A question for Art.....TC performance

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Author Message   Grateful Straw Citizen Username: Strawberry Post Number: 1912 Registered: 10-2001 Posted on Wednesday, February 4, 2004 - 9:00 am:        Art, Can you please review the performance of the new TC to date since assuming power last month? Now, that it's been a month, I'm sure we can get a taste of exactly what we can expect from this point forward. I'm especially interested in your opinion regarding the 2 new members. Thanks Art! Straw Look for awhile at the China Cat Sunflower proud-walking jingle in the midnight sun Copper-dome Bodhi drip a silver kimono like a crazy-quilt stargown through a dream night wind.   Duncan Citizen Username: Duncanrogers Post Number: 1503 Registered: 12-2001 Posted on Wednesday, February 4, 2004 - 10:58 am:        Goodness gracious..you really do need to be told what to think. And all this while I thought it was just a ruse. "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take" Wayne Gretzky   ajc Citizen Username: Ajc Post Number: 2391 Registered: 9-2001 Posted on Wednesday, February 4, 2004 - 12:42 pm:        Straw, thank you for asking... Duncan! Come on now, the Straw is only asking for my opinion... In fairness to all concerned, one month is really to early to give a fair review of the performance of the new township committee. This is especially true of the two newest members, Kathie and Ken. Traditionally, it’s after the first 100 days when this review would most commonly occur. I will say this however, the task at hand is staggering in terms of what it will cost to manage the township in the near future. Besides the new police department building, the contract issues that need to be resolved, the other departments normal increases in salaries and everyday expenses of doing business, there are state and national regulations in the making that will almost without question also force significant increases in our taxes. To his credit, it appears that the Mayor has set an aggressive schedule, and is determined to keep his campaign promises. Additionally, I’m pleased to see the new found cooperation with South Orange officials, and I hope it can be expanded to other neighboring communities in the near future as well. The truth is I’m over the top with my own businesses. For this reason I haven’t been able to attend every township committee meeting. Unfortunately, the interest by most active posters is more about national politics than what’s going on here in their own backyard. We all can’t attend every meeting going on, but it would be helpful to be able to come to MOL and find out more about whatever it is that we’ve missed. This year I’ve also been given the honor to serve on the Citizens Budget Advisory Committee. I attended my first budget meeting with the township committee Monday night, and will go again tonight. In my first exposure to the inner workings of the town’s budget process, I now understand much better what they mean when they say, “Until you walk in someone else’s shoes.” I think it’s also worth mentioning something I noticed almost immediately upon entering the meeting room. Some of you may recall a number of derogatory remarks made on-line recently about our township administrator. Although I have personally always considered her professional, almost to a fault, she always remains friendly and cordial. After this budget meeting I have acquired a new found respect for her, and more importantly how much work and overall responsibility she has. Trust me, Ms. Mead earns every dime she gets! I’ll try to give you a more complete picture of what I see happening on the committee by the first week in April... Thanks again. Art   Grateful Straw Citizen Username: Strawberry Post Number: 1915 Registered: 10-2001 Posted on Wednesday, February 4, 2004 - 7:47 pm:        Tx Art, Despite what Duncan Donut has to say I believe it's in my best interest to follow your lead when reviewing the comings and goings inside Maplewood. Afterall, few care more, no more or do more. Thanks Again. Look for awhile at the China Cat Sunflower proud-walking jingle in the midnight sun Copper-dome Bodhi drip a silver kimono like a crazy-quilt stargown through a dream night wind.   ajc Citizen Username: Ajc Post Number: 2406 Registered: 9-2001 Posted on Friday, February 6, 2004 - 3:14 am:        Straw, You're too kind... listen, I'm having second thoughts about waiting the 100 days. Before I tell you what I'm really thinking, I'd like to first ask your opinion on a matter of great concern for our community... At the last township committee meeting, this past Tuesday, the committee voted unanimously to invest more money to revisit the Betty White, Maplewood Tire, and Verizon sites for the new police station. Yesterday, I believe they took that process even a step further. Here’s my question regarding the Verizon site. What would you do if you knew how to save the township from making over a million dollar mistake on one hand, or even better than that, what would you do if you could show them how to save the tax payers up to 3.3 million, plus add at least $250,000 annual ratable to the tax rolls? This is not chump change. In ten years that represents another 2.5 million coming in rather than going out in interest on our bonds to pay for this new building, (just another way of saying our loans). Please respond back on/off line before February 16th when this issue will become more widely known...   Fruitcake Citizen Username: Fruitcake Post Number: 64 Registered: 9-2003 Posted on Friday, February 6, 2004 - 9:11 am:        Art, Forget about commercializing the Hilton Library site. It will never happen. After Armageddon has come and gone, and there are just a few dead leaves blowing down the center of Springfield Avenue, the Hilton Branch Library will still be standing. It’s too much of a cultural icon in Maplewood.   ajc Citizen Username: Ajc Post Number: 2419 Registered: 9-2001 Posted on Saturday, February 7, 2004 - 11:37 pm:        Listen Cupcake, your rhetoric is Fruitless. FWIW, I’m on this case until I see your cultural icon a pile of rubble, or there’s a shovel in the ground somewhere else.   Fruitcake Citizen Username: Fruitcake Post Number: 65 Registered: 9-2003 Posted on Sunday, February 8, 2004 - 1:46 pm:        There you have it. Art wants to turn the Hilton Library into a pile of rubble.   ajc Citizen Username: Ajc Post Number: 2429 Registered: 9-2001 Posted on Sunday, February 8, 2004 - 11:26 pm:        Excuse the spelling, I meant I want to see the library turned into a few million rubles...