Herald - Lantern - Dispatch 1 1 December '85 65

Redditt Challenges Sloan I Frnm Paflo 1 I )

moratorium based on her personal overreaction to what was soon to be found as easily resolved operating problems at the sewer plant," he said. "She also spread misinformation based upon an alleged imminent end to our water supply, again on her personal overreaction and lack of proper investigation of this serious problem." he added. Redditt said Sloan had to remove the moratorium almost immediatley since she could not substantiate the severity of alleged deficiencies in the treatment- plant or the water supply. But. he said, the damage Was done. Avalon became the target of unnecessary media criticism at the height of the tourist season and was forced into an agreement with the state which required $1.4 million of tax dollars for improvements to the sewage treatment plant. Redditt charged. "Water and sewer rates have more than doubled to cover this classic blunder and we will be paying these bills long after the facility is out of use," he stated. Sloan has said the borough was under threat of $10,000 a day fines from the state Department of Environmental Protection and by declaring the moratorium, the borough regained control over the issue. Redditt also charged that Sloan attempted to gain control of the Planning Board. "RACHEL SLOAN. ACTING with a group dedicated to (its) own self-interest, attempted to absorb final, political control of the Planning Board on June 29. 1985 by playing musical chairs with those members whom she controlled." he said. "She knew and understood without question. that this action would cause further division within the community." Although she failed to gain control, Redditt charged, she succeeded in further dividing the community. On that date in June. Sloan and board members Thomas McKittrick, Thomas

Marvel. James German and Stephen Statt- I ner met at Sloan's home to discuss who would be the next chair-person and « solicitor. An investigation by county Pro- i secutor John Corino. prompted by former i Councilman James Busha's complaint, found that the gathering did not violate the i state Open Public Meetings Act. The borough's Ethics Board, however, found Sloan's actions "constituted an unintentional transgression" of the ethics i code. The board noted that Sloan did not call the meeting, and sought advice on the i legal propriety of it while it was in progress. i Sloan said the meeting was set up to create a smooth transition when the board reorganized in July, and blamed any "divisiort" on the recall movement. , Redditt said Sloan's behavior in that matter lead to the recall movement. The Committee to Recall Rachel Sloan collected 457 signatures on recall petitions; only 401 were required to force a recall election. Redditt said he was asked to run for mayor by "a number of individuals, representing a complete cross-section of each and every segment of our community." If elected, the candidate promised Avalon taxpayers a quarterly town meeting to disseminate information about the government and give them an opportunity to state their views. • THE PEOPLE OF AVALON are now served by a government which cannot be efficient in operation, which cannot provide good services and which cannot operate economically." Redditt said. "1 am convinced that an organized, wellinformed. properly motivated administration. working cooperatively with the present borough council, can place our government back on track so that it will be responsible to the needs and desires of all the people ... and not just a favored few."

added. Because of his experience as an engineering and construction management executive, both in major industry and self-employment. Redditt said, he is well-versed in the problems of profitably managing multi-million dollar operations such as the borough The borough has a $4 million budget and about $900 million in taxable property. Redditt. his wife and family have lived in Avalon for 28 years. 20 of those as property owners, he said, and 10 as yearround residents. He and his wife. Betty Ann. have three children: Barbara. Jim Jr. and Susan. "Over those 28 years 1 watched Avalon evolve from a small, little-known seaside

c resort to a vibrant, family community known and acknowledged throughout the East as the place to be." " he said. The ordered growth and family image, he said, is the result of dedicated efforts and planning by a succession of administrations. commissions and boards working for the best interests of the community. Sloan's ■"lack of business experience, lack of management skills, lack of decision- and policy-making ability" have "clearly disrupted confidence and productive dialogue between the various branches of government (and) clearly undermined the confidence of employes in their own actions as well as the actions of fellow employes." Redditt charged.

DEP Gets Icy Quiz

(From Page 1) years ago," Kelly said. "All we hear is study, study, study." •I'M CONVINCED THE township has the right idea." he added, "to get water from another source and let you do whatever you want to do. for however long you want to do it." The township received a $350,000 grant from the Department of Community Affairs in October for a water line to serve residents living within a mile radius of the dump. The $850,000 project, which also will be funded by grants and loans from Farmers' Home Administration, should be completed by Memorial Day, according to Mayor Michael J. Voll. "If this municipality can bring in water before this study is complete; my hat's off to it," said DEP Deputy Administrator Anthony Farro. "But we're here to protect people, land and resources. This study has got to go ahead." John Mruz. aide to Congressman William Hughes, asked if Middle Township would be reimbursed for its pipeline plan if the DEP study found it necessary to provide outside water. "The township could apply both to the state Spill Fund and Superfund for reimbursement. Farro said. "If we can tie contamination from the site to the wells, you have a good chance of getting funds." Kathy Meers of Court House questioned why the DEP. just weeks before the Nov. 5 election, installed one monitoring well before doing magnetic studies, as is standard procedure. "I was asked by the DEP to put the well in quickly," said Nick Bogan. project manager for Woodward-Clyde Consultants. the engineering firm that will conduct the study. "If there were any contamination in the area, they wanted to know about it right away." Voll. citing problems with children in the Swainton area, asked if two barrels of an unknown substance, left on the nearby Thompson property, have been secured. "THOSE BARRELS AREN'T leaking at all." replied Julian Antebi from the Bureau of Site Management. "What if kids make them leak?" Voll countered. "We have a problem with vandalism in that area." Farro said the barrels will be sampled "in a week or two" and, if found to contain hazardous chemicals, will be removed. Farro said the DEP will supply data to the county Health Department which could help it evaluate the building moratorium imposed Feb. 10, 1984.

Bogan said the DEP study would take about nine months to complete. "Preinvestigations activity" began in midOctober; and the final report should be completed by June 24, according to his company's work schedule. "1 can guarantee you that money for this study will be released." Farro said in response to funding questions. "The state has committed to this project. We will finish it." Bogan outlined procedures of the study for the audience: •Twelve soil borings will be taken to determine how much of the original waste remains at the site. Eleven borings will be taken within the spill area and one outside for comparison. •Fifteen permanent monitoring wells will be installed "in a position to intercept any contaminants coming from the site, before they reach any local wells." Bogan said. •Drinking water from eight residences will be sampled three times at threemonth intervals and two nearby ponds will be tested. •Drums at adjacent properties will be sampled for hazardous chemicals and dumping on or near the Williams site will be evaluated to see if it is providing an ongoing source of contamination. THE STUDY SEEKS TO determine the levels of groundwater and soil pollution, all remaining chemical hazards on the site, efforts needed to clean-up. methods to clean-up. and the benefits and costs of clean-up alternatives. Clean up alternatives include: removal of soil, treatment of groundwater by pumping and evaporation or pumping and filtration, closing wells in the area or providing an alternate source of drinking water. "We may even find that no action is necessary." Bogan said. Soil and groundwater at the Williams property, a 5.6 acre tract were contaminated in August 1979 when approximately 200-300 drums of liquid and solid chemical wastes were punctured and drained. In 1980. nearly 1.200 cubic yards of soil were excavated to remove wastes and 1 1 monitoring wells were installed, according to the DEP. Eight wells near the site are monitored quarterly by the DEP. According to it. the only well found to have contaminants above DEP water quality guidelines is on the Williams property.

Saga Hiring 50

( From Page 1 > October, the food outlay was $90,000. according to LI. Cmdr. David Lindgren, base comptroller. SATT SAID HIS FIRM SELLS between $200,000 and $250,000 worth of food to the base each year. The Coast Guard uses a staff of 63 to run the mess. This includes 23 cooks, five supervisors, and 35 recruits who perform a variety of tasks ranging from assistant cooks to food servers, salad preparers, and scullery attendants. Saga plans to hire 30 full-time and 20 part-time employes to replace the enlisted personnel according to Richard Zucconi. regional vice president for Saga's MidAtlantic operations. Jobs to be filled include lead cooks, cooks, salad people, line servers, and mess attendants. Zucconi said. Hourly wage rates will run from $3.96 to $6.52 Saga will interview job applicants today and tomorrow at the base. Anyone interested should contact the base Zucconi said Saga will buy commodities, such as milk and produce, from local suppliers. "WE WILL BUY ICE CREAM, milk, bread and produce locally." he said. "Other items such as canned goods, meats, and poultry will be handled through our regional purchasing distribution manager." Zucconi said Saga "will probably use a number of vendors that the Coast Guard has been using." But local suppliers, who have sold food to the base, said they have not heard from Saga, although they are interested in keeping the business. "We haven't heard anything from Saga but we will contact them," said Robert Moses, an owner of Gardeners Good Food

Inc.. North Wildwood "I think it could have a dramatic effect on the area. They have always been one of our customers." said Moses, who sold $13,000 worth of food to the base in November. Salt said Saga buys a lot of food from Pennsylvania distributors. "We're hoping to maintain some relationship and do business with Saga." Satt said. "But I don't think we'll have the same deal we had with the Coast Guard." Saga bid on food contracts at 12 Coast Guard installations, and was awarded two contracts, one here, and the other for the Coast Guard base at Governor's Island off New York City. Zucconi said. "We're excited about serving the Coast Guard in Cape May." he said. "It's a new venture for us and we're going to do a good job there " ZUCCONI SAID SAGA FEELS the food service program at the base has been a good one. "which we will want to maintain and enhance " Saga will add "trend-setters, and pacechangers" to the menu to break up the day-to-day monotony. Zucconi said. "There will probably be more variety and less monotony," he said. Saga is a billion dollar corporation headquartered in Menlo Park. Calif., which provides food for "away-from-home" markets. Zucconi said. The organization has contracts to serve food at schools, colleges, hospitals, nursing homes, retirement centers, and with a ' number of businesses and industries. Zucconi said. "We're a very aggressive corporation, and we're on the New York Stock Exchange." said Zucconi Saga's competitors include ARA and the Marriott corporations.

Tax Hike Will Pay For Hall i Frnm Pnpp II ... < Page )

years the township will have. Further, he said his figure was a "ball park" one. based on no inflation increase, salaries, personnel revenue, ratables. building and expenditures. He also said some variables could decrease the amount of anticipated tax. including land sales. The township will be subdiving and selling a parcel at Hand Avenue and Dory Drive, he said, and recently was given a 380-acre lot worth about $600,000 Mayor Michael J Voll said the Hand Avenue parcel should yield 15 lots at a $20,000 minimum each. Leusner said the township also got an unexpected increase in gross and franchise tax that could be appropriated toward the project . "I CERTAINLY WOULDN'T VOTE for something if I didn't know what the (exact) cost would be to me." Albert Karaso, chairman of the Sewage Commission, said "Mr. Karaso. we don't have a crystal ball." Voll replied. Karaso. Beitel and former Mayor Samuel S. DeVico questionned whether the expansion is necessary and suggested that a professional conduct a survey to determine the needs of the future. "Try to inject a little of the futuristic into your planning." DeVico said. "Pay to see where this township will be in 30 years." "A good one-third of our time was devoted to the feasibility of this project." Committeeman James Alexis said. "We

have two locations now. and it has caused inefficiencies, not because of the employes we have, but the poor quality of working * conditions. "Most of the buildings are crammed so damned bad it's ridiculous." he added. "The longer we put it off. the more it will cost and the more inefficiencies will occur." Voll said "This is what the people want. According to all the studies we've done, this is the way to go." Beitel said the expansion will add to the parking problems in Court House. He said there has already been talk of tearing down houses on Boyd Street for parking. • IF WE l!A\'F TO START tearing down our heritage to provide parking for the township and county, we'll be losing our history." he said. Voll said the parking problem will be discussed at the next freeholder meeting and that plans have been started to address the problem. The committee voted 3-0 to approve the ordinance. "History will tell whether I'll be a goat or a hero." Leusner said before voting. As part of Youth Appreciation Week, four Middle Township High School students ran the Dec. 4 meeting. John Francis acted as mayor, Robert Hentges and Mark Hindle as committeemen, and Cori Osborn as township clerk. "It was really fun listening to the argument." Francis said. When asked if he wanted to be a politician. Hentges replied. "It's questionable." t