MAYOR AND COUNCIL
WORK SESSION AND AGENDA MEETING MINUTES
September 10, 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 – present
Councilman Riccardi – present
Councilman Thornton – present
Councilman Romano – present
Councilman Wachterhauser – present
Mayor Wronko – present
Moment of Silence – Mayor Wronko stated tomorrow is September 11th and he asked for a moment of silence in remembrance of all those who lost their lives on 9/11.
ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT
Ridge, Sunset, Overhill, Mountainview Project – Administrator McNeilly stated the Ridge, Sunset, Overhill and Mountainview Project is almost complete. The bypass water system was shut down today. Everyone is connected to the new system. There are three homes which still need to have their service lines replaced into the house. There are a few challenges. One home has a finished basement and completely enclosed access to the water meter, which is against the code. Access must be maintained to the water meters. Another home has an access issue due to the fact the pipe runs under a concrete slab which is underneath a rather large deck. There is space to run the pipe from a different direction. Site restoration work is ongoing. The contractor may complete the work prior to the close of his construction window. However, the Borough is requesting a grant and budget extension. The window for the project with the USEPA is September 13th. The documents were prepared today and sent to the USEPA for review and approval. There is no cost should the extension be approved. The Borough needs an additional few weeks. The extensions are only granted in 12-month intervals. The project will be closed out earlier than the extension. Administrator McNeilly stated he should receive a reply tomorrow regarding the extension request. A follow-up site visit, which is required at least once during the project, will be conducted by the EPA to see the project and review documents. The contractor will finish the ground cover of all the trenches. The neighborhood will get a small reprieve and then NJ Natural Gas will begin work in that area. The trenches will then be repaired, and in late spring or early summer, the Borough will pave that neighborhood. This information was provided to the residents during the community outreach.
Andover Municipal Joint Court – Administrator McNeilly stated a Court Committee is being created with town members from the seven municipalities utilizing the shared court. For Stanhope, this position will be held by the Administrator. If the municipality does not have an Administrator, the position would be held by the Clerk. An ordinance for introduction will be placed on the September 24th meeting agenda creating the position in the Borough.
Employee Retirement Gift Policy – Administrator McNeilly stated, currently, the Mayor and Council provide a very nice mantel clock to long time employees upon their retirement. Administrator McNeilly suggested a $200 VISA gift card could be an option for employees to choose instead. Administrator McNeilly stated when he worked at the County, the retirees had a choice of a clock, watch or gift card. Often times retirees are moving and downsizing. Councilman Thornton stated he is in agreement. Councilwoman Kuncken agreed and stated there is a 17-year employee retiring soon and recognition should be given at the September 24th meeting. This employee needs to be recognized in public and given the opportunity to invite his family and be congratulated and some refreshments should be provided. Councilman Romano stated he likes the idea of having a public recognition acknowledgement. Mayor Wronko agreed. Councilman Thornton stated regardless of whether or not another department provides a retirement event, the governing body can and should invite the employee and their family to be recognized at a public meeting. Administrator McNeilly stated the invitation will be sent to the employee.
Halloween Parade – Administrator McNeilly stated the Recreation Commission is planning to hold the Halloween Parade on October 26th at 12:00pm beginning at Borough Hall. The Recreation Commission has requested approval for a temporary road closure of Main Street for the parade for the children to travel from Borough Hall to the Fire House. The governing body members approved the request to close the section of Main Street for the Halloween Parade.
Hydrant Flushing – Administrator McNeilly stated the DPW Superintendent, Jason Titsworth, is on nighttime hydrant flushing for the next few weeks. The area of Sunset, Ridge and Overhill will not require hydrant flushing.
Brush Pick-up – Administrator McNeilly stated the DPW is currently collecting brush for this one week only. Confirmation will be made that everything has been picked up. After Friday, the next pick up will take place in the spring of 2025. Councilman Thornton asked, with the DPW Superintendent working nights, who will drive around to confirm all the brush has been picked up. Administrator McNeilly stated he will handle this.
Leaf Pick-up – Administrator McNeilly stated leaf pick-up will start in just over 30 days. Collection will begin on October 13th. The new machine is ready to go and so is the backup machine. Councilman Wachterhauser asked if the new trucks have arrived which can tow the equipment. Administrator McNeilly stated neither of the two trucks have arrived as yet. The large truck has a very long lead time. Councilman Thornton asked if both sides of the street can be done on the same day. Administrator McNeilly stated he will ask the DPW Superintendent if that is a possibility.
Budget 2025 Timeline – Administrator McNeilly stated the Budget 2025 Timeline is as follows: Budget and Capital memo has been distributed / Budget and Capital Requests will be presented to the Governing Body on November 1st / Proposed 2025 Budget Discussion will take place at the November 12th Work Session Meeting / the Tax Assessor and the Borough Auditor will make their annual presentations on December 10th.
WORK SESSION
Affordable Housing Trust Fund (Planner William Hamilton) – Administrator McNeilly stated William Hamilton was expected to attend this evening’s meeting however, he is not present.
Parking Ordinance Review – Mayor Wronko stated a discussion took place last year regarding the ordinance which pertains to not parking on the roads during the winter. Councilman Thornton stated it was his understanding that the discussion dealt with amending the ordinance, as other municipalities have done, regarding enforceability when the streets are snow covered. Mayor Wronko confirmed this and asked for the pros and cons of revising the ordinance. Mayor Wronko asked Administrator McNeilly for his input. Administrator McNeilly stated he has spoken with the DPW Superintendent who has stated the change, which was made years ago, from 11:00pm to 6:00am to 4:00am to 6:00am has hurt the DPW operationally. Additional costs are accrued and the ability to plow is compromised. Anything additional which would compromise that is not beneficial. The 4:00am to 6:00am is already an issue.
Mayor Wronko asked if the ordinance could be left as is but leave the enforcement choice at the discretion of the Police Officer. Administrator McNeilly stated for the Police Department the rules have to be black and white. Weather changes can occur from one moment to the next. The parking restriction from April 1st to November 1st has to be complied with unless the ordinance is amended. The only accommodation which can be made is if someone is having a party and there is not a chance of a snowflake in sight. The resident can contact police dispatch who in turn contacts the Police Officer on duty who can give approval. This works and has worked for many many years.
Mayor Wronko stated he has received complaints from both sides of the issue. There are residents who cannot fit all their cars in their driveways. There are also residents who look forward to this time of year because they like not having the additional cars parked along the street. Councilman Thornton stated when the time was changed years ago to 4:00am to 6:00am it accommodated businesses which were operating at different hours but that is no longer the case. Administrator McNeilly stated lifestyles have also changed and changing the time to midnight or 1:00am would be more appropriate. The problem that currently exists is when the snow stops at 10:00pm and the plows have to wait until 4:00am for the cars to be moved. And the longer the melted, salted muck sits, the more difficult or impossible it is for the plows to move it. Administrator McNeilly stated he worked in Dover for many years and the cars can park on the road year-round. When a car gets dug out, the mounds of snow end up sitting on the road until they eventually melt. The roads become single lane roads. The Borough has very narrow roads like Planeview Street, Plane Street, King Street, High Street, Spring Lane and Maple Terrace. Councilman Romano questioned how many tickets have actually been written for overnight parking violations.
Much discussion took place regarding different timeframes and options. The governing body all agreed to move forward with amending the ordinance and changing the time for the parking restrictions to 12:00am, midnight, to 6:00am and see how it works out this winter. Councilman Riccardi stated when snow is expected a Nixle reminder should be sent out about the off road parking. Councilman Wachterhauser stated he understands the issue from an operational standpoint however, the residents he has heard from in town do not want any overnight parking restrictions. Councilman Wachterhauser stated he agrees with Administrator McNeilly’s concerns regarding snow plowing and the DPW does a great job keeping the Borough roads clear. The want of the people though is to be able to park on the road. Mayor Wronko agreed and stated he has heard the same from residents. But, in fairness, after discussing the issue and listening to everyone he is of the opinion this decision is best. Councilman Wachterhauser stated, regardless of the decision, there will be complaints about not being able to park and if the opposite change was made people would complain that their road was not plowed because there are ten cars parked on it. Administrator McNeilly stated the State does not want people marooned in their cars, like what happened in Virginia on I-95, so they put down salt at three inches per hour for a one inch per hour snowstorm to keep the roads black. That expectation trickles down to the County and then to the municipalities which has caused an increase in the salt usage. Residents do not want to slip and slide, and they also do not want to stay inside. Administrator McNeilly stated he will have the ordinance amended and prepared for introduction.
Stanhope School HSA – Request to Place Fall Festival Signs on Public Property and ROW’s – Mayor Wronko stated the Stanhope School HSA has requested permission to place signs advertising the Fall Festival to be placed on public property. Mayor Wronko asked the governing body if there were any objections. The governing body members had no objections. The signs do need to be removed when the event is over.
Councilman Wachterhauser stated there is a band competition scheduled to take place at Lenape Valley High School on the same day as the HSA Fall Festival which will be taking place at the Little League Field. The HSA and the Band Director are meeting this evening to discuss this issue. The HSA was unaware of this conflict. Apparently, Lenape utilizes the Little League Field for overflow parking when they hold their event. Councilman Wachterhauser stated the Police Department should be made aware that traffic will be busy in that area of town on that day.
Lenape Valley Regional High School 50th Anniversary – Councilwoman Kuncken stated traffic will also be busy in that area on September 27th due to the fact that is the 50th anniversary celebration for Lenape Valley Regional High School. Mayor Wronko stated a fireworks display is scheduled for that evening as well.
NEW BUSINESS
Mayor Wronko offered the following resolutions which were read by title.
Resolution 158-24 AUTHORIZING AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE STANHOPE BOROUGH POLICE DEPARTMENT AND ENFORSYS, INC. TO PARTICIPATE IN ENFORSYS, INC.’S CADSHARE SYSTEM
WHEREAS, the Stanhope Borough Police Chief has recommended that the Mayor and Council approve of his execution of a Memorandum of Understanding with Enforsys, Inc. to enable the sharing of law enforcement incident data among local agencies located within Sussex County through the Sussex CADShare; and
WHEREAS, the Mayor and Council have determined to approve the Chief’s execution of the Memorandum of Understanding, attached hereto.
NOW THEREFORE IT BE RESOLVED by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Stanhope, that the Police Chief is hereby authorized to execute on behalf of the Borough of Stanhope the Memorandum of Understanding with Enforsys, Inc., in a form approved by the Borough Attorney.
On motion by Councilwoman Kuncken, 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 – yes
Councilman Riccardi – yes
Councilman Thornton – yes
Councilman Romano – yes
Councilman Wachterhauser – yes
Resolution 159-24 RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL AUTHORIZING A CONTRACT WITH KEYTECH LABORATORIES FOR THE BITUMINOUS CONCRETE CORE SAMPLING AND TESTING PROPOSAL FOR THE ELM STREET AND GROVE ROAD IMPROVEMENTS – NJDOT LOCAL AID PROJECT
WHEREAS, the Borough of Stanhope is in need of HMA core sampling and testing for the Grove Road and Elm Street Improvements (“the Project”);
WHEREAS, the Borough applied for and received a Local Aid Grant from the New Jersey Department of Transportation; and
WHEREAS, the Borough is a member of the Morris County Co-Op which has already publicly bid HMA core sampling and testing services and has awarded contracts therefore for the services needed; and
WHEREAS, the Borough may utilize the Co-Op bid price as a member of the Co-Op without the need for further public bidding; and
WHEREAS, the Borough Engineer has recommended the use of KeyTech Laboratories for the core sampling and testing for the “Project”; and
WHEREAS, the Borough awards the limited striping to KeyTech Laboratories for HMA Core Sampling and Testing for the “Project” for the total amount of $2,010.00 subject to the approval of the New Jersey Department of Transportation (see attached bid tabulation);
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Stanhope, that the Borough shall utilize KeyTech Laboratories for HMA Core Sampling and Testing for the Grove Road and Elm Street Improvements Local Aid Project at the 2019 Morris County Co-Op awarded bid prices and quantities as set forth in the attached bid tabulation.
On motion by Councilman Riccardi, seconded by Councilman Simpson and unanimously carried by the following roll call vote, the foregoing resolution was duly adopted.
Councilwoman Kuncken asked if the project is complete. Administrator McNeilly stated this sampling must be done in order to satisfy the DOT grant. This testing is looking for any voids in order to confirm the work was done properly as per the contract and to satisfy the funding requirement.
Roll Call:
Councilwoman Kuncken – yes
Councilman Simpson – yes
Councilman Riccardi – yes
Councilman Thornton – yes
Councilman Romano – yes
Councilman Wachterhauser – yes
Resolution 160-24 RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE RENEWAL OF A LEASE AGREEMENT WITH PITNEY BOWES FOR POSTAGE METER
WHEREAS, the Borough of Stanhope entered into a Lease Agreement designed for municipal government use of its postage meters with Pitney Bowes in 2020; and
WHEREAS, the current lease for the postage machine in the Borough will expire on May 29, 2025; and
WHEREAS, Pitney Bowes has now offered an early renewal of the lease, wherein they will replace the current postage machine with a new postage machine, along with transferring any postage, training, will answer any questions, and packing up the old equipment; and
WHEREAS, the term of the new contract will be a sixty (60) month lease, beginning November 30, 2024, and the new monthly payment for said postage machine is $154.03, billed quarterly at $462.09, for a total yearly fee of $1,848.36; and
WHEREAS, the cost of the lease agreement renewal is such that public bidding or quotation therefore is not required; and
WHEREAS, the Chief Financial Officer has certified that funds are available for this purpose in the 2024 budget and is subject to approval in the 2025-2029 Municipal Budgets.
WHEREAS, a form of the lease agreement renewal has been reviewed and approved by the Borough Attorney;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Stanhope that the Borough shall execute a sixty (60) month renewal lease agreement with Pitney Bowes for a new postage meter with a service agreement at a yearly lease price set at $1,848.36, as is set forth on the Pitney Bowes E&I State and Local FMV Lease Agreement.
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:
Councilwoman Kuncken – yes
Councilman Simpson – yes
Councilman Riccardi – yes
Councilman Thornton – yes
Councilman Romano – yes
Councilman Wachterhauser – yes
PAYMENT OF BILLS
Resolution 161-24 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 September 10, 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 Councilman Thornton and unanimously carried by the following roll call vote, the foregoing resolution was duly adopted.
Roll Call:
Councilwoman Kuncken – yes
Councilman Simpson – yes
Councilman Riccardi – yes
Councilman Thornton – yes
Councilman Romano – yes
Councilman Wachterhauser – yes
AGENDA ITEMS
All items listed on the Agenda for September 24, 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.
Rosemarie Maio stated the Shade Tree Commission has found a Forester. The Forester comes highly recommended. Joseph Dunn lives in Blairstown and has done considerable work in some of the upper county towns. The Shade Tree Commission met with Mr. Dunn, and he is preparing a proposal to conduct the hazardous tree inventory. Mr. Dunn has also agreed to conduct the public seminar which the Shade Tree Commission hosts every December. This year’s presentation will explain how to turn your backyard into a more natural habitat to attract birds, bees etc. Mr. Dunn provided a quick run down of the presentation to the commission and it sounds very interesting.
Ms. Maio stated the Shade Tree Commission is moving forward with planting trees along Dell Road. The commission members met with Administrator McNeilly and Jason Titsworth, DPW Superintendent, to formulate a plan and Sunnyside has the trees available. Once the hydrant flushing project is completed, the location for the trees will be marked out. Sunnyside will then come and plant the trees. Letters were sent out to the residents of Dell Road informing them about this project. There have been a number of residents who have called and are very happy with the plan. There has not been any push back.
Seeing no one further from the public wishing to speak, Mayor Wronko closed the public portion of the meeting.
CLOSED SESSION
- The general nature of the subject matter(s) to be discussed is as follows:
1 – Personnel (Construction Secretary)
1 – Contract (Negotiation)
- 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.
- This resolution shall take effect immediately.
On motion by Councilman Romano, seconded by Councilwoman Kuncken, and unanimously carried by voice vote, the foregoing resolution was adopted.
The Mayor and Council went into Closed Session at 7:34 P.M.
RETURN TO OPEN SESSION
At the conclusion of the Closed Session, the Mayor and Council reconvened the public meeting at 8:08 P.M. with all present.
ADJOURNMENT
On motion by Councilman Riccardi, seconded by Councilman Romano and unanimously carried by voice vote the meeting was adjourned at 8:09 P.M.
Approved:
Linda Chirip
Deputy Clerk for
Ellen Horak, RMC
Borough Clerk