The Atlantic City Council will gather for a regularly scheduled session 5:30-p.m. Wednesday, at City Hall. During their meeting, Mayor Dave Jones is expected to announce Halloween Trick-or-Treating will be held in the city on Oct. 31st, from 5:30-to 7:30-p.m. Downtown Trick-or-Treating will be from 3:30-until 5-p.m., with the Atlantic News Telegraph Costume Contest registration at 3:45 and the contest at 4:10-p.m., Oct. 31st.

The Council will act on closing select streets on Oct. 12th, for the 6-p.m. Atlantic Fireman’s Parade. The route starts at E. 2nd and Chestnut Streets and proceeds south to E. 6th Street, before turning east onto E. 6th and north on Walnut to E. 2nd. Line-up for the parade will be on W. 2nd Street. In other business, the Council will act on an Order approving a contract with SWIPCO for Supplementary Services for the Planning & Zoning Commission.

City Administrator John Lund says serving as the Zoning Administrator for the past 8 1/2 years, he has observed several expensive infrastructure problems that could have been avoided with proper planning. Lund says “It is not the job of developers to look out for the broad picture of development of the community, that is the job of the Planning & Zoning Commission, but they are limited to the information provided to them by City staff.” Lund says the proposed contract with SWIPCO would provide the City with assistance from a professional planner on an as-needed basis at a rate of $50 per hour. SWIPCO’s Alexis Fleener would act as a consultant and provide an independent voice to the P&Z. Lund says based on an historic average of meetings with the Commission, he is forecasting a 10-year budgetary impact of $34,500. For the current fiscal year, he anticipates $3,000 in additional costs to the Finance and Administration Budget.

In his report to the Council, Lund will discusses a request for a Community Protection Meeting to address safety issues with downtown buildings. He’ll mention there was a second incident where parts of a downtown building have fallen off, this time with debris striking a local businesswoman. Lund says he’s concerned there is a risk to public safety that needs to be addressed. Last December, a section of brick facade on the north wall of a building at 500 Chestnut collapsed, showering bricks on the sidewalk. At the time, Police Chief Dave Erickson estimated two-to three tons of brick fell from a section of wall about 20-to 30-feet wide and about six-feet tall, near the top of the building. No injuries were reported during that incident, but three people who lived on the second floor of the building were evacuated for a time, and the street was cordoned-off while repairs could be made and the wall reinforced.

Prior to adjourning for the evening, the Atlantic City Council will enter into a closed session to discuss legal matters, with regard to real estate, and a dilapidated property.