Bridgeport Times

Bridgeport, CT— The City of Bridgeport announced today that the administration is  implementing a reorganization plan aimed at 1) improving city  operations; 2) cleaning up the city; and, 3) building stronger  relationships with the business community. This reorganization is the  result of efforts that started pre-pandemic, but which was crafted as  the result of conversations between departments heads and senior city  officials over the course of the last two months.  

This reorganization is focused on the greatest areas of need for the  City, which include permitting, licensing, and code enforcement, illegal  dumping and graffiti, attracting new businesses to the City,  streamlining city services, and improving government operations. The  plan will be implemented immediately, and will affect personnel in the  Chief Administrative Office, the Office of Planning and Economic  Development, Public Facilities, the Department of Health, and Central  Grants.

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• The  Chief Administrative Office will create a new position of Deputy CAO  for Planning, Permitting, Licensing, and Code Enforcement.    
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  • This  Deputy CAO will work closely with OPED, the Health Department, and  Public Facilities to coordinate and streamline their planning,  permitting, licensing, and code enforcement processes with a focus on  making these processes easier and more efficient.
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• The Office of Planning and Economic Development will establish the new position of Business and Community Development Liaison.    
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  • This  individual will be the liaison to all non-governmental organizations  with an interest in business and community development, including the  Bridgeport Regional Business Council, the Bridgeport Chamber of  Commerce, the Downtown Special Services District, BEDCO, and the  Neighborhood Revitalization Zones.
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• Paul Boucher will be elevated to the Zoning Official.
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• The City will seek to post and fill the Deputy Zoning Official and the Zoning Enforcement Officer positions.
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• Arben Kica will be elevated to the Building Official.
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• The City will seek to post and fill the Deputy Building Official and the Code Enforcement Officer positions.
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• Ernest  Brown will be transferred to Public Facilities and will become Special  Project Coordinator overseeing the City’s illegal dumping and property  maintenance for the department.
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• Two  Anti-Blight Technicians will also be transferred to Public Facilities  and will focus on graffiti removal and illegal dumping.
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• Michele  Otero will be elevated to Construction Manager in Public Facilities and  will manage construction and related projects in that department.
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• The City will seek to post and fill the position of Contract Compliance Officer.
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• The City will elevate Isolina DeJesus to the position of Director of Central Grants.

 “With  the city’s entertainment assets making regional headlines, the City  needs to do all that it can to keep our City clean to create a  friendlier business environment and a positive experience for people  moving to and visiting our city,” stated Ganim. “It is also critical  that we continue to reassess city operations to improve the quality of  life for our residents and streamline city operations.”

“It is my expectation that this reorganization will lead to tangible  outcomes for our residents,” stated Council President Aidee Nieves.  “Facilitating economic development and cleaning up our City are crucial  to the positive transformation of our City.”

“We’re excited to have the City continue to provide critical resources  to various community- based organizations through this new role.  This  role will particularly be beneficial to the business community as we  work together on Federal, State, and Local opportunities that will  position the City for economic growth and job creation,” stated Dan  Onofrio, President and CEO Bridgeport Regional Business Council.

Following Mayor Ganim’s announcement of plans to reorganize positions  citywide, Director of Labor Relations Andre Forde and Director of  Personnel Eric Amado have identified positions for which they are  seeking qualified applicants and, in some cases, applicants that hold  specialized skills or certifications. Filling these roles with talented  experienced individuals is a priority.   The positions will be posted on  the city’s website when they open for applications.  https://www.bridgeportct.gov/careers.

Original source can be found here.