Good evening. >> I call the regular council meeting of March 5th, 2026 to order at 80 8:06 p.m. Sorry, I have a sneeze. Please rise for the pledge of allegiance. >> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the
United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Clerk, will you please read the statement regarding Open Public Meetings Act?
>> This meeting is called pursuant to the provisions of the Open Public Meetings Law. Notice of this meeting was included in a notice sent to the record and the Star Ledger and advertised in said newspapers on January 12th, 2026, posted on the bulletin board in the municipal building and has remained continuously
posted as the required notices under the statute. A copy of this notice is and has been available to the public and is on file in the office of the municipal clerk. Proper notice haven't been given. The mun the municipal clerk is directed to include the statement in the minutes of
this meeting. >> Roll call. >> Councilman took >> present. >> Councilman Wilson >> present. >> Councilwoman Watski. >> Council President Rosenwiden.
Uh, present. >> Did you ask Mr. Wilson? >> I Yeah. >> Okay, sir. >> Uh, also present is Mayor Michael Wilds, city manager Robert S. Hoffman, Deputy City Manager John Burkner, and city
attorney Bill Bailey. Absent with prior notice is Councilwoman David. >> Do I have a motion for the approval of the minutes of resolution 90? I'll make a motion. Council President, >> I'll second. >> Roll call.
>> Councilman to >> yes. >> Councilman Wilson, >> yes. >> Councilwoman Waski, >> yes. >> Council President Rosenwide, >> yes. Okay. So, we now discuss ordinance 2607.
Will the city clerk please read this ordinance by title only? This is an ordinance establishing contract salaries and benefits for local 108 RWDSU AFL CIO for Department of Health
employees. The the public hearing on this ordinance is now open. Anyone who desires to be heard or to ask questions concerning this ordinance will be heard at this time. Okay, seeing none, I will now close the public hearing on this ordinance. Uh, do
I have a motion to adopt? Oh, >> sorry. I will I will now reopen the public hearing for this ordinance. >> Please state your name uh for the record. Raymond Diaz 408 Shannon Court. I just want to know is this a three-year contract or or fiveyear?
It just says minimum and maximum. It doesn't tell me how many years, when does it start, what the percentage were because I don't have any information prior to that. >> Okay. When all the public comments are
done, we'll we'll have them Would anyone else uh like to address the council with regard to this ordinance? All right. So then I'll close it again. Uh Mr. Hoffman, just uh some of the details. >> Sure. Thank you, Council President. This
is a three-year contract uh that was um uh took took a while took a while to to resolve. It's with our health department and it's retroactive to the to the first of the year which I believe was 2024
and the increases are are less than 3%. >> Right. Do I have anyone to uh make a motion to adopt this ordinance? >> I'll make a motion that we adopt this ordinance. >> Second discussion. I'm sorry. Did you see
>> anything else? >> Just clarification. Okay, seeing no discussion, uh, roll call, please. >> Councilman Tayer, >> yes. >> Councilman Wilson, >> yes. >> Councilwoman Waski, >> yes. >> Council President Rosenwig,
>> yes. >> Um, so, um, now we'll introduce ordinance 2608. Will the city clerk please read the ordinance by title only? This is an ordinance ordinance authorizing sale of land without public
auction pursuant to NJSA48 col2-13B5. This is block 312 lot 13 located on West Palisade Avenue. >> And uh uh Bob before we introduce this just what's the address on West Palisade?
>> This is 285-287 West Palisade Avenue. Um, do I have a motion to introduce this ordinance on first reading? >> I make a motion. >> I second.
>> Um, roll call. >> Councilman Tayer, >> yes. >> Councilman Wilson, >> yes. >> Councilwoman Waski, >> yes. >> Council President Rosenwag, >> yes. So this ordinance will be uh published and the public hearing will be
on March 17, 2026 for the second reading and public hear public motion. Okay. We will now move to uh the consent agenda where we have
um excuse me um five resolutions uh 91, 92, 93, 93A, and 93B. Um again, this is the consent agenda. We also have uh four resolutions for the
non-consent agenda. Um, does anyone want any of these uh resolutions pulled? >> Yes, council president. >> Yeah. >> 091-03-05-26, please. >> The first one, the plumbing. >> That is correct, sir.
>> Okay. Do I have a motion to introduce uh resolutions 92 through 93B? >> I make a motion. >> I second. A roll call. >> Councilman Tokayer, >> yes. >> Councilman Wilson, >> yes. >> Councilwoman Waski,
>> yes. >> Council President Rosenwag, >> yes. Do I have a motion to introduce resolution 91, resolution awarding a fair and open award to uh the plumbing services bid?
>> I make a motion, council president. >> I second it. And so now we open it for discussion. Thank you, Council President. Uh, just a couple questions. Um, we we stated that we took the bid that was better. Um, and
and as as I looked over this, you know, as we've been through this before, just because it's lower doesn't mean that they're better. But I noticed that they have um they have uh for a journeyman
and it says that it's not applicable NA uh for standard hourly rate overtime rate weekend holiday but yet we have a total added in for $500 and it's just trying to figure out how
that got there. And then on the bottom, it also says journeymen NA. And there's also a total of $420. So if it if it doesn't apply, I'm trying to figure out where the 500 and the 420
go. That would be on the second page. All right. Thank you, Council President. Councilman Wilson, valid question, but I I don't have a I don't have an answer for you. I was just going to try and look it up. >> Okay. Um because that was my concern,
Council President, because if if you look at the other company, they're twice what the price is. And I'm appreciative of No, I won't say that. I'm not appreciative of Journeymen because that's how our young women and young men get to learn the trade. So, uh, any
opportunity that journeymen are in the process, I like to see that, but it says that it's not applied, although they apply $500 and $420 to that. So, thank you. If we could get that cleared up, I'd like to see that. Thank you.
>> Mr. Bailey, >> if Thank you, uh, Council President. I I just did some quick math and I think the 500 for example is the total of the standard hourly rate, overtime rate and weekend holiday rate for for Foreman
that adds up to 500. And then in the non-prevailing wage section, same thing. Those three figures add up to 420. >> Yeah, that's if I may, Council President, that's listed above.
They give you they give you that rate at the top. So my my concern as usual with contractors is that we get the best bid and we get the best job. Um and I don't want to be double build for anything. So
that's my concern why I didn't see it there. And why would it show up as a journeyman? Or maybe I'm reading it wrong. No, what I what I believe is that this was this was a formula error. >> No, I believe that because this is in the totals column for there. So I I
think there was um it just total it totaled up that section. So it >> um >> so Mr. Hoffman, just uh who who um reviews these bids and makes a determination? Typically >> uh typ typically it's the bids are open
and it and it's our QPA or qualified purchasing agent and then it's it's reviewed by the u the CFO and myself. So and um so the uh whatever the difficulty is at rest with me
>> and again what was the reason uh quality cooling was chosen. >> It's clearly a lower bid for sure. We also they they've also had previous experience with our municipality and other other municipalities >> and we're obligated to take the lowest
>> responsible >> lowest responsible day. >> That that is correct. But >> so if a 12-year-old boy puts in $10, we don't we would not hire that person. >> No, because the 12-year-old boy isn't responsible, but a 12-year-old girl would be. So Okay. But if the council
wishes, we can uh we can hold this until the 17th and then >> Okay. >> And then, you know, get just just verify everything. >> All right. Uh so, do I have a motion to table resolution 91? >> I make a motion. Council President,
>> I second it. Uh no discussion. It's a table. So, uh roll call. >> Councilman Tokayer. >> Yes. >> Councilman Wilson? >> Yes. >> Councilwoman Waski? Yes. >> Council President Rosenway.
>> Yes. All right. So, now we'll introduce resolution uh 94, a fee waiver for uh the youth soccer. Do I have a motion to introduce it before we discuss it? >> I make a motion. >> Um I second. Um so, discussion.
>> I have none. >> All right. Roll call, please. Councilman Tokayer, >> yes. >> Councilman Wilson, >> yes. >> Councilwoman Wasadski, >> yes. >> Council President Rosen, >> yes. Uh, so now we have two resolutions
for appointing assistant prosecutors. Uh, we're going to act on the first one today. Um, resolution 95, and then afterwards, I'll ask for a motion to table uh 96. Um, so this is appointing um I can say
the name now. >> Yes. >> Okay. >> Excuse me. Just finding uh where do I have that? Okay. Who's Rose something? >> Oh, I got it. Okay. Yeah. No, it's uh in
the new papers. Excuse me. So this is resolution 95 appointing Kelly Reyes um as our um assistant prosecutor which is by state statute. Um so I do have a motion to for this appointment.
>> No. I make a motion. I second. >> Roll call. >> Councilman tooker. >> Yes. Councilman Wilson, >> yes. >> Councilwoman Wasadski,
>> yes. >> Council President Rosenway, >> yes. Uh, do I have a motion to table resolution 96? >> I make a motion. >> I second it. Roll call. >> Councilman Toker? >> Yes. >> Councilman Wilson?
>> Yes. >> Councilwoman Wasadski? >> Yes. Council President Rosenw. >> Yes. Okay. So, we now move on to bills and claims. Um so, we have bills and claims for um approval for the total amount of
1,300,000 $38110. Uh do I have a motion to introduce this? >> Make a motion. Council President, >> I'll second. >> All right. Any questions or discussion on bills and claims?
I have none. >> Dan, anything? >> All right, roll call. >> Councilman Toker, >> yes. >> Councilman Wilson, >> yes. >> Councilwoman Wasadski, >> yes. >> Council President Rosenwag,
>> yes. All right. So, now um we move on to public session. So this is the time that anyone in the public who has any issues to bring up to the council uh can come up. Uh speakers are asked to step up to the microphone and give their name and municipality and you have three minutes
to speak. Just come on up to the mic. >> Is it okay if I take a seat? >> Uh sure. >> You just need to speak. Is that microphone on the desk working? >> Just one sec. >> Okay, good.
>> I got >> Thank you. >> He hasn't started yet. Just need your name and address for the record, please. Name is David Sivon. 120 Hollywood Avenue, Anglewood Cliffs, New Jersey.
Been around this area since 1970. had an extremely terrible, horrible experience during the snow blizzard of last week. could not be able to make it up the hill on Boot Street, Booth Avenue rather,
and had backed up my car about 300 ft from Angle Street going up Booth, parked legally. When the blizzard hit, the Department of Public Works, which
wasn't a problem, buried my car from the street to the doors, the fender, and a rear quarter panel over 4 feet and a snow going as far as the hood and trunk
and all over the roof. I had lost a police officer in my town by the name of Keith Wicker. Could not make it to the wake on Wednesday due to the fact I had to go get employees to shovel a vehicle out.
But when we came back at 3:00, the vehicle was savagely, tenaciously, and maliciously pulled out of its spot and brought to a towing impound yard
by the name of Atlantic Towing and parked in a swamp. His property is a swamp. When I went into his location, he indicated to me that you can't see the
car. You've got to pay for the car first and then you have to take the car out. Which I paid for the car. And when I went to the car, the whole bumper of the car was ripped apart,
completely destroyed. The mud was all over my shoes, all over my carpets. My car door was savagely open with a crowbar and a and a and a big piece of wire scratching up everything.
I got in the car. The car started overheating two blocks away and the oil light came on with this garbage tow truck from 1989. Okay. white piece of junk that picked up my car with the wheel lift. Okay.
Destroying my oil pan. >> No, no. I'm sorry. We have a very, very strict threeminute rule. I'm very sorry. >> But you kind of understand what's going on. >> No, we I'm Thank you for coming. >> Atlantic Towing. >> Okay. Thank you. >> You can have the pictures and review
them >> and you'll understand how bad that is. See? Yeah, do you need a copy for your >> if you could Yeah, thanks. If you could shut that off. So, >> wait. Go ahead.
>> Hello. It's fine. >> Yeah, we can hear. >> It's fine. Thank you. Raymond Diaz, 408 Shannon on the bills and claims. Uh, I see 99,000 emergency contractor Prince concrete construction or is that for the snow? I don't know.
>> Huh. >> Okay. Well, we'll we'll answer everything at the end of public session. >> And just a comment um on the minutes of the meeting there possib on on the minutes of the meeting, right? I think we're up to date, but I
can't get to the minutes to see the comments that were made by the by the public that's here. I look at the planning board and they have them posted and you can see the full minutes, the full what everyone said and everything. How come we can't have that here?
Because sometimes you don't have time. If there's 21 questions, you answer some and not the others. hopefully that the residents can look at the minutes once they're posted on there. At least the minutes. I don't know if you're going to put the whole thing on there, but the
minutes I I I feel that's very important. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Would anyone else like to address the council? >> Yeah, please come on up. Good. Good night. >> Yeah, just give a second. We'll get the mic uh better to your height.
>> My name is Magda Garcia. Oh, my name is Magda Garcia. I live in 21 Armon Street. And I wanted to to for me to I want to know if you want to uh remove me from the ordinance but
the new housing overlay on the on my sons. Uh my I'm on the 2304 and my lot is 35. >> So I'm going I'm going to make an exception. We're We have a lot of meetings this month. Uh that meeting is
on Monday, March 9th. >> Oh, it's not today. >> No, correct. If you look at the the the letter we sent, it's it's Monday, March 9th's meeting. >> Okay. I have to be on the Monday. >> But if you want to make some comments now, we we so >> I have my daughter who's coming from
Europe on Monday. I I had to be at the airport to pick her up and that's why I decide to come tonight. >> Okay. Okay. So, if you have some questions now, we we'll try our best. But >> yeah, my question is if you can be I can my house can be removed of the ordinance
to do this. And my here to help with my my neighbor who doesn't speak English very well and his ordinance is here too. Who is the >> 2303 uh all lot 30?
>> We'll address some of that afterwards. How do I know if it's removed? You got to notice me or or I I >> Okay, thank you. >> Thank you. >> All right. So, I'm going to close the public session. Uh, so Mr. Hoffman, uh,
uh, obviously, uh, someone who's been towed and might have sounds like there might be litigation, so you'll have to be careful, but if you just want to review some of the policies and procedures. >> Absolutely. I'll I'll be happy to answer that that question and others. Uh, Mr.
Steven uh did come to city hall several times. We have spoken with him. We have advised Mr. Steven of the uh procedure to fill out a complaint form. And to do it, I believe there's a 14-day period which we made Mr. Steven aware of. Um,
we've also asked that he included pertinent information including photos that might have been taken of the car for the for the damage. Uh, so that was it. That's that's what we advised u Mr. Steven to do. Uh we uh look forward to him doing that so so that the um the
proper investigations can be done. I see that in what was dropped off here there's pictures of the towing yard, but there's no pictures of of the cars. Um I believe that um there had been a total of three cars that had been towed. Um
and this was during a this was during the snow emergency. They had been parked for more than 48 hours. Um that's that was our that was the initial determination. So um there's a process that to be followed. Mr. Steven has been advised of that and given given the uh
the copies of the form, but he he did have the ordinance with him when um when when the deputy city manager and I met with him and he had already been he had already spoken to the to the police. So we look we look forward to whatever whatever he will submit. Then there was
a question um uh let's see there was a question from Mr. Diaz I guess about $99,000 for new Prince construction and that was for that was for 13 different projects around the city. So it was um everything
from some work on Dana Place to reset sidewalks to um deping potholes and then uh sink holes that had to be repaired. Uh, and then work work that was done. There were sink holes um by Walker's Lane that was repaired. So, it's just it
was it was a lot of things that happened, but it was a total of 13 items that were that was uh that were addressed on behalf of the city. I believe you also had a question about minutes and you had seen comments from the planning board and and you were
looking to see about the the minutes for the city council. The planning board is a more of a verbatim. The um style the city council is um more of um basically it's it's more of a summary style uh
summary style. So if we both say that five times together, we probably will trip over our tongues. Um but that that's the difference. So the city council summarizes the minutes, they summarize the discussion. the planning board is um it it's more specific. So,
their their their minutes are lengthier than the city council's. So, those those are the those are the answers. And then I believe there the um uh the the owner of 21 Armory Street, lot 35. She received a a letter for the
meeting that's on the 20 on um Monday the 9th. And I believe you had asked if your pro if it was possible for your property to be removed from the overlay zone. Was that was that the question? Ma'am, >> I I think she was just needed clarification of what the letter meant.
>> Okay. If you want after the meeting I we can we can talk about it and um I can I can answer some specific questions that might help. >> Yes. So we sent out 1,190 letters. So we don't know what every every single property said. So, but but if you have a
minute, uh Mr. Hoffman will go over that with you afterwards and definitely uh pick up your daughter. That's it's more important than overlay zones. Okay. >> All right. Thank you all for coming uh out tonight. So, next week we have multiple meetings. Uh cancel your Disney
Plus, cancel your your Netflix and your Hulu because just come out to the council meeting. So, Monday night we have the uh affordable housing overlay discussion that we were just discussing. Tuesday is Wednesday is a budget hearing that's
going to be on Zoom. Thursday is planning board discussing over over affordable housing and Friday we'll have the second half of the Monday council meeting. So, whole weeks of entertainment for everyone. Um do I have a motion to adjourn the meeting?
I make a motion to adjurnn. All >> in favor? >> I