Pine Barrens Tribune July 27-August 2, 2024

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609-801-2392 Vol. 8 – No. 32

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The News Leader of the Pines

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July 27, 2024 - August 2, 2024

A MAJOR CONTRADICTION

Hornickel Taking Leave of Petulant Pemberton to Assume New Role as Medford Twp. Manager Medford Ends ‘Extensive’ Search

by Hiring Away Administrator of Contentious Community in Same Neck of the Woods

By Bill Bonvie Staff Writer

Photo By Douglas D. Melegari

Tabernacle Town Hall.

After Months of Various Tabernacle Officials and Professionals Claiming Town Hall Is Posing Imminent Danger of Collapse into Medford Lakes-Tabernacle Road, Claims Public Is Skeptical of, But Two Structural Engineers Certified to Be Accurate, Third Structural Engineer Now Says ‘Building Is Not in Imminent Danger of Collapse’ Locals, Frustrated by Continued Road Closure and Its Impact, After Hearing It May Have Been for Nothing, Call on Officials to Resign or Be Removed, as Well as for County Prosecutor Probe, But Added Complexity Is That Judge Might Not Accept Results of Third Opinion Due to Concerns

By Douglas D. M elegari Staff Writer

TA BE R NAC L E — I n c o m p l e t e l y c ont rad ict i ng mont h s of a l lege d ly suspect claims by Tabernacle Township professionals and officials, as well as that of two structural engineers (both of whom many accused of not being independent from those individuals), who contended that Tabernacle Town Hall is in “imminent danger of collapse” into Medford LakesTabernacle Road, a third structural engineer retained by the municipality has certified on July 22 that after having performed a July 9 inspection of the building, “In our opinion, the building is

not in imminent danger of collapse.”

Me dford Lake s-Tab er nacle Road was closed in March by the Tabernacle committee with officials pointing to claims of an imminent danger of collapse, but then suddenly re-opened when a temporary injunction was granted to a group of plaintiffs seeking to prevent a planned, hasty demolition of the building, only to be ordered closed again in late May by a confounded judge, all of which has strained public resources and has led to substantial economic ramifications for local businesses, with the road still closed, as of press time.

And after the third engineer’s analysis was released July 22, calls were immediate

by locals for a multitude of township officials, both elected and appointed, to resign from public office, or be fired and/or removed, as well as for a criminal i nvestigation to be pursued by the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office.

The Tabernacle committee, under the purview of a new mayor and deputy mayor, decided in June to seek the services of Structural Engineer Rich Roberts, of Pennoni Associates, to perform another structural analysis of the building in a desperate attempt by officials to expedite t he r e op e n i ng of Me d ford L a ke s Tabernacle Road.

See CONTRADICTION/ Page 6

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MEDFORD—After an “extensive” ninemonth search for a new township manager to replace Katherine “Kathy” Burger, who retired last November – one that involved reviewing some 45 resumes and conducting interviews with nine candidates from locales ranging from Florida to Colorado – Medford Township has ended up hiring Daniel Hornickel, the beleaguered business administrator of neighboring Pemberton Township, for the job.

A resolution added to the regular agenda calling for Hornickel to be retained was unanimously adopted at the township council’s July 16 meeting, followed by the reading of a prepared statement by Solicitor Tim Prime, who later told the Pine Barrens Tribune that Hornickel was scheduled to assume his new duties on Sept. 3.

“My plan is to work for Pemberton until I start in Medford,” Hornickel told this newspaper in response to a call placed to his office. “I have a vacation scheduled, but I’m not taking a vacation between jobs.”

The recruitment effort that preceded the decision to hire him, according to Prime, included “the placement of ads on the New Jersey League of Municipalities website and at the International City/ County Management Association, with Medford’s Interim Manager Thomas Czerniecki, a former municipal manager in neighboring Evesham Township, who is now chief executive officer of Jersey Professional Ma n a g e m e nt (J PM ), a mu n i c ip a l management, consulting and recruiting firm, assisting the mayor and council “in recruiting the right candidate to take over this pivotal position.” Additionally, he said, “search announcements with information about the position and the community were sent through JPM’s internal digital marketing databases, which reach 1,500 recipients across the eastern United States.

Hornickel’s tenure with Pemberton Township, which began in 2019, has been one increasingly plagued by contention and See LEAVE/ Page 8

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LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES

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Saturday, July 27, 2024

Purgatory Road Bridge in Southampton Closed After Hole Discovered; New LeisureTowne Leadership Introduces Themselves, Board Priorities Officials Acknowledge Number of Banners Paying Tribute to Local Veterans Not Hung This Year Because of Condition, But Vow Print Order Will Be Placed

By Douglas D. M elegari Staff Writer

SOUTHAMPTON—Purgatory Road in Southampton Township was abruptly closed on July 13 after a motorist discovered a hole on a bridge there, according to Southampton Mayor Michael Mikulski during a July 16 Southampton Committee meeting.

Repairs are now in the hands of Burlington County, according to the mayor. As of July 24, a portion of the road was dug up, with it remaining closed to through traffic.

The committee did not make any appointments to the vacant township administrator position on July 16. But what it did do is introduce an ordinance that is intended to adjust the minimum and maximum salaries for various officials and employees of the Township of Southampton.

“We are in the process of hiring an administrator,” said Mikulski as he brought up the proposed ordinance. “This will give us room to hire an administrator this summer.

In fact, hopefully it will be very soon.”

The details of the proposed revised r a nge s were n’t m a de i m me d iat ely available, but once the ordinance is adopted, it will enable the committee to set the actual salary for the position within the range via a resolution.

Adopted on second reading were

amendments to the township’s “No-Knock Ordinance,” the latter which enables the township to maintain a list of residents who do not want to be solicited. That list is then supposed to be given to anyone applying for a permit to solicit in the township.

Under the existing law, the list was required to be renewed every three years, but as previously reported by this newspaper, recently it had come to light that the township staff did not renew the list because of an oversight, and as a result, solicitors reportedly began knocking on doors of residences in the LeisureTowne retirement community of Southampton, including of those who did not want to be disturbed by solicitations, creating a purported stir.

Now, 20 days following the July 16 session when the amendments take effect, “you are on the ‘Do Not Disturb List,’ according to Mikulski, “unless you sell your house, pass away or ask to be removed from it.”

“I want to thank the township committee for making adjustments to the ordinance,” said Evelyn “Evie” Doherty, who said she was speaking as a resident during a public hearing for the amendments. “It is an invaluable ordinance for the people of Southampton.”

During the regular public comment session, two members of the LeisureTowne See BRIDGE/ Page 7

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LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES ♦ Page 3

Shamong Residents Describe Number of Disturbances Resulting from Recent Off-Road Vehicle Usage in Calling on Officials to Act Complaints Prompt Officials to Update Efforts to Redevelop Pit Frequented by Riders; Mayor, Administrator Cite ATVs, Dirt Bikes in Describing Damage to Sports Complexes

By Douglas D. M elegari Staff Writer

SHAMONG—Off-road vehicles and their operators are being cited as the source of a number of disturbances in Shamong Township in recent weeks, with several residents calling on local officials to address the issue.

A residence on Woodgate Drive in Shamong, according to two residents of the street, is where some of the disturbances are alleged to originate.

“We got street bikes, dirt bikes and ATVs coming out of a single residence doing 70 mph in a 15-mph zone,” an individual who lives in a neighboring home told the Shamong Township Committee during its July 9 regular meeting.

The man who came forward with the complaint noted that he is “pro-dirt bike and ATV,” but that efforts to resolve the safety issue in a neighborly fashion have not worked.

“We have done as neighbors everything we can possibly do,” the man contended.

One of the final straws in coming forward to the committee in requesting its assistance, according to the man, is that “I saw a camp bus letting a kid on, and an ATV went around the bus while its red lights were on.”

Additionally, the individual contended that those at the home in question are “revving engines” and “working on machines” at “all hours” to the point it is “becoming a nuisance” and “disturbing” the peace of the neighborhood, “ruining why people stay here.”

“I am tired,” the man declared. “I am hurt.”

On one particular night of late, the man recounted that the “noise was so bad” that he went inside his home versus enjoying the outdoors and “turned on the Phillies game,” but that he could not hear it.

“That is not Indian Mills,” the man asserted.

A second individual, who lives a couple doors down from where the man lives, came forward to the dais to support the observations.

“It is crazy,” the person said. “It is a problem and big headache.”

Mayor Michael Di Croce appeared to be familiar with the residence in question, revealing that “I believe an inspector has been out to the property and violations have been issued, or are on the way.”

The mayor vowed to “contact the police personally.”

The property in question also appeared to be familiar to Township Administrator and Clerk Susan Onorato.

“We have been working on several things on that property,” she acknowledged.

“And we need the state police’s assistance.”

Also drawing a complaint during the session was off-road vehicle riding reportedly taking place at Murphy’s Pit, a 16.5-acre parcel on Atsion Road that has long been the subject of a solar array plan, but the project has yet to come about.

“I live across from the sand pit and I have called about constant dirt bikes, not just one or two,” contended a woman, claiming that it now “sometimes sounds

like Atco” there, or what was heard when vehicle races took place at the now-former Atco Dragway in neighboring Waterford Township. “Now people are showing up with trucks, riding around the tracks. They are also using public roadways to go up and down. And as was pointed out, they are not doing the speed limit.”

She also claimed to be finding “cases of beer on the side of the road” near the pit, as well as “now hefty contractor bags on the side of the road.”

The woman, who described the purported activity as “beginning at 8 a.m.” and “constant,” with it worse in the summertime, contended that for her, the final straw was when she got into a “screaming and yelling” match with some of the individuals, and that after responding State Troopers left the scene, she was allegedly threatened with one of the individuals purportedly remarking, “‘We know where you live.’”

“This is absurd!” the woman declared. “ … We are at our wits end and are coming to the people responsible for leading this community.”

The woman called on the township to address alleged “absentee landlords” of the pit, who she contended “have no clue of what is taking place there.”

“They need to be held accountable!” the woman declared, calling for private security to be retained by the parcel’s owners, maintaining that was also suggested by the state police. “My life is not going to get threatened! I have it all on videotape!”

Di Croce, who has “lived here for 32 years,” contended that off-road vehicle riding at the pit has been a “longstanding issue.” He described that putting a solar field at the pit has been “something we are working on” and between a solar array, fencing, and trees slated to be installed, “hopefully that will cure the issue.”

But as Township Solicitor Doug Heinold indicated, the solar project is not yet set in stone.

One obstacle, he explained, is that the project has struggled to obtain state funding, with it getting a lower grade as opposed to other proposed projects during the application process.

“If they had found dumping or belowgrade problems on the Murphy’s Pit site, it would have been better from a state perspective,” Heinold said. “They did not.”

The “second issue” is that the solar system would encompass a “fairly large piece of property,” according to Heinold, with what is proposed a “fairly large solar field.”

“The infrastructure from the utility has to be able to take that on,” said Heinold in indicating it currently is not able to do so in alluding to an “infrastructure issue at the utility level.”

However, the solicitor contended that the redeveloper is still “committed” to the site and “if” erecting a solar array is “not achievable,” the redeveloper is “looking at other options.” He went on to describe that the township has been, and continues to be, “incredibly flexible with what they See DISTURBANCES/ Page 9

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LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES

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Observations of Survey Work Give Rise to Prospect That County Is Nearing Installation of Roundabout for Shamong Intersection Those Whose Land Is Slated to be Taken for Project Say They’ve Retained Lawyer, with Mayor Telling Them He’ll ‘Support You Anyway Necessary’ in Fighting ‘Circle’

By Douglas D. M elegari Staff Writer

SHAMONG—Following a couple years of dormancy, it appears, from resident observations, Burlington County is getting ready to finally pursue a project to install a roundabout at the intersection of Willow Grove and Stokes roads.

But Shamong Mayor Michael Di Croce, during a July 9 Shamong Township Committee session, told those opposed to the project that if they file a lawsuit against the county, “I will support you anyway necessary.”

Di Croce reminded those in attendance that the county first proposed a “traffic circle” at the intersection in 2019, and at the time, he was the only member of the governing body to vote in opposition to a resolution memorializing township support (the then-governing body majority at the time claimed their hands were forced because of the county’s recommendation for the intersection and fear of liability, but the makeup of the local body has since changed with Di Croce, now mayor, the last of the remaining members from back in 2019.)

The prospect that the county is getting ready to finally proceed with its planned roundabout was raised by James Gaskill, who owns commercial property abutting the intersection, proclaiming during the July 9 session that the county has “started surveying for the circle that I don’t think we need.”

Gaskill described his upset with having “lost three potential sales,” with would-be buyers disappearing “as soon as they find out the (county) is involved, taking some property” to make way for the roundabout.

With the municipal complex also abutt i ng the i nt er s e ct ion, Ga sk i l l described in committee chambers his belief that the county engineers should “come this way with it so it doesn’t harm” the private property owners who would be affected by having land taken away.

He described that one potential buyer “walked away” from a deal that would have seen a sports complex built, with the prospective buyers needing “every remaining inch” in the industrial park.

“I think it is a hardship to the township to lose a ratable,” said Gaskill, noting the

county’s current plan would significantly reduce the size of the available property.

Gaskill described having traveled to a roundabout in Gibbsboro, and after seeing it, he called the prospect of one locally a “complete joke.”

“Farm equipment is not going to be able to go anywhere near the intersection,” said Gaskill in pointing to the number of farmers who traverse the area given the nearby farms.

The intersection of Willow Grove and Stokes roads has long been considered a dangerous intersection with a number of head-on collisions, some that have been fatal.

Gaskill, however, maintained that the “intersection is not the problem,” but rather the “people not obeying the law.”

“It is human error,” he contended. “I don’t know how to correct it other than a four-way stop and blinking light. And that is what it needs. For them to say it is not feasible, that is ridiculous! I think the township should step up and put them in their place!”

Di Croce responded by saying in part, “We don’t need it; don’t want it.”

The mayor also pointed to an original $20 million cost estimate for the project, contending it was reduced to $2 million after his opposition was made known. But Gaskill, who appeared to be familiar with real estate, maintained just the land acquisition for the project would cost the county $3 million.

“I will fight it tooth and nail,” Gaskill vowed.

In addition to Gaskill’s observation that the county has begun working on the project again, Di Croce confirmed that the township solicitor, Doug Heinold, received a letter dated June 26 from the county that states the county is “coming along and ready to start doing property surveys.”

But also coming forth to report an observation that the survey work is commencing is a woman named “Judy,” who bought a house on the corner recently.

Upon learning of the county’s intent, the woman contended she had called the county to “tell them they are not allowed on my property to do any kind of survey,” but then, “recently a gentleman was on my See SURVEY/ Page 9

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Saturday, July 27, 2024

Pemberton Firefighters Battle Four Structure Fires Over Past Month in What Chief Describes as ‘Unusually Busy’ Time for Department

Photos Provided

Pemberton Township firefighters work to put out a kitchen fire on July 20 at a home on East Lakeshore Drive.

By Douglas D. M elegari Staff Writer

PEMBERTON—It has been an “unusually busy” time for Pemberton Township firefighters who, as of press time, have battled four structure fires in the municipality over the course of just the past month, including three that are considered major ones.

According to Fire Chief Craig Augustoni, firefighters on June 30 were called to a gas station and auto repair facility on Pemberton-Browns Mills Road at 4:04 a.m.

It was there that firefighters found a garage “totally involved” in flames in what was declared a two-alarm fire as the agency “called for extra water tenders because there is no water out there.”

The fire was put under control at around 4:50 a.m., the chief said, and no injuries were reported.

Then, on July 1, firefighters responded to a residence at 397 Magnolia Road after receiving word of an alarm activation at 12:56 p.m.

“When we arrived there, the structure was well involved with fire on the first and second floors,” Augustoni told this newspaper.

The home was “totaled,” according to the chief, describing that firefighters left the scene of what had been declared a twoalarm fire at 6:32 p.m.

“Everyone was out,” he said of the home’s occupants upon firefighters’ arrival, noting the Red Cross was called in to assist the victims who were uninjured in the incident.

The Magnolia Road inferno, the chief described, challenged firefighters because it was “horribly hot outside.”

Also occurring at midday was a fire on July 9 on Dennis Avenue, in the Browns Mills section of the township.

Firefighters were called to a home there

Protectors Of Public Health & Property

at 12:52 p.m., according to Augustoni, and found that a pickup truck had caught fire in a driveway, with the flames having spread to the adjacent residence.

The inferno on Dennis Avenue was placed under control at 1:34 p.m., Augustoni said, but the home “had major damage.”

“The fire spread from the pickup truck into the garage, and from the garage, it got up into the roof,” Augustoni explained.

“There is major damage throughout the house. Once the siding caught fire, it got up into the soffit in the garage. It wasn’t a total loss, it just had major damage.”

Again, according to the chief, the Red Cross was brought in as a handful of people were living inside the home and became “displaced because they could not go into the house” due to the damage.

No injuries were reported in that blaze as well, Augustoni said.

Firefighters were also called to a house fire in Browns Mills, at 603 East Lakeshore Drive, on July 20 at 12:17 p.m.

According to the fire chief, the fire was contained to the kitchen area of the home, but there was smoke damage throughout the dwelling.

That blaze, the chief said, also displaced the owner and occupants, who are reported to be staying with family.

All four fires, according to Augustoni, are still under investigation by the county and state fire marshals.

“It has been unusually busy,” the fire chief described to this newspaper, noting that from July 1 to 15 alone, the agency, which includes an EMS division, got dispatched to 68 calls, when it usually only responds to some 30 calls in a month long period, or what amounts to one call a day.

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Animal Cruelty Probe Initiated After Authorities Reportedly Find Over 50 Cats, ‘Some Dead, Some Dying’ at Wrightstown Home Local Officials Describe That Some Cats Are Slated to Be Euthanized as County Shelter Doesn’t Have Capacity to Take Them All; Borough Has Already Spent $4K on Response Editor’s Note: We have launched a new website, nwburlingtonreview.com, providing coverage to Northwestern Burlington County communities for a paid subscription. Please give Northwest Burlington Review a follow-on Facebook and X to learn what is happening in the rest of the county. This story is part of our launch.

By Douglas D. M elegari Staff Writer

W R IGH T STOW N — A n “a n i m a l cr uelty” probe is under way by the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office and New Jersey State Police, the Northwest Burlington Review has learned, after at least 50 cats were reportedly recently discovered at a home in Wrightstown Borough.

But like past situations in Burlington County involving alleged possible animal cruelty, authorities are reportedly limited in how they can bring any charges in the matter or seek “restitution,” with local officials acknowledging the borough doesn’t have a “cat ordinance,” even though the need for one had reportedly been raised previously, with state law limited in this regard.

There has also reportedly been a question of how to best handle the occupants of the home, who reportedly have remained on site, all while conversations have been had by local officials with the Burlington County Health Department.

According to Sgt. Vincent Antenucci, of the New Jersey State Police, the agency was notified of the “possible animal cruelty” on June 25, and detectives responded to the scene in the 200 block of E. Main Street.

“They did find evidence of that,” Antenucci told Wrightstown Borough Council during its June 26 meeting. “It is an ongoing investigation.”

Antenucci said New Jersey Animal Control and the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office are both involved in the investigation.

The state police sergeant described that “numerous cats” have been removed from the home since the investigation commenced.

“They can’t take them out all at once, because I guess there is not enough room at the shelter,” Antenucci said.

Borough Clerk Freda H. Gorman advised the borough council that she is “hearing as many as 50 to 70 cats” were found at the home.

“Some of them were dead,” she said.

“Some of them were dying.”

Gorman described that the Burlington County Health Department had advised the borough of a decision to “euthanize some of the cats on-site.”

“I don’t know if that has happened,” Gorman cautioned the borough council.

Gorman advised the borough council that the municipality is going to be faced with significant bills as a result of the situation, between having to pay an animal control officer to respond and the taking of some of the animals to NorthStar VETS, a 24-hour emergency veterinarian hospital.

“Is that something that can be passed on to the resident?” asked Councilman Joseph Craig.

As he asked his question, another person

shouted aloud, “Send them (the occupants of the home) a bill!”

Borough Solicitor Kevin Sheehan asked if the case would be brought in municipal court, with Antenucci replying “most likely,” but that the “investigation is still ongoing.”

“Assuming that you find violations and things have to be done, and you go to municipal court, let’s make sure the prosecutor asks for restitution to pay the costs,” Sheehan declared.

During a subsequent July 10 council meeting, Gorman reported that the municipality has already incurred more than $4,000 in costs in its response to the situation, adding, “I am sure there is going to be more,” noting the state police and Prosecutor’s Office have requested further assistance in setting “traps” to “get more cats in the house.”

Local Certified Municipal Finance Officer Karen Baldino described that local officials will need to adopt an “emergency appropriation” and finance the costs of the cleanup and “raise it in next year’s budget.”

Gorman also revealed that an “infrared camera” was deployed on scene and “found three more cats in the wall” of the home.

She described a suggestion that came about, as a result of that finding, to order the property owner to “board up the wall” of the residence because “cats can get in from the outside.”

“The construction official sent out a notice of violation today requiring the homeowner to board up the walls,” Gorman told the council, noting that the owner has 14 days to comply with the order.

Antenucci, on June 26, added that state police found the house to be “in total disarray.”

“It was horrible,” he declared. “They went and got Tyvek suits today in case they have to go back.”

On July 10, the question was put to officials whether anyone is living in the house, to which a reply of “Yes,” was offered, with Gorman explaining that upon contacting the Burlington County Board of Health, the borough was asked if it has a “plan in place to house the occupants,” but given there is no such plan (the borough, according to Gorman, would have to pay to house the occupants), the board was told to hold-off, with officials instead first involving the local construction official.

“I hope it has weight,” said Gorman of the construction official’s order. “But he is going to try.”

There was some brief mention during the council meeting that the person “hoarding cats” may have been “trying to help them out or something,” but as Wrightstown Mayor Donald Cottrell noted, cats (in such quantities) “can make you sick, quick.”

Antenucci assured borough council “everyone is involved” and the situation See CATS/ Page 9

LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES ♦ Page 5

Mayor Says Signs Welcoming Visitors to Shamong Township Stolen SHAMONG—It’s been an unwelcome sight recently in Shamong Township.

That is because someone stole Shamong Township’s new welcome signs, intended to welcome people to the municipality when they cross into its borders.

They also serve a more significant purpose in letting people know, especially vistors, what town they are in should an emergency arise.

Mayor Michael Di Croce announced the theft of the signs at a July 9 Shamong Township Committee meeting and asked local parents for their help in having the signs returned.

“If you have any children in college, hanging them on the wall, please have them dropped off, and we won’t press charges,” said Di Croce, opting to instead arrange for the individual(s) behind the alleged act to perform community service in the event the signs are returned promptly.

Township Administrator and Clerk Susan Onorato said the tow nsh ip, otherwise, will have to recoup its costs through its insurance.

She told this newspaper the cost of the two signs to be created, and to replace them, was $6,800.

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LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES

CONTRADICTION (Continued from Page 1)

That despite the judicial process playing out in which presiding Judge Richard Hertzberg ordered both the plaintiffs and defendant (Tabernacle Township) to decide on an “independent structural engineer,” with a different firm decided on from that of Roberts.

At the time of retaining the services of Roberts, Mayor Noble McNaughton and Deputy Mayor Joseph Barton explained it would allow the township to perhaps learn in the quickest fashion possible of any danger the building poses to road traffic (already appearing to set aside the earlier engineering claims) and give the municipality an understanding of whether Town Hall can be braced in any capacity should it present an imminent danger, to allow the road to be reopened.

There was no answer, however, as to whether Hertzberg would even accept the report, with it reported the judge has been growing increasingly irritated with attempts to sidestep the judicial process.

The decision to retain Pennoni to provide a third analysis also became controversial as it was Tom Leisse, of Pennoni, who in acting in the capacity of the township engineer up until last month, had agreed with the claims of the imminent danger the building posed, with a Pennoni document outlining a fall area for Town Hall submitted to Hertzberg

by Township Solicitor William Burns in an effort to convince the judge that the building poses an imminent danger of collapse and that the injunction should not be granted.

Bu r ns also had fi le d a motion of reconsideration of the judge’s injunction decision, relying on the same documentation.

Knowing all of that, questions had been raised by locals about a possible conflict of interest and what would happen should a Pennoni structural engineer actually contradict the opinion of one of its own employees, Leisse, with the word “fraud” thrown about, though it had come out that Leisse is actually a chemical engineer.

To this day, officials have not explained why a Pennoni structural engineer had not been sought to begin with, and there was a time early on in this dispute in which the committee (by a narrow vote, not including the current mayor and Committeeman William Sprague, Jr.) had decided against retaining any structural engineer and to simply go along with the conclusions of a township architect, Construction Official Tom Boyd and Leisse, with Leisse having contended it would be difficult to schedule a structural engineer to meet the urgency of the moment.

The original two structural engineers were

WWW.PINEBARRENSTRIBUNE.COM only retained after a Pinelands Commission directive, given the historic nature of the building and its location in the Pinelands.

Last month, McNaughton, who assumed the mayoral position from Committeeman Mark Hartman, announced Joseph Raday, of Pennoni, as the township’s new engineer. Leisse’s status was not made known by the mayor.

It was Raday, “office director” for Pennoni’s Camden office, who announced during the July 22 committee meeting the findings of Roberts following his July 9 “site visit” to 163 Carranza Road.

“He witnessed obvious settlement of the front foundation wall along the road, Route 532,” said Raday of Roberts’ observations.

“There is also significant wood decay of silt plate on the foundation wall.

“However, we did not observe cracks in the foundation walls that would indicate concerning structural conditions. In our opinion, the building is not in imminent danger of collapse.”

That conclusion led to i m mediate applause from a packed crowd at the July 22 Tabernacle committee meeting, with it having vindicated laypersons who spent months up at the dais reporting their observations that the previous conclusions were suspect, including a man who had shot the building with surveying equipment, only to find it had not moved much over time.

McNaughton, upon the third structural engineer’s conclusion being made public, said he spoke to Roberts and “he was more concerned about the age of the building and hurricane winds,” which has nothing to do “with any of the deterioration … not really deterioration … but things that need to be fixed.”

“But just because of the age of the building, he felt interior bracing for hurricanes (is needed), as some of the building might not hold up to what the code is now,” McNaughton said.

Later in the meeting, McNaughton ultimately asserted he would like to “congratulate those people” who took the township to court and stopped the demolition from taking place (for now).

“If it wasn’t for the people who sued the township, the building would have been gone by now,” McNaughton maintained.

“I am very happy that they did it.”

Loc al transparency advoc ate and resident Fran Brooks, however, described a potential complicating factor that “there is an understanding the judge is not going to accept anything from the Pennoni group,” questioning, “Why are we paying Pennoni money now to issue a report a judge is not going to accept?”

“I believe the last conversation with the

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judge is he is not accepting anything from Pennoni,” she maintained.

Brooks then turned her attention to Roberts’ findings contradicting the previous claims of Leisse, despite the two being from the same firm.

“Why did we pay Mr. Leisse thousands, upon thousands, of dollars to issue all of his non-sensical, third grade reports on the building to sustain the Beach reports (a Michael A. Beach & Associates representative had joined with Leisse to convey the Town Hall posed an imminent danger, and then a structural engineer from the same firm doubled down on those claims in an analysis)?” Brooks asked. “He took money from us that should have never been spent and that is so unacceptable!”

Brooks, in addressing Raday, declared, “We should not be charged for any reports, because, number one, the judge is not going to accept it, and two, we already paid through the nose for Mr. Leisse, when he should have said, ‘I am not a structural engineer.’”

She questioned how it was only “suddenly” officials could find a “guy” from the Pennoni firm to come in that has 40 years’ experience in structural engineering, before lambasting Leisse as allegedly “incompetent.”

“He has cost township residents huge amounts of money,” Brooks maintained.

“If I was his boss, I would fire his behind!

I am pissed – I am really pissed off, that as a resident, we had to pay huge amounts of money to your firm for documents and reports we should have never received! We should not have to pay a single penny for anything you have done for the July 9 report because the judge is not going to accept it anyway!”

First Amendment Activist Patrick Duff, who helped organize the lawsuit brought against the township to stop the demolition, said of the local officials, in part, that “you guys have failed the town,” especially “you, Mr. Burns, by doing a motion to reconsider,” and in doing so, having provided Hertzberg with documents “rubberstamping” that the “building is about to fall tomorrow.”

Only to have a situation, Duff pointed out, that months after the fact, “now you are saying you need a hurricane” to cause the building to fail, “when a couple months ago, it was about to fall into the road on a bus load of kids.”

The township committee again heard the pleas of a local farmer to have the road reopened, noting there is only a month left for him to sell his crops at a roadside stand, and a short time from now, a second cut of hay is in order (he previously described there is no traffic at his roadside stand due to the closure, and the barriers are preventing him from safely accessing his fields).

“You should sue Mr. Boyd and Pennoni,

the ones who told you the building is going to fall down,” Duff advised.

Duff turned to Hartman and Committeeman Samuel “Sammy” Moore, who had joined with Natalie Stone (then-deputy mayor) earlier this year, in voting to demolish the building and initially not retaining a structural engineer to provide an opinion. (Stone has since resigned from office over public pressure on this matter, as well as over comments that came to light about Pineys.)

“You believed it somehow,” said Duff of the prior claims of Boyd and Leisse, contending that it came as a contractor, back in March, had “said the floor didn’t even creak” when inside the building to do some remediation work.

Leisse’s previous claims are both on tape as part of the public record, and memorialized in documents, but when Duff pointed out “just five months ago” Leisse, among others, “were here saying the building was about to fall down in the road,” and emphasized to Rayday “somebody in your firm said that,” and asked of Rayday, “Do you want to apologize to the people?”, Rayday responded by claiming he is “not aware of that.”

It led to gasps from the audience.

“One of the first steps” toward moving forward, however, contended Duff, is that there should be a “township-wide apology.”

In pointing to both Hartman and Moore, Duff declared, “You screwed up; you should resign.”

Similar calls were echoed by Brooks.

“Mr. Hartman, I don’t know why you are still here,” Fran Brooks declared. “Have you no shame? You are an embarrassment to this township. You wasted thousands of tax dollars associating yourself with Mrs. Stone, who knew as little as you did. It is time for you to leave. Don’t keep spending our money by collecting your salary!”

She also asserted, “Mr. Moore, you also should go!”

Stuart Brooks, also a local transparency advocate who is Fran’s husband, pointed to Leisse’s “unwavering support for demolition that was the problem,” further emphasizing, “now we know how his conclusions match his firm’s new report,” or that they are “completely opposite.”

A $27,000 invoice from Leisse for his work on the Town Hall matter, he maintained, should not be paid, and as far as the prior votes of Hartman, Moore and Stone to demolish the Town Hall, Stuart Brooks called them “quick, thoughtless and dirty votes.”

But the current committee, after brief discussion, unanimously approved of the invoice submitted by Leisse, though Barton, who pointed out he wasn’t on the committee

See CONTRADICTION/ Page 8

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BRIDGE

(Continued from Page 2) Board of Trustees came forward, William Cozzi and Kathy Henson. Cozzi, in a pronouncement, said they represent “the new board assembly” following a Trustees election, with Cozzi having succeeded Doherty as president, and Henson having succeeded Cozzi as vice president. Doherty remains on the board as a trustee, with Richard Paul and Ree Martin newcomers, also joining Trustee Karen French.

Cozzi, in briefly addressing the elephant in the room, or the status of the promised relocation of the electrical switchgear station from St. Davids Place by a solar developer, described that it is “in the hands of attorneys and engineers to fine tune the project to see where it is going to go.”

Doherty’s correspondence, just before Cozzi assumed the presidency, described that it has taken longer than expected for both parties to reach an agreement on using a pole array, and also longer than expected to agree on the pole array configuration,” describing that the next step was for the

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board and its professionals to meet with the solar company to review a “site plan” that will place equipment on our property.

The Pine Barrens Tribune has learned that just before the board election, in June, Doherty, in a community newsletter, announced that LeisureTowne’s longtime attorney, Gregg A. Shivers, of Hill Wallack LLP, is “no longer” being used by the board, and has been replaced with Attorney Jonathan H. Katz, of Becker Lawyers, “for all HOA business.”

However, ac c ord i ng to the Ju ne pronouncement from Doherty, Richard Roy and Paul Leodori, from the BBRL law firm, have been retained “for the solar farm and lake projects.”

Cozzi, in informing the township committee of the board’s priorities, raised the issue of the township needing to finish installation of road signage in the community (several intersections have been reported to lack stop signs), as well as “problems with the eyebrows.”

Mikulski replied he thought the stop signs had been installed, with Henson responding that the project was started, but not finished, and in detailing the problems

with the eyebrows (or township islands in the middle of some of the development’s roads), Cozzi explained people are parking “on both sides of the aisle” giving rise to concerns about the ability for emergency vehicles to get through.

He maintained there is a need for “some kind of restriction on the parking” and questioned whether signage might also be a way to deter the parking problems from happening.

Cozzi also pointed out to the township committee in his first public comments since becoming board president that “LeisureTowne is encouraging people to do all kinds of activities because we are getting people from all over the country now moving into LeisureTowne,” who do “a lot more biking and hiking.”

And, he explained, the residents with recreational habits are making more use of the back entrance to the development at Retreat/Big Hill roads. However, he contended, a sharp curve near the back entrance on Big Hill Road, or what he referred to as “Dead Man’s Curve,” requires more signage to slow people down.

“Good luck,” replied Mikulski to Cozzi’s hope to get motorists using Big Hill Road

LOCAL NEWS / FEATURES ♦ Page 7 to slow down, to which Cozzi emphasized, “We really need to get signs on that road.”

Ultimately, Mikulski asked Cozzi to “jot down a list how many signs you want” and he will bring the requests to Public Works.

Also speaking during public comment was resident Susan Costales, who noted she could not find the veteran’s banner for her late husband hanging in the Village of Vincentown this year (banners for the township’s veterans are usually hung as tradition to honor the vets).

Deputy Mayor Ron Heston explained that there is a “stack this high of banners that would be disrespectful to hang” because they have been weathered.

“They have not been ordered in a few years, and so many of them are beaten up,” Mikulski said.

Heston, also a member of the local Ju n ior Order of Un ite d A mer ic an Mechanics, which plays an instrumental part in the banner-hanging project, said the original order forms for the banners were just discovered and families will be contacted soon, as he and another person he works with on the initiative, are “putting together another print order.”

Page 8

♦

EVENT CALENDAR

CONTRADICTION (Continued from Page 6)

until after Stone had resigned, contended that the oversight over the project that Leisse had invoiced for should have really been done by “our township administrator (Maryalice Brown) and code official (Boyd).”

Brown, over the past several meetings, has faced multiple calls to resign from office. At the very end of the July 22 meeting, following an executive session, McNaughton announced that the committee would be advertising for a full-time township administrator (Brown currently provides part-time services to Tabernacle through a shared service agreement with neighboring Woodland Township). He stopped short, however, of saying whether Brown would be leaving.

Raday, in light of Robert’s findings about age and wind load, contended “we are preparing plans for the installation of temporary diagonal bracing of the first floor” to provide “strength against wind loads.”

“The bracing will extend from below the second floor to the exterior front wall, down to the base of the adjacent columns,” he said.

“We are also going to recommend additional interior bracing to increase resistance to wind loads. Note, however, while installation of bracing will strengthen the building, it is not designed to resist the full code design wind load due to a hurricane. And that is due to the overall age of the building.”

As for the timing of coming up with the design specs for any bracing project, Raday said he would “imagine I would have something in a week or two.” However, despite all the planning taking place, it is unclear whether Hertzberg will accept the Pennoni opinion, and therefore, it could all be moot, with there being a possibility that the judge would instead accept the opinion of the independent engineer that falls within the purview of the court, and any bracing recommendations that person puts forth.

Locals showed up to the July 22 meeting livid with Boyd having issued a second Notice of Unsafe Structure on July 1, compelling the township to “demolish the unsafe structure” by Aug. 2, or “correct the unsafe conditions” by then.

Boyd, in issuing the notice, said it was “pursuant to letters from Michael Beach of April 11, 2024, Jay Rosen (of SE2 Engineering, the second firm brought in by the township to do an analysis of the Town Hall), of April 10, 2024, and Ryebread Architects of April 25, 2024.”

McNaughton, in trying to calm tensions, contended the public has to “understand Mr. Boyd has two employers,” including the

WWW.PINEBARRENSTRIBUNE.COM state Department of Community Affairs (DCA), and maintained that it was the state agency that contacted the construction official to say ‘“nothing has been done”’ since his initial notice and “he needed to issue another Notice of Unsafe Structure.”

“I spoke to Mr. Boyd, and he said if you get a report from an engineer saying it is not an unsafe structure, then this report goes away,” said McNaughton of the notice. “I will talk to Mr. Boyd tomorrow. So, this notice will be voided. So that is not going to be an issue. When I got this, I was upset also. He said I had to issue it because there are no plans in place for the structure.”

It is unclear whether that conversation actually took place, or if Boyd, who once threatened to take the municipality to court if it did not demo the building in accordance with the Uniform Construction Code (UCC), is satisfied by Robert’s findings and if that quells the concern to his satisfaction. Yet again, with the judicial process playing out, it is also unclear if a Notice of Unsafe Structure has any bearing on this situation anymore.

Local Mary Ann Holloway questioned why Boyd is “issuing demo orders against the judge” and is allowed to act “autonomously.”

Boyd’s Notice of Unsafe Structure threatens to bring about a $2,000 weekly penalty for non-compliance. Holloway asked, “Is the township going to fine themselves?” and “What are you going to do, foreclose on the township?”

“If this municipality doesn’t do something to stop him, this is going to keep going on,” she said, while Duff pointed out that Boyd was just fired in Pemberton Township (in an unrelated matter, over an alleged racial slurs allegation – which this newspaper covered in detail in last week’s edition). “… He is hurting the community as a whole.”

Meanwh i le, re sident Joe McNal ly approached the dais to “read something to Mr. Burns,” and in doing so, noted that “’official misconduct’ incorporates five principles,” including “fraud in office, willful neglect of duty, abuse of official power, excess of official authority and impression and unauthorized intentional infliction of injury upon a person.”

“I think you should look into a criminal r e fe r r a l t o t h e Bu rl i ng t on C ou nt y Prosecutor’s Office,” McNally said. “ …

We are looking into this, and I hope you guys do your due diligence.”

Burns did not return this newspaper’s messages requesting comment on this story, and Burns has not been reachable by phone for weeks now, having gone quiet after this newspaper asked questions about whatever happened to the purported settlement agreement that was an attempt to have the court case withdrawn.

Officials had scheduled a July 3 special meeting to vote on the settlement, but it was canceled, with no reason given. Officials sought a settlement to return decision making to the local level, as well as in hopes to have Hertzberg drop an order that the entire township committee appear before him to answer for a series of events that had seemed to contradict the initial opinions. The notice of a possible settlement, as well as a wait for the independent engineer, caused the judge to postpone a hearing scheduled for July 19.

McNaughton, during the latest July 22 session, said the independent engineer ordered by the court would be performing their inspection at the end of July, and when more complaints were heard by the public about the road remaining closed, kept maintaining the situation is in the “judge’s hands, but whether or not it was handled appropriately, it is up for discussion.”

Saturday, July 27, 2024

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LEAVE

(Continued from Page 1) controversy that has recently erupted into open displays of animosity and calls for his resignation over a number of issues ranging from a flap over a proposed sewage collection system that would help facilitate the hotly opposed construction of two warehouses on Route 206 to the purported firing of a plumbing and electrical subcode official (much of which was chronicled in the July 20 edition of this newspaper). So, it perhaps should have come as no surprise to anyone that he would be seeking another opportunity in a comparatively composed and less venomous venue.

But no echoes of that background noise could be found in Prime’s statement, which rather characterized Hornickel as “an experienced professional public adm in istrator and attor ney w ith approximately 25 years’ experience in government” and the “one candidate (who) stood out from the rest” of those interviewed, all of whom possessed “extensive experience and impressive credentials.”

Prior to his time as Pemberton’s business administrator, Prime pointed out, Hornickel’s positions had included serving as assistant

county solicitor and human resources director for Burlington County with responsibility for approximately 2,000 employees, assistant director of labor relations for the state of New Jersey in the Department of the Treasury, and human resources manager for the Middlesex County Utilities Authority.

Hornickel, for his part, described himself as being “humbled, ”thrilled by” and “very grateful” for what he called “a terrific opportunity to serve a terrific town,” for which he “first and foremost” thanked Jesus, as well as Medford Mayor Charles (“Chuck”) Watson and the other members of the council, whom he told, “I look forward to working with you all.”

“I know the land,” he said, noting that he had grown up in Maple Shade while spending half his time in Tabernacle, with Medford being the only way of getting from one to the other. “I have family here, I have friends here, I’ve worshipped here, and it’s a great place to be.”

In other matters, Czerniecki announced that the township had been notified it had been approved for a $1,276,000 state Department of Transportation “Safe Routes to School” program grant, which was called ”great news”

See LEAVE/ Page 11

Saturday, July 27, 2024

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CATS

(Continued from Page 5) is “getting taken care of.”

It was inquired of the borough council whether the borough has a cat ordinance, to which Gorman responded, “We have no cat ordinance – this has been brought up a few times,” but that it “never went anywhere.”

At the subsequent July 10 council meeting, the township clerk reaffirmed “over 50 cats” were found at the home.

The Friends of the Burlington County Animal Shelter, as a result of this incident, according to Gorman on July 10, has

SURVEY

(Continued from Page 4) property measuring stones.” She described that when she confronted the man and asked who he was, she received a reply of “’none of your business,’” before he “finally got in the car and left.”

“I was never told they were taking that property,” she said of when she entered the transaction for her residence, contending the county is proposing to take a large portion of the front of her property and relocating the driveway. “I am handicapped and bought that house for a reason.”

If the county proceeds, she declared, “they will have to buy me out or dig me up!”

“There is no reason to put a circle in this part of the township,” the woman further declared. “I also do have an attorney, the same one Jim has. It is not acceptable.”

The woman maintained that if anything,

DISTURBANCES (Continued from Page 3)

propose” with an “option agreement” having been in place “for years.”

While another “issue” is that the site falls within the Pinelands and is therefore subject to the Pinelands Commission’s Comprehensive Management Plan (CMP), which places restrictions on development, Heinold acknowledged “other potential development” for the site has been “explored.”

“It is a pit, and we would have to figure out how to make that work in terms of land development,” Heinold said. “All I can say is their bread and butter is solar, and if they can do it, they will make it happen.

The secondary intent seems pretty clear that they are not just going to walk away from property, but that they are going to make something happen there.”

The sol icitor conti nued that the township has “taken all steps at the local level to facilitate that happening” and the “governing body has an open ear to what might be suitable,” though he noted that if something “negative” is proposed, the committee would not approve it.

Heinold elaborated on some of the possibilities for the site beside a solar array, including “some sort of limited residential improvements” or “small commercial operation,” though when asked by a resident if the area is currently zoned residential, recognized it is not.

As far as possibly mandating a fence in the interim, Di Croce offered his opinion that it would just be subject to damage.

In apparently responding to the woman’s “absentee landlord” allegation, Heinold

suggested the borough council adopt a TrapNeuter-Vaccinate-Return (TNR) ordinance.

Sheehan, in response to a question as to whether the borough will be able to go after those responsible for allegedly hoarding the cats, noted the borough’s current code only mentions “animals and dogs and kennels and fines,” emphasizing “it doesn’t speak to cats” and when one searches for the word “cat,” the result is “nothing shows up.”

“It just talks about the dogs,” the borough attorney emphasized, noting he will be taking a look at the borough code to see “what gives us the authority” to “recoup any costs” and attempt to “be the traffic in the area is “down because of the closure of Atco,” or the Atco Drag Way. Di Croce pointed out he previously suggested first trying to reduce the speed limit from 50 mph on Stokes Road, and installing a blinking stop sign for the intersection, and had offered to pay for it personally.

The mayor, an attorney in his day job, reiterated doing “personally what I can to help you,” including supporting any legal action efforts, and questioned whether it would be “proper to have another vote of the current dais to see if Shamong takes a different position.”

None of Di Croce’s current colleagues, however, opined on the matter.

“I don’t want it at all, but if we can move the circle so it is on our property, it doesn’t bother me,” Di Croce concluded. “You should have your attorney file a declaratory judgement to stop this thing and I will do everything I can to support it.” surmised “ownership” of the pit by the redeveloper “might be helpful,” noting, “we can’t make them (own it), but we can certainly have a discussion.”

“Dirt bikers going out on the ballfields,” were also cited by local officials during the July 9 committee session for having caused recent damage to recreational fields at the Stoney Creek Sports Facility (previously detailed by this newspaper), located between Atsion and Grassy Lake roads.

The owner of the Indian Mills Fence Company, Sal Gomez, was recognized by Di Croce and Onorato for his numerous “pro bono” efforts over the years, including having recently installed a gate at the Grassy Lake Road access point, as well as a “16-foot wide, 5-foot-high chain-link fence” that goes back into the woods some 45 feet.

Additionally, during the July committee session, the governing body approved a $6,300 expense for repairs to “damaged vinyl, split-rail fencing” at both the Stoney Creek complex, as well as at the Dingletown Sports Complex on Forked Neck Road.

Officials spoke of their belief that ATV riders may be at least partly responsible for the damage.

According to Di Croce, “a lot of plastic rails were broken” at Stoney Creek with their “tops smashed,” while Onorato spoke of “similar damage” at Dingletown, with the administrator noting the intent of the fencing is to protect the fields from damage.

“We have to kind of reinforce with our children that they need to be respectful of property,” said Di Croce, pointing to what he described as “lawlessness” being reported elsewhere (there have been a number of reports of youth acting out) in calling the latest damage “unfortunate.”

MARKETPLACE/JOB BOARD ♦ Page 9

more creative.”

“The question is, ‘What do you find them guilty of?” declared Sheehan, with some in council chambers on July 10 answering, “Animal cruelty.” Sheehan expressed his hope there is “maybe a state statute” he can locate to help assist the borough.

One person asked, “What is to stop this from happening again,” with the township clerk replying, “A cat ordinance would help.”

It led Councilwoman Donna Carroll to declare she is “confused” as to why there is an ordinance in place for dogs, but not cats, with another councilman replying that any future ordinance should “be about animals,” or “all” of them, versus one that only singles out a certain class such as “lizards, birds, cats, dogs, snakes and frogs.”

The borough also requires annual dog facebook.com/nwburlingtonreview

registrations, but no cat registrations, according to Sheehan, and a couple years ago, the council had adopted an ordinance that designated a “kennel” as having only “four or more dogs,” and requiring a license for one to have a kennel.

The township attorney expressed his belief that if “you had some requirement on the limitation on the number of cats,” and as well as requiring licensing for them, it could alleviate such an issue in the future.

One suggestion was to also consider having four or more cats deemed a kennel.

Gorman described that both the state police and Prosecutor’s Office “want this over with; want this done,” with Cottrell asserting, “We have to ride this storm and see where it ends,” fearing it could cost the borough as much as $10,000 before the situation is fully resolved. nwburlingtonreview.com

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23-0701 23-0701

PUBLIC NOTICE New License Applicants [PNF] TAKE NOTICE that Magnify Brewing, LLC, trading as Magnify Brewing Company, has applied to the Director of the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control for a Limited Brewery License for the premises situated at 17 North Main Street, Medford.

Objections, if any, should be made immediately in writing to the Director of the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control, P.O. Box 087, Trenton, New Jersey, 08625-0087.

Magnify Brewing, LLC 1275 Bloomfield Avenue, Building 7, Unit 40C Fairfield, NJ 07004 Officer/Stockholder: Eric Ruta, Owner 619 S. Hancock St, Philadelphia, PA 19147 Pine Barrens Tribune Pub. Date July 27, 2024, Aug. 3, 2024 2 X Ptr. Fee: $48.50

Page 10 ♦

BUSINESS DIRECTORY

WWW.PINEBARRENSTRIBUNE.COM

Saturday, July 27, 2024

Local BUSINESS & SERVICE DIRECTORY

AUTOMOTIVE

ATTORNEY

LAW OFFICE OF KIT APPLEGATE VINCENTOWN, NJ

(609) 228-5750 GENERAL PRACTICE ATTORNEY SERVING THE RESIDENTS OF LEISURETOWNE SERVING THE SMALL AND MEDIUM BUSINESSES OF SOUTH JERSEY HOME AND OFFICE VISITS AVAILABLE FREE IN-HOME CONSULTATION ESTATE PLANNING PACKAGES STARTING AT $500 Please don’t hesitate to call for more information: (609) 228-5750 or www.kitapplegatelaw.com

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BUSINESS DIRECTORY ♦ Page 11

Local BUSINESS & SERVICE DIRECTORY

PUBLIC ADJUSTERS

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LEAVE

(Continued from Page 8)

by Watson and other members of the council.

In a letter to township officials, DOT Commissioner Francis K. O’Connor noted that Medford was one of 23 locales chosen to receive such an award out of 61 that applied under the initiative “based on available funding.” The program, which is also supported by various agencies and organizations, is one designed to “recognize the overwhelming needs of communities throughout the state, and their desire to improve the health of their children by promoting walking and bicycling to school,” according to the latter.

The township’s “Medford Village Safe Routes to School“ project must be authorized for implementation within two years of receipt of the letter, and must comply with all federal financial management, project implementation and oversight regulations in order to receive the grant funding.

One of two ordinances unanimously approved on second reading, which replaced an existing section of the township code on “trees” with a new chapter entitled “Tree Removal and Replacement” at the behest of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), prompted resident

Judith Wert to question whether a sufficient enforcement mechanism was in place to protect the township’s trees, based on her having looked into previous tree-removal efforts overseen by the Department of Public Works.

“I am not making assumptions here— there is no process,” Wert declared, claiming that “if you call the office and get two people, you will get two different views of what is supposed to be done,” adding, “This is not the way it is supposed to work.”

Of particular concern to Wert was the way the cutting of trees was handled last year by a contractor she alleged was hired by the township and paid $65,000 while being “given free rein to cut anything he thought was supposed to be cut” with nobody marking the trees slated to be taken down.

“I looked, I did an OPRA (Open Public Records Request),” Wert maintained. “In the three-year period of this township doing business with that contractor, the only things you will find in writing are bills and invoices.” But, she asserted, there is nothing in the way of a work order, “not one piece of paper, not one email, nothing,” and when she asked why, she was told the contractor “does everything by phone.”

As a result, she charged, over 52 trees were cut down on public property without being properly accounted for, including 14 in the municipal dog park, “in a riparian zone, a flood zone.”

Advertising Department Keith Abrams

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Lic# 1283

“If you want to go out and look at it now, you can see that the tributary is backed up” and wildlife such as turtles, snakes and frogs have been impacted, adding, “I’m very passionate about it. I love it here.”

While reminding her that her time was up, Watson thanked Wert for her comment, saying, “Some of the things certainly cause concern, and we will look into them,” to which she replied, “Like I said, I’ve got the paperwork to back it up and the pictures.”

Responding to subsequent queries from Councilman Michael Czyzyk, Wert indicated she has greater confidence in the current management of the DPW, saying “they listen, and they understand,” but that she continues to harbor doubts about the enforcement process.

“Your comments do matter, so thank you for that,” he replied.

Czyzyk then inquired, “What is the chain of command before the contractor cuts the trees down?”

Czerniecki, in attempting to explain the process, replied, “generally we don’t do a lot of documentation when, for example, we ask a vendor to help us pick up leaves” and that a lot of the trees that were referenced, although not all of them, were “street trees that needed to be addressed as they formed traffic hazards.”

Prime noted that he had just been on the phone with the zoning office in regard to the tree ordinance and felt “comfortable the ordinance

will be enforced correctly.” He pointed out, however, that “there are exemptions – that people are entitled to take trees down … with the right documentation.” But he said he felt “comfortable the ordinance will be enforced correctly, basically on a complaint basis.”

He further clarified that “our zoning officer doesn’t know someone’s cutting a tree down unless somebody reports it.” But it does require an application and a permit, he said, and may also call for a replacement tree to be planted.”

But enforcement of the ordinance, he added, will be the responsibility of the zoning officer, “I’m comfortable we have a good plan in place for that,” he said, Another matter addressed during the public comment session was that of an alleged overabundance of deer, which resident Christianne Woodend said were decimating the foliage on people’s property, often being so hungry they’ll consume plants they’re known to dislike and jeopardizing the safety of motorists.

Advocating for a culling of the deer population, Woodend contended that “leaving deer to increase excessively is cruel and inhumane,” as “it subjects them to a slow painful death from starvation and disease.”

Watson replied that a number of years ago he had asked the council to introduce an anti-feeding ordinance. “In my opinion, it is a problem,” he said, and “at some future meeting we should list it as a discussion item.”

Page 12 ♦

WORSHIP GUIDE

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Family Owned & Operated

Worship Guide First Baptist Church

COME VISIT! We would love to meet you!

Rev. Vernl E. Mattson, Pastor 39 Main Street Vincentown, NJ 08088

371 Lakehurst Rd., Browns Mills, NJ 609-893-4800 • www.MooreFuneralHome.com

Grace Episcopal Church 43 Elizabeth St, Pemberton, NJ 08068 9 a.m. Sunday Service (609) 894-8001

Sunday School����������������������������������9:45 a�m� Sunday Worship Service �����������������������11 a�m� Cross Roads Youth Group - Sundays �������5 p�m� Bible Study - Wednesdays �����������������6:30 p�m� Prayer Fellowship - Wednesdays ��������7:15 p�m� Adult Choir Practice - Wednesdays ����7:30 p�m�

www.fbcvnj.org • 609-859-8967

I Am That I Am Ministries, Inc. All Are Welcome!

Sunday Worship Se ervice at 11:30 a.m.

Pastors Florence and Russell Webberr

50 Burrs Mill Roadd,follow us on Southampton, NJ 08088 facebook.com/MedfordUMC 609 - 847- 4848

Please join us for Worship 9:00 am Contemporary In-Person or Facebook Live

10:30 am Traditional

All are welcome here to grow closer to God through scripture, prayer, music, fellowship, and service to others. graceepiscopalchurchnj.com graceepiscopalnj@comcast.com https://www.facebook.com/graceepiscopalpemberton/

St. Andrew’s Church 121 High St., Mt. Holly MASS: 5 PM Sat. 10 AM Sun. Morning Prayer (M-F) 9 AM on Facebook Office: (M-Th, 8 AM-Noon) 609-267-0225 E-Mail: STANDREWSCHURCHMH@gmail.com Website: WWW.STANDREWSCHURCH-MH.ORG

In-Person or Facebook Live

Trinity Episcopal Church 18 Mill St. Vincentown, NJ 08088 Worship: Sundays 10 a.m.

609-859-2299 Transportation Available Call 609-859-2883

www.iamthatiamministriesinnc.com

2 Hartford Road | Medford NJ 08055 medfordumc.org | 609/654-8111 info@medfordumc.org

Facebook: STANDREWSCHURCHMOUNTHOLLYNJ All are invited to join in worship and fellowship!