<![CDATA[THE ROOSEVELT BOROUGH BULLETIN - Council Reports]]>Sat, 19 Aug 2023 15:03:46 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[June/July 2020 Council Reports]]>Mon, 14 Sep 2020 14:15:18 GMThttp://rooseveltboroughbulletin.org/council-reports/junejuly-2020-council-reports   ​

by Michael Ticktin

As has been the case since March, and as permitted by emergency State legislation, the Borough Council conducted its June meetings via Zoom.  Instructions for participating in the meeting are provided on the Borough website.   

    At its meeting of June 8, the Council adopted two ordinances authorizing the issuance of bonds to provide funds for improvements to Farm Land and School Lane.  The first ordinance appropriated $725,000 for roadway improvements, most of which will be covered by aid from the New Jersey Department of Transportation, and authorized the issuance of $160,000 in bonds and notes to finance the balance.  This work is to include milling, paving and any necessary curb and sidewalk replacement.   The second ordinance, appropriating $730,000 and authorizing the issuance of $695,000 in bonds and notes, is intended to provide funds for water and sewer improvements, including the replacement of water mains and the inspection of sewer lines on the two streets.

    Also at the June 8 meeting, the Council approved the introduction of a tree protection ordinance regulating the removal of trees from all lands within the Borough. Mayor Malkin stated that this ordinance was necessary because of the frequency with which some homeowners, especially newcomers to the community, have been removing large, healthy, beautiful trees that are important to the community and contribute to its character.  This ordinance was adopted at the June 22 meeting, despite comments from the Environmental Commission (1)  expressing concern about the speed with which the Council was moving on this ordinance, in contrast to its postponement of any action on the bamboo control ordinance that had been recommended by the Commission and introduced by the Council in March, (2) recommending that the ordinance be targeted towards large trees affecting the character of a street, rather than also including broader restrictions on removal of  trees that might well prove unenforceable, (3) noting that "specimen trees," as defined in the ordinance, are not known to exist in the Borough, so any prohibition on their removal would be of limited value and (4) recommending technical changes to correct apparent errors in the wording of the proposed ordinance.  Several Council members said that they were willing to adopt the ordinance as proposed only if the Council would discuss necessary revisions with the Planning Board and Environmental Commission; Mayor Malkin and Councilman Mike Hamilton assured the other members that such discussions would indeed take place, but that it was necessary to act quickly in order to stop the wanton destruction of trees by people who seem not to appreciate their importance to residents of Roosevelt .

    At the June 22 meeting, the Council also adopted an amendment to the Zoning Ordinance regulating portable on-demand storage containers. These include containers, trailers, storage units or portable structures without a foundation, that are designed and used for storage.  The ordinance requires that these structures be placed on an existing off-street driveway, as far from the street as practicable, and may not be placed anywhere else in the front yard or in a public right-of-way, except with the approval of the zoning officer. Other restrictions apply—residents should contact the zoning officer before placing such a unit.  An application and a $25 fee are required and the structure can remain in place for a maximum of 30 days unless the use is extended by the zoning officer or is in conjunction with active construction, in which case the permit would be good for six months.

    Also at the June 22 meeting, Mayor Malkin reported that the Borough had obtained an engineering report detailing a structural analysis of the water tower.  The Borough had received requests from AT&T and T-Mobile, both of which pay rent to the Borough for use of the water tower for their relay equipment, to install additional equipment, which caused the Council to get an analysis of the tower's capacity for additional load.  The report indicated that the tower, which is over 80 years old, needed to be brought up to modern standards for wind load.   Presented with this information, both telecommunication companies agreed to make necessary improvements to the tower so that it could safely carry their equipment.

    Mayor Malkin also reported that the quality of Roosevelt's municipal water supply had greatly improved because of work done on the system in recent years and the Department of Environmental Protection was now requiring that water samples be taken only once or twice a year.  Councilman Hamilton reported that the municipal utilities were saving a lot of money because the contractors running the water and sewer plants were, at no additional cost to the Borough, doing a lot of work that had formerly been contracted out.   
    At the July 27 meeting, the Council introduced the 2020 municipal budget.   There will be no change in the municipal tax rate.  The public hearing on the budget is scheduled for the August 24 meeting, at which time it may be adopted.   There will be no Council meeting on August 10.

​]]><![CDATA[May 2020 Council Reports]]>Mon, 15 Jun 2020 16:37:32 GMThttp://rooseveltboroughbulletin.org/council-reports/may-2020-council-reportsby Michael Ticktin
​
    The two May Council meetings, as well as meetings of the Environmental Commission and Planning Board, were conducted virtually, using Zoom technology.   Information concerning the procedure to be used by members of the public seeking to attend the meetings can be found on the Borough's webpage, at www.rooseveltnj.us.
    At the May 11 meeting, the Council proposed an amendment to Chapter 10 of the Borough Code, entitled "Housing," to authorize the housing inspector to issue the annual licenses required for all rental properties, subject to a right of appeal to the Council in the event of a denial.  The amendment was adopted at the May 26 meeting.  Under the ordinance, in order to get a license, or have a license renewed, the owner of a rented house must pay a fee of $100 and have an inspection performed by the housing inspector to ensure compliance with applicable codes.  Prior the amendment, the issuance of the license, once approved by the housing inspector, was voted upon by the Council, but the Council determined that this added step was not necessary.
    Also at the May 11 meeting, the Council approved the following resolutions: (1) a re-adoption for three years of the agreement with Monmouth County to participate in the Community Development Block Grant program under the County's auspices; (2) authorizing the Borough Engineer to review the existing storm-water ordinance to ensure compliance with current rules of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection; (3) authorizing the Borough Engineer to make a grant application to the New Jersey Department of Transportation for improvements to Pine Drive between Tamara Drive and North Rochdale Avenue; (4) awarding a contract for cleaning and examination of sewer mains under Farm Lane and School Lane; (5) approving settlement of a lawsuit brought by Hilltop Swim Club regarding utility fees; and (6) a resolution extending the grace period for the payment without interest of 2nd quarter property taxes until June 1, 2020.
    At the May 26 meeting, in addition to approving the amendment to the rental housing ordinance, the Council also proposed two bond ordinances, one for roadwork and one for utility work, for improvements to Farm Land and School Lane.   The proposed ordinances, which are scheduled to receive final reading at the June 8 meeting, would authorize issuance of $160,000 in bonds and notes for the roadwork and $695,000 in bonds and notes for replacement of water mains and inspection of sewer mains.
    Also proposed at the May 26 meeting was an amendment to the zoning ordinance establishing standards for portable on-demand storage containers in residential areas.  The ordinance would apply to portable temporary storage containers, trailers, storage units and portable structures, with or without axles or wheels and without a foundation, designed and used for storage, and would establish rules for placement, maximum size, fees and permits, time and enforcement.
    Also at the May 11 meeting, Mayor Peggy Malkin noted the passing at age 97,  in Washington State where he lived with his son, of long-time Roosevelt resident Lennie Sacharoff.  Mr. Sacharoff, who was always a quiet, unassuming man, served on the Borough Council during the 1970s--if I may inject a personal note, I am glad to say that I had the pleasure of serving with him during my first term on the Council--and was the husband of Claire Sacharoff, a much-beloved teacher in the Roosevelt Public School.   As Mayor Malkin noted, Lennie was also a war hero.  As a member of the 82nd Airborne Division, he had parachuted behind enemy lines in Normandy on D-Day and later parachuted into Nijmegen, Holland, thus participating in the liberation of that country as well.   On the 50th anniversary of D-Day in 1994, he went back to Normandy and was very moved by the gratitude shown by the French people he met to the men who had participated in their liberation.  He spoke of visiting the farm where he had landed and being shown where the farmer had written his name and those of his fellow parachutists on the wall of his barn in tribute to their valor, something that he greatly appreciated.  
]]><![CDATA[March 9 CouncIl Report]]>Tue, 09 Jun 2020 13:46:51 GMThttp://rooseveltboroughbulletin.org/council-reports/march-9-council-report​    At its March 9 meeting, the Borough Council proposed, and at its March 23 meeting adopted, an ordinance intended to clarify whether a problem with a sewer or water lateral is the Borough's responsibility or the property owner's responsibility.  Following the practice of most municipalities, the Borough will hold the property owner responsible for problems involving a lateral (i.e., the connecting pipe between the water or sewer main and the property), regardless of whether the source of the problem is within the owner’s property. This practice is common to most municipalities because laterals exists solely to supply the individual property.
 
    Also at the two March meetings, the Council first proposed and then adopted an ordinance amending the ordinance adopted in 1961 under which the Borough leased for 99 years the acre on which the Franklin D. Roosevelt bust by Jonathan Shahn and the amphitheater in front of it were constructed, at a rental of one dollar per year.  Though the lease still has 40 years to run, Borough Historian and Board of Education member Michael Ticktin was concerned that there might not be anyone around 40 years from now who would be aware of the need to renew the lease, so he recommended to both bodies that the lease be amended to renew automatically, unless either party decides not to renew prior to the then-current expiration date.  The amendment to the lease, which will take effect if approved by the Board of Education, would have the lease automatically renew at 20 year intervals beginning in 2080.
 
    The 1962 dedication of the bust, believed to be the first statue of FDR anywhere in the country, was a major event in the history of the Borough, which was then marking its 25th anniversary.   The guest of honor was Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, in what turned out to be her last public appearance.
 
    Also at the March 9 meeting, the Council proposed, and passed on first reading, an ordinance to prohibit the future planting of running bamboo and regulate, through five-foot buffer zones along property lines and other measures to prevent underground spread, stands of bamboo already existing within the Borough.  The issue had been brought to the Council's attention by the Environmental Commission, and it is one that several other municipalities in New Jersey have had to deal with by ordinance, since running bamboo can easily spread and get out of control and encroach on adjoining properties.  The Council did not take any further action on this ordinance at the March 23 meeting in order to allow more opportunity for public comment.
 
    Because of the corona virus situation, the March 23 meeting was conducted with Mayor Malkin, the municipal clerk and attorney and one Council member present, and the rest of the Council participating by speaker phone.  The Borough Hall was open for the meeting, though no members of the public were present.
 
 
 
]]><![CDATA[Jan. 2020 Council MEEting Reports]]>Sat, 29 Feb 2020 19:19:22 GMThttp://rooseveltboroughbulletin.org/council-reports/jan-2020-council-meeting-reportsPicture
​The Borough Council reorganization meeting was held on January 7. Peggy Malkin was sworn in as Mayor, Michael Hamilton and Luke Dermody were sworn in  for three-year Council terms and Chad Vroman was sworn in for an unexpired two-year Council term.  Michael Hamilton was elected Council President, meaning that he will discharge the duties of the Mayor in the event of her absence.
 
Council members were reappointed to chair their respective committees as follow:  Administration, Lou Esakoff; Community Development and Code Enforcement, Luke Dermody; Environment, Health and Safety, Chad Vroman; Finance, Mike Hamilton; Public Works, Steve Bowen; and Utilities, Joe Trammell.  Chad Vroman was elected as the Council representative on the Planning Board.  Other members of the Planning Board, as well as members of the Environmental Commission, are appointed by the Mayor without need for approval by the Council.  Accordingly, Mayor Malkin appointed Councilman Hamilton as Mayor's alternate, Assessor Donna Taylor as the public official member, Jacqueline Carpenter, Diane Lowrie and Tim Hartley as non-public official members, and Margaret Katz and Jay Bondonis as alternate members, all of the Planning Board, and Mary Tulloss and Michael Ticktin, the latter as chair, of the Environmental Commission.
     
Mayor Malkin issued her annual report on the State of the Borough, which is included in this issue of the Bulletin.
 
 At its January 27 meeting, the Council adopted resolutions authorizing the Monmouth County Mosquito Control Division to conduct aerial mosquito control operations within the Borough, appointing Greg Possiel as Right-to-Know Coordinator, and commemorating the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th amendment to the Constitution, which gave equal voting rights to women.  The Council also received a report from Chief Finance Officer George Lang stating that he had issued bond anticipation notes, authorized under previously approved bond ordinances, in the amount of $346,150 to pay the cost of improvements to the water and sewage treatment systems.
 
The Council discussed a resolution adopted by the Environmental Commission concerning the control of bamboo on public and private property.   This is an issue because, as Environmental Commission chairman Michael Ticktin explained, there are types of bamboo which, if not controlled by mowing or other means, will extend their growth through underground runners and can become quite profuse and quite tall.  The resolution recommended to the Council that it remove bamboo that has encroached onto public lands behind lots of the south side of Homestead Lane and that it adopt an ordinance requiring owners of properties on which bamboo is growing to control its growth to keep it from spreading onto other properties, public or private.
 
On another environmental matter, Mayor Malkin expressed her dismay, and that of other residents, that a large tree on Pine Drive had been removed by the owner of the property and called upon the Council to adopt an ordinance that would prevent any such removal in the future without municipal approval.   An ordinance concerning trees on private property was introduced last year, but was not adopted due to concerns about certain provisions being overly restrictive.  The Environmental Commission had recommended that any ordinance be limited to prohibition of clear cutting of a lot.

]]><![CDATA[CounCil Report: OcToBer-November 2019]]>Sun, 15 Dec 2019 08:00:00 GMThttp://rooseveltboroughbulletin.org/council-reports/council-report-october-november-2019​by Michael Ticktin
 
At its October 28 meeting, the Borough Council enacted an ordinance requiring all pet owners and keepers to immediately and properly dispose of any solid waste deposited by their pet on any public property or on any private property not owned or possessed by the pet owner.  The ordinance includes an exemption for disability assistance animals.  Violators are subject to a fine of $50 for the first offense, increasing to $100 for the second offense, $250 for the third offense, and up to $1,000 for the fourth and any subsequent offenses. 
 
The Council adopted the ordinance in response to a complaint from a resident about a pet owner who refused to clean up after his pet.   For the ordinance to be enforced, assuming the offense does not occur in the presence of a State trooper, an aggrieved citizen will have to observe violation, both the action of the pet and the failure or refusal of the owner to comply with the ordinance, go to the clerk of the joint municipal court in Millstone and file a complaint and testify at the municipal court trial.
 
Also at the October 28 meeting, the Council voted to table an ordinance regulating the removal of trees on private property that had been formally proposed, at the October 15 meeting.  Councilman Luke Dermody, Council liaison to the Environmental Commission (EC), reported that the EC had discussed the proposed ordinance and had concluded that it was overly restrictive and would impose unnecessary costs and permit requirements on homeowners who had legitimate reasons for removing a tree. The incident that had led to the introduction of the proposed ordinance involved cases of new residents moving in and clear cutting portions of their properties.   It was the position of the EC that that problem could better be addressed by an ordinance limited to clear cutting and by educating people as the value that trees give to properties and to the community.   EC chairman Michael Ticktin also pointed out that technical errors in an earlier draft had not been corrected.
 
At the October 15 meeting, the Council voted to renew the existing agreement with Monmouth County for service to senior and disabled Roosevelt residents under the Special (formerly Senior) Citizens Area Transportation (SCAT) program.
 
At the November 12 meeting, the Council was pleased to receive an email from Chuck Casagrande of the Monmouth County Joint Insurance Fund congratulating the Borough and Safety Coordinator Greg Possiel on an excellent loss control report.  The report concluded that there are no new or outstanding suggestions for improvement. 
 
The Council also received a letter from the New Jersey Department of Transportation (DOT) granting an extension until August 21, 2020 for improvements to Nurko Road and Elm Court largely funded by DOT.
 
The Council awarded a contract in the amount of $808,513,13 to The Earle Companies of Farmingdale, NJ, a bidder whom Carmela Roberts, the municipal engineer, had found to be "responsive, experienced and efficient," for new water mains on Homestead Lane, Cedar Court and Elm Court, curb and pavement replacement on Homestead Lane and Cedar Court and sanitary sewer improvements on Homestead Lane.
 
The Council also authorized payment in the amount of $12,900 to B&W Construction for installation of four Mueller hydrants and awarded a contract for $1,640 to Power Equipment Company for the periodic maintenance and repair of the standby emergency generators located at the Borough Hall, the Lake Drive lift station, the sewage treatment plant and the water treatment plant.
 
Before adjourning the November 12 meeting, Mayor Peggy Malkin read a statement indicating that, contrary to what some residents had been saying, the Council has no intention to shut down the Roosevelt First Aid Squad and is actively working to maintain and improve our emergency services.   A letter from Mayor Malkin restating what she said at the meeting is included in this issue of the Bulletin.    
 
]]><![CDATA[June - July 2019]]>Mon, 30 Sep 2019 07:00:00 GMThttp://rooseveltboroughbulletin.org/council-reports/june-july-2019​At its meeting of June 10, the Borough Council adopted the 2019 municipal budget, which does not include any increase in either the municipal tax rate or bi-monthly water-sewer rates.  However, since the taxes billed to property owners also include taxes payable to the school district and the county, the lack of change in the municipal tax rate does not mean that there will be no change in the total tax rate.
Also at the June 10 meeting, the Council adopted a Fiber Optics Cable ordinance establishing fees and procedures for applications to install fiber optics cables in public rights-of-way and other municipally-owned lands.  The Council also adopted a resolution approving a rights-of-way use agreement with Cross River Fiber, LLC for the installation of fiber optic cables on existing utility poles,  Since this installation, in contrast to any underground installation, will not require any engineering work involving municipal property, the applicant is not being required to pay an escrow to cover engineering costs. The Council also approved the hiring and payment of the following summer camp personnel:  Gus Vuolle as camp supervisor, Amanda Ambrosino, Larisa Bondy and Crystal Raines as assistant camp supervisors and Liam Biggers-Brookhouse, Mark Felong, Lily Hezrony, Trevor Kosa, Liam O'Donnell and Rhiannon Vo as counselors. The Council also agreed to have Allen Tree Service remove several large dead trees around the grave of community founder Benjamin Brown in the municipal cemetery.
At the June 24 meeting, the Council received a letter from Municipal Engineer Carmela Roberts stating that the Borough  has been awarded aid from the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) in the amount of $240,000 for improvements to Farm Lane and recommending (1) that the sewer lines under Farm Lane be televised for condition in order to determine if replacement at the same time is required and (2) that the Council consider replacing water lines there as well.  The Council adopted a resolution authorizing Ms. Roberts to make a grant application to NJDOT for improvements to the entire length of School Lane.  Ms. Roberts had recommended that the grant application for this year be for School Lane, Tamara Drive or Pine Drive between the Pine-Tamara triangle and North Rochdale Avenue.  Also at the June 24 meeting, the Council approved a contract for website and email hosting with City Connections, LLC for $2,040.
At the July 8 meeting, which will be the last meeting until August 12 because the Council is meeting only once a month during July and August, the Council voted to award a three-year contract for professional cemetery management services to Sutphen Memorial, Inc., of Hopewell (and Hightstown). The payment for cemetery management services will be $9,300 per year, which represents a $2,000 per year reduction  from the amount previously paid. 
Mayor Peggy Malkin thanked all who volunteered to make the municipal Fourth of July celebration successful.
]]><![CDATA[February 2019]]>Tue, 16 Apr 2019 01:16:19 GMThttp://rooseveltboroughbulletin.org/council-reports/february-2019]]><![CDATA[March 25, 2019 Meeting]]>Mon, 15 Apr 2019 07:00:00 GMThttp://rooseveltboroughbulletin.org/council-reports/march-25-2019-meeting​At its meeting of March 25, the Borough Council selected Chad Vroman, who has been serving as an alternate member of the Planning Board, to be a member of the Council.   He replaces Cody Parker, who was appointed to the Council last year to fill an unexpired term and was elected to a new three-year term in November, but was not sworn in and submitted a letter of resignation, citing the growth of his agricultural business and the need to devote his time to it.
Since Mr. Parker had been elected as a Democrat, the Council selected his replacement from a list of three nominees submitted by the municipal Democratic committee, which consists of Mayor Peggy Malkin and Councilman Michael Hamilton.  Councilman Vroman will serve in an appointed capacity until the results of the November election have been certified by the Monmouth County Board of Elections, at which time the person elected to that seat will take office for the remainder of the term.   Meanwhile, he will serve in the committee positions formerly assigned to Mr. Parker, including serving as chair of the Environmental, Health and Safety committee.
The Council also elected Mr. Vroman to be the Council member of the Planning Board.   Mayor Malkin appointed Councilman Hamilton to serve as Mayor's alternate on the Planning Board and can now appoint someone who is not a Council member or municipal official or employee to serve in the alternate position vacated by Mr. Vroman.
The Council also received notice from the Monmouth County Mosquito Control Division that, at some time between the beginning of May and the end of November, they will be applying pesticides registered by the USEPA and NJDEP, and recommended for use by the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, for the control of adult mosquitoes.   Residents who want more information or wish to be advised at least 12 hours prior to application of pesticides, which may be done by ground or by air, can contact the Mosquito Control Division at (732) 542-3630 or go to their website at www.visitmonmouth.com/mosquito.
]]><![CDATA[January 2019 Meetings]]>Thu, 21 Feb 2019 08:00:00 GMThttp://rooseveltboroughbulletin.org/council-reports/january-2019-meetings​Council Reorganizes; Appointments Made and Approved
by Michael Ticktin
 
    The reorganization meeting of the Borough Council was held on January 7.  It was followed immediately by the first January meeting.  The next meeting will be held on January 28, with subsequent meetings held on the second and fourth Monday of each month, except for Tuesday meetings on May 28, October 15 and November 12 due to holidays.
    Councilman-elect Steve Bowen was sworn in for a full three-year term.  Councilman-elect Cody Parker, who had served until mid-November filling a vacant seat, was scheduled to be sworn in for a full term as well, but was unable to be present at the meeting and will be sworn in on or before the next meeting.  Councilmen Lou Esakoff and Luke Dermody, who had been elected in November to complete unexpired terms, had already been sworn in at the second November meeting, since the election law provides that candidates elected to complete unexpired terms take office as soon as the election results are certified by the county clerk, rather than at the beginning of the new year.
    Councilman Mike Hamilton was elected council president.  As such, he will serve as acting mayor if Mayor Peggy Malkin is out of town for at least three days
    The following committee appointments were made, with the committee chair being the first named:  Administration- Esakoff, Dermody, Hamilton; Community Development and Code Enforcement- Dermody, Esakoff, Hamilton; Environment, Health and Safety- Parker, Bowen,Dermody; Finance- Hamilton, Esakoff, Trammell, Public Works-  Bowen, Parker, Trammell, Utilities- Trammell, Bowen, Parker.
     No Council appointment was made to the Planning Board, since the members present wanted Councilman-elect Parker to have an opportunity to participate in the discussion, and perhaps accept the appointment.  Mayor Malkin reappointed Assessor Donna Taylor as the public official member, and Alison Petrilla and Jacqueline Carpenter as citizen members, of the Planning Board. She also reappointed Kim Felong, Tim Hartley and Nick Murray as regular members, and Matthew Margotta as an alternate member, of the Environmental Commission.
    The following appointments were made by Mayor Malkin and confirmed by the Council: Gregg Possiel as Joint Insurance Fund Commissioner and also as Safety Coordinator; Salvatore Cannizzaro as Tax Search Officer; Kathleen Hart as Assessment Search Officer; Ana Debevec as Public Agency Compliance Officer and also as Records Officer; Ron Kostar as Clean Communities Coordinator; Rob Masterson as Emergency Management Coordinator; Cody Parker as Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator; Raymond Raya, Esq. as Public Defender; Susan L. Solda DeSimone, Esq. as Municipal Court Prosecutor; Jeremy Kuipers as Zoning Officer, Code Enforcement Officer and Housing Inspector, and Fran Hezrony, Danielle Hubiak, Alissa Schembry and Christie Hague as school crossing guards.  Borough Clerk Kathleen Hart was reappointed as Registrar of Vital Statistics and Lorraine Maher was reappointed as Deputy Registrar.  Councilman Dermody was designated as liaison with the Roosevelt Senior Citizens Organization and Councilman Hamilton as liason with the Board of Education.  Michael Ticktin was reappointed as Borough Historian and as Representative to the Monmouth County Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program, and Councilman Esakoff was appointed as Deputy CDBG Representative. Contracts were approved for tax and utility collection software support services with Edmunds & Associates, Inc. and for professional information technology services with Cross Over Networks, LLC.  
    Professional service contracts were awarded to Gregory J. Cannon, Esq. (attorney), Carmela Roberts, PE (engineer), Gerard Stankiewicz, CPA, RMA (auditor), Meghan Bennett Clark (bond counsel), Thomas A. Thomas (planner) and Kerry Higgins, Esq. (labor counsel).
     A temporary budget appropriation of just over a quarter of the 2018 budget amount was approved.  This is necessary each year in order to keep the Borough in operation until the annual budget is adopted.  Ocean First Bank was designated as depository for the municipal court.  As with other resolutions concerning the municipal court, such as appointment of court personnel, the Borough has to make the same appointments that Millstone makes, since their court also serves as our court.  First Constitution Bank, Hightstown office, was designated as depository for the Borough for all other purposes.
    At the regular first January meeting that followed the reorganization meeting, the Council voted to pay bills and to ratify and approve a change order for iron sludge removal in the aerator and settling tanks at the water plant.  The Council also approved the use of the Borough Hall for tai chi on Wednesday mornings and Thursday evenings, for First Aid training on Sundays and on Tuesday evenings, and on three evenings in January for RAP rehearsals.
]]><![CDATA[Borough Council Report]]>Fri, 30 Nov 2018 08:00:00 GMThttp://rooseveltboroughbulletin.org/council-reports/borough-council-reportGas Station to be Demolished; Bond Ordinance for Replacement of Water Mains on Elm Court, Cedar Court and Part of Homestead Lane Approved
by Michael Ticktin
Mayor Peggy Malkin opened the October 9 meeting of the Borough Council by presenting a certificate of appreciation to H&H Gas Company for their many years of allowing the Borough to use equipment that they have provided at no charge for grilling hot dogs and hamburgers at the annual Fourth of July picnic.   The H&H representative who accepted the award recounted how H&H's tradition of providing equipment for the annual picnic goes back to the time when the company was owned by the grandfather of the current owner, Kenny Horowitz.
The Council received a letter from Carmela Roberts, the municipal engineer, concerning demolition of the gas station.  Ms. Roberts cautioned that, while removing only the above-ground structure would not require any new permits from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), removal of the foundation and accompanying disturbance to soil and/or vegetation would require additional permits, since the entire site is in a wetlands buffer zone.  She also pointed out that leaving the slab in place would maximize the "existing" impervious surface for any future development and thus might make any future DEP permit easier to obtain. She therefore recommended that demolition of the building not include the foundation slab. Consistent with her recommendation, the Council, having obtained bids both for demolition and removal of the above-ground structure only and for demolition and removal of the slab as well, adopted a resolution accepting  the low bid of $10,000 for demolition and removal of the above-ground structure only. The property has been owned by the Borough for nearly 20 years and all attempts to sell it in "as-is" condition have been unsuccessful. Council members expressed the hope that, in addition to improving the community by eliminating an eyesore in a very prominent location, removal of the building might make the property more attractive to potential purchasers.
Also at the October 23 meeting, and after delaying a decision for several meetings, the Council voted unanimously to approve the proposed ordinance authorizing the issuance of $715,000 in bonds (only half of which would actually be issued if the Borough succeeds in getting a federal grant to cover 50% of the cost, as municipal engineer Roberts expects the Borough will be able to do).  The money would be used to pay for replacement of water mains under Elm Court, Cedar Court and part of Homestead Lane in conjunction with street reconstruction there. Engineer Roberts advised the Council that including sewer line replacement at those locations to the project would add $73,300 to the cost, but that there would be no program to cover half the cost. Inclusion of sewer lines would require an additional ordinance.

Engineer Roberts also prepared an application, which was approved by the Council, for funding from the New Jersey Department of Transportation (DOT) for the next planned road improvement, which will be to Farm Lane.
At the October 9 meeting, Mayor Malkin appointed Sam Ashburner as an alternate member of the Environmental Commission, for a term ending December 31, 2019.  Subsequently, at the October 22 meeting, she appointed Matthew Margotta to the other alternate position for a term ending December 31, 2018. The seven regular positions and two alternate positions on the Commission are now all filled.
Also at the October 22 meeting, the Council approved an ordinance providing for a stop sign on the northern fork of Homestead Lane at the intersection with North Valley Road, which had been the site of a recent accident and at which there are visibility problems, and also approved on first reading proposed ordinances (1) moving the current yield sign on Homestead Lane near the apex of the triangle to a more appropriate location at the intersection of the southern fork of Homestead Lane with North Valley Road and (2) providing for a stop sign on South Rochdale Avenue northbound at the intersection with Clarksburg Road, which has been the site of numerous accidents and near-accidents.   A public hearing on the two proposed ordinances will be held at the Council meeting that will be held on November 13 because Veterans' Day is observed on Monday, November 12.

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