Fairlee
Hanson, who has been in the job since April 2015 and has commuted 66 miles from his home in Barton, Vt., said he and his wife are moving to the Charleston, S.C., area, where his son and two grandchildren live. His last day in Fairlee is Aug. 3.
“I’ve had two interviews so far for a position down there, so we’ll see what happens,” said Hanson, who said at 63 it was “too early to retire.”
He previously worked in Barton, a town in the Northeast Kingdom, as village supervisor, and before that as road commissioner. The sale of his home in Barton is slated to close in August, he said.
In Fairlee, he succeeded Laurent Veilleux, the town’s first town administrator, a position created in 2012 after the town had trouble replacing a longtime administrative assistant who had retired.
Fairlee Selectboard Chairwoman Cathy McGrath said town officials are sorry to see Hanson depart.
“Sadly for the town, when they finally sold their property, it became pretty clear that grandchildren win over Fairlee,” she said. “It’s a resignation that all of us are very saddened by, because Brian did a fabulous job developing what was a relatively new position.”
Among other duties, the town administrator tracks and monitors the budget for the town of 977; oversees capital projects such as the three-town Lake Fairlee Dam project; applies for highway grants; oversees seasonal operations of the Fairlee Town Beach; coordinates the town’s economic development efforts; and deals with the town’s insurance providers.
Hanson said he has been paid in the “upper $40,000 range,” and McGrath said the salary for a new town administrator would be “based on the experience of whoever we hire.”
She said the Selectboard will be looking for someone who can help increase communication with various town interests, has information-technology skills and who can help with human resource issues, along with the other duties outlined in the town administrator’s job description.
John P. Gregg can be reached at jgregg@vnews.com.