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, May 6, 2026. The notice requirements provided for in the open public meetings act have been satisfied. Notice of this meeting was properly
given properly given by transmission to the Aspberry Park Press and the Two River Times and by posting at the Burough Highlands Municipal Building and website and finally with the burough clerk all on January 1st, 2026. Items listed on the agenda are subject to change. Please stand for the pledge of
>> 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
Svantes here. Councilman Schlack >> here. Council me here. >> Council President Schesky >> here. Mayor Bulan >> here. Thank you. First, we have approval of minutes. April 15, 2026 meeting minutes. I shall offer >> a second.
>> Council member Svantes, >> yes. >> Council Mchak, >> yes. >> Council Melnik, >> yes. >> Council President, yes. >> Mayor Bruan, >> yes. >> Thank you. Motion carries to approve April 15, 2026 meeting minutes. Next we have public hearing on proposed ordinance 0269
ordinance to exceed the municipal budget appropriations limit and to establish a cap bank. Um seeing that there is no public uh we cannot have a well there is no public hearing. Does anyone from the table have
any questions on uh this ordinance? >> No. >> Nope. >> All good. Okay. And I will um I will offer this ordinance. >> I'll second. >> Council member Svantes. >> Yes. Council >> Chilac. Yes. >> Council me? >> Yes.
>> Council President Chesky? >> Yes. >> Mayor Bulan? >> Yes. >> Motion carries. 02609 pass on second and final reading. Next we have introduction of proposed ordinance 02611
amending chapter 3 section 2.4 four entitle exceptions certain noise permitted at certain hours of the code of the burough highlands. >> Um this was uh just a correction that was left out from the last time we updated this ordinance
um were in which the hours of building and repairs are to be from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. not 8:00 p.m. And that is during Mondays through Fridays. Okay. So, that is the only change um in this ordinance. >> All right.
>> Are there any questions? >> 6 p.m. today. 6 p.m. >> Yes. 6 p.m. >> 7 to 6. >> 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. >> I'll offer it. >> Okay. >> I'll second. >> Council member Svantes. >> Yes. >> Council Matt. >> Yes. >> Council Melnik. >> Yes. >> Council President Chesky. >> Yes.
>> Mayor Bulan? >> Yes. >> Motion carries to pass 02611 on first reading with a public hearing to be held on May 20th, 2026. Next we have consent agenda. Mayor, would you like me to read the resolutions by title? >> Yes, please. >> R 26106 recognizing National Safe Voting
Week. R 26107 designating the week of May 17 to 23rd, 2026 as an emergency medical services week. R 26108 authorizing the donation of a walkthrough metal detector to the township of Aberdine. R 26109
authorizing an extension of the contract with Suburban Disposal, Inc. for solid waste and recycling rec collection and disposal services. R26110 authorizing execution of an agreement for snow removal and street lighting reimbursement between the Burough
Highlands and Gateway Villas condo association. R 2611 authorizing payment of bills. R 26112 requesting the transfer of roadway jurisdiction from the county of Mammoth to the Burough Highlands. R26113 calling for the
restoration of energy tax receipts and increase municipal aid to provide yield property tax relief. R26114 urging state leaders to implement fair and equitable reforms to mitigate the unsustainable increases in health benefits premiums for public sector
employees. R26115 accepting donation of signage for Veterans Memorial Park. Any questions on the consent agenda? >> No. >> Offer. >> Okay, >> I'll second.
>> Council member Suvantes. >> Yes. >> Council Chai. >> Yes. >> Council me? >> Yes. >> Council President Oeski? >> Yes. >> Mayor Bulan? >> Yes. >> Motion carries to adopt resolutions R26106 through R26115. Next we have tax collector annual report
2025. Uh let me just get there. Michael, did the Patrick have anything he wanted you to outline in this uh report? >> No to provide
>> Mhm. Um, basically we're talking 907 42% of the >> Okay, >> pretty good. >> I was going to say it's a pretty good rate at I mean of course anything closer to 100 is good but 97 and a half is pretty pretty good.
>> Okay, any questions on the tax collector's report? >> Okay, then let us go to my report. Um before I get into um the burrow updates for April, I just wanted to remind everyone that um we launched our
master plan survey that is live uh if you go to surveymonkey.comr2026 highlands NJMP plan. You could also find this link on the burough website, social media. It's it's out there. I encourage everyone to take part in the um in the
survey. It runs about 10 to 15 minutes uh depending on how fast you read it. It's very comprehensive and it covers um everything from residential, commercial, recreation, how we handle water and sewer, all sorts
of things. So, it's uh it's quite comprehensive. Um, also even though this is um pretty much in the future, but uh I wanted to give everyone time as we just locked down the date. We're going to have a mobile um motor vehicle commission unit
is going to be here on 77 all day during business hours. Um so if you need your real ID or your plates or registration or any of those kind of fun things, um >> mobile DMV, >> when is it mobile? >> 77.
>> Yes. How many out of 20 things? >> Oh, that's good to know. >> So, that's really good to know so that people can plan in advance. >> Um, >> all the stuff together. >> Exactly. And get all of your things together. Real ID's got a very stringent. So, uh, this way you have some time to gather all your
documentation registration. Um and so for burrow updates for April, uh we have for emergency services, uh first aid squad 23, fire 10, and police
791. Code enforcement, three summons, one warning, 11 reports, 20 inspections, 13 permits, and five Oprah. for the building department. 53 inspections, 40 passed, three failed, 10
not ready, seven construction permits, and nine zoning permits for the regionalization with Sebrite. Uh there is no there are no more legal issues. Uh Sebrite is free to go and
work directly with the HHRS board of education to be included. And um I spoke with Mayor Kelly a couple of weeks ago and he said he is going to do just that. They're working on crafting uh a letter to the board. So hopefully something can
pan out there. Uh land use board update uh sea street application for parking and zoning improvements. They had their first hearing on December um 19th of 25.
uh they are looking to have their second hearing soon but we have not landed on a date just yet. Um also solar powered which is the project on for at located at 44 Miller is scheduled for May 14th.
Um the shuttle development um they are still conducting all of their studies uh uh of which at least environmental geotechnical traffic studies they all need to be completed before any
construction occurs and uh they need to do these studies so that they will be able to present their drawings and plans to the land use board. um coves. While there is no update on uh a prospective redevelopment, I can tell
you that we finished uh replacing the three old duck bills with inline check valves at CES and I've spoken to a couple of the residents around the area and they have noticed an improvement in less flooding.
Uh for Bay Avenue area, we've have a lot of there's a lot of buzz going on right now. Um the property at 48 Valley is going to be the next that's going to go through the redevelopment process. Our attorney is working with their attorney
to get all that documentation done. Um, just as a note that all new construction must have a commercial component, meaning it must have at least one unit that is commercial in order to be on BAF.
Um, while we encourage people to speak with the county planning before they come to our land use board, we are also in the process of um of getting our roads back at um
Bay Avenue, Lynen Avenue, and that little section of Water Witch Avenue. Um so we uh what we have passed uh earlier this afternoon uh this evening rather is uh the request uh for a transfer of the
roadway jurisdiction to transfer it from the county back to the bureau of highlands. Uh so that's going to take a bit because it's got to go through county planning and county engineering. Then it goes to the county commissioners. Then it comes back to us and then we've got to pass something
back. So, it's a lot of paperwork, but I think it will uh it will do well to so that um we can have more control over our road. Um also, one of the tenants of the county road system is to connect
different communities to each other and this section of road only connects highlands with highlands. So, it's it really doesn't make much sense. >> Um so, with that, that's uh it's an ongoing process. I'm working with um our engineer to get all the mapping that the
county requires and uh we should hopefully see some movement on that within the next couple of months. Uh for new business, we would like to welcome Sydney Francis Hair Salon uh by Highland's own Sydney Bellose and that
is located at 66 Miller Street. uh both um you know unisex uh hair styling um and we're very excited to see that shop open. It's been shutter I want to say probably about 45 years. So that's all
been redone and it looks great and she's uh she's lovely. Um moving on to the celebration at Twin Lights on April 25th. We reenacted reenacted the first uh assembly recital of the pledge of allegiance and we're
joined by the VFW and the American Legion and a bunch of other civ civic groups in town. Uh that was a wonderful uh celebration. Um moving on to current projects. I mentioned the tide valves have all been replaced including the one at Jackson
and that was finished up on April 22nd. Um, Overlook Park pavers and fence and some planting had has been completed. We're right now grading and we'll be doing seating uh for the grass. The
completion goal is before Memorial Day, so we'll see what the weather brings and to see if we can actually make this happen. Uh, Frank Hall Park. Well, while we were clearing the site, as many people know, that site used to be the site of our old water plant when we had our own water
plant. And we found that when they discontinued the plant, they just threw a bunch of dirt over lots of pipes and things and whatever. So, we're working with the New Jersey American Water to make sure that everything is properly capped, removing all of the debris. Um,
that everything will need to be regraded. Um the forms and are I mean the pavers are on site. All of the forms are on site to create the botchi court. Uh but we just want to make sure that whatever fill that we need to put in there to make to make it good and so
that we don't have sink holes and all this other kind of stuff is done. So we're doing our diligence there. Uh the next project that we have is the Twin Light Terrace and South Peak project where it is drainage and repairing of the retaining wall that
failed when a tree fell. That work started on April 27th. Um it's going well. Uh this drainage is taking water from um an an inlet at um or storm drain rather that's on the top
of Twin Lights Terrace and instead of the water dispersing all over the um this the hill would overland are making a connecting uh PVC piping that'll go right into a
storm drain at the uh kind of at the end of South Peak. So then all of that water won't be going onto the steep slope. It'll be contained and go right into a drainage uh pipe. Uh there is no new uh news on uh grants
one on nor grants waiting to hear back. Uh things that are coming up in May is uh May 10th is Mother's Day. May 16th, Armed Forces Day. May 24th is the Seapport Craft Show at Height Park. And
then May 31 is going to be our memorial service at Veterans Park at 12:00 p.m. >> Um later than usual. Doesn't usually start >> No, it's No, at the at the park. Yes. Uh, and also the VFW
um has we were speaking about the the park sign that's been there since uh 1975 is in a a state of disrepair, we'll say. So, the VFW has decided that they are with their
own funds going to donate a new Veterans Memorial Park sign and they will take care of installing it with the DPW. And that is my report. >> Very good. I can throw a little school. >> Sure. Go right ahead.
>> Um I would encourage people to go on and watch the school board meeting. It was really good. Um last week um a lot of kids doing some some really interesting stuff. They're getting stupendous with the TV production stuff and they're getting awards for it >> along with the acting program they have.
The drama and acting program is really good. Um something something that I I was happy to hear the the principal at our elementary school is a really good guy intelligent smart does a good job and he is being promoted to be the director of
curriculum and instruction for the district and uh as we've gone through I think I don't know how many at this point maybe four or five curriculum directors five or six this is someone who really has has is grounded in in uh how it's going and I'm sure will make um
good improvements. So that that's all good. Um the the thing that I was able to Oprah enrollment and that kind of backed me up a bit because our elementary enrollment including preK 3 4 and kindergarten now it's only 125 kids.
>> Um we're up near 200 easily in the time I've been sitting here at least. I am >> and we are only like 29% of the elementary enrollment in the district because um Highlands Elementary
has 307 kids but then when you go to the high school Atlantic Highlands >> when you get to the high school it's not that diverse because uh Atlantic Highlands has 151 kids in grades 7 through 12 while Highlands has 127. So,
I mean, not even 30 kids difference there, but when you go back to the elementary, it's huge. >> Yeah. >> Um, and one thing that gives me hope, I I happen to be a member of OOLPH and on Sunday, uh, Father gave out our program and I think there's got to be at least
25 baptisms, 25 to 30 baptisms that have gone on there. I'm hoping they're all highlight kids, you know, I don't bring it to Carolyn who knows everyone in town. and we'll look at the list and tell us. >> But wait for some babies here. >> There's babies everywhere
downtown. So, but they're little, so they really not old enough to come in. >> Does it mean that uh people that are moving to Highlands and that they're single couples with no children? >> Could be or >> No, it's it's really not. Our our biggest demographic is is young married
with little ones. >> Okay. >> I mean, I just I see them every day. I was hearing people. >> So, have we ever figured out how many people and the only way to do it, I guess, is voting records. How many people This is their second home. They're coming from the city every weekend or they're, you know, coming
from North Jersey or whatever. We don't know that piece, too. >> Yeah. From the last census, it was about 30%. >> Yeah. >> Wow. >> There's a second home because with 70% are residents that live here full-time. And that number was inversed. Yeah. >> Before Sandy.
>> Yes. So, it's um we have a lot more people here that live here. Now, the other interesting thing to me, of course, is you can see the difference that like I guess Atlanta has a lot of kids that are going to private high schools. >> Sure. >> But if you look online, if they if you follow them, the high school, the
schools these kids are getting into this year, and it's a small class. I think there's like 30 something like that. 35 >> the high school has um yeah 35 kids in it in 12th grade. Well, these kids are getting into good strong colleges. So to
me that's encouraging. God said they're going to pay for it. But >> um that wasn't always the case. So I think things are going quite well >> in terms of education. >> Absolutely. We just need to get more kids I mean more people that come here to enroll
their kids in out the our public schools. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> All right. Anything else that anyone wants to add? >> Leon, you want to say what a great weekend it was? >> Well, I want to say is thank god I'm
alive this past weekend with Cinco de Mayo and the >> the town event. It was unbelievable. a lot of people from all over the place. The comments very positive >> people. I mean, High Thailand today is a different place. You know, I've been here 25 years, the restaurant
>> and just to hear people coming in saying, "Oh my god, this town is getting better and better." Makes me very, very happy. We should all, you know, be proud of it. >> Very good. >> Great. That's nice. >> Very nice. Good. >> All right. >> Okay. With nothing else, uh, would you
like to read the public portion statement, please? >> 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 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 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 prospective or current employee. There's a threeminut time limit for your comments. >> Mr. Yeah.
>> Yeah. >> Yeah. I just came to learn more about the uh vote that the museum place to to go and to exceed the cap of 2%. >> Sure. If you could just give your
>> address to Yeah, you did. >> Okay. >> And I I watched your YouTube video last week and it came up that uh road ticket at some point. Just want to get more information on that. Right. >> Sure. The cap is something that we we
vote on every uh every year. Um it's pretty much um in case there's an emergency, we have we gave oursel permission to use funds. But if there is no emergency, uh then we obviously don't ever tap on
that those funds to use. >> In other words, it's available. >> It's available. We don't have to use it. We generally don't use it unless there's something tragic like a Sandy happening. >> When I went on u the internet, they said that there has to be a resident vote to
uh allow us to uh go to 3.5. Is that true or not? >> I think you're talking about the the tax rate increase, not the cap for uh >> we're not talking about tax increase cap. This is a cap on the amount of
money that we could that we can raise. It's not about um it's it's not about the tax rate because if we don't we don't um use it then those monies never get raised in taxes. It's only allowing us to raise it if
there is some type of an emergency in the future. >> Right? But right now there's a cap of 2%. In other words, you can't exceed the budget above 2%. >> That is correct. >> The permission of the residents. Is that true? >> That is true. And we have not even gone
over 2% from yearover-year. >> Okay. So, >> in fact, I'll get I can get you that number. >> I I may wrong. I thought there was going to be a vote at some point in the future by the residents of Highlands to approve
going over the cap by 3.5 >> tax rate. No, we're not going over the tax rate. >> Oh, you're not? >> Yeah, I think the rate uh lowered our rate
was 935. >> Well, no, I don't I don't mean that. >> Okay, >> maybe I'm totally incorrect in what I'm what I'm saying, my perception. In other words, um, years past, they they I guess during the Christy administration, they
came up with a 2% cap that you can't exceed that, I guess, your budget proposal. Yep. >> And that of course has to do with how much you're the on spend that you can't go beyond that 2%. Well, I had um read
somewhere or I guess I heard in last week's meeting that there was some discussion and there had to be a vote. That might be a misconception about going to 3.5%. >> No, that's that's >> you say the ordinance the council
>> that's what the vote was res cuz when I went when I Googled it on the internet it said that the resil >> to get to give the council permission to go to 3.5. >> But we're not going to 3.5.
Our rate, our our local purpose rate went from 0.93% to809% which means we lowered our tax rate >> by by 125
>> 3.5 that we're >> that's if we were to increase our tax rate by 3.5%. Where we lowered our rate. We did not raise our rate. >> Oh, okay. So I guess >> so this cap bank is completely different
than the regular tax rate. >> Well, I know that that's why I came for clarity in terms of I understand the tax rate, you know, that's based on your property taxes and I thought that this 3.5 was different than that and it's it
sounds like it is. So when I thought you had to vote, the residents of Ireland had to vote to give the council permission to go to 3.5 and then if you didn't use the money, you would just spank it or you would use it. This might be
what the extra could go up another 155,000. So what that allows you to do is next year, you know, you need to use it to go up that you can you can do this for 2 years and
then it drops off. Okay. So that I guess I understood that it was a diff I was a difference between tax rate and I guess spending. I don't I don't know. Uh I I had read somewhere that um you
wanted to go to 3.5 to cover extraneous costs like the high increase in health benefits for employees and other expenses that have come up. So I understand it doesn't have anything to do with property taxes. It has to do
with the town >> the town spending. >> This is where I was confused about that. Let me see. It it is kind of you know it's kind of hard to understand you know >> kind of like you know
>> okay we could go up that extra but we don't need to hold it >> okay like a credit card >> right that's >> the CFO used to call it the credit card in the drawer you get a credit card from
a bank and you're not going to use it unless some catastroph happens. So you take that credit card and you put it in a drawer and if you never use it, you never pay pay on it. >> Okay. If you pull that card for 2 years
and then after that >> Oh, okay. So, as a resident of Ireland, uh there won't be any foreseeable increases to um taxes or expenditures or
anything like that. You said you're not you're not going to be using the 155. You just kind of banked it for I guess this year or next year. >> Correct. >> Okay. Well, I'm glad I came because I I I didn't understand this concept at all. Like I said, I saw on YouTube last
>> there was some mention of the council going to this I didn't know what 3.5 but interested president. So I'll read this. You should answer my question. So thank you very much. >> Okay. Thank you.
>> Thanks for coming. >> Yes sir. >> Okay. Well thank you. >> All right. Thank you for coming out. >> I would like to make a motion to enter executive. >> I'll second. >> All in favor?
>> I. >> Thank you. Executive session entered at 7:30. Go. >> I'll make a motion to uh adjourn the meeting. >> Second. All in favor? I >> thank you. Meeting adjourned at 7:54.