Regular Meetings of the Mayor & Council now take place at Borough Hall located at Bayley-Ellard High School, third Floor Meeting Room #320 - entrance to the campus now reads "St. Paul Behind the Walls at Bayley-Ellard" - park behind the high school or behind the Mansion and follow signs "Borough of Madison"

<Back to all 2001 minutes>

MINUTES OF THE PUBLIC WORK SESSION OF THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL OF THE BOROUGH OF MADISON

The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. The Borough Clerk called the roll and the following acknowledged their presence:

Mayor John J. Dunne

Council Members:

Mary-Anna Holden
Peter R. Flemming, Sr.
Ellwood R. Kerkeslager
Mark Renart Peck
George Hayman
Absent: Eleanor "Peachie" Attonito

Also Present:

James R. Allison, Administrator
Joseph Mezzacca, Jr., Borough Attorney
Marilyn Schaefer, Borough Clerk

The Borough Clerk read the statement pursuant to the Open Public Meetings Act:

"In compliance with the Open Public Meetings Act, adequate notice of this meeting of the Council was provided by distributing the Annual Meeting Schedule to the Madison Eagle and Morris County Daily Record, posting a copy on the bulletin board at the main entrance of the Hartley Dodge Memorial, and filing a copy in the office of the Clerk, all on January 4, 2001. Copies of said Notice were made available to members of the general public."

Council President Holden moved that the May 30, 2001 Regular and Public Work Session Minutes be approved. Council Member Kerkeslager seconded the motion.

The May 30, 2001 Work Session discussion entitled 05/30/01-67 PARKING FEES/PERMITS will be amended to reflect that a task force was formed by a group of merchants and not by Council.

There was no further Council discussion and the motion passed with the following roll call vote recorded:

Yeas: Mrs. Holden, Mr. Flemming, Mr. Kerkeslager, Mr. Peck, Mr. Hayman

Nays: None

Absent: Ms. Attonito

Council Member Kerkeslager presented an initial recommendation from the Madison Parking Task Force. The report, dated June 10, 2001, examined permit fees, permit schedules, authorized apartment buildings, parking terms and conditions, Parking Task Force continued work, signage changes for streets and lots, and parking space projects. The Committee Members included the Downtown Manager, the DDC Chair, the Chamber, individual merchants, a resident commuter, and Council Member Hayman, with advisors including Police Chief Ehrenburg, Sergeant John Sabanosh and Jo Blair from Police Administration.

The Committee, through Council Member Kerkeslager, recommended Council approval of $150 per space per year going through the end of the year 2002, with a $25 increase in the year 2003 and another $25 per space increase in the year 2004. The guidelines recommended by the Committee were that Council give at least six months notice if the fees are to be changed after that; thus Council action would be required prior to June 30 of the year before fees are raised.

The commuters have already paid $250, and the Committee's proposal is that the commuter fees be considered paid up through the end of the year 2002. It is proposed that tenant/merchant permits, which were $75, expire October 31, at which time tenant/merchants would have to purchase a 15-month permit to bring their permit expiration to the same time as other permit holders. The fee for a tenant/merchant permit would be $150 per year thereafter.

The Committee recommended that permits be issued on an annual basis, effective January 1 through December 31. Apartments at 50 Cook Avenue and 44 Cook had past commitments from the Borough to obtain tenant permits. The Committee recommended that there be a maximum of one parking permit issued per apartment at those addresses. Any additional parking spaces for an occupant of the unit may be obtained from commercial providers. However, current tenants with permits valid in the last permit year, which was 2000 – 2001, will be allowed to obtain permits through the current permit term. The proposal for Montpelier is that the tenants who have had permits will continue to be allowed to purchase permits one more time, which would give them a year and a half lead time in the event a tenant and/or the landlord want to petition Council.

The Committee asked for a commitment to fix poor parking lot signage and add new striping at Community Place, north of Cook Avenue. The Committee recommended resurrecting a project at the Kings Road Lot 2 in which NJ Transit would initially fund the project with the Borough of Madison providing the land. In this partnership, the permit money would be shared until the NJ Transit initial cost is recouped, at which time the land would revert to Madison.

Council Member Hayman moved that the "Madison Parking Task Force Initial Recommendations" submitted by Council Member Kerkeslager be approved. Council President Holden seconded the motion. There was no Council discussion and the motion passed with the following roll call vote recorded:

Yeas: Mrs. Holden, Mr. Flemming, Mr. Kerkeslager, Mr. Peck, Mr. Hayman

Nays: None

Absent: Ms. Attonito

An ordinance amending the parking lot legislation will be drawn up by the Borough Attorney and be listed on the June 25 Regular Agenda for introduction.

06/11/01-70 FARMERS' MARKET APPROVAL FOR 2001 FROM JULY 5 THROUGH OCTOBER 25, 2001

Downtown Manager Janice Piccolo made recommendations to Council that the Farmers' Market hours begin at 2:00 p.m. rather than 3:00 p.m., and run to 7:00 p.m. Mrs. Piccolo asked Council to allow farmers to sell products already sold and produced on their farms such as eggs, pork, wheat, flour and baked goods, excluding potted or cut flowers, which would allow Madison's market to be competitive with other New Jersey markets. Madison also restricts its merchants who come to the market from the purchasing or selling of anything. Mrs. Piccolo asked Council to consider allowing local merchants to participate in the market.

Mr. Ted Blew of Oak Grove Plantation presented his reasons why Council should approve allowing him to sell his meat at the Farmers' Market.

Council Member Kerkeslager moved that Mrs. Piccolo's recommendation for the Farmers' Market be approved. Council President Holden seconded the motion. There was no further Council discussion and the motion passed with the following roll call vote recorded:

Yeas: Mrs. Holden, Mr. Flemming, Mr. Kerkeslager, Mr. Peck, Mr. Hayman

Nays: None

Absent: Ms. Attonito

A resolution approving the 2001 Farmers' Market will be listed on the June 25 Regular Agenda.

Council President Holden moved:

RESOLVED, that the meeting be adjourned to an Executive Session to consider the following matters:

Date of public disclosure 60 days after conclusion, if disclosure required.

The motion was seconded by Council Member Kerkeslager and unanimously carried by voice vote.

RESOLVED, that the Public Work Session be reopened.

The motion was seconded by Council Member Kerkeslager and unanimously carried by voice vote.

There being no further business to come before the Council, the Open Work Session was adjourned at 8:20 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Marilyn Schaefer
Borough Clerk

_{cc: Mayor & Council
James R. Allison
Joseph Mezzacca, Jr., Esq.
Toni DeRosaAll Departments}

_{(Approved July 9, 2001)}

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