CDC SERVES AS AN EXAMPLE OF SHARED SERVICES AND COOPERATION
BETWEEN MUNICIPALITIES
Today, the legislature of New Jersey and others are pointing to
shared services and possible municipal and school consolidations as
a solution to high property taxes. For nine years, Cumberland
Development Corporation (CDC) has been a shining example of
intermunicipal cooperation and shared services in Cumberland County.
In the early and middle 1990’s, Bridgeton Area Chamber of
Commerce leaders Carolyn Heckman and Brent Hankins met with the
mayors and other municipal leaders of twelve of Cumberland County’s
municipalities to propose a unique sharing of economic and community
development services.
In 1995, Bridgeton, Commercial, Deerfield, Downe, Fairfield,
Hopewell, Lawrence, Maurice River, Shiloh, Stow Creek and Upper
Deerfield in partnership with the chamber of commerce, formed the
not-for-profit community development corporation known as CDC.
In late 1998, with a payment formula based on the value of tax
ratables and bylaws that called for one vote for each participating
entity, CDC began full-time operations with the hiring of its first
full-time and current executive director Tony Stanzione.
In 2006, CDC served as not only an economic and community
development office but also as a forum for the mayors and other
governing body representatives to discuss common problems and to
seek solutions together.
This included bringing Cumberland County Freeholders, NJ
Legislators, other municipal leaders and other business and
community agencies to the table to work together on important issues
for the region.
CDC considered and took action on issues such as completing a
joint strategic plan for economic development and growth management;
applying for and receiving approval for a $50,000 grant from the NJ
Department of Community Affairs in cooperation with the Borough of
Shiloh for completion of the regional growth management plan and
strengthening its proposed uses for regional Transfer of Development
Rights and obtained approval from Dodge Foundation to use $25,000 of
its grant funds for work on the regional plan.
According to Board chairman Mayor Elmer Bowman of Lawrence
Township, CDC was also active in organizing resistance to the
State’s plan to charge fees for state police services for rural
communities; voicing opposition to dumping of VX nerve gas in the
Delaware River; supporting efforts to get legislation passed to
support the development of the New Jersey Motorsports Park in
Millville and urged the State to fully fund the approved remodeling
of Cumberland Regional High School.
CDC opposed granting of a statewide cable TV franchise to Verizon
that would leave many rural areas without such services for many
years; opposed the NJ Bureau of Public utilities discriminatory
rules that result in residents of rural areas paying high costs for
installation of electric and phone utilities; opposed closing of the
post office in Dividing Creek and supported relief from the cap laws
for townships like Upper Deerfield and others with little or no
local property taxes.
“We stood with and support the continuing efforts of Downe,
Commercial, Maurice River and other townships who need a permanent,
variable and higher level of payment in lieu of taxes for the vast
amounts of tax exempt and permanently preserved lands in their
communities,” said executive director Tony Stanzione. He added that
this included hosting a meeting of legislators from both Districts 1
and 3 in November to discuss this issue and to continue to oppose
fees for State Police patrols.
CDC worked with Cumberland County Improvement Authority to get
approval of an investment of $75,000 in the pre-development planning
for its planned intermunicipal, regional industrial park in Upper
Deerfield.
Committees were formed and are working on possible shared municipal
court facilities and services and on a joint tax revaluation pricing
project for five municipalities in an effort to save money.
CDC supported and worked with Deerfield Township and Upper
Deerfield Township on the completion of their redevelopment plans
and is assisting in marketing those areas.
Other marketing initiatives included participation and funding
for the county’s participation in the International Conference of
Shopping Centers convention in Las Vegas and the International
Biotech conference in Philadelphia and funding of a marketing
brochure for the Upper Deerfield Towne Center and Redevelopment
Zone.
CDC and the Bridgeton Area Chamber coordinated and helped fund
the “what’s spent here, stays here” shop local campaign; promoted
the Hopewell Township Business Park; supported and participated in
the Cumberland County Economic Development Retreat and provided
financial and technical support for several municipal websites.
CDC also worked with several townships to draft their petitions
for plan endorsement with the State Planning Commission and other
reports related to their proposed development centers.
Another milestone in 2006 was the improvement in relationships
with the municipal leaders of Bridgeton. The mayor and several city
council members have been guests at CDC meetings. In early 2007, CDC
and Bridgeton officials are talking with each other about ways to
work even closer together.
The 2007 board of directors of CDC includes the following mayors:
Elmer Bowman, Lawrence, Chairman, Hal Bickings, Hopewell, Secretary,
George Garrison, Commercial, Chet Riland, Downe, Marion Kennedy,
Fairfield, Ted Kiefer, Greenwich and Howard Scull, Shiloh.
The board also includes Deputy Mayors Ralph Cocove, Upper Deerfield,
who serves as Vice Chairman and Randy Dickinson, Stow Creek.
Committeewoman Carol Musso, Deerfield, serves as Treasurer.
For more information about CDC, call Tony Stanzione at
856-451-4200 or visit www.cdcnj.com.
Loans for rural businesses available
UPPER DEERFIELD TWP. -- An $800,000 check from the U.S. Department
of Agriculture Rural Development Intermediary Relending Program can go
a long way.
A check presentation made at the township's municipal building
Tuesday provides low-interest loans to small businesses throughout the
county, with the exception of Vineland and parts of Millville because
of population requirements.
The loan is being provided to rural communities throughout the
county in an effort to create more jobs.
"Many existing businesses or those looking to start will
benefit from this loan," said Upper Deerfield Mayor Ken Hill.
"We want to make sure everyone has an opportunity."
The money will go through the Cooperative Business Assistance
Corporation, a Camden-based firm. They will work Cumberland
Development Corporation, Cumberland County Planning and Development
Department, Cumberland County Loan Assistance Corp., economic
development offices and area banks to market this loan program.
The $800,000 investment with CBAC is provided in the form of a
1-percent interest, 30-year loan. CBAC will lend the funds at its
market rates.
"We have a lot of opportunity in Cumberland County, but it
lacks the financial resources," said Andrew Law, state director
of USDA rural development. "The loan is just another piece of the
puzzle of what can be available to the people of Cumberland
County."
Applicants can take out loans to purchase land, equipment or
anything else needed to make the business.
This loan is an attempt to balance out the rural areas, according
to Law.
"Rural development initiatives are to place our resources in
areas where we can literally get the biggest bang for the buck,"
Law stated.
Hopes are for CBAC to provide necessary services to local residents
and rehabilitate vacant properties.
"In particular, our rural economy needs and welcomes every bit
of help available," Freeholder Director Doug Rainear said at
Tuesday's press conference. "Small businesses need assistance and
guidance to succeed. The more tools available, the better their needs
can be served. It gives our businesses outside the (Empowerment Zone)
and (Urban Enterprise Zones) the big lift that is needed."
Any amount of money will be available through this program as long
as specific criteria is met, according to CBAC Executive Director R.
Michael Diemer.
"We do loans from hair salons to steel manufacturers,"
Diemer said.
Money will continue to flow into the program as loans are paid
back, Diemer said.
"We intend to leverage (the initial $800,000) to the tune of
$3 million," Diemer said. "We hope this is only the
beginning to our assistance to economic development in Cumberland
County."
Tuesday's press conference was an effort to make the public aware
of the opportunities provided by the loan program.
"This may be the shot in the arm some people need to start a
business," said Hill.
Those interested in applying for loans can go to the CBAC Web site
at, www.cbaclenders.com
.
Motorsports complex plan approved
5-0
By Joseph P. Smith
Staff Writer; jsmith@thedailyjournal.com
MILLVILLE -- City commissioners approved an agreement Tuesday
night with a corporation proposing to build a motorsports resort
complex at the municipal airport.
The N.J. Motorsports Park is valued as a minimum $100 million
investment. Its centerpiece is to be a 4.1-mile road course, the
Thunderbolt Raceway.
The park would be constructed in three phases on about 707
acres of city land along Buckshutem Road.
Construction is to start in spring 2005 and last nine months
to one year. It is expected to take five years in all to finish
the project, which includes hotels and restaurants.
The 5-0 commission vote followed a required public hearing on
the ordinance.
Nearly 30 people spoke during the hearing, and opposition
based on traffic and environmental concerns was heard. But
project supporters easily outnumbered opponents.
Hugh McElroy, general manager of Dallas Airmotive and
co-chair of a group supporting the project, said he had visited
Virginia International Raceway to explore what such a facility
would look like. VIR is the model for the project here.
"What I actually saw were very, very well-maintained
lawns," McElroy said, adding that he took his own car out
for a ride.
"I can put my hand on a Bible and tell you ladies and
gentlemen that it is a lovely track, and I'd love to see it
here," he said.
The audience also included members of local union chapters,
including the International Union of Operating Engineers and the
Ironworkers.
"Our union members look forward to participating in this
project in terms of supporting your efforts through attendance
and education meetings, and of course we look forward to the
many hours of construction employment in the coming years,"
said IUOE Local 825 business representative William P. Ewan Jr.
Fred Akers, a Buena Vista resident, spoke for Citizens United
to Protect the Maurice River and Its Tributaries Inc. The
organization still is studying the agreement and has
"serious concerns" about its environmental impacts on
residents.
Akers said his group wanted to see facts on the quality of
the 1,500 jobs being discussed as a benefit, the feasibility of
obtaining grant funds and information on what taxes the city
would forego to help the developer.
Jody Carrara, project director for the Association of New
Jersey Environmental Commissions, also raised concerns on behalf
of nine environmental groups.
"State agencies and conservation groups have been
working for over five decades to protect the fragile
biodiversity in this region," Carrara said, reading from a
letter addressed to Mayor James Quinn. "We are concerned
about the direct development impacts from the destruction of
critical habitat to endangered species. In addition, the
fragmentation likely to occur as the direct result of this
project will have devastating impacts on these area sensitive
species."
Another objection came from Carolyn Pace, who recently bought
land for a house on Buckshutem Road. The land is about 2.5 miles
from the proposed track, she said.
"We already know the shore traffic comes past our house
in the summertime," Pace said. "I have very much
concern about the traffic patterns."
County Freeholder Louis Magazzu and N.J. Assemblyman Jeff Van
Drew, D-1, offered rebuttals to environmental concerns.
"There are times you have to say no," Van Drew
said. "There are times you have to say yes to certain kinds
of development. This is one of those times."
"This is not a smokestack," Magazzu said.
"This is not something that will bring deleterious
effects."
After the vote, Vice Mayor James Parent stressed that the
project has been under study for a year and a half. "The
most endangered species, in my book, is becoming the people of
this city," he said.
Under the ordinance, the first property sale to N.J.
Motorsports Park will include at least 450 acres, not including
wetlands.
The city and investors have agreed that is to occur by June
1, 2005, or by 120 days after a dozen "contingencies"
outlined in the agreement are satisfied. City action on some
contingencies is required within 30 days after the agreement is
executed.