STILLWATER TOWNSHIP

RECREATION COMMISSION

MEETING MINUTES

May 6, 2023

 

 

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

LIASION: Mr. Manser was in attendance

MEMBERS ABSENT: Mrs. Martin and Mr. Carovillano

Mrs. Tosti called the meeting to order at 7:09 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. Tsadilas made a motion to approve the minutes from the April 1, 2024, meeting, seconded by Mrs. Minervino.

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

Approval of Workshop Meeting Minutes:

Mrs. Tsadilas made a motion to approve the workshop meeting minutes from the April 15, 2024, meeting, seconded by Mrs. Minervino.

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

Payment of Bills:

Mrs. Minervino made a motion to approve the payment of the following bills totaling $474.19, seconded by Mr. Reilly.

Roll Call Vote: Mr. Sylvester, yes, Mr. Reilly, yes, Mrs. Tsadilas, yes, Mrs. Minervino, abstain, Mrs. Richardson, yes, Mrs. Tosti, abstain

 

Minisink Press, INC. (Notecard/Envelopes) – $284.00

Reimbursement – Mrs. Minervino (Senior Safety Program Supplies) – $21.12

Reimbursement – Mrs. Tosti (Trunk or Treat Event) – $49.60

Shop Rite (Water Safety Fair Supplies) – $9.97

Straus News (Garage Sale Advertisements) – $109.50

The Commission reviewed and approved the charges listed from the Tri-State Rentals invoice for Stillwater Day in the amount of $2,527.50. It is not to be signed until after the event.

Mrs. Minervino made a motion to approve the payment of the following bill totaling $2,527.50, seconded by Mr. Reilly.

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

Correspondence:

Mrs. Richarson and Mrs. Tosti read our bio used to describe the Recreation Commission’s efforts and successes for the Sussex County Chamber of Commerce Business Innovation. Although The Stillwater Recreation did not win the award, just being nominated for their efforts is a tremendous recognition from the community.

Open Public Session – Agenda Items Only:

The meeting was opened to the public at 7:20 p.m.

Field Use Approvals:

Justin Bellis

Softball

Stillwater Field

5/12, 6/2, 6/9

9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Insured

Mrs. Tsadilas made a motion to approve field use for Softball on the dates and times listed above, seconded by Mrs. Richardson.

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

Mr. Bellis also inquired about use of field for playoffs on Sundays. Although Mrs. Tosti noted that there is nothing scheduled for their potential dates needed, we will approve the field use as needed.

Kittatinny Football

Veteran’s Field

Practicing until 9/13 and will not return to the field for the remainder of the year

They inquired about the field aeration plan. Mr. Sylvester will contact them with a definite date (sometime in mid September).

The meeting was closed to the public at 7:25 p.m.

 

Amendments to the Agenda:

Amendments were made to the agenda. Field Application Approvals were moved to Open Public Session.

 

Old Business:

Mrs. Tosti noted that chair yoga will be hosted by County Senior Services. The program will work alongside of other programs of the same nature that have been and continue to be offered to the community such as Walk with Ease.

 

New Business:

There is a workshop meeting scheduled for Monday, May 20, 2024. Since this is our last meeting before Stillwater Day, the meeting will be held at Veteran’s Park at 6:30 p.m. to assess the field for planning purposes. The Commission will then meet at Town Hall at 7:00 p.m. to resume their normal meeting place and time.

Sub-Committee Reports:

 

Clean Up Day – Mrs. Tosti

4/20/2024

Mrs. Tosti reported that the event was a success. There we 17 groups total as well as some families who joined to clean their own roads. Below is a list of the materials in pounds that were collected – thank you!

550 lbs of garbage

590 lbs of recycling

840 lbs of metal

42 tires

 

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

Four judges are secured. No applications have been received as of yet. It is speculated that the lack of applications for Miss Stillwater could be due to the event being held on prom weekend. There has been interest in Little Miss, but applications have been not yet been received.

Stillwater Day:

6/1/2024 Rain Date: 6/2/2024

Mrs. Tosti mentioned letting her know as soon as possible what supplies still need to be ordered (for each activity or event) so she can let our CFO know. A “purchasing list” was created prior to the meeting. Each item was reviewed individually during the meeting. Some items were already owned by members so they were marked as “no” and removed from the purchasing list. “Yes” items still need to be purchased.

T-shirts – NO

Ribbons – YES

Sacks – NO

Balloons – NO (Mrs. Tsadilas)

Laundry basket – NO (Mrs. Minervino)

Cornhole poster – YES

Cornhole boards – NO (Mr. Reilly/Mrs. Tsadilas/Mrs. Falotico)

Tattoos – NO (Mrs. Tsadilas/Mrs. Falotico)

Candles/Jar – NO (Mrs. Tsadilas/Mrs. Minervino

Popcorn/Bags – YES

Drinks – YES (we have some water already, but still need to purchase additional)

Cotton Candy – NO

Chips – YES (Mrs. Tsadilas can supply at least two boxes)

Coolers/Ice – NO (Mrs. Minervino)

Watermelon – NO (25 watermelons are being donated)

Plastic table cloths/Tarp – NO (Mrs. Tsadilas/Mrs. Tosti)

Scavenger Hunt – NO (Mrs. Tosti)

Books/Blanket – NO (Mrs. Richardson)

Signage – Further discussion is needed

Walkie Talkies – already purchased and will be used for this event

Folding tables – undecided

Mrs. Tosti made a motion to purchase two folding tables for Recreation event purposes to avoid having to borrow, seconded by Mrs. Falotico.

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

Mrs. Falotico was kind enough to make timeline chart of events/activities and potential locations of each. She emailed a copy to each member for review. The Commission thanked Mrs. Falotico.

Set-up for event day will be finalized at our workshop meeting.

Mr. Sylvester noted that the talent show has been advertised in both the high school and middle school. There is one applicant so far. First, second, and third place ribbons are still needed and were added to the purchase list. Mr. Reilly is still working on securing two judges.

Mr. Sylvester reported that All Access paperwork has been received and signed. Two generators have also been secured from Tri-State Rentals. The third generator remains in discussion in regard to whether it will be rented or borrowed.

A “Weis House Card” is in progress. It is like the Shop Rite card we utilize. This will avoid reimbursements in the future. Mrs. Minervino may be able to utilize the Weis card for Miss Stillwater florals.

Plant Exchange – Mrs. Tosti/Mr. Reilly

No date set. No updates.

 

Garage Sale Weekend – Mrs. Wunder

5/18/2024 & 5/19/2024

Mrs. Wunder has secured the Garage Sale advertisement with the Township Journal. Our advertisement will run for the duration of three weeks leading up to the event in all nine papers and online for $109.10. The cost to run a three-day advertisement for our 2023 Fall Garage Sale Weekend with the Herald was $307.75. This is a huge savings with more exposure. The application deadline was set for 5/3, but has been extended to 5/6 4:00 p.m. The list and map will be created and completed by 5/7. The list and map will be sent to print 5/9. They will be available at Townhall by May 13^th.

Summer Camp – Mrs. Tosti

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

Applications are set to be sent for newsletters and the schools. There will be two programs offered during Summer Camp. Mrs. Tsadilas will be offering a water safety demonstration. Busing to nearby body of water to be further discussed with the Township Committee.

Sussex County Day – Mrs. Richardson

No updates.

 

Decorating Contests (Holiday) – Mr. Reilly

No updates.

 

Tree Lighting – Mrs. Tosti/Mrs. Richardson

No updates.

Egg Hunt – Mrs. Falotico/Mrs. Martin

No updates.

Field/Pavilion Application Approvals, Scheduling – Mrs. Tosti

Field Application Approvals were completed during Open Public Session. Someone showed interest in the use of our Pavilion, but no application has been received. Mrs. Tosti will update the Commission if this changes.

Field Maintenance – Mr. Sylvester/Mr. Carovillano

Mr. Sylvester thanked the DPW and JoJo for the tremendous clean up at Veteran’s Park. They have a plan in place and it’s much appreciated.

Mr. Sylvester noted that home plate and soft touch plugs have gone missing or have been stolen. BSN has a wood filled home plate for $133.00 and soft touch release plugs (set of 3) for $104.00.

Mrs. Tsadilas made a motion to purchase these items not to exceed $300.00, seconded by Mrs. Tosti.

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

Mr. Sylvester also looked into portable nets for pickleball. BSN has them available for $229.00. Mr. Sylvester questioned whether or not October would be a possibility to utilize our portable option. Mr. Manser said he would find out and report back at our next meeting. A sign up plan still needs to be set. A shed for equipment may not be necessary. A locker would be sufficient, but the challenge will be how the key will be exchanged. Purchasing any equipment/items is on hold for now.

Mr. Sylvester followed up with the Kittatinny’s request on field aeration. An email was sent during the meeting to Farmside regarding the date for aeration for Veteran’s Field.

Community Center Activities:

 

Senior Citizen Game Night – Mrs. Richardson

Prize Bingo

Community Center

6/11

6:00-8:00 p.m.

“Walk in the Park”

Swartswood State Park

5/9

6:00 p.m.

Educational Activities:

 

Bus Trip – Mr. Reilly

Mr. Reilly secured pricing for the sporting event bus trip to Yankee Stadium. It is $1,500.00 for a bus to Yankee Stadium (there is no parking at Yankee Stadium for buses). Parking will cost additional bringing the total to $1,650.00. 7/5 and 7/6 are available (Red Sox). Unfortunately cheaper pricing for tickets are unavailable due to popularity of teams playing. The holiday weekend is also not ideal.

Mr. Reilly mentioned August dates available. 8/3 & 8/4 (Blue Jays), 8/10 (Rangers), 8/25 (Colorado Rockies). The Commission agreed August would be ideal.

He also noted that Citifield does have onsite parking for buses if a Mets game is of interest. It would cost $1,650.00 for the bus and $80.00 for parking.

All dates and information will be sent via email to Commission members and a decision will be made before our next meeting regarding a set date.

Mr. Reilly made a motion to secure a date via email amongst members so that bus and ticket options can be secured, seconded by Mrs. Tosti.

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

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.

First Responder Recognition Luncheon – Mrs. Minervino

9/8/2024 (potential date)

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. The event would be open to all, but an RSVP must be in place to ensure we can hold the event in the Community Center. The Commission discussed making it for Stillwater residents only to determine the outcome and can revisit opening it to all towns in the future. Mr. Manser mentioned the donations could help to alleviate the cost on the Recreation’s end. He will mention this event to the Township Committee just to be sure this can take place, but overall, the Recreation Commission loved the idea.

Water Safety Fair – Mrs. Tsadilas

5/5/2024

Fairview Lake

Mrs. Tsadilas and Mrs. Tosti thanked everyone for their support and help during the event. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate. A rain date will be necessary for next year. A few changes were suggested for the future: longer time frame (lunch), Fairview Lake having a bigger part in the event, closer to Memorial Day weekend, someone designated specifically for volunteers/overseeing games, someone designated to purchase and sell food, no bags at gate (instead be available at a Recreation table and be sure they are handed out to each attendee).

Mr. Reilly mentioned that maybe it’s too close to Stillwater Day (especially with upcoming bicentennial). Both are large events and a lot of time/effort goes into each event. Mrs. Tsadilas said she would like to keep the event in May being that it is National Water Safety Month.

Mrs. Falotico suggested having a table at Stillwater Day with bags (leftover from event) to get information out for both water safety purposes but also to raise awareness for the 2025 event. Mrs. Tsadilas also mentioned that the dogs are available to come to Stillwater Day if allowed. The Commission agreed this would be a great idea.

Spring Movie in the Park – Mrs. Falotico

The Lorax

6/21 Rain date: 6/22

Swartswood Park

The boy scouts will be utilizing the Community Center on 6/21, but they may be available to help and/or clean up.

Sheriff’s Office – Mrs. Minervino

3/20, 4/11, 5/16

1:00-2:00 p.m.

Community Center

All are welcome to these events!

5/16 Project Lifesaver Program

6/25 Identity Theft

7/23 Contractor and Home Healthcare Scams

8/12 K-9 Demonstration (to be determined – during Summer Camp week, so Mrs. Tosti will let Mrs. Minervino know which week of camp would be preferred)

8/27 TRIAD Wristband Program

Fall Festival

10/12/2024

No updates.

Trunk or Treat

October

No updates.

 

Open Public Session:

The meeting was opened to the public at 8:52 p.m.

Motion Needed –

A motion was made by Mrs. Tsadilas to approve the payment of Mrs. Tosti and Mrs. Richardson’s luncheon fee for the Sussex County Chamber of Commerce event, seconded by Mrs. Minervino.

Roll Call Vote: Mr. Reilly, yes, Mrs. Tsadilas, yes, Mrs. Minervino, yes, Mrs. Richardson, yes, Mrs. Tosti, yes

Resignation –

Mrs. Tosti regretted informing the Commission on Mrs. Martin’s resignation. Mrs. Tosti read Mrs. Martin’s resignation letter. Mrs. Martin would like to continue as a volunteer, but unfortunately work/life commitments have taken over. The position will need to be filled.

Mrs. Tsadilas made a motion to accept Mrs. Martin’s resignation letter, seconded by Mrs. Tosti.

Roll Call Vote: Mr. Reilly, yes, Mrs. Tsadilas, yes, Mrs. Minervino, yes, Mrs. Richardson, yes, Mrs. Tosti, yes

Suggestion –

Mr. Reilly suggested we create a calendar at our reorganization meeting for the year considering we hold so many events throughout the year. It will help with overall organization, volunteers, and flyers (to be sure they are done early enough to be distributed well before an event). In September, we can begin to make our list/calendar for 2025 and finalize at the reorganization meeting in January. The Commission agreed this would be helpful especially for larger main events so volunteers can be available and we can ensure there is no conflicting dates with other towns or events.

CFO –

After reviewing the minutes from our previous meeting, Mrs. Wunder relayed from our CFO that she recommended not asking Weis for a donation for Stillwater Day due to the donation that was just given by them for Water Safety Fair.

Public session was closed at 9:12 p.m.

 

Committee Member Comments:

None.

Liaison Report –

 

Mr. Manser

 

• The budget was approved at the last Township Committee meeting.
• The DPW cut down invasive brush and dead trees at Veteran’s Park. The area to the right of the parking lot will have an extension of lawn (for picnic tables, etc.). There will be a more direct and open area from the parking lot to the water. Overall, Veteran’s Park will look better aesthetically.
• There will be a Township Committee Meeting tomorrow evening. There is a rather large agenda.

Executive Session/Session Actions:

None.

 

Adjournment:

Mrs. Tosti made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 9:17 p.m., seconded by Mrs. Tsadilas. A vote was taken, and all were in favor.

 

Respectfully Submitted,

 

Danielle Wunder, Secretary