So, good evening everyone and thank you for coming. The February 11th, 2026 council meeting of the Long Branch City Council will now come to order. Roll call, please. >> Mr. Rases >> here. >> Mr. Vieiraa, >> I'm here. >> Mrs. Whittis, >> here. >> Mr. Dangler,
>> here. >> Dr. Vote >> here. >> Please all stand for the pledge 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 read the mission statement for the city council. The Long Branch mayor, city council, and administration are committed to cultiv cultivating an
environment of mutual trust and respect that values the diversity of our community. We will strive to enhance the quality of life for all who live here by making Long Branch a desirable place in which to live and prosper. We will treat
all members of the public with respect and expect the same in return. Certification, please. I hereby certify that this meeting has been published in the newspaper in accordance with the Open Public Meeting Act and posted as required by law. >> Thank you. So, tonight we're going to
have a presentation. I think some of you in the audience know exactly what we're going to be doing right now. A presentation for the holiday decorating contest. And I am going to ask
that Melissa James Johnson the names I call meet us up at the podium if you would. Dorene Joe Catalona and Deanna
Neas I'm sorry I'm I'm messing up your name. Uh, and Dice Delights. Meet us up at the uh, podium if you would. And the mayor. So, you were all busy at work for the holidays, huh? Nice. Yeah, that's what
I'm thinking. Okay. So, we have very nice proclamations. Uh, certificates of recognition. Diana. >> No. >> Okay. >> I know.
Melissa. >> So Melissa, >> the city of Look, it's been like it's nice and seasonal. >> Yeah. Uh the city of Long Long Long Branch is a certificate of recognition. This certificate is pres presented to
Melissa and James Johnson for exhibiting outstanding festive spirit and spreading joy in the city of Long Ranch for a 2025 holiday decorating contest. It's presented on the 28th day of January, 2026, and it's signed by Mayor Palone
and myself, city council, uh, president. So, there you go with your certificate, and you may also be very, [applause] very pleased to get your gift certificate for all your hard work and spreading the joy for. >> My husband will be very pleased. I'll go home there often, too. [laughter]
>> Thank you so much. >> Good. Thank you. Absolutely. Thank you. Thank you. >> And Dorine, >> Dorine and Joe Catalona. >> Yes. >> Okay. So, City of Longbridge again, our
nice festive one for the holidays. City of Longbridge with a certificate of recognition. This certificate is presented to Darin and Joe Catalona for exhibiting outstanding festive spirit and spreading joy in the city of Long Branch for our 2025 holiday decorating
contest presented to you on the 28th day of January 2026 signed by our mayor Cologne and by myself council president. Thank you. >> Congratulations. And we know that you will equally enjoy
the gift of [laughter] so well. >> Thank you so much. >> Congratulations. Enjoy. >> Thank you. >> Okay. And so to continue with our meeting um the reading and approval of previous minutes. I need a motion to approve the
minutes. >> So move >> second >> from the February 3rd, 2026 meeting. I already have a motion and I already have a second. So roll call, please. >> Mr. Rases? >> Yes. >> Mr. Vieiraa? Yes. >> Mrs. Whittis? Yes. >> Mr. Dangler? >> Yes. >> Dr. Vote?
>> Yes. >> Motion passed. >> Thank you. for uh consideration of ordinance public hearing and final consideration. There are none and ordinance for introduction. It the ordinance is 0-01-26.
This is the first reading of ordinance 01-26 which is an ordinance designating plug-in electric and hybrid parking only. It's a it is an amended ordinance. So
the summary is amending this ordinance will add to additional electric vehicle charging stations inside the municipal lot off Belmont Belmont Avenue. In addition, the amended ordinance will add language advising that electric vehicles
parked in the electric vehicle parking stalls must actively be char be charging while parked in one of one of the designated stalls. I need a motion to introduce on first reading, advertise, and post according to law and set the
public hearing for February 20 25th, 2026. >> So move second. >> Roll call, please. >> Mr. Ras, >> yes. >> Mr. Vieira, >> yes. >> Mrs. Whittis, >> yes. >> Mr. Dangler, >> yes. >> Dr. [laughter] V. >> Yes. >> Motion passed.
>> Okay. Thank you. Ordinance 0-02-26. This is the first reading of ordinance uh 02 an ordinance designating a handicap parking space for um 296 Sloum place. A summary of this ordinance is as
follows. The purpose of this ordinance is to provide equal access to residents located on the east west portion of Sloum Place between South Fifth Avenue and Sloum Place for motorists displaying
a New Jersey motor vehicle approved handicap placard or or license plate. I need a motion to introduce on first reading, advertise, and post according to law and set the public hearing for February 25th, 2026.
>> So move second. >> Roll call, please. >> Mr. Ras, yes. >> Mr. Vieira, >> yes. >> Mrs. Whittis, >> yes. >> Mr. Dangler, >> yes. >> Dr. Vote, >> yes. >> Motion passed. >> Good. Thank you. Public participation for resolutions and all general comments. I need a motion to open the
public portion of the meeting for all comments. So move the second. >> All in favor? I >> opposed. >> The public portion of the meeting is to allow you, the public, to state your comments directly to the administration and have a voice in the proceedings of
your governing body. There will be no cross dialogue during the public portion of the meeting. After you have spoken, any member of the deis authorized to speak on the administration's behalf may address your comments, answer your questions, and correct any misleading or
erroneous information. If there's anyone in the audience who has a comment to make, please step forward to the podium, state your name and and address clearly for the record. You'll have five minutes to speak and may only speak once. Good evening, madame clerk. Requesting
one minute notification. Vincent Leapour, 33 Ocean Terrace Lawn Branch. Mr. Martin, at the last council meeting, I mentioned your statement about the line item in page 15D of the city budget
that appropriated $140,000 to first aid squad. Mr. Martin, I would like the following questions to be answered at the conclusion of my five minutes. of that 140,000,
is that a 50/50 split between the Long Branch First Aid Squad and the Elberon First Aid Squad? And if it is a 50/50 split of 70,000 and 70,000 for each, why why particularly
when the Elberon first aid squad has approximately one-third the call volume than the Long Branch first aid squad and the Elberon [clears throat] squad is also getting paid by Mammoth University for services.
And Mr. Martin, another question. This is an in since it isn't broken out in the city budget. Is the city providing free fuel to these first aid squads,
Long Branch First Aid and Elberon? I want to know where they're getting and providing them free fuel. council, what is the current status of the director of the city health
department? I want to know if an acting director was named in his place during his absence. I want to know if the director of the health department has any disciplinary or prob probationary action being taken
or expected to be taken against the director of the health department as a public official pending his status as a director. Resolution 2026,
purchase without bids of a high water rescue vehicle. I'm requesting a no vote. The emergency is over in the city of Long Branch. You're appropriating 76,300. We went through this racket once before.
There's adequate time for a bid for the public to get a fair price rather than going and cutting a check without a bid. State bills. Senate 1807.
Because of you people, this council, the bill concerning tax abatement and pilots requiring municipalities now to share payments with the board of ed moving through the Senate. And to think two council members
were former board members. Talking about pilots, the John Palone 30-year peer village tax abatement. One would ask the former mayor, the former city administrator, and the former city councilman,
all three being an integral part of these tax abatements and promoting this city's peer village redevelopment. The question becomes, if this city's redevelopment in Pier Village were so
wonderful, why did all three of them move out of Long Branch? Why didn't they move to Pier Village and take advantage of the Palone 30-year Pier Village tax abatement? This redevelopment was supposed to be so
glorious. And yet the three integral parts of this redevelopment moved out of Long Branch. Never let it be understated how the people of this city got raped by this
redevelopment. >> One minute notification. >> Thank you, Madame Clerk. Another [sighs] bill coming up and it's of particular important to Long Branch and West Long Branch from the
Senate community and Urban Affairs Committee. S399 LLC's now have to provide all information, full public disclosure of owners.
No more secrecy with the LLC's. They've got to come clean. The record has to have the owner present as far as name, address, contact information, etc.
Those days of Phantom LLC's are coming to an end. >> Mr. Martin, thank you, Madame Clerk. Mr. Martin, council, I'd like my questions answered. >> Do you care to >> if you want me to shortly answer your
first question is yes. Answer your second question is that decision is made by canceling the 50/50 split and answer your third question is also yes. >> So the first aid squads are getting free fuel.
>> It's a 50/50 split. 70 thou 70,000. >> Oh that's right. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Excuse me. This is not for cross dialogue. He he answered the questions and now you had also asked about the
director for the health >> the director of health >> right which is a personnel matter >> personal matter personnel matter which we can't discuss is there anyone else hi Patty Pillllo 70 North Beth Avenue in
Long Branch. Um, I just want to say that during the snow, you guys did a great job. We're moving to the best of your ability. Um, our house is on one of the busy streets, North Bath and there's a lot of traffic down there and it was really narrow and when the cars moved
out, they went right in there and scooped up the snow on that side of the street because people were digging their cars out. So, good job. Um, there's a sign on my street right in front of my house that says no parking when the road is snow covered. Do we enforce that?
Because they do park there, >> just a question. You don't have to answer, >> okay? >> But I just want to throw it out there. >> And do they have to shovel all the sidewalks? >> Because one of the neighboring town houses, the one that goes all around from south and north bath,
>> they never shoveled the walkway. >> Yeah. And >> when you finish your comments, our our business administrator can probably answer some of your questions. >> Okay. I just have one more. Okay. >> Not necessarily snowreated. Being on that one block of North Beth
Avenue between Ocean and Second, >> I have two lights on each corner and they're all two to three minutes. Even if you're alone and it's the middle of the night, you sit there waiting to proceed. I get out of my driveway. I'm ambitious to get on with my day. And I
get to that light and I sit there [laughter] and I sit there and I sit there. Is there a reason? So, this doesn't have to be answered now, but just somebody I I even called somebody at the city office and they said it was clocked according to some major cities.
We're not a major city. There's some streets that are like six, eight cars an hour and like why do we have these long, long lights? [snorts] And the one on Ocean Boulevard in the middle of summertime, I got the windows open. not the air conditioned days, but and I can
hear motorcycles 3:00 in the morning sitting there revving their engines just like oh my god. And we're listening to all that and we smell his exhaust and not just him but like any car sitting there. I feel bad for these people. I would just go through.
Anyway, those are some of the things that came up and um an answer at some point by someone would be nice. >> Good. Good. Um this Charlie So the lights are um set to an engineering
standard and they're they're based but it's based on year round not the months you're talking about. So in the summertime they make sense. They don't make sense now. No that but they don't change them. It's not like it's a something that gets changed every month or three months. >> They used to be triggered. Oh sorry back home. Sorry. >> Yeah. I'm sorry. You can't. But but
they're set and and the light you're talking about works off the county. So we couldn't change it anyway. The county would. And then our light is based on their timing. So that that's the light question. The snow the snow removal is based on whoever owns the sidewalk, the property, they yes, they have to remove it. And
then the the snow sign you saw, if you look at the ordinance, we have a snow covered street ordinance that you're not supposed to park on it. And we pick and choose basically what streets we need cleared for emergency vehicles. So um we have the right to do them all, but before we do, we go around with loudspeakers and tell everyone, "Move
your cars." Usually we use a second avenue, bath avenue up to certain points, but we do we do clear them. But we we're not just going to write ticket just because we want to. If if we need it cleared, we'll do it. But um we try and keep the hospital routes open and emergency routes. >> It's all in the ordinance. You It's
right in the code book if you want to look. >> Okay. >> Yep. >> Thanks. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Anyone else? >> Okay. Okay. If anyone from the public wants to further discuss any comments or concerns, please call the city clerk's
office at 732-571 5686 to schedule a time at the public council hours that are held the first Wednesday of every month. And now I need a motion to close the public participation portion of the meeting. >> So move second.
>> All in favor? >> Opposed? I will now um ask the uh our city clerk if there are any changes to the list of resolutions. >> No changes have been made. >> Okay. We can take [clears throat] the listed resolutions as the consent agenda. I need a motion.
>> So move second. >> Roll call, please. >> Mr. Rases? >> Yes. >> Mr. Vieiraa? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Whittis? >> Yes. >> Mr. Dangler? >> Yes. >> Dr. Vote? >> Yes. >> Motion passed. >> Thank you. Applications. I need a motion to appoint the following members of the
Long Branch Fire Department. Tyler Dislo. Uh, West End. Uh, the status is active. They need a motion. >> Move. Second. >> Uh, roll call, please. >> Mr. Razes? >> Yes. >> Mr. Vieira? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Wittis?
>> Yes. >> Mr. Dangler? >> Yes. >> Dr. Vote? >> Yes. >> Motion passed. >> Okay. And then moving on to miscellaneous business for the good of the order. And we will start as usual, I think, with Councilman >> Ras. Thank you, Council President. I'd like to thank everyone for coming out
this evening. Also like to congratulate the winners of the holiday decorating contest and thank all those who participated in it. Uh it was so nice to ride around town and see the beautiful um decorations. Um it just really added to the holiday spirit. And on that note,
um just want to wish everyone um to stay stay safe and uh see you in two weeks. Thank you. >> Good. Thank you, Councilman Razis. And now, Councilman uh Vieira. >> Thank you, Council President. I also want to thank you for coming out tonight. I echo what Councilman Ras just
said about the holiday decorating. It is nice when you come to the holidays and uh you see these houses all decorated. It brings your spirit up. And Patty, I do know what you mean about the lights. I get stuck on Atlantic Avenue most of the times. You get out of the house rushed and then you sit there for two,
three minutes. Not much we can do on that. And with that, I want to say good night and thanks for coming out tonight. >> Thank you, Councilman Vie. Councilwoman Witt, >> I too would like to thank everyone for coming out this evening and um you know, once again, the DPW did do a good job
and thank you for recognizing that the snow removal and um hope everyone says stay safe and see you in two weeks. Thank you. >> Thank you, Councilwoman Wittis and Vice President Dangler. Well, congratulations
to the holiday winners. Um, but I would suggest you move over. I won't be a councilman for the next holiday. So, I'll be decorating my yard and um just please be safe. It's cold,
of course, for everyone, but just um just be safe while you're out there. Thank you and God bless. >> Thank you, Councilman Dangler and Mayor Palone. >> Thanks, Council President. I'd like to thank everybody for being here tonight. Um, also congratulations to the holiday winners. Uh, I have a couple of
announcements as just upcoming events. So, the hometown uh, heroes banners program is back up and running. Uh, the banners honor US military veterans who either presently reside in Long Branch or formerly lived here, displaying uh, the veterans pictures, name, military
branch, and dates of service. So to find out how to put a veteran on in uh the banner program, contact Susan in our office and administration at 732-571-5640. Um as many of you already know, the banners are beautifully displayed all
along the boardwalk in the summertime from Memorial Day through through Veterans Day. Uh tomorrow night is the opening reception for Beyond the Dream, celebrating black excellence. That's tomorrow, uh, February 12th from 6:00 to
8:00 at the Arts and Cultural Center, the corner of Broadway and Branchport Avenue. Come and join us for art, music, and food. We have a full in addition, we have a full list of arts center events for all of February. And please check
out um our website for more information at www. longbranch.org. And finally, um, especially, you know, with the weather and everything that's happened in the last couple of weeks, stay informed about everything weather, traffic, emergency, or spe special event
related by signing up for our new alert system, Everbridge alert system. It's it's very advanced and gives you uh up-to-date uh information. This is the official notification system for the city that will send you emails, texts,
and phone calls. Go to long branch.org. back slashalerts to sign up. Is there any other way to um that's >> it's on our Facebook. >> It's on Yeah, it's on all our social media platforms as well. But um it's really very helpful. Like I said, up to date, up to [clears throat] the minute
and uh please sign up if you can. Thanks again and uh have a great week and happy Valentine's Day. >> Oh, nice. That's right. >> Yeah. >> Thank you, mayor. >> Happy Valentine's. Uh, so I too congratulate our public works um department for being out there
and clearing those roads and doing everything to to keep us safe and congratulate our our winners. For me, if I can get a wreath on the door five on by Christmas Eve, I feel accomplished. So, I tremendously uh uh respect all of
their hard work. Um, I also want to do a shout out um for our HES um group. And you may know from previous times that I've spoken about this is um the mayor's task force on substance use abuse. HES
is an acronym that stands for health education uh advocacy and recovery support. Um they had a wonderful we run events um all the time and um we just recently
actually had two events, one last night and one um last week where we introduced um a new volunteer to the group um who will particularly be be doing outreach to all of the nonprofit uh organizations
in Long Branch that deal with addiction and deal with uh recovery. Um, it was a very uplifting event and I and I particularly want to thank the mayor for attending that event because one uh one
participant specifically came up uh talking to the mayor saying it makes such a difference when the administration supports efforts like this and it's such such important work
being done in Long Branch being done as you out across the country and I thought it was very re very nice recognition for you in terms of your support uh for the for the organization. So I thank you for that and with that we hope to see you in
uh two weeks. Be safe, stay warm and um now I need a motion to adjourn. >> Second. All in favor? I thank you. >> Good night everyone. All right.