Maybe the fifth time will be the charm.
The agenda for Monday's City Council meeting includes correspondence from the mayor on four appointments to the Plainfield Municipal Utilities Authority. Named are Cecil Sanders Jr., Alex Toliver, Harold Mitchell and Darcella Sessomes. Terms and successions are not indicated on the agenda, except that Mitchell, currently a holdover who is also chairman of the board of commissioners, is targeted for an alternate's seat that would disqualify him to continue as chairman.
The mayor has brought forth PMUA nominations in January, February, March and June without success. The lineup has varied somewhat, so much so that Plaintalker had to develop a chart to follow the permutations, but besides knocking Mitchell out of his chair, another goal appears to be to give Sanders a full commissionership instead of an alternate's seat. Toliver is currently a holdover and has been named for reappointment in past tries. Sessomes is a newcomer and has always been nominated for a two-year alternate's seat.
Sometimes the nominations have only been presented as correspondence, but when resolutions were submitted in June, Council President Adrian Mapp used his prerogative not to move the items to the agenda for a vote.
The long drawn-out tug of war between the administration and a council majority over PMUA appointments may go on all year at this rate, but if current PMUA Commissioner Tracey Brown prevails as expected in her run for the citywide at-large council seat, observers expect the majority to shift to one more favorable to the administration. The bonus might then be that Brown's PMUA seat will then be vacant and the mayor can get even a larger slate on the PMUA board, although major decisions require only three of five votes on that board.
A`controversial $1 million settlement with past top PMUA officials Eric Watson and David Ervin passed with the approval of Commissioners Malcolm Dunn, Toliver and Sanders, who voted as an alternate in the absence of Brown, who was absent. Mitchell and Commissioner Carol Brokaw voted "no" on the settlement. Brokaw has been targeted for replacement in the mayoral nominations since then, along with Mitchell's shift to a seat that would disallow his chairmanship.
--Bernice
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OK, Ms. Mayor is putting the same names up again, and again. So let's review some of the facts:
ReplyDelete- Toliver and Mitchell have been stealing excess compensation in violation of Plainfield's municipal code and state law. Instead of being rewarded with new terms, they should be removed and held legally accountable.
- Sanders, as you point out, voted to award a $1 million settlement to Watson & Ervin, and even Mitchell wrote a letter to the mayor asking for his removal, along with Malcolm Dunn. All I can say is, it takes one to know one. When the dust settles and the skeletons fall out of the closet, W&E will probably be owing PMUA more than $1 million.
- Darcella Sessomes, who may still be leading the NJ Dep't. of Corrections' Office of Transitional Services, is clearly in a conflict of interest. When push comes to shove and the going gets tough, PMUA always falls back on its much ballyhooed hiring of ex-offenders. That's all well and good, but between this and other patronage jobs, PMUA is saddled with between 30-50% excess staff. It buys political loyalty. Between PMUA officials and local politicians, there has been more than one instance of election law violations where staff is lured by free food and drink to political events. Just whose interests will Sessomes be looking out for?
- For library Board of Trustees, the mayor puts forth the name of Hattie Williams, already on the board of the Plainfield Housing Authority and a Democratic City Committee member. She got the PHA to make a contribution to PMUA commissioner Tracey Brown's city council campaign, but when called on this illegal act, word is she really only intended to reimburse this public agency. So is it that they are in the business of handing out short-term loans, or is it just the plain abuse so typical of these appointees?
Any City Council members that vote in favor of of these nominees is voting against accountability, and until the Council actually moves to hold those who have violated the public trust accountable, Plainfield will suffer. Bread and circuses don't cut the mustard.
God forbid that the Mayor should nominate anyone outside of the Clubhouse. When I volunteered to serve as a Commissioner several years not only was I rejected, but the Mayor would not provide an interview which would nave permitted me to present my resume and my ideas for cost reductions.
ReplyDeleteThe cards are stacked. Any reform outside of the cavalry coming from Trenton is hopeless. The only weapon the population has is to OPT OUT...which would be very effective if we could reach the economic tipping point. Sadly too many people don't have the initiative to take the few small steps required to make the change.
As of this moment anyone who hasn't OPTED OUT has lost all privileges to complain. Pay your Shared Services fee, which is perhaps 3 to 4 times what can be justified, and remain silent.
Commissioners, Rock and Roll, there remain 3 wonderful out of town seminars available to you this year, and of course the traditional annual "Planning Meeting" at the Borgata, not to mention an autumn fund raiser at Hugo's. It is a privilege to live in Plainfield and support your lifestyle. Bill Kruse
THE OLD BAIT AND SWITCH IS WHAT THE OPT OUT PLAINFIELDERS ARE GETTING FROM OTHER COMPANYS PMUA SHOULD BE LOCK IN STEPT FOR KEEPING THIS CITY CLEAN AT ALOWER COST THEN ANY OTHER CARRIER WILL PMUA ARE A MULTI STREAM OPERATION THERE ARE A VERY FEW AROUND THAT CAN GIVE YOU THIS SVC AND YET KEEP OUR CITY CLEAN WITHOUT THE RODENTS ETC IF NOT WHY DO OTHER CITIES WOULD WANT TO REN THIS SAME TYPE OF OPERATION PLUS IF PLAINFIELD IS SO BAD WHY IN THE LAST FEW YEARS SO MANY PEOPLE WANT TO MOVE HERE PLUS DIDNT THEY KNOW THE SUPPOSE PROBLEMS WE HAVE I FOR ONE WOULD NOT HAVE MOVED HERE THE LAST FEW YEARS. IF I HAD NOT LOOKED AT OTHER TOWNS MUCH WORSE! IN THE LAST FEW YEARS THAT I HAVE BEEN HERE NOR MY FAMILY IS THAT YOU HAVE TO MANY WANT TO BE FROM BOTH SIDE'S FROM THE WANNA[B'S] THIS CITY NEED NEW BLOOD NOT THE SAME BICKERING AT THE COUNCIL MEETINGS AND MAYBE WITH THE MAYOR IT IS TIME FOR THIS CITY TO START A GROWTH LIKE NONE OTHER PMUA ARE ARE DOING A GREAT JOB IF YOU TRULY COMPARE APPLES TO APPLES MAYBE THEY HAVE CLEAN UP THE CITY TO MUCH AND HAVE ORRERED TO MUCH SVC FOR WHAT WE PAY FOR TRUE I LIVE IN A NICE PART OF THE CITY MAYBE THARS THE REASON I WILL NOT PUT THEM DOWN PLUS I AM NOT A [CARPETBAGGER]FROM WHAT I KONW THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST AND HAVE BEEN FOT THE LAST 12YRS OH YES YOU PARADE WAS GREAT! MY CHILDREN LOVED IT
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