November 6, 2023 Meeting Minutes

STILLWATER TOWNSHIP

RECREATION COMMISSION 

MEETING MINUTES 

November 6, 2023

MEMBERS PRESENT: Mr. Sylvester, Mr. Carovillano, Mr. Reilly (8:22 p.m.), Mrs. Tsadilas, Mrs. Minervino, Mrs. Falotico, Mrs. Martin, Mrs. Richardson, and Mrs. Tosti

LIASION: Mrs. Delaney was in attendance

MEMBERS ABSENT: None

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.

Move to Executive Session at 7:13 p.m.

Return from Executive Session  at 7:32 p.m.

Approval of Meeting Minutes:

Mr. Sylvester made a motion to approve the minutes from the October 2, 2023, meeting, seconded by Mrs. Martin.

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

 Payment of Bills:

Mr. Carovillano made a motion to approve the payment of the following bills totaling $2,215.57, seconded by Mrs. Tosti.

Roll Call Vote: Mr. Sylvester, yes, Mr. Carovillano, yes, Mrs. Tsadilas, abstain, Mrs. Minervino, yes, Mrs. Falotico, yes, Mrs. Martin, yes, Mrs. Richardson, yes, Mrs. Tosti, yes

Shop Rite (Stillwater Day Supplies) – $58.70

5 Diva Girls (Stillwater Day Volunteer T-shirts) – $450.00

Amazon (Fall Festival Supplies) – $240.41

Shop Rite (Senior Ice Cream Social) – $99.40

Home Depot Credit Services (Stillwater Day Supplies) – $111.17

Septicare (August-October Rentals) – $1,110.00

Shop Rite (Stillwater Day Supplies) – $105.90

Amazon (Stillwater Day Supplies) – $39.99

 Correspondence:

An email was sent to Recreation on 10/18/2023, from Mr. Doolittle who utilizes the pickleball/tennis court, regarding the current state of the playground at Stillwater Park in Swartswood. This resident noticed that more and more grass/weeds have been growing in the playground area, which is heavily used by children. The resident noted that it would be shame if it gets totally overgrown with grass/weeds. Mr. Sylvester noted that the lack of maintenance was also brought up during our October meeting and in addition residents have taken note of the condition as well.

Open Public Session – Agenda Items Only:

The meeting was opened to the public at 7:38 p.m.

Historical Society –

Deborah Drumm, from the Historical Society, came to speak on behalf of the society to further explain and apologize for the cancelation of the 2023 Fall Festival. They regret the inconvenience the cancelation caused to the vendors, the Recreation Commission, their members, and all those who wanted to visit and participate. The Historical Society values their relationship with the Recreation Commission and would like to continue working together for future town events. They would like to schedule a meeting with us to discuss ways to improve our coordination and most importantly to develop an inclement weather cancelation policy.

They also asked us to consider donating holiday wreaths to their Society. Mrs. Delaney said it is not in our budget. Mr. Sylvester suggested asking for donations. Mrs. Delaney offered a few contacts to Mrs. Drumm so they can further explore their options for obtaining wreaths. Wreaths are quite costly and storage may be a potential issue.

Mr. Doolittle –

Mr. Doolittle followed up with his email regarding the overgrowth of weeds/grass on the playground. He was curious about the status of the pickle ball courts. Mrs. Tosti said that it will be discussed during the budget section of our meeting. Our CFO is allowing us to add recommendations to our capital budget by December, so Mrs. Tosti will do research regarding pickle ball maintenance costs as well as looking into expenses for new courts in the future. The resident also noted black mold developing on the court as well as a crack in the pavement near the net (about 2 ft long). Mrs. Tosti thanked Mr. Doolittle for coming to the meeting and informing us – We aren’t down there; the public is, so it’s essential that they come and speak on the behalf of the residents.

Mr. Sylvester noted that the pickle ball courts/paving has been on the capital plan for four years. The funds are there – It’s not a question of paying for it, but rather executing the plan in place. Last year, the reason for the incomplete project was due to the high cost of asphalt. This year, the DPW has experienced employee changeover. He thanked the resident for reminding the committee of the importance of these projects.

Mrs. Delaney reminded Mr. Sylvester that since he represents Field Maintenance, it should be brought to the Township Committee’s attention by him. If maintenance is not being properly executed, then it falls on the chairperson to ensure that it gets communicated and taken care of. Mr. Sylvester mentioned that he has routinely brought this issue up and since Mrs. Delaney is the voting body of our government, he puts his trust in her that the information will get relayed.

The meeting was closed to the public at 7:53 p.m.

Amendments to the Agenda:

There were no amendments made to the agenda.

Old Business:

No old business to report.

New Business:

Septicare – Removal of Porta Johns for Winter

Mrs. Tosti made a motion to remove all Porta Johns for the winter except the one in Swartswood Park, seconded by Mrs. Tsadilas.

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

Donation to PTA Tricky Tray –

Mrs. Tosti made a motion to donate one Stillwater blanket and two, one week sessions of Summer Camp to the PTA Tricky Tray, seconded by Mrs. Martin.

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

Memo from the CFO – Budget Discussion and Garage Sale Refund

A resident who paid to be on the map for the Fall Garage Sale was told by a member that they would be given a refund since their listing was accidently covered by an advertisement. Mrs. Tosti explained that the $5.00 collected for the map listing does not go to Recreation, but rather to the Township’s General Fund. So, to issue a refund, it is not an easy process – no matter how large or small the amount is. For future, if there is a refund in question, please contact either the chair of event or the CFO directly.

The memo from the CFO will be discussed during Field Maintenance.

The budget will be discussed later in our meeting.

Pop Up Holiday Vendor Fair –

The tree lighting is set for 12/1 with a snow date of 12/2. Since the Community Center is being held by the Recreation Commission anyway, Mrs. Tosti suggested hosting a vendor fair at no charge to the vendors from 12:00-4:00 p.m. (time may be adjusted). It will not interfere with the tree lighting if the snow date is utilized. It will give us an opportunity to sell popcorn/hot chocolate for the Activity Club. If we get a decent turnout this year, maybe next year we can revisit charging a fee.

Mrs. Tsadilas made a motion to approve the pop-up holiday vendor fair, seconded by Mr. Carovillano.

Roll Call Vote:  Mr. Sylvester, yes, Mr. Carovillano, yes, Mrs. Tsadilas, yes, Mrs. Minervino, yes, Mrs. Falotico, yes, Mrs. Martin, no, Mrs. Richardson, yes, Mrs. Tosti, yes

Sub-Committee Reports:

 Clean Up Day – Mrs. Tosti 

No updates.

Miss Stillwater, Little Miss and Mr. Stillwater – Mr. Sylvester/Mrs. Minervino/Mrs. Falotico

No updates.

Stillwater Day/Fall Festival – Sub Committee for 2023 Mrs. Tosti/Mrs. Richardson (Mrs. Minervino/Mrs. Falotico as needed) 

Mr. Sylvester would like a report on how much we spent/lost at the next meeting. The board has decided to have further discussion on this during our December meeting.

Garage Sale Weekend – Mrs. Wunder  

No updates.

Summer Camp – Mrs. Tosti 

No updates.

Sussex County Day – Mrs. Richardson

No updates.

Decorating Contests (Halloween Voting) – Mr. Reilly

Mrs. Tosti made a motion to vote Mr. and Mrs. King the winners of our Halloween decorating contest.

A vote was taken and all were in favor.

Tree Lighting

12/1/2023 Snow Date: 12/2/2023

Activities will include ornament making, wreath making, card station for seniors/veterans, cookie decorating contest, caroling books/girl scouts, goody bags, games (candy jar guess, etc.), photo booth winter scene, Santa (comfortable chair is in need), outdoor activities to help alleviate some congestion.

A workshop meeting will be held on Monday, November 20^th at 7:00 p.m. to further discuss this event.

 Field/Pavilion Application Approvals, Scheduling – Mrs. Tosti

No updates.

Field Maintenance – Mr. Sylvester/Mr. Carovillano

Accomplishments with our Fields in 2023:

Turf Management is complete on all fields

Aeration and seeding complete – Stillwater Park (Swartswood) and Volunteer Fields

Fencing and back stop complete Stillwater Park(Swartswood)

Not Complete: (From the Capital Maintenance Plan that was created)

Clay delivery has not been completed – 50% was delivered in October and spread by the DPW. The second half has not be delivered/spread

Bridge at Veteran’s – trees near bridge are dead and could possibly damage bridge

Veteran’s Field – trees along parking lot are dead

All playgrounds – heavy weeds

Stillwater Park (Swartswood) & Veteran’s – mulch has not been purchased/spread

Tennis Court Maintenance – developing pothole/crack and tears in the net

Paving Veteran’s Parking Lot – there has been no updates regarding this, and it is disappointing. Mr. Sylvester asked that Mrs. Delaney bring this to the attention of all Township Committee Members.

We have worked so hard to get our Fields/Parks to condition they are in now, but we cannot stop here. We need to continue in this direction to ensure that they stay maintained and improve where necessary for our residents. Other discussions took place regarding lighting at Veteran’s Field (we could hold so many more events here if the lighting was improved), utilizing our other parks for pickle ball courts (given the necessary improvements were prioritized and made), and the mowing at Volunteer Field (Mr. Ragazzo brought it to Mrs. Tosti’s attention that he was unhappy with the mowing that has been done – yet another discussion to be had with the Township Committee since we are not responsible for who is hired to mow).

Mr. Sylvester reiterated that we are here for the Recreation of the Township. These reports have already been previously generated, budgets have been previously created, and we all voted unanimously to move forward. He asked if members of the Committee do not feel parking lots and maintenance of our fields and parks (for the safety of our residents/children) are not important to please weigh in with a vote. Mr. Sylvester has pride in his town and the reason he joined this Commission was to ensure that things get done. He had the same thoughts and goals as Mrs. Delaney. Mr. Sylvester does not want Mrs. Delaney to feel attacked by their prior conversation and apologized if she felt attacked. Mrs. Delaney referred to the minutes from the Township Committee meeting to prove that she did in fact bring up Mr. Sylvesters’ questions and concerns to the members of the Township Committee – she is doing her job as the liaison.

Mrs. Tosti read a message from the CFO that read:

In 2022, two paving projects were approved for the Recreation Commission – Veteran’s Park and Stillwater Park. Both projects have been fully funded:

Veteran’s Park $37,000.00

Stillwater Park $13,000.00

There is additional funding of $15,000.00 available, if needed, set aside in a Reserve for Park Projects.

Due to the many changes that occurred with our DPW this year the paving was not completed as expected. Quotes are being sought for the projects. The Recreation Commission will be kept up to date as the process moves forward.

Mr. Carovillano – Flags

It was questioned who oversees the flags to determine if fields are playable or not. Mr. Carovillano passed by Stillwater Park Field during a very wet/rainy day and the baseball field was being utilized. Mrs. Tosti will reach out to the DPW – due to the change of hands information regarding flags could have been lost.

 Community Center Activities:

 Senior Citizen Christmas Tea – Mrs. Richardson

12/22/2023

No updates.

Movie Night – Mrs. Falotico

10/13/2023

Stillwater Park

Hocus Pocus

The event was a success – it was well attended. We have one movie left for the Spring. This event date will be further discussed at a later date.

Trunk or Treat – Mrs. Falotico/Mrs. Martin

10/22/2023

There were 15 trunks in total (most were from Newton – this was a nice surprise). The turnout was great, but there is always room for improvement. Mrs. Tsadilas counted just over 100 children. Heather thanked everyone who supported and volunteered at the event. Mrs. Tosti stated, sttendees commented that they enjoyed the Fire Department driving in with the truck later on in the event as it gave the children an opportunity to explore the truck.

Educational Activities:

Toys for Tots – Steve Ackerman/Mrs. Minervino

Steve Ackerman is a contact for the marines for this event. The Stillwater Town Hall will be a collection point for the donation box (during business hours only). However, Mrs. Minervino will also act as a drop off point/pick up person for anyone who cannot make it during business hours. The unwrapped gifts are collected and brought to Picatinny. They are distributed to the necessary locations from there. If there are any residents within our community in need, they will get first pick. December 1^st is the deadline to donate.

Veteran’s Event – Mrs. Minervino

11/11/2023

2:00-4:00 p.m.

Community Center

If anyone can provide refreshments, please let Mrs. Minervino know. There are 20 people who signed up thus far. ALL attendees are welcome and encouraged to speak during the events. Mrs. Tsadilas has provided two gift baskets for the event. A discussion took place regarding what supplies are needed for this event and future events (cups, etc.). Mrs. Tosti made a note and will ensure supplies are fulfilled.

The wording raffle for any event needs to be used only if it is a true raffle where money is being exchanged. If this is the case, a raffle license must be obtained from the Municipal Clerk. If no money is being exchanged, please change the wording on event flyers to say door prizes (or something of that nature).

Bus Trip – Mr. Reilly

12/17/2023

Christmas in the City

Pick up at Stillwater Town Hall. Drop off at Bryant Park. Time allotted in the city will be from 12:00-6:00 p.m. This is within walking distance of Rockefeller Center. You are free to plan your own itinerary – the bus provides a hassle-free way to get to and from the city. The cost is $32.00 per person. The bus holds 55 seats. Mrs. Martin inquired about whether car seats are provided by the bus company or if parents should bring their own. This needs to be verified by the bus company. Mrs. Tosti submitted the flyer/application for attorney review. Once approved, flyers and applications will be posted immediately.

A February casino bus trip will more than likely be planned. The bus company is not currently booking any events for 2024, but when it opens Mr. Reilly will be in contact to secure a date. All members agreed this would be a great event.

Cookie Exchange –

Date to be determined.

2 dozen cookies required to participate. Coffee and tea are typically provided as well as boxes the cookies will be packed in.

Open Public Session:

The meeting was opened to the public at 8:54 p.m.

Recreation Commission Expenditure Budget 2024: (all amounts reflect requested amounts)

Advertising – $400.00

Community Events – $3,000.00

Office Supplies – $100.00

Bus Trips – No dollar amount listed

Concession – No dollar amount listed

Porta-John Rental Fees – $3,300.00

Stillwater Day – $5,000.00

Equipment – $5,000.00

Misc – No dollar amount listed

Training – No dollar amount listed

Field Maintenance/Approvements – $2,000.00

Employee Holiday Party – No dollar amount listed

Fireworks (Stillwater Day) – No dollar amount listed

Holiday Decorating Contests – $250.00

Miss Stillwater – $1,500.00

Mrs. Tosti will ask our CFO if equipment and maintenance can be combined.

Public session was closed at 9:16 p.m.

Committee Member Comments:

There were no committee member comments.

Liaison Report – Mrs. Delaney

• Community Center – ground lease discussion (discussion item only at this time)
• Public hearing and adoption for appropriations in the amount of $156,758 for roofing of Community Center
• Budget discussions from the CFO
• Special meeting – Thursday 11/1 Agenda items only
• Appointment of Mr. Manser to fill Mr. Barta’s seat
• Payment of bills $106,176.40 partial payment for Community Center roof renovations

Executive Session/Session Actions:

(Taken at start of meeting)

Adjournment:

Mr. Carovillano made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 9:16 p.m., seconded by Mrs. Tsadilas. A vote was taken, and all were in favor.

Respectfully Submitted,

Danielle Wunder, Secretary