LaBree: The Fresh Face at City Hall
- December 13th 2024
- City News
Part of Michelle LaBree’s job as assistant city manager is dealing with hazardous buildings, like this house on Pleasant Street that will be demolished in coming months.
Photo: Quinnly Raducha
By Quinnly Raducha, UNE Community News Fellow
Michelle LaBree is the first person to hold the position of assistant city manager in Sanford, and she expects to bring a new perspective to the work.
LaBree, 51, grew up in the Bangor area and filled several roles in Penobscot County government, including deputy county administrator, human resources director and emergency management director, for more than 20 years. The Sanford City Council approved her selection in September from a field of 22 applicants.
She had visited Sanford in the past with her five daughters and wanted to relocate to southern Maine to be closer to family. She says the chance to work with City Manager Steve Buck came up at the right time and in the right place.
“I’m just so excited to have been given the opportunity to work here and be part of the team,” she said. “And I’m really looking forward to learning, especially from the city manager. He’s got a lot of knowledge, and there’s a lot of very competent and talented people that work here, and they’ve just been wonderful.”
Though her previous jobs were at the county level, LaBree said her jobs gave her plenty of experience with municipal business. “We provided support for their police, fire, EMS, and public works training, looking at risks, mitigating those … and really working with the locals on what is needed for them to be able to respond to any disaster situations, either weather related or manmade,” she said.
One of LaBree’s main roles will be with the Land Bank, which works to upgrade housing by dealing with dangerous buildings that have become a concern for the city and neighbors. She has already started working with the code enforcement officer and director of the Land Bank to help owners come up with plans to fix problems or to get buildings demolished. In that role and others, she said, being “from away” can be a benefit. “I think just bringing a new perspective and bringing my thoughts, maybe someone hasn’t thought of yet,” can be just what’s needed, she said.
