WOODBINE –Woodbine borough Solicitor Richard Tonetta brought council up to date Dec. 3 on the latest developments related to Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) rules as they affect the municipality.
Tonetta said he will meet with the “master” and professional expert appointed by Judge Nelson Johnson, Atlantic County Civil Division, whose role is to guide the process as the court decides which municipalities are meeting their COAH obligations.
“Our numbers from 2007 when COAH was created will be compared to current levels and hopefully we have enough credits to cover our COAH obligations for the present and that there will be credits remaining for advance obligations,” Tonetta explained.
“Judge Johnson asked each municipality to pay $2,000 in anticipation of litigation and we all knew that the aggregate amount would not be sufficient. I am hoping that we can get out of any future litigation since the plaintiff, Fair Share Housing, has its own expert that we would need to defend against which would cost additional funds,” continued Tonetta.
Each municipality pays its contribution based on the size of its town and its compliance level. “The numbers Fair Share is demanding are outlandish and when I meet with the master and expert I want to show that the borough is being very proactive regarding COAH, that we’re not just doing nothing and that we need some direction from him to finalize our participation,” Tonetta said.
Rental Registration Ordinance
Tonetta said that Superior Court Judge Christopher Gibson, Atlantic County Civil Division, had upheld the borough’s ordinance as constitutional regarding its rights to have Woodbine property owners who rent their property register as so doing with the municipality.
In a side note, Tonetta remarked that while other court decisions have held that municipalities do not have the right to license rental properties, municipalities do have the right to require registration.
Woodbine’s ordinance provides for annual registration while some municipalities only require registration at the time of change in occupancy.
“It’s very important that we maintain our ability to require landlords to register and let us know who actually is living in their property. We have a number of absentee landlords and it’s critical we know who is living in these properties in case there is an emergency,” said Mayor William Pikolycky.
Tonetta agreed adding, “This is a way we can protect our seniors or others who don’t fully understand what they are entitled to in terms of rentals which sometimes fall into squalor or don’t have heat for example.
Keep Pets Warm
Pikolycky said that he was happy to announce that Shore Animal Control Services will distribute free straw to insulate, on a temporary basis, pet shelters.
“I commend Dr. Nick Holland of Shore Animal Control because this is such a vital service,” said Pikolycky.
According to information provided by the mayor’s office, no one, including Holland, supports leaving pets outside during the cold winter months.
However, for the occasions of a rare and short duration, when there is some urgency and a pet must stay outside for a short period in a pet shelter, straw provides temporary insulation.
Blankets are not advised as insulation since they become wet and moldy and make a bad situation worse.
Shore Animal Control can be reached at 1-800-351-1822. If anyone suspects animal cruelty or neglect immediately contact the N.J. State SPCA at 1-800-582-5979.
To contact Camille Sailer, email csailer@cmcherald.com.
Cape May – Governor Murphy says he doesn't know anything about the drones and doesn't know what they are doing but he does know that they are not dangerous. Does anyone feel better now?
