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Making Decisions
by Joe Renna

response to post #1882
by joerenna, 7/18/03 0:11 ET

response to post 1882In post # 1882. curiousinrp asks How will you rid parks of
disgusting geese and ducks? What is you specific and actual stance on the
reactivation of the railway??? Please be specific and don't dance around
like you have been.

I appreciate you asking me. I have addressed the issue several times. I don't
know how much clearer I be. I answer all inquiries on this message board and
on my website.

As a Freeholder I would recommend that the county implement a
management program to address the geese issue. This means using a variety
of techniques together over a period of time. The county has never had a
plan in place and haphazardly tried different things to appease those who
called for action. The county's actions were never with any purpose beyond
getting a nice press release. For instance log onto
http://www.unioncountynj.org/freehold/press/ARCHIVES/geese.html.this is the
Union County press release from 2001 saying how their use of border collies
have achieved their goals. This is a bunch of nonsense. The dogs alone will
not solve the problem. The press release was out before results could even be
measured. There are experts who have published volumes on this issue. All
agree that there are solutions but none stand alone.

If the county had a program to manage the geese five years ago then where
is it? Where is the follow up study documenting the efforts and results? Why
not put one in place today? The issue is as relevant today as it was a month
ago before the option to kill the geese was chosen.

University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Horticulture summed it up
nicely by arguing, "Some management techniques are only feasible and
efficient in smaller areas. Some techniques are only useful where the geese
are walking to the problem area, as opposed to flying in. The most important
aspect of your management program is timing. You should begin a
management program early in the season before large numbers of geese
come together and begin nesting. Using two or more (techniques) will
provide a much better result than relying on one method alone.

An administrator does not have to be the expert on every issue he or she
oversees, that is impossible. But they must be able to implement a strategy,
delegate responsibility and supervise the process. This is what should be
done to solve the problem with the geese, and every other problem that a
manager faces.

It is the job of the Freeholders to make sure that the county is being managed
correctly. The County Manager makes his recommendations to the
Freeholders but they can vote for or against the proposals. This is what the
Freeholders are elected and paid to do. It is their responsibility to review the
proposal carefully, get clarification on aspects they don't understand and
either approve or change the proposal. If they are voting affirmatively on
things that they don't understand then they are being negligent.

The County Manager is responsible for enforcement of the administrative
code; supervision, care and custody of all county property, institutions and
agencies; as well as the negotiation and execution of contracts and bonds,
but only with the Board of Freeholders' approval. It is the responsibility of the
Freeholders to understand the proposals before they vote on them.

It is my belief that the county not only mismanaged the situation concerning
the geese but it has also mismanaged almost every project that is initiated.
Now of course this is my opinion, and it's very different from those of the
freeholders who's job it is to endorse the proposals and contracts.

I believe that many of the proposals and contracts that have been approved
are flawed. If I were Freeholder I would encourage more discussion and
invite experts and the public to participate in the process. If I vote on a
particular issue, it will be with the conviction that it is the best informed
decision that I could make and that it would bring the greatest benefit to the
people of Union County.

Some decisions just plainly waste our money but others can be dangerous
and cause irreparable damage to our economy, ecology or quality of life.
These decisions should not be made with anything less than a full study of
their ramifications. My views on the reactivation of the railroad is similar to
what I stated above. The facts as they exist do not favor the reactivation of
the line. If there are other facts, then the public needs to know what they are.
My post #1860 and others along with my article on my website speaks in
more detail.

I would love the opportunity to thoroughly explore each and every issue that
faces the county. The only opportunity I would have to do so is by being
elected freeholder or by being appointed County Manager. I'd be happy to
serve the people of Union County either way.