Last night, the Select Board met in Executive Session with Mr, David Cressman and I believe we have hammered out an agreement that is acceptable to both sides.
Please join us on the Select Board in welcoming Mr. Cressman and his family to our community.
I was not going to post on the subject until the ink was on the contract but since it was on the front page of the Standard Times this morning, I will post about it.
Let me caution that the contract is not actually signed. It may be by the end of today or tomorrow.
The compensation for Mr. Cressman will be $125,000 for the first year and raises will be subject to annual review ...
... of his performance by the Select Board. Mr. Cressman is paid $132,000 at his current position in Tewksbury.
The contract term is three years. Mr. Cressman may open
Mr. Cressman will receive 4 weeks vacation. Two credited immediately and the remaining two weeks earned over the next 12 months on a monthly prorated basis.
He will be given a town vehicle for business use.
He and the Select Board have agreed to a list of goals and objectives that will be the basis for his evaluation for future increases.
Mr. Cressman will start work in Dartmouth on October 5th.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Select Board reaches agreement with new Executive Administrator
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
29 comments:
Why on earth would the town pay Mr. Cressman more than Mr. Gagne was being paid when he left after 20+ yrs.??? As with the town clerk, this was a perfect opportunity to reduce the salary of this position. I am glad Mr. Cressman will be holding this position but I would bet he or someone just as competent would have accepted the position at a lower salary. The most defeating issue raised during the 2007 override was Dartmouth salaries. When will our town leaders get it???
During last night's select board meeting, Michaud and Watson were singing Stone's praises for her work on Cressman's contract negotiations. Thanks Lara for negotiating a higher salary than Gagne was getting. You really had the citizens' best interests in mind.
I smell override.
You people can't even listen to the tv. Michaud and Watson thanked Stone for her work as the LIASON for the selectboard on the negotiation. The chairman indicated unianimous approval by the board.
Vendetta,like sheep to slaughter...a small group of dartmouth residents wont be happy until we have a single school house and we have to use our own garden hoses to fight our own house fires..thanks ..everyone knows who i am talking about
Bill, how much did the Personnel Board weigh in on the contract and salary before it was put forth to Mr. Cressman? Are they supposed to have a guiding say in the matter? How about FinCom? Were either of these boards consulted for guidance or is that never done?
Truthfully, could it have been a little less than the top dollar range? Might have inspired a little bit of trust among the residents.
It's kind of like the town clerk with her starting salary the same as Mrs. White retired with, if I'm not mistaken, and the assistant school superintendent hired before she had her degree and certification for the position, with a generous salary for someone without the proper credentials.
I do think he will do an excellent job, though, and approach the town and its issues with a different perspective. Hopefully he will not get blindsighted into the same type of politics that led us to those bad contracts. ("Blindsighted" is the key word.)
And I'm sure he has had his share of special agendas and residents and their politics as well.
Although I am looking forward to having Mr. Cressman begin work, I am very disappointed with the starting salary. Another missed opportunity to give the taxpayers a break.
Maybe it's a small group who would be happy with a single school house but it was a majority that said no money for the schools. Twice! Maybe if we weren't paying such high salaries, there would be more money for the schools and other services. You just want it all at the expense of hard working citizens.
Bill, what percent increase will Cressman make in his 2nd and 3rd year? Also he will accrue 1 1/2 days per month vacation time. Doesn't that equal 18 days a year plus his two week vacation. I do believe that it is more like 5 1/2 weeks. Did Gagne get the same deal and a town car to boot? Also who will be paying for the welcome reception for the Cressman's? So much for "CHANGE
When will they ever learn?
Very disappointing to once again see how little value is placed on the taxpayers' wallets. All we seem to see is more of the farm given away and opportunity after opportunity to save money not taken when contracts are drawn up and salaries negotiated. Why?
This "salary range" is a farce. i would love to be a fly on the wall when contract negotiations go down.
On another note, how many town employees have and/or really need town cars? Could there be any savings there?
Town leadership is letting all of us down. You are accountable to all of us. So, start accounting. What a breath of fresh air it would have been if we could have read in the paper that a salary given for once was not at the high or highest end of the scale.
We are asking Cressman to come in and not only actively manage a 70 million dollar corporation but to also force feed efficiencies, re-bid contracts and to stream line and consolidate operations. Not an easy task, roughly akin to painting a moving train. At the same time we will be asking him to lead in pursuing regional collaborative efforts to further save the town money. I believe the salary is appropriate given the magnitude and complexity of what is being demanded of him.
You need to pay appropriately in order to get the right help. If you don't you get second tier skill sets. Use you head for something other than a small minded doorstop!
Thank you 2:52... Common sense will prevail in this town inevitably. You cannot get a quality manager for $90,000 to run a town of $36,000. If people who complained actually researched what like town managers are getting paid, they wouldn't be arguing. INstead of researching Westport, Fairhaven, and Mattapoisett, look at bigger towns like ours.
Who said anything about offering $90,000? Read the post.
Would it have been that difficult to have offered $120-$122,000? Yes, he has a lot on his plate. Yes, he is taking a cut in pay and benefits. Yes, he is able to do the job.
But there are a lot more people out there hurting financially to be considered, too. No one is diminishing the work he has cut out for him, or that the salary isn't appropriate. It's just that there was a range and the Select Board went high in their offering.
Many people are taking salary freezes, cuts in pay, or not getting COLAs, if they even have a job at all, that is.
Why are we talking about looking at other towns again? Haven't we had enough of that already? Who cares what other towns are doing? Reminds me of the old saying. If your friends were jumping off the bridge, does that mean you should too???
No..we shouldn't be looking at other towns. How come when we discussed the Youth Advocate we cared about other towns? Its one way or the other.
Will the Youth Advocate be looking for funding again in 2010?
Wasn't there some question about the municipal paralegal's salary at the June Town Meeting, too? What will happen there?
Both individuals will be looking for money, either all of it to continue a position, or more than recommended by the Finance Committee, to retain a questionable salary. Did the Select Board even give those issues any consideration when making their offer?
I would imagine we will be hearing from these individuals in the near future, one slated for the October Town Meeting's vote.
10:19pm...answer the question. If we don't compare the EA salaries, which is fine...don't tell me that we are the only town to have a YA. You can't compare one and not the other.
I wasn't saying that we should research other towns to see if they have YA's or not, nor was I suggesting that we compare their YA's salaries.
If you read the post, I was merely asking if the YA and the municipal paralegal specialist will be looking for money again in 2010. The YA will need his entire salary funded; the municipal paralegal specialist will be looking to continue her $70,000 salary, which had been lowered to $60,000. If you were at Town Meeting in June, you would have heard her plead her case to justify the $70,000, just as you heard the YA supporters ask that his position be retained.
The issue with the YA is not whether or not we have one, or whether or not other towns have one. It is whether or not we can afford one, and in 2010, will we be able to again? The issue with the municipal paralegal specialist is whether or not she is overpaid for her position. In her instance, perhaps there ought to be a comparison, and there may even have been some done by residents who researched what these positions command in other areas, and I believe they found that both grant writers and grant administrators were getting less salary than she currently does and wants. If I am wrong, I stand corrected, but it seems to me the figures stated were less than $70,000. In a town that needs money, all factors should be weighed in, in my opinion. This would seem to me to constitute a serious look at everyone's salaries.
I said nothing about comparing any positions in my post, simply stating that two other town employees will be out there asking for money real soon.
To anonymous 7:34 - offer 120 or 122k instead of the $125k they settled on? Yeah lets all get worked up and possibly lose a great candidate for $3-5k on a $70M budget.
Sure there are a lot of people hurting in this economy but qualified people for positions like this have options even in down economies.This guy had available options too if the Dartmouth gig did not work out. Give hima chance before the bashing begins. There will be plenty of time for that knowing this town.
Frank Gracie was the better candidate, but the town voters went with Watson. Gracie served on several town committee's, but the voters went with Watson. Watson is a D.Y.A.A. member and coach, and this made all the difference. Watson is a quick articulate speaker, with no understanding of town government.
Frank Gracie got 1500 votes. You and 1499 people think so. So much for majority rules. You must think you are quite smart. By the way, Carney beat Gracie too.
Watson hasn't coached in the DYAA since I joined the league in 1999. I have no idea where that came from????? Do most of you just make up information.
Yes.
Want to clear all this up? Ask him. Go to a Select Board meeting and personally ask him. Then let us all know.
What better way to get the information than to go right to the source.
I thought that was why the SB meetings were televised. So the public could be informed. It's a very simple concept. Your on live TV with a viewing audience. Your purpose is to inform the people. Why not inform them??? It was Mr. Watson who specifically asked for discussion so naturally the viewers were expecting discussion at least from him.
ONe more time... Rewatch the tape seeing you missed it on Monday. Its one today by the way. Watson asked to discuss Trimble's motion for universal appointment. Whe Trimble rescinded the motion, there was no reason for discussion. I know you don't want to ask in person because your identity would be compromised.
I think YOU need to rewatch the tape.
Lat'e rewatch and see who was right...
Post a Comment