Woodbridge board approves multiple personnel hires, including new public works director

The Woodbridge Board of Selectmen on Monday voted to approve several personnel moves, including hiring Mike Siciliano as the townpublic works director and several reassignments and hires in human services and administration.

Chair (S1) told the board the personnel committee recommended Mike Siciliano, currently the public works director in New Haven, and said Siciliano would take a pay cut to join Woodbridge. "He is taking a pay cut to come to Woodbridge," S1 said, noting the recommendation reflected the committeeattempt to match the town's budget and the candidate's skill set. S2 added: "Mike Siciliano is currently the public works director at the city of New Haven," confirming his current post and that his resume had been in the packet.

There was some back-and-forth over the salary figure. S1 initially referenced a starting salary of $138,000, while S5 moved that the hire be made at $130,000 effective Aug. 17; the motion was seconded and the board approved the appointment unanimously. Board members clarified that, as discussed, Sicilianowould begin Aug. 17 and that the hire would be absorbed within the existing budget for the fiscal year without a fund transfer.

The board also recommended hiring Kim Reel as senior center director. S6, presenting Reel's background, said she has a physical-therapy background, experience with geriatric home visits and in youth-prevention work through grant-funded programs in Milford and West Haven. S6 summarized: "She's got programming, planning, working with sponsors, writing grants," and the board voted to hire Reel at an offered salary of $70,000, effective Sept. 2.

As part of a personnel reorganization in human services following the departure of Nancy Fund, the board also approved promoting Judy Young to a new full-time position, director of social services and youth bureau service, with a salary of $75,500 effective Sept. 8. S6 described the change as a reallocation of existing budgeted funds and benefits to convert Young's prior part-time position into a full-time social-worker role with added responsibilities for youth programming and diversion work. The board voted unanimously to recommend the promotion.

The board approved a temporary pay adjustment for Angela Mitchell, the department's administrative assistant, to cover additional summer duties filling in for the vacant youth coordinator work. S5 moved to provide Mitchell an adjustment equating to $1,500 for the period June 29through Aug. 14, "not to exceed" that amount; the motion carried. Members debated whether to treat the payment as a stipend or a temporary hourly increase; the majority favored the hourly adjustment because it benefits the employee's retirement calculation.

Finally, the board moved to hire Lia Baez as the 1st Selectman's executive assistant with a salary not to exceed the 2027 budgeted amount of $65,922; that motion carried. S2 had summarized the hiring process earlier, saying the search yielded more than 100 resumes, two finalists and that one finalist, Aaliyah Bias, had municipal and hospital-administration experience but that the board ultimately moved to appoint Lia Baez.

What the board voted on was procedural and budget-aware: several members asked whether hires fit existing appropriations and whether start dates would affect this fiscal year; staff reported that the public-works hire could be accommodated without fund transfers and that most start dates are set for later in the summer or early fall. The consent agenda that followed included tax-refund items related to property revaluation appeals (about $18,000) and meeting minutes; three members abstained from the minutes vote because they were not present for the July 8 meeting.

The meeting record shows the board approved each of the listed personnel motions by voice vote; where specific dollar figures or start dates were discussed, the board recorded the numbers on the record and asked staff to incorporate final payroll changes into next steps.