TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE
WORKSESSION AGENDA
FEBRUARY 20, 2008 7:00 P.M.
(prevailing time)
CALL TO ORDER:
Mayor’s announcement:
I hereby declare that notice has been given to the Herald Times, the
Atlantic City Press and posted on the bulletin board of the Middle Township
Municipal Building, stating the time and place of the following meeting, as
required in P.L. 1975, Chapter 231 of the State of New Jersey. (Sunshine Law).
Notice
of this meeting was properly given in Resolution No. 40-08 entitled “Establishing
Work Session Meeting Nights” which was adopted by Township Committee of the
Members
present are Mayor Doughty, Committeemember DeLanzo & Committeemember
Barry.
Clerk/Business
Administrator James Alexis, Municipal Solicitor James Pickering, Municipal
Engineer Vincent Orlando.
FLAG SALUTE:
1.
ADMINISTRATOR REPORT:
2.
SPECIAL
PRESENTATIONS OR DISCUSSIONS:
a.
FY2008
Budget Presentation and Discussion
3.
DEPARTMENTAL
REPORTS, RECOMMENDATIONS & COMMENTS:
a.
Finance
b.
Personnel
c.
Police
d.
Zoning
e.
Construction
f.
Tax
Collection
g.
Tax
Assessor
h.
Grants
& Economic Development
i.
Court
Clerk
j.
Public
Works
k.
Sewer /
Water
l.
Recreation
m. E.M.S.
4.
PENDING/
PROPOSED RESOLUTIONS:
a.
None
5.
PENDING /
PROPOSED ORDINANCES:
a.
None
6.
EXECUTIVE
SESSION:
a.
None
7.
PUBLIC
COMMENT:
Miles Truesdale…..
could not understand, under Comparison of Revenues & Appropriations,
Condition of Surplus, that for the prior year we were showing $6,292,084.77 but
yet we show used to fund budget as $4,300,000. He wanted to know where the
$6,292,084.77 and the $4,164,509.17 came from?
Miles…… wanted to know
why Mayor and Committee did not get a pay increase; he felt they should have
one as well.
Jim Alexis……. explained
that there was an ordinance in place that Township Committee cannot have an
increase in their salary without a referendum going before the residents of
Middle Township.
Miles……
will that be on the ballot in November then.
Jim Alexis…….no, the
Committee has never exercised that right in 12 or 14 years since the ordinance
has been in existence. It has been the
same for 14 years.
Miles Truesdale…..
how you would do a resolution to make an adjustment.
Jim…… explained that it
has to be a question placed on the ballot as a referendum to increase their
salaries.
Miles…… would that take
place in November.
Jim……. it could only
appear in the General Election, which is in November. There is no such question as of this meeting
that this has been proposed to place that question on the ballot.
Miles…… wanted to know
where that question would come from.
Jim Alexis…… explained
that it could come from the governing body; it could come from the public at
large.
Miles……. questioned under
Legal Service and Cost on sheet 14 of the budget, when you look at Salaries and
Wages for 2007 is $90,000 and you drop down to 2500 for 2008
Jim Alexis…… explained
that at the very beginning of the meeting the auditor went through an
explanation of a law that was passed and took affect as of January 1, 2008,
which requires certain employees to be classified as professionals. That immediately took them out of the salary
and wages line item and placed them in an operating expense line item.
Miles…… wanted to know if
the costs then incurred for legal expenses would then be other expenses.
Jim Alexis…. yes sir.
Miles Truesdale….
go to 15A, there you have a tremendous change under the zoning board from
$24,500 to $50,000….is there any explanation as to why that has doubled from
one year to the next?
Jim Alexis …..the additional money above the $24,500 is money requested
for their budget for matters of litigation and for Victoria Steffen.
Miles Truesdale…….another
question is regarding pensions
Steve Barry …..it is on sheet 20
Miles
….is that supposed to be this year?
Miles…….last
question…… when will we see the Management Opinion letter for last years audit.
Glen Ortman……it will come out at the same time as the Audit
Report, June 30, 2008.
Miles ….. June 30th or before that.
Glen …….statutory due
date is June 30th, but it will be by June 30th.
Miles…..in the past I
think it has been earlier than that.
Glen…..it depends on when
he finishes everything up, when all the work is done. It is usually by mid June.
Jim Pickering, Municipal
Solicitor…. explained that while the Management Opinion letter is available, it
must be reviewed by Township Committee first before it is available for the
public. The Committee must first sign
off.
Madelyn
Flipski……prior to work sessions, how did you get this
information from these people.
Jim Alexis ……budgets were
forwarded to 2 people in the Township…one was the Chief Financial Officer and
the other was him. He then compiled a
report and forwarded it to the governing body.
Madelyn…..was there any
open public sharing.
Jim …..no,
but there were many meetings that were held between various members of Township
Committee and their respective department heads.
Madelyn….there are
various mentions of dues and fees in the budget… was wondering what that
was. Do we pay the professional dues
that….
Jim Alexis….we pay dues
to belong to various associations, for instances the Cape May County Clerk’s
Association, etc. and that applies to basically all of the departments.
Madelyn…..is that
generally accepted …
Jim Alexis……yes it is, it
good source of additional education for department heads to attend these
meetings and it is also a source to acquire the CEU’s
that are required by many department heads to keep their licenses.
Madelyn……so when you pay
their dues they have some access to enhance their skills.
Jim …..yes.
Madelyn…..what do we pay
on the police uniforms. Do we provide
every officer with 2, do we maintain them.
Madelyn…..are they then
expected to maintain them.
Chief….they maintain them
themselves, but when they wear out we replace them. When there is an officer in the police
academy they pay for uniforms themselves and then they are reimbursed.
Madelyn….you said that
use of confiscated funds was limited…..did I understand that correctly?
Chief….yes, it is
supposed to be used for unexpected expenditures, items used for drug work and I think now
you can use them for gang work.
Madelyn…..you also said
that you are getting 1 or
2 calls a day to go to the
Chief……yes.
Madelyn….every time I
come into this building it seems hot.
Jim Alexis….we are having
an audit done on the building as the system that we have is designed for a
skyscraper….we have an air handling system that is extremely difficult to
adjust, that is why we are having the audit done.
Madelyn…..questioned Sean
McDevitt on the number of runs because she hears him
say that they are stacking up….they are getting 2, 3 and 4 calls at a time and
they are stacking up for 2 ambulances.
Sean McDevitt…last
year in 2007 they did 2,977 runs; as of January 22, 2008 they were up to 147
runs. As of today’s date they have over
300 runs.
Madelyn Flipski…..is there any possibility of electronic billing.
Jim Alexis….. that is something that we would have to look into.
Madelyn Flipski….. meeting very
informative and more understandable for the residents.
Joe Jackson….. questioned major drop in salary for professionals and cap on
spending. Stated there was a $92,000
increase in salaries.
Jim Alexis…. it was
supported by the Recreational Dedicated Trust moved into regular budget.
Miles Truesdale…..
stated debt service of $1,321,000….need listing of
what that is.
Jim Alexis and
MOTION TO ADJOURN THE
MEETING: Meeting adjourned at 8:55 PM