The Borough Board of Burgesses held a regular meeting and a meeting of electors on Tuesday, February 11. The elections will be held Monday, May 5, and will seek to fill several positions, including warden, burgesses, clerk, treasurer, and more.

Borough Clerk Ann Scaia read the names of the candidates and the positions they are running for. They are as follows: Warden, Joseph Maher; Burgesses, Christopher Gardner, Sarah Phillips, and Peter Schwarz; Clerk, Ann Scaia; Treasurer, Ann Scaia; Tax Collector, Jodie Enriquez; Board of Assessment Appeals, John Madzula; Zoning Commission Members, Douglas McDonald, Mike Mandarano; Zoning Board of Appeals, John Madzula, John Fletcher.

Regular Meeting’s Warden Report

Following the meeting of electors, the Board of Burgesses hosted a regular meeting. Maher first discussed the sign that was cut down and stolen from the Castle Hill Road and Taunton Lake Road area last year.

At the last meeting, it was suggested to inquire about whether or not this act of vandalism could have been reimbursed through insurance, though it was determined that the sign did not meet the deductible. Due to a lack of sufficient funds and frozen ground, the replacement sign and metal pole will not be replaced yet.

The burgesses then discussed updating the signers on the accounts from Paula Brinkman to Scaia. Brinkman was the former treasurer of the Borough but is not seeking re-election. The motion was passed unanimously.

Legal Fees And Budget Season

The burgesses did not discuss budget plans at length during this meeting, though it was mentioned a few times. The burgesses had to make another transfer of funds from the fund account to the legal line item.

Maher pointed out that “we’re 200% over the annual line item” for legal fees, and Senior Burgess Chris Gardner suggested that the burgesses take an in-depth look at the finances overall before the budget is drafted.

Burgess Jim Gaston made a motion to transfer $9,494.50 from the legal line item in the fund balance to pay attorneys. The motion passed.

Flagpole Damages

On Sunday, January 26 at 4:30 pm, a man from Bethel hit the flagpole head-on in a 2021 Nissan Titan. The collision vibrated up the flagpole to the top and caused the finial ball at the top to snap off and crash onto Main Street.

Burgesses John Madzula and Sarah Phillips were both nearby and ran outside to see what happened. Madzula explained he was vacuuming his home and saw the flagpole swaying from his window. Phillips said she heard the crash from her home as well.

When the two went outside, they saw the finial ball lying in the middle of Main Street, and they rushed to retrieve it.

Gardner, the Keeper of the Flag, explained he was visiting his son when he received a text from Phillips saying “that the ball fell off the flagpole.” Gardner continued, “As everyone may or may not remember, back in 2012 this happened and they never found the ball.”

Gardner added that “This will not cost the Borough a penny … the town’s finance director … will file a claim with the gentleman’s insurance company.” He expressed interest in having the pole repainted when the ball is replaced and estimated the job to cost around $5,000-$6,000. The finial ball itself cannot be fixed; its replacement will be about $200-$300, depending upon if it is gilded.

The finial ball’s final resting place is in the jail cell in the vault, which was just repainted. Gardner hopes to have the ball replaced by spring.

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Reporter Sam Cross can be reached at sam@thebee.com.