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Coventry Town Council President Thomas Hoover, center, with the rest of the council surrounding him (l-r), Kenneth Cloutier, Glenford Shibley, Thomas Hoover, Raymond Spear, Laura Flanagan. HANNAH PIECUCH
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COVENTRY — He may have been in public administration for many years, said Thomas R. Hoover, newly appointed town manager for Coventry, but he still has a lot of fire in his belly and is up for the challenges that face this town.
“Both my wife and I are excited to move back to New England,” Hoover told residents at the Monday meeting. “And we’re excited to move to the town of Coventry in particular.”
The council formally appointed Hoover, of Royal Oaks, Michigan, as town manager of Coventry on Monday night with at 4-0 vote. Councilman Frank Hyde was not at the meeting.
The council received an excess of 60 applications for the position, said Council President Raymond Spear, seven candidates were interviewed in person, and last Monday the three council members who were involved in the search process came into accord in selecting Hoover.
Council Vice-President Laura Flanagan took the lead on the search, Spear said, and allowed Flanagan to make her introduction of Hoover.
Hoover’s resume includes 10 years as city manager for Worcester, Mass., more than 20 years working in the city administration of Toledo, Ohio, and a master’s degree in public administration with a minor in math that Hoover received summa cum laude, Flanagan said.
He spent Monday morning with acting town manager and town planner Paul Sprague, Hoover said.
“I met a few nice people as Mr. Paul Sprague familiarized me with the town hall and its employees. I’m looking forward to dedicating myself to you, the council, my staff, and most importantly the citizens of the town of Coventry.”
Councilman Glenford Shibley, who was involved in the entire selection process, thanked Flanagan and Spear for their dilligence in finding a new town manager for Coventry.
“I am very pleased with the product [of their work],” Shibley said. “The town will benefit from having Mr. Hoover here.”
To Hoover, Shibley noted that “the last time I was on the town council we appointed Mr. [Francis A.] Frobel — and Mr. Frobel lasted us 19 years.”
Shibley made the motion to appoint Hoover, Councilman Kenneth Cloutier seconded the motion, and the council voted it without opposition.
Hyde could not attend, he said, because he had a family commitment that was made before the meeting was rescheduled to July 6. He has not yet met Mr. Hoover, he said, and had no comment to make about the appointment.
The contract, which was negotiated between Hoover and the town by The Par Group and with the help of Town Solicitor Patrick Rogers, is for approximately $122,000 a year, according to Rogers. This amount is comparable to salaries of former town managers, Rogers said yesterday.
The contract begins on July 20 and is an at-will agreement which either the town or Hoover may terminate at any time. “He gets standard benefits — the same type of benefits other department heads get — regarding vacation, sick pay, and health insurance.” Rogers outlined.
Town Planner Paul Sprague, who has acted as town manager for the past year and a half, has indicated to the council that he will return to his position as planner full-time, Flanagan said previously.
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