Rematch
Three events led to the second political battle in eight years. A rematch between Mayor Ken Farrell and Former Mayor Mark Clemmensen.
1) A lawsuit by a former police officer alleging anti-military and false sexual orientation discrimination against Chief Davenport and the Borough resulted in a jury award, which included punitive damages. The cost was $1.8 million. The borough was going to appeal the verdict, but the case drew attention to the high cost of legal fees for the Borough.
Flags for sale on Parker House Website. SAVE PARKER became a rallying cry by residents who love the establishment.
2) The May licensing meeting for the Parker House was described as raucous. Two issues combined to make the heat higher than usual. The new Uber drop-off zone at the beach the year prior proved unpopular with residents, and neighbors were particularly vocal about disruptions from patrons. Tess Manley of Beacon Blvd. and Candy Kadamic, owner of the Beacon House, were exasperated. They suggested the establishment was being allowed to violate ordinances. Parker House denied that and threatened defamation suits against the women. They also supported a social media campaign #localsloveparker. The town was sued by some residents for allowing code violations.
Neighbors hated the Uber Zone at the beach while others did not like the impact of a bar in the neighborhood. Parker House fans subtly reminded them who was here first.
3) The architects unveiled the renderings for the proposed new library addition. The extension would include updated bathrooms, a multi-purpose community space and new offices. The second floor would be used for borough administration, freeing up valuable space in the 1917 Borough Hall for police and fire. Ken Farrell mentioned that State grants and vacant land that the town could sell along the tracks to help offset the costs.
The Children’s section. SG Library website
The Library expansion touched the third rail of Sea Girt politics. Everyone knew Borough Hall was too small, and Mayor Doyle in the 1950s, Black in the 1970s, and MacInnes in the 1980s all learned the hard way that Sea Girt residents consistently blanched at spending the money needed for expanding or giving up space for a new building.
When the bond issue was passed in late August permitting the expenditure, some people were vocal that the library expansion was too much Borough Hall and not enough Library. The proposed land sale was unpopular, as was the loss of green space at the Plaza. The library exit from the county was not pitched to help the library build a new Borough Hall. A petition was circulated to put the expenditure to a referendum. This would delay a vote into 2020.
Former mayor Mark Clemmensen had returned to the Council to fill a vacant seat. He saw the opportunity, and with just two weeks to go in the election season, launched a write-in campaign to reclaim the mayor’s seat. His short campaign focused on the year’s events. He claimed Sea Girt had lost its way, spending too much on litigation, the issues at the Parker House, and, of course, the Borough Hall expansion into the Library.
Write-in campaigns are hard to win. Clemmensen came close, but Farrell prevailed.
Ken Farrell countered that taxes were down over five percent during his two terms in office, while Clemmensen’s tenure saw sharp increases.
The vote was close. Farrell won by six votes after a recount. Mark Clemmensen returned to his council seat. They would need to work together, because real problems would face everyone in 2020.