Pine Barrens Tribune January 11 - January 17, 2025

MAYOR TELLS ACTING B.A.

‘New Beginning’ Celebrated in Pemberton as Republicans Take Control of Town Council for First Time Since 2002 Law and Engineering Firms Replaced and Ward Chosen as Council President; Officials Vow to Bring About Balance, Transparency and Communication

By D ouglas D. M elegari

Writer

New, Provisional Pemberton Township Business Administrator Clashes with Mayor at Reorganization Meeting with Top Police Brass Seen Bringing the Two to Back Room; Administrator Emerges, Takes Seat in Front Row, Before Declaring He Was Just ‘Fired’ and Threatening, in View of State Senator, to Bring Lawsuit ‘Personally’ Against Mayor Wild Scene That Overshadowed GOP Taking Full Control of Council Was Brought About by Visit to Sewer Plant, Overnight Police Ride-Along, and Fire/EMS Queries, Sources Allege

By D ouglas D. M elegari

Staff Writer

PEMBERTON—Richard “Rich” E. Wright, Jr., a more than 25-year public servant who Pemberton

Township

GOP Mayor Jack Tompkins reportedly hired provisionally for 90 days back in December as township business administrator, and who Tompkins had recommended Pemberton Township

Council employ permanently back on Dec. 18, but for whom he did not receive council support, immediately following

PEMBERTON—Republicans in Pemberton Township celebrated Jan. 1 a “new beginning” for the municipality with the transition of Pemberton Township Council from Democratic control to Republican control, and absolute GOP control at that, marking the first time since 2002 that the GOP held a Republican majority on town council. At least they tried to anyway, despite a public spat between Republican Mayor Jack Tompkins and Provisional Business Administrator Richard “Rich” E. Wright, Jr., that led to his alleged “firing” during the session and a threat of litigation (see separate story), in addition to apparent inner-party bickering that was on display over the mayor’s purported decision to not reappoint longtime Planning Board Member Rick Brown, who has been an advocate for preserving the Pinelands, along the lines of the campaign platform of the newly sworn-in GOP slate (see separate story).

Democrats have made major inroads in Burlington County since 2018, turning all

Staff

The News Leader of the Pines ♦ January 11 - January 17, 2025

Photo By Tom Valentino

Proposed Resolution and Ordinance, Critical to Moving Forward Project to Build 5 Warehouses in Birmingham, Both Fail to Pass Condition of Project Approval by Planning Board Was That Developer Get ʻDeveloper’s Agreementʼ, Easement from Pemberton Twp. Council

By D ouglas D. M elegari Staff Writer

PEMBERTON—Following a bombardment of public comments that lasted nearly three hours, Pemberton Township Council on Dec. 18, just before party control of the governing body switched from Democratic to Republican, did not take any action to grant a developer’s agreement or requested easement to a warehouse developer that would have reportedly allowed that developer to move forward with a plan to build five proposed warehouses on Birmingham Road in the municipality.

Both the agreement and easement were conditions of Planning Board approval for the project, officials said, and as was explained to this newspaper prior to the meeting, a proposed driveway for the project that would intersect with Birmingham Road requires the granting of the easement.

The developer now might have an uphill battle in moving forward with the project, considering the incoming Republican council appears dead set against it.

Arising from a closed session of council back on Dec. 4 was an introduced, draft ordinance that would have granted the easement to Pemberton-2, LLC, said developer of the tract, which this newspaper previously reported is affiliated with DD1 Development, the developer of the controversial, more than 500,000 square-foot warehouse for Seldat Distribution, Inc., at the intersection of Birmingham and South Pemberton roads.

There was some apparent belief amongst the public that the three outgoing Democratic members of council, Paul Detrick (then-council president), Donovan Gardner and Elisabeth McCartney might be more sympathetic to the developer given their past desires to bring in ratables, and their prior votes that supported the Seldat warehouse and mechanisms that set the stage for the latest project.

This newspaper, in fact, received a copy of a text message sent by Gardner to an unknown number of friends and fellow Democrats, turned over by a source, encouraging citizens to attend the Dec. 18 council meeting, with the outgoing councilman writing, in part, “your support for this project will help generate revenue for our township budget.”

The three Democratic council members’ terms expired Dec. 31 and this was their last major decision to be had.

As was evident during the Dec. 18 council session, some feared the easement would get rammed through prior to Republicans taking over the council on Jan. 1.

The proposed ordinance “Authorizing the Acquisition of Deed of Easement for Right-of-Way Access and Construction Upon Property Designated as Block 797, Lot 1, on the Township of Pemberton Tax Map” briefly references the history of the proposed five warehouses project, including noting that “the Planning Board granted Pemberton-2 LLC’s application

for Preliminary and Final Major Site Plan and Subdivision Approval by Resolution 20-2023, adopted on Dec. 7, 2023, subject to certain conditions.”

The proposed ordinance also states that “as a condition of approval, the Planning Board required Pemberton-2, LLC, to obtain a right-of-way easement through the property and dedicate the easement to the township, because allowing traffic to pass through the easement would make ingress and egress into the site safer and divert traffic away from residential homes.”

According to the text message sent by Gardner, “it is important to note that the easement will be on the property of the warehouse, not on the property of the residents.”

Further explaining the background of the proposed ordinance (and a corresponding draft resolution, titled, “Approves Developer’s Agreement with Pemberton-2, LLC for Property Identified as Block 797, Lots 1, 2.01, 2.04, 3.01 and 3.02) was outgoing veteran solicitor Andrew “Andy” Bayer.

“So, (with respect to) the easement at issue … the developer submitted a variance-free application to the Planning Board,” Bayer maintained. “The Planning Board, as the council president noted, approved it. But the Planning Board professional, that being the planner to the Planning Board, on the record, suggested and recommended a safer ingress and egress, which was the granting of this easement. … So, our planner, the Planning Board planner, recommended the easement. And the developer agreed and said, if that is what the board wants, we’ll try to go get it.”

But there were several main points of contention, regarding the project as a whole, on full display, leading to public opposition, one being that Daniel Dadoun, the registered agent on record for Pemberton-2, LLC, according to available tax records, and who is also listed on a website as owner and promoter of DD1 Development, in addition to being the

Pemberton Twp. Mayor Facing Criticism from His Own Party for ‘Rumored’ Refusal to Reappoint Planning Board Member GOP Councilmen Say Brown’s Alleged Loss is ‘Absolute Disservice,’ While One Campaigner Suggests Mayor is Now on His Own ‘Island’

By D ouglas D. M elegari Staff Writer

PEMBERTON—GOP Pemberton

Township Mayor Jack Tompkins is facing renewed public criticisms from members of his own party, this time over a “rumored,” alleged refusal, as of press time, to reappoint a longtime member of the Pemberton Township Planning Board whose thoughts and votes of the past two years have pretty much mirrored the pro-environment, antiwarehouse and responsible development platform of the now-five Republican members of township council.

Tompkins is purportedly, as of press time, so far refusing to reappoint Rick Brown to the Planning Board, whose term expired Dec. 31.

While the mayor has not made any public comments about the matter or offered any sort of confirmation that he will not be reappointing Brown, it is known that Brown had questioned administration heavily during some Planning Board sessions of the past year, including asking if there were various approvals for things happening around town that had been at the center of controversy. The mayor was sometimes quick to push back.

and was reportedly instrumental in stopping some development projects that the administration wanted to see move ahead.

A high-ranking official, who wished to remain anonymous for this story given they were not authorized to discuss the matter, told this newspaper that Tompkins allegedly became incensed with a suggestion by Brown during a recent Planning Board session that the developer of the future Pemberton Commons, which will replace the Browns Mills Shopping Center, install bicycle racks and that it was the final straw.

Local Deborah Skipper, owner of the Pine View Terrace community in the Browns Mills section of Pemberton, campaigned this fall for Republicans Matthew Bianchini, Perry Doyle, Jr., and Harry J. Harper.

So, attendees of a Dec. 18 council session immediately took note of Skipper ripping into Tompkins that evening, starting out by declaring, “I want to make you all aware of what the mayor is doing to our township.” She prefaced her remarks by noting that “Jack ran on the ticket of stopping the warehouses, and also reckless development in our township, saving our farmlands and

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(Continued from Page 1)

a public scene between the pair during council’s Jan. 1 reorganization meeting, declared he was “fired” by the mayor during the session in a back conference room.

Wright, however, disputed in later “public” comments that the elected official has such authority enabling him to do so, and is now threatening to bring a lawsuit against the mayor.

The public incident that roiled what was supposed to be an otherwise ceremonious occasion for the Republican party, as it has now gained absolute control of council in one of the few Burlington County towns that have been a pick up for them since 2018, occurred amid allegations about Tompkins’ workplace behavior that has been the subject of several lawsuits and other actions, and has led to calls for his resignation from public office.

It also followed what has become a revolving door of sorts for the business administrator post amid the turmoil –longtime Pemberton business administrator Daniel Hornickel left for an opportunity in Medford Township at the end of August 2024, at which point Tompkins attempted to have council retain Jerome Barberio for the role. But Barberio’s nomination did not muster enough council support amid the surfacing of published reports about controversy that surrounded Barberio in his previous jobs.

Council instead decided to utilize the services of Jersey Professional Management (JPM) to temporarily fill

the role, and Paula Cozzarelli, employed by the firm, was with the township for a little less than two months, before taking a position reportedly “closer to home.”

That left behind the vacancy that Tompkins tried to fill with Wright, the latter whose LinkedIn profile page lists him as a 7-year employee of JPM, having just been promoted at the beginning of December to vice president of the firm.

However, Wright, amid the purported provisional appointment to the Pemberton position, has now posted that he has since taken a “career break” from JPM.

Sources told the Pine Barrens Tribune newspaper that Tompkins and “assistant to the business administrator” Michelle Brown, had extended an offer of provisional employment to Wright on Dec. 11, prior to the Dec. 18 council session, and that Wright began working in the post prior to the council meeting, unbeknownst to at least some members of council.

Sources maintained that there had been a purported gentlemen’s agreement that any hire for the business administrator post was supposed to involve the consultation of at least two members of council.

Sources, however, contend that members of council were caught off guard by a pronouncement that Wright authored on his LinkedIn page, two days prior to the Dec. 18 council session that, “On Monday (Dec. 16), I joined the Pemberton Township Management Team with a 90-day provisional appointment as township business administrator by Mayor Tompkins.” Wright had even changed the cover photo of his LinkedIn page to depict a “Welcome to Pemberton Township”

Chili & Chat Winter Luncheon

sign and boasted about his “first staff meeting this afternoon” that left him “very impressed with the team.”

The speed at which Wright was employed, particularly given how the circumstances surrounding Barberio had raised questions about the township’s ability to conduct thorough vetting, troubled members of council, according to sources, leading to the events of Dec. 18 in which council publicly questioned Wright and ultimately chose not to immediately move forward with his permanent hiring.

Wright delivered Dec. 18 what was viewed as a “speech” to encourage council to give him the spot, but according to sources, it caused at least one councilmember to instead believe Wright would need a “ladder to get him out of the hole he just dug.”

Tompkins, however, appeared exacerbated Dec. 18 by the council’s decision to not immediately move forward with Wright’s hiring, having pushed hard for him to be the permanent choice.

But on Jan. 1, it was the beginning of a new year, and the mayor appeared to have a new take on things.

As two videos depict, as well as what was witnessed by a Pine Barrens Tribune photojournalist, when the reorganization meeting commenced at 5 p.m., Tompkins was sitting at the dais without Wright by his side. The chair next to the mayor was empty.

Then, as the clock struck 5:17 p.m., with three new members of the Pemberton council having already been sworn in (see separate story) and public comment underway, Wright, dressed in a shirt and tie, was observed to have entered

council chambers and took a seat next to Tompkins at the administration desk (Wright later told the public he was feeling sick and that was the reason for his arriving late to the meeting).

Tompkins, who had been focused on a public commenter, all while rocking back and forth in his chair, turned to face Wright directly, all as the business administrator had put his briefcase on the desk.

In one video of the encounter filmed by resident Alex Costa and later provided to this newspaper, Tompkins is heard telling Wright, repeatedly, “You need to leave! You need to leave!” all while firmly pointing his finger at Wright.

Wright then is observed signaling for Tompkins to be quiet by putting his finger near his lip, and then lowers his hand to urge the mayor to calm down. But Tompkins appears to become furious with Wright’s refusal to leave, pointing his finger again in signaling for Wright to leave.

Wright is then observed to have put his hand out in seeking a handshake from the mayor, but the mayor simply stares ahead, before glancing at the back of the room, in apparently awaiting a police response. Members of council and the public are then seen beginning to take notice of the dispute, as well as GOP 8th District State Senator Latham Tiver, standing at a conference room doorway, which is situated between the administration and council. As captured on video, Jason Luis, Pemberton Township Police’s second in See LEAVE/ Page 5

Two Years of Dissension in Evesham’s

Municipal Government

End

with Reappointment of Law Firm Whose Ouster Ignited It

Malamut Law Is Brought Back as Legal Counsel Following Departures of 3 Council Members Who Voted to Replace It Over Mayor’s Objection

By Bill B onvie Staff Writer

EVESHAM—A two-year political upheaval that split the ranks of the allDemocratic government of Evesham Township, Burlington County’s largest municipality, leading to the departure of three of its members, came full circle at a Jan. 3 reorganization meeting when a reformulated Township Council quietly and unceremoniously hired back the legal firm whose termination had resulted in the rift. In a unanimous vote taken with no comment, the five members of the council, which included a newly sworn-in deputy mayor, Dr. Krystal Hunter, and two other newly elected members, Cherokee High School teacher and former school board member Joseph Fisicaro, Jr. and former Fire Commissioner Christian Smith, restored Malamut Law of Cherry Hill Township to its former position of overseeing Evesham’s legal affairs.

In so doing, the current council officially dispensed with the services of Mount Laurel-based Parker McCay, which was hired on the basis of a 3-2 vote during a somewhat acrimonious reorganization

meeting two years ago at which thenDeputy Mayor Eddie Freeman III was joined by then-Councilwomen GinaMarie Espinoza and Patricia Hansen in overriding Mayor Jacqueline “Jackie” Veasy’s and Councilwoman Heather Cooper’s firmly expressed wishes to retain Malamut.

As an apparent result, despite their status as incumbents, Freeman, an attorney, and Espinoza, who was voted deputy mayor by the council in 2024, were subsequently kept off the ballot by the Evesham Democratic Committee in last year’s primary election with Fisicaro and Smith chosen to run in their stead. That was followed by Hansen, who still had more than a year remaining in her term, opting to resign from her council seat in August, Hunter then being named as her replacement and subsequently elected to a full term in November along with the two other Democratic newcomers, all three successfully fending off a threat from Republicans to regain some of the political power they had previously held in the township.

According to Township Public Information Officer Zane Clark, responding to a question from the Pine Barrens Tribune, Malamut attorney Rob

Wright will resume the responsibilities he had prior to the firm’s ouster, which have been attended to for the last couple years by Parker McCay attorney Chris Orlando. While the latter‘s performance was never the subject of any seeming dissatisfaction, both Veasy and Cooper made no secret of their unhappiness with the vote to switch to his law firm, which was promoted by Freeman at the time as having better qualifications for the job.

In a matter unrelated to the political breach that ensued in Evesham, the head of Parker McCay, Philip A. Norcross, has since been indicted by the state attorney general’s office on racketeering charges, as was his brother, political power broker George E. Norcross, III (both of whom have petitioned for the dismissal of those allegations). Both men are siblings of First District Rep. Donald W. Norcross.

While the appointment of the Malamut law firm, which will also serve as bond counsel and affordable housing attorney, effectively closed what has been a distinctly discordant chapter in Evesham’s recent evolution, the fact that another key post in town government remains unfilled on a permanent basis after a number of months was accentuated when Kevin Rijs, who had been serving as Community Development director, was also named by unanimous vote as acting township manager, a position assumed by Lavon Phillips following the resignation of former Township Manager Rob Corrales in September of 2023 after serving in the post for four years.

Clark, replying to two more queries from this newspaper, said Phillips is still serving as director of Business and Resident Services, which is the position he was first hired for, and that Rijs will now serve in a similar fashion, continuing on as both director of Community Development, in addition to being acting manager.

In opening remarks prior to the voting, Veasy noted that “we will start by appointing a new acting township manager and look forward to commencing a full and proper search for a township manager to lead the township staff and work alongside the township council to maintain the standards we as residents expect from our local government.”

Also currently serving in an acting capacity, at least for the time being, is Police Chief Tom Reinholt, who took over for previous Chief Walt Miller at the beginning of January when the latter retired after three years in the job and 28 years in the department to become a law

enforcement consultant.

One important position that the reorganization meeting vote did fill, however, was that of township clerk, Rebecca Andrews having been unanimously approved for that job after having held it in an acting capacity since the passing earlier last year of Mary Lou Bergh, who had served as township clerk for a decade. Andrews, in fact, was the only appointee to receive a round applause at the meeting, which occurred after Hunter, Fisicaro and Smith all thanked her for the help she had given them in learning the ropes of their new council positions, with Hunter describing her as having “demonstrated such patience and made everything run so smoothly” during the transition, with Veasy adding that many residents probably didn’t even realize the extent of the work she had put in as acting clerk over the past year.

Other significant appointments made to the township government, all of them by votes of 5-0, included that of Matthew Weng of the law firm of Chance & McCann, LLC as chief municipal prosecutor; William J. Popovich as municipal public defender; Bowman and Company, municipal auditor; Sockler Realty Services Group, Inc., tax appraiser; Heyer, Gruel & Associates, township planner; Bay Hill Environmental as lead evaluation contractor, New Jersey Animal Control, LLC, as animal control service, Netta architects as township architect, and Millennium Strategies in the continuing role of grant writer.

In remarks that preceded the voting portion of the reorganization session, the three novice council members reflected on what the opportunity to participate in municipal government meant to them. Hunter described herself as being “honored and humbled to serve as deputy mayor and grateful that the council has put their trust in me with this great responsibility,” thanking Veasy and Cooper “for their fierce support of me” and noting that she would “look forward to continuing to learn from them,” as well as to working with her running mates

Fisicaro reflected on the deep attachment to Evesham he claimed to have developed in his many years of residing in the township, to which his family had relocated from Philadelphia when he was just four years old.

“This is one of the greatest privileges I’ve ever had,” he declared —one that for him is “about paying a debt to a community that has

Photo By Evesham Township

The new 2025 Evesham Township Council, which is under full Democratic control. Pictured from left to right are Councilman Christian Smith, Councilwoman Heather Cooper, Mayor Jacklyn “Jackie” Veasy, Dr. Krystal Hunter and Councilman Joseph Fisicaro, Jr.

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command and executive officer, as well as Division Commander, quickly emerges from the conference room (causing Tiver to have to move over) and approaches Tompkins and Wright from their right, while Police Chief Jonathan Glass enters from the back of council chambers, approaching the pair from their left.

Wright, appearing confused, then gets up from his chair, grabs his suitcase and is led into the conference room by Luis.

As Wright enters the conference room, he is observed shaking hands with Luis and a man who had been standing alongside Tiver, mistaken by some in the crowd as a bodyguard to the senator given the way in which he was standing, but later revealed to this newspaper to be a law partner of new Township Solicitor Jerry Dasti, Esquire Gregory P. McGuckin.

While Wright shook hands, Glass is observed calling on Tompkins to leave his seat and to go into the conference room as well. Glass then escorted Tompkins to the conference room. McGuckin, standing between council chambers and the conference room, is seen being asked to fully move out of the conference room, and Glass then shuts the door.

Tiver and McGuckin then take a position of being on either side of the closed door. At 5:20 p.m., another township police officer walks to the conference room door, and initially tries to enter the conference room, but then simply takes a position to stand between Tiver and McGuckin. But then the officer quickly leaves there.

At 5:21 p.m., Glass opens the door to the conference room. Some 30 seconds later, Tompkins emerges to retake his seat.

Ironically, it was at a time in which resident Vicky Lynn Adams, who livestreams the meetings and was broadcasting the unfolding scene (appearing to initially be unaware of what she was capturing), delivered public comments about the need for council to livestream its meetings for “transparency” using a camera installed in the back of council chambers, declaring the public was “tired of behind-the-scenes things,” in addition to raising what has happened “within the last year or so” with “our illustrious person in charge,” contending the governing body, “she was told recently,” actually “has the right to evict him from his position.”

“He needs to be gone!” Adams declared. “We do not need this black mark to continue in our township!”

Shortly after Adam’s apparent reference to Tompkins, at 5:22 p.m., Wright reenters the picture, but instead takes a seat in the front row of public seating in council chambers.

A source close to Wright later told this newspaper that in the conference room, Tompkins purportedly “verbally fired” Wright and allegedly demanded that the business administrator ‘“leave the premises.”’ But Wright, according to the source, asked both Luis and Glass if there was a public meeting taking place and if he had a right to attend a public meeting, causing the top police brass to purportedly inform Tompkins that Wright had a right to participate and attend the public meeting, and did not have to leave

the premises.

As Adams went to sit down at the Jan. 1 council meeting, Wright raised his hand firmly in the air to be called on by newly-sworn in GOP Council President Joshua Ward. Luis, meanwhile, ultimately is observed positioning himself to stand alongside the seated mayor.

Ward initially did not call on Wright, however, but ultimately did so at 5:28 p.m. Wright, upon being called on, then asks if, “I may approach council president as a member of the public.” Wright then presents Ward with Robert’s Rules of Order “as a gift,” and then signs in on the sign-in sheet for public commenters, quipping, “I have never been on this side of the podium before.”

The audience appeared perplexed by what was taking place. But clarification to the public would come in short order, at 5:52 p.m., when Wright stood up again at the podium.

Initially, Ward told him, “You already gave a statement, sir.” Following a short dispute over “everyone has one turn,” in which Luis (still guarding the mayor) and Glass did not intervene, a seemingly flustered Ward conceded in letting Wright speak.

“For those in the public who don’t know who I am, the mayor appointed me as provisional business administrator, contingent upon council approval,” declared Wright, as Tompkins looked on. “Unless I missed something in the meeting, has council removed me from that provisional appointment? I do need to ask a couple questions, because I am confused.”

Ward yielded to Dasti, and as the new Republican-affiliated township attorney attempted to speak up, Wright declared, “I am aware it is a personnel action –I just need to know if council took an action tonight.”

“I am not familiar … ,” said Dasti, shaking his head to indicate the answer was no.

Wright then details, in part, a number of alleged deficiencies, or as he put it “serious issues” he came across in just his two-week tenure involving the Sewer Treatment Plant and township vehicles, before maintaining, “I would handle that, but I have to be honest with you, I think somebody needs to tell me tonight, before I leave, whether or not I am still the business administrator because apparently the mayor – which I don’t think he has the authority to do – just fired me in the side room there!”

Wright then further declares, “I will be suing him (in pointing to Tompkins) personally – I have no issue with the township, because what he just did is illegal!”

Wright then reveals that part of the basis of his threatened legal action would also center around “what he did to me the other day, telling me to clean out my office.”

The Republican council appeared tense upon hearing the revelation Wright was just fired, in addition to learning of the prospect of another lawsuit. Despite Wright recognizing “this is your day” and “your celebration,” the public spat clearly dampened the mood of what was supposed to be a celebratory occasion for Republicans.

“It is personnel – I will stop there, but I want to let you know that unless you (the

there was any reason for council to go into closed session.

New Year, Healthier You!

How to get all the essential vitamins your body needs

The tradition of making New Year’s resolutions can be traced back to the ancient Babylonians, who promised their gods that they would repay their debts and return borrowed items in the new year. While resolutions have changed since then, people still see the dawn of a new year as an opportunity to commit to doing something good in the months ahead.

No rules govern New Year’s resolutions, but many people resolve to do something healthy for themselves.

Careful consideration of what they put into their bodies is one way individuals can make things easier on their bodies. It is vital to supply the body with the nutrients it needs. This includes the essentials: A, C, D, E, K, and all the B vitamins.

• Vitamin E : This vitamin maintains muscles and red blood cells. It also protects fatty acids.

• Vitamin K: Vitamin K is necessary for blood to clot and helps to keep bones and other tissues in the body healthy.

• Thiamine (B1): B1 is needed for metabolism and for nerve and heart function.

• Riboflavin (B2): Another important nutrient for metabolizing foods, B2 helps maintain healthy mucus membranes, such as those in the mouth and nose.

• Niacin (B3): This vitamin helps to release energy from food and keeps the nervous system healthy.

• Pantothenic Acid (B5): B5 is another vitamin that aids energy metabolism. It also plays a role in normalizing blood sugar levels.

do things “hands on” such as visit the

• Vitamin A : This vitamin helps ensure the health of the skin, corneas, lining of the urinary tract, lungs, and intestines. Vitamin A also helps protect against infection. It also is important for vision, as it improves vision in dim light.

• Biotin (B7): This is only needed in small amounts to make fatty acids.

Councilman Dan Dewey before the council entered into the conference room for its closed session.

Upon returning to public session, no action was taken on the personnel item.

A high-ranking township source told this newspaper that the reason Tompkins soured on Wright had to do with, in part, the business administrator having visited the Sewer Treatment Plant, and then following that visit, “going to the police station and asking to do a drive

According to the high-ranking township source, Tompkins allegedly has been maintaining he “had no idea where he (Wright) was” on several occasions, including having not learned that the business administrator was at the Sewer Treatment Plant until sometime later.

And then, during the morning following the purported overnight police ride along, Wright purportedly did not immediately report to the office.

Additionally, the police “ride along,” the high-ranking township source maintained, was an unexpected occurrence.

And while “they took him” for a ridealong, the high-ranking township source said, concern arose with Wright allegedly taking photographs during it.

The second source close to Wright also confirmed that the business administrator took a trip to the Sewer Treatment Plant to purportedly take the employees “doughnuts and coffee.”

Ultimately, that visit resulted in Wright reportedly asking for a “tour” of the facility, the source close to Wright told this newspaper, adding that it is “his management style” to be “hands on” and that it has enabled him “to meet

broken at the plant, as well as hydrants.

“They have a pump house that he couldn’t even walk into because it had so much effluence in there,” said the source of Wright’s visit.

Wright, according to the source close to him, had also come to learn that the plant had been the recipient of significant monies, yet had seen no signs of any investments to address the purported problems he observed, and therefore had begun questioning where the money had gone, believing he had come to learn of an alleged serious situation. The financial history of the Sewer Division, and formerly the Municipal Utilities Authority, deserved more investigation and scrutiny, was purportedly the takeaway Wright came away with, who reportedly has a history of forensic auditing, the source close to him added.

Wright, the source close to him maintained, was nearing a decision to suspend four township officials, two of whom are high-ranking officials, pending further investigation, but before he could do so, Tompkins had reportedly called him into his office to have a chat, which purportedly led to Wright being asked to resign. Whether the mayor was aware of Wright’s intent to suspend as many as four people is unclear, the source noted, but a suspicion purportedly developed that the business administrator’s emails were allegedly being monitored.

• Vitamin C : Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, plays a vital role in immune system function, helping to protect cells from free radicals. Since the body cannot store vitamin C, it needs to be consumed daily.

• Vitamin D: Vitamin D assists in calcium and phosphorous absorption, which helps to keep bones and teeth strong. The body can produce vitamin D naturally by spending time in sunlight. That is why it’s often called “the sunshine vitamin.”

• Folate (B9): Folate is very important for healthy red blood cells. Folate also helps to prevent birth defects, which is why it is recommended as a prenatal vitamin. The manufactured form of folate is called folic acid.

• Cobalamin (B12): B12 is needed to make red blood cells, DNA, RNA, and myelin for nerve fibers. It is preferable to obtain vitamins through healthy foods. If and when foods are inadequate, supplementation may be be recommended.

‘“We are not a good match,’” is what Tompkins is alleged by the source to have told Wright on New Year’s Eve. ‘“You resign, and I will pay you till Friday. And if you need a reference, I’ll give you a good

See LEAVE/ Page 8

Individuals should speak to their doctors and nutritionists about any vitamin deficiencies they may have and how to combat them safely.

(Continued from Page 1)

the county offices blue, as well as a multitude of municipal offices. Pemberton, however, has been one of the few towns to buck that trend, turning red at the local level.

And so there was little doubt as to why local GOP State Senator Latham Tiver, a Republican, was on hand for the occasion, to swear-in three new Republican councilmembers, Matthew Bianchini, Perry Doyle, Jr., and Harry J. Harper.

Bianchini has been a resident of Pemberton Township since 1993 and is also a 37-year U.S. Air Force veteran.

He currently works in a “civilian capacity” with the U.S. Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, working on various “undercover contracting activities for pharmaceutical companies.”

Bianchini called the turnout for the reorganization meeting “unbelievable,” declaring he is “just in total awe of the residents of this township.”

Despite the events of the meeting, Bianchini urged of his fellow elected officials, “We’ve got to be cohesive.”

“We’ve got to be a team,” Bianchini further declared. “And when I say a team, it is not just us up here – it is us, it is administration, and more importantly, it is the township. Because you are what makes, we are what makes, as a whole, this place the place that you want to be.”

Three words that come to mind for the new year, Bianchini contended, are “balance, transparency and communication.”

“Balance – balancing preservation with development, because right now it is completely imbalanced,” Bianchini said. “Transparency – and transparency actually was brought up by a number of residents tonight in public comments. You need to know exactly what is going on and there is no reason to hide anything from you. We need to let you know up front where (we) stand, where the community stands. And lastly, the only way those two things are going to happen is if we communicate, period. Communication is key.”

Doyle is originally from neighboring Pemberton Borough and graduated from Pemberton Township High School. He had spent seven years working for the township Public Works Department, before entering the Police Academy and transferring to the Pemberton Township Police Department, working as an officer until recently retiring from the force. He is also the owner of a

local tree service.

More recently, Doyle served on the Pemberton Township Planning Board.

Doyle said he was “blown away by that many people showing up to welcome us” at the reorganization meeting, with the crowd extending outside council chambers.

It left Doyle to think of the possibilities “of what we can do up here” at the dais with the “showing of support” for the new council.

“I think Pemberton Township has already started on day one, going in the right direction,” Doyle declared.

Harper, having spent 48 years in the construction industry, moved to the township some four years ago, previously describing that it was because he and his wife found it to be a “little, nice, quiet town.”

Harper reflected on the voters having sent the Republicans to serve on council, declaring, “I am sure we are all going to do everything in our power to make sure the residents are well represented, and the town and small businesses are well represented.”

He added “that is what makes the town a better place” and when “you are taking care of the residents first, the businesses and people, and so forth, everything else falls in place.”

Following Bianchini, Doyle and Harper being administered their oaths of office, the all-Republican council voted unanimously to appoint two-year Republican Councilman Joshua Ward as council president for 2025.

Ward replaces Democrat Paul Detrick in that post, the latter whose term expired Dec. 31 and chose not to seek re-election last November.

The new council president expressed his hope for a “great 2025” and that the council can work with Tompkins on “really building a cohesive team and moving the township forward.”

“I think everybody up here has your best interests in mind,” Ward declared. “And transparency is the goal, as is making sure we are doing what is right for the people of this community.”

Resident Marie Reynolds, who worked to help get Bianchini, Doyle and Harper elected and has helped to start, alongside locals Deborah Skipper and Jill Skipper, a new Facebook group titled, “Pemberton Township: A New Beginning” to help connect the new council with its constituents and keep them informed, declared following the swearing in ceremony, she is “dancing inside because I am so thrilled with this council, but not because of any political affiliation, but because of the last 12 years of siege in Pemberton Township.”

“I have been here over 50 years, and I’ve seen our town center wiped out,” Reynolds further maintained. “I’ve seen a power play that was, I think, unheard of in any other community where parcels of

land and property were purchased by the township with no plan for their use, and no plan for the future.”

This moment, Reynolds contended, “isn’t about politics – it’s not about Democrats or Republicans,” rather “it is about getting back to people who really care about the community and are willing to do the right things for it,” in addition to “transparency – listening to people.”

“We need to give back to the community,” Reynolds declared. “We need to let people know what is going on. We need to stay in touch with them. We need to not do deals under the table. We need to save our history. We need to save Sycamore Hall (a 248-yearold former bank building overlooking Mirror Lake that has been vacant since 2012 and was recently sold to a proprietor looking to establish, in part, a bed and breakfast and beer garden, and initially had plans to also provide apartments). We need to get it back.

Perry Doyle, Jr.

Matthew Bianchini

Harry J. Harper

Photos By Tom Valentino

(Continued from Page 6)

reference.’”

Wright was then purportedly ordered by the mayor to clean out his office, and a township employee allegedly took his keys, laptop and work cellphone from him, the source described, noting that the mayor had put the underling employee to the business administrator in a purported “bad spot” by requesting those items, though the employee reportedly handled the situation professionally.

But Wright, the source stressed, never actually told the mayor he would resign, though it is believed the mayor was under the impression that Wright would comply with his request, that is until Wright’s reorganization meeting appearance.

After the Jan. 1 public scene, according to the second source who is the highranking official, Tompkins was allegedly asked by at least one councilmember if he had given Wright a written letter of termination, but the mayor had reportedly acknowledged having not done so before the meeting.

“Jack strikes again,” the high-ranking official told this newspaper, irritated with how the meeting turned into an embarrassment for the Republican party.

A letter confirming Wright’s termination came from Dasti, but was dated Jan. 3, a copy of which has been provided to this newspaper from the source close to Wright, who questioned whether council is aware of the letter, being there is no mention of council being copied in the correspondence.

The reason Wright showed up to the Jan. 1 session, according to the source close to him, is that “the mayor does not have the authority to fire” him, per his having reportedly consulted with several attorneys, in addition to the knowledge he learned during his previous governmental experience, including serving in Camden City. And even though “there might be some gray areas where you could argue either way,” it is understood that “in a Faulkner community, if the mayor makes a provisional 90-day appointment,” it can’t be undone by the mayor.

“The appointment was pending council confirmation,” the source close to Wright maintained. “It was not pending the mayor changing his mind.”

The source close to Wright was confident, “This all stemmed from him going down to

the Sewer Treatment Plant, and talking to the employees, and discovering what was going on down there.”

However, the source close to Wright recognized that there had been other encounters over the course of his two weeks on the job, prior to that visit, that purportedly led to friction.

The source close to Wright recalled that a few days after Wright had been hired, Tompkins purportedly indicated to the new business administrator that his schedule should be similar to that of Cozzarelli, or that he should work some three days a week in the office, under the purview of JPM.

But the mayor, the source maintained, allegedly had to be reminded that Wright was actually not working under the purview of JPM, but rather was an “employee” entitled to work “full time.” Wright was provided, the source close to him contended, with “an offer of employment” on township letterhead and “he signed it, and he accepted it.”

The source provided this newspaper with an offer of employment apparently authorized by Tompkins that set Wright’s salary at $150,000 for 2025, in addition to extending eight different benefits.

Wright “would call that a contract,” the source declared.

Another alleged skirmish came, according to the source close to Wright, when Wright allegedly suggested acting on a purported Department of Community Affairs (DCA) audit finding.

Wright purportedly recommended to Tompkins that the township “sell a note” valued at $1.3 million “by the end of next week” to avoid the same audit finding for calendar year 2023, but Tompkins purportedly shot back, ‘“Absolutely not. I forbid it. We’re not doing it.’”

‘“I strongly recommend that we do this,”’ the source recounted Wright telling the mayor. ‘“It is going to be an audit finding.”’

When Wright reportedly pointed to proper budgetary actions taken by Medford, unbeknownst to him, the reference was the “kiss of death,” the source close to Wright contended, adding the business administrator was also reportedly concerned that the township purportedly was still working on completing a 2023 audit at the end of 2024.

Also reportedly flustering Tompkins, the source close to Wright explained, was another occasion in which Wright informed the mayor that he would be visiting a restaurant managed by Ward,

with the mayor allegedly indicating to the business administrator he did not trust the councilman (Ward and Tompkins have had public disagreements).

The source close to Wright maintained the meeting between Ward and Wright lasted some two hours in the back room of the restaurant, all while Tompkins was meeting with a councilman-elect at his office. During the course of Wright’s meeting with Ward, Tompkins allegedly sent Wright a text message in an purported attempt to memorialize that Wright had been “missing in action” for “two days,” which Wright pushed back on, the source close to Wright explained.

But prior to that, according to the source close to Wright, on Christmas Day, Wright had begun looking into what had been a sensitive subject at a preceding council meeting – fire trucks.

Wright (in addition to what three Republican councilmen had come to learn through a November League of Municipalities conference) apparently learned that new fire trucks are currently available to be delivered to the township (rather than having to wait for them to be built), and fired off some inquiries to fire truck vendors via email that he was “immediately interested in quotes,” though it was in a purported bid to prepare a capital plan some 12 to 18 months away.

As previously reported by this newspaper, Tompkins and Fire Chief Craig Augustoni vigorously had pushed back on the prospect of purchasing readily available fire trucks, contending they needed to be customized for the municipality. Wright’s sending of the emails, the source close to Wright noted, were not discussed with either Tompkins or Wright beforehand. Those emails, according to the source close to Wright, are believed to have further ruffled feathers, with the source again contending suspicions were aroused that the business administrator’s emails were being monitored.

The source close to Wright, in fact, recounted a point in which Tompkins allegedly had given Wright a figure of how many unanswered emails he needed to get to in his inbox.

Augustoni and Wright, the source close to Wright added, already had purportedly exchanged words when Wright reportedly began questioning the current usage of the CERT building and surmised that it was being underutilized and could make for a ‘“great regional building,”’ including comprising ‘“bunks.”’

“He knew too much about the fire service, and the chief didn’t want him involved,” the source alleged. “He got too close to some things.”

Wright also reportedly grew concerned with township ambulances purportedly being “out of service” on the holiday week, the source close to Wright maintained, and located what he believed were alleged discrepancies with the number of activeduty firefighters.

Additionally, according to the source close to Wright, the business administrator was reportedly inquiring about the term of the fire chief, and when it expired, after learning of an allegation it might have expired. Wright also purportedly asked about whether a Selection Committee had been convened for the appointment of Augustoni, the source added, before providing this newspaper with a text

message exchange in which Wright was sent the rules outlining a Selection Committee process.

The source close to Wright then maintained to this newspaper that initially unbeknownst to Wright, but just a couple hours before the mayor asked Wright to resign on New Year’s Eve, an “exemployee” of the township was observed by township employees entering the Pemberton Township Municipal Building and meeting with the fire chief. The source close to Wright, upon further questioning from this newspaper, ultimately revealed that the ex-employee was former business administrator Hornickel.

“Do an OPRA (Open Public Records Act) request for building footage from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on New Year’s Eve,” the source close to Wright told this newspaper, contending Hornickel entered the building near the fire chief’s office. “You won’t believe your eyes!”

This newspaper, however, did not need to file that OPRA request, because Hornickel has since acknowledged to this newspaper that he was at the municipal building on that day – though he denies there being any “formal meetings.”

“I didn’t have any formal meetings with Pemberton officials,” maintained Hornickel to this newspaper. “I went to the Pemberton Township Municipal Building to return an item to the fire chief, and go to lunch with him. I did stop by and say hello to my old colleagues and to wish them a Happy New Year.”

The source close to Wright did acknowledge to this newspaper that Wright was taking photographs not only on the police ride-along, but also at the Sewer Treatment Plant.

“He takes pictures of everything, so that when he will put the budget together or something like that, he will throw them in the slide deck to show,” the source close to Wright maintained. “So, it gives a better visual of what you are asking the money for from council.”

Those pictures, according to the source, included the deficiencies observed at the Sewer Treatment Plant.

Another reason Wright is said to have taken pictures is for purported publicity purposes, or to highlight the work being done by the township workers, for both public and council buy in. For instance, at a Wawa stop on the police ride-along, “he took a couple pictures of the ambulance, because the guys were standing next to it,” the source contended.

As far as any suggestion that Wright might have taken any photographs during police activity on the ride-along, the source responded that the cops “already had a camera rolling in the car, “so as the officer pushed the button, there was already a video of the incident when people got pulled over.” The source also pointed out that any journalist participating in a ride-along would have the right to take photographs on their journey, just like a business administrator would have the right to do.

Additionally, the source close to Wright emphasized that there were only two occurrences on the ride-along in which Wright had allegedly taken photographs – of the ambulance, and when a man was purportedly seen using a nail gun at 4 a.m.,

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chief executive officer of Seldat, was charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office back in November 2023 with a $3.2 million Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) fraud scheme.

Resident Eric Houwen, in pointing to the charges, expressed disbelief that the council would “want to do business with an indicted felon.”

“Are we stupid?!” Houwen asked.

While the U.S. Attorney’s Office later told this newspaper it could not comment on the status of the case, in response to a query, a court clerk for the U.S. District Court of New Jersey, where the case is filed, told this newspaper on Jan. 6 that the case is still active against Dadoun, with a bail modification hearing scheduled for Jan. 23.

Dadoun, initially detained after his first court appearance, has since been released from jail, the court clerk added.

“It has not yet been resolved,” said Houwen of the case. “I don't think we should make a decision on that issue until that has been resolved. “ … We need to put it off until we find out who exactly we are dealing with.”

Houwen also pointed to the last paragraph of the complaint against Dadoun, or the allegation that, “The loan proceeds for the two DG Distiservices PPP Loans and the Seldat Staffing PPP loan were deposited by the Victim-Lenders directly into the DG Distiservices Bank Account. … All but $25,000 of the loan proceeds for the Seldat Distribution PPP loan was also transferred – through other accounts – to the DG Distiservices Bank Account. Bank records indicate significant spending from the DG Distiservices Bank Account on behalf of 200 South Pemberton Urban Renewal, LLC, an entity controlled by Dadoun, for construction of a multimillion-dollar warehouse in Pemberton, New Jersey.”

“If you read the indictment, the last line of the indictment says that he took the money from all over the state and put it into building the warehouse in Pemberton,” Houwen charged. “That guy didn’t have the money! And we are going to give him five more freaking warehouses that he might not have the money for, and the feds might take over? Aren’t we stupid?! It is a rhetorical question.”

Another main point of contention was a previous promise made at a Pemberton Township Council meeting when the original warehouse (for Seldat) was authorized back in 2019 – or that trucks would not be permitted to enter or exit from Birmingham Road, but would instead have to utilize the four-lane South Pemberton Road.

“We were told at that time, back in the beginning, there would be no entrances or exits onto Birmingham Road,” recounted resident Perry Doyle, Sr. “Birmingham Road wasn’t made, and isn’t made, to handle the traffic that comes to Birmingham.”

Republican Councilman Dan Dewey, long opposed to the warehouse development boom, later brought this up as well, recounting, “on the original agreement” for the warehouse, ‘“it states right in there, no tractor trailers on

Birmingham Road.’”

“So, by giving them this easement, were they going to put a ramp in or something, so they go over it?” Dewey quipped.

Bayer responded, “I don’t have anything before me that suggests that (original) agreement is binding on Pemberton 2.”

Bayer added that, “Pemberton 2 didn’t enter with that agreement.”

Additionally, Bayer noted that Pemberton 2, in proposing the five warehouses, is simply taking advantage of the “zoning in place” for the tract, or GCLI (General Commercial/Light Industrial), which “has been in place for 40 years.”

Bayer noted that Pemberton 2 is not taking advantage of a redevelopment designation, which would have set special zoning standards to entice redevelopment, and would have also automatically required a redeveloper to enter into a redeveloper’s agreement for the five warehouses (versus a developer’s agreement being added by the board as a condition of approval).

That is what sets the Pemberton 2 project apart from the Seldat Warehouse, Bayer clarified.

“So, there was no agreement between the township and the developer, Dan, about anything,” Bayer maintained. “It was just zoning, and he made an application to the board for approval.”

A point of contention in the same vein as the no truck access was raised by Perry Doyle, Jr., then a councilmanelect (and now serving on the council as of Jan. 1), who recounted a now-former township official, at the time still serving the township, telling council at a meeting that the tract Pemberton 2 wants to build on is ‘“mostly cleared.’”

“I am going to ask you, 21 out of 25 acres being completely wooded, would you call that ‘mostly clear,’ or would you call that ‘severe misinformation’ to maybe get a certain vote out of you guys?” political figure Doyle asked. “Honestly, I flat-out call it a lie! And nobody was called out for it. It is in the record. Please look it up!”

Another main point of contention dealt with the increased traffic such a project would bring to the Pemberton Township community of Birmingham, with Browns Mills Improvement Association (BMIA) President Marti Graf-Wenger describing Birmingham as “the epitome of the Pine Barrens.”

“As you prepare to vote on the easement for the construction of five additional warehouses in Birmingham, I urge you to consider the broader implications of this development,” Graf-Wenger declared. “While the BMIA has always supported the arrival of new businesses that serve our community and provide jobs for our residents, we have serious concerns about this specific proposal. Birmingham's real issue lies in its small winding roads and the impact of increased truck traffic.”

Graf-Wenger highlighted yet another point of contention, or that the requested easement would be “a mere 40 feet from someone’s property line, raising significant worries about noise, safety and the quality of life for the residents.”

“Many of the warehouses being constructed in our area are not operating at full capacity, and they often do not provide services that directly benefit our residents,” she added. “Additionally, these developments frequently do not create local employment opportunities, which

can hinder our community’s economic growth.”

Gardner, in his text message, maintained, however, “the current warehouse is already paying almost $500,000 annually in taxes to our township” and “your support for this project will help to generate revenue for our township budget, which will in turn help to maintain or reduce taxes.”

“We understand the importance of tax revenue and the complexities surrounding potential lawsuits, but we also believe it is crucial to approach this decision with care,” Graf-Wenger said. “Over the past 105 years, the BMIA has proudly supported businesses like the Wawa, the Grocery Outlet, and the Taco Bell (slated for the Browns Mills Shopping Center), businesses that enhance our town and create jobs for our residents. We must ensure that new developments align with the best interests of the community.”

The BMIA membership, she said, “respectfully requests that you table the vote on this easement” to allow for “the necessary time to evaluate all aspects of this development and ensure transparency with the residents, particularly those living in Birmingham.”

“It is our collective responsibility to protect and enhance our community, and I encourage everyone here to raise their voices and to join us in advocating for a thoughtful and thorough review of this proposal,” Graf-Wenger asserted.

Doyle Sr., who took issue with Gardner’s text message having apparently attempted to rally Democrats to take a stand against the “Republicans” opposing the warehouse project, indicated there is actually bipartisan opposition, asserting, “I have been a Democrat for 61 years.”

“This is a ‘community night’ that is against this ordinance that you people are looking to vote on,” Doyle said. “ … And I was insulted by the comment that came out that said this is a ‘Republican attempt.’ It is not. Our community is a whole community in Birmingham. We stick together. We all know each other. If there is a problem, we help each other out. And we see that things are taken care of in Birmingham, the way a community should do, and always has done.”

However, as Jonathan Duff, a former GOP candidate for the Burlington County Board of Commissioners pointed out, “in November, the people rejected the candidates who supported new development of warehouses, and voted for the candidates who are purported to

stand against new warehouses.”

“The people do not want new warehouses,” Duff declared. “There is a mandate for no new development. And there is an attachment to the land, which is deeply felt. We love our forests, our lush rivers and creeks, lakes, small family farms and rolling fields. Burlington County is one of the greenest counties in America. That is not just a platitude, that is a lived reality.”

Duff added “it is not something that we want to see disappear in the name of short-term profit maximization.”

“With every warehouse built, you level and permanently destroy dozens or hundreds or thousands of acres of land,” Duff declared. “The damage is severe, on a grander scale than any other type of development, and can never be undone. It confuses and displaces wildlife. It causes soil erosion and groundwater displacement, resulting in new flooding and literal sinking as we have seen in communities like Westampton and Florence.”

Sustainable development, according to Duff, “is necessary to preserving a habitable planet.”

“Five new warehouses approved with total impunity is not sustainable,” Duff declared. “It is anti-youth. It stands in direct opposition to the interests of my generation who will have to live with the decision that you make as legislators tonight. And it stands in direct opposition to the interests of working people, hard-working families living right now in the surrounding areas of where these warehouses will be built. They will have to live with the decision that you make tonight. All of this is being considered in the name of short-term profit maximization, of having new rateables.” Duff also maintained that “warehouses are fiscal heroin.”

“The profitability only lasts so long,” he contended. “Many of them go abandoned after a number of years, at which point more are required to sustain unsustainable tax cuts.”

Some also took aim at GOP Mayor Jack Tompkins for such items even making it to the agenda (even though council and administration are separate), with local Deborah Skipper pointing out that “Jack ran on the ticket of stopping the warehouses and also reckless development in our township, saving our farmlands and preserving acres of pinelands.”

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It was never supposed to be sold. It is public property. Our redevelopment plan makes it very clear that it was to be designated as public property into the future. And how it was sold, I have no idea.”

During the final council meeting of 2024, on Dec. 18, the departing Democratic councilmembers said their goodbyes.

Donovan Gardner, a two-term Democratic councilman who served on council for the past eight years, recounted when he was asked to serve and that initially upon his first swearing in, “I was ready to solve and conquer all of the challenges and problems,” but that the “reality of how government works slowly set in quite quickly.”

Admittedly “quiet and nervous” in the beginning, Gardner said he learned how to ultimately navigate the process, and with time, had become “more relaxed.”

“On Dec. 31, 2024, at 11.59 p.m., which Mr. Dewey is looking forward to, it will bring an end to 54 years of combined public service – 22 years active-duty U.S. Air Force, 18 years Pemberton School District, eight years as a councilman and six years on the Planning Board,” Gardner said. “For those 54 years, especially during my Air Force career, I was able to travel and see the world, and not just in the eyes of a tourist, but I saw how other cultures live in comparison to America.

“My compassion and empathy to their solutions helped me to develop and become who I am today.”

Gardner also left no doubt that he had no misgivings about the past decisions made by the council under Democratic control, notably thanking former Democratic mayor David Patriarca, who was Tompkins’ predecessor, “for his leadership and long-term planning for the betterment of our community,” as well as Hornickel for “striving to do what is best for the township.”

Detrick, a Democratic retired attorney whose council stint was far shorter than Gardner’s, having begun serving in 2021, noted that he has “gotten to know a lot of people in this township by them coming up here and yelling at me, and paying attention to what they are yelling at me about,” contending “it is just part of the job.”

His departing advice for the new councilmembers is that, “You are going to have problems to deal with and you are going to find out that it is not just as simple as saying ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to things a lot of times,” adding of the job of being a councilman, “That is not all there is to it.”

Elisabeth McCartney, departing council after serving on it since 2018, said of Pemberton, “This is my hometown.”

“It is a home that Mark (her husband) and I have built together,” McCartney said. “Our sons can call this home. And I am very grateful for our town. I’m very proud. There are a lot of people who love our town, and we are a community. Mark and I have contributed to the community, and we have wonderful neighbors and friends. So, I’m grateful for all of that. But as town councilwoman, I would never have gone anywhere without the support of my fellow council people.”

In directly addressing those who would be replacing the three Democrats on council,

McCartney recognized that the three men (Bianchini, Doyle, and Harper) have been “very active” in approaching council.

“I know that you will together, collectively, work to improve the quality of life for our residents and make the decisions that are in the best interests of our community as a whole. I know that that will happen. So, I do believe, and have faith, in you for that.”

Dewey and Ward, at the end of the Democrats’ last council meeting, sought to close the divide that had been on display at the dais for the past two years, with Dewey declaring, “I would like to say that it has been an honor to be on this dais with Elizabeth, Paul, and even Donovan.”

“I never left here mad,” Dewey maintained. “You know, we had some battles, but it was over with there. It has been a good ride, and I thank them very much.”

Ward said he had developed “respect” for the departing Democratic councilmembers, before explaining that it is “passion” that has driven him to his decisions to date, as well as the difference between “right or wrong,” explaining that he “votes from the dais with heart.”

A change in party control of the council on Jan. 1 meant a change in several professional firms retained to assist the township, several with known GOP ties.

One of the biggest changes to occur is the installment of Jerry Dasti, of the Dasti, McGuckin, McNichols, Connors, Anthony & Buckley law firm, as township solicitor, replacing 18-year municipal solicitor Andrew “Andy” Bayer, of the Pashman Stein Walder Hayden P.C. law firm.

Tompkins, in his first year as mayor, had tried twice unsuccessfully to swap Bayer with Dasti, but the then-Democratic controlled council would not go along with his appointment, even though the mayor maintained the appointment authority rests with him (council had maintained it must consent to such appointments). Ultimately, a compromise for the past two years saw Bayer represent the council, while Dasti’s firm was brought on as an alternate.

A resolution on the Jan. 1 agenda would have retained Pashman Stein Walder Hayden P.C. as an alternate law firm in the wake of Dasti’s appointment as municipal solicitor, but Harper in pointing out the firm would be retained as an alternate, asserted, “I wasn’t real happy with what happened with who was our past solicitor,” noting he sat in the audience for a number of the previous council meetings before he became a councilman.

“So, I would like to just make a clean break from that firm altogether, if we could,” declared Harper in making the motion to remove Pashman Stein Walder Hayden P.C. as an alternate.

Republican Councilman Dan Dewey, who entered elected office alongside Ward and Tompkins back in January 2023, in “adding something to this too,” raised the lawsuits and investigation into the former business administrator and construction official, contending “I think it is four lawsuits that they are handling for the township with the employee problems and the investigation into the (former business administrator Daniel) Hornickel and (former township construction official Tom) Boyd situation.”

“I would like them to be handed over

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LEAVE

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and in regard to the latter, Wright wanted to take the incident back to the offices and have the township address what he saw as a quality-of-life issue.

Wright, the source continued, was “also aware that the mayor has done ride-alongs and things of that nature in the past” and “there is no rule against doing ridealongs.” It was also told to this newspaper that Glass reportedly gave Wright a ridealong on his first day on the job.

“He knows there is a law against taking video or pictures of a patient,” the source added of Wright, pointing out Wright is a firefighter, and would not have violated confidentiality. “… He also is not aware of any rule that says that he can’t take pictures from inside a cop car.”

According to the source close to Wright, Glass, however, has now suspended police ride-alongs via an email. A highranking police department official has since confirmed to this newspaper the existence of that email, and that Glass has suspended ride-alongs since the incident, and said the police chief will be issuing “a Special Order to the department about this in the future.”

In again pointing out Wright takes pictures often while on the job, the source pointed to Wright having reportedly taken pictures of Public Works assembling snowplows, before declaring, “that is how he does his job” and, in summarizing Wright’s purported belief, stated, “If you are not your own cheerleader, who is going to cheerlead for the town, if you are not doing it?”

As for not showing up at the office the morning after the police ride-along, the source close to Wright explained that the business administrator needed some rest, after having been up all night for some nine hours to be with the police on what was described as a DWI patrol.

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Resident Desiree Dumm, after describing both that “we feel like this is being jammed down our throats” and alleged ongoing flooding problems from the initial Seldat warehouse, declared that she “really did vote for you, Mr. Tompkins, because of what you stood on.”

She then recounted that when Tompkins purportedly came to Birmingham to campaign for office, he had “promised us that this wouldn’t happen under you.”

“I get it is not that easy and there is more to it, but that is why you are in office,” Dumm said. “Because we all voted for you on the promises that you made to us. As a man, I expect more, and I know you are capable of it!”

Tompkins ultimately sought to “clarify” that there was “one ‘no’ vote for those warehouses,” pointing out “that was me.”

As hours of public opposition continued to be heard, outgoing council president Paul Detrick ultimately pointed out that “as I understand it, the Planning Board, which is the agency of Pemberton Township consisting of volunteers, your neighbors and friends, reviewed the

And in again pointing out how being out in the field is a benefit to the business manager, according to the source close to Wright, the business administrator had observed firsthand on the ride-along how the township needed to rely on neighboring Pemberton Borough Police for a working breathalyzer machine, because the township one was out of order at the time.

A high-ranking Pemberton Township Police Department official later told this newspaper, however, that such machines are commonly out-of-order during a “solution change” process and that it is common practice that police officers rely on other municipality’s machines when processing DWI cases.

Additionally, this newspaper was told that the state is making changes to the machines required of police, and provided this newspaper with approved purchase orders to prove the Pemberton Township Police Department is in the process of obtaining the new machines.

“We currently use the Alcotest 7110 and will be transitioning to the Alcotest 9510 in the future,” the high-ranking police department official told this newspaper in a statement. “Attached is Resolution 198-2024 authorizing our purchase of that new system. As far as using other agency’s machines, there are times when the Alcotest 7110 requires a solution change which would cause an officer to respond to an alternate location to conduct the test. So, to be clear, there are times when we host other agencies to use our machine and also times that we need to respond to other agencies to use their machines. I’m not aware of any other issues with our equipment.”

Wright, when he spoke at the Jan. 1 council session, referenced both the visit to the Sewer Treatment Plant and the police ride-along.

“I had the opportunity to ride along with a few police officers, and the

application and approved it, and decided that this is appropriate development based on the zoning, and that they are obeying all the rules and requirements.”

“So, they approved it,” Detrick said. “That is the body whose job that is to look at it and decide ‘yes’ or ‘no.’”

And as far as the easement request, as well as the agreement proposed to be approved via the draft resolution, Detrick maintained, “Pemberton Township said go get this” and that is what they are doing.

“And when they go get it, we say, ‘Oh, we don’t want it?’” asked Detrick rhetorically.

But the fired-up crowd began shouting, and the meeting quickly spiraled out of control at the prospect that the easement might potentially be granted by a slim Democratic vote, given at the time there were three Democrats and two Republicans serving on the council.

“Why do we have a council?!” one man shouted from the back of the room. “What for? What are you there for?!”

Detrick, a former practicing attorney, pointed to the potential legal ramifications as something “that I am worried about, moving forward.”

“What is going to happen to the township?” he asked.

The proceedings became so out of control at that point that Bayer uttered,

one thing that struck me … was the compassion for residents,” Wright said. “Believe it or not, we had somebody who had a valid reason to be pulled over, the gentleman had a few things that were wrong, but they were technical. And instead of writing a ticket, he (the officer) used his discretion after speaking with the person, who said he would renew his license, and he basically said he wanted that person to have a positive experience with the police department and to remember them in the future, in a positive way.”

And then in recognizing his visit to the Sewer Treatment Plant, Wright told council he “has to admit I was shocked – the vehicles actually sit outside, the equipment sits outside, basically in the weather, deteriorating.”

“If you walk up to where the lagoons are, all the railings are rusting, and there are spots where they are broken,” Wright attested.

Wright then revealed he “rode with a gentleman who showed me where you keep your main vehicles,” and then declared, “You keep them, store them in a building where you have millions of dollars’ worth of fire equipment that is unprotected – no inventory, no security, where somebody could steal it!”

He added that he would “handle it right away” and address “some serious issues before you end up with another lawsuit.”

In the Jan. 3 letter from Dasti to Wright, the township attorney wrote, in part, that the letter serves as “formal notification” Wright was terminated effective Dec. 31, adding, “While you may disagree as to the legitimacy of the township doing so, please accept this letter as formal notification that your services are no longer required or requested.”

The letter additionally tells Wright to also accept it as a “cease and desist order” against contacting township employees or councilmembers, adding a “continuation of improper activity will only lead to

“Oh my God,” before informing Detrick, “You are going to get lynched.”

And in recognizing that the GOP would be taking over the council in just a little more than a week from the Dec. 18 session, Bayer advised those on the council entertaining any approval, “It is not worth it.”

“Honestly, make a motion,” counseled Bayer on the draft resolution corresponding to the proposed ordinance. “It is your motion. Make it to the table. Just answer a motion and let it die.”

And so, that is what happened, and the resolution died, which rendered any vote on the proposed ordinance moot. And while the crowd burst into applause at the resolution dying, some evidently did not immediately understand that the proposed ordinance was moot.

When it came time for the ordinance’s hearing, Detrick indicated it would not be entertaining a hearing because it is “dying,” but one woman shouted she is “entitled to speak during the public hearing!”

“You always say save your stuff for the ordinance!” the woman shouted, who apparently chose to remark on its contents during the scheduled hearing, versus during the lengthy public comment period for the meeting as a whole.

additional damages sustained by the township in the event of litigation.”

A source close to Wright called that order a “violation” of Wright’s “First Amendment rights.”

The source close to Wright also summarized that it is Wright’s feeling that his termination simply has to do with his having learned of serious information he otherwise would not have come to learn by working from his office. It was also indicated to this newspaper that Wright is an experienced municipal manager who is not only organized, but intent on doing things the proper way, having assisted Camden City during a turbulent time for the city during which its then-mayor “played games” that ultimately resulted in a prison sentence.

The source also noted that Wright purportedly hopes Ward and the rest of the council will give him reconsideration, and listen to his story, like the council had done for Recreation Director Nicole Pittman when Tompkins attempted to fire her following a public spat, with Wright said to believe he was on the cusp of making much needed changes council would come to appreciate. The source close to Wright also pointed to a number of residents having come up to Wright after the Jan. 1 incident, supporting the business administrator. Perhaps summarizing it best is what Wright said before leaving the podium, or that one can be told things through the standard “management” process, but it is not until “you go down, and see what is going on, that you really understand what is going on.”

A call placed to the mayor’s office was not returned for this story as of press time, Wright said he would not comment on personnel matters, Ward maintained he had been told by Dasti that he can’t comment because of the pending litigation and Glass declined to comment. This newspaper did not hear back from Augostoni, either, as of press time.

Detrick responded, “But the ordinance is dead. It is dead. It is done.” And then amid more commotion, Detrick clarified, “The ordinance is dead. It can be taken up by the new council, if they wish.”

The large crowd then burst into cheers and applause, and then mostly dispersed. During the entire meeting, there was only one person who appeared to speak in favor of the project, a woman concerned with rising taxes and reduced trash pickup in the township.

It is unlikely that the new GOP council would entertain a new resolution and ordinance on its own accord, based on the known attitudes and positions of the membership, that is unless the developer seeks court intervention and a court rules in his favor, which remains a possibility. When this newspaper dialed a listed number for the Seldat Warehouse it has used in the past to make contact with the developer, it went to a busy signal. Additionally, someone who has served as spokesman in the past for the developer, when reached for comment on this story, claimed to no longer be representing the developer, though he also asked if there was anything he could help to provide.

Worship Guide

REFUSAL

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Then, in pointing to Brown serving on the planning board, Skipper declared, “Any, and I say any town, would be honored and privileged to have a man with his knowledge and expertise to live in their town, let alone want to volunteer to serve on a board.”

Skipper then charged, “The mayor is removing him from the Planning Board, not because he is not doing his job, but because he asks the questions of developers that no one even has the knowledge to ask.”

Skipper also maintained that “the mayor has stated, quote, he ‘doesn’t like him.’”

“And he has gone so far as to post on his personal Facebook page that he is looking for Planning Board and Zoning Board members,” Skipper alleged. “Yes, you heard it right, on his Facebook page!”

Among some other allegations Skipper made is that a local developer firm is allegedly “being given carte blanche by the mayor to do anything they want.”

In citing Brown’s questioning of a developer’s proposal for a Wawa store, she then pointed to Tompkins’ purported response, with Skipper recounting, “And I quote, ‘I don't care if you put the gas pumps on the roof.’”

“While we are all happy that finally a plan is in place (for the Browns Mills Shopping Center, which will be converted into Pemberton Commons), Rick Brown wanted to make sure that the building did not look like it belonged in Florida, but fit in with our lake community, requesting bike racks, proper parking for trucks, etc.,

looking out for our lake community … looking out for our township’s best interests, while working with the developer,” Skipper said. “Unfortunately, we have a mayor who is now stacking the Planning Board and Zoning Board with friends, neighbors, etc.”

Skipper maintained of those Tompkins intends to, or already has appointed, that they have “nowhere near, and I repeat, nowhere near the credentials of Rick Brown.”

She slammed the pettiness of Tompkins’ alleged decision because “quote, ‘he doesn't like him.’”

“It is lonely being on an island, and it is a shame that you, Mr. Mayor, have alienated the incoming council, and now the Planning Board and Zoning Board!” Skipper charged. “I would expect this of middle school students, not a grown man! You are being short-sighted and not acting in the best interests of our community! I do hope that you have some self-awareness and rethink yours, and yes, (former business administrator) Mr. Hornickel’s, plan to push forward with some of the poor decisions of the previous administration.”

Skipper, who delivered the remarks as the mayor looked on from the administration desk, addressed Tompkins directly, telling him, “I think you are forgetting that many did not vote for you, but against the previous mayor!”

Brown, according to his LinkedIn profile page, is a licensed New Jersey Planner, with focal points in land protection and preservation, wetlands delineation, and climate change building considerations. He worked for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) for over 32 years as a planner, including focusing on wetlands protection.

The Environmental Science degree holder from Stockton University also was an environmental specialist for the Pinelands Commission for eight years.

“Mr. Brown is retired after 40 years working for the State of New Jersey in Natural Resource Protection, helping develop the wetlands delineation guidelines, and is also president of the Rancocas Conservancy, a professional planner, and has spent years tracking snakes in the Pinelands,” Skipper noted. “And the list goes on and on and on. He spent a lifetime preserving the Pinelands.”

Marie Reynolds, who also campaigned for Bianchini, Doyle, and Harper, also spoke about it “being rumored” that Brown will be “relieved of his duties by the mayor for dubious reasons that I don't understand.”

“Under this form of government, it is not easy to be a council member,” Reynolds added. “If the person who is elected has limited intelligence or experience, or dubious motives or serious control issues, there is not really that much that you can do about it, right? I mean, you are stuck, so I do applaud you for your service.”

Resident Desiree Dumm told Tompkins, “As a man, I expect more, and I know you are capable of it!”, adding, “And that is also why Rick Brown shouldn’t be just kicked off of something because somebody doesn’t like him!”

The inner-party bickering carried over to the Jan. 1 reorganization meeting of the township council, in which Bianchini, Doyle, and Harper were seated on council for the first time.

But this time, it was the GOP members of council who urged the mayor to change course, starting with Doyle, who has been

serving for the past year as a member of the Planning Board.

“And although every single member on there is beyond qualified, the amount that I learned just from listening and watching Mr. Brown, no offense to anybody else … but I learned more sitting next to that man in a couple of meetings, than I have learned in my entire year of everything I read, listened to and watched,” Doyle declared. “And I couldn’t agree more with telling you this is an absolute disservice to this township to lose Mr. Brown on the Planning Board.”

Doyle further referred to Brown as “an absolute tax dollar-free asset to the residents of this town”

“We don’t pay him one dollar for his knowledge,” Doyle said. “And he has a plethora of it. I have never seen a man pick applications apart to make sure the residents aren’t going to be sued. That is what he is there for. He protects us. He protects you. And I would really hope that the administration will reconsider not appointing him, and bring him back on board. He is the biggest asset we have!”

GOP Councilman Dan Dewey “seconded” Doyle’s comments, which were then thirded by Bianchini.

“I have had quite a number of discussions with him, and I will tell you what, he has probably forgotten more than we know about the topics that Perry had referenced,” Bianchini said.

Tompkins could not be reached for comment on this story, nor could Brown, as of press time. The reorganization meeting of the Planning Board was slated for Jan. 9, after this newspaper’s press time. But a highranking official anticipated a full court press to prompt the mayor to reappoint Brown.

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It is also a place he said he views as being very special, “because it threads an especially important needle” in that while it has about a population of about 48,000, “it wants to treat itself like it has 4,800 people” and retain the feel of a small community.

“There is nothing that excites me more than to go on a View of Evesham (Facebook page) to see what new restaurants are going to pop up or what new store is going to be here,” he said.

Fisicaro concluded that while serving on the council, “We may not see eye to eye, and that is OK, but I promise you all civility, respect and dignity.”

Smith told those in attendance that he felt “kind of humbled by the path that led me here because I was just a simple resident looking to just volunteer somewhere, fundraise, and clean up anything.” But he said he understands “the value of the seat I sit in today” and “the role I take as a leader here.”

“I know what we do here works in conjunction with what goes on in this building every single day, so I look forward

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to immersing myself into the different departments and organizations that proudly serve this community,” he added, emphasizing that through his volunteer work and professional services, he has always been especially geared toward safety concerns and particularly looks forward to working with the Evesham Police Department and its new, incoming chief.

Veasy, in addressing the audience, made a point of expressing her gratitude to the township’s volunteers, who each year “step forward to make our town a better place,” often giving countless hours of their time and “who go quietly about your work without seeking recognition.”

“It is because of you that our community continues to grow stronger and be more resilient,” she said, adding that “the work you do is not just valuable, it is irreplaceable” and that “you inspire others to get involved and create a ripple effect that touches the lives of many.”

The mayor also played an address recorded for the occasion by Democratic U.S. Senator Cory Booker, who gave the council members a short pep talk, exhorting them, “you all are part of the front lines of meeting the needs of constituents” and that “our state thrives under our collective leadership.”

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CONTROL

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to Solicitor Dasti, and let him take over that,” Dewey declared.

Dewey added it was “months ago” that the investigation into Hornickel and Boyd was requested by council, as well as when the lawsuits were filed, but the councilman maintained, “nobody moved a football.”

“And, if it is possible at the next meeting, could you give us a little report on the investigation, because it never went anywhere?” asked Dewey of Dasti, to which the new municipal

solicitor appeared to indicate that he would honor the request.

Bayer, however, prior to the Jan. 1 decision, back on Dec. 18, appeared to be well aware that his time serving Pemberton was coming to a close.

“I just wanted to say, I have been working as your solicitor for 18 years now, and it has been my honor and privilege to work with the current governing body, current mayor, prior governing bodies, and I just wanted to wish everyone the best, and thank you for the privilege of working with you to try to achieve whatever goals the governing body at

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CONTROL

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that time wanted to achieve, and I look forward to transitioning with Mr. Dasti during the next year and wish him the best,” Bayer said.

Another key change Jan. 1 had to do with the appointment of a municipal engineer, replacing ARH Associates with that of Environmental Resolutions, Inc. (ERI). The firm’s CEO and president, Christopher Noll, was recognized as being in the audience.

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Resident and former councilwoman Sherry Scull encouraged the council to “work together with administration, who is also elected, for what is best for our town.”

“Forget whether you are a Republican or Democrat, or whatever, and just work together in your elected capacity,” declared Scull, pointing out that a petition to recall Tompkins had failed to garner enough signatures, and “therefore, I would hope everybody puts aside their personal feelings and works together, the mayor and council, and not be vindictive with each other or backstabbing.”

Regular meeting attendee and resident

Michelle Forman, during public comment Jan. 1, recounted getting to know the new Republican councilmen, as well as their families, during the last couple of years (the three new councilmen were activists in fighting against several development projects prior to their terms), maintaining that “they are all so nice to everybody” and “they are very respectful.”

“I am going to tell you that I have no doubt, not one little bit of doubt in my mind, because I have never, ever seen any of you be vindictive towards any of the community members, or Democrats, because you speak nicely, even to people

who disagree with you. You would never, never do that to people.”

Forman attested to the “kind of men you are,” declaring of not just the three new Republican councilmen, but all five Republican councilmen, “I haven't seen anybody work so hard in my life as you all have done for us, and not just for your neighborhood, but other neighborhoods too, who are having problems with overdevelopment.”

“I have to say that nobody deserves this position more than you all,” Forman added. “And we deserve you too. We all deserve you too. We need you. We need your help.”