THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
a really bad
idea for Abington
After this summary
click here for the main
Economic Development Corporation page
for meeting dates and info
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Attempt To Pass The Economic Development Corporation Using
Unscrupulous Tactics
The
Township is in the throes of trying to create an” Economic
Development Corporation”
IE them creating their own ever -expanding development- arm - a quasi-governmental, completely
separate body (that does not seem really separate at all).
The goal of this corporation
would be to use Township resources and personnel,
grants, taxpayer funds (ie: as loans and more ) in order
to set up a development corporation, ( a new “developer”
in essence ) – that the Township Commissioners have “control” over (ok – not separate)
but which doesn't have to abide by the rules the Township has to
because ist is .... separate and "independent". One of the selling features
touted by the 2 very well paid lawyers
presenting this,
from the Obermayer, Rebmann,
Maxwell, Hipple LLP law firm, was that the Township could
“distance themselves from the public reaction”
to their projects --quite
the opposite of what we wish, as we try endlessly to have
greater say over developers and politicians
activities - not less.
They also tout that they can avoid
many
of the rules that the Township is bound by – rules that
are designed to protect improper government use of our funds and
resources- like bidding regulations. On top of this, any profits are not considered “our
monies” that would go back into a budget that we have some
(limited) say in. Instead, here, profits can be used to start
their next team or project – you know, like with any non-profit,
as long as it "meets the mission".
And they are a …separate…remember
... entity so they don’t need our input on how to use the
profits.
The Board would be appointed by the Township, we are
told, not chosen by us, and can include literally anyone they
want to put on it ---- so a developer from elsewhere might
be a favorite contender. Bruce Goodman is not a Township
resident but already sits on our Economic Development
Committee, helping to decide what is "good for our town" while
residents from this town are barely allowed to speak. Do
we want developers, and others who may profit, from outside of
our township deciding what our Township should look like ? Or
should the elected officials spend more time learning what the
people they are supposedly representing want, instead of
shutting them up at every opportunity? What transparency
would there be for us even to learn what they are planning. No
more than there would be with any developer. It's a "separate"
entity remember.
While suggesting that developing parcels is too great a
time commitment for our Township to undertake – ( you know,
because they all have
other jobs ) the proposal
simultaneous suggests that our Township Manager should be
appointed their Executive Director
and that personnel should be at their disposal for $1 per
year. Wait..... doesn’t
our Manager already have a “more than full -time” job, for which
he receives a “more than average” salary. And aren’t our other
paid employees already doing what they were hired to do?
Do they have a lot of
free time? If we want to become a "developer" why
don’t we just create a “Department of Development” Oh yes,
those pesky rules would have to be followed… you know, the ones
that protect the taxpayers with bidding regulations and proper
accounting, and time for public input, and the ability to
vote out people who don't endorse properly provviding documents
in a timely manner.
To
highlight their desire to cut you out of the process, the
Commissioners literally advertised this for a hearing
before it was even fully written.
That was nothing short of
shameful. They had never even read
what they decided was “good for you”. And, after the first
(9-4-19) presentation, it was put on the “Consent Agenda“
where it would get zero discussion before the
vote to hold a Hearing.
We had to beg them to take it off the consent agenda.
Even then, Commissioner Luker tried to quickly call a vote when
it came up … despite our having made it clear we wanted it off
the consent agenda so discussion could be held to foster further
understanding. Luker ignored that and our (unfriendly
the the residents) Solicitor then falsely tried to insist our
public comment “rules” wouldn't
provide for any further discussion by the residents who had
already used up their speaking time just trying to get it off
the "Consent Agenda". The Solicitor knew that was not true
because in January 2018 they snuck in new rules to protect the
Commissioners who were continually violating the ones they had.
The new rules don't require them to follow
ANY rules ( the ones they kept violating
, for instance). They allow the Chair ( Luker in this case )
to make
up his/her own rules whenever they want to. So
President Luker had total
freedom to allow citizens to ask questions at any time -- he simply
refused to let them ( see the 9-12-19 video ).
The outcry from residents brought a "supposed" informational
meeting on October 16. Supposed because residents were
told they had only 2 days from the time that was announced to
submit questions.....via a site that was broken and did not
accept the questions they submitted. Also "supposed"
because they knew most of their residents were still clueless
and had not gotten this message. And also 'supposed' 'because
barely any of the really significant questions were answered - a
result of the requirement to submit them all in a big bunch
and letting them chose which they preferred to answer. At
the meeting although around 100 questions had been submitted in
advance, they "answered" just a fraction of them ---- some were
answered in a way that completely was in contradiction tof the
By-Laws as they were printed ---- so....... are other
By-Laws applicable? Once they answered all the
convenient ones that they themselves chose --- requiring
written questions alls that form of "control" over what they
have to address. Further they frittered the time away
with needless "chit -chat" ---- at one point John
Spiegleman even went off into an advertising plug for the new
Studio Movie Grill. The
cards they collected at the meeting ( rather than letting
attendees ask questions penly) were going to be answered
at random, they said -- but you can see Matt Vahey
in the video - shuffling and reshuffling them and
ultimately putting certain ones at the very bottom - that they
never got to. Residents insisted on calling out
some questions, because clearly our most urgent questions were
not being answered. Not to worry - we're going to post
these questions and answers . But here we are 2 months
after the announcement and the attempt to ram it through to a
hearing .... and our questions are nowhere in sight as of the
beginning of November.
And the other thing
that is nowhere in sight and a month overdue is a budget -- the
place that these monies were supposed to be accounted for ....
the $20,000 to draw up By-Laws ... the time our manager would
spend as executive director -- the time our other
personnel are going to be used --- for the cost of $1 - with no
accounting for their time and what their services ACTUALLY cost
the taxpayers, the cost for all the people that are working on
this now........ Solicitor, Manager, Code/Engineering etc
etc . Your funds are being gifted to a non-profit who will
have the right to buy property and decide FOR YOU how your
town should be developed.
The Commissioners said that this could
be dissolved anytime we decided it wasn't a good idea. I
think now would be a good time
click here to get to
main Economic Development Corporation page
for meeting dates and info
None of what they have been doing was in the interest of their
constituents. Clearly there is a lack of transparency They were clearly already...... chasing the
money. This Economic
Development Corporation is a singular formula that
easily can foster corruption, in a town with a history of those
in charge turning a blind eye to corruption every day .…….
What can you do?
Find your Commissioners
here
https://abingtoncitizens.com/TwpGovt/Commissioners.htm
Please email your
Commissioner – or all of them - now
and tell them : 1) we
don’t want YOU to become
developers 2) the
residents want a bigger say in how our community is formed than
the developers - even when ( or especially when ) YOU are
the developers . You have a long history of NOT listening to
your constituents
3) You should not to move forward until the constituents
you represent want
you
to
Also you can :
Direct others to
www.abingtoncitizens.com
or to www.AbingtonCitizens.com/EconomicDevelopmentCorporation
or call Lora at 215-885-0504
email
lel@abingtoncitizens.com
click here to get to main page on the Economic Development issue
Please feel free to
send your information to us and please be sure
to tell us about any information you believe to be
incorrect -
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