Borough of Point Pleasant Beach Council Meeting Minutes
February 1, 2022
Held in-person at Borough Hall Council Chambers, 416 New Jersey Avenue, Point Pleasant Beach.
Live streamed via https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCflODKbSFakXUEKiyxSYdUA/live
Mayor Kanitra called the regular meeting to order at 7:30PM. 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.” Present were Councilmembers Vitale, Byrnes, Ramos, Crowley and Migut. Councilwoman Testa was absent.
FLAG SALUTE, INVOCATION
Approval of Minutes:
Motion by Councilman Ramos to approve the January 18, 2022 Council meeting minutes was seconded by Councilwoman Crowley and carried by roll call vote.
VOTE: Councilmembers Vitale, Byrnes, Ramos, Crowley, Migut….YEA
Councilwoman Testa….ABSENT
OATH OF OFFICE: Police Captain Kyle Grace
Clerk Farrell administered the Oath of Office (Mayor Kanitra: recognized former Chief Michigan, who stacked the leadership with Garnet Gulls – said Capt. Grace’s attitude is fantastic and sets a great example for the force – his willingness to take on all tasks, including IT and cameras, in addition to his regular duties, means a lot to Council – he at Councilman Vitale drilled him – he is what residents are looking for – the perspective he brings as resident for so many years will help a lot in this position – his openness to working with Council is a huge plus – has a strong coalition behind him – looking forward to seeing where things go from here – going to be great; Councilman Vitale: well-deserved – enjoys working with him – the technical knowledge he brings to the Dept. is above and beyond – wished him good luck and congratulations; Councilwoman Byrnes: there have been times in her life when she has needed the safety and security of the local Police Dept. – on 2 very distinct occasions, Capt. Grace proved to be a hero – went above and beyond for her and her daughters – to him, it was probably just a day on the job – she is expressly pleased with this distinguished promotion – his actions won’t soon be forgotten by her – well-done; Councilwoman Crowley: well-done, well-deserved – has been to her home several times, helping with her grandparents – he is an amazing person – are blessed to have him; Councilman Ramos: congratulated him – got to spend a little time with him and the Chief – looks forward to working with him; Councilman Migut: congratulated him; Chief Kowalewski: congratulated him and his family – will do a great job in this new role – thanked Mayor and Council and BA/CFO Riehl for their support for the Police Dept.; Capt. Grace: thanked everyone – is a pleasure to work for the town – growing up here and being able to live where you work is a really cool thing – loves the town, just like most people do – said thank you for the opportunity.
COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Councilman Vitale: on behalf of the residents, thanked the following for their part in Saturday’s Blizzard of ’22: OEM Coord. Dempsey and BA/CFO Riehl for their planning and communications prior to and during the storm, DPW for plowing for countless hours during the duration, the Police Dept. for staffing up and assisting with motor vehicle accidents over the weekend, members of both Fire houses and the First Aid Squad for sacrificing time with their families and their comfortable beds to hunker down in headquarters, in case they were needed; recognized February employee anniversaries – Peter Andreyev 28 years, Mike Fioretti 28, Chief Kowalewski 19, Andy Meany 19, Chris Mosca 19, Joseph Gippetti 18, Robert Berg 3 – Police training has included Canine and Escalation Use of Force – body worn cameras will be delivered this week and implemented in March – arrests included outstanding warrant, violation of domestic violence restraining order, burglary and theft, DWI with minor as passenger, reckless driving – Borough Ordinances for sleeping in a motor vehicle and misbehaving; the Recreation Committee’s second annual Show Us Your Heart event is scheduled for Feb. 12th and committee is actively planning the Sham Rock Event on Mar. 12th – about 20 people attended the committee’s 1st meeting last week – discussed plans for more than 25 events in 2022 – looking for members – check out their Facebook page or reach out to him.
Councilwoman Byrnes: there was a fire last week on Gull Island – fire boats and Coast Guard were required – they spent about 4 hours extinguishing the fire and were thankful for the mutual aid – are thankful for the 16 members camped out at the firehouse throughout the night in preparation for the blizzard – crews responded to an elevator rescue yesterday – thankfully, there were no injuries, but it gives an idea of the different aspects of the call of duty; thanked DPW Super. Trout and crews for plowing the driveways to the firehouse and a special thanks to BA/CFO Riehl for the extra assistance in clearing out the hydrants; Police provide regular property checks when residents are out of town – was grateful for the nightly check on her property that she saw through her newly-installed Ring camera – gives a sense of security – is nothing like watching the local Police come up and check everything – the additional and thorough check was dynamite; is glad Capt. Grace’s daughter got to know how she feels – that he has been a hero to her and her daughters on 2 different occasions – him coming is as a Captain was just perfect; the Golden Gulls recently assisted seniors with additional snow removal – went well – 2 local vendors, vetted by the committee, provided the service, while posting updates on Facebook – have received many thank you calls – Golden Gulls are becoming a source of information for our adult community – Project Spectrum, a technology workshop for our aging adult population and Antrim students, is being developed – first group of participants are waiting for the rollout – asked if Council approval is needed (Atty. Riordan: run it past BA/CFO Riehl and will figure it out) the Golden Gulls will be providing volunteers for the Wellness Fair on Feb. 4th; Shade Tree meets next week – will have an update at the next meeting; will no longer be liaison to the Environmental Commission, but would like to see the Leave Only Your Footprints anti-littering campaign and the electric car training session, provided by the Tesla Group, come to fruition – will work with First Aid & Fire Dept. and include Chief Kowalewski on the planning and information.
Councilman Ramos: there are a dozen applicants for the open Bd. of Ed. seat – public interviews will be done at a special meeting at Antrim on Feb. 8th, followed by closed session and an appointment – the regular meeting is scheduled for Feb. 15th; the Jan. Green Team meeting was cancelled due to a lot of members out of town; gave a shout out to DPW – streets look great – 17.5” of snow – hard to plow with cars on the street – that was more of an issue in the Library section – kudos – did not get any calls – appreciates the patience – will be with us for a while and constant plowing.
Councilwoman Crowley: gave the Beautification report for Councilwoman Testa – working on flower order bids for the spring garden – looking for people to help take down the garland; thanked DPW, Police and Fire Depts. for a great job this weekend during the Blizzard of ‘22 – spoke to DPW Super. Trout – are continuing to push back snow where cars were parked – many people, who couldn’t find alternate spots, left cars on the street and they are now removed – are making repairs on municipal equipment necessary for snow removal – he is grateful residents removed portable basketball hoops – Chief Kowalewski and BA/CFO Riehl helped to get the word out on that – made it a lot easier and was great effort by the town with robocalls, etc. – workers have worked hard to keep the streets safe and clean – are now addressing the clearing of basins, so there won’t be flooding when the snow melts – thanked BA/CFO Riehl for all the updates throughout the storm – it helped to have all that information.
Councilman Migut: this year, for the first time, the Animal Welfare Committee will be submitting a budget request, due to the resignation of a member who previously provided free veterinary services – crucial for kitten season, which is May-June – kittens need to be vaccinated and assessed by a vet before put up for adoption; the Parking Authority (PA) will meet on Thursday and discuss taking an ad in the Ocean Star to advertise free parking in the railroad lot – asked Atty. Riordan if he looked into the incentive proposal (Atty. Riordan: the mercantile license – has Gary looking at it – hasn’t gotten a report back yet; Mayor Kanitra: has the PA meeting on Wednesday at 10AM; BA/CFO: thinks their meeting is Thursday); Budget Committee will meet on Feb. 9th at 10AM in BA/CFO Riehl’s office.
MAYOR’S REPORT:
Mayor Kanitra: biggest thing about the storm was preparation at every level – things are not executed properly when not prepared for properly – from the Borough Administrator to the Police, First Aid, First Responders and DPW, there was a lot of preparation – his girlfriend’s father works in Red Bank’s DPW – they only have 9 vehicles for snow removal in the entire town – PPB outfitted every piece of equipment with some device to help with snow removal – on Saturday morning, he went out and he asked one of the crews how many people had called out – not a single one – that wasn’t just luck – DPW Super. Trout had called a shop meeting, telling everyone in advance not to call out and to give him their cell phone numbers – was meticulous and proactive – there were times in the past where too many people did call out – for a storm of this magnitude, that extra step went a long way – huge kudos to DPW Super. Trout, BA/CFO Riehl, Police and Fire Chiefs, First Aid Capt. Fiorietti and Squad – when he posted that they slept on the floor at the First Aid, a resident came to him and offered to donate funds for cots to keep in the station – can discuss; the Police Dept., Chief and Officer Latshaw deserve a huge round of applause for the burglary arrest – area residents voiced concerns and the Chief was very responsive and proactive in talking to them, assigning and deploying resources, and catching the brazen individual trying to rob their neighbors in broad daylight; was informed that little bridge that goes over Broadway is named for the former OC Engineer and long-time PPB resident and a Garnet Gull, Richard E. Lane – is sad to mention that he passed away this week – was contacted by his family – he played a big role in the town’s history and his name will be forever recognized on that bridge (Atty. Riordan: he got to work with Dick Lane for years, when he represented the County and he was the County Engineer, in many, many depositions and he was in attendance when that bridge was dedicated to him, as was Dick Lane – it simply delighted him – it was one of the highlights of his career to have the little bridge in PPB named after him) that’s great to hear – a nice legacy – you don’t get generally get something named for you unless you’ve made some big contributions; was at the Chamber’s ribbon cuttings this week – went well – welcomed some new businesses, officially, Bam Bam Burger, Lisa Hagen, and the Paddle Board Company that paddles food out to boats that pull up to the sand bar at low tide – ingenious; the Fire Dept. deserves a huge round of applause for the way they tackled the Gull Island fire – FO Martin called him to let him know it had started quickly and was moving fast, and they were calling in the State Forestry helicopter to scoop up water – they thought it was going to burn through the entire island – our guys jumped on and dug things out, and fought it with some boats that responded from US Tow and the Coast Guard – they were able to stop it and they saved 70% of the vegetation and some small wildlife – it used to burn a lot more often – they got some good training; had the first Business Improvement District (BID) planning meeting with the new BID board this week – one of the first tasks is to vote on if they want a BID – just putting ducks in a row – a productive meeting have strong representatives of the town, town hall, building owners and downtown business owners – if they make the decision to go forward, and all indications are that they will, it will start a new chapter for downtown; he, BA/CFO Riehl and Engineer Mele met with the County Engineer about the A.J. Meerwald – things continue to move forward – they’ve already signaled that they are coming back for the summer – are starting to put pieces in place to get the area squared away for a permanent home – had some great early conversations – will be a huge asset to the County – looking for the County’s contribution in a couple different ways – also discussed drainage issues that persist on Broadway from the paving job Earle did – are looking to get them out here to fix that in a timely manner.
ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT:
BA/CFO Riehl: gave accolades to everyone involved in storm prep and operations – crew is so young – for most, it was their first snow storm and they did such a good job, from the Superintendent down to the last man – they worked from 10PM Friday to 9PM Saturday, with no breaks – recognized the Police Dept. – the responsiveness and cooperation of everyone involved was great (Mayor Kanitra: and there were no complaints, aside from logistical issues – he drove through about dozen towns – none were more dug out than PPB) hopes people realize there are County roads – the County wasn’t as precise on theirs (Councilwoman Byrnes: asked if DPW can assume responsibility of County roads) no – but we can let the County know that we were somewhat disappointed – was a County truck in Silver Lake lot for about 5 hours (Councilman Ramos: drove around to look at the public lots – huge difference from the last storm) had a conversation with the PA, and will continue, to talk about expectations – a number of lots are not Borough-controlled, but PA-controlled; received confirmation that DotGov has accepted our registration – have to fill out server and host domain information – will have to discuss how to roll .ORG into .GOV and the forms, business cards, etc., that will need to be changed to accommodate it (Councilman Vitale: asked if all Covered has been notified) yes; have a Budget meeting on Feb. 9th at 10AM – have a PA meeting – on Thursday, will be interviewing for Parking Meter Laborer, as the supervisor is retiring at the end of Feb., and the Personnel Committee is invited; authorization to advertise to hire a Dispatcher is on the agenda, as a Dispatcher is also retiring at the end of Feb.; with the help of DPW Super. Trout, was able to procure 2 sheds for the Beautification Committee – were delivered last week, are in place at the well property and are outfitted with ramps so things can be rolled in and out without heavy lifting – will name the sheds the Jack Pasola Beautification Sheds.
Mayor Kanitra: PPB is pretty built out – an opportunity to obtain and increase open public land comes few and far between – got a heads up from a resident that 3 contiguous lots at the western edge of the Inlet lot are going up for foreclosure auction – he and BA/CFO Riehl talked about an Ocean County Land and Trust Committee program – haven’t asked for anything in a long time – BA/CFO Riehl put packet together and we requested that the County acquire those 3 pieces of land for public access – can’t put a building on them, but can put in walking paths and increase footprint for people to fish at the Inlet – and can preserve it – he attended the OC Land and Trust meeting virtually and spoke about why that’s a good fit for PPB – they will look into the acquisition – BA/CFO Riehl signed up for email notifications – haven’t announced the auction yet – hopes to have time to get our ducks in a row – are very optimistic.
Clerk announced additions and revision to the agenda.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION BEGAN AT 8:08PM
Dave Cavagnaro, 118 Parkway, PPB: asked about 2p – if landscaping comes with guarantee (BA/CFO Riehl: yes) and who will maintain (BA/CFO Riehl: they will), asked about 2r and 2s if same as ordinances on agenda (Atty. Riordan: for the 1½ years, have not been authorizing him to draft; BA/CFO Riehl: thinks they were listed that way because we weren’t positive they’d be ready for the agenda).
Vince Castin, 15 Trenton Ave., PPB: asked about Ordinance 2022-01 (Mayor Kanitra: minor technical amendments to temporary signage; Atty. Riordan: just making it work a little better).
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION ENDED AT 8:11PM
Motion by Councilman Vitale to close public participation and approve the items listed below was seconded by Councilwoman Crowley and carried by roll call vote.
CONSENT RESOLUTION 1:
1a Approval of payments of Payroll #2 ($320,838.05)
1b Authorization for Quality of Life Director to apply for an Ocean County Tourism Grant
1c Approval of S/E App for ACS Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk on Bdwlk, 10/16
1d Approval of S/E app & S/E fee waiver for PPBLL Parade on Arnold Ave on 4/9 (rain: 4/23)
1e Approval of Board & Committee appointments
1f Approval of PO to Cherry Valley Tractor Sales for 2022 tractor parts ($2,500)
1g Approval of PO to Bortek Industries for 2022 sweeper parts ($3,500)
1h Approval of PO to Atlantic Salt for 2022 de-icing material ($5K)
1i Approval of PO to United Rotary Brush for brooms ($6K)
1j Approval of PO to Turbo Electric for electrical work ($3,500)
1k Approval of PO to Service Tire Truck Center for rims/tires/tire repairs ($6K)
1l Approval of PO to Solitude Lake Management for lake treatments ($3,500)
1m Approval of PO to F&C Auto Supply for auto parts ($6K)
1n Approval of PO to Fastenal for Shop EQ ($2,500)
1o Approval of PO to Glenco Supply for sign materials ($3,500)
1p Approval of PO to Hutchinson Plumbing for plumbing and heating ($6K)
1q Approval of PO to Hudson County Motors for sanitation truck parts ($3,500)
1r Approval of PO to Janitor Supply Corp for bathroom supplies ($6K)
1s Approval of PO to Keystone Plastics for brooms ($6K)
1t Approval of PO to Liberty Elevator Corp for elevator ($3,500)
1u Approval of PO to Ocean County Landfill for rubbish ($60K)
1v Approval of PO to Premier Electronic Solutions for alarm service ($2,500)
1w Approval of PO to Water Works Supply Company for repair parts ($6K)
1x Approval of PO to Blue Book for repair parts ($2,500)
1y Approval of PO to Rio Supply for water meter parts ($6K)
1z Approval of PO to One Call Concepts for markouts ($2,500)
CONSENT RESOLUTION 2:
2a Approval of PO to Grainger for marking paint ($2,500)
2b Approval of PO to Fisherman’s Supply Company for foul weather gear ($2,500)
2c Approval of PO to Van Wickle Auto Supply for 2022 DPW auto parts ($6K)
2d Approval of PO to E. Runyon for 2022 water testing ($6K)
2e Approval of PO to Winzer Corp for 2022 shop supplies ($3K)
2f Approval of PO to Bain’s Point Hardware for 2022 asst repair parts/paint ($4K)
2g Approval of payment to Ocean County Treasurer for added and omitted assessments ($24,750.47)
2h Approval of payment to Ocean County Treasurer for 1st quarter County tax levy ($2,288,353.32)
2i Appt of P. Brundage & W. Popp as permanent Sanitation Drivers/auth for Clerk to dispose of CSC list
2j Auth to implement the attached fee changes in proposal #2 and enter into an agreement with Tyler Payment Services, subject to Atty review
2k Authorization to apply for the Fiscal Year 2022 CDBG Grant Program
2l Approval of PO to Detcon for emergency repairs to garbage trucks 3 and 4 ($7,976.28)
2m Approval of payment to Comfort Central of NJ for mini split unit – Water Dept ($6,402.00)
2n Approval of payment to Comfort Central of NJ for mini split unit – Historical Society ($4,337)
2o Approval of pymt to Mid-Atlantic Truck Center for DPW transmission repairs – 2007 Intr ($11,499.33)
2p Approval of payment to Burke Environmental for Borough Hall planting ($23,462)
2q Approval of PO & payment to Kempton Sheds for 2 storage sheds ($13,040)
2r Authorization for Attorney to amend the sign ordinance
2s Authorization for Attorney to amend the development ordinances
2t Approval of payment to G.C. Green Landscaping for snow clearing from 220 hydrants ($6,160)
CONSENT RESOLUTION 3:
3a Approval of payment of computer-generated vouchers ($2,416,004.54)
3b Amend Resolution 2022-0118/2H (Ocean Fire Co. S/E app) from a start date of 5/8 to 5/6
3c Approval of membership in Ocean Fire Company No. 1 for P. Penacoli, PPB, NJ
3d Authorization to amend Chapter 2-10.5 – Quasi-Public Police Duty Services
3e Approval of payment to Eagle Point Gun for 2022 firearms/supplies for the PD ($9,675.50)
3f Authorization to advertise for a Public Safety Telecommunicator
3g Approval of PO to Turbo Electric for subpanel-armory/garage, lights ($6,740)
VOTE: Councilmembers Vitale, Byrnes, Ramos, Crowley, Migut (except 3a, 3b, 3c)….YEA
Councilman Migut (3a, 3b, 3c)….ABSTAIN
Councilwoman Testa….ABSENT
ORDINANCES:
Ordinance 2022-01 (Amend Sign Ordinance) was introduced on first reading. Motion by Councilman Migut to approve Ordinance 2022-01 on first reading was seconded by Councilman Vitale and carried by roll call vote. The public hearing will be held on February 15, 2022.
VOTE: Councilmembers Vitale, Byrnes, Ramos, Crowley, Migut….YEA
Councilwoman Testa….ABSENT
Ordinance 2022-02 (Amend Development Ordinances) was introduced on first reading. Motion by Councilman Vitale to approve Ordinance 2022-02 on first reading was seconded by Councilman Ramos and carried by roll call vote. The public hearing will be held on March 1, 2022.
VOTE: Councilmembers Vitale, Byrnes, Ramos, Crowley, Migut….YEA
Councilwoman Testa….ABSENT
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION BEGAN AT 8:13PM
Dave Cavagnaro, 118 Parkway, PPB: complimented the great job by DPW – heard trucks at 1AM on Parkway and through the height of the storm – on Sunday, a County pickup truck went back and forth on Parkway 4 times and left about 6’in between the curb and sidewalk, so people couldn’t get out of their driveways; complimented the December Christmas luncheon – had a wonderful time – organized – food was delicious – we open events to different towns – has never seen another town reciprocate – his neighbor tried to trade books in Bay Head and was turned away because she is not a resident – asked about reaching out to them (Councilwoman Byrnes: Brick has been reciprocal with Zoom yoga classes, etc. – nothing formal; Mayor Kanitra: suggested that, for paid events only, others can come).
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION ENDED AT 8:17PM
Motion by Councilman Migut to close public participation and adjourn was seconded by Councilman Vitale and carried by consent of Council.
Meeting was adjourned at 8:17PM.
ATTEST: ______________________
Eileen A. Farrell, RMC
Municipal Clerk
