The Spring Lake Heights Borough Council met on June 9. Although there was a light agenda posted, and the actual meeting ran a little more than 11 minutes, residents waited 20 minutes for the meeting to start. Councilman Vorbach returned to the dais for the first time since January 13.
According to the Open Public Meetings Act, meetings must begin at their advertised times. The SLH Council meetings are advertised to begin at 8:00 PM. The Council had gone into closed session at 7:00 PM in order to interview 3 candidates for the position of Public Works Superintendent.
This past spring, long-time superintendent of public works, Art Herner, retired with an approximately salary of $115,000. The Borough then advertised the position via the New Jersey State League of Municipalities Web site. Eleven applications were received, including one from resident and local gadfly John Lewis.
The job required candidates to have, among other things, a Certified Public Works Manager (CPWM) certification, a recycling certification, water and sewer licenses, and a commercial driver’s license (CDL). The job description required a minimum of three years experience performing or supervising utilities, sanitation and recycling, vehicles, roads and facilities maintenance.
Not required was experience as a NJ professional engineer.
Three candidates were interviewed on Monday evening. In the event that two of the candidate’s current employers don’t know they are interviewing, heightsonline will call them “Candidate A” and “Candidate B.” The third candidate, Joe May, is already employed by the Borough.
Candidate A holds all the required certifications and meets the experience requirements.
Candidate B holds some of the required certifications and meets the experience requirements.
Mr. May has only the CPWM certification. He is currently employed by the Borough in two jobs: Zoning Officer and Code Enforcement Official. He also holds appointments as the Borough Engineer and as the Planning Board Engineer. Additionally, he is a partner in the engineering firm he works for and serves as Borough Engineer in another town.
Several years ago, there was a great outcry against anyone who was a multiple job holder, a practice known as “double-dipping” into the pension system. Some of the individuals who complained the loudest against this practice are now elected to Council.
There needs to be great transparency in the hiring for this position. Many towns invite job candidates to attend a public forum where members of the public can ask questions of them. Remember, it is the taxpayers that are hiring for the position. And the taxpayers should demand that the most qualified individual be the one hired. Why would you “require” certain achievements for a job and then not hire within that criteria?
Other points to be made on multiple-job holding – how do you keep track of hours, how do you pay different rates, and how do you avoid self-supervising?
If you allow an employee to combine jobs, you can’t avoid crossing over. The superintendent, out in the field, might see a house with an overgrown lawn and stop to issue a zoning summons. The superintendent position is not allowed overtime pay, yet if the code enforcement official hat is being worn, the position can work as many hours as needed. How would the Borough track the hours of one employee performing 5 different jobs?
Additionally, the superintendent of public works may perceive a need and, as Borough Engineer, write specs for that perceived need. A municipal employee cannot supervise himself to do work in a different job title. There is no oversight. It is an ethics violation. But who is to prevent this from happening if the supervisor and supervisee are one in the same?
It appears that the majority of the Borough Council members are willing to embark on this slippery slope which could open the legal floodgates. Residents need to be aware of this situation and its implications and demand that qualified candidates with the required certifications be considered for the position. The superintendent of public works is a difficult, demanding job that requires not just a high degree of technical skill, but also a high level of finesse in dealing with the public and the ability to represent the Borough effectively at meetings away from town.
The council needs to do what is right for the majority of people in town. Stay away from the pension-padding practice of double-dipping – one job for one employee. Avoid the ethics issues that arise from possible self-supervision. And pick someone who actually has qualifications; don’t let your hiring criteria be that someone seems like “a nice guy.”
