Bellingham Select Board Keeps Town Administrator On as Search Stalls Again

BELLINGHAM — December 16, 2024 — Bellingham Select Board retains outgoing Town Administrator Dennis Frappier indefinitely amid a second failed hire. The board voted unanimously Monday to keep Frappier in his current capacity until a permanent successor is found, after its December 9 meeting ended with no hire when the last remaining finalist withdrew that morning. Search committee chair Shannon Linton told the board the committee had reviewed 25 resumes and interviewed six candidates since July, and warned that board members "may have been influenced by unofficial feedback" that "perpetuates unfounded rumors." Member Michael Hennessy defended his no vote, saying employees who contacted him with management-style concerns were "residents that keep this $80 million machine going." The board also unanimously continued a public hearing on a Class One dealer license for Cranes 101 Incorporated at 57 Mechanic Street until the Planning Board completes a pending storm water and development plan review, after three abutters testified about roughly 12 unregistered trucks on the property and runoff into neighboring yards.