Morristown council: Ponds, parks, sidewalks–and a flag

Attention, spouses and significant others: Your special elected official really was at a Morristown council meeting on Valentine’s Night.

For nearly two hours on Tuesday, the mayor and council heard environmental reports about Burnham Pond and Lidgerwood Park, approved tiered fees for sidewalk cafés, fielded parking complaints from residents, and heard a pitch from a high school student and a “vexillologist.”

The latter is a flag expert. Joe Pugliese of Gates Flag and Banner in Clifton accompanied Morristown High School student Max Bellamente, who has made it his mission to come up with an official town flag.

For the next six weeks, Max said, the town will solicit flag designs “that best represent town values and are aesthetically appealing” from the public. (We’ll post the survey link when it becomes available.)

A committee consisting of Max, Pugliese, Morristown & Township Library Director Chad Leinaweaver and Council President Sandi Mayer then will winnow the choices to five designs.

The public will vote for a week in early May, with the winning flag scheduled to be unfurled at the May 9, 2023, council meeting. Max said his panel has devised a system to ensure voting by town residents only–and one vote per.

HYDRO-RAKING, BUTTERFLIES AND BIRDS

Town Engineer Anthony DeVisio described plans for hydro-raking “vegetative debris” from the bottom of the lower section of Burnham Pond, an estimated $2 million project most likely to occur in 2025.

The work could yield improved fishing and possibly, public boating, the engineer said.

The council voted 5-0 (members Stefan Armington and Toshiba Foster were absent) to pursue state Green Acres funding for the project.  Green Acres may provide up to $900,000; the town will pursue more grants for its required match, said town Administrator Jillian Barrick.

UPDATE: A wider-ranging Burnham Park revitalization plan, set for this evening, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023, has been been rescheduled to Tuesday, Feb. 21, at 6:30 pm in the seniors center at town hall.

Hydro-raking, which involves an excavating contraption on pontoons, is not as extensive or costly as dredging, which would require state permits.

Foote’s Pond, spanning about an acre and a half, underwent a $342,000 hydro-raking in October 2020. DeVisio explained that Burnham is more expensive because it covers four acres, and because disposal of raked material will cost more this time. The town was able to deposit debris from Foote’s Pond at the town recycling center, for composting. More voluminous Material from Burnham will be hauled to a Morris County facility.

DeVisio figures the project will take up to three months. Invasive species will grow back, he advised, but the town will attempt to minimize this by maintaining the pond’s water level and improving aeration.

The council also heard about plantings of native species along a 65-foot stretch of Lidgerwood Park.

It’s a joint effort by the town Shade Tree Commission, the Friends of Foote’s Pond, and the town Department of Public Works, with funding from Shade Tree Chairperson Kristin Ace and the Morristown Rotary.

This particular stretch was targeted because neighbors there agreed to water the new plantings, explained Susan Landau, who serves on the Shade Tree Commission. With her husband John, she was a driving force in transforming the Foote’s Pond Wood into one of Morristown’s crown jewels.

The Lidgerwood project, dubbed From Invasive Disaster to Native Habitat, is meant to beautify the park and reduce stormwater runoff. But there’s more: Replacing invasive species with native plants will provide habitat for caterpillars, which feed chickadees, Landau explained. Next year, she said, there will be more butterflies, and more birds.

Mayer marveled at volunteers who toiled at Lidgerwood during this month’s polar vortex, which briefly sent temperatures plunging to single digits.

“I didn’t last seven minutes,” the council president said. “They were there for two hours.”

Mayor Tim Dougherty said these volunteers are what makes Morristown great. He praised Ace, and especially, the Landaus, for their efforts at Foote’s Pond. “It’s amazing what two people can do. What they’re doing is not only honorable, it’s historic, and will last long after we’re gone.”

Council Vice President Nathan Umbriac said his 4th grader son is learning to appreciate nature thanks to the Landaus, who host pond tours for pupils from the Thomas Jefferson School.

IN OTHER BUSINESS

Town Clerk Margot Kaye defended new licensing fees for sidewalk cafés, adopted unanimously by the council.

Sidewalk dining took off during the pandemic, under relaxed rules meant to help restaurants and bars survive indoor seating restrictions. The practice has made the downtown a vibrant destination in the warm months, Kaye and the council agreed.

The annual fees range from $250 for small sidewalk setups by establishments without liquor licenses, to $1,000 for larger venues that serve alcohol. Kaye said she studied rates in Summit, Jersey City, Madison, Chatham and Denville.

Morristown’s fees will help cover administrative- and inspection expenses, Kaye said, inviting online critics to “spend a day in the clerk’s office or zoning office. It takes quite a bit of effort” to ensure that establishments comply with local and state regulations.

Umbriac, council liaison to the Morristown Partnership, which represents downtown businesses, said “Margot really did her homework.”

The new rates are easily amortized and “more than fair,” Mayer said, adding: “Nobody’s obligated to have an outdoor café. It’s a choice.”

No restaurateurs or bar owners spoke against the measure prior to the vote.

The council did hear other concerns from the public.

Leroy Aiken expressed anger about commercial trucks flouting town laws by hogging residential parking spaces on Jersey Avenue.

“We are either a residential street, or not,” said Aiken, 84, who reminded the mayor and council that he voted for them. “Promises will bring you friends. But breach of promise will bring you enemies.”

First Ward resident Leslie Raff said tree crews came without notice before 8 am one morning and cut down an 80-foot Norway maple that appeared healthy.

And Bill Byrne, an advocate for people with disabilities, complained that dog owners are not cleaning up after their pets on sidewalks.

The mayor and Police Chief Darnell Richardson said they have been monitoring the parking situation on Jersey Avenue, which they said poses challenges because the neighborhood extends into Morris Township.

From 9 pm to 6 am, commercial vehicles may not park for more than two hours on any Morristown Street, according to town Attorney David Minchello. Dougherty urged residents to call police whenever they observe a potential violation.

(Separately, the mayor noted retirements have made room for new hires on the police force. “Stop and say hello, welcome them when you see them,” Dougherty asked, describing the turnover as “really refreshing.”)

Councilman Robert Iannaccone suggested the town explore providing a parking lot for commercial vehicles, to help owners who are just trying to make a living. Councilman David Silva liked the idea, too.

The mayor commiserated with Raff over the lost tree, and over the early hour of its removal, which he said may have violated the town’s noise ordinance.

A town-wide “tree inventory” by an arborist had identified this maple among trees posing a potential hazard, according to Barrick, the town administrator. She said fungi can weaken limbs in trees that outwardly seem healthy. Barrick said she will review town policies, to determine whether residents should be given advance notice of such tree work near their properties.

Mayer opened Tuesday’s hybrid meeting with a moment of silence for victims of Monday’s shootings at Michigan State University. It’s one of many such somber council remembrances since the Sandy Hook school shooting of 2012.

This story was updated with a new date for a Burnham Park meeting.