I know It's been awhile but I haven't forgotten it's just been one of those couple of months. Anyway, here is the latest video of the Middletown Township Committee in action. This meeting took place on Monday night, December 2, 2019.
It was a quick meeting, lasting only 19 minutes, but a couple of significant things took place, namely a $5.145M appropriation to construct artificial turf fields at Normandy Park.
Do we need to spend more money on artificial turf field when there are so many other pressing concerns around town?
Watch the video:
As always you can download a copy of the Meeting Agenda that contains the discussion items and the proposed resolutions and ordinances that were voted on or presented during the meeting. A box around an item is a link, bringing you further into the document to that resolution or ordinance. At the end of the resolution there will be a link bringing you back to the agenda. Attached to this agenda is also the monthly bill list, so that everyone can see how the Township is spending our tax dollars.
Showing posts with label artificial turf fields. Show all posts
Showing posts with label artificial turf fields. Show all posts
Thursday, December 12, 2019
Tuesday, June 6, 2017
June 5, 2017 Middletown Township Committee Meeting
What a disgrace! Last night's meeting of the Middletown Township Committee seems to have set a new record for brevity. The meeting lasted less than 9 minutes. Total.
Very little information was available for the public and it seemed as if the members of the committee were just going through the motions, just waiting for the meeting to end. Here is a brief rundown of what transpired in approximately 8 minutes and 32 seconds :
- There is no Executive Session agenda or ordinances introduced for this meeting.
- There were a couple of resolutions to incorporate grant funds into the budget.
- A change order for the recently completed artificial turf field at Croydon Hall was adopted.
- The Township Social Services Dept. was consolidated into the County run system due to the retirement of the person that administered this department.
- Committeeman Fiore instructed the Administrator to draft an ordinance to reconfigure usage at the Croydon Hall artificial field.
As always, when available, you can download a copy of the Meeting Agenda that contains the discussion items and the proposed resolutions and ordinances that were voted on or presented during the meeting. A box around an item is a link, bringing you further into the document to that resolution or ordinance. At the end of the resolution there will be a link bringing you back to the agenda. Attached to this agenda is also the monthly bill list, so that everyone can see how the Township is spending our tax dollars.
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Pallone Calls for Answers from EPA on Safety of Synthetic Turf Fields
Bipartisan Committee Leaders Sent Letter on Heels of Media Reports Questioning Safety of Exposure to Crumb Rubber to Kids
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, along with a bipartisan group of Committee leaders sent a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) asking about the safety of recycled rubber tire crumbs used in synthetic turf fields. Pallone was joined on the letter by Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI), Reps. John Shimkus (R-IL) and Paul Tonko (D-NY), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy. The text of the letter is available HERE.
“The reports of children who have blood cancers who have also been playing on fields containing crumb rubber are alarming,” said Congressman Pallone. “We cannot ignore the chance that children are getting cancer from crumb rubber. Yet, there are many unanswered questions and insufficient research. I am glad that my effort to get answers for parents and children has gained bipartisan support, and I am hopeful that EPA’s response will help shine more light on the need for increased research into this potential link.”
There have been concerning reports regarding young athletes who have played on synthetic turf athletic fields containing crumb rubber being diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and other blood cancers. More scientific study is needed to investigate this disconcerting link. In particular, recent NBC News headlines – “How Safe is the Artificial Turf Field Your Child Plays On?” and “Mom of Goalie Who Died of Cancer Wants Answers on Artificial Turf” – have caused concern among Members about the effects of crumb rubber on humans.
Pallone has been a leader in Congress in his efforts to reveal the potential risks of crumb rubber. Earlier this month, Pallone urged Committee Republicans to prioritize hearings to examine the safety of turf fields. His statement is available HERE.
At a hearing in May, Pallone questioned Elliot Kaye, Chairman of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), on the risks of crumb rubber in synthetic turf fields. With Chairman Kaye’s response, Pallone got clarity that a 2008 statement from CPSC that fields filled with crumb rubber are “OK to install, OK to play on” does not reflect the current views of the Commission, and a commitment to continue their work with federal agencies to review the issue. A video of the exchange between Congressman Pallone and Chairman Kaye is available HERE.
Last year, Pallone wrote to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry to ask the agency to conduct an official study to examine whether synthetic turf athletic fields increase the risk of lymphoma, leukemia, and other blood cancers. The text of the letter is available HERE. In the agency’s reply they stated that they are supporting efforts by the CPSC and EPA in this area.
Friday, October 2, 2015
Pallone Urges Congress to Examine Safety of Turf Fields
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 2, 2015
“In the Absence of Definitive Information on Crumb Rubber, Our Children Cannot be the Guinea Pigs”
WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following statement urging Committee Republicans to prioritize hearings that examine the safety of turf fields. Last year, Pallone requested that the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) evaluate the potential health risks that crumb rubber poses to those that come into regular contact with turf fields:
“Crumb rubber is known to contain potentially hazardous chemicals, but there is no clear information about how exposure to this product affects our health. And yet, we send our young kids off to soccer practice and football practice to play on turf fields lined with this substance.
“The fact that crumb rubber has become so prevalent and that we still know so little about potential health risks it poses is troubling. In the absence of definitive information on crumb rubber, our children cannot be the guinea pigs. More research and assessment must be done so that parents and players have the answers they need.
“Last October, I requested a study be done to examine what effects exposure to the chemicals in crumb rubber may have on athletes who play on turf fields and come into contact with crumb rubber on a regular basis. I also asked that more research be done to determine whether repeated exposure to crumb rubber increases the risk of lymphoma, leukemia and other blood cancers.
“A year later, we still do not have any answers, and that is unacceptable. In the absence of federal action, states are moving ahead with studies and legislation. States have been forced to lead the way on so many chemical risks, from microbeads to flame retardants, because our federal chemical regulatory program is not working. But adoption of different standards in different states will not provide parents and athletes with the peace of mind they deserve.
“It is clear that more data is needed to evaluate the risks that exist from exposure to crumb rubber in athletic turf and its effect on human health. Congress has a responsibility to do more, and we must. I urge Committee Republicans to prioritize this and schedule hearings to finally examine the safety of turf fields.”
Thursday, May 21, 2015
Pallone Questions CPSC on Dangers of Crumb Rubber, Gets Commitment for Federal Efforts
Questions Follow Concerning Reports of Potential Connection between Cancer and Crumb Rubber in Synthetic Turf Playing Fields
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, at the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade Subcommittee hearing, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), Ranking Member of the committee, questioned Elliot Kaye, Chairman of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), on the risks of using recycled rubber tire crumbs in synthetic turf fields. With Chairman Kaye’s response, Pallone got clarity that a 2008 statement from CPSC that fields filled with crumb rubber are “OK to install, OK to play on” does not reflect the current views of the Commission, and a commitment to continue their work with federal agencies to review the issue.
There have been concerning reports regarding young athletes who have played on synthetic turf athletic fields containing crumb rubber being diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and other blood cancers. While the compiled lists of cases in the reports are acknowledged not to equate to a scientific study, the potential link is disconcerting and requires further investigation.
“The reports of children who have blood cancers who have also been playing on fields containing crumb rubber shout for the need to ask questions and increased research into this potential link,” said Congressman Pallone. “I am glad that in today’s hearing I was able to get clarity from the Consumer Product Safety Commission that they too believe more research is necessary and that they are committed to continue working to ensure youth athletes playing on these fields are protected.”
This past October, Pallone wrote to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry to ask the agency to conduct an official study to examine whether synthetic turf athletic fields increase the risk of lymphoma, leukemia, and other blood cancers. The text of the letter is available HERE. In the agency’s reply they stated that they are supporting efforts by the CPSC in this area.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, at the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade Subcommittee hearing, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), Ranking Member of the committee, questioned Elliot Kaye, Chairman of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), on the risks of using recycled rubber tire crumbs in synthetic turf fields. With Chairman Kaye’s response, Pallone got clarity that a 2008 statement from CPSC that fields filled with crumb rubber are “OK to install, OK to play on” does not reflect the current views of the Commission, and a commitment to continue their work with federal agencies to review the issue.
There have been concerning reports regarding young athletes who have played on synthetic turf athletic fields containing crumb rubber being diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and other blood cancers. While the compiled lists of cases in the reports are acknowledged not to equate to a scientific study, the potential link is disconcerting and requires further investigation.
“The reports of children who have blood cancers who have also been playing on fields containing crumb rubber shout for the need to ask questions and increased research into this potential link,” said Congressman Pallone. “I am glad that in today’s hearing I was able to get clarity from the Consumer Product Safety Commission that they too believe more research is necessary and that they are committed to continue working to ensure youth athletes playing on these fields are protected.”
This past October, Pallone wrote to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry to ask the agency to conduct an official study to examine whether synthetic turf athletic fields increase the risk of lymphoma, leukemia, and other blood cancers. The text of the letter is available HERE. In the agency’s reply they stated that they are supporting efforts by the CPSC in this area.
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Pallone Calls for Study on Potential Health Risks Posed by Artificial Turf
Middletown may want to consider this before installing anymore artificial turf fields (Croydon Hall) around town.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) sent a letter to Robin Ikeda, Acting Director of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), to express his concern regarding the use of recycled rubber tire crumbs in synthetic turf fields and the potential health risks that they pose. Pallone, the top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, asked the agency to conduct an official study to examine what effects exposure to the chemicals in crumb rubber may have on athletes who play on turf fields and come into contact with crumb rubber on a regular basis.
“Crumb rubber has been known to contain carcinogens and chemicals, but there is an astounding lack of information on how this product affects our health,” said Congressman Pallone. “And yet, we send our young kids off to soccer practice and football practice to play on turf fields made of this very substance. The fact that crumb rubber has become so prevalent and that we still know so little about potential health risks it poses is troubling. More research must be done to protect the safety of public health.”
A recent report done by NBC News highlighted 38 cases of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and other cancers in American soccer players who have played on turf fields containing crumb rubber. While the report acknowledged that the compiled list of cases does not amount to a scientific study, the potential link is disconcerting.
In his letter to the ATSDR, Pallone stressed the need for more research to be done to determine whether repeated exposure to crumb rubber increases the risk of lymphoma, leukemia and other blood cancers. Specifically, he called for more data to be made available in order to properly evaluate the adverse health effects that crumb rubber may have on young athletes, who are especially susceptible to chemical exposures.
The full text of the letter is below:
October 9, 2014
Robin M. Ikeda
Acting Director
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
4770 Buford Hwy NE
Atlanta, GA 30341
Dear Acting Director Ikeda,
I write today regarding the usage of recycled rubber tire crumbs in synthetic turf athletic fields in the United States. A recent report has highlighted that a number of cases of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and other blood cancers have appeared in women athletes who have also played on turf fields containing crumb rubber.
It is clear that more data is needed to evaluate the risks that exist from exposure to crumb rubber in athletic turf and its effect on human health. Rubber tires often contain numerous chemicals considered carcinogens, including benzene, arsenic and phthalates, among others. Another question that remains is whether exposure to these harmful carcinogens could be amplified when tires are ground into tiny particles and athletes come into contact with the material on a regular basis.
Given that children and adolescents, who are particularly vulnerable to chemical exposures because of their size and are predominant users of athletic fields across the country, additional study of this issue is needed. According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry’s Principles of Pediatric Environmental Health, “Beginning before conception and persisting throughout childhood, children are often more susceptible to environmental toxicants compared to adults…[and] usually have increased exposures per kilogram of body weight, compared to adults.”
As the senior Democrat on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health and the co-chair of the Congressional Recycling Caucus, I believe more research must be done to evaluate the risks of exposure to chemicals in crumb rubber and its effect on human health. As such, I respectfully request that the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry conduct a study to determine if human exposure to recycled rubber tire crumbs in synthetic turf athletic fields increases the risk of lymphoma, leukemia and other blood cancers.
I appreciate your prompt attention to this matter and look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
FRANK PALLONE, JR.
Member of Congress
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Nutswamp School To Be Site of New Artificial Field, Not Thompson
A number of weeks back the Township announce that it had entered into an agreement with the Middletown Board of Eduction(BOE) and would bond for $1.5M to build an artificial turf field at Thompson Middle School and another natural grass field would be built at a yet to be disclosed location.
At the BOE budget presentation meeting back in March (I believe), it was discussed at length about how the field would be built at Thompson and how the location was the best place for it. The Township Committee has also stated at its meetings that the field would be located at Thompson School.
Apparently sometime last month, a decision was made to relocate this project. The field will not be built at Thompson School, as originally publicised. An announcement to accept bids on the project, now calling for the field to be built at Nutswamp School, across the street from Thompson, was published in the Asbury Park Press last week.
This doesn't appear to be a logical decision. Parking is rather limited at Nutswamp Elementary School and parents will now have to park at Thompson School and cross Middletown-Lincroft Road in order to get to Nutswamp School. Whereas Thompson School is a good location for this facility, it has lots of parking and the middle school can utilize the field during physical education classes.
When you look back on page 123 of the Township's Recreational Master Plan (which cost the township a boat load of money to produce) Nutswamp School was ranked as 6th best location in the township to construct a field of this type, 3 rankings lower than Thompson. The Master Plan made note of the fact that there wasn't sufficient room at this site to support a field due to lack of parking; It was a major drawback.
Given the redevelopment that will soon begin at Bamm Hollow Country Club, where 190 homes will be constructed and potentially 342 more at the Avaya property and the fact that the schools in Lincroft will need to be expanded to accommodate the increase of students. I am quite sure that our BOE has taken all this into consideration when the decision to locate the artificial turf field at Nutswamp School was made.
NOT
Friday, May 10, 2013
May 6, 2013 Middletown Township Committee Meeting
This past Monday night the Middletown Township Committee came together once again for it's monthly workshop meeting,at this workshop meeting the Committee held a few public hearings for the introduction of the 2013 Municipal Budget, the 2013 Solid Waste Budget and on Bond Ordinance #2013-3087 which authorizes the borrowing of $1.5M for the construction of an artificial turf sports field on Middletown Township Board of Education property and other various sports field improvements around the district.
The meeting was held in the Court House of Town Hall as opposed to the cramped little conference room next to the Clerk's office as I had hoped the it would be and lasted a little over 90 minutes with the budget hearing taking up the first 50 minutes. Afterwards it was announced that a date for the adoption of the budget would scheduled for a future meeting.
After no one spoke regarding the Municipal Solid Waste Budget, a hearing was for Bond Ordinance #2013-8037 was conducted. As I posted earlier, Linda Baum asked if a cost analysis was done and if it available for see and it was stated by Mayor Osmosis (Gerry Scharfenberger) that their was nothing on paper, it was all done in their heads. The meeting quickly moved on from there with the other items on the agenda.
Committee Comments followed by comments from the public (my favorite part of these meetings) begins at the 1:05 mark of the video and as usual is somewhat enlightening and shouldn't be missed.
As always, you can download a copy of the meeting agenda that contains the discussion items and the proposed resolutions and ordinances that were voted on or presented during the meeting. A box around an item is a link, bringing you further into the document to that resolution or ordinance. At the end of the resolution there will be a link bringing you back to the agenda. Attached to this agenda is also the monthly bill list, so that everyone can see how the Township is spending our tax dollars
The meeting was held in the Court House of Town Hall as opposed to the cramped little conference room next to the Clerk's office as I had hoped the it would be and lasted a little over 90 minutes with the budget hearing taking up the first 50 minutes. Afterwards it was announced that a date for the adoption of the budget would scheduled for a future meeting.
After no one spoke regarding the Municipal Solid Waste Budget, a hearing was for Bond Ordinance #2013-8037 was conducted. As I posted earlier, Linda Baum asked if a cost analysis was done and if it available for see and it was stated by Mayor Osmosis (Gerry Scharfenberger) that their was nothing on paper, it was all done in their heads. The meeting quickly moved on from there with the other items on the agenda.
Committee Comments followed by comments from the public (my favorite part of these meetings) begins at the 1:05 mark of the video and as usual is somewhat enlightening and shouldn't be missed.
As always, you can download a copy of the meeting agenda that contains the discussion items and the proposed resolutions and ordinances that were voted on or presented during the meeting. A box around an item is a link, bringing you further into the document to that resolution or ordinance. At the end of the resolution there will be a link bringing you back to the agenda. Attached to this agenda is also the monthly bill list, so that everyone can see how the Township is spending our tax dollars
Thursday, May 9, 2013
With Geniuses At Work, Cost Analyses Are Done In Their Heads And Not With A Calculator, Pen or Paper
Before I post the latest video of the Middletown Township Committee at work during this past Monday night's workshop meeting, I have to post this clip, it's a classic!
During the public hearing to discuss the $1.5M bond ordinance(#2013-3087) that will be used to finance the construction of 1 artificial turf sports field on the grounds of Thompson School and other field improvements at various schools around town, resident Linda Baum asked if a cost analysis was done to show revenue neutrality regarding the borrowing of the $1.5M to construct and improve these fields. The reason behind her asking was simple, at a previous meeting Committeeman Kevin Settembrino commented that the field project would be "revenue neutral" (his words) and the bond would be paid off by the money raised through increasing the user fees that various sports leagues around town pay to use the fields. To see if this was true and verify that revenue neutrality was indeed going to be achieved, she wanted to know if any documents existed to support Senttembrino's statement.
In typical fashion, acting mayor Gerry (I learned everything I needed to know about budgeting through osmosis) Scharfenberger told Ms. Baum that yes, there was a cost analysis done but there were no documents that could be OPRA'ed by her to verify the numbers because it was all done in in their (Township Committee/Administrator's) head.
OMG and LOL, I can't stop myself from laughing! We really do have a bunch of geniuses working for us here in Middletown.
During the public hearing to discuss the $1.5M bond ordinance(#2013-3087) that will be used to finance the construction of 1 artificial turf sports field on the grounds of Thompson School and other field improvements at various schools around town, resident Linda Baum asked if a cost analysis was done to show revenue neutrality regarding the borrowing of the $1.5M to construct and improve these fields. The reason behind her asking was simple, at a previous meeting Committeeman Kevin Settembrino commented that the field project would be "revenue neutral" (his words) and the bond would be paid off by the money raised through increasing the user fees that various sports leagues around town pay to use the fields. To see if this was true and verify that revenue neutrality was indeed going to be achieved, she wanted to know if any documents existed to support Senttembrino's statement.
In typical fashion, acting mayor Gerry (I learned everything I needed to know about budgeting through osmosis) Scharfenberger told Ms. Baum that yes, there was a cost analysis done but there were no documents that could be OPRA'ed by her to verify the numbers because it was all done in in their (Township Committee/Administrator's) head.
OMG and LOL, I can't stop myself from laughing! We really do have a bunch of geniuses working for us here in Middletown.
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Special Township Committee Meeting March 28
From Middletown Alerts:
This should be a good one, we'll learn how much our property taxes will increase due to lost property values caused by Superstorm Sandy along with some details concerning the the proposed turf fields that are to be build on Middletown Board of Education property.
A special meeting of the Township Committee will be held on Thursday, March 28 at 6pm in the main meeting room. The purpose of the meeting is introduction of the 2013 budget.
This should be a good one, we'll learn how much our property taxes will increase due to lost property values caused by Superstorm Sandy along with some details concerning the the proposed turf fields that are to be build on Middletown Board of Education property.
Friday, May 13, 2011
More Turf May Come To Basie Field; Too Bad For Middletown
It never ceases to amaze me how messed up Middletown is at times, with no problems at all it looks like Red Bank will be installing new turf fields by the end of year, paid for mostly through grants!
According to RedbankGreen.com the new fields will be installed at over at the Basie Fields complex.
It's too bad Middletown screwed up it's chance to have a a couple of new fields build in town last year with it's assine idea to build a full fledged sports complex over at West Front St. Park in Lincroft, instead of upgrading Trezza Field in River Plaza and the field at Crydon Hall over in Leonardo.
According to RedbankGreen.com the new fields will be installed at over at the Basie Fields complex.
It's too bad Middletown screwed up it's chance to have a a couple of new fields build in town last year with it's assine idea to build a full fledged sports complex over at West Front St. Park in Lincroft, instead of upgrading Trezza Field in River Plaza and the field at Crydon Hall over in Leonardo.
Note: This is a re-post from yesterday. Blogger was experiencing technical difficulty after a system upgrade and wiped out all posts after the 5/11
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
The Issue of Artificial Turf Fields In Middletown Was Officially Put To Rest With Resolution 10-310
Last night's Middletown Township Committee meeting brought the official end to the artificial turf field issue. The committee voted 3-1 to approve Resolution 10-310, which authorized that the unused bonded money that was meant for the installation of two artificial turf fields at West Front Street Park and Croydon Hall, be used instead to pay down existing bond debt.
In the audio clip below Committeewoman Pam Brightbill discusses why she reluctantly voted to approve the resolution, after which you can hear why outgoing Committeeman Sean Byrnes voted against it.
The one curious thing about Resolution 10-310 is the fact that it is the only resolution that was discussed last night that has not made it's way onto the Township's website, for some reason it is missing. I am wondering if it has anything to due with the potential controversy that may surround it.
The controversy being that the original bond that was issued in 2006 which allocated funding for the turf fields specifically stated that these funds could not be used for any other purpose other than recreation, and with the nature of bond issues those funds cannot be used for the purpose offsetting operational budgets.
Using these bonded funds to pay off debt may not be legal,so until the resolution is made available to the public we'll just have to wait to see how the Township intends to do this.
In the audio clip below Committeewoman Pam Brightbill discusses why she reluctantly voted to approve the resolution, after which you can hear why outgoing Committeeman Sean Byrnes voted against it.
The one curious thing about Resolution 10-310 is the fact that it is the only resolution that was discussed last night that has not made it's way onto the Township's website, for some reason it is missing. I am wondering if it has anything to due with the potential controversy that may surround it.
The controversy being that the original bond that was issued in 2006 which allocated funding for the turf fields specifically stated that these funds could not be used for any other purpose other than recreation, and with the nature of bond issues those funds cannot be used for the purpose offsetting operational budgets.
Using these bonded funds to pay off debt may not be legal,so until the resolution is made available to the public we'll just have to wait to see how the Township intends to do this.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Democrats Byrnes & Mahoney Lose In Middletown;Township Committee Will Revert Back To 5-0 Super Majority
It was a somber night as district results started rolling in to the Democratic Headquarters at the Leonardo American Legion, it was evident early on that it wasn't going to be a good night for Democratic Committeeman Sean Byrnes or his running mate Mary Mahoney. From the moment that the first few districts started reporting in, the numbers didn't look good. Byrnes and Mahoney only managed to capture 6 out of 46 districts and gave their concession speeches shortly after 9pm.
It was a real disappointment to many in the room after it seemed that so much of what transpired during this election season in Middletown, was leaning in the Democrats favor. From the turf field debacle in Lincroft, to the 13.87% increase to the municipal tax rate, people in town were angry at the leadership of Gerry Scharfenberger and his GOP majority, who seem to take residents for granted.
With their victory yesterday, the Middletown Township Committee will once again revert back to the 5-0 Republican super majority that it had enjoyed for nearly 20 years before Patrick Short was elected in 2006 and then Sean Byrnes in 2007.
What will that mean for residents in Middletown? It will mean less transparency and more decisions being made behind closed doors with little or no public discussion, much like it was previous to Short's election.
Flooding issues in Port Monmouth and Leonardo will be once again placed on the back burner due to budget and cost concerns which means relief for residents in those areas will have to wait another 20 years for solutions and those that wish to see Township Committee meetings televised on the Township's public access cable channels are out of luck, it will never happen.
Township engineering and legal fees will continue to increase because the Majority will continue to appoint the same firms to represent the Township without first competitively bidding those services out to lower costs, like Sean Byrnes has advocated for.
The local environment is also at risk. If Gerry Scharfenberger gets his way thousands of metric tons of carcinogenic and arsenic laced spoils will be dredged and from the bottom of Shadow Lake and burried in Stevenson Park against NJDEP wishes, instead of investigating alternative solutions like what may be proposed by the Army Corps of Engineers, which now has as part of their mission, responibilities over the ecosytem.
Middletown residents deserve the type of government that they voted for, unfortunately those that they voted for will not always have the best interests of all the residents in mind. That's why I and others, will continue to act as watchdogs over those that feel that Middletown is her to serve them as opposed to the other way around.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
WHO REALLY CONTROLS MIDDLETOWN? AND WHAT ARE THEY DOING?
I received today and interesting email from various Middletown friends and residents. Attached to the email was a well thought out article/letter that points out a number of issues that are effecting the Township of Middletown. The article itself was not signed by any individual so its author at this time, remains anonymous. I hope, that at some point the author steps forward because this person is directly on point with their assessment of the cronyism and the political games that take place here and contribute to the ever increasing local tax rate (its not just the schools that are driving the increasing property tax rate) and making it unaffordable for many to live in Middletown:
WHO REALLY CONTROLS MIDDLETOWN? AND WHAT ARE THEY DOING?
For years, the Democrats have maintained that the Township of Middletown was run more for the benefit of the local Republican Party and its supporters than for taxpayers. Questionable decision-making, political appointments and poor management of large-scale projects raised questions about whether important decisions were influenced more by party bosses than by taxpayers. Democratic efforts to open government and increase transparency were opposed, including opposing the televising of Township Committee meetings and passing a resolution that forced video cameras to the last row of the Township Committee Meeting Room. In this article, we examine this history by reviewing the last decade of decision-making by a Township Committee, which has been solidly in the control of the Middletown Republican Party. We emphasize that this critique focuses on the local Republican Party and the issues that concern Middletown taxpayers. We agree with many of the steps taken by Governor Christie, and Committeeman Byrnes has repeatedly stated his support for the Governor’s spending cuts. Indeed, we believe that the fiscally conservative ideals espoused by the Middletown Democratic Party cut across party lines. Although our political leanings are clear, the facts set forth below speak for themselves. If we are to survive this difficult financial crisis and hope for future prosperity, than we must reach across party lines and work together to cut taxes. But to be clear, we don’t think this Mayor and his supporters have what it takes to achieve that goal; and here’s why.
THE TAX MAN DOES NOT COMETH, HE IS HERE
Mayor Scharfenbeger with the support of 3 of his fellow Republican Committee members voted this July to increase the tax levy on the municipal portion of Middletown’s budget by 14% in 2010. This record-setting jump in the tax levy is unprecedented and comes at a time when many taxpayers in Middletown have suffered financial setbacks. Lost jobs, frozen wages, cut backs in hours coupled with increased costs of health care and flood insurance created a perfect storm of financial pressures on families. Despite these pressures, Mayor Scharfenberger, who sharply criticized the Board of Education budget, now proposes a budget that is far worse. Just this year, the Mayor: 1) refused to create a Finance Committee, 2) refused in January to bid out the Township’s Engineering work (instead handing it to the same politically connected firm that has had it since the 1970s), 3) refused to force the Township Attorney to work on a fixed retainer, 4) refused to commence layoffs or furloughs until late in the year, 5) refused to consider making the Arts Center self-sustaining, 6) refused to consider disbanding the overhead-laden Sewerage Authority which pays its Director (a former Republican Mayor) and its Commissioners pay, pension and health benefits worth almost $200,000 per year, and 7) refused to consider televising Township meetings to allow greater transparency in government. Since coming to office he has raised taxes in Middletown over 25%. The financial treasure of this Township -- taxpayer dollars -- have been used to perpetuate a political machine whose tentacles extend into every corner of government. Until that reality changes, the yearly tax increases will continue.
POLITICS LURKING IN THE SHADOWS OF A LAKE
In 2007, the Democrats had secured one seat on the Township Committee and were running 2 strong candidates. A victory for those 2 candidates would shift control of the Town government to the Democrats for the first time in decades. From the Republican side, something had to be done. In October, Just prior to the election, Mayor Scharfenberger and the Township Committee, in a 4-1 vote (Democrat Patrick Short the lone dissenter) voted to undertake a $4.0 million dollar project to dredge Shadow Lake. As someone who managed projects for a living, Mr. Short voted “no” because he had seen little evidence of a plan for the dredging and had many questions. The majority rushed this vote as part of a desperate effort to solidify Mayor Scharfenberger’s voting base in Shadow Lake Village. It worked well. Mayor Scharfenberger was narrowly re-elected, that well-connected engineering firm started spending hundreds of thousands of taxpayers’ dollars on the project, and the law firm of the Republican Party Chairman would get the bond work. Unfortunately, in their rush to get votes, the Republican Majority failed to plan for the proper staging and removal of the contaminated dredge spoils, resulting in DEP putting the brakes on the Project and cost estimates for the Project doubling. Today, the Project is essentially dead, the taxpayers are out the hundreds of thousands of dollars in engineering and surveying costs and the residents of Shadow Lake have nothing to show for it.
IF YOUR PROPERTY IS CONTAMINATED, SELL IT TO MIDDLETOWN, THEY’LL PAY TO CLEAN IT UP
Ever wonder where all the money goes from the bonds that Middletown approves for real estate purchases? Bond debt in Middletown went from $48 million in 2001 to $75 million in 2009. Well, first, the issuance of bonds, a complicated legal process, is handled by the law firm of Middletown’s Republican Party Chairman (the same law firm that does bond work for the County of Monmouth along with a paid lobbying contract worth around $100,000). After the law firm takes its cut for the bond work, your taxpayer dollars often purchase contaminated real estate. Consider some recent purchases. Middletown Arts Center (10 years to clean up), COE property (contaminated), and the Mariguchi property on Middletown Lincroft Road (contaminated), and the recently purchased property, adjacent to the municipal complex (contaminated). The municipal complex property, although not recently purchased, is (you guessed it) contaminated. In fact, the Department of Environmental Protection has been trying to get the Township to finish remediating this property for years. The beauty of buying contaminated property is that it allows your hand-picked, politically-connected lawyers and engineering professionals to continuously bill for years and years.
A POLITICAL TEMPLE TO THE ARTS
Middletown has a nice Arts Center at the Train Station. But at what cost? This building was the pet project of a former 17-year Republican Committee member, who served on a Middletown Township Committee with no Democrats, and therefore no opposition. (She is now a full-time County employee earning almost $90,000 whose pension calculation will include her 17 years with Middletown) With no one to question the plan, the all-Republican Committee voted to purchase the Banfield Property, which they knew was contaminated. Over the next five years or so, the Township spent, mostly through new bond issues, $581,803 to purchase the property, and $7,179,551 to improve it. That’s almost $8,000,000 just to get the Arts Center constructed. The Township then leased it to a non-profit for $1.00. The Township continues to support the expenses of the Arts Center. Even with the Township paying all the debt service for the bonds, the Arts Center has utilities and personnel costs in excess of $200,000 per year. And while all this was going on, taxpayers continued to pay our politically-connected engineering professionals tens of thousands of dollars to “handle” the effort to remediate the contaminated property. It took 10 years to remediate the property. Why the Township allowed the Seller to transfer this cleanup liability to the Township remains a mystery. But the greater mystery is why the Township would choose to spend precious taxpayer dollars on such an ill-conceived project.
SOMETHING SMELLS AT THE SEWERAGE AUTHORITY
How much do you now about the Township of Middletown Sewerage Authority? They maintain the waste water collection and treatment system for Middletown. You might be asking yourself why is the Sewerage Authority separate from the Township Government? It’s a good question. The Sewerage Authority has 7 Commissioners, who meet once per month for under an hour. Why does the Sewerage have two more members than the Township Committee, despite having a budget a fraction of the size? Another good question. These members are entitled to a small salary, pension and most important, health benefits. Health benefits for a family can be worth over $20,000 per year. Many Township residents have no health benefits or see money removed from every paycheck to pay for these expensive benefits. Patrick Short shamed the Township Committee into discontinuing health benefits for its members several years ago, but not the Sewerage Authority. In 2009, Committeeman Byrnes introduced an ordinance to eliminated salaries and health benefits for the Sewerage Authority. The Republicans initially blocked this effort and then introduced their own ordinance that purported to eliminate these benefits, but actually grandfathered existing Sewerage Authority Commissioners. The 7 Commissioners who received these benefits are active Republicans, including a former Mayor, party Treasurer, party Vice Chair, etc. Taxpayer dollars have been providing these individuals with the aforementioned benefits for years. Moreover, as long as the Sewerage Authority remains a distinct entity, separate from Township Government, it will need its own lawyers, auditors, outside engineers, etc., all at taxpayer expense. Efforts by Committeeman Byrnes to investigate a merger of the Sewerage Authority and Township Government have been opposed by Mayor Scharfenberger.
THE MAYOR’S ALL TALK ON TURF
As the largest municipality in Monmouth County, our recreations fields should be top notch. For anyone with children engaged in athletics, you know that they are not. The Pop Warner football fields need a major overhaul. Only the incredible efforts of volunteers keep these fields playable. And yet, the Township authorized funds to improve these fields in 2006. Once again, bonds were issued and the law firm of the Republican Party Chairman made money. But after that, nothing happened. Years passed, and as taxpayers paid the principal and interest on these bonds, nothing happened. Poor planning and mismanagement created hostility in the neighborhoods where work was planned. Finally, in 2010, the Township approached the Board of Education about installing turf at Thompson Middle School. When the Board of Education sought more detailed information about the scope of the work and usage of the fields, the Township ended its discussions and decided to build a new stadium complex on West Front Street without ever seeking local input. When citizens complained, the Mayor shifted gears and suggested that the current financial crisis made the project unworkable. The problem with that explanation is that the bonds were already issued, the funds have been received and the taxpayers are paying interest on those funds. So, after spending money on well-connected engineering firms for designs, etc., the taxpayers have nothing to show for this expense. Meanwhile, the fields at Croyden Hall and Trezza Field remain in poor condition. How come so many other towns in Monmouth County can build beautiful facilities with ample parking and turf fields? How many fields could have been improved with the $8.0M spent on the Arts Center?
* * *
As this year’s election approaches, you might want to ask yourself whether you want to continue the management approach of the last decade. Ask yourself whether the record of the elected majority warrants your support. If you would like to continue the pattern of purchasing contaminated properties, increasing taxes, poorly maintained fields, an unnecessary, top-heavy Sewerage Authority and ill-conceived, expensive projects that reward party bosses, lawyers and politically-connected engineers, then vote for Mayor Scharfenberger and his hand-picked running mate.
WHO REALLY CONTROLS MIDDLETOWN? AND WHAT ARE THEY DOING?
For years, the Democrats have maintained that the Township of Middletown was run more for the benefit of the local Republican Party and its supporters than for taxpayers. Questionable decision-making, political appointments and poor management of large-scale projects raised questions about whether important decisions were influenced more by party bosses than by taxpayers. Democratic efforts to open government and increase transparency were opposed, including opposing the televising of Township Committee meetings and passing a resolution that forced video cameras to the last row of the Township Committee Meeting Room. In this article, we examine this history by reviewing the last decade of decision-making by a Township Committee, which has been solidly in the control of the Middletown Republican Party. We emphasize that this critique focuses on the local Republican Party and the issues that concern Middletown taxpayers. We agree with many of the steps taken by Governor Christie, and Committeeman Byrnes has repeatedly stated his support for the Governor’s spending cuts. Indeed, we believe that the fiscally conservative ideals espoused by the Middletown Democratic Party cut across party lines. Although our political leanings are clear, the facts set forth below speak for themselves. If we are to survive this difficult financial crisis and hope for future prosperity, than we must reach across party lines and work together to cut taxes. But to be clear, we don’t think this Mayor and his supporters have what it takes to achieve that goal; and here’s why.
THE TAX MAN DOES NOT COMETH, HE IS HERE
Mayor Scharfenbeger with the support of 3 of his fellow Republican Committee members voted this July to increase the tax levy on the municipal portion of Middletown’s budget by 14% in 2010. This record-setting jump in the tax levy is unprecedented and comes at a time when many taxpayers in Middletown have suffered financial setbacks. Lost jobs, frozen wages, cut backs in hours coupled with increased costs of health care and flood insurance created a perfect storm of financial pressures on families. Despite these pressures, Mayor Scharfenberger, who sharply criticized the Board of Education budget, now proposes a budget that is far worse. Just this year, the Mayor: 1) refused to create a Finance Committee, 2) refused in January to bid out the Township’s Engineering work (instead handing it to the same politically connected firm that has had it since the 1970s), 3) refused to force the Township Attorney to work on a fixed retainer, 4) refused to commence layoffs or furloughs until late in the year, 5) refused to consider making the Arts Center self-sustaining, 6) refused to consider disbanding the overhead-laden Sewerage Authority which pays its Director (a former Republican Mayor) and its Commissioners pay, pension and health benefits worth almost $200,000 per year, and 7) refused to consider televising Township meetings to allow greater transparency in government. Since coming to office he has raised taxes in Middletown over 25%. The financial treasure of this Township -- taxpayer dollars -- have been used to perpetuate a political machine whose tentacles extend into every corner of government. Until that reality changes, the yearly tax increases will continue.
POLITICS LURKING IN THE SHADOWS OF A LAKE
In 2007, the Democrats had secured one seat on the Township Committee and were running 2 strong candidates. A victory for those 2 candidates would shift control of the Town government to the Democrats for the first time in decades. From the Republican side, something had to be done. In October, Just prior to the election, Mayor Scharfenberger and the Township Committee, in a 4-1 vote (Democrat Patrick Short the lone dissenter) voted to undertake a $4.0 million dollar project to dredge Shadow Lake. As someone who managed projects for a living, Mr. Short voted “no” because he had seen little evidence of a plan for the dredging and had many questions. The majority rushed this vote as part of a desperate effort to solidify Mayor Scharfenberger’s voting base in Shadow Lake Village. It worked well. Mayor Scharfenberger was narrowly re-elected, that well-connected engineering firm started spending hundreds of thousands of taxpayers’ dollars on the project, and the law firm of the Republican Party Chairman would get the bond work. Unfortunately, in their rush to get votes, the Republican Majority failed to plan for the proper staging and removal of the contaminated dredge spoils, resulting in DEP putting the brakes on the Project and cost estimates for the Project doubling. Today, the Project is essentially dead, the taxpayers are out the hundreds of thousands of dollars in engineering and surveying costs and the residents of Shadow Lake have nothing to show for it.
IF YOUR PROPERTY IS CONTAMINATED, SELL IT TO MIDDLETOWN, THEY’LL PAY TO CLEAN IT UP
Ever wonder where all the money goes from the bonds that Middletown approves for real estate purchases? Bond debt in Middletown went from $48 million in 2001 to $75 million in 2009. Well, first, the issuance of bonds, a complicated legal process, is handled by the law firm of Middletown’s Republican Party Chairman (the same law firm that does bond work for the County of Monmouth along with a paid lobbying contract worth around $100,000). After the law firm takes its cut for the bond work, your taxpayer dollars often purchase contaminated real estate. Consider some recent purchases. Middletown Arts Center (10 years to clean up), COE property (contaminated), and the Mariguchi property on Middletown Lincroft Road (contaminated), and the recently purchased property, adjacent to the municipal complex (contaminated). The municipal complex property, although not recently purchased, is (you guessed it) contaminated. In fact, the Department of Environmental Protection has been trying to get the Township to finish remediating this property for years. The beauty of buying contaminated property is that it allows your hand-picked, politically-connected lawyers and engineering professionals to continuously bill for years and years.
A POLITICAL TEMPLE TO THE ARTS
Middletown has a nice Arts Center at the Train Station. But at what cost? This building was the pet project of a former 17-year Republican Committee member, who served on a Middletown Township Committee with no Democrats, and therefore no opposition. (She is now a full-time County employee earning almost $90,000 whose pension calculation will include her 17 years with Middletown) With no one to question the plan, the all-Republican Committee voted to purchase the Banfield Property, which they knew was contaminated. Over the next five years or so, the Township spent, mostly through new bond issues, $581,803 to purchase the property, and $7,179,551 to improve it. That’s almost $8,000,000 just to get the Arts Center constructed. The Township then leased it to a non-profit for $1.00. The Township continues to support the expenses of the Arts Center. Even with the Township paying all the debt service for the bonds, the Arts Center has utilities and personnel costs in excess of $200,000 per year. And while all this was going on, taxpayers continued to pay our politically-connected engineering professionals tens of thousands of dollars to “handle” the effort to remediate the contaminated property. It took 10 years to remediate the property. Why the Township allowed the Seller to transfer this cleanup liability to the Township remains a mystery. But the greater mystery is why the Township would choose to spend precious taxpayer dollars on such an ill-conceived project.
SOMETHING SMELLS AT THE SEWERAGE AUTHORITY
How much do you now about the Township of Middletown Sewerage Authority? They maintain the waste water collection and treatment system for Middletown. You might be asking yourself why is the Sewerage Authority separate from the Township Government? It’s a good question. The Sewerage Authority has 7 Commissioners, who meet once per month for under an hour. Why does the Sewerage have two more members than the Township Committee, despite having a budget a fraction of the size? Another good question. These members are entitled to a small salary, pension and most important, health benefits. Health benefits for a family can be worth over $20,000 per year. Many Township residents have no health benefits or see money removed from every paycheck to pay for these expensive benefits. Patrick Short shamed the Township Committee into discontinuing health benefits for its members several years ago, but not the Sewerage Authority. In 2009, Committeeman Byrnes introduced an ordinance to eliminated salaries and health benefits for the Sewerage Authority. The Republicans initially blocked this effort and then introduced their own ordinance that purported to eliminate these benefits, but actually grandfathered existing Sewerage Authority Commissioners. The 7 Commissioners who received these benefits are active Republicans, including a former Mayor, party Treasurer, party Vice Chair, etc. Taxpayer dollars have been providing these individuals with the aforementioned benefits for years. Moreover, as long as the Sewerage Authority remains a distinct entity, separate from Township Government, it will need its own lawyers, auditors, outside engineers, etc., all at taxpayer expense. Efforts by Committeeman Byrnes to investigate a merger of the Sewerage Authority and Township Government have been opposed by Mayor Scharfenberger.
THE MAYOR’S ALL TALK ON TURF
As the largest municipality in Monmouth County, our recreations fields should be top notch. For anyone with children engaged in athletics, you know that they are not. The Pop Warner football fields need a major overhaul. Only the incredible efforts of volunteers keep these fields playable. And yet, the Township authorized funds to improve these fields in 2006. Once again, bonds were issued and the law firm of the Republican Party Chairman made money. But after that, nothing happened. Years passed, and as taxpayers paid the principal and interest on these bonds, nothing happened. Poor planning and mismanagement created hostility in the neighborhoods where work was planned. Finally, in 2010, the Township approached the Board of Education about installing turf at Thompson Middle School. When the Board of Education sought more detailed information about the scope of the work and usage of the fields, the Township ended its discussions and decided to build a new stadium complex on West Front Street without ever seeking local input. When citizens complained, the Mayor shifted gears and suggested that the current financial crisis made the project unworkable. The problem with that explanation is that the bonds were already issued, the funds have been received and the taxpayers are paying interest on those funds. So, after spending money on well-connected engineering firms for designs, etc., the taxpayers have nothing to show for this expense. Meanwhile, the fields at Croyden Hall and Trezza Field remain in poor condition. How come so many other towns in Monmouth County can build beautiful facilities with ample parking and turf fields? How many fields could have been improved with the $8.0M spent on the Arts Center?
* * *
As this year’s election approaches, you might want to ask yourself whether you want to continue the management approach of the last decade. Ask yourself whether the record of the elected majority warrants your support. If you would like to continue the pattern of purchasing contaminated properties, increasing taxes, poorly maintained fields, an unnecessary, top-heavy Sewerage Authority and ill-conceived, expensive projects that reward party bosses, lawyers and politically-connected engineers, then vote for Mayor Scharfenberger and his hand-picked running mate.
As an end note I thougth that I should point out that in the above letter the author states that taxes have risen 25% since Scharfenberger has been in office which just so happens to be a conservative number, the true figure will be more accurately close to 42%, if the current budget passes as he has proposed.
Monday, August 2, 2010
What Is Happening With The Bond For The Middletown Turf Fields?
On tonight's agenda for the Middeltown Township Committee Workshop meeting there will be a discussion about capital improvement projects and existing bonds and what to do about them. It will be interesting to see what they decide to do with the bonds the town is sitting on, namely the bond that was issued to fund the artificial turf projects for Croydon Hall and Trezza Field.
If we can all remember back to this past January when residents of Lincroft teamed up with members of the Pop Warner Chargers football organization when they found out that the long promised field restoration for Trezza Field (the home of the Chargers) was not going to happen, instead the funds for the turf project at Trezza Field was going to be diverted to West Front Street Park,caused so much trouble for Gerry Scharfenberger and Pam Brightbill earlier this year that they decided to cancel the turf projects all together in April.
The sudden decision to cancel the turf projects left everyone stunned at the time and questioning what was going to happen with the $2.6 million bond that was issued to fund the projects. The bond's language as written was very specific, the funds couldn't be used for anything else other than field restoration.
The following audio clip contains comments made by Middletown Attorney Brian Nelson, Middletown Township Town Administrator Tony Mercantante and mayor Gerry Scharfenberger during Workshop meetings on February 1st and March 1st,and seems to confirm that. The audio documents what the three men had been saying about the bonded money that was to be used for the construction of turf fields prior to the sudden announcement that the field project was going to be cancelled and the bonded funds returned.
Fast forward now to the last Township Committee meeting held on July 19th.
Lincroft resident and founding member of the citizens group SONIC (which opposed the turf project at West Front Street Park), Mary Mahoney, addressed the Township Committee about the unused Turf Bond that was to be used for artificial turf fields at Trezza Field, West Front Street Park and Croydon Hall. She wanted to know what was happening with the bonded money,
was there any plans to use it for anything else, how much of it had been spent and why wasn't it retired as of yet to save the township interest payments on it.
She seemed to have taken the the Township Committee and those that make the decisions on such things by surprise. Listen to it below:
About 1:10 into her comments CFO Nick Trasente is heard saying that the bond funds could be used for other facilities, used to pay down debt or retired, which is contrary to earlier remarks made by Township Attorney Brian Nelson and Scharfenberger, who had stated at earlier meetings and can be heard above in the 1st audio clip, that the bond had to be retired if not used for turf fields and couldn't be used for anything else.
So, what are Gerry and the boys planning on doing with the funds from this bond? It seems that they are trying to figure out a way to apply it to the budget in order to decrease 14% tax rate increase in this years municipal budget that has not been adopted yet.
If this is a concern to anyone then you should attend tonights meeting at Town Hall, it starts at 8pm. Get there early for a good seat.
If we can all remember back to this past January when residents of Lincroft teamed up with members of the Pop Warner Chargers football organization when they found out that the long promised field restoration for Trezza Field (the home of the Chargers) was not going to happen, instead the funds for the turf project at Trezza Field was going to be diverted to West Front Street Park,caused so much trouble for Gerry Scharfenberger and Pam Brightbill earlier this year that they decided to cancel the turf projects all together in April.
The sudden decision to cancel the turf projects left everyone stunned at the time and questioning what was going to happen with the $2.6 million bond that was issued to fund the projects. The bond's language as written was very specific, the funds couldn't be used for anything else other than field restoration.
The following audio clip contains comments made by Middletown Attorney Brian Nelson, Middletown Township Town Administrator Tony Mercantante and mayor Gerry Scharfenberger during Workshop meetings on February 1st and March 1st,and seems to confirm that. The audio documents what the three men had been saying about the bonded money that was to be used for the construction of turf fields prior to the sudden announcement that the field project was going to be cancelled and the bonded funds returned.
Fast forward now to the last Township Committee meeting held on July 19th.
Lincroft resident and founding member of the citizens group SONIC (which opposed the turf project at West Front Street Park), Mary Mahoney, addressed the Township Committee about the unused Turf Bond that was to be used for artificial turf fields at Trezza Field, West Front Street Park and Croydon Hall. She wanted to know what was happening with the bonded money,
was there any plans to use it for anything else, how much of it had been spent and why wasn't it retired as of yet to save the township interest payments on it.
She seemed to have taken the the Township Committee and those that make the decisions on such things by surprise. Listen to it below:
About 1:10 into her comments CFO Nick Trasente is heard saying that the bond funds could be used for other facilities, used to pay down debt or retired, which is contrary to earlier remarks made by Township Attorney Brian Nelson and Scharfenberger, who had stated at earlier meetings and can be heard above in the 1st audio clip, that the bond had to be retired if not used for turf fields and couldn't be used for anything else.
So, what are Gerry and the boys planning on doing with the funds from this bond? It seems that they are trying to figure out a way to apply it to the budget in order to decrease 14% tax rate increase in this years municipal budget that has not been adopted yet.
If this is a concern to anyone then you should attend tonights meeting at Town Hall, it starts at 8pm. Get there early for a good seat.
Friday, April 9, 2010
In Light Of The Mayor's Decision to Cancel The Lincroft Sports Complex Lets Revist SONIC's Letter
After sending Gerry Scharfenberger their letter, SONIC later went on to meet with the Mayor on Saturday February 12th to discuss the issues that were outlined in the letter during his weekly office hours.
The reasons SONIC opposed this development were reasonably stated with valid concerns.
What stands out most to me are the 2 paragraphs highlighted regarding SONIC'S questioning the timing of this expenditure during these current bad economic times. As well as their suggested solutions which the Mayor had promised to follow through with but never did.
The reasons SONIC opposed this development were reasonably stated with valid concerns.
What stands out most to me are the 2 paragraphs highlighted regarding SONIC'S questioning the timing of this expenditure during these current bad economic times. As well as their suggested solutions which the Mayor had promised to follow through with but never did.
It finally took the Governor's convenient cut in aid (even though for many months the Mayor and others insisted that the cost of the new fields would not effect the current budget process), to get the Mayor to recognize what SONIC had been saying all along.
Expansion of Useage of the Field at West Front Street in Lincroft
February 11, 2010
Dear Mayor Scharfenberger,
I am writing this letter on behalf of a recently formed group of residents from the Lincroft Community who choose to be known as “Save Our Neighborhood’s Integrity & Character” or “SONIC” for short. This group is principally comprised of residents in and around the West Front Street soccer fields, however we are receiving support from residents and various groups in Middletown and Holmdel as a result of your announced expansion plans. It is our sincere pledge to work with you and the entire Middletown Township Committee with regard to the stated Mission of the Township, which as per Township’s own letterhead is to “Save a Life, Save a Neighborhood, Save Taxes.”
SONIC has no objection to improving these grass fields making them safer for soccer and other sports but we do not support the amenities to the sports complex. We strongly object to the plans for 70 foot tall lights, an expanded parking lot, chain link fence, public address system, snack bar and storage facilities. This represents an entirely different type and concentration of activity; permanently changing the character and integrity of the neighborhood. These changes or what was characterized as improvements are the main reasons why we feel so betrayed by you, our elected officials, in not fully disclosing your intent and the extent of this development.
The following is a list of the key elements that SONIC believes make the West Front Street site not suitable or appropriate for the intended expansion:
A Serious Traffic Hazard:
The intersection of West Front Street and Crawfords Corner/Everett Road, a county road, already is a heavily utilized traffic area. It serves as a main route into Red Bank, to various elementary and pre-schools, Brookdale Community College, CBA, as well as a route from Holmdel and elsewhere into the Town itself. Increased activity, such as Pop Warner football , will serve to increase traffic in an unbearable way, leading to a major safety hazard for those who reside and worship in the area and for the children living in and around West Front Street Park. Even with the expanded parking lot in the proposal, with the inevitable tournaments or back to back games there will be insufficient parking available. Where would the cars go but spill onto West Front St, Everett Road and side streets? Required or not, we request a traffic study be done by the county.
Drainage:
There will be drainage issues that accompany the current plan to install a drainage pipe through the easement between 109 and 111 University Dr. Natural springs and poor drainage already exist in this location.
Lighting and Sound System:
There is little to no natural buffer for the homes on Tuller Ct, Everett Road and University Drive to protect from the tall lights and P/A system. The homeowners on University Drive are very concerned with the removal of trees which may be necessary for installation of an artificial turf football field, sidelines, and additional buildings. This would further reduce an already insufficient buffer and affect our quality of life.
On Table 19 of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan, of the 12 properties considered for a synthetic turf field, West Front Street Park ranked low in topography, available parking, drainage and size. Thompson Middle School and Nut Swamp School ranked considerably better in all criteria. West Front Streets overall ranking was the lowest of all available fields in the area with the exception of Nut Swamp Park.
In addition to the above issues as to why this site is inappropriate, we question the timing of this expenditure. With a projected budget deficit of $5.0MM for our Township this year, when residents are losing their jobs and others are struggling to get by on reduced incomes and reeling from increased property taxes, building a “multi-sport” complex appears extravagant. Not having a CFO and a Finance Committee in place to review all the options is, in our view causing unwise financial decisions to be made. Awarding a nearly $200,000 contract to CMX engineering before plans were appropriately vetted with those directly affected seems equally irresponsible.
Common sense and public duty requires you to act responsibly by pursuing solutions that leverage existing assets for the betterment of the entire community. One solution would be to apply a portion of the $2.5MM in funds the Township received from the bonds issued in 2006 for capital expenditures for Parks and Recreation in order to reduce the deficit and reserve a portion to improve the parking and grass condition of the existing Trezza Field. We already have two artificial turf fields in town and these are not just expensive to build but also costly to maintain. Would it not be better to resume discussion with the Board of Education to seek a Shared Use Agreement for the use of these fields? In reviewing the public correspondence between the BOE and MTC from June through September regarding the Proposed Shared Services/Land Use Agreement, we believe the BOE did their part to work this out. To claim that the BOE “lawyered up” as the reason for the failed negotiations is just not acceptable. Moreover, the President of the BOE has personally agreed to readdress this issue and the members of SONIC urge you to do so.
Accordingly, SONIC respectfully requests that prior to the February 16th Middletown Township Committee meeting a few of our members meet with you in your office to have an open and honest exchange of ideas, preferably this coming Saturday, since you will be available as a result of last week’s snowstorm. It is our hope and desire to resolve this issue for the benefit of the community as a whole and restore our trust in our elected officials.
Cordially,
On behalf of the below representatives of SONIC, et al
Sarah Hammond, Mary Mahoney, Jeffrey Blumengold, Stanley Gelfman, Trish Thomson, Jodi Molasani, Marianne Musella, and Peter Simpson
Expansion of Useage of the Field at West Front Street in Lincroft
February 11, 2010
Dear Mayor Scharfenberger,
I am writing this letter on behalf of a recently formed group of residents from the Lincroft Community who choose to be known as “Save Our Neighborhood’s Integrity & Character” or “SONIC” for short. This group is principally comprised of residents in and around the West Front Street soccer fields, however we are receiving support from residents and various groups in Middletown and Holmdel as a result of your announced expansion plans. It is our sincere pledge to work with you and the entire Middletown Township Committee with regard to the stated Mission of the Township, which as per Township’s own letterhead is to “Save a Life, Save a Neighborhood, Save Taxes.”
SONIC has no objection to improving these grass fields making them safer for soccer and other sports but we do not support the amenities to the sports complex. We strongly object to the plans for 70 foot tall lights, an expanded parking lot, chain link fence, public address system, snack bar and storage facilities. This represents an entirely different type and concentration of activity; permanently changing the character and integrity of the neighborhood. These changes or what was characterized as improvements are the main reasons why we feel so betrayed by you, our elected officials, in not fully disclosing your intent and the extent of this development.
The following is a list of the key elements that SONIC believes make the West Front Street site not suitable or appropriate for the intended expansion:
A Serious Traffic Hazard:
The intersection of West Front Street and Crawfords Corner/Everett Road, a county road, already is a heavily utilized traffic area. It serves as a main route into Red Bank, to various elementary and pre-schools, Brookdale Community College, CBA, as well as a route from Holmdel and elsewhere into the Town itself. Increased activity, such as Pop Warner football , will serve to increase traffic in an unbearable way, leading to a major safety hazard for those who reside and worship in the area and for the children living in and around West Front Street Park. Even with the expanded parking lot in the proposal, with the inevitable tournaments or back to back games there will be insufficient parking available. Where would the cars go but spill onto West Front St, Everett Road and side streets? Required or not, we request a traffic study be done by the county.
Drainage:
There will be drainage issues that accompany the current plan to install a drainage pipe through the easement between 109 and 111 University Dr. Natural springs and poor drainage already exist in this location.
Lighting and Sound System:
There is little to no natural buffer for the homes on Tuller Ct, Everett Road and University Drive to protect from the tall lights and P/A system. The homeowners on University Drive are very concerned with the removal of trees which may be necessary for installation of an artificial turf football field, sidelines, and additional buildings. This would further reduce an already insufficient buffer and affect our quality of life.
On Table 19 of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan, of the 12 properties considered for a synthetic turf field, West Front Street Park ranked low in topography, available parking, drainage and size. Thompson Middle School and Nut Swamp School ranked considerably better in all criteria. West Front Streets overall ranking was the lowest of all available fields in the area with the exception of Nut Swamp Park.
In addition to the above issues as to why this site is inappropriate, we question the timing of this expenditure. With a projected budget deficit of $5.0MM for our Township this year, when residents are losing their jobs and others are struggling to get by on reduced incomes and reeling from increased property taxes, building a “multi-sport” complex appears extravagant. Not having a CFO and a Finance Committee in place to review all the options is, in our view causing unwise financial decisions to be made. Awarding a nearly $200,000 contract to CMX engineering before plans were appropriately vetted with those directly affected seems equally irresponsible.
Common sense and public duty requires you to act responsibly by pursuing solutions that leverage existing assets for the betterment of the entire community. One solution would be to apply a portion of the $2.5MM in funds the Township received from the bonds issued in 2006 for capital expenditures for Parks and Recreation in order to reduce the deficit and reserve a portion to improve the parking and grass condition of the existing Trezza Field. We already have two artificial turf fields in town and these are not just expensive to build but also costly to maintain. Would it not be better to resume discussion with the Board of Education to seek a Shared Use Agreement for the use of these fields? In reviewing the public correspondence between the BOE and MTC from June through September regarding the Proposed Shared Services/Land Use Agreement, we believe the BOE did their part to work this out. To claim that the BOE “lawyered up” as the reason for the failed negotiations is just not acceptable. Moreover, the President of the BOE has personally agreed to readdress this issue and the members of SONIC urge you to do so.
Accordingly, SONIC respectfully requests that prior to the February 16th Middletown Township Committee meeting a few of our members meet with you in your office to have an open and honest exchange of ideas, preferably this coming Saturday, since you will be available as a result of last week’s snowstorm. It is our hope and desire to resolve this issue for the benefit of the community as a whole and restore our trust in our elected officials.
Cordially,
On behalf of the below representatives of SONIC, et al
Sarah Hammond, Mary Mahoney, Jeffrey Blumengold, Stanley Gelfman, Trish Thomson, Jodi Molasani, Marianne Musella, and Peter Simpson
It's too bad that in the end arrogance and bad planning on the part of Mayor Scharfenberger and others is what really doomed the sports complexes. If the Mayor and others would have stuck to the orginal plan to improve Trezza Field, the home of the Pop Warner Chargers, instead of insisting that the Chargers except West Front Street Park as their new home, both Trezza Field and Croydon Hall would be having new turf fields installed as we speak and opposition to the turf projects would have been muted.
Instead the Mayor, like a 3rd grader took his fields and went home, blaming the Governor along the way instead of looking into the mirror that would have shown the egg on his face.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Middletown School Board Candidates' Forums: Meet The Candidates for the Upcoming April 20th BOE Election
Those seeking election on to the School Board are:
Dawn Diorio
Leonora Caminiti
Gerald Wexelberg
Patricia Walsh
Michael Mascone
Chris Aveta
Vincent Brand
And will be sponsored by and take place at:
Organization: Lincroft PTA
Place: Lincroft Elementary School – All Purpose Room
Date: Wednesday, April 7
Time: 7:30 p.m
Organization: Middletown Republican Club
Place: Lincroft Inn
Date: Wednesday, April 14
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Organization: Middletown Mornings
Place: To be determined
Date: Friday, April 16
Time: 9:30 a.m.
An FYI for those that think partisen party politics should have no place in the education of our children should note that the ticket of Mascone, Aveta and Brand seems to have been put together by Mayor Scharfenberger and Deputy Mayor Fiore in an apparent effort to have more control over the school board.
All three candidates have ties to the Middeltown Soccer League and Deputy Mayor Fiore. The Middletown Soccer League supported the Mayor and Deputy Mayor's efforts to have a sports complex built at West Front Street Park in Lincroft and now tht the plans for new turf fields in town have fallen through, all three have a vested interest in seeing that the artifical turf fields at both Middeltown High Schools are opened for the personal use of Middletown Soccer.
Deputy Mayor Fiore's signature can be seen on both the Brand and Aveta petitions
Do Mascone, Aveta and Brand have the best interests of the students in Middletown at heart or are they more interested in partisen politics and seeing their best interests are taken care of first? That is a question that should be asked of them during these Candidate Forums.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Letter: Is Middletown's Mayor Attempting To Divert Bond Money Away From Sports Fields
The following letter was received in my email last night:
The Township took out a bond in 2006 to fund the turf fields, but the money has sat idle, accruing interest on repayment, because Middletown failed to reach consensus on where to locate the fields. During a number of Township Committee meetings, the Mayor, Administrator, and Township Attorney all emphatically stated that the bond could only be used for the rehabilitation of fields at Middletown parks. However, objections to this usage have recently intensified, prompting Mayor Gerry Scharfenberger to announce he would call off the field construction and divert the bond funds to pay for shortfalls in the Township budget. I have serious concerns about the Mayor’s new course of action.
First, the Mayor appears to be acting independently of the Township Committee. Our committee consists of five members, one of whom is selected as Mayor to lead public meetings and sign local legislation. Nowhere in Chapter 4, Article II of our Township Code, which outlines the duties of Mayor, does it give that person authority to make solitary decisions on funding. A vote of the full Committee is required.
My second concern is that the Mayor, Administrator, and Township Attorney have been lying to residents about the potential uses for the bond money. First, they insisted the money could only be used for the turf fields. Now, the Mayor wants to try and amend the ordinance so it can be used for other projects. If Mayor Scharfenberger has not been deliberately misleading us, he, at best, does not care enough to understand the rules on spending taxpayer dollars; at worst, he is incompetent.
Finally, I am concerned about using bond money to patch holes in Middletown’s budget due to shortfalls in state aid. A single bond will not fix the fiscal reality our township must face as a result of the national economic downturn. The Mayor must stop looking for quick, politically convenient, fixes and present to township residents a fiscally sound plan that does not place us further in debt. Perhaps it is time to stand up that Finance Committee that Committeeman Sean Byrnes keeps calling for. When will Middletown’s Mayor start to listen to the Committee, which represents all taxpayers, and stop acting alone?
Don Watson
New Monmouth NJ
Monday, March 29, 2010
What Were They Saying Before The Decision To Cancel The Sports Complex
I went back to my archivist to see if he could grabbed me some audio clips of what everyone had to say about using the bonded funds for the artificial turf fields for other uses.
He sent me 5 clips of Township Attorney Brian Nelson,Township Administrator Tony Mercantante and Mayor Gerry Scharfenberger stating that the bond money has to be used for recreation or turf fields. These clips are from Committee meetings on February 1st, March 1st and March 15th .
He sent me 5 clips of Township Attorney Brian Nelson,Township Administrator Tony Mercantante and Mayor Gerry Scharfenberger stating that the bond money has to be used for recreation or turf fields. These clips are from Committee meetings on February 1st, March 1st and March 15th .
Nelson and Mercantante address a person's question concerning whether or not the bond for the turf fields could be appropriated for other use during the February 1st meeting.
Scharfenberger adds his two cents in the following three sound bites, the first two of which are from the March 1st Township Committee Workshop meeting where he is heard saying that the money for the turf fields could not be used for other projects but could be appropriated for a different facility. He later stated that the turf fields were part of Green Acres and there for needed to be discussed at an official public meeting that would be scheduled for the end of March.
The last clip is from the March 15th Township Committee meeting and is of Mayor Scharfenberger announcing that the resolution that would give the go ahead for CMX Engineering to finalize plans and proceed to mark up project bidding specifications for the sports complex at West Front Street was being pulled, but they were going to move ahead with the field at WFSP anyway just not with all the amenities.
Then all of a sudden at the informal March 23th Neighborhood Meeting at Croydon Hall, Gerry Scharfenberger announced that himself and those members of the Township Committee that were in attendance that evening came to a consensus decision to cancel the turf project all together due to concerns over state aid figures that he had just been informed of, and because of this the Township would recall the bond and return the money to the lender.
Using the decline in state aid as a cover story for cancelling the turf projects was just a convenient excuse on Scharfenberger's end. Both he and Pam Brightbill, had been telling everyone for months prior to the meeting that the bonded funds for the turf fields had no impact on the budget and based on the article that appeared in the Independent, the Township knew a week earlier about the state aid cut, which they had been talking about for the past few Committee meetings anyway.
So will the audio shine anymore light onto the shady dealing that go on down at Town Hall? Not really, but they do give a little bit of insight into the thinking of for what and how the money that was bonded for the turf fields in 2006 could be used for even if it was contrary to the actual language of the bond ordinance.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Questions Remain About the Sudden About Face On The Middletown Sports Field Issue
There are still many questions that remain and need to be answered when it comes to the sudden announcement that Gerry Scharfenberger made during Tuesday night's Neighborhood Meeting at Croydon Hall.
It has become apparent based on an email I received that some are starting to ask those questions and want answers:
1. The Neighborhood Meetings were billed as an event that "no formal action will take place". The Mayor decided to take formal action by announcing this decision. I have announcements, below, that explain the purpose of the Neighborhood Meetings.These were taken from the Township website and the alert system that the Township has in place.
Neighborhood Meeting - Senior Center
3/23/2010 - 7:00:00 PM
The Township Committee will hold a Neighborhood Meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 23 At the Middletown Senior Center, 900 Leonardville Road, to give residents an opportunity to speak informally with township officials and staff about life in Middletown. Township Committee members, and representatives from the departments of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs; Planning; Police and Public Works are scheduled to attend. No formal action will be taken.
Location:
Middletown Senior Center
Croydon Hall
900 Leonardville Road
Leonardo, NJ 07737
Source:
http://www.middletownnj.org/html/EventDetails.asp?EventID=2f8b8140-7923-480e-9c2d-e1b80643d843&EventDate=2010-03-23
Neighborhood Meeting 3-22-2010
posted Monday, March 22, 2010 4:08 PM
Dear Resident:The next Middletown Neighborhood Meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 23rd at the Middletown Senior Center, 900 Leonardville Road. Neighborhood meetings are held annually to give residents an opportunity to speak informally with township officials and staff about life in Middletown. Township Committee members, and representatives from the departments of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs; Planning; Police and Public Works are scheduled to attend. No formal action will be taken. The last Neighborhood Meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 30th at the Tonya Keller Bayshore Community Center, 50 Bray Ave.
Source:
https://my.c3alert.us/middletownnj/home/welcome
2. At what public meeting did the Committee decide to return the bond? This is not a decision that can be made by the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, or any other Committee person. It must be decided in a public meeting with a vote by ALL Committee members. I believe that a bond ordinance must be have approval of at least 4/5 of the Committee to become effective. The question is, Can the Mayor legally announce this since no formal action was taken on his decision?
3. According to the by-laws of the Township, the Mayor is a member of the Committee and is appointed by the other members of the Committee. His sole functions are to lead Committee meetings and sign legislation that is passed by the Committee. I don't believe that he has any other authority than that, besides what the other Committee members have. Any announcements, coming from the Township, should be with the approval of the whole Committee, not just one member of the Committee.
These questions need to be asked as well as:
- How much interest have WE paid over the past 4 years on this bond?
- How much has OUR bond counsel (Middletown GOP Chairman) charged US to sell the bonds and now buy them back?
- What other legal expenses are associated with the whole bond. beginning with the sale to retirement?
- Why isn't the plan presented, by Mr. Vrabel, acceptable? Who determined this?
The sudden announcement of the cancellation of the turf projects at a neighborhood meeting that wasn't suppose to be an official meeting where actions would be taken on any subject specific subject is troubling.
What really changed the collective mind of the Township to drop plans for the fields and when and with whom were theses plans discussed with? As the email stated, the Mayor doesn't have the authority to act alone when making decisions regardless if the Town Administrator or others thought that the plan should be cancelled. This is a decision that would have had to be have been made during a formal meeting with every committee member present and from what I know that did not happen.
Middletown's "shadow government" has once again crept in from the darkness and reared its ugly head.
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