Central Services summarizes facilities workload; director to retire after years of service

The city’s Central Services department presented its FY26 responsibilities and capital workload to the Finance Committee, summarizing building maintenance for municipal and school facilities and ongoing capital projects. Director Pat McCarthy said Central Services maintains dozens of public buildings and coordinates building systems, custodial services, capital renovations and municipal mail delivery — work that underpins city and school operations.

Why it matters: Central Services supports core municipal functions — HVAC, plumbing, electrical, life‑safety systems and capital projects — and its work affects the city’s ability to operate schools, public safety facilities and other essential services.

Highlights from the presentation: McCarthy listed facilities under the department’s care, including City Hall, the Municipal Building, Memorial Hall, the police and fire stations, the senior center, the Academy of Music and six school buildings, as well as the city’s garage and the Gothic Street parking structure and numerous parking lots. He outlined roughly 15 capital projects at varying stages of development across FY24–FY26 and said Central Services manages staffing, procurement and contracting to deliver those projects.

Council response and transition: Councilors thanked McCarthy for his service; McCarthy said he will retire at the end of the month and the council expressed appreciation for his responsiveness to resident concerns and coordination on capital work. The Finance Committee recessed deliberations and will consider FY26 budget recommendations at a subsequent meeting.