I don't know why they didn't. Good evening. You're live. Thank you. Welcome to our township council regular meeting of June 3rd, 2025. This is a regular meeting of the council
and is being broadcast live on channel 34 and is streaming live on Montlair TV34 YouTube channel. It's available on demand and can and will be rebroadcast. This meeting is called pursuant to the provisions of the open
public meeting act. This meeting was included in the revised annual notice of the Montlair schedule as set forth in resolution R-25-038 adopted by the mayor and council at its regular meeting on February 25th,
2025. Adver advertised in the official newspaper on March 6, 2025. transmitted to the official newspaper on May 23rd, 2025, noting the change in start time. It's been posted on the bulletin boards
outside of the municipal building and has remained continuously posted. In addition, a copy of the revised annual notice is and has been available to the public and is on file in the office of our township clerk. Please rise for the pledge of
allegiance. I pledge algiance 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.
I'm sorry. Thank you, Madame Clark. Clerk, will you please do the roll call? Deputy Mayor Anderson, here. Councelor Birmingham, here. Councelor Damato here. Councelor Lochman here. Councelor Toller, good evening. Present. Good evening.
Councelor Williams here. Mayor Baskerville, present. Uh, at this time, the council is going to adjourn for an executive session. Um the discussion of the
executive session is anticipated legal action. Should we go upstairs and leave them here? Okay. We're going to allow you to stay here and we will um remove ourselves and go to the second floor conference room. And after that
time we'll be we will return. I'd like to make a motion. Second. All in favor? Any opposed? Abstained. This is It was a It was posted. I I guess you didn't see where it said
executive session on the Oh, I I would anticipate what? Um, attorney? Half an hour. Perhaps a half an hour. We're not certain, but perhaps a half an hour. Thank
you. Okay, we appreciate your patience and now we will resume the regularly scheduled meeting. Uh first up um we've been presented with the minutes of the regular meeting and executive session held on May 20th 25.
Are there any corrections, additions? I'd like a motion to adopt, please. Second. All in favor? I I. Any opposed? Abstensions. Thank
you. Okay. at this point in time. Um h okay. All right. Well, I'm going to do uh what is required by me. Thank you, councelor Toller. If there's been um a request to remove some
items, I am supposed to do that at this time. Under the new business resolutions, it's been requested that resolution number 5
R25161, the resolution endorsing the fourth round housing element be uh removed. It's been requested that number nine, resolution R25165, resolution authorizing a grant
application submission and execution of grant contract with the New Jersey Department of Transportation for the Harrison Avenue roadway be removed as well as number 10, resolution R25166, resolution 14,
authorizing a fair and open contract and resolution 17 and 19. I'm going to ask please that the individual that has requested that these be removed until a later date please share with the um council the purpose of removing them.
Sure. Thank you, Madame Mayor. Uh resolution number five, there's some uh units that are counted that I believe should not be counted or can't be counted because construction hasn't happened. So, I'm not sure where our planner got those numbers from. Um sorry, can you say that again? There's
some units. What units? Affordable housing units. The numbers are very off in what's being presented versus what's on the books. Um resolution. How do you know that? You can look for yourself and see what department which buildings have x number of units. For example, she has
53 New Street in the in the plan, right? Okay. There was never any discussion about putting housing there. So, how are we counting that as housing? 53 New Street is the Is that the empty lots or those? I'm sorry. I Whatever. Sure. Go ahead. I
have more, but I won't you know, when we get to it, we can discuss it. I'm just sorry. Are we going to discuss these or are we going to just he's just going to remove? Well, at this point in time, if we're going to withdraw, I believe we have to vote on whether we're going to withdraw them because it's not a simple withdrawal because if we were going to withdraw and then vote on them as one
thing. Um, I believe Madame Clerk, can you help me here, please? Yes, mayor. Was your intention to vote on all of the new business resolutions as a consent agenda? No, the intention was to one by one be because an individual requested to have
these at the beginning of the meeting removed. Okay. So then I would need a motion in a second to remove them or postpone them and then if you could make clear if you want to postpone them to a date certain or if you want to postpone them indefinitely. That's what I would
need to be made clear in the motion. the deadline to to find the we need and because they are um fairly different we would have to do that for each one two three each each one of the six right I I
agree with you mayor thank you very much okay I'm sorry councelor Toller sure just resolution nine and 10 no I'm sorry number five did you talk to Janice Tally about No no no I have not spoken to her no I have not so she gave you know comprehensive fair housing
and a spending plan and it's been out there for quite a while. The EDC looked at it, the planning board looked at it. When you EDC looked at it, I'm an EDC member and um my understanding is you and Councelor Anderson made a decision and made some corrections. I was not
involved in that conversation. You were in the meeting. Yeah, I was there. I was in the meeting. But what Miss Tally has presented here, some of these units should either not be included and our number may need to change. It's a simple conversation. Okay. Council Toller, is
it your request that we postpone until a certain date or is it Yeah, we can postpone it to the next meeting. That's fair. Okay. All right. So, there's abandoned construction on here. There's a lot of stuff that needs to be verified. We can't just assume that
empty units or construction units are coming to us. So, I don't understand how these numbers are working. There's some other issues, too. Can you maybe we can have a discussion about it when we get to it on here because I'm not really clear what section councelor Toller is referring to. So maybe it's actually not
what is being played. So okay. So we'll have discussion when we get to number five. If if if we're going to vote on each one of them individually um madame clerk there no reason why I can't just leave them all on to them, right? And
then when we get to them discuss those specific items. And then that way we can move on to the public comment, allow people to do that. Then we can do the proclamations for those and then we can get to these things that may require a little bit more time and attention. I noted that. Mayor, thank you very much.
Councelor Toller, out of respect to you when you asked me to remove them, is that okay with you? Yeah, that's fine. Absolutely. Thank you. Okay. Um, I was going to answer your other questions for resolution 9 and 10. It just doesn't have any amounts on here. So, I'm not sure, you know, how much we're supposed
to be approving or authorizing in the language on this resolution. So, if someone's here that can clarify that, then we can go ahead. It doesn't have any dollar amount. It just says the work to be done. It said location. Um there's no backup. We don't know. I don't see
any amounts. Okay. Thank you. Now, at this point in time, then we're going to go to public comment. Um hopefully public comment first. I'm just reading it in the order that it's here. If it's the will of the body to do the proper
first and then the fire department here. Okay. So, we're going to change the order of the agenda because it's been brought to our attention that the um well, I certainly know that the African-American Heritage
Foundation group is here. So, at this point in time, will you please come forward for that proclamation, then we are going to do our proclamations first and then we will go back to the order of the agenda that says public comment. If any council members wish to
stand with us for the presentation of this, please join us down at the podium. This is very exciting historic moment. Huddle in. Yeah, you guys can spread out. Spread
out. Spread out. Spread out. Is that everybody over? All tall people in the back already there. Jump in front of me. So what what Happy birthday? Get ready. So this is truly an honor to be able to present this proclamation to
the members. Um are there any founders with us today? Yes. One founder. Oh, hey Miss Nick. All right. This is quite a lengthy proclamation, so I'm not going to read the entire thing. So, just in an effort of time, um, but we would like to present this
proclamation to the Montlair African-American Heritage Foundation, which was establish established many years ago in response to the enthusiastic participation of residents from all over Montlair during the July 4th parade. With their festive spirits and small expressions of patriotism,
they felt a joyful atmosphere for everyone to enjoy except for much of the fourth board. And whereas year after year, the area was noticeably absent from much of the parade route, highlighting a larger issue within the town. Black culture in Montlair needed to be brought into the limelight. The
town's history is deeply enriched by which contri contributions of the black community. Yet, it was frequently overlooked and allowed to stagnate. While woven into the broader narrative of Monontlair, these contributions were not recognized for their unique strengths and significance. The
community deserved to be honored and celebrated, and the Monontlair African-American Heritage Foundation aimed to make that vision a reality. And whereas the Monontlair African-American Heritage Foundation was about the pride in sharing black culture for others to experience and learn from, not only from
those outside our community, but also within the black community itself. and the foundation believed that this was a meaningful way to celebrate African-American heritage. The Monontlair African-American Heritage Foundation has been a staple in the Monontlair community and has enjoyed a sterling reputation as a nonprofit
devoted to building on the rich African-American culture legacy by supporting local programs through grassroot organizations and events. Um, I'd like to thank the founding members who started this organization, Miss Audrey Fletcher, Lonnie Brandon, Dr.
Alfred Davis. May he rest in peace. Mr. Jimmy Een, may he rest in peace. Uh, Miss Katherine Curry, Curry, Miss Katherine Nichols, and a host of other members. All of y'all. So, now we'll get to the last paragraph. And whereas the Monontlair
African-American Heritage Foundation is proudly commemorating 35 years of vibrant parades, festivals, fellowships, and cultural activities, the first Saturday of June is a day dedicated to the Heritage Foundation parade and festival. A special day featuring traditional African huts showcased at
the festival, captivating storytellers who engage audience with insights into African-American heritage and its importance. Attendees can enjoy delicious food, vibrant music, diverse vendors, and much more. Each of these elements play a crucial role in fulfilling the festival's main purpose
and mission to educate others about the rich culture of African-Americans both in Montlair and beyond. And this Saturday, June 7th, will be the 35th parade and festival. So, everybody's welcome to attend. I hope you see many, many, many
faces on the streets for the parade route. And, you know, join us in Nisha Wayne Park. It's open to any and everybody. Tell a friend, bring a neighbor, and let's just have a good time. So, with that said, I'm going to present this to the founding mayor, the member here, Miss Katherine Nichas. And if you want to say a few words, you're
welcome. I am so short. I'll get behind you. I'll get behind you. Little short. On behalf of our organization, we would like to say thank you so very much. We are so proud of the work that we do, have done,
and are still doing and to my fellow sisters and brothers, yes, I thank you for the work, the continued work that you are doing. All right. Okay. All right, guys. All
right. Since our inception in 1990, we have we have hosted 34 festivals, paid over $40,000 in scholarships, and honored over 70 unsung heroes on the streets of Monontlair and
on our stage. From educators to historians to domestic violence warriors to council women to dedicated committee members to council women turned mayors
to concerned community members to political activists whose contributions to Montlair have proven to be invaluable not only to the African-American community but to Montlair as a whole. Yes. Yes. And so I
think I speak for every member in our committee when I say we are beyond honored to represent this organization and to continue to hold space for African-American community and legacy here in Monontlair and to serve alongside a group of such dedicated
individuals. Thank you to our community, those five founders who had the courage to bring their own chair and table and eventually their float in 1990 when the town's only
parade didn't flow through the fourth ward. And so, thank you to Alfred Davis, Audrey Fletcher, Miss Nick, Lonnie Brandon, Jimmy Een, and Miss Katherine Curry. I also want to say thank you to Albert
Pelum and Bonnie Taylor who served as chairs on this committee for many many years and whose shoulders we stand on. And thank you to the mayor and councilwoman Toller for your endless support not just with MHF but with all
of the history preserved here at Monontlair. We are deeply honored and grateful. Anybody else? Anybody else? We good? Good. Okay. Okay. Thank
you. Council members, I'm sure you may wish to stand here with me. Next, please. We're going to honor the members of our Montlair Fire Department. I saw quite a few here. Yeah. Yeah. You all want to stand for the
fire? Nobody wants to stand the fire. Wow. Wow. Look at this. Look at this man. Still coming. Look at this dedication. You want to go here? What? Mhm. Why? Why? Why not coming on down here?
We good? Okay. All righty. Well, okay. Today we're honoring members of the Montlair Fire Department. On August 24th,
2024, a woman tragically fell from a cliff in Mills Reservation in Mont Clair, landing on a narrow rocky ledge approximately
7.5 ft above the ground. 75t, I'm sorry. 75 feet above the ground level, facing grave danger. And whereas upon receiving this
emergency call at approximately 8:30 p.m., the Montlair Fire Department, the members that are standing here, Chief, immediately took action and they used all of the training that they
have ongoing for things such as this. Not every fire department provides the type of training that would allow them the precision to execute the lifesaving
maneuvers that they were able to execute at that time. Through their swift and decisive actions, the Montlair Fire Department ensured the safety and well-being of the victim, exemplifying
the highest standards of public service and heroism. And whereas the successful outcome of this rescue operation stands as a testament to the advanced training,
bravery, technical expertise, and selflessness of the men and women of the Montlair Fire Department. Now therefore, the mayor and the township council salute the following individuals and
present this proclamation to serve as a symbol of our profound appreciation for your unwavering commitment to safeguarding our lives and our
property. Thank you. I got to get a hug. Thank you, Chief. All right, this is you. All right. Thank you. I'll keep this nice and short because I know we have a long evening ahead of us. Um, I just want to thank the mayor and council for, you know, recognizing the members
for a job well done. You know, we don't always get that. And I'd like to thank our members for performing their jobs admirably that evening. You know, not everyone could have done what you guys accomplished that evening. Um, I would like to now introduce Battalian Chief Joe Bates. He was in command of the
incident that evening. Yes. I have to say as the tour commander of the shift that night, um the conditions we faced were less than ideal. The cliff was steep and treacherous. The lightning was extremely dim. I believe that the success of that operation was a direct
result of all five fire companies and their crews working in unison to affect the technical rope rescue and safely lower the victim to the EMS personnel awaiting at the bottom of the cliff. I am proud of the brave actions that all crew members took that day and believe it exemplifies the never quit and can do
attitude that every member of our department shares as we do our job. I think another round of applause is well warranted for the actions taken by the crew members that day. Thank you so much. And I' I'd also just like to give um a round of applause for all of the firefighters. Look at the
team. and they showed up. They could have been at home feet up having dinner, but this is a teamwork, a family, and I love to see this. Thank you all. We appreciate you. Thank you. And just to add the cherry on to
the top of this tour for here, um I was able to speak to the young lady that you rescued and she's grateful. She's well, she's grateful. And hopefully she will come by and see you guys and tell you thank you in person. I just wanted to
let you know that. Thank you. I am going to do a a few of these but uh I will very briefly uh read this parts of this proclamation for declaring June f 21st Montlair make music day. Is there anybody here to accept
this? Yes, in the back. Okay. Thank you. Anybody want to stand with the mom player? Make music. Thank you. Thank you. Hi there. Good to see you.
Thank you. So whereas make music day is an annual event held on the first day of summer inspired by France's fetal music or make music festival uh it is now an international
celebration that takes place in more than 2,000 cities and communities across dozens of countries. And whereas Montlair will be holding its 12th Make Music Day on June 21st and will be one of 2,000 cities and towns in the US that will be part of that day. Whereas
Monontlair make music day is a volunteer-driven community event with musicians, small businesses, community organizations, students, and residents working through the local arts organizations Indie Arts Monontlair and invites all residents and visitors to
perform and support. Now therefore, the mayor and council of the township of Montlair do hereby declare June 21st to be Montlair Make Music Day and encourage encourages people of all ages and abilities to responsibly gather to
celebrate in parks, storefronts, and public spaces to celebrate the ability to make music. And thank you so much. I say responsible. Thank you. Hey, you. Well, yeah, I added that responsibly.
Um, for for 12 for 12 uh June 21st, we have been doing make music day. We're lucky this year it's on a Saturday. Again, we always do it the first day of summer, so sometimes we get a Tuesday. Uh we have over 90 performances at 30 venues, and these are retail shops and
coffee shops and and some parks. And I also want to mention, although they're not able to join us, that this year Terry's Serendipity Cafe will be celebrating their 30th anniversary as part of Make Music Day. So we encourage you all to come out and make music,
Monontlair. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. Anybody else say anything? You're good. Thank you. Appreciate it. Um, you have one more. I have uh I have four that'll be in one,
which is uh I'm very pleased to say that we have four new Eagle Scouts in our town. All right. So, from our two troops and one of them I see right there, Mr. Owen Hayes, come on up. Do we have any of the others here
tonight? Okay. Um, I'm not going to read his great list of accomplishments exactly. I will just say that I've known this young man for a very long time. Uh, since the Cub Scouts. Um, my son did not cross the when he crossed the bridge, he went in
another direction with me. Uh, uh, but everybody should know what they do. And it is the old-fashioned, the best of the old-fashioned virtues that we have, which is being prepared, helping people, being true to yourself, being faithful
to your friends and to your community. And there is nothing nothing better that we can ask of our of our young ones to do this. And I'm just so pleased that I know all of these boys and have seen them rise up. And I look forward to to more Eagle Scouts coming, more boys and
more girls now. And so, it's a wonderful thing. And thank you so much, Owen. You want to take this? I guess I'll take the other. Thank you very much. Anybody know?
Next up, we have a proclamation. Know that our stand here. Many of us were fortunate enough to stand in a flag raising today here in Montclair. Um I see um Meline,
Gail, and Rubina and some of the other members of Out Monontlair and other organizations here. So please, anyone that wishes to stand with us for the proclamation of Pride Month, please come forward. Council members, if any of you
wish to stand with us, Pride month. Happy Pride Month everyone. Um, I stand here unapologetically and very proud to be here to present this proclamation. Our nation was founded on
the principles of equal rights for all people. But the fulfillment of this promise has been long in coming for many Americans. Some of the most inspiring moments in our history have arisen from the various
civil rights movements that have brought one group after another from the margins of the mainstream from the margins to the mainstreams of American society. Whereas in the movement forward, equal
rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer identifying people, a historic turning point that occurred in New York City on June 28th, 1969, was the onset of Stonewall riots.
During these riots, LGBTQ plus citizens rose up and resisted police enforcement that arose out of discriminatory criminal laws that have since been declared unconstitutional. In the five decades
since, civil rights for LGBTQ plus people have progressed substantially and LGBTQ plus pride celebrations have taken place around the country every June 10th to commemorate the beginning of the
Stonewall riots. But these are not just celebrations. These are We honor those who have fought to perfect our union. And we continue our work to build a society where every
child growing growing up knows that their c country supports them, that their country is proud of them and has a place for them and loves them exactly who and where they are. Now therefore,
the mayor and the council of the great township of Montclair do hereby dedicate and proclaim June as LGBTQ plus pride month and celebrates the great diversity of our residents and
direct the inclusive pride flag to be flown at the township of Montlair in uh on Church Street and Bloomfield Avenue. and it will be there for the month of June. And this afternoon, we had such a
heartwarming raising of the flag. And I just stand here to say thank you. Thank you to all the people that were responsible and for all of us that continue to support and uplight uplift justice. Uh despite a lot of things that
are happening nationwide in Montlair, we will not be turned around. We will continue to move forward in our efforts for justice for all. Thank you. Uh thank you everyone. Um I wanted to um I'm the uh president and uh a
co-founder for out Monontlair. Uh the seed of this Out Monontlair was was the seed or brainchild of my wife Meline. Um we we love Montlair. U Monontlair is unique. Um Monontlair was uh a place
that I knew felt comfortable when we came here and that it was also a place where I felt uh that I could be free where I was not free living in another part of New Jersey. So when we got here 20 years ago, um and I thank her brother
for actually introducing us closer to Monontlair because he moved here first. Um, I said, "This is the place we need to be because I am not afraid to be who I am anymore." I was afraid to walk as a gay person down the street where I live.
So, it was fearful. I was closeted in my job because I had fear of losing my job. I had fear of rejection from friends and family, which I got rejected anyway. But because of because of the surrounding people in the community, you live
through that with with rejection. I can tell you I was one of those people that contemplated possibly like ending it all. That's how painful it is. So when when people come to our um our community um in out Monontlair events and they share their stories and they cry with
me, I feel their pain because I was there. It is real. It's like having your first heartbreak that you feel like you're going to die. Um that kind of pain if you can remember that. So it's important. Um it's it's allies. We need
allies. We need um the people in our community to continue the spirit past it's not just one month. It is forever. We will have a lot of great times in June because we have a lot of great events. And everyone who was at Pride last year knows we we had 30,000 people
there. And that's everybody, not just gay people. Everybody enjoyed that Pride. We're going to have a fantastic Pride again on June on June the 14th. So, I'm sorry. Did I step on what you wanted to say? I just wanted to I just
wanted to finish that up. Um, thank you for your support, Monontlair. Um, and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. And we have a mayor who actually Oh, I'm sorry. Okay. We have a mayor who actually embraced us many years ago and said,
"Hey, listen. You know what? This is the diverse community here in Montlair. Let's really make it diverse." She knew that we were um a couple and LGBTQ plus. And said, "Hey, let's make our community what we say we are to other people." That's
what's really important. You say it, but you've got to do it. And she helped that make that happen. We sit on the Civil Rights Commission for that purpose to represent so everyone can be represented in our community. That's right. Everyone, not just LGBTQ, but everyone.
That's very important. I did also want to thank Mayor Baskerville for her steadfast support. let you all know that this Thursday we're having a reception and we will be honoring her for all the support she's given to the LGBTQIA plus community. Um so if you're available, please go to
outmonclair.org and events and see all of our two weeks of events leading up to Pride and maybe you'll all want to come to some. There's a lot of free events that bring the community together and it's a lot of fun. I also just wanted to thank the council for doing the
proclamation and the flag raising. Uh well yeah um I also wanted to thank Diane from the NAACP who al always offers her support to the LGBTQIA community. It's really important and we also have two Kathy's here Kathy Ahern
O'Brien and Kathy Rena and maybe one or both would like to speak. They have a lot important things to say that matter as well. Not really. Yes. Thank you. Okay. Um, so, oh, you were really okay. Yeah.
Thank you so very much. I appreciate you guys coming. Thank you. Next up, thank you so much. You know, thank you. Thank you, Deputy Mayor. You're up. Blue lotus. Oh yeah. Does anyone here
from Blue Lotus? Oh, good. Come on down. Blue lotus. Anyone here wish to stand with our Blue Lotus while we celebrate them. Thank you for being in our community so much. Thank you. That has been a good hall,
right? We appreciate you. I'm well. It's good to see you. Yeah. Yeah. Everybody blue. Okay. Um, so I don't know if any of of you have um been to this store, but it's a really special store, Blue Lotus on
Church Street. Um, it's it's within walking distance of my where I live and um I I been there a lot. I um it's a very precious place to me. Um and um I'm not going I'm just going to sort of give the highlights. Um, so Blue Lotus has
been in Montlair for 30 years. Um, and I think that's incredible. Um, it is known as a cornerstone of wellness, beauty, and community spirit. Founded in June of 1995, um this this beautiful little shop has um provided exceptional service in
holistic wellness, personal care, and sp spiritual healing to generations of both residents and visitors, and is committed to empowering individuals through mindful self-care practices, community workshops, and the creation of a safe,
inclusive space for all who enter its stores. Um it this is a store that plays a really important role in comm community uh contributing to the economic vitality and cultural richness of our business district. Um and obviously a a model of excellence,
longevity and dedication. Um and it's, you know, this 30th anniversary is a symbol of the lasting relationships of um uh the shop and and what it's built and the positive impact it's made. So, we want to congratulate Blue Lotus on its 30th anniversary. Um, and if I may,
I have a personal anecdote. Um, because, um, I mean, this this shop is one of the most beautiful. You'll always have such gorgeous displays inside and outside. And, um, for me, you know, it it was one of my daughter's favorite stores. And, um, and so um, and she loved going to
that store. I don't know why. She was so young. And so, um, when she passed, um, I there was this angel stone that she picked out, and you probably know what I'm talking about. And she wanted to get one for each of, um, her her parents. And so, um, I kept that in my
pocket the whole time, like every debate that we had, every everything where I just needed a little bit more like support. Um, so this I I just love your shop and I wish you many many more years of success and community. So
thank you so very much. Absolutely. Thank you. Mstead bench. Anyone here for the Mstead? Friend friends of Anderson Park? I see some of the friends. Good to see you all. Anyone else like to join and stand with our friends of Anderson Park
for the Mstead bench? Has everybody had an opportunity to go see this bench? Isn't it fabulous? Okay. All right. Okay. Everybody here? Great. So, if anybody has had an opportunity to go to
Anderson Park, you'll see that there is a a huge bench there and it was actually crafted from a falling tree that fell down in in a storm uh about in 2024. So, the friends of Anderson Park, they
commissioned this bench. So Bob Silver with Bob Silver uh so that you have a beautiful place to sit when you're in the park enjoying nature and I happened to see it this past Sunday while we were running through the park
um with the YMCA uh 10K. So uh very beautiful uh bench here. So I'm just going to read a portion of this because I believe we have some other proclamations here. So uh whereas on September 27th, 1904, the landscape architect named John Charles Armstead
decid uh designed Anderson Park, photographed the tree while the park was under construction. Because of this, the tree later became known as Olmstead Oak and it grew into a prominent elder statesman of Anderson Park. Uh I'm going to skip to to the end. Okay. Whereas the
Mstead O uh Oak bench was installed in the park on May 9th, 2025. And Friends of Anderson Park will hold a dedication ceremony there on June 7th at 2 p.m. Rain Day June 8th, same time, the community is invited to join in celebrating the return of the Mstead Oak
in its new form to Anderson Park. Now therefore, the mayor and council and the township of Monontlair do hereby join a friends of Anderson Park in recognizing this day and historic celebration of the Mstead Oak Bench installment in Anderson Park.
Hi, I'm Charlie Spademan. Um, I'd like to thank Mayor Baskerville and the council for the proclamations. Certainly didn't expect this. Yeah. Um this really um the genesis of this was um Ronda and Bob Silver who live on the park
remembered fondly as do anybody who's lived here for any length of time. Yeah. The Mstead Oak and you know how many hours you know people love the tree. Um he commissioned me to make something out of it. Uh he didn't say what which you know as an artist that's the artist
dream. I I generally don't like commissions unless I can do what I want. and so um came up with the bench, but um putting a bench in a county park is not as straightforward as you would think. Um you can't just plant it there. And
that's that's where the friends of Anderson Park came in. Uh Leanne Rener and Scott Kevlson. Um don't know if I may be missing somebody put a lot of work into liazing with um Essex County officials. Um and also on on a pretty
short deadline. Um Bob had wanted this in on a particular date. It was importance to him. But um it has been one of the most gratifying things that I've ever done. Um in that once it was in place and
people recognized what it was, it's like every person who went by when I'm there stopped to say something about it and there always people sitting on it and um how great is that? So yeah, thank you everybody. Thank you. We're going to do it together. Okay,
we're all going to come forward. Um, next up is the proclamation for violence awareness. Gun violence awareness. I saw you up here. So, how are you? Anyone else wish to stand with us
against gun violence? Please feel free to come and stand. You don't have to have a t-shirt. Just have it in your heart to come stand. Absolutely. And come get a ribbon. There you go. There you go. Now folks are coming.
Thank you. Thank you. Okay, very good. Uh, so we're going to present this proclamation. Uh, and whereas every day more than 125 Americans are likely killed by gun violence and more than 260 Americans are shot and wounded with an
average of more than 1,900 gun homicides every year. 60% of gun deaths in the United States are suicide. Guns are the leading cause of death for United States children. Cities across the nation, including Montlair, are working to end the endless senseless violence with
evidence-based solutions. And whereas protecting the public in the communities they serve, is the township council's highest responsibility. Support for the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens go hand in hand with keeping guns away from people with dangerous histories. The Township Council and law
enforcement officers know their communities best. they are the most familiar with the local criminal activity and how to address it. Yes. Yes. Uh whereas the continued impact the pandemic has caused on communities and individuals across America has resulted
in situations where access to firearms increased the risk of domestic partner violence, gun deaths, suicide by gun, and unintentional shootings. In January 2013, Hadia Pendleton, a teenager who marched in the presidential inaugural
parade, was tragically shot and killed just weeks later. And to help honor Hadia and the more than 125 Americans whose lives are cut short every day and the countless survivors who are injured by shootings every day, a national coalition of organizations has
designated the first Friday in June as National Gun Violence Awareness Day. The idea was inspired by a group of Hadia's friends who asked their classmates to commemorate her life by wearing orange. They chose this color because hunters wear orange to announce themselves to
other hunters when out in the woods. It's also a color that symbolizes the value of human life. Anyone can join this campaign by pledging to wear orange on the first Friday in June modeled here. Okay. Um and uh to help a raise
awareness about gun violence and honor the lives of gun violence victims and survivors, we renew our commitment to reduce gun violence, pledge to do all we can to keep firearms out of the wrong hands, and encourage responsible gun ownership, to keep our children safe.
And so therefore, the mayor and council of the township of Montlair, we declare the first Friday, this Friday in June to be gun violence awareness day. and we collectively support the efforts of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. We encourage all citizens to support
their local communities efforts to prevent the tragic effects of gun violence and to honor and value human lives. Thank you. Thank you so much. On behalf of uh my name is
Melissa and hello Montlair. On behalf of Every Town for Gun Safety in Essex County, Moms Demand Action, I want to thank you, Mayor Baskerville and Montlair Council members for issuing
this proclamation again. And to the Montlair Police Department support for gun violence prevention in our town. makes their jobs much harder when people have guns. Each year you support us, but each
year we hope that it's the last time that we will need to be here to fight for gun safety in our state and our country. Three new developments are buried in the onslaught of news, everyday news. One, there are many more
guns on the streets than ever before. New Jersey has always had strict gun laws and correspondingly low levels of gun violence, but since the Supreme Court's Bruin decision in 2022, just about anyone can obtain a
concealed carry gun permit. Two, over the past few months, New Jersey has lost $35 million in federal funding for critically important community violence intervention programs, including some
wonderful ones that we work closely with in Newark. These on the ground programs are crucial in combating gun violence and deaths, and these cuts are stopping the programs cold. This equals, you know, more people using
guns and more people dying. Three, there is a push in Congress to establish a national reciprocity policy requiring every state to respect the concealed carry eligibility standards of all other
states. So, residents of the 29 states that have abolished licensing and training requirements would be allowed to carry concealed weapons. In New Jersey, for example, West Virginia
passed permitless carry in 2016. By 2020, gun homicides had increased by 48% and suicides increased by 22. On a personal note, I'm a teaching
artist for NJPAC and I teach in schools from Newark to Princeton. Last month, 25 three-year-olds and I were reading a book and transforming into monkeys and snakes and kittens when a jarring knock
on the door announced a lockdown. 25 three-year-olds and four adults crammed into a 4ft by3 foot preschool teenytiny bathroom with a teenytiny toilet for 7 minutes and there was
not a peep from three-year-olds and I stood there wondering in fact I said to them you're all doing so well they didn't say a How do they prepare three-year-olds for
that? They, you and we should not have to live like this. And that's why we educate and advocate for gun safety through programs like Wear Orange and our safe storage program. very cheap and easy to buy a little case on Amazon that
will store your gun safely so no one can get their hands on it except for you. We deeply appreciate your support and we thank you so much for issuing tonight's proclamation for gun safety awareness and hope that we won't have to come back
next year. Yes. Hello there. My name is Lorine Lombardi. I'm with Mom's Demand Action and I also um coordinate a program called Be Smart, which is all about secure storage. She's
from Massachusetts. It means be smart. I speak proper English. I'm sorry. I had a manager once who said I have a bilingual assistant. She speaks English and Bostononian.
But putting all that aside, every single day in this country, every single day, a child, more than likely under 10 and a boy, will access an unsecured gun
and shoot themselves or someone else. It's usually a sibling, a friend, a cousin, or a parent. The only reason that a child can access
a loaded unsecured gun is if the adult owner has left it where that child can access it. What we ask is we we support the second amendment.
If you want a gun, you can have a gun, but please store it. By storing a gun, you can save a child's life. By not storing a gun, you could
cause the death of a child. And 75% of school shooters obtained their guns from their home or the home of a friend or relative. And
85% of those guns were unsecured. And another statistic that I never knew, 700 children every year die by firearm suicide. I had no idea that children die
by by suicide. And children between the ages of 10 and 15 have the fastest growing suicide rate over the past
decade. So the more you know, the more you realize that securing a gun is the simplest, most effective thing that everyone can do right now.
to prevent all kinds of gun violence. So, the word smart is an acronym. Secure your gun, model uh um responsible behavior around guns. A if you have children, ask when they go to another
home, ask not if the people have a gun, but how do you store your gun? It's important. If your child was allergic to peanut butter, you would ask if there was peanut butter in that house. We want
parents to become just as comfortable asking if there's an unsecured gun in the house. And people will say to us, "Oh, that's too difficult." And what we always say to them is, "What is more difficult? learning how to ask that
question or getting a phone call or a visit from a policeman saying, "I have some really bad news." All right. Um, and then the R in smart is recognize the role of guns
and suicide. And the last one, what we're doing here now is to tell everybody you know to be smart. So, please tell everybody who you know what you learned tonight. And we can't thank the mayor
and the council enough for having us. I think this is our eighth year here. I think. Yes. So, thank you so much. Oh, thank you so much. I'm gonna um Okay. Okay. Um, so next up will be public
comment. Um, please everyone who may not have sign up front. You'll have a number and when it's your turn, please come forward. Um, the council is asking that you try to take two minutes if at all
possible. We will allow up to three. Um, we are trying to uh make sure that everyone that wants to be heard has an opportunity to do so. So, when you get up, please, if you'd give us your first
and last name, we'd very much appreciate that. And we welcome you here. We're happy to hear and listen. So, who's first, please? First guest. We start with number two. Oh, we're starting with number two.
Can you hear me? There you go. Uh, good evening. Um, I wish this was this wish this was a little taller. Darren, 75 Montlair Avenue. I can't hear. Um, I'm here on behalf of You can't hear that. Well, it's green. Yeah, it's green. Yeah. Oh,
I got to shrink. I think it's happening as I get older. Um anyway, I just wanted to uh I'm here for the Clare Anderson Arena Association. Um and uh um we've been here, you know, many meetings. This is Scott Gibson, who's also a trustee at the Clary Anderson Arena Association. We
wanted to um first of all thank the town council uh for the efforts that they've uh been making over the last little while to to to try to keep the arena open. So, thank you very much. I know that um you've been working hard at selecting a new town uh sorry arena
manager and that that selections happen. I just I'm not sure when that contract would go through. Um obviously we all know there's timing issues with regards to the clubs that are that are going to be issuing ice time for next year. So we're hoping that happens rather quickly so people can can be secure and know
that they're going to have a place for them their children to play next year. Um and secondly, um I want to also um thank you for trying to create uh an innovative solution for the management of the IS oversight of the arena itself,
uh by proposing a first reading for a an ordinance to create a utility. Um this is obviously the first thing we've all heard about it. We we saw the the ordinance and have read the ordinance. Obviously, there's some questions with regards to that and how that would be executed, what the
oversight would be. um how Clar Anderson Ren Association can can donate to that uh that that utility, etc. So, we're looking forward to continuing conversations and and and a bright future for the arena. So, I I I think that uh we've got a chance to keep this
thing alive and uh it's going to make a lot of people happy. So, I wanted to thank you. Thank you. Next guest, please. Good evening, council. Good evening. Uh Joe Borak, 10 Valley Place. Reason I'm up here is there's a little
bit of history in uh the request for weekend service from New Jersey Transit. Uh couple of things quickly to touch upon. Right, their budgetary uh constraints are real. They need rolling stock train crews tunnel slots which is
very important which is a current problem. The reason for the weekend service that we have now every two hours is because there used to be a committee in town for transportation. through uh some uh
manipulations we uh were able a able to find particularly this one gentleman Jack May uh that train that was on a layover was able to come up to Montclair make its return trip without
missing its connections or tunnel slots. That's the reason you have it now. It is important that you keep a committee involved in transportation. We had one. It was very good. It was morphed into other things and eventually I don't know
what happened to it. The other thing I want to talk about is um how is additional trains on the weekend going to impact our quiet zone risk threshold. Now, some of you may have
never heard this, but this is the whole basis for the quiet zone. You need to get a committee to keep up with this before we get blindsided and risk losing that. All right. The other things are
basically to to keep involved. If you uh want weekend service, you better start talking to your ambulance, your fire, and your police services, which can get caught up in traffic jams. You've seen these traffic jams during the weekday
when a two blocks around a particular station, let's take Belleview, are blocked by the train and all the ensuing traffic beyond that and the fire engine cannot get out of the firehouse. Right. As far as bus service,
we lost the camp. That was a private service. It was vital to this township. We've lost that. Don't look to New Jersey to replace tra bus service to something that's going to compete with
their rail service and siphon off probable passengers. You need to get a committee to start looking at all these things before you go running to New Jersey Transit saying, "Hey, we want weekend service." The other thing I'll leave you
with is tunnel slots. Until the gateway project is completed where there's a n another tunnel aperture into Manhattan, you will not get any other township to give up its slots on weekends. And when
the gateway project does start to come to fruition, you need a committee that is ready to deal with New Jersey Transit over all the other towns that are going to compete for those extra slots. Thank you very much. Next guest, please.
Hi, my name is Marilie Irvin. I live at 318 Park Street. I recently, my husband and I live at 318 Park Street. We recently received a violation warning that our sidewalk is out of code. Mhm. The town caused the problem because the
we are out of code because the township planted a tree between our sidewalk and the road and the roots have caused s two slabs of the sidewalk to raise up. Therefore, we feel that since the township caused the problem, the
township should fix the problem. I have contacted several of you and I am optimistic that an amendment will be made that will address this problem. However, it this is going to take time and there is a deadline approaching on
our violation warning that says that um we have been threatened with a summon for a mandatory court appearance and possible penalty assessment. Please tell me what I should do. Can somebody tell me what I should
do because the deadline's coming. Council Williams. Manager Marks. Um, I could talk to you offline about your option. I could talk to you offline about your options. We all want to know
what what should I do? I could talk to you offline about your options. Offline? How do I meet with you offline? Uh, I'll give you my card. There you go. Call me. I'll I'll call you. There there is a committee that is um looking into
that. Just so you know you guys understand her particular incident is timesensitive and we ask our manager to help us since this is something very timesensitive. That does not mean that nothing else is going to be going on to try to help us resolve this matter. We
recognize that there is an issue and we are in the process of trying to figure out what we're going to do. Next guest, please. Hello. And uh I'm Ricky Beal from Hor Place and uh first I will tell the
council thank you for all the work you're doing, all the service you're doing to the town. Thank you for that. I am a senior obviously and I'm in touch with all the seniors in town through the various organizations the mill lifelong
monair aim m gap wally choice I go there often I meet all the people and I'm aware of what's going on in the senior community uh we dis we've discovered that there is
many seniors in town who are very lonely and who uh need to pull themselves together to do something to be more active in their lives. So, a few of us started a music group and we invited
peop uh seniors who can play or sing or or appreciate music to get in touch and maybe we could start working together and get getting small jazz sessions or chorus and so forth and there was a lot
of interest. So now we have started we are looking we have about 13 14 members who are ready to play and and sing right now but we don't have any place to practice and we were hoping that our
senior center would have a couple of rooms available by now and this is why I'm here because it's budget time and I'm hoping that you will pay attention to this senior center on South Bullet
and provide some facilities for us that we can use because there's a lot of need for this and and and and seniors are becoming very frustrated that we cannot use that premises which has been
promised to us a year or more ago. So that's bottom line. um appealing to you to pay some attention to that and try to get at least some of that center up working so we can use it. People are out
out there really needing it. Okay, that's all. Thank you very much. Thank you for coming. Next guest, please. My name is Claire Silata. I live at 279 Park Street. I also got one of these notices. So, I'm going to see say this
very quickly. First of all, there was no prior notice. Most people getting this notice were scared out of their pants. Mhm. You all could have sent everyone in this town a notice saying that this program which has been in effect since
1994 I think was going to be reactivated since nothing was done during co as I understand it didn't happen secondly there seems to be no plan in how you are doing this I have sent in
pictures my egregious thing is 1 of an inch instead of 1/4 of an inch. Okay? And I'm being told that I have to replace the whole thing. That
there's no alternative. I am the daughter of a mason. I've been around cement my whole life. You can grind that down. Not smooth it down. Grind it down. Make it level. and it'll cost you maybe a
hundred bucks. The woman of the block just spent $2500 for pretty much the same thing. Number three, where did the quarter of an inch come from? Give me statistics of how many people have broken their leg, killed themselves, fallen, and hurt
themselves in this city. I understand it's a federal rule, but I have the same question for the feds. Where did you get a quarter of an inch? I don't know. The third is that there's no mention of aid. You're asking people to do this in 8
weeks. There's not a cintillaa coming from all of you about how to help seniors and the poorest among us. Nothing. Where do you think people come up with $2,500? And as I said, there's no
alternative choice except replace. Then you have one person, I understand, one person going through the town. Pick the most egregious problems first. Get them fixed. The ones that can really hurt
people. Not a quarter of an inch, a half an inch. The ones that are like this and cracked and broken. But that doesn't seem to be happening. And the last thing I have to say is that this town chose to put curbs in that can kill people
because they look pretty. What about the ADA for those curbs? Those are Belgian blocks. They have gaps between them. They're rough to stand on. And if you're old and elderly and you get out of your car or someone's helping you out on that
side, you can injure yourself. So would should we hold the city accountable for that? Should you be responsible for fixing every one of those? Amen. Thank you. Thank you. Next guest,
please. Hello, I'm Gerald Fierce, 259 Park. I actually was coming to this for to help support aging in Monontlair and um I've lived in Monontlair for 55 years and I came to Montlair when my
theater company was invited to move to Montlair by a group of citizens, a mixture of young professionals, Bob Alhorn, Warren Ross, Hal Rabner, and individuals from families whom I've always affectionately called old
Montlair, Carolyn Schumann, Connie Ser, Barbara Malcolm, Janet Garry, and others. They saw a growing tide of empty storefronts and white flight threatening the stability of this town. And they believed that a community of artists settling in Monontlair and working on
Bloomfield Avenue would become an anchor not only for the business district, but for the identity and future of the town. And when I see Warren Ross, who is now on the board of Monontlair Film, we always give ourselves credit for how our work did become the foundation for
today's Monontlair. We understood that community and diversity was and should be the identity of this town. And in those days, I was able to buy a house for
$35,000. And my mortgage was $160 a month. And today I'm nearly 80 and during co I lost both my wife and son and I'm often asked why don't you sell your
house? I mean you can make a million dollars but where am I to go? Staying in Monontlair is worth more than a million dollars. I may have lost my family, but my community is my family. My neighbor who
says, "It's my birthday. Come and have dinner with my family." My neighbor who calls and asks, "Do you have plans for Easter dinner?" My neighbor who comes to walk dogs with me every day at 5:00 p.m. Danny the dry cleaner across the street
who has a photo of me and my granddaughter on his shelf. Kevin and Suzanne and Cheryl and Maryanne, the Plaza merchants who keep dog biscuits for me when we stop into chat on our strolls. They aren't acquaintances. They are the constants
who share and witness the ups and downs and days of our life. And they wonder if they haven't seen me. And they they they come into my living room for a Christmas celebration. and they held me when I
cried for loss. And I hope I I I also add to their lives. Community is the foundation of Monontlair. And I've been told that 25% of the population in town are people like me who want to age in
place. But I have to say, and we've heard it this already, it's difficult to understand the council's actions when we receive a letter telling us to repair a sidewalk within 45 days. And I don't know how rich you are. But coming up with $5,000 in 45 days is not an easy
task for me. That's right. Nor is the lack of communication, which doesn't give clear explanation of what has to be repaired, or easy access to inspection when the inspector is out of the office the week the letters arrive. Or how to get a contractor when more than 170
other houses are calling the same reliable companies, or how to get an extension, or how long an extension can be. and omissions and actions like these are callous and unthinking fallbacks to a rulebook formula without thought of
community and inclusion. Now there are trees in Westfield and Rididgewood and there are lovely houses and Summit in Madison and there are restaurants in Rutherford and they all have better bus and train service.
No, Montlair is community. A diversity of people of all ages and incomes and your actions were damaging. People, not highrises on Bloomfield Avenue are the identity of
this community. Thank you very much. I'm asking you to support the future of the town. Thank you very much. I appreciate the buzzer went off quite a bit to go, but I was going to let you go beyond the time.
Next guest, please. I know if they're elderly. William Scott, 23 Cedar Avenue. I'm also a member of the Monler Housing Commission. I'm also a member and chair of the Monler NAACP and also a let me see what else I
want to throw out there. A resident and I can relate to what the gentleman just said. I've been in this town all my life, 75 years. Um, living in Monontlair is to me is irrational. I I would not even consider moving somewhere else. And I get the
same offers. Do you want to sell your house for a million? This, that, and the other. Um, I've got my children, my grandchildren here. So, I'm committed. I hopefully I can squeeze out a few more years. Okay. But my purpose, and I don't want to cut myself short, uh, I support
the uh, housing element and fair share plan for the township of Montlair for 2025 to 2035. Uh uh quickly uh the inclusionary zoning ordinance I think it should be amended to increase the affordable housing set aside to 25% for any
development application requiring a use variance which is a Dvariance which is a major variance uh in their development. I also think we should amend that ordinance to uh set aside 15% of the newly develop uh housing for people with
special needs. Okay, that's in there. Also, I also support the uh requirement for houses of worship to be uh the ordinance to be revised to support houses of uh ordinance uh excuse me, houses of worship as a permitted use
conditional use in all districts. That's all residential zones in the township of Mar. Okay. And that is very important because uh from a fourth ward standpoint where I've lived all my life, we have supported supportive housing, senior
housing, veterans housing, people with disabilities, and uh the fourth ward, we have set an example. So there's no reason why every single zone in the township of Monontlair from ROA R O and RO and all the residential zones should
have the same requirements to to support all supportive housing special needs housing in their wards. Anything short of that would be considered as if you want to maintain the character of your neighborhood, it should be inclusive,
not exclusive. One additional item in the uh the plan was a chart which absolutely points out all the permitted uses that are in all zones, residential zones in the township of Monontlair. That clarification should have taken place many many years ago.
There was an assumption that certain types of housing was not allowed in certain zones in the township of Monontlair. This chart on page 49 clearly states every permitted use and every residential zone for every type of housing and that will be a very good
direction for people who want to do development in the township of Montlair. Thank you. Thank you very much. Next guest please. Number nine. Good evening. Good evening. My name is
Reverend John Rogers and I'm here to speak in support of Yes in God's Backyard Affordable Housing Resolution number five. I'm one of the pastors of First Congregational Church of Montlair and I am also a lifelong resident of this town
and a product of our public schools, Nishawane, Hillside, Glenfield and MHS class of 2007. When my classmates visit our community, they tell me that our town has changed. They do not see the same economic and
ethnic diversity that has made our town so special. Having dedicated my life to this community, my first instinct is to defend Montlair. However, over the last decade or so, that is getting more and more difficult.
Not only do my friends, many of whom are in the helping professions, not have the resources to return to their hometown, but I've witnessed an exodus from Monontlair from within our church and our church youth group. Most recently, one family who lived and served in
Monontlair for three generations had to move out because they didn't have an affordable place to live. We need to prioritize people. We need to prioritize what once made Monontlair such a special town. We have decades of the trend
moving in the wrong direction. And I challenge this town to help put us back on track. I am here tonight to call on Monontlair to live into the values that have bound us together for generations. In March, my wife and I
welcomed our first child, Lily, into the world. Amen. I ask as a resident of Monontlair so that my daughter can be shaped and blessed by the diversity of this community. And I ask as a pastor so that
our community so that our communities of faith can live into our calling to care for the most vulnerable amongst us. When the planning board voted unanimously for yes in God's backyard, it was a sign that we are moving in the right
direction. Let's stay the course. Thank you very much. Next guest, please number 10. Hi, how are you? Good to see you. My name is Beth Albert and I live
at 219 Montlair Avenue. And I'm piggybacking on what um the previous speaker spoke so eloquently about the sidewalk issue. I just needed clarity. I live on a street where we um had some major trees come down in this last storm
and did major damage. I've been calling the town since the micro burst to have a town tree looked at and it hasn't happened. So, you know how long ago that has after Sandy, after windstorms, huge branches have come down. The tree
somehow has survived even though if you look at it, it has a hole going through the bottom. So, I know it's going to come down at some point and it has caused um damage to the sidewalk. So, I'd like to know, will the tree be taken care of first by the town through my
numerous calls, photos, um trying to get this addressed because it makes no sense for me to fix the sidewalk when the tree is still there, which will continue to cause damage. So, I know you can't answer that question
here, but um before this tree does damage to property and we have little children on the street. I'm I'm really really scared that something's going to happen. Um and I'm sure you have many trees that you need to look at, but I don't know if there's a list that we
should be on whether this is going trees will be considered before we get summones. So, it's just something for you to think about. Thank you. Beth, your your contact information is on the the the page. Yes. Yeah. Thank you. Next guest, please.
Hi, my name is Willie Walker. Willie and I'm here on the behalf of the seniors at South End Gardens, 340 Orange Road, Mount Clair. Okay. You have a senior bus. The senior
bus. new thing is that we as seniors, we go to the grocery store, but we can't get water. We can't put water on the bus. So, how are we supposed to bring the water back home?
I don't understand. Okay, that is unheard of. Essex County has new people have this company now. Okay, they making rules. Rules that hurt the seniors. Okay, we can't put our groceries on the floor in the van anymore. We have to put
them on the chair. But if the bus is full of people on the chair, where we going to put our groceries? Okay, some of us go shopping when they get their food stamps. By the time they get their food stamps, they're totally out of food. So, they need to go
and get a lot of groceries, and some of that is water. So, can you find out for us why can't we bring water on the van anymore? Thank you. May I? I will. Willie, I'll take care of that for you, Willie, and
get back to you. Thank you, Mayor. May I address her? Sure, Miss Walker. Number 12. Miss Walker, before Miss Walker, um I'll email you tomorrow. I've been in conversations with Judy Hurley. She's back there. Um, we've been talking about trying to get some more services for the
seniors in the fourth ward. So, I'm aware and thank you. And by the way, you said fourth floor. We kind of would like a supermarket. Thank you, Willie. We need a supermarket. Thank you, Willie. Next guest, please.
Hello, Mayor Council. My name is Ken Lillian. I've been here three or four times in support of Clary Anderson Arena. Actually, I'm just wanted to come tonight. Um, my club, youth hockey program has over 160 families, many of them from Montlair, as I've told you
before. Um, and have been part of Clary Anderson for 13 years. Um, really, I just stopped by that I've they've been aware of the news of the work that you guys have done in support of the arena. I know it's been controversial and I know it's not an easy fix, but that you
guys have supported it and taken the first steps forward um to getting it back running uh for next season is huge that I know that it's very important to the high schools as well as I also coach a high school program. Um we are definitely getting close to the deadline
of scheduling for next year for the high schools and for everybody else. Um, but I do really just want to thank you for your support and your hard work on this. Thank you. Thank you very much. Next guest, please. Number 13.
How are you, Re? Okay. Good evening, councils, members, and neighbors. My name is Reverend Kubasan and I serve at uh St. Mark's United Methodist Church now called the
Mark in Montlair. Though I've lived here in Montlair for three years, this town has become home for me. In that short time, I've come to love its rich diversity,
culture, and most of all, the people. In my brief tenure, I've had the privilege of walking alongside families, youth, and seniors through life most vulnerable and joyful moments. And I've seen
firsthand the beauty of this community and the barriers that still exist. One of those barriers is access to affordable housing. At the mark, we partner with mesh to provide shelter at the church fellowship
hall for our our houseless neighbors during the coldest winter months. I wish I could tell you those nights are rare, but they're not. Every time we open our doors, we
are reminded that housing and security isn't an abstract issue. It's a Monontlair issue. It's affecting people who li who live, work, serve, and attend school in this
town. I remember a man who came in to attend Sunday service, quiet, tired, and unsure. After the service in the fellowship hall when we had some food, he shared to me that he had been ill and
recently lost his job, his housing, and was sleeping in the street. All he wanted was a place to warm up and be treated like a human being. That night, we gave him warmth, a meal, and a
listening ear. But he truly needed a home. That's why I'm here tonight to urge you to expand affordable housing in Monontlair because what we do for the least of these reflects who we are as
people. Amen. Housing is not a privilege. It's a basic human right. Yes. And for a town that pride And for a town that prides itself
I'm I lost my way, but I'm getting there. That pride itself in diversity um you sure of inclusion and progress and compassion. This is now the moment to
live into those values. I know three years might not sound like a long time, but sometimes it takes fresh eyes to see what longtime residents have grown used to. And what I've seen is this.
Monontlair is a town with hearts. I know that you care. I know you can act. And I believe we have what it takes to create real lasting change. The mark and other housing of worships are ready for this task.
Let us be kind of town that leads not just with our words but with our will. Let us say yes to housing solutions that affirm the dignity of every neighbors. Amen.
Next guest please. Next guest please. Let me put my glasses off. Hey, Ricky. Uh, hi there, Miss Madame Mayor and Council. Ricky. Ricky. Um, the last time I was here was after a newspaper
notice was put out about um your house, the funeral home, which I own and has been established here in this town for 75 years. We are the last AfricanAmerican funeral
home left in the town. I wrote a letter. I have CCD the mayor as well as my fourth ward council woman, Miss Toller to Miss Janice Tally. I see that the funeral home has not been taken out
of the 66 page affordable housing. I didn't know, as I said before, that death could be obsolete. So, my name is Michelle B. Williams. I'm the owner of Martin's Home for Service,
the funeral home located at 48 Elm Street. And at your last planning board, I addressed Miss Tally publicly regarding my property listed in the Monontlair local as one of the properties addressed in the written presentation for the part
of the 66page affordable housing proposition. When I addressed Miss Tally in the public meeting and asked where she got this information, she told me it was from me. I never have ever met Mrs.
Tally or Miss Tally, but I did not want to make any issue out of this. So therefore, I sat down. I addressed my attorney about this. He told me to write a letter,
which is what I have done to copy the two folks that I have already mentioned the property. I asked a realtor that I was dealing with to find out what could be done. I don't only own
the funeral home. I own my perimeter. So therefore, it had nothing to do with the funeral home that she took upon herself. So, the realtor asked what the property was
worth, and he's going to be reaching out to her. But I'm still in this paperwork. I would like to be removed. The funeral home is not for sale. He did this in confidentiality
with her. And it seemed as though I was just a sidebar and didn't have didn't wasn't given the respect to be
contacted. There are many people on on on this deis right here that I have buried in their family. I don't take this as a joke and I'll be right off too soon. So, I'm asking for your help to be
removed from this 66 page presentation that she's making on the behalf of the town to make the funeral home affordable housing. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Next guest, please.
This is good evening. Uh Suzanne Atman, chair of the Monontlair Environmental Commission. I want to uh first welcome the manager. Haven't been able to connect with you. It's wonderful to have you. Thank you to council. I see firsthand how hard you
all work um and how deeply you care about this town. Um, so thank you on behalf of the environmental commission and our precious environment. I want to um thank you for considering the ordinance to formally prohibit the use of toxic synthetic pesticides on
township own land and reinforcing our commitment to organic land care management and protecting our human health. Um, special thank you to mayor, deputy mayor, and uh, councelor uh, Birmingham for your leadership and great input on this. This ordinance is a
codification of the pesticide-free practices that Director Ashley and the Department of Community Services already engages in. We should recognize and thank them for these excellent practices protecting our environment and public health. Um they have proven that we can
have aesthetically pleasing lush fields, lawns, and open spaces without the use of synthetic chemicals. Just go look at Yantac, Edgemont, etc. I don't I thought Mr. Ashley was here. Thank you. Uh we should recognize uh
sorry um at the same time we learned that a formal policy and process was needed to ensure there was no room for misinterpretation around Monontlair's pesticide-free intentions. With something so important, toxins and poisons that are negatively impacting our ecosystems, public health, and pet
health, we should be crystal clear as to our policy and practices. Luckily for Montlair, it is easy since this aligns with our values and practices. uh staff members, council members, internal stakeholders, and external experts were part of the ordinance drafting, and we reviewed other environmentally
responsible town policies as well. While the goal of this ordinance is to keep um poisons out of our public outdoor spaces altogether, a rigorous exception and objective review process is included in the rare case that pesticides are
requested to solve an ecological problem that could not be otherwise resolved. If passed, you can also be proud that Montlair is again leading the way in the environment. There are only a handful of towns um and I believe only one in New Jersey with such a strong ordinance. Uh
we're hopeful that others will follow suit for the health of our broader community and ecosystem. This ordinance and our town's practices are also um a role model or can be a role model or a role model for community members who are still not sure that the use of pesticides in their yards could be
hazardous to birds, bees, and other beneficial insects. not to mention their dogs and family. Those who still use these chemicals may not realize that they have they can have an aesthetically beautiful yard without them. They may not realize the negative ecological and public health impact that chemical
mosquito spraying can have on pollinators and wildlife and that there are safer alternatives. Uh we plan to do some follow-up education outreach after this. Uh thanks again. This is a win-win for the environment um and for everyone. Thank you.
Thank you very much. Next guest, please. Number 16. This will be number 17. Number 16 again. Hello, my name is Edward Peralta. Uh, I own Powerhouse Tattoo, 4 545 Bloomfield
Avenue. Um, I started working here in Montlair in 2002. Um, I uh went on to buy the shop from my old boss in 2010. So, I've been part of this community for a long time. Uh, my shop
has been here since 1991. Uh, recently we've been having some issues. Um, usually I'm a little quiet about things that happen in the town being that we're a tattoo shop. Sometimes people don't like that. I've been here before to warn
about the town growing and there being limited services. Um, the last time I was here, I was vilified as wanting to uh have a monopoly. I'm here with a a
uh for a different situation and that being the homeless situation that's happening in town. And I'm talking about directly what's affecting us as the merchants on Bloomfield Avenue
on the block between Park and Midland. Now, there uh since I've been here, there's been many places that feed the homeless, you know, and we're all for it. We're not against it. You know, Tony's Kitchen has been here for a long time. Um Salvation Army, the Salvation
Army has been helping people for a long time. A lot of the churches in town feed the homeless. Uh, a couple of years ago, MESH started a program. They started working out of uh the old office on uh Bloomfield Avenue just a block up from
us. Um, and um we never had any issues uh until recently. You know, uh it's it's come to my attention that people have been bust in from other towns to be fed by mesh. And this comes
back to what I uh brought up before is that the town is growing. There's more people. There's more things going on, but the services are limited. So there is no one taking care of people that
need mental health that are on my block that on a busy weekend are harassing people that could be customers, you know. Um so I I wanted to address these issues. Um my first question
is I am aware that mesh has a certificate of occupancy but do they have a certificate of appropriateness? When I first bought the shop, when I wanted to put up a sign in my window, I had to come to the town,
wait for the town to approve it, I had to wait 6 months in order for me to do this. Things go on in I remember one of my neighbors in 2018 had a business called Derriè. He went through that entire
process and after he was approved and he spent tons of money on putting up his his branding, he had to take it all down because one of the members of this town opposed to it after it had been approved
by the city. My question is why wasn't this brought up to us who are the neighbors of Mesh? like, "Hey, this is going on. Right where you guys make your money, right where you guys go to work, this is going on. We're doing this. We're bringing in homeless people. We're
bringing in people with mental issues. And we're in a situation where there's nobody taking care of it." Just recently, we went to two meetings, one for the bid, uh one with uh u the police department, and we were told that
there's going to be more of a presence, but this presence is only during the week. Thank you very much. Not on the weekends. I appreciate you coming. Your your time has been up for a couple of minutes now. Okay. Well, thank you. We hear you.
All right. Um can I just kind of quick just go through a few points real quick? No. If you have a few points, we'd be happy to hear. I'll be in the office tomorrow or you can email us or if you'd like to come back. Can I just say them real quick? No. Thank you though. I appreciate you for coming. I gave you a
little bit of time. Other people um are signed up to speak and we'd like to hear from everyone. Thank you. Next person, please. Good evening. Uh Sarah Avery. I'm a Montlair resident. Good evening. I read through the fourth round housing
element uh report and as uh councelor Toller noted, there are misstatements and factually incorrect data and information. For example, on page 17, table 14, the unit detail of 11 does not agree with the total of 16. On page 18,
redevelopments to date have never included more than 10% affordable. including a range up to 20% is misleading. Table 15, the unit detail of 90 does not agree with the total of 95. The Alistister is listed with 17
affordable units, but the detail only includes 12 units. 59 Church Street is an abandoned project under foreclosure. The eight units should not be counted. Page 19. The township is not invoicing homecore for real estate taxes on a
portion of one Woodland 55 Glenidge Avenue or 18 Miller. See page 54 reference. The properties are not exempt. Uh page 21, table 21 lists the muse with 20 affordable units, but a
search of the county website reveals only four units with deed restrict restrictions. See also page 41, table 29, listing the units as uh having extension of controls. If this is correct, why aren't the deeds
restricted? Uh page 32 lists 14 Miller Street as acquired by the town to sell or lease to a nonprofit. The report fails to disclose that the property was acquired from Homecore. The town has done nothing with the property in the
past year and a half. Also see page 53 where 14 Miller is now being counted as new units. Page 39, table 27 lists single and multif family properties that were
beneficiaries of the failed and short-lived home renovation program. As previously reported, the trust funds paid for ineligible repairs and repairs on a commercial property that is not eligible. No efforts have been made to
claw back these funds. On top of that, the program administrator engages in price gouging. Page 40, table 28 lists uh 53 Mission Street, which was sold in December 2024 and per the county
website, has no deed restriction. Page 54 states the township paid Homecore 410,000 from the trust fund when they were actually paid according to the township's own reports over a million dollars including the purchase of 14
Miller. I have observed that the affordable housing program is rife with errors indicating lack of oversight and monitoring. It has been proven time and again that oversight failures often result in fraud and corruption which
fosters inequity and sustainability. I urge you to correct the plan before voting to approve. Thank you. Thank you very much. Next. Yes. Yes. Um, hey, Mayor Council Scott Gibson, uh,
Clary Anderson Arena Association. How are you? Good evening. Um, I just wanted to thank you first of all uh for everybody kind of coming together and um getting ready to save Clary and improve it. Um, when you're going to speak on the utility uh tonight, if you could
give a little explanation as to how it's going to be funded and how it's going to be populated in terms of, you know, the governance of it, uh, who's going to be in the utility would just be up. And also the other thing is that, you know, you can take advantage of us because we've got, you know, people willing to help get things done. So you don't have
to have the onus on yourself to to you know organize the utility or get a whole bunch of stuff done for clarity. You you know call on us. We're there. We got a lot of volunteers. A lot of people who've experienced with building rinks, experience managing rinks and you know Ken Lillian's here. He's the coach of
the Wolves and Coach Smith is here, the high school coach. And it's very important that we get this stuff moving quickly because they do have the schedule ice time. If they can't schedule the ice, then the whole hockey season's gone for all these teams. And so, you know, ask us, you know, and we'll help you and we'll get the stuff
done. And one thing, uh, everybody's had these problems here. The the very common, uh, problems, affordable housing, train, stuff like that. There's an organization in United States called Strong Towns. I don't know if anybody's heard of that. Now, that's, you know, we can call on those people. They come in,
they give lectures on how to organize things and how to do proper management of cities and infrastructure. They go affordable housing, all kinds of stuff like that. we leverage that knowledge, we can get a lot of stuff done with those guys. Okay, thank you again for
your help. Thank you. Next guest, please. Good evening, Mayor Baskville and council members. Good evening. I'm Jeffrey Robert Grayson and I'm a lifelong resident of Montlair. Whenever you attend a large gathering in Monontlair, whether it's Memorial Day,
Fourth of July parade, the African African-American Heritage Festival, the Pride Festival, the Jazz Festival, or the Monontlair Film Festival. Whenever someone has a microphone in their hand, the words Montlair and diversity will be heard in the same sentence.
These words probably resonate more deeply to those of us born and raised here because our character and personality were shaped by the atmosphere that that it helped us to form friendships and cross cultural and racial barriers. It helped us to
recognize the moral and ethical value of building bridges and tearing down walls while still maintaining pride in our individual heritage. This is not to suggest that Monontlair was immune to societal problems, but they pald in comparison to what we witnessed in other
parts of the country. America in 2025 is changing. The current administration seems determined to force some kind of psychological segregation and authoritarian rule. Civil rights and human rights are being violated. Freedom
of speech and the right to protest are being restricted. Minority communities are being marginalized. School districts are being threatened if they teach black history and critical race theory. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are seen as
reverse discrimination against white people. This past week, Montlair was identified as a sanctuary jurisdiction by the Department of Homeland Security. DHS Secretary Christy Gnome stated that these sanctuary city politicians are
endangering America's laws and and law enforcement in order to protect violent illegal aliens. These words make you wonder how Monontlair ended up on this list. The d the diversity, equity, and inclusion that Monontlair prides itself on and
promotes to get people to move here is seen as an affront to the Trump administration, even as gentrification diminishes the diversity that gave Monontlair the the reputation in the first place. All of this brings to mind the question of how many of Monontlair's elected
officials actually support the vision of the Trump administration while shielding themselves behind Monontlair's banner of diversity, equity, and inclusion? Does that support determine the projects that you vote for and against? Does that support create a
conflict of interest when it comes to the concerns of Montlair's African-American community? And should you recuse yourself from such matters? If ICE were to roll up in here tonight, would you be a unified council or would the cracks that have been visible since day one grow even
wider? This is a defining moment for this council. And whether you decide to stand united or remain divided, as for me in my house, I put my faith in the Lord for he will not forsake the prayers of the righteous and he will carry us through this current storm. Thank you.
Thank you. Next guest, please. Good evening. My name's Helen Litman. I live at 61 South Fullerton Avenue. So, as my shirt indicates, I'm here to talk about YGB. Yes, in God's backyard. Um I
I guess my comments are going to apply to affordable housing on all levels, but I'm going to talk specifically about this. But so I've lived here almost 30 years and part a big part of the reason
I wanted to move to Monontlair was it's known for its diversity both racial and economic diversity and it was such a kind of unique place and I loved it. I I've lived other places but I love well
I love I grew up in Newark and I love that but I I love living here. I don't want to move. But the changes I've seen threaten I feel like it. First of all, I just want to say we were very excited that the uh planning
board unanimously approved this resolution to allow housing um in community in uh congregation space. But I just want to promote this and part of the reason I feel like I've seen changes
in town. I mean, everybody's been saying that in a way, but in recent years, so I retired like more than 10 years ago, and I walk around town a lot. And in recent years particularly, there's always
somebody seeking food, seeking money, seeking like I mean, I live in downtown Monontlair and I love living there, but I feel like unless we can promote, again, people are saying the same thing. I'm just going to repeat it though.
Unless if we fail to consider that and allow various means of affordable housing, starting with, I guess, the congregation space, we're not we're going to become one of these gentrified kind of run-of-the-mill suburbs. It's
we're not going to be a place where people are seek to move because of its differences, because of its not just caring for people, but the diverse. Yes. And it hasn't been perfect and people have been making these comments, but I just want to say in order to preserve
one of Montlair's big strengths, I feel like we have to we have to move forward with finding ways to house people who can't afford are having trouble affording to live here. We want to keep
our diversity to keep our town, our suburb, city, whatever, what it's been great for. Thank you. Thank you. Next guest, please. What number? Can you
number 22? Good evening, mayor. Uh, council people. Uh, my name is Bill Baron. Um, I live at 98 Gordon Hurst Avenue. Um, I wanted to address the budget today. Um, in previous life when I used to work, um, I managed a unit
that oversaw an $800 million budget for the MTA, uh, for the Department of Buses there. And the budget process that I've seen here, Speak up. Is this better? Yeah. Uh the budget process I've seen here
uh has a couple of uh holes that may be uh governed or required by the uh state forms that I see you use. Um but I just want to point them out and see if uh maybe in the future uh we can improve
that. Uh the first thing that I noticed is that the actual the the only information presented on the budget is last year's budget and this year's budget. There's no information at all provided as to what the actual expenditures were for each category in
the previous year. How can you determine what your budget should be if you don't know what you spent on that particular item in the previous year? Uh should be obvious. I people are shaking their heads. Yes, I'm sure all of you have done budgets before and should be
standard procedure. Um the other thing that uh I found missing was the lack of any key performance indicators uh for the departments uh that indicated what their um how to measure their uh efficiency, how to measure their
performance. Uh what are the key indicators that say that they're doing their job. At the previous uh hearing uh that the police and the fire came uh Eileen had to ask questions. How many
uh uh incidents did you report on or you know did you cover all that should be part of the budget process should be uh part of the information uh that's given to uh you as council people and to us as uh the public. Thank you.
Thank you very much. Next guest please. 23 Good evening, Mayor, Council, Mr. Marks. We haven't met before. Uh I'm Kathleen Bennett and I'm the uh chairperson of the Montlair Historic Preservation Commission and tonight I'm here to
respectfully request that you stop the work at Wong Plaza Park. Uh the park is located in a uh historic district. It was designated in 2012. And just to pull out a bit of what
is listed in this report, the Wong Plaza Historic Business District includes the Wong Avenue station, the Wong Plaza Park, and Wong Park and commercial properties on Wong Avenue, Wong Plaza,
and Fairfield Street. The district is historically significant as an early 20th century neighborhood, shopping area, and transportation center and for the notable role that no local citizens organized as the Wong improvement association assumed in its planning and
development. The district has additional significant in the area of architecture for its English cottage style commercial buildings and for association with architects Clifford C. Wendhack and Arthur Ramphers, which were both local architects uh and practice many
buildings in town. The district's two major landscape features, WHung Plaza Park and Wong Park, are significant elements of the district, establishing entry points into WHung Avenue Station. The parks are as integral in integral to
the overall design, feeling, and association of the district as the commercial architecture that lines its streets. In summary, the Wong Plaza Historic Business District's integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association
remains high. As a group, the district's buildings and landscape features convey the significance, historical associations of the district as a planned neighborhood shopping center serving commuters on the Eerie Railroad and the surrounding area from the early
20th century to the present. Now, I wasn't aware that the that the renovations going on at the park included uh what was going on in the park because when you approved the budget item in February, I believe, I
knew that there was, you know, there's been a long problem with the lighting and the traffic circulation at the head of the park. I assumed that that was that was what this money was going towards. However, when the Montlair local article came out last week, it
really raised alarms and um so I'd like to know looking at this new plan which is posted on the fence and also in this Montlair local article, one could see that there were no particulars to the furniture, the type of pavers, the new benches, the type of gazebo and very
important the landscape that's who knows what's going to go in there. Um, so I'd like to know who actually looked at this plan and who approved it. I've been trying to get in touch with Mr. Austin. He hasn't gotten back to me. I know it came from community services. So, I ask
you again respectfully uh to let us review what is going on in the park and give us and give you our recommendations. Thank you. Thank you very much. Next guest, please. Good evening, mayor and council. My name
is Ray Ria and I'm a local entrepreneur. I live in the first ward and I'm starting a business in the fourth ward. And my company is the fully licensed cannabis manufacturer called Tle Tle Ehl. And we have a triple bottom line
mission which means that we have a focus on people, planet, and profit. And the vision there is to have renewable energy and climate resilience being both keystones of our
operation. We're just about to start our buildout and at this time I don't have the budget to go full blast on all this. Um for a perfect example is heat pumps for HVAC uh versus a a natural gas powered units on my commercial uh light
industrial facility. So, I'm planning to come back and retrofit that. And that's why I want to talk today about a program called Garden State CPACE. CPACE stands for commercial property assessed clean energy. And it's a program that was approved by the NJA at the end of
2024. It's financing for renewable energy, energy efficiency, water conservation, and certain resiliency improvements in commercial and industrial properties. and it's repaid via special assessment like a sewer charge and it can cover up to 100% of
project costs on a repayment term of 30 years with so this is a much more attractive financing option especially for my company in the cannabis industry where many other financing options are not available but it is available to us but municipalities must opt
in all that we have to do in Montlair is to opt in and then collect and remit those payments. There's never any money outlay from the municipality. And in fact, the town can recoup up to
$1,250 per project per year for administrative costs. This is new to New Jersey, but it's been around for over a decade, and it's active in over 30 states. Um, and almost $10 billion have been invested through this program on
over 3,600 commercial projects, making more than 120,000 job hours created. And um there's Montlair has a uh climate action plan and
uh Garden State CPACE will be an economic development tool for the municipalities uh because energy upgrades create a more competitive environment for retaining and attracting new businesses, lowering energy costs, reducing greenhouse gases and other pollutants, creating construction jobs,
and possibly also creating permanent hubs. Um uh specifically this is for energy efficiency, renewable energy systems, EV charging infrastructure, energy storage, water conservation, hurricane resistance construction, flood resistant
construction, etc. So, please consider opting in. The opt-in ordinance and program agreement are already available from the EDA. So, it's a very light lift that I'm asking for. Thank you. Thank you. Next guest, please. application available.
Hi there. My name is Ann Lapel. I live at 10 Crestmont Road and I've been here before. I am a founding member of the Monontlair Gateway to Aging in Place and a founding member of the Monontlair Collective for Modern Aging. Lifelong
Monontlair Collective for Modern Aging. Um I'm here because you've heard about the word that is resonating diversity. We are priding ourselves on economic diversity, racial diversity, and I'm advocating for age
diversity. Um, for that reason, we support the f the fair share housing plan for 2025. We are very happy that the people from the the Clary Anderson arena have been able to come to resolution on their
advocacy. Um, I want to understand from you guys how fast this came about compared to the senior center. We've been trying to get a senior center since 2008. We realize that you have to do due diligence. We celebrated in March of
2024 a resolution, an ordinance establishing a senior center. But here we are in May 2025 and there's been a pause in the construction of the senior center. We've been given no information
and no timetable. We're not demanding, but we really want to be part of the conversation. In fact, we formed an organization, a nonprofit organization called the collective in
which the township and the seniors of Monontlair are supposed to sit down at the table together. The collective is there to help solve problems and leverage the energy of the seniors of Monontlair to
get something done. So I am urging you age diversity means that you understand we pay taxes, we vote in municipal elections way more than anybody else and we need to be part of the conversation.
Thank you. Thank you. Next guest, please. 27. Hi, Shirley Grill, 11 Prescott Avenue, 40 years plus uh in Monontlair. I guess that makes me a senior, too. Um I
actually came I'm also uh president of the board of Homecore. And I came here to encourage you to pass the housing element and fair share plan. Uh because we know we know from our experience with
people who live in our apartments how much Monontlair needs more affordable housing. Um what worries me about the plan is actually that it's not binding. that you can pass the plan and
the planning board passed the plan. But the well-kept secret, and I don't know if everyone here knows this, is that because Monontlair has ostensibly met its obligation for affordable housing,
this welldone plan doesn't hold you accountable. Doesn't hold all of us accountable. So my my request is that we hold ourselves accountable to these high principles that everybody's been
espousing here. But then I thought I was just going to sit here and knit. I'm working on something for my grandbaby. But then I heard Homecore mentioned. I said, "Wait a minute. I want you to understand
Homecore founded 35 years ago. like many of the other important town organizations represents diversity. Over 60% of homecourse
residents are black American black African-Americans people of color. Over 8% 10% are senior citizens. We have age diversity. We have racial diversity and
we have the housing that houses the poorest people in Monontlair. We provide housing for the lowest income. It is not workforce housing. It is not that moderate
affordable housing. So if you want to talk about economic diversity, come visit our neighborhoods. They're wonderful. They're beautiful and it does provide housing for people who are
financially strapped. And I want to clear something up. We actually sold 14 Miller. So the town paid us for that, but the town got a house. So the town didn't quote give us money. The town has given us mortgage
property money to acquire properties. Those are mortgages that the town holds. The town has not given Homecore millions. If you'd like to, we'd be happy to take you. Thank
you. Next guest, please. Good evening. Good evening. Gary Smith, Welssley Road, longtime resident. I'm here to uh thank you for your efforts on the uh Clary Anderson Arena and to urge you to keep pressing on it. It's an
important facility in town. I I I'm impressed with the creative uh utility concept you've raised and I'm curious how it's going to work. So, I want just want to urge you to keep pressing. Thanks. Thank you. Next guest, please.
Good evening everyone. My name is Dearra Mallaloy. I live at 38 Lexington Avenue and I had no intention on speaking this evening. But um I am going to speak about the plan and make a recommendation that um whatever the errors are be
amended before it's fully passed. Um, I think it's serious enough that uh it bears making sure that it's accurate. Um, and and I have to say that as it relates to the municipality meeting its
obligation, any housing that's done, whether it's rehab or what have you, the municipality, if it creates an ordinance, it will be accountable. Um that's the other thing I wanted to say.
Now I want to also speak about uh homecore and for years homecore has been a place that everyone has adored and I provided documentation that some of you
have that was pretty thorough to just review some of the concerns that many had had regarding some of the challenges that Homecore has faced over the and recently of which I
will not mention cuz I'm not that person. The other thing I will say is whenever anyone else comes up here to the podium with any finding or concern they have it is not information that I
have provided to them. I think the people who have spoken about homecore, the budget or whatever else it is are quite capable as either professionals, auditors or wherever their background is to provide their own opinions. I was
just approached recently in this chamber asking whether or not I provided information to someone who spoke at this podium. No. But had I done so, it would have been much more thorough. I want to make that very clear, but I am staying
out of the situation and I don't need to provide because this council knows what needs to be done and I want to thank you for your work and your time. And that's all I have to say. Thank you. Next guest, please. Mayor, there's no more speaker. There's the
last guest. Okay. Thank you very much. Okay. Okay. Um, we're going to move on to the public hearing on the 2025 municipal budget. The 2025 municipal budget of the
township of Montlair. This is a municipal budget of the township of Montclair County of Essex for the fiscal year 2025. I have a resolution regarding the reading of the budget by title only. I
will read that resolution. Whereas NJSA 40A col4-8 was amended provides that the budget shall be read in full at the
public hearing or that it may be read by title only if a at least one week prior to the date of the hearing and at the hearing a complete copy of the approved budget shall be made available for public inspection and B is made
available to each person requesting same during said week and during the public hearing. Now therefore be it resolved by the council of the township Montclair that it is hereby declared that the
conditions of NJSA 40A col4-8 was amended set forth in subsection 1A and 1B and have been met. Therefore the budget for 2025 shall be
read by title only. Mayor, I certify that those requirements have been met. I offer the foregoing resolution and move its adoption. I second the motion.
Madame clerk, please call the role. Deputy Mayor Anderson, yes. Councelor Birmingham, yes. Councelor Damato, yes. Councelor Lochman, yes. Councelor Toller, yes. Councelor Williams, yes. Mayor Baskerville, yes.
The resolution to read the budget by title is adopted. I will entertain a motion to open the hearing on the budget. I move I move that the um I'm sorry. I move um that the budget hearing be opened. I
second the motion. This may be done by voice vote. I. All in favor? Hi. Hi, Mayor. This is the time fix for the public hearing on the municipal budget and tax resolution for 2025. The budget
was introduced by the governing body on May 6, 2025. Was advertised as required by law on May 22, 2025, together with notice of hearing for this time. A copy of the budget has been made available to the public during the past week for anyone desiring to view it. Anyone who
has not seen a copy of the budget may view it now. There are copies in the room and it can be viewed on this evening's a or on this evening's agenda online on the council meeting agenda. It's on that page in the township
website. Any introductory remarks? Nope. I wish to outline the procedure. Those who wish to participate now during public comment should approach the podium and please limit your comments to
no more than three minutes. We welcome you to come forward to the podium. Address all comments to the chair where necessary. Speakers must confine themselves solely to the municipal budget before us.
School or county matters are not proper subjects of this hearing and cannot be discussed or answered here tonight. I now declare opening the public hearing on the municipal budget and t tax
resolution for 2025. You may come forward. Hi, I'm Mariana. I live on I'm sorry you can't hear you. Hi. Good evening. I'm Mariana. I live on Gordon Husse Avenue in Monontlair and I brought some
printouts um of data I have been analyzing. But basically, I'd like to ask you what has changed in this budget? because I think many of you have spoken about the need to move the township
towards a more fiscally sustainable path and I spent quite a lot of time with the budget and I really don't see substantive change uh and I see a path that's going to lead to disaster at the
next budget and I also see a pattern where Monontlair has m many many many more employees than would have been expected given the size of our municipality that we spend a lot more on personal cost
than would have been expected given the size of municipality when compared to other New Jersey municipalities. So, I'd like to hear from you if you could today some comments on, you know,
explaining what's going to happen next year when our health insurance goes up by 26% again and pension costs continue to go up because you were funding the same number of employees that you funded last year and the year before and one
more this year. And how does that shift us toward the path of sustainability? And Susan Shinand Anderson, I would like to ask you directly because during the campaign, you said that you'd ask the
manager to outline a organizational chart that explains what every employee in the municipality does and you'd want to review that and understand uh what opportunities there were for change. And I wonder if you had that opportunity and I wonder if you could share with the
public what you learned and how that has informed this budget because we can't see it yet and it would be really lovely to see it. Um so I'd like to and lastly for Mr. Max the UFB sheet 9. I would
love to hear from you how you changed the accumulated absence liability in Karnney because I make a hobby of reading municipal budgets and I noticed that Kernney had a very moderate amount of absence liability and when you came
in in 2020 that went down to zero and Monontlair has an obscenely large absence liability. So, I'd love to hear from you how you changed that in Karnney because it was really, really impressive. I can't believe that every year after we went into Karnney, every
year you have zero absence liabilities reported in UFB9 for Karnney and in Monontlair, there is a huge challenge. So, I'd like to hear how you're going to change that here. Um, so for your
consideration, I printed two pages of a data merge that I did that shows the mun the average municipal use taxes for every municipality with a population between 30 and 50,000 people in New
Jersey. and Monontlair is second only to the city of Orange, between municipalities with population between 30 and 50,000. A big difference between us and the city of Orange is that the city of Orange receives a lot of state
aid and we do not. So, we just can't charge as much in municipal use taxes as they do. we really need to come out of this 96 percentile that we're stuck in at the state level and maybe consider
joining places like Princeton at like the 87th percentile. That's not cheap and those are not, you know, bad municipal services. That's pretty generous. Uh or maybe if we got really smart, maybe we could join Westfield,
which is another town that has excellent municipal services, but it's much more efficient and would bring us down a little below the 70th percentile. That would be truly amazing. And because what I see right now is the
municipality that's not serving its taxpayers, it's not serving its residents, it's a jobs program. And I'm a really big fan of John Kanes. However, when you're
funding when you're funding this jobs program with property taxes, you're not taking into consideration how regressive property taxes are. It really doesn't matter if your income goes up or goes down, if you lose your
job, or if your income stays the same. Property taxes are there. It's not variable by income, but you you still have to pay for it with your income. So, we can't have a Kenian municipality unless we're going to start getting income taxes from the federal
government. Uh I would love to hear some from you today and I'm going um so I printed here also the budget page that I referenced the two budget pages that I referenced
and the two data tables that I referenced. One is municipalities between 30 and 50,000 and the other is the what about municipalities because when I show someone this list of municipalities with 30 to 50,000 there
all those other local nearby neighboring municipalities that people ask me about. So I hope you find this helpful. uh and the green columns I just standardized the data for each town by a population 40,000 by dividing whatever the value
was by the population multiplying by 40,000 because that gives you comparable numbers and I I'm a demographer so I need to standardize things by population uh I hope you appreciate it if you want to say something you can say
it right now. See, trust you. I'm not too person. Is there anyone else that wishes to come forward? you wanted to say something I move on. Mayor, there's no more speaker. Thank
you. Um, observing no further persons wishing to speak. I will entertain a motion to close the hearing after I find out what councelor Williams um wishes to say. Did you wish to say something,
counselor? Okay. So, um, observing no further persons wishing to speak, I will entertain a motion to close the hearing. Mayor, I move that the hearing be closed. I second the motion.
Madame Clerk, Deputy Mayor, sorry. No, you're on it. Go ahead. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Deputy Mayor Anderson. Councelor Birmingham. Yes. Councelor Damato. Yes. Councelor Lochman, yes. Councelor Toller, yes. Councelor Williams, yes. Mayor Baskerville, yes.
The hearing is now closed. Madame Mayor, yes. Uh, may I request the township clerk be instructed to read section two of the adopting resolution for the budget? Madame clerk, will you please read the resolution?
Be it resolved by the governing body of the township of Monontlair County of Essex that the budget here and before set forth is hereby adopted and shall constitute an appropriation for the purposes stated in the sum therein set forth as appropriations and authorization of the amount of
$62,590,915.35 for municipal purposes. $3,888,915 for library purposes, $7,744,1 for school debt service purposes in type 1 school district to be raised by taxation. I offer the foregoing resolution and move it adoption.
I second that motion. Madame clerk, please call the role. Deputy Mayor Anderson, yes. Councelor Birmingham, yes. Councelor Damato, yes. Councelor Laughman, yes. Councelor Toller, yes. Councelor Williams, yes. Mayor Baskerville, yes. The municipal budget
and tax resolution for 2025 is adopted. All right. Okay. Resolution R25-156 was just adopted. We're going to move on to pending ordinances on second
reading. Uh we'll start with uh Council Toller, please. Sure. Uh letter C. Correct. That's where we are. Yes. Sure. Pending ordinance 0-25-17, Township of Montlair, an ordinance to amend section 127,
disorderly conduct on the code of the township of Montlair, New Jersey. Um I so move second discussion. I'm going to open um this up to public hearing without any objection.
Is there anyone here who wishes to be heard um on these pending ordinances? Pending ordinance 025-17. Is there anyone who wishes to be heard? No. Council members. Madame
clerk. Deputy Mayor Anderson. Yes. Councelor Birmingham. Yes. Councelor Damato. Yes. Councelor Lochman. Yes. Councelor Toller. Yes. Councelor Williams. Yes. Mayor Baskerville. Yes. Council Williams,
please. D. Pending ordinance 025. Yes. I'm sorry. 18. Mhm. Pending ordinance 0-25-18. An ordinance to amend section 234 park regulations of the code of of the township of Montlair, New Jersey.
consumption in township parks sponsored by Mayor Baskville and councelor Toller. So move second discussion comment councelor Lman Councelor Lachman and councelor Birmingham.
I I guess I just um needed some clarification as this is a an ordinance um and we define so many things when we have ordinances. So it says in the second paragraph within an enclosed area with a regulated entrance.
I mean what does that really mean? That means that there's going to be an enclosed parameter. What is a regulated designated? So within that confined area, there will be an entrance and an
exit that will be um monitored by a security individual. And from what I understand, all people entering or ex when you enter, you will get a armband very similar to this type of thing to demonstrate that you passed the provisions for your age and whatever.
And then at that time, you will be granted access to that confined area. Go ahead. So, I'm just wondering should we expand on that in the ordinance so people understand. I I don't know. We do we do we do a lot of explaining in many
of our ordinances and I'm wondering if we need to explain a little bit more about this just like you have. I I I'm just throwing it out there for discussion. I'm sure we can amend it later. Okay. Mayor. Yes. Came um deputy mayor.
So, just to clarify for anybody who hasn't seen this, it's just to be to to clarify this is this is only um permitted if approved by the council and within parks only and within like it's not the entire park where you're
allowed to have this. It's just a little space um and for permitted events only. So, there has to be a permit for the event itself where the alcohol will be sold. Um my my question has more to do
with process and whether there is any sense of what this process will look like um and who is going to be processing these requests. So from what I understand, it will be the same uh
process that we now have through our uh recreation department where the permits are given for people to use the our parks facilities. There will be an area on there that you will check off um whatever it is that you may be utilizing
and this will be included in there. The people that will be doing this have already received their state uh lensures. what that they need to have an alcoholic consumption and they will go through um then the next process that
they will do very similarly to what they've done in our recreation department for many years. This is just something that is added and it's not the first time that that we've offered this. It's just that um as as you recall many times like um other people like Jazz
House and people will have a a very structured confined area where they will offer an alcoholic beverage. Um and they're even doing this now. It's just not in physically the park space. So for example at Nishuain Park if people are
doing things they can offer alcoholic beverage in a certain area just not in the park. So, this will just allow them to shift over slightly into the park area in a confined area that is uh monitored by security that has been
vetted by our amazing recreation staff and by the state guidelines and by the clerk's office. Okay. So, I think um so thank you for explaining that. So, I understand that there's coordination between the parks department and the clerk's office. Um,
and just for clarification, when will this, if we vote and we and this passes on second reading, when will this become effective? 20 days. That to me, Madam Madame Clerk, can you help me with the time period? Is it 20 days or I'm
not? Yes. So, you're looking at the 23rd, 24th of June. Yes. Thank you, Madam Clerk. I appreciate that. Um, I just have one suggestion just for
clarificating the e-code. um where it says the mayor and council of the township of Montlair may permit bend vending, pedaling, advertising and signs to to sub to include there may permit by resolution vending pedaling
and advertising just so that they know that a resolution is needed. I think it's a very minor change. I think that's an excellent change. Thank you. Um councelor Birmingham, I'm sorry. So, uh, may I? Yes. Um,
council Lachman. So, you know, I'm looking at this and trying to understand your question and look at this at the same time. Are you suggesting that every time someone applies for a permit and has merch and, you know, stuff that they have to come and get a resolution by the
council? That seems a little bit cumbersome. May is I'm sorry, madame clerk, please. Councelor Lochman, the uh the advertising that councelor Birmingham was referencing is for the sale of
alcohol. Oh, just for the sale of Yes, ma'am. So, they'll put up signage within their tent, you know, advertising the sale of alcohol. Yeah. Okay. Thank you. So, Council Birmingham, did you wish to
um offer an amendment to what's here or um how would you like to proceed? Sure. I I make a motion to amend pending ordinance 02518 to say may permit by resolution
vending pedaling advertising. Um I don't believe this is a substantial change. Right. That I would agree counselor. Okay. Great. Mayor. Yes. Um I just I just also have that same question. Does that mean that we need to
approve every license, every permit by resolution for alcohol? Only only only in a park if it's going to be in the parks cuz how else would you permit it? The mayor and councel to get their
license um through this process. The clerk I mean it would be an automatic would be by right but then this has to change. I mean well maybe Maybe it should be town manager. Council Damato, do you want share that so we can
hear on this? Yeah, I'm sorry. I just don't uh again, you know, both because of our own the crush of business that we face and the not do we need as a body of seven people to decide every time somebody wants to have like a little tent and sell, you
know, and sell some uh White Claw. I I'm comfortable letting the manager sell the White Claw like or or the clerk. I don't think it needs to come to us each time. That's all. And and that that's a good point. I can um share with you that the
discussion was um to to try to make sure that we're just not opening the floodgates to everyone in particular. This was discussed for nonprofits and you know, Mont Clair folks. And then the discussions that were had, what about when so and so comes from out of town or
someone else, you know, are we going to just let everybody come on in and have access to alcohol in the park or were we going to try to, you know, keep it primarily for Mont Clair um activities and nonprofits and other things? this
this council has the ability to make a decision that we do not feel that it needs to come to us that it can go um through the process and not come to us if that that's the uh desire of the majority of the people here. Yes, Council Damato. Uh Mr. Attorney, like I
mean can we discriminate against people from out of town? Can we just say that this this group of people get to paddle alcohol and a different group of people don't depending on where they're from? I mean, especially you can't you cannot be arbitrary and
precious any capacity. So there's certain factors you can review, but you can't simply discriminate against uh out oftowners. So we would we would want to have a written policy of who we favor and who we disfavor. You could probably Yeah, we can put that in writing. But
I'm just telling you that was the discussion that was there. If we need to put some other things in writing, I'm cert certainly we can. Could we put in writing such policy just as a resolution later on that would be allow the clerk
to judge what was going on judge what our criteria were in your instance it would be who who was reviewing the permission or that approving the permit. Well, in general, when a permit is issued for things like on the street to
have that, it just goes to the clerk clerk's office and they handle it. Then it goes to recreation, right? Yeah. Uh for street closures, they apply for a block party permit. That's how it's termed. And that goes through the police
department traffic division and the manager's office. Okay. So, the park, it doesn't go through the recreation. where the other permits go for for the park mayor. Yes, it will go through recreation, but I thought the counselor's question was about closing the street. Oh, I'm sorry. I I missed
that. I thought we were talking about the park still. Sorry. Yes, councelor Birmingham. But doesn't almost everything involving alcohol come through the council. The governing body serves as the
alcoholic beverage control board. So, as you'll see tonight, you have resolutions before you to renew those licenses. Yeah. So, yes, that's a good point. I mean, I don't anticipate there's going to be that many of these. I
I don't I I guess we'll see, but I mean, we have our meeting schedule and that's when we'd be voting on them. So, I don't see Yeah. and and and if we um you know start this and we feel you know there's
other things that we have to amend or change or we just say no this is not for us. It's not you know like we can't change the laws after we've given it an opportunity to see what might be missing or what we might need to add or where we how we feel about it. Sure. I'm sorry I
left out. There was one concern that I had in particular which is that if we need to be approving it and like until we decided last week to have a meeting on the 24th of June, we would have had a gap from June 3rd to July 22nd. And
that's exactly the period of time when people should be partying in the park. So it's just I'm just looking out for the party people basically. That's it. Oh, if this is passed tonight, you all need to rush in and get your permits done because after our next meeting in
June, you will not catch us for a while towards the end of July. Um, but yeah, that's that's a good point. Um, but I would I would really appreciate it if we could uh move and vote on this and um then if we need to to make some changes
later then if we could do that then I'm I'm open for whatever discussions may need to follow. Uhhuh. And then Yes. And so but he said that was not appreciative.
It didn't change much. So we have to vote on the amendment. I Yes. Um, madam cler mayor. Thank you. I have councelor Birmingham moving for the nons substantive amend amendment may permit by resolution but second. Second. Okay.
Thank you. You like to call the role on the amendment? Yes, ma'am. Thank you. Deputy Mayor Anderson. Yes. Councelor Birmingham. Yes. Councelor Damato. Yes. Councelor Laughlin. Yes. Councelor Toller. Yes. Councelor Williams. Yes. Mayor Baskerville? Yes. Okay. Thank you.
Um, Deputy Mayor, will you please do the next? Mayor, we need to vote on the amended resolution. Okay. If you're ready to do that at this. I am. Thank you, Madam Clerk. You're welcome. Deputy Mayor Anderson, yes. Councelor Birmingham, yes.
Councelor Damato, yes. Councelor Lochman, yes. Councelor Toller, yes. Councelor Williams, yes. Mayor Baskerville, yes. Thank you very much. Now, Deputy Mayor, if you'd be so kind to do pending ordinance um E, please.
Sure. Um, pending ordinance 0-25-9, an ordinance to amend chapter 341 water article 1 facilities use rates and charges. I so move second discussion. Okay. I just have a
question. Yes. um this will be in effect in 20 days and um I understand the need and the reason to increase and how are we notifying residents um did they get something already in writing or just
I'm just curious is there anyone from the department of utilities who will come forward and then after that as as people in our audience wish to be heard on this please you can start lining up on that side to come in if you have questions on this particular
pending ordinance. Thank you for coming. I have like three questions. I'll give you an answer to your first question. It's easy that this is just rates for our tapping fees. So, this is just for us to come out and do new connections to the water manes. This has not been changed since 1993. Okay. So, essentially every time we go out, we're
losing money. Okay. Okay. Um there's a a question I have in your memo. Um the third paragraph here and I guess it's the third line down. It says we also ease an extra 1 million. Just what does that mean? Ease an extra. Uh that should
be lease. They're missing an L. Okay, very good. And do you know why or can you perhaps inform us rather? Why did the electric bill I guess the increase go up? Is it What memo is this for? Is this for the the tapping fee rates?
Yeah. You Yeah. This one here dated uh May 9th attached to the one. It's attached to it. Well, it's saying that you spent x number of dollars on electricity. Um Oh, no. This is a this is a different memo.
I don't know why this got attached to this one. This was a memo discussing rates for uh water rates in general. This was a I don't know why this was added to the this one. There's a different memo that
goes with this one. So, this is this is essentially just tapping fees. The this memo should not be with this. I can email you the memo that should be with this. I don't know. This is something we are looking to impose that we discussed, but this isn't some this isn't the memo for the taps. Okay. So, do you see what I'm
Yeah. No, I I understand what you're saying, but this is this does not So, what what you're what the question you're asking, I can answer the question. Okay, then we can do that offline. I'll email Yeah, that's fine. You can email it to me. That's fine. Cuz I'm I was trying to make it make sense for water and electricity, but Well, we
we all our we have high electricity bills. Those pumps never shut off. Well, we can talk about that. That's fine. The next go round, right? Yeah, that's fine. Councelor Lachman. Hi, Mr. Premier. I have a question for you. You said that these rates haven't gone gone up since 1993. That is correct. Would it make any
sense to have to put in some place here subject to also an annual increase of a certain percentage? So we would have to do that. So we base this these fees off our salaries but also our material bid that you guys awarded at the uh previous meetings. Um so we would have to base
that off the increase of the materials as they come in every two years for the bid. Oh, I see. So, so, so essentially what these numbers do is this we break even on this. This is just our cost down to the penny. What it cost us to go do the work. So, if things go up in two years, then Yeah. Then then we'll have to adjust it in two years. We have to
come remend it. That's why why wasn't it changed since 1993? I can't answer that question. Any members of the public wish to be heard on this ordinance? Anyone else from council? Madame clerk.
Deputy Mayor Anderson. Yes. Councelor Birmingham. Yes. Councelor Damato. Yes. Councelor Laughman. Yes. Councelor Toller. Yes. Councelor Williams. Yes. Mayor Baskerville. Yes. All right. That concludes our pending ordinances on
second reading. And we're moving on now to new business ordinances. for the public who not aware. We don't offer the public an opportunity to come and raise questions on new business ordinances. But when they become pending ordinance
on the second reading, that's when we invite you to come forward. However, if things here and between now and that time you have questions, please feel free to reach out to us. Um, councelor Lochman, please. Um
uh so I move ordinance 0-25-20 an ordinance to amend section 327 vehicles and traffic of the code of the township of Montlair, New Jersey. And it's basically to add multi- uh way stop signs at certain intersections.
Second. Oh, you should I just perhaps maybe we should read the intersection so the public's aware of what Okay, I'll read the intersections which are the following described locations are hereby designated as multi-way stop intersections and stop
signs shall be installed on both the major and minor street as follows. The major street, Upper Mountain Avenue. The minor street, Wong Avenue. The major street, Gates Avenue. The minor street, Hawthorne Place. Council Williams. Yep. Uh my u colleague
councelor Toller and I have been looking at this uh intersection along with uh Elm and Hawthorne as well, which I think traffic study has done. So, appreciate getting this uh done. I I think a a lady was hit at this
intersection of Gate and Gates and Hawthorne a few weeks back. Uh so, you know, neighbors have been asking about this. So, appreciate it. Council members, any further input, questions? No, I would just say also
similarly on Upper Mountain in Wong, there's been a traffic study done and I think people are interested in in some traffic coming there. So, thank you. Thank you to all who have worked hard to get this to this point. Uh, Madame Clerk,
Deputy Mayor Anderson, yes. Councelor Birmingham, yes. Councelor Damato, yes. Councelor Laughman, yes. Councelor Toller, yes. Councelor Williams, yes. Mayor Baskerville, yes. Thank you. Um, Mayor Birmingham, please. New business.
G, I got a promotion. Um, I heard that. Um, ordinance 025-21. Um, an ordinance to amend section 327, vehicles and traffic of the
code of the township of Montlair, New Jersey. Be it ordained by the council of the township of Montlair. Um, this is in the county of Essex that Monontlair code section 327-7 prohibited turns at intersections
hereby be amended to read as follows. Prohibited turns at intersections. No person shall make a turn of the kind designated below at any of the following locations. And these are four streets um where there will be no left. So on St.
Luke's Place, direction of travel north, prohibited turn left at all hours the intersection of Bloomfield Avenue. On Bloomfield Avenue, direction of traffic travel west, prohibited turn left all hours at the intersection of St. Luke's
Place. I don't understand it. Bloomfield Avenue East. Um, prohibited turn left at all hours at the intersection of Francis Place and Francis Place South. prohibit a turn left at all hours at the intersection of Bloomfield Avenue. Um,
and I so move second discussion. Yeah. Yes. Council William just to if folks at home can kind of picture this. This is the area by Whole Foods on Bloomfield Avenue. So, Mayor Mayor, can I Thank you. Yes.
Um, councelor Damato and then deputy mayor. Um, Mr. Ashley, where how do we Good evening. How do How do we indicate like going for the the left on the St. Luke's place? Where is
the no left turn indicator there? Well, we'll we'll have to add one. So, that will be through the county. will coordinate with them to restripe the intersection to disallow the left onto St. Louis because currently it's allowed so which is the I did it the other day and it
fell I felt like a criminal. It was it's terrible. It's a bad idea. But I'm just wondering where do you put the no left? You turn you have to go all the way the elimination of that turning lane. I believe is there there is no turning lane. There's there's a dotted line on
the far side of it but there'll be no no big signs. Right. Yeah. There be well on St. Luke's itself would be a no left turn in okay there'll be no other way of signing it in the street right okay
you got deputy mayor um well I I have a question and a comment so I'm just trying to so how would people how would people get to St. Luke's um place and and Francis Place. Then from Bloomfield, they would have to
drive up. Yeah, you'd still have to turn right. You have the option to turn right if you're coming down Bloomfield Avenue, but you'd have to go around up to the uh next block, make the left at the controlled intersection, and then go around. Okay. Um and my comment is um I
know there are a lot of questions about like how these you know result and um I I just just from the memo you know I just want to make it clear that you know um and this is based on this decision I guess this traffic study was based on a review of um total available crash
records and it says a total of 20 accidents have been reported at that intersection in the last 5 years including four that are were specifically related to left-hand turns. Right. So I think that makes dangerous intersections. Yes.
As a period of five years. That's a 5year period. That's that's the we commonly look back five years to get an understanding of how the intersection uh operates. That's a good indicator for us. Okay. So four accidents in that location in five years is is a is a lot.
20. No. But left hand make the left hand turn. Yes. It's elevated. Yeah. We believe that those the left hands are significant contributor not just in that what type of enforcement do you foresee and I know that that's not your department and I'm going to I'm going to
tell you I'm asking you why because even when you come out of Whole Foods right there's a sign that says no lefthand turn and everybody a lot of people pull up to that stop when you're coming out onto Bloomfield Avenue look to the left
look to the right and go ahead and I am personally more frightened for the people that are trying to do that type of creeping out than if you can just if you know traffic is coming out. If there's no enforcement, people are going to continue to do it and it's just bad.
So, I'm just are there things that we should be doing that we're not doing when we put signs up to to try to encourage people in a different way. I know it should be enough. I'm not saying that anyone should do that. I'm just telling
you almost every single time that I come out of Whole Foods and I'm tempted sometimes, but I rotate around and go out the side door because I don't want to be in that position. You know, that's going to Mont Clear Local will be sitting there and take that picture. But
what what are we not doing that we can do to try to, you know, really come up with some things that people are going to adhere to? Well, I I think that's a discussion we could have with the county um and to see what their ideas are specifically for that uh problem because I understand that is a very uh
pronounced problem. It happens often. Um but I think there's other things we could be looking at as as far as um delineators and things like that in the street. I've seen that work in other areas. Yeah. Um that's an option I think that could work here. Is that ballards and different things like that? Okay.
All right. Well, whatever. Okay. I just want to make sure that we are not just it it gets frustrating you know when we sit here and we make all of these wonderful laws and things and then you know if you can pretty much at that time tell what people are going to find you
know what they're going to have something that's going to really enforcement for or if it's just something to say that we did that because we think it's going to make it more safe and then we're not coming up with ballards or we're not doing whatever it would really take to to get
a change of behavior at those locations. So, thank you. May I? Yes. Um, councelor Toller. Yep. Thank you. Um, if you're going to have a conversation with the county about putting those Ballards in that portion or perhaps if it's a recommendation from them, would you also add the conversation to the Smashburger
and Panera location cuz people coming down Bloomfield Avenue make that left and cross the yellow line every single day. The traffic actually sometimes backs up. Um, not that this has anything to do with this ordinance, but I know that you said you might be having some conversations and I do agree that those
ballers may work because I've seen them like you you've seen them in other places where it just keeps the traffic going so they can't make a left or can't make a right to cross the double yellow. So hopefully you'll keep us a breast of those conversations. But if you can add
that location to your agenda topic item, I would appreciate it. Thank you. Yes, Councelor Birmingham. Thank you, Mayor. Um, can I just ask because St. Luke's Place, so if you're driving west on Bloomfield and you want to go to the
museum, that's where you might choose to turn left. And I can understand um both for preventing accidents and just preventing bottlenecks on Bloomfield Avenue, like where people are waiting to turn left and you have to go around them.
So, but just for people who live or who want to get to the museum, like okay, so if you want to get to the museum, you'd have to go up to um South Mountain South Mountain and there's a turn there's a left there. So, for people in the
museum, that's pretty straightforward. But for people who live on St. Luke's, they can't make go left. They're going to have to go in Newark. All the way all the way up. Yep. If you work in New York, you have to go up and
over and down and get stuck at the hillside school traffic. Okay. Okay. I'm just trying to figure out the Okay. Thank you, Bloomfield. Okay. Okay. Thank you.
Thank you. Anyone else? Madame Clerk. Oh, I'm sorry. One more question. Did this arise from uh people in the neighborhood requesting this? So, this arose from we went to do a study of St. Luke's in general because
there was a this came up at a community meeting. Um a couple of residents asked for us to go out there. I myself went out with the township engineer. While we were there, we were speaking with the residents. They indicated that that was also a a dangerous Okay. a hazard, a
known hazard that they observed. Okay. Thank you. And they they were in favor pretty much. The neighbors that you spoke with thought this would be some help. Correct. Okay. That's good to know that the neighbors are in favor. Thank you, Madame Clerk.
Deputy Mayor Anderson. Yes. Councelor Birmingham. Yes. Councelor Damato. Yep. Councelor Lochman. Yes. Councelor Toller. Yes. Councelor Williams. Yes. Mayor Baskerville. Yes. Thank you. Um
Councelor Damato, number H, please. Ordinance 02522, an ordinance prohibiting the use of toxic synthetic pesticides on Monontlair Township owned land. And I so
move second discussion. Yes. Yes. Councelor Toller. Yep. I'm just I don't know if anybody's here to answer these questions. Um I'm just curious this on page five and again on page seven where it's this temporary expectation
procedures. Is this needed? And then I'm just wondering if um you know I'm reading through this and let me step back. So I have a subgroup that's working with me. They're fourth ward residents on the pocket park. A lot of environmental gurus. Some of them are PRCA members. Some are just regular
residents who have an act. And I'm just curious if this is going to hurt, if you will, air quotes, hurt resident homeowners rights because we're enforcing something that says they must do this, but is this going to be a problem down the road? Number one. Um,
and do we again need this language here on page five and page seven? And was the parks and recck committee even consulted on this because it feels like it's lawn and care gardening. Um but how does it work you know for public land? So,
originally to answer your question about the park and recreation, originally park and recreation was not consulted on this and then I saw um an email and we did send out the um
updated the you know addition the last one that we got the copy here as it is presented. The one that we're voting on tonight was shared with the parks and recreation advisory committee. I don't know if all of them had an opportunity
to weigh in because to the best of my knowledge, there was not a meeting after this was presented, but I know that the leadership of the uh PRCA committee felt that they were representing the group when they said
yes, they support this. Thank you, mayor. I'm just trying um Okay, deputy mayor. Okay, so just first of all, I just want to clarify that this ordinance only it's the main
purpose is to codify a practice that is already in place that the DCS practices and it only and it has to do with prohibition of these um synthetic toxic pesticides um only on township owned and leased lands. um not private property.
Okay. Um and then um just just to clarify the um Is there a question over there? Sorry. Okay. Yes. Um yes, it's being pointed out on page two that it might be confusing based on
what seems to be written here and based on what we are sharing at this point. Yeah. If I may. Yes. Just on page two the second whereas um Susan it says whereas the mayor and council of the township of Monlair encourage all
residents and private property owners to make every effort to part participate. I would take out that whereas and I would stick to just let's keep it this is a town ordinance and at this point I'm sure residents may want to also not use pesticides but I think we should just
make narrow this to an ordinance that um deals with the um town practices if I mayor yes I think the really the main purpose of that first of all the whereas is not an it's not an or it's not law so it's just it's just to encourage you
know people to sort of practice these natural lawn care. Um so it's it's really just to it's it's not anything that can be enforced. Yeah. But you know that but somebody reading this was like oh we want I don't know I it says it says encourages all residents. Right.
And so that's sort of consistent with our township's you know um position that we want to you know not encourage use of pesticide toxic toxic um substances you know in our garden. So again it's not an enforceable part of the law. So, um it's
just to encourage different behaviors. Um and then also just in terms of PRA, um process, mayor, I just wanted to for the record say that um the the parks and recreation um advisory committee was actually provided with a version of um
the the ordinance back in Jan I believe it was January or February. February. Um and they were given the opportunity to review it, provide, you know, their feedback. Um they did so in a memo. They said they supported it. They just had a few comments. Those comments were taken
into consideration when we reviewed um the ordinance. Um and then um they were further again um provided as a courtesy the this this version. Um we decided to take out the application. So again um you know in general this this ordinance
provides that um the use of these substances on township owned properties and lands um are prohibited. But there is um an exception process and the expectation is that the exceptions would be very far and few between um um but in
case there is like let's say you know in the Alonzo Bonso preserve um they're you know dealing with a very um you know bad Japanese notweed problem. Um there are there's a pathway to be able to request um an exception that all has to be
vetted by um the DCS the human services. there's exceptions for like if there's an imminent health risk. Um but um otherwise these exceptions have to be vetted by the township departments and um ultimately come to the recommendation has to come to the mayor and council for
through a resolution for vote. So again, we want to be aware of what is being used, you know, if if there are to toxic pesticides being used on our township property. Absolutely. And I'm really glad that we had an opportunity to be very thoughtful about this. And again um
the PRCA, yes, they did have an opportunity in February to um have discussion and then they were not further informed um of whatever changes were made or whatever they believed should have taken
place such that they would have felt that they were being a part of the final um information that we are presenting here, the final ordinance. But I'm happy that we all had an opportunity to review it and hopefully questions have been
answered. Are there any further questions? Councelor Lachman, I know another whereas point. I think the second whereas on the first page, it's kind of I think I would get rid of that and just stick the third whereas states that uh you know um the
potential for harm from these pesticides. And I I don't think you need the second whereas because it's covered by the third and it's kind of hypothetical anyway, but since the wherees don't really matter, but I'm just trying to make it read a bit
better. Just if I may, counselor, just regard to the whereas clauses, it just sets forth the pretext for the purpose of the ordinance going forward. So it doesn't show up in e-code if that I'm a writer. I'm a stylist. I some of this stuff I have a question. One more question. And I just want to make we're
going to councelor toler. Sure. Thank you. On page two, we're going to strike that second whereas at the top of the page. So did we did we need to have any further discussion on um what what councelor Loachman is is Yeah. I'm just Yeah, I think we should talk about But you're addressing councelor Lachman's
concern, right? Okay. Well, I'm asking the council if we're are if we are going to talk about this and remove it because to bring the residents into it, I think it's going to get tricky. Um, we know the last time something major like this happened when we made an ordinance, we had leaf blowers, we had landscapers
here. Well, maybe not this administration, the last administration. I'm just concerned that this is putting kind of a, like you said, it could be confusing to residents to not understand. And I just want to know what it means by and local park resident user groups located in the township and
future township administrations. in that very first paragraph. Did you So, councelor Lachman, did we um address the questions that you had? Well, I I think uh you know, Susan Councelor Shin
Anderson, you know, thought because the whereases didn't have any effect in law that there was no really point in taking out the second whereas about encouraging residents to also follow this. I I you know, I don't really care one way or the other, whatever you want to do. But I I
did think it reads better if you're just focusing on what the town is doing and not bringing residents in. And the second one, it's up to you on the first page, the second whereas what however you want to do it. I don't I don't council Damato. Yeah, I just wanted to say that the I see the chair of of our
environmental commission, Miss Atman, if if you wanted to come up and if people had any questions about substance of it. Thank you for your work. Of course. Yes. What is she question here in case you
had a question that I could help answer? Okay. Okay. Well, the first paragraph in the top on the back here where it says, "Whereas the mayor and council of the township of Montlair desire to codify this practice as a policy to create clear expectations for township employees, township hired lawn and land
care services and contractors and local park resident user groups in the township and future township administrations." So user groups would be like Bonsel Preserve Yant. Yeah, Yantac has a
conservancy that's a not its own 501c3. So unless there's a better way of explaining that, that's what that meant. Those are the folks who might come to the township and say, "Hey, we want to use pesticides. What's the process?" That's what happened. And that's what started this whole process was Bonsel
came to the environmental commission and said, you know, we're really confused. We want to use pesticides. This was a couple of years ago for spotted lantern fly. Are we allowed to? Are we not allowed to? Um the township manager at the time wasn't quite sure what our policy was because it was a very loose
resolution. So that's what started this whole process and we realized we needed we needed a process in place and we needed to formally state what our policy is. So anyway, that's what user that's what user groups means. Thank you very much. Madame clerk, will you call the role please? Thank you.
Deputy Mayor Anderson. Yes. Councelor Birmingham. Yes. Councelor Damato. Yes, sir. Councelor Lachman. Yes. Councelor Toller. Yes. Councelor Williams. Yes. Mayor Baskerville. Yes. Thank you. Um,
moving on to Okay. H. We're at ordinance 025-23. Is that council Damato? Was that you? You did the last one. Okay. Thank you. Councelor Toller,
please. Sure. Um, ordinance 0-25-23, uh, township of Montlair, an ordinance amending chapter 234 to create and include article, uh, six, happy to chat, bench initiative. Is that number six? My Roman numbers off.
Uh, whereas the township of Montlair is a community that values creating spaces that foster connection, mental well-being, and promote social engagement. Um, I so move, I guess. Second. discussion.
Um, yeah. Go ahead, Council Williams. Sounds like a great idea. My only concern would be about um the the the benches being installed. uh you know
will they be flat benches or will they be sectioned so that people can sit on it and not lay on it and where will these be placed? Those would be my only concerns here. Very very good questions. Yeah, I'd like
to know they demonstrate a picture here that looks like it has a back to it, but I'm really not sure. I think that that picture was put in here so that it might demonstrate that, but I I really am not um 100% sure.
Councelor Toller, you you had a question. Well, the same question Council Williams had is, you know, where these benches going to be placed is, you know, do we have a idea of which locations or streets these are going to be? And I see that there's funding sources. Um I'm just wondering what
these benches may cost down the road if there's no um and so I um I was um very interested in trying to make sure that there will be a process if we're going to do this and I sent um
email to uh the manager and I think the um director of DCS and I was suggesting what may be a process when anyone wish to have one because we do have a process about how you put anything in the parks
whether it's a bench whether it's trees whether it's artwork and so within that ordinance I was trying to come up with an amendment so that it would keep that same process but I was suggesting that it would go to the manager the manager
would forward that to director of DCS and then it would go to our PRCA committee for view and then the council and that doesn't do too much more than what is already in place. But it's really important that we have a process
because if people don't know there's a process and they give permission because people might be a good thing. You know, we heard somebody tonight talk about how, you know, some of the seniors might be lonely or whatever. anybody might want somebody to talk, especially, you know, now there's a lot of people that
have been, you know, isolated for a really long time and and now we're having new medical things come up that may keep people away from one another. So, the idea of having benches seems like it would be something welcoming, but we have to make sure that we're not putting benches or trees or artwork
where any people uh participate in activities or where people just want to have it left open. in a township or if they know something that we don't know about why they don't already have a bench there. So other than the process which I think it's really imperative
that we uphold that and people don't just tell somebody without going through a process they can put a bench here they can plant trees here then I thought that this was you know something that could really um bring vitality to some areas and I thought it would be something like
a feel-good type of a thing and we don't have to pay for the benches if there comes a time when they don't have many money to pay for benches council williams then we just don't you know have those benches until DCS decides that they want to or until our budget
says that we can afford um to purchase some benches. Okay. And this is something that and I apologize. Does somebody else have a question? I'll go ahead. No, I'm just trying to make sure that I understand. This is something that we the township would be doing, not residents coming to us saying, "Hey, we'd like a bench."
Well, no, but in that same um part in that same um ordinance there, there are residents that come and they say it's all under the same area where it talks about if you want to put something in in memory or something like that, it's all
in that same ordinance and it talks to you about what that process is. So yes, while these particular benches, you know, they would be probably us, but it doesn't mean that residents if they know of a place where like in Canterbury Park
where the bench is falling to to pieces, you can email us or reach out to your council member and say, "Hey, you know, if you have any of those benches, we would like it's just a feel-good moment. It's not like to stop people. If people wish to try to find out if there's a
process, if they want to, you know, put put something down to remember one of their family members, then we have a process and I certainly will be happy to discuss that with anyone that wishes to to review that and find out if that's something we'll be able to accommodate.
Yes, Council Damato. Lockman. Oh, I'm sorry, Council Lochman. No, I just um for someone who's an introvert, I just want to make sure that um all our benches are not going to be inviting people to come and talk to me. There's going to be some We're going to send
them over to Council Lotman's front yard, the little triangle in front of your house. Yeah, there'll be a It'd be limiting. It'll be limited. It's not going to be every bench under the sun is going to have this little sign on it, right? No. Okay. Not at all. And we have to agree that that's what you know, so
that way if it's a certain Right. So if there's a certain council person or whatever who might know that area better than some others then you would just say that at a time. Hey look that's not a good idea. People hang out there and we trying to keep it without hang out there. Right. Council Damato. Yeah. I I
like the idea even though I think every bench should be a chat bench but that's just me. I'm a G. I know. I know. Uh but why is this ordinance? Are we really putting this into the code? I mean clearly we you know it's not the
end of the world. It's all online now so you're not you know wasting pages but they're just like do we have a do we have an ordinance now that has a process for placing a park bench. Not forgetting these park benches. No but for a regular park bench. Yes.
I think the schools have a process in place when people want to put a bench out. So, I would I don't know if we have one on the records here at the township, but I can speak for school districts. If you wanted to put a bench, there's a whole process and board approval that's needed to put a bench.
So, Mr. Attorney, so 234 has a similar process somewhere that was selected for a reason. But I mean, in other words, there should be something that mirrors it that just says a bench. Here's the process to ask for a bench and here's a process and it would
be the same thing. But we're asking, this is asking, this company has free benches and they were asking us if they can come and give us their free benches and put it in there. There's no discussion about free
benches being given to the township and what we have. But but I just don't it just seems like small beer to like put into code. Like I like the idea, but like can we just try it first as an administrative procedure? Does anybody
have any beef with it being a policy? No. Like we can instruct them. Well, it may it may need to be um in policy in order for us to receive these benches. So, I didn't see that there was any reason why not to in order to get them in order for the them to
qualify for, you know, giving us the free benches. They may need to have that in writing for from us. Mayor, just attorney chapter 234 deals with parks and playgrounds, right? And sets forth hours
of use and things of that nature. So, this had to be codified in order to get the procedure down for the approval of the benches. That's why it comes before you as an ordinance. Yeah. Thank you. Appreciate you. You go first. Oh, okay. No. Yes. Oh,
okay. I'll go first then. I mean, I Yes, of course. It's It's good to encourage um people to talk to each other and socialize. I I do I am kind of wondering though why we need an ordinance just for this initiative and
would it make more sense to then consider having an ordinance that just speaks more generally to um installation and protection of park of park benches. We have an ordinance that speaks to where you can put the park bench. What
this is doing we do not have in there giftgiving of free benches and so they are giving us free benches. So this is adding we have something in ordinance that talks about you know not putting benches here in the process but I guess
everybody doesn't know that because recently it's come to our attention that you know there have been park benches and other things in the parks that have not gone through a process. But we do have an ordinance. But what this is doing is it is allowing the them to give
us these free chat benches. And we are by this we will be allowed to accept their free chat benches for as long as they are free. And we will be able to have a process that we can install them in our
municipality for as long as they have this um offer to us there. Yes. Um c one can we is it possible to do that by resolution to accept a gift? And and my second question here where it
says um the mayor and council shall approve by resolution the installation of happy to chat bench in some of the um in the description it seems like sometimes they want to put a sign on an existing bench. Does that need approval by the council? Like I guess I'm just trying to
figure out if if there's 20 benches identified, what would need to be approved by the council if it's if it's just a sign that they're going to, you know, if they decide I'm really not familiar. When I spoke to them on three different occasions, there was nothing about putting just a sign. They were
very specific that they had these benches and they wish to put them in. On their benches, they would have them, but I am not aware. We didn't have that discussion about putting uh and nor does this what I'm suggesting here. It
doesn't have a process for putting happy to chat on on our park and recreation benches or any other benches that residents wish to put in um that might be in remembrance of one of their family members or something like that. Council
Lachchman um do you have any idea how many benches are on offer? I mean, are we talking about, you know, a lot of benches? Are we going through all this for maybe they're going to give us five benches? You know what I mean? Lots of benches. Lots and lots of benches. Oh,
god. They they seemed as though they have quite a few benches and they were, you know, happy to move forward with with this. Um, I could not see the downside of it and I'm a little bit, you know, surprised at how long it's taking
for us to ex accept a gift. But you know, we we us Yeah, that's us. That's us. So, can we just write a letter to them saying that it's a really great idea? I mean, why do we have to put it in our code? Yeah, I don't understand. It's a It seems like you have to accept the donation. You can't just write a
letter. We can do something with it or we can do nothing with it. If it was a plane, I think we would accept that, right? Or a scooter. Or if we could just throw trees up anywhere we want to or benches up
anywhere we want to, we'll all be happy about it. I mean, Mayor The Yeah, I just I guess I would I my suggestion is to put a resolution together for this rather than have it be a law. We have an amend we have an ordinance that already
existed. And so this is amending something that's already there. We're not just creating an ordinance for this purpose. The the ordinance drafted mayor is for the creation of this happy tobench
program. If the issue is just a matter of accepting the benches then if it's a single bench two benches and certainly I think an audience and and a resolution rather would be more appropriate if that's the goal of the governing body. If it's to set up the program whereby
someone can come with a written request, whether that be someone on the council, uh, a resident and request a bench, then that's a different scenario. And that's what this program. Say that second part again. Sure. Under this ordinance, it establishes the program where someone can come make a written request. I want
a happy to uh uh to chat bench to be installed in a certain location. And then it sets up the procedure for it to be uh reviewed and approved. Uh according to section 174-2, there has to be approval by the town to install any
bench in the uh in the town. So that's what I believe you were referring to earlier as well. So it depends on what the governing body wants to do. I can certainly go back craft an ordinance based on that and accept it or we can move forward with establishing a program as uh was presented. So, well, what
whatever I appreciate and I thank you so much for drafting this ordinance and the amendment and again my only hesitance is that we've had this for a while and nobody reached
out to me to say any of this and here we are and we keep talking about how long it takes us to go through an agenda. Right? So, if I would have known that we wanted to do something different here, we could have even pulled it because I'm sure it's not something like, you know,
it either happens now. Huh. Thursday or actually before Thursday. Yeah, I know there's other stuff to do. That that was just that's just my thought. But we can do whatever the majority of the council wants to do. And
then we have one, two, three, four, five, six. six other things um resolutions that we need to have a a very long and in-depth conversation on as well. So whatever where are we with this whatever you all the majority are
recommending then that's what we'll hold for this evening. Well I think the attorney said it best that it's it's setting up a program for a process and that's what we need. If if that's that's what you said that is correct. So if it's a program for a process, we don't
know what the future hold. Who wants to come in and say they want to put a bench or a chair or a night table someplace and at least we'll have a process. I don't know. I'm just think we should just go ahead and vote on this and let
it be an ordinance. How many people are going to Are y'all coming to ask for benches? Nobody. I am like benches. Madam clerk, please call the question. Deputy Mayor Anderson.
Um, no. Councelor Birmingham, yes. Councelor Damato, no. Councelor Lochman, no. Councelor Toller, yes. Councelor Williams, yes. Mayor Baskerville. Yes. Motion
carries. Thank you. Um, next. Oh, I'm sorry. We do. We have ordinance J. Ordinance J, please. Who's next? Ordinance O-25-24. Ordinance amending chapter 3,
administration of government, and to create and include article I don't know my Roman numerals. What What is that? XIBC. Yeah. XIBC creating the township of Monontlair
uh Monontlair Clary Anderson Arena Utility. So moved. Second discussion. So mayor if I could explain. So um thank you manager. The township attorney had taken a uh um had drafted
the original ordinance. We had it reviewed by uh bond council who had some changes. What's being passed around right now is uh both a redline version on top and then um an amended version on the bottom. The amended version was in
your yellow in the on the bottom of your yellow packet. So you already had a copy of it, but in case there were any questions about, you know, what exact um what changes the bond council recommended um you have a copy of it. So, um, there it came to our attention
that there were some significant repairs and improvements that were necessary for Clary Anderson. Um, the township commissioned a architectural and engineering um, study to address code violations that
existed and life health life health safety hazards. Um, we received last week a copy of the report, drafted the report from RSC Architects, um, that pegged the uh, proposed this the scope
of the proposed uh, repairs at about $5.7 million, which is significant. Um, we had the facilities and infrastructure committee today, this afternoon, um, had a, um, conference call, Zoom meeting.
Wow. uh Microsoft Teams meeting with RSC where we went through all the line items in the their re repair report. The items that are absolutely necessary um to reopen the facility to make it
safe and eliminate all the code violations um for the upcoming season come in around 766,000. They recommended um a contingency. There's also soft
costs. All in, it's probably about a million dollars to make necessary repairs to make Clary Anderson um safe and and efficient. Um it's a significant sum. Um many municipalities throughout New Jersey and nationally uh create
utilities around recreational facilities uh like golf courses or swimming pools um which is a way of protecting local taxpayers from subsidizing uh recreational facilities or other self-lquidating mechanisms. The township
already has three other utilities. Uh one for the drinking water system, one for our wastewater sewer system and water and one for our parking system. So the idea, the recommendation is to uh create a utility around this arena
whereby the money generated from the fees um the the ice skating fees and the other um revenues generated from from the arena would go back into both the operations and management of the arena as well as making the necessary um
repairs and and improvements. So um what's next? So, if the mayor and council uh are in favor of creating this utility, uh we would have to get send it down to the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, local finance board
for their consideration and approval. If introduced today, this evening, uh we could get on the agenda for the next local finance board meeting. The agenda is set in later in June. Their um actual meeting is in early July. uh in
consultation with bond council and our financial adviserss, we have no reason to believe that the local finance board would not approve this since it's an eligible purpose for a utility. And um if they approve it, it it could be up
for second reading at the July 22nd uh meeting. So what would we do between now and July 22nd besides getting the the approval of the local finance board? Um we had our meeting this afternoon with
um the architects if this ordinance is introduced. We could give the um architects a green light to prepare bid specifications uh to make those necessary repairs. We could go out to bid to get prices to make those necessary repairs. Again, in
the ballpark of about a million dollars. Um if approved if favorably considered at the July 22nd meeting, the second reading creating the utility, um then the township can essentially lend the
utility money uh to make the necessary repairs. Um and if all goes well, there's a lot of stars that need to be aligned and a lot of contingencies and potential snags. Uh but if all goes well, we could have the uh we could
award a contract uh for the re repairs that are necessary and have everything. We heard today I mean from the architects there's not there's a few long lead items that may take some additional time to get in some
electrical sub panels and for the larger larger electrical facilities. uh but they don't think there's any reason to believe it would be more than what I heard was 3 to four weeks to actually make the necessary repairs. Okay, there's a lot of contingencies. This is
not a slam dunk. It's not an easy proposition. This is one way of making the necessary repairs at Clary Anderson. making Clary Anderson as an ice skating recreational arena self-liquidating where all of the fees coming in actually
pay for the operations and repairs and improvements that are necessary there and it's a way of insulating and protecting local taxpayers from subsidizing the arena and its operations. Thank you. Um and manager, is this the recommendation of the facilities
committee after they had their meeting today? I would I would defer to the facilities committee on that matter. I'm not sure who all is on it. I think um Eric and um Carmel, I just do have one qu question for you. This is the um are you on the facilities committee too?
Councelor Toller, councelor Toller, councelor Damato and Councel Lman are on the facilities committee. Okay. Um question. So this is, you know, the first I've heard about having a bond having to be issued. Is that what's I
haven't read this. the change that you made, but you said you ran it by the bond council. So, are we looking to have a bond issue to pay to immediately fund the utility and the repairs? No, not necessarily. So there are in consultation uh with the chief financial
officer and the I don't want to certainly don't want to speak for the comproller but in consultation with the chief financial officer I believe there are sufficient funds in reserve to actually cash liquidity to actually lend the utility the money and then have the utility pay back the town over time.
Yeah. So you're we're we're not talking about issuing a bond to fund the utility at this point. That's not bond council is there to assist and guide the township through capital improvement. Okay. You know okay you say bond council I it's kind of basically our um outside
council. Yeah. Gotcha. Okay. Thank you. Okay. Council. Sure. Thank you. Um in the beginning of your statement I didn't hear what you said about the million. Did you say 1 million or because I couldn't it wasn't clear and I don't know if the people at home were able to.
So there there were about a dozen to 15 items that the architects like code violations, life health safety hazards that absolutely need to be repaired. Um so the total um is about 766,000. You want to give yourself an
ample um in case things come, you know, uh prices come in over what you expect. Um you I would imagine that they would recommend um rounding up to about a million dollars. If it if it comes in less than a million then we're we're fine. If if uh if it comes if if I told
you 766,000 and came up in at 800,000 we get a lot of I just wanted to make sure that I heard you correctly since I didn't know about the meeting and that perhaps people at home didn't hear about you know hear the number accurately. So I just wanted to put that on the record. Thank you. and every step of the way. I
I did reach out to you and I did um send you an email. Okay. I did not. So, it's okay. But the chair of the facilities and infrastructure committee could have texted or called me like he does any other time, but it's all right. It's all right. Okay. So, moving um right along,
other council members have discussion. I um it seems to me as though things are timesensitive and it seems as though you've laid out um a plan that may be something um worth looking into from what you've explained. And I did have an
opportunity to read uh the memo that you prepared and shared with us over the weekend. So I thank you very much. I thank the facilities committee all of you for all of your hard work on this. Um at this point in time unless uh someone else here has has another
suggestion or wishes to share why not um yes councelor Damada. So later on I we will be looking at a resolution about the management of the of the arena um and a change in that and a change in the model of the management. And I would
just say this this is about the structure organizational structure and ownership structure of of this thing and it's not a silver bullet but it's it's an important thing that happens throughout the world where you are trying to add some discipline to an
operation right and like let's put it this way the teams that play in that arena are models of discipline a lot of them right it's all about you know focus and and and knowing that there are consequences for what you do and and
trying to be good at it. And the arena has, you know, they've worked at it, but it has not been a disciplined operation overall. Certainly from the township's point of view of like we kind of give it electricity and we're not even really sure where the you know it's it's not
this would provide a discipline structure to the management to provide the space for a discipline manager to run it in a way that will be good for everybody. So, um I was not quite finished, but I wanted to because I know you were
getting ready to speak. Um I was going to say that the information that U. Manager Marks has shared certainly seems to me as is something that I would be very interested in trying and I've had an opportunity to read through the information. Thank you. And um
so here we are and it it does seem as though we need to make some decisions and it needs to be done, you know, like now in order to get things up and running for for the season. And when I first heard the $7 million number,
whatever, I'm like, okay, that looked like the end of the line for me. Now you are representing that they pro they've suggested the $766,000 version of what needs to be done and I would tend to be uh ready to
to take a vote. I'd like to hear from the full council on where you are on this. Councelor Toller. Um you know I've always advocated in our facility and infrastructure meetings when we've met with various uh groups and organizations that were you know
responding to our RFP. You know, I would like to see more inclus inclusiveness with Carrie um arena. Um this is this ice skating rink. We know it's a it's a part of town. Um but I'd like to see some more outreach to reaching other
people to perhaps learn how to skate. We need to think about how we're going to program down the road. Um and ensuring that we're including everyone, making this an inclusive skating rink because right now it's serving a very unique and you know certain group of folks. if you
will. Um, and I'd like to see that broaden. And I think I've shared that with my colleagues in facilities and infrastructure. If we're going to pour this kind of money into it, we need to make sure it's a one-sizefits, okay? And that other people have opportunities to participate, learn how
to skate, um, things of that nature is definitely going to be important down the road. Now, I agree. Now, from what I understand, the the vote that we may have this evening if enough people feel as though they have enough information
has to do with the money to fix the facility up. I think councelor uh Demato was sharing a little bit more about possibly a group that may be, you know, has a potential to be coming in to to help us with services. And certainly,
you know, I agree with what you say. And I think that I was really excited because when I heard from other members of the facilities committee, it seemed as though, you know, people understood how important those Friday night skates were as well as trying to, you know, bring in the diversity of our township.
So when people go out there, they will, you know, see the diversity of the the community. So I was excited about hearing that, too. But I think tonight this would be more about fixing it up. Councelor Williams,
I'm ready to vote. Madam mayor, that's got to love this guy. Uh, Deputy Mayor, um, I mean, I've reviewed all the information and, um, I'm I'm in favor of this. um if if anything for uh the
reason that it the idea that it would protect shield the taxpayers from subsidizing um I think and I and I just looked at the the changes to the ordinance and it they the changes addressed um the questions that I had raised about who's going to oversee it
um the utility and everything. Um I think my main concern would be um that just um you know if if if the idea is for the money from fees and revenue to go towards operations and management, I think I would just want to make sure
that whoever is contracted to do the management. Um just be really creative and just try to find as many different revenue streams as possible. Um because right now I'm not I can't really picture how you know the revenues um uh that the user fees and everything would actually
pay for the operations because I'm not really sure how much the operations would cost. But um I I mean for the purpose of addressing the immediate problems and being able to have a skate season, a hockey season, um I would be in favor of this. Thank you, Council
Lman. Well, you know, I've been uh intimately involved in the process of and the study of what we should be doing here. And I I just do want to point out a couple of things. The actual quote, as the manager
said, for repairing Clary Anderson Arena up to a certain standard, not, you know, just a kind of a an operable standard, um is about $5.7 million. We're saying it's taking a million dollars just to make it workable for one season. And of
course those, you know, those um we still will have to pay you know a couple of more million dollars if we really want to build this up to a a you know premier arena. So um we've had people who've come here and said that they are willing to donate. Um and that's what we
would be looking for. I don't think that the town should be spending $6 million on an arena. I'm happy to I like the idea I mean it's a good idea of this utility being able to be self-funding but we still have capital improvements
that need to be made and I really you know in my view I was an advocate for closing this down because it's in such poor shape but we have a different idea do the you know my idea was have a ground lease and lease the um facility to a third party and then we'd be done
with it but this came up it sounds like a good idea idea. It seems very workable. It's done for utilities are used for other types of, you know, selfquidating groups. So, I'm fine with that. I just really worry that the town will be on the hook for more millions.
And this what wasn't addressed in this engineering report is the actual um you know physical way that we make the ice work. This is just the mechanicals, the electric, and the plumbing of the building. So, that's my honest point of view. I you know I would will vote for
this but these are my concerns that I thought I should share. Good. Thank you. And and again thank you. I know how tirelessly you have been working with this and due diligence. Appreciate it. Councelor Birmingham. Uh yes. I second that. Thank you to
everyone who's been working on this. Um can I ask Mr. marks just um for the public who you know this is something new for a you know building that's existed for many years um what do you see as any risks to doing this to to
making it a utility um in terms of just any risks that that we would need to be aware of if the revenues generated don't pay for the the operations and the the repairs that are
necessary. That's a, you know, potentially a downside. Um, once a utility is um created, if and when it's created, it doesn't go on forever. I mean, if the town change, if you all,
the township, the governing body change your mind and it doesn't pencil out financially, you could dissolve the utility. Okay. So it, you know, this is this is a way of uh it's certainly not again certainly not a slam dunk. This is
a way of of trying things differently to trying things new. Uh hopefully they will work. We've heard plenty of residents who swear that the the you know there's latent demand or enough demand to sustain the you know the arena. Um well let's take people at
their word and give them an opportunity to prove it. Okay. So in addition to you know ice being a valuable commodity in terms of just people want to be skating setting up the utility doesn't preclude or or we can still encourage a
public private partnership in terms of donations that to build up the rank. In fact, I would recommend that the town establish an advisory committee made up of users to um to guide and assist and
promote the the program and do fundraising and and uh you know solicit donations from from uh sponsors. Okay. Thank you. Would that be a a nonprofit type of thing so they can go after certain monies that we couldn't or how did you
envision that? Um, people could make donations to the municipality. So, you know, if there's if there's I'm not aware of anything where you have to be a 501c3 nonprofit. Uh, but if that's ab absolutely necessary, I mean, we could consider u creating the 501c3 nonprofit.
Just one um one of the um one of the residents who had reached out uh was asking about a you know an oversight board for this. A utility is not an authority. So, a an authority would be that's not what I'm recommending. Um, an
authority would be independent, you know, like a an arm of the municipality, but not but outside of the the governance of the mayor and council. Um, so I'm not I'm not recommending creating an authority. The utility is just a financial mechanism to, you know, invest
um fees and and u revenues back into the the operations and the the uh management. There was also one of the one of the residents um had um during the budget hearing this evening had asked about what the town is doing to save money. I mean this potentially we
invest about 120 to $150,000 per year in electricity costs um that are haven't been accounted for. So the pro financial projections um which is later in the agenda for the um uh the award of the the contract but it's also related to
the utility. So this is a way of putting those utility costs into the utility. When I say utility, the gas and electric costs into the utility. So then the the fees can pay for that rather than that'll be aund and PSNG and other
utilities in New Jersey are increasing the rates by about 20%. Effective June 1st, so starting a couple days ago. So, you know, it's a significant cost to the town and the utility, the U. Arena utility should be paying for that.
Excellent. Thank you very much. Yes. Councelor Lachman. I mean, another another step, we need to change our ordinance to increase the fees. Absolutely. Yeah. So, that so because we've been charging below market rates and we'll work on a fee structure that will be beneficial, I guess, to the
residents and uh but capture the real market cost for the teams that use it. Excellent. Um, we did have one change to the uh Yes, Council Lachman. Yeah. To the uh maybe I missed it, uh, Mr. um, Markx, but I thought on page three I
we'd add a B that would say the utility may contract for the services of a management company to perform the actions described in A. Do we need that? That was I believe that was in there. That was part of the what bond council had recommended. If you just in there
authority changes. No, it's not employees. It's a third party management company with a third party operator. Is that there at the bottom here? Okay. Thank you. Yeah. Okay. Madame clerk, please call the question. Deputy Mayor
Anderson. Yes. Councelor Birmingham. Yes. Councelor Damato, yes. Councelor Lman, yes. Councelor Toller. Yes. Councelor Williams. Yes. Mayor Baskerville. Yes. Thank you. Now, we're going to move on to new business resol.
I'm sorry. Oh. You sure? Okay. Uhhuh. Now, we're going to move on to new business resolutions and we're going to take What
number is that on here? number 22. I got it. Um, we're going to go. Um, Deputy Mayor Shin Anderson, will you please read resolution R
25-1 178? If you're reading on your um agendas, you will see that is number 22. Number 22. Yes. Um, resolution R-25-178 is a resolution accepting the
professional service contract with Gable Associates and authorizing issuance of a request for proposals from community solar developers and related actions. I so move second discussion we have a guest here toable to clarify
mayor if I may the reason why we we wanted to I had requested that this be first is because we have um somebody from Gable Associates who is here to answer any questions and she's traveled from Philadelphia so I had asked that that this be first. So thank you so much
for joining us this evening. So, I'm going to just say a couple things and introduce Belle Gable. We're so happy to have her. Um, just really high level, uh, we are so glad to work with the town and with you all on this program. Um, just high level, it allows us to help
residents, low to moderate income residents, save money on their electricity bills, uh, for 15 years. It's a permanent savings as part of the program. Bel explain more. and that could be one-third of our households, which is really important. It also helps
Montlair contribute to the state's clean energy goals and advance our climate action plan, another step in that direction. It's no cost to the town. So, you'll be glad to hear that after the last discussion, no cost whatsoever. Um, in fact, um, we may be able to power our
municipal buildings using this community solar program. So, that'll be part of the discussion after this. Um we get to work with pros like Gable Associates who have worked with Montlair in the past on the energy aggregation program. Um they also have a really great reputation with
the U BPU the board of public utilities and solar developers. So what that means for us is that we're more likely to attract solar more solar developers to be part of the bidding process. So it'll be more competitive for us which has lots of benefits. Gable does the heavy
lifting of like rolling out the program. we just kind of, you know, be part of the process. Um, and if you saw the documents that, um, were sent to you, the environmental commission, we poked a lot of holes. Like that was our intention because it seemed too good to be true. So, we poked so many holes. We
asked so many questions. We talked to a bunch of different towns. You can see what those questions are because we really wanted to make sure it what it isn't too good to be true. Um, I can say confidently it's good and true. Um, so I'll let uh Belle take over from here
and I'm going to hand this out for you. Great. Thanks so much, Suzanne. So, like Suzanne said, I'm Bel Gable. Thanks for giving me some time to talk with you. Uh, resolution R25178 would contract Gable Associates. We are an energy consulting firm. We
would serve as the town's energy agent acting basically as the liaison between the town solar developers and the government agencies. So what we would do is we would help the town to develop what is called a municipal community
solar program. So, a traditional community solar program means that an individual can sign up, maybe they're a renter, maybe they're in an apartment and they someone who doesn't can't have solar panels on their roof can sign up and virtually own part of a solar plant
located anywhere else because it's just a virtual connection and then they get a discount off their electricity bill. Those are pretty good discounts. They're 15 to 20%. What we have proposed for Monontlair is a municipal community
solar program from which we've seen savings between 20 and 40% for the towns who we worked with and some of those are uh Manchester, Highland Park, Princeton, Collingswood and Hoboken.
Princeton. So the benefits of municipal community solar uh are largely for low to moderate income residents. These are residents who are already disadvantaged. They have a high uh energy burden which means that their proportion of energy
bills to income is very high. So the solution to that may I is this a presentation or are you making a comment because I'm this is a presentation. I'm just going through the these slides with you. Is this on the agenda for tonight? A presentation. It is the the
presentation is except for it was I mistakenly thought that it was in the executive session of this. Please accept my apologies because when it came to me for some reason I processed it as
executive and then I realized at a later date that it was not. Um, and since the presentation was already set up, I just agreed to have it move on. I know this is not customary. I know I made a
mistake and please accept my apologies. Okay. I'm just I was just curious. Thank you. Thank you so much. I'd appreciate it again and I'm I'm really grateful that you're here. I'm sorry that you had to stay this late and then go back to Philadelphia. Thank you. All right.
Can I just ask her one question? How how is this funded? I mean, the money doesn't come from nowhere. All right, great question. So, it's a government program. It's part of what is called the societal benefits charge, which everyone pays no matter what your income is. Then
that's socialized and put out to the market so that the solar developers can sell premium energy. PSEG needs to buy their energy at extra cost but only if they will provide these savings that I referred to to these low and moderate income residents. Is this something
that's you know politically uh connected with so that if the administration changes that this is not going to be funded and this this is in law through the clean energy act of 2018 any even if there is a change in administration and they want to strip the program any
capacity that's already assigned or any contracts that are already signed would hold. I have a question. Yes, councelor Toller. Sure. How many households do you think that you would be able to um work with in our municipality based on what you're saying low and moderate income?
What number are you looking at and what plan do you have to reach these families? Sure. Especially if they're renters because sometimes renters the landlords are don't are not interested in so I'm just curious that's why I understand. So the way that it works is there are a few different ways that you
can verify someone as LMI. uh that information I will have more access to after a contract. But just through public information, I've identified about 400 households who can be automatically enrolled and I hope to boost that up. That's just by their neighborhood. They're in a certain census block where most people are LMI.
So the entire census block can be included and see 20 to 40% savings on their electricity bills. Councelor Toller and we we made it very clear through this process that um that
we would not move forward with the RFP until we have identified and found a way to identify all of the people that we would want to be subscribers to this. So, you know, we're not going to like move forward unless we're clear we're able to identify those folks and um have
them be part of the program. So, we're going to need to figure that out as a next step. how to identify all those folks besides census black. So talking to the township, you can rely on the census a lot. Exactly. We're hoping that through all the programs that the township offers um to residents or some
of the programs um through I don't know homecore we were just talking about that we'll be able to you know and if at the end of the day we can't then we make a decision. Do we want to move forward with it anyway and find a project that can meet you know those people or wasn't there another
program like this um that David Corp was sorry community solar there's so there's a difference between this is an aggregated municipally driven see I'm learning from her um community solar program what what he's talking about is called open
enrollment where um a community solar developer you just you just you you you subscribe to community solar on your own as an individual, but those vendors are not vetted. So with this program, they're vetted through the municipality
and we're able to am I getting it right? We're able to aggregate. So we're able to offer even deeper of a discount or of a savings because of the aggregation. Um does that make sense? Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Did I get that right? Yes. Council
Birmingham. And um just to make very clear because we had the en the third party energy aggregation a few years ago and people would see their bills and they would say this isn't cheaper than PSCG I don't want to be part of this this I I have
solar panels on my house which are great and every when I get my monthly bill I get here was you know energy you used basically here's the rebate that you get and essentially that's what people will be getting. They will say you used $150
in in um energy, you get a 25% discount, so you're now paying Sorry, I blanked on that. I should have used an easier number. Um but you're now paying $125. It is just flat out you get a discount. There is
no no like you're get, you know, you're getting a cheaper rate or maybe you're not getting a cheaper rate. It is just you're getting a discount on your electricity. I think correct very clear about that and it's guaranteed for 15 years where energy aggregation the
program would end and then we'd have to go back to contract right and then it would end and we'd have to contract again and again um and then the energy markets kicked in right with with the Ukraine war and that became so volatile that we had to stop that program. Yeah.
Yes. But that won't happen. Yeah. And so when PSCG goes up 20% or whatever, these people who are subscribers will just get a flatout discount just like I get, but they're the aggregate solar. Okay.
Thanks, Deputy Mayor. Okay. Um so yeah I mean we the the the human services committee um vetted this also and um I think there's some lessons learned from the last time around and so just to make it clear the bills were act
will will actually come from PSNG which was is different from the last one. Um as you said the billing is that discount is applied differently. This is an opt out program right. Um, so and then I believe the contract actually says that
it actually does say um and thank you to the um attorney uh Mr. Tentowski for reviewing it that if you are not able to identify the requisite number of subscribers then we can cancel the contract. We don't have to go through correct at no
cost. Um so and this is again this is an opportunity for households that can't afford to put solar panels on um and apartment buildings um to be able to get this solar energy um and and a discount. I mean we we just heard that you know
that we all know that the energy bills are going to they're increasing. So um maybe this is a good way to you know offer something to our residents that are low or middle income. Suzanne, was this offered before or
presented to the last administration and I'm sorry. This is a new program. Okay. Gable actually developed it because I'm telling you because Gable saw the issues with the other programs. So they developed this with the BPU, right? Yes.
Correct. Sorry. Correct. So those other issues have been addressed here. It's guaranteed. It's long-term. It's very reliable and secure. No, no. The reason I'm just asking because this says this this resolution was passed in April of 2024 and it's joined in with the New Jersey School Boards Association. Yeah,
sure. I can explain that. Sure. So, the way that that works is that Gable Associates is the energy agent for a cooperative pricing agreement. That's ACES. The way that the council can contract Gable is through the fact that you're already members of ACES. So, we
don't need to be procured. You can just say we want to utilize the agent for ACES for Montlair. Oh, I'm sorry. I just have one more question. Thank you. Um, so I know I believe this is also addressing the contract, but I just want to make it clear in terms of at, you know,
marketing and reaching out, doing outreach to helping the township. Can you just explain what Gable might be able to do? Sure, absolutely. So, uh, Gable Associates would, uh, take care of all of the marketing, especially about
opting out, making sure that everyone knows you'll be enrolled in this program. Unless you say no, that's fine. We opt you out with no questions asked. I've also I've gone to senior citizen buildings. I've gone to community events. If you, you know, customizing it per the town, it sounds like this town,
it would be great for me to go to some of those senior buildings. Perhaps they could get enrolled. We'll see how big we, you know, the more the marrier. And we're prepared to go out with digital, email, mail, phone marketing.
And also, uh, Princeton Township is ahead of us on on this. And they Oh, sorry. I know. Of course they are. And, um, they have they offered to be like the guinea pigs that for their marketing material. So, they said we can just
leverage whatever they've, you know, already utilized. So just one more question. Oh, sorry. So you're paid by the utility. No, we are actually paid by the developer. So this is such a lucrative deal from the solar developer side that they're willing to
pay for gable services just to be procured just to participate in municipal community solar because these solar developers cannot participate unless they are chosen by a town through an RFP and that's where Gable Associates comes in. So, and the more people you
sign up, the better for for you personally. Just curious. I mean, you don't have No, we we do a uh a flat fee. Okay. I have a question. One says the um guidelines for what your household income limit would be. It says, you
know, renters at so and so, such and such. Are the guidelines on this side the same for if you're a renter or a home owner with a um certain type of a roof? On page four, you that is that list doesn't exclude anyone. I was more
pointing out just who it does include who was previously excluded but from having solar panels on their roof and who now can be included. So we I mean even if they have a new house with a nice roof, if they're low income, they're you know find out what
guidelines you're using for low income. So if you're a household of one person Oh, yeah. This this is the the housing and urban development. Uh so you're using the same guidelines. Exactly. This is the HUD guidelines for incomes. Thank you. How do you deal with tenants that
may want it but their landlord says no? I mean that's down the road. I'm just asking the question. So, this is an offering to the person who owns the energy account. So, the person who owns the energy account, right, who pays the bill, they want it and their landlord says no
because No, no, no. If they're in the house, if they're in the house owned by someone and you're a tenant and they still want it, they have to the landlord has to adhere to this. I don't know. No, because it's who? Sorry. No, I'm asking a question because some landlord It's whoever pays the bill. Councelor Toller,
whoever pays the bill. So if the renter pays the bill, they make the decision really because the solar is far away. There's nothing happening. It's basically these developers are are and you explained this to me, these developers um the board of public
utilities as part of the Clean Energy Act of 2018 and now with Governor Murphy's new 2035 clean electricity um goals, the board of utilities needs to meet these goals. they have goals assigned to them. So they're now so this
is one of the programs the board of public utilities is demanding of the utilities like PSEG um and they're and this is one way to get more solar renewable energy into the grid. So that's what happens. They build this the solar developer builds a a
solar farm somewhere in a top of a warehouse let's say that electricity goes to the grid. It doesn't come directly to the the renter in Montlair. No, I'm asking because would something need to be put on that person's home?
Oh, no, no, no. It literally goes right. It's it's just like they will all they'll think is they're paying their PSG bill. That's all they'll think. It's a billing mechanism. No hardware on the home, right? Our residents just benefit from the savings, but they're not really getting solar power.
Thank you, Council Birmingham. No, I probably confused it when I was talking about No, no, I had to ask because, you know, there could be tenants that wanted I don't know if there's hardware going to be put on the homes and Yeah, the whole situation to ask not. Thank you very much, Madame
Clerk, will you call the question, please? Deputy Mayor Anderson, yes. Councelor Birmingham, yes. Councelor Damato, yes. Councelor Lman, yes. Councelor Toller, yes. Councelor Williams, yes. Mayor Baskerville, yes. Mayor and thank you again councelor Damato. Yes. Can we extend the same
courtesy to people who came in from out of town for the clar management? So number 16 as they invite them. Yes. Thank you. Um well they don't have to come up but we should what number? What number please? 16. Okay. So it's at this time if you're following us on your
agenda we're going to go to number 16 resolution R251 172. Councelor Demato please. uh resolution authorizing the award of a fair and open professional services agreement to sports facilities management LLC for operations and
management of Clary Anderson Ice Arena and I so move second discussion yes councelor Toller um councelor Damata you said these this management firm is here today yes okay um are they a New Jersey entity or are
they out of state just I just have some questions. If they're out of state, how would this work for this resolution? It's it's um the firm is based it's the firm is a national firm and they have contracts with facilities uh that are municipal
and private and the whole they run the gamut. But um there are two representatives here. One of whom is also is uh lives here and is managing the MSU facility as well as and I'm
sorry I'm I'm um Kelly I'm blanking on your name who has come in from from Clearwater. From Virginia I'm sorry. Okay. From Virginia. So they can answer questions, but it is a it is not a far away firm because they have a very deep and active
um engagement uh in our town or at least right over the border in in Little Falls. Um so maybe the manager wants Manager Marks, please. Mayor on on background, would you would you like me to to describe the process that was
Thank you very much. Yes. So, um, the township issued a RFP, request for proposal, uh, from qualified consultants. It was RFP-25-P01, um, which was issued earlier in the year. Um the township received three
proposals uh from vendors um through the facilities and infrastructure committee in consultation with the administration uh Michelle Camarada Austin Ashley myself uh along with um councilors Toller and Laughman and Lachman Lman I'm
sorry I'll get it right uh and Damato uh we interviewed the three respondents separately of course um After careful consideration looking at the uh capacity and the uh qualifications uh of the
three firms, I think it was agreed to that uh sports facilities companies uh was the best qualified uh firm and is recommended for a contract uh to manage and operate Clary Anderson Arena.
Awesome. Thank you, Madame Clerk. Call a question, please. Deputy Mayor Anderson. Yes. Council Birmingham. Yes. Councelor Damato. Yes. Councelor Lachman.
Um I'm I'm just on number four there. There should be was that changed in in uh that has to be changed. So um there's a typo on the the resolution. I had requested that the typo be corrected, but the the version
of the resolution that went out um was the the first version. So I I my sincere apologies. So um the fee proposal um that the sports facilities companies had proposed comes out to and it's on
uh page 48 of their proposal. Um there's a monthly management fee of approximately $12,000 per month plus a um performance incentives of 7% of adjust adjusted gross revenue plus 30%
of sponsorship sales. No, please. So it's I'm sorry. No, it's 3% between 800,000 and a million. Can you can you read that for the record? Shall I say it? Yes, please. Yeah. So the uh the um performance incentive is if um
gross revenues are over 800,000 and up to 1 million it would be a 3% incentive. Over 1 million it's 7%. And there is no um sponsorship. Okay. And then 12,000 per month. So,
which is um under the former contract or the contract with the uh former operator, it was a flat concession where the operator was paying the township $50,000 per year, collecting all of the gross revenues himself. Um this we're
basically flipping the script uh as we heard earlier in this evening under a different context. uh whereby since the township owns the arena uh we will be collecting all the proceeds, this company will actually be running the arena for us, collecting all the
proceeds for us uh and we will be paying them the the aforementioned uh management fees. Attorney, is this um a substantive and we need to um do it again or
resolution? It's a resolution. Okay. So we can just change it here. Here. Okay. Okay. And just to be clear when you're saying we, you mean the utility is going to be Yes. like self liquidating. I'm
just assuming the utility is created. Yes. Okay. Like it's it's $12,000 a month is coming out of the utility. The the fees generated from the arena and pay for the utility. The arena utility.
Did somebody do we need the time frame for the contract or no? Just it's a it's a it's a professional service contract which is a year-to-year contract. I don't see one the the RFP as advertised was for a one-year contract. Okay. How do you want to just change councelor
Lachman? So, um can I motion move this resolution um with these with this amendment? And the amendment is number four should read schedule of fees must remain the same for the duration of the contract. Sports Management Facilities
LLC agreed to pay the township 12,000. What? No, no, that's wrong. Yeah. Sorry. Um um it's in the it's in the so schedule of fees must remain the same for the duration of the contract. Sports Management Facilities
LLC will be paid by the township $12,000 per month. A um 3% deferred Yeah. a 3% uh what we going to call performance fee. That's what you said. between if
the gross revenue is between 800,000 and a million and a 7% performance fee for any amount of gross revenue over $1 million. Good. I think that's it. Well, is that a motion? Can I have a second? That was a motion.
Second, Madame Clerk. That's the motion to amend. Deputy Mayor Anderson, this is on the amendment. Motion to amend. To amend. Yeah. Yes. Councelor Birmingham. Yes. Councelor Damato, yes. Councelor Lachchman, yes. Councelor Toller, yes.
Councelor Williams, yes. Mayor Baskerville, yes. Okay, returning to the main motion. Thank you. You're welcome. Deputy Mayor Anderson, yes. Councelor Birmingham, yes. Councelor Damato, yes. Councelor Lachman, yes. Councelor Toller, yes.
Councelor Williams, yes. Mayor Baskerville, yes. Thank you. Um, any other out of town guests that anybody need need? She's not happy. Thanks folks. You did the right thing. Thank you very much.
Okay, now we're going to go back to resolution R 25157. Um we're going to start with councelor Toller, please. Sure. Uh resolution R25-157
uh township of Montlair resolution authorizing placetoplace transfer expansion of premises of alcohol beverage plenary retail consumption license hotel motel exception number 0713-36-26-00001 license C is AHG
Montlair Beverage LLC See, I so moved. Second discussion. Madam clerk, we got the sketch late. I just had a question. Maybe the would the clerk would you be able to? So, they're just moving this license from one part
of the floor to the other part. They're expanding. So, they currently have it in the hotel and now the adjacent building. They're going to expand the license premises so they also can consume alcohol in that building. A corridor connects the two buildings. Excellent. Madame clerk. Deputy Mayor Anderson. I'm
sorry. This is the old the Thai chef. No, this is the MC hotel. No, but the property that they're moving it to or Attorney Bara represents the client. Maybe she'll be able to give you more detail. Good evening. Is this going to be a short response to the question that
um deputy mayor asked? Absolutely. My name is Lisa Barata. I represent the Lency. The MC Hotel is the licensed premises. They're expanding it to include the connected premises which is the former Thai chef. Great. Thank you very much. I appreciate it. Deputy Mayor
Anderson. Yes. Councelor Birmingham. Yes. Councelor Damato. Yes. Councelor Laughman. Yes. Councelor Toller. Yes. Councelor Williams. Yes. Mayor Baskerville. Yes. Uh resolution
R25-158. Um Councelor Williams, please. Resolution R-25-158 resolution authorizing renewal of alcoholic beverage plenary retail consumption licenses for a term beginning July 1st 2025 and ending July
30th 2026. So move second discussion madam clerk. Yeah. Wait just just very quickly. Uh, so MHG and Monontlair Mezzanine, they have
the same license number. Is that because we previously approved moving the license from Mezzanine to MHG? Uh, yes, councelor. They don't have the same exact license number. If you look at the three last numbers, that sequence
there represents how many moves the license has made. So every time you sell it to someone else, it goes up in number, but all the other numbers remain the same. Okay. I just have a question, too. Yes, council toler. Yes, thank you. Um, on the second page of this resolution, I'm just the one that we
just approved prior, is this a renewal or an expansion? Because on this one, it's an expansion, but they're renewing it. Yes. Yes, counselor. So, the answer to your question is that this is a renewal. So, the item that you just voted on was an expansion, which is
something separate, a separate application, but every year you're going to get two resolutions to renew every license within the township. Right. Okay. Good. Madam Clerk, Deputy Mayor
Anderson, yes. Councelor Birmingham, yes. Councelor Damato, yes. Councelor Lachman, yes. Councelor Toller, yes. Councelor Williams, yes. Mayor Baskerville, yes. Um, deputy mayor, please. Number three, resolution
R25159, resolution authorizing renewal of alcoholic beverage plenary retail distribution licenses for a term beginning July 1st, 2025 and ending June 30th, 2026. I so moved. Second discussion.
Madame Clerk, please. Deputy Mayor Anderson. Yes. Councelor Birmingham, yes. Councelor Damato, yes. Councelor Lachchman, yes. Councelor Toller, yes. Councelor Williams, yes. Mayor Baskerville, yes. Thank you. Councelor Lochman, number four, please.
I make a motion to approve R-25-160, which is a resolution awarding contract for the renovation of the 911 dispatch center at police headquarters, bid 25-08. Second discussion. Williams, just very quickly,
when we receive only one bid, why don't we send it back out again to see if we get better biders? I mean, uh, Lieutenant Lieutenant got you. So, we hired an architect to handle all
the bid specs and everything. This has been going on since I'm sorry. Is it on? I apolog. Thank you. Do you hear me? Yes. Thank you very much. Um, this project was approved back in 2023. Uh, and funding was approved already back
then in capital budget and uh we first step was to hire an architect, Land Associates, to help with the bid specs and and researching everything much like Mr. Marks was talking about the Clary Anderson Center except we're a lot
further down the road now with this um the bid proposal. We we sent it out and only one came back. Uh how however the architect part of their responsibility was to recommend the bid as as the bids came
in and they actually did a bid award recommendation saying we should accept this. They recommended that we do accept the their bid. Um so we defer to them as the experts in that. Thank you, Councelor Lachchman. And this
is at the police headquarters on Milfield Avenue. Yes, ma'am. It's going to be at police headquarters. Originally, our dispatch center many years ago was in police headquarters. It got moved uh over to this uh a long time
ago got moved over to the fire department and there's a lot of issues with that as far as supervision goes. Uh you can't really hear uh a call as it's happening. A supervisor is not stationed down there right now. And this is just
safer for everybody, better for morale staffing. You know, we've had issues and discussions about staffing with the dispatchers. uh we're a little low on on staffing for them. Um we think this will help all around and and make it a a better
environment for them as well. Just Yes. Councelor Williams and then councelor Lachman and then councelor Damato. I'm sorry to have so to be so curious at 11:18. Uh it's okay. In the evening. So I I noticed so you enter
you're the police when they have like these construction projects you don't go through DCS who's responsible for all the other buildings because it it seems like one bidder and DCS probably goes out and does construction for all all
the buildings. Why wouldn't you know we consult with DCS and get multiple biders? And and the only reason I'm asking is cuz one bidder, you know, maybe somebody's going to do it for less. That that that was it. Oh, well, we do we do consult with DCS and have
them come and look at the building for a lot of our projects. Uh years ago, we had them come and do uh the engineering department do a structure uh structural engineer report for the entire building. And there's all kinds of issues going on, but we do consult with them, but I
don't think that they would be the ones doing the construction on the building. It's just, you know, they would still go out to bid as well, like kind of like we did. There's, this architect, Len Associates, has done work in the past for Montlair as well. Um, they're well
respected as far as I know. They uh they do a good job. I just have one comment and you know, being on the facilities infrastructure committee, it's no secret that we're looking at where should the police department be, right? and because of the
nature of the building and yet here we are having to spend a million dollars on this and it just it makes me crazy at some point we have to decide what where is that building going what are we going to do you know and so we can't we can't keep doing this kind of spending money
on this stuff that is not a long-term I mean my view it's not long term the only thing I would say to that is it's gone a long time where we haven't had a problem and we could have a problem the way it's set up right Now the um supervision it's almost impossible. Yeah, we're at police
headquarters. They're at fire headquarters. We can't listen on the calls the way we'd like. It's not fair to the dispatchers and the uh conditions they have. So this has been going on 20 years. Yeah, but you get my point. I know. I understand your point, but there is a risk that we could have a problem
and it's not fair to the dispatch. I have no problem for this. I just want to make the point that at some point we have to decide as a council what are we doing about the police department because we can't keep throwing money at that building. But even if we decided councelor Lachman today that we were
going to do something it's going to take what two three four years. Right. So I'm I feel but I'm never going to miss an opportunity to say that we need we need to do something about the police. Look at this. Thank you chief for being here. Deputy chief man. We just walked down.
We missed. Thank you. That's right, Lieutenant. Councelor Toller has another. I don't have a question. So, I just want to say there's a typo on here on the numbers that we need to make sure that gets fixed because the third whereas paragraph ends in a two and then
the fourth be it resolved paragraph ends in a zero. It's just a small typo, but it probably should be fixed. Good. Thank you. Yes, councelor Damato, please. Thank you for your service, gentlemen. Yeah, thank you for your
service. Um, thank you for working in that building for so long and not only doing that, but making it a place that is actually okay given what we've stuck you with. Like it's amazing. You know, the basement is
in parts nice. That's madam clerk. Wait a minute. We are going we are looking we are working on the weekend to look for a better location a new location and even if you were going to
stay in that building you would be moving out of that building and that area would be demolished. We had just contracted for a a historic architectural survey of what's beneath the walls of that building, which would
not take place until after this was executed. And I apologize cuz it's sort of on us. I mean, we're learning to fix the plane as we're flying it. But like, you are talking about putting a million dollars into a space that very well could be demolished in 3 years.
Thank you very much, Madame Clerk. Roll call, please. Deputy Mayor Anderson. Yes. Councelor Birmingham. I'm going to abstain because I don't I haven't been in all the infrastructure to know when the impending dem
demolition is. So, I'm I'm just going to abstain. Councelor Damato, I'm voting no. Councelor Lman, yes. Councelor Toller, yes. Councelor Williams, yes. Mayor Baskerville, yes. Uh, thank you. Resolution
R25-161, please. I think that's councelor Birmingham, please. Resolution endorsing the fourth round housing element and fair share plan for Montlair Township. And you so move or not? Um,
so I Okay. Do Am I Do you want me to move this or are we going to Okay, move. I'll move for discussion. Move for discussion. Yeah, move it. Councelor Toller. Sure. I
second. Thank you. Oh, I just had a question on um well, Miss Avery brought up a lot of things. I don't know if everybody took notes or not, but yes, I guess on page I'll start on page
17. Um the chart at the bottom, are any of these units currently under construction? And if so, how is that included in the plan? You know, if if the construction is stopped, are any of these included in construction? Page
17, the bottom. Do you have the tan? Yes. Yes. You can clearly see with the symbol you see, those are under construction. Okay. So, it's fair and and I'm going to say in air quotes legal. Okay.
Um page 18. I think we're off by five units. Perhaps you can verify the alister um the numbers that when they go across you have 17 but it actually totals 12. I
might be missing what the uh uh description in terms of bedrooms. It is 17 units. Five 6 7 8 9 10 11. Yeah. So what what do you you don't know which one it would be though? I don't know if it's a twobedroom. You know that maybe
in the table with the two bedrooms and the one bedrooms we did not include some of them. So that number needs to be 12 then or you saying it is? I'm telling you it's 17. Okay. Okay. Oh ma'am. Um again page 18 at the bottom 59 Church
Street. I'm sorry. I'm I'm just trying to figure out what was the outcome of the um Alistister. it. She had 17 in the total, but when you So Janice, you were telling us that perhaps it's 12. Where where do you want us to put the other number to make it add up to 17? It is
17. I I neglected to include a a description in terms of the bedroom. So there must be units that are missing from the bedroom counts. I can correct that, but this I can I can address. This is an adopted document. I cannot amend
it. it's already adopted by the planning board. So essentially I can answer your questions um and come back with that information. But this is an adopted document. It's a policy document of the township. The planning board would have to amend this. Yeah, that's what's going to have to
happen. Okay. Okay. Good. Thank you. And one more question on page 18. And if someone else has a question, they can go. I'm just trying to see um again number eight. Total number of units is eight on page 18 for 59 Church Street. Um, that's
correct. It's abandoned though. It's not abandoned. It's under construction. They did. Someone else pick it up cuz then it was I just I'm just going by what the Montlair local shared about that project being stopped. So I have a question if that property has approval. Their
approval requires construction of eight units. Okay. So they cannot get a CO until those eight affordable units are in place. And there's a deed restriction. Mhm. For those eight units. And we have deed restrictions in place
on page 21 like the Montlair Muse. Yes, we do. Okay. Cuz all of them have a deed restriction. Yes, they do. May I make a suggestion if Councelor Lman Oh, sorry. No. No. If Miss Avery
wanted to just go and talk with you, it might be we get this done available and she could go over and you could answer her questions provide the information. I think that might be better use of our time. Yes. And so then um if that turns out to be
the plan um planner tally, will you come back to the planning board if we need to amend anything here? Yes. And so then the objective this evening will be for us to either vote this up or vote this down. Thank you very much. I'd like to have the uh Madame Clerk call the
question, please. Deputy Mayor Anderson. Yes, Council Birmingham. Somebody else have a question. Can I just I just asked a question. Council Birmingham, can I just ask more questions? Okay. A question because um we had someone here
and I believe it's Martin's funeral home that Yes. where she wants out. Michelle Williams. Um the page 36 of this document seems to have caused some I I know on um I saw online some um but the
non-conforming properties and residential zones you have some examples where there there it's one and two family residential zones and there are buildings there that are not one and two family houses. So you have Applegate
Farm and you have Sautel Learning Center and you have Martin's Funeral Home and these are just statements of fact that that that these are non-conforming and this is not at all that you're suggesting that any of these buildings are going to be sold for affordable
housing. One of the requirements under the state statute is that we identify areas where affordable housing can be accommodated. Clearly in Montlair, we're built out. So that's why we ended up looking at faith ba properties owned by
faith-based organizations and properties that are um nonconforming uses in residential zones just to identify if those properties if those nonconformities ever go away and it becomes a different use. That's an
opportunity to provide housing which is a permitted use of which we would get some affordable units. That's simply what that is. And I identified a list of properties over half an acre in size. The St. Martins's funeral home fell into
that category. It's over half an acre in size. It's a non-conforming use in a residential zone. So if at some point it changes use, there's an opportunity to provide housing including affordable housing at that location. Okay. So that thank you because this is a little
different than I understood it. But so now I can understand why she might be upset that that this she's a non-conforming use. So just I treated all of them equally. Okay. She just happened to be identified in a little
bit more detail because I tried to take them of different sizes just to give an example scattered throughout the town. Madame clerk, thank you. Councelor Birmingham, excuse me. What are we voting on? We're in the middle of a vote. There was a motion on the floor to
adopt resolution R25161 endorsing the fourth round housing element and fair share plan for the Montlair Township. There was a recommendation that perhaps Miss Tally and Miss Avery should sit together and some others if they wish to to work this out to be presented back to the planning
board for an amendment. If I if I may make a comment just a very quick comment. What I really need from the council planner tally. What I really Yes, you may interrupt the vote and you may be acknowledged. I just want to emphasize it's important that the
council adopt the spending plan. You will not be able to collect the money or spend the money in your affordable housing trust fund until you adopt the spending plan. Um and uh because that's within your baywick and that's what we're submitting to the uh
to the uh state the the dispute resolution program and the DCA is the spending plan. So that will enable you to continue to collect the money and to spend the money. Um so I emphasize that that's an important part of what we're
here tonight. Y and you do have the ability to amend the spending plan at any time. at any time. Yes. It just you need a resolution and I need to get approval from the state to for any amendments. Correct. I have a question.
Um I'm going to I'm going to ask please that that we're in the middle of the vote and so I'd like to finish the vote and then if people have further questions the vote for this. Yes. Okay. There's a motion on the floor to adopt this
resolution. Does someone want to withdraw that motion? Okay. So, we'll continue with the vote. Councelor Birmingham. Wait. Yeah. Okay. I I uh I this is it is little. It is seemingly very small, but to the p to
and I don't know what her name is. Williams. Michelle. Michelle Williams. to Miss Williams. It seems to be rather large. So, what does what do we need to like you said, this is an adopted document,
so I can't just take this out? Nope. The planning board can do that. The planning board can amend. Yeah, the planning board could amendment can amend that and take it out. Can the planning board amend it and take it? planning board would have to um hold another public
hearing to amend the plan. So they can do that. Yeah. And then do I vote on it and you don't or I wait? You don't? No, I know I don't wait but I right now do I vote on we're all we're asking for but we need
to pass the the spending plan. Right. Right. Okay. And in order to do that, I'm just I just want to make sure that that we're clear. I think I am. So, we need to pass it to have the spending plan passed, but we can do an amendment
at at any time. So, if you meet with other people and there's other things that we need to go back and amend, you can bring that to the planning board and and we can do that. And if there's several of them, because I know there were other questions, then we can do
those as a group if we need to with the planning board. Is that correct? That's correct. And I'd like to offer Okay, Madame Clerk, please call the question. Councelor Birmingham, yes. Councelor Damato, no. Councelor
Lochman, yes. Councelor Toller, no. Councelor Williams, yes. Mayor Baskerville, deputy mayor, you voted yes and then we were interrupted. That's right. And Baskerville, thank you. Thank you. Okay, moving
on. We are where are we now? Number six, resolution number 6, R2162. And this is who is this? Councelor Birmingham. Um, huh? She said the last. Okay, thank
you. Council Demato. Yeah. R25162 resolution awarding a contract to Calvin Carbon United Carbon Corporation for the purchase, delivery, and exchange of a granular activated carbon filter
absorb 400 AR at Lraine Well for the Department of Utilities bid number 2511. And I so move. Second discussion. I'll second. I did. Yeah, but you can.
Madam Clerk, Deputy Mayor Anderson, yes. Councelor Birmingham, yes. Councelor Damato, yes. Councelor Lochman, yes. Councelor Toller, yes. Councelor Williams, yes. Mayor Baskerville, yes. Number seven, Council Toller, please.
Sure. Resolution R25-163 uh Township of Montlair resolution authorizing emergency purchase pursuant to NJSA 40A semicolon 11-6 repair of water main break on undercliff road I so move
second discussion madam clerk deputy mayor Anderson yes councelor Birmingham yes councelor Damato yes councelor Lachman yes councelor Toller yes councelor Williams yes Mayor Baskerville Yes. Council Williams. Number eight,
please. Resolution R-25-164. Resolution authorizing grant application, submission, and execution of a grant contract with the New Jersey Department of Transportation for Church Street uh streetscape improvement
projects. So, move. Second. Discussion. Yes. Councilor Tola. Um, I'm just trying to understand if there's supposed to be any amounts listed on this first page. It says we're executing a grant contract with the New New Jersey Department of
uh, transportation, but it's doesn't I don't see any amount. And then I thought in the past I thought a developer was supposed to fix this roundabout. That never that never happened. the developer gave $30,000 for and that went towards the
plumbing and everything underneath it, but but that's all that's all done. Okay. Well, I mean, I see there's an amount in Nebla's report, but there's no amount on our actual resolution. And it's the same thing for items 9 and 10. And I think the amounts should be
included, not necessarily Negl Neglia's report because that's not what we're voting on. We're voting on this resolution and it needs to have a number on it. Okay. Council to where where are you where should we put this number? Well, if Neglia is saying how much is
it? How how are we supposed to know how much it is? What we're voting on? So, will you It's in the I know, but how much is the grant for? Mayor I see as report okay is that is saying Mr. So I believe the memorandum that's
attached to R 25 164 says section A says the approximate cost is 350,000 to 400,000 right my my I think this is just our approval to submit the application that's correct so and we
don't need an amount on here at all Mr. attorney. Is there any consequences to not having him out? I'm just asking. Okay. But residents, any other question, councelor Toller? No. Okay. Um, councelor Lachman. Um, so will this be
reviewed by the HPC? We had the problem with the Wang Plaza not being reviewed. This seems I don't know if this is an historic area. I'm not familiar whether it is or it isn't, but we will we will check with that. Can you check with that? Yeah. Yes. Yeah.
Okay, Madame Clerk. Deputy Mayor Anderson. Yes. Councelor Birmingham, yes. Councelor Damato, yes. Councelor Lachman, yes. Councelor Toller, yes. Councelor Williams, yes. Mayor Baskerville, yes. Number nine, Deputy Mayor, please.
R25165 resolution authorizing a grant application, submission, and execution of a grant contract with the New Jersey Department of Transportation for the Harrison Avenue Roadway improvements project. I so move again. There's no amount. Second. Sorry. I'm sorry. Do we
know how much we're the grant is that we're applying for? Just curious. So, it's on the record. It's the same memo. Okay. But still, again, I'm putting this on the record cuz our it'll be on the record for this resolution number for Harrison
Avenue. It's a roughly a million dollars. Oh, mayor. Thank you, Mayor. Deputy Mayor, I just have a question. Um, on uh in the first whereas clause, should it be the 2026 local transportation project fund rather than
2025 or am I missing something? And are we able to see the I believe this is 2025. I believe this is 2025. I do. Okay. For the local transport. Okay. Thank you.
Councelor Toller, did you have a question about For me personally, I'd like to see the grant application that we are applying for to get this money. If you can just email me a copy. Um I'd like to read it for myself is all. Thank you. Sure. Thank you, Councelor Lachman. I just um if there were any
participation percentage or amount that the town would have to contribute, that would be in this letter, right? So, we're just applying for these grants. There's no there's no matching. You know, some of these grants that we apply for, the town has to contribute 20% or so. So, that's not true with these grants, right? These are DOT grants.
They're not matching grants. Thank you. And mayor, Deputy Mayor, I I mean, I I this one it seems like it's very well I mean, not that none of them are all of them are needed, but I mean, this this particular grant application is trying to address an area that that really has been problematic in terms of track
traffic and safety related issues. Harrison Avenue between Llewellyn and Union. So, huh? Yeah. But it also says that it's it's uh project would address these issues,
um replacing age concrete curbing, reconstructing driveway aprons, repaving the roadway, in installing various traffic calming measures, um etc., etc. Was there um commu community discussion with the residents and the neighbors?
This is the initial application for this. So it's we have we'll have many opportunities to discuss this project. This is just an attempt to secure the funding to uh do these move forward with this project. Anyone?
No. Madam clerk. Deputy Mayor Anderson. Yes. Councelor Birmingham. Yes. Councelor Damato. Yes. Councelor Laughman. Yes. Councelor Toller. Yes. Councelor Williams. Yes. Mayor Baskerville. Yes. Number 10, please.
Okay. Um, I make a motion to uh to approve resolution amending resolution R-25-103 reestablishing the arts advisory committee to increase the number of members from 5 to 9. We're doing number um 10. That is the Harrison
Avenue, Cedar A, and Orange Road bike lanes. I thought they were all one package. Seem like that though. No, it was all one memo, right? Okay. Excuse me. Very sorry. I make a motion to um to approve
R-25-166, a resolution authorizing a grant application submission and execution of a grant contract with the New Jersey Department of Transportation for the Cedar Avenue, Harrison Avenue, and Orange Road bike lane improvement
project. There's a second. Second. And I have a question, please. So if when you have the community meetings to involve the neighbors, residents, and the people that will be in close proximity, and everyone says, "Oh, they think it's ludicrous to have
bike lanes here." And you've already received the grant money, then what happens? Well, then the grant money would be returned unless there's an alternate location. Okay, so the grant money could be returned. Sure. Great. Thank you. How much is this one for? 550,000. I'm sorry. This would be for the amount
of $550,000. Okay. Then I saw council Williams. This this isn't a protected bike lane, right? No. No. So this would be just the 5 1/2 ft uh bike lane. Um that's all that this grant would cover. It wouldn't
it wouldn't cover any other repaving of the the roadway itself. This would just be for the construction of the bike lane itself with the striping and and all that. Council Damato, what what what is the construction? Uh it would it would
pay for the paving of a bike lane. So it could pay for the physical width of a bike lane or any modifications that need to happen to the curbing and to the uh the striping plants. Was there what was the motivation for this um in the bike lane in this
particular area? This area was designated in the 2018 safe plan. I remember. Yeah. So, this was this was one of the uh recommended recommended areas and we also believe that this would be one of the easier places to accomplish a bike lane. It's it's a it's
not as heavy of a lift. There's many complications, but it is the one area we think we if it can work, it can work here. Council Lman, so um I think it's my understanding that the vision zero task force also is interested in bike
lanes. Did they look at this as a potential location? I spoke with the the chairperson of the vision zero. We have a meeting on Friday which we'll talk about this more. Okay. And you just said that this grant is not sight sight specific like the Glen Ridge Avenue grant was sightsp specific. This is not
sight specific that if we if the neighbors complain and they don't want it then you and you have the money you could put it somewhere else. Uh potentially if it's within the same scope. It's it's been done in the past where you can move depending on what and how you know where you're moving it to. Um but that's a conversation we'd have
to have with DOT. So this will be a sub specific to this area. So you're contradicting what you said before. It is sight specific. It can it can be I mean it it can be a conversation that you have with DOT if need be. I wouldn't recommend it. I
would I recommend doing keeping it in this location. Well, you know, if the neighbors, you know, say this is crazy, counselor. Oh, go ahead. Did you have a question? I just wanted a copy of each application for these three grants so I can take a look and read for myself.
Thank you. She wanted to copy. Anyone else? Madame Clerk, roll call, please. Deputy Mayor Anderson, yes. Councelor Birmingham, yes. Councelor Damato, yes. Councelor Lman, yes. Councelor Toller, yes. Councelor Williams, yes. Mayor Baskerville.
Yes. Um, resolution R25167. Councelor um, Birmingham. Uh, resolution amending resolution R25-103 reestablishing the arts advisory committee to increase the number of members from 5 to 9. And I so move.
Second. uh councelor Lachman. So I I think I'm reading this right. But the second whereas it says one of the five shall be appointed by the council to serve as a liaison. But isn't it the
isn't aren't the council people the liaison to a committee? Not the committee person a liaison to the council. So, we would not want the the council we would not want the committee person to have to come up here and give us information because that would be a
council liaison's role. Is that correct? It could be. Yes. Um, this may have just been um should this say cultural arts or should it just say you've been saying arts, not you, but it's been said arts advisory and a lot of things. No,
because there was a a very strong arts advisory um committee here within the township many moons ago. Uh cuz even Bob Russo said that he would like to be a part of this new committee. So that's how far back we're going. Um and back then it may have been that setup that
you're referring to. Um I'm comfortable either way. I'm just trying to increase the seats so that we can have a nice uh diverse group of people around the table. Yeah. So I propose that we amend the second whereas to delete one of the five shall be appointed and that this position can be held those two
sentences. Yeah because the committee can so you don't want one of them to be in the fine council person see that my error madam clerk got it was an error counselor but I'm glad that it's been clarified. So if the amendment is to strike that do we have a second?
It's to strike the two seconds. I'll second it. Okay. Would you like to call the question? Mayor on the amendment to strike that. I'm sorry, Councelor Birmingham. Can I just ask one question about the not being subject to
open public meetings and it says that they're Oh, no. Um, in terms of, you know, they're not spending funds or whatever, but or they're not voting on that. But I was reading something that if they are if a
if a group is sort of making exclusions or any sort of um decisions that then would be presented to the public body that for us to vote on then it should be open to the
public. So I just want to clarify. So, for example, this is like a a a very basic silly example, but if if the arts advisory committee is choosing between three movies to to offer to the council that
we would then be voting on, does that make it subject to OPMA is my question. I just presentation to the council does the does the arts advisory committee when they're making that decision of the you
know to to decide between three movies that they're going to they're going to choose one to recommend that the council buy let's say um and then we would be voting the public body like the governing body would be voting on those movies but it came out of the decision
the question from you know a decision from the committee should be subject to open. It should be so. Yes. Okay. If that's your question, I think it should. You should just delete this. Yes, I agree. Delete the I'm sorry, mayor. If I
may, I have a point of clarification. Yes. Uh, Attorney Tuneski, can you clarify that because none of the advisory committees are subject to the Open Public Meetings Act as it stands. So, if we make this group subject to the Open Public Meetings Act, are you
suggesting or does the governing body want to amend all of the groups subjecting them to the Open Public Meetings Act? Attorney, as you know, they're going to have to do meeting notices. They're going to have to publish. They're going to need a budget to do that. And those are the the
committee as far as I understand all of the authority establishing these committees. They don't have a decision making power. It holds no it holds no authority. I apologize. I misunderstood the question. Yeah, the the committee, not a public body committee. This is an advisory committee for this governing
body. Thank you very much, Madame Clerk. Thank you, Attorney. Okay, we're ready to run this. Should I do a No, I just was going to read. Okay. Okay. So I make a motion to amend resolution
R-25-167 by deleting the um the sentences uh in the second whereas whereas that start one of the five and the next sentence this position can be held. Delete those two sentences and also delete the two three the fourth
whereas clause but we need that in there because you know why do you need it? currently. I know you have to have address that at all. Yes, let me let me please. Resolution R25103. In that resolution, when this body
reestablished this advisory committee, you made them subjected to OPMA. So, I understand your amendment is to strike the last two lines of the second whereas paragraph. I have a second. Are we ready to call the question? Deputy Mayor Anderson. Yes. Councelor Birmingham.
Yes. Councelor Damato. Yes. Councelor Laughlin. Councelor Toller. Yes. Councelor Williams. Yes. Mayor Baskerville. Yes. Resolution number 12, please. No. We're returning to the main motion. We're going to the main. Yes, ma'am. Deputy Mayor Anderson. Yes. Councelor Birmingham.
Yes. Councelor Damato. Yes. Councelor Lachman. Yes. Councelor Toller. Yes. Councelor Williams. Yes. Mayor Baskerville. Yes. Resolution number 12, please. Uh, Council Damato or Council Birmingham, I forgot. Where did we leave
off? Okay. Councelor Damato, please. Resolution. Uh, resolution 25168, a resolution authorizing refund of escrow account balances. So moved. Second. Discussion. Madam clerk, please call the question. Deputy Mayor Anderson? Yes. Councelor
Birmingham? Yes. Councelor Damato? Yes. Councelor Laughman? Yes. Councelor Toller? Yes. Councelor Williams? Yes. Mayor Baskerville? Yes. Number 13, council to Oh man, I didn't know we had a whole another page to check out. You want to create a consent agenda?
I wish we could. Councelor Toller, please. Sure. Number 13, resolution R25-169 uh resolution awarding contract to CME Associates for licensed site remediation professional services associated with
Montlair Police Department. I move second discussion. Madame Clerk, Deputy Mayor Anderson, yes. Councelor Birmingham, yes. Councelor Damato, yes. Councelor Laughman, yes. Councelor Toller, yes. Councelor Williams, yes. Mayor
Baskerville, yes. Number 15, Council Williams, please. 14. Uh, 14, I'm sorry. Coun number 14, Council Williams, please. Moving resolution
R-25-170. Resolution authorizing award and fair and open contract to SJC Lawn Care, Inc. for 2025 spring tree planting bid 25-07. I said it at the beginning. Second
discussion. Yes. Councelor Toller. Sure. Go ahead. Council Councelor Williams. So, I I I know I'm in the minority here on the sidewalk issue, but here we have trees being planted. I think that we shouldn't be planting any more trees until we wrap our hands around, you
know, who's responsible and everything like that. So, that's all with that. Councelor Lachman, is there anything that would prohibit us from asking a private contractor whom we're paying to plant a a municipal
tree, let's call it that, on private property? I mean, I I would love, you know, to add a tree to my property or those big houses on whatever on Upper Mountain Avenue. instead of putting it on the sidewalk curb, put it on the other side of the sidewalk in a place
where it's not going to tear up and uplift the sidewalk. It's It's just a suggestion. Attorney, did you have an opinion there? I'm sorry, what was the question? I didn't. So, is there anything that would prohibit us from paying a private contractor to plant a
tree with permission of course on a private resident's property so that we we would elim? We you want the town to plant on private property? Yes. With permission to offer with the permission of the resident if
they so chose. Manager marks please. Um a lot of the grant opportunity if the grants are coming from state or federal government they actually prohibit the the the funding is reserved for public rights of way or public municipal county state property. Okay. So it actually
prohibits you from using grant funded um funds uh from uh planting on private property. But this isn't grant funded. This particular one that we're looking at is it's grant funded. No it is not grant funded. This
this will be part of the federal uh program. Oh, okay. Never mind then. Yeah, it doesn't say in background. I have a question. Yes. Councelor Toller. And I this Dr. Johnson is the one that put this one up. Is that correct? This resolution
was put forth by Mr. Ash. Yeah, we we put this up, but this is her uh part of our project. Okay. Because then I have a question. Um, I guess the first question is, you know, if we approve this or go through with this, you know, how are we going to ensure these trees survive? Who's going
to be responsible for watering these trees so that they do survive? And then on page two, which is really page, it says 25 at the bottom. Um, one of these is not native. So, is this grant money,
does it all have to be native plants or trees that we're using? because if so number four is not native. It's native in Iran but not here in the United States. We we try to use native plants as much as we can but for trees it's not usually possible. And um number three is
a shrub. It can grow about as high as like 15 to 30, but that's not a tree tree. Is there another tree that you can supplement for that? I'm just asking because I'm trying to remember if you're saying this is Dr. Johnson's grant money when she said that we were planting
trees. We were supposed to plant um I guess 100 trees. How many have we planted so far for this year? Yeah, cuz this will be the first. Okay. Um well then if it is that and does the language say that it has to be native plants and
trees cuz if it does then these uh have to be changed. Yeah, this this list came was generated through uh Dr. Johnson's office and the arborist. So they that would be the better arborist did this. Yes. And her. Okay. Well, one of them is definitely not
native and it's like I said, number four. Um, so we need to find out if the grant says that it has to be native for everything or can it kind of be native? I don't know. But councelor Williams and then councelor Damato. Looks like we have a funny. So with this
and I I don't know if one the homeowners, the property owners, I don't think are being asked if they want a tree planted in front of of their house uh first. And I don't think they
even get to select a tree cuz I I know I had a tree planted in front of my house a couple of years ago and the arbor said, "Oh, yeah, tell me what tree you want." And then before I knew it, they planted a tree without any input. But whatever, maybe going forward with all
this talk about, you know, this tree, town tree ripped up my sidewalk. Mhm. Maybe, you know, we reach out to the property owner, one, see if they want a tree, and two, have them sign a waiver.
Um, that they assume full responsibility for, you know, whatever happens with the tree rather than just going around planting all these trees and then somebody comes back five, three years later, 5 years later and said, "Look, look what you did to my sidewalk." So,
anyway, I think that's a good idea. I think council Damato and then deputy mayor. Yeah, I have been interested in that idea for a long time and people have brought it to me more than a year ago. Miss Gman was very, you know, hot on this idea and we have a lot of there
are a lot of public lands. There's BOE lands that are that are blank and these none of these trees I checked go over 40t tall. They're not real shade trees. And if we move to split the cost or to offer trees to homeowners, and I've been
walking around looking at this at this issue in the last week, you know, they're just big wide open front lawns that could take a a white oak and a lot of our specimen shade trees uh that were planted when a lot of these houses were planted are reaching the end of their
life right now. Um, and so it would be it would be a really terrific thing that I' I'd also point out. uh that if we're going to ding the Persian parodia as being foreign, the Canadian service berry sounds suspiciously foreign,
too. I I know that the president hasn't fulfilled his desire to wear the next native. I'm just saying it's more of a shrub than a tree and that was my concern. And maybe if we're going to do something like this, because I know I've asked for a report from the arborist before, and apparently there's no such
report on where he has planted trees. It was something about I think you said 1% he might have. Is there a way to make sure that he starts keeping track of where we're planting trees so we can start building that we planted a tree database? Because without it Well, the issue is is not that he he has a list.
We have a list about 950 trees that he planted. It's the it's the it's the trees that were planted that weren't under him. So that Well, that's fine. So I mean going forward he is he is tracking the this would tie into um
councelor Damato sidewalk or right but okay so should I talk with Dr. Johnson about number three and number four in here or or will you relate lay? I can relate that. That's fine. Okay. Councelor Lachman, um since we're talking about trees, can you tell me how
the uh proposal for the tree on the corner of Walnut and and Grove is doing? I don't have an update on that. Um I'm not sure where the they had they met at the site, but I'm not sure what happened after that. I I as I had indicated, I
would really want to see the plan before it's implemented. Yeah, we haven't moved forward with that yet. Okay. Just reiterating. Thank you. Council Williams, were you making an amendment that we should wait until um there's further understanding about who's going to take responsibility or you just
making an observation or making an observation. I'm going to abstain from this. Okay. Because I I like trees, but I think that we need some um I agree. Some protocol here. I
agree. Okay. If you can maybe if you do speak with Dr. Johnson, can you loop me into the email cuz I want to know where these trees are going to go. Is this the grant where she said it would go into the low and moderate income neighborhoods? So, if this is supposed to start, then I would like to talk to the residents before we start putting
any trees out. Sure. We have a new sidewalk ordinance. Thank you. Yes. Um, Deputy Mayor, I have a few questions. Um, so if I'm not mistaken, is this money, is this part of the
grant, the federal grant where um that provides those funds to plant trees in areas of town that don't have a lot of trees? Uh, well, no, for uh underered areas. That's what I meant. Yeah. So, the underserviced areas like Yeah. So,
that's what I thought. Um, and then um how are decisions made? because what I remember when I one of my neighbors asked if trees could be planted on my block. Um that location was put on a list. Mhm. And so I I'm just wondering
how locations are. Do do you know what the process is for that? The arbor selects the locations based on what he feels is the best location for those trees. Okay. It's and on recommendation um recommendations requests for trees request. So, the
requests are coming from the residents, correct? I see. Okay. And then um and then again um I I think uh you know I I was also wondering if we could have like a database or something that's publicly available that says where the where the
town planted trees are. Um if if that's if that can be done like you know on the website or wherever it could be made available like a map or something. Also part of the grant that uh that Dr. Johnson's working on is a tree inventory. So that that is one of the things that the Monontlair State is is
helping us out with. Okay. Yes. Um yeah, I just wanted to just make clear that it this is money that specifically is supposed to plant trees where in underserved and under um served areas of town. Yes. So
madam clerk Oh, I'm sorry. Council Birmingham. Good. No, it's so here it says um work begins approximately May 1st to be completed within 30 days. And I know the next week at least is going like we're starting to get into the real heat of summer. Mhm. Is this the right
time to be planning? It's not ideal. No, good question. So then fall. Yeah, we can push it to fall. Should we wait till fall? Cuz then that'll give us time to work out. Yes. I have no objection to that. Okay. Well, this is grant money that she got
in for this. Is that correct? Do we know what her timeline is for that? It's a grant over 5 years. Okay. So, was does she miss any money if we don't get something now to get something in with any federal money at
this get this done? Get these in now. It's if it's a specific grant. I was going to just But not if the trees aren't going to No, no, but I'm just saying the funding money and can you please speak into the mic? Sure. for sure. Thank you. Um, so I I've had conversations with Lisa and so
since this is the USDA money, there's always a chance, right, that it could be clawed back. We've had the money for a while. Um, you know, when we've been executing the plan, but I think if waiting, we could potentially lose. I
mean, there's been no direct indication, right? But we don't know what could happen. So, I just think sooner rather than later might be, but it's just nature. Like you, if it's 95°, it's not a good time to plant a tree. Like, you know what I mean? I understand what
you're saying, but I know that they were just tearing trees out of Women Field because they were because of the planted in the summer. Yeah. So, to me, I don't cuz it's going to start getting really hot. It is going to get really hot this
week. And so, I just don't know if it's the right time. I have no objection and waste the money. Yeah, councelor Toller. I I I'm just not sure if right because we're just going to be Yeah, I'm not an arbor, so I can't speak to that. Manage your marks. Sorry, I said we go for it.
I don't We have a heat island down here. Now is the absolute worst time to plant the tree. So, I would recommend waiting. The the worst thing that could happen is you plant trees and two/3s are going to die in the heat of the summer, especially if if we're not using gator
bags and having them watered. So even if there's a chance of the money being clawed back by the USDA, I would highly recommend waiting until the the fall planting season. Okay, we can do that. I just want to make certain that if the the money is pulled back, there's not going to be a kick up later if we have
to use township money to put some trees in the fourth ward and parts of the third ward. You know that that's my concern. Yes, Councelor Williams. I'm doing something I hate doing. This is my third time, but I'm going to keep it short. Okay.
You know, we we need to have a waiver program and the the resident the property owner needs to be notified in advance that a tree is going to be planted within a certain period of time so that you know they take full responsibility. And if they don't want
it, then fine, no problem. But we we just can't have this situation for whatever future council's coming down the line saying, "Hey, you know, this was planted and my sidewalks are messed up. This is your problem." So, sorry, final one on that. We could with
only 50 trees, there's a lot of right away that that is adjacent to public land. So like uh where I am you know Sunset Park and these places um we could plan on th we could favor those trips in this next you know iteration of this for
that area it's I think this is a very specific grant for right okay so like on Maple by Glenfield school what yeah well we haven't but just so we can maximize timing here when is the right time when
would is it September or October October. Can we be absolutely ready to go? I mean, I I would vote for this, but I just feel like they're going to like I just know I'm looking at it's going to be 95 degrees tomorrow and and
so Okay. I But I want to be as ready like I don't want to be sitting I want to make sure that the the first day that it's right for planting trees that we're planting them. Yeah. Okay. So, all right. And we can have this idea of a waiver or whatever by then I guess.
Anyway, do you want to withdraw? People can vote for they want to. Okay. Madam clerk, Henderson. Um, yes. Councelor Birmingham. I'm going to vote no on this. If
Councelor Damato, no. Councelor Lachman, yes. Councelor Toller, yes. Councelor Williams abstain. Mayor Baskerville. No. Motion's defeated. Moving right along.
Where are we? Number 16. No. 15. Who is that? I forgot the rhythm. Is that deputy mayor? Deputy mayor. No, cuz we're going to battle on that. Resolution R25171, a resolution of the township of
Montlair authorizing an emergency expenditure for repairs to a collapsed storm drain at 10 Irwin Park Road. I so moved. Second. Discussion. Madame Clerk. Deputy Mayor Anderson. Yes. Councelor
Birmingham. Yes. Councelor Damato. Councelor Laughman. Yes. Councelor Toller. Yes. Councelor Williams. Yes. Mayor Baskerville. Yes. 16. Number 16. Councelor Lachman, please pass that one. Okay, we did that one. Okay. 17, please.
17. Okay. I move resolution R-25-173, which is a resolution for authorization to enter into a contract with Tilcon for the resurfacing of township surface lots in 2025.
Second discussion. Yes. Council Toller. Sure. Um I'm just curious. It looks like maybe pages two and four are missing. Um I see the notification of award on page one. Then the next page says three. I'm
just trying to see where the telecon um cuz all this says is I'm not sure where the pricing is that matches what the resolution says. It's two-sided copies. No, no, it's not. You're right.
I don't have a page two or three either. I mean I have page one and then it jumps to three. Right. So again I mean the resolution reads that this is going to T till this amount but the backup documentation
um is showing SLI as the vendor and all their pricing. I don't see Telkon anywhere, but um and it says page one. Then maybe somebody forgot to run it to the uh when it was submitted. It's it's on
the back. It's on the back of the page. That's why I don't think we have this. No, we don't have I don't know how you didn't get it, but that's we we that's what we submitted. So, would you like for us to pull this until we have all the um pages? I can give you a copy.
What? Enough to go around. Do you have enough for everyone? It's part of it's part of the co-op contract. It's the same pricing in the previous. Madam clerk, Deputy Mayor Anderson,
yes. Councelor Birmingham, yes. Councelor Damato, yes. Councelor Laughman, yes. Councelor Toller, yeah. Um, I'm going to abstain because I I haven't had a chance to read through this and I don't know how people can vote on it if you want to look at it.
Councelor Williams, yes. Mayor Baskerville. Yes. Resolution number 18, please. Council Birmingham. Resolution awarding a contract to International Corp. for providing and it might be SHI, I'm not sure, for
providing and installing two license plate recognition systems in accordance with NJ Cooperative Purchasing Alliance of Bergen County Contract CKO4 subcontract 19-34 and I so move second
discussion. Yep. I just have one question. Oh, I'm sorry. Does someone else have go ahead and then councelor Lock I guess Manny really quick. It says that we own on your memo to Mr. Marks dated June 3rd. Um, it says the LR the LPR systems that
we currently own. No, the systems are going to be installed on vehicles that we currently own. We're not purchasing any new vehicles for the uh for the LPR system. We're just adding two additional LPR systems, license plate recognition systems for the parking enforcement.
Yeah. Okay. cuz it what what I'm saying is the way it reads is as if we are are already in possession of them. But cuz then my next question was going to be what was the cost? But if you're saying we don't own any at all, then it's fine. We currently have two vehicles that have
license plate recognition. Mhm. The object of this resolution is to add two more systems into to our to our fleet. Do you know what we paid the last time? Uh it was I think it was around the same price. It was actually I think it was a little bit more actually. 3 87,000
something if I if I recall correctly. 30 what? 87 something. Oh 87 87,000 87,000 and some change but I don't remember the exact number. Okay. All right. Thank you councelor Lachman. So do do you have an estimate? Will will
um any staff need to be reduced as a result of using these readers? No. What's happening currently right now is with the parking enforcement officers, uh, two of them, we can only put two of them out on the road right now with parking enforcement vehicles with LPR. The other, if we have a third or fourth
parking enforcement officer at the time, they're actually using their cell phones, an app on their cell phones to mimic the LPR, which actually is slowing them down. It's, you know, making work more cumbersome. So, this will add two more to the So, you'll have a fully loaded enforcement staff. Correct. But
the use of these doesn't reduce the need for real people. Actually, no, it's not. In fact, we could actually use more people. Okay. Council Williams. Unrelated putting those notices out about overnight parking.
All right. Cool. Madam Cler, yes. Deputy Mayor Anderson, yes. Councelor Birmingham, yes. Councelor Damato, yes. Councelor Lochman, yes. Councelor Toller, yes. Councelor Williams. Yes. Mayor Baskerville. Yes. Council Toller,
I know you had a question on number 19. Sorry. Thank you. I don't know. Were we just going to wait and discuss all appointments? Did we have a chance to discuss? Um I know Miss Counselor Laughman sent an email, but did we have a discussion? Do we want to discuss? Do
we want to table this and bring it up with all the other appointments, whether they're volunteer or committee commissions? I think this is kind of different because No, no, I understand that. But I'm just saying the last email that I saw from you was like you were saying your term is up,
correct? And you know if we wanted to reappoint you, you would be willing. But if there was somebody else Oh, yeah. That's what I'm saying. We didn't have a discussion. Somebody else had a discussion and I just didn't have a discussion. I don't know.
Huh? whatever. Is there anyone else who would like to be considered for the position? Well, I'm I'm I'm um I'm a little bit, you know, concerned because it seems like, you know, we really gotten to a point where we wanted to have very specific strategic processes to doing
all these appointments. And so I'd be in favor of having the discussion that you know we supposed to have as a council not sitting here and then whatever the structure is because we had other appointments that were in alignment with what what is presently written and then
this body decided for whatever reason they want to go in a different direction and make some things and we haven't even discussed you know moving forward how we want to to address this process. So why are we just now picking this one and we decided not to count any of them until
you know certain people I guess do whatever you want to do when you decide not to vote on a bunch of other people that have been waiting for appointments. I I don't understand it. I don't think it's fair to the other people who are expected to, you know, or thought that they had a good chance of being voted on
for us now just to jump in without going through any process and and put it on here. It just it seems like it's a further slap to the other people that were being appointed. Mayor, may I? Yes. Deputy mayor. I think the other I mean I think what you're talking about is
appointment of other individuals like residents who are applying through this VIF process. This is a resolution to reappoint a council member who's currently serving on the planning board whose term is up at the end of this month. I'm not hearing from
anybody else up here that they're interested in putting their name forward. Well, it wouldn't be yours to to hear from anybody yet because I didn't ask for that discussion yet. And this is a first that I'm seeing. I'm coming here and I'm seeing this today. So if we want to now create yet another
process for how people will be able to stay on committees and commissions then since that seems to be the will of the body then we will have that discussion and create now yet another process for how we're going to get people appointed
to committees and commissions. Councelor Toller, we'll start at your end. No, I just wanted to know if we were going to have a discussion and I I think you're right. Um, we were supposed to follow a process. We followed a process. I think it should matter. It's
not about what committee or commission. It's about the process. And I think that's where things are getting a little twisted. And you know, I think some people are saying, "Oh, well, it's because it's the planning board that this matters more." No, the process is what we should be following. Yeah. the question even with the planning board
people should be sitting down and doing what I did not do and I'm not sure everybody else did because nobody else picked up on it and reading line by line what is expected of those people because we have several people on the planning
board that may or may not qualify according to what is written there. So the fact now that we're doing another planning board, you know, appointment that that should mean that we all read everything under the planning board appointments and could tell what each
whether it's class one, class 2, class 3, class 4 or whatever what each one is for because that's how I guess if there is a mistake made that it possibly was and and councils have come and gone and and did nothing with it and our planner
didn't bring it to my attention. and other people that have been on the planning board didn't and then when I saw something it looked like there might have been a question there then people began to talk about it. So have we all read and were completely familiar with what each category of planning um you
know individual individual what their responsibilities are and what their qualifications are. No I just want to say on the volunteer applications there one there were two I believe people that applied for the planning board. did not look at their resumes. Maybe somebody No, it's like
she would be a class three. Only the people can be on the planning board. And if you don't want to be on it, I don't particularly want to be on it either. Again, it's a process. We want to talk. What's the process possibly be? The process can be that people would read it and know what a class three um member,
what their responsibilities are. Right. I think in the beginning when we were first elected, we went through and we said someone has to be a deputy mayor, someone has to be on the um the planning board, somebody has to be on XYZ, and that's how it happened. And there's nobody else but these people, the seven
of us that can be on the and I'm going to tell you what you're talking about. I'm talking about you're talking about the other two folk who I'm talking about. Does everybody sitting up here know what a class three what is expected of that person? just a regular they're
class three is a is a member of the of the planning board that's delegated from the governing body correct so and they have the same powers and obligations as everybody else and you said this is what that's a normal member of No I'm not I'm
not asking you I'm just saying that everybody should have read it because nobody and you're you're sitting here telling me that now right but you didn't say anything about those people that are sitting on the planning board now that may or may not be eligible to be on it. And that is a concern. If we have a
quasi judicial board where members that are sitting there voting may or not be eligible, that is a serious concern. And I just don't want anybody to ever be rushed again to make decisions that may have consequences. So if everyone has
had an opportunity to discuss this and review it and they feel ready, then there's no problem. Just for the record, I think you're doing a magnificent job. And it it does. But the reason I feel like, you know, it seems like, you know, now we're going to vote on this. When we
had people that we went through a process for, the whole body said now we're not going to vote on them. So, it's just really hard to figure out when we're going to vote and when we're not. I think I think we didn't have a process, which was the point. We did. We're developing. No, the process was
that you put some people up and that was not the process. The process was the same as it always was. We had dips that were sent there and then those of us that wanted to take the time, interviewed them, called them in, talked to them and made decisions, people had
opportunities for six weeks to interview them, pick up the phone, call whatever them, and decided not to and then came in here and made the decision that now we're not going to vote because I had six weeks knowing that these people were thinking that might be disgusting. Wasn't important enough for this body to
do that. That is a problem for me. Mayor. Anyway, let's move on. Madame, please call the role. Uh, I don't have a motion on the floor, mayor. Okay. Motion to appoint reappoint council uh councelor Lochman as council member,
class three member to the planning board. I will move. Second. Roll call, please. Deputy Mayor Anderson, yes. Councelor Birmingham, absent. Councelor Damato, yes. Councelor Lachchman um
abstain. Councelor Toller abstain. Councelor Williams. Yes. Mayor Baskerville. Yes. Next resolution, please. Resolution number 20 R251 176 awarding an open-ended contract
for vegetative waste removal and disposal services base ID A to environmental removal Austin Ashley this is um
Austin's resolution Any discussion? Yes, I have a discussion. Councelor Tola, and it's really not a discussion about this particular one, but I did send an email. So, if if people are in our yards taking our leaves and trees, we would lose money based on is this for
like when we collect and you drop them off and we get paid back. This is what we pay to to dispose of those of those uh vegetative waste, right? So, there's a charge to us. So, this is what we're charged, not what we're paying, right?
Okay. All right. Just wanted to get clarification. Did I make a resolution? Yes. Okay. Madame Clerk, Deputy Mayor Anderson. Yes. Councelor Birmingham.
Sorry. Is this is this waste? No. Vegetative waste. Yes. Councelor Damato. Yes. Councelor Lochman. Yes. Councelor Toller. Yes. Councelor Williams. Yes. Mayor
Baskerville. Yes. Resolution um 21. Who's that? Councelor Birmingham. Or is it Council Damato? Huh? Council Toller, will you do resolution 21, please? Yes, Madam Mayor. But I have two of them. Not really sure
um which one we should be using tonight cuz they have the same I had that one. I have Okay. Well, no. I'm just There's two, Madam Clerk. Yes. The manager's office provided the one that was at your Deis. Yes. Which is a corrected version
of what was given to you previously in your packets. The only correction is that in the first be it resolved paragraph the project name is corrected to read as red remediation of 399 Orange Road whereas what you received
previously said Wong Plaza improvements if my memory served me right. So that was the only correction on item 21. No and the amounts as well. Oh the amounts are are different that I didn't know. So may I bring this to you just I mean Okay. So, I don't know which one to
read. Um, I have no knowledge about the amounts being different. Yeah, because the 399 Orange Road is uh a Green Acres grant funds and Well, the amount is going to be counselor 56,000
uh and three 310 cuz I'm reading from the certification of funds. So, that's going to be the real amount. All right. I will dispose of this other fonty one. One I didn't even receive
that. I'm sorry. One has two pages, one has three pages. Would that make it better to help? Yes. No, I understand what you're saying because they've shared with me what you were referencing, but I'm telling you I didn't have that. Okay, no problem. No problem. So, I'm going to The number is 506 is the number. All right. So then we
really should all have three pages because this memo from Miss Tally dated on May 29th has the actual um firm's name that matches the certification of funds form. All right. Right. So, now that we've got the correct number 21,
uh, resolution 25-177, resolution awarding contract for remediation of 399 Orange Road, formerly the South End Pyramid Service Station, uh, bid number 25-12. I so move.
Second discussion. I have not a discussion. I just like to make a statement regarding this. Since this is in the fourth ward, I wanted to take the time and thank um the residents that came to the meeting that I held regarding this particular project. Um I also wanted to thank the
subgroup of residents and uh PRC folks. Uh Miss Tally was involved in the meeting and I don't remember who else was with us from 205. Um but coming together as a united front for residents to decide what they would
like to see at this pocket park is uh very important. So I just wanted to thank those people that have been involved um in these discussions going forward. So we're excited about it. I'd also just like to take this opportunity
to thank the people who were with me um about 2010 when we first began to take this brown field the gas station and stayed with us throughout the years step by step making sure that all of the
prior remediations and designs and the community was actively involved and came out with some very creative and wonderful landscaping designs. I'd like to thank all of you who are still here today and realize the importance and
that talks to that talks to steadfastness and not giving up and having faith and believing that if you stick together as a community, you can accomplish amazing things. And I'd like to thank you and assure you that we will continue to move forward in a very
positive way. And for those people who are just coming on board, we welcome you and it's very nice that you are joining us in this yearslong quest. And Janice, thank you very much for all that you've done to help us make this come to
fruition. Madame clerk, call the role, please. Deputy Mayor Anderson, yes. Councelor Birmingham, yes. Councelor Damato, yes. Councelor Lachman, yes. Councelor Toller, yes. Councelor Williams, yes. Mayor Baskerville. Yes. Uh, next one. Next resolution,
please. Council Williams. 23. Bill list. Uh, okay. Resolution. Oh, did we? Oh, we did 22 already. Okay. I'm sorry. Bill list. Resolution R-25-179. The bill's list. So move.
Second. discussion. Roll call. No, I have a question. Oh, I'm sorry. Council councelor Demato and then councelor Toller. No, there just seems to be a duplicate of in the main body
under the let's let's go wireless. There's a bill for $22,000. I can't read the pages. Just if you look here, let's think
wireless fire department emergency door repair $22,000. And then if you go under the capital sorry may I if I may. Yes. So councelor
uh that is to for a different accounting is that one of them is uh under thing is a fire prevention funding. The other one is under the U operating budget. Madame clerk, are you prepared to call the role? No, I have a question. Okay.
Councelor Toller, did anyone else Were you done? Councelor Damato. Yeah. Oh, did he have a question? He I don't know. Did he counselor Damato? Yeah, there just seems to be the same. I'm sorry, Mr. Fan. I didn't understand what you said. It's a different accounting. I think the total amount is
like $43,000 for the total uh Okay. But repair council toler Sure. Um vendor number 10972. Again, I can't read the page numbers. It's for Montlair State. It
says USDA tree canopy grant. Um I guess if someone can check with Dr. Johnson tomorrow. I'm just is that her grant or is that through another department and where it would be those trees?
Um and then uh vendor number one325 Neielson Ford of Marstown uh provision of automotive trucks $77,000 and some change there. What is that for? Oh, were you here for the first one? I'm sorry I didn't see you. I
can't answer the first one. Yay. Okay. Okay, first of all, I'll I'll introduce myself. I'm not AMO. I'm the controller. Hey, controller. Um, so the Monontlair State University that Yes, that is under that grant. Um, I believe it was the last meeting or the meeting before you authorized a subgrant to Montlair State
of $300,000. So, this is a payment under that and it is under Dr. Johnson. Do you know what they're doing? Like, I mean, I know you're saying we approved it, but I'm just wondering what work have we done thus far? Is it to get trees? Is it to talk about trees? to look at trees.
Um, I don't have the paperwork on me. We can certainly pull the invoices and see what the invoices were for or have Dr. Johnson get back to you. I appreciate that. Yes, if I'm deputy mayor, I mean, yes, we we should get clarification. I believe, if I'm not mistaken, that's for related to the green team's work. Is
that not true? It is. It is under the USDA grant. Um, and I believe that there are partnering on different levels. Um there is a sub subgrant agreement I believe with the university detailing um what that partnership entails. Yeah,
I need to know that's all. Just curious. Um and then the the Neielson Ford, are you able to explain that too or No, which department is that for? Let me look that up. Sure. I'm sorry I can't see the page number because it's stapled on that
side. Well, we don't have the patch needed anymore here. Um, under that is more than like that is under our general capital fund K477 like an itemization of what that is for. I'll be happy to pull out.
Okay, thanks. It just says provision of automotive trucks like are we buying a new truck? Is it equipment? Is it repairs? I will be happy to put that. Thank you. Comproller. Councelor Toller. Any more questions?
No, ma'am. Madame Clerk, roll call, please. Deputy Mayor Anderson, yes. Councelor Birmingham, yes. Councelor Damato, yes. Councelor Lachman, yes. Councelor Toller, yes. Councelor Williams, yes. Mayor Baskerville. Yes. And number
24. Resolution number 24. Deputy Mayor. Resolution R25181. Resolution authorizing the execution of a shared services agreement with the county of Essex for an ondemand community transportation pilot program in coordination with Essex County
Community Transportation Services and the Township of Montlair Senior Services. I so moved. Second discussion. Yes, Council Toller. Sure. Just give me one minute. Madame Mayor, I'm just Is Judy still here?
She's gone. Um, this is a grant. This is to This is the county paying us or we're paying them. Oh, there's Amy's here. I'm sorry. We're paying the county. We're paying the county for um
$175,000 contract for senior transportation services. Um, this is what the director of senior services talked about um at the budget hearing and they can't get no water on the van. I have to yeah find out about that. I that's the first I've heard that you
cannot put water on the van. That seems a little hard to believe, but Madame Clerk, roll call, please. Deputy Mayor Anderson, yes. Councelor Birmingham, yes. Councelor Damato, yes. Councelor Laughman, yes. Councelor Toller, yes. Councelor Williams, yes.
Mayor Baskerville. Yes. I'd like to make a motion to adjourn the meeting, please. Second. All in favor? I opposed. Abstensions. Have a good evening everyone. Thank you for joining us.