Sarah Gilbert Heads Last Town Council Meeting
Cornell Knight will not be involved in any cruise ship matters
BAR HARBOR—It’s not a typical Town Council meeting when a bouquet of flowers is brought in and praise is heaped upon a member of staff. But Tuesday wasn’t a typical town council meeting and Interim Town Manager and Finance Director Sarah Gilbert isn’t a typical person and this hasn’t been a typical past eight months for the town.
Last night’s meeting was Gilbert’s last as interim town manager. Cornell Knight is meant to start today on a part-time basis, which puts Gilbert back in her normal position as the town’s finance director.
“In all of the work of the past eight months, it’s been my pleasure to get to know Sarah professionally and personally. I’ve especially loved watching her work a room; have you seen this? Sarah is friends with everyone, and if she doesn’t know you, she will before the event is over,” Council Chair Valerie Peacock said.
Gilbert replaced retiring Finance Director Stan Harmon in December, 2020. She has been working in that position since. She and Harmon had worked together for 15 years prior to her appointment. Gilbert comes in as interim at the beginning of the budget process.
The contract for a new interim, part-time town manager has been extended to former town manager Cornell Knight, Peacock said Tuesday night at the council’s regular meeting. She has not yet signed the contract and said that she’d been fielding calls about it throughout the day.
To that end, she read a portion of the contract that stipulates that Knight, in his duties as town manager, cannot have anything to do with the town’s cruise ship litigations, operations, policies or procedures. When those matters come up, the contract stipulates that he will immediately recuse himself.
This is because Knight has been employed by Eaton Peabody Consulting. Eaton Peabody is representing APPLL in its lawsuit against the town over cruise ship disembarkation limits.
The town’s search for a town manager to replace Kevin Sutherland who resigned last January has entered its second phase after several potential applicants withdrew. On Monday night in executive session and ahead of its Tuesday meeting, councilors winnowed the current application pool of 36 down to six.
“There’s a light at the end of that tunnel,” Peacock said. She added that it was great to have Knight come on because of his experience as Bar Harbor Town Manager and as a town manager in numerous other Maine towns.
Prior to Sutherland’s tenure, Cornell Knight (2014-2021) was the town manager and before him, Dana Reed (1986-2014).
Peacock praised interim Town Manager and Finance Director Sarah Gilbert, who, she said, has been doing two full-time jobs during a very busy time for the town. That time included budget creation and adoption, a $55 million school bond, reassessment, and multiple lawsuits.
“The town council and I can never thank you enough,” Peacock said. “Over and over, Sarah quietly, efficiently and effectively took over the job.”
Councilor Matthew Hochman said that Gilbert dealt with her combined duties flawlessly.
“The Town, the Council, and I can never thank Sarah enough for stepping up to take on the interim town manager job back in January. There’s probably never a good time to be an interim manager, but some might be harder than others– like when we are just about to enter into a budget process, or when the town is beginning a highly public and complex litigation, or when we’re about to vote on a school bond. Over and over, Sarah quietly, efficiently, and effectively took on the job: working with staff on every project, taking media and citizen calls, emails, de-escalating conflicts with grace, preparing council agendas and manager memos, gathering discovery, testifying at trials, accepting resignations, preparing the warrant and planning for town meeting to name a few. All of this while also being our finance director,” Peacock said.
“You’ve done an incredible job keeping things going,” Vice Chair Gary Friedmann said. He said it really says what a great staff the town has that it can go for so long without a town manager.
Councilor Joe Minutolo also thanked Gilbert. “You’ve done a great job and kept the wheels on the bus. It’s been an interesting ride the last few months for sure but you’ve done a great job.”
Caines said she felt lucky to work with Gilbert in many capacities.
Gilbert said that she wanted to thank department heads, staff, and show her gratitude to the current and previous Town Council. “It’s been quite a journey.”
“Your dedication to craft and professionalism continue to amaze me,” Gilbert said of the department heads.
She also joked that her college friends think she’s the mayor. She thanked her friends in the community and the support of her husband and son. She wanted both her husband and son to know that she loves them very much. She also singled out Town Clerk Liz Graves and Peacock for their support.
“It’s been an honor to serve the community of Bar Harbor and I want to say thank you,” Gilbert said.
