It is 7:02. Welcome to the Bminster Township Committee. This is our regularly scheduled April 6, 2026 Township Committee meeting. Recognize that we have a full attendance by the Vance Township Committee here in person.
Miss Ray, may we please have the open public meeting statement? >> Yes, mayor. Adequate notice of this meeting of the township committee would send to the Courier News Somerville, Burnersville News Whippony and to all subscribers and post on the Township of Bedminister's official website at
www.bedministerj.gov and at the township's municipal building on January 6, 201. >> Thank you. Please join me in standing for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the
republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. This is the time of the meeting that we open up uh the microphone and deas up in front
for public comment as well as Zoom and telephone comments questions. Any member of the public wishing to ask a question, make a statement as your opportunity to do so. As we've been saying, I guess within the last year
plus, uh you're not guaranteed of a dialogue with the township committee unless committee members decide to engage. Not guaranteed of getting an answer. Certainly not guaranteed of getting an answer. You're going to >> like
>> Caitlyn is our only remote. >> She is remote. Okay, moving along. We have one, two, three, four, five sets of meeting minutes. You approve. February
9, budget work session two. March 9, budget work session four. Where did you where did budget work session three? I was canceled due to the incoming months whether that
>> Okay. So four becomes Got it. Okay. Uh the March 16th regular township committee meeting, the March 23rd budget work session five and the March 30 budget work session six.
Council questions regarding the meeting minutes. >> Uh the March 23rd one I was not here so I'll have to recuse myself for that one. There's no let's take a motion to approve them. So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I.
>> Thank you. >> And we have three permits to review and approve tonight. First is an annual seasonal farmers market permit benefit from Recklesstown Farm Distillery LLC at the Bedminister Farmers Market
at River Park May 23 through December 5. a social fair permit to benefit community in crisis on May 4, 2026 from 11:00 am to 7 pm at Hamilton Farm Golf Club and a social affair permit to
benefit Baron Headquarters Association on June 7, 2026 from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Fair View Farm on Large Crossroad. Comments or questions regarding those permits? Seeing none, take a motion to approve.
So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> Thank you. >> Monthly report discussion by subcommittee chair >> Rosen. Thank you, Mayor. Um the 75th
annual uh Easter egg hunt was held on Saturday. A tremendous turnout. It was a beautiful day and there were no injuries in the stampede for the quest for the golden egg, which is always a good thing. Um, camp registration opened up last
week and it is going well. Uh, some of the afternoon sessions are close to being full. On the garden f front front, um, there's about 150 plots that have been purchased, which is about half the available ones. It looks like, uh, we
should be ready to go at the, um, end of April. And construction for the new Burnt Mills dog park is scheduled to begin this week, end of April. Jason, >> and that was that was from that was from that was from Neil. Do you uh are you on the same page? >> Well,
>> well, we're working on it. >> You know, driving here. I It didn't look like 150 out there. >> There's boxes still. It's a slowgoing process, especially with sore issues and all kinds of stuff
going busy. >> Yeah. >> Well, no more snow >> and dog park this week. >> Still April. >> They are. Okay. Breaking ground in the dog park should be this week.
>> I don't know. >> Um, that's all I have. >> All right. That's a lot. I heard um once again um the egg hunt I spoke to someone from the fire department. They thought it was the biggest in in >> if not ever in a very long time.
>> Yeah. >> Wow. >> Nice. >> Gina and I were there. >> Yeah, we were there. It was >> right at the um and um that you know drop off for the >> Yeah, I was going to say did you have um interference with the um BNA sound
>> just for parking? you know, just reporting. >> Yeah. So, we they started a little bit later to give people time to get there. Yeah. >> All right. Good. >> It was great. It was great. >> Good. Good. >> Okay, Gina, you're up next. >> Thank you. So, I think that um the gardener will be
ready paperwork-wise by April. Um but I have a DPW uh bi-weekly report. They've been working on grooming the ball fields, which is very exciting for spring, and lining the soccer and lacrosse fields. They started
taking the salters off the trucks, so knock on wood, we don't need those anymore. And filling the garden boxes with soil. There's um reinstallment of down street signs. They move screen top soil from the garden area to DPW yard, added stone
to the dirt roads, grading dirt roads. um the DPW office upgrades that include paint, flooring and ceiling tiles and they just you know are working on those leg boxes so that the garden can move along and worked on heavy equipment and
some pothole repairs in Bedminster and bar. >> Great. >> Yeah, that's all. >> Thank you. Committee woman. >> Good evening, Mayor Jacobs. Good evening everyone. Um, Jacob's Vanavir met a couple weeks ago and couple little
updates on the America 250 which we anticipate holding something on the 4th of July. Um, the only thing that we have I think put in stone is that it's going to be a pig roast which I think is going to be awesome. Um, and we'll talk to the
farmers market um, suppliers to see if they want to um, perhaps bring something to the market that might go with the pig roast. Um, see, Norm Penny, he's in charge of um, organizing some more volunteers for JBH. Uh, that
organization is called the Knox Brigade, which is kind of fun. Um he's he's got about 15 new people to join and uh uh has a volunteer signup sheet. So if anybody in the listening world wants to join, please reach out to uh to Norm and
we'll be happy to have you. It's going to be an an easy way now to get um at least one day a month open for the house, maybe two if we have that many people. So that's pretty exciting. Um let's see. We're having a school day
this month on the 22nd. Um I'm not sure who's coming. Robin, do you know what schools are coming? >> U Manville. Um there's a Willow School and um I I could be wrong, but I think it's the Vander
School in Bridgewater. >> Okay. And uh per usual, it's the the blacksmith, the lace people. um they'll be um lining up our the kids outside and pretending that they're a drill drill team. So, it's a lot of fun if you ever
get a chance to go. And that's for GBH um historic preservation. They did a couple quick approvals. Um one for someone on this town. They're they're uh they just had a
little bit of a review to do with that. And then the advanced property um over here off the highway, they had just some small changes to the outsides of the structure. Um pretty much uh don't mean too much it, but I think they were just looking to save a few dollars and make
some better decisions about where windows and things will go. Um and those were all approved. And then they're just working on some other um maybe additions to the 250th as well. And then let's see. Um the EC they were
supposed their normal meeting is the first Wednesday of every month but because it's Passover they did bump it this month to the 15th. So if anybody wants to uh come to that meeting it's uh April 15th at 7 o'clock here. And that's all I have. >> Okay. Thank you.
>> Committee. >> Thank you mayor. Good evening all. Uh board of health did not have a meeting last month. Hopefully we'll have one this month. Uh, Board of Ed, just a quick reminder, the public hearing for the school budget will be held on April 30th at 7 PM on the school grounds. So, I would encourage anyone interested to
attend that meeting. Mayor, I assume you'll cover library, which we had last month. And that's all I got. So, um, trying to think the library what did, uh, >> so we we did the budget. We did the budget. Library budget. Yep. Yep.
Um, talking about the speakers fund and trying to get some more oversight into some of the volunteer donations. Uh, we did Mary Beth Shaw taking over starting a having a subcommittee for the children's library. >> Children's library. Right.
>> Did a tour of get a little bit of a tour of the children's library. >> Right. Right. Right. And then >> looks the same as it has for the last >> Our kids were. Yes. Yeah. Might need a little bit of a refresh. I'm just trying to think about how to envision that. >> Yeah. And uh once again, thank you for
that reminder cuz Mary Beth has that. I think she's uh she's going to do a great job with that. And we do have a library board meeting coming up, not this week, but I believe the following week. Uh and and since our
last meeting, I've had no uh meetings, but we do have meetings planned for a advisory for the farmers market. Uh nothing for the land use board. Uh, looks like the next meeting with the news board will be in May.
And um, that's that's really all I have on my subcommittees. Yes, I'm missing something. >> Yes. Uh, Riverwood and Tuttles looking to be milled on 8th, which is Wednesday, and paved on >> Oh, this week. >> Yep.
>> Oh, great. >> Thursday. >> Wow. >> I'll believe it when I see it. There'll be a snowstorm. No problem. >> I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding. It's going to be beautiful day. >> That's great. >> Great. Great. Great. So, that's um
that's Riverwood and Tuttle. Excellent. >> M Ray. >> Yes, Mayor. Okay. So, we've had a a busy couple weeks. Um on March 31st, uh we had the rebid opening for Crossroads Park. We received three bids. If you
recall a couple meetings ago, we rejected uh the three bids uh from our previous bidding uh because the lowest bidder presented an incomplete bid and the other two were um way above our budget. So there's a resolution on later in the meeting for consideration to award a contract. So we're happy about
that. Municipal budget um we had two budget meetings, budget work session five and six um where we prepared materials and uh attended both sessions. I'm happy to report that we have a resolution on later in this meeting for consideration to introduce the 2026
municipal and this year just as a a side note there's also another resolution we are self-re this year last year we were not um it rotates um the self-re is permitted by the director of the division of local government services to municipalities in south fiscal lo um
condition primary election preparation um we accepted and verified candidates positions submitted all the candidates to the county clerk. It's Democratic municipal committee and then township committee position is up for reelection. Um
and let's see, just a reminder that the joint insurance fund, the new new elected officer uh training is out where we can see save $1,500 on our insurance reliability insurance. And then on March 19th, I submitted a community
development block grant um for new ADA automatic control door systems for the front and rear of the municipal building here. So that um and also working on setting up two meetings. One with Main Street merchants and businesses with Far Hills Mayor. Um we're shooting for um
the first or second week in May. That's when Far Hills is available. and then for the last week in um April for a Pluckadmin merchants and business meeting. >> Good. >> Okay, >> that's great. >> Yep. >> Okay, thank you. Um
>> Chief uh Bernardo is not here to do the community policing report. Uh we do not have any ordinances to introduce. We do not have any public hearing of ordinances. So move right to uh resolutions. We have one, two, three,
four items on the consent agenda. These are items of routine nature. Any member of the tennis committee may pull one. Some or all of them offer individual consideration. Now is your opportunity to do so.
I know you're making notes on the resolutions, >> but not willing to uh take anything off the consent agenda. >> Correct. >> Okay. I'll take a motion to approve the four items on the consent agenda. >> So moved. Second. >> Lone call vote, please. Uh, Committeeman
Hickeyi, >> I. >> Committeewoman Mori, >> I. >> Committeewoman Fernandez, >> I. >> Committeeman Rosen, >> I. >> And Mayor J. >> I. >> Okay. Our first individual uh resolution is
resolution number 2026 07 three. >> They should be in your books in the order of just regular numerical order. >> Yeah, my my paper clips were just a little uh
tied a little couple together. Um so this is the resolution to introduce the 2026 bed Mr. Townry municipal budget. So before we do um before we make the introduction uh this is as Robin
indicated went through uh five different budget meetings on Mondays. Uh there was one cancellation. So even though we did get to budget uh the evening six, there was five meetings, each meeting lasting
three three and a half hours or more. Um and that doesn't count for um the separate discussions we've had with um directors and and with
our CFO. Um, and that's from the township committee side, >> certainly from the Bedminster Township directors, CFO, and the administrator
for every hour of work that we were involved. We know that there were many more hours put in by you guys working on the budget uh presenting us with ideas for consideration.
Um and then different iterations of the budget both capital budget and the operating budget and this was a particularly hard year. Um I think when we start off with the
fact that the health care increases by themselves blow past the 2% uh cap that had been established um years before. So when just on health care expenses
alone, you already know you're starting um with some heavy work in front of you. and uh Jason uh Chief Bernardo
uh rec Director Neil Mashono and especially you Robin for the work that you guys put in. You know, I think we ended up in as good a place as we can, mindful of the capital expenses and certainly uh the impact
uh to our taxpayers, which is always first and foremost in our minds. And I think um everyone who was involved in the budget process uh put a lot of effort um and
sacrifice both in times of hours dedicated to it as well as a lot of thoughtfulness going uh how to make their departments work and Robin playing around with us and
entertaining our different ideas. Well, what if we do this? What if we push this off a year? Can we do this now? Um and and certainly in that we also talk about um the services that the township committee brings or and that the township itself
brings to our residents. Um public safety being uh number one and that's always reflected in the budget uh because it's the police, fire, and first aid. Um, you know, I think as anyone
who's witnessed uh our discussions on budget, higher trucks are not cheap. Trucks are not cheap and um they need to be replaced and when they need to be replaced, they
they need to be replaced and >> at the same time. >> Yeah. and and it just so happens um that we support two different fire departments in town. Um and we've done analysis in the past with uh Department of Community Affairs uh looking at the
inventory, looking at the uh work schedule, looking at uh the maintenance schedule, looking at replacement schedules. And um you know we're always hoping that there's a silver bullet in there uh to fix the situations but there
aren't there isn't and um public safety comes first. So we do our part. Uh, and I also want to thank the the chiefs of both uh Far Hills Bedminister Fire Department and the Pottersville Fire Department uh for
working with us and not just looking at a one or twoyear plan, but working with a a very long-term plan so that uh not just this township committee, but future township committees can budget and
prepare for uh what's coming down the road and our CFO can start putting money off to the side uh to account for those expenses that we're that we are the only to see in 2027 2028 and so on. Um
so with that Robin and to Derek Jason and to all the other directors who participated in the process with us, thank you for your work. >> Okay, Robin. So who's going to walk us through the uh the resolution? Let Derek
walk you through it. >> Derek Makia, our CFO, take a microphone. >> Come on down. And this was Derek's first year with Bedminster Township.
So Derek uh CFO up in Chester Township um before he came to us. And so this was us seeing how Derek uh put his work into the budget. And this was also Dererick's first heran so committee engaged in the
budget process as well. So um great having you at the table with us uh breath of fresh air. Your ideas were great and I think on behalf of the tential committee we thank you for your participation in all those meetings. >> Thank you Mr. Mayor. Thank you members
of the committee. Um before you you have the resolution to introduce the budget for 2026. Uh the budget has been reviewed by both myself and our auditing firm for completeness, accuracy, and it represents uh a budget that I feel is
very fiscally responsible, will meet all the needs of the township for the upcoming year and put us in a good position for going into the next budget cycle, which is something that I always like to look at. I want to make sure that the budget that we're doing this year always puts us in a good position
going forward and doesn't um hurt us in any way. So I believe that with all the meetings that we had and all the information that we we discussed together that this puts us in a very good position. Uh overall the budget is representing a a nominal uh tax
increase. Unfortunately, as you said, with the cost of the health care, we we started off in a position we probably didn't want to be in, but healthcare is what it is. So, uh, despite all of that, I I we came in with a very responsible, uh, tax increase.
And, um, overall, I I, as I said, I think this will be a good budget for the township. You have any specific questions? Happy to address them. You really want us to do budget? What is it? We're on F. No, we can go to G.
>> There was an eighth with the hyphen that >> budget. >> Yes. So, um the resolution before us um would if if introduced and approved um would have a total uh set of appropriations
in the amount of 15,921,46140. Uh so just for the audience out there, Derek, what does this represent um in terms of impact to the Bedminster individual taxpayer as far as percentage
over last year? >> Yes. Uh the overall budget uh includes a tax increase of approximately 3.24% on the tax levy. Uh but with the average uh assessed home having an increase in
ratables, the tax rate will drop. I believe it was 2, sorry, I didn't have the number in front of me. I believe it was 2.89%. Uh the overall uh impact to an average assessed home in Bedminster Township will be approximately
$5 per month. It's slightly under that. I believe it was $4.89 a month. And this is just the municipal side. Unfortunately, we don't have the information for the other taxing entities at this time. Nor will we have any say or control over those in Q350
bases. >> Well, from discussions with committee man Hickeyi from his um participation at the school board, I say participation since we're participating. you're observing. >> Exactly. >> Um as our latest on to the school board,
uh the tax increase coming from or anticipated tax increase from the school board is significantly higher and a significantly greater impact to the Bedminster resident. >> Y >> um with 6.77%
>> 6.77 >> y >> that's a big one. at the school is a um >> it's maybe right around 45 to 50% >> 51% >> 51% of
>> the taxes uh the local taxes 51% >> just the school >> and that does not include the municipality or the county any further questions for Derek saying none Um, so the resolution is
resolution 202673 which would introduce total appropriations of $15,921,46140. Take motion to approve resolution 202673. So moved. >> Second.
>> Roll call vote, please. Committee Nikki. >> I. >> Committeewoman Moreski. >> Hi. >> Committeewoman Fernandez. >> Hi. Committee then Rosen >> I. >> Mayor Jacobs. >> Hi. >> Thank you. >> Okay. >> Next resolution is resolution 202674.
Uh this resolution uh authorizes uh well it sort of indicates that we've done a self-examination of the budget. Derek, what's actually the um the meat of this resolution and the self-examination?
Uh certainly, Mr. Mayor. Uh in any given year, a municipality has the right to review their own budget as long as you are not subject to state review. Every three years, every municipality is at minimum subject to state review. During self-exam
uh it falls on me to check the budget to make sure that we are not using more capital fund balance than we are allowed to by statute to make sure that all the cap increases fall within the statutory provisions as well as the auditor will
always look at the budget as well. So, the state relies on both my review and the auditor's review to allow us to introduce this budget, move it forward to a public hearing and and hopefully uh an adoption. >> And attached to resolution 236074
is Derek's certification that he's actually performed the review of the budget and certifies that it comports with statuto. Any further questions or comments regarding resolution 2026 074?
Seeing none, take motion to approve. >> So moved. Second. >> Roll call vote again, please. Committee Hickey. >> I. >> Committeewoman Moreski. >> Hi. >> Committ Fernandez. >> Hi. >> Committee Rosen. >> I. >> And Mayor Jacobs. >> I. >> Thank you.
>> Resolution 202675. This resolution authorizes the mayor and township clerk to sign a right of entry agreement to River Road Park for the installation of an interpretive entry sign at the Jacobus Vander House in
celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States of America. Ms. Ray. >> Yes. So, this is part of the county's initiative, the 250th anniversary, and they are really promoting the five general's homes, which really are um historically significant in Bedminister
Township. They have a sign that's representative of the Jacobus Vander House, the Wallace House, each has its own logo with a um standard uh Somerset County supportive sign. So, this is different than the signage
that Spencer Pek was uh pursuing with the state. That's correct. Okay. >> And this will remain on the property. Um they've done markouts and it's just it becomes our sign afterwards. >> Okay. And where is that sign going to go? >> They wanted to do it inside the park at
the entrance to the Vander House to the right of um right across from the dog park to the right of that culdeac. you know where the flag is, the culde-sac flag. And then I just had a little thought, maybe we should move it out to the entrance because you were
talking about a more significant sign, but I didn't want it to be misconstrued that the park was part county, so we'd let it back inside. >> Okay. All right. We'll leave that to you. >> Okay. Thank you. Any further questions or comments regarding the installation
of the interpretive entry sign? >> No. No. No. No. Seeing none, take a motion to approve resolution 2026 075. >> So moved. Second. >> Roll call vote, please. Committee Hickey. >> Hi. >> Committeewoman Moreski. >> Hi. >> Committeewoman Fernandez.
>> Hi. >> Committee Mosen. >> Hi. >> And Mayor Jacobs. >> I. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Resolution 202676. This resolution authorizes the town of Bedminster to award the contract for the
Crossroads Park project to the lowest responsible bidder JA Neri Excavating Inc. 330 Roycefield Road in Hillsboro in the amount not to exceed $546,140. Robin, uh, you want to walk us through,
um, I I did have conversations with Paul Ferrero, uh, leading up to, um, his review of the bid and, um, the number actually came just under Paul's engineering estimate,
>> just uh, engineers estimate, which is what we had planned for in our budgeting process. Um, I will tell you that we decided to go with base bid and alternate one. alternate. There were two additional alternates. One to um cadence for the sidewalk and then others was for
lighting along the sidewalk. We decided if we're going to change the streetscape or enhance the streetscape somewhere in the Buckeye Village at sometime soon, we do that all at the same time. Yeah. >> So, we pulled those out. >> So, it's strictly what's highlighted in your resolution.
So this is um you know I think we've gone through as you mentioned earlier we've gone through an earlier bid process uh determined that the uh that the lowest bid at that time was not necessarily responsible. Um so this is
uh uh Paul seems confident uh in the base with the alternate correct >> and >> and attorney Bolardo has conducted his review as well. >> I have it's fine. Hey, I got to say something
worse. >> And lucky I don't build by the word. >> Jason, if um we approve this tonight, what's our schedule? >> We have to have the uh the uh precon
meeting >> and then we'll move forward with that. You start right away. So, Robin, >> get this started next Thursday for possibly a pre-con meeting. >> And Paul was thinking, tell me if Tell if he's being, it's not
like Paul to be optimistic. Uh, he was thinking end of June. >> Uh, July 26, I think is real. Yeah, >> that extra time spent with the rebate slows down.
So, >> still good. Still good. >> Still good. Still the 250th year. So, uh, we're still good on that. Uh, any questions or comments for Jason, John, or Robin on resolution 202676?
>> Seeing none, take a motion to approve. So, move. >> Second. >> Roll call vote, please. Committeeman Hickeyi. >> I. >> Committeewoman Moreski. >> I. >> Committeewoman Fernandez. >> Hi. >> Committeeman Rosen. >> Hi. >> And Mayor Jacobs. >> I. And this will be something that's um
going to be extremely important when we meet with the property owners and business owners in pluckman. I think that was going to be very excited to see this project underway. So I think that's uh very good timing for that.
Take a motion to approve the bill list pending review of individual invoices. >> Good. So moved. >> Second. Okay. Roll call vote again, please. Committeeman Hickey. >> Hi. >> Committee woman Moresi. >> Hi. >> Committeewoman Fernando.
>> Hi. >> Committee Rosen. >> I. >> And Mayor Jacobs. >> I. >> Thank you. >> New business. Does any township committee member have anything that they want to put on for discussion under new business?
>> No. >> Seeing none. Old business. Utilities. Mayor, I do not have any utilities updates tonight. >> Did get an email from uh New Jersey American Water that they uh resolved their yes
>> union um I don't even know if it was a dispute. Um but certainly their contract negotiations with the local utility workers. Um, so assuming eventually
those expenses get picked up by the right payers. So that'll be coming our way sooner or later. >> Exactly. >> Um, okay. So that covers utilities. Uh, Somerset Hills Public Safety Committee meeting.
Uh, the meeting we were supposed to have one last week. Uh, but due to scheduling conflicts that was postponed. Um, Robin, we reschedule for that. >> We didn't reschedule. We're just staying on the same schedule that's coming up in two weeks. >> Okay. And certainly one of the things
that I I do want to put on that agenda is um the scams scams are just getting more and more >> sophisticated. So, um,
an applicant who was approved at our land use board earlier this year received a very detailed email with an attachment uh, referencing the approval process
um, with a return email URL that looked a lot like Bedminster's with um the attachment included a detailed invoice of professionals cited the Bedminster professionals
had the logo on the attachment and said if you want to to process your approval we are requiring payment of I don't know it's like 20 $30,000 something like that.
uh the applicant or the the I guess he is I guess they're still an applicant um emailed it to me said is this right? I don't I don't recall seeing this in the past and I I looked at it for 5 seconds
like this is this is a scam. Um, and I mentioned it to um, attorneys in my office and some of the land use attorneys in my office said that they saw something similar in New Brunswick and some other Middle Sex County towns
and it it is just crazy >> AI. >> Yep. Yep. what what can be picked up just whether it's um checking out the uh the agendas or checking out the newspapers and
finding that there's an application and just plugging all the information in and spitting this out. And I'm sure that there are some folks who have uh you know submitted fees thinking that this was real and certainly something that I want to bring to the attention of the
other Somerset Hills Towns and you know everyone can get the word out or certainly uh whether it's through the police department or whether it's through the land use boards. >> It just happened to be land use board
and site plan approval. It could be anything. It could be board of health. It could be any other um any other municipal project or activity that requires some form of esport. It could be construction, >> right?
>> Scams are coming fast and furious and they are more sophisticated than ever. Everyone should be aware. Um Colin, I know that you reached out to Chief Bernardo about scheduling another
sitdown perhaps with um Hills um >> Hills Village North. >> I want to do a little commercial that is scheduled for next Monday, April 13th, 7 p.m. Uh Detective Smith will do that presentation. He did one at the library back in in November. It was excellent.
It talked about both deed fraud as well as scams. He talks about some of the local examples. As a matter of fact, he's going to fold in the one that you just talked about into his presentation. It's a it was a very well attended presentation in November. I would encourage everybody to show up next Monday. He will go through it, how
they're perpetrating these crimes, the newest things they are seeing, different police departments. So, it is well worth the hour, hour and a half to sit through and you'll get a lot of information out of it. So, please, if you if you're free, please attend that next Monday. >> Yeah. and it's certainly something that I want to push with the other mayors uh
for any anything that we can do to spread the word I think is going to be helpful to our residents. Uh with that, let's go to township committee comments. Committeeman Rosen, >> Becky Mayor, um I just want to um just um expand on your sentiments for
the uh budget uh process a little bit. This was my first budget session and I just found it to be a fascinating process. the collaborations and the cooperation between the department heads is amazing. Derek and Robin, more kudos
to you. Um, excellent, excellent job. And again, it was a fascinating process. And, uh, a couple more words on the Easter egg hunt. Kudos to kudos to Neil uh, W and the fire department. And this is just one of those annual events that
brings out the whole community and really makes Bedminster the uh wonderful community that it is. It's just amazing to see everybody out there and it really was a great great turnout. >> Yeah. >> Great woman Fernandez.
>> Great. Um, you know, thank you, Robin, Derek, and everyone for all your hard work on our municipal budget as we approve these resolutions. And, you know, we have a new dog park and we have uh a new crossroads park, and we have a new um garden, right? There's a lot of
like improvements and and expanding quality of life here in Bedminster, right? and and due to the hard work of of grants, people writing grants and and township committee, you know, budgeting for these things and and Derek and Robin and all the department heads working
together is is the way this all comes to fruition. And, you know, it is pretty amazing that our taxes have gone up this much and that quality of life and things that we've expanded on are like, you know, extreme compared to that. So that's like uh great work on everybody's behalf, but it's not just the numbers,
it's it's also the the community and the quality of life here. So um so I just wanted to thank everybody as a resident and as a township committee member. Um and then um yeah, I have to go because Yukon is playing soon. So thank you.
>> And um that's all. >> Good. Um moving on, Committee Moreski. >> So I'll be quick. I was scribbling my notes because I wanted to make sure that everyone knew we have a new fire department um uh volunteer, Matthew Lynch, and he just got appointed and
just wanted to say that into the record. Welcome, Matthew. And uh hope to meet you soon. Add a fun thing, not a fire. >> And that's all I have. >> Committee Hickey. >> Thank you, Mayor. Uh I read a great
quote last week from Santiago Schnel, who is the new provos at Dartmouth. He said, 'In the era of AI, answers are easy, but judgment is hard. And I thought about a lot of judgment that we used on the budget with the directors, with our CFO, going again and again and
again through the scenarios and what we needed to cut, what we wanted to save. It takes a lot of time. It takes a lot of effort. We obviously do it because, as Gina said, we're there for our residents and uh I think we came to the right answer, but we used a whole lot of judgment to get there. So, >> yeah, >> that's all I got, Mayor. Thank you.
Thank you. >> Um so just to follow up on the budget, you know, one of the things that um you know, I've heard in the past uh in in other towns and other other budget processes is we're treating this money
as as if it's ours. Well, I actually hold it to a higher bar. I treat this money as if it's yours. It's not my money. It's not my money to pick a percentage and just wipe my hands
and be done with it. And I think that you know uh I speak for all Bedminister uh township committee members is that we understand affordability and we've understood that for years which is why we consistently have uh one of the
lowest if not the lowest tax rates um in Somerset County and in the state itself is we understand the affordability issue and for some of us um you whether it's a 3% or 4% or 5%. Yeah. Yeah. You know,
some of us could afford that. Um but it's not about us. It's about you all. It's about my neighbors. It's about uh those who may be living on fixed incomes and making sure that they can stay in
Bedminster, that they can afford to live here and enjoy the quality of life we have in Bedminster, which is why we painstakingly go through every line item multiple times
and putting the burden on Robin, you know. capital budget A is good, but what about if we do this and Robin comes back with capital budget B and we're like, well, you know, if we move
this around to next year, well, let me see the numbers then. Robin comes back with capital budget C. And there was one year we made it to Z and Robin was extremely concerned
whether we would end up with A prime double A what to call the next budget a asterisk. Um we didn't get there this year. We ended up um somewhere between G and H. There's it's a little bit of an internal discussion where we ended up um
but we'll go with G even though it was H. um cuz H we were accounting for at 27 and 28. So we run through this process and we do it painstakingly and that's on I mentioned G&H and that was really only on capital. When we look at operating,
we look at managing the debt service that we have uh prepaying and we're looking perspectively both at um at interest rates at the Fed level and what uh the ramifications are down to the banks and what opportunities we have to
do um better borrowing, reduced borrowing and um for coming up in the next couple of years looking at how we invest our money in the banks and what our expected returns could be
>> or should be. And that effort is all done when we're looking at saving a couple thousand here and a couple thousand dollar here when we have um you know $8,400 residents, right? That's a dollar if you can save
$1,000 somewhere, right? you know, it's you're you're helping um our residents and I just want to thank not just the staff and all our volunteers, but also to the township committee for your participation and
your questions. And um I remarked to uh to Colin just last week said, you know, it was interesting just a couple years ago, Gina was Gina was relatively fresh on on Township
Committee and and sort of watching the budget process. She was running. >> I was still fresh, just a different kind of fresh. hopefully >> but just just to see the the participation by all the members
including our newest um was was really just great to see that this is a team effort and that committee is uh is part of that team. So thank you all. Um we do not have an executive session and we are
done with our budget meetings. >> Yay. >> Yay. And so at 7:50, take a motion to adjurnn for the evening. >> So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor? I >> Oh, wait. We need a second. I'm >> second. Second. >> Second. All in favor.
>> I. >> Thank you. Good night. >> Yukon. >> No, I know because I'm like my daughter. >> It's like not having uh instin. But if you if Michigan wins