Good evening everyone. In accordance with se section five of the open public meetings act, be advised that a notice of this meeting was made by posting on the bulletin board in town hall and forwarding the to the officially designated newspapers that this meeting would take place at
Milbourne Education Center at 7 p.m. on May 20th, 2025. Meeting details in the draft agenda were also posted on our township website. Please stand to salute the flag. I aliance 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. A quick reminder that the agenda was updated yesterday and ordinance
2707-25 pertaining to restricting gas power leaf blowers was removed from this meeting and will not be considered by the committee tonight. Also, resolution 25-144 pertaining to sidewalk cafe licenses was updated and paper copies of the updated resolution have been
provided to the committee and available to the public. May I have a motion to approve the April 15, 2025 township committee minutes? So move. Oh, I didn't do roll call. I'm sorry. Roll call, please. Deputy Mayor
Cohen here. Mr. Costro here. Mr. Sakandandy. Mr. Stler present. Mayor Romano here. May I have a pro a motion to approve the agenda? So move. May I have a second? Second. Okay. All right. Now go back here. May I
have a motion to approve the April 15, 2025 township committee minutes? So moved. May I have a second? Second. All those in favor? I. May I have a motion to approve the April 15, 2025 special township committee minutes?
So move. May I have a second? Second. All those in favor? Okay. Um reports. Um should I just go first? Okay. All right. I'm going to I'm going to go first tonight. So, we have uh
special guests with us us tonight. We have the winners of the bike, walk, and roll contest that took care that took place on May 7th. So, we have our awards for the students. Um should I go around and do it? Yes.
Just take the microphone. Okay. Is that on? Okay. Okay. So, our first winner is first grade from Wyoming School, Chu Chen. Chu. Congratulations.
Okay. Um, from Hartorn School, fourth grade, Zoe Sereno. [Applause] Okay. Uh, at Mil Milurn Middle School,
eighth grader, Emma King, and Milbourne High School, 10th grade, Annabelle Kos. Congratulations to all of our winners. Yeah. Why don't we take want to take a picture? Yeah. That's it.
Congratulations. [Applause] Bye. Have a good evening. on tonight. This is the good stuff. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. Okay. Reports. Uh,
committee installer, would you like to start? I mean, yeah. You want to start? Uh, sure. I'll start. Okay. a uh recreation committee four mileer registration is still open. Events is Sunday, June 1st. The pool opens this weekend. Uh par 3 breakfast
scramble tournament was postponed last weekend is rescheduled for June 7th at 8:30 a.m. Uh the mill the MHYB family day is also Saturday, June 7th. Board of Education bus drivers will be helping with summer camp pool trips this summer
and spring programs are finishing up. Uh fall registration will open soon. Uh special improvement district uh plans for annual girls night out uh by organized by explore Milbourne short hills. Event takes place in downtown on Thursday, June 5th from 5:00 p. p.m. to
8:00 p.m. Wild success last year. Um uh please make sure you sign up and uh it starts at Live Breads at 4:30 p.m. or across from Live Breads in the parking lot one. Uh 60 businesses are participating from five districts of the SID and attendees will enjoy the best
swag bags we've ever had. That's the promise. Explorers raised nearly $10,000 for this event from 14 different sponsors. I always mention the sponsors. RWJ Barnabas Health, Skin Spirit, Gem Dental, Menon Regenerative Institute,
Goldberg's World Famous Deli, Shalas Boutique, Game Changer Fitness, Paper Mill Playhouse, SLT My Skin, Evolve Fitness Studios, Sweet House, Short Hills, Restyle Exchange, and Spotless Dry Cleaners. Big thank you to them for what they've done. Board of Education
liaison, all elementary school roles have been hired, and we have an interim principal in the high school right now. Um, so onethird of those are internal candidates, twothirds, uh, are coming from outside. So that's a really good mix. Uh, I love to congratulate Milbour
High School student athletes who just graduated who signed to play in sports in college uh, for our uh, so great job for our Millers. I'm I'm going to go through them quick. Emma Waros, Grant University Soccer, Logan Thomas, Texas&M University, Equestria, Nethra Tucker,
University of Virginia, Rowing, Laya Heath, Stockton University, Ander B, uh, uh, Ander Burman, Skidmore College Baseball, Tim Peter Lawrence, Sal Regino University, uh, Ryan Feldman, Grenell College for football, Alex Fost from
Mbury College for baseball, and Mia Grove at Stonybrook for soccer. Big congratulations to those guys. uh joint facilities. Uh I'll have an update next meeting. We're having a meeting, I believe, um on Thursday. Uh
on Thursday, uh no updates on Mountain Valley right now. Flood mitigation. Uh uh nothing of substance from the big updates last week or last last meeting. Affordable housing, I'm going to defer to council. Those are my reports. Deputy mayor. Sure.
Um there was a planning board meeting uh the day after our last meeting and there'll be one tomorrow. Um the on the agenda is the continuing um application at the Kai Center. Uh where we are on at this point is it's up to public
testimony. So um previously the public was allowed to only ask questions. Now they're allowed to come and say whatever they want to say about it. And so I encourage everybody who wants to have something to say about the Kai Center to come to to come tomorrow night 7:30 uh
in this room. Um another thing I wanted to mention is actually it's related to flooding. Um I participated with Princeton Hydro who's the vendor that has been chosen to come up with a with a plan to address
flooding in the Glenwood area from the Van Winkle Creek. um we walk the site along the arboritum um to get them familiar with uh the the lay of the land so to speak and we expect a report from them shortly. And then lastly um Mayor
Romano and I had the privilege of attending two uh Eagle Scout court ceremonies, one for one for boys and one for girls. And it was uh it was very inspiring to see all of them. All all in all there were 11 people that were um
installed as Eagle Scouts. So, thank you. Committee in Costco. Yes. So, thank you. Um, the only report I have is that um, historic did not have a did not have a meeting, but um, I did attend a
meeting today where if people are following the town hall renovation, um, there are going to be some updated plans coming out soon on that. So, I thought I'd give people a heads up on that. Thank you. Um, Mr. Good evening, members of the township
committee and members of the community. Filling in for Alex tonight, I simply just want to remind everybody that the annual Memorial Day parade will be held on this Monday, May 26th. The parade will be stepping off from Milbourne High School at 11:00 a.m. with a ceremony in Taylor Park to follow. U we're excited
that the Grand Marshall this year is a World War II veteran, Bernard Zen. Uh he was honored here by the township committee this year for celebrating his 100th birthday. So, we're very excited to have him this year as the grand marshal. Um, the parade's always a great event with many great groups
participating this year. So, we hope to see everybody there on Monday at 11:00 a.m. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Camp. Thank you, Mayor. Not much of a report tonight other than um the Milbour Compliance hearing that was tenatively scheduled for June 2nd was adjourned by
the court with no adjourned date given. Um, so if anybody was planning on attending, it's been adjourned for June 2nd and we don't have a new date yet. Um, other than that, I have no further report unless there's any questions from the committee. Um, Mr. Kamasha, do you have any reports
or you just Well, I just uh put a couple flyers on the table. Just three things from the county. We have the uh fishing derby schedule for this year. We have the sub music for 2025 which consists of festivals, fireworks, and uh live uh live music. And lastly, we have the
Essis County Paper Shredding Day, which is scheduled for uh Saturday, June 7th from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. And it's a good way to destroy important documents safely and securely. Thank you. I'm good. The address at the county public works
department in Cedar Grove, New Jersey. Yeah, the flyers are all up here. Various locations. Thank you. Thank you. Um, okay. I just wanted to add, uh, the Memorial Day parade. We have 19 groups participating this year, which is
awesome. Uh, we've got two bands and we've got the military joining us this year. I think the weather forecast is for a nice day. Yes. So, um, I'm really looking forward to it. It's it's going to be a a great parade. Uh, also, um, the Milbourne Short Hills Chinese
Association held an event this past Sunday where, um, they showcased everything that they do and they had a number of, um, nonprofits that were also there that showcased everything that they did. And, uh, the the the room was
packed and it was it was really a wonderful afternoon. Um, in addition, this year Milbourne High School is for the first time participating in the Essex County Youth Poleworker Initiative. This program's been going on since 2023. I believe
Milbourne and Montlair were the only two schools in the county that weren't participating. So, um, the program helps uh, students form habits of active and informed citizenship. There's also an added curriculum that comes with it. and um happy to say that this year we've got
25 high school students that have signed up to be poll workers on election day. So that's going to be um it's going to be really cool and um to you know technology-wise these kids are going to master that iPad I'm sure with uh no
problem. And then finally I just wanted to make a comment on uh virtual public comments. Um, at the last meeting, I never said that I was against it. Uh, when I first ran 25 years ago, I actually fought to have meetings
televised and a former mayor said, "If we televise our meetings, no one would come." So, and also when I began my term in 23, I had a disagreement with the former mayor who wanted to eliminate the Zoom
option. Uh, I I said what I said because I want to be respectful of other people's space and their technology. Wasn't really sure, you know, how it would work out. I wasn't ready to say yes or no. So, I
think since then, um, committee me committee man has provided Mr. McDonald with information. So, um, we hope to see it up and running, I hope sometime in June. So, that is all my reports.
Public comment. When invited to speak to offer your comments, please come to the lectctor and clearly state your name and whether you are a Milbourne resident and or property or business owner. Please do not provide your full address seeing our meetings are recorded and readily available to the public. To help facilitate an orderly meeting and to
permit all to be heard, speakers shall limit their comments to one three minute session. You will be prompted when there's 30 seconds remaining. A reminder that this is not a time for dialogue or to debate a matter and this is a time during our business meeting for the public to offer comments. I will
now open public comment. He's getting sworn in. Hi, my name is Eric Osman, longtime resident of Short Hills. Um, I'm here on a kind of non-controversial mission, I hope. Um, there was discussion one or
two, uh, township committee meetings ago about naming the area behind town hall um, Brock away. Uh, I'm here to ask that that actually happen. Um, we would not
have gone forward with closing Main Street during the summer. Um, we would not have gone forward with that kind of a solution uh to protect the health and welfare particularly of residents of the Washington district if not for Anthony
Braa. May he rest in peace. Uh, what a remarkable guy. just a regular man who decided because his friend Armando had almost died. Um that he was going to take action and not have any obstruction
for ambulances into the Washington district and uh and now we have that wonderful area behind the town town hall and I ask the township committee uh to take action in advance of the uh opening of that area. Thank you very
much. Diane Egllo, Milbourne resident. I wasn't going to speak tonight, but because I was first curious about when the Greenwood Drive drainage program is going to start and I see that's on the resolution, but I was on the Township Committee when we um made Town Hall
Plaza and we had a vote among the committee members what it should be called and overwhelmingly we called it Town Hall Plaza because it is next to Town Hall and that makes the most amount of sense. I also from the beginning was against ever closing Main Street because
I served on the for um first aid squad for I don't it was 14 or 15 years I can't remember now and I knew that that was the access for anyone coming from Cranford Springfield Union Washington section Greenwood Drive I know that
every minute counts when you have a CPR um an EpiPen incident whatever if you want to give this man an honor give him a plaque on Main Street. Renaming Town Hall Plaza makes zero sense. I know that
I just was kind of surprised when Mr. Stler, you I mean, not everybody gets an honor. Not everyone gets a medal. Not everyone gets a prize. And I just say I really hope Town Hall Plaza is named Town Hall Plaza. And I
hope when this town hall um project ever gets underway, I'm shocked that it's being stopped. I wasn't at the last meeting to know why, but I also had suggested and if it happens, I don't mind taking a little credit. Town Hall Plaza shall be remain should be closed
all year round and it should be a park, not a park at park like but a lovely park with permanent trees and perky whatever you call that paving. And don't rename it. Just it's silly. Give Mr.
Braa a plaque. Um, good evening. My name is Jeffrey Feld. I live in the poet section for more than 32 years with my wife. Um, I think there is a theme tonight on the agenda is where we're going to be curing and correcting some errors and
emissions of our former municipal attorney. I submitted to you and I'm incorporating by reference my letter and the reasons why you should vote for no on two of the non-consent agenda items. one being the nine Main Street non-
urban renewal entity long-term tax exemption for the reason set forth in the letter and you should deny the uh the appropriation to for the defense of the SIDS U action held two. I know it might seem like I have a conflict but I think if you look at my letter there's
reasons and plus the case I sent to you this afternoon. Um I you could still call it downhole pro plaza but I think there should be some kind of memorial for Tony um Barco for what he did. Um I set that forth in
my email to you. There's two points I want to bring out to notify the community. Um last Wednesday the appellet um heard live stream oral argument in fel versus Milbour. I do not know how they're going to rule but when you're an attorney you listen to the
questions asked by the panel. The panel asked both sides whether the common law standard governing conflicts of interest and disqualifying and appearance of impropriy has been abolished by the
enactment of the local ethics law. I said no. I said it's like Oprah. I should have said it was like Oprah where you have the Oprah statute but you also have the common law right of access. The other question they asked was um dealt
with whether citizens rights, constitutional rights to be heard in calendar year 2021 to be heard prior to action on any agenda action item was suppressed. That's an issue they had to deal with.
Also, there was a concession by the township that FEL versus Milbour would not preclude an argument in the third round affordable housing case that that the citizens weren't afforded their right. I'd like to bring up another
point. It's something called fiscal um literacy. Um on April 22nd it was disclosed that the state was analyzing our budget. If you go to the website
you'll see that the original and audited financial statement was revised and I sent you the various comments from the state. I'm having problems linking our annual debt statement, the um capital budget
presentation that was on April 22nd and our annual um statements because there's numbers. I'm just saying we have to be careful about our financial u information. Good evening. Cyper Melbourne resident 25
years that's all. So, I just wanted to echo Eric Osman's suggestion about continuing with the progress of not changing the name of Town Hall Plaza to
Brock Away, but to somehow put some kind of signage in Town Hall Plaza saying Rockway and um just simple
something that people can see when they walk into it. And I spent time myself with Braa, met him in town, frequented a lot of restaurants in
town. He was a local. He grew up in town here, I believe, and he made a difference for a lot of people in their lives. And sometimes it's nice for people to
remember people in um special ways. And this could be a special way. And I'll buy the sign. I I know where to order the sign from. Just tell me what color you want it to be and what
size. So, pretty much that's it. Thank you. Okay. Fran Denmark Feld, longtime resident. I won't even say anymore how many years I've been here. It's aging me. Um, so first of all, this is my first meeting in this
room and it's really a breath of fresh air. I like it, you know, just for a change. the color, the atmosphere, it's very clean. Um, however, what I don't understand is when the plans were made to use this
space, nobody thought, "Wait, we've got to move Zoom with us, too." Because back, Annette referred to the dark day at the beginning of 2023 when Maggie was still our mayor and she
sat there and said because COVID lockdown had ended, we didn't need Zoom anymore. And I was really shocked because to me it was kind of like it must have been like if the electric light bulb was invented and everybody
started getting light bulbs and some group said we don't want the light bulbs in this new space. Everybody looks so much more attractive under candle light. Let's just not use the bulbs right and there's lites everywhere. But in that
case it's more cosmetic. In this case, it's about two-way communication. And as a former journalist and before that, I was a clinical social worker. Communication is almost my middle name. If you don't have
two-way communication between two entities, you're not going to move things forward the way they should be moved forward. And I know that for many, many years in my career and in my personal life. So yes, Maggie was arguing against it.
Annette was brand new. I think it must have been her first meeting and Michael's first meeting. And she said, "Well, there's 20 towns that are not going to have it." And I said, "But why would we copy those towns? We we want to stand out. We're Milbourne. I don't care what they're doing in Clark."
So I think I was heard that night because the group took a pause and they went out and they came back and said, "Okay, we'll do Zoom." And I thanked everyone profusely. And I've been very grateful that there are times when I can't come in here for one reason or the
other. Or as a senior citizen, you know, when it's 20 degrees out in January, I'm very grateful that I can tune in and see everybody and if I have something to say, I can say it, which isn't all that often. It's just nice to know it's there. So, you're giving and I know
Frank did tell me um that he knows how to get this thing up and running very easily as I imagine a tech person who's a millennial would be able to do. So, I'm looking forward to having Zoom reinstated. Thank you, Mayor, for acknowledging that that's in the
works. Okay. And good night. My name is Al Carlin. I'm a Melbourne resident also in New Jersey and the United States and I am a taxpayer and a very unhappy taxpayer because my well lots of things that happen in the United
States uh for instance paying for people who try to break into Congress and lynch the vice president of the United States as we know they give them $5 million and things like that. and also when New
Jersey transit goes on strike and people cannot get to work and all these other things and so on and so forth and I'm interested in these things. Uh Mayor Romano, you can do great things. You
work for New Jersey Transit as I said in in April. I would love to see you spend 100 hours a week with New Jersey Transit. I know. No. and we have a great Mr. Cosgrove as an attorney could do a
great job as a mayor and so forth. You know, I just want to rearrange things because what we have here, I'm reading these agreements. They are difficult. You've been to court many times. I've read some of your briefs. They're very, very good. You know how to write
contracts in different areas and reading this stuff takes hours. I'm not an attorney, but it goes back and forth. And for anyone to understand this stuff, it takes a long, long time. And New Jersey Transit, I've been at Penn at
Penn Station. There were problems with the machines breaking. I was put on a wrong train. There are no there's so many other issues on that. And all I'm trying to say is I there are so many problems with NJT right now. Seniors are
unhappy. They People get on the wrong trains, wrong everything. That's that's my only problem with this. Also, rents. People have to leave Milburn because they can't afford staying here. I know a nextoor
neighbor who is a teacher, brought up in Livingston, moved to Milbour, taught in a local school, now moved to North Carolina. Local teacher, what's happening? She carries her passport around with her because she's afraid of
what's happening in case she gets picked up. She teaches in a local school here in Milbour. She was born in Trinidad, but she carries her passport in case she's picked up by ICE. What would happen in case? Who would go and work
with her? No, these are real things that people don't understand that's happening in the United States of America in towns. You know what's happening in New York? you know, the congresswoman who was just indicted on a felony charge. These are really simple, serious items.
You know, how Milbour is Milbour and what people say in Milbour and what Steve is. And I get all this stuff from all these wonderful candidates. Thank you. Anyone else? Okay, I'm going to close public comment.
Um, do you have any Yes, I do. Um, so thank you folks who commented. Um, on on the plaque or the Brock away, I I I certainly favor that. I think a a plaque at at Town Hall Plaza would be a
wonderful idea. Um, I'm not sure how the rest of the group on the Zoom. I believe we should have Zoom. Um, you know, as long as I can affect it, it's it's we're always going to have Zoom. um we need to make things more open than
they ever were and you know I'm game for all that but certainly support the zoom and hope that gets done quickly. Uh Mr. Carlin um your comments I I have been offering my thoughts and guidance you know uh to the town. Um I don't always win but uh but uh I I think
it's been a benefit. Uh thank you all. Um, committee resto. Uh, sure. Um, listen for Tony Broa and what's going to happen there. We'll do the right thing, whatever transpires. But listen, when I hear Tony Broa, it
brings a sense of peace and joy to me, that big infectious smile he had and the two children he left behind and a wife, uh, and the memories that we have together with them. So, in no way will we ever put a stain on that.
um Zoom obviously I made my my say on Zoom uh and uh you know having that closed year round 100% I agree that could be closed year round but we have some things we need to understand and work out first like what's going to happen to that lot the rimbeck lot
what's going to happen to town hall uh and there's just it's a methodical process that has to we have to actually go through the process to get to any of these decisions And that's something that's actually a little little novel. Let's do some homework and let's actually look at things and make
decisions based on what's best for all constituents and residents. And that that's the process that we've been following. Thank you. Sure. Um, you know, as far as uh honoring Anthony Braa, I think I'm actually the
one who suggested uh the street, but I wasn't suggesting renaming the street officially. So, it would be it would still be Town Hall Plaza. That's what it would say on, you know, on Google Maps and whatever else. But underneath that, and I've seen it in other towns and
particularly in Livingston, right off of Route 10, there would be a sign, what I think would be a nice honor would be a sign underneath Town Hall Plaza using the same style as the street signs, the same color, the same font that said BA as a honorary kind of name. Not the
official name. I don't think anybody lives there, but if they did, the address would still be Town Hall Plaza, but you know, it would still honor him and be very visible because it's on the street sign. So, that was what I had that was what I had intended. I was not intending to do a wholesale rename of
the of the street. And, you know, certainly, um, we have a sign shop here, so I'm that prints those signs. I would think it would be a no-brainer for them to print that and then we could do a ceremony to, you know, to to acknowledge it when it's put up.
to be continued. To be continued. To be continued. Um, just so you know, I what I actually I have one other thing too. Sorry. Uh, for uh, Mr. Feld, you know, I I just want to make sure that, you know, it almost seems like there's innuendo
that there's something going on in the financials versus uh, what the state did. You know, that's a there's a bridge that brings everything through. There's nothing nefarious or anything on talk going on with those financials. So you you may want to ask Matt Laracy for the
bridge between the two as they do their normal financial work. That's what they do. So u I just want to don't not address that. Thank you. Yes. Um with Anthony Braa, we'll figure something out. I've known Anthony Braa since kindergarten,
so we'll figure something out down the road. Um do you have anything or no? Mr. Camper, do you have anything? Uh, nothing, mayor. Thank you. Okay, great. The township committee will now consider consent agenda resolutions. Are there any comments from the committee in regard to any items listed on the consent
agenda? May I have a motion to approve resolution 25-140 through resolution 25-144 as updated, which are listed on the consent agenda. So move. May I have a second? Second. Roll call vote, please. Deputy
Mayor Coleman. Yes, Mr. Cosro. Yes, Mr. Stoler. Affirmative. Mayor Romano. Yes. Are there any comments from the committee in regard to resolution 25-145? May I have a motion to approve resolution 25-145?
Motion. May I have a second? Second. Roll call vote, please. Deputy Mayor Cohen? Yes. Mr. Costro? Yes. Mr. Stler? Affirmative. Mayor Romano. Yes. Are there any comments from the committee in regard to resolution 25-146? May I have a motion to approve
resolution 25-146? Motion. May I have a second? Second. Roll call vote, please. Deputy Mayor Cohen. No. Mr. Costro? No. Mr. Stler. Yeah. I I I want to mention that, you
know, the committee fully supports Milbour Township's commitment to meeting our affordable housing obligations. We're 100% but for it, but I can't support this in its current form. Um, we've bent over backwards as a committee
to to negotiate, work with the state uh to bring two alternatives forward. Uh, I think it's an absolute shame that we would put 75 families in a
segregated development on a contaminated site. And everyone says, "Listen, Ben, a site's contaminated, it's going to be remediated. Look at what happened in Delaware with with our former president. Look what happened in Gowanas uh with the amount of lawsuits that are coming. It's crazy how many people are getting
sick who lived on a remediated site. You know, it's shame on the prior judges, shame on the prior on RPM, shame on Frank Banish for not coming. And actually, he looked me in the eye. He actually gave me a hug when he left after we tooured the two new possible
sites and we outlined what we thought was wrong with the 75 segregated uh for the site of the segregated uh development. Shame on the former TC who did not have the courage, the backbone, or the mental stamina to actually do the work to not let this happen. honestly.
So I am a strong no. Yeah. So ju just for the record um we open this up for discussion. Uh that's that that would be the appropriate time to give discussion once it's open for voting. We're really not supposed to comment. So why don't we open it up? Why don't we open it up to any further comments from the committee and then take another roll call. Is there any
further comments from the committee? All right. Now it's up to the matter. Would you like to take another roll call? I think that was a good suggestion, Madam President. Sure. Let's roll call again, please. So, may I have a go? Roll call vote again. We already deputy Mayor Cohen, still no. Mr.
Cosbro, no. Mr. Stler, stronger. No. Mayor Milano, no. Are there any comments from the committee in regard to resolution 25-147? May. I'm sorry. That's all right. Yes. Yes, Mayor. I do. Um, I struggled with
this one, 25-147. Um and uh and it's a very close call. I am going to support it. Uh but I w with with a few caveats. I do not expect to see another request from the SID uh looking for money. Um I do expect that
we get the money back if the SID's successful in their in their um in their attempts to try to recover uh their fees from uh bare properties. Um and and I do want to say I know some folks on this probably think this is a minor amount.
Um, but we also, you know, approved the bills list tonight, which is about $945,000. It's all little amounts like this, give or take, but it adds up, and that's why I have a concern about it. Thank you. Thank you. And and I I would
like to interject as well. the the amount of I think it sends the wrong message to the folks in town who've stepped up to volunteer their time uh uh to help lead the the SID uh through you know multiple multiple um good economic
u decisions for our town. uh for that reason uh it is a small amount but there's you know an indemnification clause too that is somewhat implicit from a volunteer and from the TC as we know uh or you'd see left and right so
for that reason I'm going to go for it and I you know I I also I mean it it's a small amount to the overall budget of the town it's not a small amount to the city and I guess I share some of Mr. Kaz Kazarro's concerns. I guess what what
kind of swung it with me was um this amount of money would pay for 11 bands through the course of they pay about $300 for each band that comes. So this is you know 3,300 or 3500 whatever it is exactly. I don't have it in front of me.
Um that's 11 bands. So, it's significant to them and it would be, you know, not to say that that's what, you know, if they had to pay they'd cancel all of those, but that does put it in perspective. May I have a motion to approve resolution 25-147?
So, may I have a second? Second. Roll call vote, please. Deputy Mayor Cohen, yes. Mr. Crossroad, yes. Mr. Stler, affirmative. Mayor Romano, yes. Ordinance 2705-25. I would like to present an ordinance entitled ordinance number
2705-25 an ordinance to amend and supplement the revised general ordinances of the township of Milbour chapter 2 administration article 2-16.9 offduty employment of police officers for police related activities.
The purpose of this ordinance is to amend article 2-16.9 offduty employment of police officers for police related activities specifically subsection D rates of compensation administrative fees and payment for service. This minor change
will increase the rate of pay for offduty officers as it relates to security functions to increase participation in this category by being more in line with rates of pay for other offduty functions. So this is not the township doesn't pay this. The whoever
is needs the officers pays the offduty police officers. I move that this ordinance be taken up and passed on first reading and that the township clerk be authorized to have the ordinance published in accordance with law in the item and for hearing and final passage on Tuesday, June 17th,
2025. Please be advised that the public hearing of this ordinance will be held at Milbourne Education Center located at 434 Milurn Avenue, Milbour. May I have a second? Second. Roll call vote, please. Deputy Mayor Cohen, yes. Mr. Crossro, yes. Mr. Stler, affirmative. Mayor
Romano, yes. Okay. Deputy Mayor Cohen, you're scheduled to sponsor 2706-25. I would like to present an ordinance entitled uh ordinance 2706-25, ordinance amending and supplementing the Township of Milbour development regulations and zoning
ordinance. Um, this is the one that we've uh we've we've talked about before. It it came to us, it went back to the zoning committee and now it's back because it with a tighter definition. It redefineses primarily it redefineses multifamily housing and it
redefineses what an apartment is. So, um, it tightens up some of those definitions that were vague and allowed loopholes to occur in the past. Uh, I move that this ordinance be taken up and passed on first reading and that the township clerk be authorized to have
the ordinance published in accordance with law in the item and for hearing and final passage on Tuesday, June 17th, 2025. Please be advised that the public hearing on this ordinance will be held at the Milbourne Education Center located at 434 Milbour Avenue, Milbour.
May I have a second? A second. Roll call vote, please. Deputy Mayor Cohen. Yes. Mr. Yes. Mr. Stoler. Affirmative. Mayor Romano. Yes. Committeeman Stole, you're scheduled to sponsor ordinance 2704-25.
Thank you, Mayor. Uh, I present for consideration an ordinance entitled ordinance number 2704-25, ordinance creating a temporary open container area. Tonight is the time set for the public hearing and final passage as advertised in accordance with law. I declare the hearing open.
This is the ordinance for the uh town plaza uh to have a open uh container area. I think I've clinkedked beers with just about everybody in this room. Actually, everybody except for maybe Mr. Carlin. So, uh there go. Okay. Um may I
have a second? Second. Roll call vote, please. Well, I move Do we close Did we close the public hearing? Sorry. We'll close public comment here. Public hearing. I'm sorry. Okay. May I have a second? Well, I move that this public hearing be
closed and the ordinance be adopted on final reading as the township clerk be directed to published ordinance by title as passed on final reading in accordance with law. May I have a second? Second. Roll call vote, please. Deputy May. Yes. Mr. Yes. Mr. Stler. Mayor Romano. Yes.
Thank you. We have no old business. We have no new business. So we have public comment. This public comment is to allow for final comments from the community. When invited to speak to offer your comments, please come to the lectctor and clearly state your name and whether you are a Milbourne resident and or
property or business owner. Please do not provide your full address. Seeing our meetings are recorded and readily available to the public. A reminder that in order to help facilitate an orderly meeting and permit all to be heard, speakers shall be limited to one three minute session. Jeffrey Feld in the poet section. I'm
very happy that you voted down the long-term tax exemption. Citizens can make change. When you said robust, informed civic participation on July 30th, 2020. One, there's only one person in this room
that showed up at that hearing on shortened notice to approve the settlement. I think we I think the community is learning about what went down and I look forward to us fighting continuing in round three and round four fighting the state and other people.
Thank you. Thank you. Diane Egllo, lifelong resident wasn't going to speak and here I'm speaking twice. So, I don't want to seem like some horrible cold person to not want to give Brocka a plaque, but maybe it should be near Main Street because Main
Street was got not closed down. Yeah. And um as far as making Town Hall Plaza permanent, there's a great plan that Alex McDonald has in his office that we worked on that would have to close Town Hall properly, Town Hall Plaza to
traffic, Spring Street, would have gone back to 2-way. And that whole area, that grassy null that we called it, would have had parking because we were very short on parking. And Christine Bugle in town hall along with I can't think of his name. He's got the h the business on
Main Street. Him and I I just can't think. They do title searches. Casey Keller. Yeah. Yeah. So, um he and Christine Bugle along with Alex came up with this great plan that would have allowed that area to make
like 28 parking spots. It would have gotten rid of that plastic barricade that has been there for how many years? And the reason why that didn't come into fruition was because Tara was having us look at a two-way traffic. Now, I think you spent a couple hundred,000 looking
at two-way traffic proposal. That was never going to happen because did not go gateway to gateway. And I remember I was against that because it was just a tremendous waste of money. So, unless you're going to do two-way traffic and make it realistic from gateway to gateway where you could put traffic
lights that would allow the cars to move. But in the meantime, there's a great plan and perhaps you could all ask Alex to show it to you again. And um good night. And I don't want to seem like I'm just such a cold person, but I do really want what's best for the town
and everybody. Thank you. Thank you very still Al Carlin and I Milbour and I live in an apartment and many people are very very happy that they can now cross Milbour Avenue where the new construction is because it's now
believe it or not now people aren't as easily killed and that's very important and no really and the idea is because now people can cross and with the flashing lights and it's a lot easier. Some people actually stop and let
pedestrians go by. Not everyone, but some most people do now. And the flashing lights make a difference. Uh there's a lot of noise every single night obviously because of the construction and all day long depending on the building across the street. the
old Annie says, as you know, as a lot of people are very unhappy about it, but it is what it is. Uh, sorry, Mayor Romano, I didn't want to be negative. I do appreciate what you want, but so many people are frustrated with so many
issues with NJT and you know that because you're there basically every day. Uh, uh, I speak to conductors. I speak to a lot of different people because I was was involved in public transportation for my entire
life in many different areas. Uh even in Milbour getting up and down the steps sometimes and clearing the things. Um many people some people actually go to South Orange if they're handicapped because of getting without
any handicap access or even to Summit. I mean you may not realize that but it does happen. So more money going to NJT would be a nice thing. That's the only reason I say because you're there. That's the only thing. Uh as far as closing of Main
Street, I timed it. Yes. At different hours, even late at night and coming from south of Main Street, it took about three, four, five minutes. Stop, make a
turn, turn, turn one, and up. So it could make a difference between life and death. Main Street should never have been closed. I defined it myself. I mean, it wasn't hard to do and I'm not that bright. So that's what happened. I
thank you folks. Thank you. Anyone else? I will close public comment. Does anyone have anything to add? Committ Stler, do you have anything? Um, I do, Mr. Carlin, what you were
saying. Um, it's turned into a bit of a nightmare though at that Essex Milbour interchange where Annie says it's being built because they close down the sidewalk now. So, you know, when I walk to the train in the morning, you got to walk to that site, cross the street, walk down and walk up. And, you know, my
daughter who beautiful daughter who rides her bike, you know, now school's getting closer to the summer, you know, it it can be dangerous. and you know very appreciative to Essex County and the folks who built out that crossing uh uh Captain Kamacho it and it really
helps for that crossing to be there but just a message for the community is you know our children live here we slow down and look when we see a crosswalk because there's probably going to be somebody crossing walking a dog or anything along those lines. So just for the community
at large let's slow down and and watch what's happening especially this time of year. Yeah. Deputy Mayor, nothing. Command Cosmo. Nothing. Thank you. Nothing. Mr. Caner, anything? Uh, no. Mayor, thank you. May I have a motion to
adjourn the meeting? May I have a second? All those in favor? Good night. Thank you.