Lembrich running for TC supported by Profeta and Huemer.
It is my understanding that Maplewood is eligible for this grant also................if only someone would take the time
to fill out the forms necessary. Green is a wonderful thing...........but you have to give it more than lip service.
http://southorange.org/notices.asp?guid=add435cc
Confused: You asked my views and I am providing them. It would be nice if Fred were to reply to my answer to his question. We will see if he does so.
I see platitudes as well ..however the one area that stands out in my mind is what Greg's position on the total economic developments in the town (as JC states ). What is it?
Greg's idea of improving the the way the BOE works with the town is vital..I do not believe that the two bodies have ever worked together , but are rather in parallel universes ..each thinking that they know the answers to all issues...look at the building in SO and it's impact the schools ....very little is done to work together between the towns and the BOE...not much cooperation has ever existed there ...and Senior issues ..Greg makes no mention of the many issues that are not addressed for our Senior population.
In advance of any public notification to this point I note here and invite readers to this event .Maplewood Senior Share is sponsoring a forum of the primary candidates on May 16 at 9:30 at Les Saisons , 304 Elmwood Ave. The Forum will bring to light the economic, educational , recreational and SENIOR issues. Positions of each will be addressed with opportunities for questions at the end .
Hopefully, this will be one of a few scheduled sessions that will help determine the best candidates ...some truths about each candidates position will be heard ....like" is the PO a tax benefit " that's the position taken by Mr.Ryan ....how will the total economic issues be addressed? What factors come to mind for the Boyden Ave development Let's hope that we can hear answers that are helpful in choosing the most constructive candidate for the election in June and then in the Fall .
Join us for an honest conversation and exchange.
Options to repurpose and reuse the current building (including renovations and cosmetic improvements) were never considered, but it’s not too late - EM/oh no/VK rehash.
A large-scale modern condominium development will detract from the charm and character of Maplewood Village; it will not fit in with the surrounding environment and will block sunlight on Maplewood Avenue - as above, particularly the sunlight angle. Nothing new here.
Maplewood needs more space for recreational and educational opportunities, but the current proposal does nothing to address that shortage - And his proposal is...? An indoor skating rink? The retread fencing academy thing? Raze it and slap a field in the middle of town? What?
When the PILOT and other financial incentives for the developer are considered, Maplewood will sell the property for less than $600,000 and the tax benefits to the town will be insignificant; developers should not need that level of incentives for this prime location - No initial six-figure sum, with six-figures in annual tax revenues thereafter, is "insignificant". This smacks of elitism at worst or ignorance at best.
The retail space in the proposed new structure will exacerbate the already challenging parking situation in Maplewood Village to the detriment of other local businesses - So Kings would have been a bad idea too, I suppose. Drove into town today and parked in two minutes. "Challenging" is either in the eye of the beholder or of the lazy.
The current proposal uses the same architect as the Station House (on the former police department site across from Memorial Park), which is disappointing and does not complement its surroundings - Again with the false comparisons. Did the TC not speak already to lessons learned? Someone needs to pay more attention, clearly.
Innovation: explore shared services with nearby communities to provide tax relief without decreasing services (for example, combining fire departments with South Orange) - that's not innovation, it's local fiscal history. Little late to the game on that one.
Transparency: make it easier for citizens to understand how their tax dollars are being spent so that the community can provide meaningful feedback and offer valuable new ideas to local government - CBAC anyone? He sounds like Torpey. The budget isn't that hard to read and comprehend. Seriously, it's just not.
Accountability: maximize fiscal discipline to minimize the need for tax increases - LOVE this. Details schmetails. I'll await what ought to be cut and whether he has the political cojones to say so prior to June.
Adaptability: adjust to changing priorities rather than feeling constrained by how things have been done in the past - um... wha?
Responsiveness: be open to ideas from the community about how resources can be better spent - Um, sure.
BRING GREATER TRANSPARENCY AND ACCESSIBILITY TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Establish a Standing Committee for Youth and Public Engagement (“SCYPE”) to bring more citizens, especially young people, into the local government process to “expand the circle” and leverage the diverse viewpoints of the community - Quaint little nice-to-have there. Fine.
Launch a series of informational campaigns to demystify how the Township works, including clear materials explaining the tax, revaluation, and budget processes, so that citizens can better understand how local government is structured and funded - Here comes Torpey again. Maybe it IS harder than it seems to me?
Increase the town’s use of social media to improve communication with community members, promote awareness of issues and events, solicit input and ideas regarding decisions being made by the Township, and involve more citizens in the local government process - Oh boy. Hi Alex!
Leverage Twitter, Facebook, and/or Skype during Township Committee meetings to allow parents and other citizens that cannot regularly attend meetings in person to participate more actively in Maplewood’s civic life - So, Alex, how are things in SO? Working well there for you? Good to hear it.
Arrange town hall meetings and other informal events so that citizens can meet members of the Township Committee, get information, and express their views and ideas - maybe try showing up in town or on SA? Wait...
Hold virtual “office hours” to encourage online dialogue between Maplewood’s leaders and concerned residents - Um, ok.
CHAMPION SUSTAINABILITY
Renew Maplewood’s proud tradition of environmental leadership - Renew? What the hell have the Green Team been doing all this time?
Require higher levels of LEED certification for significant new construction projects (minimum of Silver, with incentives for Gold or Platinum) - Incentives without PILOTS, you mean? Or some other tax break? What, exactly? All ears.
Prohibit demolition of buildings without considering feasibility of adaptive reuse - Thanks, EM/oh no/VK.
Renew commitment to Environmental Action Plan - Sure.
Facilitate and encourage opportunities for solar power (public and private) - Thought there was a program? What happened to it? Whose funding a new one?
Organize community-wide cleanups of public spaces by residents - Fine by me. May want to get with the Rec and Rahway River folks first.
Obtain the highest possible level of Sustainable Jersey certification - Go for it.
Address chemical runoff from the golf course to the Rahway River - How, exactly? Presumably he's spoken with the MCC folks already, yes? If not, I'll be sure to mention it next time I'm over for a drink.
Payments in lieu of taxes (PILOTs) allow developers to receive tax breaks to incentivize new development - Why, yes. Yes they do.
PILOTS allow developers to avoid paying their property’s fair share of school taxes, which means that other taxpayers must make up this shortfall - How alarming! Can he address the Rutgers study and current PILOTed enrollments? Does he have a comparison showing land tax revenues vs enrollment illustrating a shortfall? Or is that statement just meant to be blindly disingenuous on its face?
Tax abatements should only be used for crucial redevelopment projects that would not be possible “but for” the tax relief; they should not be common practice in Maplewood - he must have a different definition of "common" than the rest of us. Maybe he should be talking with SO.
IMPROVE COORDINATION BETWEEN TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE AND BOARD OF EDUCATION
Restore regular meetings between representatives from the Township Committee, South Orange Board of Trustees, Board of Education, and the Superintendent to strengthen communication and be more proactive in decision-making - When did these meetings cease? Proactive to what aim?
Renew commitment to DARE program in our schools - My kids have had great experiences this year, and the MPD loves this role. What renewal, exactly?
No, I have no time right now Joan. Have to run an event for Greg. You just talk among yourselves for awhile. I'l be back after you do the "platitude analysis" and identify the "issues not addressed" on Jerry's and Nancy's websites. After all, a comparative analysis is the only fair analysis.
Fred-- Ask strawberry to start a Jerry thread as he did this one, and I'll be happy to comment on Jerry and Nancy's platform there too. In the interim-- well, I did go for it as you asked, and took all of about two minutes to cut through Greg's bullets. Hard to get too detailed when there's little detail to break down, but I tried.
You might want to ask the same sorts of things of Jerry too ctrzaska. Or should I? Your model is easy to follow. I'll just use it.
To my knowledge the building will not be a condominium construction but simply a pay by the month rental like every other
unit in the Village.
My objection is really quite simple ...........it is just too darn big.
My tennis balls will black out the sun.
fredprofeta said:
You might want to ask the same sorts of things of Jerry too ctrzaska. Or should I? Your model is easy to follow. I'll just use it.
I didn't find most of his bullets altogether too cryptic, at least nowhere as much as Lembrich's, but then again I'm familiar with many of the historical accomplishments he's looking to build upon. However, you're welcome to "go for it". (Insert grinning emoticon here.)
Fred: Greg's candidacy is the subject of this thread not Jerry's candidacy or Nancy's. You invited me to read and comment on Greg's website which is what I did. I found the platform on that website (which is quoted in full up thread) to be too skimpy to merit analysis. Apparently, others agree with me.
Joan crystal...........icdart has temporarily lost her internet connection . The meeting though is being held at 9;30 in the morning.
Maplewood Senior Share............open to the public on May 16th at Les Saisons thanks to the generosity of our own
Art Christianson. The event will begin at 9;30 AM. Meet the Candidates.
As well as Greg and Fred, Dave also has the same number of letters.
Come and unravel the plot.
Seriously , which is a rarity with me and politics. The last time a primary was heavily contested was in 2006. 32 votes
determined the winner.
To quote the Wonder Pets..........."This is Serious"
icdart said:
Greg's idea of improving the the way the BOE works with the town is vital..I do not believe that the two bodies have ever worked together , but are rather in parallel universes ..each thinking that they know the answers to all issues...look at the building in SO and it's impact the schools ....very little is done to work together between the towns and the BOE...not much cooperation has ever existed there ...and Senior issues ..Greg makes no mention of the many issues that are not addressed for our Senior population.
I
The Late Mayor Grasmere whenever he was asked about the schools would say that the BOE ran the schools and that the schools were not the business of TC.
The Board of Education is an elected body with the legal responsibility for education in M-SO. Perhaps Grasmere was right.
He was. The BOE prepares a budget and asks for funding in line with their needs, not in line with what's available but within set guidelines and caps. The towns give it to them and set tax rates accordingly. I'm not sure what else I'm missing amidst all this hollow noise about PILOTs and increased communication.
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Fred: I have read the issues section of the website you linked above. I don't see anything there other than buzz words and platitudes and there are so many issues that aren't even addressed. I would appreciate seeing something concrete on the issues he has addressed (all of which are being addressed by the present TC by the way). He does mention getting youth involved in planning for recreation activities but I thought we were already doing this, at least we have in the past. What is his position on economic development beyond the post office site? What specific suggestions does he have for shared services beyond what is presently being done? Assuming he aware of the close working relationship the town already has with the school district, what else would he propose doing? What would he propose specifically to control the rate of increase in real property taxes, if he would eliminate services, what services would he drop? Given our space limitations, what specific increases in recreation services does he propose and at what cost both financially and to other special interests who would like to see our limited space/resources used differently? Then there are the issues he does not address at all including but not limited to the exodus of our seniors/empty nesters, continuation of the first aid squad, decline in park maintenance capability, need for a more sustainable approach to animal control, lack of adequate code enforcement, crime prevention, attraction of more volunteers through a wider range of activities than serving on town committees, enhanced communication between the town and those of our residents who don't have regular computer access, etc.