MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE MAYOR AND COMMITTEE OF THE TOWNSHIP OF WANTAGE, HELD AT THE WANTAGE TOWNSHIP MUNICIPAL BUILDING, 888 STATE HIGHWAY 23, WANTAGE, N.J. ON THE DATE OF JULY 12, 2007

Mayor William DeBoer called the Regular meeting of the Mayor and Committee of the Township of Wantage to order, and requested the Clerk to call the roll. Upon roll call, the following members of the governing body were present: Mayor DeBoer, Committee members Parrott and Space.
The following member was absent: None.
Also present: Township Attorney Michael Garofalo.

Mayor DeBoer stated, “This meeting is being held in compliance with the provisions of the Open Public Meetings Act, Public Laws 1975, Chapter 231. It has been properly noticed and posted to the public, and certified by the Clerk."

Mayor DeBoer led the assembly in the Salute to the Flag.

CONSENT AGENDA

Mayor DeBoer requested that the members of the Committee Review the Consent Agenda. There being no Committee member present wishing to comment on the proposed Consent Agenda, Mayor DeBoer requested approval of the Consent Agenda.

REPORTS

Mr. Space moved to approve the following reports for filing:
  Report of the Tax Collector for the month of June 2007
  Report of the Construction Office for the month of June 2007
  Report of the Board of Health for the month of June 2007
  Report of the Registrar of Vital Statistics for the month of June 2007
  Report of the Municipal Clerk for the month of June 2007

Mr. Parrott seconded the motion. Upon roll call,
Ayes: DeBoer, Parrott, Space Nays: None Absent: None Abstain: None

APPLICATIONS

Mr. Space moved to approve Application for Raffle License RL07-19, issued to Heritage & Agriculture Association Inc., for 50/50 Raffle to be held on September 15, 2007
Mr. Parrott seconded the motion. Upon roll call, Ayes: DeBoer, Parrott, Space Nays: None Absent: None Abstain: None

RESOLUTIONS

Mr. Space moved to approve Payment of Bill for the meeting of July 12, 2007.

Mr. Parrott seconded the motion. Upon roll call, Ayes: DeBoer, Parrott, Space Nays: None Absent: None. Abstain: None

Mr. Space moved to award Contract for Drainage Improvements to Baldwin Drive: Pipe, Grate and Concrete Structure, to Hamburg Plumbing supply, in the amount of $4,280.00.

Mr. Parrott seconded the motion. Upon roll call, Ayes: DeBoer, Parrott, Space Nays: None Absent: None Abstain: None

Mr. Space moved to award Contract for Drainage Improvements to Baldwin Drive: Broken Stone, to Eastern Concrete Materials, in the amount of $3,066.00.

Mr. Parrott seconded the motion. Upon roll call, Ayes: DeBoer, Parrott, Space Nays: None Absent: None Abstain: None

Mr. Space moved to award Contract for Purchase of DPW Pickup Truck from High Point Chevrolet, in the amount of $26,992.00.

Mr. Parrott seconded the motion. Upon roll call, Ayes: DeBoer, Parrott, Space Nays: None Absent: None Abstain: None

Mr. Space moved to authorize Mayor and Clerk to sign the Developer’s Agreement between Wantage Township and Daniel Tarrats for Block 45, Part of Lot 17.

Mr. Parrott seconded the motion. Upon roll call, Ayes: DeBoer, Parrott, Space Nays: None Absent: None Abstain: None

MAYOR’S PROCLAMATIONS

Mayor DeBoer offered a Mayor’s Proclamation for Benjamin Rose on achieving Eagle Scout designation, as follows:

WHEREAS, Benjamin Rose has achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, which represents an accomplishment of high regard within the Wantage Community, and

WHEREAS, as a member of Boy Scout Troop 97, Ben has held numerous Leadership positions in the troop, and

WHEREAS, Ben has distinguished himself by earning 24 merit badges during his Boy Scout career, as well as through on-going service to his community, including his Eagle Scout Project for which he restored a root cellar at Historic Lusscroft Farm in Wantage Township; and

WHEREAS, Ben’s project was recognized by the Patriot’s Path Council of the Boy Scouts of America as one of the 5 Noteworthy Projects performed during 2006; and

WHEREAS, such a fine record of accomplishment is worthy of praise and recognition,

NOW, THEREFORE, I, William DeBoer, Mayor of the Township of Wantage, hereby offer my congratulations to Benjamin Rose for achieving the rank of Eagle Scout, and

BE IT FURTHER PROCLAIMED that the entire Wantage Community is hereby encouraged to join in the recognition of this fine accomplishment.

Mayor DeBoer offered a Mayor’s Proclamation to Beemerville Presbyterian Church on the 100th Anniversary of the Beemerville Harvest Home Dinner Celebration as follows:

WHEREAS, The Beemerville Presbyterian Church was established in 1834 in the Beemerville section of Wantage Township, Sussex County; and

WHEREAS, The Beemerville Presbyterian Church holds the annual Beemerville Harvest Home Dinner; and

WHEREAS, The first Beemerville Harvest Home Dinner was held in 1907, under a tent erected on the east lawn of the Church to “Give thanks to God for the Harvest”; and,

WHEREAS, the entire church congregation participates in the dinner, which traditionally has over 400 persons attend, and

WHEREAS , in addition to its time honored famous dinner menu, the annual Beemerville Harvest Home Dinner provides participants with the opportunity to enjoy musical entertainment and home crafters featuring local home made crafts, and

WHEREAS, this year’s Dinner will take place on Tuesday, July 24, 2007, and will mark the 100th anniversary of the Beemerville Harvest Home Dinner; and

WHEREAS, it is fitting and proper that the Wantage Township community recognize and celebrate this milestone in our community;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM DEBOER, Mayor of the Township of Wantage, hereby joins the entire Wantage community in recognizing and celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Beemerville Harvest Home Dinner.

ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT

Mayor DeBoer requested Mr. Doherty to give the Administrator’s report.

Wantage Township Tax Rate:
Mr. Doherty reviewed the 2007 certified tax rate. Marcia Snyder, Wantage Township Tax Collector, requested that the Committee extend the grace period for delinquent taxes to August 15, 2007.

Mr. Parrott moved to authorize the Tax Collector to extend the grace period for delinquent taxes to August 15, 2007. Mr. Space seconded the motion. Upon roll call, Ayes: DeBoer, Parrott, Space Nays: None Absent: None Abstain: None

Land Use Board/COAH rules for developers:
Mr. Doherty suggested that Jim Smith, Land Use Chairman; a member of the Governing body; Harold Pellow, Engineer; David Troast, Planner; Mike Garofalo, Attorney and himself conduct a meeting t regarding our future plans regarding developers and the COAH requirements. The Committee agreed by consensus.

Liquor License Renewals:
Mr. Doherty informed the Committee that there are 3 licenses which do not have clearance for consideration of renewal as of 6/11/07.

CT productions (Old Glenbrook Inn) now has Tax Clearance Certificate from NJ Division of Taxation, but in order to obtain it, they needed to change the effective date upon which their license became inactive – which now requires that they obtain a Special Ruling to allow renewal of an inactive license for more than two licensing terms. Mr. Doherty will present the renewal application of this license for Committee consideration as soon as the Township obtains the special ruling.

Log Cabin Inn – Mr. Doherty sent a letter to Mr. Kalina, urging him to obtain tax clearance. The Township must wait until that happens before acting on the renewal application.

911 PSAP Consolidation Study Project:
The County of Sussex undertook a study of the current Emergency 911 Response Dispatching/Communications system in the county, and has issued a report offering observations and recommendations. Indications are that cost savings may be achieved by consolidating the various PSAP locations of the county into one or two centralized locations. Mr. Doherty suggests holding a work session with representatives of Vernon Township, who currently provides Wantage Township with 911 Dispatch service and inviting representatives of Sussex Boro, who also receive said service; and representatives of Wantage Township First Aid, Wantage Township Fire Dept, and Sussex FD, to discuss the report and offer input and insight into the matter. Mr. Doherty suggests this meeting be held at our September 27 work session at 7 pm.
Pension Law Changes: Amendments to statutes governing pensions may have an impact on the current Wantage Township policies for payment of accumulated sick leave upon retirement. Mr. Doherty has posed several questions to the Township Attorney and will work with the attorney to revise, as necessary, the Employee Handbook and personnel policies of the Township in the months to come.

Dog Pound Project:
Cost of chain link fence would bring the proposed expansion project significantly above the project budget. Mr. Doherty has instructed the architect to revise the project so that we will add on the isolation room only. Also, results of the Noise evaluation report are available.

the sound levels due to barking are well below the daytime overall and individual octave band limits of the NJDEP the proposed expansion is expected to result in sound levels that will remain below the applicable limits suggestions offered for reducing noise: acoustical louvers inside the pound (which the ACO has done) and constructing a sound barrier wall, approximately 5 feet high and fifty feet long, right outside the pound to act as a line-of-sight sound barrier.

Morris Land Conservancy:
Mr. Doherty requested the Township enter into $13K contract with MLC to help Wantage Township develop an Open Space Plan.

Mr. Parrott moved to enter into a contract with Morris Land Conservancy to develop and Open Space Plan. Mr. Space seconded the motion. Upon roll call, Ayes: DeBoer, Parrott, Space Nays: None Absent: None Abstain: None

Bid Openings:
Mr. Doherty informed the Committee of the results of bids received on July 10, 2007.

Woodbourne Park Improvements
Mr. Parrott moved to approve a contract with Earth Tec Associates, for Phase IV Improvements to Woodbourne Park Facilities, in the amount of $159,479.25.

Mr. Space seconded the motion. Upon roll call, Ayes: DeBoer, Parrott, Space Nays: None Absent: None Abstain: None

Recreation Commission Recommendation For Renaming Fields:
The Wantage Township Recreation Commission recommends that Wantage Township officially re-name the Lott Road Recreational Fields.

Mr. Space moved to re-name the Lott Road Recreational Fields as “Veterans Memorial Fields”, dedicated in honor of the veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces.

Mr. Parrott seconded the motion. Upon roll call, Ayes: DeBoer, Parrott, Space Nays: None Absent: None Abstain: None

NJDOT Trust Fund Applications:
Mr. Doherty and Mr. Pellow will prepare grant applications to NJDOT for 2008 to help pay for cost of finishing improvements to Central School Road, and for 2009 to help pay for costs of Improvements to Ryan Road.

Results of Bond Sale: Mr. Doherty reported that the 1,878,000 bond sale resulted in an interest rate of 4.1262%.

MAYOR’S PRESENTATION

Mayor DeBoer presented Tommy and Billy Pastore of 18 Wantage School Road, with commendations for bravery and heroism. Billy recently fell into a well while playing with his brother Tommy, who alerted his parents, leading to a speedy rescue with no serious injury to Billy. The boys were acknowledged with a warm round of applause from the Committee and the public.

ATTORNEY’S REPORT

Mayor DeBoer requested Mr. Garofalo to give the Attorney’s report.

Mr. Garofalo informed the Committee of recent problems regarding improvements to Blair Road which requires existing land owners to deed a portion of their road frontage for Township right of way. In this case, there are some property owners who do not wish to deed their property. Mr. Garofalo asked permission to condemn a small portion of said properties for road frontage required to accomplish the road improvement. The Committee agreed by consensus.

Mr. Garofalo informed the Committee that he is filing action in Morristown Court regarding 108 Route 23 to gain compliance with construction code requirements. The case will be heard at 1:30 Monday.

Mr. Haggerty has asked for help regarding a property use issue where an owner has constructed a motor cross track open to riders other than just the property owners. Although the case was won in Wantage Township Municipal Court, the decision was reversed in superior court. Fines were imposed for multiple days of violation and the Superior Court Mr. Haggerty wishes to go to Civil Court and the Committee agreed by consensus to have Mr. Garofalo start the civil process.

COMMITTEE REPORTS – None

OLD BUSINESS – None

NEW BUSINESS

Application For Place To Place Transfer: Airport Pub & Package
Mr. Thompson would like to expand the area where he would like to serve alcohol. No written objections have been filed following Mr. Thompson’s advertisement. This application will be approved on August 9, 2007, but Mr. Parrott would have to abstain, and asked the item be put under old business.

Concerns Regarding Outdoor Woodburning Furnaces
The Township has received several requests for services regarding smoke becoming a nuisance to adjoining neighbors. Mayor DeBoer opened the meeting to the public to receive specific information regarding these complaints. Ralph De Luca 29 Courtright Road, reviewed problems he has had in the summer with a neighbor’s wood burning stove located approximately 200 to 300 feet away from his home. Mr. DeLuca suggested an ordinance regulating the use of wood burning furnaces and requiring shutting them down for the summer. Mr. Garofalo informed that a number of municipalities have prohibited their use, regulated setback and/or specified the height of the stacks.

Ed Vander berg recommended regulation in Wantage Township and following guidelines for heat requirements for apartments, which would require a penalty structure for non-compliance. Frank Passaro introduced Billie Aikens, 147 Mt. Salem Road, and both complained of smoke and health hazards regarding a neighbor who is supposedly burning garbage in his wood burning stove. Mr. Passaro provided documentation for the Committee to review. Mr. Garofalo will prepare an ordinance to be reviewed at a future meeting.

Application for Soil Removal Permit – Quik Chek
Mr. Space moved to approve the soil removal merit application for Quick Chec, subject to receipt of a $60,000 soil removal bond for Quick Check, as required by Township Engineer Harold Pellow. Mr. Parrott seconded the motion. Upon roll call, Ayes: DeBoer, Parrott, Space Nays: None Absent: None Abstain: None

Approval of Minutes
Mr. Parrott made a motion to approve the regular meeting minutes of the meeting of the Wantage governing body held on June 28, 2007.
Mr. Space seconded the motion. Upon Roll call: Ayes: DeBoer, Parrott, Space Nays: None Absent: None Abstain: None

OPEN PUBLIC SESSION
Mayor DeBoer opened the meeting to the public for any questions or comments.

Shawn Little, resident, informed the Committee that he too uses a wood burning stove for heating purposes and follows all guidelines suggested by the manufacturer. He explained that he saves a great deal of money and feels if the Township decides to prohibit the use of wood burning stoves; residents, like himself, who follow all rules, will be penalized and required to pay high oil bills, lose the investment already put into the stove purchase and installation, and suggested limiting their use to winter months.

There being no one else from the public wishing to address the Committee, Mayor DeBoer closed the meeting to the public.

There being no other items for consideration at this time, Mr. Space moved to adjourn the meeting. Mr. Parrott seconded the motion. Upon roll call,
Ayes: DeBoer, Space Nays: None Absent: Parrott Abstain: None

Mayor DeBoer declared this meeting to be adjourned.

_____________________________
James R. Doherty, Clerk