Local Voices Heard by Citizens’ Institute

Township Council recognizes ‘a great beginning’ of conversation by advisory committee.

The Citizens’ Institute is trying to make Livingston "even better, one conversation at a time." It’s an ambitious goal of an advisory group chaired by former Mayor Arlene Johnson. Over the course of the spring, they held three two-hour meetings in which more than 70 participants talked about all things Livingston. On Monday night, the Township Council recognized members of the Citizens’ Institute. Each of the group's advisory members received a personalized certificate, as well as a pin with the inscription that read "Together We Can Make A Difference." The message is fitting for a group that relies heavily on dialog amongst the community. "We're going to be counting on a lot of you to tell your story," Johnson said. The committee was the …

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5 Things You Need To Know

Town Introduces Salary Ordinance

Council eliminates pay grades for township employees with new ordinance.

It was busy at town hall last week as the township council took care of a number of outstanding issues. Besides hearing residents' concerns over the future of the old Saturn property and presiding over the budget, the council made a number of changes, including revamping the system in which employees are assigned a salary, as well as creating a refunding ordinance to help pay for judgments stemming from tax appeals. The council has a rare Monday night off.  To get you up to date on town business, here are the five things you need to know: 1. The council introduced a salary ordinance that will effectively eliminate the pay grade scale in which township employees are currently paid. Instead, the new ordinance sets a minimum and maximum …

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A Sign of the Times

Township installs new electronic community bulletin board in front of the library.

It has been quite some time since Livingston had its own community bulletin board. However, the wait is finally over as this week the township installed a brand-new two-sided electronic bulletin board in front of the public library. The town council had originially intended on building a less expensive, one-sided sign. However, they later scrapped those plans after Township Manager Michele Meade explained a one-sided electronic sign simply wouldn't be feasible as the engineers would not be able to position the sign in a way to make it visible to everyone in both directions. During the summer, the township advertised bids on the project and received interest from three applicants. From this pool, it was determined that Millennium …

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An Insider's View

Not Quite Fireworks

Deborah Shapiro shares her experience on township council.

Deborah Shapiro has been writing about her experiences as a first-year member of township council in a blog called “From the Desk of Deborah Shapiro.” Livingston Patch is running excerpts of her writings. A Republican, Shapiro makes it clear these are her opinions as she joins a long-dominated Democratic council.  ... One of the issues on which I ran was to work to make local government more transparent. As yet, we do not have the meetings televised – which is an issue that has been raised and I am told they are "working on it."  Until that time, I blog.  For those who cannot come to the meetings, I hope that an insider’s perspective, along with reportage by the Patch and the West Essex Tribune, will round out the picture of what is …

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Monday Night Fireworks?

Shapiro says she’s ‘mad as hell’ over proposed budget.

Taxes will go up $45 for the average homeowner in Livingston, a number the mayor says every member of the town council has approved in advance of Monday night’s formal budget presentation. Not so fast, says Deborah Shapiro. “No, I haven’t drunk the Kool-Aid.” Shapiro says she is “mad as hell” about increasing the tax burden on Livingston residents. And she’s livid that the mayor’s report says council members unanimously agreed on a budget that will be presented on Monday night. In a blunt conversation with Patch in advance of the public meeting, Shapiro said, “This is not a budget I am willing to accept.” Shapiro has lobbied for a zero percent tax increase this year. She’s been asked if she really had hoped to make a difference as a …

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Please Give Me A Sign

Residents seek temporary signage at entrance to the Town Hall.

Since opening late last year, the Town Hall has been noted for its sheer impressive size. However, a small but vocal group of residents believe there is something currently missing from the building: A sign. Week in and week out during Town Council meetings, Nick Pulitano, a long-time Livingston resident, raises his concerns about the lack of signage at the building's entrance driveway. "I was suggesting a temporary sign because currently the driveway on the other side of the building is closed to traffic," said Pulitano during an interview with Patch. At night, several residents have noted that the driveway can be difficult to locate when turning in off of South Livingston Avenue. This coupled with the fact that the building's other …

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