WEBVTT

METADATA
Video-Count: 1
Video-1: youtube.com/watch?v=rXWXESNdQOU

NOTE
MEETING SECTIONS:

Part 1 (Video ID: rXWXESNdQOU):
- 00:19:38: Pledge of Allegiance, Roll Call, and Opening Remarks
- 00:22:39: Discussion on Electric Bill, Green Energy Purchasing
- 00:25:58: Hydraulics Purchase Details and Department Budget Discussion
- 00:28:13: Sewer System Inspection and Repair Plan Questioned
- 00:31:34: Sewer Department's Role in Repairs Clarified
- 00:33:51: In-House vs. Outsource Repairs and ACO Compliance
- 00:35:27: Engineer Timeline, Gravity Feed Sewers and McDonalds Report
- 00:40:44: ACC,I Bank and the Importance of Grant Money
- 00:43:08: Defending the water and sewer department and its employees
- 00:46:38: The ACC, I-Bank Agreement and Department Priorities
- 00:49:28: The multi-tiered, long-term planning, timeline, and cost
- 00:53:14: Sewer Dept Engineers: Past, Present and Future
- 00:55:59: ACO Projects, Expertise Needs, and Future Meetings
- 00:58:06: Moving to Regular Council Meeting and Approval of Minutes
- 00:58:55: Public Comments - Cultural Arts Commission Reappointments
- 01:00:34: Public Comments - Taurus Advisory and Budget Concerns
- 01:02:28: Public Comments - In-house sewer inspection and the need for engineers
- 01:03:32: Budget and Local Contracts Act, and energy vendors
- 01:07:08: Local Contract Law and Sewer Camera
- 01:09:03: Public Comments - Resolution Clarity and Dollar Figures
- 01:10:25: Resolutions, dollar amounts, not to exceed, phase 2
- 01:13:30: Public Comments - Quarterly disbursement
- 01:14:03: The Eye Bank and engineering
- 01:19:01: Engineer reports and previous infrastructure
- 01:19:34: Public Comments - Questions on 199 and 222
- 01:21:12: Public Comments - Numbers and system typos
- 01:23:34: Moving to 18- reports from all council committees
- 01:24:33: Motion to Approve, Oral Petition and Open Comments
- 01:26:20: Public Comments - Board of Education (BOE) Tax Ideas
- 01:27:34: numbers the township manages
- 01:31:58: Financials, sidewalk maintenance and municipal long term bonds
- 01:35:13: Public Comments - ABC Program and State Funding
- 01:38:28: Funding, entity finances and board complaints
- 01:39:00: ABC and maintenance
- 01:39:41: Public Comments - Car Dealerships and New Drivers
- 01:42:26: Public Comments - 2008 School Budget Cuts
- 01:45:18: Avenue and property sales
- 01:47:41: Public Comments - Government Savings and Healthcare
- 01:50:52: Income Taxes and Rebates
- 01:52:32: Public Comments - Unity in the Air Kite Festival and Budget
- 01:54:48: Board of Ed Meetings and Preliminary budgets
- 01:58:12: Public Comments - Fearmongering and Board of Ed
- 02:01:48: Bond Referendum and Town Hall budget
- 02:02:28: Public Comments - Firefighters, Affordable Housing and Ethics
- 02:06:02: ReHousing Settlement and more affordable housing
- 02:09:44: Public Comments - Budget and Feud with Board of Ed
- 02:11:04: Budgets and responsibilities
- 02:14:38: Motion to close
- 02:15:13: Reports from Committees
- 02:16:02: Points of Light- Earth Day, and Administration day
- 02:17:22: Discussion Items, Road Patches and Comcast
- 02:17:56: Municipal Alliance, Budgets, Budget Fines and Adjournment


Part: 1

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like 1800. [clears throat] >> It doesn't match what you just said. >> Oh, oh, [laughter] we knew that. Generic. I'm like, yeah. >> Where's my thing? Okay. Good evening everyone. This is the

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municipal council combined meeting of April 22nd beginning at 6 pm. Could we all please rise for the pledge of allegiance [clears throat] to the flag of the United States of America. >> To the republic for which it stands, one

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nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. [clears throat] Madam clerk, roll call. >> Council member Brasher >> here. >> Council member Coyle >> here. >> Council member Dimma >> here. >> Council member Kentos >> here. >> Council member Patel >> here.

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>> Council member Patiel. >> Council member Schmuel >> here. And >> cler adequate notice. Adequate notice of this meeting as required [clears throat] by the open public meeting act of 1975 has been provided by the annual notice sent to the news tribune star ledger and

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dizzy talk on November 17th 2025 and post the main lobby malible complex on that same date. Thank you madam clerk. Uh just brief remarks uh good evening everyone for those who are attending for the first time welcome. Uh you may follow along on

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the agenda provided to you at the back table. Uh you will have four minutes to speak at the public comments and four minutes on the resolutions and oral petition remarks at this portion of the of the agenda. If you're watching [clears throat] for the first time from

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home, uh please visit edisonenj.gov, click on departments, then council, and select council agenda. And so you can follow along with this meeting. If you have any further questions or comments, you may email any council member or myself personally at jcoy@isonenj.gov.

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Thank you for joining us. Just a quick announcement. Our meeting in May are both combined, Wednesday, May 6th and May 20th. [clears throat] We'll continue to the agenda on five, the administrative agenda, letter A. Any

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comments? [clears throat] Hearing none from council members. Moving to number six, review of the minutes of combined meeting of April 7th. Any comments? [clears throat] And the closed session of the meeting of

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April 7th. Any comments? [snorts] [clears throat] Going through departments uh in order from the business administrator, we have line item A, line item B, and line item C. Any questions or comments from council members?

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Moving along to letter A to number eight from the department of finance. Letter A, letter B, letter C, letter D, E, F, and G. Any questions or comments from council members? >> Council President. >> Yes, Councilman. >> Um to the business administrator, the

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tour is advisory group. Is is this to help us because potentially our electric bill has went up um like it it has for all of our residents. >> This is for our our own electric for the township, >> right? For us to find a a way to kind of

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reduce costs with electric. Is that what their their goal is for us? >> Yes. Will will they also look at things um different places for us to pay maybe purchase energy? >> Yes. So that's what we'll do. We'll go

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to a third party for cheaper energy. >> There was I'm going to say an ordinance, maybe it was a resolution that we passed um a few years ago where we were going to try and and buy electric um like green energy.

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[snorts] Um, but we were supposed to try and buy, you know, the buy it as a group, let's say, you know, by the township. Does it help if, uh, we did something like township wise as far as like purchasing? >> So, in the past, I've done those are

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energy aggregation. Um, and essentially you create a co-op. Um, sometimes the issues with that is that you're not getting anything cheaper. However, independently this group would go out and find it anywhere else. Um, so it you

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could do it, but it doesn't mean that you're going to get it cheaper. Um, you may get it cleaner, but you may just come out with the same price, sometimes a little bit higher. So, um, in recent years, you've actually seen it go, um, just as high as regular energy that

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you'd buy from PSCNG as opposed to, um, the energy aggregation cooperative. >> Okay. All right. Yeah. Let's see how it [clears throat] comes out. All right. Thank you. >> Yeah. Thank you. Any council? >> Yes. Um Sonia, real quick, um if we get

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power from if we get electric power from somewhere else, that would would that cover the street lights as well? >> Because that's like the big ticket item there. So, if we buy electric from somebody else, does it include the street lights? >> It includes all of our lighting. >> All of our lighting. Okay. Thank you.

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>> Not does not include our public buildings. That's a separate um area in which we would look for energy energy savings and efficiency which we are currently also looking at through the PSEG program. >> Thank you. >> Just to correct your count the council

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members here. Your questions go through the council president to the BA. We make the residents do the same. So we have to have the same expectations. [snorts] Okay. Moving along from the Department of Health, letter A. Hearing none from the Department of

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Planning and Engineering, letter A, letter B, letter C, letter D, E, F, G, and H. Any question or comment from council members?

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Hearing none, moving on to uh from the Department of Public Works, letter A, letter B, letter C, and D. I do want to share with you the purchase for hydraulics. I had a conversation with our DPW director on that as well. And uh

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if you read in the backup, you'll see that it's more than just parts. Uh it's a combination of a co-op, uh an agreement, and also vehicle repairs. uh as well. But if you have any questions on that, you're welcome to. Any

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questions or comments? A B C D. >> Uh Council President. >> Yes. >> This here is kind of like our other ones. Like if we approve $950,000, but they only use $400,000, >> right? This is not to exceed, >> right? It's

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>> so this covers us for a lot more than what we've typically done in the past. But then this would have to be incorporated into the budget, right? So >> we what we include in the budget is what we've spent and what we anticipate. Um

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my having gone through the budget exercise um and hopefully to introduce to the council at the next meeting, um DPW's uh operating budget has not uh increased um totally. I I think maybe

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about a percent or so overall. So this number reflects what we've uh requested and allocated for the 2026 budget [clears throat] based on what we spent in 25 >> in in 25. >> Right. >> Okay. Thank you. Now >> Councilman, I couldn't get a line item

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for spending for 2025, but I did ask uh this is something new the director is doing with other directors across the county and he believes they're gaining 15% by this co-op. So, um I think we'll have a a

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better service provided and and better um discounts. Any other questions or comments from 11? [clears throat] So, moving on to 12 in the Department of Recreation, letter A. Hearing none on 13, the Department of Water

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and Sewer. Any questions or comments? >> Council President. >> Yes. Imagine that a question. >> Yes. >> I came prepared today, Rich. So, >> well, I'm I'm going to say I I see Lero in let's say A, right? So, so they

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already did an analysis on A, right? So, we we already know what's leaking and what has to be repaired, right? Or phase one, I should say. Before you continue, we'll just bring someone up from uh the bring the Sonia engineer or a department

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head. >> We we have all three. Uh but I if Councilman Brusher could finish his question, I'd like to just get the full scope of what um you're asking. >> Good enough. >> Okay. So, I'm looking at this [clears throat] point. You know, what are they going to do?

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>> Um Lero Engineering. So, they came through. They said that we have a crack in a pipe. They recommend the pipe has to be changed, right? Um, is Lero going to dig a hole, crawl in a hole, and put the pipe in or or

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is what like what is Lero doing for us? That that would be the the question for that one there. And then we have this um B. And what is B about? Because this has phase three, four, and five. But I I

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thought we approved a resolution for the rest of the system to be inspected. I thought we did that I don't know a couple months ago. >> So I I'll have someone come up. But just in terms of the phase [clears throat]

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one, this is for the construction plans, the specifications. They also do all of the advertising, the bid supporting, uh, and grant application process that's required. This is all under the acco. Um, >> okay. But I I guess so, so here's my

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question. We paid someone to look at a pipe, right, that tell us that the pipe is cracked or the pipe is broken or that the pipe would need to be lined, right? So, they did that and we paid I don't know, we paid quite a nice sum of money

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for them just to look at a pipe. Now, now we actually need to have them design and tell me that the 8-in pipe that's cracked and is leaking needs to be replaced with an 8 in pipe or that the

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8- in pipe that's cracked needs to be lined because our sewer department with the data our sew department can't figure that out that we need an engineer to do that. It's a It's a little more in in in depth, but I'd like to bring the

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department up if that's okay. >> Okay, it's on. All right. Good evening. Um, so >> could you uh director could you bring it up? Yeah. So, >> gotcha. you don't have to struggle. You're awfully tall, so you may want to >> All right. Um, so with a uh under Lyro

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for the phase one, um, this is for the design of the repairs, to oversee the repairs, um, to get the documents together to go out to bid for the repair company. So, it's it's it's everything that they

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found in phase one. They're going to be overseeing now all of those repairs. >> So, so, okay, I guess I guess where the question goes was I I thought that we were going to do the repairs, but what what I'm gathering is we have a sewer department,

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>> right? And maybe could we get a list of what the sewer department does? Because my the sewer and water, my recollection was we were going to do the repairs, right? Otherwise, we just might as well sold

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the whole whole kaboodleoodle to um Suez or someone else like if we're not going to actually do it and all we're going to do is do let's say um clogs or things of that nature, right? But I thought the whole purpose of us building a sewer

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department and a water department was for us to um increase that. Now I I understand that would be additional manpower, right? Cuz I assume everybody there is doing something now during the day. But now I'm kind of like being told like we're just sub so we're

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subcontracting out like if we had sewer guys, our sewer guy would look at that report and say, "Hey, the 8 in line is broken. [snorts] Um I need four lengths of 8 in pipe." you know, and you know, here's my material list, and they would come out there and do it. So, we

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wouldn't even have to pay $582,000 to have an engineer design a spec for us to go out to bid to pay even more money to someone else. And they're union rate, too. So, it's not like we're saving money. Um, is this the direction that the sewer and water's going that we're

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just going to outsource everything? >> No. So, we are looking to do more in-house repairs. We're we got more employees. We're going out. >> Excuse me. Can you just figure out how to speak closer to the microphone for us? >> Yeah, you could. Okay.

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>> Okay, that's better. All right. Um, so yes, we have increased the um the personnel within the department. We are doing a lot of our own repairs. Um, but with the acco um and the funding through the IBank um it all has to go through

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contractors. We we can't get involved with those repairs. It it all has to go through contractors. Um that that's one of the the things through through the infrastructure bank. Are we doing our own repairs sewer-wise on stuff that we find? Yes. The guys go in, they maintain the stations. They're

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clearing all of the easements. Um they've done a fantastic job getting a lot of the requirements of the acco uh that has not gone through the I bank uh compliant. We're getting the reports out to the state. Um, same thing on the

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water side. We were probably did 97 of our own repair percent of our own repairs this year. The only repairs that we have not done is state highway work only because of DOT requirements. Um, but we're starting to do uh this summer water department.

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We're going to be doing uh some of our own in-house main installs this year and as we get more into that, we're going to start doing um more residential streets. So, now that we have the manpower, um the whole point is to start doing more

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in-house work as we go. Um the guys got to learn how to do it. We're training them. A lot of the guys are new. Some of them are there less than a year. So, it'll be uh it'll be a good learning experience over the summer um because now we're out of uh repair mode. Now,

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we're going to go into uh repair other repairs that we have noticed and and installations. to just just wanted to put into perspective and and sorry I didn't mean to cut Roger off but we're talking about 21 um pump stations and

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about 300 miles of gravity sewers. So it we do need Lero to provide and collect all of the information. So if you look at the backup all of which it rates exactly the condition and what needs to be done and yes part of it can be done

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through here um probably through rellining some of the some of the piping but if you look at it I mean you're looking at onein pipes you're looking at 8 in pipes seven four they're all across the board so we need um them to provide

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us with um all of the teething um that's required that we need to put into the GIS system so the guys quite frankly guys and gals can of course go in there and get the work done. So there it's an in-depth I mean we're covering that many

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miles of uh sewer gravity. Uh so it is a little more time consuming. Um I just want to know there's an amount of time that they're going to have to get this done. So um if we could just cover that at least what the timeline looks like.

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The timeline for acco is actually we have nine years from when it started which was 2023. So we have until 2032. Uh I would like to add also for the for the phase one of gravity they when they sent when they gave us the report they

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had over 360 manholes that had to be completed and also around 800 uh segment areas that had to be completed. So all this has to be completed all in this one phase. And then when they gave us the report they divided they separated all

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the repairs and all the issues they found through uh different level severities. So all this will complete four and five level severity and then anything under that we are actually planning to repair and keep um keep monitoring inhouse.

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>> Well I I I I I let's say I'm stymied here. [snorts] Um, so we know we know the um pump stations, right? We've been approving pump stations for I don't know uh six years,

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seven years. But my my question really is the gravity feed here, right? Because I don't know how many pump stations I approve. Maybe you can get that. >> There's a total of nine under the acco. >> Okay. There's nine. But but this council since I've been on it probably has

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approved design work for probably six. Now you might have another nine, right? And I'm not going to dispute that with you. But we've been tackling that. So I I get that. But the gravity feed, right? To me, that was a really simple thing

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that didn't well, we didn't need an engineer to tell us exactly what we really need to do. I would think someone that was experienced in in sewers, right, would be able to determine whether we can line them or they have to

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be replaced. And while we wait for the engineer, right, because it seems to take six or eight months for them to come up with any kind of design criteria or anything and and it's nothing against Lero, right? I'm I'm saying it was um

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CME, TNM, right? Seems to take him almost a year to do it. During that year, if if our director had a crew of people, he could probably take care of 20% of it before they even get those drawings out of a box. Um, so that's my

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question. I just don't see the need for the to go down this route. I think it's like um we're shooting ourselves in the foot and and we should either be committed to a sewer and water department, right, that are going to fix

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these things or we're committed to then let's sell it. Okay. And and Len Sandulki who was a councilman was would I would say he's 100% correct that he's right. We should have sold it because here I'm sitting six years later, right?

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And I'm not seeing I'm not seeing anything in six years except that we spent millions on engineering fees, right? [clears throat] But I'm not seeing the benefit yet. So I don't see any light or any hope. So I I would say we go down one of the

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two roads and sell it all or or do it in house and and get them the manpower and the support they need to do it. But this what we're doing here just looks like we're spinning wheels and wasting [sighs] wasting a lot of money. Um, unless [clears throat] it's because the I bank

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isn't going to pay us if we do it, you know, in which case then it goes back to the cell, right? Then then let's sell it and let the I bank uh let let whoever bought it apply to the I bank and do that and they'll get all that money for free. >> Councilman, just point of order, would

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you yield your time to some other council members and I'll go right back to you? Yes. >> Uh, any other council members like to speak? >> Yeah, I I just have a quick question. Um, what happened to the M McDonald report then? I mean, back in the Lanki administration, somebody came down to my house and dropped this big gigantic

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store report down on my front steps and said, "Mr. Kentos, you're pretty smart with this stuff. What What's going on here? We have 17 pump stations. They want between like a half million and a million dollars to rebuild them all." Is that what these guys are doing? They're just redoing that same report.

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>> No. No. This is different. Um, and that was not a full report. I I know exactly. I I went back to that >> about 300 pages. It was a pretty big report. I I remember it. >> Right. So, it's not a full report based on what we're required to do strictly

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under the acco. So, at that point, I'm not aware that the acco was actually in effect because first thing I did when I came here was to negotiate with D u under the acco

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span for the nine pump stations. But we're looking at um 7,000 manholes. We're looking at 300 miles of uh gravity sewer main. Um and it is required that the engineers actually fill out the report and have to

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go through the I bank in order to get it all approved. So while I pre getting the work done is one thing, having all of the structural reporting done that requires an engineering team to do that. And this is part of um so my

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understanding with the I bank in u middle sex county and in order to be involved in that grant program this is the process then right this is the process they're making everybody go through I read it somewhere I don't remember where I read it but in order to get the grant money and go through the I

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bank you have to do this process here >> we have to go through this process so once if the council approves this this has to get uploaded into the system um for them to approve um and understand that it is approved by council. Then the engineering group will pro will

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complete all of the bid specifications. Then that has to get uploaded. So it it there's a process in place and it [clears throat] does require professionals to do that. The acco the I bank requires those reports. >> Will we get some of this money back? So

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that is the plan is that um we hopefully at some point would get forgiven um at a very low I think 1% rate is >> right. I I understand the rate is very low but I know there the extra work is supposedly involved because we're going to get grant money or we're going to get

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some debt forgiven if we do it the right way. >> Yes. >> Okay. Fair enough. [snorts] >> Is there any council members have any com question or comments? I I just want to um defend the water and sewer department. I disagree 100% with

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my council colleague. Although we campaigned together to save the water and sewer company for the very first reason was to make sure we employed people from our town to do the work because by [sighs and gasps] selling the water company and sewer company we were just allowing a new management company

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coming to Edison to basically outsource contract with the people and recruit and hire uh their own people at their set wages. And we we felt and I know counciloman pressure was 100% for where that is, but I think where the middle ground is is we need a report from you

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by the next council meeting is what have you. We need some bragging rights of what you've accomplished. I don't want to stand here for you and defend you. I've done that too many times and I've already given you a lot of time to come to this podium to make sure you're prepared because I knew these questions were coming from my council member and

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and I don't blame him. But I I'm quite certain you'll have a lot to say from where we where we were and where we are today. But in lie of the struggle of what people may have wanted, including my former council member, uh may have thought it was a great idea, but we were going to borrow, they were going to

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borrow $800 million or 40 years. So when you look at our bonding, we are AAA bond rate and we get the best rate. We are at a very low marker of where we can bond and what we spend today compared to what we can do. That would have maxed us out

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for 40 years. And we would have had a car dealership plan with a group that would have spent as much as they wanted, any time they wanted for a small problem, they can turn into a big problem with no discretion. Zero discretion from us. And I think there's a lot of discretion from us when you're

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in a hole to do a patch or do a full repair. Uh, and that which saves a lot of money. But we'll go into that in detail another day. what's on the floor today and I think you've answered the councilman is that we cannot do this work. So if it's fair if anybody has any

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questions council members the reason why we're allocating this contract is because according to the acco which is a consent order for the state of many towns to do all this work we are under an order to get it done and it must be contracted. Is that correct? >> That's it. So you can't do the work and

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if and if the work could be done by us, is this work that you would normally do or is it outside your scope? >> No, this this would be work that we would normally do. Um especially now that we're upgrading the equipment, we're getting new equipment, we're getting new manpower. So this is the

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plan. It's just under the acco. >> Uh Marlene, when's our next council meeting? May the 4th. >> May 6th. Okay. So, if it's fair enough that you can be uh ready for rich and give us some bragging rights of all the great things you correct and all the

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water you saved and different things, I'm no longer going to do it for you. You can and I and I think you should stand on your own by now. It's been seven years. Uh and I'm proud of where we are and I but I'd like you to convince my colleague and other colleagues the same. Thank you. >> Yeah, Council President, just clarity.

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Um we can't we can't do it oursel. And we have to contract it because of the agreement with the state. Or is that for the I bank? >> We're required to provide engineering reports. That's what's required under

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the acco and and the I bank both. >> Okay. But you gave them the engineering reports. That would be B, right? That's the engineering report. when you when you go through it and you look at it the the other on the top

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they need I I don't understand the purpose or why they would need that >> the engineers are building the bid specifications for us all of the technical uh >> well I I understand >> all of that so it's it's not >> if you're if you're bidding it right I

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understand somebody has to put the bid together >> right and that's what they're doing for all of the five phases that are listed on here. [sighs] >> Okay, then I'm then I'm lost. Um, so the

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the bidding spec, right, is A or B? >> Both. They're two separate because they're broken into phases. So phase one is the first is A and then phases three through five is for B.

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>> Okay. But you So, A says to repair. It's for the repair. So, so A, I believe this is 500 and it's $600,000 to come up with a bid spec for us. B is

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just usually going through and inspecting all the sores so that then they can come back at 600,000 a phase to design it. like in what I'm reading.

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So like what I'm saying to you or what my question is if if I approve both these today, right? I will never see another engineer come to me in front of this dis asking for money for our sewer system because you wouldn't need it for

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designing. You wouldn't need it for looking. You would you're good. The sewer is good, right? we just approve whatever we approved and you won't need an engineer for anything more because I don't think that's the case. I think you're going to come back to this body for an additional 500 * 3 another

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million5 to design the bid spec for phases 3, four, and five. >> We'll provide you all of the different um scope of work including the different phases and what's required. >> Just councilman, just point of order. Uh

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we're we're about 17 minutes on this subject. Would you offer a courtesy to move on from this? >> Well, I I'll you know what? I >> Could we get this? What about we do this? >> I mean, there's going to be several phases and you're going to get more engineering. So, that's a fact.

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>> This is one part of one phase. >> Wait, wait. >> Council President, there there's no phase two here. So, if my math is correct, we go phase one, then three, four, five. There's no phase two. So, that's got to be in the woodwork somewhere. Well, so so here here's what I'm asking, right? And and I I think as

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a council body, we should have this before we move forward. So I'm not saying I won't vote for this, okay? But if I can get this, I'll vote for this. How's that? Um this is a a multi-tiered thing, right? And and what I'd like our sewer

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department to do um to to help I guess like the BA give us this is can we get a list for the sore department of all the engineering? You can call it phase 1, phase 2, phase three, phase 4 and then list what we approved and then if you

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have to list it as design for bid, right? So we want to add an additional 500,000 for each one of those phases, list that. Right? and then the approximate cost to repair, right, pump

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stations or or you know, gravity systems so that we have an entire scope that's built out that we know what we're going to be spending. Um, and then from there, we could talk to the administration on on a plan on their 9-year plan on how they plan on getting there, right? And

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that that's a good thing because right now I'm not really understanding. I'm saying, "Okay, let's move ahead." All right. But but I think we should have a breakdown to know because I never ever in my ever in in my mind would I have thought that I was going to hire an

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engineer after I hired the engineer to look at the whole system to now hire the engineer to tell me what I need to do to fix it cuz I thought that's what we were doing. I thought that was the purpose of our sewer and water department. So So I was mistaken, right? And I just like a

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breakdown of it all. >> Sure. We can certainly provide that. I just want to know the backup does provide the breakdown of exactly what's to be done. Not only the bid specifications as I mentioned, but there's construction oversight. >> So if our folks are doing the work, for

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example, uh LRO would be there to do all of the inspecting and the reporting that would then get uploaded into the D um and to the Ibank. So there is a lot more in that that's attached here that if you

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>> Well, okay. So where I'm going is if if we have a if if I'm building a building and I hire a a site contractor, I hire an independent third party contractor to come out and inspect it, right? Um and there's a lot of them you can do and

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they're they're fairly cheap to do. There's nowhere near $580 thou something thousand dollar they're going to spend doing this. But at the end of the day when I'm having my own township employees do it. I I don't know that I want an out.

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Why am I going to pay for an outside inspector? My guys here are this is like me working on my own home. You know, I'm going to do the best possible for my home. Um and and I think that's what they're doing. I I don't know that I want to pay for an outside inspector to

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watch over our guys do work. I I think I trust them. They're going to do the best work possible. Um so yes, this whole thing here is like really sticking with me. Um but can if we can get a breakdown now, I know you said you gave me a breakdown for what this is. That's not what I just asked

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for. I asked for a breakdown now breaking out the entire timeline of the sewer department. If we just can do it one department at a time from where we are to where we need to be with the work done, right, with projected numbers and

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and I fully understand if you put this cost a million dollars and the pump station actually cost 2 million, right? I'm okay with that. But I'm just looking for some kind of um cuz this one caught

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me by surprise. Like I said, I I thought after it was inspected, we were going to start doing repairs. Um, just like originally, [cough] and I can't say that I can say this, I I don't want to put put it [clears throat]

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that Sonia was here because I Sonia might not even have been here when this happened. [snorts] Um, might have been the prior administration. But what happened was we were supposed to inspect our sore manes, right? It was one of the big things and and we came to a meeting

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and the director came and I said, "When can we do this?" And he said, "We're going to have our guys inspect the sewer mains, right? We can go back. We can look at videos." Um, and then what happened was I said, "Well, about how long does this take?" And the director

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told us something like 6 months. And I said, "Listen, do me [clears throat] a favor. I'm not looking to put words in your mouth. I I'll give you a year." And then like I normally do, right 14 or 13 months later, we had the director here

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and I asked him, I said, "Where are we with it?" And he said, "Well, I've inspected some." And I said, "Some?" But I mean, we're supposed to have them all done. And right after that, we went then and we're we started hiring someone to go look at all of it. So, you know, here

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I am. I'm sitting and and this is where my uh council president was going was we're sitting here now six years, seven years later and we're at a point where we're not seeing like results and and I do know that the water department did

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some great work. They found some some water issues and and I'm not disputing that, right? But we're not hitting the whole goal of what we were trying to do. Okay? And and at this rate when we did seven years now and I look at what we

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accomplished over what our whole scale was, I don't see how nine years from now we're ever going to be able to finish. So, so that's where I'm going with this whole timeline and and thing broken out so that I could see what all this engineering might cost us and then what all the construction might cost.

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>> Okay. Uh thank you councilman. >> That would be it. Um it just to some takeaways here. Could you provide us for the acco only some anticipated proposed projects and that a line item of expertise that you will

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need along with that from what you're telling me and what the counselor tells me according to the infrastructure bank we must have a engineering work and a and an outside contractor. >> Oh so we just need to identify what is coming up in the near future. You got

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nine projects less left left that you're going to be coming to the for for phase two replacing repairing reconstructing we'll need an engineer we'll need permit just give us that anticipated stuff um I I think that's halfway to saying and

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Sonia can we have a separate meeting with the council member and myself so we can be more prepared and there'll be less questions. Um is that fair Rich? >> Yeah. And if anybody wants to join, please let us know. Again, I think it's the best thing we've done. I I a council

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member has the right to speak his um his opinion, but I think it's the best thing we've ever done having us do it. But I hope you'll impress the councilman with what you've accomplished. Again, I won't be batting for you in that room either. So, please come up and speak on your merits, and I'll be certainly hopeful

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and applauding inside my mind that you did some great things uh in our department. Okay. Anybody else? >> Council, one last thing. Sonia, are we under any deadlines for this timelines for the IBank that these inspections need to be done? We need to produce reports. >> Well, it's the nine years that you're

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looking at. Okay. >> In totality. Yeah. >> Okay. Okay. Great. Thank you guys. All right. Moving forward. Um just last, was there any questions or comments um from the water department on 13

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hearing? None. Uh, and I it's fair to say we gave almost 30 minutes of time to that and I apologize for those who are listening, but that was necessary and the council member has the right to speak. Okay, I know it wasn't four minutes, but

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um, this is a big spend. Uh, thank you for your support. Moving on to the regular council meeting. It is now 6:43. We're going to move on to our combined session of the first uh, the approval of the

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15 takes place during the regular council meeting. >> Listen, I'm I'm sorry, but you're out of order. Can you There's no reason for you to speak right now. And I'm sorry. You'll have your moment to speak. Okay. >> Uh we're going to we're going to start

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the regular uh >> meeting, the approval of the minutes, please. At 14. >> Have a motion to approve. >> Motion to approve. Can >> I have a second? >> Second. >> All in favor say I. I >> moving on to 15 public works uh public

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comments on resolutions only. Uh please [clears throat] will you please come forward if you have any questions on the resolutions only for four minutes. Miss Tara in the back please come up. >> Lois Tara, vice chair of the cultural arts commission. Resolution I'm questioning is 2011.

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We're glad to see who you've reappointed VCA to the commission. But at our meeting last week, the mayor was present and as councilman Dimma will remember, he told us there would be no problem in reappointing the people whose whose terms have already um expired. There

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were five of them. They're not on the agenda and I'm wondering whether it's a timing issue or there was some other reason that they were not appointed. >> I'll be sure to speak to them and get it on their next agenda. Do you have an account? >> I I mean, do did they do they have applications that were resubmitted in

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the last um even though they're already on the board, did they resubmit applications? Because if they're application is 2 years old, there's some requirement that it needs to be resubmitted. I had to do it for people who were we were reappointing as well. >> I believe somewhere I know one was not

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one was during the last year. >> Okay. Okay. Just something to check into. That's >> we'll look at it now. We'll get an answer before you leave. I'll speak to Marina. >> Thank you. >> No problem. Thank you for coming. Anybody else would like to speak for the public? Please come up. Sure.

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[clears throat] Mr. Pass off coming up first. >> He cut right in front of you. It's okay. >> Did you want Did you want Did you Did you feel he was taking your place? Did you want to come up? >> Okay. Sure. Mr. Bassoff, it's all yours.

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Welcome. >> Joel Bassoff, Beach Lane Edison. Uh >> can you speak? Yeah. Can you speak? Yeah. Uh so I have questions on the resolutions. Um 199 uh Taurus advisory group. So I noticed that that's not a

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fair and open contract. So my questions are who is Taurus? Uh how did they come to Edison's attention? Uh did the administration consider any other consultants? Uh is this something since it it's not a fair and open bidding

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process, should it be um run by a council committee for evaluation to compare uh other consultants? Uh how is Taurus going to be compensated? Um does Taurus have a financial incentive to get

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Edison to change power suppliers? Um had the administration considered uh any other consultants or or brokers for example um right next door in Highland Park there's Gable Associates and according to their website they serve

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over 180 municipalities and counties. Um do we have any benchmarks that will be used to evaluate Taurus's performance? Um, do we know of the experience of any other municipalities that utilize

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Taurus? Um, what exactly will they be doing for Edison? Are they just going to evaluate? Are they going to be purchasing energy? Um, what's exactly the scope of the work? And um, in general, should the council have a committee to review no bid contracts in

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order to fulfill its oversight responsibilities? Um, and [cough and clears throat] I have a question about uh resolutions 221 and 222. Uh, following up with uh what Councilman Brusher was asking about, uh, I just wonder, wouldn't it be more

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cost-effective for the township's uh, sewer department to buy a camera, hire an inspector, and perform the inspections inhouse? And with regard to um 221 with um uh $583,000

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for an engineering firm to supervise um is my understanding correct that that whoever supervises the repairs that that's just a fraction of the cost of the actual repairs. Um what will be we be looking at for whoever actually

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performs the the repairs? what what's the the scope of the expense that we're looking at if just the supervisory cost for the engineering firm is $583,000? Um, and then I have a question about

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resolution 194. Uh, the dispersements uh is the council concerns that that Edison is making dispersements and the council hasn't even seen a budget yet. Um, so the state set a firm deadline by

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law uh of February 28th for the mayor to submit a budget to the council and now we're in the last half of April and my understanding is that the mayor has not provided you the council with a budget and and the council was obligated by law

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to introduce a budget uh no later than the first meeting in April. And is the council concerned that you've missed that deadline? And uh is each member of the council aware that the director of local government services can find each

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member of the council $100 personally for each day that the budget is late? A and have members of the council been screaming at the mayor to provide you with with a budget so that you can fulfill your statutory obligations. So

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those are my questions. >> Okay, let's let's uh start with that first one. Um the energy no bid contract uh he he has spoken about in question. Could you give us some reasons why we chose this

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contractor and any benchmarks or performance or how they save us money? So under the local public contracts law, this is a professional service. Energy aggregation under under uh the local public contracts law is a professional

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service. It's deemed so. So um that does not require and so this is an it's a it's a non-fair and open of course. So we are allowed absolutely under the local public contracts law to award it to this vendor. Um we are confident this

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vendor would be able to provide what we are looking for in terms of both electrical and natural gas supply um to go out and to get good pricing for us. >> And this is all market driven. So

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correct? >> Yes. >> Market. And and how is this person compensated? So, if it's a usually a three three-year contract um under the gas and then a two-year contract um the

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compensation we would pay >> um this contract that we are doing is just for allowing them to go and research for us which vendors could do ving. We do not pay this contract at all and we are not obligated to do contract

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with any vendors they pick and they are being compensated by their bidding process. It's like our procurement process that they are going to do because they know better that our procurement office about the energy.

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So they look for better prices for energy and then they said, "Okay, these ones you could go with. We think this is going to be better for you to change it, but if we do not want it, we don't." >> Okay. And we we do this every two years or every year.

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>> It's a two and three year uh for electric and gas. >> Okay. Can we have a history of the the year before uh for the next meeting just so we have a comparison >> of of our costings, you mean? Sure. Okay. Um I hope that was helpful for

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you, Mr. Bassoff. Moving on to the um engineering for the sewer. Um you had questions [clears throat] on the performance work of the $583,000. You also had a question on whether we should have our own sewer um

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inspection uh for a camera. We do have our own and uh this is uh something again part of the acco infrastructure bank part of the requirements of what we need. Uh [snorts] Sonia did you want to answer any of the questions to clarify some things he

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mentioned? Um the only other question I have is under 194 um under the dispersements for we're operating a temporary budget so we are cleared in terms of uh our spending. So there is no concern um and we are working closely with the state to make sure that we

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deliver a proper budget which would be introduced at the next meeting. So we are um [clears throat] >> we are working closely with the state so we are okay >> and I and it's best off I I do appreciate you reminding me probably about seven times this year when to deliver the budget and I think you may have done it last year as well but but

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what I'm surprised is that you've never said it before during the lanky administration and he he gave me the budget in August. Now, I don't I'm not asking or am I touting your opinion to to deliver this to us and tell us this information, but I'm actually in shock

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that the administration has gotten so much better. Uh, Councilman Patil and Councilman Brer and I have served the longest on this council and we used to get the budget I think about August 15th. Uh, and I I plan that this budget will be in here in May. Uh, and I hope

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you'll be happy with it. Uh, and we're certainly going to work hard on it together. Uh, I don't see any other questions that you may have had, >> but I'm sure the budget is earlier because I'm asking for it. >> Hey, listen. You You're welcome. I just was surprised you never asked under the Alani administration. That's all.

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>> I'm trying [clears throat] to make up for it. >> That's okay. [laughter] >> All right. No problem. Is there anybody else had any questions or comments on the resolutions only? Sure. Please come up. Oh, >> uh, uh, to the right,

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Miss Conway, >> I forget your name sometimes. I apologize. [laughter] >> Uh, Elizabeth Conway, 20 Netherwood Circle. I just have a question about numerous resolutions because, uh, they're very unclear. Some of the

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resolutions have an exact figure. Other resolutions don't have figures at all. And then these two large ones, R21 and R22. Uh, is that an exact figure or is that a not to exceed figure? Because I get

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afraid when um they're just given a a figure and then down the line there's a change order or an update. So is are these um not to exceed items and there's a few of them >> and could sorry m point of mway and I'll stop the clock.

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>> Um can you be specific uh to tell me what you want me to look at because your first statement was >> there are a lot that don't have >> I'll give you the time to look at it. You can sit back down and I'll have someone else go. I just want to be specific to tell me what you're asking

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for. Could you start the clock please? >> Okay. R1 199 resolution for tourist advisory group. It just says um advisory services. There's no dollar amount. >> Resolution awarding uh contract purchase

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order for vendors for computer. Um >> what number was that? Sorry. >> That's R202. That's $100,000. Is that an exact figure? >> Okay. I just want to get all them from you. What else? uh 203 resolution order

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uh awarding a contract uh for auctioneer services. There's no dollar figure for that one. For R uh 221, uh there's 582,000. Is that an up to or a not to exceed? And

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222, is that an up to or not to exceed? And I did notice that there's no phase two. Did we already uh do that one or is there supposed to be a two somewhere uh in this one through five? >> Uh which one were you referring to

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please? At 222 was the last resolution you mentioned. >> No, but 221 and 222. Uh 221 is phase 1. 222 is phase 3, four and five. Is phase 2 with phase one or is phase two with 2, three and four? Uh

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three, four, and five. It's just not listed. >> Okay. Thank Is that all for resolutions? >> Yes. >> You still have more you still have more time. Is there anything else you want to discuss or ask questions about? >> No, I would just like to um see that we

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move forward and show the dollar figures that are on these resolutions. >> Just to clarify on the back table in the resolution, we'll answer every question you have. But um >> as a courtesy, you come a lot. I mean, you ask questions, we'll answer them for

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you. Would you mind going through these uh real quick? $1.99. >> No, I'll just say for a generalization. So, the clerk's office when you're doing the titles, it should say not to exceed. So, to Miss Conway's point, the $100,000, it's a not to exceed. It should explicitly say that in the title.

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>> We'll make that corrected moving forward. >> We'll make that correction and the line that I'll leave that on me. >> Okay. So just moving forward, the resolution explicitly states so and it should be on there with the amount. So that's just a a clear question. Yes.

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>> So so generally speaking, so if you're I I mean I can go through the list, but I do understand some of the questions that you had as far as those. So the that one is not to exceed and then you had the phase two just by the way it was for the

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inspections and that was already awarded. It's underway. for the water and sewer department. >> The water and sewer just had questions on identifying um the phase one and phase two. >> Phase two was already awarded by the council for inspection services and that's underway.

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>> Okay. >> Okay. >> All right. Thank you, Miss Conway. And I'll be sure to make sure we correct those line items on there. I'm going to sit down with the clerk for a couple hours. You and I are going to really have it. >> All right. And a full meeting full meeting next week. Hey, anybody any

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other questions on the >> please come up. I'm sorry. >> Welcome. >> How are you? Jerry ship Edison, New Jersey. Uh just a quick correction to him. When I was president and head of

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the finance, we did get a budget May before the midterms. We got a budget before the midterms because we did a whole big thing at Middle Sex County College. And the reason why they're talking about improving the dispersements, if you understand senior

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citizens and their the way the quarterly thing is, if you wait till the third quarter and they don't have any money to visit their grandkids and during Thanksgiving and Christmas when the you can add all the extra money on that, we're hoping that you don't add on to

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the budget. And now, let me get to it. Somebody already answered the question about the Taurus and I wanted to know more about the uh enhancement infrastructure grant for 100 for $500,000. Do we have to match

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that? >> Point of order. Just choice. What number resolutions did you offer? >> Sorry. >> Okay, that is 204. >> Okay. And

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um when Councilman Brusher was asking questions and getting answers, we didn't care if he took 45 minutes because it's better to have the inform public. And I going all the way back five years. I've been hearing this story about the eye

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bank. The eye bank. The I bank is supposed to be giving us this great big deal. The I bank. The eye bank. Then I'm listening to when he's explaining and they're telling that nine years, we got nine years. Okay. Now, I knew like, you

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know, 40 years was ridiculous at all. But I'm starting to get very disenheartened with this whole water thing because you're telling me nine years. That mean you just made a deal now and you stretched the money over 10 years. So that mean that we're going

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to be stuck with some money, something that we're going to owe over the next 10 years when they say nine years. And as I was listening to you back and forth and you kept talking about this engineer and then this space is missing and that

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space is missing and coming back for money for D and F and G and whatever the thing back and forth. It really disheartens me that we spending this much time and this much energy. I I don't really see anything getting done.

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I see Oh, there's a water break over here. Here we go. We all go running. But I just thought it like when Councilman Brusher has stated years ago about the people here, the water department, sewer department going and underground and

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seeing all the different places. And I know from the other water man that used to be in charge that he said that they found different spots that they this water thing was supposed to be over here but yet it's not over there. And my whole problem with them fixing this and

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taking nine years, okay, is the fact that Middle Sex County College after they cut down over 120 trees. I'm really very, you know, that's closer to my house. I'm really worried about the water infrastructure. Okay. And I don't care if that bores bores you uh

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Councilman uh Coyle at all. And I I know you get frustrated because you only want to spend 10 minutes in the meeting, but y'all sure you asked for money. So I just want to know like this whole nine-year thing. Is this going to be real? Are are we going to see some

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paperwork on it? Like he said that was delivered at his house before the information M. McDonald. I remember all that. I was sitting right up there through that whole first phase. and all the stories that were told. So, I just want to know, are we going to get

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an envelope and a high stack like we got before and I want to know, you know, what's going to happen to us that with all this new water and stuff and how is it located, you know, for Middle Sex. I I just I'm I'm disturbed. [clears throat]

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>> Okay. Um I'm not going to go too deep. There weren't a lot of questions. There's just a lot of comments. But I will say as I said before um the water and insurance company's doing a great job. I think what comments were made just now were based on some reports that we did in the

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past and at that time we were looking at selling our water company and we had an engineering report uh done to sell the water company and it was based on useful life. It was not based on a CTV or camera work. It was a guess game of what could be wrong based on the life of what

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we appeared to assume was old infrastructure which is true but how true there was no 100% guarantee of what that report meant was accurate. We spent hours and hours with those engineers to prove that it was pretty much an opinion of useful life of that particular uh

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report. Today we have you know CTV our all of our piping and we have more accurate data. We have critical infrastructure that's going to be repaired. We have, you know, work that's been done with photography and imaging that will tell us exactly what needs to be done. So, compared to yesterday and

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compared to today are two different things. But, um, we'll move forward and again, I think the sewer department is going to have a raving cheerleading report of what they've accomplished. Today was not a good job. I'm not impressed. Uh, but I hope to have a a great report. I'm just saying it like it

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is because um each time I have to defend the water insurance department and and I know you're doing a great job, but you got to come up here with some better stuff because uh the people have the right to ask. Moving forward, uh any other questions or resolutions, please. >> Council President, I mean to interrupt,

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but there was one question that to answer with regard to resolution 204. >> Oh, 204. I'm sorry. >> It's not a matching grant. >> It's not It's another matching matching grant. >> It's not a matching grant. >> Correct. >> Okay. I'm Okay. I'm sorry. Joyce was not a matching grant. Okay, please welcome. How are you?

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>> Good. Sumalone Barber, 85 Pleasant Avenue. Um, just a question on 199. Why Why did we pick Taurus and not another company? Um, just curious. It

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sounds like Taurus is a broker and they're going to recommend their own people and anybody could do that, right? So, just curious as to why that is. And then on 222, >> [snorts] >> um, the $583,000 is to supervise, my understanding, but

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correct me if I don't have this right, supervise the the actual repairs, assess and supervise the repairs. So, if that's the cost for that, what is the cost of the actual repairs?

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And I understand, you know, we have to do this, you know, we need an engineer report and engineering supervision in order to get the IBond, but I I thought we already received bond money for the repair of the water and sewer. And

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that's part of the $180 million bond that's already in existence. So, can you can someone explain that? >> You have more time left. Do you want to continue ask more questions? >> No, that's it. Thank you. >> We'll answer them at the end of your time if you want. >> I'm done. I'm done.

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>> Okay. Uh could we have someone come up from uh sewer? Would you mind coming up to this side and grab a microphone so we can share the not share the podium to just explain this contract? Who's coming up?

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>> Are you referring to the tourist contract? She had she had questions on the um 583,000 uh questions on the on the scope of the work and what will the cost of repairs be. >> We we don't know what the cost of the

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repairs will be just yet. We have to go out and spec the work. >> Okay, >> understood. I just wanted to hear from one of you. >> Sure. Um, >> and then my other question was, um, I

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thought we'd already bonded. I thought we already got bond money to repair the sewer and the water. >> We We did. This is We bond, but then we have to spend against it, >> right? But this is not to spend against it, is it? >> Of course. If you look at the budget

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account, it it's in there. >> Oh, so it refers to that. this 582 plus the whatever the 800 800,000 is spending the bond money we already have. >> We have to spend the bond money. It's

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required under the infrastructure bank and then once it it's approved by the infrastructure bank then we would replenish our bonding. >> I'm not sure I understand that. Okay. >> But you want to explain it again? I I heard it loud and clear. >> Okay. We

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this council or this body or previous bodies have approved all of the bonding for the infrastructure everything that's required under the acco. So now we are spending against it. It's required under the acco that we do the bonding and we spend against it. Then it

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goes into the infrastructure bank. They approve the funding and then they send it to our bank account essentially. >> Okay. >> Okay. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. Hello, [clears throat] please come up. >> Welcome.

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>> Hi, Diana Joffy uh 86 Laurel Hollow Court. I just have a real quick question of clarification on uh 223. What is that number in the amount of There's commas, there's dashes, there's

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buffware system in the amount of >> just don't know what that >> 377,000 correct. >> It's a typo. >> Yes, they um >> was it was >> Yeah, it's there should not be a dash there. It's 377, >> 69

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>> 691. >> 691. >> Yes. Yeah. >> Oh, okay. Well, thank you. >> No problem. Thank you. Say hello to the councilman for us, please. >> Any other questions or comments on resolutions only from the public? Seeing none, can I have a motion to close the

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public portion for resolutions? >> Have a motion. >> Second. >> Have a second. All in favor say I. >> I. >> Public portion is closed. Moving on to the agenda. Uh from my right, Council Brer, would you like to pull any items from the agenda? I'm [clears throat]

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resolutions only. >> Uh, no, not at >> Oh, I thought you would put Leo systems out. >> Okay, that's right. Uh, council member Dimma, >> no. >> Uh, council vice president Kentos, >> not at this time. >> Council member Patel,

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>> none. >> Council member, >> no. >> Okay, moving forward. Have a a motion to approve the consent agenda. >> Motion to approve. >> Have a second. >> Second. >> [clears throat] >> Madam clerk, roll call.

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>> Council member Brasher, >> yes. >> Council member Dimma, >> yes. >> Council member Kentos, >> yes. >> Council member Patel, >> yes. >> Council member, >> yes. >> Council President Coyle, >> yes. >> We're moving to 18. Reports on all council committees from our right.

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Council member pressure. Uh, none at this time. >> I missed that part. Hold on here. What do we do wrong here? >> I put you some remarks. >> After right at the bottom there,

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well, we can finish the committees first. No. Does it matter what order I go? Okay, we'll skip that. Rich would they don't mind how long you talk, Rich. So, I actually I got support from people. Anyway, we're going to open up the we're going to move to 17 open up oral

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petition remarks on open comments, but you're welcome to comment on anything you like. This is a time where you can speak for minutes on anything that's not a resolution or please come up, sir. Or resolutions or any matter that is important to you.

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Welcome. Yeah. >> Harish Tatini, 45 McKenley Street. So, I guess everyone is aware of the BOE tax. >> I can I can hear you. Very good. You're fine. You're fine right where it is. Thank you.

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>> Welcome. So um [snorts] before I uh present uh some ideas and solutions uh tomorrow in the BOE meeting, I need some help uh regarding some numbers uh from [snorts] uh the township. So

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when is the ABC just point just point of just for a point of order we we'll listen to anything you'd like and you can make comments but just to clarify which I think you probably already know we have absolutely no authority juris jurisdiction on their organizational

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budget process or cut spending. It's their authority separate from us just so you know. Yeah. uh next next month you'll be able to come here and talk about our budget and say whatever you but here if you don't get a lot of responses because we don't have

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authority on their budget for the board of education which is a budget that's insane to have a 12% increase >> that's not what I meant any please go ahead I just need some help from the township no problem regarding the numbers that the township manages >> I'll I'll give you the time back

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>> so uh number one is the ABC uh the before afterare that is managed by recreation at various schools. Uh do we have an idea uh if not the accurate at least some rough estimate of uh what is the overall uh

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revenue costs and net profit every year from that it would uh help a lot in terms of uh reducing some costs on the other end. That was number one. Second is >> we're going to you're going to go through all your questions and then we'll answer them at the end if you

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don't mind. Second is the uh maintenance of uh those uh soccer, cricket and baseball fields. I know outside teams and memberships they come and pay membership and they work with uh Mr. Bernie in the recreation department uh

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for the permits and uh time slots etc. So the same question again uh what's the revenue cost of maintenance and the overall net profit uh on that? So next is about the sidewalks. Uh I

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believe uh my friend Mr. Akar has been following on this uh but maybe I missed the response if it was given in recent past. Um any update on the sidewalks near Woodro Wilson and JPS uh uh those are critical areas for the middle school

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and high school the Hollywood street near the JP Stevens and all. So I know we were working uh but then not sure of the latest situation about the grants and all that. Uh next one is a relatively simple and easy one. Um I

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believe it is the engineering department that uh goes and inspects the outside road uh at the road outside the house where they dig it up to connect to the sewer and the plumbing lines.

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So I'm curious like if we can improve that process. I don't know what is the interval when they inspect and how good it should be. But what I have noticed is any new construction be it commercial, residential, you go after u 4 months uh

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or even maximum 6 months. I mean it's sinking. So I don't know what is the method they are using. They're supposed to compress it more with a machine or I mean we spend millions on the roads. um some from loans, some from grants, some from other sources and it's uh this has

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been a regular u observation that I have seen. I mean if I have to give an example my street is uh one such example 45 Mckenley Street. So if you go on Mckenley Street you can see that I mean you can feel the bump. So um that is

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one and one more last one. So, >> I don't feel happy saying this, but so if you want to take it off the record, that's fine. Um uh but uh for some reason >> there's been there's been worse. I don't know if you can top it. [laughter] >> But for some reason, I mean um

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we seem to be unique in a different way in Metachin and Woodbridge. I see the council mayor work closely with BOE superintendent and they get so many things done. But here, whatever the reason is, I mean, I don't want to get into the politics, but what will it take

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for this body to maybe approve a long-term u bond of 9 or 10 million for the Talmage land uh so that uh BOE can u keep their reserves and uh operate

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smoothly. Uh this is very much needed uh at this critical uh phase. [clears throat] >> Okay, thank you. >> Um your time is up. You're welcome to stand. Unfortunately, we won't have a back and forth, but we will answer your questions. Um, the revenue from ABC and

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the soccer maintenance. I'm going to get your email. Uh, our director is here. I'm not going to get into that. That's a that's a deep dive. But, uh, ordinarily, um, when it comes to the budget process, that's certainly every item matters. But to move the needle to save money, that's

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a very small needle of savings when it comes to what we generate there. But I can provide you that report. Uh the director's in the back there. He may build a conversation with you as well. He's a gentleman who'll raise his hand for you quick. I know he's anxious to talk to you. Um that may be possible if

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uh through the through the through the uh BA if you guys can have a conversation, but we'll definitely email you and the clerk will get your email. Okay, moving on. Uh the sidewalks. Uh I had a conversation this week with Octar and I'm working on some sidewalks with him. Um, yours particularly was on

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Hollywood Street. I It's probably in the same report that Octar sent to me. Um, and the best we can to connect sidewalks, we will. If it's a longer issue, that would something we'd have to seek grant money through engineering, and that person is here as well. Uh, I'm

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all about connecting sidewalks to the to the schools, and I'm sure every member on this council is as well. Um, what's challenging is when one side is perfect and the other side's not, and it's on the same street. We can't always make that correction as fast as having one

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path. Some people have no path to the to to an area. So, we will get on that. It's important and I'll provide your report uh and answers uh shortly. Um moving to the sinking hole. Each road opening in our town is we have a bond.

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So the first phase of that sinkhole being covered is with with some fill and some cement and it's purposely made to drive over it so that it can sink for about 8 weeks and then we go back out again. Now if you looked in our backup

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paperwork today, we gave back bond money and I know I didn't have to look because I know the engineer never tells a lie. In that packet, I'll show you after this meeting, we provide the work that they did to make sure they perfected it back to its original condition. They're

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supposed to also put a heat um process on there to also make sure it seams properly. Now, that's probably not going to happen in March or April, but probably would happen at a later date. Councilman Brer and other council members are very tough on this. So, if you see a spot, we'll bring up your

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address on McKinley. Is that is that hole on McKinley that you're indentation 45 McKinley >> sinkhole? It's okay. >> I wouldn't term it as a sinkhole. It's uneven road. >> Okay. We'll we'll take a look at it. And

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as far as us working with the board of ed, I I think regularly a few of the members on this council speak to uh the the former president Jerry Shei and Shannon Pang. We do have a relationship with them. I can't control how they want to spend their money and how they want to administrate and who they choose to

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administrate for them. But I can tell you, we have a relationship to make a phone call to ask us to jump on board with someone. But the day-to-day issues of buying groceries, you know, and getting the small things done, that's all on them. But if it comes to a big purchase, I'm quite sure the

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administration, the town, and the mayor and this council is going to there's there's no issue with us not wanting to work together for a greater good for the school system. I hope. Thank you very much, sir. >> Anybody else? Go ahead. [clears throat] Mr. >> President, I I'd like to just make one comment. I I and I I understand where

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where we were going with the ABC program. That's funds that the township gets. Um that I guess the board of ed could ask for, right? Um the township holds the board of education's money and the

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township makes the money on interest. um that well the board of eds supposed to be paid I think quarterly and if you paid them quarterly instead of monthly the amount of the interest uh from the prior administration at that time with those interest rates amounted to almost

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a half million dollars in interest but the board of eds hasn't asked for that and and and I'll tell you a little reason why so the state had a big problem right a budget problem state has no money and the state has been taxing

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us through the roof on everything. Right? So, with a new governor, she didn't want to go and increase taxes because she said she wasn't going to. So, in essence, what the governor does is she passes those tax increases down

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to the municipal level. So, [snorts] she passed them to the board of ed by not funding them at the same rate that they were funded before. Right? So, so the but the the problem comes with the governor's office and their budget [snorts] but by us offsetting so if the township

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were to give the board of ed the ABC money or interest or whatever that is um as opposed to the township keeping those funds then the township's budget so at the end of the day you as a resident >> [snorts] >> um you have three entities right you

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have the the county they go in your back pocket and you got the township you we go in the left pocket, the board egg goes in the right, but at the end of the day, your pockets, you're looking to transfer money, it's the same money. You're just going to lose it out of a different

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pocket. Um, so if the township were to try and help the board of education by by transferring the ABC money that we make on those kind of programs, right, the township would just have less money. [clears throat] >> It's a townshiprun program. We hire the

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folks and we have to pay all of the staff. So, I don't know how that would transpose into essentially you're asking us to just give money, but we're spending money, >> right? No people, >> right? And and I I think where the question was was if you if you raise

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$1.7 million and and you expel in payroll and salaries, right? You expel a million dollars and you make $700,000. I think where they were going was could that 700,000 be transferred to the board of ed? If we did that, our budget here

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would go up 700,000. >> That's a tax point. That's right. >> Right. And so to the taxpayer, they're at net neutral either way, whether whether it would be the township or the board of ed. It's just blaming a different entity. Um, which the state did by them shorting us the money,

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right? So everybody's upset with the board of ed when everybody should be upset that the state's not fully funding, you know, our our education program is really where where it lies. >> Yeah. >> Um but yes, I just wanted to clarify that >> he didn't ask your supportive order. He

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didn't ask that question, but I think it helped. You definitely uh spun into a nice snowball for all of us. Thank you. Appreciate that. But there are numerous things that the board of ed does that we don't complain about and we don't get reimbursed for. So I could provide a

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list at the next council meeting if you'd like and if you can get that back for us that would be wonderful as well. But uh moving forward since we're all we did >> council council president again the gentleman also had a question about maintenance of the fields. Oh, that was

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I I asked that he respond back. You can >> Oh, no. No. I'm not answering. >> I asked that the director respond back by email with him. >> All right. >> Council president, there was a question about Talmage property. >> Yeah. Well, he asked about

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>> he asked about town and I I >> Yeah, I said we would work with the board of ed. >> Okay, we're going to move forward here. Still uh public portion is open. Yeah, Jay, please come up. >> Good evening, Ben from Medicine. Do I

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have the floor, Council President? >> Sure. Welcome. >> Thank you very much. Welcome. Uh, thank you. It's an honor. Uh, oh, I I'm not sure. Uh, I just want to say thank you guys for uh doing what you guys do for this township for real. Um, also, I think I wasn't here at the last

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council. Well, I think I seen a video presentation about your wrestling years, Joe. I didn't know you were a wrestler. I give you props for that. Just don't beat me up on the map. >> Rich didn't know either. >> Yeah, I think we didn't know. I guess none of the town none of the residents

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know that you're a wrestler. But hey, [laughter] [gasps] >> hey, we love you, Joe. We really It's all good. >> I love Rich. >> I know. And Rich love you, too. And we all love you. Don't beat us up. >> [laughter]

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>> Um anyway, um man, I I have a just I'm not sure what is going on with our dealerships. Why are there putting um brand new drivers like myself in a 2026

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Alantre? Hyundai Alantre you can call SE. Yeah. I'm not sure. Yeah, cuz they put me in that vehicle in Hudson Hyundai and then they also was trying to put me in Nissan, a 2026 Nissan car. I'm not sure what what's going on with these new

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drivers. And >> could you repeat the question? I'm I'm lost. Are you talking about Uber or the Township V? >> No, I'm I'm asking what I'm not sure if you guys noticed this, but I've been know I'm not sure why they're bringing new So, I'm a new driver. They're bringing me a brand new out of the box

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smart car type stuff. Like I'm not sure if you guys are aware of it. I'm not sure what's the whole deal with new drivers with brand new vehicles. I don't even know. So >> cuz they >> I'm just lost. Are you asking about the selection of a process of manufacturing?

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>> I'm not sure if you guys are aware of of the dealerships are just bringing out new drivers with new vehicles. I'm not sure you're aware of it, but if you're not, then you should just take a look because yeah, they're they're all there's a lot of new vehicles I've been seeing um with a one of them that I have

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is a safety um vehicle. It's just it's one of smart vehicles. But >> Rich Rich owns the most cars. I'd refer to him after the meeting. >> Okay. Okay. >> Right now, he owns the most cars, but that can all change. >> That can all change. I I think there could be a change of who's in charge at

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the house soon. That [snorts] sounds about right. >> Got rid of a boat already, so I mean >> Oh, >> I'm kidding. >> I should get myself my pilot license, but no. Getting the hell out of here. But anyway, um,

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>> you know the questions you have? >> No, I you know, I just wanted to just say you guys are amazing. Keep doing the good work. I have nothing else to say. >> I'm sorry. What' you say again? I said congrat I just want yo Joe I just want to say good congratulations and good job on everything that you guys do in this

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township. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you. I um remain back. Um I'm done with my time. Thank you. >> Yeah. Thank you. Sure. Do you have something? I don't know about you, but when I go to a car dealer, they normally try to put me in the most expensive vehicle on the lot. >> Yeah.

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They don't let me in. >> I asked for SUV. They never did it. They never gave me. They gave me like a sedan. So >> it's all good. Robert, thank you. >> Thank [clears throat] you. Okay. Sure. Please, Mr. >> Joe Romano, please come up.

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>> Uh Joe Romano, 55 Avenue C. Edison. Does anybody remember 2008? >> Yes. >> Well, I bet you do. Uh, the council took 6.5 millions from

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the school budget. Governor Christie took another 12.5 million. Remember that? That was really good there. Uh, to be honest with you, uh, the

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fields, yeah, the fields are, uh, maintained by the town and by the board of ed. Uh, be honest with you, that's for the the students

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of Edison Township. They pay for that. The kids, the parents, they pay for those fields. You know, it's taxpayers money. Uh

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the township from what I understand uh wanted to but can't about a piece of property. I wish a lot of people would get together and talk about that, but they don't want to talk about that because

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one entity said something and the entity and then the other entity and by the time it was all done, it's still an empty field. That empty field was $1.4 million when it became empty.

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Nobody wanted to use it or somebody wanted to use it but they couldn't use it. Now all of a sudden it's a big deal. I'd like to buy it for 1.4 million. I'll bet you a bunch of people here would like to buy that piece of property. In

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fact, the the outline of the property is outlined with Belgian block. Does anybody want to take and talk about 1.4 4 million. That's what it was worth.

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Now you want to take and build something on it that go right ahead. But there were people that asked about that. There were people that actually discussed it

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with people. You know, people start talking about things that they really don't know about. That's a problem. Let's go back to 2008

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when people on that day is right there. None of them are here now. Took $6.5 million from the school budget. and then 12

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12.5. So people remember remember what they did. Remember how they took $18 million from the school budget

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and the funding finally came back. But to be perfectly honest, when you take all of that away, your residents lost their jobs, so they couldn't take and pay.

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I wish everybody would remember that. My name's Joe Romano. I was there. I sat at that table right over there [clears throat] when they said cut with

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a scalpel, not with a hatchet. >> Time is up, Mr. Roman. Thank you. >> You have a wonderful night. >> You too. >> You I'll talk to you later. >> Yep. I'm glad you came. Welcome. Okay. Anybody else that we may have missed? Okay, Miss Well, this gentleman's never gone before. Would you

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mind yielding your time? It's first time I Well, it's first time I've seen him here. No, we're welcome. I mean this we all always want to welcome new people. >> My name is Kurbinder Dhija. >> Welcome. >> I'm a resident since 2009.

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>> Sir, you may want to come near the microphone. >> Close. >> Yeah, you can just close so we can hear you. >> Yeah. I've been living here more than 15 years. Great. >> And it's the first time I came to township and I saw this room and I asked them, you know, of course I came to township before and they told me what

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goes on here. So [clears throat] today I'm here just to see what goes on here. Do you want to share your address? >> Yes. T Sturgis Road. >> Sturgis. Okay, great. >> Yeah, I live very close by. I come for a walk today also. I came for a walk. You walked on my way down. I just stopped here. I said, "Let me see what goes on

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here. You're doing a very fine job. You spend your time here." I have couple of things to say from my own experience. There's a way always to do things better with less money. And that thing I see missing in most of the you know the I

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mean say in the government bodies that's not there. They always want to do more things they want more money. I have worked for a company where we could do that 25 20 years back that we could save money by doing things differently and

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lot of money we [laughter] could save. So if that could be a consideration and I I want to give you example about my healthcare. See in my case I could manage my health with $2,000 and my wife,000 plus that

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was the expense. Then came the Obamacare. Oh no no no you got to be insured. So we got insured and we got the money and and too much money was given away to the insurance and my my expense has been same and now I'm on

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Medicare again I find I don't know how much money the government is paying but my expense is about $2,000 $2,500. So that's a way if we can run the insurance certain way. I met the mayor about two three years back. I met him

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twice and I told him in case we can run the health care of the township employees and the school employees ourselves, we can save tons of money and it will put money in the in the township pocket and school pocket, employees

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pocket and someone doing it like me. I told them I can put my own money here up front and take on the initiative. I'll arrange the money. I'm not a rich person but I can arrange a money and put my money on this initiative. I sent a email

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to the council. I sent an email to the schools and I I try to with the mayor also and I went to the HR department and whatever I could do I did and then I stopped because you know it's okay it's fine. I'm just giving example how the

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money can be saved and we can give we can give the quality of service can be improved also and what I want to get in a general sense and I want to put my own pain here now about the taxes

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>> you see the taxes are same I'll give you example there are two houses one person earning 40,000 husband wife living there similar house across the street there's a family. They have they are four people, two grown-ups making 10 times

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more money, eight times more money and they have two children who go to school and the budget is 21,000 per child and both are paying the same tax because they have similar houses. So one guy making 40,000 other guy making 400,000

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same kind of houses and that guy is also having children going to school. So this I I don't know if there's a way in the township where they can give a rebate to the senior citizens to disabled and to veterans who are low income and there's

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lot of money everything can be done but again you know if somebody has to put a thought to it and put a process and have the [clears throat] attitude to help. >> Thank you my time. >> Thank you. No we appreciate it very much. Um

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there weren't many questions. Sharers, so I'll make some brief comments. Just uh you mentioned insurance. You hit the nail on the head. Insurance is our uh biggest issue in our budget. However, we're obligated under union contracts. It's not as easily negotiated. It is

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something that happens over a term uh and then it overlaps to a second term. Uh we each time we can renegotiate that. Um, but I do understand what you're saying and and I appreciate the time you've came and please come again. >> Okay. Anyone else that'd like to speak?

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Miss Conway? Sorry, Mr. Bass off. She was uh if you sat up front, I can see you. >> Elizabeth Conway, 20 Netherwood Circle. >> Welcome. >> Thank you. Uh, I just wanted to uh make an announcement. I'm a member of the

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Edison Human Relations Commission and on May 2nd we'll be hosting a Let's Go Fly a Kite Unity in the Air festival at Dash Park from 11 to 3. And uh if you have

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your own kite, come join us. If you don't have a kite and would like to purchase a kite, come join us. If you'd like to come and put a kite together with a kit, come join us. There's a very nominal fee if you'd like to purchase

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one of them. And it's going to be a fun afternoon. There's face painting. There's music and dancing and and games. And we're going to have a great time. And if there's anybody out there in the community that's looking for uh

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community service, come join us. and it'll be uh a fantastic day. That's my first thing. Second thing, I just wanted to let you know that there was another close call on the T-section

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of Inman Avenue and Old Raritin Road. And I hate to stand here and I feel bad for the people that live on that corner, but they have really nice bushes on the corner and the leaves are now coming out which is making it a little more

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difficult to see to the right. And I do go there uh go through there either twice or four times a day. So this gives me the chance to be very careful. Uh, another I item I'd like to talk

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about is the budget presentation. Um, I know Mr. Coyle, you had mentioned to Mr. Bassoff that nobody ever complained when it was Mayor Lanki. Well, I recall very clearly being at um

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Middle Sex County College uh in a big arena and it was the first time I heard the budget presentation and it was like August and I thought, "Hey, this is really great that your budget is so ahead of time for the following

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year." And he looked at me like, "No, it's for this year." And they kind of explained to me that well no we've been spending money for the last eight months and now the budget is out and God only knows where we're going to get the money for the following four months of the

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year. So there were many people complaining about that and I am glad to see that uh we have moved back and I would like it to move back even further if there's a requirement to February 28th. That's number two.

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Another item regarding the board of education. We went with a board meeting and they gave the budget and it came out that it was uh 11.9%.

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And people were very upset including me. But they explained it is a preliminary budget. It wasn't the final budget to be voted upon. And I was very glad to see people come out and give suggestions and

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people come out and and voice their frustration because there's nothing worse than sitting in a room with barely any people tonight. We've got a few people. I'm not by myself tonight. >> Just just a point of order and I'll stop the clock. You've had a lot of

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experience on the board. Did Did I wasn't there. What did you have to offer >> that I thought >> you want to share and I'm not putting you on the spot. >> The one um item that I was always upset at even when I was on the budget was subscription busing because I was always

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taught that subscription busing had to pay for itself. And to my knowledge it didn't. Some of it fell back onto the board of ed. So that was my number one item. Uh and number two is show us where you can

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work more financially. >> Okay. >> So I >> thank you encourage >> Can you add time back? >> Did you put my time back? >> 25 seconds. >> Okay. >> Um the only thing that I would like to say I was a little disappointed when I

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saw the mayor and the administration coming out so ven venomantly against what was going on. We need to be more together. If you don't, you know the old saying, if you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all. Be more helpful.

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>> Yeah, >> you can have the 12 minutes, 12 seconds. [clears throat] >> Somehow, I don't see that uh everywhere. But thank you for your comments, Conway. I think the mayor's doing a great job being outspoken about this BOE budget. And if there was a mayor that chose to

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say nothing, I'd be ashamed. I'd be ashamed to sit back and say nothing. So, I'm proud of what he's done in this administration. I'm looking forward to other council members making remarks on another day. All right, moving forward. Is there anything else I may have missed? Miss Joyce, please come up.

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Joyce ship, Edison, New Jersey. >> Welcome. >> Okay. I've been in education and still in education even on the state board. Um, I think fearmongering and all that ridiculous stuff will never make you together as a team. Okay?

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Because I see that bullying. That's the new thing called bully. I'm going to bully you. So, I'll gather up my people and I'll start my election early and I'll get these people and I'll get them all scream. That's the stuff I don't like. Screaming and screaming and yelling if you don't go, you know, blah

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blah blah. Everybody know the budget's not going to be 12. So, let's cut the crap. But one thing I respect, I respect when I go to the board ad meeting, you can speak six minutes and you can have a rebuttal. So, you're respected when you go there. Whether you like the decision

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or not, you're respected. Okay. Number two, I'm I I don't think you you're trying to work with the board of ed. I don't think you are because no way in the world would anybody I'll take my mayor from Woodbridge who does a great job. Great job. Pilot programs,

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everything. Swaps land, does all that stuff. Really, really great job. Okay? Because you don't scream and you don't attack people. Now, if you think that's how you sit down at a table, is this what we're teaching our youth? Well, I'm going to bully and badger you into

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sitting at a table. That's not nice. I don't like that at all. That really disappoints me the way that's done. And I I seen all the fear mongering and all that stuff for people to come out to the budget. And I know about the sub subscription busing that it never paid for itself, that the school was losing

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tons of money on it back and forth. They lost money on it. And what I do like is do a whole presentation and you allow the town hall people, even though they come with an agenda, you still allow them to ask questions. You send them,

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you email them back, and you tell them this is all the things. But everybody thinks everybody wants a free lunch. I don't care. Whatever. But you know what? I would have respected his people more. You gave the people their t time back. And I would respected you if you had

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your preliminary budget right next to my preliminary budget. You wouldn't like it if the board of ed all of a sudden took over the council and started screaming and yelling. It's in the in the background that you guys are doing 9.5%. Or either you're taking money from

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someplace else. Now, excuse me. >> Point of order. That's not true. But you can make that statement. >> No, no, I can make what I can say what I want to say. You know what I'm saying? Like the board, they don't interrupt me either. They let me talk. They let me rebuttal. Okay. So, this the sad part about it is that

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>> most people, like I said before, before he interrupted me and threw my train of thought off. Okay. Um, we were talking about your budget and proposed budget. That's what it would be. PO proposed budget at 99.5 and you take money from here over there

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and it's one thing that is true. The board of ed wants some money. If I'm wrong, you can correct me. Uh Councilman Brusher and you want big sums of money like the like the council get, you have to do a referendum and the people in the

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town have to vote for that that referendum. And with the council with this, ah, you could spend money like, hey, hey, we want a bond over here. We want another 200 million here. Hey, hey, [clears throat] we want all this. Ain't nothing we can do about it because you guys get sit up there and the majority

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rules. So no matter what, we have no real say on it. And so I would like it that if any bond is over 50,000 that it would have to come to a referendum. And that's how we can get the council to stop overspending. Thank

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you. >> Thank you. Any other questions or comments from the public? Mr. Bassoff, we have two more left here. Bassoff Beach Lane. Um, >> welcome. >> Thank you. So, a few weeks ago, there was um a big apartment fire in Edison

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and a firefighter was injured and it kind of reminds us of the bravery of Edison's firefighters. And uh I just want to acknowledge that uh we can be grateful that uh they put their own safety at risk to protect our safety.

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So, I think it's important to recognize that. Um now, I have uh questions on affordable housing. Um, so Edison could have used an alternative dispute resolution program that the Department of Community Affairs provided, but

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instead Edison went to court to litigate against the the numbers that the state imposed. So my question is, how has Edison benefited from that litigation? Can can we quantify how we're better off as a result of going through the

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litigation route rather than the alternative dispute uh resolution route and specifically to the council president. Uh I know you've been a vocal proponent of more affordable housing. Uh

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so my question is have you been okay with the fact that the township has been spending a lot of money on legal fees to try to uh fight against the affordable housing obligation? Uh and you have criticisms uh against Edison's lawsuit

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posture. Uh I also want to ask a follow-up question about Taurus Advisory Group. I I still didn't get an answer to the question as to why specifically uh Taurus advisory group as opposed to

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some other advisor. Uh I have no idea whether Taurus is the most competent advisor out there or not. Uh my concern is that that how does the the council know that that um you approved the most competent adviser for that? uh if there

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hasn't been a review of of other uh adviserss in what I understand is a competitive field um you know how do we know that it's based that the decision is based on competence and and and not patronage

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and follow-up question on the budget uh the business administrator uh said that that the township is working with the state uh to uh complete the budget. But but my question is other townships are

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able to get their budgets in on time and has the Department of Community Affairs actually given Edison an extension on its budget or are we just flouting the law? uh a and it's particularly an issue

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I I wouldn't um keep raising the issue except we have a mayor that that publicly castigated the board of education uh for being I think his terms were reckless and irresponsible and it just seems like the the administration is reckless and irresponsible to blow

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past these these statemandated deadlines and potentially putting individual council members at risk for for being fined personally for not introducing a budget on time. So those are my questions.

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[laughter] >> Do you have any other questions? >> Nope. >> Okay. Well, where do I want to start here? First, you did ask a question what my position was for the the housing settlement that we discussed

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and that we proposed. Um Joel, I I think you know it's fair to say, you know, I am a strong advocate for affordable housing. Um I may not fully agree to this what we've done. I am having other discussions with council members on studio housing, micro housing. If you

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can ever lasso up a group of people to support that together, that would be wonderful. I mean, from what I've seen in this, you know, council meeting, I it's tough to put 10 h 10 condos or 10 apartments on Amboy Avenue. Uh so, I

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mean, I'm there. Find me the support. I'm certainly arguing for it. I think it's too [gasps] it's too high to live in Edison. Uh if you just got out of college, it's very expensive to live here. And it's a fact. you know, college kids are leaving to other states where they can afford more or they're going

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[clears throat] to remote work in other places that have certainly cheaper um rentals and and they're going up in those areas for rent as well. There's been a So, I'm 100% for it. Uh set me up a meeting with some supporters and I'll

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be there tomorrow morning. Uh that that would help a lot, but I can tell you I'm I'm not happy with this. I hope we can build more. I would build a I would build the full 750. I would roll out a full 750 units, but tell me where the support is for that.

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And right now, this is the best argument we can have on the space that we have available to get it done. Uh I've dug into it as deep as I can today. And I'm council members and I are still going through it to see what could be done over this time. This is just a a preliminary stage of where we're at.

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More more could be added at a different time. So there will be opportunities to amend this and I'm going to ask council for that support. Moving on to that, you talked about the tourist advisory group. Um we chose that that again. Could you repeat this the answer we gave before?

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>> Sure. It was recommended by our finance department to um to go with tourists to do the energy assessment. >> Okay. And then you mentioned the the budget not being presented on time. As I mentioned before, I'm always surprised when you come up and former

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administrations, you never come up to say it, but maybe it's new to something you're aware of. We are aware of it. I I'm I'm sorry we did not present it on time. Uh it's going to be presented next month. I'm confident that it will be presented. To say it's reckless, I mean,

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it's pretty pretty strong word, reckless. I don't know what you would call Mayor Lanki's budget if he presented in August and we're reckless in in May. I'm I'm just challenged because you are an attorney and you do make, you know, discretionary decisions as an attorney. I I think we're doing a

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pretty good job. But I I'll yield that opinion to you, but uh what's most important is what we do with that budget when the council receives it and how we can make sure that it fits the taxpayers's needs and that the rate is a fair rate increase. That's most important and I think that's what people

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worry about most. I don't think they worry about us getting it a month ahead or a month behind, but compared to what I'm used to in the in the 11 years being up here, I'm I'm just in shock to get it and discuss it in April and to go through it and receive it by May. So,

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this is a a great opportunity for the town. I hope I covered everything, Mr. Bassoff, and I always appreciate you coming here, and I look forward to seeing you again. Thank you. Anybody else, please? Sumalone Barber, 85 Pleasant Avenue.

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>> Welcome. >> Thanks. I have comments too about the budget. Um, why is it so hard to deliver a budget on time? I don't understand that. And then the the public kind of feud between the

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board of ed and the administration is kind of embarrassing. I mean, at least the board of ed presented a preliminary budget and then I saw the mayor online like railing on them

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and and proposing that he take them over. That's not the answer. That is not the answer. I think we need a budget on time. It's been years. I I don't have a memory of Mayor Lanki, but did he present the

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budget himself? Because our mayor doesn't. Last year, he phoned in a video. That's not really acceptable either. So, I I I think that we need to put on our big boy pants, make amends with the board of ed, who did have big

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budget cuts from the state. We have to acknowledge that. I don't know the details of their budget, but I do know that the mayor railing against them when he hasn't submitted a budget on time in [cough] the last few years is is

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you know the pot calling the kettle black in a way. So I think you know the board of ed and the mayor have a responsibility to the residents of the town and stop fighting and work together. That's my comment. And then I'd like to

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know like why is the budget late? Why can't we do a budget on time? >> Thank you for your questions. You still have time. Do you have any more questions? >> No, I could go on and on. >> I'm going to point I I'll refer to our BA to answer the question of why the

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budget is not on time and why it's >> late. Do you have an answer to that? I I could go through it, but do you have a short answer? It's a it's a a nearly a $200 million budget as you know. We have to do all of the turnover from prior year

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into this year. Um we want to make sure that when we do present a budget and we have our meetings with all of the council as we've started to as you all know I've we've done now five council uh meetings um to really give you the best

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information based on solid numbers rather than preliminary or projected numbers. We want to make sure that we give you the most accurate uh transparent numbers and scenarios as well because um at the end of the day, not only administration

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would need to defend this budget, you all need to defend this budget and we certainly want to make sure that it is a responsible budget and so it does take a little bit of time and we are hoping to get that introduced at the May 6th meeting.

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and and and I certainly was a problem holding it up because when it comes to appeals, our process of appeals does a great job, but each year the council makes sure we put enough in reserve for the the anticipated appeals for this year. So, we go through all the process

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for the last two years with our assessor and the attorney and what we anticipate to be for this year. So, that is a a big hold up that the council here. So >> start earlier. I worked for a company that that was a quarter of a billion

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dollars in in sales and they they put in a budget on time every year. They have to I don't get it. I understand it's complicated. I'm not discounting, but you could start earlier. Wait. Yeah. I Well, I think I' I'd be happier to have

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a late budget that's [snorts] a lot less than the school budget if >> it's not a contest. See, that's the point. It's not >> Well, you tell a taxpayers not a contest. All right. Why don't you work together work that campaign 12% first what we present that? Try that one,

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>> please. Sue. I mean, let's be fair here. We get along with the board of ed. I talked to Jerry Shei just the other day. Shannon Pang, we we they know they can call me anytime. I never interrupt their business and none of us could if we tried. All right. But we're not going to

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agree when we get 100 emails uh that a 12% is good. So if you're waving the flag that they're doing a great job, that's up to you. >> I'm not waving the flag. But it sounds like you're supporting them. You have to work together and the mayor railing on them is is embarrassing. >> Provide me a list of what I can do to

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work together and I'll be happy to help you sue. Not a problem. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you very much. Is there anybody else that would like to speak? Okay, the public portion. Can I may I have a motion to close the public portion?

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>> Have a motion. Can I have a second? >> Second. >> All in favor say I. >> Thank you. We're going to move right on. Um department heads any reason for them to be here? Uh Sonia, I'm sorry. I'm not asking. It's your call. I don't know. He held on the longest. I don't know why.

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>> Okay. All right. Okay, >> you're welcome to stay. We can make you a councilman next year. >> Okay, moving on. I just um reports from all committees from my right. Council member Brer? >> Uh no, none at this time. >> Okay. Council member Dimma.

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>> None at this time. >> Okay. Council Vice President Kentos. >> Um none at this time, but they are on my website. Um if you just go to my website, rober kentos committees, you'll see all the reports there. Um there's going to be a a large update this

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weekend um from the uh past couple weeks as well. So um just go there. >> Okay. Council member Patel. >> None. >> Council member South Shimu. >> Uh yeah. Edison Municipal um Alliance met this past Wednesday. Um and I'll give an update the next meeting.

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>> Oh, great. Thanks for serving on that. >> Okay. Uh moving on. Just wanted to have um for points of light. Uh today is administrators professionals day. So those who are involved in uh the administration of this township or anywhere at home or away, we do

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appreciate what you do as administrator. We all know you make it happen. So anybody who's above you cannot work without you. I know in this town we really appreciate everybody who's taken a role there. And what I do know, and we didn't ask the administration yet, but

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it should be okay, is that I spoke to Council Member Mentos, and on Friday when I cleared with the clerk, we're going to provide some pizza down at the clerk's office for admin day. Now, we didn't talk about who's splitting it exactly since Councilman Kentos does do better than me, so I think it's going to

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be 7030, but uh so we're looking forward to that and we'll arrange that if we could if the if the clerk says it's okay. We may have something in the way. I'm getting, but we're going to try. If not, we'll do it Monday. Um, moving forward, Earth

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Day. Um, we just Earth Day we just had and, uh, the fishing derby was great. Everybody was happy. And last, we had the dine out and support the friends of the Edison Public Library. Right now, it's going on at Fertelli's Pizza. I'm going to hope to get there. Um, let's

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see if Councilman Brush has any more comments. I can get there on time, but um it's 9:00 and Rich is buying. We appreciate that. Okay. And then we're going to move on to the discussion items and

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I'm going to start from my left. Okay. With Council Member Assaf. Any discussion items that you want to discuss? >> No. >> We have none. Okay, we're good. We're actually passing right along. Um, I'm going to skip going through this if someone wants to interrupt me. We

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Nothing has been written. I have the same from before which I discussed with the town. Um, so is there there anybody that had something they wanted to add that was not written as a courtesy? >> Just one question. >> Okay. Um, motion tojourn. >> I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Council

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member, there's only 28 minutes on the water and sewer, but you continue. >> I have a question. >> I'm sorry. Yeah. May I yield to the council vice president, please? age age. I'm sorry, hidden. Hide and seek. >> Okay, >> good. Well, one Sonia, um, we were

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talking about that road, the road patches. Um, I think Comcast is the one that dug up these little trenches all over the town and and I know that some of them are being fixed, right? Except that I noticed they're not fixed to our

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specifications. We had a meeting with Comcast two weeks ago, myself, the engineer. Um, right now what they've done thus far should be up to standards. If there is an area in which you have questions about, we can

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revisit. We did advise them though um because it was a harsh winter that they go back to those areas so that they are up to standard given the fact that you know there's some probably some work that would need to be >> revisited

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>> right so what they did was they spray painted them white right and identified the ones or or somebody did and then they repaved them right and and actually the pavement on this is better I mean I will say that but they're not sealed

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So because they're not sealed, the water gets in around it and we change our ordinance on that so that we know that it's done properly. Right. Um by them putting either the tape over

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it or by them, you know, putting the binder around it. There's it's you can't miss that it was done right now. Um, and they it isn't done just on Mount Pleasant and and that's just where I notice it because well it's on my way to

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Dunkin Donuts. Um, so so if it's not done there, I just assume that they did the same work as a contracted with other people. So if we can just, you know, get on top of them to make sure that they go back and seal them up. >> Yep. Thank you, Council Meer. >> That's it.

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>> Okay. Uh, Council Vice President. >> Good. Um, [snorts] if I get fined $100 for not presenting the budget, will you pay for that? >> Well, listen, the council president does have a budget and I discuss it with the clerk and then I don't know whether it be allowed by law and we'll go through

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that. Take a couple weeks to figure out that answer, but we'll give it to you. >> Thank you. >> If you can't afford it, I will help subsidize it up to 100, not to exceed. >> Okay. >> Thank you, >> Council President. Um, I second, >> Mr. Kendo. >> And I'm not joking about it. We of course may may make Yeah, I second his

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question and then this is the longest council meeting of 2026. >> Okay. I'm sorry. Uh well, listen, there was a big item on the agenda and I knew it would be okay. We got a motion to adjourn. >> Have a motion. Can have a second. >> Second. >> All in favor say I. >> I.

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>> This motion's this meeting has ended 806. Thank you.