A holiday icon is moving to Saturday. Dozens of Morristown businesses are moving onto a special tax roll. And if you’re peeved about parking, you now have a direct line to the person in charge.
The council tackled a wide range of hot-button issues on Thursday, from a long-overdue expansion of business district fees to an online furor over parking enforcement. Officials also signed off on downtown police patrols, bond-backed property deals, and a Santa shift meant to beat early bedtimes.
NEW TAXES FOR 100 BUSINESSES, AND MORE POLICE DOWNTOWN
The council unanimously approved the Morristown Partnership’s $2.2 million budget and authorized adding 100 commercial properties to the list of those paying Special Improvement District (S.I.D.) fees — the first such adjustment in 30 years. (Councilwoman Toshiba Foster was absent.)
The nonprofit, which organizes events like the farmers market and holiday festival, has operated since 1995 with a static list of contributing properties. That changed Thursday, as officials endorsed a new schedule of assessments that Executive Director Jennifer Wehring said will spread costs more fairly among 500 S.I.D. parcels.
“It was a long time coming, but I’m very happy with the outcome that we have here in front of us today,” said Council President Nathan Umbriac, asserting the approvals will allow everything from more walking patrols to overdue sidewalk cleanings, making Morristown “better than what it is today.”
S.I.D. fees are based on assessed property values. About half of the properties will now pay less than $1,000 per year, Wehring said. At the upper end, roughly 6 percent will owe more than $10,000 annually—mostly businesses with assessed values averaging more than $38 million.
Wehring noted that many newly added properties have benefited for years from the Partnership’s promotions and beautification projects without contributing. Now, costs will be spread more equitably, she said, adding that many businesses that already were paying will see their assessments decline.
The new assessments are retroactive to January. The amended ordinance calls for annual reviews of the S.I.D. list.
The council also authorized the Partnership to enter an agreement with the Morristown police bureau for enhanced walking patrols downtown, to be funded by the town, according to the council resolution. Town Administrator Jillian Barrick could not provide specifics on Friday.
Mayor Tim Dougherty, who seeks a fifth term, highlighted
both public safety and seasonal joy. “We’re going to have walking cops in our downtown… and I think people who come to visit our town want to see that,” he said at the meeting.
He also expressed excitement that Santa Claus is coming to town on a Saturday night this year. The Partnership had welcomed Santa on Sundays to start his annual month-long residencies on the Morristown Green.
Council members also weighed in:
- Robert Iannaccone urged Wehring to ensure that business tenants, not just landlords, are made aware of these fees, which might be passed along. If they know what they are paying, they are more likely to feel invested and get involved, he said.
- David Silva, participating by phone from Colombia, asked Wehring to do more to promote Latino businesses on Speedwell Avenue.
- Steve Pylypchuk, the council’s liaison to the Partnership, said, “The amount of things the Partnership does is kind of unbelievable.”
The approvals drew applause from the audience, which included members of Wehring’s staff and several Partnership trustees. Wehring, who began working toward the assessment overhaul in 2011 under a prior director, was asked how she finally got it done.
“Spreadsheets. So many spreadsheets!” she replied.
PARKING AUTHORITY DEFENDS ITSELF, OFFERS TICKET REVIEWS
Nicole Fox, executive director of the Morristown Parking Authority, addressed an online uproar over parking enforcement and walked the council through financials for a pair of real estate purchases.
On the ticket backlash, Fox made several points clear:
“Instagram can’t ask the court to dismiss a ticket.”
She emphasized that MPA officers are enforcing town ordinances, not chasing quotas, and that the MPA has a process for disputing tickets.
“We understand that no one enjoys paying for parking—but it is necessary to support and maintain parking infrastructure,” Fox said. “Our responsibility is to enforce the parking ordinances adopted by the town council. Without enforcement, even the best regulations are ineffective.”
She acknowledged that technology can fail, and human errors happen, but said the MPA stands behind its enforcement—and its ability to review cases.
Anyone who believes they were wrongly denied an appeal by the agency should email her here. “I will personally review each case denied by the MPA in the past six months,” Fox said, pledging to report back to the council next month.
Fox also asked the public to show courtesy to MPA staff, both in person and online.
“Our officers perform a thankless job… We ask the public to show kindness and understanding to our officers—both on the street and online. They are only doing their jobs in service to the community.”
Council President Umbriac thanked her for addressing the matter “proactively.”
“I know there’s been a lot of misinformation on social media,” he said. “I appreciate your coming and helping set the record straight.”
Mayor Dougherty added that even he gets ticketed — and pays up.
“It (parking) is a necessary thing we have to deal with,” he said, particularly when there’s a show at the Mayo Performing Arts Center. “Those meter spaces get taken up quickly. The garage gets taken up quickly. And we all look for the closest place to park… so they have a tough job. So we appreciate what you do.”
The Instagram page morristown.nj has been flooded with complaints about premature or erroneous ticketing:
“I own the house and my car is registered to the address, these guys are nuts!” one Wetmore Avenue resident posted.
“I was literally paying on my phone app when the guy tried to give me a ticket. I was standing right in front of the meter!!!” wrote another.
“Actively paid meter and still ticketed,” chimed a third.
A $7M BOND DEAL EXPLAINED—BUT FUTURE USE STILL UNCLEAR
Fox also presented financials aimed at reassuring the council about last month’s $7.5 million bond guarantee for the MPA to acquire two properties near Municipal Lot 10: A roller rink and fitness center at 38 Dumont St., and a multifamily home at 28 Pine St.
Some council members acknowledged they voted to back the bonds without understanding the plan. On Thursday, Fox admitted a plan still doesn’t exist.
“Once… we have acquired the property, we will work to determine the highest and best use for the site,” she said.
MPA interest in the parcels predates her tenure, Fox noted. “We didn’t want to miss this opportunity while we’re trying to figure out what our needs are for the town.”
She said a long-proposed parking deck at Lot 10 is no longer “sustainable,” even though MPA profits now exceed pre-pandemic levels. “That project relied on property swaps and other things that are no longer in the mix,” she told Iannaccone.
Iannaccone repeated his concern about protecting “fragile” neighborhoods around Pine and King streets from increased traffic. The Independent councilman cast the only vote against the bond guarantee last month, after his Democratic colleagues declined to wait for the information Fox presented Thursday.
OTHER BUSINESS: TAX SETTLEMENTS AND TRANSIT CONCERNS
The council approved eight tax settlements. Morristown Green asked Administrator Barrick for details on Friday but received no response.
Ron Reissman, a former town resident now living in Mendham, urged the town to pressure NJ Transit to improve accessibility at the Morristown train station. He cited broken elevators, inadequate signage, and poor conditions for disabled veterans trying to find buses.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story misstated a comment by Councilman Steve Pylypchuk. He praised the Morristown Partnership, not the council.
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Will the partnership be using that $2.2M budget to work with landlords to fill all the vacant storefronts with a variety of businesses? Way too many empty store fronts, and too many restaurants. I’m sure many would be OK with a national chain or seven if it meant it contributed to town.