From the Eagle Tribune;
December 13, 2011
Atkinson: Selectmen surprise with announcement of new town administrator
By Cara Hogan
chogan@eagletribune.com
ATKINSON — Selectmen have decided to hire William Innes as the new town administrator, filling the position that has been vacant for four months.
Innes, 63, agreed to take the job yesterday for a salary of $68,000 a year and will start full-time on Jan. 3. He is the chairman of the Recreation Committee and secretary of the technology committee, but has no other municipal experience.
"I've been to deliberative session and learned about how many things work in town, but I still have a lot to learn," he said. "I'm hoping over the next couple of weeks to come up to speed on a number of issues, take a look at what the previous town administrator was working on and start to put together a sense of what the job is going to be like."
Selectmen made the announcement quickly at the end of last night's meeting. Innes was absent, and said he could not attend.
"There was no public vote on it yet, but he we got him the contract today and he has accepted," Selectman Fred Childs said. "We'll have a public vote next week, but we've all decided on him."
Childs said the board felt Innes was the most qualified for the position.
"We interviewed 10 people altogether and he was the one we chose," he said. "I'm not worried about his lack of experience. He'll catch on pretty quick. He has a lot of experience dealing with people as a manager so I think he can handle it."
And Childs said Administrative Assistant Barbara Snicer will help teach Innes anything he needs to know to do the job.
Innes has a background in the computer industry, with degrees in electronic engineering and business management. He worked for 39 years as an engineer and manager at various computer companies like HP before being laid off. He currently works part-time with children who have learning disabilities at Hampstead Middle School, but will quit when he starts as town administrator.
"I can't continue that job," he said. "It's really almost a full-time commitment and I'm committing myself to the town at this point."
Atkinson has gone through a number short-term administrators in the past few years. The last town administrator, Philip Smith, left in August after less than two years on the job. Before Smith was hired in September 2009, the town went seven months without an administrator, after Steven Angelo quit after just five months. Before him was interim administrator Craig Kleman who worked on the job for about four months. Russell McCallister lasted the longest, working for about three and a half years before quitting in January 2008.
But Innes said he hopes to stay with the town for five to seven years before retiring again.
"I'm 63 and I would hope to work until I'm 68 or 69," he said. "I'm looking at this as a third career. I'm hoping to do the job well enough that they'll keep me around."
Innes has lived in town for 35 years with his wife of 43 years, Lorraine. They have two daughters and two grandchildren.
Atkinson Town Hall
The Norman Rockwellian picture of Atkinson
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54 comments:
Wonderful news that Bill Innes is going to be our administrator. He is an honest man who will do a good job. Great choice, selectmen...thank you!!
100 people applied, no one had experience?
Barbara will only tell him what she wants him to know, kind of like when we go to town hall.
Word of advice. If your integrity is compromised, walk away. Dont sell out for money.
Hey Fred every Monday night you have to be at the Town hall for a meeting, please try and be prepared and bring the materials you may need to the meeting. It's pretty funny when Mr friel looks to fred for a half a second then goes right to Craig, who obviously has a clue.
Time to go Fred, Phil will outlast you!!!!
Bloggers, you must be happy, it appears that another one of PPD finest is on his way. Can anyone guess why the exile from such a well respected department? HMMMM
Craig is the one that doesn't have a clue.
He left with his tail between his legs after the board voted not to go back to the trustee situation, which he was lobbying hard for to please the chief. When did he become the police chief’s new point man?
Thinks he asks hard questions, he doesn’t and he came up empty with answers last night.
Attaboy Fred and Friel.
Because Billy is driving them out of Plaistow, with his "Address me as LT." or "You should SALUTE"
Cant Atkinson get a secretary for less money. All he will do is run errands. A $68,ooo errand boy, oh great.. This is a greedy little town spending money i dont have, wasteful. Voters need to send a BIG message.
I agree. We have a secretary, Bahbara. We don't need two people sitting around watching for the BOS to show up on IM.
We can eliminate the postion via petition, or elim Bahbara's.
That's quite a headline "Selectmen surprise......" If I was a regular on the A/R. I would think the BOS was trying to pull another fast one. Last minute ,,hmm almost like when Craig announced his candidacy. HMMMM
Selectmen have already pulled a fast one on us.
We don't need a Town Administrator.
We would be better off taking the "Personal Phone Call" phone out of her Barbara Snicher's ear, the sandwich out of her mouth, and make her work for a change.
The only reason Barbara has her position, is to be a straight line to the Con-man, when she thinks he needs to know something before the selectmen know it.
She will keep a "Sharp Eye" on the new TA, and report everything he does DIRECTLY to the Police Chief.
Help the new TA outm? NOT!
She is the Chief's "SPY" WITHIN THE TOWN HALL ONLY!
If we MUST PAY for a TA, we should get rid of Barbara's position to off set the expense.
Where are the minutes of the meeting where Selectman Fred Childs said: "We'll have a public vote next week, but we've all decided on him."?
Did the "Three Monkeys" have another one of their illegal meetings again?
Is this a Quid pro quo, for the chief keeping three illegal police cars?
They already made the decision, they already had an illegal vote.
These guys are worse than Phil could ever be! last minute appointments when no one is watching,,tuesday morning pay raises to the town workers,,when are we going to hold them accountable. THEY DO WHATEVER THEY WANT!!!!!!!
What's the big deal? I think it's within the Selectman's powers to appoint anyone they want for TA and
fire same if they so desire. Towns folk have little say in the matter. They can also up the pay of town workers to whatever they think is fair. Unless, of course, the workers are under a union contract. Where the hell is Curt Springer when you need someone to quote from the State's Bible of RSAs? Only thing that's odd is the BOS seems to be trying to avoiding publicity. Are they embarrassed? Well, better get your pens out fellow residents and propose a few warrant articles if you're unhappy. They'll probably be a waiting line on deadline day.
Bill you have my full support. We are lucky to have such a quality person as TA. Plus Bill don't take no chief crap.
Can someone tell me how the Selectmen can give out free money to buy out a contract for a new full time officer? I heard it was$3000. And yet my taxes have gone up again. Free money! Go get your free money, at the selectmens office. Tell them Bennett sent you.
Free $? Although I think Mr Innes is a great guy, come on people. The BOS wants a TA to stay more than a year so who better to pick but an unemployed town resident with no expirience and pay him 68,000.00? He ain't going anywhere!!!!!
Please don't forget the deinition of a TA, secretary to the BOS or another great description would be The BOS's bi..h. :)
How about a citicen petition to eliminate town administer position .
How about a citizen petition to the voter to pay a committee $68,000 a year to monitor the crazy wasteful spenging of the BOS. They are OUT OF CONTROL. It makes me sick
I think they don't need both Barb and Bill. Out with the old in with the new. Petition it, I'll sign.
dont know why fred and friel are against the trustee saves the town money and fred and friel would fit right in with him one a crooked ex cop and the other a crooked contractor
Why do you say fred's a crooked ex cop? Inquiring minds (residents) want to know.
Fred seemed to know a lot about police training the other night on the BOS Show, do you think he got as much training as the new guy APD just hired or was he "back in the day" they gave you a gun and a badge and went out on patrol looking for any open doors you could find? HMMMMM
friel to fred we sent you an e mail, fred to friel dont know how to open it,friel we will have barbara print it out for you. what a waste .time to go fred
great lets pay a guy 68k to baby sit fred and get coffee for the bos
Fred was a cop in Lawrence. I am certain he had to go to the Mass. Police academy.
On the contrary, PHIL, Has NEVER been to a police academy, the only official certification he received was by passing the "police master test" in 1980, along with Bud Dowd. He has had no training, education, first aid, or firearms training since 1989.
And his appointment expired on May 1, 1999.
Phil is making fun of Fred while Phil knows less and no training. How ironic, and sad.
Fred, you should do something about this.
This is why we have the situation we have. Phil doesn't know how to run the department.
No one is going to talk about Fred here, except for Phil. Phil has been on this subject for years trying to tell everyone things about Fred.
Water under the bridge, we don't care.
What we care about is the corruption we face NOW and HERE.
This is a little off topic, but wouldn't it be cheaper for Atkinson to lease vehicles for Elderly Affairs and the APD instead of buy? That way there might be fewer Consentino cling-on vehicles hanging off the rear end of the police department.
Maybe something for the new TA to look in to, just to return to topic.
4:51pm, we began leasing police cruisers, in 2004. In 2005, the chief abused the cruiser lease agreements line item in the budget to lease a new Ford Expedition that no one knew he was buying until it was here. No voter approval, No prior notice to board of selectmen. No approval from the budget committee.
The deal used to be two years we would lease two cruisers, and dispose of two.
But Phil, some years would simply NOT dispose of the old cruisers giving them instead to elderly affairs, again without voter approval.
In 2003, the voters refused to pass a warrant article for a new elderly affairs car. Phil sat in deliberative session, miking juvenile comments, blowing spitballs into Carol Grants hair, etc. two months later he bought the New Yorker through the donation account as a "surveillance vehicle". Only problem was that the police dept did not NEED a surveillance vehicle, so it was used as an elderly affairs car, even though the voters denied him that purpose.
THERE ALL HASBEEN CAR,S THEY KEEP THE CONMAN IN BUSSINESS
WHY THOOW US OFF TOPIC THIS IS ABOUT THE TOWN ADMINISTRATOR AND NOTHING ELSE
Chief buzz off.
I saw the Chief shooting spit balls into Carol Grant's hair at a candidates night back in '08. I wasn't the only one who saw it, Sapia was there, cable guys saw it, the Tribune Reporter saw it.
I didn't know Carol and didn't know how to stop it but I should have raised a ruckus. He needs to be arrested.
Consentino's son David must need a new (X-COP) car for his PERSONAL USE by now. Perhaps the Con-Man is keeping the extra cars so David will have his pick at taxpayer's expense.
When will anything change for the better in this town?
Mark, please explain where your expertise came from in police training? Are you an x-copper too?
It's common knowledge that everywhere else they require cops to be trained. Not here...lucky us.
10:22;
I am not professing to be an expert in police training, simply relating facts.
I am a shooting competitor. I shoot all over New England. My Gun club allows LEO's from three towns the use of the range for their training and qualifications. There is also a couple Federal agency's that do the same there.
Gun safety is something that is DRILLED into a shooter. And if you don't practice it and shooting skills when the time comes to protect yourself and the public you serve the wrong person could get hurt.
If anyone of these officers carry a gun they NEED to be qualified or should not be a cop period.
Does anyone know where the APD practice and qualify witheirier service weapons? Or if they are required to do so?
That is not for public discussion. You can ask your friends you shoot with!
I saw an officer try to put down a deer that had been hit by a car. He stood right behind the deers head and he missed the first time. It took him two shots to get the job done.
Does that tell you anything?
marks thinks he is an expert in every thing
It's funny how Mark posts sometimes as him and other times anonymous. Mark has told many people this story when it happened.
Here we go again. Attack Mark.
Can't you come up with a new angle? If Mark had a nickel for every time he was wrongfully attacked he'd own the town by now.
So now we have a new town administrator and I wish him well.
At the same time, I want to make a point that I hope the selectmen will take into account when Bill Innes' tenure ends.
After Russ McAllister quit as TA,
Barbara Snicer superbly carried out all of the duties of TA while not getting the TA's salary.
When the selectmen then hired Craig Kleman, it was Barbara Snicer who taught him how to do the job.
When Craig Kleman quit soon after, it was Barbara Snicer who AGAIN assumed the duties of the TA and served for many months, AGAIN with no TA pay, until the selectmen then
hired Steve Angelo.
It was then Barbara Snicer AGAIN who taught Angelo how to do the job.
When Angelo left looking for higher pay, it was Barbara Snicer AGAIN who assumed the duties and responsibilities of the TA for the next 7 months, AGAIN all the while not receiving TA pay.
When the selectmen then hired Phil Smith with no TA experience, it was Barbara Snicer AGAIN who taught him what he had to know to be a TA .
After Phil left for a deputy police chief job in New Mexico, it's was Barbara Snicier AGAIN who
took over as acting TA, doing all of the TA work AGAIN, and AGAIN with no TA pay. Now the selectmen have hired Bill Innes with no TA experience and Fred says that Barbara Snicer will AGAIN teach him what he needs to know to be a TA.
When is this mysogomy going to stop? Why haven't the selectmen hired Barbara Snicer as TA -- at the same salary they've been willing to hire all of these men who keep quitting on them?
Barbara is a very qualified knowlegeable and experienced long-time resident and town official who has long served the town as Recreation Commission Chairwoman, Budget Committee Chairwoman, Selectwoman, numerous committees, years as Administrative Assistant in the Selectmen's Office, and has repeatedly served as acting Town Administrator when all of this long line of men hirees quit to look for more money elsewhere.
The selectmen seem to have a problem with hiring a woman -- a very capable woman at that.
Come on, guys. Do the right thing next time.
Right on Carol! She's got my vote. Don't forget all the years she was the director of Atkinson Cable TV Ch. 20 - at no pay in those days.
We can't hire Barbara! It would take time away from her spying for the ConMan. She might miss something that Phil needed to know and he would get into trouble!
Besides, the benefits the Conman provides, the town couldn't cover.
what about the 10k the bos gave barb for just doing her job
How is the training going Chief?
How is the retirement planning going Chief?
To 12:32;
I post under my own name. I have no need to hide anything. Phil can not do any worse to me than he has already accomplished.
"That is not for public discussion. You can ask your friends you shoot with!"
Your are kidding me? People the public hires to protect us should always be under scrutiny. Especially if they are qualified to carry weapons on the job.
One of the biggest problems this town has is the total lack transparency of it's police department.
I will look into this matter myself and post my finding here or anywhere I want.
With all due respect Carol, Barbara may have trained all these guys but she is part of the 'lack of transparency problem' in town. She also tells the con man every little thing that goes on at Town Hall, making her a snitch that causes trouble. She should go too. Who needs that?
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