By Mark Rosman
Staff Writer
JACKSON – Municipal officials are moving forward with a plan to enclose a patio area at the Jackson Senior Center on Don Connor Boulevard.
At the Sept. 13 meeting of the Township Council, officials passed a resolution authorizing the preparation of specifications and the advertisement for bids for a project that will enclose the patio at the building.
Business Administrator Helene Schlegel said enclosing the 800-square-foot patio will create more of a permanent area for arts and crafts and the nutrition program at the senior center.
According to the resolution, funding for the project will be provided through an Ocean County Community Development Block Grant that was awarded to Jackson for 2015 and 2016.
Jackson received grants in the amount of $136,000 in 2016 and $139,983 in 2015, according to Schlegel.
Settembrino Architects will prepare the bid specifications for the project. Following that, a date for the receipt of bids will be selected and a request for bids from contractors will be advertised, according to the resolution.
In other business, the council took action that is aimed at bringing revenue to the municipality.
Officials passed a resolution authorizing the public sale of two new plenary retail consumption licenses in Jackson. The minimum bid for a plenary retail consumption license is $400,000.
A plenary retail consumption license may be held by a bar, restaurant, club or lounge. The licensee can sell alcoholic beverages for on premises and off premises consumption. Sales for off premises consumption must be made from the public barroom and goods for sale may only be displayed on the perimeter walls, according to www.nj.gov/oag/abc/
And, officials passed a resolution authorizing the sale of one plenary retail distribution license in Jackson. The minimum bid for that license will be $350,000.
With a plenary retail distribution license, the licensee (i.e., a liquor store) can only sell alcoholic beverages for consumption off the licensed premises, according to www.nj.gov/oag/abc/
The resolutions authorize the municipal clerk to publish newspaper notices informing the public the liquor licenses are available and stating the date by which a bid must be received from an individual or entity wishing to purchase a license.
The clerk will review the applications that are submitted and announce the bidders who are qualified to purchase a license no later than five days before the bids are opened.
And, council members voted 5-0 to pass a resolution which followed up on a discussion that took place at a recent meeting.
At that previous meeting, municipal officials discussed how the purchasers of some homes in Jackson are buying homes in the name of a limited liability company (LLC) so as not to reveal the identity of the individuals who are behind the transactions.
Council president Rob Nixon called for action that would require the people behind an LLC to make their identities known.
At the Sept. 13 meeting, Nixon said he met with state Assemblyman Ron Dancer (R-Monmouth, Ocean, Middlesex, Burlington) to address the issue.
According to the resolution the council passed that evening, Dancer is sponsoring A-4100, which if passed in the Senate and Assembly and signed into law by the governor “would require an LLC or foreign LLC that is the grantor or grantee of a deed for residential real property containing one to four dwelling units to disclose the individual members of the company when it files a deed for recording.”
The council’s resolution states that the passage of A-4100 “would enable the public to know the names of individuals involved in purchasing property in residential neighborhoods, although the individuals have acted through shell LLCs.”
With their vote, the council members stated their support for the bill Dancer is sponsoring.
“When this bill is referred to a committee (in the Legislature), Jackson residents must reach out and let them know we want this bill, so Democrats understand this is a statewide issue. I need our residents to follow up on this. The people of this town have a right to know who owns the property next door to them,” Nixon said.
A resident who addressed the council during the public comment portion of the meeting thanked officials for taking action to support Dancer’s legislation.
In other news, municipal clerk Ann Marie Eden reported that the only residents who filed nominating petitions to run for three available four-year terms on the council in the Nov. 8 election are incumbent councilmen Ken Bressi, Barry Calogero and Rob Nixon. The terms will run from Jan. 1, 2017 through Dec. 31, 2020.
Jackson’s municipal election is nonpartisan and candidates do not run under the banner of a political party, although the representatives of a political party may endorse a candidate or candidates.
