good all right here we go welcome to the Blairstown Township committee meeting for Thursday January 18th 2024 get an opening roll call please Kristen Mrs Lance here Mr lman here Mr murus Mr orot Mayor Morhead here all please rise for the salute to the flag to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible with liy and justice for all adequate notice of this meeting has been provided in accordance with the open public meeting act pl1 1975 chapter 231 setting forth the time date place and purpose of this public meeting through a legal notice published in the New Jersey Herald Andor The Express Times following the Township's annual reorganization meeting at which the 2024 meeting schedule was adopted good evening everyone welcome to uh a very chilly night in Blairstown we will open up the meeting with uh any public comments our public comments section open now if anyone has anything to bring before us pretty that's a pretty light crowd I was expecting I was expecting like the the drinks being poured in the back and nothing it's just just this this is going to times up okay up seeing no public comments we will close the public comment portion of the meeting and um I don't know how to use that please stop that just keep turning it uh department head reports for the month of November we have Animal control officer Blair's toown fire department host company number one Department of Public Works Police Department tax collector Township Clerk bacon and abandoned properties any discussion on any of these you guys will obviously be reporting on the uh the various reports in your committee uh assignments later on any any discussion motion to accept the department head reports for the month of November second all in favor I all oppos there we go on to our consent agenda five items tonight um if you have anything that you'd want to uh vote on uh separately please let me know um we've got number one 2024 28 resolution to join renew the fund uh 2024 29 Redemption of certification of sale number 20215 20243 resolution in support of the restoration of Passenger rail service via Amtrak between New York City and Scranton PA via the lacana cut off uh 2024 31 resolution authorizing the mayor and clerk to execute the interlocal services agreement between the pollution control financing Authority of Warren County and the township of lown and number five 2024 32 approving this past month's vouchers and claims okay mayor a couple things um number four can we separate that one out please sure can go on that separately and perhaps on number three anything on number three perhaps you could read that resolution since CH is in attendance and some other members who are uh obviously interested in this issue yeah it's very long I'm not reading that all right realce real nice um but uh if if chuck if you have any comments before we uh before we'll vote on that separately any last pitch I think you know how we're going to vote but any any anything else to say before we vote I don't know what to say I mean that's I just appreciate your support that's all I can ask for are are you getting right are resolutions being uh are coming up in the towns that are involved in this line or is it not at that point yet well I think since the the station por would be with blar town you folks have the first you really start the ball rolling I guess is the way to put in terms of resolutions and support because if we were to go into like I'm from Nolton if I go into Nolton and say I'd like you to support the you know so forth and the person who ask me well what is Blair's Happ right so that's well make sure you make sure that you make a very valid point of saying that to them like yeah blown did this and they're the leaders so you guys should follow along let's see how that works out however I mean we the leadership of blown to be able to sit back and say you know what uh once it is open again and once it is available for passenger uh Riders guess what it's a lot closer to drive from Bolton or from free hiding or from hardw to come to wown than it is to go to the door so what the heck I think that those of support might come quickly afterwards so obviously Andover is uh is is all in right uh what other towns uh need to be touched upon for this in Jersey well I would said I'm almost defer I I have Hank nias with me and Joe paparo flers residen up so I'm going to like almost in a sense prer to you folks I I did a quick analis uh mapping out a 15 mile radius from the train station and that includes not only uh Hardwick fing heis and pop and Nolton but also Stillwater Township freeing Township Newton uh and over even hackin toown and Bel they're all within 15 miles as the Pro run roads of course different but the idea is that what am tr is proposing is access to their entire system so rather than having to drive to some place like over you know or even closer uh having having a you know access right here not only is convenient to the immediate vicinity but it can do a boost to the to the economy of the entire area it would be the only station allwest it'll be very interesting I mean in in years past if I wanted to go to the city to see a show and I don't really like driving into the city um you know you try to get as close as you can so maybe you go to Dober um but still what what a convenience it would be to just drive a couple maybe a mile for me and and then hop on a train be do something it's a whole new world it's it's interesting to talk to some of the old times well uh I I guess someone of my age or or older that would remember now I didn't live here at the time but I I I talked a few over the years they seemed to have generally liked it when it was here of course now we're talking about 53 years ago so it's been a long time but uh apparently it was something was almost like it's a part of the community yeah it's not often conveniences are taken from us in this day and age everything has become a convenience it's very very odd to try to put a convenience back that used to be there half a century ago it's an interesting concept of will uh you want to vote on uh is is there service west of scr once that goes in will you in other words if you need to go west from scand you have to go all the way to New York and then come back out there has been talk uh about extending Beyond Scranton that would be a future phase because Amtrak is only proposing to Scranton with Scranton to New York City which is about 13 miles but there's no connection currently into Scranton from the West uh there there could be I mean there's there's been discussion I mean there's an active rail line but it's used for fruit only there has been proposals to extend the the service to Bingington and maybe even Syracuse New York um but that would be the next stage I think we kind of have to get to Scranton first but that I I expect that's going to come up because there's some fairly influential supporters for that but they've been really waiting for this to happen because if this doesn't happen it's all moving is what happens west of s we have to get the s first that's on the CP you're talking about Bight uh well norol Southern now used to be C yes Eric I got to ask you what why would you want to go anywhere other than scram my my daughter goes to college in Pittsburgh okay all right I I kind of thought everything ended at scram like just I don't drive out there that much I just don't want to fall off the edge so we will um I'll make a motion there I'll make a motion that we to move consent item agenda number 1 2 3 and five all right we have a motion we have a second second okay roll call please Chris Mrs Lance yes Mr lman yes Mr mtor Mr orot yes mayor Mor yes we have number 4 2024 31 resolution authorizing mayor and clerk to execute the interlocal service agreement between the pollution control financing authority of Warren County and the township of blown deputy mayor or you have some discussion on that no discussion I'm just abstaining since I am a member of the control okay very good can we have a roll call please Christen need a motion to uh to approve number four so mov to approve 2024 31 second right roll call Christ Mrs Lance yes Mr lman yes Mr Mr orat abst Mayor cor yes okay our uh resolutions for discussion for 20 uh 2024 33 various compensated appointments and um I need to find that letter it's under new business it's under new business there we are yeah I got tabs mayor Morhead I'm writing uh you this letter to inform you that effective immediately I'm resigning as Deputy Emergency Management coordinator for Blairstown Township I have a new role at Warren County and I'll will not be able to provide the attention and commitment to the position that the township and residents deserve I've enjoyed serving the Township in this role for the last 12 years I wish everyone a healthy and happy New Year respectfully submitted Calvin M enko so we uh really do thank Calvin for his service over well over a decade and we will yeah we'll make that uh we have a motion to accept that resignation for Calvin enko so I'll second that all right all in favor I I I all POS we wish you well K all right so the 2024 33 uh we have uh we have a do we have his replacement in there his and then very good um so this guy can uh do we we have a motion to uh approve 20243 33 so move second all I let's do a roll call this is Lance yes Mr lman yes Mr Mur Mr orot yes mayor Morad all right onto unfinished business Jones Farm Charlie I spoke with Donald again today pretty much in contact every week um obviously with the weather and snow I just before the last goall I sent a picture of the building with snow on it and unfortunately two days later we have St so he is ready to go with the crew um but obviously as he expressed today St in that building we're going to be up on the RO so he's ready ring and waiting we're just going to have to wait for the weather to CL so like I said we touch base every week and it's going to happen when when we F weather very good looking forward to that that I mean if you know as I said this afternoon it's not going to melt the whole thing is still going to be there when he see the come up was going no way for Georgia was scw um he said if we get good enough weather he said just care about the temperature as much as the snow um said even if you can get like for good days of reasonable weather come up even if you get a start on it back and finish it so we're looking forward to it absolutely uh let's see on to any any other uh unfinished business before ahead all right on a new business speed limit sign request or Cena Hills Drive uh did you responded to this did you not uh W or did not I guess that's why it's on the agenda but I would I would uh I'd like to get a letter back to whatever her name email to us and had the association because she speaks about this is something they bring up in homeowners association over there had the association make a request and we just do it I I don't have any problem doing it I I think the 25 might be a little low but that's the association over there wants to do that that's I don't have a problem they're all landlocked in there they don't affect anybody else right it's their own little corner of the world so but it should really come from the association they need some sort we actually have stop we may have we may but well take the state is very well written are it's have espe let's check that while we get it consensus from the Home Association not just one person home understood that's that's that's what I'm wondering about uh DPW clean soil delivery for backfill that is that's what all the uh our soil um yeah I actually said that's a of M who's also a committee man in Frank this has to do with um road work doing down 46 a lot of material I think it's the material under the material and they're starting a stock pilot by uh by McDonald's here and there's a lot already's a lot I don't think they're done but so we're going to get 100 loads or so they're Trucking I mean they just have to get it out there that's part of De so um Eric has Eric actually identif I want to do stockpile it but it is a lot to stockpile if you guys are oriented on L on syore park right you guys Road and this is for this is the bridge for Road this section right here with that Willow Tree sits out in the middle Eric Eric wants to put it all there and feather off from the road out through this area and eliminate the guard rails when we do when we do land Road over we need guard rails it'll just be one big uh grassy area there and as long as as long as it's okay with we think it is as long as it's okay with dat deal as far as FL P um there's there's also another reason to do it right about right here in the middle the middle there's there's two big uh uh culs under the road those cobs were there to allow the water to run from here to here this was also a low property but back in the day George sappa filled them all back in they became building so that water can't go those pipes go nowhere they actually C down the pipes and see they're big they're four Footers I think but so he wants to take those out when we do the road over that's F if we're going to do the road we do the road right so take them out and then fill everything in so it's a good plan and the dirt the dirt's clean so we're good on that and as long as as long as we're not in INF fringing on the flood plane which which David said it's it's called Fringe area and David told Eric at this point that it's okay but like to see are they transporting it free yeah it's a good thing sounds like we get as much as we use there's 500 talking to all kinds of other people too it would would be nice to stop a little bit if we have we well remember we talked about the top soil that we're going to get the silk from up by Carolina Dam above the dam we're going to get a lot of that this summer too probably as much as we want we're going to stop fing that or maybe that'll be that be top soil right that's we can do that if they're talking to other people it's probably smart to jump on right now well that's why we told oh yeah you mean as far as the fill or the the stuff from the PO Dam The Fill either way they're going to they're going to look to get rid of it quick no matter who takes it They Don't Care About Us they like it even even the damn guys like it too they said yeah you guys are close they have to get rid of that stuff we we we stockpile right now currently we're stockpiling right up in here this is all stock pod up in this area pop soil fill any anything they take off construction projects not too much construction degree the construction stuff like old blocks and stuff is up like Mrs Thea that stuff is all in here um and we will at some point in the future when the when the roof and the and the uh the rest of the Timbers at Jones farmer done and they work on taking some of the block walls down in we're going to bring a Crusher in probably in 25 bring a Crusher in and crush up all theable all that material and make a good base material for Eric to use you business for really so Eric's done a really good job of like kind of managing all the stuff that we're you know that that we end up with and stop piling and keeping it separated good stuff you have to pay for nobody's getting that way I was paying okay going to new business to bring the quarter Comm see non correspondence I like shake your head uh from the township attorney what you got for us I give you guys my for the year and all happy New Year um pretty quiet I as mayor know L interaction with our host company and got that resolve satisfaction spring hounds litigation um that Mr chery initiated has been dismissed this time without preice um they uh Chang attorneys and appear unlikely that we that first as probably so that's good news also minimize but without much support that so good um I just made a note that right to that point would it be proper to direct you at this time with the board's agreement direct you to to absolutely talk to Roger and you guys get in syn on this so so that whatever your concerns are can be conveyed better back to land board than than Charlie and I can convey that you guys maybe figure out a path of what because the land use board is is a little uh okay a little concerned like we're not doing anything with it no obviously we the conditional use is there and I think one basically would have license and it condition of standard my point was that license issues after inspection what so revenue revenue yeah I you know does I'll reach out they want it if they want if they're happy way it is I I'll do a little if they're okay taking that one section out just discuss your position with Roger makes this make sense guys discuss your position with Roger you guys come to a meeting of the Ms and then Roger will have it for the next land use boort meeting be before our day y okay and the last thing I just want to let you guys know um there was a tax for some reason uh I didn't even know about somehow tax as my father shoot his email doesn't exist any P feel involved in AC proper um so when I reached out to I said you know still early J so session closes his about June 10 11 which means up until that time Canary so I had the attorney reach out to Rich uh rich and she resolved it um so rich is voluntarily putting the deduction on the book partial deduction for this year and then there'll be next year uh be based upon our ratio primary reason for basically you guys know but a long accasion ruction it wasn't catastrophic I'm sure precise number you guys know was happen you didn't have to that Rich has that that's been done I think frankly sitting in State Tax Court for 3 years and getting a retroactive hit exactly four years really and and it's likely in the next couple years our ratio is pretty bad um certainly be nice to know that every reduction of taxes there would uh would mean that they'd start filling those vacancies but that does changey change there's no I also want to just take a moment to thank you uh Kevin for a lot of people don't see a lot of the back and forth that happens when and I don't go to Kevin a he's like he's like the the the last big gun you pull out and um but when it's needed you you step in uh and and handle a situation with such professionalism and Grace I'm just some slick writing I I I I read that I'm like I feel good I feel good that Kevin's on our side he did such a wonderful job with uh the freeling heisen fire debacle um it was really sliding out of control when you stepped in you really you writed everything and uh it was it was resolved in a couple of days after your intervention I thank you for that I really appreciate that I'm here and I know back hand the days that that fire department my pleasure to help amazing pleased to help thank you for enjoy thank you we enjoy you thank you sir um from the township CL I shake your head moves things along let's go to the township committee committee LS okay so the finance committee met yesterday we talked about a number of different things um the first of which uh I'm going to bend your ear for just a moment and let you know we have two grant communties that are around we working on one of them is for Main Street New Jersey for lawyer town to be able to be considered among um the recipients for a certain amount of funds that uh work towards uh gearing up uh community Center uh which we do have we're fortunate there's not a lot of communities near us that do have a community center like that uh but would be in our village and to be uh included for different things like beautification which we already do we already have the Garden Club that does things we havec that does things but um you know the decorations that go up Christmas time on the light land post and things like that but um we have said in the past that there are other things we' like to do and uh this would be an opportunity to use money for things like prop C or things like um refurbishment of the sidewalks which we don't really want to do but if it needs doing uh it's nice that can do so that's one thing the other one is um a different type of a grant that we're going towards which is a local Recreation Improvement Brant um we were made aware of it by our CFO she said that it's um very very likely that if we do the credible application um that we would be able to get it um and it's got to be used for recreation um we are to a point where we really need that money for our Recreation um we're very fortunate some of the programs that we're able to offer to our youth and to our seniors um the project that we would like to um submit for this is one that uh we've talked about for some time and it's basically a walking trail the perimeter C Park gu yeah W you want to show some of the areas talk about probably U so something rather per par they would start in here somewhere but we have to watch the deep down but but going around the perimeter this is a really nice walk around here it's quite it's quite a decent distance and then we go over toward the dog park and then probably back down in here somewhere and back on this side maybe we would come over this way and and and catch this area and come back but pretty much around thether we've also talked about some thank you very much we've also talked about some other um opportunities that are there so not just to have the cat to have the cat wi not just handicap accessible you know 36 in no we'd really like to make it maybe 4T 4 and 1/2 ft something like that so two people could go side by side um we some bump outs for um the possible addition in the future of um you know park benches things like that um we look at that as a passive Recreation opportunity it's on nice flat level land that's can be used I see here people walk the dog we have the dog part right there so there there's just a lot of other opportunities that lend themselves to have that type of you know facility right there um I have discussed it with um ER see if we have some opportunity to spend some time design I think we'll be working with our DP he has some time for too because the window of opportunity to uh We've also talked about uh having a pickle cour we would have to figure out where you would locate it we talked about a couple possibilities but so our basketball the new basketb this was actually it must be a picture from uh summer of 2022 when this was constructed the basketball courts right here I don't know the pimple ball would be right here though it may be something we want to locate in the shade a little more it's a little different a little different user group in the basketball so we're going to look around the property and see if there's a it's similar to a basketball a little smaller or maybe we get two but we'll find we'll find a spot may you know maybe it ends up at at the region or something it doesn't have to be on that property I don't think for the grand no on the alter propos pry simp the biggest part of it is we have to have an estimate for that's not that hard it's not that 100,000 it's all it's not we don't have to have magic funds what's the doll up to 75 I think on this5 there's two grants the one is up to 75 the other one there's two grants so one of them is this uh the local Recreation of that is up to 75 the other one I think is up to 115 no that's U mainam that's the main yeah so there's two so uh so yeah spending some time ready so anyway it's nice because um when we talk about U all the things that we and we just signed bills yesterday so when we talk about the endless bills that come in and what it actually takes to run a town um no one likes to pay their taxes nobody likes to do that but when you sit back and you say you know what um what can we Avail ourselves from the county from the state from from anybody else that makes a better quality of life and does not cost us I'm all over that so um so there's that the only other thing I wanted to talk about too is if you are or will or justed in New Jersey there's different programs that you canil yourself through a tax collector and um some of them are income but others of them are from very M income it's expensive to live in New Jersey and think for a single one to qualify for some of is high as 89,000 or 90,000 something like that so um our tax collector um Carrie W did a wonderful job and she has a lot of information about that some of it on the website so um beyond that um if you in those categories and need need more information you can call and I will talk to you uh until you are you know your your call off uh because I want to keep the seniors in employers town and I want to keep them happy and living I don't want them to someplace else um and um so yeah that's about it that's what I have I think I've said it before the different way we want you to die here um so question and and you know Paving is very expensive and is is this something that we could do a lot of the prep work for dig put QP down we need let's see what the cost is it's a contract that's the thing and it's if it comes and something more expensive than that we can we certainly have the stack and we have the equipment and probably we be having the other way not to Just the Future so if it comes to like to do something like that um do we have to do matching funds we don't we matching La absolutely be matching for some of the materials that we absolutely could we fund the later Ventures through communities absolutely so it's one of those things where it's just con a lot of opportunities we just got to take very and nice different The Have and all came out I think that new they Park um but they did that all themselves in house with just a couple different DWS together and I have to say since we took the opportunity to improve the parking circumstance over the last few years U you have a great area to be able to have parking there's not a lot of dust anymore a lot of there's plenty to keep you there you're not going to get something any there it's very nice when you have that in place that infrastructure and you can just add on build a little something new every year for for example we had some extra oil and Chip material so we did a pretty good check so the road coming in we didn't do it all but we did a good chunk of them to to use everything up it really work out well we'll do some more next year you do a lot of the prep work hope that additional money to make the wider if you want all right thank you Karen Committee Member lman are you guys yeah uh Karen just touched on uh on the senior citizens uh one things that we just talking about was possibly uh taking advantage of the Cy's program that they do over at M where they're having a daily folks that up for you okay you waited till I put the candy in my mouth and you end it I got that I got that member mura I don't have unfortunately been tied up the last 72 hours extremely busy so he was a to Too Much inside what's going on I do know that I've heard a lot of positive newes our new officer ATA um nothing but crazy done his training um so he's been filling out way so um as as far as the police the one thing I will say when I look at some of the statistics uh we had 34 medical assists and I think there was like 10 fire assists so we can go on talk about law enforcement and crime all that but you know when it comes to the fire or medical assist to crises because they're out there already on the road and they're always the first respond so you know a great job to them as far as L board we have a new chairman this year Bob W is going to be the chair with being the vice chair um we thank Steve seus for her service uh for 2023 um he's still landage board with as far as the court there's nothing new I know the J judge wants to come down and meet us um because we shoing around the DAT in January it didn't work out well so maybe February and March we'll have the judge come down and just kind of wants to introduce himself as far as the ACL uh for the end of the year service um there was be 30 second had one here it says year to date call is 771 let's back that up because one month in July 44 calls of service as he reports but that what that was is he called every resident that had not registered from the previous year so if you back that number out we're looking at around 367 calls for the service for 2023 um and that's about all I have mayor okay thank you thank you Charlie deputy mayor or thank you mayor um well I'll report first on the DPW grve been who've had a very interesting month between flooded road conditions then freezing road conditions and then snow conditions they've been pretty busy in the overtime uh eres are getting a little weary the guys are getting a little weary at the overtime but uh all the local residents from everything I've seen on social media and in the people in town they've done a great job no one has any complaints U you know people aren aren't shy about complaining and everyone's very happy with the service dpw's been providing um as far as uh Finance Karen talked a little talked about what we did at our subcommittee meeting yesterday and we're keeping a very close eye on on preparing ourselves and and all the the expenditures we're going to need to do in the 2024 or the 2024 budget um and in order to keep the tax rate flat as we had promised to BU we may there may be some adjustments we have to make to the open space tax but uh it would be minor in the scheme of things um we I attended the fire the fire meetings with the mayor um I wanted just Echo a little bit what Kevin said before too about our local volunteer fire department what a great what a great group of guys U they do a superior job in every in every Manner and what Andes and L yes yes um melan well they got a bunch and actually they have point a bunch a bunch of young young fem coming in so but I use guys we were holding you to your qual correct there's that don't do that ever don't do that ever stopp but uh everyone's doing a great job and and U you know we we support them to the to the nth degree and we will continue to do so it's it's a younger crew and it's it's very it's very encouraging to see uh the younger generation so involved in the community service really impressive and um that's pretty much oh Charlie I'll just touch on L sport too uh there was a reorganization at land board we have a few new members on the land use board um and it it's a really nice uh unit that we have there folks working together we have some things to tackle uh as we look at changes to our ordinances in town not only our you know things like the kettel but we're looking at some of the zones and things like that and we're going to be interviewing for planner a municipal planner in the next month or so uh so we can take a look at some of our zones like by the airport to make sure it's still appropriate after 10 or 15 years to make sure some of these areas are still appropriate to you know whatever development maybe happening in the future and having said that thank you mayor for allowing me to make thank you Walter uh let's see here uh water utility no news there had the honor of swearing in the 2024 officers of the Blairstown ambulance courp uh great bunch of folks um so nice to see the volunteerism also there um they have a really really difficult time um getting new members and when you do see younger faces there you realize that volunteerism is coming back it's still here uh Co knocked it knocked it down a bit but it is definitely coming back um and also uh one of their members becoming our new Deputy um OEM coordinator Brian Walsh he has selflessly given his countless hours to this town loves the town and nice to see him stepping into that role uh as far as Blairstown Hose Company number one they had 24 calls for service in the month of December 15 for Blairstown a lot of structure fires uh three in Hardwick one in freeling heis and two in Nolton two in in Hope and one in still water so they had a uh pretty pretty crazy year they had 380 fire calls for 2023 and uh we will support them into the new year uh as far as anything else I have on my list here nothing really to report so uh anyone else have anything to uh to bring forward ex may I understand we need to do an executive session we do need an executive session tonight you need a motion to go to Executive session I would need a motion for 20243 for resolution authorizing executive session for contract negotiation so move all in favor oppos all right so we got to go into a quick there will be action taken after uh sure after the uh after our our discussion so we have to go into executive session now we ask that everyone kindly step outside or take an early night this is like welcome back everyone I would like to say just reference we had a we had an executive session discussed contract Beal contract to hire outside party to our so make that higher this discuss that said that discussion extion ex a contract with Community contr rep do we have do we do we have a second I'll okay roll call please ch Mrs Lance yes Mr Lilman yes Mr Mur yes Mr Ora yes mayor bhead no um also just few minutes be Monday janary May perhaps perhaps you should yeah problem that was it that was the topic okay do we have a motion to adjourn so move mayor all in favor I let's call it night