Rancor Over Beach HQ Continues

Republican Councilwoman and mayoral candidate Patricia Connolly continued her opposition to the borough of Manasquan's decision to move forward with a replacement plan for the Eastmond Pavilion at the beachfront during Monday evening's meeting of the mayor and council.

Connolly continued to characterize the process by which the borough implemented the project as "bad management" despite a continuity issue with her voting record on the project. 

A request for records made by Patch under the Open Public Records Act revealed a resolution passed by the borough council as part of its consent agenda on March 21. A review of the minutes from that meeting show no discussion of the resolution before being put to a vote.

Resolution 72-2011, passed unanimously by the governing body including Connolly, allocated $25,250 to be paid to Chris Rice for design and architecture services for the project.

Throughout discussions about the project, Connolly repeatedly called into question Rice's hiring.

"This type of management has got to stop," she said during the Sept. 12 meeting when the bond ordinance was introduced. "We just give it to the local friend?"

The resolution also contains the assertion that "annual renovations appropriations would outweigh the cost of constructing a new facility," an argument in favor of the project made by all members of the governing body aside from Connolly. The councilwoman has repeatedly vocalized her desire to see the possibility of renovation rather than replacement researched more thoroughly.

"I probably didn't read it carefully enough," Connolly said when asked about the  contradictory March vote. "I would never vote on a no bid contract."

A war of words between Connolly and Democratic Councilman Jeff Lee, who chairs the council's beach committee and has helped to spearhead the Eastmond Pavilion project, continued on Monday.

While Connolly contends that the project was pushed through without proper discussion, Lee argued that the project has been discussed at numerous meetings throughout the year. 

"Do your facts completely," Lee told Connolly, characterizing her arguments as "half facts" and "half truths."

On Sept. 26, all members of the borough council besides Connolly voted to approve a $1.6 million bond anticipation notice for the project which includes the removal and replacement of the Manasquan beach headquarters building as well as improvements to the area immediately surrounding the structure.