By Mark Rosman
Staff Writer
Staff Writer
ALLENTOWN – Improvements will be made to the Pearl Street parking lot in Allentown.
At their meeting on April 18, members of the Borough Council awarded a contract for the project to Rusling Paving and Concrete LLC. The amount of the contract is $11,128.
Councilman Robert Strovinsky said trees are uprooting the parking lot, and as part of the work to be performed, the tree roots will be removed. The parking lot will be resealed and new lines for the parking stalls will be painted.
Officials said the project is designed to provide more parking near the borough’s downtown district. Pearl Street runs between Church Street and Wilbur Drive.
In other action, the council unanimous passed a resolution offering support to a bill that was introduced in the state Assembly in February of 2016 and has been awaiting action.
The Homestead School Property Tax Reimbursement Act is sponsored by Republicans David Wolfe, Gregory McGuckin, Sean Kean, Robert Clifton and Ron Dancer. Clifton and Dancer represent Allentown. Wolfe, McGuckin and Kean represent Ocean County.
The bill was referred to Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee.
According to a summary of the bill, it would, if passed in the Senate and Assembly and signed into law by the governor, “reduce the school property tax burden on senior residents of the state who are 65 years or older by 50 percent.
“The bill provides a reimbursement for property taxes paid to eligible claimants from the Casino Revenue Fund. The bill phases in eligibility over a three-year period through income limits.
“For the first year, only seniors with incomes of $35,000 or less would be eligible for the reimbursement. The income limit rises to $75,000 for the second year and there is no income limit for the third year and thereafter. A surviving spouse who is at least 55 years of age also would qualify for the reimbursement.”
And, Councilman Thomas Fritts said officials are looking to hire a part-time or full-time employee for the Department of Public Works. He said Allentown is also in need of a school crossing guard to work on a fill-in basis.
In other business, council members accepted the resignation of Bill Faughnan from the Economic Development Committee and appointed Felecia Giliberti to fill the vacancy through Dec. 31, 2020. The council accepted the resignation of Harry Barber from the Recreation Committee and appointed Mark Jaskowski to fill the vacancy through Dec. 31, 2020.