the town of Andover Board of special meeting Monday, this October 27th, 2025, 9:20 p.m. This this is being recorded
9:20 a.m. I apologize.
The board of select and special meeting.
What did I say?
Said board of special meeting.
Oh, well, let's start over. We'll do it again.
All right. So, I'm going to call over to the town of Andover Board of Selectmen special meeting Monday, October 27th, 9:21 a.m. And our first order of business is the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America
to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
Okay. Our first item is public speak. just here to watch. Thank you.
Okay. All right. items on the agenda are discussion and action on appointment of temporary town administrator. the candidate interviewers, we have Jim Balano who's on by Zoom. Jim in this room, you have Jeff Murray, who you met previously last Thursday, Carol Lee, select person, Scott Pson, select person, and myself. on the screen, you have Anne Cre who's also one of the select people. and we have Scott Soyette who's from the public. The Andover link is Kate who was nice enough to start our meeting and then we're all in this room. So, just for everybody's information, Jim was referred to Eric by Jim Rivers who is currently in charge of MECOG. Jim Rivers was previously the town manager for Windham or city manager. I don't actually know his title. Jim, what would his title be?
Town manager.
Okay. Jim was Jim has previously been the town administ or town temporary town manager for Windham twice, not once, but twice. So, Scott and I met with him after Eric's resignation before our last meeting. So, this meeting is really for Ann, Scott, and Carol to ask any questions that you guys would like of Jim so that you can get to know him and so that we can potentially
fill our position if it's with Jim. That's great. So, you guys are up. Who'd like to go first?
Jim, I'm Scott Persan. Nice to meet you. Where do you
Hi, Scott.
Where do you live?
I live in Windam in Willamantic. Actually, I've been here since I got the job in April of 2015.
I moved out from the Danbury area.
Can you give us a little bit of your background, please?
Sure. well, how far you want to go back? So, I I practiced law for a number of years in New York. I moved to Connecticut in 1994. and then over that time, I just never really enjoyed the practice of law. Plus, I was living in Connecticut and not licensed in Connecticut because I had been in New York when I received my license. and so in 2000, if I can go back, speed it up a little bit, I took a job in economic development for what was called then the, Husatonic Valley Economic Development Partnership, which was the regional economic development group for Greater Danbury. Covered the 10 towns around Greater Danbury. shortly thereafter I went to work for the city of Danbury for Mark Boutton. actually Gene Iraq may have been may have been the mayor and then Mark Boutton after that economic development director for the city. And then after oh about five or six years I went to work for a private developer in Danbury. And I did that for about nine years, eight or nine years and really wanted to get back into economic development. And my kids had kind of all grown up and gone away. I had been gotten divorced in '05 and the Windham opportunity came up and I
just kind of saw a lot of similarities with that with that town and Danbury State College, former Miltown, kind of a historic downtown, etc. A lot of retail. And so I took that job and that was April 1st of 2015 and I just recently finished up there in let's say August of of this year after 10 and a half years. And
I just as an aside, I've taught at Western Connecticut State and and Eastern either polyai or law or you know legal studies and things like that at different times over the past 30 years.
Okay. And how many times have you served as interim manager or town administrator and in what towns, please? twice in Windham. In 2017, two years after I was there, a gentleman named Neil Beats who was the town manager for 7 years decided to leave. And in the interim, it was a period of 3 months. I was asked to serve in that capacity by the town council and I did so for about 3 months. And then again last August, mid August or so when Jim Rivers went to NECOG, I was asked again and I did so until around February 1st when they hired the current town manager.
How long was that, Jim? That last stro about five or six months. And do you have any interest in serving as town administrator for any towns coming out of Are you I'm assuming you're retired right now?
Yeah, I took kind of an early retirement, but you know, it was it was a package that was offered. The new town manager has kind of shaken things up and they eliminated the two positions in the economic and community development department. he's just went in a completely different direction. And and so I decided to take the early retirement package rather than take this other position that he had had created. And so I haven't been pursuing town administrator or town manager or city manager positions. again, this just happened in August. I was just kind of looking at consulting opportunities in and around maybe the area of economic development but I kind of with the sick time that I had acrewed and with the severance package I was just kind of waiting and this kind of came out out of nowhere really and it was and it's close by and it's certainly you know I've familiar with the town to the extent that I drive through and past and I've actually met Eric on a Hop trail meeting that that we hosted in in Windham Town Hall a few years ago. So and I know Dennis O'Brien for many years. so I thought it might might be a good opportunity to explore.
So you would be interested in exploring it on a permanent basis or you're just looking right now for interim positions? Well, interim was was what was proposed to me. So, that's what I'm I'm I'm looking to explore. I I didn't really have a plan. And to be to be quite honest, you know, in Windom, they had offered me the position the second time, not the first time. I had just started in Windham and it really wasn't something I wanted. You know, my background was economic and community development. I think they saw my management skills that would be helpful in the town as far as working with people, working with departments, kind of a respect that I had built up over over the years. And they thought that was a good fit, but for a permanent position, it's it's not something I I think. And at this point, I think, you know, when they had me early retire, I was only about maybe two years away from retirement. which was kind of
unfortunate that they, you know, had eliminated the department then anyway. So, you know, I for for for you folks and for me, I think you'd probably be looking for something more long-term as a permanent town administrator. just as a an aside, where did you grow up?
I grew up in Yoners, New York.
Oh, yeah.
Question.
Yeah. Lived there and lived in Mount Kisco for a while and then moved to Brookfield, Connecticut in 1994.
Living on the lake.
I'm sorry.
You're living on the lake. I did. I lived in in Candlewood Shores. Yeah. Not on the lake, but up the hill from the lake.
Okay. All right. Anybody else have any questions?
just the one question. So this would be something you would be okay with a three to six month duration if this was a temporary.
Absolutely. Yeah.
Okay. And do you have any question? I think a lot of the questions I had have been answered. I guess just that you're able feel competent to cover all the different areas that the town administrator would do. watching the different projects we have going on in town with the bridges and various other construction projects and the grants and managing the town hall and all that.
Yeah, I think so. Well, and I, you know, I I think it it's a different, but it doesn't make it doesn't make it less easy. It doesn't make it easier or less complicated. Windham's a bigger town. There are obviously more departments, more personnel, but I think when it's a smaller town and it's a little leaner, it's going to require me to step up in in certain different areas that I wouldn't have had to do in Windham, but it sounds like you have a good team over there and, I'm really happy to work with that team. I understand there there either was or will be a new public works person
coming on and that's kind of the backbone of of a lot of the work that's that's done in town. And having said that yeah I and as far as grant administration goes at my department used to handle grants and grant administration for the town.
Great. Okay. Thank you.
May we we may even find another one for you. Who knows?
Oh, good. Yeah.
Anybody else?
Okay,
Jim, thank you very much. Appreciate it.
Yeah, thanks for coming in spur of the moment. Thank you.
Yeah, I I apologize about the time. I was kind of sitting waiting for a call and I figured selectment meeting you it would be more towards the evening, but I'm glad we connected.
Yeah.
Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you.
Great. Thank you.
So, you know, I mean, the biggest issue that we face as a board is that Eric's time is dwindling. So, we have basically three weeks till he is completely out of the town hall. So, it's important for us to get somebody in place as soon as possible to assist. And he left. I was going to I was going to ask him. It's fine. He left. No, I mean I asked the question. It says you comfortable with a three to six month duration. That's what I'm thinking if we if we decide to go with him. you know, the issue is really documenting the minutia of what Eric does. I mean, and I did ask him that at the last meeting because it's really going to be important that we don't leave whoever we put in that role on a permanent basis to have to
rebuild everything again. We will what I'd like to see next week out of Eric and this is what I would request is he start putting together almost a journal like transfer station. This is the contract we have. This is the contact we have. These are the employees that we have. you know, each department, break it down, you know, just kind of do a data dump in the document for whoever comes in and then that person comes in on November 3rd, if there's any gaps in that document, that way we can address it then instead of trying to create it while that person's there, if we can get ahead of the game this week, get something together on paper.
Yeah. And no problem. And what I'd like to see for the interim and to have a crossover is be able to have that view all those documents continue to add to
continue to add.
That way you have two weeks of a working document that you can keep adding data to.
But I'd like to have something to start with on day one. So, if I if I don't know what he's got going on this week, but I would definitely like to put together just a word document about, you know, how each
department is handled or each, you know, part of the town is handled.
No problem.
Context for the rail trail like with the E, you know, just all that stuff. You know,
I I think it's really important on that. I mean, there's going to be a lot o Eric's departure. So, someone like Jim you know, honestly, he just has a a a reasonable presence for what we're going to have to deal with internally, and I just feel comfortable with him as as an individual on a temporary basis. So, I'd like to get him as pointed as soon as possible so we could sit there and execute.
We need to make a motion on this.
Yeah, we do. I just want him to talk.
Yeah, I'd like to because this really it was okay to do the interview, but we didn't warn this properly. So, if there's going to be a motion, I just think that we should call another meeting for Wednesday via Zoom and that's where we can vote so that we don't have an illegal vote at a meeting.
That's fine.
But then, you know what? If if if that's Carol's concern, I don't have any problem with that either because it's not going to impact our timeline.
We can do a verbal with Jim and say, I mean, I don't know how everybody feels. Does does is do we have enough yes votes to hire Jim or do we not? Because is it even worth calling the meeting if the votes aren't there to hire Jim then?
I think we do. I mean, is anyone negative? And if you're negative, just say you're negative. It doesn't matter. You don't want to do it. It's fine. You want to look for somebody else, that's fine. I'm I am not negative.
But the problem is we have to make up a decision. Like I said last week, we have to have a decision in place by Wednesday.
Correct. Right. And there was another alternative. I I saw an email from a langu cart and and that individual one individual is is working in Fairfield right now. So he's not available.
You know, it's not like
but it's not like he might not be available in two months and he might be interest. I'm okay with that. Correct. So like
So Jeff, are you a positive?
Yeah. I I mean right now with with the with the positions we're in, I I really don't feel
Are you too? I'm I just don't think we should make anything say anything.
We're not This is not a vote. This is not a vote.
Okay. So, we're going to have a meeting on Wednesday where we'll vote because I I mean that this is just fine. And so,
but so for but in the meantime, we need to direct Eric to start.
What about you?
This document, are you on board with this?
You're on.
Yes, I am.
Okay. All right. So, what we're going to do is I will get Kate to post a meeting today for Wednesday via Zoom that
make it like noon 12 o'clock that will cover us time frame and
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
and I can I can dial in at lunch and I'm going to be have to work on
go. See you. Thank you. Bye everyone.
So yeah, that would that would work with my time schedule. Scott, does noon
Does noon Wednesday work for you?
I should Wednesday at noon.
Does noon Wednesday?
What time?
Noon. We could do it at lunchtime on Wednesday.
All right.
Okay.
All right. Does that work with you? Does that work for you, Ann? 12 o'clock on Wednesday.
Noon on Wednesday should be good. Yeah.
Okay.
It's going to be Zoom, you said, right?
Yes. By Zoom.
Yeah.
I can't come here. I'll be at work.
Okay.
Right.
so there will be no action taken in this meeting. So, we're going to move on to item four, public speak. Scott say,
Yeah. Yeah, I just want to say the the person that Elaine sent to you, I I ran into somebody at the dump on Saturday who is a recently retired town manager. He doesn't want the position. He forwarded that name. I don't think he's looking for a long term. But if things don't work out with Jim or I don't think he's even looking for an interimm. He's the one who got us in connected with the other person. but if things don't work out, we we should talk to this guy. he's, you know, knowledgeable. He was spent years as a town manager in Berlin. and he's living in Andover, which is great. So,
well, well, Scott, if he's if he's a we should definitely for the search committee, for the interview committee, we should definitely reach out to him.
Oh, absolutely. Yeah, he's he'd be great. I think I he was very warm and personable. I never met him before. and I I got in touch. He's interested in getting on the EDC. That's so that's why I got in touch with with Elaine. but you know, if if he knows, you know, he's probably plugged into that network of of town managers, too, town administrators. So, just just worth keeping his name. And I I'll I'll I'll send you guys a his name's Arsha something. J I can't remember.
J Walker.
Jay Walker. That's him.
Yeah. But Scott was
I think I worked with his wife.
Okay. Manchester
just temporary.
That's why I was confused.
can I the the gentleman that is working currently in Fairfield, does he live in this area?
I don't know. He was a connection from Arosha.
but I don't know anything about him. I've never talked to him.
He's looking for a permanent or he's looking for the temporary thing eventually. Scott,
again, I A Rosha said, "I'm I'm not interested in the interim." and I don't think he's definitely not interested in the permanent, but this friend of mine, I think, might be. That's that's a connection that we had.
Scott, if you could do a favor to the board, could you send a Roshia's cell phone number so that we can reach out and get him plugged into trying to assist with the search committee and get an understanding of we might be able to do as a group. So,
yeah, I I'll check with him first before I share his cell phone, but I I assume he'll be be okay with that.
Yeah. Another thing I'd like to add, is there any way we can get this this job opening out as as soon as possible? Can we get a post?
Well, because because we're not on a legal meeting, let's put that on the agenda for when?
Let's put on the agenda for when because I would like to get that listed as soon as possible.
Sure.
Okay.
That's just that's just discussion. We're not making a motion.
No problem. all right, Scott, are you complete?
I'm done. Thank you.
All right.
So, I'll make a motion to adjurnn.
Second.
All right. All those in favor? I
made an illegal vote.
So, let's go.
All right. Thank you very much.
Thank you.