City Planner Out After Less Than A Year

City planner Mark Devoe has informed Planning Director Joe Samolis that he will be leaving his post in Middletown to take a job in Farmington as planner.  The Farmington planner position had been held by former Middletown planner Bill Warner.

Devoe is an accredited city planner, and the only planner with accreditation in Middletown's office of Planning, Conservation and Development.  Devoe began his tenure in Middletown at the very end of December 2018.  His announcement once again leaves the office understaffed, and without an employee with planning certification.

Devoe was involved in recent charettes held to create a new, required Plan of Development for Middletown.

The Common Council voted to reorganize the office last summer putting Samolis as the director and manager in the department, and creating separate positions for Town Planner and Community Development Specialist.  Linda McPherson, who has worked in the Finance Department and in the Board of Education as a finance specialist, was hired to fill the Community Development Specialist position.