Middle Addresses Recreation Concerns; Police Capt. Retires

COURT HOUSE – Middle Township Committee’s Oct. 3 meeting quickly moved through its published agenda highlighted by an official proclamation of appreciation for retiring Middle Township Police Capt. John Edwards. 
With over 20 years in the department, Edwards rose to the rank of captain and was second in the command structure of the department under Police Chief Christopher Leusner.  Edwards joined the department in 1994.
Leusner praised Edwards for his leadership and commitment to the department as he also recounted coming through the ranks with Edwards throughout his career with the department.
Thanking those who had turned out to witness the presentation of the proclamation, Edwards said that the smooth working relationship between the department and the township’s governing body made progress on policing issues easier.
“The committee was always very supportive,” Edwards said.
Recreation Department
When the agenda turned to the public comment period controversy emerged with respect to a letter published in the Sept. 28 edition of the Herald by Eileen Durham of Court House. The letter was critical of the Recreation Department and the state of the department’s facilities. Throughout the letter, there was also an explicit criticism of the leadership of Mayor Michael Clark, the committee member to whom the Recreation Department reports.
With the election one month away, some questioned the political motivation involved in the published piece. At one point, Deputy Mayor Jeffrey DeVico asked Committee member Timothy Donohue, “Did you just write the letter and give it to her to sign?”
That comment elicited calls of politics from some in the assembled public.
The discussion of the letter and its assertions of decline in the recreation program also brought out a group of veterans to defend Recreation Supervisor Robert Matthews, himself a veteran with multiple combat tours. Their support was for a fellow veteran and did not speak to the issues or assertions about the department’s performance.
Donohue, the only Republican on committee, was explicitly critical of Matthews for initially responding to Durham’s assertions with “no comment.”
Matthews said he believed that township employees could not respond to a letter that was politically based.
Matthews has since responded to each of the concerns raised in the letter in a way that demonstrates his belief that the Recreation Department is making strong progress. His comments at the meeting made clear his belief that the assertions in the letter were unfounded and not reflective of the progress the department has and continues to make.
Matthews says that the fields are at their best appearance in years and he disputes claims of disorganization and mismanagement. Matthews, Clark, and DeVico all acknowledged that it is increasingly challenging to run the programs with declining parent involvement.  They said the programs need more parent volunteers to be staffed properly.
Donohue’s comments clearly indicated his belief that the assertions in the letter had merit. In a communication after the meeting, Donohue indicated that a resident had supplied pictures that confirm a number of the assertions. In that communication, Donohue also said that “every claim made in that letter has validity.”
DeVico indicated that issues in the letter regarding conditions of playing fields, trash removal or fencing problems were ones he was looking into as the Committee member in charge of Public Works.
The undercurrent to the discussion was the criticism of Clark’s leadership. Clark is being challenged for his seat on Council by Daniel Lockwood. Donohue is Lockwood’s campaign manager.
Other Business
Beau Weisman of Court House asked the township to consider providing information to homeowners concerning the distance of various areas of the township from either the bay or the ocean.
Weisman said that he had been paying more on his home insurance for years until he realized that his insurance policy was based on the erroneous assumption that he was 3.5 miles from the bay instead of the 5 miles that his home actually is from that body of water. Noting that difference and getting it changed in his policy saved him $250 a year in premiums.
Weisman suggested that the township find a way to provide information on the distance from the major bodies of water for sections of the township as a guide for residents who could use it to review their policies.
Weisman also was critical of the township’s procedure of sending the wrong kind of notices to taxpayers who have just missed a deadline for paying taxes.
According to Weisman, even when the taxes have been paid along with any penalty, a tax sale notice goes out to the once delinquent taxpayer. The property is then listed in a newspaper ad for tax lien sales.
Weisman does not dispute the need to collect the taxes and even the need for strong measures with seriously delinquent property owners. His concern appears to be with many of the elderly residents who may miss the tax deadline and who respond immediately to a first notice.
He urged the township to stop a process that frightens and unnerves them even after they have made payment.
To contact Vince Conti, email vconti@cmcherald.com.