Candidate's Blog: Transcript Seven

[Disclosure: This blog is written from my perspective as both a candidate for a seat on Gloucester Township Council and as a concerned citizen with questions and concerns about business as usual in Gloucester Township.]

I attended a Gloucester Township council meeting Monday evening, 8 July 2013, that was quite disconcerting and also serves as a reminder to me of why I am compelled to run for a seat on council in this current election cycle. A local business of which many of you are aware, and might actually have patronized, was issued a death knell during the July 8th meeting. Maybe that’s a little harsh but I’m not sure how else to interpret what I witnessed.

Allow me to speak of the Tuscan Tavern located in the Laurel Hill Plaza in Gloucester Township.

The Tuscan Tavern has not had a permanent presence since its original opening and that might help to explain my concerns over its ability to survive. The Tavern was originally constructed with a well-sized bar. As was mentioned during public comments at council in describing the location, it’s a tavern; a place to go and relax over a meal and a drink with friends which lends itself to a very casual atmosphere. That combination is its attraction.

Tuscan Tavern was closed for a time and was most recently reopened under its original name again by a local restaurateur but there is a major problem with the site; it does not currently have a valid liquor license so the bar stands empty. It had been the hope of the current proprietor to take advantage of an available liquor consumption license that was offered to him and when combined with his culinary and restaurant managerial skills would almost certainly guarantee the success of the new Tuscan Tavern for years to come even to the point of establishing itself as an eating landmark in the township.

And there is the catch, it seems that something is rotten in Gloucester Township and I’m not exactly certain what it is but the stench is telling.

As the story goes, during the police investigation there was some missing or unclear information provided by the proprietor for the Tuscan Tavern about where the funds were being sourced from to pay for the liquor consumption license. As in any large money transaction today, with the economy as it is, we find ourselves having to be very creative to fund our ambitions; it was no different here. While there might initially have been some confusion about those funds it appeared to me, and testimony seemed to substantiate my understanding, that the individual involved and his attorneys did everything they could to clear up the problem yet it seemed like any explanations given fell on deaf ears.

Understand that there was no criminal wrongdoing uncovered on the part of anyone involved in this transaction, that is the transfer of a valid liquor license to the Tuscan Tavern; rather the investigating officer was concerned that there was conflicting or unclear information as to the source of the funds to pay for the license and so he recommended that the request for transfer be rejected.

It appeared that the attorney retained by Tuscan Tavern had repeatedly asked for clarification of the problem and had endeavored to answer any questions and, in fact, explained away any misunderstanding concerning the sourcing of the funds for the purchase of the liquor license.

At one point, in what struck me as quite telling, the current owner of the liquor license stood before council and asked if any council member could state the reason as to why the transfer of the license had received a recommendation against the transfer. After a moment of pregnant silence accompanied by the blank stares of council, Director of Department of Law, David Carlamere (an attorney) had to answer the question.

Additionally, the current owner of the license testified that he had received a call from someone just days before seeking to purchase his liquor license which person stated unequivocally that he would guarantee that the transfer would be approved. It was obvious from how the incident was related that what was being talked about was some type of backroom activity otherwise how would one explain knowledge of such a guarantee beforehand? Imagine that in Gloucester Township.

Eventually council shut down the public portion prematurely amidst catcalls of “cowards” and “let the people speak.” Council had tired of hearing from the public and after having sponsored an award ceremony prior to the meeting, which we all sat through, was ready to go home.

The vote was called for and Councilman Dan Hutchison spoke first before casting his vote. I must commend Mr. Hutchison on what I would consider an almost academy-award winning performance. He almost had me in tears as he pulled on our heartstrings trying to convince us how conflicted he was over the situation. In the end, partisan-ship prevailed and he cast his vote against the Tuscan Tavern.

Next Mr. Sam Siler, in a voice that was almost inaudible, began by saying that he agreed with “Dan,” and in that moment I lost any respect for Mr. Siler that I previously held and had to leave the proceedings.

Suffice it to say, the vote was unanimous against the Tuscan Tavern. I really didn’t need to be there to know that. In fact, I have never once, in all the times I have attended council, seen one dissenting vote; not one hesitation against voting in lockstep. In fact, if I have learned anything from attending these meetings it is that the decisions have already been made and the votes are only for show.

What is the business of township council? Is it the business of council to shut down businesses and throw up roadblocks to success? Or is it the business of council to remove every possible impediment to help our businesses succeed for the good of all the residents in township? What I saw last night was a callous disregard in response to the concerns of the residents speaking before council over an issue that had already been decided before council ever entered the chambers. I’m not sure whether the Tuscan Tavern will be able to weather this impediment to success; time will tell, but this is what you get when you have one-party rule and hand-picked candidates to fill the positions of township leadership. It’s business as usual and nothing more than the usual business.

I look forward to seeing you at the polls in November, if not sooner.