MAYOR AND COUNCIL
WORK SESSION AND AGENDA MEETING MINUTES
August 13, 2024 7:00 P.M.
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CALL TO ORDER
SALUTE TO COLORS
Mayor Wronko invited all those present to stand in a salute to the colors.
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 10, 2024 and was placed on the Official Bulletin Board in the Municipal Building.
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:
Councilwoman Kuncken – present
Councilman Simpson – absent
Councilman Riccardi – present
Councilman Thornton – present
Councilman Romano – present
Councilman Wachterhauser – present
Mayor Wronko – present
Mayor Wronko amended the agenda and moved Resolution 139-24 to this portion of the meeting. Mayor Wronko offered the following resolution which was read in its entirety.
Resolution 139-24 A RESOLUTION OF THE BOROUGH OF STANHOPE AUTHORIZING THE PROMOTION OF OFFICER JOSEPH JOHNSON TO THE RANK OF SERGEANT WITHIN THE STANHOPE BOROUGH POLICE DEPARTMENT
WHEREAS, the Stanhope Borough Police Department is in need of a Sergeant; and
WHEREAS, the Borough Chief of Police has recommended the promotion of Police Officer Joseph Johnson to Sergeant; and
WHEREAS, the Borough Mayor and Council accept the Chief’s recommendation that Officer Johnson is the most qualified candidate to serve as Sergeant.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Stanhope, County of Sussex, State of New Jersey, that Police Officer Joseph Johnson is hereby promoted to the rank of Sergeant effective August 13, 2024, with salary paid in accordance with the contract in effect for the Stanhope Borough Police Department
On motion by Councilman Romano, seconded by Councilman Thornton and unanimously carried by the following roll call vote, the foregoing resolution was duly adopted.
Roll Call:
Councilwoman Kuncken – yes
Councilman Simpson – absent
Councilman Riccardi – yes
Councilman Thornton – yes
Councilman Romano – yes
Councilman Wachterhauser – yes
OATH OF OFFICE
Officer Joseph Johnson was sworn in as Sergeant of the Stanhope Borough Police Department by Ellen Horak, Borough Clerk.
Mayor Wronko called for a five-minute recess for everyone to have the opportunity to congratulate Sergeant Johnson.
ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT
Grove Road & Elm Street – Administrator McNeilly stated there has been a delay with the Grove Road and the Elm Street road project. The milling was scheduled to start on August 13th. However, Riverview Paving is backed up due to the weather, so we now have a milling date of August 16th followed by a paving date of August 22nd. A Nixle message will be sent, and door notices will be delivered on Thursday. The Stanhope School has been notified. As of today, any resident that has requested a gas line connection has received the connection. All those open permits have been closed. There are approximately seven or eight residences who chose not to have gas lines installed and once the paving is done, they will have to wait five years from this month should they change their minds. This will be the case for any road in the Borough which is paved with Borough funds or with NJDOT funds going forward. The crosswalks and stop bars will be done with thermoplast, which is not paint, this will be done quickly and should not cause much disruption. Councilwoman Kuncken asked if the Fire Department and Ambulance Squad will be notified. Administrator McNeilly stated they both receive notification through the Nixle system.
2023 Condo Services – Administrator McNeilly stated Angelica Sabatini, CFO, and Jason Titsworth, DPW Superintendent, have completed the condo services calculations. The information has been passed on to the Borough Attorney in order for the resolution to be prepared for the August 27th Mayor and Council Meeting. Once the resolution is adopted, a letter and the agreements will be sent to the condo associations. When they sign and return the agreements, they will receive their checks. There are still a few agreements which are unsigned and therefore that money is just waiting to be disbursed.
Shade Tree Commission – Administrator McNeilly stated he and the DPW Superintendent met with Paula Murphy and Roe Maio from the Shade Tree Commission to discuss the tree plantings on Dell Road. A capital budget was created two years ago to cover the cost of planting approximately 30 shade trees along Dell Road. A letter has been prepared to distribute to the residents. The trees are the same variety as on Main Street. The planting is set to take place late in the fall of 2024. Some trees on Main Street need to be replaced. The trees for Dell Road will help with water runoff and trees work to calm traffic.
Nixle – Administrator McNeilly stated he is in the process of finalizing the details to expand the Nixle message allocation. Any additional costs are going to be covered by NJ Natural Gas for 2024 and 2025. After 2025, the amount of Nixle messages required should return back to the pre-existing amount.
COAH – Administrator McNeilly stated Bill Hamilton, Borough Planner, will be attending the August 27th Mayor and Council Meeting to continue the COAH funds discussion.
Borough Engineer – Administrator McNeilly stated Eric Keller, Borough Engineer, will be attending the August 27th meeting with updates on various projects.
Budget 2025 Timeline – Administrator McNeilly stated the 2025 budget and capital memos have been distributed. The department capital and budget requests are due back by September 3rd. The budget and capital requests will be presented to the governing body on November 1st. The proposed 2025 budget discussion is scheduled for the November 12th work session meeting. The Borough Assessor and the Borough Auditor will make their presentations on December 10th.
NJ Natural Gas Paving Schedule – Councilman Riccardi asked how the paving schedule will be determined once the services have been completed. Will the paving be done immediately after? The areas by the school are being done right away but will this be the case with all the roads going forward. Administrator McNeilly stated the current paving being done on Grove Road and Elm Street is a Borough project through NJDOT, not NJ Natural Gas. This project has to be completed in 2024. When NJ Natural Gas completes Musconetcong Avenue they need to move over to Main Street before they stop for the season since Main Street has a 2024 grant and is scheduled to be paved. The process this year for trying to get all the services completed prior to paving was too onerous on Administrator McNeilly and the DPW Superintendent. The strategy for when NJ Natural Gas can write permits, when they expire, and when they can shut down the sales for service will be handled differently. There were two connections as of last Thursday that were not completed until yesterday. Once the road is paved it is the homeowners who lose out on the opportunity, but the Borough will get the blame. A buffer is going to be built into the timeframe to prevent this from happening again.
Construction Permits – Mayor Wronko asked how the backlog of permits is doing. Administrator McNeilly stated they are struggling along. The Construction Official has agreed, if necessary, he will come in on an additional day to do inspections. It is still a struggle. It is not perfect yet. Almost 300 road opening permits have been issued and that is going to translate to 300 construction permits that this operation was never designed to handle. Councilman Thornton asked if the process has gotten better than it was. Administrator McNeilly stated it is status quo. It has not gotten any worse. Road openings shut off mid-November and the gas connections will not start up again until April or May. There are no additional inspectors available. Mayor Wronko asked Administrator McNeilly how it will be determined when the threshold is met where additional inspections are required. Administrator McNeilly stated the Construction Official will make that determination. If complaints are received or inspections are not happening, then some steps will have to be taken. Councilwoman Kuncken suggested asking the Construction Official to let the Administrator know how many inspections are done each week and then subtract that number from the 300 road opening permits to have an idea of how many construction permits remain. Administrator McNeilly stated he is of the opinion that 10-15 inspections are done per week. There are several inspections needed per permit and fortunately our Construction Official is licensed for all subcodes and can do all the inspections at one time. The clerical side requires making sure applications are complete and payments are made. There are a great deal of telephone calls which go back and forth between customers, contractors and the Construction Official. All of this has its challenges with a 15-hour work week. In addition to the gas line permits, there are other permits for decks, remodels etc. which are still being processed. Administrator McNeilly stated he does not believe there is a drastic issue at this time but that could change three weeks from now.
WORK SESSION
Ordinance Amending the Code Deleting Chapter 44, “Recreation Commissioners, Board of” in its Entirety and Replacing it with New Chapter 44 entitled “Recreation Advisory Committee” and Adding a New Chapter 45, “Criminal History Background Checks” – Mayor Wronko asked the governing body if there were any questions or concerns regarding an ordinance to delete Chapter 44, Board of Recreation Commissioners, with a new Chapter 44, Recreation Advisory Committee. The change is being made due to the fact that the powers designated in the existing ordinance do not apply. Administrator McNeilly stated the existing chapter cannot be altered because it is a state code. Stanhope’s requirements for recreation can be accomplished with a committee form of government made up of volunteers. Councilwoman Kuncken stated this will not impact how the Recreation Commission functions. Administrator McNeilly confirmed this and stated they will still have term memberships; they will make budget requests and process requests for purchase orders under the direction of the governing body. Councilwoman Kuncken stated the recreation members will most likely not notice any differences.
Stanhope HSA Request to Close Main Street for Fall Festival – Mayor Wronko stated the Stanhope HSA (Home and School Association) has requested permission to close Main Street to hold a fall festival. Mayor Wronko asked what the process will entail for the festival to be conducted. Councilman Romano stated he applauds the HSA for wishing to take this on but there are some logistical and financial concerns. Logistically it is difficult to close the road on a Saturday. The businesses and the Post Office, which also serves Byram and parts of Hopatcong, are open on Saturday. In the past, these types of events have always been held on Sunday’s. There are budget concerns regarding who is going to pay for the garbage removal, the DPW employees, and all the other expenses which will be incurred. Mayor Wronko stated the HSA is looking for some direction and information regarding the costs involved. Perhaps just a portion of the road could be closed which would still allow access to the Post Office. Councilman Thornton suggested closing the road from the Municipal Building down toward the residences. The Chamber of Commerce used to hold this event, and they should have a list of costs and requirements. Hopefully, this can all come together. Councilwoman Kuncken stated she agrees with Councilman Romano and Councilman Thornton’s statements, but she too has concerns regarding the financial issues. If the DPW employees are needed for a Saturday, they would receive pay at time and a half. Administrator McNeilly confirmed this and stated Sundays are paid double time. Councilwoman Kuncken asked who would be bearing that cost? It is great that the HSA wants to step up and bring some community spirit back to the Borough while benefitting the HSA, but this is not a Borough event and the costs and who will cover them needs to be determined. Mayor Wronko stated the costs need to be determined first and even though this is not a Borough event, it would still benefit the Borough and perhaps there are some aspects the Borough can assist with.
Administrator McNeilly suggested speaking with the group that used to run this event to determine the costs. Administrator McNeilly stated he was involved in the event 20-25 years ago and the process to plan the event began in January and required many meetings. There are many aspects to be addressed such as garbage cans and port-o-johns. In his opinion, Main Street should not be closed on a Saturday because it is a busy day for the businesses in this area. On the other hand, Stanhope School would be a better logistical option. It has parking, bathrooms, garbage cans and an area to hold the event. Councilman Thornton stated he is of the opinion that having the event on Main Street is vital to the success of the event. Councilwoman Kuncken stated the Recreation Commission needs to be cautioned that they are working with the 2024 budget and their funds have to be utilized for their upcoming events. Mayor Wronko stated the Recreation Commission is not being asked to contribute monetarily. Councilwoman Kuncken stated it would be irresponsible for the governing body to not list the pros and cons up front. Mayor Wronko asked if the DPW costs for the previous event were covered by the Borough or the Chamber of Commerce. The answer is unknown at this time. Administrator McNeilly stated, from the municipal standpoint, two DPW employees would be required to work for the event. If the road closure goes all the way to Route 183, a Police Officer may be needed to cross people across the street. Permission to close Main Street is required. An insurance policy needs to be in place. Councilwoman Kuncken stated it would be a good idea for the HSA to meet with the Chamber of Commerce members to go over how things were done in the past. Mayor Wronko stated a meeting was already held with Paula Murphy who shared a great deal of information but perhaps another meeting would be helpful. Councilwoman Kuncken stated she and the Chamber members who ran this event years ago can assist with vendor and visitor parking. Any food supplied for the event must be made in a kitchen that has been inspected by the Board of Health. Volunteers cannot bake or supply items. The Fire Department can serve hot dogs because their kitchen is inspected and food trucks have permits. During a previous event, a few vendors were shut down by the Board of Health.
Derenda Hansen Hooked on Fishing Program at Lake Musconetcong (Request to Hold Event on October 19th) – Mayor Wronko stated the library would like permission to hold another Hooked on Fishing Program at Lake Musconetcong on October 19th. The governing body stated the last event was held with no issues and they have no objections granting permission for the fishing program to take place.
Parking Ordinances – Councilman Thornton stated during a past meeting there was discussion about reviewing parking ordinances at a future meeting. Mayor Wronko asked that the parking ordinance discussion be added for Council Discussion at the next Work Session Meeting.
Correspondence Tracking Software – Councilman Riccardi stated he has two meetings scheduled with vendors this week to review what they have to offer and what the Borough requirements are regarding the tracking software. The options will be presented to the governing body at a future time.
Sussex County Records Management – Councilman Riccardi stated a member of the Sussex Records Management Office gave a very good presentation at the Land Use Board meeting which was held last night. They demonstrated their document viewer for all of the tax maps. Councilman Riccardi stated he is of the opinion that the County’s service should be added to the Borough website for the residents to utilize. There is no cost to the Borough for the use of the county program.
Main Street Road Closure – Administrator McNeilly stated in order for the Main Street Road Closure to be memorialized, the location, date, and times must be approved at a meeting of the governing body. A decision will need to be made at the next scheduled meeting.
NEW BUSINESS
Mayor Wronko offered the following resolutions which were read by title.
Resolution 140-24 RESOLUTION TO AMEND BUDGET TO INCLUDE 2024 AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN FIREFIGHTER GRANT
WHEREAS, N.J.S.A. 40A:4-87 provides that the Director of the Division of Local Government Services may approve the insertion of any special item of revenue in the budget of any county or municipality when such item shall have been made available by law and the amount thereof was not determined at the time of the adoption of the budget, and
WHEREAS, said Director may also approve the insertion of an item of appropriation for an equal amount, and
WHEREAS, the Borough of Stanhope has received a total of $50,000.00 from the NJ Department of Community Affairs for the 2024 American Rescue Plan Firefighter Grant; and
WHEREAS, the Borough of Stanhope now wishes to amend its 2024 budget to include the additional grant funds approved of $50,000.00 as a revenue.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Council of the Borough of Stanhope does hereby requests the Director of the Division of Local Government Services to approve the insertion of an item of revenue in the budget of the year 2024 in the sum of $50,000.00, which will be available as a revenue from:
Miscellaneous Revenues
Special Items of General Revenue Anticipated with Prior Written
Consent of the Director of Local Government Services – Public
And Private Revenues Offset with Appropriations: 2024 American Rescue Plan Firefighter Grant, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a like sum of…………………………$50,000.00
be and the same is hereby appropriated under the caption of:
General Appropriations
- Public and Private Programs Offset by Revenues:
2024 American Rescue Plan Firefighter Grant, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Chief Financial Officer shall submit one copy of the Chapter 159 certification form to the Director of Local Government Services.
On motion by Councilman Riccardi, seconded by Councilman Romano and unanimously carried by the following roll call vote, the foregoing resolution was duly adopted.
Roll Call:
Councilwoman Kuncken – yes
Councilman Simpson – absent
Councilman Riccardi – yes
Councilman Thornton – yes
Councilman Romano – yes
Councilman Wachterhauser – yes
CONSENT AGENDA (All items listed on the Consent Agenda are considered routine by the Borough Council and were enacted by one motion of the Borough Council with no separate discussion.)
Resolution 141-24 RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL OF THE BOROUGH OF STANHOPE GRANTING APPROVAL FOR A BLOCK PARTY
WHEREAS, the Borough of Stanhope received a request from the residents of Lakeview Estates to conduct their annual block party; and
WHEREAS, said block party is scheduled for Sunday, September 29, 2024 from the hours of 12:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. on Towpath Lane between house numbers 23 and 25.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Stanhope, County of Sussex, State of New Jersey, does hereby grant approval to Lakeview Estates to hold a block party on Sunday, September 29, 2024 from the hours of 12:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. on Towpath Lane between house numbers 23 and 25.
Resolution 142-24 RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING REFUND OF ESCROW FOR BLOCK 11207 LOT 8
WHEREAS, Demattheis Development LLC was required to post escrow for engineering, planning, and legal review at Block 11207, Lot 8, 45 Main St; and
WHEREAS, the work is complete; and
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Stanhope, that the Borough shall refund to the following owner the following amount:
Demattheis Development LLC $4,533.80
110 Fairview Ave
Suite 1
Verona, NJ 07044
Resolution 143-24 RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING REFUND OF ESCROW FOR BLOCK 11207 LOT 8
WHEREAS, Demattheis Development LLC was required to post an escrow deposit for variance for Block 11207, Lot 8, 45 Main St; and
WHEREAS, the land use board review is complete; and
WHEREAS, the work is complete and there is no further billing forthcoming; and
WHEREAS, there are unused funds in the amount of $4,472.83.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Stanhope, that the Borough shall refund to the following owner the following amount:
Demattheis Development LLC $4,472.83
110 Fairview Ave
Suite 1
Verona, NJ 07044
Resolution 144-24 RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING REFUND OF ESCROW FOR BLOCK 11304 LOT 6
WHEREAS, Corey Kirk was required to post escrow for engineering, planning, and legal review at Block 11304, Lot 6, 30 Linden Ave; and
WHEREAS, the work is complete; and
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Stanhope, that the Borough shall refund to the following owner the following amount:
Corey Kirk $977.93
30 Linden Ave
Stanhope, NJ 07874
Resolution 145-24 A RESOLUTION BY THE BOROUGH OF STANHOPE DESIGNATING AN ADDITIONAL DEPOSITORY FOR THE 2024 CALENDAR YEAR
WHEREAS, the Mayor and Council approved Resolution 006-24 on January 9, 2024, approving designated depositories for the Borough in 2024; and
WHEREAS, the Borough now wishes to add an additional bank, Bethpage Federal Credit Union, as a designated depository.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Stanhope, County of Sussex, State of New Jersey, that Bethpage Federal Credit Union is hereby designated as an additional depository for the Borough of Stanhope in 2024.
Resolution 146-24 RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING REFUND OF REDEMPTION MONIES TO OUTSIDE LIEN HOLDER
WHEREAS, the Tax Collector has received payment for the redemption of Tax Title Lien No. 2023-015 representing 2022 property taxes and/or utility charges on Block 11501, Lot 2 Qual C0016 known as 116 Alpine Ct assessed to Miller, David C, and;
WHEREAS, the Tax Collector certifies that reimbursement is now required to be made to the following lien holder for the required redemption amounts as shown below:
To Lienholder: GTech Capital LLC
474 Mary Allen Way
Mountainside, NJ 07092
Redemption Amount: Tax Title Lien #2023-015 and
Interest to Date of Meeting $ 16,924.34
Premium Paid by Lienholder 24,500.00
Total From Current Fund: $ 16,924.34
Total From Tax Premium Account 24,500.00
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Borough Council of the Borough of Stanhope, County of Sussex, State of New Jersey, that the Borough Treasurer be authorized to prepare the necessary check as stated above and to forward same to the lien holder.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a certified copy of this Resolution be forwarded to the Borough Chief Financial Officer/Tax Collector.
Resolution 147-24 RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING REFUND OF REDEMPTION MONIES TO OUTSIDE LIEN HOLDER
WHEREAS, the Tax Collector has received payment for the redemption of Tax Title Lien No. 2022-013 representing 2021 property taxes and/or utility charges on Block 11701, Lot 14 known as 195 Stonegate Ln assessed to Greentree at Hopatcong III, LLC, and;
WHEREAS, the Tax Collector certifies that reimbursement is now required to be made to the following lien holder for the required redemption amounts as shown below:
To Lienholder: Trystone Capital Assets, LLC
PO Box 1030
Brick, NJ 08723
Redemption Amount: Tax Title Lien #2022-013 and
Interest to Date of Meeting $ 4,374.26
Premium Paid by Lienholder 300.00
Total From Current Fund: $ 4,374.26
Total From Tax Premium Account 300.00
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Borough Council of the Borough of Stanhope, County of Sussex, State of New Jersey, that the Borough Treasurer be authorized to prepare the necessary check as stated above and to forward same to the lien holder.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a certified copy of this Resolution be forwarded to the Borough Chief Financial Officer/Tax Collector.
On motion by Councilwoman Kuncken, seconded by Councilman Thornton and unanimously carried by the following roll call vote, the foregoing resolutions were duly adopted.
Roll Call:
Councilwoman Kuncken – yes
Councilman Simpson – absent
Councilman Riccardi – yes
Councilman Thornton – yes
Councilman Romano – yes
Councilman Wachterhauser – yes
Mayor’s Acceptance of Resignation
Resolution 148-24 MAYOR’S ACCEPTANCE OF THE RESIGNATION OF CHRISTOPHER BORK WITH COUNCIL CONCURRENCE
BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Borough of Stanhope that they do hereby concur with the mayor’s acceptance of Christopher Bork’s resignation as Police Officer with the Stanhope Police Department, effective October 1, 2024.
On motion by Councilman Riccardi seconded by Councilman Thornton and unanimously carried by voice vote, the foregoing resolution was duly adopted.
PAYMENT OF BILLS
Resolution 149-24 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 13, 2024 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.
Roll Call:
Councilwoman Kuncken – yes
Councilman Simpson – absent
Councilman Riccardi – yes
Councilman Thornton – yes
Councilman Romano – yes
Councilman Wachterhauser – yes
AGENDA ITEMS
All items listed on the Agenda for August 27, 2024 were approved.
CITIZEN’S TO BE HEARD
Mayor Wronko opened the meeting to the public after advising attendees that there is a five (5) minute time limit for each speaker.
Barbara Krood stated she had suggested the idea of having a fall festival at an HSA meeting. Ms. Krood moved to the Borough in 2021 and she feels that there is a disconnect between the town and the school despite the fact that this is a very small community. The reason they would like to hold the vendor fair event on Main Street is to include the businesses and involve town residents that do not have children in the school. Ms. Krood stated that the school superintendent has no objection to letting the HSA hold the event at the school, but they would prefer to use Main Street.
Alyssa White, HSA President, stated this event would be a fund raiser for the HSA and the school depends on the HSA for support. Typically, this is the time of year the HSA would be holding the annual tricky tray. To date there are 30 vendors registered for the event, including food vendors. The HSA has reached out to the County to find out what type of permits are required. A certificate of insurance will be obtained and submitted to the Administrator. The costs are a concern. The HSA does have funds to work with to cover expenses. Registration fees have also been collected. Ms. White asked for the costs of associated with having the DPW employees and any police officers needed to work that day. Administrator McNeilly stated he can prepare an email which will list the rates for Saturday and rates for Sunday. At least two DPW employees will be needed that day. Ms. White stated the event will run from 11:00am to 5:00pm. Administrator McNeilly stated the road will need to be closed from 9:30am to at least 5:30pm. The employees would be here from 9:00am to 6:00pm which would be a total of 9 hours. The language required for the insurance certification will also be included in the email. The police officers may or may not be needed depending on how much of Main Street and what area will be closed. There are no garbage cans available. The port-o-johns will be an expense.
Ms. White stated she has attended many festivals and port-o-johns are not always available. Therefore, she is of the opinion they are not required. The vendors would need bathroom availability, and the plan was to ask the Fire Department, the Stanhope House and Bell’s Mansion if only the vendors could utilize their facilities. Another thought was to move the port-o-john from the park to Main Street for the day. Administrator McNeilly stated moving the existing port-o-john is not an option. Port-o-johns will have to be made available. Councilman Thornton stated utilizing the bathrooms at the businesses is problematic because people from out of town would not know where those businesses are located. Councilman Wachterhauser asked if the HSA has spoken with any of the businesses yet. Ms. White stated they have not. They needed to speak with the Mayor and Council first. Develop Strength has signed up to be a vendor. Ms. White stated they do want to involve all of the businesses.
Councilwoman Kuncken stated a police officer would only be required if people are crossing Route 183. In the past, they did not need an officer for that purpose but if an officer was needed for other issues, the officer on duty was called. Ms. White stated they do have a rain date of Sunday. Ms. White asked if approval is needed from any other entity. The HSA would like to have the fire department and the ambulance squad involved. Councilwoman Kuncken stated the HSA should contact them directly. Ms. White stated that Paula Murphy had mentioned she has signs available from the past event that the HSA can borrow. Ms. White asked about parking. Administrator McNeilly stated people will park wherever space is available. Councilwoman Kuncken stated a few people will need to be available at various locations once the road is closed to direct people. Mayor Wronko recommended that once the HSA has all their information compiled, they may want to have a committee meeting and include Paula Murphy, Diana Kuncken and Rosemarie Maio who have run the event in the past.
Ms. White asked what the timeframe is for having an item placed on the meeting agenda. Ellen Horak, Borough Clerk, stated requests need to be submitted prior to noon on the Friday before the scheduled meeting. The road closure request must be done by resolution. Administrator McNeilly stated the HSA will have to supply garbage cans and bags. The DPW will change out the bags as needed throughout the day and they will take the garbage away at the end of the day. Councilman Thornton suggested the HSA speak with the businesses to see what their feelings are about holding the event on a Saturday. There may need to be some flexibility in moving the event to Sunday. Councilman Wachterhauser stated customers will still be able to walk to the businesses, it would just be road access that is blocked. Mayor Wronko thanked Ms. White and Ms. Krood for attending this evening’s meeting and they in turn thanked the governing body for their time.
Michael Donahue, Stanhope Fire Chief, stated he would like to make the governing body aware of a safety concern. A few weekends ago, there was a call from Lake Drive and Spring Lane was loaded with cars. If there had been a fire, the fire department would not have been able to get down the road. Mr. Donahue suggested that perhaps signage could be placed to prohibit parking on one side of the road. There was a party going on when the fire department received the call. Councilman Romano stated that issue may have been caused due to the permission that was granted for a block party. Ms. Horak stated when the resolution is sent to the person in charge of the block party a letter is also sent at that time stating the road must remain open for emergency vehicles. Chief Donahue stated that road is very narrow. The police started to go down the road that day and had to back out. The police car could not fit through. Chief Donahue stated he needs assistance to make sure roads remain accessible and he thanked the governing body. The Mayor and Council thanked Chief Donahue for bringing this to their attention.
Seeing no one further from the public wishing to speak, Mayor Wronko closed the public portion of the meeting.
ADJOURNMENT
On motion by Councilman Romano, seconded by Councilman Thornton and unanimously carried by voice vote the meeting was adjourned at 8:00 P.M.
Approved:
Linda Chirip
Deputy Clerk for
Ellen Horak, RMC
Borough Clerk