Annual Budget Amendments, Parking, Permit Fees Dominate July 15 Meeting

Asbury Radio
Reporters’ Notes
Asbury Park City Council Meeting – 7/15/09 - Agendas: see http://www.cityofasburypark.com/

All council members present – Mayor Ed Johnson presiding

• $1,398,341.00 bi-monthly budget approved
• City Must Produce Flood Map Ordinance
• Budget Amendment Passed
• Parking Meter System Examined Boardwalk Permits/ Fees Adjusted
  
  Amendments to the Municipal Budget –
  City Manager Terry Reidy (TR) had to read the amendment according to law. Budget was introduced, can’t adopt it yet, delay from State due to State’s budget cycle, it’s reviewing the City’s numbers.
  Amending tonight 3 pieces of the budget.
  First -- $728,000 in grant monies, such as the annual Community Development Block Grant for $453,342, since budget was introduced are now documented and original budget has to be amended to account for these received payments.
  Second – City is creating a Parking Utility – “$50,000 just to establish the entity” TR – does not truly reflect the cost or revenue for setting up the actual utility.
  Third – state statute on cap – items are moved inside and outside the cap –
  Reidy commenced to read the budget –
  
  Planning & Redevelopment Director, Don Sammet’s Report -
  City is planning a 200’ x 200’ multiple activity-park for Springwood Ave, between Atkins and Union Avenues, will feature jogging and walking track, fountain, area for pick up ball games, kiddy park section, a performance space with stage and area for parades or other events. Reconstruction of drainage area will dovetail with this park construction working in a Green or environmentally beneficent aspect to the project.
  
  Another park, Overlook AKA Kennedy Park will agree to sell the unused 25’ x100’ gravel strip subdivided for sale to a buyer, Lake Group AP LLC, who currently own the adjacent property. The use will be a paved parking lot, which would be adjacent to Moonstruck Restaurant. Lake Group will pay $200,000 for the strip. They’ve made a $15,000 payment already and will pay $10,000 by year end, if the subdivision and sale has not taken place by then. They will also pay $7,500 per year to the city for maintenance of the park, according to Don Sammet, redevelopment director.
  
  Asbury Tower will be able to sell space on its 26 story roof to PCS Metro for placement of antennae, some the size of a grapefruit, 250’ above grade level. Some will be 18’ wide by 5’ tall antennas. They will be required to be painted to match building the Asbury Tower building.
  
  “PCS Metro done good job complying with local ordinance,” says Sammet.
  EJ: asks if this is a similar situation as the request to place an antenna on the East Side. (He could be referring to radio station WYGG’s unsuccessful request to position a 40’ antenna on its building across from Library Square Park.) Sammet says, no it isn’t. The City will realize some revenue from antennae.
  
  Main St redevelopment proposals have passed their deadline. Project is on track for August 5th meeting with respondent. Sammet will report after.
  
  Waterfront parking report – Giberson -
  17 guest permits sold to date at rate of $100.
  Smart cards, close to issuing, City engineer, Brian Grant, a prepaid phone card-like card, in denominations from $25 – $2500 to pay for parking, provides incentive for residents and frequent visitors by allowing them to buy $30 parking package for $25. Easier for us to get money sooner than later, says Grant. Machine that dispenses the “smart cards” would be located in city hall or at the parking stations themselves.
  
  Parking station machine status (T Reidy)– anytime you start something new there are problems to be worked out. But machines have processed to date over 100,000 coins, bills and credit cards. By contrast, the problems, says Reidy, amount to 1/10 – 3/10ths of 1 percent. Failure rate is important, but need to be put in terms of measuring reliability of machines.
  Bill acceptor sometime overly sensitive: Machines check for like 19 different things on a bill. Important to break down problems into specific problems to allow for follow up. So parking customers help this process by being specific in their complaints.
  Credit Card Acceptance - Grant checking into getting faster modem for credit card processing. The bandwidth is available for faster service.
  Visibility - Testing LED light, low energy LED lite, comes on at night and stays on till sunrise. Testing now to see how LED will perform in winter. Note: most shore area towns have traditionally discontinued meter parking during off-season.
  
  Giberson - Signs to inform public hours of metered parking. Adding 30 signs, plus loading zone and 3 hr signs. NJ Transit has fixed its signs.
  Policy piece is next phase, as per Reidy. Managing parking for consumers and retailers is the big piece of the policy.
  EJ asked about situation where visitor paid until 4:28, yet got ticketed at 4:12. TR: Patron can call 774-1300 and have it corrected right away.
  
  Flood Damage prevention – Bill Gray, Code Enforsement Officer
  Gray attended seminar. City needs to have a flood map ordinance. We need this so residents can qualify for low cost flood insurance. Must have the insurance available for our residents. Last 1983. Significant change in AP. Follow up Question: Why is this coming from the code endorsement officer instead of the Emergency Management Officer for the City, who is Reidy? For AP’s current emergency management plan, please click on the caution symbol on the upper left home page of AsburyRadio.
  
  Gilmour – City Commerce Dir.
  Additional fees from vendors. Special Events Committee recommended boardwalk fees be $35/per vendor or $250 per block per day/ $500 whre food and/or alcohol is to be served– whichever is higher/
  Q: EJ: feel like we’re changing rules of game in middle of game.
  Councilmember James Bruno – they’re asking to use add’l footage in front of their buildings, so they should pay for it.
  TG: also problem w/ people in restaurants wanting view of ocean not tents of vendors blocking view.
  TR: Madison Marquette has been asked to look into this to be sure kiosks are not functioning at the detriment of rental merchants.
  Another Q is vendors who are charging for admission to events on AP beach. Ex: Physical fitness on boardwalk wants to do exercises on beach: A yoga instructor from Cookman doing instruction on beach now. They would have to get mercantile license, which would regulate hours and area where the commerce would take place. Have to get zoning compliance first. Would need an additional rider on policy to cover the activity, too. Council cautioned Gilmour to distinguish between frequent and one-time events.
  
  Gilmour will review how other beach communities are charging for-profit businesses.
  4th of July Parade Report –
  Best organized yet, says Jim Bruno. Will definitely have another next year, but need more volunteers and to raise money.
  
  EJ – asked TR if can we get portable bike racks for CBD as well as waterfront. TR to get prices, research available funds.
  
  Council asked audience to note in the quiet prayer, city employee Mary Margaret Davis loss of her both husband and her aunt over weekend. (Asbury Radio sends our condolences.)
  James Famularo on vacation.
  Raffetto - Council will not be acting on anything discussed in executive session.
  
  Public Comment Portion
  
  Ben Schlossberg 321 Sunset Av/ quality of life issue, ice cream trucks, Pop Goes the Weasel and Turkey in the Straw. Also flag rope is banging on flag pole.
  
  Rita Marano, 8th Ave, agrees on ice cream truck. Also, special events: block party put huge trailer across Emory St. Very loud, disrupted traffic. Have to be careful permitting block parties that aren’t for the block. Requested traffic speed monitor for 8th Av.
  
  Pam Lamberton – 6th Ave; re. Schlossberg, twist the ropes on the mast and they won’t bang.
  Owner should pay for parking permits at Stone Pony if trailers and other equipment block the meters.
  AP Community Justice Advisory Board. [Lawson June, Chair, Barbara Lisinski, Secretary. It works w/ services in city and charitable departments of corporations.] The board will hold a Community Day with a dunk tank. Lou Jordan, former AP police director and a founding member of the Baord, will be dunk tank monitor. Dunk tank volunteers: First one in the tank will be Police Chief Mark Kinmon, then Sue Henderson, Terry Reidy, Ed Johnson, Amy Quinn, Fire chief Kevin Keddy, John Loffredo. 11 – 4 pm on Saturday, July 18.
  
  Vernice McGriff – transportation committee, kickoff jazz series this Friday. 6 – 8 pm, free. Third year. Q re. bus service for beach. Where do they stop?
  EJ: Originates at train station. Cookman to Grand turns onto Ocean, to 6th or 7th and for return trip.
  
  LouAnn Peter Paul – representing Brick Wall to object to ordinance, w/ be in compliance with noise level w/in 30 days. Asking that ordinance is postponed. Council postponed passage to September 2 meeting.
  
  Ava Horvath – Problem with RCA funds to rehabilitate homes she has there on Avenue A. Applied 8 months ago. Told will take 16 mos. To review request. Maybe by October they could put them out to bid, they said.
  EJ – how can we expedite?
  TR – Not exactly accurate. Hundreds of thousand of dollars been spent to rehabilitate houses in the city.
  
  Sarise Garillo – thank Chief Kinmon, Fire Capt. Kelso, and Fire Chief Keddy re. noise ordinance. Trust your judgment whether to table ordinance or not that it will be done eventually.
  Closed Public Session –
• Matters Before The Council Minutes organizational meeting approved.
  No comment on budget amendment –
  All yes on passage of ordinance to amend City’s annual budget.
  Vendor fees: $250 per block per day/ $500 for food and/or alcohol to be served
  All yes
  Catering permit for AP Restaurant III – trading as Lance and Debbie's Wonder Bar/ special dates
  All yes
  Special event apps – as per Gilmour all yes
  Liquor license for new Mexican Restaurant replacing Crossroads Bar at 4th Av and Main St. All yes -
  Bruno asked if max or min fee we can charge when licenses are transferred.
  Extend Langosta Lounge boardwalk footprint, for special events from 10 x to 20 x 180 ft. instead of 30 x 180 originally requested. All yes.
  Stone Pony extend liquor license to include several lots. City gets 10% of the price per sq foot when extended.
  All yes
  Resolution for 2009 grant for police dept $61,683. All yes
  County senior center grant – $31,320. for 3 years/ it’s a 25% matching grant, in kind. All yes.
  Water hookups no longer exist, cancels sewer billings on the accounts.
  Settlement workers comp – John Moor $38,308.
  All yes
  Settlement workers comp – Frank Condello $18,174
  All yes.
  Bids road improve Third, Grand, Mem’l, Summerfield, Prospect, Drummond Ct, etc. – All yes
  From work session
  Park on Springwood – JB: remember county offered money for park/ Loffredo there were strings attached decided not to do. TR: we are still pursuing that
  Brim -county parks
  Murray and Sons, surveyors – subdivision for Overlook Park - contract approved
  Asbury Tower antenna – sent to planning board for app’l
  Aug 5th meeting – flood damage ordinance to be introduced at
  Also, ordinance amending CBD alter pkg requirement pursuant to local
  Brick Wall - noise ordinance – carried to Sept 2nd
  Meeting Closed.
  If you have additions, corrections, comments, please click the comment link below.