Thomas Breen file photos
Top city workers who have retired or resigned in 2021 so far include (pictured) former CAO Scott Jackson, outgoing nursing director Jennifer Vazquez, former Asst. Fire Chief Mark Vendetto.
Thomas Breen file photo
City Building Official Jim Turcio (right) on the job with (now-retired) Asst. Fire Chief Mark Vendetto.
Twenty-four municipal workers have resigned already in 2021, more than double the rate at this point in 2020 — and the building department, for one, desperately needs help.
On Monday night, the Board of Alders Finance Committee unanimously voted in support of the $25,000 budget transfer from the salary line to the overtime line in Office of Building, Inspection, and Enforcement. The requested transfer now advances to the full Board of Alders for a final vote.
The building department’s requested financial transfer pales in comparison to the millions of dollars moved around each year to cover for police and firefighter overtime. But Building Official Jim Turcio and City Budget Director Michael Gormany said that the ask stems from a worrisome difficulty in filling vacant spots.
“All year, we’ve had an average of three to five vacancies between assistant building inspectors, assistant electrical inspectors, and assistant plumbing inspectors,” Turcio said. “In order to comply with difficult guidelines via state and local [regulations], we need to have these inspectors working overtime to complete the inspections for this office.”
“We’ve seen a ton of vacancies,” Gormany agreed. “The inspectors that we do have have to work overtime.” Thus the $25,000 intra-departmental budget transfer request to pay the department’s current workers a bit more to do the work not done by positions that are still unfilled.
Zoom
Monday night’s virtual Finance Committee meeting.
When might these vacant positions be filled? asked Westville Alder and Finance Committee Vice-Chair Adam Marchand. Is there help on the way?
Turcio said he’s hoping to hire two building inspectors by April 1. “At this time, we’re just getting by with the overtime” the department has, he said.
Board of Alders President and West River Alder Tyisha Walker-Myers asked about why Turcio has had to post one of the vacant jobs three times. “Can you talk a bit about the barriers to posting?” Are these jobs staying unfilled because of Covid? For some other reason?
Turcio said that, while he hopes to hire two new building inspectors by April 1, he has posted three times — and failed to attract qualified applications each time — for the still-empty job of assistant plumbing inspector.
He said that role requires pretty hefty professional certifications around heating and plumbing skills. “There’s a shortage of people” with those qualifications, he said.
“And other towns and cities pay more.”
He said his department has lost four inspectors to other towns and cities over the course of the last 12 months.
Why are we losing people to outside New Haven? asked East Rock Alder Anna Festa. Is it the pay and benefits?
“It’s definitely the pay,” Turcio said. “We are one of the lowest in the state.” He said one former city inspector left for a similar job in Southington, which pays $19,000 more than New Haven does for that same role.
“It’s money,” Turcio said. “It’s without a doubt, money.”
“We are becoming a training ground for inspectors all over the state,” the city’s top building official added. “They come here. They learn the proper procedures. And then they move on.”
24 Resignations, 14 Retirements So Far In 2021
Thomas Breen file photos
Top city workers who have retired or resigned in 2021 so far include (pictured) former CAO Scott Jackson, outgoing nursing director Jennifer Vazquez, former Asst. Fire Chief Mark Vendetto.
According to the Independent’s review of 15 months of city weekly personnel reports, Turcio’s department isn’t alone in seeing a recent spike in employee departures.
So far this calendar year, 25 City Hall workers have put in their resignation papers with plans to leave their posts between Jan. 1 and March 19.
That compares to nine City Hall workers who resigned from their municipal jobs in that same time period last year, between Jan. 1 and March 19, 2020.
The number of City Hall retirements, meanwhile, stands at 14 so far this calendar year, which is one more than the number of new retirements at this time last year. That doesn’t include the pending retirement of Police Chief Otoniel Reyes, who is currently taking vacation time before formally retiring at the end of June.
Overall in 2020, New Haven city government saw 58 resignations and 80 retirements. The 24 resignations in the first two-plus months of 2021 so far represent nearly half the number of all those who resigned in 2020.
In off-the-record conversations, some City Hall workers resigning in the past year have cited the appeal of more predictable work hours and better pay in the private sector. Some have cited work or education plans bringing them out of New Haven. Some have said publicly that they left for family reasons.
According to the city’s latest monthly financial report, there were vacancies in 80 full-time positions and five part-time positions among nonsworn personnel as of Jan. 31.
That compares to 69 full-time positions and three part-time positions among nonsworn personnel as of Jan. 31, 2020.
Below is a list of City Hall workers who have resigned and retired so far this year, followed by a list of all those who resigned and retired in 2020. Each list is sorted alphabetically by last name.
UPDATE: This article was updated Friday afternoon to reflect the city’s latest weekly personnel report. That report included the rescinding of one resignation, bringing the total for the year so far to 24. It also included one new retirement, bringing that total up to 14 for the year so far.
Resigned In 2021 So Far
Candace Ben Elohim, Administrative Assistant
Patrick Bengtson, Police Officer
Caitlin Bruni, Public Health Nurse Coordinator
Janey Carrero, Public Health Nurse
Kara Delvecchio, Public Health Nurse
Seth Flynn, Asst Building Inspector
Melissa Francetic, Public Health Nurse
David Gillis, Special Mechanic Fire
Grace Grajales, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
Michael Granucci, Parking Enforcement Officer
Raquel Herrera, Public Health Nurse
Scott Jackson, Chief Administrative Officer
Kevin Joyner, Police Officer
Eli Klaus, School Crossing Guard
Omena McCoy, Policy Analyst
Shawn’ee Melendez, Public Health Nurse
Robert Munro, Equipment Operator II
Veronica Pulley, Public Health Nurse
Gabriel Reyes, 911 Operator Dispatcher
Raquel Santiago, Program Manager
Pedro Soto, Project Leader
Kelly Stewart, Public Health Nurse
Nicole Torigian, Epidemiologist
Jennifer Allis Vazquez, Director of Public Health Nursing
Retired In 2021 So Far
Donna Aponte, Police Officer
Paul Cavalier, Police Officer
Pamela DeZutter, Fiscal Administrative Assistant
Victor Fuentes, Police Officer
William Gargone, Police Officer
Richard Gogliettino, Bridge Foreperson
Tanya Harris, Public Health Nurse
Carole LaCroix, Firefighter
Keith Lawrence, Assistant Director of Comprehensive Planning
Linwood Lockett, Firefighter
Michael Mercier, Legislative Aide II
Raymond Saracco, Acting Assistant Fire Chief Administration
Mark Vendetto, Assistant Fire Chief
Michael Wolak, Assistant Corporation Counsel
Resigned In 2020
Crissy Bertier, Health Assistant
Jason Boyd, Library Aide
Sharon Breslow, Part Time Librarian
Vanessa Briodagh, Public Health Nurse
Takyara Brooks, Police Records Clerk
Tanazia Brown, Library Aide
Alexandrea Castro, Executive Admin Asst
Marco Correa, Police Officer
Jeffrey Coutts, Librarian Part Time
Brenda Cuffy, Public Health Nurse
David Diaz, Police Officer
Trent Dillon, Police Officer
Jillian Driscoll, Housing Code Inspector
Madeleine Dundy, School Crossing / Safety Guard
Karlene Fraser-Brown, Clinic Charge Nurse
Gary Gamarra, Police Officer
Michael Giammattei, Probationary Police Officer
Katrina Goins, Community Liaison Trainer Financial Empowerment
Jeffrey Guity, Library Aide
Seon Haynes, Assistant Electrical Inspector
Shauntasia Hicks, Library Aide
Karen Hinman-Levine, Public Health Nurse
Talaya Jackson, Library Aide
Mitchell Jobble, PT TB Control Specialist
Jano Johnson, Library Aide
Daryl Jones, City Controller
Alison Lanoue McColl, Assistant Corporation Counsel
William MacMullen, Architectural Capital Projects Coord
Elton Mancura, Assistant Plumbing Inspector
Paul Mandel, Police Officer
Salina Manning, Program Coordinator OBIE
Travis Miller, Police Officer 2nd
Barbara Mincey, Admin Records Coordinator
Isaias Miranda, Adminsitrative Assistant
Jenna Montesano, Deputy Director Zoning
Tyshawna Neal Dixon, Librarian II
Serena Neal-Sanjurjo, Executive Director LCI
Erica Nelson, Library Aide
Sophia Nettles, Community Health Worker
Michael Nomack, Assistant Plumbing Inspector
Thomas O’Sullivan, Library Aide
Trusha Patel, Project Director, Asthma Initiative
Melvin Rodriguez, Refuse Laborer
Elyse Russell, Admin Cust Svc Coord
John Schmaltz, Police Officer
Nancy Sherman, Part Time Librarian
Ashley Sklar, Librarian IV
Mark Sobolewski, Parking Meter Supervisor
Deborah Stuckey, School Crossing / Safety Guard
Hugh Suggs, School X Guard
Steven Teague, Police Officer
Zipporah Tompkins, Communications Supervisor
Alyssa Torres, Assistant Corporation Counsel
Christine Trutnau, Public Health Nurse
Maurice VonBritton, Library Aide
Elisha Washington, Police Records Clerk
Lisa Wilson, Registrar of Vital Statistics
Alexis Young, Part Time Librarian
Retired In 2020
Michael Abehouse, Senior Legislative Assistant
David Acosta, Police Officer
Dawud Amin, Firefighter
Anne Marie Antinozzi, Public Health Nurse
Jason Bandy, Police Officer
Charlette Barham, Police Sergeant
Daniel Barvir, Park Ranger
Richard Benson, Police Sergeant
Waleska Bermudez, Police Officer
Rebecca Bombero, Director of Parks, Recreation & Trees
Shirley Bookert, Cook / Lead
Jeffrey Brabham, Fire Captain
Shelley Bradley, Mail Clerk BOE
Jonathan Brown, Battalion Chief
Sally Brown, Deputy City Town Clerk
Theresa Cambell, Admin Asst BOE 10 Mo
Michelle Carfora, Deputy Tax Collector
Felipe Cordero, Battalion Chief
Robert Crisco, Firefighter
Robert Criscuolo, Police Lieutenant
Kristine Cuddy, Police Detective
Tyrone Daluz, Firefighter
Kyle Hashim Daniels, Fire Lieutenant
Craig Dixon, Police Sergeant
Frank Donohue, Building Manager
Richard Esposito, Equipment Operator II
Tyrone Ewing, Battalion Chief
Etta Farris-McKnight, Collections Service Rep
Caira Felder, Data Control Clerk Part Time
Xia Feng, Librarian V
Georgiana Gaffney-Moran, 911 Operator Dispatcher II
Ezra Goodwin, Firefighter
Gerard Gray, Caretaker
Roslyn Hamilton, Senior Sanitarian
Kenyatta Harris, Battalion Chief
Diane Horton, Admin Assistant 10 Month
Jacqueline Hoyte, Police Sergeant
Juan Ingles, Police Detective
Cealvetta Keeton, Cook / Lead
Todd Kelly, Police Officer
Aneeka Lambert, Police Records Clerk II
Peter Lozis, Chief Civil Engineer
Carmen Maldonado, Admin Asst 10 Month BOE
Orlando Marcano, Assistant Fire Chief
Valynne McFarlane, Comp Lab Tech BOE
Paul McGilton, Caretaker
Elias Mendez, Police Officer
Richard Miller, Police Sergeant
Juan Monzon, Police Detective
Sharon Moore, Admin Asst 12 Month BOE
Reginald Morton, Firefighter
Omaida Nieves, Police Detective
Kenneth Nolan, Firefighter
Scott Nuterangelo, Communications Supervisor
Patrick O’Connor, Building Manager
Daniel O’Neill, Deputy Building Inspector
Kenneth Oliver, EMS Supervisor
Robert Ortiz, Deputy Chief
Carlos Ortiz, Police Officer
Francisco Ortiz, Police Officer
Jacqueline Outlaw, Housing Code Inspector
Fred Palange, Payroll / Pension Auditor
Brian Pazsak, Police Officer
Lynn Piekarz, Exec Admin Asst
Nydia Quintas, Public Health Nurse
Frank Ricci, Drillmaster
Salvadore Rodriguez, Police Officer
Frank Ruiz, Parking Enforcement Officer
Benjamin Santiago, Caretaker
Peter Shmigelsky, Facility Asset Manager
David Simon, Librarian II
Vancella Smith, General Worker
Thomas Smith, Librarian III
Denise Spallone, Police Records Clerk
Margaret Targove, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer
Vanessa Thompson, Police Officer
Armando Vale, Police Officer
Manuella Vensel, Police Detective
Wray Williams, Park Ranger
Mary Ann Zavorkas, Health Education Aide