BOROUGH OF MOUNTAIN LAKES COUNCIL MEETING

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2008

7:30 PM

M I N U T E S 

 

 

1.      CALL TO ORDER; OPENING STATEMENT:  This meeting is being held in compliance  with Public Law 1975, Chapter 231, Sections 4 and 13, as notice of this meeting and the agenda thereof had been reported to The Citizen and the Morris County Daily Record on January 3, 2008 and posted in the municipal building.

 

       Mayor Jackson called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m.

 

2.      ATTENDANCE AND FLAG SALUTE

 All Council members were present.

 Also in attendance were Borough Attorney Marty Murphy, Borough

 Manager Joe Tempesta, and Borough Clerk Christina Whitaker.

 

3.      COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS

Congratulations to the Mountain Lakes football team which are now 10-0 with two games left to play. The Team will be playing at Giant Stadium on December 5th at 5 p.m.

 

       4.  OATH OF OFFICE /NEWLY ELECTED COUNCIL MEMBER

       Dan Happer was administered the oath of office by Mayor Jackson.

       Councilman Happer fills Louise Davis’s Council seat through 2010.

 

5. NOMINATION FOR COUNCIL SEAT/Replacing Councilmen Happer/Richard Urankar

Motion by Councilman Shaw, second by Councilwoman Wilson, to nominate Doug McWilliams for the seat vacated by Councilmen Happer/Urankar, with all members in favor signifying by “Aye”, with no one opposed. In the General Election Councilman McWilliams was also elected to a four-year term beginning in 2009.

 

Doug McWilliams was administered the oath of office by Mayor Jackson.

 

 

6. PRESENTATION/Facility Committee (Hereto attached)

Councilman Shaw introduced the members of the Borough Facilities Committee. He provided the public with an overview of the work the Committee was directed to do by the Council in 2007.   In its final findings, the Committee determined that the existing building needed substantial repairs and safety and security upgrades and there was a need for additional space in several departments. In response to the public, the Council went out for bids to have an independent space needs analysis done. The firm of Arcari + Iovino was hired.

 

Anthony Iovino informed the public of the company’s analysis and presented a design of an addition to the existing building.  (Hereto attached) According to Mr. Iovino, if the annex and improvements were made to Borough Hall, it would cost the taxpayers of Mountain Lakes $5 million, an additional $250 per year over the next 30 years for the average household.

 

 

The firm found that “the present building does not adequately meet the needs of a current and future municipal center” for the Borough.

 

Following the presentation, Mayor Jackson opened the meeting up to the public for comments on the presentation.

 

Steve Marzano-Sherwood Drive.

Mr. Marzano suggested combining the courts and police with another town. He suggested a referendum be presented to the public before moving forward on an addition to Borough Hall.

 

Bob Whelan -Sherwood Drive

He suggested salaries be cut along with the number of employees.

 

Loren Feehan – Cobb Road

Ms. Feehan suggested consolidating services and as an alternative, do only minimal repairs to the building.

 

Mary Chanpenois- Lake Drive

Ms. Chanpenois suggested that the municipality use another court and do only whatever the State mandates as requirements.

 

Jane Cook-West Shore Road

Ms. Cook suggested coming up with creative alternatives and only do what absolutely necessary in repairs and upgrades.

 

Mike Feigeles –Boulevard

Mr. Feigeles said more citizens should be on the Facilities Committee. He criticized The Council for considering the project in today’s economy and said he thought much of what was being presented was more on a want list than what was actually needed.

 

Joe Wargo- Robinhood Drive

Mr. Wargo said the upgrades should have been made when they were first recognized as necessary in 1980.  He added that the cost would have been much less at that time. However, now that the need for compliance exists the Council should move forward.

 

Mike Johns-Rock Lane

Mr. John said the Council needed to look to the future and what this project could mean to the residents of Mountain Lakes.  He said additional work was needed by the Council to find where Borough facilities could run more efficiently.

 

Joan Best – Intervale Road

Ms. Best said that as a part-time employee she saw first hand the crowded conditions and the sacrifices employees have had to make. She said that shared services already exist in the Borough and are continuingly being considered. As a resident, she wants to keep certain services in Mountain Lakes, like the police department.

 

Alan LaFiura – Boulevard

Mr. LaFiura said the Borough needed to look further into shared services. He also recommended the Council look for ways to bring more businesses to the Rt. 46 corridor.

 

Charles Halpin –Morris Ave.

Mr. Halpin suggested the Borough Council should be using existing space in other buildings such as holding Council meetings in the school auditorium. He also suggested pursuing shared services and having a committee to review the issue.

 

Kevin Smith- Laurel Hill Road

Mr. Smith wanted to know if renovations on a smaller scale could be done and also to consider buying another building in the Borough.

 

Peter Bolo- Glen Road

Mr. Bolo said he agreed improvements were needed to the building but suggested just dealing with the sensitive police issue first.

 

Mayor Jackson responded to Mr. Marzano’s question about going out for referendum by explaining that the Council was under no legal obligation to do so, but he added that the Council had discussed it but had not reached a conclusion.

 

Deputy Mayor Gormally and Councilwoman Wilson agreed that shared service options should be further investigated and the use of other public spaces for committee meeting was an option that should be considered.

 

Councilman McWilliams noted that whether the Borough purchased another building or built one, the cost would be similar.  He added that it was dangerous to continue to ignore safety issues.

 

Councilwoman Emr said that 10 years after the present building was constructed it was already lacking needed space. She said the Council is taking shared services seriously and has been investigating different avenues for some time.

 

7. PUBLIC COMMENT

      Mayor Jackson explained the Council’s policy of limiting each speaker to 5

      minutes and no yielding of time to another person.

 

      Mayor Jackson opened the public comment portion of the meeting with

     consent of Council.

 

          With no one wishing to be heard, Mayor Jackson closed the public comment portion of the meeting.

 

8. *RESOLUTIONS

     R139-08 – JIF Appointment

     R140-08 - Payment of Bills

     R141-08 - Redemption of Tax Title Lien

 R142-08 - Salary

 

  9. *MINUTES

     October 27, 2008 – Executive Session

      November 11, 2008 – Regular – pulled by Mayor Jackson

     November 11, 2008 - Executive

 

Council Member

By:

2nd:

Yes

No

Abstain

Absent

McWilliams

 

 

X

 

 

 

Emr

 

 

X

 

 

 

Shaw

X

 

X

 

 

 

Gormally

 

X

X

 

 

 

Happer

 

 

X

 

 

 

Wilson

 

 

X

 

 

 

Jackson

 

 

X

 

 

 

         Consent Agenda Vote   

                                   

 

 

 

 

 

 

            

       10.  ATTORNEY’S REPORT

        Mr. Murphy explained the decision by the New Jersey Division of Rate

       Counsel regarding Cablevision’s petition for “a determination of

       effective competition in 101 communities in New Jersey.” The Borough

       will be noticed by the Board of Public Utilities when the need arises.

 

        Mr. Murphy said he recommended inviting a representative from Sprint

        to attend a Council meeting to explain the company’s request to allow

       its subsidiary companies to use the tower behind Borough Hall.

      

       11. MANAGER’S REPORT

 Executive Session items only

 

 12. COUNCIL REPORTS

 Councilwoman Emr said the summit was a success. She thanked all the Council members who attended.

 The Environmental Commission is continuing with the NRI and has signed a contact to have it done.

 

 13. EXECUTIVE SESSION

 Resolution 143

WHEREAS, the Borough Council of the Borough of Mountain Lakes, County of Morris, State of New Jersey finds it necessary to discuss matters relating to,

 

·        PBA Negotiations

·        Settlement Negotiations/Trash Bags

 

            WHEREAS, the Borough Council believes it to be in the best interest of the public to discuss such matters in closed session.

 

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Borough Council of the Borough of Mountain Lakes, that it shall enter Executive Session to discuss only those matters mentioned above; the results of which will be disclosed when the matters are resolved and upon vote of the Governing Body to release the minutes.

 

Motion by Councilwoman Wilson, second by Councilman Shaw, to enter

into Executive Session, with all members in favor signifying by “Aye.”

 

Motion by Councilman Shaw, second by Deputy Mayor Gormally to close the Executive Session and return to the public portion of the meeting, with all members in favor signifying by “Aye.”

 

 14. ADJOURNMENT

Motion by Councilman Shaw, second by Councilman McWilliams, to adjourn the meeting at 11:42 p.m., with all members in favor signifying by “Aye.”

 

*Consent Agenda

           Attest:

___________________________                             _____________________

Christina Whitaker, Borough Clerk                           George B. Jackson, Mayor