City Council tabled a resolution to award a $30,000 contract to a new government consulting firm created last month, without more information, such as a resume and proposal.

Fifth Ward Councilwoman Jennifer Wenson-Maier raised the issue during last night’s combined pre-conference/regular meeting and after a few minutes of discussion, the governing body tabled the resolution (AR-168-18) until the Sept. 10 regular meeting, unless a special meeting is called sooner. In a 6-3 vote to table, dissenting votes were cast by Councilman At-large Jeremy Mojica, 1st Ward Councilman Rodney Farrar and 4th Ward Councilman David Brown.

UPDATED, Aug. 15: City Council has scheduled a special meeting for Monday at 6:30 p.m. to consider the resolution (AR-168-18).

Landolfi & Associates Government Solutions Corporation submitted a proposal dated July 3 to “analyze administrative efficiencies and operations” within the city. Principal Robert Landolfi is the former business administrator in neighboring Woodbridge, where he’s apparently been replaced by former state Senate president John O. Bennett. Landolfi worked under Woodbrige Mayor John McCormac, who attended interim Mayor Ray Giacobbe Jr.’s swearing-in ceremony in January.

The draft resolution prior to Monday’s meeting indicated the city is seeking a firm to “analyze administrative efficiencies and operations within  the city.” An updated resolution available at the meeting, however, also included leading the Rahway 2030 Initiative, which will develop “a plan for moving the city forward based on the vision and desire of the stakeholders in the community. This will result in identifying next steps in order to move the city forward, encourage growth and create development opportunity in Rahway.”

“Visioning is very different from being a business administrator,” Wenson-Maier said, adding that she found that the company had only been created last month. (Landolfi & Associates is apparently new enough that it doesn’t yet come up in any Internet searches either). “He may have experience as part of BA work but I’d like to see a proposal and steps taken,” she said, requesting council table the resolution until it receives the information.

The wording on the original resolution was unclear but the contract is part of the mayor’s 2030 Initiative and is “anxiously looking forward to getting it off the ground,” City Administrator Cherron Rountree said, adding that she’d be happy to provide a resume and proposal. A formal Request For Proposal (RFP) was not part of the process since the contract is less than the $40,000 threshold required by the city.

Landofli has been in government service for 30 years and recently transitioned to consulting, City Attorney Louis Rainone said. The reason the council is not seeing a proposal and resume is because Landolfi is someone the mayor sought for his municipal experience and “his resume is in full view of us, at least those of us in municipal government,” Rainone said.

“Timing is of the essence and a delay would cause a delay in the planning process,” Rountree said.

Second Ward Councilman Michael Cox questioned whether three weeks — the next council meeting is Sept. 13 — is that much of a setback, suggesting whether a special meeting could be possible.

“It’s a long process but we just don’t want to delay it anymore,” Rountree replied.

Added Rainone: “The mayor’s thought is this is something that’s two months coming, he’d like it not to be three months.”

Councilman At-Large James Baker would defer to Landolfi’s years of experience but “he’s new to me” and asked whether it’d be possible to schedule a presentation to City Council. “We should have the information.”

Mojica said he had no issue with the resolution considering the testimonials by the city administrator and city attorney.

The fee for that type of work is typical “but I have never heard of him in 12 years in municipal government,” said Wenson-Maier, who has served as a business administrator and a department head in various municipalities, including Metuchen, Union Beach and Hoboken. With no proposal or resume presented to council, she said she didn’t feel comfortable approving a contract to spend tax money without meeting first.

“No one asked for a resume before tonight,” Rountree said.