Local Leaders Encouraged by Christie Victory PDF  | Print |  E-mail
Written by Jessica Kitchin   
Thursday, 05 November 2009
For months, members of the Lake Hopatcong Commission and residents have alluded to the idea that the future of the lake would be in better shape if Chris Christie were to be elected governor. “My conversations with Chris Christie have indicated he would be very supportive of Lake Hopatcong,” commission chairman and Mt. Arlington mayor Art Ondish said at the June meeting, a sentiment repeated by many during the subsequent months.christie.jpg

On Tuesday, Christie won the state’s gubernatorial election. And although the governor-elect has no formal policy regarding Lake Hopatcong on the record, local leaders say they are confident that things are moving in the right direction.

“I feel new leadership brings new ideas, new priorities and new opportunity,” said Ray Fernandez, owner of Bridge Marina and president of the Lake Hopatcong Alliance. “I am very optimistic of the possibilities that a Christie administration may bring to Lake Hopatcong.  We look forward to working with governor-elect Christie's office to safeguard and protect Lake Hopatcong now and in the future.”

Ondish said he was “very elated” that Christie won the governorship. “This is the best thing that could have possibly happened for our great state,” he said.

lake_funding.jpgBut Ondish pointed out that times are tough, and Christie’s campaign messages included a lot of “cut, cut, cut” in order to get the state back on track. “Is he going to be doling out money to the thousands of organizations that are going to be knocking on the door? I really don’t think so. It will take him time to understand where the waste is and what to fund. This is all time the [commission] does not have on our side. We need our staff back now and to begin getting that equipment ready now. We do not have the luxury of waiting.”

Waiting is exactly what the commission decided to do at the October meeting, when the issue of moving forward with enabling legislation for lake user fees came up. The group decided to reassess the need after the election, in case a change of leadership came to be.  That has transpired, so what the commission will vote on at the Nov. 10 meeting is unclear.

Ondish said he has a commitment from the Department of Environmental Protection to get the commission funding almost immediately if some legislation is put in place, and that he plans to meet with Christie once he is in office. “There is no reason that [Christie] could not just scratch the plan on having to go to fees if he has funding to allocate to the [commission],” he said. “If Chris can work with us to get some kind of dedicated funding source that will be sustainable through any administration, that is when I will look away from fees. Until that time, this is all just an excuse for the commission to continue to look for Santa Claus to show up with a bag full of money. It is not going to happen and the lake is going to suffer from the inaction. That is just wrong.”

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Steve Gebeloff  - Official New Jersey Tax Payer, LHA Direc   |2009-11-06 14:49:26
For all the reasons stated by Mayor Ondish, the only reasonable course of action at next Tuesdays Lake Hopatcong Commission meeting would be to delay the vote on permissive legislation. No State Legislation created by Senator Smith would be voted on before January anyway. State Senators Anthony Bucco and Steve Oroho have funding legislation ready to go. LHC Chairman Arthur Ondish has voted to support this legislation (after he voted to not support it) so what is the rush to vote to lose control of the legislative process Tuesday nite? The harvesting equipment is presently winterized and being stored outside until spring maintenance season anyway. The LHC vote on permissive legislation can be considered at the December meeting if things don\'t pan out with the new Governor.
Don\'t be fooled; a vote for permissive legislation means funding the entire Lake Hopatcong Commission on the backs of lake boaters. Not just weed harvesting. This is Mayor Ondishs\' \"Plan B\". Boat user fees is the only funding plan to come out of Senator Smiths Committee in the past. Boat user fees is the only course possible without the \"special legislation\" noted in the business Plan. Don\'t be fooled by a promise of a bribe from Trenton for the LHC giving up control of the lakes future. The $68,000.00 \"given\" to the LHC this summer was just redirected money from a previously received grant for storm water management. This money will probably have to be repayed if boat user fees are approved.
Greenwood Lake wanted to be included in Senator Buccos\' bill for lake funding from existing boat registration money. I don\'t see Greenwood Lake people lining up for Mayor Ondishs\' \"Plan B From Outer Space\" and permissive legislation. They seem to have learned their lesson from the last time they turned their future over to Senator Smith. Stop the madness. Voice your oppinion at Tuesday nites meeting at the Mt. Arlington Municipal Building, 7 P.M. Support the LHC Commissioners who appose losing control of the Lakes future.
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Ron Sorensen  - President, Lake Hopatcong Marine Corp.   |2009-11-07 12:05:49
The LHC decided at last months meeting to wait on voting for permissive user fee legislation because of possible funding opportunites if a new govenor was elected. GUESS WHAT, we got a new govenor and he has said he will support operations on Lake Hopatcong. So why does Mayor Ondish want to rush and try to get approval for permissive legislation for user fees at the next LHC meeting??? Nothing has changed since the last meeting other than we now know that we have a govenor that will support us.
Lets let the state live up to its obligation to maintain its very valuable resource. Remember, any fees inacted now will forever be in place and be just another uncontrollable open checkbook on the backs of boaters.
Lets face it, how or why would anybody in Trenton put in any effort into any funding for the lake if we here in Lake Hopatcong were stupid enough to pay for it twice (state taxes & user feee)???
Please show up at the LHC meeting in Mt Arlington on Tues. 11/10 @7:00 and voice your opinion.
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H. Artuso  - Long Time Lake Resident   |2009-11-14 12:19:30
Of course, Chris Christie, the gubernatorial candidate, was going to tell Mr. Ondish that he would be "very supportive of Lake Hopatcong”.

I will give Mr. Ondish the benefit of the doubt and assume that he was not being naive, but rather spinning the situation to protect his position as head of the Lake Hopatcong Commission.

The Lake Hopatcong Commission has proved its ineffectiveness since its inception. High administrative coats (with salaries that don't make sense), long meetings with no results, inept management of Lake Hopatcong, poor management of taxpayer monies, and no clear mission. In fact, it looks like the Commission;'s only agenda is solidify its own bureaucratic existance.

So, I say, "Good Riddance!" if that is in the cards.
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