Charles Blanchard will be paid $450 a day, and work a minimum of eight hours a day, four days a week, as the interim town manager. He also will be reimbursed for mileage expenses for on-the-job travel.
Charles T. BlanchardPALMER – The Town Council on Monday night unanimously approved the appointment of Charles T. Blanchard of Sturbridge as the interim town manager.
Blanchard officially will start work on July 1, but he told the council he plans to work a few days with Acting Town Manager Patricia A. Kennedy before she retires on June 30.
He will be paid $450 a day, and work a minimum of eight hours a day, four days a week. He also will be reimbursed for mileage expenses for on-the-job travel.
Blanchard was a semifinalist for the town manager position last summer, but withdrew his name, citing personal reasons.
A council subcommittee composed of Council President Eric A. Duda, Vice President Barbara A. Barry and At-large member Paul E. Burns interviewed Blanchard on June 10.
"The minute I heard Pat was leaving I thought of Charlie," Burns said later. "Why go into a major search? He was qualified, he was vetted by two subcommittees, and for the type of job that it is ... it doesn't make sense to go out and have a lengthy interim town manager search."
Burns said that Blanchard had indicated to the search committee last summer that he also would be interested in serving as an interim town manager.
Duda said he received a letter from Blanchard on June 8 indicating his interest in the interim position.
The letter states that Blanchard, 66, has worked in public service for the past 35 years, and served as a Sturbridge selectman for 17 years, and as Paxton's town administrator for six years. He retired from that job in January. His wife Mary is a selectman in Sturbridge.
Blanchard, who later said he is not interested in a permanent town manager position, said he was Paxton's first town administrator. He said he can help move the community forward during the transition period to a permanent town manager.
Duda said he felt that Blanchard could "hit the ground running" and said his credentials speak for themselves. He said Blanchard is expected to be in the position for three to six months.
"Hopefully I'll be able to keep things moving in the right direction," Blanchard said after the meeting.
During the meeting, Barry disclosed that she works for the town of Sturbridge, where she is the finance director. Barry said Charles Blanchard was a selectman when she was hired, and said she does not have a conflict of interest.
Duda said some people have asked him about the Barry-Blanchard connection, but he said he does not see a problem, and became aware of Blanchard's qualifications when he served on the town manager search committee with Burns. Barry did not serve on the search committee.
"Maybe it looks suspicious to some, but I don't think so," Duda said.
Barry said she was among employees who received a raise recently, and said that it was approved at the annual Town Meeting.
Appointments in Sturbridge are confirmed by the selectmen; budgetary requests, such as raises, go through the town administrator, selectmen, Finance Committee and then Town Meeting, which has the final say.
"There is no conflict. If people want to think that, it's fine," Barry said.
In other town manager-related news, the council approved using $20,000 from so-called free cash to assist the new council with the town manager search. The vote was 5 to 3, with Councilors Michael R. Magiera, Donald Blais, Philip J. Hebert, William S. Heilman and Eric A. Duda voting for it, and Councilors Barry, Burns and Raymond J. Remillard voting against it. Councilor Karl S. Williams was absent.
It was Magiera's idea to set aside the extra money. He said the last two town manager searches have not gone well, and said this could help the new council with the task.
Remillard asked Magiera if the money would be used for an outside consultant, and Magiera said that would be up to the new council to decide. The new Town Council takes effect July 1.
Approximately 25 resumes have been submitted for the town manager position.