Council Approves $1.2M GEMS Landfill Bond

Two Republicans—one a former member of the Township Council, the other a candidate for Council—on Monday questioned the township's decision to pursue an investigation into the feasibility of solar panels at the GEMS Landfill in light of a recent "cash call" by the trust in place to monitor the Superfund site.

Council approved a $1.2 million bond to support the latest "cash call" by the trust in place to monitor GEMS by a vote of 6-1 at its meeting Monday night. Councilwoman Crystal Evans, who had voted in favor of the ordinance on first reading on June 13, offered the lone "no" vote.

Council also accepted a list of engineering firms that responded to a request for qualifications by the township for "preliminary investigation and development of a redevelopment plan" for GEMS.

Before Council took action on the $1,226,349 bond and the list of firms responding to the GEMS study request for qualifications Monday night, it heard concerns from Maureen McLaughlin, Linda Musser, a member of the Township Planning Board who is seeking a seat on Council in this November's election, and others.

"I thought with the 2008 survey for solar panels that it was indicated that GEMS was not an appropriate site to do that type of project," McLaughlin, a former Council vice president, said.

Township engineer John Cantwell, of Remington and Vernick—one of the six firms in line for the study—responded that the Haddonfield firm's 2008 survey did not label GEMS "inappropriate," but instead noted "it had its issues."

Cantwell added that installing a solar farm at GEMS would be "tricky ... but it can be done."

Musser questioned whether the township has been monitoring the way the trust has been spending the money it receives from the township.

"We did not just want to assume that what they were asking for was correct," Council President Glen Bianchini said. "We did our homework. We looked at it. We even looked at possibly even paying them in portions. You know, why give them the lump sum up front? ... However, the decree is pretty straightforward and they could go and penalize us and bring us to court, and we end up spending more money."

Reiterating what Mayor David Mayer told Patch several weeks ago, Bianchini noted that Mayer's administration is looking at whether money can be recouped from past insurance carriers.

Musser also questioned the sagacity of paying for a GEMS redevelopment study when the latest "cash call" would seem to indicate there are still issues with the landfill.

"Why would we be going out to bid to have someone look at GEMS as a redevelopment plan if we don't even know if there's going to be another 'cash call?'" she said. "So, this is costing us a lot of money now and we don't know ... It just seems like we're throwing good money after bad."

Cantwell and Bianchini noted the township is hopeful the GEMS property can go from money pit to money machine.

"We already own the land. It's not like we're paying for that piece of property," Bianchini said. "We're just looking at ways of possibly trying to get back money from utilizing that piece of ground."

Cantwell suggested a solar farm at GEMs could result in "substantial income if this works."

In addition to Remington and Vernick, the following firms submitted qualifications: CME Associates, of Howell; Birdsall Services Group, of Sea Girt; J. Timothy Kernan Inc., of Thorofare; Langan Engineering, of Elmwood Park; and Innovative Engineering Inc., of Wall Township.

The trust is in control of the GEMS site through 2014, according to solicitor David Carlamere. The state Department of Environmental Protection takes over in 2015.

The trust called for roughly $1.4 million in 1996 and $637,000 in 2008 from the township.

"We're hoping this is the last one, but we have no choice but to fund that 'cash call,'" Bianchini said.