GREENFIELD — Director of Public Works Don Ouellette has announced that he is retiring in order to become director of public works for Westerly, R.I.
Ouellette said his retirement from Greenfield will be July 7, though his last working day will be Friday. Ouellette is leaving after about three and a half years as director. Ouellette said his decision to leave was expected and he was seeking another position for at least the past year.
“When I took this job, I was very clear I would stay three to five years. I’m now in year four,” he said.
Ouellette announced his departure before his contract expires June 30, Mayor William Martin said, though paid time off is being used through the July 7 date.
According to Ouellette, his annual salary with the city is $103,000 and at Westerly he will receive a slightly higher salary and additional benefits.
Ouellette said a contract extension was discussed with Martin, though the mayor said “I didn’t have a conversation with him about extension but there was no reason why I would not have.”
Ouellette said he gave the city “basically…a 30-day notice,” with Martin first being notified two weeks ago.
Both Ouellette and Martin said projects underway and upcoming with the DPW will continue to be handled internally, with Ouellette preparing the department for his departure.
“… For the past week or so, we’ve been listing everything that has to be done in the meantime and putting people in place to monitor and supervise,” Martin said.
Ouellette began as director of public works on Jan. 12, 2015. During his time, he has overseen several improvements to infrastructure projects in the city, including repairs to the Rocky Mountain Water Tank near Poet’s Seat.
However, he has seen controversy during his time, too.
Ouellette increased sewer and water rates by 15 percent and 10 percent, respectively, in the Jan. 1 to June 30 billing cycle. This caused push-back from at least two city councilors, who expected increases to be no higher than 5 percent. Ouellette defended the increases as necessary in order to keep up with rising costs for maintenance and preventative measures, according to a Feb. 19 article in the Greenfield Recorder.
Ouellette also announced in March he intended to raise sewer and water rates again, though Martin said days later that it would not happen.
In a late-March article from the Recorder, it was brought to light that Ouellette miscalculated numbers he used when presenting the idea for a $6 million regional anaerobic digestor.
Ouellette later admitted to the miscalculations, saying, “Was it perfectly accurate? No, but it was close … it’s more important to show you the trend.”
According to Shari Hildreth, retirement administrator, Ouellette previously worked for Medford, Worcester, Natick and elsewhere. Hildreth said Ouellette has about 25 years combined experience toward his pension eligibility, though did not specify how much he could earn from the pension.
She said the maximum allowed is 80 percent of an employee’s three highest salaried years or most recent 36 months of salary, whichever is higher.