WEST WINDSOR: Township attorney releases version of Grover report

By Charley Falkenburg, Staff Writer
   WEST WINDSOR — The closest thing folks can get to Det. Mark Lee’s report on missing items from the Grover Homestead is a version edited by Township Attorney Michael Herbert.
   Last month, the county prosecutor said Det. Lee’s long-awaited, 25-page report could not be disclosed to the public due to its criminal nature. In response, Mr. Herbert drafted a report to reflect Det. Lee’s findings for the public eye.
   Although intended to ease the disappointment and outrage spurred by the county prosecutor’s decision, Mr. Herbert’s report was criticized by Councilman Bryan Maher, who described it as “white washed.” Mr. Maher, like the rest of his colleagues, briefly saw the original police report and was able to compare the two documents.
   ”In my view, a vast bulk of information was deleted as to who was responsible for what happened and what actually happened,” said Mr. Maher on Feb. 5.
   Mr. Herbert confirmed he omitted the names of town employees and members of the public Det. Lee interviewed to prevent the town from being sued for libel and slander. Although unable to make the names public, Mr. Herbert did include the 18 organizations and affiliations they were from and the gist of the information they provided.
   ”Mr. Maher is extremely naive in these situations — he doesn’t understand the municipal and legal processes behind all this,” said Mr. Herbert on Feb. 5. “I think I need to do better job in educating him.”
   The rest of the council appeared to not have a problem with Mr. Herbert’s work. Councilwoman Kristina Samonte described it as a “good reflection” of Det. Lee’s investigation and Council President George Borek said that outside the names, the accuracy and the timeline of events are correct.
   ”I’ve seen both reports and there’s not too much difference there other than names and a couple of sensitive things that were taken out,” added Mr. Borek on Feb. 5.
   Mr. Herbert’s 16-page summary includes details of the whole investigative process, which began last June when the Grover Committee, which is tasked with creating a viable business plan for the homestead, inquired about items that were missing from the property.
   It includes what items were removed by the West Windsor Historical Society and the Grover family as well as items that were removed improperly for scrap. Through an oral barter agreement with restoration dealer Restoration Technologies, the West Windsor Historical Society traded windows, doors, banisters and mantel pieces estimated to be worth less than $10,000 altogether.
   The report notes that the removal of the metal materials such as copper piping and a furnace was not legal, but the county prosecutor determined no criminal complaint would be filed and was worth less than $100 in total.
   In addition, Mr. Herbert included a list of 63 documents that were reviewed, 67 people who were interviewed for both reports and a timeline of the Grover Homestead’s history beginning in 1953 when LeRoy C. “Pete” Grover Jr. moved his family into the homestead. Attached at the end is a copy of the resolution council passed in 2010 to demolish the building for $60,000.
   Ted Grover, whose family had owned the property, thought a few things needed to be corrected in the report. He disagreed with parts that deemed the homestead “not historically significant” and “not habitable” at the time his mother vacated the property. The report also says his mother was interviewed, which he said never happened.
   Mr. Herbert said he would make the necessary amendments to his summary.