By Carol Britton Meyer

Prior to conducting Zoom interviews Wednesday night with two consulting firms to search for a new town manager, the select board met to discuss its goals for the process. Current Town Manager Philip Lemnios is retiring in June after 25 years.

The principals of Community Paradigm Associates and Groux-White Consulting, LLC were interviewed separately during a 2-1/2-hour meeting. Both have extensive experience in town manager searches. (See related story.)

The board received copies of each firm’s proposals in January so had ample time to review them and develop questions. Neither firm has worked in Hull.

“The last search was for the police chief position,” Lemnios said. He added that in talking with people knowledgeable about searches, he learned the number of candidates available for this type of position “is not as robust as it was 10 years or so ago.”

Lemnios noted that some potential candidates might prefer working for “larger communities with a different demographic or a larger footprint.” Others might prefer working within a small-town government.

This is an opportunity to “step back and think about the position and the skill sets you will want in the next town manager,” he said, noting that “the town manager’s office will be [set up] differently if town meeting approves the hiring of an assistant town manager.”

Donna Pursel acted as chair in the absence of Jennifer Constable. Board members had done their homework in preparation for the interviews. Pursel spoke to a town official in Sudbury and the select board chair in Middleborough, one of which had engaged the services of Paradigm and the other of Groux-White for executive searches, and both were satisfied with the results.

“Both said that hiring a consultant made the process much easier for them,” she reported.

Lemnios noted that both firms have been in business for at least 10 years and that both proposals that were submitted were “very similar.” That’s not surprising, he said, “since there’s not a lot of variation on the theme with this kind of search.”

Both firms would be able to provide services in the $11,000 to $13,000 price range during what is estimated to be a 15-week process.

“We are in a unique situation – fortunate to have had our town manager for 25 years,” Pursel said. “He met the charge and objectives set forth when he was hired, and this is kind of a clean slate.”