The Township Committee terminated Township Administrator Jerry Giaimis Friday morning during a contentious special public meeting on Aug. 26, 2016.
RARITAN TWP. -- The Township Committee terminated Township Administrator Jerry Giaimis on Friday morning during a contentious special public meeting.
Jerry Giaimis (Courtesy photo)Giaimis, who was hired as interim administrator in March 2015 and given the post permanently in October, will be replaced on an intern basis by the township's Chief Financial Officer Bill Pandos.
The committee voted 4-1 to fire Giaimis during the meeting, which began at 8 a.m. The committee adjourned to executive session for part of the meeting prior to voting.
Committeeman Craig O'Brien voted to retain Giaimis. He accused the committee of conducting an illegal meeting and firing Giaimis without giving him a chance to plead his case.
"I've never seen this happen," said O'Brien. "This isn't the way to do it. We need more discussion before we go into a closed session. I object to the whole process."
Giaimis, who succeeded Allan Pietrefesa and was former municipal manager in Scotch Plains, has 45 days to challenge his termination. His lawyer, Michael B. Lavery, said he intends to do just that.
"This was very difficult and painful," said Mayor Karen Gilbert. "The township administrator serves at the pleasure of the governing body and it was a question of whether it was a good fit. He's just not the right fit. He was let go without cause."
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Committeeman Louis Reiner said that the "urban management style Giaimis brought with him from the Scotch Plains area" conflicted with the rural setting of the township.
Giaimis declined to comment. "Anyone who knows me knows how difficult it is for me not to comment, but I'm going to following the advice of my counsel," he said.
Giaimis served as a borough councilman in Washington in Warren County from 2001-2004, and held posts of assistant township manager in Randolph in Morris County and township manager/business administrator in Vernon in Sussex County before coming to Scotch Plains.
Lavery called the special meeting a "joke" and "a kangaroo court" and said it violated the Open Public Meeting Act because the public wasn't given the required 48-hour notice of the meeting.
"They called a special meeting without making a public decision," said Lavery. "Apparently, three members called a special meeting. That in itself is illegal. My client's fundamental rights are being infringed upon. This wasn't unexpected. It was all set to music. It was all pre-ordained."
The meeting had originally been scheduled for 8 a.m. Thursday, but was moved to Friday.
On Monday, NJ Advance Media received a special meeting notice about meeting, stating it was scheduled to take place Thursday. The notice was not sent as a legal advertisement to be published online or in the Hunterdon County Democrat. A revised notice moving the meeting to Friday was sent on Tuesday.
Township attorney Jeffery B. Lehrer confirmed public notice of the meeting was given on Tuesday. The meeting was pushed back to Friday because the headline of the original meeting announcement stated it would begin at 8 p.m., while the body of the notice had 8 a.m., Gilbert said.
Reiner said Giaimis was "properly rice noticed as required under law."
O'Brien and mayor had several heated exchanges during the open portion of the special meeting. Lehrer had to intervene on several occasions. O'Brien was then given an opportunity to address the committee.
"We have to respect Jerry's dignity," said O'Brien. "We're ruining his career and reputation. Did anyone talk to Jerry? Did anyone tell Jerry why we're doing it? This decision falls on your (Gilbert) shoulders. There was no discussion. Who's next?
"Is it right to ruin a man's career? Is it right to pay out $40,000 to $50,000 in a severance pay? You have to look a man in the eye and tell him why he's being fired. Ultimately, the decision comes to you, Karen. We have to do better."
The mayor refused to get into a shouting match with O'Brien and the resolution to terminate Giaimis was passed shortly thereafter.
"The actions taken by the township committee were reasonable and necessary to get us moving in the right direction again," said Reiner.
Dave Hutchinson may be reached at dhutchinson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DHutch_SL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.