Special Meeting for State of the City Address

City Clerk AJ Jalloh had a reminder for council members Monday. The city's special charter says the mayor "shall annually report to the council and the public on the work of the previous year and on the condition and requirements of the city government," so Thursday's event is actually a special meeting and the council should attend.

In past practice, the State of the City Address has been part of the annual reorganization held in early January. Mayor Adrian O. Mapp chose to hold it separately, first scheduling it for Jan. 26 and then having  to reschedule to Feb. 4 due to Winter Storm Jonas.

The new date clashed with a Planning Board meeting, but when I asked Planning Director Bill Nierstedt about it Monday, he said the Planning Board meeting had been canceled. The next one is on Feb. 18, 7:30 p.m. in City Hall Library, 515 Watchung Ave.

I guess I will schlep over to the Senior Center Thursday, but I hope the administration will honor another old practice and have a hard copy of the address provided to the media. I expect it will be posted on the city website at some point as well, so members of the public who can't attend Thursday will be able to read it.

--Bernice

Going Down in Flames

My attempt to provide some election information has unfortunately set off a flame war of sorts among friends and foes of various elected officials. I am holding several comments that do nothing to advance public understanding of the electoral process. It appears that 2016 is going to be a rough year for local politics.

So we must say later for the haters and the baiters. Election news and advisories will go on without inflammatory comments. I'm sure you will see them elsewhere.

As for the commenter who goes by "Truth Jones," you may be jonesing for the truth, but if you can't even spell your own blog address right, I guess we won't have the benefit of your erudition on local politics anytime soon.

--Bernice

Learn About Lead Hazards

A news story about lead hazards in New Jersey cities including Plainfield draws a comparison with the Flint, Mich. situation, though it does say the problem here is lead paint, not lead in water. Learn more about lead paint hazards with this HUD brochure.

Downtown Parking Study Proposed

A proposed study may finally help settle long-standing questions about where to put a parking facility and how to fund it.

The City Council agreed Monday to vote on Feb. 8 on a contract to hire Walker Parking Consultants of New York to conduct a parking structure feasibility study for the city's downtown. The cost of the study is not to exceed $60,750. The company won out over a lower bidder because, Planning Director Bill Nierstedt explained, they had "a much better handle" on financial aspects.

Among issues to be worked out are whether an authority might be needed for financing and which of two locations would be better. As development downtown increases, developers may be asked to pay toward the cost of a parking facility.

Plaintalker advocated for more analysis of downtown parking in 2013, and previously looked at every city  parking lot in 2009. The core of the downtown business district is on East Front Street between Park and Watchung avenues, and Municipal Lot 6 south of the district has been discussed as a likely site for a multi-story parking deck. Older residents may recall when Lot 6 had a booth with an attendant to receive parking fees. When it was reconstructed, the booth was eliminated in favor of parking meters and permits.But ground parking can only go so far with the number of apartments being built downtown, such as the 20-unit Art Lofts I and 12 apartments in the former Mirons warehouse across East Second Street from Lot 6, neither with any parking provided.

The city was supposed to have partial access to the Park-Madison .parking deck in 2013, but the only thing that has happened so far was a phone message during the blizzard emergency that cars could be parked there overnight, but had to be out by 6 a.m.

The regular council meeting will be 8 p.m. on Feb. 8 in Municipal Court, 325 Watchung Ave.

--Bernice

Outage

I procrastinated and now the internet is out, so I will try tomorrow. Because FiOS.

Election News and Reminders

Plainfield Elections 2016 
News and Advisories

Councilwoman Tracey Brown has launched a website in her bid for re-election to the Citywide at-large seat.

The other seat up this year is for the Third Ward, currently represented by Councilwoman Gloria Taylor. Democrat and Republican candidates who want to run in the June primary must file by 4 p.m. Monday, April 4. Independents can file on Monday, July 25.

Mayor Adrian O. Mapp, who is chairman of the Democratic City Committee, held a meeting Friday to set up a screening committee, among other things.

The Board of Education decided to use the New Jersey School Board Association's Candidate Kit's petition. Filing date is Feb. 29.

Republicans will elect committee members in June for two-year terms. The city has 34 voting districts in its four wards, and voters may choose a male and female candidate in each district for a possible total of 68 committee members. Democrats outnumber Republicans by about 13 to 1 in Plainfield and the GOP was only able to fill 15 out of 68 seats in June 2014.

Council to Consider S. Second Street Financial Agreements

Among proposed new ordinances Monday, two deal with financial arrangements for the South Second Street redevelopment project on a 5-acre city-owned site in the West End..

One is for the residential portion, consisting of 90  1-, 2- and 3-bedroom units of affordable housing in two five-story buildings, with 10 units set aside for special needs tenants. The other is for a one-story, 44,000-square-foot warehouse with a specialized staging area on approximately 3.75 acres.

The properties would be exempt from taxes under the agreements, but would be subject to "annual service charges" for up to 35 years for the residential side and 25 years for the commercial section. Each of the 20-page agreements refers to the Long Term Tax Exemption Law but neither uses the sometimes controversial phrase "payment in lieu of taxes," or PILOT. At the end of the terms, the properties would be subject to regular taxes

The two agreements mention several benefits, including giving city residents first dibs on employment and aiming for 20 percent minority and women sub-contracting. Five percent of the revenues from the annual service charges would go to the county and a 2 percent administrative fee would go to the city.

The residential project's benefits include provision of affordable housing, as well as approximately 100 jobs created during construction and three permanent jobs.

Benefits of the warehouse project include retention of a major employer, ABC Supply Company, Inc., described as a major Urban Enterprise Zone merchant that provides jobs to city residents. Construction of the project will develop a "blighted vacant property" that has been vacant for more than 15 years. About 75 jobs will be created during construction and 15 permanent jobs for which city residents.will be preferred.

But the projects and all the benefits hinge on council approvals.

"Without the tax exemption granted herein, the Project would not otherwise be undertaken," the agreement says.

If the council moves the ordinances to the Feb. 8 agenda, they will be up for passage on first reading then. Second reading and final passage could come at the March 14 regular meeting.

--Bernice