Cedar Grove Council Completes Agenda, Honors Scouts

The Cedar Grove Township Council took care of business matters at Monday night’s council meeting, but also found time to honor local Girl Scouts.

During the business portion of the meeting, residents from Little Falls Road asked if it was possible to make the roadway a no parking zone because of the cars parking for the basketball courts across the street.

The council also discussed the hours the courts are available for use after residents said last year’s 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. hours were neither enforced or obeyed and said this has become a disturbance.

Township Manager Thomas Tucci said he would contact police and speak with area residents to find the best solution to the problem.

In other business, the council: 

• Approved a resolution of a pending ordinance to raise sewer and water prices five percent, which was discussed in last weeks’ meeting. A public hearing on the ordinance will be held on April 2. For more detailed information, click here.
• Accepted a raffle license for the Memorial Middle School PSA.
• Approved a move by the Historical Society of Cedar Grove to contact the national representative of the Historical Society to request the painting of the barn next to the Morgan House at 903 Pompton Ave., and to replace the barn’s dirt floor with cement. The organization needs to get approval because Cedar Grove could lose funding for the historic site, Tucci said.
• Approved the Length of Service Awards Program for the rescue and ambulance squads as a reward program for time put in by the volunteers. The awards total about $22,000.
• Waived a late fee of $20.53 for Infor Metal and Tooling Manufacturing Company, 16 Commerce Road, because they have never been late in payments in 10 years and they petitioned it was lost in the mail, Tucci said.
• Decided because of a lack of business to cancel next week’s council meeting.

Prior to the meeting, council chambers were filled by a Girl Scouts of Cedar Grove and their parents.
The group received a proclamation from the council recognizing the 100^th anniversary of the group this month.

“Thank you,” said the service unit manager Linda Cunniff, to the council after accepting the award with a few Scouts at her side. “We have over 250 Girl Scouts, with probably about 50 here right now.”

The Girl Scouts were recognized for donating three books to the Cedar Grove Public Library as part of the anniversary celebration.

During the meeting, Boy Scout Daniel Fanelli invited the council to his Autism Awareness Day scheduled for April 22, 2012. Township Manager Thomas Tucci assisted Fanelli by getting the library to open that day for the occasion.

Fanelli, who is trying to gain his Eagle Scout badge, said he asked himself “What is something that isn’t going to be a cookie cutter project.”

“My brother is actually autistic and what is better than to reach out and educate the Cedar Grove community because I wanted to inform everyone about it,” Fanelli said.

He decided on creating a memorial bench and doing landscaping outside the library between April 5 and April 15 and creating a dedicating service on April 22.

“I know it took a lot of hard work and it really hits home for you,” said Mayor John Zunic. “So you deserve credit for that and also coming here tonight. It was very well presented.”