PMUA MEETING POTPOURRI

PMUA's attorney,Leslie London, provided the Council members present with binders containing, as Councilman Reid expressed, two realms of paper which held a great deal of information pertinent to PMUA, including the authorizing ordinances and amendments, as well as fiscal reports, salaries, the interlocal service agreement, as well as agreements with the UCUA(Union County Utilities Authority}, PARSA [Plainfield area regional sewer authority] and the Middlesex Sewer Utility Authority.

Since all the above is supposed to be public information London said a copy would be placed in the City Clerk's office.

Council President Burney noted that there had been preliminary meetings between Council members and the PMUA executives. A few in the audience privately raised the question but did not ask if these meetings were subject to the Sunshine laws.Perhaps not if they were not scheduled and were just informal.

It was noted that PMUA was required by county and state rules [laws] to use the County's Incinerator in Linden whereas private haulers were using at a savings out of state landfills. PMUA has a 25 year favorable rate contract with UCUA not available to those who have not opt in. Further questioning elicited that there was a cap on the amount of tonnage.Above that the rate would be similar to that charged to others.

The shared services provided by the interlocal agreement included clearing of the downtown area, city property,city parks, cleaning up after municipal events, trash services for municipal buildings. etc at no charge to the "city". When questioned, how the costs for this service was met the answer was that it was that portion of the ratepayers bill.

During the public commentary Plainfielder Albert Pittis noted that the "shared services" charged business properties was based on "lot" and not on the building's space area.
Therefore a multistory property paid the same fee as a single story on the same size lot.

Other citizens remarked that PMUA was providing a municipal service that should be part of the City's operating costs and therefore a budget item which would be part of the tax base. Instead property owners are deprived of that deduction or any voice in the cost of the service.

PMUA counsel London stated that the Sewer Charge on the rate payers bill was determined by an adopted "methodology" which she refused to clarify because of "pending litigation" . She did state that the bill was determined on the volume of water used not on the water companies charges.

Prior to the formation of PUMA sewerage charges were also part of the tax bill.

The availability of the compensation received by PMUA's executives is open to the public and not unreasonable. What is not stated are perks including health and dental insurance, pension plan, travel and meeting reimbursement. The inference was besides the Commissioners $4,500.00 annual gratuity, they received the same perks as the Authority's executives.

A member of the public wondered why there had to be 7 commissioners and not two or three. Perhaps a reference could be had in the "Soprano State".

All the above is anecdotal and subject to correction which is welcomed. I do urge reading any newspaper report in print or on line, as well as Plainfield Plaintalker.