Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Maplewood and South Orange have been debating whether to strengthen or abolish the BSE.
With the recent discussion over moving the Board of Education elections in South Orange and Maplewood, another question has emerged: what should the district do with the Board of School Estimate? The Board of School Estimate (BSE) is a body made up of three South Orange elected officials and three Maplewood elected officials, as well as Board of Education members. While the Board of Education approves the budget, the BSE’s main task is to approve the school budget tax levy each year. Fast-tracked state legislation allowing the district to move the November elections (a moot point this year since the South Orange Board of Trustees and the Board of Education did not support such a move for 2012) would keep the Board of School Estimate, but …
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Plan includes old police station rehab.
The Township has put the plans for the redevelopment of the properties on Dunnel Rd. online. The site, which includes the old police station, has been a matter of recent controversy. The plan is available as a PDF here. See here, here and here for previous Patch coverage.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Expenses and revenue sources itemized in document.
Maplewood's 2009 budget, adopted on Sept. 15, is now available online at the Township's Web site. The 67-page document itemizes expenses and revenue sources, including money from taxes, grants, parking meters, licenses and more. Read the budget here (opens up PDF document).
Monday, September 21, 2009
In addition to services already in place, both towns are considering merging violations bureaus.
Over the past year, Maplewood and South Orange have entered into a number of shared service arrangements. Officials from both towns say to look for more in the months ahead. Currently, Maplewood and South Orange governments share lawn services, motor vehicle maintenance and the animal control officers for the two towns cover both towns. Governments in both towns are currently looking at ways to combine court services and violation bureaus. The two towns have also pooled resources with the school district for bids on some services. Maplewood and South Orange officials are hoping for more cooperation between those three entities, as well as with other Essex Municipalities. The increased shared services have driven down spending—sharing lawn…
40.722367
-74.257778
Maplewood Municipal Court
1618 Springfield Ave, Maplewood, NJ
/articles/increased-shared-services-for-maplewood-south-orange
6781
/locations/78003
40.73058
-74.27201
Township Municipal Building
574 Valley St, Maplewood, NJ
/articles/increased-shared-services-for-maplewood-south-orange
3110
/locations/78004
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Two revaluation firms pitch the Township on their services.
Township Committee member Jerry Ryan had prepared a list of 10 questions before meeting with two of the three lowest bidding firms for Maplewood’s state-mandated property tax revaluation. Shortly before meeting with the firms, Ryan emphasized the importance of one question in particular: “can you explain your methodology briefly and in layman’s terms.” The question, particularly the emphasis on “layman’s terms,” was a sign that for this revaluation, the first time Township property has been assessed by a revaluation firm in a decade, Township officials want information on how properties are assessed available and understandable for residents. The last reval, which was the first performed in the township in 20 years, caused town-wide …
Richard Calbi leaves Maplewood to take position with Livingston.
After about five years with the Township, overseeing ambitious projects such as the construction of the LEED-certified police station and other efforts, Maplewood’s engineer Richard Calbi is leaving the position. This week, he accepted a new job in nearby Livingston. His last day in the Maplewood office will be Sept. 18. “My time in Maplewood has been good,” Calbi said. “But I couldn’t pass this up.” Livingston, an Essex County municipality not far from Maplewood, has a slightly larger population than Maplewood, but a significantly larger area. The Livingston job has more responsibilities than the one Calbi is leaving in Maplewood. In addition to engineering duties, Calbi will be heading the public works department, the planning department…
Monday, August 10, 2009
Neighboring South Orange is one of two Essex towns to get funds. Mayor De Luca said he is disappointed but not surprised.
The list of municipalities receiving extraordinary aid from the state Department of Community Affairs was released on Friday, Aug. 7. The money is intended for tax relief. Maplewood was not included on the list, but neighboring South Orange was. “We’re disappointed,” Maplewood Mayor Vic De Luca said. “We thought we took extraordinary steps to bring down taxes.” The Township had applied for $100,000 in its extraordinary aid application. In part, the amount reflected the cost of damages to trees incurred in a storm last June. In that mini-tornado, a large number of trees were knocked down, and Maplewood’s government had to pay about $100,000 to control the damage. This year’s municipal budget was kept low through layoffs in Public Works and …
40.73058
-74.27201
Township Municipal Building
574 Valley St, Maplewood, NJ
/articles/no-extraordinary-aid-for-maplewood
3110
/locations/52407
Thursday, August 6, 2009
A dance fight broke out at Town Hall this week.
Shortly before official business commenced at this week's Maplewood Township Committee meeting, representatives from Inspirational Dance on Springfield Avenue hijacked the proceedings—with dance! The performance was a medley of Michael Jackson's songs and signature moves. Songs included "You are not Alone," "Man in the Mirror" and "Smooth Criminal."
40.73058
-74.27201
Township Municipal Building
574 Valley St, Maplewood, NJ
/articles/video-town-hall-dance-explosion
3110
/locations/52170
40.722266
-74.258598
Inspirational Dance
1634 Springfield Ave, Maplewood, NJ
/articles/video-town-hall-dance-explosion
19805
/locations/52171
Friday, July 31, 2009
The Township Committee will meet with three developers next week.
Earlier this month, seven developers submitted letters of interest to the Township for the opportunity to develop 125 Dunnell Rd., the site of the old police station. Next week, the Township Committee will meet with three of the developers to get more information about the proposals. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, August 5. The site is a designated as an “area in need of rehabilitation,” which means that the project does not have to go out to bid, and that officials have more control over the project than they would in civic projects that went out for bid. The Town previously set two stipulations for the property: it would be a mostly residential property, and would be built with sustainable practices to qualify for LEEDS …
40.731757
-74.273163
125 Dunnell Rd, Maplewood, NJ
/articles/options-for-old-police-station-considered
/locations/51653
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Andy-Matt claims it was unfairly passed over for rehab project.
A developer claiming it was rejected unfairly for a rehab project at DeHart Field has sued the township, seeking to overturn the contract award and halt any work from beginning. Attorneys representing developer Andy-Matt filed suit in Essex County Superior Court Tuesday, saying the town council acted improperly when it awarded the contract to another firm. Andy-Matt, the original low bidder for work on the DeHart Field renovations, was passed over for the contract when Maplewood officials determined the developer was not qualified for the job under the terms the Township had set out. The contract was awarded to Turco Golf, the second lowest bidder, who the Township determined had adequate applicable experience for the job. In the suit, …
40.73058
-74.27201
Township Municipal Building
574 Valley St, Maplewood, NJ
/articles/developer-files-lawsuit-against-township
3110
/locations/51320
Max_W
9:54 am on Tuesday, February 21, 2012
The "check and balance" of the BOE is the fact that it is elected. It is the same as with the Trustees and the Township Committee. Do we need another unelected body (remember, the BOSE is not directly elected) overseeing the Trustees, Mr. Rosner, or the Township Committee? That would be undemocratic. more ›