August 7 2023 meeting

Chair Connell called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. He stated that the meeting is being recorded for cable television transmission. He asked those in attendance to join him in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Interviews of finalists for Town Clerk

Mr. Connell said Town Administrator Robert Dolan screened and selected, in consultation with Town Accountant Julie McCarthy, Town Moderator Joe Markey and Assistant Town Administrator Bob Curtin, two finalists for the position of Town Clerk. They are here tonight to be interviewed by the Board. They are Amanda Haggstrom, currently the City Clerk for the City of Amesbury, and Jennifer Smith, currently the Assistant City Clerk for the City of Amesbury. He said both have very impressive resumes.

In response to questions from Board members, Ms. Haggstrom said in her discussions with Town officials she found that Lynnfield has a lot of technology and software Amesbury lacks, and said she is asked to do a lot without the necessary support system these provide. She said her strengths are her work ethic, knowledge and experience, and that she is confident, loyal, motivated, personable and goal oriented.

She said her staff and former co-workers would call here generous, understanding and caring. She said being a good supervisor requires understanding everyone has individual needs and skills. She said she treats employees and citizens with respect, and has expectations for her employees. If they complete their tasks, she can be flexible. She said that she is aware that the clerk’s office must be able to be pleasant and mitigate issues for people who are often in town hall because of a problem they are experiencing.

She said she has almost seven years of experience in the town clerk’s office, and has been the town clerk since 2020, during which year she oversaw the federal election. She hass been to trainings and conferences and is a certified municipal clerk. She said it is important to keep up with changes in law and to seek funds from the state to compensate for the additional costs due to the mandates on elections. She said that Lynnfield’s use of scanners and poll pads will make operations more efficient.

She said that Amesbury does not use much software to assist in clerk tasks except those required by the state. She said she knows Lynnfield has several programs, including one that tracks public records requests.

In conclusion, she said she considers herself very motivated and has the necessary skills to succeed. She said she has heard great things about Lynnfield and thinks she would be a good match. She thanked the Board and the interview team for their time,

Ms. Smith said she began municipal work in Lawrence right after college and said she enjoyed that work. She had a career change, working in Hospice, where she said she learned a lot about herself and people. She re-entered municipal government in Newcastle, NH and then went to Amesbury, where she is assistant city clerk. She said she believes her experiences make her the perfect candidate and that she has aspired to be a city or town clerk.

She said her management style is to treat people as adults, and finds that they will give back more than they take if treated that way. She said she creates a team mentality and balances kindness with firmness. She said when people take advantage, she has confronted them and explained why what they are doing will not work. She said she had to dismiss and employee who was falsely creating documents.

She said her elections experience goes back to the time of paper ballots. She said early voting and other changes have made the election season require a lot of additional hours of municipal clerks. She said she will work hard and that since her children are grown her schedule is flexible.

She detailed the state systems for elections and vital statistics she has worked with. She said Lynnfield has much more software systems support than Amesbury.

In conclusion, she said she has spent a lot of her career working towards this goal. She said she has the knowledge and expertise, and knows where to get any knowledge she may lack presently. She said she has the temperament to supervise employees and deal with the public. She said all her experiences in the last 24 years have prepared her for this position. She thanked the Board.

Mr. Connell said Ms. Haggstrom was confident and seemed knowledgeable about the new election mandates. Ms. Smith has long experience in the field and had an impressive view of managing people.

Mr. Dalton thanked the interview team for their work, and said both candidates are excellent. He said he would choose Ms. Haggstrom due to her strong resume, as she is president of the Essex County clerk’s association and has the experience as a clerk. He said it was a close

Mr. Crawford said they are two good candidates, and said Ms. Haggstrom is an up-and-coming star in her field and is already a municipal clerk. She said Ms. Smith was very impressive, but said he is leaning toward Ms. Haggstrom. Mr. Connell agreed.

MOTION by Mr. Dalton, duly seconded by Mr. Crawford: I move that the Board appoint Amanda Haggstrom as Town Clerk and Chief Records Officer subject to acceptance of terms and a starting date to be negotiated with the Town Administrator. Vote was unanimous.

Use of Facilities requests

a. Common, Beyond Dance free dance lessons, August 22 and 29

MOTION by Mr. Dalton, duly seconded by Mr. Crawford I move that the Board approve the facilities requests subject to conditions imposed by the Chief of Police and Public Works Director. The vote was unanimous.

MOTION by Mr. Dalton, duly seconded by Mr. Crawford: I move that the meeting be adjourned. Vote was unanimous.

The meeting was adjourned at 6:37 p.m.