Page 1 of 1 November 23, 2009 Special Meeting MINUTES OF A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL CALL TO ORDER Mayor Neil Henry called the November 23, 2009 special meeting of the Mayor and Council to order at 7:30 p.m. in the Garabrant Center, 4 Wilson Street, Mendham, New Jersey. INVOCATION AND FLAG SALUTE Mayor Henry offered a moment of silent meditation, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. OPENING STATEMENT Notice of this meeting of the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Mendham was published in the Observer Tribune and the Morristown Daily Record, and was posted on the Phoenix House bulletin board in accordance with the Open Public Meetings Act. ATTENDANCE Mayor Neil Henry Councilman Stanley Witczak Council President John Andrus Councilman David Murphy Councilman Stephen Carr Councilman Louis Garubo Councilman Brad Badal Also present: Ellen Sandman, Borough Administrator Sue Giordano, Chief Financial Officer Discussion Items: 2010 Budget Presentations Presentations were given by: Fire Department -Chief Ed Tencza First Aid Squad -Captain Barbara Nelson Police Department -Chief John Taylor Attached is a recap summarized by Sue Giordano, Chief Financial Officer which will be a part of these minutes. ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business scheduled for the consideration of the Mayor and Council at this time, on a motion duly made, seconded and unanimously carried the meeting was adjourned at approximately10:12PM, next to convene at the Regular Meeting to be held on December 7, 2009 at 8:00 PM at the Garabrant Center, 4 Wilson Street, Mendham, NJ 07945. Respectfully submitted, ____________________________ Maureen Massey, RMC, CMC Borough Clerk Page 2 of 3 November 23, 2009Special Meeting Notes from 11/23/09 Budget Meeting held at the Garabrant Center All Council members present, as well as Administrator Ellen Sandman and CFO Susan Giordano. Councilman Andrus gave an overview of the budget process for 2010. We will be starting by reviewing the other expenses section of the budget, and then examine the salary section. The first budget to be reviewed was the Fire Department’s, represented by Chief Ed Tencza and incoming Chief Michael Bruin. Councilman Andrus asked them to discuss their budget line by line. Discussed were: The insurance line in their budget and why it was needed. The increase in the line item for the convention. The Fire Department would like to send 3 members next year instead of 2 for the invaluable information they feel they receive by attending. Members who attend the convention bring back what they’ve learned and train the other members of the department. There was a discussion on who receives gear, when do they receive it, and how long does it last. There was a discussion on repairs to the Fire trucks. Chief Tencza stated that repairs must be made by a certified mechanic in order to keep our insurance valid. Pagers and radios were discussed. Maybe there is a possibility of getting a grant through the County for new radios. There was also discussion on a new base station. Councilman Badal suggested getting a $400.00 tracker instead of a $2,000.00 base station. First Aid Squad member Chris Nelson also contributed to the discussion on radios and pagers. A new tag system was discussed. Mayor Henry wanted to know if the Police Department could be added to this system. Administrator Sandman asked the Fire department to prioritize their Capital budget requests, and to look at where they could cut their operating budget. Chief Tencza had to leave the meeting at 8:25 to return to work. The First Aid Squad represented by Barbara Nelson and Paula Oswald review their budget. There was discussion on education and training, and possibly combing the two line items. They talked about the OSHA garments that they purchased, and who is entitled to get these garments. 11/23/09 Budget Meeting Page 2 There was a lengthy discussion on pagers and radios. In 2013 everything must be digital and anything that we purchase now will not be useable. Insurance coverage was discussed. Councilman Witczak wants squad members to be covered from when they leave their home to when they return. Councilman Andrus wants to make sure the squad is getting competitive quotes on their insurance. The Police Department represented by Chief Taylor was up next. Mayor Henry asked why the vehicle maintenance line wasn’t lower due to the purchase of the new police cars. Chief Taylor said that he still needed $3,000 worth of tires, and he was allowing for the $1,000 deductible per incident in case there were any accidents. Page 3 of 3 November 23, 2009Special Meeting The cost of ammunition and its availability were discussed, as was the purchase of 4 helmets for the “Active Shooter” exercise. Suggested cuts to the Police budget were in the Regulatory Traffic Signs and Equipment Purchases line items. There was discussion on whether to have 4 sergeants on staff, or stay with the 3 that we have now. The Chief feels that 4 sergeants are necessary.