A special meeting of the East Amwell Township Committee came to order at 7:10 PM. Present were Mayor Peter Kneski, Deputy Mayor Linda Lenox, and Committee members Timothy Martin and Larry Tatsch. Committee member Patricia Cregar was absent. Township Administrator Timothy Matheny and Treasurer/CFO Jane Luhrs were also in attendance.

In compliance with the Open Public Meetings Act, a copy of notice of this meeting was filed in the Clerk's Office, posted on the bulletin board, and sent to the Hunterdon County Democrat, Times of Trenton, and Star Ledger on March 12, 2009. The purpose of this meeting is to meet with the Township Administrator and the Treasurer/CFO to discuss the 2009 budget.

The public is invited to attend and comment. Action may or may not be taken.

Mayor Kneski spoke about recent meetings with the Administrator and Treasurer/CFO to discuss the "dwindling" budget, looking at revenues and state aid figures released last week. They made "hard decisions" and cut appropriations to meet budget demands, which will be presented to the governing body tonight.

Mrs. Luhrs explained that the state aid was cut 4%, which was about $19,000. She commented that this was the approximate amount which the state was giving back to municipalities as the pension deferral figure. The legislative has approved the pension deferral plan, although no rules have come through from the state. East Amwell Township is in the A group for state aid, which is a high income and low growth area.

Mrs. Luhrs further explained that the 3.5% cap was not a problem, however, the 4% levy cap, instituted in 2008, was difficult to achieve. Last year, the state aid was used to reduce taxes; appropriations could not be raised with the state funding because of the levy cap. Revenues were also down last year, e.g., construction permits and fees, and "everything tanked." Mrs. Luhrs explained that since the municipality did not have a big tax rate and the revenues went away, there was a problem. She referred to a handout provided this evening, which was information from a March 5 program on the tax levy cap. She highlighted a reference to “a perfect storm of restricting revenue from property tax increases while at the same time local revenues from investments and fees, etc., were falling … If the property tax revenue equals 75% of the total general fund budget, then the 4% levy cap will allow the total budget to increase 3% … but if there is a very low ratio of property tax revenue to the total budget (say 40%), then the 4% levy cap will only allow the municipality to increase the General Fund Budget by 1.6%.”

Mrs. Luhrs directed the governing body to the Excel Sheet where she included adjusted revenues and cut appropriations to get to $16,745 under the levy cap. She cut $157,531 in appropriations and added $50,000 to the capital budget, which was highlighted on the second sheet of the appropriations handout. One difficult cut was the elimination of $28,000 for the purchase of ambulance equipment. Mayor Kneski commented that the squad gets both operating funding and funding for the purchase of ambulances; he felt it was important to maintain operation by providing that funding. He commented on cutting the equipment purchase as a large budget item rather than making smaller cuts in the budget.

Mrs. Luhrs noted that the pension deferral is included in her spreadsheet to keep the levy cap under $16,000. She said that the Township could put the $16,000 back into the budget, which she would recommend since it will help the Township in next year's budgeting. Page 3 of the handout showed the cap levy calculation worksheet used to reach the $16,000. If the decision was made to pay pension this year, page 4 of the handout showed a line of $10,116 for allowable pension increases, projecting $26,861 under cap; adding the pension back into the budget would leave $7,163 under the cap. Mrs. Luhrs again explained that there have been no rules formulated on how to handle the pension deferral legislation; she was involved with discussions in West Amwell where it was discussed that the 15 year payback figure for the deferral may equate to payments of $1.65 for every $1.00 in deferral. It was unclear if municipalities would be able to take the deferral now and pay back after November when transfers were permitted (to eliminate long term interest payments).

The Township Committee looked at page 2 of the hand out entitled budget changes. Mrs. Luhrs highlighted the audit line, reduced $2,300 since there would be no single audit this year and also noting that the auditor took a reduction in fees. Mrs. Luhrs arbitrarily took 5% out of many budgets, leaving the Agricultural Advisory Committee untouched because of their small budget. Solid Waste is still unknown since Clean Communities funding has not been granted yet.

Mr. Tatsch asked about the Board of Health salary and wage line, which was reduced by $500. Mrs. Luhrs explained that she received a memo from the Chair saying that the secretarial line item would be the same as last year, reducing the figure by $500. The salary and wage line also covers well witnesses.

Mayor Kneski mentioned discussions with the Planning Board about the Master Plan line item; that line was reduced from $10,000 to $5,000.

The budget changes also reflect the fact that the Department of Public Works (DPW) Superintendent position will not be filled this year. Mrs. Luhrs cautioned that hiring the employee next year would be difficult because of the inclusion of the salary for the position and the 4% tax levy cap. She stated, however, that there was no choice this year because of budget constraints unless new revenue sources could be determined.

Some suggestions for new revenue sources included the possibility of charging for Summer Playground, which was a suggestion from the Recreation Committee. Mayor Kneski also provided information on a Construction Records Clearance Application, which is used in the municipality where he works. The form is used when houses are sold and is part of the closing packet. The form is sent to the Construction Department, and outstanding permits are reviewed to determine that they are all closed. The fee is adjustable, depending on how quickly applicants need the paperwork, e.g., $125 for 1-5 days or $35 for 11-20 days in Princeton Township. The form would have to be approved by ordinance, and Mayor Kneski felt that this would be a good source of income and bring closure to open permits. The number of closings per year may be approximately 20 in a good economy.

Committee members commented on possible fees for the Summer Playground program, e.g., $25 per family or per child or perhaps a sliding scale depending on the number of children in the family.

Discussion took place on whether or not to take the pension deferral or to put payment back into the budget. Mr. Martin felt it was better "to pay as you go," suggesting paying the pension now.

Mrs. Luhrs went line by line through the budget changes, as follows: 5% ($2,235) was cut from the General Government (copier, postage, etc.) - Mrs. Stahl explained that the purchase of the scanner will help since the Township Committee was encouraging electronic communications as a result of the brainstorming meetings last year; Mayor/Council was cut $23 from dues and training; Clerk's Account was cut $410 for advertising, dues and meetings; Finance was cut $294; Auditor was cut $2,300 (no single audit this year); Tax Collector was reduced $1,000, i.e., the account usually has $2,000 for tax appeal refunds, but there have not been many lately; Tax Assessor's Golf Expert has been eliminated for a $10,000 reduction; Legal was reduced by $3,000; Engineering was reduced $1,000; Historic Preservation was reduced 5% or $161; Planning Board was reduced $5,000 in the Master Plan line; Board of Adjustment was reduced by $2,000 since there have been no lawsuits initiated; Affordable Housing was increased $500 since administrative costs can only be 20% of the developer's fees and there have not been many new fees - Mrs. Luhrs explained the cumulative nature of this budget; Construction Department salary and wage was reduced $7,425 based on the 10% reduction for officials and the other expenses budget was reduced by $2,750 based on review by the Construction Secretary and the Treasurer/CFO; Health Insurance was reduced by $6,575 for six months for the DPW Superintendent; OEM was reduced by $1,000 for their emergency expenses account; Aid to Volunteer Ambulance will remain at $29,000; Uniform Fire Code is a set amount, which comes through the Township - it was reduced 4% or $59; Roads salary and wages was reduced by $36,000 (less the DPW Superintendent); Roads other expenses was reduced 5% or $3,650 - however, Engineer O'Neal provided M & R calculations, and Mrs. Luhrs suggested that the Township Committee may not want to cut this line; Buildings and Grounds and Vehicle Maintenance was cut 5% each or $5,000 and $750; Environmental Commission cut their fall newsletter to save $1,200 and $100 off the secretary's salary; Public Assistance, Stormwater and Recreation were cut $300, $405, and $635 respectively; Gasoline was cut $1,000; Social Security was cut $3,000 (no DPW Superintendent hire this year); Unemployment Contribution to the fund will be reduced by $1,000; Defined Contribution funding will be reduced by $400 and also Matching Funds for Grants by $400; Municipal Court will be reduced by 5% or $393; the Capital Improvement Fund was increased by $50,000; Purchase of Ambulance Equipment was cut by $28,000, and Reserve for Uncollected Taxes was reduced by $8,068.

Mrs. Luhrs suggested holding off on the pension deferral question until after the state rules have been posted. She mentioned the small tax increase and the fact that the electronics recycling day was being cancelled. She believed that there would be enough funding for the Clean Up Day, and she also noted that the Recycling Committee has cancelled some of the Depot days.

Mr. Tatsch commented on the funding for the rescue squad's ambulance. He mentioned previous information provided to the governing body that the squad would be contacting those who donated to the building campaign to determine whether they wanted their contributions back or not. Mrs. Stahl mentioned the last update from the squad's attorney was that they are not at the point of looking at contributions yet. Mr. Tatsch felt that "this was too bad" because the Township would then be able to suggest that the squad take the $55,000 donated for the building campaign and use it for equipment. Mayor Kneski commented on two different contributions to the squad, i.e., other expenses and capital equipment. He believed that the squad purchased ambulances in the last five to ten years, and it was important to keep the contribution for operations; Mrs. Luhrs and Mr. Tatsch agreed about keeping the operations funding in place.

Mr. Tatsch asked about the local tax rate shown on page 1 of the handout, i.e., $.1456, which was about a 3.9 percent increase. He noted that the Township's share of property taxes equates to about 10% of the total budget. Mrs. Luhrs explained that having the revenue information, tax collection rate figures, and revenue and surplus adjustments account for the change in rate. Mr. Tatsch commented on having a flat tax rate last year, on the fact that the Township does not want to "squirrel away funds" for future budgets, on the Township Committee's outstanding job of budgeting, and on trying to keep the rate increase under 2% each year, which was done on average over the last three years.

Further comments were exchanged about the budget, as follows: Mayor Kneski commended Mrs. Luhrs and staff on their efforts to keep the tax rate as minimal as possible; Mr. Tatsch commented on other municipalities who are suffering because their commercial and industrial ratables are folding and causing a hardship on the tax base; Mr. Tatsch explained that the Township's tax increase is a small percentage due to East Amwell Township's stable community, i.e., values may be dropping but not plummeting and long term planning has held prevent a real disaster; Mr. Martin commented on long term, strategic planning rather than operating month to month; Mayor Kneski said that he has been participating with the County Chamber of Commerce and other municipalities on shared services, and he believed that this is a trend to pursue - he believed it was important "to go full force with municipalities and the County on this."

Mrs. Luhrs asked about adding appropriations back into the budget, and she mentioned meeting with Acting DPW Superintendent Kadezabek, Engineer O'Neal, and Mr. Matheny concerning the M & R Materials. All agreed that Mr. Kadezabek has been doing a "phenomenal job" in the Department. Mr. Matheny explained that the M & R sheet provided in the packet showed the amounts of materials Mr. Kadezabek needed for road repairs, which did not include Back Brook Road, Lindbergh Road, Garboski Road or North Hill Road (all of which are capital projects). The M & R materials come out of the operating budget, and repairs will include Van Lieus Road and others. Mr. Matheny left the meeting to find the memo prepared by Mr. Kadezabek listing the roads to be repaired.

The original budget for Roads other expenses was $73,000, which would be reduced to $69,350 with the 5% reduction. Mrs. Luhrs explained that the line item also covers salt, cinders, tub grinder rental, and rolling stock, in addition to M & R materials. Mr. Martin agreed that it was important to maintain the Township roads, and if the pension payment is added back into the budget, the $7,163 should all go into the Roads other expenses budget. Mr. Matheny returned with the memo, and read the following roads into the record: Garboski Road, Rynearson Road, Dutch Lane, Van Lieus’ Road, Cider Mill Road, Rainbow Hill Road, Ridge Road, Linvale Road, and Rocktown Road.

Mrs. Luhrs explained the tax levy calculation sheet, showing either $16,745 or $7,163 as the figure above the levy, depending on whether the pension was paid or not. She also noted that the intent is to introduce the budget at the first meeting in April, and it was hoped that state regulations about the pension deferral will be available before then.

Mr. Matheny commented that it was prudent to pay bills, but he noted also that there should be a buffer in the budget, particularly in light of arbitrary cuts. He commented on the fact that many municipalities, including big cities, will take advantage of the pension deferral option and not worry about how the money will be paid back, i.e., they may look for bail outs. He spoke about options, i.e., fund the pension up front or defer payment and perhaps pay it back at the end of the year as one possibility. Mr. Tatsch commented on paying interest on the funds and the possibility that the Township may not have the money to do so in the future and may have to bond. Mrs. Luhrs explained that the Township reduced their debt in 2009 (paying off $120,000 for the 20 year municipal building loan), and she commented on exclusions from the tax levy because of this, which in effect, hurt the municipality. She also noted that under revenues, the reserve for debt service was reduced from $350,000 to $50,000 because it could not be brought into the budget to offset the debt, i.e., if the Township borrowed and incurred more debt, they would have a higher levy cap.

On a question from Mr. Tatsch about the Scibilia reimbursement, Mrs. Luhrs said that this would go into the Open Space account.

Discussion returned to the M & R estimated costs, which was $28,237.50, based on Mr. Kadezabek's estimates for the four products. Mr. Matheny explained that the materials would go out to bid for the full amount; however, if the full amount of material is not necessary, the unexpended portion in the ordinance could be cancelled.

Mayor Kneski also mentioned the energy audit, which would include reimbursement from the state.

Mr. Martin thought it was a good idea to include additional appropriations for the roads; he asked again about the pension deferral. Mrs. Luhrs said that the deferral is the only thing that the state gave back to municipalities to offset taxes; she commented on the importance of staying as close as possible to the tax levy cap, and she agreed that some funding could be put back into operations to benefit the Township with next year's budget cap levy. She agreed that roads or buildings and grounds were good places to restore appropriations. She also would like to pay bills on time, but due to the budget constraints, she would support the pension deferral.

Mrs. Luhrs outlined some of the issues West Amwell Township is having with the tax levy cap in light of accepting $200,000 in extraordinary aid last year, including salary reductions.

Mr. Martin agreed that the Township Committee should listen to the experts, Mrs. Luhrs and Mr. Matheny, about the pension deferral. He also agreed that new sources of revenue should be pursued, e.g., summer playground charges and construction clearance certificates for closure on properties. Mr. Martin mentioned safety issues previously brought up by the Construction Official at the previous Township Committee meeting.

Recreation Committee will be asked for their recommendation on what appropriate charges should be for summer playground since they suggested the idea and the line item comes from their budget. The Township Committee appreciated the Committee's input in this matter.

Mayor Kneski asked for a consensus of opinion that the budget will be prepared as discussed tonight and the pension deferral will be taken, provided that the regulations from the state "shake out." All members were in agreement.

Mrs. Luhrs asked the governing body to look at the capital budget at this time. Highlights included the following: Farmland/Open Space Preservation Committee (FOSPC) was looking to bond for $250,000 for one project with $31,000 in soft costs; the Recreation Committee was asking for a two year commitment of $15,000 (i.e., $7,500 each year) to build new ball fields - this was in last year's budget but there were no plans prepared at that time.

Mr. Matheny explained that road requests include $10,000 for a new angle plow; last year's ordinance for a new truck at $140,000 was cancelled with the intent to rebuild the existing truck, and the plow is a requirement. The hydraulics on the old truck were repaired to Mr. Kadezabek's satisfaction. The truck body itself will not be necessary at this time since the DPW members were able to weld new pieces onto the existing body and will have it repainted. The governing body was very pleased with the Department's ability to do this repair in-house, including having Jason Silverthorn using his personal welding gear to assist.

Mr. Kadezabek is also looking for $3,500 for the purchase of other road equipment, i.e., a vibratory plate and cut-off saw for cutting asphalt, which is cheaper to purchase than to rent and can be put into the capital budget since rentals come from the operating budget. Mrs. Luhrs said she could prepare the capital equipment ordinance for the next meeting, if so directed.

The Garboski Road and North Hill Road repairs will come out of the capital budget; roads will be reclaimed by an outside contractor, applying a coat of liquid calcium and blacktop overlay after reclamation. Engineer O'Neal provided estimates for the project at $83,440 - $90,000, and the project will go out to bid.

Mr. Martin asked about road signage; this comes from the operating budget, and there is $1,500 for replacement signs.

Clawson Park expenses were discussed. There is $30,000 set aside for maintenance, which comes out of the open space tax fund. Mr. Matheny reminded the governing body that there is still funding in an existing ordinance for the barn. Architect Terry Golda previously provided drawings which were approved by the state for the historic property. Estimates based on this design were from $80,000 - $135,000. Mr. Matheny tried to reach a contractor to get information on redesigning the barn for economical purposes. The governing body had previously decided to "put this project on the back burner" this year; however, since there is now more money in the capital budget and the DPW staff is in support of it, Mr. Matheny asked about going forth with the barn. Mayor Kneski spoke about other grants for the house, which were not received. He felt that the focus should be more on the house than the barn since the house already exists and is deteriorating, even with "band-aid" repairs. Mr. Tatsch explained that it was his personal philosophy last year to encourage the Historic Preservation Committee to apply for grants for the rehabilitation of the historic house and to supplement any grants received with bonds. The cost estimate provided by the architect was around $485,000. His belief was that if Historic Preservation received half of the funding in grants, the Township should bond for the other half of the costs. Comments were exchanged about the information provided by Historic Preservation Chairwoman Kat Cannelongo, indicating that the Township did not receive a State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) grant this year. The Historic Preservation Committee was also looking at other grants, and the Township Committee did ask for a congressional appropriation for 2010. Mr. Tatsch and Mr. Martin both agreed that doing small amounts of work ($40,000 - $50,000 per repair) would not be cost effective. Further comments were exchanged, including the fact that the stimulus funding would be announced in 2010, the Historic Preservation Committee may apply for the SHPO grant next year, the Historic Preservation Committee should be commended for their initiative in seeking grants, and Historic Preservation Committee should look into seeking funding as a partner with Hunterdon County, who has access to historic funding. Mr. Matheny also mentioned that a builder gave him a clearer estimate of $600,000 rather than $485,000 for rehabilitation in today's market.

The Township Committee discussed the barn, noting that there was about $40,000 in an existing ordinance. Mrs. Luhrs recommended that once a new estimate for the barn is determined, the existing ordinance should be cancelled and a new ordinance written for the full amount. On a question about the open space tax, Mrs. Luhrs explained that the fund can be used for open space, historic, or recreational needs, and the Township Committee determines how to spend the funds through the Open Space Trust Fund Hearing, which is held at the time of introduction of the budget.

Mayor Kneski still felt that the house should be a priority over the barn. Mr. Martin believed that building the barn might be an asset, i.e., having the barn for storage and inside work when the house is rehabilitated in the future. He would support cancelling the existing $40,000 ordinance and creating an ordinance with a real figure. Mr. Matheny agreed that he would follow up with a builder to determine a price based on meeting state requirements within a smaller budget. The barn was designed to be a 30 x 40 foot building with a seamed roof and built on a slab. The barn also has a loft for storage and open areas for activities, such as Boy Scout events. Mayor Kneski asked if the DPW wanted to have input on the size they would require; Mr. Matheny thought that they would opt for a bigger building than was designed. Mr. Matheny will continue to research costs.

The card access system and the energy audit were discussed, each with $10,000 earmarked in the capital budget. Mr. Kneski explained the energy audit, which would be funded 75% by the state, and the remaining 25% funded based on what percentage of the audit improvements the municipality implements. He noted that the $10,000 might not cover all of the findings.

Mrs. Luhrs reminded the Township Committee that the budget figures were tools to base the capital projects, and there is sufficient funding in the capital budget. If the governing body felt that a certain project required more than $10,000, they could increase it to $15,000, if necessary.

The card access system was discussed, with the following highlights: Mr. Tatsch supported the purchase, stating that it only took losing one set of keys to allow access to the building, and changing locks would be required; Mr. Matheny explained how the system would operate with a card swipe system and different levels of security, e.g., janitors may only be allowed in a certain time of day, employees may be limited to certain times of day; there would be different levels of access to different parts of the building; denied access is part of the system; monitoring will be increased at all levels; the cost for replacement or loss keys would be about $1.50 per card; Mr. Martin felt that using keys was "quaint" and noted that he has been using swipe cards for 20 years; Ms. Lenox commented on using card access to her office at the state. All agreed that the system would allow more security.

Under Office Equipment, the scanner will be used to eliminate more paper use and to provide electronic data to be transmitted. The capital budget appropriated $1,000 for the scanner and $2,000 for various office equipment, e.g., replacement computers, etc. Committee members discussed increasing the office equipment line item. Mrs. Luhrs explained that there was $126,500 utilized for capital improvement projects in the budget and by adding the $100,000, there is still over $220,000 in that budget. A recommendation was made to prepare an ordinance for the card access system, the scanner, and the office equipment and increase it to cover all purchases with the amount; the ordinance will be ready for the next meeting. A recommendation was made to write the ordinance for $20,000; the Committee agreed that a "decent scanner" should be purchased to provide product improvement in the office.

The ordinance for the plow and other road equipment will also be prepared for the next meeting, and the amount will be increased to $15,000 to make sure it covers the expenses since the estimates Mr. Kadezabek provided for the plow may not reflect current prices.

Mrs. Luhrs stated that there was enough in the capital budget to write the ordinance for the Garboski Road and North Hill Road projects, and it would allow the DPW employees the ability to start the work when they are available. She would also have to amend the temporary capital budget by resolution, which she will also have ready for the meeting next week.

Mrs. Luhrs had nothing shown in the capital budget for COAH, and she asked for direction. Some comments were made about the recent letter from NJ COAH regarding the Township's petition for substantive certification, the Planning Board's reference to the letter, and the fact that Mr. Robbins was meeting with NJ COAH representatives today. Mr. Tatsch stated that Mr. Robbins should provide input regarding the purchase of the Easter Seals House.

Mrs. Luhrs stated that the last part of the budget was to complete the five-year capital plan; she will work on this with the Mayor.

Mrs. Stahl confirmed for the record that based on discussions tonight, the candidates for the DPW superintendent's position will be notified that the governing body will delay hiring for the position until next year; Mr. Matheny agreed with this action.

Motion by Ms. Lenox, seconded by Mr. Martin, and it was carried unanimously to open to the public for comments.

Kathy Machnik, 108 Old York Road, asked about the contributions to the rescue squad, i.e., were there always two line items for that group. Mrs. Luhrs said yes, $28,000 for equipment and $29,000 for operating (i.e., their building contribution request was in addition to these).

Ms. Machnik asked if there were any changes made to the salt and calcium chloride applications to Township roads. Mayor Kneski and Mr. Tatsch stated that there were no changes in roads for these applications. Mr. Tatsch added that the DPW does has discretionary power to apply the material when they come to hazardous spots and intersections when they are on the road.

Ms. Machnik commented on the importance of maintaining roads and "not letting them go." She pointed out a section of Van Lieu's Road, coming off of Route 514 before your reach the S-curve, where there is a 25-30 foot stretch of collapsed road, which cannot be repaired with patching. She said that it looked like a big vehicle may have crushed the road. Mr. Matheny advised Ms. Machnik that this is on Mr. Kadezabek's list of road repairs with the M & R materials, and it would be a repair, not just a patch. Ms. Machnik spoke about the importance to keep roads safe by regular maintenance to "stave off overhauls of roads."

Ms. Machnik commented on Clawson Park barn and house projects, suggesting that the governing body concentrate on the house first and the barn later, particularly in light of the possibility of vandalism. She acknowledged the extra cost involved with having the historic appearance. She also recommended that the Township Committee reach out to the previous Friends of Clawson Park group for ideas and support. She felt that the house should be rehabilitated, realizing the costs for labor and supplies would be an issue.

Ms. Machnik mentioned the slight tax rate increase, appreciating all that the Township Committees over the years have done to keep the tax rate low while not slashing services for the Township residents. She stated that it was to the credit of all Township Committees, including the current members, to keep services for the public and keep the rate low.

A question was raised about brush drop off; Mayor Kneski stated that it was successful last year, and the practice will continue again this year. Mr. Tatsch commented that it was cheaper to hire a contractor with a tub grinder than to have the employees collect curb-side.

Ms. Machnik commented that this translates to pulling back on services but not eliminating them in an effort to achieve savings. She stated that it would be a good idea to get information out to the residents via an updated website; she realized that the website is currently being updated by volunteers. Ms. Machnik suggested that Township employees may be able to help keep the website current if they have less office activities to do, noting that the website is a great resource for the public.

Frances Gavigan (not identified on the record) said she has had some calls about Van Lieu's Road, and she was advised that the road conditions are due to defects in road construction at that site. She further commented on the bridge at Van Lieu's and Back Brook Roads. The Township Committee acknowledged that the County maintains bridges, including this one. She commented on increased traffic on this road if road construction takes place on Wertsville Road and motorists use Van Lieu's rather than Manners Road on the detour route.

Ms. Gavigan commented on using a scanner to record easements and all township papers to make a digital library. She also commented on County employees being cross-trained in positions.

Ms. Gavigan asked about the card access system, suggesting that consideration be given to how the system is set up between the garage and DPW kitchen area, i.e., the doors may be propped open on occasions. She suggested considering levels of security.

Motion by Mr. Martin, seconded by Ms. Lenox, and it was carried unanimously to close to the public.

Mayor Kneski thanked Mrs. Luhrs and staff for their efforts in getting under the tax cap levy and on their work on the budget. The Committee will wait for further direction on the pension deferral issue.

Mr. Matheny asked the Township Committee if they would be addressing his March 17^th inter-office memo to the Construction Official and the Construction Official's response. This item will be added to the March 26th regular Township Committee agenda.

There being no further business, a motion was made by Mr. Tatsch, seconded by Ms. Lenox, and it was carried unanimously to adjourn the meeting at 9:00 p.m.

__________________________

Teresa R. Stahl, RMC/CMC

Municipal Clerk