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By JONATHAN PRATT - GREENVILLE - In an effort to expand, and improve, the selection process for vacancies on Municipal Boards, Commissions and Councils, the Greenville Board of Selectmen have decided to alter the current method of filling any voids. Henceforth, open positions will be advertised for thirty days. If, by the end of the initial thirty-day period, there are less than two candidates, the position will be advertised for an additional thirty-day period. After the additional thirty days has passed, candidates will then be brought before the Board of Selectmen for consideration, regardless of the number of applicants. In conjunction with the new rules, the Board elected to have the Town's Public Information Officer advertise a listing of all appointed positions. In doing so, potential candidates may be more inspired to submit an application in regards to future openings. These "unsolicited nominations" will be kept on file for 12 months for review. The issue arose after a position as Second Alternate on the Planning Board opened up recently. After advertising the vacancy, town officials received one applicant. When the Board was apprised of this, at the February 6 meeting, they voted to table the matter to allow for additional public notice to be given. The lone candidate, Noel Wohlforth, took exception to this and approaced Town Manager John Simko about the matter. After meeting with Simko, Wohlforth spoke with the individual members of the Board of Selectmen. Simko noted that, regardless of the caliber of candidate, it would be prudent to have more than one candidate to fill such a position. "The Planning Board is a regulatory Board, with regulatory powers, as opposed to an Advisory Board, whose function is to do just that...advise the Board of Selectmen," Simko commented. In consideration of Wohlforth's candidacy, Code Enforcement Officer Jack Hart, along with Simko, recommended the Board make the appointment. Following that, the Board decided to retool the policies and procedures for appointing members of any Committee, whether the purpose of that particular group were to be regulatory in nature, or advisory positions.
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