Initially Dodd envisioned his return as a consultant but for legal reasons he had to be hired by the town. As the acting administrator, McDougall will earn $75 per hour and it is expected that will work, part time, between eight and 10 hours a week, as needed.

“I’m happy to be here helping out and holding down the fort until they find a replacement,” said McDougall in his office the day after the vote.

McDougall’s return to the top administration job resulted from the June 10 departure of the former business administrator, Bibi Stewart Garvin. At a meeting earlier this month, the board returned from closed session and voted 6-2 in favor of a separation package for Garvin.

The dissenting votes were Aldermen Pat Donofrio and Patrick Fahy. Alderwoman Cindy Romaine was absent. Under the terms of the agreement, Stewart Garvin tendered her resignation that evening effective immediately.

At the request of Stewart Garvin, the separation agreement included a confidentiality clause, which precludes either party from discussing the reasons for her departure and the terms of her severance package.

However, Dodd said afterward, “We found the best way for this to come to an end.”

Things at town hall had been tense since May 13 when the board announced its decision not to renew her contract.  Stewart Garvin’s current contract would have expired on Dec. 31, and under a town ordinance, officials were required to give her six months’ notice of their decision.

Initially there was some discrepancy about the term of the contract, with Stewart Garvin arguing that it didn’t expire until 2011.

Stewart Garvin, 34, previously worked as the business administrator in River Vale before being hired in the same capacity in Dover under the administration of former Mayor Javier Marin. She started on Jan. 1, 2006, with a three-year contract.

Last year she was given a $25,000 raise, which brought her salary to just over $139,000, in an effort to keep her in Dover after she was offered a more lucrative deal by another municipality. Morristown officials tried to hire her as their business administrator by offering a higher salary plus additional vacation days and personal time.

With McDougall back in control, Dodd is determined to take whatever time necessary to find the right person for the job.  Aldermen board members James Visioli and Cindy Romaine are serving as a search committee to bring qualified candidates to the table.

“We need someone who will be able to work equally well with employees and residents, so we’ll be doing a much more extensive research than the last administration did,” said Dodd.

Still, he’s hoping that by early fall they’ll have found the right person for the job.

McDougall worked as a municipal employee for 33 years during which time he held numerous jobs.  After his retirement he volunteered his time as the town emergency management coordinator. He resigned that position to accept the acting administrator job. Dover Fire Department Captain Scott Warner will be filling the EMC in McDougall’s absence.

Cindy Forrest can be contacted at: forrestc@northjersey.com.