Two seats on the Hopewell Township Committee are to be contested on Nov. 7, with township Democrats putting forth two candidates with ballot experience and the township Republicans offering two new faces and voices to voters.
Hopewell may look like a sleepy town, but that’s hardly the case these days, at least in terms of politics. Hot topics like the proposed PennEast Pipeline, as well as the township’s recent settlement with interested parties on affordable housing, in which it agreed to zone for 653 new units by 2025, have people engaged.
Residents continue to debate what kind of new community center should be built and how it should serve the senior segment of the population. And of course, there’s never an election in New Jersey in which property taxes are not a major point of discussion.
Long-serving committee member Vanessa Sandom announced in the summer that she would not be running again, meaning first-term Democrat Kevin Kuchinski is the only incumbent running in this year’s race. He is joined on the ticket by Michael Ruger, who ran alongside Kristin McLaughlin in last year’s council election and is back for a second try at gaining a seat on the committee.
Township Republicans, meanwhile, have two first-timers on the ballot this year. Cream King founder and owner Phil Volpe is joined by Princeton University water polo coach Luis Nicolao on the ticket.
Kevin D. Kuchinski, 48, has been a member of the township committee since 2014, serving as mayor in 2016 and 2017. In his professional career most recently he was vice president of marketing, fabric care at Church and Dwight. He is working with Ray Disch on the start-up of Sourland Mountain Spirits and has started a consulting practice focused on brand strategy and innovation. He has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Duke University.
Kuchinski is president of the Hopewell Valley Education Foundation, co-chair of the advisory board for the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed, chair of the St. James finance council and a board member and past-president of the Honey Lake Homeowners Association. He has lived in the Hopewell Valley since 2003.
Kuchinski is married to Leslie, who has a doctorate in astronomy and volunteers with the Timberlane PTO and the Hopewell Valley Youth Chorale. They live the Elm Ridge Park neighborhood. Son Ryan is a graduate of Georgetown University working in Washington. Son Brennan is a junior at Lehigh University studying mechanical engineering. Children Liam (11th grade) and Kaitlyn (7th grade) are students at Hopewell Valley Central High and Timberlane Middle School.
Luis Nicolao, 47, has lived in the Hopewell Valley since 1998. The native of São Paulo, Brazil, lives in Brandon Farms with his wife of 23 years, Kellie Nicolao. Daughter Madison, 21, is a senior at Loyola University in Baltimore. Daughter Morgan, 19, is a sophomore at Princeton.
Nicolao graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1992 and has a master’s in education from the University of Phoenix. He is the head water polo coach at Princeton University and is president of Tiger Aquatic Club. This is his first time running for elected office.
Michael Ruger, 54, has lived in Hopewell since 1998. He is vice president of government affairs at Comcast. He graduated from Penn State University with degrees in political science and psychology, and also has a law degree from Georgetown University.
Ruger ran for a seat on the Hopewell Valley Regional school board in 2013. This is his second time running for township committee. He is a member of the Hopewell Township Finance Advisory Committee and the Environmental Commission. He is also vice president of the board of directors of the Juvenile Law Center, the nation’s oldest nonprofit public-interest law firm for children, and a member of the Penn State Department of Political Science Board of Visitors.
Ruger lives in the Harbourton area of Hopewell with wife Tracy Vogler, an attorney. who grew up in the home where the family now lives. Son Teddy, 20, is a sophomore at Lafayette College, and twins Billy and Bobby, 12, are 7th graders at Timberlane.
Philip Volpe, 58, is an account manager and owner of Cream King. He has lived in the Hopewell Valley since 1993 and lives today in Brandon Farms. The Plainfield native grew up in Scotch Plains and has a degree in business administration from Rutgers University.
Volpe has been a member of the Hopewell Valley YMCA Board of Directors for 17 years (6 as president). He’s been a member of the Hopewell Valley Recreation Foundation for five years and on the Hopewell Valley Recreation Advisory Board for three. He was co-founder and board member for the Paul Jurgens Foundation from 2001 to 2004. The foundation was in honor of Port Authority police officer Paul Jurgens, who died in the Sept. 11, 2001 attack on New York.
Volpe is a eucharistic minister for St. James Church in Pennington and to homebound residents of Brandywine Living at Pennington. He is a member of Parent Leadership Corps and the Hopewell Valley Municipal Alliance. He created Cream King Mondays at his restaurant to support local nonprofit organizations and charities in Mercer County.
Volpe is married to wife Laurie. Children are Lauren (Kuhn), Kristen (Josephs) and Erin. This is Volpe’s first time running for public office.
The Hopewell Express asked Kuchinski, Nicolao, Ruger and Volpe to participate in a candidates’ questionnaire via email. Their answers to our questions follow.
Can the PennEast Pipeline be stopped? If so, how? What have you done or what will you do as a member of the committee to best serve the community on this matter?
Kuchinski: Yes, it can be stopped. Since the PennEast project was first proposed, I have stood united with residents, environmental groups and other mayors along the pipeline route, and state and federal officials in opposition to the proposed pipeline. This pipeline seeks to take advantage of public investments in open space and preserved farmland and threatens to create a 120-foot wide swath of destruction through our township.
The NJ DEP is fully empowered to deny Penn-East its clean water permits, so with a new governor and committed leadership at the local level, we can stop PennEast.
As an individual and on the township committee, I have filed numerous objections as an intervenor with FERC; I have gone to Trenton and Washington to lobby our elected officials and regulatory agencies. My opponents claim to be concerned about PennEast, but have taken no concrete actions to oppose it. In fact, their fellow Republican suggested we should negotiate with PennEast last year, after accepting a $5,200 donation from a pro-pipeline PAC. (His campaign finance report is on the NJ Election Law Enforcement Commission website).
Hopewell Township should not be for sale.
Nicolao: This is a project that has to be stopped by all residents of Hopewell. As a community we have to come together to defeat this. On the committee, we would take all necessary steps we could to help defeat this project, but the reality is that everybody in our community has to express their concerns.
Ruger: The PennEast pipeline proposal is an ecological disaster waiting to happen. This unnecessary and unwanted pipeline would create a permanent scar across the township and threaten our water aquifer.
It can and should be stopped. Thanks to the hard work of thousands of people in Hopewell Township and across the region, PennEast has been blocked from moving forward with its ill-conceived plan. We have to keep up the pressure to ensure Penn-East does not receive approval from the federal government and from the state.
Volpe: Our community does not need or want the PennEast Pipeline. Given that the majority of our homes are on wells, the safety and security of our drinking water is our top priority. Professionally, I have spent a great deal of time around the energy business, particularly natural gas. This is an emotional issue: the fact remains that pipelines leak. A recent study in Colorado, cited in PennEnergy, found 490 pipelines with leaks near commercial infrastructure.
Typically, pipelines are stopped for three primary reasons. The first is economic: the pipeline company determines they will not make money. Or the pipeline is simply not needed. Lastly, the pipeline presents an environmental hazard to the community. This is an issue that should unite the entire Hopewell Township community, and I believe there is a shared expertise of businessman, scientists, and leaders throughout our diverse community of residents that could come together to successfully fight the pipeline.
In the summer, the township released the results of a survey regarding a new community/senior center. Having seen the report, do you think a new facility should be built? What kind of facility do you envision?
Nicolao: This is a promise that has been made now for years with no results. Our seniors deserve this center and it is time that we deliver. The seniors recently had a committee review and vote on what they would like to do. They decided to stay in their current location and use the $1.5 million set aside for them for repairs and expansion to their current facility.
The fact that we are still even discussing this is sad. The board currently has a 4-1 majority, why have steps to solve this not been done? We need people in place that will stop making empty promises and deliver to our seniors in this community.
Ruger: Our seniors deserve a senior center. When Pennington threatened to close the center, the Democrats on the Hopewell Township Committee developed a public-private partnership to provide necessary repairs. The center will now remain open for the foreseeable future.
The survey showed that the majority of those interested in a center preferred a multi-use center. I agree. It does not make sense from a financial or practical standpoint to have separate senior and community centers. Respondents were split between locating the center near ShopRite or on Scotch Road. While both sites have merit, if the center is located near ShopRite, we need to ensure that there is access that would avoid Pennington Circle.
We need to make sure we can pay for construction and operating costs without burdening taxpayers. We need to explore grants, contributions and partnerships with nonprofits, government agencies and local businesses. We also need to be clear if and how residents will pay to use the center. These are some of the questions that I will insist be answered before approving construction.
Volpe: Yes, I have read the report, and the first thing that comes to mind is that a senior center and a community center are two different topics of discussion. While the two centers could be co-located, it is important to keep in mind that these centers serve two different purposes. The senior advisory panel often quotes a survey that is approximately 12 years old and advocates for a stand-alone senior center. What the survey authors did not take into consideration at that time, was the lack of infrastructure throughout the township.
Others on the senior committee discussed the value of two centers being co-located in order to promote intergenerational programs and activities when desired. With the county matching funds now available for the past 6 or 7 years, completing the senior center should be a top priority for the Hopewell Township Committee. A community center should not delay the construction of a viable center for the township seniors any longer. It is time that the yearly tease and promises in the October pre-election press releases by the ruling party end, and we accomplish this important priority for our seniors.
Kuchinski: I am committed to the Valley’s seniors and to building a senior center. When the current senior center was slated to close at year’s end, I spearheaded a public-private partnership with the boroughs, Mercer County and private corporations to provide necessary repairs. Happily, the center will remain open, while we work towards a new one. I have also led the charge to hire and fund the new senior coordinator role, set aside money toward the design of a new senior and community center in this year’s township budget, and unlocked $1.5 million in county grants.
I envision a new community center with expanded and dedicated space for our seniors, as well as an aquatics center and other recreational amenities. We will partner with the boroughs, non-profits, local businesses, and our residents to get this new center designed properly and built.
The township has recently agreed to accommodate construction of 653 units of affordable/market rate housing by 2025, with the east side of Scotch Road already earmarked for development. Can you see a way forward that does not include rezoning the west side as well? What can and should the committee do to ensure this development happens in a way that helps Hopewell maintain its abundant open space and rural character?
Ruger: We have a constitutional mandate to provide affordable housing. The committee reached an unanimous, bipartisan deal to approve a settlement. Housing needs to be placed in areas with sewers. Township residents have said loudly and clearly that they do not want sewers extended. It is easy to say, “put the houses somewhere else,” but hard to say where. One of the proposals announced by my Republican opponents at the recent candidates’ forum was to put affordable housing at the site of “the prison” in Titusville. But the Mercer County Correction Center is a functioning short-term jail facility owned by the county, unavailable as a housing site, and is located on a two-lane road that could not handle increased traffic.
A developer will not build if there is not sufficient demand. If a developer comes forward while I am on the committee, I will fight for construction that is in keeping with the township’s rural character. We need green space between the development, access roads, and existing houses. And we need houses built for the 21st century, designed to be environmentally sustainable.
Volpe: I went to the Hopewell Township event at the high school which unveiled the affordable housing settlement. It appeared to be a lot of people patting themselves on the back for a job well-done. With affordable housing credits for places like Hopewell Gardens, Freedom Village and other credits, we have no way of knowing if Hopewell Township negotiated a good deal or not.
The likelihood that this settlement can lead to 3,300 new homes is very troubling and a taxpayer “sellout.” The long-term costs to the taxpayers for infrastructure, schools, cost of educators, police and future school construction funding in the state of New Jersey has exposed the Hopewell Township taxpayer. Additionally, given the approval of the four-story, 300-unit apartment building complex on 20 acres on Federal City Road, who knows what has been negotiated for Scotch Road.
The ratio of 4:1 market rate homes to affordable homes does not look like a great negotiated settlement and looks more like a surrender to the developers’ interest that ties the hands of the Hopewell Township Committee and Planning Board for years to come. I will absolutely work to ensure the character of Hopewell Township remains unchanged and look forward to promoting a business friendly environment and culture for our community.
Kuchinski: I have fought to preserve open space and farmland and protect Hopewell Township’s rural character. This includes stopping the extension of sewers into pristine areas not currently in a sewer-service area. By contrast, John Hart and other previous administrations have repeatedly pushed for expanded sewers.
The township has a constitutional mandate to provide affordable housing, but we need to accommodate it in a way that respects our longstanding values and commitment to open space. To this end, we must fight at the state level for sensible COAH reform. I have stood up to Gov. Chris Christie and his builder allies, saying no to their 10:1 ratio of market rate units to affordables. With support from our D15 legislators and Senate and Assembly leadership, we just need a governor willing to work with us on commonsense reforms.
Nicolao: I hope we can. Hopewell is a special place because of our unique small town feel and the open space that we have. It took almost 300 years to build 5,700 homes and now we are looking at adding 3,000 in 10 years! This was not an agreement that served us well, I know we need the affordable housing but a 4-1 ratio is a loss. If we had gone to court and lost this is what we would have settled on. How many new schools, teachers and not to mention the increased congestion does this mean for our community? I’m not sure how anybody on the committee can brag about doing a good job with this. We have to do everything we can to protect our township and that begins with this project.
Hopewell homeowners, like most in New Jersey, have seen property taxes rise and rise in recent years. What have you done and what will you do as a committee member to slow this runaway train and help homeowners keep more money in their pockets?
Volpe: Property taxes are negatively affecting all of us. We have tremendous debt; much more than most of our neighboring towns with higher debt-to-revenue ratios. A very high percentage of our budget goes to paying down our debt service. Hopewell Township leaders have kicked the can down the road for years. If elected, I will work with my fellow-committee members to halt the practice of spending money we do not have that increases long-term debt and definitely be on the lookout to reject bad ideas, such as Pennytown.
Kuchinski: We have started to slow the runaway train. First, I instituted a zero-based budgeting process, and as a result, our 2017 township spending is below 2015 levels. This has enabled us to hold the municipal tax rate to only 1.1 percent per year, well-below the rate of inflation. Hopewell Township once again has the lowest equalized municipal tax rate in Mercer County. This is a big improvement versus the 5.28% tax increase endured when my opponents were in charge.
Looking ahead, we are working with the schools and neighboring municipalities to explore new shared services that will further lower costs. We are cutting debt to reduce interest costs. And we are working to attract small businesses and other new ratables like the medical offices that will come with Capital Health’s partnership with the Rothman Institute, to reduce the burden on residential property taxpayers. Finally, we are going to work with the board and boroughs to equalize school-funding per student across Hopewell Valley. Hopewell Township residents currently pay 35 percent more per enrolled student. This does not make sense!
Nicolao: This is one of the main reasons I am running. I have watched my taxes go up every year to the point that Hopewell is starting to not be affordable for many. I cannot believe the number of neighbors discussing moving over the next few years because of their property taxes. We have to begin to look at our budgets, be more responsible with spending. We cannot continue to see six percent increases on our township budgets, we have had democratic control on this board for 13 out of the last 18 years and all we have seen happen is increased spending and a rise in property taxes.
Ruger: The township’s portion of the budget makes up about 13 percent of the property tax bill. The Democrats on the committee have done an outstanding job of keeping the tax rate down (reducing the annual rate of increase from 6.3 percent under the last Republican mayor to 1.1 percent today), cutting operating expenses by $2 million, and producing the lowest equalized municipal tax rate in Mercer County.
As a member of the finance advisory committee, I have worked on a long-term debt reduction plan to continue to lessen the township’s debt burden. By paying off debt early, and not adding to existing debt unnecessarily, we will reduce interest payments and free up money that would go to debt service for other uses, including lower township taxes.
What can and should the township committee do to offset tax revenue due to be lost with the announcement that Bristol-Myers Squibb intends to leave its Hopewell facility?
Kuchinski: We are actively working with the County, NJ’s Business Action Center, BMS and a real estate firm specializing in life sciences and the pharmaceutical industry to remarket the Hopewell Campus and attract new commercial tenants to preserve our tax base. BMS represents 5.9 percent of the township’s tax base, so having a plan to fill this space is a top priority for me and the township. Fortunately, the majority of BMS’s moves will not happen until 2020, so our tax base is secure in the immediate future.
Nicolao: We need to do everything we can to get small business back into the building. We have a lot professionals that are established in our community. Let’s bring back economic development board to help find new tenants for the space.
Ruger: Fortunately, BMS provided the township with advance notice of the move. The Democrats on the township committee are working with BMS and the state to determine how to best repurpose the BMS campus. That is the right approach. I would like to see another pharmaceutical company or high-tech companies come into the space. That would bring jobs into the township, especially for recent college graduates.
Volpe: New Jersey is a high tech and pharma/biotech corridor. I will reach out to my contacts in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries to create a bigger team looking for solutions to the Bristol-Myers Squibb property lease or sale. I am not in favor of an affordable housing component on the BMS property as it poses unforeseen obstacles to the sale or leasing of the property for BMS.
Why are you the right person to help lead Hopewell Township and its committee forward for the next three years?
Nicolao: I have always been a vocal person when it came to our taxes in the area. Only recently, having taken on this challenge, do I see how important it is for me to be on this board. It is time that we have board members held accountable for their actions and inactions. I am all about transparency and accountability and promise that I will do everything in my power to insure decisions are made that will help keep our community what it is and to keep government out of your pockets.
We can no longer sit stand by and watch spending with six percent increases, purchasing land (Pennytown) that is only going make us lose money, not negotiate better to keep our township from becoming over crowded. All we really have is our word and I promise to do everything I can to help preserve Hopewell Township and make it affordable for all residents.
Ruger: I have listened to what township residents care about. I have served on the finance Advisory committee and the environmental commission. I understand the budget and how your money is spent by the township. And I have spoken with voters through personal visits, letters to the editor, and a Facebook page. I have worked to earn your vote.
I believe in working with everyone, and am proud to have support from Democrats, Republicans and unaffiliated voters across the township. We need to continue to keep spending in check, to continue to keep taxes down, to continue to protect our environment, and to continue to help our business community. If elected, I will work hard to build on the track record of success of the past two years. I will use the skills I have learned by working in the public and private sectors to promote solutions to make Hopewell Township an even better place for all of us to live.
Volpe: I believe that over the past 24 years I have proven to the Hopewell Township community that I am person of high integrity, high character, and high sincerity who puts other individuals and needs first. I am an out-of-the box thinker who has created funding from alternative sources for many nonprofits, the YMCA and seniors and I plan to do the same for Hopewell Township and its residents to ensure that Hopewell Township remains a special place for generations to come.
Kuchinski: I have a track record of success. Together with committeewomen Julie Blake and Kristin McLaughlin, I have led the fight to keep property taxes low, cut wasteful spending and worked for more effective and efficient government. We have brought the average tax increase down from 5.28 percent per year in 2015 to 1.1 percent the last two years. We have a concrete plan to continue the fight for lower taxes, to reduce debt and interest costs, and to create new shared services to reduce spending. Finally, we will work with the district and boroughs towards a fairer school-funding formula.
I believe in protecting our water and our environment and preserving Hopewell Township’s rural character. I have expanded open space, preserved farmland and our trail systems, and we have successfully limited sewers to current service areas, preventing unchecked development. My opponents, by contrast, want to spread affordable housing and development all across the township.
Michael Ruger,
