AUBURN — Don’t expect sweeping changes at Auburn Hall with Don Gerrish in charge.

“I’m not here to make changes,” Gerrish said. “I’m here to make sure we keep moving ahead and keep things from dropping through the cracks.”

Councilors voted to hire consultants Eaton Peabody to help manage the city and lead efforts to find a new city manager.

The City Council voted Oct. 17 to remove City Manager Glenn Aho from his post and put him on 90 days’ paid leave.

Gerrish, a former Brunswick town manager, was picked to act as the temporary, part-time manager in Auburn.

He works a minimum of three days per week in Auburn, and is wrapping up a similar assignment in Damariscotta.

“They’ve hired a new manager, and he starts there in January,” Gerrish said Thursday.

Gerrish started in Auburn on Monday. He’s been meeting with staff and is scheduling meetings with incoming city councilors elected in November. That group is scheduled to be sworn in Dec. 21.

Gerrish said his other job, helping to find a full-time manager, will wait until that group is on board.

Former Lewiston Finance Director Dick Metivier, another Eaton Peabody consultant, will be working with Gerrish in the search.

“All the issues need to be discussed with the council, when they are in and seated,” Metivier said. “They need to know what the alternatives are and they need to say how the process will go. My role is just helping them facilitate that process.”

Gerrish said similar searches have taken three months to find a good replacement.

“And then there’s another 30 days or so before the new manager can start,” he said.

[email protected]