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• Judge Menelaos W. Toskos gave a campaign contribution in 2005 to
“New Visions for Hackensack” candidates Melfi,, Meneses, Townes and
Sasso. This is one cat that Lo Iacono and the City Council didn’t want let
out of the bag. This surfaced on Sept. 22 and was subsequently reported
in the Record. At the time of this revelation, Judge Toskos was preparing
for a hearing on a contempt of court complaint filed by Local 2081 against
Lo Iacono, Melfi, Meneses, Townes, Sasso & Co. The union claims City
officials violated a restraining order that prohibited them from proceeding
with the Sept. 15 transfer of Hackensack Fire Department-based EMS to
HUMC.
• The union’s original complaint asked the courts to stop the EMS
transfer and the termination of eight EMTs. Judge Toskos, assigned to the
case, did not rule on the termination issue, but found that Paragraph 13 of
the Developer’s Agreement between the City and HUMC was ILLEGAL
because City officials violated the State’s Public Contracts Law by giving
away the EMS contract rather than put it out for competitive bid. On Sept.
12, the courts restrained the City from proceed¬ing with the Sept. 15 EMS
transfer to HUMC. The City made the transfer anyway.
• However, Lo Iacono and Melfi & Co. pulled a fast one. They
circumvented the law and defied the court order in one fell swoop. Three
days before the restraining order was issued, Lo Iacono and Melfi & Co.
fabricated an emergency within the City’s emergency medical services.
Under the emergency order, they are allowed to issue a contract without
putting it out for competitive bid.Lo Iacono and Melfi & Co. created a phony
emergency so they could get around the law and, at the same time, defy
the court order. City officials even brazenly told the judge at the Sept. 12
hearing that the emergency order was in place so they could proceed with
the scheduled Sept. 15 EMS transfer to HUMC.
• This brings us to the Union’s contempt complaint against Lo Iacono
and Melfi & Co. A Sept. 29 hearing on the complaint was postponed by
Judge Toskos to give him time to act upon a Union request to disqualify
himself from the case, given that his campaign contribution to Melfi & Co.
could be interpreted as a conflict. Hackensack residents need someone
with total impartiality to hear this case, as a decision could have significant
implications in restoring the high quality Hackensack Fire Department-
based EMS that Hackensack residents deserve and depend on.
Think Lo Iacono and Melfi & Co. Are Using the Extra Time to Find the Next
Loophole to Slither Through, the Next Law to Break, or the Next Court
Order to Defy?
Politics Is Being Placed Ahead of the Needs of Hackensack Residents!
The EMS Issue Is Not Over! Your Voice Still Needs to Be Heard! Attend
Upcoming Hackensack City Council Meetings: Oct. 7, Oct. 21, Nov. 3 @ 7
p.m., at City Hall, 65 Central Ave.
“New Visions for Hackensack” candidates Melfi,, Meneses, Townes and
Sasso. This is one cat that Lo Iacono and the City Council didn’t want let
out of the bag. This surfaced on Sept. 22 and was subsequently reported
in the Record. At the time of this revelation, Judge Toskos was preparing
for a hearing on a contempt of court complaint filed by Local 2081 against
Lo Iacono, Melfi, Meneses, Townes, Sasso & Co. The union claims City
officials violated a restraining order that prohibited them from proceeding
with the Sept. 15 transfer of Hackensack Fire Department-based EMS to
HUMC.
• The union’s original complaint asked the courts to stop the EMS
transfer and the termination of eight EMTs. Judge Toskos, assigned to the
case, did not rule on the termination issue, but found that Paragraph 13 of
the Developer’s Agreement between the City and HUMC was ILLEGAL
because City officials violated the State’s Public Contracts Law by giving
away the EMS contract rather than put it out for competitive bid. On Sept.
12, the courts restrained the City from proceed¬ing with the Sept. 15 EMS
transfer to HUMC. The City made the transfer anyway.
• However, Lo Iacono and Melfi & Co. pulled a fast one. They
circumvented the law and defied the court order in one fell swoop. Three
days before the restraining order was issued, Lo Iacono and Melfi & Co.
fabricated an emergency within the City’s emergency medical services.
Under the emergency order, they are allowed to issue a contract without
putting it out for competitive bid.Lo Iacono and Melfi & Co. created a phony
emergency so they could get around the law and, at the same time, defy
the court order. City officials even brazenly told the judge at the Sept. 12
hearing that the emergency order was in place so they could proceed with
the scheduled Sept. 15 EMS transfer to HUMC.
• This brings us to the Union’s contempt complaint against Lo Iacono
and Melfi & Co. A Sept. 29 hearing on the complaint was postponed by
Judge Toskos to give him time to act upon a Union request to disqualify
himself from the case, given that his campaign contribution to Melfi & Co.
could be interpreted as a conflict. Hackensack residents need someone
with total impartiality to hear this case, as a decision could have significant
implications in restoring the high quality Hackensack Fire Department-
based EMS that Hackensack residents deserve and depend on.
Think Lo Iacono and Melfi & Co. Are Using the Extra Time to Find the Next
Loophole to Slither Through, the Next Law to Break, or the Next Court
Order to Defy?
Politics Is Being Placed Ahead of the Needs of Hackensack Residents!
The EMS Issue Is Not Over! Your Voice Still Needs to Be Heard! Attend
Upcoming Hackensack City Council Meetings: Oct. 7, Oct. 21, Nov. 3 @ 7
p.m., at City Hall, 65 Central Ave.
| ONLY IN HACKENSACK, FOLKS! ONLY IN HACKENSACK |