City e-mail tax revolt has few replies

An e-mail circulated around Lambertville asked residents to attend the City Council meeting Monday to protest a tax increase because flood insurance did not cover flood damages to the new Justice Center.

By: Linda Seida
   LAMBERTVILLE — What if they threw a tax revolt and nobody came?
   That’s almost how it turned out Monday when officials prepared to explain Lambertville’s lack of adequate flood insurance and the need to come up with $125,000 to fix the flood-damaged Justice Center, just a week after approving a $27 per year tax hike for the average homeowner.
   An e-mail making the rounds in Lambertville took the mayor and City Council to task for their "disastrous blunders" in converting the old Acme into a new multipurpose Justice Center and then failing to ensure the structure was properly covered by adequate flood insurance.
   Evidently making the rounds Sunday, the e-mail urged, "Please, pass this on by e-mail or by printing it out for seniors or others who may not have access to a computer. Let’s get the information to all our friends and neighbors here in Lambertville before the meeting tomorrow evening!"
   If the information got out, not many responded. About a dozen seats in the small meeting room were full, but it was hard to tell if those in attendance were there for regular city business or in response to the e-mail. Only one person stood to question the mayor and council members on the topics raised by the e-mail.
   The Justice Center suffered major damage during the flood that occurred the first weekend in April. The cleanup totaled $20,000. An additional $105,000 is needed to rehab the interior.
   With no aid forthcoming for New Jersey municipalities from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the city had to find another way to pay for the work at the Justice Center.
   The city’s Municipal Court has been moved temporarily to the township building in West Amwell. Meetings of the City Council, Planning Board and Zoning Board have returned to the City Hall on York Street until repairs can be made.
   Resident Steve Robbins wanted to know if the city had an agreement with the state that would allow Lambertville to divert a $100,000 Treasury grant to the rehabilitation of the flood damaged Justice Center. The money originally was intended to purchase high-tech equipment that would have allowed the cable broadcast of official functions as well as upgrades to the lighting and sound systems that would have allowed audiences to better view presentations.
   Mayor David Del Vecchio replied the city does, in fact, have a signed agreement with the state treasurer, which states the grant may be used to offset the city’s rehabilitation of the Justice Center.
   Mayor Del Vecchio said officials think it would be "inappropriate" to use tax dollars for the rehab project.
   "We thought that was an inappropriate step, and so the treasurer worked with us to save the taxpayers’ dollars," Mayor Del Vecchio said. "Does it mean we have to wait to have that (high-tech upgrade)? Yes, it does."
   One of the most serious charges made by the anonymous author of the e-mail was city officials "tried to cover up their errors by blaming everything on others, while secretly rewarding a heavy campaign contributor with a no-bid contract to begin cleanup repairs on the facility!" Further into the e-mail, the author used the term "pay-to-play."
   When no more audience questions were forthcoming, Mayor Del Vecchio said he wanted to address "another issue."
   Without using the term "pay-to-play," but obviously addressing the accusations put forth in the e-mail, Mayor Del Vecchio explained the circumstances and appropriateness involved in hiring contractor Don Hart to begin work on the Justice Center cleanup without going to bid for the job.
   "When the flood occurred, our first concern was to evacuate the residents safely, then getting them back into their homes," Mayor Del Vecchio said.
   As emergency workers evacuated residents, water poured into the Justice Center. Public Works Director Paul Cronce and city Clerk Lori Buckelew met with an adjuster and a representative of the city’s insurer, the Somerset County Joint Insurance Fund.
   "At no cost to the city, Don Hart gave a contractor’s view so as not to rely solely on the adjuster’s view" of the cost involved in cleanup and rehab, Mayor Del Vecchio said.
   City attorney Philip Faherty III said the procurement of Mr. Hart’s services was "proper" in light of the city’s emergency situation.
   "The right action was taken at the right time," Mr. Faherty said. "It was done in a proper way, and that’s the end of that."
   Mayor Del Vecchio said, "I think Paul and Lori should be applauded" for taking the actions they did, which led to Mr. Hart’s cleanup efforts at a "fair" cost, Mayor Del Vecchio said.
   Resident Gary Warford stood to say, "I think Lambertville is extremely fortunate to have Paul Cronce and Don Hart help people at the drop of a hat."
   According to Ms. Buckelew, Mr. Hart’s bill for cleaning up the Justice Center totaled $19,775.43. The cost included the rental of generators and pressure-washing equipment. Mr. Hart performed pressure washing and vacuuming of the interior to remove river sediment. He picked up and delivered rental trucks to transport furnishings and fixtures to another location, out of harm’s way. Those items then were cleaned and sanitized, among them typewriters, file cabinets, chairs, and door knobs.
   Mr. Hart also removed carpet and floor tile and sheet rock and insulation to a level above the 2-foot water line. He removed doors and the plywood surface behind the dais. He removed bathroom tile and disposed of all the debris. He also retained the services of a company to install dehumidifiers and fans and to treat the area with an approved biocide, a substance that kills a wide range of organisms, including bacteria and fungi.
   Mr. Hart also retained a licensed electrical contractor at a cost of $660 to replace ruined electrical outlets and wiring, according to Ms. Buckelew.