Borough of Point Pleasant Beach Council Meeting Minutes
July 6, 2021
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 7:31PM. 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 Councilman Vitale to approve the June 15, 2021 Council meeting minutes was seconded by Councilwoman Testa and carried by roll call vote.
VOTE: Councilmembers Vitale, Testa, Byrnes, Cortes, Santanello, Migut….YEA
Motion by Councilwoman Testa to approve the June 22, 2021 Council meeting minutes was seconded by Councilwoman Byrnes and carried by roll call vote.
VOTE: Councilmembers Vitale, Testa, Byrnes, Cortes, Santanello….YEA
Councilman Migut….ABSTAIN
DISCUSSION: A.J. Meerwald
Mayor Kanitra: entered into negotiations with the GSA for direct sale of the Coast Guard Station, have already received $1M and are possibly in line for more funding for Channel Dr. revitalization – putting a great focus on non-beach waterfront areas and maritime history – been trying to attract entities to bring in tourists, year-round, in a historically-focused vein – the A.J. Meerwald, New Jersey’s Tall Ship, is fully-restored historic oyster boat – would be iconic/a hallmark to see the sail coming over the bridge into town – received an official letter from the A.J. Meerwald to enter into discussions to make PPB their summer home – a designated historic landmark, they would be in line to receive at least 50% funding for a dock to accommodate them – this discussion is to authorize an official letter from Council saying we are interested in opening discussions – there are several components – County street-end is there – dredging is coming soon – some give and take might be required from the developer, and they would need a room or 2 in the Coast Guard Station for crew rest and cooking – there are still a million steps that need to fall into place.
Motion by Councilman Santanello to write a response to the A.J. Meerwald, from Council, signifying the Borough’s interest to open into discussion to have PPB be their summer home, was seconded by Councilman Cortes and carried by roll call vote.
VOTE: Councilmembers Vitale, Testa, Byrnes, Cortes, Santanello, Migut….YEA
Motion by Councilman Cortes to carve out item 1w for discussion (Council first, then residents and taxpayers, then non-residents), was seconded by Councilman Santanello and carried by consent of Council.
Mayor Kanitra: thanked Elks for coming and keeping numbers limited – thanked nearly 600 people who have contacted him with their support for bringing the Elks back home – 2 years ago, Council voted to kick them out of their home at the Seafood Festival and the Mayor proclaimed there would be no changing of Council’s minds – urged Council not to be so closed-minded – referenced Council recently changing their minds on the kayak launch – residents have not been put first in PPB for a while – core issue is the Chief recommending denial of the permit for the 3rd time – governmental process doesn’t end at a dept. head’s recommendation – Governing Body’s job is to take residents needs into consideration and weigh them against everything else – Chief’s letter doesn’t quantify how the Elks event is making things less safe in a sea of 50K+ people – message in the denial conflicts with Chief’s recommendation for approval of the Chamber’s Wine Garden, with an anticipated 5K people – he asked that that the Wine Garden application be added last minute to the agenda – when voting, will be forced into being hypocrites or not – if Council votes against the Elks, must vote against the Wine Garden, or there will be no doubt of conflicting stances – should approve both – Chief is on record that the Festival is the safest in years – thanked him for his role in that – heavy vehicles block the entry points, layout is more open, hired 2 new full-time and roughly 20 more Seasonal Officers – if concerned about the Festival’s growth, make it smaller and cut back on out-of-town vendors instead of putting them before the residents and cherished event– Elks are offering off-duty Officers – can meet with them prior – can’t let vague, unquantifiable fear of the unknown guide Council decisions – bars and clubs handle much larger crowds, using off-duty Officers and private security – distributed an Elks dispersion graph, showing no more than 450 people at the event at any time and a Police-to-patron ratio of 40-1 – it’s ok to disagree with the Chief – doesn’t make anyone anti-police or anti-law & order – believes Council has been the strongest supporters of law & order in PPB history – have added new and part-time Officers, have grown Police leadership, increased Police salary, operational and departmental budgets – spending hundreds of thousands more than previous administration to equip the Chief and his men with what they need to keep them safe – has stood side-by-side with the Chief – never shrinks away from helping Police when it benefits residents or when an issue threatens residents – Chief is a consummate professional – he won’t protect the town any less if Council votes against his recommendation – must be compromise – advised Council to do something quantifiable and fact-based to address the vague, insane idea that a few hundred locals supporting the Elks fundraiser will compromise the town’s safety, when there have never been incidents – accused Councilman Santanello of hating the Elks and Councilman Cortes of not wanting to go against the Chief – the pandemic decimated charitable organizations – Elks lodges across the Country are in precarious positions – it might be too late to right the wrong next year – hopes all have an open mind – noted that former Mayors Hennessy and Barrella support the Elks – no matter how Council votes, he will treat everyone the same, but each will have to answer to residents who elected them.
Chief Michigan: appreciates everyone’s support – commended the Elks for their amazing work for the community – application has become political – he doesn’t have the luxury of going with the popular majority – must place residents’ safety first and consider his resources – safety of tens of thousands of people are contingent on those decisions – PPB has become increasingly more popular – are tasked with managing crowds who enjoy beaches, bars, restaurants, Boardwalk, amusements and nightlife – influx of people no longer ends at Labor Day – is proud of his staff, who do an excellent job – asking them to Police the town, Boardwalk, Festival and Elks could be unmanageable and irresponsible – in 2019, changes were made to increase the Festival’s safety – in 2021, there will be additional changes to the layout – the Festival itself already requires the support of additional Municipal, County, State and Federal law enforcement agencies, to ensure public safety – resources are depleted – to add a large event would counteract the new procedures and precautions and jeopardize the welfare of all – his best decision for the town is to deny this application (Mayor Kanitra: Chief recognizes that we all respect and support Police Officers).
Councilman Cortes: he voted against the beach ordinance at introduction – felt it was government overreach – when put on for second reading, he contacted beach owners who were ok with it (Mayor Kanitra: wants it on the record that he called the businesses to see if they were ok with it before he changed his mind) not supposed to politic on the dais – has 2 concerns – agenda says “approval” for this application – when it was first on the agenda, it was written as “denial” – have 3 denials on the agenda now, based on letters from the Chief – has been done like that for the 8.5 years he has been on Council – was pulled from the agenda because a Councilmember was missing and put back on as an approval to fit the narrative of how he is perceived to vote – is troubled by the article and letter in Friday’s Ocean Star which, typically, have to be submitted by Wednesday – got the agenda at 4:05PM on Friday – the draft agenda is not supposed to be shared with the general public, as it is confidential – asked who shared it (Mayor Kanitra: asked the Ocean Star reporter if they had ever spoken prior to her calling him, unsolicited, about the article on Wednesday; Reporter: no) didn’t say it was the Mayor – was also a social media post (Mayor Kanitra: he got a call out of the blue on Wednesday – can OPRA all his emails) he has always supported the Elks – if someone can unequivocally, with proof, tell him that the bulk of Elks money comes from people walking in from the Festival, he’ll change his vote – he goes every year – it’s more of a local event, not just casual walk-ins – never kicked them out of town, just on the same day – understands there is an application with Point Pleasant for the following weekend (Mayor Kanitra: the narrative has always been that the Elks can’t have it the following week – they need the numbers the Festival brings – if that narrative is out-of-whack, Councilman Cortes makes a good point – asked that someone in the Elks speak on that).
Councilman Vitale: appreciates the Elks coming in – has a ton of respect for them – based on his experience, has some concerns – 2 years ago, when he ran for office, one campaign promise was to bring back the Elks Oktoberfest on the same day as the Festival – a lot has changed since then – coming out of the pandemic, society is behaving differently, which is leading to civil unrest, disrespect towards authority and anti-police movements – a potential recipe for disaster for PPB – for the last 25 years, has worked in physical and cybersecurity – for the past 10 years, has worked on a team responsible for maintaining the security of the electric grid, gas lines and nuclear power plant – works hand-in-hand with law enforcement – besides Chief Michigan, has the most safety and security experience of anyone here – values the Chief’s professional recommendations and understands the reason for his denial – knows how important the Elks are to this community and wants them to succeed – in good conscience, doesn’t think both events can be successfully accommodated on same day and the community kept safe and secure.
Councilwoman Testa: supports and has the utmost respect for the Chief and the wonderful Police Dept. and believes in law and order – does not understand the reasons that have been brought up – this 4th of July weekend was packed shoulder-to-shoulder – saw Police there – to say we can’t handle the Elks on the day of the Festival is hard to believe – went to the Festival prior to moving here in 2005 – didn’t even know the Elks was there – hard to believe so many people will go there with all the restaurants and vendors at the Festival – as PTA President, she helped set up the Festival for years – she knows what’s involved and respects and loves it – asked why the Elks should have to go down the street or have the event another day – it’s an inconvenience – they’ve had a beautiful space for years – the application said they never had any trouble – when she’s been there, it’s children, it’s families, it’s a reunion of people having a nice time – she was not hired by the Borough or the Chief – she was elected by the residents – when she campaigned, a majority of people were upset about the Elks and she was asked, if elected, if she would bring them back, knowing that the recommendation was to deny it – she is a woman of her word and proudly says yes to bring the Elks back – respects every person here, however they vote – that’s what makes them special and unique – she has been on Council for a year and there have been very contentious votes – she won’t be any different tonight – thanked everyone, including the Chief for all he does; God Bless PPB.
Councilwoman Byrnes: has spoken to many constituents – although there haven’t been any terrible occurrences, there always remains the “what if” – most everyone she has spoken to said it’s a good time to support the Police Dept. – unless convinced otherwise, that’s the way she feels about it.
Councilman Santanello: Mayor Kanitra always tries to say how they get along, but brought up his son – you never bring a family member’s name into it – is even more offended by the comment that he hates the Elks – the Chief has stated his objection to this event on the same day as the Festival, so has the Fire Inspector – would hope objections would be treated with respect – his term ends in January, so it’s his last chance to speak about the Elks, a great organization with great people with great hearts who do great things – respects their work – any organization needs to lead with their hearts and business minds – fundraising is important – in the last 2 years that the event was held in the Boro, it has been the most successful in decades – people coming to the Festival are not coming to Elks – locals go – has heard repeatedly that it’s so much easier to go to the event in the park – belongs to a private group that had its dinner there for 15 years – 3 year ago, after the vote, the price tripled – instead of making a big deal out of it, they took their dinner to another fine organization and have had their best fundraising to-date – they made lemonade out of lemons – asked that the Elks do the same.
Chief Michigan: his job is to prevent a major incident – the fact that there hasn’t been one is positive – his denial is based on not having to handle one – have had the evacuation of the entire Festival and the Elks – is not true that there have not be problems in the past (Mayor Kanitra: appreciates that – his point is that we protect the Boardwalk, Breast Cancer event, fireworks, Tiki Mondays, concerts and other huge events – as a Governing Body, shouldn’t be voting and living in fear of the unknown and unquantifiable – something horrible could happen at the Festival, but something horrible could happen at a Council meeting or on the Boardwalk at any time, despite the Chief’s best efforts – should not be a reason to do away with a cherished locals event – has yet to hear a compromise from the Governing Body – asked that item 2m/Wine Garden be voted on separately as well – both are great events – opened public participation).
Joan Clune, 123 Boardwalk, PPB: full-time resident – asked if anyone can put in application to be in the Festival (Mayor Kanitra: yes, with the Chamber of Commerce – most vendors are from out-of-town – Festival and layout are approved at large)as a resident, if all are making sacrifices, asked if we really want 60K people coming on that day – doesn’t understand how the Elks are a tipping point – supports the Police – taught at Monmouth County Police Academy for 20 years – are telling the Elks no, but are having beer and wine sold (Councilman Vitale: Police have the Festival secured, but they are spread thin – to add another component means more Officers are needed to coordinate with him; Chief Michigan: resources are already depleted) asked about putting Elks in a tent (Chief Michigan: their event is much larger than a tent; Councilman Santanello: the Fire Inspector has also said it’s almost impossible for him to do both events at the same time (Mayor Kanitra: it’s a fully outdoor event, for fire purposes; Councilwoman Testa: Festival is pretty much cleared out by 7PM – Elks goes on longer – not overwhelmed at that time – has been at the Elks and doesn’t see Police patrolling, but they are by the ponies nearby; Chief Michigan: when Elks had the event there, 6 officers were assigned to that location throughout the day).
Ellen Veprek, 341 Eastham Road, PP: (difficult to hear) wishes there was more of a relationship between the Governing Body, Police and Elks – raise thousands for local charities, scholarships, drug awareness program – suggested cutting down on people who come to make money and leave something for the people who raise money – Elks probably helped some of Council’s relatives – asked all to be open (Mayor Kanitra: can make a motion to put a cap on Elksfest attendance).
Dave Betten, 400 New Jersey Ave., PPB: Elks function has gone on forever – doesn’t remember a major incident there – if they are willing to pay for Officers, is sure they’d be willing to hire a Fire Inspector – must be a way to make the Chief happy, address concerns and get the event back on track.
Ms. Clune: some Elks are medically certified and there is a facility upstairs (Mayor Kanitra: anyone can make a motion to have people trained in CPR, hire a P/T Fire Marshall, etc.).
Stan Angeloni, 502 Chicago Ave., PPB: when turning down the Elks, are turning down support of Veterans, Boy Scouts, homeless people, scholarships, disabled children – took people 2 hours to leave town this weekend – a lot of people have signs supporting the police – if Police were overtaken, have enough citizens to support them (Councilman Santanello: asked how the Vets are tied into this) fundraising goes to them (Councilwoman Byrnes: asked the difference in fundraising ability from Boro park to Arnold Ave.).
Ann Marie O’Hare, 2103 Frances Dr., PP, Elks Treasurer: logistically it is a lot more work to go up the street – not young kids – make less money at the Boro – can show this, but the books are closed (Mayor Kanitra: we take your word for it) thanked Mayor Kanitra for his consistent and unwavering support, specifically to bring back Elksfest, formerly called Oktoberfest – came here to open a dialogue, not to start an argument or debate – Chief Michigan often spoke about terrorists, bomb threats, security and public safety – key words that can, and likely do, intimidate us and make us afraid – this leads to submission by fear – decisions should be based on facts, not hypotheticals – when told to shut down in 2016 due to bomb threat, did so immediately, following every instruction – were no issues that day – in 2017, the event was held on the same day as the Festival, again without incident – have never been any – in 2019, Chief Michigan said expanding the Festival’s footprint makes it safer and his job is to assess risk and make choices accordingly – at the same time, former Councilman Vogel acknowledged that Council did not have a threat analysis – to-date, have not seen proof, documentation or statistical data to show that holding their event on the same day as the Festival creates a greater risk – Chief Michigan did not reach out to them this year about his recommendation to deny the event – was no discussion about changes, compromises or options – have great respect for Chief Michigan and how difficult his job must be – there shouldn’t be a standard of locals vs. non-locals – if Police can handle 50K on the street, asked why not a couple hundred more at the Elks – people come to the Elks for respite – the Elks is a large part of the history of PPB and the Festival – PPB is their home – are not here to beg for approval, but to respectfully ask that decisions be based on facts, not fear, politics or social media – time to let the Elks come home (Councilman Vitale: asked what their biggest fundraiser is) Elksfest (Councilman Santanello: he enters the Fluke contest every year; Mayor Kanitra: asked if anyone can speak to the percentage of people at the Elks who are out-of-town Elks members or supporters) can’t say definitively – asked if anyone can quantify who is on the street.
Chief Michigan: he did not reach out to the Elks because has had several conversations with the Mayor and knows he was in contact – he met with Ms. O’Hare a few years ago – his position hasn’t changed – apologizes if she felt disrespected (Ms. O’Hare: Elks members feel he didn’t afford them an opportunity for discussion/compromise – he met with the Chamber – didn’t give the Elks the same courtesy) was his idea to expand the Festival, not the Chamber’s (Councilman Vitale: asked about the event scheduled for the weekend after the Festival) did not apply for a license in the Boro (Councilman Santanello: if having the event a week later, they would have it in their backyard; Mayor Kanitra: asked how much they stand to lose, if Council votes down the application; Ms. O’Hare: has a significant impact).
John Veprek, 341 Eastham Rd, PP: can give rough numbers on attendance from his 38 years at the Lodge – about 15% Elks, 65% locals, 20% drifting in from outside – had 18 port-a-potties, free cold water and diaper stations – our best fundraiser – in the last 27 years, have given back $20.4M to Pt. Pleasant area – during the pandemic, Elks donated more than $18K to local food banks and 3.5 tons of food to St. Gregory’s – Festival allows Elks to make money to help those who need it – their business model is about making as much money as they can to give it back – vendors fill their own pockets and go home – they don’t exceed 450 people between 2PM and 4PM that day – during the entire day, had 6 Officers from the Chief, 5 of their own security of which half were Police, have a lot of Police from other towns in the Lodge – 1 cop/40 people – don’t have incidents – are very conscious of being good neighbors (Mayor Kanitra: asked if he would accept if someone made a motion to approve the permit with the requirement of a minimum of 11 security personnel, 1 part-time fire marshal and capacity of no more than 450 at any time) can’t speak to that – can bring it back to the floor and counsel with the Chief – there is a cost to that (Mayor Kanitra: less than 1% of tourists in PPB that day are at the Elks – that’s sound data; Councilman Cortes: asked if 80% of fellow Elks and locals, would still show up on a different day) no (Councilman Santanello: thinks they would; Councilman Cortes: he would) it’s the best revenue all year – Point Pleasant Elks has just gotten into helping homeless Veterans – has helped other lodges house 1,200 people in the last 20 months – looking for grants to give them more – it’s their passion.
Councilwoman Testa: when Sandy hit, the PTO couldn’t have the Cooks Tour and lost a lot of money – with the pandemic, had to change its dynamic and it didn’t bring in nearly as much – understands that the Elksfest can be moved but they won’t bring in the money they need to do the wonderful things that they do.
Ms. O’Hare: would guess that 50% or more of people on the street are local – they come to the Elks because they are at the Festival, not the other way around.
Motion by Councilman Vitale to have a 5-minute break for he and Councilmembers Cortes and Santanello to convene with Chief Michigan, was seconded by Councilman Cortes and carried by consent of Council. Break began at 8:56PM
Mayor Kanitra called the meeting back to order at 9:03PM
Motion by Councilman Santanello to hold item 1w pending a meeting between Chief Michigan, Councilmembers Cortes, Byrnes and Vitale, and representatives from the PPB Chamber of Commerce and Elks, to negotiate a compromise, was seconded by Councilman Cortes and carried by roll call vote:
VOTE: Councilmembers Vitale, Byrnes, Cortes, Santanello, Migut….YEA
Councilwoman Testa….NAY
Motion by Councilman Cortes to hold item 2m pending a meeting between Chief Michigan, Councilmembers Cortes, Byrnes and Vitale, and representatives from the PPB Chamber of Commerce and Elks, to negotiate a compromise, was seconded by Councilman Santanello and carried by roll call vote:
VOTE: Councilmembers Vitale, Testa, Byrnes, Cortes, Santanello, Migut….YEA
Mayor Kanitra: asked that this not be just an exercise in showmanship but negotiating in good faith.
Councilman Santanello: guarantees it’s not – will be an open, honest conversation.
Councilman Cortes: would consider changing his stance – will be open and honest (Ms. O’Hare: call her or call Mr. Veprek).
MAYOR’S REPORT:
Mayor Kanitra: gave update from Chamber – Downtown Bingo winner was chosen and received a $500 gift card – will be doing another round of Bingo in the fall; next Ladies Night is July 8th, 4PM-8PM; tArts Committee Beach pARTy is July 22nd; Senior Committee’s August First Friday theme is Then & Now; Fluke Tournament is August 28th – registration will begin soon on the Chamber web site; Seafood Festival has vendor spots open – application is on the web site.
COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Councilman Vitale: gave Chief’s report since last Council meeting – social media threats of 2 back-to-back pop-up beach parties could have drawn rowdy crowds in excess of 10K – command staff developed an operational plan and called upon several resources to facilitate – had assets from the NJ State Police, Ocean County Sherriff’s Dept. and Prosecutor’s Office, NJ Dept. of Corrections, Dept. of Homeland Security, and Transit Police and the FBI – their message was clear – “Don’t Come to PPB” – had minimal problems and received extensive praise and gratitude from residents, visitors and business owners – Dept. displayed extreme professionalism and he is proud to be Chief – commitment to keep PPB a family town was on display – was truly a team effort – will continue to monitor social media and influx of crowds – a few major incidents over the past few weeks were immediately addressed – primarily seeing families with a decline in disrespectful people – is critical for residents and businesses to contact the PD immediately to report unlawful activity – the PD, Governing Body, residents and business owners must work together – working hard to build a positive community relationship and feel great progress is being made – are lucky to serve such a supportive community – he (Councilman Vitale) thanked Chief Michigan and the PD for being proactive with these events; Pleasure Park is almost done; Pickleball is ongoing on Wednesday nights; Summer Camp Counselor training started today – have more than 120 kids registered – Camp starts on July 12th; Tug-of-War planning is ongoing with more information in coming weeks; the Recreation Committee and Chamber postponed the First Friday event downtown due to the threat of storms and will reschedule for Sept: Skate Lessons begin again on July 21st at the Skatepark; the Military Banner Initiative is ongoing – try to get orders in before mid-Aug – banners will be up from Labor Day to Veterans Day (Mayor Kanitra: the beaches are much cleaner due to 7PM shut down – looks really good in the morning).
Councilwoman Testa: Arts Committee has 2 new murals on Bay & Laurel Aves. and in Pleasure Park – invited business and building owners to reach out to the Committee if interested in a mural; the Beach pARTy Arts Festival is July 22nd, 3PM-9PM with 60 vendors, music and specials at local restaurants; thanked Beautification volunteers – planters and gardens are beautiful – thanked all who came to the Little Silver Lake Cleanup, including the Dive Team; the Building Dept. finalized the zoning module in Gov Pilot – applications can be submitted online; new full-time Code Enforcement Officer starts July 15th; reminded all that people should not be on the dunes without an approved dune deck (Mayor Kanitra: Litter Patrol is making a huge difference on weekends – hopes there won’t be as much need for future lake cleanups).
Councilwoman Byrnes: gave the Fire Dept. report – 4301 is now in service – thanked Mayor and Council and Administrator Riehl for their support of the Dept. – they are working to finalize sale and delivery of the old 4301 with a volunteer fire dept. in NY – Dept. coordinated with the First Aid Squad and Dive Team to conduct a drill with firefighters submerged in a swimming pool – upcoming drills include large area searches and CPR certification – are looking for new members, as is the First Aid – all are welcome; on July 15th, the Senior Committee will host a luncheon for seniors age 65 and older at the firehouse – will do robo-call and put out flyers – on July 22nd, are introducing a Recreation Day with things like chair yoga, arts & crafts, card games, computer lessons, 12PM-4PM, once or twice/month – on July 29th, will have a Fireworks Boat Cruise on the Queen Mary – $50/ticket with beer, wine and music, to raise funds for the Committee to bring other free activities to seniors; Shade Tree Commission will be offering Nominate your Block for the Big Beautiful Tree Program, which was very popular last year – they are working on a Memorial Tree project now.
Councilman Cortes: acknowledged employee anniversaries for July – Terry O’Connor 16 years, Brian Patton 7; trying to get electric hooked up at the Maryland Ave. shed; Pleasure Park equipment looks good – will announce when it’s ready to use – taking care of safety issues (Councilwoman Testa: stepped out briefly; Mayor Kanitra: Governing Body should take a picture there and officially kick it off) was on the Boardwalk on Friday, 10PM-2:30AM – crowd was decent; was contacted by a friend on Randall Ave. who said the “No Trespassing by Minors 10PM-6AM – up to $1K fine” sign looks good; street sign at St. Louis & Washington was on the ground on Friday – called DPW Super. Trout, who said there were 3 signs down and he will take care of it (Mayor Kanitra: are getting a “No Skateboarding” sign for the gazebo).
Councilman Santanello: wrote to Local Finance Board objecting to the Budget – awaiting a response.
Councilman Migut: Parking Authority met this week – discussed signage – suggested a fence sign saying “Free Parking” for the railroad lot in Sept. – will go back to paid parking May – will have them send a letter to the Chamber to inform businesses (Councilman Santanello: must match the Sign Ordinance).
ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT:
BA/CFO Riehl: working with the County, who have acknowledged our request for speed radar signs for Ocean/Water & Chicago, and a flasher for Fire Company No. 1; heard from the GSA on the Coast Guard Station – have started the appraisal process – they will share their scope, when ready, so we can start our appraisal and potentially move forward before year-end; have chosen Dartmouth, Richard and Arbutus for 2022 DOT funding consideration; Atlantic Infrared, a local business, fixed the areas done by Pothole Killers (Mayor Kanitra: not paying Pothole Killers – gave them many chances; Councilman Santanello: admires him keeping his campaign promise); was a water main break on Friday night – out 6:30PM-3AM (Mayor Kanitra: underscores how old our underground water and sewer pipes are – need to step up efforts to fix them when we get out of the pandemic next year) there was still no water in the morning, as the lines had filled with sand, leading to a sewer issue (Councilman Cortes: asked about having Atlantic Infrared patch there; Mayor Kanitra: suggested negotiating a lower rate with Woszczak; Councilwoman Testa: asked about 2g) so they can manage them within right-of-ways; BA/CFO Riehl: was vetted by Attorney Riordan).
The Municipal Clerk announced additions, deletion and revisions to the agenda.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION BEGAN AT 9:35PM
Kristin Hennessy, 604 New Jersey Ave., PPB: missed the vote after 5-minute break (Mayor Kanitra: explained); supports the PD – the black & blue signs throughout town were her idea, taken from something she observed in Spring Lake Heights; was riding her bike home last night and came upon what appeared to be a block party on the 600 block of New Jersey Ave. – saw smoke coming out of a car, double parked cars in the middle of the street, 20-22 inner city visitors who did not appear to be here to enjoy the sun and fun – immediately called the Police – they arrived in less than 3 minutes – problems don’t only happen at the Boardwalk and beachfront – they were clearly smoking pot – residents were peering out their windows, as frightened as she was because this shouldn’t go on in PPB – 4 Police cars and 2 Officers on bicycles showed up and they immediately dispersed – a testimony to the Chief and how he has handled visitors this year; is thrilled to be back in person; was reduced to tears by the engineer who spoke about what the Elks does for this community – had reached out to the Governing Body for their positions – is thrilled to hear how it got resolved – where there’s a will there’s a way – this is no longer a political issue – it’s about what’s right for the community – can come up with something that works for everyone, while supporting a local charity and an integral part of the Festival – hopes all will go in with open minds and hearts – a good settlement is when everyone is not totally happy with what they got, because everyone had to compromise (Mayor Kanitra: things become political because of personal passions or the will of the residents) anybody who supports special needs children, Veterans, the homeless, etc., is doing God’s work (Mayor Kanitra: no Veteran should be homeless in this Country – that’s a disgrace).
Mary Steiner, 423 Yale Ave., PPB: asked about 2e (Mayor Kanitra: for non-responsive commercial property owners and investors with neglected properties – will have a landscaper on call to cut and charge them, through tax lien or whatever needs to be done; BA/CRO Riehl: she’ll pay the landscaper – it’s 2 set fees – $100 for 50’x100’ and $125 for larger – could be for residential properties as well – if they don’t pay, will sell it at tax sale; Mayor Kanitra: landscaper, who handles public properties didn’t want this; BA/CFO Riehl: owner will be notified – if not abated in 10 days, landscaper will have 3 days to cut).
Joe Lemma, 203 St. Louis Ave., PPB: asked about what will be done with the Coast Guard Station in winter, if it should be a museum, when no one comes down – suggested a library and everything he got was negative – form Mayor Reid said there is no parking there – there are 125 spots on Channel Dr. – there is no parking on McLean – sees parents walking across the street with kids to get to the library – could get run over – Coast Guard building is gigantic – put the library there – make a senior citizen place to sit, a rec room for kids – it’s renovated – they put new female and male bathrooms in there, unlike what’s in the old place – there is no parking on McLean for the library – can smell mold – never gets a direct answer here, that’s why he doesn’t come anymore (Mayor Kanitra: Borough does not own the library – building is owned by non-profit group, “Friends of the Little Red Library” and it is on PPBs historic list – the library is run by Ocean County library system; a lot of back and forth between the Mayor and Mr. Lemma talking over him) believes the Coast Guard Station will be free and untaxable – library is a dump – told the Ocean Star reporter to start writing things down (Chief Michigan: told Mr. Lemma he owes her an apology; Mayor Kanitra: explained what will be put in Coast Guard building – room for the Recreation, Senior and Arts Committees, the Environmental Commission, so entire town benefits – don’t have power to move the library – everyone in town but Mr. Lemma likes the old Little Red Library and wants to keep it there – will figure out parking) by law, must have parking for public facilities – might have to get a lawyer and sue and get an injunction.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION ENDED AT 9:54PM
Motion by Councilman Cortes to close public participation and approve the items listed below was seconded by Councilman Santanello and carried by roll call vote.
CONSENT RESOLUTION 1:
1a Approval of payment of Payroll #13 ($363,943.19)
1b Denial of SiSolar S/E application for informational table on Boardwalk, Fridays thru Labor Day
1c Denial of Peace Warrior Yoga S/E application for yoga on MD Ave Beach on various evenings
1d Denial of Mid Atlantic/Jersey Fresh S/E app for fruit handout & prize wheel in Silver Lk lot 7/8, 8/22
1e Approval of payment to BTMUA for June bulk water usage ($105,277.50)
1f Appointment of K. Troncone to the position of Code Enforcement Officer
1g Approval of KMK Hospitality ABC S/A application for family wedding at 1603 Oceanfront, 7/25
1h Approval of payment of hand checks from Planning Bd and BOA escrow accounts
1i Memorialization of auth to advertise for Seasonal Laborers & 2 Seasonal Litter Patrol Workers
1j Memorialization of PPB Recreation Summer Camp counselor appointments
1k Approval of payment to the OC Landfill for landfill escrow ($50K)
1l Approval of payment to Rubbercycle for stone base/rubber bond for Inlet playground ($39,080)
1m Approval of payment to Standard & Poor’s for Gen’l Imp Refunding Bond services ($13,250)
1n Approval of payment to Atlantic Infrared for infrared restoration at 500 Elizabeth Ave ($3,615.50)
1o Approval of payment to State of NJ for employee & retiree health benefits ($119,303.98)
1p Approval of payment to Integrated Technical Systems for 120 thermal paper rolls ($3,960)
1q Approval of payment insurance opt outs for January-June 2021
1r Approval of payment to Foveonics for Bldg Dept digital document conversion ($113,745.52)
1s Approval to submit FY22 Mun Aid app (Priority #1) for road project – Dartmouth/Richard/ Arbutus
1t Approval to submit FY22 Mun Aid app (Priority #2) for the Bike System Phase 1 sharrow project
1u Approval to submit FY21 LAIF/ Discretionary app for the Bike System Phase 1 sharrow project
1v Approval of PPB Rec Cmte to hold a big band Concert in the Park at the Bandshell on 7/30 (rain 7/31)
1w HELD PER DISCUSSION (Approval of S/A Permit application for Elks Octoberfest)
1x Authorization to implement personnel adjustments
1y Approval of payment to Janitor Supply Corp for bathroom supplies ($3,413.54)
1z Approval of payment to Riggins for no lead fuel ($19,212.80)
CONSENT RESOLUTION 2:
2a Approval of payment to MRC for Pleasure Park Equipment ($125,116.42)
2b Approval of payment to MAXR for 15 refuse/recycling containers ($28,055.25)
2c Approval of payment to Duncan Parking Technologies for meter parts/readers/keypads ($4,217.61)
2d Resolution to cancel year-end penalty for Bay Head by the Sea Condo Assn
2e Authorization to award Landscaping Proposal “B” to Pfeifer Landscaping
2f Approval of payment to Solitude Lake Management for 2021 Lake Treatments ($3,500)
2g Auth to enter into a Small Wireless Facility/ROW Use Agmt w/American DAS Networks,
d/b/a Munisite, subject to attorney review
2h Auth to award Ocean Ave. Water Main bid to Lafayette Utility, subject to atty review ($2,240,412.80)
2i Appointment of V. Erb, Whiting and M. Olsen, Brick, to the position of Litter Patrol Worker
2j Appointment of HGA as Affordable Housing Administrative Agent
2k Approval of PO to Doctor Peppers Flooring for carpet tiles in Bldg Dept common area ($4,802.38)
2l Approval of PO to Deschamps Mats Systems for 150 feet of Mobi Mat ($7K)
2m HELD PER DISCUSSION (Approval of Chamber S/A Permit app for Wine Garden at Seafood Festival)
2n Approval of S/E app for OC Music Student Showcase, Bandshell, 8/22
2o Approval of PPB Rec S/E app for Skate Board Lessons at skate park, Weds, 7/21-9/8
2p Approval of S/E app & S/E fee waiver for PPBHS Music Program Summer Jazz Performance at Bandshell, 7/28 (rain: 8/4)
CONSENT RESOLUTION 3:
3a Approval of payment of computer-generated vouchers ($508,547.72)
3b Approval of payment to Motorola for radio equipment for the Fire Dept ($6,255)
3c Approval of membership in Fire Company No. 1 for S. Andreazza, Pt. Pleasant
3d Approval of payment to Motorola Solutions for annual CAD maintenance for the PD ($17,344.07)
3e Approval of payment of hand checks from Collector, W/S, Trust & Capital accounts
3f Approval of payment to Pine Belt Chevrolet for Police Chief’s car repair ($4,568.35)
3g Approval of payment to NJ Fire Equipment for Chemguard and tools for Fire Company No 2 ($2,801)
3h Approval of PO to Witmer Associates for MSA gas meter & burn kit for Fire Dept ($2,884)
3i Approval of membership in Fire Company No. 2 for D. McLoughlin, PPB
3j Approval of payment to Atlantic Tactical for 10 bullet proof vests for the PD ($15,338.28)
RESOLUTION 4: Mayoral re-appointments to the Municipal Alliance Committee
HELD PENDING STATE REVIEW – RESOLUTION 5: (Approval of 2021 Municipal Budget)
VOTE: Councilmembers Vitale (except his Rec Cmte reimbursement in 3a), Testa, Byrnes, Cortes
Santanello (except 1f, 2e, 2i, RT Davies invoice in 3a, 3f, 3j), Migut (except 3a-c, 3g, 3i)….YEA
Councilman Santanello (1f, 2e, 2i)….NAY
Councilmen Vitale (Rec Cmte reimbursement in 3a),
Santanello (RT Davies invoice in 3a, 3f, 3j), Migut (3a-c, 3g, 3i)….ABSTAIN
ORDINANCES:
Ordinance 2021-28 (Water/Sewer Utility Bond) was considered on second reading. Mayor Kanitra 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 2021-28 was seconded by Councilman Santanello and carried by roll call vote.
VOTE: Councilmembers Vitale, Testa, Byrnes, Cortes, Santanello, Migut….YEA
Ordinance 2021-30 (Outdoor Dining) was considered on second reading. Mayor Kanitra opened the public hearing.
Dave Cavagnaro, 118 Parkway, PPB: confirmed that, if someone wants outdoor dining, and got what they have by variance, they would have to go back to where the variance was issued for relief, and not this ordinance – there are some facilities, whose ability to operate had a condition of no outside dining (Mayor Kanitra: of course, because that would not fit the components of the permit process we are doing here).
Motion by Councilman Vitale to close the public hearing and adopt Ordinance 2021-30 was seconded by Councilwoman Testa and carried by roll call vote.
VOTE: Councilmembers Vitale, Testa, Byrnes, Cortes, Santanello, Migut….YEA
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION BEGAN AT 10:01PM
Dr. Rob Moreau, 809 Howard Ave., Pt. Pleasant (taxpayer at 208 River Ave., PPB): considers himself a citizen of PPB, not Point Pleasant – had spoken about the brilliance of the BOE meeting – they listened to the people and changed their decision – what the Governing Body did tonight was brilliant – wished more people were here to see it; when Mayor Kanitra posted about the $24/hour job, it wasn’t the Democrats in Trenton who were the problem, it was that people didn’t know about it – it’s not the extra $300/week that prevents someone from getting a low-paying job – gave the Mayor a bunch of fact-based studies on that, so he loves that he embraces fact-based opinion – it’s not easy to get unemployment; it is not evil to question an occasional thing with the Police.
E.J. Geiger, 115 Arnold Ave., PPB: at the Lake Cleanup, there was an ungodly smell of dead fish along the shore – guesses they came in through an open gate and got stuck – wonders how often it happens – mentioned the geese droppings out of the lake as well.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION ENDED AT 10:08PM
Motion by Councilman Cortes to close public participation and adjourn was seconded by Councilman Santanello and carried by consent of Council.
Meeting was adjourned at 10:08PM.
ATTEST: _______________________________
Eileen A. Farrell, RMC
Municipal Clerk
