On Wednesday, June 11th at 5:11 PM, Mr. Robert Forbes entered Common Grounds Coffee House to serve us with a violation notice regarding our outdoor furniture. When I asked what the violation was about and how I could go about changing the ordinance if I disagreed with it, he bluntly responded, “You can’t.” I knew that couldn’t be true. As I tried to discuss further, the conversation quickly escalated. Mr. Forbes became increasingly aggressive to the point that several customers took notice. A few even felt compelled to step in due to the tone and manner in which he was speaking to me.

I asked why after nearly 2 years of us leaving the furniture outside overnight that they were deciding to enforce it. Mr. Forbes stated that the notice resulted from an anonymous complaint from a local resident, and that the borough only enforces ordinances when someone files a complaint.

Eventually, I asked Mr. Forbes to leave my property. He refused and cited Borough Ordinance 125-73, claiming it gave him the right to remain inside the building. Once he finally left, I immediately made two separate phone calls trying to reach someone on the Borough Council. I eventually spoke with a councilperson who assured me that Mr. Forbes was incorrect in saying I couldn’t do anything about the ordinance. I was also reassured that my reaction to the situation was valid and that Mr. Forbes should not have handled it the way he did, nor should he have stayed after being told to leave.

At 6:17 PM, I received an email from Mr. Forbes in which he again cited Ordinance 125-73 to justify his actions. (That email and my response can be viewed HERE.) The ordinance clearly states:

“The Building Inspector shall have the right to enter any building or premises during the daytime in the course of his or her duties. The Zoning Officer and the Code Enforcement Officer shall have the right to enter any exterior premises (building, outbuildings, and dwellings excluded) during normal daytime hours in the course of his or her duties.”

This explicitly outlines that the Zoning Officer only has exterior access—not interior. Mr. Forbes misrepresented the ordinance, both in person and in an official email, which was also copied to several borough officials.

That night, I shared what had happened on social media. As a result of the post, we received numerous private messages and public comments from other community members who had similar experiences with Mr. Forbes. It quickly became clear that this was not an isolated incident, but part of a pattern of behavior in how Mr. Forbes interacts with Oaklyn residents and business owners.

On Friday, June 13th, my partner Chris and I visited Borough Hall seeking more information. We met with Bonnie Taft (Borough Administrator, CFO, and Municipal Clerk) and Janet LaBar from the Construction and Zoning Office. During this conversation, I was called a “bully” for posting publicly about the incident. I was told I should have called Bonnie directly when it happened. However, I had never met her before. While I knew her name and that she was involved with Borough Hall, there was no public information available indicating that Mr. Forbes reported directly to her. Had that information been transparent, I may have made that phone call or email as well.

I also expressed that Mr. Forbes should not have been the person to deliver the violation notice, given his personal conflict of interest as he is the original owner of the coffee shop.

Before this conversation, I submitted an OPRA request to obtain information about the “anonymous complaint.” During our conversation, Bonnie and Janet informed us that the complaint actually stemmed from internal conversations at Borough Hall, not a community member. While they are within their rights to pursue action based on internal discussion, I raised the issue of why Mr. Forbes had falsely represented the source as an anonymous public complaint.

Janet also acknowledged that she had emailed Mr. Forbes twice to ask when he planned to deliver the notice. He ignored those emails. She framed this as him not wanting to be “the bad guy.” I see it differently—as a failure to carry out his duties.

After that meeting, I responded to Mr. Forbes’ email and included Mayor Brandley, along with other officials, to file a formal complaint about Mr. Forbes’ misrepresentation and refusal to leave my property. That email has still gone unanswered.

Later that same day, the Borough announced an "emergency meeting" for the following week. At the June 17th meeting, I addressed the council directly. I spoke about Mr. Forbes’ unacceptable behavior. (My full remarks can be read HERE.)

After I spoke, several other Oaklyn residents and business owners shared their own stories about Mr. Forbes. The council remained silent. The meeting ended and zero action was taken or statement made from the council acknowledging what they heard.

In the time since, more stories have been told about Mr. Forbes and NJ Pen released an article covering the issue. In it, Mr. Forbes mentions he feels "supported by the borough council" leading community members to draw conclusions that there has been zero accountability for his actions.

At the July 8th Council Meeting, I once again spoke—this time calling for accountability and meaningful change. (Those remarks can be read HERE.) Again, others told their stories about interactions with Mr. Forbes, and again, council offered no response. The Retrospect’s Lily Gannon covered the meeting and reported that while Council agreed to discuss ordinance changes at the next caucus meeting, "no comment was made in reference to Mr. Forbes."

As of July 18th, I have received no official response from the Borough regarding my complaint.

The Borough Council of Oaklyn must take action. They have now heard firsthand—and on the record—numerous credible complaints from their community about Mr. Forbes’ behavior and misuse of authority. It is the Council’s duty to hold him accountable for:

• Misrepresenting municipal ordinances to assert authority
• Refusing to leave a business when asked
• Mishandling interactions with residents and business owners
• Displaying a pattern of unprofessional, aggressive conduct

While the mayor claims that they want to hear from the community when they have issues, it doesn't feel like we are being heard. If they fail to act, they are sending a clear message: our voices don’t matter.

Please sign this petition to call for the removal of Robert Forbes from his appointed role as Zoning Officer for the Borough of Oaklyn.

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We understand that some community members may prefer to remain anonymous. While change.org requires an email address to verify signatures, you may use an alias in the name field. Your information will only be shared if you choose for it to be.

If you feel inclined, you may comment with a personal story of an interaction with Mr. Forbes. You may also choose to simply comment identifying yourself as a:

• Current Oaklyn Resident
• Former Oaklyn Resident
• Oaklyn Business Owner
• Oaklyn Property Owner
• Employee at an Oaklyn Business
• Concerned Neighboring Community Member

Thank you!