Activist seeds neigborhoods with lawsuit settlements

{I found this to be an interesting story from the NJ Courier Post.}

Activist seeds neigborhoods 
with lawsuit settlements
CAMDEN — Frank Fulbrook came to his first council meeting on a whim while he was stuck at city hall for jury duty in the early 1980s.

"It just clicked right away," Fulbrook remembered. "It was relevant; it affected people's lives on a very local level. I saw that local government really does matter."

Fulbrook, 60, said he started coming every week so that he could stay on top of things.

In stark contrast with the well-dressed council members, Fulbrook arrives in a denim or flannel shirt, his long gray hair tied back in a ponytail. He often carries a thick stack of agendas.

For Fulbrook, the meetings are usually near the start, rather than the end, of his day. Unless there's something he needs to do in the morning, Fulbrook sleeps until midafternoon -- a habit he developed after working a night-shift job for 15 years. He supports himself with rental properties and a parking lot, which he manages without a cell phone, and takes public administration classes at Rutgers in his spare time.

While his fellow watchdogs speak of standing up for other residents, Fulbrook is driven to ensure that government operates within the law. Fulbrook won't hesitate to file a lawsuit if he believes that isn't happening and to date counts 25. The topics vary widely, from insurance contracts to elections ballots.

Fulbrook said city leaders often defend themselves by pointing out that they have the power to override existing laws by making new ones, "but there are limitations on that."

Among his victories: blocking an ordinance that would have allowed billboards along Interstate 676 to "mess up your view of Philadelphia," and preventing the city from restricting the hours of late-night restaurants.

The $210,000 settlement from the billboard suit was distributed to small projects around the city, including a new roof for an East Camden community center, safety upgrades to allow a church to host youth programs and application fees to designate the library as a historic landmark.

Just this month, Fulbrook filed his latest suit against the city, related agencies, administrators and Campbell Soup Co. for designating the Sears Building as part of a redevelopment zone. This is the second time he's fought to preserve the dilapidated historic structure.

Fulbrook said council members probably get annoyed with his opinions sometimes, but at least they know he backs up his arguments with research.

"I don't get up and talk unless I know what I'm talking about," he said.

Fulbrook would be sitting up on council's elevated stage if he could. He ran for council three times and for mayor twice, with no success.

"I tried," he said. "The majority of voters made a different choice. I've had enough of it."

He said he's focusing on neighborhood revitalization now, particularly in his own neighborhood -- Cooper Grant, the waterfront community next to Rutgers.

-- Deborah Hirsch