COLRAIN — The Highway Department is seeking its next superintendent, with the ideal candidate being someone who can effectively balance administrative tasks with fieldwork alongside the crew.

The Selectboard approved a job description and the creation of a hiring committee Tuesday, with the goal of having a new hire in the role before the cold weather arrives. The hiring committee will be made up of Personnel Committee Chair Ellen Weeks, interim Highway Superintendent Nate Gilbert, Police Chief Chris Lannon and Selectboard member Ben Eastman.

“There are things that need to be addressed as we get into winter,” Town Administrator Diana Parsons said, “and winter is coming.”

Last August, the Selectboard appointed Gilbert, the longtime town mechanic, to serve as interim superintendent to fill the vacancy left by former Superintendent Steven Daby, who died in March 2024. However, Gilbert has informed the board that he is not interested in holding the position permanently as he misses his hourly mechanic job, where he spent more time with the crew and could earn overtime pay. The highway superintendent job is a salaried position.

“I like to go out and work with the guys,” Gilbert said.

“Nate is a great supervisor and he’s a great mechanic,” Selectboard Chair Emily Thurber said. “He just said he doesn’t want to work with no overtime.”

Board members thanked Gilbert for his work and asked him to participate on the hiring committee, noting that while it may be awkward for him to hire his new boss, they value his input.

“This person has got to work with the team,” Thurber told Gilbert, “and you’re gonna be a very good judge of that team.”

While the town is seeking someone to oversee the day-to-day management of the Highway Department — including road maintenance and repairs, overseeing the Transfer Station, and managing budgets and grant applications — it is also looking for a candidate who can work well with the existing crew.

“We want to add to the team,” Eastman noted. “We want to add to all the experience, add to the professionalism, add to the talent.”

The board has yet to determine a salary range to list with the job description, which will be posted to the town website. However, when Gilbert was hired for the interim role, he was given a salary of $77,127. For fiscal year 2026, the town has allocated a budget of $91,423 for the position.

Reach Madison Schofield at 413-930-4579 or mschofield@recorder.com.