February 2, 2010

 

A Budget Meeting of the Township Council of the Township of Roxbury was held on February 2, 2010 at 1715 Route 46, Ledgewood at 7:30 p.m.

 

OPEN PUBLIC MEETING STATEMENT

Adequate notice of this meeting of the Township Council of the Township of Roxbury was given as required by the Open Public Meetings Act as follows:  Notice was faxed to the Daily Record, the Newark Star Ledger and the Roxbury Register on December 18, 2009; notice was posted on the bulletin board in the main hallway of the Municipal Building on December 18, 2009.

 

ROLL CALL (Present):  Councilmen Gary Behrens, Deputy Mayor Fred Hall, Councilman Martin Schmidt and Mayor Jim Rilee

 

ALSO PRESENT:  Christopher Raths, Township Manager; BettyLou DeCroce, Township Clerk; Lisa Spring, Chief Financial Officer

 

Absent:  Councilwoman Kathy DeFillippo was absent due to a death in her family.  Councilman Smith was attending a meeting in Trenton and Councilman Richard Zoschak was on vacation.

 

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Minutes for Approval

None

 

Executive Minutes to Be Released to the Public

None

 

PUBLIC PORTION

None

 

REPORTS OF COUNCIL LIAISON REPRESENTATIVES, COUNCIL COMMITTEES AND NEW BUSINESS/OLD BUSINESS

Mr. Behrens stated that he attended a Main Street Committee meeting last week.

 

BettyLou DeCroce, Township Clerk, discussed the current status of the Census and stated that the boundary and annexation map has been completed.  Two areas, Stierli Court at the Mt. Arlington border and Second Avenue at the Mine Hill border, were incomplete on the Census Bureau end, but have been corrected by the Township.

 

Mrs. DeCroce stated that she has been conducting interviews to replace the vacancy that will be occurring in her office due to the March retirement of the Deputy Clerk.

 

Mr. Raths distributed a report showing the details for every item in the operating budget that is over the rate of inflation.

 

A.  New Business

 

B.  Old Business

1.  Procurement Policy

 

MATTERS REQUESTED/REFERRED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS, MANAGER, ATTORNEY OR CLERK

A.  Capital Budget

• Fire Department Capital Budget

Ø      In attendance was Chief David Ward, Department Chief; Chief Craig Begraft, Company #1; Chief Kirk Keyes, Company #2.

 

Ø      Discussion ensued pertaining to the purchase of an ambulance for Fire Company #2 replacing ambulance 210.  Council also discussed the replacement of Fire Company #1 fire truck 103.  Councilman Schmidt asked how long would it take from order to delivery.  Chief Ward stated approximately 8 months.

 

• B/G & Parks Capital Budget Review

Ø      In attendance was David Ward, Buildings and Grounds and Dave Stierli, Recreation Director.

 

Ø      Discussion ensued pertaining to the refurbishing of the Community Center in the rear of the building.  New stucco would be applied to clean up the building.

 

• Energy Audit Recommendations-Town Hall/Police Dept. & Company 3

Ø      Mr. Raths discussed the Energy Audit and advised Council that additional information will be provided that will be in greater detail as to the cost and savings to the township.  The initial cost of $40,000.00 will be credited back if the township acts on the recommendations.  The reimbursement will be based on the outcome of the audit and what the township does with the recommendations.  Once the recommendations are acted upon a percentage of the $40,000.00 will be earned back.

 

B.  Operating Budget-Department Review

Mr. Raths discussed with Council the current status of the operating budget.

Mr. Schroeder, Township Auditor is working with Lisa Spring and Mr. Raths to re-evaluate the budget because the revenue of collections has been down with the economy.

 

DRAFT ORDINANCES FOR DISCUSSION

None

 

INTRODUCTION OF PROPOSED ORDINANCES

None

 

HEARING AND ADOPTION OF ORDINANCES ON SECOND READING

None

 

DRAFT RESOLUTION FOR DISCUSSION

None

 

INTRODUCTION AND ADOPTION OF RESOLUTIONS

Mayor Rilee stated that there was an add-on resolution that he felt was necessary to approve this evening because the legislature will be acting on the issue before the next meeting.  The resolution involves ?Time of Decision? rule, which currently allows municipalities to change the zoning regulations during the pendency of an application for development.  This bill would deem as complete the ordinances in effect at the time of an application and would govern the review of that application, and any decision made following upon that review.  The legislation would allow developers to ?beat the clock? by filing applications and freezing the ability of local officials to act.

 

10-45               RESOLUTION OPPOSING LEGISLATION AMENDING THE TIME OF DECISION RULE

 

Mr. Hall made a motion to approve Resolution 10-45.  Mr. Schmidt seconded the motion.

 

Roll Call:          Mr. Hall ? Yes             Mr. Schmidt ? Yes

                        Mr. Behrens ? Yes       Mayor Rilee ? Yes

 

Motion Carried 4 to 0.

 

PERSONNEL CHANGES

None

 

COMMUNICATIONS

January 29, 2010         

#1 Interoffice Memo from Christopher Raths, Township Manager, to Mayor & Council, dated January 29, 2010, re: Information Update.

Mr. Hall questioned Shared Services.  Mr. Raths will be providing additional information to council.

 

PUBLIC PORTION

Robert Kluska

274 Emmans Road, Flanders, NJ

Mr. Kluska questioned the expenditures versus assets.  Mr. Raths stated that the budget is based on our worth versus our costs.

 

ADJOURNMENT

At 8:40 PM, Mr. Hall made a motion to adjourn the Budget Meeting.  Mr. Schmidt seconded the motion.

 

All In Favor ? Yes

 

Motion Carried 4 to 0.

 

Submitted By:

 

 

 

________________________

BettyLou DeCroce

Township Clerk

MINUTES APPROVED BY COUNCIL

DATE:                        February 9, 2010

ROLL CALL:            Mr. Schmidt ? yes        Deputy Mayor Hall ? yes

                                    Mr. Behrens ? yes        Mrs. DeFillippo ? abstain

                                    Mr. Smith ? abstain      Mayor Rilee - yes