call the uh monthly U meeting of the L pacan Township council meeting to order for February 7 2024 um please bow your heads for a moment of silence please to the flag United States America the for it stands one nation [Music] godible jce for [Music] all adequate notice of this meeting has been provided indicating the time and place of the meeting in accordance with chapter 231 of the public laws of 1975 by advertising a notice in the Star Ledger and in The Express Times Warren County Zone and by posting copy on the bulton board in M building best have a roll call please yes councilman here councilman marinell here counc here counc president here may here would you mind summarize any executive session please uh yes we had an executive session uh tonight uh we talked uh concerning potential uh of a job vacancy although it was no specific uh um uh discussion of any um employee potential employee uh there was a brief presentation concerning uh cost rising cost with reference to State Health Benefit plans uh there was a DPW rice notice an employee of a DPW uh which appeared before the board on an issue concerning his employment which is remains privileged uh there was a attorney client issue with reference to matter and there was an attorney client privilege with reference to potential uh purchase of uh uh property that was it okay thank you okay old business minutes approve executive and regular session for December 28th 2023 and January 3rd and the 177 2024 have a motion and second motion second call councilman B Caro yes councilman Marinelli yes councilman McQuade yes council president poo abstain on December 28th and yes for January 3rd and January 17th n right yes number two ordinance number 24-1 second reading in public I lost say are we having a public comment and questions on that no not this can the attorney review what my understanding is that that's required by New Jersey section 40 49-2 there is a public session we do have you're right there we have to have a public session and it will be at the end of the meeting okay very good sir thank you it is on the agenda I believe uh it used to be just right after executive change every back proves thank public comment understand disappear okay thank you all right no problem all right let's do that again ordinance number 24-1 second reading in public hearing to amend and revise chapter 165 entitled public meeting decorum to amend section 4 entitled length of presentation like have a motion uh for open up to the public hearing motion second second we need a roll call on that now right um no it's just an all in favor all in favor he questions on this one here John uh John J um could somebody explain uh why this has been changed give a little yeah you yes but the um reason we checked it with all our local areas and stuff that everybody has a range and three minutes seems to be the range that everybody's using some even do a minute and a half some do three but 90% do excuse me three so that's what we're going to because in the three years or so I've been attending these meetings there's very few people that actually get up and speak so it's it doesn't really no make sense just try bring everything in and trying to do everything that everybody else is doing and trying to keep everything keep orderly keep orderly that's all that's all it basically is thank you anyone else okay any motion to uh close the public hearing motion second all in favor I I need a motion to act on ordinance number 24-1 motion second all in favor that sorry about that councilman valaro yes councilman Marinelli yes councilman mcqu yes council president PLO yes mayor R yes number three ordinance number 24-2 second reading and public hearing of an ordinance to regulate control stabilized rents and creating a rent leveling board by the mayor and Township Council of the township of L pacan County of Warren state of New Jersey for an additional three-year period I uh have a motion to open up public hearing motion second second okay all in favor questions anyone about the r Ling okay seeing none motion to close the hearing motion second all in favor I motion to act on the ordinance number 24-02 motion second that councilman valo yes councilman Marinelli yes councilman M yes council president yes may yes new business um resident Lyn stra discussion regarding vacation uh vacation of Alleyway bordering his property Mr Strauss will come up hey you doing sir wi Strauss 110 South 6 Street Mars Park my wife and I have lived there for 42 years I maintained the alleyway at my expense and R that runs parallel to to our property for those years I propose the council does not vacate the alleway for the following reasons speaking with the owner of the diner's son Greg he blatantly told me quote he's going to do whatever he wants end quote he said he would demolish the existing retaining wall and sto a new wall 10 ft back toward our property and lower the grade to the diner's existing elevation in order to lower the grade an an engineering study had to be done there are overhead utility wires which could prevent Refuge trucks from emptying the dumpsters moving the dumpsters have place them closer to our home increasing the stench we are subjected to not to mention the rat problem the stench from the dumpsters is so prevalent that we cannot open our windows in the summer months or hang out clothes I spoken the key City management about this Ono ongoing problem only it to be told it would be taken care of one time they sent an employee out with a skirt bottle to SP very little Bach bleach on the garbage which did no good I've called the health department many times to know result the solution would be moved the dumpsters to the west end of the building where no one would be subjected to the stench and would facilitate Us opening our windows for fresh air we have no problem with putting in a new retaining wall in the existing location thank you want engineer uh this is I presume has there been a request by the other party to vacate the uh Alleyway yes we we ask yeah Greg is here Greg do you want to come up and say a few words Greg I you don't have to but if you want to you can I've never been one okay yeah no we're replace the wall we're not moving did you approach Greg come up here Greg name and your address trust me we're all friendly we're not going to yell at you um my name is Greg theopolis from Key City Diner 985 USI 22 uh the wall is going to stay where it is we can't even if we do split the alleyway we can't move the wall to the end of the board we're going to put a garbage container right there where it was with a fence around it thinking that's going to help hopefully but we're not going to move the garbage toward this house so you're not looking to vacate the alleyway if we can I would like to for what purpose if you're keeping the wall on your property I mean so the problem was he always used to park his boat and his truck right on the wall I don't know if you're familiar with it's a little like 2 and a half 3be the property and it's like on an angle like this right now I've told them for the last 10 years please don't park your boat there please don't park your truck there the wall is coming down down down I asked him if you wanted to split it and we would fix it he said no it's your wall it's on your property I'll fix the wall and I'll pay for out of pocket I have no problem with that I just don't want anything on that wall to fix it again in 5 [Music] years okay I don't know is there a problem now do you think that once you repair the wall that there's going to be a problem if we don't vacate it I think there's going to be a problem look it doesn't have to be vacated I'll fix it I just if we canot have any cars or anything on our side for the first 10 ft or anywhere near it's it's your property right it's not our property it it's apparently the township yes so I mean I could should I park my car there can I park my car there no you can't park your truck there theoretically I meanless the town Grant your permissions yeah I'm not asking right now is it we have a survey from Mr Strauss and apparently his driveway Mr Strauss is it true your driveway is in the alleyway yes how long has that been there approximately you know how long has that been there how long long has that driveway been there well I'd say let's the house was built in 1927 probably before that okay so that's a pre-existing thing so if we vacated that Alleyway Mr Strauss would have to have find another way to put his driveway there it can stay as is well you but there are legal implications so you know it would seem to me since you're keeping the wall on your property there's no reason to vacate it that's fine but can we just make sure we don't park the boats and all that stuff right on the wall so it doesn't happen again I I have no idea uh I I mean you know that's that's another issue but there seems to be no reason to vacate the alleyway and again we be we would be creating a problem with reference to the driveway since you're not now requesting that vacate the alleyway it's not an issue I just thought to fix the all we had to vacate and do all this that's the only reason I requested that pardon I thought we had to like fix the property cuz it's like right on the boorder of the property with the alleyway and US yeah so I thought I was told that that's what had had to happen almost I don't know who told you that but it's since the walls on your property there's nothing it as long as they you know you're repairing an existing wall there's no need to vacate the the alleyway okay okay yeah I guess I'm sorry not not to cut you off I guess what the the reconstructing the existing wall would require some disturbance to the alleyway as it currently exists but it would essentially be a temporary disturbance that would be you know that would only occur during the Reconstruction of the wall once the wall is reconstructed the surface the gravel surface behind the wall would be restored and then it would become a Township Alleyway again so it would almost be like a temporary almost construction easement for temporary disturbance to reconstruct the wall in your property um you know of course um you legally in terms of uh what agreements would have to be in place I guess we'd have to discuss that but it would be a temporary disturbance to allow for the Reconstruction of that wall I don't think we need to vacate the the the alley per se to to reconstruct the wall that would be my understanding MH Mr Strauss Mr Strauss you have a problem not parking things right on the edge of that wall for uh Greg so he could so it doesn't get destroyed after it's fixed up there sure I problem that okay okay sounds good right yeah yeah fbody happy say anything more about sure well and just sorry not to cut no that's right but just to speak to that as well I know there was uh some emails that went uh went around earlier today uh regarding some correspondence or discussions with the zoning officer and I guess um Mr Theos theodoros theodopolis sorry um I guess uh you know as part of the renovation of the key City Diner I guess there's some discussions about um that the facade is being reconstructed there's some elevation revisions to the elevation of the building yeah yeah that yesterday right so the zoning officer indicated that you know you'd have to file a minor site plan application it's going to be play Tuesday with the T planning board so it would be would be good if as part of that um you know you were able to if the intention is eventually reconstruct the wall you can sort of memorialize that on that minor site plan as well as formalize trash enclosure where you'd like to that yeah told me to do the garbage The Parking Spot lines and the wall okay great he covered that that's it right and sign the sign on the building the sign and the building itself which you I have architectural plans for that so that'll sort of be the summation of that so this way this way we'll all understand what the ultimate condition of the diner will be when it's opened up again okay um so can we use the alleyway if it's yours like if I want to park my car though can I like on the left side or no the alleyway belongs to the township it's a public RightWay right now and it serves as a private it's being utilized as a private driveway but I guess technically it is a PR a public RightWay so I'm not going to tell you what to park where but I guess it is a public RightWay currently it's good anything else if you have problems come on back right all right thanks all right number two ordinance 24- 03 first reading to adjust establish wage rates for certain employees I have a motion in a second please motion second counc B Caro yes councilman Marinelli yes councilman mqu yes council president yes right yes ordinance number 24- 04 first reading to establish yearly cap Bank under the local cap bank law in preparation for the Ann annual budget have a motion in a second please motion I'll second councilman V Caro yes councilman Marinelli yes councilman MC yes council president PLO yes mayor R yes number four ordinance number 24-5 first read reading on vacation of paper Street known as block 95 lot 18.01 to become part of adjacent lots and this would be the property on Striker's Road I have a motion and a second on that please a motion second councilman B Caro yes councilman Marinelli yes councilman yes council president abstain May right yes number five um Brian we want to discuss the DPW policy Amendment um what I wanted to discuss real quick was uh the fot allowance um I'm asking to see if you can change it in in the handbook all right the guys boots they got to get are are you know have to be able to handle pretty hot ass for everything else right so I have a receipt here if you want to see it I'll show it to you but it's uh pair of boots for now is $260 all right we we're allowed two pairs of boots and get us $350 doesn't cover it cover expense anymore so I was I was asking if you could change the policy to 550 that would cover this and give us $30 of growth if it goes up all right so you don't have to come back and go through but I'm asking it to put it in the budget all right so I'm not asking for it today I'm asking if you can change the handbook and then put it as part of the budget for the year to come so I have a problem you guys anything all right thank you okay I'll take care yeah motion on that in a second motion second coun yes Council Marinelli yes counc yes council president yes mayor right yes uh consent agenda 1 through six does anybody have anything you want to pull from it mayor one through six is okay but seven is what I want to Table in regards to some information that was brought to our attention about that uh Bill having some type of discrepancy so if we can table it till next month okay no problem all right so let table number seven till we get more information and so consent agenda 1 through six Motion in a second motion second counc yes Council Marinelli yes yesid yes may yes Council reports Rich uh mayor I don't have any Council reports this evening right Scott no not at this time and Jim thank you uh Recreation e Economic Development we're looking for members and we're also looking to change the meetings to the second Tuesday of every month also i' would like to extend special thanks to the police department ppw and the fire department for their assistance with the Fallen utility poll on January 19th at the sters road and met View Road is that it any else that's it for now thank you um for me um Scott and I attended a meeting with some of the firefighters um last night and um we got some prices and we taken it to like a Next Step um looking for a fire truck so U just want to let you know we're still working on it and we just got maybe next meeting we'll get a hold of our CFL we'll sit down meeting and talk some numbers but we are moving forward on that and that's all I have report from the engineer Adam yes thank you Mr Mayor um give the the council an update um regarding the 2024 Road Improvement program we do currently have uh the Jade Lane Improvement uh improvements um project out to bid uh those bids will be opened in eight days uh so hopefully we'll have a favorable bids that we receive in about a week um for the next meeting for consideration for award that'll be a project that we can put out to bid um I'm sorry put out to construction hopefully the beginning of March uh eventually uh also repaving basically the entire length of Jade Lane um from just off of St henge up around the Loop essentially of Jade and that will include also um reconstruction of some existing drainage features as well as sidewalks curb ramps making everything a bit more handicap accessible there um around the close by to the Middle School um the other project that we currently have uh out into dot is uh was a local aid grant that we received in 2023 um and this is a bie road improvements of phase two and that's bie Road from Striker road to Uniontown Road 59 um and that will be um that's currently within dot under review we actually just received comments yesterday number of minor comments we'll address those in the coming week uh resubmit to Dot and hopefully we get authorization to bid that job as well for you know a maybe late spring early summer construction depending on how dot goes with their approval process for that since it is doot Grant funded um partially and then finally to give the the C in the public an update I know that there have been multiple sort of comments concerns raised regarding the ks Enterprises ANS Enterprises operation on Striker Road it's a trucking operation um that does different types they have different types of uh operating they do sort of an in-house um warehousing as well as staging logistics for different uh you know industrial type construction uses different things that they stock pile materials on site and then truck it off depending on you know the needs to their clients um so there were some concerns uh we issued a report I issu I prepared a report after uh visiting the site along with with Paul sterbin we issued a report on October 31st last year we had a a few telephone calls after that I had a telephone meeting with them this week after they issued a report to us uh a response essentially to our areas of concern so there were some primary you know principally there were concerns about the encroachment uh into sort of the buffering areas that are shown on their approved site plans um which were approved back in 2018 uh they are working to pull back those encroachments um to remove some of the the materials and equipment that they're currently staging and restore those gravel areas that um basically haven't been sort of formalized and finalized per per the plans um that's really related specifically to the outdoor storage there uh there are some minor site improvements Paving curving they still have to complete uh they are currently seeking contractors for that work and anticipate doing that in the springtime um the other item is the storm water management they have to finalize really the grading on the site and that's all related to the construction was sort of delayed and um had some issues with you know coming out of Co and everything so they're in the process of doing that um the final item which was raised at in more than one instance was that there are some trucks that are unrelated to their operation that are that were observed on their site um and they they indicated to me that there are times that they um arrive at their their facility you know they their mechanics come in they set at about 5:00 a.m. and sometimes they have trucks parked there that are not related to their operation with trucks sleeping people sleeping uh in the cabs you know of the the tractor trailers um and they're they're basically asked to leave at that time so those you know situations are sort of out of their control um and they are working to put more controls in place so they don't have nonrelated trucks parking on their site and using their their Trucking operation as a as a truck St so uh you know they did Express that they are concerned about that and uh you know they will continue to to address those issues um and I I will be having you know further conversations with them as the winter progresses to see how they're going to finalize their their improvements and sort of not clean up their site but complete their improvements on the site um I think that's all I had right now unless the council or mayor have any questions any questions no all right thank you you Chief you have anything yes sir thank you mayor and Council so just just a quick Public Announcement a couple weeks ago we had a rash of car B burglaries these things kind of come in spurts but um just a reminder to make sure everybody's keeping their cars locked valuables out of their cars obviously keys out of their cars we had a Caro missing um so it's it's a big problem throughout the state not just this area and we've been pretty fortunate up to this point but uh just a reminder to lock your cars and keep valuables out um traffic report for the uh month of J January Police Department saw 167 motor vehicle stops with 52% of those Vehicles being issued a traffic violation and then 177% of those were tractor trailers that's my my report for the month of January thanks J thank you mayor council thank you um approval Department report motion motion second all in favor all in favor I okay approval of payment of bills motion a second motion I'll second that call it councilman B Caro yes Council Marinelli yes counc yes council president yes may yes okay public comment any may have Mr Bruce Robert Bruce 11 H wrote uh Mr miski thank you very much for favor just raise that microphone up oh very good very good thank you very good thank you um thank you for uh the report on on on KS it was something that I was planning on I'm getting back uh can I just clarify one thing for myself which is on my notes back there but by memory I'm going to say uh so uh the photographic evidence that I provided to this Council of approximately 12 US mail trucks that will park there obviously staging there it's their opinion that they have uh people doing that they shouldn't be doing that they're going to be asked to leave because they're not technically allowed to do that it's not a permitted use for them to allow my my understanding is that their their approval is for a trucking ort of staging Logistics operation um and I expressed to them that the the issue with the Ware the Postal Service Warehouse is that the Postal Service operator was notified they are not to be parking vehicles on non uh it's not a postal I don't believe it's owned by the postal service but unrelated to their business okay so we inform them of that and they're aware of that as well okay so yes okay well thank you again uh um Mr Mayor um thank you uh for uh suffering through my concern that it seems as if the comments uh public agenda it is only uh what was missing from this month's uh agenda so I presume it'll be back in no it won't be back okay but all right well it seemed to be coming after the executive session uh review that's when it had been occurring right and um the absence of it uh uh was somewhat confusing since you did in fact ask for uh as the ordinance required uh public questions and comments you did entertain public questions and comments so whether you list it there whether you don't list it there it was uh something we'll have to remember if you don't put it back in because it was always in Prior uh so back to my WR statement I'll try to be quick Mr Mayor in your opening comments of your first meeting as a mayor in January 3rd you said I pledge to serve with dedication transparency and commitment to the betterment of our community I'd just like to submit to you and all Council that the betterment of the community is a goal shared by every resident that attends these meetings and it seemed as if that we have been going down a road where there was an unwillingness to continue you engage with residents questions as mayam mcci did before and that seems to be somewhat at odds with your pledge to serve with transparency the issues we few residents have raised with this Council have by and large LED to positive things for low pacon the betterment such as informing you of the truck stop on Belleview Road the tractor trailer violations going left from the maware house the potential violation of site agreements at the ks property and the very same po potential sight violations at the ASO plant with the US roads trucks that we see going back here whether they're allowed to be doing that because they are also us roads mail truck facilities and just going through the asphal plant it appears I don't have photos of that um uh and we've repeatedly informed the Council of the tractor Trail parking at the gymnastics and a Truck you pay a lots this is all good back and forth but that led the council taking legal action against them and as slow as it goes we can now report to you I don't know how the legal action is but both of those sites seems to have solved their attractive trailer problem uh they haven't solved the thing we also talked you about which is the garbage left behind at the gymnastics sites literally all those tractor trailers were just throwing garbage including a mattress over the tree onto the Christmas tree farm I don't know how what but I mean it somebody should be required to fix that up all we ask all we ask from this council is the give and take of information like we had existed before on Dem may manuchi we bring up a problem you look into it next month we ask what you found and when then you update us on on what you found so here's where I changed it so tonight I asked about the ks parking lot no thank you Mr wday new you for the update uh the as for plant parking yeah that's still outstanding if you have any update I refer that and the promises that Richie had made to our chief Garcia uh about uh uh putting up new signage and putting up a uh uh another uh uh Booth uh uh they don't seem to have been undertaken as promised so the these are not new problems uh so I'd like that you know when we ask for an update on a previous issue you are willing to come forward and answer us if you have an update thank you sir thank you sir anyone else sir yes my name is Bob Miller I'm a almost two years here in the township I live at delare Crossing up here the 55 plus Community just have a couple comments and I have my notes here if anybody takes a would like take copies of this but it's related to Traffic coming on First Street making a left going toward hackstown on 22 57 and then people coming on the the turnabout from the opposite direction and we're at loggerheads all the time between going through that light and somebody waiting for their turn or impatience or just uncertainty basically I've seen a number of accidents at that intersection almost happen twice to myself in the two years I've been here they're not going to be major accidents probably just going to be fender benders but the bottom line is it's it's just something that could be fixed with a delayed green light couple seconds is all I think it would take if you delayed the green for the people coming down this way on 2257 going up to First Street have them wait for a couple seconds and then that way the people coming out of First Street can go down that that light that Quee would slow down and would probably eliminated about three cars going through that intersection so anyway I just want to bring it up to you I have copy I don't know if this is the right venue to say for this or else should be going to it's got pictures in here too they're better described thank you anyone else yes sir okay L stra 110 South 6th Street I'd like to see a p police present on South 6th Street they're coming off of Route 22 and they got to be doing at least 40 mph by the time they get to Baltimore street they're really moving I'm almost gotten hit getting my mail parking my truck um they just don't slow down I me have people making a fist at me and stuff it it it's crazy we need we need the cops down there if they would sit on the other side of Baltimore Street and face the radar on South 6 Street they could probably uh get a few violations or maybe more but it's it's really bad we'll pass on to the chief he's here thank you anyone else is it Mr bets yes yes Mr Mayor just just just one question is the rent moving board constituted with Manpower is it just just like it was okay okay thanks thanks says because for a long while before it right we're trying to get U all these um what you call it filled so hopefully we get a few more people you know okay thanks thanks board FS all right not seeing any I'll take you uh motion for adjournment motion second all in favor hi thanks for coming on [Music] everyone