BOT Authorizes Grants, Awards Villager of the Month

A recap of Monday’s Board of Trustees regular Meeting

Announcements

• Effective next month, the Board of Trustee meetings will be redesigned to include both discussion items (conference agenda items) and formal action items.  Two regular Board of Trustee meetings will continue to be scheduled each month on the second and fourth Monday of the month. The scheduling of a separate Conference Agenda meeting will no longer be required allowing the potential to improve the flow and timeliness of decision-making by the governing body.
• Leaf Removal Pickup will continue taking place through December 5.  For information on when leaf removal pickups will take place on your street, visit the Village website at www.southorange.org/leafcolection or call the leaf removal hotline at (973) 378-7501.  Residents living on a county road should call the county at (973) 239-3366.
• The South Orange Police Department encourages residents to leave exterior lighting on at night. As the winter months approach, days are shorter and nights longer.  Use security lights with infrared motion sensors are an inexpensive substitute for an exterior porch or side door light.  Good lighting deters criminals because they don’t want to be seen or identified.
• Blue Toter recycling will begin on November 30.  Green Toter recycling, which was cancelled for November, will resume next month. 
• South Orange won a to install three electric vehicle chargers.

Presentations

• Sheila Oliver of the Community Relations Committee presented the December 2011 “Villager of the Month” award to Steven Hollow.
• Diane Malloy of YouthNet presented its quarterly report.  Their proposal to be included in the Board of Education’s afternoon programs was accepted.
• Realty Appraisal gave a presentation to the Board of Trustees regarding Reassessment of Property.

Ordinances

• Ordinance 2011-17 , which was tabled from past Board of Trustee meetings, passed 4-1 on its first reading.  Trustee Michael Goldberg was the sole nay vote.  Trustee Deborah Davis Ford had not yet arrived.  The ordinance now goes for a second reading at the next BOT meeting.  This ordinance provides for the compensation of all non-contractual and all supervisory personnel.
• Ordinance 2011-20 passed on its first reading.  This Ordinance amends the Pay-to-Play ordinance, Chapter 27, sections 27-7 and 27-13F to include extraordinary un-specifiable services and to permit the negotiation of additional services subject to six conditions.
• Ordinance 2011-21 was tabled until a future meeting.  It will be referred to the Planning Board.  This is an ordinance which provides for secure bicycle parking and storage for new construction and substantial rehabilitation of multi-family apartment uses.  The application of the ordinance is prospective only, and will not result in nonconforming uses.  The ordinance provides for a definition of bicycle racks and design criteria.
• Ordinance 2011-22 passed 5-0 on first reading.  The ordinance now goes for a second reading at the next BOT meeting.  This Ordinance would authorize the refunding of all or a portion of the Village’s Outstanding General Improvement Bonds, Series 2005, and authorizes the issuance of not exceeding $12,000,000 of Refunding Bonds to effect such refunding and appropriation.
• Ordinance 2011-23 passed 5-0.  The ordinance now goes for a second reading at the next BOT meeting.  This is an ordinance which amends the definition of “Landscaper or Landscape Contractor”, Village Code Section 61-10A, to exclude from the definition those persons and business entities who are subject to registration pursuant to the New Jersey Contractors’ Registration Act. Landscapers so excluded from the definition would no longer be subject to licensure pursuant to Village Code Section 61-10 B.
• Ordinance 2011-24 was tabled.  It will be sent to the Planning and Zoning Committee for future consideration.  This is an ordinance establishing a Historic Preservation Commission.
• Ordinance 2011-25 was .  This is an ordinance establishing a Special Improvement District within the Township of South Orange
  Village and creating a District Management Corporation.

Public Comments

• Multiple residents asked that the .
• George Mattias brought up the darkness in Grove Park.  He is hopeful for some more lights in the park at night.
• Claudia Mattheiss brought up the SID ordinance, more specifically the provisions that allow the proposed corporation to participate in transactions of properties.  She is concerned about the town acquiring buildings when the termination of the SID occurs.  She brought up a case law, Hogan v Township of Haddon, as an example of a town who had bad dealings with a SID and its board.
• Leslie Pogany, owner of Bunny’s Sports Bar, reiterated that businesses were not on board with a SID.  She expressed a concern that businesses were being used for collateral for the SID’s loans and transactions.  She also stressed that not every business was aware of a SID being implemented.
• Fernando Cabrera, Assistant Vice President of Affiliated Management, compared this SID ordinance with a 2007 draft ordinance of a SID.  In 2007, there was a percentage cap of 6% for assessments, which the 2011 version does not have.  2007 exempted residential portions while 2011 did not.  2007 had 19 board of directors, eight more than the current version.  He brought up that Governor Chris Christie has told municipalities to do “less with less.”  He also mentioned that democrats in the assembly have a bill that asks municipalities to remove revenue generating fees.
• Bob Adler brought up a concern that the town would be picking up the liabilities of a potential failed SID.  He was concerned that the town’s credit could be affected by this.

Consent Agenda

• 7 resolutions were passed on the consent agenda. 

Resolutions

• Resolution 2011-306 was passed 4-2 with Trustees Michael Goldberg and Nancy Gould voting nay on “procedural grounds.”  This resolution awards a contract to Gold Type Business Machine, Inc. (GTBM) for an End-User License, Hardware, Setup and Support Agreement for Info-Cop™ E-Ticketing Turnkey System with the South Orange Police Department.

All Board of Trustees meetings can be viewed on the South Orange Village website here.