11 January 2010 - Regular Meeting
Agenda at Meeting
(click here for the Agenda e-mailed to Council members - 5:56 pm Friday, 9 January 2010)
(Information about the meeting follows the agenda)
Meeting opened 7:31 - Mr. Perno was late - he arrived at 7:45
Council went immediately into private session on a vote of 5-0 (Mr. Perno had not yet arrived). Subjects of session were litigation and personnel.
Concluding private session, Council went back into public session on a vote of 5-0 (Mr. Perno still had not arrived).
Public Comments on Ordinance 09-19: NONE.
Ordinance 09-19 was adopted on a vote of 5-0-1 (I did not get the name of the person who abstained).
Public Comments:
Mr. Mark Ianucci of West Walnut talked about leaf problems on his street. Mayor North noted that it was a very wet December. He went on to say that there were problems with leaf pickup this past fall.
Ms. Louise Reiser of West Walnut also commented on leaves and speeders on Walnut.
Mr. James T. of West Walnut discussed speeding, asked about speed humps on road, and asked Council to control taxes. He also asked about school send-receive arrangement rumors.
Ms. Christina Hunter of West Walnut asked the borough to put a speed hump on her street..
Correspondence: NONE.
Council members provided reports.
Highlights:
Niagara Fire Company - 132 total calls in 2009
Old Business: None
New Business:
On consent agenda:
Passed 6-0.
Mr. Perno passed out and introduced Resolution 10-22 Page 1, Page 2, requesting the Planning Board investigate putting the entire block which houses 606 W. Maple into a redevelopment zone. Council was not given time to read or review the resolution. After some discussion, the resolution passed 5-0-1, with Mr. Brunton abstaining. Reason for Mr. Brunton's abstention: While not a time-critical item, this resolution was withheld from the published agenda, and from Council, until it was introduced, in a clear violation of the spirit and probably the letter of the NJ Sunshine laws . Mr. Brunton will NOT vote for any item "sprung" on the public or the Council in this fashion. In the futurt, Mr. Brunton will vote NO on any such items.
Ordinance 10-01, 2010 Salaries - Police & Public Works was Introduced on a vote of 6-0.
Financial reports are in order.
Resolution 10-21 - Bills totaled $501,147.79.
Motion to pay the bills passed 5-0-1, Mr. Brickley abstaining.
I asked for some details about the 9 E Park purchase (the "Cuzuppe Deal"). I pointed out that the part of the deal in which Mr. Cuzuppe was to build the foundation and do some utility work for the EMS building relocation might conflict with NJ competitive bidding laws. Mr. Higgins explained that the work on the EMS building had been offered after the deal was reached on the purchase of 9 E Park [This is in direct conflict with what Mr. Higgins and Mayor North told Council on December 14. It also is in conflict with what Mayor North said to a member of the public during the public comment section of the on December 28 Council meeting - MAB]
Adjourn 8:47 pm
