News for the residents of
West Milford
|
BIERI BACK TRACKS!!
BIERI’S DAMAGE CONTROL
Mayor Bettina Bieri – desperately trying to spin her way out of the damage she has done to our community and the harmony in our town.
In a last minute desperate attempt to limit the damage caused by her atrocious decision to submit a report to Passaic County Prosecutor’s office that contained the names of town Children that were followed on their Facebook sites, Mayor Bieri is altering the truth. You may have received her latest set of lies, but let’s set the record straight about her own self serving investigation
1. Did the Mayor’s so-called report include the names of Children that were followed by Bieri and others on the internet
Absolutely it did. The initial report that was given to the town council -- and who knows how many others -- did indeed contain the names of minors.
It was only after word spread that children were named in the report that the mayor huddled with the Borough attorney to hurriedly try to redact the names of the children and other sensitive information.
In other words: the mayor and her advisors thought it was perfectly Okay to use children in her political war UNTIL, the backlash from parents began. Now she is trying desperately to cover her tracks because she realizes that her gambit has backfired.
Who Wrote the report?
The mayor refuses to say who wrote the report. She admits to writing at least 10 of the 150 page report (West Milford Messenger October 31)
But the mayor refuses to publicly disclose who wrote the rest of the report. Why? Is it because the co-authors are all her political cronies who are biased and their only concern is with attacking the mayor’s political opponents?
Is the Democratic Party chairman James Warden one of the authors of the report?
Who is the mayor protecting and why? Is she embarrassed to admit that the entire report is little more than a political hit piece timed to her political advantage?
Does the report have any legal validity?
Absolutely not. In fact, it’s not an objective report at all, nor is it an investigation. It is information gathered by unknown authors that makes assertions based on political bias. The document proves nothing.
Prosecutor’s offices throughout the state routinely get thousands of accusatory letters and so- called “reports” each year. Most of them are dismissed for the political smear tactics they are and are never investigated.
|
SMOLINSKI, JURKOVIC DEMAND MAYOR RELEASE NAMES OF ACCOMPLICES IN CONTROVERSIAL REPORT
Mayor Refuses to Disclose Her Co-Authors
West Milford, NJ, November 3, 2011 -- Council President Joseph Smolinski is demanding that Mayor Bettina Bieri release the names of the people who helped her compile a 150 page report that the mayor sent to the prosecutor’s office, in which names of children were used in her attempt to prove a political conspiracy exists in town.
The report, which alarmed township parents because it uses children in a political smear campaign, was briefly made public last month and caused outrage among residents. The report was subsequently removed from public inspection.
In a newspaper article on the mayor’s report to the prosecutor’s office, Bieri admits she only wrote a small part of it. Smolinski demanded to know at last night’s council meeting who helped her write the report.
“This report is supposed to be what the mayor calls, an “investigation” into political cronyism in West Milford. The entire town should know who the authors of the report are and what their political affiliations are,” said Smolinski.
“Was this a report compiled by a bunch of the mayor’s political supporters? If that’s the case, what validity does it have?” asked Smolinski.
The mayor last night refused to disclose her co-authors and offered no explanation why.
“The mayor has caused a town wide stir with this alleged report that includes the names of children - yet she refuses to divulge who the authors of the report are. I find that irresponsible,” said Smolinski.
“She owes it to the parents of this town to tell the public who conspired with her to produce this report that includes references to the Facebook pages of children,” said Smolinski.
Councilman Dan Jurkovic, an attorney said the mayor trotted out the report, made it publicly known that she conducted a so-called investigation – even taking out ads in local newspapers about the report -- but in the face of opposition from the community because of the abuses of the privacy rights of children, the mayor is backpedaling and trying to hide the identity of the authors of the report.
“Who were the people who constructed this tainted report and what was their motivation?” asked Jurkovic. “Was this a purely political witch hunt? Was actual testimony taken? If so by whom and what is their qualifications to take testimony. Are there any tape recordings of the investigation?”
“These are all perfectly sensible questions the mayor should answer, ” said Jurkovic. “Her credibility is at stake and she is refusing to step to the plate and tell us the truth.”
|
The West Milford Messenger ran the attached story on security costs for town events on September 30-.
The Republican council issued a press release on the subject on August 4. This was a Republican initiative...yet not one member of the Republican Council is quoted in the Messenger article qhy is there absolutely no mention of a single member of the town council who initiated the review of the ordinance?
If this were Mayor Bieri's idea, the messenger would have quoted her extensively and given her a 48 point headline. This was a council initiative but no member of the council was contacted by the paper Why is there a continuing bias by the messenger against the Republican Council?
If the Messenger is going to be little more than the house organ for the local democrats why not simply announce that fact on your banner, then everyone will know where the bias is.
If you are loyal Republican , Call the Messenger today, ask them to stop delivering their rag to your home.
PRESS RELEASE
West Milford, NJ
COUNCILMAN JURKOVIC WANTS ORDINANCE GOVERNING SECURITY AT COMMUNITY EVENTS Says Cost of Policing Is Too High For Many Vendors
Call Dan Jurkovic
201 460- 9888
973-403-7836
West Milford, August 4, 2011 -- Councilman Dan Jurkovic last night asked the township administrator to create a new ordinance governing security of community events that would allow event operators to use their own security instead of hiring expensive off duty police officers. His motion was unanimously supported by the town council.
Jurkovic said the cost of hiring off duty police officers is prohibitive for many vendors and may result in the cancellation of future events. He noted that the operator of the recent air show had to pay nearly $10,000 a day for off duty police - despite one day being rained out.
"The event sponsor was presented with a bill by the police chief for more than $9,000 and the event never took place. He never sold a ticket the day it rained. So I don't see how that approach is conducive to encouraging private events in West Milford," said Jurkovic.
The councilman said the town boat show also had to pay exorbitant fees for police protection. Other events that could be impacted by excessive police security costs are the 4th of July Thunder in the Highlands fireworks show and the Autumn Lights Festival.
"The reality is that if the town continues to hit event promoters witch excessive fees for police officers , we aren't going to have many more events because the event organizers cannot make a profit if they are paying excessive salaries for police security that, in most cases, are not required," said Jurkovic.
Off duty police are paid at a rate of time and half their normal hourly rate paid by the town to provide security at private events. With most officers earning in excess of $100,000 a year, the cost for a vendor to pay for township police is significant.
"If we don't allow vendors some leeway on security, the township residents will lose recreational opportunities and the merchants who benefit from the events will suffer," said Jurkovic, an attorney.
Jurkovic said he would like to see an ordinance that minimizes the number of police officers at an event to one or two and allows event promoters to hire their own, certified security personnel.
"Most of the events held in the township are peaceful affairs with minimal disruption. So having a half dozen or more off duty police officers standing around isn't really necessary," said Jurkovic.
"The town should be encouraging vendors to conduct events like the boat show, the Autumn Lights Festival and the air show and help them make those events successful by using their own security teams," added the councilman.
"Instead, we seem to be price gouging."
Council President Joe Smolinski agreed with Jurkovic, adding that the emergency medical technicians are on duty at most events and are paid little or nothing. "The EMT's do a great job ensuring the health and safety of people attending the events, and get paid nothing.
"I think the council has an obligation to step in and draw up an ordinance that provides guidelines for safety that are affordable to the event
sponsors and still protect the event goers," said Smolinski.
|
West Milford council president calls for sale of MUA
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
BY DAVID M. ZIMMER
STAFF WRITER
Suburban Trends
Council President Joseph Smolinski has rejected the mayor's recent call for the local government to assume administrative oversight of the West Milford Municipal Utilities Authority (MUA), saying instead that he will push the entity to consider selling in an effort to address long-standing infrastructure woes. Smolinski, who is the Republican mayoral candidate, said that the authority's inadequate financial resources have put it and its more than 1,700 users in a hole that they would be hard-pressed to dig out of themselves at this point. With limited allowances for capacity expansion during plant renovations and no ability to expand service areas – and add to its user base – without a health and safety waiver, the initial outlay and long-term cost-effectiveness of upgrades present the all-volunteer board with some significant difficulties, even with the availability of state and federal grants. Currently, the MUA is having difficulties finding a new plant operator due to the recent publicity, and its ideal solution of consolidating plants in a centralized location is an expensive and painstaking solution that has been rejected by residents before. And with the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the MUA estimating repair costs for the MUA's 15 disconnected plants – most being more than 15 years old – at more than $20 million, Smolinski has requested a meeting with state representatives and the DEP to examine alternatives to entirely user-funded upgrades, including leasing or selling the authority.
"I think we would find people coming out in droves complaining about rate shock if the MUA took on all the debt that is needed to improve the sewer and water systems. That would be unacceptable," Smolinski said. "Selling, or even leasing, the MUA to a larger agency that is better capitalized and has more manpower is a logical option that the council needs to explore with the MUA. "Our MUA's problems are not unique to West Milford. Many small utilities have had the same problems over the years with water and sewage processing. And many municipalities have decided the better option is not to be in the water and sewer business any longer."
Mayor Bettina Bieri has asked Smolinski and his Republican council compatriots to back her request to ask the MUA to replace its administrator with the town's and allow the Municipal Health Department to inspect MUA facilities regularly at an annual savings to the MUA of more than $70,000. However, Smolinski has rejected that proposal because it requires the township's taxpayers to fund what he said would be a misdirected response to the ratepayers' call for improved services.
"The MUA was set up as a separate entity precisely to protect non-users from bearing the cost of a service they do not utilize or derive benefit from," Smolinski said. "With all due respect to the mayor, her resolution is more a campaign brochure than it is a legitimate effort to solve the MUA's problems. It doesn't address the most pressing hurdle the MUA faces: financing," he said. "The administrator has a town to run. If the problems of the MUA are as monumental as the mayor says they are, how is our administrator going to solve them by working part time for the MUA and part time for the town? The proposal defies logic."
The mayor said her proposal was not intended to solve the long-standing and relatively straightforward issue of inadequate finances, but to resolve the more pressing and resolvable problems with day-to-day management that were described in a May 13 letter from the DEP.
The letter, from the department's Bureau of Safe Drinking Water, described "severe disrepair, apparently due to management neglect and lack of operational oversight" that presented "an immediate public health concern" at four of the MUA's nine water systems last April.
"According to the DEP, the immediate public health concerns, including rodent infestations and improper chlorination, are a result of mismanagement and operational neglect," the mayor said in an e-mail. "It would be irresponsible for the council to ignore or forestall these immediate health concerns, which are easily resolved. These issues are very separate and distinct from the very evident, long-standing and costly infrastructure problems, but both the MUA and the council refuse to acknowledge that distinction.
"I have been advocating for a complete restructuring, sale, or professional management of the authority, but interim measures must be taken now. Proper administration, oversight, and day-to-day management will effectively address the immediate concerns and our experienced administrator can provide such professional services. It is my fervent hope that we can then impress upon this autonomous agency (the MUA) the need for them to develop long-term solutions for the needed capital improvements."
However, in spite of the public support for the mayor's proposal, mostly from political allies and MUA users, the council chose to hold the corresponding resolution that was up for vote on July 20 for a pending discussion at the Aug. 3 Town Hall meeting.
On July 20, Councilman Daniel Jurkovic said he did not want to approve a "knee-jerk" reaction as a solution to alleged management problems, when the real crux of the issue is the MUA's long-standing financial difficulty, which he and some MUA commissioners, including Phil Pirro, say has been misconstrued and politicized by the campaigning mayor in her response to the May 13 letter.
The mayor said it is the council and the MUA, who are not reacting to the issue at hand.
"It would appear that Councilman Smolinski did not read the May 13 DEP letter but is instead listening solely to the rhetoric that emanates from his buddies, the MUA Commissioners, who continually pass the buck, point fingers, and claim politics instead of accepting responsibility," she said. "I didn't ask for the DEP to inspect the MUA; I was not aware of the inspection until I received their [May 13] letter; and I received the letter at the same time as the council and the MUA. The only difference is that I am actually attempting to address the health concerns mentioned therein, whereas the council continues with their diversionary tactics."
|
State must act on road dangers
7-27-11
Dear Editor:
I am extremely pleased to read that the dangerous "S" turns on Route 23 are finally going to be addressed, and I want to thank West Milford Councilman Joe Smolinski and State Sen. Joe Pennacchio for taking action to that will hopefully lead to increased road safety on one of the most dangerous stretches of road in North Jersey.
As a longtime resident of the area, I know how dangerous Route 23 can be, especially in winter. The poor design of the highway has gone unaddressed for too long, and I hope the action by Sen. Pennacchio and Councilman Smolinski can lead to a solution.
While many veterans who traveled Route 23 are aware of the road’s hazardous conditions, people who travel the road infrequently are often caught unaware of the highway’s undulating turns that they cannot navigate until it is too late.
I have seen and heard about horrendous crashes on the stretch of highway, and I hope the senator and the councilman can work with the state Department of Transportation (DOT) to develop a quick and comprehensive solution that goes beyond just more signage on the highway.
The state needs to invest our tax dollars into highway improvements in northern Passaic County. The safety of our citizens will only be ensured with a significant reconstruction of the highway.
Michael E. Baez,
|
Joseph Smolinski
West Milford Council President
WITH SENATOR’S HELP SMOLINKSI LOOKS TO MEET WITH DOT OFFICIALS TO ADDRESS
ROUTE 23 ‘S’ TURN DANGERS
July 18, 2011
West Milford Twp -- Council President Joseph Smolinski announced that he will be meeting with the state Department of Transportation soon to examine what state engineers can do to improve safety on a notorious stretch of Route 23 that has been a hazard to motorists for years
Smolinski said the DOT meeting is being arranged by State Sen. Joseph Pennacchio (R-Morris, Passaic).
“I am elated that Sen. Pennacchio has taken a hands-on interest in helping us solve one of the vexing problems our residents have faced for many years,” said Smolinski a councilman since 2006.
“It is a very good sign that we now have someone from the state who is finally willing to work with us to begin addressing this problem,” added the councilman.
The state highway’s series of “S” turns near High Crest Drive has been the source of many car crashes for unsuspecting motorist in the region, said Smolinski.
“Unless you know the road well, and are paying attention, the stretch of highway is difficult to navigate, even in good weather,” said the councilman.
“In bad weather the section of road can be treacherous even to people who travel the road every day,” added Smolinski, a 21 year member of West Milford Ambulance Corps which has responded to numerous crashes on the highway over the years.
Smolinski said with the help of Sen. Pennacchio, drainage problems are already being addressed by the DOT. “I have brought the matter to Sen Pennacchio and we are already beginning to see action taken, which is a good sign,” said the councilman.
Smolinski said he is hoping DOT engineers can develop a plan that will straighten the roadway and remove utility poles that are too close to the highway.
“We need a comprehensive engineering solution, not just more signage and flashing lights warning people that the road is dangerous,” said Smolinski.
“I am very hopeful that Sen. Penacchio can impress upon DOT officials the need for the state to make significant financial investment in fixing this poorly designed road,” added the council president.
|
|
|
