Town officials say they’re actively seeking applicants for two of the most important positions in New Canaan’s municipal government: town planner and finance director.
Though it had been suspended temporarily with the idea that a new first selectman should weigh in on the decision, the search for a new CFO very recently has been re-launched and interim Finance Director Sandra Dennies is among the candidates, according to New Canaan Human Resources Director Cheryl Pickering-Jones.
The two candidates for first selectman—Democrat Kit Devereaux and Republican Kevin Moynihan—are sitting on the search committee “so that we can continue to move the process up,” Pickering-Jones told NewCanaanite.com.
Dennies is overseeing things in finance in the meantime—Planning & Zoning is in a different situation. Former Town Planner Steve Palmer’s last day was last week after less than one year in the job.
At P&Z, Keisha Fink—who had worked in Westport as a land use coordinator and hold a master’s certificate in urban and regional planning, according to Pickering-Jones—has stepped into the town planner role on a part-time basis.
“We brought her in and spoke to her and the [Planning & Zoning] Commission did the same,” Pickering-Jones said. “We really brought her on to try us and for us to try her on a part-time basis, so she is covering 25 to 28 hours per week right now, because we really had nobody.”
An ad for the town planner role has “had a little interest” though “not huge,” Pickering-Jones said.
“But it’s still early—it’s only been out there for two weeks,” she said.
Town officials now are finding out whether former Town Planner Steve Kleppin may be available to assist in some of the more complicated matters before P&Z, such as the Grace Farms application to amend its zoning permit, Pickering-Jones said.