Cablevision
Choosing to continue in its tradition of working directly with municipalities, Cablevision sent a representative to the last Council meeting to discuss extension of the franchise agreement and explain the new requirements for digital signals. It was explained the nationwide turnover to digital signals occurring in February will not effect local customers who already subscribe the the Cablevision digital service. Those receiving only the analog package will need to attain a converter box that is available from Cablevision for it’s customers. It was noted that residents using old school roof antennas will also need a converter box, and those in financial need can get a coupon from the Federal government to offset the cost.
Prior to the February turnover, Cablevision will be moving it’s public access channels 76, 77, 78 to digital in September. The distinct programming provided to each town makes it cost prohibitive for Cablevision to implement additional equipment for each headend, and customers will unfortunately require a converter box for any TV trying to access the signal for those channels. On a side note, the Oakland Communications Commission is working to provide a webcast of the local channels in response to Verizon not providing public access channels to customers.
Dewey Electronics
A representative from Dewey Electronics came before the Town Council seeking municipal assistance in being allowed to develop property in the Oakland industrial area. Having been told by the Oakland Planning Board that the presentation should be made to the Town Council, the Dewey representative was told by The Council to make the presentation to the Oakland Planning Board. Dewey Electronics’ main focus is on the development and manufacturing of portables generators for the military, but they also get revenue from the sale of snow making machines which are sold domestically and internationally.
As the Federal government has cut back on development funding, Dewey has been restructuring to meet the immediate needs of military personnel on the ground. Dewey Electronics represents the type of jobs that New Jersey no longer attracts with the majority of Dewey’s facilities being devoted to production, staging and storage. As NJ’s reputation as having a burdensome, unfriendly environment for business increases, encouraging existing businesses to continue and grow in the state is becoming a concern. Dewey Electronics military contracts also have the added benefit of returning to New Jersey Federal dollars– According to 2005 statistics, New Jersey was ranked 50th in terms of Federal spending received in relation to taxes paid.
The undeveloped property has fallen into the preserved area of the new Highlands Act, and its development is highly restricted. The subject appears to bring together a variety of issues facing New Jersey: jobs, Highlands and COAH. The affordable housing issue comes into play because there is no superseding authority in the state of NJ, so COAH mandates and Highland mandates can be contradictory. Dewey Electronics had at one point entered into a contract with NJ’s largest housing developer, Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc. for the purchase of the undeveloped property. After researching the situation, Hovnanian terminated the agreement in 2005.
Dewey Electronics is seeking to protect its fiduciary interest in the undeveloped land, but it is unclear if they intend to expand operations or seek to monetize the situation through sale or development. Present exceptions to the Highlands Act would make an allowance to continue the development of this area for industrial purposes the most likely remedy, but the chaos created by the 3rd round of affordable housing obligations has changed the political and practical landscape of many towns.
The Library
At this point, the library saga continues to wind its ways through the courts. The recent addition of another expert hired in relation to the ongoing lawsuit adds another tab whittling away at the original $288,000 which remained after the town ended its relationship with Vintage Construction.
In a meeting on September 19 of 2007, the Council authorized the expenditure of $12,500 for L+C Design Consultants to prepare plans towards completion, repair and rehabilitation of the facility. This was necessary for the Town to estimate the costs to finish the project. In addition to the most recent resolution concerning an expert witness, another resolution in September 2007 authorized the expenditure of up to $25,000 for Hill International, Inc., to act as an expert witness.
There have been no discussions with regards to accumulating legal fees, or exactly how much money remains to complete construction should the Town fail in its counter-suit against Vintage Construction. The problems with Vintage began to surface before the work on the project ended. A Council meeting in March of 2005 was indicative of the rising tensions between the borough’s displeasure with Vintage’s performance, and concerns of the contractor over timely payments from the borough.
Besides the Town seeking damages from Vintage in its counter-suit, lawyers for the Town have also pursued filing a claim through the recently enacted NJ False Claims Act. The main impetus of the law is to encourage the reporting of fraudulent claims which impact government funded contracts. As the borough is already involved in a civil lawsuit with Vintage, the claim was filed against the principal owner. The newly enacted statute requires prosecutors to report back in a timely fashion as to whether they will proceed with the claim, otherwise the Town will need to shoulder the expense to pursue this avenue independently.
Water Bills
Residents are receiving retroactive fees based on the recent increases for the water utility.
It was discussed that water utility bills follow a different structure than that of regular taxes. The fees collected are dedicated solely to the maintenance of the water system. The Council recognized that the most pressing flaw involved new residents. People who have recently moved into town will be assessed the charges incurred under the previous owner of the house.
Premature Loan Payment
The mystery behind the premature loan payment revealed last Spring continues. Although questions concerning the process that led to the situation have not been answered publicly, the Town Council is pursuing a disciplinary hearing against one employee.