Pursuing a DPW with Blinders
Selectman Kevin Conley has pursued a DPW with blinders for years. According to him no matter that the facts clearly show that a DPW would be more expensive than the present organization, he wanted a DPW. He states the idea of placing the Water and Highway Department under one director “just makes sense,” but he does not answer 'is it fiscally better?' The answer clearly is No! The contractor, who will replace the Water Superintendent, hopefully temporarily, will be paid $3,150 per week almost twice the amount $1, 634. per week that Water Superintendent, Doug Valovcin, who recently resigned was paid. If the salary of the contractor who is doing the work of the superintendent is paid more than the past Water Superintendent, how can the salary of the Water Superintendent “offset” the salary of the DPW Director as Mr. Conley stated in his interview. Obviously, Mr. Conley is willing to gut the Water Department to balance the finances of a DPW.
A DPW and a strong Water Department are not mutually exclusive, although that does not seem to fit into Mr. Conley’s agenda. One of the towns reviewed in looking at the DPW was Medway, a town with a DPW, has a DPW Director, a Water Superintendent, an Assistant Water Superintendent, and four operators. While Medway has four wells, two water tanks and no treatment plant, Holliston has the most complex water system in the area six wells, five water tanks and two treatment plants. Doesn’t Mr. Conley understand that Holliston needs more employees than Medway to run our complex water system? The Town of Holliston paid MMA for a study of OUR water department and the study clearly stated that a full time Water Superintendent and seven other staff were warranted due to the complex nature and size of our water department even if a DPW was established. Why does not Mr. Conley quote this study of experts, it must be on his computer? Mr. Conley constantly refers to the study committees by Holliston residents of different backgrounds. I attended a number of the meetings of the more recent study committee which would not bring its results to Town Meeting because it realized a DPW would be costly and could not determine that the benefits would outweigh the costs. He neglects to bring that fact to the front.
Certainly, the Selectmen cannot think that after “speaking to the Directors of DPW “ of towns that they are now capable of supervising a DPW, as that is what will happen since the DPW Director will report only to the Town Administrator and the Selectmen.
As for his “hocus pocus” on Doug Valovcin’s salary. It is clear first of all that Doug Valovcin was the only town salaried employee whose salary was decreased for FY15 and done so by the Selectmen in a very unprofessional manner, with no prior discussion with Mr. Valovcin and in a public televised meeting. Secondly, the Water Commissioners had the authority to appoint Doug Valovcin Water Superintendent and, as I understand it, approved his salary. Thirdly, Doug Valovcin's salary was in place since last October a period of eight months. If Mr. Conley thought this salary was “illegal,” why did he not question the payments? What kind of management allows an illegal salary to continue for eight months? Why did not Mr. Conley do something about this “illegal salary?” Where is Mr. Conley’s accountability?
Further, Mr. Conley has stated that he expects the DPW will want its OWN BUILDING in the near future. Tax payers hold on to your wallets! Mr. Conley’s agenda includes a new building! We in Holliston are still paying over $431,475 a year for the Police Station and will be paying that amount for at least the next eleven years.
Mr. Conley has his DPW, but hopefully the welfare of the residents of Holliston will be considered and we will have a Water Superintendent and sufficient water department staff to maintain our water supply.
Selectmen were elected to act for the benefit of the residents not to let their personal agendas drive and cloud issues.
Rumor had it that a person had applied to the water dept last year that had had 25 years of experience, he was very knowledgeable in working with fire hydrants and would have been an asset to the water dept. It was also mentioned that the Superintendent Doug Valovcin wanted to hire him. He had all the licenses needed to run the plant and had extensive experience working on the distribution system of other communities, not only that but had worked with asbestos cement pipe the same material that is in Holliston. After the fires here in our community and the hydrants not operating the way they should during a fire. Let me try to understand the thinking of our leaders of this fine community. First you post jobs that you don't fill and you pass on an individual that had so much experience, rumor had it that he worked for the town before yet he worked for another community and wanted to come here but was in a roundabout way told NO by the Town Administrator. Still I fail to see how that should matter, I was also told he was here 15 years ago! How many people would take it that a person should be punished for something that happened to them still 15 years later. We need the Selectman an our Town Administrator to make some better decisions. WE THE RESIDENTS: Cannot afford decisions like the steel framework for the school to come not painted, which if I remember cost this town plenty. And I am a long time resident of this Town Call, MY HOME.
Anonymous | 2014-08-01 14:15:36
I wish there was something I could add but the previous posters certainly have voiced my concerns
Fred Carnes | 2014-07-27 13:24:01
Residents must start attending Town Meetings, both in the Spring and in the Fall, and prepare for the meetings by understanding what is to be voted on. A very small group in this town is getting everything they want and we will have to pay for it all whether we like it or not MrConley says that the water department's Enterprise Fund will insure that the money we pay for water will ONLY be used for water. PAY ATTENTION folks, or that fund will be abolished in a future town meeting.
? this DPW | 2014-07-27 11:04:10
Liz you are absolutely correct. Mr Conley exact words that I heard from his own mouth was that "he will have a DPW in the town of Holliston". The DPW committees proved that it was not cost effective to put a DPW in place. The departments are to small. The town of Medway had a article a while back posted in the Metro West news paper that they had to hire additional directors to make it work for them. Mr. Conley is obviously very fond of the town of Medway and if you really listen to his goals its always Medway did this, Medway did that, in Medway they told me this. Remember that Mr. Conley took his tire business from Holliston and went to Medway??????? Liz it was proven in the DPW meetings that a new DPW facility would be needed to combine the two Facilities and it would be the most costly building every erected in Holliston. Salt shed, Chemical storage, drainage from the property, so on and so on. This DPW should have never happened!!!!!! I have had a chance to talk to a few highway and water employees and they tell me that the workers from each department work great together and its the over head guys that cant get along. This is all about a vendetta with the water department. Has any one ever checked out the highway superintendents back ground? This man came from a mechanics position to a director and we wonder why things don't work. I think Mr. Conley should bring some highway and water employees to his next breakfast party and have some town tax payers ask these gentlemen some questions how things really run. Sorry Holliston but we will pay hard for this move. Thank your selectman Mr. Conley we you have a chance to have a muffin at the coffee haven. Thank you Mrs. Theiler
Paul | 2014-07-27 09:04:58
There is a saying we used to say in the Army, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it".... There was nothing wrong with the system we had in place, that was simply a highway department and a water department.
Dan Valovcin | 2014-07-27 07:35:36
Some time during the night of July 24 a water main failure took place on Travis Rd. Thanks to town workers it was repaired by noon Friday. Due to the lack of enough water department workers, I was told that it was necessary to have an employee of the contractor we pay $3150. a week to be called in from a meeting to help repair the main. How much additional did that cost the town? Warren
warren | 2014-07-27 04:37:52