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03/17/2021 08:19 AMIn response to questions and complaints over the role of the town manager, the Town Council is hoping to help Clinton citizens better understand the duties and expectations of the position by holding a public forum. At press time, no date has been set yet for the event.
Though Clinton is now close to a year and a half into its new form of government, there are still some residents who are confused about how that new form of government should work, particularly the role of Town Manager Karl Kilduff, according to Town Council Chairman Chris Aniskovich. To counteract any misconceptions, Aniskovich mentioned at a Town Council meeting on March 3 that he’d like the council to hold a kind of question and answer forum with the public.
Aniskovich told the Harbor News he’d like to hold the event “sooner rather than later” but had no specific date in mind. He speculated that the format could include people sending in questions via email that could then be answered by the council.
“We just want to make sure the public has an understanding on how this works,” Aniskovich explained.
Aniskovich said more details had to be worked before the event would be scheduled.
Kilduff was hired in January 2020 to a three-year contract that asked him to handle the day-to-day operations of running the town that were previously handled by the first selectmen position. Those duties include keeping an eye on Clinton’s finances, proposing budgets, recommending policies the Town Council should adopt, being the personnel director for town employees, keeping tabs on the work done by the boards and commissions, and delivering reports at the biweekly Town Council meetings.
“The town manager is doing an outstanding job,” Aniskovich said to the Harbor News.
Members of the Town Council and town employees alike have publicly and privately told the Harbor News that they approve of the job Kilduff has done thus far, specifically when it comes to the streamlined budget process when compared to the old model. However, some residents have also privately and publicly expressed criticism and questioned what exactly Kilduff does.
Aniskovich caught wind of those sentiments and said it is important that people understand the reality of the role. Aniskovich said that many of the comments he’s heard people make fall into two main categories: people upset they don’t hear directly from Kilduff often and people who say they are unclear on what he is working on.
To address the first concern, Aniskovich said he saw the role of a town manager as one that requires more behind-the-scenes work than public-facing work.
“The town manager did not replace the first selectman. He’s not Willie, He’s not going to be all around town where people see him every day,” Aniskovich said.
Willie Fritz, the first selectman in Clinton from 2005 to 2015, was well known for his outgoing demeanor and visible presence at various Clinton functions. By contrast, Kilduff was is not a Clinton citizen and thus is not typically going to be present at sports games or town events.
It isn’t only the role of the town manager that Aniskovich hopes to clarify, but also the role he plays as Town Council chairman.
“As chairman I’m the ceremonial head of the town, and whether it’s me or anyone else in the future, there’s not a lot I can do on my own,” Aniskovich said.
In his role, he leads Town Council meetings and may make statements on behalf of the council, but he doesn’t carry any additional powers above the other six members of the council.
While the forum will hopefully clarify the position for most people who have questions, Aniskovich suggested there’s another alternative that may be more beneficial in the long run: getting more people to actually attend Town Council meetings.
“As council members, we see what Karl does on a day-to-day basis,” said Aniskovich. “Instead of asking whoever what’s going on, why not come to a meeting?”
The town manager reports are public and made available on the agenda of each Town Council meeting on the town website. At each meeting, which are recorded and can be viewed on the Valley Shore Community Television channel on YouTube, Kilduff provides the council with an overview of his report and details exactly what he is working. Aniskovich said the town’s Facebook page will be regularly updated to include links to the virtual meeting.
Town Council meetings are held twice each month on Wednesdays. The first meeting of each month is held at 8 a.m. and the second at 7 p.m. The meetings are open to the public and visitors are granted a time to speak in the beginning of each meeting. Links to the virtual in meetings are included in each agenda on the website.