Many important agenda items were packed into the 341-page packet released to the public on Friday, July 12. Click Here. (All page number references to the agenda in this Voices article are to this web address.)
See especially Voices discussion of the new stormwater ordinance to be introduced and the Introduction of the 2024 budget
The LONG list of topics (including “Bell Tower”) to be discussed by Council in the pre-meeting Closed Session is intriguing- p. 15
The public meeting will begin with the formal swearing-in of our new Township Manager, Jaclyn Hashmat, and recognition of the Youth Advisory Board.
Apparently, in response to sustained public input concerning traffic speeds and pedestrian safety, the Council is entertaining a possible resolution to expand the scope of the Council’s current Leaf subcommittee (Katz, Orgen, and Goldberg) to become the Leaf, Pedestrian and Traffic Safety Subcommittee. Residents concerned with these issues may want to inquire as to whether all meetings of this subcommittee will be as secretive as most other Council subcommittees (p.18)
Proposed Introduction of Ord 19-2024 - Amendments to Stormwater Control Ordinance.
This 30-page ordinance – most of which strikes out the prior ordinance, begins at p. 35. Apparently, the ordinance is being proposed as a response to changes required by the State’s Department of the Environment (DEP) but it is hopelessly convoluted for the ordinary lay resident. We encourage residents to ask the Township Attorney what is going on and how the new ordinance affects Teaneck, a Township traditionally struggling with water movement and flooding. Voices also notes that the Environmental Commission will discuss this proposed ordinance at its July 17 Zoom meeting
Introduction of the 2024 Municipal Budget
Voices regular readers are well aware that the Township is months late in introducing and adopting the annual municipal budget for 2024. In March Council began reviewing then Manager Kazinci’s budget. He reported that originally his budget would have required a 9.97% increase and despite serious cuts still proposed a 6.9% levy increase. Residents have been given no additional information since March except that Council had begun looking around for municipal assets it might be able to market as a way to provide more revenue that could then reduce the taxation total that Town property owners would need to cover for the year.
Council was focused on how to raise the revenue from the municipally-owned cell tower. It has taken four months and a new ordinance and two bid periods, but last Tuesday (7/9) the purchasing agent opened bids the Town hoped would bring $2M. In fact, the highest bid among 4 was for $3.55M. A Windfall! As of COB on Friday the completion of the deal with that highest bidder was still being closed – but perhaps by Tuesday a resolution to approve that highest bid will be added to Council’s agenda.
What that means for the budget Council will introduce on Tuesday is not narratively explained to residents in the typically dense 67-page document that appears (beginning at p. 79 of the meeting’s agenda packet released just 24 hours ago as Voices goes to press.). What appears from our initial budget review is that the budget was prepared with the assumption of bell tower revenues of $2M (see p. 99 where “sale of municipal assets” is reported as $2M). How that and all the other changes from Kazinci’s March budget play out is this:
- The March budget called for a Municipal & Library Levy of $65.331M whereas the budget to be introduced on Tuesday calls for Municipal Taxes of $62.243M – nearly $3M less.
Hopefully, the new Manager & Council will describe in lay terms what is being proposed and be cogent in response to resident queries. Readers will keep in mind that the actual public hearing on this budget before the vote on its adoption takes place at the next Council meeting which has been moved to Thursday, August 22.
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