BY MICHAEL OLOHAN
OF NORTHERN VALLEY PRESS
ENGLEWOOD, N.J. —— Much to the dismay of nearly 100 residents who filled a makeshift second-floor meeting room at Liberty School Nov. 27, the city council voted 3-2 to approve a two-year contract for a city manager with favorable votes coming from two so-called “lame duck” councilmen whose terms end Jan. 2.
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The two-year contract for Edward Hynes, previously Englewood’s interim city manager since April, includes a $193,000 annual salary, car allowance of $400 per month and 20 vacation days, effective Nov. 27.
Both Council President Wayne Hamer and Councilman-At-Large Charles Cobb voted against Hynes’ two-year contract, claiming they were excluded from discussions on the decision to offer Hynes a two-year contract. The “special meeting” to discuss Hynes’ hiring was requested by councilmen Marc Forman, Eugene Skurnick and Michael Cohen.
In addition, Cobb and Hamer said they had issues with the “process” that occurred when the vote to hire Hynes was decided. Voting to approve Hynes’ two-year contract were councilmen Marc Forman and Eugene Skurnick—both leaving council on Jan. 2—along with Councilman Michael Cohen.
The tumultuous meeting—interrupted by regular shouts to table the hiring resolution and begin a search for other candidates—appeared to leave many residents upset and disappointed after the final vote.
When Cobb introduced a motion to table the hiring decision, it was voted down by the same three councilmen who later voted to approve Hynes’ two-year contract.
The council permitted public comment on the hiring resolution before and after voting. Many comments criticized council members for rushing the hiring, not doing a thorough search, holding a “special meeting” on the same night another meeting occurred at city hall, and allegations that the hiring decision was a “done deal” and made before public input was received.
One resident, Dierdre Paul, said she was upset with council members who “use Englewood as a patronage mill for washed-up Democratic politicians” and alleged that Hynes, as former executive director of Bergen County Improvement Authority, paid a salary “for services never performed and elevator equipment never installed” at former Bergen Regional Medical Center that “cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.”
Resident Kevin Lake said he found Hynes “competent, diligent, responsive, and effective” in updating the tree ordinance and a street light concern with PSE&G.
Another resident said the city manager should have experience in city government management, and that Hynes did not have that.
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Heated exchanges
After an exchange between two residents over another issue led to angry shouting early in the meeting, Hamer urged calm.
“This can easily get out of hand, more than it already is,” said Hamer, urging attendees to tamp down back and forth personal attacks.
Junius Carter, Cambridge Avenue, said he was “very concerned where there is a rush to put somebody in” and said that to get the best person “take your time and hire the most qualified person you can find.”
Former Mayor Sandy Greenberg said she initially thought the city did not need to spend money to conduct a search for city manager. She said that “unless the city council, all of them, wants to have the manager that’s the only way he’s going to be successful in our city. I have nothing against Mr. Hynes,” she said.
She said she would wait to hire a city manager “until the two new people are on the council” Jan. 2 and “that all of you, every one of you, must be able to work together or we don’t have a city that works together.”
Rev. John Gibbons said he had “serious concerns” with a special meeting being called when another municipal meeting is taking place on the same night. He urged the council to table the meeting. He said he “questioned the entire council” how the position was duly advertised and also urged a search committee be formed.
He asked the council “to put out a search party for this position” and said he would possibly file a lawsuit if that did not occur. “
“We strongly believe this is improper, counsel; I think this is illegal and we’ll come in with a lawsuit,” he said.
‘Minimum’ qualifications
Another resident, Leroy Campbell of Tenafly Road was concerned that Hynes’ hiring resolution said he met “the minimum qualifications” for the position, and wondered if any candidates held the maximum qualifications.
“Of the candidates that were presented, no,” said Hamer, referring to the “interim” candidates.
Adam Brown of Elm Road told the audience “if you think the fix is in, you’re right.”
He said he was “losing patience” with council members, “but something doesn’t feel right…what’s going on, what happened at the last city council meeting?”
Brown said he wanted to know “why only white people get to participate in this decision as to who the city manager is going to be.” He said he is a 35-year resident and alleged council members were not following the city charter regarding the city manager’s contract term, severance pay, and legal aspects of how much time the city manager, and his family, must spend in the city.
Brown charged that three councilmen “have breached their fiduciary duty to our city tonight” and asked them “to mend their ways” and “look into their hearts and leave this [hiring] for the next council to decide.”
Jill Lauren of Booth Avenue said the city manager “is so important, we need someone who can come in and fix our broken city.”
“The people deserve to ask questions of candidates,” Lauren said. She noted that the council should hold “a different forum…so that everybody feels better when the most important position of our town is decided upon.”
Hamer said the Zoning Board meeting was advertised prior to their special meeting but the Nov. 27 date was chosen by the three council members requesting the special meeting. He said no search process took place for a city manager, although one did prior to hiring Hynes as interim city manager.
Hamer said “there is no issue with having a car allowance” of $400 monthly per the contract and no official vehicle is provided to the city manager.
When the motion was introduced to hire Hynes, someone from the audience shouted: “Don’t do it.”
Cobb said the three councilmen who requested a special meeting excluded him and Hamer from the decision to call a “special meeting” to hire Hynes. “We were not part of this process,” said Cobb.
“To go forward with this. Number one, Mr. Hynes, it speaks to his integrity, because I wouldn’t want to be hired under a process like that when you know they were intentionally excluding us. Fourth Ward didn’t even have representation in that vote,” Cobb charged. “This is not a dictatorship.”
Cobb added: “How do you move forward and you haven’t included the other members? That’s what you should be asking,” Cobb said. “You elected us to represent you and we can’t do that. Something’s wrong with that.”
Cobb said the three councilmen “had the majority” and wondered why they did not follow a selection process that included him and Hamer.
“Now we’re not getting due process. I don’t know what deals will be done. We don’t know. The fact that they’ll do that to us, how will they serve you?” said Cobb repeatedly.
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A ‘broken process’
“If I were Mr. Hynes I wouldn’t want to get hired like that cause you know what he’s going to have to deal with me and Mr. Hamer,” said Cobb. “The process is broken…and these guys with the process being broken still had to go through the back door,” said Cobb. “Because they knew we would question it.”
Cobb said the three councilmen were making a decision “at the taxpayers’ expense” and said residents “deserve better, you deserve a process…it’s not about picking on people,” Cobb said. “The people deserve a search.”
Forman said his family moved to Englewood in 1952, and him and two brothers went to Englewood schools. He said allegations that he does not have Englewood’s best interests at heart are “deeply insulting” and alleged Hamer “refused” to put Hynes’ hiring on council’s regular Nov. 21 agenda.
Hamer denied the allegation.
“I was asked to support hiring Mr. Hynes…and I categorically said no. For the record I didn’t veto anything,” said Hamer.
Mayor Frank Huttle said “never should a major decision affecting the future of a government…be done not in lame duck session by 2 of 3 council people that will not be here (in January),” said Huttle.
“This process is wrong. Two people that will not be representing you are two of the three votes who called a special meeting,” said Huttle.
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Why now?
“I am making the following request. Whatever can be done tonight can be done at our reorganization meeting, with our two new council people who are standing right there,” said Huttle.
“Why now? Why are we holding this meeting 33 days before New Year’s Eve…and this body will change 30 percent,” said Huttle. He asked Hynes to “reconsider this and unite the city.”
Before voting to approve Hynes’ contract, Skurnick charged that Cobb on July 11 voted not to have an executive search firm for city manager, amid audience shouts to “just vote” and “out of order.” Hamer called for order to allow Skurnick to finish his statement.
The next city council meeting is Dec. 5.
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Photos by Michael Olohan