Thursday, September 20, 2007

A Frustrating Somerset County Parks Commission Meeting

Tonight’s meeting lasted about 15 minutes short of three hours and, although the six commissioners present (the commission now has a full complement of nine people) did their best as a group to hammer out specific proposals to major issues confronting them, they managed not to implement a single one of the critical recommendations made by individual commissioners tonight on four items of major concern.

Commissioners Steven Fuerst, Joanne Jaeger, Paul Consiglio, John Gillen, Robert Horowitz, and Gary Walsh thoroughly discussed the issues now facing the new parks commission. However, the commission as a whole could not agree, and significant resolutions to address the issues below were either returned to committee, soundly defeated, or hung up in a 3/3 vote.

1. Process improvements relating to the commission’s approval of bill payments.

2. A new policy for county employees who currently have vehicles assigned to them.

3. A housing policy for county managers who now occupy county homes at below-market rents.

4. A recommendation made in the waning minutes of the meeting to adopt a high-standards ethics policy.

It wasn’t fun observing so many talented people trying so hard and, yet, just not seeming to be able to come to closure on matters of urgency to Somerset County. As an observer, I came out with the impression that things will definitely change, but not necessarily in the direction that most residents of this county seem to be demanding that they should.

It’s late. More to come . . . . .

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