Gardner DPW still short-staffed, but the situation is improving: What the city is doing

The staffing shortage at Gardner's Department of Public Works continues, but the situation is improving.

There are currently nine vacancies out of the 39 positions at the department, which includes the divisions of highways, parks and recreation, cemeteries, and water and sewer, according to Director Dane Arnold.

"On the city side, I'm missing two mechanics, two positions on municipal grounds, and three on the highway department," Arnold said. "And I have two vacancies on the water and sewer side."

In June 2023, there were 13 vacancies in the DPW, which represented a over third of the entire department's staff. It's been over 10 years since the department was fully staffed, according to Arnold.

Arnold said he expected the situation to improve once Mayor Michael Nicholson signs a new contract that was negotiated between the city and the highway department that will increase the salaries for DPW employees.

"(The contract) is not formally signed but there is a memo of understanding that's been signed," he said. "I think the starting range for a laborer was $16.24 last year, (but now) it's up to $18, which is where we want to be. If you have a CDL, it's $24 an hour, and if you have a CDL and a two-way hydraulic license, it's $26 to walk in off the street. They've increased the rates a pretty good amount."

DPW Director: Increased salaries should attract more employees

By comparison, the DPW last year was offering drivers with a CDL license $19.70 per hour, when the average wage for the same position in the private sector in Massachusetts was $27 per hour. The current average wage for a CDL driver in the state is currently about $35, indicating that licensed truck drivers are increasingly in demand across the state.

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Certified mechanics can earn at least $25 per hour at the department, a wage that can increase depending on the number of licenses a candidate possesses, according to Arnold.

"As (employees) acquire more licenses, they'll be able to make more money per hour," he said. "Because they're more valuable to us when they can do more things."

With the department's salaries becoming more competitive with those in the private sector, Arnold said he was hopeful the DPW would be able to attract and retain more employees.

"What was happening was, we'd hire them, we'd train them, but it was a revolving door, and they'd be out the door within six months after they'd get trained to go work on a paving job or some other truck-driving company, which was a waste of valuable time," he said. "But now we're at least able to keep the crew we have, and it means that we're getting better applicants for the jobs."

Gardner DPW could be fully staffed by next year

There is currently a temporary freeze on any new hiring at the DPW, Arnold said. He also said he was optimistic that the department could be fully staffed within a year.

"The hiring pause is to see how the new DPW contract plays out and affects the city’s budget," Arnold said. "I am hoping once the city determines the financial impact, budgets for it, the DPW can then fill all the vacancies."

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How do the vacancies affect snow removal?

Heading into the colder months, Arnold said his crews are ready to keep the city's roadways clear no matter how much snow Mother Nature decides to bring to the area.

"We're still short-staffed so we're going to have to expand our plow routes, which means it will take us longer to plow and sand the streets," he said. "But the crew I have is dedicated - they're going to plow the streets, they're going to stay the 32-to-45 hours, whatever it takes to get the roads clear. They take a lot of pride in their work."

This article originally appeared on Gardner News: Gardner DPW still short-staffed, but the situation is improving: What the city is doing