Letter from the Selectboard re: Intro to our Town Employees
The following is a message from the Princeton Selectboard. Attached is a copy of the same information, in a formal letter format.
February 27, 2019
Dear Residents,
We’d like to use this letter to introduce you to our Town’s employees and tell you a little about them and what they do for us. They, coupled with all the volunteers on boards and committees, keep our Town functioning.
Nina Nazarian is our Town Administrator. She took over from John Lebeaux about three and a half years ago. Nina was appointed by the Selectboard and reports to them. Most Town departments report to her. Her mission is to implement the policies and work to achieve the goals of the Selectboard, and to administer and oversee the day-to-day functions and services provided by Town government. This includes preparation of budgets and warrants, negotiation of labor contracts, and adherence to laws during the purchase of goods and services as chief procurement officer. Nina also manages a large majority of the miscellaneous projects in Town such as building stabilization, roof replacements, and the Charter roll-out.
Jenny Lin is our Town Accountant. She is responsible for managing the Town’s accounting records to ensure proper reporting and internal controls, issuing annual reports to the State that comply with relevant laws and regulations, and providing timely and accurate financial data to assist users in making informed decisions. Though the public does not work directly with Jenny, we all benefit from her attention to detail and the discipline she has brought to the financial side of all departments.
Kathy Stanley is our Principal Assessor. She works in conjunction with the Board of Assessors to value real and personal property efficiently, fairly, and accurately. Kathy is assisted by Terri Longtine. The department administers motor vehicle excise, exemptions, and abatement programs, as well as assists with the senior work-off program. Many of us had a visit by Kathy to our home recently since the department is obligated to measure and inspect each property in town once every five years. She just completed the FY19 town-wide five year state certification. If Kathy calls or writes asking to see your property, you are encouraged to comply. If she doesn’t see your property, she has to use her best judgement regarding its condition. Kathy works for both Princeton and Paxton.
Jim Dunbar is our Treasurer/Collector and has been with the Town for about 8 years. He is assisted by Amy Drumm. Their mission is to oversee the cash management activities of the Town. This includes, but isn’t limited to, billing and collecting taxes, disbursing funds for payroll and accounts payable, investing our money, and administering all Town Trust Funds. Additionally, the department oversees all the debt management activities of the Town, including borrowing. Jim also works as the Treasurer for the Wachusett Regional School District.
Peter Cummings is our part-time IT Coordinator and works closely with the IT Strategic Planning Committee. Their mission is to provide a reliable, functional, and cost-effective technology infrastructure to keep the Town working efficiently. Peter provides IT support, and maintains computers, printers, and other related equipment. He is responsible for measures to keep the Town safe from viruses and malware and for instituting systems for reliability and redundancy. He has been with us since the fall of 2017.
Lynne Grettum is our Town Clerk and a fellow resident. She is responsible for the management and administration of a wide variety of activities including elections, vital records, licensing, public records, Open Meeting Law and Ethics requirements, and website information. Lynne has announced that she will be retiring this spring. Though we will miss her greatly in Town Hall, we will still see her around town.
Phil Connors, another Town resident, works in our Building Maintenance department which is managed by the Town Administrator. He helps with the maintenance, repair, and security of Town facilities and, in the winter, helps plow snow and spread salt. Phil also wears another hat. He is a Captain on the Fire/EMS department and helps cover that department while working in Town.
Michele Powers is our Chief of Police. Her department’s mission is to maintain the quality of life that makes the Town such a safe and desirable place to live. Michele manages a department with an administrative assistant (Maureen Lynch), two sergeants (Michael Trafecante and Ricky Thebeau), three full-time officers, and nine part-time officers. Michele started her career in Princeton as a dispatcher and will have worked in Town for 30 years as of this August.
John Bennett, a life-long Town resident, is our part-time Fire Chief and manages our Fire and EMS Department with the assistance of Deputy Tim Kelly, Captains Brian Long, Phil Connors, and Bill Dino, and Lieutenants Zach Alagarin, and Steven Giamo. John has been involved with the department for 40 years. His department responds to all medical and fire / rescue emergencies and performs proactive prevention activities. They also conduct regular inspections (e.g. smoke alarms, oil tanks, demolition, fireworks displays, blasting) for code compliance. Princeton’s Town Meeting adopted a “Strong Chief” statute. John was appointed by the Selectboard and reports to them. However, he is solely responsible for the hiring decisions and management of his department. The Fire and EMS Department has 36 part-time employees, 20 of whom live in Town.
Ginger Toll is the administrative assistant in our Building Department. She also acts as the phone and in-person receptionist at Bagg Hall, works part-time as the Assistant Town Clerk, assists with data entry for the Town Accountant’s Office, and works part-time in the Library. As part of the Building Department, Ginger helps with scheduling and coordination of all building inspections, issues and collects permits, answers questions, and manages documentation. She is also one of the founding members of the Princeton Farmers Market.
Frederick Lonardo is our newly appointed part-time Building Commissioner. He works for the Town of Westborough and comes to us with a wealth of relevant experience. Richard Breagy, our former Building Inspector, was recently appointed to be our Local Building Inspector and fills in for Fred when he is not available. Other inspectors that work for Princeton are J. Gary Harrington as Assistant Wiring Inspector, Jeremy Pierce as Plumbing/Gas Inspector, and Robert Janda as Assistant Plumbing Inspector.
Chris Courville is our Tree Warden. He manages the pruning of trees along the Town rights of way, removal of dead and dying trees, and site location and planting of new trees. He also conducts high-risk tree assessments and holds tree hearings for the removal of healthy trees when needed. Chris works closely with the Highway Department, PMLD, and the Road Advisory Committee.
Glenn Lyons is our Highway Superintendent. His mission is to professionally manage the Town’s public works infrastructure and to respond to natural disasters, storms, and other events to protect the health and safety of residents. His department’s routine maintenance includes shoulder, ditch, and catch basin cleaning, snow and ice removal, gravel road grading, street sweeping, line painting, pot hole patching, culvert replacement, brush chipping, roadside mowing, and maintenance of the Town common. Glenn is assisted by Foreman Ben Metcalf, Ken Chapman, Chris Hotaling, Andrew Santry, and Brennan Cheney. He works very closely with the Road Advisory Committee.
William Bergstrom was appointed as our Cemetery Superintendent this summer. The mission of the Cemetery Department is to maintain and operate the Town’s cemeteries, which are under the supervision of the Cemetery Commission. The Department contracts out standard maintenance tasks such as mowing, weeding, and road/walkway repairs, and is responsible for the sale of gravesite and interment. William has extensive experience with all aspects of the funeral industry.
Greg Dowdy, Jim Hillis, and Bob Mason members of our Board of Health. They are appointed by the Selectboard and considered to be employees in some respects because they are paid to do inspections. The Board is responsible for the formulation and enforcement of rules and regulations concerning public health. It has all the powers and duties given to Boards of Health under Massachusetts General Laws, State regulations, the Town policies and by-laws, or other Town Meeting votes. Among other areas of responsibility, the Board enforces Title 5 regulations with regard to property transfers, new installations, and repair of septic systems. It also inspects restaurants for compliance with Food Code regulations. The Board is assisted by Terri Longtine. Greg Dowdy also serves as the Town’s Animal Inspector with the primary responsibility being rabies control, but also inspect barns and the animals inside.
Aimee Kindorf is the Council on Aging director. She works closely with the Council to stay in touch with the needs of the seniors in Town and provide access to local, regional, state and federal programs and funds to help meet those needs. The Council offers health, fitness, nutrition, educational, and recreational programs, and socialization, referral services, and transportation. Aimee joined us around Labor Day and has been working diligently on the plans for the Council’s new home (the former Sonoma space) while expanding programming offerings and meeting as many seniors as she can.
Jared Sharp was just appointed as our new Veterans’ Service Officer. He will be providing information and assistance to veterans seeking services related to employment, economic security, disability, medical services, education, VA pensions, and other claims. Jared works in the same role for several other local towns and also works for Veterans, Inc. in Worcester.
Mary Barroll is our Library Director. The library is governed by a board of seven to nine trustees and the Director is appointed by and directly responsible to the Board. The library is staffed with eight people under the supervision and appointment of the Library Director: Betsy Beth, Sara Gardner, Annie Macleod, Lori Rabeler, Lois Shorten, Karen Specht, Ginger Toll, and Meredith Newell.
Hollie Lucht is the Director of Parks and Recreation. She works with the Parks and Recreation Commission to provide a variety of quality programs, community events, and recreation services, and to effectively develop and maintain recreational facilities for all residents.
Marie Auger is the liaison to the Conservation Commission, the Planning Board, and the Zoning Board of Appeals. Because of the regulatory nature of these organizations, an employee assists with the taking of minutes, the placing of legal notices, and filing required documents with State agencies. Marie also assists with the preparation for Selectboard meetings and with Highway Department vendor bill processing.
Terri Longtine assists the Assessor and the Board of Health. She also works as the office manager handling issues with printers and postage machines and orders supplies for many different departments.
Sincerely,
The Princeton Selectboard
Richard Bisk, Chair
Karen Cruise
Edith Morgan