“Volunteers
can’t use our equipment.”
“We
never used public notices and we never will.”
“All
public employees with 15 years can get lifetime health benefits.”
Questions and Responses from tonight's meeting:
1) Last month, I questioned the consulting fees paid to the Deputy Mayor’s son. You said you would answer the questions when I was done and then you didn’t.
1) Last month, I questioned the consulting fees paid to the Deputy Mayor’s son. You said you would answer the questions when I was done and then you didn’t.
Since then, I
received an OPRA response from this administration stating that no financial
reports or meeting minutes were submitted by Joe Licata for the 2014 calendar
year.
How can you be
paying someone for something that you now claim doesn’t even exist?
One of two
major violations occurred. You paid
someone for services not rendered or you violated the Open Public Records Act.
Marc Schrieks read an email from Mike Nardino claiming
to answer eight of my questions from last month.
Mr. Nardino’s email stated that they never had public
notices for their meetings and they never will.
It stated that they never kept minutes and they don’t
have to.
It stated that they won’t put their information
on-line because they don’t have access to a website.
It stated that Joe Licata attended two meetings for
the “sixth cycle”. Nobody has any dates
for either of the supposed meetings. And
of course, no minutes.
I pointed this
out again and asked them to all google it tonight.
Patty Licata yelled again: “Call Mike Nardino!”
2) Last month, I asked Mr.
Spiniello to explain page 18 of Mr. Luna’s current contract. I provided you all a copy of page 18. Mr. Spiniello said he would have to read the
contract. Can you explain it tonight?
Mr. Spiniello said that he didn’t draw up this section
of the contract and that it was carried over from the last borough
attorney. He also said the State can stop it if it is prohibited by
law.
It was established that this allows Mr. Luna (“if he
chooses”) to receive health benefits for the rest of his life paid for by the
Lodi taxpayers after he retires or is terminated.
I told this
administration that they need to tell the people of Lodi what they did. They have no right to hand out lifetime
benefits that weren’t part of a collective bargaining agreement. I stated that I am reading a book right now
on collective bargaining. It seems that lifetime benefits awarded without collective
bargaining don’t carry much weight.
I posed the
hypothetical: what if Mr. Luna was
terminated for doing something wrong, why would the Lodi taxpayers pay for his
health benefits for the rest of his life?
I asked why Mr.
Luna certified in 2008 that he was retired with 15 years of service in
Lodi. I asked how he came up with 15
years.
First, he said he never checked off that he was
retired with 15 years of service.
Then he said he checked off in 2009 that he would be
retiring with 15 years of service. (How would he know? That doesn’t make any sense?)
Then he said every public employee that retires with
15 years can receive lifetime health benefits paid for by the taxpayers.
I told him that
definitely isn’t true.
3) For years, you have had a camera out to televise your July 1st
swearing-ins. For years, you have had
the camera out for parts of your meetings.
And then you shut it down before real business takes place. Tonight, you had a camera out. And then you shut it down.
Ridgewood runs their meetings live on-line. Elmwood Park has put their meetings on-line
for years. Hackensack does it now. If you visit anyone in other towns, their
public access stations are full of public meetings. Marc’s boss, Tedesco, had his public meetings
on public access stations.
You showed tonight you have the capability of taping your meetings and
you choose not to. Can any member of
this council give one downside to televising your meetings?
Marc wouldn’t let the
council answer. Marc finally named the
costs as a downside.
I told them that tax dollars are used for the equipment and I will find
them volunteers to tape the meetings if cost is an issue.
Marc said “volunteers can’t
use the equipment”.
Marc’s mom and brother yelled at me while I was asking the questions.
Licata’s family made loud huffing noises as I walked past them.
They all need to grow up.
