9 candidates for 3 committee seats
UPPER TOWNSHIP — With Mayor Rich Palombo and Deputy Mayor Ed Barr deciding not to seek re-election, voters in Upper Township have the best chance in more than two decades of deciding the future of their hometown.
Attempting to fill that leadership vacuum are nine candidates seeking three seats — two full three-year terms and a one-year unexpired term — on the five-member, currently all-Republican Township Committee. There are three separate slates – the Republicans, Team Purple, consisting of two Democrats, and Independent Republicans – and a lone Democrat.
The Sentinel provided a questionnaire with three questions to all nine candidates in the race. The answers were used to put together these stories.
Hayes, Newman and Pancoast running together as the U.T. Republican ticket
UPPER TOWNSHIP – There are three candidates on the Republican ticket for Upper Township Committee.
Kim Hayes, the lone incumbent who was appointed in 2020 to replace former Committeeman Hobie Young, who stepped down mid-term, is now seeking election to a full term.
Joining Hayes on the Republican ticket are Jay Newman, a former committeeman and current chief of the Marmora Volunteer Fire Company, and Mark Pancoast, a sergeant with the Ocean City Police Department who is running for the year remaining on Young’s term.
Kim Hayes (Incumbent)
Kim Hayes, who was appointed to her seat to fill a vacancy last year, said her top priority if elected to a full term would be to keep the taxes low and quality of life in Upper Township high.
“This has been a challenge with the ever-increasing taxes on homeowners and businesses in our state,” she said. “One priority will be to impart ways to bring new quality businesses into the township. That plan must be comprehensive. It cannot focus on only infrastructure or only one area of the township. It also must not be reactionary.”
She said the township should not bring in any business just to increase ratables, but must attract those that support the community in the long term. “My top priority if elected will be to leave the township in a better place than I found it. That should always be the primary goal of anyone elected to any position,” Hayes said.
She said she is running for Township Committee “to ensure that the members of our community had someone to advocate and care for them.”
She cites her experience as a private sector business person, working mother and nurse. “I have dedicated my life to advocating for and caring for others.”
She decided to live in Upper Township because she appreciates and recognizes everything it has to offer – great schools, excellent recreation programs and a beautiful landscape.
“We need people on the Township Committee who will be able to modernize and advance the township without losing the quality of life that brought/keeps us here,” Hayes said.
The township is facing the challenge of replacing the revenue provided by the former B.L. England plant to keet property taxes in check. She said deeming the site a redevelopment zone is “a first step.” That ensures city officials “can oversee this transition while protecting the township from any and all indemnification in the clean-up process.”
Hayes said public input is key to the long-range project.
“I am committed to working with the residents of Beesleys Point and the entire community on a plan that will sustain the revenue and complement our community,” she said. Beyond that, she added, is the need for economic growth across the township.
Officials need to “explore improvements in infrastructure, such as sewers in the commercial districts and a full interchange at Exit 20” of the Garden State Parkway. “In my time on the Township Committee I have supported the initial steps in this process such as voting in favor of a feasibility study from the Cape May County Municipal Utilities Authority,” Hayes said. “However, we need to get input from the entire community before we move forward with a plan to sewer the entire township.”
Jay Newman
Jay Newman said his top priority if elected “is to keep our public safety teams second to none and to move obstacles out of the way to allow businesses to expand and to welcome new businesses to Upper Township.”
The Marmora fire department chief said Upper Township has been and continues to be a great place to live and raise a family.
“Upper Township is safe, our schools are great, our recreation programs are top notch and I would love to keep it that way,” he said.
He is seeking the voters’ support because he is a lifelong resident “who can move the township forward while remembering and preserving the past. I am a proven leader with the experience and knowledge of the Upper Township community that will allow us to continue to evolve and flourish.”
He said he has been a leader in the township’s public safety community which has resulted in “our excellent public safety organizations.” He combined that with his “countless hours of volunteer service” and points out that he is a public servant, “not self-servant. “I care about this town and if elected, I will continue to fight for the best for our community. “
“Having been born and raised in Upper Township, I have lived in Beesleys Point and the power plant has been an important part of the infrastructure here,” Newman said. “We must closely study the viability of what would make sense to go here and not rush to make a decision without the input from the Beesleys Point residents. Additionally, before any decision is made, we must keep in mind that the township needs to be fully indemnified for any clean-up that has to occur.”
Mark Pancoast
Mark Pancoast’s top priorities are following his slate’s six-point business plan.
The plan includes bringing in “more community involvement” along with “smart sustained growth of our business community.”
He said preserving open space “is important to the health and well being of our families and our business community here in Upper Township.”
Pancoast wants to provide “new and improved services” for all residents while maintaining a stable tax rate. That, he notes, is a challenge with “Democrats controlling the state government.
“Governor Murphy and the Democratic Party have little concern for any of our goals here in Upper Township as evidenced by their recent arbitrary decision to cut our school budget by over $4 million. This is a dangerous pattern that will continue to shortchange our children and spike our local taxes. We must keep that kind of thinking out of our Upper Township government.”
He said voters should support him because he has been active in the community since he moved to Upper Township 16 years ago. “I love my hometown and want my voice to be a conservative voice in the way we move forward. My Republican roots are deep and strong. I am an America First Constitutional Republican. I am an unapologetic supporter of the Second Amendment. For me it’s God, family and country. My running mates and I have a vision to revitalize our community in a post COVID-19 world. Working together, we will secure a new beginning and a brighter future for all of Upper Township.”
Pancoast said the B.L. England site needs to be developed, but rushing into a decision would be “foolish” without taking the residents of Beesleys Point into consideration and studying the entire cleanup cost.
“Consensus is key here and without it, we would be doing our community a disservice,” he said. He looks at more immediate needs, including the Verizon site, the “unsightly Roosevelt Boulevard gas station: and the Cedar Square Shopping Center.” He added that the township needs to be proactive in getting businesses to invest in Upper Township.
“I believe we need to make it job one to develop an incentive plan and work closely with interested parties to solve their challenges to clear the way for economic growth,” he said. “Finally, we need to push harder than ever for the full exchange at Exit 20. This will be a huge key to fast-tracking future success here.”
_________________________________
Team Purple: Mulford and Boninfante-Kodytek
UPPER TOWNSHIP – Lenora Boninfante-Kodytek and Shawna Mulford are two Democrats running together as Team Purple for two seats on the Upper Township Committee.
Boninfante-Kodytek is seeking a three-year term and Mulford is running for the one-year term.
Lenora Boninfante-Kodytek
Lenora Boninfante-Kodytek said while plans, experience and ideas are important for candidates running for Upper Township Committee, equally important “is listening to the residents of Upper Township and understanding what they need from their local government that will elevate their quality of life such as safe roads, infrastructure improvements, a stable tax rate, new revenue sources plus a community where families can enjoy activities and events in their own back yard all year long.”
She believes her experience uniquely suits this approach.
Boninfante-Kodytek said she has dedicated her life to uplifting and improving the quality of life for others and her extensive work experience in government and knowing how it works on the local, county and state levels lends itself to what the township needs.
She has a bachelor’s degree in communications and at age 44 earned a master’s degree in public administration. She has 20 years in the private sector and 21 years in Cape May County government. Boninfante-Kodytek said she understands budgeting and revenue not just from government but also her 26 years as a member of the Cape May County Special Services School District Board of Education and as president of the board from 2010-18. She also has served on multiple boards and commissions.
“During this campaign we have heard a lot about party affiliation and although I am proud to be a Democrat, of all the candidates, I have had the most experience working successfully with members of both parties,” she pointed out. “First, interviewing both Republicans and Democrats for the first 20 years of my career, never did party politics come into play. In fact, if you ask anyone, they will tell you that I was always fair and objective, something that I am very proud of.
“During the past 21 years, I have mostly worked for and with Republicans,” she added. “I am proud of the fact that I have always put people and doing the best job possible above political parties and I do not plan on changing at this stage of my life.”
Once the election is over, she said, all residents have to work together because when it comes to government at the municipal level, “it should be about people and the community.”
Boninfante-Kodytek said if elected she will make the development of the B.L. England site in Beesleys Point a priority.
She said it has the most potential to increase the township’s revenue stream by dramatically increasing the ratable base. The area is zoned in the adopted master plan for a minimum of a 100-unit hotel/marina district with a restaurant and liquor license. “I would aggressively pursue this avenue with the understanding that any agreement needs to include environmental clean-up of the area,” she said. Having a developed marina district also would hep make Upper Township a destination, “rather than a place you drive through to get to other shore communities.”
Boninfante-Kodytek believes in transparency in government, the need for infrastructure improvements, safety and economic improvements to Roosevelt Boulevard and making a full exchange at Exit 20 a priority again.
She said Upper Township receives approximately $6.3 million a year that is guaranteed by a law, “but laws can change and we need to be prepared. That is why I support wind energy and off-shore wind turbines.” She would negotiate with Ørsted, the company planning two wind farms in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Cape May County, to pay a yearly fee to use Upper Township as a pathway for the transmission cables to bring that energy from the wind farm to connect to the power grid at the B.L. England site.
Boninfante-Kodytek believes Upper Township is a wonderful place to live, raise children and retire – she, her husband and two grown daughters have lived in the town for 25 years – “but we could be better.” She wants filled-in storefronts in centers including Marmora, Seaville and Tuckahoe.
“I would like to be part of building a community that is inviting from the first instance you enter it, she said, “with signage that reflects the heritage of the 10 villages that make up our community and clearly defined visual town centers … not just on paper … but know you are in one when you see it.”
“Many years ago, we were rated one of the top places to live in the state, but that hasn’t happened in a while,” she said. “However, I believe we can get there again by working together, creating a positive identity and better communicating who we are to potential businesses and families.”
Boninfante-Kodytek knows government is not always the answer, but believes it can be a starting point where people come first and if they need help or have questions, public officials provide that help and those answers.
“I will listen to the residents and invite them to take an active role in government and in planning for the future of Upper Township whether serving on a committee or sharing their ideas at a public meeting, I will listen to them,” she said.
Shawna Mulford
Shawna Mulford wants the leadership in Upper Township to actively invited residents to take part in their government. She wants to help “lower the temperature” and not have officials contribute to fueling emotions.
“Our independence as individuals is inseparable from our interdependence as a community,” she said of the quote that resonates with her.
With residents’ help, Township Committee can determine the most important areas to address. Her suggestions are roadway safety, economic development, fostering things to do in the township, addressing the loss in funding for schools, programs to support mental health and smart infrastructure.
She said setting goals and timelines on the issues are key to accomplishing them and to make committee members accountable to the taxpayers.
“This is a lot to take on, but organized subcommittees dedicated to specific areas of improvement is our best opportunity to support our community and produce real results,” Mulford said. “That’s why it should be priority number one for the Township Committee to involve its residents, really listen and empower them.”
She quotes the late educator Steven Covey on her philosophy: “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.”
That is how she does her job as a school psychologist and uses “as a guiding principle to how I lead in the community and manage my business. People deserve and need to be heard, now more than ever. It’s the first step in trying to mend the divide and also lends credibility to decision making by ensuring that all perspectives are considered before we move to vote on issues impacting our community.”
Mulford said the 400-plus acres of land at the former B.L. England generating plant in Beesleys Point is prime real estate for redevelopment She said if the proposed Waterfront Town Center (WTC) plan comes to fruition, the tax revenue would be substantial. “The current plan includes resort amenities (restaurants, entertainment venues), a marina, parks, playgrounds and 100-unit facility for hotels/motels, all which would benefit the township. The proposed bike path could also be incorporated into the redevelopment,” she said.
However, that is not the only area in need of economic development attention.
“A comprehensive plan to address Cedar Square is paramount and should integrate commercial uses in a way that creates a neighbor commerce center that the township can be proud of,” Mulford said. “I’m not sure why this was not included for consideration as a blighted area, but this needs to be a focus of the committee.”
She added that Upper Township needs help on the virtual front as well.
“Not only do physical locations need a facelift, but so does our website; this is our link to the outside world and optimal place of connectivity to one another,” Mulford said. “A redevelopment of our online presence should include ease of access to our government resources and programs, as well as economic development support, interactive community calendar and happenings as well as highlighting our beautiful areas.
“We already have the physical traffic issues as the throughway to resort communities, we might as well capitalize on the people driving through and give them a reason to stop and contribute to our local economy,” she said.
Keeping with her theme of citizen involvement, Mulford said before ordinances are passed or resolutions confirmed, officials must gather data, observe objectively,and consult multiple disciplines. However, she notes, “this cannot be done without the participation of the community (or more transparency in government).”
She said if “honored” by being elected to Township Committee, she wants all people to roll up their sleeves and work together.
“Agree or disagree, my skills are honed into mediating compromise and keep moving forward,” Mulford said. “It’s how I ran the festivals; it’s how I plan to fulfill the role of a committee person.”
____________________________________________
Denton runs as Democrat
UPPER TOWNSHIP – Cricket Denton is running as a Democrat for Upper Township Committee.
She said her top priority if elected would be to advocate with the Turnpike Authority to build a full exchange at Exit 20 of the Garden State Parkway.
“The residents of Upper Township have spoken and I have listened,” she explained. “The congestion on Roosevelt Boulevard leading to the parkway entrance (at Exit 25) in Marmora is a matter of public safety.”
Denton said the township also needs more evacuation routes given the “volatility of our current climate. As a township official, I would seek to work with Sea Isle City, as they are also in need of a full exchange.
“Working in partnership with our neighbors and residents, we could apply pressure to the Turnpike Authority and demand action,” she said, noting as of March 2021 there were plans to make Exit 20 a full exchange. “We don’t just need to keep an eye on it – we need to be proactive and work toward change if we want change to happen.”
Denton said residents have expressed their desire for Township Committee to revisit the ordinance prohibiting marijuana dispensaries. She also would make meetings more accessible to working parents “by way of a hybrid technological model using Zoom.”
She said she would initiate resolutions on both of those issues “so that the people of Upper Township are heard. People are seeking change and I am asking for the opportunity to be that change agent,” Denton said.
She is seeking the voters’ support because “kindness is not an act, it’s a reflection of your soul. I am proud to have run an entirely positive campaign, with honesty and integrity,” she said.
Having earned a master’s of arts in counseling and a master of divinity degree, she believes she is qualified to “listen to the residents of Upper Township and advocate for all of the people, regardless of political affiliation.
“I have lived a life dedicated to public service and running for Township Committee is a further extension of the ministry for which I feel God has called me,” Denton said.
She is an advocate for clean energy in the fight against climate change.
As such, Denton said she is excited about Ørsted’s decision to connect its planned off-shore wind farm to the southern New Jersey power grid at the former B.L. England plant.
“This decision will have a global impact on environmental sustainability,” she said. “Bringing it closer to home it will ensure that our taxes remain low while creating jobs and regenerating the local economy.”
She said the area surrounding the B.L. England site was recently rezoned as the new Waterfront Town Center (WTC) district and “would permit marina and resort-oriented entertainment uses that both residents and tourists alike could enjoy.
“However,” she added, “the traffic and congestion in Marmora would need to be considered while developing these plans. The WTC district would also allow the existing substation to remain and a new substation to be constructed for future off-shore wind-generating electrical uses.”
Beyond that site, she said “the empty storefronts that litter our township need attention and the plans for a bike/walking path should be continued and finished.
“Upper Township is a great place to live,” Denton said, “but together we can make it better. The residents of Upper deserve a voice in what happens to their hometown.”
____________________________________________
Shawl, Inserra, Griffin: Independent Republicans ‘Plans Need Action’ team
UPPER TOWNSHIP — Calling themselves “independent Republicans,” Andy Shawl, Tony Inserra and Jack Griffin have joined forces to mount a campaign for Township Committee.
They tout their experience with government service, saying there are issues that need to be addressed right away and they are ready to take on the task.
“The Plans Need Action team is the most qualified for the job. There are immediate critical issues that will determine the future direction of our community and we can’t afford to elect candidates that need to get up to speed and waste valuable time and taxpayer dollars,” the team stated in its response to the questionnaire. “Working together, we have the ability, knowledge and understanding of the issues and will be prepared to hit the ground running when elected to committee.”
Shawl is a licensed professional engineer and planner with more than two decades of experience working with state and federal environmental and land use regulations. He has served on the Upper Township Zoning Board since 2015 and was a member of the Economic Development Advisory Commission and the Bike Path Advisory Committee.
Inserra owns and operates a small business and was elected to a three-year term on Township Committee in 2012. He served on the public works, finance and planning committees, so can provide valuable insight, according to the team.
Griffin owns and operates Dompierre, an interior design business. As a past board member and president of the Upper Township Business Association, he volunteered and worked for the betterment of businesses in the township. Griffin also served as a member of the Planning Board and the Economic Development Advisory Commission.
“Voters should know we are running for a seat, not a party. It is important to note that we are not funded or directed by a political organization,” Shawl said.
The team recently got a boost when Republican Committeeman John Coggins endorsed them over incumbent Committeewoman Kim Hayes and running mates Jay Newman and Mark Pancoast.
Coggins released the following statement Oct 6:
“This team of goal-oriented Independent Republicans have demonstrated skill sets that include the planning and funding of major municipal infrastructure development, the ability and experience to work closely with the department of public works to provide exceptional service to the township residents and firsthand experience with planning and zoning in Upper Township along with an understanding of the township’s master plan,” Coggins wrote as part of his endorsement..
“The Plans Need Action Team have demonstrated their commitment to transparency in government by their willingness to participate publicly alongside their opponents in a collegial question and answer session in front of the public,” Coggins added. “Furthermore, these candidates are not directly involved in any special interest groups and their interest lies solely in benefiting all our township residents equitably.”
Economic development is among the team’s top priorities if elected.
“The Upper Township Master Plan, originally developed decades ago, identifies town centers, provides direction for commercial zones, residential zones, conservation zones, sets goals for smart growth and lays out ways to make these goals a reality. This plan includes initiatives to maintain our small-town charm.”
The team also says there is a need for a more open process.
“Committee needs to include the community in decision-making. Partnerships with stakeholders make financial sense and common sense. For years, residents and businesses have asked for action but it has fallen on deaf ears or is simply ignored,” they stated.
Township officials have been working toward redevelopment of the former B.L. England Generating Station with a vision of attracting a developer to build a marina, hotel and other amenities.
Last November, the Planning Board voted to designate the site of the as an area in need of redevelopment. The designation gives the township broad powers to redevelop the site, according to James Maley, an attorney hired to advise the township on the matter. They could include offering tax breaks or other incentives, or the ability to use condemnation at the site.
Candidates were asked what they would like to see included at the site.
“The land around B.L. England presents a wonderful opportunity for the township. Done properly, the redevelopment of this site could tie in well with the Beesley’s Point Park,” the team stated. “A focus on amenities currently not available will enhance residents’ quality of life and create another destination for eco-tourism in the township. This, along with the redevelopment and revitalization of our town centers, will be a welcome economic driver that could bring desperately needed ratables to the township, relieving the increasingly heavy burden on taxpayers.”
“Upper Township needs to focus on economic development that will bring in ratables and alleviate the tax burden now and for the future generations of families who want to call Upper Township home. Our Marmora, Seaville and Tuckahoe town centers continue to deteriorate while little has been done to attract new businesses to our community or maintain what is already here,” Griffin said.
“Our community can neither afford the time nor our taxpayer dollars to not get this right,” Shawl said. “Each one of us, our careers, have equipped us for this moment.”
The Plans Need Action team said the framework exists to improve the community but the township needs leaders to carry plan through to fruition.
“It is extremely frustrating to offer your services to committee and be ignored but it is even more insulting to be asked to join a committee, volunteer hours of your time in meetings, formulate plans, make recommendations and then have nothing done. This was my experience on the Economic Development Advisory Commission,” Griffin said. “There are calls by the other candidates to form economic committees, but if the governing body is not honestly interested, one has to look at the motives — seems like grand gestures and lip service. This has been the norm for many years under Republicans. We need a change.”
Griffin, who is a vocal advocate of beautifying the township’s entrances, called his business “a good example of how one of the entrances to the township can be improved with just a little landscaping.”
He called his slate “a team of guys that are very different but that comes together and gets things done,” noting the team’s qualifications from past experience.
“Qualifications and what you have done in the community matter, such as serving on the Planning Board, Zoning Board and on Township Committee, and should factor into your decision,” he said.
“No other team of candidates are as prepared as we are to take on the task of moving this project forward,” Shawl said. “Look at our credentials and compare them to the other candidates. Who would you want to guide our township into the future? We are prepared day one.”
The candidates said they walked around the township knocking on doors to ask residents their views on economic development and listen to what they have to say.
“We walked neighborhoods and talked to anyone who answered the door — didn’t matter if they were Republican, Democrat or unaffiliated,” Shawl said. “What we have learned is that people care deeply about quality of life in the township and that Upper Township is a special place to everyone. Many times this election cycle we were the only candidates who stopped to talk to residents in their neighborhood and explain our platform. We are dedicated to being informed about what real people in the township care about and we are putting in the time and miles to find out.”
