Trust: The Cornerstone of Leadership

By admin on Aug 1st 2024 08:06AM

Trust is the foundation for any elected official's relationship with their constituents. Once trust is breached, it is difficult, if not impossible, to restore. Unfortunately, Mayor Nowick has betrayed that trust.

On June 6th, Mayor Nowick and the City Council met with the developer of the Village Apartments. During that meeting, the developer showed plans to build 13 affordable units into their 66 unit development, meeting the city's obligations. Despite this, the Mayor has repeatedly claimed, "There are no other options for affordable housing other than the LHS site." This statement is misleading at best.

Furthermore, K. Hovnanian, the developer interested in the LHS site, has also been less than transparent. The Mayor stated that K. Hovnanian tested the water at the LHS site and assured us that groundwater quality would not be affected. However, when residents asked for documentation to support this claim, the City was slow to act. Given K. Hovnanian's history of Clean Water Act violations, residents agreed that we should not rely on their assurances without solid evidence.

Recent independent testing has only deepened concerns. A resident's well water test on Connaught Hill revealed PFAS contamination at levels ten times the maximum allowed by the EPA and NJ DEP. If K. Hovnanian had indeed tested the groundwater, PFAS would have been one of the required tests. The fact that this information was not disclosed raises serious questions. Were they negligent in their testing, or did they deliberately withhold this critical information? Either scenario is unacceptable, and this company should not be entrusted with a 200-unit development in such a sensitive area.

This situation highlights the critical importance of independent studies. One long-time resident, who is friends with a former employee of the Taurus Corporation, learned that chemicals used in manufacturing were flushed into an aging septic tank. This site must be cleaned up, Connaught Hill must get clean drinking water, and those responsible for poisoning these wells must be held accountable.