Youth Shelter Workers Shudder at Thought of Privatization

CREST HAVEN — Another group of county workers, fearful of what privatization may mean, went to freeholders Sept. 22.
Those employees at the county Youth Shelter were told by County Administrator Stephen O’Connor their department head, Youth Services Director Diane Lanzetta, had failed to offer any cost savings or income generating proposals, as all 40 department heads were instructed in December 2008.
Lanzetta said she had made written responses to the county’s task force, which included plans for reorganizing the shelter. She declined further comment.
Terence O’Neill, a teacher at the 12-bed shelter where children are kept while awaiting Family Court disposition, asked the series of questions. A union representative for the employees did not attend, in the belief that the meeting began at 7 p.m. instead of 4:30 p.m.
The discussion was similar to others with Crest Haven Nursing and Rehabilitation Center kitchen workers who feared their jobs would be lost if the county outsourced their work to a commercial firm.
Most recently, the county awarded contracts to private vehicle repair facilities, Hi-Tech Auto and Eddie’s Auto Body to service county-owned vehicles. Mechanics, who previously serviced those cars, were placed in other county jobs, many at Fare Free Transportation.
O’Connor said Ranch Hope for Boys and Community Family Services submitted proposals, as requested by the county, but no decision has been made regarding either.
O’Connor told O’Neill that the cost to operate the youth shelter was $1.1 million, with offsets of between $120,000 and $180,000 from the state Division of Youth and Family Service.
That means county taxpayers fund the difference.
With a projected $3 million to $5 million deficit in the 2010 county budget, due to the poor economy and recession, O’Connor said the order went out to all department heads to trim costs, but, to date, nothing had been received from the Youth Services department head.
“It’s no secret, every area of county government is being looked into,” said O’Connor.
Absent hard figures from its own Youth Services department, O’Connor said he had to rely on prices from Burlington, Gloucester and Camden counties to operate their shelters.
O’Connor added that he asked union representatives “to talk to you folks, and make an appointment with the Human Resources director (Barbara Bakley-Marino).”
At such a meeting, O’Connor said, Bakley-Marino could identify what skills each person possessed that might be transferred to another department, since there is a hiring freeze in effect.
O’Connor stated the county pays Cumberland County for 10 youth “detention” beds in its facility, separate from the county Youth Shelter, and that about four youths were placed there annually, on average.
O’Connor said Burlington County has five times Cape May County’s population and 10 times as many teens, yet is spending “half our salary” (at the youth shelter.)
“I asked the department head, ‘Tell me what I am missing. How ridiculous it is what we are spending, and I haven’t gotten any answer on why,” said O’Connor.
“It seems in 1987, I started at $15,900. Now, I’m at a decent wage and you want me out the door,” said O’Neill. “It seems that is a primary concern, not the care and safety of the children,” he added.
Freeholder Director Daniel Beyel said over the years, the shelter’s capacity and people being handled were reduced, still its operating cost had not been reduced,
In absence of departmental data, Beyel said, “We are making some assumptions of operations in other county governments.”
“The human relations director asked to go to your department and she was told she was not welcome there. She was told for the last four months that she was not welcome there,” said O’Connor.
“It’s hard to know the truth,” said an unidentified shelter employee. O’Connor agreed.
“My boss did everything she can. I am at a loss to say nothing was offered,” said O’Neill.
“Do you have a copy of what was offered?” Beyel asked O’Neill.
“She is assembling it now,” O’Neill replied.
“We are asking more time to counter the flaws,” said O’Neill.
“My boss is being loyal to her department, forgive her for her loyalty,” said O’Neill.
“Her loyalty is to the taxpayers of this county,” replied O’Connor.
“How can we have a 12-bed shelter and have four kids?” he added.
“We need a whole different model now, and that wasn’t done,” said O’Connor.
“I am sure Diane will come up with something in this matter,” O’Neill replied.