Saugus hires DPW director

SAUGUS – Town Manager Scott Crabtree announced the hiring of a new Department of Public Works Director with an engineering background to fit recommendations from an outside consulting agency.Crabtree said Brendan O?Regan?s background as a civil engineer was consistent with the recommendations from a representative of the University of Massachusetts, Boston Edward J. Collins Center for Public Management presented at a recent Board of Selectmen meeting, which included adding the duties of town engineer to that of the director?s position.Crabtree said longtime DPW worker James Waugh, who has been serving as temporary director since former Director Joe Attubato retired in spring 2012, will be staying on the management team, but wouldn?t give reason why Waugh was not hired for the job.?Jimmy is a great asset to the DPW in town, and will play an integral role in rebuilding and implementing the recommendations by the UMass Collins Center as part of the management team,” said Crabtree in a phone interview Wednesday.Crabtree said he would be meeting with O?Regan and Waugh this week to bring the new director up to speed and plan new organizational strategies for the department.Crabtree already submitted an article for the Special Town Meeting warrant that will ask members to vote to appropriate $174,000 to the DPW budget to implement the recommendations outlined in the Collins Center report, which included that of four hires, merging some departments and the purchase of organizational software.According to a press release from Crabtree, O?Regan will be responsible for performing supervisory, administrative and professional work in the areas of planning, organizing, directing and supervising the overall Department of Public Works, and setting its annual budget.According to Crabtree, O?Regan previously worked as director of public works in Hopkinton and as the director of public services/sewer superintendent, and for Newburyport where he was responsible for the operation and maintenance of the highway, sewer and water divisions.Crabtree said O?Regan accepted the job about a week ago and will start Nov. 25.