Teaneck Planning Board Meeting
Last Thursday was probably one of the latest Planning Board meetings in Teaneck's history. A semi-full house of approximately 185 people were in the auditorium at the Thomas Jefferson Middle School. I had a great view from the back row, empty except 2 Teaneck Police officer's. Every speaker was allowed 5 minutes to give their input on the proposed Master Plan. I didn't stay to the end, but I was told that there was an additional comment period for the public after the Planning Board discussed the original comments and the meeting wasn't adjourned until 1:30am. Apparently, the TCCP spent the last 5 days littering the town with the "inflammatory" flyers that is described by Teaneck Progress. I personally feel that they were at the very least inflammatory, and perhaps inaccurate...I guess they were desperate for a crowd.
The comments were mostly about the Palisades Avenue Project, American Legion Drive and the process by which the master plan was being done. It was obvious that some speakers were given canned speeches to read to get an applause from the crowd. It would have been more believable if some of those speakers actually knew what they were reading before they got up.
TCCP, you claim to stand for "proper development", yet all we have heard from group members is anti everything and political agendas. While the Planning Board & Council Members are proposing areas that can and need revitalization,--what are you proposing?
Stand for nothing and Teaneck moves backwards, property values plummet and areas will be blighted. Modify or support what is on the table and we may have a chance to survive (notice I didn't mention ratables, that all depends on the project-not all projects help the taxes)-Council use caution and discretion but please DO NOT SLOW DOWN.
39 comments:
The TCCP is following their name and mission statement
Teaneck Coalition against Change and Progress
Amazing that the this new blogger could have attended the planning board meeting and have so little understanding of what was happening. Then again this new blogger clearly has no understanding of Teaneck if he thinks a flyer was needed to bring people to the meeting or that those who spoke represented the TCCP.
Blogger,
If you felt so strongly that the statements being made by more than 50 members of the public were somehow wrong, why didn't you get up to speak your mind? Why didn't you offer your opinions on the Master Plan?
I did stay until the meeting was adjourned and didn't hear anyone who wholeheartedly supported the master plan as presented, or the process through which it was developed, except Stan Steinreich, former paid PR advisor to the Town Council.
Was he the one who was roundly hissed ?
Blogo,
The problem was that their was no public input for the master plan. None... The Planning Board deceived the public into thinking they had a voice, when in fact they didn't. There are serious ethical lapses at town hall and fat boy Bodner is the poster child.
If you want to have input into the Master Plan, a great first step would be to stop working against those individuals we elected to move our town forward. It typically seems like the same negative voices have no purpose other than to discredit our community.
Hey Basta,
In other words apply vaseline and bend over, right? Shut up and sit down would have been what this board should have said. Don't waste time saying you have a voice when in fact you don't.
No , you do not qualify for the luxury of Vaseline.
But maybe if you would have let the board get moving they could have dealt with the issues. how many hours were spent listening to the same stuff.Maybe good and Welfare is not the best thing for the bulk of us in the long run.
What is the purpose of this blog? Clearly you are a loser.
9:24 -- ---- -------.
TOM IF YOU WERE THERE IN THE BEGINNING YOU WOULD HAVE HERD WHAT I HAD TO SAY!!!!!!!
lets talk about lies- tccp and the letters that they wrote post meeting mentioned 300 people- i counted 180- the record counter 175
this represents .004 % of the town, as compared to the over 4000 people that voted for the mayor- now has the public spoken?
lets talk about diversity- most of the crowd represented 30+ year residents, white, over 50 years old. 1 Hispanic, several orthodox and several African American spoke and were in the audience all together, maybe a total of 10 combined (and for you anti-orthodox out there, 3 of the 4 yarmulke wearing speakers were anti the MP)
lets hear what community schedule this board sets up for the next few months and stop the conspiracy theories. at this rate Hoffa will be found under the municipal green.
9;24 THE PURPOSE OF THIS BLOG IS TO GIVE A VENUE TO THOSE WHO HAVE NOTHINHG TO SAY...A CHANCE TO PROVE EXACTLY THAT......
Hey Monica-
See today's Record about the reval. That's your neighborhood getting hit the hardest. Still against any tax cuts?
Don't leave Jackie Kates out. She's against all cuts too.
Hey Monica-
See today's Record about the reval. That's your neighborhood getting hit the hardest. Still against any tax cuts?
Her neighborhood is not getting hit the hardest. She still lives at home with Mom and Dad (in the heart of the Country Club area around the corner from Mayor Katz) and doesn't pay taxes.
Teanecktalk should be monitoring this blog for racist comments. Many are appalling and shameful.
I agree -- stick to the subject, leave personal prejudices out of it.
The one major inaccuracy in an otherwise thorough article in today's RECORD is that the new legislation passed last week requires both municipal and school budgets to come in no higher than 4%. Quoting last year's increase of 6.5% is disingenuous. The Board of Ed's budget has already been pared down to 4% as of last Wednesday, as has already been noted.
How do you know the cap will work on the municipal budget this year? It is still at 8% higher than last year. Has the state issued official guidelines to the municipalities? An average of 8% and 4% would be close to last year's result.
Mayor Katz, according to the Record article, is the one who has consistently led in the battle to curb tax increases and bring in new revenue streams, especially (as he has said repeatedly) in this year of transition because of the reval.
ACCORDING TO TAX RECORDS HONIS AND KATES FAMILY PROPERTY TAX BITE DECLINED WITH THE REVAL..LUCKY YOU!!!! FOR THE REST OF US WE STILL MUST URGE COUNCIL & TEDC TO ENCOURAGE RESONABLE DEVELOPMENT.
Anonymous said...
Mayor Katz, according to the Record article, is the one who has consistently led in the battle to curb tax increases and bring in new revenue streams, especially (as he has said repeatedly) in this year of transition because of the reval.
This did not appear in any Record article I can find. Can you specify the date and title?
FROM THE Record (2/14)REVALUATION STORY:
Mayor Elie Y. Katz has mentioned the revaluation several times as the Township Council has worked to craft the municipal budget over the past month.
"The reval is the foremost issue in my mind," Katz said. "We must bring in additional revenue to Teaneck to help relieve the tax burden to all the taxpayers."
Not the same thing at all.
"It is not best that we should all think alike; it is a difference of opinion that makes horse races." Mark Twain
True, but remember what happened to Mark Twain financially. That's the path we are trying to avoid in Teaneck.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Twain
Right. So let the township avoid publishing any memoirs by failed U.S. presidents.
Right. So let the township avoid publishing any memoirs by failed U.S. presidents.
"The reval is the foremost issue in my mind," Katz said.
It would be interesting to note how much the tax bills on his commercial properties have gone down as a result of the revaluation. Duh?
In addition, Mayor Katz has does nothing on either the revenue or expense side of the budget to lighten the tax burden.
Wrong again! Mayor Katz(Councilman Katz, at the time)was responsible for the hotel tax. I believe that brings in close to $500,000 a year. If some aggitators would stand down, Mayor Katz and the Council could lighten the tax burden.
I'd like the Council to lean harder on the Manager to reduce expenses.
Then come and take up one of the places filled by out-of-town dwelling township workers and greenies at the meetings. That might buck Jackie and Monica up to stand tough with the manager.
Maybe fresh paid leadership at the helm of our township would bring about he changes us town folk are looking fore.
With the recent loss of our clerk, it makes changeing the manager a little harder but it should not stop it and other top position changes from taking place.
Capt Librie has been calling for the Police chief and others to be replaced and claims to have supporting documentation as to why it must happen to benefit the town.
Of course since his promotion we have not herd from him.Give him time i do not think the raise will muzle him.He is a man of high standing.
I would like to see a hotel on FDU land north of rt 4. Brings in ratables and no kids to school.
win win win
Anonymous said...
Wrong again! Mayor Katz(Councilman Katz, at the time)was responsible for the hotel tax.
In his campaign literature, Mayor Katz said he was an advocate for the hotel tax. In public forums, he has given credit to the council which voted with him to enact the tax. There is no doubt that he played a significant role, but it is not likely he would claim he was responsible.
If any group was responsible it would be the state legislature who enacted legislation in July 2003 to allow municipalites to enact hotel occupancy taxes. Teaneck was one of rougly 115 municipalities that quickly took advantage of the new legislation to pass hotel occupancy taxes before the end of 2003.
The hotel tax was Paul Ostrow's idea.
Doubtfull
It definitely was Ostrow's idea, Katz agreed with him and voted with him and the Council to move it forward.
"US town folk"? Riiight.
And then you quote some self-serving NON-"townfolk" who lives in Paramus and meddled in our last election. Please, will you NON-townfolk gnomes who work for us just do your jobs and stay off our blogs? That's the best thing you could do for your credibility right now.
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