Councilman Tashjian moved to adopt minutes of September 26, 2017 regular public meeting, seconded by Councilman Carnevale.

Transcription

1 A REGULAR PUBLIC MEETING OF THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL OF THE BOROUGH OF ORADELL HELD IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS OF THE ORADELL BOROUGH HALL, 355 KINDERKAMACK ROAD, ORADELL, NEW JERSEY, ON OCTOBER 24, CALL TO ORDER- OPEN PUBLIC MEETINGS ACT ROLL CALL Mayor Dianne Camelo Didio called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. and read Statement of Compliance with the Open Public Meeting Act. At roll call, the following were present: Mayor Didio and Council members: Schoenberg, Rudman, Pfleging, Tashjian and Carnevale. Also present were Laura (Graham) Lyons, Administrator/Clerk, Andrew Oddo, Esq., Borough Attorney and David Atkinson, Borough Engineer. Absent: Councilman Staff. Invocation: Rabbi Paul Jacobson, Temple Avodat Shalom Flag Salute: Adoption of Minutes: Councilman Tashjian moved to adopt minutes of September 26, 2017 regular public meeting, seconded by Councilman Carnevale. Roll Call Vote: Ayes: Schoenberg, Tashjian, Carnevale Nays: None Absent: Staff Abstain: Rudman, Pfleging Councilman Tashjian moved to adopt minutes of October 10, 2017 special public meeting, seconded by Councilwoman Schoenberg. Roll Call Vote: Ayes: Schoenberg, Pfleging, Tashjian, Carnevale Nays: None Absent: Staff Abstain: Rudman Presentation: Police Officer Liguori presented the Mayor and Council with a plaque from Special Olympics. Officer Liguori thanked everyone who made the police dunk tank a success at the recent Oradell HarvestFest. $1285 was raised for Special Olympics. Public Comment: Mayor Didio opened the meeting to the public for agenda items only. Theresa Trass, Maple Ave., appeared before the Governing Body. She inquired as to what efforts are being made to fill the vacant storefronts in town. Since that was not an item on the agenda, Ms. Trass was invited to come back when the meeting is reopened to the public (for general discussion items) at the end of the meeting. 1

2 Councilwoman Schoenberg made a motion to close the meeting to the public, seconded by Councilman Tashjian. Affirmation by council. Correspondence: 1. Thank you card from Betty Wells 2. Letter from Tyler Cobb re: poultry ordinance 3. Notice from Borough of River Edge re: hearing Historic Preservation Element Master Plan 4. Notice from William re: Transco pipeline 5. Notice from Borough of Haworth re: Land Use revision definition of Front Yard 6. Notice from NJDEP re: Suez master permit Councilman Tashjian made a motion to file correspondence, seconded by Councilwoman Schoenberg. Affirmation by council. Mayor Didio asked Administrator/Clerk Lyons to respond to Mr. Cobb regarding the poultry ordinance. Mrs. Lyons will speak to Board of Health for their comments because they passed the health ordinance (17-01) prohibiting the keeping of live poultry, pigeons and other fowl. Consent Agenda: Upon motion by Councilman Rudman, seconded by Councilman Tashjian, it was RESOLVED, that (made part hereof) Resolution #17-183: payment of all bills and vouchers in the amount of $3,558,125.33, be approved. RESOLVED, that (made part hereof) Resolution #17-184: suspension of Chapter 200 retail business on and , be approved. RESOLVED, that (made part hereof) Resolution #17-185: non union increases 2017, be approved. RESOLVED, that (made part hereof) Resolution #17-186: tax sale certificate # Block 806 Lot 21, be approved. RESOLVED, that (made part hereof) Resolution #17-187: opposing amendments to OPMA and OPRA legislation, be approved. RESOLVED, that (made part hereof) Resolution #17-188: appointment of Josefina Young to Beautification Committee, be approved. 2

3 RESOLVED, that (made part hereof) Resolution #17-189: appointment of Lloyd Bleckman as substitute crossing guard, be approved. RESOLVED, that (made part hereof) Resolution #17-190: authorizing sale of refunding bonds with the BCIA, be approved. RESOLVED, that (made part hereof) Resolution #17-191: appointment of Senior Citizens Advisory Committee members, be approved. RESOLVED, that (made part hereof) Resolution #17-192: NJDOT 2018 Roadway Improvements, be approved. Roll Call Vote: Ayes: Schoenberg, Rudman, Pfleging, Tashjian, Carnevale Nays: None Absent: Staff Abstain: None Committee Reports: Administration, Fire & Business Development Council President Tracy Schoenberg Administration Mrs. Lyons and labor counsel attended PERC conference wherein findings were made with respect to UPSEU. Further information will be forthcoming at a future meeting. Labor counsel will attend closed session at the next work session scheduled for November 13, Mrs. Lyons reported that Building Dept. is in the process of relocating from second floor to first floor of Borough Hall. The room has been prepared and we are just awaiting delivery of furniture. The move should be finalized in the next month or so. Fire Department Thank you to the Fire Dept. for another successful year with the Oradell 5K Fun Run. Thank you also to their efforts during Fire Prevention Week and educating everyone to fire safety. MOUs for dive team and dive truck are currently being reviewed. Conclusion should be reached shortly. Thank you to the Fire Dept. for helping out at a major fire in Bergenfield yesterday. Environmental/Beautification Committee 3

4 Grant writer is looking into health initiative grant that would encompass a Community Garden as well as a Borough employee wellness program. There are a couple of scouts who might be interested in updating the community garden as part of a Gold Award or Eagle Scout project. Coordinator for Emerson Community Garden, Tom Browne, will discuss with Oradell s Beautification/Environmental Committee his efforts of creating his municipality s garden as well as guidelines for use. Mr. Browne also expressed interest in creating a greenway between Oradell and Emerson. The idea is still in its infancy but more information to come. Reminder that Farmers Market is open from 10 am to 3 pm on Sundays until November 19 th. Business Just a reminder that there is a Connect Oradell Facebook page for Oradell business owners. Next meeting of Connect Oradell will be in January Economic Development Advisory Committee met for the first time last Monday. It was a productive meeting and the members have planned their next meeting for October 30 th. The members are eagerly planning a revival of the central business district. Seniors Senior van is arriving at the end of the month. We are comparing notes/guidelines with other towns that utilize a senior van. Mrs. Lyons will check with the Risk Manager as to insurance issues concerning the senior van drivers. Mayor Didio suggested a driving pool where volunteers can be assigned dates/time to drive the van. The first Senior Summit took place on October 23, 2017 and was a success. PowerPoint presentation is on borough website. Participants included Oradell Library, New Milford Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Oradell Police Dept, Alzheimer s Association, Bergen County Social Services, Meals on Wheels, etc. Next summit will probably take place early December. As soon as a date is decided, it will be posted on the website. Senior Citizens Advisory Committee the members have been appointed tonight. The committee will proceed with drafting an action plan with the final objective of implementing the plan. Police, Emergency Management & Regional School Funding Councilman Andrew Rudman Still in a holding pattern with Appellate Court regarding school funding. For next month s work session, Councilman Rudman asked to include some items: 1. Playgrounds in town the condition of some of the playgrounds in town is bad and needs to be addressed. 4

5 2. DPAC funding Currently the fund is approximately $163,000. However, the field has about one more year of usage so the councilman would like to discuss ways to increase the DPAC fund. Regarding HVAC at the library, there is a meeting scheduled for tomorrow to bring the library up to date with the HVAC system. Through trial and error, the wiring has to be fixed. The equipment works, the units just don t communicate with one another. Mr. Atkinson advised that there are problems with the controls such as tripping, but the units are mechanically functioning properly. Mr. Atkinson opined that most of the problems should be resolved once the control issue is corrected. Mrs. Lyons said that we requested an estimate from Advanced Mechanical regarding anticipated work. Councilman Carnevale asked if there are other parts of the library that should be examined. Ms. Graham said that lighting was a problem, but that was resolved when additional lighting was installed. Councilman Rudman is concerned about the impending cold weather and making sure that the heating system works properly. Mrs. Lyons replied that if repairs need to be made, they will be. Budget transfers are permitted during the last 2 months of the calendar year and first three months of the following year. That is why she needs the estimate from Advanced Mechanical. Congratulations to Chief Wicker for managing overtime budget in the police department. Ordinance and Insurance: Councilman Edward Pfleging Councilman Pfleging reported that there was an ordinance committee meeting earlier this month. At the meeting, the committee discussed bamboo ordinance, posting no bills ordinance and weight limit on certain roads ordinance. The ordinances will be further discussed at the November work session before the entire Governing Body. Councilman Pfleging stated that Ordinance is ready for final reading. Borough Clerk read the ordinance into record by title only: Adoption of Refunding Bond Ordinance authorizing the issuance of $1,500,000 refunding bonds of the Borough of Oradell in the County of Bergen New Jersey Mayor Didio invited members of the public to come forward if they wished to discuss the ordinance further. No member of the public came forward. The Mayor then opened to council for further discussion. Hearing none, Councilman Pfleging motioned to approve Ordinance upon final reading, to be published in the Record on Friday, October 27, Councilwoman Schoenberg seconded the motion. 5

6 Roll Call Vote: Ayes: Schoenberg, Rudman, Pfleging, Tashjian, Carnevale Nays: None Absent: Staff Abstain: None Finance: Councilman Michael A. Staff Administrator/Clerk Lyons reported that operating budgets were distributed to department heads with a return date of November 6 th. DPW, Engineering & Shared Service: Councilman Roger B. Tashjian Leaf pickup has started. Garbage modifications regarding pick up will start on October 30 th. The Blauvelt Area will be moving from Zone 2 to Zone 1. That includes both sides of Soldier Hill. Kinderkamack up to Blauvelt. The zone change was done to equalize the collection. Town wide recycling begins Wednesday, November 1 st with collection of paper. This move is being done to avoid mixing of garbage and recyclables. Received much positive feedback with our new garbage and recycling vendor (Westphal) Road Program three year span from Kinderkamack Rd. to Grant Ave. (Oradell Ave.) PSEG is also doing road improvements. In addition, road improvements will be done on Loretta Pl. and Blauvelt Dr. Councilwoman Schoenberg stated that she has received some comments from residents who complained that the garbage company has been on their block as early as 5 am. Councilman Tashjian explained that is because they are trying to get through town before school starts. Technology & Communication Councilman Stephen Carnevale The second public meeting to discuss Master Plan was held on October 3, In addition to recapping the first meeting, Borough Planner Joe Burgis shared news regarding the Borough s obligation with respect to affordable housing. Thank you to the public for all of the insightful comments that have been offered. A third Master Plan meeting will be scheduled, although the date has not yet been set. In the meantime, feedback is welcome. Comments can be sent to 6

7 The objective is to complete Master Plan review by the end of the year, however, if more time is needed, the Planning Board will take additional time so that a thoughtful and thorough plan can be put forth for the Mayor and Council s review. The Master Plan has been, and will continue to be, a collaborative and transparent process. Ambulance Agreement with New Milford Volunteer Ambulance Corps expires this year. The Corps will submit proposal to renew contract. In the meantime, Mrs. Lyons is reaching out to Holy Name for their proposal as well. She prefers that we have two separate contracts: one for NMVAC and one for Holy Name (as a secondary carrier when NMVAC is unavailable). Historical The Historical Committee would like to pursue Voorhis Cemetery as a historical site and also would like to focus on expanding the memorial at Memorial Field for those Oradell veterans that have served during times of war. Mrs. Lyons indicated that she would like to speak to a landscape architect to get conceptual plans of the expanded memorial. Additionally, the thought was to relocate the WWI monument (currently located on Oradell Ave. by the train station) to the veterans memorial on Memorial Field. Goal would be to accomplish the remodeling of veterans memorial by spring, in time for the centennial anniversary of WWI. Councilwoman Schoenberg mentioned that the grant writer found a grant that could be applied toward refurbishing the WWI monument. Mrs. Lyons added that an anonymous donor is willing to contribute money so that four flags (representing each branch of the service) can be erected by the monument. Mayor also mentioned that the plans should include planting of 3 more trees by the memorial. Mrs. Lyons stated that although tree planting bid was issued and four vendors picked up, none submitted a responsive bid. The bid will be reissued next year and hopefully will be in time for a spring planting (around April). Mayor Didio also said the idea was to rebrand Memorial Field as Veterans Memorial Field. On another note, Mr. Carnevale asked for a status update on the request by Verizon to install nodes. Mrs. Lyons said that she hasn t received any follow up from Verizon. She had asked Joe Vuich (former Borough Engineer) to try and get sample ordinances from other municipalities but he was unable to locate any. Mr. Carnevale asked the Administrator/Clerk to keep him updated. Mayor s Report Mayor Didio had the distinct privilege of marrying Laura Graham (now Laura Lyons) on Saturday, October 21, The Governing Body applauded the good news. 7

8 After she left the wedding, the Mayor had the opportunity of participating in a ribbon cutting ceremony at a new craft store in town (Clay paper Scissors 380 Kinderkamack Road). The store is a great addition to our community. There will also be a ribbon cutting for Neil Diamonds and Suzanne s Colour Room in the next couple of weeks. Mayor Didio asked Mrs. Lyons to follow up with Dan Nywening regarding PSEG plugged receptacles. Ms. Tony Boccanfuso, OPS Art Teacher, had her 2 nd grade students draw pictures of what they would like Oradell playgrounds to look like. Mayor Didio showed some of the drawings submitted by the students. Andrew Rudman (Recreation Liaison) and Patrick Crann, Recreation Director, will also review the drawings and then they will be displayed at Borough Hall. Mayor Didio reported that the County s purchase of Emerson Golf Course raised both compliments and concerns among Oradell residents. The Borough is cognizant of the approximately $43,000 (per quarter) tax loss to the municipality, most of which went to school and the county. However, the purchase of the golf course by the County preserves green space in the community. The greens surround Oradell reservoir which supplies water to most of Bergen County. The Mayor will be meeting with the County to discuss ways for Oradell to make up the shortfall due to the loss of tax revenue. She will also extend an invitation to the County for a town hall meeting to discuss their plans for the golf course. Administrator/Municipal Clerk s Report OPS Halloween Party is scheduled for this Friday. Safety precautions are in place for Halloween trick-or-treaters on Prospect Ave. The street will be closed from 3 pm to 6 pm. November work session date is Monday, November 13 th. Election Day is November 7 th. Polls are open from 6 am to 8 pm. Mrs. Lyons commended Melissa Presta s efforts to sell spots on the Oradell-opoly board game. The board game is currently being printed and will be received in time for holiday gift giving. Mrs. Lyons will look into whether the senior van is available for senior trip to Paper Mill Playhouse on Thursday. She will let Mr. Walsh know. Borough Attorney s report: Mr. Oddo reported that after we had awarded waste collection contract to Westphal earlier this year, the previous waste hauler sought to have the award set aside. The application for injunction was denied and the prior contractor agreed to withdraw the balance of the complaint, so that matter is now fully resolved. 8

9 Old Business: Mrs. Schoenberg asked for status update on the Fire Dept. outhouse. Mr. Atkinson stated that he will provide a proposal so that the project can be bid on. Mrs. Schoenberg would really like to break ground on that project by early spring. Mrs. Schoenberg inquired as to the abandoned property ordinance. Mrs. Lyons explained that the draft ordinance was tabled when it was initially discussed because the wording had to exclude the Blauvelt Mansion property. She asked Mr. Oddo to review the ordinance again and provide comments so that it can proceed to review by the ordinance committee. Mr. Rudman asked for status update on moving bus stop on Summit/Oradell Ave. Mr. Atkinson sent the County a letter but has not received a response. He will follow up with the County s Assistant Engineer. New Business: Councilwoman Schoenberg said that upstairs Borough Hall is looking dirty and has chipped paint. Mrs. Lyons said that in the past, inmates came to Borough Hall to paint as part of their rehab program. She will speak to Dan Nywening to see if we can get inmates in to paint upstairs Borough Hall. Councilwoman Schoenberg commented that there is a piano on the second floor of Borough Hall that should be assessed for value. Public Comment: Dan Mallett, Lincoln Ave., mentioned that there are leaves/branches that are covering parking signs in the municipal lot behind River Dell Florist. Mrs. Lyons will forward his comment to DPW. Mr. Mallett said that he attended the Riverkeeper clean up. The debris field was quite extensive. He was in a canoe for 3 hours. He wasn t sure who monitored the debris. Mayor Didio said that we can reach out to the Riverkeeper and try to find out. She added that the Borough and County are trying to get Hackensack River deemed as a federal clean up site. Councilwoman Schoenberg said that the Environmental Committee is interested in doing a river clean up for just Oradell portion. Regarding Recycling Center, the metal gate was unlocked and there were no signs prohibiting dropping off electronics. Mr. Mallett is just looking for clarification as to whether or not residents can dump electronics or not. Councilman Tashjian clarified that electronic dumping is prohibited. If residents wish to dump electronics, they can use County services. Councilman Pfleging suggested removing the sign from the dump site which should alleviate any confusion. 9

10 A tree fell on Lincoln Ave. a couple of weeks ago. The tree did not hit any houses or cars. Thank God nobody was hurt or killed. Mr. Mallett thanked Oradell Police, DPW and PSEG for their fine efforts in cleaning up. Nancy Christopolous, 240 Maple Ave., attended the last Planning Board meeting last month. She is happy to hear that there is a third Master Plan meeting scheduled but wanted to know how the Borough anticipates notifying residents. Councilman Carnevale responded that after a date is set, the date will be broadcast via meetings (Planning Board, Mayor and Council), website, bulletin board and NIXLE. Mayor suggested putting an insert in the tax bills if the timing works out. Ms. Christopolous said she watched the charrette meeting on OPTV and was disappointed to learn that Maple Ave. may be rezoned as commercial zone. Mayor Didio replied that the Borough Planner made it clear that that is not happening. Paul Latsounas, 50 Beverly Road, inquired as to whether the post-no-bills ordinance contains a fine. Mrs. Lyons responded in the affirmative, but reminded the resident that the ordinance has not yet been introduced. Regarding affordable housing, it should be considered that Oradell residents should receive precedence for this type of housing. Can the playground at DPAC be wheelchair accessible? Councilman Rudman responded that recreation is looking into everything. Businesses along Kinderkamack are utilizing town garbage cans. Business owners should take their garbage home. Littering is excessive and fines should be enforced. Recently, a life preserver was recovered from Hackensack River. Perhaps it can be used by County as part of a museum? Mr. Latsounas inquired as to whether campaign posters are permitted in town right of way. Mrs. Lyons responded no and that signs in the town right of way are removed and held in the Police Dept to be claimed. Regarding using inmates to clean Hackensack River, the Clerk s office did contact the Riverkeeper to pass along the suggestion. Councilman Tashjian said that if given enough notice, Westphal can set up dumpsters. At Meyerhoof Pl. and McKay Ave., someone dumped an enormous amount of dirt and debris. He called DPW but noticed it s still there. Tom Belhoff, 74 Beechwood Rd., regarding Master Plan, there is significant impact to Oradell. Where do residents pick their battles? Go to Planning Board and raise concern? But then it comes to Mayor and Council for review. Councilman Carnevale said it is more of a guide, not 10

11 set in stone. Mayor Didio suggested the resident start at the Planning Board meeting and if he cannot attend meeting send to Planning Board or Borough Planner, Joe Burgis. By statute, Planning Board is obligated to put forth a plan. Mr. Carnevale said that Planning Board approves changes to Master Plan before submitted to Mayor and Council. Mayor Didio added the Master Plan is the blueprint. What enables it or makes it a reality are the changes that are made to the Zoning Ordinances to implement parts of the Master Plan. The next regular Planning Board meeting is scheduled for Monday, November 6, 2017 at 7:30 pm. John Ferrarra questioned fence ordinance since it restricts fence height to 6. Standard fence height is 6. Since a fence should not be installed at grade level and the contour of land usually has a slight slope, the fence is not going to look level. The ordinance should be amended so that measurement of the fence only begins above grade level. Mayor Didio thanked the resident for his suggestion. She asked that the Administrator/Clerk reach out to other municipalities regarding their fence ordinances. She also asked Mr. Atkinson to provide suggestions. With respect to Master Plan, it s wonderful that the Planning Board is transparent. Foot traffic is necessary in the downtown area. Master Plan requires the right zoning and thought for the downtown area. Councilman Tashjian commented that the approach of discussing the Master Plan is unique. Typically, a Planning Board will make recommendations to the Governing Body and then the public is invited to provide their comments. In our case, Oradell Planning Board has opened up discussions to the public from the beginning before going to the Governing Body. This shows the transparent nature of the process and willingness to take feedback from the public. He commended the Planning Board for taking this approach. Mr. Ferrarra agreed and commended the Mayor and Council and Planning Board for the work they do. Theresa Trass, Maple Ave., wanted to know with respect to the Master Plan, are the Planner s drawings and depictions of the proposals on the Borough website? Councilman Carnevale responded that there has not been a draft of the formal plan. Mayor suggested capturing a still of the proposals taken from the public charrette meetings (that were broadcast on OPTV) and posting on the Borough website. Ms. Trass is frightened that Oradell can do a big flip without the residents knowing about it. She is also concerned that people aren t getting the message as to when these meetings are being held. Councilman Carnevale explained that until information is received from the Planner, the next date of the public charrette cannot be determined. Ms. Trass continued that not enough effort has been made in notifying public about the Master Plan Meetings. Councilman Carnevale replied that there has been a pretty strong effort to advertise both the first plan and second plan meetings, i.e. mentioned at planning board 11

12 meetings, Mayor and Council meetings, town-wide mailer, NIXLE, Borough website. The next date of public charrette can t be set until the materials from Borough Planner are received. Affordable housing component must also be considered and that information is also expected from the Planner. The next regular meeting of the Planning Board is scheduled for November 6 th. Councilman Carnevale stressed that the end product coming from the Planning Board is a blueprint of opportunity. It is not set in stone. Areas to consider to enhance the community. The councilman offered his time to the resident if she has specific questions or concerns about what she has heard about the Master Plan. Ms. Trass concern is that the public is not aware of the discussions. The resident inquired as to what proactive measures have been taken regarding getting tenants to occupy the vacant storefronts. Mayor Didio replied that two committees have been established: Connect Oradell that brings landlords and business owners together to gather comments about what makes doing business in Oradell sustainable or maybe even problematic. The other is Economic Development Advisory Committee which is comprised of various business professionals including a realtor who actively searches for businesses that are a good fit for Oradell. Ms. Trass suggested tax incentive to restaurants who might be interested in coming to town. Councilwoman Schoenberg explained that she has spoken with restaurant owners and while there are many who are interested in coming to town, the problem is lack of liquor license. Liquor licenses are capped by population. Hamstrung until relief. Once that opens, then there would be competing interests. Ms. Trass noted other options such as burger or other food stores. How do we incentivize other businesses? Councilwoman Schoenberg replied that she had met with County economic advisers which led to creation of Connect Oradell and Economic Development Advisory Committee. Mayor added streamlining through Building Dept to allow for businesses to open up more quickly. Working with Building Dept. to become more business friendly. Ms. Trass asked if there is a tax break if landlord doesn t rent all of the offices. Mayor suggested landlord can file a tax appeal based on the fact they have no income but the outcome is up to the Tax Appeal Court. Nick Besink, Country Club Drive, OPTV broadcasts notifications of upcoming meetings and events. Charrettes can be viewed on demand on OPTV page on the Oradell website. The power point slides from the public charrette meeting can also be viewed on OPTV. Although OPTV does not have photos from the easel that was at the charrette meeting, Mayor Didio suggested getting the same from the Borough Planner s office to post on the website. 12

13 Councilman Rudman made a motion to close public comment, seconded by Councilwoman Schoenberg. Affirmation by council. Councilman Pfleging made a motion to adjourn, seconded by Councilwoman Schoenberg. Affirmation by council. ADJOURNMENT At 9:15 pm, the public meeting concluded. Laura J. Graham, CPM, RMC, RPPO Borough Administrator/Municipal Clerk 13