MAYOR AND COUNCIL
WORK SESSION AND AGENDA MEETING
August 11, 2020 7:00 P.M.
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CALL TO ORDER
MAYOR’S STATEMENT AS TO COMPLIANCE WITH P.L. 1975
Adequate Notice of this Meeting has been provided according to the Open Public Meetings Act, Assembly Bill 1030. Notice of this Meeting was included in the Annual Meeting Notice sent to the New Jersey Herald and the Daily Record on January 8, 2020 and was placed on the Official Bulletin Board in the Municipal Building.
Furthermore, notice of the change in the meeting location was sent to the New Jersey Herald and Daily Record on July 22, 2020 and was placed on the official website of the Borough of Stanhope.
In the event the Mayor and Council have not addressed all items on this Agenda by 10:00 PM and they are of the opinion that they cannot complete the Agenda in a reasonable time period, the Mayor and Council may exercise their option to continue this meeting at an agreed to date, time and place. Please turn off all cell phones for the duration of this Meeting.
ROLL CALL
Council Members:
Councilman Cipollini – present
Councilman Romano – present
Councilwoman Kuncken – present
Councilman Thornton – present
Councilman Riccardi – present
Councilman Wronko – present
Mayor Zdichocki – present
Moment of Silence – Mayor Zdichocki stated one of Stanhope’s outstanding citizens passed away today. Robert “Butch” Depew was a former Captain of the Stanhope Hose Company and a lifelong member of the Fire Department for the past 60 years and 7 months. Mr. Depew was also a former member of the Stanhope-Netcong Ambulance Squad and a former Special Officer with the Stanhope Police Department. Mayor Zdichocki extended the condolences of the governing body to the family and friends of Mr. Depew. Mr. Depew was a wonderful person and a great source for information regarding Stanhope’s history. Mayor Zdichocki asked for a moment of silence in his memory.
PRESENTATION
Wayne Anthony, Emergency Management Coordinator – Wayne Anthony introduced himself and stated he has been the Emergency Management Coordinator for Stanhope Borough for the past 12 years. Mr. Anthony is also the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) Manager for Netcong. Currently, we are in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as a health emergency. The OEM has been acquiring the personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Police Department, Fire Department and First Aid Squad. Each town is doing this on their own with the assistance of the County of Sussex. So far, 3,000 surgical masks, 1,000 N95 masks, 5 ponchos, 4 – 1-gallon jugs of hand sanitizer, small bottles of hand sanitizer and 110 face shields have been acquired through the County. The PPE from the County is distributed evenly among all the towns in the County. Mr. Anthony stated he also obtained 100 surgical masks, hand sanitizer and 100 KN95 masks from a company in Parsippany who was providing donations. The PPE is being stored securely at the DPW garage. The departments contact Mr. Anthony when they need more PPE and he meets them at the garage where they sign out the equipment needed and a running inventory is kept. The Police Department currently have 100 surgical masks on hand. The First Aid Squad is doing well their PPE. The Squad did mention they would like a Tyvek suit if they become available. PPE has been very hard to obtain and masks are very expensive. Mr. Anthony stated he has been trying to acquire gowns for the First Aid Squad but they are not available anywhere. The Fire Department has been handling their own PPE and they have a small supply of PPE on hand. They have their air packs and their gear for use when they are called out. Once the call is over, they have a great system in place where they decontaminate and sanitize everything including the inside of the vehicles and then they are ready for the next call. The First Aid Squad has been doing the same. Mr. Anthony stated FEMA will cover 70% of the costs associated with COVID-19. Mr. Anthony informed the Fire Department that any expenses should be reported to the Borough Administrator. Administrator McNeilly stated the Fire Department should be ordering through the Finance Department purchase order system. The items are to be highlighted and then noted in the system as COVID-19 expenses. When a query is done, all the expenses will come up at one time.
Mayor Zdichocki stated the Borough is doing well. Mayor Zdichocki stated she and several residents have been making and distributing masks. Mr. Anthony stated his sister was one of those people assisting. Mayor Zdichocki stated 50 more disposable gowns were just made for the First Aid Squad and they will be delivered to them soon. Mr. Anthony stated we are preparing for a second wave as a precaution but in truth the first wave has never ended. Supplies will continue to be monitored and acquired for as long as it takes. Mr. Anthony stated he is in constant contact with Administrator McNeilly, Police Chief Pittigher, Mitch Ellicott from the Fire Department and Derek Kuncken from the First Aid Squad. Councilwoman Kuncken asked if the 70% reimbursement from FEMA will include the Ambulance Squad. Mr. Anthony confirmed the Squad is eligible to apply for reimbursement but they will have to do so through the American Legion. Mr. Anthony stated he has already discussed the procedure with the Ambulance Squad Officers. If FEMA is going to reimburse the costs, it may be worth ordering some supplies to have in stock in the event that another wave comes through in a year or so. The current event caught everyone off guard.
Councilwoman Kuncken stated she and Mr. Anthony have worked together a long time through many events back to when she was Mayor. After every major event they would have a debriefing meeting with the Administrator, Fire Chief and Police Chief. The meetings were beneficial in providing closure and documented what worked and what should have been done differently. Councilwoman Kuncken recommended that a protocol be established to review any events which occur. Mr. Anthony agreed with the recommendation.
Councilman Thornton stated he was surprised there was no information provided regarding the recent tropical storm. Mr. Anthony stated he and Administrator McNeilly spoke at least three times per day. JCP&L outage reports indicated that the outages in Stanhope totaled approximately 1,000. Mr. Anthony stated he and the Administrator drove all around Stanhope to check on the situation. It appears that JCP&L included the Hopatcong, Leo Avenue addresses and the properties in Byram Township as part of Stanhope’s outages. Stanhope only had approximately 81 properties without power which resulted due to the tree which fell on Plane Street. The feed comes in from Budd Lake. No residents reached out to the Borough requesting any assistance with a cooling center or any other issues. Mayor Zdichocki stated she and Administrator McNeilly stayed in constant contact with the representative from JCP&L and the power was restored as soon as possible. Stanhope’s power was returned much sooner than some of the other neighboring towns. Mayor Zdichocki stated Administrator McNeilly did a very good job of staying on top of the situation. Mr. Anthony agreed. Administrator McNeilly stated unfortunately the promises which were made regarding restoration were not kept. The Borough had utilities which were out of power. Wells #4 and #5 were out along with the lift station and they were all running on generators. The priority list for restoration is supposed to be; hospitals, schools, fire, police and utilities. Administrator McNeilly stated he asked where the priority was for utilities and JCP&L did not have one. Mayor Zdichocki stated she is scheduling a meeting with JCP&L sometime within the next few weeks to discuss these issues. Mr. Anthony stated in the past during major storms the Fire House was open to be used as a warming shelter and a charging location. Hopatcong Borough had a shelter in the past which was run by the County. However, due to COVID-19, shelters were not opened for the tropical storm. There were also no requests from residents indicating there was a need for assistance. The guidelines to open a shelter at this time are extremely strict. Mr. Anthony stated the Fire Department is great about always contacting him the night before a large storm to let him know the Fire Department is available to open whenever necessary. Much discussion took place regarding shelters and the need for a debriefing meeting. Stanhope Borough cannot provide an overnight shelter due to the fact there is no location that has bathrooms with showers or a facility large enough for cots. Mayor Zdichocki stated if any resident is ever in need of assistance, during such events, the Borough will find a way to assist. Mr. Anthony stated the debriefing meeting should take place within a week after the event while the information is still fresh in everyone’s minds. Mayor Zdichocki thanked Mr. Anthony for everything that he does. Mr. Anthony thanked the governing body and stated they can contact him anytime with questions or concerns.
ENGINEER’S REPORT
Mayor Zdichocki invited Eric Keller, Borough Engineer, to come forward to present his report.
Sparta Road TAP Grant – Eric Keller, Borough Engineer, stated all the revisions have been completed and he has received the material specifications from DOT. The paperwork will be resubmitted back to them this week. Signoffs have been received with regard to the encroachments which exist beyond the right of way. The end is in sight. The next steps include approval from Capital Programming at DOT. It has to go to the Federal Highway Administration and then a letter will be received from DOT authorizing the Borough to advertise. The governing body will have to adopt a resolution authorizing the advertisement. There will be a minimum of over 40 advertisements to be made over three weeks. The bid should be ready to award by the end of this year or early next year. This will be a spring project.
Brooklyn Road / Baker Place Water Improvement Project – Mr. Keller stated the bid for the Brooklyn Road / Baker Place Water Improvement Project has been sent back out. The bids are due back by next Thursday. There are some additional bidders this time. Mr. Keller stated he has spoken with a number of the bidders and previously they were unable to bid due to the COVID shutdown. There should be more bids now that things have opened back up.
Musconetcong Avenue Speed Humps – Mr. Keller stated he has provided a memorandum to the governing body regarding the speed humps on Musconetcong Avenue summarizing his findings. The design guidelines and parameters were reviewed as they relate to the street environment being dealt with. Musconetcong Avenue is a residential street with a park and various intersecting cross streets, all of which is considered when designing a traffic calming plan. In Stanhope, the speed humps are installed for speed control. The design also looks at the horizontal and vertical curvature of the roads. The speed humps on Musconetcong Avenue are spaced slightly further apart than the industry guidelines suggest. The vertical perspective of Musconetcong Avenue is relatively flat. At the first speed hump the slope is less than a percent. The original speed humps were in place for approximately 20 years and predate Mr. Keller’s employment as the Borough Engineer. The new speed humps were placed in the same locations as the original ones because they are the correct locations. They do not impact any of the sanitary manholes and they are in the middle of the road. The speed humps do not impact the driveways. Various publications were reviewed while designing the speed humps. The speed humps are 12 feet long and range in height from three to four inches. The speed humps are designed to slow a vehicle down so it cannot travel over the speed hump at 25mph which is the posted speed limit on Musconetcong Avenue. Speed tables were installed on Dell Road because this road does not serve just the Pennington Woods Development and emergency services had concerns about being able to get up the road quickly enough during an emergency. Speed tables can be travelled over at 20 – 25mph, whereas speed humps are designed for 15 – 20mph. Paving is not an exact science and there are tolerances which are accepted. Mr. Keller stated he measured each of the speed humps on Musconetcong Avenue. He measured the slope of the roadway, the overall height of the ramp, the slope leading to the ramp section and the slope trailing the ramp section. While there are some differences to the design, they are comfortable within the tolerances for paving activities. The construction detail assumes the road is flat but that is not the case. There are some differences when you measure depending on where you measure and at what point on the speed hump. Mr. Keller stated in his opinion the speed humps have been built within acceptable tolerances to the design. The design was consistent with industry guidelines and the height is correct. Mr. Keller stated he drove over the speed humps several times while measuring them. His car used to hit the old speed humps. His car now clears the new speed humps and the car does have to slow down to approximately 15mph to travel over them but that is what the speed humps are supposed to do.
Councilman Thornton asked Mr. Keller if he measured the length of the speed humps. Mr. Keller stated he did not physically measure the length but a visual inspection was done and they are all approximately 12 feet in length. Councilman Thornton asked if there is any comparison between the traffic on Dell Road as compared to Musconetcong Avenue. Mr. Keller stated the reason there are no speed humps from Young Drive down to Route 183 is due to the fact that the volume exceeds 3,000 vehicles per day. State Law dictates that speed humps cannot be placed on roads that exceed 3,000 vehicles per day. Traffic counts were not conducted for Musconetcong Avenue. Mr. Keller stated his estimate would be 800 to 1,000 trips per day on Musconetcong Avenue before the pandemic. Councilman Riccardi asked about the fact that the overall height of the ramps range from 3.8” to 4.5”. Mr. Keller stated these are acceptable tolerances. The most important aspect is the differential change from the road to the height of the speed humps. Councilman Thornton stated speed tables were used on Dell Road in order for emergency vehicles to be able to travel over them in a timelier manner. Councilman Thornton asked what route emergency vehicles will use to access Towpath Lane in the event of an emergency. Administrator McNeilly stated they will use the quickest route. The Mayor and Council thanked Mr. Keller for attending tonight’s meeting.
ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT
Storm Brush Pickup – Administrator McNeilly stated after last week’s storm, DPW worked Friday, Monday and Tuesday to clean up the brush. Residents were asked to have their brush curbside by 8:00am Monday morning. There was a great deal of storm debris but the DPW finished collecting it all today. All areas have been picked up. If anyone calls saying their brush was not picked up it is because it was either not curbside in time or it is not a size that can be placed in the chipper, such as stumps or any branches over 6” in diameter. Administrator McNeilly is working on getting together the Borough’s storm costs from the recent storm.
TAP Grant – Administrator McNeilly stated the NJDOT is inviting us to a documentation meeting regarding the TAP Grant. Administrator McNeilly stated he is not sure if the meeting will be the same as the one he attended two and a half years ago. The hope is this will get the project ready to go forward.
Brooklyn Road/Crestview Drive Crosswalk Update – Administrator McNeilly stated he received a reply from the County Engineer that, barring any unforeseen delays, the crosswalk at Brooklyn Road and Crestview Drive is scheduled to have work begin on August 24th. Councilwoman Kuncken stated, as was discussed at previous meetings, the school needs to be contacted in order to educate the children on how to use the crosswalk safely. The children need to know that just because they press the button to cross, it does not mean they can step off into the street. Councilwoman Kuncken stated the Superintendent of the school should be contacted and if he needs help Councilwoman Kuncken stated she and maybe some other Council Members would be willing to volunteer. Councilman Riccardi suggested including information in with the water/sewer billing and on the website about the crosswalk and how it should be used.
Brooklyn Road/Canfield Street Intersection – Councilman Thornton asked who is responsible for the maintenance of the area located at Brooklyn Road and Canfield Street. Administrator McNeilly stated the County is responsible for some of the area. SCARC takes care of part of it and then the Borough weed whacks the exterior part of the area. Councilman Thornton stated residents have complained about the sight distance trying to pull out onto Brooklyn Road in that area. The area is significantly overgrown. Administrator McNeilly stated the sight line is specifically the County’s responsibility but he will inspect the areas sight triangle. Councilman Riccardi confirmed it is a bit difficult to see in that area. Mayor Zdichocki stated if the County is responsible they will be contacted. Administrator McNeilly stated he will take some pictures of the area and he will send them to the Engineering Department at the County. Councilman Cipollini reiterated the need to educate the children about the crosswalk. Mayor Zdichocki stated the adults need to be informed also.
Brush Pickup – Councilman Riccardi asked the Administrator to thank the DPW for their cleanup work after the storm. Mayor Zdichocki commended the DPW and stated their work has been outstanding. Administrator McNeilly stated the DPW was utilizing the chipper and picking up brush with the pickup trucks. A pile of brush cannot be left on the street for pickup at another time because it leads to more piles being put out in the meantime. The DPW moved through as quickly as they could and they were working on an extremely hot day.
WORK SESSION
Ordinance Regarding Marriage Ceremonies – Mayor Zdichocki stated an ordinance will be introduced at the next scheduled Mayor and Council Meeting regarding fees for marriage ceremonies for out of town couples. There was a brief discussion about reviewing and discussing an ordinance prior to introduction. The Clerk will provide the Council with the draft ordinance for discussion at the next meeting.
Clean Communities Co-Chairperson – Mayor Zdichocki stated currently Dana Mooney is the Clean Communities Chairperson and she is doing a great job. For the past few years, Nicole Member, who is a member of our Environmental Commission, has been assisting Ms. Mooney. Mayor Zdichocki stated she would like to appoint Ms. Member as the co-chair to the Clean Communities program, with council concurrence. This is a volunteer position, it is not a paid position. Mayor Zdichocki asked the governing body for their comments. Councilwoman Kuncken stated the Clean Communities Program does involve the Finance Committee. The Finance Committee should be consulted prior to any changes being made. Councilman Thornton asked how the delineation of duties will be divided between the co-chairs. Mayor Zdichocki stated she will outline what the Clean Communities Program entails and the duties of the chairperson. Ms. Member has been doing this job for several years and Mayor Zdichocki stated she would like to recognize the work Ms. Member has been doing. Mayor Zdichocki stated there are grants available through the program that the Borough can apply for.
Administrator McNeilly asked if the ordinance regarding the marriage ceremonies and the Clean Communities Co-Chair are topics for discussion at the next meeting. Ellen Horak, Borough Clerk, stated the ordinance is scheduled to be introduced at the next meeting and once the ordinance is introduced it cannot be discussed until the public hearing. The ordinance, once adopted, would provide for a fee of $75 to be charged to out of town residents for a marriage ceremony to take place. No fee will be charged for residents of the Borough. The ordinance was drawn up by the Borough Attorney.
NEW BUSINESS
RESOLUTIONS
Mayor Zdichocki offered the following resolutions which were read by title.
Resolution 126-20 RESOLUTION AWARDING CONTRACT FOR DELL ROAD ADA RAMP INSTALLATION
WHEREAS, the Borough of Stanhope sought construction bids for the Dell Road ADA Ramp Installation; and
WHEREAS, Cifelli and Son submitted the lowest bid for the Borough’s request for bids on July 8, 2020; and
WHEREAS, both the Borough’s Qualified Purchasing Agent, Grant Rome, and the Borough Engineer, Eric Keller, concur in the recommendation of the award of a bid to Cifelli and Son; and
WHEREAS, the Chief Financial Officer, Dana J. Mooney, has certified that funds are available.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Stanhope, County of Sussex, State of New Jersey that the Borough does hereby award a bid to Cifelli and Son in an amount not to exceed $18,950.00 for the Dell Road ADA Ramp Installation.
On motion by Councilman Wronko, seconded by Councilman Riccardi and unanimously carried by the following roll call vote the foregoing resolution was duly adopted.
Roll Call:
Councilman Cipollini – yes
Councilman Romano – yes
Councilwoman Kuncken – yes
Councilman Thornton – yes
Councilman Riccardi – yes
Councilman Wronko – yes
PAYMENT OF BILLS
Resolution 127-20 RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL OF THE BOROUGH OF STANHOPE AUTHORIZING PAYMENT OF BILLS
WHEREAS, the Chief Finance Officer has certified that funds are available in the proper account; and
WHEREAS, the Chief Finance Officer has approved payment upon certification from the Borough Department Heads that the goods and/or services have been rendered to the Borough;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Stanhope that the current bills list, dated August 11, 2020 and on file and available for public inspection in the Office of the Chief Finance Officer and approved by the Chief Finance Officer for payment, be paid.
On motion by Councilman Romano, seconded by Councilwoman Kuncken and unanimously carried by the following roll call vote the foregoing resolution was duly adopted.
Councilman Riccardi asked for clarification on the bill for four additional iPads. Councilwoman Kuncken stated the office staff were on alternating weeks during the COVID-19 quarantine and had to work from home. Not everyone has the technology at home to work remotely. The Finance Committee discussed the issue and made the decision to purchase the iPads. In the event that work needs to be done offsite, the Administrator will be able to assign an iPad to an employee who may need this equipment to work remotely. Mayor Zdichocki stated employees should not have to borrow a computer from their children to work from home. The iPads can also be used as backup computers if such a need arises. Councilman Romano said the OEM informed him the cost for these iPads can be put through FEMA for reimbursement.
Roll Call:
Councilman Cipollini – yes
Councilman Romano – yes
Councilwoman Kuncken – yes
Councilman Thornton – yes
Councilman Riccardi – yes
Councilman Wronko – yes
AGENDA ITEMS
All items listed on the Agenda for August 25, 2020 were approved.
CITIZEN’S TO BE HEARD
Mayor Zdichocki opened the meeting to the public after advising attendees that there is a five (5) minute time limit for each speaker.
Gil Moscatello, 21 Towpath Avenue, stated he has attended the last few meetings and has stated his concerns regarding the speed humps on Musconetcong Avenue. According to meeting minutes from a prior Mayor and Council meeting, the Engineer had stated the new speed humps would be engineered properly. Mr. Moscatello is of the opinion that the new speed humps are the same exact size as the old speed humps which were removed. Mr. Moscatello stated twenty years ago when the first speed humps were installed he had gone out and measured them and discussed his concerns then with the governing body. He explained how he measured the speed humps. The speed humps measured 12 feet wide and they measured 6 inches at the highest point. Then he used a level across the speed hump and most fell between 5” to 6”, some were 4.5”. Mr. Moscatello asked the Borough Engineer what the tolerance is on a six-foot rise. Mr. Moscatello stated according to the data he found the speed humps should be 14 feet wide and the height should be between 3 ½” to 4”. The speed humps could then be travelled over at 20mph. The current speed humps cannot be travelled over at 20mph and it is a struggle to go over them at 15mph. The road has a 25mph speed limit and the speed is being lowered by 40%. Mr. Moscatello stated he has no issue with the location and the distances of the speed humps but they are exactly like the previous ones which were supposed to be redesigned. It is an inconvenience to have to slow down to 15mph. Mr. Moscatello asked how many speeding tickets were issued during the time when the speed humps had been removed. The minutes from a prior meeting state the speed humps would be redesigned due to the fact that the original speed humps were improper. Mr. Moscatello stated he sent an email to the governing body regarding the safety issues regarding the speed humps. His concern is the length of time it would take emergency vehicles to arrive to his address in the event of an emergency. A minute can make a difference to someone having a heart attack or a stroke. His data indicates if help arrives in five minutes instead of four minutes, the rate of survival drops from a 50/50 chance to 19%. Mr. Moscatello stated the speed humps should be redone so they are 14 feet wide and 4 inches high. This will still slow the traffic and it will be convenient for vehicles to travel over at 20mph and it will increase the safety aspect. Mr. Moscatello stated he spoke with someone from the Fire Department regarding the vehicles. The Fire Department vehicles have to come to a complete stop before going over the speed humps. Mr. Moscatello thanked the governing body for their time.
Ben Satterly, 78 Main Street, stated the garage across the street from the Police Station has cars parked all over on Main Street. The parked cars make it very difficult for residents to pull out of their driveways, especially for those who have to back out into the road. It is not safe. The cars are also blocking the mailboxes. Mr. Satterly has contacted the Post Office and the Post Office has contacted the Police Department. Mayor Zdichocki thanked Mr. Satterly for coming to tonight’s meeting to discuss this issue. The governing body is aware of the situation and various options are being explored to rectify the problem.
Lillian Agitio, 70 Main Street, stated since April her mailbox has been blocked by the cars on Main Street and she has to go to the Post Office to retrieve her mail. The Post Office is aware of the problem and the police do not have any recourse. The noise of revving car engines lasts well into the night sometimes until 10:30pm. Cars are parked on both sides of the street and are left there night after night. Ms. Agitio asked the governing body to adopt ordinances to address the noise issues and the parking in front of mail boxes. Mayor Zdichocki thanked Ms. Agitio for attending tonight’s meeting.
William Amberg, the owner and operator of the A2B Motorsport located at 72 Main Street, stated he has just listened to the concerns of the neighbors. He does try to keep the cars out of the way of the mailboxes during the day and he has been trying to keep the trailer at his home in Hopatcong. There are occasions when the trailer is needed and it is parked on the road. Mr. Amberg has spoken with the Police Department regarding this and has been informed that he is not in violation of any ordinances as long as the trailer is attached to the truck. If the cars parked on the road are not a Volkswagen or an Audi, they are not one of his vehicles. The red truck, the black KIA, the white truck, the jeep and the black Audi are cars which belong to the owner and employees. Mr. Amberg stated he is very conscious about the noise ordinance and they do not work at the shop on the weekends. Mr. Amberg grew up in this town and is very respectful of the town and wants to work together. Councilman Thornton asked how many cars are serviced per day. Mr. Amberg replied four to six cars are serviced per day. The garage has three bays and two dead spots. Councilman Thornton stated on any given day there seem to be at least ten cars parked on the road. The owner stated he does not work on the weekends. The shop manager will work Saturdays by appointment only. The work hours are from 9:00am to 6pm during the week. Any work done after that time is being done on their personal vehicles. Councilman Thornton stated the cars are often left parked on the street overnight from April to November. Councilman Thornton stated he lives nearby and he along with the garage’s neighbors do not want Main Street to be the overflow parking lot for the business. The prior owner, Justin, worked on MR2’s and when the cars were being parked along Main Street he was asked to find an alternative. The number of cars being parked on Main Street are essentially turning the street into a one-way street. Mr. Amberg agreed and stated as of last Friday he has been parking the cars at another location. Only the red truck remains on Main Street. They are no longer taking in more cars than what they can fit into the shop at the end of the night.
Mayor Zdichocki thanked Mr. Amberg for attending tonight’s meeting to discuss this issue. Mayor Zdichocki stated the residents have been frustrated with the parking issue and it has been a problem on occasion when meetings were held at the Municipal Building and people had no where to park. Mayor Zdichocki stated some things need to change and she asked Mr. Amberg not to park in front of the mailboxes and to have the Snap On truck pull into the driveway instead of stopping in the road which causes a dangerous situation. Councilwoman Kuncken stated from November 1st to April 1st cars are not allowed to be parked on the street overnight and she suggested that Mr. Amberg actively look for an alternate location to park the cars. Mr. Amberg stated he is aware of this. Administrator McNeilly stated the Zoning Officer has issued a notice of violation to the property owner due to the fact a site plan for this type of operation does not exist for this location. A site plan application would list the hours of operation, number of employees and how many vehicles will be serviced. As Councilman Thornton stated earlier, where are the vehicles which are being worked on being parked and where are the vehicles not being worked on being parked. All of those things would be put in place to prevent the spillover situation that currently exists. Mr. Amberg stated he is currently trying to obtain parking permission at a property located on Flanders Road. In the area where he parks the cars, in front of the Municipal Building, there are no mailboxes or driveways. The town recently had a car towed which was parked in front of the mailboxes but it was not one of his cars. Councilman Thornton asked Mr. Amberg to be a good neighbor moving forward. These are issues that the prior tenant, Justin, was going to encounter if he had not found an alternate parking area for the cars. Councilman Thornton stated he did notice on the eve of the recent tropical storm there were only two cars parked on Main Street and he is of the opinion neither of them belonged to Mr. Amberg. Councilman Thornton asked Mr. Amberg to please be proactive. Councilman Thornton stated Mr. Amberg usually has about eight to ten cars and then there are approximately another ten to fifteen cars. Once Mr. Amberg takes care of his cars, the governing body can then move on to the next offender. Mr. Amberg stated he recently hired a shop manager. The garage parking lot holds eight cars and the bays can hold two or three. Twenty cars used to be present at one time but now they are trying to keep the number to ten. Administrator McNeilly stated a site plan will call out where the cars will be parked on the property along with many other details. The street parking is not necessarily where they would be. Councilman Thornton stated there is another property owner looking into a Sunday Flea Market in their parking lot and the first question from the Zoning Officer was where are the cars going to be parked. That is what is happening here. There has been a change of use here. Councilman Thornton stated the Borough is always happy to have a profitable business in town but it has to be done without a disturbance to the neighbors. Mr. Amberg stated he has employees that work on their own cars after hours without his permission. Mayor Zdichocki stated those employees are representatives of his business. Councilman Wronko stated Mr. Amberg, as the owner, has to set the rules. Discussion took place about employees working on the weekends unsupervised. Administrator McNeilly stated Mr. Amberg, as the owner of the business, should contact the Zoning Officer to move forward on the site plan. Mayor Zdichocki thanked Mr. Amberg for attending tonight’s meeting and she looks forward to some changes being made. Mayor Zdichocki also asked the residents to keep the Borough informed of any concerns.
Lois Steele, 78 Main Street, stated she visits her son occasionally and many times there are as many as 19 cars parked on the road she cannot find a place to park. Sometimes the mail is delayed for several days because the mailbox is blocked. Sports cars have pulled out of the garage driveway and tear down the street. The street has essentially become a one-way street due to the cars being parked on both sides of the road. Mayor Zdichocki stated she is sorry the residents have had to deal with this situation and she is glad it has been brought to the governing body’s attention. The issue is going to be addressed.
Seeing no one further from the public wishing to speak, Mayor Zdichocki closed the public portion of the meeting.
ADJOURNMENT
On motion by Councilwoman Kuncken, seconded by Councilman Wronko, and unanimously carried by voice vote the meeting was adjourned at 8:50 P.M.
Approved:
Linda Chirip
Deputy Clerk for
Ellen Horak, RMC
Borough Clerk