Interviews set up for first DPW head candidates
By Caitlyn Kelleher Journal Staff Reporter

Town officials will interview three finalists to head the new department of public works on Thursday, Jan. 4.

The three candidates are James Shuris of Princeton, Paul Fredette of Ludlow, Vt., and Donald L. Ouellette of Townsend. The person who is hired will oversee the establishment of the DPW as the water, sewer and highway departments merge with the grounds department.

Selectmen approved the creation of the DPW in November. One of the requirements for the position is that the candidate is a principal engineer.

Shuris is the town engineer in Concord and he also worked for seven years as the commissioner of public works and as the city engineer for Fitchburg. Shuris also worked 17 years in private engineering firms.

Ouellette has worked as the city engineer in Medford for the last two years. He has also worked as the project manager for the Acton Waste Water Treatment Plant and as the city engineer in Nashua, N.H.

Fredette is working as the town manager in Dorest, Vt., but previously served as the director of public works in Claremont, N.H., and served as president of SFC Engineering Partnership.

Town Administrator Kevin Paicos expects each interview to take an hour. The committee will get the chance to either offer the position to one of the candidates or ask him to return for another interview.

“This is a major department head so it will be an exhaustive process,” Paicos said.

If the committee does not want to pick one of the candidates then the search will continue, he added.

“This was set up as a rolling application, which means it’s open until filled,” Paicos said.

The interview committee will include Joe Kallegher from the Planning Board, Leo Colletette from the Water-Sewer Commission, Steve Nimms, who is the superintendent of the grounds department, Police Chief Loring Barrett, Fire Chief Paul Zbikowski, former Selectman Ron Reed, as well as Paicos.

The three candidates were recommended from a preliminary screening committee.

The committee interviewed several candidates after reviewing the 30 to 40 applications that were submitted, said Paicos.

John MacMillan, a member of the planning board, chaired the preliminary committee, he said.