Blogfinger

Gobbledygook

By Jack Bredin and Paul Goldfinger.   Blogfinger.net

A resolution, 19-85, was presented at the Committee meeting of January 28, 2019.

The stated reason for the resolution is that the Township Engineer, Leann Hoffmann, is incapable of handling a matter that needs a “coastal engineer.”  The funny thing is that the specific reason for needing such a “specialist” is not stated in the resolution.

The resolution says that the Township “desires to appoint a pool of consulting engineers for services on specific Township projects.”

The wording in the “Be It Resolved” portion is that these engineers, already chosen, will be  “solicited for proposals on larger and/or specialized coastal engineering projects beyond the scope of the Township Engineer and in-house staff for the year 2019.”

The resolution indicates that the Township will be “appointing” CME Associates and Andrew Rella of ECOncrete Inc.as consultants.”

Well, golly…do you suppose that this is about the oft-mentioned underground parking garage which is part of the North End Redevelopment Plan near the Ocean and the Lake?

Some members of the citizen audience asked if this had to do with the North End, and Vito Gadaleta, Business Administrator for Neptune, somehow got the job of responding.  You would think that the elected Committee mavens could answer the question. 

However Mr. Gadaleta caused some eyebrows to go up when he asserted that the North End Redevelopment project was “not a public project.”   Therefore he seemed to be saying that it is not a public concern. And does he really believe what he just said?  

Does he not know that an “Area in Need of  Redevelopment” is, by definition, a public project?

Already the meeting sank into a dark hole of subterfuge.

Then he went on to explain that the coastal engineers just appointed would not be looking at the North End project. Instead they would be used for some other un-named coastal issues. 

So why were they  appointed just now?  He said, “We are looking to create living shore lines.”

Wow…where did that come from?  

In brief, according to the National Center for Coastal Ocean Science, “Living shorelines are a green infrastructure technique using native vegetation alone or in combination with offshore sills to stabilize the shoreline. Living shorelines provide a natural alternative to ‘hard’ shoreline stabilization methods like stone sills or bulkheads, and provide numerous benefits including nutrient pollution remediation, essential fish habitat provision, and buffering of shoreline from waves and storms.”

Well, if you believe that, we will sell you an underground parking garage.   And don’t forget, there already is a darn good bulkhead at the North End boardwalk, one that was highly touted by the CMA after Sandy.

Let’s consider a couple of basic facts.  If the Township wants an underground garage for the North End, it would have to obtain DEP approval.  But the DEP doesn’t have its own engineers.  Instead, for any particular project involving the shore, the developers must hire engineers who are approved by the DEP.  Maybe that’s what’s going on here.

As usual, we get opaque gobbledygook at these meetings, instead of clear information.  We are forced to speculate.

Interestingly, the Ocean Grove Home Groaners Ass. departed from its usual position at these meetings, which is semi-comatose, where it throws softballs at the dais, to an unusual sight where two of them actually went to the mic and challenged Gadaleta to explain the hiring of those engineers.  

But then, after hearing his nonsensical replies, instead of forcefully leaning on him, they offered him an invitation to one of their dopey meetings where he can come, have coffee and cookies,  and play patty cakes with Barbara Burns and her merry band of soft shoe dancers.

ABBA: