The smallest town in Massachusetts is looking for someone to take on a big role.
Gosnold, the small chain of Islands just north of the Vineyard, is searching for a town administrator. If hired, the new person would be the second to hold the position in the town, which has a year-round population of about a dozen people.
Select board member Stewart Young this week said the town hired Mike Milanoski a couple years ago to oversee the town’s municipal business. Mr. Milanoski helped shepherd several large projects in that time, including the installation of a new fuel farm on the island of Cuttyhunk, but he is now planning to step away.
Part of Dukes County, Gosnold is largely run by its three-member select board. The main island in the town is Cuttyhunk, which is accessible by a ferry from New Bedford. The community is popular with boaters, and the population can swell to more than 400 people in the summer.
The town decided it needed a town administrator when it was faced with the fuel farm, updates to its water system, and to better handle the everyday tasks of government, including human resources and finances.
The idea is to take some of the load off the board, a volunteer body.
“We don’t have a public works department. The select board does that…We’re the board of health, the planning board,” Mr. Young said. “We could really use some additional expertise.”
The board met Friday to talk about honing the job description and the town will likely advertise the position in the coming weeks.
Finding the right person could be a challenge.
The job is part-time and likely won’t pay as well as any Vineyard or mainland town. Mr. Milanoski worked less than half-time, Mr. Young said.
According to the 2022 town report, Mr. Milanoski had a salary of $20,800, and also had about $12,000 in expenses. For comparison, the Aquinnah town administrator position was budgeted at $109,000 in 2021.
The Gosnold board envisions the job being filled by a retired administrator open to a few hours a week, or someone who is looking to slow down. Mr. Milanoski did some remote work, and sometimes rented a home on the island. He also had his own boat, which he could live aboard.
The job oversees about seven staff members, including a fire chief, treasurer and a clerk, the last of which is the only full-time municipal position.
“It’s got to be someone who is not looking for a full-time, full-paid town administrator,” Mr. Young said. “There’s a certain person who likes the challenge, the unusual nature of the job.”
If the town can find someone to fill the role, they will likely take on several climate change and sea level rise projects, as well as the installation of new public toilets.
Mr. Young said the town is planning to have another meeting later this month to talk about the position and the potential budget for the job.
