Lakehurst council approves broad consent agenda, discusses food trucks and code-enforcement vacancy

The Lakehurst Borough Council met Jan. 16 at the Lakehurst Community Center and, after a brief work session, approved a broad consent agenda that included multiple personnel and capital items and a bond ordinance authorized on first reading.

Municipal Clerk Capasso opened the meeting and read the required public-notice statement under the Open Public Meetings Act, saying, “IN COMPLIANCE WITH N.J.S.A. 10:4, OPEN PUBLIC MEETINGS ACT, NOTICE WAS GIVEN …” Council President Seven Oglesby called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m.

The council approved the consent agenda on a roll-call vote. Items listed on the agenda included Resolution #25-050 (payment of bills); #25-051 (approving a police chief contract); #25-052 (2025 salaries for non-contractual employees); several stipend authorizations tied to a shared-service agreement with the Plumsted Municipal Utilities Authority for named employees; #25-057 (appointing Martin Lynch as municipal housing liaison); #25-058 (approving membership in the Lakehurst Fire Department for Daniel Mitchell); #25-060 and #25-061 (change order and bond actions for the 2023 CDBG Orange Street project); #25-062 (a shared-service agreement with the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Fatal Accident Support Team); #25-063 (approving the 2025 temporary capital budget); and #25-064 (accepting DCA fourth-round affordable housing present and prospective need numbers). The agenda also showed a bond ordinance (Ordinance #2025-01) providing for acquisition of public works equipment with a $700,000 appropriation and authorization of $665,000 in bonds and notes; that ordinance was recorded as approved on first reading in the minutes. The motion to approve the consent agenda was made by Bernadette Dugan and seconded by Patricia Hodges; roll-call tallies in the minutes show the motion carried.

Council discussion and reports included several operational items. Councilman Brian DiMeo raised a previously discussed idea of allowing food trucks at the lake in warmer weather, saying, “If this is something we are considering now is the time to start working on it,” and Council President Oglesby recommended the ordinance committee review whether a permanent ordinance change would be required. Council President Oglesby also encouraged use of an available Urban Forestry Grant to plant additional trees in town.

Public-safety and public-works items were reported: Councilman Jeffrey Emmons requested hash-pattern striping on Proving Ground Road to aid Fire Department and First Aid access and asked Municipal Clerk Capasso to confirm whether the road is borough-owned before Public Works takes action. Councilman Robert McCarthy reported that staffing and vehicles in public safety are adequate but manpower remains taxed; he said the Public Safety Committee is pursuing grants for the police department, parks and downtown and noted an ice-rescue drill with mutual aid set for Feb. 16 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Administrative matters included Council President Oglesby’s note that the code-enforcement position is vacant and the borough is exploring a shared-service option with Manchester. He said the borough currently has no borough administrator and asked committees to meet monthly with department heads and to require monthly departmental reports.

During public comment, resident Bruce Margeson urged attention to downtown property upkeep, saying the “building downtown still has a wooden window, and he doesn’t want the downtown to be a dump,” and asked the council to consider expanding the downtown area toward the funeral home; Municipal Clerk Capasso said she had spoken with the business owner and would follow up.

Before adjourning, the council adopted Resolution #25-065 to move into closed session to discuss personnel matters and contract negotiations under the Open Public Meetings Act; the meeting went into closed session at 7:53 p.m. and returned at 8:05 p.m. The meeting was adjourned at 8:06 p.m. The next regular council meeting is scheduled for Feb. 6.

Votes at a glance: the minutes record roll-call approval of motions to adjourn the work session, to approve minutes (Dec. 19, 2024 and Jan. 1, 2025), to approve the consent agenda (including the resolutions and the bond ordinance first reading), to enter and to end closed session, and to adjourn the meeting. The minutes record the votes as affirmative for the council members present; specific vote tallies appear in the official minutes as recorded.