January 16, 2013

Task Forces Formed, PU Payment Approved At Council Meeting

Two task forces have been created to help map out the future of two key properties on Witherspoon Street. At its meeting Monday night, the Princeton Council approved the formation of a hospital rezoning task force, which is to begin meeting this week. A second committee was formed to look into expanding the fire station adjacent to the Valley Road School property.

Council President Bernie Miller will head the group studying the hospital issue. The Planning Board voted last month to reject a proposal by the developer AvalonBay for a rental complex on the site. The property is currently under two zoning ordinances representing what were until recently the Borough and Township. A single ordinance representing consolidated Princeton could replace them.

Mr. Miller said he hoped the modifications to the ordinance will be created “in a manner that reflects the values of the Princeton community.” Serving on the task force are Mayor Liz Lempert, Planning Board member Marvin Reed, Council member Jenny Crumiller, resident Joseph Weiss, architect and Site Plan Review Advisory Board member Bill Wolfe, architect and Princeton Citizens for Sustainable Neighborhoods member Areta Pawlynsky, and Planning Director Lee Solow.

Council member Jo Butler asked whether a representative from the University Medical Center of Princeton, which moved to Plainsboro last May and still owns the property, had been invited to join the task force. Mr. Miller replied, “There was some concern that it would not be appropriate. However, the meetings are open to the public and they are welcome to attend.”

The group charged with resubmitting a proposal on the fire station expansion, which would consolidate Princeton’s three existing fire stations, includes Mr. Miller and fellow Council members Ms. Butler and Lance Liverman. A new proposal is needed because of changes to the original proposal, which would have moved teen counseling center Corner House and the Princeton First Aid and Rescue Squad {PFARS} into an expanded facility at the Valley Road School building. Since then, PFARS has opted to enlarge its existing location on Harrison Street, and Corner House is set to move into what was formerly the Borough’s municipal building. The deadline for the new proposal is April 8.

Also approved at the meeting was an ordinance to establish a fee of $65 a year for participation in Princeton’s food waste compost program. Up to 1,000 households can take part in this year’s program, a previous version of which served more than 400 members. Premier Food Waste Recycling, a division of Central Jersey Waste and Recycling, was the hauler hired for the new program last month.

There were heated exchanges when the topic of Princeton University’s voluntary payment to the town for 2013 came up. A resolution for a contribution of $2,475,000 in unrestricted funds was approved after much discussion about how the PILOT, or payment in lieu of taxes, was negotiated and whether the process was sufficiently transparent. The total is the same as last year’s, but the 2012 amount included $500,000 earmarked for consolidation. The current agreement also includes $20,000 toward expansion of the Princeton firehouse.

The tensions arose when Ms. Butler suggested there was a conflict of interest in Ms. Lempert’s negotiating with the University since Ms. Lempert’s husband is a member of the faculty. Ms. Butler also questioned whether the agreement was for one or two years, and asked for a copy to inspect. Ms. Lempert said the agreement was oral. Kristin Appelget, the University’s director of community and regional affairs, stepped up to the microphone to explain that when the agreement was made for 2012, the idea was simply to extend it into 2013 because members of the governing body would be busy adjusting to consolidation. She added that a multi-year agreement is planned to be negotiated once the University selects a replacement for outgoing president Shirley Tilghman.

After Council members who served on the previous Township Committee and those who were on Borough Council mentioned how such business was handled in the former municipalities, Mr. Miller said he hoped future discussions would be geared toward the present instead of the past.

“This is the first business meeting of the new year, and I’m wondering how long we’re going to be reminded that this is not the way we did it in the Borough,” he said. “The Borough is gone. The Township is gone. This is the new Princeton. We need to look forward, not backward.”

The measure was approved with Council member Heather Howard recusing herself, Ms. Butler abstaining, and four votes in favor.

The next meeting of the Council is January 28.

November 28, 2012

It’s Unofficially Official: New Council Meets

They are forbidden by law to take official action until January 1. But the new Princeton Council, headed by Mayor-elect Liz Lempert, held its first preliminary meeting Monday to get a head start on what is sure to be a busy schedule once consolidation takes effect January 1.

“What we’re doing here is getting organized so we can hit the ground running on January 1,” said Ms. Lempert. While no voting was permitted, there was “a lot of housekeeping” to attend to, she added. The six members of the newly elected Council, all Democrats, were in attendance. Seated around a table, instead of on the dais, were Jenny Crumiller, Jo Butler, and Heather Howard, who are part of the current Borough Council, along with Lance Liverman and Bernie Miller, who come from Township Committee. The two governing bodies officially become one on the first day of 2013.

Chief among the topics at this preliminary meeting was trash and food waste collection. Borough residents currently have their trash picked up once a week, while Township residents use other services. Once consolidation takes effect, Township residents can either have their refuse picked up by the municipality or continue to contract privately.

The Borough’s current contract expires February 1, and bids are due in by December 6. But there will be no lapse in services. “We will be ready for residential pickup,” said Bob Bruschi, the consolidated government administrator. “We will do two mass mailings [with information] and some of it is already on the website. But we will hold the details, like when specific trash days are going to be, until we see who the vendor is going to be.”

Ms. Lempert added that Township residents who want to participate in the program must cancel their private services, if they have them, as of January 1. There will be no change in the Borough’s refuse collection.

The residential Curbside Food Waste Program currently counts about 430 Township and Borough residents as participants. The program sends food waste to a compost pile instead of a landfill and costs $240 per year per household. A new two-year proposal would continue the program at about $37 to $59 per household.

Mr. Miller asked Janet Pellichero, who is Princeton Township’s Recycling Coordinator, why more people aren’t participating in the current program. “The main issue is cost,” she said, citing the $20 a month required. The topic was to be taken up in more detail at last night’s meeting of Borough Council.

Other topics at the meeting included training and goal-setting. Ms. Lempert said she hopes to have at least one goal-setting session that would be open to members of the public. Ms. Lempert intends to hold a few more of these unofficial gatherings of the new Council before the year’s end. The next one is December 3 at 5 p.m., in the municipal complex.


November 7, 2012

Liz Lempert Elected Mayor of Princeton

Democrat Liz Lempert will be the new mayor of consolidated Princeton. At press time the unofficial vote count was 6,093 for Ms. Lempert, and 3,939 for Republican opponent Richard Woodbridge.

“I’m thrilled,” Ms. Lempert said last night when the numbers came in. “It looks like there was a really strong turnout. We were worried that with the storm, there would be a lot of confusion. But it looks like things went more smoothly than expected.”

Township and Borough votes were counted together in this election. Consolidated Princeton now has 22 voting districts.

In the Presidential election, Princetonians overwhelmingly supported President Barack Obama with 7,903 votes. Republican challenger Mitt Romney received 2,474 votes.

The six Democrats running for Council seats were all elected: tentative vote counts were Bernie Miller with 7,114; Patrick Simon with 7,090; Heather Howard with 6914; Jo Butler with 6,903; Lance Liverman with 6,861; and Jenny Crumiller with 6,807. The Republican challenger, Geoff Aton, received 3,533 votes.

Democratic Congressman Rush Holt (D-12) won handily over his Republican challenger, Eric A. Beck, with 7,964 votes to Mr. Beck’s 2,071. Democratic Senator Robert Menendez defeated Republican candidate Joe Kyrillos with 7,474 votes to Mr. Kyrillos’s 2,554.

Princeton voters endorsed an open space tax of 1.7 cents per $100 of assessed property value. Because the Borough and the Township will cease to exist as separate entities on December 31, it was necessary for this year’s ballot to include a question authorizing the joint tax. The new tax will enable a united Princeton to continue stewardship of its recreation and passive open space and make key acquisitions contemplated by the joint Master Plan.


June 20, 2012

Pending Land Use Bills Opposed by Council

Princeton Borough Council voted unanimously last week for a resolution expressing their opposition to legislation that would exempt private universities from following local land use laws. Two bills, which have been moving through the New Jersey Senate and Assembly, “would put neighborhoods and entire communities at risk” if passed, said Councilman Roger Martindell.

If the legislation is enacted, Princeton University, Rider University, and other private educational institutions of higher learning would no longer require approvals from Princeton to launch development projects. Councilwoman Heather Howard, who works for Princeton University, abstained from the vote.

“Developments could occur without any reviews from the Planning Board,” Mr. Martindell said. “Princeton University owns somewhere in the range of 40 percent of the land in the Borough. Add the three institutions of higher learning in Princeton together, and this would become a total company town. There would very little we could do to form the kind of community we want. These bills could be a disaster for Princeton.”

The Senate bill is sponsored by Senators Paul Sario (D-Passaic) and Robert Singer (R-Monmouth). In the Assembly, the bill is sponsored by Assemblywoman Celeste Riley (D-Salem) and Assemblyman Thomas Giblin (D-Passaic). The bills could be voted on as early as the end of June.

According to the bill in the Senate, private universities and colleges “are subject to local zoning controls by the municipalities in which they are located and must obtain approval from those local authorities for all campus development. The approval process often can be quite time consuming and expensive. This results in the delay of important educational programs and facilities for students attending the institutions as well as the diversion of critical funding away from educational purposes.”

The legislation has also been opposed by the state League of Municipalities.

In other action at the June 12 meeting, attorney Richard Goldman of Drinker Biddle & Reath, which represents Princeton University, spoke in response to comments made at the previous meeting criticizing a request for records in lawsuits related to the move of the Dinky station. Councilman Martindell had spoken out on June 6 about the law firm’s request for more than six years of records from the mayor, staff, members of governing bodies, and others, calling it “outrageous” and “overly broad and burdensome.”

Mr. Goldman spoke during the public comment section of last week’s meeting. “I feel compelled to at least respond in kind,” he said, saying he was surprised that the request had created such a furor because it followed standard procedure. “As lawyers, it is our obligation to find out as much information as we can,” he said. “We haven’t sued anyone. All we’ve done is in the ordinary cause of discovery.”

Mr. Martindell replied that the request was “a fishing expedition casting a very wide net.”

Residents from the neighborhood of Scott Lane and Bainbridge Street expressed varying opinions about the issue of whether to extend sidewalks on Scott Lane. After listening to several opinions, the Council voted 4-2 in favor of an ordinance to build the sidewalks.


May 30, 2012

Six Reasons to Support Six Candidates Endorsed By Democratic Committees

To the Editor:

There are a dozen reasons I am supporting the six candidates for Council endorsed by the Democratic Committees of the Borough and Township. The first six reasons are the candidates themselves. Each has a record of extraordinary leadership and service, an in-depth knowledge of local government, and the seasoned judgment needed to meet the challenges ahead.

The other six reasons these candidates deserve our support:

1. they are determined to deliver the savings and the efficient and responsive government promised by consolidation;

2. they will defend our time-tested commitments to diversity, affordable housing and the preservation of our neighborhoods;

3. they will protect open space and the environment and the sustainability of our community through growth management;

4. they will work as a team by reaching across the old municipal boundaries to ensure that our new government is truly representative of the entire community;

5. they will strive to maintain an effective working relationship with Princeton University as a respected partner in shaping our community; and

6. they have the confidence of grassroots Democratic committee people who know them best.

Please vote for HEATHER HOWARD, LANCE LIVERMAN, PATRICK SIMON, BERNIE MILLER, JENNY CRUMILLER and JO BUTLER. They are six strong individuals who also represent a mix of talent and experience best able to lead the new Princeton.

Walter Bliss

Moore Street

Two Letters Supporting Heather Howard As the Consensus Candidate for Council

To the Editor:

I am writing to express my strong support for the candidacy of Heather Howard in the upcoming Council election. I have gotten to know Heather over the past couple of years, during which she has been my colleague at the Woodrow Wilson School of the University. She is a remarkably bright, well-informed and sensible person, with a deep commitment to public service.

In my view Heather is the consensus candidate in the wide field of dedicated citizens running for seats on the new Princeton Council. Her background is remarkable. She served in the White House as senior policy advisor to Hilary Clinton, in New Jersey as commissioner of Health and Senior Services, and today is charged with directing a major national program at the Woodrow Wilson School implementing President Obama’s health care reform. In her short time on the Borough Council, she’s already demonstrated leadership, diving into consolidation and finance issues and promoting transparency and a more responsive government. And, in a time when we unfortunately see continuing polarization and government dysfunction, Heather knows how to build consensus through civil dialogue and good humor.

Heather is open-minded, responsive to constituents, and a profound listener. I hope you will join me in casting your vote for Heather Howard on June 5, so that she can continue her good work for Princeton.

Stanley N. Katz

Clover Lane

To the Editor:

We support Heather Howard as a candidate for Princeton Council and will be voting for her in the Democratic primary on June 5. We think she has an extraordinary background in government at every level, an exceptional record of community service both local and statewide, and outstanding skills professional and personal that will be invaluable for the challenges facing a consolidated Princeton Council.

But it’s Heather’s excellent and proactive work on Borough Council this year that makes us most excited to support her. Working tirelessly on consolidation issues, reforming our public meetings, and helping maintain a no-tax-increase budget on the Borough Finance Committee, Heather has fulfilled all she promised Princeton voters. And as safety-conscious Jugtown residents, we are so grateful to her for helping organize the recent public safety forum regarding a spate of burglaries in our neighborhood.

Heather has proven herself as the very best example of public servant, and we urge every Democrat and Independent to vote for her on June 5.

Connie and James Camner

Nassau Street

May 23, 2012

Heather Howard Has played in Major Leagues, Will Bring Her Skills to Town’s “Field of Dreams”

To the Editor:

We citizens of Princeton are lucky to have a deep bench of able candidates to choose from in the upcoming Democratic primary election on June 5. I am writing to throw my support behind one council candidate in particular — Heather Howard. I’m not sure everyone in town realizes just how impressive her resume is; from a senior position on Hillary Clinton’s staff when she was First Lady, to serving as New Jersey’s Health Care Commissioner under Governor Jon Corzine, Heather has played in the major leagues and brings all the skills and contacts she developed in those positions to our little “field of dreams” here in Princeton. She has a passion for progressive causes that shines through after only a couple minutes of conversation, but she tempers that passion with political acumen and know-how that enables her to really get things done. In her first year on Borough Council she introduced and passed a reform that moved public sessions up on the agenda, allowing more citizen input and greater transparency. This is just one example of her dedication to the principles of good governance, and her grasp of how to accomplish her goals with minimal fuss and bother. Please join me in voting for Heather on June 5.

David E. Cohen

Terhune Road

April 18, 2012

Ordinance Introduced By Borough Council To Save Right-of-Way

At Borough Council’s meeting last week, a spirited discussion became contentious during a presentation about efforts to preserve a portion of the existing Dinky right of way. In a 3-2 vote, Council approved introduction of an ordinance that would preserve the right of way, which would cover a 50-foot-wide segment of land on the Borough side of the Dinky tracks.

Council members Jenny Crumiller, Roger Martindell, and Jo Butler were for the ordinance, while Kevin Wilkes and Barbara Trelstad voted against it. Heather Howard recused herself because she works for Princeton University, which owns some of the property in question.

In introducing the resolution, Mr. Martindell said the ordinance would show the Council’s intent to amend the map to include the Dinky right-of-way as a public right-of-way. “If we took that step, there could be no development on that site until one year after final approval is given,” he said. “The purpose of the resolution was to preserve the public trust.”

Even though the governing bodies already negotiated a right-of-way with the University along Alexander Street, preserving the existing right of way provides more options, he said, adding that he hoped Township officials would agree and also attempt to preserve the portion that lies in the Township.

“It’s a linchpin for further extending the right of way to Nassau Street, a tool for a tool kit,” Mr. Martindell said. “It enhances value to our community, including the University, and I heartily endorse it.”

University Vice President and Secretary Bob Durkee did not mince words in his remarks to the Council opposing the ordinance. Starting with “Given all the ridicule directed at Sarah Palin for the bridge to nowhere, it is surprising that members of Borough Council are proposing a right of way to nowhere.” Mr. Durkee complained that University officials were not informed of the proposed ordinance. “There was no prior discussion and no attempt to collaborate and cooperate,” he said, adding that the proposal was a way to undo the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) reached last year between the University and the governing bodies regarding the University’s planned $300 million arts and transit neighborhood.

The right of way would end at the border of the Borough and Township, where there will be no rail connection after the Dinky station is moved 460 feet south of its current location, Mr. Durkee said. He told the Council, “I think you’ve received bad advice,” adding that the right of way would require an up-front payment that would also cause problems in the newly consolidated Princeton, because officials would have to decide whether to purchase the land or allow the right-of-way to lapse, he added.

Speaking after Mr. Durkee, Borough resident Peter Marks said, “Mr. Durkee’s comments bring about two words: brazen and insolent.” Conversely, Borough resident Chip Crider criticized Council for putting forth the measure and questioned whether it was legal. “When the zoning was passed, you agreed with me that it was time to move on. What happened? It is crazy as far as I can see,” he said. “Your continued bickering is harming our town.”

Opposed to the measure, Councilman Wilkes said it would damage progress that has been made in negotiations with the University. “We won’t get anything done if we don’t have the full cooperation of everyone,” he said. Council President Barbara Trelstad agreed, saying the ordinance would put the MOU in jeopardy. She added, “I am extremely disappointed in this community.” The exchanges during the meeting had “risen to a level that has gone beyond civility,” she said.

 

January 11, 2012

Politicians Turn Out For Final Reorganization Of Borough Council

In front of a packed house of local politicians and special guests, Princeton Borough Council held its last annual reorganization meeting as an independent municipality on Tuesday, January 3. U.S. Representative Rush Holt, Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes, and several county freeholders were on hand to witness the swearing in of new Mayor Yina Moore, new Council President Barbara Trelstad, and new Council member Heather Howard. Outgoing Mayor Mildred Trotman delivered a farewell speech, as did outgoing Councilman David Goldfarb, who did not mince words in his criticism of Princeton University.

After praising Princeton Theological Seminary for its community values, Mr. Goldfarb said the University would be wise to learn from that example.

“With financial resources that dwarf those of virtually all other colleges and universities in the world, Princeton University still demands that the residents of our town subsidize it,” he said. “On top of that, its president threatened to reduce its inadequate contribution in lieu of taxes if the town didn’t comply with the University’s wishes. When President Tilghman presented us with her ultimatum last year, we should have called her bluff. Instead, the leaders of our town capitulated, emboldening the University to make similar threats in the future.”

Mr. Goldfarb concluded by saying he hopes the town and the University “will work together to restore the mutually respectful relationship that we enjoyed under prior University administrations,” suggesting that leaving the Dinky in place instead of moving it 460 feet south would be “an excellent place to start.”

Ms. Trotman spoke of 2011 as a productive year for Princeton Borough, citing a zero percent tax rate increase for the third year in a row, the on-schedule renovation of the Community Pool, and passage of the ordinance to create an arts and transit neighborhood despite unanimous support for leaving the Dinky station in place. She also paid tribute to Michael Kenwood, the Princeton First Aid & Rescue Squad EMT/Rescue Technician who died while attempting a rescue during Hurricane Irene.

In her speech, new Mayor Yina Moore said she will be proposing new initiatives to create a Downtown Neighborhoods Commission and an Institutional Relations Committee. The Neighborhoods Commission will include representatives of businesses and neighborhoods in the downtown business district. “It will be charged with elevating common and disparate concerns to better address these issues through our shared community values,” she said. “The Institutional Relations Committee, made up of citizens, elected officials, and a cross section of the Princeton University community, including students, faculty, alumni and administrators, is intended to create a new conversation amongst all parties in a new forum to identify, discuss, and address our mutual concerns.”

Ms. Moore also said she will be asking the Affordable Housing Committee to expand its vision to look beyond its role in administering the former Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) program and policies.

Later in the week, Ms. Trelstad, who replaces Councilman Kevin Wilkes as Council President, spoke of her new challenges. “The biggest one is to, hopefully, enable us to all work together toward consolidation,” she said. “The road map has been laid out, but we need to do it right. And by that, I mean we need to do it collegially and set an example. Because I think New Jersey needs to think about doing more of this. If we can do it, and do it in the time frame laid out, more or less, and do it well, that’s good.”

Ms. Trelstad added that the Memorandum of Understanding between the municipalities and Princeton University needs work. She also hopes to help Ms. Moore as she transitions into her new post. “I’ve had six or seven years on Council, so I hope I can make it easier for her,” Ms. Trelstad said. “I want to make sure we all work together, because that will help her.”