PARSIPPANY — Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce (R-26) demanded the Legislature take action on her bill to abolish the School Development Authority (SDA) and place school construction responsibilities under the Department of Treasury, after the state was forced this week to fire 30 SDA employees whose hiring violated state ethics guidelines

A-5330, introduced by the Assemblywoman after the SDA staffing scandal broke in April, will transfer all school construction responsibilities now handled by the troubled agency to the Division of Property Management and Construction in the Department of Treasury. Assemblywoman DeCroce noted that her legislation will provide the Governor and Legislature more direct authority to control school construction activities, while allowing the state Economic Development Authority (EDA) to retain its responsibility for the financing of school construction projects.

“The SDA has had a long and troubled history, largely because it has been able to operate with little oversight as a legally-establish state authority. The staffing scandal is just the latest problem demonstrating that we need to abolish the agency and bring its operations within the state administration, where the Governor and Legislature can have more direct control of matters,” said Assemblywoman DeCroce, whose district spans Morris, Essex and Passaic counties.

The firing of 30 people earlier this week followed the release of three investigative reports on a staffing scandal that forced the resignation of SDA CEO Lizette Delgado-Polanco, who stepped down in April after only eight months in office.

Whistle-blowers reported that long-time employees had been fired during her tenure as friends and family to Delgado-Polanco were given highly paid positions for which they were unqualified. Three state probes were launched, with one concluding: “Nearly every new hire was directly or indirectly connected personally or professionally to Ms. Delgado Polanco when hired.” That same investigation report went on to add: “Connected new hires benefitted from favorable treatment regarding their titles and/or salaries.”

Of the 30 people fired from the agency earlier this week, 27 had been hired by the former CEO. The investigations also concluded that 14 of those hired under the former CEO were brought on at salaries toppling six figures, with some reaching as high as $170,000. At least 10 of those top earners either worked with Delgado-Polanco in the past or had close ties to her.

The SDA, which manages the construction and improvement of schools in 31 of the state’s poorest communities, has billions of dollars at its disposal. But it was reported in April to be nearly out of money.

“We still haven’t a satisfactory explanation on how this agency burned through billions of dollars of taxpayer money. We need accountability and oversight,” said Assemblywoman DeCroce.

Newark Cost Overruns   

In a recent report by an online news organization, school construction costs in Newark were found to be outrageously high. The TapInto Newark report said, “The SDA spent an average $424 per square foot to build the five schools in Newark, nearly three times the limit set by the Legislature at $142 per square foot, which is supposed to include construction and professional fees.”

The Newark report also noted, “The last three schools to open in Newark since 2016 cost an average of $515 per square foot. The South Street School, which was completed in 2018, cost $69 million or $669 per square foot, nearly 5 times the limits set by the Legislature. The SDA spent more than a quarter of a billion dollars to build schools for only 3,733 Newark children — an average of more than $70,000 per student.”

In May DeCroce sent letters requesting support from Senate President Stephen Sweeney, Speaker Craig Coughlin and Assemblyman John Burzichelli to bring SDA under direct state control.

“Moving the SDA to the Division of Property Management & Construction is the right step because it is critical that we ensure the services provided by the SDA are offered in a professional, cost effective and transparent manner,” wrote DeCroce.

The Division of Property Management and Construction in the Department of Treasury oversees the procurement of construction contracts for public works buildings for state agencies, leases for office and warehouse space, and the operation and maintenance of state-owned facilities. 

MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County Prosecutor Fredric M. Knapp, Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Acting Chief of Investigations Christoph Kimker, and Chief Jeffrey Almer of the Washington Township Police Department confirm the investigation of an incident occurring on West Mill Road, in Washington Township, on Wednesday, August 7.

At approximately 2:15 p.m., police were dispatched to 411 West Mill Road on a report of shots fired. Members of the Washington Township Police Department responded quickly, took the suspect into custody and secured the scene. Law enforcement located one individual who had sustained what appeared to be multiple gunshot wounds.  Two additional injured individuals were also located at the scene, including the suspect.

The property is owned by Michael Barisone, a member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic dressage team. He’s well-known in the sports, offering riding clinics in New Jersey and Florida, according to his website. He trained the 2016 Olympic bronze medalist in dressage at the Rio summer games.

Members of the Washington Township Police Department, the Morris County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit are investigating.

If anyone has any information related to this investigation, they are encouraged to call the Major Crimes Unit of the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office at (973) 285-6200, or the Washington Township Police Department at (908) 876-3232.

PARSIPPANY — Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany Foundation presented CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) with a donation at their weekly breakfast meeting held at Empire Diner.

Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany Foundation President Frank Cahill presented Lisa Firkser, Executive Director, CASA of Morris and Sussex Counties, with a check for $3,600. Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany President Karen DeChristopher looks on.

The donation was in conjunction with a matching grant from New Jersey Kiwanis Foundation.

The purpose of the New Jersey Kiwanis Foundation, of which every Kiwanian in New Jersey is a member, is to provide financial assistance to service programs that agree with and support the objectives of Kiwanis International and the New Jersey District of Kiwanis International. This purpose is achieved by making financial grants to Kiwanis family sponsored programs and to Kiwanis service programs, the scope of which is beyond the means of individual Kiwanians, Kiwanis clubs, or local club foundations.

CASA’s mission is to speak up for the best interests of children who have been removed from their homes due to abuse and neglect. They recruit, train, and supervise community volunteers who provide a voice in court to assure each child a safe, permanent and nurturing home.

CASA is the only court-authorized advocacy program for children and youth in foster care in Morris and Sussex Counties.

CASA programs bring better tomorrows to vulnerable children.

Child Advocacy: Children who are victims of abuse, neglect and abandonment and living in foster homes or residential facilities are assigned to CASA volunteers for advocacy in the Family Court system. Our trained volunteers make recommendations to the court for critical community resources and services to improve a child’s stability and outcomes and ensure that each child is in a safe, nurturing and permanent home as soon as possible.

Family Drug Court: This important program provides treatment and services for substance-abusing parents whose children have been placed in foster care as the result of child abuse and neglect. The services provided are designed to successfully rehabilitate the parents, balance child safety and permanency and work toward family reunification or another  safe, nurturing placement for the child.

Fostering Futures: This unique program integrates coaching, connecting, and mentoring services meant to build self-confidence and empower youth to transform their lives beyond the foster care system into adulthood. Youth ages 14-21 benefit from an integrated, proactive approach prior to aging out of the system that empowers them to be their own advocates, discuss their dreams for their future and work toward realistic goal setting with concrete life skills and strategies.

With a CASA volunteer, a child is half as likely to languish in the foster care system, and that much more likely to find a safe, nurturing, permanent home.

To volunteer and make a profound difference in the life of an abused or neglected child, become a CASA volunteer by calling (973) 998-7590.

Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany supports ten K-Kids clubs, Lake Parsippany Elementary School, Eastlake Elementary School, Intervale School, Mt. Tabor Elementary School, Littleton Elementary School, Lake Hiawatha Elementary School, Troy Hills Elementary School, Northvail Elementary School, Knollwood School and Rockaway Meadow Elementary School, two builders clubs, Central Middle School and Brooklawn Middle School; two Key Clubs, Parsippany Hills High School and Parsippany High School and one Aktion Club. In addition, Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany supports a Circle K Club at Seton Hall University.

Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany raises funds and donates to the Parsippany Food Pantry, Parsippany-Troy Hills Public Library, Parsippany PAL Youth Center, Parsippany High School Scholarship Program, Parsippany Hills High School Scholarship Program, Parsippany Child Day Center, Prevent Child Abuse-New Jersey, Camp Nejeda, NJ Sharing Network, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of Parsippany, Parsippany Project Graduation, Jersey Battered Women’s Services, CASA, Family Promise of Morris County, Parsippany Little League West, Parsippany Little League East to name a few.

Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany meets every Thursday morning at 7:15 a.m. at Empire Diner, 1315 Route 46, Parsippany.

For more information on Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany, click here. To join online click here.

PARSIPPANY — Representative Sherrill (NJ-11) visited Zufall Health Center in Morristown to mark National Health Center Week. Zufall is part of a nationwide network of locally-run health centers that serve more than 28 million people nationwide. Health centers are on the front lines of national public health challenges – whether caring for veterans, providing opioid addiction treatment, addressing mental illness, or responding to natural disasters.

“Health Centers are critical resources for families in our community and across the country,” Representative Sherrill said. “Zufall Health Center in Morristown provides a wide range of medical, dental, and wellness services regardless of ability to pay, including pediatrics, HIV testing, cancer screenings, sexual assault support services, and so much more. Their mobile services reach directly into the community with vital medical and dental screenings that many would never access otherwise. The theme of this year’s National Health Center Week is ‘Rooted in Community,’ and Zufall lives that example every day.”

Sherrill has been a champion of health centers in Congress. Last week, her bipartisan family health information center legislation, the Family-to-Family Health Information Center Reauthorization Act of 2019, passed the House and Senate and has been sent to the president’s desk for a five-year reauthorization.

Sherrill said last week: “I am proud that both the House and Senate unanimously agreed to support Family-to-Family Health Information Centers, and I urge the President to swiftly sign this bill into law. Family-to-Family Health Information Centers provide families of children with special healthcare needs with the tools and assistance necessary to effectively navigate our nation’s complex health care system. The continuity of funding provided through this bill will enable F2F HICs to retain experienced staff, engage in future planning, and continue to empower and support children and families in New Jersey and across the country.”