Orleans' town administrator outlines retirement timeline, search process for own replacement
ORLEANS — The John Kelly era in Orleans will be ending sooner rather than later.
The 26-year town administrator announced Oct. 12 that his last working day would be Dec. 30. In 2020, his contract was extended until June 30, 2023, but he will officially retire on March 6 after utilizing a couple months worth of accrued sick days and time off.
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The timeline disclosure has sparked activity on finding an interim town administrator prior to hiring a full-time replacement. Kelly has been the administrator since 1996.
“We advertised in the MMA for an interim town administrator that would be applications accepted through the end of October and we’ve also advertised for request for qualifications for a search consultant to assist the town with a town manager recruitment," Kelly told the Select Board. "We set a not-to-exceed fee of $20,000.”
Seeking interim administrator
Kelly also prepared the final charge for the search committee.
“We’ve scheduled the interviews with the interim TAs Nov. 2," he noted. “That’s the night you would interview the consultants if they’re interested, and the candidates for the search committee.”
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Kelly expects to be out that evening, recovering from surgery. Mihaela Miteva, the town licensing agent, plans to be filling in. Kelly said that would give the board time to make decisions and get the process in place.
The projected start date for the interim town administrator would be early December so he or she could overlap with Kelly to get acclimated to the job.
Kelly plans to present the budget and capital plan for next year on Dec. 21. That would be his last Select Board meeting. He’s also asked department heads to provide information on what is important to do before March, which is the projected time an interim administrator would be in place.
“This way the person coming in will have a road map of what the department managers see as the most pressing things they’re working on, resources they might need,” Kelly said.
Already interest in search committee
Board Chair Andrea Reed said she’s already fielding queries about the search committee.
“We’re going to have to choose among a very high-caliber group,” she said.
The committee is set to have seven members. The exact qualifications on what the board is looking for in a searcher is scheduled to be discussed at this week’s meeting.
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In August 2020, Kelly received his last contract, by a 3-2 vote. It was to run through June 30, 2023, with a salary of $171,916 in the first year, $180,500 during the second year with a cost-of-living increase in the final year.
Contact Rich Eldred at reldred@capecodonline.com. Follow him on Twitter: @reldredCodder.
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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Kelly retiring as Orleans' town administrator after 26 years
