January 19, 2021

“MOTION: To recommend Mr. Whritenour as Town Administrator subject to a background check and contract negotiations. Motion by: Dan Horgan Seconded by: Michael Stone Discussion on the motion: Selectman Stone noted that Mr. Whritenour had earned a Master's degree in in Public Administration, a qualification that few of the other candidates had. One character quality he would assign to Mr. Whritenour was commitment. He had demonstrated over thirty years of commitment to public service as a Town Administrator with an average tenure of ten years. He had served in comparable towns on the Cape, was familiar with local issues, and had political connections. He volunteered his services to the Cape Cod Municipal Health Group consortium, which had over fifty-four member organizations, saving towns millions of dollars in healthcare costs. He also had experience in collective bargaining. Mr. Whritenour described himself as a fiscal conservative, which Mr. Stone felt was a good fit for the Town, as services could be maintained while staying within Proposition 2½ . Mr. Whritenour's job performance evaluations were superlative, and the three towns had stable bond ratings, with good management ratings. Mr. Stone stated that he believed Mr. Whritenour would not shy away from conflict and would deal effectively with management problems and address problems as they arise. His residency of almost thirty years on the Cape had familiarized him with the regional issues of water quality, jobs, affordable housing and the needs of the Cape in general. Mr. Stone also felt Mr. Whritenour was the strongest of the three candidates. Selectman Post thanked Mr. Stone and Mr. Tolley for bringing forth three strong candidates, each with their own strengths. She was impressed with Mr. Kreidler's research on the community and described him as energetic and charismatic. She said that Mr. Powers had strengths as a great communicator and team builder. She thought Mr. Whritenour was tried and tested and would be a fine fit for the Yarmouth community. Selectman Tolley stated that he had enjoyed the interview process and agreed with members that all three candidates were great. He said whichever way the Board decided to go, he felt the Town would be in fine shape. Chairman Forest reported that he had received the evaluations and bond rating reports on the candidates and had spoken with several former employees of Mr. Whritenour. Earlier in the day he spoke with an Assistant Town Administrator on Cape Cod who had worked with Mr. Whritenour. She stated that the biggest factor in her professional development and in her success was largely due to Mr. Whritenour's mentorship. Chairman Forest stated that mentoring was an important skill as a Town Administrator. He felt the talented staff in Yarmouth would benefit from Mr. Whritenour's ability to relate and develop staff to their fullest potential. Chairman Forest supported the motion to recommend Mr. Whritenour, as he believed he would be an outstanding administrator and would serve the Town well. Chairman Forest called for a vote on the motion. Vote: 5 ayes; 0 nays. The motion passed unanimously..” (Motion: Horgan, second: Stone)

Read it in the official minutes, page 1 (PDF)

“MOTION: To nominate Michael Stone and Erik Tolley to handle the contract negotiations for the Board. Motion by: Dan Horgan Seconded by: Tracy Post Vote: 5 ayes; 0 nays. The motion passed unanimously..” (Motion: Horgan, second: Post)

Read it in the official minutes, page 2 (PDF)