BAR HARBOR, Maine — The local Town Council decided Tuesday night to find a new town manager with some help from an Augusta consulting firm.
Gary Friedman, vice chairman of the panel, said the council plans to hire the Eaton Peabody Consulting Group to find an interim town manager and to conduct a search for a new manager.
Friedman said the council hopes to meet with Eaton Peabody representatives sometime next week. In the meantime, Council Chairman Ruth Eveland, who was out of town on Wednesday, is expected to stand in as town manager if an important issue arises, he said.
The position became vacant last week when Dana Reed, who had served as Bar Harbor’s town manager for 27 years, abruptly resigned after reaching a separation agreement with the town. The separation agreement calls for Reed to be paid a total of $110,669 in the form of regular and deferred compensation and in contributions to his retirement health savings account.
Reed’s departure came as many local residents, citing his 27 years in the position, raised objections to his contract being renewed. Much of the criticism of Reed in recent months has come about since he placed former police chief Nate Young on paid leave last October and then fired him in January.
Young has filed a lawsuit against the town in federal court, claiming he was wrongfully terminated.
Eveland is expected to be council chairman only for another month, as she has decided not to seek re-election on June 10. Six people are running for three available seats on the council in next month’s election. The candidates include incumbent Councilor Christopher Walsh, Joseph “Tom” Burton, Jefferson Dobbs, Clark Stivers, Anne Greenlee and Burt Barker.
