Borough of Point Pleasant Beach Council Meeting Minutes
July 21, 2020
Due to the Point Pleasant Beach Public Health Emergency and State of Emergency declared on March 16, 2020, in response to the COVID-19 outbreak and the directive that all events on Borough property by cancelled until further notice, this meeting was held via the online Zoom Meeting platform/Meeting ID: 980 7375 0036. The public had the option to participate online or via telephone. Instructions were published in the Ocean Star and Asbury Park Press and posted in Borough Hall and on the Borough web site.
Mayor Kanitra called the meeting to order at 7:30PM. Present were Councilmembers Vitale, Testa, Byrnes, Cortes, Santanello and Migut. 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 Councilwoman Testa to approve the June 16, 2020 Council meeting minutes was seconded by Councilman Vitale and carried by roll call vote.
VOTE: Councilmembers Vitale, Testa, Byrnes, Cortes, Santanello, Migut….YEA
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Councilman Vitale: he, CAMP administration and the Recreation Chair made the difficult decision to shut down the Summer Camp Program down, after abruptly cancelling for a week, when a counselor lied on a health questionnaire about COVID exposure and testing – counselor tested positive after being around campers and staff for a day – counselor subsequently tested negative, but couldn’t take any chances – thanked Michele Mosca, Allison Pastor, Ryan Simunovich who spent months preparing – he and the Mayor were blown away by the programs put in place – looks forward to next year; Uke on the Beach and Beach Yoga are up and running and are well-attended; PPB and Manasquan Recreation Committees are planning the Tug of War, which is dependent on factors pertaining to the pandemic; Recreation Committee is planning for the bonfire – goal is to limit it to PPB residents and taxpayers; gave Police Chief’s report since the last Council meeting – there have been 73 criminal arrests (61% increase over the same week last year) and 605 Borough Ordinance Violations for quality of life (QOL) offenses (a 228% increase) – summer 2020 one of the busiest in PPB history – individuals drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana in public – Chief commended the PD staff for an outstanding job in these stressful times – in his 25 years of experience, has never seen the level of disrespect for Officers and residents – Officers are being met with video cameras filming their every move, people yelling obscenities, and the constant scrutiny of being called racists who are targeting people for their skin color, rather than for criminal behavior – this narrative is garbage – won’t stand for anyone spreading false rumors about the character and integrity of the PD – won’t be deterred – have employed numerous tactics to assist in identifying problem areas and addressing issues, including new video cameras, extra beach patrols, additional bike Officers and foot posts on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays – with the support of Mayor and Council, have hired additional full-time Officers and made promotions to address pending retirements of senior personnel – have called upon the Ocean County Prosecutors Office and Sheriff’s Department to assist with manpower and other logistical support on the weekends – are fortunate to have brave leaders to stand up and defend Police – appreciates resident and visitor support – are all in this together – pledges to continue to employ zero-tolerance on QOL issues – encourages residents and businesses to contact PD about unlawful activity, so issues can be addressed while unfolding – working daily to build a positive Police-community relationship – much to be done, but progress is being made; reiterated that Police need to be notified before posting on social media – urged all to use the Neighborhood Partnership Initiative page – everything sent to that page gets shared with PD immediately; the sink hole on St. Louis & New Jersey Aves. and broken water valve on Rte. 35 and New Jersey Ave. were repaired; B2 is using bump-out barricades for outdoor dining – Fire Dept. filled the barricades; looking for approval for line painter to pain a Right Turn Only arrow at the intersection of Arnold and River Aves. for $250, using DOT-compliant paint (added as ITEM 3Q); huge tree at Central and St. Louis intersection is reducing visibility of the Stop sign – Code Enforcement and Shade Tree looked at it – rather than take down the tree, they decided to put a sign in front indicating that there is a Stop sign ahead; he created an Acceptable Use Social Media Policy for Borough employees, which is being reviewed by the Borough Attorney; residents have said litter has decreased since cooler size was reduced, so he favors it.
Councilwoman Testa: thanked Governing Body and residents for participation; new Arts Committee murals are going up downtown – was discussion about an art gallery, featuring artists in empty storefront windows, to beautify downtown and help artists display their work – For Sale signs with floor plans would be included to help building owners – are working on a list of interested businesses – thanked the Committee for their hard work; Beautification is working very hard on weeding and watering, in the extreme heat – huge thank you to Chair Steiner and volunteers; there was a Code Enforcement meeting on Wednesday, but she had to go to work early (Councilman Cortes: he and Councilman Santanello called in, waited 10 minutes and no one else called in – the assumption was that Councilwoman Testa had cancelled it); asked BA/CFO Riehl if Code Enforcement was implemented in GovPilot (BA/CFO Riehl: in the works); big shout out for Little Silver Lake clean-up this past Saturday – a resident reached out to her and requested it – was last done 2 years ago – Mayor and BA/CFO agreed – thanked QOL Dir. O’Rourke, who organized everything with her – huge turnout – very successful – thanked the Dive Team/First Aid Squad for providing water and an air-conditioned truck – thanked the Mayor, Alora and the students who showed up – nice event – will communicate it better next time – would like to do this every year – lake residents really appreciate it; QOL Dir. O’Rourke, Paul and BA/CFO Riehl had a call with NJ DOT about outstanding and new resident requests, including painted directional arrows on Rte. 35N&S and a left-turn signal at Arnold & Rte. 35S –– DOT will arrange painters to come out but arrows are not possible this year due to furloughs and pandemic – will be considered in 2021 – Borough would need to provide 25% investment, as part of mandatory cost-share agreement – asked that intersections be painted with “Don’t Block the Box; thanked John Maser and Kelsey at Maser Engineering for help with grants to get roads fixed – waiting to hear back – they are always available, kind, considerate and hard-working – are very lucky to have them; will be different opinions on Ordinances 2020-11 and 2020-12, but should all remain respectful – would like to discuss her points of view (Councilman Cortes: not allowed to speak on this; Mayor Kanitra: she is allowed to talk about whatever she wants in her Committee Report – unless the Borough Attorney has any objections – seems like a double standard and a bit of mansplaining to the Councilwoman; Attorney Riordan: Committee Reports allow a wide range of topics, including ordinances – per meeting procedures, the public has opportunity to comment on second reading – have always allowed comment on ordinances on the agenda for first reading during first public participation, but there is nothing illegal about the Councilwoman discussing the ordinances at this phase; Councilman Santanello: she has every right to); are a lot of concerns about cooler size – demonstrated what can fit in two 11” coolers – ordinance allows 13” – enough to sustain a family for 5 hours – and each family member can bring one – sees large coolers on beach with cases of beer – can’t really hide anything in a 13” cooler – shouldn’t have 14- and 15-year-olds checking coolers for alcohol – should be 18, the age to work in a liquor store or restaurant – when people decide not to follow rules, there are consequences to actions – visitors must respect the beach, residents and ordinances – she supports the ordinance; during the campaign, found that residents’ main concern is safety, cleanliness and the respect of the town – is not here for political gain – her concern is the residents; she sees both sides on the tree ordinance, but only one resident reached out to her it, saying that at least 50% of residents should to be in agreement for it to pass – she agrees – received letters from 2 residents who favor the ordinance – commends them all – wants to hear what everyone thinks – changes were made to come to a happy medium – thanked Governing Body, BA/CFO Riehl and residents – have to be in this together.
Councilwoman Byrnes: thanked residents in attendance, Mayor & Council, Chief, BA/CFORiehl & Clerk Farrell for support; thanked Chief for his commitment to QOL issues – a big deal for residents, as many, sadly, are looking to leave – also thanked him for his report; Fire Dept. has been fairly busy, mostly with minor issues, but it is unsettling when they are called upon in these uncertain times – thanked them – proud to have 2 new active and 2 new junior members; Environmental Commission met last week via Zoom – Green Team discussed grant opportunities including Clean Communities, as well as Sustainable Jersey actions, and the Shade Tree Commission updated them on the proposed ordinance and amendments; Shade Tree will submit a proposal to the Ocean County Shade Tree Commission for trees on Broadway – are thankful for Maintenance Worker Balzano’s watering; Environmental Commission discussed another volunteer project, involving clean-up and replanting on Arnold Ave., between the firehouse and Post Office and is seeking high schoolers, to be supervised the Commission, and a professional landscaper – missing stickers on recycling receptacles will be replaced by the hard-working volunteers – Chair Ritchings advised the Commission of a potential dune violation – is communicating with DEP, Bureau of Coastal Land Use and the Coastal Environmental Office; read a letter in support of the Shade Tree ordinance (Councilman Cortes: asked if that constitutes public comment; Attorney Riordan: it is a relatively unusual procedure – ordinarily, if residents want to speak they come to the meeting – usually, they don’t send Councilmembers letters to be read – but it’s up to the Mayor; Mayor Kanitra: told her to go ahead and read it) read the letter, which states that legislation in support of trees is needed – have worked tirelessly on the ordinance – she would like to see it passed; met with the Borden’s building owner to work with her on dressing up the ground-level recessed windows and removing old signage – been working with Kim Carr from the PPBHS Art Dept. and senior students on ideas (Councilwoman Testa: hats off – is proud to be working alongside her).
Councilman Cortes: thanked all – recognized employee anniversaries for July – Terry O’Connor 15 years, Brian Patton 6; invited all to reach out to him about Public Property, Buildings and Grounds, as he has chaired that committee for 5-6 years – Councilwomen Testa and Byrnes are on the committee with him; letters were hand-delivered to row houses between Parkway and Broadway, explaining garbage and recycling collection – has seen less garbage on Ocean Ave. – still working on getting rid of bags; the flag pole at the gazebo and a water valve cover on Elizabeth Ave. were broken, was a sink hole on St. Louis, watering bubbling in front of a home on New Jersey, and a NJ Transit pole was knocked over – all were taken care of in a couple of days – when mentioned to the right people/department, things can get done; apologized to Councilwoman Byrnes for not being available to walk Arnold Ave. with her, as scheduled – he and DPW Super. Trout met later and he inadvertently did not contact her – bags seem to be coming from the upstairs apartments – showed a picture of an inground container that DPW Super. Trout is looking into – could be placed next to containers on Arnold Ave., where bags won’t be exposed and pose a trip hazard; questioned $148K for construction administration and observation services on one of the Maser purchase orders – would like to make a motion to get quotes from all of the Borough’s qualified engineers on any capital improvement projects (Mayor Kanitra: in the last 4 years, no engineering project was given to anyone other than one firm – have already given a lot of projects to different engineering firms) – Maser Consulting was purchased by a Canadian International Real Estate company in March (Attorney Riordan: was all over the news: Mayor Kanitra: they let us know in March that they were acquired by a conglomerate, functioning as their own stand-alone unit) concerned – he worked for a big corporation and, when changes were made, his position was eliminated; doesn’t want to be perceived as not being for the town – he is in his third term and loves the town – he grew up here, loves trees and the beach – but, for the second meeting in a row, he was unable to read the ordinance revisions because he didn’t receive them in time – 5 meetings this year have had revised agendas that came out the day of the meeting – that’s not right – had to scan through the old and new ordinance for changes – asked why they weren’t noted or in bold type – looked up Spring Lake’s, Manasquan’s, Belmar’s, Point Pleasant’s and Bay Head’s Shade Tree ordinances – mainly public property is mentioned, not private – Spring Lake uses the words “encourage” and “recommend” not “require” – has issues with volunteers having a say on private property and having to go through Shade Tree Commission prior to getting a building permit – no other towns he researched have that – also, the strip between the curb and sidewalk in Spring Lake is much larger than in PPB, giving them an advantage on the size and types of trees that can be planted; spoke about Ordinance 2020-12 – hours of operation are for all beaches, not just Maryland Ave. – government trying to tell private businesses when they can operate and who they must hire – suggested, instead of badge checkers with measuring tape, etc., requiring single handle/shoulder strap, no backpack, no wheels, no modified handles, no after-market modifications, etc., to make it easier on checkers (Attorney Riordan: a section of Spring Lake ordinance is identical to what is proposed for PPB).
Councilman Santanello: thanked Councilman Vitale and the Shade Tree Commission for looking at the issue on Central Ave. – noted that he brought it up twice in the last 2 months and was ignored; is concerned, as he received a considerable number of calls and emails, about inconsistency on code enforcement for weeds – Ocean Ave. residents received warnings for 2’ weeds, rather than 10’ weeds, which is what is in the ordinance – there were fines without warnings downtown – CEO Tumolo is uncomfortable enforcing things that conflict with code – should not be based upon someone’s interpretation (Mayor Kanitra: noted that Councilman Santanello is close to talking about an employee performance and expectations) is not talking about performance – is talking about whether the Mayor is asking a public employee to do things outside of code (Mayor Kanitra: he copies BA/CFO Riehl on anything – she can answer his concerns) very concerned about asking Code Enforcement Officers to disobey ordinances, based upon an order from the Mayor – they have to follow codes as they are; echoed Councilman Cortes’ concerns about revised ordinances – would like changes circled – did not have a chance to review – would have to compare side-to-side – is unfair for residents as well; spoke asked what the revision was to Ordinance 2020-11 (Mayor Kanitra: size in the perimeter was increased from 4” to 6”, in the buildable area, from 4” to 12” and the $500 fee was taken out) those are things that would have helped him support it (Attorney Riordan: apologized – will do that next time) likes that it took improvement away from Shade Tree Commission and gave it to Code Enforcement (inaudible) – because it is not part of the final CO, he has to vote no – appreciates that Mayor Kanitra listened to his concerns – received more calls against the ordinance than for it – too costly, too (inaudible), too punitive and government overreach; asked what the revisions were to Ordinance 2020-12 (Mayor Kanitra: less restrictive – changed time from 6PM to 7PM and allows for surfers and fishermen; Attorney Riordan: thinks that’s it) is also concerned about legal fees, as he believes the town will be sued by Citizens Right to Access Beaches (CRAB) – there was a veiled threat from them when they put in the Bay Head lawsuit that they won (inaudible; Mayor Kanitra: spoke with representatives from Surfrider, CRAB, Littoral Society, etc. – sent them the language – diving group had 2 small changes – all were fine with it) is concerned about no tables, cooking, etc. – likes that for people coming to the beach, but Martell’s and Jenkinson’s now can’t have outdoor events on their property – horrible to hold beach owners responsible for someone sneaking alcohol onto beach – objects to no ball playing and to the permitted time for dogs on beach – thinks it’s weird that the only place where dogs are allowed is by the Mayor’s house – asked about movies on the beach and private enterprise (Mayor Kanitra: the dog ordinance hasn’t changed – dogs have been allowed on the municipal beach for years; Attorney Riordan: correct – it’s the Maryland Ave. beach ordinance, extended to all beaches, with a few tweaks; Mayor Kanitra: ball playing hasn’t changed, only if it is intrusive to others – as far as music goes, annoyance means hordes of kids blaring music on the Boardwalk, subjecting Boardwalk residents and guests to it) believes they are unenforceable and could lead to lawsuits; asked for the revisions to Ordinance 2020-15 (Mayor Kanitra: had to do with JIF letter about knee pad requirements, capacity restriction, permitting process) is concerned with the way it reads – permanent solutions to temporary problems – social distancing, masks, hand sanitizers – should say during pandemic or emergency situation – doesn’t like that skateboards can’t be shared – doesn’t like 10 users – should only read that way during a pandemic – he and the skateboard community want this to open, but a lot of people feel that, the way it’s written, it’s designed for the skatepark to fail, as it will lead automatically to summonses – doesn’t think it should open it until September, when locals can use it first – it’s vague about how permit is handled – needs more attention.
Motion by Councilman Santanello to TABLE Ordinance 2020-15 until next meeting was seconded by Councilwoman Testa and carried by roll call vote.
VOTE: Councilmembers Vitale, Testa, Byrnes, Cortes, Santanello, Migut….YEA
(Attorney Riordan: concerns are not unfounded – took wording from Long Beach, Seaside Park and Bradley Beach, so they have been on the books for some time) would like to talk to him about it (Attorney Riordan: absolutely; Mayor Kanitra: apologized to Councilman Santanello for interrupting him and thanked him for a cordial report – thinks tabling was a good decision).
Councilman Migut: the Animal Welfare Committee postponed all fundraisers for the foreseeable future due to COVID-19; the Planning Board will meet virtually in August to administratively extend a previous approval by resolution; the Parking Authority will meet virtually in August – the first applications for the employee parking pass program were delivered to Borough Hall; the shared services agreement with Bay Head and Mantoloking for financing repair to the town ambulance is being finalized – asked Attorney if he foresees it this week (Attorney Riordan: has his partner working on it – will check); tax professionals expect many tax appeals and revaluation requests due to the State-mandated COVID-19 restrictions and restrictions on Boardwalk businesses being introduced tonight, affecting the profitability of businesses in coming years – landlords will be entitled to tax relief – this statement was edited by the Municipal Tax Assessor Tax Appeal Attorney (Attorney Riordan: asked which attorney looked that over – don’t have a Tax Appeal Attorney) Jerry Dasti (Attorney Riordan: disagrees wholeheartedly – will talk about it after the meeting and will talk to Mr. Dasti tomorrow).
Mayor Kanitra: PPB doesn’t need to be resigned to a fate of a mediocre town, trash-filled and full of weeds, etc. (inaudible) – shouldn’t fall on the shoulders of a 24-person Police Dept. – PPB businesses don’t need to close and suffer because the Governing Body is too lazy to have a plan to help them or to clean up downtown – trying to take strong stances against everything – this town is going to get turned around – were not elected to be wallflowers – hard work gets things done, not political theater – will be acknowledging and fixing problems with real solutions; have listened to residents – problems didn’t happen overnight and won’t be fixed overnight – continue to take steps in the right direction; new Officers are hitting the ground running; zero-tolerance policy has 2x the number of tickets being issued; new beach buggy purchased with Cares Act funding is helping to catch a lot of things; weekend Code Enforcement patrols are cracking down; DPW is working to get back to full force; will use Cares Act funding to purchase a litter VAC; County has approved increased fines across the board; have new No Smoking and No Littering signs; have asked for a quote for 4 weatherproof speakers and a flag pole for the Police substation – will have a recorded message welcoming people to the Boardwalk and reminding them of Borough ordinances and penalties, will be a daily National Anthem over the speakers; Judge LePore’s appointment is on the agenda – he has a reputation as a tough but fair judge in Brick until he left about 5 years ago – he held the line there and that is what is needed in PPB – is a resident who cares about his community, an invaluable asset; the beach and boardwalk ordinance is vital to the town’s future – cooler restrictions will reduce litter and make it easier to check for alcohol and drugs – 18-year-old limit will eliminate younger kids having to check for substances they can’t legally touch and having to turn away tough people; music restrictions will crack down on people blaring their own personal theme music on the Boardwalk and bringing huge speakers to the beach; liability component makes business owners have skin in the game – everyday, he sees videos of people blatantly doing drugs on the beach – hopes this will create real incentive for beach operators to properly check bags and coolers; are looking to clean up Ocean Ave. – ordinance says a plastic bag can’t be put out by itself, which is what a lot of visitors do and it looks horrendous, especially when torn apart by seagulls; downtown banners are on the agenda – the Fisher Fdn. will again split the cost with the town – have selected 8 historic properties to be highlighted; the Shade Tree Commission has asked that the ordinance be brought up for discussion – not being rammed down anyone’s throat – real government is about finding middle ground – original was a little too restrictive – has been changed to delineate the difference between a tree on a property’s perimeter and one in the buildable area – diameters have increased greatly and onerous parts have been taken out – looks forward to compromise to protect old trees and encourage a shade canopy; QOL Dir. O’Rourke is prepping the quarterly newsletter; is adamantly opposed to potential offshore wind farm – would be staring at windmills while sitting on the beach – would be devasting to tourism, migratory birds, shellfish grounds and fishing industry – have already submitted opposition – will follow extremely closely – thanked QOL Dir. O’Rourke, with her State Legislature experience, for getting PPB in the game well ahead of time; QOL Dir. O’Rourke is working on the electric vehicle charging grant, a public engagement opportunity with Sustainable Jersey, application for a National Archives grant and a Landscape Restoration grant, a pop-up shop program with a local woman turning the Gotlieb Building into a makers market/event space; the Volunteer Corps is moving along, with mandatory form emailed to all interested parties – limited to PPB residents, age 18 and up – QOL Dir. O”Rourke has finished the Volunteers Mission Statement – the Senior Committee has a called scheduled with the Montclair Senior Committee, which is a model for all of NJ – they’ve drafted a mission statement as well, going through AARP materials – need to a targeted membership list; will be revitalizing the Mayor’s Wellness Campaign; looking at an art installation downtown with red metal seagull bike racks – looking at Fisher Fdn. grant for some at strategic areas; have had issues treating Lake of the Lillies, with State furloughs – hope to treat it this week and are working on a Lake Management Plan; have started a new Instagram account – @ptpleasantbeach; received a call from the Governor’s office that PPB is at around 50% of compliance with Census 2020 – asking NRTAC members to mark on their Census forms that their houses here are second homes – QOL Dir. O’Rourke is talking to the County and State about having a Census vehicle at the train station lot to get things moving – have produced some materials in Spanish to increase rates as well QOL Dir. O’Rourke is working with the Ocean County Road Dept., maintaining a spreadsheet to monitor what is going on in the Legislature to impact PPB; work continues on the NJ Transit Quiet Zone, new banners are in production; have landscaping and irrigation RFPs to ensure trees are watered properly and regularly (Councilman Cortes: irrigation will free up Maintenance Worker Balzano to do more of what Mayor Kanitra wanted) necessity is the mother of invention – has a lot of trees close to dying – he has made the difference.
BA/CFO Riehl: DPW installed 40 No Smoking signs on the Boardwalk; working with DPW and Police Chief on permanent signs for early next year to include ordinances changes, if passed, posted at beach entrances; in addition to 4 speakers for District 2, is getting alternate quotes for an illuminated sign board to be erected on District 2 and a full Boardwalk speaker system that would blast throughout the Boardwalk – if cost efficient, will do all this year – have 2 vendors quoting; solicited and received irrigation system quotes from 2 vendors for the Comfort Station at the Inlet, across from the Comfort Station and Little Silver Lake area – one was for $53,600 and the other $27,590 (Councilman Cortes: asked to see the quotes) asked for authorization to move forward or wait until the August 4th meeting and disseminate quotes (Mayor Kanitra: would love to move it tonight and give her the ability to work through the pricing, etc. to free up Maintenance Worker Balzano to tackle litter, etc. during the busiest time of the summer; Councilman Cortes: asked the DPW Super. Trout look it over to be sure comparing apples to apples; Attorney Riordan: someone might have made a mistake) already checked – Motion by Councilman Cortes, second by Councilman Vitale (consensus to just add as ITEM 3R); Lake treatment will be done tomorrow in Lake of the Lillies – will be on-site tomorrow with the Lakeshore Rehabilitation vendor to discuss progress, nano-bubblers and aeration; meeting with DOT this Thursday at Rte. 35 and Arnold to discuss signage for Left-Hand Turning lane signalization and line painting; Locks of Love will be installed at Inlet tomorrow; received quotes and moving forward with Council Chambers renovations – new carpet, paint and blinds; received 7 applications for DPW laborers – hopes to appoint 2 shortly.
Councilman Cortes: asked if Mayor Kanitra is available Friday morning (Mayor Kanitra: 9AM-10AM) would like to meet with him and DPW Super. Trout at DPW.
Councilwoman Testa: thanked the resident who graciously donated flowers for the outside patio at Borough Hall – he doesn’t want to be acknowledged – asked if town can get a hose before putting down mulch (Councilman Cortes: a drip hose), yes – there is a spicket; on behalf of resident Chantale Taurozzi, thanked BA/CFO Riehl and QOL Dir. O’Rourke for quick response to her call about flooding during the last tropical storm.
Councilman Vitale: on the beach ordinance, would like to add the Dive Team to those allowed on beaches after hours and allow for navigating shore line (Mayor Kanitra: amendment when it’s brought up).
Mayor Kanitra: announced that the 3-minute rule would be enforced, as there are a lot of people in the meeting.
Councilman Vitale: asked all to mute themselves.
Clerk announced agenda additions/revisions.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION BEGAN AT 9:29PM
Former Councilman Tom Toohey, 114 Niblick St., PPB: thanked all for tabling the skate park ordinance – spoke to the Mayor about serving as liaison on the project – doesn’t expect blowback from the skateboard community – thinks everyone just wants to get it right – is willing to be involved in the conversation; advised new Councilmembers that Borough professionals will always be available, as they are being paid and that 95% of questions could be answered by the BA/CFO..
Mike Castellano, Chair, Surfrider Fdn./NJ Chapter: thanked Mayor for speaking with their legislative liaison on the access issue – sympathizes about behavior of beach patrons – conducts beach clean ups daily and sees the problem – appreciates the need for amendments – important to add divers to the list and lateral access is important – one attributes of living at the shore is walking the high tide line – asked that it be added (inaudible).
Vince Castin, 15 Trenton Ave., PPB: asked about item 2u; agrees with Councilmen Cortes and Santanello about most tree issues – good changes; agrees with skatepark opening in September; supports no windmills on the shore; fence by Inlet Dr. condos has spears and looks hazardous; spoke about the Coast Guard Station status.
Margaret Windrem, 133 Boardwalk, PPB: supports continuation of strong, strict enforcement – Boardwalk behavior has been alarming – noted blatant pot smoking, loud thumping music, drinking, littering, language etc. – has gotten better with more Police in June – asked Governing Body to continue to support Police; said DPW and Water employees are extremely helpful and pleasant.
E.J. Geiger, 115 Arnold Ave., PPB: asked about location of Boardwalk speakers – concerned about them being in residential areas; would like beach dog hours extended; asked about drone usage.
Kristin Hennessey, 604 New Jersey Ave., PPB: spoke about the disgraceful cancellation of the Park Program – should not be cancelled entirely after one week – kids are devastated; need rules to preserve community charm and character – need to model ordinances of communities like Bay Head and Spring Lake.
Burt Esrig, 1311 Oceanfront, PPB/Member of Bradshaw’s Beach LLC: spoke to the association and AquaServe, who run the day-to-day operations – applaud efforts to crack down on bad behavior, but have not been contacted to discuss the proposed ordinance – would like to work together to identify potential operational problems, generate procedures and identify equipment needed to affect what is needed.
Dave Cavagnaro, 118 Parkway, PPB: spoke about beach ordinance – appreciates, but are trampling people’s private property rights – should have been a meeting with all beach owners prior to introduction; complained about lack of time to review the Shade Tree ordinance revision – this ordinance selectively attacks private property rights – will affect property values – makes trees the most important step for people trying to improve their property – the wrong priority.
Anne Lightburn, 307 New Jersey Ave., PPB: spoke about the beach ordinance – would like permission, along with surfers to walk the beach at own risk; Shade Tree ordinance is really an ordinance to protect trees from clear cutting during new construction/development – asked all to support – ordinances are important and there is always a delicate balance between community interests and property rights – hopes all appreciate the flexibility built into it – intent is to discourage removal of mature perimeter trees and to ensure that, if removed, they are replaced somewhere in town.
Kitty Stillufsen, 331 River Ave., PPB: as former Shade Tree Chair, favors proposed tree ordinance – a very educated group – clear cutting is a travesty – affects air, water quality, noise, aesthetics – this is the least that can be done for ecology – only replacing healthy trees of a significant size – replanting a tree is a tax deduction – a lot of ordinances affect private property to protect the community – there is fear mongering; likes to swim after hours with no lifeguards.
John Taurozzi, 509 Delaware Ave., PPB: opposes the tree ordinance because of personal property rights – have plenty of rules – this ordinance has a fee fund that should be used to help homeowners maintain trees – must be careful about spending other people’s money.
Anne Lightburn, 307 New Jersey Ave., PPB: would be a tree replacement fund under Council’s authority – would be their decision to help homeowners maintain – ordinance is only for development lots and has nothing to do with established homes.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION ENDED AT 10:12PM
Motion by Councilman Cortes to close public participation and approve the items listed below was seconded by Councilman Vitale and carried by roll call vote.
RESOLUTION 1: Adoption of 2020 Municipal Budget
CONSENT RESOLUTION 2:
2a Approval of payment of Payroll #13 ($285,427,56), #14 ($285,427,99) & #15 ($332,727.52)
2b Approval of payment to NJ DCA for 2nd quarter State training fees ($3,609)
2c Approval of pymt to Signworld America for 118 double sided banners & graphic design ($2,548)
2d Approval of 3rd quarter sewerage payments ($318,071.25)
2e Approval of intermittent LOA for Employee #000492450
2f Appt of R. LePore as Judge of the Municipal Court, eff 8/1, to fill Judge Liguori’s unexpired term through 2022
2g Approval of PO to Tennant Sales & Service for litter VAC for DPW ($31,500)
2h Approval of payment to the OC Landfill to replenish landfill escrow ($50K)
2i Approval of payment to BTMUA for June bulk water usage ($99,859.50)
2j Approval of pymt to All Covered for IT maintenance & support ($3,654)
2k Memorialization of appointment of M. Williams to the position of Seasonal Laborer
2l Memorialization of appt of K. Payne to the position of Seasonal Code Enforcement Officer
2m Memorialization of approval PPB Rec Yoga Classes on MD Ave. Beach, twice daily 7/3-10/11
2n Memorialization of approval of PPB Rec Uke on the Beach, MD Ave. Beach, Monday 7/13-8/17
2o Approval of amended date and route for St. Peter’s Fisherman’s 5K through town on 10/17
2p Approval of payment to USPS for prepaid postage ($5K)
2q Approval of pymt PPB BOE for Jul allocation & debt service for Jul-Dec ($7,176,990.75)
2r Approval of payment to Servpro for June COVID-19 cleaning ($8,850)
2s Approval of payment of employee insurance opt-outs for January-June 2020 ($29,992.58)
2t Approval of payment to Spohn Ranch Skateparks for skatepark construction ($38K)
2u Auth to accept NJ Bureau of Housing Insp funds to inspect hotels/multiple dwellings 7/20-6/21
2v Approval of PO to S&S Arts and Crafts for Park Program supplies ($2,958.26)
2w Approval of pymt to Office Business Systems for FTR recording software update ($4,749.40)
2x Approval of payment to the State of NJ for employee & retiree health benefits ($114,686.13)
2y Amendment of appt of J. Woolley from Class B to Class A member of Historic Pres. Comm.
2z Approval of payment to OC Treasurer for 3rd quarter tax levy ($2,306,094)
CONSENT RESOLUTION 3:
3a Approval of T&M proposal for inspection of water sphere & ground tanks ($18,725)
3b Approval of payment to All Covered for 67 Microsoft Exchange online renewals ($6,646.40)
3c Approval of payment to H. Kees & Sons for Little League fencing ($12,905)
3d Approval of payment to Maxr for 22 waste recycle bins for DPW ($31,651.25)
3e Approval of payment to Sprague Resources for 2,350 gallons of DPW diesel fuel ($3,103.65)
3f Approval of PO to Petroleum Traders Corp for no-lead gasoline for DPW for 2020 ($25K)
3g Approval of pymt to Petroleum Traders Corp for 6,000 gallons of gasoline for DPW ($9,035.40)
3h Approval of pymt to Force Construction for release of perf guarantee/insp fees ($9,673.74)
3i Approval of PO to Taylor Flooring for courtroom & backroom carpeting ($6,548.11)
3j Approval of pymt to M. Woszczak for storm drain repair & hydrant remove/replace ($12,363.27)
3k Approval of PO & Payment to Hutchinson Plumbing for AC at District 2 ($7,575)
3l Approval of payment to Rileighs Outdoor Décor for 22 snowflakes & garland ($12,645.02)
3m Amend to Res 2020-0616/1B (Sukha Yoga, Pleasure Pk) – Sat & Sun 8:15AM-9:45AM
3n Approval of OCCARES Grant funding agreement and authorization to execute
3o Appointment of R. Ellsworth to the Beautification Committee
3p Establishment of minimum hourly rates for employees, effective January 1, 2020
3q Approval of painting of right-turn on Arnold and River ($250) – ADDED PER CMTE RPTS
3r Auth to move forward with more cost-effective irrigation quote, pending review by Administrator that it is the same caliber as the other – PER BA/CFO REPORT
CONSENT RESOLUTION 4:
4a Approval of payment of computer-generated vouchers ($4,191,929.78)
4b Approval of pymt of hand checks from Collector, Gen’l Capital, W/S, Trust & Dog Trust accts
4c Approval of payment of hand checks from the Planning Bd, BOA & Developer escrow accts
4d Approval of Jr. Membership in Fire Company No 2 for A. Finn, PPB
4e Approval of PO to Fire & Safety Svcs for servicing fire trucks ($8K)
4f Memorialization of promo of K. Grace to position of Police Lt & auth to certify/dispose of cert list
4g Memorialization of promotion of P. Drew to the position of Provisional Police Sergeant
4h Memorialization of appointment of B. Kingsley, D. Marchetti, J. Latshaw, T. Zukowitz, M. Allegretta & A. Gant to position of Police Officer & auth to certify/dispose of cert list
4i Memorialization of appointment of P/T Seasonal PEOs & Public Safety Telecommunicators
4j Memorialization of appt of M. Palmer to the position of F/T Public Safety Telecommunicator
4k Approval of PO to Absolute Fire Protect for yrly maint on 2010 E-One & 4201 Truck ($5,840)
4l Approval of PO to Atlantic Tactical for Police equipment ($2,930.88)
4m Approval of PO to Premier Electronic Solutions for replacement of PD Security Syst ($11,985)
4n Approval of PO to NJ Business Systems for skatepark wireless ($6,756.50)
4o Approval of Payment to Winner Ford for 2020 Police Interceptor ($32,889)
4p Approval of Membership in Ocean Fire Company No 1 for Conor Lynch, Point Pleasant Beach
VOTE: Councilmembers Vitale, Testa, Byrnes, Cortes, Santanello (except 4f, 4g, 4h, 4i, 4j, 4l, 4m, 4o),
Migut (except 4a, 4d, 4k)….YEA
Councilmen Santanello (4f, 4g, 4h, 4i, 4j, 4l, 4m, 4o), Migut (4a, 4d, 4k)…ABSTAIN
ORDINANCES:
Ordinance 2020-11 (Amend Ch 3 to Require Tree Removal Permits for Removal of Trees Related to New Construction) was introduced on first reading. Motion by Councilman Vitale to approve Ordinance 2020-11 on first reading was seconded by Councilwoman Byrnes and DENIED by roll call vote.
VOTE: Councilmembers Vitale, Byrnes….YEA
Councilmembers Testa, Cortes, Santanello, Migut…NAY
Ordinance 2020-12 (Amend Ch 21, Regulations Governing Conduct on Beaches and Boardwalk) was introduced on first reading. Motion by Councilman Vitale to approve Ordinance 2020-12 on first reading, as amended, to include Dive Team and lateral shoreline access, was seconded by Councilwoman Testa and carried by roll call vote. Public hearing will be held on August 4, 2020.
VOTE: Councilmembers Vitale, Testa, Byrnes & Mayor Kanitra….YEA
Councilmembers Cortes, Santanello, Migut…NAY
Ordinance 2020-13 (Amend Ch 3, Regulations on Use of Plastic Bags as Receptacles for Curbside Pick Up) was introduced on first reading. Motion by Councilman Santanello to approve Ordinance 2020-13 on first reading, as amended to allow for up to 5 receptacles, no more than one bag, and in order to have even one bag, you must have one can, was seconded by Councilman Cortes and carried by roll call vote. The public hearing will be held on August 4, 2020.
VOTE: Councilmembers Vitale, Testa, Byrnes, Cortes, Santanello, Migut….YEA
Ordinance 2020-14 (Multi-Purpose Bond Ordinance) was introduced on first reading. Motion by Councilman Migut to approve Ordinance 2020-14 on first reading was seconded by Councilman Vitale and carried by roll call vote. The public hearing will be held on August 4, 2020.
VOTE: Councilmembers Vitale, Testa, Byrnes, Cortes, Santanello, Migut….YEA
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION BEGAN AT 10:32PM
Dave Cavagnaro, 118 Parkway, PPB: appreciates the difficult decision for some to vote against Ordinance 2020-11 – thanked them as a property owner (Councilwoman Testa: asked if Ordinance 2020-11 can be revisited; Attorney Riordan: no – meeting policy is clear that you cannot bring up a subject that has been voted down before, during the same year, unless a member of the group that voted it down moves to have it considered; Mayor Kanitra: asked if vote can be reconsidered if meeting is not adjourned; Councilwoman Testa: she misunderstood; Attorney Riordan: they can talk and draft something with changes, and because she voted no, she can bring it up and that would work; Councilwoman Testa: she is talking about the changes involving incentives to the homeowner; Mayor Kanitra: can bring it up as soon as the calendar year changes too; Councilman Santanello: whether the Shade Tree Committee can do something to help the residents is a whole different issue; Mayor Kanitra: would have to be a substantive change to be brought up in the calendar year; Attorney Riordan: yes – a substantive change or something that is brought up by someone who voted no – the purpose is to avoid having to vote over and over on the same thing).
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION ENDED AT 10:38PM
Motion to close public participation adjourn by Councilman Cortes was seconded by Councilman Santanello (no objection).
Meeting was adjourned at 10:39PM.
ATTEST: _______________________________
Eileen A. Farrell, RMC
Municipal Clerk
