Sidewalks and sculptures got the Morristown council’s attention this week.
Dining on sidewalks was extended through Halloween. Skateboarding on downtown sidewalks was prohibited. Electric-powered skateboards and similar transportation vehicles were banned from all town sidewalks.
A sculpture was approved for a park under construction at the Modera apartment complex on Speedwell Avenue.
In other business on Tuesday, town officials authorized about $12 million in pass-throughs of federal and state funds for runway lighting and other renovations at Morristown Airport.
Town Administrator Jillian Barrick also disclosed plans to roll out a hybrid system for livestreaming council meetings, “well before” in-person sessions resume.
Council President Stefan Armington said he favors returning to the council chambers once New Jersey’s COVID-19 transmission rate remains below 1.0 for two or three weeks. The town website later posted that all town meetings now will be in-person.
And the council authorized nonprofit First Night Morris Inc. to hold its 30th annual New Year’s Eve festivities in town, contingent on health protocols in effect at that time. First Night Morris, which went all virtual last year for pandemic reasons, is finalizing plans for a hybrid program of family friendly live and virtual entertainment.
All votes were 6-0, except for the airport ordinances. Councilman Robert Iannaccone, who wants to renegotiate the airport’s lease, voted no. Councilman Michael Elms was absent from the virtual meeting.
DETAILS…
Permit procedures for sidewalk dining were relaxed last year to help restaurants survive the pandemic. Everything was scheduled to return to normal after Oct. 1, 2021. At the request of the Morristown Partnership, the council agreed to push the date to Oct. 31.
The vote authorizes Barrick to continue fast-tracking approvals for sidewalk dining. Starting in November, restaurants seeking extensions can apply to the council, as they did pre-pandemic, Armington said. The council president added he would like to see data about restaurant capacity since the governor lifted restrictions over the summer.
Barrick acknowledged she is working to resolve complaints about one establishment’s outdoor operations. She did not identify the establishment.
‘Human powered’ skateboards, scooters and roller blades now are illegal on downtown sidewalks. They also are barred from performing tricks on public benches, walls, rails or “any other public or private infrastructure.”
Helmets are required for anyone under 17. Violations can bring $500 fines and confiscation of the devices.
Electric “personal transportation vehicles,” meanwhile, were banned Tuesday from all town sidewalks. No penalties were specified for violations, however. It appears that these electric conveyances will be allowed in public parks, Armington said.
On the art front, the council authorized Mill Creek, developer of the Modera apartment buildings on Speedwell Avenue, to release $47,673 from escrow for public art.
In a related resolution, the council executed an agreement with the nonprofit Morris Arts to use that money to hire Atlanta artist Nathan Pierce to erect a sculpture in the public park at Modera, near Prospect Street.
A total of $100,000 had been set aside, per a town policy that requires redevelopers to provide money for public art. In 2016, $53,000 of that total was allocated to erect totems near the entrance to the Early Street Community Garden.
On Tuesday, the council extended through next year an agreement with Morris Arts to oversee public art in town; that agreement had expired in 2019.
The sculpture proposal was approved by a panel that included Barrick, Mayor Tim Dougherty and representatives of Morris Arts and the Morris Museum, the administrator said.
“There were a lot of interesting and creative submissions,” Barrick said.
Armington inquired about public art promised for the triangular Fox Rothschild office building at Market and Bank streets. Discussions are ongoing with developers of that building and the adjacent 55 Market apartments, answered Barrick, noting a Fox Rothschild stairwell is the likely location for an artwork.
A chunk of the airport funds is earmarked to upgrade runway lighting installed in 1969. Most of the money is from the Federal Aviation Administration.
“There is no budgetary impact for the town,” according to Armington.
Separately, the council certified an annual independent review of the town’s fiscal operations. “It’s a pretty good audit,” the council president said.
SEWER TALK
A measure to spend $250,000 for upgrades to the sewer plant prompted some sewer talk.
The facility, a utility funded entirely by sewer fees, is operating at less than half-capacity — so it easily can accommodate Morristown’s brisk development, Barrick said, responding to Iannaccone.
In a noteworthy aside, Barrick revealed that solar panels installed for $4.9 million in 2009 have not generated anticipated surpluses — or even paid for themselves.
So far, the sewer utility has collected $1.9 million through a state exchange in which electric companies buy credits to help satisfy obligations to generate energy via renewable sources.
The solar panels brought in up to $400,000 annually, at first. But for the last few years, the figure has averaged about $100,000–enough to cover the sewer plant’s electric bills, Barrick said.
“Since the panels are in place, it’s worth keeping them,” she said. But she would not recommend any more solar projects. Armington is exploring installing solar panels at the town recycling center.
ODDS AND ENDS
The Morristown Housing Authority is installing 19 surveillance cameras in its seniors buildings, lobbies and parking lots, reported Councilman David Silva, liaison to the MHA.
Authorities have said video footage aided their investigation of a fatal shooting in the Manahan Village public housing neighborhood in August.
Meanwhile, Zufall Health is coordinating with the MHA to administer Pfizer’s COVID booster vaccinations to eligible residents. And the housing authority has renovated a boxing ring and will hire an organization to manage a boxing program, Silva said.
In other vaccination news, Barrick said Atlantic Health administered 57 COVID shots at last month’s Morristown Jazz and Blues Festival.
Flu shots will be offered at town hall on Friday, Oct. 15, from 10 am to 2 pm. Appointments are required; call 973-796-1975. Free for seniors and town employees; $15 for other residents.
Registered voters can vote ahead of the Nov. 2 election, at Room 201 in town hall from Oct. 23-31. A ballot drop-off box also will be behind town hall for early voting.
Lastly, Armington asked the council to look into regulating planter boxes on sidewalks.
Flags and Christmas decorations are allowed by town codes, he said, but nothing standardizes where to locate planter boxes so they don’t impede pedestrians, or specifies how to maintain them so they enhance the downtown. Many businesses have such boxes, and most look nice, he said.
