Montclair gadfly Pegi Adam got the town to vote last fall on whether to have an elected school board. Now she has a new issue: the town’s proposed purchase of a senior center on Greenwood Ave. “Montclair should not be in the real estate speculation business,” she says. She’s rallying her troops on the Montclair Watercooler and through her email list.
Adam’s comment about the “real estate speculation business” comes just a day after the township announced a very real-estate like “open house” of the property this coming Saturday, Jan. 30, from 9 to 1, so people in Montclair can see what they might be buying. The address is 110 Greenwood Ave.
Outgoing town manager Joe Hartnett’s idea of having Montclair buy an existing senior center has been controversial he first proposed it last November, when the building went on the market. Montclair’s Capital Financial Committee came out strongly against the idea last week.
In addition to this Saturday’s open house, there’s a public hearing on the proposal set for next Wednesday Feb. 3 at 8 p.m. at town hall.
Councilor Cary Africk is one of the chief critics of the plan. “Although I’m sure the senior center is a fantastic building, I really don’t understand how looking at it is the proper way to evaluate the purchase. I depend on needs analysis and cost,” he told us. “If the lot next to my home becomes available for sale I don’t buy it because it will make my home ‘more valuable.’ I think ‘do I need it?’ I also think ‘Do I have anything better to do with my money?’”
If you’re not sure where you stand on this issue, read Joe Hartnett’s report in favor of acquiring a $3.5 million piece of real estate here. Then download what some of our readers are calling required reading for the residents of Montclair: the Citizen Capital Finance Committee’s report fiercely opposing such a plan.
Gimmicks like this will not work!
Why didn’t they invite everyone to the Bloomfield Skate park when they wanted to build one in Montclair?
Yeah Field Trip……………………..
I implore anyone interested in the Senior Center issue, or the current financial state of the town, to read the entire Citizen Capital Finance Committee’s report.
It is not only a brutal assessment of the proposal, but also a sobering reminder of how recklessly the town has spent our money.
How refreshing it is to hear arguments for fiscal restraint and discipline.
I hope the Council listens.
Jeezus, is that the fiscal plan? To invite everybody to look at the center, work themselves into a state of arousal and then exclaim, in a glorious release, “Buy it, Jerry! Buy it, Big Boy! Buy it! Ooooooohh….!”
The town leaders are appealing directly to The People’s impulsiveness.
After briefly reading the report, I beg the town council to stop spending our money!. Please someone have the sense to promote fiscal responsibility!
I love this town and would love to live out my life here. Our family is deeply seated in this town. We have a nice house (not a fabulous one) in a nice neighborhood, we have renovated out home to suit us, but the taxes will drive our family out. When the town states that an increase will be a few hundred dollars to the average homeowner, that translates to $1000 for us. I could suck up the high taxes if I knew they would freeze and not rise EVERY SINGLE YEAR, but that is never going to happen. Our taxes have doubled in the 7 years since we bought our house – and I did not double the size of it. I will be one of those appealing my taxes (sorry – I feel that we overpay)- otherwise we will be moving sooner than later.
Well walleroo,
Let’s just be thankful Cary is out there with resolute statements in opposition:
“Although I’m sure the senior center is a fantastic building, I really don’t understand how looking at it is the proper way to evaluate the purchase. I depend on needs analysis and cost,” he told us. “If the lot next to my home becomes available for sale I don’t buy it because it will make my home ‘more valuable.’ I think ‘do I need it?’ I also think ‘Do I have anything better to do with my money?’”
Sorry, I meant to put “leaders” in quotes. What the council is showing isn’t leadership. It’s narcissism.
The Capital Finance Committee TORE APART every single shred of Hartnett’s argument for buying this center. It further revealed much about the irresponsible way the previous council and Mayor and Manager allowed money to be borrowed and spent in Montclair in the past decade. Why is this purchase even still on the table!?! Where is the leadership?
Leadership, Mr. Current Mayor and ladies and gentlemen of the council, is to say… we read this report and we hear you. The senior center is not an option that can be responsibly pursued at this time and I am personally taking accountability and killing it now. No open house, no further discussion, no more wasted time and/or money on this. Onto the next 2,000 challenges we have.
ROC,
When I made my statement to Baristanet, I was thinking of you!
Here’s the last sentence of my statement, which didn’t make it in, probably because of space:
Along with this, remember: the Town is not a real estate speculator looking to make a fast buck. This property might be worth $500,000 more a year from now, or it might be worth $1.5MM less. I am not in the business of risking public funds unnecessarily. We don’t need the Senior Center.
If my wallet is empty, it’s empty. Even if its a “great buy.”
Thanks for the clarification Cary. I wonder why Ms. Galant denuded your statement from the core statement?
Why doesn’t Grabowski buy it and open a brothel?
“I wonder why Ms. Galant denuded your statement from the core statement?”
yikes, let me try again,
I wonder why Ms. Galant took out the core meaning of your statement?
Off with their heads! Really, this is just silly. Who cares how great it looks and what a bargain it is. I have a beach house to sell, does the council want to see that too? It’s a bargain!
What I am finding most troubling is the lack of responsiveness to taxpayer input and communication from (most of)our elected officials. I have written the appropriate officials and they cannot be bothered to respond – in any manner.
This matter is also troubling because it’s such a low quality idea on its face yet will not go away. And if this doesn’t die soon I think it’s time to recall this council and try again.
A recall would be wonderful, Nick, but perhaps it would be better to take a more modest tack and just show up en masse to the next meeting where, which I think is Feb 3. If there is a line of people out the door who get up to the podium and say, “HAVE YOU LOST YOUR SO-CALLED MINDS?” it might be hard to ignore.
Message from taxpayers to Council:
How about focusing on the REAL issues such as:
- pending tax increases due to state funding cuts from Trenton
- pending tax increases due to Montclair Municipal debt financing requirements
- pending tax increases due to furnishing and staffing the new school
- shutdown/sale of Town facilities due to budget constraints
- what would the Senior Center REALLY cost to operate after you add the programs and staff to make it usable.
it’s time to get real here
CRU HEADQUARTERS!!!!
So, then, let’s show up on Saturday to protest/oppose this!!!!