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Reports on Proposed Animal Shelter Costs; Open Space Tax Are Due Out Next Month By PAUL J. PEYTON

Specially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times

CRANFORD — A financial feasibility study on cost estimates for construction of a Union County animal shelter is expected out within the next month.

Preliminary estimates place construction cost at $1.8 million, with an annual operating budget of $1 million. The report is being prepared by Suplee, Clooney & Company, a public accounting firm based in Elizabeth.

Margaret C. Sur, a former Westfield councilwoman and a member of the Animal Control Committee of Union County, spoke on the project during the monthly meeting of the Union County League of Municipalities. The committee includes veterinarians, Westfield Regional Health Department Health Officer Robert Sherr, representatives of various animal rights organizations and the county sheriff.

The League of Municipalities, now 15 years old, provides mayors, former mayors and municipal elected officials the opportunity to look for ways to share resources and save money in the end. Westfield Mayor Thomas C. Jardim is President of the League this year.

Mrs. Sur, who served six years on

ThreeYear Limit on Collection Of Parking Fines is Now Law

the Westfield Town Council, said the committee has been pushing for a countywide facility since 1994. She said the growing overpopulation of pets in Union County has created serious problems for municipalities that have little options when it comes to animal control devices.

Officials indicated that the recent closing of Stirlingbased Garden State Kennels caused a number of towns to have to run around to find an animal control contractor.

Scotch Plains Mayor Martin Marks noted that his community contracted with Associated Humane Societies of Newark, which also services Westfield, at an annual cost of $37,000. That represents a jump of $13,000 from what the township had been paying Garden State.

He said Associated, knowing they are “the only game in town,” is likely to bump up fees charged to other towns when those contracts come up for renewal.

Mrs. Sur said all 21 municipalities combined paid a total of $530,000 in 1997. Westfield paid $18,000 that year.

“We think there is a better way, a more efficient way, a more effective way dealing with any (animal control) problems,” Mrs. Sur told those officials in attendance.

She said four of New Jersey’s 21 counties currently have countywide animal shelters including Atlantic, Burlington and Gloucester.

Mrs. Sur said the committee’s goal is to create a facility with a “friendly” and “comfortable” environment in a community where county residents would feel comfortable leaving pets they can no longer care as opposed to simply abandoning them which is currently common place. The facility would be built on between four and five acres so as not to disturb those living near shelter.

The facility would serve both as a shelter for homeless pets and a central location where county residents could come to adopt pets. Education programs would also be offered on pet care and related topics. A number of animal support groups, including People for Animals, support the concept of a county shelter.

Mrs. Sur said the facility would have a mandatory neutering and spading program to address the overpopulation of pets.

In order to reduce the annual operating cost, the committee has been working with the Union County Sheriff’s Office to see if the Sheriff’s Labor Assistance Program (SLAP) could be utilized to save money. This program uses persons convicted of nonviolent crimes, such as failing to pay child support, to do various labor intensive projects as opposed to serving jail time.

In addition, Sheriff’s Officers are all licensed game wardens. Mrs. Sur

said Sheriff Ralph G. Froehlich, who is expected to address the League next month, would like his search and rescue unit to be located next to the proposed animal shelter.

Mrs. Sur said the Suplee, Clooney & Company report will contain details on the best location for such a facility and how the towns would be involved in the program.

Kenilworth Mayor Michael Tripodi, President of the League in 1999, explained that the project could receive a state grant as part of the state’s new shared services program. He said he would support a countywide animal shelter if the cost to his community stays at a reasonable rate.

“Unfortunately there is other stuff that our taxpayers want to see. It’s hard to justify if the cost is going to double,” Mayor Tripodi reasoned.

In other business, the League received an update on a report by a county committee looking at the possible establishment of an Open Space Trust Fund in Union County. Union is one of only four counties in the state that does not have an open space tax. Salem, Sussex and Hudson Counties also do not have open space trust funds. Scotch Plains passed such a referendum last year to establish such a fund to be used primarily for construction of ball fields in a section of the Ashbrook Reservation. Township residents will be taxed 2 cents per $100 of assessed valuation over the next 10 years.

“Right now without a dedicated trust fund we have no stable source of funding for park land improvements and open space acquisition,” said Dr. Henry Ross of Summit, Chairman of the county’s ad hoc committee on open space that is looking into the establishing of an open space tax for Union County. Dr. Ross is also Chairman of the Union County Alliance.

The ad hoc committee is looking at the establishment of a tax between one and three cents per $100 of assessed valuation. The tax, which would have to be approved by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders first, would be placed before voters as a referendum.

While speaking before the county freeholder board last June, Steve Jandoli, a Principal Planner with the state’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), estimated a one cent tax per $100 of assessed valuation would generate $3.2 million each year for a countywide open space dedicated fund.

Dr. Ross noted that public hearings on the preliminary report from the committee are likely to occur in March. One of the hearings will be in held in Westfield with the other in Elizabeth.

Mayor Marks said he would like to see funds collected through the

tax “channeled back to the municipalities” and dedicated for acquisition of land to be preserved for open space. He said the towns would than decide how the land would be used as opposed to have the county use the money to create additional county parks.

Mayor Marks said if another referendum goes before Scotch Plains’ voters this year for an open space plan he believes it might be a “tough sell.” He said last year’s referendum became a “political football” in the township.

In 1998, voters around the state passed an open space fund for stateowned land. That proposal was passed by 65 percent of voters in Union County.

Mayor Jardim said he would like to know if the fund could help Westfield with the problem it is having in deal with the new phenomenon of “shoe horning” and “tear downs.” The latter occurs when developers build two or more homes on a lot were one house previously existed. Tear downs are when new homes are replaced with newer models.

Mr. Jandoli had indicated that historic preservation was one of the areas covered by an open space trust fund along with open space preservation, land acquisition and maintenance, and park and recreation development.

Roselle Park Mayor Joseph DeIorio asked Dr. Ross to supply the League with a breakdown of the amount of money that would be raised per community at the different tax levels under consideration.

In addition to Dr. Ross, the ad hoc committee, created last year by then Freeholder Chairman Nicholas P. Scutari of Linden, includes Westfield First Ward Councilman Carl A. Salisbury, former Hillside Mayor Ralph Milteer, Summit City Council President Henry Ogden and Roselle attorney Elizabeth Brody.

The League of Municipalities, which holds its meetings in the Faculty Staff Dining Room at Union County College in Cranford, needs eight mayors in attendance for a quorum. In January, attendance included mayors from Westfield, New Providence, Scotch Plains, Garwood, Kenilworth, Roselle Park and a council member from Cranford.

A representative of Assemblyman Alan M. Augustine, former Scotch Plains Mayor Joan Papen, also attends the meetings as does Township Councilwoman and former Mayor, Geri Samuel. Last week’s meeting was represented by Westfield, Scotch Plains, Kenilworth, Roselle Park, Winfield Park, Garwood and Springfield. Two council members from Garwood also attended.

By PAUL J. PEYTON

Specially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times

TRENTON — Towns that have been looking to collect on penalties from tickets from years ago will have to look for another revenue stream.

Governor Christine Todd Whitman last month signed legislation implementing a threeyear statute of limitations on the collection of overdue parking ticket revenues.

The issue came to the forefront a few years ago when longtime Westfield resident Warren Victor received a $169 ticket from the City of Perth Amboy for what they claimed was an outstanding ticket from 11 years prior.

Mr. Victor decided to fight back. After finding the cashed check for $1 which he had sent to Perth Amboy to cover the ticket, he contacted his legislator, Alan M. Augustine of Scotch Plains. Mr. Augustine is the

primary sponsor of the legislation. Under the bill, a parking ticket will now automatically be dismissed after three years unless a municipal court has issued a warrant for the defendant’s arrest or is in the process of suspending the motorist’s driver’s license.

If action has been taken within three years of the date of the ticket, the case will remain open.

Mr. Augustine’s bill follows a state Supreme Court order issued on October 7, 1997.

Nancy Malool, Mr. Augustine’s legislative aide, said the bill simply “codifies” the court ruling.

“So it’s more secure and the people are better protected,” she said. She noted the law is “set in stone,” whereas court statutes can always be changed by future court rulings.

Ms. Malool said language in the bill was removed that would have

prohibited courts from suspending a person’s driver’s license until they had failed to pay three tickets. Under the new law, failing to pay any ticket can result in suspension of driving privileges. She said this language had been written into the bill by its cosponsor, Assemblywoman Joan M. Quigley (D32).

Mr. Victor praised Assemblyman Augustine for taking the “bull by the horns” in gaining support for the measure in the Legislature.

“It is a refreshing experience to have a caring and able legislator from the 22nd District applying his skills to ensure (laws) affecting our quality of life are reasonable and fair,” he said.

The 1997 State Superior Court decision dismissed 454,000 outstanding parking tickets dating back three or more years. That decision became effective in February 1998.

David B. Corbin for The Westfield Leader and The Times GETTING TICKETS IS NOT LONGER A LIFE SENTENCE… Governor Christine Todd Whitman last month signed legislation implementing a threeyear statute of limitations on the collection of overdue parking ticket revenues.

Hearing Wednesday On Parking Report

The Town Council will hold a special meeting this Wednesday, March 1, at which point the town’s parking consultant will present a comprehensive parking plan for the downtown.

Rich and Associates of Michigan was hired by the town to develop the report on the best location to build a parking deck in town, including its size and cost projections for construction and annual operation.

According to Michael LaPlace, the deck is the central part of a parking system under consideration by the town.

Also included will be beefed up improvement to surface parking lots in town, enhanced enforcement of parking regulations and creation of a parking entity that would be in charge of parking on a fulltime basis.

Preliminary construction costs of the deck are in the $6 to $7 million range. The public hearing will begin at 7: 30 p. m. in the Town Council Chambers of the Municipal Building on East Broad Street.