May 1, 2023 Meeting Minutes

STILLWATER TOWNSHIP

RECREATION COMMISSION

MEETING MINUTES

May 1, 2023

MEMBERS PRESENT: Mrs. Minervino, Mrs. Richardson, Mr. Sylvester, Mrs. Tsadilas, Mrs. Falotico, Mrs. Martin, and Mrs. Tosti (Mr. Reilly arrived at 7:36 pm)

LIASION: Mrs. Delaney was in attendance

MEMBERS ABSENT: Mr. Carovillano

Mrs. Tosti called the meeting to order at 7:20 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 April 3, 2023 meeting, seconded by Mrs. Tsadilas. Roll Call Vote:  Mrs. Minervino, yes, Mrs. Richardson, yes, Mr. Sylvester, yes, Mrs. Tsadilas, yes, Mrs. Falotico, yes, Mrs. Martin, yes, Mrs. Tosti, yes

 Payment of Bills: Mrs. Tosti made a motion to approve the payment of the following bills totaling $837.95, seconded by Mrs. Minervino. Roll Call Vote:  Mrs. Minervino, yes, Mrs. Richardson, yes, Mr. Sylvester, yes, Mrs. Tsadilas, yes, Mrs. Falotico, yes, Mrs. Martin, yes, Mrs. Tosti, yes

Amazon (Water Safety Supplies) – $97.95

Septicare (April) – $370.00

Septicare (May) – $370.00

Correspondence: Mrs. Lombardo sent correspondence to Mrs. Tosti regarding the Water Safety Fair flyer she received. Mrs. Lombardo will put the flyer up in their building and lunch rooms. She offered to reach out to Benny’s Bodega and the Sussex County Library as they are always happy to put up flyers. Flyers were later posted in both locations.

 Open Public Session – Agenda Items Only: The meeting was opened to the public at 7:28 p.m. No one from the public wished to speak during the open public session. The meeting was closed to the public at 7:28 pm.

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

Old Business:

Budget 2023 – Approval Update Mrs. Tosti received a letter from the finance office regarding the approval of the budget on April 18, 2023. This report includes all bills and invoices for which we have department approval, but does not include any bills or invoices waiting for approval. The CFO reminded all departments to get prior approval before purchasing items or contracting any service. This will help to ensure each department stays within their approved budgets. The memo was forwarded to each member of the committee for their referral and records.

Collaboration with Hampton and Stillwater Seniors – Chair Yoga  Mrs. Tosti reported that the event is still being worked on and there are no further updates at this time.

Senior Activities –  “Let’s Go, Walk with Ease” Arthritis foundation began on 4, 2023. These types of programs encourage seniors to learn about the importance of physical activity, aerobics, balance, and movement at their own pace. All of the above are not only good for the body, but also help to prevent falls and injuries. The instructor posted on Facebook that they are “crushing their weekly goals.” Attendees have really been enjoying these activities and are requesting more programs like this.

New Business:

Bridge Repair –  Mrs. Tosti received a letter from the CFO regarding bridge repairs at Veteran’s Park. The letter read, “There is about $900.00 remaining in capital for the playground at Veteran’s. Some rotting wood needs to be replaced on the bridge. I would like to use that money to help pay for the repairs. Please present this to the Commission and let me know if there are any plans for more to be done at the playground or if the funds can be used to repair the bridge leading to the playground.” Mr. Sylvester and Mrs. Delaney agreed the bridge needs repair in order to keep our facilities safe and up to date. We identified this issue two years ago, so the Commission is happy to see that the funds are being used towards the bridge.

Mr. Sylvester made a motion to take the CFO’s suggestion that the money be used for bridge repairs, seconded by Mrs. Tosti. Roll Call Vote:  Mrs. Minervino, yes, Mrs. Richardson, yes, Mr. Sylvester, yes, Mrs. Tsadilas, yes, Mrs. Falotico, yes, Mrs. Martin, yes, Mrs. Tosti, yes

Recreation Secretary Computer –  The recreation computer is out of date and is extremely slow, making it difficult to complete tasks in a timely manner. Mrs. Wunder is using her personal computer, with no issues, but being that it is a MacBook some files do to not transfer over correctly when sent to committee members. It was noted from both Mrs. Tosti and Mrs. Delaney that they recalled the previous secretary having issues as well, so it would be fair to upgrade the computer. Mrs. Tosti spoke with our CFO regarding this matter and there are funds available in the computer budget. The CFO recommended a motion be made to purchase a new computer for our secretary up to, but not to exceed $1,000.

Mrs. Tsadilas made a motion to move ahead with the computer purchase, seconded by Mrs. Richardson. Roll Call Vote:  Mrs. Minervino, yes, Mr. Reilly, yes, Mrs. Richardson, yes, Mr. Sylvester, yes, Mrs. Tsadilas, yes, Mrs. Falotico, yes, Mrs. Martin, yes, Mrs. Tosti, yes,

Sub-Committee Reports:

 Clean Up Day – Mrs. Tosti 4/22 (Earth Day) Mrs. Tosti said the day went smooth and thanked everyone for their help. They had a great turnout for clean-up groups. Eleven groups were in attendance that day. There was 13 groups total including Sunday’s volunteers. The new DPW head gave them a wagon to put the garbage in versus dragging the barrels over like in past years – It made it much easier and was a definite improvement for efficiency. There were 191 lbs. of recycling, 650 lbs. of garbage, and 41 tires collected.

Miss Stillwater, Little Miss and Mr. Stillwater – Mr. Sylvester/Mrs. Minervino/Mrs. Falotico 5/12 6:00 p.m.  Mr. Sylvester confirmed there are two possible candidates for Miss. Stillwater, four Little Miss contestants, and no Little Mister contestants thus far. Mrs. Tosti will be the MC and will be creating the agenda. Mr. Sylvester will be in charge of asking contestants the questions. Mr. Sylvester asked Mrs. Minervino and Mrs. Falotico if they would also like to partake in asking the contestants questions – Mrs. Falotico confirmed she would do so. Mrs. Minervino and Mrs. Falotico will be responsible for ordering the sashes and floral arrangements. Someone is needed to prep the judges at 5:30 p.m. regarding scoring, criteria, and what they should be looking for. Mrs. Minervino confirmed the category of appearance has been removed. Categories include: First impression, appropriate attire, sense of confidence, stage presence, personality, community/school involvement, essay, and questions. Decorating will begin at 5:00 p.m. – Mrs. Richardson will let any volunteers know what needs to be done. Light refreshments were discussed. Coffee/water has been offered in the past. No motion for purchasing refreshments was necessary as there was enough money left in the budget for this event to cover the purchase if need be. Receipts will be saved and submitted. Mrs. Delaney suggested reminding contestants to keep their bios short. Previous judges were concerned with not having enough time to read them. They also requested bios be sent 1-2 days in advance in order to have sufficient time to fairly review them. Applications and bios will be scanned so they can be electronically sent to judges. It was noted that the sashes need to get ordered immediately. They did not get ordered sooner due to lack of contestants. Flowers will be ordered once there is a final head count. Mrs. Tosti offered to assist in the gift bags given to contestants. Mrs. Falotico asked for clarification on what is included in the gift bags and who receives these. All participants get a parting gift – In the past, gift bags have included nail polish, make up bags, Sugar Shack gift certificates.

Mr. Sylvester made a motion to extend the application deadline to the end of the week, seconded by Mrs. Tosti. Roll Call Vote:  Mrs. Minervino, yes, Mr. Reilly, yes, Mrs. Richardson, yes, Mr. Sylvester, yes, Mrs. Tsadilas, yes, Mrs. Falotico, yes, Mrs. Martin, yes, Mrs. Tosti, yes,

Garage Sale Weekend – Mrs. Wunder 5/20 and 5/21 Applications and flyers have been publicized. Lynda has sent the banner to the Herald for advertisement (budget for this was approved at the previous meeting – $350) to run 5/14, 5/18, and 5/19. We are stilling waiting for the final cost. Applications are slowly coming in – we currently have 16 applications. The deadline for application submission is set for 5/8. The list and map need to be completed and printed no later than one week prior to the sale weekend. It was questioned whether there could be a central location available for residents who would rather keep their home address private or just live too far out of the way to attract enough customers to a make it worth participating in the map. While this topic has already been discussed in past years, it is something that we can and will revisit for the Fall garage sale weekend. This may attract more participants.

Stillwater Day/Fall Festival – Sub Committee for 2023 Mrs. Tosti/Mrs. Richardson (Mrs. Minervino/Mrs. Falotico as needed) 10/7 Mrs. Tosti, Mrs. Richardson, and Mrs. Delaney were all in attendance for the second meeting held on April 20, 2023 at 5:30 p.m. at the Stillwater Township Municipal Building. 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. The fire department has another commitment that day, so they will not be in attendance. Other vendor options were discussed – if you know any food vendors interested in participating in Fall Festival, please reach out. The flyer is in its final stages and will be finalized and approved at the next meeting. A lot has been accomplished, but there is a still a lot to do.

Summer Camp – Mrs. Tosti 8/7-8/14 Application forms are ready for advertisement. However, Garage Sale Day, the Water Safety Fair, and Miss Stillwater events are currently being advertised. To avoid confusion, Summer Camp will be advertised once these events are over.

County/State Fair – Mrs. Richardson Mrs. Richardson is still waiting on a theme to move forward with planning. She spoke with someone who verified that a notice will be sent to Town Hall. Once this is in, Mrs. Wunder will send the notice to committee members. Mrs. Richardson has paperwork regarding the rules, but cannot make further plans until the theme is announced.

Decorating Contests – Mr. Reilly No Fourth of July contest at this time, but we can revisit this at the next meeting.

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. Mrs. Martin and Mrs. Falotico will purchase a gift card for the 17-year-old who played the Easter bunny as a special thank you and recognition for doing such an outstanding job. Gift card not to exceed $25.00 – This was discussed at a prior meeting.

Field/Pavilion Application Approvals, Scheduling – Mrs. Tosti  Mrs. Tosti is still waiting on game schedules from both baseball and soccer leagues. There was a request to use the pavilion at Veterans Park on 5/13. Mrs. Tosti will contact any teams using the field that day to verify usage times. Once times are verified she will let the requester know so she can plan her party accordingly.

Field Maintenance – Mr. Sylvester/Mr. Carovillano Soccer goal that was purchased is put together. Red and green flags are ordered, but not in yet. Mrs. Tosti had someone call to ask about field use for this past weekend due to in climate weather. Mrs. Tosti called Paul (DPW) to verify. The fields were not usable. Mrs. Tosti sent an email out to everyone letting them know the field would be closed for the weekend.

Community Center Activities:

Seniors – Mrs. Richardson

Craft Event (Knitting w/ Tanya, Making a Wreath/Painting) 4/27 2:00-4:00 p.m. There were 28 seniors in attendance. There were six different activities available. This was the first-time crafts were available and it was a success. It brought a new set of people who had never attended a senior event before. Mrs. Richardson requested the Mrs. Wunder send thank you notes to Mr. Petrullo and Mr. Nothstine from the Recreation Commission. Our next event (a game night) is not until June due to May being such a busy month. Mrs. Minervino spoke with one of the seniors and they said they really appreciate what the Recreation Commission is doing for the community.

For a future senior event, 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 will verify that this is something he would be interested in doing before any further plans are made regarding this event.

Educational Activities:

Community Water Safety Fair – Mrs. Tsadilas 5/7 12:00-4:00 p.m. Swartswood State Park. Water safety is a passion of Mrs. Tsadilas. This event will be a collaboration with Swartswood State Park. The park is not open yet, so we will have the entire park available for this event. Mrs. Tsadilas thanked everyone who is helping to make this event come together. She was at Swartswood Park earlier today and noted that the area where the treasure hunt would take place is currently under water. This could change come event day, but in the event that this area still unusable the treasure hunt will be moved to the front of the beach. The area will be roped off to ensure safety. This is the only change that will be made to the original layout plan. The concession stand has been power washed and cleaned, so it is ready for use. Mrs. Tsadilas will begin taking supplies over tomorrow. The number of volunteers is sufficient for the event. The Shop Rite and Weis gift cards have been used to purchase water, sports drinks, and chips. The snow cone, popcorn, and cotton candy machines are ready to go. Five dozen bagels have been donated to sell as well. Our CFO has received a $250 donation for the Water Safety Fair, which will go into the Activity Club fund. This was from an ask Mrs. Tsadilas did in Cape May from a financial group in Sparta. Mrs. Tsadilas daughter has donated bags – volunteers may be needed to help stuff bags at the Community Center. Date to be determined – she will send out an email with a date and time. Any organization that could not attend, has donated – first aid kits, shopping bags, boating bags, etc. Food will be available for the organizations and volunteers of the event as a thank you. Weather is looking great for the weekend.

POW/MIA Recognition Day – 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 6/3 Community Center. Guest speaker has multiple contacts – master gardeners, monarch butterfly experts, etc. Plans are still developing for this event, but more than likely the plant exchange will take place outdoors. Indoors will be more informational and exhibit based. Mr. Reilly has not received any responses yet, but he has been in contact with quite a few nature/informational based groups such as NJDEP and forestry. Times were discussed, but nothing was set. Mrs. Minervino has a contact that is willing to speak if schedules coincide. Gisela Ferrar is a part of an organization called “Wild Ones” established in 1977. They educate on the benefits of growing native plants by promoting environmentally friendly landscaping. She would love to speak on behalf of her organization and set up a table with additional information. Mrs. Martin suggested a moment of remembrance for Tanya during the event. The committee agreed. Mrs. Tosti has plants given to her by Tanya from a previous exchange that have been abundantly growing. She will be pulling some of those to exchange as a nice reminder of her. Mrs. Tosti will reach out to the committee if she needs any additional help with this event.

 Open Public Session: The meeting was opened to the public at 8:53 p.m.

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. Mrs. Delaney suggested putting together a flyer/survey in order to obtain a number of those interested and which types of activities will draw the most attention. Price is based on time and distance, so if we get to know which types of events residents are interested in, Mr. Reilly would be able to obtain exact costs from the bus company (for example: sporting events usually charge for parking – this is something to take into consideration). Mr. Sylvester suggested putting it on our social media platforms to get feedback for our next meeting – google forms is a great way to do this. A good way to encourage people to commit to booking would be to offer a discounted rate for preregistering. This will be further discussed at our next meeting.

Public Resident: A resident from the public asked how we generate our money for all the free events we do. Mrs. Tosti responded with donations and funds we make from events (items sold at the concession stand). Proceeds must go to Activity Club, not the Recreation Commission. The resident questioned if we can do a 50/50 to generate funds. The answer is no, we cannot. We can’t make profit off the bus trip (for example), but it was questioned whether or not we can donate the additional funds back to the Activity Club to help offset the expenses for future events. This is question for our CFO and Attorney – we will further explore this.

Mrs. Tosti – Movie Night in the Park Mrs. Tosti wanted to revisit our movie night event. Since May is fully booked, it was suggested we plan for July or August. Mr. Reilly is still willing to loan his projector screen for this event. Mrs. Tosti sees the field by Stillwater Park as the best fit for this event since there is electricity and the concession stand is open. We can utilize her food handlers license to sell items, which can be donated to the Activity Club.

Mrs. Minervino – Sussex County Sheriff’s Office Programs Mrs. Minervino shared 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 be in charge of the event. Some of the topics include: Active shooter civilian response, Home burglary awareness/prevention, Credit card scams, Internet and phone scams, Emergency preparedness for your home, And many more! It was asked which topics we think would benefit the community the most. We will discuss this in further detail at the next meeting.

Public session was closed at 9:25 p.m.

Committee Member Comments: None at this time.

Liaison Report – Mrs. Delaney

• There will be an increase in our taxes of $1.00 ($200,000 home), $1.50 ($300,000 home, and $2.00 ($400,000) per household for 2023.
• Annual audit report was passed for 2023 – approved by the governing body.
• Benevolence Road will be paved (currently in phase 2). Funds will come out of a capital bond in the amount of $575,000.
• Much discussion surrounding the noise ordinance since many residents are unhappy. There is clarification needed since the ordinance is very vague. Hopefully they can get that rectified with the attorney and then Township soon.

Executive Session/Session Actions: None at this time.

Adjournment:

Mr. Reilly made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 9:27 p.m., seconded by Mrs. Richardson. A vote was taken and all were in favor.

Respectfully Submitted,

Danielle Wunder, Secretary