By Bethany Bray
Staff Writer
—
Selectmen plan to appoint their board's fifth member, to fill the seat being relinquished by Jerry Stabile Jr. - and they are already receiving plenty of interest in the job.
The person selected will serve from October until an election in March.
Citing the demands of his career, Stabile has announced he will resign at the end of August, five months after being re-elected to a three-year term.
The four-member board voted Aug. 23 to appoint someone to fill the vacancy until a replacement can be elected to fill the remaining two years of Stabile's term at town elections in March 2011.
Selectmen agreed the alternative - keeping a four-member board until the election - would result in more tie votes and greater pressure on the four remaining members to avoid scheduling conflicts.
Alex Vispoli, selectmen chairman, said about 12 people have already approached board members and the town manager to show interest in being appointed.
"We do know we'll have the election in March. Selecting someone (who intends to run) will automatically give them a leg up, going in. It would make them an incumbent," said Selectman Brian Major.
Selectmen Mary Lyman and Ted Teichert agreed to draft an applicant questionnaire this week. Interested residents will be asked to explain their relevant experience, expectation of running for office in March and nights they would be available to attend other committee meetings as a liaison.
Selectmen expect to approve the questionnaire at a 7:30 a.m. meeting on Aug. 31 and accept applications for the two weeks following. They'll discuss the pool of applicants at their Sept. 13 meeting, possibly voting to appoint someone, said Vispoli.
Lyman emphasized the appointee must have experience, because he or she will be jumping into the middle of projects to relocate the town yard, build a new elementary school and fire station in Ballardvale as well as negotiate employee contracts, including the town manager's.
"We have a lot of work ahead of us," said Major.
The March 2011 town election ballot will have two selectmen positions: a two-year term to fish the rest of Stabile's term and a three-year term as Lyman's seat is up for re-election.
Stabile attended the board's closed-door executive session on Aug. 23 but was absent from the 7 p.m. open meeting. After the meeting, Vispoli said Stabile had to leave before the open meeting for a business trip.
Chandler Road resident Larry Bruce, who came in third behind Stabile in March 2010, attended the Aug. 23 meeting. Bruce has said publicly he'd like to run again.
Vispoli did not allow for comments from the public during Monday's discussion on how to fill the board vacancy.
Once the questionnaire is approved by selectmen next week, Town Manager Buzz Stapczynski's office will handle the application process. For contact information, scroll to the bottom of the page at andoverma.gov/selectmen
