NORWELL - June 24, 2026 - The Norwell Select Board took a major step toward reshaping municipal hiring on Wednesday night, unanimously approving a new hybrid hiring policy that allows the town to recruit up to half of its police force outside the state’s rigid civil service infrastructure. The sweeping policy change aims to significantly cut academy training costs and accelerate the recruitment timeline for qualified officers. Concurrently, public safety officials unveiled a potential five-year transition plan to lease the town’s entire municipal and police cruiser fleet through Enterprise Fleet Management, shifting vehicle acquisitions out of traditional capital budgets and directly into operating expenses.
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The policy overhaul topped a packed agenda that also marked a major leadership transition for Norwell. Incoming Town Administrator Chad Lovett was officially welcomed for his first week on the job, taking over the reins from departing Town Administrator Darleen Sullivan. Sullivan, lauded by the board as the “Michael Jordan of municipal finance,” concluded her final Select Board meeting after 13 years of service to the town.
Following the transition formalities, Police Chief Edward Lee and Deputy Chief John McDevitt presented a strategic pivot to a civil service hybrid model. Norwell residents originally voted to leave the state’s civil service system entirely a few years ago, but the exit languished under legislative delays. In response, the state introduced a compromise hybrid mechanism. Under the newly approved 50% rule, the police department will maintain standard civil service protocols for half of its openings—having recently hired two officers off the civil service list—while gaining the autonomy to independently scout, interview, and recruit lateral transfers for the remaining openings.
Chief Lee emphasized that bypassing the civil service list for half of the department’s hires allows them to source academy-trained, experienced officers from other communities. This direct recruitment method avoids the lengthy delays associated with waiting for state-issued eligibility lists and eliminates the substantial municipal expenses tied to putting new recruits through the police academy and subsequent field training programs. Officers hired through the non-civil service track will eventually integrate into the standard civil service system to maintain uniform seniority, promotional paths, and rights across the department.
The board’s focus on long-term fiscal efficiency also drove a lengthy debate on municipal transportation. Select Board member Peter Smellie initiated a discussion on transitioning the town’s standard vehicle fleet to a lease model managed by Enterprise. Chief Lee revealed that an initial fleet review explored a $70,000 first-year commitment to lease five cruisers, a sharp contrast to the nearly half-million dollars required to purchase those frontline vehicles outright.
“There’s some cost savings, especially at the beginning... less maintenance on vehicles because you’re getting frontline cruisers you’re replacing every like three to four years.” — Chief Edward Lee
