Behind the Scenes
By KATE MELLINA
Its one of my husbands favorite West Texas jokes:
A scrappy, middle-aged guy barged into the managers office and slapped a newspaper want ad on the desk.
My name is Tommy Lee Brown, and Im here to apply for that truck-driver job, he announced. Me and my partner Henry have been driving for 23 years, and were the best youre gonna get.
The manager eyed the intruder doubtfully, and sat back in his seat.
That may be, but let me ask you a few questions first. Suppose you were driving a fully loaded truck down a steep hill, headed for a one-lane bridge. Suddenly, your brakes completely fail and you realize theres another big truck coming right at you, headed for that same one-lane bridge.
What would you do?
Tommy didnt pause for breath. Why, Id just reach back in the sleeper and wake up old Henry, he exclaimed.
The manager looked confused. Why? Would Henry know what to do?
Heck, no! But, in 23 years of driving, Henrys never seen a truck wreck like the one thats going to happen on that bridge!
Henrys not the only one.
Back in May, I reported on the frustrating lack of progress in the five-year Asbury Park senior center debacle.
The good news was that there was significant money available from both Asbury Partners and Bruce Springsteen, and city Social Services Director Tony Nuccio had identified a well-kept complex in the beachfront redevelopment area with room for both a senior center and a promised all-ages community center.
Better yet, the owner was willing to sell, and Asbury Partners was willing to relinquish its redevelopment rights there in return for some as-yet-to-be-negotiated concessions from the city.
The frustrating part? All of that had been true for at least 2-1/2 years, and the city had failed to act.
Then a seeming miracle occurred: At the June 12 senior community meeting, a city councilman confidently announced that the city would own the building within 90 days. And, yes, I made him repeat that statement at least two times, and quizzed him after the meeting.
Then the bomb dropped: At an Aug. 14 meeting with 40 hopeful seniors, two council members announced that the deadline wouldnt be met. Had the beachfront redevelopers balked? Well, no, the council hadnt actually negotiated with them yet.
Had talks with the building owner failed? Well, no in fact, they were just preparing to ask the city attorney to contact the owners attorney to start negotiations, and the city council and city manager were arranging to tour the building.
Huh?
No fear, we were told: the new senior center was a top priority, and theyd deliver a progress report at the September 5 council meeting.
Thats when the second bomb dropped: Council members announced that they had just opened talks with the N.J. Department of Education to obtain the Braverman building on Memorial Drive. The state had originally purchased the building for the city school system, and it was scheduled to be demolished and replaced with a new education facility because of environmental concerns.
Apparently, the Board of Education was no longer interested in the site, and the council wanted the existing building for the seniors. Unfortunately, that was news to some Board of Education members, and the predictable hand-to-hand combat ensued.
Then, in November, the deputy mayor publicly lobbied for yet another plan: a 5-year-old proposal to purchase a Second Avenue lot for a combination fire house and community center. (That plan was originally supposed to be financed by Solomon Dwek yes, that Solomon Dwek and went south when Dweks financial empire imploded.)
The revived plan now includes room for school district offices, most likely because the city cannot afford the fire station complex without an additional influx of money something guaranteed to spark renewed controversy and protracted debate between the two city boards.
By now it is painfully clear that council has no solid plan and no real consensus, even among themselves something that I find eminently confusing, given that I served on the council with three of them, served on the UEZ board with a fourth, and stood beside the fifth at a 2005 election debate when he brashly if naively promised that, if elected, hed secure a senior center within two months.
So when is enough, enough?
Its been four years since the council accepted Springsteens $200,000 money that could have helped other worthy groups with the promise that it would be returned if it wasnt used. And Asbury Partners sizable community development fund has been languishing in the bank for at least that long.
And still the seniors wait.
And, with the next election only 18 months away, youd better believe that rival candidates are polishing their smiles and preparing a new round of campaign promises for city seniors who constitute a major voting block.
Id love to think that the city council and city manager are squirreled away in some conference room with key advisors and a vow not to emerge until theyve developed a unified, workable plan and a way to implement it before todays seniors become tomorrows memories. (And, yes, it is their job and no one elses to approve a site and negotiate a deal.)
On Dec. 19, the council will once again address the seniors needs, in response to a senior petition requesting action by years end.
Theres no telling what will emerge that night. (Ive even been told that some council members are lobbying for yet another building the old YMCA facility, that was rejected four years ago because of environmental concerns.)
But, if the unprecedented turmoil and lack of progress of the past eight months is any indicator, theres one thing that city seniors can count on: Its time to reach around and wake up old Henry.
Kate Mellinas column also appears on the Internet at asburypark.net.
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