The next Common Council meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 4 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 May 4. 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/84034134251?pwd=SmlUTThNMVB2UzBrYzB0dmp5S0lJQT09 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 a budget hearing on the 2021 Special Improvement District (SDI) budget and will vote on SDI’s budget through a Finance Committee resolution. Council will hold a public hearing and vote on one ordinance. Council will consider an amendment to the noise ordinance to allow for a hardship waiver to the gas-powered leaf blower pilot program. The ordinance sets forth the procedure for seeking a hardship waiver and the standards that will be applied.
The Administrative Procedure Committee will introduce an ordinance to amend the development regulations to allow for medical marijuana sales and to prohibit the sale, growth, and distribution of retail marijuana. Council passed a similar ordinance in December 2020. At the time, council said that we wanted to hold a community discussion when all of information, including financial impacts on the city, is known before proceeding further. Subsequently, the State Legislature passed a law that invalidated all existing local ordinances and provided that if municipalities want to take any control measures, then they must act by August 22, 2021 or be barred from doing so for 5 years. Accordingly, council is proposing this ordinance to allow time for the State to fully develop the regulatory framework and for the council and community to weigh the costs and benefits of any action regarding retail cannabis business. If the introduction of this ordinance is approved, it will then go to the Planning Board on May 24 for a determination on its consistency with the Master Plan and a public hearing and final vote on this ordinance will be on June 1.
The Law and Labor Committee will introduce five resolutions. The first resolution authorizes the execution of a lease agreement to extend the sidewalk café liquor license for The Office Tavern Grill to the sidewalk area in front of the UPS Store at 55 Union Place. An additional three resolutions would extend sick leave with pay for Department of Community Services employees and one resolution would extend sick leave with pay for a Parking Services employee.
Among the other resolutions being considered by council are a Finance Committee resolution to concur with the Board of School Estimate’s certification of funds for the 2021-2022 school year from the property tax levy; a Capital Projects and Community Services Committee resolution to award a bid for the purchase of odor control chemicals to be funded by the Sewer Utility operating budget; and a Safety and Health Committee resolution to approve the design plan and authorize the bid advertisement for the Fire Headquarters Project.
To view the complete Common Council agenda, go to http://summitcitynj.iqm2.com/citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=14&ID=1656&Inline=True
Printable agenda preview: https://www.cityofsummit.org/DocumentCenter/View/5598/Fox-Council-President-Preview-042021
Next Common Council Meeting: Tuesday, May 18, 2021.