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Veolia operator resigns; Charlton commissioners review proposal to add staff and amend contract, defer decision
Summary
Veolia's local operator announced his resignation at the May 14 meeting; the company proposed adding a third licensed operator and extra front-office hours at a fixed cost of $129,423, but the commission voted to defer action pending a formal staffing analysis and budget review.
Vinny (Veolia operations representative) delivered the March 2025 monthly operating report and told the Town of Charlton Board of Sewer and Water Commissioners that he had resigned from his Veolia position and will be replaced by Dennis Flores.
“...this is probably gonna be my last meeting representing Veolia. So I've given my notice,” Vinny said during the monthly operating report, which listed plant staffing, maintenance work and compliance activity for March 2025. Vinny said the plant’s Discharge Monitoring Report (DMR) had been entered into CDX on April 8 with no violations reported.
After the operations report, Veolia and town staff discussed a written proposal included in commissioners’ meeting packages to add one Grade 5 licensed operator and to increase hours for the town-facing assistant (Amy) so she could cover front-office duties when needed. The proposal specified a fixed cost of $129,423 for both the added operator and the additional service hours, described in the meeting packet.
Veolia staff said the plant has been understaffed for some time. The presenter noted the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection had issued a notice of noncompliance that cited insufficient staffing and that an engineering staffing analysis is underway. “In that notice, they call out the fact that there's not enough staffing,” the presenter said.
Commissioners pressed for the written addendum and dollar figures before taking any vote. Commissioner Tom Coleman and others said the board had not reviewed the addendum in detail and asked for the original contract language and the new addendum for comparison. Cheryl (town staff) said the proposal and its dollar amounts were included in the meeting packet and offered to send the original contract.
Given the budget timing — the town budget for the fiscal year begins July 1 — commissioners agreed to defer formal action until they could review the full staffing analysis and confirm budget authority and signing authority. Commissioner Paul Gagner recommended letting the matter sit for a month so the commission could review the addendum, the staffing evaluation and where the proposed $129,423 would fit in next year’s budget.
No amendment was approved at the meeting; the board directed Veolia and staff to provide the original contract language, the staffing analysis and any supporting documentation for the commission to consider at the June meeting.
