- There is a $2 million gap between the lowest bidder for the project and $4.8 million cost estimate that the township engineer placed on the dredging.
- Township Administrator Tony Mercantante stated that it would be unlikely the Township Committee would go out to bid the project once again.
- Dredging only a small portion of the lake would not be worth it and the cost to do so would be questionable.
- If the dredging project were to proceed the township would have to reapply to the state's Environmental Infrastructure Trust for a much bigger loan which would need to be paid back and that the committee has committed as much money as they are comfortable committing to it (dredging of the lake).
- And, if only the DEP would relent and allow the township to permanently keep the contaminated dredge spoils on the grounds of adjacent Stevenson Park (which they won't), the dredging of Shadow Lake would proceed.
The only reason why this failed project proceeded in the first place was to buy the votes of area residents that live along side Shadow Lake. It was as simple as that. What a waste.
5 comments:
When will the people of this town realize how shamefully deceitful the Middletown Republicans have really been over these last ten years or so.
Maybe crooked and devious and unprincipled and unscrupulous are better words to describe this whole affair.
Shadow Lake residents ,you have been taken,hoodwinked by the integrity challenged who are incapable of honest action. It is always about politics !!
Win,no matter what it costs !
And we always pay the bill !!
The following statement is incorrect:
"There is a $2 million gap between the lowest bidder for the project and $4.8 million cost estimate that the township engineer placed on the dredging."
$4.8M is not the cost estimate, it was the lowest bid (per base specs) in the second round of bids. The town's comparable cost estimate is $3 million.
The people that have most benefited from this are those Republicans -- Scharfenberger, Fiore, Brightbill, Hall, Massell, Senttembrino, Murray -- who have used the issue since at least 2006 to get votes for election and re-election. And to get those votes they spent taxpayer dollars (minimum the $400,000 mentioned) paid to T&M for engineering 'feasability studies'. T&M engineering is a big campaign contributor to the local, county and state Republican party. Scharfenberger and Senttembrino are up for re-election this year. Please note that Senator Joe Kyrillos was deeply involved in this issue when Scharfenberger and Senttembrino last ran for office -- I'm sure his name recognition helped sway the Shadow Lake voting community when it came time to cast their ballots. I wonder how this issue will rise from the ashes come November, 2013, when Scharfenberger and Senttembrino are asking for Middletown taxpayers to re-elect them to another term in office.
All of the misspent money on Shadow Lake dredging, Turf fields and other projects that never happened could have gone a long way towards protecting the Bayshore from annual flooding and much of the damage done by Superstorm Sandy.
In the past this same Republican crew has spent over $400,000 in consultant fees for a Master Recreation Plan that has never been implemented and thousands of additional tax dollars to T&M Engineering for studies for Turf fields that exist only on paper.
Shadow Lake is the most obvious easily recognized example of how the Middletown Republican Party manipulates the taxpayer/voter with taxpayer dollars to stay in control of municipal government in Middletown.
Why not ask the Happy Hooking Menendez for his advice on raising $$$.
GO SOAK YOUR HEAD AH 2:22 p.m.
With all the pea brained republicans in D. C, and everywhere else including this town . it's not wise to point fingers at anyone.
Bet you're capable of standing on the corner and "hooking $$ " yourself, arrogant,loudmouth,republican cheerleader!!
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