ready. I open the Bernards Township Committee meeting for December 23rd, 2025. Please stand for the flag salute. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America
for it stands. Adequate notice of this meeting was posted on the Bolton board in the municipal collar building one collar lane basking ridge and on the township website and emailed to the Burnersville news whippy the courier news bridgewater tap into.net patch.com and filed with
the township clerk on December 18th 2024. Any motion to go into close session will be included in such matters discussed at a prior close session will be disclosed to the public at such matters are finally determined and there's no further reason to prohibit the public from disclosure of
information relating to such matters. No new business will be introduced after 10:30 p.m. Public comment will be accepted at all meetings. Speakers will be limited to 5 minutes each. All meetings will adjourn no later than 11:30 p.m. Roll call.
Miss Ay >> here. >> Miss Dwarte McCarthy >> here. >> Mr. McN >> here. >> Mr. Tankery >> here. >> Mayor Fields >> here. >> Executive session Christie >> none this evening. Mayor >> presentations
>> none this evening. >> Public works >> session. >> Uh none this afternoon. Mayor >> correspondence >> none today. >> Next is public comments. Comments are welcome during the public comment period during this meeting on any agenda item or other matters over which the township committee has jurisdiction. However, an
ordinance is listed for its own public hearing on the agenda. Please hold your comments for that particular public hearing. The public comment portion of the agenda is not structured as a question and answer but offers an opportunity to share your thoughts with the township committee. The committee may or may not address these comments
during the meeting. However, all comments are considered to address this body. The speaker must come forward to the microphone and state his or her name and address for the record. Each big speaker is limited to 5 minutes. The clerk will keep time. Please promptly yield the floor when time is called and
return to your seat. Your cooperation in adherence to these rules of order will ensure an orderly and respectful meeting. I open public comment. Flestein Riverside Drive. Um on your consent agenda, resolution
2025 044. think that should be pulled and held. There's um at least two message boards sitting not being used at all. I believe plus we have a lot of message boards I
think dropping $20,000 just so the health department has one when they could probably share and we even have one in front of town hall. um money that we could save. Just like when we bought those light boxes, we bought
two of them because they public works and the police department needed them. And I've only seen them used once and I I doubt they even have more than a thousand hours on. They could have been rented also when we needed them and not, you know, purchased
where we have to worry about maintaining them. Now that it's um snowed, the residents should take the time to clear off their fire hydrants. I know probably no snow there now, but eventually it will be. And if
you care about your house, you want the fire department to put water on it, you probably want to maintain that fire hydrant. And if your neighbors care about it, they would make sure you do it or they do things. I'm at the age where I'm not going out
to shovel anybody's fire hydrants anymore. I do my own. If I could do it, there's no problem. Why? No one else could. also on school routes where public works um plows the um sidewalks.
We have a sidewalk that's being maintained by the town. It' be nice that you can continue watch that afterwards just so that um somebody doesn't kill themselves like the town to continually maintain
those sidewalks for you when it's eventually if there's a property maintenance um ordinance in this town you'll be stuck with it and you'll be hated uh I think for next year looking into having a second public
comment. I know the past uh committee doesn't want it. They've been embarrassed by it or for whatever reason. No reason why we shouldn't have a second public comment on these meetings. A lot of business comes out after public
comments that people can't even say anything until they wait. Christmas sing just let you know you have more than enough street lights lit this year. I actually took the time and contact JCPNL
10 of them that I did every light on that those blocks were working. That's another job that the police department could be doing out there 24 hours a day. There's no reason why they drive by, they can't do it. I know when I worked in East Orange,
we were respons I saw a traffic light, red light out for over a month and I called um New Jersey Department of Transportation on a Sunday and they had somebody out there that day fixing that bike. Next year we need a discussion about
what the police department does and doesn't do. If they don't have enough people on a shift on a fourman minimum and that's not enough, then they better increase that to a five minimum. Whatever it is, whatever the problem is,
nice guys and women, it's not that. But we need to be so see why things aren't done. They are not. You can't tell me that they're that stressed. And if you were going to tell me that that too overwork, I want to see their time locks and I want to see it
personally for for a day or for a week and we'll look at it. We'll see where this time is losing. I just don't believe it. You only work as hard as you want to work. You're only as business question. Everybody have a good >> Thank you, Todd.
Anyone else? Public comment, >> staff comments. Pat, >> uh, thank you, mayor. We just, uh, staff and I want to wish you all, uh, happy holidays going forward. Um, we, uh, uh, appreciated your support throughout the
year, um, and working with you all, and we look forward to working with the new task committee in 2026. Thank you, Mayor. >> Great. Thank you, Christie. >> Thank you, Mayor. Um, I just want to wish everyone a happy holiday and thank you to you and to Dave for a wonderful year and I look forward to working with Brett and John. Thank you.
>> Thank you, >> Mr. Bolardo. John, >> I echo all those sentiments. I look forward to this year um Mr. Jen. >> Sure. So, I want to thank everyone uh
for all of their efforts this year and wish everyone a happy holiday. Um as they're as we're having them uh coming up as well. um want to from a health department perspective do a jump to reminder for folks to complete the health community health assessment
survey um to help our health department determine what types of programs they can do to best serve our community and also not to forget that we have another rabies vaccination clinic in January. So thank you.
>> Thank you Andrew. >> Hi good afternoon everybody. Uh, I wanted to echo some of the sentiments. Uh, congratulations to Mayor Fields, the committee even, uh, Tank Created, uh, this being their last meeting. I look forward to working with the township committee and all the staff uh, for a
great 2026 and, uh, in the meantime, merry Christmas and happy new year, everybody. >> Thank you, Andrew David. >> Thank you, Mayor. Um, I want to take these final moments on the day to once again thank my colleagues and our dedicated staff for their support throughout this year. Each one of you
work hard every day on behalf of this township and that commitment does not go unnoticed. And Anna and wish her every success as she becomes mayor. Anna is a kind and thoughtful person who cares deeply about this township and I truly value her friendship. Relationship should be
remembered as an example of traditional bipartisanship, one rooted in respect, listening to one another's concerns and always striving to come to an understanding that is in the best interest of Ernest Town. I want to thank parks and rec uh rec director Jen Gander with whom I work
closely this year. Uh she performs a difficult job and an often thankless job yet her professionalism always prevails. So thank I want to recognize a longtime friend and colleague John Crane. Uh John has been a dedicated ser servant to Bernard's Township serving on numerous
boards and committees over many years. I had the privilege of serving with him early in my tenure on the environmental commission where he was my vice chairman and it was only fitting that we served together again this year on the planning board in the sewage authority. John has always been my go-to guy. He is a wealth of knowledge in both languages and the
history of Bernard's Township and it was a great honor for me last month when John declared the mayor and I honorary native residents of Bernard Township. Thank you, John. Uh, and just finally, I want to thank the residents of Bernard's Township who gave me the opportunity to serve on multiple boards and committees
over the past decade. For me, it's been a great honor to serve on this committee and to always put the interest of you, the people, first. Time comes to an end, I'm a reminder of the words of the Apostle Paul. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith and I will always have faith in the people of Burns. So, I want to wish
everyone a joyful and merry Christmas and a happy and healthy new year. May God bless America and God bless Burners Township. >> Anna Planning Commission formally adopted a new state development and redevelopment plan at the December
collaboration across all levels of government and serves to inform the public and encourage to align their land use policies with its vision. and resident volunteers Nicko Crane.
Also, just to trigger what was speaking to a reminder from our police department. Hopefully, you've seen this. No street parking permitted on the cruise. and plowing our road. Be aware that if your car remains on the
street, you may a few other items to share. I joined mayor volunteers and committees resting this house. posting. I also joined Mayor
Fields lighting on December 14 bringing together our community on the e also two additional and we app those who came in light of the tragedy
at Bondi Beach in Sydney Austin. the Basking Ridge Business Alliance at their holiday party Tuesday, December 16. And as my colleagues have very eloquently said, this is the last meeting of our year. I want to thank everyone who's joined us in person or
watched on live stream. Your input matters to us. All our staff um in partic up the air for all that you do for this. I want to pause and thank Mayor Field. I'll do next my colleague David Tenred
partnership and service of party we all work. Lastly, I want to wish everyone celebrating a merry Christmas best wishes for the new year. >> Thank you, Anna. So I'm going to start out um recognizing
um the committees that I served on. So the deer management advisory committee um it was an exceptional group um dedicated members who have been there since the beginning of the formation of the deer management committee and I want
to thank them. It's it's pleasure doesn't justify saying how much fun it really was and the dedication that they do to our town to manage for the deer management has made all the difference. They're a shining example throughout the state. Um other towns I've said it
previously I've tapped into um that committee for help to manage their deer population. And those of you who have been here as long as I know, we have controlled the population um in our town to a point where it's no
longer a issue, but it's also needed to uh maintain what we have. So I just want to thank all the uh members of the deer management committee for their their dedication and many years of service. Like I said, some of them have been there since formation and I just want to thank them for giving me uh the pleasure
of working with them. friends and farmstead. I want to thank Leslie Worker and the chair. Um I've worked with a lot of organizations in my time here on earth and nothing compares to the dedication, love, and care that is put into Farmstead. They are so dedicated to
making a difference and that shows on the grants they have received um to improve Farmstead. So, we should all be proud as residents of Bernard's Township to have one set in our backyard and the opportunity to um enjoy it. So, I want
to thank Leslie and the board for all that they do. But most importantly, I just want to say thank you for caring so much about the organization and putting your heart and soul in it. We recognize it. Liberty Corner Fire Company, I just want to say uh it's been a tremendous
year. I want to thank you for helping me make the town recognize that more was needed for you and your service. Um, and which we did do and we accomplished and we've given them more things than uh we have before because without them we would not be able to have a fire company
that's not paid. So I just I want to thank them for their volunteers. I want to thank them for everything they do and I just want to thank them for as a township um rec making us recognize the fact that they need to be appreciated more. We we can do more and we have. So that
partnership has meant so much to me. It's been tremendous. Uh the library board has been uh amazing and uh their dedication also in making sure that um so many programs uh reach so many people and um and that it's diversified whether
it's online or in person or them being out in the community to tell people to come in and visit the library. Uh I just want to thank them for for their dedication. And the uh sewage authority uh there's nothing to say because I'm not leaving. I'm gonna stay on the switch authority which I'm happy to to
report uh does amazing work and uh we keep we we keep the uh fees down so that's more important than anything. So just want to say it's been a pleasure working on the sewage authority and I'm going to continue with that. I also want to mention uh previously being on the police department's subcommittee. Andrew
and I made a difference there and I just want to thank uh the chief previously chiefs were enabling us to make important changes that needed to be made over there. And so for me that's made all the difference. When you leave here you want to be able to say what did I do
and um did did I do make a difference? But the most important thing I want to say is the difference that you make is together. All of us together. It's never an I. It's a team effort. And so your accomplishments that you make are all about us. It should never be about one person. It should never be about wanting
to spotlight yourself. It should never be about I. It's about what can we do? What can we accomplish together? So whatever we do together, and that together just doesn't include the township committee. That includes the staff. And I am so thankful. And I'm sad to leave only because miss the residents
but the staff, the brilliant staff that we have, the caring, giving, friendships lives that I've been involved with and I will continue. I just I just can't say enough that um it's really a a team effort and I thank my colleagues for
everything and um like I said, it's never about one person, it's about all of us together. And I want to finish by saying that it's always been community first. Like David had mentioned when you sit up here, always put the community first. What's in the best interest? It's not about
emotions. It's not about feelings. It's about what's in the best interest of the community and are we making a difference? And will that effect not just the chosen few? I'm getting choked up as you can see.
Sorry. Um, as Donna mentioned, the volunteer appreciation dinner. I uh I attended that. I just want to say thank you again to all our volunteers who step up and serve on the the committees. We can't do it without you. And I'm so happy that uh we brought that back, the volunteer
appreciation dinner, a way to show our volunteers, thank you. Thank you for serving. Thank you for putting your time in. And I hate to put it this way, but I always say that least we can do is give you a meal. So that's always the joke. Um, again, I want to thank everyone and I want to cong congratulate my son
Jeremy and his wife Ashton just got married last week. So, I want to congratulate them. And I'm just going to say I'm still going to be around and if anybody needs anything, you just call whether it's personal, business, or township, I'm there to continue to serve. I care about this community and I
I thank you all. And it's it it's an honor, but it really is a privilege. It is a privilege. He's turned it down and um and I hope that I served it well and um God has been with me through it all and I'm so thankful for his faith and believing in me. But most importantly, I
always say the word faith and faith is thank you to my colleagues for having faith in me and I have faith in them and I have faith in Anna. And that's why I'm not sad about leaving because I know she's gonna do a great job and that the the uh township community is in good hands with her
leadership with the rest of the team. And I have to finish one more thing. I know we're rambling. Thank you to Andrew Mcnal, my deputy mayor, who's been by my side this whole time and loyal. And when I got really busy with family, he stepped up and said, "I'll handle it.
Don't worry. Take care of family. Do what you have to do." And he always stepped in. And the most apparent thing in this job is loyalty. And that's one thing that he's given me. And I thank him so much for that. Andrew, you are a blessing. You are a godsend. And I thank
you for your friendship. And I also thank you for being there for me. >> My pleasure, Mayor. Back at you. >> Thank you. Merry Christmas. Happy holiday school. And we will continue. It's not good night. It's not goodbye.
It's Let's continue. Okay. Fire and rescue. >> None this afternoon. >> Unfinished business. Ordinance 2590. >> Accepting a riparian zone conservation easement on property located at 24 Brier
Lane, block 3402, lot 9 from 301 Garrett LLC to the township of Bernards. And this is a public hearing. I open I open the public hearing and welcome comments. Seeing none, I close the public hearing.
May I have a motion? >> I move that ordinance 2590 be adopted and advertised as required by law. >> Second. >> Roll call. Christie. >> Miss AC. >> Yes. >> Miss Dwarte McCarthy.
>> Yes. >> Mr. McN, >> yes. >> Mr. Tani, >> yes. >> Mayor Fields, >> yes. >> Motion carried. >> Consent agenda. The items listed within the consent agenda portion of meeting have been referred to the township committee for reading and study and are
posted on the agenda on the website and considered routine and will be enacted by one motion by the township committee with no separate discussion. If separate discussion is required, the item may be removed from the agenda by the township committee action and place on the regular agenda under new business. Would
anyone like anything removed? >> Can I have a motion? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Discussion. Christy, roll call. >> Miss AC. >> Yes. >> Miss Dwarte McCarthy. >> Yes.
>> Mr. McN. >> Yes. >> Mr. Tani. >> Yes. >> Mayor Fields. Yes. >> Motion carried. >> Approval of minutes from December 9th, 2025, open session minutes and close session minutes from uh 129 2025.
Can I have a motion? >> Motion to approve both. >> Second. >> I'm going to recuse myself. I wasn't here. All those in favor? >> I. >> Executive session. >> None this evening. Mayor, >> thank you.
We're almost con concluding the mass uh uh the uh meeting. I just want to say thank you, David. It's been a pleasure serving with you. I didn't say much about you because I did at the last meeting because you know why? We're going to remain friends and we've been friends for a really long time. So, thank you. Merry Christmas to you and your family. >> Settlements. Exactly. Same for you.
Thank you, mayor. >> May I have a motion to adjurnn? >> Second. All those in favor? I I >> Thank you. Happy holidays.