https://www.cityofsummit.org/DocumentCenter/View/4223/Fox-Council-President-Preview-051220
I hope this message finds you and your family healthy and safe. I recognize that this is a trying time for our community and our nation. I am very proud of how Summit residents have risen to the occasion and I urge all residents to continue their efforts to observe the stay at home order and to take care of one another. - Marjorie Fox
The next Common Council meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 12 at 7:30PM. Once again, members of the public will be able to view the meeting by remote access. Members of Common Council, Mayor Radest, and city staff will be participating electronically in this meeting.
Every Common Council meeting is broadcast live on HTTV Verizon channel 30 and Comcast channel 36 and 34. The meeting will also be broadcast live on the City of Summit NJ YouTube channel.
To provide for public input, Common Council will accept comments and questions in advance of the meeting and during the meeting by email at cityclerk@cityofsummit.org.
To have a question read during the meeting, the full name of the sender must be listed in the body of the email. If possible, include a few words indicating the topic of the question or comment in the subject line of the email. Only emails properly identified with the full name of the sender will be read publicly during the meeting.
Once again, we will have a report from our Office of Emergency Management on its COVID-19 response. We will also have a brief presentation by our City Administrator outlining our budget process and city efforts to address the revenue and appropriations implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on the municipal budget. Administration has been working diligently to bring in the leanest budget possible, while still providing the highest level of city services. The budget hearing will be held during the May 26 Council meeting and I encourage all residents to look out for the budget snapshot that will be arriving in your household mail shortly, as well as budget updates on the city website.
In other matters, Common Council will hold a hearing on an ordinance to amend the Development Regulations Ordinance (DRO) to clarify that the clinical development and commercial production of chimeric antigen receptor t-cell therapy, known as CAR-T as a permitted use in the Planned Research Office Development (PROD) zone. This cancer therapy at the West Campus of Bristol-Myers Squibb does not involve patient treatment at the site. At its April 27 meeting the Planning Board made a determination that this change to the DRO is not inconsistent with the City of Summit Master Plan.
The Finance Committee will introduce a resolution to concur in the Board of School Estimate’s certification of funds for the 2020-2021 school year. This resolution is voted on annually and approves the amount raised from local property taxes to operate the Summit Public Schools, based upon the Board of Education’s approved budget. A second resolution extends the deadline for renewal of food establishment licenses from June 30 to July 31 without penalty to assist food service establishments during the public health emergency.
The Capital Projects and Community Services Committee will introduce two resolutions. The first resolution will award the bid for the 2020 road micro-resurfacing program. Summit has bid this project as part of a cooperative with five other communities to obtain the best pricing for the work. Each year, Summit completes micro-resurfacing on selected roads throughout the city to improve the condition of the roadways and to preserve their useful life. The second resolution authorizes submission of Summit’s annual Recycling Tonnage Report to the state for 2019. Summit receives grant funding for its recycling program from the state based upon the information contained in this report.
The Law and Labor committee will introduce resolutions to declare a vacancy in the Fire Department in response to the retirement of a firefighter and to extend sick leave with pay for an employee in the Department of Community Services.
Lastly, the Safety and Health Committee will introduce two resolutions to authorize the submission of grants for the Fire Department and the Office of Emergency Management to respond to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. These grant applications seek: (1) reimbursement for purchases of personal protective equipment; and (2) funding for purchase of equipment to sanitize work spaces and equipment. This sanitizing equipment will be used by the Police and Fire Departments. The final resolution authorizes a lease agreement to purchase a replacement pump engine for the Fire Department. This agreement will allow the engine to be built for delivery later this year. The annual lease payments will begin in the 2021 fiscal year and will be included in the 2021 budget.
To view the complete Common Council agenda, go to https://www.cityofsummit.org/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/465?fileID=22974
Next Common Council Meeting: Tuesday, May 26, 2020.