North Stonington — Members of the Town Government Structure Committee met with First Selectman Shawn Murphy Wednesday night to discuss his vision for his elected role as part of their ongoing work looking at alternative forms of town administration.

The committee, created in July, has met three times since its inception.

Member Bill Ricker passed out a study of Iowa’s small town managers at the beginning of the meeting with several descriptions of town employees involved with administration, including town managers, administrative and policy technicians and a passive agent. 

Ricker asked Murphy what gaps he feels exist in town administration that could be fixed with a new or redesigned role.

Murphy said that he began looking at other area towns and the administrative support that they have when longtime First Selectman Nick Mullane indicated he’d be stepping down from the chief executive role last year. He said his objective when he became first selectman was to take on the role for two to four years, and find someone who could manage the town in that time.

"I’m looking at someone to do the administration of day-to-day operations and have the first selectman play more of a coordinating and planning role,” Murphy said.

The first selectman, he said, would retain the highest managerial role in the town, represent the town in organizations like the Council of Governments, for example, and focus more on the long-term policy issues facing the town. The administrator would take on the human resources work and some budgeting, Murphy said.

The committee was given the six month deadline, according to Murphy, so that its recommendation could be incorporated into an upcoming budget.

"I have some ideas budget-wise to accommodate the position so I don’t want the committee to dwell on that,” Murphy said.

Members discussed the benefits of an administrative position or a full-time planning official.

In September, the committee heard a presentation from Joyce Stille, a former president of the Connecticut Town & City Management Association who works as an administrator for the town of Bolton. While members said they thought the role of the first selectman was too hands-off in that role, they said she had managed to accomplish a lot for the town in her role.

Many of the committee members brought up the Plan of Conservation and Development as a goal for the town government to work toward. Ricker said the recommendations from the plan should to be used as an objective.

Member Dan Spring concurred. “This is the guide, the map for us for the next 10 years ... we need the job set to move the plan forward,” he said.

Members agreed they would read the Plan of Conservation of Development ahead of their next meeting.

The committee meets the first and third Wednesday of every month at Wheeler Library. Meetings are open to the public.

n.lynch@theday.com