The next Common Council meeting will be held on Monday, November 16 at 7:30 PM. Members of Common Council, Mayor Radest, and city staff will be participating electronically in this meeting. For this and all future electronic meetings, members of the public will be able to comment by video or audio conference. Comments will also be accepted by email or by mail to cityclerk@cityofsummit.org. Comments must be received by noon on November 16. The access codes for the Zoom platform and instructions for public comment will be posted on the city website prior to the 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 YouTube Channel.
At this meeting, we will have a presentation about the Summit Park Line project from John Ruschke, an engineer from Mott McDonald. Residents will have the opportunity to ask questions via Zoom. This presentation is intended to provide information in response to questions and issues raised by members of Common Council and the public following a Park Line Foundation presentation at the July 9, 2019 Common Council meeting.
There are two ordinances for introduction. First, the Capital Projects and Community Services Committee will introduce an ordinance to repeal and replace the Development Regulation Ordinance (DRO) that was adopted in 2019. The 2019 ordinance was a comprehensive revision of the DRO. Upon adoption of the DRO in 2019, the Planning Board proposed that in 2020, it would work with city staff to make corrections or adjustments to the revised DRO as issues arose or areas in need of clarification became evident. Because there were many minor typographical and format changes, the DRO corrections will be done as a repeal and replacement to streamline the process. The Planning Board will hold a Master Plan Consistency Review and hearing on November 24 and after that is complete, council will hold a hearing on this ordinance at its December 1 meeting. This introduction replaces the version that was introduced on October 6 and then tabled to allow for additional changes from the Planning Board. Second, the Administrative Policies Committee will introduce an ordinance to amend the DRO to prohibit the location of facilities that engage in the sale, growth, and distribution of marijuana in Summit. The Planning Board will hold a Master Plan Consistency Review and hearing on November 24 and after that is complete, council will hold a hearing on this ordinance at the December 1 council meeting.
Council will hear two resolutions from the Administrative Policies Committee. The first authorizes holiday displays on the Village Green, consistent with the United States Supreme Court’s jurisprudence on the matter. In the consent agenda, council has an application before it for the placement of a Chanukah menorah on the Village Green from December 6 to December 30, and for the lighting of a menorah on December 13. This request is made by the Summit Jewish Community Center, Congregation Ohr Shalom, and is supported by Temple Sinai, Congregation Beth Hatikvah, and the Interfaith Clergy Council, which will all be participating in the menorah lighting. The second resolution establishes the procedures for remote public Common Council meetings. In September, the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) promulgated procedures for remote meetings that the Common Council has been adhering to since this time. This resolution re-confirms municipal compliance to these procedures and formalizes the procedure for acceptance of written comments by email and regular mail.
The Finance Committee will introduce seven resolutions. The first is to authorize the transfer of appropriations. This is a bookkeeping measure that allows the transfer of unused funds in 2020 operating accounts to operating accounts with insufficient funds. These transfers are allowed only in the last two months of the fiscal year and the first three months of the succeeding year and do not have any effect on the total expenditures in the 2020 budget. The second will authorize 2% cost of living adjustments for non-union employees who are not eligible for step increases due to seniority. These increases are consistent with the cost of living increases in the contracts with union employees. The funds for these cost of living adjustments were included in the 2020 operating budget, however, council deferred authorizing these increases until it had more information on revenues and spending this fiscal year. Two Finance resolutions authorize professional services contracts for the municipal auditor and bond counsel for 2021. Another resolution awards a bid for on-call HVAC maintenance and repair services for a two-year period from January 2021 to the end of 2022. The next resolution awards a bid for walk-in hardware supplies for a two-year period from January 2021 to the end of 2022. The final finance resolution is to declare a vacancy for an account clerk for the Finance Department to replace an employee who has resigned.
Council will consider three resolutions from the Law and Labor Committee. The first resolution approves the 2021 Common Council meeting schedule. Next, there are two resolutions dealing with sidewalk cafes. One extends the 2020 sidewalk café permits through February 28, 2021 so that all permits will be on an annual permit term beginning on March 1. The other resolution extends the sidewalk café permits and lease agreements for liquor license holders through February 28, 2021. There will be no additional fees incurred for these extensions.
Community Programs and Parking Services have three resolutions for consideration. The first resolution will authorize the submission of the Recreational Opportunities for Individuals with Disabilities (ROID) grant application in the amount of $18,000 to fund Summit’s special needs recreational programs. The grant requires a 20% match, which will be funded by program fees. The Department of Community Programs (DCP) and TryCAN began this program in 2010 and it has grown to a collaboration of 11 communities that all offer recreational and educational opportunities to the special needs community, overseen by Summit DCP. The program is entirely funded through grants, membership fees from the collaborating communities, and program user fees and relies on community volunteers to enhance these efforts. Next, council will vote on a resolution to terminate the contract with Parking Services Plus for valet parking at the Broad Street East lot, effective December 31, as there is currently minimal demand for commuter parking. Finally, council will hear a resolution to authorize Crossfit Veracity to use a portion of the Broad Street East lot for outdoor fitness classes.
The Capital Projects and Community Services Committee will introduce five resolutions. First, council will consider a resolution to authorize an expenditure of $69,609.07 from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund to rehabilitate deteriorating staircases at Glenwood Place Development. Second, council will hear a resolution to adopt the municipal traffic calming guidelines to guide the Engineering Division and the Police Department in selecting appropriate traffic calming measures and to provide a mechanism for the public to request them. This document reflects the ongoing efforts by the city to improve safety for pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists as set forth in the Master Plan, Complete Streets guidance, and the Sidewalk Master Plan. The next resolution authorizes a two-year contract for on-site vegetative waste grinding services to grind branches, brush, and leaves, as well as storm debris. This allows the city to create compost -- which can be beneficially reused by the city and its residents-- and reduces disposal costs. Next, council will hear a resolution to authorize a negotiated two-year contract for snow and ice removal services. In the fall of 2019, the city bid out the project twice and did not receive any responsive bids. Under the contracting laws, the city was then authorized by council to negotiate for these services. The contract amount for this service annually is not to exceed $25,000 per contract year and $15,000 for the remainder of 2020. Finally, council will declare a vacancy for a per diem sanitation worker.
To view the complete Common Council agenda, go to https://www.cityofsummit.org/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/498?fileID=24915
https://www.cityofsummit.org/DocumentCenter/View/5053/Fox-Council-President-Preview-111620
Next Common Council Meeting: Tuesday, December 1, 2020.