Hubbardston Select Board hires building commissioner, names executive assistant candidate

HUBBARDSTON -- January 29, 2026, Hubbardston Select Board hires contract building commissioner, fills executive assistant seat, and widens its TA search panel. At the January 29 meeting, the board voted unanimously to engage Robert Garside as building commissioner on a short-term contract not to exceed $960 per week for 45 days while the town prepares a formal RFP, keeping the arrangement under the Chapter 30B threshold near $50,000. The board also unanimously voted to offer the executive assistant position to Caroline Mansur at up to 34 hours per week at $22 per hour, following two rounds of interviews by members Katie Young and Peter Walker, who said reference checks came back "glowing." In a separate 4-1 vote, the board expanded the town administrator screening committee from seven seats to nine, adding employee and resident slots, with a planning board designee still to be named. Interim Town Administrator Sean warned the board that the town's levy capacity stands at roughly $5,000 and that reconciliation of FY25 books, needed to certify free cash before town meeting, remains weeks away, with a February 10 Schedule A deadline looming.