Proposals to award $1.4 million in contracts for street improvements, increase the personnel contract for the jitney bus service nearly 6%, and send estimated third quarter property tax bills head the agenda for the June 24, 2014, town council meeting.
The meeting agendas and related materials are here.
Council is asked to approve two competitively bid street-reconstruction contracts:
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- $825,000 for street improvements on Whittlesey Avenue and Mayfair Drive, to Reggio Construction of Fort Lee. The cost would be offset with a $276,300 state grant.
- $560,856 for street and sewer improvements on Moore Terrace, to A&J Contractors Group of Monroe Township.
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In addition, the administration is asking council approval to award three professional services contracts:
- $15,950 to Suburban Consulting Engineers of Mt. Arlington, to design and draw up contract specifications for street improvements for Oxford Terrace, Dartmouth Road and Winding Way. The firm was the best of three solicited firms that provided proposals.
- $3,200 to Suburban Consulting to design four sanitary sewer connections for homes on Luddington Road. The firm had an earlier $8,110 contract to determine the feasibility of switching the sewer connections from a major trunk causing problems for these homes.
- A not-to-exceed $60,000 to Associated Appraisal Group of Newark, for real estate appraisal services related to inspections for building permits as well as assessments related to property tax appeals. The contract was awarded through the state “fair and open” process that requires advertising of the contract opportunity.
Council is also asked to approve an extension and expansion of the town’s contract with Mobility Coach of Monroe Township to provide drivers for the jitney bus service. The two-year contract, which would take effect July 1, would raise the base price covering four bus routes 5.9% to $278,400 from $262,800. (If approved, the basic contract cost will have increased 16% from mid-2012.) In addition, the 2013 addition of a fifth bus route would add another $70,135 over the two years of the contract, bringing the total cost of jitney drivers to $348,535 (or $174,268 annualized).
At my request, the administration has provided an initial cost analysis indicating the annual cost of the jitney service is $260,440. This analysis is based on the current contract; the extension would bring this cost to approximately $270,198 annually. The analysis indicates 225 “daily ridership,” but it’s not clear to me whether that represents total people transported daily or rider round trips. The town does not charge riders for the service (the only town in Essex County that I know of that doesn’t charge for jitney service). I’ve asked the administration for clarification on this and other issues. The administration's analysis is here.
The administration is asking council approval to send out third-quarter property tax bills with an estimated tax, because Essex County has not finalized its budget. When the administration moved to adopt the 2014 municipal budget at the May 6 council meeting – months ahead of the traditional closing – it argued that this would allow the town to send out third-quarter bills with the actual, rather than estimated, taxes.
The town is estimating the total 2014 tax levy, including the county, school and two Open Space taxes, at $209,622,730, a 1.79% increase from last year. Typically, the town will get state approval to send out the estimated tax bills and then “true up” in the fourth-quarter bill when the levy and taxes become final. The adopted 2014 municipal budget raises taxes 0.9%, with the average residential property tax rising 1.2% because of a projected increase in average assessed value. You can see the relevant page from the budget here.
Three proposed ordinances are on the agenda:
- On second and final reading, a proposed definition for parking meters.
- On second and final reading, proposed handicapped parking spaces for Shepard Terrace and Llewellyn Avenue.
- On first reading, a proposal that sets salary ranges for various municipal jobs.
Other agenda items of interest include:
- A $48,434 purchase of two motorcycles for the police department.
- Grants for recreation and social services to the Police Athletic League ($12,000), Mountain Top League ($9,500) and Community House ($45,000).
- $150,019 to reimburse 20 private communities for 2013 snow removal costs. These fees proportionally reflects the town’s costs.
- $68,544 to reimburse Llewellyn Park for 2013 leaf collection costs. The fee proportionally reflects the town’s costs.
If you’d like to contact the council with your thoughts on any of these issues, please send an e-mail to council@westorange.org or call 973.325.4155 to leave a message.
I’m a West Orange Township councilman since 2010, reachable at jkrakoviak@westorange.org. I'm a business communications consultant in my spare time.
