiveness and said trustees should be better prepared for meetings. Anne Esch, a planning-commission member, likewise praised staff and encouraged continuity. Those in-person speakers emphasized the manager's support for citizens and planning work.
A Zoom participant urged a different approach, saying the town "cannot afford" to recruit for a manager position and asking trustees to "eliminate the position and balance the town budget without raiding reserves." That speaker referenced a 2016 DOLA grant that originally supported a portion of the role and argued the town increasingly relies on outside legal review and expensive personnel costs.
Trustees did not adopt a proposal to eliminate the position; the board voted to post the revised job description and begin recruitment. Several residents who spoke in person asked that staff and trustees maintain continuity while the town conducts the search.
