Hackensack looks into the possibility of handing welfare office to countyFriday, October 18, 2013
BY JENNIFER VAZQUEZ
NEWS EDITOR
Hackensack Chronicle
Hackensack – As part of a possible cost-saving measure for the city, the governing body is looking whether it should continue running its Human Services Department or hand control over to the county — as most municipalities have already opted to do.
The Human Services Department provides a range of social services such as housing, food and medical assistance, among others.
According to Councilwoman Rose Greenman, during the Committee of the Whole meeting on Sept. 30, the city stands to save roughly $400,000 in costs associated with the department if Hackensack decides to hand it over to the county.
"There is an existing budget that is approximately $261,000 and an additional $39,950 for other expenses," she explained. "There is approximately 40 percent on top of it for all of the benefits – pensions, health…and such. That is approximately $400,000."
Sixty-three out of 70 municipalities, have opted to hand over their respective human services programs to the county, according to Greenman. In addition, she said, that doing so would be at no cost to the city.
"[The county] is offering the service to us," Greenman said. "They are going to provide the services to us at no cost. They are willing to come and actually use our offices as a transitional point for the time being to help the people to transition. Apparently they can offer even a higher level of services than are provided now. It will save us the personnel. It would save us the budget. It would save us approximately $400,000 plus the car because my understanding is that the employee they have in the department has the use of the city car. All those savings are going to be reflected in us giving up this department to be run by the county."
However, Mayor John Labrosse contended that even though the county's takeover of the department sounded "well and dandy," he needs "assurance" that those seeking assistance and help through the department would be tended to.
"We have 90 to 100 people at any given time receiving different types of services from rent assistance on to food, whatever we can offer," he said. "My thing with the county is, I wanted some type of guarantee from the county on what was going to happen to these people…This service would indeed have to be, for me, either equal or better and I would need some type of guarantee from the county that this is a feasible thing. I need to know that these people are going to be taken care of and not end up on the streets of our city."
One of the reasons for Labrosse's hesitation in handing over control of the department to the county is how the county is handling the homeless in the area.
"As you know in the past few months, there was some back and forth between human services, as far as the homelessness issue in town," he explained. "I myself had some issues in the way the county was dealing with it. But this is something for me. I need some answers from the county…as far as the homeless people go, they do well with their residents but with the rest of the people who use that shelter I think its almost a disservice to our city at times because those people end up on the streets every single night of the week, 24/7, 365 days a year."
Deputy Mayor Kathleen Canestrino agreed that answers should be sought before the city moves forward with a decision.
"I absolutely agree with the Mayor that if anyone has questions we need to have answers to those questions before we make a decision," she said. "That is very, very important."
Greenman and Canestrino also contended that the city can only serve single individuals — those who are married, even if they do not have children, and single parents have to seek assistance from the county.
Councilman Leonardo "Leo" Battaglia said that the city should look into getting more information if it would save the residents money.
"I agree that we should be looking to eliminate any duplication of services because that is the only way we are going to save some money," he said. "When we talk about $400,000…if we can get the service and save the money, why not?"
Aside from setting up a meeting with the county in hopes of receiving answers, City Manager Stephen Lo Iacono thinks a meeting with the city's current Human Services Department Director Agatha Toomey is essential.
Anthony Rottino, head of economic development and redevelopment for the city of Hackensack, was also present at the meeting and detailed the cost of the department to the governing body.
"Although I understand that no one likes change, and I respect Toomey's 38 years for the city, sometimes you need progress and have to move along as you go," Rottino said. "The 95 to 100 people serviced by the Hackensack office is costing the city an excess of $4,000 a person... But from here, most people have to go to Rochelle Park to get food stamps…There are still only seven or eight municipalities in Bergen County that still have a social services office."
According to Rottino, during his conversations with the Bergen's Board of Social Services the county has stated that if the city decides to hand the department over, the county would set up a transition office or out reach office in Hackensack in which existing clients would be taken care of.
Toomey, who was present during the work session, spoke to the governing body about her disdain over the city possibly transferring the human services department to county control.
"The elimination of my office — I take offense that not one of you approached me before you went to the county and you spoke to the county before you spoke to me," she said. "You want to get rid of my office? You can get rid of my office. Yes, I know that. By law you can get rid of my office, but you never had the courtesy to speak with me. I have been here 38 years and I can't believe the treatment I've been getting in the past two months.….you want to give my department away? Go right ahead. But you are not thinking of the people that are working there. You are not thinking that four people are going to lose their jobs…You are making a big fat mistake in this town."
Toomey's husband, Chris, also addressed the Mayor and Council saying, "$400,000 on an office that is well needed in this town is a drop in the bucket."
In a subsequent Committee of the Whole meeting on Oct. 8, the topic came up again. Toomey presented her case, contending the absorption of the department into the county would be a grave decision.
"What verification has the city received from the county that the administration of public assistance by the county would be at no cost to the city," she asked the Mayor and Council, to which Canestrino answered that during the previous week's meeting between the governing body and members of the Bergen County Board of Social Services "there was a verbal verification." Labrosse said that if the city decides to move forward they would want something in writing from the county stating that the city would not pay.
In addition, Toomey asked the governing body if it was "aware that once the program is consolidated the city can not reverse it and take it back should it not work?" Labrosse responded that the governing body was aware of the non-reversal clause.
In an interview with the Chronicle, Alex Morales, interim management consultant for the county's Board of Social Services, stressed that the Board does not have a stance either way. It is simply made available to Hackensack's governing body to "answer any questions they might have."
In addition, Rottino said that the county was more than prepared to cater to the residents of Hackensack.
"They serve so many people, thousands, that an extra 100 clients is no big deal to them because they are prepared," he said, adding that the state does not refund Hackensack for administrative costs the city provides, while it does refund the county. Morales contended the same while stating that the county currently has a "ballpark of 30,000 families" seeking assistance, however, it is difficult to pinpoint the exact figure since some families receive assistance through only one program while others are in two or more programs. According to Morales, some of the 30,000 are Hackensack residents since many of the clients that the city caters to are sent to the county for further assistance — such as food stamps.
Rottino also said that the city is looking to see if the employees at Hackensack's Human Services Department "could be absorbed, transitioned" into a position at the county's office or other city openings to forgo layoffs.
The matter concerning the possible shutdown of the city department was also referenced in an Oct. 4 letter to the Mayor and Council by Assemblyman Gordon M. Johnson (D-Bergen). Johnson stated that the city should "consider the feasibility of having the County Board of Social Services take over the operation of the city's social service needs."
According to Johnson, "Bergen County also has a Board of Social Services which does similar work on a countywide basis. The Boards have similar missions and goals, and many of the services they provide are duplicative. A merger would provide services in a more efficient manner, saving the superior resources of the County Board. The County Board's larger staff would also be able to accommodate more applicants from Hackensack…Such a change would prove fruitful, and free up resources and funds to tackle the other problems facing the city."
City spokesman Thom Ammirato asserted that there is no set timeline as to when the governing body will reach a decision since discussions and information gathering are still taking place. Ammirato also mentioned that the mayor has many doubts and questions he would like answered that has made him the "most reluctant," of the governing body, to hand over the department to the county.
"These meetings was primarily a means for us to get more information," Canestrino said. "That was the purpose of the open meeting [Sept. 30]. We called that meeting because we had a few issues we wanted to discuss openly in public. Really, all we are doing at this point is gaining information. Before we would even contact you, and I'm very sorry we offended you by not doing that first, we have to understand if this is feasible and realistic because we just don't know….this is something we are looking into. We haven't made any decisions. We are just looking into exploring the possibility. What is the program? What do they offer? And, next, we have to compare it to the program we currently have. That is really where we are today."
Email: vazquez@northjersey.com
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