Westfield BOE Severs Ties with Disko Assoc.; MS Retains Firm by LAUREN S
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Ad Populos, Non Aditus, Pervenimus Published Every Thursday Since September 3, 1890 (908) 232-4407 USPS 680020 Thursday, March 24, 2011 OUR 121st YEAR – ISSUE NO. 12-2011 Periodical – Postage Paid at Rahway, N.J. www.goleader.com [email protected] SEVENTY FIVE CENTS Westfield BOE Severs Ties With Disko Assoc.; MS Retains Firm By LAUREN S. BARR Mr. Disko was charged by the At- on file with the Scotch Plains- Specially Written for The Westfield Leader torney General’s office for allegedly Fanwood BOE, M. Disko Associates WESTFIELD — Following submitting fraudulent quotes and es- is owned by Michael D. Disko and charges levied against Westfield timates to school districts including the business certificate is valid, ac- Board of Education (BOE) Business Westfield and Scotch Plains- cording to the state website. The Administrator Robert Berman and Fanwood, and recommending ap- Leader was unable to find proof of an engineer/Architect of Record Ken proval of the fraudulently bid con- engineering license for Ken Disko. Disko related to bid rigging, the tracts in exchange for more than According to the state Department of Westfield BOE has served M. Disko $80,000 in kickbacks from contrac- Community Affairs online registry, Associates with legal notice to sever tors. engineering and professional plan- all contracts with the firm. When contacted by The Westfield ner licenses are valid for the senior The Westfield district has also sev- Leader last week, a person who an- Michael D. Disko and his son, ered ties with Metropolitan Metal swered the phone at M. Disko and Michael D. Disko, Jr. Window Company of Fanwood, Associates stated Ken Disko, “no According to Scotch Plains- whose co-owner, John Sangiuliano, longer works here.” Fanwood Business Administrator An- also faces charges in the scheme that According to the State of New Jer- thony Del Sordi, the BOE does not allegedly dates back 10 years. sey Business Registration Certificate currently have any contracts with M. Disko Associates and has no current plans to hire a forensic accountant to examine any previous contracts. He also told The Leader that, “I would think that they [SPF BOE] would wait until the outcome of the trial to deter- mine what, if any, future work will be Photo courtesy of Nick and Lisa Karter given to M. Disko Associates.” SUPER MOON…Taken from the cliff in Summit on Sunday, the moon hovers over Port Newark. From NASA: On March The firm was retained by the Scotch 19, the full moon was of rare size and beauty when it rose in the east at sunset. It was a super “perigee moon”— the biggest Plains-Fanwood BOE on three occa- in almost 20 years. “The last full moon so big and close to earth occurred in March of 1993,” says Geoff Chester of the US sions since 2006 for athletic field Naval Observatory in Washington, DC. Full moons vary in size because of the oval shape of the moon’s orbit. It is an ellipse work. According to Mr. Del Sordi, with one side (perigee) about 30,000 miles closer to Earth than the other (apogee). Nearby perigee moons are about 14 percent the first project was for field renova- bigger and 30 percent brighter than lesser moons that occur on the apogee side of the moon’s orbit. tions with a fee of approximately $18,000; the second project was the installation of two turf fields and reno- WF Council Expected to Debut vation to the running track with a fee of $166,855; and the final project was for additional drainage work on the baseball field with no charge for $39.5 Mil Budget Next Week the design or oversight of the project. By LAUREN S. BARR The Westfield Board of Education was Specially Written for The Westfield Leader through retirements, 10 full-time po- and labor matters. Horace R. Corbin for The Westfield Leader unable to provide information regarding sitions and one part-time position; Despite all of the savings on oper- WESTFIELD – At Tuesday night’s additionally, one full-time position is ating costs and salaries, the town’s TOP HONORS...Richard Bagger of Westfield, chief of staff for Governor Chris how much has been paid to M. Disko Westfield Town Council conference Christie, was awarded the “GOP Man of theYear Award” at a Republican Party Associates over the past 10 years without being converted to two part-time po- revenue is down $859,880 from 2010, fundraiser held March 21 at Echo Lake Country Club in Westfield. Pictured, an OPRA (Open Public Records Act) meeting, the Finance Policy Com- sitions. which is causing the total budget in- from left to right, are: Mr. Bagger, Assemblyman Jon Bramnick( R-21, Westfield) request, one has been filed by The Leader. mittee unveiled the proposed All of the town department bud- crease. and Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean, Jr. (R-21, Westfield). M. Disko Associates is currently $39,513,027 2011 municipal budget. gets are less than 2010, with the ex- The towns were restricted this year employed by Union County for engi- The budget will be formally intro- ception of the fire department, which to a 2-percent cap on tax levies. How- County Unveils Budget; Tax neering services pertaining to the duced at next week’s public meeting is seeing a nearly $4,000 increase for ever, officials said several “statutory” Westbrook flood control project, a and will likely see final adoption at uniform costs, and the town’s legal items fall outside the cap and have project totaling over $400,000 in the Tuesday, April 26, meeting. If department, which is seeing a $10,300 increased 5.25 percent over last year. Levy to Jump 6 Percent county funds dating back to 2001. passed in its current form, the budget increase due to property-tax appeals CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 The firm of M. Disko Associates; and will mean an increase of $128 on the By PAUL J. PEYTON letter. average assessed home valued at Specially Written for The Westfield Leader Although tax amounts per towns before that the firm Disko-Lehr As- sociates; have been used by many $184,000. ELIZABETH — Union County have not yet been released, accord- With Finance Committee Chair- WF BOE Outlines Budget, Manager George Devanney released ing to figures available on the state towns, including Westfield, Cranford and Mountainside over the past 40 man Mark Ciarrocca away, the bud- his proposed executive budget total- Department of Community Affairs get was introduced by Councilman ing $484 million last week, an in- website, in 2010, $28.2 million in years for engineering services, drain- Enrollment Projections age and flood issues. Michael D. Sam Della Fera, who said it was crease of $4.3 million over what was county taxes were collected in By KIMBERLY A. BROADWELL In the presentation made Tuesday Disko, Jr. is currently the borough “another challenging year” as the Specially Written for The Westfield Leader spent in 2010. A total of $293.8 Westfield, $15.3 million in Scotch committee had to meet the state’s 2- evening, as well as last week, it was million would be raised in taxes, an Plains, $4.5 million in Fanwood, $2.6 engineer for Mountainside. The Mountainside Borough dis- percent cap requirement. He ex- WESTFIELD – Members of the noted that the total budget would in- increase of $16.4 million or 6 per- million in Garwood, $6.9 million in Westfield Board of Education, as well crease 1.3 percent over last year, which cussed the issue last week in execu- plained to the council that revenues cent over last year. Mountainside, $15.5 million in are down due to property-tax appeals as candidates running in the upcom- would equate to a hike of $1,169,091. The state instituted a 2-percent Cranford, and $26.7 million in Sum- tive session to decide if any action was necessary. and that the total ratables in the town ing board of education election, made Officials said that the tax levy falls cap last year on tax levies, although mit. Other Union County towns were many comments regarding the 2011- within the state’s new 2-percent cap “Mike Disko, Sr. and Disko Asso- are, “now less than they were in 2009.” some areas are exempt. The county as follows: Berkeley Heights, $12.8 The town’s operating budget is 2012 budget at Tuesday evening’s on tax levies. According to the report, included increases in health care million; Clark, $9.8 million; Eliza- ciates provided distinguished service as Mountainside’s borough engineer down $240,298 over last year and school board meeting. homeowners would see a $171 tax costs, $5,062,130; pensions, beth, $31.6 million; Hillside, $8.2 Vincent Yaniro, interim business increase on an average assessed home for many years. When Mike, Sr. re- salaries have decreased by $284,377. $4,944,677; debt service and capital million; Kenilworth, $6.8 million; The town has eliminated, largely administrator for the board, and Mar- of $184,000 as part of the proposed lease increases, $2,654,529 as being Linden, $22.6 million; New Provi- CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 garet Dolan, superintendent of schools, $85.9-million school tax levy. outside the cap. The 2 percent in- dence, $9.6 million; Plainfield, $12.6 gave an overview of the budget, as As previously reported, residents crease, per the cap, added $5,544,623 million; Rahway, $13.6 million; MS BOE Details Bussing well as next year’s enrollment projec- would vote on a tax levy of $83.4 to the tax levy over 2010.