BEVERLY — The city is "very close" to hiring a full-time buildings and grounds director who will be in charge of maintaining the public schools, said Michael Collins, the city's commissioner of public services and engineering.
"We've narrowed it down to two candidates, and we should be making a decision in the next week or so," Collins said.
The new hire is expected to make between $75,000 to $80,000 a year.
The position is a new one, which became necessary after the city and school district worked out an agreement last April to consolidate maintenance. Previously, mowing the grass, fixing the plumbing and all the other school maintenance issues were the responsibility of the schools, which typically contracted outside help, even though the city often had equipment and workers able to do the work, Collins said.
"The same equipment used for the city is the same equipment used for the schools, so why buy two when we can just share?" Collins said of the thinking that led to the decision. "Because of the way it was funded, if the school had potholes to fill, they would hire contractors to fill them. Now, we're filling the potholes.
"We shouldn't be in the business of duplicating services and equipment; there should be only one way to maintain a building in the city. This will level the playing field for everybody."
The city took over responsibility for school maintenance July 1. The measure won't save a lot of money in the short term, Collins said, but he expects it to pay off in the long run.
So far, things have gone relatively smoothly, but it's a learning process, especially since there is no money in the budget to hire more help. The school system has about 25 custodians, and the city employs 35 people to maintain city buildings and grounds.
"We're stretched to the limit or beyond on the city side," Collins said. "The guys cutting (grass) in the parks are already working sunrise to sunset. There's only so many hours in the day."
So, to make it work, city workers are tackling the schools "in short bursts" as time allows, Collins said. The city workers' "consistent trickle of effort (on the school side) will make a difference in the long run," he said.
Beverly schools Superintendent Marie Galinski said the arrangement has been working so far.
"The city is used to one way, we are used to another, so we are trying to make those two mesh," she said. "I meet every week with Mike Collins to address any issues that come up."
The biggest challenge for the schools is the tricky way the agreement has been arranged from a budgetary standpoint, Galinski said. The cost to maintain the school's buildings and grounds is still counted in the school budget, yet the city now handles the expenditures of that money and the responsibility of it.
"We haven't figured out how to navigate that," Galinski said. "We don't want to micromanage, but it's still an issue that needs to be clarified."
Collins admits there's still quite a bit that needs to be worked out.
"We are absolutely still trying to figure out the intimate details of how this is going to work," he said. "We'll have to work it out as problems arise."
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