OLD BRIDGE TOWNSHIP COUNCIL
AGENDA MEETING
April 21, 2003
An Agenda meeting of the Township Council of the Township of Old Bridge was held on April 21, 2003 in the Birchwood Senior Building, 100 Mimi Road, Old Bridge. The meeting was called to order by President Butler who asked all present to participate in a salute to the flag which was followed by a short prayer.
Deputy Clerk Stella Ward announced that this meeting is being held in conformance with the open public meetings act, notice has been given to the newspaper and notice of the meeting has been posted in public places. The next meeting will be April 28, 2003 at 6:30 p.m.
Roll call at 7:30 p.m. by Deputy Clerk Stella Ward, showed the following members present: Councilmen Baker, Calogera, Greene, Maher, Redmond, Testino, Councilwoman Panos, President Butler. Councilman Hoff arrived late.
President Butler: I would like to start out by listening to the members of the public before we start the official meeting.
President Butler opens the meeting for public comments.
Joe Pagnotta: We need more parking and other improvements in ward six.
Councilwoman Panos: We are doing a lot of work in ward six, we just paved Hilliard, Piersoll and we are in the process of making improvements to Veterans Park.
Arlene Taylor, resident of Birchwood: We have a problem with motorcycles that the kids are riding, they are coming on to Birchwood property. They have destroyed the grounds and made insulting comments to the residents on the patio. I know that we have had the police here before and they cannot catch them. They are here mostly on the weekends. We know where they live but the police have to catch them on the property.
President Butler: Is there a certain time of day that this happens?
Ms. Taylor: It is usually on the weekends.
President Butler: We will see if there is something that we can do.
Ms. Taylor: I would also like to mention that the front of our property where you enter the parking lot is very messy. Can we have it cleaned?
Councilwoman Panos: I think that I included this in the "Adopt-a-Road" program.
Mayor Cannon: I think that this may be in the right-of-way. We are trying to get the County to do the litter pick up.
Seeing no hands President Butler closed the public portion.
President Butler: Before we get the meeting started, Jim Phillips just came in, Jim Phillips is the County Treasurer and he is also running for mayor of Old Bridge and I want you to get a look at him.
Councilman Testino: Rich Greene is also running for mayor.
Councilman Greene: I am also running for mayor.
Councilman Maher: I am running for council.
Councilman Greene: Dennis, I thought you were a councilman.
Councilman Maher: Mr. Greene, we all know that you are running for mayor. The responsibilities of a mayor are a little bit more then the responsibilities for a ward five councilman, so act like a mayor.
Councilman Greene: Shame on you Mr. Maher, I think that if Mr. Phillips was being announced as running for mayor, I don't think that there is a problem for me to stand up and say that I am also running for mayor. I thought that some of the comments from the people up here were very curt and unfair.
ORDINANCE FOR SECOND READING
ORD. #21-03 Amending fees for the Before & After School Program.
No discussion.
ORD. #22-03 Authorizing land swap between the Township of Old Bridge and OBMUA.
Councilman Redmond: This is the property that the MUA was going to put the water tower on.
Mr. Vincenti: The water tower is going on the property that we are swapping.
ORDINANCE FOR FIRST READING
FR-1 - O & Y Redevelopment Zone
No discussion.
DISCUSSION ORDINANCE
DO-1 Conservation Easement - Piotr Holowiak
Councilman Maher: Move it up.
CONSENT AGENDA
C-1 Bingo/Raffle - RA 53-03 & RA 54-03 Children With Blood Diseases.
No discussion.
DISCUSSION RESOLUTIONS
DR-1 Emergency Appropriation be and the same is hereby made for Snow Removal - Salaries and wages in the aggregate amount of $7,500.00 and other expenses in the amount of $50,000.00. (HS)
Councilwoman Panos: This is because we have had so much snow this year.
Councilman Redmond: This is money that is already spent.
DR-2 Emergency Appropriation in connection with Police Overtime in the amount of $770,000.00 (HS)
Councilman Redmond: This is also money already spent.
Ms. Shepler: Some of it has been but if you look at the attachments you will see that this is a forecast to take it to 26 pays.
Councilman Redmond: There was talk of negotiating some of the lieutenants stuff away. Did that ever take place?
Ms. Shepler: No.
DR-3 Award Contract #03-04 to Innovational Construction & Design, Inc., in the amount of $280,149.00 for the renovation of the Laurence Harbor Beachfront Recreational Center. (CERT. # ) (AFFIRM. ACT.) (TB)
No discussion.
DR-4 Award of Contract #03-01 to Pioneer General Contracting Company in the amount of $239,645.60 for Perrine Road & Cheesequake Road Resurfacing. (CERT. # ) (AFFIRM. ACT.) (JV)
No discussion.
DR-5 Change Order #1 Contract #02-23 Curb Replacement Pioneer General Contracting Company in the amount of $64,000.00 (Approx. 20%) (RD)
No discussion.
DR-6 Resolution for YMCA Site Selection.
Councilman Redmond: In your packet there is a letter from Mayor Vas and I also spoke to Don Perlee, the business administrator of Perth Amboy as to the status of this piece of property and I relayed the information to Tom Badcock and Bill Ruggierio. The situation, as it stands now, is that there is a watershed land review board that consists of the head of the BPU, the head of the DEP and the head of the DCA and they are meeting in June about this property and the other properties that are being transferred and they needed some sort of paper from us, saying what we were going with it in order for it to be part of this application. Tom was supposed to speak to the people in Trenton about this, he never got back to me and now he is on vacation.
Ms. Shepler: There should be a copy of a letter to Green Acres in your packet.
Councilman Redmond: I was able to do this with one or two phone calls, they returned my calls. This is where this stands now. Mayor Vas assures us that no one is trying to hold this up. Tom knows that this is good information and he knows the guy at watershed management (Henahan) is his name.
Councilman Greene: I am glad that all of a sudden now things are starting to pick up and that communications are now being returned from Perth Amboy. I do have a protocol concern on two cases. One is that resolution DR-6; that I asked for, was specific for Mannino Park, it wasn't for YMCA site selection. I want to say that I am very saddened that all of 16 resolution that are on the agenda have initials next to them and this one (DR6) that was asked for last week does not have my initials. I don't know where the error is but I would like the clerk's office to correct that for next week and to make sure that they correct the Internet site. I asked for two resolutions last week, the other resolution was to ask that Perth Amboy sit down with us and discuss the sale and if not, we would proceed with condemnation. I spoke to Mr. Butler at 4:00 on Thursday afternoon. When I got home that night, there was a memo that my request was arbitrarily taken off the agenda. I think that was unfair. I deserved a phone call stating the reason for the decision to remove my resolution from the agenda. I would like that item to be placed back on the agenda tonight. Mr. Redmond just gave us an update and I want this on the agenda so that next week in the public we can discuss this and the public will know where we are at. All I want is for the public to know where we stand with the transaction between Old Bridge and Perth Amboy. Let me remind you Mr. Redmond, that one year ago, you said that you would discuss the purchase and we heard nothing.
Mayor Cannon: This is the first time, after two years that we have heard anything regarding a watershed review. I find it hard to believe. I think that this is now happening because they wouldn't deal with it upfront and in a timely fashion, now it is becoming part of selling the development rights to the county. We were told at the time when the whole development rights question came up, that they had purposely separated out that piece so that we could deal directly with Perth Amboy. Now it seems like it is being lumped into the whole project. I would just hope that this is not another stall which is what I think we have been getting for over two years. I think that Bill has found a way to resolve this and go ahead with the contract by making it conditioned on the watershed review; which I am told by Tom Badcock is very routine.
Attorney Ruggierio: To me, this is a stall. The City of Perth Amboy has developed stalling to an art form. For a long time we attempted to negotiate in good faith to acquire this triangular piece of property and we weren't successful. At some point the council decided that they did not want to go forward with the condemnation proceedings. Perth Amboy, when they made their deal with the County of Middlesex for the sale of the development rights decided that they would sell us this triangular piece of property for about $17,000.00. I prepared a contract, which I sent to the City of Perth Amboy and they had the council adopt a resolution authorizing Mayor Vas to sign a contract; which he never did. We called and asked when he would sign and was told that it was in the lawyer's hand, we called the lawyer and were told that it was in the Mayor's hand. We got this run around for about four months. Mr. Redmond has been very helpful to me in being a line of communication with Perth Amboy, they do return his calls. Last week Mr. Redmond learned that they had learned for the first time that they would require this additional authorization; which I think is relatively simplistic. I say, lets put that condition or any other condition in an agreement, sign it and the only thing that will be preventing us from owning that property is this approval from the State of New Jersey. So far, they have refused to do this and they want to wait for the approval which they think will be in the middle of June. I am telling you that this is a stall. What will you do in June, when they have another excuse. Mr. Perlee asked why we won't trust them in good faith and I said take a look back and see that we have been trying to acquire this property for a very long time, there is at least an argument that can be made, that you are not treating us fairly.
Councilman Redmond: We all sat at a meeting, where it was apparent that Perth Amboy had no intention of selling us this property and the only way that we were going to get it was through condemnation. There was negotiations and pressure was put on Perth Amboy by the county to treat Old Bridge fairly. I got a hand shake from Joe Vas, where he said $16,500.00 was the price. I didn't call up the Democratic headquarters, I called Bill Ruggierio on my way home; only to get some other bad news that on the same day while I am up there trying to help the township, the township is stabbing me in the back. Some time in October Mr. Greene and some Freeholder candidates held a press conference saying that Perth Amboy shouldn't be able to give any of this land to anybody, that it is a disgrace, they look into it and find out that we do need some approvals from this watershed, they didn't think that this piece was a part of it and now they know it is. It is still a separate piece of property and one that is earmarked for the township. You are right, the problem is trust, no one wants to trust the other. Go ahead with the master plan.
President Butler: Is there a time frame?
Councilman Redmond: In June, this board only meets as needed.
Councilwoman Panos: I just want the public to know that we are taking about a small piece property on Route 516 (Mannino Park). We are looking to put a YMCA there. Perth Amboy owns this land in Old Bridge and the County gave them money, and now the county owns that, so I don't know why the county can't push this through. Why can't the county just give us the land?
President Butler: Because we need an intermediary and that is where Larry Redmond comes in.
Councilman Redmond: The county hasn't given anyone money yet.
Councilman Hoff: I have been asking Mr. Ruggierio if we can tax Perth Amboy because they are using and selling the water from Old Bridge. They are making money selling our water to a private enterprise, can we now tax them?
Attorney Ruggierio: No, you cannot. If you want to get tough with Perth Amboy, authorize condemnation.
Councilman Maher: There was a discussion at Monday night's council meeting to fast forward a YMCA site selection by the fifth ward councilman, who is also now a candidate for mayor. We have a letter from the mayor of Perth Amboy; who is a candidate for state assembly, where he is telling us that he is anxious to sell us the property, but there are some constraints. Shame on us if we didn't know that, shame on the mayor and her administration if we didn't know that there was a watershed. We have to follow the watershed criteria. There was also discussion last week about starting immediate condemnation proceedings against Perth Amboy. I want to remind the council that the last time that we started condemnation procedures on a certain piece of land, we were told that the land was worth $5,200,000.00 and now it is up to $18,000,000.00. Let's not fly off the handle with respect to condemnation. We have a Y task force and we are moving cautiously and deliberately, it is too premature with respect to the YMCA site. I myself like Mannino Park but it is too premature to chose. Last week we authorized $13,000.00 for an engineering firm to develop the master plan for Mannino Park. This will be a foot print of what will go at Mannino Park. The mayor has promised that Sayrewoods South little league will go there along with Pop Warner football a concession stand also recreational and all purpose fields will go there. Let's see what the master plan looks like and see if everything can fit at Mannino Park. When you purchase a house you get a plat plan - this is the same thing.
President Butler: I have enough information and I will be working with Perth Amboy between now and June. I will make a motion to table. There is not discussion on a table.
MOTION
to table discussion on the YMCA site selection resolution by President Butler, seconded by Councilman Maher and so ordered on the following roll call vote:
AYES: Councilmen Baker, Calogera, Hoff, Maher, Redmond, Testino, President Butler.
NAYS: Councilman Greene, Councilwoman Panos.
DR-7 Resolution authorizing contract with Thomas Norman, Esq., in the amount of $5,000.00 for representation of Old Bridge Planning Board vs. Hickory Woods Litigation. (CERT. # ) (AFFIRM. ACT.) (SR)
Moved up.
DR-8 Resolution authorizing contract with Thomas Norman Esq., in the amount of $5,000.00 for representation of Old Bridge Planning Board for Land Development Ordinance revisions. (CERT. # ) (AFFIRM. ACT.) (SR)
Moved up.
DR-9 Resolution authorizing contract with Thomas Norman, Esq., in the amount of $10,000.00 for representation of Old Bridge Planning Board vs. Toby Gardens (CERT. # ) (AFFIRM. ACT.) (SR)
Moved up.
DR-10 To accept resignation of Timothy Kozlak from the Recreation Advisory Committee.(RMS)
Councilman Testino: Can we advertise this on the new channel 14?
Deputy Clerk Ward: Yes.
DR-11 Designating New Jersey Transit Bus Stop at Mapleton Avenue & Route 527 - (Rescinding resolution #102 to be in compliance with specific language as required by the State DOT). (RMS)
Moved up.
DR-12 Resolution for authorization to reject all bids for Contract #03-03 - Bids exceeded Engineer's estimate for Lighting Upgrade for Old Bridge Library. (JV)
Moved up.
DR-13 Resolution supporting placing a public question on the ballot in November - Building Moratorium (ET)
Councilman Testino: I would like the legal department to give us proposed drafts of questions that we can look over. The idea would be to dovetail with the state intended law and I would like to have it on the ballot. If the state allows a one year moratorium we would be able to catch up with our planning and zoning process, we could get a new master plan. This will be a testing of the public and we will see if it can be residential only, or if there has to be a moratorium on everything. I would like to see this get on the ballot for November.
Mayor Cannon: I think that we need to have some type of explanation as to what this involves and right now we don't. We don't know if it is at approval or the building permit stage. I think that to be fair to the public we need more information. We need an explanatory statement.
Councilman Testino: I would like to see the deadlines from the clerk as to when we have to submit the question. I would like to move this resolution forward.
DR-14 Resolution encouraging legislative efforts to stop urban sprawl by giving more control to the Township with respect to housing developments and contributions from developers toward infrastructure outside a site. (ET)
Moved up.
DR-15 Resolution to accept funding from Middlesex County Office on Aging for Residential Maintenance/Safe House #SHTP-1305 Code 12-602. (HR)
Councilman Redmond: What does this entail?
Ms. Shepler: This is for residential maintenance - grab bars in showers, safety locks for windows and doors, improvements to private property under certain conditions.
DR-16 Resolution to accept funding from Middlesex County Office on Aging for Information and Assistance #NOAA-2310 Code 12-610. (HR)
Ms. Shepler: This is to fund a part-time position, we used to be able to fund transportation under this but they changed it this year. You can only fund information and assistance and that is the person who directs you to various agencies in the county.
DISCUSSION
D-1 Defeated separate Board of Education Proposals - (Meeting to be set for the Township Council and Board of Education on May 5th or May 12th (Deadline date for certification is May 19, 2002) (RMS)
Clerk Saracino: I spoke to Mr. Farrell today and he spoke to the County Superintendent and Dr. Okun, he won't have an answer until Wednesday on whether or not we need to go forward with this. I will give you a report at next weeks meeting.
Councilman Testino: The letter that we got from Middlesex County said that the general budget was defeated.
Clerk Saracino: We haven't received any official results from the county, but to my knowledge it hasn't been defeated.
D-2 Madison Park Little League - Repairs to recreational building. (DMM)
Councilman Maher: There is a municipal building there (Karnel Building) at the little league that is used for a meeting room for the leagues and cub scouts and girl scouts. This building is in dire need of repair. I would like a report on this next meeting.
Ms. Shepler: Mr. Fanner has been out there, there are repairs that are necessary. However, there is a room that is locked and it is my understanding that Madison Park Little League will not give them access to that room. In order to give a full report, we will need access to that room.
Councilman Maher: Speak to Joe Criscuolo, president of the league.
Councilwoman Panos: Didn't we put money aside for that building?
President Butler: No, that was the ward three recreation center. This is a trailer that the township gave to Madison Park Little League.
Councilman Maher: This was the old Karnel trailer and it is owned and fully insured by Old Bridge. They donated the trailer to Old Bridge and we relocated it to Madison Park.
D-3 To install sidewalks from Highpointe to the Town Center. (WB)
Councilman Baker: I would like a report at the next meeting on the cost of the first step in establishing sidewalks from Highpointe to Town Center.
D-4 Listing of all department heads and municipal employees who have the use of municipal vehicles after working hours. (Report for 4/28/03) DMM
Councilman Maher: Do we have a practice of allowing municipal employees to take municipal vehicles home?
Ms. Shepler: I have given a report to council on this several times. There are two individuals that have personal use of those vehicles; by contract. If you are including the police department - I couldn't tell you and would have to get a report from the chief.
Councilman Maher: I would like a listing of all employees who have the use of municipal vehicles after working hours.
Ms. Shepler: I will send a request to the police.
Councilman Maher: Are there any tax or insurance liabilities?
Ms. Shepler: No, this has been looked into at every budget cycle. Any vehicles that are taken home do not amount to any additional cost in insurance.
Councilman Maher: What about tax liabilities?
Ms. Shepler: That is the employees obligation to report to the IRS.
Councilman Maher: I would like to see something in writing.
Ms. Shepler: We have a personnel manual that has never been distributed because the police unions and the teamsters said they would not accept it.
MEETING OF APRIL 28, 2003
WORKSHOP - 6:30 P.M.
Codification
President Butler: Will the ordinance be ready on Monday?
Attorney Ruggierio: Yes.
MEETING OF APRIL 28, 2003
EXECUTIVE SESSION
Robert C. Brown, Esq. - Re: John Reinhardt - Insurance Premiums
President Butler: This meeting will be at 7:30 pm.
PRESENTATION
CDBG Annual Action Plan FY 2003 (Michael Ruffley & Linda Wills, Plan Consultant)
No discussion.
HEARINGS
H-1 Release/Reduction Performance Guarantee Forest Gardens Condominiums - Route 34.
No discussion.
H-2 Release/Reduction Performance Guarantee Lowe's Development.
Councilman Redmond: What is the status report of the acceleration lane at Home Depot?
Mr. Vincenti: It is done.
Councilman Redmond: So what is there now, is what is acceptable?
Mr. Vincenti: That is all that DOT would approve.
REPORTS
R-1 Feasibility of Advance Tax Sale
President Butler: Gene Farrell will be here on Monday to discuss this.
Council Comments
Councilman Hoff: There is continual flooding in the Morgan Beach area and the water is now coming very close to the heating ducts on people's properties. I know that we are waiting on the weather to replace this sluice gate but is there a way that we can pump the water into a sewer or catch basin before? We need relief earlier then we are getting. Also, has there been any progress in obtaining the right of ways in Knollcroft in Cliffwood Beach?
Attorney Ruggierio: We are waiting for T&M to give us maps so that the appraiser can review them.
Mr. Vincenti: I just received the maps today.
Councilman Hoff: Please light a fire under the appraiser and get this done.
Councilman Testino: I would ask that the clerk contact the city of Perth Amboy and get a copy of the ordinance that the Mayor Vas refers to in his letter. I would like to see what they've done officially. I think that we should start working on our watershed management approvals in Mannino Park. I would like T&M to verify that it is not in the watershed area.
Councilwoman Panos: Every weekend I get calls about the Breakfast Club, is there anyway that we could temporarily have some of those streets around there as residential parking only? The residents are having a very hard time finding parking if they are out late on Friday or Saturday.
Mayor Cannon: We can check into it. I think that there has to be a survey done by the police department and it has to be done by ordinance.
Attorney Ruggierio: I suggest that we get reports from the police and whoever else is getting the complaints from the residents, so that we have a list. We have to give them due process. The other thing that I would suggest is that we schedule a hearing in advance of the renewal date and ask them to come in to confront these allegations so as to give them some level of due process. If we find that there is a problem, we are responsible as the official governmental body to set a record that we have given them essential fairness. I know that it is hard to feel fair when you have a lot of residents calling you.
Councilman Testino: Can we have the attorney prepare the notice?
Councilwoman Panos: Are there any other owners of this establishment?
Attorney Ruggierio: They changed their application from an individual application of Mr. Van Leewen to a corporate application where they essentially bought the stock in the other corporation. I think that one of the things that may ask for is the closing documents for that transaction, so that we can see who owns the financing.
Councilwoman Panos: I would like to see that.
Mayor Cannon: There is a letter saying that they are going to do valet parking and provide the neighbors with a direct contact, so they don't have to bother the police department.
Councilwoman Panos: Last week I asked the clerk how many signatures were needed to get a referendum on the ballot and also what the due date was.
Attorney Ruggierio: I believe that the signatures have to be in sixty to ninety days before the general election.
Councilwoman Panos: I would like a date and how many signatures are needed.
Attorney Ruggierio: I will get you a memo on this.
Councilman Calogera: Thank you for having us here tonight.
Councilman Greene: Now that the nice weather is here we need to clean the litter on Route 516, Marlboro Road and Texas Road. I know that this is not under the township's control, but we do try and work with the county. I would ask that we focus on those roads. I also want to apologize if I was out of order earlier, but as a councilman I will be outspoken on the issues and I will not let anyone dissuade me from my convictions.
Councilman Maher: I would like to thank the residents for coming to the meeting tonight and allowing us to conduct the meeting here. I would like to hear more from the residents now.
President Butler: I thank Birchwood for inviting us back this year and I thank the residents for bringing your concerns to our attention.
Councilman Redmond: I would like to ask for some kind of correspondence from the police on a plan for the motorcycles on the back of this property.
Ms. Shepler: You should have in your files a memo from the Chief. The police have been very active up here and it is very difficult to catch them. I will send another memo and ask them to concentrate on the weekends.
Councilman Redmond: I would like to thank Toni Donato who makes it possible for us to conduct the meeting here.
Councilman Baker: I am the councilman from ward two and if there is a problem in ward two you can get a hold of me through the clerk's office.
Mayor Cannon: I would like to thank you for inviting us here, we take a lot pride in this building. We are very happy that you are happy here.
President Butler opened the meeting to the public.
Male Resident: Is there anything that you can do to make sure that our mail is delivered earlier in the day?
President Butler: We have nothing to do with the postal system. We could put you in touch with the postmaster.
Male Resident: We have done that.
Councilman Testino: I would ask that the clerk send a letter to the postmaster to get a response.
President Butler: You can contact your congressional representative, they are involved in the federal aspect.
Councilman Baker: You can also have your check directly deposited.
Male Resident: The public should be able to know what some of these items are that you are talking about.
President Butler: During regular meetings all the back up on the resolutions and ordinances are posted on the back wall of the courtroom for public inspection.
Male Resident: I want to bring up the resolution that was tabled about the YMCA site selection. My question is why should we trust Perth Amboy about this parcel of land when it has been going on for about 2 years, and now they want to stall. I trust that Mr. Ruggierio has spoken to Perth Amboy, the attorney states it is with the Mayor and the Mayor says it is with the attorney, it appears that this is a stall. We recently paid $13,000.00 for the master plan, does this include this block of land? I don't know Mayor Vas and I am not saying that he has anything up his sleeve, but I am saying maybe they want to stall for whatever reason and I think the Council and Administration should get in touch with them and sign an agreement with any kind of stipulation they want about this review board. It is the matter at hand and it is not about the YMCA in Mannino Park. In my opinion this is just a stall.
Councilman Redmond: That is what I just said. The problem is a problem of trust.
Male Resident: I understand that if we had just got in touch with them and they want to stall till June. But to me, let's get it writing.
Councilman Redmond: We have a letter from the Mayor and we have a resolution that was sent to us one time from their Council that told us what they were doing and where it stands and we are waiting for this thing in June.
Jim Phillips: There has been a lot said tonight about the 1.6 acres, about the YMCA and the condemnation and I would like to speak on all three. Rocky Donatelli told me a story about a guy whose son had been married five times and divorced and he wanted to get married again and his dad said don't do it, you're not good at it. No one is good at condemnation, no municipality in Middlesex County has been able to condemn and come away clean. Atkin Farm in Piscataway is about four times what the condemnation price is. Your condemnation price on Cedar Ridge is about four times what you thought it was going to be. I happen to be there when Larry Redmond shook the hand of Joe Vas and agreed to sell 1.6 acres for exactly the amount Bill Ruggierio asked for, that was then. What happened and you can believe it or not, Rich Greene and some others back in October asked whether all that Runyon land fell under watershed protection and on April 15 2003, a man came down from the State and reviewed Runyon and took jurisdiction and said this land falls under the watershed management and that is the bad news. The good news is if you are going to be using it for recreational purposes or conservation purpose, we will have no trouble approving this. So let the man do his job he knows Tom Badcock and has explained it to him. You are going to get the same review when the County gets its review, why would you want to go and condemn something when a price has already been agreed to and all it is, is a matter of changing title. Give it time.
Councilman Greene: The press conference that was held had nothing to do with whether or not it was watershed, it had to do with buying open space property with $11 million dollars.
Mr. Phillips: Rich, I did not interrupt you.
President Butler: Let him finish and you can respond.
Mr. Phillips: The heart of it was whether the land fell under waste water protection. We talked about the 1.6 acres, we talked about Runyon, and we talked about a YMCA, be very careful with this YMCA and where you put it. Be very careful about putting a YMCA on green acres property, which this property automatically becomes the day you take a dollar of green acres money. Whether you list it as green acres property or not once you take money from green acres for Lambertson or Rose, it falls in your inventory.
Mayor Cannon: What I am trying to tell you is that Mannino Park was never purchased with any dollars, it was foreclosures.
Mr. Phillips: You may not have purchased it with dollars, but when you take green acres dollars even for land not Mannino Park, but other land it automatically becomes part of your inventory. Check this out with Mike Henahan of green acres.
Attorney Ruggierio: That is not true.
Mr. Phillips: He writes the regulations. Those are the things I wanted to speak about tonight. It is a pleasure to see government at work.
Councilman Greene: Jim, where would you like to see the YMCA located?
Mr. Phillips: Richie, do you want to debate this someplace?
Councilman Greene: I am just asking a question?
Jim Phillips: I would like it to be sited anywhere it happens. I have worked too hard too long while others wanted other things, now the YMCA has become a cause celeb, and there are people who abandoned the idea, it was I and my wife and others who signed petitions to reactivate it. It was Janet, the head of the recreation committee who brought this point forward for the YMCA. Now people want to jump on this for political purpose, that is not the way it should be. We should be here for the kids and the community, not because you want to score a few points in the 5th Ward.
Councilman Greene: Would you like it sited at Phillips Preserve?
Jim Phillips: There is no site at Phillips Preserve. Phillips Preserve was bought with green acres dollars and will not allow that type of structure, that is why I ask you to be cautious with what you do with Mannino Park.
Councilwoman Panos: We were all at this press conference that you talked about, and I don't know how he interpreted or misinterpreted, but what this press conference was about was that Middlesex County is giving Perth Amboy $11,000,000.00 to buy this piece of property and we are saying why are you giving Perth Amboy this money? The County didn't do their study, they are just giving them $11,000,000.00 to build up their town. We are saying that it is wetlands, why are you spending $11,000,000.00. In fact Mr. Phillips you said there was enough water there to sink a boat.
Mr. Phillips: There is at Mannino Park.
Councilwoman Panos: Our county tax dollars gave Perth Amboy $11,000,000.00 for a swamp. We just want that little piece of property.
Mr. Phillips: We are purchasing property from Perth Amboy for $10,000.00 an acre - we are buying 1100 acres for $11,000,000.00. Old Bridge is spending $18,000,000.00 for 200 acres.
MOTION
to adjourn at 8:45 p.m. by Councilman Maher, seconded by President Butler and so ordered on an all aye vote.
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Reginald Butler, Council President
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Rose-Marie Saracino, Township Clerk
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