The Town of Westfield (DPW) does.
One name on the list is a DPW supervisor Rob Kosciolek.
The alleged bilking of overtime cost taxpayers thousands of dollars.
Did Westfield contact the Union County Prosecutor’s Office to investigate the alleged theft of time?
One thing is known, the Wilentz law firm was contacted by town officials to do an “Independent Investigation” costing taxpayers over $4000.
At a time when some town council members publicly complain about how much tax Westfield pays Union County, wouldn’t it make sense to use a Union County resource like the prosecutors office?
Why wasn’t a law enforcement agency tasked with this investigation?
Surely, the UCPO wouldn’t hand the town a bill for services rendered totaling over $4000.
What’s the outcome of the investigation?
ReplyDeleteYawn.
DeleteTFoTM is awaiting the town’s response to an OPRA request for the Independent Investigation’s disposition.
ReplyDeleteThe law firm that conducted the investigation was contacted first and refused to answer questions.
At Tuesday night’s town council meeting, town officials remained silent, except for Town Administrator Jim Gildea who approached the microphone to “bat cleanup” for the town and attempt to defuse the volatile issue.
His response was an unprepared knee jerk reaction to something that the town council could not comment on due to it being an employee matter or they just don’t have all the facts at this time.
O’Neil knew guys were being clocked in and out and stealing time. This investigation is a joke. It’s a sham to protect O’Neil for doing nothing and Gildea for knowing O’Neil did nothing.
ReplyDeleteWhat about Rob. He’s been stealing overtime for years. He should be the first to go
ReplyDeleteWhy does a supervisor’s name Rob K. appear on that list? Why is a subordinate clocking a supervisor in or out of work? The fact that a supervisor is allowing this begs the question, who knew what was going on and ignored it?
DeleteJeff #100 is Jeff Long - UNION Shop Steward - HOW DEEP does this go?
ReplyDeleteHead of the DPW Greg O'Neil, Supervisor Rob Kosciolek, Union Representative Jeff Long.
It is very clear many employee's of POWER were lining there pockets.
Charles Elliot is also on that list. He’s a union shop steward.
ReplyDeleteNothing will happen. The town squashed this by paying the law firm for the desired outcome. Great wast of tax money while the criminals scam the system.
ReplyDeleteWhat does the mayor and rest of town council have to say about this?
ReplyDelete#outtolunch
I can't believe how this has been condoned for so long!!! Jim Gildea is supposed to be the "general manager" for Westfield. In any corporate structure he would be the first to go when something as egregious as this continues to transpire. He is the one that is entrusted by the tax payers to safeguard the best interests of Westfield. Clearly, that is not happening! If Mayor Brindle indeed has any backbone she should act accordingly.
ReplyDeleteSo sad, do any of you have lives at all? Leave these guys alone & let them do their jobs! Question during a snowstorm where are all of you that have so much hatred against these guys? Oh wait your all at home with your families warm & sleeping, while these guys are out salting & plowing getting 0 sleep. How about after a bad storm & there is flooding, they get woken up in the middle of the night to come into work. How about after a hurricane or really bad storm & they're working up to 2-3 days straight on little sleep and not being able to see their families. You are all a bunch of immature heartless individuals that need to grow up & stay off social media & thank these guys for everything they do!
ReplyDeleteThe fact that DPW workers do their job is not the issue. The great job that hardworking DPW workers do is not the issue.
DeleteThe honest work done by DPW workers does not give corrupt workers the right to steal time costing taxpayers thousands of dollars.
All the great work that the DPW does should never overshadow the misconduct and theft by a few.
TFoTM commends the efforts of the hard working DPW workers that serves the Westfield community. It’s the corrupt workers that illegally bilk the town for overtime not worked that will be exposed.
You are a fool. Every single Dpw employee works those hours during snow storms/ emergencys. That’s what overtime is for.. not for planting trees, grinding stumps. Doesn’t give them the right to steal from the town/tax payers.
DeleteNot a fool. Not talking about OT for snow removal. Talking about employees leaving work and not clocking out and having another employee clock everyone out an hour or two later on multiple occasions. That’s theft.
DeleteNot you. The fool that said to leave the guys alone.
DeleteOk, understood.
Delete
ReplyDeleteAnytime there has been an allegation of criminal activity brought before the town council, the Union County Prosecutors Office has been contacted.
I know, because I’ve been the one making the allegation.
To former mayor Andy Skibitsky’s credit, his administration had contacted the UCPO when allegations of a crime committed have been brought to his attention.
There is something else going on behind the scenes that has yet to be exposed that might answer why Jim Gildea chose to contact an attorney to do the “Independent investigation.”
How independent is an investigation bought and paid for by the town?
What did other members of the Westfield Town Council know was going on? Who approved this?
Whether it’s an allegation of theft of time by supervisors in the police department, collusion between a police chief, the town, and a manufacturer of the mobile command center, a hit and run accident involving a police chief and the subsequent coverup, or the theft of time by DPW workers, the UCPO should be called.
Jim Gildea’s claim that calling a private attorney is “past practice” “business as usual” or standard procedure, is a coverup to something criminal.
His coverup is criminal. Gildea knew there was an overtime issue at the DPW as did DPW Supt. Greg O’Neil, and they chose to ignore the problem.
Now it’s exposed and they have to cover their tracks and those of the corrupt DPW supervisor, shop steward and employees involved in the theft of overtime costing taxpayers $$thousands$$.
At this point in her role, what's TFOTM's opinion of Mayor Brindle? From what I've seen, she appears to have been a much needed, refreshing change from Mayor Skibitsky. But, I'm curious, if you wouldn't mind, if you'd share your thoughts from what you've seen/heard from your contacts within. Doing a good job? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteTo echo your sentiments, she appears to have been a much needed, refreshing change from Mayor Skibitsky.
DeleteI don’t know how the town didn’t find that employees were stealing time. We told the investigator it was happening. We told our supervisor, the shop steward knew, O’Neil knew, it’s no secret.
ReplyDeleteIt should come as no surprise to anyone that Gildea is claiming nothing’s wrong. He’s sitting on a grievance filed by a DPW employee complaining about overtime issues. Any hint of overtime theft will give credibility to the grievance and put him and the DPW Superintendent in trouble for not doing something about it sooner when they first knew about it.
ReplyDeleteLeonardo Lugo
ReplyDeleteJust resign. All of you.
ReplyDeleteThe DPW employee who filed the grievance if he/she REALLY wants the TRUTH to come out they need to contact the Courier News, Star Ledger and other News outlets like Channel 2,4 7 and 11 to tell their story. You want to see action, you would see action IMMEDIATELY. Why in this day and age people are NOT just speaking publicly i do not understand. You are not going to lose your job you have a Union contract by which to stand behind and protect you. These Supervisors and Department Heads and your own Union Rep's who were involved need to be held accountable, they were not just STEALING from the Town and the Tax payers but they were Stealing from YOU the employee who has filed the Grievance and the other DPW employee's who may/should have gotten that Overtime. This is what UNIONS were developed for, "to protect the workers" if wrong doing's were happening. It is very clear from reading all of the comments that not ONLY the DPW employee who filed the grievance knows what was going on but so do MANY other DPW employee's, you ALL need to stand UNITED and SPEAK UP!!!
ReplyDeleteNow you understand why the town administrator hires an “independent investigator” to do an “independent investigation.”
DeleteThe results of the investigation were paid for to the tune of over $4000.
How do you control the investigation results? Pick your investigator and pay them.
Don’t find any “wrongdoing” regarding the theft of overtime and it diminishes the grievance.
Find theft of overtime and now the grievance gains traction.
It’s all about minimizing loss.
The town administrator stepped in it big-time and can’t defend his decision to use a civilian lawyer to investigate when a call should’ve been made to the Union County prosecutor.
Ask yourself, what company let’s other employees clock 7-10 other employees in or out of work?
Corruption.
DPW Supt. Greg O’Neil knee he had an OT issue and ignored it.
What did Town Administrator Jim Gildea know?
Why is a DPW worker holding a list of names with ID numbers, presumably names of coworkers, while standing in front of what appears to be a time clock, punching in numbers?
ReplyDeleteThat’s the question that will answer everything. No way the town allows employees to do this.
This is thievery.
Framed picture.
ReplyDeleteAnyone can take a similar photo and make stupid allegations.
Not when they all admit that someone punched them all out.
DeletePicture worth a thousand words.
ReplyDeleteNot just anyone can clock out himself and 7 others at the same time. Only a thief can.
This new mayor should get rid of the town administrator. It seems to me that he is the only remaining person from the group that has damaged the town in so many ways. I'm a common sense type person and believe that he should be replaced.
ReplyDelete