Great Barrington — In a discussion that lasted approximately eight minutes during its meeting on Monday, October 6, the Selectboard unanimously voted to start contract negotiations with Bourne, Mass., Assistant Town Manager Liz Hartsgrove to become the new permanent town manager.
The town has been without a permanent town manager since January after then-Town Manager Mark Pruhenski left to take on that position for the town of Middlebury, Vt. Since Pruhenski’s departure, Town Planner Chris Rembold has served as the interim town manager.
The Selectboard formed a Town Manager Screening Committee back in January and hired Community Paradigm Associates of Plymouth, Mass., for the search.
The board interviewed two candidates in April, but the majority of the board decided to pass on both candidates.
In July, the board interviewed Newport, R.I., Director of Public Services William Riccio, and while the board voted to hire Riccio, he ultimately turned down the town’s job offer.
This led to another town manager search led by the committee and Community Paradigm Associates.
The Selectboard interviewed three candidates on September 30: West Stockbridge Town Administrator Marie Ryan; former Lyndon, Vt., Electric Department General Manager Jonathan Elwell; and Hartsgrove.
At the October 6 meeting, Selectboard member Eric Gabriel was the first to recommend Hartsgrove. “Right from the beginning, the fact that she comes from Cape Cod, and [Great Barrington] is constantly compared to the Cape because we have the same issues,” Gabriel said. “I feel like it’s important for this town to have an outside set of eyes. We could see by her interview how strong she was and how she can control a room and the narrative. She really presented herself in a way that I think would be very powerful for this town to have.”
Reed echoed Gabriel’s sentiments and said he would pick Hartsgrove. “When I saw her resume, at first I wasn’t too impressed or excited,” Reed said. “But then when I read [her resume] further and listened to her, and read some of the feedback about her [reference comments], I saw how she’s very community oriented. I feel confident that she will do the town justice and do a very good job.”
“I thought Liz, with her mix of experience, leadership, and philosophy, is the exact mix of what we need right now,” said Selectboard member Ben Elliott. “I think she has worked on the exact kind of projects that we are currently facing and will be facing over the next 10 to 20 years. I think someone like that will be an incredible asset.”
Selectboard Chair Steve Bannon added that he was “pleasantly surprised with the three quality applicants in our third time around.” “As Eric said, anyone who met her or talked to her came back to me and told me, ‘She’s really good, you should hire her,’” Bannon said. “I will not go against my four fellow Selectboard members. My one angst is to get a contract signed and get a new town manager here, and I will continue to be nervous about it until we have it signed. But I think she will do a tremendous job.”
Click here for Hartgrove’s resume, as presented in the informational packet at the September 30 Selectboard meeting.
