Township Committee Meeting - Monday, December 7, 2020 starting at 6:00PM Executive Session / 7:30PM Regular Meeting
The Township Committee will convene at 6:00 PM and will immediately adjourn into Executive (closed) Session. The purpose of the Executive Session is to discuss matters relating to personnel.
At 7:30 PM, the Committee will reconvene into Regular Session to discuss and/or act upon the items described in the attached agenda.
The public is welcome to join in-person at 2 West Main Street, Brookside or virtually via Zoom. Kindly note the access information on the last page of the attached agenda.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Thank you,
Maria Coppinger
Township Clerk
Mendham Township
PO Box 520
2 West Main Street
Brookside, NJ 07926
973-543-4555 Ext. 211
973-543-6630 FAX
Township Committee Meeting - Tuesday, November 24, 2020 starting at 6:00PM Executive Session / 7:30PM Regular Meeting
The Township Committee will convene at 6:00 PM and will immediately adjourn into Executive (closed) Session. The purpose of the Executive Session is to discuss a matter of personnel; specifically the Chief Financial Officer Position.
At 7:30 PM, the Committee will reconvene into Regular Session to discuss and/or act upon the items described in the attached agenda. Bills list will be posted to the township website under the agenda & minutes tab on Monday, November 23rd. Locate the meeting date and click on "other docs."
The public is welcome to join in-person at 2 West Main Street, Brookside or virtually via Zoom. Kindly note the access information on the last page of the attached agenda.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Thank you,
Maria Coppinger
Township Clerk
Mendham Township
PO Box 520
2 West Main Street
Brookside, NJ 07926
973-543-4555 Ext. 211
973-543-6630 FAX
Township Committee Special Meeting - Thursday, November 19, 2020 starting at 6:00PM Executive Session / 7:30PM Special Session
The Township Committee will convene at 6:00 PM and will immediately adjourn into Executive (closed) Session. The purpose of the Executive Session is to discuss personnel matters; specifically the Township Administrator & Chief Financial Officer Positions.
At 7:30 PM, the Committee will reconvene to discuss and/or act upon the items described in the attached agenda.
The public is welcome to join in-person at 2 West Main Street, Brookside or virtually via Zoom. Kindly note the access information on the last page of the attached agenda.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Thank you,
Maria Coppinger
Township Clerk
973-543-4555 Ext. 211
Attached please find the Township Committee Regular Meeting agenda for Monday, November 9, 2020.
The meeting will be held in-person at Town Hall, 2 West Main Street, Brookside and via the virtual platform Zoom. The Zoom access information can be found on the last page of the agenda.
Thank you,
Maria Coppinger
Township Clerk
Mendham Township
973-543-4555 Ext. 211
Attached please find an updated Township Committee agenda for tonight's (October 27th) Township Committee Meeting.
Kindly note the following resolution has been updated:
* 2020-200 - Resolution of the Township Committee of the Township of Mendham Establishing the Construction Project Exterior Design Advisory Committee - previous agenda reflected this resolution as a pending item.
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Township Committee Meeting - Tuesday, October 27, 2020 starting at 5:30PM Executive Session / 7:30PM Regular Meeting
The Township Committee will convene at 5:30 PM and will immediately adjourn into Executive (closed) Session. The purpose of the Executive Session is to discuss a matter of personnel; specifically the Township Administrator Position.
At 7:30 PM, the Committee will reconvene into Regular Session to discuss and/or act upon the items described in the attached agenda.
The public is welcome to join in-person at 2 West Main Street, Brookside or virtually via Zoom. Kindly note the access information on the last page of the attached agenda.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Thank you,
Maria Coppinger
Township Clerk
Mendham Township
PO Box 520
2 West Main Street
Brookside, NJ 07926
973-543-4555 Ext. 211
973-543-6630 FAX
Township Committee Meeting - Tuesday, October 27, 2020 starting at 5:30PM Executive Session / 7:30PM Regular Meeting
The Township Committee will convene at 5:30 PM and will immediately adjourn into Executive (closed) Session. The purpose of the Executive Session is to discuss a matter of personnel; specifically the Township Administrator Position.
At 7:30 PM, the Committee will reconvene into Regular Session to discuss and/or act upon the items described in the attached agenda.
The public is welcome to join in-person at 2 West Main Street, Brookside or virtually via Zoom. Kindly note the access information on the last page of the attached agenda.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Thank you,
Maria Coppinger
Township Clerk
Mendham Township
973-543-4555 Ext. 211
This past Tuesday, the Township Committee voted 4-1 to advance Mendham Township's proposed new construction project to a public hearing. This project is long overdue. Tuesday's hearing was the first of two votes on a Bond Ordinance which would set a $5 Million budget ceiling for the renovation of the Town Hall building and a new police facility in Brookside. The second vote will take place at the public hearing on the Bond Ordinance on Tuesday, October 27th at 7:30pm in-person and via Zoom<http://www.mendhamtownship.org/cn/Meetings/?tpid=9854>.
Over the past 30 years, there have been multiple efforts and proposals to update these facilities. Unfortunately, for one reason or another, none of them have come to fruition. The Township, instead, adopted a "band aid approach" to address its aging infrastructure issues. Sadly, we are now at a tipping point and if we do nothing, we risk even more costly damage and deterioration of our facilities. Now is the time to act.
Due to years of deferred maintenance, the Town Hall building is in disrepair. The roof, the exterior walls, and windows are failing (all of which are red flags for mold growth). The boiler is beyond its anticipated life, the air conditioning uses coolant that isn't even made anymore, and it doesn't even cool the whole building. Additionally, the building is not ADA Compliant.
On the other side of the municipal complex, the police station<https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=273937906986612> has major operational deficiencies. Our Police Department currently occupies a converted 1960's split level residence. The station does not meet the standards mandated by the New Jersey Department of Corrections. The building does not meet fire or building codes, and is also not ADA compliant. In addition to the residence, the Police Department also occupies two trailers and the Emergency Services Building's Meeting Room and Showers.
Since April, the Township Committee has been working with architects and engineering professionals to evaluate the existing Town Hall Building and address the operational needs of the Police Department. Several plans have been proposed at different budget levels. The first proposal was to build a new building in the municipal complex to house Town Hall operations, the library and the Police Department. This plan was $8 Million. The Township Committee evaluated that proposal; however, was not comfortable with the cost and expressed the desire to maintain the existing structure that is the Town Hall building. The second proposal was a $6 Million proposal to build a new library and house the police department in the first floor of the Town Hall building. Although excited about this proposal, The Township Committee asked for a more economical approach.
Our priority is to address our infrastructure needs at a reasonable cost. The plan we are proposing is the most cost-effective solution we have found. The plan will upgrade the infrastructure of the existing municipal offices and the library, and construct a new police facility in the location of the existing residential structure adjacent to Town Hall on West Main Street. Both buildings will be made ADA Compliant. The budget for this plan is approximately $4.9 Million, $3.1 Million less than the original proposal.
The total project will cost approximately $200 per home annually for 15 years. However, the average homeowner will see only a $35 tax increase. This is because the Township has been responsibly paying down its debt for the past few years, so these new bonds will replace existing bonds that are paid off. Most of us dislike incurring more debt, however the feedback from residents has been nearly unanimous that both the Police Department Headquarters and the Town Hall are in need of immediate repair/replacement.
Additional documentation about this proposal can be found on the Township's website. I encourage you to review the information and provide feedback.
Have a good weekend.
Sarah Neibart
Mayor, Mendham Township
Over the past few weeks, there has been an increase in COVID-19 positive cases in New Jersey. The New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) has reported that the state is seeing increasing signs of community spread, predominantly in kids and young adults. This past Thursday, the rate of transmission was 1.22. As the cold weather sets in and people move indoors, the threat of transmission is even greater. We have all had a long seven months, but it's vital that we continue to follow the steps that we know can help mitigate the spread of this virus: social distancing, wearing a mask, getting tested, and staying home when you're sick. Additionally, if you've had close contact with someone who has had COVID-19, please self-quarantine.
As we move into the middle of October, the question of Halloween and trick-or-treating has come up frequently. On Monday, October 5th, the Governor reported that Halloween is on! The NJDOH has sent out guidance, which has been posted on the Mendham Township website<http://www.mendhamtownship.org/documents/Halloween%20Guidance%20NJDOH.pdf>, that those who plan to trick-or-treat should limit their groups to current household members. It is also recommended that you stay local. I know many of you travel outside your neighborhoods or our town to go trick-or-treating. This year, if possible, please consider staying local and trick-or-treating in your neighborhood.
For those putting out treats, do your best to limit your interaction with the trick-or-treaters. One option that the NJDOH has detailed is to arrange individually packaged candy so that trick-or-treaters can grab and go without accessing a shared bowl. Alternatively, you can leave a treat bowl in a place where it may be easily accessed while adhering to social distancing requirements. If you don't feel comfortable with those options, please wear a mask when individuals come to your door, and regularly wash your hands and/or wear gloves.
I know there are some households that are not comfortable with engaging in Halloween festivities this year. We are working with our Mendham Township Police Department to help distinguish houses participating in trick-or-treating from those that do not wish to participate. If you are a household that wishes to not participate, feel free to contact me directly at sneibart(a)mendhamtownship.org<mailto:sneibart@mendhamtownship.org>.
Our Recreation Department is also putting together some social distancing Halloween activities for kids during Halloween weekend which will be a great alternative to trick-or-treating. Please keep an eye out for those during the next couple of weeks.
As you prepare your Halloween costumes, make sure a face covering is part of your costume. Spirit Halloween <https://www.spirithalloween.com/category/accessories/face-masks-gaitors/pc/…> has released a line of festive face masks for adults and children. Halloween is more than just a fun activity, but a real tradition. We want to ensure that everyone has the chance to enjoy Halloween in the most safe and responsible way possible.
Sarah Neibart
Mayor, Mendham Township
Attached please find the Township Committee Regular Meeting agenda for Tuesday, October 13, 2020.
The meeting will be held in-person at Town Hall, 2 West Main Street, Brookside and via the virtual platform Zoom. The Zoom access information can be found on the last page of the agenda.
Thank you,
Maria Coppinger
Township Clerk
Mendham Township
973-543-4555 Ext. 211
Attached please find the Township Committee Special Meeting agenda for - Thursday, October 8, 2020 starting at 6:00pm.
The meeting will be held in-person at Town Hall, 2 West Main Street, Brookside and via the virtual platform Zoom; access information is noted on the agenda.
Thank you,
Maria Coppinger
Township Clerk
973-543-4555 Ext. 211