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Select Board approves personnel and administrative measures including police/fire contracts, appointment and DPW classification changes
Summary
The Select Board approved several administrative items: authorized a one‑time vacation rollover authority for nonunion staff, concurred with an animal‑inspector appointment, approved a three‑year successor agreement for Fire Chief Patrick Purcell, authorized a church parking license, approved a municipal energy contract authorization, appointed a board interview representative and approved DPW job/classification amendments.
The Westborough Select Board approved a slate of personnel and operational actions during its meeting, including staff‑level flexibilities, appointments, a successor contract for the fire chief, and changes to DPW job classification rules intended to aid recruitment.
Vacation rollover: The board authorized the Town Manager to permit a one‑time additional week of unused vacation rollover for nonunion employees in special circumstances (vacancies or operational need). The manager said prior approvals had been granted in similar circumstances; the board asked for a follow‑up report on how often the authority is used.
Animal inspector appointment: The board concurred with the Town Manager's appointment of Shannon Murphy (part‑time animal control officer) to serve as animal inspector for a state‑regulated appointment period (01/28/2025–04/30/2025).
Fire chief successor agreement: Negotiators reported a three‑year successor employment agreement with Fire Chief Patrick Purcell, effective 07/01/2025 through 06/30/2028. The contract sets a base salary of $200,720 on 07/01/2025, a $2,400 longevity stipend, $1,600 uniform allowance, a $7,500 annual deferred‑compensation contribution and six weeks' vacation; the board approved and the fully executed contract was posted on the town's HR page.
Library and parking license: The board authorized the Town Manager to finalize a license agreement with the Congregational Church of Westborough to allow limited use of church parking, including potential library use during a renovation project; staff and town counsel made minor non‑substantive edits to the packet before authorization.
Energy contract: The board authorized the Town Manager to execute a successor electricity supply agreement with Constellation New Energy under the MMA program when staff deems market timing and rates favorable; the contract offers stable municipal pricing and optional conservation programs such as demand‑response participation.
DPW hiring and classification changes: The board approved amendments to DPW job descriptions and a temporary classification mechanism to improve recruitment. Under the change, a candidate otherwise qualified for a Maintenance Craftsperson 1 (W‑4) position who lacks required CDL/hoisting licenses can be hired and placed temporarily at the Laborer (W‑3) pay grade while required licenses are obtained within 12 months; the union and DPW director agreed to the approach as a recruitment and retention pilot.
Next steps: Staff will incorporate policy language where appropriate, monitor the use of the vacation‑rollover authority and report outcomes as requested by the board.
