This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
09/09/2020 08:30 AMWhile Renee Arenas has worked as the assistant town clerk in the Town Clerk’s Office at East Haven Town Hall for nearly four years, this year has proven to be the most challenging yet. She and her coworkers at the Town Clerk’s Office have been busier than ever since the onset of COVID-19.
“We handle all of the vital records—death certificates, birth certificates, marriage certificates—dog licensing, and work with elections,” says Renee. “People don’t really know what goes on here until you’ve sat at one of these desks. People think it’s only land records, but we do a lot here. We handle most of the records for the town.”
Though Renee says her department has been busier than normal with vital records, she has seen COVID make the biggest impact on the election process. Her office recently dealt with the primaries and is preparing for the presidential election.
“It was very overwhelming, but we made it happen,” says Renee. “For the presidential election, we’re trying to be proactive and get everything ready.”
The Town Clerk’s Office received about 3,000 applications for absentee ballots for the primary, and Renee is expecting a large increase for the presidential election.
The Office of the Connecticut Secretary of the State will be sending out applications for absentee ballots to all eligible (active, registered) voters on a rolling basis in mid-September. Voters can check their registration status at myvote.ct.gov/lookup. All voters are eligible to vote by absentee ballot for the 2020 election by checking the COVID-19 excuse on the application. Although absentee ballot applications will be mailed to every eligible voter, they are also available in English and Spanish at myvote.ct.gov/absentee.
Those wishing to vote by absentee ballot will then return the completed application to the East Haven Town Clerk’s Office by mail or put it in the drop box in front of East Haven Town Hall, 250 Main Street, East Haven.
Once the completed application is received, Renee and the staff at the Town Clerk’s Office will verify the application and mail out the absentee ballot when they become available on Oct. 2.
“For the presidential election, the ballots will be coming from us instead of the state like in the primaries so we’ll have a better hold on residents,” says Renee. “We’ve also made it easier for people this year with the ballot boxes, so people can come to drop off their ballot at their own convenience.”
After ballots are mailed back or dropped in the ballot box at Town Hall, they are verified and then locked up until Election Day. On Election Day, the absentee ballots are counted by Renee and Town Clerk Stacy Gravino before being given to the registrars of voters.
“We count the ballots by hand and separate them by district and street,” says Renee. “We want people to rest assured that we do everything we’re supposed to do with elections. Stacy Gravino is very on the ball with everything and she knows everything about the town and how things work.”
Throughout her time working at the Town Clerk’s Office, Renee has enjoyed building a relationship with Gravino and general clerks Susan Mauro and Melissa SantaMaria.
“We all help each other out and we all know each other’s position in case we need back-up,” says Renee. “We’ve been so busy, especially with so many people buying and selling.”
While they have been busy with increased demands for records—Renee notes that the land records office has been especially busy with the current real estate market—the team must now also be sure to follow all safety protocols. Renee says that she and her coworkers clean multiple times a day and that she is thankful to the mayor, administration, and Department of Public Works for creating a safe work environment. With the Town Hall reopening, Renee is excited to be able to see the public in person again.
The Town Clerk’s Office is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays and the office stops recording on the land records at 4 p.m. Those coming to the office must wear a mask and follow the posted protocols.
“People are starting to come out more, which is great, because we missed the residents,” says Renee. “We are happy to answer questions in person or on the phone.”
Renee has always enjoyed working with residents. Prior to being hired as the assistant town clerk, Renee was a long-term substitute for East Haven Public Schools from 2013 to 2016, working most of her years at the middle school and the end of her time at the high school.
“I enjoyed it because there was always something new,” says Renee.
Even though that was the first time Renee worked in the schools, she had spent a lot of time volunteering in schools as her daughters—29-year-old Brianna and 16-year-old Carlie—were young.
Renee and her family have lived in East Haven for 16 years, previously living in Branford. A few years ago, Renee and her husband Pablo decided they wanted to try camping and now enjoy spending their weekends as seasonal campers. The couple takes Brianna and their two dogs to their camper in Rhode Island on weekends from April to October. They have spent time transforming their site, including building two decks.
“It’s more like glamping, but it’s something I’ve always wanted to do and it’s so relaxing,” says Renee. “My husband works very hard at a stressful job so we go there and unwind...It’s our second home.”
During the week, Renee enjoys the feeling of community and togetherness she has found in East Haven. “I love dealing with all of the people and seeing them when they come into the office. It’s nice to see the parents and even now some of the kids who have grown up,” says Renee. “Ever since I lived in Branford, I’ve always wanted to work for a town and this was a perfect fit after getting to know the residents through the schools.”