PARK RIDGE—Concerns over unclear language and provisions allowing personal use of municipal vehicles led two Park Ridge council members to abstain from approving three management contracts at the Nov. 12 meeting. The contracts, which passed with a tie-breaking vote from Mayor Keith Misciagna, involve Director of Operations Paul Longo, Electric Utility Supervisor James Leichtnam, and Water and Sewer Utility Superintendent Christopher O’Leary.
Originally approved in 2021, the contracts were updated this year with salary increases and retained a contentious clause allowing personal use of borough vehicles. Salaries and increases were not disclosed in the resolutions.
The agreement for Longo, obtained by Pascack Press via a public records request, states the borough will provide him “an automobile to be used for work and his personal use.” The contract limits personal use to “the greater of a 3-hour distance or 180 miles from Park Ridge” and specifies that the borough determines the vehicle’s make and model, which may also be used for fieldwork if required.
Councilor Matthew Capilli questioned the fairness of the policy. “It feels like we’re picking and choosing department heads as to who gets cars and for what purposes,” he said. Capilli argued the language was overly broad, allowing personal use unrelated to work emergencies.
Borough Attorney John Schettino said state guidelines permit personal use of municipal vehicles if the value is reported via IRS 1099 forms. Mayor Misciagna said his private company follows similar procedures but did not confirm whether the borough was in compliance.
Republican councilman Gregory Hoffman, who also abstained, called the contracts “poorly drafted, riddled with typos, and full of ambiguous language.” In a Nov. 22 email to Pascack Press, Hoffman said, “There is no question that the three men to whom the contracts corresponded are assets to our town and I had no doubt that the substance of the proposed contracts would be approved.”
Hoffman continued, “However, to secure the best interests of the town, the Mayor and Council have an obligation to mitigate any potential for confusion down the road should any problems arise. I was disappointed to see the majority of the Mayor and Council summarily approve the contracts without at least taking a look at them to perfect the language contained therein.”
Capilli’s motion to table the resolutions for further review failed in a 4-3 vote. Hoffman and Republican Councilor Bruce Goldsmith supported the motion, while Democrats Robert Metzdorf, Michael Mintz, and John Ferguson opposed it. Misciagna’s tie-breaking vote allowed the contracts to pass.
Capilli emphasized his objections were not personal. “It’s nothing against those [employees],” he said. “But I feel like we need clearer, fairer policies.”
Adding to the controversy, none of the employment agreements were made publicly available during the meeting or linked online.