Ad Populos, Non Aditus, Pervenimus Published Every Thursday Since September 3, 1890 (908) 232-4407 USPS 680020 Thursday, March 15, 2012 OUR 122nd YEAR – ISSUE NO. 11-2012 Periodical – Postage Paid at Rahway, N.J. www.goleader.com [email protected] SEVENTY FIVE CENTS CenCom Taking 9-1-1 Calls As County Looks to Assume Dispatch By LAUREN S. BARR Clark, Mountainside, Springfield and of the dispatch duties. Specially Written for The Westfield Leader Summit. CenCom also served as a However, two days later Richard AREA – Since CenCom, the medi- coordinating center for the National Donovan, director of Atlantic Ambu- cal 9-1-1 dispatch center for multiple Disaster Medical System for the State lance Corporation, sent a letter to all area rescue squads and paramedic of New Jersey and supplied a mobile of its customers announcing units, announced its impending clo- communications unit for major inci- CenCom’s plans to close, but saying, sure nearly a month ago it is still dents. “At this time no decision has been unknown who will be taking the 9-1- On February 22 Jeff Behm, senior made regarding a vendor or transi- 1 calls in the region. vice-president of MONOC, a hospi- tion date.” Established in 1981, CenCom is tal service corporation which runs a The Union County dispatch center based out of Overlook Medical Cen- dispatch center out of Wall Town- located in Westfield is staffed with ter in Summit and is responsible for ship, sent a letter to the municipali- dispatchers who are certified to handle the dispatching of 18 paramedic units, ties, fire and rescue squads serviced medical calls, and the county is work- Atlantic Air One helicopter, three fire by CenCom announcing that ing on an expansion to be ready to departments and many area rescue CenCom would close within 30 days take on any and all of the Union squads, including Scotch Plains, and that MONOC would assume all County towns currently serviced by CenCom. “We certainly will have the capa- bility,” Union County Public Safety Director Andrew Moran told The Westfield Leader. Mr. Moran said the county expects the expansion of its dispatch center to be complete in approximately one month. He added Susan M. Dougherty for The Westfield Leader that Mr. Donovan has “assured” the THE LEADING PLAYER ENTICES… The Leading Player (Taylor Jackson) tries to talk Pippin (Matt Lynn) into an “extraordinary” finale to his life in the Westfield High School Theatre Department’s production of Pippin presented last county that there is no set time line weekend in the school auditorium. See story on page 24. for CenCom’s closure. He also said the county is in nego- tiations with multiple municipalities to take over their dispatching, but Westfield Council Approves that nothing is finalized. The county additionally is putting the infrastruc- ture in place with plans to take over the role of EMS mutual aid coordina- $36.95 Million 2012 Budget tion. By LAUREN S. BARR Councilman Della Fera added that tive was to gut services.” “We want to incorporate those ser- Specially Written for The Westfield Leader while the sewer bills will likely con- Residents will now be charged a vices into our county dispatch,” Mr. WESTFIELD – The Westfield tinue into 2013, the town’s goal is to sewer fee which will bill single and Moran told The Leader. Town Council on Tuesday night have it based on usage and they have multi-family housing units $170 for Horace Corbin for The Westfield Leader A CONCLAVE...State Republican leaders jam-packed Echo Lake Country Club While no rescue squad or fire de- unanimously voted to introduce requested the needed information the year; condominium and in Westfield Tuesday evening to hear Bill Palatucci (National Committeeman) partment officials would comment Westfield’s $36.95-million 2012 from New Jersey American Water. townhouses $135 per unit; commer- speak. The votary of several hundred included former a governor, congressmen, on the record as to whether they would municipal budget and finalized ap- Fourth Ward Councilman Jim cial and industrial uses $315 and each legislators and mayors. Pictured, from left to right, are: Sen. Minority Leader be moving their calls to Union County, proval of an ordinance creating a Foerst said the decision to charge apartment unit $100. Bills will be Tom Kean, Jr., Mr. Palatucci, Asm. Minority Leader Jon Bramnick (all three are MONOC or even perhaps one of the sewer fee to bill residents separately. residents a sewer fee was, “not that sent out on or around May 15 and Westfield residents) and Asw. Nancy Munoz of Summit. other private dispatch centers in the Third Ward Councilman Dave Haas tough because the only other alterna- CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 state, more than 300 people have was absent from the meeting. joined the Save CenCom cause on “This year’s budget required an Architect Says Decision on Facebook. While the account admin- influx of revenue” and that despite Study Projects Cost of Rink istrator declined to reveal his or her efforts to reduce expenses, “we were name for fear of professional reper- not able to reduce those expenses to Bond Needed by March 27 cussions, that person and other mem- the level of the revenue,” Finance At Oak Ridge at $8.8 Million By KIMBERLY A. BROADWELL the district had deteriorated and “really bers of the EMS community have Committee Chairman Sam Della Fera By PAUL J. PEYTON offset the cost of construction.” Specially Written for The Westfield Leader Specially Written for The Westfield Leader require attention now.” He also stated CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 said. Unlike Warinanco, which is a five- WESTFIELD – A discussion regard- that “construction costs remain favor- COUNTY – The first estimate for month facility open from October to ing the possibility of a $13,600,000 able due to the current depressed state a skating center at Oak Ridge Park in March, the Oak Ridge rink would be district-wide roof replacement project of the industry.” Mirabella Supports WF Clark, which would replace the a year-round, two-sheet facility. was held Tuesday evening at the He also explained to the audience Warinanco Skating Center in Eliza- Warinanco has one ice surface. Westfield Board of Education (BOE) that based upon information received beth, would cost $8.8 million, ac- “A threat that faces the building of meeting. from the district’s bond counsel for a Decision on Central Light cording to a copy of a feasibility the facility is keeping construction George Duthie, an architect with 20-year bond term it would cost the By PAUL J. PEYTON dents have attended meetings to sup- study recently completed for Union costs in line due to having all-union Fraytak, Veisz, Hopkins and Duthie average Westfield household $90 per Specially Written for The Westfield Leader port the relocation of the signal, “sim- County and obtained by The Westfield labor construction projects. Due to (FVHD), spoke regarding the proposed year. This was based on an assessed COUNTY — Union County Free- ply because it is very, very unsafe.” In Leader. economic climates, construction costs project. According to Mr. Duthie, “be- home of $182,000. holder Chairman Al Mirabella declined addition, she said a petition was pre- The report indicates, however, that could increase dramatically with steel cause of the magnitude of the work, the Mr. Duthie further explained that last Thursday to intervene in the con- sented to Westfield with 120 signatures the cost of labor, steel and other fac- pricing and the rising cost of fuel and most feasible way to fund the project is there would be energy savings “due to troversy over installation of a HAWK of residents seeking relocation of the tors could cause that number to jump. electric,” Rink Management reported. through a bond issue.” He reported that the improved roof insulation and is designed mid-block pedestrian cross- signal. “Please, take care of the people In addition, the cost of financing was The report also said implementing a if the district wanted to have the project expected to result in a savings of at least ing signal on Central Avenue in who live there,” she told the freehold- not factored, although construction “green” energy efficient building done in the summer of 2013 then the $300,000 per year.} Westfield. His comments followed ers. management was estimated. Rink could increase costs to implement board needed to approve the project no It was then reported that the new pleas by a retired Westfield police of- In other business, Union County Management of Mechanicsville, Va., such technology as well as mainte- later than March 27, 2012. This, he roofs would then allow the district to ficer and resident who asked the county Manager Al Faella announced that he which performed the study, stated nance, although energy costs would explained, would give the needed time start a solar power project to potentially to replace the HAWK signal with a expects to unveil his executive budget that the new Oak Ridge skating cen- be reduced. to have the referendum done by Sep- save between $654,000 to $981,000 standard traffic signal at the intersec- on Thursday, April 5. “But that is not ter would service a 10-mile area that In addition, the report states that tember so that bidding could be com- over the next 15 years. This Mr. Duthie tion of Central and Clover Street. etched in stone,” Mr. Faella said. would “produce enough revenue to CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 pleted by late winter/early spring of noted was based on “current market Freeholder Mirabella responded that Freeholder Dan Sullivan, chairman 2013 and construction could begin by conditions.” the county “has always deferred to the of the board’s fiscal affairs committee, the summer.