Council discusses alcohol, planning

Correction appended

The Princeton Borough Council reviewed local crime and disorder statistics for August and September, as well as discussing rent control and the construction of a plant-shaded walkway at its meeting last night.

Borough Police Lieutenant Sharon Papp presented the police report from August and noted that University-related alcohol violations were especially high in September. She said that council members and Gary DeBlasio, the director of Corner House, a young adult alcohol counseling center, are planning to meet with eating club officers on Oct. 19 to discuss the violations. The police are also planning to meet with fraternity representatives this Friday.

According to the police report, the Borough police conducted 104 investigations of criminal and disorderly conduct in August, including one robbery, six burglaries and 17 larcenies. One 17-year-old male was taken into custody for trying to sell cigarettes but left the Borough to study abroad in Beijing before the police could take any further action against him.

The police reported four open container violations, four littering violations and 10 noise ordinance violations.

Borough Fire Chief Rick McKee took the oath of office last night, returning to the job he occupied once in 1988 and again in 1997. McKee was previously been the deputy chief of Princeton Engine Company No. 1 and replaces Jamie Alkhateeb, who is also the chief of the Princeton Hook and Ladder Fire Company.

The Princeton Fire Department is a volunteer force that covers both the Borough and the Township and is comprised of three fire companies.

Resident Donna Hamilton presented a letter requesting the reactivation of the Borough's Rental Housing Board, which exists on paper but currently has no members. According to Hamilton's letter, the mission of the Housing Board was to "offer counseling when disputes arose between a landlord and a tenant."

Councilman Roger Martindell told Hamilton that the "lack of participation of landlords and tenants in general made [the board] not an effective judiciary body." Council members agreed that a housing board might be more widely used if better advertised.

Mayor Mildred Trotman agreed to investigate the matter further. "Let me put this down as one of my jobs to explore a bit further," she told the Council.

Jill Carpe, the owner of the Shop the World store on Spring Street, complained to the Council that a walkway scheduled to be constructed in the courtyard by the Public Library will block access to her store. The plant-covered walkway, called a pergola, will run along the back of the shops facing the courtyard.

Councilman David Goldfarb said he has "never been a pergola fan." Two other council members, Wendy Benchley and Barbara Trelstad, agreed to meet with Borough engineer Carl Peters at the planned site of the fence and consider making recommendations on changes to the plan to the Council.

Correction

The original version of this article stated that Borough Police officers would meet with eating club and fraternity representatives to discuss alcohol violations. The police officers will not be attending the meetings. The Daily Princetonian regrets the error.