In the BCT story today 3/9/09 (story link), you will read that Mayor Mount (Atzert) claims, "even if the building ultimately ends up being owned by another company, it should not affect the agreement as long as the building serves the same purpose."
The BCT quoting Mount;"If the essential nature of the use remains the same, i.e., a warehouse operation, we expect that the PILOT agreement would remain in effect."
According to former township committee members, the agreement does not allow for any changes in ownership, and that the PILOT agreement is void if there is a change in ownership of the property. We will post a copy of the Burlington Coat Factory PILOT Agreement, signed by both the Township and the Coat Factory back in 2001, when we receive copy from the former committee members.
The change of ownership also may affect the $2 million building loan to Burlington Coat Factory made by Burlington County Dept. of Economic Development in 2000/2001 (the listed corporation for the EP property is/was a wholly owned corporation of the BCF) according to Mark Remsa, the Dept. Director.
The BCT story also states according to Administrator/Clerk Linda Dougherty, "that under the agreement, the Township Committee decides each year how much money is allocated from the Coat Factory's payments for municipal government, schools and fire districts."
As far as we know the Township Committee has only given money from the annual PILOT payments in 2003, to the school district. The Fire District has never received any money from the township PILOT agreement, according to a member of the Fire Commission. !!!! We have a correction!!!! The Fire District did receive a small payment in 2002 from the Township, but none since.
The BCT story has a problem with its story because the statements made by Township Officials for this BCT story is that the Township Officials provided no documentation for their positions and the BCT reporter didn't ask for the documentation to substantiate the official's statements to verify what he was told.
The problem for the Edgewater Park Taxpayer with this story, is that the Mayor Mount (Atzert) and Township Administrator/Clerk most likely checked with the Township Solicitor, before making any statements to the BCT reporter. Guess what? The township solicitor, William Kearns, was the attorney who represented the Coat Factory when the PILOT agreement was negotiated back in 2000/2001, according to former Township Committee Members. We think that the township needs to get legal advise from an experienced attorney who doesn't have this conflict.
To this Post 'best friend', who likes to cast doubt on what is posted here with his/her comments, this story represents the importance of Edgewater Park, NJ Happenings and post like it, to inform and get facts to the public, that unfortunately our local papers do not. The BCT and others do not check the information feed to them from our public officials, but only regurgitate it in the articles they publish.
More to follow,
The Edgewater Park Reporter
24 comments:
Wow-The Reporter is just telling it like it is. Our Elected and Public Officials really do not like you telling the truth. You are right about the crap stories they feed the BCT and the Beverly Bee and those papers never do any investigating to see if what they are being feed is true do they. It is like the story and correction the BCT had to do on the Green Acres Grant , the town lost and the BCT didn't check on the facts given to them by Ms. Dougherty. When it was brought to the attention of the BCT they published a correction. Wow what great reporting. Keep it Reporter because your stories and facts check out better than the information in the BCT.
Hehe..... I always knew Linda wore the pants when it came to who runs Edgewater Park. "Linda Daly" former committeeman indeed BCT.
Maybe you should get the actual contract from the Township through OPRA rather than the former committee people just to avoid claims that is was altered.
You go Reporter! WOW looks like you DO have the FACTS! Shame on those who try and discredit you.
Please keep up the good work in keeping us interested residents informed.
If the facts are as stated by the former committee person stated then the Twp. will BENEFIT from the sale of the property, RIGHT?
Than why is the present committee and the administrator distorting the information? HMMMMM
I think that the township already made a deal with the owners of the Coat Factory and changed the terms of the tax abatement deal to allow for a change of ownership. They probably did this during one of the closed sessions who's minutes never get released to the public. The Queens know something if they are making statements to the BCT.
Sorry
I have a question...Where are all the planning board and township committee agendas and minutes????? Most other townships have all this posted online as to have a PUBLIC record. It's not like it is something hard to do????? Or is it that the clerk/administrator can't handle both of her duties????? I think they should hire someone else and split the jobs...it's not like they are saving any money with one person doing both jobs anyway, they are just gettin less work done for the money....!
I agree with Sorry Said. You know the deal was already made. Too bad for EP residents. It just sickens me that the powers to be are still there.
The Queen does not care about the tax payer because she just got a big raise. To bad for the township employees who actualy do her work. Let them eat cake. The Queen needs to show she is the boss and calls the shots. Why some members of committee are not allowed to talk to her without permission.
That's two peas in a pod, Linda & Daly
Again reporter you are just to funny! But I am glad to see you can sum up the whole existence of your blog with this single earth shattering discovery!!! You know things like the committee decides how moneys get allocated.(weren't they elected by popular vote and like that's their job?) My goodness that's freaking amazing!! Sherlock Holmes better watch his back because the reporter is the super sleuth dick on the case!! Lets see what else did we learn here? Ummmm buildings go on sale and get sold without everyone knowing all about it.( How dare they!!) Uhhhhhh newspaper reporters don't always "ask for the documentation to substantiate the officials statements to verify what he was told" OH MY GOD imagine that!! Again earth shattering news comes to mind!! I mean I think you of all people would understand that!Oh yea and how our township clerk and mayor "most likely" have asked our solicitor for advice even though he has actually worked for other businesses before. WHAT NERVE!! I mean REALLY!! Asking a lawyer paid by our tax money to advise in a legal matter. I mean I just can't understand that kind of thinking!!!!!!!!!!!! Well there you have it. A few more examples that your good Buddy came up with of how all this means nothing, and you reporter are an idiot. If this represents the importance of the "happenings" I can only imagine what nonsense you'll come up with next!!!!!!!!!!!!!......................................................................................................................................
...................... .Bob, or apparently it's Joe besides all the usual "anonymous" this week....... by the way my guess on the postcard is just east of Van Sciver St. I do believe the seawall still juts out there for where the gazebo once stood. I don't expect you to post all of this but at least have the balls to post the first part to prove you can stand the criticism. But I guess we'll see. Your track record hasn't been so good lately
In response to Your Good Buddy,
what a jerk you are! Obviously not too educated and you must be a Democrat, maybe Dave Lavey????????
Or perhaps Judy Hall, Linda Dougherty??????
To Your Good Buddy,
You are right, the majority elected the members of our Township Committee. The majority also elected George Bush twice, Sen. Wayne Bryant, Newark Mayor Sharpe, Hudson Cnty Executive Robert Janiszewski, Hudson Freeholder Nidia Davila Colon and countless elected officials of Camden, Atlantic City and Newark so does that make those officials and their deeds ok? I think not.
I like hoe you gloss over the facts with your sarcastic comments. Must be the Reporter is cutting close to your bone with this story. I guess you would like to keep us uninformed so that you and your friends can continue to do your business as usual.
Does the Coat Factory deserve to not pay the same property tax that the rest of us do, when they are the ones who broke the agreement, according to the Reporter? You must not think so, and you also must think our township officials have no responsibility for enforcing the terms of the tax agreement, right? You also must be thrilled with the poor job of reporting done by the BCT right? You are such a fine example of a public official and citizen.
The more I read here, the more I know that my wife and I made the right decision in moving to NC. I read about the school test scores and stories in the MyBCT web site and can't believe how far our old town appears to have declined. Our friends who we talk to that still live in EP tell us they will also be moving, when the economy and real estate market turn around. Who can blame them.
I can't explain how much you people crack me up! Now I'm going to let in on a few things. Nope, NOT a democrat. Never have been, and probably never will be. (even though I hate to think you people are voting for the same people as I am) I am certainly not any of the people you have mentioned either. It's to bad that elected officials can be corrupt. I guess your just figuring that out? (I don't know, but it could be that you are that simple minded) Like it or not corruption exists. When they are caught they deserve the fullest penalty of the law. Sometimes that doesn't happen but it should. It should be a great deterrent to those who follow. But unfortunately (besides for example when Hilary was running) we can't always tell who will become corrupt until it's to late. If somehow YOU can E Franklin guy I wish you would let us all know so we don't make that mistake again. Geee, then you could say you actually did something to help! Now when it comes to the coat factory. That was a crappy deal from day one. We as taxpayers got screwed. BIG TIME!! But you know what? You people don't have a clue of what goes on when it comes to deals like that. (It involves money that most of you won't make in a lifetime!) Big corporations with their big time lawyers putting pressure on small government officials that lets face it, really aren't prepared to deal with these people because they really aren't politicians now are they? The developers know that. They plan on that! They make the deal sound so good when in fact it's far from it. I will leave alone what kind of perks they are offered outside of their elected jobs because I really don't know. But you still wonder why deals are made behind closed doors? You are so dim! No, I don't agree with what's going on but here's a suggestion for you whiners. GET INVOLVED!! GO to TWP meetings, ask questions, demand of our officials to answer them or they won't get your vote. Be relentless! (you know like me) Not just sit back and think you are always going to get accurate information here. Because you are not. As you can see it will already be to late if you do anyway. There is nothing in the reporters last post that any one of you couldn't have found out for yourself if you just got involved! Or you should just shut up!I might be a jerk but at least I'm not stupid. Oh yea, and how's the weather down south? At least it's warmer down there if that's what you like. Finally got some much needed rain I hear. Still things are changing down there too aren't they? Getting more like here as time goes on now isn't it? You can run but you can't hide from corrupt politics and higher taxes. Got to love the gun laws though. Say "hey" to Goober for me! Y'all don't come back now.......hear?
Is "Your Good Buddy 'and 'Your BFF' the same person. Why don't you do a poll to see what people think.
I think both are the same moron. I know that it is a shame to insult children, to call 'Your Good Buddy' & 'Your BFF' a moron, because most children show that they have more intelligence than that.
I see but you're not like most intelligent children and you called them, or him/her a moron anyway? HA HA HA I see who the moron is!
HEY! I thought you said you were going to regurgitate more on this "story"? Maybe you're busy checking your information before you do? What a switch!
oh my goodness i forgot EDGWATER REPORTER that was the most important one!
OFF OUR MEDS ARE WE????
YOU ARE SHOWING THE EFFECTS OF NOT TAKING THEM.
YOU MUST HAVE SOMETHING ELSE TO DO WITH YOUR LIFE THEN MAKING YOUR INFANTILE COMMENTS OR IS IT THAT YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!!!!
Oh wow your good buddy, morphed to bff and now Anonymous. Notice that none of the comments contain any facts to dispute what the EP Reporter has published. This seems so much like KH who got so upset with the story on the Library. Could your good buddy-bff-Anonymous be the same KH?
did someone piss someone off?
what a shame. maybe you should find something better to do yourself cause like I said before I'm kinda persistant. Oh and by the way I'm not disbuting any of your "facts". I'm just showing everyone how senseless they are. your doing a pretty good job on your own of proving your a bigoted idiot. By the way who the hell is KH???????????? You picked on the library too????????? You really are something!
Soooo,
paying high municipal tax increases because of bad oversite by our township officials, is a senseless fact. I guess you must be one of those rich people who doesn't care what you pay, as long as your buddies are benefitting.
???????!!!!!!! HA HA HA HA Jerk jerk jerk jerk .......
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