Saying county freeholders have heard only one half of the story, Freeholder Bill O’Dea said at the Sept. 25 county freeholders caucus that a contractor who supplied psychiatric services to several county institutions should be questioned before they decline to renew the contract.
This resulted in a dispute between the acting county executive and some of the freeholders during the next scheduled regular Hudson County Freeholder meeting two days later.
Freeholder O’Dea said the firm, Hudson County Psychiatric Associates, had been instrumental in uncovering some problems at the Meadowview psychiatric unit in Secaucus, and he felt the firm my have been targeted for its blowing the whistle on these problems.
In August, the Freeholder Health Committee made recommendations for safety improvements based on the report by this group.
The hospital administration has since recommended the replacement of the firm after its Oct. 1 contract expiration, saying that the firm differs from the hospital in its treatment approach.
The firm apparently emphasizes a more medical approach to treatment, while the administrative staff is seeking a firm that would provide what is called a "holistic approach."
The first approach relies heavily on use of drugs, while the other deals with behavioral modification as part of the treatment.
O’Dea said he is also concerned about the proposed replacement since the contract with the current group expired Oct. 1.
"I don’t want to have to come here two weeks into October and be asked to vote on some new firm after it has already started working," O’Dea argued.
Freeholder William Braker concurred, saying that he would like to have more details about who will replace the existing firm.
At the Sept. 27 meeting, Antun pushed to have emergency contract awarded to three local psychiatrists despite O’Dea’s objections, leading O’Dea to threaten legal action to remove Antun as County Executive.
The showdown, however, was averted when O’Dea backed down from his threat and allowed Antun to put three psychiatrists on the county payroll while the county seeks a firm for a longer contract.
Call for an ethics board
In a memo he issued to the board of freeholders at their Sept. 25 caucus meeting, O’Dea recommended the county establish an independent review panel for county accountability.
"In light of events of the past several months such as the situation with the nursing homes, the psychiatric hospital and the circumstances surrounding the recent resignation of the county executive, I am proposing" an ethics panel.
The panel would be modeled after the Miami-Dade County IRP (Internal Review Panel) and would consist of a member of the county’s bar association, a representative from the local League of Women’s voters, a representative of the county’s chief of police, a representative of Common Cause and a representative of the county’s local ethics board.
The panel would conduct eternal fact-finding and dispute resolution. It would receive complaints relative to public health, safety or welfare, as well as information related to gross mismanagement, malfeasance, misfeasance and neglect of duty. In all cases it can recommend corrective action, policy and procedure revisions and disciplinary actions.
This panel, he said, would operate as an independent go-between with the public and county government relative to complaints against departments and employees.
"Its mission would be to hear evidence from all sides and seek the truth," O’Dea said. "It would offer an impartial, non-politic mechanism for anyone who may want to blow the whistle on country wrongdoing, especially in instances where those actions were serious effect the operation of government and delivery of service, but may not rise to the level of criminal wrongdoing."
O’Dea told freeholders that some people might not feel comfortable bringing their complaints to freeholders, or other political entities, and that this board would give them the confidence they might need to report issues.
‘Cyber district’
Freeholders moved ahead with hiring a consultant that would help them design a "cyber district" in Hudson County.
Ken Blaine, a member of the Hudson County Economic Development Authority, said the county received federal funding to investigate a possible countywide district for high-tech business. The grant amount that Hudson got, $150,000, was the third highest of the 30 grants given out throughout the state. Some went to towns and cities.
Blaine said that within the county, three municipal districts are planned: one in Jersey City, one in North Bergen and one in Bayonne. Those municipalities got separate grants.
"We will be working with them as well as the nine remaining municipalities in the county," Blaine said.
The New Jersey Redevelopment authority awarded money to local governments to examine commercial, industrial and development areas to determine the worthiness of luring high-tech business there, by establishing "cyber districts." The idea is to provide infrastructure that would encourage high-tech firms such as finance companies, software development companies and other e-commerce businesses to relocate there.
The money that Hudson County received will pay for the costs of a feasibility study. This study would examine strategic issues that the district would need to success, such as how large a district should be set aside, the availability and suitability of buildings need for the high tech instruction, the proximity of high speed data transmission services like fiber optics, the level of interest on the part of developer, and the estimated cost of upgrading existing facility to attract these firms.