Okay. >> Do it. Let the record reflect that the meeting is reconvened with all members present. For those who are able, please rise for the pledge pledge of allegiance and please remain standing while we recognize members of our Madison community who have passed away.
>> 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. >> Today we remember three members of our Madison community who recently passed
away. Helen King passed away peacefully on June 17th at the age of 92. We also remember Gio Gakamo Alaka, age 93, who leaves behind a legacy of love, faith, and hard work. And we remember Evelyn Fondaco, age 88, who made Madison her
home with her husband Jerry in 1957 and was a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother who brought support and joy to all those around her. In a special way this evening, we also remember Carmine Toto Jr. on what would have been his 81st birthday. Armine, who passed
away in 2021, spent many years as a volunteer for the burrow and is most remembered for organizing the Madison Christmas parade for many years with his wife Marie and passing the parade as well as his love of Christmas to his son Carmine Toto III. Please join me in taking a moment to remember Helen,
Jakamo, Evelyn, and Carmine and keep their families and loved ones in our thoughts. Thank you. minutes for approval. May I have a motion for the executive minutes of May 11, 2026, which we've already discussed in executive? >> I'll move it. >> Second.
>> All in favor? >> I. >> May I have a motion for the regular minutes of May 11, 2026? >> So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> May I have a motion for the executive minutes of May 27th, 2026 already discussed in executive? >> So moved. Second. All in favor?
>> I >> I. >> And may I have a motion for the regular minutes of May 27th, 2026? >> So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> I. >> Okay. Thank you very much. Good evening everyone. I'm uh very much honored once
again to serve as the acting mayor the second time uh this year. And I wanted to mention that the the role is not lost on me, especially as we approach July 4th when we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States. I'm reminded of what a privilege it is to
live in a representative democracy and to have a voice in our government, to be able to listen, to serve one another, and to carry forward the ideals that have guided this country since its founding. It's an honor to play even a small part in that tradition here in Madison. There's been much happening in Madison.
Uh with regard to the Madison Public Library, summer reading registration began on June 17th and the official summer reading kickoff took place today. This year's theme is unearth a story. Last month's total circulation, which digital and non-digital combined was 10%
higher than in May uh sorry than in May 2019 pre-COVID. The library's Chase Auditorium hosted a total of 31 events last month, including library programming, friends mini courses, craft sessions, piano recital, and community
nonprofits meetings. And we have some exciting news. On Thursday, July 2nd, the Bureau of Madison will proudly host a United States Marine Corps event at Madison High School as part of the commemoration of America's 250th anniversary. This special event will begin at 9:30 a.m. and will feature
remarks from distinguished guests, including a United States Marine Corps officer and Mars County Commissioner and United States Marine Corps veteran John Cricus, followed by performances from the renowned United States Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon and the Second Marine Division Band. Aircraft are
expected to arrive at approximately 11:00 a.m. and when the attend when the attendees will have the opportunity to view and photograph the CH53K King Stallion and V22 Osprey on display. Aircraft are anticipated to remain on site until approximately 2 p.m. at which
time the event will conclude. This event provides a rare opportunity to experience the professionalism, tradition, and service of the United States Marine Corps while also serving as an early Independence Day celebration as we prepare to commemorate 250 years of our nation's history, service, and
enduring spirit. We invite residents of all ages to join for this memorable memorable occasion. Parking will be available at Madison High School with overflow parking at the Madison Rec Complex. We look forward to welcoming the Marines to Madison and hope to see our community there. For more information, please visit
rosenet.org/250. We'll now remove we'll now move on to reports from committees. Um, and I will actually start us off just to get that out of the way. Uh, from the downtown development commission, the director of business development. The next meeting of the downtown development commission
will be held on July 16th at 7:15 p.m. in the second floor committee room in the Hartley Dodge Memorial Building. The public is invited to attend. The June meeting has been cancelled. The 2026 Madison Farm and Artisan Market is open on Saturdays through December 2nd. The market will be closed on the 4th of July
and Bottlehill Day. New vendors can request the information by emailing Lisa Ellis at ddcrossnet.org. Information regarding Bottle Hill Day 2026 on Saturday, October 3rd is now available on rosenet.org. The DDC has been granted a public
viewing license by FIFA. We are now looking at planning a World Cup watch party in the coming weeks. And from the Madison Community Arts Center, every Tuesday from 1 to 4 p.m. CE seniors play Ma Jang and Canasta. And Wednesday, June 24th, that's this
Wednesday at 7 p.m. Show Us Your Shorts. Every fourth Wednesday, local film members submit and show their short films. Friday, June 26th, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., we're kicking off the summer stage series with two bands, Engineers and Eddie Keminitzer Band. There will be
a food truck and local craft vendors. Sunday, June 28th at 3 p.m. is Arts by the People presents Spotlight featuring three local writers reading and discussing their latest work. After the readings, there will be an audience Q&A and a book signing. Sunday, June 28th
from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. is Pride Art Gallery reception. Meet the artists, mingle, have refreshments, and support local drag artists. And Monday, June 29th from 11:00 a.m. to 400 p.m. there's a Red Cross blood drive. Wednesday, July 1st at 7 PM, the platform literary open
mic and writing workshop is brought to you by Arts by the People. Tickets can be found at Madison Community Arts Center events homepage uh at rosnet.org.mmcmac. and from the Madison Community Pool. Last week, the Madison Community Pool host hosted several special events,
including the MHS senior barbecue and pool party, the fifth grade celebration, and the DARE celebration in partnership with the Madison Police Department. It was great to see so many families and students enjoying the facility. Last Friday also marked our non-member day and the official start of summer
operating hours. Madison Community Pool is now open seven days a week for the season. During non-member day and throughout the weekend, we welcomed 131 guests to the pool. As a reminder, guest visits are capped at three visits per season for Madison residents and 10
visits per season for non-residents. Guests who attended non-member day and decide to purchase a membership may apply their guest admission fee toward their membership purchase. Overall attendance from Friday through Saturday totaled uh 173 members and 22 guests,
reflecting a strong start to the full summer season. Noodle day begins tomorrow and will take place weekly on Tuesdays from 2 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Swim lessons also kicked off today. There are still three addition additional lessons available including
Saturday only session and registration remains open. Additional events and programming will continue throughout the summer. To stay uptodate on upcoming activities, register for programs or view the weekly newsletter, visit madisonpool.org. >> Go to public safety, Mr. Landan. Thank
you. Okay. From the police department, the police department has reinstituted its bicycle helmet safety awards program to to promote safe bicycle bicycling habits among children throughout the community for the summer. Officers who observe
children properly properly wearing their helmets will reward them with a special safety ticket redeemable for free ice cream cone from a participating local business. The program encourages helmet use through positive reinforcement while fostering strong relationships between
our officers and the Madison youth. On June 11th, Chief John Misher appeared before the New Jersey State Association of Police Chiefs of Accreditation Commission as part of the Madison Police Department's reacreditation process.
Following a review of the department's on-site assessment, Chief Misha answered questions regarding department operations, policies, and compliance with accreditation standards. The commission subsequently granted the Madison Police Department its third consecutive accreditation, recognizing
the AY's continued commitment to professionalism, accountability, and law enforcement best practices. I would like to thank our accreditation team led by Captain Longor for all their hard work. On June 18th, the Madison Police Department Community Policing Unit along
with our LE AD instructors hosted a year-long pool party at the Madison Community Pool to celebrate the conclusion of the school year and recognized students who successfully completed the LE AD, that's the law enforcement against drug and violence
program. The event provided an opportunity for officers and students to come together in a fun and positive en environment reinforcing the strong relationship built through the throughout the year while recognizes the students commitment and responsibility and accomplishments.
And finally from the fire department, the department is actively involved in the World Cup standbys and strike teams as needed. Since June 1st, there have been four motor vehicle collisions on Main Street between Union Avenue and Samson Avenue. And finally, the
department responded to a two alarm fire in Floren Park this morning. That's it. Thank you. >> Thank you, Finance and Burough Clerk. >> Uh tonight from tonight, we're going to do something we don't do very often. We're going to introduce a bond
ordinance to authorize the issuance of debt. our CFO and our bond attorney are here to talk about the borrowing process a little later in this meeting. For the last decade plus, the Burough Capital Program has been largely pay as
you go, uh, which is not something a lot of towns do, so we don't issue a lot of uh, debt. Tonight's ordinance involves borrowing funds so we can purchase the Drew Forest. Well, we're we're still working out all of the details with Drew and we hope to
close later this year. In preparation for that, however, we need to have our finances in order. The purchase price uh for the forest parcels is $23.8 million. The good news is that we have 17.5
million in grant funds from federal, state, and county sources. So, the net cost for purchasing the Drew parcels is approximately 6.2 2 million. The mayor and council along with our attorneys and staff have collectively put in well over
a thousand hours over the last few years to get us to this point and hopefully we are ever closer to the finish line. From the tax collector this evening, the tax collector reports that tax bills are expected be to be mailed by mid July with the third quarter taxes due on
August 1st. We realize this is a short turnaround time. However, every year we need to wait for the state to pass the budget and to certify the budgets of the bureau, school, and county before we can get our new tax rate and begin creating
bills. As a reminder, due to the normal tax billing schedule, billing halfway through the year, the third and fourth quarter amounts are always a little bit higher than the first and second uh quarters of the following year. Please contact the tax collector's office if
you have any questions about your tax bill. That's all tonight, John. Thank you. >> Thank you. Public Works and Engineering Councilman Harold Pis. >> Thank you, Council President Forte, acting Mayor Forte. Hello, everybody. Big turnout. Okay, I have a few things to report.
I'll try and make it quick. From the uh land use and engineering, you probably have noticed around town the road reconstruction projects are underway. Dogwood Drive, Arwood Drive, and East Street. Curb repairs, milling and paving to follow.
Reconstruction work on Shady Long Drive is ongoing. It includes installation of new curby milling and roadway resurfacing funded by some county grant money. Centerline striping, roadway markings, crosswalk repainting, and crack sealing activities continue throughout the burrow. The
engineering department welcomed three interns this summer. They are currently conducting an inventory and evaluation of storm water inlets throughout the burrow to identify older inlets that do not meet current standards and we will help prioritize future replacement locations. The wayfinding signage
project is underway. Thank goodness. The burrow is currently awaiting the shop drawings for final review and approval. Following the approval, the signs will moved into fabrication and then installation. This signage represents one phase of a broader wayfinding program that will be implemented in
stages. Uh upcoming events, Central Avenue will be closed between Main Street and Cook Avenue and Elmer Street on the east side, Cook Avenue on the west side Tuesday through Thursday. There will be a demolition of numbers 3 to 5 Central Avenue, the old lunch net.
So that's going to be the end of that little history. Additional curb and sidewalk repairs are planned for the Cook Avenue parking lot as well as selected locations throughout the burrow identified needing repair. Communication regarding impacts to the businesses will
be shared as the project schedule is finalized and a construction date is confirmed with the contractors from the DPW. The DPW finished planting street trees around the burrow. They planted 90 trees throughout the burrow
on the curbs. Now they're starting to mulch them and hopefully we get some rain so that they stabilize. The DPW continues to patch potholes around town. The parks department is preparing fields every week for spring sports which are finishing up soccer, lacrosse, baseball,
and softball. We're work on working continuous work on maintaining the downtown parking lots. The roads crew installed new signs for the police department. if you've seen them. They are solar powered uh radar signs that give you a little little message if
you're driving safely or not driving safely, which is great. We approved money for 10 of those. So, there'll be 10 of those over the next year around the burough. One is on my block, which we desperately needed. DPW assist the water utility with new water connections and a water main break on Union Hill.
Uh, two more things really quick. Councilman Forte um from the MEC, the Environmental Commission and the Nature of Reading Bookshop held a successful June 8th event on trees. Participants learned how to plant a pocket forest
that's suitable for front lawns. A pocket forest is easier to take care of than a meadow or a lawn. There's no mowing, no watering once the trees are established. In addition, pocket forests are a great way to recharge the aquifer where we get our drinking water. With the current year-long drought, the
aquifer needs all the help it can get. And the MEC's quiet summer campaign is in full swing. All it takes is to ask your landscaper to pause on the gaff gas leaf blowing from now through September. It's an easy way to be kind to the birds, to children who like to play
outside. Gas leaf blowers, as we know from hearing uh residents speak before, uh can damage the hearing of young children and may admit and they emit health harming pollutants. The MEC is partnering on the quiet summer campaign with the Chadams and Morris Township and
Morris and Morristown as they have mandatory seasonal gas blower bands. Also, uh one more report from Shade Tree if I can find it. This one. This one. Uh again they repeated that the department of public works
planted 90 trees around the burrow. Uh they're going to enhance watering plans for these trees. The shade tree management board also has endorsed a new initiative to plant 40 trees and shrubs in the MRC meadow to replace the removed trees that Floren Park took down when
they installed their big um billboard. So these trees will hopefully shield the light from that billboard from coming onto our MRC complex. The friends of the Madison shade tree will help with funding to purchase and maintain the new trees and shrubs. That's all, sir.
>> Thank you very much. Utilities Councilwoman Hanahan. >> Thank you. From the water department, it's a theme. Uh yesterday a mandatory water usage restriction was put in use replacing the voluntary restrictions
which had been recommended due to demand uh and the drought. Odd and even days are in full force and there's no watering between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p p.m. The water department also dug and repaired two main valves in the
distribution system ahead of hydrant installation job on Chateau Tierry. The booster pump at Dwell distribution was pulled to be evaluated for a high heat issue and the temp pump was installed. shut down for two separate main leaks in
the Madison Commons. Uh repaired an 8 inch water mane break on Union Hill Road and hydrants on Lower Lanica Way will be cleared and a six foot radius of ashwalt installed so they do not continually
become overgrown and hard to access. From the electric department, standby responded to Main Street in front of Quick Foods to inspect a pole that was struck by a car. Electric department responded to three power outages from
Squirrels. Standby was called out on the report of a loud bang and loss of power on Kings Road. And standby was also called out to Greenwich Court for an emergency markout. There were a couple of lowhanging wires which were taken
into or or fixed um on Rosedale and Niles and Woodland at Garfield. The electric department continues to make good projects progress with the treeine clearance. Thank you. >> Thank you very much. Health Councilwoman
Cohen. >> Thank you, Mayor Forte. Uh just a short one. The department will be hosting a bone density screening on June 25th from 11 to 2 right here in the courtroom. Registration is available online or by calling the health department. There will be a blood pressure screening on
June 29th from 10:00 to 11:00 at the library. Walk-ins are welcome at that. The board of health introduced two ordinances during their June meeting. One to provide a requirement for extermination services when indicated and one to allow for the keeping of chickens. The hearings for these ordinances will be heard at the August
3rd meeting. The department would like to remind residents to eliminate mosquito breeding conditions by eliminating standing water from their property and cleaning gutters. That's the health report, but just to add super quick, uh those of you that like the lobster truck at the farmers market,
they will be there this coming Saturday rather than the next Saturday because it's July 4th. They will be in Floren Park for their events. So, little schedule change. >> Thank you very much. Communications and petitions. Yes, sir. We received um mayor and
council received emails on June 11th from uh Josephine Sulco of Belmont Avenue supporting a proposed ban on gas powered leaf blowers. on June the 15th from Diane Teller of Lorraine Road asking the burrow to display uh wartime
heroes um a to display um something for the wartime heroes that lived in Madison on June 18th from Thomas Ababante in support of
the proposed ban on gas powered leaf blowers and on June the 22nd from Katie Zurich of Rosedale Avenue recognizing Burough Director of Communications Michael Pelsey and his efforts to the burrow.
>> Thank you very much. We now uh open the meeting to invitation for public comments. During this portion of the meeting, members of the public may ask questions and make 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 lecture and give your name and address and 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. We have one agenda discussion item tonight related to bond issuance and we have the
following resolutions. We have resolution uh R1 196-2026 resolution of the Bureau of Madison authorizing contract extension for the prevention, repair, testing, and inspection services to Asplund Electric Testing of Foxboro, Mass. R 19720
resolution of the Bureau of Madison renewing liquor licenses in the Bureau of Madison for the 2026 to 2027 license term. R 198206 resolution of the Bureau of Madison approving raffles license applications submitted by the Thursday
morning club. R 199 2026 resolution of the Burough of Madison award awarding contract to SLI and Sun general contracting for concrete improvements under Mars County Cooperative bid in amount not to exceed $40,000.
R 200206 resolution of the Bureau of Madison authorizing purchase orders under the interlocal purchasing systems contract number 24101 technology solutions products and services R201-2026
resolution of the Bureau of Madison awarding contract to Gen Electric for traffic signal improvements under Mars County Cooperative bid in an amount not to exceed $55,000 R2026 resolution ution of the Bureau of Madison promoting Amy Greley to the
position of senior technical assistant to the construction code official in the in the building department. R 203206 resolution of the Bureau of Madison authorizing use of a competitive contracting process for laboratory testing services. R 204 2026 resolution
of the Burough of Madison authorizing a $295,000 NJ do DOT municipal aid application for the old greenhouse lane milling and overlay project. R2052026 resolution of the Burough of Madison authorizing renewal of a settlement
agreement with Madison Commons Condominium Association. R 206 2026 resolution of the Burough of Madison ratifying appointment of intern Leo R. Tumblian as part-time unpaid intern for the fire department. R 207206
resolution of the Bureau of Madison approving temporary signs for the Madison Cadam Coalition. R 208206 Resolution of the Bureau of Madison approving temporary signs for the Thursday Morning Club. R 209 2026 Resolution of the Bureau of Madison
amending the capital budget. R210 2026 resolution of the Bureau of Madison requesting the director of local government services to approve the insertion of an item of revenue in the budget of the year 2026 and R212026
resolution of the Bureau of Madison promoting Michael Plesier to the position of director of operations. Those are the items you may comment on. If you are uh interested in doing so, please step forward. Um, Claire Whitcom, 12 Fairwood Road. I
want to um comment on the bond issuance and um I I really want to compliment the council. I Eric mentioned thousands of hours working on the Drew
Forest project. I think that maybe emotionally I think there are about 5,000 hours out there and um >> yeah and I think you in particular Eric have maybe 10,000 emotional hours but um you know all of us at friends of the due
farest are so grateful for the um five years of persistence and you know dark alleys and sunlet dreams of of saving this this forest And when the purchase agreement was signed earlier this year,
it included um a $5 million um fundraising pledge um basically to to um supplement the bureau's purchase price so that that it would um be help Drew um
help Drew and help um fuel an agreement to say to have a conservation sale. So, I'm uh proud to report that Friends of the Drew Fars are nearing the we what it is is it's 2.5 million that we need to raise that will
be matched by anonymous donor and the friends of the Drew Farest are pretty close to that goal and um residents and forest lovers are invited to um support get support the home stretch at friendsofthedarest.org. So, thank everybody here for your
tireless support and to the public, everybody who has a yard sign, all you know, the many years we've done this and and I look forward to the presentation. >> Thank you very much. Anyone else wishing to comment, please step forward?
Seeing none, I'll close this portion of the hearing. Um, okay. And the discussions uh tonight we have Would you like to introduce Jim? Go ahead. Uh well, tonight may uh mayor, we're have our bond council, Steve Rogut, who is here to discuss um the
technical aspects of issuance of a bond, but Michael's going to project up on the screen um the quick summary of the funding. I'm hoping he's going to do that in a moment. Basically, as Councilman Range had stated, it's uh $23.8 million. Um is the purchase price.
There's various funding sources from state, federal, and county that bring um the total amount that we're probably going to need to actually bond for to about $11 million. But then there is additional funds from Green Acres that are paid out over 10 years. So in
essence, the burough uh net cost for the purchase of the Drew Forest, not including borrowing costs, will be uh a little over $6 million. So, just wanted to get that out in the public realm because we've talked so much about all these different grant amounts. But there
it is in a simple summary document. And with that, I invite Steve Rogat to come up to talk for a minute about how um bonding works because as Councilman Range said, it's something we don't do too often. >> Thank you, Jim. Good evening, everyone.
Um tonight for uh consideration for introduction is a bond ordinance for $23,800,000 which is the purchase price of the uh the Drew Forest. Um in the bond ordinance it references the various grants that we anticipate receiving. Um,
as we receive those funds, the bulk of which we we will be receiving simultaneously with the acquisition of the of the property, uh, and the borrowing of of the the burrows portion of it. Uh, so we're anticipating that we'll need to borrow initially around
$10.9 million. Um, the uh the 23 million8 that we authorized will be reduced by the grants that we received. So we're we're contemp so the bond ordinance is up for introduction tonight. Uh it would be uh up for final
approval July 13th and uh the ordinance would be effective. There's a 20-day uh period waiting period before the ordinance takes effect. So the ordinance would be effect would be in effect on August 4th. At that point, we'll have an
appropriation of funds and we will be uh ready to enter in really ready to complete the purchase of the property uh once the conditions are are met for for the acquisition. Uh what's contemplated is that we would issue short-term debt
one-year bond bond anticipation notes which were able to renew on an annual basis for up to 10 years. Uh this will allow us to uh reduce the amount of debt every year by uh you know the the uh uh
D the green acres money comes in on an annual basis. So we'll be getting money every year from green acres and we can use we'll use that to reduce the amount of the debt. If there's any additional uh private funding or uh municipal open space funding that's appropriated will
continue to knock down the debt. So, it's contemplated that we would have the debt outstanding for a maximum of 10 years. Um, the goal of introducing the bond ordinance now is to is to uh get us in position to be ready to close on the
transaction once the conditions of sale are met. Thank you. Any questions? Any council discussion? Much welcome. Let's move on to ordinances for hearing. >> Will the clerk please read the statement? >> Yes. The ordinances scheduled for
hearing were introduced by title and passed on a first reading at the regular meeting of the council held on June 8th, 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 28-2026, ordinance of the Burough of Madison appropriating $60,000 from the electric capital improvement fund for signalization improvements. >> I
I open the hearing. Any Is there anyone wishing to comment? Seeing none, I close the hearing. >> Okay. Mayor I move ordinance 282026. >> Second. >> Second. >> Any council discussion?
>> Roll call vote, please. >> Mr. Landeran, >> yes. >> Mr. Range, >> yes. >> Mr. Harold Pudis, >> yes. >> M. Hon, >> 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 the ordinance in accordance with the law. >> Ordinance 292026 ordinance of the burrow of Madison amending and supplementing chapter 195 of the burough code entitled land development. >> I open the hearing. Is there anyone
wishing to comment? >> Yes, I would appreciate Claire Whitam 12 Fairwood Road. I appreciate it. Some elucidation on what land development means. I don't know what this ordinance is. >> Oh, you want me to tell her? You want to tell?
>> It's in here. >> Yeah, Marina. >> There we go. Okay. So, this is the land development section of the ordinance. Um but the specific changes are to um attached garages. I think it was discussed at a
previous meeting. Um and then attach what? >> Attached garages. >> Garages. >> It uh it's changing the uh how far an attached garage can encroach into the front yard setback. uh and then
adding additional criteria for um what is considered design variation. So in if there's multiple houses being developed instead of it just being a mirror image the planning board can look or zoning board
can look to different criteria to show that design is being varied. Um that's the only two changes that are in this ordinance. >> Thank you very much. I missed the earlier discussion. No problem. >> Anyone else wishing to comment?
Seeing none, I close the hearing. >> There a motion. >> Oh, I'm sorry. Mayor, I make a motion for ordinance 29206. >> Second. >> Any council discussion? >> Yes. >> Just real quick. Um, for me, I I like
the fact that we're finally saying you can't have the same builder build four houses on the same street. That >> Well, you can have the same builder. They just can't all look, >> right? Yeah. Yeah. Same builder building the same exact structure. Same builder can build as many houses as they can can on a
street, but that it needs to vary the design to keep the nature of um Madison what it is with varied house design and not all looking one and the same. I would I would add that I would concur having spent a lot of time on the planning board. I think this will save
everyone a lot of time. Hopefully, you know, we'll get those applications up front where there's not a give and take and push and pull over se several meetings to get that done. So, seems like a good move.
>> Roll call vote, please. >> Mr. Landan, >> yes. >> Mr. Range, >> yes. >> Mr. Haris, >> yes. Yes. >> Mr. Forte. >> Yes. >> Mr. Cohen. >> Yes. >> I declare ordinance 29, 2026 adopted and finally passed and ask the clerk to
publish notice and file the ordinance in accordance with the law. >> Ordinance 30, 2026, ordinance of the Burrow of Madison appropriating $250,000 from the general capital improvement fund for the Hartley Dodge Memorial roof, doors, gutters, clock, and clock
tower. >> I open the hearing. Anyone wishing to comment? Seeing none, I'll close that portion of the hearing. >> Mayor, I move ordinance 30-2026. >> Second. >> Council discussion. >> Just uh note, and I think we noted this
last time, this is $250,000, which is the burrow portion of a much more expensive project that will be uh funded alongside grants from the county and the state and dollars from our friends at
the Heartley Dodge Memorial trustees. I would just add there too that this is uh something that's desperately needed. We we have to tackle this. So, it's going to be money well spent. >> Roll call vote, please. >> Mr. Landeran, >> yes.
>> Mr. Range, >> yes. >> Mr. Harold Hudis? >> Yes. >> Miss Hanahan? >> Yes. >> Mr. Forte? >> Yes. >> Miss Cohen? >> Yes. >> I declare ordinance 30-2026 adopted and finally passed and ask the clerk to publish notice and file the ordinance in accordance with the law.
Okay. So now we have invitation for public comment. Uh number two, we now invite the public to comment on any topic. And again the same rules apply. Anyone wishing to comment, 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 period. >> Good evening. Hi. Uh Paul Daly, 32 Long View. Dr. Thomas Abatante, I hope I pronounced it right, has asked me to read this statement if that's all right. Um to Mayor Connley and Madison City
Council uh in Abstentia, I am writing to express my support for the proposed ban on gas powered leaf boaters. While I'm sure that others have spokens with regard to the noise pollution and ecological and environmental effects resultant of the overuse of gas powered
blowers, I specifically want to focus on the adverse health effects that these devices pose both to the operators but also to the community. I'm a medical research scientist whose primary area of focus is the effects of airborne hazards and pollution on the heart and lungs.
Though my work involves veterans exposed to toxic inhalation exposures while deployed in combat zones, there is significant overlap in both the makeup of airborne hazards and the potential health effects. Gas powered ice uh internal combust engines release a
multitude of harm health harming byproducts that are emitted into the atmosphere. These among others include fine particulate matter and volatile organic compounds. Compared to vehicles with other large equipment utilizing
combustion engines, two-stroke gas leaf blower engines are highly inefficient, greatly increasing the amount of emissions released. Fine particulate matter and volatile organic compounds can have serious long-term effects on cardiopulmonary health. They can trigger
inflammation of the airways of the respiratory tract leading to conditions like asthma or chronic bronchitis. Due to the small size of the particulate matter, they can penetrate deep into the lung periphery and cause inflammation and subsequent damage to the alvioli. I
haven't said that since high school. Eventually leading to obstructive or restrictive diseases. The particulate matter can also be small enough that it can transfer to the pulmonary vasculature system. This can lead to inflammation and eventual stiffening of
the v vasculature which over time can lead to pulmonary hypertension, a critical condition. The particles can also travel into the heart and throughout the cardiovascular system affecting the heart's geometry and its ability to effectively pump blood, also known as heart failure. The military
personnel who have who were deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan after 911 are experiencing a common clinical condition that is currently under investigation. Unexplained exceptional breathlessness despite normal lung function testing.
The leading theory is that there is deep lung periphery damage and early damage to the pulmonary vascularure representing the beginning stages of lung disease or pulmonary hypertension. Further, military veterans are observed to have left ventricular concentric
remodeling in early stage of heart failure significantly higher than that of civilians of similar demographics. The main source behind these changes is thought to be inhaled fine particulate particulate matter and volatile organic compounds. While the degree of pollution
created locally by gas-powered leaf blowers will not compare to those produced in combat regions, the current health issues facing the cohort of military veterans highlight that the exhaust created by gas powered leaf blowers is not harmless. Due to the
inefficiency and the everinccreasing use of these toxic devices, it is not a leap of logic to assume harm is being done to the operators and potentially the local community. For the health of Madison's residents and workers, please follow the lead of Maplewood, Montlair, and other
municipalities and institute an ordinance that will end the use of gas powered leaf blowers here. And that was again from Thomas, Dr. Thomas Abatante. Did I make it in three minutes? >> It was with nine seconds.
Know what I'm doing. Anyone else wishing to comment, please step forward? Seeing none, I'll close this portion of the meeting. >> Introduction of ordinances. >> The ordinances scheduled for first reading have a hearing date set for July
the 13th, 2026. Will be published on the bureau's website, posted on the bulletin board, and made available to members of the public requesting copies. >> I call up ordinances for first reading and ask the burough clerk to read said ordinances by title. Ordinance 31-2026,
Ordinance of the Bureau of Madison appropriating $245,000 from the Electric Capital Improvement Fund to the purchase of a new bucket truck and accessories. >> Mayor, I move ordinance 31-2026.
>> Second. Any council discussion? >> Roll call vote, please. >> Mr. Landrean? >> Yes. >> Mr. Range? >> Yes. >> Mr. Harrell Pudis? >> Yes. >> Miss Hanahan? >> Yes. >> Mr. Forte? Yes, >> Miss Cohen. >> Yes. Ordinance 32 2026 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 anticip ipation notes in anticipation of the issuance of such bonds.
>> Mayor, I move ordinance 32-2026. >> Second. Any council discussion? Council may just want to reiterate that everybody between Jim and Ray and Eric and all of you that were involved in this whole process of being so
proactive, which is going to be a big benefit to the bureau if we actually move this forward. Hopefully we find more grants, Jim, like I've asked you in the past and the money that we are responsible for gets paid down like you've done with some of our other open open space acquisitions. So, let's see
if we get this to the finish line in a few months. Thanks again for everybody everybody's hard work. >> Well said. Any other council discussion? >> Roll call vote, please. >> Mr. Landrean. >> Yes. >> Mr. Range. >> Yes. >> Mr. Mr. Harold Pudis.
>> Yes. >> Miss Hanahan. >> Yes. >> Mr. Forte. >> Yes. >> Miss Cohen. >> I need to recuse myself. >> Oh. >> Okay. Now on to consent agenda resolutions. Will the clerk please read the statement? >> 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.
>> I'll move consent agenda resolution R 196 2026 through R 211 2026 >> second roll call vote please >> Mr. Landrian >> yes
>> Mr. Range >> yes >> Mr. Carolyn Hudis. >> Yes. I abstain from resolution 197 2026. >> Yes. >> Miss Hanahan. >> Yes. >> Mr. Forte. >> Yes. >> Miss Cohen.
>> Yes. >> There is no unfinished business. Um approval of the vouchers >> from the current fund $4,691,294.3 from the G general capital fund 526,331 from the electric operating fund $323,12855
from the electric capital fund 264 46.76 from the water operating fund, $58,13.68 from the water capital fund, $25,541.89 and from the trust, $5,924.13. The total is 5,812,8525.
>> Yes. I'll move the approval of the vouchers. >> Second. >> Roll call vote, please. >> Mr. Landeran. >> Yes. Mr. Range, >> yes. >> Mr. Harlon Pudis, >> yes. >> Miss Hanahan, >> yes. >> Mr. Forte, >> yes. >> Miss Cohen, >> yes.
>> There's no new business. >> We do have >> Oh. Oh, yes, we do. Sorry. >> Yes. >> On your agenda, it should happen to >> have >> Oh, I Yeah, yeah, yeah.
>> Okay. >> Sorry. I had it, but I didn't really have it under new business. I would like to announce the following mayoral appointment and request council confirmation. Parks Advisory Committee, Michael Belt, Kings Road, one-year term through December 31st, 2026.
>> Mayor, I move the foregoing appointment. >> Thanks. I'll second it. >> All in favor? I >> I >> May I entertain a motion to adjurnn? I move that we adjourn the meeting.