Union School Board Members Clash Over Remote Vote
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B r e a r l e y Union school board members clash wrestler wins over remote vote for president By Liv Meier Richardson in voting in Minneci with a vote of 5-4. Regis-Darby, Staff Writer along with newly sworn-in board members Kalisha Morgan, Ruiz UNION — School board members clashed at their annual reor and McDowell, voted no. ganization meeting when board member Mary Lynn Williams was Williams did not respond to requests for comment from Local- allowed to cast her vote for president remotely. Source. Williams was the only one of the nine members absent from the “I don’t know that that’s her on the phone. You said so,” Regis- Jan. 3, and she participated via a conference call due to a death in Darby said referring to board secretary Gregory Brennan. “I don’t her family. know that it’s her. How do I know? I don’t know.” Former President Vito Nufrio nominated Nancy Minneci while Brennan had arranged the conference call that included Kim Ruiz nominated Ronnie McDowell. Both nominations received Williams in the board meeting. a second and the board began its roll call vote. After Regis-Darby nominated McDowell for vice president, for When Williams voted for Minneci, Nellis Regis-Darby was the mer board president Nufrio nominated Williams. first to object, saying, “She can’t vote. She’s not present. She’s not “How can you nominate someone that’s not even present?” — See Page 28 here. How can she vote?” Regis-Darby asked. Board attorney Lester Taylor told Regis-Darby that, since the However, there was no second for Williams’ nomination, so board was in the middle of a roll call vote, she shouldn’t be com McDowell assumed the position of vice president unanimously. menting. “There is no definition o f‘present’ however, due to technology in D iner to be “The appropriate time for a question would be after the vote. But this day and age, people can participate electronically in meetings,” I will say there’s nothing in your board policy, there’s nothing in the Taylor responded to Regis-Darby regarding the board’s policy on law, that prohibits a member from participating in a meeting by voting. r e p l a c e d phone,” Taylor said. He also stated that the board’s policy is “silent” on voting “She can participate but can she vote by phone?” Regis-Darby remotely so, in his legal opinion, remote voting can occur. asked. “If our policy, in fact, speaks to the ability for board members to “My legal opinion is yes,” Taylor responded.. participate remotely, and it’s silent as to whether or not the board Williams was joined by Minneci, Sherry Higgins, Nufrio and See REMOTE, Page 14 Kenilworth council head envisions revitalized Boulevard By Chuck O’Donnell Staff Writer KENILWORTH — The new council presi dent envisions a revitalized Boulevard — See Page 6 replete with flowers, benches and tables lin ing its spacious sidewalks, accentuating its small-town charm. Linda Karlovitch, who was selected as Cell phone council president by a 6-0 vote in at the reor ganization meeting on Jan. 1, doesn’t have to look far for a blueprint. tower issues Karlovitch said the borough’s neighbor to the south, Cranford, has done a great job cap turing the Rockwellian feeling she wants to continue to foster in Kenilworth. “It’s so amazing because I’m there every single day,” said Karlovitch, who owns and operates The Porch Salon on North Avenue in Cranford. “I’ve been working there for 30 years. I still walk to the post office, and 111 stop and take a picture of the plants. I’m like, ‘Those flowers are so pretty.’ I still find myself really grateful for how pretty it looks, Photo by Brian Trusdell and I would absolutely like to bring some of New Kenilworth Council President Linda Karlovitch would like to see Boule — that to Kenilworth. See Page 10 vard resemble the downtown section of neighboring borough Cranford. See KARLOVITCH, Page 12 2 — -January 17, 2019 — Union County LocalSource County to conduct annual homeless count on Jan. 23 Union County, along with the other 20 N.J. counties, less on the night of Jan. 23,2018. Union County accounted to the lack of affordable or supportive housing available to will conduct its annual homeless data collection Wednes for 459 people in 283 households. That was a decrease of 16 them, individuals and families are forced to find alterna day, Jan. 23, as part of the NJCounts 2019. people or 3 percent and a decrease of eight households, also tives to housing they can afford.” The point-in-time count of sheltered and unsheltered a drop of 3 percent from 2017. The federal Department of Housing and Urban Devel homeless people throughout the state. No exact time for the “NJCounts 2019 is designed to understand the nature of opment mandates the statewide point-in-time count. count in Union County was announced by county officials. New Jersey’s homeless population so that limited resources Monarch Housing Associates, a nonprofit Cranford-based The 2018 count found 9,303 homeless men, women and can meet its needs,” according to a Jan. 9 press release housing advocacy organization, coordinates the statewide children in 6,982 households across the state, an increase from the county. “On Jan. 23, volunteers will seek out our count being conducted in each county. The New Jersey of 771 people, or 9 percent, from 2017. neighbors experiencing homelessness in shelters, woods, Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency is funding NJCounts 2018 surveyed individuals who were home under bridges, in vacant buildings and other locations. Due NJCounts 2019. 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According to Overlook’s administration, the effort is closely tied to its work as health care providers. Overlook Medical Center in Summit was one of 68 hospitals nationwide to be selected to a list of environmentally and “It is no secret that there is much work to sustainable health systems. be done as a global society regarding sus center’s trigeneration power plant, which disinfecting solutions. honey and beeswax, which are transformed tainability,” Michael Atanasio, the hospi produces 4 megawatts of electricity on site Overlook uses the dehydrator to dry food in-house to lip balms and lotion.