Monday's Council meeting put me in mind of Billie Holiday classic

I was put in mind of a classic by Lady Day.

Monday night's agenda seemed simple and straightforward enough, but as it unfolded I was put in mind of the Billy Holiday classic "A foggy day in London Town" (listen here).

Two items caused the Council to stumble:

• (D) a resolution to amend the Sleepy Hollow designated neighborhood to add more properties, and
  
  
  
• (M2019-05) an ordinance to establish a 3.5% cap bank.

SLEEPY HOLLOW DESIGNATED NEIGHBORHOOD

City Council -- at the instigation of the Friends of Sleepy Hollow (FOSH) -- had some time ago designated boundaries for an officially recognized neighborhood.

After doing research on the original development of the neighborhood, some property owners approached the Council about adjusting the boundary to include some properties inadvertently left out on the first go round.

These property owners are part of a group known as Sleepy Hollow Neighbors, who petitioned Council for the change.

Councilor Storch on Monday brought up properties on Watchung Avenue that weren't mentioned in the resolution. Discussion ensued; the Council seemed bemused, if not confused.

Councilor McRae proposed tabling the matter until things had been clarified. After more discussion -- and a sharp rebuke of Councilor Storch by Mayor Mapp for having spoken to a Division head without the Department head's knowledge or permission (not that Storch is the ONLY councilor to have ever transgressed this rule) -- Council President put the matter to a roll call vote, and it was moved to next Monday's business agenda with a 6-1 vote (McRae voting nay).

After all the back and forth, it occurred to me that Council may not fully understand there are two different groups involved in the matter at hand.

Do councilors never raise questions with the President in advance of the meetings? Wouldn't that be a good idea?


CAP BANK

The next matter to cause some confusion was the proposal to introduce an ordinance (M2019-05) to increase the cap bank limit to 3.5%. It was presented and explained by the City's CFO, Richard Gartz.

The cap bank is the limit the state sets on the increase a municipality may make the appropriations for a given year at 2.5% over the previous year's budget.

Councilors Davis, Hockaday, Armady and Storch all had questions, which Gartz answered -- I thought clearly enough.

I was somewhat surprised that Councilor Storch, who has been through this fifteen times before, was not clear that this did not affect taxes based on the budget but was an appropriation permission granted by the state that would only involve increasing taxes if it were invoked. Not invoked, no tax increase. Option to increase the cap bank not taken, tough luck if you run into trouble. Seemed clear enough to me.

What is more surprising is that two of the three members of the Finance Committee asked no questions at all. Did they really understand the matter at hand? Why didn't they step up and support the CFO's explanation?

Instead, Mayor Mapp spoke to affirm Gartz's explanation.

Not exactly confidence-inspiring in the grasp of senior councilors on the matter.

All of which put me in mind of Billie Holiday and foggy London Town...

Sometimes, a little less fog is desirable.

---

  -- Dan Damon [follow]

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