In the public eye: Raymond Public Works Director Nathan White

Nathan White serves at the Town of Raymond's
Public Works Director. He has worked for the
department for 30 years and began as the 
town's recycling driver. He eventually
worked his way up to lead the department,
which maintains 50 miles of roadways in the 
town and has a staff of nine.
SUBMITTED PHOTO

By Briana Bizier

Editor’s note: This is another in an ongoing series of Windham and Raymond town employee profiles.

Just like individuals, cities and towns need to have someone they can call when unexpected problems pop up. For the Town of Raymond, that person is Public Works Director Nathan White.

“We do just about everything,” White said as he described his job with Raymond’s Public Works Department. White’s team manages over 50 miles of roads in Raymond, mows the parks and public spaces in the summer, plows the snow in the winter, and takes care of the town’s equipment and buildings.

According to White, maintaining the Town of Raymond is a team effort.

“This is all made possible by the crew that works under me,” White said. “You can’t do it alone; you’ve got to have the crew behind you. Most of my guys have been here 20-plus years.”

This experienced team is also responsible for Raymond’s three public beaches: Tassel Top Park, Raymond Beach, and Crescent Beach. This week, White and his team were putting in the buoys and ropes that designate the swimming areas for those three beaches. One member of the Public Works team even walks Raymond’s beaches every summer morning to pick up debris left from the night before.

“Although we don’t get to hang out on the beaches in the summers as much as my guys would like to,” White admitted with a chuckle, "we come in the spring and fall to clean it up, and then we get out of there.”

The Public Works department also partners with Raymond’s volunteer Beautification Committee during the summers to keep the town blooming.

“We get them all the stuff they need,” White said. “The volunteers are very important. That’s really what makes Raymond, Raymond.”

While White’s Public Works department has full responsibility for most of Raymond’s roads, that responsibility is shared with the Maine Department of Transportation when it comes to the three major thoroughfares: Route 302, Route 85, and Egypt Road. Of course, if an emergency blocks any of those roads, the Public Works department will step in to help, whether that means dragging a fallen log to the side of the road or assisting the Fire Department.

“We do what it takes to get traffic rolling again,” White explained.

Those road-blocking emergencies can take many forms, from traffic accidents to fallen trees to large, misguided animals. Although White told me it’s been many years since he’s had to clear cows from a Raymond road, wild animals, both alive and dead, are still common.

“We do all wild large animals,” White said. “If there’s a dead moose, a dead bear, any dead wild critters, people are calling us.”

For White, who moved to Raymond as a teenager, 2021 marks his 30th year in Public Works. It’s a position that began in the cab of a recycling truck.

“The town was looking for a recycle truck driver two days a week, and my wife told me I had to get out of the house and do something,” White said, with a laugh. “Within a year it worked its way into a fulltime position, and within two years the foreman. Back then it was just two of us. When he got done, by process of elimination, I was the next foreman.”

White’s position in Raymond’s Public Works Department has grown alongside the town. His attitude, however, remains consistent.

“I hope this is what’s helped me stay here as long as I have,” White said. “I’ll do anything that anybody asks, and if I can’t get it done, I’ll find someone who can. I’ve got a fantastic bunch of people who work for me, and they’ve all got that same attitude. We don’t say no, we’ll just come out and fix it. These people pay our salary, they pay their taxes, and we’ll do what we’re asked.”

It’s an attitude that White would like to convey to all Raymond residents.

“If you’ve got something you want us to do, or you see something you’d like done, please give me a call,” White said. “Someone answers that phone 24 hours a day.”

Whether it’s plowing a narrow, windy road alongside a frozen lake or removing a large wild animal from the side of a busy intersection, White’s job in Public Works is full of challenges and surprises.

“It’s a very interesting job,” White said. “I came from an automotive background, and I really didn’t know what I was up for. I said, ‘Sure, I’ll ride around in a recycling truck for the summer.’ Here we are 30 years later. I’ve had some super opportunities here, all because of the administration staff and the people who’ve been on the town board and who’ve trusted me with this opportunity.”

“It’s been a good ride,” White added. “I wouldn’t change it for anything.” <