Maintenance Department Nears End Of Shake-Up

A committee has nearly completed a year-long restructuring of the Building and Grounds department (B&G) to stem wide-spread dissatisfaction with its services and efficiency.

Associate Vice-President for Operations Robert Saltonstall, who served as acting director of B&G following the dismissal of director J. Lawrence Joyce last November, is now the permanent director of B&G.

That personnel change is the most significant in a series of staff changes aimed at improving the efficiency of Harvard's maintenance work by giving more defined managerial responsibilities to fewer people, said members of the six person reorganization committee.

Other staff changes include the creation of several "central" managerial positions and the dismissal or impending dismissal of numerous lower-level maintenance workers such as carpenters, roofers and painters. Saltonstall refused to detail the job terminations.

In recent years, B&G's budget had swelled to $80 million, up from $20 million from six years before But, in that same time, complaints about the department's efficiency also rose.

This led to calls for change in the maintenance department from the various faculties it serves.

The changes seek to place B&G "more in a service role," said Saltonstall. He explained that the faculties should now have control over the services they request because the service department's internal structure is more streamlined.

Other Dismissals to Follow

The committee is also currently in the process of dismissing several structural trade employees including such posts as carpenters, rooters and painters.

"These trades were not critical to the day-to-day operation and we could manage our needs better through outside contractors," Saltonstall said.

Major management changes include the creation of three new managerial positions which have already been filled, and the hiring of two new area managers.

For example, the athletic field area is now under the supervision of the division responsible for many other College buildings in order to give the Faculty one primary source for repairs, instead of two, Saltonstall said.

In another move to promote better service, tradespeople work in smaller groups and each group serves a cluster of buildings.

"From now on, if you call for workers you'll get the same people all the time," Saltonstall said