Late in Monday's City Council meeting, Rev Jason Greer made a couple of pitches for the Joseph Black baseball league he says has formed as a nonprofit organization.
One was for a "letter from the city" to get money from donors. I think I heard him name a Mr. Dunn, presumably Danny Dunn, as the person who would solicit donations.
Whoever the agent may be, it struck me as highly irregular to ask the city to authorize solicitations for a nonprofit group. It was a similar situation that led to trouble for a former superintendent of Recreation - cloaking a solicitation with the mantle of government. I hope the governing body will run this request by Corporation Counsel Vernita Sias-Hill to see whether it squares with ethical guidelines.
The other pitch was for equipment that Greer said was purchased in the past for the city-sponsored league. He said he wrote to the new superintendent of Recreation about handing over the equipment.
"We would like to have that," Greer said.
If the city paid for equipment for a city-sponsored league, can it now donate the city-owned balls, bats and bases to a nonprofit? In the arcane argot of the youth baseball fanatics, Greer contrasted the cost of the equipment with a $1 million budget increase and said he was puzzled. Me too.
He said something about "such hurray" which puzzled me even more, though I must admit I was ready to say "hurray" to the end of that meeting.
--Bernice
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
The saga continues!!!!
ReplyDeleteJason next time being your proof of non profit status, it gives more substance to your argument. As in a court of law hearsay cannot stand up.
ReplyDeleteHe's got a lot of nerve asking for anything when he has been so nasty to not only this administration but also the current superintendent of recreation who has done nothing to him. They shouldn't give him the time of day. They blew their opportunity to work with the city when they chose to go it alone.
ReplyDeleteIs this guy a real minister? He seems like a con man to me, first wanting the tax payers to fund his group then asking to be give city property paid for by our taxes. I was a little league umpire in my younger days and can't imagine the price has gone up to $1,000,000 for equipment. Sounds a little far fetched and a poor reason to rip off the tax payers of Plainfield. Sounds like this non-profit wants others to do all the work for them. I've volunteered at non-profits and my church for many years and we do all the work to raise the funds we need. It wouldn't hurt the kids and their parents to work for it. Seems like a good way to build character.
ReplyDeleteEquipment purchased with city funds cannot just be given to people. If municipal property is no longer usable, municipalities hold surplus auctions.
ReplyDeleteRebecca
There one problem only business can bid on items and plfd sales in bulk. But in the 70s any resident could come and bid and buy. Rebecca can you advocate to bring that back..
Delete