November 14, 2012

Lempert, Woodbridge Reflect on Election

A week after Princeton Borough and Township residents elected Democrat Liz Lempert mayor of the newly consolidated town, Ms. Lempert and her opponent, Republican Dick Woodbridge, reflected on the race that earned Ms. Lempert 6,093 votes to Mr. Woodbridge’s 3,939. Drawing more than 10,000 voters to the polls in the wake of one of the worst storms in New Jersey’s history speaks of the importance of the race to the local population.

“It was a difficult week for pretty much everyone in town,” said Ms. Lempert. “And there were many people who had their polling places changed twice С first because of consolidation and redistricting, and then a second time because of [Superstorm] Sandy. We were worried that there would be mass confusion and frustration, but by and large things seemed to go relatively smoothly. People came out to vote even though there was a lot of storm clean-up to do. It just shows that Princeton is a community that cares and that takes its voting seriously.”

Mr. Woodbridge, a previous mayor of Princeton Township who served on Borough Council for three years, is no stranger to political campaigns. He is pleased with the way this one unfolded.

“I don’t have any regrets,” he said. “I think we ran the best campaign we could. This is the ninth time I’ve run in 36 years. I’ve won some and I’ve lost some. There are things we could have done better and things we did pretty well. What I really liked about this one was the broad-based, non-partisan nature. We showed you can run a non-partisan campaign. Clearly, there was a strong sense that this town should be non-partisan, if not in political composition at least in spirit. We saw that all across the board, and that was the biggest takeaway for me.”

Compared to some races in Princeton’s recent past, this one was “relatively clean,” Mr. Woodbridge added. “There was no real mud-slinging. We tried to stay to the arguments, and it never got personal. I have no negative personal feelings against any of the people I ran against. This is a small town and you’ve got to live with people.”

There were more supporters than Mr. Woodbridge could list in the campaign ads he ran in local newspapers. “We had a number of endorsements we couldn’t add,” he said. “It was a really nice cross-section of people representing the entire town who were supportive of my kind of campaign. What can you say? You do the best you can. And the hurricane didn’t do anybody any favors.”

Even before she takes the oath of office, Ms. Lempert is planning to meet with staff and Council members of the consolidated Princeton. “We checked with lawyers and found that it’s okay for the new Council members to start meeting before being sworn in,” she said on election night. “I would like to have a goal-setting session before the end of the year.”

Expanding on those plans this week, Ms. Lempert said she hopes this type of session will become an annual exercise. “I’ve talked about it with [Princeton administrator] Bob Bruschi, and we both think it would be a useful idea to have what is essentially a brainstorming session,” she said. “There is a lot of excitement about consolidation, and there are certainly a lot of opportunities. Eventually we have to get to every good idea, but we want to be strategic about what we try to tackle in the first year because we don’t want to pull the staff in so many different directions so that nothing gets done.”

The first order of business is likely to be ensuring that the promises of consolidation are met. “We have to do a good job tracking the savings of consolidation, and make sure that we’re looking for ways to enhance services wherever possible,” Ms. Lempert added. “One of the things that I think is going to be really important in the coming year is having excellent communications — making sure we are using all forms of media to get our message out in terms of any changes there might be. We want residents to know how to get what they need from the government in the most efficient way possible.”


November 6, 2012

Residents Asked to Double-Check Voting Sites As Princeton Prepares to Vote as One Community

Princeton Borough and Princeton Township will vote as a consolidated municipality in the General Election on Tuesday, November 6. Polls will be open from 6 a.m. until 8 p.m.

Residents who want a mail-in ballot must now apply in person at the Mercer County Clerk’s Office by 3 p.m. on November 5.

Consolidated Princeton now has 22 voting districts. To find your consolidated voting district and polling place, follow the links from www.princetontwp.org/election1.html.

At the local level, Princeton voters will select either Democrat Liz Lempert or Republican Richard Woodbridge for mayor. Candidates for six new Council seats include Republican Geoff Aton, and Democrats Heather Howard, Arden (“Lance”) Liverman, Patrick Simon, Bernard (“Bernie”) Miller, Jenny Crumiller, and Jo Butler.

Vying for three Freeholder seats are Democrats Marie Corfield, Ann M. Cannon, Pasquale “Pat” Colavita, Jr., and Samuel T. Frisby, Sr.; and Republicans David G. Mayer, Richard Urbani, and David Walsh.

Nominees for a single General Assembly seat are Republican Donna M. Simon and Democrat Marie Corfield.

Republican Eric A. Beck is challenging Democratic incumbent Rush Holt in a race to represent the 12th Congressional District, and Republican Joe Kyrillos has challenged incumbent Democratic Senator Robert Menendez.

While the ballot will include the names of nine Presidential aspirants, as well as a “personal choice” box, that race presumably comes down to incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama against Republican Mitt Romney.

Statewide, voters will determine whether or not New Jersey should provide $750 million for certain types of new construction at specified New Jersey colleges and universities, and whether or not to amend the New Jersey State Constitution to redefine justices’ and judges’ salary and pension benefits.

Locally, Princeton voters will have an opportunity to approve an open space tax of 1.7 cents per $100 of assessed property value.

February 29, 2012

Transition Task Force Is Up and Running

With only nine months to go before consolidation of Princeton Borough and Township becomes law, the Transition Task Force has moved into high gear. The group has formed several subcommittees and scheduled a packed roster of meetings through the end of November.

The Communication Subcommittee was to meet this morning, February 29, while the Personnel Subcommittee is scheduled to gather this evening at 5:30 p.m. The Finance Subcommittee met last week. “We talked about a potential budget. We also discussed working together on our municipal budgets for 2012,” said task force member and Township Mayor Chad Goerner in an email. “The committee also discussed adding several more resident members and will propose these members at our next full task force meeting.”

That session is scheduled for tonight at 7 p.m. in the main meeting room of the Township Building. Task force and subcommittee meetings are posted on the website of the Center for Governmental Research, at www.cgr.org/princeton/transition.

Whether all of these meetings should be open to the public was a topic of lengthy discussion at last week’s task force session. While chairman Mark Freda urged that as many as possible be held in public, member Jim Levine questioned whether all of the subcommittee meetings should be open to the public.

“I don’t think the public is served to have all the ideas out there being discussed if they are not ultimately going to be recommended,” he said. The subcommittees make recommendations to the task force, which in turn suggests actions to the Borough Council and Township Committee. Mr. Levine suggested that meetings be open to the public when the discussion reaches a certain level, after the subcommittee has had a chance to work on issues “without having to pull any punches with anything distracting to employees and the public.”

Task force member Linda Mather did not agree. “I don’t want lawsuits over this,” she said. “We should abide by the Open Public Meetings Act for all our work.”

Mr. Goerner, who also served on the consolidation commission, commented that the commission’s subcommittee meetings were always open to the public. Task force member Bernie Miller said he didn’t think all of task force subcommittee meetings should be held in public. “Some discussions are very sensitive,” he said. “There has to be some shield.”

Ultimately, the task force voted to follow the Open Public Meetings Act for both its full meetings and the sessions of its subcommittees. Also at last week’s meeting, the group voted to recommend that the Center for Governmental Research (CGR) be hired as project consultant, and that attorney William Kearns be hired as its lawyer. Both recommendations were approved Monday night, February 27, at a joint meeting of the Borough Council and Township Committee.

Based in Rochester, N.Y. CGR served as consultant to the consolidation commission. They will be paid up to $62,000 to help the task force with project management and staff support.

Mr. Kearns is a senior partner with Kearns, Reale & Kearns in Willingboro. He is the general counsel for the New Jersey State League of Municipalities and co-chair for the League’s Legislative Committee. The task force had to hire its own attorney because it is not permitted to use municipal attorneys for legal advice. Three attorneys were interviewed for the job.


February 15, 2012

Public Input Is Integral to Task Force Mission As Team Members Discuss Ways to Achieve It

On February 8, at the second meeting of the Transition Team Task Force charged with shepherding Princeton Township and Borough through consolidation, some members expressed differing views as to how many of their sessions should be open to public input. Dorothea Berkhout commented that because the team will make recommendations to the Borough and Township, rather than decisions, she was not sure it qualified as a public body under the Open Public Meetings Act. Colleague Brad Middlekauff added that it may be less efficient to solicit public input at every meeting. Team member Jim Levine suggested forming a committee to keep the public informed.

However, Chairman Mark Freda said that keeping the proceedings public was an integral part of the team’s mission. “The message to me by the majority of the people has been clear. We will do the absolutely best we can to perform this process in public,” he said. “Public participation in this process is critical.”

Township Administrator Jim Pascale said that according to the Township attorney, the task force must conduct its business in public, since it is a public body. The only exception would be if a topic under discussion legally falls within the parameters of an executive session. Bernie Miller said the group should “think about what is legal and what is the public’s perception of what we’re doing. This cannot be done behind closed doors.” The group agreed they should find an attorney, but in the meantime ask the governing bodies to amend its resolution so that they can make use of the attorneys for the Borough and Township.

In other action at the meeting, the Task Force agreed to form several subcommittees in the areas of personnel policies; public safety and merging police departments; public works, engineering and recreation; and finance. While the finance committee is already full, the Task Force is looking for volunteers to serve on the other four, and several more are expected to be named in coming weeks.

The personnel subcommittee held its first meeting on February 13. The future of Princeton’s municipal employees, 18 of whom will lose their jobs by the consolidation deadline of January 1, 2013, was the focus of the meeting. Currently, Township and Borough employees have different benefits regarding sick leave and pay increases. It was suggested that the periodic pay increases that Township employees receive based on longevity be grandfathered in.

To express interest in serving on a committee, send a resume and cover letter no later than 5 p.m. Friday, February 17 to either: Linda McDermott, Township Clerk, 400 Witherspoon St., Princeton, N.J. 08540, or lmcdermott@princeton-township.nj.us, or Delores Williams, Borough Deputy Clerk, 1 Monument Drive, Princeton, N.J. 08540, or dwilliams@princetonboro.org.


February 8, 2012

Township, Borough Budget Planning Proceeds With Consolidation in Mind

The Borough and Township have agreed to delay investing in capital projects and to postpone equipment purchases until the two municipalities are consolidated, said Township Mayor Chad Goerner at Monday’s Township Committee meeting. Consolidation will be finalized January 1, 2013.

In the meantime, Mr. Goerner said, the Borough and Township have agreed to work together to ensure that both will be financially in good shape for the merger. Both will be adopting budgets that will finance transition costs over five years, while a one year state grant covers more immediate cash outlays. The next meeting of the transition team will be Wednesday, February 8, at 7 p.m. in Township Hall.

Township Committee members present for the Monday evening meeting included Lance Liverman, Deputy Mayor Liz -Lempert, and Mr. Goerner, who wished absentees Sue Nemeth and Bernie Miller “a speedy recovery so that they can join us at our next action-packed meeting.”

Reports at this week’s session included Ms. Lempert’s description of recent meetings that have given area residents a chance to express their concerns about the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) pilot project to test jughandle closures at Harrison and Washington Streets, ostensibly to relieve traffic congestion on Route 1. The coming move of the Princeton Medical Center to the other side of Route 1 adds to this concern. “Hopefully the DOT will hear us,” Ms. Lempert commented.

Also, this week Township Committee approved an ordinance to amend the code regarding taxicab licenses. Township Attorney Ed Schmierer explained that the new law is in compliance with recent state legislation that sets a minimum requirement for taxi drivers’ liability insurance, and requires them to undergo background checks at their own expense.

In response to a request from Princeton University security, Township Committee also approved an ordinance that will decrease the number of parking spaces and improve sight distance on Alexander Street. Township Engineer Bob Kiser reported that the new ruling had been reviewed by the Traffic Safety Committee.

Appropriations for sidewalk construction on both Grover Avenue and Roper Road were also approved at the meeting. Mr. Kiser noted that residents of each neighborhood will probably continue to discuss which side of the street to pave beyond the public hearing date of February 27.

Committee member Lance Liverman offered a “heads up” on “family dinner week,” which is scheduled to take place in Princeton from April 15 through 22. Local businesses and restaurants will be cooperating in this effort to encourage family members to dine together.

A hirsute Mr. Goerner and Freeholder Andrew Koontz will be guest-tending bar at this year’s “longbeard” competition at the Alchemist and Barrister on February 28. Proceeds of this year’s event will go to Derek’s Dreams, an organization dedicated to raising the awareness of ataxia telangiectasia, a hereditary condition characterized by progressive neurologic problems that lead to difficulty walking.


January 18, 2012

Unannounced Meeting Illegal But Inadvertent Borough Attorney Says

An unannounced meeting to discuss applicants for Princeton Borough’s representatives on the consolidation transition task force got Mayor Yina Moore and members of the Council into hot water last week. But this violation of the Open Public Meetings Act was not intentional, according to the Borough’s attorney Maeve Cannon.

At Council’s regular meeting last week, Ms. Cannon said that a December 28 meeting of Council members Jo Butler, Jenny Crumiller, and Kevin Wilkes, which was attended by then Mayor-elect Moore and Councilwoman-elect Heather Howard, was an inadvertent violation, since those on the committee may have thought that it was legal because only three council members were present, which would not constitute a quorum. Ms. Moore and Ms. Howard had yet to be sworn in when the meeting took place, but as future members of Council would be voting on the issue.

Councilman Roger Martindell said at the January 10 meeting that the procedure needed to be remedied. He also criticized the criteria for choosing candidates, saying those with an affiliation to Princeton University or residency outside the Borough should not be eliminated. Princeton Township chose its representatives early this month.

The Council has been contacted by about 30 members of the public interested in serving on the committee, said Ms. Butler, though some said they only wanted to volunteer for a subcommittee. Eight candidates were selected as finalists by the Council members. Four people will be selected, including three full members and one alternate.

The eight finalists С Alexi Assmus, Mark Freda, W. Bradford Middlekauff, Bruce M. Topolosky, Patrick Simon, James Levine, Hendricks Davis and Adrienne Kreipke С were subsequently interviewed at an open session of the Council on January 3. Council members Barbara Trelstad, Mr. Wilkes, and Ms. Butler were chosen to select a slate of four candidates from those eight. They were to be voted on at a special meeting last night, January 17.

In other business at the January 10 meeting, the Council was given a preview of its 2012 budget. Maintaining a zero tax rate increase is a goal for the year, chief financial officer Sandra Webb said in an overview of the projected budget. Councilman Martindell, who chairs the Finance Committee, commented that no major initiatives or significant labor contracts are proposed for 2012 as the Borough prepares to merge with Princeton Township.

“The less we do financially, the better, and this budget reflects that,” he said. Mr. Martindell added that the committee will meet with its counterparts in the Township, not only about the 2012 budget but to get a head start on the challenges likely to be posed by consolidation.

Ms. Webb told Council members that the budget proposals are preliminary, since 2011 had yet to be closed out. Figures included a $420,000 increase in spending, or 1.63 percent over 2011. No reduction in state aid is anticipated and department budgets are not being increased.

Since Princeton University has increased its voluntary payment to the Borough by $500,000 for 2012, the Borough will be using less of its operating surplus. Mayor Moore said she thought some of the surplus might be used to provide some relief for property owners who are struggling to pay taxes that rose after the 2010 tax revaluation. Mr. Wilkes suggested some of the money be used to focus on how to improve recyling and trash collection in the downtown area.

Ms. Howard commented that this is the time to make sure the state follows through on its commitment to pay 20 percent of the transition costs. She also suggested that the Borough and Township should send a list of help with budgetary flexibility that might be needed during the consolidation process.

At the meeting, the Council voted to accept Princeton University’s voluntary contributions (PILOT) of $1.7 million. Ms. Trelstad and Mr. Wilkes thanked the University for this increased payment, which includes $250,000 earmarked for transition costs. The University has also agreed to pay $300,000 for the expansion of the firehouse.

Speaking just before the vote, Ms. Butler expressed concerns that not enough was done during the negotiations. “It looks like something that could have been drawn up on the back of an envelope,” she said. Ms. Butler used the City of Boston as an example of how to do it better, saying the city sent a bill to its nonprofit organizations for 25 percent of what they would owe if they were not tax exempt. The Borough’s previous agreement with the University involved more detailed work, she said. “I hope going forward we can have a more comprehensive approach.”

Mayor Moore said she shares Ms. Butler’s concerns. “This opens doors to further the conversation where needs and benefits are assessed and integrated,” she said. “I look forward to furthering that discussion this year.”

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.”

December 21, 2011

Martindell Calls for Investigation Of Housing Authority Practices

At a meeting of Borough Council last week, representatives of the Princeton Housing Authority (HABOP) defended a controversial contract for that agency’s acting executive director. This week, Council member Roger Martindell issued a statement calling for an official look into the matter as well as into the agency’s general administrative practices.

Scott Parsons was rehired as HABOP’s acting executive director last fall after he resigned as its executive director to take an administrative post at the Lakewood Housing Authority. It is his $65,000 salary, reportedly for 10 hours of work a week, that prompted Mr. Martindell to say in a written statement, “It’s exactly the kind of sweetheart deal that Governor Christie has effectively campaigned against, and it’s a blemish on HABOP’s distinguished record in providing low-cost housing to Princeton residents.”

Mr. Martindell has written to New Jersey’s Department of Community Affairs asking for an investigation into how HABOP is run. In a discussion of the housing authority during the Council meeting December 13, director Leighton Newlin and board member Toby Levy answered questions about the hiring, which was reported on the Planet Princeton website that day in a story about the housing authority’s failure to properly provide a sunshine notice of the two meetings where the contract with the Lakewood Housing Authority was approved.

Lakewood Housing Authority supplies management services for HABOP under a three-month old, shared services agreement. Other housing authorities also use shared services agreements, according to Mr. Newlin.

According to Mr. Martindell, Mr. Parsons was making $87,500 a year, with benefits of an additional $31,964, when he left the housing authority last September. “Presumably, Mr. Parsons was working 40 hours per week, for total compensation valued at $57 per hour,” Mr. Martindell said. “Now he’s making $65,000 per year for 10 hours per week, or $125 per hour. That’s more than a doubling of his rate of compensation when he’s devoting a quarter of the time that he used to devote to HABOP business. How can that be reasonable?”

Councilman David Goldfarb commented during the meeting that he wasn’t sure Council members should be criticizing the shared services contract and Parsons’ salary. The $65,000 flat fee, he said, is a unique arrangement. “I’m not making any judgment on this matter, but I would point out that Scott’s salary is not the total cost for HABOP,” he said. “You have benefits, liability, plus the fact that you can’t terminate him at will … if you are talking about comparisons, you need to compare apples with apples and oranges with oranges and make sure you get your comparisons correct.”

The housing authority was founded in 1938 and currently manages more than 230 units for low-income residents in the Borough and Township. At the meeting, Mr. Newlin said there are currently 208 applicants on a waiting list for housing, which he stressed is “low-income” rather than “affordable.” Median income for clients is approximately $20,000 per year, he said. “The people we serve have never been more at risk than they are now.”

Mr. Martindell suggested at the meeting that HABOP obtain legal assistance “as soon as possible” since they did not observe the sunshine law before the rehiring of Mr. Parsons. The contract for the shared services agreement with Lakewood was approved at the September 26 meeting of Borough Council. The Sunshine Law requires that notice of a meeting date be made 48 hours prior to the session, except for closed or executive sesssions.

When Mr. Martindell and Council member Jenny Crumiller advised them to seek a full-time executive director, Mr. Newlin and Mr. Levy countered that a full-time director would cost more than the arrangement currently in place.

“Scott is not just the executive director,” Mr. Newlin said. “He is a certified public accountant and a very unique individual. A big part of his obligations include the financial stability of the housing authority. If we hired someone else full time, we’d also have to hire someone extra to take on the financial aspects. That means we are saving an additional $60,000.”

Asked how Mr. Parsons could continue doing his former HABOP job full time while also working a full schedule at Lakewood, Mr. Israel replied, “We feel it works very well. The great thing about this arrangement is, if we feel it doesn’t work, we can cancel it in 90 days. Right now, it works.”

Borough Mayor Mildred Trotman advised Mr. Newlin and Mr. Levy to inform the Princeton Housing Authority board of the Council members’ concerns, and then return to Council at a future date and “address the concerns so they can be documented.”

A call to Mr. Newlin was not returned by press time.