– by Councilman John Pietrunti
August. 26, 2021
This past week’s Neptune City Council meeting encapsulated both everything that is wrong about the political machine that has overseen Neptune City for decades, and the possibilities that can emerge from engagement and outreach within both the Council and residents.
The meeting started with a workshop over short-term rentals, which has been a simmering issue in recent times but has become more pronounced with COVID and the crackdown in adjacent Shore towns. It was mildly surprising that there are actually no ordinances in place dealing with short term rentals, despite the abundance of “summer” homes and rental properties. Under the decades-long one party government, there was never any thought of dealing with such an issue?
However, the workshop, where the council engaged with each other and the concerned residents, resulted in a consensus to continue the discussion, have a further Law & Ordinance meeting, and to hold another workshop for public discussion at the next meeting. It was a great example of the power of cooperation and discussion.
As the meeting then opened, the Mayor announced that he, along with two other councilpersons, had met with the owner of Five Kids Group (you may recall that this is the company that purchased the 3rd Avenue Two Guys property after the successful blocking of storage facilities, but did it with no real public knowledge) who pledged to provide lawn signs for purchase commemorating the 20th anniversary of 9/11, with all proceeds being donated to the town’s first responders. A resolution allowing such donations was also passed in the consent agenda.
While no one doubts the motives of trying to assist our town, and obviously to commemorate a national tragedy, one has to question why four of the seven members on the dais only learned about the resolution allowing such donations on the Friday prior to the meeting, and also only heard about the signs when it was announced to the public. Once again, this is typical of a regime that shares nothing and takes credit for everything. And where has it gotten us? Read on.
Buried in the consent resolutions (which are items not subject to discussion at the public meeting but voted on en masse, ostensibly to make the most efficient use of the council meeting) was a resolution appointing a conditional developer for the old Ice House property and adjoining land. As we have been told, this property has been laying bare for decades due to contamination (Brownfields? Other?) and the developer seeks to make the property useful once again. The town agreed to deed the land to the developer at no cost, with the promise that he will develop. The initial approval for this developer was granted in early 2021, and this resolution was basically to memorialize the appointment and start the process (which will now go to the Land Use Board for a timeline and further development). The principal owner and his attorney happened to be present at the meeting.
Councilmember Renee took the opportunity, given the presence of the developer, to request that this resolution be taken out of the consent agenda, so as to allow the entire council to ask questions (given that most of the interactions have been between the mayor and the principal owner). Interestingly, the developer’s attorney was the former corporate counsel of PRC, the property management company that manages many of the rental facilities in town AND employs the former mayor and current Monmouth County Commissioner Tom Arnone.
Even more interesting is a comment made by the developer’s attorney, who acknowledged the presence near the site of sewer plants, regarding which the attorney noted that whatever would be developed there needed to be a use that took into account the odor and the lack of desirability to build residences etc., so close to such a place that emitted such odors.
There may be a difference of opinions as to the transfer of the property to the developer, and as to what can be done, but make no mistake about it: Councilperson Renee’s action should be a crystal-clear sign that the Council won’t be sitting idly by while the developer jams through anything irresponsible through the Land Use Board, the Mayor’s comments about “we usually defer to the Land Use Board’s findings” notwithstanding. Those days are over.
Which then brought us to the continued TFH saga. The mayor, in contrast to his demeanor at the previous meeting, was much more defensive and unaccommodating. The facial expressions and scorn noted on at least one councilperson’s face was obvious and disconcerting. There were no answers given and no apologies for the lack of answers. It was revealed that the ordinance that the DEP has advised the residents the town has on its books and should be enforced is actually, as one resident said “broken” as it relies on an obsolete industry standard that apparently has no successor standard. Once again, the failure to be proactive and forward-looking, or even to maintain current standards in the laws. Is there a layman’s term for this? Even I don’t know what this means (I do, but not easily) promulgated, and the lack of interest in responding to changes to benefit the town and its residents, is open and obvious.
No one blames the current mayor for how we got here. However, the Mayor careens between appeasement, defense and disdain, and while he claims to be doing what is best for Neptune City focuses more on partisan tricks and games than bringing the town together. He typifies the leadership that has ruled this town for years- “we know better than you, and we know what you want, and don’t question us.”
The mayor announced he is meeting with a subcommittee of the DEP, and yet could not even make a firm commitment to asking questions about the Nylabone issue at the upcoming meeting.
The fact that Glenn Axelrod feels he doesn’t have to come from behind the curtain to deal with his neighbors, while preening about and telling everyone how great he is to his hometown, is frankly disgusting. But what’s more disconcerting is the disdain shown by some members of the Council towards its residents. This meeting, in a nutshell, demonstrated the failures of the decades-long political “machine,” such as it is, the disregarding of necessary improvements for all in favor of some gains of a few, to allow an ever-dwindling minority of people the opportunity to continue to play in their sandbox, and the lack of respect for people whose “agenda” is merely to try and make things better – these people are seen as naïve, fools or dupes.
But the meeting also provided a glimpse into what we are trying to achieve – a productive, cooperative and responsive Council that works for the betterment of the town. We cannot afford to go backwards in this election, and replace those who are trying to effect long-term change with rubber stamps.