Barnstable County Report

Patty Daley Is Having A Moving Experience

Barnstable's $100,000 job search in secrecy
Town Government jobs sure pay good around here

Patricia Daley has been involved in planning and land use issues on Cape Cod for nearly eighteen years. She served as in house counsel for the Cape Cod Commission from 1992 until 1999 when she joined the Sandwich environmental engineering firm Horsley & Whitten. From there she moved on to become a partner in the Mashpee law firm Daley and Whitten. Most recently Daley has been employed by the town of Barnstable, first as a member of the Planning Department and more recently and still as interim head of the Growth Management Department.

Niedzwiecki received a salary approval for $125,000 plus benefits annually, or a raise of something around $30,000 over his salary as assistant town manager

All that is about to change. The Town of Barnstable advertised for the position of permanent head of the Growth Management Department beginning two months ago and according to reliable sources in town hall the interview process is approximately 50% complete with the application process closed. According to the job posting shown on the web by the Massachusetts Municipal Association the salary range being offered is $91,158 - $100,646 plus benefits. No formal announcement has been made by the town or by Daley, but the publication of a search for an individual to replace her has caused considerable speculation.

A well placed source reports that Daley has spoken to town manager John Klimm and that he was made aware by Daley of her plans approximately two months ago. Specifically her plans are to follow her former boss, former assistant Barnstable town manager Paul Niedzwiecki to Barnstable Village and the offices of the Cape Cod Commission. It was under Niedzwiecki that Daley served in the Growth Management Department and together he and she crafted the downtown Hyannis growth Incentive Zone and the major revitalization of the Hyannis inner harbor waterfront which has produced the cluster of seven artist's shantys, soon to be removed, and the million dollar vistors center/harbor master's office.

An interesting story arises from all this. It appears that Niedzwiecki worked hard to gain approval from the Banrstable County Commissioners for a substantial increase in the salary Daley's new job will command. While it is not yet known what her job title will be Daley is rumored to be in for a salary of something in the neghborhood of $100,000 plus benefits. Niedzwiecki himself set a precedent for higher salaries at the commission when he was hired one year ago to succeed outgoing executive director Margo Fenn. Niedzwiecki received a salary approval for $125,000 plus benefits annually, or a raise of something around $30,000 over his salary as assistant town manager. In spite of the fact that the salaries paid to everyone mentioned here are drawn from public funds it is often difficult to establish who is being paid what.

Suffice it to say that public service pays well at higher levels on Cape Cod. An announcement from either Barnstable Town Hall or the cape Cod Commission is expected soon.