Red tape blocks solar energy in Matawan

Last year on December 5th, the reported in the that the First Presbyterian Church installed solar panels. The byline said First Presbyterian goes green in time for Christmas. Seven months later the church is still not able to use the solar panels. The panels have been approved by OSHA but our town is blocking their use.

Do our town leaders hate solar energy? Do they hold a plethora of shares in coal, gas or oil? These two questions are facetious but really, why do our town leaders allow inspections to continue to be such a difficult process?

When I ran for town council in 2011 I talked to shop owners that left our town. They told me they left because it was too difficult to do business in town of Matawan. They complained that our town inspectors don’t even provide a written document listing failures. And, oftentimes, the inspectors find different issues after shop owners fix the original problems causing added expenses. One shop owner called it death by a thousand cuts; if they had a complete list they could fix everything at once rather than make multiple fixes.

Minimally, our town inspectors should have to provide a professionally written document completely listing all the faulty findings.

We need our town leaders to look into this process and re-engineer where necessary. We want to bring businesses into our town not make it difficult to start a business in our town.

Our town leaders should promote green energy. Investors want to see positive growth in a town, otherwise, there are many other towns which they can do business.

Matawan leaders – let sunshine provide energy! Let the church utilize their solar panels!

What are your thoughts?