Despite the rain and chilly winds, nearly 100 residents turned out for the Oct. 28 4th Ward community meeting sponsored by Fourth Ward Councilwoman Renee Baskerville.

Though the two-hour gathering featured a number of speakers, as well as an urgent plea for high voter turnout from Phil Thigpen, the Essex County Democratic Party chairman, the meeting mostly focused on crime and township development.

Baskerville stated her intention to fight for the full-fledged return of the Community Policing Bureau. The bureau, which has five members, was largely shut down this summer after the township chopped $100,000 from the Police Department’s overtime budget. Community police officers were forced to perform regular patrol duty to hold down overtime costs.

Baskerville, who said she was told the shutdown would be temporary, said it’s vital to the community that community policing returns to Montclair. Some young people are fearful of police officers, and seeing the same cops’ faces daily helps calm their fears, she said.

"It would help young people become comfortable" with police, she said. "And it would help the cops understand who the good guys are."

Leon Leach, a Madison Avenue resident, agreed with Baskerville, saying in an interview after the meeting that the township should seek budget cuts in areas other than the Community Policing Bureau. The bureau helps cut down crime, he said.

"When young people see there are policemen, they will go elsewhere," he said.

Leach, 63, said he’d rather see the municipal newsletter eliminated, as well as a decrease in the number of consultants hired by the township. Duties performed by outside consultants should be done in-house, he said.

Baskerville said the Township Council can start discussing the possibility of re-staffing the Community Police Bureau after Nov. 1.

One of the meeting’s featured speakers was Karen Kadus, director of planning and community development, who gave residents a detailed glimpse into the numerous development projects underway in Montclair. She also urged residents to apply for the county’s Home Improvement Program (HIP), which supplies funds for home renovations for low-income homeowners.

Kadus touched on the mortgage crisis that has crippled the nation’s economy, saying the crisis will soon affect many of the county’s more affluent municipalities, in addition to causing foreclosures around Montclair.

"I’m afraid you’re going to see more for sale signs popping up around town," she said.

The township will work with Essex County to help residents save their homes, Kadus said. Though she’s not sure where they will find the money, the planning director said it’s beneficial to the community at large to keep homeowners from being kicked out of their homes.

"We don’t want our neighborhoods pulled down by abandoned properties," she said.

This was Baskerville’s fourth community meeting for the 4th Ward since she was elected in May. Baskerville told the crowd she does not have a date for a November meeting yet, though she anticipates it will be a more informal get-together around Thanksgiving.

Baskerville said the meetings are important to keep her informed of the residents’ opinions. She added that it assures the residents that she brings their concerns to the township council on a regular basis.

"I think they are really excited that their voices are going to be heard," she said.