Upper Saddle River
June 6, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • Page 3
This November, voters in Upper Saddle River will be asked to reaffirm their support for the borough’s Open Space Trust Fund, which must be renewed every five years. Mayor Joanne Minichetti noted that the borough has had an Open Space Trust Fund that was overwhelmingly approved by voters two previous times. In November of 2011 the item was on the ballot, but was voted down. “The purpose of this fund covers both the purchase of properties for open space and recreation maintenance and improvements,” Mayor Minichetti explained. “I believe it went down because people didn’t know what it is or its purpose. “The open space funding is used for maintenance and improvement of our recreational facilities. For instance, the Fields Committee and Recreation Commission are currently awaiting approval from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to add gabion baskets along the Saddle River to mitigate some flooding issues at Lions Park. Plans are also under way to address some long-term drainage issues. We are in the process of adding street lighting along the Lions Park parking lot for the safety of our residents during the numerous town events held there. Plans are also being considered to add either one or two new fields at Lions to allow for more playing time for our teams. The Hess and Lions playgrounds are in need of replacement due to outdated equipment that no longer meets safety code.” She added, “Liberty Park has been restored after last year’s storms and enhanced with a new irrigation system, landscaping, and picnic tables. Hess and Lions have been restored and work has been done on the baseball fields, field houses, and drainage. “Our recreational facilities are enjoyed by all. Like the schools, whether you utilize the parks or not, they make our town a desirable place to live. The Open Space Trust
Open space referendum to be on November ballot
Fund makes improvements of this kind possible. I think once people realize all we use it for, and how vital this fund is to keeping our parks and fields in good shape, they will support it.” The question that will be posed to voters in the November general election asks: “Shall the Borough of Upper Saddle River establish a dedicated tax program and impose an annual tax levy at the rate of $0.01 per $100.00 of assessed value for a period of five (5) years for any or all of the following purposes, or any combination thereof, as determined by the governing body; acquisition, development and maintenance of lands for recreation and conservation purposes, acquisition and preservation of farmland
and historic properties; and debt service for any of these purposes?” The accompanying interpretive statement reads: “This proposition would authorize the Borough of Upper Saddle River to establish a Municipal Trust Fund for the acquisition, development, maintenance, and preservation of lands for recreation and conservation purposes as well as acquisition of farmland and historic properties for preservation purposes and for the payment of debt service for any of these purposes. Real property owners in the borough would be taxed annually at the rate of $0.01 per $100 of assessed value to fund this program, which is equal to $75.50 for an average property assessed at $755,000.”
Talented teen
Barnstable Academy high school student Hannah Edelman of Saddle River recently competed in the Bergen County Teen Arts Festival, entering a few original pieces including a collage she calls, ‘Put Your Eye Where Your Mouth Is,’ which was chosen to be displayed at the Bergen County Administrative building in June.