Hamden Assessor Pushed Out, Deputy Resigns

As Hamden prepares for its 2020 revaluation, its assessor’s office has suddenly found itself without its two top positions.

This past Friday, Acting Chief Assessor John Gelati signed separation papers with the town. He was not terminated, and did not resign. Rather, the town’s Civil Service Commission decided not to extend his appointment, which had been on a temporary basis. Friday was his last day.

Then, on Tuesday, Real Estate Appraiser Beverlie Brooks notified the town of her resignation. She had her last day at the beginning of this week.

There are four positions in the Hamden Assessor’s office: The chief assessor, the real estate appraiser, the assistant assessor, and a clerk. At the moment, the department has only a clerk and the assistant assessor, though temporary help is on its way.

Gelati had been assessor in Hamden since March of 2018. He was previously the assessor of Providence, R.I. He holds a certification from the state to conduct revaluations, and is a licensed real estate broker. He does not hold a Connecticut assessor certification, though he has extensive experience in the field from his work in Rhode Island. The assessor’s certification is a requirement of Hamden’s chief assessor position.

“The assessor, unfortunately, was not granted an additional temporary appointment by the Civil Service Commission,” Hamden Mayor Curt Leng wrote to the Independent. ​“He had received several and was doing some really good work, but hadn’t completed his required Assessor’s Certification for the position.” The commission, Leng said, had waived that requirement several times because of Gelati’s experience in Rhode Island.

Gelati told the Independent that he was notified a few weeks ago that the Civil Service Commission was not planning to extend his appointment. On Thursday last week, he said, he was told he had a meeting on Friday. He said that when he arrived at work on Friday, he was not aware that it would be his last day. He signed separation papers, could not get into his computer, and had to clear out his office by the end of the work day.

Leng said he would have preferred to keep Gelati. ​“He was doing good work and communicating very well with the public.”

Gelati has held a number of meetings with different community groups to educate them on the upcoming revaluation and get their input. In May, he heard from residents in the West Woods neighborhood about damage to trees on their properties from the May 2018 tornado, and explained how that damage might be factored into the next revaluation. In September, he attended a meeting with residents of the high-tax ​“neighborhood 40” tax district to explain the next revaluation and answer questions. He has held multiple information sessions for residents about the revaluation, and has been in dialogue with residents about the next revaluations and how to make revaluations equitable. He also made an appearance on WNHH Radio in October to talk about his profession and his plans for Hamden.

Reval In Jeopardy?

For about the last six months, Gelati has been preparing for a revaluation in 2020. Revaluations in Connecticut are supposed to take place every five years. In the spring, he purchased new appraisal software for the town. In a recent appearance on WNHH FM’s ​“Dateline Hamden” program, he said he had planned to send out a data mailer at the end of 2019 or beginning of 2020 to begin the revaluation process.

However, the town has not yet sent out a request for proposals (RFP) to find a contractor to carry out the revaluation. Gelati said he was unable to put out the RFP because the town had not yet prepared funding for it.

Leng said that revaluations are generally not included in operating budgets, and that traditionally the town has bonded for them. ​“We’ll have to see when we get closer to it if that’s the way we go or if we can offset some of the funds,” he said. He said the 2020 revaluation will be included in the administration’s 2019 – 2020 capital projects request.

A proposed 6‑year capital plan that the administration drafted in April included an estimate of almost $1.4 million for a 2020 revaluation. The Legislative Council has yet to bond for it. Councilwoman Lauren Garrett said the council has not heard from the administration about how it plans to fund the revaluation.

Interim Finance Director Myron Hul said that the administration will likely send out an RFP in the next few months.

“What’s very concerning is just that it’s a timeline,” said Gelati. He said he is concerned that his departure, and the delay on finding a contractor, might jeopardize the revaluation.

“I have great concern for the outcome and the consequences of this situation,” he said. ​“I’m very concerned for neighborhood 40, and I’m very concerned for West Woods as well as the overall equity of the revaluation.”

This week, the department operated with only one and a half employees: Clerk Corey Knoll and Assistant Assessor Maurice Johnson. While Knoll was in the department fulltime, Johnson has been spending 2 – 3 days a week for the last few weeks in the Finance Department learning to fill in for the payroll manager, who will be away next week, according to Hul. He said that arrangement will end when the payroll manager comes back in a week.

Come Monday, however, the department should get some interim help. Leng told the Independent that the administration has arranged for a temporary staff person with two years of previous experience in the department to fill in starting on Monday. A consultant, he said, will come on board in December and will stay throughout the recruitment process.

Kyle Blake, who was recently appointed to the Civil Service Commission, said that at her first meeting on Oct. 22, the commission authorized a search for a new assessor.

Leng, who just won another term as mayor, said that the assessor’s office will probably not be the only town office to see some change in the next few months.

“I expect there to be other changes in the administration management and staffing in the weeks and months to come,” he said, ​“as we work to [assemble] the right team to accomplish the many goals we have set for the upcoming two years.”