Roselle Park council members voted to lay off six people, spend $1.4 million to outsource public works to Kenilworth and knock down the crumbling building located on contaminated land — part of what the outspoken workers say has led to multiple illnesses and deaths.
The decision comes three weeks after NJ Advance Media published an article detailing a 30-year history of contamination at Roselle Park Department of Public Works and employees’ concerns about it. The 1.5 acre property on West Webster Avenue is a “known contaminated site,” according to the state Department of Environmental Protection.
Dirty fill dirt used decades ago and defunct, leaking underground fuel storage tanks have contaminated the soil and groundwater, state records show. Volatile organic compounds like benzene and toxic heavy metals like arsenic, lead and manganese have been detected, according to remediation documents and a fact sheet from the state DEP.
Despite efforts by the town and the state to remove contaminated soil and conduct regular monitoring, current and former employees — some who’ve become sick, and the families of two who died of cancer — said not enough is being done.
And now they fear the employees are being laid off for being vocal — a claim which the township denies.
“I think it’s retaliation for the safety and health concerns being brought to light,” said laborer Josh Regan, one of the employees laid off Thursday who spoke up about his concerns.
The employees say that more than a half dozen former public works employees have died from different types of cancer between 2017 and 2024.
“My dad was one of the casualties of the DPW. Frankly, I think so was my mother,” said Cindi Mago at Thursday’s council meeting.
Mago said she doesn’t think it’s a coincidence her father Karl Kielbasa — who was a Roselle Park public works employee for a decade before retiring in 2010 — died of lung and liver cancer in 2020.
Resident John Devito said he has concerns about whether contamination at the public works contributed to the death of his dad Paul Devito, a heavy equipment operator who died of brain cancer in November 2024.
“I’ve heard rumors of the DPW and I’ve held them back from my family so that we could focus on my father,” Devito said during Thursday’s council meeting.
“But it looks to me that these rumors are true, with facts, and I’ve had to bring this up to my family, not only because of the concern of what happened to my father, but the fact that I also worked there and was given the same tasks as my father and many others,” Devito continued.
“I cannot express how concerned I am with my health and for the future because I do not need my life cut short due to the negligence of others,” said Devito.
Township officials have said they continue to comply with state laws requiring them to clean up the contamination of the grounds and most of the state violations relating to the public works building itself had been addressed.
The remaining issues relate to the building’s structural integrity, which would require an expensive, time consuming fix, said borough clerk Andrew Casais.
The town previously went out bid to determine what it would cost to replace the public works building and received “astronomical” estimates, said Mayor Joseph Signorello III.
Buildings on the public works property will instead be taken down and the property will be used for equipment storage, said Signorello.
“Because the aggregate amount of the department of public works —all the employees, all the benefits, and all of the contracts that we have — are less than we’re paying Kenilworth. It’s simple math," said Signorello, who refuted accusations that the layoff action was retaliation for health and safety concerns being aired publicly. He also did not address any of the health issues brought up during the council meeting.
All six employees of Roselle Park Department of Public Works were given Rice Notices a week prior to the layoff, according to a copy shared with NJ Advance Media.
Rice notices are formal notices that a New Jersey public employee’s employment will be discussed, and could result in discipline or termination.
Roselle Park council members voted 4-2 on Thursday to approve the shared services agreement, which will start on July 1, and the layoff action, despite more than a dozen public comments against the action and dissent from the board itself.
“This is not fun. Letting go of people is never fun,” said Signorello. “But we work and we make decisions on what we think is the best interest for 14,000 people.”
The dissenting votes were cast by First Ward Councilman Gregory Johnson and Fourth Ward Councilman Khanjan S. Patel.
“I believe that in-house service will always be better for us. Some of the employees who work for the town, they’re from Roselle Park and they care about the town,” said Patel, adding that out-of-town employees may not care as much.
Patel was joined in his dissent by Johnson, who said his vote “reflects not only my longstanding principles but also my commitment to transparency, ethical conduct, and the best interests of Roselle Park.”
The layoff action was met with strong emotions by the 60 attendees who gathered at the Roselle Park Municipal Complex on East Westfield Avenue Thursday night. It was considered a crowd for this 1.2 square mile town, which has a close-knit population of 14,000, many of whom have lived there for generations.
“I don’t support anything with this administration,” said Ed Hummel, a 55-year resident who was temporarily escorted by police out of Thursday’s meeting after a verbal altercation with the mayor. He was not arrested.
Several residents asked the council why it wasn’t negotiated as part of the shared services agreement for existing employees to keep their jobs. A handful questioned how paying $1.4 million a year to Kenilworth saves taxpayers money. Kenneth Blum, the town’s chief financial officer, said Thursday the savings averages out to about $25 per household.
Employees of the Roselle Park Department of Public Works will continue to receive their bi-weekly wages until the layoff becomes effective Aug. 9, according to a resolution authorizing the layoff action.
Existing employees will have the opportunity to apply for their role in Kenilworth, but their employment is not guaranteed, officials said.
“There’s a chance that five years comes up, it’s not working out, we make our own DPW again, we go do it with someone else,” said Signorello.
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Jackie Roman may be reached at jroman@njadvancemedia.com.