From: "Philipp Kaeferle" <pkaeferle@boroughofwenonah.

com>
Sent: Friday, May 06, 2011 9:18 PM
To: (Redacted to protect the innocent)
Subject: re: dissolution/merger of Wenonah PD

Dear Mrs. xxxxxxxx:

I apologize for not getting back to you sooner, but my job is very demanding and I have two small children at
home. Needless to say, time is my most precious commodity. I don't know if any other council member has
responded to your email, but I would like to share my opinions. I offer the following in response:

I am also disappointed that this movement is split along party lines. I had hoped that the three republican council
members would hold true to the core republican values (less taxes, fiscal responsibility, smaller government,
etc). As Republican Governor Christie recently explained "this is a moment in which we have to work for
efficiencies in police service, while making sure the public remains safe." That is truly the bottom line and the
overall goal of this pursuit.

I agree that it makes perfect sense to investigate reducing the police budget in order to save taxpayer dollars. You
are correct that the Police budget represents approximately 1/3 of the municipal budget ($880,000). However,
you mention the following concerns/reasons that people are not in support of contracting for police services:

Very Small Tax Impact

There were numbers being presented as to the tax savings between $400 to $600 dollars per year based on
the current proposals. I wouldn't characterize this impact as very small. I think the more telling number is the
projected $2,534,652.00 savings over ten years.

Possible Safety Impact

Mantua has a highly qualified force and will be providing substantially similar coverage that utilizes our
current station. It is contiguous and it is accredited. I have personally spoken to several high ranking police
officials and they all support the idea. In fact, there are several law enforcement professionals that live in
town, raised their children here or retired here that support the idea, including former Chief Miller.

Continuity of Service
st
As it stands currently, our Police department needs restructuring. The Chief retired on May 1 and the
administrative Sergeant is out on extended medical leave. In my opinion, this is the perfect time to explore
shared services.

Loss of Municipal Control

I would argue that the Borough had very little control over the police department up to this point. The Police
Chief has a Bill of Rights that basically states that you cannot tell him how to run his department. For example,
two years ago we asked the chief to leave the new patrol car at the station for patrol and take an older car
home at night. This seemingly innocuous request resulted in a letter from his attorney threatening legal action
against the Borough. If anything, having contractual rights and enforcement powers will provide much better
control.
The steps that have been taken to date are as follows:

The Chief announced his retirement

Requests for Proposals were solicited from neighboring towns to provide Police Service.
The Public Safety Committee was tasked by the Mayor to review the proposal and meet with the
candidates. Over a five month period, the committee met with officials from Mantua, Deptford, Pitman,
Woodbury Heights the PBA and Prosecutor's office.
After reviewing the proposals, the Public safety committee recommended Mantua as the best
candidate.
At that point, I made a motion to start formal negotiations with Mantua for providing Police
Service. Up to that point, all we had were generic proposals based upon our current Police staffing. I
don't know where the negotiations have gone since last Thursday

In my opinion, I think that having a professional police department with state of the art equipment facilities and
training would provide the Borough with the comfort and safety we require. "Doing more with less" seems to be
the new mantra and I think that this is a great opportunity for the Borough to be proactive.

I have read Mr. Sheppard's recent letter and I disagree with the bulk of its substance. In particular:

"A suggestion made by Senator Sweeney" - This suggestion is Senate Bill No. 2794. This is pending
legislation. Governor Christie and Senator Sweeney both endorse the idea of uniting public safety forces.
"Separate, Successful, Independent Municipality" - For the record, Wenonah currently shares
services in the following capacities: Trash Collection, Ambulance Service, Secondary Education, Code
Enforcement, Tax Assessment, Equipment Maintenance, Fuel Purchases and many other informal
arrangements. In my opinion, the best way to stay sovereign is to be fiscally responsible and run a lean
efficient government.

I am not in favor of a referendum on this. I don't think that a referendum is required to provide new/arguably
better service to the Borough at a lower price. At this point, the police have been intimidating people and actively
spreading inaccurate information/ out-right lies. By providing a referendum on the issue, the substance of the
proposal would be lost in the politics and union theatrics. That is why if there is a vote for a referendum, my vote
would be "no."

As a wrap-up, I believe that if an agreement can be reached with Mantua on substantially similar terms as were
presented, it will be a positive move for the Borough. If we can get substantially similar coverage for a lot less
money, in my opinion the Borough wins.

Thank you again for voicing your concerns.

Regards,

Phil Kaeferle