The lowlights of the meeting begin at the 20:00 mark when, just before passing the unbundling ordinance, Councilwoman Blackburn and then Mayor Doherty attack the petitioners and the petitioners’ lawyers. During the public session, at the 33:15 mark, former mayor Pringle explains the reason the petitioners are asking the court to stop borough attorney DuPont from releasing the handwritten letter that he and petitioners’ attorney Ed Bonanno put together the night of the last Council meeting. The reason is the new letter didn’t include a key provision, that the petitions can not be withdrawn until 20 days after passage of the unbundling ordinance. Without that provision the Council could concoct their own petition before the 20 day limit to petition against an ordinance and stop the ordinance from actually becoming law. It was an oversight on Bonanno’s part and the change was not authorized by the petitioners, who do not wish to see their effort wasted. DuPont would not make the correction without being authorized by the Council and last night the Council refused to authorize it. I read that as meaning that the Council was planning on using Bonanno’s mistake to kill the unbundling ordinance. I wouldn’t doubt it was the plan all along.
Anyway, let’s hope the petitioners prevail in court today. I will report when I find out.
I also have to take issue with something Councilwoman Blackburn said before she voted for the ordinance. She noted that some of the petition signers had children that received scholarships from the Belmar Women’s Club and that since the Women’s Club would like to return their fund raising events to Taylor Pavilion instead of having them at Brandls that obviously these signers whose kids got scholarships don’t care about the kids who come behind theirs.
My daughter received a scholarship this year from the Belmar Women’s Club. I not only signed a petition, I helped gather signatures. My wife and daughter both signed as well.
Several months ago I was contacted by someone from the Women’s Club, who suggested that my daughter apply and told me how to do it. This person strongly supports the Taylor bond. She also knows me very well and fully understood my position on it. But she also understood that the work that the club does is above politics and that who I am should have nothing to do with which students are helped by them. I considered that to be very gracious of her and I told my daughter to apply. She did and she won and my whole family thanks the Women’s Club for their generosity.
If Councilwoman Blackburn thinks that means I now have to shut up about something that I think is wrong for Belmar then at the request of the Belmar Women’s Club I will ask my daughter to return the money. But I know several of the ladies in the club and they are some of the nicest people you would ever want to know and I’m sure they don’t share Ms. Blackburn’s view so I don’t expect to be asked and again I thank them very much.
43 Comments
Personally, Councilwoman Keown-Blackburn
revealed the dark underside of this group-think administration. The fact that she went to view “all the signatures on the petition” and then attacked them for exercising one of the few rights we have, speaks volumes about their nastiness. Most elected officials control these behaviors since they could very possibly be attacking the very folks that voted for them.
Dave, In defense of Doherty and Blackburn, everybody is bought and sold in their world. Blackburn can’t help it. She’s confused and it’s all she knows.
Belmar Summer Camp:
90 children applied
75 children selected
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15 children rejected
how can anyone fathom threats that any child’s scholarship monies should be held hostage to the pavilions or for that matter any other nefarious scheme to manipulate the people? talk about coercion, it’s a disgrace that the Woman’s club is allowing any such misrepresentation or their reputations to be sullied by an elected official. shame on the council. now we need child advocates to protect our families from these bullies.
There is an extremely wealthy family in NJ that is one of the largest owners of Real Estate. They run a top notch summer camp to underprivileged children at no cost.The only requirement is they speak English and are here legally.
#3 – If the children of non-residents comprised the 75 children selected then I hope that there are not any Belmar residents within the 15 children rejected.
We want to spend 4.1 million for (TWO) pavilions. NOT FOR ONE!
The mayor and council approved 4.1 million TO PAY FOR ONE, the Taylor pavilion. There are no changes to the Taylor plans to reduce the size or scale back costs to build a nice pavilion to replace the one that was lost. It is still over-priced (738 per sq. ft.) and over-built and will cost taxpayers money through increased taxes. Several weeks ago the mayor and council passed a separate ordinance TO PAY 2 million for the 10th Ave.
REMEMBER THE BOARDWALK BID WAS 6.2 MILLION AND WITH CHANGE ORDERS COST 10.2 MILLION.
Belmar does not have the money to build two pavilions for close to 7 million we are only receiving 2.8 million from FEMA. Nothing has changed since the Special Election. It is still costing taxpayers close to 7 million dollars to build two pavilions exactly what the voters said they DO NOT want to do!
Councilwoman Blackburn was out of line, and appears to intimidate those wonderful students who received scholarships. Who does she think she is, insinuating that because someone does not want to pay overpriced costs to build a pavilion, their scholarship could be in jeopardy? Stop cramming your politics down our throats. Spend time researching so you speak with knowledge and facts. The Lake Como project was never, ever, at risk those are typical scare tactics this administration uses to manipulate its residents. It is not cheaper (her words) to bundle an ordinance. It was sneaky by the mayor and council to prevent residents from opposing an over built, expensive pavilion. She read the names on the petition, so what, what does that mean. Is she is going to call them and intimidate them. Anyone can sign a petition and the signer does not have to answer, explain or justify his or her reasons to Janis Blackburn or anyone else. She should keep her nose and big mouth out of it until she understands the process. She made a fool of herself, listen to the tape.
#8 Fed Up that’s what happens when you have union democratic zealots running a government.
#8: So very accurate. The pilot is too impressed with herself.
School yard bullies don’t learn until the bulied get the best of them. Sit back and watch what androgen spurts accomplish. Check out the “roster” of names glean from the petitions. Are all on the enemies list(s)?
Threats are on the record.
Behind the scenes these elected representatives have shown to me who they really are. I am grateful that they are now so comfortable as to show who they are- consistently in the public
arena.
This just proves that councilwomen Blackburn has no idea what’s going on in Belmar. $4.l million for the pavilion is off the wall. Does she know what the vote on the special election signified back in August?
nothing has changed with the price of the Taylor Pavillion. The special election vote was against 7 million for TWO Pavillions. So 2 mill for 10th ave and 4.1 for Taylor ( minus 900 thousand that the Mayor said at a meeting he “thinks”was used to buy bathrooms. He “thinks”. Never mentioning how they were paid for of course. Interesting they put the 10th on a separate ordinance from the beginning. That way they could use the 4.1 number like it was less than last year. And EPICSbid was 3.2. So what? He is doing us a favor by promising to “Cap” the Taylor at 4.1? I guess that’s to cover change orders? And for Blackburn to be upset becuase the south Enders don’t want the bundled ordinance is actually nauseating. How dare they! News flash Mayor and Council. We wouldn’t be in this mess if you hadn’t bundled the Taylor with the lake Project in the first place. Oh and lied and said the petitioners were against the pipe and that we would save money by bonding together.
Does anyone know why the Mayor had to recuse himself from voting on the American Water resolution?
Dave, please don’t do anything like that. Your daughter earned that scholarship through her own efforts completely on the up and up.
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As for councilwoman Blackburn, We should cut her some slack. She said a dumb thing like every one of us do at times. So, let’s just let it go. Tempest in a teapot here.
Petitions are freedom of speech. No one should ever threaten those who sign a petition.
And bringing up scholarships is quite low. Blackhearted indeed.
Competition is great. The kid earned it she should keep it. Really bringing up kid’s scholarships?? I’m taking two aspirins then a nice nap.
The grades that those girls worked and earned do not and should not deserve to be included in any controversy at all unless related to the grades certainly not anything politically motivated. There would be great satisfaction in giving back the check and telling them to stuff it. However knowing a few of the women from that club I would never believe that they would even consider getting involved with all this garbage let alone asking for the money back. The girls deserve those checks should keep them and everyone should stay out of it….Period.
I was thinking about why Captain Blackburn seems to think that walking is not good for children. Lieutenant Dan was happy to walk using his canes instead of using that wheelchair. He preferred to walk, not ride.
Until Captain Janis teaches kids to fly, they have to enjoy walking first, then running. Heck, I ran from one end of this country to the other, several times. I keep checking my feet to see if little wings are starting to sprout. Nope. I hope she dos not run for council again. She is not nice. And not too smart. She should go “take a walk”!
#12 MASKS ARE OFF – I noticed a difference in their demeanor and comfort level starting with the first meeting without Jim Bean.
#14 KATRINA – You nailed it.
Is Blackburn serious ? An apology should be the first statement from her mouth next meeting.
I signed the petition I live across from the Lake. If Mayor and council didn’t use the Lake project as a pawn to get the Taylor Pavilion built. Plus be truthful with us which they haven’t from the start.
Dave don’t give the money back your daughter earned it.
Also if the Women’s club can’t wait for the Pavilion to be build according to Blackburn. Well then why don’t they donation a Million Dollars. Since the have to use Brandls.
After a lengthy accolade embrace …. the regime launched its mouthpiece pilot …. then, cockpit error …. crash and burn!
Ms. Blackburn’s comments reinforced my objections to the $4+M political clubhouse on the beach.
Dupes, nothing but dupes. Open mouth, insert foot, bite hard. Top grunt imposing her will on the Woman’s Club is outrageous
You are all correct, if the snooty Women’s Club chooses to use expensive restaurants when there are more economical venues such as the library, fire houses, belmar arts council building etc. they should not get municipal money for their high tea jaunts!
I think the BWC is getting a bum rap here. Janis’ opinion doesn’t represent what the others think.
#26. From what I have read you definitely do not now what you are writing about. It’s the other way around.The BWC donates money to the borough interests and does it through intense fund raising. They have been doing it for years the scholarships being part of their fundraisings and others as well. They do not take they give. You should try it you might like the feeling it gives.
this is what janis has done, dishonored the acknowledged good works of a fine organization by witch hunting the petitioners signature status.
By the look of Matts face and body language tells me he’s been drinking a little too much with his buddies at Connolly Station and DJais.
#30 (to Belmarguy) I don’t know who you are, but as a recovering alcoholic your comments about the mayor drinking too much are out of line. It shows shows complete ignorance of other’s personal situations. Not funny and the administrator of the site should remove it.
I didn’t like it but I don’t censor comments simply because I don’t like them.
So at what point do you decide when someone has crossed the line? You don’t step in and tell him he has gone too far by most decent people’s measures. You can certainly do at least that. You have to own it as administrator because Belmarguy doesn’t. no accountability. Bunch of bullcrap from both him and you. what if it were directed at you or your family member? cop out.
Oh, please. I didn’t know the Mayor was so delicate.
Anyway, Mayor and Tom Burke had posts on their Facebook pages calling me an “Infectious venomous snake”. I made fun of it but did not demand they pull it down. And in that case you had an elected official saying that about a private citizen. Where were you then?
this is asking about this specific post and my situation not the mayors sensitivity. Why are you bringing up Tom Burke and what the mayor called you? That has nothing to do with me nor would I defend it. Another cop out or misdirection by you from what was asked about. You foster this bullcrap and then plead innocent. Cop out again.
Allowing is not the same as fostering. I am for free speech, even speech I don’t like.
Wait, I’m not following, is the mayor a recovering alcoholic?
It was a bad joke.
#35, Sir, for the most part, if a post isn’t vulgar, it should be posted in my opinion. Certainly #30s post couldn’t be said to be vulgar although I wouldn’t have posted it in that I’ve been known to hoist a few myself.
No, it was not a bad joke and I meant every word of it… I See Matt out drinking all the time with his buddies that help him run Belmar constantly…
If it weren’t for franks money endorsements and supporting the mayor’s campaign, Djais wouldn’t be getting away with what its getting away with right now.
If you people want to make this into a pissing contest, I can go on and on on how matt uses favoritism and his social life with people in town…
I do all my drinking at home so I’ve never witnessed any of this. I have heard others make similar assertions but I remind my readers that this is from an anonymous source with no evidence presented.
#15 …. The American Water resolution is still not available on the Borough website …. the Mayor said he had a conflict of interest …. then the Council authorized his subordinate (Ms. Connolly) to handle the matter ….
who is the mouthpieces? the master behind the curtain? empty suit complex getting “it” done. muddy waters to me.
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