Update: The meeting has begun and we will be updating this story throughout the evening.

On the agenda for the Maplewood Township Committe tonight:

• A Resolution Approving an application to the County for a Community Development Block Grant to construct ADA-compliant facilities for the Burgdorff Center for the Performing Arts. Annette DePalma made a presentation explaining that the request involved two components totalling more than $69,000. One component is bathroom improvements involving expanding the doorway, raising the sink and commode, installing bars and removing barriers. The cost of this component is about $43,000. The second component would be an ADA-compliant access ramp from outside to inside the building (the current ramp is not compliant). A previous request for an elevator has been removed from the application. DePalma said that the installation of an elevator is premature at this point, as well as very costly and unlikely to be funded due to the fact that CDBG has been cut.

• A presentation on banning public smoking in public parks was made during the Board of Health meeting (the meeting takes place within the Township Committee meeting). First, new Township Committee member India Larrier was elected President of the Board of Health for the year 2012. After a detailed presentaiton and discussion on the dangers of secondhand smoke and the logistics of such a ban, Mayor Vic DeLuca, Kathy Leventhal and Marlon K. Brownlee said they were in favor and Jerry Ryan and India Larrier had reservations — particularly around enforcement. The Mayor instructed Desiderio to move forward on drafting an ordinance. Read the full story here.

• Health Officer Bob Roe said that he has had only five applications so far for backyard chicken farming. He said that the mandatory information sessions are still scheduled for Jan. 7 and 11 at the main branch of the library. He said, due to the low number of requests, he felt the lottery would be unnecessary.

• A presentation regarding a beer garden for Maplewoodstock was made by Drew Dix and Gary Shippy (Maplewoodstock will take place July 7 and 8 this year). Dix said that such an enterprise would confine drinking and discourage underage drinking at the event. It would also help to generate profits through sales and sponsorship, ensuring quality headline acts and the continued free price of admission. John Meade of St. James's Gate has said he would manage and staff such a beer garden which is proposed as a fenced in area adjacent to the flag pole near the food mart area. Meade has managed such gardens at events for 20 years. Only those age 21 and above would be able to enter and make purchases. Adequate security and liability coverage would be provided. Despite the fact that Meade came forward with the idea, Dix said that the Maplewoodstock organizers are willing to put it out to bid if directed by the Township Committee. Dix noted that the festival operates at no cost to the Town. Shippy noted that Police Chief Robert Cimino has said he is not in favor of the idea. Most of the Township Committee members said they had reservations based on the Chief's concerns (Brownlee even chided the event organizers for not bringing the proposal to the Committee earlier if timing was so critical in terms of booking a headline act), but Mayor DeLuca strunuously argued that the town move forward. "It's a one-year experiment. We are in control." DeLuca said that the Township Committee could dictate drink minimums, a cut-off hour for sales, etc. Regarding the Police Chief, DeLuca also said, "He works for us." A motion was passed for a one-year pilot under the restrictions put forward by the Township Committee after further consultation between Maplewoodstock organizers and Township staff with the onus on Mapelwoodstock to perform the necessary research. Larrier and Brownlee voted against the resolution; DeLuca, Ryan and Leventhal voted for it.
  

Deborah Collins from the Essex County Executive's Office also updated the Township Committee on some County items including the fact that the County will be having a press conference on Wednesday July 11 regarding the annual deer culling in the South Mountain Reservation that will take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting January 17 and ending February 23.