Pine Barrens Tribune January 25 - January 31, 2025

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609-801-2392 Vol. 9 – No. 4

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The News Leader of the Pines

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January 25 - January 31, 2025

Pemberton Public Works Leaders to Get Subpoena Amid Alleged Objections from Department Heads to Attend Council Meetings Mayor Sides with Department Heads, Contending There Are ‘Many Reasons’ Their Attendance Is Not Practical, But Says They Are Working Through Budget

‘INTERPRETATION’

By Douglas D. M elegari Staff Writer

years ago.

The very fact of the letter having been sent brings the township a step closer to the day when the ultimate use of roughly six acres of the tract considered suitable

PEMBERTON—Apparent objections

by Pemberton Township Mayor Jack Tompkins to have municipal department h e a d s at t e n d f u r t h e r Pe mb e r t o n Township Council meetings, based on the purported objections by the department heads themselves, has led the legislative b o dy to i n it ia l ly “subp o e na” t he leadership of the Department of Public Works, presumably to include Director of Public Works Tom McNaughton.

Since the exit of a permanent township business administrator back in August, and when there has not been a recognized interim business administrator sitting in the post, some department heads, including Chief Financial Officer Candice Pennewell and Police Chief Jonathan Glass, have been observed attending council sessions.

And while some department heads had attended a Jan. 1 reorganization meeting,

See INTENT/ Page 5

See SUBPOENA/ Page 7

RATHER THAN INTENT Photo By Douglas D. Melegari

Ross Viscuso, the current owner of a property at 431 N. Main Street in Southampton Township, attends a recent Southampton committee meeting to “hopefully dispel some rumors or some myths that are going around” about his future plans for the tract that once was occupied by the Stokes Cannery.

While a Letter Sent Out to Southampton Residents Who Live Within 200 Feet of the Site of a Demolished Cannery Might Have Seemed Innocuous Enough, It Has Aroused New Concern Over Affordable Housing Possibly Going Up There

By Bill Bonvie Staff Writer

SOU T H A M P TON —A lt houg h a “legal noti fic ation” letter from an environ mental consulting fir m received by a number of residents of the Vincentown section of Southampton

Township may have appeared to be somewhat innocuous, merely asking state regulators to clarify the boundaries of a wetland, it was enough to arouse the misgivings some have harbored about what will be done with the 21-acre site of a former cannery that was demolished

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LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES

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‘Terminated’ Provisional Pemberton Business Administrator Returns Before Council to Maintain He’s Still ‘Legally’ in Job, Claims He’s Been in Communication with Prosecutor’s Office Amid Residents Demanding Investigation into Wright’s Termination, Past Claims of Wrongdoing by Mayor and New Mistreatment Charges, Council President Suggests Subcommittee to ‘Get to Bottom of All This’

Saturday, January 25, 2025

Pemberton Twp.’s New Solicitor Details His Efforts to Resolve Two Matters That Have Put Town in Difficult Financial Position

Photo By Douglas D. Melegari

New Pemberton Township Solicitor Jerry J. Dasti discusses work on two development projects.

By Douglas D. M elegari

much financial harm and exposure to the township, and its taxpayers, as possible.

“The plate that we have been given is large,” declared Republican Councilman Perry Doyle. “The projects that are on them are massive, and some are not wanted. But when I tell you the gentleman (Dasti) that we picked here to sit to my right to handle these things, in two weeks, has already shown that he has nothing

Staff Writer

Photo By Douglas D. Melegari

Richard “Rich” E. Wright, Jr., who is maintaining he is still “legally” the Pemberton business administrator despite a claim of his having been terminated, describes having been in communication with the County Prosecutor’s Office.

By Douglas D. M elegari Staff Writer

PEMBERTON—Richard “Rich” E. Wright, Jr., following a public scene between him and Republican Mayor Jack Tompkins during Pemberton Township Council’s Jan. 1 reorganization meeting that concluded with Wright’s purported firing (or at least an alleged confirmation of it) as provisional business administrator, returned to Pemberton Township Council chambers during the legislative body’s latest Jan. 15 meeting to reiterate his previously-spoken about belief that the mayor cannot fire him under a Faulkner Act form of government.

“I will tell you this, I am still legally the business administrator,” Wright, who entered council chambers at 7:13 p.m., on Jan. 15, and initially took a seat in the back portion of a public seating area, told council when he was called on to make public comments. “You guys can work that out.”

Wr i g h t , o n t h e n i g h t o f t h e reorganization meeting, after allegedly being told by Tompkins he was fired, had threatened during “‘public’ comment” to bring a lawsuit “personally” against the mayor, who is already dealing with actual lawsuits and other actions due to alleged workplace wrongdoing, despite his denials of having engaged in any such behavior.

During this latest council session, Wright, in referring to his firing, maintained that he has since hired a “conflict attorney” for less than $3,000 “because I felt that the current administration’s conflict needed to be addressed.”

“She will reach out to you tomorrow,” contended Wright of his attorney.

Wright, who also contended he had just

submitted his “30-day report” that was due (to signify he is still actually working for the township), further contended he was giving this “update” to council because “everyone was advised not to talk to me.”

As far as fur ther addressing the termination, Wright, claiming he has also retained a “personal lawyer” who will “contact our (municipal) solicitor,” declared, “I have been advised not to say anything, so I will not say anything publicly.”

This newspaper previously reported that new Township Solicitor Jerry Dasti had sent Wright a letter, dated Jan. 3, confirming his termination. That correspondence maintained his firing was actually effective back on Dec. 31.

A source close to Wright had previously told this newspaper that the mayor

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PEMBERTON—Only two weeks into the Republicans having taken the reigns of Pemberton Township Council from Democrats, and hence control of the municipal solicitor post, new Township Solicitor Jerry J. Dasti has suggested the old guard left the township in a purported difficult financial position with two development projects, but that he is already actively working on resolutions to avert as

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Pemberton to Dispute Its New Affordable Housing Obligation

By Douglas D. M elegari Staff Writer

PEMBERTON—In response to “Round 4” of a state affordable housing mandate, which was recently given the go-ahead, Pemberton Township is pushing back on the number of units it should be required to allow for in the municipality.

The state Department of Community Affairs (DCA) released the “2025 to 2035 Affordable Housing Calculations” on Oct. 20, 2024, for the state’s 564 municipalities.

According to new Pemberton Township Solicitor Jerry J. Dasti, the DCA is mandating that Pemberton Township “provide an opportunity, from a zoning standpoint” to allow for 79 more units of affordable housing.

How e ve r, D a s t i e x p l a i n e d t h a t municipalities are being given until June 30 of this year to contest the figures from the DCA, or in Pemberton’s case, “to show you (the DCA) why it should be less than 79 units.”

“We think that, at most, and we don’t know for sure, we might have to zone for half of those,” Dasti maintained.

Dasti said the township’s position, arrived at after consulting with Planning Consultant Mark Remsa and Township Planner David Banisch, is based on “some developments on the books and other things,” as well as “other exemptions in the statute, which allow you to lower the number for different reasons.”

“We retain the right to counter that number, and contest that number, and show

why it should be less,” Dasti maintained of the 79 units being currently required of Pemberton. “We have to prepare a plan showing what we think it should be by June 30. It has to be sent to the DCA. Every town in the state has to do that.”

Readers can find more information ab out how t h e c a l c u l at i o n s w e r e derived for Pemberton and other towns by going to: https://www.nj.gov/dca/ dlps/pdf/Four thRoundCalculation _ Methodology.pdf “The state has really put the hammer down,” Dasti recognized.

Recently, some 26 municipalities had asked a Mercer County judge to stay the implementation of the state’s new affordable housing law, implementing Round 4, claiming the new mandate exceeds the mandated requirements, according to the New Jersey Globe.

However, according to the Globe, the judge denied the request of the municipalities on the basis that they failed to establish irreparable harm, and did not meet the burden of challenging “the validity of a legislative enactment,” and also failed to show reasonable likelihood of success on the merits of the case.

Another hearing is scheduled for Jan. 31 to decide whether to toss the lawsuit altogether.

“We feel confident there will be a lot less than 79,” Dasti declared. “And it is not that we build them, we just have to provide an opportunity for them to be constructed See HOUSING/ Page 11

LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES ♦ Page 3

Area to Be Acquired for Proposed Roundabout in Shamong Reportedly Adjusted, But Homeowner Wants Reimbursement for Value of Her Property, Which She Says is Being Diminished Shamong Mayor Recommends Filing of ‘Declaratory Judgment Action’

By Douglas D. M elegari Staff Writer

SHAMONG—A Shamong Township resident is still trying to get clarification on just how much of her property will be taken to allow for a proposed roundabout project at the intersection of Stokes and Willow Grove roads in Shamong.

She also indicated that she would like to be compensated for the value of her property, which she contended is being diminished.

Judy Sha h i n ia n, a re sident who purchased a home on the corner of the intersection in question back in March 2021, and previously maintained to the Shamong Township Committee she was not told of the project at the time (which has been in the works since at least 2019), told the Shamong committee during its Jan. 7 session, “I don’t know what to believe,” in being told different things, by different people, about how much of her property is ultimately going to be taken for the project.

“I just feel so lost not knowing or understanding what they are taking,” Shahinian declared. “You know, on the paper, it doesn’t look like they are taking much, but I am told that they are moving my driveway further down, and that they are taking a lot of property.”

Shahinian’s remarks caused Shamong Mayor Michael Di Croce to reveal what appeared to be new information, “As far as your property, I don’t believe they are going to take any of your property, or if they do, it is supposed to be minimal.”

He said that it was a “result of your complaints” that the county’s planners for the project “have moved the circle over.”

(County officials dispute that what they are putting in qualifies as a “circle.”)

The intersection also abuts the Shamong Township Municipal Building tract, as well as a commercial tract at 2 Lyons Court, owned by James Gaskill.

“And they are going to take more from Jim’s and our property,” Di Croce revealed.

Shahinian shot back, however, “But it is still going to impact the value of my home!”

“So, how do I get reimbursed for the value of my home going to nothing?”

Shahinian asked. “I can’t sell now, which I have considered, because, of course, … no one told me, when I purchased the home, that they were going to do this!”

Shahinian put her estimated loss in home value around “at least $250,000.”

Di Croce, an attorney in his day job who offered last year to assist anyone taking up See ROUNDABOUT/ Page 9

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LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES

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Police Say Call Reporting Incident of Violence at Lenape High, Prompting Massive Police Response, Turned Out to be Swatting MEDFORD—There were some scary moments for students, staff and parents of Lenape High School in Medford Township last week.

What turned out to be an “alleged swatti ng” c al l (a fals e repor t of a serious emergency) reportedly received

by Medford Township Police around 11:08 a.m. on Jan. 14, reporting what Medford Police later characterized as an “alleged incident of violence at the school,” prompted a massive police response to the high school, which is based in Medford, but serves students in grades 9-12 residing in neighboring Mount Laurel Township.

However, as Principal Toni Cattani wou ld s oon w r it e to p a r e nt s a nd guardians, “no hazards or dangers have been identified” and “there is no evidence of any danger” that was found.

“However, the Medford Police are still following their protocol and conducting a methodical search of the interior of the building,” he added.

Cattani described that police had “checked and cleared hallways, bathrooms

and lockers,” before moving on to search all classrooms.

According to a press release from Medford Police, the school had to be placed on lockdown for two hours, and an additional message from the school principal announced the establishment of a reunification center for parents and guardians of students.

“My kid is there, and as a parent this is one of the scariest things you can imagine,” one parent declared.

The school was searched by various police agencies, before authorities had determined “the initial report to be unfounded.”

An “on scene investigation revealed that there was no safety threat to students and staff,” police concluded.

The Medford Township Police Criminal Investigation Bureau is “continuing to investigate the incident.”

The Burlington County School Crisis Response Team was called to the school the following day to provide any necessary counseling to students and staff.

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By Jenn Lucas Staff Writer

MEDFORD—It was two years in the making, but on Jan. 10 the giant red ribbon was rolled out, and the champagne glasses clinked, to usher in the official opening of a new business in Medford Township, serving the Pinelands area.

The Medford location of Carinne Leisey-Gulati State Farm Insurance had opened a while ago, but it became time to celebrate the occasion, according to Margie Morace, with the agency, to let

locals know they are here, and to meet with some of the area business owners they help serve.

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(Continued from Page 1) for development will be determined. And the response that Ross Viscuso, the owner of the property at 431 N. Main Street eventually receives from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) in regard to his “Freshwater Wetlands Application” – although that process could take up to nine months, he told the Pine Barrens Tribune this past week – would be yet another that could open up a range of possible uses for the land involved.

For example, it could eventually – and quite conceivably – be used to build affordable housing – not to be confused with “low-income housing,” he emphasized, but nonetheless a source of some anxiety for established residents who fear it could have a negative impact on everything from traffic to schools.

Then again, the property could also be used for a noncommercial purpose such as a “pollinator habitat,” as Viscuso told this newspaper during an interview back in 2023 after concerns about the tract first surfaced at another township committee meeting.

Only at that time, the state Attorney General’s Office was in the midst of a crackdown in the form of a number of enforcement actions against companies accused of illegal dumping on that site, which Viscuso had purchased two years previously, as well as several others throughout the state, which had caused no small amount of consternation among local residents.

By contrast, the letter sent out on Nov. 22 by Acer Associates, LLC, a Berlinbased environmental consulting firm, to all owners of real property located within 200 feet of the tract at issue (as well as various officials), was simply intended to provide them with legal notification that an application for a “letter of interpretation” would be submitted to the NJDEP’s Division of Land Use Regulation regarding the site in question.

What that means, according to Viscuso, is simply that the agency had been asked to give its stamp of approval to the accuracy of a wetlands delineation arrived at

by Acer as one step in the lengthy and somewhat convoluted process of cleaning up the site once occupied by the Stokes Cannery, which had been contaminated by years of exposure to pesticides used on the tomatoes the enterprise turned into soup.

It is only after such decontamination has been successfully accomplished, he said, that the business of developing the six acres not considered wetlands, in a manner that meets the criteria for a TC1, or Town Center-Zone, can be addressed, possibly for the building of affordable homes that fit the financial needs of people such as teachers or police officers.

But “this is not even in a preliminary st ag e,” s a id Sout h a mpt on Mayor Ronald Heston in a phone interview with this newspaper.

Before anything else can be done with the property, Heston pointed out, it has to be certified as “clean,” and the boundaries of the wetlands determined. Once that is done, the owner will then be able to engage the services of an engineer and an architect to come up with a site plan

to be presented to the Land Use Board, the mayor noted. That, however, “could be years away,” he said.

But that is not how one neighbor of the property, Jeffrey Sibbett, of North Main Street, interpreted the plans for this particular tract when he appeared before the township committee’s Dec. 17 meeting.

Sibbett claimed that weeks before getting the letter, he had been to a land use board meeting where he heard a “discussion about some af fordable housing going onto the property” to consist of 64 units.

Sibbett maintained “they are asking for a variance from the Department of Environmental Protection to what i s a l r e a d y c o n s i d e r e d w e t l a n d s ,” apparently with an intent to “go ahead and build there.”

“Not only will this affect property values along North Main Street,” Sibbett contended. “I am two houses from this property, (and) it is going to affect enrollment in the school. It is going to affect traffic. It just blows my mind.”

Maintaining that “I know you guys are going for some resolutions and promises, I guess, by the end of January,” Sibbett said he “just wanted to make my personal plea to put a stop to this.”

Following Sibbett’s remarks, Viscuso, a real estate agent who is also a farmer and a veteran, immediately rose to “hopefully dispel some rumors or some myths that are going around.”

“The letter that this gentleman got was a letter of interpretation sent to the DEP,” he explained, adding, “Yes, the purpose of it was to delineate wetlands.”

Then, Viscuso, after noting that he hadn’t realized the extent of what he was getting involved in when he purchased the property, which he observed had sat “vacant and blighted for decades” after the cannery was razed, said he thought the township’s goal in regard to the tract was to utilize it “to achieve their affordable housing criteria,” for which it was zoned some three or so decades ago.

He also claimed he had no plans at the moment to build anything there, as he was “still working with the NJDEP to get the environmental (aspects) cleaned up.”

“Wetlands is a very difficult thing to even get close to,” Viscuso told those in attendance. “I would not want to touch the wetlands, nor would that be allowed.

Furthermore, there would actually be more preservation of that land.”

Viscuso went on to recount how there had been a couple of prior owners of the property, including one from out of state, who were “allowing criminals to come down and dump hazardous waste, bricks, concrete, and asphalt, and they were doing it for years.”

“Now, when I got the property, it seemed like a daunting task,” he said.

“It is not cheap to do any k i nd of remediation, but I thought it was a great property, and I wanted to do something good with the town.”

He also thought this particular tract could “fulfill a lot of needs” for the community.”

“So, I came in, and I began cleaning up the property, and I did it by hand,” Viscuso asserted.

Viscuso noted that church members See INTENT/ Page 7

LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES ♦ Page 5

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LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES

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Saturday, January 25, 2025

Editor’s Note – A previous news story incorrectly appeared in the Jan. 18 edition, in place of what was supposed to be the Toy Drive story, due to a production error. We apologize for the error.

Extreme Couponing Duo in Pemberton Uses Skills of Saving Money to Help Local Families in Need, Including Arranging for Toy Drive

By Jenn Lucas Staff Writer

PEMBERTON—More than 300 kids had an extra happy holiday season thanks to two local women and their love of saving money.

Two members of the Pemberton Coupon Clip It Club have taken their love of saving money and transformed it into a way to give back to their community.

Each year members of the club organize a Back-to-School Giveaway and a Holiday Toy Drive to benefit the residents of Pemberton.

“We do what we can to help the community,” said Nance Coupland, one of the club’s members. “Whether it is couponing for food deals or buying in bulk, we try and see where it can be best used and then donate it there. We are trying to build a better community for all of us.”

Kim Tauche started the Coupon Club eight years ago and met Coupland when she joined four years later. The club’s initial purpose was to meet other women and teach them how to save money through clipping coupons. As the times changed, so has couponing, Tauche said, and the club was looking to do something more. She said it used to involve a lot more looking through newspapers and clipping and sorting, but now the coupons are mostly digital. With their free time, they decided to see how they

could use their skills to give back.

The duo has taken what they know about saving money and applied it to helping others. They monitor websites and apps as people will alert them to deals that they hear about. And they have even gone dumpster diving, Coupland said.

“A warehouse had gone out of business and someone was going to bring us some toys,” Coupland said. “He asked when we could accept the delivery, and I asked where the dumpster was. I climbed in and was tossing out bags and bags of unopened stuffed animals.”

They used the bounty to brighten the day of local seniors and held on to some for later projects.

W hen the duo fi rst star ted their Christmas giving project, they gathered enough toys and items to help 85 families with gifts, Coupland said, and since then it has been like the Grinch’s heart – growing three times as big as at first.

This year, after calling on help from the community, the two were able to help 330 kids. Businesses and groups from all over the area donated items and gifts cards, while the Browns Mills Improvement Association (BMIA) came through with donating space big enough to store and sort the items.

“Every day it looked like Christmas on my porch,” Tauche said. “The community was really good about sending us toys.

Everyone helped out where they could.

Ricardo’s Pizza donated a card for a slice and a soda. The PBA (Police Benevolent Association) donated gift cards for the older kids. We even had ladies, who knit hats and scarves, give us stuff. We are open to whatever people want to give us.”

In the end, they collected more than 3,000 items, according to Coupland.

In the beginning, they used to ask families what they needed, then they would sort the toys and items that they received into bags for a family.

According to Coupland, it was tedious and somewhat confusing at pick-up time, so she came up with a new idea this year to

allow families to ‘shop’ for what they needed.

The new way of setting it up made Tauche lose sleep since she fears change, the two joked, but in the end, it turned out to be quite successful.

“We changed it up this year to make it easier, not just on ourselves, but for everyone,” Coupland said. “Parents can get just what they need.”

The two complement each other with their skills, but both are organized beyond belief to keep the wheels turning as smoothly as they do, she said.

If the club didn’t work together to score the deals they do, the ladies wouldn’t be able to help so many. Despite the way clipping coupons has changed significantly, their love of saving money and using it to help better everyone, has not.

Photos By Jenn Lucas

Some of the 3,000 toys that were donated by the community to the Coupon Clip It Club’s annual toy drive.

Saturday, January 25, 2025

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(Continued from Page 5) had helped in that cleanup effort, which also involved the NJDEP and affiliated law en forc ement, the latter fi nal ly apprehending those who were doing the illegal dumping at that site and others in the state.

The landowner also said he plans on preserving more of the acreage by Rancocas Creek, and has thought of installing a greenway there for the public to use, among other possibilities. In addition, if he should opt to build affordable housing units there, he would like to set some aside for disabled veterans.

Viscuso also emphasized that he would welcome suggestions from the public as to how the site can best be used, contending that he had no desire to create “headaches” for local residents and that his goal is simply “to make this better” for both the town and its people.

But one thing he told this newspaper that he would not consider is putting it up for sale because “I really love the property.”

Not everyone, however, was apparently

SUBPOENA (Continued from Page 1)

none were observed as being present for council’s Jan. 15 session, while the business administrator chair sat empty amid an ongoing dispute with an individual reportedly hired as a provisional business administrator, Richard “Rich” E. Wright, Jr. (see separate story).

The absence of department heads led to a standoff between the new all-Republican council and the GOP mayor. “(Township Clerk) Amy (Cosnoski) and the rest of the administration, to include the mayor and the department heads, are very good about getting back to us, to answer our questions when we do ask them prior to the meetings,” Councilman Matthew Bianchini said. “We give credit where credit is due. However, it would benefit everybody if the department heads could attend the meetings, as requested.”

Tompkins, as Bianchini and members of the audience recognized, was observed “shaking his head no.”

“Why are you saying, ‘no’?” Bianchini asked the mayor.

Tompkins answered that he “requested” the department heads to “come here,” but that he encountered “union issues.”

“They very politely requested that I excuse them from being here, for many reasons,” Tompkins declared.

The mayor said he would discuss those “many reasons” with the council “privately,” considering it a personnel discussion, before adding, “I tend to agree with them.”

“So, I have let them not come in here,” acknowledged Tompkins, reiterating he would talk to any of the five councilmen in private about the situation.

Bianchini responded that he “does not agree” with the decision, though he added, “That’s OK.” “I think a lot of the back and forth we have up here would be alleviated ‘like that,’ if they were here,” Bianchini asserted. “It

swayed by Viscuso’s proclamations, with one neighbor, Jessica Torres of North Main Street, whose father and brother had worked at the cannery, expressing disapproval of how the area was cleared of trees when he originally purchased it, which she said resulted in four baby eagles having to relocate next to her fence, and questioning the impact it would have on traffic, schools and a nearby sewer plant.

But another resident, Amy Heffernan, of Meadow Drive, expressed gratitude for what the owner has done with the tract so far.

“As a former active member of the Boy Scout troop, I appreciate what the gentleman is trying to do by cleaning up that area,” Heffernan declared. “We have seen previously what was there, and I am glad that it has been cleaned up.”

She added that “in regard to the eagles” over here on Meadow Drive, we have actually seen an uptick in their nesting near our home and have counted upwards of a dozen to 16.”

Hef fer nan than thanked Viscuso for what she said had been a “huge undertaking.”

would make your (Tompkin’s) job a hell of a lot easier!”

C ou nc i l P re side nt Joshu a Wa rd returned to the matter a short time later, asking his fellow councilmen, “As far as department heads, is there somebody who we are looking for, in particular, to appear at (a) meeting?”

Over the course of numerous council meetings, going back to last year when the council had slim Democratic control, the council and administration have had a number of back-and-forth exchanges over the requested purchase of dump trucks for the Department of Public Works, as well as a requested wash bay that would help to extend their useful life (by allowing workers to wash off road salt, etc.).

“We have got to get this dump truck t h i ng h a m m e r e d out!” r e s p o n d e d Councilman Dan Dewey to Ward’s que stion. “A nd, you k now, I gave somebody all the information for the truck wash.”

Dewey then charged “they want a drivethrough” wash bay, but maintained, “if they would have had the opportunity to watch the films … the drive-through won’t work for them!”

The councilman, a truck driver and one-time service director for a vehicle dealership, contended that a drive-through is not possible because it would require an “addition” to the building in question since there is so much equipment that is purportedly required for the operation of a wash.

Ward, upon hearing Dewey’s response and observing Tompkins’ objections, declared, “Let’s try it this way,” and turned to new Solicitor Jerry J. Dasti to ask if council has “subpoena power.”

“Yes, that is right,” answered Dasti, and after Ward received confirmation that council’s next meeting is scheduled for Feb. 5, the council president declared, “We will enact those said subpoena powers and ask for the Department of Public Works to be present at the meeting.”

Dasti was then ordered to send a

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subpoena to Public Works.

As far as how the 2025 municipal budget is coming together in the absence of a business administrator or what Councilman Harry Harper referred to as a “lack of help,” in response to a question from Harper, Tompkins answered, “We have already met with all the departments and got the very preliminary numbers.”

“As a matter of fact, I had a conversation with the CFO today to pull some of the department heads in again,” Tompkins added. “Now that we have a rough estimate of the total, and what we are looking at, we are definitely going to have to trim to get to where we need to be.”

Harper queried Tompkins about when council would “get a chance to look at the rough numbers,” but the mayor responded, “No idea.”

“How do I word this correctly – does a ‘non-sitting business administrator’ add any more time to that?” asked Councilman Perry Doyle.

Tompkins initially maintained he did not understand the question, to which Doyle clarified, “The fact that you don’t have a business administrator at this time, is that going to impact the timeliness of it (the budget) as well?”

“The administrator is always very, very helpful and hands on, on that,” Tompkins responded. “But another key component of that is the CFO and all the department heads. And the CFOs did it last year. They are very qualified. The department heads have been doing this for a while. They have been responsive for the most part. So, we will get through this.”

Page 8

♦

LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES

ADMINISTRATOR (Continued from Page 2)

had allegedly asked Wright to clean out his office on Dec. 31, and also for his resignation. That source said the mayor had also been purportedly under the assumption that the business administrator would be complying with his request, but that it was not actually until Wright showed up on Jan. 1 that he had learned otherwise, with Wright actually having not submitted a letter of resignation.

A separate, h ig h-ran k i ng sourc e previously described to this newspaper the feeling that the public scene on Jan. 1, which roiled the Republican party’s celebration of taking absolute control of council, might have been averted if the mayor had simply presented Wright with a termination letter on Dec. 31.

Dasti, in his Jan. 3 letter to Wright, wrote, in part, “While you may disagree as to the legitimacy of the township doing so (terminating Wright), please accept this letter as formal notification that your services are no longer required or requested.”

Dasti’s letter additionally tells Wright to also accept it as a “cease and desist order” against contacting township employees or councilmembers, adding a “continuation

WWW.PINEBARRENSTRIBUNE.COM of improper activity will only lead to additional damages sustained by the township in the event of litigation.”

A source close to Wright previously confirmed to this newspaper that Wright does sometimes send or post cryptic messages, and one of those messages appeared to be sent to this newspaper last week.

This newspaper received an apparent photograph of Wright’s breakfast table, and on that table was a manual for “Continual Fire Officers Development/ Education,” for “Captain Wright,” who is a firefighter.

And upon this newspaper’s closer examination of the photograph it received, a notepad beside the manual and a glass of orange juice, contained a scribbled, written message, “My lawyer advised me to follow the illegal memo from [redacted], even though it had no legal merit or value.”

“If anything, it and the memo sent to the employees are actionable,” the message concluded.

This newspaper, in the wake of the Jan. 1 incident, reported extensively on what a source close to Wright had described as a number of alleged serious concerns that Wright had come to develop, to include the whereabouts of monies for the township’s Sewer Division, formerly the Pemberton Township Municipal Utilities Authority (PTMUA), following a tour of the facility

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Township Solicitor Jerry Dasti offers to assist resident Michelle Forman, after the latter alleged that she has been mistreated by township staff, as well as Mayor Jack Tompkins.

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The moment Pemberton Mayor Jack Tompkins heard Wright’s claim that he has been in communication with the County Prosecutor’s Office following his alleged termination. last month that allegedly had revealed items to the business administrator that were in a deteriorated condition.

Wr ight, before depar ting council c h a mb e r s , d e c l a r e d , “I h ave a l s o reached out to the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office.”

“They contacted me this afternoon, which is why I wasn’t here sooner, and we will talk about that later,” said Wright, who had only entered council chambers one hour and thirteen minutes into the council meeting that was called to order at 6 p.m. “I just want to say Happy New Year and have a good night.”

Wr ight, who appeared somewhat disheveled, following his remarks, abruptly departed council chambers at around 7:22 p.m. on Jan. 15.

B u t t h e m e r e r e fe r e n c e t o t h e Prosecutor’s Office appeared to take the council and public aback, all while Tompkins looked on.

The reason Wright had made the public comment section of the meeting, despite arriving well after it began, is because council, following commencement of the Jan. 15 proceedings, had convened a nearly hour-long closed session to discuss “some ongoing litigation and contract issues.”

It was not clear, however, if the Wright matter, or the lawsuits involving the mayor, were amongst the discussion items.

However, in light of this newspaper’s

latest reporting about the purported sequence of events leading up to Wright’s termination, resident Alex Costa called on the council to “investigate” the claims detailed in the newspaper.

“It is always good to just make sure that everything is checked out and kosher,” Costa added.

Councilman Harry Harper asked Costa, in response, about what newspaper article he was referencing, to which Costa pointed to this newspaper’s coverage of the WrightTompkins dispute.

In addition to pointing to the funding allegations, Costa pointed to “security concerns, like letting an ex-employee into the building,” a reference to a visit to the municipal building by former business administrator Daniel Hornickel, which purportedly occurred in the hours leading up to Wright being asked to clean out his office.

Hornickel allegedly had contact with the township’s fire chief, Craig Augustoni, the latter whose relationship with the provisional business adm inistrator, according to the source close to Wright and chronicled in a previous edition of this newspaper, had purportedly become strained. (Hornickel previously maintained he had visited the municipal building to give something back to the fire chief and then had lunch with him, as well as wished some of his former colleagues a Happy New Year.)

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(Continued from Page 2) but the best interests of our decisions, and you guys at hand, (believe me). He does a spectacular job. His answers are thorough – his investigations and his angles, (and he is working very, very hard on some of these projects. And I want to give him accolades.”

The first has to do with the pending sale of the Browns Mills Shopping Center by the township to New Horizon Properties, which recently received approvals to restore the site with Pemberton Commons, or essentially a new shopping center.

Dasti, during a Jan. 15 Pemberton Township Council meeting, recounted the former shopping center owner having received a $4.4 million appraisal for the parcel, prior to the township purchasing it.

When the township went to seize the property through eminent domain, “the town had a trial and the judge sort of split things, or played King Solomon,” valuing the property at only around $2.7 million, according to Dasti.

Dasti then recognized that the township has a “contract” to sell the property to New Horizon for $2.7 million.

“So, we have contracted to sell the property for what it … cost us to buy it, at least,” Dasti maintained. “That doesn’t factor in the last three, four, five years of litigation, and what those expenses are.”

Dasti then declared, “So, we didn’t do a real good job on investing in this piece of real estate.”

The only consolation Dasti offered is that “eventually, there will be new tenants” who will “rejuvenate the site,” turning it

ROUNDABOUT (Continued from Page 3)

litigation against the county to stop the project, but more recently seemed to be open to displaying a symbol of the town’s heritage in the center of any roundabout, though he maintained he adamantly opposes the roundabout, during the Jan. 7 session, told Shahinian in response to her home evaluation concerns, “I think you probably need to file a declaratory judgment action, or some type of action, … as your property has been diminished, as a result of what the county is doing.”

Shahinian shared with the governing body that the lawyer she had retained for

LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES ♦ Page 9

into a ratable.

The second has to do with planned constr uction of a 354 -un it, sing lefamily home, age-restricted housing development slated for the some 153-acre Greenberg Farm, which abuts both North Pemberton and Arneys Mount roads in Pemberton Township, close to the border of Pemberton Borough.

Dasti maintained an agreement was “entered into four or five years ago” (November 2021) with the developer, K. Hovnanian at Rancocas Creek, LLC, which “requires that the town would provide water” to the development “within 90 days after they get their approvals.”

“Well, we have no water to give them,” Dasti recognized. “And the 90 days, I think, ends right around now.”

Dasti further maintained that the township had planned to obtain grant monies from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to expand its water infrastructure to not only the farm, but the “northern area of the town,” but never purportedly “formally applied for” the monies.

He revealed that the situation has since been discussed with K. Hovnanian, including the new council’s position that, “if we have any money, we are not going to spend it on that.”

There have been rumblings such a water infrastructure expansion project could cost the township upwards of some $10 million.

For the Greenberg portion of the project itself, it was split into two phases, with Dasti explaining Phase One was to require the township “to lay pipe, to connect to the borough’s water system, because the borough, at least on an interim basis, is

going to feed the water for these units.”

The engineering fees for Phase One of the project, according to Dasti, is estimated to cost $40,000.

“We advised K. Hovnanian over the last few weeks, based on directions we have received, that we ain’t paying for it!” Dasti declared.

Under a possible deal that Dasti r eve a l e d to b e i n t he work s , “K. Hovnanian is buying the piping, but our Department of Public Works is going to install the piping.”

“Installing the water piping is not a big deal, as we just throw it in the trench,” Dasti explained. “But we advised K. Hovnanian we are not paying $40,000, (rather) ‘you are.’”

Phase Two of the proje ct, Dasti explained, was to require the township to install a large standpipe, along with a water tank and booster pumps. Such work, Dasti maintained, is “getting into real money.”

“Council and administration have instructed me to advise K. Hovnanian we don’t have the money,” Dasti said. “So, we believe there will be an agreement entered into, I think before next meeting, that K. Hovnanian is going to upfront all of those fees.”

Dasti called it “a lot of money” or in the range of “seven figures,” but maintained the developer “will, at least, pay for the design and the permitting, and the construction, of all of those water capital improvements, which will service not only the remainder of that development, but also some of the surrounding areas.”

What the township will do in return, according to Dasti, is “credit” the developer any fees they might ordinarily

be assessed for connections. That will, he maintained, “effectively reimburse them for some of those expenses, as a credit towards some of the connection fees.”

“So, if they build out the project, there is more than enough connection fees to reimburse them their expenses,” Dasti said.

In addition, such an arrangement, Dasti added, would allow the township to “keep money” for “whatever else we need for the water improvements.”

“So, that is in the works,” concluded Dasti, indicating at a preceding session talks were underway with K. Hovnanian to reduce the township’s “exposure.”

This newspaper previously reported a couple months ago on Councilman (now Council President) Joshua Ward’s reservations about proposed changes he learned of to an agreement between the township and borough, to provide water to the Greenberg development project.

The purported changes in the works would allow the borough to supply more units with water than previously agreed upon. (The borough currently supplies water to 166 properties in the township, and the request is to supply another 345 units, in addition to another 166 previously agreed upon, according to Borough Solicitor Kathy Smick) Dasti, on Jan. 15, said he is going to speak with the borough’s solicitor shortly, but he gave no indication of what changes the township would like to see with the agreement.

“We are goi ng to tr y to t al k to them about revising that agreement a little bit,” Dasti said. “Stay tuned.”

the matter appeared to be increasingly disinterested in taking up the matter.

After Di Croce suggested Shahinian seek a declaratory judgment action, Township Solicitor Doug Heinold, asked the resident, “Are you going to be here for the whole meeting?”

After Shahinian replied, “Yes,” Heinold responded, “Before we go into executive session, let me talk to you for a few minutes.

I can give you a couple of names of people who specialize in this area of the law, who I think would be helpful to talk to.”

“You are not going to take my property, and that is great,” said Shahinian in reacting to Di Croce’s revelation about just how much (or how little) of her property will reportedly be taken by the county. “But still, the value of my home – I am not going to be able to

sell it for what I could possibly sell it for now.

I would at least ask for $750,000, $785,000.

I have put over $240,000 into the house, redoing it, because it needed major work, including to the well and septic.

“I have put a lot of money into this house.

I am never going to get it back. And that is not fair. So, yes, you are not taking my space, but you are killing the value. And I have to be reimbursed for that somehow.”

As of a November presentation by county officials assigned to the project, the construction commencement timeframe is set for fall 2025, with an anticipated completion date of winter 2026. The project was initially supposed to commence earlier this decade, but ultimately didn’t.

Di Croce said on Jan. 7 that local officials are “monitoring” the approval

process, and as of Jan. 7, no application had yet been filed with the Pinelands Commission, which is a requirement to move the project forward.

Di Croce said he will be interested in finding out through the commission’s process “whether or not” the planners “did a study” to determine whether the roundabout is a necessity, with Shahinian recalling the November revelation by those assigned to the project that one had not been done.

A project cost of $2.5 million (not accounting for land acquisition) was put out by county officials back in November. “$2.5 million could be used in so many other ways,” declared Shahinian, to which Di Croce responded, “Absolutely.”

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LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES ♦ Page 11

Photo By Jenn Lucas

Carinne Leisey-Gulati, owner of the State Farm Insurance office in Medford meets with, from left, Mayor Erik Rebstock, Township Manager Daniel Hornickel and Deputy Mayor Mike Czyzyk before a ribbon cutting at her business Jan. 10.

OPENING

(Continued from Page 4) talk about what insurance is best for you, and help you navigate what you want it to do for you,” she said. “You should understand what your coverage means.”

Lesha Moore, executive director of the Medford Business Association, said ribbon cuttings are an important part of a business opening because everyone gets to meet everyone face to face, which doesn’t happen much in today’s world.

“It is a great way to introduce the business to the community,” Moore de clare d. “Relationsh ip s w ith ou r community’s elected leaders, as well as other local businesses, are established. As executive director of the Medford Business Association, it was an honor to be there and to assist in helping them to make the event happen.”

If you had asked Leisey-Gulati, when she was younger, what she had wanted to do in life, being an insurance broker would have never been an answer she would have given, she said.

A ft er ow n i ng a few of her ow n businesses, as well as coaching teens and working in customer service, she described

HOUSING

(Continued from Page 3) from a zoning standpoint.”

P e m b e r t o n Tow n s h i p C o u n c i l , following Dasti’s remarks, passed a resolution Jan. 15 titled, “Commits to Round 4 Present and Prospective Need Af fordable Housing Obligations in accordance with P.L. 2024, c2.”

The “present need” in Round 4, dictated by the DCA for other towns in our area, include: • Bass River Township - 30 units • Evesham Township - 111 units

having entered into the corporate world as a retail executive, where she spent 16 years working.

Though Leisey-Gulati described having enjoyed her then-job, she said she felt there was something more out there for her.

When State Farm initially sent her a recruitment letter, she disregarded it, as it was something she had never thought about.

After receiving a notice from the State Farm Insurance branch, where she was a customer, that the owner was retiring, she said she put two and two together.

The position State Farm had offered her was at the branch where she was a customer for years.

She decided to take a leap and change careers.

“The second recruitment was more personal, and I always say there is a right time for the right endeavor,” LeiseyGulati said. “I wanted to do something more impactful with my career than clothes, furniture and shoes.”

S o m e t i m e s , L e i s e y- G u l at i s a i d , insurance companies can be viewed unfavorably, but that is often due to constraints imposed on them from the state and even the national government.

Though it is one of the most regulated

• Little Egg Harbor Township - 32 units • Medford Township - 69 units • Southampton Township - 33 units • Woodland Township - 4 units In combination with Pemberton’s figures, the state is mandating Pinelands municipalities in our coverage area allow for 358 additional affordable housing units.

According to Dasti, by a town body passing such a resolution by a Jan. 31 deadline and submitting it within 48 hours to DCA, it will have “immunity” (until the figures are finalized) from developer’s who might otherwise sue in order to force a municipality to meet its obligations.

Photo By Jenn Lucas

Margie Morace with Carinne Leisey-Gulati State Farm Insurance in Medford sets up before a ribbon cutting Jan. 10 at the business in IronStone Village. industries, she said, it is not uniformly regulated across states.

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answering the phone,” Leisey-Gulati said.

“What sets us apart from other agencies is since we are local, and have a physical location, we can offer people help ‘today’ or when they need it. We can cut a check, send an adjuster and get money moving immediately.”

The Leisey-Gulati State Farm Insurance company is located in IronStone Village in Medford.

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Cou nc i l P re side nt Joshu a Wa rd ultimately acknowledged he was “upset” by the article and would later address it.

Me a nwh i l e, Vi c k y Ad a m s , who again appeared before council calling for “transparency,” recalled having “personally fought to have the mayor recalled” because of the findings last year from a council-ordered investigation, released prior to the Wright dispute, that summarized “we find that the township has adopted appropriate employment related policies and procedures necessary to prevent, mitigate or remediate any employment discrimination, harassment, retaliation or unlawful conduct in the

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workplace” and that “notwithstanding, since taking office in January 2023, the mayor has consistently engaged in a course of workplace conduct that violates the township's anti-harassment, anti-discrimination and anti-retaliation policies without any recourse.”

She pointed to the investigatory report, summarizing the outcome of the probe, as having alleged details about the “mayor’s actions,” including “retaliatory conducts and threats of retaliation against employees” who “make good faith complaints against him.”

“I have been told that, you know, you can’t get rid of him because of the Faulkner Act,” Adams said.

But Adams then pointed to a purported Pennsylvania court decision (it is unclear whether this would have any bearing on

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New Jersey municipalities) in which it was ruled that a municipality “can incur contractual liability stemming from the actions of municipal supervisors” and that “consequently, even though an agent of a municipality, such as a township supervisor, may not be personally liable for his or her actions, the municipality itself may still be held liable if its agent breaches an obligation of the municipality.”

The findings of the Pemberton report, Adams maintained, is the “reason you can remove him,” contending Tompkins’ alleged “actions are to be considered a moral failure” and a “causation of termination.”

In addition to the raising of past allegations, resident Michelle Forman came for ward on Jan. 15 with new allegations involving municipal staff and the mayor. She described having placed

calls to the township offices to have an issue followed up on, only to be either “laughed” at or told staff is “too busy.” She also charged, “I can’t talk to the mayor, because he hangs up on me!”

“W hen Mayor (Dav id) Patr iarca (Tompkins’ predecessor) was mayor for 16 years, I would come to these meetings over and over again, and said, ‘You have the most respectful staff,’” Forman recounted.

“I didn’t care if I agreed or disagreed. They would treat me respectfully, and so would he. He never hung up on me! He never said, I am embarrassed to talk to you!”

In pointing at Tompkins, Forman continued, “I am tired of being invalidated.

He hangs up on me, and then he says, ‘I can’t talk to you, because I don’t want to be seen talking to you!’”

See ADMINISTRATOR/ Page 15

BUSINESS DIRECTORY

Page 14 ♦

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Local BUSINESS & SERVICE DIRECTORY

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ADMINISTRATOR (Continued from Page 13)

As Forman continued to talk, in what became a somewhat awkward moment, an apparent timer noise from where Tompkins was sitting sounded, causing Forman to quip, “Oh, is he the new timer, because he didn’t time anybody else tonight but me!”

It forced Ward to recognize “Amy (tow nsh ip clerk A my Cosnosk i) is my timer” for the five-minute public comment time limitation per speaker.

Cosnoski’s timer, signifying Forman’s time to make comments had come to a

close, didn’t ring until a bit later.

“Well, why is he timing?!” Forman angrily shot back. “If it is not his job, you shouldn’t be letting him time me!”

Ultimately, Dasti gave Forman his business card and said that he had paperwork in hand about her matter of concern, and would be in contact with Forman to help resolve her issue.

Meanwhile, Ward ultimately returned to the media coverage of recent events, a nd i n a l so re c og n i z i ng t he c a l l s for “ t r a n s p a r e n c y ” f rom Ad a m s , recognized, “it seems like everybody in the community wants to know what is going on.”

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Councilman Dan Dewey, meanwhile, pointed to outstanding “investigations,” including one involving Hornickel and reportedly ter minated construction official Tom Boyd.

The council president maintained he would “potentially ask for” the formation of “another subcommittee” to “go through these investigations and get to the bottom of all this.”

“And we will get more transparency, and more answers here, as soon as we possibly can, as everybody can see,” Ward said. “So, we need answers. We’ll get to the answers.”

As an aside, Harper, in answering a prior demand of Adams (and others),

in a bid for transparency, revealed that the township would soon be officially l ivestream ing its counci l me etings, while Ward announced an upcoming Tow n H a l l t o u r, s t a r t i n g i n t h e Country Lakes section of Pemberton.

Additionally, Ward said he would make himself available on the Wednesdays that a council meeting is scheduled to answer agenda questions that the public might have (this in response to resident Pat Guthrie who said the council meeting agendas merely list the titles of resolutions and ordinances, and the public, therefore, has no idea what is being voted on by the legislative body).

Page 16 ♦

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