With groundwork continuing to help members of the Town Administrator Workgroup understand pros and cons of various forms of government leadership in Connecticut, member Ned Simpson asked a question: “What problem are we trying to solve here?”

Simpson said the charge to the workgroup from First Selectman Dan Rosenthal was sparse and a bit unclear regarding what problem the panel was trying to solve. He said he had the impression they were looking to add more continuity to the chief executive position by adding a hired employee to manage day-to-day matters and staff, but he wasn’t sure.

To that end, the workgroup is expected to have Rosenthal back on March 6 to elaborate further and help Simpson, other members of the workgroup, and the public better understand what the goal of the workgroup should be.

Workgroup member Pat Llodra pointed out that the workgroup is not the originator of the charge to consider different forms of town government for Newtown.

Workgroup Chairman Maureen Crick Owen said continuity is the main issue. While Newtown has been fortunate to mostly have first selectmen who have been re-elected for long stretches of time such as Herb Rosenthal and Llodra, it could be a problem if someone is in the position for just one term.

“Two years is just starting,” said Crick Owen. Llodra said the charge as she saw it concerned “management, oversight, and continuity.”

“I think what Dan is asking is to consider other [town government] models while looking at those domains,” said Llodra. “In my conversations with Dan, the job has become more complicated as the years have gone by, and it is more difficult to get people to step up to that position.”

She noted that Wilton, which recently added a town administrator and spurred the creation of Newtown’s workgroup, had faced a similar situation, where a “single individual is doing too much in executing government functions.”

“The first selectman is the voice of Wilton,” said Llodra. “The administrator is the rest.”

The workgroup will also be inviting members of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities to speak at its March 6 meeting, to help members review a set of questions the group intends to ask other towns similar to Newtown about their current forms of government.

Each of the four workgroup members submitted questions they thought should be asked — and Llodra was charged with compiling the questions around certain topics, to help the group develop a set that can be asked of a town official in 30 minutes or less. Some questions may be eliminated entirely or moved to a later part of the workgroup’s process.

“Thirty minutes is plenty of time to take out of someone’s day,” said Crick Owen.

Member Bill Brimmer also suggested once the questions list is finalized, that the questions be sent in advance so officials from towns such as Fairfield and Canton, who the group intends to interview, will have time to prepare.

Simpson also suggested if the group is interviewing a first selectman and town administrator from a town, or a town council member or town manager, that interviews be done separately so any hired employees can feel more comfortable providing candid answers. Crick Owen said she will begin reaching out to towns the group intends to talk to, so officials in those communities have plenty of time to schedule interviews.

Associate Editor Jim Taylor can be reached at jim@thebee.com.