Kevin Penton of the Asbury Park Press had a small article posted online last night about the future of Middletown's Department of Parks and Recreation.
The article didn't contain anything that we didn't already know about how the department will be restructured. Middletown's Department of Public Works headed by Ted Maloney, will take over the maintance of the township's parks and Janet Adams, the director of the Tonya Keller Community Center will oversee how township parks and beaches are used by various groups.
What I did learn from the article is that Middletown will be hiring Ted Maloney an assistant director, Janet Adams will get a nice raise and former Director of Parks and Recreaction Gregg Silva, who retired on January 1st while under an unspecified investigation, will walk away with a big fat lump sum payment from the Township for unused sick and vaction days!
13 comments:
What the public doesn't know and the Township officials and Merchantant DON'T WANT public to know is that Ted Maloney got an Assistant Director MONTHS ago to the tune of $71,000 per year way before Silva was on"leave"and Maloney's Dept. had to take on extra responsibilities. So much for the Township and Committee saving money by letting most of the Recreation staff go last April.
Only smart thing they did to save money was to force Silva retire and save on his $108,000 salary.
Shame he gets to get the lump sum that's coming to him, he should share that money with the staff he bullied, mistreated and threw under the bus so many times for his mismanagement of funds and activities. That man is a crook, liar and so deserves to be under investigation! Good riddens!
Mr. Victor Wymbs, a landscape architect, was hired as Assistant Director of DPW as early as last summer, when Ted Maloney was already introducing him with that title. It it looks like the Town’s plan to split Parks & Rec was hatched long ago, and began with the layoff of all Parks & Rec employees (all but one) almost a year ago. And a fun observation: Mr. Wymbs was hired at a time when police jobs were on the block.
The terms of Silva's retirement are a personnel matter and can't by policy/law be discussed publically. The situation, or event, that was being investigated that he was supposedly linked to is not a personnel matter.
An event, or occurrence, should be open to full public discussion and not hidden in the dark behind a claim that it is a personnel matter. Because people are involved dosen't necessarily make an event a personnel matter. If that were the case, then any municipal business could be classified as a personnel matter and thereby not open to public discussion.
Is Ms. Janet Adams qualified to manage large scale recreational programing? What is her background, experience and education? Is she more qualified than Ms. M. O'Brien? Doesn't it make more sense for her to be placed in a probationary period before given a full title and raise? It would make more sense to give the new director a bonus, or some form of cash not connected to base pay, for doing the work during a probationary period. As a business person. Fiore should understand this and given Massell's former experience at American Express so should he.
Where was the press release with the good news of Mr. Wymbs hire, or was that piece of information withheld because it wouldn't align well with the downsizing of the hands-on folk in the recreation department, nor the threat of police personnel layoffs.
What justification is there for an Public Works assistant? As I recall Maloney was hired to save money because if his engineering background? Is there a document that outlines the assistant's responsiblities? The township is top-heavy with management.
I think Janet Adams has a masters degree. She is very well regarded by those who work for and with her and is credited with "turning things around" at the Tonya Keller Community Center. So maybe we should give her a chance. She appears to be worthy and capable.
Anon 12:01, your information and observations coincide with mine.
Anon 3:00 PM,
You're absolutely right. There are too many over-paid chiefs and the lowly indians have to fear for their jobs every year when layoff time comes around.
Ted GOT an assistant, last year.
I imagine that Mr. Wymbs' landscape-architect background was a consideration for the additional upcoming parks and rec responsibilities.
It would appear that either the plan was hatched some time last year or somebody in town has taken up tarrot card reading and is quite well at it. LOL
Anon 3pm: I think the announcement of Maloney's assistant press release went out with the same batch disclosing that Sharfy had a kooshy job under his slimy bed buddy Christie. The TC and Admin didn't want EITHER of those pieces of info shared with public. Boy, that rug they keep sweeping things under is getting higher and higher.
How is hiring a $70K plus new employee NOT public infomation?! Makes one really wonder what else these people we "elect" are keeping from us. Also, just goes to show you how stupid ande insensitive the TC and Admin can be by hiring ONE man only TWO months after the Rec dept was demolished. Not creating this unnecessary position could have saved TWO essential Rec staff.
Way to go Mercantante!
Another press release missing was the one where Jim Van Nest, asst. Admin/HR director AND Merchantant's college buddy (which is how Jim got his job for which he has no experience); got 2 of his nephews hired full time when people lost their jobs.
I hear Merchantant got Van Nest the job because he knew he was ill and needed the benefits..didn't Vaan Nest get an operation and go on administrative leave right after being hired?
Yes, as soon as he could.
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