So, we're going to go right into the uh city manager's agenda. Thank you. Uh up first is Chris Wheaten, our city engineer, uh regarding the Bergen County Open Space Municipal Park
Improvement Program, fiscal year 25, the grant for Stive Parks, uh Serenity Garden. Evening everybody. Good evening. Uh so tonight we're conducting a public hearing uh because the city is pursuing
a grant from uh Burden County open space uh for a Stide Park serenity garden. Uh there has been a concept developed um by our consultant Neglia and uh so that's shown on the screen. There are also a
few handouts uh over on the table if anybody wants a copy for themselves. Uh the purpose of the hearing tonight is just to elicit any public comments uh that people may have uh on this uh this concept and um it's a it's a very nice
concept. It's going to be placed uh in the uh the parking area, the expanded parking area of uh of Sty Park uh next to Kohl's Brook. Uh we will be reclaiming that area, removing pavement and uh
installing uh installing a a variety of features um including including uh wild flowers um uh let's go to the next slide
please Frank. There it is. Okay. Uh so the the the garden will include wild flowers, a grassy meadow area, uh pathway uh of either pavers or stone dust. Uh it will include kiosks for uh informational
purposes. Uh there will be a pollinator house uh and um you know different information stations to uh uh educate along the way. There will be benches uh lighting uh security uh cameras and uh
and and trash receptacles. And next slide please Frank. So again, the purpose for the discussion tonight is uh to hear uh public uh input uh or or questions or comments. Uh these if there are any comments this evening, they uh
will be heard but not answered tonight, we will be collecting those comments uh for consideration and uh and passing them along to uh Bergen County Open Space uh for their consideration in the grant award. And uh the concept that's
been developed uh will be uh f uh further detailed and uh and moved into you know detailed design uh with uh the aid of the Hackinack Environmental Commission and green team. So at this point I guess I will open it up if there
are any comments from the public if anybody would like to speak. Actually um the mayor needs to do a motion. Yes. To open it to public com open up to the public to comment on the park offer. All in favor? I I Anyone from the public who'd like to speak to this uh concept
of the park uh to give your opinion, please come forward. Miss Somerville. Hi, good evening everyone. So, no issue with the concept on the park. Uh beautiful and think it's an, you know, awesome opportunity for not just the city but for everyone in, you know, in
that Liveron style park and for us. question was um raised by someone in reference to the dog park, right? I guess there was a proposal a while back for a dog park and they were asking if that was included in the plans for the
serenity garden. So, we did address there was a big outpour uh people asking for a dog park there years ago. We actually did a large uh engineering and spent quite a consider considerable amount of money to do it.
when we went to move forward with that dog park. Unfortunately, we had an even larger group of residents come out to a council meeting against it. So, uh, at that point, we we tabled it and and put it on the side. Um, I would I would
consider a dog park again, but I'd have to have both sides in a room. Mhm. So, we don't go through what we went through last time because it was uh almost feel like everybody wanted it, wanted it, wanted it, and then we got ambushed at the end. So, it was like uh it really
surprised us. So, uh, that area calls for a dog park because we were just there recently and watch dogs just pooping on the grass where the kids play. I mean, it's it really needs a dog park down there. Yeah. I I mean, people walk their dogs, right? Right. So, I
walk retractable leash to make sure that you have them. I've seen people let their dogs run loose. So, that's the idea. You get a lot of people let their dogs loose in the park and you have children there, too. So, they're fenced in. At least everybody Exactly. in an enclosed area. One is a safety concern,
right? You never you you never know. So that's something that again we'd have to do like an extensive some extensive research with the people in the area before we even address it again. Okay. So, but we would consider we're still considering other areas of the city for dog parks because we need them. We're we're totally in favor of
dog parks. I mean, great. We're looking at Johnson and Fini. Johnson and Fashini, you know, as possible alternatives. Yep. Okay. All right. Thank you everyone. Appreciate it. Thank you. Next person. Seeing nobody from the public, motion to
close to the public. Offer. Second. All in favor? I I none opposed. So we And this will go to the environmental commission. Chris. Yes. For them to see. Have they seen it yet? Do you know the renderings? I believe they have. Yes. Uh yeah. Redevelopment director Albert. Let
me ask you something. Who was doing the design of the park? Neglia. negative. Okay. So now what is the stage right now? We are ready to go out for bids or what is the next step? Well, we we're applying for funding right now. So we
don't Yes, we trying to get a grant. Okay. We're trying to get a grant. So if the grant comes through then we can proceed. You think we need maybe the estimate from the estimate from Neglia uh is is u about 600,000. Okay. That with the lights and everything. Yes. Yes. With fully developed soup and nuts.
That's everything. got the money. So, well, we got the open space grant. Hopefully, county open space grant we're going to apply for. See if we can get some funding there. But what one of the more expensive thing injector remove the asphalt, right? That that is costly. Yes. I I don't recall
the detailed uh cost. I got a friend that can do that. Yeah. Excellent. Excellent. We we we did it in Atlantic Street Park, right? That was a paved parking lot. So, we could do it again in style, I'm sure. And and it'll be lovely. you know, bring green space, especially that close to the brook. I
mean, I just think it makes a lot more sense. No, thank you. Appreciate it. Thank you. You're up. All right. Uh, number two, uh, is a presentation by Mr. John Peters, uh, from the Main Street Business Alliance, uh, regarding
the Meet Me on Maine 2025 on street marketing campaign. Good evening, everyone. Good evening. So, we just in uh just because we'd like to go out and keep everybody a breast of what's happening, we're about to launch just a little mini campaign on Main Street called Meet Me on Maine. Uh it
involves uh just about four four sideways banners, which I'll go over, and then this this banner across uh Main Street. It this is a a vinyl banner. It's nothing it's nothing that uh is is, you know, permanent by any stretch. The the the poles are there for that use.
These poles were built put there I guess around four years ago for a banner, but a banner has never been installed. So, uh we we're arranging for that um the top of the poles to get the hardware that's needed. The the banner is a two-sided banner, and uh it is, like I
said, vinyl, but it's not it's not flimsy. It's it's meant This is exactly what it's meant for. We're going to be working with uh HPD traffic to make sure that it goes to the correct height, which is to allow either for a tractor trailer or the firet trucks on the highest side. And you'll notice it's not very wide because if you make it very
deep, they turn into sails and start uh you know, buckling and and things to that effect. So, that's that. On the bottom right hand corner, you'll see the flowers. The mulch is pulled down. Everything that was dead from this winter um uh has been pulled. And these flowers, while they were supposed to go
in this week, everybody knows we had some snow and some frost. So, we wanted to make sure that we didn't lose all those flowers. So, those are getting put uh out the last week in April, the first week in May. Next slide. Uh these are the four the four mini banners that we were talking about. These polls were
also also installed about four years ago and um without any banners. Some that now we're finally being able to put that in. We're this right now the initial campaign is meet me on Maine. uh later those may change to music on Maine or anything like that. There's not very big so you can't put a whole lot of words on those things. And those are the four
white ones. Yeah. Got a closeup. Yes, there's four down there uh down by but Demrest. Nice. Next slide. Nice touch. And this is this is just what the banners look like up close. And like I said, they'll change uh if if there's any type of campaign. So when Hackit Sacktoberfest
rolls around, that's what that's what'll be up on the banner. Right. But right now, we're just doing the four. We're not doing We're not doing the one across the street because we're doing the veteran banners and we wanted to make sure we don't make it too crowded. I thought that I thought that tonight was to come and present the one across the
street as well. We could present them all, but I think, you know, just we've talked about this that we know that this is what they're requesting, but you know, I think what we're suggesting is let's take it slow and let's see because we want the veteran banners up too. Let's do the four and let's do the veteran banners and then if everything
looks kosher and good and maybe we could consider adding the other. I mean that's my opinion. I think we have to take it slow. Rest of the council of course should weigh in on that too. So John, let me ask you the banner that goes across the street. Does it have cutouts for air? It it's it's meant it's meant
to do that. So there's portions of it that are perforated and it's done that. And again it's it's it's fairly tiny, fairly innocuous. Yep. Um and and honestly, deputy mayor, we were hoping they' just come tonight and and see if we could um We're still worried about trucks, the size, and the height. I know, but like I said, so nothing will
happen. It's it's being put up by um Gate um Gates flag, so they're completely familiar. Matter of fact, they came and said that these are the dimensions. Please came please um check it with HPD. Um and we do have some trucks that shouldn't be on Maine, but they sometimes show up during the night
on Maine. And uh we we've certainly taken that into account, too. So the largest ones that we've seen are the big tractor trailers which have no business on Maine but uh ironically see them every once in a while take a take a wrong turn somewhere. So they're there. So this this won't impact anything like that. And it's it's put up with um
decent enough to hold it up, but it's also uh it if anything hits it, it's not going to cause any phenomenal damage. But again, it's going to be up high enough to where there shouldn't be any issues unless someone drives a crane down the street. Uh which happens. That was my next That was my statement
because when we do construction, we see the cranes. We do see the cranes. Yeah. I know. I mean, everybody, we could do the four, we could do all five or I mean, those polls were meant for that type of banner. Why would we not? I don't know. Go back and look at the
picture. I mean, I think we have to go simple. We don't even have the veterans up yet, so we don't want to make it look too bad. But I don't I don't understand. To me, this is just me, Kath. I don't understand what it has to do with the the veteran banners. It's totally because you're going to look down that street and
you're going to see a lot of banners is but it's only momentarily, right? No, because the banner being removed what? The banners are going to be there from what I forgot. Ally, was it Memorial Day to Veterans Day? Veterans Day and these would be up all the time. I mean, if you
guys are fine with having them all I'm with the rest of the council. I'm just giving my opinion. I don't I don't have an issue with that. I mean, it's I think it adds a nice touch to the street. It's not It's a nice welcome. It's It's um It's And it's two-sided, so And it's only
down on one side of the street. We wished it was at the other end of M. There's only one the whole length of one mile stretch. That's the going across. It's a It's a little further up. Okay. This is down by uh the park. No, down by
Bridge Street. All that's and I guess and the others are at de the four other ones are at Denver's place. They can be changed when you want to announce something like for July 4th or whatever. Well, he just said yeah, you can like October Fest could go up there or July 4th and it can also it can also
go on these four small ones and the and there's this four small flag poles like those those. Yes, that's right at Denver's place. They were put there purposely for that. I know I'm representing the board tonight and um I I know they they feel really strongly about having a a welcome to Main Street,
especially now where we're really trying to um promote all the the cultural activities happening and all the new restaurants that are opening. We feel like it's finally time. In fairness, before I've deputy mayor knows I've been asking for banners for a while. Um looking back at this now, now is clearly
the proper time. Uh everybody everybody strongly believes in it. I say give it a shot. see how it works. Give it a shot. It's I'll go along with, you know, as long as the truck's not going to hit it and cause damage to the poles, I'm okay with it. Have like a breakaway type of system on it. So, if
it were to get They should be They should be higher than 18 ft, right? 17 18. It was 17 something. And we said that we So, it's the tractor trailers and uh the fire trucks are the biggest concern. Okay. It doesn't work. We get them out. That's
not permanent. Okay. Next. That's all for me. Thanks, John. That's it. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you, John. Uh, up next, another presentation. This one is by our CFO, Mr. Mangan. Uh, regarding a bond
ordinance for introduction. Excuse me. We have Congress. Congress. I have I just had one. Okay. Good evening everybody. Um tonight later on at the uh business portion of the meeting uh you'll see that there are
three bond ordinances that are on for introduction. So I'm here tonight to uh two things. First describe the bond ordinances. And I also want to describe why we have three. That's not typically what we do. We typically do a multi-purpose ordinance and it's it's
rare that we would have three all at once, but there's there's a reason for that. Uh, so first what I want to do is describe the three bond ordinances. Okay, first up, you have ordinance number 20-2025. This is the Anderson Street streetscape project. Uh, city engineers
has reported on this a few times. We've been batting this around. This is a streetscape similar to Main Street that'll run Anderson from Union up to Lynden uh Lyn Lynon Street. Okay. And uh this project is
1,500,000. Okay. But we also we received a Department of Transportation Transportation Alternatives Program Grant of 1,35,000. Uh that's a that's a TAP grant. Okay. um which is the main part
of what that uh taking care of this ordinance. So that means that in this particular case, this ordinance, the net debt for the city is 195,000. But remember that um the way our debt management policy works is we
incur the debt, we pay the bill, when the grant comes in, it reimburses us. Okay. Um but we do have to incur the debt. Okay? That's uh that's the Anderson Street ordinance. Okay. Next up is ordinance number 21-25. This is a multi-purpose ordinance
and this has park improvements, uh vehicle acquisitions and improvements to our pump station and buildings. Okay. The total amount of this ordinance is 5,980,000. Okay. But um as the city
engineer just described with the Serenity Park uh open space grant that's included in this ordinance where we first we have a greenacres application out for 1.2 million and the Bergen County open space application for
303,000. Okay. Uh we're eligible for both these grants. So that even though it's an application, we're pretty much uh pretty much guaranteed that we're going to get it. Okay. Um, and as deputy mayor said, we're also going to draw
half a million dollars for this out of the Hackinac open space trust fund. So, of this $5.9 million ordinance, really the net debt to the city is $3.9 million. And let me just explain what's
in this ordinance. Uh, first you have the park improvements. Okay. Sny Park Serenity Garden, which you just saw, is in this ordinance. Also the Fini Park field lighting. Uh we went out to bid back in December for Fini Park. We haven't awarded yet specifically because
the alternates were the lighting for fields 8, 9, and 10. And what we want to do is secure the funding so that when we award the contract, we'll be awarding the base and also the lighting for all three fields. That's in this ordinance. We're also buying another fire engine.
Okay, if you remember, we purchased a fire engine last year and we'll be purchasing another one this year. The lead time on on getting a build on a fire engine is over a year. Um, and that's why we we have to kind of move on this. Okay. We're also purchasing uh
police vehicles in this bond ordinance. And we have the replacement of the Kennedy Street pumps. Okay. The city engineers reported on this as well. The Kennedy Street pump station has three pumps. Of the three pumps, one is down
completely and one is kind of on its last legs. Um, that leaves just one pump. Uh, that's a dangerous situation. So, what we're going to do is we're going to replace two of the three pumps in the Kennedy Street pump station. In addition, we're going to install a pump
station remote monitoring system. We've been doing a lot of work on pump stations the last few years, not just Kennedy. Uh we did the well Kennedy we did the generator last year. Uh we did the motor at the Broas Creek pump station. We've done work at Mercer.
We've done work at Anderson Street. Um so what the this remote system will do is it'll let us know if there's a pump failure or a power failure, anything like that, and they'll be able to tell us remotely. Okay. Sometimes in a real heavy storm, we actually have to have
somebody physically at the pump station to make sure that it, you know, that it doesn't go off. Okay. Also included in this ordinance is uh the funding needed to finish off the fire headquarters remediation project. I don't if you remember, but we had a presentation by
uh Suburban Engineering uh a few months ago about what's still needed to finish that project off once and for all. Whoops. Sorry about that.
And there we go. Okay. Um All right. So, this is ordinance number 21-25. Final ordinance on for tonight is ordinance 22-25. And this is storm water equipment we're buying for the Department of Public Works. Uh this particular grant
uh this particular ordinance is $1,220,000. We're going to finance this through the I bank. And if you recall back in March, uh when I gave a finance status of the sewer projects, I had mentioned that um late last year, the I
bank came out with the I bank storm water initiative and set the criteria for eligibility and Hackasac is eligible. So, what that means is that um we're eligible for 100% principal forgiveness on this. So, we'll be
incurring debt of $1,220,000 and we'll be paying back zero. Okay. The equipment that's included in this ordinance includes uh we're going to buy a second vac truck. We bought a vac truck, you remember a few years ago, uh
they're used to clean the uh keep the catch basins clean. uh that alleviates flooding by keeping the storm water system running. We're going to buy two pickup trucks that DPW is going to use specifically for storm water use, which makes them eligible for this this uh
program. And we're going to purchase two trailer mounted portable pumps. Um now, when we do the construction on the Kennedy Street station, we'll be taking two pumps out of service, leaving one. Um, that's dangerous because you only
have one pump station. So, we're going to do is we're going to have these two trailer mounted pumps as a backup for Kennedy during the construction of the pump uh of the pump replacement. And when that project is done, we'll have these two trailer mounted pumps that
we'll be able to use around the city to pump out different areas. Um, and again, this is all 100% uh principal forgiveness. Okay, so real quick just to recap, ordinance number 20-25 is the
Anderson Street streetscape which includes a TAP grant of $1,35,000. Ordinance 21-25 in has park improvements and in that park in the uh park improvements, we're anticipating a $1.2 million green
acres grant and a $33,000 Bergen County open space grant. Also in the ordinance is the purchase of a f fire engine, police vehicles, the Kennedy Street pump station repairs, and the remediation of the fire headquarters
on State Street. Finally, ordinance number 20-25 is the storm water equipment for DPW with 100% principal forgiveness. And if I could just on the subject of principal forgiveness. Now I know that last month uh at the m March
25th meeting I gave a financial overview of the sewer program and I just wanted to repeat it because it's important to understand that back in 2021 uh we adopted our debt management policy
and it's our policy. It's it's it's our intention to incur as much debt as we need to because you know, as we were saying in 2021, the debt isn't the problem. The problem is raising taxes to pay the debt
back. So, what we've been doing is we've been uh financing projects only where we're able to repay the debt without increasing our debt service budget, without increasing taxes. The way we do
that is through securing grants and principal forgiveness in the I bank. Uh at the March 25th meeting, you'll recall I said that so far in well since 2018, the city's appropriated $96 million uh
in sewer repairs to alleviate flooding. Now, of that 96 million, we've already received $42.6 6 million in grants and principal forgiveness. Well, we've already received it. And that we're
anticipating another $25.1 million in future grants and principal forgiveness. So, of that $96 million appropriation, uh we're actually going to get funding of $67.8 million for it. So, borrow $96
million. we're going to be paying back about $28 million. That's by design. That's how our debt policy works. Uh you recall I had said back in 2021, the prior administration had a debt policy
where once you got to a certain level, then they would wouldn't incur any more debt. Uh the problem with that is that once you get to that level, without debt, you can't do improvements. You can't pave streets, you can't fix sewers, you can't buy garbage trucks, you can't do any of that stuff. So, we
had said that we threw that policy out and instead we were going to concentrate on incurring debt, but not raising taxes to pay the debt back because we wanted to do the improvements, but we don't want to raise taxes in order to do them.
And so far, it's worked out very, very well. Okay. So, like I said, these three ordinances are on tonight for introduction. uh be happy to answer any questions anybody has. Steph question. Thank you, Jean. Okay. Basically, just
again to recap it so everyone does understand is so all of these monies are currently in our debt statement. Yes, we will. And the way it works is with any of the principal forgiveness, with any of the grants, the city's not allowed to receive that money until the work is
done. So for us to do that, we incur the debt. We do the job, we get the money, and we pay the debt. So truly, as Jim's saying, sewer work alone, $96 million is only going to cost us less than 30 million. It's only $28 million. And I
think the key point here, which Jim has presented other times, is debt management is critical when you're running a city. uh you know just like you know when you're doing things in your own home you know every few years I have to purchase a new car or I have to lease a new car or you know I have to do
we have to do that at a tremendous magnitude because we have police cars we have fire cars we have DPW equipment so managing it the way Jim's managing it is saying we keep a level so that there's never spikes. Okay? Because that's what kills our taxpayers. If all of a sudden
we have to, oh no, we have to buy three garbage trucks at $350,000 a pop, right? That hits all at once and taxes have to go up. So instead, like we're buy, we bought a fire truck last year. Yes. And we're buying another firetruck this year because we know what's coming. The life
history of these based on the fire regulations and the safety of our firemen says you can only have these trucks in in use for for so many years. So we plan ahead and we we bought one last year so we bought one this year instead of saying uh oh now we have to pay and these trucks are over this one's
over a million dollars $1.2 million $1.2 $2 million. So, these aren't little easy inexpensive purchases. So, I think congratulations, Jim. You always done a great job in Just just to illustrate the deputy mayor's point, um when I did the annual debt statement, uh which was as
of 123124, our net debt, the city's net debt was $141 million. But you recall at the March 25th meeting, I had announced that we had just received a $4.5 million grant, just received a cash in the bank.
What that means is right off the bat, we reduced our debt by $4.5 million uh dollars and that was for a project funded through the IANK that's been completed. Now, there's other parts, other projects funded through the I Bank that have been completed. Clay Street,
you know, the first three contracts are just about done. It's only the West of Rail that's left. So, what we'll be doing is we'll be permanently financing that in the fall. When we permanently finance that, that's when the principal forgiveness will kick in. Okay. Okay.
Thank you. Thanks, Jim. You'll be here for the council meeting. Yeah. Okay. Thank you. Thanks, Jim. All right. Up next is a presentation that I'm going to be
handling uh regarding uh redevelopment um and a redevelopment report and update for April 2025. That's it. This was still He's lost his little That must be a heavy duty
presentation. It's taking so long to load. It's just my luck. Just my luck. It's completely gone. There you go. All right. You can go to the next slide. Okay. All right. We're going to start
with uh redevelopment in the local economy. Um, of the 4,500 new residents, um, there's a potential for, uh, as much as 70 million annually to the local economy. New residents, uh, patronize
local businesses, which, um, we have new businesses opening all the time. Next slide. Um per redevelopment affordable housing which is always a uh a common common subject uh regarding the redevelopment
and per city ordinance developers must either build affordable housing into their projects or contribute to the affordable housing trust fund. The current balance in our housing trust fund uh for redevelopment projects is approximately
6,331,000 and change of the affordable housing projects that we have either uh that have site pan approval lot t will be 60 units um 251 railroad place will be 24
units which is 100% funded uh which is is a uh 100% % affordable housing facility. Uh 111 Essex Street, 68 units, and that's the same 100%
um of affordable housing. One Essex Street, which is going to be 25 units um with a Hackinack residents preference. and then 60 Kansas Street which is 30 units and that will be uh senior housing
which is also a Hackinack preference Hackinack resident preference total of 207 units this doesn't include uh the inclusion overlay zones are on Maine Johnson Essex and Hudson which are are uh have projects that already approved
or will be approved the Hackinack Housing Authority also administers 500 units which are all uh Hackinac residency approve uh preference. Next redevelopment and public services.
Uh something that's good to is important to know is that regarding sanitation as you know we we do our own garbage and recycling all redevelopment projects have to have private garbage collection and recycle hauling um which is at no
expense to the city or our taxpayers. Uh Hackinac PD uh regarding that their services to the city um there was nearly 2500 units citywide. There was only 1,879 total arrests in a three-year
period and the arrest in the redevelopment projects accounted for about 1.3% of arrest in that same time frame. Similarly with Hackinac fire, they average approximately 6,400 annual runs or calls for service uh in 2022 to
2024 and an average of 207 were in the redevelopment projects. Um so that's about 3.2 2%. Redevelopment and traffic. Um, all redevelopers are required to provide detailed traffic reports before their
plans or site plan applications and before they're approved. Um, and it's important to note that residential projects typically typically generate less uh trips than many of the prior retail uses similar to Sears or an
industrial area like uh the former record site. So notes on pilots. What is a pilot? A pilot is a payment in l of property tax that is typically based on project revenue between 10 to 15%. This takes place for a fixed term
between 10 to 30 years when the project is phased into paying regular property taxes. Why does hackinac use pilot programs or pilots? One, to promote development, which in turn fuels the local economy. Two, to obtain increased
revenue for important projects like parks and infrastructure. And number three, to guard against blight, falling land values, and economic deterioration. Where does the pilot revenue go? The answer is directly into the
budget. As you'll see on this plan, I know it's hard to read uh because it's so far away, but it shows uh all the redevelopment projects, the locations, and what they have paid in pilot fees in 24 23
uh in 23 2023 and 2024 with those numbers here. And you're going to see in a future slide, I'm going to show you how much of a big change that is in things. So it's a what's commonly if you look up somebody's tax records for a redevelopment project we're constantly getting well they get they pay zero
taxes they don't pay zero taxes they're paying the payment in lie of taxes which is the number that's here it's just not shown factors to that are considered by the city regarding pilots the city's decision to use tax abatements must be based on a case-byase analysis of the
benefits of the proposed project. This includes the type and magnitude of the development, the impact of local tax rate on the profitability of the project, the ability of the developer to secure the financing, and the fiscal, excuse me, the fiscal impact on or cost
added to the community. pilot revenue uh which we started our first pilot in 2020 and this if you go up to 2025 which is this current year is currently at 11,21 in pilot revenue. Um future
projections the future projects that are coming up if you go out to 2029 could potentially be $18 million over $18 million. This is the slide that I was going to uh wanted to talk to you about. If you look uh 250 Main Street prior to
this had zero tax revenue. Um 22 Sussex zero tax revenue. Two Kinderac. If you look at two kind that's the Jefferson now that was county property. They were paying no taxes. The Jefferson now is paying approximately $2.3 million in
taxes. the Midtown Bridge, uh, which was the former lot C, the redevelopment project there, they were paying zero taxes because it was a city-owned property. They are now paying $71,000 in taxes. So, some of these projects
um were paying zero taxes and now are paying pilots payments in lie of taxes. Whereas uh even the other property locations that were paying taxes, the the redevelopment made huge increases into the revenue that was brought into the city by performing the revenue uh
performing the redevelopment. To recap in summary, redevelopment contributes to 70 million in city spending annually and that number is constantly increasing. Redevelopment continue uh contributes to affordable housing with 200 affordable
housing units with more units to come. Redevelopment also alleviates flooding by reducing storm water runoff with new plans and new laws that go into effect on how um storm water has to be dealt with. We plant have planting more trees contributing to storm water and sore
projects via sore connection fees. Redevelopment projects currently generate approximately 10 million. Right now it's actually 11 million in pilot revenue with even much higher projections. And lastly, redevelopment is not a sign a significant contra
contributor to school age children with kids and redevelopment projects accounting for less than 2% of the school enrollment. DPW waste collection with sanitary collection of 0% trash and recycling. As I said previously, they
have to handle that on their own. The police arrests were approximately 1.3% in the last 3-year period and the fire department run calls are approximately 3.2% as a result of all the redevelopment in the city thus far. That's all I have. Any questions, mayor,
council? No. Very good. Thanks. Thank you. Okay. Any questions on the public? Wait till the end. Any public questions? We'll open up. Well, yeah, we'll open it
up. Um, next up is another presentation. I'm going to call up our city engineer, Chris Wheaten, for the combined sewer and construction projects update. What about the airport? That's last. Sorry. That's okay. I usually go before her. That's why I don't forget.
How could you? Good evening again. All right, let's talk about construction. Um this is our uh overview. Uh this is rel this is essentially the same as last time at the current projects uh going
on. Our Anderson Street is winding down. Johnson Street um is getting I'm sorry, Johnson Street Johnson Park Sports Complex um is is getting started. Lot A is getting started. Fishini Park is um
in the queue um for this summer. Um and uh we've talked about East Kennedy Pump Station is on its way. Um as soon as we get funding, we will uh get going with uh the equipment procurement and the design uh for the rehab and West of Rail
is on its way as well. um along with our very large uh FEMA hazard mitigation grant um for green the green street area with our [Music]
uh cso separation projects again uh this is an overview of uh what's been done and and what's on the way as I mentioned west of rail uh is the coming project and we're just we've wrapped up everything on that list down to the pink
uh Anderson drainage area. The west of rail project um is shown in blue, light blue here. Uh there's two phases uh phase or uh contract one and contract two. Um these
projects are presently in review with New York City, not sorry, New York City, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Apologies. I spent uh more than a decade working on New York City uh water projects. Um so New
Jersey D uh is reviewing the plans and drawings for West of Rail uh contracts one and two. Um contracts uh both these contracts will include green infrastructure. So there will be uh tree
uh planters, tree filters uh installed at uh appropriate locations throughout the project area and uh we anticipate uh contract one for west of rail will be bidding the end of this summer on the Anderson Street drainage area or it's not not Anderson Street,
it's Anderson drainage area. That's a common u mis uh conception. We're diverting water from the Anderson drainage area. So that water that storm water that uh formerly uh flowed to Anderson uh uh combined sewer overflow facility
on the corner of Anderson uh and River Street is now being collected and going through our new uh Clay Street interceptor. And uh so taking the load off of uh off of the Anderson area uh off of the Anderson CSO and uh putting
it into our new pipes in the in the Clay Street uh and going down to the Court Street uh combined sewer overflow facility. So that's uh again just a an overview of what how this project got its name even though it's going to Court
Street. Uh the sewer separation is uh just wrapping up. Uh all the pipes are installed, the catch basins are uh complete, the curbs and sidewalks are complete, the paving was completed uh last Friday. And um so we're just in the
stages of final restoration uh for this uh Anderson drainage area project. And um uh the in the queue uh is uh uh our design, our detailed
design. We've done preliminary design. We've done um investigations uh of the sewers and cleaning of the sewers in the project area for this um FEMA uh grant-f funded project uh called the Green Street uh flood mitigation project. Um,
and the uh the primary project area is shown on the right and encompasses uh as we've discussed at prior meetings, a large pump station along the river uh off of River Street uh a large
interceptor pipe uh coming up Kansas Street to the uh the primary uh drainage area uh between Green Street and South State Street. uh uh uh west to east and from Essex Street uh almost to uh
Looning Street uh to the south and um uh yeah as an as a possible expansion into this area. We have discussed with FEMA and FEMA is uh is reviewing uh the cost the benefit cost analysis that we have
done for the South Newman area shown on the left hand side of the map. And uh uh if that meets with approval uh with FEMA, that would be uh considered as a future grant opportunity for uh that would also uh go to the pump station
area, the new pump station in parks. Uh as mentioned, we are just getting started with Johnson Park Sports Complex, uh the site and and utility contract. We held a pre-construction kickoff meeting last uh
last week. We will be meeting on site uh tomorrow uh to do a sitewalk and um the city is also uh hosting a a groundbreaking ceremony tomorrow night at 5:30
p.m. with Fini Park. This uh will be a improvement uh a complete replacement of uh fields 8, nine and 10. And uh these will be new turf fields and with underfield drainage. Uh so we hope that
we will accomplish you know more playability, greater uh um greater greater play time u and recovery from uh from rain events uh at Fini Park. And um depending I I suppose on how much of our
uh how much funding we get from Green Acres and other sources um the project will include uh these these other elements batting uh and pitching tunnels and and bleachers um and certainly the sports lighting will will be uh accommodated. And this field we're going
to have live right? Yes, sports lighting. Yes. uh in roads and traffic. Uh really um we're parking lots. Um we are uh just had a kickoff or pre-construction kickoff this morning for lot A
improvements. uh basically paving um uh the park the the city parking lot and uh uh providing uh curbs and uh and and sidewalk improvements and uh this
project will be getting started the first week in May. Also in roads and traffic, we are uh just about to start with the installation of speed humps uh on Kaplan Aav and uh we're that that work is
scheduled to start tomorrow. And just a friendly reminder, uh, keep our sewer system, uh, clean and, uh, and healthy uh, by not flushing wipes or disposing of materials down the sewer that uh, that are not biodegradable and
and don't belong in the sewer. And with that, if there's any questions, any questions? Not really. Nice presentation. Thank you, Chris. All righty. Last is a discussion. I'll turn it over to Deputy Mayor Candace
Trino regarding uh Teter airport and a tanic update. Thanks, Vinnie. Yes. So, we had our quarterly meeting uh at Teter airport last week and again I'm the representative for the city. Um, and part of that was, uh, I've had
mentioned in the past, I've finally been allowed to have my own focus group where we now meet monthly and we focus specifically on trying to use the alternate flight path that will fly over Route 17 instead of the current flight path that flies over Prospect Avenue and
Hackinac University Medical Center and many of our private residential areas. I have to say the I presented the focus group part at the meeting because I'm the one that's running the focus group and the focus group has gone very well. We've had pilots that are now attending. So, we're having real good feedback from
people that are actually flying this and what's being successful and what the real issues are. And I, you know, you can't you can't fix something that you really don't understand or if you don't understand what the real problem is. And you know, we've been given an assortment of what the real problems are from the
FAA, etc. And you know, it really is talking to the real people that fly it. I think that's going to make the difference for us. And a lot of the feedback came back that it's not a difficult not a difficult flight path to fly at all. There's a couple of minor things they think that would make it
even better. For example, there are when you're when you're designing or or uh implementing your flight path, there's something that's called waypoints. All right? So, the more and that's basically what's guiding your your GPS navigation. So the more way points you have, the more granularity that's in your flight
path. So they had already added more additional flight paths to the regular flight path that flies over Prospect, but they didn't to this new alternate path. So their suggestion was do the same, add it there. The only issue, not the pilots that were in attendance there, but some of the feedback from
some of the pilots is it's not a straight in. So, in other words, if you're taking the one over the medical center, you're flying straight in and landing at Teter airport because we're offset a little bit. We're coming in just ever so slightly from Route 17. There is a turn that you're making before you're lining up to to to land
your plane. And any pilot and is still going to have GPS navigation and should be able to make that turn as they do at many other airports. It's a 13 degree turn and the pilot suggested that excuse me that there's a way we could reduce that to six degrees make it even less
significant. So those couple of things were fed back to the FAA and we're waiting to hear how that's going to happen. Next slide. Excuse me. They were always hesitant to let us have an opportunity to fly in the day and we finally got it even though it was only one day. So on January 16th from 7 in
the morning till it ended right at 2:00 the advertised flight path was not the one over Prospect. It was the one over Route 17. And as you can see there was only very few people that asked or suggested that they use
the old flight path. When we looked into that, you see the majority of them had no problem. They flew this. They call it the offset approach. They flew this. There was 68 of them that flew it. um you see at at at 14:00 or 2, there's more that didn't fly it because that's when they ended it at 2:00. The few that
didn't fly it primarily if your if the aircraft you're flying hasn't loaded the new flight path into its navigation system, then you don't have the opportunity to use it. So your message has to get out to all of the companies and all that all the aircraft has this alternate flight path loaded. So the
very few that didn't fly it basically the opinion was that that was the feedback. So the issue is okay we did it once why aren't we doing it again and there were many people that attended the meeting and vocalized that and the FAA was in attendance and I think that's the
real issue is the only way this is going to work for us and we know it's not going to be 100% solution but the only way our public and people in Akinac are going to get some relief is if this flight path is what they call the advertised flight path for the day and as you can see
people used it when the other flight path path is the is the advertised flight path. We had a pilot there that said I asked for it many times and I was only given uh once was I given the ability to ask and be able to fly the alternate flight path. And the reason
that we're getting is for air traffic controllers it's difficult for them to manage the both flight paths at the same time. So then to me easy answer once in a while instead of schedule whichever days they are whatever time periods they are let's have the alternate flight path
be the one that's put in use so again that's what we're fighting for in the tanic group that's what I'm fighting for in our focus group I think for the first time I feel a little bit encouraged because I think we now have the proper audience and the proper people that are attending our meetings so I think this
is good news for us but keep filing your complaints your noise complaints Right. I always say that, right? The only it's a piece of data that has to be collected and has to be reported. And the squeaky wheel gets the grease, right? So you folks know, you hear it, you see the
sounds, you're annoyed by it, press that button, make that phone call, and log your complaints because that's an important piece of information. And just very briefly quarterly we our number our noise number still went up you know so we're seeing the noise monitor that's on
the top of the medical center and it still it's creeping up but you know of all of the other noise monitoring stations around the airport Hackinac Medical is the highest of everyone. So, we're the folks that are getting the really worst part of the deal. And I
think if we all fight this together, folks, sign up. Basically, log in your complaints and we'll all hopefully encourage and this will this will become a reality. Thanks for the time, Ben. That's all I have. Okay. Need a motion
to open to the public, please. Offer. Second. All in favor? I I hearing none opposed. Anyone from the public, please come forward. You have three minutes. Hi, me again. So, question, right? I don't know if the tax application is a
in-house build or if it's something that you guys bought from a vendor. I know that the tax application now for the pilot program, right, registers as zero cuz technically they are not paying tax is a payment in lie of. Is there any way for us to put a line item on the tax
registry that shows the payment per year, per month, per quarter, however it's collected for each of these different individual buildings. So people do not have the impression that it is a zero tax liability for the buildings because again a lot of us are
visual, right? And what you see is what you believe, right? I think um the pro part of the problem is and my CFO could probably answer it for me, but I think is once the property is classified as is it
F Jim where it becomes a 14 14 14 or 15 F which it means it's tax exempt. That's why it shows up as zero. But the CFO could probably answer that a little bit better than I would. Yeah, that that's why it shows up as zero. But unfortunately, we can't change the
software. Uh the reason for that is that back in 2015, we started allowing people to pay for their taxes with credit cards. Now, in order to do that, we had to enter into an agreement with a third party because we don't want to take
credit cards because we don't want to be responsible for maintaining credit card data and and we really don't want that liability. Um, so we use a third-party vendor and we're bound by his soft by their software. Okay. And it's a
software program that's probably in use by about twothirds. Yeah, I would say about twothirds of municipalities in New Jersey and um not many municipalities in New Jersey have pilots. Uh so they won't
make a change specifically for us. But there so there's but there's no other way for us to be able to capture that information. not through that software. You know, what we could do is put something else on the website, you know, that does it, but we can't do it through that software. Okay. But I mean, I as a
you know, a member of the community, I think that would be helpful, right? Because we don't see anything unless you call city hall or we call the city manager to ask for that information. So, it would be useful for all of these buildings to have per year and the amount that's being paid and captured.
So just for a regular person going on because we see misinformation to be able to say okay no they yes they don't have tax liability because they're tax exempt until the end of the pilot program but they did pay in 2023 a million dollar in 2024 $2 million right so you're able to
see that they are making a payment in lie of the taxes okay yeah we could do that thank you maybe we could even we could talk to our IT people you know when you go onto the website and you search for you know what were the taxes on a property it runs that little tool. There's nothing that would prevent us
from adding another window to that website application that would also check for is this a pilot and put it up in the window next to it. So you'd have the we wouldn't have to change the software. It would show the here's the here's the tax status and then we would propagate here's the pilot status because we have it from your budget.
It's like writing it out. All right. Yeah, we can look into that. I mean it would show you both, right? Yeah, I appreciate it. I mean in corporate America they call it dumbing it down to the third grade level, right? Right. Thank you. Good idea. Good evening everyone. Bridget, um I
just want to say thank you. It's finally over. Thank you. It's finally over. Talk about the sidewalks and the paving and the year and a half noise and Yes. And I wanted to No pain, no gain. I'm grateful
to Ted who started this, who cared about community, who heard our cries when it came to the flooding and our homes being damaged with foundation. And I'm grateful to you guys who actually continued his legacy of getting this
done. But I'm also grateful to EPA for saying, "Okay, we need to separate these sewers here because this is crazy." But um this is 50 years plus in the making. So, I am grateful to the new sidewalks, the new street, the officer, I think his
badge numbers was 137, who helped me put my groceries on the porch when all the construction was actually going on. And also to um Ryan, a gem, because every time I called, he actually answered and he
answered all the questions that were needed. Um, and he when I said, "Look, it was like this before. I would like this again. Please keep it this way. And he did follow through. Uh now it's just maintaining to get the grass to grow back. That's it basically. But um but
I'd say thank you. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Hey Bridget, you got problem with that tree in front of your house, right? Huh? You got a problem with that tree in front of your house? Yeah, man. That tree is I mean I saw him, you know, I've been been walking looking the the whole thing and
I saw that you have you got a tree that tree. Okay. So, when I actually did research into the property, that tree was planted when the community was developed. Wow. So, but along the journey after I think my house isund and something years old along the journey,
you know, it became part of us, but the tree is it's it's a dead tree first. It's dead. Yeah. Yes. And the roots when they were tearing up the grass in front of the house, I couldn't believe it. I I just really It was all the way to my driveway. So,
it's covered. It covered underneath the sidewalk onto the driveway out to the other side part of the sidewalk which is the city part that little grass patch part. Yeah, it's But that tree like what 8 ft from the curb?
Uh, yes. And it's actually 25 ft from the middle of the street. From the middle of the street, but from the curb is like about 8 ft. So I going to see what I can do because the tree because it's danger because the branches can fill down the top of somebody that through the years the branches have fell
onto other people's property onto my property. You know, you look up in the winter time praying to God that a branch don't hit the ground or hit my grandson as he's outside playing. So yeah, it's it's What is the number of the house? 197. 197. Okay, we're going to talk to
the city about Okay. to see what we can do. Okay. Thank you. I got to go to the number. Good evening, mayor, council. Evening, Ed Cabra Kaplan. Just want to say thank you. They uh as Chris said earlier, they're going to be installing the speed
beds tomorrow. Signs were up today and hopefully we can uh get traffic to slow down on Kaplan. Um we still, I think, are waiting for the no left turn on Polyfly. Any idea when that's happening? It was I just
read an email, right? We just read an email from the county that it their second approval and now they're they put their work order they put their work order in. So Okay. Hopefully soon. So they're they're installing it, not us. They're Yeah, it's County Road. County Road. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. That that that's that's good. Thank you. Excuse
me. They're putting the sign for the speed bumps. Yeah. Yeah. They were putting the sign up there today. There's a whole process. Oh, yeah. I know. No, they already installed them today. Yeah. where where all the speed bumps are at. 100 ft this way, 100 ft that way, and everything else. So, it's hopefully
it'll stop the traffic. Getting to Catherine when she was talking about the airways and whatnot. How could we do something with the helicopter that flies over our house and the whole house shakes and it's cracking the walls and the whole nine yards. You would think you're It almost seems like
you're watching a show of mash as the helicopters land. Look, I know they're saving lives, but the hospital emergency. Is that the hospital emergency? It's the hospital. It's the state troopers. They all come down right down Kaplan over there. The state trooper is actually quite a bit larger than the hospital. Oh, yeah.
Well, you'll know when they come. The house shakes. You're like, "What the hell's going on this at 3 4:00 in the morning?" Yeah. Well, no, that will land in Terber. The state troop if they're landing depending on where and if it's a busy night, you could probably get two or three. Uh, what was it? Last week, maybe on a Friday, Saturday, it was like
three. I'll add it to my list of things to complain about. I'll let the neighbors know. Put your noise complaints in. Absolutely. Because, you know, they know what it is and they'll know it's a helicopter at that location. So then it gets logged against the helicopter traffic. So I just think they're coming too low to the houses. So everything tramples and they're very
noisy. They have a they have a different uh Yeah. fly level. Absolutely. They fly much lower than a jet does. But they're also very noisy. All right. And again, thank you for uh speed bets. Thanks. Next person, please.
Joseph, how are you? Good evening. How are you, mayor and council? Thank you so much for allowing me to come and speak. Hope all is well. Mayor, I hope the Mets are winning right now as we speak. So, um, but good to be here for two reasons.
I I need your help. Since September of last year, I've called the city manager's office. Jackie was working here at that point. I guess the speeding on um Poplo Avenue where this cuz I'm on the school street. I'm on the corner of Popler and Pine. My house is the corner
one is ridiculous. We have now six little kids. Thank God. I love it. I have new kids in the in the neighborhood. My neighbors. So, I'm actually here. They asked me to come and speak on their behalf cuz one of my neighbors has a daughter with uh um she has a disability and the little bus
comes to get her. And two weeks ago, as I'm walking my dog, the bus is there on the side and a car swung around it and just kept going and then went through the barricades to get to the school. That's what's bothering me. Officer Frank tries his best to circle and
circle, but he's one guy and he's basically closer to the Fairmont side. But I asked a couple of times and you'll see it in the notes um that I spoke to the woman in Spanish as well that she took notes from me. I called for
Halloween cuz the the cars were flying. If there was a way to put signage because there's no sign on popular coming down that there's a school on Pine. There is. But also if they could she and then I asked even if we can get the the speed sign that to be
honest with you is doing nothing on Summit and Fairmont because it's so far up Summit that at that point who are you stopping? You're going to stop anywhere at the top. But on any random day, the cars fly out of, the teachers fly out of there, the parents fly out of there, and
when the barricades are down, Fairmont Eats, that's their speedway to do deliveries. They literally come and fly up. And my fear is that the kids are going to get hit. We also have an adult home on Popppler and they walk in groups and they have a leader in the front and
the back. And my fear is these cars, they make the turns, they're going to get hurt. Is there a way we can make markings? Can we get speed bumps near the school? We're gonna have traffic look at it. We're just doing a pilot on Kap the just spoke. Uh basically this is
a pilot program. We're working on Kaplan for speed bumps in areas around schools where or where people use cutthroughs like over where Kaplan is. They they use Kaplan to avoid making the left on Essex. Um same same thing in in your area,
Fairmount, Popular, um Ross as well. Yeah, because it was my kid was the only kid when I moved in 2000 on the block, but now we have so many little babies and they and you know it's it's sad because you really got to pull them in and I'm just really afraid. Then the second thing
is I want to thank all of you for what you've done for the city. I know two of you will continue to run. Three of you have other plans. But I honestly have to tell you cuz you know 12 years ago I was on the other side and
ran against and you've done what said what people said couldn't be done. You've made streets two ways when they said it couldn't be done. When I moved here it was phone card stores and things of that nature and stores that sold chachkis and now we have vibrant things
out there for people to come from all over and eat and drink and hang out and come see Hackinack. So, I want to thank you because it's a thankless job what you guys do. It really is. And no matter what happens, I don't I love when people come to if there's a disagreement, it's
fine. And we've had disagreements. That's not a problem. But it's how you handle the disagreement and get to a resolution that's important. And I want to thank you because it's been tough. I know, but on behalf of the residents, I thank you. Have a good day. Thank you,
Joseph. Appreciate it. Thank you so much. No, that was yesterday. Yesterday, that doesn't count. Anyone else from the public want to speak in this session before the next session starts? Okay, seeing none, motion to close.
Second. All in favor? I I. None opposed. Just going to take a quick uh few minute bio break if anybody up here needs to use the bathroom real quick before we move forward with new business. As per our usual practice, in close session, we do talk about various
ongoing litigation matters involving the city, and we disclose the names of those cases. Um, during this meeting, we discuss the ongoing litigation involving um workers compensation litigation involving James Luther, ongoing litigation involving Darren Dit, and the
ongoing JA visual versus city of Hackinack litigation. Yeah. Okay. So, with that, I need a motion to close the executive session. Offer. Second. All in favor? I. I. And I need a
motion to close the council. The whole offer. Second. All in favor? I. None opposed. Madam clerk, this meeting is this meeting is being held in accordance with the open public meeting act
NJSA104-6 sec notice of which was sent to the record in the star ledger and was posted on the municipal bulletin board. Okay. Roll call, please. Council member von Rudenberg here. Deputy Mayor Kistrino here. Council member Betaglia here. Council member Carol here. Mayor
Lross here. Would everybody please rise for the flag salute? 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. Okay. And with that, we do have a proclamation uh for this evening. Okay. And I will go down and get it. Is there anybody here to accept us now? Not that I know of. I'm going to
bring you from up here. All right. That's fine. So, the proclamation reads, "Whereas the month of April is globally acknowledged as Autism Acceptance Month, dedicated to increasing awareness, understanding, and acceptance of autism spectrum disorder
ASD. And whereas ASD is the fastest growing developmental disability in the United States, affecting more than three million people, New Jersey continues to rank among the states with the highest rates. And whereas autism spectrum disorders are characterized by a range
of challenges and strengths impacting social communication, behavior, and sensory experiences. Whereas raising awareness about autism is essential in promoting early diagnosis, intervention, and access to appropriate resources and support. And
whereas creating an inclusive, supportive environment for individuals with autism in involves promoting understanding, empathy, and accept acceptance within schools, workplaces, homes, and communities. Now, therefore, I, John P. Leos Jr., Mayor of the city of Hackinac along with members of the
city council do hereby proclaim the month of April 2025 as autism awareness month in the city of Hackinack, New Jersey and urge all employees and residents to participate in autis autism awareness month activities in order to become better educated on this disease
and how it affects families and to show our support as a community. So, autism has risen dramatically through the years as we know. Um, when I was young, I don't even think it was diagnosed because I don't think
it even had a name at the time. Um, but it certainly has become prevalent in our society. Um, and thank God there's organizations out there working to to help these uh younger and older people
who have autism. And uh I know quite a few of my friends who have uh children with challenges and I watch how hard it is for them, but they they stay the course and they make sure their children get the help they need and uh they become some of them become quite
successful. So it's it's great to see. So with that, we're going to move on to uh approval of the minutes for April 8, 2025 executive cow and regular meeting. I need a motion. Offer. Second. All in favor? I I opposed. Everybody was here
for that, right, Dean? Yes. Okay. And we'll go to the city manager's report. Thank you, mayor. Uh today is the last day to register to vote in the May municipal election. The clerk's office will remain open until 9:00 p.m. tonight to for that
registration. A groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of Johnson Park Sports Complex will be held tomorrow, April 23rd at 5:30 p.m. The city's 33rd annual Arbor Day celebration will be held Friday, April
25th at 9:30 a.m. at Nelly K. Parker School. A tree will be planted to honor the memory of Lulu Whitaker. And thank you to the Sha Tree Committee for planning this celebration. On Wednesday, April 30th at 2 p.m., the city and the board of
education will be honoring Lilian Whitaker with a street naming and vestibule grant opening uh vestibule grand opening at Nelly K. Parker School. Slam Dunk the Junk will be held April 26th from 9:00 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Organizations must be registered in advance. Information can be found on the city website. Don't forget to get tickets for the upcoming Pack the House concerts which include performances by we Anie on
April 26th and Paula Cole on May 17th. More information can be found on the Hackpack website. Don't forget to register for summer camp. Space is becoming limited. Registration is open for the hometown heroes veteran banner program.
Information can be found on the city website and through reces. It is recommended. It is limited to the first 100 people. Please register by May 5th. Banners will be hung on Main Street from Memorial Day through Veterans Day.
New Jersey is requiring lead safe inspections for rental units. Landlords with pre978 rental properties located in Hackinack are required to have inspections completed by July 22nd. Landlords can use any company of their
choosing as long as compliance is obtained. Please reach out to the building department if you have any questions. That's it. Thank you. So with that, we're going to move on to uh new business. You ready, Deb? Yep. Resolution 196-25.
This is a resolution for final adoption of ordinance number 15-2025, an ordinance to amend chapter 175 of the code of the city of Hackinack zoning in order to amend and update certain definitions and provisions contained therein. This ordinance has been published according to law and now
calls for a public hearing. Need a motion to open to the public. Please offer. Second. All in favor? I I none opposed. Anyone from the public who'd like to speak to this ordinance and this ordinance only, please come forward. Seeing no members of the public, motion
to close to the public. Offer. Second. All in favor? I I none opposed. Need a motion to adopt the ordinance. Offer. Second. All in favor? I I none opposed. We are resolved by the city council of the city of Hackinac
County of Bergen and state of New Jersey that ordinance number 15-2025 has passed it second and final reading and is hereby adopted. Thank you. Resolution 197-25. This is a resolution for final adoption of ordinance number
17-2025 an ordinance to amend chapter 170 of the code of the city of Hackinac vehicles and traffic to update section 49.2 parking for the handicapped. This ordinance has been published according to law and now calls for a public hearing. Okay. I need a motion to open
to the public. Second. All in favor? I I hearing none opposed. Anyone from the public who'd like to speak to ordinance 197-25, please come forward. Seeing no members of the public, motion to close to public. Offer. Second. All in favor? I. I. None
opposed. I need a motion to adopt this ordinance. Offer. Second. All in favor? I. I. None opposed. be resolved by the city council of the city of Hackinack County of Bergen and the state of New Jersey that ordinance number 17-2025 has passed his second and final reading and
is hereby adopted. Thank you. Resolution 198-25. This is a resolution for the introduction of ordinance number 18-2025, an ordinance to amend chapter 170 of the code of the city of Hackasack vehicles and traffic to add new
handicapped parking spaces in section 49.2 Two, parking for the handicapped. Need a motion to introduce ordinance 18-2025. Over. Second. All in favor? I. I. None opposed. Resolves that the above ordinance being
ordinance 18-2025 is introduced is now passed on first reading and the said ordinance shall be considered final passage at a meeting to be held on May 6, 2025 at 8:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as the matter can be reached at the regular meeting place of the city council. And at such time and place, all
persons interested be given an opportunity to be heard concerning set ordinance, and that the city clerk, being chief, hereby authorized and directed to publish set ordinance according to law, with a notice of its introduction and passage on first reading of the time and place one and where said ordinance will be further considered for final passage.
Thank you. Resolution 199-25. This is a resolution designating a redeveloper and authorizing redevelopment agreement with RHR Hackinac Urban Renewal LLC for the redevelopment of block 405 lot 3, otherwise known as 436 Main Street
within the former Sears site redevelopment plan area. Need a motion, please. Offer. Second. Roll call. Council member von Rudenberg. Hi. Deputy Mayor Canestrino. Hi. Council member Betaglia. Hi. Council member Carol, abstain.
Mayor Leos. Hi. Resolution 200-25. This is a resolution for the introduction of ordinance number 19-2025, an ordinance authorizing financial agreement with RHR Hackinac Urban Renewal LLC, an urban renewal
entity authorized pursuant to the long-term tax exemption law NJSA48 20-1 at SEC for the development of a mixeduse apartment project upon block 405, lot three. Need a motion, please. Offer. Second. Roll call.
Council member von Rudenberg. Hi. Deputy Mayor Cashrino. Hi. Council member Taglia. Hi. Council member Carol Stain. Mayor Leos. Hi. Be it resolved that the above ordinance being ordinance 19-2025 is introduced is now passed on first
reading and that said ordinance shall be considered for final passage at a meeting to be held on May 6, 2025 at 8:00 p.m. or soon thereafter as a matter can be reached at the regular meeting place at the city council and at such time and place all persons interested be given an opportunity to be heard concerning set ordinance and that the
city clerk be and she is hereby authorized and directed to publish set ordinance according to law with a notice of its introduction and passage on first reading and of the time and place when and where set ordinance will be further considered for final passage. Okay. Resolution 2011-25.
This is a resolution for the introduction of ordinance number 20-2025, a bond ordinance providing for streetscape improvements along Anderson Street buyin in the city of Hackinack in the county of Bergen, state of New Jersey appropriating 1,500
$1,500,000 therefore inclusive of a new New Jersey Department of Transportation grant in the amount of $1,35,000 and and authorizing the issuance of $1,500,000 bonds or notes of the city to finance the cost thereof.
Need a motion, please. Offer. Second. All in favor? I I un opposed. Be resolved. The above ordinance being ordinance 20-2025 is introduced is now passed on first reading. That said ordinance shall be considered for final passage and a meeting to be held on May
6, 2025 at 8:00 p.m. where soon thereafter is the matter can be reached at the regular meeting place of the city council and at such time and place all persons interested be given an opportunity to be heard. concerning set ordinance and that the city clerk be and she is hereby authorized and directed to publish set ordinance according to law
with a notice of its introduction and passage on first reading and of the time and place when and where said ordinance will be further considered for final passage. Thank you. Resolution 202-25. It's a resolution for the introduction of ordinance number
21-2025, a bond ordinance providing for various 2025 capital improvements and acquisitions buyin in the city of Hackinac in the county of Bergen, state of New Jersey, appropriating $5,980,000 therefore and authorizing the issuance of
$5,269,45 in bonds or notes of the city to finance part of the cost thereof. Okay. I need a motion, please. Offer. Check. Roll call. Council member von Rudenberg. Hi. Deputy Mayor Canestino. Hi. Council member Betaglia. Hi. Council member Carol. Abstain. Mayor Leos. Hi. B
resolves that the above ordinance being ordinance 21-2025 is introduced is now passed on first reading. that said ordinance shall be considered final passage at a meeting to be held on May 6, 2025 at 8:00 PM or as soon thereafter as the matter can be reached at the regular meeting place of the city
council and at such time and place all persons interested be given an opportunity to be heard concerning set ordinance and that the city clerk be and she is hereby authorized and directed to publish set ordinance according to law with notice of its introduction and passage on first reading and of the time and place when and where set ordinance
will be further considered for final passage. Thank you. Resolution 203-25. It's a resolution for the introduction of ordinance number 22-2025, a bond ordinance providing for the acquisition and purchase of equipment for the Department of Public
Works buy and in the city of Hackinack in the county of Bergen State of New Jersey appropriating $1,220,000 therefore and authorizing the issuance of $1,220,000 in bonds or notes to finance the cost thereof. Need a motion. Offer.
Second. All in favor? I I none opposed. Be it resolved that the above ordinance being ordinance 22-2025 is introduced as now pass on first reading and that said order shall be considered for final passage at a meeting to be held on May 6, 2025 at
8:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as a matter can be reached to the regular meeting place of the city council and at such time and place all persons interested be given an opportunity to be heard concerning set ordinance and that the city clerk be and she is hereby authorized and directed to publish set ordinance according to law with the notice of its introduction and passage
on first reading and of the time and place when and where set ordinance will be further considered for final passage. Thank you. Resolution 204-25. This is a resolution for the introduction of ordinance number 23-2025, an ordinance to amend chapter
170 of the code of the city of Hackasac vehicles and traffic to add a loading zone on John Street. Need a motion. Offer. Second. All in favor? I I hearing none opposed. Be it resolved that the above ordinance being ordinance
23-2025 is introduced is now passed on first reading and that said ordinance shall be considered for final passage at a meeting to be held on May 6, 2025 at 8:00 p.m. or soon thereafter as the matter can be reached at the regular meeting place of the city council and at such time and place all persons
interested be given an opportunity to be heard concerning set ordinance and that the city clerk be and she is hereby authorized and directed to publish set ordinance according to law with a notice of its introduction and passage on first reading and of the time and place when and where said ordinance will be further considered. Need a motion, please.
Offer. Go ahead. That roll call. No, you did that already. Oh, on that one. I'm sorry. Yeah, we're good. Resolution 205-25. Mayor, I was on a roll. I was I know I got you out of your your w it all up. Your groove. I'm sorry.
Now I can't breathe. Deep breaths. Deep breaths. It's a resolution for the introduction of ordinance number 24-2025, an ordinance to amend and update chapter 32 of the code of the city of Hackinack Police Department to make revisions to the department table
of organization. Okay. I need a motion. Please offer. Second. Roll call. Council member von Rudenberg. Hi. Deputy Mayor Constrino. I. Council member Betaglia. Hi. Council member Carol. Stay. Mayor Leos. Hi. B. It resolves that the above ordinance
being ordinance 24-2025 is introduced. is now passed on first reading and the said warning shall be considered for final passage at a meeting to be held on May 6, 2025 at 8:00 p.m. or soon thereafter as a matter can be reached at the regular meeting place of the city council and such time at and at such
time and place all persons interested be given an opportunity to be heard concerning said ordinance and that the city clerk be and she is hereby authorized and directed to publish set ordinance according to law with a notice of its introduction and passage on first reading and of the time and place when and where said ordinance will be further
considered for final passage. Thank you. Resolution 206-25 is a resolution authorizing tax refunds for state board judgments. Need a motion. Offer. Second. All in favor? I. I. None opposed. Resolution
207-25. It's a resolution authorizing award of contract to suburban consulting engineers for LSRP engineering services for Johnson Park Sports Complex air monitoring. Need a mo. Excuse me. Need a motion. Offer. Second. All in favor? I I
hearing none opposed. Resolution 208-25. It's a resolution authorizing award of contracts for engineering services to Neglia Engineering Associates for Bergen County ADA ramp compliance program Hudson Street Design. Need a motion, please. Offer. Second. All in favor? I I
none opposed. Resolution 209-25. A resolution authorizing award of contract for engineering services to Neglia Engineering Associates, Bergen County ADA Ramp Compliance Program, South River Street Construction Management. Need a motion, please.
Offer. Second. All in favor? I. None opposed. Resolution 210-25. It's a resolution authorizing award of contract for engineering services NJ dot funded pedestrian safety improvement grand avenue project. Need a motion.
offer. Second. All in favor? I I hearing none opposed. Resolution 211-25. It's a resolution authorizing award of contract for engineering services Naglia Engineering Associates 2025 road surfacing program
NJ do DOT funded Kennedy Street project. Need a motion please. Over. Second. All in favor? I I not opposed. Resolution 212-25. A resolution authorizing award of contract for engineering services neglia
engineering associates 2025 road resurfacing program CDBG funded streets. Need a motion please. Offer second. All in favor? I I none opposed. That was 212 correct. Yes. Resolution
213-25. A resolution authorizing award contract for engineering services Nagglia Engineering Associates for the 2025 road reservicing program city funded. Need a motion. Offer. Second. All in favor? I. I. Resolution 214-25.
The resolution authorizing the awarding of a co-op contract for the purchase of 14 automated license plate reader cameras for the Hackinac Police Department. Need a motion, please. Offer. Second. Roll call. Council member von Rudenberg. Hi, Deputy Mayor Castrino. Hi, Council Member Betaglia.
Hi, Council Member Carroll. Abstain, Mayor Leos. I resolution 215-25. It's a resolution authorizing a reduction to the 2024 tax levy. Need a motion, please. Offer. Second. All in favor? I I hearing none opposed.
Resolution 216-25. This is a resolution authorizing the approval for a dedication by writer Hackinack Hometown Heroes Banner Program. Need a motion, please. Offer. Second. All in favor? I. I. None
opposed. Resolution 217-25. A resolution authorizing tax appeal attorney to settle the cases that were scheduled for trial or settlement. Need a motion? Offer. Second. All in favor? I. I. None opposed. Okay. We have a bill
to pay. That's on the bills. You have to one. It's uh I can't remember the name of it. It's for $3,260. The Brotherhood of Wellness, I think. Yeah, I believe so. Brotherhood of Wellness. It's minus
$3,260. I mean, you should probably make a motion to amend the bills list that and then adopt the bills list. You make the motion and I'll offer it. I need a motion to adopt the amend bills list to I'm sorry to amend the bill's list to uh
without the $3260 to brotherhood of wellness offer second. All in favor? I I um Okay, now you need a need a motion to
adopt. You want the number 5861 290.01 5864. So now we're subtracting. So then it becomes 5861 290.01. Okay. Okay. So now you need a motion to adopt the payment of
bills minus the 3,260 for brotherhood wellness. Offer second. All in favor? I I hearing none opposed. The um on to the consent agenda. Does anybody have any conflicts here? Need to
be pulled. Sorry. So, does anything need to be pulled? Anything need to be pulled? Any any conflicts? Nothing. Okay. Open space. Nothing here. Okay. The following items are considered to be routine in nature and will be enacted in one motion. Any items requiring expenditure
are supported by a certification of availability of funds. Any items requiring discussion will be removed from the consent agenda and consent agenda items will be reflected in full in the minutes including any exceptions and/or additions. Resolution 219-25 is a resolution authorizing veterans
exemption deduction for block 324 lot 30. Resolution 220 is a resolution authorizing the submission of the Bergen County Open Space Recreation, Flood, Planning, Protection, Farmland, and Historic Preservation Trust Fund 2025 grant application for Sty Park
Improvement Project. Resolution 221-25 is a resolution authorizing a person-toperson place-toplace liquor license transfer from NJ License LLC to Farley Enterprises LLC for license number 0223
33-041-00005 and resolution 222 is a resolution authorizing a board and commission appointment. Okay, need a motion to adopt the consent agenda as it was just read by the city clerk. Offer second. All in favor? I I none opposed.
Okay, that was a lot in a little bit of time. Deb. Yes, it was. [Music] Okay, so need a motion to open to the public. Second. All in favor? I. None opposed.
Anyone from the public who would like to speak, please come forward to the podium. Please state your name to the clerk and you will have three minutes. Thank you. [Music] Good evening. I'm Rich Serbo, Spring
Valley Avenue, Hackin Sack. You know, I just u want to mention maybe they're unwritten rules, but there's a couple of rules in politics. One is don't bite your nails in public. Okay, that's one. Don't bite your nails in public. Number
two, don't wear a hat in public. Thank you very much. Okay, but what's that? I took my hat off. Yeah, but you had it on the whole first half of the meeting. Okay, as for the first half of the meeting, that leads me right into that is uh the work session was is that what
it's called? Calendar. The first half. Okay. Okay. So we were discussing things and listening kind of and no one mentioned their name when they came to the podium which gives me the idea that it's a private club. They must be all your friends because no one said who
they were coming to the podium not one person. Okay. So keep that in mind that it's it was always mentioned uh that this was a private club too. So it is a private club. All right. A couple more things. um never just to get through.
Okay. Um the housing authority, the for senior housing authority, I think there's three areas there. There's one on First Street. There's there's one down on Kansas, correct? I mean, and one on on
on um Railroad Avenue, I think, or Beach Street. It is Beach and Railroad. Okay. Uh who's in charge of that? Is this the do they answer to the city and you and you uh city council? No, that's go to the housing authority which is a state
run federal. It's a state run by HUD. The seniors run by HUD which is federal. The housing authority is state. Okay. So you have nothing to say about the the uh three uh senior housing. We have nothing to
say about how they're run. No, I would say I would put it that way. Okay. So you have nothing to say about it. Yeah. It's run by an outside group, not us. But we can help them. We can we can work we can work together. Okay. So you can help them. Help them, but we can't. All
right. Let's move on. Okay. Last thing is what about Well, maybe the last thing. What about condemning properties? What is that all about? And are they condemned? When are they condemned? Who condemns them? What's going on with all
that that whole system of property being condemned and then developed or whatever? Okay. Uh can we get a little something on that? Use your time up, Rich. He'll answer it afterwards. The city answer. Right. All right. So, that that's uh important. I wanted to I
wanted to know uh what that is. And what else? There's there's so much to talk about, but I I'll leave it there. Okay. and let me I'll let you answer the condemnation issue because there's a lot of reasons things get condemned, not just because a building's falling down. There could be other reasons. So, all
right. Quick, I I'll do my last uh 20 seconds. Okay. I I I mentioned that the sidewalks on Spring Valley Avenue in front of my house months ago, and no one even came to take a look at them, I don't think. Okay. Uh the the trees have
uprooted uh and and popped up my um sidewalks. They're broken and it's very expensive to replace that. So yeah, I I contacted the DPW about that and Okay. Somebody did come and look at it. Did they? Yeah. However, we don't
fix sidewalks. Okay. But so I was told that it's up to the property owner to fix the sidewalk. Even though you planted the trees there. I totally agree with what you're saying, but yes. So do I cuz I replaced mine. I totally agree with you. Okay. Yeah, good
enough. We'll listen to Mr. Kleinman. Thank you. I mean, condemnation's a pretty broad topic, right? You know, you can condemn property for health or safety reasons. You can condemn property for a governmental purpose. Um
so you know without more detail of of of what your specific question is but you know understanding condemnation um the principle that underlies it is that you know if if government is going to take your property for whatever
reason you know it's there's a legal process to that needs to be followed to do that um just compensation may need to be paid in appropriate circumstances And um you know certainly a property owner
who feels agrieved about uh any time government seeks to condemn their property has a robust um set of tools that they can use to challenge that. Uh condemnation is not a tool that government uses at least certainly this government uses um
without very very careful consideration. We've used it before when necessary. I don't think we've ever had a situation where a court has said that we've done so inappropriately. So, I mean, that's just a general overview. If you have anything specific, I can certainly answer that
further. Okay, next. Peace and blessings everybody. Um, Brownita Sharief, Second Street Hack, two things I wanted to um bring back up again, Mr. Caruso, my handicap space hasn't been
addressed. He was on tonight. He was on tonight. I got it approved. Did I miss it? I got it. Okay. All right. All right. Thank you. We got it approved. They're just that good. I was waiting for my paper also. Um I I keep asking this the third time I think since I've been here about
the uh Head Start program at 291 Second Street. Has has I mean last time you said it was addressed I believe. Um I did speak to the director. She said she wasn't aware of anybody contacting her. 291 Second Street. I'm asking that there
be a walkway on Second Street by the park over to their school or maybe a cone put in the middle cuz a lot of people that come down Second Street do not know that there's a school there. Was that address? It was or wasn't? My son went to school. They couldn't do any of those things. So
they were going to meet with the school. So, the police met the police met with looked at it, said there wasn't much they could do, but the bottom line was they're going to speak with the school to see if they can come up with a solution. They said there wasn't much
they could do. They couldn't put a line across to make a little cross. That's what they did the kids, right? It was get a little piece of chalk and put it across because they need a crosswalk. We could do. No, it was something that Alice is reading right now. I'm reading it right now. So this is right
from the report. They do not recommend allowing a crossing in front of the school. It is dangerous midlock. They would have to perform curb cutouts install handicap feature. It would not be MUTCD compliant. There is a compant cross at
second street within a short distance. So what they're what they're saying is got it would be a midblock crosswalk. All right. you have to put the ADA cutouts in. So, it's not an easy not an easy fix. Okay. Dangerous because and
there's a very there's a crosswalk already reasonably close. So, you know, it's something I'm I'm very much against a lot of midblock crosswalks because I think people misuse them and uh I see people don't stop at midblock crosswalks
even when pedestrians are already in the crosswalk. I see it especially at Thompson on Prospect by the hospital. Even I don't care how many lights you put up, how many signs you put up, they'll just literally run you down. So you still can't even put a cone in the middle street, you can't even put a cone
in that area. There has to be in order to put like a crosswalk sign or a cone. You have to have a crosswalk cuz now if you put the cone there, you're actually encouraging encouraging people to cross there, which is what you don't want to do, especially children in the middle of a block with which is Second Street has
some pretty heavy traffic. They think that they're protected and they're not. Yeah. So, but uh I don't know what else to do with that. That's a tough one. The last thing is that the PD was going to meet with the school and see not even a school sign. They were there. That was the other. We could put school signs are
great. We can put a sign maybe to slow down to 50 miles an hour at least cuz a lot of people don't know it's there. They still shouldn't be crossing. Okay. Understand without the crosswalk. They should go to the crosswalk on the corner. That's you know. But whatever they're going to do, they better I know it's not human nature. We want to go A
to B all the time. But you know. Okay. And one last question. I know we talked about early voting last time. So it was a lot of uh controversy. I know you guys gave me your answer. Then the NAACP came up and bottom line is that it wasn't it's not going to cause anything to do
it. So that was never addressed at the end of the meeting cuz you I know you guys said money money money. Well, that's but now it's saying they're saying it's doesn't cost to do it and they're going to do something. That's true. They're saying it it doesn't cost they're saying it's they're kind of saying it's in a in
an endound way. Someone's getting paid that day to work. All right. They're working for the the state's paying for it. the county's getting paid to do it. So people are getting paid. We pay county taxes. I don't care how minuscule 10 people working on voting today. But what they're doing is and it's the same
thing they've allowed all the time is you can take your vote by mail. You can go down those days. They went and advertised it. The NAACP and the county um advertised it and put it in the dropbox. But it's not costing the city anything, is it? That's not That's not
costing the city anything. If they had to open up machines, it's costing everybody in the state of New Jersey basically is paying to have our early election, you know, and I'm wondering
why they didn't say the same thing now with Lynhurst, right? Because they did not Lynhurst made the same decision. We made our decision based on Lynhurst afterwards. The woman from the NAACP said because of the demographic difference, Lynhurst really didn't
matter. I guess uh was they were interested in Hackinack. But I really question why Lynhurst people can't go to county and and vote that day. Why they didn't put that in Hackinack and Lynhurst because it would it would have been adding two words and those people
would have been included not excluded because they're being excluded now. So, okay. All right, Mr. Carol, good to see you for the third time this week. Take you very much, CeCe. Thank you for your comments about me. Okay. You're welcome.
And but I did want to say, uh, Alo, that's what I felt in my heart, but it's not what you say, it's the way you say it. That's the thing. You can say whatever you want, but it's the way you say it in the way it's taken in the environment that you was in. But I I understood the whole scenario, but cuz, you know, like I said, I have a lot of
Latinos in my family. That word is nothing. But um it's just the way and the spirit that you say it in. That's what when people take it the wrong way. Thank you. Next person please. Hi Doug Garafalo Anderson Street Hack.
Uh this is for the city manager. I was here a few months ago and I inquired about getting the four-way stops at Anderson and Prospect looked at with flashing stop signs. you said you look into it. Um just like an update on that and and before you answer that. Yeah, as
far as I know, the signs have been ordered. It's just wait we're waiting for them to be installed. Excellent. There CFO is confirming that. So, we're just waiting for that. Appreciate that because there's been two accidents that I've heard in the past couple weeks. Y and one also on Clinton Place, they
someone just flew down and didn't even realize someone was on Prospect. There was that required an ambulance and extrication. So, that was I don't know if you're going to consider it the other four-way stops. What which one is that? Uh, it's not four-way, it's a two-way. Clinton Place and Prospect. Okay. And
the people come flying down. Yeah. The hills. You guys all know you go through there. It's assuming they slow people down because Clinton has the stop signs and uh Prospect go straight through. Also, did we get the Sorry, Doug. Did we get the uh blinking lights for Clarendon
as well? We did. Yeah. Everything was ordered at the same time and we have to talk to that homeowner on the corner about something with those trees because they're blocking the stop sign already. Okay. All right. The one we put in. Yes. That's the new stop signs at Clarin. Yep. Prospect. Yep. Yeah. Because so
speaking of that as well. Now, that slows down traffic from going west, which is great because then but they're still even at night, they're still flying through, especially when they don't see any going west on Anderson Street to the four-way stop. People are
still flying through. They don't see any cars. They don't see any lights at night. They go flying through. They may slow down a little bit, but they definitely don't stop. And then they accelerate way up our street from Prospect all the way up to Summit. I've seen the same. Loud. loud with all these
enhanced mufflers, whatever you want to call them. Yeah, it is noise pollution beyond control. We hear traffic cars racing on Route 17 in the middle of the night because of our proximity, the air, but this is ridiculous. They're going on Anderson Street because they want to
avoid the stop lights on Posic Street. So, the gentleman before at the end of the cow talked about rumble strips. Don't know if that's feasible on Anderson between Prospect and Summit, but it would forcibly slow everyone down. So, what we spoke about before, Doug, was that Kaplan Avenue project is
a pilot, correct? I We want to see how it works, and if it works, we're going to start using them throughout the city. We've always been very concerned about speed bumps. They're not really rumble strips. Rumble strips are kind of like grooves in the ground. These are actually like humps, table bumps, table bumps, they call
them. So, that's that'll slow people down, especially with their hot rod little load to the ground cars. Yeah. So, and also the lights if we get the those stop signs lit up at Clarendon and Pros in Anderson, I think that's going to help that. Yeah. On the other side of the hill, they have them towards Maywood because like the other gentleman said
about the kids in the neighborhood. We don't have too many kids on our street, but you never know when friends and family are over and just kids just human nature. They run out of the street to see their loved ones. Thank you for your time. Yep. Thank you. Next person, please.
Good evening. Good evening everyone. I am here for a followup. Two weeks ago, I was here uh for the situation parking on High Street. Okay. I'm trying to think back. High street. Yes. Could you just give your name to the
first your name to the clerk, please? So, she has your name. Helen McFaten. Thank you, Helen. So I'm trying to think back to High Street. Yeah, we that was mayor that was put in that was the only one that didn't come back yet. They're still working on
it. So it's still working still doing a study on it high and third. So that's for the the res parking res. The wolf and other ones. So that hasn't come back yet. So when you get the decision from the police department,
what they do is they they have to sit there and they actually have to watch everything, watch the cars, track where they came from, who's parking from where. Yes. As I speak, there's a black SUV been parked there since Saturday, right? That's a long time. Yeah. And you
don't recognize the car, right? I don't recognize car. So you know there's somebody else block. Bring the license plate to the city manager. Bring the number. Yeah. Next tomorrow. Yeah, you can I can't do anything. Why not? I can just give it to the PD. Yeah,
the PD you can give it to the PD. So So give it to if you want to call the city manager's office with some information. Give it to us. But he might be able to have that card at least maybe identified. So how would I find out um when they when all this take place? Um
with the resident stickers. Yes. Yes. The whole Well, the whole area will wind up being notified. Okay. You'll get a letter. You'll get a letter and they'll probably drop stuff off there to say you got to come down and get a sticker. Yes. Okay. Thank you very much. You're welcome. Sorry it's taking so long.
Yeah. Can she come up twice? No, she was at the county meeting. She was I know. I know. Mayor Labros, make sure you leave your name. I will for the third time. Mr. Serbo Marlene Somerville. So my
question is on resolution. You were not here Mr. Serbo when I said it earlier in the day resolution tw um 215-25 resolution authorizing the reduction of the 2024 tax levy. Could you guys explain that one? Is it
personal tax levy? Is it the city tax levy? I'll have Jim explain it. Oh, okay. Thank you. It comes in handy. Yes. Uh yeah, that's a that's a that's lousy wording in a resolution,
right? Okay. The uh the 2025 budget includes a line called the reserve for uncollected taxes. Okay? And it's a calculation that you do and once you do the calculation uh you have to appropriate at least that amount. Now in
Hackinack um we have a very very high collection rate but we also have a lot of tax appeals. So what happens is when there's a tax appeal, the current taxes come off the collection rate. So for
example, in 2024, our collection rate was 99.06. Uh that's not a good collection rate for us. So this resolution allows us to take the tax levy that's used in the calculation and reduce it by the tax
appeals. By doing that, our collection rate went from 99.0 06 to 99.9 because it's it's more accurate. Okay, our collection rate is 99.9. You can't collect taxes that are
cancelled because of an appeal. Okay, it's a very technical thing, but has to be done by resolution. Has to be done before the budget is introduced. Okay. Okay. Thanks. Thanks. Thank you. governmental process.
A little confusing. Yeah, a lot of stuff in government is a little confusing. A lot of rules. Lot of rules. Um, anyone else from the public like to speak? Seeing no members of the public, I'd like to make a motion to close to the public. Offer. Second. All
in favor? I I opposed. Miss Venor. Sure. Good evening everyone. Thanks for coming out. Um, we had opening day of uh baseball softball this past weekend. Um, the mayor threw some wild pitches. Oh my god, it's our
first time. It was a young be working, but it was a it was a good time. It was a young umpire. Yep. But it was a a great turnout. Um, the season's underway. We have some great coaches that are volunteering their time. Um, I was just discussing with someone how, you know, sometimes parents have some
expectations of of, you know, the different teams, but, you know, we're all volunteers out there. We're giving our time. We're running practices. So, um, you know, I always say to parents, if you're around, you want to help, help out, volunteer. Um, it's a great way to to get involved. And it's just nice to,
you know, see the kids grow and have fun. And that's what it's all about. I always say if they they learn more, they have fun, they love the sport, that's that's a win no matter what. Um, in regards to the speeding at Clinton, I live on Clinton place, I think it's definitely more of that crest on
prospect when they're coming from Pay going towards Ross. What happens is you could be at that stop sign at Clinton and one second you look right, there's no car and a car is speeding and then that's where those actions are happening because there's a stop sign at Clinton. So those cars are stopped and they just
and I've done it before, many people have done it. you don't see the car and if that car is going over 40 miles per hour the next second they're there. So I think maybe the blinking light at that crest would help you know let them know they have to slow down because that's really the issue there. Um and that's it
for me. Have a great night everyone. Thank you for coming out. Thanks D. Good evening everyone. Um hope everyone enjoyed the lovely weather that we had over the past weekend. There's a nice change from some of the highs and lows that we've been seeing for April
weather. So, and Easter and any other holidays that folks enjoyed. Hope everyone did. We had the Easter egg hunt. I didn't make it this year and I'm sure it was a success and things that the city provides. Uh and nice to hear about the baseball went off well. Uh I always like to talk about a couple
things that are on the agenda if there should be any that I'm personally involved with. There was some changes to the zoning code. I think I talked about some of these things once before. Two simple changes. One, commercial kitchens have become something popular in the area and we did not have definitions for
it that would just easily allow such a thing. So, you know, those are commercial kitchens are ones where um there might be like a warehouse-like atmosphere. There's no ability for you to go in and sit at the restaurant, but you will have multiple kitchens in there or can have multiple kitchens in there.
So within there, you could be, it's a great way to sponsor sp startup kitchens for start startup restaurants. So you could have a burger place, you could have an Asian place, you could have a pizza place, and you could call, make one phone call, and you could order from all three of those places and have pick
them up or have them delivered to you. So it's something that's become popular in the area, and we just defined it so it's acceptable to have in the city of Hackinack as well. Um, the other was making some a change to lot size in one particular area. We defined an overlay
zone. If you're looking at the city and you're looking at kind of the southeast portion of the city, so I'm looking in that Hudson Street area and going west a little, there's a number of residential areas, a number of private homes that do not meet the city's standard for a 50 by
100 or 5,000 square foot residency uh space and their existing homes and folks there that want to make change to their f their homes and improve their homes. It's a difficult process because now they have to come through boards etc because they don't meet the standard
requirement. So we defined an overlay zone where these particular properties exist currently. So if you have an existing home in that particular area even though it's not the 5,000 square ft. It's perhaps a 40 by 100. You can
easily make changes. You can improve your property as long as it meets and doesn't require any other variances like side or front yard variances. So, it's just going to make it a lot easier. There's folks there that want to make those change and don't need to incur the cost of going through the board process to improve their home. So, those things
were on the zoning changes. Um, as far as redevelopment is is concerned, there was a couple there was two on here that had to do with the existing Sears property. One was just defining the redevelopment agreement and the other was setting up the financial agreement. As far as the redevelopment agreement goes, we're looking at um maintaining
the Sears Tower because that was an iconic piece. That was one of the pieces that the council had asked that remain. Same way the old people's trust, Summit Bank, whatever you call it on 210 Maine. We asked that that those two buildings were of a reasonable height and they kind of brought a lot of character into
the town. So the same arrangement was made with Sears. So the Sears tower will remain and they will add residential um in that huge parking lot that's adjacent to it. primarily the the residentials be pretty much built along the River Street
side and I think it will be you know a lovely reuse of that property that's kind of been sitting vacant for a number of years. Um the financial Leo please. The financial agreement um the current taxes on that financial agreement uh they're paying about oh
$320,000 currently in taxes. The uh once it's you know at its rental of approximately 85 90% which all of our existing properties within six months to a year are at least at 90% leased currently. They'll be paying 1.388
million. So, you're going to look at a million-doll increase in revenue by us u redeveloping the city working together with the developer to redevelop that property. So, that was on here as well. There were a number of bonds, but I'm not going to go through them. If you missed the committee of the whole, the cow meeting, our CFO went through each
one individually and explained them. Um, so if you'd like, all this is available on YouTube. You can easily watch the committee of the whole video and go and take a look at what his presentation was. Thanks everyone for coming. Enjoy the nice weather. It looks like hopefully it's here to stay and we hope
we see you next time, Leo. Yes. Finally, for the last 20 years, I've been fighting to try to to get the sport done for the kids. Do look like a tomorrow. We're going to do the groundbreaking 5:30 and expect to see
everybody there. No excuses. And then we got the paper map. Where is it? Okay, as you can see that that is street they going to get paid in two in 225, right? We're going to continue plus
show me the other that one is you got year by year the street that been paving the city. Every color represent the year that we did the the job. Okay, you got from almost 2020 to 25 but you can see there
is street that they were done 14 15 16 17 so all the street they already there and we're going to continue with the paving program this year and related to second street I just want to say something related to that problem
whatever we going to do we have to decide now because in few months second street going to have lot of improvement infrastructure all the sidewalks and the whole thing. So if we going to do something do it before you talk about we
do the paper. Yeah. Yeah. The second three we should be done before that. And the last thing is Fman Avenue. We would do the stories and the whole nas and I don't see the table bumps and the people continue flying from summer avenue all
the way to Grand Avenue. This is week. I said we're doing the the uh pilot pilot on Kaplan and then hopefully we'll be able to get them from there and do them over there. But about the city where we do the story first. The only problem that we got this particular officer that
he don't want to go the okay and do and submit to the people from England to get expect to do the table bone. They are waiting for somebody to get killed. This is every day. They do speed on fair amounts. Oh my god. Fly wide. You know why it's a wider
street? Not only that, but what happened in the morning when the people they going to drop the kids, they a few minutes later they come flying from something. Usually that's the case when everybody sometime and they got the sun in their faces and somebody is closing the street. Forget about it. You can't see.
Okay. Thank you for coming. I agree that speeding and hack is just out of control at this point. And uh hopefully with the um speed bumps and signs and stuff, hopefully that will
slow things down. Um this past Saturday was uh you know, opening day was a real good day. almost had to go get a relief pitcher for the mayor because uh he was missing the strike zone pretty bad at the beginning. You know, he end up
focusing and getting it over the plate. So, uh that's a great job. I got five feet over the plate. Yeah. Yes. It was over the plate. It was over Stephie. It was over you. But it was but he got the job done. We got the job done. Finally, he got his strike
right. Yes. Finally. All right. I was asked to read this statement. The Bergen County NAACP, the Fellowship of Black Churches of Hackasac and Vicini, and the county clerk's office have stepped up to fill a
critical gap in our democratic process. I don't know where that noise came from. In response to the lack of early voting options provided by Hackasac municipal
leadership, the Bergen County NWACP NAACP and the and the Fellowship of Black Churches of Hacksac vicinity in partnership with the county clerk John Hogan are hosting an in-person early voting event to ensure
everyone can exercise their right to vote. This community-led initiative ensures all voices can be heard regardless of work schedules or other election day constraints. Democracy works best when
everyone participates. I'd like to thank everyone who has attended this meeting physically and remotely. Take care, get home safe, and God bless. Thank you. So, I'm up. So, we had uh let me do my piece of
paper. We got busy busy stuff coming up tomorrow. We got the groundbreaking for the uh Johnson Park. Uh what else we have? Put it on the 30th. We have the
uh groundbreaking, not the groundbreaking, the uh grand opening of the uh new I guess what do you call it? It's a it's a safety vestibule. It's a safety vestibule for the kids at Ellie K. Parker. Uh that will also be accompanied that day by the naming
renaming of the commemorative street for Lilian Whitaker. We uh ask everybody watching out there on YouTube or catching this later on uh to please come. We're looking for a big crowd for that. We're doing it uh at a time when the kids can be present. I'm hoping
there's a lot of her children there. Um and they were her children, believe me. Um looking forward to that day. It's a well- earned honor and the city is more than happy to participate and make that happen. Um, groundbreaking Arbor Day Friday is
also at Nell K. Parker Willie Bery dedicated in Lillian's name, I believe. Um, vet banners are available now. Um, it's early in the process. We only have about eight so far. We need to get a lot more to make this project work. If you
know a veteran and you want uh he wants to be honored, he just needs a picture of his him in his service uniform. He or she he or she. Sorry, I'm old school. Sorry, my bad. And uh what other information did he need? And his people
and and his military paperwork when he served. Um you see this in a lot of other towns. It's a great honor to see all our and it's a great way to honor our veterans. Um, these flags will fly from Memorial Day to Veterans Day, I believe. Is that what we're doing? Yeah. So, it's up for
quite a long time. They will be on Main Street. Uh, we had issues. We were going to put them on on Summit Avenue, but we had some issues because most of the polls were uh PSEG wouldn't allow it. So, we moved it to Main Street where we have our own
polls basically. Uh, what else do we have? So, I want to talk about the early voting issue. So, I can appreciate the county saying that they're doing something special, but I don't know that they are because I believe that was allowed anyway. Didn't we? They're VB.
They're VBMs. It's still VBM. It's not There's not going to be people there working machines to my knowledge. I'm not I I haven't been advised as to what exactly is happening. So, I couldn't begin to far as I know, counselor, it's you take your BBM, you drop it in a
dropbox. Yeah, absolutely. dropboxes out there 24/7. It's monitored monitored by a security guard. So, I mean that type of early voting has been available since they started early uh absolutely since they started VBM. So, I understand the
push and like I said before, I really have to question why clerk's office did not include Lynhurst in that pro at least mentioning to Lynhurst people, you can come down and vote by mail and put it drop it in the dropbox down by us. I don't know why that was excluded because to me those
people were shut out. I don't care if they they said there weren't a lot of black people in Lynhurst was her own words. I don't care if there's one. There are quite a number of minorities in Lynhurst. There's a quite diverse community in there plenty. And I just found it strange that the focus was only here in Hackinack. So I just think it
has to be very clear so people aren't confused that you're describing early voting. All you're doing is dropping off your vote by mail application, which you can do. There's not going to be machines that you could vote by as typically is what's called the way they advertised it was BBM. So yes. Yeah. And and I'll
point out that this and I we encourage we stood to that and my point out that this this council made that point which said that is the option available to you that the law provides for at no added expense to any taxpayer.
So I believe that was a point made by by everyone at this day. I'll get a call from Hogan and Debbie Franca and and Courtney or what? Whatever, Miss Johnson. But yeah, it is what it is. That was the way you could vote before. So, and with that, I wish everybody a
safe trip home. I hope everybody had a wonderful Easter of Passover. Uh motion to close the meeting. Offer. Second. All in favor? I. None opposed. Oh.