Politics & Government

Malden's Interim DPW Director Gets Permanent Gig

The City Council made the final decision earlier this week.

MALDEN, MA — The City Council voted unanimously to appoint a new Department of Public Works Director during its most recent meeting.

Paul Myers will now assume the role through at least 2030. The Medford resident has been working in the role on an interim basis since former Director Robert Knox resigned last December after more than 30 years to become Executive Director of City Services for the neighboring city of Everett.

Myers’ permanent appointment was first proposed by Mayor Gary Christenson, with the City Council’s approval on Tuesday being the final step of the process.

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“His (Myers’s) experience, ability, and understanding of department functions make him exceptionally qualified to lead the Department of Public Works.

Ward One Councilor Peg Crowe detailed how she felt Myers did a satisfactory job taking the role over right at a challenging time with the winter season beginning.

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“We met with Mr. Myers earlier this evening and also last week in finance and talked about how he sees this department and how he is working in some of the changes he’s doing,” Crowe said. “He talked about some of the work he’s doing around technology to upgrade some of the things and operationalize how overtime is being assigned.”

Myers served as Assistant DPW Director alongside Knox prior to his promotion. Myers first came to Malden in 2017 after working for Brookline’s DPW. Crowe said that his experience plays a large role in her confidence in his ability to lead Malden going forward.

One notable event from Myers’s Malden tenure thus far is when he was a driving force behind rescuing a small raccoon whose head was stuck in a sewer grate on Lake Street in the summer of 2022.

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