The Borough of Mendham
2 West Main Street, Mendham, New Jersey 07945
Incorporated May 15, 1906
Office of the Borough Administrator
Telephone: (973) 543-7152 ext. 11
Facsimile: (973) 543-7202
Email: rblakeslees@mendhamnj.org
TO:
Mayor
and
Council
FROM:
Ralph E. Blakeslee, Administrator
DATE:
Friday, February 2, 2007
SUBJECT: Administrator's
Report
Please remember that I will be out of the office on vacation from Monday, February 12th
returning to the office on Tuesday, February 20th. During this time I will have limited contact
with the office. Also, please remember that this will be the Borough Council's only meeting in
February and that the offices will be closed on Monday, February 19th for Presidents Day.
I have the following to report:
Item #1 Discussion Items:
As of this moment there is no discussion item scheduled for Monday night.
Item #2 Action Items:
Consent Agenda. On the consent agenda are resolutions approving blue light licenses, Fire
Department memberships, banner requests and minute approvals from January 1st and executive
session minutes from January 15th. Also on the agenda, to be considered separately, are minutes
from December 4, 2006 and December 18, 2006.
Ordinance Introduction. Ordinance #2-07 provides additional funding for improvements to the
Ward-Sands parking lot. Please see my comments under the Finance heading of this report for
more information.
Ordinance Public Hearing/Adoption. Ordinance #1-07 amends the fee section of the Borough
code. New fees are established for the following items: Master Plan - $50, Environmental
Resource Inventory - $25, Master Plan Reexamination Report - $10, Land Use and Zoning
Ordinance - $30, audiotape reproduction of public meeting - $1, electronic copy of the master
plan (Disk or CD) - $1 per disk/CD.
Action to Be Taken: The following resolutions are on Monday night's agenda:
· Resolution #31-07, appoints a new Department of Public Works Superintendent. Please
see my comments under the Personnel section of this report.
· Resolution #32-07 appoints a replacement Department of Public Works laborer. Again,
please see my comments under the Personnel section of this report.
· Resolution #33-07-authorizes a transfer of appropriation reserves as recommended by the
CFO
· Resolution #34-07 authorizes an inter-local government services agreement with the
County to utilize the Sheriff's Mobile Data Terminal System (MDT). This is an annual
agreement.
· Resolution #35-07 authorizes an inter-local government services agreement with the
County to utilize the Sheriff's Computer Aided Dispatch/Records Management System
· Resolution #36-07 authorizes an inter-local government agreement with the Bernards
Township Health Department for Local Public Health Services during 2007.
· Resolution #37-07 authorizes an amendment to Dr. Groves/Global Environmental
professional service agreement. Please see my comments under Public Works section of
this report.
· Resolution #38-07 authorizes a professional service agreement with architect Charles
Schaffer to design the second floor addition to of the DPW garage.
· Resolution #39-07 confirms the Mayor's appointment of Ray Kelsey to the
Environmental Commission.
· Resolution #40-07 confirms the Mayor's appointment of Stephen Carr and Michael
Zedalis to the Historic Preservation Commission
Item #3 Finance:
Bond Ordinance Amendment. On the agenda for Monday night is an ordinance amending bond
ordinance #5-06 to provide additional funding to pave the Ward-Sands municipal parking lot.
You will recall that the Borough originally funded through this ordinance $150,000 for the
Knollwood Road resurfacing project. The Borough Engineer has indicated that the project will
cost a maximum of $80,000 and that the Ward-Sands parking lot paving project will cost
approximately $80,000. There is currently $35,000 available in an old capital account for the
Ward-Sands project so I requested that the Bond Attorney prepare an amendment authorizing
$45,000 for this project. There will be no new debt issued as a result of this amendment, just an
addition to the project descriptions in the ordinance.
2007 Budget. I have three more standing committees to meet with before putting together the
first draft of the budget: Finance, Recreation and Personnel. I anticipate meeting with all of
these committees by the end of the month and completing the first draft of the budget by March
1st.
Finance Committee. A tentative meeting of the committee to review budgets under their
jurisdiction is scheduled for 5:00 PM, Wednesday February 7th in the Phoenix House. I am
proposing a second meeting of the committee for Thursday, March 1st to review the first draft of
the budget.
Tax Assessor. Our new Tax Assessor has hit the ground running! I have spoken to him
regarding attendance at a future Borough Council meeting. Our target date is for the first
meeting of May.
Item #4 Personnel:
Public Works Superintendent. As you are aware from my previous memos of this week, Mr.
Kenneth O'Brien has been recommended by the interview committee to be appointed
Superintendent of Public Works. Ken and I met Wednesday evening to coordinate his start date
(Monday, February 26th ) and the required personnel procedures. Ken will be attending the
Public Works & Utilities committee on February 21st.
Public Works Employee. On Monday night's agenda is a resolution appointing Mr. Clinton
Helmlinger to the position of Laborer in the DPW. Doug Wright and I interviewed three
candidates on January 23rd and Mr. Helmlinger presented himself as a strong candidate. He
currently has his Commercial Driving License permit and will be taking his test in mid-April.
Personnel Evaluations. I have one administrative employee to meet with and have started
finalizing all the results of the evaluations.
Intern/Part Time Assistance. Tom Russomano is back for a few weeks to assist me with
conducting a salary survey of public works and sewer utility employees. Tom is coming in on
Thursdays and Fridays and is working at the shared work space on the bottom floor of the
Phoenix House.
Municipal Prosecutor. Interviews were conducted on Monday, January 29th. I will have a
verbal report on the appointment status Monday night.
Senior Staff Meetings. The next senior staff meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 7th at
10:30 AM in the Phoenix House. March's meeting will be held Wednesday March 7th at 10:30
AM, location to be determined.
Item #5 Public Safety:
Public Safety Committee
· Schedule. The committee has set the fourth Tuesday of the month as their monthly
meeting date. The committee is going to experiment with having the meetings during
the day at 9:15 AM. The next meeting will be held on February 26th at 9:15 AM in the
Phoenix House.
· Budget. The committee met with Chief Taylor on Wednesday, January 31st to review the
Police Department budget. The increase in overtime in 2006 was the center of much
discussion. Chief Taylor provided the committee with a breakdown of where overtime
occurred and noted that approximately $12,000 was the result of extraordinary events
that took place in 2006, including the 100th anniversary events and police officer injuries.
Several line items in the department's O/E were reduced, but one area that was increased
was traffic signs. Councilman Murphy reminded the committee that there will be new
parking regulations recommended as a result of the Master Plan and that additional signs
will be needed.
· Master Plan Recommendations. The committee will be meeting informally next Friday
morning with Chief Taylor to observe traffic patterns around Hilltop School and to
discuss the recommendations made in the Master Plan Traffic Circulation element.
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.
Defense of Municipal Police Officers. The Borough's JIF Attorney has advised that Assembly
Bill A3563, which would require the State to defend polices officers when they are sued as result
of action taken as members of a county Prosecutor's task force, has been released out of
committee. I will keep you apprised as to the status of the bill.
Fire Lane Enforcement. You may recall that there was a request late last year by the Fire
Official to amend the Borough's Code to establish fire lanes and no parking fire zones. Fred has
been working on a draft and advises that in order to implement an ordinance signs and striping
will have to be established. Fred's office has been attempting to ascertain what standards there
may be for signs and striping through the Department of Transportation or the Department of
Community Affairs. In the meantime, he has prepared a draft ordinance with I will provide to
the Public Safety Committee, Fire Official and Police Chief for preliminary review.
Item #6 Public Works & Utilities:
Committee Meeting. The committee met on January 17th. Among the topics discussed included:
· The budget meeting was set for January 22nd at 1:00 PM in the Phoenix House
· The re-roofing of the Garabrant Center is complete.
· The Administrator was asked to follow up with the HVAC contractor on his findings at
Police Headquarters.
· It was noted that the Lowery Lane paving project was complete. The Borough Engineer
and Administrator are to approach the Township regarding a possible DOT local aid
application to pave their section of Lowery Lane.
· Bids for the Ward-Sands parking lot paving project will be received on February 13th and
a contract will be awarded at the March 5th Borough Council meeting.
· The Administrator will have a professional service contract and resolution prepared, for
the next Borough Council meeting, to authorize the architect Charles Schaffer to begin
design work on the second floor addition of the DPW garage. Once approved a meeting
will be set up to discuss the project in detail with the committee and key members of the
DPW Department
· Knollwood Drive repaving will start this spring.
· The next committee meeting will be on February 26th at 9:30 AM.
Dr. Groves. The Public Works & Utilities Committee met with Dr. Groves, the Borough
Attorney and the Doug Wright on Thursday, January 25th. As a result of that meeting the
committee is recommending an extension of Dr. Groves' contract. Please see my confidential
memo on the subject, which has been distributed with this report.
WRF Pole Barn Project. Bids will be accepted on February 5th. The specifications were pared
down to the basic barn and slab with heating and electrical.
Ice Skating at Mountain View Park. The Borough has received numerous requests to allow
skating at the pond. Unfortunately, we have not been able to find in the files the proper protocol
for ice thickness. I have reached out to Rick Blood or Roxbury Township who informed me that
his municipality does not allow skating on any of their ponds. I then turned to Dave Quinn, the
Borough's Risk Manager and asked him if he could find any protocol that has been issued by any
insurance company or the JIF. He promised to get back to me as soon as possible. In the
meantime our DPW foreman did measure the ice in four places and the thickness was
approximately four inches.
Item #8 Land Use:
Ordinance Review. Three ordinances have been sent by the Land Use Committee to the
Planning Board for preliminary review. They deal with the regulation of temporary, portable
storage units, temporary signs in the business district and an ordinance requiring markers for
conservation easements. The draft ordinances will be discussed at the February 12th Planning
Board meeting.
Capital Improvement Review. As required by the Municipal Land Use Law, I will be sending to
the Planning Board copies of the Ward-Sands improvement plans for review at their February
12th meeting.
Stream Corridor Preservation. A draft ordinance which would regulate activities along streams
in the Borough was prepared at the recommendation of the Land Use Committee by the Borough
Attorney's office. It has been forwarded to the Borough Engineer for review and comment.
Item #9 Veterans Recognition Medals:
The County has notified the Borough that they will again be awarding special medals of
recognition to veterans who reside in Morris County. They have asked for assistance in
identifying possible recipients. Unless otherwise directed I will place the appropriate
announcement in the newsletter and web site.
Item #10 Morris County League of Municipalities:
The County League will be hosting a dinner meeting on February 21st at the Birchwood Manor.
The guest speaker will be William Dressel, the Executive Director of the State League of
Municipalities. Please contact me if you wish to attend. The RSVP date is February 14th.
Item #11 Newsletter:
Please remember that deadline for the March newsletter is Friday, February 9th. Please email
Maureen or place articles on the server as soon as possible.
REB/jp
Cc:
Phoenix House
Paul W. Ferriero, Borough Engineer
Bowers
Building
Geoffrey B. Price, Zoning Officer
Department of Public Works
Fred Semrau, Esq.
Water Reclamation Facility
Police Department
Fire
Department
First
Aid
Squad