They're doing a lot of things right in Oceanport

The following are Council President Joe Irace's remarks delivered at Oceanport's reorganization:


Good afternoon. Welcome to our 2010 Reorganization Day. I would like to congratulate Will Johnson on his re-election and Jerry Bertekap on his election to Council. Congratulations to this year's Officers of Oceanport Fire Department and First Aid Squad. Our volunteers are the strength of our Borough. They make our town what it is today. It's no wonder our community ranked number 1 in Monmouth County last year.

As we begin a New Year together, I remain honored and humbled to serve you as a Councilman and this year as Council President. It is a responsibility that I take very seriously as we work through some of the most pressing issues in Oceanport's long history. During the last 12 months, I have spoken to many of you, either individually or in emails, about what we, your Governing Body, have accomplished in the face of Fort Monmouth closing, ongoing Monmouth Park Racetrack issues, an increasingly difficult economy, and a State Government that insists on penalizing smaller, efficient towns like our own.

Detailing the hard work and accomplishments of your Mayor & Council I would like to point out some of our many achievements:

-A flat funded Municipal budget which kept taxes stable in a tough budget year.

- Continuation of the Parks & Recreation Committee's 10 year Park Plan with the Charles Park Improvements leading the way.

- Finalization of a collaborative effort to eliminate pollution of Branchport Creek stemming from Monmouth Park Racetrack. Mayor & Council, in an unprecedented act, agreed to serve as conduit borrower through the New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust which enabled the work to begin.

- Restructuring of a nonaligned Municipal Employee Healthcare program which includes, for the first time, required employee contributions to healthcare premiums. We also enacted a change in the Medical Plan. Partnering with our employees we are working together to make the best use of your tax dollars.

- Continuation of shared services with neighboring towns in order to provide meaningful tax stabilization for our residents. Sea Bright currently uses Oceanport's court and we purchase gas for Borough vehicles from Long Branch. We are in pursuit of arrangements for shared dispatch services and shared public works services, which will provide even more tax relief.

- Reassessment of property taxes in town to ensure fairness based on the economic downturn in real estate prices.

- Placement of new "Welcome to Oceanport" signs at the entrances to the Borough and new banners along Main Street. All paid for by sponsors!

- Construction of sidewalks around Port-Au-Peck Ave connecting Maple Place School and Blackberry Bay Park to ensure the safety of our children. Look for more sidewalk projects in 2010!

- Continuation of the long shot fight to Save Fort Monmouth - Mayor Mahon sent a letter to our Congressman and President. Residents participated in an email campaign launched by Fort workers, and our students from Maple Place, under the tutelage of Mrs. Specht and Mr. Vacarelli, sent letters to our Congressman and President.

- Continuation of our partnership with Monmouth Park, our largest ratable, which brought The Warped Tour to the racetrack. The event was a success and will be returning to Monmouth Park in 2010!

- Helping our neighbors in Eatontown shoot down the proposed massive development for the Old Orchard Country Club.

- Honoring our returning Oceanport Veterans at Haskell Day at Monmouth Park.

- Becoming one of only 28 Towns in New Jersey to be named a "Sustainable Jersey" town.

- Receiving a check for $195,723.19 for Planning Expenses related to Fort Monmouth. This will provide much needed tax relief in our 2010 Budget. The Borough is pursuing reimbursement for other expenses associated with the closure of Fort Monmouth including infrastructure, property acquisition and development, public safety (in particular police), as this process continues.

- Most importantly, we continue to work on the "new" Fort Monmouth Redevelopment Bill. Mayor and Council have spent countless hours working on amendments that will ensure Oceanport's best interests are served. There were no less than 76 items of concern with the Bill in its original form. However, after many hours of work, resulting in much needed amendments, the Bill, in its current form, still needs work.

For example:

- Currently, the State has 5 votes while the Local Municipalities have 3 votes and the County has 1.The 7 vote "Super Majority" does little for Oceanport as the State can use its leverage to play one municipality, or even the County, against the other.

- The use, ANY use, of "Revenue Sharing Districts" in any form (whether Special Improvement Districts, Transportation Improvement Districts or Infrastructure Improvement Districts) affects Oceanport from a fundamental standpoint. Oceanport, the smallest Municipality of the 3 with the most to lose, will be on the short end of the stick in any revenue sharing formula.

-The use of Eminent Domain in any way shape or form is a no go for us. Especially the use of Eminent Domain outside of the Fort district as the Bill currently states.

- We believe our COAH concerns are valid insofar as treating the area as the "Fort Monmouth District" any and all affordable housing may be placed in Oceanport. Again, with the most residential housing in the FMERPA plan, Oceanport has the most to lose. We would specifically like to see language to the effect that each municipality will handle its own affordable housing obligations regardless of the treatment of Fort Monmouth as a district.

- Finally, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) has minimal to NO experience as a "Master Developer" of anything. We have continued to ask for a list of projects the EDA was "Master Developer" on so we can view them in the context of Fort Monmouth.

These are just a few of the things your Mayor and Council have been able to accomplish over the past year. By working together, we were able to do what is best for Oceanport. Rest assured, we will continue our efforts in the year to come!

I want to take this opportunity to wish everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year. Thank you for the opportunity to serve as Council President in Oceanport. There is nowhere else I'd rather live.