Proposed Sewer Charge Stirs Up Irate Residents

A proposed sewer charge has drawn ire from Bloomfield residents who say the per-usage fee will jack up their already ballooning property taxes.

Township officials contend the charge, an item on Monday night's town council conference meeting agenda, is being considered to help reduce the town's budget gap. Director of Finance Robert Renna called the charge "fair and equitable" and said it has the potential to reduce the tax rate and generate revenue.

"Let me make it clear: It is not an authority, it is not a utility. We are not creating new jobs, we are not crewing a new board," said Renna.

Bloomfield resident Trish Comstock protested the charge, saying the creation of it would mean a hidden rent increase for tenants and a hidden tax increase for homeowners. Mayor Raymond McCarthy said he could not guarantee property taxes would not increase if the charge were implemented.

"We are going to give this municipality every option, every chance that we can to get within the budget," McCarthy said. "This is our fiduciary obligation."

At past council meetings, residents have questioned how a sewer charge would impact small businesses and tax-exempt organizations.

Township Administrator Yoshi Manale said three separate informative sessions on the sewer utility will be held in each ward. The public session will include a detailed presentation with several examples of usage as well as question/answer portion. Official dates have not yet been set, but Manale said the first session could be set for as early as this Thursday, March 3.

Here's what else you may have missed from Monday night's meeting:

• The council will meet Saturday, March 12 to review an outline of budget cuts. The health and human services, recreational and police and fire departments will each present their budgets for the council's consideration.
  
  
• The council voted to approve an architectural consultant and request for proposal for the Lackawanna train station restoration project. Councilman Robert Ruane took issue with the project being paid by "taxpayers money" and said Howard Haberman, who owns the station, has plans to develop a restaurant there. Director of Community Development Glenn Domenick fired back during the heated argument, saying restaurant development isn't possible because the building is protected under the National Register of Historic Places list. Ruane was the only council member to vote against the measure.
  
  
• The council will begin examining sample ordinances of complete streets, using Montclair as a guide. The complete street policy would make Bloomfield roadways safer for bicyclists, pedestrians, drivers and transit commuters.
  
  
• Manale said the town is considering billboards, solar panels and a cell phone use reimbursement policy as possible revenue sources.

Click here to watch the entire council meeting.