DPW Leadership Position Supported by Pittsfield Subcommittee
PITTSFIELD, Mass.— City councilors support giving the Department of Public Works and Utilities lead a hand.
On Monday, the Ordinances and Rules subcommittee unanimously OKed Mayor Peter Marchetti's request to add a deputy commissioner to the department to assist with Commissioner Ricardo Morales' workload.
"I am not one for fattening management roles, I'm really not, and I definitely don't want to go back to two commissioners, I think that was overkill," Ward 7 Councilor Rhonda Serre said.
"And I really like that this solution is more elegant, less burden to the taxpayers."
The position, with a salary between $89,47 and $116,021, would aim to heighten operational efficiency, increase community engagement, assist in executing plans and managing projects, and increase communication with other city departments and constituencies.
This involves overseeing the department's many divisions, ensuring the efficient delivery of public services, and fostering a collaborative work environment.
"We started talking about the restructuring of public services, public works in the first several days of my administration," Marchetti explained.
He utilized a former commissioner as a short-term consultant and the first question he had was "One commissioner or two?" This was the recommended solution, as the deputy commissioner would be a day-to-day ground manager with boots on the ground, checking in on teams' work.
"Back in the days that we served together way back when we had a commissioner of public services and commissioner of public works," Marchetti explained.
"At one point in time, in order to save money, we threw both positions into one title, one pay that was slightly higher than the pays before but not equivalent to combining the positions."
Currently, Morales is charged with keeping track of staff while keeping the ball rolling on the city's various projects.
President Pete White has served under both models. He felt that this is was a good compromise, adding "I think if we just take the number of calls, emails, contacts, the city council alone has most of them fall within the departments that fall under this Commissioner so I think having someone to take that next level of day to day work is extremely important and we will find that it is a good benefit to residents as well."
Serre commended Morales on his "superior" communication and delivering clear, concise, non-emotional responses to her inquiries.
"That is brilliant but I can see how having to answer to all of us and the rest of city hall and all the constituents and oversee all those employees— yeah, you deserve a hand," she said.
The department has nine divisions with superintendents and managers in charge of each with the help of a foreman. Four administrative assistants handle paperwork, invoicing, and accounts payables and receivables.
Over 100 employees report to Morales.
"The deputy commissioner is then brought in to oversee directly, the work that each division is doing, coordinate the work between them, coordinate the work with other departments, with the public in terms of the daily things," he said, adding that the position would also maintain steering and planning capital projects.
Ward 6 Councilor Dina Lampiasi pointed out that the deputy commissioner would take some of the pressure off superintendents by answering inquiries.
To White's request, Morales outlined the different divisions that include water and wastewater, highway, traffic, parks, and garage maintenance.
"I think that just shows the scope of how difficult it would be to have one person overseeing all this without a little bit more assistance given just the number of employees and the number of duties," White said.
"And these are all of the things that not just councilors but citizens want to see done yesterday."
Marchetti said that some of the funds would come from the business manager line item that is not currently being used and the rest will come out of the operating budget.
"At this stage in the game we need to wait for council approval," he added. "We probably won't have anyone hired until the first of the year."
The subcommittee also approved a pay grade change for the city solicitor position that would go from making between $98,171 and $127,623 annually to between $107,983 and $140,377 annually. At the end of the fiscal year, current solicitor Stephen Pagnotta notified the mayor of his intent to retire.
"So I am looking to take a double-edged approach to the system and one is to advertise for a single person to take the position as city solicitor, something that the city of Pittsfield has not seen in a good number of years."
"Or the other avenue is to do an RFP for a firm. It is my opinion that if we do an RFP for a firm, we're most likely going to land a firm out of Boston who will not have office hours here in the city of Pittsfield and so it is my hope that I can attract a local attorney to fill the position and do so with a proper amount of training and kind of handoff from Attorney Pagnotta."
Donovan, O'Connor, and Dodig, LLP, who Pagnotta is contracted from, is not interested in renewing the agreement with the city. It was said that none of the attorneys at the practice were interested in performing that type of work.
"I can't find a local firm, I would prefer to find a local person," Marchetti said.
"Quite honestly, I'm not even sure that the salary that I'm range that I'm requesting is even going to be high enough to attract a local attorney but I think it's beneficial. The one thing that I've always heard from the councilors is they want someone here in city hall at least a couple of days a week. If we end up with a firm from outside of the Berkshires, I don't know that that's going to be feasible."
Lampiasi pointed out that attorneys have a great opportunity to make a substantial income and if the city is their only client, they should be paid well.
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