Brigantine Solicitor; Fred Scerni, finally spilled the beans about the so-called, un-signed terms & conditions between Mad Dog Morgan & Meadowbrook Golf Management company (manages Brigantine LINKS). Could Mad Dog be selling booze without proper state filings? Could this all be happening without a signed contract between Meadowbrook & Mad Dog? Could the City of Brigantine be held liable for allowing their concessionaire liquor license at THE LINKS to be mishandled?
SEE VIDEO from the Brigantine City Council meeting of April 15, 2015. (WATCH BELOW)
According to recent article in the Press of Atlantic City, and full page ads in the local Brigantine papers, Mad Dog Morgan has already started to advertise & sell food and liquor at the Links clubhouse, now called ‘Morgans Pub and Grill’.
To date, Mad Dog Morgan has not successfully applied with the NJ STATE ABC. (Alchoholic Beverage Control Liquor compliance)
Brigantine Mayor Guenther & Councilman Simpson are also on the hot seat as they have shown support for this Mad Dog Morgan & Brigantine Golf Links Deal, but claim to have not been involved in the process that Mr. Scerni seems to be brokering.
The Mayor has suggested that he may have no rights to even seeing the agreement between Mad Dog & Meadowbrook.
Nathan Robbins, general manager for The Links, said he met with three interested individuals on March 19. Meadowbrook was said to have entered into an agreement with Morgan on March 26, but Robbins said he was unable to let anyone have a copy of the contract. (Read more in Press of Atlantic City)
Some of the new agreement terms include: Meadowbrook/Mad Dog Morgan to only pay the city $1,000 per month from the food and beverage operation at the Links Golf Course.
The City of Brigantine will now pay the Meadowbrook Golf Management company $6,000 per month for services that have yet to be documented and shared with the public.
According to a recent OPRA request acquired by the Brigantine Taxpayers Association, The City of Brigantine (as of April 15) is not aware of any paperwork or contract between the City’s leasee: Meadowbrook Golf Management, and 3rd party vendor; Mad Dog Morgan (owner of Morgans Pub and Grill)
In 2008, The City of Brigantine had a revenue split with Meadowbrook:
- Net income $25,000 and below – Brigantine to get 20%
- Net income $25,000-$50,000 – Brigantine to get 30%
- Net income over $50,000 – Brigantine to get 40%
NJ State liquor (ABC) has been made aware of this situation and are looking into the matter. Solicitor Scerni mentioned that NJ ABC has already been on site at the Links Clubhouse in Brigantine. “I have not seen the agreement between Meadowbrook & Vendor (Mad Dog Morgan)” says Mayor Guenther.
During the April 15 meeting, Scerni suggested that Mad Dog is now lawyering up, but is not sure of the risk being assumed by Mad Dog & Meadowbrook in reference to NJ State ABC laws.
Both Councilman Delucry & Mayor Guenther asked Solicitor Fred Scerni if he has a copy of the proposed (but not acceptable) agreement between Morgan & Meadowbrook. He said yes.
Delucry asked Links manager; Nathan Robbins if there was an agreement. Nathan said yes.
ABC liaison; Police Chief Tim Reed, was not in attendance, but did ‘text-in’ some information to City Clerk Lynn Sweeney during this portion of the council meeting. As the Brigantine ‘eyes and ears’ for the state ABC, Chief Reed’s duties include keeping an eye on local liquor liscense issues like the Mike Snyder – Tun Tavern transfer, Mad Dog Morgan using Brigantine’s concessionaire liquor liscense, and resident; Mike Feeley’s plan to run a beer & music festival on Brigantine Beach later this Summer
Contact NJ State Alchoholic Beverage Control (ABC) here
Background:
- Council majority lead by Guenther & Simpson turned down proposal from Ron Jaworski Golf last month.
- Golf course utility is operating at a $342,000 deficit. Taxpayers handle this loss, but now have no access to profit upside of the Food & Beverage.
- Brigantine Taxpayers cover costs of management contract, as well as golf carts, fertilizer and seed.
- Republican Councilman Andy Simpson, a partner in Bootleggers Liquors in EHT, wants golf course to be a not-for-profit.
- Democratic Councilman Delucry believes most of the golf proposals / agreements being talked about “are an absolute sham”. Delucry said; “We should be going back to Ron Jaworski on our hands and knees.” Read more in Press of Atlantic City
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“We fly by the seat of our pants”
He not kidding, negotiations, proposal, agreement, and presto open for business all in 8 days time!
Morgan has some juvenile resentment towards Jaws over who is the better football player/coach/analyst. Jaws not interested in a pissing contest.
Locking in a F&B deal only makes any lease option less attractive to golf companies.
Morgan sure can pull strings, how about MDM restaurant’s own 8 car parking lot paid by the taxpayers. I wonder if the entrance way being directly in front of his restaurant is a coincidence?
Bad politics continues. Will it ever end. It appears our political leaders have their hands in everyone’s pockets and it only benefits them……………so sad
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Shouldn’t there have been a public RFP issued for the golf course management and bar management?
Doesn’t Mayor Guenther remind you of Colonel Klink…. I NO NOTHING.
let’s rename Brigantine CRONYTOWN.
good god…. is it possible that the dipshitery of these govt officials *continue* to reach new lower lows?
this >> “The City of Brigantine will now pay the Meadowbrook Golf Management company $6,000 per month for services that have yet to be documented and shared with the public.”
does the golf course even bring in a $1,500 a week, in the summer? what about the other 9 months a yr?
There needs to be like a 1989 version of 20/20 w/ Hugh Downs doing an undercover investigation of this “govt”.
keep up the good work – someone needs to keep trying to wake us up. I refer to the sleeping and uninformed taxpaying outsiders, as opposed to the insiders of brigantine. The Mayor and his cronies by now must actually believe they are entitled to do anything they want to benefit themselves financially and otherwise and to hell with the struggling average taxpaying `dummies`.
we have to bring in outside law enforcement (STATE POLICE,FBI, ABC,STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL. MAYBE EVEN THE SECRET SERVICE ha ha Its not even fun anymore. croooooooooooookedness
Concessionaires liquor licenses were never meant for golf courses. But smart lawyers figured out a loophole so now locally Mcculloughs Emerald Links and Brigantine Links both have one. You can’t blame the private business people for taking advantage but it’s obvious Brigantine has handled this very badly. If a taxpayer wanted to file a protest with The ABC mr. Morgan could be held up for a very long time. If he is in fact getting any income from liquor sales, which Meadowbrook says he is not, the city could be fined and or possibly lose the right to the license. At the end of the day, these licenses are a way for government to unfairly compete with private businesses.