Three Years Too Late…Lodi Politicians Violated another Town Ordinance w/ Gary Paparozzi

Almost three years after this Administration created a new title and position for former Lodi Mayor Gary Paparozzi, it had to introduce a new ordinance so that Paparozzi would be authorized to issue fines when counting cars on used car lots.

I guess they needed a little bit more than just a memo between Tony Luna and George Denobile (http://lodioverhaul.blogspot.com/2014/03/luna-has-some-powercreates-20000-job.html).

So for almost three years, Lodi not only paid Paparozzi for a job that wasn’t needed, they paid him for a job he wasn’t even authorized to do. 

Let’s take a look at the Ordinance 2014-11.  It was introduced last week and appeared in a public notice today.  Parts of the Ordinance are highlighted. 

WHEREAS, the Ordinances presently enforced by the Fire Prevention Bureau and/or the Borough's Property Maintenance Bureau with regard to certain sections of the Ordinance and by the Lodi Police Department with regard to other sections of the Ordinance; and

Comment:  So Paparozzi wasn’t authorized to enforce the Ordinance for the past three years.  Are the people that were fined aware of this?

WHEREAS, it is in the best interest of the Borough and its citizens to have others assist in the enforcement of said Ordinance in order to more efficiently regulate the businesses covered by said Ordinance;

Comment:  This was in the best interest of Paparozzi because he needed money.  This was in the best interest of the Lodi politicians because Paparozzi was threatening to put a ticket up against them. 

This was not in the best of interest of the Borough because its citizens are paying a salary for a position that definitely wasn’t needed. It was only created because a former mayor needed a job.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Lodi as follows: Article 1 Ordinance No. 808-31 Section 5 is hereby deleted and replaced with the following language: Section 5. This Ordinance shall be enforced by the Fire Prevention Bureau and/or the Technical Inspector of the Borough and/or the Property Maintenance Officer of the Borough and/or the Zoning Officer of the Borough or his designee with respect to ail requirements contained in said Ordinance except Section 4, Subsection (g) which Subsection shall be enforced by the Lodi Police Department.

Comment:  How large can you grow the “car counting” bureaucracy?  How many Borough departments are necessary for this one simple function?  The Fire Prevention Bureau is more than capable of enforcing the Ordinance on it's own (as it did in the past).

Public Notice in its entirety:

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the following proposed ordinance was introduced and passed on first reading at a meeting of the Borough Council of the Borough of Lodi in the County of Bergen, State of New Jersey, held on the 21st day of October, 2014, and that said ordinance will be taken up for further consideration for final passage at the meeting of said Borough Council to be held at its meeting room in the Borough Hall, in Lodi, N.J., on the 25th day of November, 2014, at 7 P.M., or as soon thereafter as said matter can be reached, at which time and place all persons who may be interested therein will be given the opportunity to be heard concerning the same. A copy of this ordinance has been posted on the bulletin board upon which public notices are customarily posted in the Borough Hall of the Borough and a copy is available up to and including the time of such meeting to the members of the general public of the Borough who shall request such copies, at the office of the Borough Clerk in said Borough Hall in Lodi, New Jersey Debra A. Ciliento, R.M.C. Borough Clerk Borough of Lodi County of Bergen, New Jersey ORDINANCE # 2014-11 BOROUGH OF LODI COUNTY OF BERGEN STATE OF NEW JERSEY AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND ORDINANCE NO, 808-31 ENTITLED AN ORDINANCE TO PROVIDE FOR THE LICENSING OF BUSINESSES ENGAGED IN THE SALE OF VEHICLES AND TO PROVIDE REGULATIONS FOR THE OPERATION OF SAID BUSINESS WHEREAS, Borough of Lodi Ordinance No. 808-31 regulates the licensing and operation of businesses engaged in the sale of motor vehicles within the Borough; and WHEREAS, the Ordinances presently enforced by the Fire Prevention Bureau and/or the Borough's Property Maintenance Bureau with regard to certain sections of the Ordinance and by the Lodi Police Department with regard to other sections of the Ordinance; and WHEREAS, it is in the best interest of the Borough and its citizens to have others assist in the enforcement of said Ordinance in order to more efficiently regulate the businesses covered by said Ordinance; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Lodi as follows: Article 1 Ordinance No. 808-31 Section 5 is hereby deleted and replaced with the following language: Section 5. This Ordinance shall be enforced by the Fire Prevention Bureau and/or the Technical Inspector of the Borough and/or the Property Maintenance Officer of the Borough and/or the Zoning Officer of the Borough or his designee with respect to ail requirements contained in said Ordinance except Section 4, Subsection (g) which Subsection shall be enforced by the Lodi Police Department. Articles 2 In the event any section, part or provision of this Ordinance shall be held unconstitutional or otherwise invalid by any Court of competent jurisdiction, such determination shall not affect the validity of this Ordinance or the remaining provisions which shall remain in full force and effect. Article 3 All other provisions of Ordinance No. 808-31 shall remain in full force and effect except as modified herein. Article 4 All ordinances or parts thereof which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Ordinance are hereby repealed to the extent of such inconsistency. ' Article 5 This Ordinance shall take effect ten (10) days after adoption and publication in the manner prescribed by law. Introduced on this 21st day of October, 2014. : Marc N. Schrieks, Mayor ATTEST: Debra Ciliento, Municipal Clerk Oct 27, 2014-fee:$97.34 (103) 3770212

This Is Expected of Luna & Schrieks but Cuccia Should Know Better.

The public should ask themselves the following questions when reading the Agreement between the Borough and Charles Cuccia:

1)  The Agreement states that it was NOT done through public bidding.  It states that it was for a “professional service.”  So why wasn’t it done through “Fair and Open”?

2)   Why doesn’t Charles Cuccia have an Agreement like this with any other town?  He is an “employee” of the other towns and listed on their payroll.   He is not awarded NO BID contracts in other towns.

3)  Why is the agreement specifically with Charles Cuccia when this Administration stated that two women are providing the work when “Treasury Services” appear on the monthly bills?

4)  This Administration said they learned that both the CFO and Treasurer positions had to be filled by “people” (not “Treasury Services”) and that their jobs cannot be outsourced.  The CFO (Charles Cuccia) and the Treasurer (Sheri Luna Biondi) were added to payroll because of this.  Why are their jobs still being outsourced to “Treasury Services”?  Why aren’t the “people” named as CFO and Treasurer doing their own jobs?

Link to the agreement: 

https://www.scribd.com/doc/244805187/Agreement-Between-Charles-Cuccia-Treasury-Services-and-Lodi


Link to post on this topic from two weeks ago:

http://lodioverhaul.blogspot.com/2014/10/no-bid-no-problemat-least-not-in-lodi.html 

The Rest of Lodi Deserves the Same Variances Now…

Last night, the Zoning Board approved the 400 Harrison Ave project pushed by Gary Paparozzi.  There were two “No” votes.

Everyone expects to be treated the same under the law and by their government.

That expectation has been shot down by Lodi in recent years.  Many people have been mistreated and disrespected when dealing with Gary Paparozzi and going before the Boards.  Many applicants have been denied for things trivial in comparison to what was awarded last night.

New development can be good for a community.  New projects can raise property values and restore pride, especially when new housing replaces old dilapidated homes.

But common sense should apply.  And most importantly, FAIRNESS should apply.

Everyone in Lodi with a $250,000 investment and a 100X132 piece of property should have every right that was bestowed upon the applicant last night.  They should now be entitled to replace their single family home with a 9-unit multifamily development.

Everyone seeking to make improvements or expand their homes should now be given the green light. They would be seeking less variances than those that were approved last night.

Everyone seeking to knock down their single family home and replace it with a new two family should now have that right, even if current code doesn’t allow because of property size.

How many people sold their Lodi properties in recent years for so much less than they ever wanted because they never imagined that they could receive the same variances that were awarded last night?

How many of those people will someday see “family and friends” of Lodi politicians get rich off of those same properties, the properties they themselves once owned?

I wanted to post this tax record before George Reggo alters it, discards it, or claims it doesn’t exist.

Anyone going before the Boards should save it, print it, and use it to make their case.  

And if you are treated any differently than the applicant last night, then you have every right to question the motives of those that deliver the special favors to the special applicants.

Gary Paparozzi should never have been placed in a position to play rainmaker.

Look at how many variances were required.

Public Notice:

LEGAL NOTICE: BOROUGH OF LODI ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT PLEASE TAKE NOTICE, that in compliance with the Zoning Ordinance of the Borough of Lodi and the Municipal Land Use Law, N.J.S.A. 40:55D-11 et seq., the Applicant, Tredici Enterprise, LLC has filed an application with the Board of Adjustment, Borough of Lodi, Bergen County, New Jersey for the real property located at 400 Harrison Avenue, identified as Block 51 Lot 12, on the official tax map of the Borough of Lodi, State of New Jersey (hereinafter "the Property"). The said application involves the redevelopment of the subject Property. Currently, the Property is developed with a one family residential house. The said house would be demolished, and the Property would be redeveloped for a nine unit, multi-family development with a roof-top open space and on-site parking. The subject Property is located in the R-2 Zoning District, which does not permit multi-family housing. Accordingly, a use variance will be required. As compared to the R-2 Zoning District requirements, the following variances would be required: (i) building height in stories (2 stories permitted and 3 stories proposed (however, the Board may consider the architectural mansford roof at the front / sides of the building to be considered a story, which would make the building 4 stories); (ii) building height in feet (25 feet permitted and 39.6 ft proposed (however, approximately 10 ft of the height is merely as a result of the mansford roof at the front / sides of the building); (iii) minimum floor area per dwelling unit (1,000 sq. ft required and 933 sq. ft proposed); and (iv) maximum lot coverage (60% maximum and 72.4% proposed). The Applicant also request preliminary and final site plan approval. For informational purposes, the Borough's R-LR Zoning District permits multi-family housing and, thus, the requirements of this Zone are more appropriate to evaluate the proposed development based on the R-LR Zone requirements, the following deviations exist as related to the proposed conditions: (i) minimum lot area; (ii) maximum building height in stories (if mansford roof is considered a story); (iii) maximum lot coverage. Proposed on-site parking at two spaces per unit will be provided for a total of eighteen on-site parking, which includes one handicap space. If the Board determines that the handicap space should not be included in the overall parking count, a parking variance would be required. Design waivers / variances requested include: parking lot aisle width; lack of landscape screening for parking areas; handicap space width (11 ft proposed vs. 12 ft required by Borough Code); no landscaping at site entrance; lack of landscaping throughout entire site; lack of a 25 foot buffer strip on north side of property; lack of landscape islands within parking area. The Applicant also request preliminary and final site plan approval. The Applicant reserves the right to amend its application and shall apply for such other variances or design waivers, interpretations, exceptions, approvals and/or relief the need of which becomes necessary or apparent during the course of the application process and/or the public hearing. Anyone affected by this application may have the opportunity to be heard at a public hearing to be held on Thursday, May 22, 2014 at 7:30 PM, or as soon thereafter as the Applicant may be heard, in the Council Chambers, Borough of Lodi, One Memorial Drive, Lodi, N.J. and when the case is called, you may appear either in person or by agent or attorney and present any objections you may have to the granting the relief sought in the petition. This notice is sent to you by the Applicant by order of the Borough of Lodi Zoning Board. This matter is a continuation from prior public hearings. All documents relating to this application are on file with the Borough's designated Administrator Officer for Land Use matters (kindly see Ms. Sharon Salvacion, Secretary to Zoning Oficer), and may be inspected by the public at Borough of Lodi, Borough Hall, One Memorial Drive, Lodi, N.J., during the hours in which Borough Hall conducts business. CHARLES H. SARLO, ESQ. on behalf of Applicant Dated: May 6, 2014 May 8, 2014-Fee:$103.95(110) 3683661