M I N U T E S -- REORGANIZATION MEETING January 1, 2001 The Reorganization Meeting of the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Hasbrouck Heights was held on January 1, 2001 at 12:00 noon at the Masonic Hall, 200 Division Avenue, corner of the Boulevard, Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey. The Oath of office was administered to Councilman Herbert D. Heeren and Councilman John Wassberg by Senator Louis F. Kosco, District 38. Mayor Torre declared the 2000 Reorganization Meeting in session and stated that the meeting complied with the Sunshine Law, due notice having been made to all members of the Council on December 21, 2000, and to The Observer, The Record and the Herald News on December 21, 2000.
Absent: None
SALUTE TO THE FLAG AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Mayor Torre led in the Salute to the Flag and Pledge of Allegiance. Following the Salute to the Flag and Pledge of Allegiance, the Invocation was offered by Reverend George Yoder of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church who was the newly appointed pastor. Mayor Torre and Commissioner of Fire, Councilman DiPisa, administered the Oath of Office to the 2001 Fire Department Officers: Fire Chief Arthur Knobloch, 1st Assistant Fire Chief Robert Thomasey, 2nd Assistant Fire Chief Joseph Taylor, and all other officers for the year 2001 (copy of names attached). Mayor Torre assigned the 2001 Council Committees as follows: Commissioner of Finance - Andrew
Link III On motion by Councilman Pepe, seconded by Councilman Wassberg, and unanimously carried, to confirm the 2001 Council Committees.
Consent Agenda: 2. Authorize CFO to Invest Idle Funds 3. Authorize CFO to Prepare Payrolls 4. Designate Official Depositories for Borough Funds 5. Authorize CFO to Pay Medical Insurance Premiums 6. Authorize Signatures for Borough Checks 7. Designate Official Newspaper 8. Set Meeting Dates for 2001 Council Meetings 9. Temporary Budget 10. Continuing Tax Settlement Committee 11. 2001 Debt Service Budget 12. Designating Number of Hours Per Week as Minimum Requirement for Full Time Status 13. Authorizing Rate of Interest to be Charged for Non-Payment of Taxes 14. Authorizing Adoption of By-Laws for 2001 On a motion by Councilman Pepe, seconded by Councilwoman Wassberg, and unanimously carried, the foregoing Resolutions on the Consent Agenda were adopted (Resolutions attached).
APPOINTMENTS FOR 2001: Mayor Torre made the following appointments and requested confirmation by the Council:
POSITION APPOINTEE TERM Borough Attorney: Ralph W. Chandless, Jr. 1 Year Borough Engineer: Kenneth G.B. Job 1 Year Administrator/Treasurer/ Michael
J. Kronyak 1 Year Borough Auditor : Paul Garbarini 1 Year Superintendent DPW/ :Robert Heck
1 Year Construction Code Off./ Terry
Naletko Tenure Property Maintenance Glenn Paxton
1 Year Property Maintenance Officer Patrick Vella 1 Year Plumbing Inspector Richard Vanatta 1 Year Electric Sub-Code Official Robert K. Rogers 1 Year Court Administrator Susan Paul 1 Year Public Defender Thomas Mason 1 Year Prosecutor Thomas Flinn 1 Year Borough Historian Louise Davenport 1 Year Board of Health Deputy Registrar Gail Cardaci 2 Years Board of Health Local Assistance Board General Assessment Board Board of Adjustment Planning Board Planning Board Edward Sees-Alt. 2 2 Years Free Public Library Thomas Meli 5 Years Rent Leveling Board Recreation Commission Robert Bright 5 Years Committee of Community
Celebrations Design District Advisory
Committee Ethics Board Chief Radio Communications Officer Dr. Roger Szanto 1 Year Special Law Enforcement Borough Examining Drs.
Substitutes: Fire Official U.F.S.A. . Fire Inspectors Fire Mechanics Ambulances - Public Info. Off. Arthur Knobloch 1 Year Dept. Safety Off. Harry Maisch 1 Year On a motion by Councilman Pepe, seconded by Councilmen DiPisa, and unanimously carried, the foregoing Appointments were confirmed and approved. Mayor Torre invited Joseph Jones and Thomas Flinn to come forward and be sworn in as prosecutors. Mayor Torre asked if there was a nomination of a council member to the Planning Board. Councilman Pepe nominated Councilwoman Verrastro as representative to the Planning Board. The nomination was seconded by Councilman DiPisa. Councilwoman Verrastro was unanimously appointed to the Planning Board as a Class III Member for the term of one year. Mayor Torre asked if there was a motion to nominate a council member as Council President. Councilman Link made a motion to nominate Councilman Pepe. The nomination was seconded by Councilman DiPisa and unanimously approved.
MAYOR’S ANNUAL MESSAGE: Mayor Torre began his annual
address by welcoming and thanking all of those in attendance. He welcomed back Councilman
Heeren and Councilman Wassberg and congratulated them on their reelection. He felt this
speech equalized both vision and detail. The Police Department through the hard work of
Police Chief Colaneri and Lieutenant Castiglione, a grant was received for $375,000 for
Cops in Schools and the addition of three new policemen. Through the efforts of
Assemblywoman Rose Heck a grant was received for $255,000 for communications upgrades,
improvements to the police firing range and parks. Mail delivery was challenged by having
the postmaster come to a council meeting which resulted in the mail carriers coming back
to the post office in Hasbrouck Heights. As a result of the plane crash in December 1999,
Hasbrouck Heights was one of the founding communities of the municipal coalition to ban
together against the expansion of Teterboro Airport. 9-1-1 service was extended to
Wood-Ridge supplementing existing service to Teterboro. He proposed looking at additional
programs where we can contract with other towns to save taxes.
MISCELLANEOUS FROM THE COUNCIL: Councilman Link wished everyone a healthy and happy new year and asked for patience and understanding in the construction of the two sites decided on, and commented that if there is a complaint to please come to a council meeting to discuss with the mayor and council. Councilman Heeren thanked his family, and that this year we learned what it is to be a community without a home and extended a thank you for the generosity of the Masonic group which has provided the space for many, many meetings all year long, Kundert Motors for use of their facility by the Fire Department, the Meli family for a place to have administrative offices, and the churches in Hasbrouck Heights for meetings. He also wished everyone a healthy and happy new year. Councilman DiPisa thanked his family first for allowing him to take the time out to serve the borough as a councilman. He continued that the challenges and struggles of this mayor and council this year deserve mentioning, and were too numerous to list, but that he felt proud and privileged to serve the borough, in particular on the Building Committee, and that the decisions made were in the best interest of Hasbrouck Heights, to have trust and confidence in the mayor and council. Councilman Pepe thanked the departments he was commissioner of, the DPW, commending Bob Heck and Jim Schneider in particular, the Library, Michele Maiullo, and that the library will shine this year, Fire Department, the chiefs, reiterating 1,600 calls, remarkable in number. As a resident, he felt proud of this mayor and council, the number of hours they spent working on the municipal building, Attorney Chandless, Administrator Kronyak, all dedicated borough employees, and especially his wife, Janet. He also wished everyone a healthy, prosperous and happy new year. Councilwoman Verrastro thanked everyone for coming and wished them a happy new year. She congratulated Councilmen Heeren and Wassberg for coming back on the council. She continued that she enjoyed working on the various committees, commending Lee Kulakowski, Marilyn deRussy, zoning and building departments, Administrator Kronyak, Borough Clerk Sees, and Attorney Chandless. She is looking forward to the new commissionerships this year and felt that joining the Coalition to fight Teterboro Airport was important to the health and welfare of the residents. She also thanked her husband, Tom. Councilman Wassberg wished everyone a Happy New Year. He thanked all the employees, the DPW who had picked up garbage this morning, the Police, Zoning Board, including Bob Searle, the Building Committee. He looked forward to working with the Fire Department, thanked Kundert Motors, and lastly his wife, Gladys, for putting up with his time away from home to serve on the council. Before opening the meeting up to the public, Mayor Torre said that he would be remiss if he didn’t thank his wife, Debbie, for allowing him to serve on the Council.
MISCELLANEOUS FROM THE PUBLIC: Mayor Torre opened the meeting to the public for anyone wishing to speak. Joseph Jones, appointed this year as prosecutor, thanked the mayor and council for this opportunity serve his town again. Rose Heck, 501 Collins Avenue, a resident since 1962, commented on the loss of some good people this year, in particular Alba Borghi, who supported her husband when he worked for the borough, and was happy to hear of the thanks to spouses. She congratulated the mayor and council on holding the public meetings which she felt added to the decision making process and the beginning of a mutual respect for one another’s opinions. She continued that with the help of staff, a fine decision was made, and that generations to come will benefit from it, the library being a dream come true. She wished everyone a happy new year. There being no one else wishing to speak, Mayor Torre closed the meeting to the public, and thanked his colleagues on the council. The Benediction was offered by Reverend Joseph Pickard of St. John the Divine Episcopal Church. There being no further business to be conducted by the Mayor and Council, the meeting was adjourned. I, ROSE MARIE SEES, Borough Clerk of the Borough of Hasbrouck Heights, do hereby certify that the foregoing Minutes are to the best of my knowledge a true account of the Reorganization Meeting held on January 1, 2001. Rose Marie Sees
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