On Tuesday, it was revealed that the final destination for storm debris, a disposal company in Lawrenceville, had stopped accepting the waste in November. The PMUA had lowered its rate for dumping vegetative waste on Sept. 11, before the storm, and had contracted with other municipalities to drop off such waste at the Rock Avenue facility. The disposal company was bound by a contract to accept all the waste for a flat rate.
Going back over the information, Plaintalker found that in the Sept. 11 discussion preceding the PMUA commisioners' vote to lower the rate charged at Rock Avenue to garner more business, several errors were made. Two were minor - the name of the disposal firm was wrong and numbers were slightly transposed in the stated disposal charge per month - but the third one misstated the term of the disposal firm's contract. It was not three years, but one year. So instead of having a locked-in rate for another year and a half, just a few months were left in the one-year contract approved in February 2012.
Executive Director Dan Williamson only came to the post on July 1, 2012. But others, including staff, legal counsel and commissioners, were there when the disposal contract was approved. Too bad the rate change was proposed and approved on what appears to have been an incorrect premise.
Ironically, during the same discussion Williamson had projected a more aggressive stance going forward on analyzing factors affecting PMUA rates and costs.
Things may work out once the unanticipated volume of storm debris is processed and the flow of waste takes on a normal pattern. One hopes so, for the sake of the ratepayers. The situation simply points up the need for that which Williamson had in mind - a firm grip on the facts before action.
--Bernice
I would like to read their contract with Britton. It is hard to imagine the contract wouldn't indemnify Britton from absolutely unlimited disposal.
ReplyDeleteThe PMUA needs to be shut down. The incompetence of the agency is the reason our rates are out of control. No one else in the state pays such a high rate for waste removal.
ReplyDeleteUnless I am confused July 1st, 2012, the day Mr. Williamson "only" came to his post, precedes the dates on which the PMUA entered into the contracts with the adjacent communities?
ReplyDeleteWhere was attorney Leslie London? Where was in house council Tracey Joseph. Where was attorney Commissioner Brokaw? Where was attorney Executive Director Dan Williamson? Where were their accountants Lerch, Vinci and Higgins? Where were the several other law firms they engage on a regular irregular basis to handle a variety of issues? Where were Commissioners Dunn, Sanders. Mitchell and Tracey Brown? This monumental gaff reflects the depth of the oversight given to the affairs of the organization by the Commissioners. The Commissioners do not get under the sheets. They perform in a perfunctory manner accepting the outlines presented by staff. Other than the division on the million dollar award they vote in lockstep on every resolution placed before them. No one,absolutely no one regardless of qualifications, outside of the City Hall cabal can get a chair as a Commissioner. What is the Mayor afraid of? 1 vote against 5. What she is afraid of is that some one on the inside can look under the sheets, and that she will loose the ability to award the illegal 20K perk package to a deserving patron. Bill Kruse
PMUA is a classic example of how all the people running this city care about is themselves and hanging on to power. Think about it, if the mayor were not the mayor, what would she do? Most members of the council are not competent to do much, so my guess is they have non managerial government jobs. What would most of the Department Heads do if they had to be accountable. Heck, I'd want to keep the cushy job. Even though I would not be competent to do anything else, I wouldn'd be that stupid!
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