Middletown Mayor: 'Non-Essential' City Workers To Stay Home Monday

Editor's Note: Middletown Mayor Dan Drew sent this letter to all city employees Sunday evening. He has graciously allowed Middletown Patch to reprint it.

As you know, we have been preparing for the effects of Storm Sandy. Over the past week we have held multiple planning meetings with all of our applicable departments and I appreciate all of your assistance.

I would like to update you on how our storm operations will affect you as employees over the next few days:

•   I am directing non-essential employees not to report to work on Monday, Oct. 29 for regular duty.

•  Employees designated as non-essential, while not required to perform their regular duties, will be subject to order-ins and may be required to assist in the emergency shelter and may berequired to do so at irregular hours.

• If you are called in for shelter duty and there are physical impediments to getting in (like downed trees), we will send someone to pick you up.

• Directors/deputy directors and any staff deemed by their directors as essential shall report to work for regular duty or shelter and other storm response duty as directed by their supervisors.

• Our emergency shelter at Middletown High School will be opening at noon Monday.

• Schools are closed Monday and Tuesday.

• We have tested our generators and equipment multiple times and ensured that we have enough food and fuel for shelter and clean up operations.

This storm will bring with it strong and sustained winds and could inflict a level of damage that we have not seen in Connecticut since the catastrophic 1938 hurricane.

We will do everything we can to minimize the need to call in employees during this storm. I have made this decision to minimize risk to employees and to the public during the storm’s high winds. However, we must maintain readiness and our operational capacity to serve the public and their needs through the storm. If you are called in, you will be expected to report per the directions of your supervisor.

We have a great staff that has dealt with many of these situations in the past. Though this storm is unprecedented in so many ways, we are ready to handle whatever comes our way.

I am so appreciative of your understanding and your hard work every day. We’ll get through this storm together. My office will be staffed tomorrow. Please feel free to call if you have questions.

Thank you, and stay safe. I wish the very best to you and your families.

Daniel T. Drew, Mayor of Middletown

Mayor@middletownct.gov
(860) 344-3401

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