|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
SPENCER – The best part of working for a municipality is realizing you can have a direct, daily impact on the community and its residents, according to Doug Small, Spencer’s new superintendent of Utilities and Facilities (U & F).
Small, who started the position in mid-May, replaced Peter Boria–with Gary Kellaher serving in an interim capacity during the transition.
So far, Small has been focused on getting settled in the role, meeting people and familiarizing himself with the town, its roads and the systems it has in place.
The new superintendent said he is coming on board “late in the game at the eleventh hour,” on several major water and highway projects either underway or in later stages.
On the water side, that work includes changing the filter system and making upgrades. For the highway department, it involves assessing Spencer’s roadways and prioritizing improvements.
“The different areas in town all have their own identities and there is a lot of work that needs to be done. Funding is an issue,” Small said. “Some of the roads are really long, so if they are re-done, it doesn’t leave much funding for others.”
He added, “It’s about deciding which ones to concentrate on and spend money on…trying to get the biggest bang for the buck and impact the most people.”
Other aspects of a municipal job include hearing neighborhood requests and collaborating with staff, whether that is at Town Hall, the transfer station, highway, water and sewer departments or facilities office.
“They are a really good group of people,” Small said, “and it is always we, not about me.”
Prior to accepting the position in Spencer, Small was the Department of Public Works director in Ashland for approximately 19 years. He grew up and lived most of his life in Ashland before moving to Leicester about seven years ago.
Before that, Small was employed for a decade by Mass Highway, which is now the state Department of Transportation (DOT). He said Spencer and Ashland are in the same MassDOT district, so he is familiar with some of the people at the state level.
Comparing the two communities, Small noted Ashland has a larger population (20,000) but Spencer has more road miles and acreage.
“Spencer is such a beautiful town,” Small said. “It blows my mind sometimes…with all the country roads and lakes. And then route 9 is there–so it is the best of both worlds.”
Small studied at Bridgewater State University and received a degree in civil engineering technology from Wentworth Institute of Technology.
In addition to no longer having a long commute, Small said he enjoys “crunching numbers and spreadsheets,” and working on projects and day-to-day tasks in this realm that matter to residents—everything from fixing potholes to traffic light issues.
“I’m taking it all in,” he added.
