OPINION: Deadline Looming for Manasquan BOE to Act Upon NJDEP Permits

As a key December 9, 2014 deadline approaches, what will the Manasquan Board of Education do?

Will they monetize the $1M of taxpayer funds already spent on the engineered plans, associated fees and approved Permits necessary to complete the Warrior Athletic Complex? Or, will they continue doing nothing, silently eliminating any possibility for the Manasquan School District to ever have a regulation track and multi-use synthetic turf field?

Improving the athletic fields in Manasquan is not a new idea. As the BOE President in 2006, Patricia Walsh championed a failed $5M public referendum, spending over $300,000 with Maser Engineering for a concept that seriously encroached upon the wetlands without receiving the necessary DEP approvals. As advertised, the proposal did not include baseball on campus and had no collaborative buy-in from the sending districts.

In 2009, Mrs. Walsh retained Birdsall to engineer the most current plan design. She touted her efforts often, even stating in the local media, “We’re looking to make permanent improvements in a budget-neutral position.”

So what happened? Prior Board’s never budgeted for the project nor made the slightest of efforts to move it forward. They didn’t even go out for bids.

In 2013, after years of steady budget increases, burgeoning tax levies and uncontrolled expenditures from Walsh’s failed leadership regime, a newly populated Board found a way to complete the project with no tax increases. But, Mrs. Walsh (who returned to the Manasquan BOE in 2012) voted no.

The Warrior Athletic Complex is estimated to cost only $2.5M and includes a track, new spectator stands, a multi-purpose synthetic turf field, stadium lighting and numerous improvements to a baseball field currently located behind Manasquan Elementary School. The Board could use lease purchase financing and budget for the project over a 5 year span, per individual lease. Other schools have done so, including Central Regional at present.

Initial bids received for the wall & drainage portion in April exceeded expectations by only 5 percent of total project cost. But, this BOE has refused to go back out to bid. Much less, even discuss it.

Yet, the clock with the NJDEP is still ticking.

Will this be a Board of Education known for doing the right thing or, one that says “no” merely because others found a way to do something that their predecessors could not?

There’s a lot at risk here, namely the safety and well-being of the student athletes and spectators.

The majority of the Manasquan athletes, boys and girls from the soccer, cross country, track and lacrosse teams must traverse across a busy highway and heavily traveled railroad tracks where trains approach 60 mph in order to use the decrepit fields at the Sea Girt Armory. This location is often unusable during or after inclement weather and, lacks storm shelters, restrooms, spectator seating and on-site medical staff.

How will this current Manasquan Board of Education be remembered?

With the December deadline fast upon them, we’ll soon find out if the now sitting board members will put morals and integrity above their own ego’s and personal agenda’s for the benefit of the kids.

It’s doubtful that they will.