Hillsldale- Food for Thought: Alcohol At Local Fire Houses A Liability for Municipalities?

Liability concerns was the impetus behind the ordinance prohibiting alcohol use at the local fire houses, which was passed by the governing body of Lodi last fall.  Lodi's example is in stark contrast to Hillsdale.  When former Hillsdale Councilman Rod Capawana raised a concern about drinking at the local fire house, hell rained on him for being a responsible elected official.  Capawana is a man of integrity.  He stood his ground instead of backing down when challenged by th read more

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Washington Township- 12/18/2012 Zoning Board Meeting: Continuation of CVS/First Hartford Realty/660 Pascack Realty Application

Without a green light from the NJ DEP on the feasibility of building a CVS development within a riparian buffer of 50 feet from a C-1 waterway, CVS/First Hartford Realty/660 Pascack Realty is just spinning its rules, going nowhere fast.  Nonetheless, the meter on the CVS application is still running as the Board met on 12/18/2012 to hear ongoing testimony from the applicant's high priced team of experts. So long as CVS/First Hartford Realty/660 Pascack Realty is paying the fare, the applic read more

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Washington Township- Our Own Pottersville: Ordinance Violations at 5 Star Gas Station and proposed CVS Site Owned by Seaaons

@font-face { font-family: "Times New Roman"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }table.MsoNormalTable { font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; } A shattered sign on a bent stanchion at the gas station and the distressed property at Pascack Rd. and Washington Ave., flank the gateway to our Pottersville.   “Is this downtown Detroit or Washington Townsh read more

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Washington Township- Library Director & Deputy Clerk/Planning & Zoning Board Secretary Departing:

Juliette Sobon, Director of the Township's public library will be leaving her position at the end of December.  During her tenure, she was a strong advocate for improving and updating library resources to benefit residents, from the oldest to the youngest.  The public will also be losing the services of Diane Grimaldi, who served as Deputy Clerk and Secretary of the Planning and Zoning Boards.  Ms. Grimaldi was exceptional in being able to multi-task in her duties while Township  read more

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Washington Township- Uncle Sam Gives Thumbs Down to Bob Schroeder: US Procurement Fraud Branch Seeks To Debar Schroeder From Future Contracts

Washington Township's native son Bob Schroeder made headlines again in today's paper.  The Record reported the US Army Procurement Fraud Branch is seeking to debar Schroeder from future contracts based on allegations that he failed to deliver an aircraft maintenance shelter to Afghanistan after receiving payment of $617K from the federal government and failed to pay an Afghan subcontractor, who is owed $155K.  Although Schroeder is appealing the debarment, he is effectively suspended read more

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Montvale- Public Notice From Planning Board Granting Variance and Environmental Impact Statement Waiver

BOROUGH OF MONTVALE PLANNING BOARD NOTICE Please take notice, at a duly convened meeting held at the Municipal Complex, 12 Mercedes Drive, Montvale, NJ on Tuesday, November 20, 2012 the Planning Board approved the following resolutions: RESOLUTION GRANTING AMENDED SITE PLAN APPROVAL, VARIANCE RELIEF, AND A WAIVER FROM THE REQUIREMENT OF SUBMITTING AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT TO KPMG LLP FOR PREMISES DESIGNATED AS BLOCK 3102, LOT 1.01 ALSO KNOWN AS 3 AND 51 CHESTNUT RIDGE RD MONTVALE, NJ,  read more

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Washington Twp.- 11/20/2012 Zoning Board Meeting Cancelled: CVS Cancellation A Break For Public & Board Members

The 11/20/2012 Zoning Board Meeting on the continuation of the CVS application has been cancelled.  It would be in everyone's best interests, including the applicant, to put the application on hold until the applicant resolves its appeal before the DEP regarding the C-1 waterway on the site.  Hearing this application, as the Board has done diligently through 2012, reduces these meetings to a costly charade for all parties concerned.  Amongst the many things members of the public  read more

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Washington Township- 10/16/2012 Zoning Board Meeting: Continuation of CVS Application

@font-face { font-family: "Times New Roman"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }table.MsoNormalTable { font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; } At the WT Zoning Board meeting on 10/16/2012, the Traffic Expert for CVS/First Hartford Realty testified. His testimony before the Board was  a sales pitch for a CVS with a drive-thru pharmacy in a residential zone  read more

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Hillsdale- Case Law on OPMA & OPRA: Letter to Council From Hillsdale Resident

Editor's Note:  The following letter to the Hillsdale Council from Hillsdale resident Kevin O'Brien is reprinted with permission from Mr. O'Brien.  The public may find the case law on the Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA) and the Open Public Records Act (OPRA) educational.  The purpose of OPMA & OPRA is to ensure the public's right to know and deter obfuscation by officials in government.  Hillsdale Council members,   The following is provided to inf read more

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Hillsdale- Borough Not Complying with the Law: Op-Ed by Kevin O'Brien

Mayor Arnowitz was critical of my request for Open Government and access to government records. Arnowitz threatened to call the police over my questions at the last council meeting and stated my actions were political. My politics wears a blindfold. The law mandates Open Government in support of an informed citizenry and to eliminate the evils of a secluded process.   Arnowitz and the Council have gone into Closed Session 8 times during the past year. The law man read more

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Washington Township- 09/18/2012 Zoning Board Meeting: Continuance of CVS/First Hartford Realty Application

At the July 2012 Zoning Board meeting, the attorneys representing CVS/First Hartford and Northgate, an objector party, were instructed by the Chairman to submit briefs regarding the questions as to whether or not the Board had the authority to stay the application while waiting the outcome of the applicant's appeal to the DEP.  This resulted from the C-1 determination by the DEP in April 2012, confirming the Acting Engineer's position regarding the unnamed tributary on the CVS  s read more

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Hillsdale- Pizzela & MacEwen for Council: Op-Ed from Kevin O'brien

Almost 4 years ago I met Frank Pizzela while sitting at Starbucks in Hillsdale. Frank was new to Hillsdale and taking his children for a ride to the local stores in their little red wagon. Since then I have come to know Frank as a caring family man, a wonderful dad, an outstanding attorney, someone who cares for the seniors and a community minded individual who adores the charm of Hillsdale. Pizzella can be regularly seen at community efforts including outdoor activities with his two read more

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Hillsdale- Planning Board Voted Against Approval of 100 Park Ave. Application for 36-unit Residential Project

n 09/05/2012, the Planning Board voted on the 100 Park Ave. Associates application for a 36-unit residential development on Orchard Street.  The Board voted unanimously against approval of the use variance application for a residential development in the commercial zone.  The reasons given by Board members are well grounded in facts.  The local press provided excellent coverage of this meeting on an application which could have changed the face of downtown Hillsdale. The Attorn read more

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Hillsdale- What Were They Thinking?: Op-Ed By Kevin O'Brien

Mayor Max Arnowitz again was adversarial, condensing and abrasive at the Council Meeting on 09/04/2012. Arnowitz refused to answer my questions on borough issues and would prefer costly litigation over allowing access to specific e-mails, public records. Arnowitz barked at one Council member not to speak, wishing to discuss the matter in private. Arnowitz fails to comprehend the term "open government"! One particular concerning e-mail, sent from a male bo read more

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Hillsdale- 09/05/2012 Planning Board Meeting To Hear Summations on Hi-Density Residential Project: Op-Ed by Kevin O'Brien

On August 8th, the Hillsdale Planning Board will hear closing arguments on a 36 unit apartment complex on Orchard Street. The high density housing complex will replace  three of the four homes located across from the bank parking lot. Leaving one of the old houses in place, makes no sense.   Public records extended to the Board document facts on the average number of residents per housing units, the number of trips per day per person, percenta read more

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Hillsdale- Access to Public Records Denied By Borough:e-mail From One Official to Another "All Good Looking Women Are Blonde XXX"

Since March 2012, Hiilsdale resident Kevin O' Brien has been requesting the Borough of Hillsdale ensure a residential property is in compliance with Borough ordinances.  The property in question is owned by a Borough official; the violations at the property impact public health and safety.  For months, the Borough and the Code Official sought to minimize or outright ignore the dangers posed to public health and safe read more

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Hillsdale- Borough Refuses Open Access to Public Records: Op-Ed by Kevin O'Brien

The evening Mayor Arnonwitz won the election, he spoke of Open Government, I was asked to be in attendance. This past week a resident was denied access to the plans for a 55 unit apartment complex on Patterson Street. According to the State Legislature, there are 24 specific type documents protected from public view. All other documents created, received, printed and or filed during the course of government business is open to inspection. Why&nb read more

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Washington Township- WT's Bob Schroeder in the Headlines: Charged with Second-Degree Crime Writing Bum Checks To the Tune of $400K

At 1:17PM today, a reader sent me the following link to a news story on WT's favorite son Bob Schroeder being charged with a second-degree crime by writing bum checks to the tune of $400K: http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/08/state_police_at_assemblyman_bo.html Calls from local residents throughout the day tracked the speed of how fast the news reached local television and radio news.  Less people were surprised by the allegations than they were about the State Police Official Corru read more

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Washington Township- Notes on 07/17/2012 Zoning Board Meeting: Hearings Resume on CVS Application

Zoning Board hearings on the CVS application by James Kourgelis, CVS and First Hartford resumed last week.  Northgate's Attorney made a motion that the Board stay the application until there is a determination on the applicant's appeal to the DEP' regarding the identification of a  C-1 waterway on the site.  Naturally, the applicant's Attorney objected.  The Chairman recognized that the DEP determination on the regulated waterway presented "a different set of c read more

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Washington Township- Planning Board Letter to the Zoning Board: What was the fuss about?

Attached is the letter from the Planning Board, dated 06/19/2012, to the Zoning Board of Adjustment regarding the vote approving the variance for a new non-conforming use of the Sky Trading application.  At the Zoning Board meeting in June 2012, the Board declined to read the Planning Board letter into the record after several Zoning Board members expressed their righteous indignation.  After reading the letter, the fuss made seems disproportionate to a benign and languid gesture. read more

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