The list also contains the name of a department supervisor that allegedly condoned the illegal practice of “buddy punching” that ultimately costs taxpayers as a result of the bilking of overtime not worked.
TFoTM has learned that town officials will be addressing a grievance this week filed by a DPW worker regarding the allocation of overtime to employees.
Claims of favoritism by a department supervisor(s) in distributing overtime is the basis for the complaint that was previously brought to the attention of Westfield DPW Superintendent Greg O’Neil.
Town officials were made aware of the alleged theft of time, weeks ago, but have yet to conduct a thorough and complete investigation to address the alleged criminal misconduct.
Shelley cleaned up the WPD. DPW appears to be next? It needs it!
ReplyDeleteLooks like the town department tasked with keeping the town clean needs some cleaning in-house.
ReplyDeleteIt is my understanding that Town Administrator Jim Gildea was aware of the inequity in the assigning of overtime as was the DPW Supt.
ReplyDeleteThey were also aware of the alleged bilking of overtime and put a stop to overtime hours but never addressed the alleged thefts. That’s not how you solve the criminal misconduct.
Mayor Brindle needs to re-evaluate Jim Gildea’s employment status.
Look at what he did to the police department during his time as town administrator. They are still cleaning up the mess Tracy, Parizeau, and Wayman caused. All three were recommended by Gildea.
Gildea is the common denominator that not one employee trusts.
Let's not forget that Jim Gildea gave himself a raise when people around the country were taking pay cuts as a result of the economic down turn. That self serving decision still resonates.
ReplyDeleteHis buddy Skibitsky and the sheeple on town Council at the time, approved it.
DeleteIs Wayman involved? He’s involved in all town corruption. The DPW should get Leo Lugo to write the theft report. He’s good at writing deceptive reports. If he writes the report, there won’t be any suspects. He lets suspects get away with crimes.
ReplyDeleteHow about when the employees brought all of this up months ago to their union reps and the reps brought it to their supervisors and the supervisors brought it up to Greg O'Neil DPW Director and NOTHING was done???? It is time for O'NEIL and ROB the SUPERVISOR need to GO !! This is RIDICULOUS. The amount of taxes we pay and this is going on is ridiculous just give US a decent days worth of worth for a decent days pay.
ReplyDeleteWhat about the time Supervisor Rob(tree division) was picked up at Garwood Lanes, drunk by a DPW employee,in a DPW vehicle. He came in and delegated emergency tree work during a storm. Doesn't seem very safe to me. The best part was he was in a Hawaiian shirt, and flip flops. I saw it myself,it was hilarious. This is after he got a DWI his first week after becoming a supervisor. During the time of his DWI, he would also drive town owned vehicles around without a license.
ReplyDeleteIs this guy Rob the Supervisor of the Forestry department? If it is, they should check into the amount of money he's wasted planting 100's of trees around town, then letting alot of them die. I can only imagine how much has been wasted because of his neglect. Perfect example is on my street Azalea Trail. 31 out of 50 trees dead, that were planted on overtime. It's a disgrace.
ReplyDeleteThe last three comments sound like same disgruntled person.
DeleteAzalea trail from what I was told is maintained by the Parks Department.
DeleteAfter this years March snow storm debacle and now leaf pickup being so slow, Greg O'Neil should be fired. He’s the person in charge.
ReplyDeleteIn all fairness, every DPW surrounding Westfield and around the state, was caught off guard with the snowstorm.
DeleteIt’s December 11th and it’s my understanding that leaf pickup was delayed this year for a purpose to allow more leaves to fall before the first pickup.
In the past, the first round of leaf pickup had very few leaves to collect and was a waste of manpower.
The November snowstorm has little to do with leaf pickup— that was a blip of a few days. The point is that the pace of leaf pickup has been very slow. It’s almost mid-December and the 2nd of 3 passes has just started. At this pace, we will have leaf and snow piles into February. Someone needs to get this done! If not Greg O then who is responsible?
DeleteThere is a pervasive attitude that exists in the DPW and it has for years. It goes back a couple of directors so clearly it is condoned. Ever been to the conservation center? The employees there are combative and confrontational. Impossible to get any type of courtesy. These employees get paid hourly and have no incentive to treat anything with a sense of urgency. The theft of OT is the straw that breaks the camel's back. They're getting paid even more for even less. It's disgraceful.
ReplyDeleteYour comment is all over the place and your pervasive attitude thing is silly. Every time I’ve had questions for the gentleman down at the conservation center they’ve been more then helpful especially as of late do to how MUCH MORE work has been going on down there. Probably five time more recycling programs alone with free mulch and fire wood and yes from what I’ve been told they’ve had some pretty crappy contract/wage increases over the years your right no incentive to make YOUR problem URGENT.
DeleteAbove reply sure sounds like its coming from a town worker or supervisor that works or is in charge of the conservation center!!
DeleteWhen I go to the dump, I unload my recycling, dump grass clippings, get free mulch and firewood. I don’t need to interact with any of the workers there. The only guy I ever found to be a douchebag was the fat guy that played with his fire truck. Scolded me for mixing grass clippings with shrub clippings and some twigs. I ignored him a went on my way.
DeleteSome people are on a power trip, that’s all.
So let me get this straight Mr DPW Employee...You're justifying the bad attitude, the apathetic work habits, and the theft of overtime because you feel that you're underpaid??? Thanks for setting me straight on that one. That certainly makes it all acceptable!!! Carry on..!
DeleteTo the person who was mad about the guy with the firetruck telling you you can't mix brush with grass. So you're telling me hes a douchebag on a power Trip because he was doing his job, or because that's the rules, or because you live in wesWestfi and pay high taxes you should be able to do whatever you want? Because as far as I know, that is the rules. It's people like you that think they don't have to follow rules that make those guys down there act like that. Maybe next time follow the rules and that guy won't be a douchebag,or should I say do his job.
DeleteWhen someone accidentally doesn’t follow the rules as you call it, it doesn’t give the guy the right to be a douchebag. Tone of voice is the difference between douchebag and doing his job. His tone made him a douchebag.
DeleteOK OK we are getting off topic.... so when is Rob (tree supervisor) and Greg O'Neil getting their walking papers SHELLY ?? Oh yea i forgot and Mr. Town Admin, Gildea ?? Shelly you just allowed Gildea to hire another one of his Croney's in Chris Bat as Chief of Police...... How boy residents how do you think it is going to take Chris to lose his job like his ex-Chief father did from the Fire Dept??? He is much brighter than father so it took his dad couple of years if that so i give Chris 3-5 yrs.
ReplyDeleteYou sir, are an unintelligent moron! Here's an idea...String together a few words that actually form a sentence.
DeleteClean house!!! Rob and Greg O'Neil need to go, enough of this bullshit. Is that proper enough for you?
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteGreg gibson and Richard ubanks can go too.
DeleteIf you're going to ask for people to be fired, you probably should get their names correct. As far as I know there isn't anyone that works there with those names.
ReplyDeleteThis town is wonderful! The men at the Dpw work very hard! They are better now then when I moved here 15 years ago! When ever I have a problem or need something done I call the public works and it’s handled...thanks for what all you men do keeping this town a pleasant place to live! :)
ReplyDeleteNow which DPW workers wife wrote this??
DeleteIt's NOT the wife of the guy who's leaves got ignored on our block!!! Thanks fellas...STILL NO PARKING BECAUSE OF THE LEAVES!
ReplyDeleteWhat block do you live on? Maybe give a call to the DPW, there may actually be a reason they left them. Or just keep complaining on the internet.
DeleteWhat block do you live on? Maybe give a call to the DPW, there may actually be a reason they left them. Or just keep complaining on the internet.
DeleteLOL...And face retribution??? Nah...I'll continue to complain on this forum! Clearly, these comments are being read by others. You responded twice...
ReplyDeleteITS NOT SAFE WHEN THE DPW WORKER DRIVES THE GARBAGE TRUCK AND IS ON THE PHONE TEXTING THE WHOLE WAY DOWN EAST BROAD STREET!!!
ReplyDeleteWas The Wolf driving??? Beware of The Big Bad Wolf!!!
ReplyDeleteThere was no wolf in sight!
ReplyDeleteSo is the Town investigating these claims of DPW overtime? Or are they just letting it slide on by?
ReplyDeleteThey probably won't do anything about it. The first thing that should be done is this Rob guy should be gone for condoning it. I mean he's not even good at his job at all, everything the guy does is a failure, has anyone looked at the front of the new DPW building, hahaha what a joke. I saw DPW guys working out there for multiple weeks, maybe months after 3:00 (overtime), and that is what they came up with? Sad
ReplyDeleteAh... I see. So the town will do nothing about falsifying DPW overtime just like they will do nothing more about falsifying police records.
DeleteThe sad truth is that the taxpayers of Westfield shoulder this and as a result pay nearly the highest taxes in Union County. It's really a disgraceful waste of money. Hopefully Mayor Brindle is aware of what's going on should these allegations be proven.
ReplyDeleteWhere are these pictures you talk about?
ReplyDeleteIn the photo file on my iPhone.
DeleteYou going to show us?
ReplyDeleteYes
ReplyDeleteOk. Then when?
ReplyDeleteWhen I can confirm whether or not the administration has conducted an investigation. In due time.
DeleteThey won’t
ReplyDelete