Smarter Safer Better
ISSUES
Stop Giving No Bid Contracts
Stop Giving Full Time Pensions for Part-Time Work
Restore Westfield's Commitment to Public Safety
Restore the Staffing Levels of Our Police Force
Restore the Staffing Levels of Our Fire Department
Restore Crossing Guards on Central Avenue
Move the Central Avenue Pedestrian Crossing to a Location that Makes Sense
Stop the Speeders from Making Our Streets Dangerous
Restore Basic Public Services
Repair and Maintain Westfield's Roads
Plow Westfield's Roads Timely and Properly
Become Environmentally Pro-Active
Improve Access to Our Town Council
Increase Communication
Treat Residents with Respect
Restore Fiscal Responsibility
In order to begin fixing the many issues caused by our Town Council, we must restore fiscal responsibility to our town.
Moody's, the bond rating service, lowered Westfield's bond rating in 2010. It cited five consecutive years of deficits. During those years, Westfield balanced its budget by spending down its Surplus Account. Now that there is nothing left of the Surplus Account, our Town Council strains to provide basic services to our residents.
The Town Council is now in a race against time to replace the obsolete 9-1-1 system before September.
The Town Council cannot adequately staff the fire department to the point that the fire department has to violate national safety guidelines to protect us.
The Town Council has rendered our fire department's ladder truck useless and we now rely upon Cranford's ladder truck to keep us safe.
The Town Council has cut crossing guards on Central Avenue forcing children to cross that dangerous road by themselves.
The Town Council placed the new Central Avenue Pedestrian Crossing in such a dangerous location that it now must have a crossing guard stationed there.
The Town Council has let our police department reach its lowest staffing levels in years.
The Town Council cannot adequately plow our roads.
The Town Council cannot adequately repair and maintain our roads.
The Town Council cannot even admit that its fiscal irresponsibility has caused these problems. If the Town Council could not properly function when there was no tax cap or when there was a soft tax cap, how can it possibly function now that there is a hard tax cap?
What will change in another 4 years if the incumbents are re-elected? We need new ideas and a fresh approach. Please support me with your vote on Election Day on Tuesday, November 8, 2011.
See News Articles on Westfield's Finances:
Council Rushes to Implement New 911 System
Moody's Downgrades Town's Bond Rating
Town Awarded AAA Bond Rating
Town Surplus Declines $4 Million From 2008 to 2010
Stop Giving No-Bid Contracts
Our town has no business giving no bid contracts to any vendor. Yet year in and year out Westfield continues to give no bid contracts to various vendors including but not limited to town attorneys and the traffic consultant.
Several years ago, the Town Council raised the hourly rate paid to the town attorney from $100/hour to $150/hour and awarded the job without bidding. The town attorney at that time was the former chairman of the incumbent political party. This is why all contracts should be bid. There should be no favortism in the awarding of town contracts.
The Town Council continues to award no bid contracts to the same traffic consultant just about every year. This is particularly questionable because the traffic consultant provided a report stating that the Central Avenue Pedestrian Crossing should be at the intersection of Clover and Central. Yet somehow, the traffic consultant concurred without basis that the current location of the Pedestrial Crossing, in the middle of the block in a resident's driveway, was a safe location for the Crossing after the last public meeting on the topic took place. This is another reason why contracts should be bid. Bidding takes out any possibility of the loss of objectivity.
See News Articles on No-Bid Contracts:
Town Attorney Hiring Process Questioned
Haas Cites No-Bid Status for No Vote on Appointments
Stop Giving Full Time Pensions for Part-Time Work
There is absolutely no need whatsoever to give a part-time employee a full-time pension. Yet the Town Council does so each and every year. Full-time pensions for part-time employees costs the town about $10,000 per employee per year. Last year, the Town Council funded at least three full-time pensions for part-time employees yet cut crossing guards on Central Avenue and other locations that cost about the same amount.
Funding full-time pensions for part-time work is even more egregious when the identity of the part-timers is disclosed. One part-timer receiving a full-time pension is an incumbent councilman's father who has three public jobs. Another was the former chairman of the incumbent political party. Why are these individuals' pensions more important than crossing guards for our children, fire and police personnel, repairs to our roads, and the list goes on and on.
Last fall, when I was circulating a petition to restore the Sycamore/Central crossing guard, one resident said to me that he was shocked that in an almost $40 million town budget, the Town Council could not find something more wasteful than the crossing guard that helped his daughter cross Central Avenue every day. He said that cutting his crossing guard was the epitomy of everything that is wrong with government. I could not agree more. There are so many truly wasteful areas in which the Town Council could have and still can make cuts. No child should have to cross Central Avenue without a crossing guard.
During one Town Council meeting, I suggested that the Town cut the full-time pensions for part-time employees to pay for the crossing guards. I was rebuked by the Town Council. My opponent in this election even defended the full-time pensions for part-time employees. That is shocking to me.
The Town Council desperately needs a change. Please support me on Election Day on Tuesday, November 8, 2011 so we can make a change together.
See News Articles on Full-Time Pensions for Part-Time Work:
Westfield Council Meeting Gets Personal
Political Sparks Fly Over Jeffersion Crossing Guard
Candidates Spar Over Part-Time Pensions
RESTORE WESTFIELD'S COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC SAFETY
There is no more basic a service a town provides to its residents than public safety. Public safety is provided in the form of police protection, fire protection, traffic safety, and many other ways. Over the past few years, our Town Council has lost its commitment to public safety. We need to put public safety where it belongs in our list of priorities--at the top.
Restore the Staffing Levels of Our Police Force
No one is more responsible for public safety than our police force. Our Town Council is responsible for ensuring us a capable and well supported police department. As we have seen over the past few years, our Town Council has not been able to meet its obligation to us. It is time for us to act by electing new members to our Town Council.
Our police force is currently at its lowest level of staffing in years. Our Town Code envisions a police force of over 60 officers. Currently, there is approximately 50 officers. That is incredible considering the number of burglaries that have occurred in Westfield over the past three years. If the Town Council could not find a means of maintaining our police force when there were no property tax caps or weak property tax caps, how can we trust this Town Council to maintain our police force in this new era of stricter property tax caps. We need new leadership, new energy, and new ideas.
Our police force has been working without a contract since the end of 2009. That means that our Town Council has likely committed us to providing significant retroactive compensation. This development will make it even more difficult to maintain our police force. For this reason, we need new leadership to navigate us through this predicament caused by the current Town Council.
Click Here for a copy of Westfield' Town Code Section regarding Police and the envisioned size of the police force
Click Here for a copy of Westfield's contract with the New Jersey State P.B.A. Local 90
See News Articles below regarding crime in Westfield:
Investigation Continues Into Gumbert Kidnapping, Sexual Assault
Arrests Made in Train Station Bike Thefts
Photos: Graffiti on North Cottage
One Arrest Made, More Possible in Graffit Incidents
Reward Offered in Graffiti Cases
Brightwood Swastika Painted Over; Mayor Vows to Prosecute
Photos: Graffiti at Brightwood Park
Swastika Found on Brightwood Tree
Police Attend Burglary Task Force Meeting
Police Present Crime Prevention Workshop in Shadowlawn Neighborhood
Wyoming Street Home Burglarized, Laptop Taken
Townhall Meeting Planned After Southside Burglaries
Restore the Staffing Levels of Our Fire Department
Our Fire Department provides essential protection for us. To do anything less than fully support our fire department is a disservice to them and our residents.
Decreased Staffing Levels Is Dangerous for Us and Our Firefighters
The Town Council has reduced our fire department staffing to levels in violation of national standards. Although they can not reference any expert who states that such staff reductions are safe, the Town Council tells us that there is no negative impact from the staff reductions. That is not so. We have been negatively affected by those staff reductions.
There have been two very big fires recently. One at Ferraro's in our downtown and the other at the Hamilton House Apartments on Mountain Avenue. Those fires show how we have been negatively affected by the fire department staffing cuts.
Although Westfield owns a ladder truck, it sat idle for both fires. This is especially disturbing considering the Ferraro's fire was just down the street from the North Avenue Fire Station. Yet, the ladder truck that responded to the Ferraro's fire came from Cranford.
A ladder truck is necessary to reach higher floors in a building. The fire department union representatives stated that if someone had been trapped in the Mountain Avenue fire in an apartment on a higher floor, the Westfield firefighters would not have been able to reach him or her because they did not have access to the ladder truck. Fortunately, no one was.
The fire department union representatives have also explained that a ladder truck is necessary to access the roof of buildings so that fire fighters can vent the heat from the fire in the building. Venting the heat helps prevent the spread of fire. They assert that the fire damage would not have been as severe had Westfield's ladder truck responded.
The fire department union representatives say that had Westfield's ladder truck responded to the Hamilton House Apartments fire or the Ferraro's fire, the loss would not have been as severe. I agree.
The Town Council Policy Violates a National Rule of Safety
National fire standards have a "two in/two out" rule. The "two in/two out" rule exists for firefighter safety. It requires that if two firefighters go into a building then two firefighters have to be outside to assist them. It is essentially a buddy system for the firefighters' protection. Currently, Westfield only staffs two fire stations with three men each. That means, when a fire truck with three firefighters arrives at a fire, the firefighters must make a dangerous decision: violate the "two in/two out" rule to save someone inside a burning building or respect the rule that exists for their own safety and wait for another fire truck to arrive with more firefighters. No firefighter should have to make that kind of decision. He or she should have the proper support immediately. In the Mountain Avenue fire, the firefighters violated the "two in/two out" rule to save a resident. Had they waited, that resident may not have survived. A copy of a publication detailing the "Two In/Two Out Rule" from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is available by clicking the link at the end of this section.
The Town Council's Policy Is Costly to Us
The Town Council's policy is costly to us in many ways. Their policy costs us our safety. Their policy costs us our firefighters' safety. Their policy also costs us more money. Recently, Westfield's fire rating was lowered. That means our town will have to pay higher insurance premiums, which means we will have to pay higher taxes. It also means that our homeowners' insurance policies will be increased. I think it would be better to pay for more firefighters to keep us all safe instead of paying extra money to insurance companies. Unfortunately, our Town Council lacked the foresight to see the obvious consequences of their actions. A copy of the recent report that lowered Westfield's fire rating is available by clicking on the link at the end of this section.
Fire protection is a priority for us. We have to find ways to properly staff our fire department. Among the options we should be considering that will both provide necessary fire protection and stay within our means are:
Supplementing our paid fire department with volunteer members. This is expressly permitted and
envisioned in our Town Code regarding fire protection. Click Here for the Town Code Section regarding
Fire Protection
Consolidating our fire department with neighboring fire departments to achieve savings
Finding grants and other sources of revenues to support our fire department
Cutting wasteful spending on things such as full time pensions for part-time employees
Our Town Council has not been able to properly support our fire department even before the more stringent property tax cap was implemented. How can they properly support them now that more stringent caps are in place? Our Town Council needs a change, a new perspective, and new members to aggressively confront our challenges.
Click Here for an explanation of the OSHA "Two In/Two Out" Rule
Click Here for ISO Public Protection Summary Report for Westfield
Click Here for Westfield's contract with Firemen's Mutual Benevolent Association Branch No. 30
See News Articles below regarding our fire department:
Oct. 13, 2011 Westfield Leader Press Release: Sontz, Westfield Ward Three Candidate, Discussed Fire Department
Fire Rips Through Cumberland Street Home
No Injuries in Two-Alarm Attic Fire on Hazel Avenue
(Read story for how "two in/two out" rule affected the firefighters' response)
Council Hears Fire Manpower Debate
Video: How a Ladder Truck Works
How Long Did It Take Until Cranford's Ladder Responded to Ferraro's Fire
FMBA: Decreased Manpower Prevented Ladder Truck Response to Ferraro's
FMBA: "Luck" Keeping Firefighters, Residents Safe
Skibitsky, FMBA Likely to Meet on Mandatory Minimums
FMBA Opposes Reduction in Fire Department Minimums
Restore Crossing Guards on Central Avenue
Crossing guards are basic and visible agents of safety. They help our children cross dangerous roads at the time of day when drivers are most aggressive--rush hour. They also provide "safe" check points for our children along their walk to school. Children are taught at an early age that if they are in trouble and need help, then run to a policeman, a fireman, or a crossing guard. Removing a crossing guard from a post due to alleged budget issues is simply not acceptable.
As we all know, Central Avenue connects Route 22, downtown Westfield, and North and South Avenues with the Garden State Parkway. For that reason, Central Avenue may very well be the busiest street in Westfield, especially during rush hour. Nevertheless, in 2010 the Town Council cut three of the four crossing guards on Central Avenue. They cut crossing guards at Park, Grove, and Sycamore/Clifton intersections. The Town Council planned to cut the crossing guard at the Jefferson School crossing when the Pedestrian Crossing (addressed below) became operational. The Town Council said budget constraints required the cuts. No other ward in Westfield was hit harder by crossing guard cuts than our Third Ward.
Many residents, including myself, did not take these absurd cuts lying down. Through a concerted effort of residents, including myself, who repeatedly attended Town Council meetings and a Petition to Restore the Crossing Guard at Sycamore and Central circulated and presented to the Town Council by me, the crossing guard was restored to the Sycamore and Central location. The Town Council admitted that it made a mistake in removing the crossing guard at that intersection. Amazingly, the Town Council even said that they were able to replace the crossing guard within budget. That, of course, begs the question: If you could always maintain the crossing guard within budget, why did you cut the crossing guard in the first place?
At about the same time as the Town Council announced that it was replacing the crossing guard at Sycamore and Central, they also announced they would maintain the crossing guard at the Pedestrian Crossign even after it was operational. I fully support that decision. Central Avenue is a dangerous street and no child should have to cross it to get to school without a crossing guard. The Pedestrian Crossing, for reasons discussed below, is at a location that necessitates a crossing guard.
Unfortunately, I and other residents have not yet been successful in restoring the crossing guards at Park/Central and Grove/Central. But that fight is not over and together we can make a change.
Park and Central is a dangerous three way interesection. It also has traffic turning into the intersection from nearby Cacciola Place. Cars are supposed to stop before Cacciola Place when the traffic light turns red, but often they stop in the intersection itself. Other cars dangerously turn off Park to beat the busy stream of Central Avenue traffic. A crossing guard is absolutely necessary for the children that use the Park intersection.
Grove and Central is even more dangerous than Park. Grove is a full four way intersection with businesses with driveways on both Grove and Central. Grove leads directly to Edison Intermediate School making it a heavily traveled road. A crossing guard is absolutely necessary for the children that use the Grove intersection.
Crossing guards do not cost very much relative to the critically important service they provide. They cost about $10,000 a year. As one resident stated to me when I was circulating the Sycamore Petition: Can the Town Council really say that in its almost $40 million budget, my children's $10,000 crossing guard was the lowest priority that had to be cut? I couldnt' have agreed with him more. Here are some things that the Town Council spent approximately $10,000 on in 2010 and felt was more important than Central Avenue crossing guards:
Full-Time Pension (in addition to salary) for the part-time Town Attorney, who is the former chairman of
the incumbent political party.
Full-Time Pension (in addition to salary) for the part-time Board of Adjustment Attorney, who is an
incumbent councilman's father and holds three public jobs.
This list will be increased shortly.
Our Town Council has lost its way. It was obvious that Sycamore needed a crossing guard. Fortunately, the Town Council figured that out, albeit late. It was obvious that the Central Avenue Pedestrian Crossing needs a crossing guard. Fortunately, the Town Council figured that out before they went forward with cutting the crossing guard per their original plan. Park/Central and Grove/Central intersections need crossing guards as well. There is no logical reason not to have crossing guards at those dangerous intersections. I will make restoring the Central Avenue crossing guards a priority.
See News Articles below regarding the Central Avenue crossing guards:
Sept. 15, 2011 Westfield Leader Press Release: Crossing Guards Should Be Restored
Westfield Council Meeting Gets Personal
Council Restores Central and Sycamore Crossing Guard
Council Gets an Earful About Traffic
Letter to the Editor: Crossing Guard Needed at Central and Sycamore
Political Sparks Fly Over Jefferson Crossing Guard
Jefferson Parents Want Their Crossing Guard Back
List of Crossing Guard Cuts
Budget Cuts $73K for Crossing Guards
Move the Central Avenue Pedestrian Crossing to a Location that Makes Sense
Common sense has never been more noticeably absent than when you see the Town Council's Central Avenue Pedestrian Crossing.
The need for a Pedestrian Crossing in the Jefferson School neighborhood of Central Avenue was obvious. Yet somehow, after years of studies, public meetings, and spent money, the Town Council inexplicably decided that the best location for the Pedestrian Crossing is in the middle of a block in a resident's driveway. Most drivers simply do not expect to have to suddenly stop while driving in the middle of a block. Adding to the awkwardness of the location of the light is the type of light itself, a so-called "Hawk" system. The "Hawk" system has no green light, a yellow light that blinks, and two red lights that blink and remain steady.
The location of the light is so random and obscure, that there are multiple warning signs, including blinking signs, upon the approach to the light in both directions on Central Avenue. There is no other light in Westfield that requires such massive warning signs. The Town Council even staffs a crossing guard at the Pedestrian Crossing because they recognize that it is a dangerous place to have children cross by themselves. The Town Council cut crossing guards at Park and Central and Grove and Central, which are intersections controlled by traffic lights. It is telling that the Town Council believes those interesections are safe for school children to cross without crossing guards, but the Pedestrian Crossing, with no intersecting roads, is not.
A casual observation of the light in operation shows that cars run through it even after it turns red and are hesitant to proceed after the light ceases because there is no green light to indicate it is safe to do so. Some cars can even be seen beginning to turn into the resident's driveway only to stop suddenly upon the realization that it is not a road. In order to back out of the driveway, the local resident has to pull into the crosswalk itself.
Many alternative locations were available to the Town Council especially after they decided to cul-de-sac Cambridge Road and Belmar Terrace. Those locations include areas that are not directly in front of a resident's home or so close to a resident's driveway. The most obvious location, of course, is the intersecton of Clover Street and Central Avenue. Clover Street leads directly to Jefferson School. Most who use the Pedestrian Crossing are headed to Clover Street. There is only one home that fronts Clover Street and that home is almost two blocks away from the Clover/Central intersection. Drivers are on the look-out for lights at intersections as opposed to those randomly placed in the middle of the block. The Town Council even moved a pedestrian crossing from the middle of the block on Clark Street in front of the YMCA to the intersection of Clark Street and Ferris Place because it deemed the location, which was in front of the YMCA's driveway, too dangerous for pedestrians. It seems that same logic should apply at the Central Avenue Pedestrian Crossing.
The two traffic reports that were prepared during the "study" phase of the Pedestrian Crossing are linked below. Review of those reports shows that they focus on the intersection of Clover and Central not at the current location. The meetings that took place with local residents as to the location of the Pedestrian Crossing shows that the discussions focused on the intersection. What the Town Council was thinking when it changed its mind is anybody's guess.
The Town Council abandoned the neighborhood residents after it placed the light in its absurd location. Then the Town Council abandoned ownership of the light by claiming that the County is responsible for the light's location. The County abandoned ownership of the light by claiming that the Town Council is responsible for the light's location. Somehow, the light is in its current location even though it appears nobody wanted it in its current location. The Town Council previously claimed the police department was studying the effectiveness of the light's location. The Town Council then claimed that the County is studying the effectiveness of the light's location. Then the Town Council decided to direct the Westfield Police Department to study the effectiveness of the light's location. That report is complete and is linked below.
The Westfield Police Department's report on the effectiveness of the Central Avenue Pedestrian Crossing is peculiar to say the least. It does not identify the author or authors anymore clearly than "Westfield Police Department." Who did the studies? Who wrote the text? Who made the final judgments that are included in the conclusions? What are those individuals qualifications? Why wasn't the study performed by professionally licensed engineers when professionally licensed engineers did the initial studies? If you review the times and dates that the observations were made, you can see that the police department only made observations when the crossing guard was there. Of course, motorists are going to stop at those times--the crossing guard is also there holding a big "STOP" sign.
The Town Council made a mistake with the Central Avenue Pedestrian Crossing just like they did when they cut crossing guards on Central Avenue. It is unfortunate that the Town Council would rather spend endless time and resources defending its poor decision than simply correcting it.
The Pedestrian Crossing is an everyday reminder of why we need a change on our Town Council. We need council members that use common sense, respect our residents, and utilize good judgment when implementing improvements.
Click Here for
Report on the Effectivess of the HAWK Pedestrian Activated Mid-block Crosswalk Located on Central Avenue nearest to Cambridge Road
Click Here for
Traffic Calming and Safety Improvement for Eight (8) Locations, Westfield, NJ
Keller and Kirkpatrick
Gordon Meth, PE, PTOE
Click Here for
Signal Warrant Analysis
The Louis Berger Group, Inc.
Click Here for
May 18, 2011 Letter from County Engineer Thomas Mineo, P.E. stating that Westfield selected the location of the Central Avenue Pedestrian Light
See News Articles below regarding the Central Avenue Pedestrian Crossing:
Stoplight Report Is In, But Issue Far From Settled
Haas Supports Moving Stoplight; Resident Declares War on Mayor
Emotions Spike Again Over Central Avenue Stoplight
Central Avenue Stoplight Issue Getting "Worse and Worse," Resident Tells Town Council
Central and Clover Light Evaluation Continues
Stoplight Argument Spills Out of Meeting Into Hallway
Resident Says Stop Light Is Terrorizing Her
Skibitsky, Haas Trade Barbs Over Traffic Light
Stop Light Battle Escalates
More Questions Raised Over Clover and Central Light
Mayor Stops Answers to Traffic Light Questions
Resident to Council: "You Are Embarassing Yourselves"
Resident to Council: "You Ruined My Neighbors Life"
Potential Retaliation Suggested in Speaking Out Against Traffic Light
Traffic Debate Dominates Council Agenda
Central Avenue Crosswalk Top Item Agenda at Council Meeting
Council Briefed on Stop Light
Stop the Speeders from Making Our Streets Dangerous
Speeding down residential streets is dangerous. Speeders are a risk to our children, our property, and our overall sense of safety. Yet speeders are everywhere in the third ward.
Speeders use Rahway, Summit, and Boulevard as raceways to avoid the traffic lights on Central Avenue. Speeders on Central Avenue try to beat the traffic lights (which is especially dangerous in the are of the Pedestrian Crossing). Cranford residents peel off Central Avenue down side streets to get to Cranford seconds sooner. Speeders cut through Cacciola Place and surrounding streets to avoid the Central and South Avenue intersection. Speeders zoom through Ayliffe and other streets when cutting across between Rahway Avenue and Central and to avoid the train crossing on Rahway Avenue. Speeders dash through the streets surrounding Lincoln School after picking up children. The high school drivers speed to and from Westfield High School. It simply has to stop.
The Town Council's efforts to stop speeding in our neighborhoods have not been effective. Patrols have been too few. The passive speeding devices just don't work. We need creative ideas to stop the speeding problem.
I have several creative and cost effective ideas to stop the speeders.
In order to stop speeders, we have to 1) stop them before they speed, 2) catch them when they do speed, and 3) penalize them sufficiently so that they choose not to speed down our streets anymore.
Stop the Speeders Before They Speed By Using Decoys
We all know that speeders slow down when they see police officers. We all know that everyone slows down on the highways when drivers see police cars ahead in distance. The highway patrol use decoys--patrol cars that are not manned--to slow down speeders on the highway. By the time the driver sees that there is no officer in the car, they have already slowed down, which is the effect we want. Of course, on highways, as soon as the driver recognizes that the police car is not manned, they speed up again. However, We can use decoys more effectively in the residential roads of Westfield than the highway patrol can.
Many of our roads that are favorites for speeders--Boulevard, Summit, Ayliffe, Central, etc.--are wide roads in which you can see fairly far into distance. A decoy at the far end of those streets would stop the speeders immediately. As soon as the drivers recognized it was a decoy, they would already be at the end of the road to where they needed to turn. There would be little opportunity to speed up.
We would only need a few decoys in the Third Ward. They could be rotated among streets and moved from one end of a street to the other. Their cost is minimal because they are not staffed by real officers. The cost to move the decoys around is minimal compared to the benefit of having the speeders stop.
Catch The Speeders When They Do Speed By Using Ticket Blitzes
There is no amount of neighborhood organizing or neighborhood watches that can stop speeders. Only the police can stop speeders. We need to utilize our police force in a dedicated manner to stop the speeders. The Town Council has never made that commitment. In fact, our police force is at its lowest level in years. There is simply no way the Town Council can control speeders without new Council members who have a pointed focus and dedicated commitment.
Ticket blitzes give the most "bang for the buck." Police "attack" a known hotspot for speeders, pull over as many speeders as possible, and write as many tickets as possible. The added impact of a blitz is that other drivers see the speeders pulled over which has a deterrent effect on future speeding.
Penalize The Speeders By Costing Them Time in Addition to Money
A new and creative way to combat speeding is to utilize our municipal court itself as another weapon against speeding. Most speeders appear in municipal court to plea down the speeding charge to avoid insurance points. Who says doing so has to be quick and easy. I think we should have speeders have to visit the municipal complex at least three times to complete a plea on a speeding ticket. The first visit is to discuss the plea with the municipal prosecutor. The second visit is to appear before the municipal judge to enter the plea. The final visit is to have the individual appear to pay the ticket. Individuals will think twice before speeding when they know it will cost them three separate appearances to resolve the ticket. Word-of-mouth will spread of the time committment involved in resolving speeding tickets through the plea process. Speeders will be left with two options: pay the regular speeding ticket and absorb the associated insurance costs or simply don't speed anymore.
Fatal Car Accident at Clifton Avenue and Tice Place Intersection
Restore Basic Public Services
We work hard in Westfield to take care of our families and our homes. We spend time maintaining our properties. We don't look for our Town Council to do those things for us. We only ask the Town Council to handle its own responsibilities, such as repairing and maintaing our roads and properly and timely removing snow. Our Town Council has failed us in this regard.
Repair and Maintain Westfield's Roads
The Town Council has not properly repaired and maintained our roads. Our roads are simply not in good shape. There are potholes, drainage issues, crumbling curbs, no curbs in some areas, crosswalks in need of repainting, and the list goes on and on. We needs a comprehensive and dedicated plan and commitment to repair and maintain our roads.
Our Town Council was not able to repair and maintain our roads before strict property tax caps were in place. How can they repair and maintain our roads now that there are strict property tax caps in place?
We need new members on the Town Council to address these issues. I will bring dedication, aggressiveness, and my engineering background to the table to work on addressing these issues.
Sept. 29, 2011 Westfield Leader Press Release: Candidate Sontz Promises Value, Quality
See News Articles on Potholes:
Pothole Watch
Pothole Watch
Pothole Watch
Plow Westfield's Roads Timely and Properly
We have all experienced it. A snowstorm followed by a long day of shoveling and salting. A need arises to leave the comfort of our homes. Then we rediscover what we have experienced every other snowstorm we have endured in Westfield. Snow removal on Westfield's streets is not very good.
Snow removal on Westfield's streets means one or two passes by the snow plow that leaves a layer of snow on the road. When that snow layer freezes it becomes a sheet of rough ice for days. Roads that normally allow two cars to pass going in opposite directions becomes a one lane road. One car has to pull to the side in a big mound of snow.
It is even more frustrating if you live on a road that connects to a busier street. The busier street is always plowed to the asphalt. It is salted properly and it has no problems whatsoever. One then wonders, why is my road not as important to the Westfield Town Council as that one. Those who live on dead end streets have often discovered that their roads are not plowed for days.
Snow removal is a basic service provided by our town government. Snow removal should be rapid, effective, and consistent. As an elected official I will work to find ways to improve snow removal for all residents on all side streets. I will be open to all possible improvements to snow removal including contracting with private providers.
The Town Council needs common sense and new ideas. I ask for your support so that I can make critically needed changes to the Town Council.
See News Articles Below Regarding Snow Removal:
Snow Parking Restrictions Under Discussion
Town Seeks Federal Reimbursement for Blizzard Costs
Snowed In: How Westfield Residents Dealt with the Blizzard
Furlough Day Canceled During Last Week's Snow Removal
Streets Took Over 17 Hours to Plow
Become Environmentally Pro-Active
There is no environment more important to us than our own. We have the responsibility of making sure that the environment we live in is clean, healthy, and vibrant.
There is so much we can do for our environment that does not cost Westfield any additional money. In fact, by "Going Green," Westfield can save money and be eligible for federal and state grants. Westfield can:
Westfield's past commitment to "Going Green" has been nothing more than election-year rhetoric for the Westfield Town Council.
Seven years ago, a former mayor signed the US Mayors Climate Protection Agreement formally acknowledging that Westfield would seek to beat the Kyoto Protocol's environmental targets by 2012. Nothing has been done to meet that commitment.
Several Westfield Town Council Members sought to start a volunteer Environmental Commission similar to the one in Cranford. The full Town Council rejected that effort.
During the election of 2009, the incumbent Westfield Town Council members stated it would join Sustainable New Jersey. Nothing has been done to meet any requirements of Sustainable New Jersey.
The Town Council needs common sense and new ideas. I ask for your support so that I can make critically needed changes to the Town Council.
Improve Access to Our Town Council
Our Town Council should be the most approachable and open public body that exists. Instead, most people find it unapproachable and closed. That has to change.
Increase Communciation
Elections have consquences. For years, the Westfield Town Council has ignored our residents. They have committed expensive mistake after expensive mistake.
The following are just some of the mistakes made by the Town Council simply because they would not listen to us:
The Westfield Town Council spent hundreds of thousands of dollars studying and planning a parking deck that 75% of residents did not want.
The Westfield Town Council continues to give full time pensions to part-time employees even if that means cutting crossing guards from busy streets such as Central Avenue.
The Westfield Town Council instructed Union County to put the new Central Avenue pedestrian crossing in the middle of a block in a residents' driveway instead of at the intersection which is about 100 feet away.
The Westfield Town Council cut the fire department to levels that violate national regulations and have abandoned our ladder truck in its garage essentially rendering that expensive, life saving equipment useless.
The Westfield Town Council allowed our 9-1-1 system to become obsolete so that there is no a race against time to replace it before Westfield has no 9-1-1 system.
The Westfield Town Council allowed the police department staffing levels to reduce to their lowest levels in years.
If the Town Council had asked residents if we agreed with any of these, they would have received the obvious answers.
They have no remorse. They give no apologies.
The Westfield Town Council isolate themselves from us, the ones who put them there. They only knock on our doors during election years. They only have town hall meetings in election years. They only reach out to citizens in elections years.
The Westfield Town Council could have avoided costly and embarassing mistakes if they just take the time to be as active speaking to residents every year as they are in the few weeks before election day. I am willing to make that four-year, year-round commitment. A vote for me is a vote for better communciation and a willing listener.
The Town Council needs common sense and new ideas. I ask for your support so that I can make critically needed changes to the Town Council.
Treat Residents with Respect
I have been to numerous town council meetings over the years. Although the Town Council pays lip service to openness and an appreciation for hearing from resident, nothing is further from the truth. I have seen too many of our residents, who have decided to speak out as to a certain issue, be shouted down by Town Council members during Town Council meetings. I have seen harsh imposition of timing rules so that residents who are disagreeing with the Town Council are removed from speaking earlier than those who are agreeing. I have even seen the Town Council have the police chief remove a resident from Town Hall simply for speaking her mind.
I believe this short temper the Town Council has with residents is due to the fact that so many of the Town Council members have been on the Council for too long. In the third ward, the incumbent is seeking his third term. That would be 12 years on the Town Council. It is not shocking that after so much time it is difficult to remember who serves whom, the Town Council serves the residents and not the other way around.
It is time for a change in Westfield. It is time for new ideas and a fresh approach. Please vote for me on Tuesday, November 8, 2011.
In order to begin fixing the many issues caused by our Town Council, we must restore fiscal responsibility to our town.
Moody's, the bond rating service, lowered Westfield's bond rating in 2010. It cited five consecutive years of deficits. During those years, Westfield balanced its budget by spending down its Surplus Account. Now that there is nothing left of the Surplus Account, our Town Council strains to provide basic services to our residents.
The Town Council is now in a race against time to replace the obsolete 9-1-1 system before September.
The Town Council cannot adequately staff the fire department to the point that the fire department has to violate national safety guidelines to protect us.
The Town Council has rendered our fire department's ladder truck useless and we now rely upon Cranford's ladder truck to keep us safe.
The Town Council has cut crossing guards on Central Avenue forcing children to cross that dangerous road by themselves.
The Town Council placed the new Central Avenue Pedestrian Crossing in such a dangerous location that it now must have a crossing guard stationed there.
The Town Council has let our police department reach its lowest staffing levels in years.
The Town Council cannot adequately plow our roads.
The Town Council cannot adequately repair and maintain our roads.
The Town Council cannot even admit that its fiscal irresponsibility has caused these problems. If the Town Council could not properly function when there was no tax cap or when there was a soft tax cap, how can it possibly function now that there is a hard tax cap?
What will change in another 4 years if the incumbents are re-elected? We need new ideas and a fresh approach. Please support me with your vote on Election Day on Tuesday, November 8, 2011.
See News Articles on Westfield's Finances:
Council Rushes to Implement New 911 System
Moody's Downgrades Town's Bond Rating
Town Awarded AAA Bond Rating
Town Surplus Declines $4 Million From 2008 to 2010
Stop Giving No-Bid Contracts
Our town has no business giving no bid contracts to any vendor. Yet year in and year out Westfield continues to give no bid contracts to various vendors including but not limited to town attorneys and the traffic consultant.
Several years ago, the Town Council raised the hourly rate paid to the town attorney from $100/hour to $150/hour and awarded the job without bidding. The town attorney at that time was the former chairman of the incumbent political party. This is why all contracts should be bid. There should be no favortism in the awarding of town contracts.
The Town Council continues to award no bid contracts to the same traffic consultant just about every year. This is particularly questionable because the traffic consultant provided a report stating that the Central Avenue Pedestrian Crossing should be at the intersection of Clover and Central. Yet somehow, the traffic consultant concurred without basis that the current location of the Pedestrial Crossing, in the middle of the block in a resident's driveway, was a safe location for the Crossing after the last public meeting on the topic took place. This is another reason why contracts should be bid. Bidding takes out any possibility of the loss of objectivity.
See News Articles on No-Bid Contracts:
Town Attorney Hiring Process Questioned
Haas Cites No-Bid Status for No Vote on Appointments
Stop Giving Full Time Pensions for Part-Time Work
There is absolutely no need whatsoever to give a part-time employee a full-time pension. Yet the Town Council does so each and every year. Full-time pensions for part-time employees costs the town about $10,000 per employee per year. Last year, the Town Council funded at least three full-time pensions for part-time employees yet cut crossing guards on Central Avenue and other locations that cost about the same amount.
Funding full-time pensions for part-time work is even more egregious when the identity of the part-timers is disclosed. One part-timer receiving a full-time pension is an incumbent councilman's father who has three public jobs. Another was the former chairman of the incumbent political party. Why are these individuals' pensions more important than crossing guards for our children, fire and police personnel, repairs to our roads, and the list goes on and on.
Last fall, when I was circulating a petition to restore the Sycamore/Central crossing guard, one resident said to me that he was shocked that in an almost $40 million town budget, the Town Council could not find something more wasteful than the crossing guard that helped his daughter cross Central Avenue every day. He said that cutting his crossing guard was the epitomy of everything that is wrong with government. I could not agree more. There are so many truly wasteful areas in which the Town Council could have and still can make cuts. No child should have to cross Central Avenue without a crossing guard.
During one Town Council meeting, I suggested that the Town cut the full-time pensions for part-time employees to pay for the crossing guards. I was rebuked by the Town Council. My opponent in this election even defended the full-time pensions for part-time employees. That is shocking to me.
The Town Council desperately needs a change. Please support me on Election Day on Tuesday, November 8, 2011 so we can make a change together.
See News Articles on Full-Time Pensions for Part-Time Work:
Westfield Council Meeting Gets Personal
Political Sparks Fly Over Jeffersion Crossing Guard
Candidates Spar Over Part-Time Pensions
RESTORE WESTFIELD'S COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC SAFETY
There is no more basic a service a town provides to its residents than public safety. Public safety is provided in the form of police protection, fire protection, traffic safety, and many other ways. Over the past few years, our Town Council has lost its commitment to public safety. We need to put public safety where it belongs in our list of priorities--at the top.
Restore the Staffing Levels of Our Police Force
No one is more responsible for public safety than our police force. Our Town Council is responsible for ensuring us a capable and well supported police department. As we have seen over the past few years, our Town Council has not been able to meet its obligation to us. It is time for us to act by electing new members to our Town Council.
Our police force is currently at its lowest level of staffing in years. Our Town Code envisions a police force of over 60 officers. Currently, there is approximately 50 officers. That is incredible considering the number of burglaries that have occurred in Westfield over the past three years. If the Town Council could not find a means of maintaining our police force when there were no property tax caps or weak property tax caps, how can we trust this Town Council to maintain our police force in this new era of stricter property tax caps. We need new leadership, new energy, and new ideas.
Our police force has been working without a contract since the end of 2009. That means that our Town Council has likely committed us to providing significant retroactive compensation. This development will make it even more difficult to maintain our police force. For this reason, we need new leadership to navigate us through this predicament caused by the current Town Council.
Click Here for a copy of Westfield' Town Code Section regarding Police and the envisioned size of the police force
Click Here for a copy of Westfield's contract with the New Jersey State P.B.A. Local 90
See News Articles below regarding crime in Westfield:
Investigation Continues Into Gumbert Kidnapping, Sexual Assault
Arrests Made in Train Station Bike Thefts
Photos: Graffiti on North Cottage
One Arrest Made, More Possible in Graffit Incidents
Reward Offered in Graffiti Cases
Brightwood Swastika Painted Over; Mayor Vows to Prosecute
Photos: Graffiti at Brightwood Park
Swastika Found on Brightwood Tree
Police Attend Burglary Task Force Meeting
Police Present Crime Prevention Workshop in Shadowlawn Neighborhood
Wyoming Street Home Burglarized, Laptop Taken
Townhall Meeting Planned After Southside Burglaries
Restore the Staffing Levels of Our Fire Department
Our Fire Department provides essential protection for us. To do anything less than fully support our fire department is a disservice to them and our residents.
Decreased Staffing Levels Is Dangerous for Us and Our Firefighters
The Town Council has reduced our fire department staffing to levels in violation of national standards. Although they can not reference any expert who states that such staff reductions are safe, the Town Council tells us that there is no negative impact from the staff reductions. That is not so. We have been negatively affected by those staff reductions.
There have been two very big fires recently. One at Ferraro's in our downtown and the other at the Hamilton House Apartments on Mountain Avenue. Those fires show how we have been negatively affected by the fire department staffing cuts.
Although Westfield owns a ladder truck, it sat idle for both fires. This is especially disturbing considering the Ferraro's fire was just down the street from the North Avenue Fire Station. Yet, the ladder truck that responded to the Ferraro's fire came from Cranford.
A ladder truck is necessary to reach higher floors in a building. The fire department union representatives stated that if someone had been trapped in the Mountain Avenue fire in an apartment on a higher floor, the Westfield firefighters would not have been able to reach him or her because they did not have access to the ladder truck. Fortunately, no one was.
The fire department union representatives have also explained that a ladder truck is necessary to access the roof of buildings so that fire fighters can vent the heat from the fire in the building. Venting the heat helps prevent the spread of fire. They assert that the fire damage would not have been as severe had Westfield's ladder truck responded.
The fire department union representatives say that had Westfield's ladder truck responded to the Hamilton House Apartments fire or the Ferraro's fire, the loss would not have been as severe. I agree.
The Town Council Policy Violates a National Rule of Safety
National fire standards have a "two in/two out" rule. The "two in/two out" rule exists for firefighter safety. It requires that if two firefighters go into a building then two firefighters have to be outside to assist them. It is essentially a buddy system for the firefighters' protection. Currently, Westfield only staffs two fire stations with three men each. That means, when a fire truck with three firefighters arrives at a fire, the firefighters must make a dangerous decision: violate the "two in/two out" rule to save someone inside a burning building or respect the rule that exists for their own safety and wait for another fire truck to arrive with more firefighters. No firefighter should have to make that kind of decision. He or she should have the proper support immediately. In the Mountain Avenue fire, the firefighters violated the "two in/two out" rule to save a resident. Had they waited, that resident may not have survived. A copy of a publication detailing the "Two In/Two Out Rule" from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is available by clicking the link at the end of this section.
The Town Council's Policy Is Costly to Us
The Town Council's policy is costly to us in many ways. Their policy costs us our safety. Their policy costs us our firefighters' safety. Their policy also costs us more money. Recently, Westfield's fire rating was lowered. That means our town will have to pay higher insurance premiums, which means we will have to pay higher taxes. It also means that our homeowners' insurance policies will be increased. I think it would be better to pay for more firefighters to keep us all safe instead of paying extra money to insurance companies. Unfortunately, our Town Council lacked the foresight to see the obvious consequences of their actions. A copy of the recent report that lowered Westfield's fire rating is available by clicking on the link at the end of this section.
Fire protection is a priority for us. We have to find ways to properly staff our fire department. Among the options we should be considering that will both provide necessary fire protection and stay within our means are:
Supplementing our paid fire department with volunteer members. This is expressly permitted and
envisioned in our Town Code regarding fire protection. Click Here for the Town Code Section regarding
Fire Protection
Consolidating our fire department with neighboring fire departments to achieve savings
Finding grants and other sources of revenues to support our fire department
Cutting wasteful spending on things such as full time pensions for part-time employees
Our Town Council has not been able to properly support our fire department even before the more stringent property tax cap was implemented. How can they properly support them now that more stringent caps are in place? Our Town Council needs a change, a new perspective, and new members to aggressively confront our challenges.
Click Here for an explanation of the OSHA "Two In/Two Out" Rule
Click Here for ISO Public Protection Summary Report for Westfield
Click Here for Westfield's contract with Firemen's Mutual Benevolent Association Branch No. 30
See News Articles below regarding our fire department:
Oct. 13, 2011 Westfield Leader Press Release: Sontz, Westfield Ward Three Candidate, Discussed Fire Department
Fire Rips Through Cumberland Street Home
No Injuries in Two-Alarm Attic Fire on Hazel Avenue
(Read story for how "two in/two out" rule affected the firefighters' response)
Council Hears Fire Manpower Debate
Video: How a Ladder Truck Works
How Long Did It Take Until Cranford's Ladder Responded to Ferraro's Fire
FMBA: Decreased Manpower Prevented Ladder Truck Response to Ferraro's
FMBA: "Luck" Keeping Firefighters, Residents Safe
Skibitsky, FMBA Likely to Meet on Mandatory Minimums
FMBA Opposes Reduction in Fire Department Minimums
Restore Crossing Guards on Central Avenue
Crossing guards are basic and visible agents of safety. They help our children cross dangerous roads at the time of day when drivers are most aggressive--rush hour. They also provide "safe" check points for our children along their walk to school. Children are taught at an early age that if they are in trouble and need help, then run to a policeman, a fireman, or a crossing guard. Removing a crossing guard from a post due to alleged budget issues is simply not acceptable.
As we all know, Central Avenue connects Route 22, downtown Westfield, and North and South Avenues with the Garden State Parkway. For that reason, Central Avenue may very well be the busiest street in Westfield, especially during rush hour. Nevertheless, in 2010 the Town Council cut three of the four crossing guards on Central Avenue. They cut crossing guards at Park, Grove, and Sycamore/Clifton intersections. The Town Council planned to cut the crossing guard at the Jefferson School crossing when the Pedestrian Crossing (addressed below) became operational. The Town Council said budget constraints required the cuts. No other ward in Westfield was hit harder by crossing guard cuts than our Third Ward.
Many residents, including myself, did not take these absurd cuts lying down. Through a concerted effort of residents, including myself, who repeatedly attended Town Council meetings and a Petition to Restore the Crossing Guard at Sycamore and Central circulated and presented to the Town Council by me, the crossing guard was restored to the Sycamore and Central location. The Town Council admitted that it made a mistake in removing the crossing guard at that intersection. Amazingly, the Town Council even said that they were able to replace the crossing guard within budget. That, of course, begs the question: If you could always maintain the crossing guard within budget, why did you cut the crossing guard in the first place?
At about the same time as the Town Council announced that it was replacing the crossing guard at Sycamore and Central, they also announced they would maintain the crossing guard at the Pedestrian Crossign even after it was operational. I fully support that decision. Central Avenue is a dangerous street and no child should have to cross it to get to school without a crossing guard. The Pedestrian Crossing, for reasons discussed below, is at a location that necessitates a crossing guard.
Unfortunately, I and other residents have not yet been successful in restoring the crossing guards at Park/Central and Grove/Central. But that fight is not over and together we can make a change.
Park and Central is a dangerous three way interesection. It also has traffic turning into the intersection from nearby Cacciola Place. Cars are supposed to stop before Cacciola Place when the traffic light turns red, but often they stop in the intersection itself. Other cars dangerously turn off Park to beat the busy stream of Central Avenue traffic. A crossing guard is absolutely necessary for the children that use the Park intersection.
Grove and Central is even more dangerous than Park. Grove is a full four way intersection with businesses with driveways on both Grove and Central. Grove leads directly to Edison Intermediate School making it a heavily traveled road. A crossing guard is absolutely necessary for the children that use the Grove intersection.
Crossing guards do not cost very much relative to the critically important service they provide. They cost about $10,000 a year. As one resident stated to me when I was circulating the Sycamore Petition: Can the Town Council really say that in its almost $40 million budget, my children's $10,000 crossing guard was the lowest priority that had to be cut? I couldnt' have agreed with him more. Here are some things that the Town Council spent approximately $10,000 on in 2010 and felt was more important than Central Avenue crossing guards:
Full-Time Pension (in addition to salary) for the part-time Town Attorney, who is the former chairman of
the incumbent political party.
Full-Time Pension (in addition to salary) for the part-time Board of Adjustment Attorney, who is an
incumbent councilman's father and holds three public jobs.
This list will be increased shortly.
Our Town Council has lost its way. It was obvious that Sycamore needed a crossing guard. Fortunately, the Town Council figured that out, albeit late. It was obvious that the Central Avenue Pedestrian Crossing needs a crossing guard. Fortunately, the Town Council figured that out before they went forward with cutting the crossing guard per their original plan. Park/Central and Grove/Central intersections need crossing guards as well. There is no logical reason not to have crossing guards at those dangerous intersections. I will make restoring the Central Avenue crossing guards a priority.
See News Articles below regarding the Central Avenue crossing guards:
Sept. 15, 2011 Westfield Leader Press Release: Crossing Guards Should Be Restored
Westfield Council Meeting Gets Personal
Council Restores Central and Sycamore Crossing Guard
Council Gets an Earful About Traffic
Letter to the Editor: Crossing Guard Needed at Central and Sycamore
Political Sparks Fly Over Jefferson Crossing Guard
Jefferson Parents Want Their Crossing Guard Back
List of Crossing Guard Cuts
Budget Cuts $73K for Crossing Guards
Move the Central Avenue Pedestrian Crossing to a Location that Makes Sense
Common sense has never been more noticeably absent than when you see the Town Council's Central Avenue Pedestrian Crossing.
The need for a Pedestrian Crossing in the Jefferson School neighborhood of Central Avenue was obvious. Yet somehow, after years of studies, public meetings, and spent money, the Town Council inexplicably decided that the best location for the Pedestrian Crossing is in the middle of a block in a resident's driveway. Most drivers simply do not expect to have to suddenly stop while driving in the middle of a block. Adding to the awkwardness of the location of the light is the type of light itself, a so-called "Hawk" system. The "Hawk" system has no green light, a yellow light that blinks, and two red lights that blink and remain steady.
The location of the light is so random and obscure, that there are multiple warning signs, including blinking signs, upon the approach to the light in both directions on Central Avenue. There is no other light in Westfield that requires such massive warning signs. The Town Council even staffs a crossing guard at the Pedestrian Crossing because they recognize that it is a dangerous place to have children cross by themselves. The Town Council cut crossing guards at Park and Central and Grove and Central, which are intersections controlled by traffic lights. It is telling that the Town Council believes those interesections are safe for school children to cross without crossing guards, but the Pedestrian Crossing, with no intersecting roads, is not.
A casual observation of the light in operation shows that cars run through it even after it turns red and are hesitant to proceed after the light ceases because there is no green light to indicate it is safe to do so. Some cars can even be seen beginning to turn into the resident's driveway only to stop suddenly upon the realization that it is not a road. In order to back out of the driveway, the local resident has to pull into the crosswalk itself.
Many alternative locations were available to the Town Council especially after they decided to cul-de-sac Cambridge Road and Belmar Terrace. Those locations include areas that are not directly in front of a resident's home or so close to a resident's driveway. The most obvious location, of course, is the intersecton of Clover Street and Central Avenue. Clover Street leads directly to Jefferson School. Most who use the Pedestrian Crossing are headed to Clover Street. There is only one home that fronts Clover Street and that home is almost two blocks away from the Clover/Central intersection. Drivers are on the look-out for lights at intersections as opposed to those randomly placed in the middle of the block. The Town Council even moved a pedestrian crossing from the middle of the block on Clark Street in front of the YMCA to the intersection of Clark Street and Ferris Place because it deemed the location, which was in front of the YMCA's driveway, too dangerous for pedestrians. It seems that same logic should apply at the Central Avenue Pedestrian Crossing.
The two traffic reports that were prepared during the "study" phase of the Pedestrian Crossing are linked below. Review of those reports shows that they focus on the intersection of Clover and Central not at the current location. The meetings that took place with local residents as to the location of the Pedestrian Crossing shows that the discussions focused on the intersection. What the Town Council was thinking when it changed its mind is anybody's guess.
The Town Council abandoned the neighborhood residents after it placed the light in its absurd location. Then the Town Council abandoned ownership of the light by claiming that the County is responsible for the light's location. The County abandoned ownership of the light by claiming that the Town Council is responsible for the light's location. Somehow, the light is in its current location even though it appears nobody wanted it in its current location. The Town Council previously claimed the police department was studying the effectiveness of the light's location. The Town Council then claimed that the County is studying the effectiveness of the light's location. Then the Town Council decided to direct the Westfield Police Department to study the effectiveness of the light's location. That report is complete and is linked below.
The Westfield Police Department's report on the effectiveness of the Central Avenue Pedestrian Crossing is peculiar to say the least. It does not identify the author or authors anymore clearly than "Westfield Police Department." Who did the studies? Who wrote the text? Who made the final judgments that are included in the conclusions? What are those individuals qualifications? Why wasn't the study performed by professionally licensed engineers when professionally licensed engineers did the initial studies? If you review the times and dates that the observations were made, you can see that the police department only made observations when the crossing guard was there. Of course, motorists are going to stop at those times--the crossing guard is also there holding a big "STOP" sign.
The Town Council made a mistake with the Central Avenue Pedestrian Crossing just like they did when they cut crossing guards on Central Avenue. It is unfortunate that the Town Council would rather spend endless time and resources defending its poor decision than simply correcting it.
The Pedestrian Crossing is an everyday reminder of why we need a change on our Town Council. We need council members that use common sense, respect our residents, and utilize good judgment when implementing improvements.
Click Here for
Report on the Effectivess of the HAWK Pedestrian Activated Mid-block Crosswalk Located on Central Avenue nearest to Cambridge Road
Click Here for
Traffic Calming and Safety Improvement for Eight (8) Locations, Westfield, NJ
Keller and Kirkpatrick
Gordon Meth, PE, PTOE
Click Here for
Signal Warrant Analysis
The Louis Berger Group, Inc.
Click Here for
May 18, 2011 Letter from County Engineer Thomas Mineo, P.E. stating that Westfield selected the location of the Central Avenue Pedestrian Light
See News Articles below regarding the Central Avenue Pedestrian Crossing:
Stoplight Report Is In, But Issue Far From Settled
Haas Supports Moving Stoplight; Resident Declares War on Mayor
Emotions Spike Again Over Central Avenue Stoplight
Central Avenue Stoplight Issue Getting "Worse and Worse," Resident Tells Town Council
Central and Clover Light Evaluation Continues
Stoplight Argument Spills Out of Meeting Into Hallway
Resident Says Stop Light Is Terrorizing Her
Skibitsky, Haas Trade Barbs Over Traffic Light
Stop Light Battle Escalates
More Questions Raised Over Clover and Central Light
Mayor Stops Answers to Traffic Light Questions
Resident to Council: "You Are Embarassing Yourselves"
Resident to Council: "You Ruined My Neighbors Life"
Potential Retaliation Suggested in Speaking Out Against Traffic Light
Traffic Debate Dominates Council Agenda
Central Avenue Crosswalk Top Item Agenda at Council Meeting
Council Briefed on Stop Light
Stop the Speeders from Making Our Streets Dangerous
Speeding down residential streets is dangerous. Speeders are a risk to our children, our property, and our overall sense of safety. Yet speeders are everywhere in the third ward.
Speeders use Rahway, Summit, and Boulevard as raceways to avoid the traffic lights on Central Avenue. Speeders on Central Avenue try to beat the traffic lights (which is especially dangerous in the are of the Pedestrian Crossing). Cranford residents peel off Central Avenue down side streets to get to Cranford seconds sooner. Speeders cut through Cacciola Place and surrounding streets to avoid the Central and South Avenue intersection. Speeders zoom through Ayliffe and other streets when cutting across between Rahway Avenue and Central and to avoid the train crossing on Rahway Avenue. Speeders dash through the streets surrounding Lincoln School after picking up children. The high school drivers speed to and from Westfield High School. It simply has to stop.
The Town Council's efforts to stop speeding in our neighborhoods have not been effective. Patrols have been too few. The passive speeding devices just don't work. We need creative ideas to stop the speeding problem.
I have several creative and cost effective ideas to stop the speeders.
In order to stop speeders, we have to 1) stop them before they speed, 2) catch them when they do speed, and 3) penalize them sufficiently so that they choose not to speed down our streets anymore.
Stop the Speeders Before They Speed By Using Decoys
We all know that speeders slow down when they see police officers. We all know that everyone slows down on the highways when drivers see police cars ahead in distance. The highway patrol use decoys--patrol cars that are not manned--to slow down speeders on the highway. By the time the driver sees that there is no officer in the car, they have already slowed down, which is the effect we want. Of course, on highways, as soon as the driver recognizes that the police car is not manned, they speed up again. However, We can use decoys more effectively in the residential roads of Westfield than the highway patrol can.
Many of our roads that are favorites for speeders--Boulevard, Summit, Ayliffe, Central, etc.--are wide roads in which you can see fairly far into distance. A decoy at the far end of those streets would stop the speeders immediately. As soon as the drivers recognized it was a decoy, they would already be at the end of the road to where they needed to turn. There would be little opportunity to speed up.
We would only need a few decoys in the Third Ward. They could be rotated among streets and moved from one end of a street to the other. Their cost is minimal because they are not staffed by real officers. The cost to move the decoys around is minimal compared to the benefit of having the speeders stop.
Catch The Speeders When They Do Speed By Using Ticket Blitzes
There is no amount of neighborhood organizing or neighborhood watches that can stop speeders. Only the police can stop speeders. We need to utilize our police force in a dedicated manner to stop the speeders. The Town Council has never made that commitment. In fact, our police force is at its lowest level in years. There is simply no way the Town Council can control speeders without new Council members who have a pointed focus and dedicated commitment.
Ticket blitzes give the most "bang for the buck." Police "attack" a known hotspot for speeders, pull over as many speeders as possible, and write as many tickets as possible. The added impact of a blitz is that other drivers see the speeders pulled over which has a deterrent effect on future speeding.
Penalize The Speeders By Costing Them Time in Addition to Money
A new and creative way to combat speeding is to utilize our municipal court itself as another weapon against speeding. Most speeders appear in municipal court to plea down the speeding charge to avoid insurance points. Who says doing so has to be quick and easy. I think we should have speeders have to visit the municipal complex at least three times to complete a plea on a speeding ticket. The first visit is to discuss the plea with the municipal prosecutor. The second visit is to appear before the municipal judge to enter the plea. The final visit is to have the individual appear to pay the ticket. Individuals will think twice before speeding when they know it will cost them three separate appearances to resolve the ticket. Word-of-mouth will spread of the time committment involved in resolving speeding tickets through the plea process. Speeders will be left with two options: pay the regular speeding ticket and absorb the associated insurance costs or simply don't speed anymore.
Fatal Car Accident at Clifton Avenue and Tice Place Intersection
Restore Basic Public Services
We work hard in Westfield to take care of our families and our homes. We spend time maintaining our properties. We don't look for our Town Council to do those things for us. We only ask the Town Council to handle its own responsibilities, such as repairing and maintaing our roads and properly and timely removing snow. Our Town Council has failed us in this regard.
Repair and Maintain Westfield's Roads
The Town Council has not properly repaired and maintained our roads. Our roads are simply not in good shape. There are potholes, drainage issues, crumbling curbs, no curbs in some areas, crosswalks in need of repainting, and the list goes on and on. We needs a comprehensive and dedicated plan and commitment to repair and maintain our roads.
Our Town Council was not able to repair and maintain our roads before strict property tax caps were in place. How can they repair and maintain our roads now that there are strict property tax caps in place?
We need new members on the Town Council to address these issues. I will bring dedication, aggressiveness, and my engineering background to the table to work on addressing these issues.
Sept. 29, 2011 Westfield Leader Press Release: Candidate Sontz Promises Value, Quality
See News Articles on Potholes:
Pothole Watch
Pothole Watch
Pothole Watch
Plow Westfield's Roads Timely and Properly
We have all experienced it. A snowstorm followed by a long day of shoveling and salting. A need arises to leave the comfort of our homes. Then we rediscover what we have experienced every other snowstorm we have endured in Westfield. Snow removal on Westfield's streets is not very good.
Snow removal on Westfield's streets means one or two passes by the snow plow that leaves a layer of snow on the road. When that snow layer freezes it becomes a sheet of rough ice for days. Roads that normally allow two cars to pass going in opposite directions becomes a one lane road. One car has to pull to the side in a big mound of snow.
It is even more frustrating if you live on a road that connects to a busier street. The busier street is always plowed to the asphalt. It is salted properly and it has no problems whatsoever. One then wonders, why is my road not as important to the Westfield Town Council as that one. Those who live on dead end streets have often discovered that their roads are not plowed for days.
Snow removal is a basic service provided by our town government. Snow removal should be rapid, effective, and consistent. As an elected official I will work to find ways to improve snow removal for all residents on all side streets. I will be open to all possible improvements to snow removal including contracting with private providers.
The Town Council needs common sense and new ideas. I ask for your support so that I can make critically needed changes to the Town Council.
See News Articles Below Regarding Snow Removal:
Snow Parking Restrictions Under Discussion
Town Seeks Federal Reimbursement for Blizzard Costs
Snowed In: How Westfield Residents Dealt with the Blizzard
Furlough Day Canceled During Last Week's Snow Removal
Streets Took Over 17 Hours to Plow
Become Environmentally Pro-Active
There is no environment more important to us than our own. We have the responsibility of making sure that the environment we live in is clean, healthy, and vibrant.
There is so much we can do for our environment that does not cost Westfield any additional money. In fact, by "Going Green," Westfield can save money and be eligible for federal and state grants. Westfield can:
- Purchase hybrid police cars instead of gas guzzlers;
- Replace standard light bulbs with energy efficient light bulbs; and
- Install solar panels on public buildings.
Westfield's past commitment to "Going Green" has been nothing more than election-year rhetoric for the Westfield Town Council.
Seven years ago, a former mayor signed the US Mayors Climate Protection Agreement formally acknowledging that Westfield would seek to beat the Kyoto Protocol's environmental targets by 2012. Nothing has been done to meet that commitment.
Several Westfield Town Council Members sought to start a volunteer Environmental Commission similar to the one in Cranford. The full Town Council rejected that effort.
During the election of 2009, the incumbent Westfield Town Council members stated it would join Sustainable New Jersey. Nothing has been done to meet any requirements of Sustainable New Jersey.
The Town Council needs common sense and new ideas. I ask for your support so that I can make critically needed changes to the Town Council.
Improve Access to Our Town Council
Our Town Council should be the most approachable and open public body that exists. Instead, most people find it unapproachable and closed. That has to change.
Increase Communciation
Elections have consquences. For years, the Westfield Town Council has ignored our residents. They have committed expensive mistake after expensive mistake.
The following are just some of the mistakes made by the Town Council simply because they would not listen to us:
The Westfield Town Council spent hundreds of thousands of dollars studying and planning a parking deck that 75% of residents did not want.
The Westfield Town Council continues to give full time pensions to part-time employees even if that means cutting crossing guards from busy streets such as Central Avenue.
The Westfield Town Council instructed Union County to put the new Central Avenue pedestrian crossing in the middle of a block in a residents' driveway instead of at the intersection which is about 100 feet away.
The Westfield Town Council cut the fire department to levels that violate national regulations and have abandoned our ladder truck in its garage essentially rendering that expensive, life saving equipment useless.
The Westfield Town Council allowed our 9-1-1 system to become obsolete so that there is no a race against time to replace it before Westfield has no 9-1-1 system.
The Westfield Town Council allowed the police department staffing levels to reduce to their lowest levels in years.
If the Town Council had asked residents if we agreed with any of these, they would have received the obvious answers.
They have no remorse. They give no apologies.
The Westfield Town Council isolate themselves from us, the ones who put them there. They only knock on our doors during election years. They only have town hall meetings in election years. They only reach out to citizens in elections years.
The Westfield Town Council could have avoided costly and embarassing mistakes if they just take the time to be as active speaking to residents every year as they are in the few weeks before election day. I am willing to make that four-year, year-round commitment. A vote for me is a vote for better communciation and a willing listener.
The Town Council needs common sense and new ideas. I ask for your support so that I can make critically needed changes to the Town Council.
Treat Residents with Respect
I have been to numerous town council meetings over the years. Although the Town Council pays lip service to openness and an appreciation for hearing from resident, nothing is further from the truth. I have seen too many of our residents, who have decided to speak out as to a certain issue, be shouted down by Town Council members during Town Council meetings. I have seen harsh imposition of timing rules so that residents who are disagreeing with the Town Council are removed from speaking earlier than those who are agreeing. I have even seen the Town Council have the police chief remove a resident from Town Hall simply for speaking her mind.
I believe this short temper the Town Council has with residents is due to the fact that so many of the Town Council members have been on the Council for too long. In the third ward, the incumbent is seeking his third term. That would be 12 years on the Town Council. It is not shocking that after so much time it is difficult to remember who serves whom, the Town Council serves the residents and not the other way around.
It is time for a change in Westfield. It is time for new ideas and a fresh approach. Please vote for me on Tuesday, November 8, 2011.
Please Support Me With Your Vote On:
Election Day
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
The Day We Make a Change
Content copyright . Matt Sontz for Westfield Town Council. All rights reserved.
Paid for by Matt Sontz for Westfield Town Council
109 Vernon Terrace, Westfield, NJ 07090
