Ouellette takes helm of new town department
By Caitlyn Kelleher Journal Reporter

Don Ouellette was sworn in as the director of the Ashburnham Department of Public Works and the town's engineer.

Donald Ouellette's biggest project was a six-month assignment as a captain in the United States Army while he was stationed with the Corps of Engineers.

He served as project manager for rebuilding the water system in Kuwait after the Persian Gulf War.

"We spent over $20 million in those six months," he said. "I was working some 18-hour days there but I really enjoyed the work."

The water system is still working some 15 years later.

Ouellette started his job as the first Department of Public Works director in Ashburnham on Tuesday, Feb. 20. He will also serve as the town's engineer.

His new position will require merging the grounds, water and sewer departments, as well as the highway department.

"I love being able to solve problems. I love building (something) and come back 10 years later and say I built that. It is really being able to see the work," Ouellette said.

Ouellette lives in Townsend and is the former city engineer for Medford.

Town Administrator Kevin Paicos said Ouellette's experience made him stand out from the three other finalists who were interviewed.

"His experience was broader then the others," Paicos said. "He had the strongest engineering experience. He had a longer water and sewer experience, which we need."

Ouellette's personality also helped him stand out.

"We liked his management style," Paicos said. "He had a very direct way of talking with people. He also made us feel very comfortable."

Paicos interviewed Ouellette with other town officials at the beginning of the year. He said Ouellette's references brought nothing but positive comments.

"The classic win-win," Paicos said.

Ouellette said he has been looking for a way to stop commuting two hours a day and get back to seeing projects through to completion.

"I worked in a small town before and I like that atmosphere," he said. "I wanted to get back into managing the projects from start to finish and managing the crews start to finish."

Ouellette has been busy meeting with Paicos and with the employees who will be working with him.

"Right now I still have to check the landscape out. I still have to meet with people," he said.

During the next few weeks, Ouellette will be developing a goal for the first year. He knows that looking at the newly developed capital plan for the water and sewer systems will be a priority as will developing a budget plan.

He hopes to get the roads on a preventative maintenance plan, but isn't sure that will be fully implemented during the first year.

Paicos is ready to add to Ouellette's list of things to do.

The water-sewer systems are absolutely his priority, he said. The goal in those departments is to organize the billing methods, to help renegotiate the waste water contract with Gardner and to help plan for the proposed 40B project off Williams Road.

As a professional engineer, Ouellette will also be able to review proposals before the planning board, the fire department and police department on construction and traffic flow.

Paicos and Ouellette agree the other major project is to develop the DPW.

"We have to figure out how to get that DPW pulled together," Paicos said. "It's moving to one department from five or six separate departments."

The first step is getting the organization set up, Ouellette said.

He said residents will be able to visit a single site to have questions answered and will see more planning as the DPW gets set up.

"It is awful hard for a foreman or a superintendent to get out there and plan what they want to do in the next five years, that is what I will be able to help with," he said.