Mayor A1 Anthony took the stage at last week’s Meet the Mayor program, hosted by the Livingston League of Women Voters. He highlighted items that he is passionate about, including his enthusiasm to talk with residents, and inspired questions and comments from the attendees. This is Anthony’s third term as mayor, he had previously served in 2016 and 2019.
“Each January, the League presents Meet the Mayor, when Livingston residents get to know our new mayor, who will share his vision and answer questions, said Amy Ipp, copresident of the League along with Robin Weiss. The meeting was held on Zoom and may be viewed on the Livingston LWV Facebook page or at livingstonlwv.org.
Topics discussed included the new Department of Public Works garage; Open Space; pre-Council meeting talks with residents; student participation on town committees; and whether the town should make political statements.
Open Space
Adedicatedmember of the town’s Open Space Committee, Mayor Anthony talked about the Open Space Trust Fund, which was started many years ago.
“It takes about a penny of your municipal dollar and is used to find Open Space to purchase, that will never be built on, for the quality of life of our residents,” he said.
In 2019, the town purchased 11 acres of the Licari Miniature Horse Farm on Northfield Road and nine acres of the Strahman property on East Cedar Street. The town sent out an RFP for ideas for those two properties and for Orchard Hill, on Hillside Avenue, which connects the trails between the Livingston Community Center and Heritage Middle School.
“I’d like to get the whole town involved with what they want to see on this Open Space,” Anthony said.
Speaking with Residents
When resident Matthew Boxer praised the mayor for holding informal meetings with individuals prior to Council meetings, Anthony thanked him.
“You brought some ideas to me. That’s the purpose, to hear what you want to say,” Anthony said. “It gives me a chance to research them, talk to the manager, and advocate them to the rest of the Council.”
Anthony had held these meet-ups during his two previous terms, noting that “many people do not want to go to a microphone, give their name and address, and state their problems to everyone in Town Hall or on Zoom.” He credited the idea of the informal meetings to his wife, Lori. He is available in the conference room a half hour before the start of each official meeting.
New Town Garage
“Something all members of the Council want, which has been stalled for a bit, is to build a new Department of Public Works to get it off South Livingston Avenue,” Anthony said.
To build the new facility, the town had obtained eight acres on Industrial Parkway through eminent domain in 2019.
“I’d like to have a shovel in the ground this year,” Anthony said .
Students on Town Committees
Last year, the Livingston Environmental Commission welcomed Livingston High School students Chloe Marrache and Aadit Pisal to (Continued on Page A-6) non-voting members.
Affordable Housing Ideas
Any Schonhaut asked about how the town can provide affordable housing in a way that results in fewer apartments and uses less land. She proposed developers could provide 100 percent affordable housing and construct fewer but taller buildings in areas away from residential neighborhoods.
“Some towns do try to build affordable housing in one spot,” Anthony said.
Nishna Makala asked about including group homes and senior centers, and Board of Education member Parul Khemka added that some developers like United Way will construct dis-ability housing. The planning and approvals is a cost the town has to bear, and Khemka asked if the town could use its affordable housing fund to do some of that.
“I think that’s a great idea,” said Anthony. She also suggested considering establishment of a Housing Authority.
“We can decide where, how many, and so on,” Khemka said.
Robin Weiss, who works with low income housing tax credit projects, suggested that “the town wouldn’t necessarily have to put money into them if you did 100 percent affordable housing or even some mixed use housing… I think that’s a way to stop all the development that’s going on in town.”
