Trustees Agree On Bond Ordinance, To Buy A New Fire Truck

A recap of Monday’s Board of Trustees special meeting and conference agenda.

Announcements

• Leaf Removal Pickup is taking place now 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.
• Registration for Visual and Performing Arts Classes began November 1 at the Baird Community Center, 5 Mead Street, and most classes will begin the week of January 9, 2012.
  For class descriptions and registration, visit southorange.org/TheBaird
• Village Hall Offices and Village Facilities will be closed Thursday, November 24 and Friday, November 25 for the Thanksgiving Holiday.  The Board of Trustees and Village staff wishes everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving Holiday.
• A representative from Congressman William Pascrell’s office will be in village hall the fourth Monday of each month at 7 p.m., prior to the regular meeting, to discuss any matter of concern to South Orange residents.
• A Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, December 7 at 7 p.m. at the Hall of Records, Room 506 in Newark

Presentations

• Adam Loehner, Director of Community Relations at Seton Hall University, gave an update for what was coming up at the school.  Among the events was Hunger and Homelessness Week, a concert with John Singer Sargent on November 17, a WSOU Concert on November 18 and the SHU Christmas Tree Lighting on December 1.
• The Community Coalition on Race gave an update on their latest activities.

Ordinances

• Ordinance 2011-18 passed 6-0 on second reading and will be adopted into the South Orange Code.  This is a refunding bond ordinance providing for the funding of certain property tax repayment obligations of the Township of South Orange Village, County of Essex, State of New Jersey, in satisfaction of certain successful property tax appeals, appropriating not to exceed $575,000 therefore and authorizing the issuance of not exceeding $575,000 in aggregate principal amount of refunding bonds for funding such obligations.
• Ordinance 2011-17 , which was tabled from past Board of Trustee meetings, stayed tabled.  It is being considered that a new ordinance will need to be written.  This ordinance would have amended Ordinance #09-13 providing for the compensation of all non-contractual and all supervisory personnel.
• Ordinance 2011-19 was stricken for the reasons stated for Ordinance 2011-17.  This ordinance would have established the salary ranges for Police Captains through 2008 to 2011.

Public Comments

• Michael Davis spoke to the BOT as a representative of the properties on Third Street and Valley Street.  Davis proposed that the Village buy the block of properties adjacent to the proposed redevelopment on Third and Valley so that the Village can build on the property as a whole.
• Elaine Harris, a lawyer in South Orange, proposed that the BOT look at a recent NY Times article as an alternative plan to a Special Improvement District.  The idea was that the business owners team up to open a for-profit entity in town that would pay for downtown improvements.
• Alyssa Aronson asked what the annual cost of the sewer tax was.
• Jim Ankner, a past President and current trustee of the Montrose Park Historic District Association, brought up the results of the .  He opposes question #2 which would change the name of the titles of elected officials. 
• Debbie Adler, Vice President of the Montrose Park Historic District Association urged the BOT to create an historic district.  She fears that buyers could buy some of the houses in the Montrose Park area, tear them down, divide them up and build multiple houses in their place.
• Stuart Wainberg spoke in support of a Special Improvement District.  He said that his only interest is in South Orange.  He is suspicious of the Chamber of Commerce’s plan.
• Leslie Pogany, owner of Bunny’s Sports Bar, went over a list of investments and successes by South Orange businesses over the last decade.  Her point was that they were all done without a Special Improvement District.
• Matt Mattheiss gave an update on Clean Sweep South Orange.  The group has been highly successful and is sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce.  He stressed that the group was going strong.

Consent Agenda

• 10 resolutions were passed on the consent agenda. 
• Resolution 2011-292 was tabled until the next BOT meeting on November 28.  This resolution authorizes Alex Torpey, the Village President, to execute a grant agreement with the State of New Jersey Historic Trust in the amount of $669,000 for the restoration of South Orange Village Hall.

Resolutions

• Resolution 2011-303 was passed 6-0.  This resolution called for an investigation of PSE&G.

Conference Agenda

• The Board of Trustees .
• There was some confusion over an RFP sent out about Village Counsel.  The trustees agreed to keep looking at the resumes, but that no hire would be made in the near future.
• An RFP will be sent out for the Third and Valley lot.  Submissions are expected to be accepted until January.
• The trustees agreed to see a sample ordinance for a Special Improvement District.

Planning & Zoning Committee

• It was discussed about whether to restart a Historic Preservation Commission.  An ordinance will be drafted.

Legal & Personnel Committee

• The committee would like to add a line to resolutions for Village Counsel and the Chief Financial Officer to sign.

Public Works Committee

• The committee has received a single stream recycling RFP.  It is under review.

Public Safety Committee

• It was agreed to start the process of buying a new aerial ladder fire truck.

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