Proposals to fund more than $900,000 in successful property tax appeals, hire a firm for architecture and engineering services to renovate town property at 549 Valley Road, and extend the contract for the collection agency for municipal court head the agenda for the February 25, 2014, council meeting.
The meeting agendas and related materials are here.
Also on the agenda are contracts for the town’s communications director and its consultant for social media and marketing, a contract to control resident geese and authorization to reimburse private residential garbage collection.
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Council is asked to fund $919,511 in successful tax appeals in the latest in a long series of millions of dollars in rebates for over-assessed property. The successful property owners include Kessler Institute ($390,332 for 2008-10), Best Western – Turtle Brook Inn ($171,782 for 2009-13), the 414 Eagle Rock Avenue office building ($137,362 for 2011-13), and the Wilshire Grand hotel ($85,858 for 2012-13.)
The administration is asking council to approve its selection of Herbst Musciano of Boonton for building design, specifications, bid documents and subcontracting for survey and engineering site design at 549 Valley Road. The property, recently acquired after several years of environmental remediation, is planned to house the police traffic division now operating next door under lease. Herbst Musciano’s original and supplemental proposals were for $26,880. The firm beat out original proposals from CTS Group of Chatham $37,800 and PS&S of Warren $31,500.
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A proposed one-year extension of a contract held the last two years by TaxServ Capital Services NJ of McLean, Va., to collect municipal court fines and fees is also on the agenda. The firm collects funds due the court and is compensated by additional fees paid by the debtor.
The administration is asking council approval for a 10-month no-bid contract (March-December) for the town’s communications director and public information officer, Ms. Jessica Glicker. Her proposed fee is $3,300 per month.
Council is also asked to approve an administration proposal to hire Bashkoff Enterprises of West Orange as a consultant for social media and marketing. The firm, which has handled social media in the previous year, would expand its duties to include marketing at a monthly fee of $2,000 for 11 months through December. The town has previously engaged Bashkoff for $1,000 per month and a separate marketing consultant for $1,250 per month.
The proposed contract for Goose Control Technology of Metuchen is for $3,000 to prevent increased resident geese populations at OSPAC, Degnan Park and Stagg Field. The fee includes $500 to manage volunteers to help find nests.
Also on the agenda is renewal of the town’s rent-control ordinance on second and final reading. An ordinance setting fees for the Ginny Duenkel pool is on the agenda for first reading.
If you’d like to contact the council with your thoughts on any of these issues, please send an e-mail to council@westorange.org or call 973.325.4155 to leave a message.
I’m a West Orange Township councilman since 2010, reachable at jkrakoviak@westorange.org. I'm a business communications consultant in my spare time.
