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