Thomas Crownover, a frequent nominee to the Plainfield Municipal Utilities Authority, is now Mayor Adrian O. Mapp's nominee to succeed David Ervin on the Plainfield Area Regional Sewerage Authority.
The nomination is on Monday's agenda for discussion and possible placement on the Jan. 20 agenda for a vote. Monday's agenda-fixing session is 7:30 p.m. in Municipal Court, 325 Watchung Ave.
Crownover is an attorney who serves as executive director of the Metuchen Parking Authority. He has been nominated to PMUA several times, though not confirmed. While PMUA provides solid waste and sewer services to Plainfield, PARSA handles the sewer flow of eight municipalities in three counties on the way to treatment at the Middlesex County Utilities Authority.
Ervin, the retired assistant executive director of the PMUA, retained his post as PARSA commissioner representing the city of Plainfield. If confirmed, Crownover will have a five-year term starting Feb. 1 succeeding Ervin.
Crownover served on a task force that examined the workings of the PMUA and reported at a public meeting in 2012. From Plaintalker II's post:
"Comparisons with similar municipalities found PMUA services to be more expensive and to require many more employees than others. But setting aside the option of doing nothing, the task force suggested fixing PMUA by finding $8 million in savings to bring authority costs in line with others, having fiscal and forensic audits and a managerial analysis and by being more selective in choosing commissioners. A suggestion to take back a recent $1 million settlement with former executives drew applause."
Nominated as a PMUA commissioner in January 2014, Crownover said in a council interview the authority was "one of the most important agencies in the city" and was "such a substantial body that it ought to be handled with great consideration."
Asked what he would do the make it better, Crownover said he would get rid of a recently-imposed wage freeze by perhaps making the authority more efficient.
But along with Nan Anderson-Bennett, Charles Tyndale and Thomas A. Kaercher, Crownover was rejected by the council. In February 2014, Tyndale was approved to replace PMUA Commissioner Alex Toliver. In April 2014, Mapp sought Crownover's appointment as a PMUA alternate, but the nomination was not moved to the regular meeting agenda. He was among nominees Mapp offered in October, but then withdrew. Mapp last named him to replace holdover Malcolm Dunn in November. .
Due to reorganize in February, the PMUA will have three holdovers among its five commissioners and both alternate seats will be vacant. PMUA Chairman Harold Mitchell, a holdover since 2011, is also a holdover since January 2014 as a Plainfield alternate to PARSA. The other alternate is William Reid, whose term on the City Council expired on Dec. 31 and whose term on PARSA expires on Jan. 31.
--Bernice
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Is this a paid position?
ReplyDeleteKicked upstairs.
ReplyDeleteBy all outward appearances Mr. Crownover is a mature , progressive well educated man of good character who has the public interest at heart. These are serious impediments to receiving the approbation of the Plainfield City Council. It will be interesting to see whether these presumably unaltered liabilities again result in his rejection? Bill Kruse
ReplyDeleteWhat does that crew on the City Council know about progressive, educated and especially Good moral character, these folks have been slithering around in muck and mire all their lives trying to see what/how much they can get for themselves and their master so of course, educated, forward thinking, ethics, scruples & good character will be an impediment. Rebecca and Corey, please be advised that you are not included in muck and mire gang, I think you try very hard to effect change for the City but the devil rule this world and his minions are working double time.
ReplyDeleteFor all you idiots who insist on name calling. Tom name was pulled Because it was determined that decision to appoint someone to the sewage is Dan Williamson's decision not the Emperor Mapp.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the Plainfield Municipal Code, the governing body appoints the PARSA commissioner and may also appoint two alternates.
DeleteMore selective reading by those who don't even read. Section VIII of the Creation Ordinance says the PARSA representative shall be either the Executive Director or a member of the Authority, designated by the mayor with the advice and consent of the Council. Of course Section VII limits commissioner compensation to $4500/yr and that hasn't been enforced, costing residents many $100,000s since PMUA began the illegal practice of paying for a cushy benefits package for select commissioners. Then there's the City Appropriation of Disposal Costs, the Solid Waste Lease payment from PMUA to the City, the Revenue Sharing calculation, and the Authority Obligation Regarding Competitive Disposal Costs, all central to the original fraud and manipulation of the Inter Local Agreement, that haven't ever been complied with either. Any way you look at it, PMUA is still a racket that has sucked millions out of our pockets. Worst of all, its sense of entitlement keeps the abuses coming, while feckless politicians and their appointees twiddle their thumbs and sit on the sidelines.
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