Business View Magazine | September 2019

271 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2019 While Laureigh admits that the worst case scenario can be “pretty bad,” since the closing of the plant will not only affect the township’s budget, hurt local businesses, as well as end Oyster Creek’s long-time support of Lacey’s many volunteer organizations if Holtec doesn’t pick up the mantle of good corporate citizen, she is still optimistic about the future of the community. To date, Holtec has continued with the community support and has been very responsive to the Township’s requests for meetings and updates. “We could say the sky is falling but we don’t because we have the confidence in the community leaders to do the right thing and the volunteers on our Planning Board, and Board of Adjustment, and our Economic Development Committee to welcome businesses and to do what we need to do to encourage new business growth and the right type of businesses in our town to move forward,” she asserts. “We have a good Board of Education that works with us, as well, to do the right thing for our future growth. Are we losing a major employer and ratepayer? Yes we are. But, we’re not going to become a ghost town, because we’ve been working with individuals and have planned for our future. We still see the economic growth in our community and we are still looking to work with the current company that is going to decommission the site to make them part of our home here after they’ve completed the decommissioning. We would like to see Holtec stay as a good neighbor and, maybe, expand their services. Lacey would welcome Holtec and a manufacturing site of their SMR-160 (safe small modular reactors) or the spent fuel storage casks as in their Camden site, or their special purpose pressure vessels and critical-service heat exchange equipment, such as air-cooled condensers, steam generators, feed water heaters, and water-cooled condensers.” Indeed, Lacey is still moving forward despite the loss of Oyster Creek; housing and retail are two areas where Laureigh cites growth. “The Walters Group completed a 118-unit affordable PRODUCTIVITY CRAFTSMANSHIP International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Representing Electrical Workers of Monmouth & Ocean County Since 1917 IBEW Local Union 400 | 3301 Hwy 138 East / PO Box 1256, Wall, NJ 07719 | www.ibew400.org Robert W. Shimko • Business Manager Michael J. Ricca • Assistant Business Manager James P. Moran • Business Agent/Organizer Robert M. Ingman • Business Agent/Organizer LACEY TOWNSHI P , NEW JERSEY