Montclair Council Conference Tuesday

The Montclair Township Council will convene at 7 p.m. on Tuesday in the first floor council chambers of the municipal building, at 205 Claremont Ave.

At the council's last meeting on March 12, Montclair Township Manager Marc Dashield introduced the 2013 preliminary budget, which included a municipal tax levy increase of 2.4 percent this year, or $1.25 million. 

The average home assessed at approximately $505,600 can expect to pay about $5,315 in municipal taxes, which is an increase of $94 from last year. The overall proposed budget is $77.8 million, which is up $2.25 million or 3 percent from 2012. 

New business for the council includes congratulating HOMECorp for its 25th anniversary and authorizing Montclair's participation in North Jersey sustainable communities consortium. 

The full council conference agenda can be found in the photo gallery of this article. 

Dashield's report will introduce an ordinance to regulate community gardens. In mid-March, the Montclair Planning Board debated regulations for community gardens, chicken coops and apiaries, or beehives, in town. 

Recommendations discussed by the board including setting guidelines for community gardens, such as permitting only sustainable growing practices, limiting pesticides, limiting the dimensions of chicken coops and where apiaries, can be located on a property. 

Dashield will also introduce an amendment to the Montclair Center Gateway Redevelopment Plan and the council is expected to award various contracts, among other items.