8/8/16 Caucus & 8/10/16 Council Meetings

Councilman
Fernando Irizarry

PERTH AMBOY – R-352-8/16 Authorizing an extension of the professional services contract for Bruce Kaplan as the City’s Benefit Consultant until September 30, 2016.

When it came time for the reading of this Resolution, Business Administrator Adam Cruz requested that this item be tabled. “We are violating the public contract law. You (the Council) have a viable candidate to vote on.”

One of the Council Members asked, “What signatures have to be on City contracts?”

Law Director Arlene Quinones Perez answered, “It will be the Business Administrator,  the Mayor, and on rare occasions, myself.”

Cruz came back and stated, “We did not write up this resolution; nor was it approved to put it on the agenda.”

Lisa Nanton
Council President

Councilman Bill Petrick said, “R-352 should be held until we can discuss this matter with Council President Lisa Nanton (who was not at the Meeting at that point) and Councilman Joel Pabon (who was absent from the Meeting).

At the 8/10/16 Council Meeting R-352 was asked to be voted upon separately by Councilman Fernando Irizarry. He stated, “I think the new City’s Benefit Consultant will be better for the City than what Mr. Kaplan is doing. I want this (Kaplan’s short term extension) to be tabled.”

Business Administrator Adam Cruz cautioned the Council that they are violating the local Public Bidding Contracting law. “I’m asking the Council to reconsider. This is an administration function.”

Council President Lisa Nanton answered back, “We’re asking the new consultant to come before the Council.”

Councilman Fernando Gonzalez had concerns stating, “It looks like the new consultant will be outsourcing some of the work (that he will be doing for the City).

Cruz tried to put Councilman Fernando Gonzalez’s concerns at ease by stating, “The new company (Benefits Consultant) will not charge the City if they have to outsource some of the work.”

Irizarry told the other Council Members, “We had a month to look this over. I’m just asking to table.”

Nanton said, “We need more time to look over the RFP’s (Request for Proposals) which are a lot of pages.”

When it came time to vote, everyone decided to adopt the resolution except for Councilman Fernando Irizarry.