WEST WINDSOR: Council says animal control officer issue is closed

By Allison Musante, Staff Writer
   WEST WINDSOR — As the month-long battle for animal control officer Bettina Roed’s job came to a close on Monday night, fundamental flaws in the township’s governing structure came forward.
   ”A strong mayor, weak council is our form of government,” council Vice President Diane Ciccone said to Ms. Roed’s supporters, who left the Township Council’s meeting angry and frustrated by the administration’s refusal to rehire Ms. Roed as the full-time officer.
   Resident Nancy Bennett said she was disappointed the council did not seek the public’s input until “five minutes” before it approved the March 7 resolution for shared service with East Windsor.
   ”This (discussion) is post-hoc,” she said. “There’s no way to have a dialogue before the wheels of execution turn.” She added, “If coming to public meetings isn’t an effective way of giving input, then what is?”
   Ms. Bennett and other residents met with council President Kamal Khanna, Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh and Administrator Robert Hary last week to discuss the issue.
   ”We welcome public comments but we don’t get into a dialogue (at these meetings) because of how we’re structured,” said Mr. Khanna.
   He said in the administration’s defense, they “did everything properly” and that if West Windsor broke its agreement with East Windsor, no municipality would want to share services with the township.
   ”The powers of the council are very limited,” said Councilman George Borek. “We feel the passion of the people here tonight, but unless the administration comes back with an alternative, there’s not much we can do at this point.”
   Ms. Ciccone said the decision may have seemed preordained, but “it partly was and partly wasn’t.” The council had discussed the issue in closed session, as a matter of personnel, and had agreed with Mr. Hary’s recommendation. Ms. Ciccone reminded the public that council members can change their minds before a vote. In closed session, members voted in favor of the agreement 4 to 1, she said. But at the public meeting, the vote was 3 to 2.
   Ms. Roed was given her layoff notice on the Thursday prior to the March 7 meeting. Mr. Hary said this was done as a courtesy, pending the council’s decision to enter into the agreement, so that Ms. Roed wouldn’t “read that her job had been cut in the newspapers the following day.”
   While the public and council rehashed the timeline of events leading up to the March 7 vote — especially whether West Windsor had promised its commitment to East Windsor before voting publicly — township attorney Michael Herbert interrupted.
   ”I sense litigation here,” he said.
   ”We should give Mr. Hary due credit,” said Councilman Charles Morgan. “It was a difficult choice and he labored over it.”
   He added that the administration isn’t required to consult the public in any hiring or firing decision. “No company does that,” he said.
   Mr. Morgan said though Ms. Roed’s salary and other expenses seemed like a tiny component of the township’s proposed budget, “you have to start somewhere,” he said.
   The administration has allocated $25,000 for animal control service with East Windsor. The amount was determined by police Chief Joe Pica’s estimation of calls received per year and hours needed per call. The officer will be paid on an hourly wage.
   ”It may be less, it may be more, but even if it’s a little bit more, we still estimate savings near $40,000,” said Mr. Hary.
   Several residents also expressed disapproval with the mayor’s absence from the past four meetings. Township code does not require the mayor’s attendance at council meetings, but given the particularly high public interest in Ms. Roed’s job and timely issues of the budget, members of the public said Mayor Hsueh should have attended as a civic duty.
   Mr. Hary said he attends the meetings as the mayor’s representative and added that the public is encouraged to call the mayor’s office any time with questions and concerns.