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Unions press Essex County on $1 million transfer, ask why YMCA was excluded from shelter awards
Summary
Union representatives and public commenters pressed the board for written details about a $1,000,000 budget transfer linked to the Department of Family Assistance and Benefits (DFAB); county staff said no $1,000,000 was taken from DFAB and explained Newark YMCA's shelter proposal was rejected for missing documents.
Union leaders and members of the public pressed county officials for clarity about a $1,000,000 line in the meeting packet and raised concerns about homelessness contracting processes.
Lisa Maddox Douglas, president of the Public Employee Supervisors Union for the Division of Family Assistance and Benefits, told the board she was "unclear" why a $1,000,000 transfer appears in resolution materials and urged the administration to explain the transaction in writing and to address persistent staffing vacancies at DFAB, including the absence of a county welfare agency director. "We are supposed to be at 832 employees," she said, and added the department has operated well below that level.
David Weiner, president of CWA Local 1081, made a similar request for written documentation and asked that the memorandum that typically accompanies transfers be included in the record. He asked that the board "please delineate the sources of the $1,000,000" and the agency that would receive it. The administration responded in public comment: "There is not $1,000,000 being taken from DFAP," a county official stated, and asked the audience to consult the list showing where the dollars are coming from.
On homelessness contracting, Division staff described a 24‑month set of emergency shelter and transitional-housing contracts totaling up to $19,508,520 and a short-term Code Blue shelter contract not to exceed $34,125. Commissioners asked why the Newark YMCA was not on the vendor list; staff replied that the YMCA ‘‘failed to complete the proposal as advertised’’ and did not provide required documents, and therefore its submission was rejected during procurement review.
Commissioners requested more operational detail from the department: how many beds are under contract, peak utilization rates and whether the county can call for additional beds in an emergency. Staff said the contracted providers currently represent about 412 beds and agreed to return with more detailed metrics on bed counts and usage. Several commissioners said they would consider administrative remedies if contracted capacity proves insufficient.
A member of the public, David Winder of CDW Local 1081, repeated concerns about DFAB and the YMCA exclusion during later public comment and urged the administration to reconsider the YMCA if capacity proves lacking.
The board moved and approved the listed resolutions authorizing the shelter contracts and other DFAB items; staff committed to supplying the requested procurement and utilization documentation to the deputy clerk.
