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10/17/2022 09:30 AMThe Clinton Town Council unanimously approved Town Manager Karl Kildufff to ratify a contract for a full-time town planner last month. On Oct. 12, the Town announced Abby Piersall had been hired to the role.
Piersall comes to Clinton from the Town of Waterford were she most recently served as the town planner. According to a press release, she will start work in Clinton on Monday, Nov. 28.
“As a shoreline native, I am thrilled to be of service in Clinton. Being the first in a new position offers a unique opportunity to shape the future of planning in Town, and I am honored to have been chosen for the role. I look forward to getting to work and to connecting with the community,” Piersall said in the press release.
The inclusion of a full-time town planner is something the Town had been seriously contemplating for a number of years. The position was added to the 2022 budget after a consensus of the Town Council members expressed a desire for the position following a workshop. Following a quick executive session on Sept. 21, the Town Council unanimously voted to allow Kilduff to move forward with hiring a planner. Due to ongoing negotiations, the hiring of Piersall wasn’t formally announced until the Town sent out a press release on Oct. 12.
Piersall will be paid a salary of $95,000. Currently, the town pays $48,000 for a consultant planner who, Kilduff said, will continue to work with the town as Piersall starts.
“The consulting planner will transition out while the new planner starts. Ms. Piersall’s first day is Nov. 28, 2022,” Kilduff explained. “We are envisioning an additional week or two of added consulting time to make sure that work in progress is conveyed to the Town Planner. Ms. Piersall will be the lead in the department, and the consultant would play more of a support role to insure a smooth transition for projects that are in process.”
According to Kilduff, among Piersall’s earliest priorities will be the successful transition from the consultant planner and to become familiar with ongoing development in town.
“Other priorities include looking for ways to improve the Town’s development process,” Kilduff said in a statement.
Earlier this summer, the Town Council unanimously approved a job description for the position. Under the approved description, the position is responsible for “directing the planning, zoning, inland wetlands, zoning enforcement, and land use regulation compliance and the coordination of land use development plans and administration of the Clinton Plan of Conservation and Development.” As part of the duties, the planner would essentially be running the land use department and meeting with potential applicants to help them through the application process.
“This hire is an important step forward for the Town in terms of building capacity and expanding professionalism,” said Kilduff.
A full-time town planner position has been much debated in Clinton over the last five years. In 2019, the approved budget included the position, but it was never filled. The position was not included in the 2020 or 2021 proposed budgets.
Proponents of the full-time position have argued that a town planner could help the town tackle the multiple opportunities for development that have cropped up around town, could spur economic development; could take the pressure off, as well as offer guidance, to the volunteers on the Planning and Zoning Commission, and help the land use office. Those in favor of the position have also argued that having a full-time planner would be better for the town than using a consultant planner who has other obligations outside of Clinton.
“Growth in Clinton and other local needs will be better met with an employee that can be accessible and provide service to the public, businesses and developers five days per week,” said Kilduff in a statement.
Opponents of adding the position felt that adding a new position would add a significant cost to the town, expressed concerns that other positions would potentially be cut to accommodate the addition of the planner, and argued that using a consultant or part-time planner can lead to the same results at a reduced cost for the town. Despite those concerns no jobs were cut in this year’s budget to accommodate the planner.