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BDA Commissioners Name Exec. Director & Approve Professional Appointments

On April 16, 2018, the Bellmawr Redevelopment Authority Commissioners voted to name an Executive Director and approved professional appointments.

On April 16, 2018, the Bellmawr Redevelopment Authority (BDA) Commissioners voted to name Josh Tregear as Executive Director and also approved him as the authorized person to prepare, code, and sign purchase orders for the Authority. He is also the the Borough’s Business Administrator.

SJO asked if there was a salary attached to the Executive Director position. Authority solicitor Michael McKenna responded in part: “We were required to put a budget together… We took that budget to the local government finance board. That budget was made in collaboration with my office, the administrator’s office, and the redeveloper.”


McKenna said it was important that the re-developer consent to it because they are paying for it and agreed to it.

The FY 2018 approved, proposed budget was approved on March 24, 2018 and listed the salary and wages as $25,000 and fringe benefits as $2,500.

Screenshot taken from FY 2018 Proposed Bellmawr Redevelopment Authority Budget

Professional Services Appointments

Professional Services Appointments were approved as follows:

  • Authority Architect – Garrison Architects
  • Authority Auditor – Bowman & Company
  • Authority Engineer and Planner – Remington & Vernick
  • Authority Risk Consultant – Connor Strong & Buckelew
  • Authority Solicitor – Michael McKenna, Esquire

Additionally, a Resolution was approved authorizing Big Timber Junction, LLC to submit an application for the Riparian Grant.

The Resolution indicates: “The … parkand project requires application for Riparian Grants from the State of New Jersey which will also be undertaken at the sole cost of Big Timber Junction LLC including the application fees, legal expenses and associated costs and funding of the costs of the grant itself…”

Paul DeAngelis asked for clarification regarding the application for the Riparian Grant.

Editor’s Note: Riparian Rights are defined as certain rights of all landowners whose properties abut a running body of water, such as a river or stream.

Solicitor McKenna responded that there are two places on the property. “None of them on the Borough’s Phase 3, rather on Phases 1 and 2 in which lands formerly flowed by tidal waters.”

He continued: “Even if they’re not presently flowed, [they] are subject to State ownership. In order to either cross or develop those, we have to basically buy them. In addition, there are dots of suspected lands now flowed or formerly flowed. It’s a science in identifying those. The redeveloper has been working on this for about 12 years…They had to get a license in order to cross these areas to do the remediation. It is now time to buy the license. That has to be processed at some considerable expense.”

“They are going to undertake it with some considerable forensic support — engineers, architects, appraisers, etc. Again, their dime. Ultimately, it has to be purchased — their dime. However, it has been determined that it ought to be processed in our name at this time. So, we are processing the application in our name as a co-applicant as the future intended owner. Under the law, that is called an ‘equitable owner.’ But right now, they are the owners and …we are going to cooperate in that.”

The BDA meets next on Monday, May 21, 2018 in the Courtroom of Bellmawr Borough Hall.

Click the image below to view the April 16, 2018 Bellmawr Redevelopment Authority Agenda.

*Article posted April 18, 2018 10:45 a.m.
*Updated: 11:10 a.m.