Records raise concerns about possible double dipping, with the head of Holbrook’s Department of Public Works also working full-time for MassDOT.
He holds a top job in a local town by day and works a state job at night. But at times it appears those jobs collide and taxpayers may be footing the bill for some overlapping hours.
Records obtained by the NBC10 Boston Investigators raise concerns about Keith Nastasia, the head of Holbrook’s Public Works Department and possible double dipping. He’s been collecting a paycheck in Holbrook since late 2021 and a few months ago he also started working full-time for the state.
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Nastasia headed for the door and kept on moving when we tried to ask him questions about how he could work full-time for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and full-time for the town of Holbrook. Nastasia said, “No comment.”
Nastasia has a big job in town, earning $120,000 last year to oversee all of the operations for the Holbrook Public Works Department where the doors are open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. each day. On top of that, according to his contract, he needs to be available to respond to emergencies 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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State records show that along with all of the work at the DPW yard, Nastasia took on even more responsibility starting in December working another full-time job as a maintenance worker with MassDOT. The state tells us he needs to physically be onsite here in Weston from 9:30 p.m. until 7 a.m., leaving no time to commute back to Holbrook for the start of the workday for the DPW.
We compared Nastasia’s state time sheets to his town requirements and the hours added up to some very long days in jobs where safety is key.
Sixteen-hour days during the week and on occasion those days stretch even longer. He clocked in 24 hours straight at one point in December -putting in 16 hours with the state and rolling right into his expected eight hours in Holbrook. Later that month it’s 22 hours straight. On two days in January, he was paid overtime for MassDOT while he was supposed to be on the clock for the town at the same time.
Investigations
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Mary Connaughton is with the government watchdog group the Pioneer Institute.
“That is absolutely wrong. That cannot be happening unless somehow Holbrook said we’re not going to pay you for these hours or MassDOT said we’re not going to pay you for these hours where you’re working your other job,” said Connaughton.
In an email, MassDOT told us it was their understanding from the interview process that Nastasia was leaving his Holbrook job. Holbrook said they had no idea Nastasia was working for MassDOT.
“I mean do you have to be Superman to be able to pull that off, go from one job to the other, both very demanding jobs, both of which involve public safety in the work that is done?” Connaugton added.
Holbrook town administrator Greg Hanley initially agreed to an interview with NBC10 Boston but the town’s lawyer advised him not to speak, writing in an email that he suspected this would be “a hit piece” and not advantageous to the town. Hanley described Nastasia as a great worker who has done a lot of good for the town.
Nastasia continued to respond with “no comment” during repeated questions about his state and town jobs. The NBC10 Boston Investigators learned Nastasia resigned from his MassDOT job when questions began surfacing about it. The Select Board has authorized an independent investigation into Nastasia’s hours.
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