COUNCIL MEETING

The 7:30 PM Council meeting started at 8:20 PM.delayed 50 minutes by the closed executive session. Until I have time to go over my notes this will only be a brief comment on two items of interest.
City Administrater Dasheilds gave a power point presentation on the 50% pension plane deposit deferral. As I understood him, the 50% will be mandatory, and is to be paid back with 8% interest in 30 years. The city has 3 options:

1. To place the 50% deferred in a trust which can not be touched for 3+ years'
2. To place a portion of the deferred monies and use the rest for budget purposes.
3. To use all of the withheld 50% for budget.

For the next 3 years the deferred portion is 40%, 20%, then 0%.

The ordnance creating a Director of Data Processing services caused a prolong discussion, almost equally dividing the Council. There are many unanswered questions and Dashield was actively lobbying for its adoption next Monday Councilor, claiming that creating a position with a salary range was preparatory only, and could not be filled until a budget slot existed. Councilor Mapp observed that it was like putting the cart before the horse. Others want more time to investigate

It will be on the agenda next Monday when Councilor Carter said she felt that the city should go forward in establishing a needed IT service, but she wanted more information on total costs and along with asked for assurance that there was no one already picked for the job. The question was raised and I do njot feel if it was completely answered if the Council would have the right of approval of ay candidate. .

My position would be that it is bad. Until the Council receives the information they want there should be no vote. If enacted, despite assurances that it would not be operative until funded in the budget, the format of the IT program would have been cast in stone. Get a plan and then create the offices needed to fit the plan. The argument that we have already had consultants who failed to produce a workable system is not valid since there have been in the past three years questions about how those consultants were selected and there qualifications.

Mr Dashields statement that the reason no other community in the county has an IT Directer is because non are as large as Plainfield is a unique argument for action. The last I heard Elizabeth was the County seat, and I am sure that the population of others approaches Plainfield's,

The next committee report should contain a plan. It is noteworthy that no municipality in Union County has a person designated as IT director.

edited 7:20AM