Agreeing not to disagree, the Selectmen decided on the hours (12) and pay scale ($21 an hour) for an assistant town clerk during their meeting Wednesday afternoon.
First Selectman Matt Riiska had budgeted 16 hours a week for the position and an hourly rate of $25, but had encountered brisk opposition from Selectman Sandy Evans, who felt both the number of hours, and the pay were too much.
Additionally, Evans questioned whether the town should pay for classes for the assistant clerk to become certified, suggesting that, if the town paid, there should be a written agreement that the person would work for Norfolk for a given time following certification.
Riiska said he wanted the person to become certified and couldn’t demand that he or she take classes if not reimbursed. “How many times do people start and then decide they don’t like the job and drop out?” Evans asked. “It’s a waste of town money.”
Certification for town clerks is not state-mandated but is desirable as the duties are becoming more complex. Even when employees complete certification, small municipalities often lose them to larger communities with deeper pockets.
Riiska wants an assistant town clerk because the office is now closed on Fridays, which he sees as unfair to part-time residents who arrive for the weekend and cannot get stickers or permits for town services. He also wants to have a succession plan for when the current town clerk decides to retire.
Riiska and Evans eventually compromised on a schedule of two three-hour mornings or afternoons and a six-hour day on Friday. The town clerk currently works 24 hours a week, 9:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Riiska said the assistant’s hours should overlap to provide on-the-job training.
—Kathryn Boughton