The City Council could vote on selecting a new City Manager as soon as Monday, Oct. 2.
The Council was expected to receive the names of the finalists for the position from the City Manager Screening Committee at a special meeting on Wednesday evening.
From there, the council has scheduled a full day of interviews with the finalists on Saturday, Sept. 30, beginning at 10 a.m. in the City Council chambers at City Hall.
There will be an opportunity for public feedback on the finalists, both during the public interview sessions on Sept. 30, and prior to the full council meeting on Oct. 2, according to Councilor-at-Large Brian Hatleberg.
At Monday night’s regular City Council meeting, Hatleberg amended a motion calling for a special meeting prior to the council voting to hire a new city manager to allow an opportunity for public input.
Hatleberg said that during an earlier subcommittee meeting on Monday, the council hashed out a new plan which would allow for public input while also allowing a speedy vote on hiring a new city manager.
“This order is largely unnecessary,” said Hatleberg. “We just sorted out the idea that we will add public feedback to the agenda of our meeting on the 30th.”
Councilor-at-Large Damali Vidot said anyone unable to attend the Sept. 30 meeting will be able to contact the council with feedback prior to the Oct. 2 meeting. The Sept. 30 interviews will be telecast by Chelsea Cable TV.
Vidot said the council is expected to vote on the selection of a new city manager at the Oct. 2 meeting.
However, District 8 Councilor Calvin Brown stated that the council does not necessarily have to vote during the Oct. 2 meeting.
“It just gives us an opportunity to hear from the public, and we can digest it and see if we are comfortable enough to vote,” said Brown.
At the end of 2022, former City Manager Thomas Ambrosino was selected as the next Court Administrator of the Trial Court in Massachusetts by the justices of the Supreme Judicial Court.
The council appointed Deputy City Manager Ned Keefe as the interim city manager soon after.
In June, the council took the interim tag off of Keefe’s position, with the understanding that he would serve until a new city manager is appointed by the council.
Due to the language in the city charter, an interim city manager cannot serve for more than six months, and Keefe was approaching that time limit.