Borough approves contract with NJ Transit

The shuttle service, which provides transportation from locations in the Borough to the Dinky Station, has been in operation since last spring and has been partially funded by the University. With last night’s approval, NJ Transit will donate a shuttle and provide funding for half of the operating expense of the shuttle over three years, up to $60,000.

The plan is “tentatively agreed to” apart from drug and alcohol testing standards for the vehicle’s driver, Borough Administrator Robert Bruschi said at the meeting.

Though the plan has gone forward for now, councilmen David Goldfarb and Andrew Koontz noted their concern about the cost-effectiveness of the service.

“The total cost of the service is roughly the cost of providing everyone who is riding it with a free taxi from their house to the Dinky,” Goldfarb said.

Koontz voiced concern over ridership levels, noting that the shuttle currently averages fewer than two people per circuit and that Americans tend to be suspicious of free transportation.

Bruschi opposed charging for the shuttle, explaining that if it were not free, it would be required to conform to commercial driving regulations that currently do not apply.

Councilwoman Margaret Karcher supported Bruschi, citing successful free shuttle services at Colorado ski resorts.

But Goldfarb also faulted the Free B system for what he said was confusing advertising.

The advertisements for the shuttle do not note that the vehicle only goes in one direction along its circuit, he said.

“It was never clear to me how you were supposed to get from point A to point B,” he noted.

Goldfarb also questioned the clarity of published graphics describing the proposal.

“The written description that we have written up here in 10 lines is a much better description than any of the graphics we have,” he said.

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Bruschi disagreed with Goldfarb’s assessment. “Don’t make me come over the dais, David,” he said.

Personnel issues have policing repercussions

In addition to addressing the shuttle, the council discussed the September police report following a presentation by Borough Police Lt. Sharon Papp.

Goldfarb questioned Papp on the sharp decline in citations for driving while intoxicated in the Borough. So far, 89 citations have been issued, compared to 124 in the same period in 2007.

“There is a drop-off, and a significant drop-off, and we need to understand why,” Goldfarb said.

Papp said the decline may have been caused by a reduction in the police force following the suspension of three police officers earlier this year. The officers were suspended last February but are still on the payroll, making it impossible for the Borough to hire replacements.

Other incidents from the report include a 20-year-old male being found “unconscious and intoxicated” in the Center for Jewish Life on Sept. 27. The male was taken to the University Medical Center at Princeton, according to the report.

Allocating affordable housing

A third major topic on the agenda was the Borough’s affordable housing obligation.

The council accepted a funding schedule to address the current shortfall of 44 required affordable housing units. The Borough is responsible for developing 178 units total.

“We are entering the home stretch, and time is basically of the essence,” said Shirley Bishop, who formerly served as director of the state Council on Affordable Housing (COAH). She noted that COAH requires the Borough to have a plan by the end of the year to address the shortage.

Goldfarb noted that developing the 44 units will require a substantial financial commitment from the Borough.

Bishop responded that she believes the Borough will likely have funding by 2013, noting that “hopefully the economy will have recovered by then.”

The plan the Borough will have to submit to COAH need not include details like the location of the units.

Councilman Roger Martindell noted that the Borough could build the units in a municipal park.

Koontz, however, was not willing to make this concession.

“We should address our housing goals without sacrificing other amenities in our community, including parks,” he said. “We do not have a tremendous inventory of parkland.”

Goldfarb expressed his frustration that the Council was forced to adopt a plan but voted for the plan anyway.

“This strikes me as everything that is wrong with government,” he said. “We have to adopt a plan, and if we don’t develop a plan, we can’t collect the development fees, which will put us behind the 8-ball.”