The next Common Council meeting will be held on Tuesday, December 15 at 7:30 PM. This will be the last council meeting for 2020. 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 to cityclerk@cityofsummit.org or by mail to Office of the City Clerk, 512 Springfield Ave. Summit, NJ 07901. Comments must be received by noon on December 15. Those that submit written comments will have their comment read by the clerk or summarized if substantially like other comments. Those submitting written comments will not be permitted to speak on that same subject at the meeting. Access codes for the Zoom platform and instructions for public comment are posted on the city website.
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.
Council will hold hearings and vote on three proposed ordinances. The first ordinance from the Finance Committee will authorize a COVID-19 related special emergency appropriation in the amount of $850,000 to make up revenue shortfalls from the Parking Authority resulting from the public health emergency. State law allows for this appropriation and provides that it shall be paid back over five years starting in 2022. The second ordinance from the Finance Committee amends an ordinance governing the procedure for payment of bills to comply with prompt payment law. Finally, the Community Programs and Parking Services Committee will introduce an ordinance to amend the city code to increase quarterly overnight parking permit fees and to allow on-street overnight permit parking on certain streets. Overnight quarterly parking fees will increase from $75 to $100 and for senior citizens from $56.25 to $75. This is the first rate increase since 2006. On-street overnight parking permits will be available on specific streets adjacent to multi-dwelling units with 10 or more units.
The Finance Committee will introduce eight resolutions. The first is to establish a special emergency deferred charge for COVID-19 effected revenue losses in the amount of $850,000 for the Parking Utility. The resolution also allows for the issuance of special emergency notes if needed. The second resolution seeks to amend a reimbursement agreement with Union County for CARES Act funding for a total of $1,073,609.04. The amended amount includes an additional $167,114.31 for city expenses, $39,637.34 for the Summit Volunteer First Aid Squad, and $12,268.60 to reimburse Mountain Valley Emergency Communications Center. Next, council will vote on a bookkeeping measure to authorize 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. Another bookkeeping resolution will cancel current unexpended fund appropriations in the 2020 municipal budget in the amount of $400,000. Unexpended funds are a result of reimbursements from the Union County CARES Act. By canceling the unexpended appropriations, the city can use these funds to offset 2020 revenue deficits resulting from the health emergency including municipal court fees, interest on investments, and hotel/motel occupancy fees. Council will also authorize a change to the city’s Rabbi Trust Deferred Compensation Fund for members of the Police Benevolent Association Local No. 55 to reflect the vesting schedule in the collective bargaining agreement for those officers hired on or after January 1, 2020. Next, council will authorize six-month contract extensions for payroll services and Human Resources and Time and Attendance services through June 20, 2021. This contract extension will allow the city to evaluate the request for proposals (RFP) to obtain comprehensive services under one contract. Last, council will vote on resolutions to authorize (1) a professional services agreement for risk management consultant services for 2021; and (2) a shared services agreement with the Borough of Madison for Information Technology Support Services.
Council will hear two resolutions from the Law and Labor Committee. The first authorizes a professional services contract for legal services re-appointing Matthew Giacobbe of Cleary Giacobbe Alfieri Jacobs, LLC as City Solicitor through December 31, 2021. Second, council will extend the 2020 Tow Operator’s
Licenses through February 28, 2021 to allow operators to complete the necessary paperwork processing at the New Jersey Department of Motor Vehicles, which is currently operating on a limited by-appointment only schedule.
The Capital Projects and Community Services Committee will introduce nine resolutions. First, council will consider a resolution to authorize an expenditure of $221,064.08 from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund for rehabilitation of the Glenwood Place Development. This work was authorized by a prior resolution and entailed replacing windows and patio doors. Next, council will consider a resolution to authorize the execution of an Addendum to the Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Summit and the Parkline Foundation dated September 21, 2018. This Addendum will further clarify the responsibilities of the parties as planning and construction of the Parkline moves forward. Council will also vote on a resolution to authorize the 2021 city-wide Earth Day Clean Up, proposed for Saturday, April 10 and a rain date of Sunday April 11, 2021. Council will vote on a resolution authorizing Consultant Planning Services for 2021 in an amount not to exceed $65,000. This work is funded in the Municipal Land Use Operating Budget for 2021. Additionally, there are four resolutions authorizing Consultant Engineering Services with firms, each of which have strengths in particular areas. The engineering contracts set an hourly rate and a “not to exceed” amount. When professional services are required from any of these firms, they will be funded through the corresponding capital project. Finally, council will hear a resolution to declare a vacancy for an Assistant Engineer. This vacancy was created by the promotion of the City Engineer to Acting Director of the Department of Community Services and the promotion of the Assistant Engineer to City Engineer.
To view the complete Common Council agenda, go to https://www.cityofsummit.org/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/505?fileID=25176
Printable agenda preview: https://www.cityofsummit.org/DocumentCenter/View/5119/Fox-Council-President-Preview-121520
Next Common Council Meeting: Reorganization meeting, Tuesday, January 5, 2021.