Council Meeting Recap: Mayor Remains Silent, Fire Chief In the Dark

     At last night's Westfield Town Council Meeting, Mayor Andy Skibitsky was asked, "Mayor, do you know where the mobile command center is tonight?"  Skibitsky's response, "Please continue."  When asked again, the Mayor muttered, "I'm sure you know where it is."  Why would one ask such a question, to the Mayor, if the person knew the answer?
     The Westfield Police department's tax payer funded Emergency Mobile Command Center was M.I.A. last night.  Not parked in front of police headquarters ready to respond to an emergency, or a bomb threat as a clearly uninformed Councilman Foerst had suggested.
     A police source has confirmed that the Emergency Mobile Command Center is in Philadelphia.
     At the conclusion of last night's council meeting, Westfield Fire Chief Dan Kelly was asked point blank, "Chief Kelly, as the Town of Westfield's Fire Chief and O.E.M. (Office of Emergency Management) Coordinator, do you know where the mobile command center is tonight.  Chief Kelly's answer, "NO I DO NOT."  Thank you for your honesty Chief Kelly.....perhaps you should run for Mayor.
     TFoTM to Councilman Foerst:  Even if the Westfield Police Department had to respond to a bomb threat last night with the mobile command center, it couldn't.  Councilman Foerst, please refresh our readers' memory.  Wasn't it you that stated, if we experienced another catastrophe like Super Storm Sandy, we could move the mobile command center "to higher ground" and run our emergency communication center from that "higher ground?"
     First of all, police headquarters has never been flooded by the overflow of Mindowaskin Pond, and secondly, our Town's emergency communication center has never failed or not been backed up that would necessitate the $300,000 purchase of a toy for Police Chief Wayman.  This "strategic piece of equipment" as Foerst called it, has been the ridicule of neighboring police chiefs, some of whom have said it is "overkill," "not needed," and "a waste of tax payer money." As for Councilman Foerst's suggestion that the mobile command center be used for a bomb threat........Jim, the Union County Police have a bomb squad that responds throughout Union County to such emergency calls for service..  Why not do what your fellow councilman Frank Arena had suggested during his re-election campaign 2 years ago and "Get more bang for our buck from the County."  Words slung during what Arena calls the election season......"Silly Season."  The silliness of Foerst's defense of the mobile command center was made last night at the near pinnacle of this years "silly season."
     When Adina Enculescu, the Central Ave. resident forced to live with a pedestrian activated HAWK light at the base of her driveway, approached the microphone, she asked Mayor Skibitsky about the Town's sewer fee.  As most residents will agree, this fee is a tax separated from the property tax bill to allow room under the state's 2% cap on property tax increases.
     Enculescu asked Mayor Skibitsky why she should be forced to pay the same amount of money for this tax as does a family such as Skibitsky's household?  She explained that she lives alone while he has multiple family members living with him.  She held up a Skibitsky campaign postcard that showed a beaming Skibitsky sitting on his home's front steps surrounded by his wife and four children.  In true Skibitsky fashion he responded, "I don't understand your question."  The response drew laughter from the audience who seemed to fully understand Ms. Enculescu's inquiry.  Remember, its "silly season" and Skibitsky is running for re-election.
     Mayor Skibitsky....here is some simple math, a word problem of sorts....... If multiple occupants of a dwelling flush the toilet and do loads of laundry, and a single occupant flushes the toilet and does a load of laundry.......who causes more sewer water to enter the sewer system?
     When Enculescu asked again, in the most simplest of terms, Skibitsky responded, "I don't understand your math."  TFoTM suggests that Mayor Skibitsky need not apply to be a contestant on the tv game show "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader."
     When Enculescu moved on to the topic of the pedestrian activated HAWK light installed at the base of her driveway, one response from the Mayor couldn't have been any farther from the truth.  Skibitsky stated, "The thousands of families and children that use the light every month, they appreciate it."  Mayor Skibitsky used to say "hundreds" of people but now its "thousands" of families.  TFoTM understands Skibitsky's motive.....remember people, its "Silly Season" aka......election time.  Skibitsky referenced "children" as well to lead people to believe he is the Pied Piper of traffic safety.
     The meeting wasn't over just yet as others approached the microphone to speak during the Open Public Comment portion of the town council meeting including Maria Carluccio and Karen Egert.  Just as the meeting wasn't finished, neither is this story.

TFoTM will post Part II of this story later tonight.  It only gets better.  Two words, "Tony DelDuca" or "enough said."  Actually that's five, but who's counting.