MAYOR AND COUNCIL
REGULAR MINUTES
October 28, 2025 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 8, 2025, 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:
Councilman Riccardi – present
Councilman Thornton – present
Councilman Romano – present
Councilman Wachterhauser – present
Councilman Simpson – present
Councilman Zampino – present
Mayor Wronko – present
PRESENTATION
Fire Department Awards – Mayor Wronko stated there are several members of the Stanhope Fire Department here this evening. The Fire Department is comprised of volunteers, some of whom have dedicated many years of service to our town and we are very appreciative of their service. Chief Mitch Ellicott is here this evening to present some awards along with 1st Assistant Chief Dave Badaloto and Firefighter/President Ray Wexler.
Chief Ellicott thanked the Mayor and Council and stated it has been an honor to be part of this fire department and to be serving as Chief again. Chief Ellicott stated he would like to recognize some of the members who have done astronomical work and have dedicated their time to the Borough. Mike Donahue was unable to attend this evening because he was called into work. Mike is receiving a badge and helmet shield for once again taking on the reigns of Chief for the prior three years.
Chief Ellicott invited Mike VanAuken to come forward. Chief Ellicott stated he has been with the department for the past 35 years and during that time Mike VanAuken has been the Engineer for Stanhope Hose Company No. 1. This means that Mike has saved the Borough hundreds of thousands of dollars over the past 40 years by repairing anything that needed to be fixed, and he continues to do so in order for the fire department to continue their mission. On behalf of Stanhope Hose Company No. 1, Chief Ellicott presented Mike VanAuken with a token of their appreciation for all the years of service, dedication and hard work of never saying no and always fixing the trucks and getting the work done. The members of the Fire Department greatly appreciate Mike’s efforts. Mayor Wronko also presented Mike VanAuken with a certificate from the Borough, thanking Mike for his service and dedication. Mike VanAuken thanked Chief Ellicott, the governing body and those present for his awards.
Chief Ellicott invited Frank Whitehead to come forward. Chief Ellicott stated Frank has been a member of the fire department for the past 56 years. Chief Ellicott stated when Frank is asked to help with something he always does so. Frank is dedicated and shows up at all the fire calls whether it is daytime, nighttime or weekends. Frank never complains and is always a big help. Frank helps the “younger” Chiefs with suggestions on how to do things and his input is always welcome. Frank also served as Chief of the Fire Department in the past. Chief Ellicott stated unfortunately he and Frank have something in common from their time as Chiefs. They both lost a firefighter during their term as Chief. Frank handled that situation very professionally and he made sure that our firefighter was recognized at the National Fireman’s Memorial. President Ray Wexler read the inscription from the plaque being presented to Frank. “Presented to past Chief Frank Whitehead, Jr. 1974 – Still in Service, in honor of your recognition of your 56 years of dedicated service to Stanhope Hose Company No. 1. Stanhope Ladder #1 in Service.” Chief Ellicott thanked Frank for all that he does for the fire department. Mayor Wronko presented Frank Whitehead with a Certificate of Appreciation for his years of service to the Fire Department. Frank Whitehead thanked Chief Ellicott, the governing body and those present for his awards.
Chief Ellicott thanked the Mayor and Council for allowing the Fire Department to present these awards here tonight in person and on the record. It means a lot to the members of the Fire Department. The members are on call 24/7 and are here to support the Borough through any tough times that come along. Mayor Wronko thanked Chief Ellicott and the Fire Department members.
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.
Seeing no one from the public wishing to speak, Mayor Wronko closed the public portion of the meeting.
MINUTES FOR APPROVAL
Mayor Wronko read aloud the list of minutes being presented for approval:
September 9, 2025 Work Session & Agenda Meeting
September 23, 2025 Business Meeting & Closed Session
On motion by Councilman Romano, seconded by Councilman Simpson and unanimously carried by voice vote, the minutes were approved.
CORRESPONDENCE (List Attached)
On motion by Councilman Wachterhauser, seconded by Councilman Zampino and unanimously carried by voice vote, the list of correspondence was accepted and ordered placed on file.
COUNCIL COMMITTEE REPORTS
Public Safety – Councilman Wachterhauser/Councilman Riccardi
(Police, Fire, Ambulance, Court & Violations Bureau, Emergency Management)
Councilman Wachterhauser stated the Fire Department for the month of September reported 5 calls for service, 4 drills, 8 special details and 2 meetings for a total of 72.5 man hours.
Councilman Wachterhauser stated the Police Department for the month of September reported 316 calls for service, 88 of those calls were motor vehicle stops.
Councilman Wachterhauser stated the Sussex County Fire Marshal reported 8 inspections were conducted for the month of September and 14 violations were issued.
Finance & Administration – Councilman Romano/Councilman Thornton
Councilman Romano stated the tax collections for the month of September totaled $195,610.14. The year-to-date total is $10,458,974.45. The collection percentage for the third quarter tax collection is 96.94%.
Councilman Romano stated the water collections for the month of September totaled $134,385.24. The year-to-date collection total is $546,618.42. The sewer collection total for September is $180,898.92 and the year-to-date total is $736,045.61.
Administrator McNeilly stated he received a memo from the Borough’s Tax Collector today stating that the tax sale took place today online. The list started out with 29 properties listed. At the time of the sale, there were only 4 properties left on the tax sale. All the others were paid off by the property owner or their bank. The sale resulted in 3 outside lien holders and one lien to the Borough. There was a total of 4 bidders, 2 were successful. One (1) certificate was issued for outstanding 2024 taxes and 3 certificates were issued for outstanding 2024 water and sewer charges. The total dollars collected from the outside lien holders was $32,749.16. Outstanding 2024 water charges totaled $728.03. Outstanding 2024 sewer charges totaled $959.05. The 2024 water interest totaled $58.29. The 2024 sewer interest totaled $76.59. The cost of sale total was $127.20. The total amount of premiums collected was $30,800.00. Administrator McNeilly stated there were years in the past when the starting list was three pages long. This year we started with only 29 properties. Ashleigh Frueholz, Tammy Minniti and the staff worked to contact the property owners and explain that it was in their best interest to pay the past due amounts prior to the sale. The staff did a great job.
Community Development – Councilman Zampino/Councilman Simpson
Councilman Zampino stated the Cub Scout Pack #151 will be holding their Thanksgiving food drive. This is the first time in the past few years that they have been able to do this, and they are looking forward to it. The scouts are collecting non-perishable food items. On November 2nd, the scouts will be delivering bags to homes asking for donations and then on November 9th they will go back and collect the bags. Councilman Zampino stated he will coordinate with the scout’s organizers to see if they can drop items off at Borough Hall. Councilman Zampino stated he and Councilman Simpson will be joining the scouts. Councilman Zampino stated the scouts have a flyer that can be placed at Borough Hall and the organizer is going to post on social media.
Municipal Infrastructure – Councilman Thornton/Councilman Romano
(Water Distribution, Sewer Collection System, Road Construction & Maintenance, Buildings & Grounds)
Councilman Thornton stated that Councilman Wachterhauser set up a meeting with him, Mayor Wronko, Administrator McNeilly, Police Chief Pittigher and the State DOT. At that meeting, the State DOT was informed about the displeasure the Borough has experienced with how things were handled with the paving project on Route 183. Things will be handled differently tonight when work commences. Not enough people were posted last night to let residents know how to get around the construction. The road closed signs were not sufficient. More State Troopers should be present at the intersections going forward. Mayor Wronko stated that during that meeting the Police Chief did inform the DOT there is a plan in place which is supposed to be followed for the specific type of work to be done, and they did not follow that plan. Had the DOT followed the plan, there would have been a different outcome. Kudos to our local police who did step up and help provide directions to the residents even after some of the State Officials were not being cooperative.
Information Technology – Councilman Riccardi/Councilman Wachterhauser
Councilman Riccardi stated DeskPro is up and running and it is live on the Borough website. DeskPro is a new ticketing system which will be used to track requests and issues from residents in the Borough. Some tickets have been received already from the public. Councilman Riccardi stated he has worked with the office staff and they all now have access to the system. Additional training videos from the vendor were distributed to the office staff today.
Councilman Riccardi stated the JIF D2 Security Training emails were sent out to the governing body and staff. Everyone should complete that training as soon as possible. Completion of the training earns points for the Borough with the JIF.
Administrator McNeilly stated the vendor for DeskPro does not have a NJ Business Registration Certificate. The Finance Department has been asking for the certificate since July. Councilman Riccardi stated the vendor is having some type of technical difficulties. He will continue to keep in contact with them regarding this matter. Administrator McNeilly stated a purchase order cannot be created to pay the vendor until that certificate is provided. Councilman Thornton asked Councilman Riccardi if he could share the training videos with the governing body as well. Councilman Riccardi stated he will provide them to the council. Mayor Wronko asked Administrator McNeilly if some type of announcement should be made about the new procedure. Administrator McNeilly stated a little more time is needed to learn the system first. Councilman Riccardi agreed.
Boards/Commissions – Councilman Simpson/Councilman Zampino
Councilman Simpson stated the Recreation Committee hosted their annual Halloween Parade this past Saturday in conjunction with the Stanhope HSA. The event was extremely well attended, and it ran very well. Combining the two events seems to have attracted more participants. Councilman Simpson stated he did ask the groups to hold some future events in the downtown area. Mayor Wronko stated the event was very well attended and the Recreation Committee did a great job. Mayor Wronko thanked everyone involved for holding the event.
Councilman Riccardi stated the Environmental Commission hosted an Invasive Plant Removal this past Sunday. Thirteen volunteers showed up to participate. Several invasive plant species were removed along the canal and at the Plaster Mill. Our Local Historian, Owen Newson, gave a history lesson on the canal and the Plaster Mill to the volunteers.
Councilman Wachterhauser stated the remaining nine (9) banners for the Hometown Heroes have arrived. Councilman Wachterhauser is working with Administrator McNeilly to have the new banners hung up. Hopefully, the DPW will be able to have them displayed prior to Veterans Day barring any unforeseen occurrences. There is some tree trimming required, and this is also leaf collection time. The banners will be taken down afterwards for the winter and should be back up in time for the Memorial Day Parade. One of the banners was delivered to the American Legion today because they sponsored the banner. The banner is for Navy Corpman Henry Pierce who was killed in action at the age of 19 in Viet Nam. Henry Pierce was also an Eagle Scout of Stanhope’s Boy Scout Troop #91. The banner will be displayed in front of the American Legion. There is also a marker for Henry Pierce in front of the American Legion.
Mayor Wronko stated the Valley Road School will be holding an event next Wednesday in honor of Veterans Day. Mayor Wronko stated this is an annual event and he encouraged everyone to attend. The staff and students provide a very nice program. In addition, on November 9th, the American Legion is holding their Veterans Day event. All are welcome to attend.
ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT
Route 183/Route 206 Resurfacing Project – Administrator McNeilly stated the Route 183/Route 206 Resurfacing Project is ongoing. The work in Stanhope should be completed by Friday, weather permitting.
Road Resurfacing – Administrator McNeilly stated the road resurfacing for Main Street has been changed from Monday and Tuesday and is now scheduled for Wednesday, October 29th. The work will be done in blocks as opposed to one complete side and then the other. This will limit the amount of time that each area is closed. The contractor is aware that both King Street and Bedford Avenue cannot be compromised at the same time. The schools and the recycling company have been notified. A Nixle message will inform residents to have recycling out early. The disruption will only be for one day and the next time Main Street will be repaved would be in 2045. Councilman Wachterhauser asked when the crosswalks and sidewalk repair will be done. Administrator McNeilly stated the date has not been set but the work should take place in late October or early November. The striping has been pushed forward by a week. KeyTech will do the core boring testing. The road resurfacing for Sunset Avenue, Overhill Road, Mountainview Road and West Drive is scheduled for October 31st, weather permitting. Any repairs needed in this area will be done by the DPW. The striping and core boring will be done in this area as well.
2025 Best Practices Survey – Administrator McNeilly stated the 2025 Best Practices Survey is on the agenda for Council Discussion this evening. There will be no loss in revenue. Administrator McNeilly stated he, the CFO and the Clerk have signed off on the document, and it has been sent to the State.
Summer Office Hours – Administrator McNeilly stated he previously sent a proposal for summer hours to the governing body for discussion this evening. The proposed summer hours are from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend for the municipal office staff only. A possible scenario would be for a four-day work week, Monday through Thursday, from 8:30am to 5:45pm with a half hour lunch for the summer hours. Councilman Wachterhauser stated this means having every Friday off throughout the summer for three months. Councilman Thornton asked if a decision is being requested for tonight. Administrator McNeilly confirmed this is due to the fact the calendar will need to go to the printer soon. Councilman Wachterhauser stated if a resident does not get to the office by 5:45pm on a Thursday, they would then have to wait until 8:30am on Monday morning for a resolution. Councilman Wachterhauser stated a half day on Friday might be a better option. Councilman Wachterhauser stated he is not in favor of every Friday off because the services provided to the residents from this office are very important. Being closed for three months on Fridays may not be well received. Councilman Thornton stated many people get paid on Friday’s and that is when they come in to pay their water or tax bills. Administrator McNeilly stated the bills would just go to the next business day. Councilman Thornton stated he would be in favor of a half day. Councilman Simpson stated he agrees that a half day on Friday would be more feasible. Councilman Riccardi stated the later work hours during the rest of the week would benefit a lot of residents who work until 5pm and cannot get to the office before it closes at 4:30pm. This would enable those residents to stop at Borough Hall on their way home. Councilman Wachterhauser stated, while the Fridays off would benefit the hard-working staff, he is unsure what the benefit would be for the residents. Councilman Zampino stated it would only take one important thing to happen on a Friday to throw a wrench in the plan. Councilman Romano asked if it has to be for three months, or could it just be for July and August. Things slow down in July and August and having the late days Monday through Thursday would be beneficial to our residents and being closed on Friday is not a terrible thing. Councilman Thornton stated even with the extended hours, he is of the opinion people are just anxious to get home when they get out of work as opposed to trying to get to the municipal building. Councilman Wachterhauser asked how many employees this would affect. Administrator McNeilly stated there are four (4) full-time employees and one (1) part-time, potentially two (2) part-time. Mayor Wronko stated he is supportive of doing what we can for the staff for obvious reasons. Most of the staff wear more than one hat and Stanhope is not the highest paying borough. We are having difficulty attracting employees to the borough for various reasons. It is important to repay them and if we can do something to help them we should. Perhaps a full day is not the answer, but it does seem that the Council would support a half day. Mayor Wronko asked the Council if they are in favor of approving a half day on Friday for the summer. The Council members agreed to the half day. Administrator McNeilly stated he will work out a scenario for the half day on Fridays. Mayor Wronko confirmed that Administrator McNeilly will provide the Council with a schedule that will support going to a half day on Friday. Administrator McNeilly asked if the half day can be placed on the calendar now due to the printing schedule. Mayor Wronko stated he is of the opinion that as long as there is an equitable distribution of hours to make up the half day hours this would be acceptable. Councilman Wachterhauser asked to have the schedule provided as soon as possible for review. Administrator McNeilly stated he will do so.
Summer Council Meetings – Administrator McNeilly stated the months of June, July and August are slower and he suggested changing the meeting schedule to one business meeting for these months with a start time of 6:00pm. Councilman Thornton stated he is not in favor of going down to just one meeting a month for the summer. The meetings for November and December are already down to one for those months. Councilman Wachterhauser agreed with Councilman Thornton. Mayor Wronko asked for opinions on changing the meeting schedule for the summer. Councilman Riccardi stated he is of the opinion that the schedule should not be changed to just one meeting a month. Councilman Riccardi stated if the staff’s workday schedule is extended for the summer, he has no objection to changing the meeting time to 6:00pm so that the employees do not have an hour and fifteen minutes in between the end of day and the start of the meeting. Councilman Wachterhauser asked what the slowest month is. Administrator McNeilly replied July and August and slow months. Mayor Wronko stated if the number of meetings is reduced or the time is changed, the governing body does have the flexibility to schedule a meeting if it is needed. Councilman Thornton suggested having just one meeting in July. Mayor Wronko asked the Council for their opinion of holding just one meeting in July. Councilman Romano stated he would be missing the July meeting in that case. Councilman Zampino agreed to one meeting in July. Councilman Wachterhauser agreed as long as there is the option to schedule a meeting if necessary. Councilman Thornton asked if the meeting schedule is affected with the primary election in June. Administrator McNeilly stated there is no conflict. This year was unusual due to a holiday that affected the election schedule. Mayor Wronko confirmed that the governing body agrees to have one meeting in July to begin at 6:00pm. The governing body agreed.
Tax Assessor – Administrator McNeilly stated the Tax Assessor will be attending the December meeting.
Borough Auditor – Administrator McNeilly stated the Borough Auditor will be attending the December meeting.
Stormwater Training – Administrator McNeilly stated he has not heard back from the representative regarding the stormwater management training. If the training cannot be scheduled for the November 25th meeting, the Borough Engineer, Eric Keller, has confirmed he can perform the training on December 9th, if necessary. Councilman Romano stated it may be best to schedule the training for December 9th due to the fact that some people will be absent from the November meeting due to another meeting conflict at the MSA.
Budget 2026 Timeline – Administrator McNeilly stated he was unable to get the budget sent to the governing body today. Arrangements are being made to have the budget provided in an electronic format. Administrator McNeilly confirmed that the governing body is in agreement to switch to the electronic format. If for some reason this does not work out, steps can be taken from there. Administrator McNeilly stated he will try to send the budget out by the end of the week.
Route 183/Route 206 DEP Project Lack of Transparency – Councilman Thornton stated on the community page on social media there were several comments about the lack of transparency between the state and the borough regarding the paving project. For projects run by the borough, there are often pre-construction meetings which he attends along with the Administrator, Mayor and Borough Engineer. At the state level, Councilman Thornton is not involved in that, and neither is the Administrator. Councilman Thornton asked if the Borough Engineer is involved at the state level. Administrator McNeilly replied he does not believe the Borough Engineer is involved. Councilman Thornton stated there is no communication at the state level and no invitations are extended to attend a pre-construction meeting for any of their projects. Administrator McNeilly stated the Borough did receive documentation relative to this project which outlined where the work would start and stop. The start date for the project changed approximately four times. Mayor Wronko stated that information did get communicated out to the public. From the conversation that took place the other day, even though the Borough is not invited to those meetings, according to Chief Pittigher there are procedures that are supposed to be followed. Administrator McNeilly stated what happened last night was chaotic. Access was blocked to a third municipality and people were trying to come and go, which was not a good thing. However, once this project is completed, it will most likely be a very long time before the state is in the Borough again. Councilman Thornton stated for the record that the lack of transparency was not on the part of the governing body. Administrator McNeilly stated two public notifications were sent out relative to that project stating what type of work would be done, when and where. Councilman Thornton stated that the State did not follow the detour plan and there was no way for the Borough to know that prior to it happening. Administrator McNeilly stated that entire road closures take place with regard to the curbline which puts it into the Police Department side. Administrator McNeilly stated he is not aware of what type of notification or correspondence, if any, that the Police Department received. What was delivered was shared. Mayor Wronko stated Chief Pittigher is very good about sharing information. Councilman Thornton stated it appears that our local Police Department were the only ones present helping to direct people. Mayor Wronko stated Sergeant Johnson did confirm that as well. Administrator McNeilly stated, for the milling of Main Street, with all the paper notices that went out, at nauseum, three meetings were held, and an extensive amount of text messages were sent, and the Borough was still hammered for lack of transparency. There has to be a point where there is pushback from those involved that says there is. This was noticed and it is very frustrating because it then lands on the employee in the reflective jacket on the street who is just trying to protect the intersection. Councilman Thornton agreed and stated the people who complained about driving around in circles last night are not here at tonight’s meeting. Councilman Wachterhauser stated the conference call today clarified some things and hopefully tonight those issues are rectified. If not, we will hear about it. There are only one or two days left. Mayor Wronko thanked Councilman Wachterhauser for the posts he made on social media to get the information to the public.
COUNCIL DISCUSSION
Best Practice Checklist – Councilman Riccardi asked for clarification for the answers provided for #7a and b in the Best Practices Checklist. Administrator McNeilly stated the wording of the question asks if the Borough imposes a local cannabis tax for cannabis businesses. The answer given is N/A because the Borough does permit it but there are no cannabis businesses at this time to impose it upon. However, the ordinance does provide for a tax. This was an unscored question, so it did not affect the overall score. Councilman Riccardi stated there are several members of the Fire Department here this evening and he is aware that they are looking for ways to entice new members to join and there have been conversations about being able to offer some kind of incentives. Question #12 lays out a resolution that the state recommends for tuition reimbursement for volunteers. Administrator McNeilly stated that program would have to be initiated by the governing body due to the fact funding would have to be budgeted. The plan calls out for a tuition credit of $600.00 for each year of service, not to exceed $2,400.00 for four (4) years of volunteer service. Mayor Wronko asked Councilman Wachterhauser to look into this further as the Public Safety Chair. Councilman Riccardi stated question #19 had no answer provided. Administrator McNeilly stated the answer for #19 is yes. Andover Township had to provide that answer so it may not have been received at the time the checklist was sent to the governing body. Andover Township is also in the Morris County JIF. Our bonding number not only far exceeds the state requirement, but also what the question calls for. Councilman Riccardi stated discussions took place previously when the water project was being done on Overhill Road regarding lead remediation. Administrator McNeilly stated he has a business proposal which he will be sending to the governing body for review and discussion. Most of the other towns in Sussex County are utilizing this company. Councilman Riccardi asked what the answer is to question #50. Administrator McNeilly stated the answer is none of the above. The Borough does not have anyone currently unlicensed serving in any of those positions.
NEW BUSINESS
Resolution 171-25 AUTHORIZING EXECUTION OF REIMBURSEMENT AGREEMENTS WITH HIGHPOINT CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION
WHEREAS, the Highpoint Condominium Association is located in the Borough of Stanhope; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to the provisions of the Qualified Community Act, N.J.S.A. 40:67-23.2, the Highpoint Condominium Association is entitled to receive certain services from the Borough or to receive compensation for said services in lieu of the Borough providing same; and
WHEREAS, the Borough has elected to reimburse the condominium association for street lighting, leaf removal and snow plowing for the internal roadways in the condominium; and
WHEREAS, the Borough has also elected to reimburse the Highpoint Condominium Association for the collection and disposal of solid waste; and
WHEREAS, the Borough and the Highpoint Condominium Association have agreed on formulas for the calculation of reimbursement; and
WHEREAS, the Borough has prepared a reimbursement agreement for the calendar year 2024 for street lighting, leaf removal and snow plowing for the internal roadways in the condominium; and
WHEREAS, the Borough has also prepared a reimbursement agreement for the calendar year 2025, for the collection and disposal of solid waste; and
WHEREAS, said reimbursement agreements have been offered to the Highpoint Condominium Association and have been signed by the Association and returned to the Borough.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Stanhope that the Mayor and Clerk be and the same are hereby authorized to execute a reimbursement agreement with the Highpoint Condominium Association for street lighting, leaf removal and snow plowing for the internal roadways in the condominium for the calendar year 2024; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Stanhope that the Mayor and Clerk be and the same are hereby authorized to execute a reimbursement agreement with the Highpoint Condominium Association for the calendar year 2025 for collection and disposal of solid waste.
On motion by Councilman Romano, seconded by Councilman Riccardi and unanimously carried by the following roll call vote, the foregoing resolution was duly adopted.
Roll Call:
Councilman Riccardi – yes
Councilman Thornton – yes
Councilman Romano – yes
Councilman Wachterhauser – yes
Councilman Simpson – yes
Councilman Zampino – yes
Resolution 172-25 RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING EXECUTION OF REIMBURSEMENT AGREEMENTS WITH STONEGATE CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION
WHEREAS, the Stonegate Condominium Association is located in the Borough of Stanhope; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to the provisions of the Qualified Community Act, N.J.S.A. 40:67-23.2, the Stonegate Condominium Association is entitled to receive certain services from the Borough or to receive compensation for said services in lieu of the Borough providing same; and
WHEREAS, the Borough has elected to reimburse the condominium association for street lighting, leaf removal and snow plowing for the internal roadways in the condominium; and
WHEREAS, the Borough has also elected to reimburse the Stonegate Condominium Association for the collection and disposal of solid waste; and
WHEREAS, the Borough and the Stonegate Condominium Association have agreed on formulas for the calculation of reimbursement; and
WHEREAS, the Borough has prepared a reimbursement agreement for the calendar year 2024 for street lighting, leaf removal and snow plowing for the internal roadways in the condominium;
WHEREAS, the Borough has also prepared a reimbursement agreement for the calendar year 2025 for the collection and disposal of solid waste; and
WHEREAS, said reimbursement agreements have been offered to the Stonegate Condominium Association and have been signed by the Association and returned to the Borough;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Stanhope that the Mayor and Clerk be and the same are hereby authorized to execute a reimbursement agreement with the Stonegate Condominium Association for street lighting, leaf removal and snow plowing for the internal roadways in the condominium for the calendar year 2024; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Stanhope that the Mayor and Clerk be and the same are hereby authorized to execute a reimbursement agreement with the Stonegate Condominium Association for the calendar year 2025 for collection and disposal of solid waste.
On motion by Councilman Riccardi, seconded by Councilman Wachterhauser and unanimously carried by the following roll call vote, the foregoing resolution was duly adopted.
Roll Call:
Councilman Riccardi – yes
Councilman Thornton – yes
Councilman Romano – yes
Councilman Wachterhauser – yes
Councilman Simpson – yes
Councilman Zampino – yes
Resolution 173-25 RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE PAYMENT OF ADDITIONAL STIPENDS TO LINDA CHIRIP AND TAMMY MINNITI FOR CONSTRUCTION DEPARTMENT WORK
WHEREAS, the Borough Construction Secretary position has been vacant prior to January 1, 2025, and Borough employees Linda Chirip and Tammy Minniti have been covering the work of a Construction Secretary, in addition to their regular Borough employee duties; and
WHEREAS, as a result of the additional services, the Borough provided a stipend of an additional $75.00 per week to Ms. Chirip and Ms. Minniti for these temporary additional duties; and
WHEREAS, the Borough Administrator has advised, and the Council agrees, that the $75.00 stipend for additional duties does not properly reflect the time, effort, responsibility, and services provided by Ms. Chirip and Ms. Minniti related to Construction Secretary duties; and
WHEREAS, the Borough Council believes Ms. Chirip and Ms. Minniti should receive a weekly stipend of $200.00, retroactive to January 1, 2025, for the additional Construction Secretary duties, until a new Construction Secretary is hired and trained.
NOW THEREFORE IT BE RESOLVED by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Stanhope, that the Mayor and Council does hereby authorize the stipend of $200.00 per week to Ms. Chirip and Ms. Minniti, retroactive to January 1, 2025. Ms. Chirip and Ms. Minniti shall receive a stipend adjustment of $125.00 per week from January 1, 2025, until after adoption of this resolution, after which time they shall be paid the new stipend of $200.00 per week.
On motion by Councilman Romano, seconded by Councilman Zampino and unanimously carried by the following roll call vote, the foregoing resolution was duly adopted.
Roll Call:
Councilman Riccardi – yes
Councilman Thornton – yes
Councilman Romano – yes
Councilman Wachterhauser – yes
Councilman Simpson – yes
Councilman Zampino – 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 174-25 RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL OF THE BOROUGH OF STANHOPE APPROVING THE TRANSFER OF PLENARY RETAIL CONSUMPTION LICENCE 1919-33-006-007 TO DEAN BUTTAFUOCO
WHEREAS, an application has been filed for a Person-to-Person Transfer of Plenary Retail Consumption License Number 1919-33-006-007, heretofore issued to JMK Hospitality Group Limited Liability Company held at premises 45-49 Main Street, Stanhope, New Jersey; and
WHEREAS, the submitted application form is complete in all respects, the transfer fees have been paid, and the license has been properly renewed for the current license term; and
WHEREAS, the applicant is qualified to be licensed according to all standards established by Title 33 of the New Jersey Statutes, regulations promulgated thereunder, as well as pertinent local ordinances and conditions consistent with Title 33; and
WHEREAS, the applicant has disclosed and the issuing authority reviewed the source of all funds used in the purchase of the license and the licensed business and all additional financing obtained in connection with the license business;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Stanhope that the Borough does hereby approve, effective October 28, 2025, the transfer of the aforesaid Plenary Retail Consumption License to Dean Buttafouco and does hereby direct the Borough Clerk to endorse the license certificate to the new ownership as follows: “This license, subject to all its terms and conditions, is hereby transferred to Dean Buttafouco, effective October 28, 2025.
Resolution 175-25 RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING USE OF KEY TECH LABORATORIES FOR MAIN STREET CONCRETE CORE SAMPLING AND TESTING FOR NJDOT LOCAL AID PROJECT
WHEREAS, the Borough of Stanhope is in need of bituminous concrete core sampling and testing for the paving of Main Street (the “Project”);
WHEREAS, the Borough applied for and received a Local Aid Grant from the New Jersey Department of Transportation related to this Project; and
WHEREAS, Key Tech Laboratories has submitted a proposal dated October 9, 2025, for bituminous concrete core sampling and testing for the paving of Main Street for $3,006.76; and
WHEREAS, the Borough Engineer has recommended the use of Key Tech Laboratories for this testing for the “Project”; and
WHEREAS, the Borough awards the bituminous concrete core sampling and testing for the paving of Main Street to Key Tech Laboratories for the total amount of $3,006.76 subject to the approval of the New Jersey Department of Transportation;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Stanhope, that the Borough shall utilize Key Tech Laboratories bituminous concrete core sampling and testing for the paving of Main Street as part of the Local Aid Project in the amount of $3,006.76, as set forth in the attached proposal.
On motion by Councilman Simpson, seconded by Councilman Zampino and unanimously carried by the following roll call vote, the foregoing resolutions were duly adopted.
Councilman Wachterhauser asked if the reference to concrete core sampling should ready asphalt core sampling. Administrator McNeilly stated concrete is the correct terminology.
Roll Call:
Councilman Riccardi – yes
Councilman Thornton – yes
Councilman Romano – yes
Councilman Wachterhauser – yes
Councilman Simpson – yes
Councilman Zampino – yes
Mayor’s Appointment
Resolution 176-25 MAYOR’S APPOINTMENT OF DPW LABORER 1 LUCAS SHENEMAN WITH COUNCIL CONCURRENCE
Mayor’s appointment of Lucas Sheneman as DPW Laborer 1 with Council concurrence.
BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Borough of Stanhope that they do hereby concur with the Mayor’s appointment of Lucas Sheneman as DPW Laborer 1 effective October 28, 2025 with a start date of November 3, 2025 at the annual salary of $35,000 to be pro-rated in CY2025, and in accordance with the provisions of the current DPW Collective Bargaining Unit’s contract.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that said appointment and offer of employment shall be subject to the candidate passing a pre-employment physical examination, drug testing, criminal background check and licensing verification, where appropriate.
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 177-25 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 October 28, 2025, 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.
Councilman Riccardi – yes
Councilman Thornton – yes
Councilman Romano – yes
Councilman Wachterhauser – yes
Councilman Simpson – yes
Councilman Zampino – yes
Attorney Ursula Leo stated she had no report this evening.
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.
Seeing no one from the public wishing to speak, Mayor Wronko closed the public portion of the meeting.
CLOSED SESSION
1. The general nature of the subject matter(s) to be discussed is as follows:
1 – Potential Litigation
2. It is anticipated at this time that the above stated subject matter(s) will be made public at the conclusion of each individual specified subject matter.
3. This resolution shall take effect immediately.
On motion by Councilman Romano, seconded by Councilman Riccardi, and unanimously carried by voice vote, the foregoing resolution was adopted.
The Mayor and Council went into Closed Session at 7:57 P.M.
RETURN TO OPEN SESSION
At the conclusion of the Closed Session, the Mayor and Council reconvened the public meeting at 8:02 P.M. with all present.
ATTORNEY REPORT
Attorney Leo stated there is a settlement agreement between Stanhope Borough and the DEP regarding water testing EA ID# NEA240001. Attorney Leo asked the governing body to approve authorization of the settlement agreement.
On motion by Councilman Romano, seconded by Councilman Simpson and unanimously carried by the following roll call vote, approval to authorize the settlement agreement between Stanhope Borough and the DEP was approved.
Roll Call:
Councilman Riccardi – yes
Councilman Thornton – yes
Councilman Romano – yes
Councilman Wachterhauser – yes
Councilman Simpson – yes
Councilman Zampino – yes
ADJOURNMENT
On motion by Councilman Romano, seconded by Councilman Riccardi and unanimously carried by voice vote the meeting was adjourned at 8:05 P.M.
Approved:
Linda Chirip
Deputy Clerk for
Ellen Horak, RMC
Borough Clerk