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.