Laura Incalcaterra

lincalca@lohud.com

Dennis Malone preparing to take civil service test to make his job permanent

Job qualifications make it unlikely others could apply for test

Malone manages Clarkstown's Mini-Trans and oversees town fleet's maintenance

Clarkstown Supervisor Alex Gromack says town saves $1 million annually through garage, Mini-Trans consolidation

Malone, named Clarkstown's fleet manager at the town garage nearly two years ago, is about to take a civil service test to turn his provisional appointment into a permanent job.

And a well-paying one, too: $109,000 a year, plus overtime.

Malone won't face much if any competition for the May 17 test. Only one other person has applied to take it and it is likely he can't meet all of the very specific requirements to sit for the exam.

To qualify, you've got to be a town employee with three years of supervisory, managerial or administrative experience in government or corporate fleet management. You also need a bachelor's degree, but can substitute real-life experience.

A valid driver's license appropriate for the kind and size of vehicle to be operated is needed. So is hard-to-get certification as a state 19A examiner who can conduct written and road tests of bus drivers to make sure they comply with safety rules. The 19A legislation followed the 1972 Congers train-school bus crash at the Gilchrest Road crossing that killed five Nyack High School teens and injured dozens more.

In 2012, the Town Board opted to consolidate vehicle maintenance from three garages into one newly created garage that handles work for the Highway Department, the police, the Mini-Trans bus service, and the sewer and recreation departments. Malone also oversees the garage and daily operation of the bus service.

The move hasn't been without controversy and remains the subject of a lawsuit filed by town Highway Superintendent Wayne Ballard, who argues it violates state Highway Law. He says the elected highway superintendent answers to the public, but can't be effective if he can't control his highway equipment and all his personnel.

Rockland Personnel Commissioner Joan Silvestri said Malone's current provisional posting is considered a civil service job and that at some point, he had to take the test to continue in a permanent position.

One town resident, George Rumelt of New City, criticized the fleet manager job description on the grounds that it excludes everyone but Malone from being able to take the test because it is so specific.

"Everything in it is directed toward his benefit," Rumelt said.

He said if the job were opened up to those who aren't town employees, more people, possibly with better qualifications, might apply.

Clarkstown Town Supervisor Alex Gromack said the qualifications made sense given what the town was looking for in a fleet manager.

"That certainly limits the pool," Gromack said. "We want something very specific that ultimately saves money."

He said the town has saved about $1 million per year by consolidating the garages while also having Malone run the Mini-Trans. The town needs someone who understands how to supervise the garages and the fleet, Gromack said, and that's what Malone has been doing.

Malone said the realignment "really works" and he points to the tough winter as proof. Mechanics were deployed as needed to repair plows. In the past, he said, mechanics assigned to a specific garage had to remain at that garage.

He also said the job qualifications were very specific because he not only oversaw a fleet system, but unlike other municipalities, he also oversaw a federally funded bus route.

"So it makes it a very specific job," he said.

Twitter: @LauraInc15