Selectmen Save 'Super' Custodians

In its nearly five hour meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 28, the Board of Selectmen voted 4-1 to keep three full-time custodial positions in the FY13 budget plan that will be presented to voters at the March 17 Annual Town Meeting. The controversial plan to replace the employees with a contract cleaning service of both the and the .

“I wasn’t prepared for the amount of concern that was exhibited,” Selectmen Leigh Emery said. “I do believe that those positions are integral to the service being provided in those places.”

Town Manager Jim Malloy proposed replacing the full-time custodians at the senior center, library and Forbes Municipal Building with an overnight contract service, a plan that he said would save the town $157,000.

Matley presented a 4-page outline of his job responsibilities, most of which would not be covered by a contract cleaning service, to the library trustees and asked that they reconsider. The trustees reversed their decision to cut his job and presented a well-attended plea to to the selectmen in January, asking that they also reconsider the cut.

In the Jan. 24 Board of Selectmen meeting, Council on Aging Chairperson Dan Pavolis told selectmen that the Westborough Senior Center also needed to keep a full-time custodian on site when the facility is being used because of immediate needs such as moving furniture for changing events, cleaning the kitchen after meals and clearing ice during a snowstorm. “This is a safety issue,” he said.

Prior to voting at the Feb. 28 meeting, the selectmen referred to conversations with Chief Alan Gordon, saying that he expressed concern about removing the full-time custodian at the police station in the Forbes Municipal Building. He reportedly cited the need, for sanitary reasons, to have someone available to clean holding cells when they are being used.

“My support would be to not eliminate the positions at the senior center or library,” said Selectman . “But I am in favor of contract service at the Forbes Municipal Building. “

Selectman said, “I didn’t find a rationale [for keeping the custodians] compelling until I received a letter from the chief regarding the holding cells in the Forbes building.”

All but Johnson voted in favor of keeping the full-time custodian positions in the budget plan.

Selectman Lydia Goldblatt thanked Malloy for proposing the cuts as a way to save money for taxpayers. “It’s hard to bring something forward and then no one’s for it,” she joked.

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