Advisory panel to review building dept. situation
Jobs hang in balance as Jackson officials consider their options
BY DAVE BENJAMIN Staff Writer

JACKSON - Before taking any more steps to close the Jackson Building Department and lay off its employees, a review by the Citizens Budget Advisory Committee has been called for by the Township Council.

"There is the issue of closing the building department (which has been raised) by the mayor's office," council President Mike Kafton said at the July 8 meeting of the governing body. "This new council does not have all the documentation as of today pertaining to this issue."

Mayor Mark Seda has indicated in recent months that the township's building department, which is supposed to be selfsustaining, is running at a deficit and that closing the department and outsourcing the work of building inspections to a private firm would be a financial benefit to Jackson.

Kafton said he is requesting the Citizens Budget Advisory Committee to review the municipal budget and to examine possible cost savings to the township. Part of that review will be an examination of the building department.

He said he would also like to hear from residents and from employees of the building department. A report will be expected back in 30 days.

Kafton asked Seda to push back the closing date of the building department (scheduled for Aug. 1) by 30 days.

Seda was not present at the council meeting.

Council members asked that the advisory committee be provided with all relevant documents and information on this issue and to be permitted to speak with municipal employees.

The council passed resolutions covering those particular points.

During the public portion of the meeting, Patricia Wood, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, said, "Rumors are running rampant. [I would like to know] if you did not vote to close the building department and outsource the people, can the mayor still lay off the employees of that department. This is a rumor and I'm not making any accusations. I was hoping that Mr. Seda would be here so I could ask him myself."

Wood asked what would happen if the building department employees were laid off but the department was not closed.

Kafton said, "If there is no third party agency in place, then this will be turned over to the state. The state would have the choice of accepting it or not. If the state does not accept it, it would be reverted back to the township and the township would have the obligation to continue in the manner in which it has. There would be no third party in place."

Kafton said that according to state law there must be a building department in place.

"If the state doesn't take it over and there is no third party (i.e., outside contractor to conduct building inspections) it will have to be funded by the township," he said.

Township Attorney George Gilmore said several scenarios could play out.

Wood said the employees feel slighted that Seda has not conferred with them and asked what the employees could do to save their jobs and the building department.

"There are a lot of things that could be done," she said. "We've looked at the salary of the principal accountant that was hired in the finance office."

Wood said she compared job titles and the salary, $58,000 a year for the principal accountant who was hired, compared to the principal account clerk who has 14 years of experience in Jackson and is doing the same work at a salary of $36,000.

Wood offered to meet with the council members to discuss other ways to save money so that the building department and the employees' jobs can be retained.

Kafton suggested that Wood meet with the Citizens Budget Advisory Committee while it is reviewing the entire matter of the building department.

In an e-mail to the Tri-Town News, resident Paul Mayerowitz said there appears to be a rush to judgment about what to do with the building department.

"All of the data is not in," he wrote. "None of the data has been shared with the public. Some members of the public as well as the building department might actually have some meaningful suggestions to improve its operations or how to mitigate operating expenses."