ROCKLAND — The Rockland City Council officially approved hiring James Chaousis as Rockland’s new city manager, effective March 2. 

Chaousis will assume the position of current interim city manager Thomas Luttrell, who will continue as finance director. Chaousis is currently town manager of Boothbay.

Before officially acknowledging the new city manager Jan 12 at a regularly scheduled council meeting, Councilor Larry Pritchett spoke about the rigorous interview process used for all candidates. During the process, councilors questioned what the manager would be doing, and what challenges the staff would face.

“We need to make sure we don’t miss,” Pritchett said, citing the multiple hours spent deliberating those questions. 

The council hired a human resource specialist to recruit candidates by phone, and ask other city managers whom they recommended. It was not just about putting an ad in the paper. 

“Each of these candidates spent a solid hour answering pretty tough questions on two different days,” said Pritchett. “The two that were unfortunate enough to make the final cut spent six hours each, all on a Saturday afternoon, in groups of two going around the city talking about what they saw.  It was a fairly rigorous process.  You can interview well for an hour, and keep a good face on for a couple of hours, but try for six.”

At Monday’s meeting, Chaousis said: “The questions were the most insightful that I’ve ever really seen come from an elected body. The work plan that has been put forward is a challenge to me and the city staff.... And let me tell you that I’m humble, I’m excited.  It’s because you put in such high regard your effort to hire me that I want to reward that by being a strong city manager.”

He added: “To the citizens of Rockland, trust that your elected leaders have done an exhaustive work, but not too much, to hold me accountable when I get here.  And to let me know what you expect of me.”

He said he planned on discussions with citizens — “A discussion about what you expect out of city services.  What is the service level you expect?  What is good performance?”

Chaousis said he was “raring to go, ready to work.”

Chaousis was hired as Boothbay town manager in November 2010. 

Chaousis, a Livermore native, worked as town manager in the neighboring town of Livermore Falls for two years before moving to Boothbay. He served six years in the U.S. Marine Corps, including time in the Persian Gulf War.

He is a graduate of Livermore Falls High School and the University of Maine at Augusta. Chaousis’ studies included science and public administration in college.

In other city business

An ordinance prohibiting dogs from certain city parks failed in its first reading, Jan. 12.  Former councilor Eric Hebert presented the ordinance to the council Sept. 8.  The ordinance discussion had been postponed since then. 

The ordinance stated: “Dogs shall be prohibited from the following city parks from May 1 through November 1 of each year, except for any areas that may specifically be designated as “dog parks” by order of the City Council:

Johnson Memorial Park, except for the area of the boat-launch ramp and dock

Sandy Beach

Merritt Park Playground

Ocean Street Playground

Warren Street Playground

Jaycee Park and Kenniston Field.”

At the Jan. 12 meeting, Councilor Louise MacLellan-Ruf said: “This initiative came from a small, select group of people that were going after very responsible dog owners.  In that came a hysteria of needing to put an ordinance in and restrict the responsible dog owners where they can’t be even further.  I want to cancel this out as completely as possible, and give the faith and respect back to all of our dog owners out there who are responsible.  Are there a few that are not?  Of course there are. But the majority of our citizens that have dogs are responsible.  So this is kind of foolish for me.”