OAKLAND -- Oakland will announce its new town manager at Monday night's Town Council meeting.

Town officials offered the position to the person earlier this week after interviewing four people for the post a week earlier.

"They are still in negotiations right now," Town Clerk Janice Porter said Thursday, "but presumably this person is going to come on board."

Councilors prefer to keep the identity of the person secret until they take a formal vote on the appointment Monday.

A majority of the five-member Council must approve the appointment in order for it to go through, but that's just the technical requirement.

Porter said the Council wants to see a more decisive confirmation.

"It doesn't have to be," Porter said, "but the Council wants (the vote) to be unanimous."

The Council meeting, usually held the second and fourth Wednesday of each month, is slated for 7 p.m. Monday so people can have a head start on Thanksgiving, which is Thursday.

A selection committee consisting of town councilors, Porter and Finance Director Doug Mather started with a list of 20 applicants for the position.

That list was narrowed to the four candidates interviewed Nov. 13 and then down to two finalists.

"We met again Monday night -- the Council, Jan and Doug -- and reviewed and evaluated the last two candidates for two hours," Council Chairman Ralph Farnham Jr. said.

Oakland began a search for a new manager after Steven A. Dyer announced his resignation, effective Saturday, last month to become chief administrative officer for OneSteel, an Australian metal-recycling company that has operations in Oakland, Augusta, Bangor and Arundel.

Dyer has been town manager for about four years.

The Council hopes to have a new manager start Dec. 29.

"He has to give his (current) employer 30-day notice," Farnham said.

Colin Hickey -- 861-9205

chickey@centralmaine.com