NEWS | Residents offer input about Biddeford’s next city manager

During a Thursday workshop meeting, residents said they want a candidate who will prioritize public service and someone who understands the city’s culture and needs.

By RANDY SEAVER | Editor

Only a handful of residents attended a public workshop meeting Thursday to provide Mayor Liam LaFountain and the Biddeford City Council with suggestions about what citizens want from their next city manager.

Despite a dismal attendance of fewer than 12 residents, several common themes emerged – the public wants a thorough vetting process and a final candidate who will prioritize public service and someone who understands the city’s culture and needs.

Residents also expressed concerns about the abrupt resignation of former city manager Truc Dever and said the city needs to address and rectify internal challenges at City Hall.

Donald Gerrish – a municipal consultant hired by the city two weeks ago – coordinated and moderated Thursday’s public workshop.

Gerrish told the audience that he has helped many other Maine communities find city manager candidates, including Bangor, Lewiston, Auburn and Waterville.

“What are the issues facing Biddeford?” Gerrish asked before soliciting public feedback. “What qualities should the next city manager have? We’re here tonight to go forward, not dwell on the past.”

**DON GERRISH** served as moderator of Thursday’s meeting. The city council voted to pay his firm $10,000 to help find and hire Biddeford’s next city manager. | *Seaver photo*

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Ward One resident Fred Olsen didn’t discuss specifics about the former city manager or speculate about why she chose to resign after only nine months, but he said the situation could be a valuable lesson for the hiring process.

“What lessons did we learn from Truc Dever’s tenure?” Olsen asked. “How do we avoid making those same mistakes?”

Former city councilor Roch Angers said the new city manager should be someone who can hit the ground running.

‘Biddeford has an image problem,” Angers said, detailing feedback he heard after losing his recent campaign to represent the city at the county level.

Angers said he heard overwhelming negative comments about the city from voters in the surrounding towns of Arundel, Kennebunk and Kennebunkport.

“We need to get our city’s finances in order,” he said. “That’s the most important thing. That needs to be job number one.”

Delilah Poupore – a Biddeford resident and the executive director of the Heart of Biddeford — said she hopes the next manager will be able to “solidify and address” challenges that are hindering forward momentum.

VIDEO | Delilah Poupore offers her perspective about Biddeford’s next manger

Residents also said that every candidate must be given a clear and transparent picture of the city’s current situation, and have a clear understanding of expectations.

“Biddeford is growing, but we are also losing businesses,” said Amy Kearns. “We need someone who will listen and really hear community feedback.”

Peter Robbins said the city is growing, but that growth is also creating new challenges, straining city services and increasing property taxes.

“The next city manager must understand that he works for me, and that it is taxpayers who pay his salary,” Robbins said.

**MARC MALON** said he hopes the city’s next manager will work closely with Biddeford’s legislative delegation.

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State Rep. Marc Malon said he hopes the next city manager will actively collaborate with the city’s legislative delegation to leverage state resources.

Betsy Martin, a volunteer from Age Friendly Biddeford, said she hopes the next city manager will not lose sight of the city’s older population and their unique needs.

As a Hills Beach resident, Martin also said it’s important to hire a manager who understands coastal issues and the complexities of managing a community with a thriving university.

Gerrish told the audience that he is compiling a report for the city council that will include feedback from interviews with the city’s department heads and other employees; as well as public input that has been received from a handful of resident email messages.

Gerrish urged the audience to contemplate a current residency requirement within in the city’s charter, saying it could limit the city from potentially finding a highly qualified candidate who lives within 30 miles of Biddeford.

“Today many municipal managers do not live in the same community where they work,” Gerrish said, pointing out that Biddeford will soon undergo a charter review process and the issue should be examined.

LaFountain attended the meeting but did not make any comments and sat quietly among other residents.

Brad Cote was the only city councilor who attended the meeting.

While attendance at Thursday’s meeting was light, there has been ample conversation about the city manager search process on a variety of social media posts.

The Biddeford Gazette has also published two guest columns about the search process.

Scott Thibeau | Biddeford deserves better than a revolving door

Jason Litalien | Biddeford needs to stop making the same mistakes.

Gerrish told the audience that the search process is on an expedited schedule and that the city hopes to announce a finalist in the first week of September.

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