Dear Editor:
I guess the Mayor believes the staff at the Lake Hiawatha Library does not need or deserve to have air conditioning in the summer. What other reason would there be for ignoring that the A/C stopped working at the end of the cooling season last year? Eight months later, the building still has no working A/C unit. I wonder if Mayor Barberio would subject his wife, daughter, mom, or any other family member to such outrageous working conditions. I THINK NOT!

I am sure the brain trust at City Hall will try to come up with some utterly lame excuse why nothing was done to make provisions so the staff would not put their health at risk while in the building. I suspect the response will be that they were planning on building a new library, so they decided not to repair a problem that is a life safety issue. If anyone in City Hall thought they could have a new building constructed in eight months, they were kidding themselves, the staff, and the residents who use the Library.
So please, Mr. Mayor, explain the game plan. As I understand it, you had a plan to build a new Library since you yourself said the current one is beyond repair. Is it true you planned to build a new facility on land you thought was available, only to find out it is Green Acres Land and, by law, cannot be developed? If I am misinformed, please tell me where the new building was to be constructed and why that plan was never brought to fruition.
Time and again, we see grand-scale mismanagement coming from City Hall. Issues are only addressed if they benefit the Mayorโs longtime best friend, forever John Inglesino.
And while we are at it, can the DPW see if the second parking lot light across the street from the library has been repaired? The parking area had no security lighting for 17 months, until I called JCPL and asked why the lights were in disrepair. They told me it was a city issue, so I went back and forth between the two until we managed to get all the parties there simultaneously. One light fixture was placed in service, but the other light is still not working because the underground conduit has failed and the wire has been pinched, causing a short circuit. And yes, it was and is a city issue all along. If it were not for a nice employee at JCPL named Candy who went out of her way for me, the lights would still be out.
So, tell me, Mayor, how much longer do you plan on subjecting the staff to conditions you would not tolerate in City Hall for a minute? I am certain all the residents who use the Lake Hiawatha branch would love to hear your explanation. I cannot imagine what Parsippany would look like should you win another term. Now is the time for the voters of Parsippany to put party loyalty aside and vote for a candidate for mayor who will work for the city and not special interests.
Democratic candidate for Mayor Pulkit Desai and his ticket, Matt Kavanagh and Diya Patel, for city council, would be a breath of fresh air in City Hall. I will trust them to do a far superior job than Barberio and company would.
Richard Suarez