By Amy Batista, Special Writer
EAST WINDSOR – It’s early in the process, and no decisions have yet been made, but the township is exploring outsourcing its dispatch communication services.
“East Windsor Township is exploring the potential of contracting for dispatch communication services,” said Mayor Janice Mironov on Oct. 28. She added that no decisions would be made until after a thorough and comprehensive formal evaluation process is completed.
“The East Windsor Republican candidates are extremely disappointed to announce the township’s continued attempts to avoid the public and their critics,” said Republican candidate Steven Uccio in a press release on Oct. 24.
He said that after the East Windsor Democrats canceled the scheduled debate on Oct. 22, and they also canceled the last meeting before the election.
“This is indicative of the chronic problems we’ve had with lack of discussion at meetings,” he said.
He said that Republican candidates believe that the council became aware of the fact that their police dispatchers wanted to pack the meeting room with supporters.
“They (the dispatchers) wanted to discuss the possibility of privatizing police dispatching services in East Windsor,” he said. “Instead of discussing the matter, our council decided to avoid this unpopular move until after the election.”
It’s an insult to the police dispatchers and the people of East Windsor, he added. He said township officials can give any reason they want for the cancelation of the meeting, however, he simple does not believe them.
“The Oct. 27 meeting was canceled on Oct. 22, a mere five days before the meeting was supposed to occur,” he said. “It’s also the same day they announced that the Teamsters Local 676 Union was inviting people to come to the meeting.”
The coincidence is simply too strong, he said.
“It is a cowardly act and it is an attempt to quiet criticism,” he said.
Mayor Mironov said that the cancellation of the Oct. 27 council meeting was raised in town hall a week in advance of the actual public notice.
“(It was) followed by consultation among staff including the clerk and manager and finally Wednesday morning, a poll of council members, as there were very few meeting agenda items and nothing significant or timely,” she said.
She said that the timing of the cancellation notice was in accordance with the regular schedule for posting the meeting agenda.
“The decision was made prior to and not influenced in any way by the communications center flyer or anyone’s desire to attend and speak at the meeting,” she said. “This meeting was cancelled in the same manner and for similar reasons as other council meetings in the past.”
She said the Republican candidates’ dramatic outcry over the Oct. 27 council meeting cancellation demonstrates their lack of anything substantive to talk about.
“And further underscores their campaign hypocrisy – they bring up spending and debt, then attack us for accepting grants and then here when the township is exploring a potential taxpayer cost savings, they further attack us without even waiting for any of the information to be submitted,” she said.
The dispatch issue was raised at the Oct. 13 council meeting and she publicly responded addressing the comments, the mayor added.
“We have future meetings which anyone can attend and address this subject, there was no holiness to the Oct. 27 meeting except their politics; no discussion or action had yet been scheduled and in fact proposals had not even been received.”
Republican candidate Sean O’Connor questioned the cost savings during the Oct. 13 meeting.
“I want to know how is this going to give us real significant cost savings without cutting the salaries of dispatchers or without curtailing the quality of efficient dispatching services,” he said. “I say we keep the dispatchers and the dispatch leadership presently serving us.”
Mayor Mironov also addressed public concerns raised over the dispatch services.
“Regarding dispatch services, nobody has made any decisions at this point with respect to that subject,” she said. “A Request for Proposals was put out for Dispatch Communication Services to explore whether there might be efficiencies and cost savings that we could identify for the township and township taxpayers.”
She said that they are totally committed to ensuring and maintaining a high level of service and public safety.
“We are totally committed to maintaining the dispatch center in the court/police building exactly where it is right now and any system that we have will continue to operate from that facility,” she said.
She said that they are also committed to protecting local jobs.
“The Request for Proposals has a section where preference is provided to local employees so that if we were to determine that we were interested in going in a different direction, those individuals would have an opportunity to continue in the same function that they perform right now,” she said.
Additionally, the mayor said that the township is exploring possible Interlocal Agreements with other municipalities in the region whereby East Windsor would be the provider of services to other municipalities, for a fee.
“Again, no decisions are yet forthcoming and no decisions have been made at this point with respect to shared services, but it is another area that we are also exploring,” she said. “I want to indicate that we will closely analyze, review and discuss whatever proposal responses we may receive, and it will be done in accordance with these important considerations.”
Resident and Teamsters Local 676 Union Delegate Veronica Nash said she loves her job and loves going to work.
“This whole thing, I don’t know why they didn’t discuss it with us,” said Ms. Nash.
Negotiations were done two years ago and the union contract is up in August 2016, she said.
“I don’t know why they would sign a contract and know they were going to breech it anyway,” she said.
Ms. Nash said she requested a meeting with her union representative, the mayor, and Chief of Police Harry Marshall.
Township Manager James Brady said on Oct. 28 that the township initially published a public notice on Sept. 28, 2015, requesting proposals for Dispatch Communication Services.
“Publication of this notice was an error and occurred prior to the township communications center staff being notified,” he said. “The Sept. 28, 2015, public notice was cancelled by the township and a new public notice was published.”
He said that he sent a letter to the communications center staff and its union representative explaining the township’s request for proposals for Dispatch Communication Services.
Mr. Brady said that on Oct. 15, 2015, the chief of police and he met with all communications center staff and their union representative to discuss the township’s request for proposals.
“This meeting shared information with them and provided an opportunity for the employees’ and union representative’s concerns to be noted and discussed,” he said. “It was explained to those in attendance that many of the concerns could not be responded to by the township because proposals have not yet been submitted.”
He said that a formal process will be adhered to for evaluating proposals submitted by private companies to perform dispatch communication services for East Windsor Township.
Potential timelines for this issue have not been established and depend primarily on the formal evaluation process and results of that process, he added.
Ms. Nash said that the dispatch center shouldn’t be treated like office supplies.
“You don’t go cheaper and think you are going to get the best quality,” she said. “If you go cheaper, you’re getting the quality that you are paying for.” She said that you right there are more than 85 years of combined experience on the desk.
Communications supervisor Tristan Torres said there are seven full- time and two part-time dispatchers, with one to two on shift at a time, working an eight-hour shift.
“I’m not against regionalization but I think the manager and the chief should have control of it,” said Ms. Nash. “If you are going to regionalize, do it with the departments don’t do it with a private company.”
She suggested perhaps regionalizing between police departments and taking “the best of the best.”
Ms. Nash also raised the concern that once a township gets rid of the dispatch center, how does it get one back.
“Once you dissolve something like that you can’t just snap your fingers and you have people coming in and all of a sudden you are working again,” she said. “You have to constantly sign with this company. What are you going to do when the contract’s up? What are they going to do when they raise your rates?”
Mr. Brady said that in connection with any private company “turnover” comments, it can be noted that there has been more than 50 percent turnover of East Windsor Township dispatch center staff in the past four year.
“Only two dispatchers have been with the township for over 10 years, four have been with the Township under four years, and two township dispatch staff have left within the past two years,” he said. Mr. Brady said current communication center employees are not sworn members of the police department. “They are civilian employees and do not have a higher authority or responsibility under the law than civilian employees of a private company,” he said. “At least two other Mercer County municipalities have full-time or part-time dispatch services provided by a private company.” He said that it would be a requirement by the township that a contracted company be accountable to the police department and the township.
