By ANDY GARDNER

MASSENA -- Town Council and Massena Memorial Hospital officials are remaining tight-lipped on the interim MMH CEO’s contract out of concerns that the information could be used to compromise their ability to find a full-time top executive.

That’s according to Massena town attorney Eric Gustafson, speaking at Monday night’s MMH Board of Managers meeting.

The contract question came up during public comment at Wednesday’s Town Council meeting, when councilors and Town Supervisor Steve O’Shaughnessy wouldn’t answer questions from the public about whether the town general fund or MMH budget are paying interim MMH CEO Ann Gilpin’s salary of $40,000 per month. She has a two-month contract.

“Mrs. Gilpin is an interim CEO and the town will be going out to, at some point ... to seek a full CEO and we want to make sure none of the contractual terms are used in a way that compromises the hospital board's ability” to find a permanent replacement, Gustafson said Monday.

Gilpin’s contract with the hospital has been finalized and is signed by the Board of Managers, MMH board chairman Scott Wilson said.

Gilpin was appointed interim CEO at the June Board of Managers meeting, the same meeting at which former CEO Robert Wolleben resigned for reasons that remain unclear.

On Monday, Gilpin said Jason Centolella, an attorney representing the town, contacted her about coming to MMH shortly before that, in mid-June.

Officials said there are ongoing negotiations to figure out what to do when Gilpin’s two months expire, but they declined to comment on any specifics.

"The hospital board would be prepared to take care of that at that time," Wilson said. "I’m not going to get into that discussion. It's part of the negotiations."