Councilman Lou De Angelo cited two Open Space Grants, in the amount of $25,000 each, awarded to Ethel M. Burke School for grounds improvements, as well as for moving the playground on Vaughn Avenue to Sixth Avenue.

He also said some 90 teens, ages 14 and 15, will take part in the Summer Work program.

A letter was read from Bell Oaks School thanking Mayor and Council for their help with the 2010 Graduation.

Mayor Frank Filipek said the annual Fourth of July Parade is definitely back on track, and will be held on Monday, July 5.

The parade had been cancelled due to budget woes. Then, the Bellmawr Waterfront developer decided to pay for the entire event, estimated to be between $8,000 and $10,000, Filipek said.

All business on the evening’s agenda was unanimously approved, with the following of note:

Resolution #06:119-10, renewing the Club License for Bellmawr Fire and Rescue #1, was tabled. The agenda shows a misprinted range of dates for the renewal (7/1/10 to 6/30/10). The correct range of dates should have been 7/1/10 to 6/30/11.

Ordinance #05:03-10 was adopted, amending the Borough code for sewer connection fees.

Ordinance #05:05-10 was also adopted, and will allow for the reconstruction of Booth Drive, at a cost of $50,000. The ordinance also allows for the appropriation of that $50,000, and authorizes $47,500 for financing the appropriation.

source Gloucester City News

Layoffs in the fire department were avoided this year but what happens the next time. Mayor Bill James said , \”the issue of layoffs will be addressed again in the near future. City Council knows this and so does the unions.\”

Gloucester City’s fiscal problems will not be solved without real reform. Tinkering with employee’s contracts and reducing departments through attrition will have little effect on keeping property taxes down.

Republican Governor Chris Christie and the Democrat controlled legislature reached an historic deal last week that will cap property taxes at 2 percent beginning in 2011. This legislation will profoundly affect how local governments manage and pay their employees in the near future.

For now Gloucester City and some other communities looking for much needed revenue have increased permit fees. But that is a one- time fix.

Richard Harris, a professor of political science at Rutgers-Camden told a Courier Post

Firefighter Douglas L. Smith, 50, was entering the station at approximately 10:30 a.m. to drive the apparatus when he collapsed, according to Fire Chief Scott Slough.