Ocean County's hiring of a Florida-based firm for debris removal was legal and necessary for a quick response in the weeks after Hurricane Sandy, county officials said Wednesday.
Responding to comments from Gary Black of Jackson, who claimed an article in the Star-Ledger of Newark criticized Ocean County's involvement with AshBritt, a debris removal firm hired by the state, the Ocean County Board of Freeholders said the county was piggybacking on the state's contract.
"Under state law, counties may use contracts the state has in place," Freeholder Gerry P. Little said in response to Black's comments. The Ledger article, accessible here, actually criticized the company and the state, saying it exploited political ties and distress over the storm to gain municipal clients. Ocean County was only briefly mentioned as one of its clients.
Ocean County signed on with AshBritt in mid-November while offering a shared services agreement to county municipalities for Sandy-related debris removal. Under the shared services agreement, towns that signed on with the county -- 16 of them -- used AshBritt for debris removal, with the county footing the bill upfront and seeking reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Administration. Towns that participate in the agreement will be expected to reimburse the county for the amount not covered by FEMA, which could be as little as 10 percent or as much as 25 percent of the cost, depending on final disaster figure determinations.
AshBritt was one of the contractors involved in the cleanup in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina, according to its website, and its prior experience in dealing with FEMA was among the reasons it touted as making it the best choice for debris removal after Sandy, according to the Star-Ledger article.
Reports that the contract was a no-bid deal are inaccurate, Freeholder John C. Bartlett Jr. said.
"The contract (with AshBritt) was originally bid in Connecticut," Bartlett said. "New Jersey was able to make use of that bid to hire AshBritt," and the county was then able to piggyback on the state as a result.
The fees that AshBritt is charging are approved by FEMA for reimbursement, Little said.
So far, it amounts to $2.6 million, the amount of a payment to AshBritt that was approved at Wednesday's meeting, Bartlett said. Much work remains, however, with debris on private property -- homes that were knocked off foundations, boats that floated away from their owners, and more -- just beginning to be addressed.
The bottom line, Freeholder Deputy Director James F. Lacey said, was getting the job done quickly.
"If we'd gone out to bid, we'd still be waiting," Little said.
Anytime the goverment spends money it is never a bargain. Why oh why do you people always want goverment to handle things for you. Secession now!..someone please break away from this madness and start over.
Do you really think the day after Sandy hit that they were thinking about politics and who is a Dem or Rep. Who cares where the firm is from, they did a unbelievable job in cleaning up the debris. They were coming by my house twice a day with those cranes that probably know other disaster firm in NJ even has.
The Ironworkers’ union organizer who drafted the pro-union bill, Steven Sweeney, also happens to be the president of the New Jersey Senate and recently accused New Jersey Governor Chris Christie of “praying” for Hurricane Sandy to hit New Jersey. As it turns out, though, unions must be counting their blessing with the New Jersey’s Senate passage of S. 2425 which adds adds to an already-existing discriminatory PLA laws in New Jersey: “New Jersey has had a project labor agreement law on the books since 2002, but highways, bridges, pumping stations and water and sewage treatment plants were exempted. With extensive rebuilding needed on those structures along the shore, this bill includes them. Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester), who authored the legislation and fast tracked it, said the agreements are key to making sure work goes to New Jersey workers.” A Project Labor Agreement, according to the bill, “means a form of pre-hire collective bargaining agreement covering terms and conditions of a specific project.” In other words, non-union construction workers are not welcome. According to Democrats, Union JOBS are more important than NON UNION JOBS!
Unions are orginized crime. How can any one be pro union...they are so obviously corrupt, how can any one not see it. If you are a union, pro democrat, liberal, I hope you taped Obama in NJ. Because now that he has your votes, you won't ever see him again.