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Commissioner urges creation of deputy public works role after staffing losses; committee delays until budget review
Summary
The ordinance committee discussed adding a deputy director/commissioner of public works position intended to consolidate duties and secure a licensed water distribution operator; committee members agreed to defer action until after FY2026 budget deliberations.
Patrick Hale, commissioner of public works, told the ordinance committee the city needs a new senior position that combines water distribution responsibilities with other supervisory duties because two long-serving staff recently left and the city lacks a licensed distribution operator.
Hale said the position would combine duties previously held by a superintendent of engineering and a water-systems manager, and he explained recruiting challenges for licensed distribution operators. He cited market salaries paid by neighboring towns—"in the town of East Bridgewater, they just hired a grade 2 distribution operator, for, a hundred and $35,000"—and said the city has received no qualified applicants for open distribution-operator roles at current pay levels.
Hale also told the committee that MassDEP has allowed leniency while the city seeks a licensed operator but that the timeframe to restore an on‑staff licensed operator has already passed. "My time frame was up in February," he said. He said the proposed reorganization would reduce payroll cost by consolidating two positions into one and that the item is funded in this year’s budget.
Several councilors raised procedural concerns. One member asked for a job description and urged caution until the city completes FY2026 budget review. The committee voted to postpone consideration of the new deputy position until after FY2026 budget action.
