NORWICH – The Chenango County Board of Supervisors unanimously appointed Shawn G. Fry to director of public works, starting April 1.

According to local law, the appointment is for a six-year term. Fry will receive an annual salary of $69,000 plus benefits.

The Chenango County Department of Public Works employs about 85 people – 60 in the highway division and 25 in waste management. Fry, 48, has served as DPW interim director for that past five months since former Director Randy Gibbon retired in November.

A native of Hamilton, Fry received his associate’s degree from SUNY Morrisville and went onto earn a bachelor’s in engineering from Cornell University. He joined the county department in 1994 as an engineer aide, and became senior engineer in 1998. He currently lives in Sherburne.

During discussion of the resolution at last week’s board meeting, Town of Smyrna Supervisor James Bays made a motion to refer Chenango County Local Law 1998 - which provides for the director’s position - to the Personnel Committee to investigate amending it. Bays’ motion was seconded by the supervisor from Preston, Peter C. Flanagan, who said the Public Works Committee requested a probationary period for Fry, but local law prohibited it.