Newport
“It was time to get back to work,” said Rieseberg, 60, whose contract is expected to last for between six and 12 months at a rate of $99,500 per year.
Jeff Kessler, chairman of the Newport Selectboard, said Rieseberg was chosen from a small pool of applicants because his work credentials stood out.
“He had 20 yeas of experience across the river in Vermont and was in a couple of New Hampshire communities before that,” Kessler said, referring to Rieseberg’s pre-Hartford stints as town manager in the Granite State towns of Hampton and Jaffrey. “He can take care of that executive management function for us for the next six to 12 months, while we determine the course we want to go.”
Kessler said that the previous interim town manager, Paul Brown, needed to focus on his primary duties as Newport finance director as the town heads into the budget season. Brown stepped up to fill the post in September after former Town Manager Shane O’Keefe resigned citing personal reasons according to a release from the Selectboard. O’Keefe had been hired in July 2015.
Kessler said town officials intend to form a search committee with representatives from the Selectboard, town staff, the Newport School District and interested citizens to find a permanent town manager.
Rieseberg, a resident of Hanover, was hired to the interim spot on a unanimous vote of the Selectboard, but both Rieseberg and Kessler said it’s too early to say whether Rieseberg might be a successful candidate for the permanent position.
“There’s no reason it couldn’t (happen),” Kessler said. “Certainly he can apply.”
“Newport really is a nice community,” Rieseberg said. “I’ve come here with the intent of staying as long as they want me and as long as I can be of service to them.”
Rieseberg’s contract has an unusual clause that allows either party to terminate the arrangement with just one day of notice.
“It’s in there to emphasize the temporary nature of being interim,” Rieseberg said.
Rieseberg also said it was too early to say whether he might apply for city manager of Claremont, where Guy Santagate, 77, has announced that he will retire at the end of this year. Municipal Resources, Inc. is facilitating the search for Santagate’s successor.
Rieseberg’s sudden resignation from Hartford was unexpected; at the time, he cited a desire to spend time with his family.
He said on Wednesday that the time off had been good for him.
“I got some much needed rest and got to reconnect with my wife and my kids and their extracurricular activities and their peers,” he said. “It’s amazing how fast they grow and how big their world becomes when you’re not looking.”
He said he was enjoying his first couple of days back in public service.
“It was time to get back to work,” he said. “The board and the staff have been very welcoming and helpful. One by one, I’m getting to know some of the people in the town.”
On Tuesday afternoon, Rieseberg said he planned to spend a few hours at the fire department, reviewing the town’s emergency resources.
Between the Hartford post and now, Rieseberg has maintained longstanding ties with Municipal Resources Inc., where he is an adviser and occasionally works on team projects. He also spent a few months working as a project manager for developer David Clem on the mixed-use development River Park in West Lebanon.
The Newport salary is significantly less than the $133,000 he made under his last contract in Hartford; Newport has about 6,400 residents and a $9.5 million budget as compared to Hartford, which has about 9,950 people and a $16.4 million budget.
Matt Hongoltz-Hetling can be reached at mhonghet@vnews.com or 603-727-3211.