WESTFIELD – The City Council voted Thursday night to approve the nomination of a Chicopee resident to serves as the city’s first Facilities Director to oversee maintenance of municipal and school department buildings and facilities.
Mayor Daniel M. Knapik nominated Bryan P. Forrette of Chicopee to serve as Facilities Director. Forrette holds a Bachelors of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and as the project manager for P3 of Norwell has overseen city building and facility improvement projects during the past six years.
P3 has served as the city’s Owner Project Manager (OPM) for construction of the Senior Center at the Mary Noble Estate on Noble Street, the Westfield City Hall Integrated Energy Management System and the City Hall renovations, as well as the $12 million Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) green energy grant to replace boilers, windows and roofs at five school buildings.
The city has also initiated a $17 million energy program in conjunction with the MSBA work at school buildings and energy improvements to other municipal buildings.
Knapik said this morning that a screening committee interviewed applicants, and then forwarded two names to the selection committee which was comprised of Knapik, Ron Rix, finance and maintenance coordinator of the School Department and City Purchaser Tammy Tefft, for nomination of a candidate to the City Council.
“Bryan has been with us since the beginning of the investments in city and school buildings, and he’s done a really good job overseeing those projects,” Knapik said. “There will be no major learning curve because he is familiar with what we’ve done over the past five years.”
The Personnel Action Committee interviewed Forrette before the full City Council session and gave his nomination a 2-0 positive recommendation. The council voted 10-1 to approve that nomination.
Ward 2 Councilor Ralph Figy, a PAC member, said during discussion of the nomination on the council floor that Forrette’s “credentials are impressive” which Figy found to be “pleasantly surprising to see that someone so well qualified is seeking this job.”
At-large Councilor Cindy Harris, chairwoman of the PAC, who has routinely voted against any motion which would create new positions within the city government because of long-term impact those salaries would have on tax rates, voted last night in support of Forrette’s nomination
“The council members know I have opposed creating new departments and positions,” Harris said. “However, the council voted to put this position in, so there is a job and Mr. Forrette is well qualified for that job because he’s been involved in all of our building projects.”
Harris said that Forrette has expertise in state building codes, the state energy code, Americans with Disabilities Act laws, Environmental Protection Agency regulations and OSHA requirements.
Forrette is scheduled to begin his new duties on June 1 and will draw an annual salary of $57,000. Forrette’s duties will include managing the maintenance of 1,500 pieces of major equipment in 23 school and city buildings, as well as the city’s inventory of recreational facilities.
