June 5, 2023 Meeting Minutes

STILLWATER TOWNSHIP

RECREATION COMMISSION 

MEETING MINUTES 

June 5, 2023

MEMBERS PRESENT: Mrs. Minervino, Mrs. Richardson, Mr. Sylvester, Mr. Carovillano, Mr. Reilly, Mrs. Tsadilas, Mrs. Falotico, Mrs. Martin, and Mrs. Tosti LIASION: Mrs. Delaney was not in attendance. MEMBERS ABSENT: None

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: Mr. Sylvester made a motion to approve the minutes from the May 1, 2023 meeting, seconded by Mrs.Tsadilas. Roll Call Vote:  Mrs. Minervino, yes, Mrs. Richardson, yes, Mr. Sylvester, yes, Mr. Carovillano, yes, Mr. Reilly, yes, Mrs. Tsadilas, yes, Mrs. Tosti, yes

 Payment of Bills: Mr. Carovillano made a motion to approve the payment of the following bills totaling $1,509.48, seconded by Mr. Reilly. Roll Call Vote:  Mrs. Minervino, abstain, Mrs. Richardson, yes, Mr. Sylvester, yes, Mr. Carovillano, yes, Mr. Reilly, yes, Mrs. Tsadilas, abstain, Mrs. Tosti, abstain

Shop Rite (Plant Exchange Supplies) – $52.11

Septicare – $370.00

Mrs. Tsadilas (Reimbursement Water Safety Fair) – $57.39

Delaney Burke (Miss Stillwater) – $200.00

Mrs. Minervino (Reimbursement Miss Stillwater) – $307.29 

Mrs. Tosti (Reimbursement Miss Stillwater) – $66.10

Wildflowers With Tami (Miss Stillwater) – $300.00

Zachary Hoon (Miss Stillwater) – $25.00

Audrey Schneider (Miss Stillwater) – $25.00

Amazon (Megaphone) – $56.59

Juliana Destefano – $50.00

 Correspondence: Mrs. Tosti sent thank you cards to each contestant from the Miss Stillwater contest with a gift card (donated from The Sugar Shack) to The Sugar Shack.

 Open Public Session – Agenda Items Only: The meeting was opened to the public at 7:14 p.m. No one from the public wished to speak during the open public session. The meeting was closed to the public at 7:14 pm.

Amendments to the Agenda: No amendments were made to the agenda.

Old Business:

Senior Activities – “Let’s Go, Walk with Ease” has finished. Attendees really enjoyed these activities and are requesting more programs like this – this program will be offered again in the future. The next program, Tai Ji Quan, will be starting next week. This program is focused on movement and balance. Mrs. Tosti spoke with the instructor and all seats have been filled. If it is possible, tables will be rearranged resulting in at least five more available seats.

Collaboration with Hampton and Stillwater Seniors – Chair Yoga Mrs. Tosti reported that the event is still being worked on at this time, however, an instructor has been chosen. Payment is still under discussion, but the attendees will most likely pay a fee to cover the expense.

New Business:

Recreation Secretary Computer – The recreation secretary’s computer has arrived and has been set up for use. The computer is fully equipped with all necessary programs, especially Publisher which was specifically requested. Mrs. Wunder thanked the committee members for their motion/vote to purchase a new computer.

Bridge Repair Update – Mrs. Tosti spoke to our CFO regarding the bridge repairs at Veteran’s Park. Utilizing remaining capital funds for the necessary bridge repairs (safety) was previously discussed and voted on during our last meeting. The boards have been replaced and everything is looking good.

Sub-Committee Reports: 

Clean Up Day – Mrs. Tosti 4/22 (Earth Day) There were 19 groups in total. Each group have received $300 from the Clean Communities Grant for each group who participated. Funds will be distributed to each group after next Township Committee meeting.

Miss Stillwater, Little Miss and Mr. Stillwater – Mr. Sylvester/Mrs. Minervino/Mrs. Falotico 5/12 The event was a success with many attendees. Mr. Sylvester thanked everyone for their help. Mrs. Tosti also noted what a great evening it was and what a great job all of the contestants did. Mrs. Minervino will be returning the binder by the next meeting. Mr. Sylvester noted that he had received two sets of questions, which were duplicates. He did not realize this until after he had already asked the question for the second time. This will need to be corrected and avoided for next year. It was suggested that an agenda for the event (day of) would be helpful for organization purposes so that everyone is on the same page.

Stillwater Day/Fall Festival – Sub Committee for 2023 Mrs. Tosti/Mrs. Richardson (Mrs. Minervino/Mrs. Falotico as needed) 10/7 Rain Date: 10/8 Mrs. Martin reported that they had their third meeting on May 25, 2023. The flyer is printed/folded and ready to go in the tax bill. There are still several boxes of flyers left from last year’s event that Mrs. Tosti will be using for art projects at Summer Camp. Mrs. Martin is happy they are being put to good use. Vendor applications are ready to be distributed. There will be no pony rides this year due to a time conflict. They found a photo booth. This will be provided with no out of pocket expense for the Recreation Commission or the Historical Society. Ten vendor applications have already come in, three of which have already paid. Harmony Hill Church has offered to do the food for the event, which is extremely helpful since the Fire Department has a conflict that day and may not be in attendance as a vendor. There is still some discussion on the placement of vendors and whether the inside of the church will be utilized for vendors. The Historical Society has chosen Keen’s Grist Mill in Swartswood as the building for the memorated glass that will be available for purchase at the Fall Festival along with all other glasses – this is always a huge attraction. If anyone needs vendor applications, please reach out to Mrs. Martin. It was requested that everyone please advertise this event. Being that it is not a Township event, it will not be advertised on the Town’s website nor the Town calendar. Our 100^th anniversary event is coming up in a year and a half. Bicentennial volunteers will be needed. This will be a very large event and will be combined with the Fall Festival – parade, fireworks (if in the budget), etc.  It’s still early in the process, but these events will be here before we know it!

Garage Sale Weekend – Mrs. Wunder 5/20 and 5/21 Mrs. Wunder got acquainted with the planning process of this event and feels confident about chairing the Garage Sale Weekend in the Fall. Based on feedback, there will be a Fall Garage Sale Weekend. Out of 45 applicants, 32 were interested (6 were not interested, 2 said maybe, 6 did not specify). Mrs. Wunder will look at the calendar and the time frame of last year’s event to determine the best weekend for Fall 2023. Once a weekend is determined, approval for the Herald advertisement budget ($350) will need to be done by the July meeting. Based on feedback regarding the maps, Mrs. Wunder will be sure to continuously advertise on social media that enlarged maps are provided for pick up at the Town Hall (and any other locations willing to participate). If maps are printed at home, they are much smaller than what is offered, making it difficult to see the numbers listed on the map.

Summer Camp – Mrs. Tosti 8/7-8/14 Applications are officially out and on our website. We have one application thus far. Mrs. Tsadilas reported that Swartswood State Park Lake will be open as of 6/7. They are in the process of trying to incorporate swim lessons into Summer Camp. Possible busing was discussed – the bus company will need to be contacted for further information.

County/State Fair – Mrs. Richardson Mrs. Richardson received the theme. This year’s theme for the Municipal displays is “More to see in ’23.” It was asked that the focus be on our Municipality’s local businesses, recreational activities, and schools. Mrs. Martin offered to help Mrs. Richardson with the details of this event. Mrs. Tosti and Mrs. Richardson discussed protocol on the set-up process and will go into more detail regarding this at a later date.

Decorating Contests – Mr. Reilly No updates.

Tree Lighting – 12/1 Snow Date: 12/2 Will be discussed when the event gets closer.

Egg Hunt – Mrs. Falotico/Mrs. Martin 2024 date to be determined. Veterans Field. Will be discussed when the event gets closer.

Field/Pavilion Application Approvals, Scheduling – Mrs. Tosti Volunteer Field. “Soccer is Fun” Mr. Molinet 7/1-8/31 Monday & Wednesday 5-8 p.m. Insured 

Mr. Molinet’s children enjoy playing soccer year around, but there are certain months where there are no organized opportunities to do so. Mr. Molinet is looking to create a place for children to play soccer during the “lost season.” His soccer academy (LLC) offers licensed coaches, which most recreation teams do not offer. Their focus will be on obtaining players from within Stillwater, but children from surrounding towns are welcome to join in on the fun. This league will not play teams from other towns. Mr. Molinet has no intention of taking children away from the local recreation leagues. The recreation program typically runs during the Spring and Fall, which is why Mr. Molinet is focusing on the summer months (and would like to develop a winter program as well). There is no conflict with recreation regarding insurance, registration, and he does not plan to coach anyone else’s players. Fields will be taken care of and respected. He will be using his own paint and balls – goals will be needed, but they are available for use. Goal ownership was explained to Mr. Molinet and he understood. Field use closure due to weather conditions was also explained to Mr. Molinet and he understood. Overall, this program encourages children to remain active during the summer months. It’s also a great opportunity for children who have never played soccer to try it out with no pressure to see if they would be interested in joining a team come the Fall.

Mr. Sylvester made a motion to accept the field use application from Mr. Molinet for Volunteer Field on Monday’s (and potentially Wednesday’s) from 5-8 p.m., seconded by Mr. Carovillano. Roll Call Vote:  Mrs. Minervino, yes, Mrs. Richardson, yes, Mr. Sylvester, yes, Mr. Carovillano, yes, Mr. Reilly, yes, Mrs. Tsadilas, yes, Mrs. Tosti, yes

Stillwater Park in Swartswood. Kittatinny High School Developmental League for Travel Baseball. Coach Keith Trotter. 6/15 through 8/30. Tuesday & Thursday 5-8 p.m. (potentially Sunday as well). Pending insurance (not processed through the high school yet)

Details are being worked out at this time, but Mrs. Tosti did not want to wait until the July meeting for approval. Tuesday and Thursday field use does not interfere with any other schedules. Sundays are to be determined – typically the adult softball league plays on this day. Mrs. Tosti has not received an application from the adult softball league yet, however the high school typically works around their scheduling needs. Mrs. Tosti coordinates to ensure there is no conflict among teams and schedules.

Mr. Sylvester made a motion to accept the field use application for Kittatinny High School Developmental League for Stillwater Park on Tuesdays’ and Thursdays’ 5-8 p.m. (and potentially Sunday’s), seconded by Mr. Carovillano. Roll Call Vote:  Mrs. Minervino, yes, Mrs. Richardson, yes, Mr. Sylvester, yes, Mr. Carovillano, yes, Mr. Reilly, yes, Mrs. Tsadilas, yes, Mrs. Tosti, yes

Field Maintenance – Mr. Sylvester/Mr. Carovillano

Paving – Mr. Sylvester reported that the DPW Supervisor met with the Township Engineer about parking lots and paving. Both parking lots have existing impervious surfaces on the parking lot areas. It will be paved – it will be included in the Mt. Benevolence project. Parks shut down 11/1- 4/1. This project should move forward unless unforeseen things happen.

Pickle Ball Courts – Mrs. Tosti mentioned pushing for pickle ball courts. Mr. Sylvester said it can probably be ordered in the Fall. The original approval in 2005 for Veteran’s Field – the engineer reviewed this, and they even reduced the impact in the upper area where the pickle ball courts would go so it’s out of the way. There was also a comment regarding Stillwater Park/Swartswood Field and any wetlands are considered negligible. Both fields are okay.

Upcoming Applications of Herbicide/Fertilizer – The DPW supervisor will notify Mrs. Tosti and the Town Hall about upcoming applications of herbicide and fertilizer as it has been done in the past. An MSDS will be provided from Farmside that will be broadcast electronically as well as at field entrances. Teams will be emailed as well. Volunteer Field and Stillwater Park will be aerated and seeded – there is a tentative time frame of Labor Day or early Fall. This is on a two-year cycle. No communication on if fields will be shut down, but possibly a few days. It is optimal that no one plays on it. Each field has a drag and diamond digger available for use – which is encouraged to maintain our fields.

Rob Ragazzo Request  – Mr. Ragazzo made a request in the past regarding the fence at Volunteer Field, which he wanted to follow up on. He has requested adding a bottom piece to the fence to prevent balls from going under them and into the parking lot. This is unsafe for children but can be inexpensively resolved. Mr. Sylvester suggested adding this to the maintenance budget for our future budget approval. Mrs. Tosti will bring this to our CFO’s attention.  Mr. Molinet made the recommendation to use hemlock (you often see this on older barns – 10-year life span) as a possible solution. Mrs. Tsadilas would like to see this taken care of sooner than later – she is going to see about getting wood donated. Mr. Ragazzo said he would gladly do the installation if the donation came through. Mr. Molinet also offered to assist with the installation.

Mr. Ragazzo suggested a replacement of the shed at Volunteer Field as it is in poor condition. Mr. Sylvester questioned what happened to the recycling shed – this would have been a great replacement option. Mrs. Tsadilas will follow up on the location of that shed and report back to the Committee.

Mrs. Martin – Dog Waste Dispensers – Our CFO has not moved forward with any purchase due to not receiving approval from the DPW yet. The DPW must approve this as they will be the ones responsible for emptying the receptacles. Two dispensers have been donated, which can also be used. The need for a dog park was expressed. Although this is a huge undertaking, it may be something we should consider in the future.

Community Center Activities: 

Seniors – Mrs. Richardson 

Next senior activity: Game Night  6/21 6-8 p.m.

 July/August (tentative) Mrs. Richardson spoke to Mr. Goriscak regarding the history of Stillwater. Mr. Goriscak resides in a home that is haunted and he has written several books in the past. He is currently in the process of writing another book and is interested in getting some feedback to include in his findings. Since he is not comfortable with public speaking, it was suggested that Andy Martin be the speaker for this event since this is a topic of interest for him. Mrs. Martin verified that this is something her husband, Andy Martin, would be interested in doing.

Educational Activities:

Community Water Safety Fair – Mrs. Tsadilas 5/7 Swartswood State Park. It was a success – there were 197 attendees (possibly more). There was a lot of input from the event – these suggestions and changes are being taken into consideration for next year. Scheduled meetings will be held to assist in the planning process. Although Mrs. Tsadilas began the planning process in January for a May event, it came up quickly. Meetings will help lessen the stress. The event will remain at Swartswood State Park as it is a great location. Mrs. Tsadilas thanked everyone who helped with the event – Volunteers from the school and churches were wonderful. Mrs. Wunder will send thank you cards from the Recreation Commission to those who donated. We received $250.00 and will continue to receive this for each year the event takes place. Mrs. Tsadilas suggested making on regarding utilizing the money towards a banner. Mrs. Tosti stated that we previously made the motion and it has already received approval. We did not have enough time to complete the banner for this year, so it will apply toward next year’s event. Mrs. Tsadilas received a personal donation of 12 brand new life jackets (6 adult, 6 children’s), which she donated to Swartswood State Park. The activity club gained $125.00 due to the Water Safety Fair concession sales.

Sussex County Sheriff’s Office Programs – Community Center/Parks – Mrs. Minervino Mrs. Minervino shared a flyer given to her by Hilary Manser for the 2023 Sussex County Sheriff’s Office Programs. The Recreation Commission would advertise and host the events, but a speaker would oversee the event. This was introduced and discussed during our last meeting. Mrs. Minervino will determine available dates and coordinate accordingly with Mrs. Manser. The topics we were highly interested in include:

Home Burglary Awareness/Prevention

Project Lifesaver Program

Emergency Preparedness for your Home

K9 Demonstrations

Neighborhood Safety 

Mental Health Awareness

Mr. Sylvester suggested a “senior safety night,” which could be coordinated by Mrs. Richardson for a senior event. Unfortunately, many of the elderly are targeted in scams. It would be helpful to offer a night where a speaker could come educate our seniors on a few topics regarding senior safety rather than just one topic. A local resident in attendance, who is involved in real estate, mentioned that she had hosted a seminar in the past regarding preparing your parents in the event of an emergency (injury/death/power of attorney). In the event of an emergency, who do the first responders call? Should you have a list of contacts located somewhere visible such as your refrigerator? Another local resident referred to the program the Cub Scouts participate in – checking on elderly who have no nearby family or friends to do so. This is done by a color-coded card system that are to be displayed on a visible window (green, yellow, red). Red, for example, would mean the person needs help so you would know check on them. Mrs. Tosti suggested posting a flyer with this information on our social media page to help spread the word regarding this system as it is a very good idea. It can also be further advertised at the Fall Festival (Cub Scout Booth). Mrs. Martin recommended that members of our local fire department and EMS could also come introduce themselves at this event considering most people are unaware of who they are. They are volunteer based so it would be helpful in the event of an emergency to recognize a familiar face. The above suggestions tie in nicely with the theme of emergency preparedness.

POW/MIA – Mrs. Minervino 9/15 (Tentative – Event calendar needs to be checked) Community Center. Mrs. Minervino knows someone who would be willing to speak at this event. The speaker was instrumental in getting the remains back after they were ID’d (Vietnam War) as well as speak about someone who is still missing to this day. Mrs. Minervino welcomed everyone’s input. All committee members agreed this was a great event idea. Mrs. Richardson mentioned how much the senior citizens would love an event of this nature. Especially being that other Veteran related events have gotten such positive feedback and a large turnout. Mr. Sylvester said this event would be beneficial to the generations that are unfamiliar with importance of this part of history. It was suggested that Kittatinny and Stillwater students as well as the Student Council be invited to attend. Refreshments should be served – the more we can do the better. “Heroes on the Water” (6/4) would be a great way to introduce and advertise this event.

Plant Exchange – Mrs. Tosti/Mr. Reilly/Mrs. Minervino 6/3 Community Center. Mrs. Tosti said it was a great turnout and many plants were exchanged. It was a very emotional day regarding remembering Tanya Stark. Mrs. Tosti shared a very touching story – Tanya was making her presence known! There was a craft section set up (make your own garden rock, stained glass, coloring books). Heidi Mountford donated cases of light bulbs, which were sold for $1.00 per case. Due to this, $225.00 was donated to the Activity Club. Thank you, Heidi! Mr. Reilly received information pamphlets, handouts, and coloring books from the Department of fish and wildlife to educate attendees on bear and snake safety. Leftover handouts were left at the Community Center and will be available for families attending summer camp. Mrs. Tosti thanked and appreciated everyone who came to help and support. The event went very smoothly.

Open Public Session: The meeting was opened to the public at 8:34 p.m.

Mr. Molinet – Cub Scouts Schedule/Field Notifications The Stillwater Cub Scouts released the dates needed for the Community Center – 2 Thursday evenings and 2 Friday evenings for both June and July. Only Tuesday evenings are needed for August. Their normal schedule will resume in September. Mrs. Minervino has a tentative event in place for 9/15, which would conflict with the September Cub Scout schedule. Mr. Molinet said he can reschedule so that the event can be held. Mrs. Minervino invited the boy scouts to attend, especially if it gives them an opportunity to earn a badge that will relate to the event.

It was noted that Stillwater goes above and beyond what is required of New Jersey regarding notifications involving field maintenance (pesticide/herbicide/fertilizer application). Stillwater does not use pesticides, but herbicides are used to kill weeds/grubs and fertilizers are used to promote growth. However, it was stated that a few children and adults came down with rashes after being on the field for soccer use. Mr. Molinet suggested a general notification to the public after the fields have been treated. Committee members verified that notifications are in fact posted at the entrances of each park. Aside from the signage, Farmside notifies the Recreation Commission and our Municipal Clerk who then puts this information on town website. The head of each sport is also notified Via email from Recreation Commission.  The Head contact of each sport are to then notify the coaches who are responsible for sharing the information with their players/families. Fields have been closed in the past, but this interfered with practices and games. It is now up to the discretion of the coaches whether they would like to hold a practice or game after application. There was a lengthy discussion regarding other possible avenues for notification within reason. A solution has yet to be determined but will be further discussed. The process in place will continue to be followed at this time.

Mr. Reilly – Bus Trip (Wind Creek Casino) 21 or older Must have photo ID. Mr. Reilly obtained a cost for the bus trip to Wind Creek Casino, PA. The bus holds 55 people (must guarantee 55 people. If we cannot, we must pay to cover the missing persons). The bus will be coming from Dover and picking up at either Stillwater Municipal Building or the Community Center. We would get a five-hour time slot at the casino. It will cost approximately $1,250 – $23 per person. Mr. Reilly will find out if this cost covers gratuity or not. Wind Creek offers a $25.00 voucher to play the slots, so you are essentially getting the bus for free. September and October are booked, but there are available Saturdays and Sundays this summer. There is another local town doing the same trip (with the same bus company) charging $50.00 per person. If we cannot fill the bus, a way to compensate for paying for empty seating would to be increase our price per ticket. Being that we are a non-profit we have no other way to cover the cost. During our last meeting, it was asked if we could donate extra proceeds to the Activity Club. It was verified with the CFO that this will be okay given it is stated in writing to those attending the event. Mr. Reilly wanted verification of whether this event is happening so that he can contact the bus company to obtain pricing for a specific date/time as soon as possible. In order to fill the bus, a proper timeline needs to be followed. For example, if we set a date for August (preferred), it would give us 2 months or more to advertise the event and obtain commitments. If we cannot fill the bus and the additional funds collected (in the price per seat) will not cover the cost of unfilled seats, we need to be aware of the bus company’s cancelation policy – Mr. Reilly will inquire.

Mrs. Falotico – Movie Night in the Park (Stillwater Park) Mrs. Tosti did further research regarding getting the rights to the movies. The cost to do so is $600 per showing. Older movies may be less expensive. Mrs. Falotico has hopes that concession funds would be enough to “self-fund” this event. However, the first showing cost would have to come from somewhere. It was suggested that this could come from the Activity Fund. In speaking with another Recreation Commission from a nearby town, they pay a $900.00 rental fee for the projector screen. Mr. Reilly is willing to loan his projector screen for the event to save us this fee. Although we are hoping to do this event more than once per year, we are going to plan for July to start. We will review our turnout/feedback/funds before planning another movie night.

Mrs. Tosti made a motion to move forward with a date in July AFTER approval is met by our CFO, seconded by Mr. Reilly. Roll Call Vote:  Mrs. Minervino, yes, Mrs. Richardson, yes, Mr. Sylvester, yes, Mr. Carovillano, Mr. Reilly, Mrs. Tsadilas, yes, Mrs. Tosti, yes

Mrs. Martin – Calendar Access Mrs. Martin will no longer be working for Stillwater Township come the end of June. All calendar requests will have to go through the Municipal Clerk moving forward as Mrs. Martin will no longer have access. Mrs. Martin will continue with her duties on the Recreation Commission.

Public session was closed at 9:28 p.m.

Committee Member Comments: None currently.

Liaison Report – Mrs. Delaney There was no liaison report.

 Executive Session/Session Actions: None at this time.

Adjournment: Mr. Carovillano made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 9:30 p.m., seconded by Mr. Reilly. A vote was taken and all were in favor.

Respectfully Submitted,

Danielle Wunder, Secretary