Fire Chief Bill Austin's Retirement and Budget Impact Key Topics for Town Council

William Austin announced Tuesday that he will be retiring at the end of July, according to Ron Van Winkle.

“He was a great leader in emergency response,” said Van Winkle. Austin has often been praised for his role during 9-11, and his subsequent work updating West Hartford’s emergency response plan.

Following his retirement, Austin plans to work on a regional emergency response effort. “Not only has he been an excellent fire chief, but he has also been a great regional leader. We will miss him,” said Van Winkle.

A search for a new fire chief will begin shortly.

Van Winkle announced the retirement during his Town Manager’s Report at the meeting Tuesday evening.

The Town Manager’s Report also included an update on the Farmington Avenue construction work. “It’s pretty much a mess down there,” said Van Winkle, regarding the area of Farmington Avenue east of Trout Brook Drive.

The project has been delayed awaiting the MDC’s replacement of sewer mains that were installed just after the Civil War. Those delays will likely postpone the final road reconstruction until next year, although Van Winkle said that temporary measures would be used to repair it as much as possible.

The current uncertainty surrounding the state’s budget led to a question by Council Member Denise Hall regarding the potential effect on West Hartford. The latest proposal, which was announced earlier Tuesday, calls for a reduction of $54 million a year for two years in state aid to municipalities – roughly 2.4 percent across the board, according to Van Winkle. Those cuts will affect fiscal year 2012.

“We know some cuts are coming,” said Van Winkle, who said that it is still too early to know exactly what the impact will be.

“We are ending this fiscal year with a surplus, but the budget we’re going into will have some small holes we’ll have to deal with,” said Van Winkle. Those “holes” are primarily due to a $150,000 cut in state funding for the upcoming fiscal year, mostly in Education Cost Sharing (ESC). The upcoming fiscal year begins July 1.

The Town Manager’s report also included news about several recent police department achievements. Officer Rob Riccobon’s 12-hour stint on a three-story scaffolding – – raised $11,194 for Special Olympics Connecticut.

Van Winkle also noted that a team from the , comprised of Frank Fallon, Ed Jacovino, Dave Cavedon, and Skip Malona, recently competed in the Connecticut State Indoor Championships for marksmanship. The WHPD team set a new national record with 24 bull’s-eyes.

Also in police news, the Town Council authorized the Town Manager to apply for an Edward J. Byrne Memorial Justice Award in the amount of $14,790. Those funds will be used to secure the replacement of an esteemed retiree – Cora, one of the WHPD’s police dogs.

The Town Council was originally scheduled to discuss a resolution to increase the Town Clerk’s salary. That resolution had been withdrawn from the agenda.