DPW Deputy Director Position OK’d

 HARWICH – The department of public works is being reorganized in an effort to streamline operations and prepare for the retirement of Director Lincoln Hooper within the next year and a half.

 Hooper has worked in the department for nearly 35 years and has served as director for 20 years.

Acting Town Administrator Tony Schiavi said when he was hired in July he had discussions with the select board about organizational developments in the town and the importance of having departments  function efficiently and be set up for success. Schiavi said he has had a lot of discussions with Hooper, and it is clear that there is a need for intermediate management in the DPW.

 The growth in the department has been significant over time, Schiav said, mainly driven by functions such as vehicle maintenance, custodial work and maintenance of town facilities. There are two divisions in town government — finance and DPW — and the DPW has the largest budget in the town at $7.2 million, he said.

 “It’s the most complex budget with one person managing it, no structure below, and it creates some organizational inefficiencies,” Schiavi said. “That prevents time for some of the bigger picture planning we’ve talked about, because dealing with day-to-day things within seven department categories adds to the dilemma.” 

There is no structure in the organization other than from the director, he said.

Schiavi said the town charter gives the town administrator authority to reorganize divisions and departments. He asked the board to endorse his recommendation to create a deputy director position within the DPW. 

“There are less people today in highway functions than when I started in 1991,” Hooper said.  Other areas within the department have grown, he said, such as town facilities, vehicle and cemetery maintenance and custodial work.

 “We’ve made it work because we’ve had the right people in the right positions, and we’ve managed collectively to get it done for the town,” Hooper said. “I think the time has come to take a hard look at this and I hope we can develop this position.”

 Hooper said he plans to retire in the next year to a year and a half.

 “I’d like to think I’m leaving it in very capable hands, and this is a step in this direction,” Hooper added.

 Schiavi said the deputy director position would be similar to that of the deputy police and fire chiefs, departments that have similarly high budgets, staffing numbers and responsibilities. The compensation level would be comparable to the deputy chiefs, he said.

 “Funding for the position would be handled organically within the current FY26 DPW budget appropriation,” Schiavi said. The vacant scalehouse position would remain unfunded and no additional funding would be necessary in fiscal 2027.

“Reorganization would establish the program structure for the DPW given its diverse responsibilities and span of operations by appropriately dividing the various sub-areas between the director and the deputy,” Schiavi said. “The division will result in a more efficient organizational construct and allow the director to focus more on strategic DPW efforts through more focused planning efforts.”

“The presentation is perfect,” said select board member Jeffrey Handler. “there is no yes without the how. You demonstrated that perfectly for me.”

The select board voted unanimously to place the deputy DPW director position in the town’s personnel bylaw