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Select Board raises staffing concerns as DPW retirements loom; recommends reactivating manager search committee
Summary
With multiple upcoming retirements—more than half of DPW staff within 12 months—the Town Manager and Select Board discussed rethinking service delivery, using technology/AI, and reactivating the Town Manager Search Committee to update the job description and reduce search costs.
Select Board members and the Town Manager discussed an impending wave of retirements and the need for proactive staffing and succession planning. The Town Manager told members that more than half of Department of Public Works staff could retire within 12 months and recommended rethinking service delivery, using technology and artificial intelligence where appropriate, and engaging the Teamsters union to balance staffing changes with contract obligations.
The Town Manager recommended reactivating the previous Town Manager Search Committee to update the job description and conduct initial candidate screening. The Board emphasized moving quickly to be competitive in the labor market, involving key staff in the assessment of candidate fit, and reducing search costs from about $178,000 to under $20,000 through targeted advertising and a streamlined process.
