stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Good afternoon and welcome to the March 13, 2026 special meeting of the Jackson Township Council. This special meeting was called pursuant to the provision of
the Open Public Meeting Act. Notice of this meeting was posted on March 11, 2026. In addition, a copy of the notice was posted on the bulletin board in the municipal building filed in the office of the municipal clerk on the offermentioned date. Notices on the bulletin board have remain continuously
posted. We will begin with a roll call. Councilman Belli >> here. >> Councilman Brassie >> here. >> Councilman Pollock absent.
Council vice president Paul Mary. Council President Bernstein >> here. >> Also attending is attorney McGucken, administrator Tara Franco, Mayor Cune Verdagner, and myself, Sandra Martin.
The next item of business is the payment authorization of bills and claims. The following abstensions are from Councilman Belli. AE T1 D E L1 E Y E1 NJ DO4 NJS4
S T A28. Council President Bernstein, do you have any comments? >> No. >> I have a motion to approve the bills and claims. >> So move. >> Second. >> Council member Belli. Councilman
Brassie, >> yes. >> Council Vice President Paul Mary. >> Council President Bernstein. >> Yes. >> Motion carries. The next item on the agenda is the consent agenda listed for consideration of resolutions 101 through
119 2026 listed by title. Council President Bernstein, are there any comments on the consent agenda? >> No. Does anyone have anything they want us to have a discussion at this point? Raise your hand. >> Yes. anyway.
>> Correct. Correct. So, I just want to elaborate. So, I think Councilman Borelli is reading from the old agenda, but those two of um I and I'm just going to explain for the public who are watching and for obviously all the residents who are here today. Um, so this agenda was
taken from the agenda from the meeting that was cancelled. We put on bills and claims so we can pay our vendors and any employees who needed to be paid to pay our bills. We also um did our best to leave on any resolution that pertained to township business. Um, we took off I
think it was two or three resolutions that were asking the state to you know or you know or other the federal government and those will hopefully be on for the next agenda. The councilman Belli is referring to the affirmative marketing plan and the affordable housing spending plan. I had the opportunity in speaking together with
Councilman Borelli to our affordable housing team and with some of the other council members. These are um not adding units into Jackson Township. They are um the affordable housing spending plan is um part of the
affordable housing I guess the fourth round and Mr. McGuck can correct me if I'm wrong. Um, in which we are um adopting the the spending plan which allows for currently a certain percentage of those funds that developers pay, not the taxpayers, developers pay into the affordable
housing fund which go into rehab. There are certain new laws and regulations that do exist. These are administrative that we are obligated to adopt. Um, by our next council meeting, we will hopefully be introducing the ordinance that also codifies this. But these are not adding any units into Jackson. These
are bedroom counts. And additionally, this is the spending plan, which basically tells us how we can spend that money. And anytime money is spent from the affordable housing plan, it has to get approval from the affordable housing judge. Attorney MC, can I say anything that was incorrect? >> That was all correct. I would indicate
these are also directed mandated by the state of New Jersey as part of the affordable housing round four program. And for the record, as council president indicated, these are resolutions 118 and 119 on this agenda for this special meeting. It's important to note that
there is no 120 or 121 on this agenda. >> Right. Yeah. So that's what I I started off, Councilman Brelli, those were the numbers from the previous agenda, but they're currently those the same issu resolutions you referenced are 118 and 119. So yes, Councilman Bley, you're correct.
correct. And I just want to add one more thing I know um is that the new round um rules are actually tougher in the way some of this money is is going to be spent in the previous round. Just a one one example and there's a whole litany of of changes. Um, if the township
affordable housing plan allowed for money to be spent on a rehab, you had 10 years. If you decided to sell your unit that you lived in in the meantime, um, you had to pay back the it was a percentage. Now, it's going to be deed restricted in the new that you're not if you get a town rehab funding, you're not going to be allowed to sell your house
for 10 years. Um, that's just one small example that stood up to me. Thank you, Madam Clerk. I have a motion to authorize the consent agenda resolutions 101 through 119 2026. >> So move but I have one abstension on uh
resolution 110 2026 the January 27th meeting abstaining in that. >> So >> yes on the rest >> second. >> Council member Belli. >> Councilman Brezie. >> Yes. Council Vice President Paul Mary.
>> Council President Bernstein. >> Yes. >> Motion carries. >> Council President Bernstein. Is there anything further before we move to public comment? >> Yes. Before we move to public comment, I just want to um mention that by the last meeting the audio was not working. My opening comments I I um gave a little
display on the new Oprah software which is going into effect on the 15th. by the next it will be going into effect on the 15th by the by and we will hopefully put that up on the website before then by the next council meeting I will go over that again um for anyone who didn't get a chance to see it or they saw it and couldn't hear it um and then secondly
I'll go over my opening comments at that point um again the purpose of this meeting um and why we cut the agenda a little shorter was to take care of matters that were sensitive time matters for our township um we missed two meetings due to the snowstorm and obviously due to the audio issue Um and
we as a council collectively I spoke to all the members separately after the meeting. Everyone felt it was the right thing making sure our bills and everything would be taken care of and all the matters that were sensitive authorizing our professionals to be able to apply for some of the grants and some of the other resolutions. By the next meeting hopefully uh we will be
introducing the three ordinances that were on for the last meeting and I will most likely be um also adding on some of the other ordinances that we've been working on because at least for first reading um as there are some important matters that have come up through other um areas that we want to at least get
get those conversations started among council and to the public. So we will be moving forward and um again I thank our IT team for working very hard in the past uh couple days making sure that we can be up and running and putting whatever backup systems in place. So uh
again if anything does fail we can move forward and that's that's all I have to say at this point. So we could open to the public. >> Thank you. At this time if any member of the public has any comments to make please address the council at the microphone and state your name and address clearly for the record. You'll have five minutes to speak and may only speak once. May I have a motion to open
public comment? >> So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. And just quick question for our attorney. I know that some of our colleagues on council are currently at work. Um and I know Councilman Pollock told me he was going to try to call in. He wasn't sure where he would be. Um but
I guess if any of the council members do need to jump off if the meeting continues for a few more minutes, we just let us know. And um we just have to make sure I guess we have a quorum of three. Right. >> Right. If anyone leaves the meeting for any reason, please uh make sure you announce that so we can note it in the records and make sure we have a quum.
>> Thank you. Do you need my name and everything? Deb Jones. Um, I just have a couple questions on and I don't know who would be able to answer it, but Phil Stilton, I wanted to know what was his title when he was
working for the township, but I respectfully ask that you answer it because then it goes to my next question. >> Um, so I think he had a contract for PR purposes. He wasn't an employee of the township, so I don't know if he officially had a title, but Mr.
McCucken. >> Yeah, it was a contracted service with the township. >> Okay. And who does that now? >> We did not we did not replace him. >> So he's still being paid by the township? >> No, he was not renewed for 2026. >> Okay. So there's just nobody in that
position. >> We did not hire anyone else in that position, correct? >> Okay. Thank you. >> Seeing no one else come forward, I make a motion to close public comment. Second. >> All in favor? >> I >> I >> Any opposed? >> Could we have a motion to close the meeting?
>> So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> And thank you again everyone for being so patient. Thank you. Have a good day.