Town Council Breezes Through Routine Matters

The Parsippany-Troy Hills Township Council sat for its regular meeting at Town Hall July 19 to consider a number of what its written agenda called routine matters.

With the absence of President John Fox, Vice President Michael dePierro presided over the gathering.

The first piece of business was the initial reading of an ordinance amendment to allow  fire zones and parking restrictions at 260 Walsh Dr. Easily passed by the council, the matter should appear for a second reading at the Aug. 16 meeting.

The council also heard the second reading of a measure that would amend the powers and duties of the township's purchasing agent to allow a higher bid threshold.

Annelise Catanzaro, Town Council candidate and chairperson of the Municipal Alliance Committee, asked whether the lack of a specific amount in the ordinance meant that the purchasing agent would have free rein on spending.

Township Attorney John Inglesino explained that no number was included because the bid threshold is defined by state statute and changes every 18 months or so. In order to make the ordinance correct, its drafters thought it best not to include a specific number. But Inglesino said the new ordinance lifts the threshold from $17,500 to about $36,000.

The ordinance passed unanimously.

The council members next took up a consent agenda, allowing them to cast one vote to approve a group of routine items. Those items included:

• awarding Arnold's Roads of Monroe Township a bid to reconstruct curbs and sidewalks at various locations through Parsippany
• awarding CMS Construction, Inc., of Newark a bid to reconstruct a retaining wall at East Hedding Place in Mount Tabor
• contracting Slaby Engineering Associates, Inc., of Morris Plains and Hatch Mott MacDonald, LLC, of Millburn for professional engineering services
• retaining Michael B. Lavery as special legal counsel in situations when the township attorney has a conflict; this contract term ends Dec. 31, 2011
• and replacing an existing fence at 137 Minnehaha Rd.

The council also approved a resolution supporting the equal distribution of state aid for education by the New Jersey legislature.

The statement calls for the recently announced $850 million dollars in increased state aid—$450 million of which is earmarked for poorer schools in Abbott districts—to be allocated "in a fair manner that is for the equal benefit of all the people of the state and not by means that are prejudiced by the actions of special interests."

Copies of the resolution will be sent to Gov. Chris Christie and leaders of the General Assembly and state Senate.

After a brief move into a closed-door session to deal with a matter involving litigation, the council announced its decision to settle a workmen's compensation and disability case involving Parsippany Police Sgt. Joseph Mongiello. The agreement releases the township from any further liability toward the employee, who will retire upon reaching his 25-year mark on or about Aug. 1. Parsippany-Troy Hills will honor his workmen's compensation claim over an injury Mongiello sustained on duty because of a motor vehicle accident.

The Township Council's next gathering is an agenda meeting scheduled for Aug. 9; the next regular meeting will be held Aug. 16.