MAYOR AND COUNCIL
REGULAR MEETING
May 24, 2022
7:00 P.M
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CALL TO ORDER
SALUTE TO COLORS
Mayor Zdichocki 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 5, 2022 and was placed on the Official Bulletin Board in the Municipal Building and 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
Councilwoman Kuncken – present
Councilman Thornton – present
Councilman Riccardi – present
Councilman Vance – absent
Councilman Romano – present
Councilman Wronko – present
Mayor Zdichocki – present
Moment of Silence – Mayor Zdichocki asked all those present to join her in a moment of silence for those whose lives have been lost in the recent mass shootings and for the Stanhope resident who recently passed due to COVID. To date, there have been 983 residents who have contracted COVID. A total of 7 residents have passed away as a result of the virus.
CITIZENS 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.
Seeing no one from the public wishing to speak, Mayor Zdichocki closed the public portion of the meeting.
MINUTES FOR APPROVAL
Mayor Zdichocki read aloud the list of minutes being presented for approval:
April 12, 2022 Work Session/Agenda Meeting
April 26, 2022 Business Meeting
On motion by Councilman Wronko, seconded by Councilwoman Kuncken and unanimously carried by voice vote, the above listed minutes were approved.
CORRESPONDENCE (List Attached)
On motion by Councilman Riccardi, seconded by Councilman Romano and unanimously carried by voice vote, the list of correspondence was accepted and ordered placed on file.
COUNCIL COMMITTEE REPORTS
Public Safety – Councilwoman Kuncken/Councilman Vance
(Police, Fire, Ambulance, Court & Violations Bureau, Emergency Management)
Councilwoman Kuncken stated for the month of March the Sussex County Fire Marshal reported 14 inspections were completed. During the month of April, there were 11 inspections completed. There were no responses to Stanhope during the months of March or April for incidents or complaints.
Councilwoman Kuncken stated the Fire Department for the month of April reported 7 calls answered, 3 mutual aid calls, 4 drills and 1 meeting for a total of 151.75 man hours volunteered.
Councilwoman Kuncken stated the Police Department for the month of April had 113 motor vehicle stops and a total of 274 calls for the month.
Councilwoman Kuncken stated two reports have been received from the Ambulance Squad this month. For the month of February, the Ambulance Squad reported 25 calls in Stanhope, 24 calls in Netcong, 5 in Byram Township and 3 in Hopatcong for a total of 57 calls. They treated 39 patients and made 29 trips to the hospital. They travelled 631 miles and had a total of 247 hours and 29 minutes of volunteer hours. For the month of March, there were 13 calls in Stanhope and 27 calls in Netcong. The out of town calls were as follows: 10 in Byram Township, 7 in Hopatcong and 2 in Mt. Olive. The total number of calls for the month was 49. They treated 42 patients and made 23 trips to the hospital. They travelled 765 miles and had a total of 294 hours and 46 minutes of volunteer hours.
Finance & Administration – Councilman Romano/Councilman Thornton
Councilman Romano stated the tax collections for the month of April total $724,004.43 and the year to date total is $3,940,562.24. The percentage collected for the first quarter is at 97.5%. The total percentage collected for the second quarter is 28.9%. Both percentages are slightly ahead of those from last year.
Councilman Romano stated the water collections for April totaled $38,786.73 and the year to date total is $220,993.19. The sewer collections for April totaled $43,341.32 and the year to date total is $261,270.66.
Community Development – Councilman Wronko/Councilman Riccardi
Councilman Wronko stated the Memorial Day Parade will take place on Monday. Stanhope Day is scheduled for June 12th. Mayor Zdichocki stated anyone participating in the parade should meet at the Netcong School at 12:30pm on Monday. Mayor Zdichocki asked the council members to wear their council shirts or red white and blue shirt and their name tags. Councilwoman Kuncken stated the Stanhope Day Spring Festival, sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, is moving along. A meeting was held last week. They have an ice cream vendor and are working on obtaining additional vendors. The ice cream vendor will also be participating in Family Fun Day. The Recreation Commission will have free games on the municipal lawn for the children. Rosemarie Maio, present in the audience, stated the ad is ready to go and some additional vendors have signed up. Mayor Zdichocki stated anyone interested in volunteering to help for Stanhope Day is welcome to do so.
Municipal Infrastructure – Councilman Thornton/Councilman Romano
(Water Distribution, Sewer Collection System, Road Construction & Maintenance, Buildings & Grounds)
Councilman Thornton stated the fire hydrant flushing has been completed. The DPW has been working hard on beautification of the Borough in preparation for the Memorial Day Parade. The saddles and services have been completed on Delaware Avenue. When school closes, the work will be done on Valley Road.
Information Technology – Councilman Riccardi/Councilman Wronko
Councilman Riccardi stated he had no report.
Boards/Commissions – Councilman Vance/Councilwoman Kuncken
Councilwoman Kuncken stated the Recreation Commission will be participating in the Spring Festival.
ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT
Congressional FY2023 Community Projects – Administrator McNeilly stated he has received notification that the Borough’s water tower project, which was submitted for the Congressional Community Project, did not get selected to move forward. This possibility was anticipated and the same project has been submitted to both Senators Menendez and Booker in the hope that this project will make it to one of their lists.
Congressional FY2022 Community Projects – Administrator McNeilly stated the water main replacement project for Ridge Road, Sunset Avenue, Overhill Road West and Mountain View is still on hold awaiting funds from USEPA. Administrator McNeilly stated he and Mayor Zdichocki have received notification that the USEPA is working on this. The following is the statement which was received: “EPA is working on a preliminary implementation memorandum to explain the process and requirements for CDS, including cost share options and waiver criteria. EPA intends to have this implementation memo completed by early June 2022.” The construction window is already beginning to get to the yellow zone. Mayor Zdichocki stated she spoke with a representative at Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill’s office today regarding the funding. The project cannot begin until the funding is received. Mayor Zdichocki asked if the funds will have to be used within this calendar year. The representative stated the funds should be available for a year from the date received. The funds should be received in June. Administrator McNeilly stated the Borough has an engineering quote for the project. The project design cannot be done due to the fact the CFO cannot certify that the funds are available. The surveying has not been done. The plan is to do the trench repair this year and the paving will take place in 2023. Administrator McNeilly stated he is concerned about the schedule to complete the piping portion of the project. Hopefully, the engineering can be awarded at the first or second meeting in June.
Memorial Day – Administrator McNeilly stated the DPW has spruced up Main Street. The street sweeper came through the area today. The grass cutting will take place later this week. The DPW is assembling the stage trailer and they will deliver it to the site on Friday.
Elected Officials Training – Administrator McNeilly stated he spoke with Wayne Dietz regarding the Elected Officials Training. The training will take place at the June 14th meeting or the June 28th meeting.
NJSEM – Administrator McNeilly stated notification was received from the NJSEM this week regarding the same problem with their electric auction that the c-op encountered. The pricing is off the chart and as such the municipal electric accounts will revert back to the BSG rate in July. There are large increases which will take place in the future.
Millennium Strategies – Administrator McNeilly stated he and Mayor Zdichocki met with Millennium Strategies for the annual meeting discussion. Mayor Zdichocki stated she asked Millennium to provide a list of the proposed grants which they would be applying for this year. We discussed community trail restoration, water tower installation, and new power stretchers for the ambulance and fire department. The Borough’s needs and wants were discussed down to flowers for the park. The information which was provided was received positively by Millennium. Mayor Zdichocki asked Millennium to provide reports periodically in order to keep the Council updated. Administrator McNeilly stated T-Mobile is providing a $50,000 grant for places of gathering. The Borough is going to submit a request for more picnic tables to add to what we have and to maybe add more to Musconetcong Park. Unfortunately, the Borough falls into a notch where we are too well off for some of the grants but not rich enough to do the projects ourselves. For some of the grants, the average household income has to be under $35,000. The average income level in Stanhope is close to $100,000. There is the possibility of being able to apply for a grant for the Fire Department, similar to the one received a few years ago for the air tanks and smart backpacks. Mayor Zdichocki stated the Fire Department has to be contacted to find out the timeline of the expiration dates for their equipment.
Administrator McNeilly stated when Millennium provides him with the grant information available for any particular department, he immediately forwards the information to the department or volunteer group. The most recent ones were for the hazardous tree assessment, the environmental commission grant and the fire department. It is incumbent, and it is required, that the departments internally or voluntarily need to take hold of it and run with it. The Borough does not have the management capability to do this. Currently, we are waiting to hear about a grant that was submitted for the Ambulance Squad through the Gary Sinise Foundation for an automatic stretcher. Mayor Zdichocki stated a discussion took place regarding electric charging stations and electric vehicles. If there is an electric vehicle the Borough could receive for free, it would be accepted. Administrator McNeilly stated, however, if there is a choice between getting a diesel dump truck or an electric dump truck, his recommendation would be diesel. The technology is still too new with the electric. Our freezing weather conditions could be an issue with electric vehicles. Administrator McNeilly stated the Borough may want to find a location to install an electric charging station which could bring people in off of Route 80 to dine or walk around while they wait. The stations themselves do not generate any revenue. Mayor Zdichocki stated one of the suggested locations would be to install one or two pull in spots in front of the municipal building. Administrator McNeilly stated grants are available for the units. The site work would have to be done by the Borough. A parallel parking station on the road is a safety issue as there is a possibility for someone to get hit. There is no space in the municipal parking lot to install anything. A cut out could be made to bring the parking space in more off the road, approximately half way, and that would also enable the equipment to be installed further from the road to protect it from snow plowing etc. Mayor Zdichocki stated this would require the Borough Engineer’s review. If a grant is received a station should also be placed at the DPW yard. The governing body agreed there was no harm in looking into the options available. The impact for residents may not be useful right now but electric vehicles are the wave of the future.
COUNCIL DISCUSSION
Greenway Presentation – Mayor Zdichocki stated a request has been received for a Greenway Presentation to be made at the Mayor and Council meeting scheduled for June 14th. The presentation will take approximately half an hour. Administrator McNeilly stated this is a project which will go from Jersey City to Phillipsburg and they will explain the impact. They will be using TAP Grants for funding.
Municipal Infrastructure – Councilman Thornton stated he would like to schedule a meeting with the DPW Superintendent to discuss the projects scheduled for the summer, sometime before the next Mayor and Council meeting.
Elected Officials Training – Councilman Riccardi asked for confirmation on the Elected Officials Training. Administrator McNeilly confirmed the training is scheduled for the meeting of June 28th. Councilman Thornton stated he will not be able to attend the June 28th meeting. Administrator McNeilly stated he will have to confirm the start time. The meeting will start at 5:45pm or 6:00pm.
OLD BUSINESS
ORDINANCES
Mayor Zdichocki offered the following ordinance for Public Hearing and Final Adoption which was read by title.
Ordinance for Public Hearing and Final Adoption
Ordinance 2022-07 AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE ACQUISITION OF PROPERTY IN ACCCORDANCE WITH THE NEW JERSEY LOCAL LANDS AND BUILDINGS LAW, N.J.S.A. 40A:12-1, ET SEQ.
WHEREAS, the Stanhope Borough Mayor and Council desires to accept the donation of real property within the Borough located at Valley Road, designated as Block 10807, Lot 14 on the Stanhope Borough Tax Map for public purposes; and
WHEREAS, the Local Lands and Buildings Law, N.J.S.A. 40A:12-1, et seq., authorizes the acquisition of real property for public purposes.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the Stanhope Borough Mayor and Council, that the Borough is hereby authorized to acquire the vacant lot known as Block 10807, Lot 14 on the Stanhope Borough Tax Map from the donor, John Magliaro.
BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED, that the Mayor and Borough Clerk are authorized to sign the acquisition documents in order to complete the acceptance of the donation, upon the approval of the form of such documents by the Borough Attorney. Title being conveyed shall be by Bargain and Sale Deed with covenants against Grantor’s Act in a form acceptable to the Borough Attorney.
Severability. If any provision of this ordinance or the application of this ordinance to any person or circumstances is held invalid, the remainder of this ordinance shall not be affected and shall remain in full force and effect.
Repealer. All ordinances or parts of ordinances or resolutions inconsistent or in opposition to the provisions of this Ordinance are hereby repealed in their entirety.
Effective Date. This ordinance shall take effect immediately; however, it shall be void in the event the parties do not execute a formal purchase contract.
On motion by Councilman Wronko, seconded by Councilman Thornton and unanimously carried by the following roll call vote, the foregoing ordinance was adopted.
Mayor Zdichocki opened the meeting to the public for questions or comments on this ordinance only. Seeing no one from the public wishing to speak, Mayor Zdichocki closed the public portion of the meeting.
Roll Call:
Councilwoman Kuncken – yes
Councilman Thornton – yes
Councilman Riccardi – yes
Councilman Vance – absent
Councilman Romano – yes
Councilman Wronko – yes
On motion by Councilman Romano, seconded by Councilman Riccardi, and unanimously carried by voice vote, the Mayor and Council instructed the Clerk to post the ordinance and authorized publication of same.
NEW BUSINESS
RESOLUTIONS
Mayor Zdichocki offered the following resolutions which were read by title.
Resolution 109-22 RESOLUTION ATTESTING THAT THE STANHOPE GOVERNING BODY HAS COMPLIED WITH THE PROMULGATION OF THE LOCAL FINANCE BOARD OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY RELATIVE TO THE 2021 ANNUAL REPORT OF AUDIT
WHEREAS, N.J.S.A. 40A: 5-4 requires the governing body of every local unit to have made an annual audit of its books, accounts and financial transactions, and
WHEREAS, the Annual Report of Audit for the year 2021 has been filed by a Registered Municipal Accountant with the Municipal Clerk pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A: 5-6, and a copy has been received by each member of the governing body; and
WHEREAS, R.S. 52:27BB-34 authorizes the Local Finance Board of the State of New Jersey to prescribe reports pertaining to the local fiscal affairs; and
WHEREAS, the Local Finance Board has promulgated N.J.A.C. 5:30-6.5, a regulation requiring that the governing body of each municipality shall, by resolution, certify to the Local Finance Board of the State of New Jersey that all members of the governing body have reviewed, as a minimum, the sections of the annual audit entitled “Comments and Recommendations; and
WHEREAS, the members of the governing body have personally reviewed, as a minimum, the Annual Report of Audit, and specifically the sections of the Annual Audit entitled “Comments and Recommendations,” as evidenced by the group affidavit form of the governing body attached hereto; and
WHEREAS, such resolution of certification shall be adopted by the Governing Body no later than forty-five days after the receipt of the annual audit, pursuant to N.J.A.C. 5:30-6.5; and
WHEREAS, all members of the governing body have received and have familiarized themselves with, at least, the minimum requirements of the Local Finance Board of the State of New Jersey, as stated aforesaid and have subscribed to the affidavit, as provided by the Local Finance Board; and
WHEREAS, failure to comply with the regulations of the Local Finance Board of the State of New Jersey may subject the members of the local governing body to the penalty provisions of R.S. 52:27BB-52, to wit:
R.S. 52:27BB-52: A local officer or member of a local governing body who, after a date fixed for compliance, fails or refuses to obey an order of the director (Director of Local Government Services), under the provisions of this Article, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, may be fined not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) or imprisoned for not more than one year, or both, in addition shall forfeit his office.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Stanhope, hereby states that it has complied with N.J.A.C. 5:30-6.5 and does hereby submit a certified copy of this resolution and the required affidavit to said Board to show evidence of said compliance.
On motion by Councilwoman Kuncken, 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 Thornton – yes
Councilman Riccardi – yes
Councilman Vance – absent
Councilman Romano – yes
Councilman Wronko – yes
Resolution 110-22 RESOLUTION APPROVING SUBMISSION OF THE CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2021 TO THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY, DIVISION OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT SERVICES
WHEREAS, all municipalities operating under the Local Fiscal Affairs Law must prepare and submit a Corrective Action Plan as part of their annual audit process, and
WHEREAS, the Borough of Stanhope has by Resolution accepted the 2021 audit as prepared and presented by the Borough Auditors, and
WHEREAS, Angelica Sabatini, the Chief Financial Officer for the Borough of Stanhope has prepared a Corrective Action Plan to address the findings and recommendations for the 2021 audit and presented copies of same to the Mayor, Council, and Administrator,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Stanhope, in the County of Sussex, that the Corrective Action Plan, attached hereto and made a part hereof, be approved for submission to the Division of Local Government Services.
On motion by Councilman Thornton, 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 Thornton – yes
Councilman Riccardi – yes
Councilman Vance – absent
Councilman Romano – yes
Councilman Wronko – yes
Resolution 111-22 RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING STANHOPE HOSE CO. #1 TO CONDUCT A BUCKET DROP
WHEREAS, Stanhope Hose Company No. 1 has indicated a desire to hold a “Bucket Drop” July 8th to and including July 10th, 2022, within the hours of 8:00 am to 8:00 pm, at the intersection of State Rt. 183 and CR 602 in the Borough of Stanhope and on Linden Avenue from State Route 183 to McKinley Street and on Stanhope Sparta Road near the intersection of Brooklyn Road; and
WHEREAS, should the weather be inclement, the following rain dates and times will be utilized instead, at the same locations: July 15th to and including July 17th, 2022 within the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; and
WHEREAS, Fire Department personnel are to be stationed at the above-mentioned location and all collections shall be done in a manner as to not impede the flow of traffic at any time, pursuant to the Traffic Safety Plan; and
WHEREAS, the Borough directs the Chief of Police to sign the NJDOT application for a charitable solicitation permit and to monitor compliance of the Traffic Safety Plan as necessary; and
WHEREAS, Fire Department members shall wear safety vests and traffic safety setup shall conform with the “Manual on Uniform Traffic Control”; and
WHEREAS, N.J.A.C. 16:40-3.1 et seq. requires charitable organizations to obtain approval of the Commissioner of Transportation before soliciting contributions within State highways and County Commissioners approval for county highways.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Stanhope, in the County of Sussex, State of New Jersey hereby approves the Stanhope Hose Company No. 1’s request to hold a “Bucket Drop” on July 8th to and including July 10th, 2022, within the hours of 8:00 am to 8:00 pm, at the intersection of State Rt. 183 and CR 602 in the Borough of Stanhope and on Linden Avenue from State Route 183 to McKinley Street and on Stanhope Sparta Road near the intersection of Brooklyn Road and rain dates of July 15th to and including July 17th, 2022 within the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the same locations, per the Traffic Safety Plan and subject to obtaining approval of the Sussex County Board of County Commissioners and a charitable solicitation permit from the New Jersey State Department of Transportation.
On motion by Councilwoman Kuncken, seconded by Councilman Riccardi and carried by the following majority roll call vote, the foregoing ordinance was adopted.
Roll Call:
Councilwoman Kuncken – yes
Councilman Thornton – yes
Councilman Riccardi – yes
Councilman Vance – absent
Councilman Romano – yes
Councilman Wronko – abstain
PAYMENT OF BILLS
Resolution 112-22 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 May 24, 2022 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 Councilman Thornton and unanimously carried by the following roll call vote the foregoing resolution was duly adopted.
Councilwoman Kuncken – yes
Councilman Thornton – yes
Councilman Riccardi – yes
Councilman Vance – absent
Councilman Romano – yes
Councilman Wronko – yes
COUNCIL DISCUSSION
Mayor Zdichocki stated she forwarded this information by email to the governing body. The Our Savior School will be holding an ice cream social on Friday between the hours of 9:15am to 11:30am. Any Council members who plan to attend should RSVP. The children enjoy having the visitors and the ice cream will be handed out through a window. The ice cream is being provided by Cliff’s.
ATTORNEY REPORT
Angelo Bolcato, Borough Attorney, stated he had no report this evening.
CITIZENS 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.
Seeing no one from the public wishing to speak, Mayor Zdichocki closed the public portion of the meeting.
ADJOURNMENT
On motion by Councilman Wronko, seconded by Councilman Riccardi, and unanimously carried by voice vote the meeting was adjourned at 7:30 P.M.
Approved:
Linda Chirip
Deputy Clerk for
Ellen Horak, RMC
Borough Clerk