e e the slow they got rid of that language you couldn't yeah yeah yeah everybody got your phones off can't use any you're hiding in the brush mik is not all right lights on guys
mik meeting call to order this is the Oakland bur of Oakland council meeting February 11th 2025 uh would the clerk please read the statement of compliance this meeting is being held in accordance with the open public meetings law duly announced advertised and posted in the municipal
building the meeting will adjourn at 10 p.m. unless the majority of the council members that are present vot to extend the time all rise for PR close Allegiance would mikeon please lead us in a pledge pledge of to the flag of the United States of America and to the
republ for which stands one nation under God indivisible with liy and justice for all please remain standing for a moment of silence [Applause] the clerk please call call the rooll mayor Cala
pres council president mccan here councilman Pig matali here councilman councilwoman Rose here councilman Sani here councilman linski here councilman salamini here all right moving on to the
mayor's report I got several items uh first of all the 2025 Road program uh we had a meeting today and and right on the agenda we're going to be authorizing Boswell under the contract tonight uh as I stated in the past we are now moving our Paving program to the spring instead of the fall uh so that uh we can get the
project uh moving right away at the beginning of the year Patriots way Bridge update the stringers braces and Timber walkway have been installed uh for the next uh two week Lookout looking forward they're going to be working on the utility brackets and uh the end
walls are putting the forms in right now the rebar so you got the end walls are going in with the utility hangers uh I want to announce a special birthday there's a proclamation that Council Pig Nell's going to be reading uh he attended a birthday party for a
Margaret green Margaret turned 102 years old on January 26th uh Margaret is a wonderful lady she was joined by her children up at the nursing home and uh talking to Margaret uh she really gives you a couple good
pearls on on living a long life and then the main one was just be nice to people so Margaret happy birthday also we the FiOS project up in the Reserve I know that the residents are seeing a lot of tents and and vans up there uh currently they are pulling
the fiber throughout the reserve and they are working on splicing uh also the finance committee has been meeting for the last month uh they're currently working on the budget and expect B budget presentation either at the end of this month or begin early next month
uh DPW obviously snow has returned back to the Northeast we are now going on to our third storm I just want to remind everybody that don't park the cars on the streets when they're doing snow plowing operations also make sure that you shovel your fire hydrant if it's
located on your property or some or across the street help your neighbors out it's really important for Public Safety that these you know fire hydrant is be clear so the fire department can use them if required and also don't forget to clear your sidewalks if you have sidewalks in front of your house and if you are a senior citizen that
can't do it reach out to the aerial down at the senior center they do have volunteers that can help shovel the driveway if you can't do it yourself and also I want to talk about real quick the banner program um right now as we've talked about in the past we want to get the veterans banners
downtown throughout the downtown area right now we are up to 32 banners uh the window is still open for another several weeks uh currently we have 32 in the pipeline uh we do it in groups of 10 so if we can get an additional eight
banners we can get 40 banners throughout the downtown area so please just go to the Oakland website uh and if you're a veteran or you've lived in Oakland uh please you know it's going to look terrific with the banners and the flags going through the downtown area in Bush Plaza and that really concludes my
report for tonight do have a motion open to the public so moved second all in favor I anybody who wish to speak from the public not seeing any we have a motion to close second moved all in favor I I I
up to approval of minutes January 21st 2025 minutes do have a motion to approve so moved have a second second any discussion not seeing any roll call council president mccan yes councilman
pelly yes councilwoman Rose yes councilman Sani yes councilman inski yes and councilman meting yes next we have January 21st 2025 executive session minutes do I have a motion to approve so
move do have a second second if there's any discussion has to be taken into executive session do any discussion not seeing any roll call council president mccan yes councilman Pig nelli yes councilwoman Rose yes councilman selani
yes councilman linski yes councilman talamini yes all right have January 27th 2025 special meeting this had to do with affordable housing uh do I have motion to approve so moved do have a second second any discussion not seeing any roll call
council president McAn yes Council Pig matelli abstain councilwoman Rose yes councilman Sani yes councilman cinski yes councilman T yes all right so we have
four proclamations uh that were issued over the last couple weeks uh there's three for members of the fire department we have a chief Leonard we have Chief Vincent D who was the outgoing Chief we have a proclamation for chief Lenny Tannis he has currently served 50 years
on the Oakland volunteer fire department 50 years think about that that's a long time and we also have a proclamation for Tim the block for 25 years of service on the Oakland fire department and we are going to have a proclamation for Miss Margaret Breen being 102 years old
I will first start with the proclamation honoring Chief V Vincent D for outstanding leadership and service whereas Vincent D is dedicated himself to the Oakland fire department serving with distinction and commitment throughout his tenure and whereas he has held the officer position for an impressive 15 years demonstrating strong
leadership integrity and a steadfast dedication to the safety and well-being of the community and whereas Vincent D honorably served as chief of the Oakland fire department from 20 2018 to 202 20 and again from 2022 to 2024 leading with
courage professionalism and an unwavering commitment to protecting the residents of Oakland and whereas his contributions leadership and service have left a lasting impact on Oakland the Oakland fire department and Community as a whole and now therefore resolved that the mayor and Council of the Bure of Oakland on behalf of its
residents do hereby recognize and express their deepest gratitude to Vincent D for his outstanding leadership dedication and years of service to the Oakland Fire Department be it further resolved that this proclamation to be entered into the official records of the Bureau of Oakland is a lasting tribute to his invaluable contributions and
unwavering commitment presented on this day February 1st 2025 on behalf of the mayor and Council B of Oakland uh Mr Council mccam would you please read the proclamation for chief Lenny Tannis sure this is a proclamation uh mayor and councel uh honoring Chief Len Lenny
Tannis for 50 years of dedicated service Proclamation reads whereas burough of Oakland proudly recognized as individuals who have demonstrated outstanding dedication and commitment to the public to public service and whereas Lenny Tannis has devoted an
extraordinary 50 years of service to the burrow of all contributing his time expertise and Leadership to the fire service and Public Safety and whereas in addition to his service in Oakland Lenny Tannis also served as a
firefighter in Mawa for eight years further extending his impact and dedication to the region and whereas Lenny Tanis service served as chief of Oakland the Oakland fire department from 1989 to 1990 providing strong leadership and guidance to ensure
the safety and well-being of the community and whereas he continues to contribute to the education and preparedness of figh fires as as an instructor at the Bergen County Fire Academy shaping the future of fire service through excuse
me shaping the future of fire service service through training and mentorship and whereas his unwavering commitment selflessness and exemplary Services have earned him the admiration and gratitude of his peers the residents of Oakland and all those who have benefited from
his expertise now therefore be it resolved that the mayor and Council of the burough of Oakland on behalf of its residents do hereby recognize in honor Lenny Tannis for his 50 years of dedicated service his leadership and his contributions to Public Safety and the
firefighting and the firefighting community in be it further resolved that this Proclamation be entered into the official record of the B of Oakland As a lasting tribute to his invaluable contributions and unwavering commitment presented this first day of February
2025 and at this time I'd like to have uh uh councilman Steve Sani read the proclamation for secretary Tim de block for 25 years of service thank you mayor it's it's my pleasure so this is a proclamation honoring Timothy De block
for his 25 years of dedicated service to the open fire department whereas Tim de block has honorly served the bur of Oakland for 25 years as a dedicated member of the Oakland fire department and whereas throughout his tenure Tim de block has demonstrated unwavering commitment professionalism and
selflessness in protecting the lives and property of Oakland residents and whereas since 2013 he has diligently served as Secretary for both the fire department and the fire Association ensuring the efficient Administration and coordination of vital Department
operations and whereas his steadfast dedication leadership service exemplify the highest standards of volunteerism and Community engagement and now therefore be it resolved that the mayor and Council of
the burough of Oakland on behalf of its residents to hereby recognize and express their deepest appreciation to Tim the block for his 25 years of outstanding service in dedication to the Oakland fire department and the community and be it further resolved
that this Proclamation be entered into the official records of the burough of Oakland As a lasting tribute to his invaluable contributions and unwavering commitment presented on first day of February 2025 thank you councilman and next we
have uh councilman Pell since leis on to the seniors um and before I let the councilman read the proclamation I just wanted to let everybody know that also assembly Robert off also came up with me to the to the uh nursing home and he had
a proclamation created from the state so it was really a nice really nice presentation to miss Margaret Breen and her her children uh councilman batelli yes thank you mayor I have a proclamation and recognition of Margaret
green where as the burrow of Oakland is proud to recognize the outstanding members of our community who have achieved significant milestones in their lives and whereas Margaret Breen an extraordinary resident of our community celebrated her 1002nd birthday on Sunday
January 26 2025 and whereas Margaret's life story is one of resilience dedication and love as a cancer survivor she exemplifies strength and perseverance and she expresses gratitude for living a h happy
and healthy life and whereas Margaret is a cherished excuse me mother to her twin Sons William and Robert and her daughter Diane and I beloved grandmother and Grand great grandmother to six
grandchildren and great grandchildren whose lives she has enriched with her wisdom and warmth and whereas Margaret's remarkable Journey includes a career as a secretary engineer and a lifelong love for cooking and baking with cheesecake
being her favorite dessert mine too and whereas she married the love of her life in 1945 right after her late husband was drafted into the army and together they built a family that remains her pride and joy and
whereas one of five children Margaret finally recalls Lively and chaotic family dinners that shaped her appreciation for connection and togetherness and whereas Margaret's vibrant person personality shines through in her love for socializing with
staff and enjoying her favorite music bringing joy to all who know her and whereas Margaret's advice to younger generations and I quote to be kind to one another and always be yourself unquote reflects her generous spirit and
Timeless Vision inspiring all who hear it now therefore be resolved that our Cala mayor of the on behalf of the of Oakland does hereby Proclaim Monday January 28th 2025 as a day to honor Margaret Breen for her incredible
contributions to her family friends and community and be further resolved that we extend our heartful congratulations to Margaret Breen on this remarkable Milestone and wish her continued happiness health and love in her years to come and witness there
of the mayor has hereby set his hand and cause the seal to borrow of Oakland to be fixed this 27th day of January 2025 Eric Kamal thank you councilman and happy birthday Margaret happy birthdayy birthday
Margaret all right moving on to appointments uh B professionals uh recommending for alternate bur prosecutor Christopher J Kane Esquire LLC so moved have a second second all in
favor I I congratulations Christopher okay auor raffle license RL 1532 for high school PTA for raffle on March 16th 2025 for scholarship for seniors to benefit students teachers and staff at high school at 7 senic Avenue Oakland
New Jersey 07436 authorize raffle license RL 1533 Indiana Hills High School ptso for a raffle on March 9th 2025 scholarships for seniors at 97 yapo Avenue Oakland New Jersey authorized raffle license rl1
1534 for the Oakland Franken Lakes rotary for raffle on June 24th 2025 with the support of community service projects local high school scholarships sponsoring exchange students supporting local food banks and various veterans programs at PTO Bellow's 155 rampo
Valley Road Oakland New Jersey and authorize raffle license rl1 1535 for the parent Athletic Association of Indian Hills for raffle on March 27th 202 2025 for the Indian Hills girls lacrosse stream at cross team and Nan
Hills 97 yo Avenue Oakland New Jersey 07436 to have a motion to approve so moved do have a second second all in favor I I all right moving on to resolutions we're going to do this as a consent agenda I have
25- 73 authorized hire of water sewer clerk account clerk 2574 authorized hire of account clerk 2582 authorized hire of a temporary code enforcement 2583 authorize higher seasonal help for
the DPW 2584 authorized Recreation refund 2586 authorized contract for altitude unlimited for the year 2025 2587 authorized contract to Bosell engineering for the 2025 Road program 2588 authorized sale of surplus property
2589 authorized change order number three sewer treatment plant decommissioning project and 2590 authorized assignment and assumption agreement for po do have motion to approve can you pull out
2573 and 2574 for me yep and 25- 87 87 with the exception of 2573 74 and 87 do we have a motion to approve so mov do have a second second roll call council president mccan yes councilman pelli yes
councilwoman Rose yes yes councilman salani yes councilman linski yes councilman T yes councilman salani 2573 and 74 I would need to abstain on those votes okay any other further discussion not seeing any do I have a motion to
approve 2573 and 2574 so move do have a second second vot call council president mccan yes councilman pelli yes councilman Rose yes councilwoman sorry councilman Sani
stain councilman cinski yes councilman salamini yes all right uh Pat 2587 authorized contract posital engineering 2025 Road program yes I'd like to know um I guess from from Rich have have did we solicit any other uh bid uh quotes
from other Engineers for this project no I would like to see that done more often um I I don't think we need to be tied to one engineer um specifically for every project we do uh so uh hopefully in the
future we'll do that a little bit more often that's it thank you as a followup to coun Bell's question Rich um is is the Roose program part of Boswell's current contract as as part of the retainer uh no that's why you're doing a
separate contract this evening uh it is a case though where your burrow engineer is involved regularly with different capital planning efforts uh things sort of bleed from one year into the next in terms of knowledge with roads that need to be done uh and the overall planning
effort which is why we thought that as in the past it made sense to go with our burrow engineer to do it there's a familiarity there with ongoing issues anything that may be related to roads uh such as you know drainage issues and the like uh that kind of factor into our our
overall Capital planning efforts thank you for the clarification any further discuss discussion not seeing do I have a motion to approve 2587 authorized contract for basal engineering 2025 Road program so movement second roll
call council president mccan yes councilman pelli no councilwoman Rose yes councilman selani yes councilman linski yes councilman talamini yes all right we're up to ordinance uh we have
let me pull it up here real quick we have ordinance 25 code 960 and ordinance amending chapter 9-2 entitled Municipal tennis court and athletic fields as you know this was on a workshop last meeting uh right now we're ready to introduce this ordinance after discussion we have
last week do I have a motion to introduce 25 code 960 un moved second roll call council president Manan yes councilman pelli yes councilwoman Rose yes councilman s Annie yes councilman
linski yes councilman T yes final adoption will be February 25th for public hearing and also public comment all right moving on to new business anybody have any new business yes councilman Steve I go first
so um we need to uh we need to hire a hearing officer for a for a labor matter so I want to make a motion to um to hire uh hearing officer John Carlo G unnown to serve as a hearing officer in a Personnel matter and his and for the
amount not to exceed $17,500 do I have a second second any discussion not seeing any who who second this side I did okay you can put Pat Pat Pat oh I'm sorry I did you no that's fine that's
good ready for roll call yep roll call council president mccan abstain councilman pelli yes councilwoman Rose yes councilman selani yes councilman cinski yes Council yes does anybody else
have any further business under any new new business I have a u uh resolution that we need to adopt Council can me um I like to put forth a resolution uh whereas the council authorizes uh
litigation attorneys uh to um to uh file for arbitration in an ongoing dispute with uh Pacifica uh who is one of our was one of our vendors in our roads program um this
is regarding a dispute as it relates to uh what we believe they ow us um in per pursuant of the contract we believe the contract reads that we can request a mediation in arbitration
before litigation do I have a second on the motion second coun councilwoman Rose any discussion not seeing any roll call council president mccan yes
councilman patelli yes councilwoman Rose yes councilman Sani yes councilman slinsky yes councilman T yes does anybody else have any new business for the governing body not seeing any anybody have any old
business yes I have some old business and this is directed at Burrow administrator Coes um as part of my flood commission last night there were a couple questions came out and so and you don't have to answer today if you just get back to me but I told them I would bring it up publicly um is there any movement on I know there's movement on
the housing buyouts and there was new appraisals done so is there a status on that uh yeah just real briefly I understand that the appraisal has been going around to the homes uh I have not seen the final reports yet so uh once we
have those and I believe that there have been a couple of residents that had initially expressed interest that have withdrawn from the program uh we'll see where we're at in terms of where uh you know where the new appraisals are what that total is what we have in terms of
uh funding uh and then make the decision regarding uh making per you know acquisition offers uh I will follow up with uh our Consultants to see if they have an idea of when we're going to see those appraisal reports thank you very much and then one more point that came out I
was going to ask about this prior to the meeting we had brought back um some documentation regarding a um regarding some areas that were supposed to be maintained from uh it was a it was a letter regarding the uh the area behind
Faber Brothers where the the flood commit was supposed to be um it was a sore pipe that was supposed to work for the flood commission and uh there was documentation from from Boswell which I fored I handed both you and the mayor at the end of January I was just wondering if anything was ever done with that if I
need to revisit it and resend it to you I will uh I don't know that there's been anything actively done on it yet uh I can tell you we have some things in the works with trying to get the to get the dot uh in town regarding their drainage into our
waterways um and this is you know that whole area has been a subject of some Focus uh due to the erosion that's going on there so uh it is something that you know I we mentioned about a little bit uh today as we were talking about some drainage projects um but you know in
terms of that particular location there hasn't been any anything I just want to make sure that everything has been so I appreciate the update thank you so much councilman as the uh the B Minister alluded uh we we did discuss that earlier today and we are looking looking to set up a another meeting with New
Jersey Department of Transportation and and really uh dig down our Engineers been working closely with them considering a retention Pond that doesn't seem to exist according to the records and uh it is something that we are currently dealing with if possible just include me as much communication I going forward that'd be great very good it' make my life a little little bit
easier giving up we'll do Council thank you thank you thank you anybody else have any old business uh I have uh two three piece of old business I have three appointments uh uh for shade tree I'd like to appoint jod grafo her uh this term is unexpired
term will expire 12 3126 it's mayal appointment and also mayoral appoint for the Green Team and yansy Waris for the Green Team and I also have a candidate for the zoning board which requires Council support I'd like to bring forward Ma hant and his term will expire
12 3126 have a motion to approve Matthew hant for Board of a so moved second roll call all in favor I I very good all right uh does anybody us have
any old business not seeing any count uh let's do Council liaison reports let's start with you Mr CH uh sure uh Recreation we have U the deadline to register for baseball and
softball is February 15th a late fee of $30 will apply to registrations from February 16th to March 10th March 10th will be the last day to register no late registrations will be accepted no
exceptions so make sure you sign up and uh and and see if you can coach your kids it's a it's a great it's a great time make sure make sure you coach your kids at least once I miss doing it um and then just uh Happy Valentine's Day
to everybody thank you counil P tell yes thank you mayor um I'm going to take off my councilman's hat and put my public health hat on as most of you know I was the director of Public Health for uh 36 years and I retired um and I'm sure
you've been hearing on the news flu is the flu season is here this is the highest flu season we've had number of people sick in 15 years um it's not too late you can still get your flu shot I know I had the flu
40 years ago I could not not get out of bed for seven days if you get the flu you're going to be sick so why take a chance uh especially it affects uh at a higher rate young children and older adults so you can still get your flu
shot I know the pharmacy in town off for the flu shot uh it takes about 7 Days uh for it to to work in your body uh but there are some other things you can do too um make sure you wash your hands wash your hands off frequently uh no
matter what wash your hands uh avoid also avoid large crowds uh I think the people in Philadelphia are going to have a problem with the flu after the after after the it look like quite a few people huddled together but anyway it's it's
nothing to joke about you know you will get really really sick and if you had it once you'll never want to get it again so my best advice to you is get the flu shot or at least avoid crowds and wash your hands and uh this SC this Thursday
is the senior citizen meeting um at the senior citizen uh Hall thank you mayor coun so thank you for um for uh flood commission we met last night and thank you B administrator for uh for your
update that they came through from that um I do public events meeting was also last night want to highlight a couple quick things on April 12th will be the Easter egg hunt at 10: a.m. right right in the park in front of the library Veterans Park and then on Sunday May
25th will be the Memorial Day Parade so just Mark your put those dates in your calendar and U there'll be more to come and what we need to support those events um from a public safety that there's not much to report I do want to thank the uh I do want to thank the fire department
to inviting us for their beef steak dinner it was a great time was a great event where we honored all all the people who served as as the proclamations we did earlier this meeting and I'll be attending my first uh fire department meeting as liaison on on Monday February 17th I do want two
other points I want to put out I know DPW is no longer my community but I do want to thank them for all their work um for the first time in a couple years we've had some back-to-back storms and it's a phenomenal job they do from all the residents on Facebook praising their work and you know them working 23 hour shifts appreciate everything that that
they've done so far this winter season and uh on behalf of the mayor I was asked to attend the 60th anniversary of the Cub Scouts on Saturday it was a phenomenal event where they honored the 34 current Cub Scouts and and and the 11 adults who who provide leadership from
Den leaders and uh mayor I wanted to give you their dedication certificate what they wanted to give to you for for uh for support for all the support you've been given them over the last year so I wanted to make sure head hand along it was a great event I've also invited the Cub Scouts to come uh to an
open session in in June so they can help the recruiting process to gain more members that's it thank you councilman thank you for this ticket uh councilman mcken no report mayor but I will Echo uh
councilman Pat because I always butcher his last name as someone who did get the flu this season uh type a uh it is uh uh it is it is a quite a um challenging virus uh I
also want to Echo Happy Valentine's Day right back at you [Music] councilman uh Happy Valentine's Day to everyone thank you Cy thank you mayor uh from the Green Team uh they're having their monthly meeting uh tomorrow uh at
7 pm at the senior center they are in search of volunteers so come on down to the meeting uh uh find out some more information about this uh worthwhile and you know great group uh from the library uh many events are back in full swing at the opl for
children regular regular story times are back every Tuesday Thursday and Fridays at 11:00 a.m. as well as special music programs for children some Fridays including toddler dance party on Friday February 28th at 11:00 a.m. they also
have children's yoga with certified instructor uh J mean on select Saturdays each month out the online calendar for more details for adults yoga with Sonia is back on Tuesday nights at 6 p.m. this is a very popular program that fills up
very quickly and registration is required the opl also has the uh the drop in pyan uh foreign language Lounge on Thursday nights uh 6:30 um this is an informal Group which
uh meets to learn to improve French and Spanish language fluency all levels are welcome on Thursday February 27th at 6:30 they will host a 3D origami instruction class registration is required on Sunday March
2nd at 2 pm they will have a free concert event Ellen lafern live on the library stage performing songs from 20th century women uh this concert is sponsored by local 16- 248 American Federation of
Musicians music performance trust fund registration is required for teens they will be making macr keychains this Thursday February 13th at 3 p.m. and they will have the new knit and crochet
drop in on Monday February 24th at 3 p.m. as well as the monthly Anime Club that evening at 630 registration is also required for the anime club uh lastly they would like to remind patreons
the patrons that they have freal music an online platform for listening to music creating playlists and even downloading songs uh more information is available on the website that's all I have thank you councilman I just want to make a quick F fote to that about a
month ago I attended a session down at the library uh concerning AI uh they had a wonderful guest speaker that came in talking about where this technolog is going to take us and you know discussing some of the issues you know moving for forward and fears and you know really keep keep
looking into the library website they really do have a lot of good speakers and events that are taking place down there and it's it's right here in our community uh councilwoman Rose okay thank you um sha tree commission met on Monday February 3rd
2024 um they will be offering free saplings for ARB Day on Sunday April 27th at the library um they're also um looking to offer free saplings to kindergarten kids and each child will give a report as they grow up as the
tree grows and as they grow every year during the school years um they would love some feedback from residents who have received who received free saplings as to how these saplings are doing and whether or not they survived or how far how high they've grown um last year
there were 12 permits issued 37 trees removed and only 12 replaced um they would like to remind residents residents that they should consider planting additional trees so that our town keeps looking beautiful planting of trees helps reduce storm water runoff as well as other
environmental needs they are also looking for volunteers as of right now they have two open spots you can go to our website and fill out a form um that's it for them and the Arts committee is meeting on Tuesday the
17th that's it yep that's thank you CC May yes I'm sorry I for one yes and councilwoman just reminded me uh anyone interested in the environment making sure it's nice and clean anyway uh our environmental
commission has two openings for anyone interested in our environment um they have a couple of program schedule this year which uh they desperately need some volunteers to help out with and we're open to suggestions on uh how we can
improve the environment here in Oakland so uh anyone interested in becoming a member of the Oakland environmental commission uh please go to Bar Hall and fill out the uh form and uh we'll bring it up on the next agenda thank you mayor thank you anybody else okay we're up to
payment of bills councilwoman uh councel oh I'm sorry count I'm sorry that coun Linsky I'm sorry bills to be paid 3,166 th16 59 so moved do have a second second
councilman Pell roll call actually wait any any discussion not seeing any roll call council president M yes councilman pelli yes councilwoman Rose yes councilman Sani
yes councilman spinski yes councilman Talam yes okay do I have a motion to adjourn do have a second second all favor all right the next bur council meeting will be held on Tuesday February 25th 20257 p.m. at the burough of
Oakland Municipal Court Chambers T law Drive Oakland New Jersey this time the meeting is adjourned thank you everybody and a good night e