MONTAGUE — Current Town Planner Walter Ramsey has accepted a position as Montague’s assistant town administrator following a unanimous vote by the Selectboard to offer him the position Monday evening.
“I look forward to serving the town in a new capacity,” Ramsey wrote in an email Tuesday. “Montague has a great team and I’m honored to be part of the leadership.”
The seven-member hiring committee recommended Ramsey at last week’s Selectboard meeting. They had previously selected Ramsey as one of two finalists for the position, with the other finalist being current Sandisfield Town Manager Kevin Flynn. The Selectboard opted to take another week to review interview footage and application materials from each candidate before making an official decision, despite feeling comfortable with the hiring committee’s recommendation.
“While the transition to this new role will take several weeks, I am confident that his considerable expertise, constant drive to learn and grow, and deep commitment to our community will quickly return substantial benefits to the town,” Town Administrator Steve Ellis wrote of Ramsey in a statement.
Despite Flynn having served in central Massachusetts municipal governments for more than 25 years, Ramsey emerged as the hiring committee’s favorite due to his “very strong set of knowledge of the community, obviously, knowledge of the position (and) knowledge of the needs of the town of Montague,” Assistant Town Administrator Hiring Committee Chair Greg Garrison explained at last week’s Selectboard meeting.
“I’m particularly excited that Walter Ramsey will have the opportunity to serve Montague in this position,” Ellis wrote in an email Tuesday evening. “Throughout his tenure, he has distinguished himself as a creative and highly skilled professional, who brings exceptional motivation and commitment to our community. His collegial approach is particularly well-suited to the position and our staff. He is flexible, team-oriented and invested in achieving the best possible outcome. I have every confidence he will succeed in this role.”
Selectboard Chair Rich Kuklewicz expressed gratitude in having had the chance to weigh the “strengths and a few weaknesses” of each candidate in the week following the recommendation.
“I think that really cleared up questions that I had and I’m glad I had the opportunity to review those,” he said.
In his statement, Ellis said “the focus of the position is on enhancing (Montague’s) ability to plan, fund and execute projects related to economic and community development, municipal facilities and infrastructure.” Ellis previously outlined additional responsibilities including Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance coordination, construction procurement, grant and contract management, business marketing and outreach, and committee support. Ellis also suggested the assistant could double as a clerical assistant in a limited capacity.
“Having served six years as town administrator, I’ve been witness to the great progress of our community and also have a keen awareness of the challenges we face,” Ellis wrote Tuesday. “The assistant town administrator position is intended to bring extra capacity and skill to the town, improving our focus and response to the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead, as well as to better leverage external resources to support our success.”
While Ramsey has communicated to the Greenfield Recorder and town officials that he is accepting the position, Ellis noted Tuesday that Ramsey’s “formal offer letter has not yet been shared or discussed.” For this reason, Ellis refrained from declaring “an official acceptance.”
Neither the Selectboard nor Ellis have engaged in extensive discussion regarding a replacement town planner, a position that will be vacated by Ramsey once he begins his new role. As a next step, the Selectboard must consider who will be on the screening committee to fill that position.
While no position start date has been officially affirmed by the Selectboard, Ellis said at last week’s Capital Improvements Committee meeting that the hiring committee hoped to have “someone on board (as assistant town administrator) by Oct. 3.”
At May’s Annual Town Meeting, the position was approved and budgeted at $86,924 for fiscal year 2023 as part of an $118,781 operating budget increase that also accounts for the addition of a part-time administrative assistant.
Reach Julian Mendoza at 413-772-0261, ext. 261 or jmendoza@recorder.com.