Edward Masotta, the town’s director of public works, abruptly turned in his retirement papers last Thursday after 25 years of service to the town. First Selectman Unk DaRos said he will become interim public works director in order to expedite the demolition of the public works building so that a new fire headquarters may be built on its site.
In an interview DaRos said he expects to serve as interim (unpaid) public works director until the end of December so that he can also direct the move of the public works facility to its rented space at 137 North Branford Rd.
The first selectman said he expects a new director will be hired before the first of the year. Masotta could not be reached for comment this morning. He was not at work today. An employee said, “He has resigned.”
While the circumstances surrounding Masotta’s retirement are not known, it is no secret that Masotta did not want the public works building moved from its current address at 45 North Main St., where it shares property with the current fire headquarters.
In the past year, Masotta put up a behind-the-scenes fight to keep his buildings at the North Main St. site. He won the support of the Republican members of the Representative Town Meeting, who make up a minority. They took the position that they wanted a new fire headquarters to replace the existing dilapidated building but not at the expense of moving public works.
The Republicans refused to approve the $600,000 it would take to move the public works garage off the site so that the new fire headquarters could be built. They sought a new plan; they sought a delay. In the end, they lost 19 – 9 when Town Engineer Janice Plaziak said that unless the $600,000 was approved for a public works rental, the new firehouse could not be put out for bid. There are nine Republicans on the RTM.
The public works garage has to be moved because the current fire headquarters needs to function as a new fire headquarters is constructed on the public works footprint.
At the RTM meeting in mid-September when a new fire headquarters was finally approved, DaRos alluded to Masotta’s state of mind. “As for the public works director, he is unhappy about moving. Period.” A Nov. 15 deadline had been set for the demolition of the current public works garage but that deadline came and went. DaRos told the Eagle there was a “minimal” effort made to get the move underway.
Masotta’s retirement is effective Dec. 15. But DaRos said he will begin to oversee the project immediately.
“Effective now I am taking over the move. We have to get the job done. I have a lot of confidence in the public works crews and we will pull it off like we are supposed to,” he said.
DaRos said that Jack Kerpen, currently the town’s highway supervisor, will take over the day-to-day running of the public works department, which is responsible for snow removal, the maintenance of roads and sidewalk and tree maintenance.
DaRos said he was concerned that the delays in moving public works and demolishing its buildings could cost the town money given the timeline for contractors on the firehouse project. “The property has to be readied,” he said. Turner Construction is the manger of the fire headquarters project.
The Board of Selectmen later signed off on the $600,000 contract for an interim three years at the rental site. The vote was 2 – 1 with Republican Third Selectman John Opie voting against it. Opie, a former first selectman, said the costs were too high and not enough effort was made to investigate other sites, an assertion DaRos denied.
DaRos reflected on Masotta’s service to the town: “Ed said he was going to retire when he had 25 years in. He put in 25 years of good service to the town of Branford. I am sorry to see him go. I don’t know what his plans are, but whatever they are I wish him luck. “
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