• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

Ad Populos, Non Aditus, Pervenimus Published Every Thursday Since September 3, 1890 (908) 232-4407 USPS 680020 Thursday, October 22, 2015 OUR 125th YEAR – ISSUE NO. 43-2015 Periodical – Postage Paid at Rahway, N.J. www.goleader.com [email protected] SEVENTY FIVE CENTS Westfield Council Candidates Debate Budget, Property Taxes By FRED T. ROSSI to “do a better job” when it comes to should expand its use of social media Specially Written for The Westfield Leader transparency, calling its meetings as a way of better promoting WESTFIELD — The candidates “perfunctory affairs” that provide little Westfield. for town council met last Friday opportunity for input from residents. A third question, about gun con- evening to discuss a variety of issues He also criticized the governing trol, led to Mr. Ortolani expressing ranging from traffic safety and park body for not addressing several is- support for universal background upgrades to budget and tax matters. sues for a long time, singling out checks and hoping the council would Four seats on the governing body traffic safety, especially speeding on support various gun-control issues as — one from each of the four wards — Clark, Prospect and Elm Streets. He a way of pushing state and national will be up for grabs on Tuesday, No- said residents living on those streets leaders to address the issue. vember 3, as Democrats try to make a have tried without success to have Republican Councilwoman JoAnn dent in the Republicans’ unanimous their concerns addressed. Neylan, who is running unopposed in control of the eight-member council. Mr. Ortolani was asked where cuts the Second Ward, spent much of her First Ward Democratic candidate to the town’s budget could be made time defending the present council’s Daniel Ortolani is challenging incum- and he mentioned the money that was record. bent Frank Arena, who was unable to earmarked to upgrade the town’s She said that after Superstorm attend last Friday’s forum sponsored website. Sandy three years ago, “we evaluated by The Westfield Leader and moder- He said the work could be done how to be better prepared” for emer- ated by editor Lauren Barr. “for a fraction of the cost” by a col- gency situations, with one result be- Mr. Ortolani said the council needed lege intern. He also said the town ing the purchase of a mobile com- mand center for first responders. She also defended the council’s manage- ment of town finances, pointing to the recent AAA bond rating issued by Susan M. Dougherty for The Westfield Leader Standard & Poor’s. FACE OFF…The Westfield Candidates Forum was held Friday, October 16. The video is online at goleader.com and airs Mrs. Neylan said that 16 percent of on Westfield TV36 Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. plus Sundays at 8 p.m., through to property taxes go to the municipal Election Day, November 3. Pictured, from left to right, are: Republican candidates for Town Council, Doug Stokes, JoAnn government, which has to use those Neylan and Mark LoGrippo, Editor for The Westfield Leader and moderator Lauren S. Barr, and Democratic candidates funds to pay for a variety of mandated for Town Council, Martin Rothfelder, Kimberly Palmieri-Mouded and Daniel Ortolani. and discretionary budget items in- cluding police and fire department funding, senior citizen transportation, road and park maintenance and leaf Westfield Receives $55,000 Grant pickup. “We work hard” to keep property taxes as low as possible, she said, and From County For New Bleachers noted that county taxes amount to about 24 percent of the local prop- By CHRISTINA M. HINKE cuss its next steps in the coming construction of new sidewalk at erty-tax levy. Specially Written for The Westfield Leader weeks, Town Administrator Jim various locations in the town. She said she was “so frustrated” WESTFIELD — The town re- Gildea said, and would anticipate Four miles of paving was com- that Westfield residents’ tax payments ceived a $55,000 Kids Recreation having the new bleachers installed pleted Monday, Mr. Gildea said, Paul Lachenauer for The Westfield Leader to the county get “spent in all other Trust Grant from the County of before the spring sports season. praising the town engineer. The MESMERIZED…A little girl is mesmerized by a man walking on stilts along the towns but Westfield.” Union to be used for replacing all The remainder of the funds is striping will be complete this month. Street Fair in downtown Cranford on Sunday. Third Ward Democratic candidate of the bleachers in the anticipated to be drawn from the “He has done a phenomenal job Martin Rothfelder criticized the com- municipality’s parks, council was “special improvement fund”, he getting all these jobs done,” Mr. position of the various local boards told Tuesday. said. Gildea said. Westfield BOE Mulls Idea and commissions, claiming that 84 The money came in the form of a Council approved a bid for truck The town received $75,000 from percent of members of those bodies matching grant for the project, rentals to be used for leaf collection the developer of a multi-family Of Hiring Fundraising Dir. are Republican. which is to cost about $171,000. in November and December. The building on the northeast corner of CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 The finance committee is to dis- company bid $85 per hour, per truck, South and Central avenues. The for two trucks. Mr. Gildea said the payment was for last month’s plan- By DELL SIMEONE more like a brain-storming session, number of trucks was insufficient ning board decision that approved Specially Written for The Westfield Leader to explore the idea of establishing a Garwood to Get PARCC and he will negotiate for an addi- the project, which conceded a por- WESTFIELD – The board of edu- private fund-raising mechanism to tional two. tion of New Street. cation met briefly on Tuesday evening raise money for district projects from Seven other finance committee Two ordinances relating to the before going into a workshop session private donors. Results In November resolutions also were passed, in- establishment of an affordable hous- to discuss the idea of hiring a director The first goal, said Superintendent cluding paying $18,975 for the con- ing zone on West Broad Street were of development to raise private funds of Schools Margaret Dolan, is to hire By BRIAN TRUSDELL In other announcements, Ms. struction official’s state permit fee tabled until the next meeting on for district programs. a developmental director, hopefully Specially Written for The Westfield Leader Quigley told the board that Garwood for the third quarter, Mr. Gildea Tuesday, November 10, because the During the regular meeting, the for this coming year, to oversee the GARWOOD – Schools superin- would have its state Quality Single said. planning board is to hear an appli- board voted to accept $30,000 from effort. It was agreed by all that the tendent Teresa Quigley told board of Accountability Continuum, or The council public discussed at cation regarding the issue at its the Westfield Baseball League and alumni might be a good resource. education members Tuesday that the NJQSAC, audit early next year. Each its regular meeting Tuesday two meeting on Monday, November 2. the Westfield Booster Club to pay for Board member Mark Friedman sug- district should know in November year, the district must submit its State- ordinances introduced two weeks Four resolutions proposed by the renovations to the baseball varsity gested that an alumni network first be how it did on last spring’s statewide ment Of Assurance (SOA), but every ago. code review and town property com- infield. The cost of the renovations is created to encourage positive com- standardized PARCC test, but that three years a team of auditors from One was a $2.78 million bond mittee to demolish single-family estimated to be $37,000, which would munication between the district and results may not be available to the the county arrive on site to examine ordinance for the acquisition of new homes or garages were approved. include replacing the entire irriga- alumni. He suggested a framework board until its December meeting. the district. communication and signal systems Councilman Jim Forest said he tion network, rebuilding the pitching not unlike LinkedIn, where alumni The Garwood school board is One of the five areas of evaluation equipment, new information tech- would coordinate with Scotch mound and home plate area, skim- could strengthen their ties to the dis- scheduled to meet next on Tuesday, is instruction and management, which nology equipment, a new fire en- Plains regarding one of properties ming the infield and some of the trict and each other. November 17, and then again on Tues- includes standardized test scores. But gine and other automotive vehicles. at 1485 Prospect Avenue, which outfield and replacing sod. The work A meeting was held on Monday day, December 15. because PARCC results won’t count Also discussed was the ordinance borders the neighboring town. will be completed in the fall so the evening with some members of the “I don’t believe it’s a surprise, but due to their first year of implementa- providing to replace sidewalk and CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 field will be ready for use in early community to explore the issue of they’re saying we didn’t do well, in tion, the district will be assessed based March, said Board President Richard private fundraising. Superintendent math and English,” Ms. Quigley said on its NJASK score from the 2013- Mattessich. Dolan said, “The idea of seeking to in reference to the statewide results.

Load more

  38

Copy Link