Scotch Plains Management Corp. Selects Managers

After months of discussion on the issue, the special improvement district representing downtown Scotch Plains businesses voted Wednesday night to hire joint managers to lead its efforts.

The Scotch Plains Management Corp. decided during an executive session at the Scotch Plains Public Library to hire the East-Orange based FirsTEAManagement to oversee administrative responsibilities and Scotch Plains resident Lisa Schiller to be "the face on the street" handling direct issues with local businesses.

The decision to split the job 50/50 did not come without debate. SPMC Board Member Steve Goldberg told Patch that some fellow board members preferred the idea of having one person or group in charge, as opposed to two. But the decision was ultimately made that having both would benefit the group's efforts to really get going.

"We met with several individuals, including some in Scotch Plains, and we spoke with a couple of management firms," Goldberg said. "We realized in those conversations that it's vital to have a management team in some way, shape or form. We're a legal entity bound by an ordinance. I think it's the ideal situation."

Goldberg said that FirsTEAManagement will be consulting with the group regularly to make sure they're running their meetings properly, that their efforts are organized and that they're meeting all of their requirements legally. Schiller will be the one on the streets talking to local business owners and reporting their needs back to the group.

While Goldberg and fellow board member Jeff Kowalczyk would not disclose how much the joint leadership will cost, they did acknowledge that it will be slightly more than it would have been had they gone with one person or group. But, the management corporation plans to use some money it has in surplus to make up for the extra expense.

Earlier in 2009, the group stated that they toward a part-time manager. 

Goldberg said the management corporation may one day be able to move away from the joint leadership, but for now they'll maintain the arrangement "for as long as we need it."

FirsTEAManagement is headed by David Biagini. The group, which specializes in downtown development management and consultation, will be paid a monthly consultation fee by the management corporation. Lisa Schiller, already an active member of SPMC, will be paid a salary for 20 hours of work per week.

SPMC is currently negotiating for Schiller to have office space in Executive Suites on Park Avenue for several hours a week.

"We wanted a face that was a local person," Kowalczyk said. "Lisa has a vested interest in this town. It makes sense to have someone in the town."

In other news with the management corporation, the group is moving right along with its development of a business directory booklet to be distributed to local residents and business owners. The group is working with Scotch Plains Fanwood-High School's DECA group on the project, which they hope could be in the hands of locals by sometime in late April or May. The team is currently trying to sell advertising to fund the costs of printing the booklet, which is approximately $14,000.

"This is a great thing for the SID when we can stand up and say, 'this is what we've done so far,'" board member Tom Cusmano said. "When you have business owners paying that $400 a year, and they know that this is going to every single household, that's great."

The management corporation is also working to keep the TV show it started last fall part of local programming. Schiller reported to the group Wednesday night that she and Lisa Moehn are meeting with township manager Christopher Marion on Thursday to discuss their needs for the show, which profiles local business owners and leaders. Schiller said the program was going strong for awhile, but because TV-35's director, Bill McKeekan, is a part-time employee, the post-production of the episodes became more than his schedule could handle.

"Hopefully we'll get what we need to get back on the air," she said.