Newburyport Planning Director Finalists

The names of the 5 finalists for Newburyport’s Planning Director are in today’s Newburyport Daily News, July 24, 2006.

To quote Mayor John Moak, “I’m not looking for an architect or engineer, I’m looking for a manager. Each has exemplified more of a full service type of planning directorship. That’s what I’m looking for.”

Since the candidates resumes were not available to the Newburyport Daily News on Friday, I thought I would Google them. So here’s the Google stuff.

*Laura Harbottle, Town Planner for Scituate, MA.*
* Lots of Google stuff on this young lady, including a picture. She looks like someone Mayor John Moak could get along with. And of all the names I ran by someone in the Planning and Development world in Massachusetts (no, it was not Nick Cracknell and no, it wasn’t anyone in Newburyport, MA), Ms Harbottle was they only one that they had heard of. The fact that Ms Harbottle is on Mayor Moak’s list is apparently encouraging.

*Christopher Ryan, Town Planner for Walpole, MA*
* No Google information on this gentleman.

*Ronald Meyer, Planning and Development Director for Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin.*
* Lots of Google information on Mr. Meyer. Mount Pleasant appears to be slightly larger than Newburyport, MA.

*Brian White, Senior Planner in Savanna, GA*
* No Google information on Mr. White. Savanna, Georgia always struck me as being a southern sort of Newburyport, MA. The winters in Savanna have got to be a whole lot better that the winters in this seaside city North of Boston.

*Nick Colonna, Senior Planner, Leesburg, VA*
* No Google information on Mr. Colonna. Cannibal City, Newburyport, MA, might be quite something for anyone from out of state, or even in state. Wow! Being Planning Director in Newburyport, Massachusetts is not for the faint of heart.

It’s kind of sad that I’m reduced to Googling candidates to find out anything about them. If this was a process that Mr. Moak was proud of, certainly our mayor would let us all know about the people who are up for Planning Director in Newburyport, Massachusetts. Open and transparent government, that’s what I’m looking for.

And just as a btw…whoever ends up being Planning Director for Newburyport, MA, you know that there will be lots of Google stuff on them. Just Google “Nick Cracknell, Newburyport.”

Mary Eaton
Newburyport