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Farmington department heads outline staffing shortfalls, Tunxis Mead grant and cybersecurity concerns
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Summary
Public works, recreation, community services, IT, finance and HR leaders updated the council on staffing vacancies, major grants (including a $1M Tunxis Mead award), ongoing capital work, equipment needs and cybersecurity risks; public works emphasized hiring and equipment replacement challenges.
Department heads used the Feb. 10 council meeting to introduce their offices and flag immediate operational priorities.
Public Works Director Les Arnold said the department covers engineering, permitting, highway and wastewater operations and is short several frontline positions; he described aging equipment and the need for additional staff to meet public expectations for timely service. On the third‑bridge application, Arnold said a federal DOT debrief produced high scores in five of eight sections and staff are awaiting letters of support from congressional offices and DOT before submitting a revised application (due Feb. 24).
"Really, it's having more bodies," Arnold said when asked about the department's short‑term challenges, adding the town is actively recruiting several positions including civil engineer, assistant town engineer and heavy equipment operator.
Recreation Director Jesse Catano outlined a multi‑year capital plan and noted Tunxis Mead secured a roughly $1,000,000 grant to upgrade fields, LED lights, press box and accessibility work. Catano highlighted Westwoods Golf Course activity (about 42,000 rounds annually) and said the department will phase construction to avoid major disruptions to youth sports.
Nancy Parent, director of Community and Supportive Services, described a growing caseload for housing, food insecurity and senior services, including Dial‑A‑Ride (about 260 riders) and Maple Village senior housing management. She thanked nonprofit partners and asked councilors to note increased demand for crisis and housing supports.
IT Manager Brian Rush described the town's technical footprint (250+ users, ~45 servers, 350 phones) and said cybersecurity is the primary operational concern after noting a recent ransomware incident in a neighboring town. Director of Finance Joe Swetzky emphasized fraud risks tied to vendor files and check processing and said staff are evaluating new Munis accounts‑payable modules with AI guardrails to reduce fraud exposure.
Assistant Town Manager Kat Kredewski said HR is focused on recruitment and succession planning for a workforce of roughly 159 full‑time and 150 part‑time/seasonal employees and flagged a website committee to improve the town’s online presence as staff move to the new town hall.
Councilors thanked staff, offered to help secure grant letters of support, and discussed timelines for projects such as Tunxis Mead construction and third‑bridge grant submission.
