BOS Bids Farewell to Stafford's DPW Director
- Theresa Cramer
- Jul 10
- 4 min read
It would probably take less time to list the number of people who didn’t say, “Thanks, Devin!” at Wednesday night’s Board of Selectmen meeting, which kicked off with a surprise appearance from Stafford’s soon-to-be-former Director of Public Works Devin Cowperthwaite’s family. His daughters led the pledge of allegiance and stayed to see their dad honored by the selectmen.
If you haven’t already heard, Cowperthwaite is leaving Stafford for, as First Selectman Bill Morrison put it, “...another adventure in another town.” Let’s be honest, though: That’s code for “a job in a town able to pay what he’s worth.” The listing for the open position specifies a salary range of $100,000 to $115,000. It’s not chump change, but a current listing for a Deputy Director in Enfield lists the salary as $115,000, and a Director position in Windsor Locks has a salary range up to $135,000. Even the town’s fiercest budget opponents seem to agree, and many of the same people who led the charge against the budget chimed in on Facebook to equate the job duties to “slavery”, or at least agree that the pay was too low.
According to the proclamation Morrison read during the meeting, Cowperthwaite started his career in Stafford in 2013, working for the school district. In 2019, he joined the public works department, where Morrison said he quickly got to work helping to improve roads, secure grants, establish a long-term plan, and provide mentorship. Morrison listed the numerous certifications and training Cowperthwaite gained along the way, including a degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2020. At some point, he even became a certified tree warden and took on that role for Stafford as well.
This professional development spanning more than a decade was a sticking point for Derek Dimmock, a resident who attended the meeting via Zoom. During a discussion about the possibility of partnering with neighboring towns through a Capitol Region Council of Governments program to regionalize animal control services, Dimmock was allowed to ask a question despite it not being a public comment session. He started by asking about Stafford’s animal control officers providing services to Willington, what Willington pays for those services, and if Stafford’s town vehicles are used to go to Willington. For Dimmock, employee use of town-owned cars seems to be an issue. Back when Selectman John Whetton was sworn in, Dimmock attended the morning meeting and, among other things, inquired about Selectman Rick Hartenstein, who is also the Superintendent of the Water Pollution Control Authority (WPCA), bringing his WPCA truck to the meeting. The WPCA budget is separate from the town budget and is funded entirely by sewer users.
Animal Control Officer Jen Miller said that she drives her own car to Willington and then uses the town's vehicle when necessary. In return for her services, Willington pays for and lets Stafford use their emergency radio, which ensures she has service even when her cell phone doesn’t. She estimated that to be worth nearly $10,000, and described a good working relationship between the communities.
After asking another question about new Economic Development Commission members (we’ll do a separate story on that), Dimmock asked if Stafford had paid for all of Cowperthwaite’s certifications and training. Morrison said the town had paid for some of them, but many are provided for free through other programs. It’s also worth noting that Cowperthwaite is a member of the National Guard, which offers education assistance. Dimmock suggested that people used Stafford as a “stepping stone” and that there should be some sort of contract in place. While Dimmock wasn’t able to finish his thought, as Whetton called a “point of order,” it seems safe to assume he was about to suggest a contract that requires employees who receive professional development training to stay in their position for some unspecified amount of time. (You can follow the Facebook discussion that spurred here, at least for now.) Professional development and education opportunities are often used as a way to attract and retain employees, particularly as a substitute for higher pay.
Cowperthwaite also gave his last update on town projects at the meeting, many of which we’ve written about in recent weeks. However, a few status updates were worth noting. For instance, the repaving of much of Old Springfield Road is nearly complete, with just a few “punch list items” remaining, such as driveway aprons and curbs. The unpaved part is set to be chip-sealed. The Levinthal Run project is progressing quickly after a brief hiatus due to Summerfest. Concrete started being poured this week, and soon, power walkers will have no excuse to be in the middle of the road. These are far from the only projects underway or scheduled for the coming months, so be sure to mutter "Thanks, Devin!" and possibly shake your fist in the air any time you're mildly inconvenienced by road work.
