Residents: How is Green Knoll Fire Co. Money Spent?

With another hearing being held Tuesday on the proposal for a T-Mobile cell tower at the Green Knoll Volunteer Fire Co. on North Bridge Street, two residents came forward at Monday's Township Council meeting not to discuss the application itself, but to focus on public accountability.

Andrew Leven, of Holmes Court, and Simone Gaunt, of North Bridge Street, spoke before the council to discuss a recent fire district No. 3 meeting they attended to discuss funding and examining what revenue the company takes in on its own.

But, Leven said, they were not thrilled with their reception.

"I do not feel we were well-received, or well listened to," he said. "They said they had nothing to say to us."

Leven said they were actually told to speak to the council, but the council had already recommended they speak directly to the fire department.

Leven said he and other residents in town are looking for accountability of how funds are received and spent by the department. He said those records should be made public for residents, and the council should look to make that happen.

"There is a high level of support in town for the volunteer firefighters," he said. "But accountability is an issue. The residents want to know the answers, and they feel public accountability is under the role of the township council."

Leven cited several New Jersey state statutes that indicate that the fire departments are under the control of the municipality, and that the council should be informed of how much money is coming in and going out.

"We don't understand why Green Knoll has refused to share that information," he said. "In our view, this refusal speaks to accountability."

But, Council President Matthew Moench said, when the statutes name the governing body as overseeing the fire departments, that does not necessarily mean the council itself. That depends, he said, on whether there is a separate board of fire commissioners, which Bridgewater has.

"We have elected fire commissioners, and that's the governing body," he said. "Some towns don't have the fire commissioners."

Gaunt said she actually found an advertisement on the Internet recently, indicating that the Green Knoll Volunteer Fire Co. is looking for a contractor to add an addition at the company.

"I am curious if the money from T-Mobile is going toward creating that addition at the company," she said. "It strikes a nerve, and seems curious."

Councilman Howard Norgalis said that the contract is actually for an addition on the district No. 3 building on Dow Road, which is too small to handle all the needs of its area. It has nothing to do with the building on North Bridge Street, he said.

Still, council members expressed concern about commenting on the situation because it is the policy of the council to not speak on applications that are before the zoning board.

Leven said that the situation is accountability and the desire to see records, not the application itself. He said residents do not understand why the fire company refuses to share that information publicly.

"We are not asking the council to get involved in the application," he said. "We are asking to do this for public accountability. I would argue that this is important for the township council to do."

But Councilman Allen Kurdyla—who, along with Norgalis, is an elected fire commissioner—said he took offense to a later suggestion by Leven that the commissioners are not caring about the interests of the residents.

"The fire company has been on the receiving end of some nasty comments," he said. "I think your comment about not caring is not correct. I understand about wanting to know where the money is going. But I do know that the governing body of commissioners in district number three—as in one, two and four— takes into account the needs of the public."

Councilman Dan Hayes said he understands the concern about accountability, and has also been wondering how fire protection is organized.

"I think it's a legitimate question so residents understand how it works," he said. "If we lack the ability to understand, I believe providing that information is important. If we want to tackle that separately, I think it is incumbent on us to see that it gets to the residents."

Councilwoman Christine Henderson Rose said it is her understanding that individual departments are private entities. In addition, she said, it is her understanding that the agreement with T-Mobile is between the cellular company and a non-profit entity, not the fire district.

In that case, Rose said, the council would not have any say in the matter.

But Hayes said he does not quite agree with that analysis of the situation.

Moench advised that the council take an opportunity at another meeting to discuss the situation of accountability, but not the application itself.

"If we want to discuss getting the information separate from the T-Mobile application, we can put it in for a later agenda," he said. "Then we can get information from legal council to really understand the accountability issue."

The council unanimously agreed to table the discussion for a future date.

Moench still recommended that residents take any concerns about the T-Mobile application to the zoning board hearing, which will be held at Tuesday night in the municipal courtroom at 7:30 p.m.