Town IT Director Pitches Finance Board For New Staffer

One of the graphics Newtown’s recently hired technology director Al Miles projected during a February 24 Board of Finance meeting illustrated why he was advocating for the quick hire of an additional full-time staffer for his department.In the months before Mr Miles was hired to replace departing IT boss Scott Sharlow, the backlog of work began accumulating and overwhelming the remaining, single full-timer left on staff to support and maintain the 500 computer devices Newtown’s government and public safety departments depend upon.At the same time, that industrious but outmatched staffer, Dennis Lawler, had to keep an eye on potential security threats, spam e-mail outbreaks, and a dozen other technology issues beyond the day-to-day functionality of all the town’s computer systems and networks (the school district has its own dedicated staff).