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Central services director McCarthy to retire after long city tenure; department maintains city and school buildings
Summary
Pat McCarthy, director of central services, presented department responsibilities and said he will retire at month’s end; the division oversees maintenance and capital projects for 29 city and school buildings, and councilors thanked him for long service.
Pat McCarthy, director of Central Services, told the council the department manages building maintenance, HVAC, plumbing, electrical systems, security, fire detection, custodial services, renovations and capital programs across city and school facilities.
"Central services maintains about ... facilities in 29 buildings in the city," McCarthy said, listing City Hall, the municipal building, Memorial Hall, the police and fire stations, the senior center, the James House, Academy of Music, six schools and the Gothic Street parking structure.
McCarthy said the department coordinates maintenance and upgrades including street‑lighting projects and a slate of capital projects in varying stages of progress for FY25 and FY26.
During the hearing councilors publicly thanked McCarthy for his service; several noted he is retiring at the end of the month after roughly 25 years working for the city in various capacities. Councilors praised his responsiveness to constituent issues and his role in capital planning and facility projects.
Why it matters: Central Services is responsible for health, safety and accessibility in public buildings used by residents and city operations. Leadership changes in that office will affect capital project continuity and building maintenance workflows.
Context and next steps
McCarthy said the department uses a roster of architectural consultants (the "house doctor" list) to accelerate design work on capital projects and that a modest budget line for architectural services remains useful to start and advance projects quickly. Councilors asked whether the department still needs outside architecture funding; McCarthy said a limited amount remains helpful to bridge gaps when projects are scoped.
Councilors and staff plan to address transition steps during the director’s final weeks and to ensure ongoing capital projects have procurement and contract support during the staffing change.
