Wrentham Town Administrator

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Wrentham Town Administrator Appoints Mary Beth Bernard as Director of Human Resources

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Town of Wrentham
Kevin Sweet, Town Administrator
79 South St.
Wrentham, MA 02093

For Immediate Release

Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2019

Contact: Benjamin Paulin
Phone: 781-428-3299
Email: [email protected]

Wrentham Town Administrator Appoints Mary Beth Bernard as Director of Human Resources

Mary Beth Bernard began her role as Wrentham’s part-time Director of Human Resources on Jan. 29. (Photo Courtesy Town of Wrentham)

WRENTHAM — Town Administrator Kevin Sweet is pleased to announce that he has appointed Mary Beth Bernard as Wrentham’s first part-time Director of Human Resources.

Bernard began her position as the town’s Director of Human Resources on Jan. 29.

A Wrentham resident, for the past five years Bernard worked as the Assistant Town Manager/ Human Resources Director for the Town of Foxborough. Before her position in Foxborough, she served as the Director of Human Resources for the Town of Westwood for 12 years. Bernard has also worked as a Human Resources Consultant for several municipalities in Massachusetts.

Since 2015, Bernard has also served as the Chairman of the Massachusetts Municipal Personnel Association, and she is also a Presidential Member of the Massachusetts Municipal Policy Committee on Labor Relations. Additionally, Bernard is a Certified Senior Professional in Human Resources, Certified Society of Human Resources Management Senior Professional, and a Certified Trainer for the Massachusetts Commission Against Dscrimination (MCAD).

“Mary Beth has extensive experience serving municipalities and working in human resources, not only from her time in Foxborough and Westwood, but also through her leadership role with the Massachusetts Municipal Personnel Association,” Town Administrator Sweet said. “We’re thrilled to welcome her to our team here in Wrentham, and I’m confident that her expertise in human resources will serve the town well.”

As the Director of Human Resources, Bernard will direct and supervise the personnel systems of the town, including classification, compensation, recruitment, selection, labor relations, and training. She will also act as the chief negotiator for collective bargaining. 

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Wrentham Senior Public Health Nurse Judy Fenton Retiring After 16 Years with Town

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Town of Wrentham
Kevin Sweet, Town Administrator
79 South St.
Wrentham, MA 02093

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2019

Contact: Benjamin Paulin
Phone: 781-428-3299
Email: [email protected]

Wrentham Senior Public Health Nurse Judy Fenton Retiring After 16 Years with Town

WRENTHAM — Town Administrator Kevin Sweet is pleased to announce the upcoming retirement of longtime Senior Public Health Nurse Judy Fenton.

Fenton will work her last day with the town on Feb. 6 and has been a much esteemed nurse in the community during her 16 year tenure in Wrentham.

“Judy has been serving our town and residents for over 15 years now and her commitment to public health and staying on top of the current health issues over the years has been a vital resource for our community here in Wrentham,” Town Administrator Sweet said. “We wish her all the best in her retirement and thank her for her commitment and service to the town.”

Fenton began her career as a nurse in the 1970s and worked at three local hospitals doing medical/surgical nursing. She has also worked with multiple doctors in private practice in the fields of internal medicine, dermatology, gynecology and urology during her career.

During her time in Wrentham she focused on several health related topics, including substance use disorder and addiction.

In 2017, Fenton put together an informative forum at King Philip Regional High School where a doctor who specializes in addiction medicine spoke about substance use disorder, addiction, teen brain development and how the addiction process occurs.

In 2014, Fenton obtained grant funding for a sharps/needle disposal kiosk, located in the Wrentham Public Safety Building. The town currently collects about 50 pounds of sharps waste every six weeks, removing those hazards from potentially ending up in the streets or in the waste stream.

Over the years, Fenton, along with her fellow public health nurses in town, has been involved with public health emergency dispensing site planning for Wrentham.

The Wrentham Public Health Nurses Department has worked closely with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for guidance and planning purposes in regard to its emergency planning. In 2009, the Wrentham Public Health Nurses Department activated and utilized a program to assist residents during the H1N1 influenza pandemic.

Her department has also maintained a volunteer call list of local medical and non-medical professionals and paraprofessionals to utilize in the event of an emergency dispensing site being activated during a public health emergency.

“To me the most important thing is our residents and their individual physical or emotional needs, whether it is providing assessments for an illness someone is dealing with, helping with medication management or the need for an advocate or referral resource,” Fenton said. “Our office is available, with the goal of keeping our residents healthy, safe and happy in their own homes for as long as possible. This to me is the most satisfying accomplishment in my career in Wrentham. Caring about all of our residents, helping when we can and hopefully making a small difference in their lives.”

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Wrentham Town Administrator Names Ann MacCarthy as New Town Assessor

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Town of Wrentham
Kevin Sweet, Town Administrator
79 South St.
Wrentham, MA 02093

For Immediate Release

Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018

Contact: Benjamin Paulin
Phone: 781-428-3299
Email: [email protected]

Wrentham Town Administrator Names Ann MacCarthy as New Town Assessor

WRENTHAM — Town Administrator Kevin Sweet is pleased to announce that Ann MacCarthy has been appointed to be Wrentham’s new Principal Assessor.

MacCarthy started her new role on Monday, Dec. 17, replacing Interim Assessor Anne Carney.

She had previously worked in the Assessor’s office as the Data Collector for the town for the past year and a half.

“I have enjoyed learning about the Town’s history, and I have met many wonderful people in that time,” MacCarthy said. “I am excited to begin this new journey in my career, and I look forward to working with, and learning from the remarkable team at the Wrentham Town Hall.”

Prior to working in Wrentham, MacCarthy worked for Vision Government Solutions for more than 5 years. During her time there, she performed cyclical and building permit inspections for residential properties throughout New England. In addition to inspections, she conducted field reviews and attended assessment hearings for the company, and gained a great deal of experience with Computer-Assisted Mass Appraisal (CAMA) software.

In her new role, MacCarthy’s job will be to determine the fair market value of all real estate and personal property in within the Town of Wrentham.

The Assessor’s responsibilities include the ongoing updating of a detailed parcel database via cyclical permit and sales inspections, processing motor vehicle excise tax abatements, personal exemptions, property abatements, chapter land, preparing abutters lists, name and address changes, updating parcel maps and GIS systems on a yearly basis, providing a public access terminal and providing parcel data to those who inquire.

“Ann has a wealth of experience and having been working in the assessor’s office for nearly two years now, she was the ideal candidate to take over the lead of the department,” Town Administrator Sweet said. “She and the rest of the department have been hard at work recently with a new software conversion that will streamline things and make the office more efficient overall.”

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Wrentham Community Preservation Committee Announces Nearly $300,000 in Combined Funding

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Town of Wrentham
Kevin Sweet, Town Administrator
79 South St.
Wrentham, MA 02093

For Immediate Release

Friday, Dec. 7, 2018

Contact: Benjamin Paulin
Phone: 781-428-3299
Email: [email protected]

Wrentham Community Preservation Committee Announces Nearly $300,000 in Combined Funding

WRENTHAM — Town Administrator Kevin Sweet is pleased to announce that the Wrentham Community Preservation Committee’s first funding cycle is complete, with a total of $299,325 in available funds for certain projects in Wrentham.

The figure includes $251,502 in local funds raised from a property tax surcharge. The remaining $47,823 has been provided by the state as part of its Community Preservation match program.

“We are very thankful for the support of the state and its 19 percent match during this funding cycle,” Town Administrator Kevin Sweet said. “We are hopeful that in the coming years the state will be able to match even more funds.”

The state matched 19 percent of the funds each town raised on its own. It is funded by property transfer fees that occur statewide each time a property changes hands. The state match also was boosted by a one-time allocation in the recent state supplemental budget bill that allocated an extra $10 million to the Community Preservation Fund.

“The funding will allow the Community Preservation Committee in Wrentham to consider project proposals and we look forward to guiding the investment of this money back into the community in the months and years to come,” said Barry Kassler, Chair of the Wrentham Community Preservation Committee.

The Community Preservation Act allows investment in four specific project areas: community housing, historical preservation, open space and recreation.

Funding applications are forwarded to the Committee, by citizens or committees seeking consideration and approval, and then the funding is ultimately voted on at Town Meeting where residents have the final say on the use of any Community Preservation funds.

The Wrentham Community Preservation Committee has the application for funding available at the town website.

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