DPW Employee Suspended, Then Terminated After Repeated Violations

From the Hartford City Board of Works special meetings on February 4, 2026 and March 19, 2026

The Hartford City Board of Works terminated Department of Public Works employee Brian Carvel after a series of escalating disciplinary actions.

Following executive sessions in January 2026 to investigate three separate incidents of alleged misconduct, the board voted 3-0 on February 4 to suspend Carvel for 10 working days without pay. The board — Mayor Eckstein, Bonewit, and Weiseman — also placed him on a 90-day probationary period with 30-, 60-, and 90-day reviews and issued a final warning.

On March 16, an employee identified by initials consistent with Carvel was placed on light duty for two weeks per a doctor's note, restricted from working on the trash truck or chipper truck. Three days later, on March 19, Mayor Eckstein called a special meeting, reporting the employee had committed another handbook violation over the preceding weekend. The board voted 3-0 to terminate the employee effective immediately.

Source: Hartford City Board of Works Special Meeting Minutes, February 4, 2026; Regular Meeting Minutes, March 16, 2026; Special Meeting Minutes, March 19, 2026 (hartfordcity.net)