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Critic Of Freeholders Puts County College In Her Sights
By Bill McLaughlin
At the Ocean Board of Chosen Freeholders, public comment time turned into a staunch criticism of the county college system and one freeholder.
Suzanne Penna, Berkeley, has become a persistent critic of the board. She has questioned the need for higher tuition at Ocean County College. Penna said the OCC administration has failed its students and slammed Freeholder John P. Bartlett, who is also an instructor at the two-year college.
"I'm not here to bash OCC," Penna said. "But we've got to hold government accountable. To ignore the bad is to make like an ostrich."
Penna said Bartlett, who taught at Toms River North for many years, is paid at a higher rate than other teachers in his classification and that his higher pay scale and a number of emergency appointments by OCC President Jon H. Larson bypassed established college search committees.
Bartlett blushed as he listened, but heard the young mother's comments through to the end. When she was finished, Bartlett recounted 40 years of his life as both a student and teacher at OCC.
"I've done my best in that time to separate my personal life from my public life," the Pine Beach resident said. "(Normally) I don't engage my students in my public life, but I saw you on Friday. If you had questions for me personally, couldn't you have asked me then?"
Bartlett took issue with one particular statement by Penna: she said the freeholder was given special considerations as to the standard pay scale.
"My high school (teaching) experience was taken into account, not just for me but everyone with similar backgrounds," he said. "You learn by experience. (OCC) has recognized that experience is valuable for teachers and they recognize that (in the salary structure)."
Penna also said the popular Robert J. Novins Planetarium - Your Place for Space - is falling into disrepair and has been shut down for nefarious reasons, or because, in her words, "a mysterious donor" withdrew his funding.
Penna concluded by saying a multi-use facility on campus is falling apart and should be shuttered before someone gets hurt.
Bartlett agreed the building, which dates to the school's founding in the late 1960's, has seen better days.
"Its age speaks for itself," Bartlett agreed.
Freeholder James Lacey said the building in question would be used for the time being. A replacement will be constructed in the years ahead and the current lecture hall will be rehabilitated once the construction is finished.
"I recall there was (federal) Chapter 12 money available," Lacey said, "if we can match it. I remember sitting with Dr. Larson and deciding not to renovate the building while students were (taking classes) in it."
Lacey, who serves with Freeholders John Kelly and Gerry Little on the OCC Board of Estimate, said decision had to be made for the health and safety of the students.
Penna was told the freeholders had put out for bid a $42 million bond split 50-50 between local and federal government. Additional work on the two buildings will be put out for
bid in 2008.
"This is a better way to do it," Lacey said. "Sometimes we believe government works
slow, but we don't want to touch that (existing) building until the new building is finished."
OCC has an enrollment of 7,741. County residents pay $115 per hour tuition, including fees. State residents, but not from Ocean County, pay $148 per credit and out of state students are charged $225 per hour.
Penna charged that OCC's costs are not the great savings the freeholder board often states they are, a notion challenged by Kelly and Bartlett.
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