Fees could be waived for seniors, disabled BY MICHAEL ACKER Staff Writer SAYREVILLE - Senior citizens and borough residentswith disabilitieswould be eligible for a discount on construction fees under a proposed new ordinance. The Borough Council recently discussed amending its ordinance governing fees for construction permits, and is scheduled to vote on adopting the amended ordinance at its May 12 meeting. The changes were drafted in response to complaints from seniors on fixed incomes who said that permit costs are too high for sometimes urgent work that needs to be done on their homes. Borough fees in the amount of $250would bewaived on a yearly basis for eligible homeowners who are over the age of 62 or those who are disabled. The amended ordinance reads: "The Borough of Sayreville recognizes the financial hardships facing many older residents, especially those experienced through the ongoing upkeep and maintenance of property through homeownership." At last week's meeting, Councilman DavidKaiserman thanked resident Edward Streck for addressing the council on the issue at several meetings over the past few months.He said the purpose of the discount is to relieve the burden of construction fees and zoning ordinance fees for borough seniors. The amended ordinance is the result of a bipartisan effort, according to Kaiserman, who is a Republican. "I am very proud of that," Kaiserman said, "that we are working together as a team." Democratic Councilwoman Kathy Makowski said thanks were also due to resident Mary Kielian. She said Kielian is the senior citizen who first brought the matter to the council's attention, and that Kielian circulated a petition that called for the senior discount. "She is the particular individual that brought this to my attention, and she had received signatures from concerned seniors," Makowski said. Streck said he researched the matter after the council initially had legal concerns about providing a discount to seniors exclusively. He added that he found that Edison and Hamilton townships both had fee waivers. "Word fromthe boroughwas it couldn't be done," Streck said. Makowski said that borough professionals researched the legal issues involved in such a discount in order to prevent litigation. She noted that the ordinance giving seniors a discount on fees in Edison was not the model that the borough used. "We wanted to be fair and do this in a legal manner so that down the road, there are not any legal ramifications." Makowski said. Borough Administrator Jeffry Bertrand said the ordinance was drafted so that its language was not arbitrary. "Our recommendation was to waive the first $250," he said. Bertrand said the process of drafting this ordinancewas never delayed. The process included legal research and financial impact studies that determined the impact of the loss ofmoney to the construction office,which is paid for by user fees, Bertrand added. Homeowners' eligibility for the cost savings is based on whether the individual is of age and if the person lives in the home, Bertrand said. There is no arbitrary question of whether the work is an emergency, he noted. "Therefore, there is no subjectivity by staff review," Bertrand said. Councilman StanleyDrwal said the council took this issue seriously as soon asKielian brought it to the governing body's attention. The ordinance, he added, does not specify savings for different types of construction work,making the criteria fair for seniors and disabled residents to save on fees. "I think it was well done by waiving the first $250 in fees," Drwal said. Drwal, a Democrat, echoed Kaiserman's statement about bipartisanship in this effort. "Both parties worked together rather than fighting this time, and I hope this type of work continues," Drwal said.