PMUA Faces Council, Residents
"One of the things we have to stop doing is lynching ourselves."
So spake Eric Watson, executive director of the Plainfield Municipal Utilities Authority as he and other PMUA officials appeared before the City Council in a "working conference" session Monday. Watson's further advice: "We need to change ourselves as a city," and "We have to get down to the facts and communicate with each other." He also said, "Plainfield has always kicked itself."
Watson's somewhat petulant tone and dramatic language stood in contrast to a barrage of information offered by other PMUA representatives to demonstrate a more cooperative relationship with the governing body and ratepayers.
The PMUA was originally supposed to be first up in four scheduled working conferences for 2009 as Council President Rashid Burney revived the practice originated in 2006 by then-Council President Ray Blanco. Instead, the February conference topic became public safety and PMUA got the July slot.
The interval gave the autonomous authority more time to prepare its presentation and in a possible pre-emptive move, its officials agreed earlier this month to roll back some of the rules that had inflamed a group of citizens to the point of revolt and litigation. Several members of the DumpPMUA movement and Philip Charles, who launched the lawsuit, were present Monday to witness the proceedings.
PMUA attorney Leslie London began by walking the council through documents in very thick binders given to each council member. They included the city ordinance establishing the authority in 1995, the Interlocal Services Agreement spelling out its role, the agreement with the Union County Utilities Authority to receive waste at the Linden incinerator and a transcript of the January rate hearing where PMUA commissioners approved increases of 14 percent for sanitary sewer services and 20 percent for solid waste services.
The January rate increases set off a citizen protest in which property owners were urged to "opt out" of using the PMUA for trash pickup and its operations were criticized. DumpPMUA members delved into public records and investigated practices, posting their findings online. PMUA travel expenses drew headlines and became one of the flashpoints of protest. London said Monday travel will now be limited only to what is necessary for licensure and essential training.
As a result of closed-door talks with the council and Assemblyman Jerry Green, PMUA officials announced the new travel policy and other modifications at a July 1 press conference. If the intended effect was to deflect a big protest Monday, it apparently worked, as only about 30 people showed up Monday. But many of the council's questions could not be answered due to litigation that is underway, and every PMUA move is reported on the DumpPMUA web site.
Other topics Monday included the authority's need to consolidate its headquarters and operations on one site, which may need a zoning change. The authority is also moving toward acquiring automated equipment that will reduce manpower to cut costs. It will seek outside contracts to bring in more revenues, officials said, though resident and mayoral candidate Jim Pivnichny questioned why that promise, first made 15 years ago, has not yet come true.
Resident William Gearhart said he and others were willing to pay for an independent audit of PMUA, citing an "enormous jump" in rates that he uncovered. Albert Pittis, former manager of most downtown commercial buildings, said it was unfair that rates were the same for both large and very small stores. Others questioned the ample benefits that commissioners get in addition to a $4,500 stipend.
As residents began calling out from their seats, Burney gaveled them into silence, but not before Gearhart said, "Mr. president, this is just the tip of the iceberg."
--Bernice Paglia
So spake Eric Watson, executive director of the Plainfield Municipal Utilities Authority as he and other PMUA officials appeared before the City Council in a "working conference" session Monday. Watson's further advice: "We need to change ourselves as a city," and "We have to get down to the facts and communicate with each other." He also said, "Plainfield has always kicked itself."
Watson's somewhat petulant tone and dramatic language stood in contrast to a barrage of information offered by other PMUA representatives to demonstrate a more cooperative relationship with the governing body and ratepayers.
The PMUA was originally supposed to be first up in four scheduled working conferences for 2009 as Council President Rashid Burney revived the practice originated in 2006 by then-Council President Ray Blanco. Instead, the February conference topic became public safety and PMUA got the July slot.
The interval gave the autonomous authority more time to prepare its presentation and in a possible pre-emptive move, its officials agreed earlier this month to roll back some of the rules that had inflamed a group of citizens to the point of revolt and litigation. Several members of the DumpPMUA movement and Philip Charles, who launched the lawsuit, were present Monday to witness the proceedings.
PMUA attorney Leslie London began by walking the council through documents in very thick binders given to each council member. They included the city ordinance establishing the authority in 1995, the Interlocal Services Agreement spelling out its role, the agreement with the Union County Utilities Authority to receive waste at the Linden incinerator and a transcript of the January rate hearing where PMUA commissioners approved increases of 14 percent for sanitary sewer services and 20 percent for solid waste services.
The January rate increases set off a citizen protest in which property owners were urged to "opt out" of using the PMUA for trash pickup and its operations were criticized. DumpPMUA members delved into public records and investigated practices, posting their findings online. PMUA travel expenses drew headlines and became one of the flashpoints of protest. London said Monday travel will now be limited only to what is necessary for licensure and essential training.
As a result of closed-door talks with the council and Assemblyman Jerry Green, PMUA officials announced the new travel policy and other modifications at a July 1 press conference. If the intended effect was to deflect a big protest Monday, it apparently worked, as only about 30 people showed up Monday. But many of the council's questions could not be answered due to litigation that is underway, and every PMUA move is reported on the DumpPMUA web site.
Other topics Monday included the authority's need to consolidate its headquarters and operations on one site, which may need a zoning change. The authority is also moving toward acquiring automated equipment that will reduce manpower to cut costs. It will seek outside contracts to bring in more revenues, officials said, though resident and mayoral candidate Jim Pivnichny questioned why that promise, first made 15 years ago, has not yet come true.
Resident William Gearhart said he and others were willing to pay for an independent audit of PMUA, citing an "enormous jump" in rates that he uncovered. Albert Pittis, former manager of most downtown commercial buildings, said it was unfair that rates were the same for both large and very small stores. Others questioned the ample benefits that commissioners get in addition to a $4,500 stipend.
As residents began calling out from their seats, Burney gaveled them into silence, but not before Gearhart said, "Mr. president, this is just the tip of the iceberg."
--Bernice Paglia
posted by Bernice at 9:29 AM
2 Comments:
"Lynching" ourselves? Criticism by ratepayers becomes a "lynching?" It reminds me of when Clarence Thomas called critical questioning during his confirmation hearings a "high-tech lynching." Bernice, you are way too kind in calling Watson's words "dramatic."
To evoke the painful and horrific imagery and history of lynching in the context of Plainfield ratepayers (senior citizens, black, white, Latino, poor, working-class, affluent, etc.) protesting a utility authority rate increase is really offensive.
Rebecca
Eric Watson is PMUA's biggest problem. Someone should send him a book on "How to Win Friends and Influence People".
I pay his salary and am going to opt out, and his response is it won't matter a bit. Someone should tell Mr. Watson to put Customer Care in his vocabulary.
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