A Judge in Toms River on Friday ordered the Township to allow the continuation of wood fires in Tent City, days after the Township threatened to fine its resident for using the heat source.
Judge Joseph Foster also delayed the decision to remove approximately 50% of the names of the list, as the Township had hoped.
“What bothers me is that they did not address the issue of removing the names from the list,” Mayor Akerman tells TLS. And addressing the wood-burning issue, says Akerman, “the fact that there are people who have propane tanks but refuse to use them, is upsetting. It’s causing a lot of stress and discomfort for the area residents, and some are alleging health issues because of it as well.”
The Judge says the wood fires can continue for at least another two weeks until the issue can further be examined, Akerman says.
However, the fact that the number of allowed residents was not reduced, may prompt the Township to rescind its offer of setting aside $250,000 to help them.
“If we know we have 120 people still on the list, we may rescind the $250,000 offer,” Akerman says. “We only did it thinking that we have a limited amount of people and we’ll be able to close down Tent City once and for all.”
On December 6, Judge Foster will hear the argument on whether the Propane Ordinance can be enforced in the future, and will also hear argument on Lakewood’s application to remove the 36 people from the list of homeless entitled to housing, Lakewood’s Attorney on the case, Michael DiCicco tells TLS. [TLS]
Thank you Judge Foster for being the voice of reason and not allowing anyone to freeze to death until this matter can be resolved.
How about thank you Judge for setting back the progress that has been made, and maybe you should come spend a week in the immediate neighborhood near tent city. And kudos to LPD, LFD, EMS for the job you guys/gals do.
The judge is (moderated). Completely ignoring the rights of residents and their families and siding with squatters and their enablers. I invite the judge to come spend a night at my apartment where he can breathe in the beautiful acrid air into his lungs all night. A real shame!!
Better they should burn to death, no?
I saw this coming. There was a court order on the town.
Thank you, Judge Foster for giving continuity to the Tent City problem. Maybe if they lived in your backyard, you’d have ruled differently.
Hahaha
The Lakewood taxpayers shouldn’t have to spend $250,000 to get rid of these unwanted squatters get that! thank you
Its getting cold outside, that much we all can agree on. Where do you expect homeless people, who can’t even afford to pay for food & housing, to pay for propane to keep themselves warm? There is a plan to get them housing, even with the township making it as difficult as possible, so this is not permanent. The only solution is for Ocean County to take the taxes they have been charging us for years for the homeless problem and build a shelter!
They somehow manage to pay for drugs and booze.
If they not from lakewood why should lakewood take care of them??
this is humane? keeping people who need help in the woods like animals? judge foster, why don’t you do what’s right according to the agreement YOU engineered and continue with disbanding this unsightly dangerous situation….
Tent city supporters provide all the essentials for the homeless. Why would propane be any different. They dont need open fires to keep warm. Open fires is not the safest or best enviromental choice. If the issue is the cost of the propane, a request for donations would solve that problem. The people of Lakewood are extremely charitable. Let me know where to send my check.
Well every person has rights and the judge enforced this law..doesnt makehim a bad guy ..if you were homeless… wouldn’t you want to stay warm
Brian, The tent city homelees do not use open fires to keep warm; tthey use wood burning stoves that have been donated over several years. There are several problems with using propane: 1) the cost of buying propane heaters for over 100 people. 2)The cost of buying propane tanks for the heaters and the cost of buying extra tanks to replace the tanks as they run out. 3) The cost of buying propane. A tank only lasts a few days and costs about $19 to refill. 4) The danger of using propane (if you have have a leak in the connection it can cause an explosion. 5) The danger involved in transporting all these tanks to and from a refill station.
I think a good point is made about donations for propane tanks. The smoke is horrible
first of all what did the torah do wrong that you use it as a name ….and perhaps more edifying, #14 simply put you are a fool
What I dont get is..that if tent city neighbors are so fed up, why don’t they hire their own lawyer and take any possible leagal action available..why are the depending on the township to actually do something……
#8 Lakewood: If you’re concerned at the thought of your taxes going to help these people, tell yourself that *your* taxes pay for your kids’ busing. The seniors who gripe about their taxes going to busing can console themselves with the thought that *their* taxes are going to Tent City.
Come on, folks. We live in a COMMUNITY. It’s not a ‘pay a dollar in, get a dollar out’ system.
Why doesn’t lakewood ever appeal these rulings? Like bloomberg on stop and frisk…..
I didn’t plan on being homeless,but recently ITS LIKE IT HAPPENED OVERNIGHT.An worked helping many homeless people,it amazes me to see some of these comments,some of you are so hypocritical.You see me often an treat me with respect.is it only because you don’t know im one of the homeless,and if I do tell you will the way you trteat me suddenly change.Alot of you never even really know if one of your own family memberse are there,you need to walk down the brick driveway you have and get enough courage to have a heart.You never know when ,why or if its gonna happen to you.So please don’t offend people in need.Things happen for reasons.If you not gonna help don’t
stand in the way of someone who does help,can the drama.