The Ocean County Observer, which had ample opportunity to examine the faulty premises of the Toms River Downtown Business Improvement District (B.I.D.) program, waited until nearly three weeks after the BID’s second bloated budget was adopted on December 23rd to condemn the project as "premature" if not wholly flawed.

What Took Them So long?

What took them so long? Were they not aware that Mayor Paul C. Brush spoke strongly AGAINST the B.I.D. at the Ocean County College debate last October? (Click Here To Watch the Brush Video).

They covered the debate at the college. Were they in favor of the B.I. D.?  Then why support the candidacy of a man opposed to it?

One of the problems in Ocean County is that all too often there is a lack of real communication between the media and the politicians.

One Hand Rarely Knows What The Other Is Doing.

The Toms River B.I. D. is the failed step-child of the Toms River Chamber Of Commerce, and the brainchild of a few property owners with the most to gain from someone else paying for the renovations of their downtown property.

Everyone should feel especially bad for Ms Terry Bastone, the B.I. D. Director who suddenly resigned last week.

She apparently relocated from New York State to assume this position, and it appears that she was not only serious about her job, but clearly experienced, having performed the same job in Yonkers.

Irreconcilable Differences?

She cites "irreconcilable differences" in comments to the Observer last week.

Ms. Bastone resigned the night before Christmas Eve, the same night the BID budget for 2004 was approved by the lame duck Township Committee.

One of the prime movers of the B.I.D. program was Victor Sandonato, a local merchant who has since left Toms River.

And according to the Observer, another merchant supporter of the BID fiasco will pull out of Dover very soon!

Business Owners Spoke Out In Opposition

When the BID was first presented to the public, the majority of downtown business owners spoke out against it.

I noted then that even though Democrats and Republicans could not agree on anything else, they astoundingly came together on this subject like school children at milk and cookie time.

The travesty was passed and we got a Downtown Business Improvement District. And a big budget and a 10% tax increase.

Whether we wanted them or not.

Now Look What We Have Done

In conversations I had with Ms. Bastone, she agreed with me that it was discriminatory to tax only the people in the geographic area surrounding the downtown, when indeed the whole town would benefit from a rejuvenated downtown area.

Is It In The Drinking Water?

Terry Bastone is a professional and she was stymied by the usual bunch of rubes and boobs that often arise to the top in this town. Put up an Ice Cream Show in Huddy Park and you are ready to head up the Government in Dover.

What a farce and what a joke. It really makes you wonder what drinking the local water can do to people’s minds.

Mayor Paul Brush made his stand against the B.I.D. in his election campaign.

But recently, at the December 23^rd township committee meeting where the BID budget was passed, Mayor Brush sat stone-faced and silent, giving his tacit approval to the BID budget for 2004.

What happened to the Campaign Promises Mr. Mayor?

Mayor Brush is apparently too busy listening to the political payoff demands of the North Jersey Democrats to see what's going on.

He's too busy handing out patronage to political cronies to remember his pledge to rid the township of Pay-to-Play!

Mr. Brush is running all over the county looking for support, he is not going to get it from the voters he is selling out with each politically inspired appointment.

What happened to the competition he promised for these appointments?

BID Idea Sounds Good - But It Won't Work

The BID is an idea that sounds good, but until there are significant infrastructure changes downtown, the money will be totally wasted.

The Chamber of Commerce should do its logical job instead of palming their responsibilities off on Dover Township taxpayers.

Repeal BID Blunder NOW

The new council should waste no time repealing the B.I.D. budget – and repealing the onerous tax increase that goes with it.

The B.I.D blunder should be corrected – NOW.

Business Improvement District Has Been Busy

I am surprised your newspaper has seen nothing that the Toms River Business Improvement District has done to provide advantages to downtown property owners and businesses I represent one of the businesses, the family owned Capone', Gourmet pizza and Pasta, paying "the extra tax" slapped on downtown property owners;I am also the chaIrman of the TRBID Board fD t   o irec ors,    Within a short period of time, the TRBID and staffhave responded to downtown concerns and initiated numerous programs and services

Worked with township officials to address code enforcement issues; instituted a three-day-a-week cleaning program on the most heavily traveled pedestrian foot paths- picking up trash, pulling weeds, collecting leaves; Removed unsightly free publication boxes throughout downtown;

. Supplemented Dover Township's holiday lighting program in phase I of a multi-year plan, the TRBID purchased and installed  new snowflake lights this year along Main and Water streets on poles approved for use by electric, telephone and cable utilities- Holiday banners donated by the Downtown Revitalization Committee were also installed along Route 37; . Published the first two issues of the TRBID quarterly newsletter to property and busIness owners and an introduction letter to residents of the district;

. Created the Toms River BID VIP Discount Program featuring the first 30 downtown businesses to offer discounts for their retail, dining and professional services. Program inciudes direct mail and newspaper ad marketing plan to attract shoppers and visitors downtown;

's

. Took over holiday tree lighting previously sponsored the Toms River Ocean County Chamber of Commerce. We will also be assuming responsibility for such the popular events as the New Jersey State Chili and Salsa Cook-o1T and Cruisin' Downtown Toms River classic auto show in 2004;

. Created TRBID's own Web site, wwwdowntowntomsriver.com, and are fine tuning the first ever listing of downtown businesses by type and available property locations. In the meantime, the board of directors and staff of the TRBID are working with municipal, county and state agencies to de- , velop an economic revitalization plan that will improve business profitability and enhance commercial property values

In setting the stage for Dover , Township's upcoming Master Plan, Robert W. Burchell, co-director of Rutgers University's Center for Urban Policy Research, told the governing body in December to strengthen the underappreciated and underused downtown area and its waterfronl

This is precisely why the TRBID Board of Directors will undertake its own Master Plan The previous mayor and township committee, and newly elected Mayor Paulllrush and the new Township Council members have

advocated the TRBID do its own master plan. We will look at the best use of our remaining riverfronl We want to address traffic , . flow, transportation servIces, parking and pedestrian enhancements. The master plan will assist us in preserving our historic heritage, allowing us to develop a cultural and retail theme to atiract diverse boutiques, restaurants and possibly outlet stores that will be open seven days a week into the evening hours. Dover Township is addressing this same type of economic revitalization on Route 37 from Fischer Boulevard to the bridge, using a $40,000 grant to undertake this area's redevelopment possibilities.

The Ocean County Planning Board is administering a $30,000 planning study of the economic impact of the new downtown Toms River bridge from the $290,000 New Jersey Smart Growth Granl The col'nty will bring Dover, Berkeley, Beachwood, Pine Beach, Ocean Gate and South Toms River together to work on regional transportation and land use issues.

All these efforts will feed into Dover Township's overall master plan and will not be a duplication of effort The TRBID's work has just begun We will be helping our local businesses assess when to expand We will work with our businesses to take advantage of their location downtown at the riverfronl

FRANI< CAPONE Toms River

Business Improvement District Is Alive and Well

The Business Improvement District in downtown Toms River is alive and well. You might not be aware of this, but the executive board and many of the board of directors are all business owners who are paying this assessment. Our downtown has a lot of potential and, as business owners, we are pursuing our vision of what the downtown area can become. Think busy, think beautiful Why not? We envision fine shopping (no one ever mentioned Sears, Woolwortb's or Grants) and additional fine dining, along with parks, events and enjoying the river.

The BID was developed from the Toms River Revitalization Committee.which was sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce. This committee, led by a very special businessman who left our downtown due to family illness, has spent many volunteer hours to run events downtown, which have now turned into volunteer hours to pursue a vision for better business How dare you rip us apart when we have only begun to see the fruits of our labor? How do you think everyone began to pay attention to the drug.infested Budget Inn? All of the projects you mention are all committee members who have brought their plans to the table to keep every. one abreast of development. The representatives from the library are members of our board of di. rectors. The parking authority and their objectives also are a valuable asset to our committee. We have some great businesses down here that are not going anywhere. They will stay and make it better. The downtown area is cleaner. neater and this year we actually had professional.looking holiday decorations. This is all from the BID. This is just a small sample of the vision we have In store for down-town.

All of the wonderful things you mention about our town are the reason we know it can be taken a step further to make this area a very special place to shop. eat and enjoy. At this time our main objective is our master plan Another fact you are obviously not aware of- the town fathers. past and present. have asked for the master plan of the downtown because we are interviewing plan. ners while the township is years away from this point in its plan. When the time comes, the township will integrate our master plan with theirs. We are working together to improve downtown: Those of us with real investments here really care about the future of our downtown because it is our future for our individual busi. nesses as well. There is always room for improvement. We have a vested interest downtown. We want to see property values in. crease. That is part of our plan. Busy, beautiful, beneficial to all who work and play here. Young ideas grow with positive reinforcemenL For further informa. tion, pleaSe look up the wordopti. mism. It simply means "a tendency to expect the best possible outcome." This is certa1nly where we want our tax money to go A positive view from our local paper would be nice. After all, we need to do this together JOANN JURALEWICZ Co-Chair, Executive Board Toms River Business Improvement District

© Copyright 2003-2007 Ocean County Politics .com. All Rights Reserved.
Questions & Comments: gvgeditor@aol.com