STILLWATER TOWNSHIP

RECREATION COMMISSION

MEETING MINUTES

August 5, 2024

 

 

MEMBERS PRESENT: Mr. Sylvester, Mrs. Minervino, Mrs. Falotico, Mrs. Richardson, and

Mrs. Tosti

LIASION: Mr. Manser and Mrs. Delaney were in attendance

MEMBERS ABSENT: Mr. Reilly and Mr. Carovillano

Mrs. Tosti called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. with the statement that this meeting follows the Open

Public Meetings Act. Regular meetings are held on the first Monday of the month at 7:00 p.m., at the Stillwater Township Municipal Building located in Middleville, New Jersey. This meeting was held at the Stillwater Township Municipal Building. The flag was saluted and roll call taken.

 

Approval of Meeting Minutes:

Mrs. Minervino made a motion to approve the minutes from the July 15, 2024, meeting, seconded by Mrs. Falotico.

Roll Call Vote: Mr. Sylvester, yes, Mrs. Minervino, yes, Mrs. Falotico, yes, Mrs. Richardson, yes, Mrs. Tosti, yes

 

Payment of Bills:

Mrs. Richardson made a motion to approve the payment of the following bills totaling $2,699.12, seconded by Mrs. Minervino.

Roll Call Vote: Mr. Sylvester, yes, Mrs. Minervino, yes, Mrs. Falotico, yes, Mrs. Richardson, yes, Mrs. Tosti, yes

 

The Sugar Shack Ice Cream (Stillwater Day Gift Cards) – $54.00

Staples Advantage (Office Supplies) – $38.09

Amazon (Rec. First Aid Kit) – $32.88

Amazon (Pickleball Nets) – $1,322.60

Weis (Senior Safety Program) – $21.55

David Pierson (Power Washing of Tennis/Pickleball Court) – $800.00

Stern Auto Corp (August Portajohn Rentals) – $430.00

 

Correspondence:

There was no correspondence.

 

Open Public Session – Agenda Items Only:

The meeting was opened to the public at 7:09 p.m. No one from the public wished to speak during open public session. The meeting was closed to the public at 7:09 p.m.

 

Amendments to the Agenda:

There were no amendments made to the agenda.

 

Old Business:

Pickleball Court Update (Stillwater Park) – Mrs. Tosti

The court has been power washed and cracks/holes have been repaired. Low spots were located and addressed. As of 7/26/2024, step 1 of 3 has been completed. Mrs. Tosti noted that during these three stages of preparation the court can still be utilized after the workers have left for the day as well as over the weekend. The following week, stages 2 and 3 of preparation will be completed. The final aspect of the project includes resurfacing and painting the court and lines. During the final stage, the entire court will be closed for drying and curing of paint. Dave Pierson will let Mrs. Tosti know what day/days this will occur on. It will be posted on the township website as well as our Recreation Facebook page. Mrs. Tosti and Mr. Sylvester have contacted several pickleball groups to relay this information as well.

 

Mr. Carovillano had previously suggested an app called “Team Up” that would help to organize and reserve time slots for the courts. It is a free and generic version. A username would need to be created to finalize details. Mr. Sylvester questioned if a player could potentially reserve six months (every Tuesday for example) of play time. Mr. Carovillano said yes, however, by creating a username it would allow us to set certain settings to avoid that scenario. Mrs. Tosti said once we finalize how we will reserve time slots, signage will need to be posted to make this very clear to all users/players. This will be further discussed when Mr. Carovillano is in attendance.

 

Portable Pickleball Nets – Mrs. Tosti

The Recreation Commission has purchased four portable/wheelable pickleball nets for community use on the new courts. The purchase was made through Amazon for $1,322.60 due to the quote from BSN being higher at $1,620.60. We are pricing a storage container to house these as well.

 

Mrs. Tosti made a motion to purchase a storage container/shed up to $300.00 for the portable pickleball nets, seconded by Mrs. Richardson.

Roll Call Vote: Mr. Sylvester, yes, Mrs. Minervino, yes, Mrs. Falotico, yes, Mrs. Richardson, yes, Mrs. Tosti, yes

 

New Business:

Replacement of portable tent that broke at Stillwater Day – Mrs. Tosti

Mrs. Tosti is requesting a replacement tent. Our CFO sent a few options, which were passed around to the Commission for review. After some discussion, all members agreed on purchasing the COBIZI 10×20 pop up canopy tent in white. This tent is a heavy duty waterproof commercial canopy tent. It includes a carry bag with wheels as well. This purchase will also aid in shading the children during Summer Camp for their arts/crafts.

 

Mrs. Tosti made a motion to approve the purchase of the above tent for the listed price of $349.98, seconded by Mrs. Minervino.

Roll Call Vote: Mr. Sylvester, yes, Mrs. Minervino, yes, Mrs. Falotico, yes, Mrs. Richardson, yes, Mrs. Tosti, yes

 

Sub-Committee Reports:

 

Clean Up Day – Mrs. Tosti 10/5/2024

Letters will be sent out as soon as possible.

 

Miss Stillwater, Little Miss and Mr. Stillwater – Mrs. Minervino

Mrs. Minervino mentioned that our Miss Stillwater 2024, Paige DeCaro did a wonderful job at the fair. Mr. Manser and Mayor Lisa Chammings were both in attendance.

 

Stillwater Day 6/7/2025

We will be having a joint meeting with the Town and Historical Society to discuss our 2025 Bicentennial event. We will be utilizing the Recreation Commission’s workshop meeting on 8/19/2024.

 

Garage Sale Weekend – Mrs. Wunder

10/12/2024 & 10/13/2024

The deadline for applications is set for September 27^th. There will be no exceptions to the deadline as there is a strict timeline that needs to be followed for the creation of the list/map to allow for sufficient time to print. The list/map will be sent to print on September 30^th. The printed list/maps will be available to the public by October 7^th both in person and electronically. Mrs. Wunder will contact the Township Journal as soon as possible to set our advertisement dates. The budget of $375.00 needs to be approved in order to move forward with the printing and advertising services. For Spring 2023, our 3-week advertisement printed in all 9 papers cost $109.10. Minisink Press donated their printing services in the past, but Mrs. Wunder requested a quote via email from Minisink Press moving forward. We were quoted 200 copies at $118.00 or 300 copies at $135.00. The Commission agreed 300 copies would be best.

 

Mrs. Tosti made a motion to approve the Stillwater Garage Sale Weekend budget not to exceed $375.00 for advertisement/print/misc. expenses, seconded by Mrs. Richardson.

Roll Call Vote: Mr. Sylvester, yes, Mrs. Minervino, yes, Mrs. Falotico, yes, Mrs. Richardson, yes, Mrs. Tosti, yes

 

If printing and advertisement costs remain below $375.00, the Commission will allow additional funds to be utilized in other avenues if this is allowed (verification needed by our CFO). It was suggested that we could use some of those funds to pay Lily Richardson for painting the shed.

 

Summer Camp – Mrs. Tosti

Week of 8/12/2024 & the week of 8/19/2024

The K-9 demonstration will be happening. There are 7 or 8 counselors and quite a few junior counselors. On 8/6/2024, Maureen Tsadilas will be holding a meeting to certify our counselors in First Aid. Mrs. Tosti and Mrs. Richarson have organized and determined what is needed for Summer Camp supplies. Approval is needed to take $150.00 from community events, to purchase $150.00 in supplies for Summer Camp.

 

Mr. Sylvester made a motion to take from community events to purchase $150.00 in supplies for Summer Camp, seconded by Mrs. Falotico.

Roll Call Vote: Mr. Sylvester, yes, Mrs. Minervino, yes, Mrs. Falotico, yes, Mrs. Richardson, yes, Mrs. Tosti, yes

Sussex County Fair – Mrs. Richardson

Great job, Mrs. Richardson! Mrs. Delaney suggested that Mrs. Richardson bring the display to our September meeting for the Commission members to see.

Sussex County Day- Sept. 15

Decorating Contests (Holiday) –

 

Tree Lighting – Mrs. Tosti/Mrs. Richardson 12/6/2024

The date is set for December 6, 2024. It has always been set for the first Friday in December; however, this event will need to be rescheduled due to a conflict with a local school event. It will need to be discussed further at our next meeting. For future, we may need to consider attending local school meetings to ensure this doesn’t occur moving forward. Mrs. Delaney suggested setting our 2025 calendar in September especially if a newsletter is approved to circulate townwide. The newsletter is still in discussion currently. The Commission noted that our town website is not user friendly and very confusing for residents. This conversation occurred because although we can also post our 2025 calendar, it may not be visible to residents. The dual calendar (Town and Community Center) presents some challenges for the Recreation as most residents do not look further than the Township’s calendar (they may be expecting all of our events to be on the main town calendar and do not realize there is a separate Community Center calendar) so events may be getting missed. Mr. Manser and Mrs. Delaney will notify the Township Committee of this concern.

 

Egg Hunt – Mrs. Falotico

No updates.

 

Field/Pavilion Application Approvals, Scheduling – Mrs. Tosti

 

Cub Scouts of Pack 83

Stillwater Park

9/6/2024

6:00-8:00 p.m.

Family style kickball game. They would like to open to new families of the public if the agreement allows.

Application submitted

Insured

 

Mrs. Tosti made a motion to approve the Cub Scouts of Pack 83 to utilize Stillwater Park for the above date and time since there are no other Fall applications have been received yet, seconded by Mr. Sylvester.

Roll Call Vote: Mr. Sylvester, yes, Mrs. Minervino, yes, Mrs. Falotico, yes, Mrs. Richardson, yes, Mrs. Tosti, yes

 

Men’s Fall Softball League

Bill Omstead

Stillwater Park

9/8/2024-12/1/2024 *fields are not maintained after 11/1 Sunday Mornings

8:00 a.m.

Application submitted

Insured

 

The Commission will vote to approve the above field use at our September meeting. Mrs. Tosti will contact Steven Dell to ensure there is no conflict in field use/schedules.

 

Field Maintenance – Mr. Sylvester/Mr. Carovillano

Farmside sprayed infield crabgrass. Aeration and seeding will be done after September 13, 2024. Date still needs to be set. Pesticide application at Veteran’s has been completed via Lantern Fly Grant (Township Committee). It was noted that several residents contacted the town to receive verification on what pesticides were being used. Weeds at our playgrounds were treated with a natural remedy by our DPW. Unfortunately, this remedy was unsuccessful. Although Farmside can spray the weeds, they cautioned that if residents are sensitive to what is being sprayed it might not be the favorable option. A resident had contacted Mrs. Wunder with concerns via email regarding puddles on the tennis courts. Mr. Sylvester confirmed that there were puddles after visiting the courts. The sinkhole is not fully repaired. It was noted that there were two attempts to fix this same sinkhole in the past. Since there is a storm due to come this week, it was suggested that photos be taken and sent to Dave Pierson for review. These concerns need to be addressed before the project is completed. Mr. Sylvester reported that our nets will need to be reset (nets are secured in a concrete footing, however, over time the nets pull the footings out) the next time our court is repaired and/or resurfaced.

 

Community Center Activities:

 

Senior Citizen Ice Cream Social – Mrs. Richardson

8/31/2024

2:00-4:00 p.m.

The flyer has been posted. There is not much to do for planning purposes, but Mrs. Richardson will reach out if she needs any additional help. Two residents have donated crafts and decorations to utilize wherever they are needed. A thank you note will be sent.

 

Educational Activities:

 

Bus Trip – Mr. Reilly 8/10/2024 CANCELED

Due to lack of interest, the bus trip had to be canceled. However, tickets for the game at Yankee Stadium are still available at a discounted rate. Unfortunately, the Recreation Commission may be held liable to pay for a cancellation fee. Mr. Reilly requested they send the policy and bill for review. The bill has not yet been received. Mrs. Tosti said she would contact the bus company to see if this fee can be waived since we plan to patron them again in the future. Both the casino and city trip were successful, and we would love to offer trips of this nature again. A December date for the city will need to be chosen by our next meeting.

 

Veteran’s Event – Mrs. Minervino

11/9/2024

9:00 a.m.

Community Center

Mrs. Minervino has reserved the Community Center on Saturday, November 9, 2024. Breakfast will be served at 9:00 a.m. All are welcome – veterans, acting service members, and families. Flyers will be posted after the First Responders Luncheon has taken place to avoid confusion.

 

First Responder Recognition Luncheon – Mrs. Minervino 9/8/2024 12:00 p.m. Community Center

Instead of holding the POW/MIA event, Mrs. Minervino proposed the idea of holding a luncheon to honor first responders. Being that we already have a Veteran’s event, Mrs. Minervino believes our police, fire fighters, and other first responders deserve a day of recognition. Active and retired first responders (and family members) are invited to join, however an RSVP must be in place to ensure we can hold the event in the Community Center. Flyers have been posted. Mrs. Minervino contacted local eateries to see if they would be willing to donate a gift card or sandwiches for the event. Starbucks will be donating pastries and coffee. Three other eateries showed interest in donating, but nothing has been confirmed yet. Tri State Flags is donating for the free raffle (anything patriotic). Meg the Bread Lady is also donating a gift card to the raffle. Mrs. Minervino would love to raffle of quilt of valor (from the children of Stillwater), but this is tentative. Mrs. Minervino would also like to stop by Summer Camp for a few hours to request the children’s help with thank you cards and crafts to give them. There are 12 attendees thus far. It is being requested that anyone attending provide a short summary of how they served so that they can be properly recognized. If the turnout is on the lower side, Mrs. Minervino mentioned she may request that Starbucks reserve their donation for the Veteran’s Breakfast.

 

Sheriff’s Office – Mrs. Minervino

8/13/2024 & 8/29/2024 1:00-2:00 p.m.

Community Center

All are welcome to these events!

 

8/13 K-9 Demonstration

8/29 TRIAD Wristband Program

 

Upcoming Prosecutor Hosted Events:

9/12 Big Brother Watching

10/10 Car Theft Device

11/14 Safe Firearms Storage

 

Trunk or Treat 10/20/2024

The date has been set for October, 20, 2024. We will need to name a chair for this event by the next meeting.

 

Open Public Session:

The meeting was opened to the public at 8:30 p.m.

 

Resignation Letter –

Mr. Reilly regretted informing the Commission that he sent his letter of resignation due to the inability to attend all meetings between prior commitments and his children’s extracurricular activity schedules. Mrs.

Tosti read Mr. Reilly’s letter of resignation to the Commission. Mr. Reilly will be missed!

 

Mrs. Tosti made a motion to accept Mr. Reilly’s letter of resignation, seconded by Mrs. Minervino.

Roll Call Vote: Mr. Sylvester, yes, Mrs. Minervino, yes, Mrs. Falotico, yes, Mrs. Richardson, yes, Mrs. Tosti, yes

 

Open public session was closed at 8:35 p.m.

 

Committee Member Comments:

Mrs. Tosti reported that there were two motor bikes on the field at Stillwater Park on two separate occasions. A resident called to inform the town. A police report was filed as they were on camera. A warning was given. The motorists said they were unaware that they could not ride on the park field.

 

It was also noted by the same resident that there were bees in the back of the Community Center. Mr. Manser said he would notify DPW to have this taken care of.

 

Liaison Report – Mr. Manser

• There is one meeting a month right now, so there is not a ton of information to report on.
• Mr. Manser recognized Mrs. Richardson’s well-done display at the Sussex County Fair.
• Special recognition was given to Miss Stillwater’s (Paige DeCaro) presentation at the Sussex County Fair. He was impressed at how well spoken she was and how she carried herself. Miss DeCaro should be very proud of herself.
• It was noted that the plastic chain at Stillwater Park is very brittle and will need to be replaced.

Executive Session/Session Actions:

None.

 

Adjournment:

Mrs. Tosti made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 8:45 p.m., seconded by Mrs. Falotico. A vote was taken, and all were in favor.

 

Respectfully Submitted,

 

Danielle Wunder, Secretary