Brief update on some of the items happening in North Arlington

As promised a brief update on what's been going on since the June 6th election;

The council has voted to get a special counsel to review the currently signed ENCAP deal

The law firm of CHASAN LEYNER & LAMPARELLO, PC of Secaucus has been choosen to perform this tasks. An appropiation for funds for the special counsel is currently underway.

Status of Porete Avenue property owners

16 of the companies on Porete Avenue have refused the offer made to them.

At the council meeting on the 17th. Mayor Pitman stated the he fully expected Encap to come back to the owners with a second offer.

Let it Go Mayor Pitman:

Mayor Pitman's continued insistence that eminent domain should be used to seize private property flies in the face of the voter's mandate which overwhelmingly rejected his candidacy for re-election on June 6th.

Mayor Pitman touts due-diligence reports that simply rubber stamp the notion that building 1,625 units of housing along some 75 acres of property is somehow a good idea for taxpayers. That using eminent domain to seize the property of North Arlington taxpayers makes sense.

Mayor Pitman is now a lame duck because he didn't protect the interests of the North Arlington homeowner. He has morphed into some cheerleader for a project the community does not want no matter how many times he claims he knows what's best for North Arlington.

What Mayor Pitman doesn't seem to comprehend is that his housing scheme has been rejected by the voters. That his backroom negotiations with EnCap which never included the governing body in a serious way have in fact backfired in his face!

Mayor Pitman's disdain for the electorate was exposed for all to see at the last council meeting when he opposed placing a referendum on the ballot vastly restricting the application of eminent domain. His opposition to the voters having a say is disturbing and troubling to me as a taxpayer and candidate for public office.

Since his defeat, Mr. Pitman has spent his time trying to undermine the wishes of the voters by playing obstructionist and opposing the hiring of an independent legal counsel to truly evaluate the deal he claims is so beneficial to North Arlington.Mr. Mayor, what are you afraid of? If the MOA as negotiated by you is in fact a good deal for taxpayers, why are you opposed to a third-party evaluating your proposal?

Not only is Mr. Pitman a poor loser, but he continues to ignore the voter's wishes by pushing something nobody seems to support except for himself and his legal counsel.

As we enter the fall campaign, Mr. Pitman seems determined to play some role in a contest that has already eliminated him from the competition. He openly meets with the Republican candidates for council and has no interest in stepping aside and serving the remainder of his term with the dignity and professionalism the office of mayor deserves.

I fully expect my opponents in this race to embrace EnCap, eminent domain and the construction of low income housing. Like Pitman, the opposition would rather disagree for the sake of disagreeing than listen to the calls of the homeowner who are petrified by thought of this project and the consequences that come with urbanizing the Borough of North Arlington.