Glocester council confirms department heads, reappoints many boards and sets liaison assignments

The Glocester Town Council on Jan. 16 confirmed a slate of department-head appointments to run concurrent with the council’s term and approved reappointments and new appointments to several boards and commissions.

The council voted to appoint Joseph Delpreet as chief of police; Jane Grzenda as probate judge; Elizabeth Beltram as director of finance; Gary Tremmel as director of public works; Christine Matthew as deputy town clerk; Lori Casoli as tax collector; Dennis Began as zoning official; David Agliozzi as town solicitor; Karen Scott as town planner; Melissa Gubier as senior center director; Gerald Mosca as director of emergency management; and a list of building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical inspectors. The motion also left the deputy town treasurer position unfilled at this time. Council members voted unanimously to approve the slate.

Separately, the council reappointed Sandra Shepherd as tree warden for 2025, contingent on maintenance of a valid arborist license, and reappointed or filled seats on multiple boards and commissions including the Recreation Commission, Safety Commission, Citric Watershed Commission, Budget Board and Zoning Board alternates. The meeting included motions to accept resignations from planning board and budget board members and to table appointments when no recommendation was available.

Council members also assigned liaison responsibilities for boards and commissions; most council members accepted four or five liaison roles each, covering committees such as affordable housing, building and zoning, conservation commission, finance/budget, historical district commission, economic development (EDC), parade committee, planning board, public safety, public works and schools. The clerk will publish the final liaison list with the minutes.

Why this matters: department-head appointments determine who manages municipal services and sets operational priorities for the council term. Reappointments and liaison assignments shape oversight of planning, public safety, recreation and economic development.

The council approved the appointments and reappointments by unanimous votes, and several vacancies were tabled to the Feb. 6, 2025 meeting where nominations or talent-bank candidates will be considered.