Cheshire to Discuss Sharing DPW Superintendent With Lanesborough
CHESHIRE, Mass. — The Selectmen want to open talks with nearby Lanesborough to discuss sharing a Department of Public Works superintendent.
The town's been searching for a qualified candidate to take over for retiring Peter Lefebvre but has had no luck in filling the critical position.
With the lack of applicants, town officials agreed to reopen the posting but also look at other arrangements. On Tuesday, they agreed to invite Lanesborough Town Manager Paul Sieloff to a future meeting to see how they might share the post.
"I think we ought to look into it if we get to a point where it does not look like it can happen, then we will just end it, but I think we should investigate it," Selectman Robert Ciskowski said.
Selectman Paul Astorino had no issues meeting with Sieloff but said he did not think there would be much savings because the town would most likely have to hire another DPW worker to run a plow in the winter. Without a local superintendent, the town would be down a plow driver.
He was also concerned about not having a superintendent in town and on call.
Town Administrator Mark Webber said he does not know of a town that shares a DPW director but agreed it was worth starting the conversation.
In other business, Webber said he has a few more department budget requests to collect but plans to have a draft budget in front of the Selectmen next week.
Webber said the town should be $180,000 from its levy capacity and he does not foresee any new growth.
"Frankly we haven't had any," he said. "The total assessed value of Cheshire has remained flat for the past eight years there had been no increase in values."
Astorino asked that the town no longer insure newly elected town officials.
"Going forward, I think we need to be proactive when reducing costs," he said. "Some of us people that take an elected position for a stipend of $1,000 costs the town way over that. I don't know why it ever got put there in the first place."
Astorino said health insurance for elected officials and employees costs the town $87,000 and if the board goes from three to five members, two new members who take insurance can bump this up to nearly $122,000.
Those who already use town insurance should be able to hold onto it, he said.
Webber said he did not think the item needed to go to town meeting, but that the Selectmen could just set the policy.
The board agreed to run it through town counsel before taking action.
Tags: DPW,
