25 at 7 p.m. Calls me into order by the salute to the flag. >> I aliance 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. Roll call, please. >> Mayor Damato, >> here. >> Councilman Catalano >> here. >> Councilman Graziano >> here. >> Councilwoman Hudson present. >> Councilwoman Schubert >> here. >> Councilman Yazni >> here.
>> Okay. Also, uh, Councilman Bronhurst is excused. He had a family emergency about a half an hour ago. Um, so we also have our administrative assistant Amy Greenspan, business administrator Michael Sander, and burough attorney Don Sullivan.
>> Mayor, we also have with us tonight our CFO Heather Barkin Bush, our treasurer Jasmine Asa, and Andy Pascal from Saniel Company, our auditors. >> Okay, welcome. >> Okay, this meeting is called to pursuant of the provisions of the open public
meeting law. Adequate notice of this meeting was advertised in the Herald News on January 9th, 2025. Copies were provided to the local news meeting and posted continuously in the municipal building. A copy of this notice is available to the public and on file in the office of the municipal
clerk. As per state fire code, I am required to acknowledge that there are two emergency exits in this council chambers. The main entrance which you enter through and a secondary exit to the left of where I am seated. If there is an emergency, walk quarterly down the stairs and down through the building and
out the out the out the doors. I need a uh a motion to authorize the administrative assistant Amy Greenspan to temporarily serve as municipal clerk for this council meeting. >> So move. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I >> I >> Okay. We were supposed to have a
presentation tonight, but the person we were going to give it to was unable to make it. So, we'll probably put that off till next month. Michael will work that out. Um, the non-aggenda items. >> No non-aggenda. Everything's bacon. >> Everything's bacon. Okay. Okay. We do
not have any non-aggenda items. I like to open a motion to open early public comment. >> So, move second. >> All in favor? >> Anyone wishing to come up, please come up and state your name and address. Linda, drop a piece of paper behind you. Linda Huntley can hear me.
>> Mhm. Yep. >> I have CO, so that's why I'm wearing a mask. >> Okay. >> Um 86 Vanam Avenue. Um since we're the budget is not being approved, why are we going to be discussing it if there's going to be an amendment to it? Um,
you guys want to explain the amendment before we go into it? >> We advertise that we're going to have a public hearing. So, we have to have a public hearing and we'll do amendments and budget at the next meeting. And then, I mean, if you want, we can do another public hearing.
>> Well, we'll discuss that later, but we're going to um a motion at the end to amend it on the September 2nd, which you you can see there. Um there was a miscue I guess in the budget the way something
was not in it. >> Correct. >> All right. Which is not going to change the dollar value any which way or the other. So we have to amend it to put that back into which was the >> county share service with the county board of
health. So a line was missed. So that's we're just going to add them into it in at the September meeting. Nothing else is changing. >> Okay. There's a couple of just to reiterate that there's are a couple of line items that change to offset the number that's coming in. That's why
there's no change in the overall scheme of things at the end of the day. >> Okay. Then I'm going to request that there be a um another public hearing at the next meeting discussed because there's going to be changes and I want to look >> Well, you can ask questions. We'll get everything. >> I have no problem with that. >> Okay. Thank you. Mhm.
>> Okay. Anyone else? You're next, man. >> All right. My name is Anton Testino. I own a restaurant in Pmpton Lakes. >> You have to And your address. Need your name and address. >> I'm sorry. >> Your name and the address. You can give us the address at a restaurant. We'll be
fine. >> Oh, the address is 437 Ringwood Avenue and Pmpton Lakes. >> You guys can hear me, right? >> Yep. Okay. So, I'm here because Governor Murphy passed a law about liquor licenses in the state. And now that a
town borders another town, you have the ability, as long as it's the town and the council and everybody to purchase a license outside of your town. >> So there is a license that's been inactive for 3 years in your town >> that I've been trying to purchase. And I
don't know exactly how about going to it, but from what I understand, it's all up to the council. Um, the information that I received was uh the fact that you guys could apply for another license. It could take a year or so, but I don't
really know if that affects you guys cuz this license has been enacted for 3 years. >> Okay. Well, first of all, we referred it to our attorney. >> Yes. >> When we saw the request, you might say. >> Okay. >> And according to our attorney, it's not allowed.
And the second side of that, I would believe, and I'm speaking for me, not the rest of the county. >> What part wasn't allowed >> to move a liquor license from this town to another town? >> It it is permitted, but it is only permitted when the the receiving
entity is in a redevelopment area. And there is a whole process that both municipalities must go through. It's not just a okay yes you can have it here go. >> Yes I I am in the redevelopment >> and it was explained in detail to your attorney
and um and there is no replenishment of that license. So if Bloomingdale says yes you can take that license to Ringwood or Pump Lake I'm sorry then they are out that license forever. They don't get a new one. >> Oh cuz I was informed that you guys were
able to reapply for one. >> No. So that information is not correct then. >> That is incorrect. >> Okay. So there's no possible way of doing something like this. >> I'll be honest with you. I'll be honest with you. >> And I'm going to give you I'm going to give you my opinion on it. I would never
give a liquor license up in this town. We we're trying to re redevelop our main street. We're hoping restaurants come in and they will need a liquor license. >> We are so tight with them. We don't have any. >> Okay. >> All right. So that would be, I believe,
foolish on our part to ever give up a liquor license to another town, which that would hurt our town, >> even though it hasn't been used in years. >> It has been used since he closed. I know. >> Yeah. 2022. >> But I know there's a guy that purchased
that property. Okay. >> And he has not purchased a license. >> I know he hasn't purchased a license for whatever reason. Okay. Whether it's money or whatever it is. And um I know what what he hopes to build there would be another another restaurant. So
>> in the future >> in the future hopefully the near future >> cuz when I was informed that the guy who purchased it again did agree to buy that license but unfortunately for whatever reason like you said he hasn't bought the license and there's no guarantee he's going to buy the license.
>> I just I just told you my opinion. I would never give it up. So there's just no way of this happening at all for me unless I open up a restaurant in your town. >> You're more than welcome to do that. And then also >> So I took my restaurant and moved in here. >> I know your restaurant. I've been to your restaurant many times. It's very good. So if you want to move, pick up
and move here. I'll welcome you. >> There's no locations. >> Well, I'll find your property. >> So all right. So, that's basically I'm I'm out until I either come to this town or >> I mean, it's really at the end of the day going through the process that our
attorney has told us, but I just can't see I mean, you guys can speak for yourselves, but I just can't see us ever giving up. >> I'm sorry. Compton Lakes. >> Yes. >> Compton Lakes doesn't want to give you another like they they can't open up
another license to give you >> uh there's not available, but they can try, but again, it could take years. So they can apply just like we can. >> Yeah. But it would take them a few years. >> Not if not if they're at the population maximum. >> Uh well, with all the development in town, I'm sure there might be one
available in a couple years. >> No, it was already established. >> Oh, even with all the new residents coming in, >> that doesn't change. >> Yeah. >> Well, isn't it based off of 3,000 people per license? >> That's when the statute was established. >> Yeah. >> There are no new
>> regulations. No, there's no new licenses being issued. >> No, no. I'm saying eventually they might be able to get one once all the new development is done in Ponam Lakes because there'll be a lot more people. They're estimating somewhere I'm guessing probably a couple thousand people. I mean, you're looking at over 500 units.
>> My understanding is there is not going to be a change. >> Okay. Well, yeah. And nobody in town is willing to sell theirs. >> That may change. I mean, you know. >> Yeah. Like I said, and nobody seems to want to sell theirs in Pontton Lakes. That's why I can't get one.
>> I can I can tell you that your your place saved Christmas Day. I bought my fresh mozzarella from you. >> Oh, >> on Christmas Day. >> So, you're getting a little publicity here. >> Well, I I appreciate and I'm I'm all about Blue Dale because a lot of people from this town do come to me. So, I
mean, for me to even be contributing back to the town, I mean, I do at my house with taxes, >> but also through school systems and all that. So, I figured there was a chance that I can come here and possibly see if there's any possible way. So, let me ask you something. >> Mhm.
>> So, you're telling me absolutely not. There's no way you're going to let that happen. >> I gave you my opinion. >> Yes. >> Okay. >> Oh, yeah. I know. You would have to Everybody else's words count as well. So, if you were me, what would you do to try to make that happen? Because you're
the second town now. So, the second town that I've gone to, and so far I'm getting nowhere. >> I don't I don't have an answer for you. I really don't. >> So, as you guys as the board, like what what would benefit how could I go about trying to make this happen for myself
and be a part of other people's communities? Like, what would I >> what direction should I go in this? be honest with you, I can't recommend anything to you. >> Okay? >> You're a business owner. >> Um, we cannot do that. You'd have to, >> you know, we it just doesn't work that way.
>> Like I said, I'm new to this. >> I I own a restaurant. I'm a chef. Like, that's my thing. >> But, yeah, this part I'm not familiar with. >> Well, we have rules and regulations that we have to follow with people. So, there's things we cannot offer or whatever. We're just not allowed to do
that. We can't we can't go to you do that. >> I got you. >> Okay. So only if I come to this town. That's the only way I can get that license. >> I believe that license will stay here. >> All right. >> All right. >> I appreciate it. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. I appreciate it. >> Anyone else wishing to come up?
>> What I wanted to talk about was not on the agenda. >> This is for that's at the end. >> At the end. >> Yes. If it's talking about non-aggenda items, you have to wait till the end. >> Yes. >> I've got a procedural question on the agenda. >> Mhm. Charles Carbala 5 and a half
piggybacking off Linda's question on the budget. Will we be will there'll be a budget presentation tonight and will be will we be allowed to ask questions on the budget tonight? >> Yes. >> And doing that and that we'll be doing the budget presentation. >> It'll be after the presentation. >> After presentation. Perfect. Thank you.
Okay. >> And just to reiterate on Linda's comment at the second you'll be able to comment on the amendment, not on the entire budget on what the amendment is doing to the budget. So if you have questions on the budget, I'd ask them tonight. And on the second, we'll open up public hearing
on the amendment and the amendment only. >> So if I have questions on the budget that was on the website, I should ask them now at >> when we when we go into the budget presentation tonight, after the presentation from the finance, we're going to go into the adoption of resolutions and stuff like that. At that
point in time, we're a public hearing on the budget. You can come up and ask any questions on the budget you want to ask on the amendment, anything. Okay. >> My question was to or my answer back to Linda was because she asked if she will have a public hearing at the second. We will, but it won't open up to the budget. It'll just be the amendment that's on the on that's on the budget
that night that'll be opened up to the end of the meeting. >> Yes. Yeah. Okay. Anyone else? No. Have a motion to close early public comment. Second. >> All in favor?
>> Report of committees. Um, mayor, um, at last Tuesday's, uh, tribarrow meeting, uh, I got their numbers for July. Um, tribal covered 121
calls and missed 19. Um, average was 86.4%. Duty calls were 75 and all calls were 47. Um, Butler had 64 calls, Bloomingdale had 61, Kennelon had 51,
and two calls unknown with town. Um, they did mutual aid for Riverdale and Pontton Lakes and Waniku and Lincoln Park. Um,
Puquanic had three. Oh, and it said calls covered by other agencies. Puquanic had three, Ringwood had one, St. St. Claire's 5, Wanuki 1, Part Troy 5, Montville 1, self-transmit 4. Um,
and there were no instructional meetings that month and they have 10 new members and um she's and Gail holds pro probationary meetings with them once a month. Um, they also have a couple of uh
events. Um, I don't have the exact dates, but for a fundraiser, they have a boot drive uh coming up uh with the county of Payic. Um,
and it looks like they're going to do this um on Union A, but they they're they they're going to be getting some kind of a permit because since it's a a county road and um their beef steak, they have the date for their beef steak
next year. It's um April 18th and their band is uh going to be High Strong and it's at Bloomingdale's uh Fireman's Hall. I they don't have a flyer how much the tickets are going to cost yet and um
just from being in that meet the the night of the meeting was the Butler's night out on crime. So there were a lot of people out and they even had calls, but they had a huge teen squad. So a lot of these uh young there were a lot of
young kids that were training to be uh part of the the EMT squad. So that was really nice. And um next for the uh for the uh Bloomingdale Free Public Library,
they had a great program on July 10th uh with 148 people that uh attended the Zuoria program and um um Alli continues to just
um do wonderful uh programs. They also had a psychic psychic medium at the um it was supposed to be here in the at these chambers but they moved it to fireman's hall because they had over 72 participants with um at the psychic
psychic medium medium. Um the that same woman is going to come and do a past life regression um presentation. Um I don't have a date for that yet. Um she
uh the handbag bingo had to be postponed that we don't have there there's no date for that that dueling pianos is their annual event. It's a huge fundraiser for um the uh library. That's on October
17th and it's at the um the Glenwell clubhouse. And uh there's also going to be a a Queen's Tea. I don't I don't have that date uh yet. Um but they have um again
again everything's online. They have their summer reading program. Um and there's going to be a new um a new way for um all information to get disseminated throughout the uh it's
called constant uh contact. um they're still up in the air about which one they're going to use um because they want um the children, you know, everyone in the town to have a better access to besides
uh like the social media platforms for people to um know uh when when they have their events. And um for the senior center as always they have uh their golden age club that has um many
programs available. Uh on Tuesdays they have their uh book club. Every Wednesday they have their walking club. Um Wednesdays they also have bingo and lunch. Um, every day they have their um,
uh, the Payic County has their nutrition um, lunch that they um, they have every month um, plus chair aerobics. On August 26th, they're having an alcohol uh, presentation
um, at the uh, senior center. And on Wednesday, August 27th, um, walking club is at 9:00 a.m. And then they they're going to do bingo and pizza at 10:30 a.m. All these events are available at the senior center. They
have um information there, including their trips that they have um every year. Um, and you could go online to check check them all out. >> Okay. Okay. Uh, two items. First, we had
Sloan Park Festival on Saturday, which despite the heat, I think was well attended and was a good time for everybody. I'd like to thank Linda Bennett and Sally Basili in particular who did a lot of work to to get this up and running and always do for each event. But I also like to thank the
mayor and as well as Mike and Amy who did a lot of work with the food vendors, not only for this, but for for all of our events. And of course, the DPW Police Department and Bloomingdale Wreck. Um, again, it was a it was a really good turnout and a fun evening, I think, for everybody. On the economic
development commission front, uh, we're continuing our bites of Bloomingdale. Uh, that's the showcasing different restaurants and places where you can buy food in town. So, every month we try to do another video. Uh, so we're going to keep that going until we hit up every one. And in addition to planning
celebration day, which will be in September, uh we also have the townwide scavenger hunt, which is going to be on October 18th at 9:30 meeting at Sloan Park. That's all. >> Public events. Uh September 11th, 7:00
p.m. um is our um September 11th walk. That's going to be from Sloan Park to Butler Park. Uh September 20th, Celebration Day. and Bob Collegeg 5K. John, did you want to mention anything on celebration day? >> No, not right now. We'll do that next. >> All right, then. Um, the health
department, I don't I don't recall if I mentioned it last time. Uh, they introduced an ordinance entitled regulation of electronic smoke devices and psychoactive products. If you have any questions, you can contact the board of uh health president Marco Glacia. Uh, yesterday I put a video out on social
media about contacting employees and departments throughout the bureau. We um which again I've mentioned these things on a number of uh occasions but we do have people that are googling phone numbers for uh burough departments and
Google is not the place to get it. We have found that um there are wrong numbers out there. So should you have any um interest in contacting an employee or a department, please go to bloomingdalej.net and you will find all the information out on our website. Everything is
accurate. Search and rescue. On August 3rd, the Bloomingdale search and rescue team was dispatched, this is the second time, to Pontton Lakes for missing juvenile. The search extended into Sunday when the juvenile was successfully located by ground searchers. Um the OEM coordinator
from Pontton Lakes is Alivangelista. Al had high praise for um Sam Skurro, who's the head of our search and rescue and our entire search and rescue team. He specifically mentioned that search and rescue presentation that Bloomingdale had here a couple months ago um was
instrumental in guiding their efforts on this second search and rescue that they had within a very short period of time. Um Sam and the West Milford search and rescue team collaborated seamlessly strategically mapping search zones. They
applied behavioral profiling which is incredibly important uh techniques to narrow down the search area. Um, Al also appreciated that Sam concluded the operation creating space for team members to share insights and feedback. The feedback from everyone was
overwhelmingly positive. We um have decided that we're going to be offering a second presentation on October 1st. We're opening it up to a larger area now. So that will be um police departments, fire departments, um
OEM coordinators, uh you know, any anyone rescue uh search and rescue teams. Um, another thing on the OEM side is Palon Lakes has been utilizing ham radio operators uh for use
for when they have a major incident in their town, which they have not yet, but they are training ham radio operators to um to deal with emergencies for contact information to the public in case of a
major emergency in their town. they will be inviting Bloomingdale to train with them. Uh we do have one person already that's interested in joining Palton Lakes. We will be receiving a flyer from Pompton soon and we will be putting that out on our social media and our website
for any ham operators in Bloomingdale to join them. I think that this is a wonderful opportunity for uh residents to join our um OEM team and in case we have a major emergency, we
will be prepared should total communications go down. you know after talking with Ali evangelist it's very been very interesting that he can site m you know he can site many times in the country where ham operators have been
absolutely instrumental in getting um information out to the public during major emergencies. So I think this is going to be another wonderful step for Bloomingdale. We just have to get there. So um hopefully in a couple weeks we'll have a flyer from them and off we go.
>> Okay. Right. Nothing for tonight Anthony. >> Uh no nothing sir. I just didn't know uh from a health perspective on do you want to discuss anything about the recent outbreak in children? >> Um it really was not an outbreak. It it's a good question and uh we did have
a number of people making comments on social media about it. Um an outbreak is two or more individuals. We did have one individual from P County. Um the board of health did not want to discuss where in Pay County that person was located.
Um they wanted to give that person privacy, but it was just one individual. That was a couple weeks ago. Um other than that, there has been nothing. So fingers crossed, >> we're out of it. And uh but you know, our health department was right on top
of it along with um the state New Jersey state health department. >> Yeah. the information that you guys put out. That's all my question is it? >> Yep. >> Thank you, Mike. >> Nothing tonight, Mayor. >> What? >> Nothing this evening, ma'am. >> Okay. Um the only thing that I have
tonight is I was contacted by the county. As people should know that the um horse farm on Union A is going to become a county park on September 23rd, 6 to 8:00 p.m. They're going to um be
here to do a presentation and look for input from our community since it's in our town. Um that is scheduled for September 23rd, 6 to8. And if we I I asked them today how many people they think they're going to get. Um, if it's
more than what this building holds, we will move over to the fireman's hall and they can do their presentation over there. I reserve that um with our recck director today. So, that's a good thing. So, that's that's moving down there. Um,
that's pretty much all that I have. So, okay. So, let's move on to item 10, resolution number 20258.1, the consent agenda. I need a motion to approve the consent agenda. >> So, move second.
>> Any questions? >> Not a question, but just for Brian Townson, just congratulations. 39 years. That's incredibly impressive. >> Yes. Brian is retiring >> and he's been a asset to our town. >> Yep. um working in our tax office with
with Barbara and the Grizzly Brie, right? >> Multiple people. >> Multiple people. So, we wish him the best. Anybody else? Roll call, please. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Ogden, >> yes. >> Schubert, >> yes.
>> Yes. [Music] >> Okay. Item number 11, 2025, municipal budget. Second final reading, public hearing, ordinance number 19-2025, the index rate cap bank ordinance. Public notice statement, please.
>> Yes, Mr. Mayor. This ordinance was posted in the municipal building, published in the Herald News, and copies were made available to the public so that a motion may be made that it would be read by title. Do >> I have a motion to read by title? So move. Second. All in favor? I >> I
>> Calendar year 2025, ordinance to exceed the municipal budget appropriation limits and to establish cap bank NJSA4A 4-45.14. >> Okay. Do I have a motion to open up public hearing? >> So move. >> Second.
>> All in favor? I. >> Anyone wishing to come up? Seeing no one a motion to close. >> So move. >> Second. All >> in favor? >> I. >> Motion for adoption. >> So move.
>> Second. >> Roll call. >> Graziano. >> Yes. >> Hudson. >> Yes. >> Schubert. >> Yes. >> Jazby. >> Yes. Yes. >> Catalanto. >> Yes. >> Okay. All right. Before we go to item C,
we're going to do our budget presentation. You guys got the floor. Good evening everyone. My name is Jasmine. >> Good evening everyone. My name is Jasine. I'm the municipal treasurer. I will be assisting with the budget
presentation this evening. So this evening we will be discussing the goals of the bureau, the budget challenges that we faced, our tax breakdown, our year-to-year overall expenditures as well as the revenues and our capital projects. For the most part, our goal continues to
be to balance the budget as required by New Jersey statute to increase our revenues while simultaneously reducing debt. The budgets must be balanced as I mentioned per state statute which means that the appropriations have to equal the revenues. We look for ways to increase revenue uh
because this would allow the Tom flexibility for larger and better sustainable projects. Um if we always welcome the public to provide any recommendations if you guys also think of any recurring revenue streams. Um, and in regards to the reduction of debt,
debt directly affects our budget, municipal credit rating, and how much we are eligible to borrow in the future. This is a recurring expense and it will continue to affect future generations of this town. >> I'm sorry, >> just >> you said recurring revenue, but we also
had a onetime revenue this year for the t the land sale portion of that money, correct? Which was used towards the budget to help balance it. Some of the challenges I'm sorry, can you hear me? Okay, thank you. I'm sorry. Some of the challenges that we faced are
decrease in revenue due to termination of shared service agreement, decrease in state aid and grants. Specifically on the revenue side, the state aid decreased this year by $56,000. On the appropriation side, our grants
decreased by $69,000. This is money that we've applied for and were unfortunately not approved for. The other sides of the challenges include increase in vendor costs and increase in statutory expenditures. Our pension liabilities have increased
roughly 3.5%. Our group insurance has increased a little bit more than that, roughly around $300,000. And our workman's compensation has increased by $55,000. These increases, unfortunately, are out of our control. They are statutory. we are required to
provide these coverages. Um, and we're doing the best that we can to cover those expenses in the budget. There is also an increase in debt service as the bureau took advantage of bonding last year because the long-term interest rates versus the short-term
interest rates were significantly less. It's not coming up. I'm not sure. All right, that's fine. I'll explain that. Um, so the total anticipated tax revenue for calendar year 2025 is $34,776,000.
Uh, 55% of that is a portion to the school uh with a $19,72,000 uh aortionment. This is per their A4F that is their format for how they decide um what they will be charging the burrow
annually. The county is accounting for the remaining 18% which is roughly $6.3 million. Open space accounts for about $182,000. The library portion is about 1% which
accounts for $410,000. and the municipal portion is 25% accounting for $8,89,000. I do want to mention that the library portion we don't have any say over as well. That is a state calculation and we are required to provide them with those
funds. Okay, that one's showing. Okay, cool. That's >> okay. I don't All right, it's fine. Um what would have been shown in the graph would have been a comparison from 2021 to current comparing the anticipated
revenue and actual revenue received. Every year we've anticipated revenue. We've realized in cash or received slightly more than we anticipated. Um, last year we received roughly $200,000 more in revenue than we had anticipated.
And that can be attributed to increase in court fines. Um, as well as increase in construction that unfortunately we can't anticipate too much of because we simply don't know who's going to get fined for what and who's going to construct in town
in 2023. Similarly, we anticipated about $14.3 million and we received about 14.6. As far as the expenditures, we have generally underspent on the
expenditure a portion side. So from 21 and 22, we've underspent by roughly about $100,000. 23 was the only year in which we went slightly above the appropriations due to an emergency appropriation for the master plan. We appropriated a total of 14,352
which increased the budget that was appropriated for by $44,000. Last year we came in flat, so we expended what was appropriated. And this year we're anticipating appropriating $50,410,000. I was not going to show you that. All
right. So, this slide is supposed to show the total expenditures as percentages comparing 2025 to 2024. We have listed that our statutory expenses in 2024 was 12%, insurance was
11%, debt was 8% and all other expenditures was 69%. To note, statutory expenditures are comprised of PERS, pension, which is the pension for non police and firemen, social security, the police and fireman
pension, unemployment, and DCRP, which is a deferred compensation pension plan. The insurance covers general liability, workman's compensation, employment group health, health benefit waiver, and other insurance premiums. Comparatively to
2025, our statutory expenditures remain roughly the same, 12%, our insurance increased by 3% and our debt stayed relatively the same at 8%. To account for the increase in insurance, we did reduce our other expenditures by 3%. So
we went from 69% to 66%. >> And on those four categories you had there, all other expenses went up roughly about 2.7%. >> Yes. Uh I don't have the other three numbers but I know like insurance was a 25% increase total uh from 24 to 25 15%
I'm sorry uh statutory went well up and obviously debt because we bonded permanent bond that went up from last year as well. >> Correct. >> Correct. >> So because insurance was one of the categories that went up the most um monetarily I did want to bring to attention that we are currently in a HIF
and health insurance fund. The other option is to be part of the state health benefit program. In 2024, our HIF rates increased 6.78%. While the state the state health benefit program increased 21%. >> Give me the food items and I'll make menu cards.
>> Our 2025 HIF rates increased 15% and the state health benefits increased 10%. However, the state health benefit plan has already put out information stating that they are going to increase the rates again 21% this year. Our insurance carriers have informed us that we will
potentially also go up, but it will not be at the same rate that this state is going up. They've also mentioned that many of these increases are attributed to increasing use and demand for certain prescription drugs and specialized providers. Last but not least, our capital
improvement projects. Of the projects that we've completed, they include both playground, our gas boy improvements, Katherine and Bailey road improvements, our senior pavilion, orchard and wallace, our DBW salt shed, the Walter T Bergen exercise equipment
on the walking track, our updates to the police bodywn camera, our acco fencing, and all test purchase also for the police department. As you can see, the majority of these were funded partially by grants. Of the current projects, we
have at least two road projects, Anelm and Hillrest, both supplemented by DOT grants. We have our senior center floor, which will be supplemented by a Pay County grant. We have the Delayer playground, which is supplemented by multiple grants. We're getting the local recreation improvement grant for that,
as well as open space. We have multiple storm water improvements that we are planning to address a lot of the concerns for the residents in town due to the flooding that they've been experiencing. We're going to be doing various bur improvements as needed which include HVAC improvements,
um PD building improvements, servers, anything that uh we need to continue operating to the best of our capacity for the residents. And we will also be doing various road improvements. These are going to be smaller improvements like road paving. So like if you see a pothole, um you can call
the burrow, we'll add it to the list, we'll assess it and make sure that it's not a more pervasive issue. Um and I believe those are the projects that we have pending for 2025, beginning of 20. >> Road improvement would be we put off Snake Den Road for the governing body
for four or five years now. So we're going to go in and fix that drain over there at the end of Snake Den Road. Uh probably within the next two weeks. Uh so those are the type of road improvements we're talking about. >> And that is a summation of the budget for today. Thank you for your time.
>> Okay. [Music] Thank you, J. >> Of course. My pleasure. >> Ready for questions. >> As ready as ever. >> Okay. Okay. Item C, public hearing and
amendment for the 2025 municipal budget. Public notice statement, please. >> Mayor, this is the time fixed for the public hearing of the municipal bud mutal budget and tax resolution for 2025. The budget was approved by the governing body on July 15th, 2025 was
advertised as required by law on July 22nd, 2025 together with the notice of hearing for this time. >> Okay. Okay. Adoption of resolution number 20258.13 to read the budget by title. Do I have a
motion to adopt the resolution? >> Some move. >> Second. >> We can do roll call. Do >> roll call, please. >> Hudson. >> Yes. >> Schubert. >> Um I Let's just have a
um questions will be next week, right? Next week questions. >> No, questions will be following this when we open up to the public here. >> Just hearing bring title. >> Yes. Yazdi, >> yes. >> Catalano,
>> yes. >> Rosiana, >> yes. >> Okay. Okay. Before we open up the public hearing, I wish to outline the procedure. Each person desiring to be heard will rise and give his or her name and address before speaking. I will
recognize one speaker at a time in order of in in order of rising and as nearly rising your hand as nearly as I can determine. Address address all questions to the chair where necessary. They will be referred to individual members of the governing body or the municipal
officials. Questions must be confined solely to the municipal budget before mun budget. School or county matters are not proper subject to this hearing and cannot be discussed or answered here tonight. Do I have a motion to open a public hearing? >> So move. >> Second.
>> All in favor? >> I. >> I now declare the public hearing open for the 2025 budget. Anyone wishing to come up? Linda's always first. Yay. with the 86 band
I want to address some of the comments that were made one comment in particular where it states that the we stated the debt service was due to change in the short term to long term the debt service is because of so much debt our debt is just runaway I mean we have up to 17
million then we have the amount of leases that we've got our debt is out of control that's why our debt service is so high not because we the uh fun from short-term to long-term. Okay. >> Yes. So when I made the short-term to long-term comment, I was discussing the rate at which we can bond for money. So
for bands, we are not required to bond up to 10 years. And so we could have continued to roll the current notes that we had year over year until they were ready to be bonded for. But at that point, it was very possible that the rate at which we would have bonded would
have been higher, close to 7 or 8%. We were able to get a bond rating last year of 4.5%. Which is relatively good considering the way the economy is right now. >> But the debt is still high. >> The debt is still high. That's not that wasn't in question. >> That's the that's the issue though.
>> Um I'm also concerned. I mean, nobody ever addresses the water and sewer. That's in our budget. Our water and sewer rates were supposed to go down. We went above. That never happened. >> And now we went up 10%. >> Well, let's let's just break it. Let's break out the if you want to go to the
water, we'll break it out. Okay. The water portion of our bill from Butler is cheaper. Okay. The increase in our cost for is is your sewer. We have no control over the rate of the sewer. Okay. Butler
can only raise us a maximum of 2%. >> So, we have a 15-year contract, >> right? For the 15 2% a year. The sewer authority can raise us whatever they want to cover their bills. Remember, there's four towns involved in the sewer authority. All right? So, it's water
coming in and we pay a lot more for water going out. So, it's really not the butler problem. It's the sewer problem >> when our rates went up last time. >> Well, correct. >> It went up. Everything >> Everything went up because you increase your
>> your rate for for it all. But but you can't you can't you can't just say because we went to Butler water that it is more expensive because of Butler water. All right. Because Butler we have a set rate with Butler. We do not have a set rate with the sewer authority. I didn't cause that problem.
You didn't cause that problem. This is going back whatever cuz everybody but all this capacity that we have to pay for amongst what's a third of the PE houses in town. >> Capacity and the debt. when they did projects, millions of dollars worth of projects in each town. We all share the debt on that >> and we share that cost.
>> The majority of the cost is debt to the sewer authority. >> Our water and sewer was supposed to go down and it never did. >> Your water is supposed to go down, not the sewer. Sewer never goes down. >> It never went down. >> Okay. >> Um I'm also concerned because our overall spending keeps going up. I mean, you keep saying how how great we're
doing. Well, we're not doing great. I mean, we're going to have almost 7% increase this year. That's a that's a lot. That's a big increase. And that's just unacceptable. I mean, I know there's nothing that anyone can do about it, but it's it's just unacceptable. And majority of it is due to the municipal
rate for a house uh that's rated at 325 assessment. Total tax total local tax is 262. It's almost half of the total increase and we're only a quarter of what the
taxes are. So that's a big problem and that lays right there >> that lays everywhere. That goes from the past when nothing was done. Now if you remember correctly before we got involved, there was no road improvements. There was no our our infrastructure was horrible. We're get
mandated by the by the state to fix our water problems that we have here, which we're doing every single day where we're changing meters or we're we're putting new pipe in the ground. That's mandatory because we're getting rid rid of all the lead. the road improvements we made, the park improvements we made over the last
13 14 years. We we've paved over I would say now we're about 80% of our roads are are redone because before we got involved, everybody up here and the people before us since Ray got involved back in 2012, there was nothing done
here and taxes were going through the roof. This is my opinion >> for a lot of the road services and you're just pay you're just painting and painting and paying for and paying for. >> Well, that's not true. So, you're wrong again >> because every road that we redo, all right, and we just did Catherine Street,
>> we test the water lines, we test the sewer. If they're good, we don't touch them. >> Hamilton Street, Boston Street, Chestnut Street, >> Orchard, >> um, Orchard Street, all those improvements we made, we did it from the underground up. If we would have just did the DOT grant and paved it, how
many? We have 15 water main brakes going back on Boston Street. >> 15. And that pipe was over 20 feet in the ground. That pipe has been eliminated. We put brand new pipe. We have not had a problem since Park A. We did uh we just did we did Wallace. We
did um Star Lake was done. Bracken Road was done. Andrew's Place was a nightmare. A nightmare. cuz whoever built that put the water line in I don't know what because the water went in every different direction. So we had to wind up replacing it all. You don't if
you have areas where your water lines are are 80 100 years old which is the flats. Andrew's place is I call that a new development that was built when I was a kid but whoever built it just threw pipe in the ground. And we're having the same problem that we're going to have on Ann and Elm with water
because there's three separate water lines that go down that street. All I think they're all asbestous. >> That all has to be replaced. There's no sense putting a blanket over something that's just going to break. So you either do it right or you don't do it at all. In the past, they didn't do it at
all. So we've done a lot. I know our debt has increased. I tell you, I agree with you all the time with that. We have that conversation. But if you look at the overall improvements of what we've made in this town as this council, as councils before us, since Ray and us and I got involved, we've done a lot of
improvements to make our town better. And I far as I'm concerned, when you do when you make your roads better, your housing is worth more, you feel proud of where you live. It's just it's just the way I feel. >> Well, I just think the debt is out of control. I think the spending is out of
control and I don't think there's a lot of work that's been done. There were a lot of streets that were done that didn't have to be done. That's your opinion. >> Yes. >> And I appreciate that. I appreciate that. But we have our engineers go down and we do all the tests and we know there's bad things under the ground. We can only go by what our professionals are telling us. That's our water guys.
They tell us where all the motor water main breaks. They tell us where they have all the problems. They tell us the valves that are bad. The valves that were done on Liry, three valves in there that were >> Main Street, too. >> Main Street were bad. We just had a water man break down on Main Street. Thank God didn't happen because the
county is going to be paving that road. They fixed all that. You got to fix things that are that broke or they're bad or they're going to break. You got to get there before it so you don't have a problem. So, we fixed a lot and I know our debt went up. It's nothing new, but we've done a lot. We didn't just take
money and spend it on things that should not be done. That's my my opinion. So, but I appreciate what you're telling us, but you know, >> I disagree. >> Okay. >> Can I also make a comment about your comments regarding spending going up?
So, this year we actually matched mostly the other expenses that we raised last year. So, we've really buttoned down on the spending in this particular calendar year. And Mike and I, as well as everybody else who works in finance, have a bigger plan to try to maintain,
right, and to limit how much debt we continue to take up moving forward. So we are aware of your concerns as well as all other residents concerns and we are taking it to you know to heart and we are implementing changes to adjust them.
Charles Carval Fabul, this is followed to my previous questions I asked last month, July. >> Um, you're saying we're restricting the comments to the budget. >> This is a budget hearing. Yeah. >> Right. So on page 12, I just want to confirm the rate for this year is going
to be 4.767. >> That's the tax rate. >> Tax rate. Total tax rate. Total tax rate >> for this year 2025 will be 4.7 767. >> That is correct. >> That's correct. >> Yes, that is correct. >> Okay. Which will be a 3.9% increase over
the previous year. >> Correct. >> Correct. >> No. No. >> No. No. No. >> No. >> 3. So the previous year was 4.587. >> Right. >> And according to the sheet that >> 039
>> 3.932. So it's a three >> 03%. >> So it was >> almost 4%. >> No, no, no. >> It's already a percentage. >> Each of those is already a percentage rate. So it's point >> you've gone from 4.587.
>> So you got 2% increase on school% increase. You got 5% increase on the county. You only get a 003. >> No, 3.9. >> Yes. 3.9. So 4 year 4.5 to 4.7 should be
>> I do want to make the point the these formulas are locked by the count the state we cannot change these formulas so it's showing us 0.039% 039%. >> The rest of the column is in a percent form. The change from one year to the next is8.
>> Charles, they're taking the math in that if I'm doing it quickly in my head correctly, is 4.767 minus 4.587 divided by 4.587. So it is 03 because you've only moved
>> three to 4% increase. >> Correct. You've you've only moved 18 over 4.587. >> Okay. >> Take 08 out of 4.587. Charles, what is that? 3.9%. >> It's a Right. Like I said, it's a 3.9% increase.
>> It's a 3.9% increase. Last year we were 3.9% year-on-year increase. >> Right. Our rate last year was 4.587. This year it's 4.76. >> And now I'm going to get a little dicey here. You won't be able to answer this question. for Q1 and Q2 next year.
What's the plan? >> In what regards >> in regards to is there going to be a tax increase for next year? Are you going to >> We won't know that until we don't know until we're doing the budget next year. We do the budget next year, >> but here it is August the 19th and we're
doing the budget for this year. >> Correct. >> We're going to repeat that process next year. So, we're are we going to get I don't want to use the word blindsided because that's a negative thing, but is there some way to level this out? So, we're not giving the public a surprise. >> We're not giving the public a surprise.
Okay. We've been working on this budget since last October. >> Yeah. Since October of 24 >> and we've talked about it and then when you present your budget, no different when you present your budget. >> Tax bills first quarter this year was zero. Second quarter is zero. And now we have to make up for those two quarters
that were zero. >> It's always every year is like that. >> I agree with that. Does it have to be that way? I just want to throw that out there. We we need to think so that we don't keep blindsiding the public. >> We're not blindsiding the public. We're not blindsiding the public. That's my That's your opinion.
>> I'll ask Andy, is it possible to do an estimated tax bill in January, the first quarter? >> No. >> No. >> State statute. >> The state law state statutes aren't allowed. >> Yes. >> So, you don't know what you're going to spend next year till you already spent half the year.
>> I just I just want to understand the process. This is new to me. So, I'm not trying to be funny here or nasty. I'm just trying to understand the process here. Sounds like you have to go halfway through the year normally over your >> Charles. Normally, normally we're we're this budget's already done. Normally in our past, we're usually done by May,
June, right? Right. >> Well, the goal is April, >> right? >> As early as April, we we passed the budget. >> This year, the way the budgets were going, we worked on this budget to get as best as we can. >> We had to wait. All right. I'm just going to be you call transparent. I'll
tell everybody is we were we have a land sale. We want to make sure that landhold went in that we can take that money, non-refundable deposit money, and put it towards this year's budget to help. This year's a tough year. We've had a lot of increases we can't control. You've had the same thing. >> I I get
>> All right. So, we sat there and worked on this and we cut everybody's budget within the burrow. >> How many%? >> 5%. >> 5% across the board from what they had last year. So, we cut as much we can be honest with you, we need two police vehicles. We cut all the vehicles out.
All right? because we don't want to borrow money to buy vehicles, especially cars. Big items, you have to borrow money because they last for a lot longer. All right, so we have a leasing program that we but this year we're not buying any any vehicles at this point.
So next year when we hopefully our reserve will grow because every year we use our reserve and give it back to the taxpayer to get our budget down. We've averaged I think we're at an average now over the 14 years. I said it last meeting about $ 35 $40 on the average
increase. All right. This year's been a tough year for us and through the budget committee they worked. Our finance department tore the tore the budget apart. I don't know how many times we went through that and we said it just isn't good enough. We got to do more. We're at the point now this is as best as we can get it. Yes, we're getting hit
with a tax increase this year. That's if you really look at the big picture of the average house, it's it's $18 a month, 60 cents a day, whatever you want to call it. It's not that bad. It could have been a lot worse if we would adopted earlier. We don't want to do that. We want to keep cutting, cutting, cutting.
>> But I don't understand that. John, can you explain that to me? You said adopted it earlier been worse. >> We could have. It would have been worse because we wouldn't have the other money to apply to the to the budget. >> Okay. So, >> okay. >> Will that be in the amendment presentation? >> No. >> No. >> It's in the It's in the budget now. >> So, it's in the budget now.
>> So, it's a 95page budget. Be fully transparent. It's kind of hard to find a 95p budget. Those the land sales in the land $400,000. >> I'm just saying it's you really need to get a pickaxe and drill in really hard. >> You know, budgets are long. You mean you have a lot of light items.
>> Okay. I'm just trying to make a point. It's not the best model. I think we need to figure out how we get a better model because as we go forward, we need to be in lock step to your point. The school is half the budget, right? The taxpayers. >> Mhm.
>> Right. We need to be in coordination. No, no, that's I mean the school's not up for discussion, but the school is not it's not up for discussion. It's the model how we communicate with the public half of the tax >> half the total tax rate. It's more than more than double what the municipal
budget is. And there are multiple models to take. I think one of the years that one of the things that made this year hard for our budget committee is the fact that they've done so much to hold steady and aren't operating at the same surplus. So the other model you could take is one that you're probably familiar with increases year over year.
>> You have bank cap. That means you were under your budget a couple years, but now we're catching up. So I just we need to think that through. Should we be under our budget caps that many years that much and then trying to catch up in
one year? >> That's the that's where I have some concerns. Do presidents want us to take their money sooner and hold it for when we need it later or should we leave it in their pockets and then take it when we need it? >> Because >> it depends how much you take and when you take it. I'd rather you take 10
bucks from me every month than take $100 in December when I need it. >> Okay. But we're talking over a decade. We're talking over multiple years. So we're talking that $40 increase. We could do that and then we could end up with a surplus similar to what the school has done and then ask for more money when we need to do more projects
or when we have a rough year we can do everything we can to extend how long we take the budget >> and then take on as much money as we can to try and reduce that impact. >> Okay. All I can I can tell you is that and and you guys are on the budget committee, you can agree with me or not
is every year we go through the budget and we start in October, November cuz they have to all departments have to give us their budget by October. We start doing things in November to start tearing it apart. We have one-on ones. Mike has one-on ones in our finance with
each department head and they go through it. Explain your budget to me. Why do you need this? Why do you need that? And then we either agree, disagree, or we cut it. This year we cut it. >> Okay? Because there is some things that in certain departments, police and DPW,
and I and I'll throw fire in there. There's things that they need every year that have to be done. So, you can only cut so much. And I can just I'll put my fire department hat cuz when I was chief, I had a budget and I had a budget of x amount of thousands of dollars. But there's certain things you have to do.
You have to do ladder testing. It's not cheap. You have to do hose testing with every piece of hose company comes and tests it for safety. All your SCVAs have to be checked. All your bottles got to be hydro tested every year. This is thousands of dollars. It's not like it I can go back when it used to be when they
didn't do any of that. But everything now is safety, safety, safety. Our police department goes through reertifications every year and in the training that they put in. Training is not free. We have to pay for it. Bullets are not free and they have to those guys they get certified and shoot. There's
things that we have to do. >> So we we go and you know that and when we go through line by line and we can see certain things vehicles. All right. I think a vehicle for the police department that runs every day with their shifts 12-hour shifts. The cars
run every day. Even when they stop, they usually don't turn them off. They come back here cuz those cars have to be running when they have an incident or they're patrolling the town or whatever they're doing. It's not just mileage on them because some of them have 120,000 miles on. It's hours on the motor.
>> Okay. Cuz even if they sit, they're still running. >> So, we have to make sure our departments are given the tool to do their jobs. >> Yeah. My complaint's not how you've been spending the money. I think we need to figure out better model how we collect the money and communicate that collection.
>> So, Charles, just so I understand, average increase in town was about $200 before John and I got here. Okay. Every year our taxes, municipal taxes will go up approximately $200 a year. Right.
Over the last 14 years, our average is below $40. You're saying we should have just tax people the same $200 because the model would have been easier. You would have paid an extra $12,000 to the town sitting in an account. We have
millions of dollars in surplus. So, we could just do a $200 increase this year instead of the 260 that we are increasing. Is that what I'm hearing you say? Yeah. >> Is that what I'm hear? Okay. That's a pretty stupid model as far as I'm concerned. That's my opinion because I rather have my $12,000 sitting in my
pocket in the >> catch the public off guard. Like a lot more caught off guard July 4th weekend. That was not a good thing. >> Well, let me tell you what's off guard. Okay. every single year my school taxes going up double digits and then hearing
that you got $4 million sitting in your surplus that you have now we have great plans for. >> Right. That's that's catching the public off guard that we are taxing you and putting it into a savings account. That's >> so that we can replace a school that you've asked me to replace for over 10
years. So that's what we're doing with it. So we're doing a good thing with the money. >> Yeah. But you didn't come out and tell us that upfront. You told us that after you had the 4 million that as soon as we knew it, we had it. >> And what did you do? You went in and uh approved, >> you know, uh below kindergarten grades
that brought in more residents, more expenses, and now feel >> more revenue. We got tons of money from the state, which also has that 4 million. Thank you. >> But it didn't it didn't make I don't want to get out of control and go into a big argument here. All right.
>> Charles has given us his opinion. I appreciate it. This budget is the budget that it is. Every year, I guarantee every year, past and future, we've worked on that budget that you you can't believe. We go through it every
single year. All right? So, in years past, we did a I'll call we we stabilized taxes on the municipal side. All right? Because nobody came up here and told us about our our formula was bad. You didn't come back then. It's okay. I don't you can come up. You can give me your opinion. I appreciate that.
this year and I keep on saying that we had a tough year as other towns and >> every town around us >> every town around us had had huge problems this year. All right. We didn't do that bad compared to the other one. I saw um was it Tom's Tom's River 16% increase? >> Yeah. Hey.
>> All right. So we >> all the state entities. >> We all pay the same taxes. I >> I pointed out ship is very expensive right now. So everything I appreciate you asked me that last time in July. >> Everything's expensive. >> It is expensive. I'm not faulting you on the expense side. I think we just need to figure out how we can communicate, be
more transparent on the revenue collection side. That's my point. >> So, we don't typically do actual tax bills until the third quarter. Um, that's just the tradition. Most first and second quarters are estimated tax bills. I can tell you that as far as working on the budget itself, we are
limited in many aspects as far as anticipating revenue. We can't exceed what we anticipated the year before. We don't know what's going to happen in the future. So, we have to be somewhat conservative for what we're doing. And once we kind of know what we're going to receive revenue for the municipality to
utilize, that limits us as far as expenditures. I understand that it's a little jarring to receive that on a holiday weekend all in one shot. Um, but our offices are always open. We we've always asked residents, please
come in. We start our budget process as the mayor and other members have mentioned in October and November of the previous year. We welcome all residents to come in and ask questions. There are certain things that we know what the expenses are going to be for next year. Right? We have CBAs, collective bargaining agreements. We have shared
service agreements. There are certain things that we can anticipate that we know are fixed. There are other things that we don't know are fixed. And it is not necessarily wise to adopt a budget if we are anticipating a revenue that we ultimately don't receive. We don't know if we're going to receive energy receipt
tax next year from the state and that's about half a million dollars. If we don't receive that, that ends up state grants. Maybe that's the part I'm missing as well. >> Do you remember when we get the state capital election? >> About June >> around June every year. >> You don't know what year?
>> Right. So we are a calendar year. We're January, December. the state is July to June. It is. And so >> it's not a small portion, but it's a half a million dollars. >> No, but still it's a challenge. I can appreciate and I'm just to be fully transparent. I'm here for very selfish reasons, not for 2025, but 2026 because
at some point the referendum will impact the taxpayer. I'm trying to be transparent with the taxpayer and be coordinating with the bureau so we can minimize the pain on the taxpayer. to to be fair and I think it there are multiple members on this panel on the council who have discussed whether or
not it has always been in the best interest to try and hold zero when we can or whether pre-planning a little increase year-over-year is a good idea. That being said, I understand on the school side, right, and create that >> I do kind of agree with Rey that because
of the increases in the past and the size for which they were that led to the tax rates that we have now, why they have the opinion that like, hey, let's keep some of the money in the pocket because the increases were so large for so long. I'm a new member to the council. I look back and I go, how and why? I'm glad you kept them where they
were. Now, we're having to find that balancing point and move forward. And that's what you're saying. I understand, but I want to be clear. People need to understand that that's what you're asking is should we be taking money to plan for future and create a savings account on your dollar or not >> geniuses and find that right point. Maybe it's not the max but maybe it's
not so low. Maybe you need to find a sweet spot in the between >> and you have to be able to have bank cap. >> And the other side of it is other side of it is Bloomingdale always have one big problem. No revenue. >> No revenue. >> And now we're trying to we're trying that's why we have so many shares of service. That's the only way we can have
new revenue coming in. >> Understood. All right. And then hopefully with new development, we'll get we'll get new revenue coming in, but that's going to take time. All right. And we get we're getting pieces and pieces coming in. But you know, everybody tells they want to build and I'll be honest you this the main street
project I believe down by Lena would have been started if the state didn't come in and and change the flood plane. >> No, understood. >> All right. Our main street is is almost hand tied the lower end um down there to to develop something nice. I mean, I drove through Pontton Lakes today and I
I know people don't like it, but that huge apartment building they put up, they put a second one up. >> There's a second one down the street. >> Don't get me going on that one. >> I'm just telling you what's going I'm just telling you the way the states going. >> All right. And I've I've talked to a lot of state people. >> All they want you to do is keep
building. >> Yeah. I don't agree with all their logic. >> I don't agree with their logic either because >> that's >> we all suffer. I don't want to get off point. Sorry. >> Right. So, I just, you know, we're we're kind of on the same page, but if we don't do what we're asked to do by the state, we're going to suffer on that end.
>> No, I hear that and I >> I drive around from unfunded funded mandates as well. So, we can sympathize with you on that point as well. >> Okay. >> Thank you very much for listening to my complaints and comments. >> You're welcome. >> Anyone else? >> I just want I'm sorry. I just want to
jump on. Um >> Rich Sherupa, 96 Riverview Road, Pton Lakes. Um I just wanted to address sort of between because obviously, you know, two plus years on the board of ed budget committee, 10 plus years here on the
budget committee. Um I just wanted to point out to Charles's point, you know, when I came over from the board of ed, and I've thought this the entire time I was a councilman. to me I mean board of ed is basically doing its budget at the same time the council is doing its
budget only they're doing it for you know June 30th or July 1st whoever you want to call that cut off it always seemed insane to me that we were developing budgets for time that had already passed and I think that's part of what he's talking about and obviously
nobody here has any control about that it's just a frustrating thing that we're stuck with and I I think Um, you know, I think kind of, you know, it's a touchy subject. So, I think maybe some of what Charles said, you know, obviously the
blame goes further up. So, you know, it's like, why are we making a budget, you know, even in April or whatever it is, we've already lost an entire quarter, right? It just makes no sense to me. You know, there's like maybe three things coming from the board of ed to the council that made no sense to me,
still don't make any sense to me. And quite frankly, the timeline of the budget is one of the major ones. I mean, I know from working on it for over a decade how much work you all put into the budget and how much you try um
you know to to keep the pain away from the taxpayers cuz obviously when you're up here you're one of them. Um but you know there are different philosophies and I think especially this year you were really put under
a very bad cir circumstance like you said like a lot of other towns but you know I don't want to see the two major you know things in this town fighting with each other. No, it's not our intent, >> right? I'm just saying it it's a difficult year for everybody. Nobody wants to see their taxes broke. No, the
the the situation you're given was bad, including the timing. So, um, just wanted to throw that out there just because my god, it's something that's bothered me for 15 years. Why don't we do our budget better? >> Thank you. >> Thank you, Rich. >> Thanks, Rich.
>> Hi. Pampier 17 Breland Avenue. I just wanted to to put out, you know, I know that there's going to be a an educational, you know, school increase with the taxes as it is right now. I was hoping to live in my hometown for the rest of my life.
I can't. So, right now, I'm I'm having to work because I have to pay my taxes. So, I just found out with my increase, I'm going to be close to 20 grand in that house. So, when I first came came to that house, I lived in Bloomingdale almost all my life. When I came to this last house, which is 24 years ago, my
taxes were only $7,500. I'm like, "Oh, I can do this." Now, it's almost up to 20 grand. And it's really choking me. So, it kills me that sometimes I see, you know, you have DPW trucks that are branding new or almost new, and I'm like, "Shit, I haven't bought a new car.
I can't tell you how long." And I know you said you're on some kind of leasing program or whatever, but you know, when you when you see that or you see people that have oversized vehicles or brand new vehicles, I'm like going, I can't tell you the last time I had a new vehicle. I I can't tell you that myself. I'm like, I I keep buying new parts for
my old car and that's and you'll see me driving my old Volvo cuz that's what I can I can afford those parts. But I mean, it's a it's just it makes it horrible. So, at this moment in time, I don't think I'll be able to live here that, you know, I got maybe 5 years and that's it. So, I just want to let everybody know.
>> So, I can just tell you when I first bought my house, >> my taxes were $2,900 and you know where I live. >> Yeah. >> And I'm at 14 and change now. >> It's it's it's horrible. I mean, but when I when you see new things coming and you're not you're not able to buy
anything new, but you see you're you know, your the structure that you guys got that that are going on are buying new, you're like, why are they spending that kind of money? Well, >> if can I can I add to that on that please, John? >> Yeah. >> You know, we were asked >> a couple years ago, maybe a year or so
ago, we were asked to go to the DPW and see some of the vehicles. If you saw what we saw, you'd be shocked at the poor condition that some of those vehicles were in that we're just nursing along. So, some of the new vehicles that you've seen are vehicles that we
desperately needed to replace. >> How many years old? I'm just telling you. >> I mean, how many But these are the kind of things that we wish people would come and ask us about because if you saw what we saw, it it like I was like, I can't even believe you guys are still nursing
this thing along. I mean, they're they're in terrible condition, but we're doing our very best to try to not spend on new vehicles unless we have to. And you know, it's unfortunate. And I'm in the exact same position. When I moved to
this town, my taxes were in the threes. >> You know, I'm probably 15 now. >> So, that's not horrendous, but it's still >> Wait, wait. You're only paying 15 and you live on the lake. I >> I live in a a a cottage. >> I I live in original cottage about this
big. So, with a little bitty piece of property. So, what difference? You know, >> like >> No, no. I'm surprised. I thought the lake was more >> we did is when we went down to the DPW going back even before we did a we went down and looked at the all the trucks we
cuz we didn't know when me and Ray first come we you'll visit we had stop signs for floorboards in trucks and our garbage trucks. So if the garbage trucks were going south and they loaded somebody's going to get hurt. The one
way I believe that we think with trucks and we don't have any brand new ones, right? We haven't bought a truck in two years. >> In two years, DPW, I will say having a mechanic on board down there, our trucks are maintained and washed on a regular basis. They keep them the way they look.
>> Cuz the outside looks great don't mean the inside is great. >> I get it. But we we were buying pickup trucks, plows, all this stuff under capital money before we went to this program where we don't want we we would
buy another truck still 30 years paying off the truck that we got rid of 5 years ago and that money was sitting there. So we stopped doing that. All right. We stopped borrowing for small vehicles. Um the that's where we start our it's basically our own leasing plan that we
punch x amount of money. we go out and we buy it and then we pay it off and then in the five years when it has to go that or it stays for 10 years and five years it's paid off. But our trucks are kept well because we have a really good mechanic staff down there. Um otherwise other towns would not be coming to us to
do their mechanic work. Some of the trucks just cuz you they're driving down the road they look really nice but once you go to the inside of them um the older ones because I know Frank wants >> All right. We have >> trucks that are >> 2004s.
>> Yeah. down there. Um, it's it's the way our DPW guys treat our vehicles. They don't beat them. I mean, they get beat up in the in the PL in the snowing and stuff like that, but they take care of their vehicles. Um, like I said, I think
the the newest one is two years we bought two years ago. >> I mean, and that's just I guess again that's that's like one of my beefs that I see, but it's just it's really making it hard to live in this town. I I mean, I I'm telling you, I was hoping to retire here. I cannot retire here. I'm gonna have to and like I would I give
myself five more years and then I'm hoping one of these days to retire. So, you know, I'm going to give myself like five more years and then hopefully I I might be able to find but I'm going to have to sell. >> My parents had to move. My sister moved. >> I'm going to move too. >> My wife said I'm staying cuz my kids are here. >> And parents, that's all in New Jersey.
It's not just booming though. >> Well, no. I >> Taxes have I bought a house >> four times higher. >> I bought a house in uh in Morris County. Morris County taxes are cheaper. I bet you it's three times higher. >> If you look at 30 years over the last 30 years, I'll bet you anything that it's
tripled. >> You used to pay three grand. Now you're paying 12. >> Well, I'm I'm just I I I got a a small fixer up in Morris counties. That's where I'm moving. >> How long ago did you get? >> 10 years ago. >> All right. So, >> okay. >> You you mentioned when you first bought it was something like 30 years ago.
>> Oh, no. This house that I'm living in now, >> you realize No, I know. I I bought my house 28 years ago. My taxes were 3,700. on map 816. We all we're all in the same boat. It's the system. It's the way it is. We're in the services business that
gives you protection from, you know, the cops, right? Gives you fire protection. They're all doing it as volunteers. Uh gives you all of your garbage and all of those things. And when you really break it down, it's a hell of a lot cheaper if
we have to pay for protection for all of those things on our own. >> I I understand. I I understand that >> at the end of the day it's New Jersey. It's the system. It's the pensions. It's the you know for for uh health insuranceances and >> and health insurancees of course and and
I used to work on the board of ed. So being in the board of ed I had to go up against the teachers to see they come down on their deductibles. So you know us as taxpayers were paying a higher percentage for everyone to get $100 deductible. I haven't seen a $100 deductible since 1980. Okay. So that's
another thing that we could all be saving on if they were willing to go up on deductibles, which nobody wants to do that. I get it. But I mean, that's just one of the things. And you know, the other thing that I fought the teachers with, which I think that should happen in other services, is that, you know, if you don't use your vacation, you should
lose them, not bank on them for 20 years. And that's >> those are the rules. Yeah, >> I know. >> We have to play by the rules that are before us. I I I had a I had a bargain for that one also with the teachers and I only I got them down to 20 years. Before it was lifetime. >> I'm sorry. >> We don't we don't bank vacation year
over year. They use the vacation and they can only roll over up to one year. It's in our employee manual. Sick days. Oh, okay. I just wanted to make sure. >> Yeah. No, sorry. Sick days. That's even if you don't use them in the real world, if you don't use them, you lose them. >> We're also kept now for the
>> for the coming out of here. >> All right. Thanks, ma'am. Appreciate it. Anyone else? See you. No one a motion to close. >> John, just I just got to add one more comment here. >> Look, it's not without planning. We
absolutely plan to bring in extra revenues to continue this little tax increases. Raising some $200. It's going back 14 years before John and I were passionate about getting in and doing something about it. We only
control about 25% of your taxes, not the whole thing, right? But the 25% we've done a pretty good job. I believe it. >> And we're proud of bringing you that, you know, less than $40 a year average increase. >> This year, it's because of all the
delays, right? The pandemic didn't help the lawsuit, right? Stopping all negotiations. That project could have been done already, right? We're in a delay mode. We don't have those revenues coming in. It's because of the actions
of others. It's not because we didn't plan for it. Right? And by the way, this is not an unnormal type of a tax increase. This would have been, you president say it, right? This would have been a norm. $200 increases for the last
14 years where we kept it to $40. So, look, we're not here to tax you and keep it in the bank. that I I I fought against that and I will not allow it while I sit here. And at the end of the day, we have a plan. We're a few years away from that
project getting done and a bunch more money coming to this town which will then allow us to keep the tax increases low and passionate about that. So, uh you know, a lot of what we've done is been fantastic. Unfortunately, we hit a buzzsaw this year, right? We
lost all that uh COVID money, right? That's that's federal funding about 500,000. We lost, you know, in federal funding like Jasmine explained and then all the insurance, you know, increases that hit us. It it's it was a tough
year. So, >> okay, >> just wanted to >> kind of sum it up that way. >> Motion to close public hearing. >> Some move. >> Second. >> All in favor? Hi. >> Okay.
>> We're not voting on it tonight. >> No, we're just got to we got to adopt a resolution to um >> amend >> the budget. >> Okay. >> For the September 2nd,
>> do you need a motion to >> do observing? No. >> Yeah. >> Writing? >> Not yet. This part here, right, Mike? to adopt the resolution number 2025 8.14 the 2025 budget amendment. Do I have a motion? >> Not yet. >> So move.
>> Yes. >> Second. >> We're good. >> Do I have a second? >> Second. >> Roll call, please. >> Schubert. >> Yes. Yazy. Yes. >> Catalano. >> Yes. >> Braziano.
>> Yes. >> Hudson. >> Yes. >> Okay. [Music] >> Okay. I'm going to request a motion to postpone the budget adoption to amend it. Will advertis in the Herald News on August 26th, 2025. And the hearing on
the amendment will be held on September 2nd, 2025 at 7 PM. Do I have a motion for that? >> Mayor, I move the adoption of this budget be postponed as the amendment has to be advertised in the newspaper on August 26, 2025. And the hearing on the amendment will be held on September 2nd,
2025 at 7 p.m. >> Second. >> Okay. Can I have a roll call, please? So >> Yazdi, >> yes. >> Catalano, >> yes. >> Braziano, >> yes. >> Hudson, >> yes. >> Schubert, >> yes.
>> Okay. Thank you. Okay. Pending items. Second final rean public hearing ordinance number 20-2025 amendment chapter 19 solid waste public notice of statement please. >> Yes Mr. Mayor this ordinance was posted
in a municipal building published in the Herald news and copies were made available to the public so that a motion may be made that it may read by title. Okay have a motion to read by title. >> Second. All >> in favor? All right. [Music]
>> An ordinance of the Burough of Bloomingdale in the county of Pac and State of New Jersey amending chapter 19 solid waste management of the code of the burrow of Bloomingdale. >> Okay. Have a motion to open a public hearing. >> Second.
>> All in favor? >> Anyone wishing to come up? Seeing no one have a motion to close. >> So move. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> Any questions? >> Motion for adoption.
>> Second. >> Roll call. >> Catalano. >> Yes. >> Braziano. >> Yes. >> Hubson. >> Yes. >> Schubert. >> Yes. >> Yazdi. >> Yes. >> Okay. Item B, second final reading of
public hearing, ordinance number 21-2025, amended chapter 2, um, rec fees for volleyball with public notice statement, please. >> Yes, Mr. Mayor. This ordinance was posted in the municipal building, published in the Herald News, and copies
were made available to the public so that a motion may be read may be made that be read by title. >> Have a motion to read by title. So move. >> Second. All in favor? I. The ordinance of the borrow of Bloomingdale in the county of Pak City of New Jersey amending chapter 2
administration sections 2-64.11 fees for recreation programs of the code of the burrow of Bloomingdale. Have >> a motion to open up public hearing. >> So move second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> Anyone wishing to come up? Seeing no one
a motion to close. >> So move. >> Second. All in favor? >> I. >> Any questions? >> Motion for adoption. >> Roll call. >> Graziano. >> Yes. >> Hudson. >> Yes. >> Schubert.
>> Yes. >> Gazy. >> Yes. >> Catalano. >> Yes. >> Okay. New business adopts a resolution number 20258.15 municipal obligations. Motion to pay the
bills. >> Second. >> Roll call. >> Hudson. >> Yes. Schubert. >> Yes. >> Gazby. Just to make sure that I say it publicly, we were advised that we don't
have to recuse from, you know, paying the bills for Bailey and even though I live on Bailey. So, I'm going to go ahead and vote yes. Uh, just wanted to make sure I add that to it. >> Yeah. The only part you would have to accuse of approving the project. >> Got it. Which we stepped out for that. Yes.
>> Yep. >> Catalano. >> Yes. >> Graciano. >> Yes. Okay. Item B, adopt a resolution number 2025258.16 acknowledging receipt of a 2024 audit report. Do I have a motion?
>> So move. >> Second. >> Roll call. >> Schubert. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Catalano. >> Yes. >> Graciano. >> Yes. >> Hudson. Yes. >> Okay.
You good? >> Okay. Item C, adoption of resolution number 2025 8.17, Katherine and Bellavrints accept the maintenance bond issued to issue final payment. Do I have a motion?
>> So move. >> I need a second. >> Second. >> Okay. Roll call. Yazi, >> yes. >> Catalano, >> yes. >> Graziano, >> yes. >> Hudson, >> yes. >> Shart, >> yes.
>> Item D, adoption of resolution number 2025 8.18, conditionally approving Burough's fourth round affordable housing trust fund spending plan. Do I have a motion? >> So move. >> Second. >> Okay, any questions? Roll call.
>> Catalano, >> yes. >> Graziano, >> yes. Hudson, >> yes. >> Schubert, >> yes. >> Yazzy, >> yes. >> Okay. Item E, introduction of ordinance number 22-2025 amending chapters 7-13.1
time limited parking. Do I have a motion to read by title? So move. >> Second. >> All in favor? I An ordinance to the Bur of Bloomingdale in the county of Pak and stating New Jersey amending chapter 7 traffic
section 7-13 parking time limited on certain streets of the code of Bur of Bloomingdale. >> Okay. Item F >> um the second September 2nd for that. >> Yes. >> For final approval. >> Okay. Item F, introduction of ordinance
number 23, 2025, amended chapter 3-8, police regulations, peace in good order. >> Do I have a motion to read by title? >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I an ordinance the Bur of Bloomingdale and
the county of Pik and state of New Jersey amending chapter 3 police regulations section 3-8 peace and good order of the code of the Burough of Bloomingdale. Okay. >> The second, right? September 2nd.
199. Okay. Item H >> uh G, excuse me. Introduction of ordinance number 24-2025 amended chapter 92 zoning walls. Do I have a motion to read by title? >> Move. >> Second.
>> All in favor? >> I. >> Okay. An ordinance of the burough of Bloomingdale and the county of Pak and state of New Jersey amending chapter 92 zoning of the code of the bur of Bloomingdale. >> This will be sent to the planning board for the next >> goation and it'll be a a second
September 2nd adoption. >> They're going to hear that next week, right? >> Yep. It's on their on their agenda. >> Okay. Okay. Item H. Motion to acknowledge a 2025 hazard mitigation plan update. Acknowledge receipt of the Bloomingdale's annual status progress
report of the burough's flood plan management plan under the community rating system report um prepared by the burough engineer and submitted to the New Jersey D. Do I have a motion? So move >> second roll call.
>> Graziano, >> yes. >> Hudson, >> yes. Schubert. >> Yes. >> Yassie, >> yes. >> Catalano, >> yes. >> Get a room. >> All right. Okay. Can I have a motion to open up late public comments? >> Second.
>> All in favor? >> Anyone wishing to come up? >> You still having deer problem? >> Yes. >> Aaron Esner. Reed Esther is there any real? >> Yeah. >> So, we just were wondering um after last
month when when we came in any update on >> From what I was I haven't spoken to animal control as you have. >> They can't animal control they can't do anything about the deer. She just recommended just what you said you're doing uh spraying some type of chemicals or doing deer resistant. I said they're
immune to those. Uh she recommended we reach out to fishing game to see if they have any recommendations of what we can do with the deer population. So I can reach out to them uh tomorrow and see what they say. >> Okay. >> Do they allow hunting >> or something? >> Not in a residential area. >> Not in the res. Do you have to beund if
I remember correctly, you have to be 150 ft away from any residential home to hunt. >> Yes. >> So we've been looking around at what other municipalities do. Um a lot of places in New Jersey have actually worked with Radon Valley Community
College. They come in and they actually do a survey of population in the in the um you know the town. Morris County has worked with them um other municipalities and they do a drone survey over a series of several evenings. I believe it's
infrared technology so they can see um from heat and um come up with you know an estimated count of the population. It seems that um from everything that I've been reading on the surveys that they've done that a healthy deer population is
approximately 10 deer per square acre or square mile, excuse me. >> We have 12 in our backyard. It was just a quarter of an acre. >> This information that you're sharing, it's um you can find it on Saddle Rivers's um town website, saddle
river.org. Saddle River is a municipality that has engaged Rarity Valley to run this survey. They mapped the five square miles of Saddle River and found um 400 and some odd almost 500 deer in that
5m square area which is 40 times or you many times the the Raiden Valley um commissions that organization's recommendation on population density. So
last week, last week it would be difficult to see exactly in this picture because of the size of the screen, >> but on uh this is [Music] John Street on John Street, the block,
you know, immediately behind our house. >> My house is, you know, behind the the trees in this picture. On my neighbor's lawn, there were a dozen deer in an area a quarter the size of this
room. A dozen deer. So, in our neighborhood in total, this point about 10 deer per square mile. There's somewhere around two dozen deer in our neighborhood that never leave the neighborhood. They've been down, you
know, as I was saying last time, it's been down in people's property >> and it's it's unsustainable. That population density is way too high. >> Can I let me I don't obviously we didn't do the research that that you've done after they did all that. >> Mhm.
>> What did they do to get rid of the deer? >> They instituted um a calling. >> Oh yeah. So they instituted calling um >> which is >> so strategic controlled planned hunting that they actually contracted with an
organization that came in and you know professional hunters and they basically came up with targets of how many they would call and you know in some circumstances it was like three doese's and a buck and you know they
strategically do that and obviously in the banning you have to call more because you're dealing with an extreme situation and then as you continue to control it over the years you have to you call less and less because you're being strategic about it. Part of the
issue is that there's such a proliferation of food, right? We're we're we're planting things that deer love to eat. There's native vegetation. It's not just the deer the problem with the deer because it causes other problems, right? So you have a deer
population that feeds on native species, which then opens the door for invasive species to take control of areas. You're decimating um areas where native where other populations of native animals would
proliferate because now they don't have this low-level ground cover of native species where other animals will live. So you have things that are being significantly out of balance. An adult deer eats 10 pounds of food a day. A day. One deer. So 12 deers, that's 120
lbs of food. Just the deer in our backyard. That's not sustainable. >> Let me let just And I'm going to put the animal lovers out there. What would your neighbors think
that love seeing the deer? They might not. And we have hunters go in and >> so >> I don't know how I don't know how that >> I'm a lifelong vegetarian. >> Okay. >> And I can still be pro deer control
>> because it's not it's not about killing of animals. It's about >> balance >> balance and because other animals their habitats are being destroyed. You're killing something. Something's dying because things are getting out of balance.
>> I can just tell you in your neighborhood and I don't know how long you guys lived in the house that you're in, >> but >> 20 >> 20 some years >> going back and some people Michael will probably remember this.
They were going to put fields behind your house. And the people that used to live on cedar by your house went crazy because of the deer and the bears. They love them.
So I'm just I just remember that. >> I know. I don't know. >> Yeah. I mean I'm definitely no fan of deer. I made I made that pretty plain last time you came up here. Right. I I can't stand them. They eat up all my stuff and it just drives me nuts. Um,
however, I see what the mayor is saying. Like there definitely are going to be people that would be I rate if we uh instituted a calling to kill deer. Um, however, I did look into calling as well after you guys came up here and I was talking to um some folks that they do that more in New York State and I think
that there are certain areas where you can do it, right? Because you can't have hunters going into people's backyards, right? That nobody wants to see that and that's certainly illegal. So it becomes on where you could do that and I think that's what we would have to figure out for >> the the areas behind where they live is
privately owned by the Salvation Army camp, >> right? >> So >> we're we're on the Herbert Turnpike. >> Okay. You're down by Okay. All right. Um so maybe we can >> Valley what you say Valley >> Valley Community College.
>> Oh I don't know. This softens it a little bit, but these calling groups um often times they donate the deer meat to food pantry. >> Okay. >> A little bit for some people. >> I think we'll make the phone call.
>> S River is a a good example. All these issues because the the um protests and you know kind of >> animal friendly groups that you know protest against it workers had to do also. So maybe uh somebody on that
committee or council can kind of give some insight into how they've dealt with it. >> Okay. >> But it in in speaking to other people that live across North Jersey, um it it's kind of common across the area. It's just no one
honks. The population the near population is kind of unchecked, right? So spread of disease, Lyme disease, etc. Um uh I in right down um next to the railroad tracks in downtown Butler there by the
post office there. It's the next town over, but there's a a sign posted talking about controlling dog waste, right? Little sign that that reminds everyone that you have to clean up after your dog pollution and all these other things.
And I was reading the sign and thinking, well, the dozen deer, who's cleaning up after them, right? They're eating 10 pounds of food per deer a day. That waste is going everywhere every
[Music] issue. And the other issue is that also what causes it to be further out of balance is that in a natural setting in the woods, deer typically are having one maybe two um bonds. And in a situation
where they have um man made food sources basically that allows them to proliferate. It it it help it it helps them in some way. So they they actually have more yum. they're actually more inclined to have two or three bonds. Whereas in natural
in the wild um where they h where it's less sustainable and they have to forage more they have one maybe two. So you know you have situations where it's just sort of this it's a problem that will never solve itself.
>> Well I think the only thing that we can do is contact Saddle River and see how they're doing it. I I think we should have a a a conversation with the people that they they used and >> see how they >> see how they go about doing it to and
see what happens. >> So, do you have an email or or >> Yeah. >> Can write it down for you >> or just I'm jammato at bloomj.net. Just send me an email and then I'll have yours. This way we can communicate with
you. Who was Jamo? >> Yes. >> It's on the website. >> No apostrophe. >> No apostrophe. There is, but not an email. >> If you have any issues as well, you can find it on our website. >> Yeah, it's right on the website. You can go there. You get it there and just send
it this way. I'll have yours and then we can >> All right. >> Great. Thank you. >> You're welcome. Thank you for coming down. Anyone else? >> The same thing. Hampier 17 with the same. I live down the street from them and it's horrible. Right now in my yard,
I've got piles of poop this much all over my yard. So, yeah, we talk about, you know, dog waste. I've got tons of deer waste and yes, they do rest. I'll come in all hours of the night and they're sleeping in my yard. >> Okay. >> But, um, that's it's a big issue. Yeah. And they eat all my plants and I spray.
I constantly spray and they constantly just when you stop when it rains and it takes it off, they just it's like chow time. So, all my hostas are gone at this point. They're all gone. Uh they're eating my hydrangeas. I It's It's a sad It's a sad thing. >> Well, we're going to We'll contact these people. I don't know. I'm not making any
promises, but we'll see. you know, cuz there'll be two sides of this. [Music] >> You know, if they could just pick them, maybe pick them up and put them in the woods someplace else far away, you know, relocate them. >> That would be fine if they wouldn't find their way back.
>> We have to see what these people say. I didn't know that they even existed. >> Yeah, >> they do that with other things. And I also was just wondering um the uh uh the parking uh or not the parking the sidewalk area in front of that new food
food place. Who who approved of it? And my only question is it comes juts out really far and it's very narrow in this one spot. >> It's really far because we're used to really the way it was. I went down there
and measured and it's all done to DOT spec. It was the it's a county project and the county met with both land owners and explained what they were going to do. They both agreed to it. Okay. Um
it's a dangerous intersection. It's been for years coming out of there. The stop sign is 20 ft behind where the road is. Nobody stopped for it. They always jetted out into into Hamburg turnpike >> or Main Street. Um the liquor store got deliveries with with big trucks and they
would be their tail ends will be out at the Hamburg turnpike and people going to the other lane. >> Where are those trucks going to go now? >> They're going to go They're there's a there's a loading dock in the back of the IG. Okay. And they I know the IG has a trailer before this happened. Their
tractor trailers across the street. The guy brings everything over on the pallet. You'll see things they go early morning. the county, the way they do things when they do roads over. All right, we had two major incidents with people getting hit
by cars. One was a fatality there just up by Wayne Betty. So when the county came in and they told us this plan and actually Mike and I went down, met with them with the two landovers and they laid everything out and excuse me and they approved what they wanted to do.
They actually put new drainage in for them down by their by with by by their stores. They lost parking spots. There's parallel parking just like there is up in the rest of Ma main street. I went down there on Sunday and parked my truck and I have a 2500 Dodge in one of them
parking spots and got out of my truck with traffic coming on a Sunday morning. Now, it's not as much as it is at 5:00 on a Sunday morning, but I had no problem getting in and out of my truck. I want to just see for myself. It's all done to do spec. The parking spots are done to that. The length the width of
the street is done to that. The county when they do things over and and they square off Reeves a or anywhere they put those they call them bumpouts and that creates the inline parallel parking. So that first car is no chance of getting
hit by somebody else pulling out. It's within within their spot and there's a piece that sits out there. Um, >> and my only complaint was I just drove through it today and it's just really tight in one spot. There's one where where I guess where they allow the
parallel park and then that jut out I guess that you're talking about >> when they repave the road which is going to done be done. They have they're going to put two four crosswalk >> push button signs up main street so people can cross safely. All right. So that's going to happen once that's done.
They're going to mill and pave the whole street from Riverdale to the almost to the fork on the Glenwell app split. The yellow line is where the road was. Once they come in and they pave it, there'll be new striping going down. The new line will be there.
>> Um, but I personally went down and measured and compared to the rest of Main Street. >> It's exactly the same as it is in front of River of Beer. It's it's all within the same. And actually they moved the curb an additional 6 in back when they when they when they first did it cuz I
drove there and I saw the painted lines. All right. And I said it's tight. I said this just makes no sense. >> I come to the bottom right intersection every single day. And I have to say while it feels tight, I do think it's a massive improvement. Making a left-hand
turn is very very dangerous. Yeah. on a regular basis would be found at that intersection because people generally don't park in front of Sloan Park and it was so wide is that you got a lot of drive around where people would be waiting to make turns and cars decide that the best activity to do is to drive
around it. It's not that okay I understand everyone's in a hurry like the 25 mph road you're driving through parking spots that can have kids and people in it. So I think that's why it feels like it jumps out so far now down to what is >> I'll elaborate a little bit on that. In front of the park once they're done is
going to be yellowed out. So when people go around they're not going to be going over the parking spots. All right. When we have a a festival there we're going to close the road down. We can use that. We can put the food trucks whatever like we just did over the weekend. And it and actually worked really nice with with
all the vendors that were on the sidewalk. They kind of enjoyed it. And then the ice cream store, they got more involved than I normally did. So that part is a positive. >> I do have a a question though. >> You just got to wait a minute. I'm not done. >> Okay. >> All right.
>> So, um, just wait till the project's done >> and I see all the stuff going on. I I read everything, but people are making comments, but it's people that >> don't know the project's not finished are just looking at the way and it's a big change. All right. It's hard to
accept a large change like that. Um I drive a fire truck. Drove one down there. The other had no problem pulling up a fire truck in and out of that intersection. >> Park parked next to Lone Park. It makes it tight after a while though. >> Yeah. But I made the left on Reeves and made a right coming back out to bring
the truck back. There was no problem pulling in and pulling out. It was no different in Liry. It was no different in Ryerson. It was no different. Vanam's a little bit tougher cuz you have a blind spot coming from Riverdale. And they're also going to put what they call blockout lanes in there, which in the intersection on the east and westbound
side for uh one at Van Dam and one there, they're going to white out. >> Oh, okay. >> So when a car comes up and there's traffic, that'll be open so cars can get in and out easily without being >> block the block. Okay. >> Yeah. Block the block. Yeah. >> Yes. >> Um my my concern is like when it's late
at night and you're driving >> Mhm. Um well and and the fact that like the ice cream place might use that um that area as like a little uh like to put tables out and stuff. Will they
build any like uh ballards just to protect the if anyone's sitting down like having a a meal? >> God forbid somebody jumps a curve. >> Yeah. cuz it it just I I could just And also like are they going to somehow
um maybe with reflectors so you could see cuz like at night if you're driving um you might you don't you might not see it. I mean maybe once once everything's lined you could see it and then >> but just remember the parking spots have to be lined. It's all reflective.
>> Signs are going in 20inut parking >> uh 20-minute parking. That's what we kind of approved tonight. There's only 20-minute parking by way bedding there. So, it'll keep people um people don't park there all day long because we have a bus stop there. So, if people want >> 20-minute parking in front of the nail salon, it takes like me an hour.
>> This is to deter people from parking. We have people that go get the bus and they go to New York and leave the car there all day. >> Oh, okay. >> All right. Nobody's going to get tickets. We just had to set a limit and that was the suggestion from traffic >> to do that. I I really think I mean if the ice if little kids are going to be
like um milling around and and enjoying it like I could see like as a like a pavilion like a like a center square. It's nice that whole idea of like a center but some kind of jersey not a jersey barrier cuz ugly but some kind of
bout something nice to block >> that is up to go >> or flower pots that are really heavy duty. It's up to the landowner because the county only owns to the curb and people don't realize they don't own behind the curb to the building. The land owner
owns all of that. >> Okay. That's their property. It's never been county property. And on the other side by Wayne Betting, that's all owned by the land owner that we were all using as Amber. >> I know you have. And also like we have the lighting um you know those nice
posts that we have our Christmas >> Mhm. >> like are they are they going to be because it's their property they have to buy the lights? >> No. >> And then they have to tear it all up and put the electric in. >> Okay. So I hope >> I think it's a good a good comparison to
this E right maybe the consideration that like so you have sidewalks in front of your home you have to maintain the sidewalks even though if the bureau chooses to replace and repay a sidewalk in your in your home you can in the same way that this project is done those
property owners can now be responsible for those sidewalks so if they choose to put in maintain them in a way that's >> I'm just thinking about people Like we had a car drive into the nail salon right in right next to Danny's pizzeria
and like >> you know thank god there was like a pony wall in between the glass to like save the people on the other side. If if some road rage thing happens where a guy the guy's coming out of that parking lot and
wants to swerve around, you know, you got the sidewalk right there. Like some kind of barrier to protect that might be a good idea. But it's really no different than the way it was. Anybody could have came up in the middle of the night and ran right into the building cuz they did have the ballots. The
ballards in were in front like >> building. >> Yeah. >> Now there's post. >> Yeah, there's posts holding up the >> Are they put No, those yellow >> It's up to the owner. I I don't know. I just I'll be honest. I don't I don't know >> with the work already done. I would say probably not
>> because that's the parking spaces aren't there. >> The parking spaces aren't there. Yeah. Charles >> Charles Carbal 75 real and a uh actually I'm going to piggy back off two previous things deer five real and a I feel the same thing
>> it's also a safety issue we have so many deer in town somebody's going to start hitting them and get into accidents so people may love the deer but they got to think of the safety when you drive through town now you always got to be careful but you got to be extra careful with the deer >> so that's one point the other point
regarding the parking over here my concern is it's a new configuration. The snow plows come through, I fear they're going to hit the jut outs. So, we have to mark them out every time you got a snowfall, particularly if there's no cars parked in front of us. >> Remember, the guys plowing work for the county. They know what the county does.
>> They know what But this is going to be new for them. So, they make >> It's not It's really not because the county does this all over the place. It's new to us. >> Okay. >> But it's going to be new to the driver because that jet wasn't there last year. I don't know where what other towns he
plows because they go from from from Patterson to to West Milford and plow. >> So, I mean, I followed a truck there Saturday and the truck barely got through on the lane. So, to your point, you can measure it. The truck can drive through. Put a plow in that truck, he's
going to really be sticking out. So, he need he's going to be hitting that jet out. I predict need to be aware of that. So, I'm going to hit that jet out. >> I can tell you when it was all being marked out, I had a a conversation with the county engineer about everything that you're asking
about cuz I didn't like the jet outs at all. I want to do away with them because you plow curve to curb. Normally, they do that. And they said, "Well, this is the county plan." They also had the same plan up at the old walkers when we were dealing with that. They were going to do the same thing up there cuz they don't
allow backing out. Any county road, you can't back out. Anytime they do that, do a road over, they stop it. Everything's parallel parking no matter where you go. Main Street Park and the Lakes is a CA is a county road. It's all parallel parking all the way down. >> They don't have jut outs, do they? >> It's old. It's not having to redone
that. >> My concern is the jet out there that I think the plows are going to be hitting. It's what I what I fear. >> Okay. >> My third final question. Uh you had an an addendum, an introduction to the ordinance regarding zoning walls. It
wasn't up on the website. How do how does one get a copy to see what we just approved without reading it or seeing it? >> It was introduced. It was unapproved. >> Well, it was introduced, but if I want to make a comment, I I don't know why I'm making a comment. >> But you can't make a comment on introduction. >> Introduction. >> No. >> Okay. When can we make
>> that will be that goes to the planning board and then when the planning board revisit it, they give their opinions on it or recommendations to it. Then it comes back to us for adoption which will probably probably be September 2nd count.
>> It'll be posted the Friday before. >> Okay. So it'll be posted so we could review it and then then that's when you vote on it. So it's just introduction >> to begin the process. >> Okay. Thanks for that clarification. That was more procedural question. Thank you. >> You're welcome. Anyone else?
>> Seeing no one a motion to close. So move. >> Second. >> All in favor? I >> Okay, a long night. Okay, our next uh we do have um skateboard. We do have three um
>> You should have got up at night >> matters of personnel in executive session, but there will be no action taken afterwards. >> Jasmine, >> our next meeting is September >> second 7 p.m. >> Thank you all. >> You didn't get a motion. Do I have a
motion to go into exact move? >> Second. All >> in favor? >> I Andy