Ovens, Crocs and a $100K Blind Spot: The Summit Council Agenda

The agenda for this week’s Common Council Meeting starts where we left off last time – a closed session with potentially impactful items on the list but very little detail.  This is a common issue when it comes to government bodies – there is a way of giving the public more information than simply a label without compromising anything legally. Of course, most bodies know that County prosecutors would barely lift a finger and most folks wont go through the trouble of taking them to court.

This week’s closed session tackles many of the same items – Firehouse Property, Tatlock Preservation Litigation, FD Vacancies and host of appointments.

Onto the public portion of the agenda..

701 Springfield Avenue / Our House group home

Summit wants to subdivide what it owns at 701 Springfield and give out the new parcel to Our House for a buck. This will lead to a four bedroom (min.) group home connected to Summit’s AH plan.

Development ordinance banning detention/correction facilities
Might have something to do with the Feds putting detention centers everywhere, but that’s not what the ordinance says– this would prevent detention or correction facilities in all zones except for the temporary facilities at PD.  Amends chapter 35.

Tatlock Park / Tatlock Field security cameras
$78,479.37 co-op purchase from Gold Type Business Machine for security cameras at Tatlock Park/Tatlock Field. -some of the work is going to be done by the City so that $78K+ might be a little less than what it will actually cost.

Victory Town Marker
Installs a “Victory Town Marker” on the Village Green as part of America’s 250 / Washington-Rochambeau (you have your orders now, go man go) Revolutionary Route work to show folks where French army ovens were built (probably for bread and those little chickens). Just kidding – it was to trick the Brits. Scheduled for unveiling at the Memorial Day Parade on 05/25.

Broad Street Sidewalk Project delay
Summit wants another six-month NJDOT award extension for the Broad Street Sidewalk Project($545K Safe Streets to Transit grant) which would add sidewalk from Walnut Street to Denman Place and a stairway up to Park Line. Documentation indicates county, right-of-way problems with railway property are reasons its delayed.

Temporary art at City Hall
Temporary installation of “Bose IV” by Eugene Ebipade Konboye on City Hall facing Springfield Ave – made from recycled flip flops and undeservedly ridiculed Crocs- showing from 04/26 through 04/27.

School Payment
 Payments to the BOE – ~$40M for July 1 through December 31, 2026 in monthly payments @ $6,656,114 for July through November and $6,656,111 in December.

East Summit playground / LaSanders Fund
Summit’s accepting a $350K donation from the LaSanders Fund / LaSanders Charitable Gift Trust for a new playground behind the Summit Community Center – ages 2-5. Should allow the project to move forward in 2026 with no new capital budget request.

Budget amendments / grants
Three Chapter 159 budget amendments:

$40K for the State of NJ 2024 American Rescue Plan Fire Fighter Grant

$85K for the State of NJ Local Recreation Improvement Grant 2023  (Mabie Playground)

$75K for the Union County 2025 Infrastructure Grant.

The Union County Infrastructure Grant resolution is dated/certified as May 19, 2025, even though the meeting and resolution are for May 19, 2026– likely a typo.

Bills and payroll
The payment resolution totals $2,080,752.54:

$1,127,136.46 in bills
$953,616.08 payroll.

Check copies show a $100K payment to Sills Cummis & Gross P.C. labeled “BSW litigation settlement,”

BOE appointments / correspondence
Mayor letters-
Eileen Kelly re-appointed to BOE through 5/14/2029
Kim Gianis appointed to through 5/14/2029
Jenny Hoff appointed to fill an unexpired term through 5/14/2028.

NJ American Water / Gordon’s Corner Water
 Like NP’s packet last week, theres a notice of public hearing on May 20, 2026, for BPU Docket No. WM25110610 regarding American Water / New Jersey American Water’s proposed acquisition and merger of Gordon’s Corner Water Company – it also states that no rate changes are proposed but Gordon’s customers would be subject to future Board-approved increases after the merger.

Source Documents