A New Day in Town Administration

It was day's end on Day 1 of the era and the town administrator's desk was clean, shiny and free of clutter.

He keeps it that way: neat and prepared for the next morning.

"You could land a small plane on it," he says.

It's the same way he likes to attend to town affairs: neat, orderly and prepared.

If you leave things hanging they tend to come crashing down, he says.

But first days on the job you can not necessarily plan.

They happen.

They have happened to Younger five time before as a town administrator or manager in Oak Bluffs, Norton, North Reading, Belmont and Ipswich.

Each Day 1 is different. Belmont was a homecoming. It's where he grew up. Ipswich was an interim position, though he approached it like a permanent slot.

Swampscott he sees as the last stop on his municipal government path. So maybe there was more riding on this first day.

His pinstripe suit looked new or recently dry-cleaned. His shoes were shined and his socks sported small red lettering on them.

Like baseball season you step into the batter's box or, in this case, the arena of town government, on opening day feeling a mixture of anxiety and hope, he says.

In retrospect, you tend to remember your first day more than the second day when a routine takes shape, he says.

The first day everything is new: the phones, the computer, the chair, the desk, the people.

The people at, the employees, set up a meet and greet for their new boss on Monday.

Bagels, coffee, juice and welcoming in the second-floor conference room.

Selectman Jill Sullivan stopped by and everyone had a chance to say hello and welcome Younger, Administrative Assistant Maureen Shultz said.

It was informal, a part of the transition, she said.

It was Younger's favorite part of an enjoyable first day.

"A pleasant surprise," he said of the greet.

The low-key gathering seemed fitting.

When he was interviewing for the job, at a selectmen's meeting, he told the board he is the kind of administrator who likes to be a part of the town's life.

That means going to meetings after hours, going to town events, talking to townspeople, turning towards residents and employees as opposed to away from them.

He told selectmen he isn't the type of guy who sticks his head in the freezer compartment at the supermarket to avoid people. His remark got a laugh but he wasn't trying to be funny.

Shortly after he was hired he and his family attended what turned out to be an Old Home Day of sorts at the high school, Pizza Wars, a successful event organized by the sophomore class.

At the end of Monday, Day 1, the town administator's door was open.

He met with visitors. Between 4 pm and 5 pm he met with two reporters and a resident.

On Monday night he was heading to the town Planning Board meeting.

On Tuesday morning he'll find his desk how he left it: open, organized and ready for work.