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CALL, MADAM CLERK.COMMISSIONER, VICE PRESIDENT FROM MARS.
COMMISSIONER, PRESIDENT RICHARDSON HERE.
I HAVE BEFORE ME CERTIFICATIONS FROM THE CLERK THAT THIS MEETING IS IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE OPEN PUBLIC MEETING ACT.
THIS IS, THIS MEETING IS THE WORK FIRST NEW JERSEY REVIEW COMMITTEE MEETING.
SO WE'RE GONNA GO OVER ISSUES OF CONCERN.
AND THE FIRST ITEM ON AGENDA IS THE BACKLOG OF CASES STATEWIDE IMPACTING LARGE COMMU COMMUNITIES, COUNTIES.
I'M SORRY, S MR. JACKSON SUGGEST MR. JACKSON.
UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, MADAM CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, UM, AND EVERY LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, UH, WE ARE, UM, UH, WITH ME TODAY ARE, UH, DIRECTOR AN IVO RAMOS AND DIRECTOR, UH, VALENTINA RICHARDSON GREEN.
UM, AND THEY'RE GONNA BE, UH, UH, ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS, UM, UH, THAT WE, THAT WE'VE BEEN PRESENTED.
AND I, I'M NOT SURE, UM, DIRECTOR, DO YOU WANT TO GO DIRECTLY TO VALENTINA OR DO YOU HAVE ANY LIKE INTRODUCTORY? NO, I, I, I JUST, UH, A**L RAMOS JR.
DIRECTOR, ESSIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF CITIZEN SERVICES.
I, I JUST WANT TO THANK THE, UH, BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS, THE COMMITTEE CHAIR FOR INVITING US, UH, BEFORE YOU TODAY.
UH, EVEN THOUGH THE, THE, THE COMMITTEE IS ENTITLED, UH, WORKFORCE NEW JERSEY.
UH, BASED ON THE QUESTIONS THAT WE RECEIVED AHEAD OF TIME, UH, A LOT OF THE INQUIRIES DEAL WITH OUR DIVISION OF FAMILY ASSISTANCE AND BENEFITS, YOU KNOW, AROUND, UH, UH, CASELOADS, UH, BACKLOGS AND CERTAIN, UH, CATEGORIES OF OUR CASELOAD UPDATES ON HIRING, UH, SPECIAL PROJECTS AS SUCH OVER TIME.
UH, SO I'VE, I'VE ASKED OUR, UH, DIVISION HEAD, UM, MS. VALENTINA RICHARDSON GREEN TO APPEAR BEFORE US, UH, AS WELL.
AND SHE CAN PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF AN OVERVIEW IN TERMS OF WHERE WE ARE, UH, WITH OUR CASELOAD IN, IN THE BARRY'S CATEGORIES.
SO, IN TERMS OF THE FIRST ITEM, EXCUSE, COULD YOU STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD PLEASE? THANK YOU.
VALENTINA RICHARDSON, GREEN DIVISION DIRECTOR, DIVISION OF FAMILY ASSISTANCE AND BENEFITS.
YOU WANT ME TO JUST GO DOWN THE BULLETS? MM-HMM.
UH, THE FIRST BULLET LISTED HERE IS THE BACKLOG OF CASES STATEWIDE IMPACTING LARGER COUNTIES.
IT, IT'S NOT A ESSEX COUNTY UNIQUE SITUATION.
IT'S IMPACTING COUNTIES THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY.
UH, THE NEXT ITEM, EXPLANATION OF STATE SUPPORT, OVERTIME MONIES, AND ADDITIONAL PROCESSING SUPPORT.
I'VE BEEN IN CONSTANT COMMUNICATION WITH THE STATE AS WELL AS DIRECTOR RAMOS IN TERMS OF WHAT IT IS AND WHAT SUPPORT WE NEED MOVING FORWARD TO ADDRESS THE CASES THAT ARE OUTSTANDING.
IN ADDITION TO, UH, OTHER AREAS, A PLAN WAS SUBMITTED TO THEM THAT DEALT WITH ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR TRAINING AS WELL AS ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THE PROCESSING OF OVERDUE APPLICATIONS, PRIMARILY IN THE AREA OF SNAP AND WF AND J.
OUR WF AND J CASELOAD NUMBERS HAS CONSISTENTLY DECREASED OVER THE YEARS.
OUR CASELOAD FOR WF AND J TOTAL THAT INCLUDES TANIF AS WELL AS GA, IS LESS THAN 3000 CASES.
UH, OUR SNAP CASELOAD CURRENTLY IS, UH, 61,000 AND THAT'S WHERE THE, THE FOCUS OF THE OVERTIME MONIES THAT THE STATE HAS BEGUN TO ISSUE US IS GOING TO BE USED TOWARDS.
UH, THEY ALSO TALKED ABOUT ALLOWING US ADDITIONAL DAYS WITHIN THE MONTH FOR CLOSING DOWN TO CUSTOMERS FOR FACE-TO-FACE WALK-INS, SO THAT ALLOW FOR ADDITIONAL TIME FOR PROCESSING.
WE HAVE BACKLOG AND OVERTIME PROJECTS TO BEGIN THE WEEK OF THREE 20.
WE HAVE SEVEN DIFFERENT PROJECTS THAT ARE SCHEDULED TO BEGIN.
TWO OF THEM FOCUSED ON THE SNAP AND W F N J APPLICATIONS THAT ARE OUTSTANDING, AS WELL AS AREAS OF SUPPORT FOR THE E B T CARDS, CUZ ONCE THE CASE ARE PROCESSED, WE HAVE
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TO GENERATE E B T CARDS SO THAT THE CUSTOMERS ARE ABLE TO ACCESS THEIR BENEFITS.ANOTHER AREA WHERE WE'LL BE DOING OVERTIME HAS TO DO WITH RECORDS MANAGEMENT AND GETTING CASES ONCE THEY'RE PROCESSED ON OUR DOCUMENT IMAGING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, THAT IS FOR THE STATE, SO THAT THEY CAN VIEW ALL OF THE DOCUMENTS FOR QUALITY CONTROL REVIEWS.
AND ANY PERSON THAT NEEDS TO UPDATE OR LOOK AT A CUSTOMER'S CASE WOULD BE ABLE TO ACCESS IT ELECTRONICALLY.
THE GOAL IS TO MOVE AWAY FROM A PAPER PROCESS TOWARDS A MORE ELECTRONIC PROCESS.
THE STATE IS ALSO, UH, LOOKING AT WAYS TO SUPPORT US WITH ADDITIONAL TRAININGS, INCLUDING, UH, CUSTOMER SERVICE AND DEESCALATION, AS WELL AS ADDITIONAL TRAINING ON THEIR STATE CASE TRACKING TOOL, WHICH IS CALLED ONE TRACK.
WE STARTED TRAINING LAST YEAR, BUT DURING, UH, COVID, WE WERE NOT ABLE TO COMPLETE ALL THE TRAININGS, BUT THEY ARE PROVIDING SUPPORT SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE AND FULLY UTILIZE ALL THE BENEFITS OF THE SYSTEM.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, THEY'LL BE SENDING STATE REPRESENTATIVES TO ASSIST US IN TERMS OF LOOKING AT OUR OVERALL OPERATIONS AND HOW WE'RE PROVIDING SERVICES TO THE CUSTOMERS, AS WELL AS HOW WE'RE PROCESSING APPLICATIONS TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE DOING THEM EFFICIENTLY AS WELL AS TIMELY.
SO THE STATE IS ON BOARD AND THEY REALIZE THAT THE SUPPORT IS NEEDED.
AND AGAIN, IT'S NOT JUST UNIQUE TO ESSEX COUNTY.
WE DO HAPPEN TO BE THE LARGEST COUNTY, BUT WE ARE NOT THE ONLY COUNTY THAT ARE, THAT IS ENCOUNTERING THE SAME TYPE OF ISSUES.
THE NEXT BULLET POINT IS, WHAT IS THE PROCESS IN PLACE TO ADDRESS THE MANY VACANCIES DUE TO CIVIL SERVICE DELAYS, RETIREMENTS, RESIGNATIONS, AND LEAVES? UH, THERE WAS AN EXTREMELY LONG PERIOD OF TIME WHERE WE HAD TO WAIT FOR A TEST FOR OUR FAMILY SERVICE WORKER.
FAMILY SERVICE WORKERS ARE THE ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATION WORKERS AND OUR AGENCY.
SO WE HAD A SIGNIFICANT PERIOD OF TIME WHERE WE DID NOT HAVE ANY IN PLACE, SO WE ATTEMPTED TO HIRE PROVISIONALLY.
WE ALSO ATTEMPTED TO BRING ON A TITLE FAMILY SERVICE WORKER TRAINEE TO ASSIST WITH THE PROCESSING AND INTERVIEWING OF CUSTOMERS.
WE WERE FINALLY ABLE TO GET AN ACTUAL CIVIL SERVICE TEST THROUGH, UH, THE ASSISTANCE OF THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE MAKING CONTACT WITH CIVIL SERVICE AND JUST EXPRESSING THE SEVERE AND DIRE NEED OF THOSE TITLES.
SO WE WERE ABLE TO GET A LIST.
WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING THE CERTIFICATION LIST.
THERE'S OVER A HUNDRED APPLICANTS THAT ARE ON THE CERTIFICATION LIST.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE A CLASS OF 26 INDIVIDUALS THAT STARTED THE BEGINNING OF FEBRUARY.
THEY'RE SLATED TO END THEIR TRAINING THE BEGINNING OF APRIL TO THEN GO OUT INTO THE FIELD.
WE WOULD BE LOOKING TO BRING IN AN ADDITIONAL 20 FSWS OFF OF THAT CERTIFICATION LIST.
BUT WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE'RE UNABLE TO PROCEED UNTIL THE FIRST CERTIFICATION LIST IS SENT BACK TO CIVIL SERVICE.
THEN WE'RE ABLE TO PROCEED WITH INTERVIEWING AND HIRING ADDITIONAL STAFF.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE 21 VACANCIES FOR FSWS, BUT AGAIN, EVERY WEEK, EVERY MONTH WE HAVE EMPLOYEES THAT RETIRE OR RESIGN BECAUSE THEY FOUND EMPLOYMENT ELSEWHERE.
WE HAVE A LARGE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES OUT ON A VARIETY OF LEAVES AT ANY GIVEN TIME.
UPWARDS OF 50 EMPLOYEES THAT ARE OUT ON LEAVE OF WHICH WE CANNOT REPLACE IN ADDITION TO, UH, THE CURRENT VACANCIES, IN ADDITION TO STAFF TAKING THEIR NORMAL VACATION PERSONAL AND SICK TIME.
STATUS UPDATE ON THE NEW TRAINING CLASS STARTING IN FEBRUARY.
AGAIN, THEY'LL BE CONCLUDING THEIR TRAINING IN APRIL AND THEN THEY'LL BE, UH, ASSIGNED OUT TO THE OFFICES.
THEY'LL BE SENT TO THE AREAS WHERE THE, THE HIGHER CASELOADS ARE.
OUR ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATION UNIT AND OUR SNAP OFFICE ARE OUR PRIMARY OFFICES, AND THAT'S WHERE, UH, THE MAJORITY OF THE STAFF WILL GO.
STAFF STATUS OF FAMILY SERVICE WORKER LIST FOR THE NEXT GROUP OFF OF THE NEW JERSEY CIVIL SERVICE CERTIFICATION LIST.
AS I SAID, ONCE WE RECEIVE THE CERTIFICATION LIST BACK FROM CIVIL SERVICE, WE'LL BE ABLE TO PROCEED WITH GOING DOWN THE LIST.
UH, WE CURRENTLY HAVE INTERVIEWS SCHEDULED FOR THE END OF THIS MONTH FOR THE NEXT GROUP OF PEOPLE FOR POTENTIAL CANDIDATES.
ONCE WE CONDUCT THOSE INTERVIEWS AND THE INTERVIEWS ARE CONDUCTED BY ADMINISTRATORS, ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATORS, AND SUPERVISORS IN THE VARIOUS OFFICES FOR THEIR INPUT, WE WILL GO THROUGH AND SCREEN THOSE INDIVIDUALS AND THEY WILL GO THROUGH THE APPLICATION PROCESS, BACKGROUND CHECK, AND THEN HOPEFULLY WE WILL HAVE A NICE POOL THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO START A TRAINING CLASS SOON AFTER.
BUT AGAIN, WE WON'T BE ABLE TO DO
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THAT UNTIL WE RECEIVE BACK A CERTIFICATION LIST FROM CIVIL SERVICE.DETAILS REGARDING OT PROJECTS TO BEGIN THE WEEK OF 3 23 23.
AGAIN, THERE WILL BE SEVEN DIFFERENT PROJECTS GOING ON, AND THEY WILL BE LOCATED AT 3 23 21 AS WELL AS 50 SOUTH CLINTON STREET.
THE PROJECTS WILL FOCUS ON THE PROCESSING OF ONLINE APPLICATIONS AS WELL.
THE PROCESSING OF RECERTIFICATIONS.
RECERTIFICATIONS APPLIES TO CUSTOMERS WHO ARE ALREADY CURRENTLY RECEIVING BENEFITS, BUT THEY'RE DUE TO HAVE THEIR CASE RENEWED AS WELL AS IRFS.
THOSE ARE OUR INTERIM REPORTING FORMS. THOSE ARE FORMS THAT ARE SENT OUT BY THE STATE AT THE BID WAY POINT TO ASK THE CUSTOMER IF THERE ARE ANY CHANGES WITH THEIR CASE.
AND WE PROCESS THOSE FOR BENEFITS TO CONTINUE MENTION DURING COVID, THE U CERTIFICATION WASN'T HAPPENING? YES, DURING COVID, UH, THE STATE THROUGH THE FEDERAL APPROVAL DID NOT REQUIRE RE-CERTIFICATIONS TO BE DONE IN THE MONTH OF MARCH OF LAST YEAR.
THAT'S WHEN THEY TURNED BACK ON THE RECERTIFICATIONS FOR A CUSTOMER.
SO ALL DURING COVID CUSTOMERS DID NOT LOSE OUT ON BENEFITS IF THEY WERE ALREADY RECEIVING BENEFITS.
BENEFITS CONTINUED TO GO ON, UH, BUT FEDERAL GUIDELINES REQUIRED THAT RECERTIFICATION BE PUT BACK ON CASES.
ANOTHER AREA WHERE IS ENDING APRIL 1ST.
MEDICAID REDETERMINATIONS WILL RESUME DURING COVID.
INDIVIDUALS DID NOT HAVE TO GET REDETERMINED.
SO THERE'S GOING TO BE A LARGE NUMBER OF CASES NEEDING TO BE REVIEWED OVER THE NEXT 12 MONTHS AS IT RELATES TO, UH, NEW JERSEY FAMILY CARE, WHAT CUSTOMER SERVICE AND DEESCALATION TRAINING IS PLANNED FOR THE STAFF.
THAT WAS ALSO ONE OF THE ASKED TO THE STATE IF THEY COULD, UH, ASSIST AND PROVIDE THAT THROUGH OUR RISK MANAGER, TIM WALKER.
HE WAS ABLE TO COORDINATE WITH THE VENDOR WHO WAS WORKING WITH OUR TRAINING SUPERVISOR IN TERMS OF PROVIDING DEESCALATION TRAINING.
THOSE TRAINING TENTATIVE DATES ARE SCHEDULED FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL.
ALSO WORKED WITH ESSEX COUNTY COLLEGE TO PROVIDE, UH, SOME ONSITE TRAINING.
THAT'S GOING TO BE A ESSEX COUNTY COLLEGE FOR ABOUT 25 INDIVIDUALS TO 25 INDIVIDUALS ARE THE STAFF THAT HAVE DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE CUSTOMERS COMING INTO THE BUILDING.
CURRENTLY, ALL OF OUR STAFF DOES NOT HAVE FACE-TO-FACE CONTACT.
IT'S PRIMARILY THE INDIVIDUALS THAT WORK ON THE FIRST FLOOR OF THREE 20 AND 3 21, AS WELL AS OUR INVESTIGATORS AND OUR STAFF THAT WORKS IN SHELTER.
CASE MANAGEMENT, BOARDING HOME INSPECTION.
WE HAVE SOME STAFF AT THE SNAP OFFICE THAT ALSO HAVE FACE-TO-FACE INTERACTION.
THE MAJORITY OF THE STAFF DOES NOT SEE CUSTOMERS FACE-TO-FACE.
SO FOR THAT INITIAL TRAINING, IT'S GOING TO BE COMPRISED OF 25 INDIVIDUALS FROM THE TWO AREAS.
ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATION UNIT, THE SNAP OFFICE, OUR OFFICE OF MANAGED SPECIAL SERVICES, THOSE ARE THE OFFICES THAT HANDLE EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE, SHELTER INSPECTIONS, BOARDING HOME INSPECTIONS, AND CUSTOMERS THAT ARE COMING INTO THE OFFICE.
SO THEY'LL RECEIVE THAT TRAINING ON THE 28TH AND THE 29TH.
IT'S A TWO DAY TRAINING THAT ESSEX COUNTY IS GOING TO PROVIDE TO OUR STAFF.
SO WE HAVE THOSE TWO THINGS GOING SIMULTANEOUSLY TO DEAL WITH DEESCALATION IN THE WORKPLACE.
I'M GONNA ASK YOU TO STOP RIGHT THERE FOR ONE SECOND SO THAT, UM, LENNY, OH, I WANTED TO ASK THE COMMISSIONER IF HE HAD ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE WE GO TO THE NEXT, UM, BULLET POINT.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, LYNN, YOU WANNA ASK? I DO NOT.
YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? UH, NOT.
SO MY FIRST QUESTION IS, WHAT IS THE SIZE AND HEAD COUNT OF ALL OF THE STAFF THAT YOU HAVE CURRENTLY? WE HAVE 745 EMPLOYEES, AND THAT'S FROM ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF MANAGERS, ASSISTANT MANAGERS, FAMILY SERVICE WORKERS, FAMILY SERVICE SUPERVISORS, AS WELL AS CLERICAL SUPPORT STAFF.
AND WHAT IS THE PERCENTAGE OF THE STAFF THAT'S OUT ON A AVERAGE, YOU KNOW, DAILY OR WEEKLY? UH, IN TERMS OF THEIR REGULAR VACATION AND SCHEDULE TIME, IT'S ABOUT 25% OF THE PEOPLE THAT COULD BE OUT ON ANY GIVEN DAY.
AND IN TERMS OF INDIVIDUALS ON LEAVE, THERE ARE A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT LEAVES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO STAFF.
SO IT, IT BECOMES VERY DIFFICULT TO CHART WHO WILL BE IN, BECAUSE YOU HAVE STAFF THAT MIGHT BE ON
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NJ, F M L A, AN INTERMITTENT TYPE OF LEAVE.SO IT'S A VARIETY OF THINGS THAT YOU CAN'T REALLY TAKE INTO ACCOUNT UNTIL AFTER IT HAPPENS.
UM, THE NEXT BULLET POINT I WANT TO ASK YOU, HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADDRESS THIS? THE CONCERNS THAT'S, UM, LISTED YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU AN ATTACHMENT RIGHT? LIST THE GRIEVANCES MM-HMM.
I, I DON'T QUITE UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION.
IF, COULD I ATTEMPT TO, UM, IF I CAN, UH, THANK FOR COMMISS, MR. COMMITTEE CHAIR, AN RAMOS JR.
I, I JUST WANT TO MENTION THAT, UM, DIRECTOR GREEN AND, AND, AND I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE LAST WEEK.
UM, BUT THERE IS KIND OF A, A WORK PRACTICES FORUM MM-HMM.
I KNOW A NUMBER OF THESE GRIEVANCES, YOU KNOW, I CAN RECALL FROM SOME OF THE EMAILS THAT, THAT I WAS PRIVY TO THAT CAME, UM, FROM, FROM PRIMARILY CWA IN, IN SOME INSTANCES FROM FROM
SO THERE ARE ATTEMPTS, UM, YOU KNOW, AS SOON AS THE GRIEVANCES ARE RECEIVED TO ADDRESS THESE MATTERS.
AND, AND WE DID HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY LAST WEEK TO MEET WITH, UM, UH, PRESIDENT WEINER TO SPECIFICALLY GO OVER A NUMBER OF UNRESOLVED GRIEVANCES.
I KNOW SOME OF THESE DEAL WITH FACILITY ISSUES, SECURITY ISSUES, AND, UM, NUMBER OF THESE HAVE BEEN ABED ALREADY.
I MEAN, WE CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH WRITTEN DOCUMENTATION ON THE STATUS OF THESE.
I I, I'M SEEING THESE FOR THE FIRST TIME TODAY.
SO I KNOW THERE WAS AN ISSUE OF A, A RODENT THAT WAS SEEN OUTSIDE THE BUILDING CITING OF, YOU KNOW, THEIR PESTS INSIDE THE BUILDING, GARBAGE ON THE LAWN.
SO THO THOSE ISSUES ARE ADDRESSED ON A REGULAR BASIS WHEN WE, WHEN WE RECEIVED THE COMPLAINTS.
COMMISSIONER, PRESIDENT, UM, YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? YEAH, I, I WAS GOING TO ASK QUESTIONS.
I THINK THE DIRECTOR PRETTY MUCH WENT OVER A LOT OF IT, UH, IN TERMS OF HOW TO ABATE THESE, UH, THESE GRIEVANCES.
WHAT IS IT, THE USUAL COURSE IN WHICH THE GRIEVANCES ARE ADDRESSED, BECAUSE THIS IS, THIS IS A LOT AND I, WE GET THEM QUITE REGULARLY, BUT WE DON'T KNOW WHICH ONES HAVE BEEN ABATED, WHICH GRIEVANCES HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED.
WE NEVER GET THAT INFORMATION.
THE ONLY TIME WE GET ANY, UH, CLARIFYING INFORMATION IS WHEN A GRIEVANCE HAVE BEEN WITHDRAWN.
IN TERMS OF THE ONES THAT ARE STILL ACTIVE, THEY'VE BEEN TAKEN, THEY'VE BEEN ADDRESSED.
SO WE DON'T, WE DON'T GET THAT INFORMATION.
SO FOR US, ALL OF THIS STUFF IS STILL OUTSTANDING.
UM, MR. PRESIDENT, I, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE PROCESS IS.
I DON'T SEE THESE, UM, GRIEVANCES MYSELF.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THEY GO DIRECTLY TO THE DEPARTMENT OR, OR, OR THE DIVISION.
SO I THINK MAYBE FROM A PROCEDURAL STANDPOINT, UH, MADAM CLERK OF YOU AGREE.
UM, IF YOU WANT TO SEND THEM TO ME AND I WILL GET THEM TO, UM, DIRECTOR RAMOS AND DIRECTOR RICHARDSON GREEN, AND THEN WE CAN, YOU KNOW, I I I, I THINK SOME OF THE FOLLOW UP HAS HAPPENED, BUT IT'S BEEN, AS MR. PRESIDENT SAID, SORT OF A LITTLE BIT HAPHAZARD CUZ WE JUST DON'T HAVE THAT DIRECT.
BUT IF, IF THERE ARE GRIEVANCES THAT COME IN, IF YOU SEND THEM TO ME, WE WILL GET 'EM OUT TO THE, TO THE DEPARTMENT AND, AND GET RESPONSES.
MATT AND I WILL COORDINATE THAT.
SO, UM, THAT WAY YOU'RE NOT, YOU KIND OF KNOW TO COME BACK TO US TO SEE WHAT, WHAT THE STATUS IS AND YOU CAN LET THE COMMISSIONERS KNOW WHAT'S BEEN ADDRESSED AND HOW IT'S BEEN ADDRESSED, ET CETERA.
THAT, THAT MAKES SENSE THROUGH YOU, MADAM CHAIR, THAT, UH, I WILL RECEIVE THE, UM, UH, SEND THE GRIEVANCES TO, UM, UH, THE ADMINISTRATOR.
UM, AND, UM, WHEN I RECEIVE THE RESPONSES, I WILL DISTRIBUTE IT TO THE BOARD.
IF I, IF I CAN MAKE A SUGGESTION TO, UM, TO COMMISSIONER CHAIR, UM, I, I THINK WE CAN SET UP A BETTER PROCESS TO, UM, PROVIDE UPDATES IN TERMS OF WHERE WE ARE WITH THE GRIEVANCES THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE VARIOUS UNIONS.
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A NUMBER OF THEM ARE GRIEVANCES THAT WE CAN ADDRESS INTERNALLY.SOME OF THEM GO BEYOND THE AUTHORITY OF THE, THE, THE DEPARTMENT OR THE DIVISION.
YOU KNOW, COUNTY COUNCIL IN SOME INSTANCES IS INVOLVED IN ADDRESSING THE GRIEVANCES.
UH, SOME OF THE GRIEVANCES, I I, I CAN RECALL OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, A FEW OF THE CWA GRIEVANCES DEALT WITH THE REASONS WHY THAT WERE END OF THE YEAR TRANSFERS AND FUNDS FROM ONE COUNTY DEPARTMENT TO ANOTHER.
AND THAT'S THOSE, THAT'S A GRIEVANCE THAT WE WOULD NOT ANSWER INTERNALLY.
SO THOSE, THE, AT LEAST THE ONES THAT WE'RE ABLE TO, UM, CROSSCHECK AND, AND PROVIDE UPDATE TO, UM, I'LL, I'LL WORK WITH VALENTINA TO CREATE A PROCESS WHERE ON A MONTHLY BASIS WE COULD AT LEAST SEND YOU SOME UPDATES.
SO, ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, PRESIDENT? NO, I MEAN, THAT MAKES SENSE TO ME.
I JUST PROBABLY WANT TO HEAR FROM MR. WEINER, UH, IN TERMS OF WHERE HE IS AND IF ANY OF THIS STUFF MAKES SENSE TO HIM, IF HE HAS SOME OTHER, UH, SUGGESTIONS THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL IN MOVING THIS, THESE PROCESSES FORWARD.
UM, OTHER THAN THAT, I'M NOT TRYING TO STEP UP AND CHOSE MADAM CHAIR, BUT I THINK WE COME TO A POINT WHERE WE, UH, PROBABLY NEED TO, HE HEAR FROM HIM BECAUSE THESE GRIEVANCES PRETTY MUCH COME FROM HIM.
SO IF HE HAS SOME, I MEAN, I, I GET THE GRIEVANCE PART, BUT IF HE HAS SOME SOLUTIONS, UH, THAT THE ADMINISTRATION OR THE, UH, COMMISSIONERS COULD FOLLOW, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
IF WE HAD SOME SUGGESTIONS ON, UH, HOW TO ADDRESS THESE THINGS.
ABSOLUTELY STEP, THE LACK OF GLASSES IS NOT FOR EGO.
DAVID WEINER, UH, PRESIDENT OF CITY LOCAL 10 81, REPRESENTING THE NON-SUPERVISORY EMPLOYEES OF THE ESSES COUNTY DIVISION OF FAMILY ASSISTANCE AND BENEFITS, FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE DIVISION OF WELFARE.
UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR HOLDERS FOR HOLDING THIS, UH, I'M SORRY, COMMISSIONERS.
I STILL HAVEN'T GOTTEN USED TO THAT, UM, HOLDING THIS, THIS, UH, WELFARE TO OUR COMMITTEE MEETING.
UM, AND TO, AND I'LL ANSWER, UH, THE, THE CHAIRMAN, THE PRESIDENT'S QUESTION.
UM, EVERY GRIEVANCE THAT WE DO HAS A RESOLUTION AT THE END OF THE GRIEVANCE THAT WE SEEK.
UM, I CAN GIVE YOU EXAMPLES, BUT, UH, AND, UH, WE DO, FOR EXAMPLE, HERE'S ONE SUMMONING AN AMBULANCE TO THE, UH, WORKPLACE.
IN THIS CASE IT WAS THE 3 23 21 UNIVERSITY AVENUE, UH, BUILDINGS.
BUT IT, IT COULD ALSO APPLY TO OUR MEMBERS AT SNAP FOOD STAMPS UP IN 50 SOUTH CLINTON, WHO WERE ON THE FIRST AND THE FOURTH FLOOR.
UM, AND WE, WE ALWAYS ENDED BY SAYING CBA LOCAL KENNEDY WON DEMANDS.
AND THIS TIME THE RESOLUTION TO THIS CONTRACT, TO THIS, UH, CONTRACT WILL ALLOW ANY EMPLOYEES TO CALL AN AMBULANCE.
THE THE ISSUE HERE WAS THAT, UM, WE WERE TOLD THAT MANAGEMENT WAS RESTRICTING, UH, EMPLOYEES FOR CALLING 9 1 1 FOR AN AMBULANCE.
WE HAD AN A CLIENT, NO, IT WAS A COWORKER THAT WAS SUFFERING AN EPILEPTIC SEIZURE.
AND, UH, WE WERE NOT ALLOWED, OUR MEMBERS WERE NOT ALLOWED TO CALL AN AMBULANCE.
THEY HAD TO GO THROUGH UPPER MANAGEMENT IN THE OFFICE ALLEGEDLY.
AND, UM, SO BY SO DOING THAT OBVIOUSLY PUTS AT RISK THE INDIVIDUAL WHO'S, UH, HARMED, LUCKILY THREE EMPLOYEES, ONE OF THEM BEING ONE OF OUR OFFICERS, BELINDA, SALLY, THEY WERE FAMILIAR WITH THE PROCESS AND THEY ASSISTED THEIR COWORKER AND HELPED HER THROUGH THAT.
BUT OTHERWISE, THAT'S THE, SO THE, THE BIG ANSWER IS I DO INCLUDE IN EVERY SINGLE GRIEVANCE, WHICH I CC MUCH TO, I'M SURE YOUR CHAGRIN, UH, ALL THE, ALMOST EVERY BIG GRIEVANCE I DO, I COPY.
UH, AND WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, I ALSO COPY MR. JACKSON.
HE'S PROBABLY GONE BLEARY-EYED FROM LOOKING AT THEM AND DOESN'T SEE HIS NAME THERE.
BUT, UH, I DO COPY HIM AS WELL, AS WELL AS, UH, JACKIE, AS WELL AS TIM, IF IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE.
UH, JEROME, UH, MR. UH, SINCE JOHN ESQUIRE, MS. HALL, THEY'RE ALL THERE.
AND YOU CAN SEE THEM COPIED ON ALL THE THINGS I SENT ABOUT THREE OF 'EM OUT TODAY.
UM, SO YOU, YOU CAN LOOK, BUT I CAN UNDERSTAND WHY, UH, UH, SOMEBODY FROM, UH, THE HEIGHTS OF MONTCLAIR MIGHT NOT, UH, CALL
UM, I'M SORRY, I HAVE TO CLARIFY WHAT I WAS
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SAYING WAS I ABSOLUTELY GET COPIES OF, OF YOUR, UH, GRIEVANCES.WHAT I WAS SAYING TO MAN CLERK WAS, IT SOUNDED TO ME LIKE THIS LIST CAME FROM A DIFFERENT SOURCE THAN YOUR LIST.
IT DID NOT COME FROM THE RIGHT.
SO THAT'S WHY I WAS SAYING I DON'T GET THAT LIST.
I WAS NOT, I ABSOLUTELY, AND I LOVE GETTING YOURS.
SO, SO I KNOW I SAID NOT AN ISSUE AT ALL.
WE, WE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE, THE, UH, COMPOSITION OF THE, UH, POINTS HERE ON, ON THE, ON THE DOCUMENT.
UM, AND WHEN THEY COME, BIG ISSUES, I WAS BROUGHT UP ABOUT THE, BY OUR DIVISION DIRECTOR ABOUT THE FAMILY SERVICE, SOCIAL FAMILY, SERVICE WORKER, TRAINEES.
I THINK WE HAVE ABOUT 14 OF THEM NOW IN THE AGENCY.
UH, HAD BEEN FIVE AND THEN THEY HIRED ANOTHER NINE.
WE HAVE A BIG PROBLEM WITH THAT.
AND THE BIG PROBLEM IS THAT THAT TITLE ALLOWS THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION TO, UH, AND I DO WANT TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN THE ADMINISTRATION AND THE LEGISLATIVE BODY BECAUSE OF THEIR DISTINCT ROLES, UH, SUCH AS THIS COMMITTEE, IT'S OVERSIGHT, UM, THAT WE WENT THROUGH THIS THREE YEARS AGO WITH PHIL ELIJAH, UH, HE ATTEMPTED TO USE THE TITLE, UM, WITH ABOUT 10 PEOPLE THAT WERE KNOWN PERSONALLY.
UM, AND WE GOT THEM TO CHANGE THAT CLIENT SERVICE REP, CUZ THAT'S CLIENT SERVICE REP REQUIRES A CIVIL SERVICE TEST.
THE WAY THE, THE SOCIAL FAMILY SERVICE WORKER TRAINEE WORKS VERSUS FAMILY SERVICE WORKER, FAMILY SERVICE WORKER.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A COLLEGE DEGREE.
YOU CAN SUBSTITUTE APPLICABLE EXPERIENCE IN ADDITION TO COLLEGE.
AND YOU ARE, YOU, YOU MUST COME OFF THE CIVIL SERVICE LIST EVENTUALLY.
AND THAT'S THE ONE OUR DIVISION DIRECTOR WAS ALLUDING TO, UM, THE FIRST ONE WHERE WE'RE HIRING FROM THEM NOW.
AND, UH, NOW WITH THE FAMILY SERVICE WORKER TRAINEE, THAT'S THE BEGINNING OF THE DEATH OF CIVIL SERVICE IN OUR AGENCY BECAUSE THAT ALLOWS THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH TO HIRE ANYBODY THEY WANT, WHO HAS A DEGREE IN ANYTHING.
AND WITHIN ONE YEAR OF BEING IN THAT TITLE, THEY AUTOMATICALLY BECOME FAMILY SERVICE WORKERS WITHOUT EVER HAVING TAKEN A TEST.
THAT IS THE, THAT'S THE ONLY TITLE.
EVEN OUR KC ONE S OUR KEYBOARDING CLERK ONE S HAVE TO TAKE A TYPING TEST.
EVERYBODY ELSE HAS TO TAKE A CIVIL SERVICE TEST.
THIS GROUP DOES NOT HAVE TO TAKE A CIVIL SERVICE TEST.
AND AS OUR DIRECTOR, HIS DIRECTOR WAS ALLUDING TO EARLIER, OR PERHAPS IT WAS OUR DEPART DEPARTMENT, UM, THERE WAS A PERIOD OF TIME WHERE THEY NEEDED, WE NEEDED STAFF.
WE, WE ALWAYS HAD NEEDED STAFF.
AND, UH, THEY, UH, THE ADMINISTRATION, PHIL LED THE CALL.
MR. JACKSON WAS ON THE CALL AS WELL, AND MR. RAMOS.
UM, AND THIS WAS A WHILE AGO, AND THEY TOLD US THEY WERE INTRODUCED HIS TITLE.
I REMINDED PHIL THAT THEY TRIED THAT THREE YEARS AGO AND THEY ENDED UP USING THE CLIENT SERVICES REP.
THIS IS, WE BELIEVE, WITH ALL THE RESPECT, AND I ALWAYS SAY THAT BEFORE I MIGHT INSULT SOMEBODY.
THIS IS A POLITICALLY MOTIVATED PROCESS.
WE, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE BEING APPOINTED ARE CONNECTED TO, UH, THIS ONE'S COUSIN, THIS ONE'S BROTHER.
ONE PERSON HAS TWO BROTHERS AND A, AND A GUY AND A AND AND A COUSIN WORKING THERE.
WE NOT, WE HAVE NOTHING AGAINST THEM PERSONALLY.
THEY, YOU KNOW, NEPOTISM HAS EXISTED IN THIS COUNTY.
I'VE BEEN PRESIDENT OF OUR LOCAL FOR 43 YEARS AND BEEN IN THE AGENCY FOR 46.
AND THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN NEPOTISM.
I WAS HERE BEFORE, UH, SHAPIRO, AND I'VE BEEN ALL THE WAY THROUGH TWO OF THEM, TWO OF WHOM WENT TO JAIL, ONE OF WHOM I TESTIFIED FOR ACTUALLY.
AND THE OTHER ONE I WROTE A LETTER TO THE JUDGE.
UM, SO WE HAVE, WE ALWAYS SAY WHERE OUR, OUR RESOLUTION IS WITHIN OUR GRIEVANCES.
WE DO, YOU DO SEE THE WITHDRAWALS BECAUSE WE SO, SO, SO IF, IF, IF I MAY PLEASE CHAIR.
LET, LET'S STAY WITH THIS SERVICE.
LET'S GO BACK TO THE TRAINING.
WHAT'S THE SOLUTION? THE SOLUTION IS, COULD BE TWOFOLD BECAUSE IT WAS KNOWN FIRST OF ALL, THE, THE LAST NINE THAT WERE HIRED, I BELIEVE WERE HIRED SUBSEQUENT TO THE CIVIL SERVICE LIST FOR FAMILY SERVICE WORK COMING OUT.
OUR UNION CONTACTED CIVIL SERVICE.
WE GOT THEM BECAUSE THEY WERE SAYING THEY WEREN'T GONNA GIVE THE TEST UNTIL LAST FALL OR, OR THE WINTER, THIS WINTER.
THEY USED TO USE THE TRAINEES.
AND WE SAID TO THAT THEY COULD MAKE THEM, UH, CLIENT SERVICES REPS AS THEY DID THE EIGHT PEOPLE BACK THREE YEARS AGO.
NOW, FOR EXAMPLE, THE TRAINEES, SINCE THEY HAVE DEGREES, UM, THEY, ONCE THIS FSW LIST CERT RUNS OUT, CUZ THAT'S WHAT OUR DIVISION DIRECTOR WAS TALKING ABOUT.
WHEN THAT RUNS OUT, THEY'RE, THEY'RE LOOKED TO HIRE ADDITIONAL PEOPLE AS WELL.
UM, AND THE 20 THAT WE'RE GONNA HIRE APPARENT, THEY'RE GONNA COME OFF THIS LIST, THIS CIVIL SERVICE LIST THAT EXISTS.
BUT ONCE THAT LIST HAS EXPIRED, EITHER IN THREE YEARS IT EXPIRES OR WHEN IT'S USED UP, WHATEVER COMES FIRST.
[00:30:01]
THAT'S EXPIRED, THE COUNTY CAN HIRE ANYBODY THEY WANT.THAT'S, UH, UH, QUALIFIED EDUCATIONALLY AND EXPERIENTIALLY TO BE FAMILY SERVICE WORKERS.
SO THERE'S NO REASON WHY THEY CAN'T HIRE THE TRAINEES NOW AS FAMILY SERVICE WORKERS ONCE THIS CERT RUNS OUT.
UH, AND, AND LET THEM WAIT FOR THE NEXT TEST TO COME UP.
BECAUSE WE CAN'T HAVE A TITLE WHERE YOU HAVE TWO PEOPLE WORKING SIDE BY SIDE.
ONE HAD TO TAKE A TEST TO GET THEIR JOB, THE OTHER ONE DIDN'T.
SO WHAT IS, WHAT IS, I'M, I'M SORRY I PUT YOU OUT CHAIR.
SO WHAT DOES CIVIL SERVICE SAY? CAN I JUST, UH, I'M SORRY.
YOU WANT INTERJECT? NO, I, I I, I DON'T KNOW IF THE QUESTION WAS DIRECTED ADDRESS MR. I WANT TO PROVIDE A BIT OF RESPONSE OF BACKGROUND ON THE USE OF THE FAMILY SERVICE WORKER TRAINEE.
UM, MR. WEINER ALLUDED TO THE FACT THEN, AND WE HAVE TO VERIFY WHETHER WE HAVE 15 ACTUAL TRAINEES, UH, 14 ON STAND, 1414 OUT OF A, IN AN, IN AN AGENCY THAT HAS OVER 820 POSITIONS, UM, MOST OF WHICH AS, AS MR. WEINER ALLUDED TO, UM, ARE HIRED THROUGH THE CIVIL SERVICE PROCESS OR HAVE TO TAKE SOME KIND OF EXAMINATION.
UH, WE WENT THROUGH A PERIOD OF TIME AS, UH, DIRECTOR RICHARDSON GREEN MENTIONED, WHERE WE DID NOT HAVE A CERTIFICATION LIST FROM THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY TO HIRE FAMILY SERVICE WORKERS.
WE'RE WELL AWARE BASED ON, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT CAME UP AT TODAY'S HEARING.
AND IN, UH, MANY OF OUR CONVERSATIONS OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS WHERE WE NEED STAFF, SPECIFICALLY FAMILY SERVICE WORKERS, IN ORDER TO PROCESS CASES, WHETHER WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SNAP, MEDICAID, SOME OF THE W F N J APPLICATIONS, THROUGH THE LEADERSHIP OF THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND THE ADMINISTRATOR'S OFFICE, WE WERE ABLE TO GET AN AUDIENCE WITH THE STATE'S CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION TO EXPRESS OUR CONCERN ABOUT US NOT HAVING ACCESS TO A TEST.
AND SECONDLY, A FAMILY SERVICE WORKER LIST TO HIRE FROM.
AND IN THE CONTEXT OF THAT CONVERSATION, THE SUGGESTION CAME FOR THE COUNTY TO CONSIDER USING THE FAMILY SERVICE WORKER TRAINEE TITLE THAT WAS DISCUSSED BY THE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY CIVIL SERVICE, UH, COMMISSION WITH STAFF AND, AND LEADERSHIP REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE COUNTY OF
I HAPPEN TO BE ON THAT CALL AS WELL.
SO, SO IT'S OUR INTENTION AS, AS, AS THE DIRECTOR RICHARDSON GREEN, UH, MENTIONED.
WE GOT THE CERT BACK A FEW MONTHS AGO.
WE'VE BEEN ACTIVELY HIRING OFF THAT CERT LIST.
SOME OF THE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE CURRENTLY TRAINEES WERE INDIVIDUALS WHO WENT THROUGH THE ACADEMY OR THE TRAINING PORTION IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO PROCESS CASES.
A NUMBER OF THEM ARE ON THE CERTIFICATION LISTS THEMSELVES.
AND IT'S OUR INTENTION THAT, THAT THE MINUTE WE REACH THEM ON THE CERT LIST, WE'RE GONNA MAKE THEM REGULAR FAMILY SERVICE WORKERS.
BUT WE CAN'T AFFORD TO TAKE PEOPLE OFF THE ROTATION AT THIS POINT WHO WE'VE EXPENDED, UH, A LARGE AMOUNT OF RESOURCES TRAINING AND EQUIPPING SO THAT THEY CAN HELP RESOLVE SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT MR. WEINER AND THE OTHER FOLKS HAVE RAISED RELATED TO BACKLOG AND TIMELINESS.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A HANDFUL OF POSITIONS IN AN ORGANIZATION WITH OVER 820 POSITIONS.
AND SOME OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS WILL BE MADE, UH, PERMANENT OFF THE FSW LIST ONCE WE'VE REACHED THEM.
WE HAVE A CIVIL SERVICE APPEAL.
UH, AND THE, THE COMMISSIONER WITH WHOM KEN, I WAS NOT, WE WERE NOT INVOLVED AT ALL AND VIOLATED MY SISTER, LISA MADDOX DOUGLAS, WHO IS PRESIDENT OF THE, UH, SUPERVISOR'S UNION.
AND SHE ALSO GRIEVES A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT.
SHE JUST DOESN'T COPY YOU GUYS.
UH, BUT SHE, SHE DOES HER CHAIRS AS WELL.
BUT I'LL GIVE IT A LIST AND SHE'LL BE GLAD TO INCLUDE IT.
UM, BUT WE HAVE A CIVIL SERVICE APPEAL.
THIS IS AKIN AND I THINK YOU'RE GONNA UNDERSTAND THIS, UH, UH, COMMISSIONER, PRESIDENT, THIS IS AKIN TO NON-UNION PEOPLE WORKING ON A, ON A CONSTRUCTION JOB.
YOU GET PEOPLE READY TO, TO GET INTO THE APPRENTICE PROGRAM.
AND CUZ YOU WANT THEM TO BE UNION MEMBERS AND, AND, AND, AND INVOLVED WITH THE, THE BUILDING TRADES.
WE WANT TO PROTECT OUR PROTECTIONS AS WELL.
AND THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ABOUT.
BECAUSE IF THEY KEEP ON DOING IT, IN FACT, WE HEARD ONE OF OUR MEMBERS WHO, UH, WAS DEMOTED BACK TO A CLERK CUZ SHE EITHER DIDN'T TAKE OR WASN'T ALLOWED TO TAKE OR DIDN'T PASS THE F S W TEST, SHE WAS ALLEGEDLY TOLD BY A HIGHER UP INDIVIDUAL IN THE ADMINISTRATION THAT WHAT ABOUT THE TRAINEE? SO THEY'RE STILL THROWING THE TRAINEE OUT THERE.
I DON'T THINK MEAN THESE FOLKS NECESSARILY, BUT IT'S STILL BE BANDED AROUND.
THAT'S A BONE OF CONTENTION THAT WILL NEVER GO AWAY AS LONG AS I'M STILL HERE.
AND MUCH TO THE CHAGRIN OF EVERYBODY, EVEN THOUGH I'M 72 YEARS OLD, I'M RUNNING AGAIN AT THE END OF THE YEAR
[00:35:01]
I WIN, UM, YOU'LL GET TO, YOU'LL GET ME TILL I'M 76 IF, IF I LIVE THAT LONG.SO, UM, AND AS I SAID EARLIER, THEY COULD HAVE HIRED CERTAINLY THAT THE LAST NINE PEOPLE COULD HAVE BEEN HIRED OFF AT THE F FSW UH, CERT, OR THEY COULD HAVE BEEN HIRED PROVISIONALLY BEFORE THE CERT WAS RELEASED AS FSWS.
WE JUST CAN'T TOLERATE THAT TITLE.
UM, MAY I GO ON TO OTHER POINTS, SIR, PLEASE.
WHAT, WHAT IS THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF OVERDUE CASES? I WOULD ASK THAT TO OUR DIVISION AND OR DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR.
I KNOW THE MAJORITY I BELIEVE ARE SNAP CASE IS FOOD STAMPS, BUT I WE'VE HEARD THERE'S ANYWHERE BETWEEN 20 AND 40,000.
HOW MANY ARE THERE PLEASE? SO THAT, THAT'S, UH, MATT TO YOU.
I'M SORRY, I'M, I'M, I'M ASKING THROUGH YOU MADAM CHAIR.
THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 15,000 CASES THAT COMPRISE OF NEW APPLICATIONS, RECERTIFICATIONS, THAT ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY RECEIVING BENEFITS IN CASE CLOSED OUT BECAUSE OF RECERTIFICATION.
SO IT'S A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF ACTIONS THAT NEED TO BE TAKEN.
AND WHAT AND WHAT MONTH TO YOU, MADAM CHAIR? SEPTEMBER WE'RE, SO WE'RE UP TO SEPTEMBER OF LAST YEAR.
AND THE POINT HERE IS I SENT OUT A GRIEVANCE WHICH INDICATED THAT, UM, FROM JANUARY 17TH OF THIS YEAR TO JANUARY 28TH, THERE WERE, IN AS FAR AS SNAP FOOD STAMPS ARE CONCERNED, IN THAT PERIOD OF TIME, ESSIS COUNTY COMPLETED 17% CASES CORRECTLY FOR A 30 DAY APPLICATION AND FOR THE EMERGENCY EXPEDITED APPLICATION, WHICH IS SEVEN DAYS, MEANING THE PERSON HAS NO MONEY AT ALL.
0% WERE PROCESSED BETWEEN THE JANUARY 17TH AND 28TH.
HENCE YOU HAVE APPARENTLY 15,000 COMBINED, BUT MOSTLY SNAP OVERDUE CASES.
AND NOW WHAT SACS CAUSING IS PEOPLE, CLIENTS ARE COMING IN AND THEY'RE VERY FRUSTRATED, UNDERSTANDABLY, THEY APPLIED LEGALLY FOR WHAT THEIR, THEIR BENEFITS AND THEY'RE NOT BEING PROCESSED.
WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF VIOLENT INCIDENTS, WHICH I'VE SHARED WITH, WITH THE, UH, COMMISSIONERS.
UM, ON ONE DAY ALONE, FEBRUARY 9TH AT THREE 20 UNIVERSITY AT 3 21 UNIVERSITY, THAT'S WHERE THE FIRST FLOOR, WHAT'S OUR ED U ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATION UNIT.
WE HAD THREE VIOLENT MALE CLIENTS, UH, TOWARDS OTHER CLIENTS AND OR TOWARDS OUR MEMBERS.
AND ONE VIOLENT FEMALE WHO ACTUALLY PHYSICALLY ATTACKED AND WAS ARRESTED FOR ATTACKING OUR, ONE OF OUR FEMALE EMPLOYEES.
HE HAD A BIG BLOWN UP HAND IN A SCRATCH.
THE, THE, THESE CLIENTS ARE, WE'RE THE FIRST ONES THEY SEE WE'RE THE ONES THEY TAKE IT OUT ON.
AND IT'S, IT'S NOT OUR FAULT THAT WE'RE ONLY UP TO SEPTEMBER AND IT'S NOT OUR FAULT THAT WE HAVE THOUSANDS OF CASES THAT ARE NOT BEING PROCESSED.
THESE ARE, PEOPLE ARE DOING IT WITHOUT BENEFITS TO WHICH THEY'RE LEGALLY ENTITLED.
AND I'M GLAD TO SEE ALL OF THE SUPPORT THAT THE STATE IS GIVING US BECAUSE AS OF THIS MONTH, I BELIEVE WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE AT 95 TO 98% COMPLETION RATE IN SNAP.
AND WE'RE OBVIOUSLY NOWHERE NEAR THAT.
SO HOPEFULLY THE OVERTIME THAT THE DIRECTOR'S DISCUSSING WILL ADDRESS THAT.
BUT I JUST CAN'T FATHOM HOW ANYONE CAN, CAN SIT AND WATCH THE, THE POOR.
AND ESSIS COUNTY HAS ONE THIRD OF EVERY NEGATIVE SOCIOLOGICAL INTEGER IN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY.
WHETHER IT BE WELFARE, I'M ROUNDING IT OFF, BUT WITH RALPH WELFARE, UM, UH, JUVENILE DETENTION ISSUES, JAIL ISSUES, UH, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
WE HAVE A THIRD OF THE ENTIRE STATE.
IT'S, IT'S NOTHING TO BE PROUD OF, BUT WE WE'RE THE BIGGEST.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE A PROBLEM WE GRIEVE IN REGARDS TO SECURITY.
WE WANT THE COUNTY TO RED FLAG AND, AND, AND TREAT VERBAL VERBALLY OR, AND OR PHYSICALLY VIOLENT CLIENTS THE WAY WE USED TO IN THE OLD DAYS.
AND WHEN WE WERE AT 18 RECER STREET BEFORE THE, UH, ADMINISTRATION OF PAIGE WATKINS CAME IN.
AND THAT WAS, THAT WAS THREE DIRECTORS AGO.
UM, WHEN A CLIENT IS, IS SIGNIFICANTLY VIOLENTLY VERBAL OR OR PHYSICAL, THEY SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO STAY IN THE OFFICE THAT DAY.
WE'RE STILL ALLOWED TO DO NOW UNLESS THEY'RE ARRESTED, THEY SHOULD MAYBE COME BACK THE NEXT DAY.
AND WHEN THEY COME IN, THEY'RE MADE, THEY SHOULD BE RED FLAGGED ON THE COMPUTER SYSTEM, WHICH IS POSSIBLE, I THINK IS FRESH SERVICE OUR DIRECTOR TOLD US IT WOULD BE.
AND THEREFORE, NOT ONLY CUZ THEY SEE THEM, CUZ WE SOMETIMES, OFTEN CLIENTS WILL GO FROM LIKE IR, I R F CLIENTS WILL GO FROM, FROM UNIVERSITY UP TO THE FOOD STAMP OFFICE, THE SNAP OFFICE OF 50 SOUTH CLINTON.
AND THEY, IF THEY'RE VIOLENT, THEY NORMALLY, THEY DON'T KNOW IT NOW, BUT IF YOU PUT IT ON THE SYSTEM, THEY COULD SEE THAT THE CLIENT IS PRONE TO VIOLENCE AND THAT CLIENT SHOULD BE ESCORTED BY A GUARD TO THE WORKER'S DESK WITH THE GUARDS OR THE SUPERVISORS STANDING THERE DURING THE INTERVIEW.
SO THEY KNOW THAT THAT ARAN BEHAVIOR WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
[00:40:01]
IT JUST ENCOURAGES OTHERS.IT'S A VERY SMALL PERCENTAGE OF OUR CLIENTS THAT ACT OUT AND GET VIOLENT.
SOME IS DUE TO DRUGS, ALCOHOL, AND OTHER SOCIOLOGICAL ISSUES, MENTAL ILLNESS.
BUT A NUMBER OF THEM ARE JUST FRUSTRATED BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT GETTING THE SERVICES TO WHICH THEY'RE ENTITLED.
BY LAW, WE'VE BEEN BREAKING THE LAW BY NOT GIVING THESE PEOPLE THE SERVICES THEY, THEY DESERVE.
UM, WE DID QUESTION THAT THE TRANSFER OF $640,000 AT THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, 2022 FROM OUR AGENCY TO THE HOSPITAL CENTER.
THE HOSPITAL CENTER'S 90 PER 90% FEDERALLY FUNDED.
WHAT THE HELL DO THEY NEED OUR MONEY FOR? WE'RE THE ONES THAT ARE GO DOING OVERTIME NOW AND, AND, AND, AND TRYING TO GET THIS, THIS BACKLOG DONE.
WHY ARE WE GIVING MONEY TO THE HOSPITAL CENTER? WE'RE ONLY APPROXIMATELY 60%, UH, UH, REIMBURSED.
SO, UH, THAT'S THE SAME ONE GOING AS QUICKLY AS I CAN.
SO MY SISTER COME UP, COME UP AS WELL.
AND THIS IS ABOUT THE NUMBERS.
UM, WE HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT DAB EMPLOYEES BEING LOANED TO OTHER DIVISIONS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF CITIZENS SERVICES.
I BELIEVE DEPART, UH, DIRECTOR RAMOS HAS, UH, D E D T E, WELFARE SENIOR SERVICES AND COMMUNITY ACTION.
OH, MY, MY PA MY CONDOLENCES AND THE YOUTH HOUSE
SO, BUT WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE BEING HER PEOPLE, OUR PEOPLE ARE BEING LOANED TO OTHER DIVISIONS.
WE THINK IT'S INAPPROPRIATE BECAUSE IT'S NOT THEIR TITLE.
THEY'RE GOING TO SENIOR SERVICES.
BUT WE NEED THOSE PEOPLE ON THE JOB WITH US.
WE DON'T NEED 'EM LOANED OUT TO ANYBODY ELSE.
NOR DO WE NEED D E D T E PEOPLE FROM THE, UH, FROM 50 SOUTH CLINTON STREET TO OR D T E, THE WELFARE TO WORK FOLKS.
WE DON'T NEED THEIR CLIENT, THEIR PROBLEM PEOPLE STUCK IN US WELFARE HAS BEEN A REPOSITORY FOR PROBLEM EMPLOYEES FOR ALL THE DECADES I'VE WORKED THERE.
USUALLY THEY USED TO DUMP 'EM IN THE FOOD STAMP OFFICE.
IRONICALLY THE FOOD STAMP OFFICE IS THE NICEST OFFICE THAT WE HAVE.
SO, SO THESE EMPLOYEES WHO, WHO HAVE BEEN YOUR TURN DUMPED ON YOU LOAN ARE, ARE LOANED, ARE THESE CWA UH, MEMBERS? ARE THEY WHAT MEMBERS, I'M SORRY? ARE THEY MEMBERS OF YOUR UNION? YES.
AND AND MEMBERS OF HER UNION AS WELL THAT ARE BEING DUMPED ON YOU? NO, NO, NO, NO.
THE NO, THEY'RE MEMBERS OF, UH, PRIMARILY THE I B E W CUZ THEY REPRESENT THE PEOPLE UP AT 50 SOUTH CLINTON STREET THAT ARE IN THE WELFARE TO WORK.
IF, IF I CAN JUST BRIEFLY ADDRESS SOME, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE CURRENTLY HAVE TWO STAFF MEMBERS FROM THE DIVISION OF FAMILY ASSISTANCE AND BENEFITS THAT ARE OUT STATIONED OVER AT THE DIVISION OF SENIOR SERVICES.
YOU KNOW, WE RECOGNIZE THAT AT THE DIVISION OF SENIOR SERVICES, MANY OF OUR SENIORS AND FAMILY MEMBERS INQUIRE ABOUT SERVICES THAT WE OFFER THROUGH THAT DIVISION, WHETHER IT'S MEALS ON WHEELS, ACCESS TO OUR NUTRITION SITES, HOMEMAKER SERVICES.
BUT WE DO GET A LOT OF INQUIRIES FROM SENIORS AND FAMILY MEMBERS ABOUT SERVICES THAT ARE PROVIDED BY THE DIVISION OF FAMILY ASSISTANCE AND BENEFITS.
OUR, OUR WELFARE AGENCY, MEDICAID INQUIRIES, INQUIRIES ABOUT SNAP BENEFITS.
SO IN, IN, IN OUR OPINION, IT'S IN OUR BEST INTEREST TO HAVE THOSE TWO ORGANIZATIONS WORK CLOSELY TOGETHER.
UH, OUT OF A STAFF OF 820 PLUS THAT WORK FOR THE DIVISION OF FAMILY ASSISTANCE AND BENEFITS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TWO STAFF MEMBERS THAT ARE CO-LOCATED, UH, AT THE DIVISION OF SENIOR SERVICES TO PROVIDE WELFARE SERVICES TO THOSE FAMILIES AND RESIDENTS THAT CALL THAT PARTICULAR DIVISION.
AND, AND AS IT RELATES TO THE INDIVIDUALS THAT MR. WEINER HAS CLASSIFIED AS, YOU KNOW, BEING DUMPED ON THERE, THERE ARE CASES WITHIN THE COUNTY AND THE DEPARTMENT WHERE THERE'S AN INVESTIGATION RE RELATED TO A PARTICULAR ISSUE THAT THE OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL MAY BE CONDUCTING.
AND AT THE REQUEST OF THAT OFFICE, WE TEMPORARILY AT, AT TIMES REASSIGN STAFF TO TO, TO A PARTICULAR SITE WHILE THAT INVESTIGATION MAY BE CONCLUDED, EXCEPT TO YOU, MADAM CHAIR EX, EXCEPT THAT IT'S NOT RECIPROCAL.
IF OUR FOLKS, NEITHER ONE I KNOW I'LL SPEAK FOR MINE IF OUR FOLKS ARE BEING INVESTIGATED AS, AS I'M GOING TO BE INVESTIGATED ON A, ON A TRUMPED UP CHARGE BY A MANAGER.
CUZ SHE DOESN'T LIKE HER PICTURE BEING TAKEN, BUT THAT'S OKAY, WE'LL DEAL WITH IT.
THEY'VE COME AFTER ME BEFORE I'VE, I'VE I'VE I'LL SURVIVE.
UM, UH, THE FACT IS THAT WHEN OUR PEOPLE ARE BEING INVESTIGATED BY THE EITHER INVESTIGATION AND OR THE INSPECTOR GENERAL'S OFFICE, THEY OFTEN WORK TOGETHER.
THEY'RE NOT TRANSFERRED OUT TO OTHER DIVISIONS.
ONE OF THEM WAS JUST STUCK, UH, WHO WAS ALLEGEDLY HAD SOME FRAUDULENT ACTION AT D E D T E.
IT GO, IT WORKS THE OTHER WAY FOR D E D T E
[00:45:01]
TO US.AND WE JUST DON'T BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD.
BY THE WAY, THE ONE GENTLEMAN WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, I, I LOVE ENABLE, BUT THIS IS BUSINESS.
UM, THE ONE GENTLEMAN HAS BEEN THERE IN SENIOR SERVICES.
HOW LONG? A THIN GENTLEMAN FROM PUERTO RICO,
IT'S BEEN A NUMBER OF YEARS, CORRECT? YEAH, IT'S BEEN A NUMBER OF YEARS.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE, THE MANAGER THAT'S OVER THERE WHO'S ACTUALLY TECHNICALLY MY MANAGER, UH, WE'RE DOING OVERTIME.
I'M HEARING THAT THE, WITH THE OVERTIME THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE USING MANAGERS AND ADMINISTRATIVE ANALYSTS TO DO OVERTIME, WHAT THE HELL DO WE NEED THEM FOR? WE NEED WORKERS AND SUPERVISORS TO PASS THE CASES.
WE DON'T NEED A MANAGER WHO'S EARNING OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS PICKING UP TIME AND A HALF TO SIT THERE.
WE DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT'S ALL ABOUT.
UH, IF OUR DIVISION DIRECTOR WOULD LIKE TO RESPOND, THAT'S CERTAINLY WITHIN HER PURVIEW.
AND I ONLY HAVE A COUPLE MORE, UH, ONE BIG CONCERN AT UNIVERSITY AVENUE, BESIDES THE FACT, THE PLACE I TOLD THIS LAST TIME I SPOKE TO JOE D PERSONALLY WAS ON AUGUST 13TH, 2020.
2020, I BELIEVE WHEN WE HAD MOVED INTO THE, INTO THE, THOSE BUILDINGS AND THEY HADN'T BEEN OCCUPIED FOR 10 YEARS.
THEY HAD BEEN OWNED BY THE MBNA CREDIT CARD COMPANY WHO THEN SOLD IT TO THE BANK OF AMERICA.
CUZ THE GUY HAD A HOOK WITH THE, HE USED TO GO TO BENEDICTS.
SO I LOOKED, THAT WAS MY SECOND CHOICE, BEN.
BUT ANYWAY, UM, WE HAVE PEOPLE PARKING WITHIN OUR GARAGES THAT ARE NOT EMPLOYEES OF DEFECT.
WE HAVE AT LEAST TWO THAT WORK IN THE DETENTION CENTER.
WE HAVE, WE HAVE OTHER EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE COMPELLED TO WALK FROM HERE, THE JURORS LOT DOWN THE HILL IN ALL KINDS OF WEATHER AND, AND NIGHT, MORNING, WHATEVER, DOWN TO UNIVERSITY AVENUE AND THEN UP AT THE END OF THE DAY BECAUSE THERE AREN'T ENOUGH SPACES FOR THEM TO PARK AT UNIVERSITY AVENUE.
YET WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT DON'T WORK AT UNIVERSITY AVENUE BEING ALLOWED TO PARK THERE.
AND WE WERE TOLD, I WAS TOLD, UH, BY OUR DIVISION DIRECTOR THAT THE COUNTY HAD AN ARRANGEMENT WHEN THEY FIRST BOUGHT THE BUILDING IN 2019 TO HAVE THOSE PEOPLE PARK THERE.
WELL, THEY DON'T NEED TO PARK THERE.
THAT'S, THAT PARKING IS NEEDED BY OUR FOLKS.
WE HAVE DISABLED PEOPLE WHO CAN'T FIND PARKING SPACES.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER ISSUE IS THE PARKING, UM, STANDARDIZATION COMMITTEE.
WE DON'T, UH, THE, THE DIRECTOR HAS PUT OUT A COUPLE OF, UH, EMAILS INVITING THE UNIONS TO BEYOND CERTAIN COMMITTEES.
WE DON'T GO ON THESE COMMITTEES EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE A LOT OF CONSTRUCTIVE EXPERIENCE BETWEEN THE TWO OF US, IT'S PROBABLY, UH, ABOUT 60 YEARS WORTH OF EXPERIENCE, UH, IN, IN THIS AGENCY.
WE DON'T GO TO THEM BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS IS IT'S NOT JUST, UH, VALENTINA, IT'S BEEN PRIOR DIRECTORS.
WE, WE ENDED UP, THEY'LL SAY, WELL YOU OWN THIS BECAUSE YOU HAVE PEOPLE ON THERE.
NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, IT'S NOT OURS.
YOU, WE DON'T HAVE A DECISION AS TO WHAT HAPPENS.
SO THEREFORE WE'RE NOT PUTTING PEOPLE ON YOUR COMMITTEE.
AND FINALLY, OH, THAT'S JUST THE ONE WITH THE LADY WHO WORE JEANS AND IS, IS, UH, MADE A COMPLAINT AGAINST HIM FOR SEXUAL HARASSMENT.
UH, CAUSE WE HAD A PHOTO OF HER WALKING AWAY.
I GUESS YOU DIDN'T LIKE THE ANGLE, BUT WE, WE'LL DEAL WITH THAT.
SO WE'RE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THESE ISSUES.
UH, I I I WILL NEED STARTED SENDING ALL OF YOU THE, UH, THE STUFF INCLUDING MR. JACKSON, UH, ABOUT A YEAR, YEAR AND A HALF AGO.
CUZ IT, IT REALLY WAS HITTING THE FAN.
UH, IT, IT'S, PEOPLE ARE SO DEMORALIZED.
ANYBODY THAT CAN RETIRE HAS RETIRED.
ANYBODY THAT CAN QUIT HAS QUIT.
WE HAD SEVERAL PEOPLE GO TO SOCIAL SECURITY AND GO TO OTHER AGENCIES BECAUSE THEY CAN'T STAND WORKING HERE.
THEY SAY, UH, THE DIRECTIVE, YOU CAN'T EAT AT YOUR DESK, NO EATING AT YOUR DESK, NO RADIOS.
WE GOT MANAGERS EATING AT YOUR DESK WITH FRIENDS.
YOU CAN'T HAVE THAT HYPOCRISY AND, AND, AND, AND AND STILL RUN AN AGENCY.
I'VE SEEN IT IN 46 YEARS AND AS I SAID, I'VE BEEN THROUGH EVERYBODY.
IT'S GOT TO BE STOPPED AND IT'S GOTTA BE STOPPED.
NOT JUST FOR OUR MEMBER'S INTEREST, BUT FOR THE INTEREST OF THE CLIENTS.
THEY'RE CLIENTS AND THEY'RE PEOPLE IN NEED.
I DIDN'T GET INTO THIS BUSINESS TO GET RICH.
OKAY? OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, I COULD HAVE GONE OTHER WAYS, BUT I DIDN'T TOOK MY MASTER'S DEGREE CAME TO WELFARE CAUSE I WANTED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
SO WE'RE ASKING THIS COMMITTEE TO LOOK INTO THE ISSUES THAT WE BROUGHT UP AND WORK TOGETHER WITH US AND WITH OUR DIRECTORS TO TRY TO BETTER THIS SITUATION CUZ IT'S TOTALLY UNTENABLE AT THIS POINT.
THE BUILDINGS ARE NOT HAVING BEEN LIVED IN FOR 10 YEARS.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE A HOMELESS GUY WHO THINKS THAT'S HIS BUILDING.
HE, HE GOES AROUND, THROWS GARBAGE ON THE LAWN.
UH, NAVAL TALKED ABOUT, THERE WERE TWO FIRES SET ON THE LAWN.
THEY, THEY'VE SET FIRE TO ONE OF THE TREES ON THE SURFACE LOT.
[00:50:01]
ISSUES.THE PLACE IS SO DEMORALIZED, FOOD STAMPS LOOKS GOOD NOW SNAP, THEY'RE HAPPY TO BE UP IN 50 SOUTH CLEVELAND CAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE DOWN WITH US.
SO WE ASK YOU TO WORK WITH US.
AND I'D ALSO ASK, UH, UH, COMMISSIONER LUCIANO TO, UM, PUT THREE IN ONE OIL ON ONE OF HIS SHOES BECAUSE THEY'RE SQUEAKING VERY LONG.
THANK YOU MR. WEINER FOR YOUR, UM, YOUR, YOU'RE WELCOME.
IN TERMS OF THE INFORMATION FOR THE HOT LIST, WE'VE HAD SCHEDULED MEETINGS, WORK PRACTICE MEETINGS AS DIRECTOR RAMOS HAD MENTIONED.
THE HOT LIST HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH MR. WEINER IN TERMS OF HIM PROVIDING ME A LIST OF NAMES WHERE THE EMPLOYEES IDENTIFY WERE CUSTOMERS OF CONCERN.
THE INFORMATION WAS SENT OUT TO THE MANAGERS.
THEY ONLY PROVIDED THREE NAMES.
SO I REQUESTED IF HE COULD SEND OUT INFORMATION TO HIS UNION MEMBERS TO PROVIDE US WITH ADDITIONAL NAMES SO THAT THAT INFORMATION COULD BE PLACED ON OUR INTERNAL CASE TRACKING SYSTEM.
SO WHEN THE PERSON DOES COME IN, THAT THE INDIVIDUAL IS ALERTED AND THAT WE CAN TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTIONS.
ALSO TALKED IN TERMS OF ENSURING THAT INCIDENT REPORTS ARE CREATED AND SENT TO MY OFFICE SO THAT THOSE INDIVIDUALS CAN BE ADDED TO THE HOT LIST AS WELL.
SO WE, WE ARE WORKING COLLABORATIVELY IN ORDER TO GET THAT LIST.
SO I JUST AWAIT THAT LIST SO THAT WE CAN HAVE OUR IT PERSON TO CONTINUE WITH DOING THAT.
IN TERMS OF THE, THE HOMELESS GENTLEMAN, I, I CAN'T CONTROL THE GENTLEMAN THAT'S OUTSIDE.
WE'VE OFFERED HIM SERVICES ON BAD WEATHER DAYS.
THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT HAS COME, HAVE MOVED HIM AWAY, BUT HE COMES BACK.
AS HE COMES BACK, HE, HE MAY THROW GARBAGE ONTO THE LAWN.
WE ENSURE THAT OUR BUILDING STAFF ENSURES THAT THEY CLEAN UP THE AREA, BUT AGAIN, WE HAVE NO CONTROL IN TERMS OF THAT.
WE, WE CAN'T MAKE HIM MOVE IF HE'S NOT BLOCKING OR CAUSING ANY TYPE OF A ISSUE IN THE AREA.
THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT HAS MADE THAT VERY CLEAR TO US.
WHENEVER WE CALL THEM, THEY DO COME, BUT HE, HE COMES BACK.
SO IN TERMS OF THAT, UH, AS MR. WEINER SAID, HAVE EXTENDED THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN, UM, SEVERAL COMMITTEES BECAUSE I DO VALUE THE OPINIONS OF OUR UNION LEADERSHIP AS WELL AS THEIR MEMBERSHIP.
THEY HAVE SAID THEY DECLINED BASED ON WHAT HE SAID PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION HAS SAID AND HELD THEM TO, WELL, YOU SIGNED OFF ON IT.
I DON'T WANT TO BE HELD TO THAT SAME STANDARD.
I AM LOOKING FOR A COOPERATION, BUT IF THEY SO CHOOSE NOT TO PARTICIPATE, I CONTINUE TO OFFER AND EXTEND THE INVITATION, BUT I WILL PROCEED WITH WHATEVER COMMITTEES THAT I HAVE TO TRY TO IMPROVE OPERATIONS WITHIN THE AGENCY.
BUT AS ALWAYS, I WILL CONTINUE TO EXTEND THE INVITATION TO THEM IN TERMS OF THE FAMILY SERVICE WORKER TRAINEE TITLE AND THE, THE PREVIOUS TITLE THAT MR. WENER MENTIONED, THE CLIENT SERVICES REP.
WE DID ABSOLUTELY USE THE CLIENT SERVICES REP TITLE BEFORE, BUT WE ALSO HAD ISSUES IN TERMS OF THE AMOUNT AND THE TYPE OF WORK THAT WE NEEDED FOR THAT EMPLOYEE TO DO.
IT WAS CONTRARY TO THE WORK THAT FELL WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THEIR JOB TITLE.
SO UTILIZING THAT CLIENT SERVICES TITLE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN BENEFICIAL FOR US.
SO THE MEETING THAT WAS DISCUSSED WHERE CIVIL SERVICE OFFERED UP THIS AS IMPOSSIBLE OPTION FOR THE TYPE OF WORK THAT WE NEEDED, THAT IS WHY WE PROCEEDED WITH DOING THAT.
IN TERMS OF THE INDIVIDUAL THAT WAS REFERENCED, MANY OF THE INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE PROVISIONALLY OFFERED THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE FAMILY SERVICE WORKERS.
THE TEST FINALLY DID COME OUT.
SOME PEOPLE DIDN'T PASS THE TEST THAT THAT HAPPENS, BUT BASED ON THEIR EVALUATIONS DURING THE TIME THEY WERE IN THE POSITIONS PROVISIONALLY OR IF THEY RANKED ON THE LIST, THEY JUST WEREN'T HIGH ENOUGH TO BE REACHED.
MANY OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS WERE OFFERED THE OPPORTUNITY ARE NOW CURRENTLY FAMILY SERVICE WORKER TRAINEES.
THERE ARE SOME INDIVIDUALS WHO WHEN THE OPPORTUNITY PRESENTED ITSELF TO BE A PROVISIONAL FAMILY SERVICE WORKER WAS NOT NECESSARILY FORTHCOMING WITH THE INFORMATION THAT WAS NEEDED IN TERMS OF BEING ELIGIBLE TO TAKE THE TITLE.
SO WHEN CIVIL SERVICE REVIEWED THEIR CREDENTIALS, THEY DETERMINED THEY WEREN'T ELIGIBLE TO TAKE THE EXAM.
SO THEIR, THEIR NAMES DON'T APPEAR ON THE LIST.
SO MANY OF THE INDIVIDUALS WHO, WHO WORKED AND, AND STEPPED UP TO THE CHALLENGE TO PROVIDE SERVICE TO OUR CUSTOMERS IS GREATLY APPRECIATED.
AND I'VE SPOKEN TO ALL OF THEM.
I'VE HAD MEETINGS WITH ALL OF THEM.
[00:55:01]
AND ANY OPPORTUNITY WHERE THEY WERE ABLE TO TRANSITION OVER TO THE FAMILY SERVICE WORKER, TITLE TRAINEE TITLE I DID THAT.THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT, UH, ALSO TOOK OTHER CIVIL SERVICE EXAMS TO BE PROMOTED IN CLERICAL TITLES, OFFERED THEM THE OPTION AND EXPLAINED TO THEM, IF YOU DID THIS VERSUS DID THIS, MANY OF THEM HAVE BEEN PROMOTED AND THEY'RE JUST AWAITING THEIR TURN TO WHEN THEY APPEAR ON THE CERTIFICATION LIST.
WHEN THE CERT LIST COMES BACK, SEVERAL OF THEM WILL BE ABLE TO BE APPOINTED AS FAMILY SERVICE WORKERS.
UH, THE GOAL IS NOT TO ELIMINATE CIVIL SERVICE FROM THE COUNTY.
I AM A PRODUCT OF CIVIL SERVICE THAT IS NOTHING THAT I WOULD EVER WANT OR SUPPORT.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE AND ARE DEALING WITH A SITUATION THAT IS UNPRECEDENTED AS, UH, MR. WEINER HAS STATED.
IN OTHER WORDS, WHERE WE'RE DEALING WITH THE SITUATION WHERE WE NEED TO SERVICE THE CUSTOMERS, COMING UP WITH WHATEVER POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS IN WHICH TO DO THAT.
AND JUST LOOKING FOR THE SUPPORT OF THE STAFF AS WELL AS THE UNIONS TO GET THE WORK DONE.
IN TERMS OF MORALE, WHEN WHEN I RECEIVE A COMPLAINT OR A PHONE CALL, I ADDRESS THOSE THINGS IMMEDIATELY.
WHAT I WOULD LOOK AND HOPE TO HAPPEN IS RATHER THAN IT BE A WRITTEN GRIEVANCE, A PHONE CALL COULD HAPPEN.
IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S AN IMMEDIATE SITUATION WHERE THERE'S A LIGHT OUT OR THE BATHROOM ISN'T WORKING OR AMBULANCE IS CALLED SOME TYPE OF IMMEDIATE SITUATION THAT NEEDS MY ATTENTION, A PHONE CALL GETS IT DONE.
THERE ARE MOST INSTANCES WHERE, WHETHER IT BE MY BUSINESS MANAGER, MY DEPUTY DIRECTOR OR MYSELF, IMMEDIATELY GOES TO THE AREA TO RESOLVE THE SITUATION.
SO I WOULD JUST ASK IN CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE THOSE THINGS ARE REQUIRED TO DO THAT, I MAKE MYSELF AVAILABLE WHENEVER I'M IN THE OFFICE, MY CELL PHONE, EVERYONE HAS IT, ALL YOU GOTTA DO IS CALL ME THE GRIEVANCES IN TERMS OF PROVIDING YOU WITH A SUMMARY OF THOSE GRIEVANCES AND THE RESPONSES AND THE ACTIONS THAT WILL BE TAKEN, ABSOLUTELY LOOK FORWARD TO DOING THAT SO THAT WHEN YOU GET YOUR INQUIRIES FROM THE CONCERNED CLIENTS, THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE THEM WITH, UH, SUPPORT AND THE EXPLANATION BECAUSE THEY ARE ENTITLED TO THAT INFORMATION.
YES, NOBODY SHOULD HAVE TO GO HUNGRY IN TERMS OF NOT RECEIVING THEIR BENEFITS.
BUT WE, AGAIN, WE ARE DEALING WITH A SITUATION WHERE THE STAFFING NEEDS, WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO KEEP UP AND MAINTAIN THE STAFFING NEEDS BASED ON THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY.
WE ARE DILIGENTLY TRYING TO DO THAT, WORKING WITH THE STATE, WORKING WITH OVERTIME.
I HAD TO GO TO THE STATE TO ASK FOR MONEY.
AND AGAIN, AS I SAID, WE ARE NOT THE ONLY COUNTY ENCOUNTERING THIS SITUATION.
THEY HAVE TO LOOK AT THE STATE AND DIVIDE THE MONEY AND ADDRESS THE ISSUES AS THEY CAN.
SO OVERTIME PROJECTS WILL CONTINUE IN TERMS OF MANAGERS BEING ON PROJECTS AND ANALYSTS BEING ON PROJECTS.
THERE ARE MULTIPLE FACETS TO GETTING THESE BENEFITS ON AND REPORTING THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
THE STATE REQUIRES REPORTING FROM US.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE BY SOMEONE OUTSIDE OF A FAMILY SERVICE WORKER.
FAMILY SERVICE WORKER AND SUPERVISOR SHOULD BE FOCUSED ON PROCESSING CASES, PASSING CASES.
SO THOSE OTHER TITLES VERY BENEFICIAL TO HANDLE ALL OF THOSE SUPPORT AND ANCILLARY SERVICES THAT NEED TO GET DONE SO THAT THESE BENEFITS GETS ON.
WE HAVE CLERICAL STAFF THAT WE NEED TO HELP ISSUE E B T CARDS SO THE CUSTOMERS CAN ACTUALLY ACCESS THE BENEFITS.
WE NEED CLERICAL STAFF TO MAIL OUT THOSE NOTIFICATION LETTERS SO THAT THE CUSTOMER KNOWS THAT THEY'RE APPROVED OR DENIED FOR BENEFITS.
WE NEED ADMINISTRATIVE ANALYSTS TO DO THE REPORTS, TO PROVIDE THE ANALYSIS TO SEE WHERE THERE'S AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT, TO PROVIDE RECOMMENDATION SO THAT WE CAN DELIVER A BETTER QUALITY OF SERVICE TO OUR CUSTOMERS.
AND IN TERMS OF ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF BEING THERE, YOU NEED STAFF TO OVERSEE THE OPERATIONS.
YOU NEED STAFF TO SUPERVISE THE SUPERVISORS AS WELL AS THE FAMILY SERVICE WORKERS TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE MEETING THE GOALS THAT ARE ESTABLISHED FOR EACH OF THE PROGRAMS. AND THAT CAN'T BE DONE BY A SUPERVISOR.
WE ATTEMPTED IN THE PAST TO USE THE LOWEST LEVEL STAFF POSSIBLE, AND WE ENCOUNTERED NUMEROUS GRIEVANCES IN REGARDS TO THAT.
SO IN TERMS OF MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THE APPROPRIATE LEVEL OF SUPERVISION, MANAGERS WILL BE IN PLACE FOR EACH OF THE OVERTIME PROJECTS.
MANAGERS WILL BE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE PRODUCTION REPORTS.
MANAGERS WILL BE REQUIRED TO MONITOR AND ENSURE THAT THE STAFF THAT IS BEING ASSIGNED TO DO THIS WORK IS DOING THE WORK.
IF I CAN JUST ADD, UM, COMMITTEE CHAIR, I, I I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE OBVIOUSLY DON'T AGREE WITH MR. WEINER'S DEPICTION OF THE WORK ENVIRONMENT AT 3 23 21.
WE WE'RE AN ORGANIZATION THAT RECOGNIZES THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE CHALLENGES, RIGHT? WHETHER IT'S FACILITY ISSUES, YOU KNOW, COMPLAINTS FROM STAFF, UH, AN ORGANIZATION
[01:00:01]
AS LARGE AS THE DIVISION OF FAMILY ASSISTANCE AND BENEFITS IS GONNA HAVE HIS, HIS HOST OF CHALLENGES.AND AS DIRECTOR, UH, RICHARDSON GREEN MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE DIFFERENT MECHANISMS IN ORDER TO TRY TO RESOLVE AND ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE CONCERNS AND ISSUES.
AND WE VALUE HAVING, HAVING AN, AN OPEN LINE OF COMMUNICATION, UH, WITH, WITH OUR UNIONS, WITH THE REPRESENTATIVES WHO, WHO MAKE UP THOSE UNIONS AS WELL.
AND, AND THE SAFETY OF OUR EMPLOYEES AND THE SAFETY OF OUR CLIENTS IS A TOP PRIORITY.
YOU KNOW, I SPENT A FEW HOURS LAST WEEK WITH VALENTINO OVER AT 3 20, 3 21 IN, IN THE INTAKE AREA AND YOU KNOW, IT'S A VERY BUSY AREA.
THIS WAS, UM, THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK, UH, A FEW HUNDRED CUSTOMERS THERE AT ANY GIVEN TIME.
UH, AND, AND I REALLY DO COMMEND THE STAFF OF THE DIVISION OF FAMILY ASSISTANCE AND BENEFITS, BOTH, UH, LINE STAFF AND, AND MANAGEMENT, UH, FOR, FOR DEALING WITH THE STRESSES THAT THEY HAVE TO DEAL WITH ON A DAILY BASIS.
E EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS A, A, A CONSIDERABLE NUMBER OF CLIENTS IN THAT PARTICULAR INTAKE AREA, THE PROCESS WAS ORDERLY.
THE STAFF WAS VERY RESPECTFUL.
UM, IN 20 YEARS, I'VE WITNESSED INCIDENTS IN, IN, IN WAITING ROOMS, WHETHER IT'S AT 50 SOUTH CLINTON OR OR RECTOR STREET WHEN WE WERE THERE.
IT'S AN UNFORTUNATE REALITY OF THE WORK THAT WE, WE DO.
UM, AND WHEN THOSE INCIDENTS DO HAPPEN, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE STAFF, THE ADMINISTRATION, AND THE, THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, YOU KNOW, WE TAKE THOSE INCIDENTS VERY SERIOUSLY.
AND, AND AS I MENTIONED, WE HAD A WORK PRACTICES SESSION LAST WEEK WITH MR. WEINER COUNTY COUNCIL.
AND ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT WAS GIVEN THE MOST ATTENTION DEALT WITH THE ISSUE OF SAFETY AND HOW DO WE RESPOND, UH, TO, TO CLIENTS WHO COME INTO OUR BUILDINGS WHO ARE NOT RESPECTFUL OF, OF THE PROCESS AND ENGAGE IN ANY KIND OF INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR.
UM, 3 23 21 UNIVERSITY HAS PRIMARILY A PRIVATE SECURITY COMPANY WHO, UM, PROVIDE SECURITY.
WE HAVE A LIMITED NUMBER OF SHERIFF'S OFFICERS THAT ARE ASSIGNED TO THAT BUILDING.
UH, DIRECTOR RICHARDSON GREEN MEETS WITH THEM EVERY FRIDAY TO GO OVER ANY KIND OF SECURITY CONCERNS, SAFETY ISSUES, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THE ENTITY WHO HAS, UH, THE CONTRACT CURRENTLY HAS BEEN VERY, UH, PROACTIVE IN ADDRESSING SOME OF THE ISSUES AND CONCERNS.
BUT, BUT I JUST WANT TO STATE FOR THE RECORD THAT WE DO TAKE, YOU KNOW, THE SAFETY OF OUR EMPLOYEES AND, AND, AND CLIENTS VERY SERIOUSLY.
AND WE DO HAVE, UH, DIFFERENT MEASURES IN PLACE TO ADDRESS, UH, ISSUES WITH CLIENTS WHO DO NOT RESPECT THE RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE AGENCIES.
WE'RE, WE'RE NOT IN THE BUSINESS OF JUST BANNING, UH, CLIENTS FOR NO REASON.
YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE TO HAVE INFORMATION, UH, UH, WE HAVE TO HAVE INCIDENT REPORTS THAT ARE FILED IN ORDER FOR US TO TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION.
AND THAT'S WHAT, UH, DIRECTOR RICHARDSON GREEN ASKED FROM MR. WEINER TO, TO HAVE, UH, HIS EMPLOYEES PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION TO US SO THAT WE CAN, UH, THOROUGHLY INVESTIGATE AND TAKE ANY KIND OF APPROPRIATE ACTION.
SO AT THIS POINT, IF THERE'S NO, OH, GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, PRESIDENT AND COMMISSIONER BOARD, MY NAME IS LISA MADDOX DOUGLAS.
I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE PUBLIC EMPLOYEE SUPERVISOR'S UNION.
UH, WE REPRESENT THE SUPERVISORY STAFF AND MANAGERIAL STAFF.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO SPEAK, UM, BECAUSE I WASN'T PREPARED TO SPEAK, BUT I DID JOT DOWN A FEW NOTES, UH, WITH REGARD TO, UM, ONE COMMENT THAT, OR OBSERVATION THAT DIRECTOR RICHARDSON GREEN MADE WITH RESPECT TO US JOINING THE VARIOUS COMMITTEES THAT SHE'S ESTABLISHING, OR THE MAIN, UH, REASON THAT WE DON'T IS BECAUSE IT DUPLICATES THE EFFORTS OF THE WORK PRACTICE COMMITTEE MEETINGS THAT WE HAVE, AND OF COURSE, OUR INSPECTION COMMITTEE.
SO, YES, UH, YOU MAD CHAIR, UH, NO, NO DISRESPECT TO YOU, BUT, BUT I HAVE TO LEAVE.
I HAVE, UH, ANOTHER, UH, APPOINTMENT.
I WAS ACTUALLY IN ATLANTIC CITY AT THE CHAMBER OF COM COMMERCE.
UH, BUT I GAVE MY WORD THAT I WOULD BE HERE, SO I'M HERE, BUT I HAVE TO GO BACK AND BACK TO ATLANTIC CITY.
BUT I, I, I DON'T WANT YOU TO THINK THAT WALKING OUT ON PRESENTATION, I APPRECIATE THAT.
I'M NOT, I JUST HAVE TO HEAD BACKSIDE.
I APPRECIATE YOU FOR SAYING THAT.
SO WITH THE COMMITTEES THAT, UH, MOST OF THE COMMITTEES THAT DIRECTOR RICHARDSON GREEN ESTABLISHES, UM, AND IT'S USUALLY AT THE, ON A WHIM, IS USUALLY SOMETHING THAT DUPLICATES THE EFFORTS THAT WE DO AS A UNION.
SO THE WORK PRACTICE COMMITTEE MEETINGS,
[01:05:01]
UM, SHE'LL COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT, UM, SOMETIMES VIOLATES CONTRACTS, UM, WITH RESPECT TO, UM, TRYING TO DEVISE OR CREATE NEW PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENTS, TOOLS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.UM, TRYING TO AVOID THE EVALUATION PROCESS THAT WAS ALREADY NEGOTIATED.
SO FOR THE MOST PART, WHEN WE DO SPEAK WITH DIRECTOR RICHARDSON GREEN, I WILL TELL HER, LISTEN, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE NEGOTIATED.
YOU SHOULD NOT BE HAVING COMMITTEE MEETINGS TO IDENTIFY OR TRY TO, UM, ADDRESS CERTAIN CONCERNS THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED IN THE CONTRACT.
SO THAT'S THE MAIN REASON WHY PUBLIC EMPLOYEE SUPERVISORS WILL NOT SEND AN ACTUAL REPRESENTATIVE.
ALTHOUGH ALL THE EMPLOYEES ARE UNION EMPLOYEES, THOUGH THEY'RE USUALLY INVOLVED IN THE COMMITTEES, BUT NOT, UH, REPRESENTING US, SO TO SPEAK.
SO I HOPE THAT CLARIFIES THAT.
UM, WITH RESPECT TO THE MANAGERS, UM, I DON'T HAVE AS MANY GRIEVANCES AS, UM, MY BROTHER HERE, BUT
AND, UM, WHEN I TOOK ON THIS POSITION, OR I TOOK ON THIS LEADERSHIP ROLE, NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS THAT I THINK THAT I WOULD BE WORKING SO CLOSELY WITH CWA SHARING THE SAME CONCERNS.
WE DON'T EVEN HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO FIGHT ONE ANOTHER BECAUSE WE'RE FIGHTING TOGETHER ADMINISTRATION.
AND THAT IS HIGHLY CONCERNING WHEN YOU HAVE MANAGERIAL STAFF WHO IS NOT COMFORTABLE IN MEETINGS.
THEY'RE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH COMMUNICATION WITH DFA ADMINISTRATION.
THEY'RE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH RECEIVING STRATEGIC PLANS IN ORDER TO RUN THEIR OFFICES.
AND WHEN THEY ASK FOR A PLAN OR FOR DIRECTION, THEY'RE USUALLY OSTRACIZED OR THEY'RE PUNISHED.
SO, UM, I'M QUITE SURE SOME OF YOU MAY RECEIVE SOME OF MY GRIEVANCES.
UM, I SEE, UM, MS. UH, GRAHAM, I, I KNOW THAT I USUALLY COPY YOU AND MR. GILL, I KNOW THAT I USUALLY COPY YOU, AND I HOPE YOUR WIFE, YOUR LOVELY WIFE IS DOING WELL.
ALLISON WANT TO MERGE TOGETHER.
UM, AND I USUALLY COPY, UM, MR. JACKSON.
SO I, YOU KNOW, IT'S CONCERNING.
THE COMMUNICATION IS OFF, AND OF COURSE, THE MORALE IS LOW.
THE MORALE IS EXTREMELY LOW FROM THE MANAGERIAL POSITIONS DOWN.
AND I BELIEVE WE DID SPEAK WITH DIRECTOR RICHARDSON GREEN DURING OUR LAST WORK PRACTICE MEETING, WHICH IT DID BEGIN TO HAPPEN, BUT IN THE PAST, WE DIDN'T HAVE THEM.
SHE DIDN'T CONDUCT MEETINGS, UM, AT TIMES SHE DIDN'T EVEN COMMUNICATE WITH THE UNION.
SO, UM, WE'RE GLAD THAT WE HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, EXPRESS OUR CONCERNS OTHER THAN IN OFFICIAL CAPACITY.
WHEN WE'RE USUALLY AT THE COMMISSIONER'S BOARD MEETING AND WE BRING IN ALL OF OUR MEMBERS AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HERE RALLYING, WE DON'T WANT TO DO THAT.
WE WANT TO REMEDIATE THE ISSUE BEFORE IT GETS TO A GRIEVANCE.
AND IF WE HAD THAT OPEN LINE OF COMMUNICATION, I DON'T THINK THAT IT WOULD RISE TO THE LEVEL OF A GRIEVANCE.
I'M SURE MR. WEINER IS EXTREMELY BUSY.
I KNOW THAT I AM, I AM THE TRAINING SUPERVISOR, SO I'M EXTREMELY BUSY.
AND I, YOU KNOW, WHEN I HAVE TO STOP AND TAKE OFF AND, AND TAKE UNION TIME OR UNION HOURS TO ADDRESS THESE CONCERNS, IT'S PROBLEMATIC FOR ME.
AND, UM, THAT'S JUST WHAT I NEEDED TO SAY ABOUT THAT.
UH, JUST SEE, WHAT ELSE DO I HAVE HERE? AND WITH RESPECT TO THE CIVIL SERVICE, UM, I, I THINK THAT I PRESENTED ABOUT MAYBE A YEAR AND A HALF AGO ABOUT THE CIVIL SERVICE ISSUE AND THE ATTACK THAT WE SEE AND ON THE CIVIL SERVICE, UM, IT'S NO SECRET.
I HAVE FILED A FEW
UM, I, I THINK DIRECTOR GREEN, UM, KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
UM, WE, WE HAD AN ISSUE WITH HER TITLE, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ADDRESSING THAT IN THE LEGAL FORMAT AND WHERE WE NEED TO ADDRESS IT.
SO, UM, WITH RESPECT AND THE RESPECT THAT DIRECTOR RICHARDSON GREEN STATES, DOES SHE HAVE FOR CIVIL SERVICE? I'M, I'M NOT TOO SURE ABOUT THAT, ONLY BECAUSE I KNOW THAT I'M ON THE OTHER SIDE FIGHTING USUALLY THE, UM, DECISIONS THAT SHE MAKE, WHICH VIOLATES CIVIL SERVICE.
SO IF WE CAN MOVE ON A LOT OF THESE LISTS, UM, TRY TO AVOID, UH, IT LOOKS LIKE WHAT WE DO IS WHEN SOMEONE DOES RETIRE, THEY DON'T HIRE ANYONE ELSE AND THEY'RE EXPECTING THE VISOR, WHO WANTS SUPERVISED SIX PEOPLE TO SUPERVISE 14 PEOPLE, THAT'S UNCONSCIONABLE.
IT'S NO WAY THAT THEY CAN SUPERVISE 14 PEOPLE.
SO, UM, WE CAN JUST START MOVING ON THESE LISTS, HIRING FOR THE VACANCIES, UM, ALSO CONTACTING CIVIL SERVICE TO REQUEST THE EXAMINATION.
[01:10:01]
I MEAN, I THINK THE QUICKEST LIST THAT WE MOVED ON AND MY ENTIRE 25 YEAR TENURE HERE WAS WHEN THEY PROMOTED DIRECTOR RICHARDSON GREEN TO DEPUTY DIRECTOR.THEY MOVED ON THAT LIST WITHIN THREE MONTHS.
WE'RE ASKING FOR THE SAME THING TO HAPPEN WITH THE OTHER CIVIL SERVICE CERTIFICATIONS.
SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SHARE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME, AND THANK YOU FOR HEARING ME, AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU, DIRECTOR RICHARDSON GREEN.
THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD LOVE TO DO BECAUSE WE WOULD LIKE FOR THE MORALE TO BE BOOSTED AND WE DON'T WANNA LOSE ANY OTHER EMPLOYEES.
IN TERMS OF THE CIVIL SERVICE, AND I, I DON'T KNOW IF THE, THROUGH YOU COMMISSIONER, IN TERMS OF THE APPOINTING AUTHORITY, THE APPOINTING AUTHORITY IS COUNTY HR IN TERMS OF REQUESTING AND RETURNING CERTIFICATION LISTS, SOMETHING THAT IS OUTSIDE OF MY DIVISION IN TERMS OF THE REQUESTING OF EXAMS. THOSE THINGS ARE SUBMITTED THROUGH THE APPOINTING AUTHORITY, AND THAT IN TURN IS SENT TO CIVIL SERVICE.
SO THERE HAS BEEN A, A TREMENDOUS DELAY.
CIVIL SERVICE IS DEALING WITH SIMILAR RETIREMENTS, PEOPLE LEAVING, DIFFERENT THINGS HAPPENING THROUGH COVID, HAVE NO CONTROL OVER WHEN A TEST IS CALLED.
IF A TEST GETS CALLED CIVIL SERVICE SOMETIMES MAKES A DETERMINATION WHERE THERE MIGHT BE AN EXAM FOR ONE POSITION, OR THE EXAM MIGHT BE THE APPLICATION.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S OUTSIDE OF, OF THE REALM OF MY DECISION TO MAKE.
THAT'S BETWEEN THE APPOINTING AUTHORITY AS WELL AS CIVIL SERVICE.
I, I WANT TO SAY THAT I BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE GOING WELL.
THE WORK PRACTICE MEETINGS, UH, THE BEGINNING OF COVID, NO, THEY WERE NOT OCCURRING ON A REGULAR BASIS, BUT I ESTABLISHED A, A SCHEDULE AND WITH THE AGREEMENT OF BOTH UNIONS, WE'VE BEEN PROCEEDING WITH THOSE MEETINGS AND I HOPE THAT WE DO CONTINUE TO PROCEED WITH THOSE MEETINGS.
I BELIEVE THEY'VE BEEN VERY BENEFICIAL IN TERMS OF COMMUNICATION WITH THE MANAGERS AND AT THE MEETINGS.
I HAVE MEETINGS, I HAVE MEETINGS, UH, VIRTUALLY I HAVE MEETINGS FACE-TO-FACE.
I LOOK TO HAVE THE MANAGEMENT STAFF PARTICIPATE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A PLAN VERSUS ME JUST TELLING THEM WHAT THE PLAN IS.
WE HAVE YEARS AND YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE IN THE AGENCY CUZ I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH MOST OF THEM IN SOME CAPACITY OR ANOTHER.
SO LOOKING TO INCORPORATE THEIR IDEAS AND FEEDBACK INTO THE DEVELOPMENT OF WHAT WILL WORK BEST FOR THE AGENCY.
THAT HAS NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL UP UNTIL THIS POINT.
SO I'M ALWAYS LOOKING FOR NEW SUGGESTIONS OR WAYS IN WHICH TO, UH, ADDRESS THAT SITUATION.
IN TERMS OF OSTRACIZING OR PUNISHING ANY OF THE MANAGERS, I HAVEN'T DISCIPLINED.
THERE HAS BEEN NO FORMAL DISCIPLINE OF ANY MANAGER BY ME IN THE TIME THAT I'VE BEEN THERE.
I MAY HAVE, UH, ISSUED A MEMO WHEN, UH, BEHAVIOR OR ACTION WAS INAPPROPRIATE, BUT THAT WAS TO BRING TO THE PERSON'S ATTENTION SOMETHING THAT WAS INAPPROPRIATE AND WHAT THE EXPECTATION IS MOVING FORWARD.
AND, AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT A SUPERVISOR OR MANAGER SHOULD DO WITH, WITH ANY STAFF PERSON.
BUT IN TERMS OF, UH, PUNISHING ANYONE, I, I HAVE NOT INSTITUTED ANY PUNISHMENT TO ANYONE.
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN REASSIGNED LOOKING TO TRY TO FIND THE BEST FIT FOR OPERATIONS.
SOME PEOPLE MAY VIEW THAT AS A, A FORM OF PUNISHMENT.
IT IS NOT THE IDEA OF A MANAGER OR ASSISTANT OR A SUPERVISOR.
IT'S TO GO WHERE THE OPERATIONAL NEED IS.
AND IT SHOULD NOT BE VIEWED AS A PUNISHMENT IN TERMS OF OSTRACIZING ANY OF THE STAFF.
BUT IF I COULD BE PROVIDED WITH SOME SPECIFIC EXAMPLES, I WOULD LOOK TO OBSERVE AND SEE WHAT IT IS EXACTLY THAT HAPPENED OR DIDN'T HAPPEN SO THAT OUR COMMUNICATION COULD BE, UH, CLEARER MOVING FORWARD.
AND AGAIN, UH, IN TERMS OF, UH, COMMUNICATION AND TRANSPARENCY, AGAIN, I SAY WE HAVE THE, OUR SCHEDULE MEETINGS, BUT SOME OF THE SITUATIONS I AGREE, ARE, ARE VERY IMPORTANT AND NEED TO BE ADDRESSED RIGHT AWAY.
BUT I CAN BE REACHED BY PHONE, I CAN BE REACHED BY TEAMS. I'M IN THE OFFICE.
I WOULD HOPE THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO, UH, RECTIFY SOME OF THOSE SITUATIONS LIKE THAT.
[01:15:01]
THAT IN THE PAST WHERE THERE WAS AN INSTANCE OR A SITUATION THAT OCCURRED AND A PHONE CALL DID HAPPEN, AND WE IMMEDIATELY RESPONDED TO TRY TO ADDRESS THE SITUATION.SO I WOULD LOOK TO SEE IF WE COULD INCREASE THAT AS, AS BOTH UNIONS SAID, THAT WE WANT TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE BEFORE IT GETS TO THE LEVEL OF GRIEVANCE.
I CONTINUE TO BE OPEN TO THAT AND I HOPE MOVING FORWARD THAT WE CAN DO THAT.
UM, AT THIS TIME I LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT TODAY.
UM, I THINK THIS WAS A VERY PRODUCTIVE MEETING.
UM, I HOPE THAT WE COULD, UH, CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER TO RESOLVE THESE ISSUES.
UM, WITH THAT BEING SAID, MEETING ADJOURN.