STONE HARBOR – For some, it is unthinkable that Stone Harbor Public Works Director Grant Russ will not be the one preparing the resort for summer 2022. Russ has been doing that for over 34 years. He also served as a firefighter for 16 years since 2005.
Stone Harbor Borough Council’s Nov. 2 agenda included a resolution authorizing a contract with a firm to help the borough find a new director. It was the first indication for many that Russ was retiring.
This comes after a difficult year in which a 2020 budget error forced the borough to delay a much-anticipated pay scale increase for Public Works employees. Labor shortages also made the past year an almost daily challenge.
In a shore town that seasonally shifts from quiet hamlet to bustling resort, the Public Works Department is what makes things work, from beach preparation to trash pickup to management of critical infrastructure and more. Russ was such a fixture in the midst of it all that it will be difficult for some to divorce the man from the job.
According to Mayor Judith Davies-Dunhour, Russ will retire effective Feb. 1, 2022.
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