WEST WINDSOR: Supporters pressing to reverse animal officer vote

By Allison Musante, Staff Writer
   WEST WINDSOR — A group of concerned residents and local animal welfare workers are planning to petition Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh for a reversal of the Township Council’s decision to enter into a shared service agreement for animal control with East Windsor and eliminating the job of a long-time animal control officer.
   About a dozen people turned out at the council’s Monday night meeting to express disappointment and anger with council members, who voted 3-2 last week, on the agreement that eliminated the job of West Windsor’s full-time animal control officer, Bettina Roed, who has held the job for 17 years.
   ”We will not go away quietly,” said Kim White of the animal welfare group AFEW. Other members of AFEW and Pet Rescue of Mercer joined members of Ms. Roed’s family in a second demonstration of support at the meeting.
   Ms. Roed’s sister, Jeanette, urged the council to reverse the decision and to seek renewing its agreement with Plainsboro Township by attaining cheaper veterinary and boarding services.
   She and the other supporters said after the meeting that the council members are more focused on the budget’s “bottom line” than rewarding loyal employees. They also felt that Ms. Roed was personally targeted as a line item in the budget, especially since the council knew it would have to pay about $30,000 for a new animal control van this year, on top of her $43,000 salary and other expenses.
   The township expects to save $40,000 to $45,000 by using shared service.
   ”But would you fire a police officer if his patrol car broke down,” asked Jeanette Roed.
   Mayor Hsueh said the public is welcome to file a petition, but the final decision to reverse would be up to the council.
   ”Since the council already voted yes, if I wanted to reverse it, we would have to redo the whole thing and that would be at a cost to the taxpayers,” he said. “I don’t make the decision by myself. I make the decisions based on our budget and the business administrator’s recommendations, and we evaluate the entire situation and decide what is more beneficial to the taxpayers. But any decision has to get the consensus from the council.”
   He said he is going to consult with council President Kamal Khanna to see whether council members would support a reversal.
   Vice President Diane Ciccone and councilman George Borek voted against the agreement last week.
   ”I’ve been a supporter of shared services but this time I wasn’t convinced it was the way to go, but we were out-voted,” said Ms. Ciccone.
   Mayor Hsueh said he would consult with Mr. Hary about what the cost may be and with township attorney Michael Herbert as to the proper legal procedures for reversal, which could include breaking the agreement with East Windsor.
   ”We’re asking the council to cut every extra penny from the budget, so we can’t have it both ways,” he said. “We have to look for things to cut. It’s too expensive for West Windsor to have its own animal control program. We tried very hard to contact neighboring municipalities and we didn’t get anyone to enter into joint service with us.”
   Mr. Hary said according to the agreement the township will continue using Princeton Animal Hospital and Weber’s kennel “at least in the short term.” But he said it’s possible the township would switch providers if it found more cost-effective options.
   Plainsboro Police Chief Richard Furda said his department had discussions with West Windsor police chief Joe Pica and also tried on its own last year to seek cheaper providers for vet and boarding, but he said other locations were either unwilling or didn’t meet the township’s needs.
   ”We were being billed a full hospital rate for every animal that went in,” he said. “It was definitely the driving factor of why Plainsboro pulled out.”
   Neither Mayor Hsueh nor Mr. Hary were directly involved in the discussions or research process leading to Plainsboro’s termination of shared service. The discussions took place between the two police departments because animal control falls under public safety.
   When asked whether Plainsboro would consider rejoining West Windsor — if it reduced vet and boarding costs — Chief Furda said he couldn’t speak to what might happen when its joint service contract with the borough of Helmetta is up for renewal later this year.
   ”It would be a committee decision and it might require a bidding process, but even the lowest bid doesn’t necessarily get picked,” he said. “All I can say that we’ve been happy with the service we’re getting from Helmetta so far.”