Public works director resigns
BETHEL — Public Works Director Doug Arndt has resigned after being placed on administrative leave.
First Selectman Matt Knickerbocker declined to comment on why Arndt, who had worked for the town for nearly five years, was put on leave.
The leave lasted about a week before Arndt volunteered to resign earlier this month during discussions about his employment, Knickerbocker said.
“It was time for a change for both of us, to tell you the truth,” Knickerbocker said. “He has a lot of talents, I’m sure he’s going to land on his feet .... It turned out that, in some ways, it wasn’t a good fit. We had a parting of the ways and I wish him the very best in the future.”
Hearst Connecticut Media has requested Arndt’s resignation letter and other records related to his employment. Arndt did not return a request for comment.
Arndt earned roughly $109,000 a year, Knickerbocker said. Bob Diddle, the assistant public works director and highway superintendent, is running the department until a new director is hired.
Arndt was let go in 2014 from his previous job as acting public works director in New Haven, where he had stayed six months beyond the one-year contract he had signed.
The city said at the time that it was looking to revamp the public works department, telling Arndt in a letter that the changes were “no reflection on your public works experience or knowledge but simply due to the city administration’s desire for a different management style going forward.”
Arndt was criticized within his first year in Bethel for setting the town up to pay $39,000 for an energy-savings study without getting approval from the comptroller.
Arndt led the department during various water projects and the completion of improvements to the Plumtrees Road and Whittlesey Drive intersection. Among his recent projects was proposed repairs to the town’s animal shelter.
“He did a lot of good work,” Knickerbocker said. “There were some reasons why we both decided this wasn’t a good fit.”
The town posted the job opening last week and is seeking a director with a professional engineer license who has management experience, Knickerbocker said.
“We really want someone who has a track record, who can help us move to the next level in terms of serving our public and cutting costs,” he said.
Knickerbocker hopes the new hire would focus on building maintenance and highway planning, as well as using technology to analyze how the town could save on vehicle costs.
“We need a 21st century manager in the department,” he said.
The salary of the new hire will be negotiable based on experience. Salaries for public works directors vary throughout the state, Knickerbocker said.
“We don't want to limit ourselves at this stage of the conversation,” he said. “We want to see what the market has to offer.”
He said he hopes to fill the position as soon as possible.
“It’s a busy department,” Knickerbocker said.