Tolland Town Engineer Moving On

After nearly 18 months on the job, Town Engineer Jennifer Usher is leaving the town for another position.

The news was briefly discussed during Monday night’s Planning and Zoning Commission meeting and confirmed Tuesday by Town Manager Steve Werbner.

Of Usher, Werbner said, “she has done an outstanding job in the short time she’s been here, particularly working with the WPCA and the Water Commission.”

Usher, who began after spending several years as an engineer in the private sector, could not be reached for comment Tuesday. Werbner did not say where Usher's next job is located.

Tuesday afternoon, Werbner said Usher’s accomplishments include modernizing the authority’s and commission’s record keeping and tracking maintenance concerns, among several other responsibilities.

“She has been an asset to the community and will be missed,” he said.

With her departure just two weeks away, Werbner said he will meet with the utility commission and town staff to determine what needs to be done in the interim, including possible revisions to the position’s job description. The revisions might include a greater emphasis on work with the utility commission and WPCA, as this is where Usher spent the bulk of her time, Werbner said.

The position would not be formally advertised until after the new Town Council is seated; Election Day is Nov. 8 and the next council will not meet until the end of November.

As the construction season winds down, there are no significant projects on the immediate horizon that will require a municipal engineer’s constant attention, Werbner said. For this reason, although he does not welcome Usher’s departure, Werbner said the town is somewhat fortunate with the timing.

If projects should develop, Werbner said town officials would take them on a case-by-case basis and determine whether they require the services of a contractual engineer.