The process before the process -- a story about land development applications.

                As I look back on 2022,  I can definitively say that land developers and business owners 

are actively looking to recover from lost time and money since the beginning of the world health 

pandemic, Covid-19. I come to this conclusion based on my seat as the Municipal Manager for the 

Township of Lawrence. From early 2020 to early 2022, one aspect of my job decreased dramatically, 

and Covid-19 filled the void with new and different challenges. But the winds of change are upon us 

again, with developers and business owners acting with a sense of confidence in the future. Whether 

we like it or not, Lawrence Township remains an appealing option to those seeking to invest their time, 

effort, and money in their business pursuits. To some, that's a good thing, and to those who view new 

and different things negatively, it isn't.  

                What aspect of my job "decreased dramatically," you ask? The answer is, meeting with property owners, developers, and their professionals as they "pitch" their idea for a new "this or that" in our community.   Judging by comments on the various social media sites, at public meetings, or to me directly while I am out and about in town, there seems to be a lack of understanding about the development process and the local government's involvement in it. So, I thought I would take a stab at giving a broad and general description of what typically happens before land developers submit applications to the Zoning Board or Planning Board (with board members from each appointed by our elected governing body "council members").  

                Before a property owner or developer commits their time and money to a given project, more often than not, they will reach out to a local official (i.e., Mayor, Municipal Manager, or Zoning Officer) and request a meeting to get a sense of whether their idea would be received positively or not in the community.   Usually, they have prepared concept plans and offer a general description of their vision.

                Jim Parvesse (Municipal Engineer/Zoning Officer) and I take these meetings because, in our form of government (Council-Manager), the elected officials are part-time, and the Mayor's role is limited beyond the governing body's collective and significant legislative power.   We differ from Hamilton, Ewing, Trenton, Princeton, and others because voters do not elect our Mayor directly, and the Mayor is not a full-time position. Instead, the elected council members select the Mayor (by a majority vote) to serve a two-year term. In addition, those same elected officials appoint the Municipal Manager to a full-time position to oversee the day-to-day operations of the municipal government, much like a Chief Executive Officer in a private corporation. As a result, it falls on the Municipal Manager and staff to take these meetings. They are called "courtesy meetings" and are not required by law. However, it is a good practice for the town and the developer to meet to discuss potential projects because it is often where bad ideas die or potentially good ideas are improved before the developer submits an application for consideration by the planning or zoning board. There is no science to these meetings nor polls conducted in the community. We provide some honest and, at times, critical feedback that may guide the next steps taken.

                Importantly, the township does not seek out land development within its borders; it is not a function of our government. What we (i.e., elected and appointed officials of our town) do is less direct. We work hard to make our community a desirable place to live, work and play and let the economics take care of the rest. We are not "Big City USA" and don't have an economic development department in our municipal operations. So, when developers call to meet with us, it is not a return call. They initiate it, and as a responsible government, we take the call and take the meeting no matter what. But here is the critical part, no decisions or agreements are EVER made between developers and municipal officials behind closed doors. It doesn't happen here. Neither myself nor our engineer (Mayor or council members) has the legal authority to approve or deny development applications. The development process is an open, public process that occurs at the Planning Board or the Zoning Board upon proper notice to the public, where all can participate and express an opinion before the appointed members vote to approve or deny applications based upon the facts and the law which they have taken an oath to abide. 

                And, here is the kicker, even if Jim or I (or the Mayor or Council Members) hate the development project for whatever reason (i.e., it's too big, too loud, too much traffic, or we "don't need another one of those," etc.), the developer has the legal right to move forward and make the application before the Zoning Board or Planning Board (which I am a voting member of) for consideration. When that happens, the community tends more often than not to support our negative feeling about the project, and they come out in droves to express their opinions.   Also, it is common for us to meet several times with the same developer of a proposed project who works with us to implement the improvements we express are needed before they file their application.   Those are received better by the boards and the community because they are scaled-down and have the elements we value as a community. And sometimes, a project that we think is excellent for the community is met with strong opposition (usually by those living near the site). The board members earn their keep at those times by approving or rejecting the application. In the end, however, all should rest assured that we always follow the lawful process before development occurs in our community.  

Improving Communications with the Community

                A seemingly very long time ago, the days before the world health pandemic called Covid-19, the members of our governing body and I had discussions about making a more substantial effort to improve communications with the community and better support our local businesses. Operating our municipal government in a fiscally conservative manner (i.e., with departments appropriately staffed - but not overstaffed,  and maintaining the services we provide at a level acceptable to a reasonable person standard - but not more), the concept of improving and delivering something new and more to the residential and business community translated into a commitment beyond using what we had and making it better; a thought process that has and will be the first consideration.

                Over the past several years, advancing this plan was “tabled” for budgetary reasons to minimize tax increases and maintain the good services we provide to our residents and business. Also, and just as important, we had not found the “right person” for a position that would be unique to our municipal operations and advance our effectiveness as a municipal government serving its community.

                About a year ago, a young man responded to our advertisement for a position within our recreation department. Nancy Bergen (Superintendent of Recreation) reviewed his resume, was intrigued by his qualifications and interviewed him. Nancy came to my office after the interview and recommended that I meet with him because her sense was he may be perfect for the long-unfilled position we called “Community Aide.”  She told me she was impressed with him and his ideas and skillset and believed the Township might be better served with him in this role as opposed to working in her department. So I met with Craig Dinwoodie, and I agreed. It was one of those times as a manager when having an “open door policy,” creating an environment of trust and a sense of “team” to empower your staff, paid off and continues to daily.   Well done, Nancy!

                Craig was hired about eleven months ago and has worked to define his role within our municipal operations and community in a manner consistent with the vision of our elected officials. Whether it is improving the delivery of information to the community in the digital landscape of social media, creating the monthly “Senior Connect” for the elderly, being the first point of contact for businesses (new and existing) to assist in their interactions with various municipal departments and the community, or working with Township committees to advance their missions, he finds himself in the mix in a lot good and positive ways. 

                The “Community Aide” is an evolving position within our municipal operations, making it unique to it as well.   Here is a link to the Community Aide page on our website for a closer look:  https://www.lawrencetwp.com/directory/CommunityAide. If you are curious about how the Community Aide may be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to give him a call and find out. His email is cdinwoodie@lawrencetwp.com, and his telephone number is 609.844.7074. 

Governor Murphy Announces NJDEP To Directly Oversee TWW Operations....and more

By now, most of you know that the State NJ Department of Environmental Protection will have "direct operational" oversight of Trenton Water Works. Governor Murphy issued the following Press Release:

https://nj.gov/governor/news/news/562022/approved/20221012b.shtml

From the Press Release, the Governor writes, "Despite many recent efforts at the local level to improve operating conditions and advance long-overdue capital improvements at TWW, the system continues to struggle in maintaining compliance with regulatory obligations and requirements. To ensure that maintenance and operational needs crucial to the protection of public health are met, and that long-overdue capital improvements may receive the benefit of new and considerable state and federal funding, DEP has determined that a capacity-building program with direct operational oversight is necessary to ensure TWW’s near- and long-term success in meeting the needs of the 200,000+ residents served by the system in Trenton, as well as portions of Ewing, Hamilton, Hopewell, and Lawrence."

Though the advocacy to improve TWW has gone on for years, the Township joined other municipalities to intercede and participate in a civil action initiated by the NJDEP (in 2020) against the City of Trenton and TWW in response to sustained poor performance of the water utility. I described the process in a blog article dated July 13, 2020 (which supplemented other articles I wrote about the issue).

https://lawrencetownshipnjmanagerkpn.blogspot.com/2020/07/the-municipalities-file-their-motion-to.html

Since that time and throughout the litigation, the municipalities (its officials and legal counsel) aggressively pursued legal arguments to compel the City of Trenton to properly fund TWW and take the necessary steps to improve the facility and its operations. Though we saw progress, it was always "a step forward and a few steps backward." Seeing the City of Trenton council vote down critical funding for infrastructure improvements to the water utility was frustrating, to say the least. From my vantage point, despite the best efforts and advocacy by Mayor Gusciora, it was clear that the only viable option to properly fund the water utility was either a sale to a well-funded and established water company or a State takeover.  Thankfully, the State took action we needed it to take!

The news that the NJDEP will now have direct oversight over the facility and its operations is, without a doubt - very good news. Having the State take such action will give us all the best chance to remove our (conscious and subconscious) fear of using unsafe water in our daily lives. It will take time to get to this head space....but we are on our way. And this doesn't mean we turn our attention away from this issue. We will continue to advocate for all of the community's residents and visitors using water provided by TWW.  

Paying Your Property Tax Bill With Your Online Bill Pay Feature From Your Bank? Consider this......

          For those that don't have the time for all of my words (people say I am a bit "wordy"), I am starting with my conclusion so you can move along with your day. If you have a hard deadline for bill payment, DON'T use your online bill pay feature with your private bank. There is no guarantee that your physical check will be mailed in time to meet the deadline (even after you do your calculations and conclude that the date you select is plenty of time). And if you use your online bill payment feature to pay your property tax bill to Lawrence Township, understand the risk involved. If the Township does not receive your check by the deadline (which always includes a grace period), interest and a penalty will be imposed. Ok, if you want the full, long-winded version why, keep reading.

            It seems like at the same time each year (3^rd Quarter Tax Payments), the Lawrence Township Tax Collector and her staff are on the receiving end of angry and frustrated taxpayers that received a notice that their property tax payments were late and that interest and penalties are being imposed (as required by N.J.S.A.  54:4-66). It doesn't matter whether the interest is.08 cents or $25 or more, the degree of anger and disrespect delivered from the property owner to the Tax Collector and her staff is the same. And when they hear that the interest and penalty will not be waived, the level amps up --- and then I receive the phone call. The conversation I have with the callers doesn't give them the relief they demand because waiving the interest and penalty are not optional. The callers offer all kinds of excuses, and some demand for the Township to prove their check was received late. A policy that empowers a municipal employee to use discretion on voiding interest and penalties creates an unrealistic situation to manage. Undoubtedly, those denied will feel unfairly treated, and accusations of wrongdoing and favoritism will abound – wasting even more time and resources. It just won't work.   So, I thought, why not write a blog article about this issue and, hopefully, get out in front of the problem for the next go-round?

            Ninety percent of the time, the late payment involves a taxpayer's use of the online bill payment feature offered by their private lender. The taxpayer believes their payment was mailed on the day they scheduled it. That may be the case, but it doesn't mean the check will be received by the deadline. What people don't know or realize, despite their bank's notice that it does not guarantee delivery of payments by a specific date, the thousands and thousands of online bank payments are physical checks released by their bank on the day scheduled but are seemingly sent to a clearing house and ultimately collected together and mailed in bulk --- not necessarily on the day you expected it to be sent. 

            When tax payments are due and collected, the Tax Collector's office receives hundreds and hundreds of physical checks mailed in bulk daily. These checks are often dated differently and days apart from one another. Meaning a check dated September 15 and a check dated September 20 are in the same bulk delivery to the Township by U.S. Mail. Notably, the day the check is physically received by the Township is the day it posts it to your account – without fail. No check is left unposted for a day or days in the tax office. It doesn't happen. People seem to assume that their property tax payments are handled similarly to the I.R.S. and State tax returns, with the date they are mailed being the date that counts. It's not true. The date the payment is received is the date that matters for collecting property taxes --- everywhere, not just Lawrence Township.

            To assist taxpayers in making sure they meet the deadline (and the grace period), Lawrence Township offers four ways for you to pay your taxes:  (1) A taxpayer may take the short ride to the municipal building Monday through Friday between 8:30 AM and 4:30 PM to make their payment in person. The added benefit to this option is that you can offer some warm greetings to the municipal staff as you see them in the hallways; (2) A taxpayer may take the short ride to the municipal building and use the secured black box positioned at the North Entrance to make their payment. It is available 24/7, 365 days a week. The box is checked multiple times a day and first thing Monday morning. The added benefit to this is that you can avoid all human contact and take care of business and move along with your day; 3) A taxpayer, comfortable in using an online payment option, can use our E-check payment feature to make sure the date you make the payment is the date it will be posted to the account. The administrative fee for this is $2. And, no, it is not a grand scheme to make revenue for the "Township." It is a fee paid by the "user" of the service, with the "Township" making no money from it. Unlike your online bill payment option from your lender, this option is received and posted to your tax account on the same day, and (4) A taxpayer can pay by credit card. Some like getting the points, I guess. But to use this, there is a more significant fee based upon a percentage of the total payment made. If you are unnerved by being assessed interests and penalties, this option is not for you!

            Do your due diligence by contacting your bank to verify how online bill payment works. You will most likely find the information on the site where you use the feature.   So, if you have a hard deadline for payment, don't use your online bill payment feature!

            Now, on a personal level, most of you may not understand the kind of verbal abuse (and, at times, threats) our Tax Collector and her staff take from residents and business owners who fail to take the proper steps to ensure they pay their taxes on time. Trust me; it is unsettling, to say the least. We also have many saved envelopes with the most disgusting things written on them from people who take their "tax payment" anger out on our staff. I guess it makes them feel good – at the expense of the good people who work here.

            As I try to do from time to time when I write on social media, I again want to remind you that all of us working for the Township are living and breathing human beings. Many of us live in town. We are your friends, neighbors, and family members. And, no, we all are not working in concert with one another to bilk you for $10, $15, or $50 in interest in late fees. Contrary to some who believe the worst, we are not corrupt or evil. We come to work each day and do the job the community needs us to do.

            Oh, one other thing, for as long as I can remember, the August tax payments are customarily billed later than the other quarters. We send out the tax bills immediately after we receive the County tax rate from the County.   It just is what it is (and it has nothing to do with us) – and all that we can do is promptly send out the bills when all of the information is received – and we do.   We also provide an extended grace period when tax bills are later than expected.  Ok, no more “words” for now!  Have a great day, Everyone!

                 

Pasquale A. Colavita, Jr. (January 5, 1945 – September 20, 2022)

The following are my thoughts and reflections.   They are not to be considered official statements of the municipal government or the elected officials of Lawrence Township. If you have no interest in what I think, move along, and have a wonderful day!

Pasquale A. Colavita, Jr. (January 5, 1945 – September 20, 2022)

                Today, September 26, 2022, Pasquale "Pat" Colavita, Jr. was laid to rest at a funeral mass at St. Ann Parish. I have known Pat pretty much my entire life. The Colavitas from the Eldridge Park area are a family engrained in the DNA of our community, and our families have always been fondly connected through longstanding friendships. As a life-long resident, Pat's light shown brightly during his life as a teacher, public servant, community leader, and a warm, loving, charismatic yet humble human being. For those who may not know him, over decades, he served his community in a variety of elected positions:  Lawrence Township Board of Education, Lawrence Township Municipal Council (and as Mayor), and Mercer County Freeholder (now known as Commissioner) and gave his time and talents to too many charities to mention here.   His daughter, Courtney Colavita, gave a wonderful eulogy – one of the best I have heard in the many funerals attended. She eloquently captured the "man" that proudly was her father. Setting aside the list of his accomplishments (which were many), she focused on his human qualities that deeply connected him to so many people from so many walks of life. Of the many characteristics of her father she talked about, the one that resonated the most with me is that when you spoke with him, he made you feel like you were the most important person in a room filled with "important" people. He was present in the moment and made sure to personally connect with you – and just as quick, he was off speaking with someone else, giving them that same feeling! The man could work a room like no other!

                From time to time, I have "difficult" conversations with residents when they call to complain about one thing or another. It is a part of the gig but never fun. About two weeks ago, I had a resident call to complain about an incident that had nothing to do with municipal operations. I directed him to the utility involved and moved along with my day. A short while later, he called back to tell me that the matter was taken care of, but he wanted me to know I was no help to him. Quite surprisingly, and out of nowhere, the resident blurted out, "you are just like your father and just like Pat Colavita!" Now, being an astute listener and hearing the tone in his voice, I quickly realized his comment was meant to hurt me. I further surmised he was someone that judged the character of a person by their voter registration. I ended the call - leaned back and rubbed my eyes - readying myself for the next challenge of the day. But as the surprise of his comment wore off, and I implemented some positive thinking strategies, a smile crossed my face, and I thought… "OK, I am just like my Dad and Pat Colavita, huh?" "Not too shabby, Kevin." I will take that comment "FOR THE WIN!" God bless you and rest in peace, Pasquale. You, Sir, had a life well lived, and you did it with style and grace!

$725K Grant Received for the Study and Design of a New Emergency Management Facility

            In a letter issued to Mayor John T. Ryan dated July 6, 2022, Senator Shirley K. Turner (15^th District) advised that the State allocated $725,000 to Lawrence Township in the Fiscal Year 2023 Budget for the study and design of a new emergency management operations facility, tentatively called "Lawrence Road Emergency Management Operations Center." 

            Specifically, we requested funding for the research and development of a new, centralized facility to house our Fire and EMS operations at the site currently occupied by Lawrence Road Fire Company (1252 Lawrence Road). The funding will cover the study of the grounds (including environmental), creation of site plans, architectural plans, bid preparation, and the costs associated with effective public outreach. 

            Presently, our community is served by three volunteer fire companies (Slackwood FC, Lawrence Road FC, and Lawrenceville FC, located in the south, central and northern areas of town) and career staff.   Our career firefighters cover the day shift Monday through Friday, and our volunteers cover the evening, weekends, and holidays. As with many local governments, there has been a dramatic decrease in volunteer firefighters, and our community is no different. Given this fact, we had a fire study prepared in 2020 by The Rogers Group (link to the report is here: https://www.lawrencetwp.com/media/Departments/EmergencyManagement/RodgersGroupStudy11-12-20.pdf)  that provided a detailed assessment of our current firefighting program, which included thirty-eight recommendations for improvements. Since the report issuance, we have systematically implemented most of these recommendations. The most significant is Recommendation 19, which provides, “Revise the municipal ordinance to create a single, combination volunteer and career fire division under the authority of a full-time, career fire chief.”  (The link to this new ordinance is here:<a href="https://ecode360.com/33962393" target="_self">§ 20-13: Division of Emergency Management.</a> We took this action and are working through the challenges involved in combining the volunteers and career firefighters with our Emergency Medical Services professionals.   The benefit of this change is readily apparent, and the future is looking bright.  We needed the volunteers and career staff to buy in, and they have.               

            Another recommendation in the report (#5) provides (in part), “the Township should undertake an in-depth study… to determine the feasibility of constructing a new fire station in a central location...A new fire station should be designed to accommodate the Fire Department, EMS, and Emergency Management functions of the Township.”  Our application to the State of New Jersey for the funding was a direct response to this recommendation.   This money allows us to strategically plan for the future to deliver the best fire and emergency medical services to our community. 

            I am sure some may take this as a signal of the end of the volunteer fire companies, and they would be wrong. The long, proud tradition of Slackwood Fire Company, Lawrence Road Fire Company, and Lawrenceville Fire Company will continue for years and remain an essential part of our overall public safety plan. We need them, and we value their service.

            Why do this now if we have no immediate plans for change? Well, we knew the grant money was available now, with no guarantee that it would be available in subsequent state budgets. The saying “strike while the iron is hot” is applicable here.  

            As a result, we made our case for this funding from the State. We argued that “development and improvement plans to enhance the safety of the community with coordinated and efficient emergency response is a valuable use of taxpayer dollars. A centralized emergency operations center will have a lasting beneficial impact on the community by providing necessary responsive emergency assistance.”  We apparently were persuasive enough to receive the total amount we requested. It seems clear that we will not need funds from our municipal budget to complete this work. An ideal situation (says, Captain Obvious).

            We are grateful to Senator Shirley Turner, Assemblyman Anthony S. Verelli, and Assemblywoman Verline Reynolds-Jackson for supporting and advocating for funding this vital project. I am equally thankful to our Mayor and Council Members. They have consistently supported our volunteer fire companies and have the wisdom to commit to planning for our future to ensure the best public safety for the community. 

A personal reflection on the mass shooting in Texas...

PLEASE DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU ARE UNINTERESTED IN MY PERSONAL REFLECTIONS ON THE TEXAS SCHOOL SHOOTING.

Though these tragedies happen far too often, they should always be reflected upon anew, giving due thought, compassion, and empathy for the family, friends, and loved ones of those murdered and for the first responders that are called upon to handle the crisis in real-time while it is occurring and handle the devastating aftermath.

We simply can't begin to imagine the pain of loss in such a violent manner, but we can collectively mourn and pray for those involved.

Why these mass shootings occur most often in America must be examined. We are failing in all respects: morally, politically, legally, and as a society and we must do better. An 18-year-old should not be allowed to legally purchase assault weapons and Kevlar protection....period.

A genuine start to addressing these tragedies is in the law; regulating in the strictest manner possible, the ability for citizens to purchase assault weapons. The Second Amendment was most assuredly not enacted to make it as easy as possible for someone who is not even able to legally drink alcohol to purchase firearms. And, please, I am not saying this is the answer to it all. It isn't. Social media and genuine hate that is so easily spewed by so many, video games that feature shooting people, racism, mental health -- the list goes on. But we need to start somewhere.

Yes, I am outside the parameters of my role as Municipal Manager. I am posting this to the people who are my FB friends not to the community at large. I am speaking as a member of our society and a father of two children that prays every day for their health, safety, and success. Let's all collectively mourn this tragedy and reject the notion that it is just another one to add to our collective conscience and rationalize it away.

Peace and love....peace and love!