The amendment would have allowed the township to use funds from the Open Space Trust Fund for maintenance of town parks and historical sites within the township, in addition to the acquisition and maintenance of new property for open space. The amendment to the ordinance would set aside $265,000 per year to be used for maintenance of public parks. The establishment of the Open Space Trust Fund was approved by public referendum in 2001, and currently holds approximately $1.9 million.

Councilman Nick Joanow strongly objected to funds from the Open Space Trust Fund being used for maintenance of existing township property. “The Open Space Trust Fund was created in 2001 explicitly for the purpose of conservation of open space, not to be used for maintenance. A referendum is an election, the will of the people. I am absolutely opposed to money being removed for maintenance of town property.”

Township Attorney Brian Aloia stated that the referendum was non-binding and that the wording of the ordinance did allow the town to use the funds in the way that was proposed. Councilman Bernard Hamilton also spoke in favor of using the funds for maintenance of township property.

Joanow disagreed, saying that the intent of the original ordinance was for funding to be used for maintenance of property newly-acquired for open space, not existing properties owned by the township.

Joanow moved that the council vote instead to hold a public referendum in November to expand the existing ordinance to include historic preservation, and also to change the funding formula to stabilize the amount each homeowner would pay to the original dollar amount rather than at a rate based on property evaluations, which would prevent homeowners’ taxes for open space from rising solely due to property revaluation. Councilman Carlos Bernard seconded his motion. However, the Mayor and Councilmen Hamilton, Chalet and Venezia voted against it. Councilwoman Peggy Dunigan was absent.

The Mayor then asked the council to proceed with the vote on the original amendment. Although the Mayor and Councilmen Hamilton and Venezia voted in favor, Councilmen Bernard, Joanow and Chalet voted no, and the motion failed to carry.

Prior to the start of the regular meeting, 5th District Freeholder Brendan Gill spoke briefly to introduce himself to the public and provided contact information.

During the public comment period, one person spoke about a proposal to charge a fee to out-of-town residents who are involved in vehicular accidents within the township, which had been discussed at the previous council meeting, but was not on the agenda last night. He questioned how residency would be determined – by the vehicle’s registration or the driver’s license of the driver. He also expressed concern that the ordinance, if passed, could deter people from coming into town and doing business. The town administrator said today that the crash tax proposal will come before the council at its next meeting.

The council appointed and swore in Sam Infante as Provisional Fire Official/Fire Subcode Official. In addition, the Mayor appointed a number of people to the Library, Recreation and Planning Boards. John Marek was sworn in as a member of the Board of Recreation, and John Zitka was sworn in as a member of the Planning Board.

The council passed a resolution honoring all of the 2011 retirees from the Fire Department, and a resolution in memory of former Deputy Municipal Clerk Christina Renga, who died in January at age 91.

In other business, the council voted unanimously to pass an ordinance to exceed the Municipal Budget Appropriation Limits.

The council also voted to amend and supplement a section of township code relating to sewer stoppages, making it clear that the homeowner is responsible for stoppages between their houses and the sewer main in the street.

Two concerned residents had spoken about this amendment, expressing concerns about exorbitant cost if homeowners were responsible for digging up the street, and all of the costs associated with the repairs, such as blocking off the street, police presence, etc.
Township Engineer Paul Lasek stated that the township would continue to work with the homeowners in these situations and that the purpose of the change in wording was to eliminate situations where a privately-hired plumber could have cleared the line all the way to the main but stops at the property line, forcing the township to come finish the job. He said the intent was not to cause the homeowner to have to hire someone to excavate the roadway.

The council awarded professional service contracts to a number of contractors. Some of the proposed contracts had only one bidder, which was a concern for Councilman Joanow, who said he had no basis for comparison to make a decision.

The next meeting of the Bloomfield Council will be a conference meeting to be held in the Mayor’s Conference Room in the Law Enforcement building at 7 p.m. on February 13, 2012.

ROBBERY

2-6-2012 60 Orange Stree [Home Depot]. At 0755 hours, a suspect threatened a security guard with a knife as he was fleeing the store with stolen merchandise.

2-06-2012 Washington street at Lackawanna Plaza. At 2235 hours, the victim stated that he was approached and surrounded by three male suspects, one of which demanded his cell phone. Two of the suspects were apprehended minutes later by patrol officers responding to a 9-1-1 call from the victim.

BURGLARY

2-3-2012 200 block Davey St. The victim reports that between the hours of 1830hrs and 2235hrs an unknown person entered her Apt. through a kitchen window accessed by a fire escape. Items taken included a play station 3 and a red piggy bank.

2-6-2012 500 block Broad St. The victim reports that an unknown person broke a window on the garage and entered it. Nothing reported missing at this time.

STOLEN VEHICLES

2-6-2012 100 block Oakland Ave. 2008 Toyota

ATTEMPT THEFT AUTO

2-4-2012 200 block Berkeley Ave. 2003 Audi

THEFT

2-3-2012 50 block Maple St. The victim reports that an unknown person removed a UPS delivery box from her steps on 1-25-2012.

ARRESTS

2-1-2012 Joshua Soler of Hackensack was arrested for Warrants.

2-1-2012 Derek Combs of East Orange was arrested for Robbery, Conspiracy, Fraudulent use of credit cards.

2-2-2012 Raheem Collins of East Orange was arrested for Warrants.

2-2-2012 David Reynoso of Newark was arrested for Warrants.

2-2-2012 Brian Fernandes of Bloomfield was arrested for Warrants.

2-3-2012 Bryan O’Leary of Bloomfield was arrested for Attempt Burglary, Criminal Mischief

2-4-2012 Jose Santos of Bloomfield was arrested for DWI.

2-5-2012 Kristina Pavone of Bloomfield was arrested for Assault.

2-5-2012 Terry Shaw of Newark was arrested for Shoplifting.

2-5-2012 Kyle Horsch of Roselle park was arrested for DUI.

2-6-2012 Garibaldi Ramos-Lopez of Bloomfield was arrested for Simple Assault.

2-06-2012 Anthony Ojeda of Bloomfield, N.j. was arrested for robbery and resisting arrest.

2-06-2012 Reginald Benoit of Bloomfield was arrested for robbery and obstruction.

2-06-2012 Jose Quinones of Newark, N.J. was arrested for an armed robbery at the home depot and charged with armed robbery, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a weapon, and defiant trespass.

Shelter employees and volunteers socialize the animals in residence and help potential adopters find the perfect companion for their families. In addition, a volunteer dog trainer works closely with the adoption committee to assist with proper placement of the dogs that are available for adoption. Adoptions for both cats and dogs include spay/neuter, vaccinations, and a comprehensive medical evaluation.

Visit the shelter website for pictures and detailed information about the pets currently available for adoption.

Donations of Fancy Feast kitten food (turkey and paté flavors), Fancy Feast cat food (seafood and paté flavors), non-clumping clay cat litter, and 6-inch paper plates are welcome. Donations can be dropped off during the open house or any day during regular visiting hours.

The John A. Bukowski Shelter, located at 61 Bukowski Place, Bloomfield, is open 7 days a week from 1 to 4 p.m. Managed by the Township of Bloomfield, the shelter’s animal control serves the towns of Bloomfield, Glen Ridge, and Caldwell.

The world premiere of Reparation by Gino Dilorio at Luna Stage happens next weekend on February 9, but you can get a sneak peak of the play about an “investment banker who has made a career by playing the race card finding himself out of options and out of friends” tonight, February 2, at the West Orange Public Library. Tony nominated actor Frankie Faison will perform a scene from Reparation followed by a discussion, led by Luna’s artistic director Jane Mandel,  with the playwright Gino Dilorio. It’s all part of WOPL’s Black History Month of sceduled events.

Scene from “Reparation” and Discussion
Thursday, February 2 at 7 pm
West Orange Public Library, 46 mount Pleasant Avenue, West Orange, NJ
Free. Advance registration is required. Sign up online or by calling 973.736.0198

Have a laugh at Comedy Night at The Mount. This annual fundraiser for Montclair’s Mt. Hebron Middle School will feature comedians Eric McMahon and Melvin George II. The adults-only fundraiser is sponsored by the Mount Hebron PTA. Enjoy refreshments and lots of laughs all for great cause.

Comedy Night at The Mount
Friday, February 3. Light refreshments at 7 pm, show at 8 pm
Mt. Hebron Middle School, 173 Bellevue Avenue, Montclair, NJ, 07043
$45 per person. For Reservations and more information email here.

Compás is playing a free concert at Tapastry restaurant in Montclair. Compás are Montclair locals Adrienne Riofrio, born in the US to Ecuadorian parents, and Erik Feder, who was born in Montclair, raised in NJ and joined the group through Parents Who Rock. Also in the band are Dario Scholis on guitar, his son Gabe Scholis on percussion (amazingly still in High School!), and Juan Pablo Cano on bass. The show begins at 7:30 pm and continues for 2 1/2 – 3 hours. You’ll hear Latin music from many different parts of South America, while you enjoy your Spanish cuisine. Compás will also be selling its new CD Calle Alta.

Compás
Saturday, February 4 at 7:30 pm
Tapastry, 12 Church Street, Montclair, NJ, 07042
Free

On Saturday, be sure to check out Theo Wangemann: The Man Who Made the Phonograph Musical, which we told you about here. Historian Patrick Feaster will present a one-hour program about the life and career of Theo Wangemann (1855-1906), who was arguably the world’s first professional recording engineer, at Thomas Edison National Historical Park in West Orange.

Theo Wangemann: The Man Who Made the Phonograph Musical
Saturday, February 4 from 12 pm – 1 pm
Thomas Edison National Historical Park, 211 Main Street, West Orange, NJ
Entrance fee is $7, children under 16 free. Reservations are required. Seating is limited. Call 973-736-0550, ext. 89 to make a reservation.

Sunday is all about the Super Bowl even if you’re like me and couldn’t care less about football. If you’re not attending, or throwing a party, at someone’s home, you can join the fun at some local bars in Baristaville:

• Park Sports Bar & Grill in Montclair is throwing a Super Bowl party beginning at 4 pm complete with drink specials, giveaways and raffles.
• St. James’s Gate Publick House in Maplewood is offering drink and food specials.
• Egans & Sons in Montclair will be playing the big game and offering drink specials.

To see what else is going on in Baristaville, make sure to check our calendar.

Sure, it’s brave to go on a national quiz show and risk humiliation in front of a national television audience. You know what’s even braver? Inviting your colleagues, landlord and friends to the Town Pub to watch the show over pizza, even when you know how it’s going to turn out. Which is exactly what happened today, when Gsell’s episode aired at lunchtime. At the end his round, taped in the fall, he walked away with $1,000 — and several very nice mentions of his Field Station: Dinosaurs theme park, scheduled to open in May, by game show host Meredith Vieira.

It all started so well, with Gsell recognizing a paraphrase of the Gettsyburg Address and correctly associating Mick Jagger with the Rolling Stones. But it was a history question, in the end, that tripped him up. See if you could do better.

Quizzes by Quibblo.com | SnapApp Quiz Apps

Read more of Kate’s obituary here.

With property tax credits and rebates included, the average New Jersey homeowner paid $7,519 in net property taxes last year — compared with $6,244 in 2009 — according to statistics released by the state Department of Community Affairs on Friday.

That $1,275 increase represents a 20.4 percent hike in net property taxes — which is the amount of money that the average New Jersey household actually pays in property taxes after property tax rebates or property tax credits are subtracted.

While Christie has been touting his success in holding overall property tax increases to 2.4 percent, the bigger issue is the cut in direct property tax relief. Average property tax rebates topped $1,000 in each of Corzine’s final three years in office, offsetting more than 14 percent of the average property tax bill. In comparison, Christie’s direct property tax credit covered just 3 percent of last year’s tax bill.

Under Christie, the average New Jersey household is spending well over 11 percent of its income on property taxes — compared with between 8 percent and 9.25 percent under the five previous governors and a national average of less than 3 percent.

Here are local average property taxes according to Townstats.org.
Millburn $19,989
Glen Ridge $17,218
Montclair $16,392
South Orange $15,682
Maplewood $13,118
West Orange $11,822
Bloomfield $9,356

Read the rest of the story here. Photo by Andrew Magill via Flickr.

A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION EARLY THIS EVENING… AND BEHIND IT… A STRONG NORTHWEST FLOW WILL DEVELOP. WINDS WILL RANGE FROM 20 TO 30 MPH WITH 40 TO 45 MPH GUSTS. WINDS SHOULD SUBSIDE TO 10 TO 20 MPH LATE THIS EVENING.

THESE WINDS COULD PRODUCE SOME DOWNED TREE LIMBS AND POWER LINES… CAUSING ISOLATED POWER OUTAGES AND LOCALIZED ROAD CLOSURES.

The cold front is part of a larger weather system that is moving across much of the East coast.

The country club incurred some ill will from some of its neighbors after Public Service Electric & Gas Company (PSE&G) cut down 18 mature trees on Gray Street to put in high tension utility lines. Workers told homeowners the lines were intended to supply power to the country club.

Dan Cassino, of Broad street in Bloomfield, received one of the letters. “The timing seems odd,” he told Baristanet. Coincidences make him suspicious. “The country club had a lawsuit against PSE&G because of power issues, then, coincidentally, PSE&G was chopping down trees. It’s bizarre how quickly the government of Montclair abandoned the citizens of Gray Street.” The Board of Public Utitilities heard Montclair’s complaint about PSE&G’s actions in October, but the town settled with PSE&G before BPU issued a ruling. PSE&G offered the town some new lighting and promised to plant some new trees. Cassino also wondered that the notice of the hearing comes from the Secretary of the Glen Ridge Board of Adjustment, and not from the club’s lawyer. “There is not a great separation between the country club and the people who run the town.”

Michael Zicchelli, Deputy Administrator & Planner, Director of Planning and Development for Glen Ridge, did write the legal notice with the attorney for the club about the variance on review, and says he also writes the notices for residents. “Collaborating on the language saves time. Everyone knows the notice is true and accurate,” so discussion can go to the substance of the matter at the meetings. The tennis court will not be lit, he explained, and no additional power is required. “I don’t see any connection between a clay outdoor tennis court and what happened on Gray Street.” The letter went to 31 properties in town, to all of the Utilities and to the Essex County Planning Board, since the country club fronts a county road. He laughed when asked why the code asks for four courts, saying he doesn’t know when the code was written. As far as not having a solid fence, he pointed out that the club wants the court to look like the other courts in existence, and plans to plant 31 evergreen trees on the property line.

Brad Thatcher, a spokesman for the fight against PSE&G’s installations on Gray Street, did not receive a notice as his property is not within 200 feet of the club. He’s not too concerned about the tennis court, and thinks the country club should “be able to do whatever they want on their property. I wish we could have had more say on what the power company did on our property.” He’s more concerned about PSE&G’s plan to put up solar panels on utility poles than the club’s new court.

Jim Vigna, who is on the country club’s Board of Directors, explains that the fifth court will actually be further into the property. The club, which has been in existence since 1894, plans to put up 8 foot trees and “doesn’t want to upset anyone. It would make no sense to have a solid fence in the middle of nowhere. The trees will block the courts,” as they do in the four that exist already. As far as the issue with PSE&G, Vigna declared that the club had nothing to do with how the utility company fixed its problems.

The Board of Adjustment meeting will be held on Thursday, February 9, at 8:00pm, in the Council chambers on the second floor of the Municipal Building, 825 Bloomfield Avenue, Glen Ridge.