Joint Meeting of the Borough Council and Board Of Education – BOE Materials Available

On Monday, January 26, North Plainfield’s Borough Council and Board Of Education held a joint meeting to openly discuss various topics and, maybe, find ways in which the municipality and the BOE could assist one another.

The BOE presented to the council on how they manage informational databases and other technology issues (i.e. website, phone directories), how they handle residency issues, administrative costs, shared services and field usage. The BOE mostly fielded questions from the council.

The BOE supporting documents can be accessed here:

BOE Residency Program

BOE Administrative Costs

BOE Cost per Pupil

The next joint meeting will be with the planning board, board of adjustment and council, when the town’s master plan will be discussed.  If any member of those groups are reading this, it would helpful if each board could submit their agenda items to communityrights@gmail.com ahead of time and we’ll post the agendas to help get the word out.

Thank you.

Hal Hirsch (co-editor)

Villa Maria, Preserve or Develop – by Mark Williams

Recent comments by Councilwoman Forbes argued that a major barrier to approaching Open Space Partnership of Somerset County for funding to preserve the Villa Maria site was the willingness of the developer to sell the property. This may not be as big of a barrier as she believes.

Economy casts a chill on sprawl
“We have never, ever had so many landowners, including builders with approved subdivisions, come to us willing to sell their property,” said David Epstein, executive director of the Land Conservancy of New Jersey, based in Boonton. “It’s stunning.”
Read more…

http://www.nj.com/starledger/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-12/1232861169138810.xml&coll=1

Joint Meeting of Borough Council and Board of Education – 7:30pm Vermule Community Center

There will be a joint meeting of North Plainfield’s Borough Council and Board of Education. The meeting will be held at the Vermule Community Center on Greenbrook Road at 7:30pm. Agenda will be posted, once available.

NJLM EDUCATION FOUNDATION, INC. presents “2009 HOUSING SUMMIT”

Tuesday, March 31, 2009
8:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Hilton East Brunswick
3 Tower Center Boulevard
East Brunswick, New Jersey
PRELIMINARY AGENDA
8:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.              Registration and Continental Breakfast
8:45 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.            Opening General Session

The Nation’s and New Jersey’s economies and housing markets are experiencing major downturns.  In this troubling context, what are the new realities, implications, policy issues and updates concerning Financial Markets, COAH, State Financing and Housing Programs, Successful Partnerships, Development Strategies, and Foreclosures.
Presiding:                   Louise Wilson, Mayor, Montgomery, President NJLM Education Foundation
                                    And League 2nd Vice President
Invited Panelists:       Jim Hughes, Dean, Bloustein School of Planning, Rutgers University,
                                    Trustee,  NJLM Education Foundation
                                    Joseph V. Doria, Jr., Commissioner, Department of Community Affairs
                                    Marge DellaVecchia, Executive Director,
                                      New Jersey Housing & Mortgage

Finance Agency, Department of Community Affairs (Invited)
                                    DeForest B. Soaries, Jr., Reverend, First Baptist Church of Lincoln                                      Garden, Somerset (Invited)
                                    Peter Reinhart, Esq., General Counsel, K. Hovnanian Homes, Inc.

10:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.          Networking Break

BREAKOUT SESSIONS
10:30 a.m. – 12:00 noon

Session A: Special Needs Affordable Housing
Session will discuss best practices for how communities can create independent living arrangements for individuals with disabilities and link them to services in the community.  Learn how model programs are performing and what community groups provide successful linkages for the disabled as they work toward self-sufficiency.  Issues related to financial structuring and local zoning/planning approvals will also be included.

Presiding:                   Jun Choi, Mayor, Edison, Vice President NJLM Education Foundation
Invited Panelists:       Tim Doherty, Project Freedom (Invited)
                                     Pam McCrory, NJ Housing Mortgage Finance Agency
                                     Richard Brown, Monarch Housing
                                     Alison Recca-Ryan, Corporation for Supportive Housing (Invited)
                                     Sue Repko, Global Communities of Support (Invited) 
                                     Kevin Martone, NJ Department of Human Services (Invited)

10:30 a.m. – 12:00 noon

Session B: Workforce Housing
Experts will define workforce housing and its relationship to local employment and employer based participation.  Services, transportation and other required infrastructure necessary to support workforce housing will be identified and analyzed to determine best practices and models that municipalities can utilize to adequately produce and support the creation of workforce housing.  Successful marketing tools and strategies will also be reviewed.

Presiding                     J. Christian Bollwage, Mayor, Elizabeth, NJLM Past President
Invited Panelists:       Beth Kitchen, Kitchen Associates (Gerry to provide contact info)
                                    Meg Sowell, (Invited)
                                    Angus Jennings, Concord Square Development Corporation (Invited)
                                    Peter Kasabach, Executive Director, New Jersey Future (Invited)

12:00 noon – 1:30 p.m.               Luncheon

Invited Keynote Speaker:         Hon. Michael Nutter, Mayor, City of Philadelphia (Invited)

1:30 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.                 Networking Break

Afternoon Breakout Sessions:

1:45 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.

Session C: Abandoned Property Redevelopment
Learn how to reclaim blighted, underutilized and abandoned properties and transform them into new housing opportunities and ratables.  The State’s Abandoned Property Laws and related strategies will be reviewed and evaluated.  A panel of experts will highlight successful projects and initiatives throughout the State.  The relevance and necessary link to local neighborhood and community building strategies will also be discussed during this session.
Presiding:       Wayne Smith, Mayor, Irvington, President, Urban Mayors Association (Invited)
Invited Panelists:   M. James Maley, Mayor, Collingswood
                            John Burzichelli, Assemblyman, District 3; Mayor, Paulsboro (Invited)
                            Ed McManimon, League Associate Counsel, McManimon & Scotland
                            Allan Mallach, National Housing Institute
                             John Kromer, Fels Institute at University of Pennsylvania
1:45 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.

Session D: Foreclosure Mitigation

Learn what resources are available to help homeowners facing foreclosure.  Speakers will discuss national trends, programs and grants that finance counseling for homeowners with subprime loans and other problems to assist displaced workers.  Housing experts will explain how federal proposals are impacting housing developments and foreclosure prevention.
Presiding:                  Robert L. Bowser, Mayor, East Orange, NJLM Past President
Invited Panelists:      Christiana Foglio, President, Community Investment Strategies,
Inc. (Invited)
                                   Frank Piazza, President, Affordable Housing Professionals of NJ (AHPNJ)
                                   Pat Morrissy, Hands, Inc.
                                   Donna Turner, AHOME (Invited)

1:45 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.

Session E: Experts Roundtable
This free-flowing program will include experts and policy makers from across the State and allow ample opportunity for Q/A for audience members.    If you have a question on affordable housing, this program should allow you to get your answers.

Presiding:                  Patricia Flannery, Mayor, Bridgewater Township
Invited Panelists:      Shirley Bishop, Consultant/Planner, Shirley M. Bishop, LLC
                                   Lucy Vandenberg, Executive Director, COAH, Department of
                                   Community Affairs (Invited)
                                   Benjamin Spinelli, Executive Director, Office of Smart Growth,
                       Eileen Swan, Executive Director, Highlands Council (Invited)
                       Edwin W. Schmierer, NJLM Assistant Counsel, Mason, Griffin and Pierson
                       
3:30 p.m.         Adjournment

 

For more information about the NJLM Educational Foundation, click here
222 West State Street, Trenton, NJ 08608

Pertussis outbreak in Hunterdon County

And before you get into a debate about vaccines, the Hunterdon Democrat reported that all confirmed cases related to this outbreak were in children who WERE fully vaccinated for Pertussis.   This is for those of you who work, have children in childcare or have relatives in Hunterdon County.

SITUATIONAL AWARENESS- PERTUSSIS OUTBREAK IN HUNTERDON CONFIRMED

Initial Incident Date/Time: 1-14-09 1845 Hrs.

Location: Hunterdon County

Event Description: Hunterdon County OEM contacted the ROIC and advised that a Pertussis outbreak (whooping cough) has been confirmed in several towns in the county. Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a serious bacterial infection of the respiratory tract.

Pertussis is a contagious disease usually spread through the air by close, indoor, repeated contact with an infected person, typically by talking, coughing, or sneezing nearby. The Hunterdon County Dept. of Health has issued a press release reference this outbreak. The Narrative portion of the press release is listed below. A PDF version of the press release is also attached to this e-mail.

PRESS RELEASE

HUNTERDON COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
PERTUSSIS OUTBREAK IN HUNTERDON CONFIRMED

The Hunterdon County Department of Health reported today that 12 confirmed cases of pertussis occurred since mid-December 2008. Nine of these cases are from Clinton Town, and one each from Three Bridges, Union Township, and Delaware Township. The county health team is also investigating a probable case from Franklin Township. The ages involved range from seven to 12 years old. Read more…….

Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a serious bacterial infection of the respiratory tract. Pertussis is a contagious disease usually spread through the air by close, indoor, repeated contact with an infected person, typically by talking, coughing, or sneezing nearby.

The illness starts with cold symptoms and a cough that gets progressively worse over 1-2 weeks and may last for months.

Symptoms usually include a long series of coughing fits that may well be followed by whooping noises, vomiting, turning blue, or difficulty catching one’s breath. Older children, adults, and very young infants may not exhibit the characteristic whoop sound. Coughing often intensifies at night, and cough medicines usually do not provide adequate relief. Symptoms and complications of pertussis generally are less apparent among older children and adults.

Serious complications including pneumonia can result among all age groups due to pertussis infection. Although deaths related to pertussis are rare, they do occur, especially among young infants who have not yet started or completed the pertussis vaccinations. While up to approximately 30 percent of persons with pertussis require hospitalization, about 70 percent of these are infants under six months of age.

Pertussis can infect anyone. The best way to control the spread of pertussis to the most at-risk population is to make sure that all children under age seven receive all their pertussis vaccinations on time. Coincidentally, the current outbreak affects children aged 7-9 for which there is no currently licensed vaccine. However, the licensed Tdap pertussis booster vaccine for persons 10-64 years of age may provide added protection against pertussis and is required by New Jersey law for school aged children.

Children should receive four doses of DTaP vaccine between 2-18 months of age and an additional dose before starting school.

While DTaP vaccine is routinely given to all infants and young children up to age 7, protection from the vaccine diminishes over time. With this, more previously vaccinated pre-adolescent and adolescent children are acquiring pertussis. Persons diagnosed with pertussis must take the full course of antibiotics prescribed by their physician and remain isolated until they have completed five days of treatment in order to limit potential spread of the disease.

Persons in close contact with pertussis cases should also take antibiotics as a preventive measure.

If you suspect you or a family member have pertussis or were in contact with a pertussis case, consult your health care provider.

Likewise, if you have a cough of seven days or longer with explosive or sleep-disturbing coughing spasms, contact your physician for possible laboratory testing and treatment.

For more information, contact the Hunterdon County Department of Health at 908-788-1351.

If the White House can do it…

Why can’t all the other levels of government manage to provide a transparent government?

If you check the White House website, you’ll see a statement there that reads:

WhiteHouse.gov will be a central part of President Obama’s pledge to make his the most transparent and accountable administration in American history.  (item 3 on the front page of the site)

Hmmm… this is one man with a mission to manage an entire nation and he has put the wheels into motion from day 1 to ensure that at least this is one of the promises he keeps.  Is it so far-fetched to think it could be done at a much smaller scale?

One particular change is most impressive:

One significant addition to WhiteHouse.gov reflects a campaign promise from the President: we will publish all non-emergency legislation to the website for five days, and allow the public to review and comment before the President signs it. (boldface added by the editor; taken from Tues., Jan. 20, 2009 blog entry at WhiteHouse.gov)

You’re talking about an operation countless thousands of times the size of the Borough of North Plainfield, and yet–they will manage to get that done.  For those of you who are unaware, this could be as simple as posting the Council meeting agendas and minutes (and minutes are only delayed by their approval as far as it is known–not because the technological process is difficult), and sending commentary to an e-mail address of our mayor and/or elected officials.  Techonolgy-wise, we HAVE the systems in place.  There is nothing to do but actually use it.  It’s a change of habit–not technology.  Cost?  Nothing.

Let’s hope that North Plainfield falls in line with the direction of our nation–the direction of change, communication, transparency, accountability and participation.

Garbage Collectors Prevent Crime – Norman E. Ortega

(The other) morning I read an article on the New York Times.  The article details how the city of Roseville, CA, implemented a program to keep safe and reduce crime. Nothing new there.  However, the focus of the program is rather interesting. The police department trains waste management collectors to look for signs of crime and report them to the police. This serves as a preventive measure to reduce crime.

Many waste collection companies, including Waste Management, participate in the program. They allow police departments to train their workers on what to look for to prevent crime.

In addition to crime fighting, Roseville has seen other benefits. Because of the program, the city is safer and it has been able to save, “over the last two years in Roseville, the police department has left 10 positions unfilled. Having the garbage trucks on patrol may not take the place of a police car, but it helps.”

The article is not clear on how drastic the number of crimes has been reduced in Roseville and in over 96 municipalities where the program is operating nationwide. But the strategy makes sense. “It is a low-tech approach to surveillance, relying not on satellite cameras, space-age radiation detection devices or even neighborhood Webcams. In more and more towns, drivers and garbage collectors are helping the police keep up with what is happening on the streets.”

The program does not pay garbage collectors and the training is the same training provided to the Neighborhood Watch groups. The program trains garbage collectors to “observe and report” and do not intervene. Perhaps, this is something North Plainfield and Plainfield Police should consider as a crime prevention measure.

Response to Mrs. Forbes Comments (regarding the Villa Maria Property/Country Park) – by Barbara Habeeb

Mrs. Forbes gives us this nice list of reasons why the Council shouldn’t approach the County. First of all, I don’t buy it. Second of all, I still don’t see the harm in trying. Mrs. Forbes states that it would be a waste of time to go before the County Board. With all due respect to Mrs. Forbes and the rest of the Council, I think this is an apathetic attitude.Here is an analogy: If you were told you have cancer and only have 6 months to live, would you just give up and say ‘Why try to fight it. It’s just going to be a waste of time?’ I doubt it. Wouldn’t you at least make an attempt to try the chemo, radiation or any other method that might prolong your life? I know I would.

Well, it’s the same with this property. We don’t know what the outcome will be unless we approach the County. If you, the Council don’t try, you won’t ever know what could have been. And that, in my opinion would be a big mistake. If you at least make the attempt, and the answer is no, at least you tried. You did your civic duty. And even if the answer is no, then what have you really lost? Nothing. Isn’t that what we teach our kids?

I will say this to Mrs. Forbes and the rest of the Council — ‘Humor me and prove me wrong’.  Don’t be lazy. Make the attempt.  Approach the County. It’ll only cost you a couple of hours of your time. If you do get a negative response, I will publicly apologize to all of you for harping on this. If you get a positive response, we all win!

Open Space Partnership of Somerset County- Response to Councilwoman Forbes – by Mark Williams

Councilwoman Forbes, in her response to Mr. D’Amore at Monday’s Borough Council meeting, gave a statement as to why the Villa Maria property may not be a good candidate for Open Space acquisition. She gave as evidence her informal meetings with several Somerset County Freeholders and an e-mail from someone “very involved with the park system and open space.”

Has Councilwoman Forbes prepared a report of these informal meetings for the Council’s review?  Is Councilwoman Forbes willing to share the content of the e-mail, between the person very involved with the park system and open spaces, with the community?

I agree with Councilwoman Forbes that there is no reason “for the Board to get together and have an elaborate formal meeting” if the property owner is unwilling to sell. Has the Council formally ask the property owner if they want to sell?

With the County/Municipal Open Space Partnership of Somerset County’s Policy and Procedure Manual (Revised February 2006) as my guide, I would like to point out the following provisions contained in the document that relate to Councilwoman Forbes conclusions. Particularly, that the Freeholders prefer to purchase lands that have no existing structures.

Section 1. General Provisions
1.1 Purpose and Objectives
(c) To establish procedures by which Somerset County will ensure that lands and structures acquired will remain in use for recreation or conservation purposes in perpetuity.  Notice the use of the term structures.

1.2 Scope
This Manual constitutes the rules governing the review and award of grants to municipalities for the acquisition of land and structures. Again, the use of the term structure.

1.4 Construction
These rules shall be construed liberally to effectuate the purpose and objectives of the County/Municipal Open Space partnership of Somerset County.  Notice the word, liberally. There is flexibility in the document.

Section 2. Definitions

2.1 “Acquisition” means the purchase of fee simple or lesser interest in land or structures.  There is that word again, structures.

4.3 Ineligible land acquisitions
The following land acquisitions are NOT eligible for Partnership grant Funding:

(c) Any site that is more than 50% covered with structures or other impervious surfaces that are intended to remain.  Would it be the intent to leave more than 50% of the property covered with exiting structures?

Section 6. Application Process

6.2 Pre-application Procedures
Prior to the submission of a Partnership Grant application:

(a) Municipalities are encouraged to request a pre-application conference WITH A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE Somerset County Board as early as possible; prior to application process to discuss project eligibility. Seems to me that it does not have to be an “elaborate”  Board Meeting, as Councilwoman Forbes suggests.

How the property fits into the Somerset County Scenic Corridor Plan or The New Jersey State Trail Plan are not deal breakers, as Councilwoman Forbes suggest. There are at least 10 other Planning Relationship and Coordination criteria that would make the purchasing of the Villa Maria parcel a valuable acquisition for the Borough of North Plainfield, Somerset County and the State of New Jersey.

The bottom line is that, despite what appears to be flexibility in applying for Open Space Funding, leadership has no intention of pursuing the issue formally. Unlike Councilwoman Forbes, I am providing a link to the document that supports my stance.

Read More…  http://www.co.somerset.nj.us/Open%20Space.html

Public Comment Issue back on Council Agenda – by Mark Williams

At last nights Borough Council Meeting newly elected Councilman LaRonde responded to Council President Stabile’s request for future agenda items by asking that the issue of (new instated (ed.)) reduced open public comment time during council meetings be placed on the agenda for future discussion.
 
North Plainfield is not the only community in the area considering changing the rules that relate to the privilege extended the public to  have an opportunity to make comments as to the actions or pending actions of a communities governing body.
 
Read more…      http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20090112/NEWS/90112030/1003/NEWS01