Council to consider contractor registration

Contractor

By: Linda Seida – Staff Writer
LAMBERTVILLE – Contractors who work in Lambertville must be registered either with the state or the city, a decision that will protect property owners, officials say.
That’s the thrust of a new ordinance under consideration by the City Council.
A public hearing on the proposal will be held Monday during a council meeting, which begins at 7 p.m. at the Justice Center, 25 S. Union St.
Construction Official Ken Rogers suggested the proposed ordinance, which would require non-residential contractors to register with the city.
Mayor David Del Vecchio said a lot of Pennsylvania contractors perform work in the city. "We’re not sure who they are," he said. "We’re not sure about a lot of things."
"This could affect in-state contractors, but primarily it would affect out-of-state contractors," Mr. Rogers said.
He explained that the city "cannot regulate anybody already regulated by the state."
For example, tradesmen such as plumbers and electricians who are already registered with the state of New Jersey would not be required to register with the city.
The new ordinance would apply to all construction contractors who perform work on all non-residential sites.
Registering with the city will not change the need for contractors to obtain construction permits. They still will be required to do so.
According to the proposal, the contractor registration would be good for one year. The initial registration fee would be $200.
Contractors would be able to renew the registration annually. After the first year, the registration fee would drop to $100.
Applicants for registration would have to submit a certificate of insurance to the city’s Construction Office that includes a current policy for workers compensation insurance coverage and public liability insurance coverage.
The proposed ordinance contains provisions for denying registration to a contractor and also for revoking registration.
Among the reasons for denial or revocation would be failure to maintain adequate insurance coverage. Another reason would be a verified complaint from a property owner for unsafe services, unjustified interruption of work or substandard workmanship.