By Maia Zewert
Damariscotta Town Manager Matt Lutkus will retire at the end of 2016, after five years in the position.
Lutkus informed the Damariscotta Board of Selectmen at its Nov. 4 meeting that the board did not need to consider renewing his contract after it expires Dec. 31, 2016.
“I love working for the community here in Damariscotta,” Lutkus said. “I will be putting as much energy as possible into this job until my last day.”
Lutkus’ retirement will conclude almost 40 years of work in town and city management, a passion he has held since his first internship in city management in 1976.
At the time, Lutkus was pursuing a master’s degree in public affairs from the University of Connecticut with hopes of someday working for a federal agency like the U.S. Forest Service or Environmental Protection Agency. The program required an internship to graduate, and an internship within a federal agency was hard to come by.
With the deadline looming, Lutkus went to his adviser and asked for whatever internship was available. Lutkus’ adviser suggested an internship with the town manager of West Hartford, Conn. Lutkus said it was not his first choice, but he soon changed his mind.
“I ended up loving almost everything about it,” Lutkus said. “I was on the front lines with the citizens and I loved working at the local level of government.”
The summer internship ended up guiding Lutkus’ career path. When he graduated from the University of Connecticut, he moved to Kansas City, Mo., where he interned for a year before becoming a budget analyst. After another year and a half, Lutkus decided it was time for another move.
“I’m an avid skier and I’ve always loved Colorado, so I decided to only apply for communities in Colorado,” Lutkus said.
Lutkus took a job as assistant to the city manager in Westminster, Colo., which, at the time, had a population of 40,000. During his 33-year tenure, the city grew to a population of more than 110,000 people, and Lutkus rose through the ranks to become deputy city manager.
During his time with Westminster, Lutkus served as director of the general services department and oversaw personnel matters, building maintenance, and municipal court administration. He also played a key role in two major transportation projects, working closely with state and federal lawmakers.
After more than 30 years, Lutkus said he felt the need to “shift gears.”
“It was an exciting job, but it was very pressure-filled,” Lutkus said.
Lutkus knew at some point he wanted to move to Maine, having spent family summer vacations in the state when he was younger. Lutkus and his wife, Julie, decided that upon Lutkus’ retirement, they would move to the coast.
One day Lutkus received a call from a friend in Saco saying Damariscotta’s town manager had resigned. After some consideration, Lutkus submitted an application for the job.
“We intended to move out once I retired,” Lutkus said. “But when the job opened, we figured, ‘Why not now?'”
Lutkus interviewed for the position in October 2012. The night before his interview, he spent some time walking the rainy streets of downtown Damariscotta. He came to the realization he was going to live in Damariscotta regardless of whether he got the job or not.
“It was one of those moments when you realize you’re where you’re meant to be,” Lutkus said.
Lutkus officially started working for Damariscotta Jan. 2, 2012. His tenure as town manager has included successes as well as challenges. In his first year, he and the board of selectmen addressed the overlap of services provided by the Damariscotta Police Department and the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office. The topic, Lutkus said, continues to resurface around budget season.
A proposal put forth by the selectmen would have contracted the sheriff’s office to provide around-the-clock law enforcement in Damariscotta and would have eliminated the chief and administrative assistant positions in Damariscotta, but it required an amendment to the town charter.
The amendment was defeated with a vote of 732-546 in November 2011.
“The message we received there was that people wanted a full-time police department administered here in town,” Lutkus said. “The sheriff’s office is covering a huge county, and a lot of folks want a police department that is closer. They like the fact that they know the people working there.”
In 2013, Lutkus applied for and secured more than $600,000 in state grants to fund the majority of a roughly $750,000 public infrastructure project on Chapman, Church, Pleasant, and Hodgdon streets.
The project included new sidewalks and water lines, as well as drainage improvements to the often-soggy neighborhood.
The same year, Lutkus secured a state grant and private funds to cover the $31,400 purchase price of a boat pump-out station for the harbor. The stations encourage boaters to properly dispose of sewage, promoting the health of the river.
Lutkus has also overseen the development of a plan to rebuild and improve the municipal parking lot and waterfront area, and to protect the downtown against flooding.
“It was one of those things that we took off the shelf and said it was time to move forward,” Lutkus said. “We now have a new base plan that has been approved by the selectmen, so our next major breakthrough will come when we identify a major funding source.”
A cooperative public works arrangement between Damariscotta and Newcastle dissolved during Lutkus’ tenure as town manager. The Damariscotta Board of Selectmen voted to terminate the agreement, which had been in place since 2011, at its July 15 meeting.
“At the time when people in town management are talking about regionalization of services, in this town, at this particular time, having local control over our own public works department is very important,” Lutkus said.
Since the agreement expired Oct. 31, Lutkus has been working with a committee to create a road maintenance plan based on a recent survey of the town’s roads.
“When I go into a community, one of the first things I notice is the condition of the roads,” Lutkus said. “The people who live here and pay taxes have the right to good roads, and that’s going to be a priority moving forward.”
Lutkus would also like to relieve some of the burden placed on residents by identifying revenue sources for the town beyond property taxes. He suggested continuing to research user fees, such as paid parking, an ongoing topic of conversation in Damariscotta.
“Right now we’re looking at what other towns and cities in Maine do to see what options we have,” Lutkus said. “The taxpayers have to support the infrastructure for these businesses and programs people from out of town use. We have a wonderful community, but we have a burden.”
Lutkus said he and his wife will continue to live in “their dream home” in Damariscotta after his retirement. Lutkus intends to spend time with his family, including his daughter, Hillary, a student at Yale University in New Haven, Conn.
Lutkus also will keep busy with a variety of outdoor hobbies, including sailing, kayaking, and skiing. “I’m an Eagle Scout and former assistant scoutmaster and merit badge counselor,” Lutkus said. “Scouting is something I would love to get back involved in. It’s a great program.”
Although he also intends to volunteer with the Damariscotta Pumpkinfest and the Pemaquid Watershed Association, Lutkus does not intend to stay involved with town government.
“There’s an unwritten rule that you’ve got to make a clean break,” Lutkus said. “That said, if my successor needs any help, I’ll be there.”
The search for the next town manager is expected to begin in the late summer or early fall. Lutkus said he will work as long as it takes for the selectmen to find a replacement.
Damariscotta Board of Selectmen Chairman Robin Mayer said the accomplishments Lutkus has made during his tenure as town manager will help the board and the town in years to come.
“(Lutkus) has an extremely strong work ethic, both professionally as the town manager, and personally, actively volunteering for a variety of activities throughout the year to support the town,” Mayer said. “While he won’t be town manager, I know that he’ll continue to be an asset to the town through his volunteering activities.”
Damariscotta Selectman Josh Pinkham said Lutkus has been a great team leader for the board and the town during his tenure.
“At the time, we were looking for someone to come in and evaluate the town with a fresh set of eyes to tell us what we were doing good and what wasn’t so good, and Matt did that,” Pinkham said. “He came in with some ideas and really got involved and became visible in the community.”
“One of the great things about Matt is that he respects everyone’s opinion, even if he doesn’t agree with it,” Pinkham said. “Even when we disagree, he’s willing to work together and talk things out to find a solution.”
