Matawan Borough Council Mtg 9/2/08 @ 7:30pm

Well folks hang on to your check books! Tonight there will be a Borough Council meeting at 7:30pm. Some members of the Council appear not to be concerned about the deficit by the way they are spending. Although the medical deficit is near $400,000. We don't know at this time what other line items are over budget, nor do we know what line items can be used to pay down the growing $400,000+ deficit. What we do know is we started out this year in the red for $125,000. The Finance Chairman, Michael Cannon, as of 8/22/08 explained that he does not know how much will be paid down (via use of other line items & how much the insurance would pick up)as the numbers were not yet available. Add to that deficit the bonding that is being done for the 2007-2008 Road Program, and any line items that are over budget (you can bet there are items that are over budget at this moment) and how much do you think we will have left over to pay down the deficit? More troubling is where is the money coming from to pay for any other line items that exceeded there budgeted amount? No one has explained to the residents how they will manipulate the line items. Keep in mind the only way to get more money for the overages is through TAXES. We are hoping the Council found a "pot of gold" to pay for their Agendas. Unfortunately, St. Patrick's Day isn't until March 2009. Guess we will have to wait until Nov. to see what unfolds.

Some but not all the Agenda items are:

1. Establishing a Recreation Advisory Committee

2. Matawan Police Department
a. Authorizing Police Chief James Alston's Contract
b. Authorizing Police Lieutenant Jason Gallo's Contract
c. Authorizing Police Lieutenant Benedict J. Smith, III Contract
d. Authorizing Police Chief to Undertake Preliminary Interviews for staffing of Police Dept.
e. Authorizing the purchase of a vehicle for the Matawan Police Dept.


3. Award of Contract for a COAH Administrative Agent

4. Appointing Business Administrator as the Municipal Housing Liaison

5. Maser Consulting Group - What would a meeting be without awarding Maser some engineering fees? So as you would not be disapponted they will be authorized to:

a. Provide Professional services for investigating potential purchasers of the Borough's Water allocation.

b. Authorizing Borough Engineer (Maser) to advertise to accept bids for the 2007-2008 Road Program. (Perhaps this fee is part of the no bid award of $300,000. authorized previously)

c. Authorizing Borough Engineer engineering/design, survey, construction administration and observation services Park Avenue Sanitary sewer rehabilitation

6. Award of contract for a fire alarm installation and monitoring syste am for the Matawan Police Department at 150 Main St.

7. Authorizing Memorial Day Parade Date.

All in all it should be an interesting meeting. Hope to see you there.......