Most of you should already know that the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. The Governor of New Jersey has declared a State of Emergency, sporting events are canceled, and schools are making plans to implement virtual instruction in an effort to help slow the spread of the virus and to keep our healthcare system from becoming overwhelmed. We can help first by not panicking and taking some actions to help protect ourselves and those around us: Wash your hands, don’t touch your face, practice “social distancing,” and self-isolating/self-quarantining and contacting our doctors if we experience signs of illness.

At the Town Council meeting this past Wednesday (I am still working on that summary and will try to get it out in the coming days), the mayor indicated that communications would be disseminated to the town via Reverse 9-1-1 and the website (more about that in my meeting summary). But, as of yet, I have not seen anything. Councilwoman Tuohy did read a letter from our Office of Emergency Management (OEM) outlining their efforts coordinating with the county, so be assured that this *is* being taken seriously at that level.

I started this blog as a way to keep the community informed, not just of what was happening at the public meetings, but about events and other significant happenings in and around town. I know we all consume information in different ways. With that in mind, I will do my best to keep you all informed using reliable, fact-based sources. But this is not just about me, it is about our community and I don’t know everything that is happening. If there is information that you feel is important for the community to know, let me know and I will post it. Please feel free to add those to the Facebook group that you think may benefit from this information. If they are not on Facebook, please share the blog link: https://allamuchymessage.news.blog/

Stay healthy, everyone!

Abby

vol-un-teer | \ ˌvä-lən-ˈtir  \  noun: a person who freely offers to take part in an enterprise or undertake a task.

Have you ever given thought to how many volunteers we have in our community? (For discussion purposes, I am referring to both Allamuchy proper as well as Panther Valley). While there are paid staff to handle the day-to-day operations such as maintenance, water and sewer, courts, administration, etc., much of what gets done is done by volunteers.

Recreation activities? The town has a Recreation Commission led by a paid Director, but which is staffed by volunteer commissioners and coaches. Panther Valley has a volunteer recreation committee that plans and manages, with staff support, the special recreation events throughout the year.

Environmental Commission? Again, there is a paid Chair and Secretary, but the commissioners and other sub-committee members are volunteers.

Panther Valley committees, including the staff that writes for and puts together The Panther? Volunteers, with some staff support

Township advisory boards? Mix of volunteers and paid staff

Officers for the O.W.L.S. (the Allamuchy Senior Citizens Club) and Friends and Neighbors? Volunteers.

Panther Valley Board of Trustees? While these are elected positions, they are filled by unpaid volunteers. The individual village board and citizen groups are run by, you got it, volunteers.

Allamuchy Board of Education? Again, elected positions but filled by unpaid volunteers.

Friends of Rutherfurd Hall/The Rutherfurd Hall Foundation? Volunteers.

Firefighters and First Aid Squad? Volunteers.

The list goes on.

I volunteer for a number of the organizations named above, both directly and indirectly. I tend to see a lot of the same people in many of these groups and with the same people holding multiple officer and/or chair positions across these organizations (I know of one person that is the treasurer for three organizations, another who is an officer or chair for at least three. There are others, I’m sure, but these are the first to come to mind). Many of these individuals also volunteer for other outside organizations and groups. It irks me to no end when I hear things such as “why does [volunteer] so-and-so stick their nose into everything?” or “Such-and-such organization doesn’t care!” The fact is, if they didn’t care, they wouldn’t be doing what they are doing. Volunteers donate their time, energy, and money without any expectation other than the satisfaction of doing a good job and helping to make the community better. They are spending resources on the community instead of themselves.

Would things get done without these volunteers? Of course, but there would be a limit to what could get done without increasing the costs to the community. And certainly, I’m not saying people don’t have the right to their opinion. I’m saying that perhaps there are more constructive avenues in which to express them. Go to a meeting. Find out in person, instead of second- or third-hand or through social media, what the organizations and volunteers are doing. Better yet, if you want to make some real change, volunteer yourself.

The meeting was called to order at 6:32. All members were present. There were two employees and two residents in the audience for a grand total of four.

The agenda moved along pretty quickly, for the most part. They went through Roll Call, Approval of Minutes / Acceptance of Board/Commission Reports, and the Mayor’s Report (he didn’t have one) in all of four minutes.

TOWNSHIP COUNCIL REPORTS

Councilman Cote had nothing to report

Councilwoman Tuohy reported on the following:

• Updates from Monday’s Board of Education meeting, including the meeting that she, Lisa Strutin (BoE President), and Superintendent Flynn will be attending on Friday to present on Shared Services (see the post on the Board of Ed meeting for more details)
• The Rutherfurd Hall Foundation will be having a party/fundraiser to bid farewell to and thank Laurie Rapisardi, the Rutherfurd Hall Executive Director who recently resigned
• She is continuing to meet with municipalities regarding shared services agreements for the court
• You may recall from a prior post a discussion around the Board of Ed’s request for a Shared Services agreement with the town for snow removal. Our Department of Public Works (DPW) worked with our Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to put together a cost estimate. There will be a meeting with the superintendent to discuss the cost. Councilman Quinoa requested to be included since the town’s Recreation Commission uses the school for some activities.
• Councilman Ochwat asked for an update on the paving of the school bus parking lot. That was to be discussed in Executive Session.

Councilman Quinoa reported on recreation activites:

• The Recreation Commission did not meet this month
• The boys’ 5^th/6^th grade basketball team won the championship against Hackettstown. Councilman Quinoa expressed disappointment that only one member of Council (Note: Councilwoman Tuohy) attended the game even though all of Council, including the mayor, was invited.
• Allamuchy’s boys’ 3^rd/4^th grade teams will be playing each other for the championship sometime next week
• The Recreation Commission by-laws should be ready to present to Town Council at the next workshop
• Basketball season will be over by mid-March, with a pizza party near the end of the month
• Mayor Lomonaco asked if there would need to be any proclamations, similar to what was recently done for soccer. Councilman Quinoa said yes, for the championship team(s)

Councilman Ochwat had a few updates on recently-discussed items:

• The DPW has identified that the cables hanging in front of the “Welcome to Allamuchy” sign from the Route 80 eastbound ramp are owned by the cable company. DPW has tried numerous times to contact someone, but have had no luck. Mayor Lomonaco volunteered to contact the Altice liaison who had presented at prior meetings.
• The lobby signs showing how our tax dollars are spent are being worked on
• He wanted to know if there was an update to the question that Councilman Cote had at the workshop regarding seasonal workers. There was no update, but since this is dependent on the meeting that Councilwoman Tuohy is having with the school regarding shared services, nothing can be determined at this time.

The township had received a letter from White Township regarding the proposed warehouse and the potential traffic impact on Allamuchy. Councilman Ochwat wanted to know if the town was doing anything. From what I could gather from the conversation, the Land Use Board had sent a letter in agreement “to not have warehouses.” The attorney indicated that this letter was similar to the resolutions that many of the towns are passing. Someone had asked if the town should also do a resolution, but it was decided that the letter would have the same effect.

 (Note: For those unaware of the warehouse in question, here is a link to the latest update I could find: https://www.njspotlight.com/2020/01/controversial-warehouse-plan-advances-in-rural-warren-county/. Many municipalities are fighting this project and it is a consistent topic at the Freeholder meetings due to the potential impact on White Township and the surrounding communities.)

Councilwoman Tuohy asked what Allamuchy’s Master Plan says with regards to warehouses. In short, they cannot be built here, unless there is a use change, as Allamuchy is all “built out” and what is left is preserved farmland or Open Space. The concern with the White warehouse, not just for Allamuchy but for all of the surrounding towns, is the impact the increased truck traffic will have on the community and the environment.

BOARD/COMMISSION REPORTS

Charlie Fineran, Director of Open Space and Chair of the Environmental Commission, stated that he was donating a computer to the township to use for the Sustainable Jersey® project. The group will also be clearing out an office so they have a space in which to work.

MUNICIPAL CLERK’S REPORT

Anne Marie Tracy indicated that there will be two individuals working with the town as part of their community service. They will be supervised and will perform tasks such as painting, raking, and trail cleanup.

Councilwoman Tuohy asked about the playground on Alphano Road. She had seen a post on social media wondering why the playground was closed during one the of recent spring-like days. Ms. Tracy indicated that the playground is closed during the winter as recommended by the insurance company. After some discussion, Town Council and the Mayor approved opening up the playground in light of the forecasted nice weather.  As a follow up, Councilman Ochwat was concerned that the parking lot just inside the Panther Valley back gate was full of construction vehicles. Councilman Quinoa reminded the group that parking lot is Panther Valley property, but there is sufficient parking by the playground.

ENGINEER’S REPORT: There was no report

ATTORNEY’S REPORT

The final version of the Personnel Manual has been sent and is ready to be adopted. Councilwoman Tuohy has something regarding the manual she wanted to discuss in Executive Session before voting. The manual would be voted on in Open Session following Executive Session.

The attorney also had some contract negotiation items he needed to discuss in Executive Session.

PUBLIC SESSION: No comments from anyone in the audience. (I had something I could have asked, but decided to take a break this time around.)

ORDINANCES: There were no ordinances for first reading. There was one ordinance up for second reading, public hearing, and vote.

RESOLUTIONS: One resolution regarding refunds for overpayment of taxes. Councilman Quinoa abstained as he knew some of the people on the list. All others voted “yes.”

OTHER/NEW BUSINESS: There was one item regarding approval of an Aerial Spray Application from the Warren County Mosquito Control Commission. Councilman Ochwat also requested that the list of Old Business that is included in the Workshop agendas be included in the Regular Meeting agenda as a reminder, not necessarily for discussion.

APPROVE PAYMENT OF BILLS AND ADD-ON LIST: Councilwoman Tuohy abstained from voting on this, as she felt she didn’t have enough time to review (Note: she is usually very diligent on reviewing the bills).

EXECUTIVE SESSION

The Mayor and Council went into Executive Session to discuss personnel and contract negotiation matters around 7:05 pm. Had there been no Executive Session, I think this meeting would have broken a record for the shortest meeting in recent memory.  They came out of Executive Session at approximately 7:45 pm. Normally, I would not have stayed around but Councilman Quinoa indicated he had something to say at the time of/after the vote for the Personnel Manual. Given the, shall we say “drama,” around this document, I wanted to hear what he had to say.  Here’s the (near) play-by-play:

Councilman Quinoa made the motion to pass the Personnel Manual as presented, with Councilwoman Tuohy seconding the motion. The manual passed. Councilman Quinoa then made a statement. In his statement he addressed what he called behind-the-scenes misrepresentations and distortion of facts by certain employees regarding the manual. From what he was saying, it sounded like there were rumors and speculation by employees about certain sections of the manual without them knowing the background that went into some of the decisions. This leads employees to “think Council is up to no good.” Councilman Quinoa recommended that the Council hold an Executive Council Meeting with the employees to address any concerns and questions they may have regarding the updated manual. (Note: an Executive Council Meeting would be a meeting that is all Executive Session; i.e., not open to the public but which has to be advertised similar to any other meeting). Mayor Lomonaco, saying that they can’t force the employees to attend a meeting, suggested that, instead of a meeting, a letter be sent to every employee to see if they want to have a meeting. Councilman Quinoa’s feeling was that the meeting should be scheduled and the onus put on the employees to decide if they want to attend. Another idea that was floated was a “suggestion box” but that was nixed. Councilman Cote stated that anytime a new personnel policy is rolled out, it’s a good idea to have a meeting. In fact, he suggested that the meeting be mandatory and held during work hours. Councilman Quinoa agreed, submitting that normally the mayor would be the one to meet with the employees but given the rumors around the manual said that the Council should be included.

So, at this point it looks like they’ve agreed to have the meeting near the end of March. Councilman Ochwat expressed concern that the employees haven’t read the manual and they are talking about a meeting. Ms. Tracy said she would get it out the employees by the end of the week. She also said that she believed the process was backwards and that the drafts should have been given to the employees before it was passed to take their opinions into account. Councilman Quinoa requested to work with Ms. Tracy on the communication with the employees, getting Mayor and Council to review before sending it out.

In summary, the Personnel Manual passed. The employees will get a copy. There will be a meeting with the Mayor, Council, and the employees to address any questions in the near future.

ADJOURNMENT: The meeting adjourned around 8:15 p.m.

Agenda can be found here: https://www.aes.k12.nj.us/cms/lib/NJ01001493/Centricity/Domain/4/000_Agenda_2020-02-24%20-%20Google%20Docs.pdf

The February 24^th meeting of the Allamuchy Board of Education was called to order at 7:32 p.m. Three members were absent: Dr. Cusmano, Mr. Britt, and Mr. Bienko. There were approximately 12 people in the audience which included a combination of teachers, parents, the auditor, the Town Council liaison, and members of the general public.

STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE REPORT

The president of the student council did a presentation of noteworthy activities that have occurred over the past couple of months, including:

• Middle School Door Decorating Contest
• 5th Grade Trip to DaVinci Science Center
• A conference attended by members of the administration and staff
• The Ugly Sweater Contest held at both Allamuchy Township School (ATS) and Mountain Villa School (MVS)
• The ATS Spelling Bee held in January for grades 4 – 8
• The Warren County Spelling Bee held in February
• The Coffee Cart Special Education Fundraiser
• Kids Heart Challenge at ATS for grades 3 – 5
• 5th Grade Studying Chemical Changes
• STOP the Bleed Teachers Workshop
• Social Studies Wax Museum Project

The representative also announced the Krispy Kreme Fundraiser. Orders are being taken from March 2^nd – 20^th, with delivery to the school on April 1^st.

Superintendent Flynn took this opportunity to congratulate the student representative on his role in running the Mock Board Meeting at the Community Forum held on February 4^th.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Superintendent Flynn read the acknowledgements for each grade and Teacher of the Month.

PRESENTATIONS

The auditor, Mr. Tim Vrabel, presented the results of the audit for the year ended June 30, 2019. He indicated that there were no findings that require correction and that prior year findings have been corrected. He proceeded to offer some highlights from the audit. Unfortunately, he was going through it faster than I could legibly write in my notes, but I will do my best to give the highlights:

• Operations Performance (Revenues vs. Expenditures)
  • There were excess revenues, primarily as a result of Shared Services fees and an increase in Rental income, along with other minor items
  • There was a deficit as a result of a decrease in Tuition revenue
  • The Unexpended Budget was $147k (out of an $11m budget)
  • The surplus was used as follows:
    • $99k for the 2020-2021 budget
    • $138k was transferred back to the Capital Reserves
    • $50k to Rutherfurd Hall
• He talked about the funding of the pensions, indicating that the percent funded on the one for which Allamuchy is responsible for the employer contribution has improved, going from 40% to 53.6% funded over the past three years
• Mrs. Prudenti had a question about what turned out to be a typo regarding the grades that are at MVS
• Mrs. Prudenti also questioned the numbers on the Food Service Returns. Food Services was showing a negative, while Rutherfurd Hall was positive. The auditor indicated that this is a calculation. Mrs. Renaud commented that Rutherfurd Hall is positive due to the $50k transfer mentioned above. Mr. Schlessinger, the Business Administrator, indicated there were some unplanned expenses to replace equipment such as dishwashers
• Mrs. Strutin had a question regarding exceptions that would allow the budget to go over the 2% cap, one of those exceptions being an increase in enrollment. Mr. Schlessinger clarified that it would need to be a “material increase” in enrollment. The other exception would be around healthcare costs, which are dictated by the state plan
• Mrs. Renaud circled back to the Food Services question; at which time it was revealed that Rutherfurd Hall is at a $164k deficit. The auditor responded with “You shouldn’t be living with a deficit.”

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

Mrs. Strutin’s report included the following:

• An email she sent to the Board regarding timing of sending the Board packet to the members
• She attended the 4^th Grade Presentation given to the Senior Citizens Club (O.W.L.S.) at Rutherfurd Hall, which included the Wax Museum mentioned in the Student Representative’s report
• Acceptance of Laurie Rapisardi’s resignation as Executive Director of Rutherfurd Hall

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Operations:  Mr. Britt was not present, so Mrs. Renaud delivered the report.

• The budget process has started
• They are increasing speech services to address the needs of the district (as specified in the Operations Action Report)
• Rutherfurd Hall Operations:  
  • They are working with a Historical Architect and applying for grants including the New Jersey Historic Preservation Fund Grant and Warren County Grant.
  • Laurie Rapisardi’s last day will be April 12^th, complying with the 60-day notice requirement. They will be using current staff to backfill for her, with appropriate pay increases. The staff will also receive a stipend through June 30^th, by which time the committee should have an idea of how to move forward with Rutherfurd Hall
  • There are a couple of “unknowns” that need to be worked through: The 4^th of July celebration at Rutherfurd Hall, for which Laurie’s work was termed “critical,” and Laurie’s payout for accrued sick and vacation time. The committee requested permission to move forward on looking at these, given the time-sensitive nature.

Human Resources:  Mrs. Renaud indicated there was no meeting

Education: Mr. Green indicated there was no meeting

Governance:

• Mrs. Prudenti indicated that there was no meeting as there were no new policies to review. She does expect there will be a meeting next month and it will be scheduled to avoid conflicts with other meetings, including Town Council
• She urged the Board members to review policies and regulations that are in the by-laws (Section 0000). She requested that the members specifically review numbers 0145, 0146, and 0155. For those that want to follow along, the Board Policies can be found here: https://www.straussesmay.com/seportal/Public/DistrictPolicyTOC.aspx?id=b656191cd0a544338a4f80a6573b5812
  • 0145: Board Resignation and Removal. This policy covers situations in which a Board Member’s membership may be terminated. It includes an attendance policy which specifies that a member can be removed from office if s/he fails to attend three consecutive regular meetings without good cause, with some additional stipulations. Now, I’m not going to call out any Board members by name here, but I suggest that you review the minutes of this and prior meetings to see the attendance records of the members and if any of them have met, or are close to meeting, that threshold (Hint: Without knowing if there was “good cause,” there is potentially at least one)
  • 0146: Board Member Authority. This policy discusses the authority, and limits thereof, that a Board member has with regards to releasing information, expressing themselves in public as an individual, and compliance with district policy and procedures.
  • 0155: Board Committees. This policy defines the standing committees of the Board and the required membership of each.
    • Mr. Green asked a question which was hard to hear (Note: This was a common issue throughout the meeting, despite the audience asking several times for the Board members to speak up – but there is more about that later in the program).  Mrs. Prudenti commented that while this policy requires that a Board member must serve on at least one committee that there are 16 committee spots to be filled. So, if a Board member is only serving on the minimum number of committees (1) then the burden falls on the others to fill in the gap. I took a look at the committee membership as listed on the website and found that there are at least a couple of members only serving on one committee:
      • Mrs. Strutin:  1 (Operations); however, as Board President, she is an ex officio member of all committees
      • Dr. Cusmano: 2 (Governance, Education)
      • Mr. Bienko: 2 (Education, Operations)
      • Mr. Britt: 1 (Operations – Chair)
      • Mr. Cramer: 1 (Human Resources)
      • Dr. Gaddy: 2 (Education, Human Resources)
      • Mr. Green: 2 (Education – Chair, Governance)
      • Mrs. Prudenti: 2 (Governance – Chair, Human Resources)
      • Mrs. Renaud: 3 (Human Resources – Chair, Governance, Operations)

Town Council Liaison: Mrs. Renaud stated that she could not attend the Town Council meeting due to a conflict with Operations meetings. She was unsure whether Mr. Bienko had attended. (Note: No, he did not. I was there and have not seen him at any meetings.)

Rutherfurd Hall Liaison:

• Mrs. Strutin stated that the Rutherfurd Hall Foundation did not meet, but is continuing with the Capital Campaign
• Mrs. Renaud gave an update on the Friends of Rutherfurd Hall and upcoming events:
  • Friends of Rutherfurd Hall are holding elections for certain offices in March. “Friends” members are eligible to vote. Membership is $25. (note: see http://www.rutherfurdhall.org/friends.php for information about the Friends of Rutherfurd Hall)
  • Upcoming Events (http://www.rutherfurdhall.org/events.php):
    • Comedy Night. March 6^th @ 8:00 pm. Tickets are $30
    • Joan Salvas (Rutherfurd Hall Historian) Lecture. March 4^th  @ 6:30 pm at the Panther Valley Golf & Country Club (PVG&CC). $45 includes buffet dinner. RSVP to the PVG&CC

Hackettstown Board of Education Representative

Dr. Gaddy’s report included:

• The Head of Security provided a LENS update. The district is installing an Instant Security Alert System, starting at the high school and then at all four schools and Board offices. All staff are getting trained and there will be a demo soon.
• There was a resolution to dissolve Shared Services (see Public Comment section for more details)

SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT

Superintendent Flynn provided the following updates:

• He indicated that enrollment is up (see agenda for the specific numbers)
• They will be discussing a HIB (Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying) case in Executive Session
• They are evaluating all of the after-school programs for 2020-2021
• Repairs were made to the 3^rd grade bathrooms (more in the Public Comments section)
• The work on the boys’ locker room is ongoing (more in Public Comments)
• They are looking at other projects based on the recommendation of the Operations committee
• Strategic Planning: They have done the self-evaluation as part of the QSAC process, which occurs every three years. The county office will be visiting this Thursday.
• They are reviewing items from the Community Forum/Mock Board Meeting that was held on February 4^th. The next Community Forum is scheduled for March 10^th.
• Sustainable Jersey® (sustainablejersey.com): The school’s Green Team will be meeting next week with the town’s Green Team to discuss a path forward
• He, Lisa Strutin, and Councilwoman Tuohy will be presenting on Shared Services at the New Jersey School Board headquarters

Mr. Green added a comment regarding the after-school programs, thanking the community for its suggestions and for supporting the programs.

PUBLIC COMMENT ON AGENDA ITEMS ONLY

Members of the public attempted to ask questions about items that Superintendent Flynn and Dr. Gaddy had covered in their respective reports, only to be told that they were not considered agenda items. After some back-and-forth, it was clarified that this part of the public comment was reserved for items that are up for action and vote, as identified in the Board committees’ action reports. Items that were incidentally mentioned that are not part of those reports are apparently not considered agenda items. Go figure.

BOARD COMMITTEE ACTION REPORTS

Operations:

Mrs. Renaud moved first to table Item #5 in her report (MOA with the Rutherfurd Hall Foundation to display limited advertising on the electronic sign in front of MVS).

Mrs. Renaud added item #10 to accept the auditor’s report. Again, the audience needed to ask the group to speak up so we could hear the discussions.

All items, other than the tabled item, were moved/passed.

Human Resources: Mrs. Renaud moved all seven items, all passed with no discussion.

Education: Mr. Green commented on the professional conferences, providing encouragement to see out opportunities. He moved three items, all passed with no discussion.

Governance:  There were no items to be moved/passed.

OLD BUSINESS

The one item under Old Business was an outstanding item from the Reorganization Meeting where there were questions around recognition of the Friends of Rutherfurd Hall, which is part of the Allamuchy Historical Society.  Mrs. Prudenti asked about the mission of Friends of Rutherfurd Hall vs. that of the Allamuchy Historical Society. At least that’s what I thought she asked as, again, the discussion was hard to hear from the gallery.  The item was moved/passed. When we, the audience, asked for clarification on what was said as it was hard to hear, Mr. Schlessinger was heard to say something along the lines of “then move closer.”

PUBLIC COMMENTS

Here is where the members in the audience got to ask their burning questions that they had during the earlier Public Comment section.

• Status of the 3^rd grade bathroom, which has a leaking faucet. Superintendent Flynn responded that they are looking into getting an automatic faucet and that it is on order with no timeframe.
• Status of the boys’ locker room and when the boys will be able to get back in there because, well, you know, 13-year old boys going to gym class in their school clothes and not being able to change (Note: I don’t have kids and even I know the effect that 13-year old boys can have on the environment). Superintendent Flynn was hesitant to give a date but said they were about 85% done (well, first he said 90% and then changed it to 85% in the next sentence). They are addressing the “attractive nuisance” that is the showers, replacing/repairing the toilets and sinks, painting lockers, and putting down an epoxy floor. To save money instead of hiring a contractor, the work is being done by one of the maintenance staff, who used to run his own contracting business. Here’s my question: why are they doing such extensive work when school is in session, instead of doing over the summer or the upcoming spring break?
• Question about the process to schedule the 8^th graders for their high school classes. It sounded like this process occurred within the past week or so and they were given all of 15 minutes to complete the process with little to no guidance. To quote the parent, it was like “throwing them to the wolves.” When the high school was contacted, they were apparently expecting someone in Allamuchy to help guide them through the process. Superintendent Flynn said they would look into the process but, going by his own experience with his daughters, 15 minutes is “not unusual.” Some suggestions brought forward by the parents included having a session with the teachers beforehand and/or a volunteer board of parents to help identify which classes the students should be taking so that when they get into the 15 minute session, they are ready.  Superintendent Flynn indicated this would be brought before the Education Committee to review. Mrs. Strutin later stated that the students will have an opportunity to change classes during the first month or so of the school year.
• Clarification on the Shared Services agreement mentioned by Dr. Gaddy and how it affects Allamuchy. The question was directed to Dr. Gaddy, but Superintendent Flynn jumped in to answer. The agreement in question was between Hackettstown and another district and should not impact Allamuchy at all.

Councilwoman Tuohy, Town Council Liaison to the Board of Education, spoke. She suggested that if the Board has surplus funds then, perhaps, they should consider getting a PA system so that the audience can hear what is being said. Referencing Mr. Schlessinger’s earlier comment about us moving closer to the front, she reminded them that she supports the school in many ways and for Mr. Schlessinger to say what he did and for no one on the Board to say anything to him was disrespectful. She demanded an apology, to which Superintendent Flynn responded that he “cannot force apologies.”  (I did hear Dr. Gaddy say she did not hear him, but no one else commented at this point).

I piggy-backed off of Councilwoman Tuohy’s comments, reminding the group that we had asked them to speak up numerous times during the meeting. We are sitting in the chairs that were provided to us and if they wanted us to be closer then, perhaps, they should set them up closer. Finally, as I’ve recently had to do with the Mayor and Town Council, I reminded the Board and paid staff that they work for us, the residents.

Mrs. Strutin offered an apology though, in my opinion, she should not have been the one apologizing.

EXECUTIVE SESSION

The Board went into Executive Session. I didn’t hang around but, from what I understand, it lasted for over an hour.

The next Board of Education meeting is Monday, March 16^th @ 7:30 pm

The meeting was called to order @ 6:33 pm, with all members present. There were approximately six people in the audience, which was a combination of employees, spouses, the Panther Valley General Manager, and two residents (myself included).

Acceptance of Board/Commission Reports: This will be done at the Regular Meeting on February 26^th.

Engineer’s Report/Action List: There was nothing from the engineer’s report that needed action. Mr. Sterbenz will be attending the Workshop Meeting on March 11^th.

Attorney’s Report

The only item that the attorney had to report on was the….Personnel Manual. He sent the draft out for review. Everyone seemed ok with it, but there was a too-long (in my opinion) discussion about the policy around overtime. What it boils down to is defining what needs to be identified systemically (in the manual) and what is a supervisory responsibility in dealing with individual employees. With apologies to the animal lovers out there – that horse was long dead by the time they finished the discussion ten minutes later. Beyond that, the attorney has some minor cleanup (Table of Contents, attachments, etc.) and it should be ready to present at the Regular Meeting on February 26^th.

Before moving on, Councilman Ochwat had a question about the franchise agreement with Altice/Optimum. Judging from what I see on social media, this seems to be a hot topic with our residents. The town had sent changes to the agreement back to Altice. To quote the attorney, they have been “difficult to deal with.” In addition to the 10-year franchise agreement, Altice is also looking to upgrade our system to fiber optic. Per the Panther Valley General Manager, the Altice representatives will be at the March 18^th Board of Trustees meeting to discuss.

Mayor’s Report

The Mayor made an appointment to the Land Use Board, moving this individual from being an alternate to a regular member.

The Mayor discussed a meeting he had with staff from Congressman Josh Gottheimer’s office regarding dredging of Allamuchy Pond by the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

The Mayor had an update on Deer Park road (see the NJ Herald article previously posted). The owner of the property in question had a meeting with the DEP. From what I understood, he plans to donate the property to the DEP. The DEP will be responsible to fix and improve the road. The road will be, by default, a public access road with signage and possibly a gate, if necessary.

The “No Parking” signs for Route 517 have been approved by the county and have been purchased and are ready to be installed. Councilman Ochwat brought up a concern about trucks now parking at the top of Cat Swamp Road. Since the approval was for the stretch of 517 from the Independence line to the Route 80 overpass, the discussed possibly placing more signs with the hopes that once the signs are up, the NJ State Police can “do something.” [Note: As of this writing, signs reading “No Stopping or Standing” have been installed on the stretch across from the Panther Valley Mall. However, that did not prevent anyone from parking there, as I observed a tractor trailer parked across from the mall in the space between two of the signs.]

Speaking of Altice from before, the Mayor received a letter from them. Our current franchise agreement with Altice stipulates that the township receive 2% of gross revenue back. That translates into about $24,000 of the approximate $1.2 million in revenue.

The Mayor recognized three of our Water & Sewer personnel who passed the tests for their respective licenses.

Finally, the Mayor and Council discussed and approved the salary recommendation for the new prosecutor (as much as they could outside of Executive Session), based on a meeting that the Mayor and Councilwoman Tuohy had had.

Intern Report: There was no Intern Report, but the Mayor does plan to meet with the Intern this weekend.

Council Member’s Report

Councilman Cote discussed the following items:

• DPW Seasonal Help. If seasonal help will be needed, this would be a good time to look as college students are looking for supper work
• Personnel / Safety Committees. The Council received reports from other committees, so Councilman Cote was wondering if reports will be made available from the Personnel and Safety Committees as well. For the Personnel Committee, there will be no special report, and the committee will meet as needed. The Safety Committee is currently working on the handbook and will meet monthly, with minutes, once that is complete.
• Municipal Alliance, Vision, and Technical Coordinating Committees. (These are the committees that are currently required in the town ordinances, but which have not been appointed in recent memory.) The attorney has done some research, but the Mayor has not had a chance to review it yet. If it is determined that a particular committee is still needed, members will need to be appointed. Any committees that are no longer needed will need to be removed by ordinance, since they are established by ordinance. One of the concerns is that some of these committees require specific members, some of whom are contracted to the town and thereby creating financial implications as well.

Councilwoman Tuohy:

• Councilwoman Tuohy and Councilman Cote met with the mayor of Hope and other towns to discuss the municipal court. Every town they’ve spoken with indicates that they lose money in the management of the courts. They are speaking with elected officials at the county and state levels and there are some discussions around forming a county court. The group will be meeting regularly to find a solution.
• Councilwoman Tuohy met with Superintendent Flynn regarding a possible shared services agreement for grounds maintenance at the schools.
• The town received a letter regarding the scheduling of the Board of Education (BoE) elections. As background many districts in New Jersey used to hold BoE elections in April, but they were moved to November to correspond with the General Election. The move was partly an attempt to increase voter turnout, as well as decrease costs associated with holding an election. The downside is that residents were no longer able to vote on the annual school budget, which is finalized in April. Instead, the budgets are approved by the powers-that-be in Trenton. Bear in mind that over 60% of our taxes are from the schools.  
• The Farmers Market looks like it’s a “go.” The market will be run by a local farmer, who will be responsible for all marketing. It will be held in the parking lot at the Mountain Villa School from June to October on the second and fourth Sundays, from 10-2. Friends of Rutherfurd Hall will be holding tours of the mansion if it is available.
• Councilwoman Tuohy indicated there was no movement on an agreement with the school for paving of the school bus parking lot. However, Council seemed to be in agreement that there needs to be something in writing for liability purposes. There was also a concern that the lot may not be able to be paved because it is in a wetlands area. They planned to discuss it further in Executive Session.
• Councilwoman Tuohy announced that Laurie Rapisardi, the Executive Director of Rutherfurd Hall, has resigned her position and will be moving on in 60 days. [Best of luck to Laurie in her new position.]

Councilman Quinoa had some updates from the Recreation Commission:

• Adult Pickleball has been added to the town’s recreation activities. There are approximately 40 people signed up to play, with 30-35 showing up to the gym each week to play on the three courts that have been set up.
• Councilman Quinoa brought up the issue that we have with the website that we use for sign ups. Currently, we can only have one sport set up to sign up. So, for example, right now we have Pickleball and Girls’ Softball signups, but we can only have one available on the website. Councilman Quinoa asked what the status of the town’s revamped website is, as his understanding was that we would be able to use that. Anne Marie Tracy, the Municipal Clerk, indicated that the test site is complete and that they hope to go live by the end of the month. However, the website will still not have the capability to use it for recreation signups. There is another website that we can use, but it is much more expensive than our current solution. [Full disclosure: I was on the committee last year to evaluate and pick the website vendor. I did help with the initial design, but was removed from the committee once the basic design was complete and before the content was finalized.] At this point, I was pulled into the conversation given my prior involvement. From my understanding, there is a bolt-on module that will provide functionality for recreation sign-ups; however, I do not know if that was part of our package.
• Councilman Quinoa provided an update on the basketball program, and discussed having a proclamation similar to what was done for the soccer teams presented at the end-of-season party.

Councilman Ochwat:

• He had some questions for our New Jersey State Police liaison regarding the requested traffic observations for Cat Swamp Road, similar to what the trooper had done for Mallard Drive.  The trooper indicated he hadn’t seen any major issues; however, he had been there in the middle of the day and not during the morning and/or evening rush hours. He will be going back to do some further observations. With regards to Mallard, he had provided some recommendations around signage and other items, some of which have been implemented, according the Matt Begley, the General Manager of Panther Valley.
• Councilman Ochwat indicated that they will try cleaning the World War II plaque with the tried-and-true (and inexpensive) method of Brasso. If that does not work, it is likely that the patina will remain.
• The sign depicting where our tax money is spent should be up in the lobby of the municipal building by April.

Municipal Clerk’s Report

The Clerk received the paperwork on the Allamuchy Time Trial (the bicycle race that runs in April).

There were a couple of Resolutions and Other Business that were semi-urgent. The Resolutions were approval of a junkyard application for Allamuchy Auto Parts as well as appointment of the Environmental Commission to serve as the Green Team for the Sustainable Jersey® initiative.

The Clerk also requested approval to condense the meeting minutes going forward. Up until a couple of years ago, the minutes were presented in a condensed format. Partly due to some major disagreements of how they were summarized, the Council switched to presenting the minutes as a word-by-word transcript. Now you can imagine how long these minutes could be, especially for some of the longer meetings. They can also be very difficult to follow (don’t believe me, go check some of them out on the current website). After some discussion, the Council agreed to allow for the summarized minutes, with the full transcription provided for reference and clarity.

Now, normally, the resolutions and other business that was just discussed would be addressed after public session, but Councilwoman Tuohy jumped the gun and made the motion to approve right then and there. They were approved unanimously.

Public Session

Once again, I took advantage of Public Session to address Council.

My first question was regarding the power cables that have lowered and are blocking the “Welcome to Allamuchy” sign as you get off the Route 80 Eastbound exit. They were aware of them, and the DPW supervisor has been making phone calls to get the owner of the lines out there to fix it.

My next question was with regards to plastic. As many of you are aware, the Environmental Commission is spearheading the NexTrex challenge to collect 500 pounds of sheet plastic in six months. Based on the response and the amount of plastic one can see on any given day at the Panther Valley office and the Municipal Building, there is indeed a need for a program to recycle these types of plastics. My question to the governing body was whether the town had given any thought into exploring options. From the discussion, other groups could do the same challenge (and get another bench) in the short-term. For a long-term solution, DPW will need to look into options.

Charlie Fineran, the Director of Open Space and Chair of the Environmental Commission, addressed the Council. He recognized Claire Arcaro, one of the Environmental Commissioners, for her efforts to get the town started on the Sustainable Jersey® certification. He also referenced the resolution that was passed appointing the Green Team, which is the first requirement for the certification, and clarified that the town’s efforts are separate from the BoE’s similar group.

Ordinances: There were no ordinances to be discussed for first reading. There is one ordinance that will come up for second reading and vote at the Regular Meeting.

Resolutions & Other/New Business: This was already discussed and voted on during the Clerk’s report.

Old Business: The Council reviewed the list of items for old business, removing those that have been resolved.

There was also a discussion around providing incentives for employees who complete certification / license requirements for their respective roles.

Executive Session: The Mayor and Council moved to go into Executive Session at 8:06 pm.

The right to vote is one of the most sacred rights that we have as citizens. Many people have sacrificed much, up to and including their lives, to ensure that we have the ability to choose who represents us at all levels of government. Women, people of color, and others that were not white, property-owning males were prohibited from voting at various times in this country’s history. Despite the importance, many choose not to take full advantage of this right. There are some voters that vote in every Primary, General, and Special Election while others only choose to vote in the General Election during a presidential-election year, if they vote at all.  Some who are eligible are not even registered to vote.

Disappointing? Certainly. Surprising? Actually, no. Some of it can attributed to lack of interest and, in some cases, downright apathy. In some cases, while the right to vote is guaranteed by the United States Constitution, there are many systemic barriers in place that keep people from having their voices heard.  And sometimes it is simply a lack of understanding regarding the process of either the Primary and/or General Election. For example, more than once I’ve had someone ask me if, as a registered [insert party affiliation here] they were required to vote for their party’s candidate in the General Election. The short answer: no. You can vote for whomever you want in the General Election, regardless of the party (although the party chairs would prefer you vote within the party, of course).  You are only restricted to voting within your registered party during the Primary Election (in New Jersey – other states may vary). The long answer? Let’s break it down.

Primary Election

Each state’s Board of Elections determines the rules and scheduling of its Primary Election. In New Jersey, the Primary Election is held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in June. The 2020 Primary Election will be on Tuesday, June 2^nd. The Primary Election is used to determine who, from a field of candidates within each party*, will move forward on the ballot to the General Election in November. Only voters registered to a party are eligible to vote in that party’s primary. In other words, Democrats vote in the Democratic primary and Republicans vote in the Republican primary. You can only vote for candidates that are on your party’s ballot.

*New Jersey only recognizes two parties, Democratic and Republican, for Primary purposes.

For example, using Allamuchy’s Town Council race, there are two council seats up for election in 2020. For the sake of argument, let’s say the Democrats have three candidates and the Republicans have five. Because there are only two seats available to be filled, only the two candidates with the highest vote totals in each Primary will move forward – so two Democrats and two Republicans. What if a third Republican received more votes than one/both of the Democrats? Doesn’t matter. Even though the Primary Election is held on the same day, they are two distinct and separate elections.

What if you are registered to one party, but want to vote in the other’s Primary? In New Jersey, you would have to complete a Change of Party Affiliation Declaration for Primary Election and send it to the County Clerk no later than 55 days prior to the Primary Election. The deadline this year is April 7, 2020.

Are you an Unaffiliated voter (aka “Independent”), meaning you are not registered with a party, and you want to vote in the Primary Election? Here, you have two options. 1) you can fill out the Change of Party Affiliation form mentioned above by April 7^th; or 2) You can walk into your polling location on Primary Election Day and declare a party affiliation right there on the spot. The caveat for either option: once you declare, you will be registered with that party until you fill out another Change of Party Affiliation form.

So let’s say the Primary Election is over and each party’s nominees have been determined. Time to move on to the General Election.

General Election

The General Election is held the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. This year, that falls on November 3, 2020. All states and U.S. territories that have races at any level (municipal, county, state) plus any federal races (Congress, President) hold their General Election on the same day.

The General Election is a race between those candidates that won their respective Primary Elections. Unlike in the Primary Election, all voters receive the same ballot and a voter can vote for anyone, regardless of party affiliation.  Let me repeat that: you can vote for whomever you want.  Democrats can vote for Democrats, Republicans, or someone from another party. Republicans can vote for Republicans, Democrats, or someone from another party. Unaffiliated voters do not have to declare a party affiliation and can vote for anyone from any party.

Going back to our Allamuchy Town Council example, we have two Democrats and two Republicans on the ballot. The voters get to pick two candidates, of the four, that they want to represent them. Notice I didn’t qualify the voters or the candidates with a party affiliation. Because it does not matter. That holds true for any of the elections being contested during the General Election….Town Council, Mayor, Board of Education**, County Freeholder, State Assembly, State Senate, United States House of Representatives, United States Senate, President of the United States. You are free to vote for whomever you feel will do the best job in that office. Period. End of Sentence. Full Stop.

**The Board of Education is non-partisan (candidates do not have a party affiliation) so there is no Primary.

Why bother? My vote doesn’t count

It doesn’t? Ask our mayor who was running for re-election to Allamuchy Town Council in 2017. Of the three candidates, he came in third, losing out to now-Councilwoman Tuohy by two (yes, 2) votes in the Republican Primary. Your vote absolutely matters.

Don’t like any of the candidates? Certainly, there is something about one that you can find some redeeming quality in. Don’t even think about not voting. Not voting IS voting. By not exercising your right to vote, you are putting that decision in someone else’s hands. Do you really want that?

For more information…

I hope you’ve found this helpful. If you need to register to vote, change party affiliation, or just want more information, visit:

• New Jersey Division of Elections: https://nj.gov/state/elections/election-information-2020.shtml
• Warren County Board of Elections: https://www.warrencountyvotes.com/

Happy Voting!

(Follow along on the agenda at https://www.aes.k12.nj.us/domain/3. Just click on the link at the bottom of the page.)

The meeting was called to order at 7:35 pm, with seven of the nine members present (absent: Dr. Cusmano and Mr. Green). Four sets of minutes were approved and the monthly student awards were read. Also announced were the Governor’s Educators of the Year for both Allamuchy Township School (ATS) and Mountain Villa School (MVS). Congratulations to Kaitlin Phlegar, Lorene Gallahue, Jaehnel Hanisak, and Lynn Quito for their selection.

President’s Report

There were no presentations, so Mrs. Strutin went right into her President’s Report. She announced, and Superintendent Flynn read, a state proclamation naming January 2020 as School Board Recognition Month.

Mrs. Strutin talked about her attendance and presentation at the January 10th Allamuchy Senior Citizens group (known as the O.W.L.S.) and her plans to attend as many of the organization’s meetings as possible. Since the school budget represents over 60% of our taxes, she wants to keep the residents informed on how the money is being spent. She also informed the Board of a bench for the outdoor classroom by a family that wishes to remain anonymous.

Finally, Mrs. Strutin proposed that the Board look to become a Certified Board. There is at least one Board member that achieved certification on an individual level. This would provide additional training and other resources to the Board as a whole. Superintendent Flynn is researching this.

Committee Reports

Operations: Mr. Britt informed the Board that the 2021 budget is due to the county on March 21^st and that the committee will be meeting multiple times prior to that.

Human Resources: Mrs. Renaud addressed the staffing appointments that are being made to fill staff gaps according to the needs of the district.

Education: Mr. Green was absent. Dr. Gaddy had no report, as Superintendent Flynn will cover some items during his report.

Governance: Mrs. Prudenti indicated there were no new state policy updates or mandates

Town Council Liaison: Neither Mrs. Renaud nor Mr. Bienko were able to attend the last Town Council meeting due to a conflict with a Board committee meeting

Rutherfurd Hall Liaison: Mrs. Strutin provided an update on the activities of the Friends of Rutherfurd Hall (“Friends”) and the Rutherfurd Hall Foundation:

• Friends of Rutherfurd Hall
  • The holiday gala was very successful (the gala is open to Friends members in good standing and who pay dues by July 1^st of the current year)
  • The group received $1700 from the Environmental Commission for roadside cleanup activities
  • Membership dues for 2020 are $25
  • The group is accepting nominations from among its members and will be holding elections in March for President, Secretary, and four Directors.
• The Rutherfurd Hall Foundation
  • The Foundation had its last meeting on January 22^nd
  • They discussed the status of the Capital Campaign
  • The Calendar Raffle brought in $5800
  • The Kentucky Derby event on January 25^th had approximately 80 attendees
    • Mrs. Strutin gave a “shout out” to Rosemary Tuohy, Laurie Rapisardi, and Cris Gibbs for their hard work putting the event together
  • Upcoming events (see rutherfurdhall.org for details)
    • Downton Abbey
    • Wine/Whiskey/Food pairing (note: I attended the Wine and Food pairing at David’s Country Inn last year and it was fantastic!)
    • Cornhole Tournament at the Fourth of July event
  • They are looking into forming a PR committee for the Capital Campaign. Some of the things being explored include:
    • Use of Google advertising
    • Allowing business advertising on the electronic sign on Route 517

Hackettstown Board of Education Liaison: Dr. Gaddy indicated that the Hackettstown BoE is developing a new strategic plan, to which we are providing input. The plan will be shared once it is complete.

Superintendent’s Report

Highlights from Superintendent Flynn’s report include:

• The new bus is being delivered
• All of the bids for the Rutherfurd Hall bathroom project came in much higher than anticipated and were rejected. A new request for bids will be going out.
• The new Warren County prosecutor is making the rounds to all of the schools to address school security, before/after school activities, programs for staff, parents, and student
• The Community Forum is scheduled for February 4^th (see the newsletter for information). Please RSVP if you wish to attend. The forum will include a mock board meeting with the student government serving as the board members.
• Excellence in Equity. I don’t know much about this program, so I am going from my notes. There will be workshops at Rutherfurd Hall for administrative and key staff. The workshops are focused around strategies for helping students who are challenged (economically, socially, emotionally, academically) to help them live up to their fullest potential.
• Sustainable Jersey (sustainablejersey.com): Superintendent Flynn was invited to a meeting with the town Environmental Commission to talk about the Sustainable Jersey initiative and becoming a certified township (I attended this same meeting). The school district also has a sustainability team. The township and the school can earn points for sustainability education and practices that lead to different levels of certification. Certification can open up additional grants that are only available to certified organizations. As an aside, all of those plastic bags that you are dropping off are just a small part of this effort.

Public Comments on Agenda Items Only

(Honestly, I’ve never understood why they break out the public comments on agenda and non-agenda items….)

A parent spoke about a letter that was sent out from the school district. I am not a parent and did not receive the letter, so I can only go by what was said. From what I gather, the letter talked about staffing and movement of teachers within the district. Her concern seemed focused around a particular statement in the letter that said the movement of the teachers should be an “easy transition” for the children. The parent disagreed, citing the tearful reaction of some kids in what she termed a “traumatic experience.” She stated that she felt that the moves were done for “monetary reasons” and implied that since most of the Board does not have kids in the system that the decision was not made in the best interest of the children (“The kids were not the first thought.”)

Superintendent Flynn outlined the process that was followed and that the decision was not guided by money but to hire the best candidate. He said there were a number of candidates, both internal and external, and that the strongest candidate was the internal one.

At that, the discussion was dropped.

Board Committee Action Reports

This is the section of the program where the Board goes through each of the committees and votes on actions as a group. There could be one action, or ten actions. They are voted on as a block, with discussion as necessary. Here they outline any specific actions items around budgeting, staffing, class trips, conferences, etc.

The discussion this evening was limited to Operations and the reiteration of the situation with the Rutherfurd Hall bathroom rebids and the Farmers Market contract (sounds like it’s ready to go or close to it).

Old Business: Nothing to discuss

Public Comments (on non-agenda items)

As a practice, I do not plan to name the members of the public who speak during the meetings unless they identify themselves, explicitly or implicitly, to be commenting in their official capacity. This is one such time.

The most recent Board President wanted to make a correction regarding an article that was in the last newsletter. In that article, he identified the names of many of the colleges/universities/institutions of higher learning that former Allamuchy students have attended. The thing is, when providing such a list, one better be careful not to leave anyone out. Well, that’s what happened so he was there to correct the list to include University of Washington, University of Alabama, Sacred Heart University, Washington College, and Princeton University. The gentleman then felt the need to address the parent from the earlier public comments, comparing the effect of the recent staffing changes to prior students having to attend classes in trailers or in the old town hall before the school was built and how he deemed that “not a traumatic experience” (was he there?). I doubt that I am the only one to find this comparison tone deaf and unnecessary…just my two cents, for what it’s worth.

Executive Session

The Board went into Executive Session so that was my cue to leave to go check out what was happening on the Pickleball courts at the gym.

When I pulled into the parking lot at Town Hall just at 6:30 pm, I was pleasantly surprised to see the parking lot full of cars. I started thinking that maybe more people were there to see our Mayor and Town Council at work. Then I remembered that Councilman Quinoa, who is also one of our recreation commissioners, was to arrange with the Mayor for two of our youth soccer teams to receive a Proclamation for winning their respective fall tournaments. Sure enough, I walk in and see our soccer commissioner along with parents and their kids waiting, some more patiently than others, for the proclamation to be read. Since there were no empty seats, I stayed out in the hallway until the festivities were over around 6:50. I had hoped that at least some were here and would stay for the meeting but, alas, by the time the Mayor and Council (minus Councilman Ochwat, who was absent) sat down at the dais to continue the meeting it was just me, an employee, and a council member’s spouse in the audience.

The meeting moved at a quick pace, through approval of minutes and the Mayor’s report, where he made two more appointments to the Land Use Board. When they got to the Council Member’s reports, Councilman Cote spoke about the most recent Water and Sewer Advisory Committee meeting, specifically around “Yield Loss” (how much water is lost in the system due to leaks, unbilled water usage, and other losses). I believe he said that we were at 45% yield loss. The good news is that it is trending down since 2018 due to some proactive measures being taken by the Water and Sewer department to identify leaks before they turn into breaks, plus continued replacement of the Pressure Reducing Valves (PRVs).

Councilman Cote also revisited the three committees that are required by ordinance, but which were not appointed during the reorg meeting, plus the (dun dun dunnnnn) Personnel Committee. There was no discussion about the first three committees, but Councilman Cote made a motion for an ordinance to be created for the (dun dun dunnnnn) Personnel Committee. That was seconded and voted on, with all members present voting “Yes,” with the exception of the Mayor, who abstained. Given the recent discussions around this committee, I was a little surprised that there was not more push back from the Mayor.

Councilwoman Tuohy gave her report on her various meetings with other townships regarding shared services agreements for the court. Councilman Quinoa had nothing to report.

The meeting zoomed past the Board and Commission and Municipal Clerk’s report and through votes on the action items identified in the Engineer’s Report delivered at the workshop meeting. And then we skidded to a stop at the Attorney’s Report. Mr. Beilin discussed the efforts being made to resolve differences between the Township and Altice on the Cable Franchise Agreement and then the status of the leases for the units in Old Farm Village that used to be owned by the town. And then came the discussion on the (dun dun dunnnn) Personnel Manual.

Mr. Beilin had provided the Mayor and Council the latest draft based on the January 13^th meeting. The Mayor said that he hadn’t had time to review it so he wanted to send it back to the “personnel committee” to make recommendations at the next workshop meeting. Councilman Quinoa countered the Mayor’s suggestion, stating that in the December 11, 2019 meeting, the manual was presented to Town Council for review by the Personnel Committee (Mayor Lomonaco and Councilman Quinoa at the time), and that there was no need to send it back to the “personnel committee.” At some point they decided to review Mr. Beilin’s questions right then (should only take 30 minutes, by Councilman Quinoa’s estimation). So, once again, they went page-by-page, reviewing Mr. Beilin’s questions, with minimal disagreement or discussion for the most part.

The longest discussion was around background checks. At the last meeting, Council had determined that every employee and volunteer would need to undergo a background check. Councilman Quinoa mentioned the challenge in getting volunteers now would only get harder if a background check were required. In the end, it was determined that employees and those volunteers that work directly/indirectly with children, money, and/or senior citizens would require a background check with fingerprinting.

An hour later, at 8:15, the Mayor opened the meeting to the public. And it was about time, because I had something to say.

First, I reminded them that Councilman Quinoa had said an hour earlier that the review of the manual would only take 30 minutes. Now those that have met Councilman Quinoa know that this is the type of thing that he would point out, so it was all in good fun.

Next, while the point was probably moot based on the review that had just happened, I asked the Mayor about his desire to send the latest draft back to the “personnel committee.” Last I heard, he was the only member of the “personnel committee” so, in essence, he was sending it back to himself to provide his feedback for the workshop. Honestly, I don’t even remember his response.

[Note: this next part is paraphrased from my memory. Listen to the tape if you want to hear exactly what was said.]

Finally, I reminded him that I was at the January 13^th meeting and sat through all four hours of the meeting, unlike himself as he walked out after an hour. I recounted how when another council member had walked out of a meeting just last year, that council member came back after five minutes and apologized there, apologized at the next meeting, and apologized on social media. Yet, I had not heard an apology from the Mayor for walking out and leaving outright. I reminded the Mayor, and everyone up on the dais, that they all work for us, the residents. They are there to work for *our* best interests, not their personal interests. So, my question to the Mayor was what interests of ours were served by his walking out of that meeting? His response was something to the effect that he said that he was walking out and why and that he doesn’t owe us, the residents, an apology. I recounted the meeting two and a half years ago when he and then-Councilman Koppel “called a recess” when then-Mayor DeTombeur and Councilman Quinoa were in a heated discussion. He admitted that he and Councilman Koppel had planned that. I asked him if his walk-out on January 13^th was planned. He said that if it were planned, he wouldn’t have sat there for an hour.

I don’t quite recall exactly how it came up but at some point I think he was implying that I hadn’t been to some meeting so I was going from hearsay. I reminded him that I have been to more meetings in the past three years than he had. He stated he had taken a year off [note: between when he lost his council seat and ran for mayor] and started going to meetings for the election “like you,” making an assumption that I only attended meetings because I was running for office. I corrected him that were I only coming to meetings because of an election, I would not be there right now. I was there because I believe it is not only my right, but my duty as a citizen to question the actions of my elected officials.

It ended with me asking him, for the record, if he plans to apologize for walking out of a meeting. He responded “No.”

The rest of the meeting was uneventful. There was a First Reading of an Ordinance and five Resolutions, mostly dealing with tax actions. Bills were approved to be paid and there was no Executive Session before the meeting was adjourned at 8:35 pm.

So, there you have it, folks. Our mayor walks out of a meeting because he and Council couldn’t come to an agreement and has no intention of apologizing. I ask you, the readers, how does that serve our interests as a community?

Outside of the Public Session, the tone of the meeting was rather subdued, even during the Personnel Manual discussion. Of course, this should be the norm rather than the exception. Unfortunately, it was exceptional which makes me wonder who’s up to what. I wish that weren’t the case, but I would expect some sort of a surprise at a future meeting. Stay tuned…..

The next workshop meeting is Wednesday, February 12^th @ 6:30 pm.

The Allamuchy Town Council held a special meeting on Monday, January 13^th, to review the draft personnel manual.  The meeting, which lasted four (yes, 4) hours, was called to order at 6:00 pm and I immediately wished I had remembered to bring my popcorn to watch the fireworks that ensued before Mayor Lomonaco walked out of the meeting at 7:00 pm, never to return. By the way, this wasn’t the first time I’ve seen him walk out of a meeting. He and then-Councilman Koppel walked out of a meeting (“called a recess”) about two and a half years ago when he was also a council member. Related, as some may remember, Councilman Cote walked out of a meeting last year when he was being verbally attacked by a resident (former mayor), only to return a few minutes later to apologize there and numerous times afterwards. In this case, the Mayor stormed out and left the Council to continue the remaining three hours of work. Councilman Cote received a fair amount of public condemnation for his behavior. I wonder how they would react to the Mayor’s actions.

I’m not going to go into the play-by-play here – that’s what the audio recording and the minutes are for. At primary issue before the Mayor departed was wording around to whom the employees should report under various circumstances. There were two versions of the document being reviewed: one contained the Council’s updates while the other contained the Mayor’s changes. From what I heard, the Council’s version had language where the decisions being made by “the Mayor and/or Acting Mayor or Council President.” The Mayor had, in just about every case, removed any additional personnel, leaving just “the Mayor” or “the Mayor and/or Acting Mayor.” At the Reorganization Meeting, the Mayor chose not to appoint an Acting Mayor (formerly referred to as the Deputy Mayor) AND he made himself the only member of the Personnel Committee, indicating that he would bring in another council member when he saw fit (in other words, he, and he alone, would make the determination as to whether the severity of the situation required an additional person).  Using whatever wording the Mayor chose would leave him as the sole authority in almost all situations.

The discussion over this was, as you could probably imagine, quite heated. The Mayor argued that the Council’s purpose is only legislative (Councilman Quinoa corrected that to include oversight), and that the mayor’s job was “to make the train run.” The Mayor indicated that he believes many of the changes the Council wants to make were to circumvent the mayor’s powers as outlined in the Faulkner Act. He also argued that he is looking to the manual to address the future circumstances (all while ignoring the current situation he has created, in my opinion). So it went on-and-on as a free-for-all until the Mayor stormed out of the room, telling Council to do what they want as he was just going to send it to the personnel attorney when it was done. (As an aside, in speaking to a Human Resources friend of mine, a labor attorney should be included in the review, though probably earlier than this point.)

So, the Council continued their review with Council President Ochwat at the helm. They compared both versions, keeping some of the changes requested by the Mayor and rewording others to make sure there was a clear chain-of-command including the Council President in the absence of the Mayor and Acting Mayor. I would like to think that had the Mayor chosen to stay that he would have been satisfied with much of the results.

Beyond the process of who reports to whom, the other discussion that I found interesting, and one for which I wish the Mayor was there, was regarding background checks. From my understanding, the town’s current policy requires background checks of all employees and volunteers working with children or dealing with money. Where the current policy is primarily lacking is what happens if a background check turns up disqualifying information. At some point there was discussion about the Mayor deleting a statement where background checks are required for anyone dealing with the “collection, disbursement, administration, or use of public funds.” In the end, it was decided that every employee and volunteer would be required to have a background check, with specific actions spelled out in the event that someone’s check comes back unfavorably.

It is interesting to point out that there were six other people in the audience besides me. Why is this interesting? Well, I and one of the employees who were there are generally at every meeting. The others I have either never seen or have only seen at these meetings when fireworks are expected. And it wasn’t like this was one of the Regular or Workshop meetings on the normal days/time – this was a special meeting on a day when there normally isn’t one. This leads me to believe that someone from up on the dais had asked these people to be there. Now, not everyone stayed to the end. When 10:00 pm rolled around, I was there with another woman and her teenaged daughter. It was later pointed out to me that this was either a relative or close friend of the Mayor who may not even live in Allamuchy. So, I’m curious, why would someone who presumably doesn’t live in Allamuchy and was there to lend support to the Mayor stay with her daughter on a school night for another three hours after he left?

The fireworks in this meeting are nothing new for this governing body and I think the review/rewrite of the personnel manual is partially a result of some “debates” (to put it mildly) from last year’s meetings. For example, there was contention between the Mayor and Council over the hiring of a current part-time employee into a full-time position. The appointment had been the Mayor’s to make, but he delayed the appointment, unintentionally allowing Council an opportunity to restructure the position. Subsequently, Mayor Lomonaco removed Councilman Quinoa from the personnel committee based off of supposedly negative information received in an anonymous letter, only to reinstate him after personal information about the Mayor’s family had been provided to Council in a similar manner. And this is just a small part of what has come out during the public meetings. I can only imagine what’s discussed during Executive Session.

And what about the distinction between mayoral and council powers as outlined in the Faulkner Act? That will require a little more research on my part and will have to wait for another day.

The Town Council’s next meeting is the Regular Meeting on Wednesday, January 22^nd @ 6:30 pm. Be sure to bring your popcorn.

Access to state park closed in Allamuchy

Lack of maintenance to road leads to closure

By Bruce A. Scruton

Reporter

A new tact was taken Monday in the decades-long battle over who should fix the gravel access road to the southern end of Allamuchy Mountain State Park when a homeowner closed the now-private right-of-way.

To describe the access as a “road” would be a misnomer, said the property owner, Jeff Careaga. “It’s dangerous; all pot holes. The culvert is out. People shouldn’t be using it,” he said.

Careaga figures about 10,000 cars use the road, listed on maps as Deer Park Road, each year to access a developed trailhead that includes a parking area, restroom and bulletin

board. The trail then accesses Deer Park Pond.

The fight over ownership, which can rightfully be described as a fight over who doesn’t own the road, began last century as the town approved a development which laid out several properties for homes along what was called Deer Park Road.

That original map listed the access road as a right-of-way owned by the town, but the town also had an agreement from the state Department of Environmental Protection that it would maintain the roadway.

According to Careaga, the See PARK, A2

trailhead is about threequarters of a mile up Deer Park Road. The last home on the road is about one-thirdmile up the road.

The town gave up that right-of-way among the private properties in 1982 noting that the state would, in exchange for the private owners allowing the public to access the park along the road, continue to maintain the road.

The town took further action in 1997 to pass an ordinance ceding ownership, but there were no transfers of property.

Although the town took thatactionmorethan20years ago, it wasn’t until this past fall that it took further legal action, through an ordinance, to give up its ownership auctioning its rights-of-way.

Careaga purchased the three lots which comprise the road at that auction with the intent of having a single owner to deal with the state, possibly selling the now-combined lots to DEP provided it build or maintain the road which provides public access to the park.

“I have some experience in the field,” said Careaga who has also retained an attorney. “I want to get some action taken here. It’s a matter of public safety, public access.”

Allamuchy Mayor Rick Lomanaco said he supports the efforts of the residents “to secure a safe and wellmaintained access road to their homes. As an Allamuchy firefighter, I see the life safety issues those residents face in reference to emergency vehicle access.”

And the mayor agrees that since the majority of traffic using Deer Park Road are visitors entering the State Park, “I feel it is imperative that an agreement be reached between the Deer Park residents and the State of NJ to properly maintain

this roadway. Such an agreement will benefit the Deer Park residents, the State Park visitors and the emergency response teams called to provide services to all.” Careaga, who now holds all the rights-of-way, notified the state DEP late last week about the action he planned to take Monday morning to close the road.

He did put up signs which said the road is now private and closed to the public.

At mid-morning Monday, a state park police officer arrived and began taking the signs down.

Careaga said the officer was polite, but insisted the signs had to come down. When told that the rightsof- way had been purchased by the homeowner, the officer said he would “pass it up the line,” the homeowner recounted.

Because he has title to all the lots which make up the access road, the homeowner said he has the right to keep people from crossing his land. Once the officer left, Careaga asked someone working at his home to repost the no trespassing signs. Thedisputeoverownership really comes down to money.

The township didn’t want ownership because more

than 80 percent of the traffic was destined for the deadend at the trailhead within the state park and there is a high cost for a small-town budget to maintain the gravel road. .

Thehomeownersexpressed

no interest in ownership of the individual parts of the road in front of their individual properties. Cost to each property for just one repair effort was estimated to be $30,000.

And, they noted in several meetings, the deeds to their properties indicated there was a public road giving them access to their properties.

The state, while it did do some work in the 1980s and 1990s, occasionally bringing in gravel to fill potholes, told the township and homeowners it could not get continuing appropriations to maintain the road. The homeowner’s translation: “We don’t have the money.”

According to Careaga, the state more recently said the road is in such bad shape that it needs to be rebuilt.

“Rebuilding is a capital expense, they claim,” Careaga said. “And they can’t do the work because the project isn’t in the capital projects budget approved by the legislature.”

A representative of state Legislative District 24, which includes Allamuchy Township, said the office has long been aware of the situation and expressed hope that now, with one owner of the access road, a solution might be closer at hand.

The state DEP acknowledged receipt of an e-mailed request for comment but did not further respond on Monday.