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Date: 10/26/2022
LUDLOW – At their Oct. 18 meeting, members of the Board of Selectmen expressed their concerns about ongoing issues involving the Department of Public Works (DPW).
The conversation ensued in light of Town Administrator Marc Strange’s news to the board that the town’s DPW superintendent gave his two-week notice. The DPW has had five superintendents in the last five years.
Strange said, “The town has lost yet another DPW manager. Ludlow’s reputation in the DPW department is not great and this does not help.”
He added that this news comes on the heels of the departure of the DPW business administrator and two clerical staff due to the culture and structure. “At this point I do not know how we move forward with posting for a new DPW superintendent, allocating $100,000 a year when we know what is going to happen.”
Selectman Derek DeBarge added, “We tried this last year. With issues of the Board of Public Works, organization, and personnel. The town government needs to change in a way that we can get things done faster. We have gone through at least three DPW directors because of clashes with members of the Board of Public Works.”
He added that the town voted to keep the Board of Public Works at their last Town Meeting and to keep an eye on them. After hearing this DeBarge added, “If we have time to go to another Special Town Meeting, that we add to disband the Board of Public Works so that the Department of Public Works can run in a more efficient matter.”
Selectman Bill Rosenblum said, “If we do talk about disbanding this [Board of Public Works], it won’t be the Board of Selectmen doing day-to-day operations, it is more that we could hire someone to go in there and report to us.”
Selectman Manny Silva added, “It is ridiculous, and we are a laughingstock of all the communities quite frankly.”
Board Chair Tony Goncalves finished with, “We have extended an olive branch to DPW of meeting, but they have an idea of meeting at a neutral site because somehow this is like a playoff game, and they think we have an advantage. I think it is childish.”
He added, “It is time to come to the table and tell us what we can do to help. If they don’t want to do that the alternative is to take that ability away from that board so we can run more efficiently. It impacts everyone whether it be the potholes, sidewalks, plowing the streets or cutting the grass. I hope we can get together to fix it or that people can put the pressure on them as taxpayers.”
The Board of Selectmen then talked about a way to potentially save lives.
The Board of Health also appeared before the Board of Selectmen to discuss distributing naloxone boxes to town. These boxes contain four injectable doses of naloxone, more commonly known as Narcan, printed instructions for how to use Narcan and a mask for providing rescue breaths in case of an overdose.
Public Health program coordinator Paulina Matusik came in to discuss mounting these Narcan boxes in public buildings like Town Hall where people can use incase of an emergency.
Matusik added that Ludlow currently does not have any place to go if anyone needs Narcan. She said, “These are not just for people who may be using, it is also for elderly. People may forget they have taken a medication and when they show up to an elder person house they may have overdosed on an opioid.”
Narcan is used to reverse an opioid overdose. When someone has an overdose the brain receptors are trapped by the opioid and the Narcan lifts that restriction. The Narcan lasts for only 30 to 90 minutes, but Matisik said, “It is a preventative and can save lives.”
DeBarge asked where she planned to put these boxes and she responded, “Since I work in Town Hall, I would like to add one here. I want the community to see we are starting it at Town Hall, and we can reach out to other businesses or businesses can reach out to us.”
Matusik added that the boxes are free for anyone in Hampden to get because the Health and Human Services department in North Hampden received federal and state grants.
The Board of Health can request as many as they want to strategically place them around town for people to be able to access. The board suggested putting in school buildings in a supervised spot, so kids are taking from it for fun.
Matusik said, “We want to hit that population that may be nervous to get Narcan and hopefully we get less overdoses.”
The Board of Selectmen unanimously approved to have the community wide opioid rescue kits included but not limited to Town Hall.