Borough of Point Pleasant Beach Borough of Point Pleasant Beach
Council Meeting Minutes
January 2, 2022
Held at G. Harold Antrim Elementary School, 401 Niblick St, Point Pleasant Beach, NJ 08742
Councilman Vitale: extended Mayor Kanitra’s apologies, as he was unable to attend and called the meeting to order at 12:00PM. Present were Councilmembers Vitale, Testa, Byrnes, Ramos, Crowley and Migut. Mayor Kanitra 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: COUNCILMAN VITALE
Invocation: FATHER PEDRO DE OLIVEIRA – SAINT PETER CHURCH
Election of Council President:
Council President Testa: has been an honor to serve as Council President – served with pride – was great to be able to give back – today, she steps down from that role but has to great honor to nominate Councilman Vitale.
Nomination by Councilwoman Testa for Councilman Vitale to serve as Council President for the year 2022 was seconded by Councilman Ramos and carried by roll call vote.
VOTE: Councilmembers Vitale, Testa, Byrnes, Ramos, Crowley, Migut….YEA
Councilman Vitale: thanked all for the opportunity to be Council President 2022 – looks forward to serving in that role.
Ceremonial Oaths of Office: COUNCILMEMBERS CROWLEY AND RAMOS
Former NJ Governor Donald DiFrancesco administered the ceremonial oaths of office to Councilwoman Rosa Crowley and Councilman Michael M. Ramos. Council President Vitale congratulated them.
Ceremonial Oath of Office: ACTING CHIEF OF POLICE KOWALEWSKI
Municipal Clerk Farrell administered the ceremonial oath of office to Acting Chief of Police Robert J. Kowalewski.
Resolution A – Certification of Fire Officer Election Results:
Motion by Councilwoman Byrnes to approve Resolution A was seconded by Councilman Migut and carried by roll call vote.
VOTE: Councilmembers Vitale, Testa, Byrnes, Ramos, Crowley, Migut….YEA
Ceremonial Oaths of Office: FIRE DEPARTMENT OFFICERS
Municipal Clerk Farrell administered the ceremonial oath of office to Fire Department Chief Michael Brodeur and to Fire Department First Deputy Chief Daniel Miles. Assistant Fire Chief Ira Waldman & Second Deputy Fire Chief John Pasola were not in attendance.
newly-elected & Councilmember Comments:
Councilwoman Crowley: wished all a Happy and Blessed New Year – it’s been a rough 2021 – hopes for a better 2022, health-wise; looks forward to serving her community – thanked all for coming to her inauguration ceremony – thanked her family for their support and understanding, Mayor Kanitra for believing in her and asking her to be part of this amazing team – is honored and looks forward to a wonderful year – thanked her wonderful friend, Governor DiFrancesco, for sharing her special day and swearing her in – it’s an honor to have a friend like him – thanked Father Pedro for blessing all with his presence – thanked the dignitaries in attendance, including Mayor Hennessy and Commission Quinn – means a lot to her and the Mayor and Council – is blessed to have been chosen.
Councilman Ramos: it’s an incredible honor to be on the dais – is very familiar with the room (at Antrim), as former President of the Bd. of Education – thanked his family and Governor DiFrancesco – was honored to have been sworn in by him – congratulated all who were sworn in today – was glad to have campaigned with his running mate, Rosa Crowley – this is a culmination of hard work – excited to be serving on Council with folks he knows well and considers friends – will be a great dynamic this year – will be incredible – need to stay healthy and safe – wished everyone the Happiest 2022 – looks forward to serving the community.
Councilman Vitale: wished Point Pleasant Beach a Happy New Year; recognized January employee anniversaries Derek O’Neill 23 years, Eileen Farrell 18 – thanked both for their dedication and years of service; congratulated the Fire Dept. leadership for their expertise that keeps PPB safe; congratulations to Chief Kowalewski on his well-deserved promotion – the Police Dept. will benefit from his leadership – looks forward to working with him in 2022 – congratulated Councilmembers Crowley and Ramos – knows both will do great things for the town; wants to focus on 3 things this year – 1) enhancing the town’s cybersecurity to upgrade protection of network and residents’ information from hackers – he and BA/CFO Riehl have started working on this and expect to complete it this year – 2) wants to breathe new life into underutilized spaces in town, such as Pleasure Park and the Band Shell area – has asked the Recreation Committee to use these spaces for events throughout 2022 and encourages other Committees to consider usage of them for their events as well – 3) wants to revitalize the Neighborhood Partnership Initiative, which was stalled by COVID – will work with Chief Kowalewski and Det. O’Neill to hold regularly-scheduled meetings, arrange for guest speakers on safety and security topics, and brainstorm other ways to engage the community; congratulated all who took the Oath of Office today; wished the residents a Happy New Year.
Councilwoman Testa: congratulated Council President Vitale – will do a fabulous job; welcomed distinguished guests, family, friends and residents, to celebrate the new Councilmembers; thanked Mayor Kanitra for his leadership this past year – started off virtual, but came back better and stronger and worked hard to accomplish many things – was honored to be Council President – thanked him for putting his confidence in her; thanked the Arts Committee, Beautification and Municipal Alliance volunteers for all the time they put in because they love this town, making all events special – couldn’t do it without them; a town cannot run without wonderful employees – thanked them for all they do, especially BA/CFO Riehl for always being at the helm; is grateful to the Police Dept., Fire Dept. and EMS, for their sacrifices and all they do to keep PPB safe; congratulated the newest Councilmembers Crowley and Ramos – knows they will work hard for the residents – is excited for the things they will accomplish together; acknowledged the hard work of her fellow Councilmembers this past 2 years – the best is yet to come; thanked the residents, who are invested in this town and keep the Governing Body accountable – will continue put them first; her hope and prayer for 2022 is that God may bless and protect all – must not live in fear, but with expectancy for all great things to come – let us walk in love and unity – God Bless America and God Bless Point Pleasant Beach.
Councilwoman Byrnes: thanked all for being here today, including the many dignitaries – wished all a Happy and Blessed New Year; congratulated Councilmembers Crowley and Ramos; recalled all the calls regarding quality of life issues – are on the right track, as they have become less frequent – feels great; was another year of fierce challenges – met each with fairness, integrity and a steadfast determination – is proud of her fellow Councilmembers and the work they do – welcomed Councilmembers Crowley and Ramos to this hard-working Governing Body – is looking forward to working with them to meet any challenges this year may bring; thanked all the committees for the missions accomplished – all examples of effective volunteerism – couldn’t be done without them; so much of the robust activity comes from the Mayor’s enthusiasm and vision; thanked Attorney Riordan, BA/CFO Riehl and Clerk Farrell – it’s not always easy – can only be as effective as the smart, strong support they provide; congratulated the new Fire Officers, under the Direction of Chief Brodeur – thanked them for all they do; congratulated Chief Michigan on his successful career – wished him an enjoyable next chapter; wished Chief Kowalewski all the best in his new leadership role; none of what we do here is easy, but it’s often fun – wished continued success to all.
Councilman Migut: put out his yearly plea to the town’s youth for First Aid and Fire Company volunteers – both have training programs – can start at age 16 – many Police Officers started their civic endeavors as trainee Firemen and First Aiders – he started his civic journey 43 years ago as a 16-year-old member of the Fire Dept. – it’s a great thing to do – will meet a lot of great people – will get a lot of wisdom from the members, and life experiences – looks great on a college or job resume or if going into the military; wished all a Happy New Year.
Mayor’s Comments:
Council President Vitale read Mayor Kanitra’s comments: Happy New Year PPB – this is not how he envisioned giving his speech – this is the first meeting he missed since becoming Mayor; thanked new Council President Vitale for stepping in; congratulated new Councilmembers Crowley and Ramos – is lucky to count them as friends – has seen first-hand the qualities they bring to the table – have worked hard together on picking complementary committee assignments – is confident they will continue this administration’s trend of hard work and accessibility – both had a very special dignitary swear them in – honored to have Former Governor Donald DiFrancesco – invited him to say a few words.
Governor DiFrancesco: congratulated all serve the public – it’s the most difficult job at the most difficult time in public service at the local level – wished all good luck and a Healthy, Successful New Year – it’s a wonderful day – looks forward to a better 2022 – thanked all for having him.
At the last meeting of 2021, spoke about all the accomplishments of the past 12 months – large grant money secured, new committees launched, historic initiative undertaken, flood rating saved, and safety measures implemented – it’s time to talk about the vision and progress we intend to compound upon in 2022; 2021 will be considered the year that the families returned to PPB – never want to lose that focus; is excited to have Chief Kowalewski, a hometown guy and excellent leader – have sat for hours and discussed the quality of life focus we want to continue – he brings fresh ideas and new perspective that will pay huge dividends for the community, in and out of the summer months; a thriving downtown remains crucial to keeping our community vibrant year-round; in the next few months, will officially launch our Business Improvement District (BID), the new BID will take ownership of the physical future of downtown – they’ll work on the look and feel, will help attract new businesses when vacancies arise, and work with building owners to make improvements – with the Chamber of Commerce promoting businesses and hosting more events, the 2 entities will complement each other; there will be an addition of historic plaques for our buildings – thanks to a grant from the Fisher Family Fund and the hard work of our Historic Commission, we will be able to showcase our town’s great history in a new way; expect businesses outside of downtown to continue to grow as well – is hopeful to be able to break ground on Channel Dr. redevelopment before year-end; 2022 should also see the final acquisition of the historic Coast Guard Station and it’s opening for the public – we anticipate having our Historic Society Museum there, as well as other exhibits – committees will have office and event space there – are getting close to having the A.J. Meerwald use PPB as their summer home and they will have space in the building as well – will be an incredible asset for our community; will see videographers at our biggest town events this year – will put something special together for 2023 – for generations, PPB has advertised its beaches and Boardwalk as summer attractions – are lucky enough now that the entire tri-state area knows about that – it’s time to let everyone know that this is also the place to put roots down, move to full-time and raise a family – with the pandemic shifting many people to remote work, the ability for families to live here full-time has changed forever – it’s much more viable now and we need to capitalize – we want to keep increasing the percentage of our year-round residents vs. part-time ones and investors – we want to get out school system to the point where they are filled with local kids and don’t need to take tuition students to fill classrooms – want to have our businesses supported year-round with families living, dining and shopping here, even in the dead of winter – that’s the focus for 2022; looking for all to play their part – the community aspect is what makes our town great – urged all to join committees and help spread the word; thanked all for coming out and invited all to celebrate afterwards at Martell’s, from 1:30Pm-4:30PM – wishes he could be there.
PULIC PARTICIPATION BEGAN AND ENDED AT 12:32PM,
WITH NO MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO BE HEARD
Motion by Councilman Migut to close Public Participation and adopt the items listed below was seconded by Councilman Vitale and carried by roll call vote.
CONSENT RESOLUTION 1 – PROFESSIONAL APPOINTMENTS:
1a Borough Attorney: K. Riordan & Firm – Kevin B. Riordan, Esq., LLC – Toms River
1b Special Project Attorneys:
– P. Van Dyke & Firm – Kelaher, Van Dyke & Moriarty – Toms River
– G. McGuckin & Firm – Dasti, Murphy, McGuckin, Ulaky, Koutsouris, Connors – Forked River
– S. Zabarsky & Firm – Citta, Holzapfel & Zabarsky – Toms River
– J. Cipriani & Firm – Rothstein, Mandell, Strohm, Halm, Cipriani – Toms River
– J. Surenian & Firm – Surenian, Edwards & Nolan LLC – PPB
– T. Cunningham & Firm – Archer & Griener Attorneys at Law – Red Bank
– W. Mayer & Firm – Decotiis, FitzPatrick, Cole & Giblin, LLP – Paramus
– S. Rogut & Firm – Rogut McCarthy LLC – Cranford
– C. Dasti & Firm – Dasti & Associates, P.C. – Forked River
– S. Gertner & Firm – Gertner & Gertner, LLC – Jackson
– M. Moench & Firm – King Moench, Hirniak, Mehta & Collins, LLP – Red Bank
– R. Carey & Firm – Apruzzese, McDermott, Mastro & Murphy – Warren
– M. Allen & J. Pompeo & Firm-DiFrancesco Batemen, Kunzman, Davis, Lehrer & Flaum, P.C.-Warren
– D. Galvin & Firm – Davison, Eastman, Munoz, Paone, PA – Freehold
– S. Kean & Firm – Cleary, Giacobbe, Alfieri, Jacobs, LLC – Matawan
– K. Starkey & S. Kenneally & Firm-Starkey, Kelly, Kenneally, Cunningham & Turnbach-Toms River
1c Municipal Prosecutor: S. Zabarsky & Firm – Citta, Holzapfel & Zabarsky – Toms River
1d Alternate Prosecutors: B. Wilkie & B. Stieber – Citta, Holzapfel & Zabarsky – Toms River
1e Conflict Prosecutor: B. Peterson & Firm – Bonnie R. Peterson Attorney at Law – Seaside Park
1f Animal House Prosecutor: B. Peterson & Firm – Bonnie R. Peterson Attorney at Law – Seaside Park
1g1 Public Defenders: B. DiStefano & Firm – Brian J. DiStefano, Esq., LLC – Bayville
1g2 Conflict Public Defenders
– D. Rumpf & Firm – Rumpf Law, PC – Tuckerton
– S. Gertner & Firm – Gertner & Gertner, LLC – Jackson
– J. Novak & Firm – John J. Novak, P.C. – Toms River
1h Animal House Judge: D. Rumpf & Firm – Rumpf Law, PC – Tuckerton
1i Borough Auditor: J. Conaty & Firm – Holman, Frenia, Allison PC – Toms River
1j Borough Engineer: J. Mele – Colliers Engineering & Design – Red Bank
1k Borough Planner: D. Lawlor & Firm – Colliers Engineering & Design – Red Bank
1l Special Project Engineers:
– R. Savacool & Firm – T&M Associates – Toms River
– E. Feist & Firm – Center State Engineering – Monroe
– W. Groff & Firm – Van Cleef Engineering – Toms River
1m Emerg. Electrical Svcs: G. Brown & Firm – Turbo Electric, Inc. – Point Pleasant
1n Financial Advisors: A. Inverso & Firm – Phoenix Advisors, LLC – Bordentown
1o Borough Physician: HMH Occupational Health – Eatontown
1p Police Psychologist: M. White, PH.D., P.A., Licensed Psychologist – Wall
1q Benefits/Ins. Consultants: S. Davenport & M. Avalone – Conner Strong & Buckelew – Camden
1r Emerg. W/S Services: M. Woszczak – M. Woszczak Mechanical Contractors, Inc. – Manasquan
1s COAH Planner: E. McManus & Firm – Kyle & McManus Associates – Hopewell
1t Affordable Housing Admin Agent: S. Gruel & F. Heyer – Heyer, Gruel & Associates – Red Bank
CONSENT RESOLUTION 2:
2a Approval of temporary budget for 2022
2b Appointment of standing Council committees for 2022
2c Establish Personnel Committee for 2022
2d Appointment of Police Dept. Records Custodian for purposes of OPRA & Litigation Matters
2e Establish interest to be charged on delinquent taxes and water-sewer utility bills
2f Establish 6% penalty for tax delinquencies over $10,000.00
2g Authorization for Council to administer ABC licenses & enforce state statutes
2h Designation of newspapers to be used for legal ads during 2022
2i Appointment of Christine Riehl as Tax Search Officer for 2022
2j Appointment of Eileen Farrell as Assessment Search Officer for 2022
2k Appointment of Kathryn Beno as Deputy Finance Officer for 2022
2l Appointment of Janet Mutter as Deputy Municipal Clerk for 2022
2m Appointment of John Trout as Certified Principal Public Works Manager for 2022
2n Appointment of Janet Mutter as Deputy Registrar for 2022
2o Appointment of Karen Mills as Alternate Deputy Registrar for 2022
2p Re-implementation of Statewide Domestic Violence Policy
2q Appointment of municipal representative (Christine Riehl) & alternate (Borough Engineer) to Ocean
County Community Development Block Grant Committee for 2022
2r Appointment of Christine Riehl as Public Agency Compliance Officer for 2022
2s Appointment of Council liaison to the Board of Education
2t Appointment of liaison to the Chamber of Commerce
2u Appointment of Class I and Class II Special Police Officers, School Crossing Guards, Police Matrons & P/T Communications Operators for 2022
2v Appointment of Tax Assessor to act as agent on Tax Appeals and execute settlements
2w Appointment of Kathryn Beno as Qualified Purchasing Agent and reaffirmation of increase in bid threshold for 2022
2x Authorization to draft application for Safe & Secure Communities Program for 2022 and appointment of Lt. Kyle Grace as grant coordinator
2y Establishment of fees for special DWI sessions
2z Re-establishment of petty cash and change funds for 2022
CONSENT RESOLUTION 3:
3a Designation of CFO to act as Governing Body Secretary during budget workshop sessions
3b Establishment of $10 late fee for late payment of dog license fees
3c Establishment of annual Halloween curfew
3d Establishment of mileage reimbursement rate for 2022
3e Payment of annual lease fee to State of NJ for Rickover Park and open space at junction of Routes 35 and 88
3f Establishment of Clerk/BA stipends for Council meetings & special Bd of Adj meetings
3g Appointment of Christine Riehl as PERMA Fund Commissioner
3h Appointment of Christine Riehl as Insurance Fund Commissioner and Eileen Farrell as Insurance Fund Deputy Commissioner and Insurance Fund Personnel Administrator
3i Appointment of Eileen Farrell as NJ Civil Service System Administrator
3j Appointment of Karen Mills as Board of Health Officer
3k Re-establishment of OPRA copy and administrative fees for 2022
3l Re-establishment of property tax exemption policy for disabled veterans
3m Re-authorization for CFO to issue hand written checks prior to Governing Body approval
3n Appointment of Karen Mills as Dog Warden for 2022
3o Re-establishment of Parking Machine Refund Policy RE: No Refunds
3p Appointment of Peter Ritchings as Dune Inspector for 2022
3q Designation of records custodians for each department
3r Re-establishment of part-time personnel and salaries for certain employees
3s Re-establishment of Condo Conversion Fee Schedule for 2022
3t Designation of financial institution and authorization for Mayor & CFO to act as signatories on Borough accounts
3u Re-establishment of miscellaneous water/sewer rates
3v Establishment of annual League of Municipalities policy
3w Authorization for Recreation Committee to accept applications for Summer Program from the parents of children who attend Antrim School, as well as from Borough employees
3x Establishment of Notary fee at $2.50/document
3y Requirement of Purchasing Agent to serve on Finance Committee
3z Requirement of elected officials to take one instructional course each year
CONSENT RESOLUTION 4:
4a Requirement of additional CFO duties in compliance with DLGS ‘Best Practices’
4b Re-establishment of Fund Balance Policy and Procedures
4c Appointments to Local Emergency Planning Council
4d Establishment of Local Emergency Planning Council meeting dates
4e Approval of 2022 Salary Resolution
4f Reaffirmation of Borough’s Civil Rights Policy
4g Re-instatement of litter patrol during summer season
4h Re-establishment of W/S ready-to-use charge waiver
4i Appointment of Francis Finn as Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator
4j Re-adoption of Meeting Protocol Policy
4k Designation of depositories for municipal funds during 2022
4l Establishment of NJ Paid Sick Leave blackout dates for 2022
4m Establishment of 2022 Council meeting dates
4n Establishment of policy regarding Pleasure Park use during Recreation Summer Park Program
4o Approval of updated Purchasing Policy
4p Re-establishment of Green Team Advisory Committee and Sustainable Use Resolution
4q Re-implementation of updated CDL Drug & Alcohol policy per FMCSA Clearinghouse changes
4r Appointment of J. Gluck as Alternate Municipal Magistrate for 2022
4s Re-establishment of Non-Resident Taxpayer Committee
4t Re-implementation of No Tolerance, Controlled Substance/Alcohol Use, Social Media/Protection of Minors Policies
4u Auth to handle lawsuit co-pymts as other blanket professional fees w/o separate Council approval
CONSENT RESOLUTION 5:
5a Approval of exemption from municipal dog/cat license fees for volunteer fire/first aid personnel
5b Approval of exemption for one bulk pick-up fee/annum for volunteer fire/first aid personnel
5c Approval of exemption from water shut-off/turn-on fees for volunteer fire/first aid personnel
5d Designation of Fire Chief to sign documents and act as liaison for Firefighter Certification
5e Authorization for participation in the Volunteer Tuition Credit Program
5f Authorization for emergency services personnel to participate in AFLAC insurance programs
5g Authorization for Municipal Clerk to sign Fire Dept applications before placing on agenda
5h Establishment of canine and off-duty officer rates for special events
CONSENT RESOLUTION 6:
6a Appointments/Re-appointments of members and liaison to the Parking Authority
6b Appointment of Class III member and Class III alternate member to the Planning Board
CONSENT RESOLUTION 7: Mayoral Appointments
7a Appointments/Reappointments of members to the Floodplain Management Committee
7bAppointments/Reappointments of members and Council liaison to the Cultural Arts Committee
7c Appointments/Reappointments of members and Council liaison to the Recreation Committee
7d Appointments/Reappointments of members and liaison to the Tourism Committee
7e Appointments/Reappointments of members and Council liaisons to the Beautification Committee
7f Appointments/Reappointments of members and Council liaison to the Animal Welfare Committee
7g Appointments/Reappointments of members to the Board of Adjustment
7h Appointments/Reappointments of members and Council liaison to the Environmental Commission
7i Appointments/Reappointments of Class II and Class IV members to the Planning Bd
7j Appointments/Reappointments of Class B member/Class C alternate/liaison to Historic Pres. Com.
7k Appointments/Reappointments of resident/representative/alt members to Open Space Committee
7l Appointments/Reappointments of member and Council liaison to the Shade Tree Commission
7m Appointments/Reappointments of members and Council liaison to the Senior Committee
7n Appointments/Reappointments of members to Volunteer Corps
VOTE: Councilmembers Vitale, Testa, Byrnes, Ramos, Crowley, Migut….YEA
CLOSING PRAYER: FATHER PEDRO DE OLIVEIRA – SAINT PETER CHURCH
Motion by Councilman Ramos to adjourn was seconded by Councilman Migut and carried by consent of Council. Meeting was adjourned at approximately 12:34PM.
ATTEST: _______________________________
Eileen A. Farrell, RMC
Municipal Clerk
