Plainfield's loss is Hackensack's what?

I learned Thursday afternoon that Nagy Sileem, currently serving as Director of the Division of Inspections, has submitted his resignation.

He will be taking up new -- and as yet unknown -- duties in Hackensack.

Many in the community feel that the premature death of former Director Jocelyn Pringley was hastened by the hostile work environment she faced while Mr. Sileem was her supervisor.

The Inspections Division has been plagued with increasing turmoil and decreasing performance during his tenure.

Computer problems continue to plague the Division, causing backlogs in the issuing of permits and inconveniencing contractors and homeowners.

Questions remain about some of the decisions that seem to have been made -- but not enforced -- while he has been in charge --

• a church on East 4th Street that had a serious fire and was supposed to be torn down is going strong;
• a building on West 6th Street with a collapsed roof and bulging wall which was supposedly to be demolished remains untouched months later.

To add to the mix, Sileem recently issued a ukase changing the way Certificates of Compliance -- necessary for real estate sales and (theoretically, at least) leases -- are issued.

Instead of a homeowner or a real estate agent being able simply to apply and pay for an inspection and receive a certificate to be included in the real estate closing documents, the new rule is that the name of a buyer must be supplied, the certificate then being issued in that name.

About this, I have two thoughts: One is that it must do nothing but encourage desperate owners to offer an inspector an inducement to get the process completed in the now-abbreviated time frame.

Secondly, isn't it odd that the certificate would be issued to a PERSON and not for a PROPERTY?

At any rate, with Mr. Sileem soon on his way, perhaps the Division will give him a going away party.

How long will it take for Mayor Robinson-Briggs to find a replacement? Will there continue to competency issues? Will the Division ever get straightened out and on track? Stay tuned.

In the meantime, the good people of Hackensack probably ought to start a novena.

-- Dan Damon

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