Mayor, would you like to proceed? >> Yes, please. >> Good evening. This is the meeting of the Burough Highlands Mayor and Council regular meeting on Wednesday, December 17, 2027. The notice requirements provided for in the open public meetings act have been satisfied. Notice of this meeting was properly given by
transmission to the Aspberry Park Press and the Two River Times and by posting the Burough of Highlands Municipal Building and filing with the Boro Park all on January 1st, 2025. Items listed on the agenda are subject to change. Please stand for the pledge of >> allegiance.
I aliance 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. I'd like everyone just to remain standing so we can do a a
moment of silence for all the uh terrible things that have happened around the world in this uh just last uh few weeks a few weeks. this last week was terrible, but it's um it's a terrible time. And I just want to recognize all of those who are no longer
with us. >> Thank you. First, we have approval of minutes December 3rd, 2025 meeting minutes. >> Do you want roll call? >> Yeah. >> Second. >> No, I I messed her up. We'll do your call first. >> Oh, of course.
>> Oh, roll call. Sorry, my bad. Um, council member Svantes >> here. >> Council here. >> Council Melnik >> here. >> Council President Chesky >> here. >> Mayor Bulan >> here. >> Thank you. Now we can have approval of minutes. And I believe Joanna Walford
second. >> Thank you. So, council member Svante, >> yes. Council, >> yes. >> Council me, yes. >> Council President Oeski, >> yes. >> Mayor Bulan, >> yes. >> Motion carries to approve December 3rd, 2025 meeting minutes. Next, we have December 3rd, 2025 executive session
minutes. >> I second. >> I'm sorry, who was first? I >> I was council member. >> Yes. >> Councilman Chalac. Yes. >> Council me. >> Yes. >> Council presidentsky. >> Yes. >> Mayor Bulan.
>> Yes. >> Motion carries to approve December 3rd, 2025, executive session minutes. Next, we have public hearing on proposed ordinance 02525 capital ordinance providing for construction costs for the South Peak drainage improvements project and appropriating $125,000.
Therefore, authorized in and by the Burough Highlands in the county of M, New Jersey. Before we open up public portion, Joe, could you please give a brief overview of the project? >> Uh, yes. This is a uh drainage improvement project uh at the Twin Lake
Terrace. Uh basically, there's an overhead pipe that is draining down onto a paper street. So when we have heavy rains or even snow melting around right now, uh basically it was hitting adjacent properties and undermining uh
or retaining wall that eventually failed. It has been down at South Peak for some time. So this ordinance is going to carry the cost for the construction for the repairs of that wall and the extension of the drainage system to go over land at the highest of
the existing drainage system at South Peak. >> Okay. So, no digging. >> No digging along the slope. >> Okay. Excellent. >> And we're actually trying to avoid as best as we can any clearing or anything like that. Once we're out there, we're going to make sure that we have as little impact as possible.
>> Okay. So, as little impact as possible on the slope and as little as possible impact on the neighboring property owners coming all the way down. >> That's the game plan. The only big will be where we have to have the retaining wall established and tie into.
>> Okay. Thank you. Does anyone have any questions before I'll open in the public portion? >> I just wanted to say thank you. I was in the house. >> Could you state your name and address, please? >> Stacy.
Um, I just wanted to say because the pipe is not the highest point on the hills. So, instead of it running down, that's what's happened. So over the years there have been some tax work done to try to help it but I'm glad we don't have a solution for it and that it's going to
stay in our neighbors and it's going to further by that. >> Absolutely. >> With that I will close public portion um and I will offer this ordinance. I'll second.
>> Council member Santes. >> Yes. >> Council member Shack. >> Yes. >> Council me. >> Yes. >> Council President. Yes. >> Mayor Berlin. >> Yes. >> Motion carries. O2525 pass on second and final reading. Next we have resolution R2527 providing for the transfer of surplus
funds. Uh this transfer was requested by the CFO just to keep our books nice and clean before the end of the year. And um I don't know if anyone has any questions regarding that resolution. >> Then I will offer.
Second. >> Council member Svantes. >> Yes. >> Council Chak. >> Yes. >> Melon. >> Yes. Council >> President. Yes. >> Mayor Ban. >> Yes. >> Motion carries to adopt resolution R25 to 17 next of R25 to18. Approve and
close out change order and release of a a performance bond for the phase one sanitary sewer improvements project and authorizing the board to execute a settlement agreement and release. And this is to finally uh change out all of the different closed uh change orders
that were on there and close out this project once and for all with the final payment being done in this year and then we are all done with that. >> Yay. >> Yay. >> Any question or comment? >> Yeah. Just happy to be done.
>> I will offer >> Yes. I'll second. >> Very good. >> Council member Sante. >> Yes. >> Council member Tac. >> Yes. Yes. Council mell. >> Yes. >> Council President Oski. >> Yes. >> Mayor Berlin. >> Yes. >> Motion carries to adopt resolution R2518. Next we have consent agenda. Mayor,
would you like me to read the resolution by title? >> Yes, please. >> R25219 awarding a fair and open contract for the South Peak drainage improvements project. R25220 authorizing the release the release of a community center rental security deposit. R25221 authorizing the refund
of a curb cut escrow deposit fee. R25222 authorizing the refund of the unused offduty police officer escrow deposit fee. R25223 authorizing the execution of an agreement for snow removal and street lighting reimbursement through between the Burough Highlands and Bay Point
Condimentum Association. R25224 author um approving closeout change order and declaring acceptance of contract for improvements to Washington Avenue project. R25225 authorizing payment of bills. >> Do we have an author?
>> All right. >> Council member Svantes. >> Yes. >> Council Chellac. >> Yes. >> Council Melnik. >> Yes. >> Council President Chesky. >> Yes. >> Mayor Bulan. >> Yes. >> Motion carries to adopt resolutions R25219 through R25225.
Next we have administrator's report. There it goes. Um, it's, as you can see, it's uh, it's pretty light the last couple of months with all the holidays and everything. Um, sorry about not emailing it sooner. Uh, but the one thing I I did want to recognize was I
thought uh public works did a really good job with the storm um over the the weekend and uh you know hopefully if it storms like that again we'll you know hit it the same way we did this one. >> That's all I have.
>> Okay. Um, I just wanted to reiterate before we close that, um, the burrow was recognized for um, the bureau has never been recognized for any planning awards ever and uh, they were recognized uh, this month actually
just on Monday for two planning awards. The first one was for our asset activation project with the uh, James T. White plant. Um so that won um a planning award and also the um
the uh CBD uh guidelines for construction in the flood plane uh was also recognized and the county is going to use that planning uh tool as their uh best-in-class for the rest of the county. So I just wouldn't say
>> it's it's a nice rec recognition for a lot of people say you're planning you're not doing but in order to do things properly you need to plan. So to get that recognition from the county was really um exciting to see. >> Great. Um anything else before we break for
public? >> Um I have something real quick. >> Um got a letter from Highlands Business Partnership on July 3rd. the Amarrigo Vespui, the Italian ship
for the for the tall sail ship that's coming in for the 250th anniversary will be mored in Sandy Hook Bay. And the HBP is arranging to have all the sailors and the captain come to Highlands between
5:00 and 9:00 p.m. They're arranging uh all kinds of transportation and they'll be visiting various um restaurants and just being shown around town. So, um I think it's really exciting and uh I look forward to it. There'll be more information as it's forthcoming. And
they're sponsoring the show, correct? >> Correct. Absolutely. Yes. Yes. And yes, it'll be a lot of fun. >> It's it's it's July 3rd. This is going to happen. But the the the ship is named the Almargo Despui.
>> Okay. >> From which America is named? >> America. >> I remember from the 1976 one, the the Italian ship was spectacular. It >> always is. >> They had all the guys. They were standing on the mask and they were in their, you know, uh uniforms. It was
wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. So, there's going to be a lot of time. >> Yes. >> Okay, that's it that I have. Then, can we have the public portion statement? >> Public question. Individuals wishing to address the council shall be recognized by the presiding officer and shall give their name, address, and the group if
any they represent. Although the council encourages public participation, it reserves the right through its presiding officer to terminate remarks to and or by any individual not in keeping with the conduct of a proper and efficient meeting. If any individual refuses to commence themselves in a proper manner, they will be removed from the meeting.
The council will not during the public portion of the meeting discuss matters involving employment, appointment, termination of employment, negotiations, terms and conditions of employment, evaluation of the performance of, promotion or discipline of any specific perspective or current employee. There's
a threeminut time limit for your comments. >> Do you have any further comments? >> Okay. Then seeing that there's no comments from the public, I will make a motion to adjurnn. I'll second. >> All in favor? I.
>> Thank you. Meeting adjourned at 7:12.