Wareham lays off 1 of '2 biggest rats'

By Steve Decosta
sdecosta@s-t.com
March 16, 2010 12:00 AM

WAREHAM — Chief sewer plant operator David Simmons, called one of "the two biggest rats that work for the town" during a recorded executive session last year, has been laid off.

A clerk in the Water Pollution Control Department also is being let go, Simmons said.

The layoffs take effect April 1, but Simmons and the clerk have been placed on paid administrative leave through the end of March, he said.

"I'm being laid off for what they said is a financial crisis," Simmons said. "The enterprise fund has some financial issues. In fiscal year 2010 we're OK, we're fine with the budget. They're talking about FY11. They're saying they can't afford it."

In a letter to the United Steelworkers Union, which represents the town's management employees, Town Administrator Mark Andrews wrote: "In an effort to reduce the current gap in its budget, the town intends to reduce the current level of staffing in the Manager's Unit by laying off one employee effective April 1."

Andrews would not comment on the situation, which he called "an issue of personnel management with possible legal implications, as well."

During an executive session in June to discuss the town's ongoing computer audit in June that was inadvertently broadcast by Wareham Community Television, Selectman John Cronan called Simmons one of "the two biggest rats that work for the town."

The departure of Simmons and the clerk will leave nine plant operators and one clerk in the department, which is funded through a revolving count replenished by sewer fees.

"Operations at the plant are not a concern," Simmons said. "The guys are going to be fine. I've trained them and they're a good bunch of guys."

Three weeks ago, selectmen voted to conduct an audit of the Sewer Department's enterprise fund.

Brenda Eckstrom called for the audit at the board's Feb. 23 meeting, saying, "We don't have a grasp on it.

"We are the sewer commissioners and nothing is being run by us except the regular expense warrants," she said. "Nothing is brought to us as far as getting permission to purchase things outside the normal operation. My understanding is we don't put things out to bid there.

"Especially with the administration fee that's going down, I don't see the savings there," Eckstrom said.

"We do set the EDU (sewer) rate and too often we're setting it blind," selectmen Chairman Bruce Sauvageau said at the time. "We already had preliminary numbers concerning the upcoming EDU rate and the budget that supports that number. I'm not satisfied at all that that budget correctly reflects that savings that you mentioned in the administration fee.

"I know that there are other budget issues that the town administrator and accountant are dealing with as we speak."

Thanks old timer