Darien To Hire Sanitarian To Help With Health Department Operations
DARIEN, CT — To help the town’s health department perform its duties more efficiently, the Darien Board of Selectmen this week unanimously voted to authorize hiring a sanitarian using state grant funds.
The salary for the position is $61,543, according to the document associated with the request. About $55,000 was already funded in the fiscal year 2024 general fund budget, but the town will now utilize a Public Health Workforce Development grant of $38,822 to cover FICA/Medicare and benefits.
Health Director David Knauf appeared before the selectmen during the board’s regularly scheduled meeting on Monday and said the department is “reaching a crisis point” with being able to meet its obligations in performing health inspections for regular facilities and new businesses that are opening up.
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Knauf noted a drop-off in inspection numbers from the first quarter to the second quarter of 2023 because of the workload.
Each new facility involves multiple plan reviews and construction inspections. The town issues initial, 30-day permits for new facilities, and then periodically evaluates operations to ensure safe food preparation and service, Knauf explained.
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“During that 30-day permit, if we find they are indeed good with their food handling processes, we issue a full permit,” Knauf added. “We found that several of the new facilities have had to have 30-day permits renewed multiple times, which means we’re doing multiple inspections and it’s a very time-consuming process.”
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Since the original town budget was approved, the health department found out it has access to a Public Health Workforce Development grant, which is issued by the state of Connecticut to local health departments to add staff as needed.
“I normally wouldn’t be a fan of using a limited-time grant to fund a position, however, we funded this position and had planned for it to be ongoing beginning in January,” said Town Administrator Kate Buch during the selectmen meeting. “To supplement it and hire now with a grant I think is a good use of the grant, and David has shown the need. I endorse it.”
The board followed suit in endorsing the request with a unanimous vote.
The town expects to hire a sanitarian by Sept. 1.
“We’re really hoping, fingers crossed, without too much optimism, that we can get someone who can go right to work,” Knauf said. “The training and certification process for food service is onerous.”
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