🔒Hartford Parking Authority CEO resigns; CFO named interim leader

The CEO of the Hartford Parking Authority, Jill Turlo, has resigned from her position after only two years on the job. On Tuesday night, during the Hartford Parking Authority board’s regular meeting, commissioners voted to accept Turlo’s resignation, noting that she has plans for a “career change.” They did not explain the specific reasons for her departure. The resignation followed a Sept. 15 closed-door meeting in which the parking authority’s board discussed Turlo’s performance in executive session. It’s unclear what was discussed and whether it was related to her resignation. Commissioners thanked Turlo for her service and appointed Kay Al Mannai, the authority’s chief financial officer, as interim CEO. “All I’m going to say is thank you to the board for the time I’ve spent in this role,” Turlo said at the end of the meeting. “It’s been an incredible experience. I’ve learned a lot, and I am excited to help Kay through this transition.” A commissioner said the board will determine at a later date how it wants to move forward with selecting a permanent CEO. Turlo was appointed CEO in 2023 after a tumultuous period at the Hartford Parking Authority. The former CEO, Armindo Gomes, retired amid complaints about aggressive ticketing practices and inconsistent enforcement. Turlo previously served as the authority’s director of operations. Also during Tuesday's meeting, commissioners discussed the authority’s lack of a human resources position, which led to confusion about employee policies and procedures. Further complicating matters, some employees do not speak English as their first language. To address the deficiency, the board hired a part-time HR person to answer employees’ questions about paid time off, timecards, and clocking in and out of work. Also, the parking authority has translated its employee handbook into Spanish. In April, the authority reported record-high revenue of $649,000 for the year, despite a $50,000 legal expense in connection with an HR investigation, according to meeting minutes. The minutes do not state what prompted the HR investigation or what the outcome was. The quasi-public authority oversees operations, maintenance and enforcement of city-owned parking garages and surface lots, parking at the Hartford Public Library and metered on-street parking. The authority’s five-member board is appointed by the mayor with City Council approval.