In a report that appeared recently in a local newspaper, East Brunswick Mayor William Neary was quoted as saying: "We didn’t do it exactly in the neatest way. It was the sloppy way to do it."
This was the response given by the mayor during the Feb. 27 Township Council meeting to approve a $27,550 payment for a study that he had already authorized to be done back in July.
State law requires that any public contract worth more than $17,500 must be authorized by the council. Yes, Mr. Neary, it was sloppy and unprofessional.
The administration over the past few years has a record of sloppy activities. For example, according to Judge Alexander Waugh Jr., the township’s request for proposals for bus service was not skillfully drafted.
That was sloppy. When the council voted to give the contract to Academy Bus over Suburban, even though neither company met all the requirements of the township’s request, that was sloppy.
The council could have tabled the vote until all of the necessary information was available, thus avoiding the legal expense of more than $127,000.
When a deserving sergeant who was twice denied a promotion to lieutenant took the township to court and won her case, that was sloppy administration that cost the taxpayers $52,000 in legal fees.
The administration built the $1.4-million police training facility for firearms training based upon a false premise that new regulations were mandated by the state.
That was either sloppy or contrived.
At the March 5 Planning Board meeting, the minutes of Oct. 17, 2001 and Sept. 25 and Dec. 11, 2002 were voted on and approved.
Now that’s sloppy.
According to Robert’s Rules of Order, which I have been told the administration meetings are following, minutes are to be approved at the next regularly scheduled meeting.
With the three new council members who have shown an interest in questioning proposals, there appears to be hope that the existing sloppiness will cease.
Frank J. Coury
East Brunswick