Questions Continue Surrounding The 2014 GEMS Cash Call

At the Sept. 22 Gloucester Township Council meeting, ordinance O-14-15 was passed for which, via a bond issuance, Gloucester Township will borrow money in order to raise $896,055 needed for remediation to the GEMS Landfill.

GEMS (Gloucester Environmental Management Services) is a ‘Super Fund’ site located in our Township. More information is available at its website: http://www.gemssuperfundsite.org/

But the events surrounding the passage of this ordinance serve to exemplify several things that need to be done better by our government leaders.

DEFICIENCIES IN THE PROCESS FOR THE ORDINANCE PASSAGE:

At the Sept. 22 Council meeting, this ordinance was on the agenda. Residents wanted answers. The ordinance was passed unanimously. Despite requests for documentation, none was available to the public for the meeting.

But it never should have come to this because two weeks earlier...

At the Sept. 8 Council meeting, this ordinance was on the agenda. Residents wanted answers. Council members themselves seemed to be uninformed. Despite requests for documentation, none was available to the public for the meeting. Because there was such a lack of answers, the ordinance vote was postponed.

But it never should have come to this because two weeks earlier...

At the Aug. 25 Council meeting, this ordinance was on the agenda. Residents asked questions and wanted answers. Council members themselves seemed to be uninformed as to any of the reasons or details for the GEMS cash call. No documentation or reasonable answers were given to the public for the meeting. Council stated that details will be available for the next Council meeting.

But it never should have come to this because...

One should have the reasonable expectation, when an important item like this is placed on the agenda, that Council members would have been fully briefed, so that an informed vote could be cast. The public should expect explanations, without even having to ask.

A Gloucester Township GEMS Trustee, Mr. Kevin Bucceroni, was duly appointed by Council to represent the Township’s interest. One should have the reasonable expectation that the Trustee, at all points of time, be fully aware of the issues involving GEMS; that he brief Council periodically; and that he come to Council fully informed and prepared when an important issue like a cash call arises.

DEFICIENCIES IN THE CASH CALL DETAILED INFORMATION PROVIDED:

Belatedly, on Sept. 23, documentation related to the GEMS cash call was made available to the public on the Gloucester Township website. But the two pages are not adequately informative and are unprofessionally presented.

One of the pages endeavors to explain how $5.5 million was spent from August of 2010 through July of 2014. The page is lacking in adequate detail and clarity.

• A $1.5 million expenditure line item offers the explanation “Reference Attachment 1, plus see note below”. But NO attachments or notes are presented.

• A $1.4 million expenditure line item offers the explanation “Reference Attachment 2”. But NO attachment is presented.

• The line item amount $256,000 is labeled as “Trustee Oversight”, which cries out for a better, more detailed explanation.

• The page itself is titled “Projected Expenditures”, even though this page explains activity in the past.

The other page endeavors to explain the projected expenditures.

• The page is titled “Project Activity Fiscal Month”. Presumably, this expenditure will cover a period longer than a month.

• $1.45 million in expenditures are marked indicating that there are footnotes to provide greater explanation. But NO footnotes are presented.

• The amount $167,000 is labeled as “Trustee Oversight” and “Legal Services”, which cry out for a better, more detailed explanation.

CONCLUSION

A cynic might conclude that Council wasn’t much interested in the details because, other than Bond Counsel and bond advisers, no contractor who has ‘paid to play’ stood to benefit.

Others, maybe less cynical, still should demand more competence and accountability from its government.