Town Board says yes to GPS
Passes measure to have monitoring devices installed in vehicle fleet
By Grant Parpan
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"I hope there's an equivalent round of applause when someone speaks to the contrary, but I doubt it," responded Town Supervisor Brian Foley, who first proposed the measure almost one year ago.
The labor group later proved the supervisor right, but that didn't impact the vote. The Democratic minority on the Town Board knew it needed a swing vote from either Republican Councilman Keith Romaine or Conservative Councilwoman Jane Bonner to pass the resolution, and on Tuesday they got both board members to sign on.
"I made the right decision," Ms. Bonner said after the measure passed 5-2, with Majority Leader Tim Mazzei and Councilwoman Kathy Walsh, wife of blue collar union president Bill Walsh, voting against GPS. "I did all the homework to see if this was the right thing to do. That led me to my decision to support GPS," Ms. Bonner said.
The resolution authorizes an agreement between the town and the firm Vehicle Tracking Solutions LLC of Deer Park to a three-year, $250,000 contract to install the GPS hardware and furnish the GPS software to the town. Vehicle Tracking Solutions was chosen through a request for proposal process conducted by a committee formed earlier this year to evaluate the town's options. The committee featured Town Council members, management personnel and labor representatives. Still, each time the bill came before the board, labor expressed opposition to it and the majority voted to table.
While it finally passed Tuesday, it did so following testimony from several union leaders who called it an unnecessary expense.
"This just goes to show the disbelief and distrust you have in your employees," said one waste- management employee, addressing the supervisor.
CSEA political action committee coordinator Gretchen Penn said the board was not voting on the best option available to them.
"This is not the most cost-effective plan out there," said Ms. Penn, a Shoreham resident and the wife of Democratic Assemblyman Marc Alessi. "It's imperative that you vote with every question you have answered."
But while labor viewed Tuesday's decision as a defeat, the supervisor called it a victory for taxpayers. The supervisor's staff estimates that savings from productivity gains, vehicle operation, insurance premiums and fuel expenses in the town's 780-vehicle fleet could be as much as $640,000 per year.
A handout distributed by Councilwoman Connie Kepert shows the Town of Islip saved more than $133,000 in fuel expenses in the first three months of 2007 alone. Highway Superintendent John Rouse said in a statement released by the supervisor's office that if "the town can save just five minutes of time per car per day, it means a $370,000 savings to our taxpayers."
Vehicle Tracking Solutions will install the units over a stretch of about 18 months, town officials said. In addition to installation costs the town will pay $233,000 in annual service charges, with the full amount not being realized until all vehicles are equipped.
Prior to Tuesday's vote, about three dozen town workers stood outside Town Hall in opposition to the plan, waving signs that read: "Show some respect."
After the measure passed, many of those same workers exited the auditorium shouting "See you in November," letting Mr. Foley know how they'll vote in his bid for state Senate.
gparpan@northshoresun.com
