The Board of Education meeting of August 23 and 26th was the talk of the town this week and for good reason. Not only does school costs represent the majority of our tax bill, but the ongoing construction is causing just concern for all residents with children who attend the school.
For those not familiar with what has been going on, two quick links from nj.com:
Franklin Township Fire Marshal orders school evacuated, ending school board meeting UPDATED
http://www.nj.com/hunterdon-county-democrat/index.ssf/2010/08/franklin_township_fire_marshal.html
and:
Construction may delay Franklin Township School opening to Sept. 27
http://www.nj.com/hunterdon-county-democrat/index.ssf/2010/08/construction_may_delay_frankli.html
Let the media and the gallery of comments (whom I fondly call the peanut gallery) speak for themselves. Lots of opinions out there- obviously this has become quite a story and it has hit a nerve for many residents.
I attended Thursday's meeting and as a member of the public I was taken back by the fact that the Board dismissed construction Manager Dave Tillou before the public was permitted to ask questions. I was also surprised and disappointed that the Board held their vote to approve change orders without first hearing public comment.
Board President Chris Piparo stated that the Board has a policy that the public cannot question Mr. Tillou at the Board meetings- he only receives questions and answers to the Board. Dr. Harttraft followed up by saying that Mr. Tillou's telephone number is on the school's website and anyone is free to call him anytime with questions. Well, I checked the school's website here:
http://www.ftschool.org/FTS_HOME/Construction_New.html
...and unfortunatly Mr. Tillou's contact information is no where to be seen. It is also unfortunate that "construction updates" was last updated on June 11: -6/9/10 Walls are going up and the roof is coming off. It looks like things a moving forward nicely.
Communication is key; keeping the Construction Page of the school's website up to date and accurate would help keep residents updated and possibly help quell misinformation and rumors that plague the project's progress. Perhaps a chart showing which tasks are complete, which are ongoing, and which ones are not yet complete would help illustrate the project in easy to read fashion? It is my opinion that in the name of public accountability Mr. Tillou should be required to attend the entire board meetings and answer questions- may they be from the public or from the Board members. The simple gesture of "accessibility" to the decision makers can only help; perhaps as we move forward the Board will re-examine their stance on this topic.
In my "real job" as a city planner for Plainfield I have managed several projects involving the restoration of our historic City Hall. One of my projects received an award from the NJ State Historic Preservation Office (see: http://www.state.nj.us/dep/hpo/4sustain/awds2002.htm scroll down to the 3rd project). Having experience in very public projects I do have sympathy for Mr. Tillou and the Board; but I also value the importance of accountability to the public and providing up to date information at any given notice.
Setbacks aside, let's work together, keep the information current and accurate, and support the completion of the school.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
July 25 - August 21, 2010
The dog days of summer are upon us; with folks taking vacations and meetings being canceled, it has been a quiet month. I have used this time to organize my files, reach out to residents, and work on a few pet projects.
Since July 25 the following meetings were canceled: Environmental Commission (7/26), Land Use Board (7/28), Recreation Commission (8/3), Rural Awareness (8/5), Land Use Board (8/11), and Board of Education “REPAIR” (8/17). The 8/26 Township Committee meeting is canceled as well. The Committee did meet on August 12 and this is what happened:
Thursday, August 12: Township Committee.
1. The 7/22/10 work session and executive session meeting minutes were approved.
2. We approved Ordinance 2010-07 which established fees to cover the Township’s costs in responding to OPRA requests. OPRA stands for Open Public Records Act; you can find more information about OPRA at: http://sunshinereview.org/index.php/New_Jersey_Open_Public_Records_Act
3. We authorized payment of the bills: between 7/29/10 and 8/12/10 we paid $594,522.25 in bills. As always, copies of the check control register are available at the clerk’s office, and are always at the Committee meetings.
4. Our Tax Collector reported we received $149,231.12 in taxes for July 2010.
5. Our Department of Public Works Supervisor provided us with his July monthly report. Highlights from his report include shoulder/drainage basin repairs at Nixon Farm and Rake Factory roads, and township-wide roadside mowing.
6. As part of my Administration Subcommittee report, I reported that our Finance Director informed me that the cost of municipal health employee benefits has fluctuated a lot in 2010- from $16,800 in January, $18,000 from February through May, $28,600 in June, then down to $19,600 in July and $8,500 in August. It is difficult to create and maintain a budget with such monetary fluctuation; our clerk will contact the State to find out why our premiums are not steady. Given this and the fact that we have been told that premiums are going up 12% in 2011 makes this issue even more important.
7. Another administrative matter which I would like to know how the public feels about- on Tuesday nights between 7 and 9 pm you can visit the municipal building and meet with many of our municipal employees like our tax assessor, construction official, zoning officer, etc. I show up on Tuesday nights because it gives me a chance to catch up with our employees as well. I was asked by several employees if the Tuesday night hours could be changed from 7-9pm to 6-8 pm. I was told that several residents asked for this since they can “swing by” directly from work rather than go home, wait until 7 then head off to the municipal building. I felt this request was reasonable- the difference of 1 hour to me is negligible, however the rest of the Committee felt otherwise. I was told this request is made every year and that the present 7-9 pm hours should stay as they are. So much for flexibility; I would like to hear from residents who have an opinion on this matter one way or the other.
8. We approved Resolution 2010-60 granting the Quakertown Recreation Club to hunt on municipal properties. A quick Google search turned up this quick history of the Rec Club: http://www.ftschool.org/fourth/historic.franklintwp/quak_rec_club.html
9. Planning, Zoning and Construction Subcommittee. As part of the Building Department’s restructured budget for 2010 I looked into the status of the fees that the township charges for construction projects. With the help of our Construction Official, we looked at our fee schedule and compared what we charge to six municipalities- Alexandria, Clinton Town, Delaware, Kingwood, Raritan, and Readington. I took the low, high, and averages and compared those figures to our fee schedule. To see a copy of the spreadsheet I put together check out this link: http://www.scribd.com/doc/36327864/Construction-Fee-Analysis-August-12-2010
The Committee members were apprehensive about increasing any fees- erroneously believing a building fee is a tax. There are differences between a tax and a fee, the most obvious being that a tax is paid uniformly by all citizens and building fees are paid for by those who are engaged in construction activity. If you have a look at the spreadsheet you can see that we are below the average in many categories and as a committeeman I feel it is my responsibility to ensure that our fees are up to date and reasonable. The idea is to increase revenues where we can without being too heavy handed. Keeping our municipal tax rate level is accomplished by a combination of reducing spending and increasing revenue. The State requires us to review our fee schedule every 3 years and the last time we reviewed our fees was in 2008. The matter was carried to the September 9 meeting; one Committeeman wants to know how much revenue would have been raised if the proposed increases were implemented earlier. Tell me how you feel!
10. The Township Committee also acts as the Board of Health and in this capacity we approved the May 13, 2010 meeting minutes and approved a deadline extension to TPA, LLC (Block 26, Lot 10) to our next Board of Health meeting of September 9. The Applicant originally wanted a 6 month extension but the Applicant was not even present to support his request, so perhaps in September we will be compelled to offer a longer deadline extension.
11. Our last business matter concerned the Quakertown Fire Company Emergency Medical Service. The QFC requested an $18,000 contribution from the township for “emergency medical services including medical transport, supplies, and training”. After deliberation in executive session the Committee agreed to the contribution with the condition that we are made aware of exactly how the money is being spent.
Our next Committee meeting is Thursday, September 9 at 7:30 PM; I would like to see you there. As always, I am available to discuss any township concerns with you; feel free to contact me at scottsbauman@gmail.com or at 908-797-4140.
Since July 25 the following meetings were canceled: Environmental Commission (7/26), Land Use Board (7/28), Recreation Commission (8/3), Rural Awareness (8/5), Land Use Board (8/11), and Board of Education “REPAIR” (8/17). The 8/26 Township Committee meeting is canceled as well. The Committee did meet on August 12 and this is what happened:
Thursday, August 12: Township Committee.
1. The 7/22/10 work session and executive session meeting minutes were approved.
2. We approved Ordinance 2010-07 which established fees to cover the Township’s costs in responding to OPRA requests. OPRA stands for Open Public Records Act; you can find more information about OPRA at: http://sunshinereview.org/index.php/New_Jersey_Open_Public_Records_Act
3. We authorized payment of the bills: between 7/29/10 and 8/12/10 we paid $594,522.25 in bills. As always, copies of the check control register are available at the clerk’s office, and are always at the Committee meetings.
4. Our Tax Collector reported we received $149,231.12 in taxes for July 2010.
5. Our Department of Public Works Supervisor provided us with his July monthly report. Highlights from his report include shoulder/drainage basin repairs at Nixon Farm and Rake Factory roads, and township-wide roadside mowing.
6. As part of my Administration Subcommittee report, I reported that our Finance Director informed me that the cost of municipal health employee benefits has fluctuated a lot in 2010- from $16,800 in January, $18,000 from February through May, $28,600 in June, then down to $19,600 in July and $8,500 in August. It is difficult to create and maintain a budget with such monetary fluctuation; our clerk will contact the State to find out why our premiums are not steady. Given this and the fact that we have been told that premiums are going up 12% in 2011 makes this issue even more important.
7. Another administrative matter which I would like to know how the public feels about- on Tuesday nights between 7 and 9 pm you can visit the municipal building and meet with many of our municipal employees like our tax assessor, construction official, zoning officer, etc. I show up on Tuesday nights because it gives me a chance to catch up with our employees as well. I was asked by several employees if the Tuesday night hours could be changed from 7-9pm to 6-8 pm. I was told that several residents asked for this since they can “swing by” directly from work rather than go home, wait until 7 then head off to the municipal building. I felt this request was reasonable- the difference of 1 hour to me is negligible, however the rest of the Committee felt otherwise. I was told this request is made every year and that the present 7-9 pm hours should stay as they are. So much for flexibility; I would like to hear from residents who have an opinion on this matter one way or the other.
8. We approved Resolution 2010-60 granting the Quakertown Recreation Club to hunt on municipal properties. A quick Google search turned up this quick history of the Rec Club: http://www.ftschool.org/fourth/historic.franklintwp/quak_rec_club.html
9. Planning, Zoning and Construction Subcommittee. As part of the Building Department’s restructured budget for 2010 I looked into the status of the fees that the township charges for construction projects. With the help of our Construction Official, we looked at our fee schedule and compared what we charge to six municipalities- Alexandria, Clinton Town, Delaware, Kingwood, Raritan, and Readington. I took the low, high, and averages and compared those figures to our fee schedule. To see a copy of the spreadsheet I put together check out this link: http://www.scribd.com/doc/36327864/Construction-Fee-Analysis-August-12-2010
The Committee members were apprehensive about increasing any fees- erroneously believing a building fee is a tax. There are differences between a tax and a fee, the most obvious being that a tax is paid uniformly by all citizens and building fees are paid for by those who are engaged in construction activity. If you have a look at the spreadsheet you can see that we are below the average in many categories and as a committeeman I feel it is my responsibility to ensure that our fees are up to date and reasonable. The idea is to increase revenues where we can without being too heavy handed. Keeping our municipal tax rate level is accomplished by a combination of reducing spending and increasing revenue. The State requires us to review our fee schedule every 3 years and the last time we reviewed our fees was in 2008. The matter was carried to the September 9 meeting; one Committeeman wants to know how much revenue would have been raised if the proposed increases were implemented earlier. Tell me how you feel!
10. The Township Committee also acts as the Board of Health and in this capacity we approved the May 13, 2010 meeting minutes and approved a deadline extension to TPA, LLC (Block 26, Lot 10) to our next Board of Health meeting of September 9. The Applicant originally wanted a 6 month extension but the Applicant was not even present to support his request, so perhaps in September we will be compelled to offer a longer deadline extension.
11. Our last business matter concerned the Quakertown Fire Company Emergency Medical Service. The QFC requested an $18,000 contribution from the township for “emergency medical services including medical transport, supplies, and training”. After deliberation in executive session the Committee agreed to the contribution with the condition that we are made aware of exactly how the money is being spent.
Our next Committee meeting is Thursday, September 9 at 7:30 PM; I would like to see you there. As always, I am available to discuss any township concerns with you; feel free to contact me at scottsbauman@gmail.com or at 908-797-4140.
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