Charting the Goings-On in Teaneck
Author: Keith Kaplan
//Yesterday, the Township held the first of a series of meetings on development.
You can see the slideshow presentation below (it can be downloaded here).
(For information on the “NJ Division of Taxation Senior Freeze Property Tax Reimbursement Program,” mentioned at the meeting, click here)
2019-02-19_Teaneck Development Forum presentation//[UPDATE] After posting this, I received a call from the manager of the Port Authority.
The update appears below the post
Last month, I was frustrated by the fact that carpools are limited to “Cash-Only” lanes at PA bridges and tunnels and I fired off a tweet to the Port Authority and my elected reps. Shortly after, I got a letter from Diannae C. Ehler, Director of the Tunnels, Bridges and Terminals at the Port Authority, who is responsible for operations and maintenance at the PA.
If you are tasked with making sure that people can efficiently move between NYC and NJ, there are several things you want to do. Among them is to
The Port Authority has an incentive program, for people that wish to carpool (with 3 or more people) whereby they pay reduced rates to go over the GWB or Lincoln Tunnel: Continue reading “[UPDATE] The Port Authority Apologizes For Any Inconvenience But That Is [NOT] All”
//At some point in the past, the township passed a rule to prohibit businesses from operating on the first floor of buildings. Not only could they not operate, say, in a basement — but they had to be seen from the street.
Maybe this provision made sense at some point in time. It has become pointless today.
Whether or not it made sense when the provision was last tinkered with (in 1951) is debatable, but it appears that I’m not the first person to think this is pointless and counter-productive. Teaneck also considered it pointless in 1973.
That’s the year that the Teaneck Council passed ordinance 1568, which reads in relevant part:
Continue reading “Why re-codification of the Teaneck Code is important”Section 3. That Sec. 5-14 entitled “Buildings to be open to public view” and Sec. 5-15 entitled “Business to be conducted at street level; exception as to bowling alleys” of said Chapter 5 entitled “Amusements” be deleted in their entirety“. (emphasis added)
//But we ARE working to clean up our code, which contains a lot of anachronistic, unconstitutional and irrelevant provisions.
This Monday, the Township will hear the first reading on Ordinances 32-2018 and 33-2018, which repeal 21 sections of the code. Continue reading “No, Teaneck is NOT legalizing dog fighting…..”
////There’s a new kid-friendly establishment coming to Teaneck, but not if State Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg has anything to say about it.
Senator Loretta Weinberg, in her capacity as our representative, has sued the Township and a business trying to open up in “her” building (full complaint available below).
The tenant, Teaneck Speedway LLC wishes to put in two amenities:
1) Slot-Car Racing tracks and 2) a Mini-Bowling area. (The latter is kind of a mix between skee-ball and bowling)
Here’s what it will look like: Continue reading “[UPDATE x2] [LAWSUIT] Senator Weinberg to Teaneck Business: Not in my backyard!”
//The Teaneck Police Department was asked to conduct a report as to traffic and safety on Larch Avenue (in the area of Terhune Street).
Here are the findings:
On Wednesday, September 12, 2018, Lieutenant Christopher Kurschner forwarded a speeding complaint he received via Facebook. The complainant, Philip Moell, complained about speeding on Larch Avenue in the area of Terhune Street. Mr. Moell wrote that he had observed a D&M school bus speeding every morning at 8:35 AM. Mr. Moell provided a picture of the bus and what appeared to be a handheld radar gun style device.
In response to the complaint, we conducted a site study, reviewed the speed and volume study we had just completed, and conducted observation and enforcement. Continue reading “Larch Ave Traffic Study and Police Reports”
//Totals (mail-in and provisional ballots are still to be counted):
General 2018 Election - Unofficial Results Continue reading “2018 Unofficial Election Results”
//Thank you to the League of Women Voters of Teaneck for taking this on and providing this information to the voters.
You can see the document online here. Continue reading “Voters’ Guide: Teaneck Board of Education Election Questionnaire from the League of Women Voters of Teaneck”
//Tomorrow, I’m requesting the Council put forward Resolution 204-2018 to: Call for the Legislature to Amend the Open Public Records Act to Permit Municipalities to Rely on the Government Records Council as a Defense to Attorneys’ Fees or to Abolish the Government Records Council Altogether.
The Open Public Records Act is an extremely important step towards transparency in NJ. It permits residents to seek information from their elected representatives and to know, relatively quickly, what is happening at the municipal and county levels1.
But like any legislation, there are some exemptions and calls to be made. The exemptions are few, with an emphasis on disclosure. If you have an issue regarding an OPRA request, there’s also a place you can turn: The Government Records Council. Continue reading “We need OPRA reform”