Bloomfield Officials Have Busy Conference Meeting

The Bloomfield Township Council had a full agenda and took the following action at Monday's conference meeting:

■ Approved appointing Rosemary Brown as the secretary for the mayor and council for an annual salary of $36,911.
■ Approved appointing Dina Mustafa as a part-time file clerk in the department of inspections to work eight hours a week at the rate of $12.50 per hour.
■ Awarded a $2,117,422 contract to repair water mains throughout the township to Metra Industries of Little Falls.
■ Awarded a $55,596 contract for a sidewalk program to JAK Construction of Brick.
■ Received a $4,400 grant to make drunk driving stops in the Over the Limit Under Arrest program. Capt. James Decker said the program started on Friday and will continue until Sept. 5.
■ Approved going out for a request for proposal to set up an e-ticketing program. Capt. Decker said the program would cut down on ticketing errors and the software could even check license plates to see if vehicles are stolen.
Township Administrator Yoshi Manale said an e-ticket system could generate about $250,000 in revenue.
■ Councilman Michael Venezia suggested passing a resolution to have a moment of silence at 1 p.m. Sept. 11 to remember the 2001 terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and Shanksville, Pa. The resolution was later approved.
■ Venezia also suggested supporting resolutions against hate crimes and anti-bullying crafted by South Asian Americans Leading Together, a social justice non-profit headquartered in Tacoma Park, Md.
■ Appointed Jill Montague to serve on the township's recycling committee.
■ Councilman Bernard Hamilton suggested changing the township's recycling ordinance to promote the recycling of televisions bigger than 32 inches.

Anti-Saggy Pants Discussion
Hamilton also proposed creating an indecent exposure ordinance that would fine people with saggy pants.

"No male or female, police included, want to see pants coming down the backside," Hamilton said. Councilmen Nick Joanow and Robert Ruane said they, too, supported the measure.

Councilwoman Janice Litterio wanted to know how far the proposed ordinance would go. "Is it just pants? How about girls? Bra straps? Where does it stop?" Litterio said. Township attorney Brian Aloia said he would look into the issue further. He said other communities that have passed laws against low pants have been overturned.

He suggested township officials could pass a resolution against sloppy dressing, instead.

"At best, you can say the council disagrees with it and encourages you to pull up your pants," Aloia said.