February 25th Meeting Highlights - Borough of Rutherford Mayor & Council

By Bonnie Corcoran

Link to the agenda

Link to the Audio 1

Link to the Audio 2

At the February 11th meeting, the Ordinance to revise Chapter 5 pertaining to Committee Assignments was introduced for the 2nd reading and passed on second reading.

Thus this is the new revised Council assignments for 2019:

Council President ~ Councilwoman McGowan

Building, Grounds and Public Utilities ~ Councilwoman Begg-Roberson (1st ); Councilman Narucki (2nd )

Finance ~ Councilman Goldsack (1st ); Councilwoman McGowan (2nd )

Police ~ Councilman Nunziato (1st ); Councilman Mullahey (2nd )

Public Works ~ Councilman Narucki (1st ); Councilman Goldsack (2nd )

Recreation and Human Resources~ Councilman Mullahey (1st ); Councilman Nunziato (2nd )

Liaison Assignments for 2019

Mayor DeSalvo ~ Economic Development & Word War I Monument

Councilwoman McGowan ~ 55 Kip Center, Access for All, Ambulance Corp(By Laws), Local Emergency

Planning, New Jersey Sports and; Exposition Authority, Stigma Free

Councilman Nunziato ~ Board of Health, Crossing Guards(By Laws), Municipal Court (By Laws), OEM (By

Laws), Pedestrian Safety (By Laws), Planning Board

Councilman Goldsack~ Citizen Finance (By Laws), Community Events/Public Information, Streetscape

Committee, Volunteer/Community Quality of Life, Shade Tree Commission

Councilman Mullahey~ Board of Education, Recreation Advisory, Municipal Alliance, William Center

Advisory

Councilman Narucki~ Civil Rights Commission, Environmental and; Recycling(By Laws), Historic

Preservation, Nereid Boat Club, Passaic River Coalition

Councilwoman Begg-Roberson~ Board of Adjustment, Green Team, Technology Upgrade, Local

Assistance Board, Felician University, Green Acres.

Dates to put on your calendar~

• Farmer’s Market on Wednesdays and Saturdays from June to October. Simon(Sy) Griskonis will be the 2019 Farmer’s Market Liaison.

• Cruis’in On the Avenue hosted by First-Aid Ambulance Corp on June 25th (rain date ~ 6/26)

• Rutherford Fireworks Event will be held on Sunday June 30th

• PBA Halloween 5K Run on October 27 th

Main Highlights of the meeting:

• There is a development with the apartments at 106 Park Ave.

To listen to the presentation follow this

link (timestamp 5:50). This preliminary conceptual plan

presentation was done for the purpose of the developer asking for a request for an expansion of the Maples development area along with requesting the borough to direct the Planner Board to investigate these properties to see if they qualify for redevelopment.

They are looking to include 104 Park Ave, 116 Park Ave, 118 Park Ave, 120 Park Ave, 124 Park Ave, 149 Chestnut, 145 Chestnut, and 123 Chestnut.

They already own 116 and 118 Park Ave properties since August 2018 and the following properties are under contract, 104 Park Ave, 120 Park Ave, 124 Park Ave

and 149 Chestnut and they are engaged in conversations to buy the last 2 properties (123 and 145 Chestnut).

If this proposal goes through, the number of apartments/studios will go from 52 units currently to 140 units, which includes 100 ~ 1 bedroom apartments, 26 studios and 14~ 2 bedroom apartments with 159 parking spots for all of the apartments. The first level will be commercial space with the apartments/studios above it. The current 106 Park Ave project will be ready to lease by the end of April with the first person living in the complex in July. The commercial space for 106 Park Ave has 1 space already leased(coffee/café shop) with lots of interest in the remaining spaces.

Councilman Mullahey questioned how the developer could expect the borough officials to move on the expansion without first seeing how the 106 Park Ave project will impact our borough with regards to traffic/parking and Mayor DeSalvo asked if the developer would be hands on with managing the property with regards of how many people can legally live in each apartment/studios and not have possible overcrowding in each unit.

This matter was included in the Closed Session of the Mayor and Council along with the discussion on Agnew Place Plan A and B and the PBA Contract update.

• The Council passed a resolution to award a contract to JG Drywall LLC for the renovations of the Memorial Fieldhouse locker rooms and added additional money on for handicap ramps along the outside of the building and work should start soon.

**The Ordinance No. 3492-19 entitled “Schedule of Fees” was passed on 2nd reading ~