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Wayne council approves appointment, five‑year employment agreement for new Department of Public Services director
Summary
On Jan. 7 the Wayne City Council voted to appoint a certified engineer known as Mike as the city’s Department of Public Services director and approved an employment agreement; the hire consolidates building and engineering oversight with public works.
The Wayne City Council on Tuesday approved the appointment and employment agreement for the city’s new Department of Public Services director, appointing Mike and approving an employment contract after a presentation by the city manager.
The agreement, approved by unanimous voice vote, formally places building and engineering oversight under the new director and keeps current assistant directors in place. City Manager (name not specified in the public record) told council members he circulated Mike’s resume in advance and said the candidate “has outstanding credentials over 30 years of relevant experience in both DPW and civil engineering.”
Why it matters: The move reunites responsibilities that had been split after a prior director’s departure, consolidating the supervisory role for building and engineering and the Department of Public Works (DPW) under one director. City management said the change aims to improve organizational clarity while retaining existing DPW leadership.
Council discussion and background: The city manager said Mike was interviewed by DPW leadership and described the candidate as uniquely well qualified, calling him “like a unicorn” and saying staff were “really impressed with his credentials.” The manager told the council that Mike spent 18 years with the Michigan Department of Transportation and 12 years with the city of Flint’s DPW before applying for the Wayne position.
At the meeting Mike stood at the podium and introduced himself. “I have over 30 years of experience in primarily the public sector,” he said, noting his time at the Michigan Department of Transportation and the city of Flint. “I’m very excited to be here and be part of the team.”
Operational details: The council and city manager said assistant directors, including Dave Schmidt (DPW assistant director), will continue to report to the new director. The city manager said the appointment restores a supervisory arrangement that existed before the prior combined director left several years ago.
Vote and next steps: Council approved the appointment and employment agreement by unanimous voice vote. The city manager and council welcomed the new director; the agreement and job duties discussed at the meeting will guide the director’s responsibilities going forward.
A note on recordkeeping: The city manager said Mike’s background materials were distributed to council before the meeting. The employment agreement as approved at the meeting was not read into the record in full during council discussion; the council’s action was to approve the appointment and the city’s presented employment agreement.
