Municipal Job Openings

In order to understand Middleboro's fiscal situation, it's helpful to monitor other municipalities, their structures, their pay scales.

The following are listed on the MMA site:

City Auditor, City of Gloucester

The city of Gloucester is seeking applications for the position of City Auditor. This position is appointed by and reports to the city council. The Auditor is responsible for keeping the accounts of the city, maintaining the required financial records and the control of fund expenditures. The Auditor is also responsible for the development of reports illustrating the city’s financial condition and oversight of the city's financial management system. The Auditor provides financial analysis as requested by the city council including cost benefit analysis for budget and contract proposals. The Auditor serves as: liaison with independent auditing firms conducting the annual audit; ex-officio member of the Gloucester contributory retirement system and a voting member of the Gloucester community development loan committee and the tax incentive finance committee. This position requires a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in accounting and five to seven years of job-related experience; or any equivalent combination of education and experience. A master’s degree in accounting is preferred. Certification with the Massachusetts Municipal Auditor and Accounting Association is preferred. Prior municipal experience with supervisory responsibilities is preferred. Salary range: $58,353-$75,478, depending upon qualifications, excellent benefits are available. Please send resume and cover letter to City Clerk, City of Gloucester, 9 Dale Ave., Gloucester, MA 01930. Please place the word “Auditor” on the envelope. This solicitation will close on Jan. 31, 2008. (posted 12/19, exp. 1/31/08) MMA

Town Accountant
Town of Northborough

The town administrator’s office is currently accepting applications for the position of Town Accountant. Responsible for the oversight of the accounting office; development of reports illustrating the town’s financial condition; the maintenance of financial records; and the control of town fund expenditures. Position requires a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in accounting and five to seven years of job-related experience; or any equivalent combination of education and experience. Master’s degree in accounting is preferred and certification with the Massachusetts Municipal Auditor and Accounting Association is highly desirable. Prior municipal experience and supervisory experience is desirable. Salary range: $60,761-$78,989, depending upon qualifications, plus excellent benefits. Please send resume and letter of interest to Town Administrator, 63 Main St., Northborough, MA 01532. Submission deadline: Dec. 21, 2007, or until filled. AA/EOE (posted 12/03, exp.1/03/08) MMA

Town Accountant

Town of Marshfield

The town of Marshfield (budget $79 million) is seeking qualified applicants for the position of Town Accountant. The Town Accountant is a key member of the town’s financial team that also includes the town administrator and treasurer collector. Specific responsibilities include maintenance of accounting records in accordance with the UMAS system, GASB and DOR regulations; preparation of Schedule A, the tax recap sheet and other required reports; preparation and approval of payroll and vendor warrants and performance of other required duties of the Town Accountant. Duties include, but are not limited to, accounting for revenues and expenditures, financial analysis and reporting, and assistance with budget preparation. The applicant should have strong communication skills and be willing and able to work in a team environment. A thorough knowledge of UMAS, GASB and Massachusetts General Laws relating to municipal finance and experience with Excel and municipal accounting software ( i.e Softright) is essential. Requirements also include a bachelor’s degree in accounting or related field plus a minimum of five years’ experience in Massachusetts municipal accounting. Maximum salary for qualified selected candidate is $80,000. Salary dependent upon qualifications. Applications are requested by Jan. 4, 2007. Please submit resume and cover letter to Town Accountant Search Committee, Town of Marshfield Board of Selectmen, 870 Moraine St., Marshfield, MA 02050. (posted 11/28, exp. 1/04/08) MMA

Fire Chief, Town of Bedford

The town of Bedford (population 13,102) seeks qualified candidates for the position of Fire Chief. The Fire Chief reports to the town manager and supervises 26 firefighters. Primary responsibilities include, but are not limited to; oversight of the fire department’s personnel, collective bargaining preparation with the town manager, maintenance of firefighting equipment and apparatus, establishment of training programs, maintenance of related records of departmental activity, on-scene command in serious/unusual emergency situations, formulation departmental policies, rules, regulations and procedures, preparation of departmental budget. Ten years of firefighting and command experience and an associate’s degree in fire science or administration or an equivalent combination of training and experience required. Desirable candidate will have a minimum of fifteen years of firefighting and command experience and a bachelor’s in administration or related field. Initial screening of candidates will be conducted in early March, 2008. Normal starting salary for FY08: $75,913-$92,044, depending on experience and education. The town of Bedford offers a comprehensive and generous benefits package. Application for employment may be downloaded at http://www.bedfordma.org . Please send resume, application, and letter of interest to Jessica Porter, Human Resources/Management Analyst, Town of Bedford, 10 Mudge Way Bedford, MA 01730 or fax to (781) 275-6310. Position will remain open until filled. The town of Bedford is an Affirmative Action / Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. (posted 12/20, exp. 1/20/08) MMA

Fire Chief

Town of Wrentham

The town of Wrentham is seeking an experienced individual to lead its full-service fire/emergency medical service department. The department’s uniformed staff includes the chief, deputy chief, four captains, 12 full-time firefighters, and 15 call firefighters, with an annual budget of $1.5 million. Wrentham is a high-growth community of 10,500 plus residents, located south of Boston, Mass. and north of Providence, Rhode Island. This position requires a bachelor’s degree in fire science, public or business administration or a related field. An EFO or CFO Certificate is desirable. A minimum of 10 years of fire/emergency medical services management experience with a wide-range of duties in fire/emergency services operations and management is required. A record of increasing responsibilities with strong professional, administrative leadership in a growing community is an important consideration. Past experiences must demonstrate a record of team building, dealing with growth planning, management, finance and human resources related to fire and emergency medical service. The applicant also must be familiar with state fire and building codes. Required licenses and certifications are as follows: Comm. of Mass. certified EMT-B (minimum) and a valid Comm. of Mass. Driver’s License within one year are required. Initial salary negotiable within existing range: $75,000-95,000, dependent upon qualifications and experience, supplemented by an excellent benefit package. The successful candidate would also be required to relocate to Wrentham or any contiguous town within one year of the appointment. Applicants shall submit a letter of application, detailed resume with salary history and work related references to: Mrs. Cindy Thompson, Wrentham Town Hall, 79 South St., Room 213, Wrentham, MA 02093, by Dec.31, 2007. (No e-mail or fax submissions will be accepted). The town of Wrentham is an Equal Opportunity Employer. (posted 11/26, exp. 12/31) MMA

IT Network Administrator

Town of Winchester

The town of Winchester (population 20,000) is seeking an IT Network Administrator. Under the supervision of the information technologies director, the Network Administrator will have overall responsibility for the day to day operation of the town’s local area and wide area networks. The Network Administrator will be responsible for network security, maintaining software/user licenses and for providing software and hardware troubleshooting assistance to departments. Position is responsible for the implementation, integration and system administration of servers, printers, and personal computers into the town’s network. Responsibilities: analyze current LAN/WAN and introduce future applications to meet the needs of the town services and operations; and update the town’s Web site and maintain the overall infrastructure of the website. B.S. in computer systems or equivalent required with minimum of three years’ experience in network computing and distributed systems, particularly with Windows Server systems; knowledge of Microsoft Exchange 2003, Cisco hardware and operating systems; and knowledge of networking protocols with emphasis on TCP/IP, HTML and JAVA, JavaScript, and graphic user interfaces. Salary range: $46,000-$65,188 depending upon qualifications and experience. Send cover letter and resume by December 28, 2007, to Melvin Kleckner, Town Manager, 71 Mt. Vernon St., Winchester, MA 01890, MMA

Bells and Whistles, Buzz Words and Fire Trucks

All of us have listened to the BUZZ WORDS of funding --

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FOR THE CHILDREN

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FOR THE SENIORS

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PUBLIC SAFETY

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There is NOT ONE SINGLE MIDDLEBORO RESIDENT who wouldn't support:

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3 fully staffed Fire Stations, with spares and extra firefighters twiddling their thumbs waiting for your call, filled with BRAND NEW EQUIPMENT

10 additonal police officers to respond to each call

6 10 hours days at the Library

a COA with an expanded facility begging for additional participants

a Park Department that expanded and offered free programs to ALL children

a School Department that offered 15 students per class, superlative schools, high school labs to envy

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And much else.

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But the Cadillac taste and the Ford pocketbook collide.

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Middleboro simply cannot afford ALL that we want without making choices.

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The Town appears at its bonding limit.

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Yeah, we can continue to borrow, just as the sub-prime market has proven, but it has its hidden costs.

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Those hidden costs are increased interest rates because Middleboro continues to overextend itself, the Board of Selectmen REFUSE to take unpopular stands and refuse to fund its rainy day SAVINGS ACCOUNT - the Stabilization Fund. (DOR recommends 4-6% in the Stabilization Fund. For Middleboro, that should be ~ $2.56 MILLION -- $3.84 MILLION.)

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Now, consider the LADDER TRUCK.

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Try a google search for USED FIRE TRUCKS

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Check out :

FENTON

FireTec

FireLine

VFD-Fire

Rosenbauer

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Outstanding aerials
Aerials represent a significant investment, and used ones pose a significant potential for liability. Departments looking for a used aerial should be prepared to conduct a detailed investigation before they buy.
The most important concern about used aerials is the strength of the aerial device itself. This is a matter of safety and shouldn't be dismissed with a verbal reassurance from the seller. All used aerials should be examined by an independent, third-party testing service and be certified according to the latest edition of NFPA 1911, Inspection, Maintenance, Testing, and Retirement of In-Service Automotive Fire Apparatus. Buyers should insist on these tests at the time of sale, even if the aerials were certified within the last year. Buyers also should understand that some aerials built before 1991 may not be designed to support the current minimum tip load at full horizontal extension and may not be suitable for some applications. continued

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Townspeople were told by the interim Fire Chief/Police Chief that the life expectancy of a ladder truck was 20 years, along with much additional misinformation about the problems with the ladder trucks and the 4 year old fire station.

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Of the three estimates requested, two appear to have come from companies that build and sell new trucks. Do your own google search for all the companies that REPAIR fire trucks.

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Trucks are NOT CARS.

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The town in which I grew up still has the ladder truck for which the volunteer fire department worked to raise funds --- house to house by donations. It's + 30 years old. Still works. Still does its job of transporting Santa on Christmas Eve and the Easter Bunny on Easter Eve. And it does the nitty-gritty house fires.

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There's a waiting list to get on that volunteer fire department. And those guys are AWESOME! They've won all sorts of competitions and they're truly INVESTED in the community. They deliver Christmas presents on Christmas Eve in Santa suits, and much else that contributes to a small community feel that Middleboro has long since lost.

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Sitting in front of a computer, the world of information in front of us, will we google search to educate ourselves or continue to accept emotionally charged arguments, with little basis in fact ?

#2 Fire Station and Fire Department Nov. 26 BOS Meeting

At the November 26, 2007, Selectmen's Meeting, the 'interim' Fire Chief/Police Chief, just returned from vacation, presented a progress report and information prepared by Captain Wiksten.

Again, lengthy information was presented to the Board, at the public meeting, not allowing consideration or research, prohibiting informed questions from the media or audience.

The proposed cost of replacing the ladder truck was presented now as being $900,000, with sketchy details.

What was originally presented as cracks in the chassis of the ladder truck has now been identified as cracks in the welds of the frame, not an unusual situation.

Since none of the publicly reported problems with the ladder truck are unusual and all are repairable, maybe it might be helpful for the Board to consider an Equipment Planning Committee that parallels the Capital Planning Committee. The former Fire Chief indicated that refurbishing was required on 2 other fire trucks but subsequently reduced his budget. Those 2 repairs also need to be considered before the Town is asked to bond money for a new ladder truck.

The transparent willingness to assess blame without accompanying research was clearly unprofessional. When a number of petty items appeared on the building list, including a burned out light fixture, surely voters are entitled to expect better conduct. The original 'punch list' provided by the Building Committee is undoubtedly available to document some of the original building problems.

And the BOS had not yet requested a determination from Town Counsel about the legality of using the unexpended funds from the original building construction for REPAIRS on a 4 year old building.

What was originally reported as 'leaking windows,' has now been correctly identified as the large overhead doors failing to operate properly. From the description, it might require minor adjustments.

It does seem that ALL of the doors were replaced last spring. Has anyone thought to contact the Architect or the Installer? It is my understanding that no contact was initiated prior to the first newspaper articles in October.

The newly hired employees within the Fire Department were briefly discussed. It is unclear at this time how many new employees there are or even whether the Board of Selectmen were aware. It seems that other departments come before the BOS to fill vacant positions because there's a HIRING FREEZE that no one has quite figured out. Why is the Fire Department different? Since the BOS voted to eliminate Call Fire Department permits and in essence, eliminated the Call Fire Department, it would seem crucial to public safety to be informed.

It would seem that ALL of the above information should be available as public documents within the Selectmen's Meeting Minutes for your review. Why don't they want you to know?

#1 Fire Station Building Committee and October 15 Meeting

On October 15, 2007, the 'interim' Fire Chief/Police Chief appeared before the Middleboro Board of Selectmen as he had been instructed upon appointment to present a PROGRESS REPORT.

Some may recall the illegal fashion in which the original appointment was made in Executive Session (Open Meeting Law) and when challenged, the Chairwoman believed merely holding a public vote would suffice. The audience presence prevailed, convincing the Chairwoman and the Board of the requirement to hold a public hearing. HEARING

Public statements were made at the time, as well as published editorials, suggesting the goal was to promote James Wiksten, President of the Firefighters Union and former Selectman who was forced to resign due to Ethics violations, to Fire Chief. The hearing was contentious and many Middleboro voters clearly displeased with the BOS decision.

It seems that unless you were present at the October 15, 2007 meeting or watched the Meeting on Cable, you won't know what transpired because the Meeting Minutes have not been posted. Web Site

Faced with a budget shortfall, the Middleboro Selectmen were handed more bad news that's going to be expensive.

That evening, the 'interim' Fire Chief/Police Chief presented a laundry list of building repairs and advised the BOS of the possible need to replace the ladder truck that had been out of service since September 15, 2007. Much of the information presented was vague, inaccurate and without documentation. (It was indicated, at that time, that a new ladder truck would cost in the vicinity of $500,000 -750,000.) Of particular concern was the statement that the chassis of the ladder truck was cracked.

It would seem that all other department heads have provided written information to the BOS prior to their meeting to enable their consideration and research over the weekend, as well as distribution to the press. Since the information presented was significant, it would have seemed a sensible courtesy to extend.

This is among the information that I requested as a PUBLIC DOCUMENTS REQUEST that it would seem should be posted with the Selectmen's Meeting Minutes as part of the public record for your inspection.

Selectman Patrick Rogers seemed the only one to grasp potential options when he asked if used fire trucks were available. A google search of fire trucks, used fire trucks, fire apparatus, provide more than adequate information to discern the Town's options. Upon making inquiries, Mr. Rogers was met with a hostile response.

It was speculated that approximately $36,000 was left in unexpended (and unbonded) funds from the initial building construction.

Of the building repairs, the following committee member list appears on the Town's Web Site:

Fire Station Building Committee
Robert W. Silva
Neil Rosenthal
Wayne Perkins
Steven Morris
David Taylor
Joel Pickering
Jane Lopes
Ed Medeiros
John F. Healey

(Caution is advised when considering that page because there are numerous inaccuracies, including listing the Town Moderator as an appointment. The position is elected.)


Note: The posted Selectmen's Agendas and Meeting Minutes Web Site


(CONTINUED)

Fire Chief

Since it appears that Middleboro will seek a full time Fire Chief effective July 1, 2008, it is interesting to review the qualifications sought in other towns.

Fire Chief, Town of Wrentham
Fire Chief Town of Wrentham

The town of Wrentham is seeking an experienced individual to lead its full-service fire/emergency medical service department. The department’s uniformed staff includes the chief, deputy chief, four captains, 12 full-time firefighters, and 15 call firefighters, with an annual budget of $1.5 million. Wrentham is a high-growth community of 10,500 plus residents, located south of Boston, Mass. and north of Providence, Rhode Island. This position requires a bachelor’s degree in fire science, public or business administration or a related field. An EFO or CFO Certificate is desirable. A minimum of 10 years of fire/emergency medical services management experience with a wide-range of duties in fire/emergency services operations and management is required. A record of increasing responsibilities with strong professional, administrative leadership in a growing community is an important consideration. Past experiences must demonstrate a record of team building, dealing with growth planning, management, finance and human resources related to fire and emergency medical service. The applicant also must be familiar with state fire and building codes. Required licenses and certifications are as follows: Comm. of Mass. certified EMT-B (minimum) and a valid Comm. of Mass. Driver’s License within one year are required. Initial salary negotiable within existing range: $75,000-95,000, dependent upon qualifications and experience, supplemented by an excellent benefit package. The successful candidate would also be required to relocate to Wrentham or any contiguous town within one year of the appointment. Applicants shall submit a letter of application, detailed resume with salary history and work related references to: Mrs. Cindy Thompson, Wrentham Town Hall, 79 South St., Room 213, Wrentham, MA 02093, by Dec.31, 2007. (No e-mail or fax submissions will be accepted). The town of Wrentham is an Equal Opportunity Employer. (posted 11/26, exp. 12/31) MMA