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NHCOG director: staffing transition underway; GIS grant revised to include all 21 towns
Summary
Executive Director Rob reported on a staff retirement, an imminent candidate hire, a revised regional GIS grant work plan that now covers all 21 towns, and other program updates including a new household hazardous waste vendor and an upcoming audit timeline.
Rob, the NHCOG executive director, updated members on staffing changes, grant outcomes and several regional programs.
Staffing and transit continuity: Rob announced Casey Feracci’s early retirement from NHCOG and said the job posting produced a strong candidate under active negotiation; he said the new hire could begin as soon as next week and that Rob, Rista and consultants (AECOM) are covering ongoing transit work in the interim. Council member Mike pressed for clarity on who will monitor transit and grants during the vacancy; Rob said he is handling most communications and that consultants and staff have kept the transit analysis on schedule.
GIS grant revision: Rob said he successfully negotiated a revised work plan with the state GIS office so every town in the 21‑member region will have access to the grant funding. He cautioned he would not disclose per-town funding levels publicly to avoid influencing vendor negotiations. Annual orthophoto/imagery (camera GIS) deliverables are due May 1 (the director characterized that deadline as “soft” because not every town complies with the statewide schedule), and he offered to work with towns individually on deliverables and vendor selection.
Other updates: Rob said the household hazardous waste event will be run by a new vendor, MXI, and will support multiple registration options including Eventbrite; NHCOG received a draft FY24 audit and staff are meeting with auditors to resolve review comments with the goal of presenting the audit for endorsement at the June meeting. Rob also noted a Sustainable Connecticut fellow (John Henry Burke) will start at the end of the month and assist with regional projects.
Why it matters: The personnel transition affects grant administration and continuity on transit and other federally funded projects. The GIS grant revision means every member town is eligible for the state GIS funding, potentially improving municipal data and asset inventories.
What's next: Rob said staff will share hire announcements when finalized, contact towns about GIS deliverables, and circulate the audit draft for review before the June meeting.
