Wanna be the next town attorney? The still-new Montclair council has voted 4-3 against reappointing town attorney Alan Trembulak. The position held by municipal prosecutor Kenneth Strait is now also up for grabs.
The three council members who voted to reappoint Trembulak and Strait were Cary Africk, Rich Murnick and Roger Terry. From the Star Ledger…
“It’s a dangerous, reckless thing to do, and I want to emphasize that, reckless,” said Cary Africk, the 2nd Ward councilor. “I don’t throw out absolutely everything the last council has done. Change for change sake isn’t important to me.”
But [Jerry] Fried said opening up the positions to other candidates might give the municipality a chance to save some money. “There’s going to be belt-tightening… We might find savings. I’d like to look at this in light of that,” Fried said.
Next week, when the jobs are advertised, Trembulak and Strait can send in resumes where they will be considered along with other candidates. Trembulak’s salary last year was $82,258; Strait’s, $38,199.
So the new salaries will be lower then, per the mayor.
Good for Africk. A pragmatic approach.
So tell us the real reason for the change Cary.
I may…. repeat may be interested.
What’s the work requirement?
Do I get off for the Summer?
3-4 day work week?
Must I ride a bike to meetings?
it’s too bad the budget process or movement on property tax reform are not so decisive.
There was no vote to reappoint the two men, so Africk, Murnik, and Terry couldn’t have voted to reappoint them. The three men voted not to table to motions to reappoint. Subtle difference but a difference nonetheless.
Since there are no other applicants at this point, a vote not to table, sounds to me like a vote to reappoint. ie. not tabling the motion would bring the vote to reappoint and if there are not any other applicants….
So when are they getting rid of Hartnett?
You know, often times when a “new slate” is elected, be it at a Presidential, State, or Local level, the “new guys” want their “own people.”
Might this be the case here?
Regardless of his performance, is it just a question of Alan’s being associated with the “old” council?
Maybe they could fix what is “broke” first.
Trembulak, don’t let the door hit you on the ass on your way out. You’re a mean spirited jerk who always put the interest of his cronies in the business community against those of homeowners and everyone else in this town. Could you do us just one small favor and move to a galaxy far, far away?
Could you do us just one small favor and move to a galaxy far, far away?
———————-
and take Hardy Har Hartnett with you..
ROC, aren’t you an attorney? I think you should take the job for half the salary and we all know you’ll fight to keep spending under control.
Mayor: did the new chair come yet?
Advisor B: it’s been ordered.
Mayor: and that inbox/outbox thingy?
Advisor B: yes the whole set.
Mayor: the whole desk set right? The black meshy one that looks all modern? And with the mesh pencil cup?
Advisor B: yes
Advisor B: Mr. Mayor I’d like to discuss tonight’s agenda.
Mayor: OK.
Advisor B: We should offer a motion to..
Mayor: Would you look at this phone?
Advisor B: excuse me?
Mayor: It’s beige. Beige! Who has a beige phone anymore? Especially a town executive. where’s that catalog? (rummages in desk)
Advisor B: anyway, Jerry, getting back…
Mayor: (singsongy) Mister Mayor… (finds catalog)
Advisor B: Oh, sorry, yes. Mr. Mayor, getting back…
Mayor: here’s a good one! Nortel…three way calling and has a three line screen. Cool! lots of programmable buttons!
Advisor B: put a post-it on the page, and I’ll order it.
Advisor B: so, tonight, considering possible cuts in the BOE’s…
Mayor: Posters!
Advisor B: Posters?
Mayor: I realize what’s missing. One of those executive posters with a picture of a lake and some inspirational saying printed below.
Advisor B: I see. Well perhaps we could….
Mayor: Here’s one, “Leadership is not Care-Taking”. Oooo, I like that, don’t you? Kinda says it all, doesn’t it? I could put it here behind my desk and everyone who meets me would know where I’m coming from.
Advisor B: uh, that would be good. So can we discuss the agenda, please?
Mayor: yes. yes. sorry.
Advisor B: Thank you, regarding the property tax..
Mayor: Why is this office wood paneled? What is this, the fifties?
Thank you RoC! That made my day.
“Why is this office wood paneled? What is this, the fifties?”
That line will have me giggling all day.
There’s going to be belt-tightening…
At least he said it.
It is now clear that the lines have been drawn. The new council consists of three moderate, rational thinking people(Murnick/Africk/Terry), three radical,inexperienced, knee jerk reacting people (Freid, Weller & Baskerville) and one smart thoughtful guy (lewis)who is the swing vote. It’s up to you Mr. Lewis and you got this one wrong in my opinion.
you are welcome hrh.
Weller in particular strikes me as completely inexperienced and one of those annoying liberal hippee types that probably used to picket for every cause under the sun in the 70′s. Blind radical change like this is counter productive and is the reason why these people are jibber jabbering til midnight at these council meetings.
Weller is way too young to have picketed a single cause during the 70s.
Pick your decade…blind change is counter productive. We need experienced professionals on this council like Murnick and Terry…not inexperienced hippees for change.
Her giddy mention a couple of weeks back when the total for the bills being approved for the month was the lowest since they took office was particularly annoying. It was as if she was saying that all the “changes” the council made, which have been very little thus far, were the reason why the bill total was lower than other weeks. She was probably hiding under the table when the next bill was the highest under the new council.
Nobama = Ed Remsen
“fix what is “broke” first”
Thats gonna be a problem. If you have ever attended one of these meetings, you would know that this council has no idea what they are doing. This council has repeatedly blamed the old council for their woes. They have also at times berated citizens who have come forward to speak. Prompting at times other council members to apologize. This weeks victim of one of the “experienced professionals”, a women cautioned spending more tax dollars on pre-k. The pre-k people (why I was there ) said they needed btw $100K and $750K.
The councilors even spent 10 minutes on Tuesday arguing why they thought they were elected ( 2 pages of notes). The mayor actually said he wasn’t “voted into office to be a caretaker or to help advise the direction of the town. I think this whole council was elected to really try and create the type of CHANGE people felt weren’t happening.” mayor Fried said. Whaaaa?
The “annoying liberal hippee type” that you refer to actually the nerve to:
1. Want the township landscapers to abide by the same, no leaf blower noise law, that they had just passed against homeowners and private landscapers. But she lost to the likes of the “three moderate, rational thinking, experienced professionals” because it would impose financial hardship on the township to comply. Tough luck citizens.
2. Was the only one who voted NO on THREE change orders for an additional $18K, $15K and 19K to bids that were previously submitted and accepted by the council. Prompting the “smart thoughtful guy” to say, “I really don’t want to see how the sausage is made… if the engineer says it’s ok, then it’s ok… I’m perfectly happy to vote for this today”
Outed, damn you Green Ranger!
I thought *I* was Ed Remsen?
Oh, well.
Regulations for thee but not for me, eh teller?
Sounds like Montclair, I have to say.
No ROC, you’re Richard O’Colgan.
I suppose there will be a rating system established to determine Who is the best person for these 2 positions, or how and who is going to review the candidates and recommend to the Mayor/Council who to choose? I hope this does not cause a consultant to be hired, that eats up any potential cost savings. Probably good to have this as an RFP/RFQ process. I suppose the attorney in the Mattox case may submit credentials.
Dr. Alvarez and BOE, are you listening? You negotiated what, a raise and staff increases in this enviornment? Delay the Increases for 1 year, and cut Management salaries by 10%, and see if you can keep the BOE budget at least level. What? Can’t hear you; are you still here?
Trembulak is in bed with Hartnett in the PAWS destructoid. Weller and Fried have fully signed on to it. Throw them out!
No ROC, you’re Richard O’Colgan.
Busted!
The non-renewal of Trembulaks contract is just the beginning of the new council getting “rid” of the old council’s appointments. How many people did Hartnett give new jobs to when he became town manager? There is alot of dead weight collecting paychecks with job titles that have little or no responsibilities. But I am sure that the new council knows who are Hartnett’s boys.
Take it easy on Weller. Shes not playing with a full deck.