Resignation of Mayor Jeff Ellentuck:
August 14, 2017
Ms. Kathleen Hart , RMC, CMR
Borough Clerk
Borough of Roosevelt
33 North Rochdale Ave.
Roosevelt, NJ 08555
Dear Ms. Hart,
When I joined the Council in 2006 I had a list of goals for the Borough. I’m glad to say that during my tenure on the governing body I saw many of those goals achieved.
We all successfully prevented the importation of “black water” into our sewage system. We were successful in the yeshiva litigation. Along with Pat Moser, I was successful in convincing the Council to have our historic and iconic water tower refurbished at a cost of $520,000 versus replacing it at a cost of $1.3 million to $1.8 million. We obtained cut-rate financing to rebuild our water plant. The Council (not the Mayor) sets the budget. The Councils on which I served kept municipal taxes almost flat for ten years, even as the budget and surrounding towns increased. I am particularly proud of the fact that I was able to find a way to refund our ”unrefundable” 40-year high-interest utilities bonds, thereby saving us $50,000 a year in interest payments.
There were some disappointments as well. We expanded our fire department from just a few active volunteers to a full contingent of 18 fully trained firefighters over a period of ten years. I was disappointed that the voters chose to contract for outside fire services, as were the many young people who had trained to be volunteer firefighters. I had also hoped that we would sell the old gas station for use as a business to employ local residents, pay taxes, and provide useful services for the Borough. I have met with a company that is interested in purchasing property and have urged them to make a presentation to the Council. I am still hopeful that our gas station property will be put to good use.
I was immensely proud of the Borough’s response to our hurricane-then-snowstorm. Some of our employees worked around the clock, with at least one only sleeping a total 6 hours over a week’s time. Our volunteer firefighters and public works personnel cut their way through town with chainsaws so that our First Aid volunteers could get through to aid and check on residents. Volunteers operated the shelter and the required “OEM center”. Even our younger residents helped out by preparing food to share and by helping out wherever possible. This is how Roosevelt has worked and should work.
Volunteering to do the hard work and actually doing that work is how residents make Roosevelt financially sustainable. This is true whether those volunteers serve on municipal boards and commissions, serve as emergency service volunteers on the First Aid Squad or former Fire Department, plant gardens, clean our trails and woods, or perform myriad other tasks large and small. The job of the members of the governing body in a town of less than 900 residents is not just to “set policy” or sit in judgment. It is incumbent on elected officials to roll up their sleeves and work every day.
In the past, there were often disagreements among members of the Council concerning goals, priorities, and policies. The issues were discussed civilly, though certainly not always dispassionately, and were resolved by compromise, concession, or vote. Unfortunately, this is no longer the case. Borough employees did their jobs mostly without interference, insult, or harassment. This, also, is no longer the case.
It has become increasingly difficult to accomplish anything for the benefit of the town, or even to maintain the basic services upon which residents rely. Having grown up here, I know that Roosevelt has always been different from its neighbors and, often, much of the nation. Even when faced with the most contentious issues, we were able to work our way through them. We did this by assuming that each person was honest and had the best interests of the Borough at heart. When the issue was resolved, we could share a glass of wine. Unfortunately, the Council now reflects the national spirit of political divisiveness, alternate facts, incivility, and personal attacks. Proposals are rejected out of hand, not because of their virtues, but because of who proposed them. This is no way to govern a town that faces numerous difficult issues and choices. We need action to resolve issues with our buildings. The Borough Hall roof continues to leak and the Council delays. PEOSH may start fining us shortly unless action is taken with our HVAC systems and indoor air quality. The DEP will fine us heavily if we fail to complete the study of our sewer pipes soon. Our sewage is treated by chemical treatments instead of being treated the way our sewer plant was designed because the plant is old and decaying. I urge the Council to take the steps necessary to fix these issues before the costs to do so increase.
I have devoted thousands of volunteer hours over the years. I would be willing to continue to do so if I thought things would change. I am now convinced they will not. For this reason I am resigning effective tonight.
I have returned with this letter all keys and access information in my possession.
Sincerely,
Jeff Ellentuck
August 14, 2017
Ms. Kathleen Hart , RMC, CMR
Borough Clerk
Borough of Roosevelt
33 North Rochdale Ave.
Roosevelt, NJ 08555
Dear Ms. Hart,
When I joined the Council in 2006 I had a list of goals for the Borough. I’m glad to say that during my tenure on the governing body I saw many of those goals achieved.
We all successfully prevented the importation of “black water” into our sewage system. We were successful in the yeshiva litigation. Along with Pat Moser, I was successful in convincing the Council to have our historic and iconic water tower refurbished at a cost of $520,000 versus replacing it at a cost of $1.3 million to $1.8 million. We obtained cut-rate financing to rebuild our water plant. The Council (not the Mayor) sets the budget. The Councils on which I served kept municipal taxes almost flat for ten years, even as the budget and surrounding towns increased. I am particularly proud of the fact that I was able to find a way to refund our ”unrefundable” 40-year high-interest utilities bonds, thereby saving us $50,000 a year in interest payments.
There were some disappointments as well. We expanded our fire department from just a few active volunteers to a full contingent of 18 fully trained firefighters over a period of ten years. I was disappointed that the voters chose to contract for outside fire services, as were the many young people who had trained to be volunteer firefighters. I had also hoped that we would sell the old gas station for use as a business to employ local residents, pay taxes, and provide useful services for the Borough. I have met with a company that is interested in purchasing property and have urged them to make a presentation to the Council. I am still hopeful that our gas station property will be put to good use.
I was immensely proud of the Borough’s response to our hurricane-then-snowstorm. Some of our employees worked around the clock, with at least one only sleeping a total 6 hours over a week’s time. Our volunteer firefighters and public works personnel cut their way through town with chainsaws so that our First Aid volunteers could get through to aid and check on residents. Volunteers operated the shelter and the required “OEM center”. Even our younger residents helped out by preparing food to share and by helping out wherever possible. This is how Roosevelt has worked and should work.
Volunteering to do the hard work and actually doing that work is how residents make Roosevelt financially sustainable. This is true whether those volunteers serve on municipal boards and commissions, serve as emergency service volunteers on the First Aid Squad or former Fire Department, plant gardens, clean our trails and woods, or perform myriad other tasks large and small. The job of the members of the governing body in a town of less than 900 residents is not just to “set policy” or sit in judgment. It is incumbent on elected officials to roll up their sleeves and work every day.
In the past, there were often disagreements among members of the Council concerning goals, priorities, and policies. The issues were discussed civilly, though certainly not always dispassionately, and were resolved by compromise, concession, or vote. Unfortunately, this is no longer the case. Borough employees did their jobs mostly without interference, insult, or harassment. This, also, is no longer the case.
It has become increasingly difficult to accomplish anything for the benefit of the town, or even to maintain the basic services upon which residents rely. Having grown up here, I know that Roosevelt has always been different from its neighbors and, often, much of the nation. Even when faced with the most contentious issues, we were able to work our way through them. We did this by assuming that each person was honest and had the best interests of the Borough at heart. When the issue was resolved, we could share a glass of wine. Unfortunately, the Council now reflects the national spirit of political divisiveness, alternate facts, incivility, and personal attacks. Proposals are rejected out of hand, not because of their virtues, but because of who proposed them. This is no way to govern a town that faces numerous difficult issues and choices. We need action to resolve issues with our buildings. The Borough Hall roof continues to leak and the Council delays. PEOSH may start fining us shortly unless action is taken with our HVAC systems and indoor air quality. The DEP will fine us heavily if we fail to complete the study of our sewer pipes soon. Our sewage is treated by chemical treatments instead of being treated the way our sewer plant was designed because the plant is old and decaying. I urge the Council to take the steps necessary to fix these issues before the costs to do so increase.
I have devoted thousands of volunteer hours over the years. I would be willing to continue to do so if I thought things would change. I am now convinced they will not. For this reason I am resigning effective tonight.
I have returned with this letter all keys and access information in my possession.
Sincerely,
Jeff Ellentuck