Parking meter ordinance to be voted on at later date.
By: Jennifer Potash
The municipal budget and high school parking top the Princeton Borough Council’s agenda tonight.
A proposed extension of downtown parking meter hours of operation will be deferred to the July 6 meeting.
The council will continue a public hearing on the proposed $21.8 million municipal budget that projects a 14-cent tax rate increase to 86 cents per $100 of assessed property value. Under the proposed budget, the owner of a home assessed at the borough average of $347,138 would pay $2,985 in municipal taxes.
Compared to the 2003 municipal budget of $19.4 million that carried a 72-cent tax rate, the owner of a residence assessed at the borough’s average would pay $486 more in property taxes for municipal purposes, an increase of nearly 20 percent, in 2004.
The 2004 budget reflects revenue shortfalls from last year and increased expenses, such as health insurance for municipal employees.
For example, the borough received $447,907 in construction code fees in 2003 only slightly more than half the expected amount of $800,000.
Some policy changes resulted in lowering the proposed tax for 2004 from an initial 20-cent increase suggested earlier this year. For example, the municipality switched from a self-insured medical care program to the state’s health insurance plan and imposed a hiring freeze that includes not replacing some employees who leave.
Also, the municipality raised its sewer rates and the change is expected to generate $155,000. Officials have said the increase will only cover the borough’s sewer expenses and not provide revenue for other budget shortfalls.
A proposal on parking meters would extend enforcement hours at the short-term meters in the central business district from 7 to 9 p.m. and add hours on Sundays from 1 to 6 p.m.
Borough Administrator Robert Bruschi said the borough attorneys are reviewing the proposed ordinance needed to change the meter hours.
The council will continue to discuss other policy changes aimed at making a dent in the 2005 municipal budget.
Councilman Andrew Koontz proposed a resolution calling for a road repair program that does not increase the municipality’s debt, possible reductions in the engineering, violations and police departments, and launching a study about combining the borough and Princeton Township police dispatcher services.
A parking permit ordinance before the Borough Council would address some of the conflicts stemming from student, faculty and residential parking around Princeton High School.
The proposed ordinance would establish on-street parking permits for residents and eligible high school students for a fee of $50.
Borough Attorney Michael J. Herbert said the fee would cover the borough’s administrative and enforcement costs.
All permits would run from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sept. 1 to June 30.
Residential and faculty parking would be available on Houghton Road, between Moore Street and Walnut Lane.
The student parking would be on Franklin Avenue between Ewing Street and the Princeton Township border and on Walnut Lane between Houghton Road and the township border. Residents who have off-street parking would be permitted to buy one decal while residents without any off-street parking could purchase up to two decals under the proposed ordinance.
If a permit-holding resident wanted a guest or visitor to park on-street during the permit hours, that resident would have to notify the borough police department with the vehicle information and license plate number. The guest permits would be for two consecutive nights only. The faculty on-street parking would carry no cost and would expire upon the completion of the high school construction work.
To take effect, the ordinance would be conditioned on the approval of a companion ordinance by the Princeton Township Committee and a resolution by the Princeton Regional School Board of Education implementing the provisions of the ordinances.