I open the Bernards Township Committee meeting for April 29th, 2025. Please stand for the flag salute. To the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands one
nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Mayor's opening meeting statement. Adequate notice of this meeting was posted on the Bolton board in the municipal building one collar lane Basking Ridge on the township website and emailed to the Burnersville News
Whippony 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 included that the matters discussed at such close session will be
disclosed to the public when such matters are finally determined and there is no further discussion or reason to prohibit the public from disclosure of information related to such matters. No new business will be introduced after 10:30 p.m. Public comments 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. Christie, Miss Dwarte McCarthy here. Mr. McN here.
Mr. Tani here. Mayor Fields here. And Miss AC will be joining us later. Executive session Christie. None this evening. Resolution 2025-0181 recognizing the Ridge High School fencing team win at the 2024 2025 New
Jersey State Championship. We have a resolution. Congratulations to the Ridge High School boys fencing team on their outstanding victory at the 2024 2025 New Jersey State Championship, securing their first state title and second in three years.
The team demonstrated exceptional skills and teamwork throughout the tournament. Notably, Reed Coenti achieved his 100th jewel victory during the competition, underscoring the team's dedication and excellence. This remarkable achievement continues Rich's
tradition of fencing excellence and highlights the hard work and commitment of the athletes, coaching staff, and their parents. Well done, Rich fencing team. Can I have a motion? Have a motion. So moved. Second. Would you like to say something before we pass
the res? Yeah, sure. Um, the Ridge High School fencing team has won its second state title in three years and had its ninth appearance in the state finals in the past 11. Sport of fencing requires agility, precision, and tactical thinking. This team with the guidance of
their coaches has surely mastered all those qualities. The dedication of your time and talents along with the support of your parents has truly paid dividends. So congratulations to all of you. Good luck to the seniors who will be moving on next year. Your excellence has made both Rich and Bernards proud.
Thank you. Um, so I'm Anna Dwarte McCarthy, one of the committee members and among the achievements, it was extraordinary that you came in as the 12th seed and that, you know, you were not underdogs because you obviously qualified to be there, but
to come in as the 12th seed and then to advance as you did is extraordinary. So congratulations on that. It's also wonderful to be a student athlete. Um, you know, it's a lot of work, a lot of uh competing. My husband actually fenced
in college. He his his weapon was foil and saber and I was telling him about your win in this competition and it's something that requires strategy. It requires agility as David said. Um a little bit of luck and I think just to
get to an extraordinary outcome as you did is wonderful to your parents and your coaches. Um all those hours that your young person is spending in their There are times they come home so disappointed and many times we're the ones that help to say you can get
another opportunity to succeed and succeed you did. So congratulations to all of you. You've represented us beautifully and wishing you all the best in the future. So congratulations. [Applause]
Andrew, would you like to say something? Sure. I'll be very brief, but I just wanted to say congratulations to all the members of the team, the parents and coaches. I I I'm always uh taken aback by what tremendous talent we have at our
schools here in in in Basking Ridge Township. And congratulations to you all. Thank you. Thank you. All in favor? I going to present the resolution to the fencing team. Take a picture up front.
Head coach, where do you want? Where' you want? Oh, fantastic. or Credit. [Applause] the coach. My
son Congratulations. Thank you very much. Okay. Next is resolution 20250217 recognizing April as autism acceptance month. We have a resolution for autism month. April is recognized as autism acceptance
month. A time to honor the unique experience and strength of individuals on the autism spectrum. This month encourages greater understanding, inclusion, and support for autistic people and their families while also promoting respect, dignity, and the celebration of neurodeiversity in all
communities. Let us work together to build a more accepting and inclusive world where everyone is valued of who they are. Can I have a motion? So move. Second. Would you like to say something? Sure. In 1988, uh, President Reagan issued the
first official proclamation to declare April National Autism Month to recognize the millions of people living with autism spectrum disorder, ASD. At that time, autism affected one in a thousand children. Today, ADS affects one in 54
children in the United States. Autism is a condition related to brain development that impacts how a person perceives and socializes with others, causing problems with social interaction and communication. This month is an opportunity to celebrate the unique gifts and abilities of the individuals
on the on the spectrum. As a governing body, we can foster autism awareness by advocating for autism friendly programs and policies, supporting local organizations and initiatives that promote autism awareness and provide vital resources, support, and services
to those individuals and families. As community leaders, we have a responsibility to raise awareness and set an example of understanding and acceptance to those affected by this disorder. Mayor, I could make a few comments, please. Um, it's important to recognize
the opportunity for awareness and respect for individuals with autism and their families and teachers. There is a critical need for effective and appropriate programs for individuals in the community. And there are a couple of things that have happened in the community. I'll mention a few. One of these solutions has been the development
of six group homes in Bernard's Township in partnership with our house foundation supporting adults with disabilities including adults with a autism. We also have community partners such as the YMCA which has pro long offered programming
including Saturdays in motion where autistic children from a ages 3 to 17 and their families join together at the Somerset Hills YMCA on Saturdays for two hours of recreation. Last month, a few of the parents of adult children with intellectual and
developmental disabilities met with the Somerset Hills YMCA leadership along with me to talk about ways to expand some of the existing programs and there is strong energy to do so. A few so this is actually um brand new. So I'm going to share something that's just happened.
U one of our residents who's here tonight, Sue Trap, uh spoke to us about an idea. Sue had worked with the New Jersey Golf Association and suggested that we run a golf clinic for adults with ID. I'm the liazison to the committee and took the idea to the chair
Greg Angelo and Jen Gander, head of parks and wreck. They were supportive and connected us to the New Jersey Golf Foundation. Greg Zohoodbettz, director of operations of the New Jersey Golf Foundation, loved the idea. It is one of the three pillars of the foundation,
youth, military, and special needs. The PGA of America is committed to making the game of golf accessible for all, including the implementation of programs that promote inclusion within the sport. I'm very pleased to share that we will be running a clinic for four sessions
for 10 adults June 5th through June 26, which will be free of charge. And this will be an adaptive adaptive golf clinic. So please, I know some folks have already registered. We shared that information last night, but this is a good opportunity to offer innovative program that is indeed accessible to
all. So these are a few examples of some of the programs and solutions being put in place. And while there's progress, there's a lot more to do. So I'm pleased that we are presenting this resolution this evening. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you, Andrew. I can't say it any better than my
colleagues did. I'm most pleased that we're doing this resolution tonight celebrating uh the autistic members of our community. Thank you. Thank you. All in favor? I I I going to do the uh
take a picture and resolution. I know uh Lily's here and Lindsay's here. And if anybody else is here from um to for the resolution, we're going to meet up front. Take a picture. Thank you. Next is resolution 2025-0219. Recognizing the Ridge Hockey Middle
School Junior Devils team 2025 Middle School A Division Championship Title. Congratulations to the Ridge Hockey Middle School Junior Devils on their remarkable achievement in securing the 2025 middle school a division championship title. This victory
underscores the dedication, teamwork, and skills of players and coaching staff. The Ridge Ice Hockey Association, established in 1995, has consistently supportive and developed young talent. This championship adds to its legacy of excellence. The Junior Devils success is
a testament to the program's commitment to fostering leadership, discipline, and sportsmanship both on and off the ice. Well done to all and especially thanks to their families for supporting them. Can I have a motion? So move second, my colleagues.
Sure. So, congratulations to the Ridge Hockey Middle School Junior Devils under the guidance of head coach Tim Dagert and assistant coach Mike Sweeney. The team has demonstrated exceptional dedication and skill to reach this championship level. Hockey is a physically demanding sport that requires
countless hours of practice to master all the necessary skills. The team's hard work and commitment have truly paid off and their success is a testament to their perseverance and teamwork. Well, congratulations. This is really extraordinary. And I was reading that
you were formed in 1995, which was the year my daughter was born. So, this this association is uh now nearly 30 years old. And that this was also your fourth attempt and were successful and and that's extraordinary. You know, you will
always remember this. I remember when my seventh and eighth grade softball team won the CYO championship. And I'm a lot older than all of you. So this is u exceptional and there are a couple of things I wanted to share. So first and foremost being on a team is a wonderful
life lesson. You learn to work together. You learn to collaborate. You look out for each other. When someone's not having a great game, the other people help and support. So these are great skills that you will carry forward in life. Another thing is how you play the game. U you know sportsmanship really
matters and I have uh I know some of your parents and my perspective is that you represent us well on and off the ice and it does matter because uh how you show up and how you you work with your teammates reflects not only on you but
on the whole team. So the fact that you rose to this level of championship to me means that this was a solid integrated and wellperforming team. So well done. And then also to your parents and your families. I don't know what time you have to get up to get on the ice. My h
my husband used to drive his brother at 5 am to ice hockey practice. So I'm not sure what time you get on the ice, but to that extent it's a lot of uh support from parents and families to get kids to where they need to be to support the practice to get to the games. Um you
know and that matters. Um, so I'm really happy that all of that that energy and that passion for your family and your children has succeeded in getting this wonderful championship. So congratulations to all of you. Well done Andrew.
Yes, thank you. We have such tremendous talent uh in our community and this team is no exception. Uh congratulations to all players, the coaches, the the the parents uh who did so much to work to get this great achievement. So
congratulations to you all. Thank you. All in favor? I I Okay. Uh team coaches going to take a picture with the resolution. Guys, I'm standing forward. Get closer, boys.
Yeah, micro Congratulations. [Applause] Thank you again. Oh, you're so welcome. Congratulations. Good to see you again. Thank you. Thank you. Congratulations.
Christy, public works session. None this evening. Mayor correspondence none this evening. Next is public comment. 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, if 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 session, but rather 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 speaker is limited to 5 minutes. The clerk will keep time. Please promptly yield the
floor when the time is up and return to your seat. Your cooperations and adherence to these rules of order will ensure an orderly and respectful meeting. Open for public comment. Hi, I'm Li Lily Yip and I reside at 39
Sentinel Drive in Basker Ridge, New Jersey. I am disappointed that the final vote on April 15th was in favor of the largest apartment complex of 574 family units in Bernard's Township history.
This will be a financial burden to taxpayers and the schools as well as the community in ter in general in terms of traffic and other factors. This must be noted that the
final vote goes against what the planning board deemed as inconsistent with the master plan. This final vote was also against many residents that voiced opposition and other concerns.
Why would township committee members vote against the planning board and many concerned residents? Why weren't other plans considered, especially other possible plans that included special needs housing, which brings double tax
credits? You were elected to serve the residents. I urge you to reconsider to uphold your promise to not overdevelop in beautiful Bernest Township. Thank you. Thank you. Tile Stein Riverside Drive. Sorry, what?
Um, Westgate was um actually approved probably two years ago in a different form, but still a um development. So, we're just using the development that's already been approved for us.
Um my question is um about the table organization for the police department. I know we lost the chief of police. Did we lose two more officers this year? It was um I don't recall losing three
people at one time. We're hiring three more. Not against the new officers, but it's very costly and you need to keep an eye on that. Just so you know, we had retirements. So, we had two more. We had
three retirements then. Yes. Okay. Yeah. One. Okay. Well, okay. Well, I just want to make sure that explains. No, that's that's a question. Yes, I don't recall. [Music] Um, on Saturday I was up here to sit and
um obviously I need a drink and read and I noticed somebody come around 2:30 to the police department to try to get access into the police department. Of course, the doors locked and I drove down there and speak to them and luckily the officer had just
pulled in so they were able to take care of the person. This is an ongoing problem that I've complained about since we've got rid of the dispatch. Having nobody at that desk, at those doors open only Monday through Friday from about 8:00 to about
4:30. The town doesn't run on that type of schedule. It's a 24-hour town and I would like to see somebody there. Now that we have more officers, there's no reason why we can't have somebody in there. They could be doing other paperwork or other things and if they're
done with it then they could rotate another officer off the street and have it. But I think it's embarrassing not to have a police headquarters open for people to come in to access police um questions. Well, if somebody was being
chased from the high school and then they're pulling on that door and not even thinking about that call button they need to push to speak to the county which is about 10 miles away so they're not going to come and help them. I like
to see that door open. I like to see, you know, somebody there so the public has access in case they really need the emergency. What if somebody had a baby they want to drop off? Legally, they could drop that baby.
That baby sitting on on the front porch and nobody would ever know about it until an officer hap happens to walk up that way. I'd like to see somebody up there. I think it would be it's a necessary evil.
I know we don't want to spend the money, but I know there's got to be an officer there most most of the time. Anyway, um another question is, um I know a contract was signed for, um picking up
clothing at the town recycling center. There's still no boxes there since that was signed. And I'd like to see the box some boxes there someway. I know it's great we're getting money for no boxes sitting
there, but the whole purpose of is to have people give their clothing over so it's not being put in the dumps and thrown out and other people who really need the clothing or even the rags uh the old stuff could be used and I just like to
see um those boxes there and I know I was up there I last last Saturday I saw no boxes there so look into it and I think that's all I have to crab about today. Sorry to take up your time.
Thank you. No, thank you. We'll look into that with the boxes. Anyone else? Hi, Lindseay Ponucci, 146 Lynden Drive. Um, I just wanted to as co-president of Bernard's Parents for Exceptional Children, I wanted to thank you all for
the resolution tonight. um as April uh recognizing April as autism acceptance month. Um what we've learned over the last year or two is um an introduction actually into the switch from autism awareness month to autism acceptance
month. And um what was explained to us um especially by parents who have children who are autistic that awareness is great um but by now most people have the awareness and inclusion and acceptance is really what the goal is
and what they're looking for. So um I want to thank you for the programs that you spoke about tonight, Anna. Um, hearing about that golf program is really amazing and just a testament to exactly that of acceptance and inclusion
and allowing all individuals in our community to be part of the activities that are offered instead of having just separate things that they have to attend to. So, um, I just wanted to take a moment and thank you for that. Um, and thank you for recognizing April for such
that great cause. Thank you. Thank you. On that note, I'd like to um and Anna had said it before, I'd like to acknowledge Sue Trap for uh for her initiative on the uh golf program that Anna educated us about, which is a great program and I'm happy her initiative uh Anna was able to uh fulfill that and and
it's an exceptional program. So, I want to thank you for that. Thank you. Thank you. Anyone else want to close public comment? Next is staff comments, township committee comments, and board leaison reports. Pat. Uh thank you,
mayor. Uh earlier this evening, we uh swore in some new police officers. Uh welcome to our three new officers, Joseph Gorki, Justin Cardi, and Stephanie Corona Morales. So, congratulations and welcome to our town. That's all I have there. Christie. Yes.
Thank you, mayor. Uh, the next township committee meeting scheduled for May 13, 2025 is canled due to a lack of quorum. The following meeting will be May 27th, 2025, beginning at 7:30 p.m. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you, John. No, thank you, Mayor
Jen. Sure. Thank you. So, apologies for being late. Tonight was the last elementary um music program for my fifth grader. So, it was awesome to be in the Ridge Pack and thanks uh to having that um paved road. So, it was easier to get
from from Ridge over to here. Although the traffic with the the um it was like rush hour traffic with the dismissal of the athletic activities and and the pack. So, here I am. Um I'm going to leave Anna to speak about Arbor Day, but
I just wanted to express my gratitude on April the 25th for the wonderful program, Anna, that you and the Sha Tree Commission did for some of our elementary schools. It was really a pleasure to see the benefit um to those fifth graders. So, I'll let you speak about that. Looking forward, I'm excited
to attend on May the 1st the New Jersey 2025 film expo in the Metallins Arena. So, I'll be working and interacting with others in the film industry again as an effort to attract additional opportunities to our community for additional revenue streams. Um,
additionally, um, from a board of health perspective, on May the 12th, there is a type 2 diabetes prevention detective management program at 5:30 at the Bernard Township Library. And again, tremendous u gratitude to our board of
health for organizing this. Many of you may know or may not know that you can actually prevent type 2 diabetes. So, this is a wonderful program about what it is, who's at risk, and potentially how you can prevent it. So, thanks to our board of health for creating that
program. If you're interested, um, please look on the website and, uh, register for that. I wanted to speak just very briefly about the topic of the 2025 municipal budget. Again, a huge thank you to each of our department heads,
Shawn McCarthy and Pat Monaco, for developing what's been proposed. We know that for most residents, property tax costs are within the top three concerns. And that's why we should always be thoughtful about ensuring that our town is efficiently run without sacrificing the high quality of municipal services
provided. And as we learned in late 2024, there is a need for economic development for our community. The taxes paid to Bernard Township are paid by both commercial and residential taxpayers. Going back to 1989, the
commercial portion of taxes was 23%. Based on estimates in 2024, it was approximately 10% equating to a loss of 13%. What does this mean to us residential taxpayers? It means that we're paying extra to make up for the loss of commercial taxes. So, if we
estimated the impact of property tax paying residents, for illustration, for the average assessed home in 2024, which at that time was $785,000, there was approximately a $2,000 burden per year. This means that for the average
$785,000 home, homeowners are paying an extra $2,000 because we've lost commercial taxpayers. When we learned of the issue, we shared at a township committee meeting in 2024. This issue still needs to be addressed. We must try to lessen the burden on our
residential taxpayers. Cutting costs in the municipal budget is not the solution to the imbalanced problem, especially in light of the budget issues for other entities, especially the board of education. We need to be proactively active to address this
imbalance. The solution is to attract commercial businesses to existing commercial locations that are vacant or underutilized. I'd like to work with other colleagues to address the issue. Most importantly, I'd love to hear from our community regarding the types of businesses they'd like to see within our
township. Thank you, David. Thanks, Mayor. Um, charter day is May 17th. Um, from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Um, also um parks rec the adult pickle ball and youth tennis lessons. Uh Saturday
sessions begin on April 26th and are available through June 21st. Um pool season is coming upon us pretty quick. Uh the pool will be opened uh May 24th. They're actually going to be filling it this Saturday and um extended hours the next extended hours for uh pool ID
members uh pool IDs is May 19th and that would run from 8:30 in the morning to 700 p.m. at night. There's also a new caregiver policy that's been established for adult members with disabilities who have a court-appointed legal guardian. So, please contact the parks and recck
office if you need that pass. And also, employment opportunities are still available for summer recck programs and pool lifeguards. And I just want to thank Sean and Pat for all their work on on the budget to a minimum. Thank you,
Anna. Sure. Uh, a couple of announcements. The Environmental Commission is participating in the Great Swamp Watershed Association Native Plant Sale this Saturday, May 3rd. The plant sale will promote that people adopt the use of native plant gardens across the
region. And they play a critical role in providing essential habitats for pollinator insects and bird communities. So, if you have already purchased a native plant, the pickup is at Ross Farm from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Um, as Jen mentioned, the Shade Tree Commission was
very active this past Friday on Arbor Day, where we celebrate across the country the importance of our tree canopy. We had presentations at two local elementary schools, Liberty Corner and Oak Street School, where each of the children learned more about the importance of trees and how to care and
to and more importantly the importance to preventing soil erosion and preventing um carbon monoxide and other areas of of uh environment that are becoming increasingly problematic. Um that being said, each child took a tree
home and they were told to ask their parent where to plant it. So, it's a really fun day for them. And we also had each of the schools, the kids read the resolution that we passed on April 15th. So, this is the second year that we've introduced this program and we hope to continue it in the coming year. Um, I've
already talked about the golf program that's been launched beginning in June. So, we're really excited about that adaptive golf program. Uh, the municipal alliance will be coming with its twilight run on June 1st. Uh this is an important opportunity to support our
efforts to provide education around alcohol, tobacco, and other substances. And it's a 5K run and a mile walk. So we hope that those of you can consider joining it to support this important cause. And then the agricultural
advisory committee has met um planning for the coming year. It's a good reminder for all of us to support our local farms um which are if you look on our website if you're not familiar with them on the agricultural advisory committee page there's a great interactive map that shows each of the
farms and I encourage you to visit they're really one of our treasures here in this community and I'll uh reserve my comments around the budget for when we have that presentation waiting Andrew uh I do would like our newly sworn and
officers and reiter. Thank you. So updates uh the library uh they're having a Mother's Day market and photo shoot on Saturday, May 3rd from 10:00 to 4. So, go to the library's website to sign up if you're interested in um doing a photo shoot for Mother's
Day, but also they will have a market day if you'd like to go and do some shopping on May 3rd from 10 to 4. I'd like to thank uh all that attended their uh the um Liberty Corner Fire Company's Spring Comedy Night fundraiser. We always appreciate your support and
supporting our uh volunteer uh Liberty Corner Fire Company. Thank you for all that attended. And Farmstead, they're busy as usual. They have an art show from April 26th to the 30th. They have a potter's guild Saturday and Sunday, May
3rd and 4th at 11:00 a.m. It's a show and also sale of some pottery. So stop by and um I'm pretty excited about this one. They're going to have a barn dance on May 9th from 7 to 9 with music and dancing and lots and lots of fun. So we hope that you'll attend that. So you can
go to the uh Farmstead website. Um also my colleague had mentioned the economic and development. Uh we do have a subcommittee on that and um there are members of the TC that are participating in that and I am meeting with them next week to discuss what we are going to do about that. So just want to follow up on
that. Charter day uh like Andrew had mentioned is Saturday May 17th. We'll be celebrating our 265th anniversary. Charter Day is an annual event which celebrates the history and 1760 charter of Bernard's Township and showcases
community groups, businesses, talents with food, and lots of fun events for the kids, which I always love when they have the bouncy house. My kids always love that. Um, the opening ceremony will start at 12:00 p.m. in downtown Basking Ridge area. The festivities will go on
till 6 pm. Parking is available at the municipal lot um on South Maple A Avenue directly across the street from Burners Township Library and then also the walkway connects to the uh parking area where you can get onto uh Finley Avenue uh where the charter day will take place. It's certainly the best event
that we have all year. So, we hope to see you there. And our Memorial Day parade will be on Monday, March 26 at 9:00 am. And this year, the Liberty Corner Fire Company will be hosting. So, the parade will actually be taking be taking part in uh Liberty Corner section
of town. So, uh it will start at 900 a.m. in the Liberty Corner uh Liberty Corner section of town. So, that is always um exciting uh event to um to have. And I'd like to also thank again the Liberty Corner Fire Company because they're running the event this year. So
that's all I have. Next is unfinished business 2025 municipal budget and golf utility presentation. Thanks, Mayor. Um, so we do have our 2025 budget prepared for uh
public hearing and adoption tonight. Um hopefully we'll have a presentation up here. Sorry, bear with us. One one second. Okay. Well, I'll just run through what um what we have to review on the budget. We we did do um a broader
presentation on the budget and introduction back in March. Uh so this is just to kind of recap some of those uh some of those highlights on the budget. Um our full state budget document as well as our user friendly budget are all posted to the township's website on the finance page. Uh so those
can all be viewed there as well as the budget detail that's attached to uh the agenda tonight. Um our auditors Lee and Caitlyn Norton are here with us tonight. They've reviewed our budget information. So, we are all clear to adopt uh following our our public hearing
tonight. Um so, I'll just hit some of the some of the highlights. Um our uh budget as proposed remains unchanged from introduction at 48,534,69. The amount to be raised by taxation to fund the budget comes to
23,57,490 and that represents an increase of 3.44% over 2024. Um, and then lastly, our tax rate stands at 0.253 per $100 of assessed value. And that rate is down 6.19% from last
year. Um, one of the one of the things we wanted to highlight um at our our presentation tonight for adoption is looking at the the capital budget specifically. So, um, total capital funding comes to just over 7.5 million,
uh, which again I mentioned represents an increase to our capital program of just over $785,000. So, um, as we as we mentioned and and we discussed in introduction, one of the, um, you know, primary goals for this year's budget was to continue
to to build our capital program funding, uh, so we can maintain township's infrastructure moving forward. Um and you know one of the things that we were very happy to see for this year's budget is that we are um effectively increasing that budget funded capital program over
the last few years. So if you look back to 2021 uh through this year, you'll see an incremental increase in that capital budget. Um that is certainly intentional and in fact um this year um for the first time we'll actually be able to
exceed our capital budgets from 2022 and 2023. Uh you might recall that those were the years that our capital budget included some significant funding uh so maybe grant funding uh from the AR program. So um this year we're making up that difference with the budget funded
capital uh which we're happy to to report. Um just a few notes on our revenue items. Um most importantly this year, thanks to some very positive results of operations, we're able to anticipate another $1.3 million in fund
balance as revenue to offset our appropriations. Um and one other minor min minor adjustment to our revenue this year um is an initial $100,000 that we're able to anticipate in our local revenues line uh specifically in the interest on
investments uh budget line. I had a very nice little graphic that talks about our replenishment of fund balance every year. But basically just want to point out that um you know since we rely on um you know so much fund balance to fund our budget it's
typically around 33% or so. So about a third of the budget uh we're very careful about keeping an eye on how we regenerate that surplus every year. So um just just very high level um you know the three main revenue streams that uh help us to regenerate that that fund
balance are revenues in excess of amounts that we anticipate in the budget. uh our budget cancellations uh which typically uh primarily is the $4 million capbased appropriation that's in our budget that at the end of the year flows back to fund balance as well as
our unspent appropriation reserves um which for this budget year would be the balance of our unspent dollars in the 2023 budget. So that's certainly how we make sure that we're regenerating that surplus to use. Um, and then the last thing I'll point
out is we're also adopting our golf utility budget this evening. Um, as with the township's budget, uh, golf utility budget remains unchanged at $569,313. So, um, that's what I have on adoption and I'll turn it back over for our public hearing. Okay. Thank you.
Resolution 2025-0226 adoption of the 2025 municipal budget and 2025 golf utility budget and this is a public hearing. The township committee of the township committee of the township of burners declares that the
statutory requirements found in NJSA 4 A 4-8 subsection 1.8 A point and one B for posting a complete copy of the approved budget has been met permitting the budget to be ready to bred by title. I
open the public hearing and welcome comments Riverside Drive $48 million. we can't get this freaking thing to work. Um, back at resolution
20250132, we um order a bid for crossing guard services for $115,000. Unfortunately, we don't have your line item up here, so I'm only trying to remember what I read. I think it was
$172,000 on two lines added together for um 2025. I could be wrong, but I think it was that. Then again, every year, we'll say resolution 202471. That's um cancelling current
funds for 2024. This is something we see every December where we claw back money that's not used. This is not unusual. This happens every year. It's the same amount just about as many years.
$15,000 are clawed back from the police department for crossing guards. So, I don't know why we have $15,000 extra each year that we have to claw back when we're obviously not using it and we're not using it now because we we're sub
subleting the um crossing guard services somewhere else. But I'm sure this happens every on the budget where we're overdoing that. If if this is something we see every year of calling back the same amount of money, then why even have
that as a budget? Cut the budget by that much. If all of a sudden something crazy happens, that's why we have a surplus. It goes to the surplus for that emergency. Well, we're only pay almost 4% more in taxes this year. And I know
it's a little less than last year, but we also remember our property assessments all went up. And mine went up $60,000, $300,000 in the last two years.
So, I just want to point this out. I know nothing's going to be taken care of about this and I'm sure I'm not going to get the answers I want. I'm just pointing it out. Thank you very much. Thank you. Anybody else? Close public comment. Have
a motion. Okay. I move that resolution number 20250226 be approved. Second discussion. Would anybody like to say something? Yeah. Just I would thank you mayor. So a couple of observations u we are as Sean
said continuing with smaller increases versus a large one and this is I think is responsible for us to do this incrementally and keep pace with what actual costs are. U overall I had long discussions with Sean and also all of us reviewed the budget. We didn't need to
cut anything significant to meet the budget and we are continued on focusing on improvements. uh a pretty significant chunk of the appropriation goes toward our road projects. Uh and for those of you here in the room and those who might
be watching live stream, we are going to be making upgrades to the Warren craft room technology. So, Mr. Edelstein, uh to your point, hopefully in the future meetings in the year, um that will happen. So, I think that's terrific. around our police department. We're going to continue to have public safety
initiatives including bodywn cameras, um purchase of a second drone. So, that's going to continue to emphasize our importance on safety and security. Um the town has done a great job of managing health and benefit costs on the average plans are up about 16% I think
Sean. Uh but we've been able to keep overall employee health benefits to around 8%. So again with strategic management and then lastly you know to the extent as was mentioned one of the big costs we had in the budget was the elevator and that funding is wrapped up
u so we'll look for 2025 as a completion for that. Um a concern I have and I think it's shared across all municipalities is any continued um impact from federal, state or county grants. Uh at this point you wouldn't see that in the budget. We track that
when it comes in and it's received. So hopefully we won't see significant decreases there, but it's something we're cognizant of and would consider. And then lastly, I too want to thank Sean uh Pat, the team and the finance department and all the department heads. It's a lot of work that goes into
developing the budget and to be strategic around it and they do a terrific job. So I just want to offer my thanks to all of you for that. So thank you, David. Yes. Well, this was my first going through the budget and it's pretty impressive. We're a township with no
debt. Um we're able to balance our budget, keep the tax rate low. We have capital reserves to fall back on which is wonderful. And the team worked hard to just keep the increase to a minimum. We have insurance increases and we wanted to replenish some of the capital reserves. So they worked really well to
do that and I compliment them. So I just want to thank everybody who contributed to formulating this budget. Thank you. You spoke already. You want to go again? Okay, Andrew. Yes, I'll be very brief. I'd like to thank uh Sean, Pat, all the teams that
came together to put together this budget. I think it's a responsible budget and you know since I've been on the township committee the growth uh which is you know unavoidable that's been well managed and maintained and it
stands in stark contrast with the state budget which uh over the past uh eight years or so has ballooned from 36 billion to 56 billion. So, I think we are a standout in in in uh handling
financial affairs responsibly. I'd like to thank my colleagues on the township committee and all the staff who came together to put together this budget which I'll be voting yes on. Thank you. Thank you, Andrew. I too want to thank uh Sean and his team and Pat and also want to uh thank my uh colleagues
because we all have to get together and figure it out and um we were all on almost all on the same page where um the tax levy is the same as last year. So we didn't have to increase that didn't need to be increased but yet we were still able to increase our capital budget which we've been trying to do year after
year which is very important to be able to um add more money to the capital improvement. Um, I know it's something that uh everyone is always interested in, especially when we spend that money on the roads and improving our roads. Um, the uh commitment to fiscal
responsibility by the uh township employees and the um and the township committee. I just it's it's amazing how much dedication and efficiency is really put into the budget. And this is my sixth budget. And I just want to say uh
what's important for all of us sitting up here when we're doing the budget and and it finally gets done is just to be able to roll something out and present to all of you that we're proud of. And I am proud of this budget and um thankful that uh like I said, we got to put more
money in capital and that the levy didn't change um because we know in certain situations like he's mentioned the state and you've got the uh the school uh tax rate uh with everything going up, we were able to uh maintain the tax levy. So, thank you to everyone.
I appreciate it and your dedication. Um can I have um We did the roll. Roll call. Miss AC. Yes. Miss Dwarte McCarthy. Yes. Mr. McN.
Yes. Mr. Tani. Yes. Mayor Fields. Yes. Motion carried. Thank you. New business. Consent agenda. The items listed within the consent agenda portion of meeting have been referred to the township committee for reading and study are posted on the agenda on the website
are considered routine and will be enacted by one motion of the township committee with no separate discussion. If separate discussion is required, the item may be removed from the agenda by township committee action and placed on the regular agenda under new business. Would anybody like anything
removed? Can I have a motion? So move. Second. Roll call. Christie. Miss Hayy. Yes. Miss Dwarte McCarthy. Yes. Mr. McN. Yes. Mr. Tani. Yes. Mayor Fields. Yes.
Motion carried. Resolution 2025-0218. declaring May 24th as Charter Day and approval of a special event permit for Bernard Township Charter Day celebration to be held on May 17th, 2025, including street closures. Can I have a motion? So
moved. Second. All in favor? I I I. Resolution 2025-0220 approval of special event permit for Burners Township Memorial Day parade and memorial service on May 26, 2025.
Have a motion. So move. Second discussion. All in favor? I I I. Ordinance 2579, an ordinance of the township of Bernards appropriating [Music]
6,190,591.79 for various capital improvements. And this is introduction. Mayor, I move that ordinance number 2579 be introduced on first reading, advertised as required by law, and scheduled for a public hearing on May 27th, 2025.
Have a second. Second. Roll call. Christie Missy yes Miss Dwarte McCarthy yes Mr. McN yes Mr. Tani yes Mayor Fields yes motion carried approval of minutes 4:15 2025
open session minutes and I have a motion so move second roll call Christie Miss AC yes Mr. Arte McCarthy yes Mr. McN.
Yes. Mr. Tani, yes. Mayor Fields, yes. Motion carried. Executive session. None this evening. Mayor, may I have a motion to adjurnn?