The next Common Council meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 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 March 16. Those that submit written comments will have their comment read by the clerk or summarized if substantially like other comments and will not be permitted to speak on that same subject at the meeting. The rules for public comments and the Zoom access code are posted on the City website. The access code for the Zoom platform for this meeting is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83417593648?pwd=UEJSNzN5Z1NmYXZTVGRpd0NFczhrZz09.
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.
The first item on the agenda is the ceremonial award presentation to recognize the volunteers on the Transfer Station Task Force. The Task Force was created in July 2018 and was charged exploring potential uses of the Transfer Station site. The Task Force has issued a report with recommendations and was recently disbanded because it has completed its mission.
Council will hold a hearing and vote on the Capital Projects and Community Services Committee ordinance to adopt new stormwater management regulations. These new regulations align the municipal stormwater management program with the 2020 amendments to State of New Jersey stormwater regulations. They also provide for the use of green infrastructure to capture and treat stormwater.
The Finance Committee will introduce an ordinance to authorize the city to increase its final budget appropriations by the statutorily permitted 3.5 % and to allow the city to bank any unused amounts for the next two years. This ordinance is not an expenditure of funds and does not affect the tax levy; rather it is a budgeting technique that allows council to plan for unexpected expenditures in future years. The hearing for this ordinance will be on April 6.
The Capital Projects and Community Services Committee will introduce two ordinances. The first will amend city noise prohibitions to create a pilot program banning the use of gas powered leaf blowers within the city from June 1 to August 31, 2021. The second ordinance for introduction will amend construction permit fees in the municipal schedule of fees. The fee structure that is currently in place has not been increased in 10 years and does not adequately cover operating expenses for the construction office. The hearings on these ordinances will be on April 6.
The Finance Committee will introduce four resolutions. The first resolution authorizes emergency temporary appropriations to the 2021 temporary operating budget. This resolution adds $277,000 to the current temporary operating budget to meet expenses that must be paid prior to the final adoption of the 2021 budget. A second resolution will authorize emergency temporary appropriations to the 2021 temporary sewer utility budget in the amount of $477,000 for payments to the Joint Meeting for wastewater treatment. Next, council will consider a resolution to authorize a five-year renewal of the Summit City Cooperative Pricing System. This system is comprised of six municipalities, with Summit serving as the lead agency, to procure competitive pricing on city services such as landscape maintenance service, road microsurfacing, and thermoplastic striping. Last, council will hear a resolution to submit a grant application by the city to the Union County Infrastructure and Municipal Aid Grant Program for a project to improve the accessibility and storage of vital records.
The Law and Labor Committee will introduce two resolutions. First, council will hear a resolution to authorize the execution of a memorandum of understanding with Friends of Summit Public Art, a 501(c)(3) organization that has been formed to fundraise for Summit Public Art to bring art to public spaces in Summit. The second resolution is to extend sick leave with pay to a Parking Services Agency employee.
The Capital Projects and Community Services Committee will introduce 10 resolutions. The first resolution will award a bid for spring 2021 tree planting, which includes the installation and watering of 125 trees. Second, council will vote on a resolution to replace the shell of the Compost Building at the Transfer Station using a General Services Administration Federal Supply Schedule instead of bidding the project. This project will be funded by previous capital budgets. Council will also consider a pair of resolutions to authorize the purchase of a new dump truck as well as a dump body, plow kit and spreader system. The dump truck and accessories will be used by the Roads Unit for paving and patching, as well as for snow plowing. These purchases will be funded through the 2020 Capital Budget. Next, council will hear a resolution to submit a grant application to the Union County Infrastructure and Municipal Aid Grant Program to partially fund the Butler Parkway Improvement Project to improve the roadway, curbing, and drainage, and to install sidewalks. This project has been designed and bid, and matching funding is in place from the 2020 Capital Budget. The sixth resolution will authorize the Summit Environmental Commission to submit a grant application to New Jersey American Water Company Environmental Grant Program to install a rain garden at the Summit Community Center and to plant trees and native grasses adjacent to the Community Center building. Council will vote on a resolution authorizing council to enter an agreement for financial consulting services to advise the city on the Broad Street West Redevelopment Project. The cost of these services will be reimbursed by the redevelopers’ escrow account. Council will also consider resolutions to: (1) approve the assignment of an engineering contract with Maser Consulting to Colliers Engineering and Design and amend the indemnification language; (2) authorize Cub Scout Pack 360 to clean up Martin’s Brook Park on Sunday, March 21; and (3) appoint an alternate member of the Zoning Board.
Finally, council will consider three Community Programs and Parking Services Committee resolutions. First, council will vote on a resolution to amend the contract with Parkmobile to provide that online parking convenience fees will be borne by the user instead of being paid by the city, effective May 1, 2021. Under the contract as currently written, the city pays the $.25 convenience fee for each parking transaction. As parking revenues are down during the existing health emergency and instead of increasing parking fees, the city proposes that Parkmobile will charge the convenience fee to the end user. The second resolution authorizes an amendment to the contract with SA Food Associates for the Summit Family Aquatic Center for the food concession. Because of the health emergency, the amendment proposes a scaled reduction in fees paid to the city based on the total sales amount for the 2021 season. Last, the council will consider a resolution to appoint an additional organization as a member of the Silver Summit Senior Citizens Advisory Committee,
To view the complete Common Council agenda, go to: https://www.cityofsummit.org/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/519?fileID=26809
Printable agenda preview: https://www.cityofsummit.org/DocumentCenter/View/5471/Fox-Council-President-Preview-031621
Next Common Council Meeting: Tuesday, April 6, 2021.