WEST MILFORD Plans to release a tourism brochure promoting West Milford have been thrown out by the township council following their decision not to pay the bill to print them. The glossy eight-page publication, which was to cost $12,500 to print, is now unlikely to ever get beyond the mock-up stage. A proof version of the brochure which had the title, “Highlands Resource,” was presented to the council last week by Paul Bailey, Commissioner of the recently formed Tourism Commission. Council members Phil Weisbecker, Bob Nolan and James Warden voted against payment and held sway to prevent the tourism brochure from going forward. In response to the decision by the council Bailey said, “I am terribly disappointed that politics and personal vendettas have placed West Milford’s Tourism initiative at risk. Warden, Weisbecker, and Nolan have chosen to hobble the tourism effort, by refusing to pay, for the second time, for the tourism promotion paper’s publication.” Bailey continued saying, “This money was approved in last year’s budget and contracts were signed. This refusal of payment makes it impossible for us to get the first edition out, severely hampering our ability to promote West Milford tourism.” Despite the general agreement on the council to promote West Milford to potential visitors, it was the manner in which Bailey sought to pay for the publication as well as the cost which upset most of the council. Bailey signed a purchase order with Percepture, a Lake Hiawatha-based public relations company who agreed to print and distribute the brochure. James Warden argued against paying the bill, citing the resolution which formed the tourism commission, “Nowhere in the resolution does it give the commission the authority to spend money. I make a motion we don’t pay the bill.” Council member Phil Weisbecker, who replaced Bailey on the council, was equally defiant towards the bill payment but for a different reason. Weisbecker said, “I’m on board with tourism; however, I don’t know if any competitive bidding was done on this, and if there wasn’t any then I could never support paying this bill.” Part of Bailey’s plan was to include the brochure as an insert in the locally distributed AIM newspaper causing some to ask why promote tourism to those who already live in town. There is a concern, however, that Percepture might sue the township for nonpayment on a contract signed between the company and the township. Warden said of Bailey, “Ultimately, this is money going to support someone’s ego. If we get sued let the tourism czar sort it out.” Warden has been a long-time opponent of Bailey’s and argued in the past that Bailey was unfit to be the tourism leader in town. Warden’s opinion of Bailey, a former councilman, is due in part due to the recent release of several emails written by Bailey in which he referred to Warden and his Democrat council colleague Bob Nolan as “morons.” Nolan was also against the payment, asking the question, “We budgeted for $12,000 for the tourism study group from the 2005 budget. Approximately $1,000 has already been spent and now is the entire remainder to be spent without the consideration of the council?” Council member Carmello Scangarello voted to pay the bill with fellow councilman Joseph Smolinski abstaining. Councilman Bill Gervens was absent from the meeting. n In other business: The council approved the purchase of a heavy rescue truck with pump for Greenwood Forest Fire Department on Wednesday night. The truck will cost almost $490,000 $22,000 more than the council had initially budgeted but the Fire Chief and council agreed the need justified the extra cost. The council agreed on Wednesday to move forward with the plan to eliminate the position of police constable. Police Chief Paul Costello was present at the meeting and had been asked his opinion on the constables to which he replied, “The constables do not serve under the jurisdiction of the police department. They serve no function to the police department; they never have.” “It’s a liability disaster and a drain on our administrator and clerk,” said Councilman and Insurance Board member Bob Nolan. The fear that an action taken by a constable could result in a lawsuit against the township led Nolan’s argument for the disbandment of the volunteers. The actual responsibilities of a constable could not be clarified by the council; however, Councilman Weisbecker said, “I think there is still the possibility that a council someday down the line may need the constables to provide some service, just perhaps three or four constables.” The consensus expressed by the council was to proceed with the plan to retire those currently in service at the next meeting.