Boro honors Pat Moser for serving
Moser expresses concern for town's spending on litigation
BY JANE MEGGITT Staff Writer

ROOSEVELT - The Borough Council bid farewell to Councilwoman PatMoser at its lastmeeting of the year,which took place Dec. 27.

Moser, who has served on the governing body for six years, received a plant basket from her fellow council members as a parting gift.

Mayor Beth Battel thanked Moser for her years of dedicated service to the town.

"We verymuch appreciate all the effort, time and heart you put into your work as a councilperson," she said.

Moser joked that when she started on the council, her hair was naturally brown. On a more serious note, she said she remains very concerned about the amount of money the borough is spending on legal fees to fight the lawsuit Congregation Anshei Roosevelt and Congregation Yeshiva Me'on Hatorah v. Planning and Zoning Board of the Borough of Roosevelt, et al., which was filed Aug. 27.

"Two hundred thousand dollars is a hell of a lot of money," Moser said.

The lawsuit aims to appeal a Planning Board resolution that reversed a decision the borough's zoning officer made to allow the establishment of a yeshiva at Congregation Anshei Roosevelt's Homestead Lane synagogue property. The plaintiffs seek monetary damages and other relief against a number of the defendants for violating the plaintiffs' civil rights under the Religious LandUse and Institutionalized PersonsAct of 2000, the FirstAmendment and the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, the New Jersey Constitution and the New Jersey LawAgainst Discrimination, according to the lawsuit.

When the difficulties among the borough, the yeshiva and the synagogue first arose, Moser said she "requested, begged and pleaded" that the parties sit down and talk to each other.

"Obviously, it didn't happen," she said. "I'mnot sure it's not too late to sit down and talk and put a stop to this terrible strain on the budget."

Moser said the costs are a strain on the residents of the town, especially the seniors.

"It's a nasty business," she said. "I didn't like it," she said of the legal situation.

The borough's chief financial officer, George Lang, said that while legal fees cost approximately $200,000 in 2007, not all of thatmoney went toward litigation. Some of the money spent went for general legal expenses, he said.

Lang said the borough has paid all attorney fees through November and that only the December legal bills remain, as the borough will not receive themuntil the end of January.

According to Lang, the borough covered the additional 2007 legal expenses with an emergency appropriation at the Dec. 10 meeting. The resolution for the emergency appropriation stated that Lang had estimated that the expenses for litigation through the end of 2007 would exceed the town's budgeted line item for legal expenses. Legal costs in the borough were $15,000 in 2006. This year's budget allotted $67,900 for such fees. The borough approved an emergency appropriation of $25,000 in legal expenses on Dec. 10, with Moser voting against the measure.

Kirk Rothfuss, who ran unopposed, will replace Moser on the council in 2008.