A number of city employees have moved, arrived or left during the past few weeks, involving Westbrook City Hall and, most notably, the Westbrook Community Center.
Michelle Mecteaux, the longtime administrative aide in the mayor’s office, has shifted from City Hall to the community center, where she began last week as the office coordinator.
“This is a happening place,” she said Wednesday about the community center.
Mecteaux said the job offered a “change of pace” from City Hall.
Mecteaux’s former job is being filled now by Julie Costanzo on a temporary basis.
Leaving the community center recently was Sarah Lundin, who had been the General Assistance coordinator. The spot is now held on an interim basis by Lundin’s assistant, Anne-Marie Palme, with help from Mecteaux. The top GA job will be posted soon. Lundin has taken a job in Freeport as family services coordinator for Freeport Community Services.
Three longtime community center employees were offered early retirement. Louise Marcelliano, a secretary for 30 years, Lisa Wohl, a longtime aquatics supervisor, and Randy Peters, the athletic field manager, left holes to fill at the center.
According to Maria Dorn, Westbrook’s director of community services, the recent movement has allowed her to step back and evaluate the best use of employee positions.
“There’s opportunity to look at what you’re doing and design according to the need,” she said.
She said the position of aquatics supervisor will now be rolled into a larger position of fitness coordinator, given the growth and success of the center’s fitness programs.
“Our programs have just blown up,” she said, adding that the position has been posted externally, with heavy interest. Dorn said they’re looking for the new coordinator to bring new energy into the fitness programs, including two public pools in Westbrook.
Referring to Lundin’s departure, Dorn said General Assistance is a difficult position.
“It’s emotionally charged,” she said.
The position of athletic field manager is another example of reassessing the need, Dorn said. Currently, Jeremy Gardiner, the assistant athletic field manager, has been put in place for the busy part of the season, but Dorn said the job will also be posted soon.
“We have quite a few fields and it’s time to take it to the next level,” she said.
Another new hire for the community center is Pauline Shaw, who, Dorn said, is helping with community center finances. Dorn said that with the growth of the center, finances have become more complex.
Referring to processing most everything online now, Dorn said, “We’ve come a long way from paper applications.”
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