Thank you. Good evening. Welcome to the township council special meeting of June 24th, 2025. This is a special meeting of the council to township of Montlair. It's being broadcast live on channel 34. Streaming
live on Montlair TV34 YouTube channel. It's available on demand and can and will be rebroadcast. This special meeting is called pursuant to the provisions of the open public meeting act. Adequate notice has been given. An adequate notice of the meeting has been
provided, transmitted to the official newspaper on June 16th, 2025, posted on the bulletin boards outside of the municipal building, and has remained continuously posted. In addition, a copy of this special meeting of notice is and
has been available to the public and is on file in the office of our township clerk. Please stand for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the
republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. I keep getting question why this is a special meeting because it wasn't on the calendar. Correct. Um,
madame clerk, would you please do the roll call? Deputy Mayor Anderson here. Councelor Birmingham here. Councelor Damato here. Councelor Lachman here. Councelor Tolder, good evening. Present. Good evening. Councelor Williams here. Mayor Baskerville.
Present. Um, for any of you who are wondering what's so special about the meeting. Well, first of all, we think all of our meetings are special, but tonight um it's called the special meeting because it was not on the original agenda and we did not have pass
a resolution uh at the last meeting in time for this to become um an an additional regular meeting. So, um because I know people have been asking and wondering that. So, what we're going to do is are there people here to
receive the proclamations? No. Okay. So, what we're going to do is the um council is going to break into uh executive session. We're going to go upstairs. We have matters um pertaining
to contracts and that should take maybe about an hour. And we're going to allow you all to remain in here if you'd like to. Then we're going to come back and we'll begin
the meeting starting with the proclamations and continuing as is written here. Um before we begin um are there any council members who would like to remove anything from the agenda? I
personally would like to make a motion to withdraw resolution R251 189. Second. Okay. I did that at the request and I am removing it at the request. Um,
anyone have any further discussion about that or are we good to vote on it? All in favor of removing resolution R25189. Please um say so by I I I. Any opposed?
Any abstain? Anyone else have anything that they would like removed at this time? No. Okay. I'd like to make a motion, please, that we adjourn uh upstairs for the purposes of executive session.
Is there a second? H second. All in favor? Opposed? Abstain. Okay, we'll be right back. Thank you. All right, you're live. Okay. Um, welcome back and thank you all so very,
very much. Obviously, my timing thinking that we were going to be there for an hour was off by a bit, but we were in executive session at that time. Um, so we're going to move on with the agenda. So, we're up to H. Yes. I'd like to make a motion to exit
the executive session. Second. All in favor? Any opposed? Abstain. Do I have to make a motion now to enter this one? Okay. We're going to start with proclamations. And we're really
excited. The first proclamation up is a proclamation for Montlair Theater Day. Are there people here to accept Montlair Theater Day? Okay, come on down. Council members who wish to stand.
Okay. First, how are you? Well, so I'm very excited to uh present this proclamation to Vanguard Theater Company. Before I begin, just know that uh Saturday, July 12th, there will be a theater in the park at Glenfill Park put on by Vanguard
Theater Company. So, it's a free event. We hope to see many people in Glenfell Park. It's a full day of theater. It's a full day. Full day. Wonderful. So, this proclamation comes right on time and it says, "Whereas Montlair is nationally recognized for its vibrant and thriving art scene where theater plays a vital
vital role in fostering creative expression, cultural dialogue, and community connection. And whereas theater invites us to examine the world around us, deepening empathy, sparking conversation, and encouraging collective reflection on the issues that shape our lives. And whereas arts education,
including theater, has a profound impact on young people, building confidence, collaboration, and critical thinking skills that extend far beyond the stage. And whereas Vanguard Theater has been a visionary leader in cultivating a more inclusive, equitable, and engaged arts
ecosystem through intentional programming and educational activities rooted in its commitment to dream. Dream stands for diversity, reciprocatory, education, activism, and mentorship. And whereas Vanguard Theat's
inaugural Montlair Theater Festival brings together theater companies, artists, and audiences to celebrate the transformation transformative power of performance and strengthens the bonds within our creative community. Now there be now therefore the mayor and the council of the township of Montlair do
hereby proclaim the second Saturday in July as Monontlair Theater today and encourage all residents and encourage all residents to participate in the celebration support the arts and honor the voices stories and creativity that enrich our lives.
We're very happy and very lucky to have Vanguard Theater in our community. So congratulations You're welcome. Say a few words. Well, thank you so much for this proclamation. We appreciate it so much.
Uh we've been in Montlair since 2020. Um March 1st, 2020 is when we moved into Montlair and we have to say it's been such a welcoming community. We feel so at home. We're in the middle of a production of Hair right now, which has been sold out every single show for the
last two weekends and will continue into this weekend. And it just shows how much this town has really embraced us. And we're so excited to be bringing this festival uh to the Fourth Ward, to Glenfield Park. We're so excited to celebrate with
everyone and to be able to offer a free event to the public. really um showcasing how important diversity and artistic excellence is in our community. So, thank you. Thank you so much. Gosh, are you kidding? We appreciate
good. Well, can we get a picture with all of you? Can everybody congratulate my daughter? Let's get in front of this thing. That's what I just told us. You know what? Three, two, one.
Beautiful. Just Okay. Um, and I'm certain most of council, if not all of council, would like to come down to the podium because at this time it gives me great pleasure uh to present this proclamation for our
chief financial um officer, Miss Pad Maja, known as Maja Ralph. Whereas the chief financial officer plays a vital role in ensuring the fiscal integrity, transparency and
accountability of public funds. And whereas Padmaaja Ralo has exemplified exceptional dedication, professionalism, and ethical leadership in her role as chief financial officer for over a
decade in the township of Mont Clair. And whereas under her stewardship, the organization has achieved a tripleA bond rating. Woo! financial growth
system improvements, successful audits, costsaving and strategic investments. And whereas Miss Ralph remained steadfast in her duty, demonstrating courage, integrity, and deep commitment
to the financial safety and well-being of this community. and her unwavering profess professionalism serves an as an example of ethical leadership in public service. Miss Ralph has demonstrated a
steadfast commitment to transparency, accountability, and the highest standards of financial excellence. And whereas Miss Ralph has served as a trusted advisor, a mentor, a
collaborator, embodying the values and mission of our organization, for her work and for her bravery in adversity. The community is deeply appreciated of Maja Raalo for her devotion and tireless efforts. Now
therefore, be it resolved the mayor and the council of this wonderful township of Montlair do hereby recognize and commend you, Miss Ralph, for your outstanding service and contributions as chief financial officer. And we express
our deepest appreciation for your dedication and impact here in the township of Montlair. And I I was one of the lucky ones. I had um quite a few years to work uh with Miss Ralph um during my tenure as a
fourth ward council person. Would you like to say anything? Because I know it's harder for us and you know we're going to miss you. We're missing you already. Yeah, we're going to miss you already. I'm wrong. First of all, thank you, Mayor Bascar.
Thank you, Council Tollah. Thanks everybody for this really kind recognition. Thank you so very much. Thank you. Thank you. And it is it has been an honor to serve in
the role of chief financial officer for this incredible town. It's really really incredible and words cannot express my gratitude to all these residents who have been the driving force behind
my work. And I am really honored to serve those people who are really passionate and committed to make their town better. And truly, you know, you all here, some here, some in homes. You
really made a deep impact on me and I'm carrying with me all these good memories and all these relationships I formed. I am really truly truly honored. I can I do not have words to express how grateful I am and truly and I also want
to thank for this opportunity in 2015. this opportunity given to me by Mayor Jackson and the council at that time mayor you were there on that council for this opportunity is to serve and the trust they've put on
me in me to move this town forward for towards fiscal stability sustainability and growth I am really really honored I want with great appreciation I'm going to leave this town knowing that these
committed residents will move the town forward. I have deep faith in all of you and the council members. Thank you. Thank you so very much. To do something very on behalf of all the night that you
have put in to making us better. Thank you. I I do not Okay. Absolutely. You may. How are you? Good to see you.
Uh, I'm Tony Martin and I'm here with my friend Mimi and Marcia. And this woman is such an example of how to be a powerful,
integrityfilled professional. I brought Mimi, who is a friend, not a relation, who is also a major admirer of this woman. And think of the example she has
set. She's been through a lot in this town and her courage, her determination, her faithfulness to our community. I can't express our gratitude.
It's It's overwhelming. I'm so sad to see her go. The next one better be just as good, Mayor. Absolutely. I know, but I'm I'm pretty sure. Thank you so much. Next up, we're going to do the um uh community um comments. So, if
you're number one, you can start moving this way. Public comment is next up. I brought some uh petitions and some background papers for council members. Thank you.
Oh, thank you. Good evening. Good evening. My name is Stan Cart. I retired at seven Oxford Street where my wife and I have lived button. Didn't get the green button. Oh, I thought it was on my Sorry. Uh my name
is Stan Karp. I reside at 7 Oxford Street where my wife and I have lived since 1983. For the past seven years, we have lived next to a stalled renovation project at number 11 Oxford Street, which is the reason I'm here tonight with petitions
signed by more than 50 of my Oxford Street neighbors asking for the town council's help. For years, number 11 has had the appearance of an abandoned property. The doorways are boarded up in the front and the back. There are no front stairs. Some windows and siding
are missing. There are open porches without railings and many other unfinished features. If you've ever driven down Oxford Street, you know what house I'm talking about. Throughout those seven years, the owners have lived in the rear in a converted garage despite the absence of a CO, a
fact that the code enforcement office has known been aware of for several years. About two years ago, we started reaching out to town officials for help getting the owners to complete the renovation. We had several meetings. Deputy uh Scantleberry was extremely
helpful in trying to set up meetings uh with the town attorneys and the uh code enforcement office. Uh we had several meetings about applying the abandoned property code or the property maintenance code to number 11. In the
spring of 2024, the code enforcement office finally issued multiple violations with potentially heavy fines. The case went to court, but after several postponements, we were told by town officials that because the owners had active construction permits, they
could not be held in violation of the property maintenance code, which only applied to completed structures. The major violations were dismissed and town attorneys settled with the owners for a a modest fine and eliminated the other violations.
Since then, work has taken place sporadically with no visible progress for months, followed by occasional activity, followed by more delay. Right now, there is an overflowing dumpster on the front lawn, debris accumulating in the backyard, and no end in sight to
this renovation. Then last week, my neighbor Ernie Smith from 18 Oxford Street found three forms lying literally in the street. One was a stop construction order. Another was a note of unsafe structure and the third
was a notice and order of penalty. We have no idea why these forms were in the street. Mr. Smith took pictures and put the forms in the mailbox at number 11. Copies of the forms are in your folder along with the petitions from Oxford Street residents.
We came here tonight hoping to get answers to two questions about these orders. Have the $8,000 in penalties that are cited on the notice of penalty actually been assessed, or does this have to go back to court? And will township uh attorneys be possibly
settling with the owners instead of having them face fines for this 7-year delay in construction? And the last, does the stop construction order apply just to the garage where the owners have been living or to the main house, too? Obviously, the neighborhood wants to see
construction on the main unit continue with legal permits and an enforcable timeline. We would appreciate a commitment to get answers to Oxford Street residents in a timely fashion. Thank you. Thank you very much. Next up, please.
Good evening, Mayor Raskville Council. I'm I'm uh Ernest J. Smith, also Ernie, uh 18 Oxford Street, and I've been living, my wife and I have been living on Oxford Street for uh 30 plus years. Um I don't know what to add to what Stan
Mr. Karp uh stated, but it's it's we need help and I I don't know what to to say, but it seems like everyone's passing the buck on this. I I I I can't believe that we have an ordinance that will allow someone to do
work when they want for seven years and it just look it looks like if I was going to sell my house, what do I say to the people trying to buy my house? You know, they they they have been not paying the proper taxes for seven years because the the property hasn't been
finished. So, I don't know what else to say. We need help. Please help us. Thank you. Thank you very much. Next, please. Good evening. I'm Margaret Witset. I live at 11A Oxford and I am
the resident that is most affected by this continuing construction. my backyard. I look out onto their backyard and I taught Montlair public school students through this construction, the drilling of the
basement and so forth. So, I just want to share something with you. I grew up in the segregated South. My family was the third black family to desegregate the housing in Charlottesville, Virginia. and we moved
across the street from the president of the White Citizens Council, which if you don't know was a remnant of the KKK, and I've lived all over the country, but
I have never had neighbors like this, like the neighbors at 11. I have suffered harassment, extortion from these people over the years. They have called the police on me. Miss
Toller and Miss Baskerville are in receipt of some of uh a timeline of the things some of the things that have happened. Uh most recently they called the police on Mr. Karp just this week. So, um,
I have been robbed of my ability to live easily in my home and yet I pay the proper taxes. Um, I have had to have a Ring camera installed and I have to have it monitored because the police told me
that I have to do that if these people continue to harass me. So, it's been going on for me for seven years. Um, I know that we're probably near the end, but what bothers me is what about the
people that come after me here in this town? I don't ever remember this happening. I've been in this town for almost 40 years and I've never seen something like this and I've never heard
anybody express the kind of uh vitriol that these neighbors have uh shown toward me. So I want to know if there is something that should be done differently so this doesn't happen
again. so that people that come behind me that live in this town don't have to suffer the way I have suffered for seven years with these people. So I suggest that possibly a change in process occur
so that um uh permits are not allowed to go out to this length. and um possibly variance or whoever these people had to go to to get
uh permission to increase the house size by a third and um and drill down into the basement and continue to have trash in the yard and and harass the neighbors like me. Um, I'd like to see something
happen so that the people that come behind me don't suffer. May I? So that's my that's my request to this council is that you not only look at what is happening now, but you look at what
could happen in the future. Um, I know this town is suffering from a bit of overdevelopment. That's my opinion obviously. Um and um we can't expect the highest and best used for every property in this town.
One of the reasons that I came to Monontlair 40 years ago was because of the beautiful old homes. Well, they're not going to continue to be beautiful if we overbuild properties and allow developers to overextend. So, thank you
for listening and um I know you don't have an easy job. God knows I wouldn't want it. Um but I do ask you to take on this burden as well. Thank you. Councelor Toller wish to make a comment. Yep. Thank you. Thank you for your uh bringing your concerns to the full
council. Um just for the record for the residents that were here or are here rather from Oxford, I have shared this concern with our manager, our deputy manager as well as our attorney. Um, I'm wondering if it's appropriate, Mr. Marks, if we can ask code enforcement to
supply if she has an update for these residents on anything that's been issued thus far and what's the plan going forward. Um, 7 years seems like a long time for quality of life issues and we probably need to make sure that we're putting the gas to the pedal with this
one and ensuring that everything is being done so that these residents can continue to live the best quality of life on Oxford Street. Agreed. We will look into it and report back. Thank you. Or a tax abatement for us since we've had to live. I understand that too.
Thank you. Thank you, Miss Woodet. Next up, please Mr. Scott. All right. Good evening. William Scott, 23 Cedar Avenue, and I always like to open with a 75 year resident of Montlair
in in the fourth ward. Uh I'm I'm really going to speak to uh one issue, but there's other situations that have arisen from this particular uh issue, but I first want to uh speak to the fact
that um I was in receipt of a flyer that spoke to uh imminent domain for the Martin's funeral home. Uh and again, I'm speaking only in a personal manner. uh not representing any committee or
commission that I am a part of. But one thing about our community, we always want to make sure that we have correct and factual information spread amongst the community if we're looking for support for individuals or situation in our community. Uh I'm not a Facebook
person. Uh so I happened to get a copy of the flyer that uh to me in my opinion uh was inciting a situation that uh needs to be addressed in a former and proper manner. So just moving on as the
situation really related to Martin's funeral home. Uh I've been to the town meetings, the planning board meetings, uh the council meetings as it related to the uh housing uh element and fair share plan. But the specific issue related to
the Martins's funeral home uh when the property owner came to the uh various meetings and indicated that they wanted to have their property removed from that document because it was harming their business. I definitely believe there
should have been immediate action after I've spoken to the property owner and understand the impact that is uh happened to that owner. Uh I see no reason why there should have been an immediate uh uh recounting of that
property in that document. Uh, I'm not a lawyer, but I've seen situations in ordinances in the past that if it was not a substantial change to the ordinance, it could be removed and addressed immediately without having
additional um public meetings uh at that point. And as I mentioned, I'm not a lawyer, but if there's something in an ordinance that is not a substantial change, and you guys have an lawyer, obviously, that change can be removed without going through additional steps
at that point in time. I believe that process should have taken place. If this document as as my understanding has been submitted to uh the department of community affairs legal department as a legal document from the township of Monontlair, it extends the harm for the
individual, the property owner, Miss Martin on a state level for her property to be listed as a possible property that could be a part of a a development that she does not want it to be faced uh looked at in that manner. Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Scott. And I just like to thank you for always coming. But um as you pointed out to me, this is not a matter for the town council. It it goes to to which board because we had the discussion the planning board, right? And so whatever
those concerns are and maybe many of us up here share them as well, the planning board is the body and that the level at which that discussion has to take place. This body does not have the ability to do that. But I do appreciate you for
coming up. Thank you. Next up, please. Good evening, Mayor Baskville and council members. I'm Jeffrey Robert Grayson. I'd like to take this moment to first thank Mayor Baskville and councelor Toller for organizing the
Junth flag raising ceremony. I I'd also like to thank manager Markx, councelor Birmingham, and councelor Damato for attending the ceremony. Maybe next year we can keep the flag raised for more than 24 hours.
Eminent domain is the power the government can use to seize private property even if the owner is not willing to sell as long as the owner is compensated fairly. Initially, eminent domain was primarily used to facilitate essential infrastructure projects like
railroad construction, roadways, and aqueducts to supply water to cities and military bases. In the midentth century, the Supreme Court case Burman versus Parker significantly broadened the use of em eminent domain by ruling that the
government could seize private property and transfer the property to third parties for for redevelopment. Initially only properties that were run down and considered eyes sores were were and surrounding the property owners were
seized. This was later expanded to include any property regardless of the condition as long as the third party owner could redevelop the property to bring increased tax revenue to the government. Eminent domain has been used to displace
black families and alter black communities, often for projects that benefited other groups. A report issued by the Institute of Justice found that between 1949 and 1973, projects were carried out in 1,000
cities that displaced 1 million people, twothirds of which were African-American. Martin's Home for Service has been a mainstay in Montlair since 1952. Dating back to the 1940s, there have been five blackowned funeral homes in
Montlair, beginning with Cotton, Hulcoms, Binhams, Drew, and Martins. Martins is the last of those five still operating in Monontlair. Recently, Martin Martins was named by Janice Tally as one of three properties
in the fourth round housing element and fair share plan that could potentially be a site for affordable housing in future plans. Martin's owner, Rashelle Williams, was blindsided by this inclusion. Monontlair has met its statemandated
affordable housing quota at this time, but the real in the real world there is need for much more. Let me make make this perfectly clear that at this time Martin is in no danger of being sealed by eminent domain. But it's important that we understand the
historical use within the African-American community. As we meet here tonight, Mayor Baskville and the planning board have initiated the process to remove Martin's name from this list. Was its inclusion a mistake, a
misunderstanding, or something more duplicitous? Monontlair's African-American community needs to be more vocal, visible, and vigilant in community affairs because there are policy makers and people doing business in in this town that are playing chess with our future while
we're playing checkers. And we wonder why our neighborhoods don't look, feel, and function like they used to. We can begin by holding this council accountable for reopening firehouse 3, implementing traffic safety measures in the fourth ward, and improving the
living conditions at Union Gardens. Thank you. Thank you very much. Next, please. Good evening. My name is Michelle Williams. I'm the owner of Martin's Home for Service. I live at 48 Elm Street
above the funeral home. First and foremost, I would like to thank you, Madame Mayor, for making the motion last week at the planning board meeting. However, I would like to know what has transpired since then. as we
were told that by the attorney that was there that the amendment had to be put forth on a 10day um legal notice in the newspaper. I have yet to see that in the newspaper. So,
I'd like to know where we stand at this point. Can anybody answer that? Was the amendment made to the newspaper? That's not a yes, no, or maybe. So, is there an amendment that has been written to be made to the state of New
Jersey? just I'm so sorry because we did talk about this and we talked when we about it being changed but it it it has to be changed by the planning board. So I understand that. Right. So I I will just
say but I I'd like to know the mayor was there and as was stated at that meeting but I don't want you to interpret our silence as being not caring. I think we just I at least I don't have information that's helpful at this point. I don't
know if anybody else does. Does anyone have helpful information or can we No, you're right. The planning board made the decision and we have some planning board members present. I don't have an answer because I'm not on the planning board. I'm sorry. And there was two people there that it was stated that the
following day there would be a meeting with Janice Tally with that the attorney that you asked mayor that the um attorney helped to write this amendment. I just want to know where we are.
Some of the information that you're saying is is foreign to me because there was nothing said about that. um at the right time I will be happy to talk to whoever the group of people is. I'm I'm specifically not feeling that comfortable having this discussion with
you and and I'm sure you know why. So if if Miss Lochman wants to respond to you fine otherwise you know at at another time then then we can have that discussion. There was nothing said about the day after um the meeting and in fact during that
meeting we did discuss the process that after they got the paperwork in by the 30th then we were going to put the amendment in after that and that and we have not but there was there was a 10day mention by the attorney
we can rewind the videotape okay so that you know that we're all on the same page I I'm not making this up. I'm just asking where we stand because I'm still of the belief that I want my business
removed from that document. Right. And and I think I I do have that right. Yeah. I I was very clear about where I stand on this, too. And if you know the the attorney or whoever you were speaking to that told you that wishes to No, this
was not an attorney I was speaking to. This is the attorney that was at the planning board meeting. This is not an arbitrary person. Okay? So, we need to, you know, revisit that. I'm only asking where do we stand a week later and you
may you may have an answer. You may have an answer for it. I don't. Caramel may have an answer. All I have is exactly what happened at the last meeting and the fact that I tried extremely hard to get it to be and I thank you for making that motion. At this point in time, I
have nothing else to add to that. You may have more information than I do. We haven't had another planning board meeting yet. So, you need a planning board meeting in order to speak to the attorney that made who read
that about what the process was. And I'm trying to find out if we made any moves or made any headway on that motion. Well, I don't know if our plan or is and and I told you I don't have an answer
for that and I also my preference is not to have this discussion with you and and you know better than anybody in here why. And I'm I'm not going to have that discussion with you really. and you're our mayor and you're not
going to have this discussion with me. Oftentimes, you know, we don't do that. Thank you so very much. Yeah, we oftentimes don't have the back and forth discussions here and I'm choosing not to have a back and forth discussion with you as we often
I am not I am not asking for something that was out of the ordinary. I was asking for something that was dealt with at the last meeting. Next guest, please. Next guest, please. Well, if you saw the All right, it's
tough to follow. Um, I'm sorry. Uh, Darren Sidd, 75 Montlair Avenue. I'm here. I'm sorry. Oh, that's okay. Your name? Darren Siddens, 75 Montlair Avenue. and I'm here for representing myself and also the Clar Anderson Arena
Association. Um um first of all, thank you for all the time you spent. I'm sure you were talking for some time this evening about the the arena. So I appreciate that and also putting this document together and also asking for our input. Appreciate that. We
appreciate that. Um I just had a couple comments on on the guiding principles here. Um, one, uh, number one, and I don't know whether you can you can elaborate or not, um, but it says, you know, complete, it says self-supporting without taxpayer contribution. Um, you
know, we we we know that we have a short-term problem of making the arena compliant and a long-term problem of actually, you know, rebuilding the arena. So, I don't know whether or not, you know, our organization is going to be able to raise all of the money that's necessary. I know you like that, but I I
can't promise that to actually rebuild the arena. I think it has to be sort of along the lines of your number four, a partnership in giving. So, a partnership means that there's two there's there's partners. Um, and so our organization um are willing to, you know, start to
raise money, but we have to be given the permission to do so. So, we're sort of waiting to meet with you all and put some documentation in place that we actually can start to raise money, but we need a plan. So, so as we as as for the plan, so I'm I'm going to move to
the $90,000 um you know architectural um ordinance that you're or sort of resolution that you're going to talk about tonight. What does that actually include? What are is the town going to get? Is it just supervision? Are we actually going to have a development plan that we could
actually use to help us start our quest to raise money? Um we don't have to have this answered today, but I would like to, you know, have a a meeting with you all so we can actually start and look at the short-term problem and the long-term solution. So, I'm looking forward to uh
meeting with you. Thank you. Next guest, please. Good evening. Uh Sarah Avery, Monontlair resident. Um I've done uh a pretty extensive analysis of the Mills building. So, I'm just going to list uh
a few of the facts. Uh in August 2020, the township announced that they will not be building a senior center in Mills based upon quote financial considerations. And that's sort of spilleries for graft. Uh fact, October
2020, United Way transfers mills to NJCC for 1.9 million. Fact. February 2023, NJCC files suit to dissolve the mortgage covenant. Fact. In March, the township
hires Derek Fredimill to attack NJCC's uh request. Fact. In April, Fredill argues, quote, "In all such circumstances, the property may only be transferred to a substantially similar corporation. Fact. Placeic Family
Foundation is not a substantially similar corporation. It is not a legitimate charitable entity. Fact. NJC explains in their April brief that the township resorted to irrational fear-mongering. Fact. United Way also
vehemently disagrees with the township's misguided characteration of prior transfers of mills. Fact. Fredimill crafts a roof. a right of first offer as part of the settlement and release agreement. Fact in October township the
township approves place the placeic owned BDP as Lacawana Plaza redeveloper. Fact in November the township approves the settlement and release agreement. In fact, in December of 2023,
NJCC sells mills to PlayStick for $1,450,000, a half a million dollars less than their cost and significantly below fair market value. Fact, the township pays $40,000
of taxpayer funds to Derek Fredmill to effectuate the transfer of mills from NJCC to Placic Family Foundation, which is a conflict of interest and possibly racketeering. Thank you.
Thank you. Next guest, please. Good evening, mayor and council. My name is Deardra Mallaloy and I am making comments as a private citizen. Although there are some parts of the fourth round housing element and fair
share plan for 2025 2035 that are good, some are not. My personal statement of concern today is the citation of Martin's funeral home as non-conforming and that, and I quote the following from the plan, zoning changes should be
developed to encourage adaptive reuse of the property." End quote. which is a pre-planning decision that places this vital institution at a potential future risk of seizure for redevelopment through
eminent domain. As one of the few remaining blackowned businesses in Monontlair, Martins has served the community with dignity, compassion, and cultural significance in entrepreneurship for over 75 years. Its presence is not just a matter of
commerce, but of heritage and family legacy. Protecting Martin's funeral home affirms Monontlair's commitment to equity, diversity, and the honoring of community legacies that can never be replaced. Kindly work together with the planning board, which the attorney did
say that they were going to check in to see about the process, which he mentioned 10 days, and that Janice Tally would need to draft the ordinance. Um, so remove Martins's and submit it accordingly to the administrative office
of the courts via directive 14-24 before the dispute deadline in August. Um, I believe that the plan is already with the office, the administrative office of the courts. You can check that with the planner. Um, it's a recommended
focus that the township and the governing body take a look at the abandoned church at 61 Elm Street, the lot next to Exxon at Elm and Bloomfield Avenue, or how about the corner of Glenidge Avenue and North
Willow? Surely, these sites are non-conforming as boulders of rubble and piles of dirt or abandoned buildings that have sat unattended to for years. And we heard an issue not too long ago about that there seems to be
no monitoring of of what's happening with certain development or redevelopment. So these have sat for years uh and those places are where housing can be built to beautify the community and the h to
house people who want or need affordable housing. Um the other thing I want to mention is I received that flyer as well and while it mentioned eminent domain it is a fact that planning if you cite a
property as nonconforming while it is not happening immediately it may happen years later it sets a property up to be taken by eminent domain. Thank you. Thank you. Next guest, please. Good evening. Good evening, Madame
Mayor, Council. My name is Dave Herren, and I'd like to first thank our chief financial officer. She has done exemplary job.
We are losing such a valued public servant and to her I say thank you to the bottom of my heart for all that you've done for Monontlair. You know integrity
is something I was taught as a little kid. My dad said you can't buy it, you can't borrow it. No one can give it to you and no one can take it back. So, thank you, Chief Financial Officer.
Imminent domain, folks. Let's I don't understand. What are you doing here? Why are you talking even silently among yourselves about taking
the possibility of taking property from a business that's been here for decades? Why would you do that? Why would you even consider that? The planning board did talk about 10 days. I
was there. Mayor Baskerville, you were there. Councelor Lachman, you were there. Stop playing games with the public. Please don't do that. Don't sit silently as if you have no
clue what we're talking about. How dare you sit that silent? How dare you? What is wrong with you? I don't understand. I don't understand. Why would you do that? I ride around town
all the time. I see vacant buildings. I see vacant lots. There's plenty. I'm not against affordable housing, but we got empty spaces all over the place. And you know, you need to do some
research, folks. I've been NAACP past president. I've been in civil rights movement for decades. There's a lot of legal challenges when you start taking internet domain and apply it to
African-American businesses. You need to check it out. You need to do do your homework cuz if you want to get into a fight, try to take Martins. Thank you.
Thank you. Next. Get They know better. It's just they want time just desperate. Next guest, please. They know that nobody. Good evening, Dr. Mayor Baskerville and
Council. I'm Lauren Rigola. I'm the owner of Jipure Yoga on Bloomfield Avenue. We've been here before and we're here again. Um, and we're here with some other business owners to address again the location of mesh and the things that
we are experiencing. Um, it's on a daily basis and it's happening all the time. Last week, I had men in front of my store drinking wine. And then when
one of my staff members who was elderly asked them to move, he threatened them and started screaming and yelling and said he was going to mess him up. He's 60 years old, 65 years old. I have to worry
about all of this. Um, and then we call the police and they run away and then they catch them, but nothing happens. And so we've petitioned before and we understand that it's a very difficult thing to address. We're not anti- mesh.
We just don't think that this location is the best place for the public. And we also think that there are some things that perhaps the council can consider like the ordinances that Summit recently enacted. And I know that they are
difficult to think about, but it allows the police officers to do something. The public streets need to be safe for our residents and also for the unhoused. But we all should be able to use the public
streets and places safely and enjoy it and we haven't been able to do that. Not to mention that our businesses have really suffered. The doors are locked often. We can't take streets traffic the way we used to and
we're not operating in the same manner as we used to. So, we're asking you please, please take some form of action to help us. Thank you. Thank you. Next guest, please. You can pass these around. My name is Ed Pinty. I own Jinx Proof
Tattoo at 7 Midland Avenue. I've been there for more than 30 years. Um, something's going on and it's not being addressed and it it's horrible. In the heart of the
Montlair Central Business District, residents, business owners, and patrons alike are facing mounting challenges due to the presence of Montlair Emergency Service of Hope, as well as other unhoused and food hungry people. I
understand, you know, I it's a problem. It's a statewide problem. It's a global problem, but it's also becoming a problem to business owners. Some of the behaviors of some of these clients of Mesh and other soup kitchens
in town. Aggressive begging, public urination, public use of drunk of of drinking, drug use, defecating on the street in between cars,
using my alley as a brothel. coming into my business and trying to physically accost me and I have to stop what I'm doing. Do I have to carry one of my firearms to work with me every day because I'm starting to get scared where I've never
had that feeling my in my life for 30 years here in Montlair as a business owner. I understand being homeless is not an illegal thing. I get that and I I sympathize with these people and I sympathize with the people who really
need services. But some of these people that are their clients are the same perpetrators all the time, the same actors, but you guys don't do anything. I know you're sick of me. You've seen me so much. I know you're sick of me. I've only seen you once or twice, but it's
the same old story. Nobody's doing anything. The streets are filthy. Restaurants 6:00 on a Saturday. people sleeping and defecating on the sidewalk in front of their windows. Montlair is losing it. You're losing it to Summit. You're losing it to Marstown.
You're losing it to Danville. You're losing it to Maplewood. Montlair is not that shining jewel anymore. The streets are filthy. Do something about it. Please. Please do something about it, Miss Laughman. Please listen to your business owners, your small business owners. We
are what Montlair used to be, not David Play. He doesn't have to own everything. Your small business owners that have been here for more than 30 years, do something about it. Clean up the streets.
Thank you very much. Next guest, please. Sure. Excuse me. Um, just a moment. Mr. Counselor Williams wants to say something. Your name, sir? My name is Edward. Edward. I own Jinx Proof Tattoo Montlair, New Jersey, 7 Midland Avenue
for more than 30 years. Thank you. I saw you at the church. Yes. Yes, we we did we did speak. So, since that since that meeting right there where there were you were there, uh, a couple other folks were there. I I
think there were like 30 to 40 people there, business owners and residents and stuff since that time. And you tell me because I'm I'm hearing different things from different folks. Has there been a foot patrol uh police foot patrol? I want to I want to answer that. Well, I I
I want to answer that. Excuse me, just one moment, please. Going to let the council Has the police foot patrol started yet? Yes. Okay. and and you're not thinking that it's uh has it caused any, you know, has it curbed
any of the behavior that you're talking about or I mean, tell me. Not particularly because the the police patrol ends at a certain time. Please talk into the mic so people at home can hear you in the video. Not particularly because the police patrol only lasts for
a certain amount of time and then they clock off. And what time? And and I'm sorry I'm I'm asking roughly around 6:00 p.m. So after 6 p.m. this is where this began. Well, it's happening actually all day in broad day in daylight. You see
the pictures. You see the pictures. That's Bloomfield Avenue, the shining beacon of the Montlair Central Business District out in the open. You see the pictures. Okay. So the police can only do so much. They can only patrol so much whether on foot in their car or with the
the the mental the mental the program program that's going on also with the police. They could only do so much. Okay. Okay. These people they go they get their services at mesh or the soup other soup
kitchen or wherever they're going. But then they're asked to leave. And when these people leave where are they going? They're hanging out over near the board of education over there where that little indentation is with all the penches right next to the playgrounds where the kids are playing. They're hanging out near fro yogurt over there
on all those benches over there across the street from the hotel learing at people as they're going in and out of their pocketbooks or their or their pockets for money to pay for yogurt for their children. I know because I take my kid there
because I support local businesses because I am a mom and pop business. But the police are only doing so much. The police clock out at a certain time. So, you know, once the sun goes down or once, you know, some of the common
denominators have had 10 beers in them, 15 beers in them, are smoking their crack or whatever other drugs they are doing. You know, it all comes out onto Bloomfield Avenue. They cause traffic jams. They urinate on Bloomfield Avenue.
They use Bloomfield Avenue as a a place to sleep. Okay. Okay. So, the cops can only do so much. Thank you. I I just wanted to I just wanted to see what impact the foot patrols are having. And it seems like we need to kind of increase them. It it it seems like we
have to go back and reassess that situation. When the church ran When the church ran mesh, there wasn't really any problems. Now that mesh is over inside where the office used to be. It's been a non-stop problem. Next guest, please. Somebody went ahead
of me by accident. I was number 10. Okay. Hi. Uh I'm Elma Schneider, uh 72 High Street. Um and I'm speaking tonight on behalf of Ken Weights, who is the president of Happy to Chat benches. This is going to be a very easy one for
all of you. So, uh, good evening and thank you for taking a moment to listen. Happy to chat benches are a simple way to create connection and foster community. We're here to talk about a surprisingly simple but powerful idea. The happy to
chat bench. A resolution to approve this project is up for your vote today. It's just what it sounds like, a public bench that says, "Sit here if you're happy to have someone say hello and join you for a chat." That small sign does something big. It makes it socially acceptable to
start a conversation with a stranger. Why a bench? Because benches are public, accessible, and non-intimidating. More importantly, because we are in the middle of what the US Surgeon General has called a public health crisis of loneliness.
Since 2003, Americans have lost 20 minutes of social connection per day. Loneliness is soaring, especially among young adults, and it's as deadly as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. It affects our health, education, productivity, and
safety, costing us over $6 billion a year. And here's what's often overlooked. To truly thrive, we need both strong relationships and weaker social ties. The kind we get from casual, spontaneous
interactions with strangers. Science backs this up. People who talk to strangers are happier, feel safer, and live longer. These vitamin S moments, that's S for strangers, actually build empathy, optimism, and a sense of
community. There's been a lot of talk tonight about a lack of community. And I think that this is an easy answer to this. A a small piece of it, a very small piece of a solution. That's the secret sauce of the happy to chat bench. It's not just for lonely people. It is
for everyone who wants to feel more connected, more grounded, and more human. Best of all, we handle everything. No cost, no hassle. We fund it, install it, maintain it. All you have to do is say yes.
That's all that has to be done. This is a no-brainer. It's free. It's universal. It's proven. It's growing from the UK to Massachusetts to cities across the US. Please, let's bring one to Monontlair. Let's make connection easier. Let's do
this together. And it doesn't mean one bench. It means numerous benches. Again, they are free. Absolutely free. And they're installed for free. Thank you. Does anybody have any questions or Yes. No, I I have a question. Um, if we
approve when we vote on this, if it's approved, do you know exactly how many benches we're talking about? I'm sorry I didn't read the resolution in front of Uh, I don't I don't know if there's uh a limit, but um Ken Weights, whose project this is, is happy to speak to anyone as
he's mentioned in his in his uh correspondences with you. He'd be happy to talk further about this, but it's um I don't know. He's watching right now. I can ask him. That's all right. I can email him back. He didn't do that. I was just curious how many and we can they
would be placed in parks. They could be placed in parks on on the road um in on school property for kids especially. I mean, there is a real epidemic of of anxiety in our community as there is all
over the country. And um this is a this is a very small way that is so simple to just get people talking. I mean, this is a no-brainer. I mean, this is the easiest thing you've got tonight. Thank you. So, let's make it a yes. Thank you. Thank you. Next guest, please.
Hi, my name is Edward Peralta. I own Powerhouse Tattoo, 545 Bloomfield Avenue, uh right off the corner of Park. And uh it's I've been here before. I was here at the last meeting. Uh I got cut for time. So I I just wanted to go
through a few points about what I said last time. Um you know, we have a situation with the MESH program. Um, we understand that they have a certificate of occupancy, but did they get a certificate of appropriateness because
that's something that they have to consult with the other business owners in the area? And I was never approached. None of the other people here were ever approached. So, we want to know, do they have a certificate of appropriateness?
This is a question, Mr. Sorry. So ju just in general and I'll make this a general comment to folks when they come up to the microphone. So we're we don't know we don't know what you're going to ask. So you're
asking a very good question. We would not know that right off the top of our heads because it's the first time that you're This was asked at one of the actually it's the first time I'm actually hearing that term approp appropriateness. But so if you want if
you want you can send if if you want I'm just I'm just saying in general if you want you can send an email you can send an email and we can you can ask whatever questions you want
that way because you're you're looking for an answer and we don't have that answer right now. Sir, I was here um June 3rd for the last meeting. I was at the bid meeting. You were there. No, I'm sorry. There I was at the at the bid meeting. She was there. I was at the
church meeting. You were there. And that question did come up. I asked it. So now you guys have had time to think about it and we want an answer. It's not that hard. Do they have a certificate of appropriateness?
Because we we haven't consulted. Thank you. Um, if the manager wishes, if the manager wishes to re respond to that, the manager can do so. If the manager wishes to get in touch with you at another date, then um, that is
historically to talk to the manager, Mr. Marks, and that's historically what we did. This council uh, in fact gave me very specific directives that they didn't wish to have back and forth going on here today. But Mr. Mar, please understand that I've been here. I know
you have and I heard your question. Correct. And that's why I'm trying to extend um beyond that and I heard your question. Manager Marks, do you wish to respond to that or how would you wish to respond? So, I will look into it and report back. I I was asked what permits
and inspections mesh did have which was researched. I forwarded it to um the council members who had requested it. I don't recall a certificate of appropriateness was one of the items that was either asked for or received. I
we received um inspection reports with regard to construction permits, uh fire permits, perhaps a zoning certificate. It's it's a month or two ago, so I'd have to look back at it and and uh report back. But a certificate of
appropriateness, I don't recall there there being anything furnished. Uh the other thing uh that I wanted to bring up is that perhaps that we could have a an ordinance uh on panhandling um loitering
uh drinking open containers. Uh I think these are things that would be really helpful, you know, uh with the situations that we're dealing with. Um and people say, "Oh, well, panhandling, uh just don't give them money." We're talking about people that get
aggressive. Okay. Uh, one of my workers had to go outside. Goes outside. He gets asked for money. He says, "Hey buddy, I'm sorry. I don't have any money." He takes his shirt off and tries to confront him to try to fight him because he won't give him money. And this is a a
regular that's uh been on the police blott. Uh, as a matter of fact, in the police blott in August of 2015, this same individual is listed as saying, "Oh, you guys might be familiar with this man because he's been on the bladder many
times." That was 10 years ago and we're still dealing with this and nothing's being done. U so yeah, maybe uh thank you um very much. We I done speaking um your time is up now. I'm going to I'm going to ask please I'm going to ask
please that the next guest come up. You're only allowed a certain amount of time, 3 weeks to talk again. Okay. So, you can reach out to people by email and other ways of communication. And I'd like to have the next guest please come.
So, you guys want to talk about a bench, a friendly bench to have for people to sit? Don't put it on Bloomfield Avenue. Don't put it on Bloomfield Avenue cuz you know what's going to happen, please. you know about the person that was assaulted on that bench to the point that they had to call an ambulance and they came around asking me for the
footage of what happened. Thank you. Next guest, please. Friendly benches. Losing track of the time. Uh good evening, Mayor Basserville and council. Uh I'm Conor Connor Smith. a resident of 218 Park Street. I'm the
Montlair High School hockey coach and I teach at Montlair State. As a small business owner, I have a lot of sympathy for what these businesses are going through. Uh, also as a family member of someone who's been through some serious addiction and has assaulted people, served time for it, come out and done
great things for the community. I hope you uh handle that with compassion and thoughtfulness for for both sides of all the humans involved in this. I'm here to talk about Clary Anderson. Um, so I want to start by saying thank you. Uh, you've been handed a very
complex aging facility in crisis and asked to figure it out really fast. Uh, with the whole town watching, you've taken calls, uh, met with users, juggled proposals, and kept this rink on track. It hasn't been easy, but on behalf of hundreds of kids and families who rely on this building, thank you very much
for for where we are, because this isn't just an ice surface. Uh, I say it's Montlair's winter living room. Councilwoman Toller said this has to be a place for everyone. Mayor Baskerville has told me that she looks forward to Friday night public
sessions again. That's the spirit we want to preserve. And I've been a part of this process from the inside. I've helped write the local proposal to manage the rink, a plan that put community first, return money to the township, and budgeted for equipment replacement. We weren't chosen, and
that's okay. I'm here to support the group that has been and I see many of those ideas uh carried through into the current user agreement. In fact, councelor Demato even asked my team to help revise the agreement and that's language that now prior prioritizes Montlair residents and and we figured
out how to do that with 2,000 hours and I think the plan is actually really incredible. So, when I say we're close, I really mean it. Uh this is real progress. Please pass that user agreement ASAP so our teams can start booking ice. But there's one line in the the
accompanying ordinance that could uh quietly unravel all of this progress. And I just want to bring it to your attention. That's guiding principle number one. The rink should be self-supporting without taxpayer contribution. So I get that it sounds fiscally
responsible, but in practice, locking that in without one conversation with the people you expect to raise the millions puts the facility future at risk. So, let's just look at the history. For years, Montlair has contributed around $100,000 annually to maintain this public building. When that
scale of needed repair emerged, the previous council discussed putting in 6 million. Now, we're back at zero. Uh, that's not a plan. That sounds kind of like a gamble, and the odds aren't great. The chiller and ice floor are
already past their lifespan. Replacing those uh could cost well over a million, as you know. add roof work, mechanicals, safety netting, dashers, upgrades. We're talking another 5 million. Can we raise that? Maybe. Montlair uh has done incredible things.
But no fundraising effort works without a clear public private partnership. And what I look to do and advocate for is before you decide on that number one guiding principle to have one more talk, not at the podium or by phone, one-on-one, but with a group of people
in the facilities committee together to figure out what it's going to take for us to be willing to raise the money you're counting on to see this rink survive. Thank you. Next guest, please. Hi, Scott Gibson. I'm here to uh 122 Midland Avenue. I'm here to reiterate
what Connor and Darren have been talking about. Clary Anderson. Um there's a couple things that were concerning that statement uh in article one. Um that's unrealistic that to have, you know, in order to renovate the rink, we're going to need a private partnership, private
public partnership with the rink. No one's going to give us money if the if the city is basically going to say, uh, we're going to fix up the rink and it's up to you guys to raise all the money because nobody's going to have confidence that you guys aren't going to pull out at some point. So, we have to make some kind of agreement as a private part public partnership. And the $90,000
that's being put to the architectural firm. My father was an architect and I was building contractor. In the situation at the rink, the repairs of the rink, it would go to a general contractor who would give you a bid to fix up the work, the electrical, the plumbing, all the stuff that needs to be
done there. Um, and that would be that $90,000 would be used for the repairs and then a profit margin for the general contractor. Unless the architectural firm is coming up with maybe a design for the future rank, which would be great that's included in that 90,000, that's an absolutely exorbitant fee that
makes no sense whatsoever as a supervisory fee for that kind of work. It would be a general contractor who's doing the work and he would take his cut off the top of that. Um, that's pretty much what I need to say. Um but so please examine what that $90,000 is
actually for and be better put to use to actually fixing up the rink. And then uh we need a real commitment like we need the letter of intent. We can't raise legally can't raise money. CAA can't raise money unless we have the letter letter intent for legally to be able to raise money. We've talked with a lot of
people who have good money. But we need that partnership because nobody's going to give us $1,000. Nobody's going to give us $500,000. No one's going to give us a million dollars if they think that the city could just say, "Well, you know, we really don't want the rink anymore. We're going to tear it down and put a police station there." You know,
we need that public commitment from you guys and we're willing to do the work. And Darren has been trying to set up a meeting so we can get into the details and get going. I mean, we've been ready to do this for for months. You know, we've been working on this since February 2004.
So, uh 24 20 24, sorry. Um, but you know, we're ready to go, but we need that back and forth. We need the communication. All right. Thank you very much. Thank you. Next guest, please. That's it. Okay. So, seeing none other,
we're going to move on to new business ordinances. Councelor Damato. Um, ordinance 02525. Oh, I like the sound of that. An ordinance repealing and replacing chapter 234
parks and playgrounds article 2 rents and fees chapter 234 to 10 rates for ice skating at Montlair Clary Anderson Arena and establishing fee schedule for Montlair Clary Anderson Arena and I so
move second I think that we need to modify this because This includes this ice allocation policy in the ordinance mistakenly. Council Damato, we can't hear you on
this end. I said I think we're going to need to modify this because it mistakenly copied in um the resolution which included the ICE allocation policy with the with the uh with the sentence that that the three gentlemen spoke uh
about. So, madame clerk. Yeah. Um, do you want to withdraw this? No, I don't. You want to make a motion to amend? Is that I want to make a motion to amend, but I want to ask that. Okay. The manager if this is can be cleanly
done that from that the from guiding principles a all the way down to many pages. page six to page seven.
Yeah. To E. We would excise all of that including the letter E. In fact, we would we would excise fees as well, that line. And then we would just go into
Yes, but there's already a header here. So 23410 should be Mr. Attorney are you eyeballing this? Yeah. Okay. We had just basically copied in doublecopied in a policy document which
is going to stand alone as a resolution. So maybe while they're figuring this out, um I will just say that these are changes to the fee schedule that are necessary
uh and I think welcomed by the stakeholders that I've talked to to help, you know, put put some of these fees, you know, more at levels that are uh going to make the arena um sustainable and I
understand your comments uh about that first line um that is a guiding principle right so it's a principle that the idea that the taxpayers are not subsidizing you know wildly so we can talk and we
have talked and we will continue to talk and certainly there has been no desire to you know not pick up the phone you I've called each of you or or emailed each of you and and and we'll talk about that. And it is a tricky thing. The mixing of public and philanthropic money
is an old thing. It's done all the time. It's done successfully, but it's a tricky thing. It's not easy and we want to do it very much and we will work on it and we we should be meeting and talking, you know, this week. Do you know what to do? So, uh, from my
understanding, your, um, amendment is to strike everything from letter A on page one through letter E on page six. That's right. So, after the, uh, the last the section 234-10, fee schedule for ice skating at
Monontlair um, Monontlair Clary Anderson Arena, then would be continued to page seven. The following fees shall be paid for use of Montlair Clary Anderson Arena colon. and then the rest of it the the rest of the section correct I believe so it should just
stand alone as the fees um and then everybody should just note that we worked quite hard on this uh and uh the head of our can you please say that again I didn't quite catch what you're deleting everything
then when you go you're just keep in the fee so it's in a resolution yeah so say it again and all the fees Yep. Just say it again. So, from what I understand, Councilman uh Councelor Damato is um recommending or moving to strike
everything from the letter A on page one, right? Through the letter E on page six. So, after just just on top of just above A on page one, it says section 234-10
fee schedule for ice skating rink at Monontlair uh Monontlair Clary Anderson Arena. Then it would be continued to page seven. The following fees shall be paid for use of Montlair clarin and colon types of use. That's the fee schedule. All fee schedules have to be
ordained by ordinance. So that's the um so the part that's being struck is not permanently struck. Item six on the uh on the agenda is a resolution establishing a user and ice policy for Clary Anderson Arena. So the policy, the
guiding principles instead of being established by ordinance will be established by resolution. And I would further add that that ice allocation policy, we actually we can discuss it when it comes up. It needn't pass tonight if people want to talk about it
or look at it a little more. The the rate schedule really did need to be modified to have two readings so that we could actually sell ice to people. And the ice allocation policy has already
been um transmitted to it will go alongside the contract with the operator that we chose but they know what the details are and we have spent a fair amount of time working with them as camarader you know put a lot of time
into this to come up with a schedule an actual schedule and a concept for how the ring is rink is run and we've been working on this you know in iteration So if everybody looks at this and they feel like they would like to wait on it, that's totally fine on that. But this,
yeah, this has to be this we we really should pass in order to just be able to serve the customers of the rink as of now. If that makes sense. And if I may, from a practical point of view, when you set the rate schedule and you have contracts with folks, you start getting
money money that we need to do the work to get it ready for September, October. Okay. And people need to make plans and all of that. So, we need the rate schedule passed today. Can I ask just one question about this rate schedule here? Um
the general admission you have these group rates here and um I'm just curious for the 100 when 150 skaters resident $15 inclusive of skates.
That's more than if someone had a hundred skater. I I'm just curious as to is that is the idea to um that's $15 a skater. I'm just I'm
why is 150 more than a 100? I'm just curious why that would be I will totally claim I will tell you that this was a part of a conversation uh councelor Lochman was there where I had trouble keeping up with it. Um but um we might
ask Miss Camarada on this one, but the people who have live and breathe this 247. So it's one is residence, one is non-resident fee. Is that what you're referring to? Right. There were several tiers of like all these different things. And I was writing it down and I kept messing it up. So maybe she can
explain why that's Okay. So it's a little I know it's a little confusing, but um so the breakdown Eileen is that it's the admission with the $5 skate rental. So in actuality that 100 to the
150 skaters as residents um is $14. So that general admission group rate it it is $15. So we can ask them to adjust that area. Well, we got to do it now.
It's a very minor thing. It just to me it's not quite making sense, you know, why it would be 14 versus 15. It's a dollar. It's not, you know, but um that's just one thing I'm wondering about. Um so you want to change that now?
Yeah. I mean, does it make would it be 13? Does it make sense to be $13? But again, I don't if you're bringing 150. I mean, I would think the more people you bring, bigger discount you get coming in. So I think that that
would be, you know, fair at at $13. I sent it back to everybody and asked for them to check the math. I think $13. So, Madame Clerk, if we could change the 15 on general admission group rate 150
plus skaters resident to 13 and in actual we could keep the non-resident at 15 because they're not residents of the of Montlair. So, I think that would be fair. Okay. And then if you see under the um school groups,
we just kept that at a at a flat $10 and that includes their skates. So they're getting, you know, whether they come with 20 or, you know, 50. So Okay, great. And in actuality, they won't be selling general emission group rates for a while. So right so, so if they have
some reason why they want to change it, we can change it. We can modify it. Therefore, they would be using it. Okay. This was something that they do at the facility that they're at right now. We previously just had a group um admission rate passed under ordinance, but they asked that, you know, sometimes that
they do it this way to get more groups in or whatever. I believe also too when they get the 150 plus, they don't even kind of want them on a general session. They ask them to rent their own ice at that point. And that's my question is if they are doing it because they don't
want groups of 150 in general that No. So at that point they would say to them, you know what, we we suggest you, you know, rent a block of ice, yada yada, because it's too many, you know, with the general public. Okay.
Thank you much. Did you move that? Did you move? And there's a second. Did we move the amendment? uh a second amendment to that sounds bad to uh to change the that rate
from 15 to 13. Do I have a second on it? Second. Second and we should Can we close that one and then do the other one? All in favor uh run the vote then we'll go back to the original. I can't I can barely hear what um councelor Damato is saying cuz his back is there and he's
not speaking into the mic so it's hard to So we should vote on this amendment these two amendments. Correct. Or can we do it as one amendment? You can do it as one amendment. Both both things that you noted here. I have it as your motion to amend it with those two things. Okay.
Madame clerk, will you please um call a role on on the amended version? I'm calling the role is on these two amendments that councelor Damato just said. Deputy mayor Anderson. Yes.
Councelor Birmingham. Yes. Councelor Damato. Yes. Councelor Lochman. Yes. Councelor Toller. Yes. Councelor Williams. Absent. Mayor Baskerville. Yes. Okay. That pass.
Okay. Now you want to go back to the Yes. Would you please go back to the original? Deputy Mayor Anderson. Yes. Councelor Birmingham. Yes. Councelor Damato. Yes. Councelor Lachman. Yes. Councelor Toller. Yes.
Councelor Williams absent. Mayor Baskerville. Yes. Okay. Thank you. Councelor Birmingham, would you please do B.
Um this is ordinance 0-25-26. Um ordinance amending salary ordinance 0-20-07 for the management non-union group for the year 2025. Um
and I so move a second. Oh, go ahead. I do have a recommendation m um well um were you finished? I'm sorry. No, what I was going to say is maybe you're do you're going here. Do we we do we are going to need to amend this
slightly but do I need to move it before we amend it? Correct. Oh yes. Yes. Okay. So I move it back. Right. Okay. Yep. So, um it was brought to my attention,
um that section five of this draft ordinance, um which states employees hired after October 1, 1993 will have terminal leave capped at $5,000, is inconsistent with a res uh with an ordinance um that
was approved a couple years ago, ordinance 0-23-0 um-36, which actually governs 's um accumulated sick leave policy for civilian employees uh which in that ordinance 0-23-36
um the terminal leave or the sick leave allowance u is capped at $15,000. So to be consistent with a previously approved ordinance, I would just recommend that section 5 be amended to read $15,000 rather than $5,000. I'm
sorry. What was the ordinance number you said you were referring to? It's ordinance um 0-23-36. So there was an ordinance 02506 and ordinance 0207 um from March 11, 2025. And what what year is this one you're referring to?
This is from uh 2023. This was introduced on October 10th, 2023. The public hearing was on October 24, 2023. Okay. So, you said you want to make a change to it. I would recommend or
request that um the the draft ordinance that is before you this evening is amended to comply with the previous ordinance. So, there's they're not in conflict with each other. Would it be the 2023 ordinance or the 2025 ordinance? The I am not familiar with
the 2025 ordinance. This would be 06. I didn't mean to cut. Councelor Toller, if if you have um another uh amendment you'd like to offer for additional information. Understand if he's making an amendment to the the year 2023 or these two from 2025. So far, the only
thing that I've heard presented here um from uh Mr. Marks was 02336 from the year 2023 and change the 5,000 to 15,000. Well, yeah, I I understand that. there was another ordinance in
2025. Okay. So that's what I'm saying. If you want to share that with us, then we can. Right. I am entertain I also have another question too. So um but to answer your question, Mr. Marks, it's 02506 and then 020 07 and that's from
March 11th uh around March 2025. But I I don't see the environmental office of sustainability position on here unless I'm missing it. I don't believe that position is it. I believe that position is a union covered title. Um I don't
believe it's a non-union position. So it wouldn't be listed with these these are non-union positions only. So that person's in the union. Okay. That's my understanding. All right. Thank you. Mayor, I have a question. Yes, deputy
mayor. Thank you. So, just to clarify, um the proposed amendment is to section five, correct? And that is because to change the 5,000 terminal leave cap to 15,000 because in an ordinance um that
you uh that you stated O2336 which was the terminal leave section of the code um there was an amendment um effected through that ordinance to increase the cap to 15,000. Correct. Right. So it's just Right. Yeah. And just what that
ordinance also did in in two 2023 is um you may remember that as part of an ordinance there was either you could take $5,000 in cash or you could take a terminal vacation at full
pay to include all of your sick days. So there were people who were going out on many long days, you know, in the year before they were to retire. That's not really consistent with state law, which caps it at 15,000, which is why the
$15,000 cap. So just so everyone's clear, there wasn't really an increase in 2023 from 5,000 to 15. I mean, it was, but that it was designed to be more in accordance with state law. So we don't want to look at the the ones from 2025 to see what changed as a reference
point. Yes. So you what what are what in 2025 what have we we would have done it. What did we do? I have no memor I know we've changed some salaries but I don't have any memory of doing. I guess we need to pull them and look at them. Just putting it out there that there are some other ones. Can you give me the number?
I'll look at it right now. Uhhuh. 025-06 020-07. I don't know if we just need to look at them to see what changes have been made if any. And mayor, I have one more question. So 0207, just so we're 020-07
was the salary ordinance that went up. It had like 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024, and this is updating that. So, okay, councelor, you're correct. This is updating that one. I will look up. I think 2025 one it was a specific
position but I will confirm it. Just just triple checking. No problem. Yep. I have one more question. Yes. If I may. Thank you. Um so Mr. Marks um can you please just for the record um let us know if there are any um other changes
like new positions or any sort of any other changes. So, generally, this updates the salary ordinance that was introduced and approved in 2020. That was a 4-year salary ordinance. It includes all of the positions that were in that 2020 ordinance, I would say. And
it also codifies or or consolidates a lot of other non-union um seasonal or part-time employees. The one new position that's in here that would never appeared previously, actually three new positions, I'm sorry. So, the one
full-time position that's in this ordinance that didn't appear in previous uh salary ordinance is the complete streets director position. The complete streets director position was created by ordinance of the of the mayor, this
mayor and council about a month ago. Um, but that ordinance creating the complete streets director and the complete streets oversight board did not set a salary for that title. So, we have to establish a salary for that for that title. Um, the two other positions that
I don't believe appeared in any way or previously were for special law enforcement officer one, which is typically a a position. Um, it's a non-union position. Um, it's a part-time uh or seasonal position for hourly
police officer employees. The um SLEO, special law enforcement officer one is typically deployed in like a downtown setting or around bars or restaurants or uh essential business district um as needed. So it the position is not a
full-time position per se. It is a law enforcement officer who has graduated from an from an accredited police academy. Um actually uh carries a badge and a gun uh but is not a full-time employee. reports and is and is deployed as needed by the police department.
Still reports to the police chief, but is deployed as needed. A special law enforcement officer class three is specific to a school setting and is limited to recent retirees, recent police officers who have or police
officers who have recently retired. I think they have to you can only go to work um as a special law enforcement officer class three within one year of your retirement. Um they are pdeium um police officers. They are they are
retired police officers. They carry badges and guns. They again report to the the chief of police. Um however they work in a school setting. They work as needed. Typically m most um special law enforcement officer class 3es in New
Jersey work um their their time tenure is u consistent with the school year. So they typically work 180 days per year and so the salary ordinance established for the class 2s and the class 3es are between 35 the going rate the market
rate is between $35 per hour and $45 per hour. and it it is a more coste effective way of deploying um police resources as needed. Thank you, councelor and councelor to councelor Birmingham. Thank you, mayor.
Um 025-06 was the ordinance to amend our manager salary. So that's that was an update of that. Thank you. Madame clerk. Is someone going to move those
amendments? So I will move the amendment as proposed for section five. Second. Second. Roll call, please. Deputy Mayor Anderson. Yes. Councelor Birmingham.
Yes. Um, do Do you think there is any, let me just ask one question. Is there any benefit in this section to reference the ordinance 023-36 as you know as per O-23-36? I don't think it's necessary. I just
want to check. Okay. Thank you. Yes. Councelor Damato. Uh, yes. Councelor Lochman. Yes. Councelor Toller. Yes. Councelor Williams absent. Mayor Baskerville. Yes. Thank you. Um, councelor Lachman,
please. Resolution. Mayor, if I may, just jump in. Just one housekeeping item. Uh, in light of one of the matters discussed in executive session. I'm recommending that the council adopt a resolution authorizing the township to enter into a settlement
agreement and refund property taxes pursuant to section 309-38. This is the municipal code section that exempts veterans from property taxes. Uh the recommendation would be that Mr. Brian P. Pew, one such veteran in the
town, uh be refunded his portion of the municipal taxes in the amount of $8,319.36. Okay, that's a resolution, right? Correct. We're just getting started with them. Um, councelor Lachman. So, we need to have a roll call on this
salary ordinance. The amendment just pass. I apologize, but if you would like to introduce this ordinance, then let me know. Yes, please. Deputy Mayor Anderson, yes. Councelor Birmingham, yes. Councelor Damato, yes. Councelor
Lochman, yes. Councelor Toller, yes. Councelor Williams, absent. Mayor Baskerville, yes. So, I'm I'm just trying to find out we when we get to the through the resolutions, it was this is something that has to be done like right right now
before we do all the other resolutions or could we could we do it when we get to it? We're just not there yet. I apologize. I I jumped the gun. I apologize. I No worries. So, I apologize, Mayor. Thank you, Councelor Lochman. So, I move resolution R-25-183,
which is a resolution authorizing the award of a fair and open professional services contract to Hendricks Appraisal Company LLC for appraisals and consulting agreements. And this one is specifically for Lacamana Plaza.
Second discussion. Yes, Council Toller. Yes. Um I'm just wondering when was this last appraised? If we can get that information, someone can email it to me. Um and I noticed that we're using the same
firm that did 14 Miller Street. And um for this appraisal, they're only asking for maybe a thousand $1,000 more. and it seems like a more complicated piece of real estate to appraise than 14 Miller Street at 4500 and 5,500 for this. Um,
the other question I have and I guess this would be for Miss Tally um who's not here, but in part of the backup documentation that was submitted by uh the proposal for appraisal and
consulting assignments on page two uh property to be appraised. I'm having some trying to understand. It's saying based on a review of the municipal tax lean, the portion of the subject property situated within within block
3213 is currently a two unit condominium. I'm I'm sorry, councelor Tola, please. What What pages? There is no page number on this. I'm trying to It's the second if we count if we're counting pages from the beginning, we're looking at page
four. Thank you. Sure. And I just don't know where there's a two unit condominium on this property cuz Google Earth shows an empty lot. Um,
in addition, there is also a mother parcel for common elements. Regardless of the foregoing, all of the subject parcels have been viewed and valued as a single economic unit, which is correct. But I'm trying to understand, is this a typo for a two-unit condominium at one
Lacawana and 227 Bloomfield Avenue? Cuz I don't know where there's a twounit condominium. Looks like it's a typo. That's got to be fixed. I don't, you know, I don't understand cuz that's definitely an empty lot.
Can we correct that um at this point in time or I don't know. Can we just Can we just eliminate the first paragraph after property to be appraised and just start with the address one Lacuana Plaza and 227 Bloomfield Avenue with the lots and
block numbers. That would seem to address your issue and your attorney. I I'm going to ask your opinion on this. Please say if we include it in lie of the actual lot and block numbers. Uh the lot and block numbers are there. I'm
sorry. Maybe I misunderstood what the what the issue is. You say it's an incorrect block and block number. Yeah. If you if you go to the one if you go to the information that is above it is not correct. Correct. And so I'm asking you
please attorney if you um right here. Do you have something? Sure. Madam Mayor, I would just I would suggest or recommend that um the resolution be amended to make sure that the um appraisal is for is co-terminus with the
redevelopment plan. It essentially is necessary in relation to the uh pilot agreement development of the pilot agreement um for the uh redevelopment plan. So it's not anything outside of the redevelopment plan. So it should be the the appraisal and the appraised land
should be consistent with and co-terminous with the the U redevelopment plan. So I think that would solve it pretty much. Yeah, I think it does. I just think you know, councelor Lachman, councelor, I'm sorry.
Sorry. So I asked the attorney a question. Were you finished? Um because I don't know. Can we Can we start with my We can do Yeah. to the attorney. Can we start with your suggestion? Yeah,
I had suggested to the attorney that um it would be page two of the actual proposal for appraisal and consulting assignments where it says property to be appraised. Councelor Toller is correct that there
seems to be a major typo there in the first paragraph should be in my view you could just delete that first paragraph and then the actual block and lot numbers are correct. I I agree and that shouldn't be that should not be that's what I was asking the attorney I heard you the first time so I was wondering
that manager marks we cannot amend a proposal we can amend the resolution so I would suggest it's his it's his proposal so we can't necessarily amend it this proposal the firm sit in correct yes correct are the but the tax lots on
councelor Birmingham thank you mayor I apologize are correct he's here Right. Um my my direction to the um the appraiser was to uh come up with appraisal values of the uh Lacawana terminal as contained in the
redevelopment plan. So I I didn't give him specific blocks and lots. Um but he does have access to the redevelopment plan. So my assumption was it would be consistent with the redevelopment plan. All right. So are you going to reach out? Thank you. Councelor Toller. Sorry. Thank you. Will you be reaching out to
him to submit a revised one? Uh, I will. Yes. Yeah. Okay. Thank you. Anyone else? Okay. You move this. I move this and you seconded it. So, it's Madame Clerk, please. Deputy Mayor
Anderson. Yes. Councilor Birmingham. Yes. Councelor Damato. Yes. Councelor Lachman. Yes. Councelor Toller. Yes. Councelor Williams. Yes. Mayor Baskerville. Yes. Yes. Deputy Mayor. Resolution R2184, resolution authorizing the award of a
fair and open professional services contract to Hendricks Appraisal Company LLC for appraisals and consulting assignments. I shall move. Second. Second. Oh, discussion.
Yes, council to. Thank you. Um, I'm just this this firm that we're using. This is the price that they're always submitting, but seems that works a little shoddy when they're submitting their proposals. Um, 4500 is what we paid for Miller Street. This is an
appraisal being done for a three-unit house. Again, a much complicated appraisal I would think would require a little more money. So, I'm just hoping we're getting the best bang for our buck with these type of appraisals because they're charging 5,500 for Lacawana,
which is a very complex thing. So, I just wanted to put that on the record that I'm hoping we're getting adequate and good appraisals coming in because if this is the type of shoddy work they're sending in their backup, I have some concerns about their type of appraisals that they're doing.
Anyone else? Mayor. Yes. Um, deputy mayor. I think this is this is for an appraisal of the police headquarters and um the parking lot behind the police headquarters. Correct. Matt. Oh, councelor Lachman.
So, um, the township went through Manager Marks, I'm sorry. The township went through a competitive RFP request for proposal process. So that was done I believe at the end of 2024. I was not part of that process. Um th this
appraiser was selected through that competitive process. So that's why we are using them. I could tell you um the appraiser is highly regarded by uh the tax assessor and other people I've spoken with.
Thank you. Council Lman. Oh no. Anyone else? Madam clerk, please. Oh, can we Yes, councelor Damato. We know for sure that this hasn't been done for the for the parking lot there. There was a single appraisal done for the entire uh
property, but it didn't it didn't create um specific values for each individual lot. So, this is doing additional research. So, we already paid somebody to do both the building and the lot that was done last year. It's also need it's so PSCNG
has approached the town with interest in this property. So we you we want an updated uh valuation. So um yes it was done last year but it needs to be updated needs to be corrected to identify and not in total. Yeah. Yeah. Just if I
may just to re councelor Lman we did get an appraisal. We're aware of the appraisal. So, we got an appraisal for the police building, but this group uh Hendrickx, they appraised the whole site and where we want to separate out the actual building from the parking lot because we may do different things with
both. But the appraisal the appraisal that we'll get back is for the land or for the building for there's three three individual lots and he will be establishing values for each lot individually. Just the lot. Yeah. I mean the lot and the building. Yeah. The
building's on a lot. Yeah. Madame clerk, 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, Council Williams. Resolution R-25-185. Resolution appointing members to the planning board. sponsored by councelor Lochman and councelor Damato.
So moved. Second. So should I say something or not? Um I I I just have some some concern because I personally have not had an opportunity to review all of these people that had put in their applications here, nor have
I had an opportunity to speak with them. and I also serve on the planning board and um have had previous experience on the planning board. So, I feel as though I can be an asset here. And so, um, did
everyone else have you all had an opportunity to speak to the people and interview review them and whatever? Cuz I I certainly haven't. And I know we've got, um, a lot of people that we're supposed to be reviewing the volunteer interest forms for. And
so, I I have not gotten to these yet. So, I'm wondering is since there's no rush on this, is there, you know, can we take this off until the next meeting and then maybe vote on all of them? Have everybody vote on all of them? I just haven't had an opportunity. It's quite a
few of them. Did everybody else review these? I did. Yeah. Okay. I haven't gotten to that. No, I I didn't. Um I'm just I don't know what name we're using, but I guess how many how many seats are there? Well, there's only one seat. It's a second alternate and we there were
five people who um submitted their VIF forms, right? I made a recommendation on two of them. I thought that we could Yeah, I see one of them that I I I thought that tonight we could if we'd all have read the um resumeumés and
forms that they submitted, we could agree on people. If you want to talk to them, fine. Um, I know when I was appointed the planning board, no counselor spoke with me. I guess maybe they knew me. I don't know. I think some of these resumes in my view speak for
themselves and I I don't need to talk to them. Yeah. And and I I appreciate that and you know again it just seems when when first of all there is no rush. We have wonderful compliment of people that are
serving. Now, I'm sure, you know, it may be that I'm I'm interested in the same person. I I did not have an opportunity to review them. I would appreciate the same courtesy that I offered when there were some other people that, you know, were were trying to get appointed and
you all had not had an opportunity to review them or even find out if there are other people that want to get on the planning board. So, I'm going to ask please that we don't vote on this tonight until I have an opportunity as the other individual who is serving on
the planning board. I'm just there's no rush on it. So, can we do it at on the 22nd in July? Okay. So, can we just vote then? What how do we just move this along where I'm happy to wait. So, but I
don't know that we need to talk like Well, I mean, if if somebody thinks there's a rush on it, I just don't get it. But yeah, we can do Yeah. May I say why I think that we need to talk about this? Um, well, because there are three semi-judicial boards, the zoning board,
the planning board, and historic preservation. We're aware of this. The other boards, commissions are they're advisory. they're not as essential as the group that has to make decisions about land use in this town. We're going to come into a um soon we're going to
get major applications like Lacawana Plaza and I believe that the person we should have a full complement of people on the planning board to go to be informed from the get-go about what's the plan for the site plan for that site. It's an important site. people
should not be coming in and trying to catch up. So my if it were my decision, I would want to have a full complement from the day one when we start talking about Lacawana and other things like one of the things we're going to be talking about is um redoing the master plan. So
I think that who's ever I mean can we wait a month? of course, but we've been waiting and waiting and I don't I frankly I look at these five applications and you know two people stand out above all others and I don't know why we cannot agree on one name and
nominate that person and I'm not saying that we can't. I'm just asking since I did not have an opportunity to review this if I could be given the same courtesy that we did when other people have not had an opportunity to review. And I've heard you, you know, before
talk about, you know, the difference between committees and commissions. I respect all of the volunteers that go out of their way to fill these forms out and express an interest and I would like to try to um work expeditiously to get all of the positions filled. I don't I'm
just saying I we we already have the agenda for next month. I don't think it's going to make a difference. I would like to reach out to them and I've explained before not just in in front of this body but to other people that I usually always try to reach out to the people and have a conversation with them
and you know make make a decision and I'm not questioning your judgment. I'm just saying I have not had an opportunity to review them. Mayor May. Yes. Uh councelor Tola. Yep. Thank I'm sorry. Um so there's no name here. Is
this what you wanted us to just discuss each person if you will or should we have a name on here and if we agree via that and then I'm just asking maybe the clerk or the attorney should it be a name on here or should this be a
discussion and a name can be added as we're discussing it because understanding that you were going to discuss we're going to discuss it and put the name in. Oh okay. So you want to go through each individual tonight? I thought everybody I thought people would have read the five resumes and be prepared to give their one one and two
or three. No, but if you want to go through each one tonight and discuss each I don't want to discuss each one. I want I thought that that's what counselor was saying. No, I thought that we I assumed everybody would have read the five resumeés, would have judged
them and come up with their their choice of the person that they'd like to appoint to the second alternate role. and then we could, you know, we could vote on it. Mayor, yes. Um, Deputy Mayor, uh, yeah, I I I did have a chance to review these. Um, and I I think there
are a couple that stood out for me. Um, and I understand that the alternate is needed. Um, the individual, should I just say who? No, an alternate is not needed at this moment. I mean, it's not going to make a difference in the world if we do this tonight or if we do it in
July. We already have the agenda for the July meeting. So if we voted on this in July and gave me a chance to do that, it's not going to make a difference is all I'm saying. I will say that we have at other
people's requests, we have deferred voting. I I do not think a second alternate and there's nothing that says that these people who are interested can't come to the planning board and be listening to the um so can we just how
do we just decide or vote to defer this to July 22nd versus vote on it now if anyone can we we have to make a motion to table it is that correct then I will make a motion to table I'll second it can I add one more comment yes council
Lman We had we got I don't know how many recommendations from the other boards and commissions that we did the same thing. We said, "Oh, we're not going to vote on this tonight. We're pulling it." And it's what 8 weeks since we did that. Tell me about it though. And it hasn't happened. So I am so I am trying to make
something move this along because we don't seem to be able to move these appointments along. Well, why don't we we've we've already made a motion in second. We can do it on the 22nd and we can also bring up the volunteer advisory committees and just appoint everybody with fresh new year. Okay. Yeah, I
that's fair. I agree. Well, I'm saying fresh new fiscal year, but and I agree with what you just said too, councelor Lachman, but after after the group said that they wanted to have an opportunity to review and come back with others. I've been waiting for eight weeks now. So, I agree with you to get some names.
Nobody has put anything forth. I put twice on the agenda the ones that I thought and then after it was clear to me other people wanted to bring other names forth and move. Then I didn't do it for a third time because I it was it was told to me that other people wanted
to get more applicants and other things. So I was trying hard to move it. At this point in time I really would like for us to make some decisions at the July 22nd meeting and vote on all of them. At that time, we have a a motion and a second to
vote. Madame Clerk, thank you. This is a motion to table this resolution to July 22. Second, abstain. Councelor Birmingham, yes. Councelor
Damato, abstain. Councelor Lachman, no. Councelor Toller, yes. Councelor Williams, yes. Mayor Baskerville. Yes. Motion carries.
Um, Councelor Williams, please. Oh, I'm so sorry, Council Toller. Sure. Uh, resolution R25-186, Township of Montlair. Uh, resolution authorizing the adoption of the happy to chat bench incentive,
oh, initiative in the township of Montlair. Uh I so move and my understanding this is a total of four benches at the moment. Second discussion council of Birmingham.
Um so I you know I I think this seems like a lovely initiative. I do do we need where we have here the mayor and township council are authorized to take the necessary steps to implement this this initiative including community outreach
partnerships and ongoing oversight. I think my only question is um you know they're not going to place these benches no they can't without it would have to comply with all local ordinances that are in effect. So this
is just authorizes the relevant member of the council to take steps to further the initiative. Okay. But and they would need to confer with parks department or department. Okay. Yes. Absolutely.
So sorry, deputy mayor. So just to be clear, um yeah, because that was my one of my concerns. I I just wanted to some of the questions that I wrote down is who's going to be responsible for approving the locations? How are they going to be approved? So my understanding is that
you know before a bench can be placed there would have to be some like a resolution presented. Is that is that what the intent is for for this what that's meant by the fourth paragraph? when we um when I initially thought um
that it would be best to do it in ordinance form because we already had um an ordinance for benches and then just amend it to put it in there. It discussed the process which would begin with the um request that would go to the manager and then the manager would
discuss that with whoever but ultimately the mayor and the council would agree or not agree in terms of the placement since this is at that meeting I received that more people here would be
interested perhaps if it was in a resolution and so if there are things here that we'd like to, you know, amend or to delete and I'm open to that. I just really um think that it's a great opportunity
and I know our students are excited and so if there are things in here that people would like to amend or change the wording, I'm wide open. So again, just for clarification, this is just a resolution. The ordinance that I had drafted was pulled for the reasons
stated by the mayor. So again, it would have to comply with all the local ordinances in effect that include bench location and things of that nature. So all this does is essentially give authority for the appropriate party to explore and initiate that process.
Right. Just one question. Thank you. Yes. Um she's next. Councelor L. Just a question. So at the LA when this was first um proposed to us in the form of an ordinance, I think yes. It had attachments that described what exactly was going on with this bench. Yes. Does
it make any sense to attach those to this resolution? I don't know. Just throwing that out there so that people have a complete picture of what we're talking about. For me, I don't think it's necessary for purposes of the ordinance given the fact that it's on the table right now. What you can do, I think, is perhaps work
with the uh however we disseminate information within the township to provide the packet and flesh out more so what exactly the initiative is and things like that. Again, all this does is just authorize the relevant party member to move forward, start collecting
information and work with the relevant part, you know, community groups, whoever it may be, uh interested parties that we heard from in the audience. So, uh, I leave it obviously to the governing body's uh, decision-m, but I I don't think it's necessary because I think it can be handled as the process
continues and as there's due diligence perform. So, um, councelor Lachman, I have ordinance 02525 and in here that was the ordinance um, about the bench. No, that wasn't that wasn't the
number. I have the ordinance somewhere here about that if you would like for us to attach that to it. No, I I you know I trust what the attorney is advising us. Okay. So, thank you for madam clerk. Oh, I'm sorry councelor. Yeah, I just wanted
to say because I know Miss Schneider, Miss Alma Schneider was here and um I just wanted to make sure we put it on record that we can't put these on school properties. they would have to go to the board of ed and commission them for happy to chat benches if that's something schools would like to see
place. I just wanted to put that out there because I know she mentioned it and we can't do that but of course we can put them in our parks and some other places but again for anybody listening at home involved in the happy to chat bench they would have to definitely commission the board of ed for
placement. Thank you for that reminder, Councelor Toller. And um just following along that same line of discussion, Nishuain School has already requested them. In fact, 175 of our second graders wrote beautiful,
beautiful letters to um the council pleading with us to pass this and speaking about how nice it would be and how they could make new friends. and if you're sad and you sit on one of the benches and someone sat next to you, maybe you wouldn't be sad anymore. And a
lot of compelling things. So, I'd like to applaud them and I will definitely make sure that they understand that there's a different process because I call them our second grade activists. So, I'll make sure that the activists understand that there's a different process in order to have permission to
put them on the school property. Thank you, Councelor Toller. 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. Next, please. Oh, thank you. Councelor Omato. Uh, resolution R25187. resolution to appoint a professional
services contract with RSC uh architects not to exceed $90,000 for design and construction administration inspection and monitoring service for Clary Anderson Arena repair project and
I so move should say I'm sorry it should say non-fair and open in the title have a question Mine says nonfair and open yeah non fair and Yeah. Mhm.
Discussion. Yes. Yes. M. Um, councelor. Sure. Councelor Damato or maybe Mr. Marks. I know resolution R25117. We approved it in April 422. Um, the 34K was to assess the physical conditions. Right. So, this is a whole
new kitten kaboodleoodle, if you will. Right. Correct. Just wanted to clarify. Thank you. Any other discussion? So, go ahead. Council Birmingham and then council Damato. Um can can we just clarify because there
were some questions around $90,000 and I'm looking at it's like there's five phases of a project and it's it looks like it's the work that was said to be need to be done at least in this initial phase is $842,000.
Um, so can you just describe the phases and how you got to how it gets to 90,000? Well, in the in the first phase um or the first contract that was led a couple of months ago, um the architects
did a an assessment of the arena and assess basically opined that there was approximately $5.7 million worth of repairs and improvements that were necessary in order to bring the the arena up to tip-top condition. Um the we
had the planning and infrastructure facilities and infrastructure um committee had a meeting with the architects and we went over actually the last page of the uh proposal um outlines the items that we went over. So the
question that we posed to the architects was what are the absolute u most important critical things that need to be repaired in order to make to eliminate all the code violations and life health safety hazards. So, the
architects came up with a uh plan to with the approximate uh value of those repairs is $842,000. So, if approved this evening, the um the architects will put together bid
specifications to address the items that are listed on the last page that that come up to a $842,000 price tag. Um their proposal includes the design specifications as well as construction
administration, inspection and monitoring services to make sure um notwithstanding what one of the members of the general public said before um in my experience and what's generally accepted industry standards um in the
architecture and and engineering world um typically um design in terms of bid spit Coming up with bid specifications and a design package is typically 8 to 10% of a project cost and construction administration services is anywhere from
12 to 15% of design costs. Those are standards that are commonly used by New Jersey Department of Transportation as well as the New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust Fund. So this is within it's actually below uh what an AR what an engineer would typically charge.
This includes both the design and the construction phasing. Um the architects told me verbally that they anticipate once it it going out to bid takes 15 days, right? Once you have a set of of bid specifications. So, if approved this
evening, first thing tomorrow, I will give the architects a notice to proceed to package together all the specifications for all the um items listed on the last page of the proposal. I'm not quite sure how long that will
take. Um but we have to go out to bid for at least 15 days. They understand that the next um council meeting is July 22nd. It was my charge or my um intent uh desired intent um expressed to
them that we would have the uh bids due back and a recommendation from them, the professional architects to the town to award a contract on or before July 22nd. So time is of the essence in order to
get these repairs and improvements done. Um once uh approved by the um once the bid specifications or the the bid is approved um their estimate again verbally that we went through on the facilities infrastructure committee they
anticipated the um the work would take between 6 to 8 weeks which puts us in line. If all the stars align that's not a promise. If all the stars align, we should have the repairs made by the start of the hockey season.
There's probably a dozen ways this could go sideways between now and the beginning of of but we're making a good faith effort to make all the necessary repairs. Mayor, thank you. Yes, councelor um Damato. So, Mr. manager. Just for the
benefit of of us who are, you know, not in the biz and the people at home, construction management in this context because there there is no general contractor per se. This their
their fee is essentially comparable to the overhead of a general contractor in some regards. In other words, we're not paying an extra group of people to manage something where because we don't we won't have a general contractor
for all of the work. I mean, potent if there's one one set of bid specifications to hire one contractor, they're over they will be overseeing. I I I don't know. I I don't know if they've envisioned hiring a separate electrical subcontractor from a roofer
from a you know plumbing subcontractor or mechanical electrical plumbing subcontractor. So I to be honest I don't know if it's one GC who will be running the project but we need somebody who will be putting together the bid specifications and actually managing the
contractor whether it's one contractor or several contractors running the job actually making inspections making sure the quantities and materials are true and correct that the bid that not the bid specifications but the pay applications and the uh uh payrolls are
true incorrect. So, you know, we have these this these are prevailing wage jobs and we actually have to make sure that um the contractors themselves are submitting pay applications and complying with uh prevailing wage law.
Okay. So, this is we need this we need this these soft costs to do the job right. We have nobody in place, nobody internally who would do this work. And but people should know at home that
this is the hard reality of being a government is that the soft costs are hard and now we're looking at 125 give or take in soft costs already on this project. Correct. That we are spending. But we have to
we can't really manage this project certainly in this timeline without having professionals who can do this and monitor it. Correct. Right. So um counties, municipalities, school boards are governed by what's called the New Jersey local public contracts law. We
are not, you know, this is we're not a mom and pop shop. Uh we're this isn't our home where we could just hire a contractor to fix our kitchen or bathroom. you know, we have to comply with New Jersey local public contracts law and you have to have somebody in play. You have to have a um set of
prescribed bid specifications actually go out to public bid. Uh anything over $44,000 has to be publicly bid. This isn't something that we would could do just by getting quotes from contractors. Councelor Lachman. Okay. I I just wanted
to add one more thing. We see here that the estimated cost provided by RSC to get this thing up and running by um you know ice time is uh 800 what is it? $842,000.
But being the fiscal hawk here, I want to make sure that people recognize that that's not the only cost that will be incurred to get Clary Anderson up and running. the um current manager of the arena had put in his own money to put in
parts of various parts and those uh to we will need to buy those parts from him and that there's a cost attached to that and I guess we'll be working with that current manager to determine what that is. So get out of your head that this is
going to cost $850,000. It's going to cost more. So, I will say again, those people that came to the mic here and said that they're willing to raise raise money to fund this so it's not a taxpayer burden. In my view, they
need to and I I am very happy to meet with you and talk about this and you tell me what you need to do to get donations from all the people that came to the mic and said they were willing to donate. You need to have an agreement in place with town to actually raise Well, we I we need to understand what exactly
is needed and then get going on raising that money. That's okay. Thank you. Thank you, Councelor Lachman. Councelor Birmingham, I just have one quick question. I see that some there's replace roofs, D&E, etc. Has there been an overall discussion around when as
roofs get replaced about potentially putting solar panels or how can can you just talk a little bit about that? how where that stands. Well, that's but we're replacing the roofs. That's my question. Like is replacing
is this something that is at least we we talked about it with them and with others. Um we have to do an assessment on the on on on how we would approach the re the repair and replacement of the
roof. So the roof is heavily degraded standing seam roof and there are different ways to deal with it. There's a very expensive way which is basically you would remove all of the metal on top of the roof down to the to the
structural steel. Uh you can also put another roof on top of it. And I do believe that we we are still needing to do get an assessment on what that what those structural members can carry. I don't think that that has been answered
yet, but I do believe that in our conversations, um, solar was considered a given even given the orientation of the roof, which is not optimal. Yes. Okay. So, it's it's on track to have solar panels. It's not costed out, but I would assume that it's
a net neutral and there will be Yeah. Just cuz hockey ranks are huge. Yep. Electricity hogs. So, yeah. Okay. Yeah, just so you guys are aware, when we were talking with Aubry Group and stuff like that, we were talking about possibly geothermal for the heating, cooling, and
solar and other things to keep the uh operating costs down. So, that's something. It's not this first phase. We're in the repair phase here, but the money that we raise can be used for all that kind of stuff, but we've been keeping that right at the top of our list. Thanks, Mr. G. We But we legally can't have a back and forth. Oh, sorry. No, it's okay. Thank you, though. Thank
you. Anyone else? Anyone else? Yeah. I just appreciate all the work that we've put into this, the excitement, the energy, everything. And I'm looking forward to that type of energy and excitement put
into a few other topics we need to handle, not tonight, but going forward. Well said. Anyone else? Madame Clerk? Deputy Mayor Anderson. Yes. Councelor Birmingham, yes. Councelor Damato, yes. Councelor
Laughman, yes. Councelor Toller. Yes. Councelor Williams. Yes. Mayor Baskerville. Yes. Okay. Um Councelor Birmingham. Okay. Uh we are now asked Excuse me. Um yes. Um may I This is the one that we
need to add. Um cuz we're going to the bill list now. Is that correct or no? No. Um we're we're on um resolution. We're at number six resolution. Okay, I'm sorry. This is a resolution establishing a user and ice allocation
policy for the Clary Anderson Arena. And I so move second discussion. Madame clerk, I have a resolution document. There's this doesn't look like a No. If I may.
Yes. Um the matter that councelor Damato had struck from the ordinance establishing the fees should be the preamble to this um this policy uh document. This is um a draft policy but
it's missing the actual um resolution language. So I was or or it could be t I mean this is it's as a resolution it could be t it could be tabled until I think that's okay to to table until
July 22nd. The most important thing tonight in terms of like establishing the Clary Anderson Arena utility was establishing the user fees updating the user fees. Okay. I think this is this is fine for for uh yeah to clean it up for
uh July 22nd. So there was a motion and a second and now you're withdrawing table. Welcome to the council. Yes, I'll table it.
Uh is there a second? Second, Madame Clerk. Okay, this is a motion to table this item to July 22nd. Deputy Mayor Anderson, yes. Councelor Birmingham, yes. Councelor Damato, yes. Councelor Lochman, yes. Councelor Toller, yes.
Councelor Williams, yes. Mayor Baskerville, yes. Um, resolution number seven. Couns uh, councelor Lachman. You got this before. Yeah. So I move resolution
R-25-188 which is whereas invoices against the township of Montlair in favor of the following persons for the amounts set opposite their respective names have been received duly audited and found correct. Now therefore, be it resolved by the council of the township of
Montlair in the county of Essex, that set invoices be and they are hereby or ordered paid, and that checks be drawn by the finance department to the order of such persons for the amounts respectively and herein after stated on the schedule attached here too and made
a part thereof. The total amount is 12,281,721.39. So moved. Second. Second discussion. Councelor Toller. Should I get up and take a bow? Um I just have a question on um vendor
number 1905 for easy pass. I'm just wondering who uses the easy pass here within our township. I could look into that and report back to you. I'm not I'm not familiar with Okay. Police. Public works.
Okay. Thank you. And police? Police and public works. So where I mean they take the cars out of Montlair. I'm just asking if they get on the Parkway to use the easy path. We don't quite have a parkway. Well, we know the police go between here and
Essex County. So that's true. That's true. So that at a minimum county. Yeah. Okay. Um, and I'm just wondering, and maybe this isn't a discussion for um the public, but I'm looking at
uh workman's comp payments, and I'm just wondering, and maybe this is a discussion for Mr. Marks a little later, that we're paying a lot of money. Um, do we have that many cases out on workman's comp?
Says deductible insurance. It's on page three and uh our comproll is here perhaps. Okay. So, good evening and looking it's about a half a million dollars. Yes, ma'am. Yes. um four invoices
that were attached and they were for deductible payments to the tune of about $210,000 and then various self- insurance retention claims for auto personal li you know liability
um workers compensation and employer employment liability. Okay. So these aren't actual people out this is the insurance portion that Okay. And it is the insurance portion for the township share of all of insuranceances. H okay.
One more and then I that's it. And um so it's page five and the vendor number is 10122. It says Sunny Electric um at various locations. I'm just wondering and perhaps um the department head can let us know what locations electrical work
was done at for about 13 almost $14,000. I mean, I know it's the system and the way that you run the reports. Um but I would just like a little more detail on some of this stuff because it just says various work locations, what was done, where was it done.
We can look at the purchase orders. Okay. So, I'm going to say to you that's actually more than one purchase order. Um, so if if a vendor has multiple purchases. Yeah. And when and they all happen to fall on the same bill list, depending on how the vendor requests it,
they will get a single check. So, no, I understand. So, we we will look up the purchase orders and get back to you on Sunny Electric because usually when it's a blanket PO, it'll say it on here. So I don't know if that's the case here, but So the vendor is Sunny Electric and the
the tab the total cost is 13 13 13,83242. We will look that up and report back to you. Council Birmingham. Yes. Thank you. Um can I just ask you back to the Jeff the Garden State
Municipal Jeff? So there's a one payment of $460,000 ASMT two of three installments 25%. Just so that is we have an annual assessment which is due in three installments 25
and a 50% payment which is coming up due shortly. Um and then in addition there is the township's portion of the various claim and the various policies. Okay. So then the next line item of
excess workers comp hyphen deductible co insurance of $550,000 as you said is this just so I'm fully understanding is this you're saying this is our share of claims or is this an excess
uh assessment that there because we have had a lot of workers comps claims so based on what I saw of the invoices deductibles and our policies from what I understand and I apologize I don't have
the policies um our deductibles are high based based on the renewal but the policy al also coming up for renewal again so it is definitely something to look at that conversation has already been started okay and it covers auto all
all of the auto liability um employment practices says all of those various claims and workers comps which can go on for years. Okay. There's no limit on workers comp. Okay. So maybe we can discuss this
further just all of the insurance. Yeah. Can I make councelor Lman? Yeah. I would love to see a description of our insurance plan which I have never seen. What our deductibles are what our what our self-insured retentions are. What portion is paid by the uh insurance
carrier. I understand it's a retrospectively rated program. What premiums would be due for for previous years, what our experience is, what our, you know, workers comp rate, you know, what is it called? Uh, excuse me. Our
premiums. No, no, the uh that tells, oh my god, experience rating, what our experience modifier is, all that information because this huge expense for the town and yet I feel like this council really doesn't know anything about it. So the renewal period is
typically start starts in July. So I would be more than happy to share all that information with you. Excuse me. And councelor Laughman council to Sure. Thank you, Madame Mayor. Um IMAC, we consult or pay them. They can run that report. They should be able to run the report that you're looking for or get
that information. Yeah, I'm sure they IMAC. Yeah. Hey. Um, Madame Cler. Deputy Mayor Anderson. Yes. Councelor Birmingham.
Yes. Councelor Damato. Yes. Councelor Lochman. Yes. Councelor Toller. Yes. Councelor Williams. Yes. Mayor Baskerville. Yes. Um, uh, Attorney Tanteski, please. Thank you, Mayor
Thank you, mayor. Uh, as previously indicated, I would recommend that the council adopt a resolution authorizing the township to enter into a settlement agreement and refund refund property taxes pursuant to section 309-38, the section of the municipal code that
uh addresses veterans and property taxes, them being exempt from it. One such person being Brian P. Pew, a resident of Montlair. The recommendation of the tax uh collector's office was that he be reissued or issued a refund
in the amount of $8,319.36. I'll make the motion. Second. May I just say that's a typo. Um in the first be it further resolve that amount wrong. There's an extra eight there.
So it's reading 831. I have it noted already here, counselor, and I appreciate that. Do you have it? Okay. Yeah, that's Do you have it? Yeah. Um, it was given to us here. I was just making sure that
this amount gets changed. What number do you have on the top of your We don't have it. It says R-25XX. This is We don't have It's a two-year executive session resolution. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. and the settlement ag. You can look at those documents.
Sure. And I just want to um take the time and first thank Council Birmingham and the mayor uh for kind of, if you will, co-signing this uh refund to our veterans and for our attorney for working so diligently and hard on uh making sure this was the right thing to
do. So, I just wanted to say thank you. Okay. Um, at this point in time, um, from what I understand upstairs, we need to have further discussion. Are we going to vote on this? I'm sorry. Are you on that? Thank you. Yes. Okay. Deputy Mayor
Anderson, yes. Councelor Birmingham, yes. Councelor Damato, yes. Councelor Lochman, yes. Councelor Toller, yes. Councelor Williams, yes. Mayor Baskerville, yes. Thank you. Um um
so then there are two things that we need to do. I' I'd like to um make a motion to appoint our manager Steven D. marks as the temporary chief
h chief finance officer. I'll second. Second. Any discussion? Um manager, um the term would be beginning July 1st, 2025 to release the next council meeting July 22nd, 2025.
That's that that's the expected um end date. Thank you, Madame Clerk. Deputy Mayor Anderson, yes. Councelor Birmingham, yes. Councelor Damato, yes. Councelor
Lachman, no. Councelor Toller, no. Councelor Williams, yes. Mayor Baskerville, yes. Now, did you want to um lead the discussion? We were going to discuss upstairs and then I said we couldn't discuss that because it wasn't specific
about any individual at the end of the meeting. You don't remember either? No. Remember when we were upstairs at the executive session and just needed to
discuss and no discuss it upstairs. I think because no session for whatever I just rememberbody remembers what I'm asking. Well, I I had
Okay. Was it township attorney that we wanted to talk about? No. Or setting the agenda protocol? No. Those are two things. No, wasn't that hiring someone, but it was not a specific person. Yes.
Mayor, do you want to can we just give like a minute to the public around this what we just did with Mr. Pointing Mr. Marks as the interim pending Ms. Ralph's departure? Just Yes. Go ahead. just a very brief that there's an active
search ongoing and we very much hope that by the next meeting we'll be able to make an appointment but just in this short interim in the state of New Jersey you cannot appoint somebody who is a licensed uh CMFO to the interim position so we
are grateful that Mr. remarks um will take on this position for the next few weeks. Um as again per New Jersey law because he doesn't have a license, he is eligible for this
position as an interim right now. Yeah. And I'd just like to um add to that that I I think the majority of us are very excited about the possibility of a certain candidate. We only had um a few candidates. The uh chief financial
officer position is is just an amazing position. Not everyone has it. And we were very excited about one of the candidates because of a shortage of time tonight. We just did not have um enough time to fully vet um the appointment
there. And so I do expect um Manager Marks that by the next meeting we should be able to um uh remove you from that title and appoint someone else the chief financial officer
deputy. Okay. It's a different topic. I just wanted to raise it. Well, yes. I'd like to make a motion to adjurnn. Uh second. Hold on. Hold on. Um, what what about what about what
about number eight? What about number eight? I'm sorry. We pulled that. All right. And then what about are we going to talk about the process for the township attorney or the setting the agenda protocol? That's what it was when I said what were we going to talk about and no one said
anything. So upstairs at the end of the meeting that's why I said I thought it was you that mentioned that. So yeah, you want to bring it out now? bring up sorry bring up the township attorney search because that seems to be you know a township attorney will be
needed quite soon. I know that I heard I gave my five people I would like to interview. I heard mi miss counselor Toller gave some people yes she would like to talk to and if the rest of us give the names of the people we'd like
to speak with maybe there'd be overlap and so we'd be able to come to maybe three four people that we all agree are are candidates for considering so and I think mayor you're you're collecting that information well um no at this
point in time first of all I'd like to thank um deputy mayor Susan Shin Anderson for for her tireless work here. And just today, she gave to us for maybe the second or third time the listing so
that we can rank um the candidates. And at the last meeting, you'll remember that manager Markx was kind enough to give each one of us a a stack of papers with all the um candidates to be considered on there. And so, from what I
understand, we we're going to do that. um itemized them and then I believe that you um were going to do something with them because you sent us another email today. Yes, I did. I'm sorry. I I just wanted to No, don't be sorry. I
appreciate your help with this. Um so, my ask of the council members who haven't yet done so is to um review the um the packet of résumés that we received from
you know, the past two listings as well as we had we received a number of firm um uh um submissions and um what I had recent today as um the mayor pointed out is um a score sheet which I'm hoping um
would be helpful to some of you in helping you you know rank perhaps the top four or five um people that you would like to bring in for an initial interview um and get those names to us um by the end of this week if that's all
possible because knowing that it's summer and it it will be diffic a little bit more challenging to schedule um it would be good for us to at least start the uh the the interviewing process. Um and uh another request was to submit
some questions that um that you know that we as a council uh can ask um of all of the candidates when we interview them. Um and then I will prepare a second score sheet based on that. So um you know Mr. Chowski, I want to you know
I I think we're all very thankful that that u Mr. Chowski um agreed to to serve. Um but his his his appointment is um expiring I think on the 30th of August. Y so um so the sooner that we
can get this interview process the better. Can I Thank you. Yes. Councelor Lachman. Um I know that um Mr. Marks gave us some attorney information at the last council, but it wasn't complete. There were earlier resumes that were submitted and one of my top candidates
was on the earlier list. So that's why I sent you all an email with my five candidates that I liked and I sent you all their resumes. Sure. Because one in particular was not on there and I actually he's my top candidate, right? And he may I mean it's been so long that
we started this that perhaps people have already dropped out. I don't know. Yeah, I I did some councelor to Sure. Thank you. Um I saw councelor um deputy mayor Anderson's scoring sheets. I did did a edit. I sent it back to you in hopes that that can be included for us to use
going forward because I think we needed to add one or two more things on there to score. Um, I did send it back highlighted yellow, but I've also gone through the resumeumés and like councelor Laughman, I've found four names that I would like to see have come in. So, did you share the um the names
of the people with us because I did get some information from you. Okay. Thank you. Anyone else? Yeah, if on a happier personnel matter, um uh as people will know, we passed an
ordinance some months ago, uh a complete a new complete streets ordinance, which makes uh uh I think what what hopefully will be a quantum leap in street safety and design and making the town uh um
live up to that ordinance. And part of that was hiring a director of complete streets. And um we are I think happy to know that this new director will be the
uh the chair of our of our vision zero task force and very longtime um professional and advocate in the field. Uh Laura Torchio has agreed to take the job. Uh it took some took some work uh and we're very very excited. I think all
of us about this. She will be the first point of contact for people who are looking for answers or a channel in for all the things that have to do with the public right away. Um and the and the
loosey goosey approach that we've had I think will will start to change. So thank you Mr. Manager for overseeing that and everybody in mayor for spending many years working with her. Thank you. Um, Deputy Mayor wants to very very very
briefly just um share about her amazing experience. She represented the township of Montclair in Gratz, one of our sister cities, and she'd like to share a little bit with us. Thank you, Deputy. Thank you. Um so just very quickly um uh last
week I had the opportunity to while I was on vacation um to visit uh our oldest sister city Grat Austria um to celebrate the 75th anniversary of our relationship with that city. Um and uh
it was uh I was very happy to you know share remarks and also um I mean there was a bit of there was it was under difficult circumstances because um the city had experienced a mass shooting at um at their high school at one of their
high schools. So and that just happened uh a few days before um we're supposed to leave. So, um they were very very gracious um to receive um myself and um representatives from Montlair State University with whom they've had um a
student exchange program for many many years. Um they are uh really um hoping that we will um be able to continue and grow our relationship. Um, and uh, I wanted to just share this this book that they gave um, that they presented. Um, and I'm hoping that we're going to keep
it at the um, upstairs for everybody to enjoy. Um, and yeah, so thank you to um, Mayor Ela Carr and um, all the staff who welcomed us. Thank you. Um, so I'd like to make a
motion to adjurnn. Second. All in favor? I. Any opposed? And before we go, I'd just like to also congratulate the uh class of 2025
graduation is Thursday. I know council Damato has a grad. Anybody else up here have somebody graduating? No, you do. This year from Nice. Not not from the high school. From somewhere. Yeah, from elementary school and middle school. So GQ has somebody graduating, too. All
right. Well, congratulations all. Please pick up your caps and gowns for the rest of the council if you haven't there at the office in the high school. Sorry, I won't make the graduation, but go Mounties. Congratulations.