Dec 19 Council Notes

Monday’s City Council meeting had been expected to be short and perfunctory, as it was the agenda fixing session for the Jan. 3 reorganization, but some interesting sidelights came up.

Councilman Cory Storch said an economic development advisory committee will be formed in conjunction with a contract to the Anglin Group (for development of a “comprehensive economic development and growth strategy,” awarded in November). All residents and business owners will be eligible to serve. Storch, who heads the council’s Economic Development Committee, said there is a new proposal for business registration, this time with just a nominal fee of $5. The proposal will be referred to the Anglin Group for advice on “best practices” in carrying out a business registration program.

The idea of such a program dates way back to the days when Leslie Anderson was with the city in the 1980s. Anderson is now executive director of the New Jersey Redevelopment Authority. It was thought that registering city businesses would give the administration a better handle on what types of goods and services were being offered and would serve as the basis for business retention and recruitment efforts. But given the large number of sole proprietorships and mom-and-pop stores, the projected registration fees at the time were considered onerous and met with resistance.

It is still a good idea to have a comprehensive picture of the business community and to forge ties with City Hall. The closest the city may have come to such an effort was probably back in the day of the Plainfield Redevelopment Agency, when member Clyde Allen roamed the downtown to gather data and make contacts. That was about a quarter-century ago. The Special Improvement District currently has a lot of businesses enrolled, but may not have the database that a registry would yield.

On another topic, Councilman William Reid brought up a plan underway in Cleveland to demolish vacant buildings. He said he was concerned because of nine buildings where he lives on St. Marks Place, three have been vacant for some time. Councilman Adrian Mapp added that with banks walking away from foreclosed homes, it was felt best in Cleveland to demolish such homes to preserve the value of neighboring homes. He called it a “very interesting concept.”

Reid mentioned his neighbors’ fear of fires in unoccupied homes that could spread to others. Corporation Counsel Dan Williamson said the city has an abandoned property ordinance and a list can be made of such homes. He said even if a home gets on the list, an owner could reclaim it. But if it comes under new ownership through “in rem” foreclosure, it would have to be rehabilitated. Rather than tackle the entire problem at once, he said, the city might “take smaller bites” at it, with Inspections Director Oscar Turk spearheading the effort.

In a related topic, Public Safety Director Martin Hellwig said the Dec. 17 fire in a vacant North Avenue building had been deemed suspicious and was under investigation by the Union County Arson Squad. As of this week, the building is under 24-hour police watch while awaiting demolition.

The council members also discussed possible alternatives to using official newspapers for legal notices, such as publishing the notices on the city web site. Resolutions naming the Courier News and the Star-Ledger as official newspapers for such notices will be up for a vote at the Jan. 3 reorganization. City Administrator Eric Berry said by law, the city must send notices to two newspapers. As for the possibility of online publication, Council President Annie McWilliams said some residents don’t go online. In public comment, Plaintalker said posting notices might add to the workload in the City Clerk’s office, as legal notices for outside entities such as applicants to land use boards would have to be accommodated.

There were some cryptic allusions to Chief Finance Officer Ron Zilinski, who is up for a one-year term as city treasurer. As CFO, he is serving a longer term, Williamson said. Zilinski was absent from the Dec. 19 meeting and also the Dec. 12 one, which he had expected to attend but was called away due to needs of his elderly parents. Zilinski was named CFO in November 2010, when both the mayor and council members were facing $25-a-day fines for not filling a three-year vacancy in the post, which is mandated by state statute. But he did not begin work until January, when the title of city treasurer kicked in, and his work schedule is 28 hours per week. In Zilinski’s absence, Finance Director Al Restaino had to field questions on fiscal matters at the two meetings.

The next meeting is the annual reorganization, 8 p.m. Jan. 3 in Municipal Court, 325 Watchung Ave.

--Bernice Paglia