Councilman Will Speak To Official, Not Staff
By JOANNE L. PAPAIANNI
Bradley Beach Councilman Ben Waters will report any comments he has in the future about borough employees to the borough administrator.
The action was the result of a several-month investigation into incidents which took place earlier this year involving Waters, a councilwoman and the recreation director.
Allegations were made that Waters harassed Councilwoman Megan McAtasney as well as the recreation director. Waters denied the allegations. This weeks decision was the result of the councils independent investigation into the matter.
In other business, it appears there will not be a candidates forum before the November election for a seat on the Borough Council. McAtasney is not seeking re-election because she is moving out of town.
Retired police captain Tom Volante and newcomer Francis Boyle are running for the seat.
Chamber of Commerce member Robin DeFelice said a forum was arranged at the Bradley Beach Elementary School to be moderated by Superintendent of Schools Dr. Wayne Turner. The forum was to be sponsored by a newspaper.
However, a loud discussion ensued at the council meeting after DeFelice confronted Volante when she had apparently learned that he would not participate in the event.
Volante, who is running as an independent, later said that he has been campaigning door-to-door and was not interested in participating in the forum. After receiving a letter from the newspaper involved, Volante contacted the editor stating that he had not agreed to such a forum and that he had spoken with Dr. Turner who also said he had not agreed to participate.
Mayor Stephen Schueler praised the outstanding work of borough employees during the recent flooding in the area. He said that if it were not for the quick thinking of borough employee Richard Bianchi, Jr., homes along Fletcher Lake would have had to be evacuated.
Bianchi made the decision to open the lake allowing flood waters to head out towards the ocean instead of into the basements of residents who live near the lake.
It was an extraordinary effort which commends public praise, said the mayor, you saved people on the Bradley Beach side of the lake.
The mayor presented Bianchi and eight other employees with citations at the meeting.
The council also continued its discussion of a proposed ordinance banning sex offenders from living in the borough near areas frequented by children. At the Tuesday night meeting Sergeant Neil Scully outlined his ideas for the new ordinance based on research and his capacity as the member of the police department designated to oversee Megans Law. Scully stressed the recidivism rate of sex offenders who prey on children, which he reports increases with time.
The recidivism doesnt occur right away, but does over time, said Scully. He then gave statistics showing that one year after being released, 9 percent of rapists committed an offense, while only 6 percent of pedophiles did, but after five years the rates were equal. After that they begin to reverse. After 10 years 26 percent of rapists relapsed, while 30 percent of pedophiles did. At 25 years 52 percent of child molesters were repeat offenders and 39 percent of rapists.
This is the strongest prediction of recidivism, stated Scully, we must provide for the safety of our children and grandchildren, not just the children living here now.
Scully also explained the three tiers of sex offenders, which determines how and where they must register. He said that currently there are six registered offenders in the borough, but none are Tier 3 offenders, which is the most serious classification.
The officer said that all sex offenders must register with him. He then sends the information to the Monmouth County Prosecutors office. Scully audits the registrants monthly and receives a report from the prosecutors office every three months.
I stay on top of it, said Scully.
Mayor Stephen Schueler asked about designating areas in the borough that would be strictly off limits to all sex offenders. Scully said that church groups, the recreation center and places such as bowling alleys are already registered as groups entitled to information regarding Tier 2 offenders.
He also said that once a sex offender is registered in the borough he is sent a map with a one mile radius dictating where the sex offender may and may not go.
There is a great network of sharing information, he added.
Scully said there have not been incidents of recidivism in Bradley Beach, but he added that the situation is very fluid.
They move on their own, a lot of them seem to be very transient, he said.
After hearing the testimony, the council said they will take the information into consideration in formulating a new ordinance to govern sex offenders, but citing a case in Miami Beach where the city is being sued for violating the rights of a resident sex offender, further discussion is needed.
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