and the co-star are official newspapers and posted on the bulletin board of the school building. Take roll call. Council McDonald here. Council McKenna here. Mayor Pasco here. Council Monero here. Council Le here. Please stand for the pledge of [Music]
allegiance 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. Please remain standing for a moment of silence for our troops, their families, and first responders.
Thank you. Okay, I believe tonight we're starting our workshop with the presentation of the Delmore Historical Society signs. So, I'm going to turn it over to the historical society.
Okay. Um, prime govern. You don't have I don't have to tell you where I live or anything like that, do I? Okay. Uh, what are the plan tonight is to unveil the seven new historical signs
that were uh for 2025 that we're going to be putting up on the boardwalk. We want you people to be the first to see them. Um, one of the reasons we put these along the boardwalk is to perhaps get
someone that used to live in Belmar and say, "Hey, I got an old photo up top of my attic for some and might bring it down to us so we can use it." Um, picture's worth a thousand words, so to speak. Uh at this time I want to thank
Karen Ullet especially for a selection of the seven new signs and president of the historical society Spence. Uh what I want to do is go to each sign kind of give you a little bit
of what that sign is telling us. This first sign over here sit down but then I'll just come down to see. Oh, sure. You know, we put up nine signs last year. The program went was so successfully received, positively
received that we said we got to do more. And uh so and not a single sign was vandalized or any damaged in any way, shape or form. The sign uh over here is a beach
scene, early 1900s. Uh you can see the the the bathing suits. Uh you know at high tide it would have been difficult to rescue somebody with all that clothing on. And notice they have ropes, they have poles with flags on top of
them. So really I I can't ever That's what's invaluable about these signs is I've been in town a long time. I've never seen anything like this. Um, over here, everybody here probably recognizes
this pole. Okay, it's on the corner of 8th Avenue in Ocean. It may or may not be this right here of the
Malta because when they salvaged the the Malta, we understand that it's very possibly the uh mass was brought into Perth Amway and that we were contacted by the
serial number on it of what poll what mass belonged to Malta whatever They placed it on the corner of 8th Avenue and Ocean. Right here is the second movie theater in Belmar. Everyone
uh there was a Bel Marshia remembers a Riverly up on Main Street. This was a summertime movie theater called the Rialto. I spent a lot of quarters, no it was nickels in the arcade that was here. Uh you can still see the Mayfair
over here in this photo. Again, it just you you come up here and you look at the pictures. It's wonderful. Belar is called beautiful sea. But there was a time where someone was pushing to name our town Malta. And
that's the name of this ship that sank that I guess it didn't really sink but crashed during a big storm in 1885. Uh I understand one person lost their life.
Um but you know I don't you know we don't want to bring that up. If you look at low tide you would be able to see this part of the ship still in the water. This part I guess was salvaged and is no
longer there. Hey Robert, move on. Could you There's a manhole if you look at the left of the picture in front of the arcade thing that's in the street. Yeah. You mean this? Yeah. I don't know what it is. That's the That's our where all the
sewage would go in the summer in the winter time. Um it's still there that big vault. Oh, really? it would be pumped out. Wonderful that we got that in a photograph, right? We didn't push it out
into the ocean during the summer season, but that that was the the access to it. One of Well, I remember lifeguarding on 10th Avenue and when you looked out off the jetty at 8th Avenue, when you saw the water coming up and it was brownish,
Mhm. we we didn't swim anymore. put it in the wood, you know, I don't know why, but fortunately they they've improved matters with sewage and I I guess it's pumped down to uh the south. Yeah. So, this is the
Malta over here. This is DJ's DJs used to have two stories above it. What happened? Don't know. But this is where the beach comr is. Uh, and you
go in to DJs right through here. And uh, so we're going to put this across the street from DJs. And uh, again, great sign. We all know Sitter Offs. If you look at this photo, there's
a young man here. His name is Howard Roland. Howard Roland used to go to Cidro and have his uh coffee roll coffee cake and uh coffee and uh all the time and he
still did it into the 80s. Um and you look around some of the just wonderful Abbott's ice cream. I guess they sold Coca-Cola, not Pepsi. Um a popcorn machine. Spencer, you know something about Did
you That was the first popcorn I ever had. This one. Okay. Should we write your name on it? Spenc I remember there being one on at the 16th Avenue. You remember that one outside a popcorn machine?
Yeah. Just like that, actually. And now they're called ATMs. Is the root beer barrel in there? There was a I'm have to look at it more closely. Root beer barrel behind the counter there.
Yeah, I'd have to look at more. It's a a good photograph. So, there's a lot to see. When I was little, there were um canvas flaps that rolled up. Remember? Like it was like army tent canvas. Yeah. And on a rainy night like tonight, my parents would, my dad loved to go down
there those nights and they would roll those down and you would be inside the tented area where those chairs are. Yeah. I I can remember late in the 50s, my brother Terry worked on the 20th Avenue Beach. I
went down, I helped him set up. I was only like about seven. And then we go across the Sids. And Mrs. uh Sidro, I don't know her last name. I don't think it was sitter off. Um was always nice to the lifeguards, you know. So, you know,
that's a great place part of Belmar's history. The Neptune Hotel, 16th Avenue in Ocean. Uh I guess it was torn down before I I can remember it. um why
they called it the Neptune Hotel. Maybe the connection with the sea, the Neptune, you know, maybe that's what they're going for. Um I don't know if this is Ocean Avenue. I would think it might be Ocean Avenue out here. Um
again, um we're going to be obviously putting this at 16th Avenue across the street. So when people walk the war man's Atlantic Hotel bad fire in 1970 but one of the strange thing it was
owned by uh the family of Pat McCann who was the basketball varsity coach at St. rose for so many years. But was interesting about McCann's hotel is it was a bar at night and on Sunday mornings you went to mass. I'm sure um
from what I understand is before it was man's. It had another name. We think maybe the Atlantic and people that stayed there were the Gershwin brothers, Iron and George. So we have some history. Look at the size of this. I
mean, this really was a big hotel and I'm really fortunate. We're really fortunate to be able to have these signs put up on boardwalk. As I said, we had such a terrific positive response last year that we've said we had to increase, we have to do more and now we're going
to have 16 signs along Ocean Avenue. Um, so where we go from there, I don't know. Uh you may not want to put too many up there, but uh anybody have any questions just so you'll see in a uh I
know Billy Mus from the DPW is going to hate it when we tell them, "Oh, we got seven new signs for 2025. Can you find some time in your work schedule to to put them up?" Uh so we'll we'll take it
easy. When he can get to it, he'll get to it. But, uh, these signs are, uh, just like, uh, your street signs. Uh, they're in great condition. The ones we had up all last year are still in great condition, you know. So, uh, um, I think
you'll you'll enjoy it. I know that people walking the boardwalk will enjoy them. And again, it's recognition. Hopefully some people that are walking the boardwalk and haven't been in Delmare in 50 years, their families moved out to say, "Hey, I have a box of
old photos." Maybe the historical society because that's what the QR code is for you. those people that have a a camera, you can focus in on that and give you our web address uh for the uh historical society and
they can get in touch with us and that's how they could, you know, possibly say, "Hey, uh this might be a valuable piece of uh uh history. Uh would you like to look at it?" You know, we'll say yes, we'll say no. You know, if we can use
it, that's that's great. Um, I didn't mention Pat O'Keefe who is the head of the historical society. Spence is the president, but Pat O'Keeffe runs it. And what a tremendous, tremendous job that
uh Pat O'Keeffe does. Unfortunately, she can't come out because it would be dark before uh this is over and she'd have to drive home. Um and Naomi Riser uh all you know the the ladies involved with the historical society they put in so
many hours to the historic historical society that you really should treat yourself to go over there someday and just get lost in looking at the photos. uh you know go look at up the historical
uh the post advertiser um articles um it's just wonderful. Okay, that's our presentation. Yeah, we're gonna pick the give us and put these away so that uh Billy Bus
doesn't Yes. House. I would just like to thank the historical society for all the work that they've done uh in this instance and in the past all the various projects and things that are those pictures on the on
the web if you go on to the onto the website. Yeah, I think they are. These pictures are on our website. But not this year. We'll probably get these last year on our Yeah. Good. Thanks again, Brian. Yeah.
As I said, Christina over here runs our web page and uh so when you go open up that QR code uh and you find out all the information you need to know, you can thank Christina. Great job. Everybody in this
office. Thanks again. Okay, let's uh move on to petitions. Any petitions? Approval of the minutes. Can I have a motion to approve the minutes of the
April 29th meeting? Motion. Second. All in favor? I. Anyone opposed? Courts of council. Councilman Donovan. The Belmore Environmental Commission
along with DPW and our private contractor has been continuing our program of eggling and we're pleased to report that the number of geese who are both nesting and the number of eggs being laid has gone down dramatically from last year. Um on May 3rd we hosted an event beyond
traditional landscaping with Lake Ko and we are continuing to work with Lake Ko to expand the patchwork for live wildlife program into Delmare which celebrates homeowners who use sustainable and native planting for their lawns and encourages others to do so. Uh we had a cleanup at Silver Lake
on May 10th. There was great turnout. We picked up a lot of garbage and so the lake was looking its best by coincidence for the wedding later there that day. So, my best wishes to those newlyweds and my thanks to the volunteers who came out and for the leadership of DPW, uh, particularly Charlie
Vanderland. Um, and finally, the BEC is working on a clean energy audit for the burrow, which will document our good practices and set us up for further um, eligibility for grants. Um, Belar Women's Club, today is the last day to
apply for those scholarships. Please get those in. Um, we are hosting a tiki party at bar A on this Thursday from 6:00 to 9:00. You can find more information on the website. Seat festival also this weekend starts on Friday. Please everyone come
out. It's going to be great. We've got great bands again this year, too. We've got Pat Ryd, we've got the East Street Burough Bandits. Um, the Euro Bandits and we have the Beertown, which I believe is 10th Avenue Burrito this year. Um the summer concert series starts May
23rd. You can pick up more information there. Um they're being outside. Uh and finally, uh Verizon update for all of you. Um earlier this year, the FCC put out a call for comments in an elegantly titled document
called delete, delete, delete. Um so the bureau submitted comments uh that made the following points. We ask that more discretion be returned to local zoning and land use authorities and that the commission's current interpretation of the rules
governing small cells uh in our opinion goes beyond the intent of Congress and should be revised. We said that these oversteps have negative effects on property values and that they place commercial interest above the interest of our communities. Um that also
essentially this land because it has not been updated is given to companies below market value. We asked that they remove the rigid timelines around approval and restore discretion to local government. Um, as we were talking about whether or not we were going to submit, we were debating whether or not this would have
an impact. And I'd like to just say two things. One is that we were very pleased that our other local towns were supportive and some, I believe, submitted comments themselves. Um, and two, we continue to fight this fight and the county lawsuit goes on and we can't
change the past, but we are all hopeful up here that perhaps there's always a chance that we can maybe change the future for future residents of Belmar because these cases will continue to go on. So, that is your update. Thank you. Thank you, Counciloman Kenny. Thank you.
Um, recreation, um, they had a a really good turnout for the baseball game this past Saturday. They um the Mammoth Furnace defeated the Hoboken nine 14-13. So a nice high scoring game. Um summer basketball signups and June 8th team
sponsors are needed for summer basketball. So if anybody would like to sponsor a team, it's only $100 to sponsor a summer basketball team. Running club signups, tennis lesson registrations all end June 22nd. The summer concert series, as Councilman Councilwoman Donovan noted, starts
Friday. Um the first band is Billy's Garage Band on May 23rd and that's every Friday in the summer. Uh Shade Tree Commission and the Environmental Commission, we did a joint meeting on Thursday night and was very well attended. Some of the takeaways from
that were the we had a beautiful Delmare program which was a a success. We had eight new trees planted in the burrow. Um the shade tree commission and the environmental commission jointly signed a grant for an application for uh eighth
street eth landscaping. So hopefully we'll get some nice beautifification along eth. And this year the shri commission had over 40 permit requests to remove hazardous trees and stumps. So we're continuing to work on getting down our our uh hazardous tree and stump
inventory around the schools. Belmar Elementary School. Um May 20th they have their their Belmar community resource fair to promote and raise awareness for local activities and resources for the summer. May 21st is the air farm day. Atlantic farm day Atlantic Atlant
Atlantic farm day and May 22nd is the spring concert and art show at the school. St. Rose Grammar School has confirmation tonight in the rain with our little confirmandies and then their carnival day is May 20th. St. Rose High School, the last day of the high for school for
high school seniors is actually this Friday. My daughter's one of them. The Baloyat mass is May 22nd. And the senior prom is May 27th. Graduation is Thursday, May 29th at Mammoth University. And St. Rose High School wanted me to tell everybody that the St.
Rose High School senior class has collectively been awarded over $22 million in schol in college scholarships to date, which is pretty impressive for a small school. And skate park news, we're going to be at the seafood festival. We're going to have the skatepark committee is going to have a
tent. Um we'll be selling t-shirts, uh custom painted skate decks, and we're going to have a live custom painting being done Saturday from 11 to 4 by Jill Dbrush. She's like a custom does commissions, custom painter. which is amazing. Um, so come out and check us
out at the seafood festival. And that is it. Thank you. Thank you, Council President. Thank you, Mayor. The Belmar Housing Authority had their meeting last Monday. A new security cameras have been installed on the sides of the building and the graffiti has been removed. They
submitted paperwork for a new weatherization program and they submitted their action plan for the HUD grant for the facade. So, things are moving along there. The library board of commissioners held their meeting last night. Our numbers for our patrons attending programming continues to
increase. Uh we discussed some cleaning, repairs, and painting on the exterior of the building, equipment maintenance, and new feed guide fee guidelines for out of town patrons. Uh it was brought to our attention that some patrons might be confused by registering for the events
online and getting that QR code ticket. Um, so I need help spreading the word that you can just call the library. Um, and a staff member will happily register you for any event that you want to be a part of. Um, so please spread the word on that because I don't want anyone to
be discouraged um because the technology might look a little scary. Um, the technology has been looking more and more scary. I had to do a um a little bit of technology myself today and it didn't work so well. So I can understand the frustration. Um upcoming events
include our summer kickoff concert on the lawn with Pat Rody um on June 5th, Beach Music Studios Kids Rock Band on June 14th, and then the Taylor Pavilion June 19th at 6 p.m. we have the Junth celebration concert with the Luckyville
Orchestra and spoken word artist James C. Ellerby. So, please come. Uh although we had to cancel our outdoor event due to rain this Friday, uh the bureau did still honor our first responders with a nice lunch for first responders month,
it was meaningful uh to have the ability to say thank you to each of our volunteers and employees who joined us. Uh in addition, thank you to the mayor for providing bagels for all of the employees last week for public service week. Um we're hoping to schedule the touch and truck event at another time
this year. Um, but this May has just been backtoback events and all of those events include our first responders doing things. So, uh, we're going to give them a break to make sure that they can reschedule at a time that works for them. Um, continuing uh the theme of
pride for our residents, I've reached out to our graduating high school senior parents uh to continue the banners uh for those who would like pictures of their graduates down Main Street. It's a completely optional program. Um, but I'm happy to have received so many messages from parents hoping that we'll do it
again um this year for their graduates. So, thank you mayor and council and our administration for allowing that to happen uh for our community. I'd like to thank all the performers and hosts for Porchfest. Um it was a wonderful Saturday of music and uh additionally
I'm still overwhelmed by the momentous event of the David Sanctious piano dedication performance last weekend. Uh we had a great response from those who attended. Um there's so much of so many
of us here in the burrow and local who put their noggin together to make that happen. Um, and it's just such a meaningful um, symbol for us in Piano Plaza. And it it's definitely a performance I will never forget. Um, the
piano was dedicated uh, to David's mother, Thelma, and I thought of her on Monday when we celebrated Mother's Day, and um, and I'm grateful for all the nurturers of music and arts in our community as well. Um, it is not too late to order a brick for Piano Plaza.
Um, we did so in memory of my mother-in-law. Um, so you can also honor your own family. Um, or just put in something nice as a brick to celebrate Piano Plaza and what we have, which is very cool. Okay.
Thank you, Councilman Levis. Thank you, Mayor. On the subject of Porchfest, I also want to thank uh Johnny Comfort for basically running a show and organizing that. That was no small feat. So, looked like everyone was having a good time. The weather was great. The fans were great. Good day had by all. Um, I want
to recognize uh Belmore Boy Scout Troop 40's newest Eagle Scout, Joshua Goodwin. Congratulations for him for uh attaining the rank of of Eagle Scout. Uh, Belmar Elementary School PTO is having a fundraiser this Saturday. It'll be a
busy weekend with the seafood fest going on, but they're going to be raising the bar starting at Beach House at 100 p.m. And finally, update on the fuel dock. Uh weather hasn't really been cooperating uh so much, but we're anticipating to be open for business Friday if the weather
gets a little better. Um that's what we're targeting for right now. Next Harbor Commission meeting will be Tuesday the 20th at 6 PM here. That's all I have, mayor. Thank you. Okay. Uh I just want to make a quick comment about the uh piano in the plaza. It was a
great event. Um it's I think a boon to Belmar. I have the only the second uh outdoor piano in the United States here and I have to give full credit for this to our administrator Kevin Kaine. I know
he doesn't want to be acknowledged, but if it weren't for him, none of this would have happened. Uh you talk about, you know, dealing with raising the money, um the purchase of the piano. We were dealing with a vendor who was in
Israel, uh and and a salesperson who was over here somewhere in Long Island, I believe. I don't know if we ever really found out where where he was. Uh but, you know, we had to do the purchase. Then we had to uh negotiate uh the
contract because it was originally it was one of those contracts where you know it was like you give me the money and then we'll send you the piano and it was like no I don't think we're going to do that. So we um you know obviously with the help of our attorney uh Francy
McMan we uh we dealt with that. Um and then of course the piano was delivered and it wasn't operational. So then it had that piano had to go back and prior to that we had to do the uh the plaza and build a platform for it again all
being coordinated uh by business administrator Kaine. Uh there were things like redoing the lights, moving lights, providing electricity, um redoing uh bushes, plants and and other things
in the uh so there was a lot a lot of work to do that and then finally the whole uh organizing you know getting David here at a time when he was going to be here to uh to be able to perform. So,
every step of the way, uh, everything was coordinated. It was a lot of work, a lot of hard work. And it was really all my fault because I think in my second week in office, I mentioned it to Kevin. I said, you know, there's this they have this great idea. Kevin Maya has this
great idea about this electric piano, and you know, it would be great to have it in Belmar. And, uh, he kind of agreed, but I don't think he had any idea how much work was going to be to to do this. So I thank him personally for all the work that he did and that piano
was there because of him. Thank you. Okay. Are there any other reports council? Then we should move on to the um the budget hearing. Tonight's uh budget hearing, the public hearing is going to be only on the uh resolution
adopting the amendment to the 2025 local municipal budget. If anyone has any comments they would like to make about the amendment only, uh please step up to the microphone and state your name and address. Okay. Can I have a motion to close the
public hearing? I'll make that motion. Second. All in favor? I can I have a motion to adopt resolution 202583? A resolution adopting the amendment to the 2025 budget. Motion. Second.
Councilman Donovan. Yes. Councilman Kenny. Yes. Mayor Becca Fusesco. Yes. Council Rando. Yes. Councilman Lemus. Yes. Can I have a motion to adopt resolution 202584, a resolution authorizing the adoption of the 2025 budget as amended?
I'll make the motion. Second. Councilman Donovan, yes. Councilman Kenny, yes. Mayor Buck Fusco, yes. Council Rondo, yes. Councilman Lewis, yes. Okay. Next is the public session on the resolutions on the consent agenda.
If anyone would like to speak, please forward, state your name and address. I have a motion to close the public session. I'll make the motion. Second. All in favor? I I Can I have a motion to approve the resolutions as
listed on the consent agenda? Motion. Motion. Second. Councilman Donovan. Yes. Council McKini. Yes. Mayor Bosco. Yes. Council Ronaldo. Yes. Councilman Le. Yes.
Okay. Ordinances. We have second reading and public hearing on ordinance 20259. This is an ordinance amending and supplementing chapter 29 amending uh water sewer rates. This is open for public comment if anyone would like to
speak on it. I have a motion to close the public hearing. Motion. Second. All in favor? I. And can I have a motion to adopt ordinance 20259? Motion. Second.
Councilman Donovan. I Yes. Counciloman Kenny. Yes. Mayor Bakusco. Yes. Councilman Randero. Yes. Councilman Lemon. Yes. Okay. Now we're on to the regular public session. If you're like to speak, please step forward and remember to state your name and address.
Can I have a motion to close the public session and adjourn the meeting? I'll make a motion. Get that too fast. Second. All in favor? I