Is Oceanport Mismanaged for Personal Gain?

Again, follow the public documents, campaign contributions, newspaper articles and the money, and you will found the answers.

All you need to do is connect the dots when you have all the information before you. It plays itself out to be a very simple "whodunit".

Is this All about Control, Greed and Money at Taxpayer Expense?

Oceanport Democrats must be proud.

Also here is the link to the Article:
http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060925/NEWS01/609250331&SearchID=73257971099844

Development hearings delayed
Possible conflict of interest

Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 09/25/06 BY LARRY HIGGS COASTAL MONMOUTH BUREAU

RED BANK — Citizen watchdogs prompted the borough Zoning Board of Adjustment to take another look at whether the board attorney has a conflict of interest hearing a case in which his landlord represents two developers.

Attorney Martin McGann Jr., who represents Matrix I LLC and Matrix II LLC, agreed to delay hearings on those two applications until the potential conflict-of-interest question involving his tenant, Board Attorney Kevin Kennedy, can be researched.

The delay also will allow principals of the developer's limited liability corporation and landowners to file outstanding developer disclosure forms.

The next hearing on both applications is Nov. 2.

Resident Steve Fitzpatrick of Chestnut Street brought the issue to the board last week as it was about to start hearing applications for the Lincoln Square-Matrix I development and Chelsea Place-Matrix II developments, both represented by McGann.

Fitzpatrick said he discovered the deficiencies while reviewing the file for both applications. Based on that review, he said that Board Vice Chairman Michael R. DuPont might not be eligible to hear the application because he has served as the chairman of a Monmouth County Democratic leadership committee, and "parties here made significant donations that could rise to a conflict of interest."

Kennedy said he would advise DuPont of that. DuPont was not at the meeting because he had excused himself from hearing a different application where he had a potential conflict of interest.

Fitzpatrick said the principals of two limited liability corporations formed for both developments weren't recorded in the file. He questioned the position of another person who was copied on documents, noting he wasn't listed as a principal.

"If he is a principal, he needs to disclose contributions to candidates and local campaigns," Fitzpatrick said. "The file is deficient."

He also reminded the developers that they also owe the borough campaign disclosure forms covering local contributions dating to 2003, under the borough's law, which was passed last month.

William Meyer of Tinton Falls, who owns property and a business in Red Bank, pressed the board to get a ruling about Kennedy's possible conflict of interest.

"It would be ill-advised for the board to proceed, prior to having outside counsel research it," Meyer said.

Kennedy suggested that Borough Attorney Kenneth Pringle research the issue. "We'll take it under advisement," said Lauren Nicosia, board chairwoman. But Meyer, who has sued the board twice on other conflict-of-interest issues, pushed them for an answer.

"It's the applicant who is at risk, and if there is taint, that is the applicant's problem," Meyer said. "I'm not comfortable, given things that have happened in the past." Amy Goldsmith, president of the Westside Community Group, told the board that the conflict-of-interest question needed to be resolved before hearings start.