NORWICH — The Selectboard had a long list on its agenda this week, figuratively and literally.

On Wednesday the Norwich Selectboard held a nearly four-hour business meeting to tackle a number of pressing issues, from the search for a new town manager to the upcoming budget season, which the town must undertake without a finance director.

The agenda — characterized by board member Aaron Lamperti as “very ambitious” — also included meetings with town department heads, discussions about the town bridge and snowplow services and discussion of whether the Selectboard wants to add a regular public “Q and A” session to its meetings, where residents can raise any issues of concern.

It was the board’s first regular business meeting, and its second meeting overall, without the presence of a town manager.

Rod Francis, the outgoing town manager, served his last day in Norwich on Monday. On Oct. 24, the board announced an agreement of separation with Francis that cited “unique difficulties affecting the town’s operation and the manager’s role.”

The board authorized Chairperson Marcia Calloway to advertise for an interim town manager locally and online on municipal recruitment websites.

So far the board’s initial efforts to find an interim candidate have come up empty. Vice chairwoman Mary Layton said she has contacted the Vermont League of Cities and Towns and Municipal Resources Inc., a firm based in central New Hampshire, but neither organization had an available candidate to recommend.

Calloway also reached out to Thetford officials to broach the possibility of sharing services of their town manager, Bryan Gazda, though as of Wednesday Calloway said she had not received a response.

“We are really not in a good position of having a pool of candidates, or even one that we know about,” Layton said.

The board said they hope to have some initial applications to review by its Nov. 22 meeting.

The board did not discuss who would serve as acting manager to oversee day-to-day town operations until an interim is hired. Lamperti raised this issue at the start of the manager discussion, but the conversation never occurred.

Calloway confirmed to the Valley News in an email that the board has not designated anyone to serve as acting manager. In an emergency situation, individuals should contact either Police Chief Wade Cochran or Fire Chief Alex Northern, Calloway said.

Cochran, who was hired last month, told the Valley News that he has been in consistent communication with Calloway since Francis’ departure.

The board this week also began preparations for its annual budget process. The next fiscal year begins July 1, 2023, and the budget must be approved by voters at Town Meeting next March.

Calloway, concerned about the absence of a town manager and finance director, suggested the revival of a town finance committee to assist with “the heavy lifting” of creating a new budget.

The board rejected this proposal, especially given the deadlines for creating a budget.

“My sense is that we want to keep this as simple as possible,” Lamperti said of the finance committee suggestion. “This doesn’t sound simpler. It sounds overly complicated.”

Lamperti recommended that municipal departments base their proposals on their current-year budgets, with a small percentage increase across the budget lines to factor for inflation.

During the final hour of the meeting, Calloway surveyed the board’s interest in adding a public question-and-answer session to board meetings, in addition to the existing time set aside for public comment.

This session, proposed by Calloway, has been requested by a number of Norwich residents who have previously criticized the board and town administration in regard to poor communication.

“I would like to see us going forward so that we’re working toward transparency and an assurance that the board is going to be using best practices in whatever issue we are talking about,” Calloway said.

Board members said they would only be receptive to a question-and-answer session if it replaced the comment periods during other agenda discussions.

“Otherwise, it’s just another 20 minutes where we aren’t getting business done, and people will have their comments later on also,” Lamperti said.

Board members noted that the residents were permitted on Wednesday to ask questions and provide input throughout the meeting, which contributed significantly to the meeting’s length.

“I feel like this entire meeting has been run like a Q-and-A session,” board member Roger Arnold said.

Board member Robert Gere added that the board has frequently been unable to answer the public’s questions, such as in cases of employee confidentiality or legal matters, which has resulted in further friction between the board and residents.

“When we can’t answer with authority as a board, it quickly disintegrates into an argumentative conversation,” Gere said. “It gets us nowhere and just makes people more angered.”

Calloway said her primary intent was to start the conversation, as a show of good faith to community members who have asked for greater transparency.

Patrick Adrian may be reached at 603-727-3216 or at padrian@vnews.com.