At Thursday night's NorCo Council meeting, Executive Tara Zrinski provided yet another detailed report about what is happening in the county. Some readers dislike her presentations, but they're pretty much the same people who would attack her if she said nothing at all. "You've got five minutes," Council President Ken Kraft semi-joked before she started, but I appreciate the transparency. She had good things to say about Gracedale, but is very concerned about the plight of corrections officers at the jail.
Gracedale. - Zrinski reported that the county nursing home underwent its annual inspection and only three deficiencies were found. She told Council that the lead surveyor noted progress over the past year but cautioned that the "official" report is still pending. She indicated the home was preparing for National Nursing Home Week (May 10-16) with a food truck festival to which everyone would be welcome. Zrinski stated nurses will be treated to lunch this week.
Aside from one deficiency at the beginning of the year, state Department of Health officials have found no violations in six visits responding to complaints this year.*Unfortunately, some employees have offered starkly different views of the facility. They agree that the survey was good but are unhappy. They state that on Nurse Day, agencies came and gave their people gifts while regular employees got nothing. They cite three elopements since February, none of which were reported because the resident was found on the grounds. They also note that a hunting knife with spikes was found in a resident's room.
Jail. - Zrinski acknowledged that there are 62 vacant correction officer positions. She was at the jail last week and spoke with officers who are being routinely mandated to work 16-hour shifts. While that might be good for their paycheck, anyone who is forced to work a lot of overtime is bound to be a little less attentive, and that can be very dangerous at a jail.
Why so many vacancies? "I can't help but think that's because the starting pay is $42,160 a year, which is about $20 an hour," she said. "This department is not alone, though. Stagnant pay and inter departmental compression issues exist in multiple departments and should be an issue that we remedy in next year's budget."
Closed Senior Centers. - Two of the county's 11 senior centers have been closed as a result of a $400,000 state budget shortfall. "For the seniors impacted by our senior center consolidation, I would welcome you to redirect your anger towards, uh, to your state and federal legislators. It is the state funding that is cut, and it is HR1 that has cut the funding at the highest level. We are consolidating because we recognize that the senior centers provide a valuable part in our community and the lives of seniors within our community. We have nine. We had 11. So, we do with what we have, and if we can get more funding next year, we will try to reopen whatever we can."
EMS/911. - Michael Leonard has been appointed permanent Director.
Fiscal Affairs Director. - Zrinski had a candidate hooked, but he got away. She was forced to reopen interviews and hopes to have someone soon. (Her pick for this position would have to be confirmed by County Council. )
Meadows Road Bridge in Lower Saucon. - She told Council the bridge would be open on Friday, and it was. It had been closed since 2018.
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*) Unfortunately, some employees offer starkly different views of the facility. They agree that the survey was good but are still unhappy. They state that on Nurse Day, agencies came and gave their people gifts while regular employees got nothing. They cite three elopements since February, none of which were reported because the resident was found on the grounds. They also note that a hunting knife with spikes was found in a resident's room. They claim they have been instructed against posting to this blog.
42 comments:
Gracedale is bad news. McClure really screwed the place over to achieve his tax record. Record vacancies and low pay. Zirinski's new hire two high paying administrators for care continuum sounds very new and edgy but has no substance. Employees at all levels have been warned for years not to complain publicly. Now you have Warren and Keegan who call them discontents. So, to the employees and citizens of th county, Good Luck! Wake up Bernie and get out of love. You have no chance.
The Gracedale employees who are unhappy should quit. They could get a job anywhere in long-term care. They are the number one reason Gracedale has any problems at all. They are the greatest risks that indigent seniors in Northampton County may have nowhere to go in the future.
It will take a long time to fumigate the stink that mcclure left behind. We can all thank him for the future tax increases that are coming.
The Corrections Officers are THE highest paid employees in Northampton County when you consider salary plus OT.
The pay isn’t too low in the prison. Ken Kraft said that 600 new COs have been hired in the last 10 years. So starting pay isn’t the issue. Maybe a freedom of info inquiry to check if Ken’s claim is true.
The problem in the jail is retention. CO is a hard job. You’re watching criminals after all. You’re dealing with serious mental illness and the ravages of homelessness, drug and alcohol addiction and poverty. This is the number one reason new recruits leave. This job just isn’t for everyone.
So now they are restricting freedom of speech here in the People’s Republic of Northampton County. You post to Bernie’s blog it’s off to the Gulag with you!!
Lengthy public update with little to no real substance on plan or strategy for personnel concerns or Gracedale strategy. Hoping for update on Holland’s comment on coercion to direct vote.
I don’t mind paying a little more to raise salaries, especially for the COs. The problem is they will cut nothing anywhere else, and she is already adding layers of bureaucracy at Gracedale. Government is about to get a whole lot more expensive in this county.
So, what money losing Gracedale really needed was the addition of 2 political patronage jobs costing the taxpayers $300K+ added to its operating deficit.
There should be a report done on why it takes 8 years for the county to replace a bridge across a small creek.
There’s been a longstanding practice of having people pay other people to work your extra shifts for you. Traditionally the arrangement was really about buying somebody breakfast to cover your mandate. Certain enterprising COs turned it into a cash business. It seems illegal to me. It’s also a huge factor in driving new employees out of the prison. Having to pay someone to cover your shift for you is just too much.
My money is on the information from those employees. A resident with a knife? If true, sounds like another disaster (wonder if it’s locked away or at bedside). Sad that the Gracedale nurses we want to keep received no gifts. One needs only go to Gracedale and inadvertently overhear the administrator interact with people. Her true personality comes through and it’s clear she truly respects no one and believes she has power - tremendous power, even to demean complete strangers (strangers to her that is).
How can anyone support Lamont McClure for Congress?? He’s left a mess in this county!!!
The Gracedale employees are responsible for the elopements. The hateful employees who anonymously call the DOH habitually are sick and they are endangering the very people they claim to care about.
The only person that is hooked, is you- she reads reports made by staff, and you fall all over her. She can't think on her own.
7:40, I would think that the mandates would bother me a lot more than paying someone to work it for me,
As for the bridge, it took quite some time because the county relies on the state and feds for funding these projects, and they had different priorities. The county tried to quick track it and I believe this is the fastest it could get done.
8:23 Kelly “coverup” Keegan no doubt. Hateful? Stop it you sound silly.
And they probably should be. It is difficult work under shitty conditions with inmates who are mostly mentally ill.
I have written a few stories about the COs who leave, That is also part of the story. Many view the job as a steppingstone to another job in law enforcement, namely police officer. Many leave to work at other counties, where the pay is higher. Some leave to other jobs in the county, in some cases as parks workers. It's a combination of things, with step increases to a feeling among them that they are not valued to low pay. But I'd put the mandates at the top.
2:05, I will be writing about the changes to enable her to hire two new bureaucrats.
Is that you Kelly?? lol
They want the employees to shut up and obey. Not happening. They should speak up and if conditions suck, call it out, if leadership sucks, call it out. If Warren and Keegan are morons, call it out.
When you consider OT???? That doesn't make them the highest paid employees. Makes them the hardest working employees!! There is a big difference between what you make,and what you EARN!!!
COs don't make money working 40 hours a week..
Tara also wants to build another building on the grounds. Another pipe dream. Would be so much better with a management company but then someone would do what Premier did years ago - shake things up, sell beds and make Gracedale a five star facility.
Illegal??? So if your friend has a truck and you need to borrow it to move your kid is it Illegal to buy him a tank of gas?? If someone helps you do some work on your house and you treat them to dinner is that Illegal?? Keep trying
Apparently they are. Good luck getting either one to personally interact with you. Jeff really should be careful about that since he wants to be a PA State Rep (God forbid it please). He only speaks Keegan this day and does what she tells him to do. Like having a work wife for him but on council.
When someone is mandated even if they get coverage they should remain top of list for next mandated shift. Not sure unless keeps having people volunteer for them. All should fo their mandated shifts at some point but its nice when coworkers step up to take it .however expecting that person to pay you is rather pathetic. Morally. You do get overtime and obviously wanted the money
This has to be the dumbest comment I’ve seen on here in a long time lol.
Best way to fix a nursing home failure created by county government is to spend more money on more county government. This isn't difficult. Hire a friend, Tara. That's what real leaders do for their cronies.
Definitely not illegal lol! Maybe against policy or the union contract but not illegal. Who cares anyway as long as the shift is covered?
That can’t get anyone to work there now and this genius wants the ones that are there to quit. Lol. Hope this isn’t a person on county council.
Is anyone surprised at the governmental actions and personal behavior of Zrinski, Keegan, and Warren? If you are, my sympathies and I hope you get your head out of the sand soon.
So, nothing was presented to address the pressing problems. Once again, hollow presentations to fill in time that should be used for action instead of words.
Agree. Why keep backing her false hopes when nothing is being accomplished. No Fiscal Director, No suggested hiring incentives.
Many of these jobs are not stepping stones to other law enforcement careers in this county or so on. They are fortunately the only jobs that uniforms and some authority exist for them. And despite popular belief, they are not law enforcement officers in any real sense.
People here including BOH don’t even know the half of it. There’s been a standing offer to sit down with him. You ready Bernie? Let’s bounce.
I have said several times that I am more than willing to meet with corrections officers, but you have to contact me to meet with me. It’s a simple as that I’ve met with corrections officers before and I call things away. I see them not the way you see them and not the way the administration sees them.
McClure’s ineptitude left the county with the inability to pay its employees correctly. Now he wants to be in Congress?! He talks Zrinski into running just so he can screw her and ruin any chance she has of anything else. All his friends have left him ( or “resigned “cause he used them as his punching bag and tossed them aside ). Would really like to know the truth about what went on. .
What ever happened to the misappropriation of the Covid overtime pay into the general fund?
Has that been rectified or sitting in wait for the general election?
Do you realize the last officer that got up and spoke to county council Lamont mcclure personal tried to fire??
Just wait till she appoints Lamont the director of fiscal affairs after he gets his butt kicked in this primary... get ready Northampton County it's a coming!!!
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