GOP Council president says he was kind of 'appalled' by Dems' vote - No... http://www.northjersey.com/news/116954428_Council_president_says_...

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Story tools GOP Council president says he was kind

Comments: 9
of 'appalled' by Dems' vote
E-mail this story Friday, February 25, 2011
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BY AMANDA BASKIND
Decrease Font Size NORTHERN VALLEY SUBURBANITE
Increase Font Size Staff Writer

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS - The borough council approved a measure on Feb. 17 that

reduced the amount a former employee would have received as part of their
2
terminal leave package.
Share

Be the Their party-line vote removed

Like
first of the $2,500 severance pay
your
friends
that Democrats say was
to like original promised.
this.

vote The reduced termination

now package for former
administrator/clerk, Ilene
Cohen was an amended
version backed by the
Republicans. There was no
change made in the terminal
package for former deputy
STAFF PHOTO BY JOE CAMPOREALE clerk, Lisette Duffy.
Buy this photo
Cohen, however, will still be
Councilman Ilan Plawker, right, at the paid $37,534 and Duffy will
January reorganization meeting. Council get $5,595.
President Robert Agresta says he
doesn't understand why the councilman After the vote, Council
and Councilwoman Melanie Simon voted President Robert Agresta said
against payments to two former he was "kind of appalled that
employees. Plawker says the council Ilan and Melanie voted
president is 'tried to put a political spin against it...Both were very
on it which is absolutely ridiculous.' aggressive in wanting Ilene
and Lisette reappointed and
then they vote against paying
them out in their own packages."

Agresta said that if Democratic Council members Melanie Simon and Ilan Plawker
objected to the amended version for the payments, they should have voted yes, or
abstained from voting, adding that "If two or more council people voted no, there
would have been no severance package."

While Agresta alleged that the "no" votes could have prevented Cohen and Duffy
from collecting their severance packages, Democrats said they rejected the reduce
payments because that was not the original deal coming into the meeting.

"We voted against it because it eliminated $2,500 as was promised," said Plawker.
"We had to vote 'no' because we did not want it passed the way it was."

It's outrageous that he [Agresta] would pretend we voted against paying these
women," said Plawker. "He tried to put a political spin on it which is absolutely
ridiculous."

Plawker also disputes Agresta's claim that had the governing body sided with
Democrats that the two former employees would not have been paid anything.

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GOP Council president says he was kind of 'appalled' by Dems' vote - No... http://www.northjersey.com/news/116954428_Council_president_says_...

According to Plawker, rejecting the reduced payments would have meant the
original proposal would have been used, a suggestion, he said, the CFO made.

Agresta said Borough Attorney Doug Doyle advised the council that some of the
payout would not be customary for this type of non-appointment.

According to Matthew Weng, of the New Jersey League of Municipalities, an

administrator who has a term of office and is not reappointed, like in the case of
Cohen, is not eligible for three months severance pay.

"With respect to the overall size, the packages are astronomical," said Agresta. "Our
union contracts and procedures and policies have to be changed so their
expectations will be changed."

Agresta said the borough is in the process of changing the procedures and policies
to make packages more cost effective to the town. "Now is the time for us to change
those."

"The number and dollar amounts are completely out of proportion," Agresta said
"but the way to fix that is not by saying 'no'."E-mail: baskind@northjersey.com or
call 201-894-6723

Click here for more news from: Englewood Cliffs

Reader Comments (9)

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1. Wednesday March 9, 2011, 8:37 AM - sitbak says:

Come on sing with me, “Here she comes to save the daaaay, SUPERCLERK is on her
way” You mean to tell me SUPERCLERK has help? Thought she was hired to do it all?
So why LIE and get rid of the Deputy Clerk…oh, I got it , It was PERSONAL!!! Hey
RECALL you said “What business hires without interviewing, advertising, or at least
meeting the candidate?” Here’s the answer…Deli Boy, Car Boy and Mama’s Boy –
their businesses hire that way…Daddy’s business that is!!! During this Lenten time I
must say…"Let him who is without sin cast the first stone" Translation for the
illiterates “You are only free to judge if you are perfect yourself.” Transparency??? I
say not, it’s “Hypocrisy”

2. Wednesday March 9, 2011, 7:59 AM - Recall says:

The Majority put absolutely no thought into this change of clerks. No transition!
What business does that? What business hires without interviewing, advertising, or
at least meeting the candidate? The new clerk, Susan, has NO experience in a
Municipality, was an Administrator for a company, not a Municipality, and is drowning
in a sea of work because of a lack of experience. How long before she runs away
from this craziness? Agresta told us she was experienced, that is not true and she is
the first one to admit it. Why tell lies? What are they hiding? Carol wanted to have
someone to mold and say yes to all of her demands, perhaps that is why she voted
yes to the new clerk. Where are the posted agendas? Where are the approved
minutes? Why is the PT help doing the Deputy Clerk's job if we didn't need a Deputy
Clerk? Carol was at Borough Hall every day working the phones or "helping". This is
NOT a commission form of government. She does not belong in Borough Hall! Even
the new clerk had to kick her out! Why does EC suddenly need outside influence
from other political powers from other towns to decide what is best for EC? This is
NOT what we want for EC! Come to Borough Hall for the 3/9 meeting at 8PM and
demand answers! Sounds like they are planning for the merger that they so
vehemently denied. Remember...Recall and vote!

3. Saturday February 26, 2011, 11:09 PM - tcsh says:

Carlo and Consalvo were campaigning on this door to door. They did not deny it
when confronted, only after the election did they play the denial game. Asatrian
requested the borough attorney to draft an ordinance, don't believe me? Find a copy
of the email he wrote. Go read Rob's piece on his website, it is not him pontificating
"We are now also evaluating options for shared services in the police and fire
departments as well" It's a shame that your hatred for Parisi Sr is blinding your
common sense, because then maybe then you would see how your drive-by council
President and his flunkies are quickly running this town into the ground.

4. Saturday February 26, 2011, 10:29 PM - compromiser says:

tcsh - you are either misled or are playing games. Your buddy Plawker diabolically
wove together a few offhand remarks Astrakian made about the Fire Dept and some
poli-eco theory BS that Agresta blogged about, and created the effective but
nonetheless phony story about mergers. This is old news, and those who choose to
be deceived (like you apparently) will never listen to reason. The disgrace here is not
the $2500 separation bonus, but why the Dems had a deal to pay any separation
money AT ALL to their politically appointees. I hope the Repubs and their attorney
(and maybe the Town Accountant) can quickly identify and quantify who else is
riding on this gravy train. Having lived here for over 30 years, I've always suspected
that some of the most outspoken, nasty, and viscious supporters of the Parisi regime
must have had something of value to gain from Parisi. Remember - Mubarek maybe
had 100's of pandering evil selfish "yes-men" like Plawker in his ranks, but even
Mubarek was toppled. And to both tcsh and freetobeme, there is no need to call
SPARKY an "idiot" or "stupid." I do not agree with SPARKY if he favors merger.
However, I do agree that we ought to have a better government here in Englewood
Cliffs, and we will not have it until those with local town business interests -
insurance and homes sales - are voted out of Town Hall ASAP!

5. Saturday February 26, 2011, 10:29 PM - compromiser says:

2 of 3 3/27/11 11:06 AM
GOP Council president says he was kind of 'appalled' by Dems' vote - No... http://www.northjersey.com/news/116954428_Council_president_says_...

tcsh - you are either misled or are playing games. Your buddy Plawker diabolically
wove together a few offhand remarks Astrakian made about the Fire Dept and some
poli-eco theory BS that Agresta blogged about, and created the effective but
nonetheless phony story about mergers. This is old news, and those who choose to
be deceived (like you apparently) will never listen to reason. The disgrace here is not
the $2500 separation bonus, but why the Dems had a deal to pay any separation
money AT ALL to their politically appointees. I hope the Repubs and their attorney
(and maybe the Town Accountant) can quickly identify and quantify who else is
riding on this gravy train. Having lived here for over 30 years, I've always suspected
that some of the most outspoken, nasty, and viscious supporters of the Parisi regime
must have had something of value to gain from Parisi. Remember - Mubarek maybe
had 100's of pandering evil selfish "yes-men" like Plawker in his ranks, but even
Mubarek was toppled. And to both tcsh and freetobeme, there is no need to call
SPARKY an "idiot" or "stupid." I do not agree with SPARKY if he favors merger.
However, I do agree that we ought to have a better government here in Englewood
Cliffs, and we will not have it until those with local town business interests -
insurance and homes sales - are voted out of Town Hall ASAP!

6. Saturday February 26, 2011, 12:36 PM - freetobeme says:

There will be no savings by letting these two ladies go. That is for sure. Just wait
more to come. The town will also have to pay into unemployement for them. Sparky
you are really stupid!!! Do you really think a merger will help your town? That is
funny...

7. Saturday February 26, 2011, 11:36 AM - tcsh says:

Sparky you are an idiot. Do you understand the concept of ratables? Englewood
Cliffs currently enjoys the second lowest property tax rate per dollar of any
community in Bergen County. Englewood would love for a merger to happen,
because they can then reap the windfall of our ratables. That would result in HIGHER
taxes for the people of EC. The Republicans in the last election floated the idea of
merger of police and fire, and as a result their candidates where trounced at the
polls. So keep spouting your uninformed nonsense if you want to continue to act like
an idiot.

8. Friday February 25, 2011, 11:39 PM - Sparky says:

Merge this whole town with Englewood and put an end to the crybabies bickering.

9. Friday February 25, 2011, 11:20 PM - tcsh says:

So let me get this straight, the money that we were "saving" by eliminating a
position and hiring Spohn is now awash because there are terminal payments being
doled out. Wouldn't we have saved more money by keeping these two ladies in the
first place? More stupidity by our drive-by council president and his cast of flunkies.

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