Freeholders Briefed on Golf Operations, Republican Candidate Questions Priorities

Although county golf courses and Haz-Mat teams were lauded and routine business passed at the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders meeting in Elizabeth on Thursday night, the dialogue was testy at times, with a preview of the fall campaign creeping into the public comments.

The meeting began with representatives telling the freeholder board that the county's two golf courses, Galloping Hill and Ash Brook, made more money this year than either of the past two years. Armando Sanchez, director of the county's division of golf operations, testified that in 2008 the county's then three golf courses made a combined $1.4 million. In 2009, after transforming Oak Ridge in Clark into a park, the dollar amount dipped to a million, he said. In the 2010 fiscal year, which ended June 22, the courses made $1.625 million, Sanchez said.

Sanchez attributed the jump in profits to improvements at the Galloping Hill range, which now features a new driving range and refurbished bunkers.

During the public comment portion Jeff Reisel, of Cranford, president of the men's association at Ash Brook, praised the freeholders.

"Ash Brook is absolutely gorgeous," he said. "Whatever you guys are doing keep doing it because it's a pleasure to have that kind of course in this county."

Not all the talk of the county's golf courses was as complimentary. Buettner as questioned why, after already approving money to refurbish bunkers at Galloping Hill, the Department of Parks and Community Renewal asked to increase funds from around $39,000 to nearly $47,000 just for sand. Department director Alfred Faella said it was because during the actual work, golf course officials realized they hadn't asked for enough sand.

Freeholder Alexander Mirabella asked Sanchez a similar question.

"We ran out of sand," Sanchez said.

"Must be a lot of sand," Mirabella said.

"It is," Sanchez replied.

Summit Councilwoman Ellen Dickson, a Republican nominee for freeholder, used her time during the public speaking portion of the meeting to admonish the board for what she sees as out-of-whack priorities.

"I felt like I was in a different world with all this talk about golf courses while so many of our towns are having to lay off policemen and firemen," she said.

Garwood resident Bruce Patterson, a former Republican freeholder nominee and frequent critic of county government, questioned how the all-Democratic freeholder board's spending priorities has affected his taxes.

"It's nice to talk about nice golf courses," he said. "But this is all part of why we're the second highest taxed county in the country."

Andrew Moran, director of the department of Public Safety, gave the freeholder board a detailed account of the county's response to a tanker truck full of fuel that overturned on June 16 on Bonnie Burn Road in Watchung near the county line. The crash spilled 4,000 gallons of fuel and closed the road for nearly 24 hours. Moran said that 130 responders were on the scene for 11 hours and through their efforts mitigated the spill and kept the fuel from igniting.

"Our personnel arrived on the scene and were able to take steps to contain the leak and make it safe," he said.

The freeholders passed around two dozen resolutions providing funds for various projects, contracts, services and initiatives for the Department of Administrative Services, the Department of Correctional Services, the Department of Engineering, Public Works and Facilities, the Department of Finance, the Department of Human Services, the Department of Parks and Community Renewal and the Department of Public Safety.

They also met in an executive session to discuss the case Alvin White v. County of Union. County Counsel Robert E. Barry said that White, a former corrections officer who was accused of criminal charges, has sued the county for restitution for his legal fees, his pending disability and retirement pay, and indicated his civil rights were violated. Barry said the board discussed a "global settlement addressing all those claims," in the amount of $45,000.

During her public comments Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski noted that Jim Buettner of Cranford, who grilled the freeholders about how they determine dollar amounts for contracts during the public comment session, was getting up to leave.

Buettner then shouted from the back of the room that Kowalski was out of order and demanded an apology. Freeholder Chairman Daniel P. Sullivan banged his gavel and reminded Buettner that it was no longer his turn to speak. Buettner then stormed out in disgust.

Even before any voices had been raised in the room, Joseph Doherty, of Elizabeth, spoke to the board about his concern about the tenor of dialogue at the freeholder meetings. He said he believed criticism should be given and accepted charitably.

""I have a less than flattering opinion of the Union County government," he said. "The winds of change are sweeping the nation…and Union County officeholders are in the crosshairs of the winds of change."