Eldredge Takes Yarmouth Community Development Job

 HARWICH – Assistant Town Administrator Meggan Eldredge has taken the community development director’s position in the town of Yarmouth, filing her resignation letter Sept. 3.

 Her last day working with the town of Harwich will be Friday, Sept. 26. Eldredge offered to assist Acting Town Administrator Tony Schiavi beyond her resignation date should he need help in the area of procurement or historic information. 

 “The decision was not made lightly, as I have greatly valued the opportunities for professional and personal growth during my time here,” Eldredge wrote in her resignation letter. “The relationships I have built here have meant a great deal to me, and I will carry those connections forward with appreciation and respect.”  

 Eldredge’s departure leaves the town’s town leadership positions vacant. The town is presently looking for a new town administrator, a finance director/town accountant and assistant town accountant, and now an assistant town administrator. The select board hired Schiavi as acting town administrator several weeks ago.

 Eldredge said she feels she has reached a point where her interests, principles and strengths will be better aligned with the director of community development position in Yarmouth. 

 “I am committed to ensuring a smooth transition and will do everything I can to leave the town in the best position possible,” she wrote. “Natasha (Lyon, executive assistant) and Jen (Clarke, licensing executive assistant) are indispensable assets that, given the opportunity, will provide the town with stability and historic knowledge to guide the incoming administrator and their assistant.” 

 “I told Tony (Schiavi) to find who he wants to lean on,” Select Board Chair Donald Howell said of bringing in an assistant town administrator on a temporary basis. “I’m not going to tell him who he has to work with.” He said he is urging Schiavi to look at other people in town government, adding that the town has a lot of good department heads.

“There is a lot going on,” Howell said of the charter commission study and the replacement of a town administrator, assistant town administrator, and a finance director/town accountant. This might be an opportunity to have a change in culture all at once, not over time, he added.