CAPE ELIZABETH — Falmouth Public Works Director Jay Reynolds will be the new supervisor of public works in Cape Elizabeth, according to Town Manager Matthew Sturgis.

“We’re overjoyed to have Jay come on board,” Sturgis said. “He’s just fantastic.”

Reynolds

The Town Council confirmed Reynolds’ hiring on July 20 and he is expected to start Aug. 10. Reynolds, of Old Orchard Beach, will be succeeding the retiring Robert Malley, who held the position for more than 40 years. This week Reynolds said he was aware he had big shoes to fill.

“It’ll be a challenge,” he said.

But Reynolds is not new to public service. A native of Worcester, Massachusetts, he came to Maine just before joining the South Portland engineering department in 1994. He stayed there until 2001, then worked in the Portland Planning Department until 2006 and then to Falmouth, where he has worked for the Public Works Department ever since, the last 10 years as director.

Reynolds said he has met Malley on many occasions, usually through regional projects or regional public works and planning group meetings. When he heard Malley was retiring, he took a closer look at Cape Elizabeth.

“They’ve got good things going on over there and it seems like a great town,” he said.

Reynolds will be paid a salary of $96,000. According to the advertisement for the position, the public works director supervises a full-time staff of 17, along with part-time and seasonal staff. The director manages a variety of projects, including summer and winter road maintenance, trash and recycling, vehicle maintenance, sewer rehabilitation, sidewalk repairs and cemetery operations.

Sturgis said there are a number of public works projects on the horizon Reynolds will have to supervise, including reconstruction of parts of Shore Road, a drainage project in Kettle Cove and replacing a culvert near Willow Brook.

The director also prepares the annual operating budget. For 2021, that budget will add up to $2.1 million, which includes the recycling budget, Sturgis said.

Reynolds was one of 13 candidates the town interviewed for the position. Sturgis said Reynolds’ 25 years of municipal experience was one of the deciding factors.

“We’re really confident that he’s going to be a really great match for the community,” he said.