MAY 2010
MINUTES
Meeting called to order by Organization
President, Vin Gopal 7:30 pm
Salute to Flag/Moment of Silence
Roll Call - Board Members Present: Vin
Gopal, John McCarthy, Gregg Bernicker, Jo-Ann Dinan
Absent: Tom Kelly
Member Introduction: Members
introduced themselves and gave their business location.
Reading of minutes of prior meeting
waived, copies available to all.
Motion to accept minutes John Palitto,
2nd. Sue Noble. All in favor, no objections.
Committee Reports
Treasurer Report: Balance in account @
5/12/10 $4626.00
Membership: Grace Marchena – To date
approximately 81 members have paid 2010 dues.
Web Site: Charles Hoagland – Notices
on line. Continue to move forward on electronic e-mail
notification, data base growing will continue to increase
and improve.
Blue Claws Fundraiser: John Pallitto –
Ticket sales slow. Everyone asked to display ticket flyer.
Looking for six (6) additional volunteers to work the food
and beverage concession stand in August as per our
commitment.
Government Affairs: - Vin Gopal & John
McCarthy – Date for event to discuss pros and cons of big
box stores has been set for June 9, 2010 at the Brookdale
College Learning Center. All elected officials from
surrounding communities will be invited. Cliff Moore will
moderate.
Publicity: Vin Gopal – Hazlet
Happenings will no longer be mailed to households in
Hazlet. We will continue to provide a quarterly article for
their on-line publication.
A post card with date and info of forum
and meeting dates for the quarter will be mailed to all
businesses.
Police Report: None available
Member Discount Cards - Approval by
membership last meeting. Waiting for Vendor to print.
New Business
Presentation – Scholarship Awards
Top Honors was awarded to Raritan High
School Senior, Frank Stabile. Mr. Stabile received a
$500.00 check from HBOA. Honorable Mention was awarded to
the following in alpha order:
John Bowen – Monmouth Vocational
Culinary Ed Center
Jushua Larkin- Raritan High School
Michael Marini – Raritan high School
James tucker – Mater Dei High School
Each student received a gift bag with
various items donated by local businesses and a $50.00
American Express Card.
Students were accompanied by their
parents and all expressed thanks to the business Community
of Hazlet.
Guest Speaker – Grace Marchena
Ms. Marchena discussed Marketing and
the importance of both print advertising and word of mouth
advertising. The more costly advertising of Radio, TV and
Internet is also invaluable if your business can afford it.
Open Forum:
Information that the Township generated
a savings of approximately $434,000 in sewer costs, which
would be used to offset tax increases by placing these
savings into the regular budget, was not favored by the
membership. Rather they believe that a portion of the
savings should be used to lower premiums paid by businesses
to match the fees charged to residential customers.
Motion to adjourned 8:50 pm
Next Meeting June 9, 2010
APRIL 2010
MINUTES
Meeting called
to order by Organization President, Vin Gopal 7:15 pm
Salute to Flag/Moment of
Silence
Roll Call - Board Members
Present: Vin Gopal, John McCarthy, Jo-Ann Dinan
Absent: Tom Kelly, Gregg
Bernicker
Member Introduction: Members
introduced themselves and gave their business location.
Reading of minutes of prior
meeting waived, copies available to all.
Motion to accept minutes Sue
Noble, 2nd . Cliff Moore. All in favor, no
objections.
Committee
Reports
Treasurer Report: Balance in
account @ 4/14/10 $3,405.29
Membership: Grace Marchena –
To date approximately 81 members have paid 2010 dues.
Web Site: Charles Hoagland -
Moving forward on electronic e-mail notification, data base
growing will continue to increase and improve. Members who
remain un-paid will be removed temporarily from Web site.
Discussion on new virus from the Ukraine, methods to avoid
and anti-virus information were offered.
Blue Claws Fundraiser: John
Pallitto – Ticket sales slow. Everyone asked to display
ticket flyer. Looking for six (6) additional volunteers to
work the food and beverage concession stand in August as per
our commitment.
Scholarship: John Pallitto –
Deadline for students to submit applications to their
Guidance Office is April 15. Will follow up with all schools
to acquire any applications by May 1st. deadline.
Winner to be selected prior to May HBOA meeting. Photo
session planned for newspaper advertisement.
Government Affairs: - Vin
Gopal & John McCarthy – Date for event to discuss pros and
cons of big box stores has been set for May 19th
at the Brookdale College Learning Center. All elected
officials from surrounding communities will be invited.
Publicity: Vin Gopal – New
section of the Monitor newspaper spotlighting Hazlet
Businesses will begin shortly.
Police Report: Det. Jeff
Miller – Report of several auto break-ins in the West
Keansburg section of town. Reminder to keep car doors locked
and place valuables out of sight. Alleged perpetrator of the
Radio Shack robbery has been identified. He is a resident of
Sayreville and a former employee of Radio Shack in another
town. He has not yet been apprehended.
Motion to approval the
purchase of 5000 discount cards @ $1,500 and approximately
400 to 500 window display decals. Total approved expenditure
$2,000. Each member will receive approximately 25 member
discount cards as part of HBOA membership. Additional cards
may be purchased directly from vendor. Motion Grace Marchena,
2nd. Bob Zingler
Business Card
Exchange/Networking Event tabled to future date.
New Business
Letter from S.T.A.R.S. a 501 ©
3 organization requesting sponsorship for their 5K run that
will take place on August 28th. Motion to make a
donation from HBOA John Pallitto, 2nd. Vin Gopal.
Specifics regarding amount will be discussed by the
Executive Committee after a review of finances.
Open Forum:
Two members of the Township
Committee were in attendance, James DeNardo and Joseph
Marques. Also in attendance was former Mayor Kevin Lavan.
They were asked to up-date the membership on the status of
the reduction in sewer costs since the closing of the Sewer
Authority and how rates will affect businesses. We were
advised that there was a savings of over $434,000.00,
however, there are no plans at this time to reduce rates for
commercial or residential entities by the majority of the
Township committee, rather they have decided to use these
funds in the general budget.
We were also advised that
there has been no discussion on the pro-rating of fees
required by all businesses.
The minority party is in
agreement to look favorably upon a reduction in rates for
both commercial and residential entities for sewer and also
open to the prorating of fees, however, they have advised
they are powerless to do anything to move these matters
forward.
It was determined that a group
of business owners would attend a Township Committee meeting
to discuss these matters. Cliff Moore a Business Owner and
Hazlet Resident will be the spokesperson.
Post Card mailing: Not
everyone received their e-mail notification of meeting.
Association to begin mailing post cards with quarterly or
semi-annual meeting dates. The Monitor has been sending the
e-mails from their account in an effort to save the
association the monthly fees, however, e-mails will now
arrive directly from a HBOA web address rather than from the
Monitor.
It has also been suggested
that HBOA obtain their own Post Office Box. Currently we are
using former President John Conti’s PO Box.
Guest Speaker: Cliff Moore –
The Brand of Me
A look at the ever changing
trends in communication. Discussion on the importance of
utilizing other forms of communication, i.e. Facebook,
Linkedin & Twitter. Cliff offers several workshops on
networking and marketing. For further information go to
www.thebrandofme.info
Next Month’s “Business of the
Month” Perkins Restaurant
Motion to adjourn 9:20 pm
Next Meeting May 12, 2010
