Snow Job Part Two

DMUA Helps Township Officials With Rt. 35 Intersection Snow Removal, But Public Works Department Is Somewhat Less Responsive

One Bright Spot In Botched Snow Emergency Was Timely Response Of John Broome And DMUA Employees In Clearing Of North Beach Route 35 Intersections: DMUA Preparedness And Spirit Contrast Sharply With Inertia Of Public Works Department

“When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going”, Says Broome

Dover Township - When the opportunity came to help out in the aftermath of last week's Presidents Day holiday snow storm, Dover Municipal Utilities Authority Director John Broome made the most of it.

Mayor John F. Russo Jr. called Broome on Monday morning to ask if the DMUA could help with the township's snow removal effort.

After seeing to it that all DMUA facilities were open and operating, Broome immediately made DMUA equipment and operators available to the township.

State Plowing On Rt. 35 Left Intersections With Seven Foot Piles

"We had three back hoes and a loader in the North Beach section where snow was plowed off Rt. 35 by the state into seven-foot piles that blocked intersections with side streets maintained by the township."

Broome noted that Mayor Russo, Committeeman Michael Fiure and Police Chief Michael Mastronardy toured the North Beach area well past 2 AM Wednesday morning.

“Everyone thanked us for the job we did: we were delighted with the opportunity to be of service”, he said.

"They all observed first hand the true grit of the DMUA," Broome said, noting that several DMUA employees worked sixteen hour shifts helping the township deal with the snow emergency.

“When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going; We Showed Them How Tough The DMUA Can Be”

In a memo thanking DMUA employees who helped clear the snow, Broome said, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going and we showed them how tough the DMUA can be."

Unfortunately, however, because of bad morale, bureaucratic inertia, inadequate leadership and some equipment which was unavailable because of simple maintenance-related problems, the township public works department was less responsive to the snow emergency.

Ironically, Wnek May Become DMUA Chairman

Ironically, one of the township's former "Mayors", Paul Wnek, has been designated by GOP Boss, R.C. Clement as the new Chairman of the DMUA when the agency reorganizes Wednesday.

The creation of the worthless executive "coordinator" job for Wnek at the Public Works Department was criticized by a special state government performance audit which found the $64,936 position to be “not necessary” and “existing staff could handle the duties involved.”

Public Works Promotions Based On Political Connections

"We recommend discontinuing the position of public works coordinator", the report said, and in a transparent reference to the politicization of the department by Boss Clement and others, also recommended "the department head be more fully involved in selecting staff".

Under pressure from embarrassed GOP candidates, Wnek resigned to take another political appointment just prior to the 2001 election, but not before he made it clear to the other public works employees that promotions would be based on political connections and not on ability and experience.

Boss Clement also had Wnek appointed as a DMUA commissioner, where he has been double dipping ever since on expensive health benefits.

100,000 Ocean County Citizens Cannot Afford Any Health Benefits At All, But Wnek Gets Two Policies Paid By The Taxpayers

In a county where more than 100,000 of his fellow citizens cannot afford any health insurance coverage at all, Wnek gets two expensive policies, both of which are funded by taxpayers.

Wnek Appointment Left A Trail Of Resentment And Cynicism

The Wnek appointment left a trail of resentment and cynicism among Public Works employees, a problem that further aggravated by the appointment of Boss Clement's cousin, Fredd Clayton, as the new Public Works Director even though Clayton was collecting a "disability" check for nearly a year prior to his appointment by four former township "mayors", all of whom have now vanished from the scene.

It should be recognized that none of the current township committee members were responsible for creating the problems at the public works department, so they should have some freedom to correct them on a fair and equitable basis - with the desired objective of making a politics-infected public works department more responsive to Dover Township taxpayers.

(for 2/23/03)

Click Here For Snow Job Part One

Part 3 of the public works saga in Dover Township coming soon on OceanCountyPolitics•Com

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