Public Works Director Appointed In Hamden

HAMDEN, CT — Joseph Colello has been appointed as the town’s public works director, pending the approval of the Legislative Council, Mayor Lauren Garrett announced Wednesday.

Colello has served the Hamden Public Works Department for the past nearly 30 years as a laborer, truck driver and heavy equipment operator, foreman of buildings, superintendent of buildings, superintendent of streets and bridges, and superintendent of sanitation, recycling, and waterways.

“I am thrilled to announce the appointment of Joseph Colello,” Garrett said in a statement. “I trust Mr. Colello to maintain and improve Hamden’s infrastructure and grounds with care and sustainability. He has been an instrumental supervisor in Public Works, bringing innovative and sustainable methods to Hamden, including organic composting, installing a solar array at the Transfer Station, and utilizing the resources we have to improve safety and productivity.”

Colello is a “DEEP Certified Operator of Landfills, Transfer Stations, Recycling and Volume Reduction Facilities,” according to a news release. “He is also recognized as a Qualified Tree Warden following the successful completion of Tree Wardens’ Association of Connecticut’s Tree Wardens School of 2020, conducted by UCONN’s College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources.”

Colello brings a “wealth of experience from his roles at Hamden’s Public Works Department in project management from supervising Transfer Station operations, paving, general road repairs, storm water and waterway management, catch basin repairs, and the blight crew,” the news release states. “He has a proven track record in catastrophe mitigation and management from successfully overseeing snow removal, municipal emergencies, and natural disasters while prioritizing safety.”

Read more from the news release below:

“Mr. Colello is a highly accomplished municipal professional, having managed various departmental, vendor, and equipment budgets along with employee payroll and scheduling. He is a member of Hamden’s Pension Board, Hamden’s Safety Committee, the CT Recycling Commission, and the CT Coalition for Sustainable Materials Management.

“Mr. Colello spearheaded Hamden’s first solar farm at a closed landfill, and introduced Hamden’s first outdoor classroom. He has an extensive understanding of construction and trades along with municipal road safety. Mr. Colello will continue to be an incredible asset to Hamden’s Public Works Department.”

Colello will be Acting Public Works Director until his appointment is approved by the Legislative Council.