October 2, 2017 Middletown Township Committee Meeting

Before it gets much later and the next Middletown Township Committee meeting comes and goes, I think I should post the Oct. 2nd meeting.

Here are the highlights:

Annual presentations were given by TOMSA, the Housing Authority and the Green Team. The Green Team presented methods in which the Township could realize energy savings by entering into various government programs designed to save energy.

Ordinances were introduced to repeal the snow shoveling registry and to amend planning and development regulations governing electronic signs and clarifying that microbreweries and micro distilleries are permitted use in certain zones, while establishing standards for them.

Discussion items on the agenda did not generate much discussion among the Committee members, but the Administrator mentioned that 2 bids were received for the microgram feasibility study, there is a need for the Township to apply to the Green Acres program to change the use of the school at Croydon Hall to a community center and that more security cameras need to be installed to combat vandalism at parks.

As always you can download a copy of the Meeting Agenda that contains the discussion items and the proposed resolutions and ordinances that were voted on or presented during the meeting. A box around an item is a link, bringing you further into the document to that resolution or ordinance. At the end of the resolution there will be a link bringing you back to the agenda. Attached to this agenda is also the monthly bill list, so that everyone can see how the Township is spending our tax dollars.

February 1, 2016 Middletown Township Committee Meeting

At last Monday night's Township Committee meeting a public hearing was held on an ordinance to establish a cap bank to in order to potentially exceed the 2% budget cap . The ordinance was adopted.

Resolutions were adopted to renew some shared service agreements that will allow the township to use a meter to detect lead in paint and another to utilize some health services provided by the county. The Township Committee also adopted a resolution to accept a Planning Board determination that the Belford seaport area is an area that is in need of redevelopment.

A Discussion also took place about increasing fees for recreation activities and the Green Team will apply for grant funds to conduct educational activities, which will allow the township obtain a silver status rating.





As always, you can download a copy of the Meeting Agenda that contains the discussion items and the proposed resolutions and ordinances that were voted on or presented during the meeting. A box around an item is a link, bringing you further into the document to that resolution or ordinance. At the end of the resolution there will be a link bringing you back to the agenda. Attached to this agenda is also the monthly bill list, so that everyone can see how the Township is spending our tax dollars.

The Earth is our playground; Middletown is our home. On Saturday, April 26, 2014

From Middletown Alerts:


Head over to Poricy Park for a morning of fun, games, and education as we kick off the Township's Grazing Goats project! In order to go back to the simpler and more eco-friendly times, we will now be using goats as our biological lawn mowers! A small goat pen, separate from the grazing area, will be featured at Earth Day to give visitors the opportunity to personally interact with the goats, learn about their habits, and most importantly educate visitors about the problem of invasive plants and benefits of native vegetation.

The Township's Grazing Goats project is made possible by a Sustainable Jersey $10,000 Small Grant. The goats will work in teams within a double-fenced, 2-acre area at Poricy Park to remove invasive vegetation. They will be hard at work, grazing over the subject area during the 2014 Spring and Summer. Volunteers will maintain their daily water supply while the farmer will provide a safe environment for the goats and park users.

Invasive plants and species kill the native plants that create vegetative diversity within Middletown’s beautiful parks. With the help of our goat friends, the invasive plants and species will flee our beautifully diverse home.

Other events for the day include a “Touch-a-Truck” display of a variety of Public Works vehicles including our brand new CNG truck, displays by Clean Communities, the Middletown Environmental Commission, the Middletown Green Team, an informative hike by Poricy Park, and crafts for the kids! So come and join us for a day of fun from 10:30 am to 1:30 PM at Poricy Park Conservancy, 345 Oak Hill Rd, Red Bank (GPS)

Middletown Township Committee Meeting 10/1/12

Last Monday night  Oct. 1st, 2012, the Middletown Township Committee got together for their monthly Workshop Meeting. The meeting lasted just over an hour and turned out to be rather interesting.

After watching the video of the meeting 3 things that stood out:

There was a special hiring about the renewal of a license for some guys pawn shop in town. Evidently he purchased some jewelry from an undercover police officer without the proper documentation. This is a big NO-NO seeing how the jewelry could have been stolen. It stood out because I  and others have never seen such a hearing take place at a Township Committee meeting were there was police testimony and a shop owner pleading his case to keep his license. Ultimately the Township Committee voted to suspend or revoke the license.

Secondly, there was a discussion about administering a users fee to the various sports leagues that use Township parks. Currently, various township sports leagues pay only a nominal application fee to use the sports fields around town. The fees generated only amount to ~$10K a year, which is just a mere fraction of the amount it costs Middletown to upkeep the sports fields in town. That's way so many of the fields around town are in such disrepair, too much usage and not enough money coming in to fix them.

Janet Dellet, Director of Recreation, put together a study that show other towns in the area charge an hourly fee for the use of their township owned fields and if Middletown adopted such a fee schedule, the township could generate upwards of $300K yearly that could be used to upgrade and maintain the fields.

I think this is a good idea, but I would caution against raising these fees all at once. There is the possibility that by jacking up the user fees to quickly and steeply, some sports teams or leagues could not afford to play and the kids playing would be heart. A gradual increase of fees over the next 2 -3 years would seem appropriate.

Lastly, during the public comments portion of the meeting Linda Baum's questions about the use of  Bio Diesel were stunning! The township spent nearly $400K on vehicles a couple of years back toting how "Green" and cost effective they were to purchase. Now the story has changed and it has become evident that Gerry Scharfenberger's Green Team didn't do there homework or set in place a plan on how to maintain the fleet (the vehicles are not Bio Diesel compatible) and generate Bio Diesel on their own. It seems that it's more complicated than just thinking that collecting old veggie oil from local restaurants and filtering it before usage would be enough to get them by. A whole setup is needed to convert the used oil into a usable form suitable for todays more advanced diesel engines; the trucks purchased need to be retro fitted with different seals and gaskets. And to top it all off, there is now a market for used cooking oil, so the once thought of as free fuel is now to cost prohibitive to collect.

Once again, lack of planning on the part of the Township Committee has wasted the tax payers money.




As always, you can download a copy of the meeting agenda that contains the discussion items and the proposed resolutions and ordinances that were voted on or presented during the meeting. A box around an item is a link, bringing you further into the document to that resolution or ordinance. At the end of the resolution there will be a link bringing you back to the agenda. Attached to this agenda is also the monthly bill list, so that everyone can see how the Township is spending our tax dollars.

Green Team - Finance Team, Can Someone Explain the Difference?

I received my copy of the Independent yesterday and while thumbing through it, I noticed an article buried deep within on page 16 titled “Mid’town looks at energy efficiency programs” with a subtitle of “Twp. To form ‘Green Team’”.

It peaked my interest so I gave it the once over.

What I read was very interesting and seems on the surface a very good idea, I am not going to go in-depth and analyze the article for you, you can read it for yourself HERE.

What struck me however was that the Township Committee can form an advisory board, a so called “Green Team”, which would be “comprised of staff members in the township as well as community volunteers who are already involved in various environmental initiatives in town including Community Affairs and the Environmental Commission.” with a goal towards controlling costs and saving money by taking steps to sustain the quality of life in town for the long term.

Now that sounds an awful lot like another advisory board that has been proposed by Democratic Committeeman Sean Brynes and backed by fellow Democrat Patrick Short, It sounds exactly like what a Finance “Team” (Committee) would be.

But, according to Township Attorney #2, Brian Nelson, who has done some extensive research into the subject, says it would be against the Township charter to form such an advisory board.

Can some one please explain to me how a “Green Team” advisory board can be formed by the Township Committee to identify and recommend potential energy saving projects but a “Finance Team” advisory board, put together to identify wasteful Township spending and potential cost savings is against the Township charter?

If you ask me, something is rotten in Middletown and the stench can be smelled throughout the townships 46 square miles. What does the GOP majority have to hide?

Below you can hear the audio from the June 1st, Township Workshop meeting where Committeeman Brynes, once again gives his reasoning behind forming a “Finance Committee” and the oppositions continued arguments against it.