Council and Board meetings

Last night I attended the City Council meeting and Board of Education meetings. Below you will see the notes from the City Council meeting. I have to wait to see what personnel issues were approved by the Board of Education during their closed session, before I report on it.

The following are the highlights and notes from the City Council meeting.

Dana Redd was absent

The building (1667 Davis Street) across the street from Medical Arts High school and adjacent to Whitman Park is in the process of being sold to make that building a new charter school

City Council approved some of the names for the Shade Tree Advisory Board

New Tax Revaluation approved
Will cost $3.5 million – this will paid for with bonds, ultimately by the Camden tax payers
Revaluation is required by the state constitution
The last one occurred in 1992 (according to Frank Fulbrook)
The last time this occurred, many people’s taxes increased 400%
The revaluation will assure that people are paying taxes on 100% of the market value of the home
According to the acting director of Finance, this process will take no less than two years

City Council tabled a measure to spend $3.4 million relocate a main sewer in the Gateway neighborhood
Two residents commented that this does not seem to be an issue that is worth that much money.

There will be a new lease agreement with Respond for three residential homes to be used for emergency short term housing. This will be managed by the Department of Health & Human Services

The change of the curfew was approved. The curfew on Fridays and Saturdays will be at 10p, the same time it currently is during the rest of the week
This was the idea of Chief of Police Ed Hargis and supported by the mayor and all of City Council
Frank Fulbrook announced that he is against this, which Councilman Moran thought was ridiculous as a parent in Camden. Fulbrook erroneously stated that crimes with youth do not occur at night.
Dennis Kille originally approved a plan that went against state statute, but this version is legal. Hopefully this means Frank can’t sue.

Scot McCray, a bright young man from Camden and independent thinker, was reappointed to the Housing Authority as a commisoner

The Department of Health & Human Services accepted a $322,000 grant to continue to do psychological and social programs for youth. The Division of Youth Services is headed by Foday Kamara.

Councilman Curtis Jenkins abstained from voting to demolish three properties. He did not state his reason. The demolitions cost $26,000-$37,000. Hargrove will do these demolitions