STILLWATER TOWNSHIP

RECREATION COMMISSION

MEETING MINUTES

September 3, 2024

 

 

MEMBERS PRESENT: Mrs. Minervino, Mrs. Falotico, Mrs. Richardson, and Mrs. Tosti

LIASION: There was no liaison in attendance

MEMBERS ABSENT: Mr. Sylvester and Mr. Carovillano (Mr. Carovillano was present via phone call for voting purposes during the approval of payment of bills)

Mrs. Tosti called the meeting to order at 7:15 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. Minervino made a motion to approve the minutes from the August 5, 2024, meeting, as well as the workshop minutes from the August 19, 2024, meeting, seconded by Mrs. Tosti.

Roll Call Vote: Mrs. Minervino, yes, Mrs. Falotico, yes, Mrs. Richardson, yes, Mrs. Tosti, yes

 

Payment of Bills:

Mrs. Tosti made a motion to approve the payment of the following bills totaling $4,812.78, seconded by Mrs. Richardson.

Roll Call Vote: Mrs. Minervino, yes, Mrs. Falotico, yes, Mrs. Richardson, yes, Mrs. Tosti, yes

Weis (Senior Safety Series Supplies) – $21.96

Sussex County Chamber of Commerce (2024 Awards Luncheon) – $170.00

Straus News (Garage Sale Advertisements) – $124.50

Home Depot (Recreation Supplies) – $128.78

Amazon (Ice Cream Social Supplies) – $29.99

Amazon (Heroes Banner) – $8.99

Amazon (Stillwater Day Canopy Tent) – $339.99

Counselor #1 – $549.20

Counselor #2 – $549.20

Counselor #3 – $514.88

Counselor #4 – $274.60

Counselor #5 – $508.01

Counselor #6 – $384.44

Counselor #7 – $439.36

Counselor #8 – $549.20

Counselor #9 – $219.68

Mrs. Minervino made a motion to approve the payment of the following bill totaling $800.00, seconded by Mrs. Falotico.

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

Summer Camp Head Counselor – $800.00

Mrs. Tosti made a motion to approve the payment of the following bill totaling $494.28, seconded by Mrs. Minervino.

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

Summer Camp Counselor – $494.28

Correspondence:

Mrs. Wunder let the Commission know that our CFO will look for containers for our portable pickle ball nets now that our budget has been discussed and set. A member of the commission had a potential solution, which Mrs. Tosti will bring to the attention of the DPW. It involves utilizing additional fencing for storage of the nets, which the nets can then be easily wheeled out for use.

 

Open Public Session – Agenda Items Only:

The meeting was opened to the public at 7:36 p.m. No one from the public wished to speak during open public session. The meeting was closed to the public at 7:36 p.m.

 

Amendments to the Agenda:

There were no amendments made to the agenda.

 

Old Business:

Pickleball Court Update (Stillwater Park) – Mrs. Tosti

The courts are complete. Dave Pierson addressed the concerns some members and residents had regarding the water pooling on the courts. Mr. Pierson essentially put a “band aid” on an old surface. There is only so much improvement that can be made to a surface. He assured Mrs. Tosti that he did the absolute best he could do. He is also providing us with a squeegee at no charge to remove an excess water. Our CFO wanted to ensure all members were satisfied with the completed project and any concerns were addressed before moving forward with payment. All members were satisfied with Mr. Pierson’s explanation; therefore, payment may be completed.

The app previously presented by Mr. Carovillano to organize play time at the pickleball courts will need to be discussed in detail when Mr. Carovillano is present. We will need to consider proper signage to follow use of the app.

Portable Pickleball Nets/Lock Donation – Mrs. Tosti

Heidi Mountford, a resident who frequently uses our court system, thanked the commission for all their hard work behind renovating the courts. She will be donating the locks for the nets. The code is 1010 and Mrs. Tosti encouraged members to pass the code along to anyone who may need it.

New Business:

Recorder for Mrs. Wunder – Mrs. Tosti

Since our zoom recordings have not been working and there have been several instances where the recorder was either in use by another Committee or has experienced technical difficulties, the Commission is requesting to purchase a new recorder for Recreation use only. Recordings are an essential part of meetings for both the purpose of properly completing the minutes and being able to verify information members or residents may have missed or clear up any confusion. The Commission agreed to request the purchase of a new recorder not to exceed $150.00. Mrs. Tosti will research recorders within the approved price range.

Mrs. Tosti made a motion to approve the purchase of a new recorder not to exceed $150.00, seconded by Mrs. Richardson.

Roll Call Vote: Mrs. Minervino, yes, Mrs. Falotico, yes, Mrs. Richardson, yes, Mrs. Tosti, yes

 

Open Alternate Position – Mrs. Tosti

The open alternate positions were discussed. Applications are available and should be submitted as soon as possible. Mrs. Falotico mentioned she knew someone who may be interested. Mrs. Tosti will email an application to Mrs. Falotico. Mrs. Wunder will consider filling out an application if the positions are not filled soon.

Sub-Committee Reports:

Clean Up Day – Mrs. Tosti

10/5/2024

Letters have been emailed. The Boy Scouts verified they will be in attendance.

 

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

The Commission discussed and favored the idea of holding the contest the Friday before Stillwater Day and having the winners attend Stillwater Day. Mrs. Minervino would rather this event have its own day versus being included in Stillwater Day – it may help Stillwater Day run smoother as this event is time consuming the day of. This will be discussed at a later date.

 

Stillwater Day

6/7/2025

The date has been set for June 7, 2025.

 

Garage Sale Weekend – Mrs. Wunder

10/19/2024 & 10/20/2024

The date changed due to a conflict of events. The Township Journal advertisement has been secured to run the week of 10/3, 10/10, and 10/17 in all nine papers. The Spring 2024 advertisement totaled $109.10. Fall 2024 totaled $124.50 for the same advertisement. The deadline for applications is set for October 4, 2024. There will be no exceptions to the deadline as there is a strict timeline that needs to be followed for the creation of the list/map to allow for sufficient time to print. The list/map will be sent to print on 10/7. The printed list/maps will be available to the public by 10/14 both in person and electronically. Minisink Press donated their printing services in the past, but Mrs. Wunder requested a quote via email from Minisink Press moving forward. We were quoted 300 copies at $135.00. A quote is being sent to our CFO.

It was previously discussed that if printing and advertisement costs remain below $375.00 (approved budget for Garage Sale Day), the Commission will allow additional funds to be utilized in other avenues if this is allowed (verification was needed by our CFO). It was suggested that we could use some of those funds to pay Lily Richardson for painting the shed, for example. Our CFO verified that we cannot use leftover funds to pay for services rendered by Lily Richardson, however, there will be money leftover in the overall Recreation budget at the end of the year, barring anything crazy happening. If the Commission chooses to show their appreciation for the beautification of Township property, a small gift card could mostly likely be purchased.

 

Summer Camp – Mrs. Tosti

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

There was great turn out – it was a very busy two weeks. The children made squares for Mrs. Minervino’s quilt as previously discussed. Mrs. Minervino showed the Commission the photos. A child with a disability attended our Summer Camp. The aid commented that just one week of socialization at our camp contributed to a large improvement for the child. This is great to hear! For future, better organization for attendees’ items will need to be in place to avoid such a large collection of lost items. Our CFO does not think we will need to dip into the Community Events line for the camp supplies that were purchased. Our CFO will let us know of any change to this status.

Sussex County Day

9/15/2024

Mrs. Tosti spoke to Mike Richards about getting our display back from the fairgrounds as we will be needing it for Sussex County Day. Mrs. Tosti asked Mrs. Richardson if any supplies were needed. If so, Mrs. Tosti would like to get the request in to our CFO asap.

Decorating Contests (Holiday) – Mrs. Minervino

Mrs. Minervino asked what was entailed in chairing this event before committing. Mrs. Tosti verified that the main duties are to publicize the contests, obtain the names and addresses of winners, and send out gift cards. The Commission set the deadline for our Halloween decorating contest for 10/25/2024. This will allow members almost an entire week to obtain addresses from Mrs. Minervino and go look at the decorations at their convenience.

 

Tree Lighting – Mrs. Tosti/Mrs. Richardson

12/6/2024

The date is set for December 6, 2024. It has always been set for the first Friday in December; however, this event will need to be rescheduled due to a conflict with a local school event. The new dates discussed were 11/29/2024 or 12/13/2024. Mrs. Tosti will be reaching out to the Historical Society to see if there are any issues with our event being held the same weekend as their event. The conflict prompted a lengthy discussion regarding sending out emails to the PTA regarding our 2025 events. During this time, the Commission reviewed and set dates for the following 2025 events:

Trunk or Treat 10/26/2025

Stillwater Day 6/7/2025

Tree Lighting 12/5/2025 Rain/Snow date: 12/6/2025

Egg Hunt 4/12 2025 Rain date: 4/13/2025

This further prompted a discussion for a Fall Vendor Fair. Mrs. Tosti will tentatively be hosting a vendor fair on 11/23/2024. The Community Center availability will need be verified before this event is set.

Egg Hunt – Mrs. Falotico

No updates.

Field/Pavilion Application Approvals, Scheduling – Mrs. Tosti

Pavilion Use

Veteran’s Park

9/21/2024

3:00 p.m. start time

Application not submitted

Mrs. Tosti made a motion to approve the use of our Pavilion at Veteran’s Park for the above date and time pending the application and all of the necessary information is submitted, seconded by Mrs. Minervino.

Roll Call Vote: Mrs. Minervino, yes, Mrs. Falotico, yes, Mrs. Richardson, yes, Mrs. Tosti, yes

Kittatinny Baseball

Stillwater Park

Sunday’s (after Men’s Adult League)

Four games – 9/8, 9/29, 10/13, 10/20, 10/27

*10/20 will conflict with our Trunk or Treat event. Mrs. Tosti will request they play on Saturday instead.

*10/27 pending coordinating dates with the Men’s league

Application submitted

Insurance

Mrs. Tosti made a motion to approve Kittatinny Baseball for the information listed above, seconded by Mrs. Falotico.

Roll Call Vote: Mrs. Minervino, yes, Mrs. Falotico, yes, Mrs. Richardson, yes, Mrs. Tosti, yes

Field Maintenance – Mr. Sylvester/Mr. Carovillano

Discussed during Old Business pickleball court update.

 

Community Center Activities:

 

Senior Citizen Ice Cream Social – Mrs. Richardson

8/31/2024

2:00-4:00 p.m.

The event was a success. There were 40+ people in attendance and quite a few new faces noted by Mrs. Richardson. The next event Mrs. Richardson will be hosting is a game night. Date not yet set.

Educational Activities:

 

Bus Trip – Mr. Reilly

8/10/2024 CANCELED

Due to lack of interest, the bus trip had to be canceled. During our last meeting it was discussed that, the Recreation Commission may be held liable to pay for a cancellation fee. Mrs. Tosti contacted the bus company to see if this fee can be waived since we plan to patron them again in the future. Both the casino and city trip were successful, and we would love to offer trips of this nature again. The bus company could not waive the entire fee, but instead of being charged the full trip amount they just charged us $300.00 for a cancellation fee. A bill will be sent to Mrs. Tosti and she will forward it to our CFO. Mrs. Tosti will send the Commission dates available from the bus company for our December city trip. Calendars fill up quickly near the year end/holidays so a date will need to be secured. Potential dates discussed were 12/28/2024 and 12/29/2024.

 

Veteran’s Event – Mrs. Minervino

11/9/2024

9:00 a.m.

Community Center

Breakfast will be served at 9:00 a.m. All are welcome – veterans, acting service members, and families. Flyers have been approved and will be posted after the First Responders Luncheon has taken place to avoid confusion.

 

First Responder Recognition Luncheon – Mrs. Minervino

9/8/2024

12:00 p.m.

Community Center

There are 33 attendees thus far. Mrs. Minervino contacted local eateries to see if they would be willing to donate a gift card or sandwiches for the event. Starbucks will be donating pastries. The Copper Kettle will be donating two gallons of pumpkin soup. Swartswood Deli will be donating a 4 ft Italian Sub. Stillwater Café is no longer serving breakfast/lunch, but still available to donate for the event. Mrs. Tosti will be donating chili. Mrs. Richardson will be donating mac and cheese. Any other food needed can be purchased with the $25.00 Weis gift card that we received. Tri State Flags is donating for the free raffle (anything patriotic). Meg the Bread Lady is also donating a gift card to the raffle. Mrs. Minervino is raffling a quilt of valor (from the children of Stillwater). It is requested that anyone attending provide a short summary of how they served so that they can be properly recognized.

 

Sheriff’s Office – Mrs. Minervino

8/13/2024 & 8/29/2024

1:00-2:00 p.m.

Community Center

All are welcome to these events!

 

Upcoming Prosecutor Hosted Events:

9/12 Big Brother Watching

10/10 Car Theft Device

11/14 Safe Firearms Storage

Mrs. Minervino will not be scheduling anymore events until 2025 due to our Recreation calendar being filled for the remainder of the year.

 

Trunk or Treat – Mrs. Falotico

10/20/2024

Mrs. Falotico will be unable to set up the day of the event but will commit to doing the legwork for the event beforehand (flyer/contact trunks from last year/contact Fire Department regarding parking).

 

Open Public Session:

The meeting was opened to the public at 9:26 p.m.

 

Stillwater Day/Bicentennial Meetings –

Our Stillwater Day/Bicentennial meetings were discussed in detail. As of this meeting, our workshop meetings would be utilized to discuss Stillwater Day/Bicentennial plans. The Commission would like to consider utilizing our regular monthly meetings to do so. An allotted time frame on the agenda set for all Stillwater Day/Bicentennial discussion. It can be difficult for all members to be present for our workshop meetings. This may help alleviate any schedule conflicts for members as well as more productive brainstorming/decision making with all members present for this important event at our regular meeting. This can be further discussed at our next meeting.

Recreation Soccer –

Mrs. Wunder questioned if there was any update on the Recreation Soccer application information and/or contact person. The information listed on our town website is no longer correct. We and the links have expired. Unfortunately, we still have not been able to obtain any correct information for our website. It was noted that Stillwater residents’ resort to neighboring towns for their Recreation Soccer programs since it is extremely difficult to find and submit an application for Stillwater. While we are not directly affiliated with Recreation Soccer, residents assume Recreation will have the answers they need (as we should). This issue needs to be resolved before the Spring season.

Soccer Field Use –

Stillwater Rec Soccer

Volunteer Field

M-F and Saturdays

Time – To Be Decided

Application pending

Insured

Mrs. Tosti made a motion to approve Soccer for the above information, seconded by Mrs. Richardson.

Roll Call Vote: Mrs. Minervino, yes, Mrs. Falotico, yes, Mrs. Richardson, yes, Mrs. Tosti, yes

Open public session was closed at 9:42 p.m.

 

Committee Member Comments:

There were no Committee member comments.

Liaison Report – Mr. Manser

There was no liaison report.

Executive Session/Session Actions:

None.

 

Adjournment:

Mrs. Tosti made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 9:44 p.m., seconded by Mrs. Richardson. A vote was taken, and all were in favor.

 

Respectfully Submitted,

Danielle Wunder, Secretary