KBA urged to stop feuding, establish goals BY KAREN E. BOWES Staff Writer KEYPORT - An alliance divided is no alliance at all. The Keyport Business Alliance (KBA) was criticized for living up to a nasty reputation at the July 10 Borough Council meeting, with some calling into question the group's ability to produce beneficial results. The meeting began with a presentation on business improvement districts, or BIDs, from Downtown New Jersey, a nonprofit group that acts as a resource for towns that have enacted the special business assessment. Speaker Michael Fabrizio, along with Downtown New Jersey Executive Director Joseph Steiner, did their best to remain neutral during the meeting, an increasingly difficult task as the evening wore on. "We're not here to talk about those issues," Fabrizio said, referring to the group's history of infighting. Fabrizio said he was there mainly to advise the council on what its responsibilities are to the BID, which includes fostering a good working relationship with the business alliance. "I think that any entity that's ever been successful has had a very good relationship with the governing body and has worked together to accomplish their goals," Fabrizio said. "It's not a them versus us. It's not a business people versus the property owners versus the governing body. It needs to be a real partnership, and that's the way it's the most successful." Nevertheless, the gathering quickly dissipated into an ugly affair, with accusations of hidden agendas, thinly veiled insults regarding loyalty and cheapness, use of the phrase "witch hunt" and other argumentative behavior. Richard Yarczower, owner of Once Upon a Stitch Embroidery, questioned if the current KBA board of directors is meeting its obligations to the town. "They weren't voted in to do the job, they were voted in to give the money back to the business owners," Yarczower said, referring to the KBA's 2006 board election. "Did you not all here that? Do we need to go back?" "If that isn't a flagrant disregard for you, I don't know what is," Yarczower told the council. KBA board of directors member Larry Vecchio agreed that some did run for election on the platform of ending the BID assessment, but only because the governing body told them that was the way to do it. "We were told if you don't like it, get elected," Vecchio said. In 2006, after a new regime was elected to the board of directors, borough officials retracted this statement, saying they could not dissolve the BID after all. This situation was made even stickier when Fabrizio announced that the council has always had the authority to dissolve the BID, and can do so anytime it wishes. Councilwoman Christian Bolte also took swipes at the current KBA board of directors. "When do we start holding them accountable?" Bolte asked during a heated exchange with Councilman George Walling. "Five years, 10 years?" Walling maintained that some people were simply on a "witch hunt" to discredit the new board. Vecchio concurred, saying it was a disgrace to hear volunteers so viciously attacked. Vecchio also said it was wrong that the Stop & Shop on Route 36 was being taxed so highly. Bolte in turn questioned why representatives from Stop & Shop were not there to complain in person. "They elected us to represent them," Vecchio said. "Did they?" Bolte asked. "Yes, they did," replied several members of the audience. What to do with the businesses located on Route 36 continues to be another point of contention. While these properties are taxed at the same rate as downtown businesses, they do not share in many of the benefits, such as the foot traffic created from downtown events, street cleaning and seasonal decorations. According to Fabrizio, one possible solution may be to use "circles," or the practice of taxing different areas of town on a sliding scale, depending on how much the area benefits from the BID's tax assessment. Another major point of contention is the shrinking number of events sponsored by the KBA. New board members eliminated the $20,000 Americana Festival of Sails and replaced the annual Fall Festival with Keyport Day, scheduled to take place Sept. 22. "It's embarrassing," said resident Anne Marie Reedy. "We are sad right now. We are sad." Reedy argued that canceling the Festival of Sails and other events has had a negative impact on the town as a whole. On Monday, KBA President Art Olsen disagreed, noting that Reedy is not a business owner and does not pay the BID assessment. "The trouble is there were so many things factually wrong," Olsen said regarding the meeting. "Up until now, we've actually added two concerts." Olsen said the KBA has continued all of its annual events except the Festival of Sails. Keyport Day will be celebrated in lieu of a Fall Festival, he added, and will feature a street fair, a 5K run and the annual soap-box derby. Olsen credited the KBA's new event coordinator, Carol Avella, for helping to organize the event. Avella also happens to be the borough's new Neighborhood Preservation Program (NPP) coordinator, a position that is partially funded by the state. While Avella's job is to improve the overall look of Route 36, she also volunteers as the president of the Atlantic Highlands Business Alliance. At the urging of Mayor Robert Bergen, Avella offered some friendly advice to the KBA. "You need a destination plan," Avella told the group, explaining the only way for Keyport to improve its current economic state is to attract tourists. Avella asked the group's divided factions to forget their battle-scarred past and concentrate on what they have in common, working together to create a thriving economy. "It's next to impossible to please 500 businesses," Avella said. "That's why you need a cohesive plan." Tapping into the idea, resident Michael Lane suggested the KBA define the meaning of success, then work toward that goal. "Is success zero vacant stores downtown?" Lane asked. "Ten festivals a year? I apologize, I gave this same speech five years ago." The representatives from Downtown New Jersey explained that for a fee of $2,500, a group of professionals will come to Keyport, listen to the KBA's problems then tour the town and produce a report. On Monday, Olsen said the "idea was worth looking into," but worried that it would be just more of the same old stuff wrapped in a different package. "It's just another study," Olsen said. "One study after another."