The Kingston Board of Selectmen is moving forward with plans to find both an interim and permanent town administrator following the resignation of Keith Hickey, who announced his departure at the Wednesday, Aug. 6 selectmen’s meeting, to take a position in Fairhaven.
Hickey’s contract includes a 90-day notice period, keeping him employed through the town until late October, though the board is considering allowing him to leave earlier if suitable replacements are found. Board members discussed the transition timeline during their Aug. 5 meeting, with several expressing preference for a two-week overlap period between Hickey and his successor.
“I would like to see us work with Keith here to see if we could get to a point where we can, in effect, release him earlier,” said Carl Pike, suggesting a target date of Oct. 1 instead of the full 90-day period. “I would think, from my point of view, that we probably absolutely going to need him for 60 days.”
The board faces the challenge of conducting two separate searches while managing the town’s tight budget situation. Members debated whether to hire a professional search firm, which typically costs $15,000 to $20,000, or conduct the search internally using a committee approach.
Chair Eric Crone expressed concerns about the financial implications given the town’s budget constraints. “We’re literally saying we’ve got $3,000 and then probably less available under the levy,” Crone said. “It’s hard to then say, oh, well, let’s spend the money when we could do it, I think.”
Pike acknowledged the financial reality while noting that finding the money should be possible within the town’s $50 million to $60 million budget. “The town should always be able to find that in a 50 million dollar budget,” Pike said. “I don’t care if you have to cut back some overtime somewhere, or you don’t buy this equipment.”
However, Pike also supported starting the search process internally, suggesting the board could reassess and hire a search firm later if needed. “I absolutely agree that any place we don’t have to spend money in the next eight or ten months, whatever’s left, I personally will be charging forward and saying, hey, do we have to spend that?”
The board plans to establish a search committee for the permanent position, likely including two selectmen and potentially department heads or other town officials. Vice Chair Kim Emberg suggested involving the Police Chief, Fire Chief, or HR Director in the process.
For the interim position, the board discussed a more streamlined approach. Town Counsel Kate Feodoroff indicated that interim appointments do not require the same formal interview process as permanent hires, allowing for more flexibility in selection and timing.
“Kate made it sound like you don’t put interims through rigorous process,” Crone said. “You’re just hiring whoever’s available, whoever’s willing to do it.”
The board expressed interest in finding an interim administrator who could potentially become a permanent candidate, though they emphasized that any interim would need to go through the full application process for the permanent positin.
Donald Alcombright raised concerns about limiting the candidate pool by focusing on interim-to-permanent transitions. “I just don’t want to be in that situation where we’re basically reaching out to three specific candidates that we’re thinking about as opposed to having 30 people apply,” he said.
Hickey offered to assist with the transition, noting his availability to help whoever takes over the position. “I’m a phone call and email or text away, so if I can help whoever’s sitting in that chair, you know, I’m always going to be willing to do that,” he said.
The outgoing Town Administrator highlighted several ongoing projects that will need attention during the transition.
“You know, I guess from my point of view, over the next few weeks, you know, we’ve got a fall town meeting in October,” Hickey said. “I’m working with Kathleen Barrette, our Finance Director. I’ve reached out to the School to try to put together a five-year financial plan.”
The board also discussed gathering input from department heads about desired qualities in the next administrator. Hickey suggested meeting with department heads as a group rather than individually to provide more constructive feedback.
“One of the things I think would be important, whether it be just two board members so there’s not a posted meeting, you know, maybe meet with the department heads as a group,” Hickey said.
Before beginning the search process, the board needs to finalize the job description used in the previous search in 2020. Pike noted that the current description needs cleanup for grammar and duplications, though the overall content remains appropriate.
The board plans to continue discussions about the search process at future meetings, with members emphasizing the need to move quickly while maintaining thoroughness in the selection process.
The Town Administrator position oversees daily municipal operations and serves as the Chief Administrative Officer under Kingston’s Open Town Meeting form of government. The role involves coordinating between various departments, managing budgets, and implementing policies set by the Board of Selectmen.