Page 6 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • April 25, 2012 Area The Bergen County Board of Freeholders voted unanimously last week to halt any future pay and benefits to Northwest Bergen County Utilities Authority commissioners, thereby rescinding a 1979 ordinance that allowed each commissioner to receive a stipend of $5,000. Prior to the vote, the freeholders discussed the possibility of stopping pay only for future appointees. The board also discussed the elimination of health benefits, noting that a sudden change could present a hardship. However, the freeholders decided that the commissioners knew late last year that their benefits could be ending. The county also plans to file a suit to recover the pay and medical benefits that have already been provided to the seven NBCUA commissioners who were fired by Bergen Freeholders halt pay, benefits to NBCUA commissioners County Executive Kathleen Donovan as of April 16. Seven commissioners received dismissal letters last week for not heeding Donovan’s order to cease taking stipends, which are $5,000 per year per person, and full-time health benefits, which total approximately $97,000. The individuals concerned include Chairman William F. Dator of Mahwah, Vice Chairman Michael Kasparian of Ho-HoKus, and Commissioners Brian Chewcaskie of Allendale, Peter Dachnowicz of Waldwick, Frank Kelaher of Ramsey, Marion Plumley of Midland Park, and Jason T. Shafron of Wyckoff. Newly-appointed Commissioners Elizabeth Salazer of Saddle River and Kenneth Gabbert of Upper Saddle River, who had not taken stipends or received health benefits, did not receive the dismissal letter. In her notice of dismissal to the seven commissioners, Donovan cited the similarity of the state statute used by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie when he dismissed commissioners of the Passaic Valley Sewage Commission and Bergen County Administrative Code N.J.S.A. 40:41A37 (c) under Article 3.5 (c). Donovan’s Chief of Staff Jeanne Baratta said the county executive has been using her line item veto, and has not vetoed anything except the commissioners’ stipends and health benefits. Baratta said the seven commissioners had 30 days to appeal Donovan’s veto to the freeholder board, but didn’t follow the process. Donovan’s vetoes of authority minutes have reportedly been upheld by the New Jersey Division of Local Government Services. Baratta said the NBCUA was the last authority whose members are still receiving benefits and stipends. The seven commissioners questioned Donovan’s authority to dismiss them, and planned to file an Order of Show Cause in Superior Court. “NBCUA is an independent authority which receives no funding from the county and functions totally on revenues for sewer services cost-effectively rendered, not on tax dollars,” the commissioners said in a joint statement. “Even if the statute she cited in her dismissal letter (were) applicable, which it is not, she would have violated that statute by failure to provide notice, and by not giving the commissioners a right to a hearing.” Chairman Dator, who is also a Republican, stated that Donovan’s vetoes would not force the commissioners to “take the illegal action of stripping members of their stipends and benefits. This will not happen under my watch as we are bound by state law to honor those stipends and benefits until such time that a member’s term expires or a resignation is tendered.” The commissioners’ statement discredited the emergency action cited as a precedent for the dismissals. Sump pump inspections (continued from page 3) problems on their property or connect to the existing storm drains, the borough is expanding the surface water collection system. Plans call for installing a shallow manifold system connecting into the existing storm drain system to run along the right of way of flood-prone areas. Homeowners would connect into the new pipes to get rid of water from gutters, basements and yards, instead of sending this water down the drain. Kratz said the borough engineer is preparing plans and specifications for this project and that it should be ready to go out to bid next month.