Agenda: January 15, 2024

Township Council Regular Meeting 

6:00 PM – VIA ZOOM WEBINAR OR IN PERSON (HYBRID)

This township council meeting will be hybrid. The public can access the meeting via Zoom Webinar or come to the meeting in person at the municipal building. The meeting ID is 830 4980 3307. You may also call in by dialing 1-929-205-6099.

Guidelines for attending the meeting in person:

There shall be a maximum of seventy-five (75) public participants allowed in the council chambers during any hybrid meeting. All public participants attending a hybrid meeting in-person must maintain three (3) feet of distance between their chairs except that family members may elect to move their chairs together. Reading of e-mails into the meeting minutes will not be required, they may be entered by acclamation.

YouTube of the January 15, 2024 council meeting

January 15, 2024 Agenda Backup

1. CALL TO ORDER 

2. STATEMENT: Adequate Notice of this Reorganization Meeting was provided to the public and the press on January 6, 2023 and December 26, 2023 and was posted at the Municipal Building in accordance with the Open Public Meetings Act, N.J.S.A.10:4-7.

3. SALUTE TO THE FLAG

4. STAR SPANGLED BANNER

   Ali Thomas

5. CERTIFICATION OF ELECTION OF MAYOR AND COUNCIL

6. ROLL CALL

7. SWEARING IN MAYOR ANTHONY ROSSI

8. SWEARING IN COUNCIL MEMBER BRADLEY SPARTA

9. SWEARING IN COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIAM HIGGINS

10. SWEARING IN FIRE DEPARTMENT CHIEFS AND DEPUTIES

      Vernon Township Fire Commissioner and Chief of Pochuck Valley Fire Dept – John Cosh

      Deputy Fire Commissioner – Ted Warnet

      Highland Lakes Fire Dept Chief - Scott Semchesyn

      Highland Lakes Fire Dept Asst Chief – Karen Thomas

      McAfee Fire Dept Chief – Jeff Andersen

      McAfee Fire Dept Asst Chief - Mike Passaro

      Pochuck Valley Fire Dept Chief - John Cosh

      Pochuck Valley Fire Dept Asst. Chief - Brian Enering

      Vernon Fire Dept Chief - Ronald Krystofik Jr

      Deputy Chief - James Raperto

11. SWEARING IN EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES

       Chief Operations - Kevin Duffy

       Deputy Chief - Peggy Warnet

       Operations Lieutenant - Marissa Ajamian

       Logistics Lieutenant - Edward Brown

                                           *****SHORT RECESS*****

12. INCOMING MAYOR COMMENTS

13. OUTGOING COUNCIL PRESIDENT COMMENTS

14. COUNCIL PRESIDENT NOMINATIONS & SELECTIONS

15. COUNCIL VICE PRESIDENT NOMINATIONS & SELECTION

16. INCOMING COUNCIL MEMBER COMMENTS

17. INCOMING COUNCIL PRESIDENT COMMENTS

18. PUBLIC COMMENTS (For Current Agenda Items Only, Limited to 3 Minutes Per Person)

19. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

      December 11, 2023 – Regular Meeting

20. CONSENT AGENDA

Resolution #24-02: Designating of Official Newspaper for 2024

Resolution #24-03: Appointments of Special Police Officers

Resolution #24-04: Reauthorizing Petty Cash Funds for Calendar Year 2024

Resolution #24-05: Authorizing a Contract with Munidex to Maintain the Township’s Vital Statistic Software for 2024

Resolution #24-06: Resolution Authorizing the Execution of a Shared Services Agreement Between the Township of Vernon and the Borough of Ogdensburg for Animal Control Services

Resolution #24-07: Resolution of the Township Council of the Township of Vernon, County of Sussex, and State of New Jersey Appointing Deputy Custodians of Records

Resolution #24-08: Authorizing the Municipal Tax Assessor and the Special Municipal Attorney to Defend the Township Before the Sussex County Board of Taxation for Tax Appeals

Resolution #24-09: Authorizing a Memorandum of Agreement with Signature Information Solutions for “Inquiry Only” Access to Certain Tax Collectors Tax and/or Utility Records via Edmunds and Associates  

Resolution #24-10: Authorizing a Memorandum of Agreement with Accurate Abstracts for “Inquiry Only” Access to Certain Tax Collectors Tax and/or Utility Records via Edmunds and Associates 

Resolution #24-11: Authorizing a Memorandum of Agreement with Valtech Research for “Inquiry Only” Access to Certain Tax Collectors Tax and/or Utility Records via Edmunds and Associates  

Resolution #24-12: Authorizing a Memorandum of Agreement with Action Title Research for “Inquiry Only” Access to Certain Tax Collectors Tax and/or Utility Records via Edmunds and Associates  

Resolution #24-13: Authorizing a Memorandum of Agreement with Priority Search Services, LLC for “Inquiry Only” Access to Certain Tax Collectors Tax and/or Utility Records via Edmunds and Associates  

Resolution #24-14: Resolution Authorizing the Execution of Right-of-Way Easement with Jersey Central Power & Light (“JCP&L”) for Pole NJ1731VR at 7 Theta Drive, Vernon, New Jersey

Resolution #24-15: Authorizing the Award of a Contract for 2024 Between A & E Clothing and the Township of Vernon to Locate Clothing Donation Bins at the Municipal Recycling Center

Resolution #24-16: Authorizing Change Order #1 of Contract for Proposed Improvements of Various Streets within Vernon Township with Road Safety Systems, LLC

Resolution #24-17: Authorize the Award of a Required Disclosure Contract with “Spatial Data Logic” for Permitting / Licensing Software

Resolution #24-18: Designating Meeting Dates of the Township Council for the 2024 Calendar Year

Resolution #24-19: Appointment of the Business Administrator, Tina Kraus, Employment Contract

Resolution #24-20: Resolution Appointing Risk Management Consultant

Resolution #24-21: Establishing Interest Rates for Delinquent Property Taxes and Assessments

Resolution #24-22: Authorizing the Award of Contract for Professional Services

Twp. Planner                                        4-01-20-100-91            10,000.00

Qualified Purchasing Agent                  4-01-20-100-95               9,500.00

Financial Advisors                                4-01-20-130-20                 7,000.00

Twp. Auditor                                       4-01-20-135-91            47,660.00

Expert Appraisal Services                     4-01-20-150-37            10,000.00

Twp. Atty - In Rem Frclsr/Rdvlpmnt     4-01-20-155-44            50,000.00

Bond Counsel                                      4-01-20-155-45            15,000.00

Public Defender                                    4-01-20-155-51               4,000.00

Public Defender                                    T-14-56-825-00                6,000.00

Twp. Atty. – Tax Appeals                     4-01-20-155-52            60,000.00

Twp. Atty. – Labor                               4-01-20-155-53            50,000.00

Litigation (all attorneys)                        4-01-20-155-54               70,000.00

Alt Municipal Prosecutor                      4-01-20-155-57               3,000.00   

Twp. Engineer                                      4-01-20-165-41            40,000.00

Health Benefits Consultant                    4-01-23-220-57            70,000.00

Municipal Prosecutor                            4-01-25-275-92            34,000.00

Resolution #24-23: Appointment of Municipal Court Judge

Resolution #24-24: Resolution of the Township of Vernon Appointing an Alternate Municipal Prosecutor

Resolution #24-25: Resolution of the Township of Vernon Appointing a Municipal Prosecutor

Resolution #24-26: Resolution of the Township of Vernon Appointing a Municipal Defender

Resolution #24-27: Resolution Authorizing the Award of a Required Disclose Contract with “Lawsoft Inc. for Police Records Management System Fire Cad Software”

Resolution #24-28: Appointing ADA Coordinator

Resolution #24-29: Appointment of Public Agency Compliance Officer

Resolution #24-30: Resolution of the Township Council of the Township of Vernon Authorizing the Award of Payroll Management Services and Software Vendor Through the Competitive Contracting Process CC#4-2019

Resolution #24-31: Authorizing Change Order #1 of Contract for Proposed Improvements of Sandhill Road within Vernon Township with Denville Line Painting, Inc.

Resolution #24-32: Authorizing the Mayor and Municipal Clerk to Sign an Agreement with the County of Sussex for Nutrition Site Premises for Senior Citizens

Resolution #24-33: Resolution to Adopt a Cash Management Plan-2024

Resolution #24-34: A Resolution Renewing the Group Dental Benefits Program for Eligible Employees and their Covered Dependents Through Delta Dental of New Jersey, Inc.

Resolution #24-35: Adoption of 2024 Temporary Municipal Budget

Resolution #24-36: Authorizing the Execution of a Shared Services Agreement with the Vernon Township Municipal Utilities Authority for the Provision of Snowplowing Services on an As-Need Basis

Resolution #24-37: Continuation of the Beautification Committee

Resolution #24-38: Continuation of the Economic Development Advisory Committee

Resolution #24-39: Appointment to the Land Use Board

Resolution #24-40: Resolution Authorizing the Transfer of a Firearm to a Retired Vernon Township Police Officer 

Resolution #24-41: Authoring Signatures on Township Checks Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:5-16

Resolution #24-42: Resolution Appointing Fund Commissioner

21. INTRODUCTION OF ORDINANCE

Ordinance #24-01: Ordinance to Exceed the Municipal Budget Appropriation Limits and to Establish a Cap Bank (N.J.S.A. 40A: 4-45.14)

22. MAYORAL APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS, COMMISSIONS, AND COMMITTEES

      Beautification Committee

      Board of Recreation       

      Economic Development Advisory Committee

      Environmental Commission

      Land Use Board

      Senior Citizen Committee 

23. PUBLIC COMMENT (Limited to 5 Minutes On Any Topic)

24. MAYOR COMMENTS

25. COUNCIL COMMENTS

26. COUNCIL PRESIDENT COMMENTS

27. ADJOURNMENT