Summit contingent came out:
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Former County Manager keeps getting sued:
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Layoffs coming?
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Bonding to impove Oakwood Park:
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Fat and Happy
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Will we have musicfest 2012?
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There will be two items on this week’s freeholder agenda affecting position control changes.
James E. Pellettiere will replace Nicole Dirado as Clerk of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders for a term commencing February 1, 2012 through January 31, 2015 at the salary of $80,000. This is a salary increase of $15,153 for Pellettiere. Nicole Dirado’s salary was $92,126, she had a masters in Public Administration. Pellettiere formerly worked under Sebastian D’Elia in the public information department churning out press releases. I don’t know of his educational background as of this writing. The only thing I know of Pellettiere and Dirado having in common is their work outside of polling stations on Election Day, Pallettiere handing out campaign literature, and Dirado handing out cookies and lemonade.
Recent county financial documents obtained through OPRA show that Nicole Dirado is now sporting the title of Deputy County Clerk under Joanne Rajoppi. Rajoppi is an elected constitutional officer. I don’t know of a new salary for Dirado as of this writing. The former Deputy County Clerk is said to be retiring.
Deputy County Manager M. Elizabeth “Liz” Genievich has been congratulated on the occasion of her retirement by the freeholders. No deputy county manager has been named, as far as I can tell.
Note: Sources have reported that Genievich hasn’t been seen in the Administration Building since George Devanney retired. She turned fifty only a short time ago, I know this because a 50th birthday party was thrown for her. Employees and county vendors chipped in for a flat screen TV.
Recent position control changes highlights:
Ronald Zuber, Community Organization Specialist replaced new county manager Alfred Faella at his former position of Director of Parks and Community Renewal.
Salary increase of $11,804
New salary of $114,000
Notes: Zuber was appointed Chairperson of Cranford’s TV channel 35 Committee last year by the Democratic controlled Cranford Town Council, the station that produces the Union County Citizen’s Forum Show. Zuber’s Cranford home features beautiful masonry work with bricks that are similar in appearance to the ones used on the Union County Performing Arts Center.
Matthew Dirado replaced Liz Geneviech as County Division Head of Personnel. He was formerly acting Dept. / co-Division Head under her. I don’t know of a replacement co-Division Head as of this writing.
Salary increase of $25,529
New salary of $119,999
Notes: Matthew is the husband of Nicole Dirado who was recently named deputy county clerk. He began his county career in 1998 as a graphic designer earning $38,813, he earned his law degree while working at the county full time and was moved into the county counsel’s office. In early 2010 he was made co-Division Head of Human Resourses. Di Rado has no background, nor degrees in Human Resources. I am not aware of any efforts to obtain a masters in human resources. Di Rado also finds the time to be a partner in the law firm of Albert, Di Rado & Kojak.
Cheron Roundtree was named Deputy Director Parks and Community Development under Zuber (see above), she was formerly Clerk/Director intergovernmental planning
Salary Increase of $20,000
New Salary of $89,938
Notes: Roundtree is a commissioner on the Union County Improvement Authority board.
Amy Wagner replaces Cheron Roundtree as Clerk/Director Intergovernmental Planning, she is a former Clerk Typist/Confidential Assistant.
Salary Increase of $10,000
New Salary of $68,500
Notes: Wagner was making $42,646 on the Berkley Heights payroll when she joined the county in early 2010, along with other Berkley Heights employees, with a $14,854 increase her salary was set at $58,500. Her job application shows she listed the former county manager’s wife, Angie Devanney, as a reference.
Tina Casey replaced Kelley Koyle as communications coordinator in the Dept. Dir. Writing & Press – this is the first time I’ve noticed this department name. I’ve referred to it to date as the public information department. New hire Natalie Pineiro, salary $35,000, replaces Tina Casey. It appears that Pineiro is a former Star-Ledger reporter.
Salary Increase of $8,000
New salary of $54,200
This needs more looking into: New Confidential Assistant’s salary is higher than the department director he reports to.
A new position has been created for a Matthew Gabriel who joins the county payroll as a confidential assistant to the public safety office of director with a salary of $123,000. The public safety Director is Andrew Moran, his salary is $113,793. A quick glance at the county payroll shows new hire Gabriel is making more than most department heads. At this writing I don’t know who Gabriel is or where he came from. This is Andrew Moran.
Tina Renna is president of the Union County Watchdog Association; she can be reached at tinarenna@unioncountywatchdog.org.
Position control changes 12.5.11 through 1.9.12
Position Control Changes 11.1.11 through 12.5.11
At the September 12, 2011 special meeting of the Union County Utilities Authority on the Covanta deal I posed what I saw as an innocuous question that the DeCotiis representative took as flippant:
Was I serious?
At the time I thought I was but Mr. Williams assumed that the question was too silly to be addressed. After some thought I tended to agree with him. These were usually 15 minute drop-by meetings with no discussion and rubber-stamp votes. How could anyone think that these fine upstanding citizens who volunteer their time would even consider leeching off the taxpayer? Boy, was I off base.
Page 2, item 36 of this paid-bill listing:
D;Italia____Food for the 9/12/11 Special Mtg____164.75
The Westfield Leader published an article this week by reporter Dell Simeone. An interview with Michael Murray of the UC Alliance reveals that he quit last month.
Excerpt from the article:
Mr. Murray had been with the Alliance for several years, and previous to that, had been the Union County information officer for several years. He is a graduate of Kean University in Union.
The Westfield Leader reached Mr. Murray on his cell phone on Monday. He declined to say how much money the Alliance receives from the Freeholders in contracts, and when asked how many employees the Alliance has, he said “none of your business.”
“You know, people knock the Alliance, but it has done a lot of good for Union County over the years, such as, the health evaluations, the newsletter Directions, and its part in many business initiatives,” Mr. Murray said.
Mr. Murray said he was upset by “this woman” (Tina Renna), who started the suit, and by the amount of calls he received from the press regarding the organization. “How did you get my cell phone number anyway?” he asked The Leader reporter.
Mr. Murray was reached by calling the Alliance phone number, which had a message from Mr. Murray saying, “You can reach me on my cell phone” followed by his cell number. Then, he suddenly said, “I quit,” and when asked, “what, you quit, when? Mr. Murray said, “last month.” He suggested The Leader call Mauro Checcio, the Alliance treasurer and a former Scotch Plains mayor, for any further information. Several attempts were made on Monday and Tuesday to reach him and were unsuccessful.
The Alliance maintains an office at 1275 Westfield Avenue, suite 4, Rahway.
Ms. Renna was called several times, but did not respond to phone calls seeking comment.
UCWA is seeking the judge declare the Alliance a public agency subject to OPRA and if so order the Alliance to turn over the records requested as well as UCWA’s costs and attorney fees.
The entire article can be downloaded at goleader.com
The UCWA annual appeal was launched recently and as usual I am overwhelmed and humbled by the heartfelt support that has been poring in. Including an anonymous generous donation from county employees that came with this note:
Representing a collection …. Those of us who actually work for the County know best how much you and your organization are needed – only we cannot speak out. Best of luck in your efforts!!
Please make your tax deductible contribution payable to:
The Union County Watchdog Association, Inc.
202 Walnut Ave.
Cranford, NJ 07016
Or donate on-line.
Learn more about our work: 2012 Annual Appeal Letter
County official forced to work in a closet at Detention Center.
Star-Ledger, Spurned Union County official sues after being given $120K do-nothing job
Read more.
Inside Business, Of Cars and Bars
On a recent evening a car was seen driving erratically along Route 22 in Mountainside. The vehicle was stopped by local police and the driver, Union County Manager Al Faella, was arrested for driving while intoxicated. Read more.
Union County Local Source, UCWA files suit, claims UCPAC subject to OPRA
Read more
Star-Ledger, Court to decide if Union County nonprofit must open its records
Read more
Westfield Leader Editorial, Tipping Fees of $100/Ton Smell, Dumping Rules Need Fixing
The Union County Utilities Authority (UCUA) has completed the extension of the lease of the county’s waste to energy incinerator through the year 2031 to Covanta Energy. Once again, the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders has said how wonderful this deal is for towns in that it will save them collectively $100 million over the next 20 years; an average of $4 million per year. Unfortunately, this is not so for towns such as Westfield and Fanwood where trash collection is done by private business. These towns with private business actually get hammered with higher costs and the county puts some of your trash money into their pockets. It’s a slam to private enterprise and another suffocating government expansion. Please note the frustration of the private haulers as expressed in Mr. Infantino’s letter on this page.
Don’t blame the private haulers in this town when you see your bills rise.
Freeholder Dan Sullivan who championed this deal now catapulted himself up to head the UCUA with a six-figure salary. Does he intend to remain a freeholder as well?
As we have said repeatedly on this editorial page, this is a bad deal as it amounts to nothing more than a county mandate on towns: Either towns sign longterm contracts with the UCUA (including the strings and guarantees attached) and receive tipping fees of around $58 per ton or do not sign contracts for which private haulers will be charged $100 per ton in 2012. Last year’s rates were $68 for contract towns and $97 for non-contract communities, so the disparity in rates is getting greater. Where will the fees be in a year or two or 10? Where is free enterprise? So who is “saving money” in this deal you may ask? And who is making money in this deal you may ask? According to a Union County Public Information press release dated December 19, the 14 towns that signed lease extensions – all that had existing long-term contracts – will receive reimbursements relative to a $12 drop in tipping fees retroactive to January 1, 2011. They are: Elizabeth, $658,000; Garwood, $16,000; Hillside, $101,000; Kenilworth, $30,000; Linden, $148,000; New Providence, $41,000; Plainfield, $235,000; Rahway, $158,000; Roselle, $95,000; Roselle Park, $54,000; Springfield, $67,000; Summit, $90,000; Union, $269,000, and Winfield, $9,800. Who is paying for these “savings”? Couldn’t this “savings” have been better used to pay down the incinerator debt?
The seven towns that do not have contracts are Berkeley Heights, Cranford, Clark, Fanwood, Mountainside, Scotch Plains and Westfield. The UCUA said it would be issuing checks to these towns as solid waste grants mounting to an average of $3 per ton paid directly to the towns, not the haulers. Is this “hush” money? Taxpayers won’t see a drop as this money simply will go into municipal budgets as revenue.
Union County and all counties were ordered by the state years ago to build incinerators or to dump at a neighboring county’s burner. Some counties fought it and refused. The hundreds of millions of dollars in debt to build these facilities has been the big problem faced by Union and other counties that proceeded. As such, Union County offered towns a $50 per ton fee with a CPI if they signed 25-year contracts to dump at the county burner, a decision that followed a court decision to un-regulate waste disposal in New Jersey. But haulers without contracts servicing towns like Westfield and Fanwood have no choice; they are ordered under a county ordinance to dump at the Rahway incinerator or face stiff penalties.
In our opinion, this restriction is unjust and should be removed. Where is the competition? There are less expensive alternatives for private haulers. Are they (and we) being held hostage? And why is the county in the garbage business in the first place? The county should stop interfering with Covanta by letting them run this facility at a profit and without forcing them to split revenue from the generation of electricity with the county. And when did the county or UCUA become big brother by dictating such a disparity in tipping fees? Clearly, the debt service is being passed onto towns like Westfield, Scotch Plains and Fanwood as a punishment for not signing long-term contracts. Shouldn’t haulers be able to find a disposal solution that best serves their customers, not the county?
We don’t blame the other towns that were forced to sign on. They had no choice but to submit — and we’re just a voice in the dark; regrettably with the only solace to say, “We told you so.”
A review of documents obtrained through an OPRA request for ‘receipts and bills from employees attending the 2011 League of Municipalities’ shows that the county spent $14,284.18 on this annual event.
2011 costs are down $173.06 from 2009, the last year the UCWA documented costs through OPRA.
In July, 2010 when Union County issued $182,746,250 in Bond Anticipation Notes (BANs) I questioned its legality. Now, after reviewing bond statements and the county audit I repeat my question and wonder whether these BANs are a gimmick to come up with an additional $30 million annually outside of the budget process. Here is what I learned:
There are two sections of the 204-page Report of Audit Report on the Financial Statements of the County of Union that I am professionally qualified to have an opinion on.
The Pension Plan Note is easy. County employees are in the state plan and the county puts in whatever the state tells them to.
Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB) are a little harder. There is some calculation involved with rules set by the Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB). This is where the county and the auditors messed up royally, even comically, and understated liabilities by $106,283,000. Allow me to explain with a timeline.
Continue reading “Union County Audit – (2) What They Messed Up”
The 2010 Union County audit came out six months late for the second year in a row. Why?
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That reason made no sense to me but, after reviewing the audit, I see why they would want to put off as long as possible anyone reviewing the audit.
In this three part series I start with irregularities that the auditors found with their exact wording and my interpretation. Parts 2 and 3 will go into what the auditors missed – an obvious, even silly, blunder in reporting OPEB liabilities (and this stuff is obvious to me since I do OPEB valuations) and a structural budget deficit that the county is plugging with Bond Anticipation Notes. But first, what Suplee, Clooney & Co. recommend:
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Here are some other county audits for comparison:
