Basalt considers hiring new interim manager

The Basalt Town Council will decide in a special meeting Tuesday, Jan. 31, on hiring longtime local government employee and consultant Davis Farrar as an interim manager.

The current interim manager, Ron Miller, accepted the post in October with the understanding that he would leave in early February. The executive recruitment firm Peckham & McKinney was hired in December to search for a new permanent replacement. It’s anticipated a new manager won’t be appointed until spring.

Farrar does consulting through his firm Western Slope Consulting in Carbondale. He is a former full-time staff manager in Carbondale and has served two stints as interim town administrator in Silt. Farrar has also been involved in numerous land use planning efforts.

The council is holding a special meeting at 5:30 p.m. to discuss Farrar’s hiring.

The town is seeking a manager after the abrupt departure of Mike Scanlon in August. He canceled his contract after ongoing disputes with some members of the council. Scanlon is seeking a severance package, but no deal has been reached. The two sides are seeking mediation to avoid litigation, although Scanlon has served the town government with a notice saying he may file a lawsuit.