Patch Howell, NJ --While current and past executives of Birdsall Services Group face indictments on a variety of charges the administration of Howell Township said they have confidence in the current members of that company and the township in handling the day-to-day engineering needs of the township.
Township Manager Helene Schlegel said in addition to the services provided by Birdsall there is an in house staff and other engineering companies the township has contracts available for their services. "We don't see any impact on the township engineering services," she said.
Mayor Bill Gotto said also believed the township could work through the current situations while continuing to serve the residents of the township. "Contrary to what some people think we have an in house engineering department," he said. "We have staff that are continuing to work on things that need to be worked on."
Schlegel defined Birdsall's role as "oversight and part time administrative services." She added, "We don't see any reason that they wouldn't fulfill their contract for the oversight of the Department of Community Development."
Jim Priolo, a Birdsall employee serves as the head of the department. Schlegel said she believes Priolo can continue in that role for the township. "I have no reason to believe that they can't fulfill the contract and they can do a good job like they've been doing."
As with all of the township's departments Schlegel said Community Development will be evaluated and so far it has gotten good reviews. "There's not plan to break the contract," she said. "We've seen progress. They've served us well."
Birdsall Services' recent legal troubles have revolved around allegations of violating pay-to-play laws. Schlegel said she is not aware of the political end of the company. "I'm looking at it strictly from the perspective of the employees that are working for us and what they're able to accomplish," she said.
Whatever the results of the legal proceedings are Schlegel said township residents will not see a drop in the services they receive. "We still have our compliment of employees regardless of what happens with Birdsall," she said. "Howell Township services won't be affected whatsoever. Those people that were indicted have no impact on the performance that we see."
The contract with Birdsall pays the company $60,000 annually according to Schlegel. She said the township also has the services of three other firms that can handle the township's engineering services if needed. The other firms are CME, T&M and Ernst & Ernst.
Gotto said currently the township is in good shape with its contracts. He also said the administration will continue to monitor the company's standings particularly when it comes to their finances.
His main concern originally focused on speculation the company would not be able to make its payroll. "I have concern working with any firm that can't afford to pay their employees," he said. "Over the last couple of days I've had some dialogue with management there and feel very confident that those issues have already been taken care of."
The company's financials seem solid according to Gotto's conversations with employees there but if that changed the township would look at their options at that point. "Whether that action would be redoing the proposal to have somebody else do the same job or just reorganize it internally, we're just waiting to see how the whole thing shakes out."
Gotto said the changes made by organizing the department will continue regardless of who is in charge of it. "I don't think we want to change any of the other departments that are working very very well right now to accommodate this change," he said.
He said despite the issues the company has encountered it has not affected their job performance in the township. "That company is still in existence and they're still working for us and they're showing up every day for their job and they're working the same today as they were a month ago."
When the indictments were announced last week Birdsall released a statement saying in part, "Birdsall Services Group will continue to serve its many clients in full compliance with the new standards it implemented along with its long history of professional compliance."
The next meeting of the Mayor and Council is scheduled to be held at 7:30 p.m. on April 9 in the new Municipal Building. Reported by Patch 6 hours ago.