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Ogdensburg council adopts reorganizational package, sets tax-interest rules and temporary 2018 budget
Summary
At its Jan. 2 reorganizational meeting, Ogdensburg's mayor and council administered oaths to two incoming council members, approved routine reorganizational resolutions (including tax-interest rules and contracts for professional services), appointed a municipal judge and set 2018 meeting dates, and adopted a temporary 2018 budget.
Mayor Rachel Slater called the Borough of Ogdensburg's reorganizational meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. on Jan. 2, 2018, led the Pledge of Allegiance and read the required public-notice statement under the Open Public Meetings Act. The Borough Clerk administered the oaths of office to Councilman Peter G. Opilla and Councilman Michael Nardini.
The council approved a consent-agenda package that included a tax-interest resolution, designation of official newspapers, adoption of a cash-management plan, reestablishment of petty-cash funds and awards of professional-services contracts. Councilman Hutnick moved the consent agenda; Councilman Peter G. Opilla seconded, and each item passed on roll-call votes with Gunderman, Hutnick, Nardini, Nasisi and Opilla voting yes (Astor absent).
The most consequential finance action for taxpayers was Resolution 01-2018, which directs the Tax Collector to charge 8% per annum on the first $1,500 of delinquent taxes and 18% per annum on amounts above $1,500. The resolution also authorizes an additional 6% penalty on delinquencies exceeding $10,000 that remain unpaid after Dec. 31, and establishes a 10-day grace period for quarterly payments effective Jan. 1, 2018.
Under Resolution 06-2018 the council awarded contracts for municipal professional services for 2018, including Weiner Law Group for general legal services (retainer $1,500 per month; specified hourly litigation rates), municipal auditing services (Ferraioli, Wielkotz, Cerullo & Cuva, P.A., $26,000), Van Cleef Engineering ($125/hour), municipal public defender and prosecutor agreements, a grantsman for the borough's housing rehabilitation program (fee per completed unit), risk-management services (Arthur J. Gallagher) and bond counsel (Rogut McCarthy LLC). The council directed that a notice of awards be published in the New Jersey Herald.
For court administration, the council appointed Glenn T. Gavan, JMC, as Municipal Court Judge for a three-year term beginning Jan. 1, 2018. The council also authorized the Tax Assessor and Borough Attorney to defend contested tax appeals before the Sussex County Board of Taxation and Tax Court.
On budget matters, the council approved Resolution 15-2018 adopting temporary 2018 appropriations under N.J.S. 40A:4-19. The temporary budget lists department-by-department interim appropriations and notes total appropriations within 26.25% of the prior year as $655,574.68 for the Current budget; water-budget statutory and debt-service amounts were also included. The council also adopted surplus policies as part of the best-practices checklist, setting a $550,000 year-end goal for the Current Fund and a $250,000 year-end goal for the Water Operating Fund, both recommended by the borough auditor and chief financial officer.
Council approved membership in the Statewide Insurance Fund for a three-year period beginning Jan. 1, 2018, appointed the borough's Fund Commissioner and authorized execution of related documents; it also named Chief of Police Stephen Gordon and Department of Public Works Supervisor Christopher Ross as the borough's Safety and Loss Prevention Representatives required by the Fund.
The council confirmed borough appointments for 2018, appointed Councilman Peter G. Opilla as Council President for 2018, and approved the schedule of work sessions and regular meetings (held at Ogdensburg Municipal Building, 14 Highland Ave.) and a standard agenda format. The meeting was opened for public comment; Rick Keslo, chief of the Ogdensburg Fire Department, thanked the governing body and said he was "looking forward to working with everyone this year." The meeting adjourned at 7:10 p.m.
Votes at a glance: each consent-agenda resolution and appointment listed on the Jan. 2 agenda passed on roll-call votes with Gunderman, Hutnick, Nardini, Nasisi and Opilla recorded as yes; Astor was recorded absent for the meeting.
What happens next: these reorganizational resolutions establish interim operational authority, contract appointments and a temporary spending plan for early 2018; the council will act on the full 2018 budget and any ordinances at upcoming regular meetings listed in the approved 2018 meeting schedule.
