AP Council Reappoints Zaro Firm other Professionals

January 20, 2010 City of Asbury Park Council Meeting

Begin 6:12 pm – all council is present - Corrections/Comments: AsburyRadio@aol.com

Zaro Law Firm Renews Contract With City Worth $400,000 / McManimon & Scotland Firm Renews Contract with City Worth $400,000 / Plans Continue for Haiti Relief After 40 Years / City Reclaims Westside Tracts Once Owned by Phil Konvitz for $700,000 /
Fees rising for Traffic and Ordinance Violations /
Jobs for Census Workers -$15/hr, 20 – 40 hrs a week /
Noise Problem at Brick Wall Postponed again, this time to Feb. 15 / Avenue A Lots Go to West Side Project Developers/

Terry Reidy - Two projects = CBD and Springwood Av mvg forward
City Engineer, Brian Grant – svcs req’d for city to complete/ 2 contracts to Brilliant Lewis for environmental inspection; when dig up pipes have to ck soil. $81,130. for the Central Business District (CBD), and for Springwood Av Development, $107,005. Questions?
Deputy Mayor John Loffredo - Let’s do it.
BG -When backfill need compaction svcs at least 95% compaction. Using same contractor Keegan Technology for $25k to each project.
His dept has been operating as 3 man team/ now using consultant $110/hr, project mgmt inspection services
Last resolution req’d, parking utility – 2 lots in CBD, Maletek site and VFW site/ interested in hvg city manage the lot in exchange for something on revenue side/ we wnt from longterm perspective use for employee and residential pkg so onsite can be used for customers, etc. [Q:What about the unfinished pkg lot appr’d earlier as temp use on Bond St and Bangs?]
TReidy - Right a way request 1001 Second Av, request to plc real estate sign/ duration to be tied to occupancy.
JL – aren’t they afraid the signs w/ lk better than the buildings at this point? (laughter)
Stars update-
Fred Raffetto, city atty, 3 city owned parcels on Ave A, deadline passed lst fri at 4 pm, city hadn’t received any response, recommend forward to …for ultimate disposition of those lots. There are protestors w/ signs in the audience regarding this.

TReidy – usage of city cars, prepared to present plan for use.
Council member Jimmy Bruno wd like all cars to hv GPS on them, definitely on all cars that lv town
TR – excellent suggestion, agree s/ hv GPS on all. Diff systems according to how you want to track – min by min, end of day, etc./ For now end of day report wd be good track where car was all day.
Ed Johnson, Mayor – he travels for work for Brookdale College business, keeps sign in and sign out sheets, toll rec’ts, done as savings. Maybe emergencies but they’d be coming bk to AP, added benefit of providing trans to and from wk, should limit use if we’re lkg to extend life of cars and control expenses/
Bruno – more wear and tear from wk to home than jst using on the streets.
TR – I’ll put def of approp use in writing and respond to Mayor’s comments tonight.
EJ – realize private industry controls are very tight/ but each has area to control costs, reserve resources.

Sue Henderson – invites Eve Silverman to table/ very sorry Hazel Samuels can’t be here, still in hosp very sick/
Month ago Betty Rob from US census gave presentation, Sue attended League’s wksp in AC/ wants Hazel to be in chg of / examples of reasons why collect data:
Fed’l gov uses to award $
Title 1 grants
Head start
WIC
Public trans
Emerg food shelter
Jobs and jbo programs
Homeowners res on prop values and capital income
Mkt res comm’l
Essential svcs for city
First did complete count committee – all volunteer – Eve S. part of that comm., wksp tlked about hard to count communities – where undocumented residents, by title 13 sec 9 all protected by law. Not even president of us can get.
Fr. Kagan, Bob Keading, Danny Weiss (an immigration atty) all on comm..
Plan includes publicize thru schools / in some cases foreign spkg students w/ go home and translate the info for parents.
ES – Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for this NY based bi-partisan org w/ giv us info and mat’ls for free. Shows poster in Spanish. Did a train-the-trainer session. The org is “2010 Complete Team” – she gives names of more members…
There is a disinformation campaign saying people participating will be exposed to repercussions later – Untrue – Anyone abusing the information faces strict jail times and fine. People need to understand in multiple households who needs to fill out.
There are only 10 questions, which don’t have ss # or other identifier, but where you are in the community. Last census was 2000 – 15% latinos then in AP.
EJ – 2 areas really concerned that wd get out this is not a search. Second is employment question.
SH - Robb came back. We had q’s about centers where people can go and be counted. w/ be job opp $15/hr 20 – 40 hr/wk no info on that for tonight, it’s all online. We’ll organize testing centers here so don’t hv to go to freehold. Rev. Akins, of Triumphant Life Church may run training and The Center of AP. If fail can re-take test.
ES – important to have locals; people less afraid when see you coming. Read and write, spk English, be US citizen or hv visa. Need bi-lingual. Valid SS#, take basic skills test, commit for 4 days of training and are paid while training. Testing begins next month, census starts April 1. Committee meets again in Feb.
JL – hv to stress not to be afraid to say how many people in house.
ES – if fill out the cards at a center no one is going to the house. Ex. Father Miguel will do census for his own church to demonstrate.
Tom Gilmour – Commerce Dir – Marketing campaign postponed until next mtg.
Special Events – 2/19 Black history luncheon, 6/13 Dance Recital Paramount theater for AP Technical Academy of Dance, Sand Blast beach dance on 7/17 5th Av beach. Fee structure determined to be not equitable, plans to have recommendations for changes. Great information to share – ans’d and RFP from nj council of humanities, which was lkg for cities to be host of Smithsonian musical heritage exhibit/ artscap, library and UEZ put together proposal, 6 cities w/ host and we’ve been chosen first to host, April 2011.

Police Chief Mark Kinmon – w/ meet this wk w/ court clk to increase ordinance violation fees. Checked w/ sev’l towns to compare fine scales, we were a little below avg in some/ some set a limit on all traffic violations, in line w/ state statute of $55. Some lo 30s, some 70$. Council has final say.
Interlaken – Council said wanted to hear about Interlaken but wasn’t discussed.

EJ – like to see us hv reasonable parity, so we can have similar level w/ towns down the shore/ same time wd like to see max ceiling – running stop signs, double parking, block traffic/
Chief – those are state violations, can’t change.
SH – like to see more speeding tkts in residential areas.
EJ – vandalism, burglary concerns
Chief - Yes northwestern part of town, made quite a few arrests, doing things wd rather not reveal at this time, def on our radar screen
ES – activities in community in response to disaster in Haiti. Amsel Fusco in audience, MMarquette donated Paramount theater for events Mon and another Sat. and designated CH for collection center. This is what a community does. Very impor insightful thing to say.
ES – been a beautiful thing to observe, agree MM has helped quite a bit to let parties use those large spaces. Paramount event Sat is cancelled, w/ be moved to first sat Feb. push at restaurants etc to get things out to Haiti, urging give to Red Cross and other agencies…got team together to get web site going/ brought in $3,830.60 this afternoon. Need to move things out of CH. Marilyn Schlossbach “has been everywhere. Just no other way to say it.” She’s been reaching out to comm’l sponsors for help. Tripp Brooks stepped up w/ his two buildings that can be used for storing articles to be shipped. W/ prob stop collections Friday because volunteers w/ be sorting out on Sat. Clothing, water, Pepsi w/ send a plane of water. Need clean clothes in good repair. Anything that requires water don’t send, like toothpaste. First Aid kits good, too. No meds or drugs. Meridian system spk with her about mkg their professionals available at the hospital for longterm counseling. Pastor Sony Augustine is changing use of his upcoming fundraiser to divert to Haiti.
EJ - School board directed efforts of schools to the cause/ Danny Weiss, bd member, has donated his expertise.
Matters from Council
JL- Individual whse driveway was torn up, has it been taken care of.
TR – Yes.
EJ – thanks council for jumping into action. New Stimulus program, grnt, for munic bldgs.
SH – apprec sign re dog licensing, deadline end of jan. Hope to offer free rabies in spring.
EJ – Sat 2 pm in chambers MLK
FR – from exec session – resolution auth settlement of Asbury shores litigation.
JL- Longest docket number in trenton
EJ Properties on springwd av 40 yrs have come to a close…take possession of the prop on Spingwd av, we now have the land and the plan. Past 40 yrs hv been way too long.


Public Portion –
Linda Bradley, Rev. bradley’s daughter, on behalf of Miss Eva – 1215 Springwood Ave, put up w/ landlords that aren’t landlords, lst 5 days no heat, threatened when that when Section 8 inspector comes she better tell them nothing is wrong with the apartment, part of Bradley Sales, or he’ll evict me… Really want a plc that’s rent to own / lkg for decent home to live in. Help us help her to get project going

Eva Horvath – not enough time to put together forms, trying to get county, state and balanced home grant together, hv to go from one office to another, wk w/ priv financing as well. Takes lot longer than two weeks…[she was given from Dec 8th to Jan 15th]
Please give us an extension.

Joyce Skolaroff – thank you for addressing the noise ordinance tonight apprec your lkg at that. Sign on brick wall annex that comes out, her elderly neighbor fell into the sign and hit his head on it. Market in Middle closed about 3 wks ago, no one is picking up garbage left in back.

Minutes approved –
Payroll for Jan 15th includes ss and health insurance, $1,335,000
$441,688.65 bills resolution for the two wk period.
Quality claims $5, 609, and second for $11k….
Entry to NJ fireman’s assoc appr’d for chief keddy
Mike Sadano – appointed to Urban Enterprise Zone committee –
Matt Berman resigned from PB while back, replacement should be appt’d–
Professionals app’d – Lawyers Raffetto up to $200k, Aaron up to $200k, McManimon Scotland up to $400k, CPA auditor $80k, tax foreclosure $10k, Harry Hausholter $?k,
Yvonne Adams Recycling Coordinator
Supporting Home Program
ATV - $12k grant for one. 6 wheel w/ space for patients – this does not require a matching grant
6 contracts by city engineer see above Brilliant Lewis, nearly $200k total
$25k Keegan, again CBD $25k
BRB appraisal Svcs, related to pkg utility up to $9k
G. Kane Hoefling – proj mgmt springwd and cbd $125k cap
All approved
Authorize Mayor and clk settlement agreement for Asbury Shores – city paid them $700k
Key proposal for 3 prop to affordable hsg committee, -- all yes.
Special events all yes.
Introduction – hrg Feb 17th / ordinance rates and svc charges sewer, fees emerg med svc, police and fire dept --- all yes
Noise Ordinance carr it forward?
Rafetto finalizing ord for city deal w/ noise, nuisance ord instead of noise ord , provide to TR then noise committee for approval. Carry to Feb 17th.
Jan 7th ord revised financial agreement w/ St. James LLC – tax abatement –
Public
Rita Marano – pls explain
TReidy – same as we do w/ Paramount Homes
Tom Hastie – try to create some equity, payments in excess of what wd be paying conventional taxes, exacerbated by drop in value and inability to appeal as per agreement/ this agreement deals w/ certain payments that were due and owing by developer, another payment w/ be made under this agreement, methodology w/ be same going forward;
How much money are we losing
Don’t thnk losing idea her eis to gernate sales, pay less than 20% less than paying now, less than wd be paying in regular taxes, city w/ keep 95% versus 45% for others. $4100 v $7500. Construction payments, in lieu of a sales price…when sold w/ be windfall for the city.
TR – conventional taxes vs pilot agreemt is option for assn to opt out of agreement, then city wd get less. So city is benefiting in every way.
RM – do leased units pay taxes?
Hastie says They’ll pay on basis of list prices – whatever unit lists for rental unit will pay tax on.
Michael Brim – number of jpotential buyers haven’t bought due to uncertainty about tax structure. So hope you will pass this.
Transmission repair contract $69/hr plus parts discount –
Clayton Press gets printing contract not to exceed $50k – app’d
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