Ingemi addresses town council

Town budget: zero tax increase; also less debt

by Julie Fink, Gazette Staff Writer

HAMMONTON—At the town council’s regular meeting on March 17, Hammonton Police Chief Frank Ingemi addressed the council in response to discussion by the Fiscal Oversight Committee (FOC) at a public meeting held last week.
Following Governor Jon Corzine’s plan of shared services between municipalities, the idea of replacing the town’s police services with the New Jersey State Police was discussed.
During the March 10 FOC meeting, FOC Chairman Don DiDonato, who is Mayor John DiDonato’s brother, commented on the governor’s desire to merge services.
“One of the things the governor is looking for is merging police services . . . We could save $720 on a home assessed at $150,000. This is something that would take a year or two to phase in, if we even considered it. The town would talk to the state police about using the new police department as a barracks, and we would talk to them about giving our personnel first preference for hiring,” Don DiDonato said on March 10.
During the March 17 council meeting, Ingemi addressed the council as members of the local police department in and out of uniform sat and stood in the council chamber.
“Nothing against the New Jersey State Police, but their job is not the same as ours,” Ingemi said.
Ingemi refuted FOC Chairman Don DiDonato’s claim that the average household in Hammonton is paying approximately $1000 toward the police department, testifying that it is lower.
He spoke of the many services the Hammonton Police Department provides the community, such as two officers in the school system, patrols of the main street and funeral escorts, something that the town would lose using the state police.
“The state police services are very limited to our community,” he said.
Response time was another concern addressed by Ingemi.
Additionally, the notion that the Hammonton personnel would be given first priority in the hiring of state police was not reasonable, the chief said.
“The town officers just don’t become state troopers,” Ingemi said.
There are restrictions based on age, varying pensions and more that would limit the local officer’s ability to transfer to working as a state trooper, Ingemi explained.
“The reality is we have men and women dedicated to the town of Hammonton and they would all lose their jobs,” Ingemi said.
Ingemi recognized the fact that the FOC is an advisory board to the council and they review ways in which the town can cut costs, but he emphasized his opposition to the idea.
“I understand they are looking for ways to save money, however these ideas are not practical,” he said, referring to the police department.
He suggested that if they wanted to follow the path of shared services between municipalities, that mayor and council should look at ways for Hammonton to service other communities.
“If you want good services, you have to pay for it,” Ingemi said.
Councilman Edward Wuillermin reiterated the role of the FOC.
“They are not the policy makers. They were charged to leave no stone unturned, and if there was a different way to look at it, to do so. It doesn’t mean that everything that is discussed will be considered by the council, but at the same time we don’t want to stifle that dialogue,” he said.
“I would never be in favor of an idea as ridiculous as this, and I would never support it,” Councilman James Bertino said.
“I am not going to support anything of the sort. You may see a savings in the first year and that is where it stops,” Councilman Anthony Marino said.
“The state police will give you service, but not personal service,” Councilman Jerry Vitalo said.
Councilwoman Tracy Petrongolo was not in support of the idea of the state police making the police department headquarters in the new town hall a state barracks.
“I could never support the state police in the new town hall. It seems like an invasion of sorts. The Hammonton Police Department is one of the best around,” she said.
Ingemi thanked Petrongolo for her comments, saying that they meant a lot to him and the members of the police department.
In other council news, Mayor John DiDonato presented the 2008 proposed budget to the Hammonton Town Council members with a zero tax municipal increase for the third consecutive year.
“As we enter 2008, with the financial climate of our residents, we cannot afford a government that doesn’t scrutinize every penny spent. Good government needs to recognize when times are tough and make sacrifices to help hold the line on taxes. As we sit here today, families are struggling with increased heating costs, electric costs, fuel for their vehicles and many other increased costs. Seniors are struggling as they live on fixed incomes and they need help as inflation circles out of control. That is why today with the help of members of the Fiscal Oversight Committee, I am announcing a balanced budget with no tax increase, and a reduction of debt for the third consecutive year. While we need to make some sacrifices, we achieved a balanced budget by continuing on the last two years’ fiscal plan for becoming more efficient,” DiDonato said.
According to DiDonato, due to the state government reduction of state aid and increased pension costs of $416,595, compensations had to be made including some staff adjustments.
“However, with the increased efficiency over the last two years all services will continue as part of this year’s budget. Essential services like police, fire and highway see increased funding this year,” he continued.
The proposed budget also authorizes no additional debt and anticipates reducing the total amount of debt for the town for the third consecutive year, DiDonato said.
He asked that in addition to passing the budget, that the council pass two key ordinances including a $1.5 million four-year debt reduction ordinance and a $1 million water capital reserve ordinance.
At the next council meeting on April 28, the council will discuss the proposed budget.
Due to a petition generated and presented to council regarding the state gypsy moth spraying program, Bertino sought an approval by the council to re-submit an application for consideration of the program.
At the February meeting, the council opted to back out of the program due to the decrease from two to one application and subsequently a loss of effectiveness.
Bertino, Marino, Vitalo and Petrongolo voted against the measure at the February meeting. Mayor DiDonato, Wuillermin and Councilman Jerome Barberio recused themselves because they would be receiving the spray.
In January, Bertino, Marino, Vitalo and Petrongolo had voted for the measure, with the other three members of council recusing themselves at that month’s meeting for the same reason. Their votes changed in February after the state said the town would be receiving one spraying instead of two.
Bertino chaired both of the votes, and chaired the discussion on the matter on March 17.
According to Hammonton Town Clerk Susanne Oddo, a letter was received indicating that the town was removed from the program as per its request, and the deadline had passed for consideration.
The Gazette has obtained the letter, e-mailed to Oddo earlier in the day on March 17 from Joe Zoltowski of the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, which stated unequivocally there will not be any spraying of gypsy moths in Hammonton.
“Now I understand that Hammonton wants to get back into the program, however material has not been ordered (nor made) as per the previous request. Unfortunately I am unable to add Hammonton to the list at this late date,” Zoltowski wrote.
Later in the evening, during the March 17 meeting, Bertino told the public that he was awaiting a response from the New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture to see if the town would be allowed back into the program.
“I’m not promising that people are going to say ‘Yeah, you’re back in it’ because that’s not the case,” Bertino said before the vote to send a resolution to the state asking for the town to be admitted back into the program, even though the deadline had passed.
Even if the town could be allowed, the opportunity for state reimbursement has been lost, the town having failed to apply within the timeline given and would have to be waived as a condition of approval, according to Bertino.
The cost to local taxpayers would be $46,420. With the state reimbursement the town would have paid only $35,000.
Wuillermin, Barberio and Mayor DiDonato recused themselves from the vote due to owning property within the zone to be sprayed.
Councilwoman Petrongolo recused herself after discussion noting that she had already voted on this issue.
Bertino, Marino and Vitalo voted for the resolution.
Regarding the new town hall which is nearing completion, one change order was approved in the amount of $9,822 for the new town hall project to the McCloud Group.
The town council approved for the town solicitor Brian Howell to accept and enter into an agreement with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) for a reduced fine of $7,500 for failure to comply with the timeline associated with a stormwater management plan.
The NJDEP mandated around 2004 for municipalities to become stormwater compliant by 2006, according to Howell. The town adopted a plan in 2007.
The original fine was given in the amount of $15,000, according to Howell.
The town argued that part of the reason the town missed the deadline was the lack of clear guidelines and direction from the NJDEP, he said.
During his report, Mayor DiDonato sought and council agreed to declare September 12 “Mayor’s Day” in the town of Hammonton to honor all past mayors. At a previous council meeting, September 12 was selected to be a day to honor former Mayor Anthony Ingemi.
Some notable achievements by past mayors outlined by Mayor DiDonato include: Barbara Berenato served as the first woman mayor; Russell Clark served in the office for the longest time period (10 consecutive years) and Pete Parisi served as mayor for eight years.
Gina Rullo contributed to this report.