I propose renaming the Town Manager Selection Committee (TMSC) to the Manager Selection Advisory Committee (MSAC). We saw during our town manager selection process how the current name of this committee creates the false and misleading impression that its members will select the new town manager or deliver a particular recommendation. This led to a great deal of confusion resulting in a late start to the members' deliberations and the resignation of an original member. This also may have contributed to the confusion we saw among some members of the public who did not understand the committee's exact purpose. The charter change that was discussed and ultimately submitted to and approved by the residents of the Town was centered around the concept of creating a mechanism for public input for the purpose of assisting the Council in its deliberations. The Town Council, by ordinance, selected a committee of residents to be the predominant form of public input to prepare a list for the Council's deliberation.

Additionally, I propose establishing a process for the MSAC that will set deadlines and offer more guidance to the Committee. The process will be as follows:

• Once the Council has appointed members to the Committee and set its criteria for the manager candidate search, a head hunter will be hired to locate 15 potential candidates for the Committee's review;
• The Committee must evaluate the 15 candidates and render a list of 7 candidates (its top 5 recommendations and two alternate recommendations) to the Council;
• The Council must then make its selection; and
• The entire process after the head hunter has produced its list of 15 candidates shall not exceed four months with the committee completing its work no later than the third month.

Therefore, I ask my colleagues to approve the proposed and more accurate name change to prevent future confusion and also support establishing a clear timeframe for selecting the manager to prevent a drawn out process that leads to candidates withdrawing and uncertainty.

Fiscal Impact: Small