Select Board Notes, July 8, 2024
Monday night, the Select Board made the following committee appointments.
Cable Television Advisory Committee– Chester Messer, 1-year term.
Community Path Project Committee– Ellen Sugarman, two-year term; Paul McDonald, two-year term; Vincent Stanton, three-year term; Katie Dilawari, 3-year term.
Each appointment was voted on 2-1, with Select Board member Roy Epstein voting to hold off on filling the committee until the town has a better idea of the work needed to complete Phase 2 of the community path.
Community Preservation Committee– Juliet Jenkins, three-year term; Peter Olagunju, two-year term.
Conservation Committee– Chris Morris, Angus Abercrombie.
Disability Access Commission– Andrew Poulsen.
Select Board Notes, June 28, 2024
Town Employee Staffing Updates
Several vacancies in town departments have been filled in recent weeks.
Chris McClure has been hired as the chief innovation officer.
McClure currently serves as the chief information technology (IT) officer in Watertown.
“What Chris is mainly good at doing is building IT departments,” said Town Administrator Patrice Garvin. “He’s done it in multiple communities, and we’re really excited to have him come on and build the IT department in the town of Belmont.”
His start date is Aug. 12.
In other hires, Matthew Haskell has been hired as the business manager at the Department of Public Works. Previously, he served as the town’s budget analyst.
Mark Mancuso, who currently works in the DPW’s Water Division, has also been hired internally as the assistant director of operations.
Finally, according to Garvin, a new assistant town engineer has been hired. That individual will start sometime in July.
“With that, we’re also looking at space and physical movement of offices,” she said. “We’re finding it challenging until the [Recreation Department] moves to the senior center, as far as where to put them.”
Police Hiring
Police Chief James MacIsaac said the department has “entered a new era” in hiring and retaining officers.
The department received 15 applications following a job posting on May 7. Six interviews have been conducted, he said, with more expected. MacIsaac has made four job offers.
Two of the four are certified by the Peace Officer and Standards Training, which means if they decide to work in town and pass their background check, they will be able to start immediately.
The hiring follows a November 2023 Town Meeting vote to remove the department from the Civil Service to address a hiring problem.
Select Board Approves Request for Disabled Parking Signs
The Select Board approved two requests for disabled parking signs at addresses on Grove Street and Temple Street.
“Both of these residents have been waiting for at least a couple months for this matter to come before the board,” said Town Engineer Glenn Clancy.
Select Board Accepts Donations
The Select Board accepted $10,000 in donations from a variety of organizations to support recreation programming.
Donations came from Belmont Youth Soccer, Belmont Youth Activities, D.A.R.E, the Conley League T-Ball program, and Belmont residents, according to Recreation Director Brandon Fitts.
“These donations are critical to funding and sponsoring our recreation programs and sustaining them,” he said.
Additionally, the board accepted $35,000 in donations from the Friends on Council on Aging to support Council on Aging programming.
“This is an annual donation that comes through on behalf of the Council on Aging,” said Fitts.
The funds will be used to further senior center initiatives and programs.
“This is an eye-catching amount of money,” said Select Board Chair Roy Epstein.