Amended Ordinance Increases

Charge By 30% By 2021

8/5/19 Business & Council Meeting

By: Joseph L. Kuchie

Acting Municipal Clerk
Laura Kemble-Kalantsis

SOUTH AMBOY – The South Amboy city council voted on and approve Ordinance No. 16-2019 on Wednesday, which will increase sewer use charges for residential units from $33.34 per 1,000 cubic feet in 2019 to $44.24 by 2021.

The ordinance also states that multifamily (over two dwelling units) and hotels will pay $74.96 per 1,000 cubic feet of water usage, and commercial buildings will pay $82.84 per 1,000 cubic feet. 

The current sewer rates haven’t been raised in 11 years. According to Ordinance No. 30-2008, the residential charges were $27.89 for the first 1,000 cubic feet and $34.08 per unit for every 1,000 cubic feet of water thereafter.  

The vote passed 4-1, with Councilman Tom Reilly the only vote of no. Reilly explained in his public comments that he didn’t believe this new ordinance was fair to residents.

South Amboy is not the only town in New Jersey raising their sewer user charges. Residents in Highland Park and Verona will both have at least a 10 percent increase in their charges this year.

Back in July, Business Administrator Glenn Skarzynski mentioned that the city was “getting hit with pretty substantial repair bills” and that the sewers needed to be upgraded. The city chose to go with an incremental increase over two years rather than immediately go to the increase of $44.24 per year 

The council meeting began with a moment of silence for the victims of the mass shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio. Mayor Fred Henry urged the U.S. Government to step up and find a solution to end gun violence in our country.

“I’ve mentioned it once before a couple years ago I believe, and again pleading to Congress, the United States, and the President of the United States with these mass killings to finally come up with some kind of sensible gun laws,” Henry said. “There has to be something done, we can’t just be blaming video games, other countries have video games with their kids, they have other things going on, but they don’t have the mass killings that we seem to have ever so often in the United States.”

“I think it’s about time somebody that is responsible take up the challenge of trying to do something, just to make our country safer,” he added.

Wednesday’s meeting was the last council meeting for Acting Municipal Clerk Laura Kemble. The city council conducted their final interview with the new Municipal Clerk during a closed session at the 6:00 p.m. business meeting, and passed a resolution making the hiring official at the regular 7:00 p.m. council meeting.

“Laura you’ve been with us a long time, you’ll always be part of the South Amboy family and I think I can speak on behalf of the whole council, we all love you and think you did a great job,” Council President Mickey Gross said.

All council members were in attendance for both the business meeting and regular council meeting. The next city council meeting will be held on September 18 at 7:00 p.m.