By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

CASCO — The Town of Casco has signed the contract to hire the firm that will assist with the search for a new town manager to replace the one leaving in mid-September.

The Casco Board of Selectmen will hire Don Gerrish, a municipal consultant with Eaton Peabody, to take care of filling the position of Casco Town Manager.

That is according to Chairman Thomas Peaslee.

The contract amount is $6,000 and includes the use of a part-time, interim town manager should a candidate not be selected before the current town manager resigns, Peaslee said.

“I signed the contract. So we have hired them [Eaton Peabody] for $6,000 to navigate the search” for a town manager, Peaslee said.

On June 16, Casco Town Manager Courtney O’Donnell sent an e-mail to the selectmen, letting them know of her intentions to resign.

The letter said, “I, Courtney O’Donnell, Town Manager and Road Commissioner for the Town of Casco, hereby submit my three months’ notice of resignation effective today, June 16 per my contract. My last day will be Friday, September 11, 2020.”

On June 23, following an executive session, the selectmen voted to accept O’Donnell’s resignation.

Peaslee pointed out that the big concern is that there may not enough time to get someone suitable before O’Donnell leaves.

“Courtney’s job end date is Sept. 11. It is a very short window,” Peaslee said.

Eaton Peabody has already addressed this in its proposal to the town, which includes an interim town manager clause.

“Also, we have a contract with them, $600 a day, for an interim manager. It would be two to three days a week — not full-time, just part-time,” he said.

“There is a good possibility we may not get a town manager in time,” he said.

“I am making this process easy and smooth,” Peaslee said.

“Don Gerrish is the one who would be the interim if we need him,” Peaslee said, adding that Gerrish has some experience in that area.

Gerrish filled in as interim town manager in Windham and in Gorham. He led the manager search for the town of Ogunquit in 2017, and for the towns of Cape Elizabeth and South Portland in 2016.

There was no need for the Town of Casco to put the manager-search job out to bid. That is because the cost of paying a firm to be in charge of hiring is less than $10,000.

Peaslee said the board reached out to Casco’s legal counsel, Jensen Baird Gardner & Henry for a recommendation.

Legal counsel suggested Eaton Peabody, which is a law firm that provides municipal consulting services, he said.

“We want to make sure we do it right, by the law,” he said.

“We have to hire a town manager by law,” he said.

The board met with Gerrish on Wednesday, July 8, and will meet again this Wednesday.

Peaslee said he is pleased that the board selected Eaton Peabody for the process.

“It is good for the select board to have hired someone with that experience and knowledge,” he said.