Bloomingdale Shared Maintenance Work Resisted

The voted on May 22 to enter into a shared services agreement with the to take on some outdoor maintenance work at all three district schools.

But while all of the council members said they liked the idea in theory, Councilwomen Linda Shortman and Jo-Ann Pituch voted against the motion, citing a desire to table the vote until after the council had an opportunity to discuss it in a work session.

Mayor Jonathan Dunleavy presented the revenue opportunity to the council during its meeting after reading a .

After consulting with Borough Administrator Ted Ehrenburg and Superintendent Al Gallagher, who determined his department could handle the workload, Dunleavy asked for a motion to approve from the council.

The two-year contract, which would begin July 1, would net the borough $6,750 in revenue this year at a rate of $1,250 per month until November. The borough would bring in $10,000 next year, when it is able to serve the full April-to-November timeframe.

Shortman, who called for the motion to be tabled, said she had many questions she wanted answered, including how many hours during the week DPW employees would need for the work. Gallagher, who was present at the council meeting, said it would take one-to-two employees about half of a day each week for school grounds maintenance, which includes weed whacking, mulching, tending to the playground at the and trimming the edge of grass along Captolene Avenue.

Dunleavy said he felt it was important to get the ball rolling, saying that the borough could miss the opportunity “if we don’t get in first.” Directly addressing Shortman, Dunleavy said waiting for the next work session could push the issue to the council’s June 26 meeting, as the councilwoman has argued in the past against taking action during work sessions.

“We’ll lose [the opportunity] because July 1 is the start date,” Dunleavy said. “This is with existing employees with no issues. It’s simply maintaining the schools, which we as taxpayers and residents of the town should all want.”

However, Shortman said she didn’t see this as an emergency that needed immediate action.

“Do I think we need [more than] $1,000 a month? I absolutely do,” Shortman said. “I’m not against it. I’m against being rushed into doing something without the ability to sit and discuss it at a work session.”

The mayor said he has all the details he needs from Gallagher, who assured him that his employees can get the job done at the $1,250-per-month rate.

“[Gallagher] is going to make it work, which is his problem,” Dunleavy said. “I don’t need to wait two weeks. No research is going to be done between now and then.”

Dunleavy also said he had spoken with members of the board of education who liked the idea.

Rich Dellaripa, a board of education member, was present at the council meeting and offered his support of the shared services agreement during the public comment session.

“It takes taxpayer money and it keeps it in the town,” Dellaripa said.

Pituch said she had a problem with being told the DPW could handle this work after being told the department .

Dunleavy asked the councilwomen and the public to differentiate the two opportunities. He said that whereas the lawn cutting – which he opposed – represented 16 acres of grass and too much work for a small staff, this maintenance is just “patches of grass, peripheral edges and weed whacking.”

Let Patch save you time. Get local stories like this delivered right to your inbox or smartphone each day with our free newsletter. Simple, fast, sign-up here.