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CALL NINE.GOOD EVENING UNDER PRESIDENT
I'M STAY IN MY LANE RIGHT HERE.
GOOD EVENING AND GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE.
IT'S ALWAYS A PLEASURE COMING FROM THE COMMISSIONERS AND TO SAY THAT I'M EVERYTHING LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE, NOT SO FREE.
BUT, UH, ESSENTIALLY WE, UM, ADVANCE COUNTY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE ARE PLEASE WITH, UH, THE YEAR THAT WE HAD.
UM, WE START, CAN YOU START OUT BY SAYING THAT, UM, WE HAD A, ONE OF THE LOWEST NUMBER OF HOMICIDES IN RECENT YEARS WITH 81 HOMICIDES, STILL SOUNDS LIKE AND IS TOO MANY, BUT AS ESSEX GOES, UM, OBVIOUSLY EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT WE HAVE THE LARGEST AMOUNT OF HOMICIDES.
WE CONTINUE TO HAVE A THIRD OF THE VIOLENT CRIME IN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY, UH, SO THAT WE'RE, WE'RE PLEAD ANY, ANYTIME THE NET NUMBERS ARE, ARE LOW.
UH, A LOT OF THAT MEANS THAT OTHER, UM, BENEFITS PROVE AS WELL.
BECAUSE WE HAVE DEPLOYED, WE DEPLOY OUR RESOURCES BASED ON, WE HAVE HOMICIDE OFFICERS AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE DEPARTMENT WHO ARE NOT, UH, CHASING HOMICIDES, AND THEY'RE ABLE TO DEPLOY AND TO DO OTHER THINGS AS NEEDED.
SO IT'S ALWAYS THE NEEDS OF THE OFFICE SCENARIO.
WE FOLLOW THAT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING AND, AND I THINK WE'RE GETTING THROUGH THEMSELVES WITH THAT.
AND WE'RE DOING THAT IN THE MIDST OF A NATIONAL CRISIS ON THE ABILITY TO, UM, HIRE ASSISTANT PROSECUTORS.
THERE'S A NUMBER OF REASONS FOR THAT.
WE'VE TALKED BEFORE ABOUT SALARIES, AND WE'RE TRYING TO DO SOME THINGS TO ADDRESS THAT, BUT WE CAN'T ADDRESS IT ENOUGH TO CHANGE THIS INDUSTRY, WHICH IS A, A PUBLIC SERVICE INDUSTRY, PUBLIC SECTOR, UH, COMPARED TO WHAT A PRIVATE SECTOR AND OTHER INDUSTRIES MIGHT OFFER.
SO, BUT WE WERE NEVER GONNA BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
SO GENERALLY WE ARE HIRING PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BE PROSECUTORS, NUMBER ONE, OR THEY WANT TO GET THE BENEFITS FROM BEING IN AN OFFICE LIKE THE ESSIS COUNTY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE CAN OFFER.
PRIMARILY, THAT'S THE ABILITY TO LEARN THEIR CRAFT BECAUSE WE ARE SO BUSY, UH, THEY'RE ABLE TO, UH, DEAL WITH THINGS THAT THEY CAN DEAL WITH IN SOME OF THE OTHER SMALLER COUNTIES.
THEY'RE ABLE TO GET INTO ORDER TO TRY CASES QUICKER THAN OTHER COUNTIES.
SO THAT'S STILL A BENEFIT THAT WE HAVE, THAT WE COUCH, UH, WHEN WE ARE MARKETING OUR OFFICE.
AND WE'VE HAD TO MARKET OUR OFFICE A LOT MORE, UM, VIGOROUSLY THAN WE HAD.
I DID THE TRAIN EARLIER TODAY FROM WASHINGTON DC WHERE THE NATIONAL DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S ASSOCIATION IS A NATIONAL PROSECUTED BODY, HELD A RECRUITMENT CONFERENCE.
THERE WERE 50 RECRUITERS THERE FROM MONTANA, FROM HAWAII, FROM ALASKA, FROM LITERALLY ALL OVER THE COUNTRY BECAUSE EVERYBODY IS FACING THIS SAME DILEMMA IN TRYING TO ATTRACT, UH, YOUNG ATTORNEYS INTO THE PROFESSION.
THAT'S EXACERBATED BY THE THINGS I, IN TERMS OF THE SALARY, UM, UH, SHORTFALL AS I INDICATED, BUT ALSO AS, UM, FIRST ASSISTANCE TODAY WAS GOING TO TALK IN A LITTLE WHILE.
HE, HE POINTED OUT EARLIER, THERE IS PROBABLY THE LOWEST NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS GOING TO LAW SCHOOL AND CASTING THE BAR IN RECENT NUMBERS, I'M TOLD THERE ARE LESS THAN 800 THAT PASSED THE BAR.
WE HAVE 7 86 IN CALENDAR YEAR, 2022.
SO IN, IN 2010, WE HAD JUST UNDER 3,300 PEOPLE MM-HMM.
IT'S JUST NOT, DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO SPEND 65 GRAND TO MAKE 65 GRAND.
NO, 65,000 A YEAR GO TO LAW SCHOOL.
WE'RE GONNA TAKE UP NOT ENOUGH TO COVER THAT, PAUL.
SO THERE ARE, UM, SO THE NUMBERS IN THE ITSELF, IT'S A SHORT, A SMALLER POOL OF INDIVIDUALS SHOULD TRACK.
SO OBVIOUSLY, UH, YOU CAN GET A FEWER, A LESSER NUMBER TO ACTUALLY INTERVIEW AND SET AND GO THROUGH THE PROCESS.
SO, UM, WE GO THROUGH OUR, OUR INTERVIEW PROCESS IS A LOT DIFFERENT.
WE START OUT IN A LITTLE WHILE CREATING A, A, UH, A PILE A, WHICH IS YES,
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AND A PILE B, WHICH IS A MAYBE OR NO.AND THEN WE, AFTER LOOKING AT THE POULTRY NUMBER A, WE'RE BACK TO PILE B SAYING, LET'S LOOK AT THEM AGAIN, BUT MAYBE NOT SO BAD ON SECOND.
WE NEED PEOPLE BODIES IN HERE TO KEEP AN OFFICE LIKE THIS GOING.
SO THAT'S A DILEMMA THAT WE'RE, WE'RE DEALING WITH NOW EVENLY.
SO I WENT DOWN TO MARKET AND I'M SORRY TO SAY ALSO TO END THAT STORY.
WHILE THERE WERE 50 RECRUITERS, THERE WERE PROBABLY 20 LAWSUITS THAT SHOWED UP.
I MEAN, THEY WERE IN DEMAND, LIKE NOBODY, I MEAN, PEOPLE WERE, IT WAS ALMOST LIKE A FEEDING FRENZY IN TERMS OF TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO TALK.
IT WAS REALLY, SO THEY'LL DO IT THE FIRST TIME THEY TRY TO DO IT.
SO I'M SURE THEY'LL MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS THE NEXT YEAR.
BUT THAT'S THE ENVIRONMENT WE'RE DEALING WITH HERE.
SO, SO WE'RE TRYING TO DEAL WITH OURSELVES AND, UM, AS YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALWAYS DEALT WITH, UH, A SURPLUS AT THE, THE END OF THE YEAR HERE.
SO, UM, WHAT WE ARE DOING IN THIS OPPORTUNITY NOW, UM, FOR TWO REASONS, WE'RE UPPING THE, THE ENTRY SALARY.
WE'RE TAKING 'EM UP TO A, UH, LEVEL, STEP ONE, LEVEL FOUR, WHICH MEANS THEY'RE GONNA GO FROM A $65,000 START, WHICH IS 68,000.
NOT A LOT, BUT IT WILL BE REPRESENTATIVE COMPARED TO EVERYBODY ELSE.
UM, I THINK AROUND IN THE STATE, MAYBE BERGEN MAY BE HIGHER, BUT BERGEN'S ALWAYS A HIGHER, SO NOTWITHSTANDING IT'LL BE COMPETITIVE IN TERMS OF THAT.
NOW THAT OF COURSE, MEANS WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO ADJUST EVERYBODY ELSE OFF THE STEP AS WELL TO, SO THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY WITH US, UH, ARE NOT HURT BY THAT.
SO EVEN WITH THAT, THAT, UM, WILL FIT WITHIN OUR, OUR BUDGET.
SO THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAVE A, A NEGATIVE EFFECT ON WHAT WE'RE DOING.
UH, THIS IS MAKING THE TIME TO DO THAT BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THE ADMINISTRATION TO DEAL WITH, UM, UH, ASSISTING WITH THE BUDGETS.
SO THERE ARE A NUMBER OF, IN NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS WHO, 21 INDIVIDUALS, UH, HAVE COME OUT OF OUR TABLE OF ORGANIZATION.
NOT THE WORST THING IN THE WORLD RIGHT NOW FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS.
ONE, UM, TRADITIONALLY WE'VE HAD DIFFICULTY HIRING UP TO THAT MAXIMUM NUMBER.
AND NOW IN THIS ENVIRONMENT, AS I JUST DESCRIBED, IT BECOMES EVEN MORE, UH, DIFFICULT TO DO THAT.
SO IF WE, UM, AND CURRENTLY WITH REGARD TO THE NUMBER OF OPENINGS WE HAVE, WE HAVE, UM, ABOUT 24 OPENINGS NOW.
UM, AND WITH ABOUT 13 OFFERS PENDING, UM, FOR BACKGROUND BACKGROUND CHECKS.
SO EVEN WHEN WE GET THOSE 13 IN, I'LL SAY GIVES US A MORE LEEWAY.
AND WE FULLY EXPECT WE'RE GOING TO TURN OVER EVERY STONE, EVERY ROUTE TO GET UP TO THAT NUMBER, UM, BY MID-YEAR OR SO.
AND, BUT WE HAVE INVESTIGATORS, WE NEED SUPPORT STAFF, WE NEED OBVIOUSLY ASSISTANT PROSECUTORS THAT WE NEED.
SO WE HAVE SOME ROOM TO GET TO THAT.
AND SO I HOPE TO BE ABLE TO COME TO YOU NEXT YEAR AND SAY THAT WE ARE AT OUR MAX ALL, ALL THE WAY.
AND, UH, AS SOON AS, UH, THE ADMINISTRATION CAN FIND THE WAY POSSIBLE, WE WANT THEM 21 BACK
IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE TAKE THE CREDIT FOR, BUT WE HAVE VERY LITTLE TO DO WITH, OTHER THAN CONTINUING TO DEVELOP GREAT RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE MUNICIPALITIES, ESPECIALLY THE CITY OF NEWARK, IN ORDER TO DO WHAT WE CAN TO TAKE GUNS OFF THE STREET AND TO DO SOME THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO, UM, SO IT CONTINUES TO BE A CHALLENGING ENVIRONMENT, BUT IT IS ONE WE'RE, WHICH WE ARE MANAGING RIGHT NOW.
AND SO I, I DON'T SEE ANY, UM, I THINK DIFFICULTY IN BEING ABLE TO MEET THIS, UM, OUR OBLIGATIONS IN, IN THE SHORT TERM.
UM, WITH REGARD TO, UM, JUST, I GUESS I WAS JUST GONNA ALSO SAY IN, JUST IN TERMS OF, OF THE ISSUES AFFECTING US, THE, UH, JUDICIARY PUT ADDITIONAL JUDGES IN.
SO WE GOT A FULL, ALMOST A FULL COMPLIMENT OF, OF SUPERIOR COURT.
I THINK WE WERE AT 12, ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO.
EACH ONE OF THOSE COURTS HAVE TO BE MANNED BY ASSISTED PROSECUTORS, UH, TYPICALLY TWO TO THREE IN THOSE COURTS.
SO THAT'S, THAT, THAT NUMBER'S BEEN INCREASED.
AND OF COURSE, AND I I'VE MENTIONED IT AT OTHER BUDGET MEETINGS, UM, ARE JUST THE STRESS OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM.
IT PUTS A STREET, A SPEEDY TRIAL COMPONENT UPON INDICTING CASES AND TRYING CASES.
SO NOW WE HAVE, WE DON'T HAVE A CASH BAIL SYSTEM ANYMORE.
IT, IT GIVES A BENEFIT TO THE ACUTE, IT GIVES A BENEFIT TO THE ACUTE.
SO IF SOMEBODY'S GOING TO BE HELD, THERE'S NO BAIL, BUT CASE HAS GOTTA BE INDICTED WITHIN 180 DAYS, GOTTA BE TRIED IN X AMOUNT OF MONTHS.
AND IT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO GET THE DISCOVERY IN IT.
IT JUST PUTS A STRAIN ON, ON THE SYSTEM.
SO YOU NEED, AND WE HAVE DETENTION HEARING, YOU NEED DEDICATED SYSTEM PROSECUTORS, UH, UH, UM, TO DO THAT.
AND THAT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, AN ADDITIONAL GROUP OF OF PROSECUTORS.
IT MAKES, YOU KNOW, SCREENING HAS TO BE DONE, UH, MORE QUICKLY.
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TO BE DONE MORE QUICKLY.THE DISCOVERY HAS TO PRODUCED MORE QUICKLY.
AND WE JUST HAD A, A, A RECENT EPISODE.
UM, WE HAD MEETINGS WITH THE ASSIGNMENT JUDGES AND, YOU KNOW, THE LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES WEREN'T GETTING US BODY CAMS THAT WE NEED.
YOU KNOW, CLEARLY WHEN YOU LOOK AT LIKE, WHAT HAPPENED IN MEMPHIS OVER THE WEEKEND, WHEN THE RELEASES, VIDEOS, TRANSPARENCY EQUALS VIDEOS, BODY CAMS, THEY DON'T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT WRITTEN POLICE REPORTS AND, YOU KNOW, DESCRIPTIONS OR ANYTHING.
THEY WANT TO SEE COLOR VIDEOS AND IT'S JUST THIS, IT, IT, IT'S A, YOU KNOW, WE USUALLY BRING IN ABOUT 10,500 CASES.
THE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE EVERY YEAR.
THEY WANT VIDEOS ON EVERYTHING.
NOT ONLY BODY CAMS FROM THE OFFICERS.
THEY WANT DASH CAMS FROM THE CAR, AND THEY WANT A MEANINGFUL CANVAS FOR SURVEILLANCE THAT MIGHT BE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
BUSINESSES THAT HAVE SURVEILLANCES RING CAMERAS AND ALL THAT.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A LOT MORE WORK THAN JUST TYPING REPORTS.
SO ALL OF THESE, THESE THINGS THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, PUT A STRAINS ON THE ASSISTANT PROSECUTORS AND JUDGES, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE SLAMMING US WITH THESE NEW, UM, CRIMINAL JUSTICE, UM, REFORM RULES, AND IT'S JUST, IT, IT, IT MAKES IT TRYING.
SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE REALLY AFFECTING US.
SO THAT GIVES A PICTURE OF WHERE WE ARE IN TERMS OF THE COUNTY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE.
UM, WE STILL LEAD THE, THE STATE IN ALMOST EVERY DUBIOUS CATEGORY AND SOME, WHICH ARE CERTAINLY NOTEWORTHY AS WELL.
UM, THE DISCOVERY PIECE THAT ESSH TALKED ABOUT COMING FROM NEWARK, PARTICULARLY, AND I DON'T BASH NORTH, IT'S JUST A QUESTION OF THE NUMBERS.
NORTH IS 95% OF OUR BUSINESS COMING THROUGH.
AND SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S A SYSTEM IN PLACE, WHICH IS NOT IN PLACE PERMANENTLY, BUT WE'RE WORKING ON IT WITH THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR VIDEO AND THE OTHER EVIDENCE GETS TO US IN A TIMELY MANNER.
THEY KNOW THE PROBLEM, WE ALL KNOW THE PROBLEM.
IT'S A PROBLEM INVOLVING MONEY.
UM, YOU KNOW, KNOW THEY'VE GOTTA GET RID OF THEIR PANASONIC COMPUTER THAT DEALS WITH IT AND GET AN AXON COMPUTER THAT EVERYBODY ELSE HAS.
UH, AND SO THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, SO MAYBE IT'S A FIVE OR $6 MILLION PROBLEM THEY GOTTA DEAL WITH.
BUT, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING ON IT.
IN THE MEANTIME, WE CAN DEDICATE BODIES TO, UM, THEY DEDICATED BODIES AND NPD TO MANUALLY GET THE INFORMATION TO SEND IT TO US.
AND THEN WE HAVE TO CALL THROUGH AND, AND PASS IT ON.
BUT, UM, WE WILL ADDRESS THAT ISSUE.
CHAIRMAN, SORRY, THAT'S IT FOR US.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? I COMMISSION BUDGET.
YOU WERE REALLY GREAT IN WORKING WITH THE FBI AND THE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO CAPTURE THAT, UH, UM, IMMIGRANT FROM SAUDI ARABIA WHO CAME TO LIVINGSTON AND STOLE THE BUS.
AND YOU FOUND HIM IN PENNSYLVANIA, YOU FOLLOWED HIS PHONE AND YOU FOUND HIM, AND HE WAS ARRESTED.
AND NOW I WORK, I KNOW YOU'RE WORKING ON WHAT HAPPENED AT NEAR TO MID, AND I'M SURE THAT WITH YOUR, AND WITH THE FBI AND THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, YOU WILL FIND HIM.
AND YOU'RE REALLY DOING A FANTASTIC JOB.
I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE BODY CAMS. UH, ARE THEY EXPENSIVE? YES.
AND THE, THE, THE CAMERAS THAT, LIKE, THE ONE THAT THEY HAD IN BOTH CAMERAS, YEAH.
THEY'RE ALL, IT'S ALL EXPENSIVE.
THE BOTH CAMS ARE USUALLY OWNED BY THE MUNICIPALITY IT PUTS UP.
UM, BUT EVERY, EVERY LAW ENFORCEMENT ENTITY, INCLUDING OURS, WHO GO OUT IN THE STREET, HAVE TO HAVE BODY CAMS. THE PROBLEM WITH THAT, NOT ONLY THEY'RE EXPENSIVE, BUT THEY'RE IN SHORT SUPPLY.
SO THE SUPPLY CHAIN IS STILL, UM, BACK ORDERING THOSE ITEMS. SO WE'VE GOT APPROPRIATIONS TO EQUIP EVERYBODY, BUT STILL CAN'T GET ALL THE EQUIPMENT IN.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO SPEND OVER A YEAR, UH, TO THAT.
SO THE BODY CAMS, DOES SOMEONE MONITOR IT? DOES SOMEONE LIKE WATCHING WHAT'S GOING ON? WELL, IT'S DOWNLOADED DOWNLOAD EVERY, EVERY DAY.
IT'S DOWNLOADED AND IT'S REPOSITORY.
UM, THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO GO THROUGH IT REDACT PHASES AND THINGS THAT AREN'T NECESSARY IN THERE.
AND THEN ULTIMATELY, IF IN FACT, IT'S ASSOCIATED WITH JOB, IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE SENT TO US RIGHT AWAY WITHIN 24 HOURS.
CAUSE WE IN TURN, AS, AS, UM, RAMASH INDICATED HAVE TO USE THAT IN DETENTION HEARING, NOT THE TRIAL, THE DETENTION HEARING.
SO JUST TO HOLD SOMEBODY, UH, IN, IN JAIL WE THINK SHOULD BE DETAINED.
WE NEED TO, TO PUT ALL OF OUR EVIDENCE UP FRONT, SO TO SPEAK, UH, IN FRONT OF THE JUDGE.
OTHERWISE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE RUN THE RISK OF, UH, A DANGEROUS PERSON BEING LET OUT ON THE STREET
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WISH COME BACK AGAIN.IS IT MANDATORY FOR ALL POLICE OFFICERS TO HAVE A BODY CAN? OH, YEAH.
AG DIRECTOR, IF THEY'RE ON THE STREET, THAT'S WHAT I CALL NOT, I MEAN, NOT IN THE OFFICE IF THEY'RE THERE, BUT ON THE STREET.
BUT DO ALL, UH, POLICE DEPARTMENTS IN ESSEX COUNTY HAVE THE BODY CAM? THEY ALL DO.
I THINK IRVINGTON WAS THE ORANGE, WAS THE LAST ONE LEFT IT THIS WAY.
IF THEY HAVEN'T GOTTEN IT IN ONLY CAUSE THEY HAVE THAT SAME SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUE.
UM, WHAT THEY WERE, THEY ORDERED THEM ALL.
I WAS, I'M THE, THE ALL FORFEITURE FUND, YOU KNOW, FORFEITURE FUNDS.
THE CASE GOES IN IF MONEY ASSOCIATED WITH IT, WE COLLECT THAT MONEY AND THE MONEY GETS DISPERSED.
SOME OF IT STAYS WITH ME, AND SOME OF IT GOES TO THE MUNICIPALITY.
AND I HAVE A POLICY THAT IF THE BODY CAMS HAVE NOT BEEN ORDERED, I'M NOT SATISFIED THAT I DON'T DISPERSE.
UM, THEREFORE PICTURE MONEY, CURRENTLY I'M DOING THAT WITH NEWARK AND I HAVE ABOUT ALMOST A HALF A MILLION DOLLARS OF THEIR MONEY.
AND I ALSO, THEY TELL ME THEY NEED TO BUY IT, THEY'LL FINISH THE ORDER, THEN I'LL RELEASE IT OTHERWISE, SO THAT EVERY, UH, EVERY UH, POLICE OFFICER HAS THIS.
NORTH ALREADY HAS, SO EVERYBODY, CAMERAS ARE, THEY WERE ONE OF THE FIRST ONES TO GET IT GOING.
THIS IS A TRANSFER ISSUE WITH THEM, BUT ORANGE AND, AND, UM, THE LAST TWO TOGETHER.
SO LET ME PREFACE THIS WITH, I KNOW YOU GUYS DO A GREAT JOB.
YOUR OFFICER ARE VERY PROFESSIONAL.
SO THE 81 HOMICIDES THAT YOU REFERENCE, DOES THAT INCLUDE, UH, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC KILLED BY POLICE, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, KILLED BY POLICE OFFICERS? ALL HOMICIDES WOULD BE INCLUDED THAT, OKAY.
SO HOW MANY OF THE 81 OR ACTUALLY, UH, HO UH, UH, PEOPLE KILLED BY POLICE OFFICERS? I DON'T THINK ANY OF THE, OF 'EM, NO, NOT FOR LAST YEAR.
NO, THEY, THE, THE PREVIOUS YEAR THEY HAD THE SHOOTING ON ROAD STREET WHEN, I BELIEVE HAPPENED ON NEW YEAR'S EVE THAT WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE AD'S OFFICE, PURSUANT TO THE NEW STATUTE.
I DON'T BELIEVE ANY OF THOSE 80 ONES WERE, WERE, WERE, UM, OFFICERS SHOOTING IN VIDEOS.
WE DON'T HAVE THAT MUCH OF THAT IN, IN, IN ESSEX IN LIKE, IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY.
I'M PROUD TO SAY THAT I, I'M, I'M PROUD AS WELL, A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF RESTRAINT.
I WANT IT, I WANT IT FOR THE RECORD.
I WANT PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND, YEAH.
THIS IS NOT, YOU GUYS DO A GREAT JOB IN PROFESSION.
SO THE SCRE TRIAL THING, UH, WHERE YOU SAID PUTS A HEAVY BURDEN ON PROSECUTORS.
SO BEFORE YOU HAD A, YOU DID, WHEN YOU DIDN'T HAVE THE SRE TRIALS, RIGHT? RIGHT.
SO IT WAS, UH, SO THE PLAYING FIELD WAS A LEVEL, SO IT WAS MORE BURDENSOME FOR THE INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY.
PARDON? SO DOES THIS KIND OF LEVEL, THE PLAYING FIELD AND GIVE FOLKS WHO HAVE NOT BEEN, UH, UH, FOUND GUILTY OF ANYTHING, UH, EQUAL OPPORTUNITY? WELL, I DON'T THINK IT WAS A, I CAN'T SAY THAT THE SYSTEM WAS BROKEN OR THAT IT WAS LESS FAIR.
SO THE RULES HAVE JUST CHANGED.
UM, IN THOSE DAYS FOR TRIALS, AN INDIVIDUAL MIGHT BE IN JAIL LONGER UNDER THE OLD SYSTEM.
TO THAT EXTENT, THAT'S A BENEFIT.
CLEARLY THERE ARE FEWER, UH, PEOPLE OF COLOR, UH, IN JAIL NOW CAUSE OF THEIR INABILITY TO PAY A CASH BAIL SITUATION.
SO IT'S BASED ON DANGER TO THE COMMUNITY THAT THE PUBLIC, UH, SAFETY ANALYSIS, UH, WILL, WILL YIELD.
IT'S NOT PERFECT THOUGH, BECAUSE THE PUBLIC SAFETY ANALYSIS DOESN'T DEAL WITH PROPERTY CRIMES QUITE THE SAME WAY AS IT DOES A DANGEROUS INDIVIDUAL.
IT DOESN'T EVEN DEAL WITH GUNS REALLY.
UH, A GUN UNDER THE PAPER, PUBLIC SAFETY ANALYSIS MAY BE DEEMED AS BEING NOT A THREAT TO THE PUBLIC, WHICH STILL BLOWS MY MIND.
BUT NONETHELESS, THAT'S THE CASE.
UH, AND IT DOESN'T DEAL NECESSARILY WITH INDIVIDUAL WHO HAVE MULTIPLE SHOPLIFTS OR THEFTS BECAUSE THEY HAVE SOME KIND OF A DRUG OR SOME KIND OF A PROBLEM.
BUT THE MINUTE YOU LET IT OUT, SIR, BACK AND DO WHAT THEY'VE BEEN DOING.
SO, UH, MAYOR BARACK THAT BEEN, HAD A PARTICULAR CONCERN WITH, UH, THE, THE REPETITIVE NATURE OF INDIVIDUALS COMING BACK ON AND, AND, UH, CAUSING TROUBLE ON THE STREET.
SO NOT A PERFECT SYSTEM, BUT CLEARLY IT PUTS PRESSURE ON THE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE.
SO WE HAVE TO CALL ALL THAT INFORMATION, AS I SAID.
AND RIGHT NOW IT'S NOT FAIR BECAUSE WE CAN'T GET IT FROM THE ENTITY THAT GIVES US 90 PLUS OF OUR PERCENT OF OUR BUSINESS.
SO ONCE WE GET THAT WORKED OUT, IT, IT'LL BE, I THINK, A MUCH FAIRER SITUATION.
AND REC, I WANNA RECOGNIZE THE COMMISSION TO DO.
UH, SO, SO HOW, HOW LONG BEFORE YOU GET IT WORKED OUT? UM, WHY DON'T YOU
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CALL ERIC PENNINGTON?I'M TRYING TO, UM, I I THINK THEY'VE GOT ESTIMATE FOR ABOUT SIX MONTHS THIS YEAR, BUT HOPEFULLY BY JUNE WE'LL BE IN, WE'LL BE IN BETTER SHAPE.
SO YOU REFERENCED ALSO, YOU SAID THE, UH, I THINK YOU SAID SOMETHING TO EFFECT THAT THE SYSTEM, THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THE SYSTEM OR THE SYSTEM'S NOT BROKEN RIGHT NOW.
UH, THE SYSTEM IS, WELL, THE, BECAUSE IT, IT DOES, THE SYSTEM COULDN'T BE IMPROVED BECAUSE THERE ARE STILL SOME, THE CURRENT ANALYSIS DOESN'T TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION SOME CRIMES WHICH ARE NOT VIEWED AS BEING PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS NOW TO THE PUBLIC, WHICH STILL CAUSE TRAUMA.
CAUSE MONEY ULTIMATELY MIGHT LEAD TO A DANGEROUS SITUATION.
AND SO THERE SHOULD BE SOME LEEWAY IN ORDER TO KEEP THOSE PEOPLE THAT SHOULD BE IN, IN, SO WE CAN RESOLVE THAT.
AND AND I, AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE IN SOME CASES THAT FORCES PEOPLE IN TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SOME OF THE, UM, COURTS, WHICH ARE DIVERSIONARY COURTS, UH, DRUG CORP.
WELL, NOW, UH, RECOVERY COURT IS BE CALLED DRUG COURT.
UH, THAT'S AN AREA WHERE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE INVOLVED IN THE SYSTEM AND IT'S BECAUSE THEY HAVE A DRUG A PROBLEM, MAYBE THEY'LL NOW GO INTO RECOVERY COURT WHERE THEY, THERE'S A MANDATORY PROGRAM THAT JUDGE LEE HAS BEEN CHAMPIONING FOR YEARS TO MAKE SURE THEY GET THE HELP IN, IN THEIR BOARD, GETTING BACK IN THE SYSTEM.
MENTAL HEALTH COURT, WHICH IS EVERYBODY'S, UM, ON THE LIST, UH, NUMBER ONE, IN TERMS OF A FOCUS THAT SHOULD HAPPEN AT A, AT A SCHOOL LEVEL, LET ALONE AS ADULTS TO IDENTIFY PEOPLE WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES EARLY ON, AND TO TRY AND GET THEM TO HELP THEY NEED BEFORE IT GETS TO BE A PROBLEM.
UH, SOME OF THE, OUR COMMUNITIES LIKE WEST ORANGE HAVE A, A, A, A PROGRAM THEY'VE HAD FOR A COUPLE YEARS THAT WE APPROVED FOR THEM, WHERE THEY'VE GOT A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION OF S SIX M RS.
AND SO WHEN THEY IDENTIFY IT AS BEING A MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEM, THEY'LL CALL AN ON-CALL MENTAL HEALTH SPECIALIST WHO WILL COME OUT THE, THE OFFICER TURNS IT OVER TO THEM, AND THEN THEY, WE START THAT PROCESS GOING FORWARD AS SO THAT A COP WITH A GUN IN THE BAGS WAS NOT TRAINED TO HANDLE THAT, IS OUT OF THE SITUATION AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE AND TURNING OVER TO THE KIND OF PROFESSIONAL THAT THAT'S NEEDED.
SO SOME, SOME PEOPLE WOULD SAY, I'VE HEARD OVER THE YEARS THAT THE, UM, THE LEGAL SYSTEM IN THIS COUNTRY IS BROKEN.
WOULD YOU AGREE WITH THAT? NO.
NOR WOULD I, I THINK THIS SYSTEM WORKS EXACTLY THE WAY IT WAS DESIGNED TO WORK, PUNISHED CERTAIN PEOPLE MORE SO THAN OTHERS.
SO I AGREE WITH THAT, THAT STATEMENT.
IT IS NEVER BEEN A FAIR SYSTEM, THE LEGAL SYSTEM IN THIS COUNTRY, AND THE WAY THAT THE CERTAIN POLICE, POLICE IN CERTAIN COMMUNITY, CERTAINLY NOT FAIR.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE COULD POSSIBLY DO IS TRAIN, UH, OUR OFFICERS COMING OUT OF THE ACADEMY MORE IN DEESCALATION TACTICS.
ALSO TEACH 'EM SOME OF THE LAWS THAT THEY REALLY DON'T KNOW AND DON'T GET TAUGHT IN SIX MONTHS.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S, UM, YOU GO TO ACADEMY FOR SIX MONTHS, YOU BECOME A POLICE OFFICER, YOU PASS THE TRAINING AND WHATEVER ELSE TO BE A HAIRSTYLIST, YOU GOTTA GO TO SCHOOL FOR TWO DAMN YEARS.
AND TELL ME HOW MUCH SENSE DOES THAT MAKE? RIGHT? YEAH.
TO BE A BARBER, YOU GOTTA GO TO SCHOOL FOR TWO YEARS, BE A POLICE OFFICER, ONLY SIX MONTHS, AND THEN THEY DON'T LEARN ANYTHING ABOUT THE LAW.
WELL, THEY DO HAVE SOME, WELL, NOT VERY MUCH.
THEY TEACH THE PARABLE TO SIX MONTHS.
I GOTTA GO TO SCHOOL FOR TWO YEARS.
THE CARRIER DUCT TO HAVE LETHAL POWER.
WELL, WHAT I'LL SAY THEY, THEY DID REDO THE USE OF FORCE POLICY COMING WITH THIS WAS, UM, GROK WHO WAS THE, THE PREVIOUS ATTORNEY GENERAL.
THEY, THEY HADN'T REVIVED THE USE OF FORCE POLICY IN 20 YEARS.
AND IT DOES TALK ABOUT DEESCALATION.
THERE'S A LOT OF, I MEAN, IF, IF YOU, YOU JUST REVIEW THE POLICE REPORTS COMING IN, YOU DON'T SEE OFFICERS PUTTING THEIR HANDS ON PEOPLE.
UM, IF, IF IN MY EXPERIENCE, THIS IS MY 25TH YEAR THAT I'M JUST ENTERING IT, IT IS NOT AS PHYSICAL AS IT WAS BEFORE.
ALSO BECAUSE OF THE BODY CAMERAS AND THE SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS AND A LOT MORE TRANSPARENCY.
BUT I'LL TELL YOU, THE SHOOTING THAT WE HAD IN WEEK, WAIT FOR THOSE TWO OFFICERS, UM, WERE SHOT OUT IN THAT BUILDING OVER THERE, THAT BUILDING, NEITHER OF THE OFFICERS HAD THEIR, THEIR GUNS OUT WHEN THEY WERE LOOKING FOR A PERSON WHO WAS POTENTIALLY ARMED, SUSPECT HAD TO JUMP ON HIM, AND THEY WERE GOING BY SOME OF THESE NEW USE OF FORCE STAMPS.
AND THE YEAR BEFORE THAT, YEAH, THERE WERE THE OFFICERS WHO, UH, UM, WENT UP TO APPREHEND.
SOMEONE WENT ON THE PORCH IN NEWARK AS WELL, AND THE TWO OFFICERS WENT UP, THEY GOT SHOT AND DIDN'T DISCHARGE THEIR WEAPON AT ALL.
[00:25:01]
THERE'S RESTRAINT TO ME THERE, THERE, THERE'S A INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF RESTRAINT.NOW WE HAVE BEEN BLESSED HERE IN, IN, IN NEW JERSEY, AND PARTICULARLY, PARTICULARLY NANCY COUNTY, WITH THE RESTRAINT THAT OUR OFFICERS HAVE SHOWN.
NOW, CLEARLY THAT'S NOT THE CASE IN A PLACE LIKE THAT, BUT THEY'VE HAD WAY TOO MANY PROBLEMS THERE.
SO THEY HAVE TO LOOK AT WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND OTHER PLACES AROUND THE COUNTRY, BUT NOT, NOT, WE'VE BEEN VERY BUSY HERE.
VERY LUCKY HERE TO HAVE THE OFFICERS SHOW THE KIND OF RESTRAINT THEY HAVE.
AND, AND THAT'S YOU, THAT'S THE DEESCALATION.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S EMPHASIZED HERE.
AND FORTUNATELY, UM, THE YOUNG COPS, AND THERE'S A BUNCH OF YOUNG COPS IN NEWARK, BUT THEY ARE SHOWING SOME REAL RESTRAINT.
I HAVE TO GIVE THEM CREDIT FOR THAT.
ANY, UH, WHEN POLICE OFFICERS USE EXCESSIVE FORCE OR USED FORCE, ARE THERE QUALIFIED IMMUNITY POTENTIALLY AT RISK? WELL, THERE, THERE MAY BE.
UM, AND, AND IT DEPENDS ON THE CIRCUMSTANCE, BUT WHAT NEW JERSEY IS DOING, AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW TO ADDRESS THAT, IS THEY'RE GOING TO A LICENSING OF POLICE OFFICERS THAT THINK THAT'S A GOOD THING.
I HAD NO IDEA THAT JERSEY WAS ONE OF THE FEW STATES NOT TO LICENSE THEIR POLICE OFFICERS.
EVERYBODY WHO'S THERE AS LEARNING COUNCIL KNOWS A LICENSE BY HIS VERY NATURE IS IRREVOCABLE INSTRUMENT.
YOU BUY A TICKET TO GO TO A GAME, YOU'RE GIVEN A LICENSE TO ENTER THAT ARENA, WHICH MEANS THAT THEY CAN REVOKE IT AT ANY TIME SHOULD YOUR BEHAVIOR NOT BE UP TO PAR BY THE NATURE OF IT.
SO THE FACT THAT IT'S A LICENSE FOR A POLICE OFFICER MEANS THEY CAN BE REVOKED AT ANY TIME.
AND I, AND ON TOP OF THAT THOUGH, WHAT THE NATIONAL LEGISLATION YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS, IT NEEDS TO BE A WAY TO TRACK OFFICERS WHO HAVE BEEN, UH, FIRED FOR BAD BEHAVIOR AND PREVENT THEM FROM RUNNING TO ANOTHER JURISDICTION YEP.
AND GETTING HIRED AND THEN LETTING THEM RESIGN AND THEN, RIGHT, RIGHT.
AND AS, UH, AT LEAST ONE OF THE OFFICERS INVOLVED IN NORTHSIDE HAD BEEN IN A SITUATION WHERE THEY HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN FIRED AT IN ANOTHER JURISDICTION.
A ANYBODY KNOW HOW LONG IT TAKES TO BECOME A POLICE OFFICER IN THE UK? THREE YEARS? AND I'LL LEAVE THAT THERE.
UM, YOU, WE WERE TALKING EARLIER, WE WERE TALKING EARLIER ABOUT RAISING SALARIES, AND I THINK THAT'S BEEN SOME OF THE DISCUSSIONS WE'VE HAD IN THE PAST TOO.
UH, DURING THE COURSE OF THE BUDGET HEARINGS.
UM, BUT I DID NOTICE THAT THERE SEEMS TO BE, UM, AT LEAST MORE OF A POPULATION OF YOUR SYSTEM, PROSECUTORS THAT ARE IN THE HIGHER SALARIES THAN THE PREVIOUS, UH, BUDGET IS.
SO I'M LOOKING AT THE PAYROLL NUMBER ONE FOR 2023.
AND IN THAT THERE'S 112 EMPLOYEES LISTED UNDER THE CATEGORY ASSISTANT PROSECUTOR.
SO I'M ASSUMING THAT THOSE 112 ARE ALL SYSTEM PROSECUTORS.
WOULD THAT BE A FAIR ASSESSMENT? YES.
SO, SO LET ME FIRST ASK THOUGH, THERE'S 127 ASSISTANT PROSECUTORS THAT ARE BUDGETED IN THE 2023 BUDGET.
SO ARE YOU, IS IS THERE 15 VACANCIES THERE AT THIS POINT THERE? YES, THAT WOULD BE THE NUMBER THAT VACANT.
WE ARE LOOKING AT HAVING, OUR AGREEMENT WITH THE ADMINISTRATION IS THAT THERE ISN'T A LIMITATION ON ANY NUMBER OF ASSISTED PROSECUTORS, INVESTIGATORS OR SUPPORT SECTOR, JUST A NUMBER, TOTAL NUMBER IN THE OFFICE.
SO WE ARE GOING TO USE THAT NUMBER TO ALLOCATE, UM, FOR ALL THREE OF THOSE BRANCHES GOING FORWARD.
BUT YOUR QUESTIONS, RIGHT, BECAUSE I SEE THAT, EXCUSE ME.
YEAH, I SEE THAT ALSO TRUE FOR THE INVESTIGATORS, THAT THERE'S A WIDE, YOU KNOW, GAP BETWEEN WHAT'S BUDGETED HERE.
DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY VACANCIES YOU HAVE IN WITH REGARD TO THE INVESTIGATORS? UM, I THINK I JUST HAVE THAT LITTLE BIT DOWN, RIGHT.
ONE SERGEANT, TWO LIEUTENANTS.
I HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN THAT BASICALLY.
UM, BUT AGAIN, GETTING BACK TO THE ASSISTANT PROSECUTORS, SO WHAT I'VE LOOKED AT IS THAT, UM, AND I JUST, I WILL, SOME OF MY PAST, YOU KNOW, BUDGET ANALYSIS AND LOOK AT IT HERE, BUT THERE'S, OUT OF 112, THERE'S SIX, THERE'S 19 THAT ARE MAKING THAT BASE SALARY IN THE 60, 60,000 RANGE.
I'M JUST GIVING YOU LIKE A BRIEF OKAY.
UM, YOU KNOW, SUMMARY AND THEN 59 THAT ARE MAKING OVER A HUNDRED.
AND, AND WHEN YOU GET IN THERE, YOU START TO SEE QUITE A FEW MAKING THE ONE 30 TO 180, YOU KNOW.
SO, UH, SOME OF THOSE POSITIONS MIGHT BE MORE ADMINISTRATIVE WHEN YOU GET TO THE HIGHER END, BUT I, I, THAT I DON'T KNOW, BUT THERE ARE POSITIONS THAT ARE PAYING,
[00:30:01]
UH, AND IT SEEMS TO BE WEIGHTED MORE ON THE HEAVIER SIDE NOW OVER A HUNDRED THAN IT WAS IN THE PAST.SO IS THAT A QUESTION OF PEOPLE BEING BUMPED UP AND HAVING MORE SENIOR PEOPLE IN THE ASSISTANT PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE NOW, AS OPPOSED TO THOSE BELOW THE A HUNDRED THOUSAND MARK? WE DID NOT INTENTIONALLY, UH, TARGET INDIVIDUALS WITH LIKE MERIT RAZORS OR SOMETHING TO THAT.
UH, A COUPLE PEOPLE GOT PROMOTED AND MADE A COUPLE OF DECAPS, UH, LAST YEAR, UH, UP THEM FROM DIRECTORS TO UM, UH, DEPUTY CHIEFS.
UH, BUT THAT WAS ONLY TWO OR THREE OCCASIONS.
THE PEOPLE WHO I'M SURE WE FIND IN THERE, AND I'D HAVE TO GO THROUGH THAT, THE LIST, SO SPECIFICALLY, I'M SURE THEY'VE JUST BEEN IN THE OFFICE FOR, FOR A LONG TIME, LONGER PERIOD OF TIME.
SO YEAH, WE HAVE THAT, WE HAVE THE GROUP IN, AND, AND A LOT OF THAT WAS HELPED BY, I THINK LAST YEAR.
I, I REPORTED THAT THERE WAS THE, UM, UM, UM, REINSTATEMENT OF THE PROSECUTOR'S PENSION PART, WHICH IS, UH, OF A VERY FAVORABLE COMPARED TO WHAT THE PER PROSECUTION, UM, PERS PENSION HAS BEEN.
SO INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE CLOSE TO THAT ARE PROBABLY NOW GOING TO STAY BECAUSE THEY GET THE BENEFIT OF THAT.
THEY'VE BEEN IN THERE FOR 10 PLUS YEARS.
WE HAVE THAT, THAT GAP THOUGH, AFTER YOU REACH AFTER THAT, UH, THE NUMBER OF WHO'VE BEEN THERE FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME, THAT LOWER NUMBER IS A CONSTANTLY A CHURNING OF A LOWER NUMBER, BUT THEY'RE NOT STAYING THE WAY THAT THEIR PREDECESSORS HAD STAYED IN THE PAST.
SO THAT LOWER NUMBER, FRANKLY, IS GOING TO KIND OF STAY THE SAME THAT PEOPLE KEEP LEAVING AND WE BRING THEM BACK IN HERE, IT'S GOING TO BE ALWAYS WITHIN THAT 68, 70,000 KIND OF RANGE GOING FORWARD.
AND THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT THERE'S A GOOD MAJORITY OF YOUR APS THAT ARE, ARE MAKING GOOD, YOU KNOW, DECENT SALARIES.
UM, THAT SAID, EVEN WITH THE 112 APS, UM, IF YOU COST THAT OUT, AND OBVIOUSLY I THINK IT'S A PRETTY, PRETTY FAIR COST OUT CAUSE THERE'S NO OVERTIME INVOLVED FEE APS NO.
SO WHEN I'M LOOKING, I SEE STRAIGHT, YOU KNOW, THE STRAIGHT SALARIES ON A PAY PERIOD, YOU KNOW, BASIS.
AND IF I ANNUALIZE THOSE, IT COMES TO THE 12 MILLION, 300,000 THAT'S ACTUALLY BUDGETED FOR EIGHT FEES, UM, IN THE BUDGET.
AND THAT'S OBVIOUSLY WOULDN'T INVOLVE ANY, UM, OVERTIME, WHICH IS LISTED HERE.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF ANY, ARE THERE ANY AP CHARGE UP TO GRANTS? YES.
BECAUSE THE 12 TWO THAT I COME TO ANNUALIZING, THE FIRST PAY PERIOD SALARY IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU HAVE HERE, EVEN THOUGH, GIVEN YOU HAVE VACANCIES MM-HMM.
SO IT'S ALMOST LIKE YOU HAVE THE MONEY SPOKEN FOR AND THE VACANCIES MAY BE DIFFICULT TO FILL IN THE APS OFFICE UNLESS YOU GET THE MONEY FROM, UNLESS THOSE GRANTS ARE INVOLVED WITH THE APS AND NETFREE UP SOME MONEY.
WE, WE DO HAVE, UM, WE HAVE SOME GRANT MONEY, ESPECIALLY ON OUR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SIDE.
SO 900,000 IS LISTED IN THE BUDGET.
YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'D BE ABOUT IT.
UM, AND AS FAR AS THE INVESTIGATORS GO, OR ARE, YOU SAID YOU ONLY HAVE ABOUT FIVE YEAH.
AGENCIES AT ALL? I'M LOOKING AT OUR NUMBERS HERE SHOWING THAT WE HAVE, UM, YEAH.
UM, SET OF SIX, SEVEN, IT WAS A TOTAL OF THE 2290 WERE BUDGETED, UH, TOTAL 86, ACTUAL THAT LEFT FOUR.
SO YEAH, THAT'S ALL WE SEE IN TERMS OF OUR, UH, AS AT, OF RIGHT NOW SOME ARE GOING TO RETIRE, BUT, UM, AS OF RIGHT NOW, WE ONLY HAVE FOUR.
THERE'S, UM, I SEE THE 90 COUNTY INVESTIGATORS THAT ARE, THAT ARE LISTED HERE.
I'M ASSUMING THAT IN THE PAYROLL UNDER INVESTIGATORS, THAT INCLUDES NOT ONLY INVESTIGATORS, BUT SERGEANTS AND, AND LIEUTENANTS.
THAT'S, THAT'S ALL IN THE PAYROLL.
THEY'RE 21, THEY'RE 90 INVESTIGATOR, 21 SERGEANTS, 10 LIEUTENANTS, SEVEN CAPTAINS, THREE CHIEFS, AND ONE CHIEF.
SO IN LOOKING AT ALL THE, THE, UH, VACANCIES THAT WE HAVE HERE, ONLY IN LIEUTENANT, THE SERGEANT AND THE INVESTIGATOR, AND THAT COMES TO, UH, SEVEN.
AND THAT'S, UM, IS THAT WHERE THE OVERTIME'S INVOLVED PRIMARILY IN, IN, IN THE INVESTIGATORS? CORRECT.
AND, AND HOW IS THAT GOING? I MEAN, IT'S EARLY IN THE YEAR, BUT HOW'S THAT GOING SO FAR? WE'RE MANAGING IT.
I THINK WE HAVE MORE HOMICIDE THIS JANUARY THAN WE HAD LAST OF JANUARY THOUGH.
AND THAT'S THE CATALYST FOR OVERTIME.
WELL ALL DROP THE CAT, ESPECIALLY HOMICIDES, BUT IF WE EVEN HAVE A, A SPECIAL VICTIM JOB AND HAVE SEX ASSAULT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, YEAH.
AS FAR AS, AS FAR AS OTHER EXPENSES GO, I MEAN, THEY'RE, THEY'RE THE SAME THIS YEAR AS THEY WERE LAST YEAR.
SO THERE'S REALLY NO, ACTUALLY, THEY'RE, YEAH, THEY'RE THE SAME AS LAST YEAR,
[00:35:01]
YEAR.UM, IN SOME ITEMS YOU NEEDED, SOME ACTUALLY EXPENDED LAST YEAR A LITTLE BIT MORE.
SO IT WAS TRANSFERS BELIEVE IN, BUT IT PROBABLY CAME FROM YOUR SALARIES AND WAGES.
TAKE IT FROM, UM, YOU'LL SEE THAT COMING OUT OF THE PANDEMIC NOW THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU WERE DOING LESS ACTUAL TRIALS, SO NOW TRANSCRIPTS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE, WHICH COST MONEY RIGHT.
SO WE CAN EXPECT THIS ON THAT.
THERE'S A WHOLE SECTION FOR SUPPORT AS WELL THAT, UH, FROM THE PAYROLLS ABOUT 93 EMPLOYEES, JUST WHAT'S CALLED SUPPORT.
I DON'T KNOW NECESSARILY WHAT THAT IS, BUT I'M SURE IT MOSTLY ALL, YOU KNOW, CLERICAL IN NATURE.
WHETHER THEY'RE PARALEGALS AND, AND, UH, CLERICS OF CLERK, 1, 2, 3, ET CETERA.
SO, SO, UM, AGAIN, LAST, LAST YEAR, UM, AS YOU SAID, YOU, EVERYTHING KINDA WORKED OUT AND I THINK AS FAR AS THE BIG, AS FAR AS THE OTHER EXPENSES, NOTHING'S CHANGED THERE.
SO OTHER THAN THAT, I REALLY DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.
APPRECIATE, THANK WE DID EVERYTHING EXCEPT DID IT ALL YOU DID.
PLEASE STAND, RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND.
DAN IVAN, THE DIRECTOR OF THE COUNTY PARK SYSTEM WITH ME THIS EVENING, DEPUTY DIRECTOR KATE HARK AND JOINING THE ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM FROM TURTLE BACK TO JAMIE RI.
UH, UNFORTUNATELY, UH, GABE, UH, IS ILL AND IS NOT GONNA ABLE TO JOIN US.
SO, UH, MYSELF, KATE, AND JAMIE WILL DO OUR PRESENTATION.
UM, THE FIRST ITEM WOULD LIKE TO TAP 13 JAMIE'S, UH, HANDLING, UH, OUR REVENUE STREAM FOR THE
SO YOU HAVE AN IDEA HOW OUR REVENUE STREAM WENT, UH, GIVES YOU A BREAKDOWN OF OUR COST CENTERS, UH, THAT WE CAN, CAN REVIEW QUICKLY.
OF COURSE WE CAN COLOR CODE THEM SO IT'S A LITTLE EASIER TO FOLLOW.
THE BOTTOM CHART REPRESENTS THE 2021 REVENUE STREAM.
UH, WE BROKE IT DOWN TO GOLF CONCESSIONS INCLUDED IN THE CONCESSION NUMBERS, OUR PERMITS AND, UH, SPECIAL EVENTS THAT WE, UH, PERMITS THAT WE ISSUED, UH, TURTLEBACK ZOO, CODY ARENA, AND WHAT OUR GROSS REVENUE WAS, UH, AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
SO IN 2021, OUR GROSS REVENUE, AS YOU COULD SEE, WAS 19,000,232, MOVING UP TO 2022.
IF YOU SEE HOW OUR GOLF INCREASED BY ALMOST, UH, SEVEN THOU, SEVEN, UH, $700,000.
AGAIN, CONCESSIONS CAME IN AT ONE EIGHT.
CODY ARENA WAS 20, UH, 2.5 ALMOST.
AND HER GROSS REVENUE FOR 2022 WAS OVER 20 MILLION.
UH, IN THOSE NUMBERS THAT I JUST READ TO YOU, SOME OF THE STATISTICAL ITEMS, UH, AS YOU KNOW, THE, UH, FELDMAN BUILDING IN WEEK WAY PARK HAS BEEN A TREMENDOUS SUCCESS.
UH, THE COMMUNITY USES IT QUITE OFTEN, UH, TO DATE LAST YEAR RATHER, WE RENTED THAT BUILDING TO PRIVATE EVENTS.
[00:40:01]
87 RENTALS TOOK PLACE INSIDE THAT BUILDING.IN ADDITION, OUR CEDAR GROVE RENTAL, UH, THAT BUILDING WAS OVER 63, UH, SPECIAL EVENTS, 180 WITHIN THE PARK SYSTEM, UH, 436 PICNICS.
UH, AND ON TOP OF THAT, AGAIN, TURTLEBACK ZOO HAD 882,000 PEOPLE.
OUR ATHLETIC PERMITS, WHICH REPRESENTS A THREE HOUR BLOCK OF TIME, WAS OVER 3,800.
AND THERE WAS 104 ROUNDS OF GOLF.
PLAYED R ESSIS COUNTY GOLF COURSES, 104,000 THOUSAND.
I'M SORRY, THAT'S A QUICK SNAPSHOT ARGUMENT.
THAT JUST GIVES YOU A QUICK SNAPSHOT OF THE REVENUE STREAMS AND SOME OF THE, UH, STATISTICAL INFORMATION, UH, OF THE, UH, ITEMS THAT I JUST READ TO YOU AS FAR AS PERMITS ARE CONCERNED.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THE REVENUE? MR. MR. MR. MCIN GOT THE REVENUES OR REV? NO.
UM, NOT SO MUCH THE REVENUES, BUT I, I DID GO BACK AND I CROSSED IT OUT, YOU KNOW, MOST OF, UH, IF NOT ALL, ALL OF YOUR DEPARTMENTS, AND BASICALLY LOOKING AT THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES AND LOOKING AT THE CROSSOUTS.
UM, ONE THING I DID WANT TO COMMENT IS THAT, AND I DID DISCUSS THIS WITH DAN BEFOREHAND, IS THAT THERE, THERE'S A TREMENDOUS USE OF PART-TIME EMPLOYEES IN THIS DEPARTMENT, WHICH KIND OF ADDS TO THE ABILITY TO HAVE A LOT OF BASES COVERED, UM, AT A MUCH LOWER COST.
SO YOU WANT TO, YOU KNOW, COMMENT ON THAT.
I'LL DEF I LOOK AT IT, IT'S IN THE ZOO.
IT'S, IT'S REALLY ALL OVER THE, IT'S, YEAH.
IT'S THROUGHOUT THE DEPARTMENT.
SO WE HAVE BIG USE OF SEASONAL STAFF.
UM, SOME OF OUR FACILITIES ARE ON OPPOSITE SEASONS, SO, OH, I'M SORRY, KATE.
I, I JUST NEED TO RECOGNIZE THE PEOPLE MILES IS HEARING.
SO WE DO HAVE, UM, OPPOSING SEASONS AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THE SEASONAL NUMBER, UM, IS A LITTLE BIT CONSISTENT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
WE HAVE THE ARENA IN THE WINTER, AND THEN GOLF, FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE SUMMER MM-HMM.
WE HAVE CROSS-TRAINED A LOT OF OUR SEASONAL STAFF TO GIVE US, UM, AS MUCH FLEXIBILITY AS POSSIBLE THROUGHOUT THE SEASON.
SO, SO DOES THAT, SO PEOPLE WHO WILL BE AT, LET'S SAY, DOING CERTAIN THINGS IN THE WINTERTIME COULD ALSO BE USED FOR GOLF FOR THE ZOO, OR, AND THAT'S CORRECT.
SO OUR TREETOP ROPES COURSE, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, THAT'S OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK IN THE SUMMER, BUT THEN IS ONLY OPEN ON WEEKENDS IN THE SPRING AND FALL.
THOSE STAFF CAN BE UTILIZED AT THE ARENA IN THE WINTER MONTHS WHERE WE NEED SAFEGUARDS AND, AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
AND, UM, I NOTICED QUITE A BIT, I WAS KIND OF SURPRISED IN JANUARY THERE WAS STILL A LOT OF PART-TIME, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT YOU HAD THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY.
SO A LOT OF THAT, IT WAS WARM, SO, RIGHT.
SO PAYROLL ONE, UM, ACTUALLY COVERS THE MONTH, THE WEEKS IN DECEMBER WHEN WE HAVE HOLIDAY LIGHTS SEVEN NIGHTS A WEEK.
SO THERE'S A LARGE NUMBER OF SEASONAL STAFF THAT STAY ON TO COVER THOSE EVENING HOURS.
UM, WHO THEN TAKE THE MONTH OF JANUARY AND FEBRUARY HOLIDAY FRANK, THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THE YEAR, IT'S PROBABLY ABOUT 300 TO 350 SEASONALS IN OUR OPERATION.
UH, AND THAT INCLUDES ALL OUR BATHROOM TENDED PEOPLE, PEOPLE THAT WORK IN THE PARKS, UH, ARE SENIOR BUILDINGS AND SO FORTH AND SO ON.
SO IF, IF I LOOK AT, UM, LIKE I SAID, AS I COST EVERYTHING OUT, I'M NOT GONNA GO THROUGH EACH DEPARTMENT, BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT EVERY DEPARTMENT CAME IN ON THE COST OUT LESS THAN WHAT WAS BUDGETED.
SO IT'S STILL, ARE THERE FULL-TIME VACANCIES THAT YOU STILL HAVE? UH, YES, THERE IS.
COULD YOU KIND OF LAY THOSE OFF FOR US? SO JAMIE HAS THE, UM, DEPARTMENT BREAKDOWN, BUT IN TOTAL, THE DEPARTMENT HAS 10 VACANCIES CURRENTLY.
UM, OUT OF THE, OUT OF THE RETIRED DEPARTMENT, OUT OF THE ENTIRE DEPARTMENT.
UM, THEY ARE SPLIT UP OVER ALL OF THE COST CENTERS.
UM, THE ZOOM HAS THREE, UM, GOLF HAS ONE, UM, MAINTENANCE HAS THREE.
THE ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER HAS ONE AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS HAS.
UM, CAN, AS FAR AS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE REVENUES GOING, UH, AND THE PROJECTIONS THIS YEAR, UM, ARE THEY MUCH GREATER THAN YOUR, THAN I'VE LOOKED AT, IT'S NOT MUCH GREATER THAN IT WAS LAST YEAR OR AS FAR AS OUR PROJECTIONS ARE FOR NEXT, THIS YEAR COMING UP? WELL, WE DO HAVE OUR, OUR, UH, RATE INCREASE, SO THAT'S GONNA GENERATE PROBABLY ANOTHER MILLION PLUS ON THAT SIDE.
UH, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR NUMBERS, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALL WEATHER DRIVEN.
SO GOFF WAS A TREMENDOUS, YOU KNOW, YEAR LAST YEAR WITH GOFF AS FAR AS THE WEATHER WAS CONCERNED.
YOU SEE SOME OF OUR, OUR NUMBERS AT THE ZOO MAYBE NOT AS HIGH CAUSE THE WEATHER WASN'T, YOU KNOW, IT WAS TOO HOT.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT KIND OF OFFSETS THE, THE OPINIONS ON THAT SIDE.
UH, BUT WITH, YOU KNOW, WITH THE CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION, WITH YOUR SUPPORT, WE JUST KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, BURNT GOLF COURSE IS GONNA BE
[00:45:01]
A HOME RUN WHEN WE OPEN THAT IN JULY OF THIS YEAR, UH, BASED ON THE RENOVATIONS, YOU KNOW, THE WEST SIDE BUILDING OPENING UP AS FAR AS I SEE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, KNOCKING THE DOORS DOWN TO START RESERVING THAT INSIDE OF THAT BUILDING.SO, YOU KNOW, MORE AND MORE WE MAKE THESE INVESTMENTS INTO THE, INTO THE PARK SYSTEM.
YOU KNOW, THE PUBLIC DEMAND IS THERE FOR RENTAL.
I COULD JUST SEE THAT ON ATHLETIC FIELDS NOW THAT WE'RE DOING UPGRADES IN BROOKDALE PARK, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO JUGGLE OUT THE BALLS TO TRY TO MEET ALL THE NEEDS OF THE PUBLIC AT THE SAME TIME.
WHAT ABOUT, WHAT ABOUT THE DEDICATED FUNDS? WHAT, WHAT DEDICATED FUNDS DO WE STILL HAVE? I KNOW WE HAVE A, A SURCHARGE ON THE ZOO TICKET THAT SURE.
AND HOW MUCH IS IN THAT ACCOUNT? SO THE ENHANCEMENT ACCOUNT, UM, IS THE REVENUE COLLECTED FROM TICKET SALES AT THE ZOO IS DEDICATED TOWARDS, UM, MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENTS AT THE LOCATION.
UM, SOME OF OUR SECURITY SERVICES FOR THE FACILITY AT LARGE, UM, SOME REPAIRS TO THE PLAYGROUND, UM, AND THE BATHROOM BUILDINGS THAT SERVES THE PUBLIC ON, ON THE WATERWAY AS WELL AS INSIDE THE ZOO ARE, ARE USED FOR THAT.
AND THEN GOLF ALSO HAS A BEAUTIFICATION FEE, UM, THAT'S TACKED ON, UH, AS AN ADDITIONAL REVENUE SOURCE AND DEDICATED TOWARDS GOLF.
UM, AND THEY USE THOSE FUNDS FOR MAINTENANCE OF ALL THREE COURSES.
IS THERE, IS THERE STILL A BEAUTIFICATION FUND UP AT EAGLE ROCK RESERVATION? YES, $25,000.
UH, ACTUALLY A, UH, A STIPEND IS, I BELIEVE 5,000 A MONTH FROM THE VENDOR GOES INTO A RESTRICTED ACCOUNT JUST TO UTILIZE THAT ITSELF.
I MEAN THAT RESERVATION AND IN, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE STILL UTILIZING OPEN SPACE FOR MAINTENANCE.
AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT'S THE FULL COMPLIMENT OF 55 55 CORRECT.
AND THAT HELPS, THAT HAS TO HELP OUT TREMENDOUSLY.
UM, I SAW A LINE IT, AMANDA, THAT WE HAVE, UH, IN ARTS AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS.
UH, YOU'VE GONE UP TO 6 74 6 15, WHICH IS ABOUT $120,000 MARK, CAN YOU JUST, UH, WHAT'S, IT'S GREAT TO SEE THE INCREASE.
I'M NOT COMPLAINING BY ANY MEANS.
WHAT, WHAT IS IT THAT, UH, YOU'RE DOING THAT, YOU KNOW, RNC INCREASE? WHAT, WHAT'S, IS THERE ANYTHING NEW OR, SO THERE IS A NEW PROGRAM COMING THROUGH CULTURAL AFFAIRS, THE ESSEX COUNTY TEEN ARTS FESTIVAL.
THIS WILL BE THE, THE FIRST YEAR THAT, UM, WE PUT THAT TOGETHER AS AN IN-PERSON EVENT.
UM, IT IS SCHEDULED FOR MAY OF THIS YEAR.
UM, IT IS A STATE SPONSORED PROGRAM, BUT THERE ARE SOME COSTS THAT THE DEPARTMENT IS ABSORBING AS WELL TO PUT THAT ON.
UM, IN ADDITION, WE HAVE SEEN, UM, COST ASSOCIATED WITH THE SUMMER CONCERT SERIES INCREASE, UM, IN TERMS OF, UH, ADVERTISING, PRINTING COSTS AND THOSE TYPES OF SERVICES.
SO IT'S BASICALLY THE UPTAKE IS GOOD THING THESE TWO AREAS.
I KEEP HEARING THAT THE PARK SYSTEM IS BRINGING IN SO MUCH REVENUE THAT TAX SYSTEM HAVE TO BE USED.
IS THAT CORRECT? IS THAT, NO, I DON'T THINK THAT'S CORRECT.
BUT I WANTED TO HEAR YOU SAY, CUZ I KEEP HAVING PEOPLE TELL ME THAT SO MUCH REVENUE IS COMING IN THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO FEEL IT IN TERMS OF TAXES.
BUT THE CLARK SYSTEM, I, WE HAVE SUCH A WONDERFUL PARK SYSTEM, PROBABLY THE BEST IN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY.
WE HAVE THE TOP ZOO IN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY, AND DAN AND KATE AND ALL OF THE STAFF DO SUCH A FANTASTIC JOB.
AND I REALLY ENJOYED BEING ON THE OPEN SPACE TRUST FUND ADVISORY REPORT BECAUSE OF MUCH OF WHAT DAN SPOKE ABOUT.
WE'VE DISCUSSED AS THE YEARS HAVE GONE BY IN TERMS OF WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO THE SYSTEM.
AND IT'S REALLY BEING BROUGHT UP TO DATE ON A REGULAR BASIS.
AND I THINK YOU'RE DOING AN ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL JOB AND NEVER GIVING UP IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU NEED TO DO.
JUST, UH, JUST ON THAT TOPIC, SOME PEOPLE MAY LOOK AT THE REVENUES COMING IN FROM PARKS AND THEN LOOKING AT THE APPROPRIATIONS FROM PARKS.
WHAT THEY DON'T SEE IS THE 55 WORKERS PAID OUT OF OPEN SPACE TRUST.
WHAT THEY DON'T SEE IS THE DEBT SERVICE ON THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT, UM, TAKE PLACE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY PARK SYSTEM.
THEY DON'T SEE THE FRINGE BENEFITS PAID TO EMPLOYEES OR PAYROLL TAXES, UM, THAT ARE PAID AND, AND OTHER ELIGIBLE COSTS THAT ARE NOT, UH, DIRECTLY IN THE PARKS AND RECREATION BUDGET.
[00:50:01]
IN ANY OF THE INDIVIDUAL, YOU KNOW, BUDGETS OF THE, UH, OF COUNTY DEPARTMENTS.AND SO SOME PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, SOME PEOPLE CAN LOOK AT THOSE TWO NUMBERS AND SEE A DEGREE OF PARODY THERE.
I'M JUST SAYING SOMEBODY BRINGS THAT UP TO YOU.
I WASN'T KIDDING WHAT I SAID, I WAS QUESTION COMMISSION.
ALL THE SEASONAL WORKERS THAT HAVE A LOT WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON, DO THEY GET ANY BENEFITS OR THEY'RE JUST STRICTLY, THEY RECEIVE THE, UH, STRICTLY TIME OFF AND SO FORTH? THAT'S, THAT'S ALL THEY GET.
AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, WE HIRE 80 BATHROOM ATTENDANCE FOR TO, TO MONITORING AND SO FORTH.
SO THAT'S A FAULT THERE ABOUT 65 TO 70.
SO, YOU KNOW, THEY STARTING IN APRIL AND THEY'RE TERMINATED IN OCTOBER.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S HOW WE, THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
SO IF, IF SOMEONE WANTED TO APPLY FOR A SEASONAL, LET'S SAY AT THE PARKS MM-HMM.
THE NEXT ONE IS ON MARCH 11TH, WHERE WE WILL HIRE SEASONAL EMPLOYEES FOR THE UPCOMING SEASON.
UM, IN THE MEANTIME, THE APPLICATION IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON A TURTLE PACKAGE ZOOS WEBSITE WITH JOB DESCRIPTIONS OF EACH OF THE POSITIONS THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
UM, WE DO THOSE INTERVIEWS ON A ROLLING BASIS THAT COME IN PRIOR TO THE JOB FAIR, BUT WE HAVE A BIG DROP FAIR ON MARK 11.
AND WHAT TIME IS THAT? UH, I WILL SAY 10 TO THREE 10.
THAT COMPLETES YOUR PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING IN.
I JUST WANT, I WANT TO SAY COMMISSIONER, PRESIDENT, YOU KNOW, IT'S A TEAM EFFORT.
I DON'T WANT, I'M AT THE FRONT OF THE TEAM FOR THESE PEOPLE WITH ME TODAY AND ALL HUNDRED AND 40 THAT WORK IN THE DEPARTMENT.
THEY'RE THE ONES THAT REALLY MAKE IT ALL WORK.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I GET THAT ON THE RECORD.
WE KNOW WHO WHO ACTUALLY DOES.
HEY DAN, YOU'RE SOUNDING LIKE
THANK YOU FOR HAVING US, ME, SAM, AND MY STAFF ON THE, THE BUDGET.
UH, I JUST GIVE YOU ONE MINUTE INTRODUCTION OF, AGAIN, YOU ALL KNOW ABOUT ALL THESE DIVISIONS.
WE HAVE SIX DIVISIONS, UH, ENGINEERING, WHICH DOES ALL THE CAPITAL PROJECTS.
ANOTHER
UH, BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS, WHICH TAKES ALL THE BUILDINGS.
WE HAVE PLATE, WHICH TAKES CURVE, ALL THE, THE VEHICLES IN THE COUNTY INCLUDING UM, AND BEHALF MOSQUITO, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICE, MOSQUITO.
WE HAVE, UH, TWO STATUTORY BOARDS ON THE PLANNING BOARD, WHICH WE MEET EVERY MONTH.
AND THE SECOND BOARD IS THE BOARD OF, UH, OUR SECTION BOARD OF APPEALS, WHICH TAKES CARE OF ALL THE APPEALS FROM ALL MILITARY TO TOWNS.
UH, COMES BACK TO ALL VOTE AND WE DECIDE IT'S A COURTROOM.
WE DECIDE THERE IS AN ARGUMENT BETWEEN COURT OFFICIAL AND THE LANDLORD OF OWNER OF THE, UH, WE ALSO SUPPORT THE PARKS DEPARTMENT IN THEIR CAPITAL PROJECTS OR ANY ENGINEER THEY HAVE.
WE HAVE STATE GRANTS, WE HAVE FEDERAL GRANTS, UH, ON TRAFFIC SAFETY.
LAST YEAR WE GOT 25 MILLION GRANT.
JUST NOW WE WERE APPROVED ALMOST $400,000 GRANT.
UH, THAT IS FOR THE FREEWAY, WHICH WE HAD AN ACCIDENT RECENTLY,
[00:55:01]
THE STATE PROGRAM AND GAVE US $400,000 TODAY TO STUDY THAT FORUM.WE HAVE SOMEBODY, OUR EMPLOYEES
UM, WE HAVE, WE GET GRANTS FOR BRIDGES.
UH, WE THEN WE HAVE S CAC THAT'S A TRAFFIC SAFETY WITH NEW TECHNOLOGY WE ARE TRYING ON, ON CENTRAL AVENUE.
I'M HERE TO, UM, JUST GOING THROUGH, IF I COULD GO THROUGH EACH ONE OF THESE, THESE LINE ITEMS, UM, I SHOULD SAY, BEAR WITH ME SIR.
UM, THE BUILDINGS AND GROUND, LOOK AT THE ONES.
UM, THIS IS, THIS IS BUILDINGS, YOUR HONOR, I GUESS THIS IS THE RECORDS.
ARE ALL OF THESE LISTED, UM, IN THE PAYROLL? I'M GONNA ASK THIS AS ADMINISTRATION.
IN THE PAYROLL, I HAVE A CATEGORY CALLED BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS AND THAT INCLUDES A NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES.
ARE THOSE FOR ALL BUILDINGS AND RODS OR IS IT, I DON'T SEE A BROKEN DOWN ANY FURTHER.
LIKE BUILD AS IT HAS HERE IN THE BUDGET.
BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS ALL THE RECORDS, BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS BUILDING MAINTENANCE.
SO I MEAN, IS IT ALL ONE? IT'S ALL LISTED AS WELL.
ONE, IT'S, WE HAVE 34 EMPLOYEES IN BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS AND FOUR S.
IT'S AGAIN, WE HAVE DIFFERENT COST CENTERS, BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS ADMINISTRATION BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS MAINTENANCE.
MOST OF THE EMPLOYEES HAVE MAINTENANCE.
SO SOMEBODY GO TO BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS, UH, YOU JUST SAID THE 34 EMPLOYEES IN MAINTENANCE OR WAS THAT
SO I HAVE 34 EMPLOYEES THERE AS WELL.
SO THOSE ARE, YOU'RE FULLY FILLED IN THAT DEPARTMENT.
HOW ABOUT ENGINEERING? ENGINEERING HAVE ONE VACANCY, 40 EMPLOYEES AND YET LIST 18 EMPLOYEES IN THE PAYROLL REGISTER.
IS THERE, IS THERE A CHARGE OFF OF ANY OF THOSE
UH, SOME OF THE EMPLOYEES ARE, UH, CODED AS WELL.
AND LGS AS THE WRONG COST CENTER.
SO WE HAVE, IF SAY LGS, THERE IS SOME DISCREPANCY THERE.
SOME OF THE EMPLOYEES, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE NOT ENGINEERS, THEY'RE LISTED IN THERE AND WE HAVE TO FIX THAT UP.
THAT WE, A COUPLE OF, WE HAVE SIX OF THEM.
UM, NONE OF THOSE, WE, WE, WE HAVEN'T CHARGED OFF ENGINEERING THE CAPITAL IN YEARS.
CORRECT? NO, NO, WE STOPPED THAT PRACTICE BECAUSE DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
DOESN'T CAPITAL MONEY HAS TO GO TO CAPITAL? NOT FOR IT USED TO BE USED QUITE A BIT.
THAT WAS AGAIN, WE DID, WE DID.
BUT AGAIN, NOT IN THIS ADMINISTRATION BUT JUST, JUST TO MAKE SURE, UM, GOING TO UH, FLEET, FLEET MAINTENANCE NOW FLEET, FLEET MAINTENANCE, UM, I HAVE LIST HERE 10 EMPLOYEES AND MECHANIC THIS YEAR.
UH, CAUSE LAST YEAR SPENT TOO MUCH MONEY FOR OUTSIDE AND THERE'S, CAUSE THEY ARE GETTING OLDER AND SO I SPENT TOO MUCH MONEY ON OUTSIDE REPAIRS AND, AND SERVICES.
SO I AM LOOKING FOR ONE MECHANIC IN, IN THIS, THIS.
BUT IS THERE 10 THERE NOW? IS THAT WHAT YOU YES, 10.
UM, AS FAR AS PLANNING, I ONLY HAVE TWO EMPLOYEES THERE.
TWO PLUS ONE, UH, UH, BENITAS, WHICH IS THE ATTORNEY.
SO IT'S TWO ACTUALLY THE BENITA IS CECIL, SO IT'S NOT COUNTED AS HEAD.
SO TWO PLUS THEN IT IS IS ALSO
AND WHERE IS HE? WHERE'S THE OTHER BUILDING? HE COMES TO THE BUILDINGS.
ROADS AND ROADS AND BRIDGE, BRIDGES.
UM, I HAVE 26 EMPLOYEES THERE.
[01:00:02]
HAVE SIX.I HAVE SEASON, I HAVE 16, UH, SIX, UH, 14 SEASON.
THAT'S WHERE I HAVE, I HAVE, I USE REPAIRED EMPLOYEES FOR SNOW.
SO I HAVE THREE REPAIRED EMPLOYEES WHO WAS OPERATED MACHINE.
THEY COME BACK DOING THE SNOW ONE, THEY HELP ME.
YOU HAVE TWO SEASONALS I SEE IN THERE.
I HAVE MORE THAN TWO SEASONALS.
I'VE ONLY SEEN TWO UNLESS, UH, I, I I DON'T KNOW WHAT SEASONALS, THESE ARE SALARIES THAT RANGE FROM, I'M LIKE 25.
THAT'S SO MAXIMUM THEY GET RIGHT.
BUT THAT THEY COME WHEN WE ASK THEM TO COME DURING.
SO, SO HOW MANY SEASONALS DO YOU HAVE? A TOTAL? I HAVE 12 SEASONALS.
THAT WOULD BE ANYBODY IN RANGE FROM 10,000 TO 43 HOUSE.
UM, CAUSE THE 43,000, AS WE SAID, THOSE UP MOSQUITO, WE TRAIN THEM THE YOUNG KITS AND WE ABSORB THEM IN THIS VACANCY.
AND, AND THE YOUNG KITS, WHOEVER STAYS WITH US, THEY'RE TRAINED.
THEY GET LICENSE, WE ABSORB AND, BUT THEY COME.
SO YOU ONLY USE THEM A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME? SOME OF THEM, YES.
THE REST WHO STAYS WITH US AS THERE'S A VACANCY, WE HAVE ABSORBED THEM.
SO MOST OF THE, THE KIDS, THE, THE KIDS COME WITH US, STAYS WITH US AS PER TIME LATER.
UM, AS FAR AS OTHER EXPENSES GO, UM, SO AGAIN, WHEN I WENT THROUGH, WHEN I WENT THROUGH PAYROLL, WHAT I'M BASICALLY SAYING TO YOU IS THAT THERE'S, THERE'S A VERY CLOSE SIMILARITY BETWEEN WHAT I COME UP WITH ON THE FIRST PAYROLL, SECOND 23, WHICH IS THE LAST PAYROLL OF 22.
AND, AND WHAT IS BUDGETED HERE.
ONCE YOU TAKE INTO ACCOUNT, UM, ANY OFFSETS THAT HAVE GRANT
IF WE LOOK AT THE SUM, OUR OVERALL BUDGET, OUR BUDGET IS LESS THAN LAST YEAR.
AND, UH, EVEN AFTER OBSERVING THE THREE INCREASE, INCREASE, WE, THAT PLUS 90 BUDGET IS LESS THAN THAT.
WELL, THERE'S IT, IT'S LESS TO THE EXTENT OF, UM, THE EXPENSES IN, UH, IN SNOW? YES.
SO, SO OBVIOUSLY THAT, THAT DEALS WITH THE RESERVE WE HAVE FOR SNOW.
YOU KNOW, IT, I HAVE 8 MILLION, 8 MILLION IN SNOW, SO THERE'S, SO WHATEVER.
I MEAN, SO WE BUDGET FOR SNOW AND THEN OBVIOUSLY IF WE HAVE A GOOD YEAR AND THERE ISN'T A LOT OF SNOW LIKE THIS WINTER YEAH.
THIS IS, AND WE, WE TAKE THAT MONEY, WE PUT IT IN RESERVE, WE ARE APPLYING TO KEEP TO 10 MILLION, THEN 10 MILLION GOES BACK TO, UH, FUND BALANCE.
SOME OF IT WILL GO BACK TO FUND BALANCE, BUT CAN GO, THE WHOLE THING CAN GO BACK.
SO IT'S REALLY, IT'S REALLY A RESERVE.
IT IS, IT IS, ONCE IT GETS PASSED APART WHERE, WHERE IT CAN, WHERE IT'S ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT WE NEEDED IN TERMS OF A BAD, THAT WAS A BAD YEAR WE HAD, AND WE HAD TO RAISE TAXES FOR THE NEXT YEAR.
AND, AND ON TOP OF THIS MOSQUITO TRUST, HOW MUCH? 800.
UH, BELIEVE ME, I'M, I'M ALL FOR THAT.
I LIKE THE IDEA OF THE RESERVES.
BUT AS YOU SAY, WHEN YOU LOOK AT FRONT BALANCE, YOU KIND OF HAVE TO, THIS, IS THIS JUST THE SAME AS
WHEN YOU SAY HUNDRED AND 40 MILLION IN OH, 99 MILLION.
AND THAT'S HOW THE RATING AGENCIES DO IT AS WELL.
BUT, SO WHAT WAS THE RESERVE THAT, UH, WE HAD SET UP THAT WE CHANGED THE, UH, DURING COVID, WE CHANGED THE, UM, YES.
WHICH, WHICH RESERVE IS THAT IS, THAT'S ESSENTIALLY THIS FUND, WHICH WOULD, WHICH WE USED TO BE SNOW RESERVE OR STORM, AND NOW IT'S, UH, CATASTROPHIC RESERVE, STORM RESERVE SET OF SNOW RESERVES, STORM RESERVE.
BECAUSE THE, THE LEGISLATURE, THEY ADDED STORM ALSO TO THE, THE SNOW.
SO WE, IT IS, IT'S AVAILABLE FOR SNOW AND SNOW.
WELL, WE WERE USING IT FOR EMERGENCY SITUATION.
NOT NECESSARILY STORMS, BUT RIGHT.
YOU HAVE TO EX EXHAUST ALL YOUR FUNDING, AVAILABLE FUNDING FIRST BEFORE YOU TEST THIS.
BUT, BUT THAT'S, BUT THAT GOES
[01:05:01]
TO THE, THE PRUDENCE OF IT.THAT IT'S, THEY ARE NOT JUST FOR SNOW OR STORMS. IT'S ALSO THERE FOR THE ABILITY TO TAP, TAP INTO IT, UH, WITHOUT OVEREXTENDING YOUR BUDGET.
IF THERE'S A, SOMETHING IN THE CATASTROPHIC NATURE CAN SLEEP AT LATE.
YOU SLEEP AT NIGHT, YOU CAN SLEEP AT WAIT.
BEFORE IT WAS LIKE, PLEASE DON'T SNOW.
UH, GOOD TO SEE YOU ALSO, I SEE THAT IN FLEET YOU HAVE A DROP OF ABOUT, UH, YOU GO ABOUT 1.5 DOWN TO LIKE JUST UNDER 1.3, YOU KNOW, SO CLOSE TO $300,000.
DO YOU ATTRIBUTE THAT DROP TO THE, IN THE ADDING OF THE MECHANIC? YES.
AND DO YOU SEE, IS THERE ANY DIFFERENT EXPERTISE YOU'RE LOOKING FOR THAT YOU DON'T CURRENTLY HAVE? I NEED A DIESEL MECHANIC BECAUSE I HAVE LOT OF DIESEL TRUCK.
ONCE SNOW, IF ONE BREAKS DOWN, HAVE ONE TRUCK LESS AND ONE DRIVER.
SO ARE YOU CURRENTLY OPERATING WITHOUT DIESEL MECHANIC OR A SPECIALIZED? HE, HE DOES MORE, BUT, BUT I DON'T HAVE A STEADY DIESEL MECHANIC.
UH, SANJIV'S DONE A GREAT JOB AND HIS DEPARTMENT IS EXCELLENT.
I'VE BEEN SITTING HERE MANY YEARS NOW AND I KNOW THAT WHENEVER WE REACH OUT TO HIM, WHETHER IT'S AS SMALL AS A POTHOLE OR A TREE THAT FALLS, THEY GET OUT THERE.
UM, JUST SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, I WANT TO PUT IT ON THE RECORD BECAUSE WE SHOULD, YOU KNOW, THE ADMINISTRATION UNDER THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE REALLY, UH, VALUES THIS DEPARTMENT.
WE HAVE THREE BEAUTIFUL BUILDINGS, RIGHT.
UM, I DID HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THOUGH.
SO, SO THOSE ARE OUTSIDE CONTRACTORS WE USE.
WE DON'T REALLY DO THAT IN-HOUSE.
OR DO WE, WE, WE DO SOME IN-HOUSE OR WE TONIGHT, WE HAVEN'T DO IN-HOUSE.
BUT IF IT'S A SALTING OPERATION FOR LIKE LESS THAN TWO INCHES, WE DO IN-HOUSE.
BUT, BUT WE STILL HAVE OUR, OUR
AND, AND, AND NOT TO KNOCK ANYBODY, BUT WHENEVER WE HAVE MAJOR SNOW, ALL THE RESIDENTS KNOW THE COUNTY ROADS ARE ALWAYS THE BEST.
SO AGAIN, I WANTED START THE PURPLE.
I WANTED TO GIVE ACCOLADES TO, YOU KNOW, WHOEVER IT IS, IF IT'S YOUR WORKERS OR IF IT'S THE VENDORS THAT WE HIRE.
YOU KNOW, I'M SURE WE'VE ALL HEARD, RIGHT? THANK GOD FOR THE COUNTY ROAD STORY, THIS SNOW MM-HMM.
UM, SO I WANTED TO PUT THAT ON RECORD.
AND THEN THERE WAS ONE OTHER THING, AT LEAST PARTICULARLY IN MY DISTRICT THAT I WANTED TO, TO MAKE, UH, JUST A NOTE OF TOO.
YOU KNOW, ON COUNTY ROADS, WE ALSO PICK UP THE LEAVES TOO, RIGHT? WE DO.
A LOT OF FOLKS DON'T REALIZE THAT, YOU KNOW, IN ON COUNTY ROADS, ESPECIALLY IN THE TOWNS WHERE THEY PICK UP LEAVES, OUR, OUR DEPARTMENT, YOU KNOW, PICKS THE LEAVES AND THEY DO IT.
WE, WE GO EVERY WEEK AND PICK UP.
AND, AND YOU DO IT BETTER THAN A LOT OF THE MUNICIPALITIES, CUZ THEY MAY COME ONCE OR TWICE.
BUT THE COUNTY FOR SAFETY, CUZ LET ME TELL YOU, WET LEAVES IS, IS MORE DANGEROUS THAN ICE BECAUSE FOLKS DON'T KNOW HOW TO DRIVE ON WET LEAVES.
UM, SO I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO YOUR DEPARTMENT FOR DOING THAT AS WELL.
I WANT WITH THE LEAVE A LOT OF TOWN WE HAVE SHARED SERVICE AGREE FOLKS.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, SO, SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO PAY TO PICK UP WEEDS ON THEIR TREE.
THEY PICK UP THE COUNTY LEAVES AND WE LEAVE THEMSELVES.
SO THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF S**T.
EVEN NOW WHEN YOU SEE PLOWING, SOMETIMES A MUNICIPAL TRUCK WILL GO AND THEN WHEN THEY GET TO A COUNTY OR THEY LIFT THEIR PLOWS,
I MEAN, THIS IS HOW'S A LOT OF MONEY TO HAVE THEM THROUGH SHARED SERVICES.
COMMISS, SEAK, NOTHING WAS MENTIONED ABOUT THE, UH, WONDERFUL WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE ON YOUR TRAFFIC LIGHTS IN ESSEX COUNTY.
IT REALLY IS A TREMENDOUS IMPROVEMENT AND YOU AND YOUR DEPARTMENT DO SO MUCH WORK RIGHT HERE IN ESSEX COUNTY THAT IT REALLY SHOWS HOW GREAT ESSEX COUNTY IS.
AND JUST TO ADD TO THAT AGAIN, MR. PRESIDENT, THROUGH YOU, I'M SORRY TO ADD TO, UH, YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONER SEABOLD AND SANJI, YOU CAN PUT IT ON RECORD.
[01:10:01]
WE REPLACED IN RECENT YEARS? WE'VE BEEN DOING A LOT MORE THAN NORMALLY.RIGHT? I MEAN, LAST YEAR WE DID LIKE EIGHT.
AND, AND FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HAVING A STRONG COUNTY.
YOU KNOW, THE BRIDGES ARE IMPORTANT.
WE STARTED THE DESIGN OF BRIDGE STREET, BRIDGE RIVER, THE BRIDGE, WHICH MOVES.
IT'S, IT'S GETTING FUNDED BY TPA.
SO WE HIRED THE CONSULTANT TO THE SAME SETTING AND, AND WE ARE IN THE, THE TPA PROGRAM.
SO IN SIX YEARS WE'LL GET 150 MILLION TO REPLACE THAT.
HOW LONG WOULD SOMETHING LIKE THAT TAKE? WHAT'S A PROJECT LIKE THAT? BECAUSE I'M ASSUMING THAT BRIDGE HAS TO BE OUTTA TWO.
OKAY, SO WE'LL DO ONE AT A TIME.
CAUSE THERE ARE THREE BRIDGES PLUS, UH, THE PINK, THE KING BRIDGE.
SO WE'LL DO BRIDGE FIRST, THEN PLUS STREET, JACKSON STREET AND KING SIT REAL QUICK.
I THINK IT'S A GREAT, I HAD ASKED TO SAY LIKE, WHY IS A COUNTY RESPONSIBLE FOR THOSE BIG BRIDGES OVER THE, THE STATE RIVER.
YOU WOULD THINK IT WOULD BE A STATE FUNCTION.
AND THEY SAID, SO 150 YEARS AGO WHEN WE BUILT THEM, OR A HUNDRED YEARS AGO, COUNTY DPS WS WERE BIGGER AND MORE POWERFUL THAN THE STATE T O OT.
SO IT MADE SENSE TO HAVE THE COUNTIES THERE.
DON'T WE SHARE WITH OTHER S YES, WE DO, BUT IT'S, BUT IT'S STATE TOWER RESPONSIBILITY.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY ROADS ON BOTH SIDES, BUT BELONG.
DO YOU EVER NOT THINK ABOUT ALL THE WORK YOU HAVE TO DO
ALRIGHT, WELL THANK YOU SO MUCH.
AND I'M SORRY, COMMISSION TO GIVE SINCE WE'RE, UH, SINCE WE'RE OFF BUDGET AGAIN.
UM, THE, THE GRANT, UM, DIVISION ZERO ZERO GRANT.
THAT THE SAFETY, THE SAFETY GRANT, THAT WEST ORANGE, JUST THAT YOU WERE JUST THE SAFETY GRANT, THE $400,000 ONCE YOU OPENED IT.
OH, THAT'S WHAT? EAST ORANGE EAST.
WHO, WHO, WHO SERVES FROM THE COUNTY LEVEL ON THE TASK FORCE ON THE WEST ORANGE? UM, VISION ZERO TASK FORCE.
WHO'S OUR REPRESENTATIVE? I AM SUPPOSED TO BE THE REP.
THEY HAVE ONLY ONE MEETING SO FAR.
WHO'S THE REPRESENTATIVE? I REPRESENT ONE OF MY TRAFFIC.
SO IT'S EITHER YOU OR THE, OR THE, OR THE TRAFFIC ENGINEER.
UM, THROUGH YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, IN TERMS OF THE, UM, JUST ON THE SEQUENCING OF, UM, SOME OF THE, UM, UH, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS SANJI THE INTERSECTION PROJECTS, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE, THE SO CALL, I MEAN, THAT'S A SEPARATE ISSUE.
I MEAN, THE, DEFINITELY THE TIMING ON THE BLOOMFIELD AVENUE PROJECT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT.
UM, THE, THE, THE, THE WHAT? THE EASTERN, THE WESTERN GATEWAY.
SO THERE ARE TWO SCHOOLS OF THOUGHTS.
THE TRAFFIC COMING IS BY SLOWING DOWN AND, AND YOU CAN SEQUENCE IT.
ENGINEERS LIKE TO SPEED IT UP.
SO THAT'S EXACT SAME THING HAPPENING IN THE FREEWAY.
IF PEOPLE JUST SPEED UNDERSTAND, BECAUSE EVERYTHING, YOU'RE GETTING GREEN.
I'M, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THAT.
I'M, I'M JUST ASKING HAVE, ARE WE, ARE WE LOOKING AT, AT A CERTAIN POINT IN TIME, I THOUGHT WE WERE DISCUSSING, LOOKING AT THE TIMING OF THOSE LIGHTS THAT WERE RECENTLY INSTALLED FROM THE, FROM THE EASTERN GATEWAY, THE MONTCLAIR TO THE WESTERN GATEWAY.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO? WE, WE WERE THERE LAST WEEKEND TAKING IT.
AND WE ADJUSTED IT BECAUSE AGAIN, WE, WE LOOK POSITION ZERO PUT SAME FIRST.
RIGHT? IF SOMEBODY PUSHES A BUTTON, IT'S LIKE NORMAL AND SOMEBODY PUSHES A BUTTON, EVERYTHING GOES TO RED AND YOU HAVE TO GET 33 MINUTES, 30 THE SECONDS FOR THEM TO CROSS.
AND, AND PEOPLE JUST, JUST GO THROUGH THE RED, THEN SOMETHING WILL HAPPEN.
SO I UNDERSTAND WIND INTERSECTION, BUT AGAIN, MY QUESTION IS IN, IN THE MONEY THAT WE HAVE FOR THOSE PROJECTS, IS THERE, ARE WE GOING, ARE WE GONNA, ARE ARE WE GONNA DO A FORMAL LOOK AT THE TIMING OR WHAT? BECAUSE BECAUSE WE'RE, WHAT I'M, WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT WE'VE HAD A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF OUTREACH ON JUST THE OVERALL, UM, TRAFFIC WITHIN THE INTERSECTIONS.
MEANING THAT THERE SEEMS TO BE, AND AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW, I'M NOT GONNA SAY IT'S SCIENTIFIC, BUT THERE SEEMS TO BE A CONSENSUS THAT THE TIMING OF THE LIGHTS ARE CONTRIBUTING TO BOTTLENECKS WITHIN THOSE INTERSECTIONS THAT NEVER EXISTED BEFORE.
BECAUSE, BECAUSE THE, THEY'RE WORKING, AREN'T THEY, AREN'T THEY WORKING OFF OF ONE? LIKE THEY'RE SUPPOSED ONE SUPPOSED TO GO GREEN, THEN ANOTHER'S SUPPOSED TO GO GREEN, THEN ANOTHER SUPPOSED THAT'S GREEN.
THAT'S WHAT THEY, THEY DON'T WANT US TO DO THAT.
CAUSE CAUSE THAT, THAT, THAT CREATES THE PROBLEM.
LIKE, SO YOU HAVE GREEN PEOPLE WILL JUST,
[01:15:03]
AND WHAT WE DID WAS WE TOOK THE NIGHT TANK, UH, CAUSE IT WAS DUE DURING NIGHTTIME GOING TO THE CYCLE AND GIVING RED TO THE MAIN MAIN ROAD.AND WHEN THEN NOBODY ON THE RIGHT DRIVER SIDE.
SO WE TOOK THAT OUT ONLY, IT'S CALLED FREE PRO MEANS IF WE ARE THERE, THEN ONLY THE GREEN, WELL, THREE OF MR. PRESIDENT.
WE'LL, I'LL DO SOME ADDITIONAL FOLLOW UP.
I DON'T WANT IT DELAY THE, THIS IS FOR SUBSTANTIVE ON POLICY THEN ON ON BUDGET.
BUT YOU KNOW, BEFORE WE APPROVE THE BUDGET, I'D LOVE TO JUST GET MY, MY TWO, MY 2 CENTS IN ON ANYTHING.
I'M GLAD FOR YOU, MR. I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT.
CAUSE THE OTHER, THE OTHER ISSUE, JUST AGAIN, AND, AND I APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATION, IS THAT WHEN WE, TO, TO ME, I'M STILL, IT'S STILL A, A LITTLE, ALWAYS A LITTLE HAZY ABOUT WHEN WE, WHEN WE'RE GONNA TAKE AN ACTION ON A COM, UH, TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURE, WHEN WE NEED THE MUNICIPALITY ACT FIRST AND WHEN WE ACT FIRST AND, AND WHAT ARE THE, WHAT ARE THE CATEGORIES WHERE WE ACT FIRST VERSUS, UM, VERSUS WHAT WE NEED A MUNICIPALITY TO TAKE A A FORMAL ACTION.
SO BEFORE YOU ANSWER THAT, LET ME JUST, LET ME FINISH MY, I I SEE YOU'RE SHOT IN BIT.
LET ME JUST FINISH MY THOUGHT.
UM, THE, THE, UM, TWO THINGS, WHEN THESE, FROM A FUNDING STANDPOINT, WHEN WE HAVE A SITUATION LIKE WE JUST ANNOUNCED IN, UM, WITH THE
SO WE, WE COMMITTED TO, WE'VE, NOW WE DID A, WE DID A STUDY AND NOW WE HAVE LOOKED AT THE STUDY AND WE ARE OUT, WE'RE OUT TO BID.
SO, UM, DURING THAT PRO, LIKE BETWEEN DESIGN AND WHAT WE GO OUT TO BID FOR CONSTRUCTION, IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO A DEMONSTRATION PROJECT, UM, THERE BEFORE, MEANING THAT YOU, YOU'VE LOOKED AT THE STUDY AND, AND OUR DEPARTMENT HAS, HAS DETERMINED THAT THERE'S, THERE SHOULD BE A TRAFFIC LIGHT.
YOU CANNOT GO AND DO A TRAFFIC LIGHT WITHOUT ONE OF THE WARRANTS ARE MET.
THERE ARE EIGHT WARRANTS IN THAT CASE, EVEN THOUGH EVERYBODY LIGHT, ONLY ONE WARRANT WAS ONE MET SEVEN DID NOT MEET.
SO THAT GIVES, THAT'S USUALLY, THERE'S ALREADY THAT I CAN GO AND INSTALL A LEG, NOBODY WILL SUE.
AND IN THIS CASE, I MANAGED TO GET GRANT FUNDS OUR ATP, ANNUAL TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM MONEY TO FUND IT.
SO IN THAT, IN THIS PARTICULAR SITUATION, AND OTHERS CAN GRANT MONEY BE USED FOR DEMONSTRATION PRIDE.
BEFORE WE DECIDE, BEFORE WE DECIDE THAT WE'RE GOING TO INSTALL A LIGHT, COULD WE DO A DEMONSTRATION PROJECT WITH A POTENTIAL OTHER, LIKE FOR A ROUNDABOUT OR FOR AN OTHER TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURE BEFORE WE DECIDE THAT WE'RE GONNA BUILD AND PUT A LIGHT UP.
THERE IS NO GROUND FENCE FOR DEMONSTRATION.
THIS IS, AGAIN, WE ARE DOING THAT ROUNDABOUT IN BLOOM.
UH, I
IT'LL GO THE CONSTRUCTION THIS YEAR WHEN MORE WILL BE DONE, THAT WILL BE A NINE MONTH PROJECT.
THIS, THIS PARKLAND, THIS LAND THERE ONE WILL START PROBABLY BY APRIL.
COULD WE FUND A DEMONSTRATION PROJECT? I'LL BRING IT UP TO THE ADMINISTRATION.
SO WHICH INTERSECTION ARE YOU LOOKING FOR ON THE, ON THE WATCHUNG AVENUE? I THINK I HAVE CONCEPT LIKE SIMULATE SOMETHING.
I HAVE PLAN, I WILL CAPTURE THAT PLAN CAN BE SIMULATED, RIGHT? WE CAN SIMULATE THE COMPUTER.
NO, YOU CAN DO IT TO, THROUGH A SIMULATION.
IT, IT'S, THERE'S A PROGRAM CALLED SYNCRO.
YOU CAN SIMULATE ANY TRAFFIC CONDITION LOOKS LIKE.
BUT NOW, BUT THAT, I MEAN THE, THE, THE DESIGN, I MEAN, AGAIN, ONCE WE MAKE THAT DECISION AND THEN HOW WE, YOU KNOW, THE INPUT THAT WE'RE TAKING FROM THE MUNICIPALITY AND FROM THE OTHER STAKEHOLDERS, TO ME, I UNDERSTAND LEGALLY, LIKE YOU HAVE THIS STUDY, YOU GET STEP ONE, NOW YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO IT, BUT BEFORE, LIKE SOMETIMES IT ALREADY CREATES THE PERCEPTION THAT WE ALREADY MADE THE DECISION BEFORE TAKE TAKING THAT INPUT.
SO I'M JUST, ALL I'M REALLY ASKING IS FROM BOTH, FROM A FUNDING AND A BUDGETARY STANDPOINT, WHAT OUR FLEXIBILITY IS TO TAKE ADDITIONAL INPUT ON WHAT WE MIGHT DO BEFORE WE MAKE THE FINAL DECISION.
SO THAT, I THINK THAT MAY WARRANT, UH, A MEETING OR SOMETHING.
YEAH, WE WILL SHARE THAT WITH THE FUNCTION.
AND WE'LL GET ANY INPUT FROM THEM.
BUT AGAIN, ALL THIS NEW EQUIPMENT IS STATE OF THERE.
IT'S, WE CAN DO ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING WITH THIS NEW TECHNOLOGY.
I DIDN'T, AND I DID NOT, YOU DON'T HAVE TO PHYSICALLY MOVE ANYTHING.
[01:20:01]
A BIG COMPUTER CAMERA AND PREVIOUS PRESENT, NOT JUST OF MONTCLAIR.I MEAN THIS IS, WE HAVE A INCREASE OF, UM, YOU KNOW, TRAFFIC CRASHES, YOU KNOW, ACROSS THE BOARD AND, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY IN THIS COUNTRY, BUT IN OUR COUNTY.
LIKE IT'S A, IT'S A RISING AND SERIOUS ISSUE.
SO THE DEPARTMENT DOES A GREAT JOB, BUT YOU KNOW, THE THOUGHT PROCESS CONTINUES TO EVOLVE ABOUT HOW WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT OUR COMMUNITIES ARE SAFE FOR PEDESTRIAN WALKERS AND MOTORS.
YOU KNOW, SO, UM, STRONG, STRONG INTEREST IN MAKING SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO EXPLORE WAYS AND, UH, IN ORDER TO DO THAT.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, UM, THE, I BELIEVE THAT, UH, MONTCLAIR IS ON TRACK FOR VISION ZERO ZERO TASK FORCE.
SO I, SO THE COUNTY WOULD'VE A SHOULD HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE ON THAT, RIGHT? YOU HAVE SOMEBODY? OKAY, GREAT.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING US FRANK OUT THERE.
DID YOU, UM, MR. DELK IS HERE.
WHAT WAS YOUR OPENING REMARK? SO, UM, OUR BUDGET, BUDGET PRESENTATION FOR 2023 PRETTY MUCH COMES IN FLAT.
IF THE CONTRACTUALLY INCREASES IN
THERE ARE SOME POSITIONS THAT HAVE BEEN NOT FUNDED FOR THE YEAR AND WE COULD GO THROUGH THAT.
BUT THE HEADCOUNT IS THERE, BUT THE POSITIONS, THERE'S NO MONEY TO BACK THOSE POSITIONS.
SO WE MIGHT BE HIRING INTO THOSE, INTO THOSE TITLES FOR THE YEAR.
OTHER THAN THAT, UM, THE OTHER DIVISIONS UNDER THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND REHAB, UM, WHICH IS COMMUNITY HEALTH SERVICES, WHICH IS 100% GRANT FUNDED.
AND OUR NEW, UH, FOR YOUR APPROVAL, THE DIVISION OF, UH, PUBLIC HEALTH MANAGEMENT, UM, ALL POSITIONS ARE GRANT FUNDED, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE HEALTH OFFICER, WHICH IS PARTIALLY GRANT FUNDED.
UM, THERE'S STILL A LOT OF GRANT FUNDING THAT IS AVAILABLE COMING IN THIS YEAR FROM THE STATE.
THERE'S SEVERAL OPPORTUNITIES COMING UP.
WE JUST RE GETTING READY TO BRING THESE BUDGETED SEARCHES, UH, FOR YOUR APPROVAL, MR. MCIN? SO, UH, FRANK, I'M IN AGREEMENT, YOU KNOW, BASED ON THE NUMBERS THAT I SEE, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS, UM, IT GOES WITH, UM, EACH DEPARTMENT, I'M FINDING THAT THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT VACANCIES AND, UM, BUT I'M, I'M STILL FINDING THAT THE NUMBERS ARE, ARE LOWER THAN WHAT'S BUDGETED.
SO THERE WOULD BE KIND, KIND CONTRADICT A LITTLE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT NOT FUNDING THOSE VACANCIES.
WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THOSE VACANCIES ARE NOT FUNDED? WELL, SOME ARE AND SOME AREN'T.
SO, OKAY, SO MAYBE LET ME, LET ME JUST GO THROUGH SURE.
AND SO, UM, IN ADMINISTRATION, I HAVE, UM, I HAVE 17 POSITIONS THERE, UM, THAT ARE PAID FOR, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE THREE OF THEM ARE PART-TIME.
SO THAT MEANS THERE'S 14 POSITIONS, UH, THERE THAT HAD BEEN FUNDED.
AND I'M GOING, I'M GOING BY THE PAYROLL, UH, FOR THE, THAT WAS PAID IN THE FIRST PAY PERIOD OF 2023, WHICH REPRESENTS THE LAST PAY OF 2022.
SO IN THAT PAYROLL, IN THIS DEPARTMENT, UH, THIS CALL CENTER, THERE WAS 14 POSITIONS, UM, FILLED FULL-TIME POSITIONS.
AND, AND THAT'S CONSISTENT WITH WHAT'S LISTED HERE UNDER ACTUAL, IN THAT DEPARTMENT NUMBER OF POSITIONS, IT SAYS 14 WOULD BE.
AND SO THE COST DOWN ON THAT, ON AN ANNUALIZED BASIS IS APPROXIMATELY 1,000,002, WHICH IS A COUPLE HUNDRED
[01:25:01]
THOUSAND DOLLARS LESS THAN THE BASE SALARY AMOUNT.1,000,004 THAT'S SHOWING IN THAT BINDER.
SO WHAT I AM SAYING IS IT LOOKS LIKE THERE ARE THREE VACANCIES.
THERE WE'RE VACANCIES THERE THAT HAVE BEEN FUNDED AND THE MONEY, YOU KNOW, WOULD GO ON SPEND IF, IF YOU DON'T FILE.
UM, ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE TITLES IS ACTUALLY BEING, SHOULD BE AN ADMINISTRATION, BUT IS BEING CHARGED WITH MEDICAL SERVICES THAT WE'RE MAKING THAT CORRECTION IN THE BUDGET.
IT'S A CLERK TWO TITLE THAT SHOULD BE UNDER ADMINISTRATION.
UM, SO THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD BRING THAT UP TO 15.
THEN THERE'S ONE VACANCY, UM, WHERE JOHN JAMES LEFT, WHICH IS OUR, BASICALLY THE, UH, SUPERVISING PROGRAM ANALYST.
WE HAVE HIRED A PART-TIME PERSON TO FILL IN IN THE MEANTIME FOR THAT POSITION.
SO WE'RE SAVING MONEY ON THAT SIDE, BUT WE'LL PLAN EVENTUALLY TO HIRE INTO THAT POSITION.
SO YOU'RE SAYING THERE'S ONLY REALLY ONE VACANCY THERE? UM, CORRECT.
SO THAT'S WHAT I HAVE AS WELL.
IF YOU MOVE THAT OTHER POSITION.
UM, SAME THING WITH GENERAL SERVICES.
I HAVE NINE POSITIONS AS OPPOSED TO 11, WHICH ARE, WHICH ARE BUDGETED HERE.
UM, AND SO THAT LEAVES TWO VACANCIES HERE.
AND, UH, I COME VERY CLOSE TO THE NUMBER AS FAR AS ANNUALIZED OF SALARIES HERE COMPARED TO THE BUDGET.
UM, WELL THE, MY ANNUALIZED SALARIES ARE LESS THAN 500 IN YOUR BUDGETING.
SO THAT WOULD REPRESENT, UM, THE TWO POSITIONS THAT AREN'T FILLED.
I BELIEVE THERE'S ONE OTHER IS A PER DIEM TITLE TWO, THE BRANCH NINE IN THAT DEPARTMENT.
I DON'T SEE THAT IN THE PARALLEL BOX.
THERE'S A, UH, ONE SEASONAL EMPLOYEE WHO WORKS AT OUR, UM, MEDICAL SERVICES.
UM, THIS ONE IS MUCH MORE INVOLVED, BUT, UM, THIS IS WHERE, THIS IS WHERE YOU HAVE THE PSYCHIATRIST.
AND, AND, AND HOW DO YOU AS I HAVE HERE, AND THOSE SALARIES ARE UNDERSTANDABLY, BUT THEY ARE THE RANGE OF THREE TO $400,000 OF SALARIES.
WELL, NOT, NOT IN THE SALARY LINE.
WHERE, SO IN OTHER WORDS, OUR, OUR BUDGET TO THE AMOUNT ANOTHER, OUR ONCA.
SO WHEN OUR DOCTORS WORK EIGHT TO FOUR, RIGHT.
SO OUR BYLAWS AND STATE REQUIRES US TO HAVE A POSITION ON SITE 24 7 365.
SO AT FOUR O'CLOCK, A PHYSICIAN IS THERE ON CALL UNTIL 8:00 AM THE NEXT MORNING.
RIGHT? THAT'S A FIXED BUDGETED AMOUNT OF $100 PER HOUR FOR THAT ALLOTTED AMOUNT OF HOURS IN A YEAR.
I THINK IT'S ABOUT $790,000 OR SO.
SO, SO WEEKENDS, HOLIDAYS, THEY'RE AT 24 HOURS.
SO THAT NUMBER IS ADDED ON TOP OF WHAT THEIR SALARY IS.
SO THE DOCTORS THAT STEP UP AND IT'S ALL VOLUNTARY.
SOME DOCTORS WORK MORE BEYOND CALL AND OTHERS WORK NO ON CALL.
SO, SO IT'S NOT FAIR TO ANNUALIZE EACH DOCTOR'S INDIVIDUAL SALARY THAN HE WAS PAID IN THE FIRST PAYROLL OF 2023.
WHY, WHY IS THAT? AGAIN, IF YOU TAKE FOR EXAMPLE, ONE OF OUR DOCTORS WHO IS ONE OF THE LOWEST PAID SALARY-WISE, BUT OVERALL IS THE HIGHEST PAID EMPLOYEE IN THE COUNTY RIGHT.
IS BECAUSE OF WORKING THE ON-CALL SHIFTS.
HE VOLUNTEERS FOR VOLUNTEERS FOR WHICH WE HAVE A NEED AND WE'RE SHORT ON DOCTORS.
SO SOME OF OUR DOCTORS HAVE STEPPED UP AND THEY WORK MORE OF THE ONCA SHIFTS THAN SOME OF THE OTHER DOCTORS.
WE HAVE TWO DOCTORS RIGHT NOW THAT DON'T WORK ANY OF THE ONCALL, BUT THEIR, THEIR, THE SALARY AMOUNT IN THE PAYROLL WAS FOR INSTANCE, IN ONE CASE, YOU KNOW, 12, $12,030 FOR ONE PAY PERIOD.
IS THAT A SALARY OR IS THAT ADDITIONAL HOURS? THAT'S ADDITIONAL HOURS.
SO WHAT WOULD BE A TYPICAL SALARY FROM ONE PSYCHIATRY? WELL, WE HAVE A RANGE OF, THE PSYCHIATRY RANGES GO FROM TWO 40 TO 2 56.
AND WE HAD PROBLEMS DOING THAT, DIDN'T WE? WELL, WE'RE STILL HAVING PROBLEM BECAUSE IT'S FROM WHAT I, YOU KNOW, HAD A CALL WITH ONE OF OUR, UM, STAFF PROVIDE, THEY WERE TELLING ME THAT THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WE CAN'T ATTRACT ANYONE BECAUSE IT'S A VERY HOT MARKET FOR PSYCHIATRIST RIGHT NOW.
AND THEY'RE COMING OUT OF RESIDENCY MAKING WELL OVER 300,000.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE BENEFIT OF HAVING PENSION AND HEALTH BENEFITS COMING INTO THE MARKET NOW, THEY'RE NOT INTERESTED IN THAT.
IT'S A PURE SALARY IS WHAT THEY'RE GOING AFTER.
SO WE'RE HAVING SOME DIFFICULTY RECRUITING, BUT WE DO HAVE SOME, UM, I HAVE SOMEONE COMING IN
[01:30:01]
FRIDAY TO TAKE A LOOK AROUND.SO WE'RE GOING TO THE MEDICAL SCHOOLS NOW.
AND WE'RE, I'M NOT A RECRUITER, WHICH IS A FULL-TIME JOB, BUT WE'RE DOING OUR BEST.
WE DO HAVE A FEW OTHER CANDIDATES ON THE INTERNAL MEDICINE SIDE TOO.
CAUSE WE HAVE ONE VACANCY THERE.
BUT WE ARE DOWN THREE PSYCHIATRISTS.
WE'RE LOOKING TO HIRE TWO THIS YEAR.
AND, AND HOW, WHAT'S THE FULL TO OFFICE PSYCHIATRIST RIGHT NOW? THERE'S UM, THERE'S FOUR.
ONE WORKS FOUR DAYS A WEEK THOUGH.
WE HAVE FOUR MEDICAL DIRECTORS ACTUALLY WORKING TWO UNITS AND ONE OF THE OTHER DOCTORS TAKES ON ANOTHER UNIT.
AND THOSE, BUT THOSE TWO SALARIES HAVE BEEN BUDGETED? CORRECT.
SO THE WAY THE MARKET IS GOING, WE DIDN'T, WE DIDN'T FUND ONE OF THE PSYCHIATRISTS.
CAUSE IF WE HAVE SIX PSYCHIATRISTS TOTAL, WE HAVE ONE FOR EACH UNIT IN THE HOSPITAL.
THAT WOULD BE A GOOD WAY TO FUNCTION FOR US FOR THIS YEAR.
SO LEMME SKIP OVER TO NURSING.
CAUSE THAT'S THE LARGEST BUDGET HERE.
UM, AND THIS IS WHERE WE TYPICALLY HAVE COST SAVINGS.
WE TRANSFER OUTTA HERE FUNDS, UH, AT THE END OF THE YEAR ON THE NUMBER OF OCCASIONS.
RIGHT NOW I'M SHOWING TWO 20, UH, UM, FULL-TIME POSITIONS FILM HERE.
AND NONE OF THEM APPEAR PART-TIME EXCEPT ONE.
WELL, WE HAVE SOME, UM, PER DIES IN THAT COUNT.
THERE'S A TOTAL OF, UM, AS A PAYROLL ONE.
THERE ARE SIX PER DM NURSES AND ONE PER DM HOSPITAL ATTENDANT AND ONE PER DM NURSE SUPERVISOR.
SO, SO HOW MANY, HOW MANY NURSES ARE WE BUDGET FOR 59 RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE 57 AND WE HAVE TWO IN THE PIPELINE TO COME ON BOARD IN FEBRUARY, MARCH.
SO OUR 59 BUDGETED POSITION WOULD BE AT 100%.
NOW THAT'S A, THAT'S A MOVING NUMBER BECAUSE WE HAVE SOME COMING UP FOR RETIREMENT IN 2023.
WE HAVE SOME OTHERS THAT, YOU KNOW, RESIGN NURSING.
WE'VE BEEN LUCKY IN, IN OUR RECRUITMENT.
BUT IT'S A REALLY, REALLY DIFFICULT POSITION TO FILL NATIONWIDE RIGHT NOW.
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE NOT GOING INTO THE PROFESSION OR THEY'RE GETTING OUT OF THE PROFESSION.
UH, A LOT OF IT IS JUST WORD OF MOUTH AND REFERRAL.
WE HIRED SEVERAL NURSES FROM OUR VACCINE SITES WHEN THEY SHUT DOWN.
AND, UM, IT'S WORKED OUT WELL FOR US, FORTUNATELY.
BUT, YOU KNOW, EVENTUALLY WE'RE GONNA HIT THAT TIME WHERE, YOU KNOW, SOME OF OUR STAFF, THEY TEACH ELSEWHERE, THEY DO WORD OF MOUTH AND THAT'S REALLY THE WAY WE'VE BEEN RECRUITING.
WE DON'T ADVERTISE AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PRETTY MUCH FILL UP ALL OF OUR VACANCIES.
BUT OUT OF THE 2 78 IN THIS DEPARTMENT, HOW MANY VACANCIES EXIST? TOTAL VA HOSPITAL ATTEND SQUAD? IT'S A TOTAL OF 48, BUT IT'S KIND OF A MISLEADING NUMBER BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT, UM, IF YOU LOOK AT, THERE'S 10 HOSPITAL ATTENDANTS THAT AREN'T FUNDED FOR THE YEAR.
SO WE CUT OUR HEAD COUNT FROM ONE 30 TO ONE 20.
WE STILL PREPARING THE BUDGET.
SO THAT'S 10 THAT COMES OFF OF THAT.
AND IT'S SHOWING, AS OF AGENCY, IT'S SHOWING ONE 30 HERE.
BUT IT'S, WE'RE ONLY BUDGETED FOR ONE 20 FOR THE YEAR.
SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE 110 HOSPITAL ATTENDANTS HIRED.
FIVE OF THOSE PLUS FIVE THAT ARE EITHER ON SUSPENSION OR ON LEAVE OF ABSENCE.
SO OUR COUNT RIGHT NOW IS ONE 15.
WE HAVE FIVE IN A PIPELINE THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN APPROVED FOR HIRE THAT HAVE TO GO THROUGH ORIENTATION, WHICH WILL GIVE US OUR HUNDRED AND 12.
SO THOSE THAT ARE BUDGETED OR NOT ARE NOT BUDGETED FOR.
THAT'S NOT PARDON OF THE SALARY SAVINGS.
YOU JUST DID NOT BUDGET FOR 'EM IN THAT LINE.
BUT IT IS PART OF THE SALARY SAVING DIFFERENCE ABOUT NO, IT'S, BUT THERE'S ANOTHER SALARY SAVINGS NUMBER DOWN HERE.
IT'S OVER $400,000 TRIMMING FROM THIS YEAR.
AND THE LAST ONE, I HAVE SOME THERAPIES, WHICH HAS, I HAVE 20 EMPLOYEES HERE.
I HAVE TWO VACANCIES AT THIS TIME.
IS THAT RIGHT? UM, I'M SHOWING 22 TOTAL WITH THREE, THREE VACANCIES.
AND YOU'RE SAYING THERE'S THERE'S ONLY 19.
I HAVE ONE, I HAVE ONE SALARY AT LIKE 24,000 180 OR SOMETHING LIKE, SO IS THAT, THAT'S A PART-TIME SALARY.
[01:35:01]
PROBABLY IF YOU FILL THAT OUT, THEN IT'S 19.THAT'S A PRORATED BASED ON WHEN WE HIGHER PRORATED SALARY FOR A REPLACEMENT.
IF SOMEONE'S ALREADY THERE, THAT'S GONNA COME ON LATER IN THE YEAR.
UM, BUT THE OVERALL OPERATION THAT, I MEAN AS FAR AS OTHER EXPENSES, THERE'S STILL, YOU KNOW, VERY LITTLE CHANGE BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, THE PRIOR YEAR, OTHER EXPENSES AND OPERATIONAL EXPENSES.
AND SO YOU DON'T SEE REALLY ANY CHANGE THERE.
I MEAN, YOU ARE SEEING SOME INCREASES ON CERTAIN COMMODITIES AND YOU KNOW, THIS YEAR OUR FOOD SERVICES BIG COMES OUT, BUT BENCH BUDGET AND OUT OF PURCHASING DEPARTMENT MM-HMM.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO SEE WHERE THAT GOES.
I ANTICIPATE THAT'S GONNA INCREASE.
AND YOU KNOW, A DOZEN EGGS IS COSTING $9.
UM, YOU KNOW, THOSE, THOSE ARE GONNA COST.
THAT'S GONNA BE AN INCREASE THERE.
UM, AND AS FAR AS THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS GOES, YOU'VE, YOU'VE PASSED ALL, WELL, ALL THE REQUIREMENTS.
WE HAD OUR, UH, JOINT COMMISSION SURVEY, UH, IN MAY OF 2022.
IT WAS PROBABLY THE LEAST NUMBER OF FINDINGS WE'VE HAD IN OUR HISTORY.
UM, THEY WEREN'T THE WAY JOINT COMMISSION RATES.
YOU NOW THEY DO, THEY DO THIS MATRIX WHERE HIGH RISK PROBLEM PRO TYPE THINGS, AND THEN THEY GO DOWN A LOW RISK.
THE MAJORITY OF OUR, THERE WAS NOTHING IN THE HIGH RISK CATEGORY IN THIS, THIS TIME AROUND, WHICH WE'RE REALLY PROUD ABOUT.
WE'VE ALSO HAD A LOT OF, UM, STATE SURPRISE INSPECTIONS AND WE HAD ALSO FEDERAL CMS INSPECTION TO, UM, COME INTO OUR, FOR OUR COVID PROTOCOL.
SO WE HAD ABOUT FOUR DIFFERENT SURVEYS.
I MEAN, OF COURSE THEY HAVE TO FIND, ONE CAME WITH ZERO FINDINGS.
ONE WAS BASED ON AN ANONYMOUS COMPLAINT.
ONE HAD SOME VERY MINOR FINDINGS FOR OUR COVID.
THEY WANTED, UM, SCREENING TO BE FILED ELSEWHERE WHERE WE WERE KEEPING RECORDS.
SO EVERYONE WHO WALKS INTO THE HOSPITAL FILLS OUT A QUESTIONNAIRE, LIKE, WHEN YOU GO TO THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE, YOU HAVE ANY SYMPTOMS, YOU HAVE A FEVER, AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
THAT WAS REALLY THE ONLY FINDING ON THAT, ON THAT SURVEY.
BUT OTHER THAN THAT, UM, THE, THE PROGRAM THAT YOU STARTED, THIS IS OFF BUDGET A LITTLE BIT, BUT THE PROGRAM THAT YOU STARTED WITH THE HOSPITALS WITH REGARDS, WAS IT MEDICARE, MEDICAID? RIGHT.
THE, THE MEDICAID, UM, FEE PROGRAM.
HOW, HOW IS THAT? HOW'S THAT WORKING? IT'S GOING VERY WELL.
I I MEAN OUR, WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW IS THAT AS WE'RE COMING OUT OF THE PANDEMIC, YOU'RE SEEING, UM, THE HOSPITAL'S REVENUES GOING UP AND THE BILL WAS TWOFOLD.
IT WAS SUPPOSED TO NOT ONLY GET MORE MONEY BACK TO THE HOSPITAL THAT TAKE A LOT OF MEDICAID PATIENTS, BUT AT THE SAME TIME ENCOURAGES THEM TO TAKE MORE MEDICAID PATIENTS.
SO THEN THE PAYMENTS ARE BETTER.
SO FOR SOME OF OUR HOSPITALS, IT'S A LIFESAVER.
AND FOR THOSE THAT INVEST HAD TO COME UP WITH THE UPFRONT MONEY, HAVE THEY SEEN, UM, A RECOUPMENT OF THE, THAT INITIAL INVESTMENT? OH YEAH.
I MEAN, IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT SOME HOSPITAL, THE ASSESSMENT, THE, THE NET THAT THEY MAKE THE HOSPITAL SUCH AS UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL COMES OUT WITH A NET AROUND 25 MILLION WOW.
UM, NEWARK BETH ISRAEL IS MIXED, UH, THE MOST OFF OF THAT.
THEY THINK THEY HAD THE MOST MEDICAID DISCHARGES FOR THE YEAR.
UM, THEY'RE UP IN 40, 50 MILLION.
SO, SO THAT PROGRAM REALLY DID INCITE THOSE HOSPITALS DECREASE THE AMOUNT OF MEDICAID PATIENTS THAT THEY TAKE? WELL, WHAT IT, WHAT IT REALLY DID WAS THE FUNDING FOR MEDICAID WAS VERY SMALL FOR THESE HOSPITALS.
AND MOST OF THE OTHER STATES IN THE COUNTRY TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THIS PROGRAM.
NEW JERSEY WAS KIND OF LATE COMING TO THE GAME.
SO WHAT HAPPENED WAS IT WAS ABLE TO GET THEM A FAIR FEE FOR THE SERVICES THEY'RE PROVIDING UNDER THE MEDICAID PROGRAM.
IT'S JUST A, A VERY STRANGE SYSTEM WHERE YOU HAVE TO COME UP WITH MONEY OUT FRONT.
UH, BUT THEY GET THAT MONEY BACK AND THEN, YOU KNOW, AND YOU HANDLE ALL THAT AS WELL.
WE HAVE CONSULTANTS MEAN THE ULTIMATE DECISION MAKING, THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR AND AND MR. BOARD ON THAT PROGRAM.
THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT GOES INTO IT.
AND ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, ALL THE HOSPITALS AREN'T HAPPY AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
THEY HAVE SOME QUESTIONS HERE.
ANYBODY ELSE? YEAH, WE'VE WORKED WELL.
YEAH, WE'VE WORKED WELL WITH THAT.
I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
COMMISSIONER? SORRY, MR. MR. JOHN, I WAS GOING TO TRY TO GET YOU WE BEFORE DINNER, BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
[01:40:01]
TOMORROW NIGHT.THAT THE, UM, THE DIRECTOR HAS DONE A GREAT JOB THERE AND I WANT TO JUST PERSONALLY SAY THANK YOU.
I KNOW DURING COVID YOU TOOK ME ON A TOUR AND SHOWED ME WHERE WE WERE STORING ALL OUR PPE AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
WE HAD A, WE HAD A LOT GOING ON THERE.
UM, AND THE HOSPITAL AND THE STAFF WAS, WAS VERY, UM, HOW CAN I SAY THIS? I WANNA PUT IT ON RECORD.
I DON'T KNOW IF I DID LAST YEAR WHEN A LOT OF FOLKS WEREN'T WORKING.
THE HOSPITAL STAFF WAS WORKING 24 HOURS A DAY BECAUSE THEY, UM, THEY HAD TO BE THERE FOR THE PATIENTS.
AND THAT BEING SAID, WHAT I WANTED TO SEGUE IS, AGAIN, FRANK, THANK YOU AND THANK YOU TO YOUR TEAM.
HOW MANY PATIENTS DO WE HAVE THERE? UH, ON LIKE A DAILY, WEEKLY, MONTHLY BASIS? TODAY? YEAH.
HOW MANY MANY BEDS DO WE HAVE? 180.
SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE ACTUALLY FULL.
CAUSE WE HAVE 19 PATIENTS ON BLOCKED BEDS, AND WE'LL WEAN THAT DOWN AS OUR PATIENTS GET A LITTLE BIT BETTER, UM, BECAUSE THEY CAN'T GET ALONG WITH ROOMMATES.
SO WHEN A HOSPITAL IS CONSTRUCTED, THERE'S NO PRIVATE ROOM.
SO THERE'S TWO BEDS TO EVERY ROOM.
SO IN YOUR POINT TOO, WITH THE COVID, I MEAN, WE'RE STILL WEARING MASKS EVERY DAY.
AND OUR PATIENTS ALSO WEAR MASKS.
SO WHEN PATIENTS COME TO GROUPS AND WHAT HAVE YOU, THEY'RE ALL, THEY'RE VERY COMPLIANT WITH THE MASK.
AND THERE WAS ALWAYS THE FEAR THAT THE PATIENTS, YOU'RE GONNA SCARE THE PATIENTS OFF.
BUT WE DIDN'T SEE THAT AT ALL.
WASN'T IT JUST A CHANGE IN POLICY ABOUT THE MASK AND HEALTH INSTITUTIONS STATEWIDE? WELL, IT DEPENDS ON YOUR, UM, TRANSMISSION RATE IN YOUR COUNTY.
SINCE ESSEX COUNTY IS STILL HIGH, WE CAN'T REMOVE THE MASKS YET.
SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE STILL IN MASS AND I'M IN TOUCH WITH THE HEALTH OFFICER UNTIL THAT DAY COMES, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW THAT OUR STAFF ARE REALLY GONNA REMOVE THE MASKS.
I MEAN, WE WERE IN A MEETING TODAY, RETIREMENT PARTY.
EVERYONE'S WEARING OUR MASK AT A RETIREMENT PARTY.
THEY'D PICK US UP WITH COFFEE.
THAT'S ANYBODY ELSE? CHIME, CHIME ELSE.
AND YOU DO DO A WONDERFUL, THANK YOU VERY.
JOHN, UNFORTUNATELY WE'RE GOING TO GO TO LUNCH.
I WANTED TO GET YOU IN, BUT A LITTLE SHERIFF.
[02:25:07]
COMMISSIONER[02:25:08]
JOHNSON?[02:25:08]
ABSENT.[02:25:09]
COMMISSIONER[02:25:09]
LUCIANO?[02:25:10]
HERE.[02:25:11]
COMMISSIONER[02:25:12]
RICARDO?[02:25:12]
HERE.VICE COMMISSIONER, VICE PRESIDENT EZ.
AND WE'RE GONNA MOVE TO COUNTY COUNCIL.
THANK, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
SO, UH, AND PLUS, I HAD A GREAT TIME TALKING TO MY OLD FRIENDS AT DINNER AND HAD A NICE DINNER.
SO, SO YOU'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT A WHOLE BUNCH OF OTHER STUFF.
YOU GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH IN THE BUDGET.
GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL'S OFFICE.
19, UH, UH, PHYSICIANS IN THE COUNTY COUNCIL'S OFFICE.
THREE PHYSICIANS IN MENTAL HEALTH.
FOUR PEOPLE IN THE INSPECTOR GENERAL'S OFFICE.
UH, THERE'S 119 CIVIL ASSUMES FILED AGAINST THE COUNTY.
UH, 2 79 CAME IN RECENTLY, UH, THERE OVER 2048, UH, LAST YEAR.
UH, THERE'S, UH, GRIEVANCES THAT WERE FILED.
UM, THERE'S A HU 12, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE, UH, UH, LAW APPEALS THAT WERE, THAT ARE IN PROGRESS.
AND THEN CIVIL LITIGATION, UH, ON THE GOVERNMENT AND MENTAL HEALTH AREA OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL'S OFFICE.
2,696 CIVIL COMMITMENTS, UH, WHICH IS AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF CIVIL COMMITMENTS.
ALMOST 4 MILLION IN FORECLOSURE FEES.
UH, GOT FOR THE COUNTY AS A RESULT OF THE SHERIFF'S SALE.
1042 RECORD CIRCUIT FOR GUN PERMITS, WHICH IS, UH, SOMETHING THAT WE'RE SEEING A LOT MORE OF.
AND IT'S REALLY BURNING THE OFFICE.
WHAT'S HAPPENED WITH THE, UH, SUPREME COURT DECISION ON, ON FIREARM, UM, THE, UM, DRUG GET MONEY FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR INDIGENT MENTAL HEALTH PAYMENTS.
WELFARE, UH, WE HAVE THE WELFARE SECTION, UH, HANDLED OVER 1,200 WELFARE CASES.
WE'VE COLLECTED ALMOST 4 MILLION IN FEES FOR SUPPORT OBLIGATIONS FROM THE COLLO THAT, THAT DADS, THAT THAT OFFICE IS, UM, FUNDED.
UM, 66% BY THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY, BY THE WAY.
IT'S ONLY, UH, THIRD BY THE, UH, BY THE COUNTY.
UM, MANY QUESTIONS AT ALL ABOUT, ABOUT THE, THE, THE OFFICE OR THE BUDGET, MR. MC? I JUST, UH, JUST THAT I ALSO, AS OF THE FIRST PAIR OF 2023, HAVE 90 POSITIONS ALL FILLED IN YOUR, IN YOUR OFFICE VACANCY.
I HAVE 90, WELL, THERE IS ONE POSITION THAT I HAD.
UM, YEAH, WE'RE, WE LOOKS LIKE A PART-TIME POSITION.
SO THEN THAT WOULD MEAN THERE'S 18 AND THAT PART-TIME POSITION, I'M GONNA TRY TO, WE HAVE A, UH, SOMEBODY GONNA BE OUT MATERNITY LEAVE.
I'M GONNA TRY TO TAKE THAT PART-TIME POSITION, POSITION, MOVE THAT PART-TIME PERSON OVER TO, UH, MENTAL HEALTH BECAUSE, UM, WE NEED, WE NEED HELP IN, IN MENTAL HEALTH.
UM, AND I, AND I ALSO, WHAT I, YOU MAY NOT KNOW, WHAT I DID ALSO WAS I TOLD YOU THE, ALL THE OVER REQUEST, ENORMOUS NUMBER OF OVER AND, UH, UH, I, WE HAD A LAWYER DOING THE OPRAH REQUEST.
THE SAME WOMAN THAT'S GOING OUT ON MATERNITY LEAVE.
UH, I, I HIRED A PARALEGAL TO DO THE REQUEST THAT IS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER SALARY.
SO HE IS, YOU KNOW HOW A**L TILE EXAMINERS ARE AND HE'S DOING A VERY, VERY GOOD JOB.
I HAVE A LOWER SALARY, FULL-TIME OVER REQUEST PERSON SO THAT WHEN SHE LEAVES IN A WEEK TO GO OUT ON, ON MATERNITY LEAVE, WE HAVE SOMEONE ALREADY TRAINED, READY TO PICK UP THE OVER REQUEST.
AND THEN THE INSPECTOR GENERAL'S OFFICE, THERE'S, THERE'S TWO POSITIONS THERE.
YEAH, THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S TWO POSITIONS THAT ARE FUNDED OUT OF THIS OFFICE.
TWO POSITIONS THAT ARE FUNDED OUT OF DFA IN THE INSPECTOR GENERAL'S OFFICE.
I'M ONLY SEEING TWO OF THE PAYROLLS HERE HONOR TWO OUT OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL'S OFFICE.
BUT THERE'S, BUT THERE'S FOUR, FOUR INDIVIDUALS IN THE COUNTY IN THE, UH, INSPECTOR GENERAL'S OFFICE.
THEY REPORT TO THE COUNTY COUNCIL'S OFFICE.
AND THEN THERE'S THREE POSITIONS BUDGETED FOR, AND I HAVE THREE POSITIONS, UM, FILLED IN MENTAL HEALTH, ALL THREE FOR MENTAL HEALTH.
WE HAVE TWO FULL-TIME LAWYERS AND ONE'S PART-TIME LAWYER BECAUSE OF THE COVID PROBLEMS. HE HASN'T HAD ME WORK FOR THREE MONTHS.
[02:30:01]
AND, UH, HE'S A, HE HAS SOME PHYSICAL CHALLENGES, UH, AND, UH, BEEN A VERY, VERY, VERY GOOD LAWYER WHO UNFORTUNATELY BEEN INFLICTED WITH HIM WITH A BAD PROBLEM.UH, I JUST TALKED TO HIM A COUPLE THINGS AGO.
I'M SWITCHING HIM OVER TO MENTAL HEALTH, UH, TO DO ON A FORGIVEN BASIS TO HELP US WITH THE, WITH THE MENTAL HEALTH CASE IS.
AND I, I DO HAVE THREE FULL-TIME POSITIONS BEING PAID OUT OF MENTAL HEALTH AS OF THE FIRST PAYMENT OF 2023.
UH, ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE PUT THE NOTICE.
SO, SO THE THE BUDGET IS RELATIVELY SMALL.
UM, WE'VE NOTICED, YOU KNOW, COUNTERED FOR THE VACANCIES AND OTHER THAN THAT, ALL THE OTHER POSITIONS ARE FILLED.
UM, LET'S TALK ABOUT SETTLEMENTS OF SUITS AND CAN, WITHOUT, DON'T GETTING INTO ANY DETAIL, IS THERE ANYTHING ON THE HORIZON THAT LOOKS, YOU KNOW, THREATENING OR LARGE THAT COULD, UH, MR. MCAR, WE HAVE QUITE A FEW VERY SIGNIFICANT LAWSUITS PENDING.
WE HAVE THE, THE MATTER, UH, UH, COLLOQUIAL, AND I DON'T MEAN DISRESPECT, YOUNG MAN, THE MICROWAVE CASE AT THE, AT THE JAIL, WHICH I'M HAPPY TO GO INTO IN DETAIL, UH, WITH YOU, AN EXECUTIVE SESSION AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE OR AT ANY TIME THEY DON'T WANT TO STOP BY THE OFFICE.
I'M HAPPY TO GO INTO ALL OF THESE MATTERS IN DETAIL WITH YOU.
UH, SO WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH ATTORNEY PRIVILEGE.
UH, THAT IS POTENTIALLY A BIG DOLLAR LAWSUIT.
IF YOU, IF YOU WERE TO SEE THE VIDEO AND THE STORY REPEATING, I'M TRYING TO DO IT IN A WAY THAT I THINK THE COUNTY SHOULD HAVE NO LIABILITY.
BUT IF WE ARE HIT, IT WOULD BE FOR BIG LIABILITY.
IF WE HAVE OVERTIME, UH, CHALLENGES THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT BY VARIOUS SHERIFF'S OFFICERS FOR, FOR, UM, OVERTIME WORK DURING THE COVID TIME, UH, THAT ARE BIG NUMBER, UH, THAT WE'RE VIGOROUSLY DEFENDING.
UH, AND WHETHER WE'VE SETTLED OR NOT DEPENDS ON, UH, THE REASONABLENESS OF THE PEOPLE MAKING THE REQUESTS.
WE HAVE, UH, TWO, WE HAVE, UH, PEOPLE WHO, UM, PASSED AWAY EITHER IN, UH, SHOOTINGS THAT, UH, THAT THE PRESIDENT AND I DISCUSSED ONE, ONE MATTER WHERE, UH, UH, A A YOUNG MAN WAS IN A CAR AND WAS SHOT AT THAT, UH, UH, BY, BY A GROUP OF, OF SHERIFF'S OFFICERS.
UH, THAT'S A MATTER THAT POTENTIALLY COULD, COULD, COULD BE A BIG NUMBER OR IT COULD BE NO LIABILITY.
UH, THE, WE HAVE, UH, DEATHS AT THE JAIL, WHICH AGAIN, COULD BE LIABILITY.
UH, I THINK WE HAVE VERY GOOD DEFENSES IN ALL OF THEM.
BUT, UH, THEY ARE SIGNIFICANT MATTERS.
UH, UH, SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, UM, AND THEN WE HAVE THE NORMAL, AND I DON'T MEAN THAT GUARDLY NORMAL, UNFORTUNATELY, IN THIS DAY AND AGE, UH, THE, UH, LAW DISCRIMINATION MATTERS WHERE THERE'S, UH, SEXUAL, RELIGIOUS, USUALLY NOT RELIGIOUS, BUT USUALLY SEXUAL HARASSMENT MATTERS, BUT LAWSUITS OF WHAT, UH, AND THOSE CASES HAVE A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM.
CAUSE THOSE ARE FEE SHIFTING CASES, WHICH THE LEGISLATURE HAS DETERMINE IF THE PLAINTIFFS GETS ANY MONEY.
YOU HAVE TO PAY THE LEGAL FEES OF THAT PERSON'S LAWYER.
SO IF, UH, THE PLAINTIFF GETS $50, I'M MAKING A GONNA BE FACETIOUS, NO ONE GETS $50, BUT PLAINTIFF GETS $5,000 FOR THEIR DAMAGES, AND THE LAWYER'S FEES ARE $400,000.
THE SUPREME COURT, OUR STATE SUPREME COURT HAS SAID IF THE LEGISLATURE WANTED PROPORTIONALITY IN THE LOGIN DISCRIMINATION STATUTE, THEY WOULD'VE PUT IT IN.
THEREFORE, THE, THE LAWYERS ENTITLED TO THE $400,000.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE PROPORTIONALITY BETWEEN THE, THE DAMAGES AND THE LAWYERS FEES.
THERE ARE, THIS MAY COME AS A SHOCK TO ALL OF YOU.
THERE ARE, THERE ARE SOME LAWYERS.
BUT THE, UH, THE, IT'S, IT'S EASY IF, IF, IF YOU ARE INVOLVED IN A SUIT THAT HAS, UH, FEE SHIFTING AND IT SHOULD TAKE YOU AN HOUR TO DO TASK ONE, UH, YOU'VE, YOUR CLIENT'S NOT GONNA PAY IT.
UH, BUT IT'S VERY EASY WITH THAT KIND OF THOUGHT PROCESS TO GET UP TO $400,000 OF LEGAL FEES AND, AND, AND USE IT AS A CLUB AGAINST THE COUNTY.
DO YOU WANT TO SETTLE THIS LAWSUIT OR NOT? BECAUSE THE LEGAL FEES ARE NOW STARTING TO MOUNT UP THE AMOUNT AND, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO PAY ALL MY LEGAL FEES.
IF I JUST GET A SMALL DAMAGE RESULT, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO PAY THE LEGAL FEES.
THESE ARE THE KIND OF THINGS THAT WE'RE REALLY WORRIED ABOUT.
[02:35:01]
ON A REALLY FILED LAWSUIT.AND, UH, IT HAS A MULTI COUNT COMPLAINT.
AND, UH, I SAID TO OUR PERSON, UH, ONE OF THE ACCOUNTS HAS A LAW AGAINST DISCRIMINATION COUNT, BUT THERE'S NOT A LOT OF SUBS TO IT.
WE'RE NOT GONNA CONTA ATTACK THE WHOLE COMPLAINT.
WE'RE GONNA JUST ATTACK THAT ONE ACCOUNT.
IF WE GET THAT KNOCKED OUT OF THE COMPLAINT, THE LAWYER'S GONNA SAY, THERE'S NO MONEY IN THIS FOR ME, BECAUSE IT'S NOT A FEE SHIFTING CASE ANY LONGER.
WE GET IT KNOCKED OUT OF THE COMPLAINT.
SO, SORRY FOR THE LONG WINDED ANSWER.
SO, BUT THE MONIES IN BUDGET THIS YEAR, UM, ARE THEY MORE, ARE THEY THE, LIKE, SET UP OR ACCOUNTED FOR BASED ON CLOSED CASES? CAUSE I KNOW A LOT OF OUR AWARDS ARE DONE ON THE INSTALLMENT BASIS AT TIMES.
SO IS THIS 2 MILLION, UH, $350,000, IS THAT ACCOUNTED FOR? OR IS THERE RESERVE, IS THERE PORTIONS OF THAT THAT ARE NOT APPROPRIATED FOR ANY SPECIFIC LAWSUIT? MR. MC? BEST GUESS, AND I'M, I'M GONNA BE TOTALLY HONEST, EVERYBODY YES.
BUT ARE THERE INSTALLMENT PAYMENTS DUE ON ANY LITIGATIONS? THESE ARE, THESE ARE NOT INSTALLMENT.
UH, THE GUEST HERE IS NOT FOR INSTALL PANTS.
BUT, BUT I, BUT I'VE BEEN FRANK WITH EVERYBODY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING IN.
AND THE OFFICE, THE, THE OFFER IS ALWAYS OPEN.
ANY, ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE, JUST STOP BY.
YOU'RE NOT GONNA TELL YOUR SECRETARY, TELL US YOU'RE NOT IN
I HAVE YOUR PICTURES UP SAYING DON'T LET THESE PEOPLE HAVE A GOOD NIGHT, SIR.
YEAH, I NOTICED FOR I THANK YOU.
I'LL GIVE YOU A LITTLE COMEDY, BUT I GOTTA YOU WANTED TO COME HERE EARLY.
NEXT UP IS, UH, DIRECTOR RAMOS SERVICES.
I WANT TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS FOR ALLOWING US, UH, TO PRESENT OUR 2023 BUDGET REQUEST.
UH, YOUR SUPPORT DURING THE YEAR 2022 ENABLED US TO PROVIDE MUCH NEEDED SERVICES TO TENS OF THOUSANDS OF RESIDENTS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY OF ESSEX.
UH, WITH ME TODAY, I HAVE A NUMBER OF, UH, DIRECTORS AND DIVISION HEADS WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT WHO PROVIDE SERVICES THAT ARE, UH, PARTIALLY OR PRIMARILY COUNTY FUNDED.
UH, SO I'M GONNA INTRODUCE, UH, STARTING TO MY RIGHT, OUR DIVISION HEAD FOR THE DIVISION OF FAMILY ASSISTANCE AND BENEFITS.
UM, MS. VALENTINA RICHARDSON GREEN, UH, TO HER RIGHT IS OUR CFO FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF CITIZEN SERVICES, UH, CARLOS GONZALEZ.
BEHIND ME, WE HAVE REVEREND DENNIS HUGHES, WHO'S THE DIRECTOR OF THE JUVENILE DETENTION CENTER.
UH, WITH, UH, REVEREND HUGHES.
WE HAVE TERENCE MCCOY, WHO'S OUR DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY ACTION.
UH, BUT FOR THE PURPOSES OF TODAY'S HEARING, HE'S THE PERSON WHO OVERSEES CONSUMER SERVICES, WHICH IS PRIMARILY THE WEIGHTS AND MEASURES, UH, PROGRAM.
[02:40:01]
WHO IS THE HEAD OF OUR DIVISION OF SENIOR SERVICES, AND THERE'S A SMALL PORTION OF THAT DIVISION THAT'S COUNTY FUNDED AND IS INCLUDED IN OUR BUDGET REQUEST.I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION BEFORE YOU START.
MS. RICHARDSON GREEN, THAT HUGE BINDER YOU HAVE THAT YOU'RE NOT GONNA GO TOO LONG,
THAT'S IT, MR. IT OUT FOR QUESTIONS.
SO, UM, JUST GOING THROUGH YOUR BUDGET, UH, THINGS FREE STANDARD, I DIDN'T COST OUT THE DIRECTORS, UM, I PUSHED OUT SERVICES AND SENIOR SERVICES.
UM, WITH REGARD TO SENIOR SERVICES, THE ONLY THING I, THERE'S, THERE'S A, A NUMBER OF POSITIONS, UH, UH, WHAT I'M LOOKING AT IS THE, UH, FIRST PAYROLL, FIRST PAYROLL REGISTER, UH, FOR 2023, WHICH IS THE, APPLIES TO THE, THE LAST PAYROLL OF 2022.
AND IN THAT PAYROLL, THERE'S UNDER, UNDER THAT DEPARTMENT, UM, SENIORS IS 18 EMPLOYEES LISTED, AND THERE'S FIVE HERE.
UM, CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT DIFFERENTIAL? WELL, LIKE I EXPLAINED IN MY OPENING STATEMENT, A NUMBER OF OUR DIVISIONS ARE GRANT FUNDED.
RIGHT? IN, IN THE CASE OF THE DIVISION OF SENIOR SERVICES, THERE IS A REQUIRED COUNTY MATCH THAT'S INCLUDED AS PART OF OUR GRANT AGREEMENT WITH THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY.
SO THE FIVE POSITIONS THAT YOU SEE IN OUR BUDGET REQUESTS TO THE COUNTY ARE PART OF THAT REQUIRED MATCH.
UM, NOT, NOT ALL OF THOSE ARE, LEMME JUST SEE HERE,
SO THOSE, BUT THOSE FIVE POSITIONS ARE ACTUALLY APPROPRIATED FOR IN THE BUDGET.
SO THOSE ARE RAISED BY TAXATION OR WHATEVER GENERAL REVENUES DECLINED.
BUT, BUT TYPICALLY WHEN I SEE 18 POSITIONS AND THEN A GRANT FUNDING OF 13 AND THEN FIVE LEFT, OR I'M JUST CONFUSED AS TO WHY THERE'S SO MANY MORE POSITIONS LISTED UNDER THAT, UNDER THAT DEPARTMENT, UM, IN THE PAYROLL REGISTER, BUT NOT THE BUDGET.
AND, AND, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, YOU'RE SAYING THAT THE BALANCE OF THOSE OVER FIVE, UH, THOSE 13 POSITIONS ARE ALL FUNDED BY GRANTS, THEREFORE FOR YOU, MR. PRESIDENT? YES.
SO ALL THOSE FIVE POSITIONS YOU FILL, UH, THROUGH YOU, MR. PRESIDENT AT THIS POINT, WE DO HAVE FIVE FULL-TIME EQUIVALENTS.
WE HAVE ONE VACANCY THAT WE CARRIED OVER INTO 2023, WHICH WAS ELIMINATED IN THE OFFICE IN THE, UH, COUNTY PORTION OF THIS, THIS OFFICE.
AND AS FAR AS THE OTHER EXPENSES THERE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE THE SAME AS THE PRIOR YEAR.
THERE'S NO INCREASE IN THOSE THREE.
UM, ON CONSUMER AND CONSTITUENTS, THERE'S, UM, THERE'S A $58,000 INCREASE.
I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE THAT LISTED HERE, BUT THERE'S SIX EMPLOYEES THERE.
THERE'S SIX EMPLOYEES FILLED OF ALL THOSE POSITIONS FILLED, UH, FOR YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, A FEW YEARS AGO, UH, THROUGH THE EFFORTS OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS, UH, YOU ALL ADDED AN APPRENTICE, UH, POSITION IN THAT OFFICE.
UM, BECAUSE OF THE CHALLENGES RELATED TO THE PANDEMIC, WE HAD A LITTLE BIT OF DIFFICULTY IN FILLING THAT APPRENTICE POSITION.
UH, I'M GLAD TO REPORT BACK TO THE BOARD THAT IN THE LATTER PART OF 2022, UH, WE DID PROMOTE A, A YOUNG MAN WHO WAS OUR MESSENGER, UH, OVER AT DTE INTO THAT POSITION OF APPRENTICE.
AND HE'S CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF TAKING, YOU KNOW, ALL THE REQUIRED COURSES AND SHOULD HOPEFULLY, UH, TAKE HIS EXAMINATION TO TAKE HIM OUT OF THE APPRENTICE POSITION INTO A, A MORE OFFICIAL CAPACITY SOMETIME IN THE SPRING ARE, ARE WE ACTUALLY OUT TESTING WEIGHTS AND MEASURES OR, UH, THE NUMBER OF INSPECTIONS, UH, COMPARED TO WHERE WE WERE IN 2020 HAVE HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED.
WHAT I WILL REPORT IS THIS IS THE KIND OF SERVICE WHERE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES WE LOOK AT REVENUE GENERATION AS ONE OF THE GOALS.
AND I ALWAYS REMIND PEOPLE THAT OUR GOAL HERE IS TO PROVIDE A QUALITY SERVICE TO RESIDENTS OF THE COUNTY TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR RIGHTS ARE BEING PROTECTED AS CONSUMERS.
AND WE'RE NOT LEVYING THE KIND OF FINES THAT MAYBE WE WERE IN 2018 AND 2019.
UH, BUT YOU, IF YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF INSPECTIONS THAT WE'RE DOING ON A DAILY BASIS, UH, THOSE INSPECTIONS HAVE INCREASED.
AND SO THERE MUST BE MORE COMPLIANCE THEN.
UH, YOUR, YOUR, YOUR, YOUR, UH, YOUR CUSTOMERS PER SE, THE, THE FOLKS THAT YOU'RE OUT
[02:45:01]
INSPECTING, WHETHER IT'S A SUPERMARKET, GAS STATIONS, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY TEND TO ADJUST AS YOU'RE OUT THERE MORE REGULARLY.BUT WE ARE RESPONDING TO, UH, POLES THAT COME IN, UH, THROUGH EXEC'S OFFICE, EMAILS THAT COME INTO OUR OFFICE.
WE HAVE A REGULAR INSPECTION SCHEDULE THAT WE KEEP UP TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE HITTING AS MANY BUSINESSES AS POSSIBLE.
AND AS THE, UM, YOUNG PERSON WHO'S NOW THE APPRENTICE IS ABLE TO GET HIS CERTIFICATION, HE'LL BE ABLE TO GO OUT THERE AND DO OFFICIAL INSPECTIONS ON BEHALF OF THE UNIT.
ARE THOSE FINE? I'M SORRY, I NEED TO INTERRUPT YOU.
NO, THAT'LL, THAT'LL INCREASE OUR ACTIVITY BY HAVING THE APPRENTICE, UH, MOVE INTO A MORE EFFICIENT CAPACITY.
AND ARE, ARE THOSE FINES LEVIED THROUGH THE COURTS OR, UH, IN, IN, IN SOME INSTANCES THEY'RE SETTLED.
I WOULD SAY IN MOST INSTANCES THEY'RE SETTLED.
UM, IN USE SERVICES, UM, A LARGE DEPARTMENT, UM, I SHOULD SAY COST CENTER, I HAVE, UH, LISTED HERE.
UM, I GUESS I'M JUST, I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT I HAVE HERE.
IN THE FIRST FAVOR IT LOOKS LIKE THESE ARE THE, UM, THE, UM, THE JUVENILE DETENTION OFFICERS.
UM, AND I'M, I'M SHOWING, UH, HERE, UM, THIS LOOKS LIKE ALL OF 'EM, BUT I'M, I'M, LOOK, I'M LOOKING AT, I GUESS IT'S THE FIRST PART OF THE CUSTODIAL STAFF, STAFF SUBTOTAL 181, WHICH I'M SHOWING 1 73.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S, WE'RE SHOWING ACTUAL 1 54.
WE HAVE A LOT OF VACANCIES IN HERE.
YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, UH, WE, WE, WHEN WE TYPICALLY PRESENT OUR BUDGET FOR THE JUVENILE DETENTION CENTER, THE DIVISION OF YOUTH SERVICES, OUR STAFFING NUMBER ON THE CUSTODIAL SIDE IS, IS MORE BASED ON AN OPTIMUM NUMBER.
UH, WE RECOGNIZE THAT OUR FACILITY AT FULL CAPACITY CAN HOLD, UH, WITH DOUBLE BUNKING 242 JUVENILES.
UH, WE HAVE, EVEN WITH THE, THE COUNTIES THAT WE HAVE SUBCONTRACTS WITH, INCLUDING HE COUNTY ARE, ARE NOT NEAR THAT NUMBER.
SO WE ALWAYS WANT TO BE IN A POSITION WHEN IT RELATES TO OUR BUDGET THAT'S APPROVED BY THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS, THAT WE DO HAVE ENOUGH ROOM TO HANDLE FLUCTUATIONS AND POPULATION.
AND THOSE FLUCTUATIONS HAPPEN.
UH, THROUGH YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, WE'VE SEEN WITH THE CHANGING OF OUR FAMILY COURT JUDGE, UH, REPRESENTING ESSEX COUNTY, AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF JUVENILES WHO ARE CURRENTLY BEING ADMITTED, UH, FROM ESSEX.
AND, UM, THAT EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM IS STILL PART OF YOUR APPROPRIATIONS.
THREE OF MR. BRENDA, WE HAVE A CONTRACT WITH THE ESSEX COUNTY EDUCATIONAL SERVICES COMMISSION.
UH, WE'VE HAD THAT CONTRACT FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
UH, THE, THE CONTRACT AMOUNT HAS REMAINED UNCHANGED OVER TIME.
WE'VE, WE'VE ASKED THEM TO MAKE, UH, SOME ADJUSTMENTS IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE THE VARYING NEEDS OF THE, UH, YOUNG PEOPLE THAT WE SERVE THERE.
AND, AND, AND I WILL, UM, RECOGNIZE OFFICIALLY ON THE RECORD THAT, YOU KNOW, THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING THAT WE GET FROM THE STATE, UH, TO SUPPORT THE SCHOOL PROGRAM AT THE DETENTION CENTER IS, IS, IS MUCH LESS THAN THE SENDING DISTRICTS AROUND THE, THE COUNTY, UH, RECEIVE AND THE NEEDS OF THE POPULATION THERE ARE, ARE PRETTY EXTENSIVE.
WE HAVE A LARGE NUMBER OF YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE CLASSIFIED, WHO NEED SPECIALIZED SERVICES.
UM, BUT, BUT WE ARE, UM, STILL WORKING WITH THE ED SERVICES AS FAR AS THE FAMILY ASSISTANCE AND BENEFITS ON THE SALARIES AND WAGE.
IT'S SO EXTENSIVE, SO MANY EMPLOYEES THAT I DID NOT CROSS THAT NOTE TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.
BUT CAN YOU JUST DESCRIBE WHAT THE, WHAT, WHAT REPRESENTATIVE ORGANIZATION IS THERE AND WHAT LEVEL OF VACANCIES ARE THERE AND WHAT THE STATE REQUIRES IN TERMS OF STAFFING.
I MEAN, OUR, OUR FUNDING AGREEMENT WITH THE STATE CALLS FOR 832 FULL-TIME EQUIVALENTS AT THE DIVISION OF FAMILY ASSISTANCE AND BENEFITS.
I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MS. RICHARDSON GREEN, WHO'S CURRENTLY THE DIVISION HEAD THERE.
SHE DOES HAVE A DEPUTY, UH, DIVISION DIRECTOR THAT WORKS UNDER HER NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS, SUPERVISORS AND, UH, FAMILY SERVICE WORKERS, WHICH ARE CASE WORKERS STAFF, UH, THAT, THAT, THAT, UM, THAT SERVICE THAT THE CUSTOMERS THAT COME IN TO THAT PARTICULAR DIVISION.
[02:50:01]
IS THE REQUIRED NUMBER THAT THE STATE IS LOOKING AT.PRIMARILY THE VACANCIES OF, OF THE MOST CONCERNED HAVE TO DO WITH THE FAMILY SERVICE WORKER.
THAT'S THE CASE WORKER THAT HANDLED THE BULK OF THE WORK THAT IS AT, UH, 32 VACANCIES.
CURRENTLY, THE FAMILY SERVICE SUPERVISORS ARE AT TWO.
SO THOSE ARE THE PRIMARY AREAS WHERE WE'LL BE LOOKING TO FILL WITHIN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER AGENCIES THAT EXIST, BUT THOSE ARE, HISTORICALLY, WE'VE ALWAYS HAD THOSE VACANCIES, BUT WITH THE, THE NUMBER OF CASES THAT WE HAVE, THE CASELOADS, COVID, THINGS LIKE THAT, THE FAMILY SERVICE WORKER AND THE SUPERVISOR ARE THE PRIMARY CONCERN, AND THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT WILL BE AGGRESSIVELY ADDRESSING OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS.
I SHOULD ADD THROUGH YOU, MR. PRESIDENT.
I, I, I WILL STATE THAT FOR A PERIOD OF ABOUT NINE MONTHS, WE WERE AWAITING CERTIFICATION BACK FOR FAMILY SERVICE WORKERS.
UH, WE WERE, WE ARE NOW IN RECEIPT OF THAT CERTIFICATION LIST, WHICH ENABLES US TO HIRE.
SO WE WERE KIND OF IN LIMBO FOR A PERIOD OF TIME AWAITING FOR THE TEST TO BE CALLED, WAITING FOR, UH, UH, CERTIFICATION TO COME BACK FROM THE STATE.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, DIRECTOR, UH, RICHARDSON GREENER, HER STAFF ARE NOW ACTIVELY APPOINTING INTERVIEWING AND APPOINTING PEOPLE OFF THE CIVIL SERVICE LIST FOR FAMILY SERVICE WORKER.
AND THERE IS THE, THERE IS A CURRENT LIST.
WHERE, WHERE IS CHILD SUPPORT? IN, IN, IN THE BUDGET? I'M SEEING IT IN THE PAYROLL REGISTER BUDGET.
AM I MISSING IT? IT'S INCLUDED IN THE OVERALL BUDGET FOR FAMILY ASSISTANCE AND BENEFITS THAT INDIVIDUALS THAT WORK IN THE CHILD SUPPORT OFFICE HAVE SIMILAR TITLES ARE FAMILY SERVICE WORKERS, THEY'RE SUPERVISORS, ARE ADMINISTRATORS.
SO WE DON'T NECESSARILY SEGREGATE THAT OFFICE AND, AND DE PART.
AND AS FAR AS OTHER EXPENSES GO, YOU'RE PRETTY MUCH STANT WITH THE ENTIRE YEARS.
UM, YEAH, SOME OF THE OTHER, OTHER EXPENSE CATEGORIES, UM, ARE EITHER THE SAME OR, OR LESS THAN THEY WERE LAST YEAR.
I, I WILL, UH, MENTION THAT OUR DFAS BUDGET REQUESTS, UNLIKE OTHER DEPARTMENTS, DOES INCLUDE, YOU KNOW, PENSION AND HEALTH BENEFITS COSTS AND OTHER REQUESTS.
HOW MUCH OF YOUR OVERALL, THE REIMBURSEMENT THAT WE GET THAT'S BASED ON YOUR DEPARTMENT, IS THERE, IS THERE SOME, IS THERE SOME SORT OF LAG BETWEEN THE COST OF WHAT IT, WHAT IT COST FOR YOUR DEPARTMENT IN THE PERIOD OF TIME THAT THEY GET, GET, GET REIMBURSED? OR IS IT, IS IT SOMETHING SET AND THAT THE STATE PROVIDES YOU WITH THE NUMBER OF THE REVENUES? THERE ARE A NUMBER OF REIMBURSEMENT SOURCES.
THERE ISN'T JUST ONE, I MEAN, THE PRIMARY ONE IS VISION, FAMILY, UH, DEVELOPMENT AT THE STATE LEVEL.
BUT AS YOU MENTIONED BEFORE, CHILD SUPPORT IS A DIFFERENT REIMBURSEMENT STREAM AND PERCENTAGE.
UM, BUT, BUT FOR THE, FOR THE MOST PART, THE DIVISION IS VERY GOOD AT COLLECTING REVENUE THAT'S TOLD TO US, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF IT IS BASED ON REPORTING THAT WE HAVE TO SUBMIT TO OUR FUNDING SOURCES.
AND ONCE THOSE REPORTS ARE REVIEWED AND APPROVED, THE DIVISION IS REIMBURSED ON, ON A REGULAR BASIS FOR EXPENSE.
AND IS THERE ANY, UH, NOT PENALTY, BUT IF YOU DON'T SPEND THE MONEY, YOU DON'T GET THE REVENUE.
SO IS THERE KIND OF ADJUSTMENTS ON BOTH SIDES? UH, UH, THROUGH YOU, UH, MR. PRESIDENT, WE, WE CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH SOME INFORMATION O OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS TO SEE IF THERE HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, SOME AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN UNDER EXPENDED.
UH, YOU KNOW, FOR THE MOST PART, WE MAY HAVE A PERCENTAGE OF UNFILLED POSITIONS THAT RESULT ON AVERAGE DURING A CALENDAR YEAR.
BUT WE ARE ABLE TO WORK WITH OUR FUNDING SOURCES TO SOMETIMES ALLOCATE SOME OF THOSE RESOURCES FOR, YOU KNOW, OVERTIME PROJECTS TO REDUCE MEDICAID BACKLOGS TO DEAL WITH, UH, INCREASING OUR TIMELINESS FOR SNAP AND FOOD STAMPS.
SO, YOU KNOW, THERE IS SOME FLEXIBILITY THAT WE HAVE AT THE DIVISION LEVEL THAT WE'RE ABLE TO WORK OUT WITH OUR FUNDING SOURCES IN ORDER TO BETTER PREPARE OURSELVES TO HANDLE SOME OF THE EXPECTED OUTCOMES THAT WE HAVE.
SO IF YOU DON'T FEEL CERTAIN, CERTAIN POSITIONS, NOT NECESSARILY YOU'RE GOING TO LOSE MONEY, IT'S JUST THAT MONEY CAN BE REPURPOSED BASED ON WHAT? IN, IN SOME INSTANCES THROUGH YOU MR. PRESIDENT? YES.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE AMOUNT THAT WE'VE CANCELED OUT ON AVERAGE OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, IT'S, IT'S, UM, I'M NOT SAYING IT'S NOT CONSIDERABLE, BUT IT'S NOT AS MUCH AS WE THINK BASED ON THE NUMBER OF PAPERS.
CAUSE WE ARE ABLE TO FUND OVERTIME PROJECTS AND OTHER INITIATIVES.
I THINK, I THINK THE POINT I WAS MAKING THOUGH, WHEN, WHEN YOU DO HAVE THIS AMOUNT OF VACANCIES AND THERE'S APPROPRIATIONS LEFT OVER AT THE END OF THE YEAR, IT, IT'S NOT THE KIND OF
[02:55:01]
SITUATION WHERE THAT GOES TO, TO FUND BALANCE OR APPROPRIATIONS.THAT THAT HAS SOME IMPACT, I BELIEVE, ON THE AMOUNT OF REVENUES THAT YOU'VE GOT OR, OR, OR IF, IF IT DOESN'T, THEN YOU'RE ABLE TO SPEND IT ELSEWHERE IN SOME OF THE ITEMS YOU CAN JUST LISTED, WHICH WOULD EAT UP THE REVENUE.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, THERE'S, IT'S NOT LIKE GOING TO ANOTHER DEPARTMENT AND CANCELING AN APPROPRIATION CAUSE YOU DIDN'T SPEND IT AND HAVING THAT GO TO FUND BALANCE.
THIS, THIS DEPARTMENT, I BELIEVE IS DIFFERENT IN THAT RESPECT.
YOU AS THE PRESIDENT AND, AND O B CAN PROBABLY YEAH.
SPEAK MORE SPECIFICALLY ABOUT WHERE ANY FUNDS THAT HAVE BEEN CANCELED ON THE DFA SIDE HAVE BEEN TRANSFERRED TO.
BUT, BUT I, I CAN SPEAK ADMINISTRATIVELY THAT THERE ARE OCCASIONS WHEN WE HAVE MEDICAID BACKLOG ISSUES WHEN WE HAVE, UH, TO CATCH UP ON, ON ON SNAP PROCESSING CASES THAT WE GO TO OUR FUNDING SOURCES AT THE STATE LEVEL AND ASK PERMISSION TO ALLOCATE FUNDS THAT WE HAVE WITHIN OUR BUDGET THAT MAY GO UN UNEX EXPENDED DUE TO VACANCIES TO UTILIZE THOSE FUNDS FOR OVERTIME PROJECTS.
AND THEN WE HAVE RECEIVED REGULAR APPROVALS TO DO SOON.
THANK YOU DIRECTOR RAMOS, AND YOU AND YOUR DEPARTMENT DOING A FANTASTIC JOB.
UM, I WANNA THANK DIRECTOR RICHARDSON GREEN.
YOU GUYS RESPONDED TO CONSTITUENTS WHO HAD PROBLEMS WITH THEIR CARDS AND YOU GUYS PERSONALLY DELIVERED THEM TO THEM.
I DIDN'T KNOW YOU GUYS PROVIDED THAT KIND OF SERVICE TO PEOPLE IN NEED.
DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THERE ARE ANY MORE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
THANK, THANK YOU FOLKS, GUYS DOING A GREAT JOB.
MR. CHARLES, WE TIME YOU EVERYONE, UH, PRESIDENT RICHARDSON, THE NUMBERS OF THE BOARD.
THIS IS MY PRIVILEGE TO PRESENT THE 2023 DEPART DIRECTIONS, THE BUDGET TO YOU.
UH, BUT BEFORE WE, WE GET INTO THE NUMBERS, I WANT INTRODUCE, UH, SOME OF MY STAFF WHO IS HERE TONIGHT.
LIEUTENANT CAMACHO, WHO HEADS THE DIVISION OF, UH, OFFICE MANAGEMENT.
THE BUDGET, UM, TO HIS RIGHT IS DR.
LEINO ANSETT, WHO IS THE DIRECTOR OF THE FACILITY.
TO HIS RIGHT, UM, IS REGINA MERO, WHICH MAY HAVE MET, UH, REMEMBER MEETING, UH, LAST MONTH.
SHE'S THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR IN CHARGE OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
BAKER, WE MET, UM, AT THAT MEETING AS WELL.
UM, MS. SETH NON COVID TONIGHT.
SO SHE WENT HERE AND SHE WAS, UH, SHE'S IN CHARGE OF, UH, INMATE PROGRAMS, UM, COMMUNITY RELATIONS PROGRAMS PROGRAM.
AND, UM, BEFORE WE LOOK AT THE NUMBERS, UM, I WANT, YEAH, BEFORE WE DO THAT, WHY DON'T YOU TELL US WHO YOU ARE? RON CHARLES, DIRECTOR OF CORRECTIONS
SO BEFORE WE LOOK AT THE, UH, 2023 NUMBERS, UH, I WANT TO THE PUBLIC TO TALK ABOUT, UH, THREE ACCOMPLISHMENTS THE DEPARTMENT, UM,
[03:00:01]
HAD IN 2022.UM, NUMBER ONE WAS THE DEPARTMENT RAISED OVER 60 MILLION, UH, DOLLARS IN REVENUE FOR THE COUNTY.
UM, YOU WERE ABLE TO EARN A RE-ACCREDITATION WITH THE AMERICAN CORRECTIONAL ASSOCIATION.
UM, ONLY 5% OF THE JAILS IN PRISONS IN THE UNITED STATES EARNED THAT ACCREDITATION.
AND THE DEPARTMENT MAINTAINED ACCREDITATION WITH THE AGAINST C H C, WHICH IS FOR OUR MEDICAL, UH, SERVICES.
UM, AND LASTLY, DURING THE LAST QUARTER, UH, VIA, WE BEGAN TO LOOK A CRITICAL LOOK AT THE DEPARTMENT'S OPERATIONS POLICIES TO ENSURE THINGS ARE BEING DONE EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY, UM, WITH THE SPEARHEADED BY THE AMBULANCE REPORT.
IN LOOKING FORWARD TO 2023, THE, THIS BUDGET IS OUR ROADMAP, WHICH SUPPORTS OUR CORE MISSION AND FOCUS AREAS, WHICH ARE, NUMBER ONE, MAINTAINING A SAFEST AND SECURE FACILITY FOR THE STAFF AND PRISONERS IMPROVE ON THE DELIVERY OF OUR PROGRAMS FOR OUR PRISONERS, BOTH IN THE FACILITY AND IN THE COMMUNITY, WHICH WILL INCLUDE MENTAL HEALTH, DRUG AND ALCOHOL REHABILITATION AND CASE MANAGEMENT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR CIVILIAN TASK FORCE AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS.
AND TO CREATE WHAT I CALL A CENTER OF EXCELLENCE.
IN THE CORRECTIONS FIELD, THOUGH THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST DIFFICULT TIME IN THE CORRECTION PROFESSION WITH THE PANDEMIC RETIRING WORKFORCE, I BELIEVE THAT THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THIS DEPARTMENT, TOGETHER WITH THE DEPARTMENT'S EXECUTIVE TEAM AND SUPPORT FROM THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION AND COUNTY EXECUTIVE ALONG WITH THIS FIELD, EXCUSE ME, BOARD WILL ACHIEVE OUR ISSUE.
UH, DO YOU ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS? ANY ONE MOTION, MR. MC? SO, UM, JUST LOOKING AT SALARIES AND WAGES, UM, GOING FROM WHAT WAS PAID LAST YEAR FOR SALARIES AND WAGES, INCLUDING OVERTIME AND HOLIDAY PAY, 74 MILLION, 81,000, UH, DOWN 4.7 TO THE BUDGET NOW IS 68,000,700.
BUT CLEARLY, UM, THE BIG ITEM THERE IS WHAT'S CALLED A SCA GRANT FOR 5.5 MILLION.
SO CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT TO US WHAT THAT GRANT IS? IT, IT'S NEW THIS YEAR.
IT WASN'T EVEN LAST YEAR'S BUDGET, WHAT THE SOURCE OF THAT FUNDING IS AND HOW YOU'VE QUALIFIED FOR THAT.
SO, UM, THE, IS THIS, THE SCOTT GRANT CALLED, UM, YEARS AGO.
IT WAS CALLED THE, THE AING ASSISTANCE GRANT.
UM, THE COUNTY HAS BEEN RECEIVING THAT GRANT PROBABLY FOR, SINCE I WAS HERE LAST TIME, BACK IN THE, UH, THE LATE NINETIES.
UM, WE STARTED OUT OF TWO TO 300,000.
WE'RE, WE'RE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER.
UM, IT'S BASED ON A FORMULA FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ON HOW MANY INMATES WE ARE ACTUALLY HOUSING IN THE FACILITY, THE COST TO HOUSE THEM.
UM, WE SUPPLY THE DATA TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, AND THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT THEN SENDS US, UH, POWER WATER.
NOW, WE ARE THE SECOND HIGHEST IN THE STATE.
UH, THE ONLY NUMBER THAT'S HIRED HAS BEEN THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS IN THE STATE.
AND, AND SO THIS NUMBER HAS BEEN, HAS BEEN PART OF PREVIOUS CORRECTION SATURDAY WAGE CALCULATIONS WHEN I WAS HERE LAST TIME.
YES, I, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT LISTED, UH, FOR SOME MOHAM COUNTY TREASURE.
UM, THIS, THIS GRANT USED TO BE CLAUSE CLASSIFIED AS REVENUE.
AND, UM, UH, LOT LAST YEAR WE HAD THE GRANT AND, UM, I ACTUALLY CALLED, UH, TO INQUIRE ABOUT IT.
IT HAS TO BE PART OF OUR SINGLE AUDIT, SO IT HAS, HAS TO BE INSERTED AS A GRANT AND THE ELIGIBILITY FOR THAT, THE, UM, THE EXPENDITURE.
THIS WOULD BE FOR, UH, REGULAR SALARIES FOR CORRECTION.
SO WE INSERTED THE GROUND LAST YEAR FOR THE FIRST TIME, AND WE CHARGE, UH, SALARIES TO THAT GRANT.
IT'S NOT OVER TIME, IT'S JUST REGULAR SALARIES TO RECHARGE THE GRANT.
WE HAD SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER AMOUNT IN, IN 20 23, 20 22, WE RECEIVED 2.2 MILLION.
I BELIEVE IN 2023, IT'S OVER 5 MILLION.
WHAT'S CHANGED SO MUCH IN CORRECTIONS THAT INCREASE THAT FROM 2.2 MILLION, 5.5 MILLION MILLION.
WHAT, WHAT CHANGED IN THE, IN THE, IN IT'S THE POPULATION AND THE COST.
CERTAINLY THE NUMBER HAS GONE UP, UH, SIGNIFICANT, UM, AS FAR AS THE INMATE POPULATION, BUT IT'S THE, IT'S THE ORIGIN OF WHERE THE PRISONER, UM, RESIDES IN, IN THE FORMULA OF FROM THE FEDERAL COMPANY.
AND WHAT WOULD TYPICALLY BE SOMETHING THAT THE ORIGIN, THAT THAT WOULD INCREASE THAT AMOUNT IF, IF, IF, IF WE HAVE MORE FOREIGN BORN, IF WE HAVE MORE OUT-OF-STATE, UH, PRISONERS, MORE FEDERAL, FEDERAL PRISONERS.
YOU SAY FOREIGN BORN, JUST PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE, UM, YOUR PAPERS? NO, THEY,
[03:05:01]
THEY WOULD, THEY WOULD'VE SOME THAT MAY BE THE CASE.SOME OF THEM, SOME OF THEM WOULD BE THAT WE HAVE PAPERS, PAPERS AS WELL.
SOME OF THAT HAVE DUAL, UH, CITIZENSHIPS, BOTH THOSE TYPES OF CLASSES.
AND, AND THAT POPULATION HAS GONE UP THAT MUCH OVER THE LAST YEAR.
WELL, AT LEAST THE CALCULATION IS THE CALCULATION CORRECT.
IT'S ASSUMING THAT, IS THIS MORE OF A PROJECTION? IS THERE AN AUDIT ON THE GRANT THAT COMES BACK AND SAYS, WELL, IN THE FACT YOU DIDN'T HAVE THAT MUCH OF IT? THE, THE PROCESS IS WE, UH, THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS SUPPLIES THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE WITH, WITH THE RAW DATA, THEN THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE THAT COMES BACK, UM, AND GIVES US OUR AWARD AMOUNT.
AND THEN THERE IS A AUDIT PROCESS.
I, I WOULD IMAGINE THROUGH, UH, THE ADMINISTRATION'S, UH, OFFICE.
SO LIKE ANY OTHER GRANT, THERE'S AN ORDER PROCESS THAT COMES BACK BECAUSE THIS IS PROSPECTIVE, THIS IS AGAINST YOUR 2023 SALARIES AND WAGE OR YOUR 2023 POPULATION THAT THAT ONLY EXISTS FOR THE LAST MONTH.
SO GONNA DEPEND ON ALL 12 MONTHS AS TO WHETHER OR NOT YOU MEET THE REQUISITE AMOUNT OF THOSE TYPES OF PRISONERS, THOSE TYPES OF COSTS IN ORDER TO, UM, REALIZE THAT WHOLE 5.5 MILLION.
SO THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THAT MAY OR MAY NOT HAPPEN.
UM, MR. MOHAM, UH, THAT THAT GRANT WAS DETERMINED ALREADY IN 2022 FOR 2023 BASED ON HISTORICAL INFORMATION.
SO THEN IT'S NOT SUBJECT TO WHAT? NO, THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE.
THIS IS BASED ON THE INFORMATION OR THE SUBMITTED BY CORRECTION TO, TO APPLY FOR THE GRANT AND WAS GRANTED, IT'S NOT GONNA CHANGE.
SO THEN WHAT WAS THE GRANT IN 2021? I HAVE TO BACK TO YOU THAT TWO POINT.
UM, AS FAR AS YOUR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS, WHERE, WHERE DO YOU STAND WITH THOSE? THERE ANY INCREASES THAT ARE, UM, APPLIED TO THE CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS THIS YEAR AND OTHER STAFF ARE ALL INCLUDED IN HERE? CORRECT.
UM, THE FLP, WHICH IS THE SUPERVISORS, THE PBA, WHICH IS THE OFFICERS, AND THE IV W IS ALL UP, UP TO DATE, UP TO 2023.
THERE IS A 2% BUILT, BUILT IN FOR THAT.
ARE THE, WHERE ARE THOSE CONTRACTS NOW? ARE THEY CLOSED OUT FOR 2023 AND NEGOTIATE? THEY'RE AT THE BACK STAGE OF BEING NEGOTIATED THAT THEY HAPPEN TO THE LAW FIRE, BUT YOU HAVE A RESERVE, YOU HAVE FUNDS IN HERE IN ORDER TO COVER THAT? CORRECT.
AND COULD YOU JUST GIVE US A LITTLE BIT TOO ABOUT, UM, THE VARIOUS, UH, HOW EVERYTHING'S WORKING OUT WITH THE OTHER COUNTIES FUNDS THAT ARE COMING IN AND THE AMOUNT OF PRISONERS, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S PART OF THOSE PRISONERS THAT ARE COMING IN FROM OTHER COUNTIES AFFECTING THAT NUMBER THAT WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER WITH FOREIGN BOARD OR, OR THOSE THAT APPLY TO THAT GRANT? UM, CERTAINLY WITH THE CONTRACT WITH UNION COUNTY, UM, SOME OF THOSE, UH, DIDN'T FALL ON THAT IN THAT CATEGORY.
UM, SOME OF THE FEDERAL MARSHALS INMATES THAT WE WE'RE HOLDING AS WELL, FALLEN FALL IN THAT CATEGORY.
UM, NOT ALL OF THEM, UM, BUT SOME OF THEM DO AFFECT THAT IN A POSITIVE AMOUNT FOR, BUT ALL THOSE AGREEMENTS ARE WORKING OUT WELL.
YOU KNOW, WHAT WAS SURPRISING IS TO SEE THE AMOUNT OF MONEY STILL COMING IN FOR THE FEDERAL MARSHAL I WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT IT, IT ALMOST MIRRORS WHAT WE WERE GETTING ON ICE MIRRORS SPACES.
SO EXPLAIN, LIKE, CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE FEDERAL MARSHAL PROCESS AND THE TYPE OF INATE THAT IS COMING INTO THAT PROGRAM? SURE.
SO THE FEDERAL, WE, WE HOLD ABOUT THREE DIFFERENT CLASSES OF FEDERAL MARSHALS.
WE HOLD, UH, THE ONES THAT ARE FROM NEW JERSEY, AND WE ALSO HOLD THE ONES FROM THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK.
WE ALSO HOLD THE FEDERAL MARSH IN SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK.
AND THE LAST GROUP, WHICH, WHICH IS SMALLER, IS THAT THE FEDERAL MARSHALS OF NEW JERSEY AND NEW YORK, WE, WHAT THEY CALL COOPERATORS.
THOSE ARE THE PRISONERS WHO ARE COOPERATING ON A FEDERAL LEVEL, UM, WHO NEED TO BE SEGREGATED, UM, FROM THE CO-DEFENDANTS BECAUSE THEY'RE ACTUALLY TESTIFYING UNDER THE THREE PEOPLE.
UM, WE RECEIVE, UH, $132 PER DAY, UM, UM, FOR THOSE, UM, THAT CONS, UH, PROJECT WILL BE BENE NEGOTIATED
UM, WE ALSO RECEIVE, WE ALSO HANDLE THE TRANSPORTATION FOR THE FEDERAL MARSHALS.
SO ANYTHING, UM, THAT IS BILLED OUT FAR AS PICKING UP PRESENTERS ON, WE, WE HAVE REVENUE ON THAT, THAT HAPPENS DAILY, WHETHER WE'RE PICKING 'EM UP FROM NEW YORK,
[03:10:01]
NEW JERSEY, SOUTHERN JERSEY.UM, AND IT'S BEEN A BIG REVENUE IN FOR THE COUNTY.
I I MEAN THAT'S, THAT PROGRAM'S REALLY EXPANDING.
IT HAS, UH, WHEN I WAS HERE LAST TIME, WE HAD ABOUT 175, UH, FEDERAL, UH, S WE'RE CLOSE TO 700, 800.
WE, WE MEET WITH THE MARSHALS REGULARLY, BUT THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, WE ARE THEIR NUMBER ONE PROVIDER.
WE, IN ESSENCE, WE ARE THE COUNTY JAIL FOR THE ENTIRE FBI IN THE AREA.
SO WHENEVER THESE, THESE MARSHALL INMATES ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE ARRESTED FEDERALLY BY THE FBI, DEA, AND THEY'RE AWAITING FEDERAL TRIAL, AND WE TOLD THEM IN THE WHOLE, IN THE NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY AREA, AND THEY USED TO HAVE A BUNCH ALL AROUND, BUT THEY WANT TO BE WITH US EXCLUSIVELY.
THEY WANT MORE, THEY WANT TO CLOSE OTHER ONES BECAUSE THEY'RE SO HAPPY WITH THE WORK WITH THE TEAM AT THE JAIL.
AND, YOU KNOW, IN SPITE OF, EVEN THROUGH THIS FEW YEARS WHERE IT'S BEEN, I WOULD SAY SOMEWHAT TURBULENT, THEY HAVE ALWAYS SAID THAT WE ARE THE NUMBER ONE PROVIDER FOR THEM IN, IN, IN THE AREA.
AND THAT'S HOW WE WENT FROM NEW JERSEY TO SOUTHERN DISTRICT TO NORTHERN DISTRICT.
WHO WANTS TO COME IN NOW? I MEAN, SO WE'RE THE PREFERRED, UH, JAIL FOR THAT.
ARE WE, HOW WOULD WE STILL GETTING STATE CONFINEMENT OF PRISONERS? YES, WE ARE.
IS THAT STILL A 15 DAY RULE THAT YES.
AND IS THAT GENERATING ANY YOUR MONEY OR IT HAS, YEAH.
COMMISSIONER MCCONNELL, HOW ARE THE FEDERAL INMATES, UM, UH, HOUSED? ARE THEY HOUSED SEPARATELY FROM THEY, THEY ARE.
SO EVERYONE GOES, COMES, THEY HAVE A SEPARATE, UH, PROCESSING.
WHEN WE TAKE THEM IN WORKING, WE THEN PROCESS THEM AND EVERYONE GOES TO A QUARANTINE, UM, PROCESS OF A FIVE DAYS, AND THEN THEY'RE, THEY'RE PUT IN THE DORMS, UM, UM, WHICH IS, UH, BUILDING FIVE, WE CALL BUILDING FIVE.
SO IT'S, IT'S SEPARATE THEM WENT TO THE COUNTY R AND GENERAL POPULATIONS, UM, COMMISSIONER LUCI, THEN COMMISSIONER JOHNSON.
I DID HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
UM, AND OR FOR THE CHIEF OF STAFF, SO ARE FEDERAL INMATES, THEY'RE SEPARATE THOUGH, FROM OUR COUNTY INMATES, CORRECT? CORRECT.
SO THEY, AND I'M ASSUMING I WANT TO USE THE WORD DELANEY HALL, IS THAT WHERE THEY'RE KEPT OR IS NO, THEY'RE OR NO.
OR JUST SEPARATE IN THE SEPARATE IN THE JAIL.
WE CALL THIS BUILDING FIVE IN THE JAIL, WHICH IS THE DORMS THERE.
UM, SO THEN DO THEY HAVE THE SAME RESTRICTIONS AS TO HOW LONG THEY CAN STAY? I KNOW THE COUNTY, YOU CAN ONLY BE THERE, WHAT, 364 DAYS AND THEN YOU HAD TO GO ON TO STATE PRISON? CORRECT.
SO WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE FEDERAL INMATES? CAN THEY STAY ON FOR YEARS? THEY CAN, YES.
BUT THAT'S WHAT WE DECIDE ABOUT THE FEDERAL COURT SYSTEM, OR IF THE FEDERAL MARSHAL WANT, WANT TO TRANSFER THEM OUT FOR, FOR A PARTICULAR REASON TO ANOTHER, TO ANOTHER FACILITY.
AND, AND MAYBE I MISSED IT, AND I'M SORRY IF I DID THROUGH YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, ABOUT HOW MANY IN TOTAL CAN WE HOUSE? I MEAN, WHAT, WHAT IS OUR CAPACITY FOR THAT? UM, WE HAVE, WE COULD UP TO ABOUT 950 IN, IN THAT AREA.
UM, WE HAVE ABOUT 725 FOR THAT.
UM, I HEARD MR. DIRECTOR, I HEARD YOU MENTION IN THE REPORT ABOUT THE AMBROSE REPORT.
DO ANY OF MY COLLEAGUES OR ANY OF US RECEIVE A COPY OF THAT AMBROSE REPORT? MM-HMM.
I NEVER GOT, WE CAN GET IT TO YOU.
WE GOT, I NEVER GOT TO MR. PRESIDENT WEEK.
WHAT, WHAT HAPPENED? YOU REPORT? YES.
OH, I WAS GONNA RESPOND TO THAT.
WE HAD A, A MEETING, A HEARING ABOUT IT ABOUT A MONTH AGO.
IT, IT'S ALSO, UH, IT'S ALSO, WE PUT IT ON, ON THE WORK OUR WEBSITE FOR THE PUBLIC AS WELL.
THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, DIRECTOR.
UM, SPEAKING OF THE AMBULANCES REPORT, IT HAD A, A, UM, COUPLE RECOMMENDATIONS AND IT RELATED TO EQUIPMENT AND STAFFING, UM, CHANGES.
DOES THIS BUDGET INCLUDE ANYTHING? I CAN'T REMEMBER IF YOU, UM, I DON'T THINK YOU HAD DONE EVERYTHING DURING THE TIME OF OUR MEETING.
I THINK THERE WAS SOME THINGS THAT YOU WERE STILL LOOKING TO DO.
ARE THOSE THINGS BAKED INTO THIS BUDGET? YES.
UH, UH, THE AROSE REPORT WAS, UH, DETAILED, NOT, UH, SAT FOR SUPERVISORS.
SO THIS BUDGET REFLECTS THE, THE INCREASE IN WHAT THE AMBULANCE SUPPORT RECOMMENDS AND WHAT I, UH,
[03:15:01]
RECOMMEND AS WELL.IT ALSO TALKED ABOUT, UM, EQUIPMENT, CAMERAS OR SOMETHING.
DID YOU INSTALL ALL OF THOSE CAMERAS OR ALL THE CAMERAS? UM, THE UPGRADES HAVE BEEN DONE AND HAVE, HAVE BEEN COMPLETED IN THE FACILITY.
UM, WHEN LOOKING AT YOUR PERSONNEL SUMMARY, I DON'T SEE A BREAKOUT FOR, UM, SPECIFICALLY FOLKS WHO HAVE A MENTAL HEALTH KIND OF BACKGROUND.
I'M JUST THINKING ABOUT THE COMMENTS FROM YOU AND FROM, UM, THE CHIEF PHIL ELIJAH, WHO TALKED ABOUT HOW YOU GUYS HAVE RECOGNIZED MORE AND MORE OF THE INMATES COMING IN ARE EXPERIENCING, UM, MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES.
AND I KNOW YOU'VE RECENTLY HIRED DIRECTOR VEGA AND SOME OTHER PEOPLE.
HAVE YOU BUILT IN MENTAL HEALTH STAFF AND MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMMING TO HELP CAPTURE, UM, SOME OF THESE CHALLENGES THAT, THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE LOOKING AT SEEING RATHER WITH THE INMATES? WE HAVE IN THIS BUDGET AS WELL AS, UM, CFG HAS HIRED, UH, MORE MENTAL HEALTH, UH, PROFESSIONALS AS WELL FROM, FROM THE, FROM THE MEDICAL AND CLINICAL SIDE.
BUT THIS BUDGET ALSO HAS BUILT IN, UM, EXTRA STAFFING THAT DEALS WITH COUNSELING, THAT DEALS WITH THE TRAINING.
WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH, UH, RUTGERS UNIVERSITY AND, AND THE, UH, CIVILIAN TASK FORCE, UM, FOR, ACTUALLY WE'RE PRODUCING A TRAINING VIDEO, UM, FOR OFFICERS TO BE USED ALL THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES ON, ON JAILS AND PRISONS AND, AND IDENTIFYING MENTAL HEALTH, UM, UH, SIGNS IN, IN, IN PRISONS.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE VERY PROUD TO BE LIKE ON THE FOREFRONT OF, AND THAT'S COMING OUTTA THE TASK FORCE.
SO ALL OF THE STAFF WILL BE TRAINED WITH THAT? YES.
SIR, HOW MANY MENTAL HEALTH STAFF IS IT NOW? UM, WE HAVE DR.
VEGA THERE RIGHT NOW FROM, FROM THE CORRECTOR SIDE.
AN SAID ON THE, UH, CLINICAL PEOPLE.
AN SAID, I'M THE MEDICAL DIRECTOR.
UM, SO WE DO HAVE A HEAD OF MENTAL HEALTH, I'M SORRY,
I'M, I'M TRYING TO PROTECT EVERYBODY.
I SEE A LOT MORE, UM, I SEE A LOT MORE FOLKS WITH, WITH, WITH COVID THAN YOU GUYS DO.
BUT, UM, WE HAVE, WE HAVE A MENTAL HEALTH DIRECTOR, DR.
FLEMING, WHO'S NOW BEEN SEASONED.
HE'S BEEN THERE FOR ABOUT FIVE YEARS NOW.
HE'S THE DIRECTOR AND HE HAS A FULL-TIME PSYCHIATRIST AND A FULL-TIME PSYCHIATRIC, UH, NURSE PRACTITIONER.
AND THEN TWO PART-TIME, UH, PSYCHIATRIC NURSE PRACTITIONERS ALONG WITH, UH, FOUR, UH, MASTER LEVEL, UH, COUNSELORS THAT ARE THERE, UH, THAT WORK TO BASICALLY START TO CAPTURE THOSE PATIENTS IN TERMS OF THEIR PATHOLOGY FROM THE DOOR.
SO THE NURSES ARE TRAINED, THE, THE, EVEN THE NON-PSYCHIATRIC PROVIDERS ARE TRAINED ON SUICIDE PREVENTION.
FLEMING JUST STARTED A NEW ROUND OF SUICIDE PREVENTION THAT GOES FOR THE MEDICAL STAFF AND ALSO FOR THE CUSTODIAL STAFF.
UM, AND THE, THE OBJECTIVE IS THAT AS OUR PATIENTS ARE COMING IN, WE CAN START TO IDENTIFY IMMEDIATELY WHO ACTUALLY A, NEEDS TO BE HOUSED AT ANOTHER LEVEL THAT'S MAYBE BEYOND THE SCOPE OF THE JAIL, BECAUSE WE DO GET PATIENTS THAT ARE COMING INTO THE FACILITY THAT ARE ACTIVELY SUICIDAL, AND THOSE PATIENTS MAY NEED TO GO BACK TO CRISIS.
WE WORK WITH TWO AFFILIATED HOSPITALS, UH, UNIVERSITY CRISIS, AND ALSO BETH ISRAEL CRISIS.
UM, IF THOSE PATIENTS ARE DEEMED AT A LEVEL WHERE THEIR LOWERS AND HOSPITAL LEVELS HERE, UM, THEY'RE PLACED IN OUR FORENSIC UNIT.
UM, WE HAVE RIGHT NOW TO DATE ROUGHLY 400 PATIENTS THAT ARE OUT OF THE 2300 THAT ARE THERE, THAT HAVE A BONAFIDE MENTAL HEALTH DIAGNOSIS.
UH, I THINK THE TEAM COULD DEFINITELY, UH, USE SOME, UH, EXPANSION, UH, TO SAY THE LEAST.
AND I KNOW, UM, ONE OF OUR DEPUTY CHIEF'S, UH, DEPUTY DIRECTOR'S, UH, MISSIONS IS TO TRY TO BASICALLY BLEND ALL THE DIFFERENT TEAMS THAT ARE THERE BECAUSE WE ALSO HAVE A LOT OF ADDICTION.
CAUSE CO-OCCURRING IS A REAL ENTITY AT THE JAIL, WE HAVE ROUGHLY THREE TO 400 PATIENTS THAT ARE SUFFERING FROM ADDICTION AS WELL.
SO WHEN YOU COMBINE THOSE NUMBERS, WE HAVE OVER 500 AT ANY GIVEN TIME THAT NEED THE, THE, UH, CARE FROM THE MENTAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
AND SO WE HAVE A SEPARATE M A T PROGRAM.
M A T IS THE MEDICATION ASSISTED THERAPY, WHICH IS METHADONE, SUBOXONE, VIVITROL, AND SOME OTHER MEDS THAT WE USE.
BUT WE'RE FINDING THAT AS WE DELVE DEEPER INTO THIS, THAT THE SCOPE THAT OF CARE THAT WE NEED IS, NEEDS TO BE EXPANDED AND THAT THE, UH, THE STAFFING, UH, PER AND THE PERSONNEL NEEDS TO ALSO BE EXPANDED AS WELL.
[03:20:01]
THANK YOU FOR, UM, STABILIZING THE JAIL AND GROWING IT AND WORKING WITH PHIL TO, TO IMPLEMENT.I, NO, I HAVEN'T GOTTEN AS MANY COMPLAINTS AS I'VE GOTTEN LIKE A YEAR AGO, SO I THINK THAT'S A, THAT'S A REALLY GOOD THING, YOU KNOW, SO THANK YOU.
MR. MC, I JUST HAVE ONE LAST QUESTION.
JUST GIVE US AN UPDATE ON YOUR OVERTIME.
UM, SO AT THE START OF MY APPOINTMENT, TOM, AUGUST, I TOOK A LOOK AT THE OVERTIME.
WE HAD A STAFFING ANALYSIS DONE.
UM, WE PUT A TIERED SYSTEM OF RESTRICTIONS OR REFORMS ON, ON MANAGING THE OVERTIME.
UM, UH, WE ARE LOOKING AT, IF YOU COMPARE THE FIR FIRST MONTH OF JANUARY OF LAST YEAR, WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT A 49.8% REDUCTION IN, IN, IN THE, OVER, IN THE OVERTIME.
AND YOU THINK YOU CAN MAINTAIN THAT THROUGH THE, THE BALANCE UNLESS SOMETHING DRASTIC HAPPENS? I BELIEVE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? ANY OTHER BUDGET QUESTIONS? ANY COMMENT? HERE WE GO.
UH, MR. PRESIDENT, WITH REGARD TO THE BOARD COMMISSIONERS AND THE CLERK OF THE BOARD BUDGETS, UH, THEY, THEY REMAIN, UM, UH, VERY MUCH ALIGNED WITH THE, HOW THEY HAPPENED IN THE PAST.
OBVIOUSLY, THERE'S NOT THE COMMISSIONERS THAT BETTER BUDGETED FOR, UH, WE STILL KEEP THE SAME LEVEL AMOUNT OF, UH, COMMISSIONER AIDS OR COMMISSIONER.
SO THOSE, THOSE ARE BUDGETED FOR.
THE ONLY THING I WOULD, I WOULD SAY IS THAT IT, IT REALLY BEGS THE COMMISSIONERS FROM TIME TO TIME TO LOOK AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE MAXIMIZE, UM, THEIR ALLOCATIONS.
BECAUSE THERE'S PLENTY OF TIMES AT THE END OF THE YEAR I MIGHT SEE THAT, UH, SOME OF YOU HAVE NOT.
SO THERE IS OPPORTUNITY THERE SOMETIMES TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, ALL THOSE POSITIONS ARE FILLED, THOSE, UM, UH, SPOTS.
WITH REGARDS TO THE CLERK'S BUDGET, UM, I'LL SPEAK TO THE COURT, BUT I WILL SAY THAT THAT'S ROE, IT'S, IT'S PRETTY MUCH THE SAME AS IT'S, IT'S BEEN IN PRIOR YEARS, ALTHOUGH WE, WE WILL HAVE A RETIREMENT IN 2023.
UM, IN ADDITION, THERE ARE SOME OTHER EXPENSES THAT ARE BEING SHIFTED TO THE COMMISSIONER'S BUDGET.
THAT IS THE ENTERTAINMENT BUDGET, WHICH WE'RE WORKING WITH THE ADMINISTRATION ON NOW.
UM, THAT THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS WILL BE RESPONSIBLE, UH, FROM THEIR END OF, UM, HIRING AN ENTERTAINMENT CONSULTANT, UH, SO THAT HE CAN GO OUT AND, UH, HIRE THOSE ENTERTAINMENT GROUPS THAT ARE REQUIRED OF VARIOUS FESTIVALS AND COMMEMORATIONS THAT THE COMMISSIONERS CONDUCT.
UH, AND THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IT.
WILL WE GET A COPY OF WHAT IT IS, WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT? NO, IT'S IN THE BOOK.
AS FAR AS THE CHANGE IT IS IS IN HERE.
[03:25:16]
ANYBODY ASK ANY QUESTIONS? ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? GOOD.MOTION TO ADJOURN? ALL IN FAVOR.
THANK FOR PARTICIPATION HEARING FOR 2020.