New DPW supervisor enthusiastic to learn

New Manchester DPW Superintendent Brent Jones started his position on Aug. 14. He will replace Gary Wiedmayer, who retires at the end of September.

A new face is joining the more familiar ones in the Department of Public Works (DPW) crew in the Village of Manchester.

Brent Jones, a native of Grass Lake, was the successful applicant for the "working superintendent" job advertised by the Village in July, to replace long-time DPW Superintendent Gary Wiedmayer.

Wiedmayer will retire at the end of September after serving the village for 37 years.

Jones is a 2007 graduate of Grass Lake High School and a member of the Grass Lake Fire Department. He is married to his high school sweetheart, Lindsey, and they have three sons--Bennett, 8, Grady, 5, and Sawyer, 4.

"That keeps me busy," he says with a chuckle.

He has worked for the Grass Lake DPW full time for the past five years, and has done a variety of jobs while there, including water and sewer, mowing and snow-plowing, personal contact with residents, as well as general maintenance of village equipment.

"When I heard about this position, I knew it was for me," Jones said. "And now that I'm here, I'm finding it's a great group of guys--they're hardworking and very well organized. I have a lot of respect for that. And it is definitely making the whole transition easier."

His priorities as he gets started with his new challenge include helping to continue a viable plan for equipment replacement. He also says he sees replacing the current DPW barn as a major need for the community.

"It's too small," he explains. "It is in a nice location, but we have some of our equipment stored in the barn, but also at the village building on City Road. It would be much better to be able to consolidate all the equipment in one place."

Jones acknowledges that the village has put a new DPW garage in its long term plans, and he is excited to see the possibility come to fruition during his tenure in Manchester. He looks forward to the challenges ahead and sees this as a great opportunity to grow and develop his skills.

"Everyone here has been super nice, and I've been welcomed with open arms," he says. "It would be great to stay here for a long time."

Village Manager Jeff Wallace said, "We are happy to find someone like Brent who already has experience in DPW work. We feel very comfortable with setting up a training program over the next three to four years, and we're confident that he'll develop into a top-notch superintendent."

Jones began his position as superintendent on August 14.

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.