MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF MAYOR AND COUNCIL OF THE BOROUGH OF STONE HARBOR HELD IN THE MUNICIPAL BUILDING,
October 4, 2016
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The meeting was called to order by Mayor Walters at 4:30 p.m.
ROLL CALL PRESENT
Councilmembers
Suzanne M. Walters, Mayor Joan Kramar
Karen Lane, Council President
Suzanne C. Stanford, Borough Clerk Joselyn Rich
Marcus Karavan, Solicitor Judy Davies-Dunhour
Jim Craft CFO Mantura Gallagher
Jill Gougher, Administrator Barry D. Mastrangelo
Mayor Walters announced that the meeting was now open. Adequate notice of the meeting was provided by posting a copy of the time and place on the Municipal Clerk’s bulletin board and mailing a copy of same to the Press and the Cape May County Herald on January 8, 2016.
SALUTE TO THE FLAG
COMMUNICATIONS
NONE
ATLANTIC CITY ELECTRIC PRESENTATION – Ronnie Town from Atlantic Electric thanked everyone for their understanding through the First Phase of the Peermont project, consisting of replacing our two transmission lines, from 23 to 69 installing a transmission line underneath the Great Channel, and building our Peermont substation at 60th Street. She wanted to let the Borough know that they are a part of finalizing the restoration plans for the 95th Street portion and will be in contact with Dennis Johnson and Marc to finalize the plans. The plan is to have that completed by the end of the year. The purpose of today’s meeting is to talk about the next phase of the Peermont project and what we will be doing with increasing our reliability for the Borough by our distribution lines being upgraded and our equipment too. We will be having an open house on Monday, October 10th from 9-11 am at the Harbor Square Theatre and will be discussing that project in detail with the members of the community. She introduced Supervisor of Designer, Greg Domsick who will be talking about the details of the distribution project.
Greg Domsick had visual references for the project and they were handed out. They showed an overview of the existing circuits on the island, proposed layout of the proposed changes on the second one, showed the Hereford feeder that will impact us in Stone Harbor. Basic oversight is wood pole for wood pole replacement, all poles at 45 ft. across the board, this will help support replacing a single phase, small gauge wire with a large gauge three phase cross arm construction allowing us to bring extra power into the area. The scope of the project is the east side of Second Avenue from 80th to 83rd street, the North side of 83rd street from Second Avenue to First Avenue and then the west side of First Avenue from 83rd Street to mid block between 94th and 95th Street. We chose this path because it is currently established, again a pole for pole replacement to minimize the impact, utilize existing anchoring rights, this is what the current plan is.
Councilmember Kramar asked about the height of the new poles. The poles are 45 feet high, and she asked how much higher that is from the present poles. Mr. Domsick said the current poles are probably a combination of 35 and 40 feet depending on when they were installed. That was the standard for single phase construction, 3 phase construction current standard is a 45 ft. pole. Councilmember Kramar said so this would be anywhere from 5 ft. to 10 ft. higher? He said the majority will be 5 feet higher. She said currently there is one wire across the top, Mr. Domsick said now there will be 3 wires across the top to balance the system.
Councilmember Rich asked if they had an amount of how many poles we are talking about in Stone Harbor. She asked why they chose the West side of First Avenue. Mr. Domsick said that is where the existing pole line is. She asked what happens to the new homes that have put their distribution underground and what happens in the future when other homes are replaced and have to put their distribution lines underground. He said any existing underground facilities will be transferred, any extensions for underground services to homes will be satisfied or extended at no cost to the customer. All underground facilities to existing customers will be maintained and any future requests for underground service will be handled the same as now. Councilmember Rich wanted them to understand that when a home is torn down in Stone Harbor, they have to put them underground. He said yes, he has looked at existing feeds to homes and taken into account what was necessary to refeed those homes.
Councilmember Rich said the Borough had a meeting last month and were told 83rd street is working very hard, 83rd from Second Avenue to First Avenue to get everybody to help put the wires underground. She asked if ACE would talk to the neighbors who are seriously wanting to do this, and have been working on it for 2 years, and now you come along and put up new poles, when they are trying to put them underground. Mayor said if these people have been working on it for two years to try to get everybody on board to donate, if they were to go ahead and do that, you would still put poles down 83rd street? Mr. Domsick said no, we want to be good stewards of this community and of our system, we are very aware. This is the most difficult and heated discussion we had, preparing for this meeting, but also internally we had that discussion. We are currently looking at opportunities to choose a different path.
Councilmember Gallagher said she is thinking about this in a very simplistic form, if ACE is ready to invest x number of dollars on 83rd street to do the work that it’s going to take, if the homeowners on 83rd street right now have pooled their money in name only and they have come up with $100,000 would the cost of this project cost these people $100,000 minus x number of dollars you were going to have to invest in your part of the project anyway ?. Mr. Domsick, if you were to take a circuit rather than run 3 phase overhead, we would decide to go to a full duct manhole system which is significantly more expensive than what would be required to satisfy the request that 83rd street has now.
Mr. Domsick said we are going to be prepared to handle this at our community meeting on October 10th . Just bringing information to you about this project today. Right now the timeline is for a January 27th start and late April finish, 2017. With that timeframe in place we need to have this feed through there. The scope finding a path for those feeds, securing the rights for those feeds, the timeframe itself is what helps us go to 83rd street, as the proposed route. We will speak further about this on October 10th.
Councilmember Davies-Dunhour asked if there is a Phase 3, down the road? Is this a continuing project? Mr. Domsick said as if right now, to his knowledge, the overall layout of the Peermont family of projects, this would satisfy the Master Plan of that family of projects. Once these are built, that family closes down. So, nothing else is associated with an overall plan for that. I can’t say there isn’t additional initiatives for infrastructure changes or updates. As the industry changes we are looking at feeder automation, more capacity, can’t speak to that right now. As of right now, we do not have any theater level plans of new circuits running in any general direction of substations we built on the island, or even transmission upgrades. That is his knowledge of the Peermont family of projects.
Administrator Gallagher asked what the ramifications would be if you delay this project for a year to give the residents of 83rd street enough time to talk with you to answer those questions and see if you can do the underground as opposed to the poles. Mr. Domsick said he would have to delay an answer to that, we can look further into what impact that has.
Dan, the project manager spoke and said basically we started out, we have power to the island now, to the substation through our transmission lines, this second phase is to reconfigure the distribution that going to houses on the island. That consists of the power coming from off-island, getting rid of that, power now coming from Peermont station. That is it for the Peermont project. That is how the island will be fed for years to come, this is the last part of it, to do the distribution work and adding two feeders to the substation.
HEARING OF THE PUBLIC ON MEMORIALS, RESOLUTIONS, PETITIONS & COMPLAINTS
Kathryn Laughlin 19 - 83rd street knows we will address this on October 10th but thinks there is an important point missed. When ACE was asked if we could have a delay, it was indicated that ACE is a business and they have a budget and a plan and this is their project. If you look at the pictures given to you coming into 80th street, run up to 83rd you start running everything up to our beaches. She implores the Council to understand this is an opportunity. We are looking at First Avenue, we do not want an industrial park along First Avenue and up the beach block, blocking the view of the ocean, we cannot have this. We just heard on January 27th this project will take flight. This is stage #2, are we going to have more? We have to protect our community, we have to stop these new poles. Have a special meeting and figure this out.
Mayor asked the Solicitor if we have heard anything from ACE about the estimate to bury the lines. He said no. Mayor said we have been waiting for months for a design estimate to put some of the steel poles underground. We have paid for it. Administrator said we got an email this afternoon to set up a meeting to go over the costs.
Councilmember Gallagher said we were blindsided last time, can’t afford to be blindsided this time. We have ample notice now, it is incumbent upon us to act.
Bill Keenan 10623 Second Avenue thinks we need to start a petition and present it to these folks on the 10th of October.
Bernadette Parzych 9925 Sunset Drive heard a discussion about the Electric Company recently trying to get higher rates. Part of their testimony in getting higher rates is the cost to go underground is a lot more money. She asked if they are raising all of our rates to cover their cost of going underground, why can’t we get some of that underground money. On 83rd street where they are willing to contribute doesn’t it seem like we should figure this out internally. Help us out. Can’t you put these new wires on the new poles you already have? Why go up 83rd, a residential street? Go up 80th street, change the path.
Charles Koch 236 – 85th Street asked if everyone was going to be at the meeting on October 10th. Are you going to take minutes of that meeting? He would like the Borough to take official minutes of that meeting, no disputes later on. Wants verbatim minutes of what happens at that meeting.
ORDINANCE 1485 (Eliminating Parking Meters – 96th Street)
Upon motion of Councilmember Joan Kramar
Seconded by Councilmember Barry Mastrangelo
That Ordinance 1485 be taken up on first reading.
Vote 6 Councilmembers AYE
The Clerk read the title only of Ordinance 1485.
Upon motion of Councilmember Joan Kramar
Seconded by Councilmember Barry D. Mastrangelo
That Ordinance 1485 be passed on first reading , published according to law and that it be taken up on second, third and final reading, and adoption at a meeting of Mayor and Council to be held on the 18th day of October, 2016.
Vote 6 Councilmembers AYE
RESOLUTION 2016-S-166- (Change Order – Sevenson – Fire Slip)
Upon motion of Councilmember Joselyn O. Rich
Seconded by Councilmember Judy Davies-Dunhour
WHEREAS, the Borough of Stone Harbor is currently under contract with Sevenson Environmental Services, Inc. 2749 Lockport Rd. Niagara Falls, N.J. 14305 for Stone Harbor Maintenance Dredging Project, Owner’s Contract NO. COWI-15A, Contract Project No. 1145, Engineer’s Project No. A067772; and
WHEREAS, it is the recommendation of the Borough’s Engineer for this project COWI, Marine North America, 20 East Clementon Road, Gibbsboro, N.J. 08026, to authorize Change Order No. 2 – Fire Boat Slip Dredging in North Basin per COWI Fire Boat Slip Dredging RFP dated 08/11/2016.
Original Contract Price $10,202,600.00
Price prior to this CO $10,202,600.00
Increase of $ 22,928.25
Updated Contract Price $10,225,375.25
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, this 4th day of October, 2016 by the Borough Council of the Borough of Stone Harbor, in the County of Cape May, and the State of New Jersey, that the preamble of this Resolution is hereby incorporated by reference and that the aforementioned Change Order No. 2 be and hereby is authorized;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Mayor and the Borough Clerk be and hereby are authorized to execute Change Order No. 2.
Vote 6 Councilmembers AYE
Resolution 2016-S-167– (Refund Recreation)
Upon motion of Councilmember Mantura Gallagher
Seconded by Councilmember Joan Kramar
AUTHORIZING THE REFUND OF RECREATION ART & CRAFT REGISTRATION
WHEREAS, Diane Green registered her granddaughter Abby for Art & Craft Camp and per-paid $80.00 on August 1, 2016; and
WHEREAS, due to a medical condition Abby only participated in two sessions; and
WHEREAS Diane Green is requesting a refund of $60.00 since her granddaughter had to withdraw from the camp and the Recreation Director approves the refund. .
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Borough Council of the Borough of Stone Harbor, County of Cape May, State of New Jersey on this 4th day of October, 2016 as follows:
1. That the Borough Council of the Borough of Stone Harbor authorizes the refund of the $ 60.00 to Diane Green - 345W – 86th Street, Stone Harbor, N.J. 08247.