Politics & Government

Fate Of Manchester Public Works Director, Possible Termination Discussed

Township officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding Stephen Stanziano

A hearing was being held Tuesday regarding the fate of Manchester Township's suspended director of public works, according to township officials.

Township officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding Stephen Stanziano, but a public notice said the meeting could discuss possible "termination."

"This mock hearing will take place in the courtroom," the notice said.

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Stanziano recently submitted the following regarding his status:

Two events that have taken place over the past few weeks may have left the township vulnerable to potential health and safety risks with regard to its water and sewer systems. Personnel actions taken by the mayor against two of the top management-level employees overseeing the operations of the township's water and sewer systems may have jeopardized the welfare of residents and other utility customers.

Find out what's happening in Manchesterwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Director of Public Works Stephen Stanziano, an 18 year employee with the township, was recently suspended. The township is pursuing the termination of his employment. Director Stanziano, who has close to 30 years of experience in the management of utility systems, is responsible for ensuring that residents are provided safe and potable drinking water, as the Division of Utilities is one of the eight units he has managed on a daily basis since his hire in 1995.   

The General Manager of Utilities, John Liu, a professional engineer and planner, who also served as the NJDEP Licensed Operator, was responsible for the day to day operations and maintenance of the potable water systems and wastewater collection systems in the Township, and for regulatory compliance with all State and Federal requirements. He was discharged two weeks prior to Stanziano's suspension.

"After learning of John Liu's dismissal, I advised the mayor and business administrator of the potential consequences of making such a rash decision, and of the increased possibility of a public health crisis with no direct oversight and management of our system operations," Stanziano said.

Stanziano stated that since he received no response from either Mayor Michael Fressola or Business Administrator Elena Zsoldos, he had a statutory and moral obligation to notify the Department of Environmental Protection.  

"We are not dealing with potholes or recycling pickup, we are dealing with the provision of essential services that directly impact the safety, health, and welfare of every township resident. I cannot, and will not be ignorant of any actions, retaliatory or otherwise, that may put residents at risk and place a significant liability on the township and its taxpayers. There should have been a response by the administration, maybe my suspension was their response."

At this time, there are serious staffing shortages throughout the Department of Public Works, but perhaps none more critical than those in the Utilities Division. Two of the top three management-levels employees are now gone. There is an existing vacancy in the engineering staff, another three vacancies in the field workforce.

"These staffing shortages become a much bigger concern as the heat of summer approaches, and with that, an increase in water demand. Fortunately, John Liu began addressing some of these concerns before his untimely dismissal," Stanziano said.

John Liu, who is well recognized among water professionals throughout New Jersey, has more than 30 years of engineering and hands-on experience, previously employed by the cities of Jersey City and Camden.  

"He is one of the foremost authorities in the State of New Jersey when it comes to water system engineering and operations. Right now, he is being recruited by the government of China to oversee the planning and development of new, modern water supply systems throughout the country. But he's not capable to manage the day-to-day operations here in Manchester with 40,000 residents. I mean, there are over a billion people in China."

Stanziano stated his concerns referred to possible errant actions that can potentially compromise our ability to adequately provide residents clean and potable water, as well as for fighting fires. He also referred to actions that can potentially result in the overflow of sewage which can cause property damage and threaten public health.  

"I'm concerned about the risk taken in trying to operate our utility systems without a manager, simultaneous with staffing shortages. It's kind of a state of double jeopardy," he said.

Stanziano said that shortly before his departure there were serious errors committed by personnel in the Eastern Service Area concerning a resident's complaint over an excessive water bill. The resident's meter was improperly tested by a worker who was not certified to do so. Afterwards, another worker dismantled the meter for parts, as it was never tagged.  

"This is an example of a deficiency on a relatively small scale, though not minor by any means. I advised the Chief Engineer about the matter so that it could be appropriately addressed and not be repeated. It's the mistakes that can happen on a larger scale that concern me," Stanziano said.


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