DRAFT – NOT APPROVED TOWNSHIP OF BLAIRSTOWN COMMITTEE MEETING WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2007 – 6:30 PM TOWNSHIP MUNICIPAL BUILDING MINUTES OPENING; ROLL CALL Mayor Lance called the meeting to order. Present were: Mr. Anderson, Mr. Lascari, Mr. Mach, Mayor Lance and Deputy Clerk Pizzaia. Mr. Seal was absent. Township Attorney Robert Benbrook left during Executive Session. EXECUTIVE SESSION – Personnel, COAH, Contracts, Blair Houses and Water System Appraisal Motion to enter Executive Session by adopting the following resolution was made by Mr. Anderson, seconded by Mr. Mach, with all members voting in favor. WHEREAS, the Blairstown Township Committee needs to discuss matters relating to the issues as listed above; and WHEREAS, the Township Committee believes it to be in the best interest of the public to discuss such matters in closed session. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Township Committee of the Township of Blairstown, County of Warren, State of New Jersey that it shall meet in Executive Session to discuss only those matters mentioned above; the results of which may be made public immediately thereafter or at a later date. Dated: November 7, 2007 Attest:
Phyllis E. Pizzaia, RMC Deputy Municipal Clerk A motion was made to close Executive Session by Mr. Mach, which was seconded by Mr. Anderson, with all members in favor. RESULTS OF EXECUTIVE SESSION Personnel – Mr. Lascari made a motion to institute a 60 day period of probation for Margaret McGinley, Construction Assistant, with monthly and final evaluations by the Office Manager, and to allow Ms. McGinley to attend a course assisting with interpersonal skills when dealing with the public. Mr. Lascari stated that this action is being taken based on complaints from the public. The motion was seconded by Mr. Anderson. Roll call vote: AYE – Anderson, Lascari, Mach, Lance ABSENT – Seal MINUTES, November 7, 2007 – Pg. 1 of 7
DRAFT – NOT APPROVED Contracts - Mr. Anderson stated that CNV, the company working for the bonding company due to Horizon’s bankruptcy, indicated that they would be willing to complete landscaping work needed on the left hand side of the municipal building up to the curb for an additional $1,000.00. Mr. Anderson made the motion to have CNV perform the additional landscaping work for an amount of $1,000.00. Motion was seconded by Mr. Lascari. Roll call vote: AYE – Anderson, Lascari, Mach, Lance ABSENT – Seal Blair Houses - Mayor Lance stated that a subcommittee has been assigned to meet with Blair Academy regarding the two (2) houses proposed to be built. The subcommittee consists of Mr. Mach and Mr. Lascari. Water System Appraisal – Mayor Lance stated that Federal Appraisal and Consulting gave the Committee preliminary numbers with regard to the water company and that a formal report would be forthcoming by the next committee meeting. Toll Brothers – The Committee met with John Peck of Toll Brothers in Executive Session regarding Scenic Hills Estates. Mayor Lance made a motion to accept Scenic Hills Road, the water tank and easement, to accept the maintenance bond and to release the performance bond, contingent upon Attorney Benbrook’s approval of the corrective easement. The motion was seconded by Mr. Mach. Roll call vote: AYE – Anderson, Lascari, Mach, Lance ABSENT – Seal SUNSHINE STATEMENT: Mayor Lance stated that notice of this meeting has been sent to three newspapers of general circulation noting the date, time and agenda thereof in accordance with the Open Public Meetings Act. FLAG SALUTE was held. MINUTES - October 10, 2007 Mr. Mach indicated that a correction was needed on page 7, changing the sentence from Sharon Cooper stated that “the Township already received their $5,006.00 check deposited directly into their check” to “the Township already received their $5,006.00 credit deposited directly into their account.” Motion to approve the October 10th minutes with said correction was made by Mr. Mach and seconded by Mr. Lascari, with all members present voting in favor. ORDINANCE NO. 2007-13 – AN ORDINANCE CREATING TWO NEW TITLES WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND ASSIGNING A SALARY RANGE FOR EACH – 2nd Reading – Public Hearing There was no Committee discussion. Mayor Lance opened the public hearing and explained that these were new titles but the employees were already in place. There were no new employees hired. As there were no comments, Mayor Lance closed the public hearing. Motion to approve Ordinance 2007-13 was made by Mr. Mach and seconded by Mr. Lascari. Roll call vote: AYE – Anderson, Lascari, Mach, Lance ABSENT – Seal MINUTES, November 7, 2007 – Pg. 2 of 7
DRAFT – NOT APPROVED ORDINANCE NO. 2007-14 – ORDINANCE CREATING RECREATION PROGRAM PARTICIPATION STANDARDS FEE ORDINANCE – 2nd Reading – Public Hearing Mr. Anderson commented that this ordinance was being considered for adoption with the changes made at introduction. As there was no more committee discussion, Mayor Lance opened the Public Hearing. There were no comments from the public and the Public Hearing was closed. A motion was made to adopt Ordinance 2007-17 by Mr. Anderson and was seconded by Mr. Mach. Roll call vote: AYE – Anderson, Lascari, Mach, Lance ABSENT – Seal COMMENT ON CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS only. There were no comments from the public or the Committee. CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS INCLUDING RESOLUTIONS 1 – Resolution - Authorize Purchase of Materials and Installation of Guide Rails 2 – Resolution - Refund Overpayment of a Construction Permit - $19.00 3 – Authorization to Pay Bills 4 – Resolution Authorizing the Transfer of Funds A motion was made to approve the consent agenda by Mr. Lascari and seconded by Mr. Anderson. Roll call vote: AYE – Anderson, Lascari, Mach, Lance ABSENT – Seal TOLL BROS. – Mr. John Peck – Acceptance of Project and Release of Bonds. This was addressed earlier in the meeting under Results of Executive Session. UNFINISHED BUSINESS 1 – Guiderails – Resolution Authorizing Installation on tonight’s agenda 2 – Finelli Consulting to review Water Utility – Providing of improvement and income continues, as requested – Discussed this evening 3 – Municipal Code Book Adhoc Review Committee – Department Heads submitting input into their section(s) of the code book 4 – Electrical Work at Sycamore Concession Stand – Trying to get one more quote. 5 – Rte. 94 Traffic Study – Letter sent to DOT on 8/31 outlining Blairstown’s major concerns DOT called to ask if the Township wanted a mid-block cross walk by Dale’s and the Diner. 6– Speeding on Heller Hill Road – Previous recommendation of signage was made. Letter received re: accident between school bus and recycling truck 7 – JCP&L billing – Need to check master bill to see what lighting the Township pays for and the requirements for street lights at any particular area 8 – Auction of DPW items 9 – COAH Municipal Housing Liaison – Theresa Tamburro temporarily named at the last meeting. 10 – Warren County Mosquito Control - desnagging 11 – Senior Citizen Advisory Committee – Committeemen Anderson and Mach to respond on this 12 – SECTV ordinance – Attorney Benbrook to report whether this is necessary MINUTES, November 7, 2007 – Pg. 3 of 7
DRAFT – NOT APPROVED or not 14 – Recreation fee ordinance – Discussed earlier in the meeting Item #1 – Guide rail work will begin in the near future and will be coming off the list. Item #4 – Clerk Tamburro is checking to see if the one quote received is still valid. Item #5 – Mr. Lascari is contacting Debbie Hirt regarding this matter. He will discuss the midblock cross walk with her, stating the Committee is in favor of the cross walk. Item #11 – Mr. Anderson stated that he and Mr. Mach have met with seniors regarding monies allocated toward their trips. The senior were concerned that non-Blairstown residents and non-seniors were going on these trips with funds allotted for the seniors. The Committee felt that an ordinance should be in place forming a Senior Advisory Committee to oversee this matter. However, the problem is that there is no formal Seniors club or association for the Blairstown seniors. The Committee agreed that having the seniors form a formal association would be the best way to go forward. DEPARTMENT REPORTS 1 – Clerk 2 – Construction 3 – North Warren Municipal Court 4 – Police 5 – Tax Collector 6 – County Health Department A motion to accept the reports was made by Mr. Anderson and seconded by Mr. Mach, with all members voting in favor.
COMMITTEE CORRESPONDENCE FOR INFORMATION AND/OR POSSIBLE ACTION 1 – Memo from Clerk Tamburro Re: Census Participation Mayor Lance explained that the township will be receiving a packet on or about November 12 th with the township’s census address listing with 120 days to make additions, deletions and changes. This was held over to December 12 th meeting.
2 – Letter to John Madden, PP, Re: Professional Services Agreement Mr. Mach explained that there were three (3) changes needed in agreement. Mr. Mach has just received the revised agreement which will go to the Mayor for his signature. 3 – Letter from League of Municipalities Re: Pedestrian Safety at Intersections Mayor Lance explained that this involved receiving monies for signage at dangerous intersections. This is a letter from the League asking municipalities to offer comments on a program proposed by the State. No action taken. 4 – Letter from Joseph Zoltowski, Department of Agriculture – Township has met the criteria for participation in the Gypsy Moth Suppression Program Mayor Lance stated that the State indicated that it might reimburse 50% of the cost for spraying. Mr. Lascari asked if Open Space monies could be allocated to cover the cost. This needs to be looked into. Mayor Lance stated that this is a request to participate and that no monies are being dedicated at this time, but the State needs an answer by early December. Mr. Lascari made a motion to send a letter of intent to participate in this program, which was seconded by Mr. Mach. Roll call vote: AYE – Anderson, Lascari, Mach, Lance ABSENT – Seal MINUTES, November 7, 2007 – Pg. 4 of 7
DRAFT – NOT APPROVED 5 – Letter from James Bernaski Re: Structures over 5’ Span and Identifying Same This is being referred to Ted Rodman, Township Engineer, for his input. 6 – Two prices from Historic Preservation to purchase a ramp for the caboose (Historic Preservation Commission is seeking approval to purchase a ramp and move forward with the caboose project.) Helen Parisi provided a photograph along with information on the ramp the Historic Preservation Commission wishes to purchase. There was a discussion on the various types of ramps available for purchase, such as size, materials, etc. Mr. Anderson requested a quote on a pressure treated ramp to be available for the next meeting. There was one quote for $13,800 from Back Home Safety and another from Able Care for $15,950 plus and additional $2,650 for a 48” ramp. Mr. Lascari would like to approach a service group, such as the Knights of Columbus or the Scouts, to possibly build this ramp as a service project. The Committee decided to refer this to Ted Rodman, Township Engineer, for his input. This matter was held over to the next meeting. 7 – Blair Academy seeking support for the Blair Academy Yearbook Mr. Lascari felt it wasn’t appropriate to use township funds for this. The Committee decided against making a contribution. 8 – Letter Agreement from Christopher Morkin. Mayor Lance stated that this was discussed in Executive Session. No further Committee discussion or action taken. 9 – Proposed Shared Athletic Agreement from Knowlton Township After discussion, the Committee directed the Township Clerk to respond in writing, thanking Knowlton Township for their input, but advising that the Committee has chosen to deal with this by way of the Recreation Ordinance, Ordinance 2007-14. FROM THE TOWNSHIP CLERK Deputy Clerk Pizzaia reported that the planning of the Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony is in the process. The Ceremony is scheduled for December 1 st with a rain date of December 8 th. The tentative date for the Police Department to move into the Municipal Building is November 20th. Various office staff offices will be moved at this same time. The Deputy Clerk advised that the bid opening for the Walnut Valley Firehouse Project took place and that there was one bid for the roof only in the amount of $33,000.00. Mayor Lance made a motion to reject the bid received and to rebid the project. Roll Call Vote: AYE – Anderson, Lascari, Mach, Lance ABSENT – Seal
The Deputy requested that the Committee set the date for the 2008 Reorganization meeting. After discussion, the Committee scheduled the meeting for Wednesday, January 2, 2008. FROM THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE COMMITTEEMAN ANDERSON Committeeman Anderson began by congratulating Mr. Mach on his win on Election Day. Public Safety – Mr. Anderson read the October Police Report. MINUTES, November 7, 2007 – Pg. 5 of 7
DRAFT – NOT APPROVED There was a meeting between the State Police in Hope and the mayors of communities serviced by that barracks. They have completely reorganized with a new Troup Commander in Totowa and new Station Commander in Hope. The meeting was productive in that coverage, response time, classes available for our officers, etc. was discussed. Mr. Anderson thanked Thomas Krisak, Police Director, for managing the overtime problem within the department. Recreation Committee - Recreation Dept. will be making the Santa telephone calls again this holiday season. There are many other programs available during the next several months. COMMITTEEMAN LASCARI Public Safety – Deputy Police Commissioner – Mr. Lascari announced that the new police vehicle would be arriving shortly. Police Director Krisak confirmed that the vehicle would arrive this Thursday or Friday. The Environmental Commission is meeting tonight. There is nothing to report in this area. COMMITTEEMAN MACH Construction, Subcode, Zoning – Mr. Mach reported that there is a glitch in Land Use Ordinance. The wording in the section on Echo Units states the square footage is “616” but indicates “816” in parenthesis. Mr. Mach questioned which figure is correct and how does it get corrected. After discussion, it was suggested that Marion Spriggs, Zoning/Planning Board Secretary, or Roger Thomas, Attorney for the Boards, would be able to answer this question. Public Safety – Ambulance & Fire – The tank specs are with Mr. Benbrook for changes and a specified delivery date. Small Cities/COAH – With regard to a letter regarding COAH, Mr. Mach would like to respond to this and deal with this internally, as procedural items need to be addressed. Shade Tree Committee – The tree will be arriving the morning of Friday, November 9 th. Planning Board – There was no meeting in October. COMMITTEEMAN SEAL Mayor Lance announced that Committeeman Seal recently underwent heart surgery, but is home and recovering nicely. MAYOR LANCE Mayor Lance acknowledged the recent death of former mayor Frank Kelly, who was the longest serving Committeeman in Blairstown’s history. Mayor Lance congratulated Mr. Mach for his election victory and expressed that he is looking forward to working with him during the next several years. Mayor Lance read a thank-you letter from Dave Cavagnaro, expressing gratitude for rectifying a dangerous situation on Heller Hill Road. Public Education - October 29th Mayor Lance attended a meeting with Board of Education representatives regarding the defeat of the school referendum. There will be another meeting on this subject. The mayors’ recommendation to the Board of Education was to go to the voters for approval to repair the existing building, making the critical items, such as the heating system, the roof on the middle school, flooring, windows and a new well a priority. MINUTES, November 7, 2007 – Pg. 6 of 7
DRAFT – NOT APPROVED With regard to the meeting in Hope that Mr. Anderson already spoke about, Mayor Lance added that they were told that 250 new troopers are coming on board in the next couple of months. Mayor Lance stated that the Police Department telecommunications move to the new building needed to be addressed. Embarq’s invoice to move the entire system to the municipal building is $5,340.94. Mayor Lance made the motion to approve payment of said invoice, which was seconded by Mr. Anderson. Roll call vote: FROM THE PUBLIC Mary Flynn asked if there was any more talk about the Blairstown Fire Department serving the other adjacent towns and collecting money for this service. Mayor Lance stated that other towns are making contributions to Blairstown for this service. Mr. Mach added that Hardwick is contributing approximately $12,000 and Frelinghuysen is contributing approximately $7,000. Ms. Flynn also commented that the heat in the meeting room was set too high and that money could be saved by lowering the thermostat. Mr. Anderson reported that the outside parking lot lights are in the process of being adjusted, which when in place will be a cost savings. Peter McKenna commented on a newspaper article with regard to Blair Academy and the school/tax issue. Mayor Lance answered that there are conflicting numbers on the amount of students involved. He reinterated that a subcommittee has been set up in order to meet with Blair Academy to discuss this issue. The meeting was adjourned at 9:50 PM on motion of Mr. Lascari, seconded by Mr. Mach, with all members voting in favor. Submitted by: AYE – Anderson, Lascari, Mach, Lance ABSENT - Seal
Phyllis E. Pizzaia, RMC Deputy Municipal Clerk
MINUTES, November 7, 2007 – Pg. 7 of 7