Preview: July 16 Town Council meeting

Proposals to shift capital spending from a high-school concession stand to jitney buses, make road and sewer repairs on Moore Terrace, establish a town energy-aggregation program ordinance, and amend the Harvard Press Redevelopment ordinance head the agenda for the July 15, 2013, town council meeting.

The meeting agendas and related materials are here. With no conference agenda events, the meeting will start at 7 p.m.

The administration is asking the council to approve an amendment to a bond ordinance to shift funding from construction of a high-school concession stand, approved at $275,000, to jitney buses, for $276,523. The shift, which also amends the amount for lighting the high school football and track field to $262,634 from $275,000, leaves $10,843 for the concession stand. The administration has whittled down the concession stand allocation from $350,000 as it became clear the project would cost even more than that.

The administration is also asking for approval of a $22,290 competitively bid engineering and survey contract for repairs to the road, sewers and sidewalks on Moore Terrace. The low bidder, Suburban Consulting Engineers, Mount Arlington, will research and prepare construction bid specifications.

The council will also consider an ordinance creating a municipal energy-aggregation program designed to lower electric costs for town residences and businesses by pooling customers to encourage suppliers to reduce their charges. The council approved a resolution at the last council meeting approving Gabel Associates, Highland Park, to develop the program. The ordinance is on the agenda for first reading.

The council will also consider the Planning Board’s recommendation to amend the ordinance for the Harvard Press Redevelopment residential project to allow for rental units. The council approved the redeveloper’s request at the last meeting to refer to the board the proposed change from condominium sales. The ordinance is on the agenda for first reading.

Also on the agenda is my proposal to clarify language in the council’s agenda ordinance to provide that all materials the council receives for consideration at the meeting are also on the town website. Many supporting materials, including contracts and supporting letters, are now given to council members but not posted on the town website. The ordinance, which was modified during the administration’s review, is on the agenda for first reading.

Newly elected Council President Susan McCartney has eliminated the General Matters Pending section of the meeting agenda, where councilmembers had a chance to speak just before Public Comment, and added an Announcements/Upcoming Events section at the end of the meeting. Neither section is part of the meeting agenda ordinance. She has told me she’d like the council to consider ways to improve the meeting agenda.

I’m a West Orange Township councilman since 2010, reachable at jkrakoviak@westorange.org. I'm a business communications consultant in my spare time.