By VINAYA SAKSENA

SEEKONK — Paul Lemont has left the building. That is the message anyone looking for the former town administrator will get when calling the Town Hall office where he served since the summer of 2006.

Lemont was interim town administrator following the firing of Thorn Mead, the previous town administrator, and was eventually contracted to serve until the end of 2007.
Now, after an extensive search by the recruiting firm Bennett Yarger, the Board of Selectmen has awarded the job to Wrentham resident Michael Carroll, who has served as a public official in both his hometown and the town of Randolph.
Carroll, a former Pawtucket resident, served as executive secretary in Randolph and as a selectman in Wrentham, and thus, he said, he had unique perspective on the interdependent roles of elected and appointed officials. He said he felt comfortable with the Seekonk area, and looked forward to starting work on Wednesday.
“I live in the area. I used to live in Pawtucket, so I’m familiar with Seekonk somewhat,” Carroll said, though he admitted to not realizing that Alpert’s Furniture was no longer in town until he was recently given a local tour, adding: “I guess I’m less familiar than I thought.”
Living in Wrentham, Carroll said, gave him an understanding of the type of community he would be serving in Seekonk, as he believed the two toens had much in common.
He cited similar population densities and common histories as farm towns that had recently experienced growth spurts — and thus some growing pains.
“I was attracted to several of the issues they’re facing (in Seekonk) now,” Carroll said. “What’s not common with towns in Massachusetts is long-term planning. That’s what I want to bring to the town.”
One issue affecting Carroll’s new position is the residency requirement for the town administrator and several other public officials. Earlier this year, members of the Board of Selectmen and others proposed modifying language in the town charter that requires certain town employees to take up local residence within one year of being hired.
At a recent town meeting, residents voted to put the revision on the ballot for spring’s annual election. It will be the second time the measure has gone before Seekonk voters.
The selectmen may also waive the residency requirement in extenuating circumstances, as they did for Lemont, but Carroll said he is not particularly concerned about that now. And while he said the drive to Seekonk, which he estimates takes him 35 minutes, doesn’t bother him, he did not say whether or not he would move to town if the requirement remains in place.
“I would not rule anything out, but we’ll have to see how things go,” Carroll said. “But Wrentham’s only three towns away, so I can be there (quickly). I don’t see that living 35 minutes away from town hall will affect my ability to serve the town.”
Furthermore, Carroll said residents need not worry about his interest in and commitment to the town even if he does not live there. “It doesn’t take me too long to feel like part of the town,” Carroll said. “It won’t take me long to identify with this town and really feel like I’m a part of it.”