By Mark Rosman
Staff Writer
ENGLISHTOWN – The Borough Council has appointed two men to serve as Class II special law enforcement officers in the community.
At a meeting on Aug. 24, council members voted 6-0 to appoint Matthew Buono and Kevin Romano to part-time positions with the Englishtown Police Department.
Both men had been conditionally appointed in July pending the completion of background checks and several tests. Special officers are paid $12 per hour, according to municipal officials.
According to the website njlawman.com, Class I and Class II special officers are trained in motor vehicle laws, first aid, criminal law, use of force and other basic areas. Class II special officers also receive much of the training given to a regular police officer, including firearms training. A Class II special officer has full police powers, but only while on duty.
During the council members’ reports, Councilwoman Lori Cooke said she would like to see the borough employ a program that will allow property owners to pay their property taxes online. Council members indicated that service for property owners is worth examining.
And, Councilman Lou Sarti Jr., who is the chief of the Englishtown Fire Department, announced that the fire department will conduct a ceremony to mark the 15th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States. The one-hour ceremony will take place at 11 a.m. Sept. 11 at the firehouse, 3 S. Main St. There will be bagpipers and guest speakers. All residents are invited to attend the event.
During public comment, resident Rob Lancsak, of Harrison Avenue, addressed an issue he has discussed with council members several times in recent months. Lancsak has expressed concern about sound emanating from a music studio in an industrial park on Harrison Avenue.
Lancsak said he has lived in his home for six years and said the noise became an issue about two years ago. He said the problem has remained unresolved for too long even as officials have looked into the situation in an attempt to determine what is occurring at the site.
“The quality of life for residents should stand for something,” Lancsak said. “It needs to stop … I should be able to read a book inside or outside my home and not hear music … I feel like I am in quicksand” trying to get this resolved.
Councilman Eric Mann described the sound Lancsak was referring to as a “low frequency sound … a bass sound … it is non-directional and the noise can spread out. There are engineering solutions, but whether they are cost-effective for the (industrial park) owner, I don’t know.”
Mayor Thomas Reynolds said he would contact the owner of the industrial park and try to determine if the music studio is going to be a long-term tenant.
Reynolds said if the music studio is going to be a long-term tenant, that agreement may make it cost-effective for the property owner to add soundproofing upgrades to the space that is occupied by the music studio.
A second resident who spoke made officials aware of a situation on Wood Avenue. The resident said her neighbor has a large brick mailbox and trees at the end of his driveway and she said those items are obstructing her view of oncoming traffic when she attempts to pull out of her driveway. She said police officers have warned her about creating an obstruction to traffic because of the way she has to edge her vehicle into Wood Avenue as she leaves her driveway.