First of all, I hope everyone is well and managing in this time of uncertainty. Please know that if you are in need of anything, there are always members in the community willing to step up and help out. Do not be afraid to ask – ask a friend, ask your neighbor, ask on social media – because we are all in this together.
The regular meeting of the Allamuchy Town Council was held via conference call. Since this was the first time for this, there were some issues, as could be expected. The incorrect phone number and access code had been provided initially. I, along with others, had the correct number but kept receiving a message saying that the room had reached its caller limit. By the time things were sorted out, the meeting was called to order at 6:43 pm.
As an aside, I know that the Board of Education held its most recent meeting as a video conference. Personally, I prefer that to the audio-only conference, as I was able to see the faces of the members. I am curious why the mayor chose to hold an audio-only conference.
The mayor and town clerk were present in the council chamber at the municipal building (practicing sufficient distancing, I would assume), and all other council members and the attorney were on the phone. Based on whom could be heard on the call, there were at least two other residents present beside myself.
As always, the meeting started with the pledge. The mayor and clerk stood, and requested that others do so as well. There was a moment of silence for those that are sick and dealing with this terrible disease, the family members worried about them, and the first responders who are putting their lives on the line.
In addition to the usual reading of the Sunshine Law, the mayor added the statement that the meeting was being conducted by conference call due to the health emergency and that the meeting and procedures were published, albeit with the wrong phone number, which was questioned by Councilman Quinoa. Councilman Quinoa asked the attorney if the notification was incorrect, can they proceed with the meeting. The attorney said that given the circumstances, the meeting could be held, but the actions from this meeting would need to be ratified the next time they meet.
OPENING REMARKS
The mayor made some opening remarks that were prepared by him and Dave Berkenbush, the director of Allamuchy’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM). Below is a summary:
He spoke of the start of the virus and its affect on the world, the country, New Jersey, and Warren County. As of March 26th, there were 29 confirmed cases in Warren County, with two in Allamuchy [Note: That has increased to three since].
The OEM started the acquisition of additional N95 masks and PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) in February and activated the Emergency Operations Center on March 16th, the day a state of emergency was declared to limit access to specified town buildings and resources.
The first confirmed case in Allamuchy was March 21st. The only information received was the age and gender. No other information is provided the County Health Department who spoke with the individual to determine contacts.
The virus has the potential to put a strain on the healthcare system and there are calls for PPE to protect healthcare workers. The OEM will continue to track and it is expected to continue through mid-April and beyond.
Residents are requested to follow state, county, and local social distancing guidelines, monitor their health, and exercise good hygiene. It is vital to follow the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines. If you are infected, the Warren County and New Jersey State Health Departments will provide guidelines.
The statement went on to say how proud they are of the community, with a special thank you to John LaPadula from the Allamuchy Seniors. John, [Councilwoman] Tuohy, and other members of the public have been delivering meals. [Superintendent] Flynn has been providing leftover food from the school to the Panther Valley Ecumenical Church (PVEC) food bank. There was also a special thank you to the parents and teachers.
The mayor had a side comment that he received an email from PVEC indicating they are short on staples, especially peanut butter.
They acknowledged the strain being felt by our small businesses. Restaurants are limited to takeout and non-essential businesses are closed, while others are working under difficult circumstances. There is a job board and Small Business Association (SBA) loans available for those businesses and employees impacted.
He gave a special thank you to the First Responders: The New Jersey State Police, First Aid squat, and Fire Department.
He stated that we need to stick together as a community now more than ever. We continue to hope for limited community spread and will continue to monitor and be in touch with the county, state, and local authorities.
He referenced the new electronic sign at the Panther Valley front gate. It is currently broadcasting the address for the town’s new website, which is now up and live and posting many of the directives from the county, state, and federal authorities. The residents may not hear things from day to day, but the website is constantly being updated.
The clerk, Anne Marie Tracy, provided an update and indicated that the home page is condensed, with links to the OEM, CDC, and Warren County board of health. As more information comes across it will be posted. The link is www.allamuchynj.org.
The mayor then asked if any of the council people wanted to give opening remarks.
Councilwoman Tuohy reminded everyone that donations for PVEC are being collected in a box outside the Panther Valley office to be delivered next week. She also commented on the mayor’s statement about the food being delivered to the seniors, adding that Claire Arcaro and I have been helping and there will be more members coming on board.
Councilman Quinoa also commented that there is a lot of information being put out by various individuals. He specifically called out me as being active in providing a lot of information through my website and Facebook pages [That would be this page]. He commented that Councilwoman Tuohy is also providing information to the community.
The mayor asked Dave Berkenbush if he wanted to add anything. He said that they tried to cover everything in the statement and that he is providing links on the OEM Facebook page.
PUBLIC SESSION
I started public session by thanking Councilwoman Tuohy and Councilman Quinoa for the kudos, but wanted to reiterate what the mayor said that we are all in this together. I do not do this for the kudos, but because I care about the community.
Lisa Strutin [Board of Education President] thanked the mayor and council for open communication with the school. She also asked people to pray for the nurses and doctors exposed every day. She said that any resident that needs help to please reach out.
Another resident commented that Allamuchy is a strong community and that we stick together. She wanted to know what assurances do we have that those who are sick and self-quarantining will actuall stay home and asked if there are any services being offered. The mayor responded that they do not know who the individuals are due to HIPAA privacy rules. The county has services and will reach out but rest-assured the individuals are not left alone from the county side. Dave Berkenbush added that while the names and addresses of affected individuals are not shared with the towns, the dispatch centers are aware so that they can guide first responders appropriately.
Councilman Quinoa asked Dave it was possible to contact the county and offer the ability to tell these individuals that they can contact the township for help if they wish to. Dave responded that they have tried multiple times to get information but, again, are prohibited by HIPAA.
RESOLUTIONS
The following resolutions were voted on, with any significant discussion noted:
- Tax Sale Certificate Redemption
- Refund of Overpayments
- 2019 Tonnage Grant Resolution
- Approval of Agreement with Phoenix Advisors, LLC (these are the town’s financial advisors)
- Transfers: There was a difference of $25 of money being transferred between accounts. Also, there was a question about money be transferred to the Fire Department as well as Buildings and Grounds. Per the clerk, who confirmed with the CFO, this was to finalize December bills that were paid in the beginning of this year.
- Shared Services with Warren County
- Volunteer Fire Assistance Grant. This was discussed during the workshop. The mayor abstained on the vote, presumably due to his relationship with the Fire Departement.
OTHER/NEW BUSINESS
The following was discussed, with significant discussion noted.
- Approval of Raffle Application, Foundation for Hackettstown Medical Center.
- Approval of Raffle Application, Friends and Neighbors
- SMSD Report: Councilman Ochwat reported on the conference call for the Special Municipal Services District (SMSD). The main reason for the meeting was to discuss the SMSD budget. He noted that most of the village assessments are going down with a couple of exceptions. Prior to the vote, the mayor asked the attorney if members of the PVPOA Board (i.e., Councilwoman Tuohy and Councilman Quinoa) should abstain. Councilman Quinoa reminded the mayor that he abstains every year. Councilwoman Tuohy, who had seconded the motion, stated that under guidance from the prior attorney that they did not need to abstain as the vote was for the whol of Panther Valley. Mr. Beilin said that he had no issue with Councilwoman Tuohy seconding the motion, but that he would prefer that they abstain. The motion passed, with both Councilwoman Tuohy and Councilman Quinoa abstaining.
APPROVE PAYMENT OF BILLS AND ADD-ON LIST
The mayor stated that he signed all of the bills and asked for direction from the attorney on how to get them co-signed. Before they could get to that, though, Councilman Quinoa had a question about the bills for the new prosecutor. After much discussion of what was already paid last year, what was already paid this year under his old rate, and the purchase orders that were being signed for payment under the new rate for this year, it was determined that there would be an overpayment.
Once they figured that out and approved the bills, they returned to the discussion of how to get the second signature while abiding by social distancing guidelines and limitations of building access. Councilwoman Tuohy volunteered to be the second signature. The bills would be dropped off, she would sign and disinfect them, and drop them back at the municipal building.
EXECUTIVE SESSION
There was no Executive Session [I would be curious how that would have been conducted].
ADJOURNMENT?
No, not quite. Mrs. Strutin chimed up to ask if the mayor and Council could open the meeting to the public again. This is out of the ordinary, but then these are no ordinary times. There was no objection, so the meeting was opened to the public.
Mrs. Strutin thanked them for the opportunity and asked if Council was aware of a bill that may allow quarterly tax payments to be delayed and asked to keep the school district in the loop. She also asked if house taxes were still due on May 1st. Mr. Beilin responded that he believes they are talking about doing estimated bills. Mrs. Strutin finished by making sure there would be a note in the minutes that everyone could not attend the meeting due to the dial-in issues.
Councilman Quinoa had a question about the tree on Bountiful Dr. that was discussed at the workshop. The mayor said that the DPW is arranging with the tree people to take down two trees that had been identified as potential problems by the township engineer. Councilman Ochwat asked whether the backhoe had been removed and Councilman Cote asked if a letter has been written to the resident. The clerk believes that the Zoning Officer is aware and is looking at that as well as where the trees had been cut down on 517.
This led to a long discussion about the tree removal on 517. It sounded like the property owner wanted to clear it in part to get better visibility for the billboard (and wants to do a double-sided billboard) and in part to stem vandalism to the corn fields. The trees were also apparently diseased. The discussion covered whether he needed a permit (no, it is farmland assessed). But there was also a discussion about the billboard and when that was approved. End result is that Anne Marie will work with zoning to research the sign.
Councilman Ochwat ended with wishes that everyone and their families stay well.
At that point, everyone started to disperse when they realized no one had made a motion to adjourn. The motion was made and the meeting was adjourned at 7:42 pm.
Next Workshop Meeting: April 8th @ 6:30 pm
Next Regular Meeting: April 22nd @ 6:30 pm
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