By Carol Britton Meyer

The consulting firm leading the search for a new town manager has created an online survey to assist the select board in hiring a replacement for Philip Lemnios, who is retiring at the end of June.

Community Paradigm Associates has posted the survey, which asks residents to identify the desired experience and attributes of the next town manager, on the town’s website, www.town.hull.ma.us. Citizens are encouraged to participate through March 22.

CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE TOWN MANAGER ONLINE SURVEY

“This is a five-minute, anonymous survey, with the results going directly back to [Paradigm],” Lemnios said. “They will be shared with the select board to give them a better picture of what citizens think are the important topics. I’m sure we will get a healthy response. I ask citizens to have the integrity to only fill out the survey once.”

The survey is online only, so no paper copies are available.

Paradigm is currently talking with each select board member individually.

“These interviews are to find out what we are looking for in a new town manager and will become part of the advertisement for the position when it goes out,” board member Irwin Nesoff said. “It’s a thoughtful process.” 

Lemnios explained that the process that’s being utilized “is fairly standard in this industry and works well to ensure any candidate applying has a fair picture of what they are applying for, and understands what the challenges are and what the position involves.” The process will “pick up speed dramatically once the front-end details are completed,” he said.

During interviews with Paradigm and another consultant Feb. 8, the entire process was estimated to take about 15 weeks.

Meanwhile, the select board (Domenico Sestito was not present) accepted with regret the written resignation, effective Feb. 19, of former Chair Jennifer Constable, who had already announced her plans to resign at an earlier meeting.

In the letter, Constable said she is “exceptionally thankful to the community, staff, and my board colleagues for seven years of support in this important leadership role.”

She went on to say that her choice to resign “is necessitated solely on career-related decisions.”

After accepting Constable’s resignation, Vice Chair Donna Pursel , who served as chair at Wednesday’s meeting, asked that a meeting be called “sooner rather than later” for a reorganization of the board’s leadership positions.