What Led to Resignation from Commission?

CREST HAVEN – Was it just canvas bags, copies and keys that drove Kathleen Bresan to resign from the Cape May County Advisory Commission on the Status of Women effective immediately Jan. 8?
In a six-sentence email to each freeholder and county counsel, a copy of which she sent to The Herald, Bresan wrote, “Due to threats from Freeholder liaison Marie Hayes, I feel as though I have no choice but to resign from the (commission) immediately. It was brought up at the meeting held last night that there was a hugh (sic) issue with my husband, Joseph R. Bresan’s business dealings with a company he has dealt with in the past to supply canvas bags to the Women’s Commission. As he is in the textile business he has the necessary contacts. During my 12 years, as a member and Chair of the Commission, there has never been any training or direction on financial issues. After leaving the meeting on Jan. 8, 2014, I can honestly state that I am in fear for my safety and life. Thank you for your support during the past 12 years.”
In a telephone interview, Hayes denied making any threats against Bresan, who was commission chair until mid-2013. The post was assumed by Bridgett O’Brien. The 16-member volunteer board, appointed by freeholders, focuses, as its name states, on women’s topics and concerns.
Hayes is retired from the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office after 29 years, and has been commission liaison since then.
She was asked to begin attending meetings, and has done so, she said.
Canvas tote bags that bore the commission’s name were given to attendees of its April job fair. They were among the concerns Hayes addressed, since they were cited as a reason for Bresan’s resignation.
The county treasurer received a phone call “several months ago,” said Hayes from the seller of those printed bags. “He wanted to know why a bill for $2,100 had not been paid.” The caller, Hayes said, was Joseph Bresan, husband of Kathleen.
“A red flag went up in the treasurer’s mind,” said Hayes. “She was dealing with her husband through the commission.”
The matter was referred to County Counsel Barbara Bakley-Marino, said Hayes. “Eventually we got the invoice from the company that he purchased the bags from. The invoice was for $1,412. Comparing the two, in doing business with her husband, he was going to profit $600 from the women’s commission,” Hayes said.
Hayes said the county “started to pull all the invoices.” She noted that the county had invoices from the company “for a long time.”
Bresan said she and her husband met with Bakley-Marino “on several occasions. The last conversation I had with…Bakley Marino, she stated, ‘Oh, there was some miscommunication on our part, your husband will have his check issued this week.’”
The invoice was paid in November, Bresan said.
Bresan, who was lauded by freeholders March 27, 2012 for sponsoring a Cape May County Career and Training Expo at Wildwoods Convention Center that drew over 500, held another March 16, 2013 in the same place. Because of that crowd, she said, she ordered more canvas bags than usual.
Bresan said Bakley-Marino was concerned about a conflict of interest in the matter. “We live in Cape May County, I could write a book on nepotism,” said Bresan.
Of her husband making a profit, Bresan said, “I don’t see anything wrong with that.” There were, she noted, two signatures on the invoice from the commission. Bresan said the invoice to the county was for $2,030, and the company’s invoice for the bags was $1,429.
Each entrant to the job fair received one of those bags, with “a lot of handouts,” she said.
Bresan is puzzled over the matter, since the commission began ordering in 2007, and there was never a prior problem.
Those bags were filled with copies, and they were another concern of Hayes. In the July-August time period, 7,000 copies were made on the commission’s copy machine in its office, 10 N. Main St.
“The job fair took place in March. There was no reason for 7,000 copies to be made in July-August, said Hayes.
“I had questions about that,” Hayes added. “Given all this, I was making a decision to bring it to the rest of the freeholders and ask that Kathy Bresan be taken off the board. That took place this past Wednesday (Jan. 8).”
Bresan noted that the commission is billed $100 per month for the copy machine. New machines are regularly placed and old ones removed, although nothing is wrong with the old ones, she said.
Because there was no reading taken of the machine in the building during the March-April time frame, Bresan said, that would account for the 7,000 copies made in the July-August reading.
“I have photos of piles of paper to prove it,” said Bresan, who added she maintains complete email and other document files to prove what was done and what it cost. Those copies included numerous forms given to job fair attendees for police academy and casinos, among others, she said.
Bresan is also troubled that she was never told what the commission’s budget was for the year. However, she noted, even after payment for the bags, the commission ended the year with $900 surplus.
The commission, which routinely meets in the Old Courthouse, 11 N. Main St., met instead Jan. 8 on the second floor of Crest Haven Nursing and Rehabilitation Center on Moore Road, said Bresan. Two members, who had not been notified of the meeting venue change, waited over a half hour at the Old Courthouse, she said.
Hayes said prior to the meeting, O’Brien, Linda Thornton and she, “Asked Kathy to step outside the room, and we explained the situation.”
“I said, ‘Kathy, basically you padded the bill for $600. What happened?’ We questioned who made the 7,000 copies. As soon as we found that out, we changed the locks” (on the office 11 N. Main St.).
That’s because, said Hayes, she asked Bresan who had keys to that office. Bresan said every member was given a key. She had no record of who had them or how many. Bresan told the Herald no one ever raised the question of who possessed keys.
Subsequently, locks were changed at 11 N. Main St., and only officers were given keys, said Hayes.
“We are giving you a chance to resign,” said Hayes to Bresan. She said the group told Bresan they would return to the meeting “and explain why we are asking for you to be removed.”
“She (Bresan) said ‘No, I am not going to resign,’” Hayes said.
“We went back in, and explained that we gave her a chance to give her explanation. They (members) had a lot of questions. They were concerned,” said Hayes.
Hayes added “I asked for it to be put in closed session of the upcoming freeholders’ meeting, but following the meeting she asked for it to be in open session, and I would ask the rest of the board to ask for her resignation.”
Because Bresan notified the Herald, and by so doing took the matter public, the need for privacy was seemingly removed, Hayes noted.
Hayes requested that commission meetings be switched so they would not conflict with the freeholders’ meetings, which are the second and fourth Tuesdays at varying times.
“Finally they agreed to be changed. When I attended, it was very contentious, Kathy ruled most of the meeting and would not let anyone else speak,” said Hayes.
Hayes added that when she first attended meetings, there were 11 members. She asked who the members were, and those in attendance did not know. Once she got the list of members, she began calling to ask why they had missed so many meetings.
“Since I have been attending the meetings, many members said they had ideas they tried to discuss, but it was a one-woman show…I witnessed that the first meeting I attended,” said Hayes. She wanted to talk with all members, and some have yet to return her phone calls.
“I am frightened,” stated Bresan. “I will state for the record that I cannot explain why Marie Hayes has been pressuring me to resign since she took over as liaison around March of 2013. She referred to a telephone conversation the two had regarding meeting days.
“I feel as though the meeting held on Jan. 8 was purposely secured with new members and Marie Hayes’ handpicked members, as it later came out that several members waited outside the usual meeting location of the Old Courthouse…for over a half hour with no notification of the sudden change,” Bresan stated.