Months ago a couple of assembly members were bemoaning their
responsibility of serving as armed guards for the borough piggy bank and the
necessity of voting to authorize a change order that called for
some taxpayer money to be spent to complete a project. It was decided that an
assembly work session to examine what they thought was a problem in need of a
solution needed to occur post haste. So,
like the knights on white horses they envision themselves to be, they assembled
on Tuesday. Procurements, the acquisition of goods and services was the
special meeting subject matter this time.
Hardly an assembly meeting has gone by the last couple years without
the usual suspects at the assembly table repeating ad nauseum, like some member
of a cult, the need for the “Borough to be open business”. Part of the attempt to swing open the Borough
doors that they were convinced and busy trying to convince others someone had
padlocked shut, was to go through the procurement code and make “changes” for a
more business friendly environment. What
the rules of the road are when government spends money turns out to be pretty
interesting and in some cases complicated. The assembly was told that along
with following Borough code, projects funded with state and federal monies have
their own host of requirements to fill in the blanks. After four hours of
questions were asked and answered and although they assured themselves a great
discussion had been begun with a suggested future work session, it turns out
there isn’t that much to pick apart. But
since that is the job of the citizen lobbyist job, we will help you understand
what’s happening.
Assembly member Arvin (who was actually there in person and not on
teleconference which means that the cardboard
Arvin will have to go back in the closet until he returns to Taipei) was
concerned that the Borough wasn’t following code. The Borough, by all appearances and
explanation is following code. Yes there
is the ability to do more with either additional code or in some cases more
forceful management. Surely the
assembly will find this just peachy until a concerned (wink wink) citizen
happens to call and give them a earful.
A couple of members were distressed that fewer bids from proposals
aren’t being awarded in the Borough.
Hope they didn’t lose any sleep over that. Documents presented show a steady increase over the years in awards
issued. Assembly member Halter was
concerned that there are increased costs to RSA’s in administration and cost of
road design in proportion to total cost which still needs to be examined and
might have some merit. Assembly member
Woods just doesn’t see where the effects of school design has any impact on
educational outcomes. Yeah he will need
some schooling himself on that one.
For the record, the Borough ceremonial Mayor did his ceremonial job and
called the meeting to order then promptly handed the gavel over to Deputy Mayor
Arvin and made an exit. Mr. Arvin then
chaired the meeting with 5 other assembly members that lasted until 7:30
PM. This didn’t go unnoticed by Assembly
member Keogh who had watched a scheduled joint meeting with the school board
that was to take place on this same night at 6pm cancelled by the ceremonial
Mayor for an anticipated lack of a quorum.
Hmmm…apparently Mr. Mayor has a crystal ball. It’s still unclear why this joint meeting
ended up with a bull’s eye on it for cancellation. Was it the fact that
economist Neil Fried was scheduled to address the joint bodies about the state
of the borough economy being positive paired up with the news that the
procurements in the borough are on the upswing?
Well that doesn’t jive with the endless drum beat of the Mayor and some
Assembly members saying the Borough is not business friendly and needs to be
“open for business.” Maybe the
ceremonial Mayor was just antsy with nothing to throw a veto at. Somehow like a
good New Year’s Eve party, chances are we are gonna be hearing about who was
doing what in the closet with a party hat on before we get to the bottom of
this.
With a whole slate of Borough projects coming up rapidly after voters
gave their nod to both a mega school bond and possible execution of road bonds
a “well baby check” of how business is done isn’t an all together bad thing. It
would be better for the valley if it weren’t framed in the same old tired
argument and the recheck and the final outcomes of the inquiry produced some
rules of the road that protected the taxpayer and the business
community. Some members need to be
reminded that they have been presented evidence time and time again that no
matter what some valley business organization that has joined them in coining a
phrase about the borough not being open for business, the facts speak
otherwise. Even when you knock them off the schedule to speak.
But then you know what they say “he who pays the piper buys the
tune”.
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