Police Chiefs from Around the County Praise Byron-Lagattuta at Council Meeting

Public comment was dominated by an unusual wave of tributes to Chief Sheila Byron-Lagattuta from law enforcement colleagues across the region — Chief Vinnie Vitiello of the Orange Police Department, former Essex County Sheriff's official Quivella Mayweather, Chief James Abbott of West Orange (25 years as chief), retired officer's widow Nicole Zeuner, and Ray Hadduka all praised her professionalism and leadership. Separately, residents Jeff Egan and Tom Garske pressed the Council on funding for field repairs, particularly Hurrell Field, and Maureen Mycka raised concerns about public correspondence and the Borough's insurance bylaws.

Councilor Law abstained on a series of contract, appointment, and bond votes taken later in the meeting -- a pattern consistent with a recusal from those specific matters: the $76,780 fuel-pump replacement contract awarded to T. Slack Environmental Services; the $843,798.25 street-paving contract awarded to Stanziale Construction covering Midland Avenue, Lincoln Street, Woodland Avenue, Freeman Parkway, and streets radiating from the old Benson Street railroad station; the rejection of the sole, over-budget bid received for the 2021 Field Maintenance Program (with direction to rebid); the $174,000 contract awarded to American Athletic Track and Turf to resurface the Hurrell Field track using a $150,000 Essex County grant; the confirmation of Nicholas Colello's appointment to the Historic Preservation Commission; and a resolution authorizing up to $1,920,000 in bonds, sold to the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank and the State, to finance sanitary sewer improvements under the state's Water Bank Financing Program. All six measures nonetheless passed, since the remaining five council members voted in favor.

In business that passed without dissent, the Council approved two Sustainable Jersey grant applications (a $2,000 request for water-conservation education and a $10,000 request for waste-reduction programming) and canceled a small interest penalty for a resident's late tax payment. Councilor Lefkovits' Public Works report noted ongoing tree-debris chipping, pothole repairs, new LED radar stop signs at Douglas/Lincoln and Forest/Bay, and a Friday, March 26 deadline for gun-range ventilation bids.

What to watch

• Borough Administrator to issue a new Request for Bids for the 2021 Field Maintenance Program after the sole bid received was rejected as too costly
• Sale and closing of the $1,920,000 sewer improvement bonds through the NJ Infrastructure Bank/Water Bank Financing Program