There are no meetings posted for Wellfleet this week.
Conversation Starters
Mask Up
Wellfleet has had a mask mandate in place since Nov. 18, according to the town’s website.
Seasonal Wages Increased
The select board voted to increase seasonal wages for summer town employees in 2022, a needed incentive to compete with positions in surrounding towns, interim Town Administrator Charlie Sumner said during the board’s Dec.14 meeting.
Last year, many summer positions were never filled, “so this is trying to create a new range for fiscal 2023 to give more flexibility to our managers,” Sumner said. The heads of the beach, recreation, shellfish, harbor, and public works departments met to establish the new wages, said Wellfleet Director of Community Services Suzanne Grout Thomas.
Instead of having standard salaries, ranges were set, which will be “determined by the number of hours and classifications,” Thomas said. The beach guard and beach sticker clerk hourly wages went from $14 to $17 to $22; lifeguards went from $17 per hour to $20 to $25; and an assistant beach administrator went from $28 to between $30 and $35 per hour.
Town Administrator Salary Set
The select board set the next town administrator’s salary range between $170,000 and $195,000 during its Dec. 14 meeting.
A five-member committee led by headhunter Richard White of Groux-White Consulting continues the search for a town administrator. After interviewing department heads, White recommended a salary range between $160,000 and $195,000.
Looking at a comparison of other towns on Cape Cod, Select Board Chair Ryan Curley said, “Only Mashpee is below $175,000.”
Select board members prefer that the town administrator live in Wellfleet. The cost of housing is a main reason for the higher salary range.
“I think we should make it clear that, after the probationary year, the salary could go up a good percentage,” said board member Helen Miranda Wilson. “For a variety of reasons, I don’t think we should start with $175,000. I think we should start at $170,000. We should discuss some type of housing assistance for the first year if someone needs it.”
The last town administrator, Maria Broadbent, who resigned just nine months into her three-year contract, was paid $160,000 with annual increases of more than 2 percent. Before Broadbent, Town Administrator Dan Hoort earned $140,000 in 2019.
Provincetown Town Manager Alex Morse earns $185,000 and received a $15,000 relocation bonus; Truro Town Manager Darrin Tangeman earns $172,000 and received $22,500 for relocation expenses; Eastham Town Administrator Jacqui Beebe made $136,073 in 2020.
Shellfish Holiday Market
The Wellfleet Shellfishermen’s Association will be hosting two upcoming holiday markets. The markets allow shoppers to buy oysters, clams, and other shellfish directly from harvesters, as well as get some baked goods such as Chris Kelley’s Kahlua Chocolate Mousse Bombs. The market will be held at Wellfleet Town Pier on Dec. 23 and Dec. 30 from 10 a.m. to noon.
The holiday market is an extension of the shellfishermen’s farmers market, running every Saturday through May 1. Order ahead at wellfleetshellfishermen.org. —Michaela Chesin
