PMUA Changes Undisclosed

After a very disconcerting day, I walked over to the PMUA special meeting, which after a lengthy closed session yielded no new information except that the topic had been personnel and a reorganization.

Maybe I should have asked some incisive questions during the public hearing portion, but I didn't, nor did any of the other attendees. In municipal government, employees are under Civil Service rules and have bumping rights. They also belong to various bargaining units, but PMUA is an authority and it does not appear that employees are organized to fight for their jobs or even have hearings on layoffs and such. There has been talk of a union for several years now, but as far as I know it has not been ratified.

My ability to pay attention to anything has been compromised by wondering whether the long-anticipated sale of our building has happened. We did not get the usual rent invoice from the management company, nor did we get anything from a new company. I just put my check through the office slot as usual, hoping for the best. We have been here 24 years, because it's a very convenient location and also I hate moving even worse than I hate squirrels, bats and raccoons getting in the premises.

My necessary trip to Stop & Shop today got messed up next, partly through distraction and partly due to a checker who has not learned the science of bagging groceries. My stuff got all mixed up and after I took a taxi home, I found out some items were missing. I called the store and Customer Service knew about the problem. All I had to do was go back to the store! Two more taxi rides later, all items were accounted for and they even honored the coupons I had forgotten to give the checker while trying to group the mixed-up perishables.

That left no time for a badly-needed afternoon nap, so I set off for 127 Roosevelt Avenue in a state of fatigue. Something about turning 78 this month is making me feel old and cantankerous. I did enjoy kidding around with the other attendees while waiting for closed session to open, but I was feeling over-tired by the time we were let back into the meeting. I failed to probe and got no story.

The next regular meeting is 6 p.m. on June 14, the same night as the City Council's 7:30 p.m. agenda-fixing session. With luck, I can cover both and maybe get the PMUA story then.

--Bernice