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Resident presses council: demand DOT hearing on Route 9 lights, flags staffing gaps and defends public works employee
Summary
Ed McKeown urged the council to press Connecticut DOT to hold a public hearing on Route 9 lighting plans, criticized city understaffing (42 vacancies), praised outgoing Public Works employee Kim O'Rourke and suggested reorganizing HR away from the General Counsel's office; he also urged local non-cooperation with certain federal immigration enforcement actions.
Ed McKeown thanked volunteers who cleaned Mill Street and pressed the council to “light a fire” under the Connecticut Department of Transportation to hold a promised public hearing on plans to remove lights on Route 9 — a request he said the council made in May and which has not yet occurred. He criticized DOT for meeting with regional groups while delaying a public forum for Middletown residents.
McKeown also highlighted municipal staffing shortfalls, saying the city currently has 42 open positions and that Public Works is understaffed; he praised Public Works employee Kim O'Rourke for more than 30 years of service. He recommended moving Human Resources out from under the General Counsel's office to improve hiring and retention. Separately, McKeown urged the city to declare it would not cooperate with federal agents attempting to remove or arrest migrants, saying local leaders should protect marginalized residents; the council did not debate or vote on that request during the meeting.
