DISCUSSION OF THE 2008 PROPERTY TAX RATE WAS THE MAIN ITEM OF BUSINESS DURING THE MONDAY MEETING OF THE PRINCETON CITY COUNCIL. UNDER THE PROPOSED RATES, THE REAL TAX RATE FOR THE CITY OF PRINCETON WOULD SEE AN INCREASE OF 1/10 OF A CENT, PER 100-DOLLARS OF ASSESSED VALUATION, WHILE THE PERSONAL AND TANGIBLE PROPERTY RATES WOULD DECREASE BY 3/10 OF A CENT PER 100-DOLLARS OF ASSESSED VALUATION.
THE VALUE OF REAL PROPERTY ASSESSED IN THE CITY OF PRINCETON HAS INCREASED BY 6 1/2-MILLION DOLLARS, WHILE PERSONAL PROPERTY VALUATIONS HAVE INCREASED BY 2 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS. UNDER THE PROPOSED TAX RATES, THE CITY WOULD SEE A REVENUE INCREASE OF APPROXIMATELY 282,000-DOLLARS. A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE RATES WILL TAKE PLACE BEFORE THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING ON OCTOBER 20TH.
IN OTHER BUSINESS, CITY PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR DAVID SULLENGER ADVISED THE COUNCIL THAT HIS DEPARTMENT WAS ABOUT HALF WAY FINISHED WITH THE CLEANUP IN THE WAKE OF THE SEPTEMBER 14TH WINDSTORM THAT STRUCK THE PRINCETON AREA. SULLENGER TOLD THE COUNCIL THAT HE IS ESTIMATING A COMPLETION DATE IN THE EFFORT OF SOMETIME IN EARLY NOVEMBER. SULLENGER NOTED THAT THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT WAS AVERAGING HAULING OFF 30 TO 40 PICKUP LOADS OF DEBRIS A DAY.
THE COUNCIL HEARD FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE THAT WOULD ESTABLISH TWO HANDICAPPED PARKING PLACES ON THE SOUTHSIDE OF MARKET STREET, ADJACENT TO THE REAR ENTRANCE OF FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH. THE PARKING PLACES WOULD REPLACE TWO ALONG THE SOUTH SIDE OF MARKET STREET THAT ARE CURRENTLY DESIGNATED FOR PERSONNEL AT FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH.
THE COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED THE SECOND READING OF AN ORDINANCE, WHICH ESTABLISHED PAY RANKS FOR TEMPORARY LABOR.
THERE WAS DISCUSSION ABOUT THE USE OF WHEELCHAIR SAFETY DEVICES AMONG THOSE OPERATING MOTORIZED WHEELCHAIRS IN THE CITY LIMITS. ONE PRINCETON RESIDENT ADVISED THE COUNCIL THAT MORE INFORMATION SHOULD BE MADE AVAILABLE TO WHEELCHAIR OPERATORS. THERE WAS SOME CONCERN EXPRESSED ABOUT AUTOMOBILE DRIVERS IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA EXERCISING ENOUGH CAUTION WHEN WHEELCHAIRS WERE IN OPERATION.
CONCERN WAS ALSO EXPRESSED ABOUT THE LENGTH OF PEDESTRIAN CROSSING SIGNALS, AND WHETHER OR NOT THEY ALLOWED ENOUGH TIME FOR PEDESTRIANS OR WHEELCHAIR OPERATORS TO CROSS IN A SAFE MANNER.
DURING THE MAYOR’S REPORT, MAYOR CHERRY UPDATED THE COUNCIL ON THE PROGRESS BEING MADE BY THE PLAYGROUND COMMITTEE:
(MAYOR COUNCIL 1)
THE MAYOR POINTED OUT THAT THEY WERE HOPING TO BE ABLE TO SECURE GRANT FUNDING FROM A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT SOURCES FOR THE PLAYGROUND AND FOR THE WALKING TRAIL BEING CONSIDERED. FINALLY, THE MAYOR TALKED ABOUT EFFORTS TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATIONS IN TIMES OF CRISIS, THIS IN THE WAKE OF THE WINDSTORM OF SEPTEMBER 14TH:
(MAYOR COUNCIL 2 )
THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER 20TH.
AT WORK BUNCH Join the "At Work Bunch"
and have special chances
to win great stuff.
Email us here.
