Thursday, December 2, 1999 Older Editions

Five more years

By Neil Fater

Already the town manager for longer than anyone else in Andover's history, Buzz Stapczynski was virtually assured by selectmen Monday that he'll remain in charge for another five years.

Selectmen voted 4-1 to reappoint Stapczynski, with Larry Larsen the lone dissenter. The town charter allows selectmen to offer the manager only a five-year contract if they want to reappoint him, they say, meaning Stapczynski will remain town manager until 2005, unless a majority of the board votes to fire him.

Stapczynski has been town manager since 1990. No other manager has served longer than eight years.

"I was happy with the vote of confidence and the ability to labor in the vineyard for another five years," says Stapczynski.

Based on his evaluation, Stapczynski says selectmen appreciate his day-to-day management of the town, but want him to develop a long-term vision (see sidebar, this page).

At least two selectmen Monday night were also thinking long-term.

Lori Becker and Larsen say they want the town to have more flexibility in offering a contract. As a result, Becker will bring an article to the 2000 Town Meeting asking the town to change its charter to allow selectmen to offer a contract of less than five years.

"I really feel that we as a board are in a most unfortunate position because the town charter calls for a five-year contract," says Larsen. "There isn't a (local) political office that has such terms that I can think of."

Becker and Larsen appeared to want to delay a vote on Stapczynski's contract until after a vote on the charter change, with Larsen saying he could not approve a five-year contract for Stapczynski.

But Brian Major noted that the necessary Town Meeting and state Legislature votes are unlikely to be approved before Stapczynski's current contract expires.

The town manager can be fired at any point during the five years, with 90 days notice, added Major.

"I'm assuming that the five-year time was to take the town manager out of the political realm," says Chairman John Hess. "I think Buzz has provide 10 years of good service to the town, and it would be a disservice to the town to hold (the new contract) up."

All of the selectmen agree that Stapczynski should be evaluated on an annual basis to assure that he should continue as town manager. But whether an evaluation policy is written into the new contract remains to be seen.

"The contract's pretty loose the way it is now," says Becker. "There's nothing that says, 'After one year there will be an evaluation, and you must get this rating.' That's what will be in the next contract."

"I agree that we need to have a defined method of evaluation. I don't know if it needs to be in the contract," argues Chairman John Hess. "But we need a defined evaluation, and Buzz has agreed to that. It's better for everyone to have that."