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Council approves annual $1,000 stipends
(by Kathryn A. Burger - July 16, 2008)
Several employees of the Borough of Park Ridge will be receiving a bonus, courtesy of the borough. The stipends have been paid out before. Mayor Donald Ruschman said, “We started giving out this ‘bonus’ years ago in lieu of overtime.”
Borough Ordinance 2007-21 specifies that employees holding certain positions will receive $1,000, “in recognition of the additional hours and duties required of their positions.”
At the council’s June 24 meeting, the annual pay-outs were approved for several employees, including:
Gene Vinci – borough administrator
Kelley O’Donnell – borough clerk
Ann Kilmartin – tax collector/treasurer
Colleen Ennis – assistant tax collector/treasurer
William Beattie – director of operations
Leonard Reiter – supervisor of electric distribution
Juan Donoso – supervisor of water distribution
Louis Turli – supervisor of roads/parks/building and grounds
Joseph Madden – chief of police
The ordinance, enacted in September 2007, sets the compensation for employees, approving minimum and maximum salaries by position for 2007, as well as specifying certain positions that qualify for the stipend, and for longevity pay. Mayor Donald Ruschman said none of the 2008 salaries have been determined yet so there is no ordinance, and the council awarded the stipends citing last year’s ordinance.
He said the annual stipend is paid, “regardless of how much their salary increases,” from year to year. “It is not part of their salary,” he said. “These employees work beyond the actual operating hours of the borough and they are not eligible for overtime pay. Some have to appear in court [on behalf of the borough] and some attend borough meetings where their attendance is required.”
Asked if there was a standard of performance that must be met to qualify for this payment, Borough Administrator Gene Vinci said, “No. No one keeps track of the hours. Everyone knows they go to meetings every month, sometimes twice a month.”
Ruschman said the actual hours are not tracked or recorded. “It’s an assumption that they put in the time. We realize the actual time they spend,” attending meetings. He said in many cases, $1,000 is less than what their compensation would be if they were to be paid overtime for putting in the hours.
Kathryn A. Burger's e-mail address is burger@northjersey.com.
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