It might have been a special afternoon meeting of the Evesham Township Council on March 31, but the comments voiced by residents were in line with those presented at the past several meetings since the beginning of February.
Since that time, several residents have been raising issue with how and when the mayor and council were answering questions asked by the public during open public comment sessions at meetings.
Township solicitor John Gillespie has in the past said council members are not required by law to immediately answer or comment on questions asked by residents at meetings, or answer or comment at all, but at the special March 31 meeting, Evesham Township Manager Thomas Czerniecki said council was actually legally limited with what it could and could not respond to.
Czerniecki said because the meeting was a special meeting and not regularly scheduled, there was no comment section from council members at the end of the meeting as there regularly would be, and council was advised special meetings are limited to items that have been advertised on the agenda.
“We can only deal with these matters,” Czerniecki said.
Of the two members of the public to speak at the meeting, first was resident Kenneth Mills who asked about a resolution amending the temporary general capital budget regarding the township-owned Indian Spring Golf Course for about $180,000 in improvements. Mills said he wanted to know if a golf course consultant hired by the township last year recommended the improvements.
“I know that last year we had the consultant here that received quite a sum of money, and I would just like to know if that made any kind of impact on the profitability of the golf course,” Mills said.
When Mayor Randy Brown asked if that was an issue related to an agenda item, Czerniecki said it was not related to the capital plan introduced and not a subject that was advertised.
As he was unable to receive an answer, Mills said he thought the meetings still needed more transparency, to which Brown responded that the rules of special meetings meant officials could only comment on agenda items.
“Ken, with all due respect, we have to follow the meeting today,” Brown said.
Upon considering the resolution, Deputy Mayor Robert DiEnna asked for clarification so residents could understand its contents and know there was no accommodation in the resolution to hire another golf course consultant.
Czerniecki eventually explained the purpose of the resolution as authorizing deviation from the township’s current temporary budget, and then went on to explain that a second resolution on the agenda put the changes into place, with a separate ordinance on the agenda authorizing the bonding of the money, with a public hearing scheduled for April 14.
The other resident to speak at the meeting was Joe Scialabbo, who said he had information listing the golf course consultant Mills referenced as billed at “$50 an hour” and listed items logged in billing such as going to the bank for change, changing bathroom air fresheners and filling in for driving range workers.
“Billing for $50 an hour to fill in for someone that does that I don’t think is fiscally responsible at all, so keep that in mind for the future,” Scialabbo said.
