[00:03:29]
GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.THIS IS A CONTINUATION OF THE BUDGET HEARING THAT WE HAD, UH, STARTED YESTERDAY.
BUT JUST FOR THE RECORD, I DO HAVE BEFORE ME CERTIFICATION FROM THE CLERK FOR THIS MEETING IS IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE OPEN PUBLIC MEETINGS ACT.
HOW ARE YOU? WHO'S YOUR STELLAR TEAM TODAY? MAKE SURE WE DON'T MISS ANYBODY HERE.
WHO'S THAT GUY NEXT TO YOU? NO, HE'S TALKING ABOUT YOU.
JUDGE AARON, UH, WHERE ARE WE GONNA START TODAY? ARE WE STARTING WITH COUNCIL? WE'RE GONNA START WITH COUNTY COUNCIL.
JOHN IS GONNA LEAD THAT CHARGE.
UH, MR. PRESIDENT, SHOULD I START WITH MY HISTORY OF PRACTICING IN NEW YORK OR RIGHT TO THE MATTER? EXCUSE ME.
A BRIEF OVERVIEW BEFORE YOU LOOK AT 43, UH, LITIGATED CASES.
NOW IN THE, IN THE COUNTY COUNCIL'S OFFICE ARE, UH, ROUGHLY 90 TO A HUNDRED MATTERS.
UH, DISCIPLINARY CASES, 60 OAL APPEALS, 10 LABOR MATTERS, UH, ROUGHLY 66 WHERE THOSE, THOSE ARE ADMINISTRATIVE AND LABOR GRIEVANCES.
AS YOU ALL KNOW ABOUT THE UNION CONTRACTS THAT WE NEGOTIATE ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTY.
UH, WE HAVE A APPELLATE EIGHT APPELLATE DIVISION CASES.
[00:05:01]
REVIEW THE, THE CONTRACTS FOR THE COUNTY EVERY TIME THERE'S A NEW CONTRACT.SO, UM, ANYWAY, THAT'S, THAT'S A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF WHAT WE HAVE.
AND NOW WE'LL GO TO, UM, ACTUALLY 42, MY MISTAKE, I'M SORRY, 42.
UH, THIS SHOWS THE, UH, THE COUNTY BUDGET, UH, WHERE WE ARE IN TERMS OF THE, UH, THE COUNTY COUNCIL, UH, GOING UP.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THEY'RE ALL, UH, MODEST INCREASES.
UH, SAME THING WITH THE EX, THE EXPENSES, IF YOU LOOK AT THE, THE COUNT, THE CATEGORY CALLED EXECUTIVE RECOMMENDED, THAT IS THE RECOMMENDED, UH, 2025 BUDGET.
ALRIGHT, UH, PERSONNEL SUMMARY AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE, UH, SELF-EXPLANATORY.
UM, NEXT PAGE IS, UH, OUR, OUR 2025 BUDGET.
UH, I'LL EXPLAIN SOME OF THE CATEGORIES, WHICH ARE NOT, NOT SELF-EXPLANATORY.
UH, PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, UH, THOSE ARE OUTSIDE SERVICES FOR, UH, UH, EXPERTS, MEDIATOR, MEDIATORS, ARBITRATORS, IME REPORTS, MEDICAL EVALUATIONS AT THE BOTTOM OF THAT CATEGORY.
COUNTY COUNSEL, UM, NON-PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, COURT REPORTERS.
ALRIGHT, UH, TELECOMMUNICATIONS.
UH, THESE ARE THE EMPLOYEES THAT WE HAVE.
UH, WE HAVE ONE CLERICAL VACANCY AND WE HAVE A, UH, VACANCY FOR IT, AN ATTORNEY.
UH, AND I HAVE BUDGETED FOR, UM, THAT, UM, ONE HALF OF A SALARY OF, OR $35,000.
UH, ANOTHER, WE'RE HOPING TO BRING SOME IN BY THE SIX MONTHS INTO THE YEAR.
SOME OF THE, UH, SOME OF THE, UH, UH, ATTORNEYS, AS YOU KNOW, ARE BEING PAID FOR BY THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, THE, UH, FAMILY PEOPLE THAT WE DISCUSSED, WE GET 66 AND TWO THIRDS OF ALL THEIR EXPENSES PAID FOR BY THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY.
UM, THE, THE NEXT PAGE, UH, WOULD, THIS WILL SHOW YOU THE, THE LIST OF THE LAWYERS, UH, THE, UH, THE YOU ATTORNEY AT THE TOP.
UH, THE REST OF THE, UH, PEOPLE ARE SELF-EXPLANATORY.
UH, AND AGAIN, THE WELFARE SECTION CHIEF, AND ONE IS ASSISTANT COUNTY COUNSEL.
UH, 66% OF THEIR SALARY IS PAID FOR BY THE STATE, AND 50% OF CLERICAL SERVICES ARE PAID FOR BY THE STATE.
SO, UH, AND THEY RECOVER LITERALLY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FOR THE COUNTY EVERY YEAR.
UH, NEXT PAGE IS THE INSPECTOR GENERAL, AS YOU KNOW, DOMINIC SCAG LEONE.
UH, THERE'S THE, ALL OF THIS IS, IS SELF-EXPLANATORY.
UH, TWO OF, UH, TWO OF HIS EMP EMPLOYEES ARE PAID FOR BY DFAB, UH, TO DO INVESTIGATIONS THERE.
UH, UH, NEXT PAGE IS THE INSPECTOR GENERAL.
UH, THERE'S TWO POSITIONS, AS I SAID, WHICH ARE ASSIGNED IN, IN EFFECT TO DFAB.
NEXT PAGE IS THE MENTAL HEALTH UNIT.
UH, THE, UM, THIS IS A VERY ACTIVE, UH, UH, DEPARTMENT WITHIN THE, UH, COUNTY COUNCIL'S OFFICE.
UH, WE HANDLE ALL OF THE COMMITMENTS, ALL AND THE FULL PANEL PLEA OF MATTERS ON ALL, ON ALL MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES.
UH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE DOING A, A, A VERY GOOD JOB.
UM, AND THEY, WE JUST GOT PERMISSION FROM THE, UH, ADMINISTRATOR OFFICER OF THE COURTS TO GO TO PAY TO, UH, NO PAPER, WHICH IS A BIG DEAL.
IT'S GONNA SAVE US A LOT OF MONEY ON STORAGE, ET CETERA.
GLENN GRANT, WHO IS A FRIEND OF SO MANY PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM, UH, GAVE US PERMISSION TO DO EVERYTHING IN SEACATS.
AND, AND FRANK MARCELLO WAS, UH, ONE OF THE DRIVING FORCES BEHIND GETTING THAT APPROVAL.
SO WE'RE GONNA BE THE FIRST IN THE STATE TO GET APPROVAL FOR, TO GOING PAPERLESS.
NEXT PAGE IS, UM, AGAIN, UH, UH, CHRIS PERSONNEL DETAIL.
UM, THAT'S FRANK AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE.
AND THEN WE HAVE TWO, UH, UH, ACCOUNT CLERKS.
UH, AND THAT'S, AND THAT IS SELF-EXPLANATORY.
THE, UM, THE NEXT PAGE IS SETTLEMENT OF SUITS.
UM, AND THIS IS A, THIS AT THE SAME AS THE YEAR BEF AS THE YEAR BEFORE, UH, BEFORE ON THE, UH, ADOPTED BUDGET.
UH, I CANNOT REP REPRESENT TO YOU THAT THIS IS A HARD AND FAST NUMBER.
WE WILL, I WILL COME BACK TO YOU OBVIOUSLY, IF WE EXCEED, IF WE EXCEED THIS BUDGET LINE.
BUT SINCE IT'S A SETTLEMENT OF SUITS, WE HAVE TO SEE IF WE CAN SETTLE THE SUITS.
SO I, I DO NOT LIKE TO SETTLE SUITS, BUT FROM A BUSINESS STANDPOINT, ESPECIALLY IN
[00:10:01]
THIS ERA OF FREE, OF FEE SHIFTING LITIGATION WHERE WE HAVE TO PAY THE OTHER SIDE'S LAWYER, THERE'S MANY TIMES WHEN IT MAKES A LOT OF BUSINESS SENSE TO SETTLE CASES RATHER THAN PROCEED WITH LITIGATING THEM.UH, YOU'RE MORE THAN HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY OF YOUR QUESTIONS.
LET ME, UH, ALTHOUGH THIS IS A CONTINUATION OF YESTERDAY'S MEETING, LET ME RECOGNIZE THAT MIKE THOMAS IS HERE TODAY.
UH, WE HAVE COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON, SIEBOLD, LUCIANO, AND SERMONS HERE NOW, BUT WE DIDN'T CALL THE ROLE BECAUSE IT'S A CONTINUATION OF YESTERDAY.
BUT WE DO HAVE SOMEONE WHO WASN'T HERE YESTERDAY, AND WE HAVE A FEW PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT HERE, WHO WERE HERE YESTERDAY.
UM, WE WILL, UH, ASK MR. MCNA TO TAKE SOME LEAD QUESTIONS AND THEN WE'LL ASK QUESTIONS WITH COMMISSIONERS IF THEY HAVE ANY.
JUST GETTING BACK TO SETTLEMENT OF SUITS, UH, FOR A SECOND.
UM, I MEAN, WE, THERE ARE TIMES WHEN WE DO INSTALLMENT AGREEMENTS ON THE SETTLEMENT OF SUITS.
ARE THERE ANY, UH, INSTALLMENTS THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THAT NUMBER THAT ENCUMBER THAT NUMBER NOW? SO, AND, AND INSTALLMENTS, YOU SAID FRANK.
IN OTHER WORDS, WE WILL, WE HAVE A STRUCTURED SETTLEMENT.
IN THE PAST, WE'VE HAD SITUATIONS WHERE THE, THE SUIT WAS 900,000.
WE PAY 'EM 300,000, UH, EVERY YEAR.
SO, SO WAS ANY OF THAT ENCUMBERED THAT? NO.
UM, AND, AND ARE THERE ANY CASES, UM, I KNOW IT'S DIFFICULT.
SPEAK UP FOR ME, FOR YOU, FRANKLY.
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? NOW I CAN.
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YES, I CAN.
UM, ARE THERE ANY CASES NOW THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING EX THAT ARE OUT THERE THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY THAT MIGHT VERY WELL EXCEED THAT BY A LARGE AMOUNT, LET'S SAY, BUT THAT WOULD BE A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER.
DO, DO WE THINK, UH, I YES, WE, YES WE HAVE, UH, WE HAVE THE CELL PHONE LITIGATION.
UH, THAT THAT, WHAT, WHAT IS THAT? CAN YOU GIVE US JUST A LITTLE, THAT IS A, A DEMAND BY CERTAIN SHERIFF'S OFFICERS FOR OVERTIME FOR USE OF THEIR CELL PHONES DURING COVID.
THAT'S A POTENTIAL NUMBER THAT'S, HAS THAT BEEN MONETIZED IN THE, IN THE, THAT, THAT'S A POTENTIAL SIGNIFICANT NUMBER.
I I, I'M GOING TO MEDIATION ON THAT ON APRIL 10TH, AND, UH, I'M GONNA TRY TO RESOLVE THAT.
AND, AND THAT WOULD BE THE ONLY ONE THAT NO, UH, WE WOULD DISCUSSED, UH, TWO OTHER SIGNIFICANT CASES.
NUMBER ONE, WHICH WE COLLOQUIALLY REFER TO AS THE MICROWAVE CASE.
UH, THAT POTENTIALLY HAS A, A, A POTENTIAL SIGNIFICANT NUMBER ATTACHED TO IT, NUMBER ONE.
AND NUMBER TWO, UH, THERE WAS A BOY WHO WAS STRUCK AND SIGNIFICANTLY LIFE CHANGING WITH LIFE CHANGING INJURIES.
I AN AUTOMOBILE IN NEWARK AS HE WAS CROSSING GOING TO OUR COUNTY PARK.
THE, ALL THE ALLEGATION BY THE PLAINTIFF IN THIS MATTER IS BECAUSE WE PUT A ENTRY TO THE PARK IN THE MIDDLE OF A BLOCK THAT IT WAS A, IN EFFECT, WE HAD ENTICED HIM TO CLO TO CROSS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BLOCK.
WE WERE THERE FOR PART OF THE PART, APPROXIMATE CAUSE OF WHY HE WAS STRUCK.
AND, AND VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY BADLY HURT.
OBVIOUSLY, THE DRIVER OF THE CAR IS THE INDIVIDUAL WHO IS PRIMARILY RESPONSIBLE.
THE DRIVER HAS SETTLED FOR THE POLICY, WHICH WAS NEXT TO NOTHING.
UH, AND, UH, UH, OUR, OUR CONTENTION IS, UH, IT'S THE DRIVER'S FAULT, RIGHT? THE KID WAS RUNNING OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET AND HIT BY THE CAR.
AND, AND WE ALSO, SECONDLY, DO NOT AGREE FROM A LEGAL POSITION THAT THE POSITIONING OF THE STAIRCASE, UH, SHOULD HOLD US, SHOULD MAKE US LIABLE.
BUT IT'S A, IT'S A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM.
LEMME RECOGNIZE, COMMISSIONER, VICE PRESIDENT COOPER HAS JOINED THE MEETING.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, MR. MCINERNEY? UM, YEAH, SO, SO THAT, THOSE ARE THE, THOSE ARE THE THREE CASES THAT MIGHT HAVE, YOU KNOW, AN IMPACT ON THAT WITH REGARD TO PROFESSIONAL.
AND AGAIN, AS OF TODAY, AS OF TODAY, BECAUSE THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, THIS IS FOR 2025, UH, AS YOU KNOW, WE GET A LOT OF LAWSUITS FILED AGAINST THE COUNTY, UH, AT ANY TIME.
AND SO THERE MAY BE POTENTIALLY LAWSUITS THAT ARE FILED AGAINST THE COUNTY.
MY PHILOSOPHY HAS ALWAYS BEEN, IF, IF A LAWSUIT IS FILED AGAINST THE COUNTY, UH, THAT, UH, I THINK HAS SOME REAL POTENTIAL LIABILITY, I'D RATHER TRY TO SETTLE VERY QUICKLY.
AND LET ME, LET ME QUAL QUALIFY SOMETHING ELSE.
UH, WE HAVE 21 MATTERS OF, UH, ALLEGED A CALL WRONGDOING BY,
[00:15:01]
UH, CORRECTIONS PEOPLE AND GENERAL DETENTION OFFICERS.UH, THEY, THERE'S ALREADY BEEN 21 SUITS FILED.
ALL OF THOSE HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR PROBLEMS SUITS FILED AGAINST THE COUNTY.
THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN FILED 2020 BY, BY CORRECTION OFFICERS OR JUVENILE DETENTION AGAINST.
CAN I, CAN I ADD SOMETHING TO THAT? YOUR, I'M SORRY, I WANNA MAKE SURE PHIL LODGE, CHIEF OF STAFF, THERE WAS NEW LEGISLATION PASSED AND A LOT OF THESE GO BACK 20, 30, 40 YEARS.
CORRECT? IT'S NOT, IT ALLOWS, I THINK, YOU KNOW, VICTIMS TO SUE LONG AFTER IT HAPPENED.
SO I DON'T WANT YOU TO THINK THAT SOMETHING RECENTLY HAPPENED WHERE THERE'S 21, RIGHT? THESE CASES ARE WITHIN 10 YEARS, BUT SOME OF THEM GO BACK TO THE SEVENTIES AND EIGHTIES.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THE RECORDS, THANK YOU, CHIEF, APPRECIATE, MAKE SURE OF THE CASES, BUT I THINK YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
IT'S AN IMPORTANT CLARIFICATION TO MAKE.
LET'S, UH, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE, UH, DON'T GET DEEP INTO THE SPECIFICS OF ANY CASES AS THERE ARE UNDER LITIGATION.
SO LET'S TRY TO KEEP OUR BUDGET QUESTIONS TO BUDGET ITEMS. ALL I, I, I APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, YEAH, AGAIN, WITH, WITH, UH, YOUR CONTRACTS FOR LAWYERS, UH, IS THERE, ARE YOU DOING MORE IN-HOUSE WITH, I LOOK BACK AT 21, THE 2021 BUDGET, AND AT THAT POINT THERE WAS 25 LAWYERS BUDGETED FOR YOUR DEPARTMENT.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF THAT'S LAWYER.
I'M TALKING ABOUT FULL POSITIONS.
SO LET, LET'S TAKE FOR EXAMPLE, THE 21 CASES THAT I JUST REFERRED TO THAT, THAT BECAME, BECAME A LIE BECAUSE THE LEGISLATURE CHANGED THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS AND WENT BACK 30 YEARS.
UH, I DID A LOT OF DUE DILIGENCE AS TO LAW FIRMS THAT HAVE EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE IN THIS AREA.
AND, UH, INCLUDING THE PROSECUTOR WHO IS IN CHARGE OF ALL OF THE, THOSE MATTERS FOR THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY ON CLERGY.
OKAY? UH, AND TO GET RECOMMENDATIONS, THERE WERE TWO FIRMS THAT WERE RECOMMENDED.
I THEN WENT INTO THEIR BACKGROUND, WENT INTO, I HAD THEM PREPARE PROPOSALS TO US, UH, THE TWO FIRMS, THE ONE FIRM, WHICH I WOULD HAVE PREFERRED, FRANKLY, AND YOU'RE ASKING ME A QUESTION, SO I'M GONNA GIVE YOU AN ANSWER.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE WELL UNDER THE COUNT WHAT THE COUNTY IS PAYING PER HOUR.
SO I'M HIRING THE SECOND FIRM, WHICH HAS EXPERIENCED IN THIS AREA, BUT NOT THE 200 CASES THAT THIS OTHER FIRM IS DOING FOR THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY.
BUT THEY'RE WILLING TO ACCEPT THE, UH, THE COUNTY'S FEE.
LEMME RECOGNIZE COMMISSIONER GILLS JOINED THE MEETING.
SO, SO THAT CONTINUES TO BE AN ISSUE WHEN, WHEN HIRING FROM, IT'S A BIG MENTIONED ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS.
PEOPLE, UH, I, I THINK AT THIS TIME NEXT YEAR, IF, IF WE'RE ALL HEAR GOD WILLING, UH, I'M PROBABLY GONNA COME BACK TO, TO THE ADMINISTRATION FIRST, OBVIOUSLY TO DISCUSS, DO WE WANT TO UP THE AMOUNT THAT THE COUNTY IS, IS WILLING TO PAY TO OUTSIDE COUNSEL? BECAUSE THERE ARE SEVERAL FIRMS THAT HAVE SAID, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I'VE ENJOYED WORKING WITH THE COUNTY, BUT I DO NOT WANNA REPRESENT THE COUNTY ANY LONGER.
UH, COMMISSIONER'S QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONER, VICE PRESIDENT.
UM, WHAT IS THE RATE THAT WE PAID? IS IT 1 50, 1 50 TO 200? SO 200? IT DEPENDS ON THE NATURE OF THE CASE, DEPENDING ON THE, THE EXPERTISE THAT I BELIEVE WE NEED, WHETHER WE WILL PAY AT THE $200 RATE.
UH, MOST OF THE $200 RATE CASES ARE INVOLVE FEE SHIFTING CASES WHERE WE HAVE TO PAY THE OTHER SIDE'S LAWYER.
SO WE REALLY NEED SOMEBODY GOOD TO REPRESENT THE COUNTY.
SO THEN MOST OF OUR, UM, HOUR RATE IS THE 1 51.
THEN MOST OF OURS ARE AT, AT ONE 50.
BUT I DON'T THINK THAT'S GONNA CONTINUE.
I THINK THIS NEXT YEAR WE'RE GONNA PROBABLY FIND MOST OF THEM ARE GONNA BE AT 200.
COMMISSIONERS, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? SEE NONE.
JOHN FOR COMING IN TODAY AND FOR SHARING, UH, YOUR DEPARTMENT'S, UH, BUDGETS AND INSIGHTS TO IT.
ALL RIGHT, MR. JACKSON, DO WE HAVE OUR ESTEEMED PROSECUTOR NEXT? UH, YES.
HE HAS ARRIVED AND WE'RE ON PAGE, UH, 92.
UH, COUNCIL, COMMISSIONER, PRESIDENT.
AND, UM, GOOD COMMISSIONERS AS
[00:20:01]
WELL.GOOD EVENING TO EVERYONE WHO'S, UH, TELL US WHO'S WITH YOU TODAY AND THEN JUST START WITH YOUR PRESENTATION.
FIRST ASSISTANT ALEX ALBU IS WITH ME AS WELL AS EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT PROSECUTOR, UH, GWEN WILLIAMS AND EEN MATH, UH, OUR BUDGET TO CONSULT.
UH, DIRECTOR IS IN THE BACK AS WELL.
IT'S ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO COME IN FRONT OF THE COMMISSION TO EXPLAIN WHAT THE ESSEX COUNTY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE IS DOING.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF LIKE FROM A BUDGET PERSPECTIVE, OUR NUMBERS ARE FAIRLY PREDICTABLE AS THINGS GO, BUT I'D LIKE TO GIVE JUST AN OVERVIEW IN TERMS OF WHERE THE COUNTY'S MONEY'S GOING IN TERMS OF WHAT THE OFFICE HAS DONE IN THE PAST YEAR.
UM, WE GET JUDGED BY, UM, HOMICIDES OFTEN IN, IN THIS COUNTY.
YOU JUST NEED TO UNDERSTAND IN TERMS OF WE'RE THE ONLY COUNTY THAT REALLY LOOK AT THOSE NUMBERS BECAUSE OUR NUMBERS ARE SUBSTANTIAL COMPARED TO THE, THE OTHER, UH, OFFICES.
I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT, UH, THE HOMICIDE NUMBER HAS REMAINED FLAT FROM LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR, ESSENTIALLY.
MAYBE IT'S ONE DIFFERENCE, BUT IT'S BASICALLY LESS THAN 60 59 OR 58, UH, HOMICIDES, WHICH IS GOOD.
UH, COMPARED TO, UM, WHERE WE WERE ACTUALLY, IT'S BEEN GOING DOWN IN THE LAST SIX YEARS OR SO.
IT WENT FROM ABOUT 80 OR 85 WHEN I FIRST CAME IN.
IT'S BEEN GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND THAT IT DIFFERS FROM A HIGH YEARS AGO WHEN THERE WERE, YOU KNOW, 150, 160 HOMICIDES GOING ON.
A BIG REASON FOR THAT IS THAT A LOT OF THE, UH, MUNICIPALITIES IN QUESTION WHERE MOST OF THE, UH, VIOLENT CRIME OCCURS HAVE ENGAGED IN A LOT OF ROBUST EFFORTS, TAKING GUNS OFF THE STREET AND DOING A LOT OF OTHER WORK, WHICH IS BASICALLY, UH, ANTICIPATORY OF WHERE VIOLENCE MIGHT OCCUR.
AND, UM, AND ALSO WE HAVE TECHNOLOGY WHICH HELPS IN TERMS OF, UH, LICENSE PLATE READERS, IN TERMS OF CAMERAS, IN TERMS OF BODY-WORN CAMERA, ALL OF THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.
THE TECHNOLOGY COMES INTO PLAY TO HELP THOSE NUMBERS GO DOWN AS WELL.
SO WE'RE HAPPY IN THAT REGARD.
UM, UNDERSTANDING THAT 58, 59 IS STILL TOO MANY, BUT THAT'S STILL MOVING AT LEAST IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
NOW THAT'S CONTRASTED WITH THE REST OF THE OFFICE WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, A TOTAL FOR 2020 COMPARED 23 TO 24.
UH, IN 2023, THE NUMBER OF CASES THAT WERE STARTED IN THE OFFICE OVERALL WERE 12,158 CASES.
AND AT THE END OF 24, THOSE NUMBERS LOOKED LIKE IT'S 13,729 CASES.
SO, UM, A, UM, OVER 1500, UH, CASES INCREASE IN THAT PERIOD OF TIME.
SIMILARLY THOUGH, THE CASES WHICH WE ARE DISPOSING OF, UH, ALSO GOES DOWN FROM 2023 AT 12,500 CASES TO OVER 2000 MORE 14,650 CASES, WHICH WE DISPOSE OF, UM, IN 2024.
SO THE PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE, THE ASSISTANT PROSECUTORS, INVESTIGATORS SUPPORT STAFF, ARE ALL DOING A GREAT JOB IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO CUT INTO BACKLOGS, WHICH WE HAVE.
AND THAT BACK, THOSE BACKLOGS WERE CREATED BECAUSE OF A COUPLE OF REASONS.
ONE, OUR VOLUME, AS I SAID, IS JUST HIGHER THAN ANYBODY ELSE'S BY FAR IN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY.
UH, AND FOR INSTANCE, IN TERMS OF NUMBER OF CASES STARTED, UM, IF WE WERE LOOK AT THE 13,700 FOR THIS YEAR, THAT'S PROBABLY $5,000, $5,000, 5,000 CASES MORE THAN THE NEXT HIGHEST COUNTY, WHICH WOULD PROBABLY BE CAMDEN.
AND THEN THE NUMBER GO DOWN, KIND OF, UM, UM, LESS DRAMATICALLY AFTER THAT.
BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, THAT'S A 40% DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ONE COUNTY AND THE OTHER.
BUT JUST, UH, JUST TO TYPIFY SHOW THE KIND OF VOLUME THAT WE DEAL WITH.
UM, THE OTHER REASON IS BECAUSE, UH, THE COURT SYSTEM ARE THE A OC HAS SEEN FIT TO FINALLY, UH, GIVE ALMOST A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE JUDGES, JUDGES IN THE CRIMINAL SLOTS THAT WERE ALLOCATED FOR YEARS THAT WE HOVERED BETWEEN 12, 14 OR SO JUDGES.
NOW WE HAVE 19 CRIMINAL JUSTICE JUDGES WITH THE EXPECTATION TO BE ONE MORE AS WELL.
UM, THE, THE ASSISTANT PROSECUTORS HAVE TO COVER MORE CASES, BUT THEY'RE ABLE TO DISPOSE OF MORE, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE COVERING, UH, BEING, TRYING TO BE IN THE SAME PLACE AND MANY MORE TIMES BECAUSE JUST MORE COURTS TO ACTUALLY KEEP OPEN.
SO I'M EXTREMELY HAPPY WITH THE EFFORT THAT WE'VE BEEN GETTING, UH, FROM STAFF IN TERMS OF MOVING CASES ALONG THE, ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT WE TALK ABOUT FROM TIME TO OVER THE YEARS HAS BEEN THE DIFFICULTY IN KEEPING AND, AND ATTRACTING YOUNG PROSECUTORS COMING INTO THE ESSEX COUNTY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE.
UH, WE CONTINUE NOT TO BE THE HIGHEST, UH, PAYING COUNTY.
[00:25:01]
SOME STRIDES.I THINK WE'VE HAD TWO INCREASES OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, WHICH HAVE GOTTEN US TO, IN A COMPETITIVE, I THINK WE'RE STARTING IN 71 NOW TO 71, SO THAT, THAT, THAT GETS US COMPETITIVE IN TERMS OF OTHER OFFICES.
UM, BUT DESPITE THAT NOT BEING THE HIGHEST, I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT WE HAVE HAD A BANNER YEAR IN TERMS OF INTEREST IN OUR OFFICE.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE IS WE HAVE, UM, UM, STARTED SOME PROGRAMS, UM, WITH PACE UNIVERSITY, SETON HALL IN TERMS OF, UH, GETTING SOME LAW STUDENTS IN TO INTERN WITH OUR OFFICE.
AND WE HIRE A LOT OF THOSE PEOPLE.
THEY, THEY COME, THEY TAKE A LOOK AT US, THEY LIKE WHAT THEY SEE, AND THEN THEY APPLY.
SO WE HAVE NINE HAD NINE SLOTS OPEN.
WE ESSENTIALLY HAVE, YOU KNOW, FILL THOSE AT THIS POINT.
AND WE'RE STILL HAVE A COUPLE OF INTERVIEWS WE'RE ANTICIPATING FOR JUDGES, UH, CLERKS WHO ARE HERE IN THIS COUNTY.
SO, UM, WE ARE LOOKING AT FILLING A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THOSE SLOTS.
AND THEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO LOOK AT INCREASING THOSE NUMBERS BECAUSE OF ONE, THE REASON I SAID PREVIOUSLY, IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF CASES THAT WE'RE HAVING TO COVER WITH THE INCREASED NUMBER OF COURTS, AND ALSO WE HAVE A COUPLE OF VERY SIGNIFICANT BACKLOGS THAT TAKE BODIES.
FOR INSTANCE, EXPUNGEMENTS, UH, OVER THE YEARS, THE LEGISLATURE HAVE, HAS INCREASED THE NUMBER OF OPPORTUNITIES INDIVIDUALS HAVE TO GET EXPUNGEMENT, WHICH IS A GOOD THING.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT INDIVIDUALS WHO PAY THEIR DEBT TO SOCIETY ARE ABLE TO GET BACK ON THE, THE RIGHT ROAD AND ABLE TO HAVE, BE GAINFULLY EMPLOYED WITHOUT HAVING THE BURDEN OF, UH, OF PRIOR MISTAKES FOLLOWING THEM.
AND ESPECIALLY IF THEY, UH, PUT THAT BEHIND THEM.
BUT THAT STILL MEANS THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF CASES THAT WE'VE GOT TO MOVE HERE.
AND I PROMISED THE ASSIGNMENT, JUDGE THAT WE WILL DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO, TO CUT INTO THAT BACKLOG, WHICH WE ARE DOING.
UH, WE'VE MADE SOME ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES IN TERMS OF JUST HOW WE HANDLE THE CASES, BUT THERE'S NO EXCUSES, NO SUBSTITUTE FOR REALLY JUST HAVING MORE BODIES TO, UH, THROW AT THAT.
SO WE'RE GONNA DO IT IN A COMBINATION OF WAYS.
ONE, WE'RE GONNA TRY TO GET MORE ASSISTANT PROSECUTORS IN, BUT ALSO WE'RE GOING TO INCREASE OUR SUPPORT STAFF BECAUSE A LOT OF THOSE PARAPROFESSIONALS DO A GREAT JOB IN TERMS OF FOLLOW UP IN TERMS OF GETTING INFORMATION AND, AND DOING SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE TECHNOLOGY, WHICH WE HAVE.
UM, WE'VE DONE A GOOD JOB WITH TECHNOLOGY.
WE'VE GOTTEN, UH, UM, BODY-WORN CAMERA FOOT IN, IN THROUGH A COMPANY CALLED AXON, WHICH IS THE NATIONAL LEADER IN TERMS OF THAT.
BUT, AND WE USE INFO SHARE, WHICH IS ALSO, MOST OF OUR MUNICIPALITIES HAVE.
SO WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO IS WE'RE ABLE TO GET INFORMATION IN ALL ELECTRONICALLY OR TO THE POINT THE, THE GOAL IS TO GET IT ALL IN ELECTRONICALLY.
UM, AND WE'VE CUT DOWN ON PAPER DRAMATICALLY, WHICH SAVES TIME AND SAVES MONEY AS WELL, BECAUSE WE'VE HAD SOME REAL SAVINGS IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE, THE, THE NEED TO, UM, PHOTOCOPY DOCUMENTS.
'CAUSE NOW THEY'RE ALL COMING IN ELECTRONICALLY AND EVEN MORE EXPENSIVE WAY OF HAVING TO BURN DISS, WHICH ARE EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE AND TIME CONSUMING GOING BACK AND FORTH.
SO WE'RE REALLY USING THE TECHNOLOGY THAT'S AT THE, THE, THE DISPOSAL, UH, IN LAW ENFORCEMENT, UH, ALONG WITH A, A VERY MOTIVATED STAFF TO KIND OF MOVE THINGS ALONG FORWARD IN OUR OFFICE.
UM, SO FROM A RAW NUMBERS STANDPOINT, OUR NUMBERS ESSENTIALLY, UM, REMAIN THE SAME.
WE ARE, UM, THE, UM, WE'RE ABLE, WHEN WE DO LOSE PEOPLE, WE LOSE 'EM AT THE HIGH END SOMETIMES, UH, OFTENTIMES, AND WE'RE ABLE TO HIRE PEOPLE AT A LOWER END, AND THAT KEEPS OUR SALARY NUMBERS UNDER CONTROL.
UM, OUR, OUR OTHER EXPENSES ARE DOWN A LITTLE BIT.
WE'RE TRYING OUR BEST TO, UM, TO HELP THE COUNTY OR WORK WITHIN THE, THE OVERALL BUDGET CONSTRAINTS THAT WE HAVE.
UH, AND AGAIN, AS WE TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THAT, SOME OF THOSE SAVINGS IN TERMS OF PAPER AND DISK, THAT GOES A LONG WAY TOWARD MEETING THAT NUMBER.
SO WE'RE NOT ANTICIPATING THAT THAT'S GOING TO BE MUCH OF A PROBLEM.
UM, ONE OF THE INCREASES THAT WE DID, UM, ANTICIPATE AND DEAL WITH WAS BECAUSE OF CONTRACTS THAT HAVE BEEN NEGOTIATED, UM, THE, UM, UH, CONTRACTS FOR THE, UM, PBA WAS SETTLED.
UM, WE'VE GOT THE FOP THAT'S EXPECTED TO COME UP AND ALSO OUR ASSISTANT PROSECUTORS.
BUT IN TERMS OF THE, UH, THOSE NUMBERS, WE HAVE RESERVES SET FOR THAT.
AND, UH, BUT WE'LL HAVE A, UM, A, UM, UM, COROLLARY INCREASE NEXT YEAR IN DEALING WITH THOSE NUMBERS, UH, IN TERMS OF DEALING WITH THE INCREASED AMOUNTS FROM THE, UM, FROM THE BUDGET OR FROM THE CONTRACT.
SO, UH, AND I EVEN GOT A LITTLE RAISE, SO I'LL TAKE THAT AS WELL, THAT, THAT, BUT THAT'S NEGLIGIBLE, TRUST ME.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE SO FAR.
I'M AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS IF THERE ARE ANY.
UM, THANK YOU, MR. PROSECUTOR.
WE'LL START WITH MR. MCINERNEY AND THEN WE'LL TURN OVER TO, TO COMMISSIONER.
SHOULD HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? SURE.
UM, MR. PROSECUTOR, THERE'S A, THERE, THERE IS AN INCREASE
[00:30:01]
IN YOUR SALARY AND WAGE ITEM, UH, UH, THIS YEAR OF, UH, FIVE, UH, ABOUT 5% OF OVER 5%.UM, MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THAT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH WHAT YOU JUST DISCUSSED, THE CONTRACTS FOR SOME OF, I GUESS THE INVESTIGATORS AND OTHERS WERE INCREASED.
UM, CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT? AND THAT INCREASE NOW MANIFESTS ITSELF IN HIGHER SALARIES, UH, THAT WEREN'T PAID OUT IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
THE, THE RETROACTIVE PAYMENT ON THOSE CONTRACTS WAS PAID AGAINST THE RESERVE.
BUT NOW THOSE, I BELIEVE IT'S THE INVESTIGATORS ARE AT A HIGHER SALARY.
AND THAT CAUSED AN INCREASE, A NEED FOR AN INCREASE OVER LAST YEAR, RIGHT? IT, AND IT IS, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, WAS A NEGOTIATED WITHIN A RANGE THAT THE COUNTY NORMALLY HAS DONE IN A TWO OR 3% RANGE IN THAT, UM, THERE WAS NO, UH, WAY AROUND THAT IN TERMS OF, UM, IN ORDER TO AVOID THOSE INCREASES.
SO THOSE NUMBERS, UM, DO SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES, AND IT'S JUST, THAT'S THE SUM REASON FOR THAT.
UNDERSTAND THAT STILL ARE NUMBERS THAT NO ONE IN OUR OFFICE IS AMONG THE STATE LEADERS IN TERMS OF, UH, SALARIES.
WHETHER AT ANY LEVEL, WHETHER IT'S INVESTIGATORS, UH, SUPPORT STAFF OR ASSISTANT PROSECUTORS.
SO I THINK ALL THE INCREASES ARE EXTREMELY REASONABLE BASED ON WHAT WE DO.
BUT YOU HAVE SAID YOU, YOU HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET THE ASSISTANT PROSECUTOR'S SALARIES UP.
I KNOW IN THE PAST, YOU, YOU USED TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE LEFT OVER AT THE END OF THE YEAR THIS YEAR, UH, IN 24, IT SEEMS LIKE YOU WERE ABLE TO SPEND A GOOD PORTION OF, OF YOUR SALARY AND WAGE LINE ITEM.
SO I'M ASSUMING SOME OF THAT WENT TO THE ASSISTANT PROSECUTORS IN THE FORM OF RAISES.
AND, AND ALSO THE FACT THAT WE ARE, WE'RE NOT HAVING THE SAME AMOUNT OF ATTRITION THAT WE'VE HAD.
UM, PEOPLE ARE, UH, STAYING A LITTLE BIT LONGER, UH, IN THE OFFICE.
SO, UM, SOME OF THAT MOVEMENT, UM, WE'VE HAD ONE OR TWO INDIVIDUALS OF, WHEN WE HAVE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE RETIRING AFTER 25 YEARS OR SO, OF COURSE THEY'RE AT THE HIGH RANGE.
SO IF THEY LEAVE AT 175,000, WE'RE GONNA REPLACE THAT WITH SOMEBODY WHO'S MORE THAN A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS LESS THAN THAT.
UM, SO WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF THOSE, A FIRST ASSISTANT LEFT LAST YEAR, A COUPLE OF OTHER INDIVIDUALS.
AND SO THOSE NUMBERS GOT, UH, REDUCED.
WERE, WERE THAT WHAT VALUE WAS THERE FOR THE SURPLUS, RIGHT? SO EVERY YEAR WE'RE GETTING A LITTLE BIT TIGHTER IN TERMS OF THAT SURPLUS, AND AS WE ADD, UM, BODIES WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE, UH, IN COORDINATION WITH THE, UH, ADMINISTRATION, UM, THEN OF COURSE THAT NUMBER IS GOING TO GET TIGHTER AS WELL.
SO THE TURNOVER IS DOWN IN TERMS OF IT, IT HAS A FORTUNATE KNOCK ON WOOD THAT WE'VE BEEN, UM, YOU KNOW, FORTUNATE TO KEEP FOLKS A LITTLE BIT LONGER.
UM, IT'S A GOOD ENVIRONMENT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE COME IN, THEY, THEY, UM, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK THAT THE, THE FOLKS WHO HAVE COME IN THROUGH OUR INTERNSHIP PROGRAMS ARE PROB PROBABLY PROOF POSITIVE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEY GET A FREE LOOK AT THE OFFICE.
AND, AND AS I SAID, THEY STILL WANT TO COME AFTER THAT, WHICH SPEAKS WELL.
THEY GO BACK AND, AND THEY TELL OTHER PEOPLE IN THERE.
SO WE HAVE A REALLY GOOD KIND OF FEEDER SYSTEM IN TERMS OF, ESPECIALLY PACE HAS BEEN SURPRISINGLY VERY, VERY PRODUCTIVE IN TERMS OF THAT.
UM, AND WHERE SETON HALL'S COMING ON BOARD, AND WE'RE HOPING TO GET RUTGERS ON BOARD AS WELL.
BUT THAT $71,000 NUMBER, UH, FOR AN AP STARTING, IT'S MUCH HIGHER THAN IT'S WAS A COUPLE YEARS AGO.
I THINK IT WAS IN THE FIFTIES, A COUPLE YEARS AGO.
WELL, THE ADMINISTRATION HAS WORKED WITH US VERY WELL IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO MOVE THAT NUMBER ALONG.
SO, UM, WE'VE BEEN VERY PLEASED WITH THAT.
ANY QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER MURRAY THOMAS.
AND THANK YOU, UH, PROSECUTOR STEVENS FOR YOU AND YOUR ENTIRE TEAM'S JUST DILIGENT HARD WORK, UM, IN WORK THAT CAN OFTEN FEEL THANKLESS.
UM, THE IMPACT IS FELT, CERTAINLY IN MY HOMETOWN OF NEWARK, BUT OF COURSE, THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE COUNTY OF ESSEX.
THE FIRST IS BOTH FOR YOU AND I MEAN, FRANKLY, EVEN, YOU KNOW, MR. MCINERNEY, UH, I KNOW FOLKS ARE AWARE OF THE, UH, FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S, UH, DELAY ON DISBURSEMENTS FOR FEDERAL AGENCIES, UH, BY WAY OF THE LATEST EXECUTIVE ORDER FROM OUR PRESIDENT.
SO MY FIRST QUESTION IS, DO WE ANTICIPATE ANY PROGRAMS OR SERVICES FROM THE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE, UH, BEING AFFECTED BY THAT IN THE IMMEDIATE, AND IF SO, WHAT ARE KIND OF OUR STRATEGIES TO, UH, ADJUST? AND, AND CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, WE ASK THAT QUESTION FOR, FOR ALL OF THE PRESENTATIONS AS IS, IS IS HOT OFF THE PRESS MM-HMM
SO FIRSTLY, AND THEN SECONDLY, I SAW THAT THERE ARE SOME VACANCIES ABOUT 18 VACANCIES IT LOOKS LIKE, WITHIN THIS CURRENT BUDGET.
AND SO ARE THOSE FTE VACANCIES, ARE THOSE SEASONAL, PARTIAL? AND THEN, UM, WHERE ARE THOSE KIND OF VACANCIES HITTING AS FAR AS, IS IT PRIMARILY INVESTIGATORS? IS IT PRIMARILY X, Y, Z MM-HMM
[00:35:01]
OF TROUBLESHOOTING FOR WHATEVER SERVICES MAY BE IMPACTED BY THOSE VACANCIES? BILL COMMISSIONER, THANK YOU FOR THOSE QUESTIONS.UH, WITH REGARD TO THE, UM, THE GRANTS THAT COME IN ON THAT, MOSTLY YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT OUR BOCA GRANTS AND OUR BLAH BLAH GRANTS, WHICH ARE VICTIMS ORIENTED GRANTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
THOSE ARE FUNDED THROUGH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE.
SO THE, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE GETS THE BULK OF THE MONEY AND THEY DISPERSE IT OUT TO THE COUNTIES FROM THERE.
UM, I HAD CONVERSATION TODAY WITH THE FIRST ASSISTANT AND ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE, LINDSEY OLO EARLIER TODAY.
AND SO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS TO, UM, TO REALLY CAPTURE AS MUCH OF THAT MONEY UPFRONT AS POSSIBLE.
WE HAVE ONE GRANT THAT'S AN INSURANCE FRAUD GRANT, WHERE THAT'S SOMEWHAT AFFECTED AS WELL.
BUT, UM, IT'S MY, IT'S OUR EXPECTATION THAT WITH REGARD TO THE LAW ENFORCEMENT GRANTS, THAT IT'S GOING TO BE WHAT THE MEMO SAYS IS A TEMPORARY SUSPENSION AS THEY GET A CHANCE TO LOOK AT EVERYTHING.
SO WE'RE NOT ANTICIPATING THAT THERE, IT'S GONNA BE A PERMANENT YEAR LONG SUSPENSION.
SO WE EXPECT THAT THOSE DOLLARS ARE, ARE GOING TO BE RELEASED AT SOME PARTICULAR TIME.
SO THAT'S OUR EXPECTATION, THAT'S OUR HOPE, UH, IN TERMS OF MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT.
UH, SO IF THAT'S NOT, IF THAT DOESN'T COME TO PASS, THEN WE'LL LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE, UM, ANTICIPATED SURPLUS.
AND WE MAY HAVE TO ASK FOR SOME MOVEMENT IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THE, UM, SERVICES CONTINUE.
FROM A SALARY STANDPOINT, I THINK WE'RE OKAY.
PEOPLE WISE, IT WOULD BE SOME OF THE EXTRAS THAT ARE COMMUNITY JUSTICE, UM, UNIT IN TERMS OF GETTING INFORMATION, GETTING, UM, GIVEAWAYS, TRINKETS OR BANS, THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT OF COURSE WE USE TO, TO, UH, HELP, HELP TO ENGENDER OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE, UH, PUBLIC.
THAT'S PERHAPS THE THING THAT WOULD BE, HAVE TO BE CUT OUT IN, IN TERMS OF GOING FORWARD.
BUT I THINK SALARY WISE, AND, UH, WE, WE SHOULD BE.
UM, AND SECOND QUESTION, IT WAS DEALING WITH, I FORGOT THAT QUICK, THE VACANCIES.
YOU KNOW, VACANCIES ARE INTERESTING.
IT, IT APPEARS, APPEARS ON PAPER THAT WE HAVE THOSE VACANCIES, BUT THEY'RE NOT REALLY, MOST OF THOSE ARE DEBT IN, UH, POSITIONS WHERE WE REALLY HAVE INDIVIDUALS WHO WE'VE IDENTIFIED ALREADY.
BECAUSE AS A PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE, THERE'S AN ELONGATED, UM, HIRING PROCESS.
THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH BACKGROUND CHECKS SIX OR EIGHT WEEKS SOMETIMES.
SO FOR INSTANCE, AND, AND ALSO WITH REGARD TO ASSISTANT PROSECUTORS, IF THEY'RE CLERKING OR, OR OTHERWISE, IN SCHOOL RIGHT NOW, WE'RE ANTICIPATING THOSE.
SO WE'VE INTERVIEWED THOSE INDIVIDUALS AND BASICALLY MADE THEM OFFERS, BUT IT'S JUST THAT THEY CAN'T TAKE THAT POSITION QUITE YET.
SO SEPTEMBER IS OUR, IS OUR BIG HIRING PERIOD FROM A, FROM ASSISTANT PROSECUTOR STANDPOINT, WE USUALLY GET SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 7, 8, 12 THAT COME IN AS OUR NEW BLOOD TO, UM, TO FILL THE RANKS, UH, FOR PEOPLE WE'VE LOST.
SIMILARLY WITH REGARD TO INVESTIGATORS, THERE IS THAT ELONGATED PROCESS AS WELL.
SOME HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE ACADEMY, BUT THOSE ARE, THERE'S ONLY ONE OR TWO POSITIONS, I THINK, WHERE WE HAVE NOT MADE OFFERS.
RATHER THAN WHETHER IS IT 15 OR 17? THAT'S THERE, I THINK IT'S SAID 18 EIGHT.
EIGHT 18, YEAH, IT'S REALLY PROBABLY MORE LIKE EIGHT MM-HMM
UH, AND THE SAME THING WITH SUPPORT STAFF.
EVEN SUPPORT STAFF HAVE TO GO THROUGH BACKGROUND CHECKS SO THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED INDIVIDUALS FOR MOST OF THOSE POSITIONS.
SO WE DON'T ANTICIPATE HAVING TOO MANY VACANCIES.
PROSECUTOR, YOU MENTIONED THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF COUNTIES THAT PAY MORE TO THE PROSECUTORS THAN WE DO HERE IN ESSEX COUNTY.
CAN YOU NAME THOSE COUNTIES? WELL, GLOUCESTER FOR ONE STARTS THERE.
ASSISTANT PROSECUTOR IS SOMETHING CLOSER TO 80.
UM, SO I SAW A YOUNG LADY WHO'S A, A, UM, RELATIVE, UM, MUNICIPAL COURT JUDGE BRISTER AND BECOME A FRIEND.
AND SHE KNOWS, UH, SHE'S DEAD TO ME BECAUSE SHE LEFT AND SHE WENT DOWN THERE
BUT, UH, BUT SHE, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT'S 80,000 FOR DOING A, A VERY SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THE WORK THAT WE DO.
SO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU CAN, IF SHE CAN HANDLE LIVING IN SOUTH JERSEY, GOD BLESS HER.
IS THERE ANOTHER COUNTY? IS THERE ANOTHER COUNTY OR JUST, UM, PROBABLY BERGEN.
BERGEN IS A, YOU KNOW, BERGEN'S GOT A LOT OF MONEY.
YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE 77 MUNICIPALITIES UP THERE.
THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ALL TAXED.
THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE THE TWO BIG ONES.
AND WE'RE THERE OTHERS? MAY BE, THOSE ARE ONES THAT WOULD BE PROBABLY THE STAR IST DIFFERENCE.
OTHERWISE, WE'RE VERY COMPETITIVE WITH REGARD TO EVERYTHING ELSE.
MORRIS MAY BE A LITTLE HIGHER.
SO THE COUNTIES THAT, OTHER THAN GLASER, WHICH IS KIND OF THE OUTLIER, IT WOULD BE THE COUNTIES THAT ARE PERCEIVED AS BEING A, UM, WELL-HEELED THAT WOULD OFFER THEIR, UM, STARTING SHOWERS A LITTLE HIGHER THAN OURS.
WE HAVE A VERY LARGE COUNTY, AND I WOULD THINK THAT WE OUGHT TO BE PAYING WELL UP THERE FOR THE PROSECUTORS CONSIDERING ALL THE WORK THAT HAS TO BE DONE IN THIS COUNTY.
WELL, THEY HAVE, WE HAVE THE ONE THING, THOUGH, THEY DON'T HAVE, WE, THEY GET PSYCHIC INCOME WORKING IN OUR OFFICE.
I MEAN, IF YOU WANNA BE A, A, A, AN ATTORNEY, A, A, A PROSECUTOR, THEN
[00:40:01]
ESSEX IS REALLY THE PLACE TO BE.BECAUSE WE'VE STARTED A PROGRAM, OUR, THE FIRST ASSISTANT HAS, UM, STARTED A PROGRAM WHERE WE'VE GOT SECOND CHAIRS ON ALMOST ALL OF OUR CASES.
AND YOU WANNA TELL 'EM ABOUT THAT IN TERMS OF, UM, WHAT OUR YOUNGER ATTORNEYS AND WHAT THEY'RE GETTING? SURE.
I MEAN, I THINK ONE OF THE, THE THINGS THAT WE REALLY BENEFIT FROM, IT'S WELL CUTS BOTH WAYS.
OBVIOUSLY WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE NO CRIME AND THAT'S THE, THE GOAL.
BUT BECAUSE THERE IS CRIME, AND WE HAVE ALL THESE TRIALS IN ESSEX COUNTY, YOUNG APS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET ON THEIR FEET, TRY A CASE HERE LONG BEFORE ANYWHERE ELSE.
SO WHAT WE WERE DOING BEFORE WAS SECOND CHAIRS ON HOMICIDES, PREDOMINANTLY.
WE'VE EXTENDED THAT TO EVERY KIND OF CASE.
AND WHAT WE'VE HEARD, WHICH HAS BEEN POSITIVE, REALLY HAS BEEN SOME LATERAL APS FROM OTHER COUNTIES THAT HAVE EXPRESSED INTEREST IN ESSEX BECAUSE THEY'VE HEARD THAT THEY HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY THAT BEFORE THEY KNOW IT, THEY'LL BE ON THEIR FEET, EVEN IF IT'S ON A BURGLARY CASE.
SECOND, SHARING IT WITH A MORE EXPERIENCED PROSECUTOR.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY HELPED A LOT.
JUST FOR A BIT OF MEMORY, I REMEMBER WHEN BRENDAN BYR WAS A PROSECUTOR HERE IN ESSEX COUNTY, AND ESSEX COUNTY IS AN IMPORTANT COUNTY.
HOW DO WE COMPARE TO HUDSON COUNTY? YOU DIDN'T MENTION HUDSON COUNTY.
WELL, HUDSON IS, UM, IT'S SMALLER.
THEY NOT SMALLER THAN, THEY HAVE A FAIR AMOUNT OF, UH, VERY SERIOUS, UH, CRIME THAT GOES ON THERE AS WELL, AS WELL AS OTHER THINGS.
BUT, UM, CAMDEN IS THE COUNTY THAT, THAT CLOSELY MOST CLOSELY MIRRORS OURS.
BUT AGAIN, THAT'S MUCH SMALLER AS WELL BASED ON THOSE NUMBERS, THAT 5,000 KIND OF STARTING CASE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN US.
AND IF, IF THEY HAVE 8,000, LET'S SAY, OR 8,900 CASES, THEY START WITH, HUDSON WOULD BE RIGHT BEHIND THEM AT LET'S SAY 8,500.
YOU KNOW, THE NUMBERS KIND OF, UM, DROP OFF, UM, VERY GRADUALLY FROM AFTER THE STARK, UH, DIFFERENCE BETWEEN US AND, AND WHOEVER'S NUMBER TWO.
'CAUSE THE POPULATION AND HUDSON AND IN ESSEX IS SIMILAR.
WELL, I HOPE YOU CAN OFFER MORE MONEY IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
WELL, AGAIN, WE'LL, WE'LL TRY TO BE CREATIVE AND MAKE THE JOB INTERESTING FOR FOLKS.
AND LIKE SO FAR IT'S BEEN A, IT'S BEEN A GOOD YEAR IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO ATTRACT THOSE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? MR. PROSECUTOR, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING, UH, VERY WELL PREPARED.
AS USUAL, WITH A GREAT PRESENTATION AND ANSWERING OUR QUESTIONS.
UH, WE WISH YOU WELL AND CONTINUED SUCCESS.
UH, YOU KNOW, JUST A FEW YEARS AGO, THOSE VACANCIES WERE, YOU KNOW, A REAL PROBLEM, A CHALLENGE, AND YOU REALLY HAVE DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB, YOU AND YOUR TEAM IN OVERCOMING THAT AND PUTTING THE DEPARTMENT, UH, REALLY, UH, IN A GREAT PLACE AND WITH MORE OPTIMISTIC, UH, FUTURE AHEAD OF YOU.
WE APPRECIATE IT, COMMISSIONER, PRESIDENT.
AND IF I CAN JUST ADD ONE THING IN TERMS OF REMINDED THAT, UM, UH, COMMISSIONER SIBO REMINDED ME OF, UM, YOU KNOW, BRENDAN BURN IS ONE OF THE MOST DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUS, OBVIOUSLY, TO COME OUT OF THE ESSEX COUNTY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE.
SO WE'RE IN THE MIDST OF ONE THAT WE'VE GOT A CONFERENCE ROOM THAT'S KIND OF IN THE BACK IN THE CORNER IN THE DARK THAT BEARS HIS NAME RIGHT NOW.
SO WE THINK THAT'S INAPPROPRIATE.
SO WE'RE GOING TO, UM, RENAME OUR MEDIA CONFERENCE ROOM.
WE'RE HAVING THAT REDONE, SO WE'RE GONNA RENAME THAT AS THE, THE BRENDAN BYRNE UH, COM MEDIA CONFERENCE ROOM.
SO WHEN THAT HAPPENS, THAT'S WONDERFUL, UH, THAT I'LL MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THE COMMISSIONER KNOWS ABOUT THAT.
AND IT ALL JUST GOES TO SHOW YOU THAT AN ESSAS COUNTY PROSECUTOR CAN BECOME THE GOVERNOR OF NEW JERSEY.
IF HE'S YOUNG ENOUGH AT THE TIME, WHICH TAKES ME OUT OF THE MIX.
WE COMING UP NEXT, UH, WE HAVE PARKS DEPARTMENT, UH, DIRECTOR SANTE, UH, DEPUTY DIRECTOR HARTWICK, AND THEIR TEAM, THEY'RE ON PAGE ONE.
THEY COME, HERE COMES DAN AND KATE.
I'M SORRY, MR. JACKSON, I MISSED A PAGE NUMBER.
I THINK IT'S A VERY SPECIAL PRESENTATION THAT WE'RE ABOUT TO HAVE, BECAUSE IF I, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, MR. JACKSON, BUT I BELIEVE THAT OUR PRESENTER IS THE FIRST PERSON IN THE HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY TO HAVE A BUST IN THEIR HONOR AND PRESENTING HERE IN PERSON.
IS THAT CORRECT? I THINK THAT'S CORRECT.
HISTORICAL TIDBITS FOR YOU FOLKS OUT THERE WHO LOVE ESSEX COUNTY HISTORY.
[00:45:01]
INTRODUCE YOUR, THE TEAM THAT'S WITH YOU HERE TODAY.UH, WITH US THIS EVENING IS DEPUTY DIRECTOR KATE HARTWICK, OUR ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT, JAMIE DONOFRIO, OUR BUSINESS MANAGER, UH, JOSHUA ZAS.
UH, AS MR. PRESIDENT, WE'RE HERE TO PRESENT OUR 2025 BUDGET REQUEST.
UH, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF HANDOUTS WE WANNA START OFF WITH.
WE, JOSHUA, YOU WANNA HAND THE, WE'LL HAVE LIONEL HAND THEM OUT.
JUST GIVE IT TO HIM WHEN I'M, I'M HANDING OUT OUR, UH, TWO CHARTS.
MAKE SURE THAT OVER HERE GETS UP, DOWN, UH, TWO CHARTS.
UH, IT'S A PIE GRAPH, AS WELL AS A OVERVIEW FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS OF A COMPARISON REPORT ON REVENUE GENERATED WITHIN THE SES COUNTY PARK SYSTEM.
WE'RE GONNA PRETEND LIKE THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN,
I THINK WE ALL HAVE THE CHARTS IN FRONT OF US.
SO WE'LL GO WITH THE, TO THE PIE FIRST.
UH, WHICH GIVES YOU ACTUALLY THE BREAKDOWN OF ALL THE REVENUE FACILITIES FOR 2024.
UH, THE LARGEST PIECE OF THAT PIE, OF COURSE, IS THE TURTLEBACK ZOO COMPLEX.
WE'RE OVER $13,100,000, UH, WAS GENERATED.
SECOND ON OUR PIE LIST IS OUR GOLF OPERATIONS.
UH, 5.8 OR ALMOST $5.9 MILLION WAS GENERATED WITH OUR GOLF FACILITIES.
BUT KEEP IN MIND, WEEK WEIGHT CLOSED EARLY THIS YEAR.
UH, SO WE COULD START OUR CONSTRUCTION IN AN EFFORT TO GET THAT DONE, UH, EARLY SPRING OR LATE SPRING OF THIS YEAR.
UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE HAVE OUR CODY ARENA, WHICH GENERATED ABOUT $3,074,000.
UH, WE HAVE OUR CONCESSIONS PERMITS THROUGHOUT THE DEPARTMENT, WHICH ANOTHER 2.1 MILLION.
SO AS YOU SEE THERE, IT REPRESENTS OVER 24,251,000, UH, BREAKING THAT OUT PERCENTAGE WISE, THE TURTLEBACK ZOO COMPLEX AREA GENERATED 54% OF OUR REVENUE.
SO WE WERE, WE WERE PLEASED WITH OUR NUMBERS THAT WERE GENERATED.
UH, OF COURSE, WEATHER PLAYED A FACTOR IN IT.
'CAUSE SOME AREAS OF THE, LIKE YEAR, LAST YEAR, THE WEATHER WASN'T TOO COOPERATIVE.
UH, BUT WE'RE PLEASED WITH WHAT WE GENERATED IN OUR REVENUE FACILITY.
THE SECOND CHART I HAVE GIVEN YOU BREAKS OUT THE LAST THREE YEARS OF THE REVENUE WITHIN THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.
I THINK THEY'RE SELF-EXPLANATORY.
YOU'LL SEE 2022, WHICH WAS 19,000,283.
23 WAS 22,000,218 AND 24 MILLION.
AND I'M SORRY, IN 24 IT WAS 24,000,251.
SO EACH YEAR WE'VE PROGRESSIVELY HAVE GROWN, GROWN ON THE REVENUE SIDE.
AND AGAIN, IN 24, UH, WEEK WAKE WAS CLOSED, I BELIEVE IT WAS IN SEPTEMBER, OR, OR ACTUALLY I THINK IT WAS IN AUGUST.
UH, SO WE LOST THREE MONTHS PROBABLY REVENUE THERE.
UM, SOME OF THE INTERESTING NUMBERS I WANT TO JUST GIVE YOU REAL QUICK ON, ON THE FACILITY SIDE OF THINGS, ON REVENUE, UH, TURTLEBACK ZOO HAD 965,700, UH, ATTENDANCE FOR THE YEAR, UH, OUR GOLF THIS PAST YEAR.
UH, WE HAD OVER 98,683 ROUNDS OF GOLF.
UM, AGAIN, UH, HENDRICKS GOLF COURSE, UH, WAS 36,524.
UH, IN ADDITION, UH, OUR GOLF IDS WE GENERATED WERE 4,000 GOLF IDS, UH, THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THE YEAR.
AND ON THE CONCESSION SIDE OF THINGS AND, AND PERMITS AND SO FORTH.
CODY ARENA, WE SOLD THIRTY TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY ONE BLOCKS OF ICE TIME THAT REPRESENTS ONE HOUR, UH, FOR RESERVE SHEET OF ICE AT THE FACILITY, UH, 34,600 FOR THE PUBLIC SKATING, 2200 FOR OUR LEARNED TO SKATE PROGRAM.
AND WE ALSO HAD DISCOUNT CARDS, WHICH REPRESENTED APPROXIMATELY 1500, UH, PURCHASES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, NOT TO BE FINISHED YET.
UH, ONE NUMBER THAT'S REALLY IMPRESSIVE.
ON THE REVENUE SIDE, WE HAD 455 ROOM RENTALS AT OUR FACILITIES WITHIN THE PARK SYSTEM.
[00:50:01]
UH, I WOULD SAY ALMOST, IF NOT EVERY WEEKEND, UH, SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS TIMES IS A DOUBLE BOOK.UH, COMMUNITY BUILDINGS ARE BEING UTILIZED BY THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
AND ON THE PERMIT SIDE, WE HAD 405 ATHLETIC PERMITS.
405 ATHLETIC PERMITS REPRESENTS ROUGHLY 2,700 HOURS OF RESERVE TIME.
THOSE ARE THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT COME THROUGH THE OFFICE AND RECEIVE A PERMIT TO USE THE ATHLETIC FACILITIES.
MS. SANTE, WITH THE, THE ROOM RENTALS, IS THAT PRIMARILY THE NEWER PARK HOUSES THAT BEEN? YES.
AND WE'LL HAVE, UM, AGAIN, INDEPENDENCE CAME ON LATE LAST YEAR, SO THAT NUMBER IS ALREADY STARTING TO PICK UP.
AND WE HAVE ORANGE PARK WILL BE COMING ON, UH, THIS YEAR.
UH, SPECIAL EVENTS, WE ISSUED OVER 215 PERMITS UNDER OUR SPECIAL EVENT.
UH, CATEGORY 402, UH, PICNICS WERE ALSO ISSUED THROUGHOUT THE DEPARTMENT.
SO THAT GIVES YOU A QUICK SNAPSHOT OF THE REVENUE, HOW WE GENERATED THE REVENUE, AND WHAT SOME OF THE NUMBERS ARE WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT.
CERTAINLY I KNOW, UH, JOSH IS HERE QUITE OFTEN WITH A NEW PROJECT.
SO I THINK, UH, ALL THE ACTIVITY THERE GENERATES A GREAT AMOUNT OF INTEREST AND, UH, REPEAT CUSTOMERS, RIGHT.
'CAUSE THERE'S ALWAYS SOMETHING NEW TO SEE AT THE ZOO AND PARKS.
AND I THINK THE PARK HOUSES IN PARTICULAR HAVE BEEN A GREAT ADDITION, UH, AND ENHANCEMENT TO ALL OF THE PARKS.
SO, MR. MCINERNEY, ISS GONNA LEAVE WITH SOME QUESTIONS, AND THEN WE WANNA TURN OVER TO C COMMISSIONERS IN THE EVENT THEY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AS WELL.
REALLY MORE OBSERVATION AND QUESTIONS.
I MEAN, THE SALARIES ARE ONLY UP SIX TENTHS OF 1%.
SO IS HOW DO YOU, HOW ARE YOU GONNA MAKE UP LIKE CONTRACTUAL INCREASES? ARE, ARE THERE FLEXIBILITIES THERE IN TERMS OF ATTRITION OR VACANCIES? UH, YOU ON JOSHUA IS, JOSHUA IS CHESTER COUNTY PARKS.
UH, FIRST AND FOREMOST, I JUST HAVE TO SAY I'VE NEVER SAT ON THIS SIDE OF THAT PODIUM BEFORE, SO THIS IS VERY EXCITING FOR ME,
BUT, BUT LET ME RECOGNIZE THAT YOU ARE ON YOUR EARLY SUNDAY TONIGHT
UH, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, UH, MR. RACKMAN, THERE IS, THERE IS SOME CONTINGENCY BUILT INTO THE SALARIES THAT WE CAN OVERCOME THAT.
UM, AS, AS FAR AS THE ONLY INCREASE YOU REALLY HAVE IN IS IN MAINTENANCE OF PARKS, AND THAT'S A, UH, A $213,500 INCREASE.
WHAT, WHAT EXACTLY IS, IS THAT AND WHY IS THAT NUMBER GOING UP? YEAH, UH, AGAIN, JOSHUA SAX COUNTY PARKS, UH, THAT IS WE, WHEN WE REBID OUR SNOW CONTRACT AND OUR GARBAGE, OUR SOLID WASTE PICKUP CONTRACT, THOSE NUMBERS CAME BACK HIGHER THAN THE PREVIOUS CONTRACTS.
SO THAT'S WHY YOU SEE THE INCREASE IN MAINTENANCE FOR THOSE ITEMS. UH, AS FAR AS THE SNOW CONTRACT GOES, THOUGH, UM, WHERE DO WE STAND WITH THE SNOW RESERVE? I'LL ASK THAT TO THE ADMINISTRATION.
I KNOW WE'VE KIND OF CHANGED THE NAME OF IT, I BELIEVE, BUT, BUT DO WE USE ANY OF THAT TO SUBSIDIZE, UH, WHAT'S LISTED HERE? MR. MOHAMMAD WILL ANSWER, UH, MOHAMMAD COUNTY TREASURER, UM, THE SNOW RESERVE, NOW, THE, THE STATE CALL IT THE STORM RESERVE, SO WE CAN USE IT FOR SNOW OR ANY OTHER STORMS. UM, THE, THE CURRENT BALANCE OF THAT IS 8.8 MILLION.
AND WE USUALLY, UH, YOU HAVE TO, BY LAW, WE HAVE TO USE THE BUDGET FIGURE, BUDGET AMOUNTS FIRST BEFORE WE ACTUALLY CAN TAP THE SNOW RESERVE OR THE STORM RESERVE.
WE HAVE TO DEPLETE THE BUDGET FIRST.
MAYBE I, I HAVE TO ASK THIS AT A, AT THE COUNTY LEVEL AGAIN, BUT WE REALLY HAVEN'T HAD IN THE LAST, AT LEAST THIS YEAR SO FAR, AND LAST REALLY HEAVY SNOW, AM I WRONG IN SAYING THAT IN 2024, WE HAD ONLY ONE, UH, MAJOR SNOW STORM.
AND IT WAS, IT WAS ACTUALLY EXPENDED FROM, FROM THE BUDGET.
WE DID NOT HAVE TO TAP THE, THE SNOW, UH, RESERVE AND, AND ANY MONIES LEFT OVER, UH, THAT WERE BUDGETED FOR SNOWPLOWING.
BUT IN ANY DEPARTMENT THAT WAS NOT EXPENDED, BECAUSE THE FACT THAT THERE WAS ANY SNOW OR SMALL AMOUNT OF SNOW, DOES THAT STAY IN APPROPRIATION RESERVES OR DOES THAT GO TO THE RESERVE, WHICH YOU JUST MENTIONED BEFORE? THE OLD SNOW? UM, HISTORICALLY, WE, WE BUILD THE, THE STORM RESERVES THROUGH, YOU KNOW, THE LEFTOVER OF, UH, OF APPROPRIATION WAS NEVER EXPANDED.
THAT'S WHY WE GOT TO UP TO 8,000,008.
SO, UM, OUTSIDE OF, OUTSIDE OF PARKS, WHERE ELSE WILL WE SEE THAT? IN, IN PUBLIC WORKS AS WELL? MAINLY IN PUBLIC WORKS, YES.
AND COULD YOU GET ME THE TWO NUMBERS, BOTH OUT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND OUT OF PARKS THAT WERE, UH, PUT INTO THE RESERVE LAST YEAR? OKAY.
I HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT.
UM, BUT AGAIN, THAT, THAT RESERVE LET'S, IT'S $8.8 MILLION NOW AT THIS POINT YOU SAID, CORRECT? YES.
I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.
UH, COMMISSIONER SIEBEL, I HAVE SOME STATEMENTS AND A QUESTION.
FIRST OF ALL, DAN AND HIS STAFF DO
[00:55:01]
A WONDERFUL JOB FOR THE ENTIRE PARK SYSTEM.AND I KNOW FIRSTHAND I'M ON THE OPEN SPACE TRUST FUND ADVISORY BOARD, AND WE GO OVER EVERYTHING THAT IS PROPOSED TO MAKE THE PARK SYSTEM AND ESSEX COUNTY EVEN BETTER THAN IT IS.
AND OF COURSE, IT IS THE BEST IN NEW JERSEY.
AND, UM, A WONDERFUL JOB IS DONE.
AND JOSH COMES BEFORE THIS BOARD ALL THE TIME.
UNFORTUNATELY, HE SOMETIMES HAS TO WAIT TOO LONG TO BE HEARD.
SO I'D LIKE TO SEE HIM MOVED UP MORE OFTEN, BUT HE DOES A GREAT JOB.
LET ME INTERRUPT YOU, COMMISSIONER SEBOLD.
UH, THE ANTITHESIS OF THAT IS SITTING NEXT TO YOU.
SO YOU GUYS HAVE TO FIGURE THIS OUT AND MAYBE PUT 'EM SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE AGENDA.
AND, AND MY QUESTION IS THIS, WE'RE BRINGING IN A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF REVENUE.
WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE TAXES? HOW MUCH AS A PROPORTION OF OUR TAXES GOING TO TURTLEBACK ZOO, WHAT'S HAPPENING IN TERMS OF COUNTY TAXES AND WHERE IT IS GOING IN TERMS OF THE, UH, OPEN SPACE HERE IN ESSEX COUNTY? MRS.
AND I TELL THEM THAT'S NOT SO, I I, YOU'RE RIGHT.
UM, YOU KNOW, AS YOU TRAVEL THROUGHOUT THIS COUNTY OF ESSEX, YOU'LL SAY THE NUMEROUS PARK IMPROVEMENTS THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE, UH, WHETHER IT IS TURTLEBACK ZOO, WHETHER IT'S IN BRANCH, BRICK WEEK, WAKE, EVERY, EVERY PARK WE TOUCH, RIGHT? UH, WE MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR FACILITIES ARE UP TO, UP TO PARK.
TURTLEBACK ZOO IS, IS A LARGE FACILITY.
UM, AND, AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THE IMPROVEMENTS ARE, THERE ARE A LITTLE BIT ON A HIGHER END BECAUSE YOU'RE DEALING WITH THE, UH, WELFARE OF ANIMALS.
SO WHENEVER WE DO A AN IMPROVEMENT THERE, WE HAVE TO TAKE IN CONSIDERATION THROUGH THE A ZA, UH, ORGANIZATION MEETING THE STANDARDS.
UH, SINCE WE ARE A CERTIFIED FACILITY, UM, STANDARD, NOT TO SAY OUR OTHER IMPROVEMENTS ARE NOT BUILT TO A STANDARD, BUT A ZA, IF WE ARE TO STAY WITHIN A CERTIFIED FACILITY, WE HAVE TO MEET THAT STANDARD.
WHAT ABOUT OUR TAX DOLLARS? WELL, THE 1.5, I THINK IS WELL SPREAD OUT THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE COUNTY WHEN YOU COME, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE PARK SYSTEM.
KEEP IN MIND THAT ALSO ADDRESSES THE 56 EMPLOYEES, UH, THAT ARE PAID THROUGH THE OPEN SPACE TRUST FUND.
AND, AND JUST TO, IF I, IF I MAY, UH, THE, THE REVENUE COMING IN FROM TURTLEBACK IS 13.2 MILLION, AND OUR BUDGET FOR TURTLEBACK IS, UH, $8 MILLION.
SO, UM, IT'S A NET BENEFIT TO THE TAXPAYER, THE NEW BUDGET, OFFSET BUDGET WITH REVENUE.
AND OF COURSE, A LOT OF THE MONEY COMES FROM THE OPEN SPACE TRUST FUND, NOT FROM THE COUNTY BUDGET.
WELL, THE 13 DOES NOT INCLUDE OPEN SPACE.
THIS IS THE COUNTY, COUNTY BUDGET.
AND OF COURSE, WE DO HAVE SOME OF THE BEST FACILITIES IN EVERY PARK IN THE COUNTY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON.
AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK TO THE, I WANT TO ALSO TAKE THIS TIME AND THANK DAN AND KATE FOR ALL THE WORK THAT THEY DO.
UH, AND JUST A SUGGESTION, MAYBE KATE, YOU CAN COME SOMETIME
UH, UM, JOSH DOES A GREAT JOB.
WE REPRESENTING, UH, ABSOLUTELY REPRESENTING YOU GUYS.
TOMORROW WE'LL BE SURE TO SEND YOU THE VIDEO CLIP SO YOU CAN REPLAY IT OVER AND OVER.
I, I, I, YOU KNOW, IT DOES, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU FOR THOSE COMPLIMENTS.
AND, AND YOU KNOW, IT'S A TEAM EFFORT.
WE START FROM OUR COUNTY EXECUTIVE DOWN TO OUR CHIEF OF STAFF, UH, YOU KNOW, AND OUR PUBLIC WORKS DIVISION.
YOU KNOW, WE WORK VERY WELL TOGETHER, UH, WHEN WE PLAN SOME OF THESE IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PARK SYSTEM.
AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU GET THAT TYPE OF LEADERSHIP FROM TOP, IT MAKES IT EASY FOR US DOWN BELOW.
AND I THANK YOU ALL THE SUPPORT YOU'VE GIVEN US OVER THE YEARS.
CHIEF ZA, DO YOU WANT TO SHARE? I LIKE YOU SAID, FROM HERE TO HERE, FROM LIKE, YOU PUT ME AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LIST.
UH, MR. MCINERNEY HAS ONE QUESTION, BUT WE'RE GONNA DO, UH, GO TO COMMISSIONER LUCIANO FIRST AND THEN COME TO MC.
I JUST WANTED TO, UH, PUT ON THE RECORD.
[01:00:01]
DOES A GREAT JOB, AND THAT'S UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF DIRECTOR SANTE.BUT LET'S ALSO PUT ON RECORD AND THANK, UM, A LOT OF THE VOLUNTEERS, NOT JUST THE VOLUNTEERS AT TURTLEBACK ZOO, BUT EACH PARK HAS THEIR OWN CONSERVANCY.
I CAN SPEAK FREELY TO SAY THAT SATURDAY I WAS, UH, ICE SKATING ON GROVER CLEVELAND POND WITH MY DAUGHTER.
AND IT WAS NICE TO SEE NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, COUNTY EMPLOYEES, BUT WE HAVE VOLUNTEERS THAT ARE PART OF THAT CONSERVANCY THAT HELP OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT SAVE MONEY AND THE WHEELS CONTINUE TO SPIN.
SO TO THOSE PEOPLE AND TO GREAT.
THE DEPARTMENT YOU'RE RUNNING.
AND SINCE YOU MENTIONED GROVER CLEVELAND, YOU SHOULD ALL KNOW YOU COULD VISIT HIS HOUSE IN CALDWELL, NEW JERSEY, SINCE THESE ARE ONLY NEW JERSEY BORN PRESIDENT AND I HAPPEN TO INTERN THERE, AND I STARTED MY CAREER THERE IN MUSEUM WORK AND, UH, YOU KNOW, HAVE A GREAT AFFINITY FOR GROVER CLEVELAND.
HE, HE'S SOMETHING NEW JERSEY COULD BE PROUD OF, IRRESPECTIVE OF YOUR PARTISANSHIP.
AND IF I WAIT, MR. MAYOR, MR. PRESIDENT, AND IF YOU DON'T WANT TO GO TO HIS HOUSE, JUST GO RIGHT HERE.
AND YOU CAN TAKE A LOOK AT THE EXHIBITION I HAVE ON THIS PLACE.
I I'M A BIG GROVER CLEVELAND FAN, SO MAYBE I'M A LITTLE, A LITTLE BIASED.
COMMISSIONER, VICE PRESIDENT
I TOO WANT TO ECHO THE SAME COMMENTS THAT YOU GUYS DO.
WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME AT THE COUNTY PARK, ESPECIALLY THE ZOO.
THEY COME TO KNOW IT WITHOUT HAVING TO LOOK AT THE MAP, HOW MUCH TIME WE GO THERE.
I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION ABOUT, UM, THE BUDGET.
ON PAGE 1 78, THE MESSENGER LINE ITEM WAS 64,000 AND 2024.
SO WE REDUCED IT BECAUSE WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE, WE'RE NOT GONNA USE THE MESSENGER FOR THE OPERATION.
ALRIGHT, SO WE'RE DOING SOMETHING.
ARE WE GONNA INTERNAL SAME LEVEL OF SERVICES? THAT'S A BIG DECREASE.
WHAT? NO, WE'RE STILL GONNA HAVE THE SAME LEVEL OF SERVICE.
SO SEEING THAT, UH, THERE ARE NO OTHER QUESTIONS, SO I, I TRY TO MAKE AS MANY OF THESE EVENTS THAT YOU HAVE THE, AND IT'S CONSTANT, IT'S, UH, HARD TO SCHEDULE 'EM ALL AT TIMES.
AND THAT'S A REAL TESTAMENT TO HOW AGGRESSIVE, UH, THE DEPARTMENT IS WITH ENHANCING ALL OF OUR FACILITIES HERE.
AND WHILE WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS TO BE PROUD OF IN ESSEX COUNTY, CERTAINLY THE PARKS DEPARTMENT IS AMONG THE HIGHEST.
I THINK YOU DO A GREAT JOB THERE.
I THINK WE DO MORE WORK AT A GIVEN YEAR THAN MOST COUNTIES DO IN A FIVE TO 10 YEAR PERIOD.
I, I'D LIKE TO SEE OTHER COUNTY DO AS MUCH.
SO CONGRATULATIONS, UH, MRS. ALANTE TO YOU AND TO YOUR ENTIRE TEAM AND TO THE STAFF, UH, WHO'S NOT HERE TODAY, AND, UH, TO YOUR VOLUNTEERS.
AND, AND AS COMMISSIONER LUCIANO POINTED OUT, EARL THE BY EXTENSION, THE CONSERVANCIES AND THE VOLUNTEER GROUPS, UH, YOU, YOU DO MAKE IT ALL HAPPEN.
UH, NEXT UP, UH, DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS, UH, DIRECTOR OF VAHE AND HIS TEAM.
UH, PLEASE, JUST FOR THE RECORD, STATE YOUR NAME AND AFFILIATION AND INTRODUCE THE TEAM WITH YOU.
MY NAME IS SANJEEV ORGI AND, UH, I'M THE COUNTY ENGINEER.
AND, UH, WITH ME TODAY IS LYDIA
SHE'S THE BUDGET ANALYST WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS.
ALRIGHT, PLEASE START, UH, JUST A, A MINUTE OF SYNOPSIS OF WHAT IS PUBLIC WORKS.
WE MAINTAIN THE PUBLIC BUILDINGS, THE PUBLIC ROADS.
WE HAVE AN ENGINEERING DIVISION, WHICH TAKES CARE OF MOST OF THE DEVELOPMENT, WHICH COMES TO THE PLANNING BOARD AND, UH, HELP THE SUE, UM, UH, THE, THE PARTS DEPARTMENT.
UH, THEN WE HAVE A PLANNING DEPARTMENT, WHICH, WHICH CONTROLS THE PLANNING, UH, BOARD.
THEN WE HAVE ANOTHER BOARD, THE BOARD OF APPEALS, THE CONSTRUCTION BOARD OF APPEALS.
[01:05:02]
THIS YEAR'S BUDGET IS ALMOST SAME AS LAST YEAR'S BUDGET.WE TRY TO ABSORB THE RACES, UH, THE CONTRACTUAL RACES WE HAVE, WE TRY TO ABSORB THE 5% GUT, WHICH WE HAVE OVER THE BOAT.
AND ALSO THIS YEAR WE HAVE PLANNING TO FINISH THE FAMILY COURTS BUILDING AND, UH, TRYING TO GET OUT OF BALANCE BUILDING.
BUT THERE WILL BE SOME OVERLAP.
SO WE'LL HAVE TO KEEP BOTH BUILDINGS FOR A WHILE.
SO YOU WILL SEE SLIGHT INCREASE IN MY BUILDINGS, UH, LINE ITEMS TO, TO TAKE CARE OF THOSE.
UH, HAVING SAID THAT, I'M READY FOR ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.
WE'RE GONNA START WITH MR. MCINERNEY AND THEN ASK COMMISSIONERS IF THEY HAVE ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS.
UH, ON, ON SALARIES AND WAGES, THERE'S AN INCREASE OF 2.9%.
IS THAT ANY NEW POSITIONS OR IS THAT STRICTLY SALARY INCREASE? IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, YES.
THE, UH, WE HAVE THREE POSITIONS INCREASED FOR MS. RO LAST YEAR.
UH, ELIANA, THE, THE BUDGET, UH, CHAIR FROM THE, THE STATE HELPED ME, THEY GAVE US $2 MILLION.
WE BOUGHT A LOT OF, UH, INCREMENT.
THIS WAS, UM, BUT WE ARE STILL NOT TO THE RIGHT NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES FOR MOSQUITOES.
SO WE HAVE THREE MOSQUITO CONTROL OPERATORS THIS YEAR ADDED.
UM, WITH REGARD TO YOUR OTHER EXPENSES, THERE'S TWO LINE ITEMS THERE THAT INCREASE BY HALF A MILLION DOLLARS EACH ONE, THOSE ARE THE ONES I JUST MENTIONED ABOUT THE FAMILY COURTS.
UH, UH, ONE IS FOR THE BILLING MAINTENANCE AND ONE IS FOR THE, UH, JANITORIAL AND ONE IS FOR THE MAINTENANCE FOR THE NEW BUILDING.
BUT, BUT, BUT WHY ARE THEY UP SO HIGH? WHY? I KNOW IT'S
AND THAT'S FOR THE NEW BUILDING, WHICH WE HAVE FINISHED.
AS FAR AS ANY, UH, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS WE HAVE GOING ON IS ANYTHING THAT THE BOARD HASN'T SEEN THAT'S ON THE, ON THE WAY THAT WOULD BE, WE ARE DOING, WE ARE DOING A LOT OF CAPITAL MOVEMENTS IF THROUGHOUT THIS COMPLEX, UH, WE ARE CHANGING ALL THE MECHANICAL, MOST OF THE MECHANICAL ACUMENT, IF YOU SEE THE PEOPLE ARE WORKING ON THE FIRE, FIRE ALARMS HERE RIGHT NOW.
OR FIRE ALARMS, BUILDING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, THE COOLING TOWERS, THE CHILLERS.
SO WE ARE KEEPING UP, WE ARE DOING A LOT OF CAPITAL WITH THE MONEY I HAVE.
AND ON THE ROADSIDE, I GET A LOT OF GRANTS, EVEN THOUGH IT'S FROZEN TODAY BY EXECUTIVE ORDER, BY THE PRESIDENT, ALL THE GRANTS ARE FROZEN, PROBABLY, PROBABLY OF SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
BUT LAST YEAR WE GOT $46 MILLION IN GRANTS FROM THE FEDS.
AND THIS YEAR WE ARE APPLYING FOR 71, WHICH WE CAME BEFORE THE BOARD AND, UH, YOU AUTHORIZED US TO APPLY FOR THE GRANT.
SO DOES THAT INCLUDE THE DOT MONEY THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT? DOT MONEY SEPARATE? THAT IS AROUND $9 MILLION.
THAT STAYED PRETTY MUCH, IT WENT UP, I THINK A FEW YEARS AGO, THEN IT CAME DOWN EVERY YEAR.
IT'S COMING BACK LIKE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS LESS.
SO OTHER THAN THE MAINTENANCE THAT WE, WE HAVE, WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE ON THE BOARD RIGHT NOW OF A LARGE CAPITAL NATURE.
WE ARE ALSO IMPROVING, WE ARE REPLACING THE ELEVATORS AND THE VETERANS, WHICH IS PROBABLY 50 YEARS OLD.
SO WE'VE BEEN PATCHED, WE ARE DOING BANDAGES.
SO WE ALREADY GAVE THE CONTRACT THROUGH THE BOARD TO THE ELEVATOR GUY.
SO IT'S A LOT OF CAPITAL WE HAVE TRYING TO, TO DO THE BEST WITH WHAT WE HAVE, BUT THAT'S WITHIN THE AMOUNT OF MONEY, UH, THAT WAS ALLOCATED.
PUBLIC WORKS, I THINK WE, WE USUALLY DO, WE AUTHORIZE ROUGHLY ABOUT $20 MILLION A YEAR.
WE, THE PUBLIC WORKS GET AROUND $8 MILLION.
YOU ABOUT 8 MILLION FOR PUBLIC WORKS IN A SIMILAR AMOUNT FOR PARKS.
SO WE, WE TOOK 2 MILLION FROM, UH, ACTUALLY 1.5 MILLION FROM CDBG GRANTS.
AND, UH, THEN THE BALANCE CAME FROM US.
THE COMPANY GAVE ME $2 MILLION.
UM, I, I GUESS THIS IS A GENERAL QUESTION THAT CAME UP, YOU KNOW, BEFORE ABOUT THE FEDERAL MONEY, BUT THE CDBG GRANTS ARE, ARE WE CLEAR ON HOW THEY'RE AFFECTED BY THIS, UH, EXECUTIVE ORDER WITH REGARD TO FEDERAL ASSISTANCE? UH, UH, I CAN, WELL I DIRECT YEAH.
DIRECT PAYMENTS WE KNOW ARE NOT AFFECTED LIKE SNAP AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
CDPG FUNDS ARE A LITTLE LESS CLEAR.
I BELIEVE THERE'S A, A CONFERENCE CALL OR SOMETHING TOMORROW TO, TO PROVIDE SOME, SOME MORE INSIGHT.
BUT THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE KNOW RIGHT NOW.
IF YOU COULD KEEP THE BOARD UP, UM, YOU KNOW, AS TO WHERE THAT'S AT, THAT'S A, THAT'S A BIG ISSUE.
I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.
YEAH, I THINK THAT'S REALLY A BIG QUESTION MARK FOR A LOT OF DEPARTMENTS RIGHT NOW.
AND THERE'S NO IMMEDIATE CLARITY ON THE BIGGER PICTURE WHILE WE'RE GETTING DRIPS AND DRIVES
[01:10:01]
OF WHERE IT'S NOT GONNA IMMEDIATELY IMPACT.BUT, UH, I THINK WE'RE ALL GONNA BE CONCERNED FOR THIS.
SO THIS IS GONNA BE A FLUID SCENARIO FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
I SUSPECT COMMISSIONER'S QUESTIONS ON, UH, FOR THIS DEPARTMENT, COMMISSIONER SABLE? I THINK A LOT, I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE IN ESSEX COUNTY DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT A TERRIFIC JOB YOU DO BECAUSE YOU HAVE A VERY, VERY IMPORTANT POSITION HERE IN ESSEX COUNTY.
AND WHAT I'M HEARING ABOUT ALL THE TIME IS THE COUNTY ROADS AND THE LIGHTS AND THE UPDATING OF ALL THE FIXTURES.
AND THAT HAS AFFECTED A LOT OF PEOPLE.
AND I'M REALLY PLEASED TO HEAR HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE SO SATISFIED WITH THE WORK THAT YOU HAVE DONE TO MAKE THE COUNTY ROADS EVEN BETTER THAN THEY WERE.
WE ARE GOING ROUNDABOUT IN YES, I KNOW.
YEAH, WE DID THAT AT THE LEADERSHIP MEETING.
AND THAT'S GOING TO BE IN 2025, CORRECT? THIS YEAR? YES.
AND HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE? ABOUT A YEAR TO BE FINISHED.
THAT WILL BE DONE PROBABLY WITHIN 10 MONTHS.
WILL THE ROAD BE CLOSED AT THAT TIME? NO.
AND WHAT ABOUT WHERE THE CHURCH IS LOCATED? DID YOU HAVE TO BUY LAND OR WAS IT EMINENT DOMAIN OR DID THEY OFFER IT? NO, WE OWNED PROPERTY A ACROSS THE CHURCH AND THAT INTO THE BUDDHA AREA THERE.
SO IT'S, SO WE ARE, WE ARE GOING INTO THE BUDDHA AREA AND TAKE OKAY, SO IT'S NOT INVOLVING THE CHURCH AT ALL? NO, BECAUSE ORIGINALLY THAT'S WHAT I WAS TOLD.
ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS? COMMISSIONER MARY THOMAS THROUGH YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, AND THANK YOU ECHOING.
CERTAINLY THE COMMENTS OF MY COLLEAGUES, THE WORK OF THE DEPARTMENT IS, IS BAR NONE.
UM, AND SO HATS OFF TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM FOR ALL THE HARD WORK YOU DO.
I JUST HAD A CLARITY, A QUESTION AROUND THE ACRONYM THAT WAS USED.
I BELIEVE IT WAS CDBG OR CDBJ AS ONE OF THE AREAS OF UNCERTAINTY.
COULD YOU ELABORATE ONE, JUST EXACTLY WHAT THAT STANDS FOR FOR THE PUBLIC AND THEN TWO, IT WAS SHARED THAT THAT'S THE ONE.
I'M SURE THERE'S SEVERAL, BUT THAT'S ONE OF THE AREAS WHERE IT'S UNCERTAIN, KIND OF WHERE THE E THE EO, UH, DELAYS MAY AFFECT.
WHAT ARE SOME OF OUR KIND OF PREVENTATIVE MEASURES OR PRELIMINARY THINKING IN THE EVENT.
UM, THAT, THAT IS SOMETHING, UH, WITH A, YOU KNOW, A MORE IMMEDIATE IMPACT TO THE EXTENT THAT WE, YOU KNOW, CAN PREPARE FOR THAT.
CDVG STANDS FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANTS, AND THAT IS UNDER THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND ENABLES, UH, SHOP, UH, THAT'S A GRANT WHICH THEY GIVE TO OTHER COMMUNITIES.
UH, AGAIN, I DOUBT THAT ANYTHING WILL CHANGE THERE.
THIS IS JUST, UH, AN ORDER WILL PROBABLY REVERSED IMMEDIATELY OR SHORTLY.
WE WERE NOTIFIED BY EMAIL OF A, OF A, AN EVENT COMING UP TO DISTRIBUTE CDBG MONEY TO VARIOUS COMMUNITIES.
AND THAT'S GOING TO BE IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
AND THAT NEXT WEEK IS ALREADY OBLIGATED.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I REMEMBER A FEW YEARS AGO YOU SAW LOTS OF REPORTS ABOUT OUR INFRASTRUCTURE BECAUSE OF ITS AGE AND ALL, AND MADE IT SOUND LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE SKY WAS FALLING.
BUT HERE WE SEE CONSTANTLY CULVERT, UH, THE CULVERTS AND BRIDGES, ROADS AND NEW BUILDINGS AND, UH, THE OLD BUILDINGS AND THE HISTORIC SENSITIVITY.
I KNOW WE HAD ONE OF OUR CHALLENGES IN ONE OF OUR OLDER BUILDINGS AND HAD A COUPLE OF CHANGE ORDERS BECAUSE YOU ANTICIPATE, YOU KNOW, DIDN'T, YOU CAN'T ANTICIPATE EVERYTHING WITH ALL THE STRUCTURES.
SO THANK YOU FOR THE GOOD WORK THAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING, BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S NOT EASY TO DO THAT.
AND, UM, I KNOW IT'S, UM, A LOT OF THE PROJECTS YOU DO MAY HAVE TEMPORARY INCONVENIENCE LIKE ELEVATORS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE SHOULD CELEBRATE BECAUSE THEY CERTAINLY WILL, UH, LAST FOR QUITE SOME TIME AND THEY'RE TERRIFIC INVESTMENT.
SO THANK YOU TO YOUR UNION DEPARTMENT FOR ALL THAT YOU DO.
AGAIN, IT'S NOT JUST ME, IT'S A TEAMWORK AND, AND THE LEADERSHIP I GET, UH, THE COUNTY EXEC HAS BEEN VERY BIG SUPPORT TO US AND, UH, EVERYTHING HE MANAGE EVERYTHING WITH THROUGH US, AND IT'S JUST NOT US.
IT'S, UH, THE WHOLE LEADERSHIP, THE BOARD.
THAT WASN'T TOO PAINFUL, RIGHT? MM-HMM
ALL RIGHT, MR. JACKSON? UH, YES.
SO WE'LL BE DOING, UH, HEALTH AND REHAB.
THEN WE'LL BE TAKING A SHORT RECESS FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES.
[01:15:01]
SORRY, THE PAGE NUMBER AGAIN? MR. JACKSON.I'M FRANK DELGAUDIO, DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND REHABILITATION.
SO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND REHABILITATION IS MADE UP OF THREE DIVISIONS, WHICH IS, UM, HOSPITAL CENTER, WHICH WHAT WE'RE HERE TO DISCUSS TONIGHT IN OUR BUDGET.
AND TWO, YOU KNOW, 100% GRANT FUNDED DIVISION, WHICH IS, UM, THE DIVISION OF COMMUNITY HEALTH SERVICES AND THE DIVISION OF PUBLIC HEALTH MANAGEMENT.
JUST GIVE US AN OVERVIEW AND THEN WE'LL ASK, WE'LL ASK YOU SOME QUESTIONS.
SO THE HOSPITAL CENTERS, UM, WITH THE BUDGETS BEING PRESENTED TONIGHT, THE MAJORITY OF THE FUNDING IS THE REQUEST FOR THE HOSPITAL CENTER.
UM, WE'RE 180 BED, UM, PSYCHIATRIC FACILITY, WHICH DEALS WITH THE SEVERELY AND CHRONICALLY ILL, UH, MENTALLY ILL.
UM, RIGHT NOW OUR, OUR HEAD COUNT IS 355.
UM, WE DO HAVE SOME VACANCIES, WHICH IS PRESENTED IN OUR BUDGET.
UM, SOME OF OUR POSITIONS, ALTHOUGH THEY'RE LISTED AS VACANT, THEY'RE NOT FUNDED IN THE BUDGET.
WE LEAVE THEM IN THE BUDGET AS A HEADCOUNT, BUT WE DO NOT FUND THEM IN THE BUDGET.
UM, WITH THAT TOO, WE DO HAVE A FEW OF OUR POSITIONS THAT ARE BEING FILLED BY HOURLY EMPLOYEES THAT ARE CARRYING THE WEIGHT.
AND WE WILL LOOK IN 2025 WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE CHIEF OF STAFF AND OUR, AND OUR GOVERNING BODY CHAIRMAN, MR. JACKSON, TO FILL THOSE POSITIONS.
HOW WOULD THE, YOUR, UH, NURSING VACANCIES, OF COURSE, AS WE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH YOUR HOSPITAL AND ALL THE THINGS THAT WAS HAPPENING DURING COVID AND POST COVID, YOU KNOW, WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR STAFFING ABILITY BECAUSE THERE CERTAINLY WAS A, A NURSING SHORTAGE, AND I'M NOT SURE THAT THAT IS OVER, BUT HOW ARE, HOW ARE YOU MANAGING WITH, WITH THAT AREA? WELL, I'M PROUD TO SAY ON OUR, OUR RN COUNT, RIGHT NOW WE'RE ONLY DOWN TWO NURSES.
UM, ON OUR HOSPITAL ATTENDANT, WE WERE DOWN SIX BECAUSE WE'RE BUDGETED FOR ONE 20.
WE HAVE, UM, THREE IN OUR CURRENT ORIENTATION CLASS, AND WE HAVE FIVE MORE WAITING TO SEND TO THE PERSONNEL COMMITTEE FOR APPROVAL.
SO RIGHT NOW, UM, WE'RE REALLY DOING WELL FROM OUR, OUR STAFFING FOR OUR NURSING SERVICES IS, IS DOING WELL.
THE PER DIEM, UM, NUMBER ISN'T, THAT WAS A FEW YEARS BACK.
IT'S KIND OF LIKE A STOP GAP TO FILL OUR VACANCIES, BUT THEY'RE NOT, IT'S NOT WORKING OUT ALL THAT WELL.
SO WHAT WE'RE DOING THIS YEAR, UM, WE'RE GONNA PULL SOME OF THOSE PER DIEM HOSPITAL TENANTS AND HIRE, UH, LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSES.
WE HAVE TWO WE HAVE INTERVIEWED AND WE'RE GONNA RECOMMEND THEM FOR HIRE TO FILL THAT.
UM, IT REALLY HELPS US, ESPECIALLY WITH OUR NURSES.
THEY PRETTY MUCH SERVE AS MEDICATION NURSES AND IT'S WORKED WELL FOR US, SO.
ANY OTHER, UH, HIGHLIGHTS YOU WANNA SHARE BEFORE WE ASK MORE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS? UH, NOT AT THIS POINT.
ALRIGHT, MR. MCINERNEY, UM, YOUR SALARIES AND WAGES IS UP 1%.
UM, SO AGAIN, UH, I KNOW NURSING AS, AS YOU JUST SAID, IS ALWAYS, UH, AN AREA WHERE WE USED TO TRANSFER MONEY OUT OF.
NOW WE HAD SOME MONEY LEFT OVER IN, IN NURSING LAST YEAR, BUT NOT TO THE VOLUME THAT I'VE SAW IN PAST BUDGETS.
AND THAT'S PREDOMINANTLY DUE TO WHAT ARE, ARE YOU STILL HIRING, TRAVELING NURSES? DOES THAT EVER COME INTO PLAY OR, NO, WE, UM, LIKE I SAID, OUR, OUR SHORTAGE WE'RE REALLY ONLY DOWN, THE HEAD COUNT'S ONLY DOWN TWO FULL-TIME RNS.
UM, THERE'S SOME PER DIEM WHERE THE, A LITTLE BIT OF THE ROOM IS WHERE OUR PER DIEM COUNT ISN'T WHERE IT SHOULD BE.
UM, THEY'RE VERY DIFFICULT TO FIND.
SO WHAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING IS WE'VE BEEN HIRING THE PER DIEMS. WE PUT THEM THROUGH ORIENTATION, WHICH TAKES ABOUT 13 DAYS, AND THEN TIME ON A UNIT WHEN THEY'RE MONITORED BY OUR ED AND TRAINING DEPARTMENT.
AND WHAT HAPPENS IS THEN THEY DON'T
SO, UH, USUALLY THEY'RE GOOD TO FILL IN ON WEEKENDS AND PART OF THE CONTRACT IS THAT THEY WILL GIVE US WEEKEND AND MAJOR HOLIDAY WORK, BUT WE JUST DON'T, HOLD ON PAT.
YOU'RE CALLING COMMISSIONER SBO.
WE'LL JUST HAVE, UH, A LITTLE CORRECTION THERE.
COMMISSIONER LUCIANO AND FRANK, YOUR, YOUR OTHER EXPENSES ARE UP LESS, LESS THAN 1%, BUT JUST GIVE US A RUNDOWN OF WHAT
[01:20:01]
THOSE INCREASES ARE.UH, WE HAD AN INCREASE IN OUR, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES, WHICH IS CONTRACTED AND A SLIGHT INCREASE COMING FOR OUR, UM, MEDICATIONS, WHICH IS AMAZING.
OUR PHARMACY CONTRACT BECAUSE WITH INFLATION, THE ONLY GOOD THING ABOUT THAT, THE WAY OUR BID IS WRITTEN IS THAT IT'S A DISCOUNT OFF THE WHOLESALE PRICE.
THE PRICE OF PHARMACEUTICALS ARE THROUGH THE ROOF.
SO WE'RE USING A LOT OF OUR, UM, LONG-TERM ACTING PHARMACEUTICALS, WHICH ARE MORE EXPENSIVE.
I MEAN, UP TO A THOUSAND DOLLARS PER INJECTION.
AND THAT IS THE DISCOUNTED PRICE.
'CAUSE THERE'S REALLY NO WHOLESALE.
IT'S A, IT'S A BRAND NAME, PHARMACEUTICALS FOR PHARMACEUTICALS THROUGH JANSSEN PHARMACEUTICALS.
SO THAT'S WHERE THE BIG INCREASE, THE BIG NUMBERS WE HAVE TO WATCH ARE COMING FROM.
I MEAN, IT'S GOOD WHEN YOU BID ITEMS OUT, SOMETIMES YOU GET, YOU KNOW, UNEXPECTEDLY, YOU GET A LOWER PRICE.
HAS, HAS THE PER DIEM RATE CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE LAST YEAR OR SO? THE PER DIEM RATE CHANGES BASED ON THE CONTRACT, BECAUSE USUALLY THE NURSE PER DIEMS ARE CONTRACTUAL.
THEY'RE IN THE, UM, COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT THROUGH THE UNION.
SO AS THEY GO UP, AS THE, THE INCREASE GOES UP IT, BUT RIGHT NOW WE DON'T HAVE A SIGNED CONTRACT FROM THAT UNION.
WE HAVE FIVE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS AT THE HOSPITAL.
ALL OF THEM ARE RESOLVED EXCEPT FOR, UM, THE NURSE'S CONTRACT.
THE CWA WILL BE COMING TO THE BOARD, HOPEFULLY AT THE NEXT MEETING THEY VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO APPROVE THE CONTRACT.
I WAS REFERRING TO WHAT OUR REIMBURSEMENTS ARE, UH, BASED ON OUR COST.
WELL, THAT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION BECAUSE IT'S KIND OF A BACKWARDS FORMULA.
SO THE MORE MONEY YOU SPEND, THE MORE YOU GET REIMBURSED.
SO IT'S KIND OF, YOU WANT TO FILL ALL OF YOUR VACANCIES BECAUSE THEN YOUR EXPENSES GO UP.
SO WE ARE 10 HEAD COUNT ABOVE WHERE WE WERE AT THE END OF 2023.
OUR HEAD COUNT IS UP BY 10 FULL-TIME POSITIONS.
SO THAT'LL INCREASE THE REIMBURSEMENT.
AND, AND WHAT DOES THAT PERCENTAGE COME TO ROUGHLY? AGAIN, RIGHT NOW IT'S 85%, BUT WITH THE OUT OF COUNTIES WE TAKE, THERE ARE A HUNDRED PERCENT REIMBURSEMENT.
AND OUR STATE PATIENTS THAT DON'T HAVE A A OR ORIGINATING COUNTY, THEY'RE CLASSIFIED AS A STATE PATIENT.
'CAUSE WE CAN'T DETERMINE WHERE THEY'RE ACTUALLY FROM.
IT KIND OF BRINGS OUR REIMBURSEMENT TO AROUND 91%.
WERE YOU, WERE YOU JUST MAKING REFERENCE TO COUNTY PATIENTS IN OTHER INSTITUTIONS OR? NO, WE, THE COUNTY PATIENTS IN OTHER INSTITUTIONS IS A COUNTY, UM, COUNCIL EXPENSE.
THAT'S AT $11.5 MILLION FORECASTED FOR 2025.
HOW MUCH? IT'S BIG NUMBER 11.5 MILLION.
WHAT IS THE, UH, AND THAT'S A, THAT'S A SINGULAR LINE ITEM OUTSIDE YOUR, WELL, I MEAN, WE'RE RESPONSIBLE BECAUSE OF THE, THE SHEER VOLUME.
ESSEX COUNTY HAS THE MOST PSYCHIATRIC PATIENTS IN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY.
SO WHAT HAPPENS IS SOME OF THE STATE HOSPITALS, SOME OF THE OTHER COUNTY HOSPITALS TAKES OUR PATIENTS.
SO WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT 15%.
YOU KNOW, BASICALLY RIGHT NOW WE'RE REIMBURSED FOR 85% ONLY BECAUSE WE TAKE MIDDLESEX AND PASSE COUNTY PATIENTS.
WE'RE ABLE TO MAKE UP THAT DIFFERENCE A LITTLE BIT.
BUT OTHERWISE IT WOULD BE AT REIMBURSEMENT'S 85%.
ONE OF THE THINGS I I, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT'S NOT IN THE BUDGET AND ADDS TO MEDICAID REIMBURSEMENTS WE'RE GETTING NOW, UM, I'M GETTING EMAILS, I'M INCLUDED IN ON THOSE EMAILS AND I APPRECIATE THAT, UH, THAT HAS BEEN A VERY SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM.
AND I WONDER IF YOU COULD HIT ON WHERE THOSE REVENUE NUMBERS ARE THAT'S COMING INTO THE COUNTY.
WHERE THAT'S AT WITH THE HOSPITAL? YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, JUST NINE HOSPITALS.
THIS WAS A PROGRAM THAT STARTED ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO.
IT WAS A PILOT PROGRAM WITH ONLY FIVE COUNTIES DUE TO THE ENORMOUS SUCCESS OF IT.
UM, IT'S NOW A STATEWIDE PROGRAM.
AND WHAT IT IS, IS, UM, NEW JERSEY WAS BASICALLY LAST IN THE COUNTRY IN GETTING REIMBURSEMENT ON MEDICAID DOLLARS.
SO WHEN A PATIENT GOES TO THE HOSPITAL, YOU KNOW, WHO HAVE MEDICAID, THE HOSPITALS ARE RECEIVING LIKE, PRETTY MUCH 20 CENTS ON THE DOLLAR FOR THOSE PATIENTS.
SO WHAT THIS PROGRAM DOES, IT PUTS IN A FORMULA WHERE, UM, WE'RE TRYING TO GET MORE PAYMENT ON THOSE MEDICAID DISCHARGES.
SO THIS YEAR FOR TWO TH FOR THE 2026 YEAR, WHICH STARTS ON JULY 1ST, UM, WE HAD MOVED FORWARD WITH THE APPROVAL OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATION TO INCLUDE THE OUTPATIENT MEDICAID VISITS, WHICH WE NEVER HAD THAT IN THE PROGRAM BEFORE.
SO WHAT WITH THAT, WE ALSO WERE PERMITTED THROUGH A CHANGE IN LEGIS LEGISLATION FOR GO FROM A TWO POINT 0.5% FEE TO A 5% FEE.
SO AN ORDINANCE WILL BE BROUGHT BEFORE THE
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BOARD IN THE NEXT MONTH OR SO TO INCREASE THAT FEE AND ALSO INCLUDE THE OUTPATIENT DISCHARGE OUTPATIENT SERVICES PROVIDED TO THOSE MEDICAID PATIENTS.IT'S TRYING TO GET MORE MONEY TO THE HOSPITALS, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, TO ENCOURAGE THE HOSPITALS TO SEE MORE MEDICAID PATIENTS TO OPEN UP THAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THOSE THAT ONLY HAVE THE MEDICAID COVERAGES.
SO BY THEM NOW GETTING ALMOST FULL REIMBURSEMENT FOR THOSE SERVICES, WE'RE TRYING TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO NOW BRING IN MORE MEDICAID AND AT THE SAME TIME GET THEM MORE MONEY.
SO, UM, LAST YEAR THE PROGRAM BROUGHT IN $8.2 MILLION.
WE ESTIMATE IN 2026 IT'LL BRING IN $18.7 MILLION.
THAT'S A BIG, THAT'S A BIG DIFFERENCE.
BIG BUT NOT ONLY THAT, OVER $250 MILLION TO THE NINE, UM, COUNTY HOSPITALS.
I I WAS, I WAS PRIVY TO SOMETHING WHERE IT SAID IT WAS OVER GONNA BE 30 MILLION AT ONE POINT.
IS THERE'S PROJECTIONS ON, I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T HEAR THE QUESTION.
THE PROJECTIONS ARE I THOUGHT WERE HIGHER THAN THE 18 MILLION MORE.
THAT WAS AN ISSUE WITH UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL.
'CAUSE UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL GETS SUBSIDIZED FOR THEIR MEDICAID PATIENTS BY THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY WITH THEM IN THE PROGRAM.
100% IT WOULD'VE BEEN OVER $30 MILLION.
SO, SO, SO WE MISSED OUT ON THAT.
THAT WELL, IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DIDN'T KNOW THAT UNTIL WE WERE TOLD THAT THEY WERE GETTING THAT MONEY WHEN THE ORIGINAL MODEL CAME OUT.
SO NOW WE, UM, THAT'S WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
SO THIS IS A KIND OF A BIFURCATED FISCAL YEAR THAT IT'S ON.
SO HOW WOULD THAT PLAY OUT FOR THE 25 26 BUDGET? SO IT WOULD BE HALF OF THE 18.7 MILLION.
BUT JUST, JUST TO BE CLEAR, NONE OF THAT MONEY IS IN THIS BUDGET.
I KNOW THAT I, THAT'S WHY I PUSHED IT OUT TO 26.
THAT'S WHY YOU DON'T SEE IT IN ANY OF YEAH, NO, YOU DON'T SEE IN.
THAT'S WHY MENTIONED TO YEAR 2026.
ANY QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER, VICE PRESIDENT.
UH, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT, WHEN I LOOK AT YOUR BUDGET, THERE'S SOME SMALL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE ADOPTED SALARIES FOR 24 AND THE RECOMMENDED SALARIES FOR 25.
LIKE SOME SMALL CHANGES, LIKE A COUPLE HUNDRED DOLLARS.
WHY, WHY IS THAT? AND I SAW THAT IN ANOTHER DEPARTMENT'S BUDGET AS WELL.
LIKE IF YOU GO TO PAGE 1 54, THE ACCOUNT CLERK IS FOR A DOCKET WAS 37 5 5 9.
THAT'S UNDER MEDICAL SERVICES.
WHAT? SO NOW DETAIL, I'M JUST GONNA LOOK THAT UP.
I KIND OF HAVE A DIFFERENT, IS THERE A NAME ASSOCIATED WITH THAT? NO, JUST THE TITLE.
IT SAYS ACCOUNT CLERK ADOPTED 2024 WAS 37,000 5 59.
BUT THE RECOMMENDED 25 WAS 37,048.
SHE ONLY WORKS 25 HOURS A WEEK.
AND THEN THE SAME THING AND THE BOTTOM ONE, UH, THE SUPERVISOR, PROGRAM ANALYST, YOU SEE THAT? THE 1 0 6 AND THEN IT'S 1 0 3 SUPERVISING PROGRAM.
I WAS CURIOUS, LIKE WHY DID IT SHIFT DOWN SOME? YEAH, I THINK IT VACANCY.
SO IT'S A NEW PERSON THAT YOU HIRED.
SO WE DIDN'T HIRE, WE DIDN'T HIRE ANYONE INTO THAT POSITION.
SO YOU ANTICIPATE THOUGH, COMING IN AT THE NUMBER THAT'S IN THE 25 COLUMN? CORRECT.
TYPICALLY WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT THE PERSON WHO LEFT THE POSITION WAS AT THE HIGH END OF THE SALARY RANGE.
SO WHEN YOU BRING IN A NEW PERSON, THEY WOULD COME IN AT THE LOWER END OF THE SALARY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? SEEING NONE, MR. ARDIO, THANK YOU FOR A VERY THOROUGH REVIEW AND CONGRATULATIONS ON, UH, YOUR FINE WORK.
WE SEE IT EVERY YEAR, SO WE APPRECIATE ALL THAT YOU DO ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTY.
AND, UH, WE'VE REACHED THE MOST EXCITING PART OF THE EVENING, WHICH I BELIEVE IS THE 30 MINUTE BREAK THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE.
WE'LL ADJOURN FOR, UH, 30 MINUTES AND WE'LL BE BACK FIRST.
WHAT IS IT? IT IS, IT'S A FULL 30 CORRECTIONS.
IT'S FIRST, IT'S, WE'RE A LITTLE EARLY.
SO HERE'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO.
MR. JACKSON, WE'RE GONNA BE AHEAD OF SCHEDULE.
YOU MAY WANNA LET EVERYONE KNOW WE'RE ABOUT 15 MINUTES AHEAD.
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ME WHEN YOU'RE READY, YOUR MONEY.AND CONTINUING WITH THE SECOND EVENING OF THE BUDGET HEARINGS.
UH, MR. JACKSON, WHO DO WE HAVE NEXT? OH, WE HAVE DEPARTMENT OF CITIZEN SERVICES DIRECTOR RAMOS AND HIS TEAM ARE HERE.
HOW ARE YOU? GOOD TO SEE YOU BOTH.
UH, COMMISSIONER PRESIDENT AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, I'M PLEASED TO PRESENT OUR, UH, 2025 BUDGET, UH, WHICH REPRESENTS, EXCUSE ME, DIRECTOR, I'M SORRY.
UH, WHICH REPRESENTS THOSE DIVISIONS WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT THAT ARE EITHER FULLY OR PARTIALLY COUNTY FUNDED.
UH, 2024 PRESENT REPRESENTED A CHALLENGING YEAR FOR US AS WE TRANSITIONED IN A SIGNIFICANT WAY OUT OF THE HEALTHCARE.
UH, WITH US TODAY, WE HAVE REPRESENTATION, UH, FROM DFAB, WHICH IS THE LARGEST DIVISION, UH, WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT, AND PROVIDES A, A WIDE RANGE OF DIFFERENT, UH, BENEFITS AND SERVICES FOR RESIDENTS OF THE COUNTY.
UH, WE HAVE STAFF REPRESENTING THE, UH, JUVENILE DETENTION CENTER, WHICH IS THE STATE'S LARGEST CONSOLIDATED, UH, JUVENILE FACILITY.
UH, WE, WE CURRENTLY HOUSE JUVENILES FROM SIX COUNTIES AND A NUMBER OF FEDERAL, UH, RESIDENTS AS WELL.
WE HAVE STAFF HERE REPRESENTING OUR WEIGHTS AND MEASURES UNIT, UH, WHICH CONTINUES TO PROVIDE A VERY VALUABLE, UH, CONSUMER SERVICES CONSUMER SERVICE, UH, FOR RESIDENTS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY OF ESSEX.
AND I ALSO HAVE THE, UH, DIRECTOR, UH, OF SENIOR SERVICES BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A LIMITED NUMBER OF POSITIONS THAT REPRESENT THE REQUIRED COUNTY MATCH, UH, TO THE OVERALL SENIOR SERVICES GRANT.
UH, SO AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO OPEN IT UP FOR, UH, ANY QUESTIONS THAT THE COMMISSIONERS OR, OR ANYONE ELSE MAY HAVE.
WE'RE GONNA START WITH MR. MCINERNEY AND THEN WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO COMMISSIONER QUESTIONS.
WHEN I LOOK AT THE PAYROLL THERE, THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT COST CENTERS WITHIN THAT PAYROLL, UH, INCLUDING PREDOMINANTLY IN DFA.
THERE'S, THERE'S, UM, CHILD SUPPORT ADMINISTRATION, DOWNTOWN INTAKE INVESTIGATION, NEW JERSEY FAMILY CARE, UH, WORKFORCE, SPECIAL SERVICES, EMERGENCY FISCAL.
CAN YOU GIVE US A PICTURE OF WHAT ALL THAT KIND OF PUTS TOGETHER, HOW THAT ALL WORKS TOGETHER? IT'S A LITTLE CONFUSING TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, IF YOU MAY.
UM, UM, MR. PRESIDENT, UM, THROUGH YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, LIKE I, I STATED IN MY OPENING STATEMENT, UH, THE DIVISION OF FAMILY ASSISTANCE AND BENEFITS, DFA IS THE LARGEST DIVISION WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT, UH, OVER 800, UH, BUDGETED POSITIONS.
WE PROVIDE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT BENEFIT PROGRAMS, UH, FOR RESIDENTS OF THE COUNTY.
WE ALSO ADMINISTER, UH, A NUMBER OF PROGRAMS INCLUDING, LIKE YOU MENTIONED, THE CHILD SUPPORT, UH, PROGRAM FOR, FOR THE COUNTY OF ESSEX.
UH, WE PROVIDE SNAP, UH, OR FOOD STAMP BENEFITS, UH, TO, TO, TO RESIDENTS OF THE COUNTY.
WE ADMINISTER, UH, THE, UH, MEDICAID OR HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM, UH, FOR BOTH SENIORS AND FAMILIES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY OF ESSEX.
WE ADMINISTER THE CASH ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, WHICH IS KNOWN AS THE, THE TANF OR THE OLD A FTC, UH, PROGRAM.
AND THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY DOES HAVE A WELFARE OR CASH PROGRAM, UH, FOR SINGLE ADULTS, UH, KNOWN AS, UH, GENERAL ASSISTANCE.
SO WITHIN DFAB, YOU DO HAVE, UH, A A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THAT WE ADMINISTER.
AND THE BUDGET IS, UH, PARTICULARLY BROKEN DOWN BY THOSE INDIVIDUAL, UH, BENEFIT PROGRAMS. SO A BIG CHUNK OF DFAS BUDGET IS, UH, UNDER SALARY AND WAGES.
AND THEN WE DO HAVE A NUMBER OF OTHER EXPENSES THAT MAKE UP THE REST OF THE BUDGET, UH, WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT.
UH, AS I MENTIONED THE OPENING STATEMENT AS WELL, WE HAVE THE JUVENILE DETENTION CENTER, WHICH REPRESENTS THE, THE SECOND LARGEST, UH, DIVISION WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT.
AND THEN WE HAVE SMALLER, UH, UH, UH, COST ATTRIBUTED TO OUR WEIGHTS AND MEASURES AND THE MATCH, UH, FOR SENIOR SERVICES, THE OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR, WHICH IS ALSO INCLUDED IN THE COUNTY BUDGET, REPRESENTS MY DIRECT STAFF.
SO IT'S MYSELF AS THE DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT, UH, MR. GONZALEZ, WHO'S THE CFO AND, AND
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A NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF THAT SUPPORT ME DIRECTLY, UH, UH, TO, TO ASSIST ME IN OVERSEEING ALL THESE DIFFERENT DIVISIONS THAT CONSTITUTE OUR DEPARTMENT.THE, UM, THANK YOU FOR, FOR THAT.
UM, THE, THE ONE, THE ONE DEPARTMENT THAT DOES HAVE A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN, IN, UH, THE SALARIES AND WAGES IS, IS YOUTH SERVICES.
CAN, CAN YOU GIVE US A LITTLE BACKGROUND AS TO WHY THAT'S UP SO MUCH? UH, THE, THE STAFFING LEVELS AT THE DETENTION CENTER, UH, PRETTY MUCH HAVE REMAINED CONSISTENT, UH, OVER THE YEARS.
UH, WE, WE DO PUT TOGETHER OUR STAFFING PLAN ANTICIPATING FLUCTUATIONS IN POPULATION.
UH, SO, SO, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR OUR CURRENT, UH, DAILY COUNT COULD CHANGE ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS.
SO WE ALWAYS WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE GET OUR BUDGET APPROVED, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO HIRE UP RIGHT IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE ANY FLUCTUATIONS, UH, UH, IN POPULATIONS.
AND, AND I BELIEVE THAT THIS YEAR'S BUDGETED NUMBER INCLUDES A MORE ACCURATE PROJECTION WHEN IT COMES TO OUR OVERTIME, UH, EXPENSES.
I THINK IN PREVIOUS YEARS, UH, WE HAVE, UH, INCLUDED A NUMBER FOR OVERTIME THAT WAS UNDER REPRESENTED WHEN IT CAME TO THE ACTUAL, UH, EXPENDITURES.
AND THAT NUMBER WAS ADJUSTED IN ORDER TO REP, REP, UH, REPRESENT A MORE ACCURATE, UM, COST FOR OVERTIME.
AND, AND THE REASON WHY WE, WE HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, HIGH OVERTIME AT TIMES IS THAT WHEN IT COMES TO, YOU KNOW, ANY JUVENILE FACILITY, YOU HAVE TO HAVE, UH, CERTAIN STAFFING STANDARDS IN PLACE REGARDLESS.
UM, UH, WE, WE DO HAVE ISSUES AT TIMES LIKE EVERY OTHER CORRECTIONAL OR YOUTH FACILITY WITH CALL OUTS.
UM, SO, SO WE DO HAVE THE NEED TO HOLD PEOPLE OVER IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE THE MINIMUM STAFFING IN PLACE TO SAFELY, UM, PROVIDE SERVICES FOR THOSE JUVENILES THAT RESIDE IN THE FACILITY.
AND, AND YOU DO HAVE A NUMBER OF VACANCIES IN THERE, AT LEAST IT'S BUDGET TIME HERE.
THERE WAS 36 VACANCIES BUDGETED FOR IN, IN THESE SERVICES, UH, THROUGH YOU, MR. PRESIDENT? YES.
WE, WE, WE AGGRESSIVELY HIRE, UH, JUVENILE DETENTION OFFICERS WITHIN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY ARE NO LONGER REQUIRED TO ACTUALLY TAKE AND PASS A CIVIL SERVICE TEST.
UH, WE CAN HIRE OFFICERS PROVISIONALLY AS LONG AS THEY PASS THE BACKGROUND AND PSYCHOLOGICAL, UH, EXAM.
UH, THE ADMINISTRATION HAS AUTHORIZED US TO VERY AGGRESSIVELY HIRE.
WE PARTICIPATED, UH, IN JOB KI AND JOB FAIRS.
THEY ACTUALLY INCREASED, UH, THE, THE, THE SALARY THAT THEY OFFER AS STEP ONE, UH, FOR, FOR THIS POSITION IN ORDER TO ASSIST US IN RECRUITING MORE CANDIDATES.
UH, BUT IT IS A CHALLENGING ENVIRONMENT LIKE EVERY OTHER CORRECTIONAL, UH, FACILITY IN THE STATE.
UH, WE, WE DO HAVE SOME CHALLENGES IN HIRING JUVENILE OFFICERS.
AND YOU'RE RIGHT, YOU, YOU WERE ONLY BUDGETED 175 IN OVERTIME LAST YEAR, AND YES, THIS YEAR IT'S UP TO 2.8, WHICH IS MUCH MORE REALISTIC YES.
UH, THE QUESTION WAS ASKED EARLIER, AND I, AGAIN, UM, I THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE, ESPECIALLY IN YOUR DEPARTMENT, ABOUT THE ISSUE ABOUT WHAT THE EXECUTIVE ORDER ON FEDERAL ASSISTANCE, UM, DOES THAT AFFECT YOU? I KNOW SOMETHING SUBSEQUENT CAME OUT AFTER THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, INITIAL, UH, I, I PRESS RELEASE THROUGH YOU, MR. PRESIDENT.
UM, WE WE'RE STILL TRYING TO ASSESS WHAT IT ACTUALLY MEANS FOR THE COUNTY OF ESSEX.
UH, A NUMBER OF PROGRAMS THAT WE ADMINISTER, THE FUNDING COMES FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO THE STATE TO US, AND WE'VE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE DIVISION OF FAMILY ASSISTANCE AND BENEFITS, WHICH IS THE ONE THAT, UM, FUNDS DFA PRIMARILY JUST TO GAUGE WHETHER OR NOT THIS TEMPORARY FREEZE, UH, IMPACTS ANY OF THE BENEFITS THAT WE OFFER OUR CLIENTS.
UH, WE, WE WERE NOTIFIED THAT ANY DIRECT BENEFIT TO, TO RESIDENTS IS NOT PART OF THIS ORDER.
UM, THE CDBG PROGRAM IS A DIRECT FEDERAL ENTITLEMENT TO ESSEX COUNTY, AND WE HAVE BEEN IN COMMUNICATIONS ALL DAY WITH OUR REPRESENTATIVES FROM HUD, UH, TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT, UH, WE NEED TO MAKE ANY ADJUSTMENTS OR CHANGES, UH, BASED ON THIS ORDER, UH, UP UNTIL FIVE O'CLOCK TODAY, OUR, OUR HUD REP, UH, WASN'T A HUNDRED PERCENT CLEAR IN TERMS OF WHAT THE ORDER MEANS FOR CDBG PROGRAMS. OKAY.
AND, UM, I GUESS THE OTHER QUESTION I ASK EVERY YEAR IS ON WEIGHTS AND MEASURES, HOW IS THAT PERFORMING IN TERMS OF, UH, THE STAFF YOU HAVE THERE? THE, THE NUMBER OF INSPECTIONS LAST YEAR WERE, WERE PROBABLY AT, AT A, YOU KNOW, FOUR YEAR HIGH.
WE, WE DID 574 BUSINESSES AND, AND WE INSPECTED ABOUT 6,500 DEVICES.
UM, AGAIN, IT'S A CONSUMER SERVICE.
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UH, THE GOAL OF THE PROGRAM IS NOT TO BE PUNITIVE PER SE, BUT WE TRY TO PROTECT CONSUMER INTEREST WHEN WE DO THE INSPECTIONS OF SUPERMARKETS, UH, GAS STATIONS, LAUND MATS.UH, THANKS TO THE SUPPORT OF THE BOARD, WE WERE ABLE TO HIRE AN APPRENTICE.
SO WE ADDED AN ADDITIONAL STAFF PERSON LAST YEAR TO ASSIST, UH, WITH THE INSPECTIONS.
UH, ONE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE WILL HAVE IN THIS UNIT OR DIVISION IS THAT OUR SUPERINTENDENT, UH, RETIRED, UH, UH, LEWIS TURKEL, WHO'VE BEEN WITH THE COUNTY FOR A LONG TIME.
AND ACTUALLY LEWIS WAS SOUGHT UPON BY OTHER JURISDICTIONS AROUND THE STATE TO ASSIST THEM TO, UH, SET UP THEIR WEIGHTS AND MEASURES PROGRAM.
SO, UH, HE'S, HE'S DEFINITELY A BIG LOSS.
UM, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO CONVINCE HIM TO COME BACK AFTER HE RETIRES TO PROVIDE US WITH SOME ASSISTANCE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M VERY PROUD OF THAT UNIT.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE CALLED UPON REGULARLY.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE IN THE COUNTY, NOT THE NUMBER OF BUSINESSES, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, TURNOVER IN BUSINESSES.
SO YOU MAY HAVE, UH, A BUSINESS THAT IS OPEN FOR FOUR OR FIVE MONTHS, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY CLOSE DOWN AND WE HAVE A SUBSEQUENT NEW BUSINESS THAT OPENS UP.
SO, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE ON THE FIELD A LOT, AND THEY RESPOND TO INQUIRIES FROM THE AGS OFFICE.
SOMETIMES THEY SEND US OUT TO DO INSPECTIONS.
AND, AND WE DO GET ROUTINE CALLS FROM MOSTLY SENIORS, SOMETIMES INQUIRING ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT, YOU KNOW, POUND OF MEAT THAT THEY MAY HAVE PURCHASED AT SUPERMARKET X WAS ACTUALLY A POUND OF MEAT.
I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.
BEL RAMOS HAS DONE A FANTASTIC JOB WITH HIS DEPARTMENT, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S PROBABLY THE LARGEST DEPARTMENT IN ESSEX COUNTY.
BUT, UM, ONE CONCERN, FRANK MCINERNEY BROUGHT UP A CONCERN THAT I'M REALLY FEELING WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IN TERMS OF WHAT OUR PRESIDENT IS DOING IN ELIMINATING FUNDS.
HOW WILL THAT AFFECT YOU? YEAH.
UH, THROUGH YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, LIKE I, I STATED BEFORE, WE'RE, WE'RE STILL TRYING TO ASSESS WHAT, UM, THESE LARGE NUMBER OF EXECUTIVE ORDERS ACTUALLY MEAN WHEN IT COMES TO, YOU KNOW, THE, THE WORK THAT WE DO.
UM, TODAY'S, UH, ORDER IN PARTICULAR, UH, COULD HAVE HAD OR COULD HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON OUR OPERATIONS, ESPECIALLY IF IT TRANSLATES INTO GRANTS BEING FROZEN THAT ARE UTILIZED TO, TO PROVIDE DIRECT BENEFITS TO CLIENTS.
UH, A LOT OF OUR RESIDENTS IN THIS COUNTY RECEIVE SNACK FOOD STAMP BENEFITS.
UM, THEY UTILIZE, UH, MEDICAID TO PROVIDE HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR THEIR CHILDREN, UH, NUMBER OF SENIORS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
THE REVISE, OR THE CLARIFICATION ON THE ORDER THAT WE READ LATER ON THIS AFTERNOON, WHICH CAME FROM THE WHITE HOUSE STATES THAT ANY DIRECT BENEFIT TO RESIDENCE IS NOT COVERED UNDER TODAY'S ORDER.
UM, BUT THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY, THROUGH THEIR DIVISION OF FAMILY DEVELOPMENT TYPICALLY, UM, IS THE ONE THAT FUNDS US FOR WELFARE SERVICES.
AND WE'VE BEEN IN COMMUNICATIONS WITH THEM ALL DAY JUST TO SEE IF THE ORDER IMPACTS OUR CURRENT OPERATIONS.
AND, AND SO FAR, UH, WE HAVE NOT HEARD THAT, AT LEAST AT THE DFAB OR WELFARE SIDE, WE HAVE TO MAKE ANY ADJUSTMENTS WITH CDBG AS I STATED BEFORE, UM, UH, THERE THERE COULD BE AN IMPACT, UH, BECAUSE THAT IS A FEDERAL GRANT THAT COMES DIRECTLY TO THE COUNTY AND, AND OUR CDBG PROGRAM EXISTS BECAUSE THERE ARE A NUMBER OF TOWNS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY THAT ARE NOT LARGE ENOUGH TO RECEIVE THEIR OWN CDBG FUNDED.
SO THE COUNTY BECOMES THE CONDUIT, UH, TO DISPERSE MONIES TO A NUMBER OF THESE SMALLER TOWNS.
SO OUR HUD REP, UH, UH, MS. ANNEMARIE HAD, HAS BEEN IN COMMUNICATION WITH OUR LOCAL AREA SINCE EARLY THIS MORNING, JUST TRYING TO GIVE US AN INTERPRETATION OF WHAT THE NEW ORDER MEANS FOR US.
SO YOU'RE ON TOP OF ALL THE PROCEDURES THAT ARE BEING, UH, STOPPED THROUGH, THROUGH YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, AS BEST WE CAN RIGHT NOW.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S A MOVING TARGET, A TOUGH SITUATION.
AND, AND THANKFULLY WE BELONG TO A NUMBER OF ASSOCIATIONS THAT ARE VERY ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THIS.
I, I KNOW THE VA EARLIER SENT THE COMMUNICATION FROM N JACK, UH, WHICH WAS ALSO VERY HELPFUL.
UM, SO, SO WE, WE, WE READ AND RESEARCH JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT'S SHARED WITH US, JUST TO KIND OF GAUGE HOW, HOW SOME OF THESE CHANGES COULD IMPACT US.
I MEAN, THERE TALKS ABOUT, UH, THEM POSSIBLY ADDING A WORK REQUIREMENT TO THE MEDICAID PROGRAM.
A LOT OF THIS IS SPECULATIVE AT THIS POINT, BUT, BUT IF THOSE THINGS DO HAPPEN AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, IT WILL CHANGE A LITTLE BIT HOW WE, UH, ADMINISTER SOME
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OF OUR PROGRAMS. BUT WE DON'T KNOW FOR SURE.BUT, AND THERE WILL BE LOT, BUT THE ORDERS, WE DO KNOW THERE BE LOT, THERE WILL BE LOTS OF LAWSUITS ALSO, UH, THROUGH YOU, MR. PRESIDENT? YES.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER MARY THOMAS, YOU, MR. PRESIDENT? UH, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU, DIRECTOR RAMOS AND THE ENTIRE TEAM, UH, FOR YOUR DILIGENT, DILIGENT WORK.
UM, I KNOW WE WERE ABLE TO SPEAK A LITTLE BIT EARLIER ABOUT HOW YOU GUYS ARE PREPARING FOR THE VERY UNPREDICTABLE NATURE OF EVENTS, UM, EVEN WITH CDBG PRESENTATIONS SLATED AS EARLY AS NEXT WEEK.
AND KIND OF JUST TRYING TO BE ON 10 AROUND, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
BUT I KNOW SIMILAR TO WHAT, UH, COMMISSIONER SEBO SAID, WE ARE IN THE BEST OF HANDS AND AS OUR RESIDENTS BECAUSE OF YOUR LEADERSHIP AND, AND THE TEAM.
ONE, IT LOOKS LIKE THERE WAS A SLIGHT DECREASE IN THE SENIOR SERVICES ALLOCATION WITHIN THE BUDGET.
IT WAS AROUND A DECREASE OF AROUND 5%.
UM, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I'M READING THAT CORRECTLY, AND IF SO, IF WE COULD BE PROVIDED WITH SOME KIND OF CONTEXT AROUND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
UH, UH, THROUGH YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, THE, THE CDBG PROGRAM, I'M, I'M SORRY.
THE SENIOR SERVICES PROGRAM IS PRIMARILY GRANT FUNDED.
UH, THE GRANT REQUIRES US TO MATCH A PORTION OF THE OVERALL GRANT WITH, UM, SOME POSITIONS THAT ARE COUNTY FUNDED.
SO, SO I BELIEVE THAT WHAT HAPPENED IN THE SENIOR SERVICES AREA IS THAT WE HAD A RETIREMENT AND THE PERSON THAT REPLACED THE RETIREE PROBABLY CAME IN AT A LOWER SALARY.
SO THAT'S WHY THERE'S A SMALLER APPROPRIATION THAT'S BEING REQUESTED ON THE COUNTY SIDE.
SO, BUT WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED A REDUCTION IN OUR GRANT SIDE OF THAT, OF THAT PROGRAM.
BUT BECAUSE OF THE SHIFTING IN PERSONNEL, WHEN WE DO GET SOMEONE THAT RETIRES, THAT PERSON USUALLY RETIRES AT THE MAXIMUM SALARY.
AND IF WE REPLACE THAT INDIVIDUAL, THAT INDIVIDUAL USUALLY COMES IN AT A LOWER SALARY.
SO THE, THE ASK FOR THE COUNTY IS SMALLER.
THE OVERALL GRANT HAS NOT BEEN REDUCED.
UM, SECONDLY, AND THIS IS CONNECTED TO, TO REALLY GOOD NEWS THAT WE HAD ACTUALLY GOT PRESENTED WITH BY, UH, SOME OF THE MEMBERS OF YOUR TEAM A FEW MONTHS AGO, AS FAR AS THE INCREASING IN PROCESSING RATES AND, UH, THE DECREASE IN THE BACKLOGS.
UM, I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOUR EXPERIENCE, ONE, WHAT HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE EFFICACY, UH, AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE PLANS TO CONTINUE TO MAKE SURE THAT SUSTAINS, ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, IN THE WAKE OF, KIND OF TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN CONTROL, RIGHT.
MAKING SURE THAT CONTINUES WITHIN THE, THE WAKE OF THE CURRENT FEDERAL ADMINISTRATION AND CONTEXT.
UH, THROUGH YOU, MR. PRESIDENT AND, AND TO THE BOARD.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I APPRECIATE THE, UH, THE FEEDBACK OF, WE, WE DEFINITELY HAVE REORGANIZED A NUMBER OF UNITS WITHIN OUR DIVISION OF FAMILY ASSISTANCE AND BENEFITS.
YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN THERE DIRECTLY SINCE NOVEMBER OF 23, UH, ALONG WITH A, AN EXCELLENT TEAM JUST TRYING TO, UM, REORGANIZE FUNCTIONS TO BETTER SERVE OUR RESIDENTS.
AND NOVEMBER OF, OF 23, OUR SNAP TIMELINESS WAS PROBABLY A LITTLE UNDER 20%, UM, WHICH IS WELL UNDER WHAT THE FEDERAL STANDARD, UH, SHOULD BE.
UM, AND, AND I'M GLAD TO SEE, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE NOT WHERE WE WANT TO BE AT THAT BY THE END OF DECEMBER, OUR TIMELINESS RATE WAS BETWEEN 55 TO 60% ON THE SNAP SIDE, UH, THE BEGINNING OF 24, OUR BACKLOG, WHICH REPRESENTS THE NUMBER OF NEW APPLICATIONS THAT WERE FILED.
AND, AND THE WAY NEW JERSEY COLLECTS, UH, APPLICATIONS FOR BENEFITS IS THROUGH THIS ONLINE PORTAL, UH, KNOWN AS NJ HELPS THAT PORTAL'S OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, 365 DAYS A YEAR.
SO WHEN OUR STAFF IS OFF DURING HOLIDAYS OR, UM, LONG WEEKENDS THAT PEOPLE ARE STILL APPLYING EVERY SINGLE DAY.
UH, WE, WE HAD A BACKLOG AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR OF OVER 16,000 CASES.
AND, AND I'M GLAD TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE, THE, THAT BACKLOG WAS, UH, ELIMINATED IN, IN 2024.
UH, THE NATURE OF OUR BUSINESS IS AS YOU ELIMINATE THE OLD BACKLOG, A NEW ONE STARTS EMERGING.
SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING INTERNALLY TO, TO BEST ADDRESS, UH, THE, THE NEW BACKLOG, WHICH IS VERY MINIMAL RIGHT NOW.
UH, WE AVERAGE AT A HIGH POINT, ABOUT 1800 NEW APPLICATIONS A WEEK JUST ON NJ HELPS THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE, YOU KNOW, A NUMBER OF MEDICAID APPLICATIONS.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, AND LIKE I SAID EARLIER, DURING WEEKS WHERE WE HAVE HOLIDAYS, THAT THAT PRESENTS A CHALLENGE BECAUSE OUR STAFF MAY BE OFF ON A MONDAY, AND WHEN THEY COME IN, THEY HAVE THREE DAYS WORTH OF APPLICATIONS ON NJ HEALTH THAT THEY HAVE TO PROCESS.
SO I THINK WE'VE MADE PROGRESS WITH SNAP TIMELINESS.
WE'VE, WE'VE DONE A, A VERY GOOD JOB OF DEALING WITH THE BACKLOG.
AND THE, THE THIRD AREA WHERE WE HAVE
[02:35:01]
TO DO A LOT BETTER IS WITH, UH, RE RECERTIFICATIONS.SO YESTERDAY, ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS REACHED OUT, UH, ON A SNAP MATTER WHERE THE CLIENT, UH, WAS SUPPOSED TO BE CALLED IN ORDER TO RECERTIFY FOR BENEFITS.
AND, AND MANY TIMES, YOU KNOW, THE CLIENT WILL CLAIM THAT THEY DIDN'T GET A PHONE CALL.
SOMETIMES BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF PHONE CALLS THAT WE RECEIVE THESE DAYS, PEOPLE THINK, THINK THAT WE'RE A BILL COLLECTOR, OR IT'S A FA CALL, THEY WON'T PICK UP.
SO WE'RE UTILIZING THINGS SUCH AS TEXT MESSAGING NOW TO NOTIFY THE CLIENT LIKE, BY, WE'RE NOT A BILL COLLECTOR, THIS IS ESSEX COUNTY DFAB OR WELFARE CALLING, UH, TO RECERTIFY YOUR BENEFITS.
BUT, BUT THAT IS THE MOST CHALLENGING AREA FOR US RIGHT NOW IS, IS RECERTIFICATIONS.
AND WE'VE BEEN IN THERE ASSESSING THEIR OPERATIONS, UH, TRYING TO MAKE CHANGES IN ORDER TO BETTER EQUIP US, UH, TO, TO DEAL WITH THE RECERTIFICATION PROBLEM.
A A A THIRD, A ANOTHER AREA WHERE I THINK WE MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS LAST YEAR, THERE, THERE ARE MANY DOCUMENTS THAT COME INTO A COUNTY WELFARE AGENCY.
SO THERE WERE MULTIPLE POINTS OF ENTRY.
CLIENTS WERE ABLE TO DROP OFF DOCUMENTS AT A MAILBOX OUTSIDE OUR BUILDING.
THEY COULD FAX DOCUMENTS, THEY COULD SCAN AN EMAIL.
UH, WE CENTRALIZED A LOT OF THE DOCUMENT, UH, UH, CONTROL INTO ONE DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT UNIT.
UH, WE HAD A TON OF DOCUMENTS SITTING AT THIS NEW WAREHOUSE THAT THE, THE, THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS AUTHORIZED THE LEASE FOR THAT WERE TOTALLY DISORGANIZED.
YOU KNOW, I'M PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT THANKS TO THE EFFORTS OF OUR TEAM, UH, YOU KNOW, THOSE DOCUMENTS AT THE WAREHOUSE ARE IMPECCABLY ORGANIZED AT THIS POINT.
AND WE HAVE NOW CENTRALIZED THE, THE DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT PIECE IN ORDER TO AVOID THE DUPLICATION OF CLIENTS DROPPING OFF DOCUMENTS OF DOCUMENTS GOING MISSING.
AND AS A RESULT OF THAT, SOMETIMES THEIR BENEFITS ARE, ARE NOT APPROVED IN A TIMELY FASHION.
SO DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT IS, IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE VERY, VERY FOCUSED ON AND WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT, BUT THE SNAP RECERTIFICATION ISSUE WILL BE OUR PRIORITY THIS YEAR.
COMMISSIONERS, COMMISSIONER, VICE.
THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, DIRECTOR, I WANT TO THANK YOU AND YOUR STAFF FOR ALL THE INCREDIBLE, INCREDIBLE WORK THAT YOU GUYS DO.
I PROBABLY BOTHER YOU THE MOST OUT OF MY COLLEAGUES, WELL, ALL THE, UM, RESIDENTS THAT CONTACT ME ABOUT IT.
AND YOU GUYS ALWAYS RESPOND NO MATTER WHAT TIME OF DAY IT IS.
AND I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT IN HELPING OUR RESIDENTS GET THE SERVICES THAT THEY REALLY NEED.
SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
I HAVE A QUESTION AROUND, UM, THE SALARIES AND WAGES.
LIKE HOW IS THAT DETERMINED IN YOUR OFFICE? IS IT SET BY, UM, LIKE THE STATE, THE DATA SIDE? LET ME EXPLAIN WHAT I MEAN.
ABOUT A MONTH AGO, UM, I TOLD THE BOARD, I MET A PERSON WHO WORKED FOR UNION, SAID WHEN THEY STARTED, THEY LOVED THEIR JOB.
AND NOW I THINK WITH THE UNION INCREASES THAT WE RECENTLY PASSED AND GOT FOR THEM, THEY'RE UP TO LIKE $19 AND 25 CENTS.
SO I WAS WONDERING LIKE, HOW WAS THE STARTING SALARY SET FOR SOME OF THESE PEOPLE AT $16 AND 25 CENTS OR 50 CENTS, WHATEVER THE PERSON WAS MAKING, AND NOW THEY'RE AT $19.
LIKE WHO THAT RANGE, IS THAT SET BY THE STATE? DO THEY DICTATE THAT? OR IS IT PURELY UNION CONTRACTUAL? YEAH, THROUGH YOU, UH, MR. PRESIDENT.
SO, AND LET'S TAKE DFA AS AN EXAMPLE.
SO YOU HAVE VARIOUS TITLES WITHIN THE DIVISION THAT ARE REPRESENTED BY TWO UNIONS, EITHER CWA OR PSU.
UM, SO IF YOU TAKE TITLE X, UM, BASED ON THE UNION CONTRACT, THERE'LL BE A RANGE FROM 35,000 TO 60,000.
AND THEN THAT RANGE IS BROKEN UP INTO, SO THAT PARTICULAR STAFF PERSON, WHEN THEY'RE ONBOARDED AS A CLERK, THEY START AT STEP ONE EVERY YEAR.
THEY ARE ABLE TO EARN AN INCREMENT OR A STEP AS LONG AS THEIR REVIEWS OR PERFORMANCE REVIEWS ARE, ARE, YOU KNOW, POSITIVE.
AND IN SOME DIVISIONS, NOT NECESSARILY DFA.
TIME AND ATTENDANCE IS ALSO A CRITERIA FOR EARNING AN INCREMENT.
SO IF SOMEONE HAS AN EXCESSIVE NUMBER OF UNDOCUMENTED SICK, OR THEY EXCEED A TARDINESS THRESHOLD, DEPENDING ON THE DIVISION THAT THEY'VE WORKED FOR AND THE CONTRACT THAT THEY HAVE NEGOTIATED THROUGH THEIR UNION, THEY MAY NOT BE ENTITLED TO AN INCREMENT.
IF A PERSON HAS A LARGE NUMBER OF, UH, AOPS OR, OR CALL OUT WITHOUT PAY, THAT COULD ALSO, UH, IMPACT THEIR ABILITY TO EARN AN INCREMENT OR A STEP.
SO THEY, THEY, THEY START AT STEP ONE, THEN THEY'RE ABLE TO MOVE UP, UH, BASED ON THE NEGOTIATED STEP WITH THE UNION, AND AS LONG AS THEIR PERFORMANCE EVALUATION
[02:40:01]
IS A POSITIVE EVALUATION.SO I GUESS FOR MR. JACKSON, THAT'S HOW WE GOT THAT BIG NUMBER THAT WE MOVED A MONTH AGO.
IS THAT WHAT THE DIRECTOR JUST DESCRIBED? I'M NOT SURE THE, REMEMBER WE DID A, UM, I CAN ANSWER THAT ONE TOO.
DO YOU WANT I, I, YEAH, I MENTIONED, YEAH, SO I, I, I BELIEVE THE COMMISSIONER COOPER'S ASKING ABOUT AND DIVISION, LIKE DFAB IS A FAIRLY LARGE DIVISION, SO 830 SOME ODD STAFF POSITIONS, UM, NUMBER OF OTHER EXPENSE ITEMS. AND REGARDLESS OF HOW AGGRESSIVE WE ARE WITH HIRING, WE ARE, WE CAN, WE'RE NEVER FULLY STAFFED, RIGHT? UM, WE HAVE, UM, A NUMBER OF STAFF THAT WE HIRE OFF OF CIVIL SERVICE LIST.
SO OF THE AVERAGE CASE WORKER AT DFAB IS A FAMILY SERVICE WORKER, WHICH IS A CIVIL SERVICE TITLE POSITION.
WE RUN INTO ISSUES HIRING IN THAT TITLE BECAUSE WE DON'T ALWAYS HAVE ACCESS TO A LIST TO HIRE FROM, FROM THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY.
SO OUR HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICE AT, OUT OF THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR'S OFFICE, THEY COMMUNICATE REGULARLY WITH THE STATE ABOUT THE NEED FOR US TO CONSISTENTLY HAVE ACCESS TO A FAMILY SERVICE WORKER LIST.
IN THE ABSENCE OF A LIST, WE LOOK TO HIRE INDIVIDUALS PROVISIONAL, WE HIRE SOMEONE AS AN FSW FAMILY SERVICE WORKER, PROVISIONALLY THAT INDIVIDUAL AT SOME POINT HAS TO TAKE THE EXAM AND HOPEFULLY RANK HIGH ENOUGH ON THE LIST SO THAT WE CAN APPOINT THEM, UH, PERMANENTLY.
SO THE TRANSFER NUMBER THAT YOU ALL APPROVED HAD TO DO WITH TWO THINGS.
ONE WAS SALARY AND WAGES, BECAUSE WE DO CARRY A NUMBER OF VACANCIES.
ORGANIZATION WITH 830 PLUS POSITIONS IS ALWAYS GONNA HAVE VACANCIES.
AND THEN UNFORTUNATELY WE HAVE WHAT'S CALLED DOCKINGS BECAUSE EMPLOYEES OVER UTILIZE THEIR EARNED TIME.
SO THEY MAY BE OUT OF TIME, THEY DON'T SHOW UP TO WORK, TWO WORK TWO DAYS IN A WEEK, THEY ARE DOCKED FOR THOSE TWO DAYS.
AND THAT ADDS TO THOSE SALARY AND WAGES ACCRUALS.
THEN A PORTION OF THE MONEY THAT WAS TRANSFERRED OUT WAS IN FICA, WHICH IS A, A NUMBER THAT'S DETERMINED OUTSIDE OF OUR JURISDICTION, WHERE THE COUNTY PROJECTS A CERTAIN AMOUNT THAT WOULD BE SPENT IN THOSE AREAS, AND THEN THE ACTUAL EXPENSES MAY COME IN LOWER THAN WHAT THE COUNTY THOUGHT.
AND THAT ADDS TO THE NUMBER THAT THEN THE, THE COUNTY TRANSFERS TO AREAS WHERE THEY MAY HAVE EXCEEDED EXPENDITURES.
THANK YOU FOR THAT EXPLANATION.
NOW, YOU BROUGHT THE TWO THINGS TOGETHER THAT MR. MUHAMMAD TRYING TO EXPLAIN.
UM, THAT SALARY RANGE, THAT SETTING THOSE TITLES, IS THAT NEGOTIATED BY THE UNION? THEY SAID IT OR THE ADMINISTRATION? MR. PRESIDENT.
IT IS PART OF THE, THE CONTRACT NEGOTIATION.
SO BOTH PARTIES WOULD HAVE TO AGREE.
THE UNION WOULD HAVE TO AGREE THAT THOSE TITLES ARE IDENTIFIED AND ACKNOWLEDGED BY THEM.
AND THEN AT THE SAME TIME, WHATEVER THE RANGES ARE, ARE ACCEPTED AND THE STEPS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? SEE NONE, DIRECTOR.
UH, AN EXCELLENT OVERALL PRESENTATION AS ALWAYS.
UH, IT'S A HIGH BAR YOU PUT UP THERE AND, UH, NO, UH, IT'S AN UNENVIABLE TASK.
NO SOONER DO I SAY NO MORE QUESTIONS.
THE HAND GOES UP, BUT WE WANT, WE DO WANNA, WE WANT THANK YOU.
AND TO ALL OF THE TEAM MEMBERS THAT YOU COME WHO REPRESENT THE VARIOUS DIVISIONS AND YOUR DEPARTMENT.
WHEN THEY COME HERE, COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON? YEAH, I, I DON'T HAVE A, A QUESTION.
SO HOW MANY DEPARTMENTS DO YOU ACTUALLY RUN? DIVISIONS, DIVISIONS? DIVISIONS, UH, THROUGH YOU, MR. PRESIDENT.
UM, THERE'S SEVEN DIVISIONS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT.
AND HOW MANY OF THOSE DIVISIONS DO YOU RUN? WELL, I, I OVERSEE THE DEPARTMENT AND CURRENTLY I'VE BEEN, UM, AT THE DIVISION OF FAMILY ASSISTANCE AND BENEFITS FOR THE LAST YEAR AND FEW MONTHS.
I THINK YOU OUGHT TO GET AT MAN RAINS.
NO, I, I PRESIDENT AS YOU CAN SEE, AND I THINK, UH, ELIANA ASKED ME IF I SHOULD, IF I LEFT ANYBODY HOME.
I DO HAVE AN AMAZING TEAM THAT I WORK WITH AND I, AND I REALLY ENJOY 20 PLUS YEARS, UH, LATER OF THE JOB THAT I DO EVERY 20 SINGLE DAY, 20 PLUS.
I STILL GET EXCITED ABOUT COMING INTO WORK, SO, AND I LOVE MY NEW DIGS AT, UH, 3 23 21 UNIVERSITY.
THAT'S A NICE, THAT'S A NICE BUILDING.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON IS RIGHT.
THE BACKLOG THAT YOU CLEARED UP IS AMAZING.
ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTELY AMAZING.
THOUSANDS OF FAMILIES WERE STRUGGLING TO GET ACCESS TO BENEFITS AND YOU AND YOUR TEAM ROLLED UP YOUR SLEEVES AND YOU CLEARED IT UP.
THAT'S A TESTAMENT TO YOUR DEDICATION AND LEADERSHIP.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR DOING THAT BECAUSE REMEMBER THEY WERE
[02:45:01]
COMING HERE AND NOW THEY'RE NOT BECAUSE YOU CLEARED IT UP.WELL GIVEN THAT YOU HAVE THAT OTHER JOB, YOU SHOULD PROBABLY GET HOME AND GET SOME REST.
I WOULD
THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING TODAY.
WHAT ARE WE ON? UH, NEXT, UH, DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS, UH, DIRECTOR CHARLES AND HIS TEAM WILL LEAD THAT DISCUSSION.
AND WHAT PAGE WE'RE ON PAGE? UH, 82.
WHO COMES UP NOW? CORRECTIONS.
PLEASE JUST STATE YOUR NAME AND AFFILIATION FOR THE RECORD AND INTRODUCE YOUR TEAM AND THEN YOU MAY PROCEED.
RON CHARLES, DIRECTOR OF ESS COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS WITH ME TONIGHT, AND PART OF MY TEAM IS, UH, REGINA MARROW, OUR DEPUTY DIRECTOR, DR.
ROXANNE VEGA, WHO IS A DIRECTOR OF, UH, INMATE PROGRAMS. UM, CAPTAIN CAMACHO SENDING ME TO MY RIGHT.
HE'S AN, UH, OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET AND GUY CILLO, FORMER WARDEN WHO IS NOW THE DIRECTOR AT THE POLICE ACADEMY IS, IS HERE AS WELL.
PLEASE JUST PROCEED, UH, WITH THE PRESENTATION.
UM, BEFORE I GET, WE ACTUALLY GET INTO THE BUDGET, IF YOU ALLOW ME A FEW MINUTES, I WANNA TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS WE ACCOMPLISHED IN 2024.
SOME OF OUR REAL QUICK GOALS FOR 2025.
IF, IF YOU WERE, UH, GO AHEAD.
IN 2024, THE DEPARTMENT, UM, RAISED $70.4 MILLION IN REVENUE.
UH, WE ESTABLISHED A MENTAL HEALTH UNIT WITHIN THE CORRECTIONAL FACILITY, UM, WHICH WAS A RECOMMENDATION THAT CAME OUT OF THE CIVILIAN TASK FORCE.
UM, THAT IS THE ONLY MENTAL HEALTH FACILITY, UH, STEP DOWN UNIT IN ANY COUNTY JAIL.
WE EXPANDED OUR INMATE PROGRAMS TO INCLUDE SUCH A PROGRAM AS OSHA CERTIFICATION COURSE, UM, JOB REENTRY.
UM, AND, UM, WE, UH, CULINARY ARTS AS WELL.
UM, WE ESTABLISHED IN THE LAST QUARTER OF 2024 ON THE PAROLE VIOLATOR PROGRAM, WHICH WE'RE ANTICIPATING REVENUE OF ABOUT $15 MILLION.
UH, WE ESTABLISHED A PARTNERSHIP WITH CIVIL LAKE HOSPITAL, WHICH IS IN NEWARK.
UM, THE COURTS, UH, THE COURTS HERE IN ESSEX COUNTY, THE PROSECUTORS AND THE PUBLIC DEFENDER.
AND WHAT THAT IS, IS THAT, IS IS IT PROVIDING AN OFFSITE, UM, MENTAL HEALTH FACILITY, UM, WHERE WE'RE PROVIDING, UM, MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES TO THOSE IN NEED WHO IDENTIFIED BY THE COURT.
THEY'RE BEING RELEASED BY THE COURT AND BY THE PROSECUTOR INTO THE PROGRAM.
UM, OUR STATE INSPECTION, WE SCORED A 99.8 ON THE, UH, STATE INSPECTION.
AND WE HAD SOME CAPITAL UPGRADES, UM, IN THE FACILITY, WHICH WE, UH, TOOK A LOOK AT THE CAMERAS AND WE UPGRADED THE CAMERAS IN THE FACILITY.
'CAUSE THE CAMERAS ARE 21 YEARS OLD.
SO WE'RE UPGRADING THOSE CAMERAS, UM, UH, THROUGHOUT THE FACILITY.
THAT'S ACTUALLY, WE'LL BE FINISHING IN THAT PROGRAM PROBABLY IN ABOUT ANOTHER TWO WEEKS.
AND SOME OF OUR GOALS IS WE HAVE A, UH, REVENUE GOAL OF $80.8 MILLION, UM, FOR THE DEPARTMENT.
UM, WE ARE GONNA EXPAND OUR, OUR FACILITIES AGAIN, AS FAR AS INMATE PROGRAMS AND THE MENTAL HEALTH, UM, SITUATION.
UM, THE A CA ACCREDITATION FOR 2025 IS UP, SO WE'RE GONNA SUBMIT FOR OUR RE RE ACCREDITATION FOR THAT AND WORKING WITH THE CIVILIAN TASK FORCE AND THE AM AMBROSE GROUP AND OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS, WE WILL CONTINUE TO ESTABLISH OUR FACILITY AS A CENTER FOR CENTER FOR EXCELLENCE.
SO THOSE, THOSE ARE JUST SOME OF THE GOALS AND SOME, UH, THE THINGS WE ARE PROUD OF FOR 2024.
UM, AND NOW WE CAN DIVE INTO THE NUMBERS, SO TO SPEAK.
[02:50:08]
SO, I, I, I'M, I'M WILLING TO TAKE ANY, ANY, UH, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD.UH, IS THERE ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR WITH THE BUDGET THAT YOU WANT TO DISCUSS IN TERMS OF ANY INCREASES OR ANYTHING BEFORE WE ASK ANY QUESTIONS? OR YOU WANT US JUST TO START WITH THOROUGH QUESTIONING? IF, IF YOU CAN START WITH YOUR QUESTIONS, DIVER.
WE'RE GONNA START WITH MR. MCINERNEY AND THEN WE'LL MOVE ON TO COMMISSION AT POINT.
WHEN YOU GO OVER THAT, THAT REVENUE NUMBER AGAIN, THAT YOU DID IN, UH, 2024, AND THEN, UM, I BELIEVE YOU SAID 80 MILLION IN 2025 OR 26 25.
SO, SO THAT REVENUE, THE REVENUE FOR, UH, 2024 NUMBER WAS 70.4 MILLION.
AND THAT INCLUDES, UM, ALL FORMS OF, OF REVENUE THAT WE HAD WITH THE, UH, WITH THE PROGRAMS. AND THAT INCLUDES THE, THE DRUG AND ALCOHOL MONEY AS WELL, FORMERLY KNOWN AS, COULD YOU BREAK THAT DOWN THOUGH, BECAUSE SURE.
IF NOT, YOU, YOU CAN GET IT TO ME.
SO IN 20 20, 20 24, WE HAD THE FEDERAL, UH, HOUSING OF THE FEDERAL INMATES.
IT WAS 28,900,600, UM, INMATE COPAY AND THE MISCELLANEOUS, UH, REVENUE 458,000.
THE HOUSING OF THE UNION COUNTY, UH, INMATES, 12 MILLION 455, 625, UM, NEW JERSEY STATE INMATES WAS 3,051,400.
AND THE NEW PROGRAM, UM, THAT WE STARTED, UM, WAS, WAS ABOUT, ABOUT JUST ABOUT ABOUT $3 MILLION GOING FORWARD FOR, WELL, THAT'S 50 MILLION THERE.
SO HOW DO YOU GET TO 70? YEAH.
WAS THAT WAS THE, AND THEN WE HAD 23 MILLION IN THE DELANEY, WHAT WE USED TO CALL THE DELANEY HALL MONEY AS WELL.
STATE COMING FROM, FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS? THAT'S CORRECT, YES.
THAT, THAT'S THE MISSING PIECE THERE.
THAT, HOW MUCH IS, THAT IS ACTUALLY, UH, SUSPENDED ON DELANEY HALL? HOW MUCH OR, OR THAT, THAT PROGRAM, YEAH, SO YEARS AS YOU REMEMBER, UH, WE STARTED THAT DELANEY HALL PROGRAM BACK IN APRIL OF 2000, UM, LAST YEAR, UM, IN, IN 2024, WE DECIDED THAT WE CAN DO THE, DO THE PROGRAM IN-HOUSE.
SO WE BROUGHT THE, THE PROGRAM IN-HOUSE TO THE JAIL.
UM, DR. VEGA AND HER TEAM, UM, HANDLE EVERYTHING THAT WAS GOING ON AT DELANEY HALL, BUT NOW WE'RE DOING IT IN-HOUSE.
SO ALL OF THE MONEY'S USED FOR SALARY RESOURCES AND FOR, UH, FOR THE REENTRY PROGRAM FOR THAT DR.
AND THAT'S ALL WITHIN YOUR BUDGET, THOSE SALARIES AND CORRECT EXPENSES? YES.
AND, AND IS THERE ANY INTERNAL ACCOUNTING ON THAT AS TO WHAT YOU NET OUT ON THAT, ON THAT PROGRAM? I'M SURE THERE IS, BUT I, I DON'T HAVE THOSE FIGURED RIGHT NOW.
I CAN, I CAN GET ME, I'D BE CURIOUS TO SEE THAT.
AND THEN AGAIN, WHEN YOU, UH, SAY NOW IT'S COULD GO TO 80 MILLION, WHERE, WHERE IS THAT, WHERE'S THAT $9 MILLION INCREASE? SO, UM, THE BIG, THE BIGGEST NUMBER IS THE, THE HOUSING, THE FULL YEAR OF THE PAROLE VIOLATORS.
UM, THE AGREEMENT THAT WE HAVE WITH THE STATE, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE ANTICIPATING ABOUT $15 MILLION IN, IN THAT, UH, PROGRAM THIS YEAR.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S, THAT'S CAME ON NOVEMBER, DECEMBER OF 2024, BUT WE'RE GONNA REALIZE THAT FOR A WHOLE YEAR.
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CONFINEMENT OF PRISONERS AND THE STATE PROGRAM? YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT TWO DIFFERENT PROGRAMS? TWO DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. SO THE CONFINEMENT IS, IS MORE OF THE PROGRAMMING.
UM, THAT DEALS WITH, UM, CLASSIFIED STATE, UH, INMATES.
THE PAROLE VIOLATORS ARE THOSE WHO ARE RELEASED ON PAROLE INITIALLY.
THEY ARE, THEY COMMIT A CRIME.
THEY'RE BROUGHT BACK TO EITHER A COUNTY JAIL OR A STATE FACILITY.
NOW WE CENTRALIZE WHERE, WHERE THEY'RE HOUSED, THEY'RE HOUSED, ALL OF THE PAROLE VIOLATORS, UM, ARE NOW HOUSED IN OUR FACILITY THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
UM, WE ADMINISTER, UM, THE COURT PROCEEDINGS FOR THE PAROLE VIOLATION.
THEN THEY HAVE TWO OPTIONS AT THAT POINT.
IF THE PAROLE IS REVOKED, THEN THEY BECOME STATE PRISONERS AND, AND THEY'RE TRANSPORTED DOWN TO THE STATE IF THE PAROLE IS GRANTED AGAIN, AND THEN THEY'RE RELEASED BACK TO THE STATE, BACK TO BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY.
BUT ISN'T THERE SOMETHING WHERE THERE'S, UH, STATE PRISONERS IN OUR JAILS FOR A PERIOD OF TIME, CORRECT? CORRECT.
A AFTER THE 50 THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S ANOTHER PART OF THAT.
ANY STATE PRISONERS WHO ARE AFTER THE 15TH DAY, THE COUNTY, THE COUNTY JAIL GETS PAID FOR THOSE AS WELL.
AND HOW, HOW, HOW OFTEN DOES THAT HAPPEN? SO WE AVERAGE ABOUT 40, 41, UH, INMATES, UM, UH, IN OUR FACILITY, UH, ABOUT THAT THE STATE COMES AND PICKS THEM UP EVERY WEEK AND A HALF OR SO, EVERY TWO WEEKS.
DURING COVID, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT THEY, THEY WEREN'T COMING AT ALL, UM, COMING OUTTA COURT.
THEY WERE COMING MAYBE ONCE EVERY, EVERY TWO OR THREE WEEKS.
NOW THAT NOW THEY'RE BACK INTO THE RHYTHM OF MAYBE ABOUT ONCE EVERY WEEK AND A HALF.
AND, AND WHAT'S THE PER DIEM ON, ON THAT? 2 0 9.
[02:55:01]
2 0 9, CORRECT.WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE PER DIEM ON THE FEDERAL MARSHALS PROGRAM NOW? 1 56.
AND HOW MANY TYPICALLY DO YOU HAVE IN THE FEDERAL MARSHALS PROGRAM? UM, WE AVERAGE ABOUT 4 94 94, WHICH IT, IT'S A DROP, UH, OVER THE LAST, YEAH, FIVE OR SIX MONTHS.
BUT, UM, THEY'RE SEEING THAT ALL ACROSS, UH, THE UNITED STATES.
THE NU THE DROP IN THE, IN IN THE FEDERAL MARSHAL NUMBER.
W WHY IS THAT? IS THE, UM, THEY'RE, UH, LESS ARRESTS, LESS, UH, STREET ARREST.
THE US US ATTORNEYS ARE, ARE GIVEN MORE INMATES A, UM, A SAN OR ON THE BRACELET PROGRAM.
AND THE THIRD THING IS THAT THE PRESIDENT'S ORDER CAME DOWN IS TO FILL THE FEDERAL JAILS THROUGH THE BUREAU OF PRISONS BEFORE THE COUNTY JAILS.
SO WE WERE GETTING THE PRISONERS ORIGINALLY AT FIRST, BUT NOW WE'RE GETTING THEM SECOND OR THIRD HAND.
AND WHEN DID THAT ORDER? THAT CAME OUT UNDER SUMMERTIME.
SO THAT, I MEAN, SO THOSE REVENUES THOUGH, BETWEEN THE STATE AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THEY SEEM TO BE PRETTY, PRETTY SOLID MOVING FORWARD.
UNLESS SOMETHING, SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, LEGISLATIVELY HAPPENS.
UM, OTHER THAN THAT, UM, AS FAR AS YOUR BUDGET GOES, THERE'S, THERE'S NOT A LOT REALLY IN TERMS OF THE INCREASE PAGE THAT AGAIN, I JUST, I LOST IT.
82, JUST, JUST BEAR WITH ME A SECOND.
THE ONLY, THE ONLY INCREASE IS IN THAT PROFESSIONAL SERVICES LINE ITEM FOR 354,000.
WHAT IS, WHAT IS THAT FOR SURE.
IN, IN WHAT LINE? THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICE LINE? YEAH, THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES LINE.
YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S THE MEDICAL LINE.
THAT'S THE, UM, CONTRACTOR, VENDOR, CFG.
UM, THAT'S FOR THE MEDICAL AND, AND THAT, THAT WENT UP BECAUSE WE'RE GETTING MORE, WE HAVE MORE INMATES IN THE FACILITY NOW.
THE COST OF PRESCRIPTION HAS GONE UP.
UM, WE ARE IN THE LAST YEAR OF THEIR CONTRACT.
UH, SO WE'LL BE GOING OUT FOR AN RFP, UH, REBID, UH, SOMETIME DURING THE SUMMER OR EARLY FALL.
I, I JUST WANT TO GO BACK TO THE POPULATION AGAIN.
IF, IF, COULD YOU BREAK IT? HOW MANY ARE OUR INMATES IN A PROGRAM, WHETHER IT'S FEDERAL OR STATE, AND HOW MANY ARE THE, ARE ACTUALLY THE, THE COUNTY'S RESPONSIBILITY OUTTA THE POPULATION YOU HAVE? SO WE HAVE ABOUT USING TODAY'S CENSUS, WE HAVE ABOUT 490, UM, FEDERAL INMATES.
WE HAVE ABOUT 211 PAROLE VIOLATORS.
WE HAVE 50 STATE STATE INMATES.
AFTER THE 15TH DAY, WE HAVE ABOUT 1,050 COUNTY ESSEX COUNTY INMATES.
AND WE HAVE ABOUT 4 67 OF UNION COUNTY INMATES AS WELL.
SO IT'S OVER 2000? OH YEAH, IT'S OVER.
IS THAT A, IS THAT THE HIGH AS IT'S BEEN OR IS IT, UH, WE WERE, WE, WE WERE A LITTLE HIGHER WHEN I WAS HERE BACK IN THE EARLY TWO THOUSANDS.
WHY IS THAT? WELL, BECAUSE, UM, I THINK THAT, UM, THE BAIL REFORM, THEY HAD A LITTLE, LIKE A, I DON'T WANNA CALL IT A STEP BACK, BUT THEY, THEY STARTED WITH THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, NOT RELEASING THOSE.
AND ALSO NOW WE HAVE PAROLE VIOLATORS IN, IN THE JAIL.
WE DIDN'T HAVE THOSE A YEAR AGO.
THAT'S, THAT'S OVER 211, UH, INMATES THAT WE, WE DIDN'T HAVE AS WELL.
WHAT'S THE CAPACITY WE HAVE NOW AT THE JAIL, ALL IN 2,400.
BUT THAT INCLUDES EVERY BED THAT INCLUDES THE 42 BED INFIRMARY, THAT INCLUDES THE SHOE, WHICH IS THE SPECIAL HOUSING UNIT.
SO, UM, WE HAVE ABOUT 64 OPEN BEDS IN, IN GENERAL CUSTODY AND POPULATION RIGHT NOW, ALL THE OTHER BEDS ARE JUST FOR, FOR SPECIALTY.
THAT'S MOSTLY FOR MEDICAL AND FOR MENTAL HEALTH.
I, I DOUBT WE'D EVER HAVE THE NEED.
BUT I, I WAS ALWAYS UNDER THE IMPRESSION GOING BACK WHEN IT WAS BUILT, UH, THE CORRECTIONAL FACILITY, THAT THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD ANOTHER, WHAT THEY CALLED ANOTHER POD.
IT, THE PLANS FOR THE ORIGINAL BUILDING CALLED FOR WHAT WE CALL WHAT CALLED BUILDING ONE, UH, WHICH IS, WHICH WAS VALUED ENGINEER OUT BACK AT THE TIME.
UM, SO THAT, THAT PART WAS NOT BUILT.
BUT, UM, THAT THE VACANCY STILL IN THE, IN THE REAL ESTATE STILL, STILL IS THERE IF WE EVER NEED TO BUILD ON THERE.
AND ACTUALLY THE, THE LAND IS CAPPED IN CASE WE NEED TO BUILD ON THAT.
SO, I MEAN, I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.
YOU'RE, YOU'RE STAYING WITHIN THE GUIDELINES OF LAST YEAR'S BUDGET.
YOU'RE NOT FOR SALARIES AND WAGES.
YOUR INCREASE IN OTHER EXPENSES IS, IS NOMINAL NOAL.
UM, SO REALLY HAVE, YOU HAVE REALLY VERY LITTLE IMPACT AT ALL ON THE TAX LEVY AT THIS POINT.
ANY COMMISSIONERS QUESTIONS? I HAVE QUESTION COMMISSIONER MARY THOMAS, AND COMMISSIONER SIEBEL THROUGH YOU, MR. PRESIDENT AND THANK YOU DIRECTOR, UH, FOR YOUR WORK AND YOUR INSIGHT.
AND I WAS, YOU KNOW, REALLY GLAD TO HEAR ABOUT ALL THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS, UH,
[03:00:01]
FOR THIS YEAR, PARTICULARLY AROUND LIKE MENTAL HEALTH.UM, WE KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS FOR EVERY CERTAINLY, UM, FOLKS WHO ARE, UH, MAYBE IN THE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF EXTREMES, UH, OF NEEDS IN THAT DEPARTMENT.
SO MY FIRST QUESTION IS ACTUALLY AROUND THAT.
I KNOW THERE'S APPEAR TO BE ABOUT NINE DIFFERENT, UH, PEOPLE ON THE PERSONNEL TEAM FOR MENTAL HEALTH IN THIS BUDGET.
WHAT'S THE GIST OF WHAT, OF HOW THAT PROCESS WORKS AS FAR AS HOW, UH, PEOPLE WHO ARE INSIDE ACCESS THOSE RESOURCES? IS IT VOLUNTARY? IS IT INVOLUNTARY? I KNOW SOME OF IT IS KIND OF COURT MANDATED, BUT IF YOU COULD WALK THE BOARD THROUGH, UH, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
I, I'LL GIVE A BRIEF, I MEAN A BIG UMBRELLA.
BUT, BUT I MAY ASK DR. VEGA TO JOIN ME AS WELL.
'CAUSE SHE, SHE HAS THAT PROGRAM.
BUT I'M GONNA GIVE YOU LIKE A, A, A BROAD, BROAD STROKE.
SO AT, WHEN THE PERSON COMES IN THE FACILITY, UM, HE OR SHE, IT FILLS OUT A QUESTION QUESTIONNAIRE.
AND PART OF THAT IS ABOUT, ABOUT MENTAL, UH, HEALTH.
HE'S THEN RE, UH, SPOKE, SPEAKS TO THE NURSE, THE RN, AND THE NURSE MAKES AN EVALUATION, UM, BOTH MEDICALLY AND MENTAL HEALTH WISE.
HE'S THEN, OR SHE'S THEN SAW BY THE, UH, THE DOCTOR, THE FACILITY DOCTOR OR A FACILITY DOCTOR.
AND IF HE OR SHE NEEDS TO SEE THE PSYCHIATRIST OR PSYCHOLOGIST, THEN THAT'S, THAT'S ARRANGED, UH, IMMEDIATELY AT ONCE THEY GO INTO ORIENTATION AND WHAT WE CALL ORIENTATION AND QUARANTINE.
UM, THEY'RE THERE FOR TWO OR THREE DAYS WHILE, UM, THE, THE TB TEST IS GIVEN.
AND, AND THE RESULTS ARE ONCE THEY COME OUT OF THAT, UH, STAGE, THEN THEY CAN ACCESS ANY OF OUR PROGRAMS THROUGH THE SOCIAL WORKER'S OFFICE, THROUGH A DR.
UM, AND THEN THEY CAN EITHER SIGN UP FOR GROUP COUNSELING THAT WE DO, THEY DO INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING OR ANY, ANY OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE.
IF THE, IF THE PSYCHIATRIST DETERMINES THAT THEY NEED TO A HIGH LEVEL OF CARE WHERE THEY GO INTO A SECTION OF A WHAT CALL ISSUE, WHICH IS SPECIAL HOUSING IN THAT, AND THEN THEY'RE THERE IN A CELL BY THEMSELVES.
IF THE DOCTOR FEELS OR PSYCHIATRY FEELS THAT THEY, THEY DON'T NEED THAT TYPE OF CARE, THEY GO INTO WHAT WOULD CREATE THE STEP DOWN UNIT, WHICH THEY'RE IN A CELL, UH, WITH, WITH SOMEONE ELSE.
THEY HAVE THE TV, THEY HAVE PRETTY MUCH PROGRAMMED TO THAT.
BUT HERE, HERE'S THE KEY TO THAT.
WE, WE TRAINED SPECIFIC OFFICERS WHO WORKED AT POD THROUGH THE TASK FORCE ON RUTGERS UNIVERSITY ON HOW TO HANDLE AND HOW TO BE AROUND AND, AND, AND HAVE CUSTODY WITH THOSE PEOPLE.
AND ALL THE OFFICERS WHO WORKED THERE HAVE THAT SPECIALIZED TRAINING.
THEY BOUGHT INTO THE PROGRAM OF WANTING TO WORK THERE.
UM, AS FAR AS GETTING, GETTING THE PROGRAMS, GETTING THEM THE RECREATION.
SO THAT WE SEEN AS HAD BEEN A GREAT SUCCESS.
UM, AND THEN THE COUNSELING, IT HAPPENS THROUGHOUT THE DAY, SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK.
UM, AND UPON DISCHARGE, IF THEY'RE DISCHARGED TO THE STREET, OUR REENTRY TEAM WILL THEN MAKE CONNECTIONS TO THE, OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS ON THE STREET.
UM, IF THEY'RE GOING TO THE STATE PRISON, THEIR, THEIR PACKAGE, SO TO SPEAK, OR THEIR FILE WILL FOLLOW THEM DOWN THERE.
AND THAT WILL BE, UH, CONTINUED DOWN THERE.
AND THEN THE, THE OTHER THING THAT I TALKED ABOUT IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE CIVIL LAKE, UH, MENTAL HEALTH FACILITY.
IF WE FEEL THAT THE JAIL CANNOT PROVIDE PROPER MENTAL HEALTH, UH, CARE FOR THEM, WE THEN PETITION THE COURTS TO SAY WE BELIEVE THAT THE PERSON WE BETTER SUITED OR BETTER TREATED AT THIS TYPE OF FACILITY.
THE COURTS THEN WILL MAKE A DETERMINATION IF THEY WANT TO PUT THE CHARGES IN ON HOLD, SO TO SPEAK, AND RELEASE THE PERSON TO SILVER LAKES HOSPITAL.
AND THEN THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE TREATED LIKE ANN KLEIN OR TRENTON PSYCH OR ANY OF THE, UH, THE, THE MENTAL HEALTH FACILITIES THROUGHOUT THE, UH, THE, THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY.
SO WE'RE PROUD OF THAT BECAUSE, UH, I HAVE ADVOCATED WITH, WITH, WITH MY TEAM FOR YEARS THAT WE NEEDED A, THE COUNTY JAILS NEEDED A, A FACILITY UP NORTH.
AND I THINK NOW WE, WE FOUND THAT RIGHT THERE, THERE'S NOT EVERYONE BELONGS IN A, IN A COUNTY JAIL THAT HAS MENTAL HEALTH.
SOME OF THEM NEED PROPER, PROPER, UH, TREATMENT AND PROPER SERVICES.
AND I THINK WE, WE'VE, WE STARTED THAT LAST YEAR WITH, WITH, WITH NOT ONLY THE STEP DOWN UNIT, BUT ALSO, UM, THE SILVER LAKE FACILITY AS WELL.
SO I'M GONNA FIRE IF, IF YOU WISH DR. VEGA TO GET MORE SPECIFIC INTO IT.
UM, OH, UH, CHIEF PHIL
CFG ALSO HAS ADDITIONAL MENTAL HEALTH, UM, PROFESSIONALS THAT ARE THERE.
SO IT'S MORE THAN JUST A NINE.
ANOTHER THING, I MEAN, HE SUGARCOATED THE, UH, SILVER LAKE HOSPITAL AND WHAT WE'RE DOING THERE, I MEAN, FOR YEARS, MENTAL HEALTH, THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE IN OUR JAIL THAT ARE NOT, SHOULDN'T BE THERE BECAUSE OF MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES.
COULDN'T GET HIM IN ANN KLINE.
AND THE FACT THAT WITH THE HELP OF THE COMMISSIONER BOARD, THE TASK FORCE AND GOVERNOR MCGREEVEY AND, AND DR.
[03:05:01]
DR. VEGA, THIS IS REALLY SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD BE HERALDED AROUND THE STATE FOR OPENING THESE BEDS AND CREATE, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE WE TALK ABOUT THE, THE DRUG COURT, THE DIVERSION PROGRAM.THIS IS AN UNBELIEVABLE MENTAL HEALTH DIVERSION PROGRAM THAT REALLY SHOULD BE HERALDED AND WE NEED TO LOOK AT EXPANDING IT AND DOING EVEN MORE.
BUT I, I'M VERY PROUD OF THE JOB THAT THEY DID THERE.
'CAUSE THE TASK FORCE, YOU GUYS IN YOUR PUBLIC HEARINGS IDENTIFIED THE MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEM.
WE HAD TO GET FEDERAL LAW, THE LAW CHANGED IN ORDER FOR MEDICAID TO PAY FOR THEM AT SILVER.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS WITH THE STATE AND WITH THE GOVERNMENT THAT MADE THAT HAPPEN.
SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE HERALD.
DO YOU MISS THE PRESIDENT? A SMALL ANECDOTAL QUESTION AND THEN A BIGGER ONE.
DO WE HAVE CHAPLAINS WITHIN THE WE DO, YES.
AND IS, ARE THOSE VOLUNTARY OR, 'CAUSE I DIDN'T SEE IT ON THE LIST OF PERSONNEL, SO YES, THEY ARE.
BUT IT'S NOT THE COUNTY, THE COUNTY DOESN'T PAY FOR IT PERHAPS, IS THAT WE, WE, WE HAVE ALL, UH, TYPES OF RELIGIOUS CHAPLAINS, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD.
AND ON FRIDAY, I'M SORRY THAT YOU PHIL, ELIJAH, ON FRIDAY, WE HAVE A BIG MUSLIM WITH WHAT EVENT YOU HAVE.
OH, RAMADAN, PLEASE JUST STATE YOUR NAME.
UH, FRIDAY WE'RE HAVING THE MUSLIM HERITAGE MONTH CELEBRATION.
FROM ONE TO TWO 30 AT THE FACILITY.
AND WE WILL HAVE IMAM AND A COUPLE SPEAKERS.
AND, UM, WE, WE SHOWCASING, WE RECEIVE 498 DONATIONS FOR THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY TODAY, AND WE'RE GETTING 40 MORE TOMORROW.
AND THE REASON WHY I WANTED TO BRING THAT UP IS BECAUSE THAT'S VOLUNTEERS IN THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY OUTSIDE THE FACILITY WHO ARE COMING IN TO DO THIS PROGRAM.
AND WE ACTUALLY JUST HAD A MUSLIM HERITAGE EVENT HERE, UM, JUST A, A FEW DAYS AGO.
UM, AND IT'S RAMADAN COMING UP, SO THAT'S HELPFUL.
THIS IS AROUND THE EDUCATION PIECE.
I KNOW THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR INMATES ARE, WHILE THEY'RE INSIDE, STILL ABLE TO KIND OF BE PREPARED AS THEY EXIT, UH, FOR QUALITY OF LIFE.
IT HAD BEEN BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THAT IN SOME CASES, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS TRUE, THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO LOOK IT UP HERE.
IN SOME CASES, THERE ARE INMATES WHO ARE ABLE TO TAKE A CLASS FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCY MM-HMM
UH, FORMERLY KNOWN AS GED, UM, BUT NOT ABLE TO ACTUALLY COMPLETE IT BECAUSE THERE ISN'T ANYONE TO ADMINISTER THE TEST.
SO THEY CAN TAKE ONE CLASS BUT NOT BE ACTUALLY ABLE TO LEAVE WITH THEIR HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCY OR THEIR GED.
AND, AND THERE'S A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES THAT PROVIDE THE FULL OPPORTUNITY.
SO COULD YOU SPEAK TO THAT IF THE CASE AND IF SO, RESPONSE? I'LL GIVE YOU THE BROAD STROKE AGAIN.
YOU HAVE TO BE A CERTIFIED GED CERTIFICATION CENTER.
UM, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE STARTED TO WORK, WORK ON, UM, TO GET THAT CERTIFICATION.
WE DO OFFER GED CLASSES AT, AT, AT, AT THE, UH, FACILITY.
AND I'M GONNA DEFER EXACTLY WHAT TO DR.
BUT WE ARE WORKING TOWARDS GETTING THE CERTIFICATION.
YEARS AGO, UM, WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY, ANY GED CLASSES AT ALL.
BUT, YOU KNOW, LAST YEAR WE HAD, UH, SOME PEOPLE IN 2024 AND 2023 GRADUATE, WE HAD GRADUATION AT THE FACILITY.
UM, WE BROUGHT THE FAMILIES IN, WE BROUGHT THE CHILDREN IN.
SO IT WAS NICE TO SEE, UH, THOSE ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, GRADUATE, UH, THROUGH RUTGERS AND THROUGH THE TASK FORCE.
THAT'S HOW ALL THAT WORKED OUT.
ROXANNE VEGA, WE HAVE AN IN-HOUSE GED INSTRUCTOR, HE'S ALSO BILINGUAL, SO HE TEACHES THE GED AND GED IN ENGLISH AND IN SPANISH.
AND WE ALSO HAVE ALL THE WAY UP.
WHO COMES IN WITH TWO GED INSTRUCTORS? WE ARE CON WE ARE AFFILIATED WITH PEARSON VIEW.
HOWEVER, THERE'S SOME TECHNO TECHNICAL ISSUE.
THEY'VE BEEN AT THE FACILITY SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS THAT THEY CAN'T RESOLVE.
BUT WE DO OFFER THE GED TESTING ONCE THEY RESOLVE THEIR, THEIR TECHNICAL ISSUES.
SO ONCE, IF I'M UNDERSTANDING, SO ONCE THE TESTING TECHNICAL PIECES RESOLVED, YES, FOLKS SHOULD BE ABLE TO TAKE THE TEST? YES, YES.
BUT THEN THERE'S ALSO THE QUESTION OF BECOMING AN OFFICIAL GED SITE THAT YOU SHARED.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT, THAT'S MY ULTIMATE, THAT'S OUR ULTIMATE GOAL.
WE, WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO BE THE ACTUAL TEST SITE AND CERTIFICATE FACILITY AND THERE COULD BE DIFFERENT COMMUNITY PARTNER THAT YOU PROBABLY ALREADY CONNECTED WITH THAT COULD ASSIST WITH.
I KNOW I, I USED TO WORK IN THE ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION SPACE, AND SO OPPORTUNITIES NETWORK YOUTHBUILD, UM, COME TO MIND AS FOLKS WHO ARE OFFICIAL CENTERS.
IF THERE'S ISSUES WITH, YOU KNOW, GUIDANCE ON SUPPORT IN THIS BECOMING OFFICIAL, THAT COULD BE, YOU KNOW.
COMMISSIONER SIEBEL, I HAVE A VERY INSIGNIFICANT QUESTION COMPARED TO ALL THE IMPORTANT INFORMATION THAT YOU HAVE GIVEN.
YOU TALKED ABOUT PHONES THAT ARE BEING INSTALLED AND SOON IT WILL BE COMPLETED.
THERE WAS A TIME WHEN THERE WERE A LOT OF COMPLAINTS.
I DON'T MEAN PHONES, I MEAN CAMERAS.
AND THERE WERE A LOT OF COMPLAINTS THAT THERE WEREN'T ENOUGH CAMERAS.
[03:10:01]
THE NUMBER OF CAMERAS THAT ARE BEING PUT IN? GREAT QUESTION.SO THROUGH THE AMBROSE REPORT, WHEN, WHEN THEY CAME THE FIRST TIME WHEN INCREASED, UM, 78 CAMERAS IN THE FACILITY, UH, IMMEDIATELY AFTER THAT REPORT.
AND THEN WITH THE NEW CAMERAS, UH, THE SYSTEM, WE ADDED ANOTHER 28.
SO THERE'S OVER 500 CAMERAS IN THE FACILITY.
SOME HAVE AUDIO, UH, AND, AND VIDEO.
AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, MASTER CONTROL, CENTER CONTROL, UH, HAS THE OLD TWO TVS.
UH, WE'RE GETTING AWAY FROM NOW.
WE'RE GOING TO FLAT SCREENS AND A HIGH DEFINITION SO THAT IT'S A LOT EASIER FOR AN OFFICER.
AND, AND IF YOU LOOK AT FROM AN INVESTIGATION STANDPOINT, OR EVEN FROM AN ADMINISTRATION, IF WE, WE KNOW RIGHT AWAY IF SOMETHING HAPPENED IN THE AREA THAT HAS AN OLD CAMERA, WE A NEW CAMERA BECAUSE IT, IT'S LIKE, IT'S LIKE NIGHT AND DAY.
SO IT'S LIKE WATCHING TV IN 4K AS OPPOSED TO, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING, UH, YEAH.
UM, DIRECTOR, I'M SO EXCITED TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM, ALL THE GOOD WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE AROUND THAT AND THE EXPANSION AND THAT YOU REINTRODUCE THE GED PROGRAM, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.
YOU TALKED ABOUT SOME CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.
YOU JUST MENTIONED THE CAMERAS, SO I'M HAPPY TO HEAR THAT YOU INSTALLED SOME MORE.
WHAT DO YOU HAVE ON THE HORIZON FOR THIS NEXT YEAR IN THAT AREA? THINGS THAT YOU WANTED.
UM, I REMEMBER THAT MASTER CONTROL AREA THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT, YOU WANTED TO UPGRADE, UM, AND IT WAS A COUPLE OTHER AREAS IN THE SHOE AND SOME OTHER THINGS THAT YOU WANTED TO, TO INCREASE.
SO THERE'S A COUPLE THINGS WE HAVE, UH, BUDGETED FOR.
UH, NOT ONLY, UM, THE CAMERAS, UH, SITUATION CONTINUE INTO THE FIRST PART OF THIS YEAR, BUT THE REFRIGERATORS AND THE FREEZERS IN THE KITCHEN, UM, ARE GONNA BE TOTALLY, UH, REPLACED AND, AND UPGRADED.
THOSE ARE 21 YEARS OLD AS WELL.
UM, THAT, THAT'S A BIG PROJECT.
UM, A SAFETY ISSUE IS THE PPDS.
WHEN, WHEN YOU WERE THERE, SOME OF THE OFFICERS TALKED TO YOU ABOUT THAT.
THAT IS THE DURES SYSTEM THAT'S HAPPENED THAT, THAT HAPPENED WORKS THAT IT, A STAFF MEMBER WEARS IT ON HIS OR HER BELT OR, OR ACTUALLY CAN CARRY IT IF FOR SOME REASON THEY BELIEVE THEY'RE IN DURESS OR PANIC, THEY CAN PRESS THE BUTTON.
THE BUTTON THEN SIGNIFIES WHERE THEY ARE LOCATED IN THE FACILITY IN MASTER CONTROL AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE IS SENT TO THAT.
THE OTHER PART OF THAT IS IF THEY HAPPEN TO, UH, FALL GO HORIZONTAL, THE, THE MACHINE WILL AUTOMATICALLY DO, DO THAT AS, AS WELL.
SO WE ARE UPGRADING THE SYSTEM TOTALLY UP UPGRADING THAT.
AND NOT ONLY ARE WE INCLUDING THAT AT THE JAIL, WE'RE ALSO, UH, THROUGH THE CHIEF'S INITIATIVE DOWN AT THE HOUSE O WELL, AND THE YOUTH HOUSE DOESN'T HAVE THAT.
AND SO IT'S BRAND NEW FOR THEM.
WE'VE HAD IT FOR 20 SOMETHING YEARS, BUT WE'RE UPGRADING THE, OBVIOUSLY THE TECHNOLOGY HAS CHANGED, RIGHT.
UM, SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE STARTING TO LOOK AT.
WE'RE STARTING GETTING THE SPECS TOGETHER FOR THAT.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE, AND THEN THE OTHER, THE OTHER PART IS THAT THERE'S SOME TRANSPORTATION VANS THAT WE MAY HAVE TO LOOK AT BECAUSE OF THE TRANSPORTATION WE'RE DOING WITH THE, WITH THE PAROLE VIOLATIONS THROUGHOUT, THROUGHOUT, THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
DID YOU IMPLEMENT THE IMPROVEMENTS AT THE MASTER CONTROL? DID YOU DO THAT YET? SO THEY, THEY'RE GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
THOSE ARE PART OF THE CAMERAS AND, AND THE, THE BOX YOU SAW WHEN YOU CAME, THAT'S PART OF THE, THE PPD SYSTEM, THE REST SYSTEM.
UM, WE, I THINK AWARDED, UM, ANOTHER CONTRACT TO AMBROSE, I THINK IN THE FALL.
ARE YOU ALL DONE WITH THE SECOND ITERATION OF AMBROSE? YEAH.
SO, UH, HE HAS ISSUED, OR HIS GROUP HAS ISSUED TWO REPORTS.
ONE WITH THE INITIAL REPORT, UH, AND THEN THE FOLLOW UP.
SO WE'RE DONE WITH THE SECOND REPORT.
WE, WE'VE BEEN WORK, WE, WE WORK EVERY, ALMOST EVERY DAY, UH, WITH HIS GROUP AS FAR AS, UM, ATTACKING OR, UH, ABATING THE ISSUES.
UM, HE'S ACTUALLY NOW, UM, ON BOARD WITH LOOKING AT SOME OF, UH, SOME OF THE STAFFING, UH, THIS ISSUES INTERNAL AFFAIRS AGAIN.
UM, RMS HE'S BIG ON, UM, WHICH IS A DIGITAL, UM, RECORD MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
UM, SOME OF OUR, OUR REPORTS ARE NOT, ARE NOT DIGITAL JUST YET.
SO, SO WE ARE WORKING WITH HIM.
AND, AND ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT FOR YOUR VISIT WAS, WAS THE DUR REST SYSTEM.
SO THAT CAME OUTTA THERE AS WELL.
SO WE ARE WORKING WITH THEM AND WE, WE GET THE LIST AND WE GO DOWN AND WE ATTACK IT A LITTLE BY LITTLE.
UM, HIS REPORT, IT CALLS FOR SOME THINGS.
AND YOU, ARE YOU IMPLEMENTING EVERYTHING OR YOU'RE DOING A PHASED APPROACH WITH SOME OF HIS RECOMMENDATIONS? IT, IT, IT'S PHASED.
SOME OF THEM I CAN DO RIGHT AWAY THAT DON'T COST, UH, ANY, ANY, ANY EXPENDITURES.
SOME THINGS ARE SHORT TERM AND THAT THE COST WE HAVE, WE HAVE TO BUDGET FOR OR WE PLAN FOR.
AND THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT ARE, THAT ARE LONG TERM AS WELL.
UM, SO WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE PLANNING ON THOSE AND SOME ARE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.
I NOTICED IN THE BUDGET YOU HAVE THE WARDEN POSITION FUNDED.
ARE YOU PLANNING ON BRINGING A WARDEN THIS YEAR? SO, UH, THE, SO I KNOW THIS COMES UP AT EVERY, PRETTY MUCH EVERY, UH, COMMISSIONER MEETING.
UM, THERE IS NO REQUIREMENT IN
[03:15:01]
THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY TO HAVE A AWARDING POSITION.UM, UNI COUNTY DOESN'T HAVE IT.
HUDSON COUNTY DOESN'T HAVE IT.
UM, WE HAVE, UM, POSTED FOR THE POSITION, UM, SEVERAL TIMES.
UM, THE PEOPLE THAT WE'VE GOTTEN BACK, UM, AS FAR AS CANDIDATES, UM, HAVE, DO NOT, IN MY OPINION, UM, HAVE THE EXPERIENCE.
UM, THEY'RE NOT, TO BE QUITE HONEST, A A DIVERSE GROUP EITHER AS WELL.
UM, SO WE ARE LOOKING AT A DIFFERENT MODEL, UM, AND THE CHIEF AND I ARE PROBABLY IN THE FINAL STAGES OF, OF COMING, UM, TO THAT, UH, EXACT WHAT THAT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE OR THE NEXT FEW WEEKS OR SO.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? SEEING NONE, DIRECTOR, THANK YOU FOR YOUR VERY THOROUGH OVERVIEW.
UH, GLAD TO HEAR I CONCUR MY COLLEAGUES WITH THE, UH, SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WITH THE HEALTHCARE, THE CAPITAL SECURITY ISSUES THAT YOU MENTIONED, THE EDUCATION, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO MORE OF THAT IN 2025.
WE'RE HERE, WE'RE HERE TO HELP IN WHATEVER WAY WE CAN.
AND, AND THANK YOU GUYS FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT.
ALRIGHT, MR. JACKSON, WHAT DO WE HAVE NEXT? WE DID COUNTY COUNCIL.
UH, MR. MOHAMMED'S GOING TO TAKE US HOME.
UH, STARTING, STARTING ON PAGE, UH, 20.
IT'S GOTTA BE THE MR. MOHAM SHOW.
CAN WE LET THE, CAN WE LET THE MAN SIT SO HE DOESN'T HAVE TO STAND AT THE MICROPHONE? AND MR. BLASSIO SIT AT THE FRONT ROW, SOMETHING TELLS ME WE DON'T, THIS WON'T TAKE US TILL 10 30.
WHAT DO YOU SAY? UH, HOPE NOT.
NAH, MS. MABY, JUST PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND AFFILIATION FOR THE RECORD AND, UH, PLEASE INTRODUCE YOUR COLLEAGUE AND THEN JUST GET STARTED.
JOSE MOHAMMED, COUNTY TREASURER.
I'M JOINED HERE BY OUR SENIOR BUDGET ANALYST, UH, MRS. ANAD DEBLASIO.
AND SO WE'RE GONNA START WITH THE ADMINISTRATION OF FINANCES.
WHAT PAGE ARE WE ON MR. JACKSON? FOUR.
FOUR PAGE 20, UH, ADMINISTRATION.
FINANCE DEPARTMENT HAS A DIVISION OFFICER DIRECTOR, UH, ACCOUNTING CONTROL, UH, MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET INFORM TECHNOLOGY, HUMAN RESOURCES, PUBLIC INFORMATION, UH, PURCHASING OFFICE AND TREASURY OFFICE.
SOLIDS AND WAGES HAD, UH, MINOR INCREASES DUE TO CONTRACTUAL INCREASES AND PROMOTIONS.
THE OFFICE OF DIRECTOR HAS, UH, AN INCREASE AND THIS DUE TO RECLASSIFICATION OF STAFF EMPLOYEES FROM, FROM TOM, OTHER DIVISIONS.
UM, WE HAVE 48 ACTIVE EMPLOYEES AND FIVE VACANCIES.
UM, OUR, UH, OTHER EXPENSES WAS CUT BY 5% BECAUSE OF THE BUDGET CUTS.
SO WE HAD, UM, CUT 5% OF THE OTHER EXPENSES.
UH, HUMAN RESOURCES, UH, OTHER EXPENSES WAS INCREASED, UH, DUE TO, UH, CONTRACT FOR LABOR RELATION, UH, AS CHARGED TO TO THAT, UH, COST CENTER.
UM, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY HAD AN INCREASE OF 1.5 MILLION AND THIS DUE TO UPGRADE OF CYBERSECURITY.
UM, SHOULD I GO TO THE NEXT TOPIC? LET'S WAIT.
UH, LET ME FIRST GO TO MR. MCINERNEY.
SEE THERE'S ANY QUESTION WILL TAKE A CHUNK BY CHUNK.
WELL, WE'RE DOING, ARE YOU HITTING EACH ONE OF THESE IN, IN ADMIN AND, UH, THE, THE, THE FIRST IS ADMINISTRATION, FINANCE DEPARTMENT.
AND AFTER THIS WILL BE CENTRAL EXPENSE AND INSURANCE.
NO, BUT I'M, I'M SAYING ARE YOU, ARE YOU TAKING EACH ONE OFFICER, DIRECTOR, COUNCIL CONTROLS OR ARE YOU JUST TAKING IT AS A WHOLE? AS A WHOLE, YES.
SO THE QUESTION I HAVE, UM, GOES TO OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR LAST YEAR THERE WAS, UM, ONE, ONE POSITION I, I BELIEVE, AND IT WAS, THERE WAS A PARTIAL REIMBURSEMENT OF THAT.
UM, ARE THESE NEW POSITIONS THAT ARE COMING IN OR, THIS WAS A CLASS RECLASSIFICATION FROM OTHER DEPARTMENTS, I BELIEVE.
UM, SOME INDIVIDUALS USED TO BE CHARGED WITH OTHER, OTHER DIVISIONS AND WE FELT IT WAS APPROPRIATELY PUT IN OFFICE OF DIRECTOR.
SO YOU'RE JUST MOVING THESE POSITION MOVED OUT OF OTHER DEPARTMENTS? YES.
I'M SORRY, WHERE, WHERE WAS, WHERE WAS THE ASSISTANT ADMIN ANALYST BOOKED PREVIOUSLY? UH, THE INDIVIDUAL USED TO WORK IN, UH, OFFICE OF A SMALL BUSINESS AND WE HAVE, UH, A DIFFERENT PERSON WORKING IN A SMALL BUSINESS WAS TRANSFERRED FROM OTHER DEPARTMENT TO SMALL BUSINESS.
AND HOW ABOUT KEYBOARD CLERK? WHERE WERE
[03:20:01]
THEY BEFORE? THEY WERE, UM, THE, THE KEYBOARD CLERK WERE ACTUALLY, UM, SHE DOES THE, THE INSURANCE AND, UH, THE, THE FOR RISK MANAGEMENT.AND SHE WAS CHARGED ALSO TO SMALL BUSINESSES AND SHE MOVED NOW TO OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR.
SO THE INCREASE IN THE ADMIN AND FINANCE A LITTLE OVER THREE AND HALF PERCENT IS, ARE THESE JUST SOME OF THESE ARE NEGOTIATED SALARY INCREASES? YES.
UM, UM, EV EVERYBODY IN, IN, IN THE, IN, UH, DEPARTMENT UNDER THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING FOR IBEW AND ZERO HAD THE, THE INCREASES, UM, THE 2% AND 2% FOR 24 AND 25.
AND OBVIOUSLY, UH, I, I, I MIGHT HAVE MISSED THIS, BUT CAN YOU GO OVER THE MILLION AND A HALF INCREASE? YES.
UH, THIS, FOR THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, UH, THIS IS UPGRADE TO CYBERSECURITY CAPABILITY.
AND, UH, THE, THE MILLION AND A HALF OF CYBER CYBERSECURITY IS THIS, IS THIS THE CONTRACT THAT WE JUST WENT OVER, UH, AT THE LEADERSHIP MEETING? $1.2 MILLION? THAT, UH, CIO NO, THIS IS NOT WHAT WE WENT OVER, WENT TO WAS FOR THE NEW BUILDING, THE, THE FAMILY COURTS BUILDING.
THIS IS FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTY, BUT IT, IT'S ALL WITHIN THE SAME PROGRAM IN TRYING TO YEAH, BUT IT'S, IT'S WITHIN THE SAME PROGRAM.
BUT THIS 1.5 IS FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTY TO DO THE UPGRADE.
MR. HY, IN NOVEMBER THIS YEAR, WE'RE HAVING A LITTLE TROUBLE WITH THE AUDIO.
CAN YOU JUST LOWER THAT AND SPEAK DIRECTLY INTO IT? YEAH, YOU GOT THAT VERY DEEP, VERY WHITE KIND OF VOICE AND SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T GET PICKED UP AS WELL AS IT SHOULD.
YEAH, THE, UM, THE, THE ONE THAT WE DISCUSSED ON, ON TUESDAY ON MONDAY WAS FOR JUST FOR THE FAMILY COURT BUILDING.
FOR BUYING NEW EQUIPMENT FOR THE FAMILY COURT BUILDING.
THIS 1.5 IS TO RENEW THE LICENSE FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTY, BUT WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING BACK SOMETIME IN OCTOBER OF THIS YEAR.
SO THIS WAS IT IN THERE LAST YEAR? UM, IT WAS DONE, UH, TWO YEARS PREVIOUSLY.
SO WHY IS IT AN INCREASE THAT WAS IN THERE LAST YEAR? BECAUSE, UM, THE YEAR BEFORE WE GOT IT OUT OF THE, UM, THE C FUNDING.
OH, SO IT WAS OUT OF THAT? YEAH.
ALRIGHT, SO IT WAS THE TWO YEARS BEFORE THAT WAS CHARGED TO A GRANT? YES.
I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THAT.
COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS? ALRIGHT, SEEING NONE, LET'S MOVE ON TO CENTRAL EXPENSES INSURANCE.
WE WENT FROM ONE EXTREME OF THE BOOK TO THE OTHER.
WELL, ACTUALLY 2 0 6, BUT WE'LL, JUST 2 0 6.
IT'S AN AWFUL, ISN'T IT? 2 0 5 IS A PRETTY, PRETTY COVERED PAGE'S.
CENTRAL EXPENSE AND INSURANCE.
THE, THIS LINE ITEM IN THE BUDGET REPRESENT INDIRECT COST, UM, SUCH AS FOR THE WHOLE COUNTY, SUCH AS THE POSTAGE COPY, MACHINE LEASES, UH, MAINTENANCE CONTRACT, UH, RENT PAYMENT FOR BUILDING AND PARKING, UM, UM, AREAS AND SENIOR TRANSPORTATION MATCH AND YORK, UM, GRANT, UH, MATCH AND, UH, THE POTENTIAL IN CONTRACTUAL INCREASES FOR UNSETTLED CONTRACTS.
UH, PLUS WE HAVE THE EXPENSE FOR CENTRAL KITCHEN FOR THREE, FOR THREE DEPARTMENT YOUTH HOUSE AND CORRECTION.
AND, UH, HOSPITAL CENTER, UH, THERE WAS AN INCREASE BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF, UH, RESIDENTS AND FACILITIES.
SO, UH, AND, UM, AND THE CONTRACT ACTUALLY WENT UP.
SO THIS IS AN INCREASE IN, UH, IN THE CENTRAL KITCHEN ALL.
SO WHERE, WHERE'S INSURANCES IN HERE? UH, ACTUALLY INSURANCE.
I'M, UH, THEY HAVE ANOTHER LINE HERE FOR INSURANCE, WHICH REPRESENT THE WORKERS' COMP AND LIABILITY INSURANCE.
SO THIS IS, UH, A SEPARATE, UH, SEPARATE SECTION.
SO WHAT PAGE IS THAT? I, I DON'T SEE IT EITHER.
UH, SO THE INSURANCE, WE HAVE THE WORKERS' COMP AND THE, THE LIABILITY INSURANCE AND THE HEALTH BENEFIT.
UM, SO WE HAVE, UH, THIS WAS FLAT.
THE, THE WORKERS' COMP WAS FLAT AND WE HAVE THE HEALTH BENEFIT.
ACTUALLY IT INCREASED THE, THE COUNTY IS PART OF THE STATE HEALTH BENEFIT, UH, PROGRAM.
AND, UH, THE STATE, UH, PROGRAM
[03:25:01]
WENT UP BY 17.2%.UH, THIS TRANSLATE TO $12 MILLION OF INCREASE IN OUR APPROPRIATION.
UM, THANKS TO THE ADMINISTRATION, THE, THE REPRESENT A NEW CONCEPT, WHICH IS THE DIFFERENCE CARD.
AND THIS ACTUALLY RESULT IN SAVING OF $2 MILLION ON THAT LINE.
THAT'S WHY WE HAVE WON ONLY ONE 10,000,005 IN THAT LINE.
SO IS, BUT IS THIS ALSO OFFSET BY CHAPTER 78? UM, ACTUALLY THIS, THIS WILL BE, UH, UM, A PART OF, IT'LL BE, UH, THE EMPLOYEE'S, UH, CONTRIBUTION FROM CHAPTER 78.
SO AGAIN, CHAPTER THIS, THIS IS THE NET.
THE 70, THE, THE 82 MILLION IS ACTUALLY A NET NET FIGURE OF THE CHAPTER.
FOR LAST YEAR, WE COLLECT FROM EMPLOYEES THROUGH CHAPTER 78, AROUND $19 MILLION.
SO CAN WE GO BACK TO THE FRONT AGAIN ON, ON 2 0 6? WHAT, UH, THERE'S A, THERE'S A REDUCTION IN GENERAL SERVICES, GENERAL SERVICE FOR 1,000,006.
WHAT IS, WHAT IS THAT? YES, UM, THIS IS THE, UH, A LINE CALLED TREASURY RESERVES.
AND THIS BASICALLY, WE USE IT FOR, UM, TO APPROPRIATE MONEY FOR UNSETTLED CONTRACTS.
UM, WE, UH, THERE IS SO MANY CONTRACTS ALREADY SETTLED IN 2024 AND WE DIDN'T FEEL WE NEED TO APPROPRIATE THAT MUCH.
PURCHASING GENERAL SERVICES ARE THE SAME.
UM, WHAT IS, WHAT IS TREASURY RESERVES? UH, THIS IS FOR THE UNSETTLED CONTRACT.
SO THAT'S WHAT YOU ADDED TO THE RESERVE TO GET IT UP TO THE 33 MILLION, WHATEVER IT WAS YES.
THAT YOU NEEDED TO PAY THOSE RETROS WITH.
'CAUSE IT'S UNKNOWN AS OF RIGHT NOW.
IS IS THERE ANYTHING LEFT OVER IN THAT RESERVE ACCOUNT? UM, THERE IS PROBABLY, UH, PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT MONEY LEFT THERE.
WELL, LET ME KNOW WHAT THAT IS.
I'LL, IT'LL BE ON THE A FS, RIGHT? UH, YES, IT'LL BE OKAY.
SO EVERYTHING ELSE IN THAT, OTHER THAN, UH, TRANSPORTATION, UH, TRUST FUND, NONPROF CAP, NON-PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, WHAT IS, WHAT IS THAT? UM, THIS, THIS WAS AN APPROPRIATION WAS CREATED, UH, TO, UM, FOR CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICES.
IF THEY ACTUALLY EXCEED THEIR CAP.
THAT'S WHAT THE NEW STATUTORY LAW, YES.
AND THEN ON OTHER EXPENSES, UM, CENTRAL KITCHEN, THIS, THESE ARE ALL JUST CONTRACTS THAT WE'VE APPROVED FOR, UM, FOOD CONTRACTS FOR THE, FOR THE VARIOUS FACILITIES.
AND AN INCREASE DUE TO TWO REASONS.
THE INCREASE OF THE RESIDENTS AND PLUS THE NEW CONTRACT.
AND, AND THE INCREASE IN THE CORRECTIONS IS PROBABLY MADE UP ALSO FROM REIMBURSEMENTS ON OUR PER DIEMS FOR THE VARIOUS, FOR THOSE PORTIONS, UH, OF THOSE COSTS THAT ARE APPLIED TO THE STATE PRISONERS AND THE FEDERAL PRISONERS.
SO, SO THIS IS A, THIS IS THE FULL AMOUNT HERE, BUT IT'S ALSO INCLUDED IN THAT, IN THAT REIMBURSEMENT, THERE'S REIMBURSEMENTS IN PART YES.
THE RE REIMBURSEMENT FOR, FROM THE FEDS AND FROM, UH, UNION COUNTY AND FROM THE STATE.
AND, OKAY, THAT'S, THAT'S IT THERE.
I NO OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONERS ANY QUESTIONS ON CENTRAL EXPENSES AND INSURANCE? I MEAN, I THINK WE COVERED IT VERY WELL.
TURN AT YOUR OWN RISK IN 2025, THE COUNTY, THAT SERVICE WILL BE, UM, UH, AROUND $101 MILLION.
UM, AND THIS IS, UM, A 1 MILLION LESS THAN 2024 AND 2026.
WILL WE ACTUALLY ESTIMATE WE WILL HAVE A DROP IN THAT SERVICE TO 85 MILLION? AROUND 85 MILLION.
SO, SO THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO COVER WITH THIS.
WE, WE HAVE PROJECTED GOING BACK AWAY AND THAT AT TWO, IN 2024, WE WERE GONNA START TO SEE SIGNIFICANT
[03:30:01]
DECREASES IN OUR ANNUAL APPROPRIATION.SO THIS GOES BACK A NUMBER OF YEARS.
WE, WE, UH, PROJECTED THIS OUT.
UM, AND ONE OF THE REASONS THE ADMINISTRATION HELD TO THE $20 MILLION FULL ADHERENCE TO THE $20 MILLION LIMIT ON, ON, ON CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS SO THAT WE WOULDN'T INCUR ANY MORE DEBT THAN THAT.
BUT THAT NUMBER, UH, YOU'RE SAYING NOW IT'S GONNA BE 85 MILLION.
WHAT AT ONE POINT IN TIME THAT NUMBER WAS SIGNIFICANT.
IT WAS LIKE 60 MILLION AND THEN IT WENT DOWN TO 40.
WHAT, WHAT CLOSED THAT GAP? WHAT SIGNIFICANT, UH, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT OR, OR ADDITIONAL DEBT THAT WE TOOK ON THE ORI CLOSE THAT ORIGINALLY SAVINGS ORIGINALLY, UH, WE, THE, THE DEBT SERVICE FOR 2026 WAS SUPPOSED TO GO DOWN TO 66 MILLION TO GO DOWN WHAT TO, THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO GO DOWN TO 66 MILLION FOR 2000.
UH, BUT WE HAD A MAJOR PROJECT WAS, UM, UM, ACTUALLY WAS APPROVED, UH, LAST YEAR, WHICH IS THE FAMILY COURT BUILDING THAT'S $180 MILLION.
AND, UH, THIS WILL BE, UH, AND THIS WAS DONE STRATEGICALLY TO, TO HAVE THE DEBT SERVICE WHEN DEBT SERVICE DROP.
SO IT DOESN'T ACTUALLY AFFECT THE COUNTY BUDGET.
SO WE'LL STILL SEE A DROP AT LESS THAN, YOU KNOW, UH, WHAT WAS EXPECTED ORIGINALLY.
SO IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 66 AND 85? YES.
PLUS, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE 20 MILLION WHAT WE AUTHORIZE EVERY YEAR.
AND THIS IS AN ESTIMATE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, UH, WE ESTIMATED THE, THE FUTURE OF THAT SERVICE BASED ON 4%.
WE'LL TRY TO BE AS CONSERVATIVE AS POSSIBLE, BUT WE DO NOT KNOW THE REAL, REAL INTEREST RATE YET.
YOU, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE COUPON RATE.
I'M SORRY? YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE COUPON INTEREST RATE? YES.
ALRIGHT, SO THIS NUMBER EFFECTIVELY, OUTSIDE OF WHATEVER WE PUT ON NOW, OUT OF THE 20 MILLION EVERY YEAR, WHAT'S, UM, WHAT'S AUTHORIZED THAT EVENTUALLY BECOMES, WELL, WHETHER IT'S BANNED OR BONDS, UM, THAT NUMBER SHOULD BE GREATLY REDUCED.
UH, THE, THE, IT SHOULD, IT SHOULD BE LESS THAN 1 0 1? DEFINITELY.
ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT? SERVICES? OKAY, MOVING ON TO UNCLASSIFIED DEFERRED CHARGES, UM, UNCLASSIFIED AND, UM, DEFERRED CHARGES.
THIS INCLUDE, UM, WHAT, I'M SORRY, WHAT PAGE IS THIS? IS THIS 2 28? 2 28, 2 29.
INCLUDE THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, UM, UH, FOR THE SINGLE AUDIT AND FOR, UH, ARCHITECT AND ENGINEER ON OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, UM, WEBSITE FEES.
AND WE HAVE THE MEMBERSHIP TO MEMBERSHIP TO NACO AND N JACK.
UH, WE HAVE INCREASED IN, UH, UH, DEVELOPMENT FUND BY A HUNDRED THOUSAND.
THIS WAS NEGOTIATED AND IT WENT UP BY, BY A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
AND, UM, THE GO GOING TO THE UTILITIES, THE UTILITIES ACTUALLY WENT UP BECAUSE WE HAVE, WE WILL HAVE A NEW BUILDING WILL BE, THE FAMILY COURT BUILDING WILL BE ACTIVE.
ONE MOMENT MR. I'M SORRY, I'M, I'M SORRY.
I DON'T THINK WE'RE ON OUR PAGE HERE.
YEAH, WE WERE A LITTLE FURTHER AHEAD.
SO UTILITIES, UH, WENT UP BECAUSE OF THE COUPLE REASONS.
FIRST, THE, THE, THE COST OF THE UTILITIES WENT UP AND PLUS WE HAVE, UH, PUBLIC WORKS.
WE HAVE THE NO FAMILY COURT BUILDING.
WE, THE, I'M SORRY, I MAY, I'M OFF HERE.
WE'RE ON UTILITY EXPENSES IN BULK ON PAGE 16.
IS THIS CLASSIFIED DEFERRED CHARGES? YES.
BECAUSE THE TITLE HERE AND THIS ARE MATCHING TWO 16.
SO 2 16 2 16, THE UTILITIES? YES.
UM, SO THIS, THIS WAS DUE TO TWO REASONS.
UH, FIRST IS THE COST OF UTILITY WENT UP AND, UH, THE OTHER THING FOR PUBLIC WORKS
[03:35:01]
WITH THE WILL ACTUALLY WILL HAVE TWO BUILDINGS IN THE SAME TIME.UH, THE NEW FAMILY COURT BUILDING WILL BE, UH, UH, COMPLETELY CONSTRUCTED PLUS, UH, PAR PARTIAL OF THE YEAR FOR THE EXISTING BUILDING UNTIL IT GETS SOLD.
THEY HAVE, UH, MULTIPLE, UH, NEW BUILDINGS CAME ONLINE AND, UH, NEW BUILDINGS AND WE HAVE, UH, TO, TO COVER THAT.
AND WHAT NEW BUILDINGS AND PARKS DO WE HAVE? UH, WE HAVE, UH, COMMUNITY CENTERS.
WERE CONSTRUCTED AND WE HAVE A FULL YEAR, LIKE SOME OF THEM LAST YEAR WERE HALF A YEAR OR A PARTIAL OF THE YEAR.
AND THIS YEAR WILL BE A, A FULL YEAR.
BUT, BUT MOST OF THIS, THIS $780,000 INCREASE, MOST OF THIS MUST BE BASED ON OUR INCREASING WHAT, WHAT THEY'RE GONNA CHARGE.
I MEAN, INCREASE IN RATES OR IT'S ACTUALLY, IT'S A COMBINATION OF INCREASING OF THE RATES.
AND PLUS WE HAVE NEW BUILDINGS, UH, ACTUALLY, UH, AND THEN CORRECTIONS, UH, CORRECTION, THEY HAVE, UH, A NEW, UH, UH, CONTRACT WAS FOR CO AND THIS WAS 15, UH, 15 YEAR CONTRACT AND UH, ACTUALLY WENT UP BY 1,000,005 EACH YEAR.
ARE WE DOING FUTURE CONTRACTS AT ALL WITH COST OF HEATING FUEL OR WHATEVER IT WAS WHEN WE WERE GAS? YEAH.
I DON'T THINK WE'VE DONE, WE HAVEN'T LOOKED AT THAT FOR A WHILE, PROBABLY.
AND VERIZON GENERAL SERVICES, WHAT IS IT? UM, THIS IS FOR ALL THE COUNTY PHONES ACTUALLY, UH, MORE, UH, MORE COUNTY DEPARTMENTS ACTUALLY SWITCH INTO VERIZON.
THAT, THAT'S WHY, UH, YOU WILL, YOU WILL SEE THE VERIZON LINE ACTUALLY WENT UP AND, UH, THE OFFSET OF THAT.
AND ACTUALLY THIS USED TO BE IN INDIVIDUALLY IN EACH BUDGET.
AND, UH, THIS IS NOW A CENTRALIZED, IT'S EASIER TO TRACK, UH, THE BILLING AND EASIER TO PAY.
AND WE HAD LIST PROBLEMS WITH THE, WITH LATE CHARGES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
MR. THERE ANY QUESTIONS ON UNCLASSIFIED DEFERRED? WE HAVE MORE TO GO THROUGH THAT.
WELL, THE PUBLIC UTILITIES, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
DO YOU WANT GO OVER THE PUBLIC UTILITIES? IS THIS, THIS IS JUST BASED ON INCREASES IN RATES? YES.
AND THE INCREASES IN THE BUILDINGS YES.
AND, UH, THERE IS ANOTHER, ANOTHER LINE OF STATUTORY EXPENSES, AND THIS INCLUDE THE CONTRIBUTION TO, UH, PUBLIC EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT FUND AND POLICE ON FIRE.
AND INCREASE THIS YEAR WAS 1.3 MILLION.
UH, THE BIGGEST INCREASE WE HAD WAS SOCIAL SECURITY CONTRIBUTION.
UH, FIRST WE HAD SO MANY, UH, CONTRACTORS SETTLED.
SO THE ACTUAL, OKAY, I, I'M SORRY.
IT SEEMS LIKE I WAS LOOKING AT BOTH THE SUMMARY AND THE INDIVIDUALS.
UH, THE QUESTION, BUT, BUT LET'S GO TO LAND MR. PRESIDENT, IF IT'S OKAY.
IF WE GO TO LANDFILL SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT.
AND ON THE SUMMARY HERE, UH, THE DEVELOPMENT FUND WENT UP A HUNDRED THOUSAND.
I WAS AWARE OF THAT, UH, PRIOR YOUR BILLS.
I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT.
THIS WILL BE THE STATUTORY EXPENDITURES.
AND THIS SECTION REPRESENTS THE CONTRIBUTION TO, UH, UH, UH, PERS, PUBLIC EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT FUND AND PFRS, UH, POLICE AND FIRE, UM, RETIREMENT FUND.
AND, UH, THIS IS A STATE BILL WE USUALLY PAY IN, IN APRIL, AND IT WENT UP AROUND 1.2 MILLION.
UH, THE BIGGEST INCREASE HERE WE HAVE FOR SOCIAL SECURITY CONTRIBUTION, AND THIS DUE TO TWO REASONS.
UM, THE, THE, USUALLY THE, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT INCREASE THE LIMIT EVERY YEAR FOR SOCIAL SECURITY.
PLUS, WE HAD SO MANY CONTRACTS, SO MANY CONTRACTS WERE SETTLED AND, YOU KNOW, UH, THE, THE EMPLOYEES MAKE MORE MONEY.
SO WE HAD TO INCREASE THAT TO COVER THE CONTRIBUTION.
SO WAS THE SOCIAL SECURITY ON THE RETROACTIVE ZOSO APPLIED AGAINST THE RESERVE? LIKE THE PAYROLL TAXES ON THE RETROACTIVE? ACTUALLY, NO.
WE ACTUALLY CHARGED IT TO THE BUDGET, UH, LAST YEAR.
THAT'S WHY WE HAD A, A $2 MILLION, UM, UH, TRANSFER TO THAT TRANSFER IN THERE.
SO ONLY BASE, ONLY SALARIES WAS CHARGED AGAINST THE RESERVE ACCOUNT?
[03:40:01]
YES.THE CORRESPONDING, UH, PAYROLL TAXES ON THOSE RETROS WERE ABSORBED IN THE BUDGET? YES.
YEAH, THE, THE, THE RESERVE COVER THE SALARIES AND OVERTIME.
AND THEN THE $3.4 MILLION IN SOCIAL SECURITY IS BASED ON THE INCREASE IN THE SALARIES AND ALSO THE JUMP YOU GOT WITH THOSE RETRO CONTRACTS.
SO PEOPLE WENT FROM 50, LET'S SAY 50,000 TO 70,000, BUT ALL AT ONCE.
SO NOW YOU'RE STUCK WITH, WITH A $20,000 INCREASE, WHICH THE SOCIAL SECURITY WOULD BE YES.
AND PLUS AND PLUS, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT RAISE THE LIMIT EVERY YEAR FOR, FOR SOCIAL SECURITY.
SO THEN WE'LL MOVE ON TO REVENUES.
AND THAT IS GONNA BE ORDERED ON PAGE 2 31.
REVENUES 2 31, UH, REVENUES, WE HAVE, UH, SEVERAL, UM, CATEGORIES OF REVENUES.
WE HAVE LOCAL REVENUES, UH, UH, AND, UH, STATE AID AND, UH, GRANTS.
TAXES WENT UP, UH, $9 MILLION, WHICH IS 1.9% INCREASE.
WE ALLOW TO, UH, TO ANTICIPATE IN THE, IN THE FOLLOWING YEAR UP TO THE AMOUNT WAS COLLECTED IN, IN THE PRIOR YEAR.
UM, SO THIS IS, WE, WE, WE HAVE THE ANTICIPATION FOR 2025.
WE HAVE, UH, ONE, ACTUALLY TWO NEW REVENUES.
UM, DIRECT DIRECTED CHARLES FOR CORRECTION.
I MENTIONED, UH, IN NEW JERSEY STATE, UH, PROLO PAROLE VIOLATORS, AND WE ANTICIPATE WILL BE $12 MILLION OF NEW REVENUE.
AND WE HAVE THE OTHER ONE IS THE, THE YOUTH HOUSE.
UH, THERE IS A, A PROGRAM WILL BE, UH, WILL HAVE A NEW REVENUE AROUND 8 MILLION.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE NEW JERSEY PRO VIOLATORS PROVI? UH, THIS IS THROUGH CORRECTION.
UH, THAT'S A NEW REVENUE BECAUSE WE ACCEPT, UM, THE, THE, THESE INMATES AND THAT THE 81 MILLION THAT BOND WAS TALKING ABOUT, THAT'S, THAT'S PART OF IT.
THE RATE, THE STATE RATE IS $209 PER, PER, PER DAY PER PERSON.
AND THE 10,000 IN WELFARE IS ADDITIONAL MONIES WE'RE ASKING FOR WELFARE.
AND, UH, WE KNOW ABOUT OUR, THE A RP LOSS.
THE A RP LAST YEAR WAS THE, THE LAST YEAR WE DID 5 MILLION 20, 24.
AND 2025 IS NOT AVAILABLE ANYMORE.
AND AND WE'RE, AND WE'RE BRINGING, WE'RE LOSING FOUR AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS ON FEDERAL INMATE BASED ON LAST YEAR'S COLLECTIONS.
UM, PLUS THE NUMBER OF, UH, OF FEDERAL INMATES WENT DOWN FROM, FROM OVER 500 NOW TO, TO 400 SOMETHING.
AND YOU WERE REPLACED BY THE STATE, UH, LETTERS.
AND SO BASICALLY HERE WE'RE LOOKING AT ANY ADJUSTMENTS ARE BASICALLY BASED ON LAST YEAR'S COLLECTIONS.
WHERE IT WAS OVER ANTICIPATED MAYBE, UM, IN 2024 CAME UP A LITTLE SHORT.
NOW WE'RE STUCK WITH JUST YEAH.
IN 2024, THERE WAS A DECISION WAS MADE ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL TO, TO REDUCE THE, THE FEDERAL MARSHALS TO, TO COUNTY THE DIRECT CONTROL MENTIONED THAT, AND THAT, THAT'S WHY RESULT IN WE, WE HAD LESS FEDERAL, UH, INMATES FROM, UH, FROM US MARSHALL.
AND THEN OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE A 2% INCREASE IN THE TAX LEVEL.
I CALLED IT TWO, BUT I GUESS YOU WANT TO GO AT 1.99, RIGHT? YES.
IT'S LIKE THE SUPERMARKETS, RIGHT.
I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.
COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS ON REVENUES? MR. PRESIDENT? COMMISSIONER MARY THOMAS.
ONE, YOU MENTIONED THE ANTICIPATED INCREASING REVENUE FROM THE YOUTH HOUSE.
COULD YOU ELABORATE ON KIND OF WHAT, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AS FAR AS HOW IT'S, UH, REVENUE GENERATING? UM, THIS IS AN, A NEW PROGRAM PRESENTED BY THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY.
WE EXPECT TO, THIS WILL BE A, A FIRST YEAR AND WE EXPECT TO, TO COLLECT AROUND $8 MILLION FROM THAT PROGRAM.
AND COULD YOU ELABORATE ON THE, ON THE PROGRAM ITSELF? SO YOU SAID IT'S, IS IT THE PROGRAM THAT WITHIN THE YOUTH HOUSE, I'M ASSUMING, RIGHT? NO, THAT'S THE, ACTUALLY THAT'S NEW FUNDING FROM THE STATE.
OH, NEW FUNDING FROM THE STATE FOR THE YOUTH HOUSE.
I WAS JUST TRYING TO FOLLOW EXACTLY WHAT
[03:45:01]
THE NEW PROGRAM WAS AT THIS NEW FUNDING OR SOMETHING WITHIN THE PROGRAM ITSELF.UM, AND THEN LASTLY, FOR THE $9 MILLION INCREASE FROM TAXES, IS THAT ALL, UH, PROPERTY TAXES OR ARE THOSE OTHER, OTHER TAX REVENUE STREAMS WITHIN THAT ANTICIPATED 9 MILLION? THIS IS THE, THIS IS THE INCREASE IN, UH, IN, UH, IN THE COUNTY TAX PROPERTY.
IT'S, UH, TOUGH WORK, UH, YOU AND YOUR TEAM PUT TOGETHER AND ANSWERING A LOT OF THE TOUGH QUESTIONS AND, YOU KNOW, ALL THE GLORIES AND THE NUMBERS I GUESS.
BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL THAT YOU DO.
I THINK THAT BRINGS THIS UP TO JUST COMMISSIONER AND ADMINISTRATION, SIR.
AND THAT, AND ON YOUR END OF IT, YOU'RE DONE.
AND FRANK, YOU ARE ON, UH, WE, WE DON'T ANTICIPATE ANY INCREASES AT THIS TIME.
SEEING ALL THE QUESTIONS, I WANT TO THANK THE ADMINISTRATION AND ALL OF THE DEPARTMENT REPRESENTATIVES THAT CAME BY YESTERDAY AND TODAY FOR PRESENTING US WITH A VERY CLEAR AND, UH, PICTURE AS CONCISE AS ONE COULD BE.
THIS IS A LOT OF MOVING PARTS, OF COURSE, BECAUSE IF IT WASN'T, THE BOOK WOULDN'T BE THIS THICK.
SO THE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH EVERYONE.
UH, I WANT TO THANK THE STAFF IN PARTICULAR FOR, UH, PUTTING THIS ALL TOGETHER.
SO THANK YOU TO MADAM DEPUTY CLERK AND TEAM, UH, FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO.
AND I THINK AT THIS POINT, WE'RE GOING TO, UH, CLOSE OUR HEARINGS.
UNLESS ANYONE HAS ANY COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, OR COMMENTS, THANK YOU FOR RUNNING A GREAT MEETING.