The Marion Board of Selectmen took its first steps towards filling two top town positions on November 28, but still have some decisions to make when it comes to qualifications for a Department of Public Works director, and job description for a new town administrator that may or may not require a bylaw change.
An October report issued by the UMASS Dartmouth Edward J. Collins, Jr. Center for Public Management on the organizational structure of the DPW indicated several areas where the Town could improve on efficiency and cohesiveness in several key areas of the DPW.
This study, funded by a grant, was initiated after the DPW superintendent of 33 years officially retired in December 2017. Former selectman Jonathan Henry was hired as the interim DPW superintendent, a temporary position of six months that now stretches closer to a full year.
The selectmen had five broad findings to consider before advertising to fill the superintendent position, which the Collins Center recommended restructuring as a DPW director while recommending that the Facilities Department be combined with grounds keeping and reintegrated back into the DPW, and the elected position of tree warden be eliminated and absorbed into the DPW.
“[T]he responsibilities, functions, services, and budgets related to public works are highly decentralized,” the report reads, “[and] take steps to develop and improve communications among boards, committees, and departments connected to public works.”
The report further states, “The Town has no charter, few recent special acts affecting its organizational structure, and bylaws that are well‐organized but light on structure‐related detail. To address this, the project team proposes creating a study committee and codifying the public works‐related boards and committees to clarify their responsiblities [sic]and missions (and then dissolving any redundant boards and committees).”
“The whole staff at the DPW has sort of been wondering how this is going to play out,” said Town Administrator Paul Dawson. The Collins Center report took several months longer than anticipated to be released, and employees have worked under an interim superintendent “with no certainty.”
And while the selectmen aim to post the position as soon as possible, Dawson will be working with the Collins Center to draft a concise job description.
“I don’t know how long Mr. Henry is going to sit there smiling at us,” said Selectmen Chairman Norm Hills, as Henry sat there and was indeed smiling albeit slightly.
For Henry, the target is one year maximum; however, it is unlikely that a new director would be hired before March. He did agree to stay on to assist with the transition.
As for those other recommendations in the report, Hills said he disagreed with the reintegration of the Facilities Department into the DPW, and the other selectmen concurred.
“I think we worked hard to make a stepping stone,” said Selectman Randy Parker. “[It] saves the Town a ton of money.”
“That was sort of the driving force behind having facilities become its own separate entity,” said Dawson. “The DPW was always operating shorthanded.”
Facilities, while under the DPW, used to be called the Carpentry Division. Dawson said those employees were often being pulled away for other DPW duties like trash collection among others. “I think we worked too hard to separate that,” Dawson stated. “To reverse direction, we would have to go backwards and start that all over again.”
And given all the “moving parts” of the DPW, added Henry, “That’s one that I wouldn’t mess with at this stage.”
The selectmen did look favorably in passing the tree warden’s responsibilities onto the DPW as Henry has been acting as appointed tree warden for some months now. Still, within the job posting it may need mentioning “subject to bylaw change.”
The new DPW director will require engineering experience, a Class A license, and preferably 10 years – suggested by Hills, but could ultimately be a 5 to 7-year minimum. The report cites a need for familiarity with critical DPW management software systems like work orders systems, computerized maintenance management systems, and pavement management systems.
“Another important skill … will be a comfort with data and budgets,” the report recommends. “These will be critical in making the case for sufficient resources to get the work done, both locally and in getting state funding and other grants … [and] the need to be experience [sic] with long‐term planning and strategic thinking, given the number of major challenges facing the Department and the Town in coming years.
“Connected to that will be a need for very strong communications skills … critical to the future success of the Department,” the report also suggests. “This includes ensuring that all of the various departments, boards, and committees are on the same page, as well as communicating the challenges the Department and the Town are facing to internal and external stakeholders.”
In addition to the aforementioned recommendations, the report also suggests the DPW’s Highway Division lacks a clearly-defined mission and responsibilities “leading to mission creep and to a major disconnect between the appearance of the staffing and resources and actual capacity,” the report states. It recommends clarifying its mission and employees’ duties, analyzing the finances and operations of waste collection and disposal and recycling to devise a program to recapture and redirect labor hours to reduce a backlog of DPW work, and review services Highway provides the Carver Marion Wareham Regional Refuse Disposal District to ensure the Town is properly reimbursed.
The report lists other findings outside the scope of organizational structure, including the need for more modern technology over on Benson Brook Road where the facility is located – for example, an electronic time-tracking system. Also, the DPW needs a pavement management plan, its own capital improvement plan to include vehicle and facility replacement, and an annual work plan for each functional area.
“[Another] finding is that purchasing and procurement procedures have been relatively informal historically in the DPW,” the report states. “To address this the Town [should] formalize purchasing and procurement procedures within the DPW, consider joining a regional purchasing group, such as the Southeastern Regional Services Group, and periodically consider advertising engineering consulting contracts to ensure competitive pricing and reduce complacency.”
Also, snow and ice removal practices should be evaluated with an emphasis on increased education and training around snow and ice operations, the study found.
One other recommendation selectmen liked was for a DPW office manager position.
“An office manager makes an awful lot of sense,” said Dawson. “I see it as sort of a non-union position, almost like a managerial position.”
The study group also reviewed Town bylaws, visited the facilities, and researched best practices, finding some of the Town’s bylaws are “well‐organized but light on structure‐related information,” most notably the absence of any mention of a town administrator except for once for a “trivial role in consultation with the Town Clerk on the codification of the bylaws themselves.”
According to the report, the town administrator’s authority is derived from Chapter 41, Section 23a of the Massachusetts General Laws, which provides the authority for the Board of Selectmen to delegate responsibilities to an executive secretary or town administrator.
The bylaws also do not mention a tree warden, cemetery commission, parks and trees committee, or water commission.
“The same minimal statutory framework that may have been well‐suited to the operations in the past is now partially responsible for a lack of clarity among various boards, committees, and officials who is responsible for what and who reports to whom,” states the report. “This leads to confusion, miscommunication, and frustration about where responsibility lies and why particular work does not get done in a timely manner or at all.”
As the board, with the help of a professional recruiter, prepares to advertise for Dawson’s position as he retires in March, the board must consider if a bylaw change is appropriate to specify the scope of the authority and expectations of a new town administrator. That, however, would require a Town Meeting vote in May, two months after Dawson leaves. In the meantime, the board may choose language from Mattapoisett’s town administrator bylaw in its job description advertisement.
“I’m not in favor of changing any bylaws at this point,” said Parker.
“I don’t think the timing works for the bylaw,” said Selectman Jon Waterman.
“I think what you’re talking about can pretty much be done in a job description,” said Dawson.
The board will advertise for a seven-member hiring subcommittee for Dawson’s position, comprised of one selectman, one department head, a town employee, one town committee/board member, and three residents.
A regular meeting of the selectmen was scheduled for Tuesday, December 4, at 11:30 am before press time.
Marion Board of Selectmen
By Jean Perry