County sewerage authority starts to clean house after seating new board members

BRIDGETON – The Cumberland County Utilities Authority's two newest members have had an immediate impact, enabling the Board of Commissioners to begin a significant staff reorganization.

The new commissioners are Dean Dellaquila of Bridgeton and William Whelan of Upper Deerfield Township. The county Board of Commissioners appointed them on Tuesday night Nov. 16, after creating the positions specifically for them. They took their oaths of office at the start of the CCUA meeting on Thursday.

The new members, aided by the unexpected resignation of Commissioner R. Todd Edwards earlier Thursday, created a solid voting majority centered on longtime Chairman Albert Jones. The chair now appears able to rely on support from four commissioners on the nine-member board.

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"I appreciate your taking the job," Jones told the new members. "I hope everything works out."

Dellaquila is the Public Works director for Bridgeton and has had a regular working relationship with the authority. Whelan, a banker in private life, is a former member and director of the county Board of Commissioners.

"I look throughout the audience and I see many, many people I’ve worked with during my 38 years of service with the city of Bridgeton," Dellaquila said. "I am a people person. I pride myself of transparency, integrity, and accountability."

Whelan said he expects to put his background in finance to use.

"I’m look forward to making my contribution any way I can," Whelan said. "Any way I can be helpful to anyone else on the board. And I think of myself as transparent as well."

By their appointments, county officials intended to end the serious infighting that has disrupted the board since May. County government has been inundated with ratepayer complaints and formal statements of concerns from at least two townships.

Dellaquila and Whelan were selected to quiet the board after county commission Director Joseph Derella and Deputy Director Darlene Barber consulted with the mayors of Bridgeton and Upper Deerfield.

The authority now has eight seated commissioners: Dellaquila, Whelan, Jones, William Andre, Richard Dawson, Zarko Rajacich, Kenny Smith-Bey, and Angelia Edwards. Dawson is vice chairman and along with Rajacich is aligned with Jones.

As a result of the new majority, the board moved immediately on several controversial matters on Thursday and quickly settled them.

On a 7-1 vote, Interim Executive Director Bob Carlson was hired on a permanent basis. Carlson, previously the resident engineer, became interim director this summer after his predecessor resigned in protest over what he described as malignant "outside" influences.

The Carlson appointment quashes a push to hire Fairfield Township Administrator Michael Burden, despite his apparent lack of qualifications for the job. The authority conducted a candidate search.

On another 7-1 vote, Consulting Engineer Services of Sicklerville was appointed as engineering consultant. CES replaces Pennoni Associates, which will continue working on projects already started.

Pennoni Associates is out of favor with the board majority over its perceived role in an initiative to start an internet service. The Cumberland County Sewer Rate Watch, formed by angry residents, and elected officials in affected municipalities also are critics of the firm.

On a 8-0 vote, the board rejected bids from law firms seeking solicitor and labor counsel positions starting in 2022. The authority now intends to hire only one law firm, with the selected firm handling all matters.

The move requires a new round of bid advertisements. Currently, solicitor duties are handled by the Zeff Law Firm and labor matters by Marmero Law Firm.

Edwards messaged his resignation directly to Jones. He had several years to run on a five-year term. He was one of four commissioners often in conflict with the chairman.

Jones announced the resignation, saying only Edwards was "moving on to other things." Edwards in his email said the decision was reluctantly made at the urging of Barber, who is a liaison to the CCUA.

The division on the board in 2021 stems primarily from controversial initiatives to monetize the authority and to start an Internet service. The CCUA presently only provides sewerage service.

Opponents of the two initiatives claim county Democratic Party leader Doug Long, a former county commissioner and chairman, is the source of the monetization and broadband ideas.

Dawson said he was "delighted" with the additions of Dellaquila and Whelan, and he also praised Jones.

"This has been a challenging year with a lot of new things coming to the table," Dawson said. "And I think that you are remarkable in your handling of everything and your steady hand. And I appreciate that."

Jones said he just tries to do "the right thing."

"I don’t look for fanfare," Jones said. "I’m just here to do a job and protect the authority and look out for the ratepayers as well."

The CCUA treatment facility is on Water Street in Bridgeton. The authority territory includes all of the city, but only portions of Upper Deerfield, Fairfield, Deerfield, and Hopewell townships. The CCUA also has individual contracts, such as mobile home park.

Joe Smith is a N.E. Philly native transplanted to South Jersey more than 30 years ago, keeping an eye now on government in South Jersey. He is a former editor and current senior staff writer for The Daily Journal in Vineland, Courier-Post in Cherry Hill, and the Burlington County Times.

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This article originally appeared on Vineland Daily Journal: County utility board confirms director, jettisons engineering firm