MSA Year 2000 Re cap

February 2000

MSA formally elects officers and votes upon by-laws.
Owner/occupants dismayed by initial City buy-out offers.
Federal, State and City government officials agree to talk to MSA.
Buy-out offers substantially below break-even point of owner/occupant investment.

March 2000

MSA formally announces itself to City Council as a collective bargaining unit.
MSA formally outlines owner/occupant concerns to City Council and talks with City officials begins. MSA in this City action delays the acquisition of Phase 1 properties due to concerns of mandated 90 day demolition deadline. MSA succeeds in delaying acquisition. WPVI and WNJN cover City Council action. MSA in strained talks with City submits proposals to break stale mated mitigation.

April 2000

MSA hopes are low in their effort to point out the injustice of buy-out plan in terms of "open market-system" where owner/occupants can not even expect to recoup a quarter of their investment. Federal Mitigation officials inform MSA the whole purpose of mitigation is for owner/occupants to recoup "most or nearly all of investment into property". MSA proposals are deemed "not doable" by the Mayor. MSA is dishearten that their proposals were flatly rejected. MSA negotiation team receives training from the Affordable Housing Network. Relationship between MSA negotiation team and City officials are strained and unproductive. MSA continues to voice owner/occupant concerns. City Council acquires 10 properties with MSA present. MSA secures upon public record that mandated demolition of properties will NOT occur until all of phase 1 had settled.

May 2000

MSA gains support of Trenton Council for Civic Associations (TCCA). MSA is accepted into TCCA as a member of its Association. MSA negotiation team faces challenges from City officials as to the validity of negotiation team. City backs away from table when MSA suggests that minutes be taken at our talks, and that written confirmation of negotiated issues be sent to MSA. Talks begin to go down hill as MSA furthers owner/occupant issues. City suggests that they meet the people whom the negotiation team of MSA was elected to represent.

June 2000

MSA can go no further with its talks with the City. On June 22nd MSA gathers at the East Trenton Community Center where City officials along with their consulting firms to unveil the re-alignment of phases and the flood containment wall to protect an area that never saw any flooding issues whatsoever. The 22nd was the last formal contact between MSA and the City.

July 2000

WZBN covers the awarding of a grant to MSA from the Self Development of People. The Times misquotes MSA chairman in printing that grant money will used for legal council to sue the City. When the truth is MSA is seeking legal council to protect owner/occupants of our membership. MSA struggles to keep lines of communication open with government officials.

August 2000

MSA finds communication difficult with City and with the help of the East Trenton Community Council, the City learns of the vandalizing that was occurring to City owned properties and requests City to secure them. City promises of maintenance of City owned property takes long time to see. Along with ETCC MSA starts neighborhood policing of City owned properties where squatters were evicted. The City recommends MSA gets on with their life. Citeing troubles in settling phase 1 city officials elude to the possibility that phase 2 will not happen.

September 2000

MSA learns from Federal officials that the Cities claim of no funds was not true and that the funds are in State hands awaiting authorizing signatures to transfer into City coffers. MSA still seeks legal council as MSA attempts to keep lines of communication open. A city source eludes to MSA again that phase 2 may not happen due to Cities poor handling of mitigation. And delays in settling phase 1. Meanwhile owner/occupants sweat out yet another hurricane season without any hope of meaningful flood prevention.

October 2000

MSA seeks legal council and keeps membership informed of possible scenarios upon phase 2 mitigation.

November 2000

MSA keeps membership informed and can not confirm rumors that phase 2 will not happen. Only word from City was that phase 1 must be completed before any thoughts of phase 2 could be realized.

December 2000

MSA continues to keep lines of communication open yet no word from City officials. MSA members brace themselves to face yet another hurricane season in uncertainty.