Gazebo removal blamed on bail reform

The gazebo on the Newton Green was removed because it was the site of multiple crimes, Commissioner William Hayden told the Sussex County Board of County Commissioners at its meeting July 10.

Newton Police Chief Steve VanNieuwland told him that “a lot of the problem is that you can’t keep re-arresting these people,” Hayden said. “They’re not going to held on anything. Because of bail reform, we’re stuck with what we have.

”So as a result, there was no better option, and as it was pretty much dilapidated, moving it elsewhere - something I thought we could do - that wasn’t going to happen.”

Chris Carney, deputy director of the board, agreed that the gazebo needed to come down. “We were just a glutton for punishment with that being there.”

Hayden also reported that during a visit to the Sussex County Municipal Utilities Authority, he learned that the county dumps are good for almost eight more years. “That’s a great thing.”

”The facility is state-of-the-art compared to what we have in the rest of the state,” he added.

Carney said a new street sweeper has arrived. It was purchased for $270,504 in federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. The county Department of Public Works now has a sweeper at every garage.

The state requires sweeping three times a year of all 620 miles of county roads, he noted.

An all-way stop has been installed at the intersection of County 517 (McAfee Glenwood Road) and Lake Pochung Road in Vernon, he added.

Another all-way stop is being installed at the intersection of County Road 519 (Colesville Lusscroft Road) and County Road 650 (Deckertown Road) in Wantage. That change was requested by Commissioner Jack DeGroot about two years ago, before he ran for office.

A fundraiser for the Sussex County Food Pantry will be held Saturday, Aug. 3 at the New Jersey State Fair/Sussex County Farm & Horse Show. Fair attendees will be asked to donate $1 for the pantry that day, Carney said.

SCCC seeks federal grant

During a presentation, Corey Homer, vice president of student success and institutional effectiveness at Sussex County Community College (SCCC), told the board that the college is applying for a grant to fund a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program.

The grant from the federal Department of Education would provide $272,000 every year for five years and does not require matching funds.

Eighteen grants are awarded nationwide to fund student support services.

SCCC would use the grant to aid students affiliated with the military and the 100 veterans attending the college each semester, Homer said.

It would fund an instructor for an ROTC program affiliated with Seton Hall University’s program, tutors for student veterans, a mental health counselor for student veterans, and grants to student veterans to pay for books, calculators or other needs.

Among its current services for veterans, SCCC has an emergency fund to help student veterans, a student veteran learning lounge, a dedicated adviser for student veterans and a Salute Veterans National Honor Society as well as a free Veterans Day dinner hosted by the Culinary Institute.

County Administrator Ron Tappan said the Sheriff’s Office is applying for a $91,000 grant to help fund replacement of body-worn cameras. It would require a match of $91,225, which would come from the Sheriff’s Office budget.

The new cameras would be cloud-based and would be upgraded every two years.

Parking meters OK’d

The commissioners approved an ordinance to put meters in the parking garage at 43-47 High St., Newton, next to the Sussex County Courthouse. Parking fees will be 50 cents for each half-hour with a maximum of 10 hours.

Also approved was an ordinance providing for two charging stations for electric vehicles in the garage. Two other parking spaces will be reserved for electric vehicles.

Resolutions approved by the board:

• Authorized the purchase of a modular building for the Sussex County Office of Emergency Management for about $1.2 million in federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act.

• Authorized easement acquisitions and condemnation proceedings for the replacement of a bridge on County Route 565 (Ross’s Corner-Sussex Road) over a tributary of Papakating Creek in Wantage.

• Appointed Katherine Pepe to the Sussex County Community College board of terms through July 10, 2028.

• Appointed Ed Meyer to the county Planning Board to fill the unexpired term of Andrew Borisuk Jr. and appointed Steven Bliss as first alternate member to fill Meyer’s unexpired term. Both terms expire Dec. 31, 2025.