Austin Appointed Acting Town Planner In Hamden

HAMDEN, CT — Town Engineer Mark Austin is taking on additional responsibilities as Hamden’s Acting Town Planner, Mayor Curt Balzano Leng announced Friday night.

While announcing the appointment, Leng said Austin will fulfill the duties of Acting Town Planner “alongside, and in tandem with, the responsibilities of Town Engineer.”

The move comes a little more than a week after Leng announced several changes to key senior-level positions in his administration. Leng also named former Mayor Scott D. Jackson as the town’s new finance director in late January.

Austin was appointed as Hamden’s Town Engineer in 2016, and brought with him “decades of experience in the field of civil and environmental engineering, public works administration, and a track record of successful management of complex projects,” according to a news release.

Austin holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Connecticut, a Masters of Public Administration from Norwich University, and is a Certified Professional Engineer in the State of Connecticut.

Empowering an existing director to undertake these responsibilities allows the town to “save costs associated with on-boarding a new personnel member,” according to Leng.

“Mark has been truly transformative for Hamden’s Engineering Department since joining the team in 2016, and his leadership, management and organizational talents will serve as a major benefit to Hamden’s Planning and Zoning operations,” Leng said in a statement. “Mark will guide both the Engineering and Planning and Zoning Departments with a steady, watchful and precise hand, and will ensure our residents are informed and served with a consistent focus on providing quality customer service. I look forward to working with Mark in his expanded capacity, and with the Hamden Legislative Council in working to consolidate Hamden’s service departments into a more fluid, accessible and efficient model through the upcoming budget process.”