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Parks commission approves highway‑department oversight for parks maintenance and to post part‑time job
Summary
The Parks Commission voted to accept a plan to have a highway‑department position handle outside maintenance duties and to post a part‑time parks position depending on funding; commissioners said sharing equipment and supervision with the highway department will reduce costs and give access to heavy machinery.
The Town of Lakeville Parks Commission voted to shift primary outside maintenance duties to a position housed under the highway department and to post a part‑time parks position (18 hours per week) or a 30‑hour seasonal role depending on budget outcomes.
Commissioners said the change aims to give parks maintenance access to highway department equipment — including backhoes and loaders — and professional supervision, while limiting the parks commission’s direct overhead and equipment-maintenance burden. The commission discussed budget constraints and noted the highway department indicated it could subsidize or fund the position; commissioners said that arrangement made shared supervision the most practical option after reviewing the cost of running a fully independent parks employee with town-owned equipment service needs.
Why it matters: parks upkeep, field preparation and capital projects require heavy equipment and regular labor. Commissioners said sharing highway resources will make larger projects—such as a well excavation and parking-lot work—feasible without the parks department buying or maintaining its own heavy equipment.
The commission approved two related motions. First, commissioners agreed to pursue the highway‑department position for outside work and to proceed with details of the interdepartmental arrangement. Second, commissioners authorized staff to post a part‑time parks position that would run either 18 hours or 30 hours per week depending on whether the highway department subsidy and final budget allocation are available.
Commissioners asked highway department and parks staff to draft a job description and a responsibilities checklist (mowing, field grading, restroom and trash upkeep, and project work such as parking-lot grading) and to return to the commission with a written operating agreement. Commissioners also asked that required licensure and equipment‑operation qualifications be included (for example, CDL or required certifications for heavy-equipment operation) so candidates meet highway‑department standards if they will work on shared equipment.
Ending: The commission set a 03:00 meeting with highway department leadership to finalize responsibilities and to develop a posting and job description for the part‑time role; commissioners said they expect to decide funding allocations once the selectmen and the highway department confirm the subsidy arrangement.
