Historic Preservation Committee

Meeting Minutes – June 11, 2015

A meeting of the Mountain Lakes Historic Preservation Committee (“HPC” or the “Committee”) was held on June 11, 2015, in the basement meeting room of the Mountain Lakes Library. In attendance were Chairman John Grossmann and Vice Chair Tom Dagger, Pat Rusak, Mike DeWitt, Lesley Karczewski, Katy Roberts, and Alex Gotthelf. Absent were Ginny Cassidy, Margaret DeWitt and Borough Council Liaison Dan Happer.

Approval of Prior Meeting’s Minutes

The minutes of the May 7, 2015 meeting were approved in the form in which they were distributed to the Committee.

Treasurer’s Report

John Grossmann presented the report prepared by Chris Sheasby:

Opening Balance as of 5/5/15: $29,593.95


Debits:

$498.96 Archives Innovative Document Imaging

86.43 Pat Rusak for Banner

25.00 John Grossmann for Mountain Lakes Day booth fee

12.65 Peggy Bulfer for mailing Centennial Book

623.04 Total


Credits:

$214.00 Plaque

748.00 Three plaques, 1 Centennial Book, Walking Tour and notecards

75.00 One Centennial Book, notecards

20.00 Historic Photo

$1,057.00 Total


Closing Balance as of 6/10/15: $30,027.91


Archivist’s Report

Pat Rusak reported that the archive collection of some 1,100 Hapgood and Belhall house photos has been returned safe and sound after being digitized and saved on two thumb drives. One thumb drive is in the archives; the other at her house. The photos will need to be labeled, a project Pat said could be assigned to her college student helper. Tom Dagger suggested that the labeling be done using the same tags as for the historic preservation ordinance photos to efficiently manage the new and old house photo collection.

Pat said she would check with the Library on availability of the downstairs room on a Friday/Saturday in October to host a repeat Research Your House HPC Open House.

Borough Liaison Report

Dan Happer was absent, but in an email sent to John Grossmann reported that he had brought all of the recent HPC action items to the attention of Council and said that the new borough manager Rich Sheola would be in touch on the first two (Hapgood’s dynamite shed and the application for certified local government status). He also said that Councilman John Lester would be in touch about the Committee’s proposal that the HPC’s $900 half of the upcoming contractor’s fee for round two website work be taken from the Centennial surplus account.

Old Business

HPC Website Redesign Problems

John Grossmann said that he had not yet heard from John Lester and would contact him to learn if the contractor had begun working on the HPC web pages.

Hapgood’s Dynamite Shed

John Grossmann reported that he had contacted Borough Manager Rich Sheola and had arranged to meet with him and DPW manager Mark Prusina at the shed on Wednesday, June 17, at 8:00 am to begin to estimate the cost of necessary repairs to the concrete steps and perhaps the floor to make the building suitable for salvaged items from future Hapgood and Belhall homes slated for future demolition. With a repair estimate and a successful application for certified local government status, the Committee would be better able to pursue a grant for such repair work.

Application for Certified Local Government Status

Tom Dagger and Alex Gotthelf agreed that the amended contract with Barton Ross appeared to be amenable to all parties and that a check for $325 from the Centennial surplus account should get him going on a Borough application for certified local government status.

Mountain Lakes Day

John Grossmann shared that the HPC booth had been a great success—especially with new residents to town who stopped by. Two ordered Hapgood plaques. Two Centennial books and notecards and a walking tour CD were also sold. And most importantly, a new Hapgood owner volunteered to fill the looming Committee vacancy.

New Member Recommendations

John Grossmann shared that after Sima Chowdhury expressed interest in joining the Committee at the HPC booth on Memorial Day, two other residents, responding by email to the call for new members posted on the Borough’s home page, also volunteered in the very next two days. Leslie Cirillo Plante and Ranjan Bose were both thanked for the offer and told that they’d be next in line when other vacancies appear.


Research on Wheels Pulled from Sunset Lake


Lesley Karczewski reported she had not heard back yet from the Boonton Historical Society about any possible information on the Fox Hill Ice Company, which is the current best guess as to the provenance of the wheels pulled from Sunset Lake by DPW, the assumption being that the ice operation included a short stretch of railroad tracks to transport the blocks of ice. John suggested that she contact prospective HPC member Sima Chowdhury, who is a current volunteer at Boonton’s Historical Society. He promised to share her email address.


HPC Long Range Goals


Lesley Karczewski guided the Committee to broad goals such as Education and Outreach, Funding and Grants, and Preservation and Protection, and asked everyone to email her their suggestions for tasks and projects that would go into these “buckets.” She said that she would present those lists for further discussion at the next meeting.


New Business

Committee Duty Assignments


With the upcoming moves from town by Treasurer Chris Sheasby and Chair John Grossmann, a welcome volunteer spirit prevailed, and the following transition was agreed upon for the near future: HPC Chair: Lesley Karczewski, who will also take on the Treasurer’s job. Margaret DeWitt will handle plaques. Alex Gotthelf will head the salvage trailer. Drafting meeting minutes will rotate among members.


Date for Next Meeting

Thursday, July 23, 2015, at the downstairs meeting room in the Library at 7:30 p.m. And September 3, 2015, same place, same time. There will be no August meeting.


Minutes prepared by John Grossmann and Tom Dagger.

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