Interim Melrose DPW Director Named After Mayor Reverses Course

MELROSE, MA — Mayor Gail Infurna has named retired Wakefield DPW Director Rick Stinson the interim head of Melrose's DPW. Stinson will take over after John Scenna leaves for the superintendent position at Lynnfield Center Water District Friday, Sept. 6.

Infurna's decision to appoint an interim director comes after the city received only three applications for the position.

Naming an interim director is a reversal from Infurna's initial call to hire a permanent DPW director, something that was heavily criticized, as were the proposed qualifications of the job.

"I had initially planned to hire a new DPW Director as quickly as possible," Infurna said in a Tuesday evening blog post. "The City Charter gives the Mayor the important responsibility of recruiting and hiring for all positions in the City, and I will continue to take that responsibility seriously until my last day in office."

Alderman-at-Large Mike Zwirko, who was among the mayoral candidates saying hiring a permanent director was the wrong move, posted on Patch that the next mayor may have eventually fired the person Infurna would appoint in order to bring in his or her own people.

"In less than four months, Melrose will have a new Mayor," Zwirko wrote. "The next Mayor - whoever it is - will likely have a new perspective on what he or she would like to see in a DPW Director. And, candidly, the next Mayor could very well terminate the permanent hire Mayor Infurna ultimately seeks to appoint."

There was also concern that the qualifications Infurna was looking for would potentially restrict the pool of candidates to older white men. More than 30 members of several of the groups that make up Sustainable Melrose signed a letter asking Infurna to "consider applicants with fewer years of experience and experiences outside the role of DPW Director. Melrose is one of the smallest communities in the Boston Metro area, and our search should reflect that this position is accessible to people advancing their careers, and promote women and minorities to apply."