Consent Agenda:

• Approval Blue Light Permit-Peter Taylor-Mendham Borough Fire Department
• Approval Blue Light Permit-Robert C. Collins-Mendham Borough Fire Department
• Approval of use of alcohol-Newcomers & Neighbors of Mendham Pot Luck Dinner-3/25/07-Garabant Center
• Approval of NJ State Firemen's Assoc. Membership App.-Joshua A. Small
• Banner Request-Mendham High School-Spring Musical-3/5/07-3/12/07
• Approval of the minutes of the reorganization meeting of January 1, 2007
• Approval of the minutes of the executive session meeting of January 15, 2007
• Banner Request-Strawberry Festival-Mendham Township-5/28/07-6/4/07
• Res. #33-07-Transfer of Appropriation Reserves

Best of...the Administrators Report

Fire Truck Replacement/Sale. Several members of the Fire Department are flying out on February 8th to conduct a fire truck pre-building construction meeting. The department will be reviewing compartment, pump and phone layout. As a result of a posting on a clearinghouse website the Fire Department has been in contact with the Omaha Public Power District, a subdivision of the State of Nebraska. The power district is very interested in purchasing the fire truck and is flying two representatives out next week, Tuesday the 6th, to inspect the truck. The Borough had in the past sold a fire truck to a New Jersey governmental entity, but never one that was located outside of the state. As a result, I asked the Borough Attorney to review documentation submitted by the power district and issue an opinion as to whether the Borough could sell Truck #18-81 to the district. Fred's opinion, which is attached, indicated that the Borough could sell equipment, without publicly bidding, to any governmental entity in the United States.

New DPW Superintendent: It was announced that a new Department of Public Works Superintendent [Kenneth O'Brien] has been hired.

DPW addition: The council approved a resolution to pay an architect a few thousand dollars for design work for a addition to the Department of Public Works.

Ice Skating; There was a brief discussion regarding the opening of the Borough pond for ice skating. Apparently, the Borough government couldn't find any written protocol at the borough offices regarding how many inches thick the ice should be before opening the pond for skating. After some research, they have settled on a recommendation of something over 5 in.

Poll Barn: Apparently in a second round of bidding, no bids came in under the $128,000 appropriated for construction of a new building. Apparently this circumstance now allows the town to "negotiate" a price with individual contractors.

Municipal Prosecutor: The Township and Borough have agreed on a New municipal prosecutor. The part-time employee will be paid $28,000 and it was stated he currently works 4 other jurisdictions.

Recreation: It was reported that negotiations with other local towns are progressing regarding establishing a regional schedule to better rest and utilize available facilities. It was also commented that the Triborough Bears have some plan to raise some $600,000 to artificial turf a couple of fields.

Highlands: It was briefly commented that the 90 day extension for comment will likely be granted, and that there have already been some lawsuits filed.

COAH rules: There was Brief comment that a separate court judge ruling has "thrown the old rules out the window"

OPRA compliance: There was discussion regarding the need for council action (an ordinance) to require departments of local government to expedite document requests made through the clerk's office... to prevent the clerk from being held responsible for unlawful delays.

My public comment questions:

permanent link: Summation of the Febuary 5, 07 meeting

Highlands: A large chunk of the long and boring meeting was devoted to discussion of the highlands plan and the question of whether or not the Borough should sign on. Ironically, or preposterously, considering the reluctance of local government to make public information publicly accessible, YOUR local government officials spent a lot of time complaining that they haven't been provided access to specific information, and that their questions haven't been answered.

As to cost to benefit analysis it's was basically concluded that it is a little too early to know what exactly the upside advantages verses downside risks are. The potential upside of signing on maybe extra grant money for land preservation and infrastructure. It can also be assumed that cooperative municipalities will likely receive better, more cooperative, treatment from any eventual enforcement agency. The potential downside might be an excessive loss of local control that might leave us vulnerable to abuse by some outside agenda.

I would offer the opinion, that I think there is some rational obligation to do some regional planning-- especially to protect water resources. Although the borough has little property threaten to be devalued by a prohibition against development... I think the Borough has a keen interest in any regional proposal that might actively, or inadvertently, prevent further regional development that might increase traffic through Mendham Borough.

Fee ordinance: Consistent with my published complaint... the council attorney reported on some necessary changes to the proposed fee ordinance. He pointed out to the council that legally fees needed to reflect actual cost of production, without considering labor costs. Unfortunately, it was not suggested that the $50 fee for a copy of the master plan be similarly reduced, and the fee is being justified applying what the law describes as a "not to exceed a maximum". I will challenge the council at the next meeting to defend their rationale for applying this not to exceed maximum, rather than actual cost standard.

Tax Assessor: There was some discussion regarding the appointment of a new tax assessor. In a rare moment of rationality, councilmembers' actually discussed, with a tone of dissatisfaction, the fact that this part-time employee would be entitled to automatic pay increases, and silly benefits like tenure. A council member even suggested it might be advisable to fire the individual after four years to avoid the contractual obligations of tenure. Contrary statements by others suggested this individual would prove himself worth the seemingly excessive salary and perks.

Public Works Superintendent: It was reported that 3 candidates will be considered for the very high pay position of Public Works Superintendent. There was some question raised regarding how the position was advertised... the overpaid, incompetent, and dishonest, Borough administrator remarked that the position was advertised through the "League of Municipalities" which I believe is nothing more than a fascist elitist "managerial" subchapter of the retarded "government workers union". To add some typically silly government employe logic, the Borough administrator claimed it would have cost "several thousand dollars" to advertise the position in newspapers... of course he made no mention of the free option of advertising online.

Vouchers: The overpaid, incompetent, and dishonest, Borough administrator suggested that the council consider approving the bill list instead of individual vouchers. To the council's credit, members expressed concern that the bill list provides inadequate specifics to allow any practical scrutiny. It was suggested that the administrative staff may be able to generate a more concise, and yet comprehensive, listing of vouchers. Hopefully the council will see no cause to prevent the public from also having access to a more comprehensible Voucher document.

Speaking of vouchers, later in the meeting, Barbara Stanton raised a question regarding the $2,300 spent on tree removal... suggesting that this maybe should have been in-house by the the DPW. It was explained that the trees involved were very large trees in the vicinity of the nursery school and basketball courts.

Recreation: There was a good deal of discussion regarding of use of ball fields, and arrangements for the summer camp. It was pointed out that all the town ball fields are classified under "Green Acres" restrictions. It was suggested that a maintenance deposit should be required for commercial use to cover any potential costs of damage. The substance of the discussion involved, rather tedious details, regarding what town, uses what when, and who pays what percentage, of what maintenance. It is my opinion that all this crap should be some private athletic organizations problem... and public responsibility should be minimized.

As for summer camp it was generally agreed that the camp program that used to make $25,000 a year... shouldn't lose money ...and the council approved a fee structure providing a substantial discount for participants to sign up early. Mother Stanton also suggested that more attention needs to be paid to "kids with issues".

Command Center: Barbara Stanton made some unexplained weird reference to some mysterious command center problem and stated for who knows who's benefit, that the problem has been resolved.

Document Requests: In another surprisingly lucid moment, there was a suggestion by the Borough attorney that an ordinance be drawn to compel all Borough employees to recognize that they must fully cooperate with OPRA document requests made through the clerk's office... as to ensure that the Clerk is not held responsible for not meeting the requirements of the law because other departments of the government are not providing expedient access to the information requested.

MASH FEE: the Council of approved a resolution waiving $500 or so in permit fees relevant to remodeling to take place at the Mendham area senior housing complex.

My public comment questions:...The council attorneys response to my question of dec.

permanent link: Summation of the January 15 meeting

Library: A representative of the library requested the council provide another $10,000 in extra funding for 2006 expenses. The library has previously made a request to substantially increase its budget for 2007. The council seemed agreeable to the request and it seems likely money will be transferred from other overfunded accounts after the end of the year.

Highlands: It was suggested that the town council should request an extension of the public comment period regarding the highlands master plan. The mayor suggested other towns should be contacted to support and coordinate the request.

Phoenix House Garden: There was a request by the Garden Club for $123,000.00 for a restoration of the less than ideally located Phoenix House Garden. There was some vague discussion regarding alternative financing through grants and private donations/sponsorships-- but the Garden Club representative expressed no confidence that significant revenue could be generated through fund-raising. Soon to be ExMayor Dick "the pipe man" Kraft did offer to donate whatever piping is required for a watering system. more/discussion

Town Prosecutor: There was some discussion regarding finding a replacement for the prosecutor shared by the two towns. Concern was expressed that there was no advertisement posted for the position and only one individual has been interviewed. The council generally agreed that necessary interim arrangements should be made to provide time for the post to be advertised providing more candidates for evaluation.

MASH: There was brief discussion, and general support, to waive $750 in town construction fees regarding the refurbishment of the community room at the Mendham area senior housing complex.

Gypsy Moths: It was reported that the county found no significant gypsy moth problem in the Mendham area.

Storm Water: It was briefly reported that apparently storm sewers will be labeled with some appropriate decal by Boys Scouts at a cost of $750

Town Book: It was reported that the hundredth anniversary book will be printed this month and presumably shipped early next year

Deer Management: It was stated that some 50 deer have been killed so far this season through the deer management program. Councilman Louis Garubo shared with the council the recent personal experience of colliding with a 10 point Buck at the high-school intersection. It was humorously related that the animal recovered from the experience and proceeded to block traffic. The council seemed thoroughly entertained by the "funny" example of their ineffective, and doomed to fail, mismanagement [through pointless cruelty] policy.

Sewage Rate Discount: There was again discussion regarding the possibility of providing a senior citizen discount on sewer rates. The town attorney reported/confirmed that there are no legal impediments to providing the discount. Council members gave little indication whether they would support such a proposal.

Last Rights: The mayor briefly eulogized his eight "good years" as mayor stating he, in general, enjoyed it. He did make vague disparaging reference to past members of the council he claimed were "trying to run the town" rather than providing that "the town be well run". I would argue that the Mayor's hands-off approach was a Titanic failure... the town's Titanic debt has been more than doubled... and like the Titanic, the mayor has sunk this ship of state in a dead calm [economic] sea because he wasted time placating elitist patrons, rather than fulfilling practical responsibilities.... he was also short, power drunk, and a petty thief.

My public comment questions:

permanent link: Summation of the December 18th meeting

Consent Agenda:

• Approval of the minutes-November 6, 2006 ES mtg.-not released to the public
• Approval of the minutes-October 16, 2006 regular session minutes
• Approval of the minutes-November 20, 2006 ES mtg.-not released to the public

Firehouse egress: There was rather protracted discussion regarding a plan to create a backdoor entrance/exit to the firehouse parking lot. There was related discussion regarding who should be using the available parking in the area. The council unanimously approved the proposed modification.

Ballfield Bathrooms: The council unanimously rejected a request by the Little League to be given a key to the carriage house. The council expressed concern the key would reach unauthorized hands... leading to the vandalism that has taken place in the past.

Municipal prosecutor: apparently the municipal prosecutor has submitted his resignation ...no details provided.

Snow Removal: Apparently the town will need to solicit some part-time help in the event of a major snow event. The mayor questioned why this has never been necessary in the past. It was explained, that the person who would help out when necessary is no longer available.

High School Construction: The council unanimously rejected a request from the high-school expansion contractor to permit them to work on Sundays to make up for some time lost to some delays. The council didn't provide much reasoning defending their rejection of the request-- I would speculate that if the council asked the residents neighboring the high school, they might be agreeable in the hope of having the project finished sooner rather than later.

Highlands: The mayor pretty much orchestrated and dominated a discussion of the Highlands Regional Master Plan and its implications for Mendham Borough. The mayor apparently circulated an e-mail to the council previous to the meeting, but I was not provided a copy through my standard request for documents relevant to the meeting of the town council. The discussion didn't provide much detail and seemed primarily intended to advise the council that the land use issues implicated will need serious consideration.

Salary Resolution: A resolution increasing the Borough administrator's salary to $98,000 was unanimously passed without discussion. The administrators' salary is split, with both the town and the sewage department paying $49,000. It is probable that sewage department issues receives less than 10 percent of the administrators time yet ratepayers are paying half the salary. This arrangement probably has no good public purpose.

Water Litigation: The council attorney suggested that litigation may be required to secure the release of some $200,000 held in trust the town believes it is entitled to. The money is a holdover from the sale of the waterworks a number of years ago.

Sewer Discount: A member of the public suggested the town should offer a senior citizen discount on sewer rates. This is an issue previously considered by the council... and it was stated that the council is continuing to investigate and consider the possibility.

My public comment questions:

permanent link: Summation of the December 4th meeting

Consent Agenda:

• Banner Request- Mendham Little League-12/4/06-12/11/06
• Mendham Boro Fire Dept. Reg./Jr. Membership Deletions-W. Wilshaw, P. Mortenson
• Menham First Aid Sq.-Membership Additions: (EMT's)D. Gizzi, K. Hastings;(EMT Pending) M. Carr, C. Poulin; (EMT Special Member) M. Miltenberger, C. Battey

New Ambulance: there was some conversation surrounding final approval of the purchase of a new ambulance. Councilman Stanley "the weasel" Witczak sensibly suggested that the first-aid squad might be a good service for "shared service" consolidation, implying that the nearly $200,000 to be spent on this vehicle replacement may be a cost that could be saved as a more regional perspective may reveal some redundancy in coverage. The council seemed universally oppose to even considering such a proposal and stated that the Borough squad answers some 500 calls a year, the township 300, and therefore the Mendhams need 4 ambulances to ensure adequate coverage. It was also suggested that all the ambulances should be less than 10 years old to avoid obsolescence and any threat to occupational safety.

There were no facts provided regarding how often, if ever, all 4 Mendham area ambulances were performing necessary services all at the same time. I suspect probability studies would indicate that 3 ambulances could probably cover 800 calls a year with very little risk to the public welfare.

The discussion blended into a discussion of the overall concept of Consolidated Services and the mayor pontificated that the state bureaucracy hinders, rather than facilitates, consolidation of services. The mayor also proclaimed that the only consolidation of police services the Borough would support would involve the Township contracting (renting) Police Services from the Borough... Obviously unless the Township is offered a real bargain price I don't see them jumping at the chance to have an incompetently managed Borough police force imposing law and order on them.... after all the Borough doesn't even have any calendar cops.

Planning board appointment: The mayor appointed Ralph Blakeslee "the preposterously overpaid lying thieving incompetent scumbag town administrator" to the Planning Board...Why???

The Master Plan: Apparently the council members have been provided copies of the revised "master plan". The Mayor again gave the document glowing reviews and council members patted themselves on the backs for spending a hundred thousand dollars to basically reprint census data. At past meetings it has been stated that the document will be made available to the public "online".... I for one won't be holding my breath waiting for the fat incompetent Borough Government Pig to fly that millimeter off the ground.

My public comment questions:

permanent link: Summation of the November 20th meeting

Consent Agenda:

• Approval of the minutes-October 16, 2006 ES mtg.-not released to the public
• Approval of the minutes-September 5, 2006 ES mtg.-not released to the public
• Res. #209-06 PeggNet, LLC-Sewer Connect Permit
• Res. #210-06 Return Balance Spec. Eng. Inspection Escrow-B0501/L14
• Res. #211-06 Return Balance Spec. Eng. Inspection Escrow-B2201/L19.05
• Raffle Application-Minutemen Sports Club ­ 12/07/06- 50/50 Cash-On Premise
• Raffle Application-Minutemen Sports Club ­ 12/07/06- Tricky Tray-On Premise

The mayor was absent

Open space etc. committee: Perhaps the most protracted discussion of the relatively brief meeting involved a simple ordinance to reduce the membership of the "open space" committee from 9 members to 5-- as a concession to the fact that few citizens have any interest in serving on the committee. The now newly reelected [by you idiots] Stanley "the wacko" Witczak, the cop in another town whose saw purpose in blighting this town with campaign signs, even though he was running in a unopposed election-- misunderstood the ordinance, and obligated the explanation... that although the official title of the Open Space Committee contains words like "recreation" the ordinance does not in any way apply to the "recreation committee".

VAC Truck: The council approved an ordinance excepting a bid of $237,000 for a utility truck used to maintain storm sewers and waste lines. A member of the public challenged the council to defend the wisdom of this purchase, and cited the absence of any cost-benefit analysis. Initially council members attempted to defend the purchase by stating, that the state has mandated that the "town must have one". That was later qualified to mean that the state requires that storm sewers be maintained by the town. The reasonable argument that it may be much more cost-effective to contract services on an as-needed basis was not effectively refuted by the council, or the Administrator, and was just arrogantly dismissed.

As context, when this Truck was originally discussed by the council about a year ago... ideas like splitting the cost (sharing the service) among other regional communities was part of the discussion. There has been no discussion at any public meeting sense explaining why that wasn't a more reasonable alternative. It should also be understood that this purchase will be made through the expansion of debt, and as debt is rarely paid down the town may spend many times the actual purchase price for this essentially "rented" truck.

Pole barn: There was a brief discussion regarding the need to rebid construction of a new pole barn at the sewage plant, as bids received were in excess of funds allocated. The necessary purpose of this "barn" has not been explained at any council meeting, although its was stated at this council meeting, that one of the purposes of the barn would be storage of the VAC Truck.

Cleaning deposit: it was reported/suggested that the town should consider requiring a cleaning deposit for use of the Garabrant Center as "some groups have left the building in bad condition".

Tennis court badges: It was reported/suggested that the council should consider discontinuing the badge program as it costs more to produce the badges than revenue produced.

New ambulance: The was brief discussion of the new $170,000 ambulance and how to dispose of the 10 year-old ambulance being replaced. It was stated that it should be possible to sell the old ambulance for a pretty good price... apparently implying others will see value we don't.

Tax assessor: There was brief discussion of a proposal to "share" the service of a tax assessor with the Township... all seemed agreeable to the apparent cost savings.

Criminal background check: There was some brief discussion of the town's convoluted policy provoked by the suggestion that all council members should be required to undergo the background check. There was some confusion regarding what paid employees, and what volunteers, are covered by the policy.

Vouchers: Barbara Stanton raised some questions regarding a couple of vouchers. Apparently, she didn't understand that we pay the township and county for overtime police services for the Labor Day parade and festivities.

She also questioned the town being required to pay the $250 for the Bee removal at the shopping mall, and suggested the owners of the property should be required to pay the fee. It was explained during the discussion, that the removal was an emergency situation handled by the police department and that is why the town paid for the service. It was eventually agreed, that it will be "suggested" that the property owners reimburse the town.

My public comment questions:

permanent link: Summation of the November 6th meeting