4/27/09 - October 5, 1994, Congress passed into law S.2182 commonly known as National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1995. Section 2838 of this law describes the conveyance of the property commonly known as Edison Angels Fields and an unused garage known as building 1072 to the township of Edison. Conditions of the conveyance state that the Township permit the Edison Angels to continue to used the fields as they had with the Secretary of the Army on October 5, 1994.Failure to do so would result in loss of the property by the Township.

Knowing the transfer was in the works the Edison Angels has asked for a lease from the township since 2002. From 2002 to 2006 township officials told Angel Board members the property had not been turned over. In reality the township took lease of the property in July 2001 and a formal deed was completed in 2004. At no point did the township provide the Edison Angels with a lease even after being instructed to do so by government agencies. To make matters worse the township had applied for a recreational public benefit conveyance in July 2002. This was unknown to Edison Angels and guarantees the land be used and maintained exclusively for public park or public recreational purposes.

The public benefit conveyance directly conflicts with the Congressional law. The 2004 deed is based on the Public Benefit Conveyance. The Congressional is not being applied as it should. At the end of the summer Dawn was sent a concession agreement to sign by the assistant township attorney. The Concession agreement states:

• The Edison Angels must maintain the property at its own expense- lawn mowing, field lining, leveling, grading, general lawn care, concession stand, clubhouse, and bathroom.

• The league must provide 1,000,000 liability insurance and indemnity for the township.

• The general public will be allowed to have access to the Angels Complex when it is not being used by the Concessionaire as determined by the Township Director of Recreation.

Problems:

• The Edison Angels will not have a say in what or who gets to use the fields

• The insurance agents will not write the policy as we do not have control over who gets to be on the field.

Other Issues:

• The assistant township attorney sent the wrong quit claim Deed information with the concession agreement. This caused the league delays in finding out information pertinent to the concession agreement.

• We put OPRA requests for all information pertaining to property and only received the quit claim deed.

• They did not provide us with the lease/license or the public benefit conveyance documents.

• The Edison Angels finds out about public benefit conveyance through proper quit claim deed.

• Property boundaries do not match that of 1994.

• The township of Edison has taken at least 60 feet off the back line of the property.

• The township has taken away almost 70 parking spaces with the construction of an eight foot wide sidewalk.

• The township ripped out 30 trees from the back of the property and has not replaced any.

• The township took out the gate on the south east side of the complex.

• The construction of the soccer fields has caused drainage problems on the back two fields, water gets trapped on the complex from the side walk.

• The township closed off one of our French drains of field 5.

All complaints have gone unanswered.

• To date all discussions with township officials have yielded no results.

• We have been told numerous times to sign the agreement.

• The insurance issues have not been resolved.

• The township refuses to amend the deed an recognize the congressional law.

Dawn Penny

President Edison Angels