Salaries, New Position On Special Meeting Agenda

Of five items on the agenda for Tuesday's special meeting, three have to do with positions in the new administration. 

There is probably little doubt that the city needs to strengthen its fiscal operations after lacking a full-time chief financial officer for six of the past eight years. After former CFO Peter Sepelya left at the end of 2007, the city went without anyone permanent in the statutory position for so long that it took the threat of daily state fines for the mayor and each council member to get someone on the job. Even then, the next person could give the city only two days' presence in City Hall per week and only 28 hours altogether of service per week.

Since February 2012, the city has relied on the help of a part-time CFO for five to seven hours per week at $800 per week. (See post here.)

When the topic of hiring a permanent CFO has come up, there has been much talk of how scarce CFOs are across the state. The city increased the salary band for that reason in 2012 from $115,000 to $125,000, but on Nov. 12 rejected a new maximum of $155,000. The salary band is now up for reconsideration on Tuesday, although the public notice does not specify figures. Plaintalker will be checking the packet today (Monday) when City Hall opens.

The other position is new. An ordinance to create the position of "chief of staff" was also rejected on Nov. 12. As detailed in the rejected ordinance, the chief of staff would serve at the pleasure of the mayor and have these duties:

-Handle the Mayor's communications with the public;
- Assist in the creation and implementation of administrative policies and goals, including the priorities for public safety, economic development, budgeting and finance, communications and operations;
-Coordinate communication between the administration and the City Council;
-Direct all intergovernmental relations for the City, working with all levels of government, including Federal, State, County and School Boards, including shared services, grant opportunities and green initiatives; and
-Perform all other functions and duties as may be assigned by the Mayor.

This is a wide-ranging role which, it might be argued, overlaps or duplicates the role of city administrator and other existing positions.  Mayor-elect Adrian Mapp suggested that he needs someone in this role as, unlike the outgoing mayor, he has a full-time job in another municipality. (The mayoralty is not a full-time position, but Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs said she devoted 60 hours a week to the role. Day-to-day operations are supposed to be carried out by a full-time city administrator, to whom the three department heads report.)

On Nov. 12, Mapp also said he was saddened by attempts to force on him people he doesn't want for his new administration. The public at large cannot discern what led to rejection of this ordinance, whether it was the new position itself or some behind-the scenes hassles over who might be in line to fill it.

An accompanying ordinance to create a salary band of $60,000 to $95,000 for the chief of staff was removed from the Nov. 12 agenda after the council rejected creation of the post.

Again, Plaintalker must verify whether the ordinances up for a vote Tuesday are the same as those offered on Nov. 12.

The special meeting is 7 p.m. Tuesday (Nov. 26) in City Hall Library, 515 Watchung Ave. Click here to see background on the reason for another item, the proposed conveyance by ordinance of city-owned property to the Housing Authority of Plainfield. The remaining item involves budget transfers and Plaintalker will file a separate story on that after seeing the resolution.

--Bernice