Council Hears Democrat's Rent Stabilization Proposal Forum to Look
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Now incorporating New Providence-Berkeley Heights Dispatch Summit!9 ^ Herald ... Summit * only real newspaper VOLUME 100 NO. 40 May 10,1986 Price: 25* Council hears Democrat's rent stabilization proposal By PAIGE TUNSTALL community existence now present from rent control." Also, she almost 100 percent success rate in Councilman Murray Ross said, has a right to a return on his in- SUMMIT--Common Council in Summit." said, "You have to look at our resolving landlord-tenant "We can't afford to treat this as vestment, yet our society's values has opted for a "wait and see" Schneider lives at 390 Morris record here—we can't penalize all disputes. However, they said, the a total community situation if it's also tell us 'No, you can't policy on a rent stabilization pro- Avenue, where rent hikes of up to the landlords just because one of landlord of 390 Morris so far has an isolated situation. If it's not displace these people, you've got posal put forth by Phillip 48 percent have been proposed. them won't negotiate." declined to negotiate through the an isolated situation...we could to give them time to adjust,' " Schneider at Tuesday's council Councilwoman Judy McLen- After its regular meeting, commission. have a major problem in Sum- McLendon said that although meeting. don said, "You can't put in rent council adjourned to the con- John Elliott, vice-president of mit." housing costs in the city have Schenider, a Democrat who control for one person, one ference room to meet with the Summit Tenants Association Test case tripled in three years, "What recently declared his candidacy case." McLendon, who will be members of the Rent Commis- and Schneider's campaign Schneider honed in on the case goes up must come down-the for Ward 1 of Common Council, Schneider's opposition in next sion, an informational and manager, said, "This is not just of one 73-year-old woman at 390 market will take care of it." told the all-Republican council fall's election, said "I feel for mediational body that was form- 40 people involved-it's 1,500 it Morris who is scheduled for a 'Raw sewage' is last straw rent stabilization was necessary these people ," at 390 Morris, ed in 1976. Commission members could happen to tomorrow." court hearing May 19 to fight a Beth Murphy, another tenant "to maintain the standard of "but my instinct is to stay away told council that they had an "This could happen to rent increase of about 40 percent. at 390 Morris, told council Tues- anybody," if no city agency has McLendon said council sees day, "What we are getting for the power to enforce rent-related the pending hearing as a test case. our rent increase is nothing." decisions, Elliott said. The cur- "If the courts stop him (the Murphy continued, "We had rent commission has no legal landlord of 390) then we don't an eight-unit section of our authority to enforce its recom- necessarily need rent control, do building have its toilets go out of mendations. we?" she said. control-they were overflowing McLendon said, "I'm worried However, Ross said, "If the all over the place. The solution to that if the other landlords in the judge says that increase isn't un- that problem was 'The plumber city, who are basically humane, conscionable, we may have a real can't come over the weekend.' So see a possibility of rent control, problem in this city." they let the raw sewage flow into they'll say, 'Forget it,' and go STA has sought legal counsel the basement. That was the big- condo, and we won't have any for the woman, and Schneider gie. When they let raw sewage rental housing in the city." and Elliott said they planned to from eight apartments flow into Schneider, on the other hand, accompany her to the hearing. the basement for three days." said, "When the other landlords "We don't want this case to Mayor Robert J. Hartlaub see the lack of authority of the fall through the cracks," said said, "I've tried on six separate rent commission here, they're go- Elliott. The woman will have 72 occasions to reach the principal ing to see the tenants as ripe for hours to vacate her apartment if attorney," for the owners of 390 the picking." the courts find against her, he Morris, "but he hasn't returned Schneider's proposal said a said. any of my calls." rent stabilization cap could be "I've known him for 25 flexible and adjusted in relation McLendon said the rent situa- years," said the mayor, "he's not to changing market values tion posed a conflict in basic being offensive. He's just saying, through a review every 1-3 years. societal values: "The landlord 'Mayor, stay out of it.' " Forum to look at the future environment and economy SUMMIT— A panel of plann- pact, and local transportation For more information, call ing and government experts will issues. 1 273-2120 Monday through WHEE! Three girls enjoy a ride at Washington School's Count y 'cur, held Saturday at Memorial Field, Summit. For more discuss environmental, Area organizations as well as Thursday, from 9 am to 1 pm. pictures of the fair, see page 6. economic, and demographic the public are invited to attend issues facing the area at the an- nual meeting of the Summit Area and participate in the event. Community Council on Monday. The Summit Area Community "A Look Toward the Year Woman gets severe electrical burns Council is a non-profit organiza- 2000 in the Summit Area" will be tion that serves Summit, New the theme of the forum, to be Providence, and Berkeley held at St. John's Lutheran after falling onto railway wires Heights as a resource center for Church, 587 Springfield Ave., at organizations and members of 8 pm. Byl'AIGKTUNSTAI.L about returning to the hospital, responded "very quickly" to the the public. SUM MIT--A young woman she climbed over a fence and onto scene, he said. Transit detectives left a psychiatric hospital here a ledge above the tracks, jumped could not be reached for com- The forum will be moderated The council keeps a com- "suddenly" Tuesday morning onto an out-of-service train car ment. by Edward Alcott, former direc- puterized file of area organiza- only to end up a few hours later and was severely burned," Ben- Benson said, "There are in- tor of planning for the Port tions, activities, space, and at a medical hospital with severe son said. stances where once people have Authority of New York and New equipment and publishes a mon- electrical burns after falling onto Malchuk was admitted to the gained a certain status at the Jersey and a consultant on plann- thly calendar of community railway wires at the local train Burn Center at St. Barnabus hospital, they arc given passes," ing, transportation and urban events, an inter-organizational station. Hospital, Livingston, where she to some nearby locations. development, who will outline newsletter, and a "Blue Fist" ol The woman, 18-year-old was still listed in critical condi- However, she said, even with the some of the issues to be con- non-profit agencies and organiza- Claudia Malchuk of Old Bridge, tion yesterday morning. passes, patients are accompanied sidered by the panel. Those will tions in the area. "fell onto the train from the plat- Greenbcrg said the fence by a member of the hospital staff include the strength of the state form above ii somehow and came Malchuk climbed over was over when they go off the grounds. and regional economy, the poten- in contact with the catenary six feet high. Asked how often patients run tial for business and industrial The council has also sponsored wires," that power the trains, ac- Captain l.arry Finncgun of the away from the hospital, Benson development, funding, and traf- task forces on aa variety of cording to Nancy (ireenberg, local police department said, said, "From lime to time, it does fic. topics, including "Hot Lines," spokeswoman for N.I Transit. "We figured she must have happen. The staff has received a latch-key children, and enrich- The catenary wires, which run climbed up on a bike rack," to lot of training," in how to handle Ralph Kloppcr, director of ment programs for bright, above the trains, carry 25,000 get over the fence. The captain such incidents, she added. economic development for Union motivated students. TedOlcott. County, will speak on the volts (AC), Grecnberg said. said the drop from where (ireenberg said that NJ Transit outlook for the state's economy, 'Left suddenly' Malchuk was to the top of the police detectives were still in- the Summit area as an attractive Malchuk "left suddenly" from train was roughly 15 feet. vestigating the incident, and "we place to do business, and lair Oaks Hospital, a psychiatric The Summit Rescue Squad and are uncertain at this point development pressures on the care facility on Prospect Street, the Medic Unit from Overlook whether she fell or jumped" onto area. early Tuesday morning, accor- Hospital both responded to the the train. ding to Lisa Benson of lair Oaks' scene, said Finncgan. However, Richard Muller, Union County public relations department. Ben- he added, "They had to wait un- The train Malchuk landed on planner, will discuss son said Malchuk was voluntarily til all the power was drawn off was on track 3, (ireenberg said, demographic forecasts, projec- admitted to Fair Oaks March 21, the line before they could touch the track typically used for out tions on land use, county road but added that rules of patient her." ol-service trains.