Let the record reflect that the meeting has reconvened with all members present with the exception of Councilwoman Hanahan who's excused this evening. ing. For those who are able, please rise 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. May I have a motion for the executive minutes of June 8th, 2026, which we've discussed in executive? >> So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor?
>> I. >> May I have a motion for the regular minutes of June 8th, 2026? >> So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> Okay. Thank you very much. Uh, as all members of the public can see, the mayor is not here and you are
getting me again tonight. So, uh, hopefully he will be back soon. Uh, because as I as I am the acting mayor, that is it. I am just acting and I'm a bad actor at that. But I'm trying to do my level best to represent Mayor Connley
while he's out of town. Um, just a couple of uh notes for the employee of the month for July is Captain Rob Dunn from the fire department. Before the Marine Corps event on July 2nd at Madison High School, Captain Dunn arrived at the site early to meet the board of ed staff in order to get a head start on setting up and he assumed
responsibility for setting up the cooling station which was critical since the temperature was greater than 100°. His efforts likely prevented a significant number of heat related health emergencies. And for anniversaries, we have Jim Finelli, lead man with the water utility department, who celebrated his 40th anniversary with
the burrow on July July 7th. That's really terrific. And on the evening of July 3rd, as everyone knows, a severe storm moved through Madison. Our residents certainly don't need a reminder that that happened. Many neighborhoods experienced down trees, snap power lines and utility
poles, and prolonged power outages. Rather than revisit the storm itself, I'd like to spend a few moments recognizing the tremendous recovery effort that followed because throughout those days, there was always something happening behind the scenes, even if it wasn't visible to the public. As I speak, you see photos of some of the
damage displayed on the screen, which should be popping up shortly. There we are. >> Yeah, >> the storm caused significant damage to our electric infrastructure. We experienced 13 broken utility poles, four damaged transformers, countless
trees and large branches entangled in power lines, numerous down wires throughout the burrow, and multiple homes that were struck by trees. With the widespread damage, about 50 homes had their individual electric services ripped from their houses. From Friday evening through the holiday weekend and
into Monday, July 6th, Madison Electric worked tirelessly until power was fully restored to all customers by 6:30 p.m. with the exception of those homes requiring repairs to their own electrical service. We're grateful for the assistance provided by our mutual aid partners from the Butler Electric
and Acura Electric, whose crews worked alongside Madison Electric through the restoration effort. At the same time, our Department of Public Works worked throughout the weekend clearing fallen trees, supporting electrical restoration operations, and following the storm,
completing a burrowwide collection of large storm debris that could not be handled through our regular yards program. Our police and fire departments also worked handinhand with our other first responders, providing assistance wherever it was needed and ensuring the safety of all of our residents
throughout the emergency. Throughout the weekend, I toured many of the impacted neighborhoods and saw firsthand the extent of the destruction. As acting mayor, I also participated in daily coordination calls with our administration to ensure our employees had the personnel, equipment, and
resources that needed to restore service as quickly and safely as possible. Just as importantly, we remain committed to keeping our residents informed throughout the restoration effort. The bureau issued updates twice daily through Alert Madison and across our social media channels, providing the
latest information on restoration progress, safety reminders, cooling resources, and debris collection. If you're not already registered for AlertMadison or following the burrow on social media, I would encourage you to do so by visiting rosenet.org/social
media. These communication channels are the fastest and most reliable way to receive important information during emergencies. While some residents understandably waited longer than others, Madison's restoration was completed remarkably quickly, particularly when compared to many of
our neighboring communities that experienced similar damage. This work was far from easy. Our employees gave up their holiday weekend with their families, working long hours in extreme heat, rain, and difficult conditions. And they never lost sight of their commitment to serving the community. During the storm response and
restoration effort alone, Madison's first responders and public works employees logged more than 581 hours outside of their regular work schedules. That's a remarkable testament to their dedication to the Rose City. And as a small token of appreciation, I was happy to deliver lunch to many of our first
responders and public works employees last Sunday to thank them for everything they did for our community. While restoration is complete, our work continues. The Madison Office of Emergency Management's working closely with Marx County OEM to complete preliminary damage assessments so that should the state or federal assistance
become available, Madison is prepared with accurate documentation and data. Unfortunately, severe weather like events like this are becoming more frequent. Thanks to the planning, preparation, and dedication of our employees, Madison was ready to respond, and our team rose to the challenge. On
behalf of the mayor and council, I want to thank our residents for their patience, cooperation, and understanding during those difficult days. Most importantly, I want to express our sincere gratitude to every member of the Madison Electric Department, Department of Public Works, Police Department, Fire Department, EMS, Office of Emergency
Management, our administrative staff, our mutual aid partners from Butler Electric and Acurate Electric, and anyone else who played a role in this response. Your professionalism, dedication, and unwavering commitment to serving the Rose City made all the difference. And I will just say again, I
was around town uh visiting some of the sites and wa watching the crews work. They really didn't stop. I mean, they were they were tired. They'd go back uh you know, grab some equipment, maybe grab some more uh food, some more water, and just keep going. And I don't think
we would have gotten uh the response that we had if we didn't have their dedication. We now move on to reports from committees. And I will uh just start us off by a brief report from community affairs and then uh just an update on
the Madison pool. So there's not much uh new report from the uh downtown development commission, but the next meeting is uh this Thursday, July 16th, at 7:15 p.m. in the second floor committee room of this building, the Hartley Dodge Memorial.
All are invited to attend. The June meeting um was cancelled. The 2026 Madison Farm and Artisan Market is open Saturdays through December 12th. The market uh was closed on the 4th of July and it will be closed on Bottle Hill Day. New vendors can request the
information by emailing Lisa Ellis at ddcrossnet.org. Information regarding Bottle Hill Day 2026, which will be on Saturday, October 3rd, is now available on rosenet.org. And don't miss the summer stage series sponsored by the Madison Downtown
Development Commission on Fridays from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Madison Community Arts Center 10 Kings Road throughout the summer. The remaining dates are as follows: July 17th, July 24th, August 7th, August 14th, the 21st
of August, the 28th, and then September. Can you imagine where they're already? September 4th, 11th, and 18th. There's something for everyone. These events are free and open to the public. The concerts will be outside if the weather permits, but we'll move inside if the weather doesn't cooperate. So, please
bring your own chair or a blanket for outside viewing. There'll be folding chairs and little tables if the show moves inside. And feel free to feel feel free to bring food from a local restaurant and enjoy the show. More information at rosenet.org/mcac. And from the Madison Community Pool, the
Madison pool season has uh is now about halfway through and it's been a fantastic summer so far. Our Madison Barracuda swim team continues to perform exceptionally well, winning its last three uh sorry, four meets because they just won tonight, I was told, and
representing Madison with pride. Our inaugural cornhole league has also been a great success and will conclude in just two weeks. We're pleased to have introduced a new activity for members this season, and we look forward to evaluating additional recreational programming in the future. We recently
hosted a very successful pre-teen and teen night at the pool, both of which were extremely well attended. Based on that success, we're looking at scheduling additional events in the coming weeks. We also introduced a $5 Madison resident non-member day, allowing residents who were not members
to experience everything the pool has to offer. That event welcomed 78 families representing 171 Madison residents. During the recent power outages, the pool also served as a cooling resource for Madison residents without electricity. We were pleased to offer
complimentary admission during that time with 53 families representing 141 residents taking advantage of that opportunity. As we approach August, I'd also like to remind residents about our Auguston family membership. If you've been thinking about joining the pool this summer, it's a great opportunity to
enjoy the remainder of the season at a reduced cost. Registration is available at madisonpool.org. Registration also remains open for a third and final session of swim lessons which can also be found on on the website. Finally, as this is the burough's first year operating the
Madison Community Pool, we continue to learn, improve, and refine our operations every day. We truly appreciate the feedback we received from our members and residents throughout the season. If you have comments, suggestions, or ideas, we encourage you to email poolset.org. Every comment is logged, reviewed, and
helps us continue making the pool an even better experience for everyone. And I can tell you as being part of that committee, which again I think it's a great uh group of really dedicated people, they are really looking for feedback and they do want to incorporate uh you know ideas into this season and
next season where possible. That's all I have. So we'll move on to uh public safety. Councilman Landeran. >> Thank you. Okay. from the police department. The Madison Police Department command staff met with members of the patrol and traffic safety
departments to discuss the new ebike laws taking effect on July 19th. The department will soon begin an educational program to inform residents of the new registration, licensing, and age requirements. Recognizing that the registration process has only recently
become available, office will focus on education and voluntary compliance during the initial implementation program. Any questions, call the Madison Police Department traffic safety unit. More information will be coming on this. As always, we encourage all residents to
enroll in Alert Madison, the burrow's official emergency notification system. Alert Madison provides timely updates on power outages, road closures, severe weather, and other critical public safety information. During the recent
severe storm, all borrow updates were distributed through alertmison. Residents can sign up by visiting alertmisonadison.org. On July 8th, the Madison Police Department's community patrol community policing unit hosted cool down with a
cop at Dodge Field Playground. Officers engaged with residents and visitors, distributing ice pops, encouraged proper hydration during the hot weather, and provided a visible police presence while fostering positive community relationships.
And finally, on July 30th at 6 PM, the Madison Police Department officers will participate in basketball at the Y sponsored by Project Community Pride. Officers will engage with area youth through friendly basketball games,
promoting positive police community relationships, encouraging teamwork and sportsmanship, and fostering meaningful interactions in a fun and welcoming environment. Okay. From the fire department. During the month of June, the fire department
respond to 187 calls. 78 people were transported to the hospital. Last week, the department responded to two alarm fires. One was in Floren Park. The other was in Mars Township. The fire department also set up cooling stations at the Marine Corps event at
the high school. Thankfully, the extreme heat was only there was only one medical emergency. The department responded to several calls during last week's storm. During last month, the fire prevention bureau conducted 41 inspections in the
burrow. There were also two fire permits processed. Captain Blair has been working with the state division of fire safety and local fire hazard use businesses to bring overdue life hazard safety payments up to date. And finally,
last on July 2nd, the Marine Corps ho hosted a special event here in Madison at the high school in recognition for our 250 year birthday. Um they had a drill team, a band, and
then finally the helicopters arrived. What's was very impressive about this, aside from what they provided, was the work that the Patriotic Celebrations Committee did in a very short period of time to coordinate this event. They were
outstanding. They then only worked with the Marine Corps, who by the way they made sure left early enough because then they were going to do the same event in New York City on that same day, but they also enrolled the use of our own Brian
Mortonson who's sitting right back there to film the event and it's now up on YouTube. So, I just want to congratulate them for the great work that they did. And as an aside, each one of the members of that team are combat veterans, so they deserve a lot of credit. It's all
volunteers and they're a wonderful group of people. Thank you. >> Thank you very much, Finance and Bureau Clerk, Councilman Range. >> Thank you, acting mayor. Uh this evening, we've got a short but uh pretty important update. Uh the tax collector
reports that tax bills uh for the quarter that begins in August um are delayed. So we're still waiting for our 2026 tax rate to be certified by the county. Once we've receive that certification and the final rate, the
tax office will work on getting the new bills out to residents as quickly as possible. uh because of the delay uh the grace period for the August quarter will be extended. Uh the date for the specific date for that grace period uh
will be printed on the bill that you receive and predominantly posted on Rosenet. So stay tuned um since that date will be somewhat dependent upon when we can finalize the tax bills. If you have any questions about your upcoming tax bill, feel free to uh
contact the tax collector's office. And that's all from finance and bureau clerk tonight. >> Thank you very much. >> Public works and engineering councilman Harland Pis. >> Okay. I'm going to take some of Eric's time. >> So I want to say ditto to what John said
about the community uh stepping up the the DPW stepping up. The electric utility couldn't have been handled any better by any other of the uh public utilities in the state. from the Department of Public Works. Uh the DPW, as we know, responded to the storms,
continued to clear storm damage. It's still a work in progress. So for anybody listening or anybody here, I don't know how many people are actually listening to our meeting, but we are encouraging the residents not to put their grass clippings or regular yard waste out on
the curb. We're just trying to pick up the debris from the storm. Uh, I asked the DPW, "How much have you picked up?" And, you know, "Can you measure it?" And I I said, "Did you pick up 10 truckloads?" He said, "We're doing 10 truckloads a day." So, that's how much
debris there is around the burrow. And then, uh, I said, "Are you almost done?" He said, "Well, it looked like we were done on Friday and then we came back today and he said, "It looks like we didn't do anything last week because there's that much stuff on the curb." So, there's a lot of lot of storm debris. They're doing a fantastic job.
And the electric 2. Uh the DPW installed a solar pedestrian traffic sign for the police department in front of the Kirby Center. They also are installing around the burrow, maybe you've seen them, solar radar speed signs. They are very informative. They talk to drivers, tell
them if they're maintaining the right speed, and if not, to please slow down. I think that'll be a huge benefit to keeping our streets a little bit safer from speeders. Uh the mechanics in uh DPW have performed maintenance on all their equipment after last weekend storm
maintenance, chainsaws, wood chippers, and some of the police and EMS vehicles. Uh the DBW continues to maintain the recreation fields. We still have summer soccer and summer baseball activities and those fields were also uh hit with
some debris from the storm. Um, also a reminder if anybody needs them, the yard waste bags, the paper yard waist bags are available at the DBW garage and the clerk's office. Um, from engineering,
uh, the Shady Lawn Drive reconstruction project has been totally completed. It included curb replacement, milling, paving, and final striping. It was all completed just this morning. Uh summer roadway line striping and crack sealing operations have been completed. The work
was focused mainly on Kings Road and a few adjacent side streets. Curb replacement and drainage improvements have been ongoing on Dogwood, Harwood, and East Street. Milling and paving are anticipated to occur by the end of this month. Um,
engineering interns who work for us in the summer continue to assist the department with a variety of engineering and project management assignments throughout the summer. Sidewalk and spot paving repairs within the Cook Avenue Plaza are expected to begin shortly. We're waiting for the contractor's final
schedule and we will notify the businesses that are impacted which states the parking lot will be closed. Additional roadway striping with emphasis on school crosswalks and pedestrian crosswalks will be completed by the DBW prior to the start of school.
From the shade tree management board, uh each year the board members gather and survey all the Madison streets in order to identify trees that needed pruning. They get an arborist assessment for removing trees and potential new planting sites. The members were in the
middle of completing the surveys when the July 3rd storm hit. So, as a result of the storm, the DBW has identified 28 sites now where tree or electrical work was required in addition to what was surveyed before. So, the board members will have to be revisiting sites around
the burough one last time. For newly planted street trees in front of residents homes, the residents are reminded and we would like to encourage them to help water the trees while we go through this drought period. The last
message, Mayor Forte, is from the MEC. Uh Claire Wick comes here, so it's a nice little report. The MEC held its second pollinator plant giveaway of the season at the farmers market this past Saturday. It featured five species of
native plants potted up from Joan McCari's garden. Madison residents were able to reserve a free plant in advance of the sale. The turnout was fabulous until the rain let out. Those who are reigned out and those who want to get in on the action can email mecrosnet.org
and you will be subscribed to the newsletter which will have announcements about the August 11th giveaway and a form to reserve more free plants. Also at the farmers market, the MAC talked about the multi-town quiet summer initiative to pause gas leaf blowing.
It's an easy way to make summer quieter and healthier for all. The YMCA, the FM Kirby Children's Center, and Grace Church have joined the quiet summer initiative by asking their landscapers to pause gas leaf blowing in the summer. United Methodist Church and the Colony Pool in Chattam are also following suit,
not using electric leaf blowers. Madison DBW is outfitted with electric blowers that they are using daily around the community. And that's all, Mayor. >> Thank you very much. Health Councilwoman Cohen. >> Thank you, acting mayor. Um, short tonight. There will be a blood pressure
screening on Monday, July 27th from 10 to 11 at the Madison Library. Walk-ins are welcome. A lead consumer goods testing event will occur on Wednesday, July 29th from 2 to 3 at the Madison Library. Walk-ins are also welcome there. You can bring spices, toys, dinner wear, and other consumer goods
for testing. And then uh the health department after the storm and during the storm and after the storm uh assisted sorry assisted restaurant by providing guidance to retail food establishments that had lost power, inspecting reopening retail food establishments and
directing residents to cooling centers as well as any advice they wanted on fridge and freezer um length. and just want to add my shout out to DPW who was in front of our house from 12:30 to 3 in the morning getting the tree off the
wire and reconnecting everything. So, they were they were out 247. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. And I'm going to circle back to Councilman Range who has utilities in the absence of Councilwoman Hanahan. >> Yes, thank you uh John. uh from the
electric utility. Uh in addition to the storm uh issues that we've already covered, um on June 21st, standby crew was called out to Beverly Road for a wire uh down in the storm drain. Uh on
the 24th of June, uh a 12 kilo volt breaker trip at Kings Road substation was alarmed. While responding to the substation, the police department notified uh the electric utility that they had received a call about a lot loud bang and sparks on top of a pole on
Kings Road. Um and as a surprise to no one, the cause was due to a squirrel. Uh on the 26th, uh we started underground vault inspections and maintenance throughout the burrow. And on the 27th, the standby crew was called out to
Delbarton Road area for multiple reports of hearing a loud boom and losing power uh due to a squirrel in the transformer. Uh on the 29th, uh they set a new pole in Pros P prospect place and on June
30th, standby was called out to the Kings Road substation again for a transformer malfunction alarm. and standby was called out that same day for Edgewood Road power outage. On the first, standby was called out to
Morris Place for a power outage. Um, and as a result, they ended up replacing uh a transformer. Standby was called out uh on the 2nd uh to Crestwood Drive and Rosewood Drive area for a power outage.
Uh and also on that same day uh to power outages on Central Avenue and Woodside Avenue, Woodside Road. And then before the storm on the 3, standby was called out for a power outage on South Oak and
North or Oak Court. uh as that was before the storm. Um one note um in addition to what we've mentioned about the storm already, uh the crews on July 3rd at 7:44 p.m.
received alarms from both substations which were due to the uh 34 kilovolt line from JCPNL that tripped out uh from the storm. And of course, as we know, and we've already reviewed tonight, the storm caused great amount of damage and
power outages throughout the burrow. In addition to all that work, uh the electric utility continues to make great progress, uh through treeline clearance throughout the burrow. Um and this sort of preventative maintenance really reaps
rewards. Obviously, with a storm like we had on Friday, you know, with massive trees coming down, there's nothing we can do. But uh for somebody who grew up in the country where they don't maintain their power lines in the trees around them, um these sorts of things can
really help prevent power outages on a regular basis. Um and lastly, of course, they continue to uh respond to calls, completing markouts, street light repairs, and daily substation inspections and ratings.
and from the water utility. Uh the water utility has also been busy uh and have dug and repaired main valves um on Anthony Drive in Wayne Boulevard, dug and repaired for curb boxes and shut off valves throughout the burrow and moved a
fire hydrant uh from Bellow Avenue access road uh 40ft to 40 feet to Chateau Theory curb front for better access. They've also assisted the electric department and TBW during the storm and
cleanup, ran the wells manually, markouts for pole replacements, and assist in general debris removal throughout the storm. They've also installed a new inch and a half tap and service for newly constructed home on 162 Kings Road and installed a new
1-inch tap service for new construction of a sewer pump station at Cardigan Lane for Floren Park. upcoming uh notable upcoming events continue. They'll continue to manually run uh wells B and D to meet demand
during the communication change for the SCADA monitoring and alarm revamp system. and they're scheduling a dig on Hillrest on Hillrest Road services to verify iron and copper service replacement uh so they can replace any
iron services found with copper. And lastly, they'll be scheduling uh hydrant replacements throughout the burrow, six presently earmarked uh to be replaced due to age and uh limited operation. And that's all from the water utility tonight. Thanks, Joe.
>> Thank you very much. Communications and petitions. >> None received. Ma'am. >> Okay. Thank you very much. So now we come to our first invitation uh for public comment. We open the meeting uh to that. And during this portion of the meeting, members of the public may ask
questions and comments on any discussion items on the agenda or any resolutions. There will be another invitation for discussion later in the meeting for any other subject. If you have any questions or comments, please proceed to the lectern and give your name and address and print the name on print the same on
the sheet provided for the record. Please limit your questions or comments to three minutes or less, but we will give you one minute grace period. Tonight, we have one agenda discussion item which is from the Madison Environmental Commission called Skip the Stuff. And then we have uh the following
resolutions. We have R212-2026 resolution of the Bureau of Madison appointing Miss Christine Bugle to the position of burough engineer. R 213206 resolution of the Bureau of Madison authorizing contracts under the North
Jersey Wastewater Cooperative Pricing Council pursuant to NJSA4A uh 11115 resolution 214-2026 resolution of the Bureau of Madison authorizing change order request from Dville Line Painting for the 2026 mill
and overlay line striping program. Ruh 215206 resolution of the Bureau of Madison awarding a contract to Altech Industries for the purchase of one articulating telescopic aerial device with the material hand with material handling insulated 41 ft bucket truck under
source well contract number 110421-alt uh R 216 2026 resolution of the Burough of Madison authorizing an ovation agreement for the transformers with North American transformer company. R 217 2026 resolution of the Bureau of
Madison approving renewal application for livery owner's license for travelers taxi and limousine for 2026. R 218 2026 resolution of the Burough of Madison renewing application for livery drivers permit for travelers taxi and limousine
for 2026. R 219 2026 resolution of the Burough of Madison approving raffles license application submitted by the Madison Athletic Foundation. R220 2026 resolution of the Burough of Madison approving raffles license application
submitted by the Thursday Morning Club. R2212026 resolution of the Burough of Madison authorizing an Eagle Scout project at the Madison Recreation Complex. R222 2026 resolution of the Burough of Madison ratifying appointment of intern
Gavin Okonnell as volunteer for national night out for the police department. R223 2026 resolution of the Burough of Madison renewing a liquor license in the Bureau of Madison for the 2026 to 2027 license term. R224.
Yeah. 224 2026. Resolution of the Bureau of Madison authorizing execution of an amendment to KRE Madison, New Jersey urban renewal LLC declaration of conditions, covenants, easements, restrictions, cost sharing obligations,
and leans for lots 8 uh.01 and 8.02, block 3001. Uh, R225 2026, resolution of the Burough of Madison authorizing the installation of a peace pole at James Park donated by the Madison Rotary. R226 2026,
resolution of the Burough of Madison approving a walk-in Madison for Saturday, October 3rd, 2026, sponsored by Mother Theres uh Kulska. R 2027 2026 resolution of the Bureau of Madison authorizing a contract
to to resod the Rosedale Avenue soccer field under the Camden County Educational Services Commission contract number 66 CCPS. R228 2026 resolution of the Burough of Madison rejecting bid for on call emergency storm support and authorizing
negotiation. an R229206 resolution of the Burough Madison appointing Shaun Leonard to the position of office assistant in the finance department. Anyone wishing to comment on any of those, please step forward.
>> Hi, my name is Brian Monahan, uh 19 Greenh Hill Road, Madison, New Jersey. U I'd like to ask just a few questions about the uh resolution 227 2025 26 about the uh residing of the uh turf the
soccer field on Richdeale Avenue. Right. Um this uh this resolution is just for the purchase of SAD or is it for a contract to have a professional sports field contractor come in and do a
job or what is this particular resolution for? >> Thank you. So we don't we don't typically engage uh public in this session. It's really uh more for your comments and and any questions. I mean at the end >> we can do it at the end.
Well, so I'm uh chairman of the open space committee for Madison and uh back in memory is not very good, but June, July, January, February, somewhere in there, we advise for the approval of $200,000 for this project.
uh very important in our opinion because this is the first time we're actually going to be very serious about using real turf as a sports field as opposed to plastic in which case it wasn't going to work there anyway for so many different reasons. Um so it was our
understanding that this was going to be a bonafide project and I'm not sure where it went. It seemed that uh from talking to Jim Savage, who I realized is no longer here, that that was going to be postponed. Apparently, the recreation
group wanted to keep this this particular field open throughout the summer and throughout the fall. So, when I see that this has coming up, then I just was wondering where we are on this or what's going to happen or what the thoughts are or something along those lines. >> Thank you. No,
>> you want to respond now? I can respond now if and and Tom has been a big supporter and advocate for this project. Uh this is the actual purchase and installation of the sad and the reason for the delay was the state legislature despite the best efforts of Senator Buco
um to oppose it. There's a change in the regulations affecting co-op uh entities that no longer can provide contract services for construction based on a time and material basis. So, we had to work with the burough attorney's office and the co-op we were using and the
contractor to restructure the entire contractual arrangement to convert it to a unit price lumpsum fixed price contract which was months of delay. Then we had to go back to the co-op to get approval for the amended version of the contract. That was all done on Friday. That's why it's a kind of a lastm minute
thing to try to get it done. The contractor is available to start work immediately. It'll be a grass sod surface. the there's already an irrigation system. So, that'll be retrofitted to make sure it's all operational. And the goal is basically to finish it this summer so that we'll
allow the field to rest and that the soccer program that we've met with will then have a full fall season, which is their goal. They could lose they could afford to lose the facility for one season a year, but they didn't want to lose the spring season and the fall season. So right now we can meet that up
that uh request and that the work should start within the next 10 days to two weeks and be completed before the end of the summer. >> Can you tell me if it's the sad will be the current turf will be removed. It'll be regraded. It will be then >> complete soup to nuts. We have our soil
conservation permit pending. Everything will be removed. four inches of lom the re reconfiguration of the existing irrigation system and then the installation of the new sod to go on the yes >> okay >> it's will be soup to nuts it's going to
look great >> okay >> thank you very much appreciate it >> thank you very much >> Senator Bua welcome to see you in Madison thank you for coming >> I'm always happy to be in Madison. Um, I just stopped tonight for just a couple
of minutes to congratulate the council on what will be the adoption of the bond ordinance that will fund uh the acquisition of the Drew Forest. It's another step in the process uh to get
this property preserved. And it's been a long process um one of the many steps that that has to have been taken. I understand why we have a blood pressure screening uh coming up.
But um but I I I have to admit that when we started this process, I had many concerns and you know, as the price continued to escalate, whether or not we could put the team together uh to make it work, but with the help of the folks
from the Save Drew Forest with the community support, um cooperation at all levels of government, uh we were able to accomplish that. And I think that's something special uh for Madison and I think that that's something special for
this region and it will have an impact a beneficial impact on generations to come and uh we should all be proud of the hard work that went into this and um and
the result that will be achieved when we sign that contract and the final deed is transfer transfer into property to be preserved. So, thank you. I appreciate it. I enjoyed working with everybody throughout this process and uh this is
certainly a feather in Madison's cap. So, thank you >> and please convey my best wishes to the mayor. >> Thank you, Senator. Anyone else wishing to comment, please step forward.
Seeing none, I'll close this portion. Um, now we're on to our agenda discussion. The Madison Environmental Committee skip the stuff. >> Thank you, Claire. >> Thank you all for this opportunity. Um,
this bill, skip the SC stuff, um, passed the legislature last day of Murphy's term. He signed it and, um, then I kind of forgot about it. And fortunately, I'm happy to say that Lisa Ellis is totally on it. So, I'm
just going to give you the generals and, um, if you have questions, she's your girl. All right. Um well I as many of you may know we helped pave the way for this this bill
indirectly. Uh we passed a plastic bag ordinance and um we went we had posters in all the windows and shop. We did a lot of you know grassroots stuff and the result was that 130 towns including
Madison worked with the Chadams as a a joint ordinance passed plastic bag ordinance. This led to one of the strictest state plastic laws in the country and it covered single-use bag bags and straws. Skip the stuff is the
next phase of this. It addresses the um takeout items that most people just toss. It's the PLA plastic forks and knives and the condiments. And what it it does is say it's vol you have to ask
for it. You can't it's not banning anything. It's just setting up parameters where it is not auto doesn't create automatic waste. And um this was preceded by only three 63 local
ordinances and as Eric Range knows the MEC talked to him about doing an ordinance and we just never got the wind in our sales and the state did it so it's really great. Okay. Um it applies to restaurants, cafes, coffee shops,
diners, food trucks, takeout delivery establishments and drive-through restaurants. So it's pretty much a lot of things. I don't know if it applies to Bottle Hill Day. Um what's really cool is ordering platforms like GrubHub, they have to default to no utensils and no no
condiments. You have to ask um there's regulations on um oh 10 restaurants with 10 seats or more must provide reusable washable utensils um rather than single-use items at casual establishments. There's um
you can have dispensers or self-s served systems and interestingly um you can't provide bundled packs of items um after the a year from August. Um so you can ask for condiments or
disposable items but it's up to you. So how does this impact the food establishments? Um the research shows that it's really a cost saving. They're they're they're able to spend less in a time of tight budgets. And um as this assemblywoman
Kazo Gil, one of the prime sponsors of the bill said, this legislation is about awareness, choice, and cutting back on waste that hurts both our health and environment. So what might a plastic fork do? Um
basically, I saw this thing on um one of my environmental nerd sites that said every plastic fork you've ever used it still exists and it's it's really a a kind of stunning problem. Um so there
are is a need for certain situations where this occurs. Um but uh there's $200 million worth of unused cutlery annually and uh Clean Water Action found a study in Redbank and when
they passed an ordinance they're experienced a 94% reduction in cutlery and condiments. So this bill can have an impact. It's not going to be life, you know, life-changing, but this
is what we need to do. We need to take steps to eliminate the lowhanging fruit. Okay. So why reduce plastic use? I mean basically it comes down to petroleum. The production is um highly polluting and hazardous. Often there's a lot of
cancer clusters in the adjacent communities. And the problem with plastic is it never biodegrades. It just breaks down into smaller bits. This is particularly true of the plastic fibers, polyester, nylon, acrylic, and spandex. They shed microfibers in the wash. The
Great Swamp sees microfibers in um the water testing they do there. And it's it's getting to be an increasing problem. And even even the recycled poly versions that you know sustainable
brands tout, they shed. Um, I worked for a sustainable clothing company and we never said that uh recycled poly was eco because of this problem. Um, plastic is found in every it's polluted every New Jersey stream and
river. Um, there's particles in your food, fish, cosmetics, tea bags are a problem and bottled water means you're drinking microplastics. uh the microplastics enter your body and they can travel via the bloodstream to
any organ in and they have recently been found in the brain. So I'm going to take you back to the heyday of passing passing the um plastic bag ordinance and we did a flyer for
plastic week in Madison. We won an environmental award for it. And our our action items were skip the straw, bring your own bag, don't drink bottled water, say no to styrofoam. You can, by the way, recycle hard
styrofoam. Pad, the kind of packing material at the DPW. I see a lot of it on the curb in my neighborhood. The um the uh plastic ordinance from the state outlawed um styrofoam for food packaging, which is a huge benefit because that's a pretty toxic item.
Bring your own mug. Um and bring Tupperware for restaurant leftovers. I've done this with I learned this when my kids my dad only liked to go to Charlie Browns and uh my son at age eight thought it was the best
restaurant in the world. Well, he'd only been to one restaurant, but the the servings were so big that I started taking a shopping bag of of, you know, plastic containers to take take the leftovers, and I still do. And I I have it in my car. I I travel with um yes,
plastic forks in the in the glove compartment. I have them in my backpack over there. It just it it just is a it becomes a habit. You can use bamboo. You can use something much. I've just got the leftovers, but there's easy ways to cut waste so that you're not in a
position to use these items. Okay. So, skip the straw was um an idea that was really responded to the youth. They they came up with this at the Green Vision Forum and um these high schoolers
and a fifth grader trailed around Madison, went to all the restaurants, handed out this flyer and um what h what happened at the state level was that um straws were in the voluntary category. They didn't want to ban straws
because plastic straws are useful to people with certain um disabilities and ailments, but theoretically you're supposed to ask for it. It's not supposed to be handed to you with your meal. And that has really lapsed. I um I
it's confusing because they can hand you a paper straw. they can hand you a straw made of some nonplastic material, but um so it's hard for a a diner to know what the situation is, but basically
um it needs to be revisited. And Lisa Ellis said she would raise this with with the restaurant community when she reached out about um skip the stuff. So that's it. And this
is something a child back when we were um doing our plastic campaign and I just love it. So there it is. So thank you and any questions? >> Thank you Claire. Any questions? Yep. Bob. >> Well, this is more of a comment and then I do have a question. I like your
approach to this because it's not mandating like you said. It's having these restaurants places phase it in which you and I have had this discussion about different things. It's a good way to do it. The other thing I like is what you mentioned about the water bottles. I've had this argument with so many
people who always carry around the water bottles. Drink tap water. It's better for you. Plus the plastic the chemicals the plastic leech into the water eventually. Um the last piece is does this will this eventually apply to let's say like an Amazon because when you get
a delivery from Amazon if you look at the way it's packaged some they're starting to use more paper but a lot of times it comes with styrofoam or like the bubble wrap. Do you think this eventually will go to something like an Amazon or similar type
company which uses plastics to wrap their products? Um it's a huge problem, Bob, and you're absolutely right. Uh what what happened with both the plastic bag
ordinance and this is it was a grassroots activity and environmental commissions across the state organized with with councils to to solve a need. But the you can't
you can ask Stop and Shop not to give out plastic bags and they are large corporation and they they can adjust for Madison and Chadam >> but >> I mean when we back when we had an isolated ordinance so all these ordinances were isolated to start out with. I don't know how you honestly
tackle Amazon. >> Yeah. It was just a thought that came in my mind because I get deliveries from them all the time and I'm always saying look at all this garbage and I'm just for a little bottle of pills and you got this box with all this. >> Oh, I'll tell you I I I measure how I
shop by how they package and when somebody shops responsibly I shop there. I don't shop in Amazon partly because I don't like the way way it comes. So, you know, your option is to find a better >> Yep. >> better place to get your item.
where they um aren't so proflegate with with plastic. And just as a side comment, you know, the the petroleum industry is seeing a decrease in gasoline and you know, conservation is reducing their their their demand and
plastic is what they're betting on to to make up for it. So there's a there's a huge push to plasticize everything, >> including the Prius drive. So, you know, It's um it's complicated. >> Thank you, Claire.
>> Any other questions or comments? >> Just a quick comment. So, the challenge is going to be now, Claire, which I I'm in this industry, so I happen to message some of my customers who are distributors of restaurant disposables. And and I think out of the
10 people I sent the messages to, eight of them said, "Well, how's it going to be policed? Who's going to actually watch? Is it going to be just res people who know about it. How is it even going to be publicized? So, what is going to happen? Is the health the
health officer in the town going to go to each restaurant when they renew their their license annually? And do you have any am I just stomping? >> Actually, I think it's in the information. I think Lisa Ellis has that. >> Okay. >> But Lisa Ellis is not going to go to all the restaurants. >> No.
>> Um >> because it's something that's not >> there's a there violation is a warning. The second is a fine. >> $100 fine and $250 fine. >> Is that what it is? >> Yes, that's what it is. So, but it's a matter of like I said, policing it. Uh
getting the notice out to every every establishment that does takeout. That's primarily for takeout or maybe some in-house dining like you said. They don't want you to have a plastic cup that's going to go in the garbage or a plastic cutlery. They want you to have
reusable color, but it's it still has maybe more um it is going to require a little bit more involvement. >> Well, I think I think there also has been some citizen involvement to to not >> Yeah. >> Uh >> well, you have 12 people here who know
about it. >> So, you have to get about >> 16,000 more people in the community to know about it. And I'm I'm behind it. I >> Yeah. I don't actually know because it's like skip the straw. It's kind of you're not banning an item. You're just telling
people to use it differently. It was banned. It was banned for a while. Plastic straws and then the and then the ban went away nationally if you remember. >> Oh, okay. Well, you would know better than I did. >> It was ridiculous. >> So, basically, we al as Misonsonians, we
have to work to to help our restaurants and help a lot of it comes through apps like GrubHub and things like that. >> Yeah. So, I I don't order um take out because I don't like to waste, but that you know,
Eric, I'm not in charge. >> Just a just a note on the enforcing body. It is actually administered through the New Jersey D. So, violation notes can be sent to the state um and or
the county environmental health uh folks or the county health department. And I don't know what our plan is at the local level, if any, but it looks like it's primarily New Jersey D is your enforcement body, which >> that's why
>> may or may not uh be a good thing. And and it seems like with like with other things, the hope comes with the children because based on the drawing and based on the kids that got involved and went around business to business, the kids seem to be like they're on it
and they'll probably, if they're like the kids in my house, they'll keep their parents honest >> and make sure that everything's going the way it goes. >> Thanks, Jeff. >> So, just two things. Um, I don't have an answer to Eric's question, but um, Joe B, who's in the audience and is
president of the board of health, and I will be at the meeting August 3rd, and we'll make sure we get it to the, um, health officer before then, so she can have something kind of ready if we want to discuss it. >> And it may or may not be her, but or >> right. And she may know who exactly it
is. And I do know at least locally, if you order any restaurant we've ordered takeout from, I don't know for how long, but have had the option, do you want the utensils, do you not? And sometimes we say yes. More often we say no, but every so often if we're going, you know, eat
in the car, kids, um sort of thing, but it is there and and you do have to select it. Um which I thought was great. And I didn't know there was a law behind it. president of Madison Board of Health. Uh we just had this discussion with uh Bridget Daly uh just today about
actually straws. So the health inspectors will be we will remind them we will remind the health inspectors and the health officer about this on August 3rd, our next meeting. And as the health inspector goes to all the restaurants,
he will be he will be reminding them about this, you know, about skipping the stuff. >> Yeah. So he'll be he'll be telling them you know but again compliance it's good for you know Madison residents
if they if you my suggestion would be if you get this plastic store and you didn't ask for it just remind them you know the restaurant owner that I didn't ask for this and that I don't you're not you really don't want it. Okay. >> Thank you.
Okay. Moving on to ordinances for hearing. The ordinances scheduled for hearing were introduced by title and passed on the first reading at the regular meeting of the council held on June the 22nd, 2026. They were posted and filed
according to law and copies were made available to the general public requesting same. >> I call up ordinances for second reading and ask the clerk to read said ordinance by title. Ordinance 312026, ordinance of the Burough of Madison, appropriating $245,000
from the electric capital improvement fund for the purchase of a new bucket truck and accessories. >> I open the hearing. Anyone wishing to comment? Seeing none, I close the hearing. >> Mayor, I move ordinance 31-2026.
>> I'll second it. Any council discussion? Roll call vote, please. >> Mr. Landrean, >> yes. >> Mr. Range, >> yes. >> Mr. Harland Pudis, >> yes. >> Mr. Forte, >> yes. >> Miss Cohen, >> yes. >> I declare ordinance 28-2026 adopted and
finally passed and ask the clerk to publish notice and file ordinance in accordance with the law. Ordinance 32, 2026 is a bond ordinance to authorize the acquisition of real property known as the Drew Forest property for open space and other public
purposes in by and for the burrow of Madison in the county of Mars, state of New Jersey to appropriate the sum of $23,800,000 to pay the cost thereof to authorize the issuance of bonds to finance such
appropriations and to provide for the issuance of bond on the anticipation notes in anticipation of the issuance of such bonds. >> I open the hearing. Is there anyone wishing to comment on this? >> Seeing none, I close the hearing.
>> Mayor I move ordinance 32-2026. >> Second. >> Any council discussion? >> Just a note on this is this is authorizes the bureau to issue these bonds up to $23.8 8 million, but this
covers the entire purchase price, much of which is coming from uh external funding sources like our grant uh from then Representative Cheryl and Senator Booker, uh the county grant,
other funding sources. So, as we as we're able to draw some of those, we will be able to draw down early um and have that money available to us at time of close. Those are dollars we wouldn't have to go out and bond the full 23
million. So, we had a presentation not too long ago on kind of the net net, but um this authorizes us to do the whole thing should we need to. Um but the actual issuance of debt when we get to that portion of the uh proceeds
uh will be much much less than the number you see on the page here. >> Thank you for that helpful clarification. Any other council discussion? Seeing none, uh roll call vote, please. >> Mr. Landrean, >> yes. >> Mr. Range, >> yes. >> Mr. Harland Pudis,
>> yes. >> Mr. Forte, >> yes. >> Miss Cohen, I have to accuse. Thank you. I declare ordinance 28206 adopted and finally passed and ask the clerk to publish notice and file ordinance in accordance with the law.
Now we come to our second invitation for public comment. Um you can again co you can now comment on any topic and again the same rules apply. Anyone wishing to comment on any topic please step forward state your name and address. Please try to keep your comments to three minutes
but we will give you a one minute grace. It's Pam Hogan and 17 Broadview Avenue in Madison. I am reading a statement uh that I feel requires your attention. It's from uh Tori Williams who is also a Madison
res resident. My name is Tori Williams and I have been a resident of Madison for 44 years. I'm strongly in favor of an ordinance restricting gas leaf blowers. In addition to the environmental damage, the damage to health is substantial not
only to residents but to those who must use the blowers. Under the guidance of my physician, I monitor my blood pressure at home and the sysic systolic number rose 30 points after our neighbors landscapers used gas leaf
blowers for over an hour. Madison should follow the examples of other towns and prohibit the use of gas powered leaf blowers for the health of all and for the preservation of the environment and for our children.
Thank you very much for your attention to this and uh I read it because I thought it really uh hits the spot in terms of just drawing your attention to health. >> Thank you >> on. Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you very much. Anyone else wishing
to speak, please step forward. >> My name is Stuart Seidener. I live at 34 Relo Green Village Road here in Madison. So today we immigrants and members of Wind Spirit would like to highlight your support in making us feel welcome.
this especially important in times like that we are living in these days. Several months ago uh before this current federal administration even got sworn in we came to you and passion in favor of it
immigrant trust act. This was a piece of state legislation that would protect immigrants in doing so protect the community at large. You considered passed a resolution unanimously and the at the very beginning of that
campaign you connected with other towns influence their decision and that they follow your example. Several other towns actually 36 passed resolutions and six six counties pass resolution. So your administration
was very well present represented in Trenton not only as witness but ready to testify in support of the immigrant trust act and the different versions that it changed into today. We have some of ITA immigrant trust act spirit of the
law in New Jersey. Not exact what we worked for but we have something. Thank you for your example and commitment. These particular signs that you might have seen around town were produced under collaboration between Makta and
Wind of the Spirit. So we're offering them to each one of you here representing the town on the work that you do and hope to express our gratitude to a town that is constantly working to welcome the other. So we'll have them
here after me. We can give you each of you one of them. Thank you. Thank you very much. Anyone else wishing to speak, please come forward. Seeing none, I'll close this portion of the meeting. Uh we have no introduction
of ordinances. We'll move on to consent agenda resolutions. >> Consent agenda resolutions will be enacted with a single motion. Any resolution requiring expenditure is supported by a certification of availability of funds. Any resolution requiring discussion will be removed
from the consent agenda. All resolutions will be reflected in full in the minutes. >> Yes, mayor. I move consent agenda resolution R 2126 through R229 2026. >> Second.
>> Any council discussion? Just a note on uh 216 concerning the transformers. These are much needed uh transformers especially after the storm. And just kudos to our purchasing department and
administration who work through some uh tariff nastiness to to make sure that we can get these in a timely way and not need to address the tariffs. So, thank you. >> Thank you. So, Mayor Forte, acting Mayor
Forte, I want to comment on resolution 221, the Eagle Scout project. There's a young man named Ryan Egan. He is uh uh renovating, helping to clear the trails around the Madison Recreation Complex, and he's going to be installing bird
boxes over there to keep the native birds protected during the season when they're there uh and they need a home. And then uh the resolution 225 which is the uh installation of a peace pole at James Park for anybody who
cares. There's the the peace pole was uh it was uh it was founded in Japan as a response to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In the last seven decades an international monument to peace. The peace poles have been planted in over
250,000 communities worldwide on every continent. And this is from the Rotary. Rotary is involved in planting some peace poles internationally. It's supposed to ignite the flame of peace which lies within every human heart. That's it.
>> Thank you very much. >> Roll call vote, please. >> Mr. Landeran, >> yes. >> Mr. Range, >> yes. >> Mr. Harold Pudis, >> yes. accept resolution 223 20226. I have to abstain. >> Okay, Mr. Forte.
>> Yes, >> Miss Cohen. >> Yes. >> Okay. Uh there's no unfinished business. Approval of the vouchers. >> From the current fund, $410,1825 from the general capital fund,
$33,84561. From the electric operating fund, $84,4485. From the electric capital fund, $1,31141. From the water operating fund, $12,63,583. From the water capital fund, $2,512.80.
And from the trust, $43,526. The total is 1,37,9141. >> Yes. I'll move the approval of the vouchers. >> Second. >> May I have a roll call vote? >> Yes. >> Mr. Range? >> Yes. >> Mr. Harold Pis? >> Yes.
>> Mr. Forte? >> Yes. >> Miss Cohen? >> Yes. >> Okay. And we have no new business. May I have a motion to adjurnn? >> I motion we adjourn the meeting. Thank you very