Crossing Guards, Auxiliary Police Plead Causes
As the City Council prepares for budget deliberations for FY 2009, school crossing guards came out in force Monday to ask for higher pay and other demands.The crossing guards currently make $10 t0 $13 per hour, but need to make $15 per hour in order to qualify for unemployment when school is out, a spokesman said.
In addition, jackets assigned to guards are designed for men and do not fit full-figured female guards, representative Melvin Cody said.
The city currently has 43 designated spots requiring school crossing guards, but only 34 guards, Cody said. Sworn officers must then cover the crossings at a much higher pay rate.
In another assertion, the city has not named auxiliary police for some time.In previous years, a roster of auxiliary police was presented at the annual reorganization meeting and usually all got approved. At present, the group claims 40 years of service. But membership is down from 54 to 17, Sgt. Robert Gilliom said.
The group presented informational packets to the council to bolster their request for more consideration.
The auxiliary police are all volunteers and have many police responsibilities, but receive no compensation for their contribution to the community.
The City Council will hold a special meeting Sept. 24 to introduce the Fiscal Year 2009 budget, after which the newly-formed Citizens Budget Advisory Committee will weigh in on budget decisions. Ultimately it is up to the City Council, according the city's special charter, to finalize the budget.
Members of the budget committee are: Carolyn Ruffin, Jeanette Criscione, Cecil Vincent, Kevin Turner, Ada Melendez, Rick Smiley, Dawn Armstrong, Donald Anderson, Cassandra Davis-Blanks. Bill Amirault, Robyn Clayton-Reid, Harvey Judkins, Lee Gallman, Analyn Acosta, Nancy Piwowar and Carrie Faraone.
--Bernice Paglia
posted by Bernice at 10:14 PM
3 Comments:
It would be interesting to find out why the city doesn't have the 43 crossing guards that are needed for each and all designated spots. I have sent out requests for a crossing guard at Watchung and E.9th, which is a dangerous intersection for the young kids that are seen using this intersection, but there has been not a single reply.
I can think of many intersections where crossing guards are needed. I wonder if the pay is a deterrent for Plainfield residents to apply for the job. And is the city hiring?
My favorite crossguard lives in Scotch Plains.
Go figure!
Maria
Bernice,
Which city residents are on the Muhlenberg committee that I've heard so much about? I am surprised that Nancy Piwowar and Carrie Faraone are on this one and not on that one, since they have been so active in the hospital issue.
The Muhlenberg Sub-Committee/ad hoc committee was established last month with council members Burney, Reid and Carter as "liaisons regarding Muhlenberg related matters on behalf of the council."
I don't know of one with citizens on it.
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