Borough of Point Pleasant Beach Council Meeting Minutes
November 10, 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: 995 5535 7348. 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, Cortes, Santanello and Migut. Councilwoman Byrnes 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.”
The Governing Body reserves its right to amend and supplement the purposes of executive session by motion at the public meeting.
Flag Salute, Invocation
Motion by Councilwoman Testa to approve the October 20, 2020 Council meeting minutes was seconded by Councilman Vitale and carried by roll call vote.
VOTE: Councilmembers Vitale, Testa, Cortes, Santanello, Migut….YEA
Councilwoman Byrnes….ABSENT
DISCUSSION: Best Practices Worksheet
BA/CFO Riehl: this is an annual inventory to be completed and submitted by the CFO to the DCA – there is a resolution on the agenda that the Council read and discussed it at a public meeting – 60 questions ranged from personnel, budget, ratables, procurement, capital projects, transparency in government, COVID-19, cybersecurity, shared services, economic development, environment and planning – 30 were unscored/fact gathering questions – the other 30 were scored – need 9 or less “no” answers to receive 100% of State aid – only had 3 “no’s” this year, which was 1 better than last year – no issues – was filed with the DCA by the deadline – this is to memorialize the action (Mayor Kanitra: asked if there are any areas needed Council focus or resources) unscored surveys focused on planning and economic development, environment opportunity zones and such – a polling of municipalities’ visions – some are goals the Mayor hopes to achieve – there were some COVID-19 issues, which are not unsurmountable – seem to have a real handle on budgeting, personnel and core competencies.
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Councilman Vitale: gave Police Chief’s report since last meeting – training included Canine In Service and Officer Resiliency – 2 subjects were charged with first degree maintaining a heroine manufacturing facility at a hotel and a host of other drug related charges – PD is participating No Shave November to raise funds for men’s health issues – PBA Local 106 will donate money raised to the Cancer Care Center at Ocean Medical Center in Brick – more information is on their Facebook page – in the process of hiring 35 SLEO II’s for the 2021 summer season – thanked Capt. Kowalewski and Lt. Grace for overseeing and coordinating these new hires – on behalf of the PD, wished all a Happy & Safe Thanksgiving – met with Det. O’Neill, who met with Chief Michigan – decided to cancel the November 18th Neighborhood Partnership Initiative (NPI) meeting and reschedule it for the first quarter of 2021 – hoping for in-person meetings by then – NPI Facebook page is still active – 400 police signs were delivered – are still some requests, so he might get more; Recreation Committee participated in the Kiwanis pumpkin decorating contest, with about 60 families in Pleasure Park and Grom-o-Ween, with about 60 kids participating – the Recreation and Arts Committees are planning a Winer Wonderland event in Pleasure Park on December 12th and Holiday Lights registration is coming up – look for information on the Recreation Committee Facebook page – Recreation Committee spoke with members of the School Board and School Super. Smith and decided to postpone the Recreation Basketball League until further notice, due to COVID and possibly hold it outdoors in spring; he, Mayor Kanitra and QOL Dir. O’Rourke met with Borough Engineers to discuss traffic issues including wrong-way drivers, speeding and an absence of signage – will circulate to appropriate stakeholders – draining and road improvements to Maryland and Delaware Aves. have begun, with drainage this year and milling and paving in spring – contacted Pothole Killers to estimate repairs – the County will fix sidewalk drainage issue on Broadway, after a residential complaint; is working with private donor to bring in 18’-20’ Christmas tree for downtown (Mayor Kanitra: Pothole Killers will cost about $4,500 for 6 metric tons, plus transportation and administrative costs – DPW will identify areas to be ground and filled – could be a cost-efficient and long-term solution, negating the need to repave some areas).
Councilwoman Testa: the Arts Committee Snowman Contest will be starting soon, with information on the web site; the second annual Juried Art Show is on the web site now, with beautiful artwork and photography – next Arts meeting is Monday at 7:30PM – all are welcome; Vintage Van Gogh will have a children’s education program at their studio on November 15th; looking at key roads for traffic management and signage, from Washington to McLean – QOL Dir. O’Rourke mentioned that requested directional arrows were painted at key intersections; Beautification is winterizing gardens and cleaning out barrels in preparation for Christmas decorations – Councilman Cortes finished cutting out reindeer – are getting ready to hang up the garland (Councilman Cortes: DPW will get snowflakes up next week – he’ll follow behind with the swag) garland will go up too – invited volunteers; Spa Bella Trunk or Treat was a huge success – thanked Spa Bella and the volunteers – safe and fun – will be a yearly tradition; had the first Municipal Alliance Committee (MAC) meeting – a lot to come – next meeting is November 23rd – spoke about substance abuse, addiction, the Antrim Scared Straight program, parent education, a possible pandemic-friendly town dinner with a guest speaker, etc. – an officer spoke about the re-emergence of meth chewables – want to get information to parents and be a resource for children; Happy Thanksgiving.
Councilman Cortes: congratulated Councilmembers Migut and Byrnes on their re-election; recognized November employee anniversaries – Mike Ormsby 31 years, Jennifer Coyne 15; new vegetation was added and cleaned-up by the Inlet bathroom; removed 31 new parking kiosks to store them for winter; Maryland Ave. Beach lease rebid is on the agenda (Mayor Kanitra: raised the cost of the bid – were giving it away – asked that The Shack be fixed up, etc.) is all for that; new DPW truck on agenda is a replacement – the old 2002 one was sold on Municibid – the Sweepster utility is an attachment that will eliminate need for labor to remove stone and sand from the Inlet lot after a high tide; contacted BA/CFO Riehl about cell tower fence repair – she sent an email to get it fixed; are finally awarding a bid for the Boston Ave bulkhead, assuming the Borough Attorney reviewed it and all was acceptable; all received an e-mail from a resident about the trash bag ordinance – he responded – showed a picture of the household waste dumpster in the train lot – kudos to Councilman Vitale for bringing a resident’s bag to the dumpster and saving him a 3-hour drive to PPB; he tested positive for COVID after the last meeting and has since tested negative – had no symptoms – quarantined for 14 days – advised all to be cautious and safe – has since tested negative but, 7 days into quarantine, because of his weekend immune system, he broke out in painful shingles – so, other medical issues can arise – wear a mask, sanitize hands and be prudent (Mayor Kanitra: all are happy he recovered so quickly with minimal discomfort/inconvenience – appreciates his words as numbers are rising – is foolish to not take it seriously).
Councilman Santanello: is working on some things in the background that he is not yet ready to bring to public; congratulated Councilmembers Migut and Byrnes – some people are celebrating and some are disappointed – inaudible – must find a way to get along – a lot of anger out there on both sides – he believes both sides are terrible – both parties are destroying the Country – is a registered Libertarian – need 2 things to fix the predicament – 1) term limits and 2) a third party like Libertarian – noted that legalization of marijuana was voted for by 54% of the town – government needs to stay out of our back lawns, homes and bedrooms.
Councilman Migut: thanked Council for their congratulations on his re-election to his third term – missed the cocktail parties and meeting the residents during this election cycle – hopes to do that soon; took a moment to remember the Election workers across the Country, who worked so hard during this election, 7 days a week and overtime – there is currently COVID breakout amoung Ocean County Election workers – he is awaiting his test results; thanked DPW and PD for quickly repairing the Maryland Ave. pothole that he drove through and reported – is glad to hear of pothole service coming to town; Happy Thanksgiving (Mayor Kanitra: all praying for negative COVID result).
Mayor Kanitra: spoke about Councilmembers Migut and Byrnes – massive congratulations are due and well warranted – results were significant and a resounding showing of how the community feels they and the administration are doing – something to be proud of – looked back 20 years and found no results within 200 votes of what they received – that is all the commentary that is needed; spoke about his meeting downtown with Councilman Vitale, the Borough Engineer and QOL Dir. O’Rourke – Councilwoman Testa couldn’t make it – identified hot spots that need attention – not a one size fits all solution – referenced the intersection at Route 35 and Arnold Ave. – looking at doing dotted lines through the intersections – Inlet Dr. will have some novel, long term solutions – QOL Dir. O’Rourke is working on an NJ DOT grant – working with the County as well – doing a sign inventory and should be in a good spot next year – bike racks should be shipping soon and will be installed by DPW; are starting the process of working on a town survey, hopefully in the beginning of the year – will give a baseline of resident priorities, to ascertain progress through the years – data is important to quantify that; the end-of-year newsletter is being worked on; reached out to JCP&L about LED upgrade progress; QOL Dir. O’Rourke will be canvassing town for properties to be included on the vacant and abandoned property list – she is also working on her creative placemaking plan, with a focus on downtown and economic and business development; thanked all who turned out for Lake of the Lillies Clean Up day – about 20 people showed – the Walk with a Purpose group was there – took a lot out of bottle caps, wrappers, etc. out of the water – Enviroscapes had spill pads to clean up some oil – focus is how to manage oxygen levels, sediment and run off to prevent algae blooms; was told the MAC meeting was very successful – he couldn’t make it – a good cross-section of town – next meeting is November 23rd at 8PM via Zoom – details will be on the web site; he and his girlfriend Alora have been visiting different NJ towns on weekends to see what they are doing right and wrong – signage is a big part of doing it right in destination towns – Arnold Ave. signage is atrocious and bringing down the overall look and aesthetic of the town – a big focus, going forward – authorization is on the agenda for Attorney to draft revisions to the sign ordinance; spoke about other authorizations on the agenda including creation of a Senior Committee to keep seniors engaged and happy, and a downtown overlay district, to incentivize people to do the right thing with buildings – referenced the Gottlieb building – some projects are sizable.
Municipal Clerk announced additions and revisions to agenda.
BA/CFO Riehl: someone sent her a picture of a half empty dumpster at the lot by DPW, with piles of garbage bags around it – asked all to place their bags inside; inground garbage cans have been delivered – need to work with Councilman Cortes on when and where to place them (Councilman Cortes: the Mayor would like the seagull bike racks first; Mayor Kanitra: in about 2 weeks – should try them in area of Woodland and Arnold); 9 applications have come in for heaters for outdoor dining, with 6 approved and 3 pending approval – hopes that will help businesses through the winter; had a really good meeting with the County Administrator and CFO regarding CARES ACT reimbursement for COVID expenses – can be very creative – if any municipality wishes to rescind their FEMA funding request (75% and doesn’t cover everything), they will cover everything at 100%, with a push to have the money out before year-end – has put that process in motion – sent in all the paperwork to rescind PPB’s FEMA application (Mayor Kanitra: asked if it could go in a different direction, if they didn’t approve enough to make up for the 25% under FEMA) does not think that will be a problem – PPB probably has a lot less expenditures than the larger towns and they have been very accommodating; DOT will be in town on Saturday November 21st to plant trees along Rte. 35 at no charge to the Borough; thanked DPW for winterizing public buildings – the Inlet Comfort Station needs a new roof, as it is starting to fail and the ladies room has been flooding during storms – the roof on the back side of bathhouse roof is also in need of repair and will be in the 2021 capital budget (Mayor Kanitra: asked about sweeper parts and if this is the second time the sweeper broke down this year) have had issues with it – DPW Super. Trout is looking into potentially leasing one, instead of purchasing – could be more cost-effective, as money is being dumped into parts each year; (Mayor Kanitra: asked about the landscaping RFP) is included with all of the other RFPS (Councilman Cortes: typical roof is 25-30 years – asked about recourse for the Inlet roof) maintenance bond is 2 years – went back to the Engineer at the time and was told there is no coverage for the roof – the rock stone façade is now falling off as well – same contractor – may remove it completely and paint that part of the building tastefully (Mayor Kanitra: asked who should have oversight on completed public building project) it’s the Borough Engineer’s responsibility (Councilman Cortes: asked if the building, with electric and plumbing, gets inspected by Building Dept) no – through Engineering, during the construction phase for a Borough project (Mayor Kanitra: asked if that can be changed; Councilman Cortes: asked Attorney Riordan if this can be done going forward, as a check and balance; Attorney Riordan: will look into it and report back; Mayor Kanitra: would be great to have more oversight or require, before CO is issued, that all flood certification stuff is done, so there is no scrambling to save flood rating; Councilman Santanello: thinks we already do that – he had to be flood compliant to get his CO; Mayor Kanitra: there have been massive problems with the flood certifications over the last couple of years; Councilman Santanello: there was a checklist of things he had to do to move into his house – is surprised that it’s been a problem – also mentioned that Best Practices is a big deal – a huge task with amazing results – kudos to BA/CFO Riehl).
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION BEGAN AT 8:27PM
Vincent Castin, 15 Trenton Ave., PPB: asked about items 1Z and 2A; spoke about dogs on the beach; there are a lot of potholes on Boston Ave., from Trenton to Ocean.
Dave Cavagnaro, 118 Parkway, PPB: congratulations to Councilmembers Migut and Byrnes; asked about items 1S, 1Z and 2I.
E.J. Geiger, 115 Arnold Ave, PPB: asked about items 1W, 3D, 3E, 3F and 2J.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION ENDED AT 8:44PM
Municipal Clerk asked for clarification on item 2F.
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 #22 ($332,312.22) #23 ($253,273.59)
1b Approval of payment to Down to Earth Landscaping for landscaping at Silver Lake ($8,580)
1c Authorization to advertise RFPs for professional services for 2021
1d Approval of payment to Servpro of Toms River for bioremediation 10/1-10/19 ($5,700)
1e Approval of payment to the State of NJ for employee & retiree health benefits ($116,065.77)
1f Authorization to re-bid the Maryland Avenue Beach lease
1g Approval of payment to All Covered for IT maintenance & support for Aug & Sept ($3,375)
1h Approval of payment to the OCUA for 4th Q sewerage payments ($318,071.25)
1i Approval of payment to the Ocean County Treasurer for 4Q County tax levy ($2,306,093.98)
1j Memorialization of approval of Antrim PTO S/E app to sell raffle tickets at Grom-o-Ween
1k Memorialization of approval of Antrim PTO S/E app to sell raffle tickets at Pumpkin Palooza
1l Approval of pymt to Jersey Shore Lawn Sprinkler for Little Silver Lk irrigation syst ($20,836.34)
1m Approval of salary adjustment for M. Schwarz for passage of course leading to certification
1n Approval of ABC COVID 19 Expansion of Premises renewal applications (8) through 03/21
1o Establishment of 2021 Borough holidays
1p Certification that the Governing Body read & reviewed the Best Practices Worksheet
1q Approval of refund of tax overpayment to V. Guarino for 305 Philadelphia Ave. ($2,062.48)
1r Authorization for Attorney to draft an ordinance to create a Senior Committee
1s Authorization for Attorney to draft revisions to the regulations governing signs in the Borough
1t Approval of PO to Cherry Valley Tractor Sales for Sweepster Utility Tractor for DPW ($10,946.64)
1u Approval of PO to Cliffside Body Corp. for tool tray assembly for utility (NTE $2,500)
1v Approval of PO to Nat’l Auto Fleet Grp for 2021 Ford F-550 dump truck for DPW ($96,101.12)
1w Approval of PO to Rio Supply for water meter software ($17,500)
1x Approval of payment to Bortek Industries for DPW sweeper parts ($3,341.85)
1y Approval of PO & Pymt to Glenco Supply for DPW sign materials ($1,929)
1z Auth for Attorney to draft an ordinance creating & regulating a downtown overlay district
CONSENT RESOLUTION 2:
2a Approval of PO to Acme Lingo Flagpoles for 60’ flagpole for Boardwalk ($15,562.00)
2b Approval of Antrim PTO request to use lot between Fire Co. & Post Office for raffle, 12/5.
2c REMOVED
2d REMOVED
2e REMOVED
2f Award of contract to Capela Construction Inc. for Boston Ave. Bulkhead Reconstruction
– REVISED PER ATTY
2g Approval of Rec Cmte S/E app for Winter Wonderland event in Pleasure Park, 12/12 (rain: 12/13)
2h Memorialization of amended Res. 2020-0218/1w (employee salary increase retro to 4/27/19 not 1/1/20)
2i Authorization for Atty to draft ordinance revisions to address flood certifications
2j Authorization for Atty to draft amendment to ordinance regarding dogs on the beach
CONSENT RESOLUTION 3:
3a Approval of payment of computer-generated vouchers ($2,795,143.77)
3b Approval of PO to Continental Fire & Safety for Personal Protection Gear for Fire Co. 1 ($42,740)
3c Approval of pymt to Firefighter One for 5 SCBA air paks/spare bottles for Fire Co 1 ($62,705)
3d Approval of PO to Ocean Cardiovascular for stress tests for 36 PD applicants ($9K)
3e Approval of PO to Meridian Occ. Health for physical exams for 36 PD applicants ($12,564)
3f Approval of PO to Mark White PH.D. for psych exams for 36 PD applicants ($18K)
3g Support for 2020 Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over Year End Holiday Crackdown
VOTE: Councilmembers Vitale, Testa, Cortes, Santanello (except 1r, 1s, 1z, 2i, 2j, 3d, 3e, 3f, 3g),
Migut (except 3a, 3b, 3c)….YEA
Councilman Santanello (1r, 1s, 1z, 2i, 2j)….NAY
Councilmen Santanello (3d, 3e, 3f, 3g), Migut (3a, 3b, 3c)….ABSTAIN
Councilwoman Byrnes….ABSENT
ORDINANCE:
Ordinance 2020-21 (Amend Ch. XIX – Sale of Vaping/E-Cig & CBD) 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 2020-21 on second reading was seconded by Councilman Vitale and carried by roll call vote.
VOTE: Councilmembers Vitale, Testa, Migut….YEA
Councilmen Cortes, Santanello….NAY
Councilwoman Byrnes….ABSENT
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION BEGAN AT 8:49PM
Vincent Castin, 15 Trenton Ave., PPB: invited all to a service to honor Veterans tomorrow at the VFW – recited the poem, “A Veteran Died Today.”
Dave Cavagnaro, 118 Parkway, PPB: asked when the cell tower lease expires; Ocean Ave. lights are brighter – look great – asked about making Parkway lights brighter; thanked Councilman Cortes for reindeer parts – one of Beautification’s hardest working members; Happy Thanksgiving.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION ENDED AT 8:54PM
Motion by Councilman Cortes to close public participation and adjourn was seconded by Councilman Migut and carried by consent of Council.
Meeting was adjourned at 8:54PM.
ATTEST: Eileen A. Farrell, RMC
Municipal Clerk
