By RANDY SEAVER, Editor
Biddeford Mayor Liam LaFountain told the Biddeford Gazette early Tuesday afternoon that he is optimistic about his proposal to bring in a temporary consultant to help city staffers and elected leaders address several critical issues that have been plaguing the city for more than two years.
The city council is expected to vote this evening to approve the hiring of Patricia Finnigan, a well-known and highly experienced municipal consultant for a six-month period.
Finnigan, whose experience includes more than a decade of serving as the city manager in Auburn, also served as the manager in the towns of Ogunquit and Camden; and served as the assistant city manager in Portland, Maine’s largest city.
“She is certainly qualified and up to the task,” LaFountain said during a brief telephone interview.
According to public documents, the city will pay no more than $36,000 for a six-month period in which Finnigan will help develop strategies and recommendations to address issues at City Hall, including long overdue financial audits that could impact the city’s future ability to borrow money.
Other issues the city is facing include a long overdue update of the city’s comprehensive plan and the potential for significant fines if the city is unable to address outstanding sewer separation projects that are mandated by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.
“No one should view this as a lack of confidence in our current staff and their abilities,” LaFountain said. “These issues did not happen overnight, and it is not realistic to think that they can be easily solved after the city’s voters decided it was time for change just a few months ago.”
LaFountain said he wants to ensure that the city has all the resources it needs to finally address problems that have been developing over that last several years.
“No one should view this as a lack of confidence in our current staff and their abilities,”
— Mayor Liam LaFountain
In fact, it was only a little more than a year ago, when the city council opted to abruptly end former city manager Jim Bennett’s contract.
Bennett, hired by the city in 2015, was a brash and outspoken city leader who left a tangled trail of problems in his wake.
“It’s not just important to fix the problems we’re now facing, it’s also critically important to ensure that we can put systems in place to prevent these problems from ever happening again,” LaFountain said.
LaFountain said that he and every member of the city council is dedicated to the idea of leaving the city in a better place than they found it a little more than 90 days ago.
“We are striving for accountability and transparency,” LaFountain added. “That’s not going to happen without some pain and a thorough examination of what’s needed to right the city’s ship.”
Tonight’s special meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. in the City Hall council chambers.
UPDATE | The full city council voted unanimously Tuesday to hire Finnegan.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR | Randy Seaver is the editor and founder of the Biddeford Gazette. He has been covering Biddeford news and politics for nearly three decades. He may be reached by email: randy@randyseaver.com
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