KEARNY —
Kearny has a new construction official.
Anthony Chisari, who has worked for the town for about 15 years in the construction office, gained a permanent appointment to the post at last week’s meeting of the mayor and Town Council.
Chisari, who was elevated from assistant construction official, had been serving as acting construction official for the past several months in place of Michael Martello, who was using banked vacation time leading up to his retirement Aug. 1.
“He did a fabulous job as the acting official,” said Robert Smith, town business administrator.
No other candidates were considered for the post, Smith said.
Chisari, who is now classified as an “exempt” employee, will draw annual pay of $104,248, representing the first step on the salary guide under a recently negotiated labor contract for exempts, according to Smith.
Smith said Chisari will be entitled to maintain five weeks’ vacation each year, as per the terms under the contract for department heads/assistant department heads and to retain the unused sick days he has banked to date — but he’s “frozen” as of Aug. 1.
In other business, the governing body:
- Amended its 5-year agreement with Suez Water Environmental Services Inc. for the operation of the town’s water utility by changing the terms of the maintenance fund and capital improvements section which calls for the town to set aside $550,000 each year for emergency repairs.
Under the original agreement, if an emergency repair cost in excess of $700, the town was obliged to pay for that excess amount by the end of the month. Now, however, Suez will pay the entire amount against a credit to be logged for each repair and, if the aggregate total by year’s end exceeds $550,000, the town will pay that amount.
“It’s easier to track that way,” said James Bruno, the town’s consulting attorney.
- Authorized an “escrow agreement” with Hugo Neu Kearny Development LLC for professional fees, including bond counsel, related to the proposed redevelopment and infrastructure improvements at 77-90 S. Hackensack Ave., which the town has designated as an area in need of redevelopment.
Those improvements include raising the site above the flood, implementing a ground improvement program on the elevated site to preserve infrastructure and to build roadways and utilities on the site.
To that end, Hugo Neu has sought the assistance of bond counsel “to help develop a plan that might qualify for state grant or loan assistance,” through the state DEP and state Infrastructure Transit, “to promote redevelopment of the property provided that the company fund an escrow account … from which the town may pay professional costs and fees ….”
- Approved a professional-services agreement with McManimon, Scotland & Baumann LLC of Roseland to provide bond-related legal services for the redevelopment project proposed by Hugo Neu for 77-90 S. Hackensack Ave., “at hourly rates of $325 for attorneys and $180 for legal assistants, at a cost not to exceed $20,000 … through Dec. 31, 2017.”
- Agreed to pay Clean Harbors Environmental Services, headquartered in Massachusetts, $78,865 for the removal and disposal of oil-contaminated water at the Garfield Ave. Pump House, conditional on submission of a signed statement by town DPW Superintendent Gerry Kerr that the job had arisen to the level of an emergency to prevent any tainted water from flowing into Frank’s Creek off the Third St. dead-end.
- Rejected all bids received for the Schuyler School Generator Project funded by FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) Hazardous Mitigation Grant Program as excessive.
