TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON, WARREN COUNTY
Special Meeting
December 8, 2005

The special  meeting of the Township Committee was held this date in the Police/Municipal Building, 33 Little Philadelphia Road, Washington, New Jersey.  The meeting was called to order at 7:05 p.m. by Mayor David Dempski.

SUNSHINE LAW COMPLIANCE - The Mayor noted that this meeting was being held in compliance with the Open Public Meetings Law of 1975 in as much as a notice had been published in the Star Gazette and transmitted to the Express Times and posted at the municipal building.

ROLL CALL: Mueller, present; Strunk, present; Dempski, present Kovacs and Horensky were absent.

SALUTE TO FLAG

The Mayor said the Committee would be going into Executive Session to discuss the results of the Forensic Accountant Investigation. The Mayor asked for a motion to go into Executive Session at 7:06 p.m. to discuss matters of personnel. Strunk moved the motion, Mueller seconded.
ROLL CALL: Strunk, yes; Mueller, yes; Dempski, yes.

The doors were opened. Strunk made a motion to come out of Executive Session at 7:55 p.m., Mueller seconded. 
ROLL ALL: Strunk, yes; Mueller, yes; Kovacs, yes;  Dempski, yes.

Kovacs came into the meeting at 7:17 p.m.

RENOVATIONS TO THE BROWN AND BROWN BUILDING
de Boer said the driveway and parking area has been started at the building. The upper lot is almost completed.   As of now, there are two parking lots and driveways that can be used. There is still drainage work to do there yet. de Boer will have a report on costs to date for the next meeting.  Strunk requested a report on the hours that de Boer has submitted as well. 

Strunk said that he has asked the departments for input and suggestions on the renovations.  He had a meeting with the police department on their needs. They have cut back on the locker area and they have requested that all new lockers be installed.  The Chief would like some renovation in the use of interview rooms and possible taping in the rooms, where the doors will have to be secured electronically.  Cameras and monitors will be installed upstairs and downstairs. The lighting is not adequate and will have to be redone.   Strunk suggested that glass be installed right inside the door around the office of the Administrative Secretary and Clerk. This is a safety issue, so they will be allowed to have full vision of what is going on at all times.  A half door will also be at the Administrative Secretary’s office.

Strunk said the plans that were being reviewed were close to final plans.  There are some minor revisions yet that have to be done.    The Mayor said he had looked at the spread sheet that showed the funding sources and building expenses that had been created in April.  The Mayor is concerned about having a budget scheduled  driven project.   The Mayor said he added staffing to the spread sheet, architect, engineer, project manager, and program manager.     This scheduling should be monitored, coordinating bids and reporting the status of the project to the Committee and making sure things are on track, such as budgeting and progress being made.

Strunk said that, in a sense, there  is a very simple renovation option, that the Committee still has the capability, through the contract of sale.  Some monies, if not a large portion of this, can be handled by Brown and Brown, because of the stipulation of sale, there is a minimum of $75,000 that they are obligated to renovate to and if it goes over that, the Township would reimburse them for that cost. Strunk said this avenue should be investigated.  Kovacs asked if the $75,000 could be used in the parking lot or is if specific. Strunk said if the Township wanted to charge them and use that money for that they could, there is an option there for that.  Kovacs said he is concerned the Township will lose this money, it is getting late. Strunk said that is why he had Glynn look into it, there is no time frame on that expenditure if they move out, it just states they are obligated to do renovations. Strunk asked Glynn if this was correct, Glynn said that was right.   Glynn asked when they were moving and was told next Friday.  Glynn asked then  when they would do the renovations. Strunk said he had asked Glynn if they would maintain the obligation for the renovations if they are not there. Glynn said no, not after they vacate.  Glynn said they have been there a year and the Township has not asked them to do any renovations. Strunk said this was part of his question, if they were not there, is there time frame on the renovations. Glynn said no, the Committee anticipated they would be there through June 2005 and possibly in the second half of 2005. Now they have been there longer than anticipated, but a year has come and gone and the Township has not asked them to do any renovations, so they get out next Friday and if you call them up the following week, they will say, you had a year. Strunk said this is the question he has been asking Glynn the entire year, when is their obligation over for that.  Glynn said, when they leave.   Strunk said this is different from what Glynn has been telling him before.  Glynn said it is not and asked when the Township expected them to leave, he thought they would be gone in June.  
PUBLIC QUESTION AND CONCERNS.
Tom Prisk, 5 Osprey Court, said, after sitting at many meetings, it seems that Committeeman Strunk is the Project Manager and it seems that this exposes the Committee.  Prisk said the thing that brought it to a head last meeting was the fact on the parking lot, Strunk was proposing changes to the parking lot without getting the engineer involved. If Horensky had not asked the questions he did of de Boer, the Committee might have approved it.  Prisk said the $75,000 being talked about right now, if you had a Project Manager, he would have been on top of it.  Now, there is a week to try to spend $75,000.   Prisk said it is in the best interest of the tax payers to have a program manager. Prisk said that Strunk has his expertise and has done a lot of work putting this together, but the Committee has to protect itself. Strunk said the Township could not go out to bid yet until the plans were finalized and it has taken this course of time just to be able to get to a rough draft.  Strunk said he has not been acting as Project Manager, he has been acting as a person from the Committee trying to use his construction knowledge to get the Township to a point where plans can be submitted to DCA.

PAYMENT OF BILLS
Strunk made a motion to approve the bill for gas for the police cars in the amount of $8764, Mueller seconded.  All were in favor, except Kovacs who abstained.

Horensky came into the meeting at 8:38 p.m.

JOINT MEETING WITH WASHINGTON BOROUGH
The Mayor said this part of the meeting would be an Executive Session matter and welcomed the Washington Borough Mayor and Council to the meeting.   The Washington Borough Council opened their portion of the meeting, did a roll call and made a motion to into Executive Session. Mueller made a motion to go into Executive Session at 8:40 p.m. to discuss negotiations, Stunk seconded.  All were in favor.

The doors were opened. Strunk made a motion to come out of Executive Session at 10:55 p.m., Horensky seconded. All were in favor.   Washington Borough Council left the meeting. 

Also, there will be an additional transfer of funds at the meeting on December 20, 2005, for help in the Finance Office. Strunk said that additional help will be needed in the Finance Office at the beginning of next year.   They are looking to get somebody that can work 20-25 hours a week.

Also, Strunk got approval from the Committee to have an Appreciation Day for the employees on Thursday, December 22, 2005.

Strunk made a motion to adjourn at 11:00 p.m., Horensky seconded.  All were in favor.

Respectfully submitted,


Mary Ann O’Neil RMC/CMC
Township Clerk