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Clinton Hires ZEO, Though Not Soon Enough for Some

Clinton has filled one key vacancy in Town Hall, hiring Kathy King to become the zoning enforcement officer (ZEO). While the choice was unanimous, the process the town followed in making the decision was controversial to some officials.

King’s hiring was approved after a joint executive session between the Planning & Zoning Commission (PZC), Inland Wetlands Commission, and Board of Selectmen (BOS) on Oct 21. In addition to being a ZEO, King will also be the town’s wetlands enforcement officer.

King has been a land use technician in Clinton for a little more than a year. She was unanimously endorsed to be hired at a PZC meeting also held on Oct 21. Typically, a ZEO works to provide enforcement on zoning and wetlands issues, as well as make regular reports to the PZC and Inland Wetlands Commission.

First Selectman Christine Goupil said that King will be in a six-month training program under Mike D’Amato, the current interim ZEO.

King told the Harbor News, “I’ve been working in planning and zoning for 12 years. So, I felt it was time to move into a new role since I enjoy it here and I enjoy who I work with.”

Prior to coming to Clinton, King worked in Old Saybrook where she worked in various land use roles. As a native of Old Saybrook, King said she understands the importance of the shoreline and preserving the shore for the town.

“I’m excited to be here and to represent the town,” said King.

“Ms. King has been a wonderful addition to the Land Use Office as a technician,” Goupil said. “She’s shown initiative and professionalism at every level. Hiring Ms. King has been an opportunity for the town to invest in our staff through succession planning.”

The town’s former ZEO and wetlands enforcement officer, David Leiper, resigned from his job in March after five months in the position. Leiper declined to publicly state why he resigned.

Since Leiper reigned, the town has been using an interim ZEO at a cost of $4,000 a month. D’Amato, the interim official, worked only one day a week in Clinton, and some members of the public felt that the absence of a fulltime ZEO hurt the town when it came to enforcement issues. D’Amato will continue in his role until King’s training is complete.

While town officials were unanimous in their approval of King, some felt the town could have made the move sooner. Writing on her public Facebook page, Selectman Carol Walter criticized the length of time it took to officially hire King for the role. Walter wrote on Oct. 19 that King applied on June 1, and was endorsed by both the PZC and the Inland Wetlands Commission months prior to her hiring; Walter attributed the delay to Goupil’s micro-managing the issue.

Goupil pushed back on claims that the process was delayed and offered her justifications for the process. Goupil said that since she became the first selectman the town has adopted a hiring process that consists of at least two rounds of interviews. One round is with staff members who would be in contact with the position on members of the relevant boards and commissions. In the case of the ZEO that included the Inland Wetlands Commission and the PZC. The second round of interviews is composed of professionals in the field.

“Ms. King was determined to be the appropriate fit. The PZC unanimously voted to appoint her as ZEO in training. Clearly with a unanimous vote of the Board of Selectmen and planning and zoning, we all see great potential,” Goupil said.

Goupil also attributed the length of time it took to fill the position to union negotiations. King is currently in the clerical union, but the ZEO position is in the supervisor’s union. According to Goupil, the BOS had to approve the agreement between the two unions and be in agreement with the PZC commissioners and Inland Wetlands Commission.

“Those commissions appoint but do not have the authority to hire. That falls squarely, as written in the Town Charter, to the BOS. Organizing mutually agreeable times for all members was also challenging,” said Goupil.

Section 8-13 of the town charter states, “The Planning and Zoning Commission shall hire a Zoning Enforcement Officer who shall enforce the provisions of the Zoning Regulations.”

With the ZEO position now filled, Goupil said she is pleased with the direction in which the department is headed.

“The Land Use Office has undergone great strides in creating a streamlined and professional environment for our clients. We’ve implemented the online access to the GIS system and TREENO to allow access to street files from home. The next step is the ability to pay fees with a credit card. Overall, I’m very pleased with the direction the department has taken. It can be directly attributed to the willingness of the staff to adapt and in particular Ms. King’s ‘can-do’ attitude,” said Goupil.