The Plainfield Municipal Utilities Authority's search for a new executive director ended last night with a vote to hire Plainfield Corporation Counsel Dan Williamson to fill the position as of July 1.
Williamson confirmed the news today.
The authority had been conducting a search and as of last month had four finalists. Williamson said he was among them, "as far as I know."
Here is Plaintalker's post on the status of the search in March.
The PMUA board of commissioners voted on the appointment after coming out of an executive session last night, with Chairman Harold Mitchell and Commissioner Carol Brokaw voting "no" and Commissioners Malcolm Dunn, Cecil Sanders Jr. and Alex Toliver voting "yes."
Plaintalker reported on the regular meeting but did not stay for the closed session. Look for Mark Spivey's report in the Courier News online today and in print tomorrow.
--Bernice
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Smart move by Williamson. 1st to beat the unemployment line for this administration that starts on January 2014. Long 21 months for some and short 21 months for others. Time flies.
ReplyDeleteWas this position advertised anywhere? How are we stuck with more of the same? There must be some unemployed mobsters out there who can get the PMUA in shape.
ReplyDeleteYes it was but Williamson isn't qualified for it! This is a network of cronies. Williamson will work there for $165k per year to pad his pension. He'll be there no more than three years, get a lucrative buyout, and yada yada, yada.
DeleteIt is a shame that in this corrupt city with an administration run by Shady Sharonda, and people getting well paying jobs because of who they know and not what they know, we get stuck with another ill-qualified insider to waste our money. No wonder Plainfield is a laughing stock. There is so much to make people ashamed of Plainfield and so little being done to make us proud. I love this city, but am embarrassed by so much that goes on here.
ReplyDeleteI Love that one are there some retired mobster's out there. Anonymous 3:51pm you just gave me the 1st laugh of the day. you have made my morning.
ReplyDeleteRenee
EXACTLY Anon 8:02!!! Williamson is friend and confidant to Eric Watson. He testified for Watson to receive the money. Can't this be fought?
ReplyDeleteAccording to the article this morning, the Commissioners were going to interview candidates - WHY DIDN'T THEY HAVE THE CHANCE TO DO IT!!!! Again, Dunn & Company circumvents the process already agreed too. WHY????
The Dunn, Sanders, Toliver team are on a roll; The Wrecking Crew. It is sad that Mr. Williamson's only recourse to employment compelled him to abandon his chosen profession, the law, and administer a morally and financially bankrupt refuse and sewer agency. As to Mr. Williamson's qualifications it has been rumored that he is a rapid learner and 2 or 3 years in the job he should have a reasonable overview of the operation. In this regard, and with dissolution pending, it is hoped that his contract will be on an annual basis. However, we can anticipate that the dynamic trio will give him a muti-year contract so that if dissolution were to occur he will receive any unpaid balance of his salary...this of course in addition to any "Bonus" which the dynamic trio opts to reward him with for having displayed extraordinary learning ability.Now that another attorney is on board ( rememember the PMUA has not only the constant and enlarging services of Ms. London, but a full time in house attorney, Ms. Tracey Joseph, and I believe have in recent history used 3 other outside law firms for various purposes )it is hoped Ms. London's assignment to study the Interlocal Agreement will be rescinded. Two in house attorneys ought to be sufficient to deal with this matter.
ReplyDeleteInitially it had been my hope that the PMUA would reform itself. It became evident that it is incapable of doing so. My sympathies for the dedicated workers beguiled me into believing that if the City were to a take it over it could be constructively reorganized. This latest travesty convinces me that dissolution is the only recourse. Contracts awarded on the basis of competetive bids for solid waste and "Shared Services" are the right answer. The administration and the dynamic trio have jeopardized the jobs of the workers. Bill Kruse
Where was Tracy Brown? Why was alternate Sanders allowed to vote?
ReplyDeleteAt last month's PMUA meeting Rev. Brown went out of her way to express her support for Mr. Young. Looks like someone got to her and told her to stay home.
I don't understand why the City Council is approving all this crap, voted Dunn & friend in as commissioners knowing how crooked they were; sit idily by while they give friends Eric & Dave money (scam set-up years in advance) at taxpayer expense, now they hire another drinking/golfing buddy to scam the taxpayers even more, why in the world do we need the City Council? Resolution: As each and every one of them come up for re-election VOTE THEM OUT, get rid of the whole barrel of Political Rats in this City inclusive of the Assemblyman, Mayor, City Council and SHUT DOWN THE PMUA which will get rid of DUNN and his croonies. Citizens of Plainfield, you can do something besides complain and pay the cost to these thugs. Don't you know people fought and DIED for your right to VOTE, start using that right and VOTE THESE PEOPLE OUT OF OFFICE PLEASE.
ReplyDeleteYou vote for them because they are your friend, your pastor, your pastor's friend choose better friends, a crook is a crook is a crook.
Can we please frame the issues without using the word "crook" - pejoratives without proof are just what Rick Taylor used to call "donkey dust."
DeleteI wasn’t completely in favor of dissolving but now… Now more than ever they need to dissolve this entity. Dunn is one of the biggest crooks in Plainfield and Dan, well while he is a nice guy, he’s in way over his head. He can’t and will not be his own man making the RIGHT decision, he has way too many personal issues. We need to dissolve PMUA right now and not waste any more tax payers money on studies. The time is now!! Councilors Mappp, McWilliams, Stroch and Williams need to vote to dissolve now and forget about the study. Just do it!
ReplyDeleteCan't you make your point without potentially libelous labels?? These comments may get deleted and all others of a similar nature may be rejected, regardless of what else you have to say.
DeleteYou are absolutely correct. unless he's been convicted of a crime we shouldn’t label him a crook. let's say, judging by his previous actions, he is of questionable character .
DeleteTracy Brown is out of town. She is in another Country
ReplyDeleteIt is beyond reason to think that this is kosher. Please someone stop the madness. Williamson knows nothing and Dunn is like a bull in a china shop. It is not 1970 when corruption and cronyism went unchallenged. Hopefully, somthing will quickly end the nightmare of payoffs, drinking buddies and just plain craziness. The other PMUA commissioners must stop Dunn before anymore damage is done. At least Mitchell has come out strongly against this foolishness.
ReplyDeleteHow convenient for Ms. Brown. She has been ABSENT now for 4 key votes. And teh ones she has been present for she has voted to abstain. Political? Nah
ReplyDeleteSo timely, isn't it? On the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic (this Sunday), the City of Plainfield is rearranging the useless deck chairs.
ReplyDeleteFor anyone who still believes that the PMUA can be reformed, EXACTLY what level of egregious activity must you witness, before you see the light?
For those who have the power to rid this City of this God-forsaken albatross, do the honorable thing and dissolve it already.
Fortunately for the rest of us rather than laying low and trying to fly under the radar, many of the people in power in this City don't use common sense and continue in their outrageous ways. Can't wait to see Williamson's contract and forward that to the Governor's Office. I also can't wait to take a peek at the Rules of Attorney Ethics to see if there is anythng questionable given Mr. Williamson's less than zealous efforts to defend Plainfield in the PMUA lawsuit of a few years ago. Could he have been making sure not to burn the bridge leading him to this position...
DeleteTracy Brown is a coward. Rivers can call in, Tracy Brown cannot? And don't tell me it's because of cost.
ReplyDeleteYou don't know why Rev. Brown was absent or where she is, so why decide she is a "coward" for not participating by phone.
DeleteThis is the latest evidence of the "old cronyism" evident in some Plainfield "old-time politicians" and it's disheartening to say the least. I don't know why our mayor nominated the new PMUA board members--perhaps a political favor, who knows--but I was really disappointed when the city council finally approved them. Of course Mapp wants their support as he seeks re-election this year and from what I hear will probably run for mayor next year, and perhaps that explains it. That million-dollar payout was simply outrageous and makes me wonder what Watson & company have on Dunn that would lead him to do this and then try to justify it. And now this? It's the icing on the cake!
ReplyDeleteI have the utmost respect for Dan Williamson. He's a good guy and a good attorney, but it's been clear for some time now that he hasn't been comfortable in the role he has had to play, so I don't blame him for wanting out and I believe he can put the pieces together and do the best he can. Unfortunately he will have to do what Dunn & company tell him to do, which won't be in the best interests of the Plainfield community or the front-line and office staff of the PMUA, all of whom work hard and well. It will be frustrating for Williamson as well, and I'm sure he will find himself threatened by the loss of his job if he doesn't do what he's told. I have great sympathy for him as well as for the PMUA staff that actually does the work and does it well.
This entire situation proves the saying, "It's not what you know, it's who you know," and it's disgraceful. Just another reason to dissolve PMUA as an "independent authority," which wasn't a good idea in the first place, and bring the PMUA functions (and the jobs of the staff) back into the city--and hire the current "interim" executive director, who is doing good things, to run the operation.
The current interim director is not doing a good job. Do your research. He came in the door as a interim layed off good front line workers and gave his entire department a $10,000.00 dollar raises. The morale in PMUA since he have been in charge have been at it's lowest point. Check the records they are all there. His biggest problem was allowing Harold Mitchell to run the authority. He hired several of Mitchell family member's making money. Check the records. Harold mitchell is not a saint, he's speaking out now only trying to keep his golden goose. Check the facts they are there.
ReplyDeleteTime will tell who has a golden goose and whose goose gets cooked by law enforcement.
DeleteTracey Brown is out of the Country.
ReplyDeleteBernice you are right Time will tell. One thing is for sure the law will prevail and plainfield will see who the real dishonest people are.
ReplyDeleteRenee
Well Anon 8:36. Sounds like you might be one of those disgruntle employees who lost their job.
ReplyDeleteAre you saying that laying-off employees so rates won’t go up is a bad thing? I don’t know about any raises being given but I do know that from the list of people layed-off they were not needed. How many supervisors and managers should there be? My services haven’t decreased. So how many managers should there be? My sewer rate is being lowered. How many managers should there be? Not using outside sources but the people you have to do the job. How many managers, superintendents and supervisors should there be?
We have a real problem in this town with a sense of entitlement. According to dump PMUA org chart, I think more people could be let go cutting even more fat. Companies re-org all the time and if more people ventured out of this town you would know that. So whether or not this interim director is doing a good job we’ll never know.
Anon 8:36 how much more do WE have to pay?
PMUA is bloated. Although the employees do an outstanding job, there are three people for every one person that New Brunswick has. It's crazy!
DeleteThe problem with this town is you want to lay off the little man making barely above minimum wage, just for fun, why not start the lay offs from the top down, I think PMUA is top heavy and if you get a few from the top you can probably keep those that actually do some work. It might also be fun to get rid of some of the Nepotism in this City. You have five members of one family working in city hall alone and that's just one family, you have the summer program for the young people in less fortunate families, but those jobs go to children of highly paid employees. Members of the Mayor's staff bring in their relatives from other towns to fill the jobs and one of them had a relative from another state filling a position. How is that fair to Plainfield families, there is so much unethical and illegal stuff going on in this town (yes, illegal because the money for that summer program is for less fortunate children of City residents, not children w/parents working for the city making 70-80 grand a year and it's certainly not meant for freinds & relatives from other cities and states). If City hall, BOE, PMUA politicos could magically change and become ethical, moral upstanding citizens, this place would be awesome. We can always dream.
ReplyDeleteThe issue is not Brown. It is Dunn and Sanders - who were voted in by New Democrats Mapp and William.
ReplyDelete