Edgewater Park Township Committee to give more business tax abatements

Breaking News

This picture is blurred to hide the identity of the pigs

The BCT posted a story today 8/29/08 that the Edgewater Park Township Committee will vote on an ordinance that would provide an incentive to businesses owners to locate in the township, or to improve and expand existing business.


This ordinance will be voted on for adoption next Tuesday, Sept. 2nd during the Committee Meeting.





The Mayor said that "We were trying to figure out why it hadn't been extended to the business". She was speaking about tax abatements. I guess Mayor Hall forgot about the give away tax abatement given to the Burlington Coat Factory by fellow committee members Tom Pullion and Jim Daly.





Most of the township's zoned commercial areas, already exist in the redevelopment zones that allows for tax abatements.





Administrator Dougherty said that "We are looking to stir economic development we feel that this is a mechanism to hopefully attract business to our community, Willingboro is doing a great job over there attracting business. We wanted to do the same over here."





The Mayor, Committee and Administrator had a chance to partake in the redevelopment help that was provided by the Burlington County Economic Development Office and Burlington County Freeholder Board, that benefited Willingboro's Rt. 130 successful redevelopment efforts. Instead back in 2004 Edgewater hired their own consultaint who was paid $30,000 (1 cent on the tax rate) to attract businesses to Edgewater Park. He produced nothing except another give away residental multifamily project that fell apart, thank god.





I like how this proposed abatement ordinance was placed on the township web site for the public to see and how the final vote will take place the evening after a holiday and the first day of school .





If approved by committee it will take place Sept. 8, 2008. I bet the vote to approve will be 5 to 0 by committee.





Do we trust this township committee with Tom Pullion and Jim Daly, who voted for the Burlington Coat Factory Abatement giveaway deal, Mayor Hall who defended the Coat Factory Deal as a great benifit for Edgewater Park and Donna (Atzert) Mount who's brother Darren Atzert was a member of committee that approved the Coat Factory deal, to look out for us taxpayers on future deals? I don't think so. Look for a deal shortly on the old Drive Inn/Kings property that will benifit from this abatement ordinance.





See you at the developer's feeding trough (Edgewater Park Committee) Tuesday, Sept. 2nd. 7PM.





The Edgewater Park Reporter

EP Reporter Responds to Comments on Beverly Free Library Post

I would like to respond to some of the comments directed toward the

Edgewater Park Reporter to the Beverly Free Library Post of last week.

Kenton Haaf made a statement in his 8/22 comments that said, "Thinking
further this EP reporter person doesn¹t seem to have a name either? Although
he or she might mean well. It seems more likely to just be another trouble
maker. As he quotes on his home page from the sign on Cooper street
"anonymos words have no meaning or merit." Should we believe anything you
say without a real name? Got any suggestions to make things better or are
you just spreading poop whoever you are?"

Well Kenton, your first assumption that the Reporter is one person is not
correct. One person does moderate the comments published on this blog.

If you remember you history of the founding of our country, many of our
founding fathers published their thoughts under anonymous or pen names to
hide their identity out of fear of retribution. Well this is the reason the EP Reporter
do not use our names in this blog.

The present Edgewater Park elected officials and Administrator have shown
that they will use any means, to punish any resident for publicly
criticizing the decisions and actions made by them. 

An example of this is when the Township Committee and the Township Clerk, allowed a letter (published on this blog) to be distributed at a township meeting this spring
(included in the public handout packet) that had many unsubstantiated statements made about several people who have publicly commented, suggested ideas or criticized decisions made by the Township Committe at township meetings and this letter was signed with a fictitious name. 

You would not believe to what extent they have gone, to try and identify the Edgewater
Park Reporter.

The Reporter does have a suggestion for how to make things better; VOTE THE
CURRENT MEMBERS OF THE EDGEWATER PARK TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE OUT OF OFFICE, STARTING WITH TOM PULLION, WHO IS RUNNING FOR RE-ELECTION THIS YEAR. The EP Reporter has also suggested that The TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE, ALSO GET CONTROL OF THE TOWNSHIP ADMINISTRATOR AND STOP ALLOWING HER TO LEAD THEM AROUND BY THEIR NOSES.

Now lets address the EP Reporter's reason for publishing the Beverly Free
Library Story. 

As you must know the Beverly Free Library is supported with
tax dollars from Edgewater Park ($2,500.00, 2007) along with the amount
contributed by the Burlington County Library, which is also supported by a
County Library Tax, paid by the Edgewater Park property owners. This financial
support gives the EP Reporter the right and the responsibility to question
any decision made by the Beverly Free Library Board!

When you are appointed to any public board that accepts taxpayer dollars,
you have the responsibility to be very careful when making decisions for
that organization. You especially need to see that you are not favoring one
political group over another with your decisions. To do so only invites
controversy, criticism and bad publicity.

The EP Reporter doesn't for one minute think that the decision to rent the
Old Well Pharmacy to contribute to the Beverly Free Library's financial
support, but the EP Reporter does question how the Library Board allowed themselves and the
library to be placed in the embarrassing position of trying to explain why
they are renting the Old Pharmacy to a political party and not collecting
rent. 

Instead the Board is allowing the political party, to pay the
utilities, to clean and to paint, instead of cash. Now if the building was
not rented, then what utilities needed to be paid except for some security
lighting? Because the building will only be used for the political season,
you wouldn't need to heat it, so how is this a smart deal for the Library?

The EP Reporter would have had no problem with the Library Bd renting out
the building with a formal arms length lease with the proceeds going to the
operating expenses for the Library. Because the Library is supported with
tax dollars, any leases and business transactions should be open for the
public to see.

Now you may argue that because the Old Wells Pharmacy is owned by the
Beverly Free Library, Inc. and not the Beverly Free Library, is exempted
from public scrutiny, but the EP Reporter disagrees. Because the Reporter
has not been able to find out whom the owners of the Beverly Free Library,
Inc are (waiting for the State of NJ), the EP Reporter is assuming that the
owners of Beverly Free Library, Inc, is the Beverly Free Library Board of
Directors because of the Boards involvement in leasing the Pharmacy. I doubt
that they would do that if they were not the owners.

Another reason for the EP Reporter and the taxpayers to know about the terms
of the lease, is the City of Beverly gave the Beverly Free Library a
Mortgage in the amount of $17,402.00 on 4/12/2005, under the City of
Beverly/Mt. Laurel Regional Contribution Agreement Rental Housing
Rehabilitation Agreement. This money is to be used to rehab the apartment
that is above the old pharmacy. A copy of this mortgage can be found in Deed
Book No. 5586, Page 214 in the Burlington County Clerk¹s Office.
Now the EP Reporter finds it interesting that the Mortgage is made out to
the Beverly Free Library, but the owner of the property 433 Cooper St. Deed
is Beverly Free Library, Inc. This deed can be found at the Burlington
County Clerk¹s Office in Book 5586, Pages 214, 215 and 216, recorded
4/17/98. Perhaps an attorney can comment on the difference between the name
differences and if it has any bearing on ownership.

To address your comment, that your parents are good people and only want to
do good for Beverly the EP Reporter agrees 1000%, but that doesn't mean that
your dad is not to be criticized for being involved with the bad decision by
the Library Board. When you agree to take a position of responsibility on a
public board you must except that many times you will be criticized for your
decisions. If you can't accept that, then you have no business taking the
position.

The Beverly Free Library is an institution that is far too important to both
Edgewater Park and Beverly. We need to see that any decisions made by the
Library Board are in the best interest of the Library and the residents for
whom it serves. Keep all business open to the public and make sure that
party politics do not cloud the Library and its reputation.

The Edgewater Park Reporter

I am adding the links that I commented on today 8/27/08

Founding Fathers were bloggers by John Hood

 Thomas Paine's July 4th by J. Craig Green

Fw: Library Board Runs Amok

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Name removed

Sent: Monday, August 18, 2008 9:43:12 AM
Subject: Library Board Runs Amok

***ATTENTION CITIZENS***

YOUR TAX DOLLARS ARE BEING SPENT

ILLEGALLY BY THE BEVERLY LIBRARY

 

 

The taxpayer supported Beverly Free Library Board is now engaged in partisan politics.  Despite holding a 501c3 tax status which prohibits any political activity, the board led by John Haaf have given the Beverly City Democrats free rent of a building next door to the library which the library acquired as a FREE GIFT!!!

 

Now, people, understand that if you pay real estate taxes in Beverly City, Edgewater Park, or any other community in Burlington County, part of your real estate taxes go to SUPPORTING THE LIBRARY.  Any competent tax attorney will tell you that a 501c3 organization cannot engage in political activity or they lose the status.  AND STATE LAW prohibits any taxpayer money going to political parties.  If you are a tenant, your RENT helps the landlord pay the library tax so it's really you paying for political purposes.

 

Haaf said that they didn't give the space away.  They bartered it for free cleanup of the space.  Barter is OK unless the beneficiary is a political organization.  Moreover, in a barter deal, the value received must equal or exceed fair market rent.  It took the Democrats less than a day to clean out the building.  Even if the effort was worth $1,000, that is nowhere close to fair market rent which Realtors tell us would be at least $600 a month on a long term lease and more for 3 months.  So even if the beneficiary were a private enterprise selling, for example, Halloween costumes, the deal would be illegal anyway!!!!!!!

 

I got a phone call from Haaf last night.  The Library Board was informed by ME of the illegality of the giving of the space to the Democrats.  I, Publius, informed  him that I would file a complaint with the Attorney General of New Jersey and seek revocation of the Library's 501c3 status with the IRS which would preclude it from receiving one more cent of our hard earned dollars.  The phone call announced that there would be a PUBLIC MEETING OF THE BOARD AT 7:30PM TONIGHT, AUG.18 AT 7:30 TO DISCUSS THE MATTER.

 

BE THERE IF YOU ARE AS OUTRAGED AS MANY OF US ARE.

 

One more thing you folks in Edgewater, Delanco, and Beverly need to be informed about.  Until July, all three communities contributed money to the Beverly Bee.  In the new budgets only Beverly is still subsidizing the Bee.

 

Now this might seem not to be a problem.  BUT YOU DON'T HAVE ALL THE FACTS!

 

1.  The registered address of the Bee is Riverbank, Beverly.  Now for those who cannot drive along Riverbank since it is a 'private' street, let me tell you about Riverbank.  It is the site of several mansions all with direct access to the River.

 

2.  The address of the Bee is also the address of Haaf.

 

3.  Much of the text in the Bee is provided by the township clerks, members of township committee, etc.

 

4.  Haaf and his wife Bev are among, if not THE, richest residents of Beverly!

 

5.  SUPPORT OF THE BEE IS PROVIDING WELFARE TO THE WEALTHY!

 

Publius

 

 

Former Edgewater Park Township Employee Comments

I received the following email message last week, but felt that the post on Spc Steven Buck by Chuck Ryder was more important to post. 

The Township Committee will be presenting a proclamation to Steven at tonight's Township Meeting. The BCT has a nice story and photo in today's edition, Section B, page 1  . To bad they didn't send a reporter and photographer to the actual homecoming. It would have shown Edgewater Park Residents showing their appreciation for Steven's service to his country, but better late than never. 

If you are aware of any returning service personal, please contact the Yellow Ribbon Club with the soldier's name and address so that they can contact the family to see if they want a community welcome.

The following message, just supports the other comments posted on this and other blogs on how our town is being managed and governed.

I am investigating information about the repaving project being done on South and North Author Drive. One of the items has to do with the quality of the work and the lack of oversite by the township engineer on the contractor. One comment I was told about was one of the subcontractor's telling a resident to stop complaining about the workmenship, that "this was freaken Edgewater Park not freaken Moorestown"!

The Edgewater Park Reporter 

----- Forwarded Message ----
Name Removed by The Edgewater Park Reporter
To: edgewaterparkreporter@yahoo.com
Sent: Saturday, July 26, 2008 6:37:53 PM
Subject: none

Dear Reporter,

       I used to work for the Twp.  Linda Dougherty always talked about getting rid of the Sewer Authority.  People are under the impression that Council has a vote but Linda is their puppeteer.  She pulls the strings on  everything.  I was forced out of my position and that is ok because I hated seeing the things going on in there. 

Anonymous

Edgewater Park to lose another good resident

I received this message Sunday and have removed the senders name from the address bar

The Edgewater Park Reporter

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: J.B.
To: "edgewaterparkreporter@yahoo.com" <edgewaterparkreporter@yahoo.com>
Sent: Sunday, July 27, 2008 10:08:01 PM
Subject: 

Just wanted to comment on your site for Edgewater Park. Being a resident here for almost ten years myself, my husband born and raised here. We are a 1 income household. It is tough in this day and age to do it but we have done it with struggles and sacrifices so I can be a stay at home Mom and raise my own children. But due to the economy these days and the price of our taxes we can not  and will not be residents of this town for too much longer or state. We will be heading south where my husband can make more money than what he is making here in this state and have a bigger home with less taxes than what we pay here in this town. Not to mention the school district here has much to be desired. Doing some research I found that our school rates a 4 on a national level  as opposed to where we will be moving is an 8. Well on that note, I only wish I had stumbled across your site sooner.

Welcome Home Spc Steven Buck, Edgewater Park thanks you for you service

Saturday, July 26th 2008 Spc Steven Buck, Army, 37th Calvary returned home from a 15 month tour in Iraq. Steven is 20 years old and graduated from Burlington City High School where he attended ROTC for 4 years.

Steven was welcomed by his parents at the Trenton Rail Station and escorted to Edgewater Park by the Warriors Watch Riders and the NJ State Police. Yellow ribbons were hung along Stevens return route along Woodlane Rd and E. Franklin Ave to his home. The Beverly, Burlington City Fire Companies formed a welcome arch with their ladder trucks at the intersection of Monroe and E. Franklin Ave., with our nations flag donated by the Willingboro Fire Company hung from the arch. 

Steven's escort turning onto E. Franklin Ave. from Woodlane Rd.

Steven rode on the back of one of the Warriors Watch Riders motorcycle from the Trenton Train Station to Edgewater Park.

Members of the Warriors Watch Riders Motorcycle Club. 

This group also protects Servicemen and Women's families, from the Wacko Church Group that goes to the Serviceman's  funerals to shout obnoxious statements at the families.   

Steven with his Mom, Robin Arnold

Steven thanking the members of Beverly, Burlington City and Willingboro Fire Companies.

Steven receiving a "Proclamation of Thanks", from Burlington County Freeholder Stacy Jorden on behalf of the Residents of Burlington County and the Burlington County Board of Chosen Freeholders

Beverly American Legion Post Commander Ed Gitto welcoming Steven with a gift of a free one year American Legion membership  

As you can see by Steven's expression, he was speechless with the greeting he received from everyone.

This is a group picture of the Yellow Ribbon Club Members, were responsible for this outpouring of welcoming support for Steven. This Club performs this function for any returning serviceman and servicewoman, at the request of the family. They can be contacted at their Web Site www.yellowribbonclub.org. Please visit their Web Site and help them with their effort to see that every returning Service person receives a grand welcome home, and a show of appreciation for their service to our country.

We thank the members of the Yellow Ribbon Club for this service.  

Edgewater Park, you did a splendid job with Steven's welcome as well as the Beverly, Burlington City, Willingboro Fire Companies and all of the family, friends and neighbors who worked hard to see his welcome was splendid and that Steven knew we appreciated his service and to give our thanks. 

Chuck Ryder

Thank you Chuck for this wonderful story and pictures. I also will add a link for the Yellow Ribbon Club Web page. 

I would like to add that the show of support for this welcome was overwhelming from the Residents and friends, I was very disappointed that our local press did not bother to report on this welcome. I think they should be ashamed for their lack of coverage. If this was a negative story about a member of our armed forces I have no doubt it would have been a page 1 story.

Welcome home Spc Steven Buck and thank you for your service to our country.

The Edgewater Park Reporter

Edgewater Park Sewerage Authority Menage-a-Trois

My My we have quite a story written in the July Beverly Bee by the Sewer Authority Chairmen, Dave LeVay.

Chairman Dave states that the Sewerage Authority has relocated its office from the Municipal Building to the shopping center at the corner of Cooper and Green St. across from "The Farm". 

Chairman Dave gives the new expanded business hours of 9 AM till 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday and the reason for this was to provide better service to the residents and businesses.

Chairman Dave states this move was done because the township decided not to renew the Authorities lease that was due to expire at the end of the year. 

Chairman Dave has misinformed the readers on this point. The township committee and mayor sent the Authority an eviction notice, and a copy of that notice was published on this blog, giving the Authority till August 30, 2008 to vacate. The following is a link to a copy of that and other letters concerning the eviction- http://www.lpenj.org/OGTF/EPSA.pdf.

Chairman Dave goes on to explain the personal changes that have taken place with the Sewer Authority. As a resident and sewer tax payer, I found it interesting that Chairman Dave doesn't explain why it took three people, a Menage-a-Trois, to replace two employees. 

Chairman Dave goes to great lengths to explain how all of the additional expenses for moving, new employees, additional hours for payroll, additional cost for the employee benefits, additional utility cost, additional rent, additional legal cost and potential new equipment, are not going to affect the current sewerage rates. 

Chairman Dave is right on this point, because what he didn't tell you is that the rates have been set for this year (2008), and it is next year that the rates will see the affects of all this new spending. 

Chairman Dave also explains that the move was

 provided for by surplus funds in the budget. What Chairman Dave didn't tell you was that the Auditor stated in his verbal comments, made while presenting his 2007 audit report to the Authority Members at the Authorities  2008 budget meeting, that the Authority lost money during the 2007 operating year, and based on the expected increases in operating expenses for 2008, the Authority should consider increasing the sewer tax to offset those increased cost. The Auditor's comments were made prior to the unplanned additional cost associated with the move, additional employees and legal cost Chairman Dave spoke about in his article. 

Chairman Dave and the Authority are about to do to the Edgewater Park sewer tax payers, what the Township Committee did to the Edgewater Park taxpayers over the past 4 years. Chairman Dave and the Authority, will deplete the surplus for day to day expenses and then increase the sewer taxes next year to cover the additional operating expenses for this year.

Did you also see were Chairman Dave and the Authority also want the Sewer Authority Rate Payers to also pay to expand sewers to areas of Edgewater Park that do not have sewer now? This is a great deal for Developers, so now they can build residential high density housing on land that was supposed to be preserved for farmland or open space, and who now will not need to pay for that expenses, and we the Sewer Tax Payers get to pick up the tab. 

Remember Chairman Dave was also Chairman of the Planning Board that gave 50% reductions in buffer zones between the Commercial Development on Rt 130 and the residential housing in Orchard Estates. What a great Sewer Chairman and Lap-Dog for Mayor Judy and Committee. 

I can't wait for the August Edition of the Bee.

The Edgewater Park Reporter