Heat. Heat. [music] [music] This meeting is being held in accordance with the provisions of the Open Public Meetings Act of the State of New Jersey. Notice of time and place of this meeting was published in the annual meeting
calendar and was posted on the bulletin board by the city clerk on November 21st, 2025. The 2025 meeting calendar was published in legal advertisements in the Jersey Journal and the Star Ledger in December 2024.
Additional notice of this meeting was faxed to the Bergen Record, the Trenton Times, and the Star Ledger on November 21st, 2025. Lee, you like to start with a roll call? >> Oh, the pledge of allegiance.
>> Let's do the pledge of allegiance first. I aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.
>> All right, Lee, if you could do the roll call. Okay. >> Commissioner Fee, I should say. >> Commissioner Nikki is absent. He'll be here shortly. Commissioner McGee >> here. >> Commissioner Driscoll >> present. >> Commissioner Glover
>> here. >> Commissioner Hivvac >> present. >> Um, Commissioner Bau is absent. Alternate Commissioners Muldan >> present. >> Alternate Commissioner Furus
>> present. Staff Secretary J David Rcowski is on the phone with us and Staff Secretary Joe Ryan is here. We have a quorum. >> All right. Thank you very much, Commissioner Fee. All right. We um have the minutes if we want to look them over
so we could adopt them. >> Actually, the minutes aren't ready yet. Um, I was uh ill for the last meeting and I did not receive the link to the meeting until quite recently. So, I was
not um I didn't have enough time to do the minutes yet. So, I'll have to adopt them uh in January. >> Okay. Very good. All right. So, um we're going to go through a review of correspondence. >> Okay. There's uh correspondence in your
original packet. First, there was a letter I sent to EBI Consulting which uh requested comment on telephonic equipment being placed at Topbound High School. Um there was a basically a no
comment comment on a proposal for uh Harbor Station South area in the former military ocean terminal. Um another no comment comment on a proposal for 78 West 16th Street. Uh and then in the supplement to the packet that um I
handed out tonight, uh there were two items that uh we would need to comment on this evening. Uh one was a proposal for um 102-116
Avenue E um which had been the Bean property and it's a proposal to construct a six-story multifamily residential building consisting of 105 residential units uh 110 parking spaces
53 bicycle spaces and 4394 square ft of indoor residential amenity space, an amenity courtyard, an amenity deck, a green roof, a loading zone, outdoor terraces, etc., etc. Um, so that was the Avenue E proposal. And then
there is um a proposal for um what was the Clayton Block uh company over on Route 440 um and uh sorry, New Hook Road. And it would really just involve replacing
Clayton block with a parking lot. So to coin a phrase, tear on Clayton Block, put up a parking lot. Um, so do any of the commissioners have comments? I I know a few people sent me
um no comment comments on the Avenue E proposal. Um, anyone have comments on 102-116 Avenue E or on um that parking lot proposal? >> No comments. >> No comments.
>> I have no objection to either one. >> Okay. Thank you very much. I'll send in the uh either no comment or no no objections. >> I'm looking back at what's in my mind of what's in Are you talking about the one that was the high school? Uh that was
that was already commented >> already. Well, when you guys just go back and tell me what the comment was. >> Okay. I have one. I don't know if I have any more. >> Okay. Uh we had a deadline for that. The comment essentially was that uh there weren't objections to the telephonic
equipment so long as there wasn't any um endangerment to um Bayon High School uh to its structure. >> Right. Actually, I sent you that comment. >> Yes. And I appreciated that. And uh that was a good comment to use.
>> There is a considerable amount of architectural detail that is missing from the building that was removed and put inside the building at one point in time. Okay, >> this might not be a bad time
for this time. Statuary is Dutch and Indians that used to be on the building. So, you know, it might be the right time to talk about it since it existed. And Dr.
Walter Wit and I both worked on a project where we were trying to get them put back up on the building, but no such luck at that point in time. >> Okay, I can pass on an additional comment to the company. That's easy enough to do. >> If the things are available, at the very
least, they should be put in the museum >> and I could produce photographs of them as well. Okay, I think that was it in terms of correspondence both in the uh original packet and in the supplements.
All right. Are we good here? Move on to the any requests for comments from the zoning board. We did that. >> We just did that. >> Updates on historic properties. >> Nothing new. I'm still working on it. >> Do you have any target dates?
>> Not actually, Jerry. Um, as you know, we did get a notification that we're all required to take a course um, in preservation. So, I'd like to take the course first before I do any outlines on it.
>> I did ask about that course when I was down at um the New Jersey League of Municipalities conference in Atlantic City. Uh sometimes Ruters offers these courses and Rutgers as of then didn't know anything about it. So they were going to look into it and uh were very
happy I had told them. >> They also sent out a message that said you don't need this in order to do any work that the commission does today. You should just keep doing what you're doing >> so long as you take the course sometime in the next 18 months apparently.
>> Uh Joe, I do have a question. You mean we have to go to Ruckers for this course? >> That wasn't clear because Ruters didn't even know about it. Sometimes the course is done by Ruters. Sometimes it's done by the League of Municipalities. The last I heard there was no clear
direction about the when, the where, the how. So, at the moment, there's literally nothing to do that I'm aware of. >> Yeah, because I'm at a loss. They're going to record. >> Um, it could be online. We we just don't know yet. uh I'll have to pursue it
again after the holidays, but Rutgers didn't know anything about it and they are quite often the ones offering the courses and sometimes the League of Municipalities offers courses. There's a mandatory one for planning and zoning people that's available in Atlantic City
in November's of each year, >> right? It would be great if it could be offered somewhere close in Bayon or even in Jersey City, somewhere we could get to easily. They'll certainly have to do it either online or in person somewhere,
but as of now, no information on it. I I tried to find out. I thought they might know and it turned out they didn't know yet. [laughter] >> Just have not returned to work as yet and I'm holding off waiting to hear from my doctor about returning work, but that
means I'm available. So, and I'm far more annoying than you ever were. So, he would like me keep on the Ruters people during the uh the time you know the next month or so since we don't meet for a while I would be happy to do that
>> if you want to call the the Rutgers government services people and ask them hey is there anything new yet or is someone else doing it or you doing it that would be great >> okay >> okay >> I'll do that and I'll report back to you if I find out anything >> thank you >> significant
>> I'd even take the insignificant >> well I don't want to Uh, other updates on properties. I think Frank and I owe a report on Mount Carmel, but I think the holidays got away from me at least. So, I think that's going to be a new year um initiative.
>> Not only that, but I want to add to that Dr. Carmelo Carnus who as you know is is a memberus of this group and also a long time member of the historical society has recently made a a
very um generous donation of a lot of her writings and also work that she did with commissioner and commissioner well commissioner on uh the uh caramel district and also also on
William J. Revan the last blacksmith in Von and I'm looking at different ways of re refitting that information. So I want to give to uh Commissioner Driscoll. This is called Mount Carmel Historic District Bay, New Jersey linking the
future with the past. It was written by Jesse Hannah Ramson who was formerly a member of this group and uh it dated spring 2004. So, if this could be extra input or whatever or if it helps in any way, this is a nice companion to the
piece that St. Anony's um St. Andrews gave us, which was a a latest a latest write up about the history of St. Anthony based on what St. It's the history of Mount Carmel based on what the St. Andrews people gave us recently
and it's like a companion to this. So, I want to do a scan on this to give you that. >> That's great. I can actually do it on my phone. I'll grab it from you after. >> Okay, great. I don't know how long it's about, but anyway, that information is
available to you. I'm going through the rest of her uh donation to see what might be applicable or appropriate. Um, and I think that's it for that talk. Okay. All right. Uh do we have any other
business uh to discuss or should we go to the elections? >> No, I have something. >> Oh, okay. >> Um I think Commissioner Driscoll and I and several other people I think um um I think you were involved in the
discussion as well. >> Yeah. and that was that it would be nice to to find a way to use some of the historical information on Earth just the same way where you know the historical society or the historic preservation commission if we produce something
that's available that could be reused and one of the things that we did do and regrettably when it happened regrettably when it happened I was out sick uh but it was talking um regrettably I was out sick at that
point in time. But what we were thinking about was could we use the information that's in the state museum, the New Jersey state museum about archaeological finds which may mainly were along the route of the Central of Railroad of New
Jersey train. Uh this this memorabilia was brought to Bon and shown to the committee. I was thinking of different places. my im immediately I thought about along the right of uh the
um the central railroad. It's now the the light rail stations. So in those light rail stations, things could be put up there. And I've noticed that there's been a renewed interest. There's a quotes bus station that is at the city line
uh across the street from what used to be Barrett's Tavern that was installed around in the 1950s and it was listed as a bus station and stuff but there it has some large wall space in it and if it done properly if we covered the material
with something that's non-graffiti we might be able to put something up there that would be an interesting welcome to Bon and it might also list the arch the um archaeological things that were found at u Mercer Park and the history of Mercer Park, which is interesting. And
General Mercer built the um the um the um the fort that was uptown in Bale and the uh fortifications that were downtown at Bergen Point. So, it would fit in nicely with the anniversary next year.
It would give us a a link back to things that came from Bayon originally. And I I think it's something we should talk to the New Jersey State Museum people about. And perhaps I I I had in I think the previous meeting suggested that Dr. Ryan talk to the the um commissioners
about what they would like to see done in Bon regarding this this anniversary. Now, you may not have gotten the minutes early quickly enough or early enough to, but maybe you could take a take that up this during this um winter vacation that
we have to find out, you know, what they're what they are thinking, what they would like to see and if this would fit into that and anything else that they would like to suggest or add that we could look at doing. Make sense?
Just to clarify, is this um this bus facility you're talking about the stone one that's right next to Mercer Park? >> Yeah. Okay. It's it's you know, it's where if you're waiting for a bus, you would stand under that and to not get wet. >> Um it's it's been chopped down a little
bit, but now it's been boosted up a little bit. New lighting has been put in, etc. So somebody somebody's trying to care for it and I think uh that deserves to be rewarded with uh a little bit more u a little bit more tender loving care I think are the words we
want and the other thing that I would suggest is that we may want to talk to the historical society or our own money if we have money left over for plaques etc. There is a plaque about um Mercer
Park, you know, General Mercer, you Mercer, uh that's at one of the entrance gates to that park and it's been a while. I think the last time we we cleaned it was in 1994. So, I think it would bear a nice little cleaning. It would benefit from it. Um
since it was cleaned the last time, it's it's remained amazingly graffiti free. I don't know. I don't know how to explain that, but I guess people people maybe are getting nicer. I I have I have a um theory that I want to prove that people in Bayon and Jersey City are actually
becoming nicer. And >> we're not sure why, but if that's true, why not clean it and make it look even better than it looks now? >> Can you add that to our running list of things? You know, like a list >> because uh we're going to want to remember these when we come back from
from our uh winter what is this? Our winter solstice. >> Yeah. winter break. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> All right. Thank you, J. >> And I apologize for being late, but I wasn't even sure if I was going to get here today because, as I said, I have some medical issues and we're trying to find out what I have to do about them
and whether I have to take some time to address them because I don't always I I my own health is something I seem to pay the least attention to. >> Well, Jerry, it's it's always important to have you here, even late. Well, well, you know, as you have just proven, you
can run the meeting, too. >> Yes, but not as good as >> Thank you so much. >> Not as good as you, though. >> No. Well, you you did fine. >> Oh, thank you, Jerry. >> Is there anything else that we need to >> in order to move on to the
reorganization portion of the evening? Um I think a a motion is an order to close the um regular part of the meeting. Um do I hear? >> We have a motion from Jerry. We have a second.
>> Second. >> All in favor? >> I >> I >> Okay. So we will now open up the annual reorganization meeting. Let's deal first with the adoption of a um meeting
calendar for 2026. Uh it's on the last page of the packet that I mailed out to everyone. Um I tried to follow in terms of dates the same approximate outline that we used
for 2025 generally using um fourth Tuesdays but with a few exceptions. Um there are no meetings scheduled for June, July or August. Um it's been uh the tradition of
this commission to avoid stepping on Thanksgiving week or Christmas week. That's why we're meeting on this odd Monday, December 1st date. And uh in the last few years, we've had to take care not to have a meeting scheduled for um
the last week of October because early voting takes place in this room. and um you just can't have a meeting and the early voting process going on at the same time. So with those provisos in
mind, the proposed calendar is Tuesday, January 27th, Tuesday, February 24th, Tuesday, March 24th, Tuesday, April 28th, Tuesday, May 26th. Then after the summer break, Tuesday, September 22nd,
and to avoid stepping on the early voting, Tuesday, October 20th, and then to avoid stepping on either Thanksgiving or Christmas, Monday, November 30th. Now, um, another issue aside from the dates that you should consider before
adopting a resolution, the city council, uh, last year moved its meeting time from 7 to 6. Um, and I would ask the commissioners to consider whether 6:00, uh, getting an early start and therefore
an earlier finish would be appropriate or if there are reasons for people's personal schedules why they might prefer to leave it at 7:00 p.m. So 6:00 p.m. to get it done earlier. 7:00 p.m. might accommodate schedules or 6 p.m. might
accommodate some schedules. I don't know what everyone's schedule is. So that's why there's the option there of either 6 PM or 7 PM. So there there'd be two issues there. Adopting the dates and adopting a time
>> cont 630. Okay, we could >> be a little bit difficult. Does that give you enough time to get >> coming from that area? It would be a challenge, but I can do it if it
everybody agrees to do that. But I think 6:30 is a >> Okay. Do do we need to take a formal vote on 6 versus 6:30 versus 7 >> or could we discuss it? >> I I think we should discuss it more. >> Okay. All right. Floor is open to discussion.
>> I think we should leave it at 7. I mean there are those of us who have things to do in the day and then we have to go home and maybe change get refreshed to come to the meeting. I think we should just leave it as it is.
>> I agree with that. It would be very difficult for me to get here earlier than seven. I think the city council moving up to six, they have a a little more intense calendar than we do. So, we don't really, you know, run over
an hour and the city council, you know, usually does. So, we not going to be here. You know, I can see why they would move it up, but I don't think it's necessary for us to do it person. That's my personal opinion. It would be difficult for me to get here before 7 as you could even sort today.
>> Other views on 6 versus 6:30 versus 7. >> I'm in the same boat. I a community I don't always commute from the city, but sometimes I do. So, it's difficult for me to make it back for 6:00 or 6:30, but I I could make it work if that's the overwhelming preference.
>> I don't think it is the overall consensus to be honest. >> Okay. >> Shall we then go? >> Okay. Um could someone first of all if we're we're dividing this up into time and date uh could someone make a motion for a particular time and then we'll see
if that uh wins or loses and then we could try the other times to see >> I make a motion for seven. >> I second it. >> All in favor? >> Should we do a roll call or just all in favor? >> Okay. Uh
I'll I'll do a I'll do a roll call. >> Now, this is in favor of the 7 o'clock >> In favor of the 7 o'clock starting time. Uh Jerry, >> vote for 7 o'clock. >> Frank, >> yes. 7 o'clock.
>> Lee, 7 o'clock. >> Jessica, >> yep. >> Lisa, >> seven. >> Donna, >> yes. Seven. Jesse, >> I like everybody here. So, yes,
[laughter] >> Jesse's gonna be mayor someday. >> Mike, >> yes. >> Okay. No need to take a vote on the other times because everyone said seven. So, 7:00 is uh the winner. Now,
>> in terms of the dates, um, are these dates acceptable? [snorts] Does anyone want to change, add, subtract, multiply, or divide any of the dates listed? >> I'll make a motion to accept the dates as specified in the proposed agenda.
>> I second it. All >> in favor? Hi. >> Hi. >> Hi. >> Okay. The second part of the reorganization meeting is the election of a chair, a vice chair, and a
secretary. Um, they could be done as a slate. They could be voted on individually. Is there a um is there a motion on the floor as to procedure?
>> I vote for Lisa to be secretary. >> Uh, thank you. But I'm not interested in serving as secretary. Thank you. Are we going to do um do them separately then? >> Okay. Um is there a motion on the floor
to elect as a slate or elect uh offices separately? Um floor is open to whatever resolution anyone wants to put forward as to procedure. I mean I I think last year we did a slate and then we did a paper paper
ballot, right? We just like kind of tore a little piece of paper and then um put it in. I'm I I would be fine with that. >> Okay. Uh >> I will make a move. >> Are you making a motion then that um the officers be elected on the basis of a
slate? >> Correct. Yes. >> Okay. Is there a second? >> Second. Okay. Um, does anyone see the need for a roll call vote on this issue? If so, we'll take a
roll call. >> We need to identify who's in this. >> We're in favor of the procedure. >> It's a vote on procedure. >> So, we're just saying so to Well, we have to separate this. There's
a a procedural motion on the floor which would would have to take precedence. So, uh there is a a motion made and seconded to do the voting on the basis of a slate. Uh Jerry, do you support that? >> Yes.
>> Okay. >> Frank, do you support that? >> Yes. >> Lee, do you support that? >> Yes. >> Jessica, do you support that? >> Yes. >> Lisa, do you support that? Yes. >> Donna, do you support that? >> Yes. >> Okay. Maria is absent. Jesse, do you
support that? >> Yes. >> Michael, do you support that? >> Yes. >> Okay. So, the slate uh idea had >> Michael. >> No. >> No. The um
>> Yes. the um the procedure in terms of a the planning board representative, the planning board um would have to put forward a new person and I put in a request for that. I'm waiting to see what the result is.
>> Okay. So, but we are missing one. So, you're missing one and I am uncomfortable with voting on this issue this time. I would I would suggest that we actually delay this until we because I don't know if I'm going to be
here next and also we have another person that probably needs to be introduced to the group who they're voting for the opportunity. So what we did last year was we actually deferred I don't think we voted at the
end. No, no. I I do remember. Um either you or um Lee said to keep the same slate >> that I do remember. >> Didn't we have one year when we >> I actually don't remember the year, but
I I do know about last year. >> Yeah. Look, >> we did do it the other way. >> Yeah. At one point that did happen. At one point that did happen. Well, you one might also make an argument the other way. If you think you're not going to be here next time, that might be an argument for doing it now. You're saying
someone else might be here next time who doesn't exist yet. That would be an argument for the other way. So, >> you know, you're getting another person to replace. >> That's been that's been the promise. But who is that person? When will that person actually be named by the planning board? Apparently soon. But I don't know
when soon is until it happens. >> Okay. If you want to go ahead with it without >> It's it's it's up it's up to the the body. Uh there was a procedural vote to do it by slate. Um and it's the the floor is open if anyone wants to make a
motion to do it now, not do it now, to nominate a slate, uh that's that's entirely up to the body. So whatever anyone wants to put on, the floor floor is open. >> I think it would be a good idea to wait until January.
>> Okay. Are you putting that in the form of a motion to postpone the election of officers until >> Yes, I make a motion to postpone the election until January. >> Is there a second? >> I second.
Okay. So, a motion has been made and seconded to postpone the election of officers until January 2026. Um, I'll do a roll call vote on this. Uh, Jerry, >> I >> Frank,
I guess I >> Lee. >> Yep. >> Jessica, >> I'll abstain. abstain. Lisa, >> I also abain.
>> Donna, >> I >> Okay, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven. Sorry, that's six people have voted so far. Um,
now Jesse, your alternate one. Um, are you voting I or nay or abstaining? >> Boy, guys, this is tough. Um, >> either way, it's it's it's in favor, right? So, um, I'll abstain.
>> All right. Um All right. So at the moment it's been one, two, three, three, four, four yeses and one, two, three abstain. Well, that that's a yes to
postpone then until January. Okay. So all right. So the election of officers will take place in January. The uh motion that passed earlier was for a slate. So my suggestion would be come
prepared to nominate uh a slate uh in January >> to accept being nominated at that time. So everybody needs to think about do they want to do that. >> Okay. So I I would say that since that
matter was postponed and those were the only two items on the agenda, the adoption of a calendar and the election of officers and the election of officers has postponed that this evening's reorganization um will be continued uh in January and
there's no further item related to that that I can see um on the agenda at this time relating to uh reorganization. So I will advise the uh city clerk that the calendar was adopted so we can
reserve the meeting dates for next year and we'll leave the time at 7 and uh we'll come back to the issue of election of officers in January. So we can't close the reorganization meeting. It'll just be carried over till January. Okay.
Um it >> ask a question back to the other meeting basically I wanted to ask you to do one thing for the next meeting which is can you identify how much um
how much money I guess basically but um you know money for signage etc as we've done each year because I've kind of lost track where we are with that >> okay the City of Bayon is on a calendar
year for its budget. The calendar year ends at the end of this month and a new calendar year kicks in January 1st. I'll have to check with uh the finance department to see uh what the status of
funding is uh since this budget year is about over. And generally what happens in January is the city council in recent years has held an early January meeting to pass a temporary um spending uh measure so that the city
can start paying its bills as of early January. Um so I'll have to clarify what the status is. >> Budget was the word I was trying to think of. Budget was the word I was trying to think of and couldn't think of. And you know whether how does that work? Does it carry over the money? We do.
>> I'll have to ask because sometimes there are budgetary transfers. >> Yeah. Because I don't recall us using anything. >> I don't recall the money being used in this calendar year. >> Right. So, if we have funding available or if not, then we want to make sure we don't mess it up by ignoring signage um
in the new year. We should take advantage of it because sometimes if you don't use it, you end up losing it and that would be a shame to uh to lose it. >> All right. I'll inquire of the finance department and um try and find out the
status. >> Thank you. >> Is there any other business before the commission? >> I don't think so. Anyway, >> do we have a motion? Are we adjourning this? >> Uh >> we're journing the regular meeting.
>> Okay. the the reorganization meeting is carried over to January. The >> I thought we made a motion to adjourn the meeting. >> Well, we have to adjourn for the evening. >> Okay. Do we get a motion to adjourn? >> I'll make the motion to adjurnn. >> Second. >> Mr. Chairman, we just got to make the
announcement that the next meeting is January 27th >> at 7 p.m. I second the motion to adjurnn. All >> in favor? I I [clears throat] Good. >> Thank you.