Town Operations Director Resigns: “We will miss Sara’s dedication, work ethic and demeanor” says First Selectman
First Selectman Jim Marpe announced today that Westport Operations Director Sara Harris will be leaving her position in the First Selectman’s Office to accept a consulting opportunity in the private sector. Harris has submitted her resignation effective August 27, 2021.
Sara joined the Town of Westport in July of 2017. She was tasked with coordinating complex projects and issues that require interdepartmental coordination, most notably, the digitization of the land use permitting process to the Accela software. She established and created annual management reports for the town’s budget book and oversaw the associated performance metrics for all town departments. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sara has held the title “Public Information Officer” and has managed all public communications, as well as the complex resident concerns that came through the Selectman’s Office and required liaising with utilities, the State, town staff and others. She has also acted in the capacity of Westport’s Economic Development Director, implementing several projects such as the town’s rebranding and website launch in 2018 and the newly established Choosewestport.com public/private partnership. Sara helped the town achieve recognition for several grants and awards including, most recently, the allocation of $2.8M in federal funds to dredge the Saugatuck River. She has also played integral roles in the town’s sustainability and diversity initiatives such as updating the historical markers.
Mr. Marpe commented, “We will miss Sara’s dedication, work ethic and demeanor. I am pleased that she worked to implement the projects and tasks we asked her to complete. Sara did this without partisanship and remained grounded in her professional values for efficient and transparent operations in government. I am confident that the improvements we put in place will benefit the town and Town Hall operations for years to come. Her role in helping me effectively communicate with our residents during the COVID-19 pandemic and Storm Isaias cannot be overstated. I am grateful that Westport benefitted from her dedication, analytical skills, and work ethic. I wish her much success in her new opportunity.”
Ms. Harris commented, “I joined the Town of Westport with the goal of using both my education in public policy and my experience with municipal operational efficiencies in the City of New York. As Operations Director for the Town of Westport, I worked diligently to understand the community and to implement valuable projects and policies that benefit the residents of this town. I am happy to say that much of what I completed has been well-received and appreciated by many. It is with very mixed emotions that I announce my resignation. First Selectman Marpe and his administration have been an inspiration to me, and I will carry that guidance throughout my career. I will also miss the staff and friendships that have developed over the last 4.5 years, including some of the kindest, intelligent, and generous residents and volunteers I have ever met. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve the Town of Westport.”
Lynn Scully, the Town’s Audit Manager/Senior Accountant, will serve as the Interim Operations Director. Harris will be transitioning some of her tasks to Lynn and to other staff members, although some projects will remain on hold until a replacement can be found. The replacement hire posting will be released in the coming weeks. It is expected that upon assuming office in November, the incoming First Selectman will choose the next Operations Director for the Town of Westport.
Deputy Fire Chief Returns Home after Fighting Wildland Fires as 2.7 Million Acres Burn out West
Westport Deputy Fire Chief Michael Kronick in Billings, Montana. Contributed photoWestport’s Deputy Fire Chief Michael Kronick returned home on Saturday after a two week deployment to volunteer in fighting the wildland fires burning throughout the West. (click to read full story)
Contributed photo by Michael KronickKronick was hired by the Westport Fire Department in July of 1998, rising through the ranks to Deputy Chief after becoming a Lieutenant in 2009 and Assistant Chief of Training in 2012. Throughout this time with the Westport FD, he’s been deployed intermittently into Western communities to assist in the wildfire operations - with stints in Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, Oregon, California, Idaho, Montana, Michigan, Minnesota, and Quebec.
As a member of the Connecticut Interstate Fire Crew, the 14 day deployments come from a federal interagency agreement between partners like the Forest Service, Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and local and state fire and land agencies.
This year’s tour began on July 28th alongside 19 other firefighters, starting in the community of Ely, Minnesota - a rural mountain town of about 3,000 residents. Kronick was requested to assist the Forest Service in fighting fires in the Superior National Forest, where he described that “drought conditions in the region have created conditions in which there have been frequent lightning strike fires across the forest and the Boundary Water Wilderness.”
He continued to explain “Our crew was [one] of four 20-person-crews there to reinforce local resources. There were 10 fires ranging in size from 2 to 250 acres. Our crew assisted on the Delta Lake Fire, 67 acres, and the Nile Creek Fire, 2.5 acres.”
Weather shifted over the Minnesota region and rainfall naturally began to suppress the fires, allowing personnel to regain control - and giving Kronick a new deployment. He was requested to Billings, Montana to help fight the larger Trout Creek Fire, south of Absarokee, Montana - a wilderness community of about 1,000 residents.
Trout Creek Fires in Montana. Westport Fire Department Contributed PhotoIn Montana, Kronick and his crew joined local volunteer fire departments, ranchers, and State and Federal personnel in fighting the blazes covering thousands of acres, saying “This was rapidly expanding fire threatening homes in pasture land that grew to 8,500 acres.”
The Trout Creek Fire falls in the larger Northwest Rockies Region, a geographical area specified by interagency wildland fire officials. The National Interagency Coordination Center produces daily situation reports for all major wildland fires in the country - Sunday evening’s situation report stated that 714,424 acres are currently burning in that Northwest Rockies region alone, with 304 fire engines, 40 helicopters, and 4,766 people working to stop them.
One of those people was Kronick. “Our crew supported the local fire department protecting homes and establishing control lines in areas that were only accessible by foot” he continued.
On a larger scale, the situation report states that the United States had a total of 2,710,867 acres burning as of 7:30 yesterday morning, with over 25,000 firefighters, volunteers, ranchers, and public sector personnel fighting for their land. The largest fire remains the Dixie Fire in Northern California, which is occupying over a half-million acres, has destroyed 1,123 structures, and has cost $246 million in damages and operations.
The millions of scorched acres across the region have created smoke plumes large enough to carry over the continent, hazing the skies over Westport earlier this month. In a release today welcoming back Deputy Chief Kronick, Westport Fire Chief Rob Yost stated “Since fires are still ongoing across the west, we’ll likely see some type of resurgence throughout the summer. And it’s possible that smoky summers may become the new reality.”
The Center for Disaster Philanthropy describes this year’s particularly complex situation as due to an early start to the fire season for the United States, which makes it difficult to share resources from Canada - who are battling blazes of their own as resources are dwindling.
Deputy Fire Chief Michael Kronick. Contributed photoThe situation became so extreme that a Boeing 747 water tanker was flown in from New South Wales, Australia - and Mexican firefighters have been deployed into Canada to supplement the dwindling resources as a brutally hot, dry summer pushes onwards. “Both countries have developed their wildfire response plans around having access to resources from their neighbor. However, this year has demonstrated the weakness in those plans as both countries are unable to share resources as they fight multiple wildfires within their respective borders.” stated the Center for Disaster Philanthropy.
Despite the time away from his family and volatility of the seasons, Kronick has now completed 13 deployments into the West to volunteer with the wildland fire teams - learning more about fire suppression and operations every time. “I have not looked back” he said after his 2017 trip.
Westport Fire Chief welcomed home the Deputy Chief in his statement, saying “ I'm proud to welcome back our Deputy who epitomizes Westport's values of sacrifice and service to others. When communities and states need help, we can support our neighbors in their time of crisis battling dangerous wildfires. The experience and knowledge he gained in working a large-scale incident are invaluable to us."
A video of the firefighting helicopter operating over wildland fires out West while Deputy Fire Chief Michael Kronick worked on the ground.
Lieutenant Governor Promotes Vision Zero in Westport, Pushing to End Pedestrian Fatalities
(L-R) First Selectman Jim Marpe, (behind) State Senator Will Haskell, State Representative Stephanie Thomas, Westport Police Chief Foti Koskinas, Westport Deputy Police Chief Sam Arciola, Westport-Weston Chamber of Commerce President Matt Mandell, and State Representative Jonathan Steinberg. WWCC Contributed photoConnecticut Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewitz was downtown today to promote the State’s new Vision Zero movement . “Zero” refers to the hopeful number of pedestrians who are killed by motor vehicles in the State under the new legislation, especially while crossing streets such as Post Road - known as one of the most deadly pedestrian corridors in the State. (click here to read more)
H.B. No. 5429 began in January after being introduced by the House Transportation Committee, and was signed by Governor Ned Lamont in June. The bill outlined items such as an increase in fines for distracted driving or driving in a way that impedes pedestrians or bicyclists, or supporting the use of automated traffic enforcement devices within school zones or work zones.
The State also announced the release of a virtual meeting of the Vision Zero Council, with Garrett Eucalitto, CTDOT Deputy Commissioner and Vision Zero Council Chair saying: “By bringing diverse perspectives together on the Vision Zero Council and engaging with and listening to the concerns of the public and safety stakeholders, we can better shape our approach to making Connecticut’s transportation system safer for all users.” Members of the public can register for the online meeting here.
Dan Levinson Brings Sunday Calm to Downtown
Musician Dan Levinson and the Palomar Jazz Band brought a calm end to the week at the Levitt Pavilion, with guests dancing, smiling, and paddling their way through the concert. Photos by JC Martin for WestportLocal.com
