Borough of Point Pleasant Beach Borough of Point Pleasant Beach
Council Meeting Minutes
August 6, 2019
The Governing Body reserves its right to amend and supplement the purposes of executive session by motion at the public meeting.
Mayor Reid called the meeting to order at 7:30PM. Present were Councilmen Vogel, Cortes, Kanitra, Toohey and Migut. Councilman Santanello was absent. The Municipal Clerk read the notice indicating compliance with the Open Public Meetings Act: “Adequate notice of the time and place of this meeting was given under the provisions of the Open Public Meetings Act and was posted and sent to the officially designated newspapers in compliance with the law.”
The Municipal Clerk read the Resolution for Executive Session: “Whereas, Section 8 of the Open Public Meetings Act permits the exclusion of the public from a meeting in certain circumstances; and whereas, this governing body is of the opinion that such circumstances presently exist, now, therefore, be it resolved by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Point Pleasant Beach, County of Ocean and State of NJ, as follows: the public shall be excluded from discussions concerning the hereinafter specified subject matter; the general nature of the subject matter discussed is as follows: one personnel matter. It is anticipated that the subject matter discussed may be made public upon its conclusion or final disposition.”
Motion by Councilman Migut to enter Executive Session was seconded by Councilman Cortes and carried by roll call vote.
VOTE: Councilmen Vogel, Cortes, Kanitra, Toohey, Migut ….YEA
Councilman Santanello….ABSENT
CLOSED SESSION BEGAN AT 7:02PM AND ENDED AT 7:25PM.
Mayor Reid called the regular meeting to order at 7:31PM. Present were Councilmen Vogel, Cortes, Kanitra, Toohey and Migut. Councilman Santanello was absent. The Municipal Clerk read the notice indicating compliance with the Open Public Meetings Act: “Adequate notice of the time and place of this meeting was given under the provisions of the Open Public Meetings Act and was posted and sent to the officially designated newspapers in compliance with the law.”
Flag Salute, Invocation
Motion by Councilman Migut to approve the July 2, 2019 Council meeting minutes was seconded by Councilman Cortes.
VOTE: Councilmen Cortes, Kanitra, Migut….YEA
Councilmen Vogel, Toohey …ABSTAIN
Councilman Santanello….ABSENT
Motion by Councilman Vogel to approve the July 16, 2019 Council meeting minutes was seconded by Councilman Cortes.
VOTE: Councilmen Vogel, Cortes, Kanitra….YEA
Councilmen Toohey, Migut…ABSTAIN
Councilman Santanello….ABSENT
COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Councilman Vogel: referred to item 1z – to update existing fire safety codes – old BOCA codes are no longer in effect – NJ follows the Uniform Fire Code – no material changes, just cleaning up – some approved fire lanes weren’t codified, etc. – appreciates the efforts of Fire Official Martin, who has been working very hard to get things caught up and buttoned up; Stephen Roe been working on weekends with the Police Department to address parking on lawn, identifying rental issues, abandoned/vacant structures and other property maintenance issues including sidewalk inspections, overgrown lawns, etc., with violations or summonses being issued – he checks voice mails and emails for complaints – can also contact Police at 732-892-0500 and they will relay complaints to him; complimented DPW – short staffed and dealing with mechanical issues – they were unfairly blamed for some things at the last meeting – they are working hard – they care and they do a great job; Shade Tree has been working hard – with staffing issues, there aren’t resources to water newly-planted trees, so they've been picking that up – invited help from the public; recognized the fantastic job done by Officers involved in the Police Camp – great program with nothing by positive feedback – can see the videos online, with the Officers’ passion for serving the community – kudos.
Councilman Cortes: recognized August employee anniversaries – Colette Betz 5 years, Patty Kile 7, Gerald Quaglia 23; basement waterproofing should be finished in about 3 weeks; Weeks Marine, who did the beach replenishment has vacated New Jersey Ave. parking lot and it was full this past weekend; water level in Little Silver Lake has been adjusted by 9 inches – no streets seemed to flood after the other days’ rain; new trash cans were placed downtown – old ones were metal and bent and garbage had to be lifted out – new ones are plastic with a door – getting quotes for similar replacement cans for the Inlet; sinkholes on St. Louis & Atlantic and Arnold & Chicago were repaired; County will be working on Broadway bridge, wrapping the pilings (Engineer Savacool: after summer season) one lane each way until finished; NJNG is working at both ends of town and screwing up traffic – they are going under the Manasquan River – hopes they'll be done soon; sadly, Mr. Betz, a passionate resident and owner of Randall Ave. property with whom there were tensions, passed away on August 1st; reminded all that sidewalks posing a trip hazard are the homeowners’ responsibility – must take care of them – can become a liability otherwise (Attorney Zabarsky: correct); item 1p – Parking Authority will clean up weeds in the Bay Ave. lot and next to First Aid; Councilman Santanello is out on business – gave Police Committee report of 5 adult arrests, 13 Borough ordinance summonses and 312 parking summonses issued since the last Council meeting.
Councilman Kanitra: fondly remembered his grandfather, who passed away – a 40-year resident of PPB, he moved here and built the Harbor Lights Motor Lodge on Broadway – grew up in that business, seeing what a good business owner can do for the town and how they can work in concert with residents and help the economy at the same time – was a very powerful thing for him – his grandfather built an aesthetically pleasing building on Broadway and ran it for years – eventually, as he got older, he sold it – after he sold it, it fell into disrepair and now it’s condominiums; Arts Committee unveiled their beautiful mural on the Risden’s building last night – faces the Inlet – depicts a boating scene with lighthouse – the start of many more murals to help the town aesthetic; referenced a memo issued for Council to authorize $20K for the Borough Engineer to start exploring changes to Form Based Code (FBC) downtown – believes it is not agenda because of him – had spoken about the value of history and downtown – there are people in the audience on both sides of the issue – during a discussion here with Mr. Cox about the Gottlieb building, historic properties and the value of downtown’s history and character, he was mocked and interrupted, as was Mr. Cox, which was disheartening – the Mayor said that business owners should be able to do whatever they want – a powerful statement, which draws a clear line between his viewpoint as a Republican, who grew up in and values business in the community, and the Mayor’s – he ran on a platform of working to fix/revitalize downtown (Councilman Cortes: not on agenda – being political) was told it was being added to the agenda, until he raised as stink, and still may be added – will stop talking about it if Mayor says authorization will not be added to today’s agenda or the next month or two’s (Mayor Reid: it’s not going to be added – wants Council to look at the memo) any changes to go along with FBC until the end of the year are going to be rushed, without enough detail – has spoken with a lot of engineers and groups – lots of problems with this – limits say of what goes in a building – things can get square looking very quickly – if rushed and not detail-oriented, parts of the code could be totally missing, like parking – must ensure everyone is connecting the dots – future of downtown is vital and should be done in a public manner, not with a small working group that members of Council aren’t aware of, consisting of a few select business owners and other parties – need to have suggested design standards – not super restrictive, but a template to help character in town – the proposed $20K could be spent on a market analysis, which is what is really needed because the mix of businesses is the problem downtown – lack of walkability and draw for people before or after restaurants (Councilman Toohey: asked if he thinks Governing Body should have role in determining which businesses go on Arnold Ave.) Governing Body should have a role in helping make a healthy, aesthetically-pleasing downtown that takes advantage of the unique character – hundreds of communities have business and economic development components to help building owners identify and attract complementary businesses – roll of government is to help support business (Councilman Toohey: doesn't know where he stands on this issue) FBC will limit the Governing Body more – it's not working now – residents spoke – a dozen vacancies downtown in the heart of summer – working group was formed in secrecy (Councilman Cortes: doesn’t know all of the meetings he has had) meetings have supposedly been going on all year and have gotten momentum since a certain Zoning Board (BOA) meeting – if elected, on January 1st, will repeal any ordinances passed dealing with downtown that are not done in an open manner, don’t take in historical aspects and things he ran on a platform for – asked Councilman Cortes if he wants to waste $20K of the town’s money (Councilman Toohey: asked if he could do that or would need Council’s vote) he’ll have the votes on January 1st (Councilman Cortes: asked why this is being discussed, as it’s not on the agenda – asked what committee report this is) been trying hard to bring Councilman Cortes into the fold and do what’s best by the residents – hasn’t pressured him the way that others have to vote on things (Councilman Cortes: he votes the way he feels – this is his town) would appreciate it if he would come to the side of putting residents first (Councilman Cortes: he puts residents first – may not agree with his vision).
Councilman Toohey: de-facto mural at Harborhead is coming back – asked BA/CFO Riehl to talk to Harborhead about donating paint and getting the DOC back down – seems to work every couple of years; asked for Governing Body’s consent for Lake Louise Homeowners to speak during first the public participation period, so he can recuse himself and participate fully in the second public participation (no objection noted).
Councilman Migut: plumber replaced his water meter today – everyone in town must have this done or can be fined – letters went out in tax bills with instructions to set an appointment – about half the meters have been replaced so far – asked BA/CFO Riehl & Engineer Savacool to fashion a press release and ask the Ocean Star to run a public service announcement – only takes about 1/2 hour – simple process – meter will transmit the water reading to the town, detect leaks and cut down on claims and high bills; Floodplain Management Committee will meet in September to discuss policies and ordinances to alleviate flood damage – lake level affects flooding on streets and flood insurance premiums – what community does to affect flood control affects premiums; tomorrow’s Planning Board application was moved to September.
Mayor Reid: had a great opportunity to observe Police academy (youth camp) – amazing what kids are learning and how everything works – was very impressed (Lt. Quaglia: Derek O’Neill ran it with other Officers – kids had a great time) great community policing; fiberglass handicap walkway was put down on Maryland Ave. yesterday – wants to put the blue mats out – anyone with a wheelchair can come almost all the way out to the ocean – really excited – raised a lot of funds a few years back – will have ribbon cutting on August 16th – invited all; the wheelchair swing will be at the park within a week or two, with a cement walkway leading to it; nets and backboards are in and will be put up as soon as camp is over – continue to do great things; will talk about what Councilman Kanitra brought up earlier – someone from T&M will provide clarity prior to the second public participation period.
BA/CFO Riehl: passed out proposal for Lake Louise bulkhead ladder – had previously permitted a ramp at that location – doesn’t think there is Governing Body consensus to move forward – now looking to permit just the ladder.
Councilman Kanitra: asked for update on viability of a Kratom ban (Attorney Zabarsky: nothing yet) and about 2d (Engineer Savacool: had 2 collapses on that line in less than a year in the area of Arnold & Chicago – asbestos concrete pipe – entire sewer line from Chicago to Ocean was relined – lining is substantially cheaper than excavating the entire roadway).
Councilmen Toohey & Kanitra stepped out briefly, both returning at 8:15PM.
The Municipal Clerk announced additions/revisions to the agenda.
PULIC PARTICIPATION BEGAN AT 8:05PM
Dave Cavagnaro, PPB: asked about item 1n, Ordinance 2019-12 and CO’s for seasonal rentals.
Marilyn Burke, PPB: asked about 1d, 1p and 1y.
John Olsen, PPB: asked that the Lake Louise Property Owners Association be included in conversation about access (Mayor Reid: asked that he meet with Councilman Santanello).
Lucille Bonacorte, PPB: asked what Councilman Toohey meant by bulkhead mural (graffiti).
PULIC PARTICIPATION ENDED AT 8:16PM
Motion by Councilman Cortes to close public participation and approve the items listed below was seconded by Councilman Vogel and carried by roll call vote.
CONSENT RESOLUTION 1:
1a Approval of payment of Payroll #15 ($350,760.34)
1b Approval of salary adjustments for C. Glass, J. Mutter & L. Hapstak
1c Approval of Conditional Leave of Absence for Employee #000095946
1d Approval of salary adj. for C. Macomber & K. Mills for passage of courses leading to certification
1e Agreement to renew membership in the OC JIF through 12/31/22
1f Approval of PO to Emerg Reporting for fire package setup/mobile eye for Fire Official ($2,688)
1g Approval of PO to Mobile Eyes for mobile inspection software for Fire Official ($6,174)
1h Approval of payment to Ocean County for Schedule C Agreement-2nd quarter ($2,997.88)
1i Approval of pymt to Cherry Valley Tractor Sales for DPW Kubota Refuse Scooter ($28,024.83)
1j Approval of pymt to Selective Flood Insurance for 1 Ocean Ave flood insurance ($6,271)
1k Approval of PO to Jersey Shore Publications for full page ad in Chamber Guidebook ($1,200)
1l Approval of payment to Solitude Lake Management for lake treatments ($4,515)
1m Appointment of R. Fumo and K. Orlando to NRTAC
1n Cancellation of 2019 taxes for Block 35.03/Lot 73 and approval of tax exemption for 2018
1o Approval of PO to Custom Environmental Technology of 40 55-lb Zetalyte bags ($4,293)
1p Approval of payment to the Parking Authority for 2019 contribution ($40K)
1q Approval of payment to the OC Treasurer for 3rd quarter tax levy ($2,173,214.02)
1r Memorialization of approval of taxi vehicle license for Mantoloking Taxi
1s Approval of Chapter 159 Resolution–Barnegat Bay Water Quality Restoration Grant ($30K)
1t Approval of S/E application for Copline 5K on Boardwalk, 12/31/19 – 01/01/20
1u Approval of S/E application for PPBHS Surf Club team practice at MD Ave Bch, 09/10-10/29
1v Approval of donation to the Summer Concert Series at the band shell ($1K)
1w Approval of S/E application for Young Survival Coalition Bike Ride ending at the Inlet 10/6
1x Memorialization of amendment to Res. 2019-07161X to include related salary adjustment
1y Approval of payment to Gertner & Gertner for bankruptcy-Sullivan/Monticello ($1,815)
1z Authority for the Borough Attorney to draft amendments to the Fire Safety Ordinance
CONSENT RESOLUTION 2:
2a Approval of PO to Impact Technology Solutions for Court video equipment ($8,982)
2b Approval of payment to Maxr for downtown trash/recycling cans ($37,255.50)
2c Approval of payment to Bruce Callandar for heat upgrade/replacement at the WTP ($8,270)
2d Approval of pymt of Pay Cert 1 to N. American Pipeline for emergency sewer lining ($83,678.28)
2e Approval of Change Order 1 to N. American Pipeline for emergency sewer lining ($6K)
2f Approval of Change Order 2 to N. American Pipeline for emergency sewer lining ($3K)
2g Approval of pymt to Lenegan Plumbing & Heating for Water Meter Replacement ($954,140.74)
2h Auth. for Attorney to draft ordinance amendment to provide for an increase to LOSAP, eff. 1/1/20
2i Approval of PO to Maxr for 55-gallon terra front load 3-stream waste/recycle ($20,176.00)
CONSENT RESOLUTION 3:
3a Approval of payment of computer-generated vouchers ($2,400,150.52)
3b Approval of PO to Firefighter One for escape system-bailout gear for Fire Co 1 ($19,998)
3c Authorization to request certification of CSC promotional lists for the Police Department
VOTE: Councilmen Vogel (except 1d, 2h, 3), Cortes, Kanitra, Toohey, Migut (except 3)….YEA
Councilman Vogel (1d, 2h, 3), Migut (3)….ABSTAIN
Councilman Santanello….ABSENT
ORDINANCES:
Ordinance 2019-11 (Amend Chapter 3-51/Ban Plastic Straws) was considered on second reading. Mayor Reid opened the public hearing with no member of the public wishing to be heard.
Motion by Councilman Migut to close the public hearing and adopt Ordinance 2019-11 was seconded by Councilman Cortes and carried by roll call vote.
VOTE: Councilmen Vogel, Cortes, Kanitra, Toohey, Migut….YEA
Councilman Santanello….ABSENT
Ordinance 2019-12 (Amend Chapter 27-1 through 27-5/Animal House Ordinance) was introduced on first reading. Motion by Councilman Migut to approve Ordinance 2019-12 on first reading was seconded by Councilman Vogel and carried by roll call vote. The public hearing will be held on August 20, 2019.
VOTE: Councilmen Vogel, Cortes, Kanitra, Toohey, Migut….YEA
Councilman Santanello….ABSENT
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION BEGAN AT 8:18PM.
Mayor Reid: read from a prepared statement – to alleviate fear, he addressed misinformation about plans to redevelop downtown – been meeting with engineers and lawyers – observed sunshine laws – invited Planner Slatchetka, from T&M to discuss a proposal recently presented to Council –been 3 meetings with business owners, landlords, Chamber of Commerce, 2 Councilmembers, engineering professionals and counsel to the Planning Board (Pl. Bd.) and BOA – politics is not involved – campaign is over – plan is about good governance and smart growth – plan addresses the need to vitalize downtown – PPB needs to change with the times – other towns’ downtowns have undergone resurgence because of smart growth – downtown can be made more vibrant without changing the fabric of what has made PPB the jewel of the Jersey Shore – bus and train stop is attractive for young professionals’ potential residence – not proposing to change the dynamic and look of the town, but to give owners of non-historical buildings the opportunity to rebuild and/or add to the height of the existing structures – not an outright plan to build large, multi-story buildings, but giving owners the opportunity to make their buildings the same height as Antique Emporium and Johnson Hardware – in working with the Planner and Pl. Bd., would be able to develop guidelines for building in the downtown area, so there would be a uniform look – setbacks would be added, so sidewalks could be widened – this could be done by raising the maximum building height to 45 feet in the Commercial Zone (Bay, Arnold & Route 35S) – have great restaurants and businesses – vacancies would be filled – if an owner wanted to build, would have to go to the Pl. Bd. and meet all established guidelines – it’s about preserving PPB’s long-term future.
Stan Slachetka, T&M Associates: here to discuss and clear up questions/concerns with the concept presented in the proposal to evaluate and develop a FBC for downtown – FBC is more detailed and visually oriented than a standard zoning ordinance – Councilman Kanitra raised valid questions – been a license professional planner for more than 30 years – worked as a planner to and testified before Pl. Bds. and BOAs – his expertise is redevelopment – co-authored The Redevelopment Handbook, published by the NJ DCA and NJ Chapter of the American Planning Association – has done a wide range of planning throughout NJ, particularly in downtowns looking to spur revitalization and provide a framework for recognizing existing development forms within communities, which is a critical component of the concept of FBC – provides substance and subtlety to regulation, but doesn’t lock people into a specific building type, architectural style or use – provided FBC examples with a strong relationship to the type of work that would be done in PPB – first step in developing FBC is understanding what is out there – nearly half of the proposed cost is about research, understanding the community, the General Commercial District and getting community input on iconic buildings and key structures – lot of nuances and subtleties to FBC – key and binding aspect is visual representations – would evaluate downtown on a block-by-block basis – with FBC, can get into micro-geographies – certain building heights and forms might be more appropriate in certain areas – would be specific standards and requirements for different areas – most planners are looking at FBCs and developing hybrids, with regulations other than straight building massing, which can be tailored to each community – to get a good FBC, the process must be transparent, with community engagement and input, and provide opportunities for new and enhanced development, economic development, vibrancy and for new individuals to live, work or recreate – intended as a way of expressing the community's vision – important to recognized relationship of building and the public ground along the street edge, if looking to develop a walkable community or opportunities for outdoor dining (Councilman Toohey: understood that, per the Master Plan, there are zoning districts to adhere to and to do otherwise would be spot zoning – asked how to do micro-zoning legally) by establishing a FBC or overlay district, if there is a planning analysis and foundation for regulating the sub-area – would give a variety of options for forms/setbacks/elements/features – not spot zoning, but looking at a property in the context of its relationship to other buildings on the block and street edge (Councilman Toohey: asked if courts have upheld that rationale) yes (Councilman Vogel: there is an overlay zone in the Marine Commercial District – condominiums from Chicago to St. Louis and Broadway to Channel) idea is to provide opportunities and flexibility within the confines of what is there already (Councilman Kanitra: asked about the street edge component – to create setbacks, would have to knock down buildings and build new ones further back) are talking about where development occurs – may be existing buildings that remain (Councilman Kanitra: Mayor said this will apply to non-historical buildings and historical buildings will be protected, but PPB doesn’t have an ordinance to protect historical buildings, so if FBC was passed, it would be applicable to all buildings) not true – could identify structures to be maintained – can be recognized in the confines of the FBC (Councilman Kanitra: wouldn't have to designate it as historic in terms of State or Federal register) doesn’t believe so (Councilman Kanitra: asked if proposed plan would have a list of historic properties to be protected) based on planning analysis and input (Councilman Kanitra: asked how many residents in the working group weren’t the Chamber of Commerce President, Councilmen or business building owners) doesn't know – he attended just one meeting (Councilman Vogel: still in preliminary stage; Councilman Kanitra: asked if there is a parking management plan included in the $20K proposal) would be addressed as part of the coding aspect – some more detailed, complex, expensive planning efforts include parking management plans (Councilman Kanitra: would want anything done downtown to be very detail-oriented, with a parking management plan component – understands from other engineers that $20K would be on the lower end – asked if micro-zones would be figured out in the plan brought to Council) yes – maybe micro-districts is not the right term – it’s more block-by-block specific – not creating micro-districts within the overall districts (Councilman Cortes: asked how wide Arnold Ave. is curb to curb; Engineer Savacool: guesses 40 feet) regulating plan is an element of FBC – each street has different focus and unique characteristics (Councilman Vogel: very preliminary discussions starting with those who have skin in the game – was elected – doing job by getting feedback and hashing out ideas – dangerous to not let those ideas be discussed – some buildings downtown traditionally were taller – Mr. Slatchetka has done many projects in PPB and is familiar with the community) important not to come in with pre-conceived ideas (Councilman Kanitra: asked for timeframe if goal is to get this through by the end of the year – when authorization would be needed – seems like a long process) the area is specific and defined and they are familiar with the Borough so can hit the ground running – initial analysis/framework/ recommendation can be prepared in about a month – final crafting of an ordinance may be a few weeks beyond that (Councilman Kanitra: could have a plan for the future of downtown, with the ability to raise all buildings to 45-ft. in a month) there may be areas without a 45-ft. requirement – presupposing something – timeframe dependent upon Governing Body’s and Pl. Bd’s schedules (Attorney Zabarsky: ordinance would be introduced, sent to Planning Board for public hearing and review, then back to the Governing Body with feedback for a public hearing) need a sustainable vision and consensus (Councilman Toohey: confirmed that Mr. Slatchetka is not anticipating a plan with no-character monstrosities and a removal of all historic character from the town) would hope not.
Councilman Kanitra: asked Engineer Savacool if the Mayor tasked him to look into the viability of a skateboard park in town – planning, soil samples, etc. (Engineer Savacool: no; Councilman Cortes: can't do that without vote of Council).
Craig Sulaitis, PPB: asked if this is a pre-cursor to a Master Plan (Councilman Kanitra: Master Plan revision gets done in 2020) there is no real Master Plan – should have options and look at things in total instead of hodgepodge, which will hurt home values – must have historic areas (Councilman Kanitra: Master Plan is only as good as the ordinances that support it – needs to be a holistic look at the entire town and a branding of PPB; Councilman Migut: when Mayor Vogel was in office, he put together a Master Plan Committee of business owners, engineers and lawyers who lived in town, who reviewed the Master Plan and codes for each district – one meeting per month – went district-by-district – thorough and complete evaluation – good, successful committee – at 2015 revision, there weren't many changes made since committee did such a good job, coming up with the Marine Commercial District for example – some components haven't been acted upon, such as proposal to rezone Arnold Ave. from Ocean to Baltimore, where homes currently reside in the Commercial Zone (Councilman Kanitra: been on Council almost 2 years – never heard a decision referencing the Master Plan – questioned how the town can be what the Governing Body wants; Councilman Toohey: Councilman Kanitra wasn’t here when the height ordinance was redone and parking lot zoning was discussed – until now, have not had large scale zoning stuff; Mayor Reid: Zoning Board takes care of that – Governing Body shouldn’t comment).
Kristin Hennessy, PPB: concept of downtown revitalization discussion is good – concerned about the process – knew about this item coming up tonight because she read it on Facebook (Councilman Cortes: wasn't on agenda) an engineer just gave a presentation on it – was obviously planned – 37 people here – talking about a project that will fundamentally transform PPB – should ensure it jives with the Master Plan – asked why this wasn't advertised – understands there was a Board of Adjustment meeting in July and things didn't go Mr. Carannate’s way and now talking about a proposal to restructure Arnold Ave. zoning (Engineer Savacool: discussions began a year ago – was asked how to make it easier for people to reoccupy storefronts; Councilman Kanitra: asked when T&M was asked to put the proposal together; after June 4th) asked if Councilman Vogel was included in the working group, as he will not be on Council on January 1 (Councilman Vogel: was elected to do a job and is doing it – he and Councilman Kanitra met with Land Use Attorney Galvin in February) Councilmen Kanitra and Migut were not invited to participate, and they will be on the Governing Body on January 1 (Councilman Cortes: he is on the Public Property, Buildings and Grounds Committee – not everyone gets invited – he isn’t invited to all the meetings that everyone else chairs) residents did not know about this, but he gentleman who wants this ordinance is here and it was never advertised – concerned about the timeframe – need multiple public hearings (Attorney Zabarsky: as a matter of law, that has to happen) should consider a referendum – can't force it through in the interest of political favors and wrapping things up – move slowly and carefully – no more important stakeholders than the residents.
Dave Cavagnaro, PPB: asked if still paying electric bill – some Inlet and Silver Lake lot lights are still out – taxpayers are getting shortchanged; asked if Council has problem with the No Public Restrooms sign on Risden’s Building.
Vincent Castin, PPB: public should have huge input on downtown; spoke about raising of Silver Lake water level, the result of a single person coming before Council – he garnered 200 signatures to have an hour added to Inlet bathroom and nothing happened.
John Bezerra, PPB: in 2013, Mayor Barrella appointed him to the Tourism Committee – spoke about Master Plan and heights – no conspiracy – been discussing openly – he brought it up initially – thinks it's a good way to revitalized the town – just to clear the air – would be happy to answer.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION ENDED AT 9:16PM.
Motion by Councilman Toohey to close public participation and adjourn was seconded by Councilman Migut and carried by consent of Council. Meeting was adjourned at 9:16PM.
ATTEST: _______________________________
Eileen A. Farrell, RMC
Municipal Clerk
