Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Human Resources topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Consultants urge Town of Millis to create dedicated HR director, generalist and benefits coordinator
Summary
A Collins Center review presented to the Millis Finance Committee recommended creating a full-time HR director, a school HR generalist and a part-time benefits coordinator to reduce liability and manage rising benefits costs; the town will continue budget and implementation discussions with the Select Board and school leaders.
The Town of Millis heard a report on March 26 recommending establishment of a dedicated human resources team to manage hiring, benefits and legal compliance.
Mary Icardi, who leads the HR practice at the Collins Center for Public Management at UMass Boston, told the Finance Committee the town currently has no single full‑time HR professional and that “Right now, there is not 1 full time person dedicated to HR.” She said that gap increases the town’s liability and makes consistent onboarding and leave administration difficult.
The report recommends creating three positions: a full‑time HR director responsible for both town and school HR strategy; an HR generalist for the school department; and an 18–20 hour benefits/generalist role to handle transactional HR functions now split across multiple offices. The consultants also recommended moving a 25‑hour school payroll position to the finance office for cross‑training and better process control, while noting the final staffing and location decisions remain subject to negotiation between the town and school administration.
Why it matters: Committee members and staff said the town’s current approach leaves hiring paperwork, leave tracking and benefit decisions fragmented. The Finance Committee asked for quantified cost and savings estimates and agreed to continue the budget discussion at future meetings.
Key findings and recommendations
- Liability and compliance: Icardi told the committee that the town faces increasing regulatory complexity — from the Family and Medical Leave Act to ADA and HIPAA obligations — and needs a professional to interpret and apply those rules. The report says inconsistent practices can expose the town to legal and arbitration costs.
- Staffing and onboarding: The consultants documented routine instances of hires starting before all paperwork is complete, and recommended centralizing onboarding and leave administration under a benefits coordinator and HR generalist.
- Benefits cost control: The review flagged that the town should budget conservatively for new hires, noting the typical town cost for a family health plan is about $22,000 this year and could rise to roughly $25,000 in the coming fiscal year. The consultants recommended a benefits audit and tighter controls when a vacancy triggers eligibility for town‑paid benefits.
- Organization design: The Collins Center proposed the HR director be a municipal (non‑union) position reporting to the town administrator and serving the schools and general government; the proposed benefits coordinator role (approximately 18–20 hours) would be a union position to pick up existing clerical duties in the town administrator’s office.
What officials said
Town Administrator Mike Kaczynski said the assistant town administrator and he have already been absorbing numerous HR tasks but that arrangement has become “unmanageable.” He told the committee the town would include the recommendation in broader budget planning and work with the school on implementation details.
Several committee members urged that the town quantify projected savings and risks. Finance Committee member Mike Brown asked the town to produce a dollars‑and‑cents projection showing where costs would be offset by reduced benefits spending or lower outside legal fees.
Next steps
Icardi and the Collins Center said the report is a draft; the Capital Planning Committee and the Collins Center will finalize recommendations and the Select Board will receive the report. The Finance Committee expects formal budget proposals and job descriptions in the next two weeks and invited follow‑up questions. No formal staffing decisions or budget votes were taken at the March 26 meeting.
