Vincent to take on new challenge for Lenox

LENOX – After nearly 17 years as Superintendent of the Department of Public Works (DPW), Jeffrey T. Vincent will be changing jobs.

“I was the one who actually started this discussion a couple of months ago,” said Superintendent Vincent, who will soon be transferring to a position overseeing capital improvement projects for the Town of Lenox.

This position is a newly created one, the title of which has yet to be determined.

“The driving factor [behind the transfer] was the level of capital projects we’re doing,” said Superintendent Vincent, who explained that overseeing capital improvement projects had become an increasingly large part of his job description as superintendent.

Superintendent Vincent said working on these capital projects and doing the day-to-day responsibilities of superintendent had begun to stretch him thin and, in his view, caused the public service aspect of his job to begin to slip.

“I was finding I wasn’t responding to the public like I had in the past,” said Superintendent Vincent.

There was nothing but praise for Superintendent Vincent, however, at the Lenox Board of Selectmen’s meeting, where the job transfer was first formally announced.

“As anyone knows that has lived in this town, Jeff Vincent is just an amazing guy,” said Select Board Chairman Kenneth Fowler. “The more I know the more I admire what he’s done for this town.”

The superintendent’s position was posted on Aug. 26, and Town Manager Gregory Federspiel expects it will be filled by November.

Until it is filled, Superintendent Vincent will continue on in his current capacity.

“I hope to work closely with whoever’s in here,” said Superintendent Vincent, on the prospect of working with his successor, and he thinks the overlap will be beneficial for the town.

This view appears to be shared by Town Manager Federspiel and the board of selectmen; Chairman Fowler seemed to indicate at the board’s last meeting that they would be changing the superintendent’s position to reflect this reality.

As for what his duties will be in his new job overseeing capital improvements, Superintendent Vincent described a comprehensive set of responsibilities, beginning with identifying specific capital improvements needs.

“I would be the one to take that need and develop it into a project,” said Superintendent Vincent.

In this new capacity, he will also be working with engineers as they design projects; getting these projects out to bid; receiving, analyzing, and making recommendations about these bids; and serving as “clerk of the works” for many capital improvement projects.

“For me, it’s not really a big change in process,” said Superintendent Vincent

He added he already did many of these functions as superintendent, although by assuming the duties of “clerk of the works,” which involves being the town supervisor and liaison for a construction project, Superintendent Vincent said some of the costs of his new position would be offset.

As for what the salary for this new position will be and how long he might stay at it, Superintendent Vincent said that both were being determined. Still, he’s happy to be taking on this new role.

“I’ve always enjoyed that part of the job [capital improvement supervision],” said Superintendent Vincent.

Posted by Bera B. Dunau on August 30, 2012. Filed under Community News,News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry