##VIDEO ID:MAgjhOlbcmI## okay mayor would you like to proceed yes please good evening this is the meeting of the burough of Highlands mayor and Council regular meeting on Wednesday January 15 2025 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 aspite park press in the Two River times and by posting at the burough Highland municipal building and filing with bur clerk all on January 1st 2025 items missed on the agenda are subject to change please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all I will now do roll call council member santes here council member chac here Council Alik council president sheski here mayor bran here first we have approval minutes January 1st 2025 meeting minutes I will Author I'll second council member santes Council M yes council president shvy yes mayor bran yes thank you motion carries to to approve January 1st 20125 meeting minutes next we have introduction of proposed ordinances 02501 amending chapter 4 licensing General section 4-18 Canabis retailer license subsection 4-1 18.7 our of operation uh this came about because the uh the operator is looking to um open up before the end of March um and what she did is she looked around at all of the other uh cannabis establishments in louth county and got a good average of what all of their hours were when the application was first in front of the luse board uh back in early 2020 before covid um the church was meeting uh every Sunday in Sunday school after that and so the operator wanted to be uh cognizant of of that and respectful of the church however the church has since been sold and no longer operates as a church uh so I felt that it was fine to bring this to the council to change these hours so that the hours are consistent with every other uh retailer that is in Lama County so that's why um I'm suggesting that we do this change of course yes so the uh the buildings all set and ready to go uh it is not final yet it does not have a CO yet but um they are working on it and they have been um they've been working um every single day I pass by I see them all in there like busy bees so that's why they're looking at uh an opening of March sounds good okay and I will offer it second council member santes yes Council M yes council president chesi yes mayor ban yes motion carries to pass 02501 on first reading but the public hearing to be held on February 5th 2025 next we have consent agenda mayor would you like me to read the resolutions by title um yes but first I want to speak to a couple of things on the consent agenda and uh that is uh the there's some folks have asked why we have these two conflict uh Redevelopment councils and just um as a a brief note that we have over 150 properties that are in the Bay Avenue uh Redevelopment area and each one of those properties is being looked at uh independently so we just wanted to have uh attorneys that were um already approved that in there are conflicts because there are conflicts of interest um at all the time with who somebody might share the same attorney or a developer might have that same attorney so that is why uh we're doing that um the designation of arika Builders uh for the be the conditional redeveloper um for 289 Bay Avenue um this is just a very very first step in a number of steps of the process of of naming the redeveloper having an interm agreement and uh supplying an escrow to pay for Professional Services um after uh we name uh the builders tonight uh the second step in the process is to start negotiating agreement with them and then the last step in the process is to complete uh the Redevelopment uh agreement and other than that I don't think I need to explain any of these other ones they're pretty straightforward um if you were wondering about the um resolution for uh complying with affordable housing we got our number earlier this year and we need to provide uh 30 units which should not be a problem and with that yes could you please read each of the uh into the record r254 five resolution of the burough Highlands County of Mammoth committing to comply with affordable housing obligations for round four R 25046 authorizing contract for animal control services R 25047 authorizing the award of a non-fair and open contract for Professional Services conflict attorney R 25048 authorizing the award of a non-fair and open contract for Professional Services conflict Redevelopment Council R 25049 authorizing execution of an agreement personal removal in Street lighting reimbursement between the burrow of Highlands and East Point condom minion Association R 25050 authorizing payment of bills R 25051 designating AR chica Builders as the conditional redeveloper for the property known as tax block 81 Lot 12 located within the central business district Redevelopment area and authorizing the execution of an interim costs agreement with respect there to and I will offer the consent agenda I'll second um I'm sorry I would like to note that council member Melnick arrived at 7:04 p.m. and council member svantes yes councilman Chala yes Council Melnick yes Council peski yes mayor buan yes thank you motion carries to adopt resolutions R 25045 through of R2 5051 next we have other business America's 250th anniversary yes hang on now go okay hi I'll speak to that I had the privilege of attending a county meeting last night with representatives from the other towns in mov County and of course the topic was to get ready for uh America's 250th anniversary and mov county is on this game and are is pulling together all sorts of activities and encouraging us to do the same um there will be a public arts program uh they're working closely with the New Jersey state Council on the Arts and partnering with New Jersey based artists historic sites organizations and municipalities to create temporary art installations throughout the state and engage community members um to get involved there will be fine arts competitions with a deadline for submission of April 3rd 2026 and exhibitions from May through December of that year for both amateurs and professionals and the prize of course will be $226 um they want to really drive home that history happened here that New Jersey was the crossroads of the American Revolution um Washington spent more days in New Jersey than anywhere else and so the county is developing a variety of programs and resources for educators to use in the classroom or for professional development including guidelines and expectations for participation student learning standards and an array of videos from public history sites to set expectations as to what kind of resources are available and there is an Educator's Resource page and they are meeting with the superintendent of schools throughout M County so this will get out to the kids there's coloring books that they made up for the little ones there's traveling exhibits that we can borrow um with Clan Fest or other things that we have that year that are really cool um Highlands will be moving along as as well we hope number one in my heart of course is to rededicate huie park and we have things uh going that might be really wonderful for huie Park the Daughters of the American Revolution have been involved with us and they're helping us to find funding with these great twoot by 3ot signs if you've been up to the lighthouses or you've been to Mount Mitchell they're sort of pitched at you and you can have pictures and whatever on them and they're sealed and they last through all sorts of weather so we can highlight uh huie Park and and the hanging of poor Mr huie we can highlight and so many people in Highlands don't know that there was a battle of nvn that took place on Route 36 in and around um we can highlight that the British retreated from the Battle of Monmouth right down down the water witch and camped out on our beaches for at least a week or more while they waited for these sort of pontoon bridges to be assembled so that they could get back across to Sandy and that's that's just the least and the other thing that I love that they were pointing out is it's a great time to highlight the history of the Town itself so we've been talking about the clamp plant I mean that would be another thing to highlight I mean think about the rum runners and other things I know we go down that road you want to unveil yeah oh yes go ahead yes thank you I don't want to steal any Thunder here there's a good storm going uh we were given this last night hland was in the first crew of towns to sign up to participate um and we got this to hang of whatever you feel is appropriate and um they're going to be doing a lot we can use that logo in and of everything that that uh we do they're going to have shirts and other things that we can get a hold of they encouraged us to strongly involve our Highland Business Partnership because it's it's a great time to link coming to Highlands with yes come and eat and and do the other wonderful things you can do in Highlands but also come take a walking tour explore our history and um yeah okay for a little bit more um we'll work with Business Partnership BL BL blah and more to come thank you okay sounds great yeah I got excited I sound okay next next is the year and review well actually do you want to go first and then I can do the year and review oh yeah sure um just a couple things uh it's this is up on the website too the building department Mr Winters Mr Steve Winters has uh hired last year has revamped the entire building department there was so much work to do uh you know since Sandy it sat uh the building department was run through Middletown we were paying them lots of money we didn't get uh what we were paying for that's for sure things were backed up Mr winter has done a magnificent job and I urge all residents to to read that report lot of information in it and then secondly um the HBP is uh next month is going to be here before we know it so February 2nd is the 15th annual Beef and Brew pre Super Bowl party at The Proving Ground from 3: to 7 and that's always fun because it's it's like a turkey tray you buy tickets and there's all kinds of baskets and you put them in and there's uh bag pipe bands and it's it's a really fun wonderful time and of course it's to raise money for the uh uh St Patty's Day Parade which will be here before we know it which is going to be on what March 22nd and then also in February the 13th annual chili cookoff uh will take place at a Sunday but it's to be determined where it will be they just got uh saltwater social so so saltwater social for the chili cook off that's going to be awesome yeah so get your recipes all finally tuned and we'll see you there and that's it thank you you CH [Music] I don do you have anything you'd like to add no you're all good all right so then a a brief Brief onepage Review of 2024 the year in in review um and 2024 mayor council and staff work to address past issues as well as planed for Highland's future we were again very successful in uh locating pursuing and winning grants as well as other uh Financial sources to help fund our infrastructure projects and upgrade our open spaces so the state of the buau at the end of 2024 um residents staff business charitable organizations and the clergy were all um worked together to help our neighbors who needed assistance uh food clothing and toy drives uh showed how amazingly resilient our community remains and our Emergency Services drove many donations to North Carolina after Hurricane Helen uh the municipal tax rate was uh either lower or remain steady for the fifth consecutive year um we are expecting the rate to lower again this year so that will be six years in a row uh the 2025 preliminary uh valuation of all properties in the burrow increased to one over $1.3 billion which was an increase of over $254 million over 2024 uh that was the largest year-over-year value increase the burough has ever seen um new businesses open as we mentioned saltwater social that had been vacant since Sandy the water Wich grocer on stop and the highlands Cafe just guided in right before the end of the year um just to highlight one uh really great project that was done independently of the burrow uh 40-year vacant property at uh 9 599 Bay Avenue that was that empty lot that had been uh empty for over 40 years it really blows your mind and now it's developed into um eight town home units the go ahead is that exactly that is um exactly it's right across from right next to the American Legion oh okay okay okay got it got it so of those of us who are here there Sandy that's the one that caught on fire all the time because they were bringing all of the stuff that people were taking out of their homes and it would that and the lot over by uh what is now at all they would always have these fires so it was really terrible but anyway it's just so exciting to see such a wellb built uh building take a shining star on you know on Bay Avenue and turn something that was uh a vacant property that was only um contributing maybe I don't know $3,000 and taxes and now it's well over six figures so that should also help uh bring our rate down as well um grants total Grants awarded in 24 was uh a little bit over 1,900,000 and our bond rating remains steady as AA uh some of the projects and goals that were accomplished during 2024 was the completion of the phase one of the sanitary sewer project and Paving Bay Avenue for the first time in 27 years um also completed was the curb and side rock replacement from Lyon Avenue for the first time in over 50 years uh we made some uh some pretty sharp updates to Veterans Park at the behest of the Garden Club and uh we also can we also uh made updates to Marie AV and Bayside Drive uh we completed the veterans uh Park Shoreline design and permitting has been approved from D so the next step for that project for the living shorelines is to um is to go after the implementations to actually do the work Beyond design um and speaking of planning we also awarded the active asset activation planning Grant and that's what Joan was talking about about the James T white clamp plant which a lot of people in town don't even know we have a clamp plant which is very sad but anyway it's been there since the 70s and uh it needs some upgrades it needs new bulkhead it needs it needs a lot of work and uh we're going to have at the end of next meeting on the February 5th we're going to have an open public discussion on all of the things that could be there and we're looking at um not only bringing in some historical piece of possibly a a section for a Maritime Museum on a separate floor uh but also the idea of getting the scientists from uh not just our like Henry Hudson and our local colleges of Ruckers and Brookdale um and Mom with you um but also the scientists over at Sandy Hook are all very very excited to explore an educational component because a lot of people don't like to go out to Sandy Hook so even though they have programs there people might want to do a program here and learn about the Fisheries learn about the claming process and other mollusks that are collected in these areas and so so it's it's all very exciting we're doing a lot of brainstorming right now and uh so that's going to be a lot of fun to delve into in next year uh some other things that we are looking to um get done in 2025 is uh upgrades to Frank Hall Park uh their creation of Overlook Park which is that empty lot on uh Route 36 uh Shor Drive pedestrian improvements which are sidewalks from water witch to Willow much needed as people are walking in the street to get to the ferry when they could be safely on the sidewalk uh Washington Avenue Paving we are getting close to that so all of these projects are most likely going to be uh put out to bid now in the winter time that way we can get them completed in the spring before we get the rush of Summer um also on the agenda is to complete the other side of the rais platform on Marine place and uh Portland Road drainage which is storm water improvements and then finally 2025 might be the year that we get Jones Creek dredged but that's in the hands of the county so we're really at their Mercy on that one uh the last I have is uh if you go on to the website you can um look at a video done by our CRS coordinator a great Town Hall Workshop um and also the updated flood plane design guidelines are are there just click on the links it'll take you right to them and um that's the year in review so a lot of stuff and we have a lot of stuff going on E more so than this but this is all I had at the end of last year but uh it was a good year and I say if I haven't seen you Happy New Year to you and uh onwards and upwards in 2025 Spencer do you have um anything that you'd like to add um just with the uh tring it's something that we uh we're looking to do hopefully 'll be able to do with Joe's help I know the county unfortunately came back big a little high so we're looking at alternative weights to um get that done you know we want to be fist sound getting it done um we're real happy right now with the way it's going and it's flowing we have the valve open and I think it's the cleanest it's ever been and we're not getting any complaints on smells U just trying to figure out the challenge of how we can get it down we have wrapped up and ultimately what we're looking for is a more longterm process with a different type of Val and so from a public work perspective proud of my guys snowstorms so far uh one last Monday a couple guys in on Saturday a little snow um anticipating something Sunday night through Monday U working on Christmas decorations so working on that talking about possibly upgrading a Christmas decoration on the HS uh they a little warm um cres and uh that's it okay if no one has anything else we can go to public portion individuals wishing to address the council shall be recognized by the presiding officer and shall give their name address and the group of any that represent although the council encourages public participation and reserves the right through is presiding officer to terminate remarks to and or by any individual not in keeping with conduct of a proper and efficient meeting if any individual refuses to conduct themselves in a proper manner they will be removed from the meeting the council will not during the public portion of this 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 or perspective or current employee there's a three minute time limit for your comments [Music] it's for the recording yeah um that Washington right by your driveway there's a huge po hole or not probably need to be fil before it's about a foot deep it's got really the past couple days so I don't know if this is the right place to come sure prob back June weed about re erecting the um no parking sign on Washington so I wasn't sure there was any progress on that absolutely I can get this week but we'll definely get the next week and a put some in it summer they were taken down I don't know if they're still l in that no no they're gone cuz I looked for them the other day um third question and I don't know if this is the right place also is is there a an or something about signage you know we're talking about all these new businesses coming into town and try keep you know signs kind of in accordance with the flavor of the town of the town there are designed there are designed guidelines they're on the website thank you love she's my next she's my next last just wonder if there was any report about the right away that's my house not there's to report about repair of that I [Music] Subs very thank [Music] you I've see no one else going to close public portion executive session executive session will be held following the regular council meeting prior to each executive session the burough Council will convene an open session at which time a resolution will be adopted in accordance with njsa 10 col 4-13 no formal action will be taken during executive session resolution to enter executive session be it resolved that the following portion of this meeting shall not be o open to the public be further resolve that private cons ation is deemed required and is permitted because of the following noted exception set forth in the ACT litigation attorney client privilege areas in need of Redevelopment updates be it further resolved that it is anticipated that the matters to be considered in private may be disclosed to the public at a later date when the need for privacy no longer exists I willon make that offer I'll second council member santes yes Council M yes Council M yes CC seski yes mayor beron yes thank you motion carried to enter executive session at 7:28 please make your way out thank you all for coming tonight