By DAN TOMASELLO
LYNNFIELD — The Select Board unanimously voted to appoint Lynnfield Center Water District Director/Capital Program Director John Scenna as the town’s next Department of Public Works director during a June 26 meeting.
As part of a new inter-municipal agreement approved by the Select Board and the LCWD Board of Water Commissioners, Scenna will be serving as both the LCWD’s director and DPW director. Former DPW Director John Tomasz will be switching roles and will be serving as deputy DPW director/town engineer. The pact will also create a director of facilities/custodial services position.
Scenna has served as the LCWD’s director/superintendent since September 2019, and succeeded former Superintendent Kenny Burnham. He worked as Melrose’s DPW director from July 2012 through August 2019. He served as the Melrose DPW’s assistant superintendent from April 2011 through July 2012. Scenna worked as the Melrose DPW’s operations director/deputy city engineer from October 2002 through April 2011.
Additionally, Scenna served as the Melrose DPW’s interim deputy city engineer from September 2000 through October 2002. He worked as a staff/project engineer for the Melrose DPW from June 1997 through August 2000. He earned a bachelor of science in Civil Engineering from Merrimack College in May 1997.
Town Administrator Rob Dolan gave an overview of the inter-municipal agreement with the LCWD to the Select Board. He recalled that it is the Select Board’s responsibility to appoint a DPW director, and recommended that Scenna be appointed to the position.
“I have worked with John since 1998,” said Dolan. “He is one of the best public managers I have ever met.”
Dolan said the town has an unusual DPW structure because two separate districts provide water to townspeople while the DPW is in charge of engineering, cemetery, parks, playgrounds, tree and facilities maintenance along with road construction. He said the DPW director in most communities in the state is “responsible for everything above the ground and everything below the ground.”
“As I looked at it, I said there were so many inefficiencies and redundancies here that could be streamlined to help taxpayers and ratepayers,” said Dolan. “In working with the board, we began this evolution on simple things such as having the Lynnfield Center Water District tie into some of our contracts for purchasing, and using some of our equipment instead of renting it. That evolved into John Scenna taking on a role of overseeing the capital projects in the town. That has saved us hundreds of thousands of dollars.”
Dolan said he has engaged in discussions about the DPW’s future due to the department’s managers getting older and nearing retirement age. He said Tomasz has worked in the DPW field for 40 years, and has been the DPW director in Salem, Hamilton and Rockport prior to beginning his Lynnfield tenure seven years ago. As part of the inter-municipal agreement with the LCWD, Dolan said Tomasz will be able to serve as both deputy DPW director and town engineer.
“John Tomasz wants to continue doing road projects,” said Dolan. “Snow plowing at 2 a.m. and doing other projects isn’t appealing to him.”
Dolan said the inter-municipal agreement will allow Scenna to continue leading the LCWD and overseeing the district’s $20.5 million capital program. The project entails constructing a greensand filter water treatment plant at the Glen Drive station that will be tasked with treating iron, manganese and PFAS. The project will also provide supplemental water from the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority (MWRA) via Wakefield.
“It will deliver consistently clear water that isn’t brown to the people of Lynnfield,” said Dolan. “We can combine those services with John Scenna and John Tomasz, and have John Scenna at the helm of the DPW. It would be a sustainable model for Lynnfield. John Tomasz would be the engineer and would do all of the things he does right now. He would also be John Scenna’s assistant for operational issues because he has unparalleled experience. Neither one of these employees will be taking on this endeavor with a dollar more in salary, which will save this community a considerable amount of money as well as the ratepayers in the Lynnfield Center Water District.”
Dolan also said longtime DPW Assistant Facilities Director Steve deBettencourt decided to retire this year. In the wake of deBettencourt’s retirement, Dolan proposed combining the assistant facilities director and director of custodial services jobs into one position.
“In Lynnfield, we have a director of custodial services and a director of facilities,” said Dolan. “Those jobs are combined in most communities. We are combining these two positions, and are eliminating a senior position.”
Dolan said the proposed DPW restructuring plan would make the department “consistent with most communities.”
“We are retaining two incredible DPW directors who will be doing what they want to do for hopefully a longer period of time,” said Dolan. “They work well together and work well with the community. I think this is a win-win.”
Select Board member Phil Crawford expressed his support for appointing Scenna as DPW director and Tomasz as deputy DPW director/town engineer.
“As Rob said, this is a win-win for the town,” said Crawford. “We have two of the most experienced DPW directors running our town, and we are one of the smallest towns on the North Shore. We are very fortunate to be able to do this not only without adding payroll, but bringing on a new facilities manager and getting rid of one of our senior positions. It is saving the town money.”
After the discussion, the Select Board unanimously approved the inter-municipal agreement with the LCWD. The Select Board also unanimously voted to appoint Scenna as DPW director and Tomasz as deputy DPW director/town engineer.
“I appreciate the support and confidence the Select Board and LCWD Board of Commissioners have placed in me and look forward to working tirelessly to make things right,” said Scenna in an email sent to the Villager. “With the goal of servicing residents and improving infrastructure, I feel this is a good way in which to modernize the department. There are several initiatives taking place within the town, from construction of new public safety facilities to new water treatment plants. These are critically important, but so is making sure fields are maintained, school buildings are safe and clean, trash is collected and snow is plowed. At the end of the day, what we will do is put systems in place with the intent of improving the community and trying to make a difference in the daily lives of Lynnfield residents. I feel very confident in the ability of employees both within the district and DPW and in our collective ability to do so.”
