Bangor city councilors on Monday set the timeline for hiring a new city manager.
The city is paying Eaton Peabody Consulting Group $10,000, plus the cost of mileage, advertisements and other expenses, to lead the search and hiring process for a new Bangor city manager. Both the firm and city officials hope to have a new city manager selected in the first week of April, roughly two months before current city manager Debbie Laurie retires.
The start of the search comes more than a month after the city announced Laurie will step down from the top leadership position on May 30.
Laurie’s retirement will mark the end of a more than 30-year career with the city, the last three of which were spent as city manager. Despite Laurie’s short tenure as city manager, she has faced chronic challenges, including rising housing prices, a swelling homeless population and rampant opioid use, in that time.
Eaton Peabody will be tasked with working with city councilors and staff to determine what skills and experience they want the next city manager to have, advertising the position both locally and nationally, screening applicants, scheduling interviews, conducting background checks and facilitating contract negotiations.
The city selected the Augusta-based firm because it is affordable and has successfully filled more than 60 executive positions in Maine communities in the last 14 years, according to the company.
The city plans to place an advertisement for the open position on Jan. 28 and accept resumes until Feb. 25, according to a memo from Don Gerrish, a consultant for Eaton Peabody.
Gerrish encouraged all councilors to participate in the search and hiring process but warned the pool of applicants “isn’t what it used to be.”
“We’re not getting the numbers or the quality of people we got in the past,” Gerrish said. “But, it only takes one person.”
Gerrish said he hopes to receive 18 to 25 applications for the position but said many may not have the qualifications or experience the city is looking for.
Once the process is underway, Gerrish will give councilors weekly updates on applicants and give recommendations for who he feels the city should interview. Councilors will receive the resumes of all candidates.
The city hopes to conduct the first round of interviews on March 13 and 14 before deciding on finalists. The City Council will then interview the finalists in the last week of March and determine their first choice to be the next Bangor city manager.
From March 31 to April 3, the city aims to finalize a contract and determine the start date for the new city manager and announce the hire to the public, though Gerrish said those dates could shift slightly.
To whoever takes on the position next, Laurie previously told the Bangor Daily News it’s important to stay open-minded, listen to the ideas and concerns of others, ask questions without fear of sounding silly and learn from every mistake.
Laurie worked in the city’s finance department from 1992 until she rose to become interim city manager in August 2021 following the departure of Cathy Conlow. She remained in that role until February 2022 when she was officially awarded the city manager position.