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Friday, March 9, 2012

Citing ratepayer complaint, state to scrutinize PMUA deal


Will the ratepayers finally see justice?

The Plainfield Municipal Utilities Authority (PMUA) is coming under state scrutiny for the $1 million separation agreement recently engineered by newly appointed commissioners Malcolm R. Dunn and Cecil Sanders.

In a letter dated March 1, Thomas H. Neff, Director of the Division of Local Government Services, notified PMUA chairperson Harold Mitchell that the matter was being turned over to the Office of the Comptroller, which has issued several harsh reports in recent months concerning abuse by local authorities.


Interestingly, Plainfield Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs was copied on the letter, though she has remained silent throughout the controversy.

After a review of the salient points of the controversy, Neff indicates the state's displeasure at the perceived abuses in arranging for the 'golden parachutes' for former executives Eric Watson and David Ervin.

Besides handing the matter over to the Comptroller's Office, Neff indicates that the Plainfield agency's current budget will come under 'intense scrutiny' by the DLGS.

Let's hope this is only the opening salvo in a full court press to get to the bottom of the matter and resolve this outrageous affair in the ratepayers' interest.


-- Dan Damon [follow]

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8 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's about time someone look closely at this agency. They are filled with abuse and fraud. Let the light shine!

Bob said...

Kudos to the people, like myself, who complained to the state and governor's office. It's about time we took our city back from the crooks who run it and all related authorities.

Anonymous said...

AMEN!!!!!!!!! Its about time. Next investigation should be Sharon and city hall

Anonymous said...

At the last PMUA meeting the Commissioners, obviously concerned with their potential liability, asked if they were covered by insurance regarding their performance as Commissioners. The CFO responded by saying that he believed the D & O policy ( the insurance which provides coverage for Directors and Officers of an entity ) has a limit of $10,000,000.
There was an expression of relief on the Commissioners faces. It is suggested that they review what protection the $10,000,000 affords. It dies not protect them acts of fiscal irresponsibility. Whether the pending investigation ever gets that far remains to be seen. However, the mere fact that the Commissioners were concerned sends a rather clear message. Something, if not in the front of their minds, certainly in the rear of their minds, was suggesting to them that they might be involved in something illegal.If you read the minutes of the Executive meeting dated, December 28, 2011, you can see that the PMUA attorney properly and articulately cautioned the Commissioners that if they decided to accept the settlement offer received from the "Retirees" that the acceptance might trigger an investigation. The fact that she did tis suggests her own apprehensions. The Commissioners dismissed the caution and proceeded to accept the offer. The people who should be most offended by the conduct of these Commissioners are the hard working employees of the PMUA whose careers are put in jeopardy. And, to a lesser, but still significant degree, the Administration who nominated them,and the Council members who endorsed them.

The report of the Committee appointed by the Council to study the activities of the PMUA makes its report at Washington School. Monday, March 19th at 7:00 pm. Everyone who has any interest in the preservation, dissolution, or reform of the PMUA should be present to voice their opinions.

Anonymous said...

What should be investigated is the grip that the County people (especially Lesniak) have on the folks in our city eg: Green, Carter, Dunn, and now Mapp.

These people truly don't care about the average person in Plainfield, all they care about is that their vendors and their friends on the County level are happy. Otherwise the PMUA would have been disbanded years ago.

And those County folks don't want the PMUA disbanded either, otherwise their friends at the incinerator and at the recycling centers and their lawyers and their engineering firms would all loose business. It's all about the money. Follow the money.

Have you ever heard your County Freeholder Linda Carter speak out against the PMUA? not!

Adrian Mapp use to say it needs to be disbanded. Ask him that question now, I imagine the answer has changed to NO or better yet he will not answer and will be silent.

Hello Adrian, should the PMUA be disbanded?

Adrian's silence is like Rev Brown not showing up to vote against the million dollar payout. It's one in the same.

ega brag

Anonymous said...

Hey D man How you feelin
You good I hope

Anonymous said...

I'm not clear about the "ABC's", of Adrian Mapp's transformation. Has he sold out the people of our town, who in the past admired, and supported him??

Anonymous said...

keep calling the governor's office. The PMUA still has 3 more payments setup for Watson and Ervin. It's not too late to stop the madness. Everyone is urged to come out to the March 19th meeting at Washington School. Bring your friends, relatives, neighbors, and anyone interested in getting rid of the PMUA. The council wants to see numbers, we will show them numbers. Time to rid the city of the wasteful PMUA. They are robbing us to the tune of $23 million yearly!