Scotch Plains-Fanwood Patch: Latest Articles

School District Loses $3.8 Million in State Aid

2010-03-17T22:32:44-04:00

The numbers were released Wednesday afternoon.

By Lindsay Wilkes-Edrington

5:09pm

The Scotch Plains-Fanwood School District will lose $3.84 million in state aid for the 2010-2011 school year.

The numbers, released by the state Department of Education Wednesday afternoon, call for Scotch Plains-Fanwood to lose 84.4 percent of its aid for the next year, dropping the money it will receive from the state to $708,590. The $3.84 million cut reflects Gov. Chris Christie's call on Tuesday to slash state aid by no more than 5 percent of a district's total budget.

Up until now, the district had been preparing its budget with the expectation that it would lose 1o to 15 percent of its expected state aid, which only would have lost them a few hundred thousand dollars and would have still guaranteed them at least $4 million. Now that $3.84 million has been cut, the district will likely have to refigure many of its plans.

The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Board of Education is expected to present its tentative 2010-2011 budget at its meeting Thursday night at 8 p.m. at district headquarters.

Complete details on the figures for SP-F and all other NJ school districts can be found on the document attached to this story above.

Note: This story is still developing. Patch will report more information as it becomes available.

Student's View: The Good and Bad of the New NJ Driving Laws

2010-03-17T16:40:59-04:00

Scotch Plains-Fanwood High senior Mike Demmel shares his concerns about Kyleigh's Law

By Mike Demmel

3:00pm

Last week, history was made in New Jersey. Well, maybe not history, but there was surely an event of extreme importance. A New Jersey judge ruled in favor of Kyleigh's Law, setting it up to be enforced starting on May 1. This new driving law will, among other things, require all drivers with either a learner's permit or provisional license to have sticker decals on both license plates. The new law has created a large amount of uproar from both students and parents alike.

Those for the bill argue that the decals will make the police force's job easier by identifying young/provisional drivers and being better able to inflict rules such as the 12 a.m. curfew and the one-passenger limit. It could also alert other drivers that there is a less experienced driver on the road and to be more cautious around them. Those against the bill see it as a violation of constitutional rights and can potentially make teen drivers targets for predators.

Now this bill definitely has the right idea in mind — the more that can be done to protect drivers, the better. But I think this might take it a little too far, or at least take it in the wrong direction. I believe this bill has several flaws that can prove to render it ineffective. First of all, the bill fails to recognize that not everyone who uses a particular vehicle is a provisional driver. The stickers on the license plates essentially give police the right to pull a car over just for being out past midnight or having more than one person in the car. But what if it's a middle age mom in the driver seat? She has now just been pulled over for no reason just to hear a cop say, "Sorry ma'am." (Editor's Note: Some reports indicate that the decals will be attached using a velcro system, thereby allowing adults to take them off when using the vehicle).

Also, this bill only has the ability to regulate New Jersey resident drivers. In some states, teens can be as young as 14 years old and get a provisional license. If these young drivers come into New Jersey, they won't have a decal and will be viewed by other drivers on the road as equal.

One of the more interesting and most commonly overlooked parts of this new law is who will be providing these stickers. Motorists will be required to pay $4 for the decals from a Chicago-based company. Not New Jersey-based. Chicago. IF we are going to charge drivers more money to stay on the road, the money should at least be pumped back into the New Jersey economy. We shouldn't be helping other states' economies stay afloat when ours has been sinking for quite some time.

Now, like I said earlier, the safer the roads are, the better off everyone is. But I honestly do not believe that this will improve or even alter the driving habits of provisional drivers. Over the past couple years, New Jersey has had fairly strict driving policies and they have forced student drivers to become better trained as well as provisional drivers to be more cautious with their driving privilege.

Making these driving laws more extreme won't create better drivers, it will create fewer drivers. Teenagers like the idea of liberations and being, to an extent, free from control. The idea of driving optimizes this feeling, but now that a student driver can't barely sit in the driver seat without worrying about breaking some new rule, students won't even bother wanting to learn to drive because there's no point when there's no freedom. They will search for their liberation elsewhere.

Mike Demmel is a senior at Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School.

Local Impact of Gov. Christie's Budget Speech

2010-03-17T10:54:35-04:00

Scotch Plains Mayor Nancy Malool says this and next year won't be easy for the township.

By Lindsay Wilkes-Edrington and John Celock

12:00pm

Scotch Plains is expecting a 15 to 20 percent decrease in aid from the state this year, Mayor Nancy Malool said Tuesday.

Following Gov. Chris Christie's budget speech earlier that day, the mayor said she anticipates Scotch Plains losing at least $100,000 from the state for 2010. The township will know the exact amount by the end of the week.

"This will not be an easy year," Malool said. "The changes the governor is asking the legislature to make will not make next year an easy year, either."

The latter comment refers to the governor's proposal to decrease the annual cap for property tax increases from 4 percent to 2.5 percent. Malool said the lower cap "will be tough to meet," but noted that the governor has given municipalities the tools to have a more cooperative bargaining process with public unions, including requiring mandatory health contributions.

The governor has also called for school district employees to contribute a portion of their salary to health insurance. In addition, the Scotch Plains-Fanwood School District must now prepare to lose significantly more state aid than it expected. The district had originally been told to anticipate losing between 10 and 15 percent of its state aid, but the governor said Tuesday that school districts should expect to lose 5 percent of their total budget in state aid.

The school district is slated to present its tentative budget during its Thursday, March 18, meeting.

Gov. Chris Christie's proposed FY 2011 budget will surely continue to be discussed and debated in town and school chambers over the next few months. Patch has put together this list of frequently asked questions about the governor's proposed budget as a way to help readers understand the proposals.

What is this property tax constitutional amendment?

Christie is asking the state legislature to approve an amendment to the state constitution calling for a cap of 2.5 percent in annual property tax increases. In addition he is calling for a constitutional amendment capping state budget increases at 2.5 percent.

What is the procedure to amend the state constitution?

Both the Assembly and the Senate will need to pass the amendment by a two thirds majority. The measure would then go to a statewide public referendum in the 2010 general election. Fifty percent plus one of state voters are needed to approve the amendment. The governor's signature is not needed.

What is going to happen to property tax rebates?

Christie is proposing eliminating the current property tax rebates and replacing them with property tax credits from the state. Instead of getting a check in the mail, New Jersey residents would see the credits appear on their local property tax bills.

Would the property tax credits take effect in 2010?

No, they would take effect in 2011.

What is the governor's proposal regarding state aid to local school districts?

Christie has proposed a cut of $819 million in state aid to schools. In terms of specific numbers, he is proposing that local school districts will see a state cut that is equal to no more than five percent of the total Board of Education budget.

How can local Boards of Education handle the proposed aid cut?

Local districts are required by law to present balanced budgets for voter or Board of School Estimate approval. The boards will determine budgets and tax levies based on the state aid numbers revealed by Christie. It is up to individual boards to find the money to make up for any lost state aid.

What is Christie proposing regarding collective bargaining for teachers and other public employees?

Christie has proposed legislation requiring school district employees to pay a portion of their health benefits. Currently this issue is handled by the local school district and local teachers union in contract negotiations.

What are the changes being made to public employee pensions?

Christie, with the support of state Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-West Deptford), is proposing that public employees contribute more to their pensions. A bill is currently heading through the state legislature to implement this proposal. Public employee unions are against this. Christie is also proposing limiting pensions to full-time employees only.

Is Christie cutting municipal aid?

Yes, the governor is proposing a cut of $445 million.

Will there be changes to the special and extraordinary state aid to municipalities?

If Christie has his way, yes. The governor said the Department of Community Affairs was determining a new program for the special aid which will reduce the amount given out. Christie said in the future municipalities will need to demonstrate to DCA that they are cutting their budgets before being able to receive the extra aid.

What are the percentage cuts the governor is proposing to individual state departments?

Department of Agriculture: 24%

Department of Banking and Insurance: 12%

Department of Children and Families: 4%

Department of Community Affairs: 35%

Department of Corrections: 7%

Department of Environmental Protection: 2%

Department of Education: 8%

Department of Health and Senior Services: 6%

Department of Human Services: 4%

Department of Labor: 6%

Department of Law and Public Safety (State Attorney General): 7%

Department of Military and Veterans Affairs: 2%

Department of the Public Advocate: 25%

Department of State: 11%

Department of Transportation: 3%

Department of the Treasury: 39%

Are there any budget hikes proposed by Christie?

Yes, Christie is proposing increasing the budget for hospitals in New Jersey.

Where does the budget go from here?

The budget committees in the Assembly and the Senate will be holding a series of public hearings on the budget. These hearings will lead to the legislature drafting a response to Christie's budget. The governor and legislative leaders will negotiate a final budget for a legislative vote. The final budget needs to be adopted by June 30.

What happens if the budget is not adopted by June 30?

State government will shut down like it did in 2006 when then Gov. Jon Corzine and the legislature could not agree on a budget. Unlike 2006, casinos will not shut down.

County Adds Third Budget Meeting

2010-03-16T17:59:50-04:00

An additional county budget meeting will be held on March 24.

9:30am

A third date has been added to the open public hearing dates in March for the review of Union County's 2010 Executive Budget.

The additional date is March 24, beginning at 5 p.m. and concluding at about 7:15 p.m.

The two previously announced dates are March 18 and March 25. Both of these hearings will begin at 4 p.m. and conclude by 7 p.m. Freeholder agenda-setting meetings will be held after the March 18 and March 25 meetings.

All three budget hearings will be held in the freeholder meeting room on the sixth floor of the County Administration Building, at 10 Elizabethtown Plaza in Elizabeth.

"We will continue to explore cost savings and reductions in the budget line by line," Freeholder Fiscal Committee Chairman Alexander Mirabella said. "During this tough time, we're going to have to continue to make sacrifices as many of our residents are doing."

The 2010 Executive Budget was presented last month by County Manager George W. Devanney, who noted this year's budget narrative "reflects our proactive efforts in overcoming extraordinary challenges over the past year, and stabilizing Union County's current budgetary picture despite one of the toughest recessionary cycles in a generation, which adversely impacted many of our residents as well."

The Freeholder Board will conduct their review before voting to introduce a final budget around or before early April.

Half of Scotch Plains Management Corp. Board Steps Down

2010-03-17T08:59:02-04:00

The resignations were sent to consultant David Biagini on Tuesday.

By Lindsay Wilkes-Edrington

8:32am

Half of Scotch Plains Management Corp.'s board of directors resigned on Tuesday, just days after the business improvement group approved its 2010 budget.

SPMC's consultant, David Biagini of FirsTEAManagement, told the Scotch Plains Council Tuesday night that he received e-mails from board members throughout the day stating that they no longer wanted to serve. Those members include President Jim Watson of EKA Associates; Tom Britt of Stage House Restaurant; Tom Cusmano of Park Avenue Printing; Treasurer Ted Schiller of Schiller & Pittenger; and Dr. Frank DiLollo. Jeff Kowalczyk of Connections Personnel stepped down from his role as vice chairman, but not from the board entirely. The decision was also made that Ken Marke of Bowcraft Amusement should no longer hold a position due to his lack of attendance at meetings. In total, that drops the board from 13 members to seven.

Biagini said the resignations came as a surprise to him. The group had a fairly tame meeting on Friday afternoon during which those in attendance approved the 2010 budget, 6-1. Several of those who voted in favor of the budget on Friday went on to resign on Monday.

The shift comes on the heels of a host of recent issues for the Scotch Plains Management Corp. It all started in late January when the board decided to spend the bulk of its budget to hire Biagini as a consultant and Lisa Schiller as a part-time manager. The next week, that move was deemed irresponsible and too expensive by the township council, thus prompting them to pass a resolution urging the SPMC to halt all use of its funds. After some heated confrontations, the two groups began working to repair their differences, and at a meeting on Feb. 24, Biagini presented what he felt to be a budget approach that would satisfy both parties.

That approach proposed allowing Lisa Schiller to bid for the role of project manager on each of the group's activities, rather than hiring her as a part-time manager with office space. Biagini said doing so would allow the SPMC to allocate more of its funding toward programming instead of administration, and at the time Schiller sat next to him in support of the change.

But a few days later when Biagini called her to follow up, Schiller told him she had changed her mind and no longer wanted to be involved.

Biagini said the board members also gave very little explanation for their resignations on Tuesday, other than to say in their e-mails that they appreciated the opportunity.

Now, the Scotch Plains council must decide whether it wants to fill the vacant positions or amend the SPMC ordinance to keep the board of directors at the smaller size.

"It is really unfortunate that all those people chose to resign," Mayor Nancy Malool said Tuesday. "I do feely badly about that. I guess we would never be able to agree on how to spend that money."

Also at the council meeting, Biagini presented the $67,280.71 budget the board of directors approved on Friday. That budget, which covers April to December 2010, allocates $37,000 for programs and marketing; $19,000 for management and office; $7,800 for operations; and $3,480.71 for reserves.

As part of that, Biagini said the board has proposed returning $200 to local business owners in the form of tax relief this year. The consultant noted that the $67,280.71 budget actually represents the amount of money the SPMC currently has on hand, all which was accumulated from carryover funds not spent in 2008 and 2009. Since property owners were already billed their SPMC assessment fee for the first half of 2010, equaling $32,800, Biagini said he will deduct that amount from the current cash on hand, thus leaving a $34,480.71 balance at the end of 2010. Therefore, the SPMC board recommends that no SPMC tax be billed for the second half of 2010, instead giving each property owner a $200 break from assessment fees.

"What we want to do is use this fund balance to try to provide tax relief to taxpayers," Biagini said.

Whether the business owners will be charged the full $400 assessment fee again in 2011 has yet to be determined.

The SPMC 2010 budget allocates 58 percent of its funds toward programs and marketing, which will likely include a Spring Fling retail promotion ($3,000); a Fall Festival ($10,000); Fall Festival/Spring Fling ad pages in local media ($6,000); a Holiday Gift Guide direct mail magazine to all 7,000 Scotch Plains households ($8,000); SPMC gift certificate prizes ($3,000); recruitment and retention ($5,000); the SPMC cable television show ($2,000); and inclusion in a business directory put out by Biagini's Community and Commerce Enhancement Foundation at no cost to the SPMC.

That means the Memorial Day Music Festival is now off the table entirely, Biagini told Patch.

The management and office costs are 30 percent of the budget and include the payment to Biagini and his staff at FirsTEAManagement and use of their resources. Operational costs are 12 percent and include supplies, postage, a 2009 audit and IRS 990 Tax Return, General Liability Insurance and Directors & Officers Liability Insurance.

"With 58 percent of it going toward programming, it's where it needs to be," Malool said. "That 58 percent is going right back to benefit the people paying the fee."

The final SPMC budget will be presented on April 6, and a public hearing will be held a month following that.

Scotch Plains Police Reports: March 13, 14

2010-03-16T16:52:58-04:00

Police activity from over the weekend.

By Lindsay Wilkes-Edrington

March 16, 2010

Scotch Plains police received two reports of theft on Sunday.

The first was reported by a resident of Evergreen Avenue. The man told police that an unknown suspect entered his vehicle, which was parked in front of his house, and removed an iPod and cell phone, both valued at approximately $400.

The second incident occurred a few blocks down on Concord Road. A resident there told police that she accidentally left her credit card at a store and by the time she returned, it was missing. An unknown suspect then made several hundred dollars worth of purchases.

Below are the rest of the Scotch Plains police reports from the past weekend.

Saturday, March 13:

Ellen Makely, 49, of Fanwood, was arrested for driving while intoxicated. Makely was stopped for a motor vehicle violation when the officer discovered the smell of alcohol. She was transported to police headquarters, where she was processed and released.
Oluwakemi Campbell, 20, of Staten Island, was arrested for an outstanding warrant after a motor vehicle violation. She was transported to police headquarters, where she was processed and released.

Sunday, March 14:

Cornell Davenport, 48, of Newark, was arrested for driving while intoxicated. He was stopped for a motor vehicle violation when officers discovered the smell of alcohol. Davenport was transported to police headquarters, where he was processed and released.
A resident of Raritan Road reported being a victim of criminal mischief. The man told police that an unknown suspect damaged his vehicle, which was parked in the driveway.

New Electronic Sign Goes Up at High School

2010-03-16T12:52:44-04:00

The sign broadcasts messages on a screen opposed to changeable letters.

By Lindsay Wilkes-Edrington

March 16, 2010

Residents passing by Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School may notice a change out front.

The high school has installed its new electronic sign, replacing the older message board that utilized changeable letters.

Officials at the school told Patch the new sign went up late last week. Right now, the sign is only flashing the time and temperature, but the new board was selected to give them the capability of broadcasting a number of different messages in the future.

Faulty Sump Pumps to Blame for Some of the Weekend's Flooding

2010-03-16T10:56:00-04:00

Firefighters say regular maintenance is needed to help prevent the problem.

By Lindsay Wilkes-Edrington

March 16, 2010

While the heavy rain and power outages were mostly to blame for why so many residents struggled with flooded basements this weekend, local firefighters say there's another issue that came into play.

Fanwood firefighter Sean Manette, speaking on behalf of Chief Dave Clausen, said that one of the main problems they ran into when responding to calls during the storm was finding sump pumps that weren't working properly due to maintenance issues.

"When they don't run long for a time, the bearings dry out, so when they are needed they either don't work efficiently or don't work at all," Manette said.

The firefighter cited one example from over the weekend when the fire department had to address a smoke condition in a basement that resulted from a sump pump trying to work, then overheating and burning itself out.

"Residents should take a look at their sump pumps on a monthly basis, especially during this prime time when rain is forecasted," he said.

While the Fanwood Fire Department responded to all calls regarding flooding this weekend, Manette said they typically don't go to a home just to pump water out of a basement.

"When the water can raise to a level where it'll cause a gas leak or reach some type of electrical service, that's why we're going out," he said.

The Fanwood Fire Department responded to 38 flood calls this weekend. The Scotch Plains Fire Department responded to about 80. Some homes actually required multiple trips throughout the course of the storm.

"I was out during the worst of it in the middle of the night, and some basements were saturated with close to a foot of water," Manette said. "It tended to be the older homes, but some homes are so prone to it, that as soon as we cleared it out and left, we'd get a call an hour-and-a-half later saying, 'oh, it's back again.' It was bad enough where some of the homes had fairly significant property damage."

Fanwood Earth Day Set for April 24

2010-03-16T10:21:52-04:00

The following information was submitted by Fanwood's Clean Communities Committee.

March 16, 2010

The Fanwood Clean Communities Committee has announced that Saturday, April 24 will be the date of the 21st annual borough cleanup.

Volunteers will assemble at 8:30 a.m. at the south side of the Fanwood Train station parking area and will be assigned to clean a specific area of the borough. Adults and children are invited to become "pick-up partners" and clean litter from the Fanwood's parks and public areas. The work should be completed before noon.

Earth day T-shirts, work gloves and litter bags will be furnished to all participants.

Public Works Director Clint Dicksen chairs the committee and is joined by Bob McCarthy, Greg Cummings, Donna Dolce, Linda Talcott and Dean Talcott.

The committee is working in conjunction with the Fanwood Department of Public Works.

Volunteers are asked to notify the Fanwood Department of Public Works in advance by calling (908)-322-7404. Walk-ins are also welcome.

Local Cops Say Kyleigh's Law Won't Result in Profiling of Teen Drivers

2010-03-16T00:11:30-04:00

The new law is set to go into effect in New Jersey on May 1.

By Lindsay Wilkes-Edrington

March 16, 2010

A new teen driving law has caused a stir amongst students, parents and civil rights activists across the state, but Scotch Plains and Fanwood police say the changes won't alter how they enforce the rules of the road.

Kyleigh's Law will, among other things, require all New Jersey teen drivers with learner's or exam permits or provisional licenses to attach an orange sticker to their vehicles. The new law, which was named after Kyleigh D'Alessio, a 16-year-old West Morris Central High student who was killed during a car crash in 2006 in which another teen was driving, was upheld by a judge on March 5 and is set to take effect May 1.

Those in support of the stickers say they will help alert police to those who may be in violation of the Graduated Driver License (GDL) restrictions, while also notifying others on the road that there's an inexperienced driver in their presence. But those against Kyleigh's Law say it discriminates against teens and makes them a target for predators.

"I know people are concerned," said Scotch Plains Police Lt. Brian Donnelly. "We've heard about it, 'is this going to be a profiling issue? They have a sticker, oh you're young, police will be looking for violations.' That's not the case. Our officers are professionals and just because someone's driving with a sticker doesn't mean we're going to follow you around and look for violations."

Fanwood Police Det. Eugene Chin concurs.

"Our guys aren't going to profile," he said. "It'll just alert them of a provisional driver and then they're going to look and see how many people are in the car."

Chin noted that Fanwood cops already make a handful of stops each month that catch teens in violation of their driving restrictions.

"In our cases, the officers are out there and kids are making motor vehicle violations," Chin said. "Provisional drivers do something wrong to initiate an officer's attention or initiate a motor vehicle stop, then boom, once they find out who's in the car, they issue a violation of the provisional license. We had one recently where the kid actually lied saying it was his brother in the car, then we separated them, found out it wasn't his brother, and charged him with giving false information to officers."

Chin said the new orange stickers won't change the nature of these motor vehicle stops.

"The guys will read the notice about the stickers and they will look for it, but I don't think they'll zoom in and go after them," he said.

The Scotch Plains police traffic bureau is in the process of educating its officers about the provisions of the new law and how to enforce it, but Donnelly said it won't change how they patrol the streets, either. But, if a teen is pulled over for a driving violation and is found to be without the sticker, they could face an additional summons.

"I don't know if there's a way to track to say, 'did you get it?'" Donnelly said of the sticker. "But if you don't get it, you run the risk of an officer stopping you and having additional fines because you don't have a decal."

Other media reports have stated that the orange stickers will cost drivers $4 and be available through the Motor Vehicle Commission.

Up until now, Donnelly said it's been relatively difficult for police to enforce teen driving laws if the teens aren't in violation of another road law.

"You look at someone and think, 'they're young, there's five people in the car, that's a violation.' Then you pull them over and find out the driver is 24 years old, and that he's just young looking," Donnelly said. "This takes the guess work out of it. It's an easier way to enforce. May we will get people to say, 'hey, I could get caught easier, I won't do it."

The Scotch Plains Police Department will continue its proactive approach to educating teens about driving safety and the laws, the lieutenant said. While he confirmed that the police department has received calls from parents worried that the stickers will make their teens more susceptible to criminals or sex offenders, Donnelly said those concerns won't change the safety advice that's given to teens.

"The young adult driving with that sticker still has to be cognizant of locking their door, don't pull over for just anyone who's flashing their lights," Donnelly said. "It's the same type of crime prevention talks we give now. Just because you have a sticker doesn't change what we'll tell you to do. … Driving is a privilege, and it yields a lot of power. I know people are upset, but the legislation's intent is for safety, to keep young adults from tragic accidents."