Citizens should be outraged over falsified documents

It is about time something came out of Highlands Borough Hall other than lip service. Given the recent arrests and allegations, Highlands Borough Attorney Joseph Oxley will be conducting his own investigation reviewing all council meeting minutes, resolutions and ordinances pertaining to the conveyance of land underneath the Highlands Bridge.

How refreshing it will be if he actually has the fortitude to expose the neglect of due process and the laws broken by Highlands borough officials, who signed property deeds for the unlawful conveyance of land to the NJDOT? The fight against the mega-span bridge the NJDOT is about to impose on our community is not about ocean views and property values as some have suggested. It is about preserving a community. In the course of that fight, we seem to have uncovered lies and deception that start with NJDOT senior management and go down the ladder all the way to senior Highlands borough officials.

Anna Little's reaction at the Highlands Borough Council meeting April 9 that we should be proud that borough officials turned over the allegedly forged deeds to the prosecutor's office as soon as they noticed is totally off the mark. Private citizens and public officials alike should be outraged by the fact that it took a private citizen making an OPRA request for our officials to become aware of falsified documents pertaining to the bridge. How is it, given this oversight, we can continue to believe our state and local officials are working to serve our best interests?

The Citizens for Rational Coastal Development have been sending out danger signals for over a year. Why has it taken this long to discover egregious irregularities in the process?

Shirley Olman

Co-chairperson Citizens for Rational Coastal Development

Highlands