While members of Common Council always appreciate when citizens are able to attend our meetings, we understand that often our constituents are unable to do so. Following is my summary with some highlights from the meeting on Tuesday night. Please contact me if you have any questions or would like additional information: mmcternan@cityofsummit.org
Presentations
The Summit Historical Minute was presented by Gabbi Friedman, who spoke about the history of the Unity Club in Summit. Mayor Radest gave an update on the Master Plan process to date, and reminded citizens of a public meeting on the Master Plan to be held on June 1 at 7:30 pm at the Elks Club. She also announced the City’s plan for this year’s Memorial Day parade. City Administrator Michael Rogers gave an update on the renovations to the Tatlock tennis courts, highlighting the generous donation of $100,000 from the Summit Tennis Association to help with the cost of improvements which should be completed shortly. Finally, a moment of silence was offered for Lindsay Bass, an instructional aide at Jefferson Elementary School, who passed away over the weekend.
Public Comments
During Public comments, Steve Bowman spoke of the need for Union County to control spending.
SDI Budget Hearing
Summit Downtown Inc, the organization which runs Summit’s Special Improvement District, which encompasses most of our downtown, presented its budget plans. The $380,000 budget includes a 37% increase to the district tax. The tax increase, which hasn’t been changed for several years, was explained to be necessary as much of the work that had previously been done by volunteer board members is now being done by professionals. A catalogue of the infrastructure investments in the downtown as well as the marketing and branding efforts SDI has initiated was also presented. Tony Melchionna also mentioned that downtown occupancy stood at 95.5%.
Ordinances
No ordinances were introduced or approved.
Resolutions
Several resolutions were passed at this week’s Council Meeting. Highlights were the authorization of the SDI budget, awarding a $993,000 bid for repairs of the tier garage, approving the downtown conduit installation project, choosing Level G Associates to do a $14,000 parking assessment and awarding a bid for improvements to Ashwood Road. Other resolutions included authorizing the Naming and Sponsorship Committee to explore naming options for the Tier Garage, approving the acceptance of a $100,000 infrastructure grant from Union County, choosing an architect for the next phase of the Community Center renovation and executing a shared service defense agreement to deal with the City’s Fair Share Housing Obligation. Finally, the city authorized the use of Memorial Field on May 21 by Leveling the Playing Field, a charity which is collecting used sporting equipment.
Please note: This summary document is for informational purposes only and is not a record of the official action taken by Common Council. Approved meeting minutes constitute the only record of official City of Summit Common Council action. The minutes of the meetings will be available after they are approved by the Common Council at its next regularly scheduled meeting.