Report from Middle Township Work Session

COURT HOUSE – The work session of Middle Township Committee Jan. 22 focused on three issues. The first was whether to abolish the local Board of Ethics.
Ethics Board
“Abolish the local ethics board – not a good headline,” quipped Mayor Timothy Donohue before former Ethics Board member Jim McGill began testifying. McGill’s term ended in 2013 and the current board presently has four members, short of the normal six. The question McGill was asking committee to consider was whether to fill the seats or abolish the board.
McGill held the position that the township and the public would be better served if the Board were abolished. He listed the reasons as: 1) Board members frequently have conflicts of interest because this is a small town and everybody knows everybody else requiring members to recuss themselves. 2) Some cases require the hiring of a lawyer and an investigator, adding extra expense to the taxpayer. 3) The citizenry has an alternative, the State of New Jersey Department of Community Affairs – Local Finance Board has the authority to hear ethics violations. The committee said it would take the matter under advisement.
Enforcement Issues
The next discussion centered on the proposed ordinance to tighten regulations and enforcement for the condition of township properties. Sal DeSimone of Sal DeSimone Management, LLC rendered his expert opinion on the proposed legislation.
“Enforcement is the issue,” stated DeSimone, referencing the 72-square-mile township. He told committee that his biggest challenge is tracking owners of some of the townships distressed properties. Donohue asked how this particular ordinance “gives more teeth to our enforcement?”
“It’s the clarity of it,” said DeSimone, “it gives numbers. You have bite in this ordinance.”
Committeemember Daniel Lockwood emphasized concern for private property rights while at the same time expressing desire to see troubled houses and lots cleaned. The discussion that ensued was about the mechanics of how to best accomplish that.
What is a transient? What is an occupant? How high can grass grow before it is in violation of the law? Where can home owners store vehicles that are not in use but operable, such as boats, RVs, snow mobiles, campers, and construction vehicles?
There was the question of how to treat the growing trend of ‘Natural Habitat’ cultivation sweeping the nation , a part of the Green Movement. What is the difference between an intentionally created wildlife habitat and a messy landscape created by a neglectful home owner?
“I don’t want to complicate the ordinance beyond the problem,” said Lockwood. Donohue also expressed concern,” You own your property and you think are you telling me I can’t own a boat.” Committeeman Michael Clark, summed up what they were looking for,” We need guidelines.”
DeSimone said the code enforcement officer would have discretion and that the two most important elements in code enforcement were consistency and trust in the code officer. It was decided that home owners would be given a warning and time to correct the issue and finally if that did not work the fines would start at $250 and not exceed $1,000.
“Make friends with your neighbors,” advised Lockwood and a lot of these problems could be avoided.
Grassy Sand Sewers
Grassy Sound was next on the agenda. The long-awaited sewer project was up for discussion. Christopher Eaton, engineer from Remington, Vernick and Walberg, said committee needed to do an amendment to the sewer service area. Destination of the original plan was the facility in North Wildwood. But that has been changed to a not yet built pump house on Route 9 in Middle Township.
Donohue asked Eaton for an estimate of when the work would be completed. He wanted to get back to constituents with a time frame.
Eaton went through the list of agencies that had to give approval, “So it’s not happening this summer but maybe by next.”
Eaton committed only to saying that all permit applications had to be submitted by June 30,2014. “Typical bureaucratic boondoggle,” said Donohue.
To contact Helen McCaffrey, email hmccaffrey@cmcherald.com.