Two department heads plan to retire, resign

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PROSPECT — The town is losing two department heads this month.

Assistant Public Works Director Eugene McCarthy and Land Use Inspector Tammy DeLoia will step down from their respective positions before the end of the month.

McCarthy will retire on Aug. 30 after more than 40 years with the town’s public works department. DeLoia is resigning on Aug. 11.

McCarthy started working for the town in March 1977, eight months before Mayor Robert Chatfield, who is officially the director of public works, first took office.

“He taught me a lot over the last 40 years about construction, drainage, water, pipe size, and grass and how grass grows, what you have to do to maintain it,” Chatfield said.

Chatfield said McCarthy put practices in place throughout his career that have benefitted the town.

“He started that when it snows the trucks are full in the garage the night before. They just have to come in, check them out and go. They don’t have to fill them up. That saves a lot of time, and we have got the best road clearing in the area,” Chatfield said.

Chatfield said McCarthy was also involved with helping the town look over the plans of all the subdivisions that have been developed in Prospect the last 40 years.

“He reviews all the plans and makes sure we don’t have problems down the road, such as drainage,” Chatfield said. “He has picked up things that would have cost the town money if he didn’t catch it while the subdivision was being designed.”

Chatfield said the thing he will most remember McCarthy for is his ability to predict what the weather will do, especially during snowstorms.

“When you are plowing snow you have to think of the backside of a storm. When it stops, what will the temperature be? Do we have to salt? So, there is a lot that goes into that,” Chatfield said.

Chatfield said McCarthy will still available if the town runs into a problem it can’t solve after he retires.

McCarthy was not available for comment.

DeLoia worked the past two years as the land use inspector and worked for the town previously.

“It has been a privilege to serve the Town of Prospect, its residents, and the various boards and commissions,” DeLoia wrote in her resignation letter. “While I believe this is the right decision for my future, I am tremendously sad to be leaving the good friends that I have made along the way.”

Chatfield said DeLoia had a “bubbly personality” and deep knowledge of regulations that helped the town.

“Her meticulous knowledge of both regulations, because she is planning and zoning and inland wetlands, has been invaluable. It helped us when we filled out our requirements for storm water drainage. We had to have a major report in by April 1 and we met the deadline for that,” Chatfield said.

The town is in the process of finding people to succeed McCarthy and DeLoia.