I >> Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to our February 2nd council meeting. Uh, Groundhog's Day and he did see the shadow. So, six more weeks. Sounds like we'll have some groundhog stew because of that one. Um, so first
order of business is call to order and uh rise for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge algiance flag and to the republic for it stands one nation under God indivisible with
liberty and justice for all. The second item on the agenda is the reading of the sunshine statement and roll call by our municipal clerk, Mrs. Lawrence Stats. >> This meeting of the Denellan Burough Council is called pursuant to the
provisions of the open public meetings law. This meeting of February 2nd, 2026 was included in a list of meetings that was advertised in the courier on January 8th, 2026 and as a teleconference was noticed on the official Denellan website
on January 22nd, 2026 and on the public bulletin board on North Avenue on January 22nd, 2026 and has remained continuously posted as the required notice. >> Mayor Senta >> present. Council President Lance
>> here, >> Mrs. Albertson >> here, >> Mrs. Rios >> here, >> Mr. Scott >> here, >> Mr. Sigman >> here, >> and Mrs. Vandermark >> here. >> Item number three on the agenda is the appointment of mayor's appointments to boards, commissions, and authorities.
Uh, tonight we're appointing Edward Weber, uh, term to expire on December 31st, 2026, to the MAR House Restoration Committee. Uh, it's an annual appointment. Mr. Weber has been a a a great volunteer on the committee and uh we thank him for his service. And as
always, as a reminder, there are several volunteer opportunities amongst our committees and commissions and our emergency services. Uh if anybody is interested in volunteering, we would appreciate it. Our community is built on the backbone of volunteers. So, thank
you. Um okie do. Item number four on the agenda is proclamations. We have two this evening recognizing February as Black History Month and honoring Diana Steris for her years of volunteer service to the Burough of Denellan. First up, we
have recognizing February as Black History Month. And we are privileged to be uh honored with the presence of uh Mr. Aiden Mitchell who is here to read the proclamation. So Aiden, if you wouldn't mind joining us here.
Here's your proclamation. >> What grade are you in needing? >> Sixth. >> Sixth grade. Okay. So, you get to go to school tomorrow and tell everybody you presented at the council meeting. I think that's pretty cool. There you are my friend.
>> You go my friend. >> Whereas Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by Africanameans in a time for recognizing their central role in US history. And whereas Black History Month was preceded
by the establishment of Negro History Week by Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of African-American Life and History in 1926. And whereas the 2026 theme for Black
History Month, a century of black history commemorations, which highlights the evolution of black history from a weekl long celebration to a month-long global recognition of black life,
culture, and critically the ongoing efforts to protect, teach, and center black history amidst modern and challenges. And whereas the burrow of Nalan recognizes the contributions of
African-Americans to our boro, county, state, and country and reinforces our commitment to be a community of opportunity and hope for every citizen. And whereas the boro of Dellan
celebrates its rich cultural and ethnic diversity, respecting each of our neighbors, friends, family members, and business owners based on the content of their character. And whereas our
community is better because of the diversity of our population. Now therefore, I uh Aiden Mitchell >> on behalf >> on behalf of
Mayor Jason F. Sento along with the support of the Denellan Boro Council do hereby recognize February as Black History Month in the boro of Denellan and encourage residents to join us in
celebrating and honoring the history and culture of af of the AfricanAmerican community throughout this month. Signed on the second day of February, 2026. So you wouldn't mind. >> So Aiden I we spoke earlier uh and I
encouraged him maybe he'll be one of the council members for future mayor up here one day. So foreshadowing, right? And I'd like to recognize Aiden's father, Gregory, who is uh one of the newest members to the Denell Board of Education. So congratulations.
>> So would you mind if we get a photo with you, my friend? Yes. >> That's all. >> Mayor, just watch your Mayor You want to introduce your mom too? >> Thank you. Thank you very Thank you. Next is a proclamation honoring Diana
Steris for her years of volunteering in Denalon. Um, I'll just recognize Diana was very much involved with uh walk to school and other events as well as with the police department and her association to the Dell Municipal Alliance, excuse me, and um mayor's
traffic and pedestrian safety task force. Uh, and she recently retired and uh unfortunately I think to our community she moved to Delaware. So, you know, but here we are. We wanted to recognize her service nonetheless. Whereas Diana Steris has dedicated over
20 years of volunteer service to the Burough of Denellan, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to health, safety, and well-being of the community. And whereas she previously served as the chair of the Denella Municipal Alliance for 10 years, leading initiatives on substance abuse prevention, hosting
community education events, and working to develop ordinances aimed at improving public health and safety. And whereas Diana has been a longtime advocate for pedestrian and roadway safety, collaborating with John P. Faber Elementary School, the Denellum Burough
Police Department, and community partners on various student and traffic safety initiatives such as international walk to school day, bike to school day, the all-w wheeled sports rodeo, and the use your head helmet campaign. And whereas she served for three years on
the mayor's traffic and pedestrian safety task force to further advance traffic and pedestrian safety programs and awareness throughout the burrow. And whereas Diana's work has left a lasting mark on the Denellan community through her leadership, collaboration, and volunteerism that will continue to
benefit our burrow for years to come. Now, therefore, I, Mayor Jason Sento and the Denellan Burough Council recognize Diana Steris for her years of service to Denell. thank her for her countless contributions to our community and wish her the best as she enters a new chapter
signed this date February 20 26. So, thank you Diana and also to her husband David for the years that they provided to our community and the volunteering. So, good work for that. Okay, item number five on the agenda is the approval of our meeting uh minutes
of January 20th of 2026. Do we have a motion and a second? Move it. Segment. >> Second. Rio. >> Any comments, additions, or edits to the meeting minutes of January 2 as they currently stand. >> Without hearing any roll call, please. >> Mrs. Albertson,
>> yes. >> Mrs. Lamb, >> yes. >> Mrs. Rios, >> yes. >> Mr. Scott, >> yes. >> Mr. Sigman, >> yes. >> And Mrs. Vandermouth, >> yes. >> Item number six on the agenda, we have two. Uh it's the introduction of ordinances. We have two this evening.
2026-01 and 2026-02. Uh for those who are new in the audience today in a nice little civic lessons, Mr. Aiden, uh for municipal government, ordinances are the laws of the land. So they have to have two hearings in
municipal government. Um they have an introduction like you're going to hear tonight. There's no real debate on it, just an introduction, a reading out of it. And then we have 10 up to 10 days and most likely it will be at our next council meeting the opportunity for the public to come and make their comments
and concerns known before council has the opportunity to debate it. So tonight we have two ordinances to introduce. Can I have a motion and second on 2026-01 an ordinance to amend the general legislation of the Burough of Denell municipal code chapter 256 streets and
sidewalks article one snow and ice removal section three failure to comply removal by burrow assessment of costs >> move it segment >> second Albertson >> Mr. Miller uh Mr. Robinson. Robertson, if you would wouldn't mind just kind of addressing what this is.
>> This is uh uh in terms of the enforcement of stone ice removal. Uh the current ordinance provides that the stone ice has to be removed from sidewalks within a designated time frame. That's 24 hours. and that uh it
was amended in order to uh permit the burough DPW in the event that they're non-compliant to create a safe situation by uh uh conducting the snow removal uh but then charging back the cost of the snow
removal uh from the BPW to the property owner just to make sure that the sidewalks remain safe and open but the burrow does not lose uh money is solved. >> Okay. Thank you. Uh so with that on
record, can we have a roll call, please? >> Mrs. Albertson, >> yes. >> Mrs. Lance, >> yes. >> Mrs. Rios, >> yes. >> Mr. Scott, >> yes. >> Mr. Sigman, >> yes. >> And Mrs. Vandermark, >> yes. Item number two for introduced ordinances is 2026-02,
an ordinance to amend the general legislation of the Burough of Denell municipal code, chapter 233, sewer use article 1, general uh regulations, section 37, sewer rates. >> Move it segment. >> Second, Vandermark. >> So for the record, this is uh the sewer
utility uh ordinance uh setting the rates. This one is uh setting it to 375 flat rate and then moving to next year in 2027 that flat rate and then a usage fee beyond that rate um as we build out
a 10-year capital improvements for our sewer utilities and this of course sewer utilities funds those improvements. So that's what uh this ordinance will set up a structure for. Um Mr. Robertson or Alex would you Mr. Miller, would you like to add to this or?
>> No. Was not amended for the uh the slight increase on the residence. >> Okay. Thank you. Hearing that
summarization, um roll call, please. >> Mrs. Albertson, >> yes. >> Mrs. Lance, >> yes. >> Mrs. Rios, >> yes. >> Mr. Scott, >> yes. Mr. Sigman, >> yes. >> And Mrs. Vandermark, >> yes. >> Okay. As noted, these two ordinances can be found at the clerk's office or online
for your review and will be heard publicly at our next council meeting, which public can address it to the council and council has the ability to deliberate on them for any further amendments, etc., or pass as it currently stands. Okay. Item number seven on the agenda is
resolutions. We have resolutions 62 through 66. Um, Mrs. stats if you can read them out and give uh council and I the opportunity to discuss them if uh there's any need to. >> Resolution number 62 is to pay the bills. >> Move it. Segment
>> second. Albertson. >> Mrs. Albertson. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Lamb. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Rios. >> Yes. >> Mr. Scott. >> Yes. >> Mr. Sigman. >> Yes. >> And Mrs. Vandermark. >> Yes. >> Resolution number 63 is to appoint Lindseay Braverman as a fire company
member. Move it segment. >> Second. Vandermark. >> Mrs. Al Mrs. Albertson. Sorry. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Lance. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Rios. >> Abstain due to my position in the fire department. >> Mr. Scott, >> abstaining position in the fire
department. >> Mr. Sigman. >> Yes. >> And Mrs. Vanderm. >> Yes. Resolution number 64 is authorizing the request to extend the NJ DOT 2023 Transit Village North Avenue signage improvement.
>> Move it. Segment >> second. Rios. >> So this is an interesting one and the uh interesting fact of how our state uh bureaucratic red tape works. Uh so this is the transit village grant for way
finding in our downtown. We've been working on uh the the proposals and the conceptual renderings of them and we brought it to the NJ DOT which has jurisdiction as a over the state highway and uh unfortunately we're going back
and forth on what these signs can do and say they're arguing that we can't direct people to uh the train station parking uh and train station itself off of Route 28, which I find ironic cuz it's a transit village grant, but there's
Jersey for for you folks. Um so, uh we had we ran out of time in our debate and Mr. Best, I assumed you would enjoy that one. um uh in our in our backs and our back and forth with the state on this. So, we have to request an extension
because uh we just kind of find it a little um moronic to be honest with you if they're not letting us put a a sign that says this is the train station, you know, cuz that's honestly what this whole transit
village concept is supposed to be about. But nonetheless, that's why we have to extend so to keep the grant funds and also continue to I guess fight the good fight on a a sign. So there we go. Right.
>> Yeah. >> All right. I'll take a role. Mrs. Albertson, >> yes. >> Mrs. Lance, >> yes. >> Mrs. Rios, >> yes. >> Mr. Scott, >> yes. >> Mr. Sigman, >> yes. >> And Mrs. Vandermark, >> yes. Resolution number 65 is to approve two
street fairs for the Dellan Fire Company for 2026. >> Move it segment. >> Second. Albertson, >> good work on making it a Sunday. I think our business community will appreciate it. >> Mrs. Albertson, >> yes.
>> Mrs. Lance, >> yes. >> Mrs. Rios, >> I'm staying to my position in the fire department. >> Mr. Scott, >> stay in position in the fire department. >> Mr. Sigman, >> yes. >> And Mrs. Vandermark. >> Yes. >> Resolution number 66 is a resolution in
support of the Hudson Tunnel project funding. >> Move it, Sigman. >> Second, Rios. >> So, just like I went for the state, I'll go for the federal government, too, while we're at it. Um, the federal government, uh, President Trump freezing the funds on the, uh, Gateway Tunnel
project. not a wise decision from our perspective because that's uh impacting our residents who need to commute in and out of the city for work and entertainment purposes. But uh nonetheless impacts the region. Uh so
we're going to hopefully pass this resolution to say, you know, this the funding should be restored. It's important for economic development of the region, quality of life for the region, and uh yeah, there we go. not a wise decision on the president's part in my my view. So that's what this
resolution is. >> Mrs. Albertson, >> yes. >> Mrs. Lance, >> yes. >> Mrs. Rios, >> yes. >> Mr. Scott, >> yes. >> Mr. Sigman, >> yes. >> And Mrs. Vandermark, >> yes. >> Item number eight on the agenda is
consent agenda. Tonight we have resolution 67 through 74. Council, if you can take a moment to review, if there's any specific resolutions you would like us to pull to discuss, please let us know and then we will vote on the remaining uh resolutions based on
consent. Good. Okay. Can we have a motion and second to uh take on the consent agenda? >> Move it. Rios >> second. Albertson. >> Mrs. Albertson. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Lance. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Rios.
>> Yes. >> Mr. Scott. >> Yes. >> Mr. Sigman. >> Yes. >> And Mrs. Vandermark. >> Yes. >> Okie do. Item number nine on the agenda is council reports. Councilwoman Vandermark. Anything to report this evening? >> I got two.
>> Oh. Oh, okay. Uh, during January of 2026, the fire department responded to 39 emergency incidents. Crews stood by and responded to several incidents during the recent snowstorm. Crews also
assisted EMS with several calls clearing snow, assisting with lifting during the snowstorm. During January the 1st, they held the changing of the guard ceremony. On the 10th, they held their annual installation of officers dinner. The
12th held an officers meeting followed by department work drill. On the 25th, crews stood by to ensure quick response during the snowstorm. The 26th held emergency drill to clear snow from around the firehouse and open the
sidewalks. The 27th, crews went around town clearing fire hydrants that residents of business owners did not address. Thank you to those that did clear their hydrants and on the 28th held a monthly fire commit company meeting.
And the second one is the Planefield Area Regional Sewer Authority will review all sewer systems on streets where New Jersey American Water installed new water manes in 2025 as part of its follow-up program to the emer New Jersey American Water projects.
This is to ensure that our systems are safe and ready for paving in the summer. And that's it for tonight. >> Thank you, Councilwoman. Councilman Rios. >> Yes. >> Police Department. Thank you to our police department for their continued efforts during winter weather events. On
January 25th, 2026, 229 snow parking violations were issued to vehicles that were not removed from the roadway. We appreciate the residents working together to keep our streets safe and clearing and clear during snow operations. There is a new law, New
Jersey ebike law update. As of January 19th, 2026, New Jersey has implemented new requirements for ebikes aimed at improving safer safety for everyone on the road. Class one and class 2 ebikes maximum speed of 20 miles per hour and
class 3 ebikes maximum of 28 miles per hour are now classified as a motorized bicycle. To operate an ebike, riders must have operation licensing, registration, and insurance through the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. Riders must be 15 years of age or older,
and helmets and helmet use is required at all times. These updates help promote safer riding for both cyclists and motorists. Denellan Public Library. The Denolan Public Library continues to be a vibrant community resource and is
currently seeking a library director. Masters in library science is required. We're also looking for a part-time bookkeeper and must know Quicken. Library programs are ongoing and library welcome and the library welcomes ideas and suggestions from the community. So,
if there is a program you'd like to see, please share. Your input helps shape what's offered. Greenbrook Flood Commission. The Green Brook Blood Commission will hold its next meeting this Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. via Zoom. Residents interested in learning more about the commission's important
work are encouraged to attend. Login information is available on the commission's website. And just a community note, wishing everyone a happy Valentine's Day on February 14th. It may be cold outside, but a little kindness and warm hearts go a long way in
brightening the season. >> Yes. First, I'd like to thank all of the uh emergency services and DPW for the excellent job they did during the snowstorm. Really did a wonderful job. It was very difficult. >> Finance Committee. All departments have
been working on their 2026 budgets and recently they met with Alex Miller and Don Hutchson as they reviewed their department uh OE budget in the meetings. The department renewed their reviewed their
previous OE budgets and discussed their 2026 OE requests. Uh DIIC is having a paint and sip on February 27th in the evening at Delhi Cream which is at 387 North Avenue. Please watch for uh
Facebook promotions uh and and to register. And that's all I have to say. >> Yeah. For recreation, um registration is now open for spring programs such as baseball, softball, and spring break camp. Baseball is offered to kids ages 4
to 8, softball to grades 1 through 8, and camp to ages um 5 to 12. So, please mark your calendars. The registration deadline for baseball and softball is March 9th, while the deadline for camp is March 20th. To avoid late fees, we encourage you to register today. Also,
look out for more information about spring tennis coming soon. Um we are pleased to announce that registration for the summer camp is now open. This program is available to children ages 5 through 12 and will start on Monday,
June 5th. It spans 9 weeks operating from 8:00 a.m. to 3 p.m. with an option for late pickup until 5:00 p.m. Families can depend on our safe, wellorganized, and reputable program to provide a fun and engaging summer experience year after year. As space is limited, we
strongly recommend early registration. Please register by Friday, February 13th to benefit from the early bird discount. Do not miss this excellent opportunity. And that's all. >> Okay. Thank you, Council President. Uh, Councilman Sigman. >> Uh, yes. So, everyone, grab your hats
and your mittens. I'll be starting with the DPW report tonight. Uh, so the January 25th storm brought significant snow and extreme cold to Denellan. Our DPW crew worked through the night and into the following day to ensure all burrow streets were cleared and treated.
Uh following the initial clearing, the team spent the past week widening the crosswalks and clearing parking areas, specifically targeting the school area to ensure student drop off and pickup remain safe and efficient for families. And while other regions in the New Jersey area are currently reporting salt
shortage shortages uh due to recent weather events, Denellan's proactive planning has kept our salt supply fully stocked. Uh and additionally, our mechanic division is servicing our fleet to ensure all equipment is ready for the remainder of the apparently six week
additional season. Uh we also want to thank Chief Scott uh and the Denellan Fire Department for providing lunch to our crew during the storm. Uh this kind of interdep departmental support is what keeps operations running smoothly during high stress events. Thank you and the crew.
>> You even cooked? Oh man, lucky you. Uh and for the board of education, uh the board committees delivered a full slate of updates at their most recent meeting. Uh while the full technical details are available on the board of education website, I want to highlight three specific operational moments. Uh
where the board chose to pause or pivot based on new information. Uh so it was identified that a temporary egress door was installed as a pull instead of a push and this was corrected immediately. Uh after receiving feedback on the proposed school calendar, the board
postponed the vote to allow for a more thorough review. And regarding the superintendent's contract, uh following public comments, the board entered an executive session and ultimately removed the contract vote from the evening's agenda. Uh afterwards, there was a special meeting that was scheduled for
February 27th at 6 p.m. at Lincoln Middle School to discuss the topic. And I'm highlighting these to not comment on the specific items but to just highlight that the process uh these instances honor uh a reflective stance that supports a healthy system of governance.
Uh feedback is provided, the system listens and thoughtful action is taken. Uh and then uh so for the facilities and operations uh for the asbestous remediation the project is complete uh and had received
zero violations uh which is a significant win for our district's infrastructure. Uh they also reported on enrollment trends uh that while the details are online, it does show a roughly 14% increase in enrollment since
the 2020 2021 school year. Uh Mr. Ross also addressed the new state legislation regarding cell phones in schools. Uh it is critical to note that this is an unfunded state mandate from Trenton. Uh it requires our district to implement complex strategies and allocate
resources without any additional state funding. Uh, navigating this will require both state guidance and the district's own resourcefulness to establish policies that help students, staff, and families thoughtfully navigate this transition.
Uh, also honoring uh legacy, the board honored Dave Denapoli for his nearly 30 years of service to the district. Uh, he has been a fixture in our schools and we wish him the very best in his well-deserved retirement. And that is it for me
>> from being a football coach or everything. >> Uh I believe everything like fully retired, but we were assured that he's not going anywhere and he will be around. >> Well, he's Denel through and through. I
don't think he's going anywhere. >> So, uh well, you know, everyone deserves to retire and enjoy whatever life. Just sad to hear that. >> He was my football coach. Yeah. Councilman Scott >> for a security camera system in Burough
Hall. Police Department OEM LTW started running the wire from the new security cameras at the locations in Burough Hall. TK1 will be setting up the servers for both Burough Hall and a police department this week. And after the servers are installed, LTW will return to set up their system in the server
room. And electrical upgrades have been completed throughout the burrow offices. And that's the end of my report. >> Wow. Quick. Nice and short one. Um, well, I wish Mr. Coach Napoli his retirement again and it's just an end of
an era here in Denell and that's uh just uh >> Yep. >> time moves very quickly. Okay, just uh again I'm going to reiterate thank you to the Department of Public Works for their hard work over the snow storm that occurred uh two weekends ago. um as well
as to emergency services, our fire department, rescue squad, police department, OEM, and inserts uh for the standby and the efforts that were done that night as well. Um and of course to residents who dug themselves out on their properties and everything. It's takes a village, my friends, and I know
we're still digging out from some certain locations and uh but it was a lot of snow, so we thank you for everyone's patience and cooperation. Um, but speaking of snowstorms and how we're going to enforce moving forward, we did announce uh last week that we're going
to at future snow uh events enforce towing. Um because during the recent snow events uh vehicles remain parked on burrow streets despite notifications and prior citations creating safety hazards and limiting uh snow removal efforts.
And uh just so for the record uh during the storm over 220 uh violations were issued during that single storm and several dozens the one before. So the officers did a really good job on citing those who remain their vehicle had their vehicles remained in the uh street. But
um so we're towing to ensure public safety and efficient snow removal and uh we'll enforce towing for vehicles parked on streets during snow events in accordance with burough code 202-15C. Uh residents should plan and make alternate parking arrangements to avoid
towing. Um tickets, uh vehicles ticketed during a snow event that remains on the roadway after the storm, including those snowed in for multiple days, must be dug out and removed. Vehicles unable to be moved due to snow conditions, may receive additional citations or be towed
when feasible. Uh towing during winter conditions may result in additional fees and we have towed a few vehicles since last storm that stayed on the streets and were uh snow was on them. Um we always promote it and this is why we're going to go strong on it now is because we have alternate off- streetet parking
uh in uh the American Legion Post 119 allows us to park there and in McCoy Park and Columbia Park. Uh, so if your vehicle is towed, report to the police headquarters at 355 North Avenue with your driver's license, vehicle registration, and proof of insurance.
Vehicles are released only to reg to the registered owner. Police headquarters will issue a tow release form and provide towing company information. All towing and related costs are the responsibility of the vehicle owner. Sorry that we had to do it had to come to this way. We tried ticketing, tried
doing it the soft way, but sometimes when people just don't, I guess listen, you just have to enforce the law harder. So, uh, New Jersey American Water, uh, completed its 2025 water main installation project several weeks ago
and has confirmed that milling and paving associated with the project will take place this summer. Um, that's in due because we passed an ordinance several years back that requires them to do so. Uh, New Jersey American Water will also replace water maintenance services on Second Street from Lincoln
Avenue to Madison Avenue prior to the paving of the money for the grant. Uh, the NJ DOT project. Uh, in addition, uh, they plan to replace water maintenance services on the 200 block of Orange Street and on Fair View Avenue, areas that have experienced three breaks in
the past 16 months. uh with all three man mains scheduled for replacement in the coming months followed by milling and pavement likely again this summer and I think we were able to work with American water to have upward of $25 million of improvements in Denellan over the last several years is it about that
>> close to that >> close to that we'll say 20 just for record to be safe I'd rather shoot under it >> okay so um yes this probably will so um look they're doing improvements we want them to do improvements and uh you know I appreciate And I know council
appreciates everybody's patience and cooperation there because we know uh this past uh fall and winter was not the easiest to navigate around town, but just keep in mind these are now systems in there that uh well frankly none of us are going to be alive when they need to
be replaced again. So it's a long time until we have to wait for the improvements again. Um so that's my report this evening. Um no council discussion. Item number 11, department head reports. It are we iting?
>> Yes, we are. No report, mayor. >> Okay, thank you. Legal, >> no report, mayor. >> That's good news. Thank you. When they don't report, it's a good thing. >> Clerk and registar. >> No report tonight, ma'am. >> Okay. Recreation. >> Yeah. I'd like to apologize to anyone
that was late to school today with DPW clearing some of those night. >> So, if you got the attention, I do apologize. Okay, that's Alex Miller from our public works and business administrator. Lieutenant, anything from PD?
>> No reports showing yet. >> Okay, chaplain. >> No report. >> I'm not skipping you over. Don't worry. I'm just saving the best for >> anything from rescue squad. Uh for January of this year, we had a
total of 1,575 on duty and response hours. Uh 36 calls for service, including one motor vehicle accident, two calls into Bound Brook, one into Southbound Brook, and one in
Green. Uh we were in service through the storm on June 25th and we had one call transporting one of our own members to the ER the day after the respondent calls for the storm. We had an additional 234 man hours including
preparing reports attending meetings including burough meetings and the full department meeting on January 19th clearing our clearing the stone maintaining our ambulances and camper and 75 hours of training during the month of January. Okay. Thank you, Chief.
Oh, wait. No report. >> Wow. >> That was not on my bank. I'll tell you that much. All right. I tease homeward does a great job with the OEM inserts and that's why his his uh reports are lengthy because he does do so much
stuff. But again, that was not on my big card. But I'll just say one last thing. Uh this past uh Saturday we had the sports commissions and authorities summit where the volunteers and their uh who volunteer with our committees and commissions uh sent a a representative
to uh the senior center and we worked out you know collaboration efforts what the schedules for the year are and uh and I want to just say thank you to Billy George our public information officer for helping coordinate that and uh lead those efforts because it's helps with communication and transparency
amongst the committees and again internal uh efforts amongst one of them. So, good work, Billy. Um with that, there's no more department heads in this room, right? Okay. Um we'll move on to item number 12, which is public comments. We'll open the floor to the
public. We ask that you please state your name and your residency, and the floor is all yours. This is Carl Peter Clapper, 13th Street apartment 2L. Uh, and I have a at least a couple of comments. One is, and I talked to the mayor about
this, is that uh when we do the clearing of the streets, uh we're not as mindful of the obstruction that it creates in terms of the crosswalk, entering the crosswalk. Uh and we still have a number of places
in town that are that are blocked that way. Uh some of them are related to businesses but uh a lot of them are just general inability to cross. Um in trying to go
to the uh um the mall type area that's on North Avenue >> train station plaza, >> right? So, I had to uh uh I was not able to climb over the snow to get into the uh
area. I had to go all the way down and go through the uh vehicle entrance uh in order to get to that part. Uh, and I had a another situation.
I think that was uh uh Madison Avenue where uh I had a a block there and I had to climb up there and then climb off of it and uh I had a little
bit of a of a stumble. Uh fortunately the vehicles around there were uh noting that I was uh having some difficulty and uh so they inquired to make sure that I was okay. Being an old athlete, I know
how to fall. So uh uh but it is hazardous because you fall into traffic. Uh and one thing going forward uh when we have
uh the plans of the intersections uh it would be helpful if we had something that was more of a pedestrian grade intersection where the pedestrians are able to stay on the on the flat level and the cars have to come up and
come down. What this does is that it leaves the alleviates the problem of having uh when we actually have some melting occurring uh of avoiding having the puddles that pedestrians have to
step into in order to clear the intersection. Uh, and an old uh um complaint of mine uh with regards to the way that the uh uh real
estate uh uh pricing is is done. uh is that uh um there's an old u uh economic uh article in political science quarterly number five which is in the late 19th
century uh which uh pointed out the the mortgage evil which was a combination of the mortgage which is a leveraging scam and also the uh
the restriction of of trade and clear violation of the Sherman antitrust act uh where it's not allow not allowing um the price of real estate to come down when the demand has softened.
Uh so I would uh urge that uh we take some measures. We can take a gradual uh abolition of the mortgage. So the permanent moratorum on new mortgages
not affecting the current uh uh mortgages are in place but allowing uh the real estate prices to stabilize. Uh and uh that would help immensely as
far as uh people who are moving into the burough who are setting up businesses in the burrow uh so that they'll be able to enter a market where they're able to
enter it at a reasonable uh pricing for the real estate. And I think that's about it for tonight. >> Okay, Mr. Clapper, thank you. Uh, in terms of the intersections, I we exchanged an email earlier today. We noted it. Uh, for property owners that
did not do it, they are being cited. You know, it is their responsibility, but DBW is going around also on top of their normal working uh stuff that they have to do and cleaning up the intersection. So, I have it written down that specific intersection and we can take a look at
it tomorrow. Um, and then we'll speak to the property owner, let them know that it's >> there a bunch of them where there's basically you have to take one foot to go. It's only a foot wide uh uh uh uh crosswalk.
>> Well, as you as you heard from the ordinance tonight, we're trying to amend and fix things to address these uh in in future storm events. You know, a lot of these are are are you know, DPW might do wonderful work for the motorists or for
the for the motor uh for the vehicles. Uh but they need to be mindful of the fact that when they plow through that they cover up the uh the crosswalks and uh and so uh a lot of the uh
homeowners if I can just you know defend them a little bit here is that uh they might clear their sidewalks fine but the plows come through and they create an obstruction. Well, the thing is is with the amount of snow that happened, and I don't want to get in a back and forth
debate, um, because we hear your concern and we get it. Um, is the plows have to drive at a certain force to be able to get the snow moving. >> So, and unfortunately, that does create a higher I guess what's the I'm not a scientist, so I don't know the physics of it. It does push the snow out kind of like a snowb blower because they have to
go at a certain speed to make sure that they're clearing the streets, >> right? But we could possibly have some people that uh would be part of DPW with some shovels so that when it actually occurs,
they are able to remove the uh the amount of snow that's in the cross crosswalk passage. So that you have both the uh the motor plows and also having some uh people you
know hired to do that. >> We only have seven guys in a square mile. So that's why it's a partnership between what we can do in the public rightways and what residents are doing on their properties. So it's a partnership my friend. So um we hear your concern. We are citing those residents and business owners who don't
do it. So hopefully they learn for the next one. And we are working on clearing out some snow on some on on some bigger intersections that like like you was just addressed in the email. Um that address, right? >> Um I'm hap I'm happy to hear that you're okay. That's the most important thing.
Um in terms of an >> abolishing the mortgage, um just let you know, so long as I'm mayor, I'm not getting behind that. So, you know, you bring it up a lot during meetings. I'm just respectfully I'm not going to get behind that. Um, I believe in home
ownership and uh but I'm not sir Mr. Clapper I'm not getting into an argument with you or debate on it. You stated it, I'm stating and then we're going to move to the next resident. Um, we offer the opportunity of affordable housing. We are in compliance with the affordable
housing ordinances and the state expectations. So, we provide the foot in the door. We are having our first townhouse project in discussions right now that are going to offer affordable housing opportunities for somebody to get into uh ownership. And if you listen to the state of the burough address,
we're going to be looking at what's called the missing middle housing, providing opportunity for smaller housing dwellings um in the redevelopment area so people can like college kid or a resident who is a senior who wants to downgrade can afford to move into something and have
ownership on it. So uh it's about creating opportunities I believe not abolishing and uh so that's as much as I'm going to discuss on that sir. >> Okay. Well it's it's a point of fact what the mortgage does is increase uh the cost of real estate and you know
it's it's been used as a uh uh a tool to weasel itself into it. But it's actually economically what it does is that increases the price of real estate. Uh and it's not necessary for it to do
that and it's a you know it's a it's travesty quite frankly. That's as I noted where I think we're done debating. I'm going to kindly ask that you maybe yield your time to someone else >> into the that somebody else speak.
Any other residents? Please state your name and residency. >> Hello everyone. David Aenstein, 247 Penfield Place. I'll really try to keep it under three sentences. Uh for someone who does the the right thing in in terms of the snow parking at a Columbia Park,
uh it's it's discouraging that I'm I'm feeling like it's feeling punished by the neighbor parking in front of the house and not being able to plow. I I wish the burrow in their successes to get with this towing and uh clearing our streets so that it could be safer and more pleasant to look at. Okay. Thank
you, David. Anybody joining us virtually this evening that wants to uh speak? >> Okay, we have an inerson. Hello, Mr. Prior. >> Rich Street. My concern is yes did a
great job plowing the streets. My question is why didn't they plow the curb? Because some of the streets in town, including mine, were four feet off the curb and the cars that were left on the street during the storm after the storm. How come the town didn't come by and clear the snow that was behind the
vehicles and push it on the curb? >> I the snow the snow got pushed as far as we could possibly move the snow with our trucks in the back. Unfortunately, We're just looking at that amount of snow. You can't control
the curves. >> It's impossible. >> Okay. >> Unless we had like uh tandemss, you know, like that you have on state roads. It's just it's just we can't push snow. It happens in all this balance. >> I I'm aware, but it's just the my
concern was is that the mounds of snow from the vehicles that were left and got taken, which I'm happy about. the snow that was left behind them, they couldn't the days ensuing, they should have been able to move it a little bit. >> Well, yeah, we are trying to get on that. We're also trying to open up the
the sidewalks to make it more uh easier for students to walk to school. So, there's a over 250 intersections that we're trying to tackle. You know, some of the intersections are not even burrow intersections or state or county roads that they're just going to plow the
snow. We have to kind of the mess. So, yeah, we are trying to clean up uh the snow residue or what was left from when the cars moved. We are trying to get on the top, too. But, uh, you know, trying to clear around the school so it it
makes it easier for parents to pull up from the school far, but we are trying to work on that, too. All right. >> And unfortunately, we're dealing with today's the first time we got above freezing in nine days. So, and I know you know that it just it makes it challenging. No, I'm completely aware.
I'm just throwing a question out there. And then also because of the fact that we did s they did do such a nice job doing it. Problem is my concern plane residents are parking in Denellan because our reso plowed so much better. So now you're really fighting for parking between that and the rentals
that are on the block. There is no parking on the street. That's all I have to speak about. How does that even res? >> Thank you, Mr. Crier. Wish we had better answers for you at the moment.
>> Well, like I said, we'll continue trying to clear out the roads best. >> Any other residents? We're here to listen. Please state your name and during residency, those in person or virtually. Okay, without hearing any, we will close
that portion of the meeting uh public comments and uh we'll move item 13 uh which is uh resolution 75, the endurement of our meeting. So before we get there, February 17th at 7 p.m. in these chambers or you can join virtually
is our next council meeting. So, can I have a motion and a second on resolution 75 to adjurnn? >> Move it. Second >> second. Vandermark. >> All in favor? >> I. >> Any nays? Okay. Aiden's going to gabble us out.
>> You should do it once. You want mom and dad to get a video of you? Future Mayor Aiden's gonna gavvel us out. There you go.