April 7th Meeting Summary

My apologies! I got a bit behind on my meeting summaries.

On Monday April 7th we had a meeting. Here are the highlights.

We had a fascinating and important presentation on the NJ Clean Energy program. Through a grant, we were able to get a Local Government Energy Audit on our township buildings. The analysis identified dozens of improvements we can make across our township buildings to be more energy efficient. New Jersey is facing rising energy costs, so making our buildings more energy efficient will be essential to moderating future costs. Some initiatives we could consider include better lighting controls, installing more LED fixtures, installing heat pumps, and high efficiency water boilers.

The Council also received an overview of the Energy Savings Improvement Program (ESIP), which will pay for many of these improvements with the savings generated, meaning Verona would not need to outlay any upfront capital. In order to tap into this financing we would need to complete a few steps, such as an Energy Savings Plan, and get BPU approval.

Councilwoman Holland has been pushing for Verona to get this analysis complete since she was elected. I appreciate her advocacy and expertise on the Council! The Administration will be selecting a path to move forward. I look forward to getting some of these projects done.

At the April 7th meeting we passed a small change to parking regulations on Bloomfield Avenue on the South side between Park Avenue and Hillcrest to eliminate the 30 minute parking restrictions.

Under resolutions, we awarded a contract to start construction for the Claridge Drive Pumping Station that we need to build to elevate water pressure safety issues. This project was several years in the making, and I am thrilled that it can finally be constructed.

In new business, we agreed to introduce an ordinance to raise fees for plenary retail distribution license fees from $1,866 to $2,239.

If you have any questions or feedback for the Council, please feel free to send it to us at https://www.veronanj.org/councilcontactform.