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MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY
July 1, 2008

The Council of the Township of Montclair, in the County of Essex, met in the Council Chambers in the Municipal Building, 205 Claremont Avenue, for a Regular Meeting at 12:00 P.M.

Present: Mayor Fried, Councilors Africk, Baskerville, Lewis, Murnick, Terry and Weller.
Absent: None

HONOR GUARD

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

The Montclair High School musical group “Passing Notes” offered an a capella version of the National Anthem.

Invocation was provided by the Reverend Charles Ortman.

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The Municipal Clerk Linda Wanat administered the Oath of Office to the newly elected Mayor and Council and presented them with their Certificates of Election.
 
The new Mayor and Council then assumed their seats on the dais.

STATEMENT OF SUNSHINE NOTICE

Former Council member Gerald Tobin presented the mayoral gavel to Mayor Fried and urged the new council to carry out the responsibilities of governance through difficult times.

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COUNCIL COMMENTS

 Councilor Baskerville extended sympathy and prayers to the family of Monica Paul. She stated “There is no higher calling than public service; and I recall no more humbling moment than to have been called into service by the Township of my birth --the neighborhood whose ancestors and elders reared me and with whose Boomers I played, studied, grew up, got out, returned and began giving back to make Ward 4 a better place; came back so that we could move 4Ward together.

Thank you Ward 4 for giving me another opportunity to give back as your elected official, charged with the awesome responsibility of melding One Ward 4: and ultimately melding 4 wards into one Montclair, because the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Thank you for allowing me to hear, process, and represent your voice and vision on the Town Council. You may count on me to serve you with scholarship and self-determination; discipline and diligence; passion, patience, and professionalism; activism, fortitude, rectitude, creativity, zeal, integrity, candor, faith; a heart filled with grace and a soul generated by love. 

I realize that my service is a gift, not a right, and I will act accordingly. You can count on me to count on you; to listen more than I speak; to be ever mindful that the “uplook” matters more than the outlook. You can count on me to order my steps and actions in the Word and be guided by my moral compass. You can count on me to do the right thing and leave the rest to God; to vote your will on all issues knowing that God plus one makes a majority and that victory will ultimately be ours.

Today Ward 4, we embark on a new journey together, a path to stem the rising taxes in the Township, expand our pool of low- and moderate-income housing; ; link downtown and uptown development with neighborhood revitalization; and to support a greener, cleaner Montclair; a journey to support and encourage more small, disadvantaged, minority and female-owned businesses to locate in our neighborhoods and provide them incentives to remain in Ward 4; to lead the Township toward becoming One Montclair--with no Upper Montclair and lower Montclair, but One Montclair, indivisible, with justice and equity for all. To get us to that stage, we will sometimes go down the trail blazed by the likes of Audrey Fletcher, Bobbi Riley, Charles Smith, Sandra Lang and (others who preceded me as your Ward 4 representative). Other times, Family, we will not follow the trodden path but will go instead where there is not path and blaze a trail. Wherever we go, we will go together as One Ward 4 family working to improve the quality of life for all in Ward 4, but especially those who have least among us. To the extent that we can improve the quality of life for those in the dawn of life and those in the sunset of life, those who are hungry and homeless; those who are in fear of loosing their homes due to the high taxes; to the extent that we assist those who are undereducated, un- and under-employed, infirm or bound---bound to addictions, abuse, or fears; homebound because of the infiltration of Crypts and Bloods in our community-- to the extent that our journey and my service in some way benefits God's little ones-- the least fortunate among us-- we will have moved Montclair 4Ward and made this Township a better place. My vision for our Ward and our Township in four years is for a Townships where everyone can be independent and on their own, but more importantly where we will all be mutually dependent and at our best.

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I thank you Ward4, I thank you Montclair. May God bless you and use me as an instrument to bring us together as One Ward 4, One Montclair. HARAMBEE!! Family!”

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Councilor Lewis remarked on the perspective from the dais as he looked out at his family and friends. He anticipates working with the residents of Montclair during the next four years.

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Councilor Weller noted that “it was humbling to carry out the legacy of leading Montclair.” She is privileged to work with Township citizens to build a strong and sustainable community.

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Councilor Murnick reiterated that it was both a pleasure and an honor to represent the Township. His hope is to serve and to create a vision for Montclair that he shares with his wife Susan and which led him to plan a future for his family in the community.
 
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Councilor Africk stated “I want to thank you all for having confidence in me and electing me to this position of Councilor for the Second Ward.

As a 24 year resident of Montclair I have watched my children grow, and thrive in this wonderful environment. They have learned both in, and out of our schools. They have internalized important community values, and have established lifetime friendships. It was wonderful watching them through the years as they discovered their abilities. And it was wonderful watching them at the graduations as they moved on in their lives.

I am at a point where I want to give more back to the Community. Energy and intelligence that I’ve used in business I’d like to use to improve Montclair, in however many ways I possibly can.
During the election I met many wonderful people who have offered to help. I look forward to working with you all to help Montclair become an even better place in the future.

Best wishes to all of us!”

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Councilor Terry thanked his wife and family and “all those who had faith in him” for their continued support. He noted the enormity of the job ahead and pledged “to not let the community down.”

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Mayor Fried stated “Thank you all for coming. It's an honor to see so many of you here in celebration of this event. We are all thrilled and honored to have been selected by you to follow in the path of those who helped build this uniquely enlightened and progressive community. 

In choosing us, the citizens of Montclair made what I would characterize as a bold move: to select new representatives without political experience, but with a deep commitment to strengthening our community and opening up new pathways for civic involvement. And this choice was made at particularly challenging time for our town, and indeed our nation.

America is in a brutal and costly war which has shaken our sense of justice and liberty, the majority of families are in a struggle for basic needs like education and health care, and we are starved for the resources just to maintain public safety. All this while the national infrastructure that was bestowed upon us by previous generations is crumbling because of lack of federal leadership.

Why, then, take the risk of an entirely new leadership team?

I believe the answer is faith in the power of community. Not just "community", but the POWER OF COMMUNITY.

I believe that Montclair chose us because they saw people who shared their values and who they felt could WORK TOGETHER for the common good. I think we each understand deeply that our power is not as an individual, but as an organizer, a facilitator. Our mission is to listen, to articulate the shared vision and to create the most effective process for us to move forward towards that vision. None of us imagine that we alone hold the crucial knowledge to make the right decisions. As policy makers and civic leaders, our success will depend on our ability to be able to consult with YOU, and YOUR ability to be able to honestly and thoughtfully communicate with us.

Our town is blessed with strong roots and a shared sense of common good that goes back generations. We make choices that few, if any, towns make. From assuring the rights of ALL children to get a quality
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education, to supporting outstanding libraries, recreational facilities and parks, to a commitment to environmental sustainability.

In a more perfect world these values and the civic institutions they created would assure us a future where Montclair people could stay in town and have the option of giving their children and their children's children the rich diverse community life that defined them. But until our state and federal policy makers choose to embrace our expansive views, those of us who are able to MUST contribute their time, their best efforts, and yes, even their money, to preserve the QUALITY of community life which we are so proud of. Meanwhile we must fight to be seen and to be heard: as a community that works together to BE diverse, in all senses of the word. To be SUSTAINABLE, both environmentally and economically. To promote the arts as the truest and deepest level of cultural communication.

We are a community that chooses the hard but just path.

This Council dedicates itself to this mission. We look forward to working with our town employees in this endeavor. We welcome your help, your guidance and your commitment. We commit to working tirelessly to give you the responsive government you deserve.

I will leave you with two quotes:

The first, from Alexis de Toqueville about democracy:

"knowledge of how to combine is the mother of all other forms of knowledge"

and this classic from Margaret Mead:

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.

Township Manager Joseph Hartnett noted that this is the first time that all new Council members were simultaneously elected. He looks forward to “new and progressive” actions by the new Council.

Township Clerk Linda Wanat offered the following words of advice to the new Council: the “wisdom” to make the best decisions, the “patience” to listen to all sides and “the ability to stay up late on Tuesday evening.”

Township Attorney Alan Trembulak welcomed the Council and wished them great success. He looks forward to working with the Council both individually and collectively to best serve the Township.

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NEW BUSINESS

On motion made by Mayor Fried and duly seconded the following resolution was adopted by unanimous vote.

BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Township of Montclair, in the County of Essex, that ROGER TERRY be and he hereby is appointed Deputy Mayor to act in the place and stead of the Mayor in the event of the absence, disability or illness of the Mayor but the Deputy Mayor shall not make appointments or succeed the Mayor in the event that the Mayor’s office should become vacant.

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On motion made by Deputy Mayor Terry and duly seconded the following resolution was adopted by unanimous vote.

BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Township of Montclair, in the County of Essex, that MAYOR JERRY FRIED and COUNCILORS RENEE BASKERVILLE AND RICH MURNICK be and they are hereby appointed to serve on the Board of School Estimate effective immediately and terminating July 1, 2009.

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On motion made by Councilor Murnick and duly seconded the following resolution was adopted by unanimous vote.

BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Township of Montclair, in the County of Essex, that COUNCILOR CARY AFRICK be and he hereby is APPOINTED to serve as a MEMBER of the PLANNING BOARD effective immediately and terminating July 1, 2012

On motion made by Councilor Baskerville and duly seconded the following resolution was adopted by unanimous vote.

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BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Township of Montclair, in the County of Essex, that The Montclair Times, The Star Ledger, and The Herald News be and hereby are designated as the official newspapers of the Township of Montclair until further notice.

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On motion made by Councilor Africk and duly seconded the following resolution was adopted by unanimous vote.

WHEREAS, The State of New Jersey Local Fiscal Affairs Law, N.J.S.A. 40A:5 et seq. requires that the Governing Body of a Municipal corporation shall, by resolution passed by a majority vote of the

full membership thereof, designate a public depository or depositories for the investment of local funds in interest bearing accounts and other permitted investments; and

WHEREAS, N.J.S.A. 40A:5 – 15.1 amended by Chapter 148, P.L. 1997 established new requirements for the investment of public funds and adoption of a cash management plan for counties, municipalities and authorities; and

WHEREAS, the Mayor and Council of the Township of Montclair wish to comply with the above statutes;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Mayor and Council of the Township of Montclair adopt the attached cash management plan, including the official depositories for the Township of Montclair for the year 2008.

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PUBLIC COMMENT

Former Mayor Bob Russo presented a copy of the book entitled “Mayor” by Mayor Koch, originally presented to him by former Mayor William Farlie, to the new mayor and offered best wishes to the Council.

Glen Ridge Mayor Peter Hughes offered greetings and best wishes.

Christie Y. Huh, Little Falls Council member expressed her desire to continue a cooperative relationship with the municipality.

Lillian Perez, 36 Cloverhill Place, congratulated all the Council members and presented flowers to Councilors Weller and Baskerville.

At 1:05P.M., on motion made by Mayor Fried and duly seconded, the Reorganization Meeting was adjourned by unanimous vote.
 

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JERRY FRIED MAYOR

ATTEST:

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