Town Manager Michael Driscoll will get some assistance running the municipal government and it will come from a person familiar to many in Watertown.
Steve Magoon, the director of Community Development and Planning, will now also be the Assistant Town Manager. Driscoll announced his appointment at Tuesday night’s Town Council meeting.
Magoon will continue to serve as director of Community Development and Planning, and take on some special projects and areas. His new duties will include:
- Serve as acting town manager in the absence of the Town Manager
- Serve as the town’s designee to the MBTA Advisory Board and as the Municipal Hearing Officer
- Serve as a member of the budget team
- Monitor various projects involving on-call architecture services
- Coordinate with the Department of Public Works on maximizing the use of capital funds and departmental resources, as well as providing information to the general public in a timely, readily accessible fashion
- Oversee the examination of changes in staffing and/or the processes needed to better handle enforcement of non-criminal ordinances and regulations such as snow removal, improper garbage disposal, permit violations and the like
- Oversee other projects as needed
The appointment came about after a study of the town’s leadership recommended that a deputy town manager be hired. The study was overseen by the Council’s Personnel and Town Organization Committee
“The Committee agreed that adding new senior leadership positions may be the best long term approach, it is not realistic in the current financial environment and identifying two current department heads to assist the Town Manager would be preferable,” Driscoll said.
The Town Council later recommended that Driscoll appoint one department head to assist him with general management and special projects. Magoon will also received additional salary for his new role.