Claremont Council Seeks Residents for Manager Search Committee

Claremont — The City Council is asking residents interested in becoming members of the search committee for hiring a new city manager to fill out an application on the city’s web site and, if they wish, also submit a letter of interest.

At last week’s council meeting, Alan Gould, president of Municipal Resources Inc., of Meredith, N.H., the search firm hired by the council, said he would like a committee of at least five but no more than nine residents.

Gould also said the committee should be a cross section of the city, and should probably include residents employed by Valley Regional Hospital, River Valley Community College and the Claremont School District along with at least one resident from each of the city’s three wards. The council is also looking for representatives from the business community, one with a large employer and the other a small business.

The application deadline to be on the committee is Sept. 7.

Gould also said he will be at city hall on Wednesday beginning at 1 p.m. and is inviting residents to stop in and briefly share their views on the challenges facing the city and what characteristics and skill set they would like to see in the next city manager.

Those who cannot come to city hall are encouraged to email their thoughts to Gould at claremontcm@mrigov.com

Gould said MRI has set Sept. 19 as the deadline to apply for the position. The goal is to have someone hired by the end of the year when Guy Santagate will retire after more than 15 years on the job. 

MRI will do the initial review of the applications before recommending half dozen to the committee for interviews. Gould said he prefers to see three finalists presented to the council. The council’s original goal was to have the new hire in place by Nov. 1 so Santagate can work with the person for two months and help with the transition.

Whether that is possible depends on a number of factors, Gould said, including whether the first choice accepts the job and how much notice will he or she need to give a current employer.

The application to be on the search commitee, at www.claremontnh.com, can be found by going first to the “residents” link at the top, then to “government” just below. Next, click on the link to boards and commission and part way down the page is the link to the application.

Recently, the council agreed on a compensation of no more than $135,000