We stand for it standy and justice for all. Amen. Clark, read the notes. Yep. Read your notes. Thank you. Board of Commissioners public meeting agenda for Tuesday, September 2nd, 2025. The time is now 7:04.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Open Public Meeting Act, chapter 231, Public Law 1975, notice of this meeting was published in the November 21st, 2024 issue of the Nutley Sun, the Herald News, and the Star Ledger. A copy of this notice has been posted on the Nutley Town Hall bulletin board, and a
copy is on file in the municipal clerk's office. Deputy Mayor Evans here. Commissioner Tucci here. Commissioner Scarpelli here. Commissioner Petraco here. Mayor Kelly present. All present.
Minutes. We have board of commissioner meeting minutes for July 1st, 2025, July 15, 2025, and August 5th, 2025. Move the minutes. Second. Commissioner Evans. Hi. Commissioner Tucci. Hi. Commissioner Scarpelli. Hi. Commissioner Patraco.
Mayor Kelly. I uh I see we don't have uh executive minutes for this evening or communications or proclamations. So, moving on to reports. I see that I have a report for the month of July for the uh revenue and finance code enforcement
department. On to bills. Thank you, Deputy Mayor. Bill list for September 2nd, 2025. Public affairs $124,4596. Revenue and finance 3,720,968. Public safety $89,152.17. Public works $589,832.37.
Parks and public property $982,553.84. Water and sewer utility $58,8448. Payroll as of uh August 29th, regular payroll total 1,38,24726. Overtime payroll total $89,60.90. Total payroll 1,127,3816 for a grand total of $6,692,245.76.
Move the bills. Second. Deputy Mayor Evans. Hi, Commissioner Tucci. Hi, Commissioner Scarpelli. Hi, Commissioner Petraco. Hi, Mayor Kelly. Hi. And that's it for bills. Thank you. U we reached the point where
there's public comment on the agenda. Would anyone like to approach the mic and and comment on agenda items uh for this evening? Would you like me to read the public comment statement? Yes, Mayor. Mayor, excuse me, Deputy
Mayor, can we back up for one moment? Sure. Uh, going back to the bill list, my my vote is I on everything except item 2500890. That one I abstain on. Thank you, Commissioner Tucci. Noted.
Okay. Yes. Agenda items. All persons addressing the board of commissions regarding community concern should approach the microphone and provide their name and address for the record unless further time is granted by the board. Each person shall limit their address to three minutes. All remarks to
the board and its indiv individual members must be addressed to the mayor. The mayor may defer citizens comments to the appropriate member of the board. Joan Rabino, 127 Franklin Avenue. Uh I would like to know where the uh park for
the uh handicapped children are going to be is going to be uh agenda item uh or the first one. Well, it's the ordinance. Yes. Yeah. Deputy mayor, may I respond? Absolutely. Mrs. Rabbino, that this is the uh the
playground off of Grant Avenue uback park. There's an existing park there now where we have this. We have the soccer field. We have the girls softball field and up on the hill, okay, where we have the stands by the soccer field, there's an existing park there, but it's not a
park for special needs children. Okay, so what we're going to do, we're re we're reconstructing the entire park, not only to have physical equipment for special needs children, but also sensory equipment, all right, that they they would be able to relate to.
Sounds very good. Thank you. You're welcome. Thank you, W. Would anyone else like to comment? Seeing no one, u let's move on to water commissioner announcements. Commissioner Tui.
Yes. I have one announcement this evening. On uh Saturday, September 13th at 10:00 at Monscior Owens Field, uh we will be holding our Junior Raiders pep rally uh for our Junior Raiders football team, for our flag football
participants, and also for our many, many outstanding cheerleaders. That's great. Melli, nothing. Deputy Mayor, Mr. Yes, thank you. I have um two. The the first one that I would just like to
shout out as long as loud as I can is we had another grandma scam in Nutley where um people call most assuming it's from overseas and they pray on our elderly and they say that your grandson or
granddaughter has been locked up and you know they get them on the phone they disguise their voice they say that they have a cold and things like that and um I urge. I mean, we do a lot of um programs in public safety, educational for this.
It's horrific that these people pray on people, but other than just the grandma scam, there's many scams, public service scams, um the list goes on and on. I mean, the best advice I could give to our seniors
and even young people is if you don't recognize the number, don't pick it up because they're very, very convincing. And um even my father a couple years ago and how embarrassing is it for me being the public safety commissioner for many
years and telling him not to answer his phone and he wind up getting scammed for a few hundred himself. God rest his soul. But um it and that's how tricky they are and convincing that even like being in my father's ear all those years, he even got taken for a few
hundred. But this one particular that this happened was thousands of dollars. Thousands and thousands of dollars. Um that's my first announcement. So beware of the phone calls. If you don't recognize the number, don't pick it up. My second um announcement tonight is our
handicap parking um uh um that we do in Nutley here um that we grant the residents handicap um parking spaces in front of their houses. I um have been receiving a lot of phone calls of late about people that have ample parking in
their driveways and they're not really using it for and they got parking for themselves. They're using it more to keep their neighbors out in front of their houses. So, it's kind of stirring the pot right now on public safety. if you're handicapped
or you know we will bend over backwards for you in public safety to grant you that extra need that you need that parking spot. But we are going to start revisiting this because it's been um we've been getting quite a few phone
calls, you know, of people acquiring them for maybe not the right reasons. So again, if you need a handicap parking spot in front of your house, you know, we're always willing to listen and review it, but we're going to start reviewing some of the spots that we handed out. Thank you,
Mayor Kelly. Do you have any announcements this evening? Uh, just that I would like to welcome everyone back from the summer. I hope everyone had a great summer and uh I hope everyone is looking forward to a productive year.
Thank you, mayor. Uh I just have a reminder is is that uh we're still in the application filing season for uh tax relief under the freeze program, the anchor program, and the new uh New Jersey state program for seniors 65
years and older. Uh my office has been busy helping people with that application. It's just a continuing reminder, those applications are due by October 31st. So, if you need help, my office is available uh to assist anybody who who does need assistance.
Moving on to uh ordinance announcements, uh introductions. Uh Commissioner Tui, this one is joint for you and I. We'll try and do it right this time. Let's let's try it. Would you like to read it this evening or you want me? Uh sure, I'll be happy to read it. Okay.
Um this is introduction. Okay. Uh this is an ordinance providing for a 25.4% uh match of funds associated with the capital improvement grant for a playground suitable for special needs children in the township of Nutley in the county of Essex, New Jersey and
making an appropriation of 137,000 therefore from the capital improvement fund of the township. The total cost of this improvement is $540,000. Uh, I move that this ordinance be passed to a second reading and advertised in the Nutly Sun together with the notice
required by law and that further consideration of said ordinance for final passage by the board of commissioners be held at its second reading on October 7, 2025. Madam clerk, yes. October 7th. Thank you. I move the ordinance. Second.
Commissioner Evans. Hi. Commissioner Tucci. Hi. Commissioner Scarpell. Hi. Commissioner Petro. Hi. Mayor Kelly. Hi. The next ordinance is 3599 and that's uh that's my ordinance introduction. This
is for capital improvements at town hall to uh replace a an air conditioning system that finally broke down and it's just beyond repair as as well as to renovate uh two bathrooms on the second
floor of the building. Uh this ordinance provides for renovations to a town hall municipal building in the township of Nelly in the county of Essex, New Jersey and and making an appropriation of $100,000 there or from uh the capital improvement fund of the township. I move
that this ordinance be passed to a second reading and advertised in Nly together with the notice required by law and that uh further consideration of said ordinance for final passage by the board of commissioners be held at its second reading on October 7th, 2025. So move second.
Deputy Mayor Evans. Hi. Commissioner Tucci. Hi. Commissioner Scarpelli. Hi. Commissioner Petraco. Hi. Mayor Kelly. Hi. Uh the next ordinance 3600. We're going to uh Jonathan, do we need to table that at this moment?
Yes. Yes, deputy mayor. We need to table this. And I believe we are going to continue uh the meeting uh till as late as we possibly can tomorrow evening in in hopes that we can get the vote and and and move this end. Uh so so I I
think deputy mayor if we can uh come up with a time before the uh the meeting's over tonight and make that announcement uh you know at the appropriate time as to when we're going to carry it to. and
6 6:30 work for everybody? That's fine. Works for me. Mr. Petraco, sure. Mayor, would you be available at 6:30 tomorrow evening? Yes, I can be.
Okay. So, let's move we'll table that until 6:30 tomorrow evening and we'll continue the meeting uh for that one item. Okay. So, Eric Deputy Mayor, just so that I'm clear, we're continuing the meeting tomorrow, Wednesday, September 3rd at 6
PM. 6:30 6:30 p.m. Thank you. Uh we don't have any ordinances on on for second reading. Uh let's move on to resolutions. Uh Commissioner Tucci, would you take care of yours?
Yes, sir. Whereas the Department of Parks and Public Property determined due to unforeseen circumstances that families had to cancel participation in some of our programs that were offered. And whereas the Department of Parks and Public Property has determined the need to refund families now therefore be it
resolved by the Board of Commissioners of Township of Mel County State of New Jersey. that the treasurer be and she is hereby authorized to refund payments for recreation programs in the amounts listed below for our neighbors at 104 Warren Street for Camp Nutley in the amount of $225
and our neighbors at 91 Mountain View for a yoga program in the amount of $60. I move the resolution second. Deputy Mayor Evans. Hi. Commissioner Tucci. Hi. Commissioner Scarpel. Hi. Commissioner Petraco. Mayor Kelly. I
whereas township from Nutley has a need to acquire specialized professional services as a fair and open contract pursuant to the provision of NJSA1944A-20.5 and whereas the department of parks and public property has a need to acquire specialized professional services for a New Jersey licensed certified tree
expert for forestry services throughout the township of Nutley. Now therefore, be it resolved that the municipal clerk is hereby authorized and directed to advertise for a request for qualifications, a also known as an RFQ for Township Forester. Be it further resolved that the request for
qualifications shall be due on Wednesday, October 1st, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. prevailing time addressed to municipal clerk Nutley Township Hall, 1 Kennedy Drive, Nutley, New Jersey 07110. I move the resolution. Second, Deputy Mayor Evans.
Hi. Commissioner Tuji. Hi. Commissioner Scarpell. Hi. Commissioner Petraco. Hi. Mayor Kelly. Hi. All I have. Deputy Mayor. Thank you. Commissioner Scarpell. Whereas David Barry Jr. is employed by the town of Nutley Department of Public
Works. Whereas David Barry Jr. has exhausted all his available sick time and other time due. And whereas Dominic Ferry, an employee of the Department of Public Works, is desirous of transferring a total of 10 days of his accumulated sick leave to David Barry Jr. has provided consent to set transfer
and writing to the township clerk. Whereas under the circumstances presented herein and in view of David Barry Jr's medical situation and his service to the department of public works board of commissioners that are desirous of accommodating his request now therefore be resolved by the board of commissioners
in the county of New Jersey that Dominic Perry is hereby permitted to transfer days to David Berry Jr. I move resolution second. Deputy Mayor Evans. Hi, Commissioner Tucci. Hi, Commissioner Scarpell. Hi, Commissioner Petraco. Hi, Mayor Kelly.
Hi. That's all I have. Deputy Mayor. Great. Commissioner Petraco. Whereas the township of Nelli currently owns a 2012 Ford truck and whereas the vehicle is no longer needed by the Nelly fire department and
therefore pursuing NJSA 48 11 township desires to donate said vehicle to the Nutley Board of Education. Now therefore it be resolved by the board of commissioners township of Nley County of Estis state of New Jersey that township is hereby authorized to donate
and for said vehicle to the Nly board of education effectively immediately. I move it. Second. Deputy Mayor Evans. Hi. Commissioner Tucci. Hi. Commissioner Scarpelli. Hi. Commissioner Petraco. I. Mayor Kelly.
I thank you mayor. Mayor, there are your two resolutions. Uh are you uh would you want me to read them for you tonight or are you able to do that? I can read them. Okay, very good. I'm going to go then
you can go. Uh whereas planning board received an escrow deposit in the amount of $5,000 from Diamond Springs Real Estate Investment, Inc. for property located 116 Harrison Street. And whereas the escro fee of $5,000 was collected and
deposited in account number T512 912944. And whereas the zoning official has determined that a balance of $2,94745 is due to Diamond Springs Real Estate uh Investment Inc. be resolved by the Board of Commissioner of the Tel and County of
Essex State of New Jersey that the treasurer being is hereby authorized to refund escrow monies to Diamond Springs uh Real Estate Investment Inc. for land applica uh land land use applications in the amount of $2,9475. So moved.
Second. Deputy Mayor Evans. Hi. Commissioner Tucci. I. Commissioner Scarpel. I. Commissioner Petraco. Hi. Mayor Kelly. I be resolved by the board of commissioners of the town of Nel County of Essex State, New Jersey that the treasurer is hereby authorized to refund
overpayments of tax charges in the amount of $13,32.39 for the following accounts. uh block 3701 lot 9 block 41 lot 18 block 38 uh uh 3802 lot 5 block
74 uh lot 14 for the amounts listed in the resolution so move second deputy mayor Evans hi commissioner tucci hi commissioner scarpel hi commissioner Petraco hi Mayor Kelly hi
whereas As has as more fully addressed in resolution number 0925, the touch of Valley has entered into a professional services contract with Oul Screo a special counsel for the township regarding entry redevelopment area. Whereas change order number two is
needed in the amount of $35,000 to special counsel legal services described in greater detail. Did you want to come up a little closer? Maybe is it me? How about now? Better because I have to get right on top of it for
that to happen. I don't know why. Sometimes it works, sometimes it it doesn't. I'm sure we'll figure that figure figure it out one day. I'll start from the beginning. Did you hear my previous resolution? Was that okay? I'll explain them in summary for you. Uh but I'll finish reading this one
first. Uh whereas we're fully addressed in resolution 0925. The township of Nelly has entered into a professional services contract for Tulso as special counsel for the township regarding on three redevelopment area. Whereas change order two is needed in the amount of
$35,000 to the special counsel legal services described in greater detail in resolution number 0925. Whereas funds are available in account 5012205 in the amount of $35,000 and have been
certified by the chief financial officer said certification being attached to this resolution that therefore be resolved by the board of commissioners of the township of Nel County of Essex State of New Jersey that change order 2 is hereby authorized and approved in the amount of $35,000 and be it further
resolved that a copy of this resolution shall be placed on file with the clerk of the township of Nllley and a notice in accordance with the public contract laws of New Jersey and the form attached here too shall be published in the Nutley Sun. So move second. Deputy Mayor Evans
I. Commissioner Tucci. Hi. Commissioner Scarpell. Hi. Commissioner Petraco. Hi. Mayor Kelly. Hi. My previous resolution was first one was to refund $2,947
related to an unused deposit that was made for uh in the the construct the code office for a zoning application. My ne my other resolution was to re refund uh uh tax charges that were in overp
payments in the amount in total of $13,3239 for the lots and blocks that are listed individually in the resolution. Mayor Kelly, would you like to go? Sure. Uh the first one I have on this evening
is resolution number 202 223-25. Uh whereas September 15th serves as jointly the starting point of Hispanic Heritage Week and the independence of Hispanic countries such as Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, and Nicaragua. Whereas the observation of
Hispanic Heritage started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to become Hispanic Heritage Month. This year's national theme, collective heritage, honoring the past, inspiring the future, aims to acknowledge the rich traditions of Hispanic culture while
also looking forward to the future and the contributions that will continue to be made. Whereas in 2024, the estimated number of Hispanic citizens in the United States is projected to be 36.2 million, which represents a significant increase from the previous years, this growth reflects Hispanic population's
rapid expansion within an increase of 1.9 million from 23 to 24 alone. Whereas is important to celebrate and recognize accomplishment accomplishments and contributions and cultural richness of Hispanic Americans and Hispanics worldwide. Whereas Hispanic Heritage
Month's presentation of Hispanic culture and heritage vastly expands the visibility and inclusion of Hispanic people on a large scale and degree. Whereas educating people on Hispanic culture and heritage helps forify diversity within communities and foster discussions pertaining to different cultures and ideologies and therefore be
resolved by the board of commission township of Nutley County of Essex, state of New Jersey as September 15th through September 15, 2025 through October 15, 2025 as Hispanic Heritage Month and encourage all Nutley residents to recognize the rich history and culture that comes with Hispanic
heritage. So move. Second. Deputy Mayor Evans. Hi, Commissioner Tui. Hi, Commissioner Scarpelli. Hi, Commissioner Petraco. Hi, Mayor Kelly. Hi.
Uh, the second one I have on for this evening is resolution number 225-25. Whereas, International Day of World Indigenous People was celebrated on August 9th, 2025, and is an annual United Nations holiday celebrating and honoring the estimated 476 million
indigenous people living in the world today. Whereas indigenous people speak a majority of the world's 7,000 languages and accomplish rich diversity of cultures. Whereas indig indigenous day serves as a global platform to highlight the struggles, rights, and achievements of indigenous communities worldwide and call to action for governments,
organizations, and individuals to acknowledge, support, and preserve indigenous identities and rapidly changing world. Now therefore it be resolved that the board of commissioners and township of Nelli can estate of New Jersey hereby recognize August 9th 2025 as international indigen international
day of the world's indigenous people. So moved. Second. Deputy Mayor Evans. Hi. Commissioner Tucci. Hi. Commissioner Scarpell. Hi. Commissioner Patraco. I. Mayor Kelly. That's all I have.
Thank you, Mayor. Um that concludes our formal uh business for the evening. Uh if anyone from the public would wish to approach the microphone u and and comment uh pass along a comment uh we can take that now. U
madam clerk, you want to read the notice? Yes. All persons addressing the board of commissioners regarding community concerns should approach the microphone and provide their name for the record. Unless further time is granted by the board, each person shall limit their address to three minutes. All remarks to
the board and its individual members must be addressed to the mayor. The mayor may defer citizens comments to the appropriate member of the board. Thank you. Uh Salvatore Ferrero, president of Netley Board of Education. Um I have with me here tonight our superintendent of schools, Campa. Uh
we're here to provide an operational update to the board of commissioners and um to uh tomorrow's full first day of school. Today our staff returned so we wanted to update the board. But u before Mr. Dea gives that operational update, I wanted to thank the mayor and the board
of commissioners for all your continued support. It's uh it's it's just amazing what two boards working together can accomplish. And um tomorrow we're going to be opening up our new prek center and that's all because of the hard work of the both boards uh especially the board
of uh commissioners. And so tonight we just wanted to thank you on behalf of the board of education for that continued cooperation. It started like two years ago when we I mean the both boards have always worked together but two years ago we kind of formalized it, memorialized it into an agreement under
one nutly and we've worked uh together to find projects that move our district forward. And tomorrow is going to be uh prek center that's going to have uh 135 students uh ages 3 to four. Mr. Bay will provide further update on that. But it
just shows that our our school district is moving forward and it's because of the hard work of our board and your board and we wanted to just thank you for that. Uh thank you, Mr. President. Uh Kent Bñena, Superintendent Nutley Public Schools, uh Deputy Mayor, Board of Commissioners. Mr. Mr. Mayor, I want to
thank you uh for your work and working with us uh in the first phase of transitioning our schools. Today was a good day. Uh today we welcomed over 100 families into our schools with our teachers present. The operational status of the building is full go. Uh tomorrow
will be the first day of school for our 4,300 students in Nutley and we are ready. Uh we are prepared. The building is beautiful. Um and it's going to really support our youngest learners uh in Nutley. Uh this is the first step forward in getting all students uh in
preK into our buildings, transitioning the sixth grade, and realigning our district to the educational needs we have. Um I can't thank you enough for your part in this. Uh you provided a pathway, a way for us to get the space. It's probably the nicest space uh in in
the surrounding area. Um and uh you know, our we had a lot of smiles today. and not only from staff and our administration uh but the students came in and the families came in and uh the comments were tremendous and a lot a lot of that is due to your work and our
work. Thank you very much. Commissioners, any comments? I have a question if I might. Uh Superintendent Ban, it's been it's been a lot of years since I I paid for uh prek for my children, my baby being 40 years old. So
you can do the math later on. Uh what would what would it cost a family today to send a child to prek? I would put the cost of our prek. It's high quality prek meeting a lot of state standards, creative curriculum, six-hour days. I'd put that cost between 14 to
15,000 for the year. For the year. So that's a savings for our families. Correct. All right. And a wonderful benefit because they're in a learning environment that that's second to none in a state-of-the-art building. It's fantastic. Congratulations. Thank you, Deputy Mayor. Uh I I had the
opportunity to walk through the building last week and it it's amazing. It's amazing seeing that space transformed 8 months ago to what has transformed today. A state-of-the-art uh school, house, uh administrative
offices. It's really been an unbelievable transformation and um you know the way this was structured I don't think any other way it could have been accomplished in that period of time and to get to the goals that we wanted to
accomplish in moving the sixth grade that will eventually happen moving the board of education out of the space they're in and providing the prek and all the benefits that come with that for our children long-term term educationally. It's just a tremendous
win and um I'm just glad to be a part of it and uh to have this happened in that short a period of time is amazing. Mako, thank you so much, Deputy Mayor. I just like to say too, I walked through with
my assistant Sam. Uh it it's I have to tell you it's spectacular. right and done in a timely fashion and met all the benchmarks and got it across the finish line. So, my compliments to your board, S and Kent,
extraordinary job. Seriously, and I I know you both were on it day and night. I just like to say that I am so proud to like be able to stand in front of that building and and be proud of something that our Nutly
taxpayers, our residents, the future of Nutley, our children that we're investing in them. And I think that's how you attract great people to the town. I will say it to my guys here and you guys again, I'm a firm believer in
how the schools go is how NI is going to go and I think this is a huge step in the right direction. So great job on on your part too as well. And Ken, I I really appreciate all the time and effort that you put into it. Thank you
so much. Mayor Kelly, would you wish to comment? Yes. Thank you, Deputy Mayor. Um, I I unfortunately didn't get a chance to take a tour before I I departed. Uh, but I'm looking forward to taking a tour
when I return. Uh, I I've heard not only rave reviews from my fellow commissioners, but uh citizens of the community who also had the opportunity to uh see the school. Uh it's I I've heard it's nothing but uh short of a one of the nicest if not the nicest school
in the area, which is is very good to hear. I did have one question. Uh how many students did this this uh new school building open up the uh prek program to? Yeah. So currently we're a little bit under 110 and we'll max at 130 this year
as students turn three and they they come into our facility uh with their needs special education needs uh at capacity we'll hold 150 students excellent thank you mayor so when you think about it overall
we launched a plan a strategic plan that said one the township ship said twice no to an 80780 million referendum uh which the failure of that basically
without creating some type of option left us with the existing infrastructure and and basically uh leaving the district uh where it where it stood. Uh but we didn't do that. And I think that's part of when we all talk about
what's special about Nutley is the fact is that uh many towns and and I keep on hearing this uh from your own monitor and from others, it's rare that a school district and a municipal government work together, right, to come up with a
solution. And we did. Uh we basically concluded negotiations and started gutting a building on January 13th. uh of this year from the the floor to the ceiling. Everything got out. Even the
windows had to be resized. We even had to chop through the floor to run new sewer piping and everything else that was required for that building. It has a state-of-the-art fire suppression, state-of-the-art HVAC uh systems. Each uh classroom is independently controlled
for AC and and and temperature for heat. uh and it's just a wonderful open environment for the children. But it was it was the first step that said can we execute in on a plan that would open up that school in time for Janu for
September of 2025 and we did that and that's the key doing that is the is the first major step. Second is we're which is already working on is modifying the interior of the existing middle school to accommodate the sixth graders in time
for September of 2026. By doing that, we will then be freeing up classroom space at the grammar school level, right? Which then says uh that from what I understand, if the demand is still there, we still have demand for
another couple hundred prek students that will need to be going to school. And if we achieve that by September of 26, we 100% of the children in Nutley will go to prek education relieving the parents of the cost that
Commissioner Tui has uh raised and you you responded to. So it's an extraordinary benefit for the taxpayers of Nley and we're and we're doing that at a fraction of the cost of the of the referendum. So, it's a I think if we can
continue to find ways to cooperate, we'll benefit our children, will benefit our community. Nutly, as Commissioner Petraco said, will remain very attractive as a place to come and live, raise a family, go to school, uh all the
opportunities that we offer uh to our children, we're just adding another point of light to it. So congratulations and I'm hoping that the tomorrow drop off period works really well too. Deputy Mayor Right. I just wanted to
have one more comment if you you don't mind cuz I forgot something in my comment. You know Ken, when we walked through the building together too. I think that it's you know it's great to thank each other but all the guys that were working and women that were working in the building you know it seems like
sometimes I forget to thank them. the painters that were on their hands and knees, people that worked on the outside of the building through the whole summer, the winter, all that stuff. So, I saw board of ed um guys, employees working on the building, too. So, a huge
shout out if they were your guys, your guys, our guys, their guys. But, you know what? We take the bows in front of these buildings, but I'm sure there was a lot of hard labor that went into that building and and and they they deserve a big thank you from all of us and the residents of Nelly.
I have one more thing. Uh, Deputy Mayor, um, it was obvious to me also in walking through the building with with one of the principles that Commissioner Evans was watching how every penny was spent. So, I think a big thank you big thank you to Commissioner Evans, his watchdog
roll. So, thank you, Commissioner. Absolutely. Outstanding job. Okay. Thank you. Thank you again. Thank you. Thank you, gentlemen. Would anyone else wish to comment? Joan Rabino, 127 Franklin Avenue. This all sounds very nice, but did I miss
something? What was the cost of this project? Sure. the to purchase uh a fully renovated building, state-of-the-art building, $9.8 million. That's how much we paid for this project.
That's that's correct. And the parents who use the facility, they get the services free, right? Yes. It's it's under a state grant program where uh each the school district receives tuition grants for
every student in the building plus certain services that they have to provide. There's the old adage there's no free lunch. Uh somebody's paying for it and we are. So I'm very happy that you're all happy with it and I'm sure it'll be very successful, but I just think that
that should be mentioned. No free lunch. I agree with you, Mrs. Ribano. By the way, the money that we're using to pay it is is actually coming from commercial ratables that we're generating off of the renovations at the UN3 campus. So
those the new buildings that you see going up, the existing buildings were renovated, they're generating a revenue stream. So it's being paid for not by a residential taxpayer, but by a commercial taxpayer. Oh, that's good to hear. Uh also, I'm sorry to hear that Dave Barry is sick.
Uh, but who took his place while he was Dave Barry Jr.? Oh. Oh, not Dave Barry. Oh, okay. Oh, I didn't realize. Okay. Thank you. Would anyone else wish to comment? Deputy Mayor, I just have one more comment to make. Sure.
Uh, while all these wonderful things were going on and everyone was enjoying their summer, uh, we did lose some of our finest people in town. And I'd just like to mention them. And if we might have a moment of silence. Uh Kitty Unbashian, who was a community person
here in Nutley for years and years, a Democratic district leader, as I'm sure you know, deputy mayor, uh passed away. Uh Susie Craig, who is the mother of Linda Bule and the mother-in-law of Tom Bule, um one of our current employees.
Um Sherie McIll, a very young woman who was very sick and over three years ago they gave her three months and she lasted three years just through sheer will and determination and one of our senior citizens Vincenzo uh Malissi uh
who made it to the ripe old age of 98 but it's never enough u four wonderful nutly people who made this town a better place to live and just enriched everything that we do and everything we talk about here in Nully. If we might have just one moment of silence, please.
Certainly. Thank you very much. Welcome. We have a need to continue our meeting. Uh so we won't uh we'll close the public comment period. Uh but we will continue this meeting until tomorrow evening at 6:30 for the purpose
of addressing one ordinance item. I think it's ordinance number 3600. Thank you. The time is now 7:44.