NorCo HR Department Has Lunch on Taxpayers at Courthouse

Northampton County has very strict rules about paying for an employee's meals, unless you happen to work for the Human Resources Department. Do as they say, but not as they do.

The rule for most hourly employees is that you have to be 50 miles away from your work station, after which you are authorized $8 for breakfast, $10 for lunch and $20 for dinner. Or you can spend $38 in one meal. For managers, it's actually slightly less

Given that NorCo's Human Resources Department spent $56,758.14 on "staff development and training" last year, the workers there should know that they are unable to seek reimbursement for meals at the courthouse. But guess what? On February 17, they ordered lunch for 10 people at $8 a person. The lunch included sandwiches, cookies, chips, coffee and iced tea. You can see the order below, authorized by none other than Amy Baker Trapp. She's the HR Director and it is either she or her husband who referred to county workers as "entitled spoiled brat government employees."

County taxpayers picked up the tab on 2/8/17 for his lunch.

At least they picked a good place.

I have filed a Right-to-Know seeking information concerning expenses claimed by what increasingly appears to be a spendthrift HR Department, for whom the rules have no application.

Courthouse Cafe Order Form by BernieOHare on Scribd

Allentown's Former HR Director Nominated in NorCo

Amy Trapp

Amy Trapp, Allentown's former Human Resources Director, has been nominated by Executive John Brown to play that role in Northampton County. Five members of County Council must confirm her appointment, and a vote is scheduled for October 1. But if her appearance before Ken Kraft's Personnel Committee is any indication, it's in the bag.

A resident of Northampton, Trapp is a graduate of both Muhlenberg and Moravian College, where she ultimately acquired a Master's degree in Human Resources Management. She has held HR positions in both private and public sector, most notably in Allentown for the past 2 1/2 years.

She prefers human relations in the public sector because, she explained, "Government employees tend to be very vested in what they do." She left Allentown in March, prior to news of the federal investigation. When Mayor Edwin Pawlowski decided to run for governor,and then for the U.S. Senate, that "made me a little nervous."

She described her style as informal and said she would be walking the halls to get to know people, and would be hard to miss because she is six feet tall.

About the only negative came when she disclosed that her husband is a Cowboys' fan.

"I'd like to withdraw the nomination," joked Brown.

What's Wrong in Northampton County's HR Department?

Cathy Allen at James' side when raise was
sought that Administration later called a
"scrivener's error."

The departure late last month on Human Resources Director Tracie Barnes after less than six months on the job, is a sign that something is amiss. Instead of being run by a qualified HR director, it appears that Deputy Administrator Cathy Allen is running the show. She has no experience dealing with huge work forces, having only managed a 2-person office before coming to the County. Her educational skills are inadequate, too. She has a high school diploma with no other educational training in a very complicated field. These points were driven home by Council members last week, during an exchange with Executive John Brown.

Brown told Council President Peg Ferraro that he will "aggressively pursue" a replacement for Barnes.. "We agreed it was just not working out," he told Scott Parsons, and declines to discuss it further.

Parsons also complained about the Mancini lawsuit. Jill Mancini is a fired Assistant Solicitor awarded $94,000 by a federal jury who determined that her due process rights had been violated. In late July, a judge also awarded her $186,000 in attorney fees.

"When's this going to end?" Parsons asked. No time soon. Brown has appealed this matter, and was adamant that there are "larger issues" at stake than mere money.

Lamont McClure expressed concern at the jury's finding that Mancini's due process rights had been violated.

In addition to these questions about Barnes' sudden departure and the Mancini lawsuit, there are other signs that things are askew in Human Resources.

That very night, in a party-line vote, Council reneged on an administration-sponsored raise for 14 Magisterial District Judge workers. The person who worked on this raise, and who later said it was wrong?

Cathy Allen.

Personnel files for various jail employees were transferred from there to the Executive's office, and one Brown staffer actually thought corrections officers could be disciplined a second time for offenses in which they had already been disciplined. That person?

Cathy Allen.

At a termination hearing for Lieutenant Jason Rosati, who was incredibly fired for enforcing the uniform policy, Human Resources had one person sitting in the audience, taking notes.

Cathy Allen.

At that hearing, there was testimony that Lt. Rosati had made the mistake of enforcing the uniform policy against a corrections officer who was rumored to be a snitch. The person to whom she reported?

Cathy Allen.

I think it's clear why there are problems in Human Resources. It is not Tracie Barnes.