After the closed session of last night’s Mayor & Council meeting, the governing body voted to approve the hiring of someone to fill a temporary clerical position to assist in the day-to-day functions in the Borough Clerk’s office.
“I’d like to make a motion that the borough go out and hire a part-time/temporary … clerk to help in the Borough Clerk’s office for an unspecified amount of time,” Council President Carl Hokanson stated in making the motion.
Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Ken Blum clarified the matter by saying, “We’re anticipating it not to exceed two weeks but due to circumstances we can’t put a time limit on it. It’ll be followed up by official resolution at our next meeting.”
Mayor Accardi asked if a resolution should be given to the vote but it was commented by the CFO that all the relevant information was not included so the resolution number could wait. The mayor then announced, “The motion was to seek a temporary clerk to work for an undetermined period of time to assist in the Borough Clerk’s office.”
The motion was voted on an approved unanimously by council. According to sources in the Borough Clerk’s office, both the Borough Clerk, Doreen Cali, and the Deputy Borough Clerk, Donna Corrigan, might be out sick simultaneously for six (6) work days, from Thursday, January 23rd through Friday, January 31st.
There are circumstance which might have the Deputy Clerk in next week but, as a pro-active measure, council voted to hire someone in a clerical position to assist in the day-to-day functions of the Clerk’s office. The reduction of staff – leaving one employee in the Borough Clerk’s office – could potentially create a backlog of time-sensitive responsibilities, in addition to an extreme work volume with dog/cat licenses, OPRA requests, pinball, video, jukebox, as well as numerous other license renewals, marriage, death certificates, year-end responsibilities, and new year preparations.
Borough Clerk Doreen Cali, when reached for a comment, said, “All these duties, which are due simultaneously, could create a potential liability in additional to creating an extreme unrealistic burden on the one individual attempting to run the office alone.”
The Borough Clerk is expected to return to the office by the last week in January.