April 17, 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • Page 23 Mahwah police overtime (continued from page 5) “This is about spending labor money for something that was not necessary, and there has been no answer from the mayor, the administration, or the chief,” Lockwood said. “The public deserves to know.” Councilman Steven Sbarra assured Lockwood that everyone intends to find out what happened so they don’t make the same mistake again and, to that end, the council will meet on a quarterly basis with the major department heads to review their budgets to make sure they are not surprised at the end of the year, and have a better understanding of the status of the departments’ budgets before they approve the transfer of any money. Laforet responded, saying, “This is just a vendetta against me and police chief.” He said he believes the dispute is nothing more than grandstanding by his political opponents who want to disparage him and Police Chief James Batelli, who supported him in his last election campaign. Laforet claims that $215,000 in court overtime resulted in $524,000 in revenue for the township. He said, “That sounds like a pretty good deal to me.” Laforet also pointed out that there is over $180,000 in uncollected court fines because of a backlog of 2,200 cases yet to be addressed in municipal court. He claims the revenue produced by the police overtime makes the premise for the argument against police overtime defective, and he feels there should be no reason to continue the debate. Council President Harry Williams previously advised the council that the police overtime cost increased by $187,000 between 2011, when it was $327,000, and 2012, when it increased to $514,000, while the number of summonses issued rose from 5,600 to 7,600, resulting in a net cost to the township of $75,000. He has asked that the issue of who authorized the Tuesday night police overtime be placed on the agenda for the April 18 council meeting, when the council plans to hold a public hearing on the township’s 2013 budget. The issue is the attendance of police officers at Tuesday night court sessions on overtime when plea agreements are generally reached between Dennis Harraka, the township’s prosecutor, and those who have received traffic summonses. It has been addressed at several council meetings, and Harraka has explained that he does not need police officers in court on Tuesday nights. They are required to be in court on Thursday nights, when trials are held. At a previous council meeting, however, Batelli told the council that the prosecutor approved the police officers’ return to court on Tuesdays. Harraka claims he did not authorize their attendance in 2012 and he said he has no authority or interest in having police officers in court on Tuesdays. He also told the council the presence of police officers at court sessions on Tuesdays has not been required since a change in state law in 2009. Laforet previously told the council that, after he was elected in 2011, he made a “handshake” agreement with the PBA to limit the police officers’ overtime on Tuesdays to a two hour maximum, but he claims Harraka told him he was the only one who can require police officers to come to court. The council has been trying, without success thus far, to determine exactly who authorized police officers to attend Tuesday court sessions since the 2009 change in the law. Mahwah Minutes (continued from page 21) annual Public Spirit Showcase on Wednesday, April 24. The event will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza Hotel and Conference Center at 3 Executive Boulevard in Suffern, New York. During this event, the Chamber will honor the region’s non-profit groups. This year, the Public Spirit Showcase will spotlight over 25 regional non-profits, including both Chamber member and non-member organizations. “This event gives the Chamber the chance to celebrate these non-profit groups and all of their hard work throughout the year,” said Mahwah Chamber Executive Director Sharon Rounds. The event will include networking, door prizes, refreshments, and a cash bar. Exhibit tables are free for Chamber non-profit members and are $25 for non-members. The Public Spirit Showcase admittance fee is $15 for Chamber members and $30 for non-members. Advance registration for the event is preferred. An additional $5 processing fee will be charged if paid the day of event. To register, visit mahwah.com or call (201) 529-5566. Register for adult softball Mahwah Recreation will hold registration for firsttime adult softball league players from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 24 and Thursday, May 9 at the recreation building at 70 East Ramapo Avenue. The season will begin June 17. Men will play on Mondays and Wednesdays and women will play on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Players must be at least 21 years of age and must provide proof of residency. The fee to play is $25. Deadline for registration is May 10. The registration form is available online at www.mahwahtwp.org, under Forms Center.