To the editor:
Recently, a 12-paragraph rambling manifesto appeared on the Jamesburg Democratic Social Club Facebook page highlighting Mayor Marlene Lowande’s position against clean, cost-saving solar energy implementation in the borough. In actuality, her position is not even so much about refuting the idea of solar power, which could save taxpayers and the borough a great deal, but it is a sad opposition to the simple idea of a well-rounded discussion and open forum on the issue.
Mayor Lowande immediately suggests that a $10,000 to $15,000 feasibility study would be required. Not really. The next step would actually be to issue a formal Request for Proposal (RFP) to give solar companies the opportunity to present facts and tangible data to the Borough Council and public. This would not cost the borough upwards of $15,000, but perhaps just the cost of ink and paper — quite a contrast to the Democrats’ assumption and typical red tape expense they are used to.
The RFP would be written by my running mate, Joe Scillieri, a licensed professional engineer who teaches construction project management at Mercer County Community College. Over several decades, Joe has written a great many RFPs during his career, and has full comprehension of what the document’s critical components consist of. So what exactly are Mayor Lowande and the Democrats afraid of other than transparency and innovation?
My findings have revealed that solar companies would in fact bare the cost of solar installation, while repairing or replacing deteriorating roofs on public buildings. Due to current financing programs available through various solar companies, Jamesburg would not have to incur debt for this type of project. Why can’t we just have a non-binding conversation on how to save Jamesburg taxpayers’ money through a potentially feasible project that could yield a cost-savings of up to 30 percent over 15 years?
Mayor Lowande’s excuse that, “…not one of us on council is a solar expert…” is not reason enough to pull the plug on what can be a truly inventive concept for Jamesburg. Correct, mayor, you are not an expert on solar energy.
I also take exception to Mayor Lowande’s comment on the Facebook post asserting that I have no written support of a solar proposal, and that all I have is a solar representative that said, “…I got a guy.” Those words, which are more emblematic of poor movie screenwriting, were not uttered during our discussion, nor should they have been quoted in her disjointed dissertation on social media. The purpose of my introducing the mayor to this solar representative was to give her an idea of what could be explored and to help determine what questions would need to be answered.
Mayor Lowande stated that her research has not yielded confirmation that any other municipality in the county is on board with solar. This is a blatant misrepresentation of the facts and indicative of her lack of research on the issue.
The record clearly states in an online news article from earlier this year that “…the highest concentration of solar energy projects in New Jersey is in Middlesex County, with 14 percent of state’s total capacity.” (Shedding light on where solar projects abound in New Jersey – NJ Spotlight; 3/27/15).
In fact, Woodbridge Township saves upward of $150,000 per year in energy costs as a direct result of solar power energy. (Municipalities Use Solar Power to Save Money- NJTV; 7/3/14).
In addition, in 2009, New Brunswick Mayor James Cahill announced that all public buildings in his city, including schools, will have solar on the rooftops within two years at no cost to the city. The 2009 Star Ledger article on New Brunswick’s foray into solar power, pointed towards the entire project responsibility resting with the solar company. Municipalities like New Brunswick and Woodbridge have done their research, as we are asking to conduct, and both have determined that there would be a cost savings in the millions over the lifetime of their solar power initiatives.
I don’t assert that Mayor Lowande and the Democratic-majority council are deliberately trying to cost Jamesburg money, but their outward criticism of an idea that could benefit the borough is entirely misguided, especially given the fact that the idea is being shot down before the borough’s citizens even have the chance to review information.
If Mayor Lowande and her Democratic counterparts were more concerned with innovative cost savings ideas like this one being introduced by the Jamesburg GOP, rather than how to cling to office, then perhaps the borough would bask in a clean, environmentally-friendly light in the future.
Tom Gibbons
Councilman
Republican candidate for Mayor
Jamesburg
