Pleasantville City Council approved adding a director of public safety position at its last meeting.
But two weeks later, there still is no job description or any movement, according to a records request by BreakingAC.
The position is a long way from being filled — if at all, Solicitor Tracey Cosby explained at the ordinance's second reading April 7, when questions were raised about the lack of details on the job.
"This is nothing more than the first step," she said.
The first reading last month passed quietly with no discussion either from the dais or the public.
But City Councilwoman Joanne Famularo — who missed that meeting — had several questions during the work session before the main meeting earlier this month.
"Is there a job description that goes along with this?" she asked. "Is it in the budget? What’s the salary? Do we have a need for it? ... And what are the qualifications for it?"
"We have a job description, which is being approved by our attorneys," replied Councilman Charles Oglesby, who oversees the Public Safety Committee that put through the addition.
"Come on," Famularo responded. "You can’t create a job and have no job description."
Council President Carla Thomas suggested Famularo could have reached out to Oglesby with her questions since "you do know that Councilman Oglesby is the chair (of Public Safety."
Famularo countered that she asks questions for residents in front of residents.
“I am relaying it now," she said of her concern. "Where’s the job description? Where is the money? Who do they oversee? What are the qualifications for the person? Those are very simple things that you ask about a job description that you’re putting in something that the taxpayers are going to be on the hook for paying. They’re very simple questions. And if you can’t answer them, that’s fine. Everybody knows how I’m going to vote now.”
Several residents echoed her questions, which is when Cosby explained that council has to approve the position before it can go to Civil Service for their approval.
She echoed Oglesby's position that there is a job description, which she said was being worked on by the city's labor counsel.
BreakingAC confirmed that the city has to apply for the position by filling out a Position Classification Questionnaire, of which the city also has no record.
That filing must include details that specify things like the new position's purpose, duties and qualifications.
However, when BreakingAC requested a copy of the job description and the questionnaire from the city, the response was that there were no responsive documents but that "a job description will be made available in the near future."
The ordinance included only the current list of positions in the city, with "public safety director" in bold under police.
Cosby mentioned how the position of public safety director has been used a lot throughout the state.
While she was unaware when a resident mentioned Atlantic City having one, that spot was recently filled by Pleasantville's retired police chief, Sean Riggin. He previously served as fire director, which now is vacant.
That could happen with the public safety director position or it could be consolidated with fire, according to Cosby.
Thomas later told BreakingAC that the discussion of adding a public safety director has been going on for more than a year.
"A councilmember brought it to our attention," said Oglesby, who said many people wrongly believed it was his idea.
He would not name the councilmember, who is no longer serving.
"We don't even know if we're going to use the position," Thomas said.
It was not clear if the issue would come up again at Monday's meeting.
