Middle Acts Against Aggressive Begging

COURT HOUSE – Middle Township Committee honored Brian DeVico, Harry Wozunk III, and Patrick Vendetta Oct. 7 for their achievements at the New Jersey State Youth Training program in Sea Girt. With proud family members looking on Mayor Daniel Lockwood joked with the young men about his own time at military school.
Of the 37 resolutions a few were tabled until the next meeting.
Stan Donovan of Rio Grande was particularly interested in an amended salary resolution. The 34 employees listed received a 2 percent salary increase. Of those, 10 received more than 2 percent.
Donovan inquired why Tax Assessor LeeAnn Russ’ salary was raised by 10 percent from $62,033 to $68,236? He also wanted to know why she was given a $1,200 travel expense budget.
He recounted that when he asked her to “actually come out to see my house” before reassessing his property, Russ replied, “I don’t come out.” If the assessor “isn’t coming to visit houses where would she go to get travel pay?” he asked.
He also wanted to know why the 10 employees were getting significantly more than the other 29. Mayor Lockwood stated that some of the employees entitled to longevity pay are statutory. He also said that Russ attended training and certification programs which required her to travel and she had to provide proof of her travel to be reimbursed.
Ordinance 1456-13, the Aggressive Begging Ordinance, drew comments. It sets criteria for begging or seeking alms. Police Chief Christopher Leusner had asked for such an ordinance after receiving numerous complaints from residents.
Leusner said he was sensitive to First Amendment issues, and that this ordinance was directed at those persons who “aggressively” approach people or follow them around pestering them for money or putting them in fear. The ordinance also contains an exemption for “non-profit organizations seeking to solicit donations.”
Leusner promised to facilitate the Little Sisters of the Poor or Buddhist monks, for example, who come to him for the requisite written exemption. Velma Pombo was concerned about fining people who were “Begging for money. How can they pay the fine? Will they go to jail?”
Lockwood explained, with Leusner’s help, that they could go to jail. But Lockwood said, “The ultimate goal is that these people will go somewhere else.” He also noted that there is a “large homeless population living in the woods in Rio Grande and a smaller homeless population behind the Acme in Middle Township.”
Business Administrator Connie Mahon was given the task of “fixing the sewer ordinance.” It resulted in another ordinance. Before voting to move it to second reading and public hearing Nov. 18, the mayor spoke of some doubts he had especially about the treatment of commercial users.
Some of their bills under the new system tripled from what they were used to paying. Deputy Mayor Timothy Donohue stated under a previous administration there was not a true reflection of costs. He speculated that maybe it was “sloppy bookkeeping or poor enforcement.”
He stated that “the goal is uniform and fair enforcement.” He admitted that there would be residents with “sticker shock.” The township also signed an agreement to abide by the procedural rules of the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment Commission.
The issue of affordable housing was back. Betty McGurk of the Concerned Citizens of Middle Township had a lengthy conversation with Lockwood. It centered on the two affordable housing projects in the works. She stated that there were four New Jersey endangered species within the footprint of the building sites. She urged everyone to attend the Oct. 21 work session on affordable housing and to visit her group’s Facebook page.
The state-sponsored nine single family homes at the intersection of Fishing Creek and Stagecoach Road brought Dawn Robbins, a school teacher. Her concern was the increased burden on the school district.
The houses are being designed especially for people with disabilities. School districts are required to educate children based on what is best for the child and sometimes if the child has special needs then that requires a tailored education. That can be expensive.
“It (the expense) could kill our school district,” Robbins said. She voiced the concern that the cost could rise to $100,000 per child.
Residents Carol Gregg and Elsie Bucko from Rio Grande spoke of the deterioration of their neighborhood. They spoke of boarded-up houses, grass growing through the cement sidewalk and trailers parked on lawns. Both Donohue and Lockwood were familiar with both residents and the problems presented.
Lockwood asked them to make a list of the grievances and send them to Municipal Clerk Kim Krauss. He also said some of the problems were beyond the township’s authority to solve. “It’s America. We’re not the pretty police all the time.”
Francis Deerlove of Avalon Manor spoke against the dredging project he thought was headed his way. “We’re so opposed to this dredging project.”
Mahon and Lockwood assured Deerlove that the only dredging going forward would be Sterbeck Harbor.
Committee did not ratify the proposed contract with PBA Local 59, but it won high praise from the mayor who said it would be voted on very soon.