A Good Idea: Preventative Maintenance Saves Money

Those watching the Council meeting on WCAT Tuesday night saw the appearance of Winthrop’s new Director of Facilities, Gerald Boyle, before the council. Since his appointment, Boyle has been busy touring all town buildings, meeting with school principals and custodial staff, and getting acquainted with past town policies concerning maintenance.

Boyle is also looking ahead. He is developing a five-year Capital Improvement Plan and hopes to implement energy savings plans for buildings in the town. Perhaps most important, he wants to implement  a “comprehensive preventative maintenance” program so that the town isn’t burdened by having to pay for major repairs to its infrastructure.

We also agree with the facilities manager’s inference that it might not be wise to spend a lot of money on repairs at the Winthrop Middle School until a decision is made on whether the town intends to build a new middle school/high school complex.

Gerald Boyle is a man with a great plan and represents another excellent hire by our forward-thinking town manager James McKenna. If Mr. Boyle’s preventative maintenance plan can be implemented, it will save the town hundreds of thousands of dollars in the long run.