NEW PROVIDENCE, NJ - The New Providence Borough Council backed an ordinance that allows police officers to go onto private property if they believe that kids are hosting a drinking party. The body voted 4-2 at Monday night’s meeting with Councilmen J. Brooke Hern and Vincas M. Vyzas voting against the measure.

Hern said he voted against it because the ordinance deals with minors under 18 while Vyzas was against it because he believed that it violated the right to privacy. Some of the council members agreed with Hern that they would rather have it at under 21, but they said that they would rather have the ordinance on the books than nothing at all.

Regarding privacy issues, Councilmember Julia MacDermott said she originally sided with Vyzas’s view but changed her mind after talking to the police and the local alcohol alliance, New Providence Alliance to Prevent Alcohol and Drug Abuse. "This is something that we have wanted to be put in place for many, many years," said Tracy Beckerman, president of the New Providence Alliance to Prevent Alcohol and Drug Abuse. Beckerman added that there are several problems with the youth having underage drinking parties. "It is really doing great harm to his or her physically and then they get into their cars going home to their community," said Beckerman.

Beckerman and other borough police officials have said that New Providence had become a haven for surrounding youth to have an underage drinking party in the borough. Other municipalities like Summit, Chatham and Berkeley Heights have had similar ordinances on the books for several months.

The Borough Council has been debating the measure, especially the issue of age, for several months and this measure was considered a compromise between the two sides. Councilman James Cucco said he would rather have it as 21 and under as was recommended by the police department, but said that the measure needed to be placed on the books. "The police department will settle for half a loaf," said Cucco.

For the measure to have teeth, Hern felt that it had to be under 21, the state law for drinking alcohol. "When the ordinance was introduced, I wanted it to be changed from under 18 to under 21, but that failed," said Hern. "I wanted it to be stronger and go further than it does."

But Vyzas was concerned about police abuse with the ordinance and added that the power should be with the youth’s parents and not law enforcement. "I am concerned of the police power with this ordinance," said Vyzas. "I think the obligation of the underage drinking is the parents."

But Councilwoman MacDermott said that police will only go into a home if there is a medical emergency. "We will allow police to go onto private property only to prevent a catastrophic incident," said MacDermott. The councilwoman emphasized that the state legal drinking age continues to be 21 and over and pointed out that this measure does not give 18 to 21-year olds the right to consume alcohol. "Under 21 is still illegal in New Jersey," emphasized MacDermott. "[The] last thing that I want is to have a 15 or 16 year old [die] because police could not go in."

Councilman Armand Galluccio said that the measure can be looked over again in the future. "I think it is a good first step," said Galluccio. "If we see a problem up to 21 than we can revisit it."

The Borough Council also decided to send out for bidding the engineering work for the Downtown Streetscape Project Phase 2 instead of accepting the proposal from Maser Consulting, P.A. Maser’s bid just for the engineering work was $40,040 for a project that was approximately $250,000 in total. Councilman Michael Gennaro, who is an engineer, said that the economic environment is ripe for bids right now and is competitive while being a buyer’s market. He added that Maser does have the benefit of understanding the project, but the bid was on the high side. "The amount seems pretty high," said Gennaro. "It is a complicated plan with numerous sites."

In addition, it was announced that several letters were received by the Mayor and Borough Council asking why the borough used the gazebo on its letterhead as its seal instead of the borough seal that is visible in the Council Chambers behind the mayor and council showing a turkey, Salt Brook and also the Presbyterian Church where a balcony collapsed back in the 18th Century. Nobody was hurt in the incident at the Church and it was considered divine providence, thereby giving New Providence it’s name.  Mayor John Thoms said that they use the gazebo in front of the municipal center because it is easier to explain to people instead of the logo with the turkey, brook and church. For New Providence trivia buffs, the turkey represents the former name of the town before it was called New Providence, Turkey Town.