man. Well, it's a great evening. Yeah, because we're going to have about about 30 or 40 seniors that want to come up and speak. Very disgruntled.
We're on. Yes. Good evening everyone. Welcome to the June 9th, 2026 regular council meeting. Um this is a meeting of the township of Mont Clair. It's being broadcast on channel 34. It's streaming
live on Montlair YouTube channel. Um and it's available on demand and can and will be rebroadcast. The meeting is called pursuant to the provisions of the open public meeting act. The meeting was included in the revised annual notice of the meeting
scheduled on the scheduled as set forth in resolution R26-064 adopted by the township council at its regular meeting of February 10th 26 advertised to the official newspaper on February 2626
posted on the township website and bulletin boards outside of the Montlair Council uh municipal building and it's remained continuously ly posted. In addition, a copy of the revised annual notice is and has been available to the public and is on file in the office of
the township clerk. Please stand for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and
justice for all. >> Madame clerk, whenever you're ready, will you please do a roll call? >> Yes, Mayor. Thank you. Deputy Mayor Anderson, >> here. Councelor Birmingham absent. Councelor Damato >> here. >> Councelor Harrison >> here. >> Councelor Toller.
>> Good afternoon. Present. >> Good afternoon. Councelor Williams absent. Mayor Baskerville >> present. Thank you. >> At this point in time, we are going to go into the executive session. Um I'd like to pass uh make a motion that we go
into the executive session. The purpose of the executive session is matters of personnel. During the executive session, we ask all members of the public to please leave uh the chambers and um we anticipate that our exe executive
session will take probably until about 700 p.m. And around 700 p.m. we're going to um reconvene in the regular session and welcome the public. We want you all to come back at that time. Um and I so move
>> second Deputy Mayor Anderson. >> Yes. >> Council Birmingham, absent. Councelor Damato, >> yes. >> Councelor Harrison, >> yes. >> Councelor Toller, >> yes. >> Councelor Williams, absent. Mayor Baskerville, >> yes.
>> What? What is this? You're unmuted. >> Okay. Um, I'd like to make a motion that we return to the regularly scheduled portion of our meeting, the public portion of the meeting on uh June 9th, 2026. Is there a second?
>> Second, >> Madame Clerk. 7 o'clock. >> Deputy Mayor Anderson, there's a clip right there. Councelor Birmingham, absent. Councelor Damato, >> yes, please. >> Councelor Harrison, >> yes. >> Councelor Toller, >> yes. >> Councelor Williams, absent. Mayor
Baskerville, >> yes. Thank you. I'm going to ask, please, council members, do you have anything that you'd like to have pulled from the consent agenda? If so, I'd like to know. >> Uh, yes, Madame Mayor. Uh, number one
and um, Council Damato, anything you want pulled from the um, consent agenda? Number 32. Number one and 32. Okay. Anyone else? >> 16. >> 16.
31. 31 >> and 29 just have a question. Um, I think we >> Okay. So, 21 22. >> Okay. 21 20
>> 20 21 and 22. >> Since I didn't hear >> Yeah, they're all like this. It's 2021 and 22, right? Okay. Oh yeah. 2021. >> Yeah. Okay. Um, >> your honor. >> 33.
>> 33. >> 12. >> 12. Okay. Anyone else? >> Okay. >> Yeah, we have um these are the ones that I have identified so far. 1 12 16 20 21
22 29 31 32 and 33. Are there any others? Okay. Um, at this time, um, we're going to, um, take a break until 7 PM and we'll resume and have our regularly
scheduled meeting at 7 pm. Thank you. Okay. Good evening everyone. Thank you for joining us on June 9th, 2026, 700 p.m. Welcome to the meeting. We're going to begin um with the proclamations and we have some wonderful
proclamations. When we call the proclamation, please if you're here to receive it or if you're a friend of the people that we're honoring, feel free to come and stand down front with us. After we do the proclamations, um the next order of business will be public comment.
>> Please, if you have not done so, will you please sign the clipboard on the front? >> Do we do approval? >> No. Um, madame clerk, please. Um, >> do I have a motion to approve the minutes? >> I move. Second. >> Thank you, Mayor.
>> Deputy Mayor Anderson, >> yes. >> Councelor Birmingham, absent. Councelor Damato, >> yes. >> Councelor Harrison, >> yes. >> Councelor Toller, >> yes. >> Councelor Williams, >> absent. Mayor Baskerville, >> yes. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Um, do we have any of the Eagle
Scouts with us this evening? If you're an Eagle Scout, friend of and family, come on down. We're happy to have you all. >> Eagle people that are at home will be able to
see the camera will be there and We have 13 and 12. >> No, just 13. >> Just 13 this even. >> Okay. I'm happy to see you all again. Good to see you. >> So, I'm so glad you could all make it
today. Um so we're here tonight to congratulate five um members of Boy Scout Troop 13 in Montlair who all um last week uh earned earned over many many years of hard work and mentoring
and acquiring a lot of leadership skills and life skills the um rank of Eagle Scout. Eagle Scout Um the mayor and councelor Damato and I were we had the honor of being able to
attend the ceremony last week and we were just um so proud and I know the families are proud and they're proud of themselves. So um so I'm not going to read the entire proclamation because there are five of you but I did want to want to share what each person the names and what each p a little bit about what
what they all did um to um ultimately get the rank of Eagle Scout. Like I said it's many years of um lots of service and as you can see they earned a ton of badges. Um so f the first Eagle Scout um is Henry Brackenberry who's a senior at
Montlair High School. We step forward. >> All right. Up, Henry. Yeah. HENRY. So for Henry's Eagle Scout community service project, um an animal lover Henry is, um led a crew of about 20
scouts, parents and friends, including two fellow scouts from Monontlair's troop 12 to construct an eight, um construct eight bat boxes, um which he donated to the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey. And if you're wondering what that's all
about, um this is the boxes are used to rehome bats when they need to be moved out of people's houses. Bats are considered um a keystone species which I just learned that term um recently because of their huge effect on biodiversity. They eat insect pests and
create excellent fertilizer. Um and uh you know through a lot of research um you constructed the boxes to meet the bats needs. Um led a crew um to over many days to to actually construct the boxes. Um and uh and and you're going to
um to study environmental science and English at Reed College in Portland, Oregon in the fall. >> Okay. Second, Wyatt Foster. Come on over. Okay. >> All right. So Wyatt um has been a member
of Troop 13 since the sixth grade. Um he's done a lot there. And for his Eagle Scout project, Wyatt actually I visited this this um this over the weekend. He grew up near Wong Plaza and he um decided to research, write, and design
an information panel about the history of Wang Plaza. Yes. Had it produced and then installed at Wong Plaza Park. And you should all go check it out. It's really interesting. You can learn about the pre-settlement history, the rail line, the plaza's
design, and more. Um, and you worked with the public library and the history center um to dig up a lot of information, maps and photos. Um, you you wrote and designed the board and you recruited um fellow scouts to fact check and proofread it. Um, you also raised
the money to actually have the board made and get the necessary town approvals, which I understand might have been a little bit more challenging than expected, but you did it. Um, Wyatt is also a senior at Montlair High. Um, and among other things, he's
going to u he's going to go on to Brown University in the fall to study engineering. Congratulations. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So, I'm going to do one more and then Okay. While they figure it out. Um,
Ronan Gross, please step forward. >> Hey, Ronan. Uh, it says Ronan joined scouting as a Cub Scout and then crossed over to Troop 13 where you served as a senior patrol leader. Um, which is a very high um, I think the highest youth position. Um,
and you did a lot of great things. Also for Ronan's Eagle Scout project, um he designed, planned, and led a crew in constructing two life jacket racks for the YMCA's Camp at the Lake. Um you looked at different plans and came up with a design all your own that you
thought could work. Um worked with about eight scouts, friends, and family members. Um you stained pressuret treated lumber and built the racks, which is awesome, and they're going to be able to um use those at at the camp. Um and uh you are also Ronan is a senior
at Montlair High, a competitive swimmer and um he is heading off to Hobart and William Smith colleges in the fall to study finance where he hopes one day to get a pilot's license which is so cool. Awesome.
>> All right, I only get two. uh Jivvon Dwell. >> So for his Eagle project, uh he developed, organized, and facilitated, that's a great word, three after school urban farming and computer AED design
workshops for children at different Newark schools. In the spring of LA last spring, he recruited a dozen scouts and friends as volunteers and partnered with the Rocket Club Academy, a STEM program in Ooken where he interns to co-design, deliver, and lead workshops that
introduced underserved servants uh students in technology. He's also a senior and he's been a member of the foundation's youth squad um uh founded by his cousin, his late cousin. Um and
he's now serving as vice president of the squad and guides a student team that helps carry out the mission of expanding STEM access. >> It's all fantastic. Uh and he he's you're going to take a gap year. >> You're applying No, you're a junior. >> I'm a junior. Yes.
>> You're a junior. >> Wow. You've done all this and you're a junior. I never did anything by the time I was a junior. >> In the meantime, he'll continue attending Troop 13 meetings and mentoring younger scouts. And I am very proud of him.
Thank you. You need two more signatures on that. And last for now, but not least, because there will be more next year hopefully. Uh we have a couple more coming. It's unbelievable the productivity. Uh Max
Pearson. >> I love this one. So, uh he was looking for an Eagle project. He immediately thought of the Monontlair Cooperative School, which he had attended from preK through 8th grade. Topping their wish list was a hefty literally project
removing a a rotting wooden retaining wall that had collapsed, blocking part of the school's walkway and playground and building a sturdier 50foot replacement. >> So, uh I know that Mr. Baitman said that
there were in horrific injuries to some of the adults that were involved in this moving the rocks around. It was a solid masonry thing. uh that was done for obviously a fantastic cause and with great love and appreciation that was done. He led a crew of scouts, family
and friends uh uh and finally constructed a new wall out of three tons of blocks. Uh it also reclaimed a back entryway adding another emergency exit for the school. So the safety part of it. Uh so now he's a senior. He is a
senior as you can as you can tell. Uh he's a project manager on the on the robotics team, captain of the swim team, co-president of the model UN and model congress. >> Yeah. >> Wow, that's pretty good. And co-founder
of the uh student uh action political organization. He will head off in the fall also to be an engineer uh and study politics at UCLA. Max Pearson is a hero.
An evil Yes. >> Can I say a quick word? >> Two minutes. >> No, it's going to be quicker than two minutes. Good evening. Michael Baitman, Scott Master, Troop 13. And I just want to thank this council mayor. Thank you counselors for coming out to our our Eagle Court of Honor on Saturday at
Union Kong Church. We have been a charter. We have been with Union Kong since the foundation of Troop 13 in 1911. >> Wow. >> We have been here service. Yes. And I couldn't be more proud of the Fab Five behind me. I called them the Fab Five.
Uh this is what it's all about. We are so lucky to have these guys in Montlair and they're going to go out and do great things in this world and they're going to be great leaders and it's all because of our our friends and neighbors and a great council. Thank you, Mayor. All right. Thank you everybody. >> Thank you.
Rose. There you go. >> Our committee chair Louis Vana. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. Good luck. No. Okay.
Okay. Um, next up is um we have a proclamation in memoriam of Susan Herby. Is Rebecca Herby here yet? >> Oh, hi. Thank you. So please, if anyone is here and would like to stand with us
as we read this proclamation into the record, so it will be here in perpetuity and memorandum for all of the great things that Susan Herby did. Does people here know who Susan Herby was? >> Oh my gosh, you guys missed it. Yeah,
she's one of the great people that touched so so so many people um in so many ways. and I am really honored to be able to present this to you. Hey, >> how are you?
>> Good. Come on up. >> This is her daughter, Rebecca Arby. Um, Susan E. Herby, lovingly known to many as Sue, passed away peacefully on April 21st, 2026,
surrounded by loved ones um after a courageous journey with Parkinson's and pancreatic cancer. Sue was a devoted mother, a fierce advocate, caregiver, community leader, beloved friends whose life work helped
to shape more inclusive world for all people, people with disabilities and their families in Montclair, but also across all of New Jersey and beyond. She became known for her unwavering commitment to disability rights,
accessibility, dignity, and care. Among disability advocates in town, Sue was affectionately called the RBG of disability rights, a reflection of both her brilliance and her relentless
commitment to justice. And indeed, she was. I I had the privilege and honor of of knowing her since about 2008. Whereas for more than 40 years, Sue lovingly cared for her daughter Leslie, whose life and spirit shaped so much of
Sue's advocacy and purpose. Her commitment to disability inclusion was never abstract. It was lived every single day through love, through persistence, and the belief that every person
deserves to be seen, supported, and included. And Sue's advocacy extended beyond New Jersey. She helped advocate advocate for and strengthen language connected to the
American with Disabilities Act. She contributed to to the broader national movement for disability rights, accessibility, and equal protection. While much of her work was rooted in New Jersey, her impact reached far beyond
the state. Through her advocacy, Sue contributed to a movement that helped make New Jersey a national leader in protections, services, and quality of care for people with disabil abilities.
And whereas her work opened doors for families, strengthened communities, strengthened people's understanding, and helped ensure that people with disabilities could live with greater dignity, access, and a sense of belonging.
And whereas one of the projects closest to Sue's heart was the all access playground at Edgemont Memorial Park in Montclair. Everybody knows where that park is, right? Susan Urban. She was relentless with that along with some
other people who may be sitting here. She helped to bring the vision to life so that the children of all abilities could play together with their families and their peers and they could feel welcome in public spaces. It's fitting that her that that her
celebration of life that was held at the playground. and it was held at the very playground where she helped to welcome that into the community for others. A place that stands as part of her lasting legacy. Sue leaves behind her daughter Leslie
and Rebecca Irby, her son-in-law George Mace III, her brother Daniel, her sister Marcia, and and their extended families and a wide community of friends, neighbors, advocates, families whose
lives were changed by her courage, her humor, her compassion, her fierce fierce commitment to justice. And the family is also working with the township to establish a permanent memorial at that playground. Perhaps a plaque. We're
still in the in the um planning stage of that in her honor. Um it gives me great pleasure and such an honor. If you knew Sue, she stands for everything that I strive to be. She was just love. She was caring. She was giving. Even when her
hands were so full at many times, she still found a way to reach out to others and care for people. So, I am proud to say that my life will be forever changed for the better because Sue Herby shared her time with me.
Thank you. Thank you so very much. It's uh such a a deep honor and um incredible to see when community comes together what's possible. And I want us to remember that in these moments that
are are very difficult ahead of us, it's only through community and through coming together with a shared mission that we actually accomplish the world that we all deserve and that we all want. So, thank you all for being here and for listening today.
>> Thank you so much. Thank you for being here. Good to see you. >> Thank you so much for coming. >> Pride. Our final proclamation for today is out Mont Clair. Um we're honored to have the team
that here for out Montlair. Um, also if you just like to come and stand with us as we read this proclamation, you don't have to necessarily be without Montlair. If you want to come and stand with us, we're celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community
um, and all the great things that are happening in the township. Anyone else here that wants to come on down? Look good. >> All right, we have everybody. >> Yes. >> Yes.
>> Anyone else? >> Okay. Who has >> Who has it? >> Somebody. Oh, Bill has it. >> Okay. >> Okay. Good evening, everyone. going to read a proclamation for Pride Month.
Okay. Whereas whereas our nation founded on the principle of equal rights for all people, but fulfillment of this promise has been long in coming for many Americans. Some of the most inspiring moments in our history have arisen from various civil rights movements that have
brought one group after another from the margins to the mainstream of American society. And whereas in the movement towards equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queen, uh, queer identifying, interex, asexual, and more people, a historic,
uh, turning point occurred in New York City on June 28th, 1969, the onset of the Stonewall riots. During these riots, LGBTQIA+ citizens rose up and resisted police enforcement that arose out of
discriminary uh criminal laws that have since been declared unconstitutional. In the five decades since, civil rights for LGBTQIA+ people have progressed substantially and LGBTQIA
plus pride celebrations have taken place around the country every June to commemorate the beginning of the Stonewall riots. And whereas in communities throughout the country, some barriers that limit the potential of LGBTQIA plus Americans have been torn down, but
too many continue to encounter discrimination and unfair treatment. There are unique challenges faced by sexual and gender minorities, especially transgender and gender non-conforming individuals of all skin tones, but especially people of color. And whereas
all people deserve to live with dignity and respect, free from fear and violence and protected against discrimination during LGBTQIA+ pride month. We celebrate the proud legacy of LGBTQIA+
individuals have woven into the fabric of our nation, our state, and our township. And whereas we honor those who have fought to per to perfect our union and we continue our work to build society where every child grows up knowing that their country supports
them, is proud of them, and has a place for them exactly as they are. Now therefore, the mayor and the council of the township of Monontlair do hereby dedicate and proclaim June as LGBTQIA plus Pride Month and celebrate the great
diversity of all residents. Yes. Thank you very much to the mayor, the council, uh, uh, town manager. Uh, on behalf of out Monontlair, Montlair Pride, and our LGBTQ
IA+ community, I'm honored to accept a Pride Month proclamation on everyone's behalf. I just want to say the most important takeaway is that pride teaches us that progress is not measured by the absence of challenges but by the determination to keep moving forward
together and then embraces and embracing them. Exactly. And also to keep visible because visibility makes us stronger and we're talking about decades. I look back through the decades and we have become stronger because we have become more
visible. We are here. We're not going anywhere. We're here to stay. We are part of the community. We are part of the world. And thank you everyone who supports us. We have many allies. And I appreciate that. Especially in in Montlair. We have to keep Montlair as a
model for this. That's why I moved here. That's why my wife moved here. We need to have the diversity that Montlair has always embraced in every aspect. So again, thank you to the mayor, town council for this and the residents to
support our endeavors and and our movement. Thank you very much. >> Thank you very much. >> Anybody want to take any pictures? >> If somebody want to say >> them to say something about an action. >> Oh, action. A government action.
>> You can you have two minutes and then after that if you all want to take pictures, we can take pictures. Yeah. >> Cool. Hi, I'm Alice Lou and I'm so proud that my hometown of Montlair is proclaiming its support this Pride Month. >> Pride is many things. It's the freedom
to live and love as yourself. >> It's the joy that comes when you can be who you are and be embraced by your community. And it's the responsibility to stand up for everyone. So, Monontlair, let's show our pride with this proclamation, with our laws, our votes, and our actions. um we are
talking about right now there is a bill that's going through the New Jersey state assembly to protect um health care and both the providers and the receivers of healthcare both for reproductive and for gender affirming care. So thank you everyone who's supporting this. We want
to get this passed. We want it statewide um because no one can take away our joy and we will not let anyone take away our freedoms. Thank you. >> On Thursday, send those lines up. >> Um, we were trying to move things along because we have Okay. Thank you. All
right. Did you all want to take a picture? Thank you. >> You all want to smile for the thing? >> Sure. >> Sure. >> Is everybody in? I don't want to block anybody. I see everyone's faces. >> Here we go. Okay.
>> Smile. Smile and smile. >> Thank you. >> Thank you for coming. >> All right. Next up. >> I'm I'm Before we uh get on to the um public comment is did Boy Scouts from
Troop 12 come? I was told that they were not here. If they're here, we did not want to pass. They're not here. Right. Okay. Thank you so much. >> Oh, we have one more. Oh, make music day. Come on down.
Sing sing your way. Sing your way on down to the mic. >> Sorry about that. You know it's not from my heart cuz I'm out there every time. >> Good evening. Township of Monontlair proclamation declaring June 21st
Montlair make music day. Make music day is an annual event held on the first day of summer inspired by France's fetto music and now an international celebration which takes place in more than 10,000 cities and countries across the globe. Whereas Monontlair will be
holding its 13th Make Music Day on June 21st, working with local businesses, organizations, and residents. Whereas Montlair Make Music Day is a volunteer-driven community event organized through Monontlair based arts nonprofit Indie Arts Monontlair and the
National Make Music Alliance of Towns and Cities. Now therefore, the mayor and council of the township of Monontlair do hereby declare June 21st to be Monontlair Make Music Day and encourage people of all ages and abilities to responsibly gather and celebrate making
music in spaces across the township. >> Yeah, thank you. I'll do ahead. You're up. >> Special thank you to the council who especially mayor um Yes, exactly. um has
been with us since day one. Um Mayor Baskil has been at meetings in our first year and uh we will be celebrating music. It's also Father's Day on Sunday, June 21st. We kept the the language responsibly since the pandemic. It's still in the resolution, but we hope to
see you out there and uh make music, Montlair. Thank you. >> Okay, next up is public comment. Um, please again, if you did not sign the clipboard, please sign it. Um, and we're going to get right to that.
Counselor. Oh, sure. Yeah. >> Mhm. Thank you. >> Okay. Um, in the public comment, all speakers must complete the signin sheet, which you did. Thank you. And, um, everyone is allowed to speak for up up
to three minutes. Up to three minutes. Um, before speaking, please clearly state your name for the record. If you wish to speak on any of the um, ordinances u ordinances on second reading, please wait until we get to
that portion of the meeting. Um, otherwise any any topic that you wish to speak on, you're welcome to. We will not be um responding to you in this venue. However, that doesn't mean it's not important. That doesn't mean that we
don't hear you. We will hear you. And um if something requires a response, we will we'll figure that out and get it to you as soon as we can. And if anyone here wishes to reach out to individual council members or the manager, we we
are happy to do that too by email. Um you can call me. I'll pick my phone up. But I do want you to know that just because we're not responding, it doesn't mean it's not important to us. First up is Miss Carolyn Lack. Would you please come forward?
I'm Carolyn Lack, a 70 year plus resident in Montlair. I have seen the ups and downs in Montlair
and now I'm looking at the ups and downs of the fastly growing senior committee community in Montlair. We've had a lot of frustrations over the
years, particularly in getting a freestanding senior center. But I want to speak today about the good things that have occurred during this time.
And many of the good things have been created by somebody who has now been taken away from her activities with the seniors. I'm talking
about Michelle Dwit. We don't know what happened. We don't know what happened, but I think tonight you're going to hear from many people who have been touched by what she has
done for the senior population in Montlair, both in establishing new programs, in enabling programs, running trips and actually leading some
of them herself. She is loved by so many people and now so many people are frustrated because she is not working for the
seniors. Now my hope is that you can find somebody who will mediate between the groups or group of people that are in controversy
about this. So that very soon Michelle Dwit will be back doing what she loves to do. Thank you. Thank you very much. Um, next next guest is um, Sue
Mua Sumar. S A M U O R. Um, the last name starts with the R. I'm sorry, I can't read the writing too well. Can you read that? The last name looks like it's a R O I N
I. Is that R O Rio? >> Some more. >> Is there anybody that has the initials SR that's present here that that signed up? I'm sorry, we can't read the
writing. It looks like s a m u o r. Okay, I'm going to go to the next one. Um, the next person is Barbara Gallob. >> Gallb, I'm sorry. Thank you. Next guest
is Barbara Gallib. >> Good evening. >> Good evening. Uh my name is Barbara Gallib and I've uh been a 60 plus year resident of Montlair and an avid participant in um the senior citizens
program through the mill uh Montlair Institute for lifelong learning. I'm here to express my deep concern over the termination of Michelle Dit from her nine-year position as a senior citizens program coordinator. the development of
the many senior programs we have. Now I personally have participated in the bereavement group, Spanish conversation, chair yoga and birding programs at the Vanble Gardens and others. These
programs nourish our minds and bodies, get us out of the house to meet up and make new friends, learn new skills, all of which have made us want to age in place in Montlair.
That being said, I think what we seniors need most at this point is reassurance that these programs are not going to disappear. Now that Michelle is at this moment no no no
longer curating and continuing them. Our hope is that we can count on Montlair to continue to provide our seniors with programs we have come to love and more programs as well that our
senior years continue to be as engaging and fruitful as they have been. Thank you for your understanding. >> Yes. Thank you very much. Next guest is uh Sandra Mcgria.
If I'm mispronouncing it, please forgive me. It looks like Sandra Mrio Mreo. Okay. Cecilia Bostas Cecilia A. >> Hi. Thank you.
>> Hi. Although I am a resident of Verona, I'm connected with Monontlair a great deal through the arts and through having met Michelle not more than three months ago. My personal impression has been she
is an absolute perfect person to work and represent for the senior community. I am going to be 77 years old June 14. And I think it's essential that we have a person that represents the community,
the elderly community, and motivate us to go out, participate, meet other people. Through Michelle, I've made wonderful friends the past three months and I think it would be a disservice for
her not to be in this program. That's my personal opinion and I hope you all consider reinstating Michelle. Thank you so much. My next guest is Vicki Rome.
Thank you. >> I move here. I'm sorry. Will you please state your name for the record because I'm not doing well with the pronunciation and we need to have it for the record. >> Rome. Thank you very much. So I moved from Florida four years ago to
Monontlair. at my age is so difficult to find a new group of people and then I saw the program and I start to come
what was there and I found so different things event teaching English Spanish so many thing at the same time that I say wow it's incredible
that this uh community offer me that I am new here so many scene. I start to have new friend and I start to feel that this is now my community because
Michelle is a kind of person that is so open for everyone. She tried to give always something for you. She always asks, "What do you think about that?" So, it's so frustrating
to know that she's out right now. And I don't know the other people, but for me, it was really very hard to understand what happened with this professional person that always is
in the sight of the senior people. Thank you. >> Thank you very much. Next guest, Joyce Booker, please. Joyce Booker. >> Good evening, everyone. My name is Joyce. >> My name is Joyce Booker. I'm going to
read so that I don't forget anything. All right. Uh, I would like to take this opportunity to express my displeasure to hear about the termination of one of your most valuable and respected managers. Last week, we found out that Michelle Dwit has been terminated from
her position as the senior citizen program coordinator for the township of Montlair. I've been a participant of the lifelong Montlair program for more than three years and a resident for the majority of my life, which is substantial. Michelle has served the
Machair community in an exceptional way during that time and I'm sure that she's done so for some years prior as well. She not only coordinated the exercise programs at three different sites but the craft programs at each senior center also. Michelle always served with a
smile on her face and made sure every participant felt welcome and appreciated. I am not an art major in any sense of the word. However, Michelle arranged for beading and painting instructors to teach us techniques which will serve us all quite well now and
into the future. I understand that uh Steven Markx is new to his position as township manager, so he just might not be aware of the value that Michelle brings to this program and its participants. I want him to be aware that he's losing
an experienced and valuable manager if he doesn't correct this drastic mistake and restore her to her former position as soon as possible. Respectively, Joyce Booker. Thank you. Um, next guest is Camela Khan.
Khan. Camela. K A M L A Khan. If if your initials are KK, I could be, but it looks like K A M L A Khan.
No. Okay. Liz Zazi, >> it's me. >> Okay. Hi everyone. Um I I didn't prepare remarks, but um I'm going to try to speak from my heart. >> And please state your name for the record. Everyone, even though I say it,
please when you come up, if you would state your name for the record. Thank you. >> Sure. Liz Zazzy. Um, I am new to being a senior citizen and I've only been living in Montlair since 2004,
but um I do love taking part in um the incredible activities that Michelle has coordinated uh for the seniors. I care passionately about where these uh events
take place and I'm very concerned that the place where I buy or used to buy my pool pass is somehow envisioned as as a a remedy for what is now no senior
center. Um, you see a room filled with so many people who are seniors who are here for Michelle because we care so deeply about what about how she cares about us. And um, I hope that her
advocacy has not been mistaken for insubordination. I hope that her I hope that her passion has not been confused with anger.
And I hope you recognize that she brings such incredible dignity not only to her position but to all of us because we are treated like people who
matter. And in a town where understandably children are our our future, sometimes the senior population is so marginalized that we feel like there are a group of eager parents who
would just like us to shut up, pay our taxes, and maybe just leave and give them the real estate. And what we would appreciate because we are taxpayers and we do care not only about this town but about each other is
to be treated with respect and to have a woman of Michelle's intelligence and passion dismissed with no explanation to the people that she serves that truly care about her
>> the way she cares about us. We don't we we we're told we can speak, but you won't answer us. And I understand that. But you need to understand that we need Michelle. We don't want somebody who's going to come in and pick up the pieces
of what she created and attempt to do something that's going to be, pardon my language, half-assed. We need it fully asked. And the person for that job is Michelle Dit.
>> Thank you so much. Next. >> I guess that's my time. >> Lydia Gillow. Next guest is Lydia Gillow. Is that allowed or >> I'm sorry. >> The next guest is Lydia Gillo.
I present you. >> Okay. Yes. >> You sure you come down, state your name. You have your three minutes as well. Yes. >> Hi everybody. >> Hi. Barbara Moulder, 35 plus year
resident. And just to support uh what people have been saying how instrumental I think Michelle has been, I tried to retire in about 2017. And so it's about nine years ago I think and when I did and tried to reach out to see what there
was for retirees I pretty much was using the adult school and also this new thing sort of new thing called meetup. So I mean I was struggling right and there wasn't this sense of community. Fortunately I if retirement didn't stick I went back to
work I worked through COVID. I come back out and lo and behold there's an amazing program that has a diverse array of totally different things. So, I'm trying to learn Spanish, right? And I mean, many things. But, uh, coincidentally,
that is like a 9-year period that you have to think the correlation is this person who's been working there for nine years, Michelle Dwit. And I just think that should be rewarded and recognized, not penalized. And I'll
I'll also just I'll also just add I know there's efforts to try to find a centralized physical location, but this person Michelle Dwit has been instrumental in making our decentralized approach work and to give people a sense of community
without the physical building and I think that should be recognized too. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Next guest is Carl Sheekch or shekele. >> Hi, my name is Carl Shuckle and >> good evening.
>> I'm here today to talk because I believe what's happening to Micho Dit goes beyond wrong. I believe this is an injustice. I'm obviously not a senior citizen. I didn't know Michelle for that long, but from the few weeks I spent with her working on an interview assignment for my journalism class
during my senior year at Monontlair High School, I could tell she was something special, that her story was something special, that the amount of joy she brought to everyone she was around was something special. When we talk about jobs, budgets, and staffing decisions, it may be easy to reduce people to notes on a spreadsheet, but Michelle is not a
line item. And throwing her appointment around borders on evil. She is a person whose entire life has been defined by service, compassion, and an extraordinary commitment to others. Michelle has spent years helping senior citizens in our community. The people she served were friends, family members,
and human beings who depended on her kindness, patience, and care. The work she did can't and should never be measured solely on reports or numbers. It should be measured uh in the dignity she provides to elderly residents, the comfort she offers during difficult days
and the trust she's worked tirelessly to build with the people who needed her most. When I think about Michelle, I think about the story she told me of her family for the assignment I mentioned previously. Faced with obstacle after obstacle, she refused to give up on giving her child a
loving home. She crossed oceans, navigated complex international systems, and devoted years of her life helping her son understand his identity, reconnect with his roots after a lengthy and complicated adoption, and build relationships with family members half a world away. That journey required
patience, determination, empathy, and selflessness. Those are the exact qualities that made her exceptionable at serving seniors. This is a woman who spent months in a foreign country visiting a child every day before bringing him home. This is a woman who
dedicated years to helping her son find answers about where he came from. This is a woman who built bridges across languages, cultures, and continents because she believed family mattered. And now, after spending her life caring for others, she is being told that her
service is no longer valued. That sends a trumbling message not just to Michelle, but to everyone in this community. It tells us that dedication can be overlooked, that compassion can be discarded, that the people who spend their lives lifting others up can be
cast aside when it becomes convenient. That merit means nothing. So I ask the members of this council and town not to look at Michelle as an employee or a number or a budget consideration. Look at the life she has lived. Look at the people she has helped. Look at the value she represents. Communities are not
built by buildings, budgets, or policies alone. They are built by people like Michelle. people who show up every day and make life better for someone else. Losing Michelle is not just a loss for her. It is a loss for the seniors she serves, a loss for this town, and the loss for the values we claim to stand
for. So, I urge you to reconsider this decision and recognize what so many people already know. Michelle is exactly the kind of person our community should be fighting to keep. Thank you. >> Next guest, please. Next guest is Maria Dyer. Next guest, Maria Dyer, please.
Good evening. >> Hi, Maria Dyer. >> Michelle Dit saved my life. I've been in Montlair for 45 years. My children have gone to the schools here, gotten on the bus, Nishaw Wayne,
Hillside, Glenfield, Montlair High. They participated in sports and music and they met other children of different races and different religious and political beliefs. In
2020, everything shut down because of COVID. I was in the demographic of the most endangered population, seniors. Somehow Michelle Dit became my new best
friend. She introduced me to Zoom. I was able to get my classes on my computer. I was able to take many more classes in the comfort of my own home. I discovered that I was not the only one who had a new best friend in Michelle. She was the
hub at the center of all of our days together. I met many new friends. We were not as frightened by COVID because of useful health information and fun distractions. I'd learned to play poker.
It wasn't just that the cla that the classes at the mill. I had taken other classes other places and I never walked out feeling the way I did after I walked out of a mill class. There was a magic
happening as Michelle Dit choreographed every moment of our day. Her spirit was contagious. She brought out the best in every one of us. Classes grew. We expanded to Ali Center.
Old people were driving up and down Bluefield Avenue, Valley Road, the library. We had birthday parties every month with live entertainment singalongs at the senior housing facilities. We were experiencing the same diversity
project that my children benefited from in the Montlair public schools. I now know and love a lot more people in Montlair and the neighboring towns. I am a senior whose life was saved
because one woman envisioned a utopia of a senior community. Most recently, Michelle wrote a script about us and partnered with the Vanguard Theater to tell the story of the mill complete with Broadway music and humorous sketches.
Ironically, we have shut down the show temporarily. Our message for the play is that in spite of all the obstacles, we keep moving forward because of all the people involved. But we are
heartbroken that Michelle seems to have plucked have been plucked from our midst without a chance to investigate what happened. >> Thank you very much. Next guest, please. >> One more sentence. >> Thank you very much. The next guest is
Diane Piki. Pikiuto, please. Pikuto. >> My name is Diane Pachudo. >> Oh, I'm so sorry. It's such a beautiful name. I botched that one. Sorry. >> I have to spell it. Thank you for your time and listening. I'm here in support
of Michelle Dwit. I love Michelle Dit and I have told her to her face. I retired nine years ago and I loved it. Um, and it coincided
with Michelle's tenure with Mill and it was my lucky day when I discovered Mill. I've taken numerous classes. My friends and colleagues from Mill see me taking notes. I have three full journals of
notes from topics that range all over the map. And I credit Michelle Dwit for her tenacity, her dedication to the job at hand, given limited budgets and support.
She is a bright light for all of us. I'm not in your shoes. I don't know what happened. none of us do when she was abruptly let go. But I have to tell you, we were all very shocked and alarmed.
And you've heard this from others. My family has been in Essex County over 125 years. I love the area that we live in and Michelle Dwit brought such heart and
soul to her work. I worked for 45 years in in a great career that spanned many different areas and I dealt in different ways with government officials, uh, nonprofit donors and others. I know
a little something about customer service, dealing with others that are different from us, who have more power than us or less, and all age groups and diversity. And I have to say, I found
Michelle to be topnotch in dealing with the clients, us seniors, and others to bring these programs to the four. My colleague here from Mill mentioned COVID. That was a lifesaver for me too
and for many many others that kept uh going during that difficult time. And Michelle, I just I just think the world of her and I do hope there may be some opportunity to reconsider
her stature in Mill because she really and truly is the lifeblood of it. Thank you. Thank you very much. Uh, next guest, Claire Sila, please. Claire Sila. >> I feel a little guilty because I'm going
to talk about something else. >> Claire Silata, 279 Park Street. >> This is uh hard to follow after that. Anyhow, on June 3rd, with four votes, 3 to zero, one abstension, the zoning board determined that 260 Park Street is
a commercial or NC zone. Why? Because the builder believed an erroneous map, as did his attorney, Mr. Tramulac. Mr. Sullivan, allegedly our town lawyer, said, and I quote, "I haven't heard anybody present uh present any evidence
that says that the map shows that the property is in any zone other than an NC zone." Which map? And is that really the issue? Okay. Then, Mr. Tremulac, who was once Montlair's attorney and should therefore be extremely familiar with the
zoning laws, stated in the best double speak I've heard in quite some time, said that if you can't rely on an erroneous map, well then, and I quote, "That's terrifying." So, here we are. Miss Picket's lawyer proved that the zoning ordinance has
never been amended for this property. this property. Zoning ordinances have been amended but never for this property and therefore it is residential by law. Mr. Tremulac and Mr. Sullivan did not even try to prove that this lot had
indeed been amended or the these the ordinance no valid approval can be given unless a proper devariance has been issued. No variance was ever sought or granted. So my understanding under the laws of the state of New Jersey is this.
The ordinance controls over any map. According to the law, the zoning ordinance controls not a printed map. A map is merely an illustrative aid. And this is New Jersey law. Mr. Miss Pickicket's lawyer showed that the
ordinance designating this lot had never been amended to reclassify this particular parcel from residential commercial ever. No map can change that legal reality. A zoning map has no independent legal force. It is the ordinance that creates
zoning classifications. A misprint on a map does not amend the ordinance. Actually, I'm shocked that this developer and Mr. Tremulac and our lawyer and Miss Tally who's that been zoning person for 15 years seem to
review did not seem to review the zoning ordinance text. They seem oddly to just rely on a map which a board member had already shown had several other errors including his own home. So in some the zoning ordinance has classified this property as residential for over a
hundred years. No ordinance was ever passed to change it. A printed map error is not a law. The developer has a legal obligation to review the actual ordinance before purchasing. No permit was issued. No construction has occurred. There is no reason to stop
Monontlair from enforcing its residential zoning. And I have lost to quote. I feel like I am being snookered. >> Okay. Thank you so much. Next guest is um Gerald Fice.
>> Pierce Pierce. Thank you. >> Thank you, >> Gerald Fier. Um, yes, I would just like to um continue what um Claire is was bringing up. Uh, the lawyer um
our attorney um presented six or seven maps going back to 1974 showing the property as a residential property. Um and Claire has found that you look at
Bonaventure Intel verse burrow of Spring Lake um 350 New Jersey super 420 appellet division 2002 limits on a stopped against municipalities in Irving
v Township of Neptune 305 New Jersey high superior court 652 Aptive I'm not a lawyer. I don't know what this means. Division 1997, good faith reliance standard. It's it
it's just again one of these situations where um something is being done without explanation, without legal authority, but um just because frankly from my point of view, somebody has a connection
with somebody else. Thank you. >> Thank you very much. Um, next guest is Kathy Dway. D either a N a Y or a D E W A Y. 530
Valley Road. >> Hi. >> Hello. My name is Kathy Denny and I just want to add my voice in favor of Michelle for all the work she has done. >> Oh, >> just tip it down. So, yeah, >> that's what happens when you shrink. Um,
>> thank for all the work she has done, all the time she has given, always in good faith. And when somebody works so hard, they should be rewarded and appreciated, not terminated. Thank you. Next guest is Susan uh Spanier.
Spanier Spanier. My name is Susan Spanner and I'm here. I don't speak well. in public. But Michelle meant the world to myself
and my husband, Joseph, who was involved for the last nine years in all the activities that Michelle put forward
or many of them. I just don't understand and I wish you all could give us an answer. We all want an answer as to why and now my husband
is an invalid. He was not became an invalid. He went to a exercise class which he loved. Went to shop. came home
with no back and fell. Fractured his neck in two places and 17 stitches in his head. It I I was I I I was still working. This
happened last April. Since then, I've met Michelle and she was a lifesaver for me. I have now become a member of the of the
art program. She puts put forward the uh exercise classes and the play that was spoken about before.
It's it's just very distressing. Thank you. >> Thank you very much. Our next guest is Wendy Pollock. Wendy Pollock, please. >> Hi, Wendy Pollock. Um, well, I think
everybody's done an amazing job of talking about how what a wonderful job Michelle has done and how creative and professional and what she's brought to this program. But I have another slight issue which is her leaving and firing
has never been formally formal formally announced to the senior community. It's all been through word of mouth and friends talking. And I guess what's really confusing and disturbing is there's been a total lack of transparency coupled with a climate of
secrecy and fear. Since Michelle is so valued obviously by the senior community, obviously our input was never considered. So it would seem her firing can't be based on her job performance and lead leaves us all to wonder what it could be. What could
have been so precipitous or crazy that she would be fired after eight years of service without a backup plan without a plan B and obviously there is no plan B. Currently, the senior programs are in three
distinct, not close locations throughout town, making it challenging to attend at times and especially challenging to supervise. I mean, we see Michelle running all the time between them, trying to manage it all. We moved here eight years ago. We pay significant
taxes on a condo and utilize very little of the town's resources other than the senior programs. Seniors make up about 27% of the town's population. And with Michelle's firing, the multiple locations, and the lack of input, we don't feel valued or
appreciated. We We need We need transparency. We need clarity. Michelle back and perhaps a town council that has our interests at heart. Thank you. Next guest, U Nick Pigglia. >> Good evening. My name is Nick Gileia. I
am I've heard much worse. I am the founder and chairman of Root, Restore Our Transit Nessex. We're a nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy organization dedicated to enhanced service, expanded rider experience, and equitable access.
I want to thank the Montlair Council, New Jersey Transit, and the task force for running the survey whose results were recently published and will be fully delivered to the council today. The abrupt closure of decamp bus service three years ago left a significant mobility gap, and this was the first
time residents were asked if they're satisfied with the current situation. When you look at the results, several themes emerge. First, residents adapted to the loss of service. The demand for transit didn't disappear, but the ways people access it changed. People are
driving, changing routines, or finding workarounds. Root itself started with a workaround. I drove to Sakus to attend a hockey game with my son and started asking bigger questions after running into an immovable constraint, a tired kid who didn't want to walk back to the car.
Most importantly, adaptation should not be confused with satisfaction. The survey shows that 85% of the respondents want more weekend train service. 68% support extending weekend rail
service beyond Bay Street and 60% want additional bus service. These are clear and substantial majorities. They confirm what many residents have been saying for years. People in this community want better transit options. The survey allows us to move beyond
asking whether there is a problem. The community has spoken clearly through the survey, but it also speaks through its actions. It speaks whenever someone asks how to get to a game, a show, or dinner with friends, and whenever someone chooses to drive just because it's
easier. The next step is continuing the conversation about how Montclair, New Jersey Transit, and the broader region can work together to provide service that better meets the needs of residents and visitors alike. This is not just a Montlair issue. Residents of Bloomfield,
Glen Ridge, Little Falls, and beyond rely on the same transit connections and have a stake in this conversation's outcome. The survey identified concerns such as pedestrian safety around the Monontlair Farmers Market. Walnut Street is my
neighborhood. I visit the market with my family whenever we can, unless some kid activity prevents it. >> It's an important part of our community, and I'm confident that solutions can be found that support both the market and improve transit service like other
communities have been able to do. Thank you again to the council, Deputy Mayor Anderson, the task force, and the thousands of residents from across Montlair who took the time to participate. I hope this report serves as the beginning of the next phase of this conversation and ultimately leads
to the better service our community both wants and needs. Thank you. >> Thank you very much. Next guest, Danzy. Danzy, >> sorry. Good evening, mayor and council. Don Zie. >> Um, I'm a member of the working group
the former speaker um referenced and I can't think of a more avid uh supportive trans train transportation in Montlair than myself. I won't go into all my uh transportation credentials, but I have to say that in spite of that, I take a
very dim view of additional weekend train service further than Bay Street Station. The only reason this committee exists is that the camp bus lines as the former speaker said went out of business during CO. The camp had provided hourly bus service to New York City on the weekends as well as weekdays and
combined with our weekend train service, residents had the choice of bus or train travel to New York City on the weekend and it really worked. The issue I have is the committee's request for New Jersey Transit to provide train service that stops at every station in Montlair or the weekend just as it does every
weekday. I'm going to jump right into my conclusion and recommendation and then I'll go back into my reasons. And in most cases, the best solution to any problem is the simplest one here. The simplest and best solution is to have New Jersey Transit replicate the hourly weekend bus service that the CAM offered
for over 50 years and have hourly as opposed to 2hour train service to Bay Street. I have two main issues. One concerns quality of life and the other I'll I'll call life itself. The quality of life issues are the detriments associated with train service north of
Bay Street. There is additional noise on the weekend, additional traffic delays at our 12 grade crossings, limited parking around our train stations which is used by our retail merchants and safety issues at the farmers market for the on the Saturday farmers market for consumers. My life itself category
concerns overall safety. First, your own vision zero program the town has adopted with the laudable goal of reducing the number of fatalities and risk of serious injury between vehicles and pedestrians to zero. And the goal is to get there by 2028. With respect to weekend train
service though, we're already at zero. There is zero chance of a fatality or serious injury attributable to train travel on the weekend. Once an additional train is introduced, the risk of an injury or serious occurrence statistically increases above zero. A
train is an inherently more dangerous vehicle than a car. It has five or six times a stopping distance and it cannot turn or swerve to avoid something in the tracks. Second, our public safety departments, police and fire. Response time is everything and waiting at a
grade crossing for a train to pass or finish boarding or unboarding increases the risk of injury, serious injury or death at a fire or commission of a crime. I don't have numbers to share with you, but the way I look at it in effect is out of a 7-day week, two days are a little bit safer than the other
five. In summary, these are the issues I'm not sure can be solved, but the bottom line is they don't even have to be confronted if we adopt a simple solution of replicating the camp weekend bus service and having hourly train service to Bay Street. Thank you for your time.
>> Thank you. Um, next guest is Jennifer Markham. >> Hi, my name is Jennifer Malcolm. How are you? >> Um I'm a senior in Montlair. Been in living in Montlair for over 40 years and um I just want to say that we are all in
such disbelief and disappointed that Michelle had to be let uh let go. Uh and we don't know why. We are in the dark and we are really upset about it and we really want her back. And
the fact that so many pe uh seniors have shown up today should be good reason as to why this is a major mistake that has been made to let Michelle go. So we need to know why and we really would like to have her back because we
all love her and she loved her job. Um, I settled in Montlair over 40 years ago and I retired about 10 years ago and I looked to move somewhere to retire which was very similar to what we have
right now. We looked overseas to Uruguay to Spain to South Africa and we said why are we looking so hard when we're right here in this town where we want to be so we want to stay here. So, we really would like to stay here
and my request is for you please to consider to bring Michelle back again because we love her. Thank you. Thank you very much. Our next guest is Jeffrey Grayson. Good evening, Mayor Baskville and
council members. >> I'm Jeffrey Robert Grayson, and tonight I'd like to discuss the term boots on the ground. In the military, boots on the ground refers to the physical presence of ground troops in a combat zone. This is seen as a last resort
because it ensures that there will be mass casualties on both sides. During the civil rights era, boots on the ground referred to nonviolent marches organized by freedom fighters to protest racial discrimination, segregation, and to secure voting
rights. No one will ever forget what happened at the Edund Pettis Bridge in Selma, Alabama in 1965 in what became known as Bloody Sunday. Marchers would often sing the refrain, "We shall overcome." In more recent times, because of
repeated instances of police brutality and not guilty verdicts, boots on the ground often features the refrain, no justice, no peace. Here in Monontlair, there has been a recent example of boots on the ground that pales in comparison to the above
mentioned, but it is noteworthy nonetheless for reasons I will discuss here tonight. Recently, two council members put boots on the ground to tour the area of Southerntherland Road, Stonebridge, and Graham Terrace with the intention of implementing speed and safety controls
at the Harrison Avenue and Cedar Avenue intersection and to also to convert Southerntherland into a one-way. They received input on this initiative by the complete streets director and township engineer who both suggested that traffic control on Harrison needs
to include making Southerntherland a oneway. The logic used to support this decision could easily be applied to 50 other intersections in town. If the counselors expended this much effort and energy to achieve achieve this results, why hasn't the same
enthusiasm been used to address the ongoing problems that persist at Union Gardens? Now, I understand now I understand that councils may may prefer their boots to walk in neighborhoods with manicured lawns and million-dollar homes. Union
Gardens has non-working elevators and unusual unusable communal space in need of mole remediation and properly disposed of trash that attracts insects and rodents. The superintendent is missing in action. The property management company doesn't seem
to care about quality of life issues. The residents of Union Gardens have sought relief year after year and their concerns have fallen on deaf ears. I can't help but wonder what is the root cause of of this apathy. Your voting record suggests that you
don't care about the concerns of Monontlair's African-American community. Your policies suggest that in the near future you don't anticipate there being many of us left in Monontlair. If that a it's that apathy, those votes, and those policies that made seeing the
boots on the ground of certain counselors marching in the African-American heritage parade like watching someone tap dance on the graves of our ancestors. >> Thank you. Next, >> you have got to do better. Anna Gman. >> Hi, good evening. Um, Anna Gman, uh,
Essex Avenue. Um, Montlair's own documents tell us what we need to do. Our sustainability and resilience master plan amendment sets a goal of 10% canopy increase by 2040 based on a 2016 baseline of 38%. I suspect our canopy is
substantially less than 38% today. So we're already starting further behind than our goal assumes. We'd know if certain reports had been filed, but they haven't. Our climate action plan names tree canopy as a critical climate mitigation strategy. The science behind
these documents is not in dispute. This year, New York City released its first ever urban forest plan. Their chief climate officer described trees as one of the most affordable and accessible ways to help adapt to a changing climate. Their deputy mayor called the
urban forest living infrastructure. And like every system that keeps the city running, it deserves investment, care, and measurable goals. Roughly 55% of Americans live in neighborhoods at least 8 degrees hotter than surrounding rural areas. Trees are the single most
cost-effective intervention we have. And yet, as Margaret Wrl wrote in the New York Times, we have somehow gotten the idea that planting a tree has the same practical effect and moral force as preserving one. A tree is a tree, right? If one happens to be growing in a place
where you don't want it, just cut it down and plant another. That's exactly the logic our current flat onetoone ordinance endorses. Tonight, we can end it. We have a structural problem. Roughly 90% of Monontlair's trees are on private property. Our township is just
over 4,000 acres and public plantable ground represents roughly 6% of that. The math is brutal. We cannot reach our own master plan goal through public planting alone. This ordinance is not optional. It's the only tool we have. So, what does this ordinance need to
accomplish? It needs to stop the net loss. A flat 1:1 ratio, one ornamental cherry for one 36-in oak does not replace what is lost. Scaled replacement ratios are the foundation of any credible ordinance. It needs to protect what cannot be replaced. As Rankl puts
it, we don't have 150 years to wait for a seedling to reach its full glorious height before we start protecting the trees among us. A 100-year-old extraordinary tree is not replaceable on any human time scale. We need a genuine necessity standard, a prepundonderance
of evidence, written land use board findings. Verona has this. Highland Park has this. Monontlair should too. It needs teeth and it needs to be equitable. The neighborhoods with the least canopy are lower income with more heat exposure and worse air quality. The
tree fund must go where it's needed most and help create and preserve canopy where we need it most. Before I close, Suzanne Atman, former chair of the MEC, spent countless hours on the preliminary version of this draft draft. This ordinance exists in part because of her
efforts. That deserves recognition tonight and a reminder that humane environmentalism is how we honor the place we choose to live in and the obligation that choice carries. >> Ariel Ext Ariel Ariel Xat, uh, 316 Park Street. Uh,
trees are not decoration. They are infrastructure. A mature canopy tree can reduce ambient air temperatures by up to 10°. It absorbs storm water that would otherwise flood basements and overwhelm our shared
drainage system. It filters the particulate matter and ground level ozone that trigger asthma attacks in children. These are not amenities. These are public health interventions and they are
not reaching everyone equally. The proposed chapter 324 is a meaningful step forward, but it will only deliver on its equity promise if two things happen. First, the tree fund must be directed toward the neighborhoods with the lowest canopy and the greatest heat
burden, not simply within a thousand ft of wherever the last removal happened to occur. That is a rule that follows money, not need. Second, the developer provisions must be in this ordinance. Development is where
Montlair's largest single event canopy losses happen. And those losses do not fall equally across the township. When a developer clears a wooded lot in a lower canopy neighborhood, that community loses something it cannot get back on
any human time scale. A sapling planted in mitigation will not provide meaningful shade for 30 years. Good urban design starts with the question of who benefits and who bears the cost. Tonight, I'm asking this council to
answer that question correctly. Pass the strongest possible ordinance, direct the tree fund where it is needed most, and commit to the developer provisions now, not later. Our canopy is a shared resource. It should be shared equally.
Thank you. Thank you very much. Next guest is Jessica Slober. Hi, Jessica Stoulsburg, Montlair resident. Um, I always notice themes that come up in
these meetings and tonight is about how uh the leadership of this township protects the vulnerable. And I think we know that um children are vulnerable, sick are vulnerable, elderly are vulnerable, and our environment is vulnerable. So tonight, it's interesting
to connect that it appears as has been a common theme for years and years since I woke up in this town, that our senior community is vulnerable and does not receive from the township its due. And
what we're hearing tonight is another sense of loss for the senior community. Um, as you move forward with your tree ordinance that has been, you know, on ask now to strengthen for close to three years after a devastating loss at
Woodman Field. Um, I also ask that you consider making it as strong as possible because it really is for the future of Montlair. And I do know and so sometimes when I come up here and you feel I'm criticizing or critical or aggressive as
I've been called that um that that is there's a sense of not respecting what you were dealing with day by day and keeping our lives you know comfortable or easy etc. But the great need of you
to protect the future of this town and that what happens on this day is the decisions you make tonight, next month, the next month could impact the safety of this community when you are long gone. And when we look back and we say someone got hurt on a sidewalk and we
had begged the township to start protecting our sidewalks better in 2026 and they did not, that it will look back on who was in charge then, who made those decisions. someone gets hurt, injured terribly on sidewalks. We have parents walking on streets with
strollers, we will look back, what were we asking of this township, this town council at that time and did they do something? So when it comes to the tree ordinance, I have learned uh today that the department of community services has
severed the roots of 20 legacy shade trees in the ward one that it was an accident. How did this happen? There is leadership that has failed. It's an act of failure. When we are talking about protecting trees and trees
have been decimated and yet then someone says, "Give us $300,000 to subcontract for the company that will take them down for us after we have ruined them." It's mindblowing. Um, we have learned
also that the township has not been accredited by the state's forestry urban forestry program since 2016. >> This is another example of failure and it's not your fault, but you are the leaders now and we ask you please
protect our future and correct this failure. Thank you. >> Thank you. Next guest please. S D M M something. I can't read the writing. S the first initial is S. Then it looks
like D and then M. >> The address is 14 Grove Terrace. 14 Grove Terrace. Okay. Next guest is Johanna
Coxitter. Oh, awesome. >> Awesome. All right. I have to give you props. >> I give you props. >> Okay. >> Good evening. >> My name is Johanna Coxer and I'm on
Lincoln Street and I'm halfway to memory care. So, I have to bring up my little list. >> First, I want to thank you. Oh, like thank you. >> Absolutely. >> Now, I have an assistant. >> Um, thank you for the revised tree
removal and replacement ordinance. Please support it and please strengthen it. I do love that it prevents people from replacing a giant oak with a tiny ornamental cherry. It's got a lot of good things in it, but it needs to be stronger. Developers cut down every single tree on
a property. What consequences do they suffer? If we restore the certificate of occupancy hold, then we have some teeth. The two-year survival should be automatic, not on request.
And there should be a 2-year development bar for unpermitted removals. We need teeth in the ordinances. This would be a very strong deterrent. And please plant the trees where they're needed. Anything within the town borders should be acceptable.
Um, extraordinary trees should require a clear necessity standard. Is it a hazard? A qualified arborist should assess it and a committee of residents should address the situation. Um, there's much more, but I wanted to hit these highlights.
Please save our trees. Help our health, help our communities. This says it all. And one last thing. Can you please provide transparency about the senior program coordinator?
Oh, one more thing. >> An error on a map should not change a property from residential to commercial. Thank you very much. >> Thank you very much. Next guest, Sarah Avery. Okay. Sarah Avery. I live on Irving Street.
Monontlair's present affordable housing need is unrealistic and claims to be satisfied by excess credits on non-existent units. and Monontlair has no prospective obligation because it is an urban aid municipality which is a scam. People who experience housing
insecurity have a much greater likelihood of suffering lifelong economic inequality and disruption of education. This occurs and is quote unquote legal because tenants aren't owners and aren't required to be notified when variances are sought.
tenants are disenfranchised, a discriminatory practice the township claims is legal. Under Council Harrison's leadership, the zoning board approved 112 variances on 18 properties, converting naturally occurring affordable housing into luxury. A
significant group of people who lived on mission new Washington and Wheeler streets were completely excluded from the variance approval process and suffered forced displacement. Accordingly, this is creation of greater need. Monontlair's need for low and moderate
income housing has exploded and yet has no obligation to satisfy that need. And this was not unpredictable. As the 1975 Mount Laurel decision states, quote, even as we write, development proceeds a
pace, once an area is developed, it becomes much more difficult to alter its social and economic character. Monontlair already has acquired permanently permanent exclusionary characteristics in the historically African-American neighborhoods. The
evidence fully demonstrates substantial detriment to the public good. 18 properties with a history of tax leans converted to luxury and at least 141 naturally occurring affordable units
converted to luxury and market rate rentals. This practice undermines the general welfare of the community contrary to the central concept of the Mount Laurel decision. Judge Sap Peterson wrongly concluded
that the elimination of Noah and the creation of housing insecurity is not within the program to address. That program is only charged with determining if the fourth round plan is compliant with the Mount Laurel doctrine and the
Fair Housing Act, which it is not. A plan claiming non-existent units cannot be compliant. Sap Peterson further wrongly states compliance with the act and the Mount Laurel doctrine is achieved when the plan is fair. The
evidence is irrefutable. Monontlair's plan is not fair and reasonable and does not adequately protect the interests of lowerincome persons. It undermines them. Thank you. Next guest is
Marie T. T rees >> Marie. >> No address this dead. I did list my address, so maybe it's not me, but I'll take the >> What does this look like to you?
>> Hello and thank you all. >> Tell us your name, please. >> My name is Marie C. Heep. I'm here to tell you a true story about Michelle Dwit, longstanding Mill senior
citizens coordinator who was recently abruptly terminated. And I say terminated because anyone who knows Michelle knows that she would never have willingly walked away from serving us seniors. I want to tell you about someone who
wasn't just one of your ordinary employees, but someone who put her heart and soul into everything she did for us seniors. It wasn't just a job for Michelle. She has been a friend and a lifeline for us seniors.
In the early days of COVID, Michelle found ways to bring us together. She she set up cameras so we could play poker and figured out a way for us to place bets privately. It took forever for her to move the camera to each player's
position, read our bets, and open our cards. It was such fun. Michelle brought us with her on vacation. She put the camera on and danced the rumba with her
father so we could all exercise together. She set up a phone on Thanksgiving as she prepped dinner sharing stories with those of us who zoomed in, those of
us who were alone on Thanksgiving during COVID. She organized bus rides to events at Monontlair State University, the Clifton Art Center, the Newark Museum, and the Paper Mill Playhouse. Those activities did not exist before
Michelle joined Mill. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Events that built community amongst people who would never have been brought together. The ramifications of her dismissal are going to be felt for a
very long time. This is a profound loss for us seniors. I could go on and on. What have you done to us? With all due respect, I am asking you, Mr. Steven Marx as township manager with
a thorough investigation of what happened and being more involved perhaps in the day-to-day operations for the time being to ensure that this injustice never happens again. Only last week there were scheduling
messups and no one knew how to conduct Zoom meetings. So those classes were unexpectedly cancelled. We senior mill participants are extremely concerned about the quality and quantity of future mill programs. Apparently, at the moment, there is no
one currently in charge capable of fulfilling those responsibilities. We look to you, Mr. marks to help sort out this mess and oversee next steps to ensure the robust day-to-day activities that the mill programs developed under
Michelle Dit's leadership. >> Next guest, please. >> Thank you for your cooperation. >> The next guest is Marie. Maybe T rees. Is there someone else here that's named Marie? That looks like maybe
>> F re Marie. Okay. Is there any Marie at all here that would like to speak? Okay. Next guest is Meline Gail. >> I too am here to talk. Hi everybody. I'm
here to also Oh, Maline Gail live in Montlair on Elm Street. I'm here to also talk about um Michelle Dit. I might not look it, but I'm a senior, too. Um um and while I admittedly don't know much about the details regarding her
losing position as a senior citizens coordinator and leader of the mill, I wanted to share that she was beloved and highly valued. From my understanding, she created excellent programs and developed activities for seniors that were very well attended and greatly
enjoyed. Her departure is a huge loss for the senior community. And it's really heartbreaking and distressing to hear all these folks who depended on her welcoming demeanor and warm smile and provider of a safe place for our elder population. And her presence affected
both the young and the old. I take care of two small children and we often spend our time in Edgemont Park and we often went into the Edgemont Park house and whenever we were there she'd bring us to the window. She'd show the kids the egret and um and and also the heron that
were there. I'm glad to say I see a new heron. I know the other one sadly died. Um but anyway, she always took her time to single out people, make them feel welcome and do something special with them. and she even invited the young children and I to be part of the senior
exercise classes and we did them a few times with the seniors which was really nice. So it's really disheartening to see that she's gone and our seniors are going to have such a great loss. I don't know the details. I don't know if she can be brought back but if possible I would love to see that happen. Thanks.
Thank you. Next guest George Carper. Hi, good afternoon. I'm George Calfer. I'm a member of Routt. Um, I'd like to speak um regarding the need for uh both improved uh bus service and uh hourly
weekend service uh at least as far as MSU if not further. Um both of those um you know both of those options are are needed. Um, you know, the the camp routes used to run uh on weekends. Uh,
now the Jersey Transit replacements have only um or you know, are only running uh rush hours only. In addition, for local service within the town, the 90 uh sorry, the 97 and the 34M don't run on on Sunday or late in the evening. um the
um the the train service uh you know additional train service to to Bay Street um and MSU uh would uh reduce traffic um and allow more more flexibility with uh you know with with options with regards to traveling to
Manhattan. As Nick said, adoption is not the same as the demand being met. Um and we'd like to encourage that that uh additional transit service to come to the town. Thank you. Um, John Wentz.
>> Good evening. >> Good evening. >> John WS from Midland Avenue, 132 Midland Avenue. I just have a a few brief points um in in regard to transportation. Um, first, uh, I just like to say that if you folks are serious about moving
Montlair into the future, then you'll do everything that you can to provide quality public transportation. Um, it's going to be well thought out and perhaps a combination between buses, trolleys, trams, and the train. But a vital part of a functioning city or town is a good
robust transportation system. A definition from complete streets. The policy reads a means to provide a comprehensive integrated connected multimmodal network of transportation options through planning, design, construction, maintenance, and operation
of new and retrofit transportation facilities along the entire right of way for all users of all ages and abilities. All users include pedestrians, bicyclists, persons with disabilities, motorists, movers of commercial goods,
and transit vehicle users. And this is especially important to the 30 some odd percent or so that do not have access to an automobile. Finally, if many if not most of you are in my age
group and my advice to you as uh a guy who leads what we call a strong town's local conversation, my advice is to pay attention to the changing world. Among other reasons that Montlair is so desirable is because most of it is walkable. That's what younger
people are looking for. Through my work with the strong towns movement, I find myself spending more than half my time with people half my age. This is what they want. Young people are choosing to move away from an autocentric world and public transport.
Transportation is so very important now, the future and the next generation. Thank you. >> Thank you. Next guest is Stephen Aendorf, Cedar Grove resident. Stephen
Next guest, Tony Martin, please. Tony Martin, 41 North Fullerton Avenue. Um, I did not know Michelle Dit and I've never participated in any of her programs.
Quite evidently, I am vastly the poorer for that. And I want to say to everybody who's spoken tonight, I've never been prouder to be a woman of a certain age living in Monontlair.
What I did come to say is not as important as many things on the agenda and only glancingly related to senior rights. It is a little story. This is what happened to
me today. I uh I walked over to town hall and um I thought on the way, oh, you know, uh I'm more vulnerable than usual. I I have planter fascitis. I'm not wearing the right shoes. And then I
got to town hall and I thought, "Oh, you know what? I came here to pick up petitions to uh for several groups I belong to to um participate in the July 4th parade. Ah, I need the parks and recck department. Oh, they were moved,
weren't they? But I don't know where. >> So, I stepped in town hall. I that back to the issue of transparency for one second. I had asked where the heck are they going? But I somehow never got that
information and it may be my fault. Um, so I walked in and I asked somebody and they said, "Uh, it's at 219 Fullerton Avenue. I'm I live on Fullerton Avenue. I'd only walked half a block. I decided I'd walk further even though my foot was
hurting." And uh, and I kept walking and walking and walking. I said, "Is it down here somewhere or somebody I met on the street?" And they said, "Uh, it's by the town dump." And pardon me, uh, public works department. That's what this person said. Um, and so I walked all the
way there and there was a lovely little new building there I saw next to um the public works uh yard and uh I went in and I thought, well, this is really
cute. Um, that's a lot farther. I hope everybody knows how to find it. And then I discovered that it's on the second floor and my foot was really hurting me now. >> And the elevator's not working
>> and the elevator hasn't been working apparently for months since the uh since that office moved in there. I now I know your town hall elevator hasn't been working most of the time uh for quite a
while, but I ask you to pay attention to this. Uh thank you very much. >> Thank you very much. Samson Jefferson um I think is the last name. >> Is this Samson Jefferson? >> Thank you.
Okay. Yes. Good evening. I'm Rashidita Samson Jefferson. >> Um I'm here to talk about Michelle. You know, there's a saying that says don't take yourself so seriously. Take what you do seriously. And so what I see
is ego. A lot of times when people have certain positions, that ego kicks in, so they don't make the right decisions. And this is what I see with what's going on with Michelle. All these fabulous
seniors here, progressive seniors, on the move seniors, get down seniors. We need answers to know to know why Michelle is not here. She is the type of person who went above and beyond the call of duty. And I know what that looks like because I'm from an honored
military family. I myself have been doing that since the 70s when you give everything you have. This woman has done that. We need Michelle in this position now. And and I'm going to leave you with
something. I'm I'm apologize if if it offends anyone. No, ma'am. No ham. I don't give a damn. We need Michelle. >> Yeah. >> Next guest, please. Rea Thompson. Hi everyone, Ria Tommpkins Union
Gardens. We have a few tenants with us. First and foremost, we would like to say we want to thank Councilman Williams. He has been listening to us more and um Amina definitely you as well. You always
do. Um, sad thing about it is 87 unit, two elevators, one's been down now for almost a year. I don't want to hear about no part like when the elevator broke down before. Took us 3 years to get it back up and they told us part had to come from China. Don't want to hear
that again. Okay. Number two, there's still mold in that basement. We have no utilization of that basement. We have no on-site property manager. We have no on-site super. So when things happen, especially on the weekends, we get no help for a while about for two months,
we had no hot water every weekend. We couldn't get anybody. Okay? When we do call the number, it wasn't um like a rotary. They would call us back. Nothing would happen. So we didn't have water till hot water till Monday or Tuesday. People are still being sent to court for
things that they went to court with the previous manager. Oh, and by the way, last time we was here, we about three, four property managers, different property managers in. Okay. Also, >> this one here, her door knob, her doorork knob for a whole month was
falling off. That's a security and a hazard. The only reason that they finally came out today and still didn't fix it was because she included Councilman Williams, I think, code enforcement and landlord tenant
advisory. And of course, because I put the notice on about the town council meeting, so they knew we were coming up here. This is ridiculous, okay, that we still have to live this way. The building is terrible, filthy. The outside don't look too much better than the inside. We did ask you, you know,
you did tell us that you wanted to come and speak with some of the tenants. We're just still waiting so you know what your schedule is like so we can partner with you. Okay? I know y'all get tired of hearing it. Okay? But we live here. We are living here because this is
where we can afford to live. All right? And it doesn't matter if you're paying market rent or if you're paying a dollar rent. It does not matter. We have a right to live in cleanless. Okay. Our door was just broke from what?
Saturday. Saturday. >> From Saturday. You couldn't get in the front door. So, what were people doing? Taking the mat and sticking the mat in the door to get to to keep the door open. So, what does that do? That's a security hazard. Now, we have everything and anything walking in the building.
For a while, we just got the um the the smoke detector kept going off in the building. on their end, you couldn't hear it. I had to call her, "Hey, you coming downstairs?" I didn't hear it. It wasn't flashing or anything. So, what happened? I had to email um Justin
Thompson. I did email him and then my niece there, she sent emails. It just got fixed, we think. So, thank you. >> Thank you. Next guest is Rachel
Herman. Hi. Um, my name is Rachel Herman. I am the vice chair of Root and the communication chair of the Lacawana Coalition. Both are transit advoc advocy advocacy organizations.
As a person who has lived in both Montlair and Bloomfields for the last 25 years, um I find that it's very important that this area is transit accessible. That's the reason I'm here. I was a I'm a lum
of Montlair State and so I stayed in this area because being able to transverse the the area and I am was excited to see that there was a transit working group, a task force to see how much we can improve transportation and
which inspired the Bloomfields uh to also have a survey um and Glennidge. Now, I want to address what uh Don Zed said. He mentioned driving several times. I understand he's on the committee, but
why public transportation? Why is there no why was he not considering the people that can't drive? There are many people, many people who are speaking tonight, I'm sure not all the seniors in this room can drive. Many are either being driven or use public transportation
or have somebody else like maybe they're still driving but maybe they don't want to because they don't they can't because it becomes unsafer as they're getting older. But you also are diverse uh population and want if you are being
friendly to people who have mobility a and um disabilities then you would consider having more public transportation and that includes having more train service on the weekend so people can get around independently. Nobody wants to have to rely on other
people to get somewhere. So you know access link is not always a good option for everyone and their scheduling is not is not great. So the survey represents the fact that we need additional train service and um I would like to see that
the task for task force continue and look at local bus service because there's more and more traffic and the amount of local buses are not enough to accommodate what is necessary. You also lost decamp service >> and the decamp service would have
provided areas that are no longer serviced on on grow street. So you have people who move here and now cannot get anywhere without having to walk far distances or rely on somebody else to get somewhere.
And so given New Jersey's transits uh stated constraints around buses and bus drivers which the township has heard directly from the from the agency. I believe our first ask should focus on improving weekend train service while also
studying and planning for the eventual uh full restoration of the camp bus territory >> while buses are so important part of the transportation network. Thank you. >> Next guest is Beo Habila. have really.
Hello, my name is VTO Havillaa. I am a member of root and also a member of the Lacawana Coalition. I'll be reading from our resolution calling for hourly service between Hoboken and Monontlair State University on the weekends.
First Lawana Coalition is independent organization advocating for better transit founded in 1979 in Melbourne. We meet every fourth Monday of the month right now at the Summit Library. Lawana Coalition.org
uh email infoaccoalition.org. And we also put out the rail gr see me for a copy and I invite and we invite all to join the Lacawana Coalition. So now I'll read some highlights from
our resolution from the 28th of November 2020 2022 again calling for hourly service between Hoboken and Mon State University on weekends and meeting Lacawana Coalition held on November 28th in Milbour New Jersey by electronic conference the following resolution was
adopted whereas the Lacawana coalition advocates for better service transit railine including the Monlip route and Morrison Essex line and on weekends train run trains run only between Hobok and Bay Street and Monontlair every two hours or less often with no service all to ser to stations west of Bay Street
and as far as Danville and the weekend service standard on most other rail lines operating by NJT is one train per hour in each direction without the service day but not on the Monontlair Brutin line. The present level of weekend service on the Monco Brun line falls below the standard of service for most other lines in the system thereby
depriving residents of the area served by that line of adequate as frequent access to other places served by NJTN is accorded on on such lines. The present level of weekend service between Monontlair and Hoboken tri the prize
riders on both the Monontlair Bootin and the Morris and Essex and Gladstone lines as much access to Hoboken and all connecting transit available as a quarter and most other lines and since the CO 19 pandemic has subsided. The level of ridership recovery has been
higher on weekend trains than than on weekday trains without the NGT rail system. Yet weekend Montlair service excluding any service west of Bay Street is on increase since 2010. And recent gains of weekend ridership specifically exceeded those historic peak commuting hours stations west of
MSU has no service all except during historic peak commuting times when ridership recovery is the lowest in the system. Therefore resolve that the lock coalition calls from New Jersey trans implementate hourly weekend service between Hoboken and Mon University stu station scheduled for connections with
more sus lines at Broad Street in Newark and the trains that run on current schedule. Further resolved that weekend hourly serly weekend service on Mont line be extended to to Danville and do with similar service employed weekdays west of Monontlair State University station with full day service on the
back Porsche line. this resolution. We sent this to NJT and all appropriate public officials in the area. And again, we ask >> Thank you very much. Next guest, Robert Steck. >> We can hear you better up here if you're not yelling into the mic because it sort
of muffles it if you get too close. Next guest, please. >> My name is Robert. Thank good evening. 85 year old man. Three years ago I was 82 going on 89.
Today I'm 85 going on 65 because of Michelle. No, no No exaggeration. Michelle is one in a million in Latin three generous cannot
be replicated. Okay. She is a visual experience. You don't understand Michelle with the mind or even with the heart. It it's something that you just absorb. It's like when you stand
before the Niagara Falls and you have especially if you're at the bottom and there all this water coming down. Try to describe that in words. You can't you feel it. Michelle has karma. If JFK walked in
here for us people who are who knew JFK when we were in college, he had a presence. Michelle, if she walked in, she has a presence. You go to the monthly birthday parties that we have, you have people dancing.
She's out there dancing with them and she's leading them. She cannot be replaced. Mr. Marks, you have a tough job. Okay. And I I I envy you. I I don't envy you. I feel
sorry for every one of you guys because you are in a deep hole and you can't keep on digging. I hope I really hope that somehow we can have a reorganization that we somehow can put the Monontlair Institute of Lifelong Learning into
another reporting structure. That would be beautiful. Okay. If if I was to describe Michelle, I would say she is a force. She is the force behind our sales. I I'm just going to repeat. I I wrote a letter to each one of you. I found out
on Friday the day that she was terminated. Abruptly, no warning, no. Hey, I don't know. I'm just I just know that she was abruptly abruptly terminated. Not whatever.
Good enough. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Next guest is Allison Tribus. Good evening everyone. >> Good evening. >> My name is Allison Travis. Tribus. Everybody says Tribus. It's actually Travis. >> Sorry. >> Um, so I serve as the vice chair of the
Montlair Environmental Commission. I came here tonight so you can put a face to the name that you've been getting emails from. Um, what I wanted to talk tonight is about the tree uh, ordinance that we were going to bring up this evening. I'm not quite sure if it's still on the agenda or not. Um, but
anyway, I am here at your service to facilitate the passage of a stronger tree removal ordinance as required by New Jersey D and also by our community who respects and appreciates its tree canopy. My role as part of mech is to provide the environmental and to provide the
environmental guidance and recommendations for ordinances such as this to protect our natural environment. I want to get us up to par with a reasonable ordinance. So, if I can be of assistance on the implementation part, I will gladly do that. I know that that is, you know, kind of the challenge here. I've been speaking to other towns
and researching ways to automate and reduce uh the administrative workload as I know that workforce capacity is a bottleneck. If you can clearly identify other bottlenecks, perhaps I can also recommend solutions on that. I applaud the increased um arborist hours up to
three days a week. I think that's a huge step in the right direction. I just want to make make sure that the arborist is fully vested in Montlair and able to take on the demands of the job given that we're an urban forest and not a rural forest. So, it's it's quite different management and I know that's
something I can work with Dr. Johnson on um both public and tree contractor education on this ordinance is going to be key and that's that's somewhere where you could lean on mech to help um to address those in town that I know are going to be skeptical or wonder why we're doing this and putting this
ordinance forward. Um, the Department of Sustainability is actually going to be working this summer using their green team to educate the public on the benefits of the to the community of maintaining and growing a tree inventory. The fear of burden on residents to take down hazardous or diseased trees um can
be uh subsided with details on what is in the ordinance as well because I know that's another concern. Um, in the proposed ordinance, uh, if you're removing a diseased or hazardous tree, there's only a onetoone replacement and that's exactly as our current ordinance is. So no difference. Um and if that
prevents a financial hardship um even to plant the one tree, you can get a waiver. The heavier replacement requirements for the three to four replacement trees applies only when someone electively removes a large healthy tree, which they hopefully would have budgeted for in the landscaping project that they're taking
on. Um and keep in mind that the goal of the replacement schedule that that you see in there is to reduce and um is to reduce the canopy loss. So, it's not, you know, replacing I'm all the other speakers have said it much more eloquently than I can. You know, when you take down a large tree, replacing it
with a little one, you're not getting a one for one replacement. Um, there's been much discussion on this ordinance back and forth over email. Um, and you're all aware of where Mech thinks it excels and where it falls short. There is work to be done, but with Mayor Baskerville and all the other
counselors now at the table, I think we can move forward collectively to get a good ordinance passed. Thanks for your time, guys. Thank you. Next guest is Ellen Resnik. Hi, I'm I'm Ellen Z. Resnik. I live at 415 Claremont Avenue.
It just feels really wrong to say goodbye to Michelle Dit. She's someone who's, you've heard it all tonight, talent, creativity, innovation, kindness, compassion, organizational skills.
She mobilized facets of our township from all walks of lives, all to create new and exciting opportunities. I understand because I was am a retired school administrator. I understand about human
resources. I understand that it is difficult or sometimes not possible to discuss reasons for termination. But I'm going to tell you what is the word out there and it's been said tonight that Michelle was terminated due
to what was termed insubordination because she allowed lifelong learning members to express frustrations about resources which were not allocated to the senior community. I would like you to see it differently.
I really would. There's a theory that developing a way to allow people who feel they have been overlooked or disregarded to express their frustration, then they can channel it into positive
community collaboration. This is exactly what Michelle Dwit was engendering among all of us and she should be rewarded and held up as exemplary for that. It's not insubordination.
It is lifesaving. It builds the determination for all of us as a team to move forward together. Thank you. >> Thank you. Next guest is um Jean Lions. Okay, thank you. Next guest is Sandra
Chamberlain. >> Can I give a piece of paper to pass around? This is just aspirational, not literal. >> Whoa, whoa, whoa, no. The wire. I am on Shark Tank, right?
>> Um, thank you for your time. I'm Sandra Chamberlain. I've lived in Montair for 46 years. I was on the environmental commission for two years on the tree committee about six years ago. Um, the older I get, the more I fall in love
with trees. Trees eat light. They carry water. They are chemistry laboratories. They inhale carbon dioxide and they exhale oxygen. After being cut down, they send their
last dying nourishment to their children. They are families. They warn their neighbors of danger. They give us shade. They are home and sustenance to thousands of other
species. They inspire all of us with their endless variety and beauty. And without them, we would die. I believe that when you love something,
you nurture and protect it because life is fragile. After 40 years in Montlair, I have watched our tree canopy, especially some of the tallest and most beautiful, be
cut down for convenience, for lack of imagination, or for lack of respect of these living giants. It's like shooting an elephant. Physicists who are studying consciousness
and saying consciousness may be elemental are also saying trees are intelligent and conscious in other cultures such as Japan which is what the picture is you have. Trees are revered.
I would love for Montlair to be a town who sets an example as a town that values, nurtures, and loves its trees. Because just as we love and nurture our children, our children need all the
trees we can save and plant for them to live in a healthy town and learn by example that protecting and nurturing means love. I hope you'll vote to first strengthen
by providing enforcement, then pass the new tree ordinance. We will all be very grateful, and without enforcement, the ordinance is nothing but words. Thank you very much for your time. Thank you very much. Next guest,
Lynn Stockamer. Good evening everybody. Good evening. Um pe people have spoken at length about Michelle Dit and I had a few different things. My name is Lynn Stockhammer. A few a few different topics I wanted to talk about. But so um m Michelle has
been a strong, steady, welcoming, uplifting presence. And I I will not read everything that I wrote about Michelle because there can't be enough said, but it has been. But I did attend a class um Tuesday, that was today, wasn't it? Um at Wally Choice, there was
absolutely no presence of anyone from Lifelong Monontlair. There was no sign-in sheet. There was no check-in seat. Uh following class came in as we were exiting our class. There was no accountability whatsoever. Um I think there are considerations about this. Um,
doesn't the county or town need to report attendance for funding purposes? Um, are there insurance considerations? Should someone have required assistance? Was there anyone present at Wally Choice to report? Um, there there just seems to
be a lack of transparency um in this town. Once again, um I understand um it may have been something from the Monontlair local today that I read. I I don't recall um that the town has stated it's seeking a person to uh fill the
role of Michelle Dwit and all I say sarcastically is good luck. Um I also understand that the town is required and I don't have any kind of statute to quote um to post a job opening within a certain period of time if it's the case
that there's an open position. Um I did look it up and I did wasn't able to see anything posted. Um, we I I thought that also we were required to be informed of why Michelle Dwit was terminated from her position. Um, we want an answer, Mr.
Town Manager. Um, was there cause? We want Michelle back. Um, I I'll move on for that, but there really are a lot of people with their hearts broken right now, and I really can never forget Michelle reaching out to me personally um, starting in 2020. And I think many,
many people have such stories. I won't go into mine. As to Tony's Brook, um the portion of the culvert on Forest Street, um Madame Mayor, the last time I reported something, I think I copied it to just about everybody. Um I was told
that in the future I should directly contact the fire department. So the so of course there was a next time and this one was due to a noxious odor and not to dumping public urination, cigarettes being tossed in or any of the other things that occur with the brook. I
called 911 um to get to the fire department on Friday, June 5th. I was advised I advised them that I was told by the mayor that this was the proper channel to report. The officer who answered the phone told me she was familiar with the matter and she'd pass it along to the fire department, but she
quote didn't think responders were being sent out anymore. Um, I live right across the street and no one appeared. Um, sorry I so many please. Thank you. Um, Ellen Binky,
>> hi. Good evening. Thank you very much. I'm going to be brief. I know it's a long evening. I um live at 20 L Road. I've lived there for over 25 years. And I'd just like to start by please picture me here with my 35 neighbors. We are the Ward One.
>> Your name is Ellen Vinky. >> Ellen Vinky. Yes. >> We are the Ward One neighbors that one of the earlier speakers spoke about where there have been approximately 20 trees where the roots have been cut. Many of
them a hundred years old. those trees, some of them will now have to come down. And we just want to be represented here and say that we very much support a strong tree ordinance that protects
sustainability that contributes to reducing climate to increasing climate action in response to climate change. There's a sort of a footnote here and to be honest I don't know enough about it because I'm came to the meeting very late. I saw the message when I was on
the train. I've been involved with people in my neighborhood who Jonathan Grouper and others who have been much more vocal about this. I'm here representing them because they couldn't be here. But what I will say is that there was actually as some of you probably know a very significant
mismanagement issue that resulted in these roots being cut. And just like the people who have spoke about Michelle, I think we need accountability. Not not to blame someone. I actually work for the UN in the office of internal oversight services where I do
accountability and learning evaluations. I'm not talking about accountability to get someone in trouble. I'm talking about accountability so that this never happens again. There were important critical trees that are coming down. And it also to be honest with you creates a
risk for the town because if we don't get enough attention by the arborist to identify the trees that really are at risk, two things can happen. One, more trees come down than need to, which is a negative obviously. And two, if one of
these trees where the roots were, and I'm not saying this as a threat, if one of these trees where the roots were cut falls on someone's house, that's a significant liability for every single taxpayer in this town. I don't know if any of you have been here long enough, I'm sure some of you have, actually.
There have been people, the I believe the former principal of Northeast, where my children went to school, a tree fell on her and she died. So, taking this seriously, making our trees healthy, nurturing them, but also making sure
that the work that the arborist has to do, I didn't know that the arist would only be working 3 days a week. With all due respect to the person that said that's an improvement, that sounds outrageous to me when we have the kind of issues that we have around trees in Montlair. It sounds like a liability to
have the arborist work three days a week. But again, I say this completely with every positive intention. Thank you very much. >> Thank you very much. That concludes our public comment
portion. If there's anyone here who I did not call your name, who wishes to be heard at this time, who has not been heard? >> I didn't sign up. >> Yes. But please make sure you state your name, please. >> Um, Levi Seagull. I live in Ward 2. Um
just want to comment on supporting um better train service to MSU on the weekends. I live in Upper Mont Clair and we frequently go to New York on the weekends, but we don't take the train. We drive to a park and ride which has more frequent service because we find
that frequency to be very liberating. You know, 2 hours from Bay Street really isn't enough. Um I think we really need one hour every every hour to MSU. Um, and you know, there were concerns about like traffic um when having the train to
run to MSU. Um, I actually think that that would that could reduce traffic because think about how many people are driving to Bay Street and are also driving to other park and rides who want more frequent service. If the train ran to MSU, they wouldn't have to drive and they could instead um use the train. And
there's a lot of benefits with that as well, like um less people driving. We have um a lot less CO2 emissions. The people who live um on the train stations um uh north of Bay Street um now who who
may not own a car now have way better access to the train on weekends. Um I've been on and when I do take the train, it's it's very overcrowded. It definitely extending it to MSU every hour would more than double the capacity which is really needed. I really can't imagine if you have a family and you
have to go to New York, taking the train is not possible. There's like there's no seats. Um it's so busy. And also think about the financial benefit. When we have more service to MSU, that's it's possible that more people will will come to Montlair with that better service.
And um considering that NJ Transit has to operate this, we wouldn't really be paying for that extension uh to MSU. And so we would benefit financially from this extension. um you know not that many towns or well places in the US have
such high quality rail infrastructure electrified double track rail infrastructure like we do and I really think that we should take advantage of it over the weekends. There's very clear demand for more service to New York. Thank you. >> Thank you very much. Okay, now we're going to Oh,
>> thank you. >> Sorry. Thanks for the opportunity to come up. Bahava Felicidad um president of the tenants organization of Montlair the group that uh with the township everybody brought rent control to Montlair. So we've had rent control
since May 9 of 2022. Good evening honorable mayor Dr. Baskerville and council. >> Um so I have really just two well three things that I wanted to focus on. One is
about our younger generations or the generations who are um and this is not like targeting but it's it helps to put together the the structure for my comment our millennials and our Gen Z's
who are now renting in Montlair. just I've talked to a lot of seniors who've had some conflicts with the younger generation living above and around them and we just want everyone to just have a little more compassion for
uh for seniors. Not everyone knows what it is to be an elder. And the seniors have expressed concerns about not feeling fully respected or honored or talked to properly when they're engaging with neighbors who may recently moved
into certain units. and we want everyone to be able to get along, including things that include like repairs. So, if someone needs to get into another person's apartment for repair and it affects their neighbor that you guys do your best to work it out and if you need
to speak with us at the tenants organization or to the LTAC, that that would be a really good idea to balance out um some of the conflict of the crossgenerational uh miscommunications. So that's one. Um, another is just a
reminder for the parents out there about uh the children who are in certain places around town and people bring it to me and they say it to me even when I go in the supermarket about what some of the kids are doing in places that they should not be. I don't want to state
those places. People who are watching will figure it out. Uh, but neighbors, tenants are calling in about children being in places they're not supposed to be. So, just kind of see where your kids are at so that they're being careful.
Uh, when I see them out, I might say, "Hey guys, be careful because we're getting reports and about kids being in places that they should not be that are unsafe and we love our our kids in our community." Um, lastly, just the issue of speeding. If everyone could be
conscious of slowing down when they're driving, there are a lot of people speeding still in town and we want everyone to be safe. I mean, the squirrels can't even make it across the street these days. I'm seeing more road killing in Montlair than ever before. It's like being out on the highway going
to Bear Mountain or something. But, um, please slow down. Thank you. Okay. Um I think that concludes the end of the public comment period. Um the next uh the next items on the agenda are the
pending ordinances. >> Oh, >> I got it. Thanks. >> Okay, good. Thank you. >> Ask the people that in the hallway that were speaking so loud that they were interfering with our ability to hear what's going on in here. >> Okay. So, we're going to go to pending
ordinances on second reading. The public who wish to be heard on here will have an opportunity. I'm going to open the public hearing without objection. Is there anyone present who wishes to be heard in relationship to pending
ordinance 0-26-21? Ordinance amending the salary ordinance for the management um non-unit group for the year 2026. Seeing no members of the public that wish to be heard, I'm going to close the
uh public hearing. Are there members of the council who wish to be heard? No. I'd like to make a motion that we approve pending ordinance 026-21. >> Second.
>> Madame clerk. >> Deputy Mayor Anderson. >> Yes. >> Councelor Birmingham absent. Councelor Damato. >> Yes. >> Councelor Harrison. >> Yes. >> Councelor Toller. >> Yes. >> Councelor Williams. >> Yes. >> Mayor Baskerville. >> Yes.
I'm going to open the public hearing without objection for pending ordinance 0-26-22. Ordinance to repeal and replace ordinance 0-25-63 removing from chapter 327
vehicles and traffic and establishing new article 2 in chapter 228 parking um parking for the sale and use of temporary no parking signs. There anyone present who wish to be heard on this
pending ordinance? Please come forward. Good evening again, Lin Star. Please stop me if this is not appropriate. If this doesn't fall within what we're discussing right now, but um in terms of a temporary
>> I'm sorry. When you come back up again, you just need to give us your name. Thank you. >> Oh, I'm so sorry. Lynn Stockhammer. Um this is just another aspect of the parking on Forest Street. Um both the illegal parking on the right side facing
the parking garage at Glenidge Avenue from Forest Street and the parking on the left side um which is the valet from Marimoto. I I was told by um I think C councelor Williams um and also maybe the mayor and I don't know who else that the
parking sign the no parking sign on the old autotop shop sign was actually not a town sign although it it's it's quite a faximile in terms of the type face the language and everything it says. So, it
appears as if whoever currently owns or previously owned um when at the time it was put up that property put up a sign. Um I did not know that an individual or an investor is allowed to put up a sign that looks
exactly like a town sign saying no parking from here to corner or whatever. So, you can't have it both ways. Either it's a town sign and there's no parking from there to corner. Um, and it there is indeed a driveway, so technically people would not be parking in front of
a driveway. Um, or um, you know, there's either no parking or there's parking. And that leads into another issue which I know is not appropriate right now. Thank you. >> Thank you. Is there anyone else from the public that wishes to be heard on pending ordinance 02622?
No. Seeing none other, I'm going to close the public hearing. um on pending ordinance 02622 and ask if there are members of the council that wish to be heard on this pending ordinance. >> Um I would like Manny to >> Council to Sure. Thank you. Um the
parking sign that she mentioned, are we going to investigate that? And we have Manny here in the back to determine or ask the questions, you know. Um, she's saying I think the the she said that the sign is either not a township sign or it is a township sign
or we don't know. >> I have no no idea. >> I mean that's that's something important because if it's not our sign then do we remove it? I don't know. Maybe Manny can help us. >> Good evening everyone. Yeah. >> Um that sign if I'm not mistaken I believe that sign was already uh spoke I already spoke to DCS about removing that
sign. That sign was not a township sign. There is there is no ordinance about no parking anytime. >> Okay. years. So, >> but it's I I don't I don't understand who put it up. I don't know who put it up. >> Well, I know it hasn't been removed. >> Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. We just Thank you, Miss Hammer. We're going to take
>> If it hasn't been removed, it will be removed. That's not enough. >> That's all I needed to know. Okay, so we have Thank you. We're going to move on. Um, other council members, other council members have um discussion on pending ordinance 02622. I wasn't here for the last meeting.
Okay. Um, this was a companion ordinance to the valet parking ordinance. >> Okay. >> Um, that did not pass. So, I did want to bring to your all attention in case it was missed. We did add um temporary no parking signs as a companion to that
ordinance. And item number seven should have been read. Um it does say that uh so in 288 se um-5 item number seven was added and I don't know how this did not appear the way it
should have. >> So what what are you suggesting now that this be done with item seven? I'm just trying to figure out what what >> saying um it's up to you. I did want to point out that item seven is there and it was um contemplated to be
to correspond with the design parking ordinance that was not adopted at first last time. So before you move to adopt this version, I want you to item number seven. >> Thank you. >> Well, okay. Um, council members.
>> Yeah. Councelor Damato, >> did you have something? >> No. >> Okay. >> Anyone else? I didn't know if you suggest to say something. >> Can we just strike that passage for now? >> It's nons substantive
substantive strike >> without reintroduction. >> So, which one would we strike? This one. >> Number seven. if you want. >> Okay. >> But wait a minute. But would that require reintroduction? >> Yes. >> Which
to move this along, I move to amend the ordinance to eliminate section 228-5B7. >> 228-5. Where is that? >> I second it. >> It's on >> I just wanted to see where it is. It's
on page two of the uh the ordinance at the top of the page. And I second that motion. Madam clerk, Deputy Mayor Anderson. Yes. On the motion to amend. >> Councelor Damato. >> Yes.
>> Councelor Harrison. >> Yes. >> Councelor Toller. >> Yes. >> Councelor Williams. >> Yes. >> Mayor Baskerville. >> Yes. Thank you. Moving on to um No. I'd like to make a motion that we close the um public
comments on the pending ordinances. >> All in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed? Then we have to vote on >> the amended ordinance. >> No, we have to be reintroduced. >> We have to reintroduce. >> Yeah. Next meeting. >> So there's no there's no public hearing
until August. >> No, July 14th. >> July July. >> Oh, right. We reintroduced the >> Okay. >> Second. >> All right. So, we're going to move on to new business ordinances. Um,
council Damato number C, uh, a new an ordinance to amend chapter 3415, section E, permits required, inspection and approval of the code of the township
of Montlair, New Jersey. And I so move. >> Second. >> Second. Any discussion? >> Yes. >> Councelor Toller. Is Mr. Prima Vera available? See him right there. >> Mr. Prima Vera, would you please join
us? >> Hello. Um, so thank you for meeting with the facilities and infrastructure committee. Uh, was it last week or the week before? and we had a few changes that we wanted tweaked and the only thing that I don't see included is the word new development. We had a
conversation about new homeowners and new development trying to make this as seamless and less confusing for residents to understand that it's not every single person that's going to have to do this. It's for >> Okay. Um, so what I was thinking we
could put in there if if you'd like is anyone who is taking a mother lot and splitting it into new tax lots is required to do this. Would that be better language? >> Well, it's about the language that our residents need to understand. So that's
why I was asking for something very seamless to make sure that, you know, if someone had a question, >> um, I don't know. I'd have to ask the attorney if that type of change could be added. and flow. I I I understand that we did change it. Um originally it had some
other language and I thought we had settled on any structure converting. That way it's not redevelopment has a specific meaning in the code. We don't want it to just be a redevelopment area. We any structure converting into a
multifamily use the tax office would know that. And then we also added that any structure that does not comply >> shall be subject to the same penalt I'm sorry shall be subject to the same penalties as a delinquent water account. And that's the tax office.
>> Right. Right. Right. I'm >> so it kind of um it we changed it to any structure. There was different language that we had earlier. Um, and that way it would cover any structure regardless of whether whatever land use application,
whatever development type it would be. >> Yeah, I wasn't focusing so much on redevelopment. I'm just thinking about homeowners to make sure that they understand if you're building a new home. Um, this doesn't apply to homeowners currently right now. This is for the future. >> Correct. This is for anyone
>> the differences. We do agree. >> It's not just new homes either. >> No, I know that any subdivision. It would be putting up walls, making a two family. Um, we wanted to cover the ponapoli. >> Okay. Of everything. >> So, councelor Toller, are you um suggesting an amendment? Because I'm not
following. >> Well, that's what I was asking the attorney if we could, but she's >> uh on the record stating that this word any structure is going to be suffice for residents to understand, okay, >> that it's for new folks, new people
building new projects, not current residents. >> Okay. Um then did we add something to make sure that um the tax office is accountable if you will? >> So any sort of meter appointment or
anything of that nature goes through the tax board and s office so the tax collector is aware of all these appointments she's involved in that. >> Okay. I'm just trying to make sure departments are working cohesively because without and I'm gonna call it Sesame Street
language in some of this departments or you know can say oh it's not my responsibility. >> I I understand where you're coming from but this actually benefits the tax water and sore office as we discussed in the infrastructure committee meeting because of the sore billing. >> All right y'all email Michael Brimmer if you got any questions. >> So are we okay to go um with this?
Anyone else members? >> Thank you very much. Council members, anyone else have anything on um agenda item number C? >> Roll call, please. >> Deputy Mayor Anderson, >> yes. >> Councelor Birmingham, absent. Councelor Damato, >> yes. >> Councelor Harrison,
>> yes. >> Councelor Toller, >> yes. >> Councelor Williams, >> yes. >> Mayor Baskerville, >> yes. Thank you. Um >> Council Harrison, um E, please. Sure. >> Number E.
Uh this is an ordinance amending and replacing chapter 324 trees of the code of the township of Montlair, New Jersey to establish comprehensive tree protection, conservation, removal, replacement, and urban forestry regulations. Um at this time, I would like to make a
motion to table the introduction, >> second >> and open um this item for discussion. Um I I'm not going to May I? >> Yes, >> mayor. Um the reason why um I'm making this motion is because we did uh you
know we did put this uh version of the ordinance out there. Um it's been worked on for a very for many many months um with discussed with reviewed and discussed with different stakeholders um including the environ environmental commission um the department of
sustainability um and uh you know other departments. Um we um really negotiated a lot of the language internally. Um and you know from my perspective it was um and the co-sponsor's perspective it was really
important to number one first and foremost have a much stronger ordinance um to not only protect existing trees but to grow the tree canopy um and and make sure that we have uh you know a really robust living infrastructure
which which trees are. And um and so while at the same time making sure that there are no unintended consequences that will negatively impact um um some of our neighbors who may have financial um you know challenges. We want to make
sure also that um we protect the the largest trees um while also um enabling, you know, the trees even that size that need to come down because they're they're dead or dying or um hazardous um to to um for there to be a relatively um
seamless way um for for residents to be able to do that. Um and so um we have also received um and we've read uh all of the suggestions that um many of you who have spoken tonight have put put forward and um we've already started
considering them. um um some of the some of the suggestions are um being incorporated. Um and so um I think uh tableabling the introduction to next month um would be wise so that we can make sure that all of the uh all of the
suggestions are well considered um and um that we have something that not only is strong language but that we're going to be able to as a township um effectively implement uh and and um and so we we're all also thinking about ways that we can do that and have taken
action. Um for example, you know, uh we would like to have an automated um system uh for permitting and you know tracking removals, tracking replacements um and and um trying to make it as user friendly for residents as possible. So um
>> thank you. I'd just like to um say um thank thank you um Deputy Mayor and uh thank Counselor Birmingham for all of the work and the time that you put in um to help um to get to this point and to
agreeing um today um with you know tableabling it because um when we met yesterday I know um both councelor Harrison and myself were very very interested in tableabling it because we received um quite a few um emails that
had the same wonderful suggestions and I personally am very interested in uh reviewing all of them and I think that they gave it teeth and um they really got us to a point that that made um just gave it you know more strength in terms
of of moving forward and I think that they will be able to um well I think initially it was said that maybe we would not be able to get the language so that they would know how to
uphold the um the what what they were doing. But I think we can do that. And just want to thank all of the people in the township that gave us about the same I guess there about seven suggestions and about maybe 15 emails that all had
the same suggestion. So I thank you all for taking your time to email. We do read them and it's important. and then I go through each one of them and so I agree with you. So I want to thank you all for your time. >> Mayor, >> councelor Harrison discussion.
>> Okay. Yeah. I um our attorney advised me not to send proposed revisions to all members of the council. So I followed her direction. >> We weren't supposed to send them to the public either, right? But they somebody sent them to the public. Thanks.
what you've been doing. >> Just mayor when he's gone up. >> Okay. Yes. >> And I'm I'm not propo I just want to get these out there to foster discussion among council members between now and
the next meeting. So hopefully we can develop a consensus on where we're going and adopt an ordinance. I think as many members of the public have commented on, our existing ordinance is um deficient
um and we need to adopt a stronger ordinance, but it's also important that it be a workable ordinance. Um the what I've proposed and we'll figure out a way to get this on the website. It doesn't involve me figuring out how to do it. Um
so um we can you know get a strong ordinance that's workable. I mean, part of this is um, you know, we have finite staff and it has to work in
order for it to be effective. And but I you know I think we appreciate your comments as the mayor said and if we get comments on additional comments on these changes um you'll recognize a number of them and uh some are new and different
from my own perspective of this but uh you know I I think the goal is don't wait until two days before the meeting to get us comments um you know as soon as you can um so we can move forward and
get it something introduced that we will be then be able to adopt in August. >> Thank you, Council Damato. >> Yeah, I would second everything that Bill is saying uh that councelor Harrison is saying. Um
I would like to just focus on making it e making it work, making it as simple as possible. I think somebody Mr. Zeve who was up here said the best policy is the one that's the most simple. I think that if that the general sense of unhappiness that people often have in this town who
follow policy and follow us is because of a sense that things are not executed well. They're chaotic. They're all over the place. It is because as an organization, this township does an immense amount of things that other places don't even try to do. And we deal
with a new kind of a freakout every week. And so the ball gets dropped continuously. We all feel that. I was there in Fieldstone a week and a half ago. It fell on me to go look uh into the pits and see the cut roots of trees
that were cut by mistake by an administrative, you know, oversight because of confusion and people trying to do too much. And people were gutted who were there from the township and and I mean it was literally I was looking into the abyss and it was very
clarifying. Yes, it was bad. I was there and and it's clarifying because the point is that it has to work. It can't just be, you know, and and I did a the word the word count on the first ordinance, the first draft of it
for the additions I noted was longer than the US Constitution, its first version, which was the instruction manual for the country. So, I would like to see everything just get over the next month. I think it'll be awesome to try
to tighten it up because crucially what we cannot do is just create a paperwork blizzard and then have the real world stuff stay the same. That's what failure looks like. success looks like not so much bureaucracy, not so much extra cost
and real and an an actual improvement to getting to that 10% uh tree canopy growth over the previous years and failure looks like a lot of bureaucracy, nothing happening on the ground and and people, you know, squabbbling over it.
So, we have to work on it on on making it work and talking to staff to make it happen. But the goal is great and I'd like it to look like what my yard looks like. So when I moved in to that house uh where I live right now, there was a
giant dying elm tree uh in the front and and we cut it down. We were told we had to. The previous owner did not do anything. Somebody said, "You have to put in a new tree." I don't even remember the transaction. I think it was shortly after that that the the week ordinance passed and they said, "You got
to plant a new tree." And I went, "Okay." And they said, "What should we put in?" And I said, "I don't know." And they said, "Why don't you spend some money, put in a nice white oak tree?" That tree is 35 feet tall now. It's beautiful. So, it can work. We just, you know, have to
make it as simple as that transaction. >> And I just want to say that I was really impressed with whoever added the part where it says add equity prioritization to the tree fund. Tree fund expenditures currently follow a proximity rule. money stays within 1,000 ft of wherever
removal occurs. This sends funds towards neighborhoods where tree work already happens rather than to heat burdened communities that need canopy most. And whoever put that in, I want to thank you a lot. I was really impressed with that because it's not all the time that when
we do these things that people speak about equity and the need to do things like that. So, I mean, that just is is telling of how thoughtful you all are to to come up with these things and to add things that I hope that the council will
understand because it is extremely important. You know, we shouldn't just take a tree down in a neighborhood that has a lot of trees and then make it stay there. And so, I really wanted to thank you, whoever came up with that. Councelor Toller.
>> Sure. Thank you. Um, yeah, I'm happy that we're going to table this and, you know, put some strength and teeth to it. Um, you know, it's been sitting during this administration since day one, which is 22 months. Um, I know about a year ago, I met with some, uh, residents. We
asked to see a copy of it. Um, took a little while to get a copy to look at it and review. Um, but I'm happy to see that we're going to table this, put some more teeth to it. And council Harrison, you mentioned, you know, that if residents have something to, I guess,
add to something to try to email it in two days before, but we they don't get the agenda until two days before. But what we can possibly do, um, is, you know, have a little ad hoc committee if you want to have some folks submit comments and continue to work on this so
it's ready for July. >> Well, I was hoping to get what I was the changes I was proposing up on the website now, >> for feedback. So we can get feedback on that. >> Yeah. And I'm just going to personally thank Suzanne Atman, Anna Gman, and Jessica Stalberg because I've been in
discussions with them prior to being a counselor. >> I receive things from all of them, too. >> Let's just keep it real and give the, you know, acknowledgement where it's due. Um, of course, luckily this administration is listening to our residents and experts, and we're going to have something with some real teeth
that we can be proud of going forward. So, thank you, ladies. >> Okay. Um, Councelor Williams, anything? >> No. >> Okay. Um, all right. So, we're going to move on >> to Um,
>> Excuse me, Mayor. >> Yes. >> There's a motion to table this ordinance to 714. You want to run the role? Yes. >> Deputy Mayor Anderson? >> Yes. >> Councelor Birmingham, absent. Councelor Damato, >> yes. >> Councelor Harrison, yes. >> Councelor Toller, >> yes. >> Councelor Williams, yes. Mayor
Baskerville, >> yes. Thank you, Councelor Williams. Number F, please. >> Number >> letter F. Sponsors don't want to. >> No, I'm just going to call them by No
problem. Letters, please. And so agenda agenda item F, an ordinance amending supplementing section 29 of chapter 202, land use procedures of the code of the township of Montlair, New Jersey. So
moved. >> Second. >> I have a question. >> Yes, councelor Williams. So I guess the spirit of this is to drill down to who actually owns what when
an application is coming before either the planning or the zoning board. So I'm just looking at the math here and 10% an entity holding 10% interest you want to drill down and then if anyone owns
10% of that interest you want to drill down so you want to drill down to someone owning 1% of >> no there would be 10 10% throughout let let me explain okay so >> councelor Harrison >> the municipal land use law requires And
for corporations and partnerships and other than Monontlair, the rest of the world interprets that to be any nonhuman being entity um to go down and you have to keep drilling down. So in the scores of
municipalities where I practice, I represent an applicant. The applicant is almost invariably a singlepurpose LLC. And when you're representing a national corporation, you frequently have to go up six, seven levels of each entity that owns at least 10% of the prior entity
has to be disclosed. And that's a universal practice. Um, this was really in response to what Miss Avery pointed out earlier of people coming in singlepurpose entities and not rec being
able to because Monontlair did not require disclosure for an LLC, not recognizing until we were on our eth, ninth or 10th application partially um that these were the same people coming in and applying. And there's a second
step for this. It's also board of adjustment recommendation to um address that. But the immediate step is so we know one >> it's helps identify conflicts if you know
>> because it when it's the >> 593 Park Street LLC you have no idea who's behind it and uh but all and so people know who's involved and know if there are any conflicts and it's following the practice in the rest of
the state. It's not doing something new or different. Um, and it's just saying what has to be done for corporations and partnerships has to be done for LLC's, PCs, all the other infinite ways that lawyers have created that entities can exist.
>> May I just follow up? So, >> yeah, that's that's fine. Just in banking, you have to do that with know your customer and stuff like that fully. I'm fine with that. The only thing that I was questioning here is you have an applicant that's coming up for one of these two boards and there's a single
purpose entity that owns 10% of this project. Okay. So now you're saying, hey entity, I need to know who owns 10% of you. You you own 10%. I need to own know everyone that owns 10%. That's where you get down to the 1%, right? And that
that's where I was saying I mean do we need to drill down just saying >> that level? >> Yes, >> that that was and if the answer's yes then the answer is yes. That's fine. >> It's it doesn't actually
work like that. um you I guess in theory it could um but it's I didn't want to do something different than exists everywhere else in the state for you know it it does that um I will not
mention the name of the corporations but a very large international corporation I represented it was very much fun going with their legal department in figuring out their
ownership structure where they have that that to go up to the ultimate corporation that whose name people would know is distinguished from the five LLC's in between but it's what people do
everywhere in the state and um I um and the entities who are applying in Monontlair it's it's not it's not it should not be an issue do. Um, and it's something that they
if they have applications in other towns, they're doing already. >> I have a question. >> May I? >> Um, is that true for making people show their partnership agreements? That seems a little interesting.
>> That's what the law requires now. I mean, the municipal land use law requires that for partnerships, >> partnership agreements. >> So, if Joe, Mary, and Sam >> each have at least a 10% interest in the
partnership, they their names have to be revealed. >> Deputy Mayor, >> um I it seems pretty standard and if it is consistent with uh what everyone, you know, all um what's required throughout the state. I guess I just wanted to know
um do we know if the land use boards are already requiring have been asking for this? >> Okay. The the um this is a board of adjustment recommendation. The board of adjustment in frustration about the council not doing anything with their
recommendation voted to change its procedures to require for an application to be complete that this information be provided. And that was I was still on the board. So it was at least a year ago. So that that's been what the planning department's been doing for
board of adjustment applications. >> Council Toller. >> Sure. Thank you. And um just for the record, you know, this is a result of discussions that I've had with councelor Harrison uh prior to him joining the council uh regarding interest, you know, who's involved in these applications and
us not knowing, coupled with uh many projects in town where we have open holes and they're not finished because we don't know who's behind these LLC's. Um, in the the last discussion we had regarding another project here in town, uh, we were talking about those
interests and who was involved in them with the, uh, Church Street project. So, I went to councelor Harrison to figure out is now a great time because we've had enough where we can >> he told me the law changed that there's something we can do. But I just wanted
to let coun uh deputy mayor uh Susan Anderson know um because I saw your email about why didn't this go through EDC? These discussions that I was having with councelor Harrison go way back before he was even a counselor. And he brought this to my attention and I said
sure I'll sponsor this. So this is how this arrived here. >> Council Williams and any further? No. No. Madame Clerk. Oh. Um, Council Damato. >> Yeah. I just I just think it's it's more red tape and it's like the prosperity
that gives us all the stuff that we have in this town and the nice trees is based on the corporation which is separate from the these individuals. And the idea that like we need to know who's behind X% of
what you know of a company that's doing business, I I'm just not really for that. It's intrusive and it sounds like a shakeddown. Like why do you need to know? >> How are you shaking somebody down if you want to know who's involved? >> Why would you want to know? It's a company. They they they >> because we want to know the financials
and make sure they have the money to actually build. I just said that because we have a lot of open holes here already. Project's not done. How would why wouldn't we want to know? This is not a shakeddown. This is ensuring that people that want to come here and develop have adequate funds. We
know who the people are >> and that the project's going to get done properly. >> Madam clerk, would you do roll call, please? >> I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Can I just ask clarify one thing? It's not even a shape. >> Madam clerk, will you do the roll call, please? >> Deputy mayor and just ask one last
question here. Just want to clarify what we're I'm voting on here. >> Clarification. So what I understand from this language is that it doesn't really it has less to do with um you know the financial viability of the
company but more about like the the you know how um uh the interest of the applicant um in the company that's that's applying for right for for the develop to do the
development. Is that correct? requiring to know who who has an ownership interest in the applicant, >> right? >> Doesn't have to with the financial, >> right? It it doesn't. Right. >> Madam Clerk, roll call, please. >> Deputy Mayor Anderson,
>> yes. >> Councelor Birmingham, absent. Councelor Damato, >> no. >> Councelor Harrison, >> yes. >> Councelor Toller, >> yes. >> Councelor Williams, >> yes. >> Mayor Baskerville, >> yes. >> Um, G,
Councelor Toller. >> Uh, sure. Agenda item num letter G. Why does it say number G? >> I don't know cuz I said it first. >> An ordinance amending chapter 327, vehicles and traffic of the code of the township of Montclair, New Jersey to
redefine and amend section 41 special parking zones. Um, I so move >> second >> and um discussion. >> Yeah, I'm just >> councelor to >> Sure. This was submitted by complete streets and um director. Is that
correct? >> Is he here? >> Yeah. Hello. >> Hello everyone. >> So um did somebody else have a question before? >> Yeah. Can you please just explain um because I spoke to you a little bit
yesterday and you said that you would come up and explain to us. >> Yeah, sure. >> So, uh the special parking zone was created like sometime in 2018. Uh what it did was it doubled fines in the special parking zone area. In kind of digging into it, um there had apparently
been some issues and the the tool that was used to address them was like backend enforcement being stronger. um that was then that that area was then used to um ground the the changed meter
rates to the the doubling or the $3 an hour on uh Thursday through Saturday. That was the area used. But the special parking zone wasn't covering the most high demand parts of town. It was leaving a lot of areas um that that would benefit from those increased rates
uh uncovered. And so uh we wanted to do a couple things. One, we wanted to expand the special parking zone to ensure that where there was demand, parking was appropriately priced so that folks could find a spot on the street if they need one. Two, uh we didn't think
the uh double fines was really accomplishing our goal of better managing parking in the area. Um enforcement is is a a useful tool, but it only works after the fact. And so, uh, giving someone a fine for $70, um,
isn't going to necessarily change their behavior on the front end, uh, because they won't know what's going to happen. Uh, and it just felt punitive, frankly, um, to have this one kind of arbitrary area, uh, facing double fines. Uh, and
so we wanted to we wanted to move away from that. That being said, the special parking zone is a useful tool for identifying areas in town with significant parking demand and it's a a helpful tool to allow us to target regulations that are
necessary in places with the most demand. So, uh you know, some of the spaces I know there were concerns mentioned about some of the streets mentioned not having meters on them and so why are they in the special parking zone, right? uh because there's still areas of high demand for parking and should we decide to adopt new
regulations to ensure that that parking is well managed in areas of of the greatest demand, we have that tool already in place. It's it's not imposing any costs on anyone because you can't change a meter rate where a meter doesn't exist, right? Uh but it gives us the tools we need uh to ensure that
should we need to put in uh special regulations to ensure parking is available and abundant uh we can do so easily without having to amend this parking zone every time >> because if if if they don't have the parking meters now so you're envisioning like years down the road or whatever. I
just don't understand why we need to include them if they don't have any um meters like at at this point in time. I heard what you said, but I'm still not able to follow the reasoning about something that may never exist. >> The the reasoning is is to ensure that
the area with the most demand for parking in town um has a is basically highlighted and noted and that we can target regulations that may need to be put in place to that area. Right? Just because a street isn't metered doesn't mean it doesn't have heavy parking
demand and doesn't mean that it doesn't uh need special attention. So what will we be doing for it now? How will it help us now in >> at this time? Right. The only use of the assuming this ordinance passes uh correct let me correct myself there. Uh
the only purpose of the special parking zone is to highlight where the meters will be $3 an hour from Thursday to Saturday. That's the that's the use of the special parking zone at this time. And so uh it would have no change to a street that doesn't have a meter at this time. No impact, I should say.
So one, two, three, four of the streets that are here don't have meters. So that's like what? Half of them. >> 2, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. >> I I want to make sure uh it's clear. So th those are the bounding streets. All streets within that zone as laid out in the map are included in the special
parking zone. So the streets noted are the streets on the edge essentially. Okay. >> And and everything within it is included in the special parking zone. >> I just have a question, >> Council Toller. So, um, when you said we met, and I'm not sure who we is, but, I thought we had a parking committee.
>> Yeah. >> And, um, who did you meet with to come up with this? >> I don't You said we met. We met and we discussed. So, I'm just trying to figure out >> I I >> No, I'm trying to figure out who your we is.
>> I'll I'll be honest. I don't recall saying the words we met. Um but I was talking to um I I I guess I'm not following um >> well basically did you come up with this by yourself or did you meet with a committee or group of people because
there is a parking committee and I don't recall >> oh this being I don't remember a discussion on it. So >> I consulted with Manny at the parking utility about the the value of the double fines in enforcement. Uh, mayor, were you consulted? Um, okay. So, there
is a parking commission. So, I'm just trying to understand. I mean, I understand he's putting meters up and fines, but is this needed at this time? Because in my opinion, there's just I think far better things complete streets could be doing with their time. Is there is there a real reason we need to do this right
now? Is there something you or Manny really want to share with us that why we should vote and do this now versus later? I I want to ensure that the parking changes implemented in the most recent council meeting uh are effective
and and accomplish the goals of the municipality and that the areas of town that have the highest demand for parking are are adequately priced to ensure that parking remains available for those who need it. >> And I respect that. I'm just thinking we need to really focus on some other
things with complete streets. You know, um we've had two accidents in war 4 this weekend. I've emailed you the pictures. Yep. the same in the same intersection. So, if you have time to do this, maybe we can start talking about doing some improvements for road, you know, safety.
Um, instead of something that this wouldn't go into effect to be money to be collected until when >> it would get some take effect when the ordinance takes effect, which is 20 days after second reading. >> Do we have meters to install
>> on on many of the streets in the bounded zone? Yes. Not on not on all of the streets within the zone, but on >> Okay. Not on these. >> I don't know. I feel like this should just have gone through the parking committee first. >> Council Williams and then councelor um
Harrison. Council Williams. Councelor Harrison. >> Okay. So, I'm confused on multiple levels. Um, one, if you're describing a boundary, why are you including both sides of the street? Because that adds to the
impression that we're doing something that we're not with streets with no currently no parking meters, >> right? >> I I expanded uh from the pre-existing language in the code and so I I was using the pre-existing language in the code. >> Okay. But you're changing a bunch of
other language. So changing and then the with what we just passed. Does the special meter rates apply to parking lots >> at this? No. The special meter rates
apply only to on street meters. Not >> that is not what this says. >> Right. This says for special meter rates is hereby establish include shall include all streets parts of streets and public parking lots within the area and you're picking up a couple of big
parking lots by doing this which certainly creates the impression that a higher rate applies which is not in the ordinance we just adopted and >> I'm not as >> I'm trying to think in the original area whether there were any >> public parking lots.
>> Yeah. But um I'm not I if we're not charging special rates in the parking lots, that language shouldn't be here. >> That's Yeah, understood. >> Council Williams. No. Council Demato.
>> Deputy. >> Oh, councelor Williams. >> Okay. Thank you. You caught me. So, do we want to to councelor Harrison's point with the public lots? That's something that I I didn't focus on. I I guess it's pretty
good point. Should we just pull pull this back and then or it it's kind of an isn't material change if we just strike the public lots out of here because the rest >> I think we need to discuss it a little bit further all the way around.
Streets that have no meters I don't think should be here either. Well, I mean, and I don't I don't want to prolong this. So, if we're going to table it, we can table it. But if if there's no meters on the street, then there's no effect. But >> but it doesn't need to be in here, just
like the the parking spaces, the parking lots that that aren't going to be in. >> Well, the the parking lots would have the effect. It would have an impact on the parking lots, but >> if we change if we change what we already covered to include that, they're
not included. >> I think I think park uh parking lots are currently included in the special parking zone, but they're not included in the new boundary that he's creating. >> I don't understand why we just won't
table any table. I don't think they were included. >> Can I make a motion table? >> Thank you. Second. Yeah. One very small thing which >> they weren't included. >> Next time, can we please have the items that are related consecutively?
>> Which ones? Um council. >> Um J and G parking zone. >> Okay. You want me to go to Jay next then to so it'll be like back to back? I can take Jay. I mean, I just
But I will say that I I have trouble also following this whole thing a little bit just and I read the memo. It's just it's just confusing. >> So, I'd like to make a motion that we table it. Was there a motion on the on the already? >> Motion. >> Okay. Council Williams made a motion and
I second. >> No, there was already one on, right? >> Yes, Mayor. >> Okay. >> Are we tableabling this to July 14th? >> Yes. >> Okay. Deputy Mayor Harris, I'm sorry. Deputy Mayor Anderson, >> yes. >> Councelor Birmingham, absent. Councelor
Damato, >> uh, abstain. >> Councelor Harrison, >> yes. >> Councelor Toller, >> yes. >> Councelor Williams, >> yes. >> Mayor Baskerville, >> yes. And then do we want to go um to agenda item J?
>> Um, Council Damato, H. I thought he said that that these were >> No, no, I'm saying in general that things that are related, I don't even know if they relate. I mean, they are related. >> It's not related. >> Jay is not related. >> Okay. So, thank you very much. Um,
director Nean, >> thank you. >> Okay. Um, Council Harrison >> H. an ordinance establishing article 10 valet parking regulations in chapter 327
vehicles and traffic entitled valet parking regulations I so move >> second discussion >> um council williams >> I I think I'm well I'm going to vote against this because I I don't while I I
think valet parking needs to be regulated not totally abolished. Uh so, you know, that's I I I don't think that this has any sort of uh exception in here for special events or anything like
that. So, that's that's just my comment. >> Mayor, deputy. Um, so number one, I I I guess with the third whereas clause, I'm just really not I'm not convinced that valet parking and
just for the record, I am not advocating for valet parking, but um I just don't I am not convinced that valet parking reduces the number of p public parking locations to the general public. But um I think um councelor Harrison I I spoke
with you before um with the um restrictions section 327-53. Um I noted that it's it says specifically commercial establishments um providing valet parking services and their valet parking attendance shall be
prohibited um you know from using the rightway for valet parking. Um, and so my assumption was that that was a purposeful use of language and that that would effectively allow for the possibility of, you know, nonprofit,
non-commercial entities being able to um, um, use, you know, offer valet parking. And if that's the case, what would be the mechanism for for them being able to do that? Um, I mean, I'm I'm generally more in
favor of an ordinance addressing valet parking that regulates um that's more in line with other municipalities. Um, pretty much every other municipality that I looked up that has a valet parking law had regulation rather than um a a language like this.
So, I'm just trying to open that up that discussion. >> Sure. Um, Council Toller. >> Sure. I'm in favor of this. Um I understand what uh deputy mayor is stating. Um the enforcement is going to
really need to be increased for this to work. Um attorney, I think you mentioned that the word ban should not be used, but what was the other word that you suggested that we could possibly add? >> I'm sorry. My uh my advice was
what it was. >> Okay. Well, when you figure that out, let us know. It's okay. It's been a long day. Let me come back to you. >> Okay. >> Yeah. We we have to think about everything as a whole here. And um valet
parking is just it's not the way. It's just not what we need to be doing for our residents here. I mean, who are we offering valet parking to? >> Yeah. And I I um I am in agreement with this. And when we had um pretty robust
discussion about it, we were trying to visualize even if you look at some of the um parking lots in town that allow for valet parking. It's it's very nice that they do that for the people that get to use it. But what happens is the
cars that are in queue trying to get into those parking lots, they black block the traffic so that the flow of traffic is impeded and you know possibly causing danger. And so when I looked at all of the lots that I'm familiar with
in town that use the valet parking because I was trying to figure out, okay, so if we're just letting the lots do that, what will happen? But if you think about it, everyone that I know of, the traffic always gets cued on the street and impedes the flow of traffic.
And so I'm not in favor of doing things that will um ultimately interfere with the flow the safe flow of traffic. Um and so I think that this um does something that I'm in favor of >> and I I think visitors we should be, you
know, encouraging them to use our parking decks. >> Yeah. >> I don't really get it. >> Yes. Um, Deputy Mayor, >> I I am wondering if um Harrison, Councelor Harrison would like to respond to my question, but in my in my view, the prior version of the ordinance
effectively um would accomplish just that is and and I and I know because I've seen it firsthand where with a business that has valet parking and offers it on a street that's very narrow and happens to have a mostly empty
parking deck right across the street. And so to me, the prior version of the ordinance had all this criteria that would effectively make it impossible or very difficult um for in that kind of a
situation for a permit to be granted. So, um, again, you know, I'm I think the key issue for the valet parking situation that we're seeing now like is like you said, um the impediment to traffic safe traffic um passage and um I
think that the regulation that we had in the prior version of the ordinance um effectively would would accomplish you know the getting rid of the valet parking in that situation. I I think that we have um we have two options and
and some good ones. So, why don't we do a roll call vote on this the way it is now and then if this is voted down then we have the um other one that you know seems like that was pretty good too. >> Yeah. As soon as I was finished speaking. So, that that's what I would
like to do. But I'm going to give you an opportunity and then I'm going to ask Madame Clerk to call the role please. >> Yes. So, um I've had a little roller coaster on this one uh since the last time around. I don't
like when I see valet parking. It it as I put it to people like I'd like to see more the town have more Birkenstock and less Balenciaga kind of feel. And this is really, you know, I see it. And so I
said it last time, I would like to get rid of it. And some uh very people who are really smarter than me and actually really kind of Birkenstock people told me that I had it kind of wrong and that actually valet parking is they were
singing the praises of it as both a better form of curb management and actually something that actually opens up parking for people because it is generally is used involving lots that are not normally used that are not going
to be used. And um and not only that, but it is like the 1.0 version of what I, as you all know, believe will be a great future when cars are dropping people off. >> No cars. >> So, it's like training for that great
new future. And so, I am quite conflicted and I'm mostly still against valet now. So, I'm putting aside my distaste, my sort of aesthetic, you know, distaste of the whole thing and the and the fact that it it it makes
me feel excluded and if I feel excluded, other people when they see that are feeling like what's going on in town. I put that aside to be like, okay, so it's moving cars in and out in a more efficient way. But what I am concerned about the deputy mayor gave you know who
lives caddy corner from from one place said you know but it's leading to this crush of of queuing cars in the most dangerous possible way in a narrow you know narrow confines. So we have a a
safety issue. So it's a very conflicted thing. And then the third the third thing that would make me favor that first approach that we had is that from what I understand um throughout the state
municipalities have not had success um with a tighter uh banlike controls on it and will be and are sued. And I don't want us to be sued. We spend a lot of money. We've spent a lot of money on lawsuits and it bums me out as much as
valet parking does. So, I'm I'm I'm sorry to be wishy-washy on this, but I would I would like to regulate it in a way I don't want us to be sued. I would like our attorney to help guide us on which of those two approaches is less likely to end us up.
>> Roll call. Madam clerk, please. >> Henderson. >> No. Councelor Birmingham absent. Councelor Damato, >> no. >> Councelor Harrison, >> yes. >> Councelor Toller, >> yes. >> Councelor Williams, >> no. >> Mayor Baskerville,
>> yes. >> Motion failed. >> I'm sorry. >> The motion to adopt failed. Thank you. Next. Um, we're on I council Damato.
>> Um, an ordinance amending section 18, chapter 327, vehicles and traffic of the code of the township of Montlair, New Jersey. And I so move. >> Second. Discussion.
>> Yeah, just uh may I >> Oh, yes, counselor. My only question here is was this discussed with the BOE because I I saw in the memos. >> Yes, >> it was.
>> Manager, please. >> Actually, I would defer to either manager Mano or Jake Nean. Good evening. >> Oh, there you go. That works. Um, to be blunt, no, I did not discuss this with the BOE. Uh we're having a lot of issues with our parking enforcement officers uh
u having a lot of conflicts uh with uh the students parking there at 829 exactly or 828 or 8:27 whatever the case might be. Um it's causing a lot of problems uh because the neighbors are
complaining and also the addition the problem the biggest problem is when people are getting dropped off they have nowhere to park. Um, and that area is supposed to be for that so that people can drop off people to drop off uh students that are running late ready.
Um, and so we figured if we change it to 9:00 that changing the change to 9:00 will uh prevent all that and give people plenty of room to park, not have to double park and back up traffic and back up buses and everything else. Just what's happening there.
>> And that that's fine. Thank you for the explanation. But I I think something like this that is going to affect the high school probably needs to speak to either the principal or superintendent, stuff like that, and kind of spread the word because we're going to pass this and they're I mean,
we're going in summer now anyway, so you don't have to worry about it immediately, but probably need to put this on their radar that this is coming and maybe get their feedback. >> What do you think would um the consequences of the half hour? Is that what you're talking about from 8:30 to 9?
one, I wasn't quite I'm I don't fully appreciate what's happening here, >> right? But I'm just thinking that this is going to be if you're saying that students are involved and they're coming there and they're parking there at a
certain time. So now you're going to have all these students, which I'm assuming that they have to start school before 8:30. >> Yeah. >> Right. So now they're going to be going someplace else to park that isn't right by the school. So just just saying maybe
we we speak to the principal or speak to someone from BOE about unintended consequences. >> Yeah, I have no problem with that. Um and but just so you understand that that that my understanding that that area was design was designated for the drop off of students and so that was the reason
why we wanted to change it to give to give the people that are running even later a place to a place to drop off and not you know have any problems with traffic. So >> yeah well I'll definitely get that. >> So do you want to um table it until July? What what do you want to do with it?
>> Maybe have a conversation with the school first. >> Huh? I think he should have a conversation with the principal somebody has been a problem at Montlair High School forever. Parents yelling and screaming today are no different than the parents from the 80s. So, you know,
I think we have to really have some consideration for what we need to do. >> Um, talk to the principal Manny if you can and the superintendent first. Um, I think we just got to stop kind of caving to groups of people and their wishes. we have to think about what's the best
thing to do for the whole township. So this has been a issue since when I came out the deputy mayor. >> So um I do know I am aware that this area in front of the high school is quite has been quite an dangerous area
um for traffic. >> Um I think one of my questions is um well I have two questions. I am curious to know if we have like recent data about like traffic incidents there that could possibly be because of this. And
my second question is like I'm just curious if we extend um the pro parking prohibition to 9:00. I'm just curious like where would the students park? Like do they >> maybe even some of the staff? Right. >> Yeah. I I'm just I I totally understand
the reason for this. I'm just trying to get an idea of what the options would be for people who need parking before 9:00. >> Staff and students have um designated map that the high school gives them when they purchase the passes to to be able to park. >> Um there's also other areas. I mean, if
there most of the students that are parking in these in these areas have like an early lunch or something, so they wind up leaving before the 4 hour because it's a 4-hour limit starting at 8:30. So, there's no parking there between 7 uh between 7:00 and 8:30 currently. And when um so what they park
in there like 7 at 8 the the clock starts at 8:30. Obviously we don't we don't exactly chalk at 8:30. We drive by and chalk you know4 to 9 9:00 whatever the case might be. But unfortunately we we've having a lot of issues uh as you
stated before with um people uh parking there before that and just sitting in their cars. >> And when we ask them to please move that's when the conflicts start. So people, the students and faculty both are are parking there at starting at 8 8 o'clock. That whole area is full. By 8
by by 8:15 that area is full and we've been trying to move people along and that's when the conflicts start. If we figure we move it to 9:00 that should end some of those conflicts because now at that point, you know, you're you're parking at 9:00 and you same thing with the permits. To answer your question
about the permits, sorry to full circle. Um they have they have they they have a map where they can park both staff and students. They're allocated on all the side streets and if you drive around on the side streets you'll see except for except for authorized permits. So there
shouldn't be any issues with them finding a parking spot. If you're running late I'm sorry but that's you know again that's going back to what you were just saying. We're catering to everybody. We're just catering to certain people catering and catering and catering and and it's causing it's causing other problems. Is there any
downside to you um speaking to principal Freeman and then we can get this on for July? Absolutely. So um >> we can we could also just vote pass it. I mean and then you can have your conversation and if you haven't had it
by the next one then maybe we table it or whatever the case may be. So I mean we're not we're only >> then table it. Why would we do all that? >> No. My point being here is you're just losing you're losing time. We're only going to meet once next month and we have I don't know maybe four weeks, four
or five weeks between this meeting and the next one between that time you can have that conversation. >> So if we if we vote and pass it then it's um and then he says no then what? And then Freeman says oh no that'll really mess things up. >> Then we don't >> then then what? Because we've already
meet with the principal then you vote down. >> Okay. So it's I mean it's just I I get it. I'm just saying it's just two different ways to do it. So either way, I think that the uh main objective is to have the respect to have that discussion with um the principal for you. >> And mayor, if you could when you're
talking with him, uh I would like to know where as a you know, parent of a high schooler um where when people are coming during the day to do a short stop where they're supposed to go. So maybe
that side of the street should just be, >> you know, 15 minutes or whatever or 30 minutes >> because they closed the loops in front of the an annex in front of the high school and the north side of Chestnut is
is no standing. I think >> that's correct. >> So there's nowhere for people to go in the same way we've discussed this. There's nowhere to actually do a legal drop off on Park Street, which is bananas. um you know, south >> bananas.
>> Well, it's just everybody's breaking the law. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> I'm a felon. I should be in jail for the number of times that I've done it. >> Bananas. It is. >> But but so I would check. I mean, we should be talking with them about all the ideas of what we should be doing around there. But I agree with my colleague that we could just, you know,
>> roll call. Madam clerk, >> pass it. >> Deputy Mayor Anderson. >> Yes. >> Councelor Birmingham absent. Councelor Damato. >> Yes. Councelor Harrison, >> yes. >> Councelor Toller, >> yes. >> Councelor Williams, >> yes. >> Mayor Baskerville, >> yes.
>> Did we finish with all of these? >> Okay. >> Jay, >> you want to do that one? >> Sure. title on the agenda. >> Okay. >> It has the wrong title and I apologize to director Neman. That's why I thought it was related. It was
>> What is the title? >> Oh, it's actually a section 22 of >> Yeah, that isn't that what um council de >> No, it was in the original agenda that said it was a special parking zone
related thing. >> Okay. It's not. >> So we can proceed with this. >> J, >> an ordinance amending section 22 of chapter 327, vehicles and traffic of the code of township of Montlair. This is to add a loading zone on Maple Avenue.
>> Second discussion. Councelor Toller. >> No, I just want to thank Mr. Marks for u ensuring that this got prepared and ready for today because this street was somehow left out of the original group. And uh thanks to Jake for working on it
uh under the direction of Mr. Mark. So now the red the store owners on Maple Avenue will hopefully be able to utilize this loading zone and be very happy with >> we do the resolution at the end of the public hearing. >> Okay. Thank you, Madam Clerk. >> Deputy Mayor Anderson.
>> Yes. >> Councelor Birmingham absent. Councelor Damato. Yes. >> Councelor Harrison. Yes. >> Councelor Toller. Yes. >> Councelor Williams. >> Yes. >> Mayor Baskerville. >> Yes. Okay. Um, councelor Harrison.
>> Okay. I mo move to read the Monontlair Senator bid budget for year 2026 by title pursuant to NJSA4A- col56-84T. >> Second. >> Do you have it?
Thank you. >> Oh, I must have >> Thank you. Yeah. >> Thank you. Thank you very much. This >> Where is >> No, not yet. We're going to pass this
first resolution that permits you to read the next one just by title >> and you'll read the amount voted. So now you can do roll call >> as opposed to doing every line. Thank you so much. You're welcome. Deputy Mayor Anderson, >> yes. >> Councelor Birmingham, absent. Councelor Damato, >> yes.
>> Councelor Harrison, >> yes. >> Councelor Toller, yes. >> Councelor Williams, yes. >> Mayor Baskerville, >> yes. Thank you. >> You're welcome, >> Council Harrison. Okay. So, so reading the entire >> read that one by title and make sure to just say the amount out loud. That's all.
>> Okay. Resolution to adopt the 2026 Monontlair Center bid budget. The budget is for 1,94,552. >> So, >> and you second. Madam clerk, >> you should ask if there's any members of
the public who wish to speak to the budget. >> Any members of the public who wish to uh speak about the bid budget? Um I'm going to open the public hearing without objection. If you'd like to be heard on
this, please come forward at this time. Seeing no one, I'm going to close the public hearing. Um, council members, seeing no one, roll call, please. >> Deputy Mayor Anderson, >> yes. >> Councelor Birmingham, absent. Councelor Damato, >> yes. >> Councelor Harrison, yes.
>> Councelor Toller, >> yes. >> Councelor Williams, yes. >> Mayor Baskerville, >> yes. Thank you. >> At this time, we're going to have a um discussion about the public transportation.
Public transportation. H >> I I had a request that we can discuss that. >> I withdraw that. >> Okay. The the request has been withdrawn. I apologize. So, we're going to go on to the consent agenda.
At this time, the numbers that I have that will be removed from the consent agenda are 1 12 16 20 21 22 29 31 32 and 33. Are there others that we should move
for discussion? >> No. >> So, may I move to >> Yes. Thank you. >> So, I madame clerk. >> Yes, ma'am. >> I move to adopt um the consent to agenda items. >> I second >> two. Sorry, I have to say them. Oh,
>> 2 through 11, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, >> 23 through 28, and 30. >> Second, >> Madam Clerk,
>> Deputy Mayor Anderson, >> yes. >> Councelor Birmingham, absent. Councelor Damato, >> yes. >> Councelor Harrison, yes. >> Councelor Toller, >> yes. >> Councelor Williams, >> yes. >> Mayor Baskerville, >> yes. Thank you. Okay. Um, councelor Toller, please. The bill's list.
>> Uh, sure. So, this is bill's list resolution. Whereas, invoices against the township of Montlair in favor of the following persons for the amount said opposite their respective names have been received, duly audited, and found correct. Uh, this is a memo from our
CFO, Peter George, dated June 3rd, 2026. Uh the following is a preliminary version of the bill list aggregating to 46,187,75019 to be presented for approval at the June 9th 2026 council meeting. I so move
>> second discussion council to you want this one p. >> Uh I did because I thought councelor Harrison may have had a question. I already spoke to Mr. Marks. Um, >> okay. >> Cuz I didn't get some invoices that I
requested. Even though it was asked of me on Friday, I didn't get them. >> So, you moved and I second. >> Yes. Madame clerk. >> Deputy Mayor Anderson. >> This is for the bills list. The adoption of the bills. >> The bills list. Okay. Discussion.
>> Very quickly. So, uh, the, um, Greenman Peterson, >> tell me the page, please. It's on page I didn't say it's the it's the design engineering for Glen Ridge Avenue.
So that has gone out and to that has already been gone out to bid. This is the extension of the >> track >> of the cycle track >> and this is entirely grant fun. Is this
grant funded? This is entirely grant funded >> and it's the design of the cycle track from from uh Willow to Grove or from Willow to >> Can you try to identify it so we can all
get on the um thing? I don't know where what page or where you are. >> It's under G. >> Under G. Okay. BCD >> in the general fund. >> General fund. Raymond Peterson. >> Peterson. >> Thank you.
>> And there's like 64,000 $65,000. >> It's to just before Crane Park. >> It stopped at Crane Park. >> Yeah. >> And what what is your question? >> I just wanted a reminder of what this
was about. And there and so the the uh north side of Crane Park is re being redesigned. Correct. It's It stops just before Crane Parks. I I don't believe Crane Park's being touched. >> Okay. Yeah,
>> it's not. >> Well, there's a starts where it on on the >> I believe Willow. Yeah, it's it's because it involves moving the curb. There's significant expense and and and this is the challenge with moving the curb is >> you touch drainage, you touch utilities
and and it it sends expenses >> and a bike path is going down there, remember? >> And this is just the engineering work. >> That's that's >> just the paper paperwork. Okay. >> Permits >> and the permits. >> Yep. >> Okay. Great. >> Somebody else is paying.
>> Deputy Mayor Anderson. >> Yes. >> Councelor Birmingham absent. Councelor Damato. Yes. >> Councelor Harrison. >> Yes. >> Councelor Toller. >> Yes. >> Councelor Williams. >> This is for the bill list. >> Yes. >> Mayor Baskerville. >> Yes. Thank you. Um, who wants to read
number 12, please? Someone want wanted discussion on number 12, please. >> Okay. Council Damato. >> Police off duty. >> Yeah, I got it. Uh resolution authorizing uh a fair and
open contract for police off duty detail management to visual computer solutions inc through competitive contracting. And I would just ask the manager to walk us through this. Oh, >> hi >> thank you for being here. >> You're welcome.
>> Uh just remind us so this one has gone back and forth a couple of times. >> Yes. So, we were here in February and we passed it and the town attorney recommended that we readvertise and re re-request uh proposals. So, we we did
the resolution to cancel that contract. >> Oh, right. >> And then we requested proposals again and we are back here again to >> and everybody's happy and this is good. >> We're all happy with it. Uh
we we went through the process with the advice and consent of the QPA. >> He walked us through everything and he he drew up the resolution and uh and we're happy. >> Okay. >> Good. >> All right.
>> Anyone else? >> Thank you all very much. Not just for this, but for your service. We are really fortunate to have you. >> Thank you. We appreciate it. Um, roll call on number 12, please. >> May I have a motion, mayor? >> Oh, I'm sorry. I thought council.
>> I did. I moved it >> and I second it. >> Deputy Mayor Anderson? >> Yes. >> Councelor Birmingham, absent. Councelor Damato, >> yes. >> Councelor Harrison, >> yes. >> Councelor Toller, >> yes. >> Councelor Williams, >> yes. >> Mayor Baskerville, >> yes. Thank you. Number 16.
>> Oh, this was my request. Okay. Resolution authorizing award of supplemental services under RFP23-P01 for professional arborist services with rich view consulting for community forestry management plan tree inventory
and related urban forestry services. So move >> second and what was your question please? My question really had to do with um just I wanted to just confirm um because this is increases um the not to exceed amount to
50,000 and um for a term of one year and I just wanted to confirm >> that we are indeed actually going from one day like we're going to be able to have an arborist dedicated um to us for going from one day to three days. >> So this is project based. >> Okay. So, they're going to be authoring
our community forestry management plan, which is a requirement. Uh, they're also going to be completing the tree inventory as well as working on the USDA tree grant. So, I can't confirm that it it will be definitely three days a week. There's going to be times where it will
be three and it won't be three. So, it's also dependent on the contract they have with DCS. >> Okay. So I guess my follow-up question would be um and you have you know you have very been very involved in helping us you know parse through um the
requirements of um the proposed tree ordinance and under under that ordinance there is going to be probably um you know I mean there's going to be additional responsibility. >> Yes. Um, so I'm just trying to figure out I'm just thinking ahead as to
whether or not we're going to actually be able to have an arborist who can help implement the the tree ordinance. >> I again I hope so. The funding that I'm using is only grant funding. So again, that expires one grant should be spent
by the end of the year and the other one expires by at the end of 2020. So, as long as it pertains to the grants that I'm working on, I do have funding for it. >> Okay. >> Thank you, Dr. Johnson. Um, I'd like to thank you for being here. I'm I'm going
to start implementing something new. When people come down to speak, we all know who you are and we value you and we appreciate you staying here, but I think for the purposes of people at home, it would help if you would say, you know, who you are and what you are. So if
they're watching, you know, they'll know who you are. I apologize. >> And again, no, I not, it wasn't you. I haven't been doing that, but I'm thinking now people are home and I'm so excited and proud of you and everything that you do. I want people to start to identify you as a director of sustainability and know who you are,
doc. So, thank you for being here. >> Thank you. >> Yeah. >> Thank you for having me. >> So, I just have a question. >> Councelor Toller. >> Sure. Um I know that we don't have an arborist and this hasn't been filed with um since 2016 and is that correct?
>> I do not know. I know that it wasn't filed for 2025 but before that I I do not know that would be with DCS. >> Yeah. So if you go on the NJ uh UCF, you know, the accreditation provides liability protection for treeare, but
with the NJ D, there's nothing filed since 2016. So is this kind of going to cover all of that back or you don't have that answer? >> It doesn't state on the D's website that it hasn't been filed. It just states that we have been unacredited since
2016. And that could be because we don't have the CEUs. So there's a requirement for at least 18 CUS between two people for each municipality and there's been periods where we haven't been able to maintain that. So again, I can't say if
it's because the report hasn't been filed or if it's because we haven't had the CUS. >> Okay. >> Yeah, I can't speak on something that I'm I'm not aware of. >> Thank you. Anyone else? No. Harrison. Madame Clerk, please. Thank you so much.
Thank you. >> Deputy Mayor Anderson, >> yes. >> Council Birmingham, absent. Councelor Damato, >> yes. >> Councelor Harrison, >> yes. >> Councelor Toller, >> yes. >> Councelor Williams, >> yes. >> Mayor Baskerville, >> yes. Number 20, please. >> Someone asked, I have number 20, 21. I
think that was council Damato 20. >> Three related. >> Okay. Yes. um resolution that relate to the township. >> Um >> the manager is going to finish that sentence. >> Yeah.
>> So, as uh everybody probably knows, um the schools had a special election on um March 10th. There were two questions. Um question one uh passed which raised an additional $12.6 million in this year's budget uh for the schools. Um the
concern is that uh when you raise when you have a referendum like this and you raise raise additional funds uh when are the funds when do the funds come due? Um so the 12 the the honor about I think it was we adopted our budget I think on May
5th. I think the board of education adopted its budget the following day on May 6th. When a board of education adopts a budget, they also adopt a uh an accompanying form called the A4F form. The A4F form is sent to the county board
of taxation and lets the county board of taxation know how much um how much money to raise for the schools and and the county board of taxation strikes a rate and sends that rate to um the municipal tax collector. Um in the case of the
$12.6 6 million from question one there there was no opportunity to spread that $ 122.6 million over four quarters. So um the $12.6 million would have been paid out uh traditionally um under two
quarters. Those quarters being the tax bills that are collected uh on August 1st of this year and then on November 1st of this year. Um, if if we only paid or if we only collected the $12.6 million over two quarters, there'd be an
inevitable bump in taxes, extreme bump in taxes, and then the taxes would go down correspondingly in the two first quarters of 2027, which are due February 1st, 2027 and May 1st, 2027. So, it was discussed at length in the finance
committee uh by the mayor and and councilors uh Williams and and Birmingham uh to there was a desire uh for the town to take take or issue a tax anticipation note to spread out the payments or spread out the taxes over
four quarters rather than two quarters. So, the four quarters that the $12.6 6 million would be spread out would be August 1, 2026, November 1, 2026, February 1, 2027, and uh May 1st, 2027.
In order to do that, we have to issue what's called the tax anticipation note. So that we our financial advisors, there's a couple corresponding documents that I handed out this evening. Uh, one is a letter to Superintendent Turner
dated June 8th explaining what the town would like to do. Uh, on the rear of that is a uh schedule of when the 12.6 million is due uh from the town uh to the uh board of education or Montlair
public schools. So Montlair if if approved, Montlair public ski schools would still get their $12.6 $6 million um in 12 equal payments of $1,ion50,000 between July 2nd of this year and December 14th of this year. They are
made whole. Um so we're not deviating from that. But if we are able to issue if it requires two things, one is issuance of a tax anticipation note by the town. And the second is that's relying on um the board of education or
the Montlair superintendent reissuing what's the A4F form to the county sup uh the um county um board of taxation, the county tax administrator, board of taxation asking for for permission to
instead of the two payments of $6.3 million each this year to spread the the um the 12.6 6 million over the four quarters that I had mentioned before. There'd be four equal payments due by taxpayers of $3.15 million each. And
over the course of the year, we would collect the $12.6 million. So the two two parts, a it requires the the uh board of education, the Montlair school superintendent to make that request of the county tax board and assuming that
the county tax board is okay with that. And then B, um, the town issuing the tax anticipation notes. The tax anticipation notes do have a cost. There is a schedule that I also handed out this evening that was prepared by Phoenix
Adviserss, which is the town's um, financial advisors. There's two options. U, we would not be taking uh, option one is for $6.3 million in tax anticipation notes. Um, that would create, assuming
we are able to get the tax anticipation notes at 4% interest, we we would be paying approximately $198,800 in interest um for the tax anticipation notes. Uh, option two, which is not what
we are looking to do, would be borrowing the entire $12.6 million. That that is not necessary. That is not what's being proposed. Uh but if you are if the mayor council are agreeable to issuing issuing the tax anticipation notes to smooth out
the tax payments, there is a cost and it's approximately $200,000. >> Does that I Does that make sense? Does that explain everything? >> Yes. >> Yeah. Thank you. >> Thank you for that, Mr. Marker. >> No, I just wanted to thank Mr. Marks again. I appreciate your advocacy for
the residents and trying to work out a deal with our board of education. I'm hopeful that >> You're welcome. >> Yeah, you too, Madam Mayor. I'm sorry. Uh and whoever else is on finance committee. Okay. Councelor Williams and Miss Council Birmingham, wherever you
are. Sheesh. Um it's important, you know, and hopefully the superintendent will agree. Um because this will be a a less of a burden on the residents. The only thing I wanted to mention is that this resolution is for a different township. Oh, that was that was an
earlier that that was a a typo that was corrected. That was an earlier version. So, I apologize for for that. That's been corrected. >> The same thing I said when I saw that. Where is it? Yeah. >> All right. >> Okay. So, um
>> Awesome. >> I move it. >> We can. Yeah. Did you moved it? >> Well, there can we move all three or we have to do them individually? >> Individually though. I think individual is too. So, you want to move? >> I'm happy to move them individually because they're all
>> Okay. So, on 21. >> We're on 20. Mayor, >> on 20. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Okay. >> Council Demato, you want to move it? >> I so move. >> Okay. Deputy Mayor Anderson. >> Yes. >> Council Birmingham, absent. Councelor
Damato, >> yes. >> Councelor Harrison, yes. >> Councelor Toller, >> yes. Councelor Williams. >> Yes. >> Mayor Baskerville. >> Yes. >> 21. >> 21. >> 21. Resolution authorizing the chief financial officer of the township of Montlair in the county of Essex, state
of New Jersey and other township officials to undertake certain actions in connection with the sale and issuance of not to exceed uh 18 million uh 491,000 bond anticipation notes uh
series 2026. So moved. >> Second. Madam clerk, Deputy Mayor Anderson, >> yes. >> Council Birmingham, absent. Councelor Damato, yes. >> Councelor Harrison, >> yes. >> Councelor Toller, >> Councelor Williams, >> yes. >> Mayor Baskerville,
>> yes. And finally, a resolution providing for the combination of certain issues of bond anti anticipation notes of the township of Monontlair into an issue of bond anticipation notes aggregating not to exceed $18,491,000
in principal amount and I so move. >> Second, Madame Clerk. >> Deputy Mayor Anderson. >> Councelor Birmingham absent. Councelor Damato, yes. >> Councelor Harrison, yes. Yes. Councelor Toller. Yes. >> Councelor Williams. >> Yes. >> Mayor Baskerville.
>> Yes. Thank you. Number 29, please. >> Someone was interested in pulling number 29 off of the >> councelor Toller. >> Councelor Toller, please. Resolution 29. Okay. Oh, >> I meant to say 28, but it's already been
>> I'd like to move resolution 29. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Madame Clerk. >> Deputy Mayor Anderson. >> Yes. >> Councelor Birmingham absent. Councelor Damato. >> Yes. >> Councelor Harrison. Yes. >> Councelor Toller. >> Yes. >> Councelor Williams. Yes. >> Mayor Baskerville.
>> Yes. Thank you. Number 31. Councelor Toller. >> Um, yeah. I just wanted to know where we were in the process or status of uh >> is this still grant money that we're using or or have we exceeded? >> This is grant money. This the change
order is covered by a grant. >> So, we've spent all of the grant money and now we're spending >> Well, I wouldn't say it's spent. It's encumbered. >> Okay. Same thing. But the project is underway. We're We had a conference call with the um architects this morning and
we're probably about 30 days out from a substantial completion. If you peek in the windows across the hall, the the walls are going up and the sheetrock should be up in in about a week. >> Okay. >> Manager, I just had um one one concern,
I guess. So, if we're in the process of trying to decide our next steps in terms of where we're going and what we're going to do, if we're going to be here or if we're going to do some other things, which I don't know, you know, to discuss or not, then why would we be
investing any more money there? And like just like I wouldn't necessarily go and put a brand new roof or million dollars worth of a elevator or anything until we're sure about where we're going and what our next moves are.
Um, so we don't have an agreement to a a plan or an agreement to go elsewhere. Um, we've already invested a significant sum of money in creating the senior hub across the hall. Um, this is additional grant money. If even if we were to come
to an agreement with another entity to, you know, >> demolish this building, >> well, move to a different location, that may be a year or two before, you know, that that becomes affectuated. So that's a year or two of use that the senior hub could be having otherwise.
>> Okay. >> I'm sorry. >> And learning. >> And learning. >> Yeah. No. Okay. I was just really, you know, just wondering that for the same reason, are we going to go ahead and get the elevator um get a new elevator and fix the roof on this building because there's a lot of things that I think need to have attention. We're going to
be here for another two years, which we definitely will be here for another two years. So for the roof and the elevator, that would be our own money. Um this was grant funded. So this is this um supplements additional grant funds that were um you know already spent on this
project. >> Um if we were to move, uh I would definitely want to make sure that that whatever whatever expense was reimbured that the town outlaid um would be um part of that negotiate negotiated
process. >> Okay. So, >> no, that's good. It's just that when I read that, that's the first thing that came to my mind, like, okay, we're going to keep putting money and if we come to an agreement where they say they just want to demolish the property, but I certainly um get it now and I appreciate
you taking your time to explain it to me. Does anybody else have any questions on that one? Okay, Madam Clerk, >> may I have a motion for item 31, please? >> Second, >> Madam Cler. >> Deputy Mayor Anderson? >> Yes. >> Councelor Birmingham, absent. Councelor Damato, >> yes. Councelor Harrison, yes. Councelor
Toller, yes. >> Councelor Williams, yes. Mayor Baskerville, >> yes. Thank you. Number 32, please. >> So, we we received a number of public comments urging us to include members of the public on this committee, which I
think is a desirable thing to do. And I I don't have strong views about how many members of the public, but >> so council um I'm sorry, deputy mayor Anderson. >> Uh yes. So um this this was actually um
developed by councelor Birmingham um to sort of go along with the the new tree ordinance as you saw. Um this is this committee as referenced and I I just want to emphasize the the the role of this committee which and that
the intent the plan the the the role of this committee is to create um an entity that will um allow for interdep departmental collaboration in in implementing and carrying out the
responsibilities under the ordinance. So um so that's why the plan is really to have this be um the representatives be um from among the um the township administration.
Um, I will note that um that this committee as as proposed includes um a representative of the um environmental commission as well as the parks and recreation committee >> um both of whom are you know uh private you know like they're not township
employees representative of those already established committees both of whom have responsibilities over uh you know trees and um and and and in um and uh and have some particularly the environmental commission. They actually
have a tree committee um and uh I think they will be good representatives for a what is supposed to really be an administrative um committee here. >> Yes, councelor Toller. >> Sure. Thank you. Um I agree with
councelor Harrison. We should have members of the public uh you know the residents as part of committee members. Um it's very similar to complete streets board where we don't have enough members of the community on board and residents are forced to attend the Thursday meeting at 12 noon. Uh which is a little
un you know unbalanced in my opinion. Um we have a lot of residents in town that have expert knowledge um who have been very helpful not only to this administration but past administrations. I really don't see the harm in adding residents as part of the membership
committee. Uh if you will for tree canopy, we have some experts here. The other thing I wanted to say is I think we should table this until councelor Birmingham is uh available if she wants to, you know, discuss it a little further about adding uh members of the public to this membership. I think we
should afford her that opportunity to at least weigh in. Um those are my thoughts. I'd like to see members of the public be part of the membership committee. Um because anything else is just not equitable. Um yeah, you have parks and w representative, that's
great. Uh environmental commission representative, that's great. Um but we have some residents that actually have some really good information. Advocates for trees, they should be a part of this discussion. Again, this isn't about us. This is about the future.
again. So, mayor, I I don't have an issue with tableabling this until we re, you know, we reintroduce that we introduce the tree ordinance, but again, you know, this is intended to be a working committee. Um, and much like the complete streets oversight board and uh
and there will be there are other opportunities for members of the public who have expertised. >> Excuse me. I'm not finished speaking. >> You pound down, sis. Go ahead and talk. >> I don't interrupt you. So please do not interrupt me. Go ahead. Go ahead.
>> Um so um so that is the reason why councelor Birmingham proposed the membership to be um of this committee to be this way but um I think that it would be probably better to um table this until July. >> I'll second that. And um yeah, thank you
for taking your time to to explain um and may I just want to explain that >> also like to thank you for having the respect to um consider that council of Birmingham is not here. >> Just inappropriate. >> Madam clerk,
>> deputy mayor Anderson, >> this is to table item 32 until July 14th. Yes. Okay. Councelor Birmingham absent. Councelor Damato, >> yes. >> Councelor Harrison, >> yes. Councelor Toller. >> Yes. >> Councelor Williams. >> Yes. >> Mayor Baskerville.
>> Yes. >> And number 33. >> Um this is requiring us to approve an agreement that's not been finalized. the my understanding of the
issues being discussed with public service um potential involve dollars and what I'd like to add to number one and then now therefore be resolved >> um the end towards the end of the third
line substantially in the form submitted here with provided that no payment from the township to public service electric and gas is required >> second >> and um I'd like to add the mayor and council
on number one. Can you add that to your second? Second that. Thank you. >> Where? >> Right here. Now, therefore, be it resolved. I'd just like it to say the mayor and council. >> Mine already. >> Oh, mine doesn't. Mine says the council
of the township. I must have gotten knock off. >> The first line has both. The second it now therefore has both and then the other one. >> Oh, here. Okay. So, you moved it. Who did you move it?
>> Yes. >> And who second it? You did. Okay. Madam clerk. >> Deputy Mayor Anderson. >> Yes. >> Councelor Birmingham absent. Councelor Damato. >> Yes. >> Councelor Harrison. >> Yes. >> Councelor Toller. >> Yes. >> Councelor Williams.
>> Yes. Mayor Baskerville. >> Yes. Thank you. Now, um, we're going to have a presentation about the trans. >> I'm sorry, Mayor. That was a vote on the amendments that were put into. Okay. >> Do I have a motion to adopt? Okay. As
amended, >> Madam Clerk. >> Uh, Deputy Mayor Anderson, >> yes. >> Councelor Birmingham, absent. Councelor Damato, yes. >> Councelor Harrison, yes. >> Councelor Toller, yes. >> Councelor Williams, >> yes. >> Mayor Baskerville, >> yes. Thank you. And now we're going to have a um discussion from the
transportation working group. Um as we all heard this evening, there's a a lot of um interest in what's happening, what this group has been doing. I'd like to personally thank you for all of your hard work that you've been doing this. And yeah, let's hear from our
transportation uh working group chair. >> Um well, I'm not the chair actually. >> I just thought that sounded >> Thank you. I appreciate that. Um um so I just wanted to make sure so that the this there are two um committees
under this working group um that was established last year um to explore you know um more public transportation options and um enhancing public transportation options for people um residents of of Montlair. And um I just
wanted to make sure that uh this council received a copy of um this report that the committee um members put together. Um this is basically a summary of all the work that's been happening um for the last year as well as a longer form
um summary of the um public survey results. Um as um you can see uh we received um over 2,300 respondents to this survey which was launched in late
November of this past year and remained open for 3 months. Um we uh you know there was there was quite a bit of advertising about the survey. Um and the good new the other good part of this um
is that um you know much like what what how we got um weekend train service um to Bay Street many years ago. Um there was an effort to reach out to our neighboring um townships that are along
the Montlair Bhutin line um who also um you know particularly on the train who um who were interested in um getting more service for their residents. Um and the other part of this working group is to um you know look into the interest in
I mean obviously we did lose a lot of quite a bit of bus service um uh because of uh during co and um and and after decamp folded um and uh you know as this the survey sort of indicated um there are lots of people in Montlair who do
not live within walking distance of a train um particularly people who live like on the valley road that side of of um and many of those are seniors. Um and so um those are some of the things that were covered in the survey. Um we actually got the most number I mean we
got the largest number of respondents which is good. Um and uh you know I I um Mr. um Julia sort of uh summarized a lot of what was in this report. Um I think um for me personally this is a matter of
you know um public transportation access is a matter of equity. Um people you know a lot of people do not have cars in our town about 30% um and that's that's um established. Um we all know that the costs of gas and purchasing a car are
sky skyrocketing. there are um lots of families who do not have either um reliable access to a car or um only have one car and you know um and that that's that's an issue um for people who you know have two jobs and what have you. Um
and you know the other part of besides affordability is um you know the uh having more public uh more transportation options um can help reduce the number of cars that are on the road. So, um I think um you know
this is something that uh I think is is very much worth continuing to pursue. We had initial meetings. Mayor, you were there last June um with um with the higherups at New Jersey Transit. Um they were the ones that actually asked us to
do a survey um to gauge, you know, whether or not um there would be interest. And so that's what we did. We presented them with um combined results of the surveys from Montlair, Glenn Ridge, and Bloomfield. Um we provided that report. They are um they are
looking at that um information more closely. Um and at this point we are waiting for um we're we're ga g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g g gathering the assistance of Assemblywoman Koyaso Gil in setting up a follow-up meeting um where we hope to sort of continuing continue the discussions um and um for
for number one um more frequent train service on the weekends and uh you know bus service that will serve working people you know families, students, seniors. So, um, just wanted to make sure that you had this and if there are any
questions. No, I just think it's I just think it's interesting that um Don Ze is on the committee and um I I listened closely to his remarks this evening, but I think that that's um that's a good
committee when you can have people that have varying opinions and express them because that's when you usually come out with something that's the most representative of a large group. So again, I thank you for, you know, your hard work, your time. I I thank you for
inviting me to, you know, participate and and to keep up with what's going on >> and and I thank you for your support as well. >> Yeah. Councelor Toller and then councelor Williams or either the other way. >> Go ahead first. >> Counselor.
>> Um yeah, I just wanted to kind of piggyback off of um the survey results because I know we've had some speakers come and they said thousands and thousands of people spoke. Um it's 2,300 people. So, I you know, um I've been advocating through the transit the
transportation ad hoc committee, which um I guess this is a subcommittee of this committee. Is that correct, Deputy Mayor? >> You mean the shuttle bus committee? >> The transportation ad hoc committee because it broke off >> committee. Okay. So, I don't know. >> Working group and their >> Yeah, because I don't I don't see my
name here. I guess I got dropped from the committee, but that's okay. >> Bus subcommittee. >> No. Well, maybe I was, but I haven't seen any reports. So I'd like to if you could forward the report that you mentioned that uh has I guess data and results from Montlair Bloomfield Bloomfield and
Glenn Ridge to everyone that would be appreciated. Um the other thing is I know that during those meetings I was advocating that this group you know really do boots on the ground knocking on the door talking to the residents that live by the train stations and that
did not happen. um you know with over 40,000 residents in the town, 2,300 residents, that's just under 6% of our residents over 3 months though that serve those survey results are a little weak. Um I don't believe and maybe you can clarify
um if door knocking flying was done at any of the residents that live near the trains. I know I've spoken to people at Matthew G. Carter and they are not really interested in increased service because of the noise, because of pollution, because of congestion. Um, you know, I've heard some speakers talk
about uh the farmers market, but no one's talking about the residents that live near any of these train stations and what type of outreach has happened or will happen to speak to them. You know, if you had a survey out for three months and it's under 6% total for
residents, I don't know if that's a a a good enough thing to move forward with. That's just my opinion. Um I do like the idea of trying to get more bus lines back in service for residents to get around. Um because it's needed. You know, I'm really concerned with the
things that Don mentioned tonight. Um again, air pollution is real. you know, congestion, EMS getting through, police getting through, fire getting through with more and more trains on the weekend. Um, I beg that this New Jersey Transit
Committee make the effort and talk to every single resident that lives around all seven of our train stations because under 6% survey results for 40,000 residents, in my opinion, is not enough to try to move forward on increased service. So, I just wanted to put that
on the record. >> Deputy Mayor. >> Yes. So, thank you for those comments. Um, >> number one, uh, the survey was available and I know you if for the shuttle bus committee, you did propose boots on the ground. Anybody was more than welcome to
do that, but as we discussed for under that committee, that is an exceedingly large amount of work. And so, again, I don't know if you actually um spoke with any of the residents with regards to the residents of the Matthew Carter houses. I did actually I do remember asking you
who are the residents and I'd be happy to speak with them. I'd happy to meet with anyone at those apartments. I never got an answer. Um but there will be other opportunities um for public engagement and that's part of the plan because we don't actually have we don't actually have a response from New Jersey
Transit. I don't think we're there yet, but >> per the report, um public engagement is part of the plan. this isn't going to be, you know, um >> it's not going to be an automatic thing. There's going to be more negotiation. And um as far as the uh number of
survey, um respondents, I believe it's pretty the numbers are pretty comparable to what we got back from the affordable housing survey that the EDC did. So um um so I I happen to think that you know
even if even if we didn't get the number if we didn't get a huge number uh this to me is enough to indicate that um public transportation is something that residents rely on depend upon to get
around um and um it's worth pursuing >> and the process is still continuing. Just want to clarify that one point. Excuse me, mayor. I'm going to clarify this one point, please. Okay. In regards to the Matthew G. Carter uh residence, I don't recall you asking me. If you have
an email, forward me. I know that I've asked and I sent an email. Um but you know, you and Councelor Williams were boots on the ground to go knock and put flyers on doors on Southerntherland. You should be able to go do that at Matthew G. Carter and not expect me to do it for you. >> Work with you on that. >> And that's No, no. You don't need to
work with me. You should just go do it. You understand what I'm saying? can't go do it. And in regards to this one of these committee members, he actually owns a a bus or some kind of company. I don't know if he can remain nonbiased in wanting more transportation because it
would benefit his company on some level. >> Council has a lot to do with it. development has a lot to do with >> councelor de maybe we should just focus on the things that we agree on now and you know which is >> which is probably the most realistic
thing that would happen which is that if we could advocate for bus links so the you know as as Mr. Eve said this really came into focus with the demise of Damp and remember Damp was like doing this for a long time and the fact that they
couldn't make it work um you know does tell you a lot about the profitability of of this and that we're not unlocking some great gift for New Jersey Transit but but giving them we're kind of begging for something. But I think that
my my constituents um I've never met anybody who said that they wouldn't like to have an available bus into New York to to Port Authority on on the weekends. It's a big ask. There's obviously some division on whether there should be weekend service.
when I walk I've walked that that neighborhood and it the number of people who said no was was for me surprisingly small because if I lived quite close to the tracks I might be against it but I think everybody likes the idea of of bus
service um and they really miss that and so I would be in favor of exploring whether we want weekend uh service and then we we are constraint on that because I guess we do have an a a an we do have a
resolution or an ordinance as a quiet weekend thing that we would want to remove if we went to them for that and we can work on that if we want to do that. But in the meantime, I would show me where I can sign and vote for a
resolution to NJ Transit saying we would like bus service, you know, the old 66. And if they called it the 66, that would be even better. There are surveys you can sign up for. >> Okay. Um, councelor Williams. >> So, it has nothing to do with what we
were discussing. I just want to wish a happy birthday to my favorite constituent, my wife. >> I'm spending on spending her birthday with you all. >> Um, but >> maybe you can make up for it. I'd like to um congratulate Councelor Williams.
He's being honored tomorrow night by the Montlair in Thursday night by the Mont Clear in um for just his outstanding leadership and and service to the community. I'd like to join them. I I in fact have the honor of participating in
that and so thank you very much. There's still tickets left if anybody would like to purchase a ticket to come. It's for the Montlair Inn. The the uh resources are all going to help Montlair in stay afloat. As many of you know, they've been um dealing with some some difficult
times just like all of us. So, yeah, congratulations to you. Happy birthday to wifey. And yeah, >> my birthday, >> is it? When's your birthday? >> It's Pride Day. >> Happy birthday to you. >> Um Councelor Harrison has something to say.
>> Um to to return to I I mean I am a big advocate of mass transit. One of my regrets of switching jobs is I don't get to take mass transit anymore as a um I miss the train. But um to to do this seriously, I
you know I agree with councelor Demato that you know I I don't think we're going to get everything and certainly we're not going to get everything right away. Restoring more bus service is I think the thing the town misses most. Um
I think the I think there are practical issues with train service going to Montlair State. Um not only the running over people at the farmers market and u but
the length of time for the round trip is a consideration. And that was one of the things that first led to um just going to Bay Street was because they could do the trip and back. I think having said
that I think pushing for hourly service because there are days where I would have loved to take the train but you know I can plan going in okay we get in early but the coming back part where it's an 811 or an 11:00 train when go to
dinner I'd like a 9:00 train but there isn't one and we end up driving and you know if and now that we you know don't have the bus option which was always nice of okay if we're not getting a train we can get the bus back. Um you know I I think that pushing for that
probably has will have more of a practical effect than you know going out and I think there are practical issues from New Jersey Transit. I think Don's reflecting that just in terms of his discussions when you know he was instrumental in getting the Bay Street
Service he was um and the limits of I think transit should look at it because it's I you know it it it clearly is a deterrent just having two hour service. >> Yeah, I appreciate that. Sorry, mayor. I
thought we were just having a discussion with the buses. It clearly is something uh that has far farther reaching impacts than just Montlair. So, I think that's the benefit of working with some of these other municipalities like Bloomfield, um, West, you know, West
Orange is also aware of what we're doing, um, Verona. So, um, uh, but if you, um, I I'd encourage you to you all to read the full report. Um, you know, the survey did tease out like some of the issues that we would have to address as a township.
>> Um, and again, all of this is with currently in New Jersey Transits court. Um, and hopefully we'll be able to continue the the discussions. >> Awesome. I'd like to make a motion that we adjourn. I'd like for Councelor Williams to get home at least the day of
the birthday. You got a half hour. Um, all in favor. >> Any opposed? No. Okay. Thank you all. >> Gone. You got