T&M Checks (and Balances?)

2018-745: Amending Resolution Number 2017-220, adopted March 9, 2017, a Professional Licensed Site Remediation Professional (LSRP) Service contract with T&M Associates of Middletown, New Jersey, to provide ongoing LSRP Environmental Services associated with the Meisel Park Project for an amount not to exceed $9,450.00 for a new contract amount not to exceed $59,050.00. (NJDEP Case # 99-04-28-1512 and 01-08-29-146-05; SRP Pl#130838; Union County Engineering Project #2011-030)

There were questions brought up at the Agenda meeting:
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With some confusion:
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More questions at the regular meeting:
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Some sanctimonious pushback:
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More back and forth:
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Now as to those checks and balances:

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Hectoring Works

Perhaps you recall these incidents from the freeholder meeting of July 28, 2011:
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This hit a nerve with Willard C. Shih, Esq of Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer, PA who, two months later, on behalf of Netta Architects, LLC and Nicholas J. Netta, AIA, NCARB (“Netta”) dispatched a letter to the offices of the Union County Watchdog Association (UCWA) addressed to Ms. Tina Renna and Mr. Bruce Paterson (though the latter was never affiliated with the UCWA) that, considering what we now know about how Netta got his start with the county and how Netta projects (Family Courthouse; Warinanco Ice Rink;  Galloping Hill Clubhouse) work out, reads like an object lesson in hypocritical bullying.

Excerpts from that September 28, 2011 letter:

Netta/Devanney Links

According to county check registry data Netta Architects (established in 2007) has received over $7 million for professional architectural services from March, 2010 through May, 2018. Among their projects:

• Union County College MacKay Library
• Galloping Hill Clubhouse – 2013
• West Hall Building Expansion at the Union County Vocational-Technical Schools campus in Scotch Plains – 2015
• Union County Family Courthouse – 2017
• Warinanco Park Skating Rink- 2017
• Union County Courthouse Complex New Tower Stairwell Modernization Project – ????

What qualified Netta Architects for these diverse projects? Could it have been past experience?
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Or could it have been campaign contributions and former County Manager George Devanney?

According to an anonymous source:

R.I.P. Bill Schluter

Soft Corruption by William E. Schluter has become a bible for me here as it reflects closely my experience with legalized graft in New Jersey politics.

Bill Schluter died yesterday. Here are his teachings from past blogs.

UCCF 7/12/18: JDC Lawsuit Settlement Legal Fees

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So how much did the lawyers get?
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According to check registries from 2004 through May, 2018:

UCCF 6/21/18: Pay-to-Play and Taxes

Both in open comment time at tonight’s freeholder and both responded to by freeholder Bruce Bergen:
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UCCF 6/7/18: DeCotiis Back

2018-554: A Resolution appointing DeCotiis, Fitzpatrick, Cole & Giblin, LLP of Teaneck, NJ as special counsel to represent the County of Union in the matter entitled H.C. Equities, L.P. v. UC, et als, in an amount not to exceed $20,000.
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