East Bridgewater Officials Debate Engineer Position Amid Budget Constraints
Proposal aims to improve efficiency while Board of Health raises concerns about responsibilities
EAST BRIDGEWATER - April 14 - East Bridgewater officials are considering the creation of a town engineer position to improve efficiency and reduce costs across multiple departments, but the proposal faces scrutiny amid tight fiscal constraints and concerns from the Board of Health.
The discussion during Monday's Select Board meeting revealed differing perspectives on whether adding the position would ultimately save money or create additional financial strain at a time when the town is implementing a salary freeze for non-union employees.
Roy Gardner, Vice Chairman of the Planning Board, presents the case for hiring an in-house engineer, citing response time issues with the current outside engineering firms.
"Over the last four or five years, as the majority of the town officials know, we had had an in-house town engineer for many, many decades," Gardner explains. "Several things seem to get in the way with how we've done business in the past. One of those is the response time it takes to get information back from the town engineer."
According to Gardner, the current engineering firms have "turnaround times measured in weeks" and site visits must be scheduled more than a week in advance. Additionally, he notes their costs are "four to five times what we had paid the previous engineering firm."
A financial summary presented at the meeting shows the town spent nearly $180,000 on Planning Board engineering fees over the last three years. Gardner argues this figure doesn't include engineering fees associated with stormwater management, Conservation Commission, or Board of Health work.
The proposal suggests an in-house engineer could handle duties for multiple departments, including the Planning Board, stormwater management, Conservation Commission, and some engineering-related functions of the Board of Health.
Tom Duquette, chairman of the Board of Health, expresses concerns about shifting responsibilities away from the health agent position. The board has reached out to the Massachusetts Association of Health Boards for guidance on potential legal issues with restructuring the department.
"There are some legal aspects that may present problems with potentially shifting some of that work from the Board of Health to any other department, in addition to possible service concerns," Duquette says.
Representatives from the Massachusetts Association of Health Boards provide a lengthy presentation about the legal authority and obligations of local boards of health, emphasizing that while boards can delegate authority, they remain legally responsible for public health functions.
Select Board member Carole Julius questions whether the proposal makes financial sense given current budget constraints.
"It's going to take a lot to persuade me that we should be creating a new position," Julius states. "We're going to be laying people off this year. We just voted on a salary grid where no one's getting any increases."
Select Board Vice Chair Peter Spagone expresses frustration about the apparent change in direction from the Board of Health.
"It seems like you've taken a 180, like you've gone completely backwards to what we were working towards," Spagone says. "If the Board of Health is not interested at all in working with the rest of the departments in the town in this process, we could have that conversation."
Board of Health member Rob Lyons clarifies that the board isn't necessarily opposed to the engineer position but needs more information before making decisions.
"I think once everybody has a little more clarity on duties, the financials, long-term impact, that decision needs to be a co-decision," Lyons explains. "The Board of Health needs to vote to say, okay, we're going to delegate this away."
Gardner emphasizes the urgency of the situation, noting that houses in town are now averaging $600,000 to $900,000, yet the town lacks "the required due diligence on all those engineering things that we need to have."
"We're the only town around us that doesn't have a planner on staff. We're so far behind the curve here that it's embarrassing to me," Gardner adds.
Select Board Chair David Sheedy concludes that more information is needed before a decision can be made, including a job description for the engineer position and clarification on how it would affect the health agent's responsibilities and salary.
The board agrees to gather additional data and continue discussions, with Town Administrator Charlie Seelig tasked with coordinating the effort.
In other business, the Select Board:
- Approved a new all-alcoholic beverages license and entertainment license for Nanda's Restaurant Corp. at 225 Bedford Street
- Voted to move the annual town election to Mitchell Middle School starting in 2026
- Recognized the East Bridgewater Junior Senior High School cheerleaders for winning their 10th Division III state title
- Approved the non-union wage grid and pay salary schedule for FY26 with no changes from FY25
- Reviewed the warrant for the upcoming town meeting, which includes 15 articles
The board also approved an employment agreement with the town's new fire chief, John Dzialo, effective May 5, and authorized the town administrator to sign a memorandum of agreement with the East Bridgewater Police Association.