Transcript for Piscataway Council meeting on April 10 2018
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Speaker 0 00:00:00 Administration and council regarding German of any matters on this agenda, item number six, which is open to the public. Are there any comments regarding item number seven, the consent agenda items item number seven in ordinance on first reading to accept the traffic signal at River Road Inwood Avenue. This will be the first reading to adopt this ordinance. Do I have a motion? Could you please read ordinance, sorry about that. Be resolved by the Township Council of the Scatter, New Jersey, the ordinance of the town Scattering Municipal Council, acknowledging the town of scatter, acceptance of the traffic control signal located at the intersection of River Road Henry Road, 6 22 Atwood Avenue Meetings hereby adopted on the first reading that it be published in the official newspaper. And that a second reading in public hearing held at 7:30 PM Prevailing time at the Piscataway Municipal Building 4 55 Closed link, Pisca, New Jersey on the 24th day of April, 2018. Speaker 0 00:00:57 We further resolve that. A copy of this ordinance shall be posted at these two public places within the Township prior to the ing. A final passage and a copy of this ordinance shall be made available to the office of the Township clerk for any interested member of the public. Thank you. Ms. Have motion? Motion? I have a second. Second. Thank you. Ms. Cedar, can you please call a roll? Mr. Bullard? Yes. Mrs. Ka? Yes. Mr. Kahn? Yes. Mrs. Lombardi? Yes. Mr. Shaw? Yes. Mr. Uhrin, your Honor. Mrs. McCall? Yes. This item passes is on first reading or item number eight in ordinance also on first reading to accept the traffic signal at River Road in Plainfield Avenue. Ms. Cedar, can you please read the ordinance be resolved by the Town Council of Pisca Wick, New Jersey that an ordinance entitled Ordinance of the Town of Piscataway Municipal Council, acknowledging the town of Pisca, acceptance of the Traffic Control Signal will located at the intersection of River Road County Road 6 22 and Plainfield Avenue Bean is hereby adopted on the first reading that it'd be published in the official newspaper. And that a second reading in public hearing be held at 7:30 PM prevailing time at the Piscataway Municipal Building 4 55 Hose Lane, Piscataway, New Jersey on the 24th day of April, 2018. Be a further resolved that a copy of this ordinance shall be posted in at least two public places of event within the Township prior to the day of the second reading in the final passage. And a copy of this ordinance shall be made available to the office of the Township clerk for any interested member of the public. Thank you. Do you have a motion? Speaker 0 00:02:21 A second. Second. You see, can you please the roll? Mr. Bullard? Yes. Mrs. Tejo? Yes. Mr. Cahn? Yes. Mrs. Lombardi? Yes. Mr. Shaw? Yes. Mr. Rin? Yes. Mrs. McCollum? Yes. Thank you. This item yes. Is on first reading item number nine, which is an ordinance also on first reading to accept the traffic signal at River Road and Centennial Avenue. Ms. Cedar, can you please be hearing ordinance be resolved by the Township counsel, the scatter Township New Jersey that an ordinance in federal ordinance of the town of the scatter municipal counsel, acknowledging the Township Pisca acceptance of the traffic control signal located at the intersection of a road County Road 6 22 and Centennial Avenue. He is here. I adopted on the first reading that it be published in the official newspaper. And that a second reading of public hearing revealed at 7:30 PM prevailing time at the scattering Municipal Building 4 55 scattering New Jersey on the 24th day of April, 2018. Speaker 0 00:03:09 Be a further resolved that a copy of this ordinance shall be posted in at least two public places within the Township prior to the day of the second reading final passage. And a copy of this ordinance shall be made available at the office of the Township clerk for any interested member of the public. Thank you. Ms. See, do you have a motion? Motion? Second, second, Ms. Can you please hold the roll? Mr. Bullard? Yes. Mrs. Cahill? Yes. Mr. Cohn? Yes. Mrs. Lombardi? Yes. Mr. Shaw? Yes. Mr. Earn your Yes. Mrs. McCollum? Yes. Thank you. Item number 10. The consent agenda for efficiency items have been consolidated into the consent agenda for altogether. The materials for these items have been distributed to the council in advance of the meeting at this time, are there any items that the council would like removed from the consent agenda to be discussed or voted un separately? Do I have a motion? Motion? Have a second. Second. Can you please the roll? Mr. Bullard? Yes. Mrs. Cahill? Speaker 1 00:04:07 Yes. Mr. Speaker 0 00:04:08 Ka? Yes. Mrs. Ardi? Yes. Mr. Yes. Mr. Rin? Yes. Mrs. McConney? Yes. Thank you. Item number 11, are there any announcements and comments from officials at this time? Councilman Bullard. Not at this sign. Thank you. Councilman. Cahn, you hear? Speaker 1 00:04:24 Yes. Council president. I see in our packets that we received an event that's gonna be held at the Piscataway football field for the young Piscataway resident who I mentioned at our last meeting, una Hin. And I just want to say I think that's a fantastic event to support that family and everything that they're going through and I hope our residents do support them and if they can be at the field, there is a, a GoFundMe. So wanted to mention that and mention too, I saw something about Ericsson in our packets too. And this is sort of the thing that here at the Township, we look for the ways for economic development and you know what's happening over there. We, it is lost tax revenue for our Township. And I, I just wanted to say that I appreciate everything that the town has been doing to work hard to help fill other vacancies. And now it looks like we'll have one more. Speaker 0 00:05:24 Thank you. Councilman. Councilman Cahn. Speaker 2 00:05:27 I just wanna briefly comment about the Mayor. South Brunswick, who's a friend of many of us, including Mayor and myself for many years. Even though he wasn't a resident of Piscataway, he loved Piscataway and was here often and he was a great leader in the county. I'm talking about Chris Murray Mayor, south Bru law partner actually. And so my thoughts and prayers go out to him, his wife and his family. He was really a, a great citizen of our county and somebody who, you know, died too young and who would've been interesting future leader in, in our community if he hadn't succumbed to cancer. So I just want to make those comments and make it known in the record that we were acknowledging him in, in his service long longtime service to, to our county, our Speaker 0 00:06:17 Community. Thank you Council. Council, my sentiments also for, again, we continued to thank DBW. We did also get a thank you from a constituent on how well they, in the removal of the tree branches and their continuing effort to clean up the storm damage from the last storm. So I want to thank them and I also say thank you to Frank for successful opening day for thank you Speaker 3 00:06:55 Council. No thanks. Speaker 0 00:06:57 Council Franker. Mayor Speaker 3 00:07:02 Mayor. Briefly. Council president. We also had another former Mayor who passed away. Frank Ryan, who is a Mayor of Brook for eight years. And from 2001 to 2009, I worked with him very closely at the league and New Jersey Council Mayor. So as I said, the condolences out for that family. A brief update or we have four teams of brush removal crews out there. They're working six days a week to try to work. We're gonna try to shoot to get everything finished up, hopefully by the end, end of the month, if not by Mother's Day, hopefully. But we're, we're making progress. We have all the streets done from Highland Park border to River Crest Drive right now with the exception of Park Avenue, which will be taken care of on Saturday morning. We're in the Custard Street area. There's another team over in the possum town area. Speaker 3 00:08:01 And then there's another team that we finished everything on the north side of the railroad tracks on the arbor and New barber in the new market section. And now we've just finished, we're working on the wa South Washington Avenue side of park and that development, she, your mom lives. And then we have another team that's working off of, there's language there'll be on or Dunbar Zoo Circle starting tomorrow. And then after they're finished with that they'll be up in N Morris Avenue area. So we're slowly making progress and that team has finished everything in the north, north Stelton region from the Edison border over to basically Mettler's Lane and South Randolphville Road and the north and south side of the lake. Thank you. Speaker 0 00:08:46 Quick question, have we hired any outside help Speaker 3 00:08:48 For we we have an outside contractor specifically just working in the parks Okay. To do that. 'cause 'cause it would be easier for us to keep track of that. And we're just having our internal personnel handle the street Google. That's Speaker 0 00:09:01 Good Speaker 3 00:09:03 Counsel. No, thank you. Okay, Speaker 0 00:09:06 So I have one comment. I would just like to acknowledge a resident that lives here in Piscataway. Her name is Natasha Hemmings. She's actually the first African American named CEO of Girl Scouts part of New Jersey. So just want to give her a congratulations and congratulations to the Girl Scouts as well. Speaker 0 00:09:24 Just also wanna announce that over at the senior century this evening, as part of the Municipal Alliance, there was an opioid overdose presentation this evening and it lasted about an hour. We had a really good, good turnout, I, I must say. And there was a demonstration on, you know, what to do, you know how to respond when a person overdoses and they actually gave out Narcan kits. So if, if, and when we have another one, I would encourage people to come out and attend. And we do have another upcoming presentation on May 31st at 6:00 PM again at the senior center entitled, entitled Hi In Plain Sight. And this is an event that's for anyone aged 21 and older and just gives you an opportunity to learn perhaps where your children might be hiding drugs. So it's, it's another good presentation that's coming up. So just wanted to announce Speaker 3 00:10:10 That. Speaker 4 00:10:11 I may say that to, has done a great job for the last three, four months and she has been the, the cheer person for the municipal alliance and she's getting all the information to the kids and the parents because I think information is everything and there's doing an one hell of a job and making it happen. Speaker 3 00:10:31 Yep, totally agree. Thanks Jen. Okay, Speaker 0 00:10:35 At this time I'd like to open it up to the public. Are there any comments or questions from the public at this time? If so, please come to the podium, state your name and address and you have free minutes to speak. Speaker 3 00:10:49 Always a disappointed day when you don't have your suit on. Oh, can't Speaker 5 00:10:54 Be all the time. David Akin examples. Valley Lane. Good evening counsel. Speaker 0 00:10:59 Good evening. Speaker 5 00:11:01 On item 10 alpha and 10 gravel. Are there proposed new dates for that at this time? For rebidding? Speaker 3 00:11:12 No, this, this was the, if I may count, council president, this was the rebid this was the award of the contract tonight, correct. You're you're talking about a Yeah, Speaker 6 00:11:25 So A is the a is the award of the rebi B is we are authorizing rebid 'cause we there received no, Speaker 3 00:11:32 There was no Speaker 5 00:11:34 Right. Okay. Item number D delta. How many vehicles are we talking about? Speaker 3 00:11:45 Just one. Speaker 5 00:11:47 Do we have one now? Other, other than this newer chassis? Do we have one now? Speaker 3 00:11:52 Yes, we have an older one Speaker 5 00:11:54 With the old. What's gonna happen to the older one? Speaker 3 00:11:56 We're gonna still keep it in using. Okay. We, we, you know, we, we use the other one too when we're milling and paving boats. And you gotta pick up something with the, before we pave that. That has a tendency to shorten the lifespan of sweeper trucks when you're picking up mills Speaker 5 00:12:26 On item number eight. Hotel, are we talking about equipment or manpower? Speaker 3 00:12:35 This was both equipment and manpower. This was from the storm that we had going back. It was a couple weeks ago. Speaker 5 00:12:43 This this equipment, was that borrowed or was there something the town purchased? Speaker 3 00:12:49 This is, no, this is equipment that the contractor owned. We paid him for personnel and, Speaker 5 00:13:00 Alright. Thank you. Speaker 0 00:13:02 Thank you Mr. Evans. Any other comments or questions from the public at this time? If so, easy state your name, address, and you have three minutes to wish to speak. Speaker 7 00:13:09 Okay? Speaker 0 00:13:10 Okay. Do you have a motion to adjourn? Motion? Speaker 0 00:13:14 Have a second. Second. All in favor? A meetings adjourned. And we'll move on the agenda portion of the meeting. At this time, I'd like to call the meeting to order outfit notice of this meeting has been provided as required under chapter 2 31 19 75, specifying the time, date, location, and to the extent known the agenda by posting a copy of the notice on the municipal building municipal court and the two municipal library bulletin boards, providing a copy to the official newspapers of the Township. And by filing a copy of the office of the Township clerk in accordance with the certification by the clerk, which will be entered into the minutes. Can seat Can you please call Mr. Bullard? Here. Mrs. Cahill? Here. Mr. Cahn? Here. Mrs. Lombardi? Here. Mr. Shaw? Here. Mr. Ari? Here. Mr. McCullough Here please. Speaker 8 00:14:03 I supply of the United States of America and Republic Court stands under God in Liberty. Speaker 0 00:14:16 Item is an ordinance on first reading to purchase of certain unapproved property at two Seabrook Avenue. Are there any comments or questions Speaker 3 00:14:25 If I may counsel, but this is off of Blackford Avenue. This is a property where the town was approached by the, the estate, the evidently who had owned it passed away. It's a 50 by a 25 lot and we own all the property around it. So we own like two or three acres around it. So how that they ed that all these years for 56 years? I don't know, but you know, there's an unapproved street out there and things like that. It's mostly woods right now. So they, they're, they're trying to quickly with their assets, so to speak. Is Mary, is that the property of next school? No, no, no. Jen? No, this is off of Blackford Avenue. Excuse me. Past how Avid By how Avid Okay, let's stop our property, which no, no. We're, we're purchased. We're gonna purchase this from the, the, the estate of the deceased person? No, our, our adjacent property. We own everything around zone zoned for something or just keep it zoned. It's zoned residential. It's been zoned that way for probably 50, 60 years. So we're just trying to permit that somebody doesn to get sold and they try to come in for another undersized law. I understand. So, okay. Speaker 0 00:15:44 Item number six. A resolution authorized and refund of overpayment of tax due to tax court judgment for 44 Skelton Road. Are there any comments or questions? Item number seven, a resolution authorizing refund of overpayment of tax due to tax court judgment, again at one 50 FO Road West. Are there any comments or questions? Item number number eight, a resolution authorizing award of contract through the Middlesex Regional Educational Service Commission for Victor Stanley benches and literal receptacles. Ben Schafer recreation not to exceed $37,735 and 29 cents. Are there any comments or questions at Speaker 3 00:16:26 This time? These are, these are for our parks. Speaker 0 00:16:30 Item number nine, a resolution authorizing tax appeal settlement and two corporate place south LLC. Any comments or questions at this time? Speaker 3 00:16:42 Sure, Speaker 0 00:16:42 Go ahead. We can go back. Steve has a question regarding oh Speaker 3 00:16:46 Six Regional Educational Services Commission on, is that, is that one of those joint buying? Yeah, it is a, it is a co-op, but the, the lead agency is the county education. That's why it's called that. That's why it's called I su I just, I don't recognize that particular, particular one. Thank you. Speaker 0 00:17:01 Sure. Thank you. Speaker 0 00:17:03 Okay, so did anyone have any questions about two corporate Visa? No. Okay. Item number 10. Residential authorizing we find of overpayment of tax due to tax court judgment at 2 34 Stalton Road. Are there any comments or questions? Item number 11, resolution authorizing refund of overpayment of taxes at 2 0 1 Grandview Avenue. Are there any comments or questions at this time? Item number 12 for resolution authorizing return of engineering and inspection fees for Ramesh at 18 m at court, HMC Associates at 4 44 Hose Lane Kil, Mahan Associates, Gerard Street, Baldwin Street, and Dun Avenue. Are there any comments or questions at this time? Item number 13, a resolution authorized a return of escrow fees at 4 28 Prospect Avenue and 4 444 Stalton Road. Any comments or questions? Item number 14, a resolution consenting to the proposed lower ton Middlesex County Water Quality Management Plan. Speaker 1 00:18:12 Council President. Okay, Mr. Mayor, is it some different plan than what they've already had in place or no? Speaker 2 00:18:20 No, this is, this Speaker 4 00:18:22 Is a bureau Speaker 2 00:18:22 Authorization to that. Speaker 1 00:18:23 Okay. Thank you. Speaker 0 00:18:29 Resolution on item number 15 of resolution solution authorizing chapter 1 59 for 2018. Distracted driving crackdown, you pay $6,600. Any comments or questions at this time? That's right. You drive, you text, you pay. Any comments? Question? Speaker 1 00:18:48 I like that one. Speaker 7 00:18:50 I saw it Speaker 0 00:18:50 On a sign to that. Speaker 1 00:18:52 That's Speaker 2 00:18:52 Possible. Speaker 0 00:18:55 I, what was that? Oh, okay. Okay. Item number 16, resolution authorizing award of contract for milling and road surface preparation for DPW resurfacing of various streets. The bid opening is scheduled for March 29th, 2018. Are there any comments or questions? Item number 17 is a Pro Proclamation for Sexual Assault Awareness month in April. Any comments? Question on this one? Speaker 7 00:19:22 I I thought Speaker 0 00:19:23 I also saw awareness item number 12. I'm sorry, item number 11. Are there any announcements and comments we counsel at this time? Mr. Buller? Speaker 4 00:19:40 Just wanna make one quick comment about the Chinese New Year and that Wednesday we had one great time. Everything about Speaker 1 00:20:01 None at this time. Speaker 0 00:20:01 Council president. Mr. Speaker 2 00:20:04 I just wanna to point out, I pointed this out before, every now and then I take the opportunity as Chairman of the finance committee to point out some of the issues with respect to these tax appeals that we pay back today. And I, I ended it up quickly in my head. We, we refunding over $200,000 in property taxes that we collected. And they were either overpayments or they were tax appeals. And what I pointed out on a couple of other occasions is that we pay that entire amount back. It's 200 and you added it up three six. How much is it? Three. My math, I shoulda used my calculator. I'm only paying 200. I don't know. You may. I'm paying 3 76. You're only Speaker 1 00:20:49 A lawyer. Speaker 2 00:20:51 I looked at it quickly, I might have missed a couple pages. 3 76, whatever the number is, we, we only collected about 25% of that. The Township municipal government is 75% and it that beyond that, roughly around 300,000. In my math, I'm averaging, I like to average Mayor was money that was collected either for the board of education, the county or the fire districts. They spent it and we're now tasked with repaying it. It's just the way the state law works. We don't choose to do it that way. And I bring that point up because we've been asked questions about that in the past. We've paid out millions and millions and millions of dollars in tax appeals of money we didn't collect that we're refunding for the board of education, the county or the fire district. It's the law, we follow it. But I, every now and then I like to point it out to the public. Speaker 0 00:21:48 Thank you Mr. Speaker 1 00:21:49 And then council president, if I may just add onto that, it's precisely why when we talk about the pilot program is something that can really be beneficial to the Township in terms of counting on that money year after year. Speaker 0 00:22:03 Thank you. Speaker 2 00:22:04 Right. And I don't, you know, the other government entities have important missions, but we have to pay for fixing all these roads, cleaning up, putting all this debris paying for. There's a lot of police officers who are paying police officers salaries and equipment cleaning up me having the parks, doing all the things that are very important to the citizens of this town. And when money's pouring out the bottom, you know, that we didn't get, it's difficult. And the pilot programs are, you know, they're, they're governed by state law, you know, they aren't allowed to certain extent in certain circumstances, but they help us be able to pay for these important services. Where years ago we weren't able to do some of those things and we really had difficult time paying things we needed to pay for in the budget. So that was really my point Gabriel, how I appreciate it. And I just, I like to emphasize every now and then 'cause the public should understand financ and budgeting problems we have and the steps that we're taking to increase tax revenue into the municipal government so that we can use it appropriately for the different services that we're responsible. Speaker 0 00:23:11 Thank you. Councilman Brown have the opportunity today to spend some time with Councilman Conn and the Mayor over at Sterling at the, the senior center for their spring kling. We really do have superior senior services in this town. I do so and also I have the community-wide cleanup day coming up on Saturday morning, April 21st. Anyone interested in joining? Please feel free. Thank you. Councilman. Thank you. Councilman. Kabi. Councilman. Frank er Mayor Speaker 7 00:23:46 Counsel. No Speaker 0 00:23:47 Comment. Thank you. Thank you. I don't have any comments at this time. I'd like to open it up to the public if you have any comments or questions, please come to the podium. State your name and address and you have three minutes and we should Speaker 9 00:24:13 1750 West third. We hope you're feeling better. Speaker 0 00:24:17 Thank you. Appreciate it. Thanks. Speaker 9 00:24:20 I need to talk to the Mayor. I think it was a couple months ago when I addressed the council that I got a letter to clean my backyard and was taken care of. I wanna know who's policing the council in the city when they don't do safes. Supposed to do town people property. The Mayor knows which one I'm talking about. On on second it on his matter fact. The piece of property that I have been after it for over a year now. You can make me clean my backyard up. Speaker 7 00:24:57 What? Speaker 9 00:24:57 You need to clean your backyard. Okay. I heard the Mayor say he has people doing cleanup. Now I need to know when are you going to address this issue? Speaker 3 00:25:10 He's alluding to a corporation that owns property Where Part of its wetlands? Speaker 9 00:25:16 No, no, no, no, no. The co of Second and Hazel Speaker 3 00:25:20 That was cleaned up. Curtis that was out there. Speaker 9 00:25:23 Okay. I need you to meet me. Call, call me and we'll go over there. We, Speaker 3 00:25:29 We, we some. Okay. Speaker 9 00:25:30 When was the clean? I need to ask, when was it cleaned? Speaker 7 00:25:34 I, I Speaker 3 00:25:34 Curtis with all the brush from debris that we've been doing around Speaker 9 00:25:37 Town. Oh, so you saying it was clean this year then? Yes. Pardon me? You're saying it was clean this year? Speaker 3 00:25:43 Well, as far as I know it was over there. I went out there, I don't see anything wrong with it. Speaker 9 00:25:49 I'll address my counsel, Frank, that Speaker 3 00:25:52 There's nothing wrong with the site out at Speaker 0 00:25:54 All, so, okay. Okay. So you want someone to come out there and check it out any Speaker 9 00:25:59 Day, any time. Okay. So we can take some pictures and bring it back to my Mayor so he can see that it wasn't, maybe they told me it was done and No, Speaker 3 00:26:07 No. Curtis, as you know, I'm out in your neighborhood. Speaker 9 00:26:10 I know Speaker 3 00:26:10 Regular basis out there. Almost every Sunday morning I go out and I drive around Speaker 9 00:26:15 Town. Exactly. So that's why there's Speaker 3 00:26:16 Nothing wrong with that side. Speaker 9 00:26:18 Okay. Speaker 0 00:26:18 So if, if we can just, if we can check it, Frank, I don't know if you're gonna probably in your way home or tomorrow or Speaker 9 00:26:23 Something. I just wanna take a look at it tomorrow. Okay. Knock on your door. Okay. The piece of property, the house that, that was destroyed that you're flattened on. Second, we had this issue where it was gonna come back in the spring and level it with some dirt. I see the property's for sale now. So who's gonna be responsible for level? The bank or the people's gonna buy the property? It would be, it would be the Speaker 3 00:26:44 Either the bank or the contractual buyer. One or the other. Speaker 9 00:26:50 Okay. I need to, I hate to go back that piece. Property we were just discussing that you own, who's cutting that this year? City or contractor? Speaker 3 00:26:58 I, I don't know Curtis, that I'd have, I have to check. Speaker 9 00:27:02 Okay. I need to find out 'cause I need to, there's a sidewalk there, which is supposed to be four foot and it's three, three foot, one inch now because the grass is overgrown, so I need whoever's going to cut it, cut it this time. Other than that, that's it. Speaker 0 00:27:18 Thanks Mr. Thank you. Speaker 9 00:27:20 Sure. Speaker 0 00:27:21 Any other comments or questions from the public at this time? If not, I'd like a motion to adjourn. Motion. Is that a second? Second. All in favor? A meetings adjourn. Have a good evening. Thank you.