Home Care In Hopedale, MA

HOPEDALE, MA — After some shaky months in Hopedale that included a property tax override and the resignation of a top town official, a longtime Milford leader has taken over at the helm of town government.

Mitch Ruscitti, a longtime public servant and member of several Milford town committees, took over as Hopedale town administrator at the end of June. Ruscitti is Hopedale's first permanent town administrator — the chief executive of the town, overseeing departments and reporting to the Select Board — since Diana Schindler resigned in October after a dispute with the Select Board over a performance review.

Now in the town's top job, Ruscitti, 35, hopes to begin steering Hopedale away from recent turmoil and toward focusing on quality-of-life issues like improving parks, attracting developments in line with the character of the town and a Complete Streets project along Adin Street providing a link to the Milford Regional Medical Center campus.

Some of the work will be financial. Hopedale voters in May approved a $1.35 million property tax override that prevented the town library and senior center from closing after a budget shortfall. Other local small towns in Massachusetts have faced similar choices this year, but voted down tax increases.

Ruscitti's path to the top job in Hopedale actually began in Hopedale. Although he grew up in Milford, Ruscitti is a 2005 graduate of Hopedale High School. He went on to graduate from UMass-Lowell, and earned a master’s degree in public administration at the University of Kentucky. He worked in the office of former Kentucky governor Steve Beshear, the Worcester city manager's office and in Rutland.

Ruscitti recently served on the Milford Finance Committee, helping to oversee spending recommendations ahead of Town Meeting. He also served on the Downtown Revitalization Committee.

Ruscitti helped lead an effort along with Milford Parks Director Jim Asam to raise over $6,500 to rebuild the Tank Field playground in Milford. He also helped the town apply for a $1.3 million federal Community Development Block Grant to use for a variety of projects around town.

He counts Asam and Milford Town Administrator Richard Villani as mentors in his journey to a leadership role in Hopedale.

"I'm extremely grateful for being able to cut my teeth with them," he said.

Ruscitti said one of his main goals is just letting Hopedale residents know he's on the job and ready to serve. The administrator's office is open every weekday for residents who want to talk, and he's available by phone or email, too.

"For me, it's just letting the community know I'm here, just trying to get some positive momentum going," he said.

HOPEDALE — When the town administrator job in Hopedale opened up late last year, Mitch Ruscitti knew he had to apply.

He had the municipal experience. And he had connections. After growing up in Milford, Ruscitti graduated from Hopedale Junior and Senior High School in 2005.

"I had a great experience here in town," Ruscitti said of Hopedale. "The two communities have really a synergistic connection. A lot of the families go back and forth, they know each other, a lot of families have family across the border in Milford. The two communities are steeped in each other's history."

Schindler resigns:Former Hopedale administrator says Select Board failed to set goals

In June, Ruscitti was chosen by the Hopedale Select Board to become town administrator. He succeeded interim Town Administrator Jeff Nutting. Nutting, the retired Franklin administrator, came to Hopedale after former Town Administrator Diana Schindler resigned in late 2022.

"I can't describe enough to the town how appreciative I am to be here," Ruscitti said. "I treat this job very differently, I think, than I would if I was town administrator somewhere else."

He added that his background in the area helps him understand the town and its goals.

"There's an aesthetic beauty to the town that I think the people want to preserve," he said. "There really still is that small-town feel here that permeates the culture. Everyone looks out for each other."

Town administrator talks plans following override vote

Ruscitti became town administrator just after Hopedale voters approved a $1.35 million override in the town's budget. That enabled the town to avoid closing the Bancroft Memorial Library and Hopedale Senior Center but raised property taxes on residents and businesses.

Ruscitti said he has plans for Hopedale's financial situation going forward.

"What I would like to do is bring the town up to compliance with best practices for financial management but also we have some projects that will allow for larger pools of free cash," Ruscitti said. The free cash — a term used to describe money that is left over at the end of a fiscal year — will allow the town the pay off debt and bonds, as well as invest in infrastructure and capital projects.

'Town had no money':Hopedale approves $1.35M override to balance town budget

Long term, Ruscitti wants to set high professional standards for his office and to invest in things people can touch and feel. He used the example of his plan to put a new fire truck on the warrant for Hopedale's fall Town Meeting. It would replace an existing vehicle that dates to 1993.

"The year that that fire engine that's going to show up at your house if there's an emergency was created (when) Hootie & the Blowfish had the No. 1 album in the United States," Ruscitti said.

Long history of civil service

After earning a master's degree from the University of Kentucky, Ruscitti worked in the Worcester City Manager's Office before returning to Kentucky to work for the governor. He then began working at Veterans Inc. in Worcester.

Following a three-year stint as a selectman in Rutland, Ruscitti began working as a community engagement manager in 2021 in Framingham until 2023. He also has his own municipal consulting firm, Tillrock Consulting.

Ruscitti also recently helped the Milford Parks Department secure a $1.3 million grant to support renovations at Milford Town Park.

More:Milford lands more than $1.3M in grant money. How they plan to spend it

Jim Asam, Milford's parks director, considers himself fortunate to have worked with Ruscitti.

"It was a great knowing it was a six-month process that took six weeks because of his knowledge of grants," Asam said, of the Milford Town Park project. "It's nice to see stuff get done."

Asam added that Ruscitti also "had a big hand in" the Draper Park revitalization, working with the state to get matching grants.

"It was a tough time for the state, during COVID, but it moved smoothly," Asam said. "He will be missed. I had a good working relationship with him, and I wish him the best in Hopedale."

Ruscitti said he wants to replicate the Milford Town Park project in Hopedale, even if it's not from the same pot of money.

"Parks and playgrounds, that's a big thing for me," he said. "Those are projects people in the community can see and interact with. Nobody gets jazzed up about retaining walls or a new water tower or stormwater management, even though those are (also) very important things."

As for Ruscitti's own family, he has two young daughters and lives in Milford.

"Sundays are awesome," he said. "Every (Sunday) morning we get up, we go to Mass and my daughters — they're in a unique position — they love watching football with Daddy, so we make Sunday afternoons in the fall special."

HOPEDALE — Voters have approved a $1.35 million override in the town's budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1, a move that avoids closure of the Bancroft Memorial Library and Hopedale Senior Center but raises property taxes on residents and businesses.

Interim Town Administrator Jeff Nutting put it bluntly: "The town had no money, we had no other option."

Nutting, who was Franklin's town administrator for 18 years before retiring in 2019, was appointed interim administrator in Hopedale last year after former Town Administrator Diana Schindler resigned.

A document prepared by Nutting in April indicated that a successful override vote would raise the annual taxes due on a typical Hopedale home — one valued at $450,000 — by $562 for fiscal 2024, which begins July 1. That estimate accounts for only the override, and is in addition to any tax increases associated with the regular town budget.

Temporary tax hike:Hopedale voters OK debt exclusion worth nearly $300K

The override had to be approved both at Town Meeting on May 16 and during a special town election a week later. Of 1,483 ballots cast during the special election, 1,075 people voted in favor of the override with 405 against.

In addition to closure of the library and senior center, a failed override would have also meant cuts in teachers, sports programs, transportation services and summer programs.

2020 special election:Hopedale voters reject $1.3 million tax override

The need for an override was the result of a gap between the town's projected revenues and expenses for fiscal 2024, according to an online statement about Hopedale's financial position. The gap was estimated to be more than $1.86 million.

"A $2 million gap is huge in a little town," Nutting said. He said the gap was not hard to figure out when the process began for making the coming fiscal year's budget.

"We had an honest debate about it," Nutting said, explaining that discussions and presentations were targeted toward the schools, senior center and parks commission.

"In order to balance the budget, the recommendation is to reduce the school budget request by over $1 million, close the library, senior center and parks programs, along with several other reductions in the requested budgets," the document prepared by Nutting earlier this year reads.

Use of free cash

Hopedale has been using free cash — funds left over from previous years — to help balance its annual budget. Nutting's report compared the free cash to getting a bonus.

"In other words, your yearly expenses exceed your yearly income, so you did the best you could to get by using the bonus but now you face an even bigger problem. Something must give. You need to cut some expenses or earn extra income," the report reads.

Bad budgeting or something else?:Prop. 2 1/2 overrides disappearing, but taxpayers still pay

The snapshot goes on to say that Hopedale is in the same situation, and has been living off the "bonus," but that the town needs to phase out this practice.

Nutting's snapshot said cuts must be made in the school budget, library, council on aging, parks and other budgets or there would need to be an override.

Hopedale's budget shortfall

Revenue sources for Hopedale are projected to increase in the next fiscal year, according to Nutting's report. The town's revenue would increase from property taxes ($604,000), state aid ($34,000, which varies) and local receipts such as excise tax and fees ($119,000). These totals, along with the proposed use of $100,000 from free cash, would bring in $857,000 in additional available revenue.

However, a $521,236 increase in expenses to Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School, as well as debt and interest, pension and other items, would leave just $335,764 available for all other town departments.

'A somewhat magical place':Hopedale library trustees name Tricia Perry as permanent director

According to the town, the projected deficit would have been $1,766,800, which would require cuts to close, including more than $1 million from the school budget.

Thanks to the override vote, however, those cuts did not occur.

Hopedale previously held override votes in 2019 and 2020. Voters approved a $430,000 override in 2019 but rejected a $1.3 million proposed override in 2020.

Bancroft Memorial Library Director Tricia Perry said that if the override not passed, a library closure would have been a "critical" loss for the town.

"If the library closes," she said, "the library loses certification from the state. Once you lose certification, you cannot regain certification for a full fiscal year."

Perry also said that if the Hopedale library had closed, libraries in the Central and Western Massachusetts Automated Resource Sharing (CW MARS) network would have revoked borrowing privileges from Hopedale residents.

Also, Bancroft Library staff members would have lost their jobs on July 1.

"The staff were thrilled when it passed, it would have been devastating for the community," Perry said.

According to Nutting, the town took other measures to save money, including cutting vacant positions and cutting overtime in the Fire, Police and Highway departments.

After Joe Drugan’s wife, Andrea, stepped down from coaching field hockey at Hopedale High in 1993, the longtime coach sprung an impromptu challenge on her husband during his 50th birthday party a year later.

“She said ‘I’m retiring. Hey, let’s see what you can do!’” Drugan recalled. “I had no inclination (to coach). I looked at her for maybe 10 seconds and finally said ‘Are you crazy?!’ ... I thought it over and said ‘You know what, let’s give it a crack.’”

Soon after his birthday celebration, Drugan, a lifelong runner, volunteered to help coach the Hopedale cross country team. A few years later, he took over as head coach in the fall and even added spring and winter running to his repertoire.

“I took the ball and ran with it,” Drugan, 78, said.

Rolling with the punches

The same year Drugan began coaching at Hopedale, the resident of Hopedale started working at Gillette Stadium in team operations as a football and soccer supervisor.

Drugan has seen it all through his three decades at 1 Patriot Place during New England Patriots and Revolution events. From Gronk spikes to Taylor Twellman goals. And everything in between.

In 2015, Pats owner Robert Kraft invited Drugan to travel to Arizona to watch Super Bowl XLIX between the Patriots and Seattle Seahawks.

“I thought they were going to give the ball to ‘Beast Mode!’” Drugan said of the Seahawks’ infamous decision to call a pass play instead of run with Marshawn Lynch.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Drugan’s job responsibilities changed at Gillette Stadium.

He transitioned from supervising those who watched Tom Brady (or Cam Newton) throw the deep ball to assisting medical professionals administer vaccines. The pandemic turned the home of the Pats and Revs into one of the most utilized vaccination spots on the East Coast.

Meet:The coaches who were named the Daily News Coach of the Year for winter 2021

Although his day-to-day operations were adjusted, Drugan was up for the challenge.

“To me, I just went with the punches,” he said.

‘Just gotta keep on moving’

With Gillette Stadium transitioned back now to a sporting venue, Drugan is excited to regain a sense of normalcy: both in Hopedale and Foxborough.

Drugan’s pulling double duty by supervising Pats training camp while prepping for the Hopedale cross country season.

Army Man:Hopedale's Will Parker set to play baseball, become an officer at West Point

Entering his 29th year with the Blue Raiders, the four-time state champion as a coach hopes to see a big season from a few of his runners, including senior captain Ryan Hayes.

“Running under Coach Drugan has been an amazing experience, mostly because he prepares us mentally, not just physically to succeed,” Hayes said. “I think the mentality part is what sets him apart from so many other coaches.”

Through the three decades of coaching, Drugan’s appreciation for his family is what has kept him going strong. He credits his wife for her fateful prodding.

“If it wasn’t for her, I don’t think I’d be coaching cross country,” Drugan said. “She gave me the challenge and I went with it.”

Tim Maguire has coached with Drugan since 2010 with the Hopedale cross country, indoor and outdoor track teams. Maguire, like many, doesn't see Drugan hanging it up anytime soon.

“I think people have whispered ‘Oh, he might retire’ for the last decade. I don’t think he’s gonna retire until he’s under ground,” Maguire said. “I don’t think I’ve ever met any coach (as passionate about his runners). … He just loves the kids.”

As for Drugan, he’s just putting one foot in front of the next. He kinda likes this whole coaching thing.

“No time frame for me,” he said. “Just gotta keep on moving.”

During its hey-day in the early to mid-20th century, the Draper Corp. in Hopedale was the country’s leading manufacturer of power looms for the textile industry and employed more than 3,000 people.

A centerpiece of the town’s history, the 80-acre, 1.8 million square-foot complex has sat vacant for four decades and redevelopment plans have hit roadblocks in recent years, but last week’s announcement by Hopedale Properties, LLC, which has owned the site since 1990, that the former Draper factory would be fully demolished, is a major step forward for the revitalization project.

“We are definitely moving forward,” said Philip Shwachman, principal of Hopedale Properties, LLC, and First American Realty Inc. of Worcester. “This is a big commitment in terms of time and expense for our staff, as well as others that are involved.

“We are optimistic for the future prospects of this key development site in the heart of Hopedale and very pleased with the enthusiastic support from local residents and community leaders alike,” Shwachman said.

In August, Hopedale Properties announced that a 250,000 square-foot section of the Draper property that posed significant structural and environmental concerns to the redevelopment efforts would be torn down, and that wing, located on the south side and closest to Town Hall, has been totally demolished, Shwachman said.

Since abatement and demolition began, new structural concerns were identified in the remaining portions of the complex, which led to the decision for full demolition.

Another 25% of the building’s square footage, along Freedom St., has been fully abated of asbestos, Shwachman said.

“The asbestos that was remaining was primarily roof flashings, window caulking and glazing,” Shwachman said, “so all the windows are removed and portions of the roof trim are gone. That was recently completed.”

Shwachman anticipated a demolition permit for that section to be issued soon.

The abatement and demolition at the site is expected to be completed by the end of June.

“That’s our schedule,” Shwachman said.

In planning redevelopment of the property, Shwachman has been working with the Worcester Business Development Corp. on a master planning process for the last year and a half.

“They’re a very talented group,” Shwachman said, “and we’re looking for their assistance and participation and visioning and master planning for the re-use of the site.”

Among WBDC’s numerous noteworthy projects are the Mercantile Center, the former Telegram & Gazette building at 20 Franklin St., the Central Building, the Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts, and the Voke Lofts, all in Worcester.

“We certainly look at projects that are a little bit more on the difficult side,” said WBDC senior project manager Julie Holstrom, “that normal market developers wouldn’t necessarily take on for any number of reasons, being environmental, historic, you name it, and that’s really why I believe Mr. Shwachman contacted us to take a look at this property because this is something that, yes, we have seen in the past and have had to make those hard decisions of, ‘Do you keep going with a study?’ or ‘Let’s look at all these different avenues of how a property can be re-used,’ or ‘What are the final uses that can be there?’ That’s certainly what we’ve done in the past.”

The Draper Corp. operated out of the site for about 130 years, and Shwachman said he hoped to preserve some of the historic property.

“That’s why we let it stand for so long,” he said, “even though some of the buildings were fairly deteriorated even when we got them.”

Craig Blais, president and CEO of the WBDC, said the decision for Hopedale Properties to pursue complete demolition of the property did not come easily.

“It’s not an easy decision to tear down a building that has such history in a community,” Holstrom added, “but I think when you look at what the future potential holds, it can be great, while also looking at ways to honor the history that’s there. I think that is something that Phil is very keen to do, maintaining the historical nature, memorializing the Draper complex.”

Initial findings from a market study, Holstrom said, identified a number of potential uses, including multi-family and senior residential, industrial/flex space, and open space.

In addition to the WBDC’s work, the town of Hopedale is working with the Central Massachusetts Planning Commission to complete a comprehensive update of the community’s master plan, documenting the community’s needs and how they can be addressed.

“This redevelopment initiative has been a long time in the making,” Hopedale town administrator Diana Schindler said, “and just as Draper Company was a vital component of Hopedale’s economic past, the town is excited to be partnered with Hopedale Properties, WBDC and CMRPC to vision and plan for an even more diverse, equally vibrant future, even in the face of these unprecedented times.”