Signs, signs, everywhere signs. Disparate facts don't always equal a conclusion, but recent happenings in Quakertown all seem to point one way... could council members have "suggested" to borough manager Dave Woglom that he move on?
Item: For years Woglom has been president of the Pennsylvania Municipal Electric Association, a group of 32 towns in the power business. In typical Woglom style, his name and phone number were the only contacts on the MPEA's website. In late September he unexpectedly resigned.
Item: Council usually ignores Woglom's wrongdoings, but it is very out of character that all of them had absolutely nothing to say after he handed out another improper no-bid contract, and outsourced work without telling them, in the middle of union negotiations. That led to an Unfair Labor Practice filed against the town, and a private council session to "discuss certain areas of managerial performance". They appear to be waiting for something.
Item: No one was designated to report the latest problems to Keystone Municipal Services, the company hired to investigate Woglom. But that wouldn't matter much if council has already made a decision. Issuance of the report has now been delayed by at least several weeks from the expected October date.
Item: You know that Woglom has lost his authority when council and employees publicly criticize him. Councilman Dave Wilsey was the most blunt: "I have had a difficult time trusting Dave. I, for one, have been very wary. I want my trust in Dave to be greater than it now is. I'm watching Dave closely."
When asked if he believed that Woglom has "knowingly lied to, or mislead, council on more than one occasion", his exact answer was "yes". He later added "more than three times". He said that he met with Woglom face-to-face to express his growing displeasure, and later phoned him "as a friend" to suggest that he "re-evaluate his position" as borough manager.
Councilman Dave Zaiser said, "I do know he has not always been truthful with me. I think he is in self preservation mode, and tends to treat some people better, who are more affluent than what he perceives the 'regular' guy or residents".
Another councilman, a long-time Woglom supporter, admitted privately "Dave has been less than truthful with council".
Kelly Kemmerer, a sewer department foreman, and 20-year employee, lamented "If Dave ran his household like he runs the borough, the bank would have foreclosed. We have purchasing procedures, but they went by the wayside over the years. The damage control around here is unbelievable. He has lied for years. No doubt about it."
Another foreman, who spoke off the record for fear of retaliation, agrees. "He 'conveniently forgets' promises he makes to the employees. Anyone else would have been fired for those no-bids. It's like he can do no wrong. Council keeps rewarding this guy".
A third foreman reported that when Woglom learned the borough was hiring Keystone, he told a meeting of department heads "If I go down, I'm taking someone with me". And he is doing just that...
Item: On September 15, Woglom wrote a three-page private memo to council, "Subject: Tree removal and pool maintenance". Not coincidentally, it was written immediately after the publication of my column that revealed how Woglom had outsourced tree cutting without council's approval, and ignored warnings about damage to the municipal pool.
But, incredibly, Woglom - the man always in sole control of everything - is now the Sergeant Schultz of Quakertown: He knows nuh-theeng. Everything was someone else's fault. And the someone most at fault, according to Woglom, was Joe Murgia, the eight-year head of Quakertown's Public Works Department. Joe planned the outsourcing. Joe misled Dave about what his men could, and could not, do. Joe kept Dave in the dark about the pool damage.
Joe was not shy about responding:
Woglom's memo: "Joe and I have spoken about our vision for the future of the Public Works Department...with greater use of outside outsourcing".
Murgia's response: "Not our vision - his vision. Dave told me that council instructed us to outsource, and my next job would be to supervise outside contractors instead of borough employee. I don't like outsourcing. The morale of the borough's workers is being destroyed, with men coming to work worrying about their jobs".
Woglom's memo: "Murgia had secured a quote to remove two additional dead trees, but he decided at the last minute to remove them ourselves because we had additional manpower available".
Murgia's response: "Dave told me to get quotes. It was $600 for two trees in front of the pool. Dave told me 'This is where we start outsourcing'. I just couldn't see wasting that kind of money on something we could do ourselves, so we just did it. We always squeeze things in".
Woglom's memo: "The first time I knew of damage to the pool liner was the beginning of this week" (September 11-12).
Murgia's response: "He knew about the problems as far back as last year. Main Line (Pool Company) did the repairs last year as a courtesy, but said that if it happened again there would be a charge. When the same thing happened this year, we had to pay $2900 or $2950. Dave knew this".
Woglom's memo: "Joe told me this week that the uncapped ladders had scratched the pool walls in several places in such a way that it needed to be repaired".
Murgia's response: "I took pictures in July and took them to him. I still have them, dated. He told me that I didn't work at the pool, and had no business taking pictures, and refused to look at them. I want all of this cover-up and lying to stop. It's pathetic. It's only hurting the borough".
Item: The surest sign of all that Woglom may be gone - council denies it!