The Select Board unanimously voted to hire a recruitment firm to help fill the Town Administrator position when David Cressman officially leaves his position on February 16.

The board decided to begin the process of finding a new Town Administrator immediately to avoid the possibility of having to enact an interim Town Administrator. The board would like to find a permanent candidate for the position before Cressman officially stops working in February. Cressman will use his paid vacation through February and some of March leading up to his retirement.

"It's important that we move as quickly as we can with this because it's at least a four-month process and it could be longer," said Chair Frank Gracie. "Mr. Cressman has already indicated again tonight that his last day is in February, so time is short."

The recruitment firm the board will be using is the same one that the board used when they hired Cressman eight years ago.

The town allotted a spending limit of $10,000 to help with the recruitment process and the firm they will be hiring will only cost the town around $8500.

The board anticipates that the hiring process will take at least four months to complete with the recruitment firm having to narrow down the candidates to between 10-12 people before they are interviewed by a selected committee.

Once the candidates are narrowed down to a top three, the Select Board will interview them at a public meeting before making their final decision.

The board hopes to sign the contract with the firm by this coming Monday.