Borough Council members spent most of their biweekly meeting last night discussing strategy for their negotiations with Nassau HKT, the company responsible for developing the area near the Princeton Public Library.
Most of the meeting was held in secret session, but during the open part of the session, the council examined Borough crime statistics for September, University-related alcohol incidents and a $60,000 high-tech payment system for the Library's parking garage.
Borough Administrator Robert Bruschi presented budget statistics for the third quarter of 2007 and revealed that the Borough is likely to run a deficit this year.
The Council also approved funds to repair walkways in Marquand Park and passed an ordinance requiring property owners to apply for permits before paving over large areas of their property.
Police Chief Anthony Federico reported a "sharp increase in alcohol-related cases coinciding with the start of the school year at the University." The alcohol-related cases mentioned by Federico included six students taken to the University Medical Center at Princeton and an intoxicated female student found inside Edwards Hall who "could not remember from where she obtained the alcohol."
There were 27 cases of theft in the Borough, including the robbery of a motor vehicle. The Borough also issued 21 public urination citations in September, on par with this year's monthly average.
Budget
The Borough will end the year in the red, Bruschi said.
"We run into a shortfall like this every three to four years," he told the Council. "It's got to come from somewhere in next year's budget." The Borough has spent over $17.3 million so far this year, while taking in only $16.7 million.
The University has paid only a quarter of its pledged $1 million donation to the Borough. Kristen Appleget, the University's director of community and regional affairs, said the University will deliver the rest of the money in December.
Police salaries, the most expensive item in the budget, have cost the Borough over $2.3 million this year. Smaller charges included a $141 coffee order from Coffee Pause and $2,000 spent planting shrubs.
The new payment system for the parking garage by the public library will include a high-speed modem for approving credit-card transactions. Bruschi said the system in place now includes only a dial-up modem and can result in long waits for customers. In addition, the current system often fails to charge customers' cards properly. The Borough approved the purchase unanimously.
Councilman Andrew Koontz was especially passionate in urging fellow council members to repair the paths in Marquand Park, which, he said, "sorely need improvement." The Council unanimously passed a resolution appropriating $120,000 to upgrade the park.
The contractor the Borough selected to repair the paths was the subject of some controversy, as one of the rival bidders submitted a complaint that some of the selected contractor's paperwork had not been properly notarized.
The Council's discussions regarding Nassau HKT have remained closed to the public since this summer. The Council and the development company are involved in monetary disputes, but the full details of their disagreements are unavailable.
Councilmember Roger Martindell pushed for the minutes from some of the closed sessions to be unsealed.
"I've been asking for quite some time that we release the minutes so that the public can have input," he said during the open session.
Procedural squabbles
Martindell also argued with other Council members at the beginning of the session, when he inquired about money the Township owes the Borough. Martindell said he has raised these issues at every meeting and will continue to raise them until the fees are paid.
Other Councilmembers expressed ire that Martindell used the "Public Presentation" time to present his agenda.
"Public Presentation should not be used by members of council to bring their own ideas up," Koontz said.
Councilwoman Wendy Benchley said, "If you keep on doing this, I'll bring up my 10 items I wanted on the agenda [during Public Presentation] too."
Martindell replied, "I am a member of the public like anyone else, and if you want me to stand in the audience and address you like that, I will."
Mayor Mildred Trotman ruled that Martindell had misused Public Presentation and Martindell was forced to drop the issue.
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