TOWNSHIP MEETING

MARCH 3, 2010

The regular scheduled meeting of the Mayor and Committee of the Township of Oxford
was held on March 3, 2010 in the Township Municipal Building, 11 Green Street, Oxford, New Jersey.

Mr. Niece announced that the meeting had been properly advertised in compliance with the OPMA of 1975 and called the meeting to order at 7:15 PM.

In attendance were Donald Niece, Bonnie Riley, William Bray, and Sheila L. Oberly.

Everyone stood and recited the flag salute.

On motion by Mrs. Riley and seconded by Mr. Niece to approve the January 20, 2010 and February 3, 2010 meeting minutes. Mr. Bray abstained.



RESOLUTION 2010-27

RESOLUTION OF THE TOWNSHIP OF OXFORD, COUNTY OF WARREN AND
STATE OF NEW JERSEY AUTHORIZING MASTER PUBLIC WORKS SHARED
SERVICES AGREEMENT FOR SHARING PUBLIC WORKS EQUIPMENT
BETWEEN WARREN COUNTY AND THE TOWNSHIP OF OXFORD

WHEREAS, under the Uniform Shared Services & Consolidation Act N.J.S.A.

40A:65-1 et seq., the County of Warren is authorized to offer public works equipment and public works employees provided by the County to the Township of Oxford for public works services, general maintenance and other related services; and

WHEREAS, the County of Warren is desirous of providing those services to the Township of Oxford in accordance with the terms of an agreement.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Mayor and Committee of the Township of Oxford, County of Warren and State of New Jersey do hereby accept this offer and authorize the Mayor to execute the agreement provided by the Warren County Board of Chosen Freeholders.


On motion by Mrs. Riley and seconded by Mr. Niece to adopt Resolution 2010-27 and authorize the Mayor to sign the Warren County Shared Services Agreement for Sharing Public Works Equipment Between Warren County and the Township of Oxford. Mr. Bray voted No.
RESOLUTION 2010-28

EXTENDING THE TOWNSHIP’S RIGHT
TO WAIVE FEES AND ESCROW REQUIREMENTS
FOR WATER TAP CONSTRUCTION



WHEREAS, on September 16, 2009 the Township Committee of the Township of Oxford adopted Ordinance No. 2009-05 providing in part:

Section 53-14. Exceptions.

b. All fees and escrow requirements may be waived by the Township
Committee for water tap construction for any property whose
arsenic levels exceed the State-approved standard. This section of
the Ordinance shall expire on December 31, 2009 unless otherwise
extended by Resolution of the Township Committee.

and

WHEREAS, the Township of Oxford has determined to extend the time limit imposed by said ordinance.

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Township Committee of the
Township of Oxford, Warren County, New Jersey, that Chapter 53, Section 14 b. of the Code of the Township of Oxford shall be extended for a period of one year and shall expire on December 31, 2010, unless otherwise extended by Resolution of the Township Committee.


On motion by Mrs. Riley and seconded by Mr. Niece to adopt Resolution 2010-28. Mr. Bray abstained.



RESOLUTION 2010-29

TO DOCUMENT THE APPOINTMENTS OF
THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR
DEPUTY MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR
AND 911 COORDINATOR
TO THREE YEAR TERMS


WHEREAS, the Township of Oxford in order to comply with New Jersey
Emergency Management Directive #102, directing a minimum three-year appointment, at their Township Meeting held on March 3, 2010, approved the Mayor’s appointments to these offices, and

WHEREAS, Mayor Donald Niece of the Township of Oxford, hereby appointed Rick Calabrese to the position of Emergency Management Coordinator for a period of three years retroactive from January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2012, and

WHEREAS, Mayor Donald Niece of the Township of Oxford, hereby appointed Rick Calabrese to the position of 911 Coordinator for a period of three years retroactive from January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2012, and

WHEREAS, Mayor Donald Niece of the Township of Oxford hereby appointed Bruce Doyle to the position of Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator for a period of three years retroactive from January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2012

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the appointment of Rick Calabrese,
Emergency Management Coordinator, shall be subject to approval from the New Jersey
Office of Emergency Management and completion of required Basic Training Courses within one year of appointment.


On motion by Mr. Bray, seconded by Mrs. Riley and passed unanimously on roll call vote to adopt Resolution 2010-29.

On motion by Mrs. Riley, seconded by Mr. Bray and passed unanimously on roll call vote to approve a Blue Light application for John Firth, of the Oxford Emergency Squad.

The Clerk submitted to the Committee a letter from the Washington Township Police Department asking for temporary use of a room (s) in the Oxford Township Municipal Building for use by the Police Department’s Special Enforcement Team.

Mayor Niece stated that he would like more information and stated that nothing is free. Mr. Bray will call Chief James McDonald, to discuss his request on how many rooms and how long the police would like to use the downstairs. Also to clarify if the Oxford Township Police carried over their sick time to Washington Township, because Oxford Township paid them their sick time accumulated at the time of the merger.

Mr. Bray will ask Washington Township Police Department the procedure of discarding all the paperwork left downstairs in the police department and the “Schedule A” (equipment and supplies taken by Washington Township) that should be attached to the shared police contract.

Mrs. Riley stated that she would be talking to Chief McDonald to ask what coverage and what the cost would be to the Oxford Township for extra patrols for the Summer Festival on August 14, 2010.

Mr. Bray stated that he applied for $125,000, a federal earmark request, part of the federal budget adoption, called a “budget resolution.” He said, he will find out if this money is appropriated to Oxford, when the federal budget is adopted.

On motion by Mrs. Riley, seconded by Mr. Bray and passed unanimously on roll call vote to authorize Mr. Bray to apply for this federal earmark request.

On motion by Mr. Bray, seconded by Mrs. Riley and passed unanimously on roll call vote to void, Check # 387 made payable to Shane Guretsi from the escrow account in the amount of $57.50. Mrs. Riley said that she has tried all options to get in touch with him to no avail.

The Committee agreed that in 2010, the Township will stay with Brown and Brown, as their Risk Management Consultant but will put out RFP’s in June for a new carrier for the year 2011.

The Committee discussed raising liquor license fees for July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011.The Clerk will get the cost of liquor licenses owed to the Township and the percentage that these licenses can be raised for discussion at the March 17, 2010 meeting.

Mr. Bray asked about all the signs that the Oxford Liquor Store has displayed in front of their building. The Clerk will ask Mr. Finelli to discuss the sign ordinance at our March 17th meeting.

Mr. Niece said there has been an issue at the pump station at Spring Meadows, twice last week. He said that he has received a quote to replace the badly corroded pipes with galvanized pipes for $1,800.00 at the sewer pumps station. There is another option, to use stainless steel but that would cost three to four times the price. The auto dialer has been replaced at the cost of $925.00; this notifies Lou Accetturo if there is a problem at the station.

Mr. Niece stated that he has authorized a three-phase pump with a grinder to be ordered from ABS and to be installed at the Spring Meadow pump station. The total repair at the pump station to bring it back to full capacity would be approximately $3,500.00 which will be paid for out of the sewer budget.


PUBLIC COMMENT

John Ronkowski said we shouldn’t be bothering small businesses since there isn’t many small businesses in town.

On motion by Mrs. Riley, seconded by Mr. Bray and passed unanimously on roll call vote to pay all the bills on the March 3, 2010 Bill List.

Mr. Bray stated that on March 11, 2010, at 7:00 PM, there is a County Board Taxation meeting at the Cummins Building, 202 Mansfield Street in Belvidere. Mr. Bray will attend the meeting to appeal the county equalization table that was submitted to the Committee. The Clerk will notify the tax assessor, Rich Motyka to ask him to also attend this meeting.

Mr. Bray said that there is a policy in place that authorizes the Clerk to make decisions about closing the building. He stated that he was disappointed that February 25, 2010 he came to the municipal building to find that their was a note on the door saying that the building was closed and all according to the weather, the building could be closed on Friday also. He said that in his opinion, something has to be done that the building is not closed.

Mrs. Riley read the policy and procedure manual to the Committee, which stated that the Clerk does have this authorization.

The Clerk stated that she listened to the weather forecast, which stated to stay off the roads unless it was an emergency. She called Mrs. Riley, Deputy Mayor, (Mr. Niece was out of town) to report to her that she would not be at work and that she would be working at home. She said she would have came in on Friday, but her son cut his two fingers at 10:00 AM and she was in the Warren Hospital Emergency room with him until 3:00 PM. The Clerk called Mrs. Riley on Friday and explained the situation.

The Clerk also stated that there are going to be times that the Municipal Building maybe closed since she is the only full-time employee and is required to attend classes and is entitled to vacation, personal and sick days.

The Committee agreed that all employees must e-mail or call all three committee people when they are out of the office on their scheduled days to notify them of their absence.

On motion by Mr. Niece, seconded by Mr. Bray and passed unanimously on roll call vote to adjourn the meeting at 9:45 PM.

__________________________
Sheila L. Oberly, RMC