TINTON FALLS — Less than 30 seconds into his public comment at the Dec. 21 meeting of the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority (FMERA), an outspoken activist about environmental and transparency issues at the fort was arrested for disorderly conduct for disrupting the meeting.
Tom Mahedy, from Wall Township, regularly attends FMERA meetings and is an active member of the FMERA Environmental StaffAdvisory Committee.
“There is corruption and conspiracy all over the FMERA board,” Mahedy said before aTinton Falls Police Department officer began escorting him out of the room.
FMERA Chairman James Gorman called for the police officer after telling Mahedy to stay on topic during the evening’s first public comment portion, which is reserved for agenda items only.
“Mr. Mahedy, I will remind you to keep your comments brief and on agenda items only,” Gorman said as Mahedy came to the podium.
“And do not repeat anything you have said and has been addressed at prior meetings.”
In a Dec. 22 email, Mahedy said he had planned to discuss the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), a document that outlines the split of proceeds from the sale of fort property and the timeline for the sale, before his arrest.
Later that night, the board unanimously approved the MOAand Economic Development Conveyance application, a formal version of the MOA.
“I have been involved with this for five years. I have exposed things the board is not happy about,” Mahedy said in a Dec. 22 email.
“I amon the FMERAEnvironmental [Staff Advisory] Committee, looking to make sure toxic waste sites are not left behind by the Army for the taxpayers to clean up once they are gone.”
As he was being restrained, Mahedy tried to hold onto the podium and continued.
“I have studied this document for hours! I have a right to speak,” Mahedy cried, waving a copy of the MOA and removing the microphone from the stand as he was pulled farther from the podium.
The officer asked Mahedy to leave the room, noting that he wasn’t being arrested but would be if he continued.
But he did, and the struggle brought the podium to the floor with an echoing crash.
Mahedy was forcibly restrained and quickly escorted out.
“Am I being arrested for speaking in public?” Mahedy asked countless times as he was pulled out of the meeting. He was charged with disorderly conduct.
TheDec. 21 situation was not the first time the board had Mahedy escorted from a meeting. At various meetings throughout the year, police officers of the location’s municipality have forced Mahedy from the microphone and into his chair after the board said he went off topic with unsubstantiated attacks.
In February he was arrested for trespassing when he refused to leave a closed-door meeting at the FMERA offices between authority staff and Army personnel.
At the Dec. 21 meeting, the board also approved its 2012 budget, which estimates more than $12 million in earnings as parcels of the 1,126-acre Fort Monmouth property are sold.
According to a memo from FMERA Director of Finance and Administration Beverlee Akerbaum, the operating expenses are also expected to drop.
“The 2012 Consolidated Fiscal Plan financially depicts the change in the authority’s operations as it transitions from the negotiation of an EDC [Economic Development Conveyance] to the implementation of the approved EDC agreement,” the memo states.
The fiscal plan estimates $31,559,735 to be realized from the sale of fort property in the Charles Wood area of Tinton Falls.
Under costs, the budget states that $14.45 million will be paid to the Army as their portion of the proceeds.
Parcel C, Parcel C1, the Suneagles Golf Course, the Howard Commons housing complex, the fort marina and Patterson Health Clinic are all expected to be sold within 18 months.
In October, FMERA listed Parcel E through the Requests for Offer to Purchase process.
“Four bids were received, opened and are now being evaluated in accordance with the process,” said FMERA Executive Director Bruce Steadman at the Dec. 21 meeting.
He declined to comment on the identity or nature of the four bidders on the 55-acre property, bounded by Tinton Avenue and Hope Road.
The budget also expects another $202,657 from leasing certain properties and nearly $2.2 million in federal funding.
In addition to theArmy’s proceeds from the land sale, the fiscal plan lists about $1.55 million in direct office support and $5.4 million in program costs.
FMERAis next scheduled to meet on Jan. 18 at the Maple Place School in Oceanport.