We're gonna get started. >> In accordance with section five of the open public meetings act, be advised in a notice of this meeting was made by posting on Wilson's board at a town hall and forwarding to the officially designated newspapers that this meeting would take place at the Melbourne Education Center at 7 p.m. on December
16, 2025. Meeting details and the draft agenda were also posted on our county website. Please stand to the nation for all deputy mayor here. >> Mr. Poss
>> here. >> Mr. Sakamandandy >> here. >> Mr. Stler >> present. >> Mayor Romano >> here. >> May I have a motion to approve the agenda? >> Motion. >> I have a second. >> Second. >> All those in favor? >> I have a motion to approve the November 12th, 2025 regular township committee
minutes. >> So move. >> May I have a second? >> Second. >> All those in favor? >> I have a motion to approve the November 12th, 2025 special township committee minutes. >> Motion. May I have a second? All those in favor? >> I have a motion to approve the December
2nd, 2025 regular task committee minutes. >> May I have a second? All those in favor? >> May I have a motion to approve the December 2nd, 2025 special counsel? >> Have a second. >> Second. >> All those in favor,
everyone. Uh I would like before we get started, I'd like to thank uh the committee, the mayor, and uh this administrator McDonald for allowing us to make these uh officers from the academy in January.
We're going to start with Douglas Dilda. He's 27 years old who currently resided in Elizabeth. Douglas graduated from Lynhurst High School in 2021. After high school, he enlisted in the United States Army National Guard as a military police officer. He served honorably through
four deployments and is still serving with the 58th Military Police Company out of Tina, New Jersey. At the same time, Douglas earned his bachelor's degree in homeland security and emergency management from Thomas Edison State University. Douglas has worked in the IT specialist at Beltech Logics for
the past two years. Douglas will be attending Morris County Police Academy. Scott Buyer. He's 23 23 years old and currently resides in Murray Hill, New Jersey. Uh he has one older sister, Jessica. Uh
Scott graduated from Governor Livingston High School in June of 2020. Scott then enrolled in Lincoln Tech and received his certification in 2024 in electrical and electronic systems. Since 2021, Scott has been working as a electrician for Rose City Electric Company. Scott's
family has a long history in law enforcement at Melbourne, which includes his father, Hans or uh grandfather, Hans, and his uncle Jimmy Byer. Scott will be attending Orange County Police Academy in January.
And next up is Jack Barker. He's 20 years old and resides in Whip, New Jersey. He grew up and attended Milurn public schools until 8th grade and then attended Oratory Prep High School in Summit, New Jersey and graduated in 2024. He's currently
attending Morris County College and is pursuing his degree in criminal justice. He was an intern at the Milbourne Police Department for three months in 2024. Currently, he volunteers for the first aid squad in Milbourne and For Park. For the past year, he has worked as an EMT
formless health providing prehosp care to medical patients. Jack will also be attending Morris County. >> I have a motion to approve resolution 25-264 which confer the appointments. >> So move. >> May I have a second? >> Second. >> Roll call vote, please.
>> Deputy Mayor Cohen. >> Yes. >> Mr. Costrove. >> Yes. >> Mr. Sakamandi. >> Yes. >> Mr. Stler. >> Absolutely. >> Mayor Romano. >> Yes. >> Thank you. >> Miss Scotty will now issue the oath of office to the new. >> Yep. Yep. Yep. I'll hold it. Yep. You
all right hand? >> You're just gonna repeat after me. I state your name. >> I >> do solemnly affirm >> do solemnly affirm. >> I will support the Constitution >> I will support the Constitution >> of the United States >> of the United States
>> and the Constitution of the State of New Jersey >> and the Constitution of the State of New Jersey. And I will faithfully >> And I will faithfully >> discharge the duties >> discharge the duties >> of police officer >> of a police officer >> of the Milbourne Township Police Department >> of the Milbour Township Police Department.
>> According to the best of my ability according to the best of my ability. >> So help me God. >> So help me God. >> Congratulations. Congratulations. >> Thank you. Just a second. Thank you. >> We're gonna take a 30 minute recess for those of you that don't want to stay for
the rest of the evening. Thank you very 1967. We're gonna get started everybody. We're gonna get started. bring this up. >> Okay. So before we uh continue with the uh the
agenda, >> it's my pleasure. >> Okay. >> You need one open. Okay. Well, Excuse me. Uh, it is my pleasure tonight to recognize Mayor Annette Romano for her exceptional service to Morin Township.
As many of you know, Annette is a lifelong Muburn resident who has devoted her life to helping others. She founded and continues to operate the Melbourne Food Pantry, supporting neighbors facing food insecurity and has also served with the Red Cross, assisting people in times
of profound crisis. While she led led the local Democratic party for many years, Annette stepped into elective office in 2022 and has served as mayor for the past two years. The subcommittees she chose to serve on reflect her deep commitment to public service and community well-being, the
local assistance board, the senior citizen advisory board, and the board of health. She also worked to enrich the cultural life of Milbour through her involvement with the cultural engagement, diversity, and the arts committee, the art advisory committee, and the community service award committee. Recognizing that public
service, public safety is a top priority, Annette advocated for hiring additional police officers and investing in new technologies to support. She has also contributed her time to the pedestrian safety advisory committee and the parking committee. Annette has been
equally dedicated to addressing one of Milbert's most pressing challenges, flood mitigation. who served on the flood mitigation committee, the joint meeting of Essex and Union and the mayor's council for Broadway River wershed flood control. She was instrumental in securing a federal grant to improve the Gilbert Place pump
station and when that grant was later rescended by Congress, successfully worked with state leaders to obtain a substantial portion of the original funding from Trent. During her term as mayor, Annette worked tirelessly to force collaboration and consensus on the township committee. She transformed the
traditional mayor's message into the township committee message, giving every member a voice and strengthening the comm committee's connection with the public. And although state statutes give the mayor sole authority over committee assignments, Annette chose instead to consult with all members, ensuring
assignments were thoughtful and that everyone felt supported. Annette has also been a steadfast champion of exploring mobil recognizing that a vibrant local business community strengthens the entire parish. She participated in virtually all their events from summer concerts and
children's dance parties to ribbon cutings for new per. But perhaps the most meaningful example of Annette's dedication comes from something she once told me. Her favorite part of being mayor was officiating marriage ceremonies. She loved being part of helping couples begin their new lives
together. To me, that speaks volumes about her character. Someone who finds joy in uplifting others and cherishes the human moments that bring a community closer. Tonight, we honor Mayor Net for her integrity, leadership, and unwavering commitment to the people of
Mil. Tina Frank is here to present certificate from the senior citizens advisory committee >> as chair of the senior citizens advisory committee. It is my great honor to recognize Annette. She was our
institutional memory. She served for over 20 years on our committee and we are so grateful for her guidance and support. The certificate of appreciation says, "We recognize Mayor Annette Romano for her outstanding dedication and service
on the township of Milbour Citiz Senior Citizen Advisory Board. Her commitment to advocating for the well-being, inclusion, and dignity of older adults was important. Her compassionate insight and devotion to serving others is fair.
We thank you so much. One more uh since uh since um >> Huh? >> But um refused uh the chair that we normally give out to many many people that are uh that are moving on. Um, we
we had to pivot uh kind of hard um and uh came up with a gift that we thought was uh um useful to you. Um it's no secret that Annette loves her Wawa. >> Oh jeez. >> Um and and uh and and big drinks. So we
uh decided that Stanley would be also a diet cook. Thank you everybody. Um, I just have a a few words. Serving on the township committee has been one of the greatest honors of my life. Being mayor for the past two years in the town where I grew
up has filled my heart in ways I can hardly put into words. Working with this team has been a privilege. We worked very well together, achieved so much, and I'm proud of what we accomplished side by side. My deepest gratitude goes to my husband and children. Public
service isn't something you do alone. Your family walks every step with. They sacrifice time, energy, and moments that you don't get back. Their love and support carry me through the longest days and the toughest decisions, and I'm incredibly grateful.
Thank you to our professionals for your dedication, support, and guidance. I'm incredibly thankful to the administration, town hall of staff, DPW, our police, fire, and our first aid squad. Thank you for giving this community, not just your work, but your heart. What you do is more than a job.
It's a commitment, a calling, and your passion is felt in every corner of this town. And to the residents of Milbourne Shore Hills, thank you. You are the soul of this community, and serving you has been one of the greatest privileges of my life. Your emails, texts, and phone calls of encouragement and kindness
touch me deeply. Leadership isn't about power or titles. It's about presence, purpose, and the people you serve. And you have shaped me, challenged me, and made me a better person. So, thank you. >> I think the one in the back is
Thank you. >> Would you like to start? >> Sure. Sure. Congratulations. >> Thank you. >> All right. Recreation committee. Uh phase two of the Taylor Park pathway lights project uh will happen later in the winter. Uh completion date is before
April 1st. Uh WCK basketball game started this past weekend. Intramural high school basketball as well. Uh our inaugural tape tennis uh open play program started Friday night. So anyone who wants to go to the house on a Friday night, play some table tennis. Ski club
parent meeting and chaperon meeting is tonight in Bower Center, which I'm supposed to be at because I'm going to be a chaperon. Uh which is always great. We are sold out. We got three buses of kids ready to go skiing uh on the weekend. So that's going to be fun. Uh Special Improvement District. Uh, winter
villages were uh once again a big hit over the over the weekend. We had a thousand people attend. We actually had 13 sponsors and they raised 13,000 as I always do. Big thank you to signature sponsors. Dr. Arthur Drake uh who's a dentist on Essex Street. Also had
vendors from a variety of local organizations including Cookies for Kids, Cancer Club, um the American Indian Foundation Club. Uh all children were from uh Milurn High School. Uh and we also had the luminary fund there. Uh although the event is over, you can
still submit your receipts to be entered into the drawing to win two extra receipts up to I think $500, which is a nice little bonus if you get in uh BOE board of education. Uh the robotics championship, uh we won last weekend. Uh
big thanks to the coaches. They also qualified for the Worlds held in St. Louis uh early next year. Big win for the chess team. The ninth grade test team won the 2025 Rand National Championship this past weekend in Spokane, Washington. Uh now, this is the
same trio that actually won the 2023 National Middle School Chess Championship. So, they're a powerhouse. They'll be here for years. They're only um uh joint facilities. I want to encourage everyone to provide feedback through the
link that we posted on on the on the town website. Uh so if you have any questions about the uh fields etc. Uh Mountain Valley Emergency Communication Center, no real update uh right now. We're push that meeting back to I think next week, Alex, or two two weeks
meeting. >> It's tomorrow. >> Tomorrow. Tomorrow. Okay, good. Thanks for reminding me. >> Um flood mitigation. We had a great flood mitigation public presentation last Monday. Uh well attended. I think there like 40 people there. Covered a ton of information. Uh that information
is now up on the township website. um for everyone's perusal and I encourage everyone to to view it. Uh open space tax fund meeting next Monday. Affordable housing I defer to council. Uh other um I intended on uh Sunday I
attended an inspired and peaceful manura lighting ceremony on Sunday in Taylor Parking the first night of Hanukkah. So happy Hanukkah to everyone who celebrates. Uh we big thank you to the police department uh for their invaluable support and presence. We had four maybe five, six police officers
there. Uh the event was conducted and hosted by Rabbi Bogamilski and the Kai Center Shabbat. Um it was literally 9 degrees outside. Uh but the warmth that was there from all of the attendees and the community and the unity that came together was fantastic. Uh, also I'd be
remiss if I didn't say our hearts break for the victims of families of the horrific anti-semitic attack at the Bondi Beach Hanukkah event where at least 15 people were senselessly lost to hatred. Um, I and rest of us hope we stand firmly with Australia's Jewish
community with all the Jews worldwide in solidarity against solidarity against hatred, angry, resilience and resolve and may we all overcome bigotry together. >> That's it. Mayor Cohen. >> Sure. Um, so, um, at the Arborita
meeting, we, uh, we discussed the flood mitigation meeting that, uh, Committeeman Stler was just talking about since the arboritum is, uh, bordering one of the one of the big flood areas and is very interested in getting that resolved. Uh, we also
talked about preparations for beak week, which will be April 17th. That's going to be the major uh event of the year for the Arboritum. And lastly, the annual Indian cooking event uh is going to be held January 23rd. You can register on
the Arboritum website. It is a popular event and does tend to sell out. Um we had a planning board meeting, but most of that was uh an executive session discussing um litigation issues. um the zoning code subcommittee met and it continues to work on um strengthening
definitions to be presented next year um as board ordinances get revised. >> Thank you, Comm. >> Thank you, Mayor. Um not that much to report. Uh the historic preservation committee uh had a meeting. They process
a number of applications. Uh next Shade Tree um has a meeting later this week. Thank you. >> Thank you. Oh, you may second, Andy. >> No reports >> public comment. Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. F.
>> Thank you, mayor. Um, real quick, uh, fourth round fair housing update. On December 11th, we had our session u for the program, which is essentially our hearing. Uh we had one objector which was RPM who was a third round developer who's looking uh to build the 75 units
at 9 main which is being opposing and we have that litigation on a health division. They filed a fourth round objection. Uh we argued that um that they don't have standing in the fourth round as they have no fourth round
project. Um we argued that anything related to the N main street is currently under jurisdiction of the appellet division. Um, we don't know when we'll get a ruling on that or what a ruling in the fourth round related to a third round project will be, but we'll continue to keep the public updated and continue to
be transparent on all fair share housing items. Um, I just want to uh thank Mayor Romano for the privilege and opportunity to serve with you the last two years. Uh, so thank you for that >> public comment. When invited to speak to offer your comments, please come to the lecture 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 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. This is a time during our business meeting for the public to offer comments. I will now open public Trina Franco, Short Hills resident. I would like to make a modest proposal
with apologies to Jonathan Swift. Um, it is so hard for ICE to know exactly who they should be picking up. Not everyone who doesn't belong has the requisite brown skin and foreign accent. We should make it easier for our men at mass. Of
course, there are yellow stars, but those are so 1940s. Let's make everyone who is not quite us wear a sombrero and black's mustache as our president suggested for Chuck Schumer and Hakee Jeff. ICE could then
put them right into concentration oops detention camps and avoid the delay and expense of courts, lawyers, and due process. If we can find no country that will take them, then perhaps ovens are the solution. I
understand Syria has some leftover poison gas. If by some mischance a person escapes, perhaps by playing dead amidst the corpses and says to us, I alone am left to tell thee. We can
deny the whole thing like one does of the Holocaust. Actually, today one can call Serve Pro and it will be like it never really happened. Irony aside, as Hannah Arin said, people must have the right to have rights. Her citizenship
was revoked by the Germans and she fled to the border of France and Portugal with a famous philosopher Walter Benjamin. The border was closed and Benjamin committed suicide rather than face return to a fascist state.
The very next day, the border opened. Aaron fled to America, wrote the origins of totalitarianism, and became a preeminent philosopher. Another immigrant, a Palestinian refugee raised in extreme poverty, was just
named a Nobel laureate in chemistry. Impoverished immigrants, stateless, politically oppressed immigrants are the foundations of our economic and intellectual successes. By not allowing them in, we are all the poor. I would
ask our township committee and all our residents to tell our representatives in the state legislature to support the immigrant trust act. Thank you. >> Thank you. Um, good evening. My name is I live in the photo section and we're I guess 32
years. Um, on behalf of my family, I want to wish everyone in the community a happy holidays, whether it's Hanukkah, Christmas, Christmas, um, and everyone have a prosperous new year coming up. As my custom, I provided
a heads up letter the various exhibits to the township committee and as their custom, they never responded to me even though I am a constituent. Most of this my questions have nothing to do with litigation. Um, we heard about institutional knowledge when we're
honoring our mayor. But let's remember what happened about five years ago. Five years ago, Congressman Malinowski stood up during the organizational meet swearing in and told everyone about the importance of their solemn of their oath
of office. The next day, Congress was invaded. Um, almost about five years ago, I appeared at a SID meeting and I was talking to u Mr. Carlocia and I told him when you're
a fiduciary, you can't be an ostrich. You can't bury your head in the sand and expose your backside to your enemies. And the reason I say that is that when you look at the agenda in the bill list and the bill list only citizens only received it because I started demanding
it about five uh when I appeared in September 2020. You look at the payments to our municipal attorney especially when it comes back to bare properties one bare properties two. Today I sent
you each opinion opinion about slapsuits. I still don't understand how taxpayers money are being used to sue me personally and my clients personally for defamation under this lawsuit. Those
claims belong to someone's individually. They do not belong to the community and they should be paid by those people. You'll also look at the t the bill list. Why am I differentiated than any other citizen about Oprah request? If you look at the Oprah request in September and
October, the dispute basically was over emails, whether you received them from the county regarding the um upper Milbour Avenue um closure of the street. It was delayed. Get those emails. I have
questions. Please answer them. Um most important question I really think we have is that tonight you're approving a hold harmless agreement with the county regarding pay stations. You never got a resolution to hold them harmless
regarding Main Street town closure as in paper mill town uh clo uh additional fundings. What's the source of the payment because the copy I had there was no certificate of availability and how are we going to recoup all our monies? I'll speak on other issues later. Anyone else?
>> Good evening, Bill Kersh resident. First, I'd like to thank Governor Roman Milo for service to the town. Really appreciate it. Um, otherwise maybe it's an evening to confront unpleasant topics. And I have a statement to make about rhetoric and decency.
Our sitting president recently stated publicly that one fellow Republican legislator was a traitor, that a certain Democratic House representative was garbage and should be thrown out of the country, and that a US senator should be
executed. He has also continued to insult journalists who ask him challenging questions and has threatened judges whose only offense is ruling against his policies. Put aside for a moment the rampant racism and misogyny. Perhaps even put
aside that he has seen his attacks result in threats and possible violence against his targets. My point tonight is to speak out against language that we would not permit at a proceeding like this one or want our children to be exposed to.
This is language that we would not use among family members or at our jobs. language that no person of reasonable decency would use in public or in private. Yet, the most visible person in our nation is continually spouting such
language. Behavior like this, of course, filters down to the local level through our schools, our homes, and our meetings. And since silence implies agreement, it warrants a resolution by this committee condemning it.
failing that it would be irresponsible of me not to personally get out. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. Anyone else? >> Eric, um repeat subject Route 24. Traffic just
gets worse and worse. I've been up here at least once a year, twice a year. I can't tell you how many years. We need to do a regional study with Summit, Livingston, Chattam, Maywood, Springfield.
Sure, I'm missing a few towns, but it's going to get worse. More people going back to work. The amount of apartments being built west of here, fourth round, third round, it's getting worse. If you can't get on to 24 East 3:00 most days
to be able to drive down to Newark to Devil's Dam right now from Livingston to 280. Now people are getting off point doing that separately. 24 doesn't have proper signage. If you're going east to the
turn off to 78 goes from three lanes to two lanes. There's no merge sign. So, if any of you have ever gone that direction, breaking the jockeying position is awful. Going westbound, same thing. After the mall, goes from three lanes to lanes. There's no signage.
Going back to eastbound, you're going down. You make the round left turn to get on to 78. 78 has four lanes going east. Two express local. We've got three lanes to two. One lane gets off at Broad, one lane gets off at 78. And
everybody's jocking position. you have to go from three lanes to two lanes and you're trying to get on to either local or you went on to express, there's enough room under that bridge. I'm not pretending to be a traffic engineer, but I think in the meeting with DOT getting the other towns involved, I know they're all feeling the same way. Go to other
meetings I listen to, but nobody seems to want to take the beat on that. Short and sweet on that. White Oak Bridge, I've mentioned before, we still have passing lanes at Gerald Park. There's two different dotted lines. It's shocking to me. It's wonderful. Nobody's
gotten hurt. They cross through the ball field. There's no reason for it. I often come home from something or another at 9, 10, 11 o'clock. It's rare, but it happens. Bars go flying by in the passing lane. They pass the fire department in the other lane. Could ask the fire department
as well, but there's no reason for the passing lane there. Thank you. Thank you. member of the township. Tonight is the third night of Kaneka. I would like to wish a very happy Kaneka to the entire community. I also would
like to thank the township committee members for the support of the lighting and for the warm wishes in this joyous holiday. Kaneka celebrates the miraculous victory in the Makabe army fighting 2200 years ago for religious freedom for the right to practice Jewish faith. Especially this year after the
horrific terrorist massacre of 15 Jews in Sydney, Australia. We are very grateful for the support of the township after the vigilant presence opens finest at a minor at a public manura lighting in Taylor Park this past Sunday. It was uplifting for all to celebrate the
holiday together. Having such clear support really means a lot to the members of our community. Although the temperature was well below freezing, the Kaneka donuts, lapes, hot cocoa, Starbucks coffee, and most of all the joy and camaraderie of all kept us all
warm. Thank you and happy final. >> Thank you. Thank you Charles President 28 years. Um, I'd like to thank Mayor Romano and echo for service first and foremost for any
comments. >> Thank you. >> Mic's not working. >> Just have to >> It's not working. >> Just Yeah. >> All right. I'll talk about it. >> Um, uh, I'm happy to hear that the winter
villages were a success for the downtown. I'd like to understand how they benefited the merchants uh in upper Milbour Avenue and on Mars uh Avenue that also are forced to pay uh
assessments into the into the SID and how that may have benefited people on the east side of uh Believe also. In my mind, it was a downtown event. Um I like the lighting in the courtyard. Thank you
for that. Uh, I missed the lighting in Ter Park. I thought that was beautiful. I love always walking through that with my family. Uh, and that can be done non-denominational and then make it a cultural event. But, uh, there's a way to see that return. I'd like to see that
return and, uh, wish everyone happy holidays. Uh, be safe, stay healthy, and celebrate. Thank you. >> Thank you. Richie Cyber Milburn resident. I want Annette.
It was nice. We had a good run. I have a good future. Great family. Thank everybody here for serving. I went to an event last night at the box score where the whole town
um members of the town that are on different committees. There were a lot of people there. A lot of people volunteer their services to better the town. We're very lucky that we live in a nice town like this that
has police, security, the world. I wasn't going to really comment tonight, but there were some other comments here. The world is rough right now. You need some rough people to keep an eye on it. Um, what I always say
is for anybody that ever went to Disney World, they got a big fence around Disney World and it's very important for them to know who's coming in to the park every day. You have to give a lot of got to show
who you are to get into the park. I think it's important for immigrants to come to the country legally. I think that the leaders of the countries of the
world need to step up now because there's a lot of issues going on that need to be addressed. If not, there'll be no future left in the world. I'm watching the news. For those who don't watch the news,
in uh France, they've cancelled New Year's Eve ceremonies, different things around the whole world right now being cancelled. Why? I don't have to explain why. You should know why. So, I'm happy I live in this town here. I'm happy that
we have police. I'm happy that we have enforcement to make sure that everyone that lives in our town is safe. That's my main concern. And it's very important that people tell the truth
about what's going on. That's it. Thank you all. >> Thank you. Good evening Bala Melbourne resident for last 5 years. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our worshipful mayor Romano
uh for the food bank that was created during the pandemic time most probably when lot of restaurants and lot of eries outside was closed. People could go there and get a happy meal and that is the most important thing that a no
dollar amount can go into it. So she has really lived up to that value and we would like to thank her for her service as well as her extended family members who are sitting in this desk. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thank you so much. Christine Best,
happy Hanukkah to everyone who celebrates or is associated with the celebration myself. Um I hope that you enjoy the holidays and um and bless you and everybody across the world that's been harmed. Um uh I wanted to talk
quickly about the lights that are approved or about to be approved for Taylor Park alifs. I wanted to understand a little bit more about that. Um I don't think that the um HPC is aware of that and um under 805.3
certificate of appropriateness. I think it has to be issued in order for those lights to go in. And I think that we ran into this problem before with the rep committee um creating the whole playground with actually getting approval um on that and we get that sort of slide but I don't
think that any more construction design or things can happen without having certificate appropriateness from HBC. So can we possibly table that into review? Um maybe they can speak to us about it but um I just noticed that on the I'm not sure that anybody on the HBC will be
aware of that. So um that's my main you know uh thing that I wanted to talk about. Um and then I also wanted to talk a little bit about um the attack on bare properties seems
to be an ongoing thing and I I stand here I mean I'm actually friends with the family um but I stand here because I don't like communism in merchandising or retail season retail executive. This is what I did for 25 years. I studied
design and I was responsible for P&L of $250 million in a retail company and um I don't really like re retail should never be like commoditized or you know set up in a way where we force tax people that are already paying for
property taxes. And one of the things that I just want to call out here is that there's sort of a discrimination going on because they're being sort of sort of highlighted in the news locally and on social media. And I just want to give an example of like I did something similar
actually. I don't even know how many years ago, but I actually fought my property taxes and I didn't use an attorney. Did a prosay case. I landed down at Spirit Court New York by myself. I'm like a clueless person when it comes to legal stuff like that. Managed the whole thing. went to settlement. The
attorney um that I work with uh with the town, you know, settled with me and I think I got maybe $2 or $3,000 off of my property tax. I did a lot of work to do it. So, it'll total out for me to be about $30,000. And so, this little amount that they're fighting over, I find it really interesting because no
one targeted me and wrote articles about the fact that I bought appropriate property taxes because I was misassed. So, just something to think about when you, you know, you target people um that are just really fighting for their their rights. Okay. Thank you so much.
>> Anyone else? >> Anyone online? Yes. >> Good evening. >> Erso and Short Hills. It's been brought to my attention the TC is going to put forward to recover legal
fees when they have continually chosen to litigate and not mediate for over 5 years. Remember the video I played it at the May 2025 TC meeting when the when the then deputy mayor Vigny stated that
the TC has voted unanimously to litigate and not mediate. who supports this action against a property owner, resident, business owner of over 30 years. Is this a precedent?
Has the township ever sought to sue for legal fees with any other counterparty that is a property owner, resident, and business owner? And then I'd like to mention about the sorry I know um Mr. Feld brought it up but
regarding the resolution number 25272 what is the significance between the request permission from the county of Essex for the installation of six solar powered pay stations on Milbour Avenue. I'm assuming that's all the way through
Milbour Avenue. a hold harmless agreement with Essex County and the failure to obtain an and approve a resolution for the upper Milbourne Avenue block party. And why was there no
hold harmless resolution on your agenda for that block party? As a property owner, it's extremely concerning that not only the property owners, but the township and the county were put in harm's way with absolutely no
accountability. And lastly, I would like to thank Mayor Romano for her time, the 1,095 days that she was part of the TC. I only hope that you would have taken
one minute, one hour, one day, maybe even to come to talk to me and discuss with what my concerns are, but instead rallied against me. Thank you very much. Have a wonderful holiday. >> Thank you.
Any minute? >> I will now close public comments. Um, we're going to respond to anything. Uh, I I'll go. Sorry. >> Um,
M. Frankle, Mr. Kur, thank you for your counsel. Always good words of wisdom. I appreciate you bringing that forward and to the township's attention. Um, Terry Heler, uh, it's funny, everybody talks about the the League of
Municipalities, uh, and going down there for a couple days. I was down there. I found myself directly across a dinner from guess who? The New Jersey head of DOT. I spoke to Francis Okconor. He's coming to town. He goes, "What can I do to
help? How can I help you guys in Milbour uh short hills?" I said, "That interchange at 24." And luckily, you've spoken to me this about this offline. So, I had a ton of ammunition ready to go and we talked about it for literally the entire dinner. Uh so, hopefully in the new year, he will be coming to town.
We will block that and look at the imposition the pass through traffic has on our town. I mean it's insane right now from you know 4:30 to 6:30 7 o'clock to get through our town. Uh and I was also joined
for by chance the the mayor of Morristown was there uh in East Hanover. Uh so we got a you know a little trifecta tripled up on them uh and it's going to affect the entire general area. So thank you for bringing that up. I was going to wait until the meeting to bring
that forth, but uh we're we're working on it and uh and we'd love to have that input. Great input. >> Um what else here I think my hands are still cold from the from the Hanukkah celebration, but it
was so much so great to see everyone turn out. Thank you guys back there for for throwing that manura lighting. Uh, and then, uh, one other thing. What was Oh, yeah. So, I'd like to get some feedback on the, uh,
certificate of appropriateness and how that plays into the lights if we could for Miss Best. And then, um, that's that's good. That's it. Thank you. >> Thank you, Deputy. >> I don't have much. Just I want to make sure that everybody since everybody wait
till the second public comment to just thank everybody for coming out expressing their views and to wish everybody a happy holiday during this holiday season. >> Thank you. Committee pass. >> Uh no further comments. Thank you. >> Uh no comments. Just want to wish
everyone a uh happy and healthy holiday uh holidays and uh new year. >> Mr. Uh nothing matter. Thank you, >> Mr. McDonald. >> Uh yeah, just on um I believe
two matters. Um the as far as the uh HBC goes, um I I I will leave it. I think I think the rec department did plan on going to the HBC and at least hopefully getting a a minor work review. These are lights that are the same fixture, same
type that are already in Taylor Park. Um, and so, um, certainly the committee can, you know, I don't I don't know that there is an issue. We have 60 days to to, uh, to approve a contract. If there's an issue, you want to you want to table that for now. Uh, that might be
uh, okay, but we do have only until April 1st to utilize this grant funding. So, you know, it would be behoove the um uh the rec department as well as the HBC to move quickly and hopefully what would just be a minor worker review um to uh to to approve the lighting. Uh the light
fixtures are the same. It'll it'll light up the entire park um so that it can be utilized during the you know the hours of operation which are you know to 10 p.m. But uh but certainly I don't know that there would be any issue with doing that. Just make sure we're in the right
order of operation. So um but uh but again it's it's uh but the idea would be that they would go to the HBC regardless of whether it's approved tonight or not. Uh the was another question that was um
oh the hold harmless uh with this county we had come up a few times. So, um the the the county does uh ask and and this is the first that they've asked uh when it comes to the pay stations that we put uh on the street, but if we put
up a sign, um they ask for a hold harmless. um if we've you know anything that's done in the right of way of Essex County and they've gotten more and more strict over the years. Um again just to ensure that if something happened to that sign or those pay stations that we
don't come back to somebody doesn't come back to them and say well you need to replace that it's in your right away. Um that's really the purpose of it. Um nothing more than that. uh they're never, you know, they're never going to deny the, you know, the town putting in pay stations to uh to to to do that or
sign that is necessary. Uh but that is the reason. >> And are you saying that it was not necessary by the black party >> there? Again, there's been there's no there's no application. You know, I think again this continues to be brought up. There was no application even in the responses that were provided by the
county to those individuals that opened them. All they said was like a hiccup, which they were provided well ahead of time. They didn't respond, which is fine. Like again, there are multiple times that this took place and nobody had an issue with the upper Melbourne Avenue Chamber of Commerce Street Fair,
uh the Milbourne Avenue Street Fair in the downtown, the President's Cup, the things that go on like that. this particular event uh there was apparently some consternation with but none of those events required any of those approvals or any of those um you know anything that is being brought up with
>> the township committee will now consider consent agenda resolutions. Are there any comments from the committee in regard to any issues listed on the consent agenda? We have a motion to approve resolution 25-265 through resolution 25-272
which are listed on the consent agenda. >> So move. >> May I have a second? >> Second. >> Roll call vote please. >> Deputy Mayor Cohen. >> Yes. >> Mr. Cosbro. >> Yes. >> Mr. Sakamandi. >> Yes. >> Mr. Stler. >> Mayor Romano. >> Yes. Thank you. >> Are there any comments from the
committee in regard to resolution 25-273? May I have a motion to approve resolution 25-27? So move. May I have a second? >> Second. >> Roll call vote, please. >> Deputy Mary Cullen. >> Yes. >> Mr. Costco. >> Yes.
>> Mr. Sakami? >> Yes. >> Mr. Stol. >> Mayor Romano. >> Yes. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Are there any comments from the committee in regard to resolution 25-274? >> My understanding that the money is funible. It's doesn't change the amount. It's just allocation. Is that correct?
>> The the the total dollar amount that was approved is the total dollar amount. This is all, you know, a change order in any of the contracts. I think >> municipal contract law. Correct. >> And this one happens to be 20 over 20% because the original contract was $217,000.
Um, and this one is is this change order is 149. Therefore, it's more than 20% DC. >> Two two questions for one is what's the change order for? And the second is then what does that bring the total amount
that's being spent on the carriage house renovation? >> Um >> well so as of right now the carriage house renovation is uh I believe one $1.8 million total um with this change
order. Um again that's when all other contract when all the contracts are expended. um the um the change order for the discovery of a uh two tanks under the carriage house floor. One was a a
water tank. Uh the other was a fuel tank. Um there was some uh leaking of that tank. They removed that soil, put in clean fill. Um and uh that was done by the site work contractor Turo. Um and again that original contract was 217
this change order because of the because of that additional work additional site excavation the removal of the tank and the and the dirt uh that was uh pulled away is in the amount of $14. >> Thank you. >> And so you're saying that and then once we hit what we approved the $7 million
that's it. So if there were other change orders that they thought they were going to be using the township money for >> they'll have to find some other source. >> Correct. and and and and it and again there there are there have been paid orders on the carriage house that are that the paper mill is is with um and so
uh you know we sit in a meeting um every week to go over the the project um and it's progressing um uh as you know as as it should be. This was a little bit of a hiccup to put them behind. Um but uh but uh yes, the the money is the money
rather no additional >> with the ice. Was there everything was fine on the parking lot with the ice this weekend? >> Yeah, I actually asked that question this morning um with the improvements to the parking lot which was you know done uh in in some cases due to certainly the
lighting but also the sheet flow that was taking place of water that created an icing situation. Uh they said it performed very well. Um, I have a motion to approve resolution 25-274. So, move. >> I have a second.
>> Second. Roll, please. >> Deputy Mayor Cullen. >> Yes. >> Mr. Poss. >> Yes. >> Mr. Sakamandandy. >> Yes. >> Mr. Stolen. >> Mayor Romano. >> Yes. Thank you. The 2026 Melbourne shorten organization budget was introduced by the township
committee at a November 12th, 2025 meeting. May I have a motion to approve resolution 25-275 which authorizes the township to read the 2026 short hills business organization budget by title. >> Motion
second. I'll second it. Sure. >> Okay. Roll, please. >> For Mayor Cohen. >> Yeah. >> Is there a public hearing? >> Just to read it by title. >> Okay. >> Oh, yeah. >> Mr. Costco.
>> Yes. >> Mr. Sakamandandy. >> Yes. >> Mr. Stler. >> Mayor Romano. >> Yes. >> Thank you. >> Okay. I will refer to Mr. Ro, executive director for any final comments on the 2026 no hills business organization budget.
>> Thank you, mayor, members of the committee. My name is Steve Grill. I'm the executive director of explan hills. Pleasure. >> Um before I start, uh I want to pres present Mayor Romano with a proclamation from our board thanking you for your
time. you certain you served one year on our board and then you've been a wonderful supporter of our organization. Um my family certainly u my my son and daughter think that your kids are the funnest kids to run around with the town hall plaza. Um but and it's an inside
joke but we will be seeing more of each other because your food pantry is also our conference room. Yeah. >> Um so we we have to double have double duty there but um this is on behalf of our board. It's signed by myself and our exe and our board chair Jackie Leberg. So I'm provide this with you and thank
you for your service. >> I have no comments specific to the budget. Um we made our presentation a month ago. There's anyone on the township committee that has any questions, I'm happy to answer any of them. Otherwise, after the public makes their comments, I'm happy to come back and answer any questions you may have.
Thank you. Thank you. I hereby open the public hearing for any comments on the 2026 Milurn Short Hills Business Organization budget filer our rights for other reasons. I'm not
going to go through it. I'll incorporate what I wrote in my email to you all the comments. But one thing that's most important when you're looking at the budget is the and I say this because tomorrow we're going to have a celebration of the Bill of Rights down at Bower. Um Ken Burns
had a documentary on the Revolutionary War and we talk about consent of the govern taxation without representation. One of the issues and judge Spencer really never addressed this is that we
have a 50% perpetual obligation to pay fund 50% of the SIDS executive director. This occurred before Mr. Bro came on site. To let everyone understand this, Mr. B had nothing to do with this part.
But when you look at the notices that were published, the regular taxpayers had no idea was never set forth that 50% in perpetuity will be funded. When we talk about consent to the government procedural due process and
you look at that budget, 50% off the top comes from taxpayers. You look at the budget, what other expenses are coming from regular taxpayers, not the specially assessed people. And we have to remember the history of this SID. In December 2018, the original downtown
SID, the people who are being specially assessed voted to dissolve the SID. Few years later, a new one comes up middle of COVID to expand
and to have an appointed um SI board that's never the specially assessed people being able to vote on it or to have the right to dissolve without the consent of the of this group. Over the last two or three years, I've sent this
various council committee members the transcripts of the hearings, the evidence, the documents. And one of the things that's very interesting is when I stood up here the first time, September 1st, 2020, I was not involved in a case. I just watched
Nancy Stone, Harry Erso be attacked on video. I said, I'm going to represent you. Eric Bernstein, a friend of Nancy Stone, says, "I'm not going to charge you just here. It's an invalid the way it was approved and expanded. I've sent
you other ordinances to compare it with at the last meeting. You talk about a tiered payment system that basically says because this is a special assessment on the property owners in four different districts that were
created to fund a SID. So, you go for a Main Street, New Jersey application. Compare other municipalities. Compare the cost. >> Compare the expenses that you pay other professionals. >> Three years. You could have talking to
me, but you didn't. Okay, I know Christine Best over township. Um, I haven't I haven't looked in detail at the SID budget, so I sit there and admit that I like to make claims to anything. Um,
I I fully support what Jeff said in terms of um, you know, sort of your right to not be taxed for things that you shouldn't be taxed for. Um, I can understand some of the points of the SID, but I um, you know, I I just have
such an issue with the misuse of funds and the way it's spent and the things like why did the why did the um, township like Riverwalk with all the lights go away? Why did that go away? That was a great event. Does the Winter
Villages draw more? Have you done a benchmark against those events? Like, and how do you do your benchmarks? because I don't think you do them appropriately in ter in retail terms. So, you know, I actually was downtown over the weekend after one of the nights
that you guys have the event and there was everything was like torn apart and all over the place. It was it was really embarrassing. I actually posted um a video of it on Melbourne if anybody wants to take a look. Um I think that
it's kind of thrown together. I'm sorry to say that. I I have high standards and maybe the people might think that's arrogant but um we have to start looking at towns like Summit, Cranford, Madison, Chadam, Morristown. We don't
look like that. And and when we come into our town, we look like Route 22 now. Okay. Like you might as well just be somewhere on Route 22. I'm just saying I I I have a lot of issue. And going back to the metrics and lessons um that you guys talked about how there's a
lot of value. Some people have brought that up the last time. If you're a retail expert and you're starting a store, okay, I've never started my own store. All right. It's actually a very dangerous thing to do when you're playing with your own money. Okay. I've managed large amounts. It's complicated. These people, if they
need lessons in inventory planning, which I think there was an inventory planning lesson on Instagram, very basic. you do inventory planning a year to six months out depending on whether you're vertical or not vertical in retail. Okay, doing inventory planning in November and actually talking to
merchants about that if you're a sub director, you know nothing about retail. Okay, that is not a lesson. Those people need to know about it in advance of the event. I am concerned that people are being illegally taxed for things and basically funding other people's
education that are not qualified to possibly be here or be in this town. And there was another big store that just went out of business, the lighting store on the corner. So I um don't support. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> G Pastnac resident. Um I I guess I would like to just validate what Jeff was
saying. I actually attended I think all the meetings when this this city was officially being discussed and formed and I think I probably was one of the few actual residents that wasn't actually a business owner property owner. Um and I I think I was the one
that asked the question what was going to happen with uh residents funding this and it wasn't actually told until that question came up that I asked. So, I don't think residents were made aware that we would be contributing to uh the
special improvement district and I think that is a historical fact and I don't think it was right. Um the other thing that I stood here I think multiple times and asked at these hearings in the past was what is the return on the investment that the businesses as well as the
residents make on the city? Is what are the metrics? What are the to say that there are thousands of people that attend events? It doesn't really say anything. How does it impact the bottom line of the town and the businesses in the town? And that's what some I've never heard an answer to that question.
I will ask it again tonight. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> 28 year resident of Hills. Uh I'm a taxpayer in this town as is everybody else sitting here uh as members of the public. Uh I don't know about them but I
am personally appalled that my tax monies are being used to fund legal defense funds uh without my knowledge and consent. uh why hasn't a resolution passed appropriating funds if that's
your intention uh to uh to attack residents in this town? Uh I too call myself a a friend of of the uh of Perry and her family. Uh and uh I
feel she's being treated unjustly. I feel she's being assessed unjustly. As I said earlier in the in this meeting, uh others on on Mars Avenue and out of the downtown district. Um but uh as far
as using my tax monies for legal defense funds, I believe I should have a say and I don't. Anyone else? Anyone? Yes. So
they both at the same time. So, >> it's been said to us that people need to step up and come forward if there are objection to the SID. And I know all of you are in receipt of letters from other objectors. So I ask you tonight say
their names and make a statement acknowledging their submit submissions and we'll support their claims. People are afraid to step up because of the government retaliation, defamation and boycott behind closed doors. They expressed
their dissatisfaction treatment of defamation and retaliation that we have been subjected to. This is a classic definition of bullying behavior. In the budget, I would ask, has the township previously granted the same
monies to the former DMDA? You all are in receipt of my objection letter? Correct. But I do thank Mr. uh Committeeman Stler for being kind enough for his acknowledgement. I've asked over and over again if you've read the read
and the prior administration if they have read ordinance 2561-20. This ordinance saddles the property owners and unlike with the board repeatedly says businesses businesses and the businesses. It's the property owners who bear what's within the
ordinance and you have embodied the SID by strengthening its its authority. and now you are considering taking away a property owner seat unlike other towns where there have been a minimum of three property owner seats and why has it been repeatedly stated that the SID is
struggling to fulfill to fill the property owner seats. Why is there no buyin? Well, interestingly enough, just last night, I had a conversation with a former property owner who came to the township during COVID asking for help and in return they got saddled with the
SID tax instead without any benefit on the Morris Turnpike. They gave up on their efforts talking to deaf ears, sold their building and got out of here. another conversation where
it was mentioned that the citizens denied to support the chambers winter walk event. Why years I've said why is the township not working collaboratively with the um chambers of commerce for
years the winter walk was a huge attraction to Milbour and look around town absolutely nothing festive or inviting it's a conflict for the SID member to be part of the chambers because the SID is not working collaboratively with the chambers and as
a property owner without a vote or a voice I've never seen anything quite like this in the years that we have been here in town. We do I can't understand why and perhaps you should ask. Sorry, I didn't see my
video. Um I I'd like to ask why. >> Uh we do not defer our SID tax to our tenants and we do not forbid our tenants from participating, but they have been disappointed. For obvious reasons, events have been held on Upper M.
>> There was one more the cable driver again. >> No. Anyone else in the room? >> Okay. >> I will now close public comment. Um, Mr. B, would you like to um make any
comments on any comments? Uh, mayor, I don't have any comments on what the public mentioned. Most of it is uh the same items that have been mentioned year after year. So, unless there's any specific questions from the township committee, I have nothing yet. >> Does anyone have any questions,
comments? >> So, mayor, I just I just like to briefly just respond. So, it's been said time and time again that there was no notification that the executive director's salary would be paid for by the township. Um, this was
raised at trial. Um, and there was an exhibit that was marked. I think it was 67 and it was a fact that was given out and you know what a fact is a question and answer that was printed by the township. The second question on the fact and I have it in front of me and it's overable
is how will the city be funded and it says the town this is a fact that was given to the public. It says the township will continue to provide for half of the executive director's salaries. So that was a publication of the township. So I'm not saying everybody got the facts. I'm not saying
I don't know how it was distributed but I am saying that it wasn't a secret. It was it was known at the time. Um, and I also just want to add that what makes Bear Properties 2 different and why there's
and why we're talking about it is is the Bear Properties not only sued the township, but they sued Alex, they sued Steve Gillo, they sued Annette, they sued Michael Cohen, they sued Jackie Lieberg, they sued Richard Watson, they
sued all these people as individuals um and put them at risk and then they and then they said in the complaint itself that they voted for the SID for their own pecuniary self-interest. So they
allege in the complaint that they passed the SID to financially benefit themselves. That Alex did that, that Annette did that, that Michael did that, that Steve did that. And that is a serious attack on their integrity as volunteers. I know they get some stipen
of the community. So that's taken very seriously when somebody attacks the board and we're here to protect the township and we're here to protect the board. So but for those personal allegations that they received self-interest and that's why they voted. They were named personally and I just
want to set the record straight and the facts straight. I mean, I sit here and I listen and I take it in, but I think the public at some point needs to know that there was something marked in evidence. And as to the the legality of the SID and whether or not it was done properly, the court twice
twice dismissed the complaints, summarily dismiss the complaints. There's a statutory process by which SIS are created. It was it was done by the legislature of the state of New Jersey. If I guess if the public doesn't like SIDS or doesn't think they're appropriate, then you can talk to legislators and say the state shouldn't
have SIDS. But it's a statutory framework. The township met the statutory framework and the court has twice twice, you know, for better or less the way the township did it. Um the fair properties complaints attacked the substance of the SID. They attached the
procedures in which the SIDS were enacted and the judge we had a full trial and exhibits were presented and the judge asked questions and it was dismissed twice dismissed. So I understand that people are upset at the
result and people are upset at how the how the budget is being prepared and everybody has the right the first man right and everybody has a right. I'm not saying who's right and who's wrong, but I do know that the SID is that it was legally um created because the court said it was um and I do know that there
were at least one public document fact that was circulated which identified the fact that the township would be provided for 50% of the second director. So I just wanted to clear >> in addition to it being written in ordinance >> in addition to it being written in the ordinance and there was a public hearing on the ordinance. Um, it comes back to I
don't want to re rehash, you know, whether or not we needed a big feasibility study. The court ruled we didn't have one. It was a thing. The things that are are often said here just blatantly are not true. And not because I'm saying it as a cont, but because the court said it and the court said I'm biased and you know the court is is the
way to go. So that's that's just what I wanted to add. >> I I would add too for Miss Best that uh just I have a party. in a school every school year that party is judged by how wrecked my house and that yard is when I leave
when people leave. So, walking through the winter villages and all the little smiling faces all buttoned up in their mittens and their hats and driving through their I mean it was crazy. Uh but you know kind of I think that's actually good that place was a wreck
when it was over because these these >> miss video was posted on Saturday morning. Um the event was Saturday night. We were there Thursday evening. The igloos were all in place. There must have been a windstorm at some point on
Friday. Um and they got knocked down and then we spent three hours the next day in the goal setting up before you know those four additional hours plus another hour of breakdown. Um, so I I think she's taken a I'm not going to attack
Miss Best because there's no sense in it, but the facts need to be straight. Um, that was not after the event. We didn't leave a messy workplace. Wind blew through town in December and knocked down plastic igloos that had
sandbags on them. Was we moved personally about 40 sandbags. Um, so the truth in these comments that I just heard was pretty pretty unique. Um, but that's just one item that yes, sometimes things blow down in the wind and then the staff goes and spends the next eight
hours fixing them and hosting it. >> Couple questions. So yes, sir. >> Just to set the record straight, Mr. Gill, how much does the township contribute to the S director salary on the annual basis? >> It's 50%. Um, so >> is around $50,000?
>> It's uh I think this year it's 57 and change. >> Okay. Uh to date, do you happen to know how much the bare properties lawsuits all combined have costed in the township legal fees? >> I I don't know. I think the last time I heard it was somewhere north of
$150,000. >> I believe it's north of $200,000. So >> I just think the public should see that in perspective. We have situation where every year we approve a SID budget. We have public hearings, public notice. You
know, the township has gone through all of the proper channels. We're creating the SID. We're reauthorizing the SID. This has been adjudicated by court multiple times. Um, and yet we still seem to be getting the same arguments.
Um, and I think that at a certain point we need to all take a step back from this and ask ourselves, does it really make sense to keep going after this entity uh that is doing a lot of good for the town and that that businesses in
the town have said provides value to them. You know, at at what point do we draw the line and and those that don't like it say, "Okay, you know what? We don't like it." No, maybe in the future there'll there'll be leaders we can elect that will change it. Um but at
what point do we stop with the senseless litigation? That's a question. >> And Mr. Sakman, if you don't mind, I'd like to just elaborate on that. Um we pay in our budget, which you'll vote on shortly, pay $16,000 a year to an attorney. That is unheard of in New
Jersey for a SID to have a legal obligation like that. The primary reason, and I know certain people like to use the word fiduciary, I wish I could spend that $16,000 on other things, but as Mr. Caner explained, we
were named as a litigant, as was the town. We had to defend ourselves, right? We could not join your case because if you had chosen a different defense, our organization, which is a separate organization, may have had to go get
their own legal counsel. the constant litigation and the constant um efforts, as you've pointed out, they're not only annoying, they cost money. They cost real money, $16,000 in legal bills.
Um and so I appreciate your your understanding of of that that challenge that we face because I would love to reappropriate that money somewhere else, but I don't have the ability to. >> No. So to be clear, that $16,000 had you not had to spend legal fees that could
have been used for other things to benefit the businesses that are part of the city. >> That's $16,000 that could be spent on planters or events or marketing or social media influencers or hiring people to do education programs, you name it. >> Or perhaps holiday. have holiday lights
but has to go to pay an attorney because we spent the last five years in litigation >> litigating the same thing over and over >> and we didn't sue the town the town didn't sue us third party >> appreciate you helping put all those facts
>> thank you for the question just one other thing you know the value of the firm how much in sponsorships did you raise from third parties outside of the town >> outside of the town itself or We're in total >> total >> uh this we're at just under $50,000 in
sponsorship this year. >> Under 50 just $50,000. >> Okay. Now, what percent of that came from downtown versus the outside areas? >> I think it was something like 45 or so percent from downtown, 35 or so from the
other four outer districts, and then the remainder um I'm sorry, I'm getting a number wrong. Um it's a different stat. Um, I don't know off the top of my head. I think that the sponsorship for the downtown was probably about 60
65% and the outer remain >> and we do get sponsorship actually from businesses that aren't even in the town. >> And we could make the case that that that sponsorship would not exist without the actually could offset your salary per se if you actually wanted to make that stretch.
>> In theory. Yeah. But we invested all that money. I mean, that's how we keep the assessment down, right? Instead of charging an additional $50,000 to do our work, we go out and solicit sponsorships. So, by getting that money from people who want to volunteer those funds, we keep the assessment down. I mean, our assessment is significantly
lower than most competing towns. I think Westfield is something like $230,000 more um in their annual assessment than ours is. So, you know, we stretch a dime. >> Absolutely. >> Anyone else have any comments?
I have a motion to approve resolution 25-276 which authorizes adoption of the 2026 short hills business organization budget. >> Motion second roll please. >> Deputy Mayor Cohen. >> Yes. >> Mr. Posro.
>> Yes. >> Mr. Sakamandi. >> Yes. >> Mr. Stler. >> Mayor Romano. >> Yes. Thank you. >> Ordinance 2723-2. I present for consideration an ordinance entitled ordinance number 2723-25
bond ordinance to appropriate an additional sum of 3,500,000 for the town hall renovation and addition project in by and for the township of Wilbur in the county of Essex New Jersey to make a down payment to authorize the issuance of bonds to
finance such additional appropriation and to provide for the issuance of bond anticipation notes in anticipation of the issuance of such bonds. Tonight is the set time for public hearing and final passage advertised in appointments with law. I declare the
hearing open. >> Anyone on >> I move that this public hearing be closed and the ordinance be >> adopted. >> I'm sorry. >> I wouldn't look. Carrie, president. Um, I'm obviously
still against this as I was four, five years ago, 10 years ago, 15 years ago for Alex Gordon. It's not the right place. We haven't planned properly put into context for that redevelopment plan area
need study of 2008. 2010 we built a parking garage. We knocked down a building. We did complete streets in 2016. Not done right. We hadn't finished up >> putting
town hall in place of the existing town hall which my objection going back prior was in the wrong location the wrong time. That expressed Alex we've met on this before. There's two reasons to renovate a building. One is to save
money. could be historic but put in that context but leave that out of this building for the moment but one is to save money and the other is to get around zoning renovated many buildings over time and sometimes it's been because of either of those two the only reason to do it
cost of adding three and a half million more dollars to I forget the total 14 156 million the piece of property that sits on what we call town hall plaza to the west it's a road that never should have been built by a prior council in
2016 streets. A long big piece of property property next to the existing police department. I know you're not going to change your mind now, but I'm here to tell you this cost is just going to increase. Time value of money, the amount of time it's going to take to
build this. If you started over right now study across the street for small commercial homes, not homes, commercial businesses and put it there, it would happen faster and cheaper than this process going to occur. The end of the
day, three years from now, you may have a really nice building. We look back and go, "Hey, it's a really nice building. We've forgotten the whole process." It's not the right place. It's there's just so many things wrong with having a courthouse. I mean, we can look at Livingston courthouse in the
same place as town hall. It It's not the right thing. It doesn't work that way. I know a lot of courouses are courtrooms are zoom now. It's just I can't even begin to explain the lack of planning. Milam and street upon once
upon a time were two-way traffic. We started the process under prior council to examine going two-way. I don't know that we should, but I know that Route 10, Route 22, Route 46 were single lane roads. Once upon a time, they became divided roads. Our town is divided roads. No lefthand turns, one-way
streets. This is just a further, you know, stamp on continuing to do planning on a very small basis. Thank you. >> Thank you. I move that this public hearing be closed and the ordinance be adopted on final reading and that the township be
directed to publish the ordinance by title as pass on final reading in accordance with law. May I have a second? >> Second. >> Roll call vote, please. >> Deputy Mayor Cohen, >> yes. >> Mr. Cosgrove, >> yes. >> Mr. Sakamandi, >> yes. >> Mr. Stler,
>> Mayor Romano, >> yes. >> Deputy Mayor Cohen, you're scheduled to sponsor ordinance 2724-25. Uh, I present for consideration an ordinance entitled Ordinance number 2724-25, an ordinance to amend and supplement the revised general ordinances of the
township of Milbour. Chapter 4, General Licensing, article 4-39, vehicle towing and storage services. The purpose of this ordinance amendment is to revise towing rates so that they are in line with surrounding municipalities and fees set forth by the New Jersey
State Police. In addition, the revision will add a safe outside storage fee for electric vehicles. Tonight is the time for the public hearing and final passage as advertised in accordance with the law. >> I declare the hearing open.
I move that the public hearing be closed and that the ordinance be adopted on final reading and that council clerk be directed to publish the ordinance by title as passed on final reading in accordance with law. >> May I have a second? >> Second roll call vote please.
>> Deputy Mayor Cohen. >> Yes. >> Mr. Posgrove. >> Yes. >> Mr. Sakamandandy. >> Yes. >> Mr. Stler. >> Mayor Romano. >> Yes. Thank you. Second year schedule to sponsor ordinance 2725. >> I present for consideration this
ordinance entitled ordinance number 2725-25 an ordinance to amend and supplement the development regulations and zoning ordinance township of article 5 design and performance standards section DRZ
525.3 storm water control. Tonight is the time set for the public hearing of final passage as advertised in accordance with law. >> I declare this hearing open. >> Move this public hearing. >> Charles
res hills also a member of the mitigation advisory committee. I wanted to thank Commander Sakini for bringing this ordinance forward. I fully support it. Uh I think it's high time that folks
that pave over pvious uh land of this town uh be responsible for dealing with the runoff that they create instead of directing it into the storm uh system and an overloading and already stress uh
drainage system. So, u just wanted to state I don't speak on behalf of the FMAC. I haven't been authorized to do so, but personally I I 100% support this and thank you. In that case, I move that this public
hearing be closed and the ordinance be adopted on final reading and the township clerk be directed to publish the ordinance by title as passed on final reading in ordinance with law. >> May I have a second? >> Second. >> Roll call, please. >> Deputy Mayor Cohen. >> Yes.
>> Mr. Costco. >> Yes. >> Mr. Sakamandi. >> Yes. >> Mr. Stler. >> Mayor Romano. >> Yes. Thank you. >> Ordinance 2726-25. I present for consideration an ordinance entitled ordinance 2726-25
ordinance revising and supplementing the salaries and salary ranges of offices and positions in the classified and uncclassified civil service positions of the township of Milbour County of Essex for the years 25 2025 through 2029.
This is the this tonight is the time separate public hearing and final passage as advertised in accordance with law. I declare the hearing open. I move that this public hearing be closed and the ordinance be adopted on final reading and that the township clerk be directed to publish the
ordinance by title as passed on final reading in accordance with the law. May I have a second? >> Second. >> Roll call vote, please. >> Deputy Mayor Cohen, >> yes. >> Mr. Costro, >> yes. >> Mr. Sakamandandy, >> yes. >> Mr. Stler, >> Mayor Romano, >> yes. >> Thank you. We have no old business, no
new business. Final public comment. This public comment period is to allow for final comments from the community. When invited to speak to all your comments, please come to the lecture fairly state your name and whether you are a Nobel resident and property or business owner. Please do not provide your co-ress
recorded and readily available to the public. I remind you that in order to help facilitate the meeting and commit all the conversation that the $15,000 a year was for litigation. None of you have institutional knowledge. None of you were in the city
since meeting in May 2021 where there's a work on resolution to retain a new executive director and an attorney. I asked Mr. Parlove a question about the retention
amount of money which was $15,000. We have to remember the law firm that was being retained the political connection to the Democratic party in Cranford. Would any of those monies be used to fight their properties? Why? The answer was none of
monies would be allocated for that fund. You would not be performing those services. That conflicts what we heard before all the years. Also, there was a campaign flyer that was issued in this the 2020 campaign by two
Democratic candidates that told the public no taxpayers monies would be used to fund the sit. We heard about the two little pieces of litigation. Fair properties was a bench trial was supposed to be a bench trial.
The judge at the first when we got judge Spencer was I think it was May the sixth or seventh judge they got there. She said she would not consider anything that was after August 11th 2020. As to bare properties two it was dismissed on the pleadings.
It's not a ruling on the merits things that people had to hear and understand. And as to the amount of monies that were spent by prior township committees, Judge Moore, who was a civil presiding
judge, twice told this town to mediate and not litigate this dispute. Coun the council 2021 said, "We'd rather litigate and mediate rather than mediate." So don't blame the plaintiffs for the cost that the town could have
mitig mitigated. There was promises that if we provided documents and no one talked about an audit, forensic audit of how much money was spent on a discovery dispute manufactured by our prior council seeking documentation that
had nothing to do with the SID was just bowling. Just pure bowling to intimidate. I don't get intimidated. Wasn't intimidated in Orange. I wasn't intimidated in New York. I wasn't intimidated East Orange. And I'm not going to be intimidated in Melbourne
short hills. Something is wrong. And and I started coming to these meetings pering in September 2020. Start looking at all the changes that I affected in this town. Ronald, res.
Uh I I just find this entire uh argument and litigation uh and the litigation costs that were mentioned that that are astronomical was
really all avoidable had the town voted instead of voting unanimously to litigate. if they would have just uh understood that there there are differences in repres representation uh and and reward for the different
districts relative to the monies that they pay into the that was even discussed by the township committee over the past year or two. I I remember it. I don't know when, but I know there was discussion and some of you even agreed
with it. uh certainly agreed with uh a study to find out uh what portions are are returned to the various districts from the from the monies that they pay in there's a discrepancy there's an
unfairness and that isn't being addressed and and instead monies are being spent like crazy blame is being placed you know on you and on on private citizens and this whole thing was avoidable with some common sense and
some bargaining, but that's not what was chosen. The path that was chosen was litigation, and it wasn't chosen by a private citizen. It was chosen by this committee. >> Anyone else? >> Christine Basnber.
Um, I just wanted to respond to Alex's comment um about the lights in Taylor Park. Um, I thought we had like a whole discussion about doing a master plan, you know, particularly because it's historic and not sort of ad hocing things and those those lights are really
kind of ugly. Um, so I'm just throwing that out there as an independent citizen. And um, I I don't know why like all these random people like on the, you know, in that work in the town decide their designer somehow like and just kind of pick things and that's why the
town looks really sort of not pulled together cohesively visually and it's starting to decline more and more. Um, and you just all you need to do is go look at Summit. It's not hard. Go even go look at Livingston. Livingston's looking hot these days and I go through there. I'm like, I wish we had a library like that. I wish our high school looked
like that. Their towns, everyone's good there, but we have what? I don't know. We have some extra cash, I guess, and everything else. But, um, can you not talk? Sorry. Um, so I wanted to go back to Mr. Gerillo's comments. Okay. So,
yes, I was there on Saturday morning. Unacceptable to leave stuff like that. If you know windstorm's coming, that's unsafe. Okay, number one. And it wasn't a big windstorm. I Because it wasn't um because my patio furniture would have been tossled, too. But um they had the
event on the sixth so it wasn't cleaned up. So they left a whole big mess there and it looks shoddy. We have to hold our town to higher standards. We pay a ton of money to live here. Why don't we get services? Why does that look like a mess? It shouldn't look It doesn't look good. Sorry. So the other thing I want
to ask you is looking at everybody on here. I'm sure that Mr. Sakamandi would never hire me to help him on his um on his company, you know, as a developer back end or front end. And I'm sure Ben, you wouldn't take me to Abu Dhabi with you to do one of beer deals, right? So,
and Annette, you are an amazing amazing doer of epic proportions. And I know nothing about the Red Cross and doing volunteer work the level that you do. And Mr. Caner, I'm just giving my one last example. And you know, Mr. Cosgrove, I would be the worst attorney
ever. But um so I'm not, you know, I'm I'm not trying to make to go into a job. Mr. Gerillo is an urban planner. Okay, you hired an urban planner to run your merchandising in retail and marketing. That's why there's no good marketing. If
you look at all the likes on Instagram page, it's mostly people in the Democratic and Republican party or township merchants liking the product. There's not a success level. There are no benchmarks. I've never seen any benchmarks. I've been to a bunch of meetings and I have a really strong feeling about that. And also the SID is
not required and it actually has to be people have to voluntar voluntarily submit to it I believe in the state of New Jersey. It's not a required thing. I mean so just my last few points. Thank you and um everybody have a merry Christmas and the rest happy Hanukkah
and Quanza. Thank you for all your service. >> Anyone else like to speak? Anyone online? Hi Perry Erso. Um I have a quick question. Um I'd like to mention that the other objectors you asked us um if
anybody was else was complaining or if they had any concerns, put their objections in. They come forward. Um I asked you to say their name. I asked you to recognize them and I didn't hear anybody um do so. Um I did hear all of the other personal attacks on myself.
However, um per conversations with the uh a few TC members, they were kind enough to take the time uh and we discussed about because the people that are in opposition are obviously outside the downtown. So, it was discussed that if you were to disconnect a certain
area, would the SID still survive? And it's and yes, of course, it would survive because you had a a previous DMDA that was specifically for the downtown and where the downtown is where they're making all of the uh
>> try to turn your camera off. Maybe then >> you're going to survive if you >> disconnect. disconnect. You're cutting in and out. >> And if you do it for like one particular section, you have to do it for for the other. So don't be fearful because where
are they? They have the opportunity to come too. And if they feel that they're being taxed unjustly and unfairly, then then it's up to them. >> There's no risk for that. >> And to be honest with you, there's no risk. let them come forward if you if you're go if their assessment is going to be um changed. Also, I just want to
go back and clarify, Alex, as far as the upper Milbour Avenue, it was mentioned that there was no requirements as far as or anything as that. So, can you be very specific and clear because I do have a property on Upper Melbourne Avenue,
multiple properties, and our properties and m other property owners are at risk along with the township and the and the county. So, are you saying that there was no approvals or permitting required? So, if that's so
is the same for me that I'm going to have an event, I want to close down the road. I could do the same thing. So, just to be clarified, that's what you were saying that you weren't required, the SID wasn't or that entity wasn't required to have certain approvals. I just want to make sure that the same is
for me as a property owner and business owner in that same district that the same applies to me. Thank you very much. Have a nice night. >> Thank you. Anyone else? >> Now close public comment. Uh Command
Sto, would you like to add anything? >> I'll pass. I'm good for next. Did deputy mayor come? >> Yeah. >> Um, commo. >> Nothing. Thank you. >> Mr. Vanber. Um, you're right. We have
talked about making changes to the SI. >> Uh, I think the people on this day are in agreement with changes that we want to make to the SID. One of the challenges is if we go and make those changes, are we just going to face another lawsuit? Are we going to face
another lawsuit from for residents that like to litigate every chance they get when it comes to anything having to do with the SID? So, we have to ask ourselves, you know, at at what point do we risk, you know, another $200,000 in
legal fees, uh or or, you know, do we uh you know, do do we just leave it as is? uh because that's already been through the courts multiple times. >> I don't know uh what we we're going to decide to do, but it's something that we'll tackle in the new year. Um but I
would like to say that uh you know, Mr. Stler and I have met with uh people uh that have been dissenters to the SID. We've offered offramps. We've offered further conversations. Um, but you know, it's it's hard to mediate with someone
that doesn't want anything other than a a binary yes or no choice. That makes it very difficult. So, um, I would invite the ERSO to and their their council to come meet with uh a couple of us and our council um to see if we can resolve some
of these differences or maybe come to an agreement. Um, and I would look forward to doing that in the new year. And I really do hope uh that the the Ursos and Mr. Feld take us up on that opportunity uh because we really do want to try and put all of this pleasantness behind us,
move forward and make the the changes since that we think are going to be beneficial to all involved. >> Thank you. >> And I'm going to add and I I can't stand it. Two years ago when we were voted in, Frank and myself,
I unequivocally said, "I want to be on the sid. I want to see behind the curtain. I want to understand what's going on, where this melee is coming from, where all the dissensions coming from, etc. We put in place significant KPIs to measure the performance. You can't fix it if you can't measure it. We
went above and beyond. We built uh guard rails. We did a lot of great things. Uh the whole concept of litigate versus uh versus uh mediate is the whole concept is we sat down to mediate and we were
told ultimatum. Take it or take us out or keep it going. Correct. Take us out or that's not a mediation. That is an ultimatum. >> So from that standpoint I couldn't do anything more. Frank couldn't do anything more. The rest of committee couldn't do anything more. J it went to
the legal side. So this whole idea of mediate versus litigate to me just rubs me the wrong way because that's not what happened. And we see it today that there's a lot of things we can do to resolve this right away. Put all the legal a put the legal fees aside and
move it forward for the benefit of the entire town. I sit on that board once a month and hear all the good things we're doing. I get calls, I get emails about us putting in place websites, people actually coming out and using
Amazon because their retail traffic has slowed down. >> So there's a lot of good things they're doing. It's all in the numbers. >> Uh so from that standpoint and listen, Perry, Vinnie, love him to death. There's no personal animosity, animous,
anything towards them. We want this resolved. You know, they we had our we had our election party at Enzos. If anything was going to be done differently, there's no two pe there's no two people besides Frank and myself that would have pushed
extra hard to get this thing resolved. And we've gone and it feels like a eternity, like a marathon. We've tried we've tried our best and uh we've extended another olive branch and I really hope uh that uh that olive branch is accepted and that we can have
some productive conversations in the near. >> Anyone else? Mr. Caner, do you have anything? >> I don't. Thank you, Mayor. >> Mr. McDonald. I have a motion to adjourn the motion.