To the Editor:
Parking Authority Seeks Redev Role
West Windsor Parking Authority’s Letter Defining the Role of WWPA in Redevelopment
The purpose of this memo is to request designation of the West Windsor Parking Authority as “redevelopment entity” with respect to the planning and implementation of parking improvements including better access to parking consistent with the recently approved redevelopment plan for land uses in the Princeton Junction train station area.
We understand that such a designation is consistent with New Jersey laws applying to parking authorities as well as to redevelopment activities, and that this is a fairly common strategy.
Such a designation will enable the Authority, as an agent for the Township, to enter into meaningful discussions with NJ Transit, which owns properties identified within the redevelopment plan as preferred sites for structured parking.
The requested designation will also allow the Authority to take its work beyond the conceptual level in exploring any potential for public-private partnerships by which parking improvements would be pursued without encountering public debt. In this regard, even though the Authority does not control the most critical parcels involved, we are committed to exploring ever possible opportunity for arrangements that could yield advantages to Township residents.
This designation is an important first step that will enhance the Authority’s effectiveness in serving our constituencies. As the planing focus shifts to specific land uses and site-by-site details, the WWPA must be positioned to function as the Township’s frontline agent for developing the best possible parking solutions.
Realizing that the requested designation might require more formality than can be accomplished without the assistance of legal counsel for redevelopment, we ask that both the Mayor and the Council start the process by providing the Authority with written authorization to proceed as agent for the Township in dealings with NJ Transit and any potential private sector partners in the pursuit of parking solutions and related access improvements consistent with the redevelopment plan.
Andy Lupo
Chairman, West Windsor
Parking Authority
Taxes vs. Quality of Life: A False Choice
In West Windsor Township, we are fortunate to have a Mayor and Council that genuinely care about this community. The council consists of folks who essentially volunteer their valuable time for our benefit. The reward for this time investment can be seen in our schools, parks, services and overall quality of life. There should be no doubt that these folks have their hearts invested in the betterment of our community.
This year the Mayor and Council, like in many communities across the country, are wrestling with this economies’ impact on the community. Some folks in the community have lost employment, many small and even big business owners are feeling the crunch, and as a result many in our community are being forced to make extremely stressful financial decisions between one necessity and another. Voting for a tax increase in this environment is a vote that will increase the financial distress of many and may be the “backbreaker” for some.
The Council can and should prevent a tax increase in 2009. This can be accomplished without negatively impacting the quality of life that we all enjoy and strive to improve in West Windsor.
Communities around the country, out of necessity, are achieving budget reductions through smarter government, shared services between communities and tighter management over municipal divisions.
Several years ago, I helped the U.S. Navy at Pearl Harbor significantly reduce their base operating budget, while improving departmental service levels to a rate never before achieved on the base. Parts of the Naval Public Work Station are much like a municipality the size of West Windsor with some naval-specific added responsibilities. What I learned from my challenges and successes with the Navy can be directly applied to our township.
Over the last few months I’ve heard the Mayor and Council and those campaigning for Mayor and Council, challenge unnecessary expenses, bring forward ideas for shared services that would reduce costs or bring revenue to the community, and discuss creating efficiencies where they do not exist today. As far as I can tell, no process currently exists to effectively see these ideas to fruition.
This year let’s hold the budget flat and execute on the cost reductions that won’t negatively impact our quality of life. The philosophies of expense management and continuous improvement that are part of the business world have been successfully applied to government entities, including municipalities. It is time for us to do this in West Windsor.
Andrew Hersh
5 Halstead Place
‘Legalese’ Disappointing
The letter that you published in the May 15 edition from Mr. Morgan was a huge disapointment to me. It was in legalese and took two tries to understand it.
For him to claim that for the WW township staff to analyze the costs and benefits of raiding our reserve and lowering our credit rating, producing figures that challenged his own analysis, was a breach of the law by Mayor Hsueh and Councilwoman Geevers borders on the ridiculous and only adds to the reasons that voters rejected Mr. Morgan’s candidature by a majority of nearly three to one.
I understand that the request for the township staff’s analysis had been made by the Town Council not the Mayor. Personally, I would want the township to make such an analysis and to publish it. If Mr. Morgan was unhappy with the township’s figures he had a perfect right to ask on what assumptions they had been made and to challenge them.
Even if his analysis was correct it does not justify dipping into our reserve in a way that would reduce our rating. This could only be done once and there would be no reserve next year and we would still have to pay the higher cost of interest on a lowered credit rating.
We can only hope that the AG will treat Mr. Morgan’s request for an investigation with the disdain it deserves and that Mr. Morgan, as a town councilman, plays a constructive role in the township and does not continue to act as a spoiler.
Andrew Blelloch
281 Clarksville Road
Voters Thanked
We are grateful to the West Windsor voters for their overwhelming support of our candidacies. We ran a positive campaign of accomplishments and vision for the future. AOL’s Neighborhood Scout got it right when they ranked West Windsor the “number one family-friendly neighborhood” in the nation.
West Windsor is such a wonderful place to live for people of all ages. Our community’s spirit and countless hours of volunteerism contribute to our sustainable efforts of working together toward common goals and future initiatives. We will reach out and listen to all of your differing viewpoints and strive to build consensus with the challenges ahead.
Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh
Councilwoman Linda Geevers
Councilman-Elect Kamal Khanna
