1st Land-Use Meeting 'Best of Both Worlds'

Sylvia Petillo walked from behind the dais and took a front-row seat.

"Excuse us for the confusion," Hopatcong's mayor said to the crowd, laughing. "We're learning how this works."

A few moments of light-hearted hiccups gave way to a smooth first meeting for the borough's land-use board Tuesday night at the . The board, created by Hopatcong as a cost-savings move, replaces the planning and zoning boards. The savings comes from having fewer meetings, which means paying for less time of hired professionals, such as attorneys and engineers, Petillo said.

The board considered four new applications during the two-hour meeting—a variance here, an extension of memorialization there.

But while business was mostly as usual, the process was anything but at first.

After swearing in members, Board Attorney William Haggerty said only certain members could participate in particular discussions, forcing some to step off the dais to be replaced by alternates. And while there was some confusion during and after the meeting as to which applications members, who are categorized between classes I through IV, can participate, Petillo said she believed the meeting went smoothly and subsequent meetings will only improve.

"There are so many years of experience that we didn't have before," he said. "And, before, zoning and planning didn't know what the other one was doing. Now you've got the experience of people together and I think, as we move forward, we have important decisions to make and I think we have the best of both worlds."

As for the early stumbles, Petillo said they were normal.

"There's always a time of transition," she said. "But I think (the former planning and zoning boards) worked well together."

Land-use board member Richard Hoer agreed. Hoer served on the planning board and said he supported the referendum, which , in November to combine the boards.

"I thought it went real well," said Hoer, referring to Tuesday's meeting. "I didn't think really there were any blips or whatever.

"This just cuts down on the amount of bureaucracy. There's just too much bureaucracy in the country today."

Member breakdown

Class I: The mayor or the mayor's designee.

Sylvia Petillo

Class II: A borough official appointed by the mayor other than a member of the governing body

Hopatcong Superintendent Ron Jobeless

Class III: A borough council member appointed by the borough council.

Michael Francis

Class IV: Six Hopatcong residents appointed by the borough council.

Alan Gilbert, Robert Duncan, Roy Winfield, Ken Trumpore, Richard Hoer and Robert Rehe

Alternates: Appointed by the borough council.

Sam Hoagland (I), John Kieser (II), Richard Schindelar (III), Michael Rahill (IV)