Borough of Point Pleasant Beach Council Meeting Minutes
June 16, 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: 936 9895 0105. 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 Councilman Migut to approve the June 2, 2020 Council meeting minutes was seconded by Councilman Vitale and carried by roll call vote.
VOTE: Councilmembers Vitale, Testa, Byrnes, Cortes, Migut….YEA
Councilman Santanello….NAY
DEPARTMENT HEAD MEMO: CEO/ZO Tumolo RE: Curb Cut Request at 106 S. Baltimore
Councilman Cortes: there might have been issues building the house on S. Baltimore where it turns onto Ocean, by the Lake – former CEO/ZO Petrillo looked at it in July 2018 – asking for 20’ where 16’ is allowed for a 2-car garage – with 16’, will lose 1 parking space – the extra 4’ will not take up any additional spaces or impact anything else on the street – CEO/ZO Tumolo looked at it and concurs in allowing 20’– he agrees – added as ITEM 1AA
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Councilman Vitale: gave Chief Michigan’s report – recent officer training included SWAT and Canine – activity included 10 criminal offense arrests, 64 Borough ordinance/quality of life (QOL) violations – have been a rash of car thefts and burglaries – strongly recommends locking vehicles and not leaving keys/fobs inside – asked that suspicious activity & QOL-threatening issues be reported – on June 9th, when beaches were closing, officers noticed a crowd estimated to be in the thousands, of mostly young adults, growing by the hour – gathered at Jenkinson’s Beach by Arnold Ave. – engaging in unlawful activity – called in mutual aid from surrounding PDs. and other agencies – shares everyone’s aggravation that these adults choose PPB as their party venue – no major incidents, damages to property or businesses resulted – mutual aid plans and partnerships were put on display and he is proud of the actions of his officers and others who responded – thanked Bay Head, Brick, Brielle, Lakewood, Mantoloking, Point Pleasant, Seaside Heights, Seaside Park, Toms River, Red Bank and Howell PDs., NJ State & Transit Police, and the Ocean County Dept. of Corrections, Prosecutors Office, Regional SWAT Team & Sheriff’s Dept., – met with business owners and discussed needed changes to assist in safely policing the Boardwalk – they were instituted this past weekend – saw a significant decrease in QOL issues – thanked them for continued cooperation – 29 SLEO II’s will graduate the Police Academy on Friday – look forward to them joining the force, with the majority working their first shift on Saturday – PD needs to be notified of issues before they are posted on social media – people who want to use social media should post on the Neighborhood Partnership Initiative (NPI) Facebook page – goal is to have information on that page after PD is notified, so others can see what is going on; skate park is still under construction – have been several reports of kids entering it through the fence bordering the Little League (PPBLL) field – advised residents to call PD immediately if they see kids there; DPW is keeping up with grass cutting and litter patrol on municipal property, etc.; Ocean Ave. infrastructure project will begin in late fall/early spring, from Broadway to Sea Ave. – Ocean Ave. will be repaved next year; a sidewalk and curb survey was completed last week and a request made to the County to replace curbs and sidewalks – working with the Borough Engineer to pick streets for DOT funding – potential ones are Boston, New Jersey and Trenton Aves; 82 kids have signed up for the Summer Park Program – are reviewing and implementing the Governor’s guidelines – the Program was awarded a grant from the Fisher Family Fund to help pay for new supplies – thanked them – to give back to the Community, Point Beach Strong shirts were purchased for the Camp Counselors; excited to announce a new program, Uke on the Beach – ukulele class for ages 6 and up, including adults – one hour/week for 8 weeks – more information to come.
Councilwoman Testa: the PPBHS graduate portraits downtown look amazing – a wonderful way to honor the seniors – thanked the Board of Ed, Borough and Fisher Fdn.; thanked the Arts Committee – doing great stuff, working together – so nice to be a part of it – discussed having musicians stroll down Arnold and Bay Aves. during outside dining – James Dalton will coordinate– murals will start in 2 weeks on Bay and Arnold and by the train station – thanked Jim for spearheading and the Fisher Family Fdn. for donating; thanked CEO/ZO Tumolo for handling a car parking situation – she spoke to the owner and cars were immediately removed; discussed the Code Enforcement portion to be added to the GovPilot system, which includes ticket system of complaint tracking – will open transparency – hopes to have it installed soon; discussed garbage at the bungalows – asked Councilman Santanello if there is anything he wanted to touch on (Councilman Santanello: he will make an effort to get compliance) great teamwork; met with Kelsey at the Borough Engineer’s office about the Street Smart initiative and will be meeting with QOL Dir. O’Rourke and BA/CFO Riehl – thanked residents for emailing concerns – working on grant money – a continuing project – will keep all informed; thanked Councilwoman Byrnes for getting people, including the seniors, involved with downtown; asked all to call PD with concerns – otherwise, there is no way to track them – Chief Michigan wants to hear residents’ concerns – encouraged all to take advantage of the NPI Facebook page and speak during Public Participation; addressed ITEM 1K – she, personally, was not happy with the contractor hired by Earle Asphalt to paint the traffic line – a rushed job (Mayor Kanitra: BA/CFO Riehl will go back to Earle and the subcontractor to clean it up at no cost) a collective effort – are all in this together.
Councilwoman Byrnes: gave a big thank you to Mayor Kanitra, Chief Michigan, the PD, BA/CFO Riehl, Municipal Clerk Farrell, fellow Councilmembers and everybody – fielding a lot of calls – tough times, but will prevail; the Green Team submitted actions for Bronze certification – now setting sights on Silver – looking for recertification in November; the Fire Dept’s. ladder truck has gone in for general maintenance for a few days – are covered by the Laurel Ave. station; applications for the Big Beautiful Tree program are still being accepted – can continue to contact her – the Fisher Fdn. application is closed until fall; Environmental Commission placed 2 handsome new receptacles at the Inlet – asked that they be used for cigarettes; is walking around with the Commission and the Green Team – will share concerns at another time; the PPBHS senior class is overjoyed about being recognized with their photos downtown – it’s been less than an ideal finish for their high school careers – asked seniors to adopt the poles with their photographs on them and scratch off old stickers and weed around the base of them – many have come out already; been walking Arnold Ave. daily – wants to address garbage at storefronts during outside dining and to have unmaintained news racks removed – seeing if they are licensed (Mayor Kanitra: asked Councilmen Cortes and Vitale, BA/CFO Riehl and DPW Super. Trout to find a solution for downtown trash at no cost to taxpayers – to be vibrant, shouldn’t be walking past trash) DPW is working hard but stores are putting boxes out after deliveries.
Councilman Cortes: noted 70 participants on Zoom – this is his 7th year chairing the Public Property, Buildings & Grounds Committee – Councilwomen Testa and Byrnes are on it with him – invited anyone to contact him; the skate park is complete – kids are chomping at the bit to get there – until all the JIF-required fences are erected, all should be off – tell PD if kids are there, so they can tell them to be patient; looking at cost for Little Silver Lake irrigation; saw P/T Maintenance Worker Balzano (Rob), picking up garbage by the lake today – he must have finished watering all the trees; looking at prices to adjust irrigation at the Elizabeth Ave. bird sanctuary and the Inlet (Mayor Kanitra: that would free up Rob from watering); Farmers Market kicked off last Sunday – kudos to DPW Super. Trout for pressuring the skate park contractors to get rid of the dirt, so the Market could be held at the gazebo and not moved to the parking lot – he (Councilman Cortes) moved picnic tables out of the way – it went well; unattended overgrown vegetation and weeds between the Fire Company and Post Office looked horrendous – he called DPW Super. Trout, who had already contacted Parking Authority (PA) Chair Bonsper – their landscaper cleared it – it’s a municipal lot, but the PA landscaper will maintain it (Mayor Kanitra: Ladies Auxiliary is extremely happy) looks 100x better – when a text/email goes to the right people, it can get done – all Councilmembers are capable of handling issues – encouraged Mayor Kanitra to utilize them (Mayor Kanitra: asked for a solution to Ocean Ave. trash); solution will not be overnight – met with BA/CFO Riehl and DPW Super. Trout – there is backyard pickup at the Boardwalk rows Memorial Day-Labor Day (BA/CFO Riehl: May 15th to the 3rd week in Sept.) the first step is sending a friendly reminder to Boardwalk row residents that they don’t have to put garbage on Ocean Ave. – dumpsters and underground garbage receptacles are too big and bulky – large trash receptacles are expensive and a trip hazard – looking at municipal-issued receptacles, with serial numbers, for those addresses, to make enforcement easier – BA/CFO Riehl is looking into cost of the mailing and receptacles – hopes that eliminates bags (Mayor Kanitra: when there is a situation, need to figure a way to reach out to the homeowners there) he would go door-to-door (Councilwoman Byrnes: will join him); met new summer DPW Laborer Finnegan – doing a great job – looking for 2 more (BA/CFO Riehl: 7AM-4PM, $12/hour); news racks are junk, look horrible and are not maintained – doesn’t know if they can be gotten rid of (Attorney Riordan: there are 1st Amendment issues with these boxes – will dig up old research – there are some things you can do; Councilwoman Byrnes: local towns have some, not all in downtown – Spring Lake’s are immaculate; Mayor Kanitra: asked Attorney Riordan to look into getting rid of them and the reasonable expectation of upkeep).
Councilman Santanello: loves PPB – the last meeting was the night before his daughter’s surgery – everything turned out fine, but he was struck by the support and concern of PPB residents – people he’s had differences with in the past and had insulted the night before – thanked Councilwomen Byrnes and Testa and everyone else for their words of support and concern – apologized for his comments about QOL Dir. O’Rourke – they were not personal – is sure she is a hard worker and dedicated employee, trying to fill a position with no real definition – in the future, he will direct his comments to the position itself, not the person filling it; residents have asked that Mayor Kanitra please cut back on his media appearances and Facebook videos, as it makes PPB a target; asked if yoga is charging in the park and beach – can support if they are free events and not charging on public property – when he was in charge of the Recreation Committee, were told no on more than one occasion (Mayor Kanitra: asked how that is that different from the Farmer’s Market charging – thinks there is a charge for Recreation beach yoga and there is a charge for Arts Committee programs in Borough Hall; BA/CFO Riehl: there is no indication of a charge on either application; Attorney Riordan: doesn’t think either are free – that you must be member or pay a drop-in fee – is familiar with what Councilman Santanello is talking about – never thought that was an accurate description of the law – the idea that the Recreation Committee couldn’t do yoga with yoga studios on public property never made any sense to him) good clarification – he will vote yes for it; will vote no on 1N – doesn’t think taxpayers have to pay for campaign flyers; asked why the skate park ordinance is not on agenda, as it was scheduled to be – kids are dying to get out there (Attorney Riordan: it’s not ready – Governor has not yet opened parks anyway – asked BA/CFO Riehl to address what the problems are; BA/CFO Riehl: was contacted by JIF – are 4 issues – 2 deal with language in the ordinance that was written – are recommending that everyone who uses the park use personal protection equipment and that signage be posted as to regulations and hours – in addition, are still working on insurance certificates from the contractor and, before JIF will insure the park, they need to do a walk-through of the property and sign-off – understands the ordinance is being drafted – expects it at the next Council meeting: Attorney Riordan: requested JIF changes were relatively recent – his hope that the ordinance does not hold up the kids); as a Libertarian, will object to Ordinance 2020-11 – is horrified by it – it might be the worst ordinance that has crossed his desk during his 4½ years on Council – wonders if anyone involved in writing it has built a home in PPB in the last few years – he has – the Building Dept. does a great job getting things done as quickly as they can, but PPB is one of the most difficult and expensive towns in which to build – regulations are staggering – has quite a few contractor and builder friends and some don’t even want to take a contract in PPB – per the ordinance, must go to the tree police to even get a permit – complicated and burdensome – if denied, must go before the Zoning Board, which costs even more – $500 for a licensed tree expert and $4K-$15K for a tree, depending on what is demanded, is a huge additional burden – amounts to nosey neighbors telling residents what they can do on their property – Socialism carried too far – sees massive hold-ups for people wanting to build – most young families can barely afford to buy or build in town, but builders can (Mayor Kanitra: if that’s Socialism, expect more – will be tackling landscaping and historic properties as well – all things that have been neglected – since Sandy, tree removal has devastated the town’s shade canopy and made the town look crummier – are a million benefits of trees – when he was growing up, PPB had huge, beautiful trees everywhere – PPB is not an easy starter community – commitment only comes into play if cutting down a huge, beautiful tree – is quite reasonable – encouraged Shade Tree Commission members to speak up – have received numerous emails in support – can be a Republican, care about the environment and make the town look nice at the same time).
Councilman Migut: PA Secy. Mills has been busy with Zoning Board Engineer Savacool handling outdoor dining setups around Arnold Ave. and with the employee parking pass program, which will be important if dining areas are in the Borden’s or First Aid lots, taking up parking spaces – those businesses will be encouraged to get passes for their employees – hopes employees will come back to work, get applications from employers and bring them the back to Patty Kile – asked Mayor Kanitra to reach out to the Chamber to encourage participation, particularly from businesses with outdoor seating; thanked Council for supporting emergency pumper truck repairs, per the Fire Dept’s. chief engineer, to avoid likelihood of failure before its replacement in November – repairs are complete; asked BA/CFO Riehl if she contacted Truck Committee Chair Mickle about the new truck (BA/CFO Riehl: yes, he dropped off the co-operative quote package – moving forward).
Mayor Kanitra: put out a strong statement on Wednesday morning as a result of Tuesday night’s situation – taking actions tonight, which will stay in place as long as he is Mayor, to keep PPB a family-friendly destination – first steps – won’t stop until things are where they need to be as a community where everybody can feel safe – government and private Boardwalk businesses need to work together – starting Saturday, will have an additional 30 seasonal officers – BA/CFO Riehl has put together a cohesive plan for weekend code enforcement, which was axed years ago during budget cuts – (1) a proposal focusing on QOL issues such as parking on lawns, un-delineated driveways, illegal weekend construction, litter, etc. – Chief Michigan has authorized a SLEO I to walk around with Code Enforcement Official to tackle issues – working towards neighborhood enforcement – reasonable cost and an absolute necessity – asked for everyone’s support, (2) a total cooler ban on beaches and Boardwalk – people use them to sneak alcohol and they create a tremendous amount of trash – Bay Head, Lavallette and Mantoloking don’t allow them. (3) a full list of fines, sent to the Ocean County judge for approval, to cover everything, from littering on down – word will get out that those who disrespect PPB will pay dearly, (4) consideration of cover-ups on the Boardwalk – what people think are acceptable outfits is appalling, (5) a commitment from private Boardwalk businesses for more personnel to cover gates leading onto the beaches at night – visitors will require a wristband or badge – cut off is 8PM, as a large part of the problem happens after badge sales stop – with the Coronavirus, and not a lot to do, people are trying to make their own parties on the beach – unless they are caught in the act, it is impossible to do anything – BA/CFO Riehl spoke to businesses to help increase litter patrols – asked for a motion to add authorization for the Attorney to draft a cooler ban ordinance to the agenda (Councilman Santanello: confirmed that this would include coolers on privately-owned beaches; Attorney Riordan: correct).
Motion by Councilwoman Byrnes to add authorization for the Borough Attorney to draft a cooler ban to the agenda was seconded by Councilman Vitale (Attorney Riordan: recommended, unless there are objections, to just put it on the agenda) – added as ITEM 1BB.
Asked for Council’s thoughts on cover-ups (Councilman Santanello: objects to “fashion police” – PD has enough to do without worrying what people are wearing; Councilman Cortes: remembers a shore community tried to ban sagging pants; Attorney Riordan: believes it was Wildwood – ACLU threatened to sue, but never did – ordinance is still on the books) looking at people who feel the need to walk up and down the Boardwalk in a thong (Councilman Cortes: agrees with Councilman Santanello; Councilman Vitale: will support this – goes on Boardwalk with his 15-year-old son and 14- and 9-year-old daughters – no need for them to see people’s bare buttocks; Councilwoman Byrnes: supports this as well – don’t have to accept the norm – shoes and shirts are mandatory in any environment) Boardwalk is an open-air mall with food and entertainment, where families go – can’t wear thong in a movie theater or restaurant – not pushing for this now – wanted a poll – can put a pin in it (Attorney Riordan: there are a large number of constitutional issues, including vagueness and over-broadness that need to be considered – not necessarily thought to be in municipal government’s power – would have to be carefully crafted to work well) thinks the plan will get PPB where it needs to be for now (Councilwoman Testa: got a lot of emails and texts from parents and residents upset by some clothing – they find it offensive for children – understands both sides) many, many PPB families won’t go to the Boardwalk because of what kids are being exposed to – can make jokes about it being a Puritanical effort (Councilman Cortes: doesn’t like the way people are scantily dressed – it’s a shift in societal thinking that it’s no big deal – he agrees with Mayor Kanitra; passed an ordinance a few years back on the size of coolers); towns along the NJ coast heave great Shade Tree ordinances to protect communities; started outdoor seating yesterday – visited The Ark and Patio Bar – great to see how busy they were – have bent over backwards to get businesses on their feet – made sure requests were safe and reasonable, but all were approved – thanked Ocean County Freeholders, Administrator and Engineer, who helped with Arnold and Bay Aves., giving businesses the ability to expand into the sidewalk, if they don’t have outdoor space – those who apply to the Borough will be able to take up the sidewalks in front of their properties, while social distancing – will create a temporary sidewalk pop-out to enable people to walk into the roadway where there would be parking spaces – B2Bistro is excited, as is Carol Vaccaro from the Chamber and some other businesses – will create and set a precedent for outdoor space and vibrancy – he asked the Governor’s Chief of Staff that businesses be able to keep outdoor space for a time, after indoor dining is approved, to make up losses – additional capacity will help get them off their feet; QOL Dir. O’Rourke will attend a workshop to learn about nano-bubbling and aeration for Lake of Lillies, while looking towards a full-time solution for making the lake healthier – she continues to talk to the County Engineer about overdue maintenance, just received Clean Communities Grant Funding to help with the lake, set up a DOT meeting for him to discuss transportation issues including signage and unmaintained State property, submitting a grant for 2 no-cost electrical vehicle chargers in NJ Transit lot, working with Councilwoman Testa on street signage/sharrows (arrows with bicyclists behind them on streets) and pedestrian and bike safety, working on NJ Transit Quiet Zone to reduce morning noise, proceeding with a pop-up plan to create partnerships with businesses and property owners; the COVID-19 and PPBHS senior banners look great – are designing downtown banners to replace them – are helping people with unemployment insurance, working on an additional handicap space on Ocean Ave., working with the County to get storm drain cleaning and maintenance scheduled, looking into a crosswalk request near The Ark, advising residents of a new DCA rental assistance program for middle income residents affected by the virus, establishing a volunteer corps, from dozens of resident requests – Borough and Committees can use help – looking into how other towns do it – reach out to QOL Dir. O’Rourke at korouke@pointbeach.org; need to ensure all residents are counted in the Census – helps in terms of Federal and State funding allocation – asked all to fill it out – Census Campaign Truck will be in the NJ Transit lot next month, for residents and visitors; are researching a USDA grant opportunity for community composting and food waste reduction; (Councilman Santanello: asked if the trolley is coming back this year) doesn’t know – it’s a Chamber initiative (Councilwoman Byrnes: St. Mary’s Emergency Food Pantry thanks all for support – ending July 1st – accomplished mission of providing food for the community during the absence of St. Gregory’s Pantry, which reopens on July 6th – will continue to deliver 200 hot meals daily until St. Gregory’s picks that up – number of meals served was doubled during the pandemic); QOL Dir. O’Rourke is looking into a free consultant for the Sustainable Jersey initiative; have altered the Zoom chat function to make it more streamlined – encouraged all to speak up during Public Participation – can otherwise use the chat function, but it must include name, address and question – Councilman Vitale will disseminate to Dept. Heads for response.
BA/CFO Riehl: Chamber asked businesses to sponsor the trolley in July and August – need @$60K – not many takers – will continue to try; Locks of Love fence is finished – PA Chair Bonsper is picking it up to save shipping charges – will set up and install, hopefully by next meeting – a number of locks are still showing up on the Boardwalk fence; 2 donated downtown signs will be finished in the next 2 weeks – both will go on Rte. 35 South and enhance downtown; (Mayor Kanitra: asked if the web site will be up on Thursday) should be live on Thursday – the Clerk needs to post information online after this meeting and then data migration will continue (Mayor Kanitra: has seen it first-hand – light years better than the current one) is anxious to see the finished product – been working on it for a year; described a Weekend Code Enforcement Task Force – plans to bring back task force officers – have had them in the past – trickled out during budgetary issues – need to supplement it in summer at a minimum – patrol on foot or by vehicle to ensure compliance with Borough ordinances and property code maintenance – will prepare a written weekly report, detailing reports received and the resolution – warnings and summonses will be issued – Chief Michigan will dedicate a Class I Officer to patrol with Code Enforcement – plan is for Saturdays and Sundays, 9AM-9PM – asked for authorization to start the initiative, if she can find staffing, and memorialize it at the next Council meeting (Councilman Santanello: asked if hiring new licensed Code Enforcement and if this was in the Budget) part-time unlicensed seasonal Code Enforcement Officer – not specifically in the Budget, but there was a component for Building and Code Enforcement overtime to cover this – expects it to be less than $15K for the season (Councilmen Santanello and Cortes: would be in favor; Mayor Kanitra: suggested former CEO/ZO Petrillo) – added as ITEM 1CC.
Clerk announced additions to agenda. Councilman Vitale: asked all must unmute themselves.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION BEGAN AT 9:19PM
Vince Castin, 15 Trenton Ave., PPB: kudos to Mayor & Council, Police, all who played a part in last week’s incident – asked who sponsored it; asked about 2B; supports Mayor’s QOL initiatives.
Stan Angeloni, 502 Chicago Ave., PPB: asked about skate park opening/closing time and if adult must be present; suggested a Boardwalk sign that cover-up is appreciated, rather than officers confronting people; suggested limited cooler size, as some parents need them – as long as people are not destroying anything, it is what it is; thanked the Mayor for handling the situation.
Kristin Hennessy, 604 New Jersey Ave., PPB: thanked the Mayor for outstanding reports – loves his position on the Shade Tree ordinance, QOL and maintaining PPB as family-oriented town – need zero-tolerance – appreciates Councilmembers sharing the sentiment; complained about the skate park fences, trespassers not wearing helmets, no bathrooms – Open Space funds were used for the field – should have been public participation and Board input on the fence.
Greg Mazzatta, 914 Bay & 202 Ocean Aves., PPB: (inaudible) asked that permitted/residential parking be addressed as QOL issue; people don’t want to bring families to the Boardwalk; complained at Borough Hall about garbage put out on Ocean Ave. after pick-up – was told he needs a picture.
Scott Lee, 216 Harvard Ave., PPB: kudos to Council doing a great job – exciting to see and be part of a town and Council with this much pride; supports ticket tracking system and Safe Streets initiative – would like more signage and tickets; shout out to maintenance and recycling crew for removing tree that came down in storm; supports zero tolerance and a dress code (unenforceable); likes Mr. Mazzatta’s parking ideas; great job with outdoor dining – supports expanding it.
Rob Moreau, Owner-Beach Animal Hospital, PPB: thanked Governing Body for their efforts; recommended tabling ITEMS 2B and 2E, as unnecessary, community-based policing involves a lack of weaponry and money can be better spent on block grants and public safety expenditures; hopes the 30 new officers will not be armed.
E.J. Geiger, 115 Arnold Ave., PPB: suggested observance of Pride Month (added to ITEM 1U); asked about Gottlieb Building plans and about response to the recent Channel 7 news blurb.
Tom Highton, 400 Central Ave., PPB: agrees about dress (losing battle) and coolers – smell of marijuana and language is a greater concern; asked why policing isn’t spread out more; lines by the intersection with the Sycamore tree were not repainted.
Dave Smith, 107 Chicago Ave., PPB: asked why basketball league is being approved in Pleasure Park, when parks aren’t open, if an Executive Order violation was issued to the rapper involved with beach/Boardwalk incident – everyone did an excellent job there; would be different opinions if people understood how much Police Officer training is mandated – been community policing for years – are problems without manpower.
Dave Cavagnaro, 118 Parkway, PPB: adamantly opposes Shade Tree ordinance and asked Council to move slowly and carefully.
Joylene Rock, 215 Trenton Ave., PPB: thanked Police, Council, Mayor for easing her and her daughter’s minds during last week’s beach/Boardwalk incident; asked why street paving is skipping her section, if the Band Shell benches will be permanently attached; discussed problems at Little Silver Lake – would like it cleaned and given the same attention as the other lakes; supports the skate park.
Georgia Cassidy, 115 Arnold Ave., PPB: ABC TV article mentioned Black Lives Matter protest was aborted due to threats – asked if there was any investigation into that.
Christopher Porzio, 107 Arnold Ave., PPB: thanked all for enthusiasm and can-do spirit; NEST cameras in parking lots will solve a lot of issues – can raise parking prices to offset cost – shouldn’t just hire people to write tickets – use technology to address matters – with the footage, things don’t have to be addressed right away.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION ENDED AT 10:38PM
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 #12 ($268,176.73)
1b Approval of Sukha S/E application for yoga at Pleasure Park, Saturdays & Sundays through 9/27
1c Approval of Xhale Hot Yoga S/E application for yoga on the Maryland Ave Beach, 6/20 & 6/27
1d Approval of pymt to Custom Env. Tech. for 40 bags of Zetalyte for the W/S dept. ($4,603)
1e Amendment to Res. 2020-0602/1P (camp counselor & head counselor salaries were reversed)
1f Approval of payment to State of NJ for June employee & retiree health benefits ($115,531.57)
1g Approval of release of performance guarantee for 1301 Seashore LLC
1h Approval of release of performance guarantee for 409 Richmond Ave.
1i Approval of payment to BTMUA for May bulk water usage ($79,776)
1j Approval of payment to HP for 3 monitors & 2 notebooks ($3,475.89)
1k Approval of payment to Lasting Line Painting for Borough-wide painting ($29,961)
1l Approval of payment to Petroleum Traders Corp for DPW gasoline ($6,193.16)
1m Approval of payment to Door Jockey for emergency door replacement ($4,437.40)
1n Approval of payment to All Points for quarterly newsletter ($2,875)
1o Approval of payment to Signworld America for 59 brackets w/banners & graphic design ($5,220)
1p Approval of PO Office Business Syst. for FTR recording software update ($4,749.40)
1q Memorialization of approval of S/E app for PPB Farmers Market at Gazebo, Sundays, 06/7-10/25
1r Auth. to submit grant app & execute grant contract w/NJDOT for 2021 Roadway Imp. Projects
1s Auth. to submit grant app & execute grant contract w/NJDOT for 2021 Bikeways Prog. Phase I
1t Approval of Chamber’s S/E app/fee waiver for Downtown Sidewalk Sales, Thurs-Sat., Jul. & Aug.
1u Observance of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (June 15, 2020) – & Pride Month (June 2020) ADDED PER MAYOR
1v Approval of PP Summer Hoops Invitational’s S/E app for Basketball League, Pleasure Pk, Jul-Aug
1w Memorialization of appointment of K. Finnegan to the position of seasonal DPW Laborer
1x Approval of Resolution for Jenkinson’s Fireworks 2020
1y Resolution urging Governor to reinstate the Homestead Benefit Program
1z Resolution imploring legislators to make necessary revisions to the Senior Tax Freeze Program
1aa Approval of 20’ curb cut request at 106 S. Baltimore Ave. – ADDED PER DH MEMO
1bb Authorization for Attorney to draft a cooler ban ordinance – ADDED PER MAYOR’S REPORT
1cc Auth for Administrator to start weekend code enforcement initiative and memorialize it at the next Council meeting – ADDED PER ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT
CONSENT RESOLUTION 2:
2a Approval of payment of computer-generated vouchers ($232,404.66)
2b Approval of payment to Eagle Point Gun for 2020 police ammunition ($18,015.29)
2c Approval of payment to Downs Ford for May 2020 police car parts ($2,887.94)
2d Approval of PO to Elite Emerg Lights for sound off/emerg lights for 2 police vehicles ($3,659.04)
2e Approval of PO to Premier Electronic Solutions to replace PD security system ($11,985)
2f Appointment of SLEO I, SLEO II and Parking Enforcement Officer
VOTE: Councilmembers Vitale, Testa, Byrnes, Cortes (except 1bb), Santanello (except 1n, 1bb, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 2f), Migut (except 2a)….YEA
Councilmen Cortes (1bb), Santanello (1n, 1bb)….NAY
Councilmen Santanello (2b,2c,2d,2e,2f), Migut (2a)….ABSTAIN
ORDINANCE:
Motion by Councilman Cortes to TABLE the first reading of Ordinance 2020-11 (Amending Chapter III to Require Tree Removal Permits for Removal of Trees Related to New Construction) until next Council meeting due to lack of time to read and vet, was seconded by Councilman Santanello and carried by roll call vote:
VOTE: Councilmembers Cortes, Santanello, Migut and Mayor Kanitra….YEA
Councilmembers Vitale, Testa, Byrnes….NAY
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION BEGAN AT 10:42PM
Dr. Moreau: does not believe Mayor, Council, Chief or PD are racist, but there is ingrained systemic racism in the policing and decision-making processes in town – policing at the white gathering was quiet, non-confrontational and professional – at the black gathering, it was all hands on deck – his 14-year-old African American daughter was asked if she heard about the riots – a gathering of black people is not a riot – wasn’t there and takes the Mayor’s word that it was handled with kid gloves, but he and the Chief must be very aware of how it’s perceived when speaking to media.
E.J. Geiger, 115 Arnold Ave., PPB: was there – agrees there was a lot of de-escalation on Tuesday night – a lot of non-social distancing with both – more out of control than usual– there were unacceptable comments on social media.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION ENDED AT 10:54PM
Motion to close public participation adjourn by Councilman Cortes was seconded by Councilman Vitale and carried by consent of Council.
Meeting was adjourned at 10:54PM.
ATTEST: _______________________________
Eileen A. Farrell, RMC
Municipal Clerk
