Good evening everyone. I'm super excited to pres presite this first meeting. I'm calling this meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. Dr. Roach,
>> please roll call. >> Yes, Mr. Anonson >> here. >> Uh, Miss Ford is not with us. She says she's having technical difficulties. Mr. Schmidt >> here. >> Miss Francois >> here.
>> Mr. Kovac is not with us, but he said he'll join about seven. Miss Davenport is not here. And Chairman Farooqi >> Oh, here. >> Please stand up for the pledge of allegiance.
I pledge allegiance allegiance >> to the flag of United States of America >> and to the republic >> for which it stands. >> One nation nation >> indivisible with liberty and justice for
>> justice for all. >> Thank you. I have my statement in front of me. Let me read my statement. In accordance with the provision of chapter 231 New Jersey public laws of
1975, the open public meeting act educate notice to this meeting has been provided by the giving of notice to the corer news posting the agenda in the public
lobby of this building 48 hours prior to this meeting. delivery of this notice to the Franklin Township uh clerk at at least 48 hours prior to this meeting and mailing notice to those persons properly requesting to be mailed
notification of meetings at least 48 hours prior to this meeting. Motion to open meeting for public meeting. >> Motion to open. >> Second. Any second?
Somebody seconded it already. >> Okay. Is there anyone from public as there is no >> from the public chairman. >> Okay. As there is no one from the public.
So motion to close meeting for public comments. Move. >> So moved. >> Eyes. I >> and you absent >> motion to close the public meeting
>> to close >> motion closed. In regards to the minutes, is there anything any changes in the meeting previous meeting like reorganization meeting February 3, 2026 monthly board meeting? do have something
for the uh reorg meeting on page 17 under appointment of committees uh municipal liaison it has Miss France Ramen Barrison and Mr. Schmidt and I
believe this is usually for council people and I don't recall my name being mentioned for this anyway but I do appreciate the promotion uh but I don't think I belong on the municipal liaison
committee can you advice >> yeah I will update that so I'm removing uh commissioner Schmidt. >> Correct. >> Okay. And Commissioner Baronson and
Commissioner Frank, are you both on the municipal leaison or just Mr. France? >> Well, you can remove me and leave R on there. >> We voted you on there when you weren't even at the meeting.
>> Oh, I see. It's a costa cost of missing a meeting council. >> That is correct. You snooze, you lose. >> So what's the pleasure with this? Is uh Commissioner Francois and Commissioner Ambaron. >> Don't you usually just have one?
>> Yes. >> Yeah. Just just have Miss Franis. I mean, if she's unable to, I'm happy to fill in. >> Okay. I will update that. >> Okay. >> Okay. Okay, I come to reports
executive executive project status summary. >> Thank you, chairman. And if the background noise gets too much, just please let me know. Joe, if I can interrupt you, we have um the we have to
do a vote for the reorg minutes first and then we have the regular meeting to vote minutes for as well. >> You can ask for a motion to approve the minutes. I already spoke with about motion of the meeting minutes in regards
to meetings there. I I already spoke that is any any changes in the minutes. >> Yeah. What happens was there was a change. So you would want to >> they have to vote on it. They have to vote on it. >> Okay. I move to approve the minutes with
the changes that Commissioner Schmidt mentioned. >> I'll second that. Okay. So you have to ask for call for the votes for approval. >> Chairman. >> Uh is there eyes?
>> I >> I >> no absent is absent. Okay. I'm going to move to the other reports. Okay. Daniel, you can go ahead with your report, please. Oh, a correction. We still have to vote on the
regular minutes as well. That was the reorg minutes. Now we have the regular working minutes from February 3rd. I'll >> make a motion to accept the regular meeting minutes as is. >> Seconded.
>> Okay. I >> I >> I >> no >> I >> absent. Okay. Should I move further? >> Yes. Okay. About uh
executive director you can go ahead proceed. Thank you, chairman. Okay. Um, under our legal services, we're still conducting public bids, uh, managing a Green Hill Manor estates,
meetings, resolutions. uh the easement filing of deed for the high bay garage land conservation easement, the PSCG easement agreement, bankruptcies, general support and the solar project
PDA under that solar project. Uh the attorney is working with Schneider Electric on the final wording of the agreement which I think we are at the final war wording uh point of that
agreement. Final draft was received but it is uh needing a discussion between the authority attorney and myself. After that's um after that's conduct conducted, we should be ready to move forward with the engagement with
Schneider Electric. Um our finance platform upgrade and migration that's being uh completely managed by Dr. Roach. Uh Dr. Roach, I'd like to just ask you if you have uh any updated report on that for the board.
The final thing that we'll get to do now that we've received the adopted budget is we can go ahead and update all the numbers and that'll be completed. >> Thank you, Dr. Roach. >> You're welcome. >> Uh, as previously mentioned, the High
Garage is at its uh it's really finalized. We did we do have a fully executed easement agreement that's been filed with the Somerset County Clerk's Office and recorded. Um I think that the last obligation we have is the landscape
design and implementation. Uh Brookline Avenue sewer area rehabilitation. Uh the MTH work is about approximately 36% complete. The overall completion is 65%. that includes the uh main to house and
the uh service lateral lining. Uh for the Brookline grants under the R program, uh we exhausted the county grant of 3 million which is really great and a $2 million grant through the municipality.
We just received a $1,ion26,000 check and uh we have a balance that we could draw from approximately 300,000 and change. The Western Canal pump station rebuild
and move project that's going uh forward nicely. We do have a draft NJD permit plans and permit application uh completed. It is ready for uh the authority review. Our next meeting with
PSENG is March 6th, 2026. And we do have a discussion on a final easement draft uh which is under consideration right now for our commerce drive pump station rehabilitation. PSNG planning and design
phase applications been completed and being reviewed by the PSNG uh staff. In the last month, our interior electrical equipment has been installed. That completes our projects and our
status of that. If there's no other questions, I could go right into the executive director's report. Okay, I will go into my report for the uh for the past month. As of February 28th, we received in checks
that were deposited three 3,575,643.73. Fiscal year to date collected 13 million $430,24263. Penalties generated for the month were very high this past month. Uh unusually high. That was $23,4651.
Our expenses as of January 31st, the expenditures were $580,2085, giving us a fiscal yeartoate expenditure of 7,219,59255. Our cash position as of January 31st, 2025.
In the category of unrestricted, we have 2,331,9020. Under restricted, we have 14,612,642.97. Under designated, we have 7,87,9216, giving us a total cash net position of 24,32,55423. Under discussion items, I'm bringing up
our budget. We have received our signed approved budget certification. for the 2526 cycle. We received that just u yesterday I
believe from the state. The new budget process is beginning this month under banks. We had a um a big bump in the road this past month with our uh our relationship with TD Bank where we were
unable to uh effectuate our cash wire transfers from TD Bank to uh Bank of New York Melon. In addition to that, um both a Dr. Roach and I were not
appropriately listed on there in such a way where we were authorized to make those wire transfers at for a short period of time. We found them to be unresponsive and unknowing how to fix this and they
were unknowing who to call to fix it. So, I went through the New Jersey Banking Association, my contacts there, who uh contacted some very highlevel people who quickly got on the case and they rectified the
situation and now everything's flowing smoothly with TD Bank and Bank of New York under uh it and our computers. Our new IT vendor is fully in place.
They are going to um or they already have uh started our cyber security training and they've already deployed our mobile detection and response products that will uh further keep us safe from
predators. Under shared services, I'll note we did have um a couple of snowstorms recently. I'm sure you all aware our operations staff was um operated in a superior
manner. They were very proactive. They maintained and prepped all our equipment and supplies. They were on the ground and on campus before the snow started falling. And they kept up with the snowfall. and we
were cleared out and back in service before anyone even woke up the next morning. So, hats off to our operations staff for our solar initiative. As you understand, the uh project development
agreement is in its final stages. Uh just needs a final review by the authority and our legal services. There's been no update in our rules, rates, and regulations in the last month, but there are amendments on the
table that we will be considering once we consider and approve them. We'll be sending that out to first to the license operators to get their input. Our internal engineering, we have had zero zero new connections for the month
of February of 2026. We are expecting almost 94 new connections for the year. However, they did review two applications that went through the technical review committee of the township and those are in
process. Our relationship with the city of New Brunswick, we did just finalize our annual reconciliation of 2025. There's a little bit of bump in the road. Uh, as
New Brunswick at first did not concede to our calculations, but as of this morning, they did concede and we are to a credit. Uh, where they stand with the updated
amended agreement, I have no idea. Uh, I'll report more later uh once they send us something. Again, we we received $5 million in grant money, three from the county, two minister through the
township. We've gone through all of that money uh with the Brookline project. All except for about three somewhere between three and $400,000. All of our projects are in the green. All of our projects are moving as
expected. and we see no red or caution flags on any of our projects. We're really in a good place right now. Um,
under staffing, uh, I won't go into details. We did get a resignation, uh, from an administrative position. I'll discuss that with the personnel committee offline. Uh our um standard resolutions we have
payroll, operating expense, renewal and replacement and escrow. We have no general fund and no north track. We do have two additional resolutions. One is approving the increase to the public bidding and quote thresholds
due to the new rules from the state. And the other is a resolution approving the um purchase with um Evokqua for our uh odor control chemicals.
I don't see any reason I don't I see I don't know of any reason to go into executive session. I will note that under operations all pump stations are being managed and all issues are being addressed as normal and there have been
no on the job injuries for the past month. That concludes both of my reports. Chairman, if anyone has any questions, just let me know. Oh, also Commissioner Davenport, to answer your question, I'm in the US Virgin Islands.
So, you hear the crashing of the waves dancing on my ear and the Caribbean breeze dancing off my shoulders complimenting the sun-kissed skin on my back. >> You were just pissing me off that whole background balcony summer breeze type of
look. I was just having a little issue with that. But thank you for the invite. >> Trying to stay blessed. I have one question, Mr. Chairman. >> Yes. Go ahead. >> Yes, ma'am. >> So, uh, was this the first time you
tried to do a wire transfer with TD Bank? >> No, we do, uh, mandatory wire transfers every month, and they're dictated by the Bank of New York, who is our bond trustee. Mhm. >> So, um I've I made the decision that we
will do in-person wire transfers, which is more secure. It's a little bit, you know, time out of our day, but it's more secure than us logging into a website and us doing it. >> I was just wondering why all of a sudden you had that issue.
>> Uh, a couple reasons. one uh somehow TD Bank mixed up um Dr. Roach's identity with uh other accounts unassociated with the authority from her past. >> Okay. >> She got knocked off that list and you
know in the fall. So I started going there >> then. No, my name is also over there at TD Bank. I already signed over there. >> Excuse me. My name is also with a TD Bank,
>> right? As a signary, not not necessarily authorized to make wire transfers. >> Yep. >> So when I went there, they were asking me for a token, which I was never set up to use a token,
and it got blocked. In addition to that, the personnel that we were used to using all either move moved on or got transferred. >> I see. >> It was like a perfect storm of everything. >> Okay. >> But then they cleared it up within a day
or two. >> I see. Okay. Thank you, Vanessa, for clarifying why the our executive director looks the way he looks. I wasn't aware of that small detail. >> I want the balcony now. >> Okay.
>> Okay. >> I I have a question chairman on the uh engineering report. Um uh there was a New Brunswick uh is getting our uh readings uh from the water department
for the flow analysis. Um so is that gross usage uh Joe or is it by household data? So uh household data collectively
we our agree our the baseline to our agreement is an estimated payment but then they insisted we wrote this agreement that we reconcile a portion of that uh charge based upon the water
usage within that area. So if the water usage goes up we pay more. If the water usage goes down, we pay less since we've been in this agreement. And we uh we're getting a
credit like 60 $70,000 every year. So uh the irony here is they insisted on that to use that reconciliation method. We didn't want to use it, but in the end
it we're paying $60,000 less every year. Oh, >> I I mean it's a it's really egg on their face. I asked them to please go to a model that's just flat rate. Flat rate is simple. It's easy. It's less work.
It's less cost. But they didn't want to do it. >> Okay. >> Yeah. There's a reason why you asked that question. I'll we'll talk I'll talk privately about that later. >> Yeah. Once we hit January, CME then uh goes to the water department and we get
the water uh meter readings from them for the whole year >> and then they apply it to the uh ru rubrics of the of the agreement. >> Okay. Okay. Moving forward. Committee reports,
negotiation and personal Uh yeah. So uh we had one meeting with the union. Um they have given us a list of their uh asks and they left the door open that it's it's not a rigid ask and
they're willing to negotiate. Um, since then I have uh gotten comparative data uh from the township uh union contract um the public works uh and technicians
and in in that union. Uh so we have to set up another meeting internally uh uh to go over that data uh compared to uh you know what we have on our uh existing contract. Uh and once we have a um a a
strategy to uh respond uh we will uh get together with the union for a second meeting probably in the next uh couple of weeks hopefully. >> Okay. Okay. Municipal raise on
>> nothing to report. >> Thank you. construction. Uh I can say that I have gone through few projects but because of the weather there was not much activity seen.
>> Anything else Joe about construction? Uh, no sir. The only active construction right now is at um Commerce Drive and I haven't seen much since the snow started falling, but I'm sure they'll be
resuming. I do know in the last month they did install the interior equip electrical equipment, but not not a whole lot since the snow's been on the ground. >> Thank you. Safety
Uh, as Joe reported, um, there were no accidents and/or injuries for the month. I'd like to note that the uh operations staff and I believe the front office staff also uh attended separately uh standard uh CPR uh training, basic first aid and AE train AED training this
month as well as we had our annual OSHA inspections for all our overhead hoists and they and the two man lifts at our pump stations and they all passed. That's an annual inspection. >> Thank you. Frank. Okay. Resolutions.
Consent agenda. All approval of the resolutions will be done by consent agenda. All of the item listed are considered to be of a routine measure thereby requiring only one motion and one second
for all items. Motion to move. >> So move. Second >> I >> I >> no absent abstent. Okay. There are few
resolutions, payroll account, operation expense account, renewal and replacement, escro accounts and uh these are five four accounts uh like payroll account 030326
188,567.73 operation expense account 03032 2026 2,34545,929.63 Renewal and replacement 030326 is 64,161.64 escrow account 0303
2026 is 13,75650. Resolution number five 0303 2025 or 26 I'm sorry resolution approving increase to the public building >> be voting separately on uh resolution
five and six >> uh you want separate is this is only >> yes those should be separate Mr. chairman. >> Okay. Right. I'm sorry about that. Motion to move for resolution number five.
>> Whoa, whoa, whoa. One through four. We already voted on. >> No. >> Yes. >> Yeah. I thought he did a vote before. He just read those one through fours. So, >> okay. One to four. A motion to move.
move. >> I'll second. >> I >> I >> absent s abstent. Okay. Resolution number five
0303 2026. Resolution approving. Can you please? >> Okay. Resolution approving increases to the public bidding and court threshold
effective July 1st, 2025. Motion to move the move. Second. >> I I >> No. Absent. Abstent.
Resolution number 6 0303 2026. Resolution authorizing the award of a contract with the Aqua Water Technologies LLC for the purchase and delivery of order controlled chemicals
on behalf of the Franklin Township Sewer Authority. Motion to move. >> So move second. I'll >> I'll second it. Uh, but I have a couple of questions on this resolution.
Um, my first question is how long does $2.94 million worth of control chemicals, odor control chemicals last? How long Well, how long does that last?
>> Scott, you want to jump in? I believe the contract is uh is a total for two years if I'm correct. Um I'm not I don't think that we expend the whole full 2 million. Um I believe that's just a budgeted amount for both the bioxide and peroxide uh products that we use
plus the service we get with the equipment every month. >> Does that answer the it's so it's not just for the chemicals, it's also a matter of a service. >> Correct. They come out once a month and service all the equipment. We do not own the equipment. They own the equipment,
but they also meter all our outfalls, which helps us stay on point with the delivery of product so we don't overuse or underuse uh giving us issues uh downstream of the pump station outfalls. >> Okay. I do see in the body of it, it
says for the purpose of creating, managing, operating, and maintaining and improving. Okay. All right. So my second question is can you if it doesn't take too long can you explain how this system works how this odor
control system works? So it the each station that has odor and corrosion control is there's a it's a pumping system a large tank with product. It is pumped uh into the basically the wet well at the pump
station. So it goes through the wet well the pumps the whole force man and then where it really starts to to prove itself is at the outfall and then downstream of the pump stations pump. um that will prevent the uh you know
buildup of sulfides uh that usually will cause corrosion eating the concrete on the interior of the manholes if you have asbestous concrete pipe concrete pipe and so forth. Plus it eliminates the odors which you would get from homeowners you know residents andor
industrial users. >> Thank you Scott. That was that was a good concise explanation. >> Keep it short. Thank you. Uh Scott, can you provide me the contract agreement with the uh water treatment the technologies?
What is the scope of work and how it works? Could you please provide me the contract? >> Yeah, I believe uh maybe April can get you that. I don't know if I have that, but I could probably give you a summary if you'd like. A summary of what maintenance they do and service they provide us monthly. Would that would
that help? I need to know the scope of work and uh how the what the how the procedure how they work like that and what is the procedure for using these chemicals. >> I will follow up with that. I will send
him the full uh contract. >> Very good. >> Good. Thank you very much. Uh motion to move. Uh that's all about resolutions. Motion to open executive session.
>> Uh nothing tonight, Mr. Chairman, for executive session. >> Did we? >> Thank you very much, sir. >> On the last one. >> There was only second. >> I >> We did not vote on that last on the last
resolution number seven. >> I just had I had a question. Is this a new uh vendor that we're using or we've been using them for a while? >> We are an existing vendor. It was a contract renewal. We're currently on an extension because our contract expired
at the end of last month. They gave us a like a 30-day 60-day extension so that we can go out to bid for them. And they were the sole um bidder for this product. Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> Motion to move for this resolution.
>> I think we already seconded it. So, we just need to vote, right? question. >> I I >> no abstain. >> Okay, there was all we have gone through the motion of the open executive
session. >> Uh yeah, >> nothing on. Yeah, motion to close the executive session. Move to close. >> I'll second. >> I
>> I absent action item from meeting any item. Second >> motion to adjoin. I >> I >> I >> I
>> no absent in abstent. >> Thank you very much everybody. Hey.