The Livingston Township Council, at its meeting on Monday evening, August 26, introduced one new ordinance and passed six previously introduced ordinances on final hearing. Three of the passed ordinances were bond ordinances.
Tax Exemption Ordinance Pulled The Council planned to introduce an ordinance recommending approval of a long term tax exemption for 45 Partners Urban Renewal LLC, in exchange for which the developer proposes to make payments to the Township in lieu of taxes. However, this was tabled to a future meeting.
No announcement was made regarding when the ordinance will be introduced.
Rezoning Ordinance
An ordinance was introduced that would rezone the area of 91 -105 East Mt. Pleasant Avenue from its current status as an R-4 residential zone to a B-l General Business District, to which it is adjacent, and permitting car wash facilities as a conditional use in the zone.
Under the ordinance, changes would be made under the “conditional uses - public garages and gasoline filling stations” section of the code. The area contains a mix of commercial uses, and the changes include more stringent identification of the tanks present on properties, as well as developing plans for anticipated deliveries.
The ordinance would also amend parking regulations, including street parking and loading provisions, for that parcel.
The ordinance will be subject to a final hearing by the Council on September 23.
Passed Ordinances
Anumber ofpreviously introduced ordinances, including three bond ordinances, were passed on final reading on Monday evening.
U-Turn Ordinance An ordinance was approved to amend the township code to ban Utums on the entire length of Longacre Drive. This is being done to address a safety issue due to pick-up and drop-off changes at Harrison School.
Stormwater Control
An ordinance amending Chapter 170, Article XIX of the township code, entitled “Stormwater Control,” was also approved. Among the changes, language was added to state when applications would have needed to have been submitted in order to not be subj ect to the stormwater management requirements, which went into effect in August.
Salary Ordinance
The final hearding for an ordinance establishing positions and salary ranges of public officials and non-union employees of Livingston was pulled from the agenda. It has been rescheduled for the Council’s September 9 meeting.
Bond Ordinances
The Council also approved ordinances to authorize several bond ordinances totalling $12.795 million.
The first would provide a $2.75 million appropriation for improvements to Livingston’s Water Utility System. The funds would cover installation and replacement of water mains; renovations and improvements to water production wells; and assessments, renovations, and construction of water facilities.
The second would provide $4 million for improvements, renovations, and replacements to Livingston’s Sewer Utility System. The funds would cover work on the Water Pollution Control Facility; sewage pump stations; a jet-vac truck; a primary digester; a facility transformer replacement; an Eisenhower Parkway large diameter pipe replacement; collection system improvements; and roof upgrades.
The final bond ordinance was for $6.045 million for various township improvements. These were listed as acquisition and installation of computers, communications equipment and audio/visual systems, including but not limited to system, servers, storage, dispatch consoles, computers, security cameras, wireless network equipment, firewalls, and software systems; and design, improvements, remediations, construction, reconstruction and renovations to public buildings and facilities including, but not limited to Town Hall, the Public Works facility, firehouses and the Senior/Community Center building (including bathroom and floor improvements), grounds and furnishing improvements, and, parks, playgrounds and Recreation and Senior Services facilities. Also to be funded are assessment, design, improvements, reconstruction and repaving of various streets in the township, including curbs, sidewalks, drainage and storm water system improvements; major capital vehicle renovations and acquisition of vehicles and equipment, including but not limited to trucks, field maintenance machinery, loader equipment, fencing and major buildings and facilities maintenance equipment and renovations; and the reconstruction and repaving of Martin Road, including curbs, sidewalks and drainage.
Cap Bank
Also approved was an ordinance to exceed the municipal budget appropriation limits and to establish a cap bank.
Local government cap law provides that in the preparation of its annual budget, a municipality shall limit any increase in said budget up to 1.0 percent unless authorized by ordinance to increase it to 3.5 percent over the previous year’s final appropriations. The ordinance would increase the final appropriations by the allotted 3.5 percent, amounting to $1,399,747.89.
The municipal budget was also approved at the August 26 meeting; details are outlined in a separate article in this week’s Tribune.
