GOP: Stop signs went up without approval
Republicans also say boro stage was lent out without proper OK
BY MICHAEL ACKER
Staff Writer

"Until approvals are done and an ordinance is passed, it's the borough's responsibility in case there is some problem there." - Ronald Green Republican Party chairman

SAYREVILLE - Republicans are charging that in two recent cases, the borough failed to follow the proper procedures regarding the use of borough property.

Republican Party Chairman Ronald Green approached the council with his concerns on Aug. 6. One related to the sharing of the borough's portable stage with the Starland Ballroom; the other dealt with council President Thomas Pollando's approval of the installation of stop signs without an ordinance being approved or certification by the borough engineer.

The all-Democrat council responded to the criticisms from Green and former GOP Chairman Kenneth Olchaskey as being politically motivated.

Green said stop signs were put up on residential streets on July 10 on Woodland Avenue's intersections with Lincoln, Grove and Jersey streets, in the area of Selover School.

Pollando said the state Department of Transportation had advised the borough to install stop signs at those locations, noting that a park is situated between Woodland and Steven avenues. He acknowledged that he authorized public works to put up the stop signs.

"Our director of recreation did a fabulous job getting us key entertainment for no cost. In return, all that was asked was to borrow the stage." - Kathy Makowski councilwoman

Green said state law requires that the borough adopt an ordinance in order to take such an action; it cannot be authorized by the council president alone.

Pollando said the council will vote on an ordinance authorizing the implementation of stop signs at that location.

"I'll make sure that we do," Pollando said.

Green, noting that the borough engineer should have certified the stop signs at those intersections, asked if the council is going to take the signs down in light of this.

Pollando responded that the signs are up for safety purposes, since several fields and a school playground are there.

"I did it because of the safety of the residents and the children," Pollando said.

"I'm going to keep on doing what is right for the residents of this town," Pollando added. "And I don't put my head in the sand."

Councilman Dennis Grobelny rebutted that the area is a regular source of complaints from residents, and Councilman Stanley Drwal said the council did the right thing for those residents by putting up the stop signs, even if the proper procedure wasn't followed.

"I'm tired of the excuse of a piece of paper wasn't singed," Drwal said, noting that the stop signs are clearly within 500 feet of a school.

Green said the borough has a liability issue. Councilman Daniel Buchanan responded that he has seen cars speeding down those roads regularly, creating a safety issue for the youth in that area.

Buchanan commended Pollando for having the stop signs put up in Morgan.

"He is willing to stand up and protect our town," Buchanan said.

Green told the Suburban that if an accident occurs due to a car stopping at those intersections, the borough is going to be responsible.

"Until approvals are done and an ordinance is passed, it's the borough's responsibility in case there is some problem there," Green said. "I understand what Pollando is doing, but there is also a lot of other streets that need stop signs for safety reasons."

Pollando told the Suburban that since the signs were put up, one of them has been replaced with a sign directing motorists to slow down for children.

He said they were put up at the request of residents, and that he has concerns as head of the Sayreville Athletic Association because those fields are used for youth sports.

"I'd seen multiple [incidents of the] screeching of cars," Pollando said. "A child was hit two years ago."

"If caring is wrong, then I don't want to be right," Pollando added. "I care about the residents, the children and the elderly. That is what is important and that is what the Democratic council is all about."

Sharing of boro stage

Olchaskey questioned why the council did not discuss a shared services agreement with the Starland Ballroom at a public meeting prior to Recreation Director Jerry Ust allowing the venue to use the borough's portable stage. Olchaskey said the public should have been made aware of the tax dollars being used to transport the stage to and from the Jernee Mill Road concert site.

Councilman Rory Zach told Olchaskey there is no policy in place that sets a procedure for lending the stage. The council introduced an ordinance this week to establish a policy for lending the stage for a fee.

Zach said the borough should not have purchased the stage, at a cost of $80,000, a few years ago because the municipality could have rented one of Middlesex County's three portable stages for events such as the Fourth of July celebration. He added that the borough might as well rent out the stage to recoup its cost, since it sits unused for most of the year.

"I wasn't on the council when [the stage] was purchased," Zach said. "I would have voted against it."

Councilwoman Kathy Makowski said sharing the stage was fair in light of the Starland Ballroom's contributions to the borough's Fourth of July event.

"Our director of recreation did a fabulous job getting us key entertainment for no cost," she said. "In return, all that was asked was to borrow the stage."

"These events are what bring our community together," Makowski added.

In response to a question from Olchaskey, Borough Attorney Brian Hak said it is not lawful for a department head to sign an agreement without council consent. But, he said, the ordinance was ambiguous regarding who the recreation director should have gone to for permission.

"I understand why Mr. Ust perceived that he had the power that he thought he had," Hak said.

The proper procedure would be for Ust to report to the business administrator, Hak said, noting that the ordinance should be amended to reflect this more clearly.

"All department heads should report to the business administrator," Hak said.

Ust, whom the council appointed as recreation director last year, should not be discouraged from finding creative ways to bring in services for borough events, Makowski said.

Republican Mayor Kennedy O'Brien disagreed, saying the "explanation of ignorance is contrary to the facts."

"My understanding is that Mr. Ust was told numerous times the chain of command," O'Brien said. "I don't accept that he didn't understand the chain of command."

Hak said Ust likely made an honest mistake in interpreting the ordinance.

Pollando said no one profited from the agreement with Starland Ballroom, and the arrangement "in no way jeopardized this borough."

"We had a great day [on the Fourth of July] and you want to come up here and make it a bad thing," Pollando told Olchaskey.

Olchaskey rebutted, saying that this was about whether the council took the proper steps to approve the use of taxpayer dollars in this instance.

"This is not about Mr. Ust," Olchaskey said.

In response to a question from Olchaskey on the cost of this year's July Fourth celebration, Chief Financial Officer Wayne Kronowski said the event cost $17,000, up from $15,000 last year and $13,000 in 2005. Business Administrator Jeffry Bertrand said the borough received a lot of donations for the event this year, after two years of receiving no donations.

Olchaskey also raised concerns about the sale of alcohol at the event, saying that it could raise liability issues for the borough. Hak said that beer vendors are insured with a general liability policy, adding that it is the vendor's responsibility to defend the borough in those instances.

Bertrand said the standard vendor permit fees for Starland Ballroom to sell alcohol at the Fourth of July celebration were waived and a discussion on that decision was held by the council at a meeting in June.