The PMUA's solid waste and sewer services are provided to the city's 16,000 households by way of an interlocal service agreement signed in 1997. At Tuesday's meeting, authority attorney Leslie London said, "Clearly things have changed. It is time to revisit (the agreement) to see what changes can be made."
The commissioners passed a resolution to hire legal, financial and engineering experts to review the agreement and report back to the board within 60 days on changes, especially in the rate structure. One of the City Council resolutions called for the PMUA to "drastically reduce" its rates. A citizen task force that reported to the council on March 19 claimed comparable municipalities gave the same services at much lower rates.
In other business, PMUA officials hailed a new contract with South Plainfield for bulk waste disposal as a harbinger of more outside income, a longtime goal of the authority. The authority will make $13.50 per ton on the bulk waste brought to the Rock Avenue transfer station.
Interim Executive Director Duane Young read a statement into the record in which he alleged a change from "excitement and enthusiasm" in the workplace for his first four and half months on the job to a "hostile work environment" in past four and a half months. Young said he had the support of the board after being named to the post on July 1, but recent months have been "difficult," with some commissioners using "condescending tones" when speaking to him. He alluded to an "abuse of power" and said even a commissioner had asked another why he was so hostile. The commissioner in question, whom he did not name, allegedly replied that he was not being hostile, just "authoritative."
Young encouraged the board to make changes that must apply to him and any future executive director, setting a "clear division" between the board and the executive director," Young said. He "humbly" requested that the board review its bylaws.
"I am not resigning nor phasing out my position," he said. "I desire only to offer constructive advice that will assist me and the board" to have a better working environment.
The time frame Young referenced coincides with the advent of two new commissioners, Cecil Sanders Jr. and Malcolm Dunn, in November. The two came in for criticism after they met with former Executive Director Eric Watson and Assistant Executive Director David Ervin and negotiated a $1 million settlement in December, bypassing ongoing arbitration. On Monday, the council passed a resolution calling for the settlement to be rescinded, even though the commissioners can ignore it. Councilman Cory Storch called the settlement "a cynical act against the ratepayer" and resident Dottie Gutenkauf called going outside arbitration for the settlement "morally reprehensible."
As he did when he served as a councilman, Dunn asks many questions at the PMUA meetings On Tuesday, he asked London whether commissioners could sit in on union negotiations. London said it was a board decision, but she would recommend that the board not be there. When Dunn asked why, London said she did not see any true benefit "unless you feel information is not being accurately conveyed to you." Dunn invoked what he said was a phrase he learned from world leaders: "Trust but verify."
In another matter, Commissioner Carol Brokaw said she attended a meeting of the Plainfield Area Regional Sewerage Authority and she learned that PMUA Chairman Harold Mitchell and Councilman William Reid need to be sworn in as Plainfield's voting representatives to PARSA. Ervin had been the city's representative and stayed on even after retiring in 2011, but resigned after the settlement. PARSA conveys sewerage from Plainfield and seven other municipalities to the Middlesex County Utilities Authority's treatment plant.
The next PMUA meeting is 6 p.m. May 8 at 127 Roosevelt Avenue.
--Bernice
According to Section VIII of the "Creation Ordinance", the city's PARSA representative is to be the Executive Director or a member of the authority (a commissioner). So how can Councilman Reid be a representative? Is this another instance of legal tomfoolery for which this city is so well-noted?
ReplyDeleteLet's see....who voted these 2 new commissioners in... Must have been the Boogeyman. Not anyone of the Supremely Dedicated "FOR THE PEOPLE" Party rep's that we have on city council. Damn Republicans in NJ always screwing over the middle class in NJ.
ReplyDeleteThis is the second time I have heard the council being blamed for appointing the PMUA commissioners.
ReplyDeleteSo, the mayor appoints the commissioners. If the Party for the People approves them, they are derided. If they do not, they are derided for not getting along with the mayor.
This place gets crazier and crazier. We need the smart people back in power.
Sometimes we don't know what we're getting until they are there. I voted for Sharon in her first run for mayor, but won't do it again. The mayor does bring up the names of people to be considered and the council votes. We all have decisions we've made that we're sorry we put into action.
ReplyDeleteI do think, if the PMUA is allowed to continue, that the removal of commissioners should be able to happen with council involvement. Dunn is not to be trusted and everything he says needs to be verified. What a waste of flesh and a disaster for Plainfield.
At last night's PMUA meeting Attorney to the PMUA, Leslie London, recommended that she undertake a "study' of the Interlocal Agreement in that this Agreement had not been "reviewed" for 15 years. Under initial questioning from the Commissioners as to what value this effort might be, she hunkered down repeating that a 15 year review might reveal something which could be of value??? On this nebulous theory the Commissioners gave Ms. London a carte blanche to proceed.
ReplyDeleteWhat this review and report will cost no one knows: no "not to exceed" limit was discussed, no estimated cost requested of Ms. London.
It is remarkable, and at he same time an indictment, that the Commissioners are clueless with regard to the content of this quintessential document. The Interlocal Agreement is the "Constitution" of the PMUA. One would think that it would be a prerequisite of any appointed and confirmed Commissioner to read it, understand it, and be bound by its provisions. Rather than authorizing an unspecified sum, for a dubious purpose, the Commissioners might have obtained a copy of the document, read it, made note of their uncertainties rehgarding the content, and then collectively met with Ms. London to obtain any explanations. This might take an hour or two, not the anticipated scores of hours which will undoubtedly be billed to the PMUA by Ms. London. It is equally remarkable that Ms. London, whom I have frequently heard discuss the minutiae contained in the Interlocal Agreement, must now "study" the Agreement to acquire a familiarity.
The Commissioners were reminded that the Park Avenue lease expires in June, and encouraged to move to less expensive location or obtain a substantial reduction in the current rent which is in the order of 200% over current market. The ideal solution would be to build a trailer compound at Rock Avenue and move the entire organization to this one location.
Previous rejections of this suggestion on the theory that there is inadequate room have not been verified.
It should also be noted that Commissioner Dunn expressed amazement and alarm when it was reported that the Rock Avenue location housed 60 to 70 employees. It alarmed me that every Commissioner present was unaware of this number. It is alarming to think that the Board of Commissioners does not have an exact knowledge of the staffing and location of the entire organization. Ther is no greater priority than understanding and addressing the number of employees.
Yet Mr. Dunn who has not done the most basic homework in preparation for his position, e.g., reading the Inter Local Agreement, has at prior meetings publicly criticized Mr. Young's performance. Mr. Young's open letter reported a continuation of this poor leadership practice. Mr. Young has projected a good image to the public and it would be commendable, and serve to stabilize the organization, if Mr. Young were confirmed as permanent Director for a another year. The recently reported option of appointing the City Attorney is too bizarre to warrant comment. However, if the City Attorney is appointed Executive Director it is hoped Ms. London's assignment to study the Inter Local Agreement will be cancelled. Unless he too does not have time to read it, or, upon reading it, finds it too complex to comprehend. Bill Kruse
Why is the Interlocal Agreement not listed on the pmua website.
ReplyDeleteMs London is without a clue. This is all to save her JOB. The interlocal if carried out would have had some teeth and the PMUA wouldn't be able to bill us for their shared service. I opted out a long time ago but the PMUA just keeps increasing this fee. It possibly can't cost more than $16,000 per day to keep the downtown clean. When London opens up the interlocal agreement the city council should use that as their opportunity to shut them down. The entire PMUA is a waste of taxpayer dollars. London's firm is getting rich on the backs of Plainfielders. You add Williamson in there and you'll quickly find that this is a "good old boys" network. Can't wait until they are investigated and people are in jail. I will be at the hearing with bells on.
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