Borough of Point Pleasant Beach Council Meeting Minutes
May 19, 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: 912 6834 6596. 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 and Migut. Councilman Santanello was absent. The Municipal Clerk read the notice indicating compliance with the Open Public Meetings Act: “Adequate notice of the time and place of this meeting was given under the provisions of the Open Public Meetings Act and was posted and sent to the officially designated newspapers in compliance with the law.”
Flag Salute, Invocation
Motion by Councilman Migut to approve the May 5, 2020 Council meeting minutes was seconded by Councilwoman Testa and carried by roll call vote.
VOTE: Councilmembers Vitale, Testa, Byrnes, Cortes, Migut….YEA
Councilman Santanello….ABSENT
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Councilman Vitale: thanked Mayor and Council, Chief Michigan, BA/CFO Riehl, OEM Coord. Dempsey and Atty. Riordan for working together to keep residents safe – wished all residents a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day Weekend; attended last night’s Bd. of Ed. Meeting, which focused predominately on year-end activities, graduation and restrictions due to the Governor’s guidelines – all depends on what transpires between now and the end of June; the Open Space Committee is targeting potential properties to purchase – more to follow; several law enforcement agencies will be in town this weekend to support the Police Dept. – Chief has warned of car thefts and urges all to keep their doors locked and report suspicious activity immediately – on behalf of the Dept., wished all a Happy & Safe Memorial Day Weekend; he is meeting with Chief Michigan and Det. O’Neill in the next few weeks to refocus efforts on the Neighborhood Partnership Initiative and has been posting information to Facebook; in District 1, flushable wipes are clogging sewers – they are not really meant to be flushed and are being used more during the pandemic – he and DPW urge residents to throw them in the trash; Earle is finishing punch list items on St. Louis Ave. and installing a rocker gutter on Washington & St. Louis to alleviate flooding; thanked DPW and Police for putting up No Parking signs and barrels throughout town in about 1 day; temporary parking passes were mailed to all residents and taxpayers; line and curb painting is ongoing; Recreation Summer Camp dates are being extended out to Jul. 13-Aug. 21, pending Governor’s guidance – the Dir. and Asst. Dir. will interview counselors this week – Rec Committee’s new email address is, recreationcommittee@pointbeach.org, which will be posted on the Rec Facebook page and town web site – announcements on summer camps and future events will be on the Rec Facebook page; is meeting with BA/CFO Riehl and the IT vendor tomorrow about first steps in securing the Borough’s network – Somerset was victim of a ransomware attack last week – will work to make sure that doesn’t happen to PPB (Councilman Cortes: one section of the rocker gutter on St. Louis & Washington is already cracked and another piece chipped; BA/CFO Riehl: that was reported already – they drove over it; Councilwoman Testa: asked if the crossings where they worked will be repainted; BA/CFO Riehl: yes; Mayor Kanitra: asked Councilmembers to look for any areas they missed – payed good taxpayer money for it – also invited resident input).
Councilwoman Testa: thanked Mayor Kanitra for all he is doing – not easy – all are doing the best they can – good job – thanked Chief Michigan, BA/CFO Riehl and Council and the wonderful residents for understanding; she, Janie and Monica from the Beautification Committee weeded and planted flowers at the welcome sign by the bridge on Saturday – looks great – will keep adding to it – got a lot of good feedback – invited volunteers; Arts Committee met last night on Zoom – Beach Strong contest is ongoing – submissions due Friday – can sign up on the web site, www.pointbeacharts – winner will receive a $50 gift card from the Chamber, with proceeds going back to local businesses; asked permission for Jill, who did the mural by the Boardwalk to place positive mini-murals throughout town – main focus would be Arnold, Bay and Ocean Aves., Inlet, Channel Dr., Boardwalk and Lake areas; Beautification met with Councilmen Cortes and Santanello, CO Gardner and ZO Tumolo about concerns with building codes, overgrown grass, etc. – asked residents to call that in (Councilman Cortes: talked about getting a list of vacant houses and lots – ZO Tumolo is new and is going over the code book – asked all say something if they see something and it will be addressed) ZO Tumolo working hard – reach out to her (Councilman Kanitra: appreciates all Councilwomen Testa and Byrnes are doing in making things look nice – hopes that residents notice and appreciate it – exactly what is wanted in PPB – for the community to be proud and the envy of the East Coast).
Councilwoman Byrnes: hopes all are coping well – tough times – need to stay the course; echoed thanks to Mayor Kanitra, Chief Michigan and his team, Council, BA/CFO Riehl and Clerk Farrell – always there supporting – not easy; Shade Tree Commission thanks BA/CFO Riehl and the Borough for holding contractors accountable for replacing trees that died last summer and for hiring Rob – his role will be extremely important in planting projects – there are 90 new trees to be watered weekly; the Fisher Family Fund tree project received 15 applications – awards will be determined in late August (Mayor Kanitra: invited all to Google “Fisher Family Fund” for applications – also on Facebook) she and member Peter Ritchings weeded and mulched 30 trees this weekend (Mayor Kanitra: suggested she put photos online); Environmental Commission will be planting perennial covers around trees on Arnold Ave. as a trial – gave a shout out to the weekend’s Beautification, Environmental Commission and Shade Tree volunteers – a beehive of activity; the Fire Dept. responded to a call on Friday morning – whey they arrived, it was contained; will be working on an initiative that incorporates all committees – more information to come soon.
Councilman Cortes: Beautification Committee received garden and barrel flowers last week – most have been planted – will be a hold on hanging the American flags downtown, as PPBHS graduation pictures will be hung – other flags are pending access to the basement; skateboard park has been started – showed pictures; showed a picture of a bench on the Boardwalk that had been raised for a better view over the wall – this needs to be nipped in the bud before others start doing that; DPW spent 28 man hours working on State property last week – knows that it is Mayor Kanitra’s pet peeve, but some of the property is located in the Boro (Mayor Kanitra: called and complained about downed trees there and QOL Dir. O’Rourke has been yelling to have the NJNG work site cleaned up – this was part of that) want to look good, but that’s municipal man hours – Rob spent all 20 hours last week watering trees – seems like he is the Shade Tree Commission’s personal employee – has an issue with a resident assigning work to a Borough employee – was supposed to be doing other things as well (Mayor Kanitra: Shade Tree members are volunteers – for a long time, PPB relied on volunteers to do grunt work – most are seniors and that’s why PPB is in the current situation – he asked Chair Lightburn to help Rob, who makes less than the average DPW worker) Beautification Committee plants and digs – labor-intensive work – understands that watering takes a lot of time, but contractors do the plantings and inventory – seems that Rob will spend most of his time watering trees (Mayor Kanitra: will spend 50% or more on trees, but he has also been edging curbs, weeding and picking up trash – the amount of blowing trash has been significantly reduced since he has been on board – he does an amazing job) he puts in a hard day’s work – will see how it irons out; will get together with DPW Super Trout and BA/CFO Riehl to see if there is a way to eliminate garbage bags on Ocean Ave.; asked about item 1p and if any other Councilmember knew about that appropriation (Mayor Kanitra: banner brackets will give PPB the opportunity to honor PPBHS seniors – will be installed on the light poles beneath the snow flake brackets – seniors will be able to take their banners home after about 3 weeks – they will be replaced by beautiful “Welcome to Downtown PPB” banners – the Borough, Fisher Foundation and Bd. of Ed. are each paying 1/3 – the cost of the replacement banners will be split with the Fisher Foundation – will be able to beautify downtown for a fraction of what it would have normally cost) is all for that, but is concerned that it was added to the agenda at the last minute.
Councilman Migut: Parking Authority met virtually last week – Secretary Mills is continuing work with downtown businesses on the employee parking pass program, hopefully for June; first and virtual Planning Board meeting is scheduled for June 7th to hear an application for Atlantic Seafood on Channel Dr. – seeking to modify site plan to put refrigerated units in their outdoor seating area – Board Atty. Galvin is reading out to the DCA for permission to hold the virtual meeting – there is concern about people getting notice and wanting to appear – will see how it goes (Mayor Kanitra: the Governor is supposed to issue guidance in the next 2 weeks regarding temporary outdoor seating and accommodations to help restaurants – wants to put something on the agenda to get ready for that – they’ll need help with temporary zoning, planning, etc.); will be contacting Bay Head and Mantoloking officials to see if they have decided to participate in a shared service agreement for refurbishing the ambulance – seeking $25K from each – BA/CFO Riehl is looking for a letter of commitment.
Mayor Kanitra: noted an impressive 120 participants in the meeting – a testament to how engaged citizens are – appreciates all taking part in the government process; gave an overview of reopening plans – have been working tirelessly – he and the Chief text each other on Sunday nights – never ends – they have daily meetings with BA/CFO Riehl, DPW Super. Trout and OEM Coord. Dempsey – no one isn’t pulling his/her weight – all are working collectively – all perspectives are heard – decisions are made utilizing the expertise of everyone in the room – a true team effort – everything that a good government should be – couldn’t be more proud – resulting in a lot of benefits for residents; Ocean City boardwalk was packed this past weekend – Wildwood, Manasquan and Belmar were busy – want to get the business community back online, but also be sure that PPB can handle the influx and keep residents and guests safe – his focus is the 4th of July and forward – that’s when the majority of business is done – important for parking revenue and for businesses – only get one chance to make a new first impression – his goal is that people who value safety and cleanliness for families will feel comfortable returning to PPB in July and August – wants that to be how PPB is branded during this pandemic – wants people to recognize that all will be welcomed with open arms to the safest Jersey Shore town on the coast – will be paying attention to every single detail to lower risk factors appropriately – this weekend, Memorial Day weekend, will be similar to last – will have Maryland Ave. Beach open – lifeguards will be on the beach with HEPA filters for resuscitation devices and personal protection equipment in their medical bags – badge checkers will wear masks and gloves – police will be patrol the beach – will be personnel to enforce social distancing – have figured out how to provide a 6-ft. radius for groups and individuals – will encourage residents to wear masks when cueing up to get onto the beach – hand sanitizer will be at the check-in point – encourage contactless payment by credit card – opening from the south end – not planning to micromanage activities – will shut down after capacity is hit – Boardwalk will remain closed this weekend – thanked the Storinos and Bassinders/Jenkinson’s and Martell’s for their cooperation – residents need to recognize their sacrifices and all they are doing to have things clean and looking great – after Memorial Day weekend, will look at opening access points to beaches going north – Chief Michigan is working on a plan – targeting early June, based on trends, for Boardwalk reopening – a lot will be dictated by Governor Murphy, with regard to rides, amusements, bars, etc. – Boardwalk is planning social distancing ambassadors, hand sanitizer stations, etc. – Chief Michigan is working on a plan for that as well – will give a ramp up to where PPB needs to be in July and August; graduate banners are being made – will be special for the seniors – is proud, as a town, to help shoulder the cost; town web site is on track for completion at the end of this month – will automate processes and be user friendly – very excited about it; can’t stand the trash bags on Ocean Ave. – seagulls love ripping them open and littering streets – have asked DPW Super. Trout, Code Enforcement, Councilmen Vitale and Cortes and BA/CFO Riehl to try to find a solution – it’s unacceptable and shouldn’t be the first impression of PPB – will come down to ticketing those responsible; Chamber started curbside pickup on Monday for non-essential businesses – should see more easing of restrictions in the coming weeks – encouraged all to shop locally and patronize PPB businesses – can call ahead and have items brought outside; asked for authorization for Attorney to draft an ordinance or resolution – something similar to what is being done in Brick, Berkley and Lavallette to get ready for when the Governor has guidance regarding outside temporary seating at restaurants, whose capacities will be reduced due to social distancing – added as item 1q; QOL Dir. O’Rourke has been researching pop-up shops for downtown – she will reach out to the Zoning Board Attorney and town planner – is attending webinars for Mainstreet America and working on Sustainable Jersey actions to keep bronze status – NJNG destroyed the island across from McDonalds – trying to get them to come and fix that for summer season and to clear one of the islands PPB shares with the Boro – she is also working on Lake of the Lillies water quality alternatives and continuing to troubleshoot unemployment insurance, business grants and loans – has helped a staggering 150 residents and business owners in PPB – sobering that so many people need help – she has even been helping residents find housing – been putting in 12-hour days like a lot of others – she is still working on the NJ Transit Quiet Zone, Municipal Alliance grant, Electric Vehicle Charger grants, working with the County to find a temporary staffer to help with the filter and maintenance at Lake of the Lillies and is helping BA/CFO Riehl bone up PPB’s Best Practices score (Councilwoman Testa: asked about Maryland Ave. beach badges and about hotels and rentals) aquaservelg.com is the web site for buying badges – can also bring a check staring Memorial Day weekend – limited number of daily badges will be sold as well – seasonal badge does not guarantee beach admission – safety first – other beaches are access points – can do daily badges at Bradshaw’s (Councilman Cortes: Aquaserve handles Bradshaw’s as well); starting this weekend, hotels can be at 25% capacity – taking new applications for COs for vacation rentals starting June 12th – will decide on June 1st whether to process those applications; thanked the Fisher Family Foundation for the downtown banners to honor the seniors and helping to highlight the town as a destination, for giving the town the ability to look nicer and for the trees – reminded all to submit a tree application on the web.
BA/CFO Riehl: Budget was introduced last meeting and has been assigned a DCA reviewer –were some questions and they’ve asked for some documentation – is scheduled for public hearing and adoption at the next Council meeting; she arranged for the Beautification Committee to get into the basement on Thursday at 9:30 a.m. to get what they need (Mayor Kanitra: Cathy Sogorka from the Environmental Commission needs help getting their tent down there) Cathy can contact her to arrange; waiting on the sprinkler company to turn on the sprinklers on May 21st and to fix anything necessary on the 30th; new benches are in – look fabulous – the ones at the Inlet have been removed and the stumps ground down – ready for installation by this weekend or next at the Band Shell and Inlet; need additional recycling containers to replace the unattractive ones on the Boardwalk – received a quote today (motion by Councilman Cortes to add that to the agenda was seconded by Councilwoman Testa and approved by consent of Council – added as item 1r); extended thanks to all the hands on deck last Friday – DPW, Police, Borough Hall staff – fantastic cooperation with lawn sign, barrels, sign boards, placards (Mayor Kanitra: saw a comment regarding COVID numbers – Ocean County Health Dept. confuses PPB with the Boro; Chief Michigan: been a problem since the start – PPB’s number is 19 – he and the Boro Chief trade information daily – numbers grow and reduce as people recover and are removed from an active list – biggest problem is the shared zip code).
Councilwoman Testa: people have been asking about the Farmers Market – it opens June 7th at 10AM – everyone must wear masks, vendors will wear gloves, no contract with products, vendors will handle purchases, minimum 6-ft. distance, there will be hand sanitizer – asked all to bring a credit card or exact change – will be no parking east of the railroad tracks until mid-June – park behind Frankie’s or on Arnold Ave., west of the tracks, or consider walking or biking – new location is by the Post Office/gazebo (Mayor Kanitra: parking restrictions could be removed by then).
Mayor Kanitra: during public participation, asked all to turn off their TVs – no arguing, and when unmuted by Councilman Vitale, state name and address – will be addressed individually.
The Municipal Clerk added items to agenda.
Councilman Vitale: asked all to also mute themselves, if they don’t wish to talk, to eliminate background noise (Mayor Kanitra: can do that by clicking the red microphone button until it has a red slash on it – or, if on phone, hit *6 to mute or unmute).
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION BEGAN AT 8:38PM
Dave Cavagnaro, 118 Parkway, PPB: asked about items 1n and 2d.
Alan Steiner, 423 Yale Ave., PPB: asked about bracket numbers and Antrim field opening.
E.J. Geiger, 115 Arnold Ave., PPB: suggested dumpsters on Ocean Ave. for garbage bags.
Vince Castin, 15 Trenton Ave., PPB: asked if Boardwalk opening will be simultaneous with Jenkinson’s and beach access, how long temporary parking will be in effect, about Maryland Ave. Beach access, if VFW is considered essential, and announced a small Memorial Day service at 10AM.
Marilyn Burke, Central Ave., PPB: asked about item 1i and resident price for daily and seasonal Maryland Ave. Beach passes, specifically for nurses and doctors.
Chuck Venedam, 1 Brunswick Pl., PPB: asked when Jenkinson’s badges will be available.
John Dixon, 17 Niblick St., PPB: asked if State or Federal Government will reimburse or help for lost parking revenue or if a hiring freeze has been considered.
E.J. Geiger, 115 Arnold Ave., PPB: asked about last year’s surplus is still available.
Vince Castin, 15 Trenton Ave., PPB: asked who determines which businesses are essential and thanked those doing everything for the town.
Mary Jo Gradel, 402 New Jersey, Ave., PPB: interested in learning more about the NJ Transit Quiet Zone initiative.
Stan Angeloni, 502 Chicago Ave., PPB: thanked Mayor & Council – town looks good; people should be advised to hold onto their emergency parking placards, in case they have to be used again.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION ENDED AT 9:11PM
Motion by Councilman Vitale to close public participation and approve the items listed below was seconded by Councilman Migut and carried by roll call vote.
CONSENT RESOLUTION 1:
1a Approval of payment of Payroll #9 ($238,920.88)
1b Approval of W/S relief request
1c Approval of payment to All Points Printing & Graphics for signs, banner & passes ($7,545)
1d Approval of pymt to Integrated Technical Syst for 30 dual battery charges for meters ($7,688)
1e Approval of payment to BTMUA for April bulk water usage ($48,978)
1f Approval of payment to All Covered for April IT Maintenance/Support ($3,595.50)
1g Approval of payment to OCUA for 2nd quarter sewerage payments ($318,071.25)
1h Approval of payment to M. Woszczak for emergency fire hydrant replacement ($5,475)
1i Approval of payment to State of NJ for employee & retiree health benefits ($113,033.19)
1j Approval of payment to OC JIF for 2nd installment ($280,055)
1k Approval of payment to M. Woszczak for installation of 22 fire hydrants ($113,255)
1l Approval of payment to RIO Supply for 2020 water meter parts ($5,856)
1m Appt of J. Coyne to perm position of Asst. Tax Collector/Auth for Clerk to dispose of CSC list
1n Approval of 2020 Adopt-A-Spot Applications
1o Resolution urging Senate & House to pass & President to sign H.R. No. 6454 (Equity for Disaster Victims Act of 2020)
1p Approval of PO to Signworld America for 59 brackets with banners ($5,542)
1q Auth for Atty to draft an ordinance and/or resolution regarding temporary outdoor seating at restaurants – ADDED PER MAYOR’S REPORT
1r Approval of PO to MAX-R for recycling containers ($31,651.25) – ADDED PER BA/CFO RPT
CONSENT RESOLUTION 2:
2a Approval of payment of computer-generated vouchers ($1,560,047.42)
2b Approval of amendment to NJ Safe & Secure Comm Grant Prog (typo)
2c Approval of PO/pymt to Atlas Flasher & Supply for 5 message board rentals for PD ($7K)
2d Approval of PO/pymt to Atlas Flasher & Supply for 5 trailer mounted sign boards for PD ($76,870)
2e Approval of pymt to Continental Fire & Safety for personal protection gear for FD ($39,977.98)
2f Approval of pymt to Fire & Safety Svcs for fire vehicle/equip repairs for Fire Co 2 ($7,072.82)
2g Approval of hand checks from Developer escrow
2h Approval of PO to Ocean County Power Sports for beach rescue vehicle ($17,388.99)
VOTE: Councilmembers Vitale, Testa, Byrnes, Cortes, Migut (except 2a, 2e, 2f)….YEA
Councilman Migut (2a, 2e, 2f)….ABSTAIN
Councilman Santanello….ABSENT
Ordinance 2020-10 (Cap Bank) 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 2020-10 was seconded by Councilwoman Testa and carried by roll call vote.
VOTE: Councilmembers Vitale, Testa, Byrnes, Cortes, Migut….YEA
Councilman Santanello….ABSENT
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION BEGAN AND ENDED AT 9:16PM
Motion to close public participation and adjourn by Councilman Migut was seconded by Councilman Cortes and carried by consent of Council.
Meeting was adjourned at 9:17PM
ATTEST: _______________________________
Eileen A. Farrell, RMC
Municipal Clerk
