Good evening. It is 7:06 and I apologize for being tardy. Uh that was on me. I got stuck at work and uh risked not filling up the fuel tank.
Fear being even further late. Um recognize we have a quorum of township committee here in attendance. Committee Men Rose and Committeeman Hickeyi, a committee woman and committee woman Fernandez have an excused absence
and we wish them well where they are. Uh we don't have administrator Robin Ray with us but we do have a stand in Janine Dillion. Hi Janine. >> Hello. >> Hi Janine. May we please have the open
public meetings act statement. >> Adate notice of this meeting of the township committee was sent to the courier news Somerville Bernardville News Whippony and to all subscribers and posted on the township of Bedminster's official website at www.medminsternj.gov
and at the township municipal building January 6, 2026. >> Thank you. Please join me in standing for the pledge of allegiance. >> I pledge algiance 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 the microphone, the Zoom session for public comment. Any member of the
public wishing to ask a question, make a comment of the township committee, now is your opportunity to do so. As we say, uh, you're not entitled to an answer. You're not entitled to a dialogue with the township committee unless one of the committee decides to engage. And if you get an answer, you're certainly not
getting an answer. You're going to like like >> No. No. Janine >> uh Bernardo >> just the G. >> Okay, we will continue with the meeting. Thank you all. We've said meeting
minutes to approve. That's the May 4 township committee meeting. Any comments that have not otherwise been provided to Robin or to Janine. Now is your opportunity. Seeing none, take a motion to approve the May 4 minutes. So move. Second.
>> All in favor? I >> one, two, three, four person raffles versus a seasonal farmer farm market permit for Flounder. That's Flounder Brewing Company LLC at
the Bedminster Farmers Market. And yes, it is named for Flounder from Animal House. That's the name or the nickname of uh one of the principles of Flander Brewing. Um, and that's at the farmers market, River
Road, uh, beginning May 23, this weekend through December 5, 2026. Next is a social fair permit to benefit the township of Bedministers America 250th event on July 4, 2026 from 12:00 p.m. to
300 p.m. at the Jacobus Vander House located at River Road. And that's for the big celebration that's uh coming up. Probably talk about that in just a little bit. Uh the Social Fair Permit to Benefit Summit Medical Group Foundation
on September 28, 2026 from 8 to 5:00 p.m. at Hamilton Farm Golf Club and an onremise 50/50 raffle to benefit Children's Specialized Hospital Foundation on July 13, 2026 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. I'm sorry, from 9:00
a.m. to 7 p.m. at Hamilton Farm Club. Any comments for questions regarding those permits and raffles? Seeing none, take a motion to approve. >> So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> Monthly report discussion by subcommittee chair. Bill, we'll start
with you. >> Thank you, mayor. Um on the rec side, uh there's still space to register for the community garden. Those who are interested will be placed on the wait list until the garden plots are set and filled with compost and top soil. Once the garden plots are set, those on the
wait list will receive an email to pay and then they'll receive their plot number and garden information. We currently have K through six soccer clinics, adult indoor volleyball and after school dance programs taking place, adult outdoor sand volleyball
will begin in June. Camp Bedminster currently has between 100 to 115 participants registered for each uh session and some of the afternoon camps are currently full and we are anticipating the Bert Mills dog
park to open on June 1st. That is a good day. >> Dog park. Dogs. >> Four-legged >> dogs. >> Dogs. >> Not goats. >> We'll talk about ghosts in a little bit. And finally, one of the most anticipated days of the year in Bedminster this
Saturday, the return of the farmers market. And hopefully uh it's not 55 and rainy like long range looks now. But that should always be a good day. And our masses don't let the weather uh keep
them away anyway. So hopefully we don't have that. But that is Saturday. >> We've dealt with worse and >> weather than that. Yes. Oh, yeah. These definitely have. And on the fire department and uh first aid squad front,
uh the fire department had 48 instances um this month. The uh first aid squad 36 and the fire department is presenting an equipment demonstration on Thursday. I'm going to be attending a first day
training session um next week. And then we have the Memorial Day parade uh this Monday, 10 o'clock on Main Street. >> There's a lot going on. So, I do want to quickly talk about the garden. Um I got to say every time I drive by, there are
cars out there. My wife did a quick uh accounting. It looks like there was well over a hundred of the gardens um have actually been planted and I think that there's still every day there's more people coming out. So, uh,
how many do we have out there? How many of the, uh, VGO gardens are set up currently? I >> think they're 168 or 169. Um, I know we have between 16 and 20 waiting and we're going to be getting working on those things.
>> I just got to say it's been tremendous, tremendous. uh just the the reaction that uh you know folks are having to it stop in at JBH and you you hear the same thing there about people getting their their plots at the uh at the community
garden. So just well done. You guys got it just as just as I made it here, you know, a little little late. Uh Jason and his crew got those gardens in on time. That was just a fantastic job of getting that done. So thank you all. Um, may
have been hickey. >> Thank you, Mayor. Good evening, everybody. Uh, board of health, Janine, we finally have a meeting. I think we haven't met in what, three months. >> Not since January. >> Not since January. So, Board of Health will be hearing an application. I'll report back after Thursday. Community
Development Block Grant Committee. The committee completed its annual assignment earlier this month. Committeewoman Fernandez and I are both voting members of this committee. I wanted to recognize Miss Ray, even though she's absent, for her grant application, looking to secure money for the automatic doors at this very
facility. As you know, the Missville building has become a hub, not just for daily administrative matters, but it is a warming center, a cooling center, a shelter, a charging station, and so much more these days. We literally need to get people in and out of the door, and our current double stationary doors can
pose some issues. Miss Ray presented to my particular subcommittee and did an outstanding job. No surprise there. As a result of her very thorough grant application and presentation, the committee elected to award Bedminister almost $32,000 towards this project, which is more than half the cost. Uh you
will see that grant award on the consent agenda tonight. I just want to call out those efforts as another win for the Bedminister taxpayers and mayor. That's all I got. >> Great. So before I get to uh my subcommittees which which really didn't have much um since last meeting uh Jason
can you just give us a quick update on DPW and I do want to make reference uh JBH that the uh the insurance and I guess there was a subsequent grant that Robin was pursuing for the roof repairs.
Jason, I'm not sure if you want to talk about that or if you're in the position to do so. you got awarded the one one grant from and I don't really know the name but >> yeah it was it was over 90,000 I think the total project is a little overund >> 116 the total project not to exceed
>> and um saw emails flowing back and forth with contractor looks like work will start this week >> Friday >> yeah that's fantastic >> dumpster got dropped today they dropped off some scaffolding and bunch of other stuff and that's great start ripping it
Excellent. Fantastic. Okay. So, just anything else on you? >> Yeah. >> We are in the process of starting to work on the water ridge street lights that have been out for couple years. So, we're going to trench across the road, put conduit in, and run new wires.
Uh today we also start had a contractor out to start sweeping our roads sides of the road. So, that started. We still be cutting grass. We still be doing the garden boxes. Um, we put some stone dust down in the farmers market parking lot to try to clean that up a little bit.
Um, we'll still be grading the dirt roads and doing the soccer fields and lacrosse fields, working on the DPW equipment and these clubs. >> But seems >> and I I was um walking on the trail earlier and the fields in Lane look great.
>> They really look really really good. >> Good. >> Couple of great >> as does the trail. Yeah, I real quickly, uh, you mentioned the farmers market putting the dust down. I think, uh, what we want to get out there is that there's going to be,
um, a slightly different traffic and parking pattern for the farmers market. Every year we seem to uh, make some adjustments. Um, and we did have a farmers market meeting, I guess, a week and a half ago.
>> Yeah. Um, and the entrance to the market or at least into the field is going to be pushed further down uh the gravel drive on uh River Road Park. So rather than coming saying
hi to Colin and then turning it immediately in, you're going to go maybe another 100 yards or so >> 100 yards or so down. You'll pull into uh the field at that time and then park
and then your exit will be uh where it has been closer to the uh actually no I'm sorry the exit exit will be a little further out so it'll be a little more back and forth. >> Um always trying to make improvements uh
geared primarily on safety. So, we've got a lot of pedestrians uh walking um and we're trying to minimize the exposure of pedestrians to the cars coming in and out. And hopefully this works.
>> Hopefully, we'll see how it works and we can always make adjustments. >> Um >> also, we did order uh four picnic tables for the dog park like we have down at the farmers market. >> Dog park at >> the new dog park. >> The new dog park. So, they're going to
be inside there. >> So, and June one is the opening, by the way. That that grass out there, beautiful. Looks great. >> Neil's looking into shade structures right now. So, >> yeah, I know they've had some discussions with uh Fresh Pet about
contributions. So, we'll see how that goes and hopefully if it goes well and not sure what the timing of that is, but um we'll find out shortly. Um subcommittees. So there was a land use
board meeting since our last township committee meeting and at that meeting the land use board sitting as a zoning board of adjustment approved the KRE project.
Uh you may recall that Kerry was originally approved by the land use board sitting as a planning board for 160 total units with uh retail. Uh the scope of the project has uh slightly been reduced to 140 residential units in
total but uh based on the new affordable housing legislation, we actually increased the number of affordable housing units that will be provided through that project. uh that project and certainly its approval is um a
cornerstone of our affordable housing um settlement. Um so good to see that that is on its way. I understand from both the applicant as well as our professionals
that everyone is working quickly to uh get a developers agreement in place and to um and my expectation is and what they've told me is that they want to be in construction 2026.
So, um, lot lot of moving parts there. And one of the moving parts, um, is a commitment from Kerry, the developer, to one, uh, make the improvements to the intersection of
Burnt Mills Road and Routes 2026 and Washington Valley. uh that was part of the original approval and actually built into the ordinance that resoneed that property.
And something else, um, there are commitments from KRE that were put into the record and put into their application for facilities at Pluckman Schoolhouse Park,
including the commitment to um construct two pickle ball courts. So sort of had uh dangled this out to bill and pans committee and other meetings, but now it's uh it's official.
Um it was part of the project and um you know I know we are pursuing grants to construct pickle ball courts at that same park. Uh takes a little burden off uh those grants. Uh and perhaps we may be looking at total of
four, but we certainly have a commitment uh from Kerry for two pickle ball courts. I think those will be completely successful. Um Neil seems to think that four is really the magic number. Um
looking forward to seeing that uh go into construction. I would imagine some residents in the hills might also be happy to see pickle ball go over there and maybe take some of the burden off the pickle ball courts over at the uh over at the hills. So, I
guess I have time to learn how to play. You have time and as as uh we've learned, you can be competitive or you can be not so competitive playing pickup. Uh it seems to run both ways.
Uh, we have a library board meeting >> on Wednesday. >> On Wednesday, uh, it's going to be farmers market. >> Uh, we do not have a land use board application until looks like this June 11th. I think there's any
>> uh bed, Mr. B business owners. >> Oh, right. Um, Committeeman Hickeyi and I attended a meeting. I'm going to have to look at the date because my dates are all screwed up at this point. Uh that was
is that the 7th? That was the 7th. Uh we had a meeting on Thursday the 7th uh with property owners and business operators in Bedminster Village and we've asked uh participants um similar from property
owners and business operators in Far Hills as well as Mayor Welsh to join us and and they did. So we had a meeting at um Grace not Grace Grace Fellowship. Yeah. Grace is Grace Fellowship.
>> Yeah. Yeah. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Okay. It is Grace Fellowship. Yes. For some reason on Fellowship Village in in Bland at Grace Fellowship. Um once again, thank you to Pastor James for uh opening up the doors for us and hosting.
We had about I said about a little over 20 or so. >> Yeah. Good show. It's a good showing from uh from really from the library and and AT&T. Our plan is is to bring everyone together along the that little
section of Lamington to Main Street and then into Far Hills and into some of the uh side streets off of Far Hills that are their retail center there. And from the bedminister perspective, once
again, what are we doing right? what are we doing wrong? Where have we seen u issues and to some extent Colin and I take what we've seen at the land use board and planning board but the thing
that we don't see at the land use board are those applications that never even come to us because of the way our ordinances and uh bulk standards are set up. So that's one of the things that we want to
bring directly to them to the business owners and property owners. Is there stuff that you want to do that because of our rules and our regulations and our standards that you don't even bring to us? And a lot of it comes down
to signs, parking, some lighting, and these are things that we're all actively working on. We do hope to bring an ordinance to the township committee on these issues. Uh, we do have some businesses that are moving onto that
strip. Um, Monkeys, M O N kes. I have not heard of it, but I have now. It's a um woman's boutique. Yes, Janine. >> Correct. >> You familiar with them? >> No.
>> No. No. Okay. >> Places. >> Robin Robin certainly learned about it. So it's uh looks uh looks >> they are they are they have local shops so >> okay as well. >> Yeah. So apparently they it's a national
um store and this is their first in this location and apparently very popular. Uh they will be situated next to where Polished is in the elite project on that little section of Lamington. Um,
we learned that there's some stuff going on over in Far Hills as well. The old, um, Union Hook and Ladder, Fire Department or the old firehouse um is going to be a bakery, ice cream,
coffee shop. So, we wish great success there. It's great to see, you know, more vitality whether it's in Far Hills Village or the Bedminster Village. sort of look at them as as you know one continuous um corridor. So whatever's in
my estimation whatever is good there is good for us. What's good for us is good for them. Um Colin any other uh observations or comments you want to >> uh Marie Crrenshaw was there. It was good to have her introduce herself to the business owners some of the folks who were there because they can
obviously take advantage of that resource as well. But >> that's Marie Krenshaw from the library. >> Yep. Yep. And I thought there was just a lot of good exchange of ideas during the meeting and after the meeting as well. So we heard a good variety of stuff. So it was excellent. >> Good. And that's what we have for
subcommittee reports. >> Janine, do you have an administrator's report? >> No, I believe she left on here. >> Next meeting. >> Next meeting. Okay, there it is. Next meeting. Uh Chief Bernardo, any update
on community policing? >> Uh just a couple of things. Uh tomorrow um is the fifth grade lead graduation and the the detectives are working on setting up a drug and alcohol presentation for the local boy scout
troop uh which should be sometime in June. And that's all I have. >> That's great. Thank you, Chief. >> We have a series of ordinances to introduce and this is typical once we pass the budget.
We have to start passing ordinances to spend the money that we've um allocated for. Okay, John, I'm gonna ask you. >> Can I read through each of them and then introduce them all together?
>> No, you got to do them individually. >> Any breath? >> I don't know what answer we're going to get. >> I'm afraid you could do it that way, but you you should do it individually. >> Okay, so let's start. Uh once again these are not public hearings. These is
simply introduction of ordinances. Uh the first is ordinance number 20260005. This ordinance appropriates $5,000 from the 2026 capital improvement fund for building access control upgrades at
Township Buildings. If introduced tonight, the public hearing will be scheduled for June 1, 2026. Any questions or comments regarding the introduction? Seeing none, I'll take a
motion to introduce ordinance 2026005. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Roll call vote, please. Committeeman Hickeyi >> I. >> Committeeman Rosen. >> I. >> And Mayor Jacobs. >> I. >> Next. Ordinance 20260006,
an ordinance appropriating $17,500 from the 2026 capital improvement fund for facility improvements. If introduced, the public hearing will be scheduled for June 1, 2026. Any questions or comments regarding the
introduction? Seeing none, take a motion to approve ordinance 2026006. >> So move. >> Second. >> Roll call vote, please. Command Hickey. >> I. Communion and Rosen >> I. >> And Mayor Jacobs >> I. >> Thank you. >> Ordinance number 2026, an ordinance
appropriating $12,594 for various equipment for the Pottersville Volunteer Fire Company. If introduced, the public hearing will be scheduled for June 1, 2026. Questions, comments regarding the
>> Seeing none, take a motion to introduce 2026007. >> So moved. Second. Roll call vote, please. Comm Hickey, >> I. >> Minman Rosen, >> I. >> And Mayor Jacobs, >> I. Ordinance number 2026008.
This ordinance appropriates $39,600 for various equipment for the Far Hills Beds Fire Department. If introduced, the public hearing will be scheduled for June 1, 2026. Any questions or comments regarding the introduction? Seeing none, take a motion to approve
the introduction of 2026008. So moved. >> Second. >> Roll call vote, please. Committeeman Hickey, >> I. >> Committeeman Rosen, >> I. >> And Mayor Jacobs, >> I. >> Ordinance number 2026 2026009.
An ordinance authorizing the funding of a 2026 C project for street lighting upgrades in the amount of $15,000. If introduced, the public hearing for the ordinance is scheduled for June 1, 2026. Any questions regarding the introduction? See? None. Take a motion
to introduce ordinance 2026009. >> So moved. Second. >> Roll call vote, please. Came >> I. >> May Rosen. >> I. >> And Mayor Jacobs. >> Hi. >> Ordinance 202610.
This ordinance appropriates $98,400 from the capital improvement fund for engineering design improvements to River Road for which the township has received a New Jersey Department of Transportation grant in the amount of $379,427.
If introduced, the public hearing for this ordinance is scheduled for June 1, 2026. Any questions or comments regarding the introduction of 202610? Seeing none, take a motion to introduce. >> So moved. Second.
>> Roll call vote. Commitment Hickeyi >> I. >> Commandment Rosen. >> I. >> And Mayor Jacobs. >> I. >> Thank you. >> And the last ordinance. Ordinance 2026 011. An ordinance authorizing the funding of a 2026 capital project for
the repaving and reconstruction of Bottom Ridge and Gate House Roads. If introduced, the public hearing will be scheduled for June 1, 2026. Do I hear any questions?
If none, take a motion to introduce 2026 01. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Roll call vote, please. Command Hickey, >> I. >> Comm Rosen, >> I. >> And Mayor Jacobs, >> I. >> Thank you.
You know, facing when these get approved, you have more stuff on your plate. >> You know, >> he likes his snack. >> Just keep snacking it up. >> The VGO gardens, the dog park, the other park.
>> Oh, speaking of the other park, >> there's some s there. They have been there in a couple days. I haven't been in contact with possible. I can just say >> yeah, I' I've been in touch with Paul. I know that there was a little bit of a
delay with some DOT work, but I think we got through that uh phone calls made. >> We need to keep pushing, man. >> Yeah. Yeah. That that's also another uh there's luck on. >> That's a title. >> That's that's a title. Well, then we're
not we're not going to make uh we're not going to make the fourth, but uh we'll still have it still have it for uh for Senate. Uh we have no public hearing of ordinances. We have one, two, three, four, five, six, seven,
eight, nine items on the consent agenda. These are items of routine nature. Any member of the tent committee may pull one, some or all them off for individual consideration. You don't have to. If there are no comments, take a motion
to approve the items listed on the consent agenda. >> So moved. Second. >> Roll call vote, please. Committee man. >> I. >> Man Rosen. >> I. >> And Mayor Jacobs. >> I. It's nice to see you and you and Bill working. >> We got the back and forth going out,
right? Fair enough. >> It just alternates. That's, you know, that's basically all we can handle. We have no resolutions for individual consideration. I will take a motion to approve the items on the billist. Pending a review of individual invoices by the subcommittee liaison.
>> So moved. Second. >> Roll call vote please. Committeeman Hickeyi >> I. >> May Rosen >> I. >> And Mayor Jacobs >> like clockwork. I moving right in. Uh new business. We have any items for discussion under new business? No.
>> No. No. old business. Committee man Hickeyi, let's start with utilities. >> Believe it or not, I do not have any updates this time on utilities. Next time I >> Next time you will. >> Yes, I will. >> And they will be substantive. >> Yes, they're always substantive,
>> more so than usual. >> Jason, do you have any updates? >> All right. >> And the summer hills public safety committee, we did not meet. Um, I think three of the mayors all had uh scheduling conflicts, including me. So,
uh, we'll push that off until the next one, which I believe will be in June. Um, we do not have an executive session. Uh, so we'll go through township committee comments and then we will adjourn for the evening.
Command Rosen. Um, I attended a presentation in the tour at the Vanderve House on Saturday and I'm embarrassed to say in the 22 years I've lived in Bedminster, it was my first time inside the house and it is quite impressive and
truly a gem in Bedminster. a lot of things going on between now and 250 with a big day plan there, but again, it's another gem and a jewel um in Benminster. Really, really quite impressive. And I guess it was worth the
22-year wait. So, so um I I will vouch once again, I got to the JBH uh seminar late. Um but I did get there and I did sat next to uh to Bill. Um so Bill,
what was the presentation about? >> Presentation was about smallox, how it was handled um in the 17 and 1800s and how you eventually became eradicated. But the focus was on the steps and the
innovations that uh General Washington did to preserve the troops and keep them healthy and alive throughout the uh conflict. >> Excellent. So, not only was he there, he was paying attention. >> Paula Podgi, one of the commission
members of JBH uh was there and she was um in Paula was in colonial >> colonial colonial guard and uh excellent presentation and we had about 25 people there and it was um it was great and and
new faces. I mean, there were some faces there I hadn't seen before >> and I never knew that smallox could be so uh fascinating. It it really was it was >> she she knew the subject backwards and forwards and and it really was great and
Dr. Roland Deli Rolando is there and so he was asking questions and he was uh talking about the history of small pox and vast vaccinations and it was um really great job um
may have been hickey >> I don't have any comments but I want to hear about the ghost you promised us >> I okay so Saturday evening After the smallox uh discussion, um
a paranormal club had reserved JVH Saturday night. I do not have an update. Um Janine, have you heard anything from Robin? >> Report's not ready yet.
>> The report's not ready. >> No. >> Okay. >> You want to put Neil on that? I was just going to say >> you >> might want to put Neil on that. But uh so that's the next meeting. >> All right.
>> You may have some were were spirits were spirits raised and addressed and >> I we'll find out. We'll find out. I'm sure Robin will uh if there is any uh indication uh that Robin will hear back from the Paranormal Club and let us know.
uh township committee comments with the rest of my comments. Um last Thursday I actually received an award from NEOP. NEOP is National Association of Industrial Office Properties. Um I was nominated for public partner of the year award was
Karen Francinini um award. turn was a long time um official at the New Jersey Economic Development Authority. Uh and I had the
pleasure of of knowing Karen and um she when I was chair of ULI Urban Land Institute, she lectured before me multiple times on economic development uh in New Jersey and public policy. So it was an honor to receive um that
recognition from NAP given Karen's name. Um and and to me the um the honor goes to all of Bedminster, to our tangential committee, to our staff, to our professionals um who've worked with us as we're trying to
stabilize uh the office in commercial markets here in Cadminster. Um terrific honor by uh by NAB and and I'm truly humbled by it. And later that same evening, the office deal of the year
went to um the fresh patent project. So that was that was in in I think that was a very good night for Bedminster uh to see our efforts uh recognized in uh in in tweaking our ordinances and our
zoning. And uh just as we have those meetings with uh the property owners in Bedminster and in Pluckman and with uh AT&T and keeping AT&T here uh and managing the uh the MetLife property as
it stands now. So there's a lot of uh lot of work behind the scenes by both staff and professionals and the TC and our boards. So I think that was you well
really deserved by everyone here. Uh and then for the fresh pet project it was up against some stiff competition uh including the Santa Fe project in Morristown which ended up winning a a separate award. Um and there were some other healthc care
projects that were up uh for that award as well. Um, NEOP is a statewide organization devoted to the commercial real estate industry in New Jersey. And so you're, you know, as I've joked for years, NAP is where you go to meet 900
of your closest friends in New Jersey real estate. Uh, but it was, uh, it's great to see Bminster recognized. Um, farmers market on Saturday, parade on Monday, and by the time we
meet next, the Burnt Mills dog park will be opened, and then Neil and Jason will transition the existing dog park to something else. What that is, I don't I don't know. That's maybe you have an update. I don't know. I'm hoping for a
playraph. >> He's hoping for a playground. >> Okay. >> Like that. And um that's all I have. >> Neil wants >> Yeah. Yeah. No. No. I think we all know Neil's position on a pool. >> Never.
>> Um so without an executive session, it is 7:43 and I'll take a motion to adjurnn for the evening. >> So move. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> Thank you and good night. How did you guys make
far?