By Mary Ellen Zangara, Special Writer
Borough Council on Monday night reinstated a higher pay rate of $15 an hour for summer camp counselors.
At the June 11 meeting, the council cut the proposed salary rate to $10 an hour after a discussion with residents and council members who voiced concerns. Mayor Angelo Corradino agreed the rate should be lowered to a lesser hourly rate, and the council voted on it.
At Monday night’s meeting, the issue was back on the agenda. Camp counselors, junior counselors and parents came in support of the camp and the higher hourly rate.
Stephanie Cornelson, of the Manville Recreation, Manville Municipal Alliance and Manville Youth Services Commission, spoke. She is the camp coordinator for the summer camps at the intermediate and Weston schools.
She said she hoped the reduction in pay rate because “all we did was babysit” was “a misunderstanding and not something that was generally believed by the Town Council.”
Ms. Cornelson said both camps receive a total of $5,500 in grant money, and grant money is used for counselor salaries, supplies and refreshments.
”The camps do not at any time use any taxpayer funds nor do we take any money out of the recreation budget,” she said. “There are many costs to run the camps, and it only comes from registration fees, which is only $30 at ABIS and $60 at Weston a week. It is very, very minimal compared to camps in surrounding towns. If there is any money left, it is used for the junior counselor appreciation dinner.”
She said her research showed no other towns run junior counselor programs. Kids are from the high school, and they volunteer their time for the three or four weeks of camp.
”I am very proud to be a part of this program, and I hope that after tonight you will see how important this program is,” Ms. Cornelson said. “I wanted to say that I have always felt supported by this town in the past, and I have always been helped when I go to Borough Hall.”
Councilwoman Susan Asher asked Ms. Cornelson to tell council members about the camp.
Ms. Asher also asked where the salaries came from. Ms. Cornelson said some comes from grant money and some from registration fees.
Ms. Asher said she was concerned about the discrepancy with pool lifeguards’ pay at $10 to $10.50 an hour.
”They need to go through the certification class, plus the CPR class, which is their own responsibility, and I think seeing $15 (per hour) for a camp counselor, for whatever activities, it was a little offensive to the people who hold a lifeguard position for $5 less an hour,” she said.
Councilman Richard Onderko told Ms. Cornelson she should have been at the last meeting “because we had no information. How do you expect us to make the proper decisions up here if we do not have all the facts?”
Ms. Cornelson said she did not know the issue was going to be on the agenda.
”I don’t blame you,” she said. “I am just hoping that this get amended, and we can continue to work together.”
Resident Dennis Penny said he thought the camp “is a fantastic program and a benefit to the town.”
Residents Larissa Mattei and Don Frank, Roosevelt teacher and camp counselor April Stone, ABIS teacher Fifi Germano and parent Rita Alpaugh all urged the mayor and council to support the higher rate.
Resident John Mehalick, who said he wasn’t at the June 11 meeting, asked how the question arose.
Resident Susan Star, who is running for Borough Council, said she was the first resident who questioned the salaries at the last meeting.
”Not once, mayor, did you say that it was funded by a grant,” she said. “I asked (Borough Administrator) Gary (Garwacke), and he said that the borough paid.”
If any of the council members or the mayor had mentioned the grant at that meeting, she said, “If people knew about that, people in the audience, this would have been over.”
Mayor Corradino said, “This same council voted yes the last three years. It was never brought up where this money was coming from.”
Ms. Star told the mayor a lot of this could have been avoided if it was brought up.
”That is why I put it back on the agenda tonight,” he said.

