Tisbury town administrator Jay Grande sailed through a speedy performance review and contract renewal Monday afternoon, during a rare in-person select board meeting held at the emergency services building.
It took the board less than an hour to complete Mr. Grande’s review in public session, adjourn to discuss his employment details in executive session and reconvene the public meeting to announce that he will continue as town administrator for at least three more years after his current contract expires in mid-March.
“I like the job you’re doing,” board member Roy Cutrer told Mr. Grande, whose annual salary is $160,000.
Board chairman Jeff Kristal said he had canvassed current and past town employees, elected officials and others in the community for feedback on Mr. Grande’s strengths and weaknesses.
“[For] your Covid crisis management, you get high marks,” Mr. Kristal said. “You’ve had to pivot quite a few times.”
Mr. Kristal also commended Mr. Grande’s work on building and managing the town’s relationships with the state highway department, which is reconstructing a central portion of Beach Road, as well as state legislators, the Steamship Authority, all-Island organizations such as the Martha’s Vineyard Commission and the Island Housing Trust, and the unions representing Tisbury employees.
Town workers described Mr. Grande as supportive, positive and clear about communicating his expectations, Mr. Kristal said, although there were concerns as well.
“Some criticisms I’ve heard is that you hold the bigger picture close to your chest,” Mr. Kristal said.
“But I think that’s because certain individuals shouldn’t be in that circle, maybe,” he added.
Overall, Mr. Kristal said, Mr. Grande is helping Tisbury move ahead.
“The police department is in the best shape it’s been in, that I can remember — for 25 years,” Mr. Kristal said. “We have turned the corner . . . everybody out there knows it,” he told Mr. Grande.
“You performed, and I think you did a great job.”
Priorities for Mr. Grande in the year to come include the continuing Beach Road project, the town’s long-awaited master plan and a permanent replacement for former police chief Mark Saloio, select board members said at Monday’s meeting.
The town is close to hiring a consultant to help develop the master plan, which is a decision-making framework Tisbury sorely needs, Mr. Grande said.
“We’ve really been at a disadvantage over the last decades, without the master plan in place,” he said. “It made the school project more difficult. It makes these larger decisions more difficult.”
Board members, and Mr. Grande at first, did not wear face masks during the review, although masks are required in public buildings. Mr. Grande later retrieved a mask and wore it for the rest of the meeting.
Asked after the meeting why they were not following the mask mandate, board members had varying responses.
“[We’re] six feet apart,” Larry Gomez said.
“I’m happy to put my mask on,” said Roy Cutrer.
“Well, I’m drinking coffee,” Mr. Kristal said.
The select board meets again Wednesday in a regular Zoom session beginning at 3:45 p.m.
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