Interview after first of year

Search for Rockland City Manager narrowed to two

Thu, 12/18/2014 - 9:15pm

    ROCKLAND — Rockland City Councilor Will Clayton, who is chairman of the Rockland’s City Manager Search Committee, said Dec. 16 that the list of candidates for the post of Rockland’s next city manager had been pared down to two individuals and the final interviews will take place after the new year.

    The interviews, he said, will be conducted on a more personal basis and will include taking the candidates around the city and seeing departments functioning in order to get a sense of the candidate insights and ideas.

    More than 100 applicants applied for the job. The city hired Darci and Associates, of Kennebunkport, to help narrow the field. They recommended six candidates to the city.

    The first round of interviews was held Dec. 1, at the Samoset Resort. Of the six, one withdrew and of the five, the committee invited back four candidates for a second interview. The list was further pared down to three Dec. 11.

    Clayton declined comment on any aspect of the search other than the number of candidates remaining.

    Rockland’s Finance Director Tom Luttrell has been the city’s interim city manager since 2013 following the resignation of then City Manager James Smith. Both Luttrell and Clayton have declined to say whether Luttrell is a candidate. 

    All discussion regarding the candidates has taken place in executive session. The search committee consists of all five Rockland Councilors and former councilor Eric Hebert. The last meeting took place in the Rockland City Hall board room Dec. 15, where the list was pared down to two.