ORANGE — The Selectboard voted unanimously this week to offer its part-time community development director job to Tracy Murphy, the Montachusett Regional Planning Commission’s senior planner.

The position, which had previously been full-time, has been vacant since the October resignation of Walker Powell, who also interviewed for the job on Wednesday. Town Administrator Matthew Fortier said Thursday that he was in discussion with Murphy to work out the terms of her employment.

“We have enough money set aside to support a part-time community development employee for about 10 to 15 hours a week for two years, and we could hire somebody and it wouldn’t affect the general fund budget,” he explained at Wednesday’s meeting.

Murphy, who lives in Petersham, said she manages economic development projects at the Montachusett Regional Planning Commission, where she will remain employed while working part-time for Orange. She mentioned she has a master’s degree in landscape architecture and a master’s certificate in public management and leadership.

“I applied for this job because I’m ingrained in this area. I went to [Ralph C. Mahar Regional School]. All of my ... 10 other siblings went to Mahar. My children went to Mahar, some of my nieces and nephews,” she said.

The Selectboard asked Murphy and Powell the same prepared questions as part of the interview process. Murphy explained that she considers community planning critical to people’s quality of life, and she particularly enjoys applying for grants and engaging with residents.

“I think planners, in general, don’t interact with the community enough, and a lot of the public really don’t have any idea what planners do … through no fault of theirs. The planning profession doesn’t do a real good job of letting people know what we do,” Murphy said, adding that Orange has “a lot of unrealized potential.”

During her interview, Powell mentioned she has a master’s degree in planning and landscape design from The Conway School and worked for Orange for three years before switching to Amherst in the fall. She said she was asked to apply for the part-time position while maintaining her Amherst employment, but did not elaborate on who asked her.

“And I wanted to consider it because I liked working here in a lot of ways and there were a lot of things that got started that I would like to see progress made on,” she said.

Powell said her definition of community development “is creating a place that is happy and thriving” and her favorite aspect of the work is its diverse nature. She also said she is particularly fond of applying for grants, which is her focus in Amherst.

Once the prepared questions were finished, Selectboard Clerk Andrew Smith said he wanted to “address the elephant in the room,” referring to the way Powell left the job last year. She announced her resignation in a letter sent to the Greenfield Recorder and stepped down from the position on Oct. 17.

“Throughout my time in Orange I have done my best to fulfill the duties of my position; build a stronger, more resilient, and more welcoming town for residents, visitors and newcomers; and build the strength of the Community Development Department,” Powell wrote. “I believe that I have been partially successful, but time has shown that a single person in this position would need very high levels of experience, dedication and mental fortitude to effect change.”

She wrote that she would have been willing to dedicate herself to growing into the position, learning more and working through hard times under coherent leadership.

Andrew Smith asked Powell to explain her rationale behind sending the letter, which “wasn’t too complimentary to the town administrator or for the Board of Selectmen.”

“I think that I didn’t have the training to effectively be the director at the time,” she said. “And I was feeling it out as I went. And I think I should have been quicker to say, ‘I’m not entirely sure how best to communicate the issues I’m having.’

“I also feel that I didn’t hear from the board that there were issues until it had become more of a problem. I think we could come back and try again, with better communication and better expectations and better knowledge, and see if we can make it work better,” Powell went on to say. “I’m willing to give it another try.”

Once the candidates had left the meeting, Selectboard members discussed the interview and took their vote.

“On my end, it’s simple — Tracy, yes; Walker, no,” Andrew Smith said.

He later elaborated, explaining that he felt Murphy presented herself nicely and has the most experience.

“I didn’t like the way [Powell] left … and I didn’t see any remorse or repentance or ‘I’m sorry,’” he said. “It does affect my decision.”

Michael Bates, the newest Selectboard member, commended Powell for reapplying for the position.

Member Jane Peirce said Murphy “has a broader base of experience.”

“I wish her well.,” Peirce said of Powell. “She has a good future, but I don’t think it’s here.”

Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-930-4120.