January 5, 2026 – Reorganization Meeting

STILLWATER TOWNSHIP
RECREATION COMMISSION
January 5, 2025 @ 7:00pm

MEMBERS PRESENT: Mr. Carovillano, Mrs. Falotico, Mrs. Trotter, Miss Klamerus, Mrs. Staudt, Mrs. Richardson, and Mrs. Tosti
LIASION: Mr. Manser and Mrs. Delaney were both in attendance
MEMBERS ABSENT:Mrs. DiBattista

Mrs. Tosti called the meeting to order at 7:01 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 Dates Scheduled for 2026:
All meetings are scheduled for the first Monday of each month. Workshop meetings, if held, are scheduled for the third Monday of each month.

Mrs. Wunder created the Recreation Commission newspaper notice for 2026 listing the scheduled meeting dates accompanied with zoom links to be advertised with the Herald once approved. The Commission reviewed the dates and agreed to cancel our regularly scheduled September meeting due to the holiday weekend and the start of school as many of our members have school-aged children. We will instead be utilizing our workshop meeting on September 21, 2026.

Mrs. Tosti made a motion to approve the scheduled meeting dates and zoom links reviewed by the Commission pending changes to our September meeting schedule, seconded by Mr. Carovillano.

Roll Call: Mr. Carovillano; yes, Mrs. Falotico; yes, Mrs. trotter; yes, Miss Klamerus; yes, Mrs. Staudt; yes, Mrs. Richardson;yes, Mrs. Tosti; yes.

Adjustments and Approval of 2026 Fees List: the fees charges and/org paid by the Recreation Commission were reviewed. No changes will be made at this time.

Mrs. Tosti made a motion to leave our 2026 fees charged and/or paid by the Recreation Commission the same as the previous year, seconded by Mrs. Staudt.

Roll Call: Mr. Carovillano; yes, Mrs. Falotico; yes, Mrs. trotter; yes, Miss Klamerus; yes, Mrs. Staudt; yes, Mrs. Richardson;yes, Mrs. Tosti; yes.

Appointment of Secretary for 2026:
Mrs. Tosti made a motion to nominate Danielle Wunder as our 2026 Recreation Commission Secretary; seconded by Mrs. Richardson

Roll Call: Mr. Carovillano; yes, Mrs. Falotico; yes, Mrs. trotter; yes, Miss Klamerus; yes, Mrs. Staudt; yes, Mrs. Richardson;yes, Mrs. Tosti; yes.

Appointment of Head Chair for 2026:
Mrs. Trotter made a motion to nominate Tara Tosti as the Head Chair of the Recreation Commission for 2026, seconded by Mrs. Staudt.

Roll Call: Mr. Carovillano; yes, Mrs. Falotico; yes, Mrs. trotter; yes, Miss Klamerus; yes, Mrs. Staudt; yes, Mrs. Richardson;yes, Mrs. Tosti; abstain.

Appointment of Vice Chair for 2026: Mrs. Richardson announced that she will be stepping down as Vice Chair to open the position up to someone else who can be of more help assisting the Head Chair but will remain a member of the Recreation Commission.

Miss Klamerus nominated Mrs. Falotico while Mrs. Tosti nominated Mr. Carovillano. The Recreation Commission took a ballot vote for privacy reasons. Once tallied, Mrs. Wunder announced that Mr. Carovillano will be our 2026 Vice Chair.

Mrs. Tosti made a motion to accept Mr. Carovillano as the Vice Chair for the Recreation Commission for 2026, seconded by Mrs. Trotter.

Roll Call: Mr. Carovillano; yes, Mrs. Falotico; yes, Mrs. trotter; yes, Miss Klamerus; yes, Mrs. Staudt; yes, Mrs. Richardson;yes, Mrs. Tosti; yes.

Resignation Letter:
Mrs. Tosti read the resignation letter of Mrs. DiBattista, who  was not in attendance.

Mrs. Tosti made a motion to accept the resignation of Mrs. DiBattista, seconded by Mrs. Trotter.

Roll Call: Mr. Carovillano; yes, Mrs. Falotico; yes, Mrs. trotter; yes, Miss Klamerus; yes, Mrs. Staudt; yes, Mrs. Richardson;yes, Mrs. Tosti; yes.

Approval of Meeting Minutes:
Mrs. Tosti made a motion to approve the minutes of December 1, 2025, meeting pending changes to the holiday decorating section, seconded by Miss Kalmerus.

Roll Call: Mr. Carovillano; yes, Mrs. Falotico; yes, Mrs. trotter; yes, Miss Klamerus; yes, Mrs. Staudt; yes, Mrs. Richardson;yes, Mrs. Tosti; yes.

Mrs. Wunder asked Miss Klamerus to verify gift card amounts and winning categories for our 2025 holiday decorating contest via email.

Payment of Bills:
Mrs. Richardson made a motion to approve the payment of the following bills totaling $3,492.70, seconded by Mr. Carovillano.

Septicare (December 2025 Porta John Rentals) – $430.00
Amazon (Tree Lighting Supplies) – $45.32
Shop Rite (Tree Lighting Supplies) – $309.17
Lakeland Bus Lines (12/13/2025 NYC Bus Trip) – $1,625.00
* $465.00 Community Events Line
Tara Tosti Reimbursement (Halloween Decorating Contest & Santa Chair) – $393.63
Tara Tosti Reimbursement (Tree Lighting Supplies) – $89.27
Tara Tosti Reimbursement (Community Events) – $295.27
Amazon (Pitcher’s Mound Cover) – $305.04

Roll Call: Mr. Carovillano; yes, Mrs. Falotico; yes, Mrs. trotter; yes, Miss Klamerus; yes, Mrs. Staudt; yes, Mrs. Richardson;yes, Mrs. Tosti; yes.

Mrs. Tosti noted that moving forward, Amazon gift cards can be purchased directly through our Amazon account. Members no longer have to purchase gift cards with their own money and wait to be reimbursed.

There were some questions regarding finances and our budget. Mrs. Wunder will be contacting our CFO with members’ questions to be answered in person at a future meeting or via email to provide clarification and relief from any confusion.

Correspondence:
Mrs. Richardson read a thank you letter from the sewing guild thanking the Recreation Commission for the continued use of the Community Center for their gatherings.

Open Public Session – Agenda Items Only:
The meeting was opened to the public at 7:47 p.m.

Karen King:
Mrs. King was in attendance to personally thank the Recreation Commission for allowing her to host senior events at the Stillwater Community Center and for our continued support and focus on hosting events for our senior citizens. Mrs. King handed out flyers for events she will be hosting in 2026 and extended the invitation to Recreation Commission members if they were interested in attending, as well as, offering to help us in any way for our future senior events. Mrs. Richardson invited Mrs. King to come to a senior event to hand out flyers to those who may not be aware of the events Mrs. King hosts or is involved in.

Jeanie Benning – New Member:
Jeanie Benning, interested in taking the Alternate #1 position, was in attendance. Mrs. Staudt was previously in the Alternate #1 position, but with Mrs. DiBattista resigning, Mrs. Staudt will be taking her position. Jeanie formally introduced herself and gave the Recreation Commission a summary of her involvement in our community. She confirmed her interest in becoming a member of Stillwater Recreation Commission and filling the open position.

Mrs. Tosti made a motion to accept the application of Jeanie Benning to fill the position of Alternate #1, seconded by Miss Klamerus.

Roll Call: Mr. Carovillano; yes, Mrs. Falotico; yes, Mrs. trotter; yes, Miss Klamerus; yes, Mrs. Staudt; yes, Mrs. Richardson;yes, Mrs. Tosti; yes.

The meeting was closed to the public at 7:55 p.m.

Amendments to the Agenda:
There were no amendments made to the agenda.

New Business – Undecorating the Community Center:
The Commission thanked Mrs. Richardson for taking down the tree lighting deocrations. It was also noted that the basketball basket must be removed, however, due to the cold temperatures it is currently frozen in place. Once thawed, it will be removed promptly.

Old Business:
There are no updates.

Sub-Committee Reports:
a. Clean Up Day – Mrs. Tosti:
Mrs. Tosti has been in communication with our CFO. The date will be secured during the February meeting. Our clerk will secure the shredder. 

b. Miss Stillwater, Little Miss and Mr. Stillwater – Mrs. Staudt:
Mrs. Staudt will be charing this event with Mrs. Beshada assisting as a volunteer. Mrs. Tosti will be giving Mrs. Staudt the guidebook made by the previous chair, Jenn Minervino. The guide will assist in meeting deadlines, needed supplies, contacts, and other additional information to help prepare and execute the event smoothly. Mrs. Tosti will send Mrs. Staudt and Mrs. Beshada’s contact information so they can begin planning. 

c. Stillwater Day – 6/6/2026:
There are no updates. 

d. Garage Sale Weekend – 5/16/2026 & 5/17/2026 – Mrs. Wunder:
There are no updates.

e. Summer Camp – Mrs. Tosti:
There are no updates. 

f. Sussex County Fair:
There are no updates. 

g. Sussex County Day Expo:
There are no updates

h. Senior Events – Mrs. Richardson:
Game Night 1/30/2026 @ 6p-8p @ Community Center:
No further discussison yet. 

i. Decorating Contests (Holiday) – Mrs. Klamerus
There were no applications submitted for the holiday contest. The contest was posted on our website and on our social media page. It was noted that some members only saw the posting once, however it was confirmed that it was posted multiple times and shared often. Unfortunately, due to the algorithm that social media platforms utilize, it is often easy for residents to miss event information. The Commission will revisit how to improve this moving forward. Miss Klamerus would like to revamp the contest a bit as well. Instead of keeping contestant addresses private and having the Commission vote on winners, make the addresses pubic (with permission of contestants) and residents, as well as Commission members, so that people can observe at their leisure and we vote as a community. It was suggested by a member to make the prize “Winner Takes All” where the winner will receive a $100 gift card instead of splitting the prize amount amongst first, second, and third place. A larger prize may entice people to be more involved in the decorating contest. Another member suggested increasing the decorating contest budget to $150 and awarding a first and second place winner with larger amounts, again to entice participation. This will be discussed at future meetings. 

j. Tree Lighting – 12/5/2025 @ Community Center @ 6pm – Mrs. Tosti/Mrs. Richardson:
Moving forward, the communication with Santa will need to improve so that the children can be more prepared for his arrival. It was discussed doing all events first, moving to the arrival of Santa, and finishing the event with the actual tree lighting. Preferred event day of the week for the tree lighting was also discussed, Friday or Saturday. Friday often works better for residents, not having to prepare for the new week ahead and getting children to bed at a more strict time. However, with members’ work schedules it is difficult to prepare for an evening event wen all hands cannot be on deck during the day. Sundy would make it easier for all members to be available to prepare for the event, but like residents, they also have to prepare for the week ahead which can be especially challenging because members need to clean up post event. 

k. Egg Hunt – 3/28/2025 (Rain or Shine) – Mrs. Falotico, Miss Klamerus, & Mrs. Staudt:
To ensure this event doesn’t clash with any of the Stillwater PTA events, the Commission referred to the school calendar. Unfortunately, the calendar reviewed at the meeting was missing March and April, so it couldn’t be confirmed during the meeting. Start time is to be determined as well. Mrs. Benning also expressed an interest in helping with the event.

Mrs. Falotico asked for clarification on whether members who are planning an event together can get together to discuss the event outside of a regular meeting. It was confirmed that you cannot have a quorum. Coordinating an event can be done outside of a meeting and reported on during a published meeting, but it is strongly advised to utilize regular and workshop meetings for these purposes.

l. Field/Pavilion Application Approvals, Scheduling – Mrs. Tosti:
Mrs. Tosti received field use application emails from Hampton Softball and North Jersey Co-Ed Baseball. These field use applications will be approved during the next meeting, but Mrs. Tosti wanted to let the Commission know their applications were received and reviewed. 

m. Field Maintenance – Mr. Carovillano:
Mr. Carovillano reported that the fields are good. The mound cover was received and fits properly. Pavers are holding down the tarp temporarily, but something more secure in nature needs to be considered for next season. 

n. Sheriff’s Office – CERT :
Mrs. Tsadilas will be contacting Mrs. Manser from the Sheriff’s Office regarding 2026 events and dates. 

o. Trunk or Treat – Mrs. Trotter:
There are no updates. 

p. Pop Up Vendor Fair – Mrs. Tosti:
There are no planned vendor fairs at this time. 

Open Public Session:
The meeting was opened to the public at 8:25 p.m.

Miss Klamerus questioned if nonmembers of the Recreation Commission can volunteer for events without being an official member. It was confirmed that volunteers are always welcome. In the past there has been a Google Form available to better organize volunteers.

Mrs. Richardson recommended that each Recreation event have Commission member availability secured ahead of time via a sign up sheet. If a majority of members cannot commit to certain events or it’s the same volunteers over and over again, considering removing them temporarily until more help is available. This may also prevent members from getting burnt out.

The open public session was closed at 8:43 p.m.

Committee Member Comments:
Mrs. Wunder confirmed members contact information and term clarification to update the 2026 roster appropriately. The roster was updated and sent to all members, our Deputy Clerk, and our Clerk.

Miss Klamerus signed her oath and Mrs. Wunder delivered it personally to the Clerk’s office.

The NYC Bus trip was not full, however, the remaining cost was covered.

Liaison Report (Mr Manser & Mrs. Delaney:
– The Township Committee meeting was held on 12/16/2025. There was an executive session held from 6p-7p. A secondary executive session was held after.
– The Reorganization Meeting for the Township Committee will be held on 1/6/2026 at 7p.m. Mayor and Deputy Mayor will be voted on.
– The Recreation Commission drop box that was previously discussed was brough to the attention of the Township Committee. Something of this nature cannot be utilized as there are too many issues that could arise such as residents getting confused and dropping their tax payment. Mrs. Tosti mentioned that the OEM office can hold anything (applications, Shop Rite card, etc.) that the Recreation Commission members may need to access after regular municipal operating hours.
– It was noted that the ‘Stillwater Townhall’ Facebook page is NOT affiliated with the Townhall in any way. This is a separate group of individuals that meet and discuss issues and concerns that they wish to present to the Township Committee from time to time.

Adjournment:
Mrs. Tosti made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 9:00 p.m., seconded by Mr. Carovillano. A vote was taken, and all were in favor.

Respectfully Submitted,
Danielle Wunder, Secretary