New police off-duty pay ordinance passes

Sign notes construction on East 2nd Street from 7 AM - 5 PM.
That will become $75/hour for two cops (at Park and Watchung Avenues)
10 hours per day, 5 days per week when new ordinance takes effect.

Plainfield City Council unanimously passed nine ordinances Monday evening -- a record at one time methinks -- including one setting new hourly fee schedules for police at off-duty private or quasi-public functions.

Six of the ordinances covered contract settlements with the city's public employee unions. Two others covered registration and property maintenance requirements and violation fees for abandoned, vacant and foreclosed properties.

The new off-duty fee for police to protect public utility crews working in the streets is $75/hour, with a $7.50/hour administrative fee tacked on which goes to the city for administering the off-duty assignments. Can you understand why these assignments are popular among the police?

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  -- Dan Damon [follow]

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Two PMUA stories you will NOT hear tonight

Once again the Plainfield City Council will have opportunities (two) to discuss the Plainfield Municipal Utilities Authority (PMUA) at tonight's business meeting.

Council President Bridget Rivers has invited PMUA Executive Director Dan Williamson to speak to the Council. This will probably be an update on various activities which have been reported on in the past.

Mayor Mapp also has two nominations to the PMUA on the agenda: adding Wilbert Gill and reseating Harold Mitchell as an alternate.

Council has stymied Mapp's nominations for months -- last week causing Councilor Storch to ask aloud what had happened to a supposed agreement.

Led by Councilor Taylor, a majority has taken a double tack on turning down nominations: first, that the nominees 'have no experience' and second, that the Council is 'waiting for a report on what is going on over there'.

Well, tonight's nominations address the first objection: Harold Mitchell is a current holdover and has been a PMUA commissioner for years; Wilbert Gill is a former commissioner, also with years of service. So much for the 'no experience' gambit.

There are, however, two stories about the PMUA you are likely NOT to hear tonight.

The first, as reported by Councilor Storch on his blog (see here) is that NJ's Office of the Comptroller has concluded its investigation of the PMUA and is preparing to issue its report. Storch got the information from a state staffer he spoke with after a workshop on public authorities at the recent League of Municipalities Conference.

The second story is that former PMUA Chief Financial Officer Jim Perry has filed suit against the agency. Perry, who is white, alleges that he was discriminated against in comparison to the generous terms given former executives at the instigation of Commissioners Malcolm Dunn, Cecil Sanders and then-Commissioner Alex Toliver.

Sooner or later, one way or the other, the public will get a window into the real goings-on at the PMUA.

Will the Council then find itself embarrassed -- or worse?

City Council meets tonight at 8:00 PM in the Council Chambers/Courthouse, Watchung Avenue at East 4th Street. The public will be able to speak at two points in the meeting.

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  -- Dan Damon [follow]

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Sign of The Times: Hooking up in Plainfield

Hmmmmm....

 

Spotted at the traffic light by Plainfield's Front Street McDonald's, at the corner of Madison Avenue.

Enterprising.

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  -- Dan Damon [follow]

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Remembering Mabel Hunter

Mabel Hunter being honored by Mayor Al McWilliams,
Memorial Day, 2000.

Women to watch out for: Mabel Hunter, Ruth Dobson and
Barbara Sandford. Memorial Day, 2000.

Plainfield says goodbye today to another of its veterans, Mabel Hunter, whose funeral is this morning at Mt. Olive Baptist Church.

I first came to know Mabel when I went to work for the city. Mabel was the motivating force behind the ceremonies conducted on both Memorial Day and Veterans Day, which she supervised every year as long as she was well and able.

A pert and peppy woman, she always seemed larger than she really was and projected a no-nonsense directness that well suited her military background and interest in veterans affairs.

A veteran of the Korean Conflict, she always wore her hair in what those of us of a certain age would immediately identify as a WAC/WAF 'cut'.

Not only was she responsible for arranging for the ceremonies on those two holidays, she coordinated getting the members of the VFW and American Legion posts out to the events in force.

Among other things, Mabel pressed Mayor Al McWilliams for a separate space for the veterans as part of any new Senior Center project.

Though the project took a different shape when it was finally realized, Mabel would be delighted at the fine new and separate accommodations for Plainfield's veterans of military service.

Mabel, we will miss you! Troops, at ease!

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  -- Dan Damon [follow]

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Plainfield's newest Dunkin' Donuts is open

Plainfield's newest DD is now open.

Plainfield's newest Dunkin' Donuts is open, as I learned on Thursday afternoon when a car zipped out suddenly in front of me from the store's Clinton Avenue exit as I approached the red light at West Front Street.

The parking lot was nearly full at 3:00 PM and business appeared to be brisk.

This is a welcome presence at this corner after years of problems with the former Arlington Liquors, which is next door and now a chicken joint.

I disagree with those who say neighborhood shopping districts have no future. Here is living proof.

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  -- Dan Damon [follow]

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Plainfield Holiday Happenings Roundup

Tree lightings, visits by Santa, and more...

Plainfielders have many opportunities to enjoy the holiday season. Here is a roundup of local holiday activities --

City Hall Tree Lighting
Friday, December 5, starts at 6 PM

Young people of all ages will gather on City Hall steps for the annual tree lighting ceremony, hosted by Mayor Adrian Mapp. Kids look forward each year to Santa's arrival on a Plainfield Fire Division truck and the opportunity for a photo with Santa. There will be music of the season and each child will get a candy cane treat.

Plainfield SID Santa's Visit
Saturday, December 6

Continuing this ten-year tradition, the Plainfield SID will host a visit to the community by Santa in TWO locations.

From Noon to 12:45, Santa will visit the downtown, in the pocket park near McDonald's. There will be a drawing for a toy-filled stocking at the downtown event.

From 1:00 to 2:00 PM, Santa will visit at Plainwood Square Park on South Avenue, where there will be opportunities for photos with Santa.

Santa's visit this year is being coordinated by the Plainfield Fire Division -- thanks to Plainfield's bravest for their community spirit!

Christmas Miniatures at Swain's
Saturday, December 6, 5-7 PM

Small paintings as holiday gifts in an exhbit and sale, offered by Swain Galleries, which is celebrating its 146 year of service to Plainfielders. A reception with the artists will be held from 5 - 7 PM.

Swain Galleries is at East 7th and Watchung Avenue. Parking in the lot on Watchung Avenue.

Hajj Dinner of Masjidullah Plainfield
Sunday, December 7, 1-5 PM

Friends of Masjidullah Plainfield are invited to attend a dinner in honor of three Plainfield Hajjis -- a term reserved for Muslims who have made the pilgrimage to Mecca. The dinner will run from 1 - 5 PM. For more information, contact Miriam Abdul-Aziz at (908) 531-0554.

Masjidullah Plainfield is at 321 Grant Avenue at the corner of West 4th Street. Parking in the lot on Grant Avenue.

duCret Miniature Art Show & Sale
Sunday, December 7, 2-4 PM

duCret School of Art Students will host their annual Open House and Holiday Miniature Art Show and Sale from 2 - 4 PM. Here is an opportunity to find small items for holiday gifts -- and get to be a collector of a rising star's early works! There will be refreshments and music as well as an opportunity to meet the students and tour the school.

duCret School of Art is at 1030 Central Avenue (across from Cedarbrook School). Entry to the auditorium is off the parking lot at the rear of the complex.

Drake House Tree Lighting & Santa's Visit
Friday, December 12, 6:30 PM

The Historical Society of Plainfield hosts its annual Christmas party for the community at 6:30 PM.

In addition to the tree lighting ceremony, there will be holiday carols, prizes and refreshments. Santa will make a special visit and distribute small toyr to the youngsters. There will be a total of four decorated trees, including in the museum's period rooms.

Donations of unwrapped toys ($10-$15 value) are gladly accepted. To schedule a drop-off, call (908) 753-5831 or bring them by the Drake House on Sunday, December 7, between 1:00 and 5:00 PM.

The Drake House Museum at 602 West Front Street (at the foot of Plainfield Avenue) is open to the public Sunday afternoons and at other times by appointment.

Crescent Concerts: Yuletide by Candlelight
Sunday, December 14, 5 PM

Crescent Concerts annual holiday gift to the community is this year titled 'What Sweeter Music'. The concert is free and begins at 5:00 PM.

The concert features music of the season from Renaissance to modern times, plus carols and hymns joined in by the audience. This is always a joyful and uplifting occasion.

At Crescent Avenue Presbyterian Church, East 7th Street at Watchung Avenue. Parking available in the church lot on First Place and in Swain Galleries lot on Watchung.

Trip to 'A Christmas Carol' at McCarter
Sunday, December 14

The Friends of the Plainfield Public Library and the Plainfield Division of Parks & Recreation are jointly sponsoring a theater trip to see this year's production of 'A Christmas Carol' at the McCarter Theater in Princeton.

Though the deadline has passed, there may be a couple of seats available. Tickets are $60/person, payable in advance. Bus departs from the Library's 9th Street parking lot at 11:00 AM sharp; the performance is at 1:00 PM.

For more information, call the Rec Division at (908) 753-3097.

Muslim Community Soup Kitchen Fundraiser
Sunday, December 21, 11 AM - 3 PM

Masjidullah Plainfield's community soup kitchen is celebrating 25 years of service to Plainfield residents with a fundraiser. A buffet lunch will be served.

Dr. Mubaashir Uqdah will give a presentation on Christ and Christmas: Unique Insights from an Islamic Perspective.

All are invited. Contribution is $15/person, buffet lunch included. Masjidullah Plainfield is at 321 Grant Avenue at the corner of West 4th Street. Parking in the lot on Grant Avenue.

Besides these holiday events, many organizations and houses of worship are gathering contributions of toys, clothing, food donations and other items for our fellow Plainfielders. Please be generous with your gifts.

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  -- Dan Damon [follow]

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Plainfield gets $2.4 million worth of military surplus equipment

The Passaic County Sheriff's Office raised eyebrows
when it acquired an armored personnel carrier.
(Image, Bergen Record)

Plainfield has received more than $2.4 million worth of surplus military equipment, according to a document recently released by the NJ Attorney General's office.

The information was made public as a result of pressure from State Sen. Nia Gill of Montclair. Gill has been a critic of the acquisition by local police of such things as armored vehicles and assault weapons, saying the equipment 'is more appropriate for a war zone than in community policing' (see Ledger story here).

The Ledger charted 1033-program assault weapons.
(Not shown is Dunellen, with two, the nearest to Plainfield.)

In New Jersey, eyebrows were raised when the Passaic County Sheriff acquired an armored personnel carrier, and a furor over similar plans by the Bergen County sheriff resulted in withdrawal of that request.

While media reports tend to sensationalize the equipment distributed by the program, the Plainfield inventory shows quite a different picture.

Far from loading up on war zone gear, Plainfield's requisitions have focused on diesel generators, trucks and trailers and communications equipment.

The gear is donated or transferred from military surplus by a Department of Defense program known as the Defense Logistics Agency 1033 Program (see website here). Little noted or discussed is a requirement that certain equipment is to be returned to the agency after use -- my guess is that condition is largely overlooked.

The equipment is desirable not only because it is free or low-cost, but because equipment built to military specifications is ruggedized in a way that consumer products of the same sort are not -- meaning the gear will stand up to rough use over a longer period of time, an important consideration.

Since so much attention has been focused recently on the program -- and problems with the DLA keeping track of weapons and armored vehicles -- President Obama has ordered a top-to-bottom review and is proposing that future acquisitions by local police departments be made only with the consent of the local governing body.

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Plainfield NJ - Military Surplus 2014 by Dan Damon

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I have extracted the Plainfield data from the AG's complete list and posted it online (see here); the complete New Jersey file is available online for download as an Excel file here.

Plainfield received hundreds of items -- everything from nine iPads to eighteen diesel generator sets. A total of sixteen trucks includes two dump trucks.

The most significant single item is listed as a 'semi-trailer mounted electronic shop' valued at $204,826.

The least valued items are two 'laundry, dry cleaning equipment' thingies valued at $1.00 apiece.

A burning question is whether the DLA will be expecting those back after use.

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  -- Dan Damon [follow]

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Gloria Taylor frank about her ignorance

Councilor Gloria Taylor was refreshingly frank about her ignorance
of Plainfield geography.

 
Plainfield Councilor Gloria Taylor was refreshingly frank about her ignorance at Monday evening's Council agenda-setting session.

The moment came as she questioned Plainfield's brownfields grants administrator, April Stefel, about the program and site locations. Taylor's complaint was that the resolution cited the locations by block and lot (which is the legal description of a property) but not by street address. Stefel replied with the street locations and even mentioned property owners' names by way of reference (e.g., Marino's auto location on West Front Street).

Stefel also explained that the sites -- identified years ago -- had not been remediated as proposed in 2009 owing to the state's lack of funds; the funds are now available, hence the resolution.

Notwithstanding Taylor's ignorance of these brownfields locations, she raises a useful point. The two most often asked questions by the Council about resolutions are: Where is that? and Where is the money coming from?

An example of the latter came up with reference to the (at last!) purchase of the CCTV cameras. The resolution as summarized on the agenda only gave the total figure of $463,530. When Public Safety Director Carl Riley was quizzed about the source of funds, he advised that $200,000 was coming from UEZ funds and the balance by a grant from the Union County Prosecutor's office.

Would it be useful if the Mapp administration required everyone preparing a resolution to ALWAYS include the common street address along with the legal lot and block identification? And how about including a parenthesis at the end of a request for funding indicating the total amount requested and the funding source? Something like this (Total: $4 trillion; Source: Council's lunch money fund).

Seems to me like a simple solution that would help speed meetings along.

That being said, there is no defense against the fact that the Council often enough seems not to have read through their packets.

A case in point was the discussion of renewing the longstanding Urban Enterprise Zone sign-and-facade program, which allows qualified participants up to $25,000 to renovate storefronts, with the property or business owner to also contribute towards the total cost.

After a considerable explanation by Economic Development Director Carlos Sanchez, one Councilor -- whom I won't embarrass by naming -- asked where the money was coming from. Duh! The resolution said it was from UEZ monies, the entire conversation was framed about it being a UEZ program. Go figure!

As expected, Councilor Reid played his standard I'm-protecting-the-taxpayers card during the discussion of the forensic audit. After much discussion -- not to mention his rude interruption of Councilor Williams while she was speaking -- Reid alone spoke against moving the resolution forward. (You will want to check out David's video of the discussion here.)

Once again the Mapp administration tried to advance nominations for PMUA commissioner, to no avail. Councilor Taylor led the opposition, insisting that she -- and the majority of the Council -- were unwilling to confirm new commissioners because the Council is waiting for 'a report on what is going on over there'.

This is a classic stall; a serious request for a report would have a deadline. There is no deadline here, so Taylor & Co. will use this to stall as long as they like.

Councilor Storch, who was a few minutes late to the meeting, asked what was going on. As he put it, he believed the Council had worked out an agreement to proceed on four nominations. He demanded to have public disclosure of who had changed their mind and why. His questions were ignored by both Council President Rivers and Chairman Reid.

Corporation Counsel Vernita Sias-Hill admonished the Council in the matter, citing the state's public contracts law, but I found it hard to make a connection to the resolutions at hand, which concerned the appointments and not Taylor's suggestion of some kind of report.

In any event, the appointments languish still. As of the end of January, yet another seat will become due to be filled -- for a total of five out of seven. One wonders if Mayor Mapp can appeal to the State to resolve the problem of the Council's obdurate refusal to confirm replacements.

Meanwhile, Councilor Reid was caught out when he questioned Administration & Finance Director Ron West about a request to transfer funds from one account to another.

State law allows municipalities to do this swapping from one account to another during the last two months of a town's budget year. Almost every town does it, and the practice goes back beyond memory in Plainfield.

Nevertheless, Reid questioned West, asking if the Council hadn't just agreed to some transfers at the November combined meeting. West replied that the Council had indeed done so, but this month's request included an item to make up the shortfall in health benefits payments for the Bilingual Day Care employees. That shortfall was as a result of the cut of $400,000 made by the Council to the current year's budget request at the instigation of the budget consultant the Council had hired on its own.

Reid did not linger over the fact that the Council had gotten bum advice from the consultant. Nor did he focus on how he had wasted the taxpayers' money in insisting on hiring that particular consultant. Funny how these things work, isn't it?

Despite the entertainment factor, Council did manage to move the ball down the field.

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  -- Dan Damon [follow]

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Will Council support Mapp's forensic audit proposal?

One more step toward 'just and capable' government?

Will Plainfield's City Council support the Mapp administration's proposal for a forensic audit of the city's books? We shall learn a little more tonight, as a resolution to do so is up for advancement to next week's business meeting agenda.

For years, bloggers have written about fiscal shenanigans (see Bernice's excellent summary of her posts here) at City Hall. Residents have (repeatedly) demanded a forensic audit.

'Big Al' Steinberg, the city's newest chief financial officer has outlined several of the issues in great detail while explaining the comments by the auditors on the 2013 audit. The problems noted go back for years.

In addition, Mayor Mapp's transition team of one hundred volunteers found many instances of sloppy record-keeping and possible abuses while interviewing key employees as it developed its report (see that report here).

What is a 'forensic audit'?

Forensic audits differ from the annual audit of the city's financial statements. While the annual audit is concerned to make sure that the city's books fairly, clearly and accurately reflect the city's financial condition, forensic audits have a different purpose.

The word 'forensic' itself suggests a level of investigation into the acts behind the findings, organized and presented according to rules of evidence that would allow use of the findings in legal proceedings.

Business both large and small use forensic audits to make sure their internal controls are working properly and to pursue indications of asset theft or fraud (see a brief overview here).

One advantage to Plainfield of conducting a forensic audit would be to put to rest the constant speculation about fraud and waste in the city's expenditures. Those who have performed well and exercised their fiduciary responsibilities fully will be recognized.

The $60,000 proposed cost is to be covered by two appropriations. City Council already approved a $30,000 allocation in the current budget, and the Mapp administration will put the further $30,000 into the 2015 budget proposal -- which the Council will take up early next year.

Will the Council move the resolution forward tonight? Council has shown a reluctance in the past to dig too deeply into the muck (recall the matter of the misappropriation of $15,000 from Investors Bank meant for a July 4 Parade, and the explosive revelations of former city administrator Bibi Taylor).

Tonight, however, gives the Council a chance to be on the side of the angels and put the old system of doing things behind us.

Plainfield City Council's agenda-setting session is tonight at 7:30 PM in the Council Chambers/Courthouse at Watchung Avenue and East 4th Street. The public will have an opportunity to comment both before and after the agenda discussion.

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Pilgrim Pipeline controversy approaches Plainfield

Sierra Club map of proposed pipeline in our area.
(Click to enlarge or print.)

News of the approaching Pilgrim Pipeline project is gradually seeping into the Plainfield area. Will it bring controversy with it?

Pilgrim has incorporated a NJ subsidiary to develop a 178-mile double pipeline that will run between Linden and Albany, New York (see their website here). The southbound pipeline will bring Bakken crude to Linden for processing; the northbound pipeline will return refined petroleum products to Albany for distribution throughout the northeast from there.

Quite a number of New Jersey towns have become alarmed at the prospect of the takings of local properties for the pipeline and in the bullying manner of Pilgrim in getting surveys for the right-of-way.

Hearing that the proposal through this portion of New Jersey is to use PSEG transmission line rights-of-way, I wondered whether that means the lines that have recently been upgraded by PSEG with the monster pylons which march along parallel to Terrill Road and can be seen passing over the Sears Auto store on Route 22 and Le Grande Avenue just east of the Plainfield line.

The pipeline would pass through densely populated areas of the state, as well as impacting wetlands and woods, according to the Sierra Club (see their website here).

Communities are also concerned about the possible dangers to aquifers through which the pipeline will pass.

This past week alone, Woodbridge, Chatham Boro, Pequannock and Bloomingdale passed resolutions opposing the pipeline, according to the Ledger (see here).

They join the Passaic County freeholders and Watchung, Chatham Township, Madison, East Hanover, Mahwah, Montville, Oakland, Parsippany and Kinnelon which previously passed similar measures.

Those interested in following this issue as it develops will want to check out the following --

• Facebook page of Coalition Against the Pilgrim Pipeline (CAPP) here;
  
  
• Website of CAPP here; and a
  
  
• Sample resolution for municipalities developed by the Sierra Club here.

If the pipeline goes along the projected route (see map above), it would run parallel to the entire length of Terrill Road, and close to Plainfield's Cushing Basin wetlands.

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  -- Dan Damon [follow]

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Family visiting today

Mom, sibs and kids, alias the Connecticut Crew.

 

The Connecticut crew is visiting today -- No post. See you tomorrow.

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  -- Dan Damon [follow]

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Housecleaning today

One word says it all.

 

No post today -- housecleaning for family visit tomorrow.

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If your turkey looks like this, you're in trouble

Is this a good sign or a bad one?

 

Besides the annual Plainfield-Westfield Thanksgiving Day game, the other big focus of attention is likely to be the big bird.

But if your turkey looks like the one above, you'll be in trouble -- unless you like your breast meat dry as the Mojave Desert.

The reason, the little plastic thermometer gizmo is set to pop up when the internal temperature of the bird is about 185º -- which is way warmer than needed to be considered done, and guaranteed to make the bird dry as cardboard. (For an overview of how these thermometers work, see a HuffPost article here.)

The feds have a handy website (see here) that lists the 'done' temperatures for a variety of foods (turkey is done at 165º). And don't forget that the turkey continues to cook even after removed from the oven.

Some people brine their turkeys in advance to ensure the breast meat does not turn out too dry.

And if it still turns out to be dry, there's always gravy.

Happy Turkey Day!

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  -- Dan Damon [follow]

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What ever happened to Plainfield's interfaith Thanksgiving service?

Jennie Branscombe's 20th-century impression of Thanksgiving
is in response to WASP anxieties over newer immigrants (see more here).
Image from Wikipedia.

What ever happened to Plainfield's interfaith Thanksgiving service?

Plainfielders used to gather on Thanksgiving Eve for an annual interfaith service hosted by the local ministerial association. But I cannot recall such a communitywide religious service for nearly fifteen years.

The last one that comes to mind was jointly led by a minister, a rabbi and an imam and was held at Crescent Avenue Presbyterian Church.

Not only can I not recall a more recent service, I am unaware that the clergy of Plainfield have any kind of organization or even get together informally to discuss common concerns.

Thanksgiving Day has a long and convoluted history in the United States. The original celebration in 1621 combined Pilgrim and Wampanoag harvest festivities and featured a communal feast, sporting and games (see here, and here).

For the Pilgrims, it was an opportunity to continue the English Harvest Home customs (see here).

A Day of Thanksgiving was a strictly religious observance, a development of those Calvinist-inspired Protestants who wished to reform the governance and ceremonies of the Church of England.

Those reformers eventually divided into two groups -- the Puritans, who remained in the Church of England, and the Separatists (also referred to as Pilgrims), who withdrew and formed independent congregations.

It was among the Pilgrims at Plimouth Colony that the first Thanksgiving service was held in 1623 (see here).

Relations between the Pilgrims of Plymouth and the Puritans of the Massachusetts Bay Colony were tense and often antagonistic (see here), a fact which has been lost in America's hazy consciousness of its own history.

Have we now completed the circle in Plainfield by forgetting any sense of communal thanksgiving and having only a day of feasting and games?

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  -- Dan Damon [follow]

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On the Ferguson Grand Jury

Grand Jury proceedings are secret.

Plainfielders who have been following the news about the grand jury called in regard to the fatal shooting of Michael Brown by police officer Darren Wilson in August will no doubt find the outcome troubling and disappointing.

The New York Times reports in considerable detail on the grand jury process and outcome (see here), and includes a link to the documentation being released to the public (see here).

One of the questions on many people's minds was why the grand jury took so long. The Times reveals that the 12-person grand jury met 25 times, hearing 70 hours of testimony and viewing hundreds of exhibits and was only ready to begin deliberations on Friday afternoon.

You can count me among those who think the St. Louis County Prosecutor punted in the case.

Typically, a prosecutor presents just enough evidence to convince a jury that there is probable cause to believe a crime has been committed. It is left to the criminal trial process to sort out all the facts and for a petit jury to render a verdict on the facts and the law.

Prosecutor McCulloch, in my opinion, short-circuited that process by conducting what was essentially a one-sided trial, out of the public's view, in a secret proceeding.

A criminal trial is an open and adversarial proceeding, where we believe a judge and jury work together to ascertain the facts of the case, the applicable law and whether the prosecution has proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt.

Only the prosecutor presents material before a grand jury. There is no 'other' side. The grand jury works in secret; there is no public airing of the prosecutor's evidence and arguments. Further, the grand jury has a variety of options in a case where a homicide is being considered -- everything from a justified homicide up to and including a felony murder charge. All of this has been sidestepped here.

The impression remains that we still have a dual standard of justice despite decades of trying to move forward.

This is not acceptable -- in Ferguson or elsewhere.

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  -- Dan Damon [follow]

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Mapp influence may shadow Plainfield for decades

Mayor Mapp will cast a long shadow over Plainfield's future.

Many staffers at Plainfield's City Hall began their careers under former mayors Everett Lattimore and Rick Taylor.

Lattmore served from 1982 to 1984 and Taylor was mayor from 1984 to 1990. Employees who came on board during their terms have between 24 and 32 years of service and many are approaching retirement age.

With 25 years of service, retirees will get their maximum pension plus complete health insurance coverage for life. That is not a bad deal, and municipal employees throughout the state are considering their retirement move in the light of Chris Christie's continuing attacks on public worker unions and previously agreed-to pension obligations.

It is likely that over the next three years Mayor Adrian Mapp will make employment decisions from division head on down that will affect the quality of Plainfield governance for decades to come.

The irony here is that while a Council majority may stymie Mapp on appointments of top level department heads over one issue or another, there is little they can do about these lower level appointments.

And if you stop to think about, department heads only serve as long as the mayor who appoints them is in office. Lower level employees are in for the long haul.

The one exception over which the Council has a say is the city's residency requirement. While a majority may offer some resistance if Mapp tries to appoint non-residents, Councilors would be in a bind since waivers have been granted to so many current employees. It would make them look especially bad to block qualified applicants.

Once this potential wave of retirees passes over City Hall, those who replace them will likely be in place for the next twenty years or more, meaning that Mayor Adrian Mapp will indeed cast a long shadow over Plainfield's future.

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  -- Dan Damon [follow]

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Scuffle damages Library's theft protection system

The security panel on the left is visibly bent after a scuffle.

 

Visitors to the Plainfield Public Library in recent days will have noticed that a portion of the anti-theft panels near the exit is blocked with yellow CAUTION tape.

Seems that a scuffle broke out after school let out one recent afternoon and in the pushing and shoving a young woman was pushed into one of the panels, snapping it from its vertical moorings.

According to Library Director Joe DaRold, the cost of repairs is estimated at about $5,000.

Unfortunately, I recently learned as Mayor Mapp's designee on the Library Board, public libraries are banned by state law from having a 'rainy day fund' to cover such unplanned-for expenses.

So, the Library will have to find some way to cover the cost of the repairs.

There was no police officer on duty at the time (there is usually one for a couple of hours after PHS lets out each day). One reason for that may be as an unintended consequence of the recent changes to hourly rates for officers on off-duty jobs.

With all the work being done by utility companies calling for traffic control by off-duty officers, it seems the $75/hour police get for those tasks is more attractive than the much lower rate for guarding the library.

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  -- Dan Damon [follow]

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No post today...

No Plainfield Today post today; I have an early morning meeting.

See you tomorrow. -- Dan.