The Bloomfield Council unanimously passed a resolution designating 177 Franklin Street (the former South Junior High School) as “an Area in Need of Redevelopment, without the use of the power of eminent domain.” In addition, the council passed a second resolution directing the Planning Board to prepare a redevelopment plan for the building.
The designation will enable the developer, Lance Robbins of Urban Smart Growth, to become eligible for certain grants, donations and other funding opportunities not previously available to him. The building, which Robbins wants to convert via adaptive reuse to house apartments “in a variety of sizes and configurations,” was previously designated an “Area in Need of Rehabilitation.” South Junior High School has been vacant since 1985.
Salary Fixed for Township Administrative Positions
The mayor and council passed two ordinances on first reading that established a supplemental salary for the Acting Township Administrator (Sam DeMaio), who will receive $36,000 for the year in addition to his salary as Police Director for taking on the additional responsibilities of Township Administrator.
Ted Ehrenburg, who is now the Assistant Township Administrator reporting in to DeMaio, will receive a 2015 salary of $120k, reduced from his original annual salary of $167k.
Councilman Joe Lopez objected to the ordinance establishing Ehrenburg’s salary, questioning whether Ehrenburg was coming in to work and criticizing the fact that no work schedule was included in the description of the Assistant Township Administrator position. Mayor Venezia and Councilwoman Davis pointed out that these ordinances simply establish a title and salary range and do not include details about the positions themselves.
The ordinance to establish DeMaio’s additional salary passed unanimously; the ordinance for the Assistant Township Administrator’s salary passed 5-2, with Lopez and Councilman Carlos Bernard voting no.
Proclamation of LGBT Pride Month
Earlier in the meeting, Councilwoman Nina Davis introduced a proclamation declaring June 2015 to be Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender Pride Month. The mayor and council voted unanimously to issue the proclamation, which Davis read aloud. The proclamation cited both the Stonewall Riots on June 28, 1969, and the recent Supreme Court decision upholding the right to marriage equality on June 26, 2015, as key events in the history of the LGBT civil rights movement.
Police Department Hires
Acting Township Administrator/Police Director Sam DeMaio introduced the new Auxiliary Police Officers who recently graduated from the police academy. He complimented Councilman Nick Joanow for having suggested incorporating an Auxiliary Police program into the Police Department, and Sergeant Naomi Zepeda for leading the effort to establish the Auxiliary Police unit.
The new Auxiliary Police Officers are Omar Baldeon, Anthony Bernardo, Jr., Paul Carlomagno, Justin Corio, Enrique Gonzales, Paul Kelm, Godson Noel, and Theo Richards.
In addition, the mayor and council voted unanimously to approve the hiring of four Police Aides (Miguel Tirado, Jacqueline Gabriele, Alysa Sauchelli, and Diana C. Aviles) who will assist the Police Department by taking over duties currently held by Police Officers.
The governing body also approved the hiring of two Medical Dispatchers, Michelle Davis and Joseph Lembo.
Boards and Commissions
The mayor and council appointed Dr. Ruchi Mehta to the Board of Health, Carolyn Sharaway to the Library Board, Michael J. Skidmore and Trevor Munson to the Zoning Board, and Mary Shaughnessy, Timothy Cummings, Laura Kelm and Oliver Young to the newly-created Environmental Commission.
Shaughnessy and Cummings were sworn in at the meeting.
Liquor License Renewals
Consent resolutions renewing liquor licenses for a number of businesses in town passed unanimously, with the exception of the liquor license for Moon Palace. Councilman Lopez objected to renewing the license for the establishment, which, he said has had “over 30 violations, including a shooting,” in recent months.
Councilwoman Davis agreed the establishment was a problem, but said she was concerned about possibly losing a liquor license in town.
Mayor Venezia agreed that it would be important to understand the ramifications of non-renewal of the license. The council agreed to postpone consideration of the license renewal in order to obtain an update about the status of Moon Palace, whose owner has previously expressed interest in selling the business
Resolution to Admonish Donald Trump
Councilman Lopez had added a resolution to the agenda to admonish Donald Trump for his remarks about Mexican immigrants in his speech announcing his Presidential run on June 16, 2015.
Before the resolution came to a vote, Councilman Elias Chalet spoke, urging the council to defer the vote on the resolution until discussion could take place. Lopez had added the resolution to the agenda on Monday morning.
Chalet emphasized that he has many relatives in Mexico and in Cuba, and that he has Hispanic blood himself. He stated he felt the issue should be discussed by the council before moving forward.
Mayor Venezia questioned whether every time a politician makes offensive remarks that the council would pass a resolution. Councilwoman Davis said that Trump “isn’t even an elected official.” She proposed that, rather than single out Trump and Hispanics in a resolution, that the council instead create a resolution supporting all immigrant communities. “We’re giving him [Trump] a lot of attention,” she said.
It was also pointed out that the resolution had not been added to the agenda according to protocol. All agenda items are to be submitted by noon Thursday in order to be included on the Monday meeting agenda.
Lopez countered that Councilwoman Davis’ proclamation had not been discussed at a previous conference meeting. However, Mayor Venezia said there had been discussion about the proclamation previously, and Davis had requested that the council hold off on issuing it until she came back from recent surgery. He also pointed out that the council had discussed it at the beginning of the meeting but that Lopez had arrived late and therefore had not been present for the discussion.
Lopez also said that the Essex County Freeholders had voted to take down the Confederate Flag in South Carolina. Venezia said they had probably followed proper meeting procedures.
Ultimately the mayor and council voted 7-0 to defer the resolution and add it as an action item to the next conference meeting on July 20, 2015.
The next meeting will be a conference meeting to be held on Monday, July 20, 2015 at 7 p.m. in the 2nd floor conference room in the Law Enforcement Building.