Week of February 21

If it is Sunday night, it's time to update the ol' blog.

Our Thursday 2/25 township committee meeting was canceled and rescheduled for Monday March 1.

The only meeting I attended this week was the Wednesday Land Use Board. As a member of the LUB I cannot hear "use variance" applications. Without getting too legal, should a use variance decision made by the LUB be appealed, the appeal goes to the Township Committee. In other words I cannot hear an appeal on a decision I was a part of.. sounds fair? The law thinks so.

At Wednesday's LUB meeting I did decide to approve (so did the Board) to approve a barn apartment on Quakertown Road. Without me present, the LUB heard a use variance for a cellular antennae / tower on Oak Grove Road. That hearing was carried to the next meeting as well. If anyone desires to learn more about this application please pay our township clerk a visit and ask to see the use variance application for the cellular tower on Oak Grove Road.

Our Natural Resource Inventory was supposed to be adopted but due to a mix up in communication the resolution approving the NRI was not yet prepared. Hopefully it will be ready to go at our March meeting.

During the time of the meeting that I could not participate, I caught up on some reading.. I found a collection of township newsletters dating back to 1993. You know the old saying "the more things change, the more they stay the same"? Well, its true. I did enjoy reading the old newsletters and I think it should be required reading for all new committee members.

I was invited to a landowner cocktail party being held by the Pittstown Trail Association. I couldn't make it but they are a great group of equestrian hobbyists who deserve a plug on this blog!

http://pittstowntrailassociation.org/

This week I have township committee on Monday, and Recreation Commission on Tuesday. Check back next week!

Scott

2/25 Committee Meeting Rescheduled & Response to "Anonymous"

Tonight's Township Committee meeting has been rescheduled for Monday March 1, 2010 at 7:30 PM in the Municipal Building. Besides the business originally scheduled for tonight, the Committee will be discussing the defeated Fire District budget. A copy of the Fire District budget is on the public bulletin board in the Municipal Building.

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Last week's post generated a comment from "anonymous" who wants to know more information about the zoning violation I described in bullet #7. I hope anonymous accepts this response for the time being:

In cases of ongoing investigations (in this case a zoning violation) I do not want to compromise our zoning officer's investigation process or the privacy of the property owner. Should the investigation result in an official public action I will update my blog accordingly.

Yes, I had coaching from our municipal attorney on that statement but I could not have said it better myself; and to be honest, that is why I left out details in my original entry. Maintaining a blog for public consumption is new territory and I don't want to gum up the works on an ongoing investigation of compromise the privacy of a property owner who hasn't had a chance to defend him/herself yet.

I hope anonymous understands my position, and I thank him/her for reading my blog.


Stay warm and safe as this (hopefully the last ) winter storm whoops us.

Scott

Week of Feb 7 & Feb 14

It's a two-for one special this time. Have you ever felt so lucky?

Our February 10 Land Use Board meeting was canceled due to the blizzard. Once again great job by our public works department for keeping the roads safe. I heard a certain public works employee was plowing snow for 25 hours straight. Forget the overtime cost, I really don't want to see the coffee bill! As much as I like snow, now that I am on the town committee, all this white means more green .. in the form of overtime, road salt, equipment expense, etc. so hurry up Spring!

The weather wasn't so bad of February 11 so the Town Committee met- no one from the public was present.. not even our ever reliable season ticket holders... we missed you guys! Here are the highlights from the meeting:

1. Adopted meeting minutes from 11/24/09, and 1/28/10 (including Executive Session minutes).
2. Land Use Board Chairman Jim Stryker gave a presentation to the Committee on the township's status with the Council on Affordable Housing. He gave a Powerpoint presentation similar to the one the Land Use Board Affordable Housing subcommittee (which I am on) gave to COAH in December 2009. If anyone is interested in the content of the presentation please contact me; I can get you a paper copy or perhaps the actual Powerpoint presentation. Chairman Stryker's presentation was informative and the Committee (myself included) was appreciative that he is keeping us "in the loop". Communication and transparency is key. Granted right now no one knows what is going to happen to COAH but I've got a sneaking suspicion that NJ municipalities will not be 100% off the hook.
   
3. The Committee adopted Resolution 2010-20 appointing Michael C. Balough to the position of Chief Municipal Finance Officer at a cost of $2,000.00.
4. The Committee reviewed the Public Works January 2010 monthly report.
   
5. Police Director Ken Mandoli provided us with his January 2010 monthly report including the department activities: 178 motor vehicle summons issued, 148 motor vehicle warnings, 12 investigations conducted, and 70 incidents investigated. There were 5 adult arrests and 2 juvenile arrests. Director Mandoli's monthly reports are helpful but I want to come up with some ways they can be more helpful for the good of the town (ie trends, etc.). I want to thank an unnamed citizen for giving me some ideas which I plan to work on in the coming weeks.
6. We received a copy of the proposed 2010 budget for the Fire District to the tune of $395,000. I just heard word that on Feb 20 the voters rejected the budget so on the 25 the town committee needs to discuss this with the Fire District.
   
7. Our Zoning Officer reported the zoning permit activity for 2010 (3 permits) and he informed us on a property violation that he is investigating.
8. We approved a resolution (reso # not known) to authorizing a memorandum of understanding in the amount of $3,000 with the Hunterdon Land Trust Alliance to assist the township with the completion of the Farmland Preservation Plan.
9. The Committee then "switched hats" and became the Board of Health at which time we approved meeting minutes from January 14, 2010. We also memorialized resolution 2010-01B (which was approved on 1/14/10) for waiver of Board of Health regulations for 371 Pittstown Road (the subject of our Jan 14 meeting).
   
10. Resolution 2010-21 cane before the Committee which was worded to adopt the salaries of all police officers for year 2010 as per Article X Salary Guide in the contract agreement between the Township and the police department. The resolution was worded to include the names and salaries of all police officers; a discussion ensued and the resolution was defeated. Those opposed felt that since the contract agreement was approved by resolution, why should there be a separate resolution. Our finance director commented that the auditors found it helpful to have these salary figures adopted separately and part of the public meeting minutes. Upon further discussion, a new resolution was introduced to adopt salaries cited in the contract agreement and then named all of the police officers. This resolution was adopted 4-1 with one "nay"- me. Why? First, if our Finance Director felt the first resolution would help our auditor, I approve. Second, I feel that the public should be afforded the opportunity to review and comment on resolutions that come before the Committee- reading a resolution "from the floor" without giving the public an opportunity to review and comment is a practice that I cannot approve and will most likely vote to disapprove such resolutions that are brought before me in such a manner.

Overall, a fine meeting; can't wait for the 25th.

Tuesday February 16 the Mayor and I met with the Construction Official to discuss budget matters. We had a productive conversation, came up with some ideas on how to cut costs and I look forward to our CO to get back to us with some actual dollar figures.

February 17 the Land Use Board met and the meeting comprised of reviewing the school addition with the President of the Board of Education, the Superintendent of Schools, and the school's general contractor. Our review ranged from drainage issues, traffic circulation, landscaping, safety concerns, lighting, and staging/phasing the project. There were a good number of members of the public present and I'll bet you most felt it was a productive meeting. The Board is following up with a formal letter to the Board of Education, and they will consider our recommendations and respond to our letter accordingly.


This concludes my "two for one" special blogspot. Lesson learned: do not fall behind on blog entries!

Week of January 31

Thank you Public Works Department for doing a great job keeping our streets safe and clear of snow this past week. I had two meetings this week.. Tuesday Feb 2 with the Recreation Commission, and Thursday Feb 4 with Rural Awareness.

I am the Committee representative to the Recreation Commission. The Recreation Commission needs members!!! They are 5 members short and need your help! The Rec Commission runs the annual fishing derby, Easter egg hunt, they participate in a basketball league, run a 2 week summer day camp for Franklin residents, and participate in the Trunk or Treat program for Halloween. They run these activities well but they need new blood to get them to the next level.. thinking ahead.. creating and achieving longer term goals..Franklin needs an active recreation park.. ie a playground for residents. Are you tired of driving your kids to Union or Alexandria or Clinton in order to go to a playground? The Rec Commission by-laws allow them to purchase / acquire land.. pretty powerful stuff but as they stand now, it would be difficult to accomplish this. The Rec Commission first needs new members, then they need to define their goals, and incorporate them in the form of a Recreation Element in our master plan. Let's work together on reviving the Recreation Commission! Contact me or the Township Clerk if you are interested in being part of Franklin's Future.

Rural Awareness is a non-political non-profit group; I wont speak on their behalf- check out their website at http://www.ruralawareness.org/

I really enjoy attending the RA meetings- they meet on the first Thursdays of each month. Given the a-political nature, it gives me a chance to meet the people of Franklin who cherish and wish to preserve the rural nature and character of Franklin. They host candidates night for the School Board elections, they authored a picture book on the history of Franklin (about to be released soon!), and they are sponsoring a house tour of historic homes on October 9. Do check out their website for updates on their activities or stop by the Snyder Farm at 730PM on the first Thursdays of each month.

This coming week I have the Land Use Board meeting and Township Committee meeting. If you are interested in knowing more about the School addition, the Land Use Board will be reviewing the plans and representatives of the school board will be present to answer our questions. I look forward to keeping Franklin citizens up to date and aware of the progress of this project.

FYI: Septic Maintenance in Franklin Township

The following is an editorial from the January 28, 2010 edition of the Hunterdon Democrat:

Franklin septic rules will protect our water supply

By Hunterdon County Democrat

January 29, 2010, 7:09AM

Officials in Franklin Township think that state-mandated rules regulating residential septic tanks are inevitable, and they’re probably right. The Highlands Council already has plans for septic systems in its region— critics call it the “toilet tax” — and it’s likely the state Department of Environmental Protection will eventually require other municipalities to adopt similar protections. It has already issued a model ordinance that provides for periodic inspections and pumping.

Mandated repairs can’t be far behind. In the face of what they think is unavoidable, Franklin Township officials decided to pass some septic rules of their own. They passed an ordinance that asks each property owner to register his septic system and accept recommendations for its maintenance.

It’s all in the interest of protecting the water supply, say advocates of the rules. Most people want to do the right thing, says Rob McGeary, the Franklin Township committeeman who helped draft the ordinance, and his goal is to help educate them about what that includes. That’s why his ordinance specifies there’s no fine for violating the rules.

Officials can always contact county or state health officials if they identify a hazard to the public health, McGeary reasons; he thinks most people will be inclined to cooperate once they understand what’s at stake.

We think Franklin Township is on to something. As a member of its Land Use Board observed, many newcomers don’t even know they have a septic system and of those who do, many don’t understand its implications. Understanding how often a septic should be pumped, what shouldn’t be flushed down a drain and how to protect a septic field are things every homeowner should understand.

Getting people do think about their septic systems, and commit to their care, helps protect water quality now, and may help protect against state-mandated fines later.

Week of January 24

Putting Franklin aside for a moment, this week was big for me personally. On January 26, 6:58 PM my wife Laurie and I welcomed our second child Andrew Steven Bauman into the world. Andrew weighed in at 8 pounds, 3 ounces and measured 21 inches. Mom and baby are doing great; all of us, including our 3 year old son Ryan are adjusting as a family. Needless to say, there may be some late-night posts coming your way!

January 25 was the Environmental Commission reorganization meeting and regularly scheduled meeting. Congratulations to former Committeewoman Diane Burgess for being appointed Chairwoman of the EC for 2010. Congratulations also to Lisa Wood who won the confidence of her fellow commissioners who voted her to serve as Vice Chairwoman for 2010. I look forward to working with the EC as we continue to protect Franklin's precious environmental resources. The EC meets the last Monday of each month at 7:30 in the municipal building- the meetings are public and all are invited to attend. Copies of the meeting agenda are posted on the township website and the bulletin board in the municipal building.

I was called out of the meeting mid-stream to take my wife to the hospital so I cannot personally attest to what happened but my review of the meeting minutes show that in 2010 the EC plans to work with the Land Use Board on crafting a solar energy systems ordinance, a wind energy systems ordinance. The EC also wants to inventory / improve our trail systems, and inventorying the township conservation easements. Once the meeting minutes are approved by the EC they will be posted on the township website.

The Jan 27 Land Use Board meeting was canceled due to a lack of a meeting quorum; the next meeting is scheduled for February 10, 2010 at 730 PM in the municipal building.

January 28 was the Township Committee meeting. Good news- the State Local Finance Board extended their statutory budget deadline by making March 31 the new deadline for municipal introduction and approval of a budget, and May 11 the new deadline for municipal adoption of the budget. Our Finance Director Ron Matthews is already busy preparing the budget and the Finance subcommittee (Committeeman Steven Tarshis and myself) are preparing as well. For more information on this check out the Dept. of Community Affairs website at www.nj.gov/dca/lgs.

With regard to Committee business, we took the following actions:

1. Voted to approve the January 5 and January 14 meeting minutes.
2. Voted to authorize the Mayor to sign a Contract for professional accounting and auditing services for 2010 between Franklin Township and William M. Colantano, Jr. CPA. On a side note, if you haven't read a municipal audit, you don't know what you are missing!
3. Voted to introduce the first reading of Ordinance 2010-01- the Local Government Cap Law which allows Franklin to increase our 2010 budget by up to 3.5% over the 2009 final appropriations.
4. Adopted Resolution 2010-18 authorizing the tax collector to cancel property tax refunds or delinquent amounts of less than $10.00.
5. Approved a $945.00 bid from Clem's Ornamental Iron Works to fabricate and install 3 aluminum handrails at the front entrance of the municipal building.
6. Adopted a resolution authorizing the release of 2007 and 2008 redacted executive session minutes.
7. Heard a presentation from John DeMarrais of the Open Space Committee.
   
8. Heard a presentation from a property owner who is interested in creating two accessory apartments on his property which would help the township fulfill our affordable housing obligation.
9. Decided to not permit Union Township from using our tennis courts for their youth tennis program.

We learned of newly introduced NJ Senate bill (S-1) which proposes significant reforms to the Fair Housing Act and abolishes the Council on Affordable Housing. We also received an update on the ongoing school addition / construction. We were told that someone from the school will update the Committee on progress made on a monthly basis. I look forward to these updates.

A busy week indeed, and it is just the first month of the year!

Week of January 17

Without any meetings scheduled this week I was able to catch up on some paperwork and filing. Since I serve as chairman of the Environmental Commission, I prepared the agenda for the January 25 meeting. All EC agendas are available on the township website and all are welcome to our meetings.

I did spend some time talking with our Land Use Board chairman and our township planner on the status of our Natural Resource Inventory (NRI). Once the Board formally adopts the NRI it will be on the township website. You will find this document helpful when determining environmental constraints and characteristics of any property in Franklin Township.

I also spent time speaking with the State Agriculture Development Committee concerning the status of our Farmland Preservation Plan. This plan was submitted to the SADC in December 2008 and since the SADC has been reviewing the plan chapter by chapter and providing us their comments. The light at the end of the tunnel is an appropriation of $750,000 from the State to the township to be used for the purchase of farm preservation easements. Many Franklin residents are to be thanked for volunteering their time in making sure this plan is approved by the SADC. The Hunterdon Land Trust Alliance is currently responding to the SADC comments and revising the plan.