To the Editor:
I was delighted to see that the Planning and Zoning board voted to retain the services of Steve Johnson as open space and natural resource agent. I have had the pleasure of working with Steve and his enthusiasm for, and knowledge of, the parks and open acres of city-owned land impressed me enormously. If these parcels were left unsupervised, the trails would soon be choked with invasive plants rendering them unusable for city residents. Our precious shoreline is also an asset that needs close attention to keep it healthy.
Personally, I feel this position should be made a permanent position funded by the city budget, not taken out of the open space fund. This one man can bring in far more money for Milford via grants etc. than his salary costs. And I also feel that if a man works 38.5 hours all year round he should be considered a full-time employee and get benefits.
We need to keep Steve Johnson in Milford. I know his work flies under the radar of many citizens, but it is vital to the livability of our lovely city. When we’ve managed to snag a really good person, we should make an effort to keep him.
Joan Wolf