West Haven council approves $30,000 mechanic pay adjustment, adopts two ordinance changes and confirms several appointments

West Haven — The City Council on Nov. 24 approved a $30,000 transfer to increase starting salaries for city mechanic positions, adopted two ordinances updating fees and penalties, and confirmed four mayoral appointments and reappointments.

The transfer: Council approved a $30,000 move from the unallocated contingency fund to the Public Works personnel line to raise starting salaries for mechanic, lead mechanic and welder-mechanic positions to improve recruitment and retention. Finance Director Michael Gormani said the city compared starting pay with neighboring towns and is seeking to "bring the starting salary closer to par of the average" to address difficulty filling those roles. The finance committee unanimously approved the transfer and the full council adopted it in a subsequent voice vote.

Landlord-registration ordinance: The council adopted an amendment to chapter 156 (nonresidential landlord registration) that raises the notice-of-address-change fee from $10 to $20 and adds language to use the maximum fine allowed by state law rather than a fixed dollar amount. Committee discussion and the committee report stated that Connecticut statute currently allows a $500 fine for a first violation and $1,000 for subsequent violations; the ordinance adds the phrase "up to the maximum allowed by Connecticut statute" so the amounts will track statutory changes.

Fire-department fees: The council adopted an amendment to city code section 101I (Allingtown/West Haven fire department fees) that adds a business fee line and increases remaining fees by about $25 to account for 12 years of unchanged pricing, according to staff.

Appointments and reappointments: The council confirmed multiple mayoral appointments and reappointments recommended by the Personnel & Civil Service Committee:

• Paul Butler — reappointed to the West Haven Board of Police Commissioners; term effective immediately and expiring 11/01/2030.

• Robin Watt Hamilton — appointed to the Citizens Advisory Committee to replace Jeffrey Marino; term effective immediately and expiring 11/01/2028.

• Bridget Hoskie — appointed to the Parks and Recreation Commission to replace Shannon Friel; the committee and council recorded the appointment with an expiration tied to the previous occupant’s schedule (committee recommended 08/31/2030 and the council approved the amended expiration).

• Joseph Vitello — reappointed to the Planning & Zoning Panel of Alternates; term effective immediately and expiring 11/01/2027.

Votes and process notes: Committees reported unanimous recommendations for the transfer and both ordinances. The council adopted the items by voice votes; the transcript records "Aye" and "Motion carries" for each adoption and the committee reports note unanimous committee approval. No roll-call tallies were read into the transcript excerpts provided.

What it means: The transfer aims to make mechanic jobs more market-competitive to maintain the city’s fleet and winter operations. The ordinance language tying fines to state statute is intended to automate adjustments when state law changes; the fee changes are intended to update charges not reviewed in over a decade.

Sources: City communications read at the Nov. 24 meeting, finance committee presentation by Michael Gormani and committee reports read to the full council.