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An Act Establishing a Department of Public Works in the Town of Adams

  1. Section 1. There is hereby established in the town of Adams a department of public works, which shall have all the powers and duties now vested by the General Laws and town by-laws in the highway department, cemetery department, parks department, wastewater treatment plant and the office of tree warden. Upon acceptance of this act by the said town, as hereinafter provided, the aforesaid departments are hereby abolished and their powers and duties shall be transferred to and shall be under the direction of the department of public works.
  2. Section 2.
    1. The department of public works shall consist of a director appointed by the board of selectmen.
    2. Said director shall be a person qualified by education and experience and shall be responsible for the operational and administrative functions of the department of public works in accordance with a job description to be developed by said town.
    3. The salary of said director and his term of office shall be determined by said board of selectmen, subject to appropriation by the town meeting.
    4. Said director shall hold office subject to the will of said board. Section 3. The department of public works shall consist of the following four divisions: (i) equipment and maintenance, (ii) highways, (iii) parks and grounds, including the cemetery, and (iv) wastewater treatment. (1) The division of equipment and maintenance shall consist of a chief mechanic and such additional personnel as said director deems necessary. (2) The division of highways shall consist of a foreman and such additional personnel as said director deems necessary. (3) The division of parks and grounds shall consist of a foreman a clerk and a tree warden and such additional personnel as said director deems necessary. (4) The division of wastewater treatment shall consist of a superintendent and such additional personnel as said director deems necessary.
  3. Section 3. All equipment owned by the town of Adams, and under the control of the highway, parks, cemetery, wastewater treatment plant and tree warden shall, upon acceptance of this act, be under the control and supervision of the department of public works.
  4. Section 4. Upon acceptance of this act, the board of selectmen shall prepare and provide proper job descriptions for employees of the department of public works.
  5. Section 5. There is hereby established in the town of Adams a cemetery commission and a parks and playground commission which shall serve said town as advisory commissions; provided however, that the cemetery commission shall also control the care and expenditure of perpetual care funds as provided in chapter eighty-five of the acts of nineteen hundred and thirty-four. The members of said commissions shall be elected in the manner in which the cemetery commission and parks and playground commission in effect in said town prior to the acceptance of this act are elected and the present members of said commissions shall be members of said commissions in office on said date of acceptance of this act and shall serve until their successors are elected.
  6. Section 6. Notwithstanding the provisions of section one, the incumbent tree warden on the date this act is accepted by the town of Adams shall continue to perform all the functions of said office until the expiration of the term for which he was elected.
  7. Section 7. This act shall be submitted for acceptance to the voters of the town of Adams at the annual town meeting to be held in the year nineteen hundred and eighty-three in the form of the following question, which shall be placed upon the official ballot to be used for the election of town officers at said meeting: "Shall an act passed by the general court in the year nineteen hundred eighty-three, entitled 'An Act establishing a department of public works in the town of Adams', be accepted?" If a majority of the voters in answer to said question is in the affirmative, this act shall take effect, but not otherwise except as provided hereafter. If this act is rejected when so submitted, it shall again be submitted at the annual town meeting in the year nineteen hundred and eighty-four and if accepted, shall take effect as heretofore provided. If this act is again rejected after having been submitted for the second time, it shall not be submitted again and shall not take effect.

    Footnote: The act hereafter set out is contained in Chapter 34, Acts of 1983. Voted to Accept — May 2, 1983.