The Livingston Township Council held its final regular meeting of the year on Monday, December 18. To start the meeting, each Council member thanked their respective spouses for helping them to serve in their positions.
“We couldn ’t do what we do for the community (without our spouses),” Mayor Michael Vieria said, “and this is our way of saying ‘thank you.’” Each spouse was given flowers and a gift card to their favorite restaurant.
Livingston Fire Department president Tom Cooney also addressed the Council. He has been working on creating a book documenting the history of the Department, and while digging through ledger books, he found the original 1938 rendering of Monument Park at the Oval. At the meeting, he gifted the Council the framed document, to be hung in Town Hall.
Congresswoman’s New Office Aresolution was passed to approve a lease with Rep. Mikie Sherrill. She will now have her district 11 office on the second floor of Town Hall. A ribbon cutting was held on Tuesday.
“The Township Council deems it to be in the best interest of the township and its residents to have our representative’s district office, and the constituent services provided by that office, located in the township,” read the resolution.
“I think this a real feather in our cap in Livingston,” Council member Shawn Klein said. “The fact that her offices are going to be in this building are going to be great for Livingston, and great for our high school students who will have access to working in her office.”
Increasing Deferred School Tax The Council approved an increase of the deferred local school district tax by over $1.4 million. The local school district tax for the year of July 1,2023 to June 30,2024 was raised in the 2023 tax levy in the sum of $122,959,836.00. New Jersey statutes permit the deferral of the cash liability of such school tax up to 50 percent of the school tax levy, or in Livingston’s case, $61,479,918.00.
As a result, the Council approved the deferred school tax of the local school district be increased from a sum of $60,048,843.50 deferred as of December 31, 2022, to the sum of $61,479,918.00 deferred as of December 31, 2023.
Other Resolutions
The Council approved several “housekeeping resolutions” to end the year.
An administrative consent order with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, for the township’s PFAS remediation plan, was approved. The order memorializes the town’s plan to address the issue of contaminants in Livingston’s wells. Deputy Mayor Al Anthony recused himself from this vote.
A$146,590 contract was awarded to Rapid Pump and Meter Service Company, for a replacement of the motor control centers at the Water Pollution Control Facility.
A contract was awarded to Bruno Associates to continue grant consulting services for the town. The contract runs from May 9, 2023, to May 8, 2024. Council member Rosy Bagolie recused herself from this vote.
The Council approved a 2023 budget appropriation transfer of $10,000 from “insurance – general liability” to “clerk – other expenses.”
Four “Dedication by Rider” titles in the general trust fund, totalling $26,190.76, were canceled and returned to the current fund.
Closed Session
Between the conference and regular meetings, the Council went into a closed executive session to conduct interviews for township boards; to discuss an additional personnel matter; and to consider Fair Share Housing litigation, specifically a deadline concerning the Westminster Hotel property. Following the conclusion of the regular meeting, the Council returned to closed session to continue discussing these topics.
