In an effort to increase the number of registered pets in Secaucus, the municipality is teaming up with a local company that supplies animal identification tags that are equipped with smart chip technology.
Under the town’s revised animal registration program, announced two weeks ago by new 3rd Ward Councilwoman Susan Pirro, registered pets will be outfitted with ID tags that are connected to the national eAlert Pet Recovery System. This system was described by Pirro as a kind of “Amber Alert for pets.”
Local officials hope more residents will be motivated to register their pets.
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To pay for the new technology, the town is raising its pet registration fees by $5, with the increase going towards the cost of the eAlert tags. Pet registration fees had been $15 for animals that have not been spayed or neutered, and $12 for pets that have. The new rates will be $20 and $17, respectively.
The municipality is receiving a 50 percent discount on the eAlert tags since the company that offers the service, IDtag.com, is located in Secaucus. Ordinarily, the service costs $9.95 annually, plus a one-time activation fee of $1.99.
Given the added value of the enhanced registration program, local officials hope more residents will be motivated to register their pets, which will translate into more revenue for the municipality.
“We only have only 464 pets licensed in the entire community,” said Mayor Michael Gonnelli. “And yet they say that 60 percent of homeowners have a pet. We anticipate that number to be between 4,000 or 5,000. So, we’re doing an aggressive campaign this year to get registrations for both dogs and cats.”
Secaucus brought in approximately $6,000 from pet registrations last year, according to the office of the town clerk. Money collected from pet registrations goes into a trust fund that is used to support the animals housed at the Secaucus Animal Shelter.
Taking their own medicine
Next month Mayor Gonnelli and the other six member of the Secaucus Town council will take the revised anti-harassment training the governing body mandated for municipal employees and volunteers last year.
The council will take the training along with members of municipal community boards on Feb. 7.
The two-hour training covers everyday examples of verbal and nonverbal workplace communication that could be considered harassment or discrimination by some employees. Participants discuss why these interactions can be considered harassment by some workers.
The town also recently revised its anti-discrimination policy and employee handbook, a critical foundation to any anti-discrimination training, according to Nita Raval, a lawyer with Florio & Kenney. Raval is helping lead the town’s new training along with Esther Navarez, staff liaison to the New Jersey Commission on Civil Rights.
Among the recent changes, according to Town Administrator David Drumeler, are “more clearly defined complaint procedures,” and rules governing how municipal employees and volunteers should treat members of the public.
The new anti-harassment training and revised employee handbook were both put in place last year by the governing body to protect the town against claims of discrimination and lawsuits.
Most municipal volunteers, department heads, and rank and file employees took the training last fall.
Board appointments made
The Secaucus Town Council recently made several appointments to community boards.
Larry Gichan was appointed to the Board of Adjustment as a regular member, and Joseph Preinfalk was appointed as an alternate member.
Daniel Conroy and Judy Kennelly were both appointed to the Board of Health.
Councilwoman Pirro was appointed as a Class III member of the Planning Board. Pirro abstained from the vote.
Gonnelli also recently made a number of mayoral appointments. The mayor appointed Paul Smith to be a regular member of the Planning Board and William Sallick as a Class II member. George Schoenrock was added to the Secaucus Municipal Utilities Authority (SMUA) as a regular member, while Guy Pascarello was appointed to the SMUA as an alternate member.
The mayor appointed Michael Pesci to the Secaucus Public Library and Business Resource Center Board. Pesci will serve out the unexpired term of former library board member Bert Aguilera, who recently resigned.
E-mail E. Assata Wright at awright@hudsonreporter.com.