Nutley Board of Commissioners Announce Library Improvements, CDBG and COAH Funding – TAPinto.net
NUTLEY, NJ -Library Improvements, CDBG improvement projects and COAH funding were announced during the Tuesday, Dec. 17 Nutley Board of Commissioners public meeting. Commissioners Steven L. Rogers and Mauro G. Tucci were absent excused.
Announcements
Revenue and Finance Commissioner Thomas J. Evans said the township is establishing a rehabilitation ordinance which should be ready by February 2020 for income qualifying properties for housing repairs such as roofs and furnaces to comply with the Council on Affordable Housing.
The township’s COAH trust fund is about $600,000. The township was also able to couple it with the Essex County program, which could bring about $35,000 in total available to any income qualifying home owner.
The COAH rehabilitation funds are interest free loans that last for 10 years. “So ten years and a day and the loan is forgiven. So it’s a real opportunity for people who need to and want to stay in their home, need to do the improvements,” said Evans. He added, “If they sell prior [to the 10 years] then they have to repay the loan.”
Evans acknowledged Carmine Bucco of Bucco Couture. Bucco held a breakfast on Sunday, Dec. 15. He established an organization for orphaned children and adults to help them transition out of foster environment into adult life. “Given his background, his own experience as a foster child, I wanted to offer congratulations commending him for his willingness to pursue that. […] I think this is a new area where Nutley can get involved and help others, especially young adults to get on the right path, avoid some of the negatives out there in life,” he said.
Mayor and Public Works Commissioner Joseph P. Scarpelli thanked the commissioners and the departments, especially the Department of Public Works for preparing for the holiday season and the tree lighting. “There’s a lot we offer in town, Santa Claus on the back of the fire truck, pictures with Santa, the Chamber of Commerce having Santa come in by helicopter, the tree lighting with carriage rides and it’s part of what makes our community great, because we […] we come together as a community to help celebrate not only this holiday but many of the other holidays.
Public Safety Commissioner Alphonse Petracco also thanked the Nutley Volunteer Fire Department for their work with the Santa Ride. Petracco rode along and said it was incredible to see the children chase down the fire engine with Santa inside.
Ordinances
Ordinance No. 3431 was tabled to the Jan. 2 BOC public meeting. The ordinance introduced on Nov. 18 by Scarpelli will fix the salaries of certain officers and employees for non-union employees in the departments of public affairs, revenue and finance, public safety, public works and water, parks and public property, and legal.
Ordinance No. 3432 introduced by Scarpelli was approved. The ordinance will fix the salaries of certain officers and employees of Teamsters Local 97 in the departments of public works and water and parks and public property.
Resolutions
The township is applying for a Community Development Block Grant for 2020 to seek funding for an ADA Elevator at the Nutley Public Library costing $95,000, Duncan Place reconstruction and resurfacing for $132,290, and Entwistle Street reconstruction and resurfacing for $171,035. Public hearings for the CDBG program were held on Nov. 25 and Dec. 2.
A transfer of appropriations in the 2019 budget were approved for the following departments. Department of Public Affairs $5,000 from Garbage and Trash Removal to Health Department Other Expenses; Department of Parks and Public Property $49,000 from Health Insurance to Building Other Expenses, Parks Other Expenses, Telephones Salary and Wages, Information Tech Salary and Wages, Recreation Committee Other Expenses and Salary and Wages, and Shade Tree Other Expenses; Department of Public Safety $125,000 from Fire Salary and Wages to Fire Other Expenses; and Department of Public Works and Water Utility $12,000 from Public Employees’ Retirement System (P.E.R.S.) to Social Security.
The Van Riper House, Inc. at 437 River Road, a non-profit corporation duly organized under the laws of the State of New Jersey renewed its lease agreement with the township for $1 a year for 20 years commencing on Dec. 18, 2019 and ending on Dec. 17, 2039.
The Department of Revenue and Finance established a petty cash account for $650 for the year 2020. All petty cash vouchers are to be approved by the department designee and authorized by the purchasing agent or designee.
Elina Pettas, municipal clerk, was appointed as the township’s Public Agency Compliance Officer for the year 2020. The P.A.C.O. serves as the liaison between the Department of the Treasury, Division of Public Contracts Equal Employment Opportunity and the township.
John P. Inglesino of Inglesino, Webster, Wyciskala & Taylor, LLC in Parsippany was awarded a contract since October 2013 for Special Development Council. The contract was renewed for 2020 not to exceed $95,000. The law firm was also awarded a one-year contract not to exceed $15,000 to provide legal services related to the township’s affordable housing requirements The fee schedule for both services is an hourly rate of $215 for attorneys and an hourly rate of $100 a paralegal or law clerk.
Inglesino, Webster, Wyciskala & Taylor, LLC was also awarded a contract not to exceed $35,000 to provide legal services to the Board of Commissioners, as counsel for the township concerning compliance, procedural and general legal issues. Services exceeded $35,000 and Change Order No. 1 was created in the amount of $5,000. Services again exceeded the updated contract and Change Order No. 2 in the amount of $8,500 was created and approved.
The township will submit a strategic plan to apply for funding for the Nutley Municipal Alliance grant for the fiscal year 2021 in the amount of $19,906.54 for Drug Enforcement and Demand Reduction, $4,976.64 in Cash Match and $14,929.91 for In-Kind was approved. Funding is through the Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse.
Cifelli & Son General Contracting, Inc. in Nutley was awarded a contract for the NJDOT Grant Avenue Roadway Improvement Project, Section 1 from Passaic Avenue to Myrtle Avenue in the amount of $376,281.
The township will refund ABC Studios $5,000, which filmed season one of Emergence in Nutley. The Code Enforcement Department received a filming performance bond deposit for $5,000. The zoning official determined that the fee should be refunded.
Off-premise merchandise raffle application for the Veterans of Foreign War Post #493 Stuart E. Edgar for March 2 was approved.
The next Board of Commissioners meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 2.
Since 2016, TAPintoNutley.net has been the only locally owned news organization serving the Township of Nutley, and is a member of the New Jersey Press Association. The Nutley Board of Commissioners made TAPintoNutley.net the township’s ‘Official Electronic News Source’ starting in 2019.
Sign up for our FREE daily eNews. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter @TAPintoNutley and Instagram @TAPintoNutley Download the TAPinto App! Click here for Android. Click here for iOS.
Got a news tip? email us at Nutley@TAPinto.net