Last Monday night's Middletown Township Committee meeting was unusual. Unusual in the sense that it deviated from the norm of the past 2 years; The meeting took nearly two hours from start to finish, whereas the norm lately has been just under 35 minutes. So to be honest, I skipped through the video quickly and still reviewing it, but thought that I should post it for others to view as well.
The reason for the exceptional length of Monday night's meeting was due to a number of residents speaking out about several ordinances that were introduced at the previous meetings. Chief among them were the lease of the facilities at the Croydon Hall property to a private school - even though the Township has not decided where the Parks and Health Department employees will be relocated and the transfer of property (25 minutes into the video)to a non-profit to build group homes for the blind in the Navesink section of town. Several residents spoke out in opposition of the ordinance and the debate got rather heated. The ordinance however was unanimously passed by the Township committee. It is well worth the time to watch. Later during Public Comments, the executive director of the organization that will be building these group homes spoke to say that there should not be any concerns about the residents living in the homes and that the organization plans on holding a public meeting sometime in the future to address area residents concerns.
Committee Comments started at 1:10 into the meeting, comments by those on the committee were brief (lasting about 6 minutes) then moved right into the Public Comments portion of the meeting.
A couple of residents ask about the Middletown Library. The first asking about the feasibility of transferring the Middletown Library system to the County, to have it included as part of the Monmouth County Library system. The second resident later (1:48:39) asked about the current crisis facing the Middletown Library regarding closure of library branches charge backs for health insurance the Township imposed on the Library by the Township Committee. She was arrogantly told that it was a Library issue and to speak to the Library Board about it during a shouting match between her and Tony Fiore.
A lengthy discussion (1:30) took place about the flooding of a creek along Highlands Ave. in Leonardo and whether or not it could be dredged, followed by a question about the new FEMA flood maps.
And finally, the Township refused to accept free recordings of Township Committee meetings claiming a previously submitted DVD was unplayable and reportedly contained a virus. They could not identify which DVD presented the problem.
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
19 comments:
Not to sure if leasing the Croydon Hall property to a private school is lawful. I believe the property was purchased with Green Acres funds and there are restrictions as to how the property can be used. Typically it is limited to recreation or a similar use.
If a private school is a for-profit organization will it be taxed (property taxes) as a profit making enterprise? If the private school is a religious school is it legal for a municipal government to lease or donate property and not violate separation of church and state? Will the private religious school be eligible for taxpayer (Middletown BoE) supported school busing? Green Acre funds were used to purchase the Arts Center and property for Stevens Park and were most likely used to purchase acreage at Croydon Hall.
If a private school is a for-profit organization will it be taxed (property taxes) as a profit making enterprise? If the private school is a religious school is it legal for a municipal government to lease or donate property and not violate separation of church and state? Will the private religious school be eligible for taxpayer (Middletown BoE) supported school busing? Green Acre funds were used to purchase the Arts Center and property for Stevens Park and were most likely used to purchase acreage at Croydon Hall.
How embarrassing for the lady pontificating about the Library.
As has been posted here many times, the health insurance chargebacks to the Library budget are really simple math.
The Library employees who are in the health insurance plan represent a certain percentage of all employees in the plan. As the town is self funded, they budget a set amount of money every year for claims and claims administration. The Library is responsible for that portion of their funds equal to the percentage of their employees who are members in the plan.
She continues to rail about things that are irrelevant and doing so in an embarrassing manner.
No petition from taxpayers to raise taxes in order to give extra funding to the Library.
I wasn't present at the meeting last night, but with people of the caliber of the lady who attended this meeting representing those trying to save the branches, who's willing to bet against those branches closing?
The county library system cannot afford to absorb Middletown library. It costs quite a bit of money and has to be approved by the Freeholders. They do not have the budget to do it.
Legion, if you weren't embarassed stuffing ridiculous flyers in your neighbors' mailboxes in Lincroft a few years back, there is no reason for the woman in the video to feel embarassed. At least she wasn't making up lies for own benefit.
No doubt the "caliber' of this citizen isn't up to your standards Legion, she sounded too sincere.
According to lawyer Nelson and T.C. members Green Acre funds were used, which means any revenue acquired from this deal can only go into the Open Space fund. Not a good deal for the taxpayer because it limits how the revenue can be used.
Worse yet: if the money is used to buy open space then that space is removed from the tax rolls, which means a greater tax burden for Middletown tax payers.
I reviewed the entire video and Nelson and others did not appear at all confident about this deal -- this is overly ripe; time for leagal research and probing.
Legion,
Ms. Baum was speaking about a variety of charge-backs and I believe she was specifically addressing, among other things, workers compensation charge-backs not just health care. How about a special T.C. meeting, with a lengthy Q&A session, devoted to charge-backs and the formula(s) used to calculate all charge-backs for all deparments -- including TOMSA, MAC, ETC.
Who said she was representing those trying to save branches? I think she was presenting a point of view that sheds light on how the T.C. and appointed officials are cooking the books to move money around to cover years of financial mismangement. I'm sure an ethical finance committee would uncover the flaws in the charge-backs and other financial hokus-pocus.
Anon at 3:06
At least we agree that she was making things up!
I am sure that she is sincere that she wants the Lincroft Library branch to remain open. She just doesn't display the understanding of issues that are needed to find an answer and is going about it all wrong...
If this "Legion" character is the nutjob that was stuffing her neighbor's mailboxes during the pipe installations in Lincroft in the summer and fall of 2008 maybe it's time for someone to let the Governor know what a mistake he made with his appointment to the Monmouth County Tax board of the mayor's cheerleader !
The arrogance and disresepct shown by the board to the taxpayers WHO PAY THEIR SALARIES BY THE WAY is absolutely unacceptable! Brian Nelson continues to do the eye roll and snicker while people were speaking along with Stephanie Murray's disrespectful facial expressions-I've read about them and seen them on previous videos but seeing it live really makes one mad! As has been pointed to me that Nelson is not a member of the board, why does he sit on the dais and answer questions that have nothing to do with township attorney business? Fiore bullied the one resident who tried to speak-he doesn't even know how to follow the rules of conduct. hat kind of thugs and lowlifes are we allowing to run our town? wake up, people!
In the last ten plus years te voters in Middletown have elected or appointed a gang of thugs to administration in this town.
Shame on all of us for allowing it !
Time to get some education before you push another button in a voting booth or the absurd nonsense will continue!!!
This is the "MOB", Middletown style !
Former Township Attorney, Bernie Reilly, sat with the other appointed professionals during meetings. Mr. Nelson needs to run the show so the elected officials don't have to say anything.
Legion,
The T.C. always exceeds the amount of money budgeted for health care. A few years back, when Short and Byrnes were challenging an emergency spending resolution for at least $500,000 to cover health care spending that exceeded the money budgeted Mercantante, Township Administrator, said (on record) that they traditionally used emergency spending resolutions to cover health care costs. This means pushing current health care costs into the next budget year. The Township continues to operate this way. A few years back Fiore was going to research and study a way to change this practice. So far no change to the practice.
Calculating health-care plan usage isn't "simple math" where all parties pay equality into the plan. Some members cost more because they use the plan more.
Anon 1:33 PM,
I believe that the amount was $900,000, maybe more.
Anon at 1:33
What you've posted makes no sense at all. It must be very hard to budget for health claims because it's really all dependent on who gets sick and to what extent during a year, plus guessing at the increase in health care costs. So the state allows for emergency appropriations for unexpected health care costs...
But what does that have to do with the Library? It would be unfair to have their chargebacks based upon the actual claims for their employees separate from the rest of the town. Some years they might do very well and have less of a chargeback, but other years it would be overwhelming.
That's why they are better off pooled with the rest of the town.
You make no sense at all...
How about some investigation into the connection between Town Attorney Nelson and one of his partners Christine Hanlon. Hanlon is on Trinity's Legal Board. How much is the payment Middletown will receive if this is even legal?
I'm not quite sure why people are ominously dropping suggestions that leasing the school building at Croydon might "not be legal?" If you listen to the video you hear that the reason that the revenue received from the lease must go into the town's Green Acres Trust fund is because the DEP's Green Acres program demanded that it go there.
To most people that gives an indication that the Green Acres program is aware of this action and has agreed to let it happen.
I have no doubts that the town is following the law in this. What's the point in making stuff up?
OK say it is legal. What is the town getting in return for displacing several departments and making it hard for residents to find these resources in the future.
There should be money put up to pay for the move on top of the lease.
Put everything on the table to clear everything up and have it out in the open.
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