By GAYLA CAWLEY
SWAMPSCOTT — Officials are hoping their expected new harbormaster brings calmer waters.
Gino Cresta, interim town administrator and department of public works director, said he’ll be appointing Swampscott Police Sgt. William Waters as the new interim harbormaster to the board of selectmen on Wednesday.
Naomi Dreeben, chairwoman of the board of selectmen, said she expects the board to approve the appointment.
If approved, Waters would start his new position on Thursday, Cresta said. He said the position, which pays a stipend of $7,983, or $665 a month, is a yearly appointment. He’ll be in place through June 30.
“Then, it will obviously be my hope that he is appointed as the permanent harbormaster on July 1, 2017,” Cresta said. “He was my number one candidate to begin with, but it took some selling to get him to say, yes, he would accept the position … I think assuming the selectmen appoint him, he’s going to make a great harbormaster. He’s well-respected in the community. He’s a well-respected police officer as well.”
Cresta said he was interested in appointing Waters because of his knowledge of the harbor and that he’s a police officer. One of the qualifications to become the harbormaster, he said, is police academy training. Others include knowledge of the Swampscott Harbor and the ability to secure harbormaster council certification.
For the winter, Waters’ duties will mainly pertain to mooring applications and renewals, Cresta said, as the prime harbor season runs from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
If appointed, Waters will be replacing Harbormaster Lawrence Bithell, who is facing criminal charges for his use of an expired license plate and has been on paid administrative leave since September.
Bithell was arraigned in Lynn District Court in October on charges of attaching or concealing a registration plate, use of an uninsured trailer and use of an unregistered trailer. He was also issued a citation for misuse of an official number plate.
He last appeared in court for a pretrial hearing. His next appearance will be for a motion to dismiss hearing, which is scheduled for Feb. 28, according to the Essex County District Attorney’s office.
Officials have said that Bithell remains on administrative leave because waterfront towns are required by state law to officially have a harbormaster in place.
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Gayla Cawley can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @GaylaCawley.