SECTION 1. Chapter 56 of the Acts of 1988 is hereby repealed and the publiC works commission established by said act is hereby abolished.

 SECTION 2. There is hereby established in the Town of Barre a Department of Public Works, hereinafter called the "Department". Said Department shall have all the powers and duties previously vested in or exercised by and composed of the highway department, water department, sewer department and the parks and recreation department.

 SECTION 3. The department shall be supervised by a superintendent appointed by the selectboard, in consultation with a recommendation by the town administrator, subject to the by-laws of the town that provide for the appointment of officers. The town administrator in consultation with select board may establish an employment contract with the superintendent for salary, fringe benefits and other conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, severance pay, reimbursement for expenses incurred in the performance of the duties of office, liability insurance and conditions of discipline, termination, dismissal, reappointment, performance standards and leave. The superintendent shall hold no other elective or appointive office in the town without approval from the select board and shall not be engaged in any other business that would constitute a conflict of interest as defined by Massachusetts General Laws. The superintendent shall report to the town administrator as to the doings of the department at such times as the town administrator may require.

 SECTION 4. The superintendent shall exercise and perform, under the direction and supervision of the town administrator, all of the powers, rights and duties to be exercised by the department under this act, and the superintendent shall recommend for appointment such subordinate employees a v b e necessary to operate the department, subject to approval by the town administrator. The compensation of any such subordinate employees shall be established pursuant to the personnel policies and practices, rules and regulations of the town and any applicable collective bargaining agreements.

 SECTION 5. No contracts or liabilities in force upon the effective date of this act shall be affected by the repeal of chapter 56 of the acts of 1988, and the department of public works and the superintendent of public works created in this act shall in all respects be the lawful successor of the offices and departments that were abolished by the repeal of said chapter 56. Al records, property and equipment of any office, department or part thereof assigned under said chapter 56 shall, by operation of law, be assigned to the department of public works and the superintendent of public works.

 SECTION 6. This act shall take effect upon passage.