Committee members pondered on how compensation would work out for service projects
By KRYSTAL NURSE
The Sun
Re-appointed Mayor Louis Manzo brought an unidentified employee’s concern regarding how employees should be compensated, or not, for volunteer work to the township committee during the Jan. 7 meeting.
The employee, he said, inquired about it because it is essentially community service. However, they were unsure of how compensation, or lack thereof, would go for such a thing.
Referencing a previous conversation he had with Anthony DiFabio, Joint Land Use Board member, Manzo said Holman Enterprises, a car dealership, has a policy written in place to grant employees a certain number of days per year for verifiable volunteer opportunities.
“It’s not vacation, PTO (Paid Time Off), personal, sick or anything like that, as long as you are verifiably spending that time in something that’s community oriented,” said Manzo. “I think they had a list of what the organizations and entities could be, and so that conversation triggered to me to see if we want to establish something along those lines, by ordinance or policy, and we would put it into parameters.”
Re-appointed Deputy Mayor Don Heim asked if anyone employed by Harrison Township would qualify for the time-off, to which Manzo clarified those within a collective bargaining agreement would not have this — yet — if approved. He went on to state the proposed policy wouldn’t be within the current contract, which was signed in 2018, according to him, but could be worked into new ones.
Committeeman Jeff Jacques asked if Manzo and Brian Duffield, township solicitor, discussed safeguards to make sure a certain number of employees within a department doesn’t request hours on the same day or time frame.
“We didn’t get that far,” said Duffield.
“I think that if we come back, if we’re moved by the majority, then we’ll start to talk what it will be with the like of ‘with supervisor [oversight],’ ‘department head approval,’ ‘based on availability,’ and ‘with X amount of notice’ — something like that,” said Manzo.
The committee members, excluding John Williams who was absent, agreed to table further discussions until the next meeting, which was rescheduled from Jan. 21 to Jan. 24 at 7 p.m. due to Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Prior to the regular business meeting, Heim and Manzo were sworn-in by Gloucester County Freeholder Frank DiMarco and 5th Legislative District Senator Nilsa Cruz-Perez, respectively, to the township committee. Heim was accompanied by his son, Tommy, and Manzo was accompanied by two of his three daughters, Alexis and Marissa.
Following a unanimous vote, state Sen. Steve Sweeney administered the mayoral oath of office to Manzo, who was joined by his parents Frank and Rosemary. Heim’s deputy mayor oath was administered by 5th Legislative District Assemblywoman Patricia Egan Jones, and he was joined by his parents Don and Barbara.
Committee members Julie DeLaurentis and Jacques congratulated Manzo and Heim for returning to the committee and said they’re looking forward to this year.
Heim remarked on the unity in the township and that he seeks to reach out to those who disagree with him to learn how they can work through their differences to help the township prosper.
“That’s what personal opinions and beliefs are all about — when we can walk away and have those personal opinions and beliefs and still work together for unity and the community,” he said.
Manzo closed the reorganization meeting highlighting projects and improvements that will occur in the township in 2019 including, but not limited to, installing 4,000 feet of new sidewalks throughout the township, construction of True North Church and the Chabad Jewish Center respective worship buildings, a solar field to power public buildings and schools as well as furthering discussions for the Richwood Town Center.
“Our understanding of the regional impact of everything we do calls for a stronger relationship and communications with our immediate neighbors in Mantua, South Harrison, Woolwich/Swedesboro, Pitman, Glassboro and East Greenwich [townships and boroughs],” he said.
