Barnegat Lays Off Three Employees, Enters Shared Services Agreement With Ocean
Ocean staff will work out of Barnegat town hall
Three Barnegat Township employees have been laid off as a result of a shared services agreement with Ocean Township.
Barnegat's tax collector, zoning officer and recreation director were terminated Wednesday ahead of a shared services meeting in Waretown, where Barnegat and Ocean Township officials approved a joint resolution to share the three positions, said David Breeden, who is the administrator for both municipalities.
As part of the agreement, employees from Ocean will fill the terminated positions in Barnegat and will serve both towns, Breeden said. The agreement is expected to reduce operating costs by $311,000 per year, officials said.
"The biggest cost in government is people and personnel," he said. "The only way to effect long-term, significant savings is to reduce your workforce. We have a fantastic working relationship with Ocean Township, and it seemed like the logical next step to realize even more cost savings."
Breeden said each affected department had strong support staff, and the township is confident they'll be able to absorb the additional work.
The layoffs had nothing to do with the performance of the three who lost their jobs, Breeden said. Eliminating Barnegat staff and replacing them with workers from Waretown was a way to strike a balance between the two municipalities, so no one felt the other had greater control over the agreement.
"They were solid employees," he said. "This was purely a business decision. At the end of the day, we received a message from the township that they want to lower operating costs, and the only way to accomplish that is by reducing personnel."
Barnegat Mayor Al Cirulli said it's never easy to lay off staff.
"The last six years, we've done everything through attrition, and this is really the first time since I've been on that we've had to actually cut positions," he said. But the state, he said, "really doesn't give townships any choice. You have to do what you have to do. And if there's anything we can do to help the employees that lost their jobs, we will."
Sean Conneamhe
4:52 pm on Thursday, February 9, 2012
"How about reducing the size of the Township Committee from five members back to three members?"
Bob Wise
5:50 pm on Thursday, February 9, 2012
Best idea I've seen posted in the Patch in a long time.
Plunket of Barnegat
11:48 pm on Thursday, February 9, 2012
Imagine the cost savings in health care costs for so called full time employees of the committee.
Mike Howard
5:42 pm on Thursday, February 9, 2012
Funny guys these Township Committee people. They lay off three people but forgot to tell us that the Administator got a new contract and a big raise. In his contract, beside the big money, he gets shoes, raincoat, a car, tolls, gas, over 50 days off a year, insurance and a more. How about this one. If he dies, we still have to pay his family's insurance for 3 years. And there is a Ton more. I think there is something about a bonus in there too. Everybody talks about other Township employees contracts, get a copy of his if you want to see some "Perks".
BeyondReality
6:00 pm on Thursday, February 9, 2012
That is very sad. I read in Data Universe one of these people had 23 years on the job. Imagine walking in one day after 23 years to a pink slip yet the township admin is getting boosts. Thats a hard one to swallow.
Nancy Maloney
8:42 pm on Thursday, February 9, 2012
Shoes and a raincoat???? The "Wizard" is doing well.
BeyondReality
9:54 pm on Thursday, February 9, 2012
No body gets in to see the wizard... Not no one, not no how.
B Smith
5:22 am on Friday, February 10, 2012
That's more fodder for election time. Let's tell this guy to reduce his perks and salary or take a walk. I'm more than fed up with the *%#* happening in this town and as I travel about and talk to other people the resentment is growing exponentially for a change in leadership.
Harley
5:54 pm on Thursday, February 9, 2012
Too little, too late...
Rich
6:09 pm on Thursday, February 9, 2012
Mr Breeden in his comment, "At the end of the day, we received a message from the township that they want to lower operating costs, and the only way to accomplish that is by reducing personnel.", he and our stellar elected officials fail to take into account that reducing spending also reduces costs which last I checked equals taxes.
Susan
7:54 pm on Thursday, February 9, 2012
how about we get rid of Breeden
Nancy Maloney
6:53 am on Friday, February 10, 2012
Just wondering......are the Waretown employees who are designated to "fill-in" in place of the terminated Barnegat employees receiving extra compensation.
NightShadows
8:15 am on Friday, February 10, 2012
This committee definitely has something up their sleeves with tossing so much to Waretown. Amazing how Barnegat employees are laid off, their jobs now 'shared services' but Breeden is getting paid by both municipalities.
Nancy Maloney
9:49 am on Friday, February 10, 2012
If I remember correctly the original agreement between Mr. Breeden and Waretown he did not receive a salary from Waretown. Instead Waretown paid Barnegat a stipulated amount for his services. His salary is then set by Barnegat. Wouldn't this be considered two part time jobs?.
NightShadows
12:18 pm on Friday, February 10, 2012
Whether Waretown is paying Barnegat or paying Breeden directly, it is still money from two municipalities. Seems his salary and benefits has also just jumped. Would love to see a copy of his contract/benefits posted for public 'aye or nay' . I'm guessing the 'ayes' wouldn't take this one.
Tom Barrett
10:28 am on Friday, February 10, 2012
Mr. Breeden does not take phone calls, nor does he return phone calls. Over the past three years, I have left Mr. Breeden messages yet have never once received a returned call.
If he ever falls from his lofty position, it will be from an extremely high height!
Transparent C
10:53 am on Friday, February 10, 2012
would be interesting to see what the names are of recently hired Waretown employees might reveal. Perhaps friends and paying favors of Bgt Committee people are being hired there and now we are firing people over here so no one will make the connections? On the Breeden topic though, he is underqualified and overpaid, which is why the twp is in the shape it is. The business administrator can make or break your town. It's clear what his legacy has been
Susan
12:56 pm on Friday, February 10, 2012
Is Breeden's contract on line somewhere. Seems it should be.
Cindy Janowiak
3:56 pm on Friday, February 10, 2012
Unfortunately, almost anything that you would think should be available on the township’s website, is not. Not minutes from township committee meetings, agendas, the township’s budget, updated appointments to subcommittees, etc. Although, you can find all of that information on Waretown’s website and more. This is disappointing since Barnegat spent $3,000 last year revamping its site. (See article http://barnegat.patch.com/articles/township-unveils-new-website.)
Howard Effron
6:15 pm on Friday, February 10, 2012
As I wrote a blog about this very subject (employee contracts on line) on Lets Talk Barnegat, I will remind all about a STATE LAW that concerns this. Here is the actual text from the PERC (Public Employee Relations Commission) website:
N.J.S.A. 34:13A-8.2 provides that “public employers shall file with the commission a copy of any contracts it has negotiated with public employee representatives following consummation of negotiations.”
Additionally, N.J.S.A. 34:13A-16.8(d)(2) was enacted effective January 1, 2011. The law requires all public employers to provide copies of completed contracts from all bargaining units within the employer’s jurisdiction and a summary of all costs and the impact associated with the agreement. N.J.S.A. 34:13A-16.8(d)(2) provides that,
"…PERC is required to post on its website all collective negotiations agreements and interest arbitration awards entered or awarded after the date of enactment including a summary of contract or arbitration award terms in a standard format developed by the Public Employment Relations Commission to facilitate comparisons. All collective negotiations agreements shall be submitted
to PERC within 15 days of contract execution."
This is a link to the actual website that publishes these contracts:
http://www.perc.state.nj.us/publicsectorcontracts.nsf
You will see that neither the municipal or the school board has followed the law, only the contract for the Water and Sewer unions are available.
Howard Effron
6:18 pm on Friday, February 10, 2012
I understand that this law pertains to union contracts, but wouldn't you as a committeeman want to put all of the public contracts online, including your administrator. After all it's our money, and if you have nothing to hide, what's the problem?
Plunket of Barnegat
4:14 pm on Friday, February 10, 2012
Folks, the budget is a secret. Jeff and Al worked it out behind closed doors in the tobacco shop and wouldn't even share it with all of the committee members.
Graelyn Brashear
5:09 pm on Friday, February 10, 2012
Hi all – just wanted to let everyone know that we'll be running a story next week that looks at Mr. Breeden's contract.
Harley
6:27 pm on Friday, February 10, 2012
Does anyone have a copy of the original contract so we can compare what they put online? Sorry, but I wouldn't put it past them to have a second contract prepared for this article.
Jo C
8:40 pm on Friday, February 10, 2012
They want to reduce spending. I am not a genius, but how about stopping all the stupid wasted spending. For instance. How about NOT calling in the snow crew at 2 AM on a weekend to spread salt for a dusting of snow that was all gone when the SUN came up. That was a total waste of money that they continue to spend time and again.
Hey Mr. Breeden. You work for me and the rest of the people in Barnegat. When I call I expect you to answer and or at the very least call me back.
Same ole story, just a different day. Nothing has changed in 20 years. The baton just gets passed on and on and on.
PS.. Maybe you should fire the one's that sit all day and do absolutlely nothing all day long. How do I know you might ask???? I am there seeing it everyday. It's not what you know, but who you know.
Ray
8:33 am on Saturday, February 11, 2012
They should fire the tax assessor. She is the arrogant one, not the tax collector. They should fire Birdsall and Dasti and hire a Town Eng. and Lawyer. They should tell the Chief to retire, that would save about 220,000 alone. Hire a Police Director at less then half his salary, no benfits and no car.
walter
9:36 am on Monday, February 13, 2012
Ray,
You are right on about our tax assessor, because of tenure,it seems She feels that She is untouchable, The arrogance and ignorance that comes out of that office is mind-boggling. It is my opinion that She has cost us taxpayers millions in tax appeals and this year will be no different. Lets hope that shared services is the tool that will FINALLY remove her from of that seat.
Bob Wise
10:35 am on Monday, February 13, 2012
But walter, you said that the Barnegat Republican club is "as we speak" passing around a petition to form "West Barnegat". You won't need OUR tax assessor then, you will have to get your own. As far as "shared services" go, I hope you don't want to share with the the hard working families over in East Barnegat once you form your GOP Wonderland in the West. By the way you didn't answer me. Did all the members of the zoning board sign your petition? and what every happened to the charges that the "Westsiders" made against OUR BOE. Come on walter, a brave man like you should be able to talk about it.
truth
9:46 am on Monday, February 13, 2012
truth
make sure when you get the breeden's contract you read it several times . 99 percent will
miss all that is in it. check salary and how that's loaded like ,5years to 6 years.contract a mreit raise based on 1.75 performance this is over the 159,200 and 12,500 added from waretown. their is really to much to type. please read very carefully.contract was taken apart
by someone who knows contract. 3year contracts recomended by the state not 5 or 6