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DPW moves to fill city engineer vacancy, adds sanitation foreman as solid-waste plan expands
Summary
Public Works Director Joe Bauer will assume the vacant city-engineer duties and the DPW plans to add a sanitation working-foreman to expand trash outreach and enforcement.
Methuen's Department of Public Works outlined staffing changes and an enforcement-focused approach to curb trash and recycling contamination as the council reviewed the DPW budget Tuesday.
DPW Director Joe Bauer said he will absorb the vacant engineering-administrator duties the city had expected to recruit externally, rather than leave the city without engineering leadership while searches continue. Bauer said the mayor asked him to take on the role; the budget shows a net reduction because the previously budgeted external hire salary was shifted into existing personal-service lines. He told the council the city needs a staffed engineering office to manage permitting, peer reviews and infrastructure projects.
Bauer also proposed a new sanitation working-foreman position to support outreach, tagging and enforcement of the city's trash ordinance. Councilors praised recent neighborhood outreach that has reduced contamination in some blocks and pressed for quicker moves from tagging to enforced fines. The mayor and Bauer said that after repeated tagging and education, the city will impose fines primarily on property owners (including absentee landlords) rather than tenants to encourage landlords to correct recurring violations.
The council discussed the one-year extension of the current contractor's Harvey contract and concerns about service quality, contamination and contract performance. Councilors urged that the contract include measurable performance standards (KPIs) and that the city seek rebates or penalties for missed service levels. The mayor and DPW director said they would finalize a memorandum of understanding with the contractor and expected the new sanitation position to help document service issues.
On the enterprise side, water and sewer budgets were presented as essentially level-funded for FY2026; staff said that the fund will use retained earnings this year but that the department is tracking rates and capital needs and will recommend rate changes if retained‑earnings reserves fall below prudent thresholds.
No formal votes were taken on DPW staffing or the Harvey contract in the workshop; the council asked for more detailed KPIs and enforcement procedures for solid waste.
