Newtown, Where Township Officials give their Word, then get Amnesia

In the “you better have it in writing” category, this month’s Municipal Authority meeting brought to light again an issue that the residents of Hempstead Road honestly thought they had resolved.  Oh no, it’s Newtown Township where the word or Township officials means nothing and their memory of events is lost.

Now, along with the CR amendment where residents believed that township officials would be good to their word and then they are not, we have a repeat of an issue on Hempstead Road that all started with a developer having an agreement to put in a sewer line that could serve some of the other residents.

Just like on Timber Lane where a developer did an agreement with the Municipal Authority which the Authority never honored and now have left off their financials as if the agreement never existed, the Municipal Authority did an agreement with a developer named Dever on Hempstead Road/Circle.    

After many meetings and much discussion, the residents of Hempstead Road believed that were they to connect to the new sewer line, they would not be liable for any tapping into the line fees.  They had reason to believe this because Mike Rodia, a resident of Hempstead Road and many of the others residents in the neighborhood attended Township and Municipal Authority  meetings where this was discussed.  The final resolution after Mr. Dever was accommodated in the installation of the water line in the development was a commitment to the neighbors on Hempstead Road. This meeting at which this commitment was made was recorded but the decision appears to have not made it into the township meeting minutes. 

Mr. Dever never did  complete the development and left behind another township site that became overgrown and unattended. The Bank involved in the deal now owns the site and their representative and a potential new developer attended the Municipal Authority meeting to resolve some issues related to restarting the development. 

 Mike Rodia came to the Municipal Authority again and asked about the neighbors and reminded the Board that these neighbors were not liable for sewer line tap in fees.  Not only do the neighbors have an eyesore, but here is an email about the Hempstead Road residents' issue by Linda Gabell, Municipal Authority member and candidate for Newtown Township Supervisor:

“Gentlemen,

I reviewed the Board of Supervisors minutes for 2009 and 2010.  At the 5/26/2009 meeting Mr. Rodia asked for help from the Supervisors because the Hempstead residents had been asked to pay for the contractor's cost to install the sewer line.  The residents had previously met with Mike Sheridan and Bob Slawter to discuss the situation.  Mr. Catania repeated that Mr. Sheridan said that Hempstead would not have to pay if they did not hook up.  Mr. Rodia was asked to speak with Linda Houldin after the meeting.

At the October 25, 2010 meeting Mr. Rodia said that the Supervisors had verbally agreed in December of 2009 that the neighbors would not have to pay for the Dever line.  There was nothing in the December minutes to reflect that action.

Linda”

Her new colleague on the Municipal Authority, Mark Kay wrote

“Linda

Thanks for the input. Without anything in writing, difficult to support.

Thanks

Mark”

Now, I know Linda Gabell knows the commitment that was made to the Hempstead Road residents. I remember the commitment, Mike Rodia and his neighbors remember the commitment, but Linda doesn't remember.  It sure sounds like Linda is looking for a reason to ignore that commitment.  It sure seems to me, her new colleague Mark concurs with her assessment.

Why is it that the residents of Newtown cannot trust their elected and appointed officials to remember their commitments and to be good to their word?

P.S. The meeting for the C-R amendment is July 31, 2013 at 7 P.M. at the Township Building.  

 Please continue to sign the online petition asking the Supervisors to vote NO to approving the C-R zoning map and text amendment:

 http://www.change.org/petitions/newtown-township-board-of-supervisors-vote-against-the-proposed-cr-commercial-residential-zoning-amendment