Englewood City Manager Daniel Fitzpatrick accepted his new position following an interview with City Council President Ken Rosenzweig during which it became clear to him that they had a mutual interest in "doing things right." After more than a month in office, he has reached a number of conclusions which he shared with The Englewood Report in a recent interview.

Fitzpatrick says his biggest surprise has been the generally high level of competence of the City staff. He nonetheless has been overwhelmed with decisions on minor matters which should have been handled at a lower level, indicating the need for better defined responsibilities. He wants to "create systems to free up people." He considers city government essentially a service business, and is concerned with building trust between the city and its citizens. He wants to bridge the gap between the City’s policy makers and its workers, creating a "sense of unity." On his recommendation the City is considering a new system from Q Alert which will permit citizens to report problems online and track their resolution. Also taxes will be payable online. Other measures to improve communication are under consideration.

Fitzpatrick says Englewood has so far not been seriously affected by the deteriorating economy we hear about constantly, with mortgage foreclosures, for example, still at a normal level. New construction in the southern area of the City is increasing the tax base.

The City is moving ahead on plans for disposition of the Lincoln and Liberty Schools acquired from the Board of Education in 2004, and expects to issue a formal request for open-ended proposals in the fall. Fitzpatrick is concerned with the deteriorated condition of City Hall, which presents a bad image, and has proposed renovations. He says we should improve maintenance to prevent "incremental degradation" of our physical facilities. He is making a formal recommendation to the Council for a new firehouse.

Dissension in the Department of Public Works, which has received some publicity, largely has arisen from insensitive comments. The problem is being addressed through training sessions.

The Director of the Recreation Department, Merle Simons, has been working out of the little Rec office in the gatehouse at the entrance of Mackay Park since 1990. 

Our Rec Director has an impressive academic résumé, having received a Masters from Columbia University while continuing on to her doctorate there. Merle is a widely respected professional, having served as Chair of the the NJ Recreation and Parks Association Awards Committee for four years.  In that capacity, she heads the professionals who go across the state grading facilities and granting awards to the very best in a variety of categories and classes.  Merle has also served as past president of the Bergen, Passaic, Hudson County Recreation Association.

The Englewood Department of Recreation offers a dizzying array of programs and activities for youth, families and seniors.  The Recreation Department has something for everyone: family outings, cooking instruction, violin lessons, self-defense classes and a slew of sports activities like skating, skiing, hockey, tennis, golf, flag football, soccer, cheerleading and weight training. There are even computer classes for children ages 3 - 7. And the department is always open to more suggestions.

In fact, according to Merle, "A lot of our programs are inspired by residents and what they are passionate about."

For instance, cooking classes for kids were started by a sophomore at the Academies, while outdoor cooking classes were initiated by a woman who wanted to teach the culinary arts in our parks.  An accomplished young Englewood violinist, Joel Harmon, offered to teach the instrument to our youth and now has a number of students.  Simons also cites flag football as yet another example of a resident's initiative.

Englewood has made a serious investment in Recreation, as the department has a budget of $1 million to fund salaries, transportation, pool maintenance and the like. Merle has programs running all over our City and, at times, utilizes spaces found in schools and churches.  But Merle does have a "wish list."  Here are her top three:

1. A multi-purpose room that would always be available for programs.
2. A multi-purpose field for soccer, football and lacrosse.
3.  A skate park like that found in Tenafly.  Merle has already received a petition of 148 signatures that supports this idea.

To find Department of Recreation programs that might be just right for your family, a complete schedule can be downloaded from their web page at the City of Englewood website.

Every year at this time the Mayor and Council are concerned with appointments to various citizen boards and committees to take effect in the new year. Council President Charlotte Bennett Schoen has furnished the following list of appointments to be made in January, 2008. Persons interested in serving should submit information about themselves to City Clerk Lenore Schiavelli at City Hall or to Council President Schoen at 337 Audubon Road, Englewood. For mayoral appointments, information should be emailed to mayor@michaelwildes.com.

Board of Adjustment (mayor/council confirmation)
2 positions of 4 years, 1 alt. position of 2 year term

Environmental Commission (mayor)
2 positions of 3 years, 1 alt.position of 2 year term

Board of Health (council)
3 positions of 3 year term

Historic Preservation Advisory Committee (council)
2 positions of 4 years, 1 alt position of 2 year term

Housing Authority (council/1 mayor)
1 position of 5 year term

Library Board (mayor)
1 position of 5 year term

Planning Board (mayor)
1 position of 4 years, 1 alt position of 2 year term

Recreation Advisory committee (council)
3 positions of 3 year terms

Traffic Advisory Committee (council)
4 positions of 3 year terms

The Englewood Report urges all citizens to seriously consider serving their community by volunteering for one of these positions.

The Bergen Record reports that Cheryl Fuller has officially resigned as Englewood's city manager.  Fuller first became city manager in August 2004.

Fuller's short tenure turned out to be both controversial and expensive.  

Fuller got off to a rocky start when her contract, providing free "post-retirement health benefits until death," was mysteriously expanded to grant the same benefit to over a hundred additional city employees. To many, it came to be known as the infamous "free lifetime health benefits" ordinance.

While this controversy was not Fuller's fault, the scandal brought attention to the generous package Fuller received from the city. In an article entitled "Health benefits deal leaves residents fuming," Record reporter Carolyn Feibel quoted one aggrieved taxpayer as saying, "I don't get benefits like that." And in an apparent knock against Fuller herself, the Mayor declaimed, "Englewood can't afford lifetime health benefits for anybody making over $100,000 a year."  However, Wildes failed to veto the ordinance.

During Fuller's tenure, critics objected to her performance, or lack thereof. Some believed that the city manager was capable but distracted by her other work. While receiving a fulltime salary of $142,000, Fuller also held outside jobs with the city of Orange as well as the New Jersey Public Employment Relations Commission.  To put this in perspective, the Governor of NJ earns $175,000 per year for his fulltime work.

In early 2005, Fuller got herself into hot water when she hired an assistant for $98,000 without telling the city council.  The city charter allows for an assistant's salary of only $63,000.  Many residents and some councilmembers were outraged by this apparent act of insubordination and profligacy.

Fuller leaves Englewood with a Golden Parachute of $147,851.

In view of the sharply different approaches to government between the former and present City Council majorities, there has been considerable speculation about the future of City Manager Cheryl Fuller, who took office three years ago.  A local newspaper reported that she had resigned, but there has been no confirmation of this.  It is, however, known that some Council members are dissatisfied with her performance, which could result in her replacement.  Under Englewood's City Charter, which took effect in 1980, the City Manager is designated “Chief Executive Officer” of the City, and has authority over all municipal departments.  She (or he) reports to the elected Mayor and Council, who have no administrative responsibilities of their own.