Allamuchy Town Council Workshop – September 9, 2020

The meeting was held via Zoom. The agenda and minutes (once approved) can be found here: http://allamuchynj.org/2020meetings. For the meeting recording, submit an OPRA request to the municipal clerk.

The meeting was called to order at 6:33 pm, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and a Moment of Silence. The mayor and all council members were present, along with the township attorney, township engineer, and municipal clerk. I was the only member of the public present, as indicated by the Zoom attendee list.

OPENING STATEMENT: Once again, there was no opening statement.

ENGINEER’S REPORT / ACTION LIST

The township engineer reported on the following:

• The traffic signal study for CR 517 and Cat Swamp Road. The county engineer is working on a formal response.
• Water Storage Tank Project. This will be readvertised for bid.
• Cat Swamp Road Improvement Project. The contract was awarded and work should begin soon.
• DPW Roofing Project. The contractor is waiting for materials to be delivered.
• 2020 Road Resurfacing Program. Work by outside contractors has been completed.
• Emergency Generator for Sanitary Sewer Pump Station #1. This is out for public bid.
• Various Developer Action Items.
• New Scoreboards at Green Acres. The engineer met with the Recreation Director and DPW to discuss the scoreboard project. The plan is for two scoreboards – a large one for the main field (field # 1) that would work for baseball, softball, and soccer and a smaller one for the far fenced-in field (field # 3). These will help bring groups to Allamuchy and provide the ability to host all-star games and other events. There is sufficient money in capital to cover the costs. There are design components that are needed before permits can be issued. The mayor and council approved the engineer to proceed.

ATTORNEY’S REPORT

The attorney reported on a situation regarding the dog park. There was an inquiry from an individual about why the dog park is not handicapped-accessible in accordance with the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act).  According to the attorney, the dog park does indeed need to be handicapped accessible. The engineer provided an initial estimate of approximately $20,000, but a full study would need to be done at a cost of approximately $4,500 to determine the full scope and cost. The attorney proposed three options: 1) Shut the dog park down and not use it; 2) make the improvements to make it accessible; and 3) create a second dog park that is handicapped accessible.

Councilman Ochwat asked the question that I had, as I’m sure many of you do: “Was this a consideration when the dog park was proposed/built? Was it overlooked? Why are we looking at it now?” From the discussion and comments, it should have been looked at and should have been done when the dog park was built.

Councilwoman Tuohy raised the point that all of the recreation facilities should be re-assessed. Also, the initial discussion was around building a wheelchair ramp and other improvements for wheelchair access, but the councilwoman said that the assessment should address other disabilities as well.

Councilwoman Tuohy also mentioned that when the dog park was being built, it was supposed to be self-sufficient yet here we are about to spend tens of thousands of dollars to correct something. Since it is not self-sufficient, she suggested that it should be brought fully into the recreation department, with a budget, and not treated as a separate entity.

There was a discussion of where the funding for the study and, ultimately, the improvements would come from. The funding for the feasibility study will come from the dog park trust fund that was set up when the dog park was first established. The mayor will need to sit with the CFO to determine funding for the improvements. Councilwoman Tuohy also suggested some grants that could be looked at for funding.

The attorney also reported on the cable franchise agreement ordinance. There was a request to determine if Altice would be willing to do an eight-year agreement, versus the current ten-year agreement. While they were willing to consider it, changing the agreement at this point in time would force the process back to the beginning, further delaying the approval with no real down-side to keeping it at ten years. It was decided to keep at ten years and allow the ordinance to go to second reading at the regular meeting.

Finally, the attorney reported on an amendment to the Vision Committee ordinance, specifying that the business owner member of the committee does not need to be an Allamuchy resident.

MAYOR’S REPORT

The mayor reported on the Fire Department Recovery Fees contract.

COUNCIL MEMBER’S REPORT

Councilman Cote

Councilman Cote wished to discuss a return to in-person meetings. He suggested having the meetings in Hafner Hall. The mayor reminded him that when last discussed, they would need unanimous consent from all council members as everyone needs to be comfortable. Councilman Ochwat expressed some discomfort, but also indicated he would not stand in the way of the change if everyone else was comfortable with it. There was additional discussion as to whether there can be a hybrid – with some council members in-person and others on Zoom. This would also apply to members of the public who wish to attend but do not feel comfortable attending in person. In the end, they decided to have in-person meetings starting in October, but with Zoom available for those that wish to attend remotely.

The councilman also reported on a meeting that he and Councilwoman Tuohy had with the Fire Chief. He deferred to Councilwoman Tuohy to report the details.

Councilwoman Tuohy

The councilwoman reported on the following:

• There was a meeting between certain town officials and representatives from the fire department to discuss a capital plan for replacement of fire trucks. One truck needs to be replaced in the near future.
• She provided an update on the court shared services agreement.
• Background checks for township employees and volunteers are ready to start
• She updated council on her findings regarding the Water & Sewer supervisor working while on vacation (he was taking calls regarding the power outage during his vacation). After some discussion, a vote was taken on giving back a vacation day to this individual. All council members voted “yes,” with the mayor voting “no.”

Councilman Quinoa

The councilman took exception to an email he received from the mayor relaying a request from the construction official for a meeting. There was no indication why this individual was requesting to meet with the councilman except it was “in his best interest to attend.” The mayor could provide no insight as to the subject matter. The councilman indicated that he would not meet unless the reason for the meeting request was made clear.

Councilman Ochwat

The councilman requested updates on the following:

• The old dump truck that was auctioned off but which the new owner refused to take. The clerk provided an update that he will be picking it within the week.
• The affordable housing meeting with Baker Residential. It was decided that the company involved with the units in Old Farm Village should be part of the process and it is now with the attorneys.

BOARD / COMMISSION REPORTS: None

MUNICIPAL CLERK’S REPORT

The clerk provided an update on the question posed at the last meeting regarding the address on the election ballots. She reached out to the county clerk, who said the ballots will be out by October 5^th.  On the ballot [the part that goes inside the envelope], voters should enter “Allamuchy” as the municipality. On the outer mailing envelope, it should be the mailing address [most residents have a non-Allamuchy mailing address]. Councilwoman Tuohy added that she also spoke with the county clerk and she was told that if Allamuchy is not entered into the municipality field, that the municipality code on the ballot envelope would direct it properly [However, every attempt should be made to enter the correct municipality]. The county is still designing the ballot. There will be a ballot drop box installed outside of town hall. If a voter chooses to drop their ballot off on election day, the poll worker will be required to sign it [for chain of custody purposes, I would imagine]. This information will be available on the town website (www.allamuchy.org), with a sample. [There is also good information on the official county election website warrencountyvotes.com].

With regard to candidate signs, the municipality is allowing signs to be posted in town now [the ordinance says 30 days before the election].

Finally, the clerk addressed a letter received from the Warren County Department of Land Preservation.

PUBLIC SESSION:

I believe I was the only member of the public. I took the opportunity to thank the mayor and council for agreeing to continue use of Zoom, even when they are meeting in person, for those of us who may still not feel comfortable attending in-person meetings.

ORDINANCES – FIRST READING.

The following ordinance will be on the agenda for first reading at the September 23^rd Regular Meeting. The ordinance is available for review at: http://allamuchynj.org/index.asp?SEC=B340735D-896E-41FD-8493-BF9E20FCDEF4

• #2020-12 – Vision Committee Amendment.

ORDINANCES – SECOND READING

The following ordinance will be on the agenda for second reading, public comment, and adoption at the September 23^rd Regular Meeting. The ordinance is available for review at http://allamuchynj.org/index.asp?SEC=B340735D-896E-41FD-8493-BF9E20FCDEF4

• #2020-11 – Cable TV Franchise Renewal

RESOLUTIONS

The following resolution will be voted on at the September 23^rd Regular Meeting:

• 2020 Salary Resolution

OTHER / NEW BUSINESS

The council and mayor voted on approval of a blue light permit for a new firefighter. All council members voted “yes,” with the mayor abstaining [as he usually does due to his connection to the fire department].

OLD BUSINESS: There was no discussion on any Old Business items

PAYMENT OF BILLS: There were no bills to approve.

EXECUTIVE SESSION: No Executive Session needed.

ADJOURNMENT @ 8:44 pm

NEXT REGULAR MEETING: Wednesday, September 23, 2020 @ 6:30 pm

NEXT WORKSHOP MEETING: Wednesday, October 14, 2020 @ 6:30 pm