HELMETTA — The Borough Council briefly discussed a letter of intent that had expressed interest in purchasing the closed Helmetta Regional Animal Shelter facility.
During a discussion about borough liquor licenses, Councilman Joe Perez mentioned a letter of intent sent to the borough to utilize the building for an entertainment establishment. That letter was discussed further in a closed session.
It was not immediately clear who sent the letter to the borough. Several officials declined to comment further because the proposal is subject to future negotiations.
The Middlesex County Health Department ordered the shelter closed in November 2014 after inspectors found conditions there had not improved in response to six warnings issued by the NJSPCA. With the help of veterinarians, volunteers and animal rescue organizations, the Helmetta shelter was sanitized following the quarantine, and the entire population of animals was moved out by Dec. 22.
The building has sat vacant since.
Prior to the quarantine, which was ordered following a joint inspection with the NJSPCA, the shelter ran into financial difficulties due to a $2 million bond issued to refurbish the facility. Roughly $1.5 million remains on that bond.
The borough previously issued a request for proposals (RFP) to find a private buyer for the property, which is zoned for several uses other than an animal shelter, including age-restricted residential units, general retail, food and beverage, professional offices, surface parking and a community center. However, the RFP response period closed without a single proposal.
Another plan, offered by former interim Shelter Director Niki Dawson, who was appointed by the NJSPCA following the quarantine, called for $3-per-capita contracts with municipalities. The Borough Council did not adopt that plan, which was put forth in March.
The Borough Council also voted unanimously on a resolution asking the state legislature to review the Open Public Records Act, citing scores of OPRA requests received over the past year.
“It’s one thing to be transparent and another thing to be harassed,” Mayor Nancy Martin said at the meeting. “It’s like they’re using OPRA requests as a weapon.”
The borough has received 310 requests and provided 1088 documents since August 2014, according to the borough clerk’s office. The bulk of those requests were in relation to the Helmetta Regional Animal Shelter.