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Pompton Lakes council questions Jobs for Blue fees, asks administration to seek contract changes
Summary
Council members pressed police and the borough administrator about the Jobs for Blue vendor's $20 hourly service fee plus an 8% administrative charge on top of officer rates, and asked staff to pursue exemptions or re-negotiation for town jobs to limit taxpayer costs.
The Pompton Lakes Borough Council on July 16 pressed public-safety officials and the borough administrator to look for ways to reduce what some council members called duplicate fees charged by the Jobs for Blue vendor for officers assigned to traffic-control and detail work.
At the meeting, an on-duty police official explained why the borough uses Jobs for Blue: the contractor invoices private utilities and other vendors directly, fronts payroll so the borough avoids noncompliant prepayment practices, provides documentation and tax reporting, and reduces administrative risk. "They ensure that there are no payment delays. They reduce the risk of bad debt and provide a complete audit trail for the municipality," the captain said.
Council members raised objections to two separate charges: a $20-per-hour service fee Jobs for Blue adds to the contracted officer rate, and an additional administrative percentage applied on top of that amount. One council member called the combination "a double bubble" and said taxpayers ultimately absorb costs for borough projects.
Administrator Michael Ferrelli confirmed Jobs for Blue sets the percentage structure for vendor-managed jobs; he said the borough typically is not charged those fees when private utilities pay directly. "If it's a borough project, we're paying for it," Ferrelli said, adding that the town could attempt to negotiate exemptions for municipal jobs and seek alternate vendors or competitive quotes.
Council asked the captain and administrator to review contract terms and present options at the next meeting. The captain and administrator both noted that carrying the work entirely in-house would require the borough to front payroll and administrative costs and could raise the town's tax levy if reimbursements were delayed.
The council summarized next steps as obtaining quotes from comparable companies, negotiating a waiver or reduced administrative fee for borough jobs, and reporting back at the next meeting.
