Public works director says he is moving on
By Rochelle Moore
Published in News on October 26, 2016 10:13 AM
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Jose Martinez
Goldsboro Public Works Director Jose Martinez will end his three-year career in the city after accepting a similar post in Apex.
Martinez, the city's public works director since April 2013, will be the public works and transportation director for the town of Apex, starting Nov. 2. His last day in Goldsboro is Nov. 1.
"The reason why is it's the closest to home as I have," he said. "It's more opportunities. It's more opportunities for my family. It was 100 percent location, just wanted to get back to family."
The Martinez family has friends and relatives in the Raleigh and Cary area, and Martinez previously owned an engineering company in Cary.
Prior to Goldsboro, Martinez worked at Lackland Air Force Base, in Texas, as a contract strategic planner and civil engineer with the Science Applications International Corp.
Richard Fletcher, deputy director, will be the interim director of the public works department, one of the city's largest with 106 employees. Public works employees maintain city water, sewer and stormwater lines, buildings, cemeteries, the city garage and solid waste services.
Scott Stevens, city manager, said Martinez brought improvements to the department during the past several years.
"Jose's been a good addition to Goldsboro," Stevens said. "I hate to see him go, but I wish him well. For me, he's been a good director. He's made a lot of good, positive changes for public works, so I feel good about his time here."
Martinez said the change is bittersweet, due to leaving employees who worked hard under his leadership. He said he was able to improve the department's facility, implement employee incentive programs, promote continued education, and update computer systems and software.
"The biggest thing was the change of attitude," Martinez said. "I was able to bring professionalism to the office. People know have a vision for the future, a vision of how to make the department better.
"I know I left behind a structure that's better than when I got here."
The city will also experience a department head change with the pending retirement of Karen Brashear, Goldsboro's public utilities director. Brashear, a city employee of 20 years, retires at the end of October.
City leaders plan to search for one director who can lead the public works and public utilities departments.
"I've had the utility director position posted but will hold on that with hopes of finding one director," Stevens said. "If I had the right candidate, I would merge the two departments."
Michael Wagner, assistant director of public utilities, will be the interim utilities director following Brashear's retirement, Stevens said. The department operates the city's water and wastewater treatment plants and a compost facility.
A new director for both departments could be in place by early 2017, following job advertisements on the city's website and with the N.C. League of Municipalities.