Call to order the township of L Pacon Township regular meeting for June 4th, 2025. I um please bow your head for a prayer, please. Please als one nation under God, indivisible,
liberty and justice for all. Adequate notice of this meeting has been provided indicating the time and place of the meeting in accordance with chapter 231 of the public laws of 1975 by advertising a notice in the star ledger and the express times and by
posting a copy on the bulletin board in m in the municipal building. Roll call please. Yes. Councilman Delcaro here. Councilman Marinelli here. Councilman Mccle here. Council President Toledo here. They're right here. Wade, would you summarize the executive session,
please? Yep. Uh, the township council met in executive session where it discussed the following privilege matters. Uh, personnel fire sub code prevention and lead paint inspection positions. Personnel personnel policy and procedure manual. Personnel employee payraises. Uh, attorney client privilege
building maintenance code. Attorney client privilege alleyway ownership update. Contractual LAA contract and attorney client privilege master plan update. Uh minutes from the executive session will be released at such time as the council deems no public harm will
come from it and no official action was taken. There will be uh three motions uh from the executive session. Uh a motion to make an offers offer for a provisional appointment for the fire sub code and prevention official. Okay. I have a motion please
on that. I'll make a motion. I'll second it. Councilman Belcaro. Yes. Councilman Marinelli. Yes. Councilman McUade. Yes. Council President Pledo. Yes. Right. Yes. Uh a motion to amend the personnel
policy to uh correct the vacation days to revert them to what they previously were. A copy of that policy can be obtained from the clerk. I have a motion on that too. In a second, please second. Make the motion. I'll make the motion. Okay. Second. Second. Well, in roll
call. I'll roll that. Councilman Delcara. Yes. Councilman Marinelli. Yes. Councilman McQuade. Yes. Council President Pledo. Yes. Mayor Right. Yes. And lastly, uh a motion to authorize litigation uh on the owner against the owner of 110 South 6th Street for
failure to remove personal property from township property. I'll make that motion. I need a second. Please. Second. Oh, local. Councilman Delo. Yes. Councilman Marley. Yes. Councilman Mcuade. Yes. Council President. Yes.
Right. Yes. Thank you. All right. We're going to swear in our three new officers, Jonathan Hikade, Derek Rottman, and Abraham Rush as police officer for Hik. Jonathan. We have someone here. Yeah.
Bible. Raise your right hand. And then you're going to repeat after me. I, Jonathan High I, Jonathan High, do solemnly swear do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States that I will support the Constitution of
the United States and the Constitution of the State of New Jersey and the Constitution of the State of New Jersey that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same. that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same to the to the governments established in the United States and to the governments
established in the United States and in this state and in this state under the authority of the people under the authority of the people and that I will faithfully and that I will faithfully and partially and partially and justly perform and justly perform all the duties of police officer all the duties
of police officer according to the best of my ability according to the best of my ability to help me guide to help me Congratulations. Derek Rottman the afternoon. I Derek Rottman. I Derek Rottman. do solemnly swear do solemnly swear that I will support the
Constitution of the United States that I will support the Constitution of the United States in the Constitution of the State of New Jersey and the Constitution of the State of New Jersey that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same and to the governments established in the United
States and to the governments established in the United States and in this state and in this state under the authority of the people under the authority of the people and that I will faithfully and that I will faithfully and partially and partially and justly perform and justly perform all the
duties of police officer all the duties of police officer according to the best of my ability according to the best of my ability. So help me God Repeat after me. I, Abram Rush, I, Abram Rush, do solemnly swear do solemnly swear that I will support the
Constitution of the United States that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of New Jersey and the Constitution of the State of New Jersey that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same and to the governments established in
the United States and the governments established in the United States and in this state and in this state under the authority of the people under the authority of the people and that I will faithfully and that I will faithfully and partially and partially and justly perform and justly perform all the
duties of police officer all the duties of police officer according to the best of my ability according to the best of my ability. So help me God. So help me God. And congratulations Thank you. Thank you guys. It's a pleasure having you on the force and knowing you guys
will make strong and I appreciate that. All right. Okay. Public comment on agenda items only. Everybody's leaving. Mr. Bruce. I know. Everybody leaving us. Thank you, Chris. Uh Bob Bruce 11 Hall.
Uh really just the uh uh if somebody could just review I went to the uh planning board meeting and um they took action and you're going to vote a resolution on today. Sure. Rather than asking questions, can you just take the floor and explain that? Yeah. So great.
Uh what the council is doing right now is endorsing uh the housing uh housing element and fair share plan that was adopted by the planning board. It's a really what it is amendment to the master plan. So the planning board
uh adopted it, amended the master plan and now it's being endorsed by the township. This is all part of the required fourth round affordable housing. Um it was prepared by the township planner on how to effectuate uh what was required by the fair house the amendments to the fair housing act. Um
and without getting into the details of the report because I'm not the planner but I do understand that what the requirements were was there an 81 unit requirement uh for the township. There is no present need requirement for the rehabilitation
uh because the township is in the highlands uh that uh and there is a vacant land analysis that reduced uh the number uh that was required uh by the township for the prospective need moving
forward. Um I I don't recall what that number was off the top of my head. I think it was 21. Um I think uh and then uh the township didn't need to make any amendments to any ordinances to effectuate to get to that number because
uh there are enough credits with existing affordable housing within the township uh that we just use those credits that were already existing that were over and above what were required uh to satisfy that need. So there's there's no ongoing requirement uh for this fourth
round. if I could. Yeah. Yeah. Um's understanding of of all of that is that um uh we we don't have any affordable housing that we need to meet. Y and as Mr. uh Belaro, Council Member Belo had said last week, it might have
gone into the cloud or something like that, but it's uh and and we're actually looking potentially good for 2035. Yeah. Sorry, I was just going to say so I did speak with the planner uh before coming to this meeting and he did uh indicate that there are like I said there are credits remaining from the
last round that we're using. There are still credits that can be used for any future rounds. All right, great. Thank you guys. Good. Anyone else? Seeing none, we will move on. Old business
minutes approve executive and regular session for May 7th, 2025. I have a motion and a second, please. Motion second. Roll call, please. Councilman Belcaro, yes. Councilman Marinelli, yes. Councilman Mccade, yes. Council
President, yes. May, yes. Number two, ordinance number 25-08 reading in public second reading and public hearing to establish the position of captain in the police department. Have a motion in a second to hold the public hearing. Please. Motion.
Second. All in favor? I I comment for the public. Seeing none, I have a motion and second to close the public hearing. Motion second. All in favor? I motion and second to adopt this ordinance. I'll
make the motion. Second. Uh roll call, please. Yes. Councilman Delaro? Yes. Councilman Marinelli? Yes. Councilman McCuade? Yes. Council President Cleo? Yes. Yes. Ordinance number 2025 09 second reading and public
hearing to establish a salary salary range for the position of captain and increase certain other salary ranges within the salary ordinance. Have a motion and second to hold public hearing. Please motion. I'll second that. All in favor?
I comment from the public. Seeing none, have a motion and second to close the public hearing. Motion. Second. All in favor? I. Motion is second to adopt this ordinance. I'll make the motion. Second.
Roll call, please. Councilman Delcara. Yes. Councilman Marinelli. Yes. Councilman McQuade. Yes. Council President Fleo. Yes. Right. Yes. Uh new business ma uh master plan amendment resolution to endorse the 25 2025
housing element and fair share plan which wait just talked about talked about again right that's basically the same thing have a motion in second please move second roll call vote please
yes yes councilman yes president yes yes Or ordinance number 20-10, first reading of bond ordinance providing an appropriation of 503,000 for various capital improvements
in and by the township of Lakon and authorizing an issuance of 477,600 in bonds or notes to finance part of the appropriation. Have a motion and a second, please. Motion second.
Roll call vote. Councilman Delcaro. Yes. Councilman Marinelli. Yes. Councilman Mcuade. Yes. Council President Fleo. Yes. Yes. Number three. Ordinance number 25-11. First reading of bond ordinance providing an appropriation for 600,000
for improvements to Stonehenge Drive in and by the Township of Lacon authorizing the issuance of $440,18 and bonds or notes for financing part of the appropriation. Have a motion and a second, please. Motion. I'll second that. Roll call
vote, please. Councilman Belcaro, yes. Councilman Marinelli, yes. Councilman McQuade, yes. Council President, yes. Yes. Consent agenda. Have a motion in a second, please. Motion. Second. Roll call vote, please.
Councilman Velcaro, yes. Councilman Marinelli, yes. Councilman Mccle, yes. Council President Fledo, yes. Yes. Council reports. Rich, I don't have any reports. Mayor Lou, yeah, I have um I
have a report. Um Councilman McQuade and myself, we attended a sewer meeting um few weeks ago in in Pulpsburg. And I just have three little points real quick. Number one, as far as um the rate increase, they have a formula they're working on and uh that will be
established sometime this year. So, not this summer, probably later uh sometime in the fall for rate height. So we have a uh Greenwich Rich and WAT has uh agreements. We'll have an agreement with Philipsburg. Uh Paul hat and Alpha they have their own individual uh agreements
with Philipsburg. So we'll find out what that is. Uh and then we can u um forward to our attorney to review it. You know we uh we'll discuss it and to see uh where we go from there. The second thing is um um the sewer capacity right and
again we brought up the subject there is no more capacity we can send to them. So I asked a u their attorney a legal question uh can this a New Jersey state mandate Philipsburg to expand their sewer plan to uh to meet the you know a
demand either now or in the future. He didn't know the answer. So hopefully he'll look into that. And there was one more thing, Lynch. Uh well, privatiz Oh, yeah. Uh the privatization, right? Uh there was no further discussion on that.
And then that's all I have for that meeting. Thank you. All right, Scott. Nothing at this time. Jim, uh recreation music in the park has started for the season. Last week's performance had to be cancelled due to weather. And tonight's first performance of the
season. Yes. A community day is scheduled for September 6 with a rain day of September 13th. And with the community day, we'll be having a car show and fireworks. Great. Okay. Fire chief gave me his report, so
I'm going to tell you that right now real quick. Um for the last for the month of April there was 23 incidents. Um so for year to date from January till now there was 82 incidents. Last year at
this time there was 79 incidents. They um have updated their system for brush fire since there's been a lot of brush fires in the areas lately. And um that's about it. You didn't have too much else to say. So, we're a little le we're a little more
this year than we were la last year at this time for fire calls and um I think did I don't have anything else. So, engineers report. Yes. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um so, just to give um the council on
public an update, uh Fox Farm Road storm damage repairs. We've completed the concept plan preparation. Uh we're coordinating currently with FEMA to finalize their approvals for the project and also with NGD. Uh we're going to have having a pre pre-application meeting hopefully in the
next few weeks here uh so that we can keep that project moving towards uh construction permitting and then and then construction. Um the pool demolition that's ongoing. Uh we received notice that the building demolition was on hold
pending the removal of the transformer and electrical service. So that'll be scheduled for that is currently scheduled for June 11th. Uh then the building will will come down and the demolition will be completed. Um the general overall pool and park improvement plan preparations, those
will be completed and ready ready for final review by the end of this month. Um and then uh eventually we'll go to bidding uh once uh the reviews are completed. Uh the pickle ball courts, we had the pre-construction meeting. The contractors indicated they will be
beginning the work uh once they receive all their materials and currently that's scheduled to begin on June 16th. Um so in about uh two Mondays uh from this week. Um next uh Stonehenge Drive was
mentioned earlier in the meeting. So uh those improvements uh are have been submitted to DOT. are awaiting their final uh review. Once DOT approves the project, we'll be putting it out to bid.
Um and the final thing I have as an update, the public works garage pavement improvements. That project was bid and awarded uh this evening. Um bid earlier in the month and awarded this evening. Um and we'll be working with um Samson
uh concrete uh to begin that work to improve the public works garage. And that's all we have. Great. I just want to back up real quick. Um, want to thank all the boards and uh Wade and his office for uh getting all this information so we
didn't get screwed over with these uh houses, you know, the affordable housing and we're able to use that and stop a lot of stuff that we don't need to. So, that's great work everybody. I really appreciate that. With the consent agenda, sorry I missed this. um for the
fireworks to have the 13th as community date. It's actually the 6th. The rain is the 13th. You said that. You said that. No, but I saw cuz that says the 13th. I don't know if that has to be changed or anything. Where does it say? Number two
for community day September 13th. That's the rain date. The 6th is the actual community day. Okay. Thank you. Okay. All right. Please, Chief. Chief, thank you, Mayor Council. First,
I' I'd just like to uh reiterate and say thank you uh for your support within the police department. Uh specifically for um allowing the hire of our three new officers. Um they're truly going to be an asset to the town. It's a much appreciated and we can't wait to get them on out into the community. So,
thank you again. Um this this Friday we have uh law enforcement torch run. We uh we participate every year. Um again, we'll be running. Um our leg of the uh run will be uh beginning around 9:15 on Friday morning. So you might see us
through through town running through, but it's for a great cause. It's uh you know to support the uh Special Olympics, which uh takes place up at TCJ every year, the College of New Jersey, and that also kicks off on Friday. So,
um, as far as public notifications, we just want to put a reminder out there for people to keep their cars locked again. Um, we we had another car go missing this past month. Um, but it's strictly a crime of opportunity. Um, if we're leaving valuables in our cars, um,
you know, that's what they're looking for, unlocked vehicles and, uh, unlocked valuables. So, please, uh, take them out of the cars and, uh, you know, make it harder for these people. Um lastly, uh traffic report for the month of May, we had a total of 165
stops. 49% of the drivers that were stopped were uh issued traffic violations, traffic citations. And of those um that were given traffic citations, 59% of them were u overweight motor vehicles, tractor trailers. And
that's my report. Thank you, mayor. Thanks, Chief. DPW Bri. Excuse me. Yeah, I just want to put a little report together. Um, what what we've been doing is there's been trees falling. You guys are
aware of that. So, uh, we I think we had two trees that fell this this fall, but we had call outs this time. And uh we've taken down two other ones. We got another one that's coming down. So we're right behind you. All right. On Sixth Street there. It's getting ready to come down on our house and everything else.
So that's coming down next couple days. Um the other scenario I have is the park is going to be shut down the 9th and the 10th um after school opens up and before school uh lets out, it will be opened up. We will be going in and spraying for
weeds and kill and everything that's there. It's it needs to be done. Um, you had mentioned something that we need to discuss. I believe I'm starting on the 9th. You're telling me that they're starting on the 9th. All right. So, we need to get together and figure that out because that's not going to work for the
pickle ball courts. Yeah, that's planned for the 16th. 16th. Okay. I miser. I apologize. All right. Um, so anyway, you're going to see us along the side. We have to make sure nobody walks in until it dries. All right. So, you'll see us shut down the road. I can't just put a barricade there. All right. Cuz I
can't I got to keep everybody out. All right. People fight to go in. Um the other thing we've been doing, like I said, is we've been going around, we started out in Meadow View, um taking down the tree branches and and different things that are that are up in the trees that are get that we can manage around
wires and and everything else and making the town a lot safer that way. Uh I want to give a compliment to the guys. Um the the mower's been down, the tractor's been down for a whole month and uh the guys have been busting their hides and
they've you haven't nobody's missed a beat of what's been going on there, you know what I mean? Doing a lot of a lot of hustling. All right. Um you know what I mean? You got to watch where you run your mowers, how you run them, but they're running, you know what I mean, safely. All right. And different things. But uh when will that one be back up
again? It should be back tomorrow. All right. And then it goes back to I lost a 16 foot cutting mark, right? What I lost. All right. So, you know what I mean? More time spent cutting grass instead of other things. You know what I mean? So, it it prolonged them days, but they've held your park nice and we got
some compliments on it and everything else. So, you know, um sports for us is about ready to end. And uh I asked for a report on their things. Their report didn't match what reality was. Jim, I'm just letting you know that. All right. Um, so we've been
dragging the fields because they are playing. They didn't give spring dates. All right. So I've been dragging them and they're they're thanking me, the ones that are doing it because they don't have they didn't know that there was no schedule put out to us. What was it taking to Dragon Field? Well, it's
it's it's not about dragging the field unless you're trying to level out what they destroyed. All right. It's more about getting there. All right. You have to load up. You have to travel from this one. This it goes to the school. I mean, you know where they're at. Two of school, one here, over there. All right. So, I I usually give them, you know, 2
and 1/2 hours, 3 hours to to do all that, you know what I mean? So, it's usually after lunch when that's done. You know what I mean? And they they come back and they got to go on they got to pick it up, they got to take it back, put it away and fill it with gas if it needs it, whatever. You know, there's just it's like your own car, your own
mowers. You don't you have to take care of them, you know? So, um that's kind of where we've been been at. All right. So, all right. Question. The uh seasonal employees that you have, is that a benefit to you? Is it helping out? Most
definitely. Most definitely. Um I can't complain over over any of them. I mean, overall, I mean, we all got learning processes to do and that's just part of it. All right. What are they doing? Are they cutting grass? They're cutting grass. All right. today, today and yesterday because we were ahead of the
grass a little bit because the rain and different things used to put us behind. Um the two um went out and and uh uh we ran the bucket truck and the other ones picked the branches up and put them in the truck and stuff and brought them back down. All right. So that you know
what I mean? They're doing you know that side of the work and you know I've got I've got them driving the vehicles that they never used to be able to drive. You know what I mean? We're coming a long way with them. You know what I mean? Again, like I said, there's some learning processes and that's okay. You're providing some mentorship to them. Well, that's kind of where I've
been. Um I mean, I can tell you right now, um one guy was scared to death to do anything pretty much. All right. Um the opposite guy, if you want to word it that way. Um and he thanked me the other day. He said, "I I couldn't be where I'm
at today without you." So, I grab a hold of them and I take them and I mold them and I do the same thing to the others. I'll sit them down separate and they don't even know what's happening. It's just me and him and uh kind of go over a little bit what's going on, where you need to be, how to get there, you know,
I mean, different things. I mean, not a long drawn out, you know, it's maybe a fivem minute talk or something unless he needs to get It's good to be a community caretaker on their part as well. Yes, it's okay to give a hug, too. That's I'm okay with it. It's just Yes, it's it's But I need to drag them along or walk
with them. I can't throw them to the wolf because they'll hurt somebody or you know what I mean? You know, uh they didn't know how to drive them the mason dumps. All right. I've got I've got the one plowing with us now. All right. When he first got here, he was scared to to you know what I mean? He thought he could drive a pickup truck, but he drove
it so fast and so quick that you know, let's just not talk about like anyone in the That's why I'm not giving names, but that's why I left names out of it. But they're they're growing. All right. They're young young guys that are growing. So good. All right. Thanks, Brett. Thank you. All right. No one else
is here. Approval of department reports. Motion and a second, please. Motion. Motion. Second. All in favor? I. Payment of bills. I get a motion in a second, please. Motion. A bill. I'll second that. Roll call vote.
Councilman Belcara. Yes. Councilman Marinelli? Yes. Councilman Quaz? Yes. Council President Fledo? Yes. Mayor, yes. Public comment. do it. Mr. Bruce Bob Bruce Harwood Road. I want to thank
uh the council uh mayor uh who thank uh Mr. Bowwin on the um uh clarification on um the work that they did with the affordable housing. Um, uh, Councilwoman, uh, Belcaro, uh, did a a
good job of, uh, laying the groundwork and the planning board handled it, uh, very good and I'm glad to see that that happened. Uh, also thank the council for, uh, uh, the increased police presence. Uh, how you got that done, that's excellent. Um, I see that the uh
uh uh overweight tractor trailer percentage jacked up and you guys got that law passed and uh uh uh much to my uh mistaken uh understanding u again sorry Mr. Marinelli for my outburst a
couple meetings ago. Uh we're getting the money for that. So that's good. Uh as we know and uh specifically Mr. Belaro, Mr. Mcguay, thank you for representing us at these meetings. Uh, I thought it was going to be in June, but apparently what we were talking about
happened already this Okay. And um, matter of fact, it was uh, a week later after the last meeting when we had the meeting there. Okay. And so it's every two months. Okay. Okay. Well, I I understand it. You don't even get a vote
really or you just kind of like us when we show up here as as a citizen even though you're representing. No, we're just there as conscientious observers. We're trying to see exactly what's going to happen and how it's going to affect us. But no, we Right. Okay. Well, as
somebody who uh installed whose wife installed the lawn, um I know that my sewer bill went up and as a result my my water bill went up and as a result my sewer bill went up and and and I want to see that as low as that can be. So, uh
thank you. And um it's going to go up, but it's going to it's going to go up in the end of the year. I I you said fall you expect, right? Yeah. Yeah. I did ask him and not this summer. Uhhuh. So that leads me to believe sometime in the fall. Right. Right. Okay. Well, keep a
surprise. Thank you for your work. I think the amount the amount was 14 million that they need to upgrade the business of 14 that was a um that's the infrastructure 14 million that they have to right uh that's on PER, right? I saw the plan. I saw it in
a paper. It had certain ones that they're actually doing already. So first up, they have to 2032 to get that completed. Mhm. So, um I would assume that they're going to build in some of the uh the raises that affect us built
into that. Right. Right. Yeah. They've got their numbers already. Okay. But they have a formula right now and but there's one thing they cannot do. They cannot charge uh the sending districts more than they charge their own residents. And that's
how the whole lawsuit came about. Okay. Because uh back language was found back in the '9s that they were charging low more than they charged their own
residents. So the lawsuit was filed and we won, you know, so we settled and how those payments will be distributed over five year, you know, period, uh which is they weren't going to, you know, increase our rates. Um and then you know
other factors that was involved with that uh I don't remember the exact uh language that was that we agreed on. Um but you know so we did win. So going forward whatever they charge their own uh residents they have to has to be the
same with the sending districts. Okay. Okay. So it's going to be fair across the board. Yeah. Okay. Well it'll be what it be. But uh thank you for uh for representing and fighting for it. So thank you gentlemen. Thank you. Thank you. Anyone else?
Good evening. Pam Thomas, Six Wordssworth Lane. I need to say that I'm not speaking on behalf of the Latong um school board of which I am a member. However, I was present and I would like to acknowledge the work that was done by the Shade Tree Commission and Robin that
they worked with the green team at our middle school in planting a tree on the property. Um, both Robin and her husband were over the top, just wonderful in terms of the work that they did with the kids. I was there to watch the tree get planted. Um, and it was just a really
nice event and they were very educational too with the students that were there. So they worked with the green team and I would just like to acknowledge what they did. Thank you. Great. Thank you. Anyone else? Seeing none. Motion for adjournment.
Motion. Second. Second. All in favor? I. Thank you for coming out everyone. I don't