STILLWATER TOWNSHIP
PLANNING BOARD MEETING
September 16, 2026
The regular meeting of the Stillwater Township Planning Board was held on the above date and was called to order by Chair Pierce at 7:00pm.
Roll Call:
Members Present: Ms. Kavanagh, Mrs. Puccio, Deputy Mayor Delaney, Mr. Voris, Dr. Lippencott, Mrs. McDonough
Members Absent: Mr. Pierce, Mrs. Fornari, and Mayor Rumsey
Also Present: William Haggerty, Esq.
The Board stood for the flag salute, and it was announced that adequate notice of this meeting had been given to the public and the press under the provisions of the “Open Public Meetings Act”, N.J.S.A 10:4-1 et. seq.
Minutes: Mr. Voris made the motion to approve the August 2026 minutes, seconded by Mrs. McDonough.
Roll Call: Mr. Voris – Yes, Mrs. McDonough – Yes, Ms. Kavanagh – Yes, Mrs. Puccio – Abstained, Deputy Mayor Delaney – Abstained, Dr. Lippencott – Yes.
Memorializing Resolutions: None.
Completeness: None.
Hearings: None.
Bills: None.
Old/New Business:
Short Term Rentals/AirBnB Ordinance –
Mr. Haggerty outlined some revisions to the draft Short-Term Ordinance including an occupancy tax, a $150.00 yearly renewal fee, and a late fee of $25.00. In addition, the Ordinance will fall under the jurisdiction of licensing, not zoning.
Open to the Public:
The meeting was opened to the public at 7:11pm.
Mrs. Mountford spoke as a former AirBnB owner and Short-Term Rental Owner to give input prior to finalization of the ordinance. Sussex County has a lack of lodging and short-term rentals could help that situation. She opines that there need to be policies in place to address specific rules and regulations, how to define short-term (less than 30 days) as well as a requirement for a local representative to oversee the respective properties. However, there should not be too many restrictions like fees and monetary consequences. She questioned the discrepancy of regular rental registrations costing annually, yet the drafted Short-Term rental will be $150.00 annually. She feels the fees should be the same and less expensive.
The meeting was closed to the public at 7:32pm.
Further discussion continued regarding setback lines, as well as front/rear properties being reversed in lake communities. Questions were raised as to whether the requirement of a variance and the cost of property owners outweighs the expense that would be incurred by the Township to change the Ordinance.
Correspondence: NJPO Digital
Liaisons:
Deputy Mayor Delaney provided the Township Committee liaison report:
Upcoming events include Fall Clean up Day on October 3rd from 9am-12pm, a shredding event held at Town Hall, and Trunk or Treat is October 25th at Veterans Park beginning at 2:00pm.
Mayor Rumsey and Deputy Mayor Delaney attended a Board presentation meeting at Kittatinny High School regarding the revitalization of the four districts. All information can be found on the KRHS website.
The Township Committee meeting included a presentation from the architects working with Stillwater School regarding the settling and cracks in the building. The presentation is on the KRHS website as well as Stillwater School’s website.
Historical Society is having a Ringing of the Bells on September 17th at The Bill of Rights will be read beforehand beginning at 3:00pm at the Stillwater Collective.
Paulinskill Lake Association will have a meeting on Saturday, September 19th at 7:00pm at the Community Center. They will be discussing their 2027 budget and will be voting on board positions. They are also planning a 100 Year dam celebration for August 27, 28, and 29, 2027.
Dr. Lippencott provided the Environmental Commission liaison report:
A meeting was held on September 14th. Guest speakers will be coming in October or November regarding an invasive species strike force. The committee was awarded a grant from Sussex County Trail Grant program for Veteran’s Memorial Park to repair the trail along the brook. An environmental survey was completed for an upcoming Zoning Board application. There was an endangered species sighting of a large bobcat on Old Schoolhouse Road and Dr. Lippencott also found a large spotted salamander.
Executive Session: None.
Adjournment:
With there being no further business, a motion was made to adjourn the meeting with all in favor at 8:10pm.
Respectfully Submitted:
Penny Bair, Secretary
