The Facts They Won’t Print: What Hyperlocal Media Left Out On The Lease Agreement Articles
As our local hyper-local media outlet continues to push incomplete timelines and the false narrative that insurance issues were the reason the Mayor and the Recreation Department locked students out—we believe it’s important to set the record straight. Instead of a productive budget meeting focused on our students, the discussion devolved (yet again) into political theatrics driven by the Mayor’s...
John’s Notes on the 03/18/2025 Town Council Meeting: Affordable Housing, Fire Prevention, Storm Water on the Agenda…
Here’s a brief synopsis of each resolution on the agenda and questions resident can ask… ORDINANCE NO. 2025-144 Affordable Housing After negotiations with Fair Share Housing Center (FSHC), the township agreed to a prospective need obligation of 240 affordable housing units while maintaining a present need obligation of zero. Questions Residents can Ask: How will the township meet the...
Laura Kap Live From the Columbia Tennis Courts- Time For the BOE to Convert the Pickleball Courts?
It appears that the courts the Township converted for pickle-ball are actually on BOE property. If this is the case, perhaps the District can remove these and set up tennis courts for our students. Of course, this is a joke; we would never recommend affecting people that way – because we don’t take pride in power plays for personal or...
Fact vs. Fiction: Exposing the Township’s Misinformation on the Lease Agreement
Let’s compare the Mayor’s recent Op-Ed to the “actual facts”: The Lease Agreement Ultimatum Township’s Statement (1/14/25) “If a signed lease agreement is not received by January 31, 2025, the BoE and Township will no longer have a partnership in maintaining the fields… As a result, an alternate location will need to be found for tennis practices and matches.” —Email...
Update on The Mayor’s BHFD Controversy
Following yesterday’s front-page “The Actual Facts” Opinion Piece from the Mayor, we reached out to sources close to the BHFD, who confirmed they plan to respond. However, in the course of our discussions, a noteworthy issue emerged. It appears that BHFD members submitted OPRA requests to the township, yet their requests were delayed until Friday—well after the Mayor’s Op-Ed was...
Berkeley Heights Township Tactics: Is the CMS Lease Agreement a Power Grab?
The Township of Berkeley Heights published a version of the CMS land lease agreement as an attachment to the March 4, 2025, meeting. What stands out most in this proposal is the complete absence of any mention or indication that a turf field is part of the plan. Whether this omission is intentional or not, its absence raises serious questions....
Work Product from the $30k PR Consultant the Berkeley Heights Town Council Hired
We have to start by acknowledging that the new OPRA Custodian for the Township is exponentially better at handling OPRA requests than the District’s Business Administrator. John has submitted the majority of these requests—and let’s be honest, we all know how frustrating he can be to deal with. One of our latest OPRA requests sheds light on the high-priced Public...
Berkeley Heights Resident Writes to Town Council On Continued Power Outages
Michael Leblond is a resident of Berkeley Heights Dear Mayor Devanney and members of the Town Council, I am writing to express my growing concern regarding the frequent power outages in our community and their negative impact on daily life. As a fifteen year resident of Berkeley Heights, I believe it is essential that our local government addresses the ongoing...
Update on Fire Prevention Bureau Petition
The Following Email was Sent to Individuals That Signed the NJ21st Fire Prevention Bureau Petition Hi Everyone, This email is going to all who signed the petition and provided an email address. I wanted to update you on our community’s effort to encourage the Mayor and Council to reconsider their decision to move the Fire Prevention Bureau from the Fire Department...
Berkeley Heights Fire Chief Speaks Out Against Fire Prevention Bureau Changes
In this video, Berkeley Heights Fire Chief Jim Hopkins strongly opposes the proposed transfer of the Bureau of Fire Prevention from the Fire Department to the Building Department. He raises concerns about the potential impact on public safety and fire code enforcement. Read More on Berkeley Heights Town Council Subscribe to NJ21st For Free
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