Agenda, Township of Parsippany Troy Hills, Township Council agenda meeting of April 7th, 2026. Introduction, posting of notice. Adequate notice of this meeting has been provided in accordance with the requirements of the Open Public Meetings Law by filing the notice in the office of the Township Clerk and by posting the meeting notice on the bulletin board at
the municipal building on December 4th, 2025, which remained posted since that date. A legal notice appeared in the Daily Record and the Newark Star-Ledger on December 17th, 2025. Can I please ask everyone to stand up for the flag salute? I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America,
and to the republic for which it stands, >> [clears throat] >> one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Okay, you roll call. Um we have uh Mr. McGrath and Mr. Cavanaugh that have excused absences.
Uh moving along to Mr. Carifi. Here. Ms. Patel. Here. Mr. Fernandez. >> Here. Also in attendance are Mayor Pokit Desai, business administrator Mark Seeman, uh CFO Angela Sabatini, we have our Township Attorney
uh Joe DeMarco, and the Municipal Clerk Colette Madden. Council President, we have a quorum. May I begin? Thank you. Okay, so we have uh two upcoming meetings. So, one of the meetings here for the public certification is we have the first meeting on 4/21/2026,
which is the regular meeting. We also have a meeting that should have been listed on the agenda, I do apologize, which is April 14th. That is next Tuesday, and that is the meeting is specifically for the budget. It is a budget meeting where uh the public will
be able to ask questions and speak about the budget. That is going to be April 14th, Tuesday. Uh then the following meeting will be May 5th, 2026 at 7:00 p.m., which is an agenda meeting. Moving along to ordinances in second reading. Since this is an agenda
meeting, there's no action. I'm just going to ask the council to quickly review the ordinances. Seeing that there's no questions, we're going to go ahead and move along to the public session. At this time, I'd like to entertain a motion to open up the public session. Motion. Second. Motion made by Mr.
Carifi, seconded by Ms. Patel. Roll call, Mr. Carifi. Here. >> Ms. Patel. Here. Yes. Yes. Yes. We're going to go ahead and physically only three people.
Uh and Mr. Fernandez. Yes. Thank you. At this time, the floor is open to the public to speak on any matter. You have 5 minutes to speak. Please state your name before speaking. I know Bob wants to come up. Yeah, you Mr. Suarez. I mean, we I know we have
people here that I would like to come up, so. Okay, here we go. >> [clears throat] >> And just state your name, not the address, for the record, please. Cassara Grasso. Can you hear me okay? We can hear you. >> Okay.
That's a very great question. We just need you to speak louder. Okay. I'm sorry, we can't turn >> Is this better for you? Okay. Uh good evening, Mayor and council members. I stand before you not only as a lifelong resident, but as someone who has just planted deeper roots in this community,
having recently purchased my first home, and preparing to welcome my first child in just a few months. That is why the proposed 9 and 1/2% municipal tax increase, on top of the Board of Education's 6 and 1/2% increase, is not just concerning, it's
deeply unsettling. While I recognize that modest, responsible increases are sometimes necessary, a combined spike of this magnitude feels excessive and disconnected from the financial realities your residents are facing. Families like mine are tightening our
budgets right now. We are making difficult decisions, prioritizing essentials, and delaying or eliminating anything that falls into the nice-to-have category. I urge you to approach this budget with the same discipline and sense of urgency.
We cannot afford business as usual. I ask you to seriously consider a temporary moratorium on hiring. Is it truly necessary to fill every vacant position immediately, or can these hires be strategically staggered over the next several years? Thoughtful pacing could significantly
ease the burden on taxpayers without compromising core services. Additionally, I encourage you to re-evaluate discretionary spending. Programs like the Fall Festival, farmers markets, and other non-essential initiatives.
While these are enjoyable and contribute to community life, they are not fundamental services. In times like these, they should not take precedence over affordability for residents. This is a moment that calls for restraint, not expansion.
Fiscal responsibility must be the guiding principle, not a desire to differentiate from prior leadership, but a commitment to the people who live here now and are working hard to stay here. Leadership is not measured by how much you can add, but but how wisely but by
but by how wisely you can manage. Excuse [clears throat] me. I urge you to adopt a more frugal, disciplined approach to this budget, and to do everything within your power to reduce the tax burden burden on your residents. Thank you, and have a good night. Thank
you, Cassara. Bob Venezia, Parsippany. Over the past few years, the council has approved 11 pilots worth hundreds of millions of dollars in tax abatements, relying solely on
hypothetical, estimated pilot payments provided by the developer based on 95% occupancy. But how realistic have these uh estimates been? We can now answer that question for the first time because we have the real-life
experience gained on Route the 15-15 Route 10 pilot. The just introduced 2026 municipal budget anticipates, on page 16, that 15-15 Route 10 will pay about
$300,000 in pilot payments for the year. But does $300,000 really meet the expectations of the governing body and the public? First, let's remember, even if even if
the full estimated pilot payment of about a million dollars were made, the developer would still receive more than a 2/3 discount from the conventional tax amount of over 3 million dollars. The $300,000 amount that we will
actually get is less than 1/3 of the pilot payment that was projected. This reduced pilot payment represents a massive discount of about 90% compared to the conventional
taxes. Next, who's responsible for making sure that Parsippany Reeves receives the proper contractual pilot payment amount from the developer? The amount of $300,000 that Parsippany is being paid in 2026 does not even meet
the minimum pilot payment amount specified in the contract. Lastly, the $300,000 pilot payment is less than the $420,000 land taxes that Parsippany was receiving b-
when there was no building on the property. Think about that for a minute. Parsippany would receive more tax revenues today without having to provide extra municipal services, without the extra congestion, and without the extra school
children, if the 15- 15-15 Route 10 development were never built. Concrete data from the 15-15 pilot substantiates my belief that the pilots, especially residential pilots,
are a bad deal for the municipality, even under the best of circumstances. On top of that, it's now clear that the council should not rely on the exaggerated pilot payments estimate pilot payment estimates provided by the
developer. Nor can the council depend on its own financial advisor to uncover the landmines hidden in the pilot agreements. So, given what we know about pilots in general, and from the real-life experience of
15-15 Route 10 pilot, I strongly request that the council table any future pilot agreements until there is clear evidence that Parsippany is not being victimized again. Thank you.
Thank you, Bob. Uh Dick uh Konyak, the Hiawatha. Uh there's an article you can find in in the focus that's still relevant to this day and it's Council Vice President Janice
McCarthy zero versus 3.5% and she explains how we got in the situation where we are now when they were using looting the water utility to keep the taxes stable
and at the same time and I mentioned this so many times we had major water infrastructure that collapsed. We needed money for that. We didn't have to have it. We had a bond for it. I believe I heard at the last meeting
we're in debt. Is this true 87 million dollars were in debt to right 87 million dollars all right I want to pay taxes. I want something in return.
Right now we live in land where we went from tax rateables to pilot deals. We got billionaires making life worse for the rest of us. We have a government in Washington all
we get is war as economy. We get no subsidies, education, housing and everything. So we're being made into a chumps. We're not even citizens anymore. So
I'm for the tax raises as long as it stays stable for a long period of time and no more pilots like Bob Bob said. We're not going to be able to outmaneuver these these
real estate lawyers and all these loopholes and everything that they're that they've created. But read Janice McCarthy's letter. You can still find it June the 18th Council Vice President zero versus and that 3.5%
at the time the council wouldn't even allow it to pass because they were all the old people and all of this all the baloney. I'm a senior citizen. I get I make about I I I net about 48,000 a year. It's okay for
me. I mean I'm not able to be able to go to Siberia or Mongolia or anything but we you know it's it's possible when you know you're doing something for for the common good. But the like I said they threw the common good out the window and
these pilot deals are are another step down helping the rich not pay taxes toward toward the common good. I get a rebate because my income is so low. I'll get the money back.
The day I dropped dead I probably won't get the money back and the state will keep it and who cares. But you get the money back. So I mean the but I'm retired for for the young people I I I you know I can understand what we're
doing to them. But the the mortal sin was the pilot deal. You don't go from tax rateables to pilot deals and it started with UPS in 2014. They profited 13 billion dollars that
year. Chris Christie came to town. He stuck the thing was stimulating the economy. Yeah, you're stimulating the economy for a temporary job. You're screwing over the the people of Parsippany pilot number one and it it seems like it only got worse after that.
Thank you next. >> [snorts] >> Good evening all. Can everybody hear me? Yes. All right. For those [clears throat] of you who didn't hear it just broke no no attack. So the Iranian attack has been put off
for a couple of weeks. I'm sure that's good news to everyone. Um during the spring break I witnessed [snorts] many younger people riding e-bikes. Is wearing a helmet and our front and
rear lights mandated? I don't know. Does anybody know? I would assume when summer break is upon us the [clears throat] number of residents of all ages using e-bikes will only increase and they do come in adult sizes.
Many times enthusiasm overtakes common sense and accidents can occur. However, there may be a way to try and make the situation somewhat safer at night. There are a quantity of street lights that I observe just in the area I live
in that are presently out of service. To give an example, there are three consecutive cobra head fixtures that are out of service on Knoll Road. They are located across the street from and in
the vicinity of the school. I would estimate the dark area to be a few hundred yards long. I used to pay PSE&G when I had to take care of campus lighting
over 42 dollars a month and that was 15 years ago. >> [clears throat] >> The maintenance of our street lights are part of the monthly fee for them. So no additional cost would be charged to make these lights work.
If a survey schedule of these fixtures is not part of the PM program the city has I would like to suggest the town wide survey be performed to identify the inoperative fixtures by recording the pole numbers on the fixtures
they are attached to and following the list to JCP&L. They will fix or replace the fixtures in [clears throat] question. And yes I think you can never have enough lighting for a host [clears throat] of reasons.
Better lighting might save someone from being injured or worse. I would hope my suggestion would be considered and I thank you for your time and God bless. So I think the state
is writing [snorts] or have they passed yet some guidance on e-bikes yet for for everyone. So the new law will be in when will the new law be in effect? >> I was going to say I'm pretty sure it will be in effect in July is what I was told from my
brother. >> So Mrs. Torres the state apparently is is is passing and working on some laws that will take effect in July and in the event that they do even if we were to legislate any ordinance it will supersede the ordinance. >> Right. Yes. So and also the traffic
committee I believe I mean they just we had talked about this earlier are interested in the lighting issue. So if you could give that information on [snorts] the ones that you are concerned about to Colette
and on pilots we're going to do things differently. So just understand that it's not going to be the same as before. We're going to look at everything differently. Thank you again. Anyone else? Come on up Mr. Ann. Jack Raya
Um thanks for the town hall last week. It was informative. It was informative for both the public and also for the administration. Um I would appreciate an update on where we are. What changes have been made to the projected budget. Uh we shouldn't
have to wait till the 14th for a for an update on that. Um I am I'm going to I've said it before. I'm I'm I'm repeating myself but we sat on our hands. The town council sat on its hands when a motion came up on January 6th to
reverse the two December pilots. But but they were quick to make new hires in January which before they even knew what the budget was going to look like and that to me was was just unforgivable. Just because there were vacancies last
year that doesn't mean they have to be filled this year. We've already got an issue and the the budget that was presented last week did not include the full increase of the school budget which is going to make the increase
about 14 or 15% this year. I'm not sure if everyone's quite aware of that but the school budget has been squeezed for the last several years and the budget I don't I I haven't seen. I'm not on the school board anymore but last I heard it's going to be a significant increase
and when you combine that with the town increase it's going to be about a 14 or 15% increase which I don't think the town is going to be very happy about. Uh between last week and next week there needs to be significant cuts from what was originally projected on the first
budget that was issued a couple of weeks ago. Thank you. >> What do you have for me, tones? Thank you, sir. Tony Fasanella, Cedar Knolls. This is some notes from a previous meeting with the mayor. I want to thank the mayor for your Easter letter. I'm a little disappointed
that the governor didn't come out with anything. Also, as far as it just came out on the radio, President Obama, in order to enter his libraries, is going to require a reportable photo ID. So, you should be able to have the same
ID in order to vote. Congratulations on having the school budget at the high school. It was better than watching it on the side. Everybody there will see what was going on. More comfortable. Maybe some students can get involved. Affordable housing.
Besides the town halls, I've been to seven different meetings around town. And this is what this is for, because we're playing CNN. It's Pinocchio award. Okay? We keep saying that it's round figures, we're getting 500 units. We're
not getting 500 units. We're getting 2,500 units. And I've asked for a plans. I don't know who who I got to go to, whether the zoning board, building planning board, to try and put a comprehensive spreadsheet together, because the plans that I've seen
are not on the marketable issues. They're not one bedrooms. They're two and three bedrooms. So, we're going to expect the population of it into Jack situation, approximately over the next couple years, 5,000 students. And don't they And I keep getting
figures of 1.5 to 1.25. So, which part of the kid do we educate? From the head down to his waist or the waist down to his butt or to his feet? It's ridiculous. Plan on the 2,500 units. Can we challenge the governor to come out with an executive order
and make her, like everybody else in this room and everybody else in this state, equal? What goes for the town of Parsippany should go for every city and town in this state. You're looking at this and oh, no, it's
just mismanagement. It's fraud. One Board of Education in Newark has 36 Board of Educations. It's 200 million short. Where'd the money go? Montclair, where she comes from, 40 million short.
That's mismanagement? Sounds more like fraud. I'm not declaring our guys, but somebody's got to walk into this state and do something. Question of everybody that's on welfare, supposed to have a 30-hour work rule in this
town. State and federal mandate. And from what I'm getting back, we have zero people working. If somebody wants to get back to me, you all know my phone number. Maybe we can help Nick out clean the
streets in Lake Hiawatha. Another issue. We have one public library on Halsey Road. We have another one in Mount Tabor. Maybe like other towns, we should be double utilizing high schools. We don't need a third library. Place the people in there, make a
separate entrance, and do like the rest of the towns do. We're double utilizing. If they need it, if the school needs a little bit of electricity, fund the bill. It's better than spending 20 million dollars on a new building. Thank you. >> [snorts]
>> Hi, Olivia Betrackis, 1320 Littleton Road. Um, I'm not here to say that taxes should never go up. I understand costs rise and inflation is out of control. But a 9.5 increase in a single year for us to simply
um apply is too much in a single year for us is I'm sorry, I'm reading cuz I can't see. Um, my income doesn't go up 9.5% in 1 year and I'm sure none of the other residents do either. So, why is the township expecting us to absorb such a
heavy kind of increase so instantly? Before asking the residents to pay significantly more, the township should demonstrate two things. Are the hiring decisions in town hall necessary? And is every possible efficiency being explored? I'm asking you to reconsider
the size of this tax increase and explore a phased approach that balances the township's needs with the residents' ability to pay. Residents should not be the first solution, they should be the last. Thank you. >> [snorts] >> Thank you for hearing us out, Mr. Mayor
and township council members. I have lived in Parsippany 67 years. I remember when there was a farm on North Beverwyck Road. I remember over there where there were no houses,
there were no buildings, it was all woods. It was a beautiful suburban town that we lived in. With all of these PILOTs and all of the overbuilding that we are doing, we are turning this beautiful suburban town
into a city. I don't believe that that is where any of the residents would like to see this town go. Also, with the budget. So, you are proposing a 10% increase. There
are a lot of senior citizens in this town who go to Foodtown at night to get the leftovers that are on the buffet. They are not going to be able to absorb a 10% increase.
They're going to be put out of their houses, cuz it's going to come down to my house or do I eat? That's not where we want our citizens to go. I strongly urge that you go back
line item by line item and see where you can take out some of the expenses. If it's in the capital improvements, the other expenses, the open jobs, there has to be some way to bring that down. I understand
we're in a hole, but do we have to fix it all in 1 year? Can it be more over time? And with all of these pilot programs and everything that is happening with these increases, the people who pay the most
are our children. Our school systems, there are the same amount of schools when I was a kid that there are now. Except that the class sizes went from 15 to 26, 29.
We can't do that. As a teacher assistant in another district, it hurts the kids. We really need to take that into consideration. Thank you very much for your time. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
>> [clears throat] >> Anyone else? Okay, I'll take anyone else who would like. I'm just waiting cuz I know Mr. Hallock came in late, so I didn't know if he wanted to speak. All right. No problem. Okay, seeing no one else, I'd like to entertain a motion to close the public
hearing. Motion. Second. Motion made by Mr. Carifi. Seconded Seconded by Mr. Hernandez. Roll call, Mr. Carifi. Yes. Mr. Down. Yes. >> Mr. Hernandez. Okay, the polls closed. At this time, we're going to move on to
a public hearing and this public hearing is regarding the township's intent to enter into a into a public private partnership contract with the utility service group, Water Solutions LLC, for the water storage tank asset rehabilitation management and maintenance. At this time, I'd like to entertain a motion to open up the Now,
Susan, would you be doing a presentation on this? I don't know. Okay, so we'll do a presentation. We'll go over the presentation first and then we'll open up the public hearing for any questions. Um, good evening, mayor. Susan Down. Um, Susan, I need you to use that mic. You
got to get that microphone. I'm going to give you the mic. Just yank it. Don't worry. It's already broken. This is um an overview of a proposal that we're preparing to enter into a long-term public private partnership agreement
that is established through the competitive request for proposals process. The selected partner is Utility Service Group Water Solutions LLC. Uh the scope of the agreement pertains specifically to the maintenance of the water storage tanks, not the broader
water system. Therefore, there will be no transfer of ownership or control of the Township's water system or infrastructure. The Township will retain full authority and oversight for all water operations. Historically,
tank work was procured through individual competitive bids. This approach addressed only one tank at a time. The program will now cover all 10 tanks at once. The Some of the goals for the program are to ensure long-term structural
integrity of all tanks, maintain operational reliability and performance, provide protection against corrosion and deterioration, and extend the useful life of the existing assets. The program is a plan as a phased rehabilitation approach. So, it's a
planned rotating schedule that will be implemented. The tanks will be prioritized based on condition and need. Each tank will undergo full rehabilitation in its designated cycle. The comprehensive asset management program includes things such as annual
um and visual inspections, full rehabilitation services, interior and exterior repainting as needed, structural repairs, interior cleaning, washouts. Some of the benefits to the Township are that this program is a proactive
maintenance instead of reactive repairs. It's improved safety and regulatory compliance. There's cost predictability over the long term, access to specialized expertise and industry best practices, and it reduces the risk of unexpected failures or emergency
repairs. The partnership is a targeted, responsible investment in critical infrastructure. It protects public assets, ensures reliable service, and maintains local control. I'm Nick Pisano,
he's from Utility Services Group. Nick is from Utility Services Group. He's going to do a PowerPoint presentation. Thank you for having me, uh council members. My name is Nick Rappanyani. I work for USG Water, Utility Service Group, and we are the proposed
contractor of choice through competitive public-private contracting act. So, we wanted to, as Suzanne said, um give you a little bit of background on what it is. So, it's proactive asset management maintenance plan that keeps your tanks inspected, maintained, repaired before
problems occur. So, over time, what this does is it provides a guarantee for the assets, and it also reduces cost of ownership over time by doing proactive repairs. So, um what it is not, which is always something good to address some of the questions, it's not a takeover. The
Township uh retains full control of all of its assets. It's really just a maintenance program, maintenance contract. So, there's no concern with with that. Um you're not locked in. The contract is annually renewable. So, the only obligation is work that has been performed, um not future work, and it's
not limiting any future options the Township cannot to change directions, change the program, um or go different direction entirely at any point. Suzanne already went over a lot of the different um aspects of the program. So, I won't get it too much into the technical side, although I'm available
for questions on that. Um we have a lot of proven performant performance of our uh maintenance partnerships. Um some of your neighboring communities that have partnership agreements with us like this that we competitively won are Rockaway Township, Borough of Butler, um
Ho-Ho-Kus, Fair Lawn, Lincoln Park, Mahwah, just to name a few up here in North Jersey, many many others in the state. Um the idea is that um we have thousands of of these municipal partners here in the East, and that reduces the risk for the Township
and for um the water utility in general. And how we drive lower life cycle costs is really working with the Township on 10-year capital planning, um and you'll be able to, you know, ask any questions you need to on that. But, AWWA, which is American Water Works Association, um
talks about asset management, and here in New Jersey, we're required to have asset management through the Water Quality Accountability Act. Um and what AWWA says on that is proactive asset management is 1/3 less cost than reactive management, which would be letting something run all
the way to failure and then fixing it. And typically, that's done with setting it out to bid, and then you're getting uh whatever quality you get for that, um which can be variable. Um so, we're planning the life cycle work, and the work is guaranteed. So, as long as you're in the
partnership, um everything is contractually guaranteed. So, that's that's um something that is not normal in the market, uh unlike the bid market. And, you know, you'll see that on my next slide with um one example of one of your water assets that we want to restore and be able to
take pride in the image of the of the community and restore to DEP compliance. Also, one of the other questions that a lot of times gets asked um is the labor impact. So, there's zero Township employees impacted by this. That's written into our contract. It was one of the things the state um just through
back and forth of these partnerships, we we put into all contracts now. Um it's in-house management plus union and prevailing wage labor. So, there's local um IUPAT, which is International Union of Painters and Allied Trades.
And really, what we're talking about is up to 400,000 people, and I realize that this may be some people twice a day because you're going out west and then back east or north and then south, but probably the busiest interchange in the state of New Jersey. I'd put money on that. Um so, up to 400,000 views of this
tank on a daily basis, and we're looking forward to it looking something like this in the in the near term future. And really, um we're a contractor and a partner. So, we're here for the long term. We're not just coming in and doing one-time work that's warranted for 1 year, and then anybody can make
something look good for 1 year. We're really here to take the complexity of the cellular, the engineering, the manufacturing of the coatings, inspection, the contract work, and all of the services, and really be a point of accountability for that, and we're okay with that. We want that, and we take that on
in our contract. And so, what that looks like financially with um the well-run water utility that you have is financial stability and financial sustainability. So, the red line is really kind of a reactive approach, which is run to failure. You have this big spike of a capital project, and then you have these
little unknowns here in the line, and then you have that another big spike of a capital project later in the cycle. Uh what our program does, and I encourage you to reach out to our references for for proof of this, but it's a budgeted amount um spread over time, and then an annual sustainable
partnership where you have a set locked-in, capped, inflation-capped budget that gives you stability and gives you just better management at a lower cost over time. That is really it. Happy to entertain questions.
So, is just a question. So, is one of the purposes to have a more predictable maintenance year to year, so for budgeting purposes and and accountabilities, is that one of the long-term goals? Absolutely, both of those things. And
part of asset management, which is required by uh Water Quality Accountability Act, the reason that it's required is for that. It creates and drives costs down to have that predictability of the budget and predictability of the maintenance. And then that preventive maintenance also then reduces the risk
of any critical failure or anything of that nature. Correct, exactly. Letting a tank go to, you know, the point of um that of this will then, you know, require more expensive repair, whereas an approach that is going to maintain
something from occurring like that will then cost less less. And increases the asset life of the Absolutely. Yeah. I mean, these tanks can last over 100 years um if If they're maintained properly. >> Exactly. Okay. Thank you. Absolutely.
How long have you been in these other towns like Rockaway and Yeah, we've been um So, our company is uh the same organization since 1963. We are the um originators of the tank asset maintenance program nationwide, although
we started here in the East, and that started in the early 1980s. So, our longest clients um are from then, from the early 1980s, and within the state from around 2000. Okay. Thank you. Okay. Any other questions?
Just out of curiosity, how long would it take that looking like the other picture? Yeah, so the transformation to this, um in terms of people out in the field, um you know, a couple of months for the construction time frame. Thank you. Okay, so generally, I wouldn't allow this, but since I do see
two questions, and Huh? There's a public hearing. Oh, yeah. This public hearing, so I have to open it up. Sorry. Come on, I was just making it cuz I like these two guys. That's why. All right. Come on up, Mr. Pisano. You need You need a motion to open Oh, I didn't do that yet? Oh, sorry. Can
I please have a motion to uh enter the motion to open the public hearing? Second. Okay, uh motion made by Mr. Hernandez, seconded by Mr. Carifi. Roll call. Mr. Carifi? Yes. Mr. Patel? Yes. And Mr. Hernandez. Okay, come on up, Mr. Pisano. Mr. Schwarz. So, it's okay to talk, right? I got to actually three questions. Quite familiar with Fanwood
Lakes. Do you turn around, do Do do just maintenance, or do you remap? Because we're having a problem with our sewer department where we went in and put up more efficient electric motors in but nobody had the brains to turn around and reman the pump. So actually that's what we're going to be doing now and then we're going to be replacing the
same motors back on. So my perspective from transportation, you reman it, you do the whole job. Who monitors your ROs, repair orders? And as far as prevailing wage goes, are you all responsible for for the prevailing wage payment and are
you certified for it? Because I'm certified for New York State, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Something to me. So number three first, yeah, we're absolutely certified prevailing rate prevailing wage. Yes, exactly. Absolutely, we're
certified prevailing wage. So as far as prevailing wage as far as prevailing wage goes as part of the agreement, they will have to submit to us certified payrolls each time that they go out and do work. So that comes to the township, we're
required to hold it and it is available to the Department of Labor whenever they so choose to look at it. And also upload it to the department. Upload it to the department. >> They also required to upload it to the department when they send it to us. Correct.
Yep. Yeah, we won't put up we won't give them a payment unless they submit it to us. Thank you Mr. Torres. Have a question. Normally maintenance contracts are not entered into on a yearly basis. The reason for
that being is um a company really doesn't have the incentive to keep the product up to standard if they're not on the hook for more than one year. If if you will.
Okay? Um additionally um am I correct that all public bidding is mandated by the the prevailing wage
throughout the state no matter what the job is. Am I right? So prevailing wage is required when the contracts are over a certain threshold which this does meet and require that. This specific project is not done by a
traditional bid, it's called a request for proposal very similar but the same requirements the same requirement for prevailing wage as well. I have another The the annually renewable only applies to the owner side. Us as the contractor
cannot break that contract on an annual basis. So we're locked into the to the cost structure that we've furnished to them through the RFP process. So our incentive has to be long-term in order to to maintain that. So that's
a good point of clarification. I'm assuming that whatever work you're contemplating doing would be >> [clears throat] >> a scope of work would be presented to the town first and they would have to approve it
or is this something that you just say, well, this needs to be done and our contract says it needs to be done and we're going to do do it or do you need the go-ahead from the township first? Maybe we should stand closer.
The RFP yes, the RFP process defined that scope of work. So that scope of work is already something that is set in stone that we have to meet those objectives and the water department as the owner has the final say on you know any submittals or changes that
would be requested but that RFP already defines what scopes of work Yes, so the work was already identified, right? So each every tank was already done an analysis. So the tanks were already the
projects were already an analysis was done of what needs to be done for them, inspections, we designed a scope of work so that you can get a proper response, right? Now it doesn't mean that someone might not go out in the field and say, hey, I discovered this when I was doing that
and you need a more extensive repair or lesser repair. Um but to go back to the original point that you made, the renewable is at our option, right? So if we're not satisfied with the work after two years or they're not performing in a timely or to the spec that we laid out
or if there's some drastic change and we need different work or different things, we can always restart this process. But they're stuck with us. We're not stuck with them. >> [laughter] >> Yeah, here go ahead give it give the Well, I got I have another mic for you. Oh, okay.
All right, here there you go. You see that Mr. Thank you. Thank you very much. Um Is it first or Tuesday? Is there Go ahead. How how much of a backlog of work do you anticipate
would be addressed now? Translation I would need late in getting to this problem and what are these things that should have been taken care of before? Yeah. I mean that's that's that's a tough that's a uh It's hard to answer that impartially. I
see a lot of towns that are in a lot worse position but there are some immediate needs that do need to be addressed on some of the tanks. I would probably defer to Sean to uh make any corrections to that statement but I think um you're addressing it sooner rather
than later is a is a good idea for the reasons we have asset management which is the longer you let it go the more it costs. So I think you're at the right time. You How much of this do you anticipate? Yeah, 5 seconds. Okay. How how much of
this do you anticipate is is cosmetic and how much is structural? So anything that you see on a tank that looks like this is corrosion which means that you're getting the steel turning back into ferrous iron which is it's degrading and starting to
lose its structural integrity. To the extent that that happens, we have tests for that to determine what the necessary repairs are and the proper fix. But whenever you see rust or corrosion as we call it in the industry, it means that not good things are happening to the steel. It's starting to flake off and
you're losing material which obviously you want to protect. Thank you everyone. Anyone else? Come on up, Nick. Number one, is this entropy in the water tanks cuz I don't see
anything else here? Is that a direct result that's in neglect suffered by not utilizing our water utility surplus fees for maintaining the system?
That's beyond his expertise, Nick. That's beyond his expertise or the scope of this. But good point. >> does it include like a checklist annual, quarterly, weekly? What exactly
like Richie said, how much of this is cosmetic and how much is actually If the outside of that tank rust, how does it affect the water on the inside of the tank or does it ever? It could.
Yeah, so um the the rust affects the structural integrity of the tank itself. The interior of the tank also is subject to off-gassing of the of the disinfection which you're using chlorine for. So the interior of the tank also has coatings to protect the steel and then that steel
starts to corrode when that that chlorine off-gases in there. So all of the tanks have a scope of work for the interior and the exterior in order to protect the structure of the tank. There's also included in the program annual inspections as well as periodic
washouts per AWWA recommendations which is our industry body and and the state DEP requirements. Those washouts include you know improvement to water quality. So we're washing out you know calcification other things out of the tank on a periodic basis that's
that's keeping your town in compliance and following AWWA as well. So the inside of the tank is also How often does that happen? So it's inspected annually every year. Um the coatings are planned within the
next you know 10 years to all of the tanks to be addressed and then the washouts are occurring on a triennial basis which is the which is the basis of the AWWA and DEP recommendations. >> And who was the contractor that did this before?
Um I would have to defer to the to the water utility for that. All right, thanks. Not us. Entertain a motion to close the public? Motion. I can't get a motion to close the public. Uh Mr. Hernandez. Second. Mr. Greif.
Uh roll call. Mr. Greif. Ms. Betancourt. Yes. Mr. Hernandez. The floor is closed. Okay. Moving along. Thank you. I'd like the uh council to quickly review the consent agenda to be voted on
at the next meeting. And now we're going to go ahead to move along to presentations and reports, Mayor. Uh I do have a proclamation, and then I will give my uh uh mayor's report after that.
What are these? Spread out. Yeah, yeah. Good luck. Yep. That's fine. All the way. And then we don't want to stick you in the front. Keep them on each side. Let's make it even on each side. Right. The mayors in the middle. All right. I think that's good right here.
Yeah. All right. I think we're good here now. All right. Thank you, everyone. Uh I'm here to provide a proclamation from the Township of Parsippany. Whereas the Township of Parsippany Hills I'm going to start again. My apologies.
Whereas the Township of Parsippany Troy Hills recognizes that our children are nation's most vulnerable members and most valuable resources, helping to shape the future of our community. Whereas positive childhood experiences,
including loving caregivers, and a safe, stable, and nurturing relationship are essential to mitigating the negative impacts of trauma and promoting the social, emotional, and development of well-being of our youth. And we acknowledge that childhood trauma,
including abuse and neglect, is a serious public health issue that requires collective action from every community member to change mindsets through storytelling, sharing, and centering this need of families. And
prevention is made possible through vital partnership between Prevent Child Abuse New Jersey, families, prevention advocates, child welfare professionals, faith-based faith-based organizations,
and local service groups such as the New Jersey State Federation of Women's Club. And the Township is committed to advancing responsive, effective systems and prioritizing investments in prevention initiatives, including home
visiting, family strengthening policies, and economic support that ensures all families are healthy and thriving. And by building a narrative of hope and reducing barriers for families, we can inspire actions from all partners in
prevention to break the cycle of trauma for future generations. Now, therefore, I, Mayor Paul DeGroot Sci, on behalf of the Township Council and the residents of Parsippany Troy Hills, do hereby proudly recognize April
2026 as National Child Abuse Prevention Month in the Township of Parsippany Troy Hills and urge all citizens to join in building a supportive community where every child has the opportunity to grow up safe, nurtured, and empowered. Thank
you. You're welcome. Can everyone squeeze together for a photo? Let's get closer and put our pinwheels up. >> [clears throat] >> Okay. I'd like to give my report now. I'd like to begin on a somber note. I
was very sorry to learn of the passing of Mrs. DeCastro. I'm grateful she was able to receive the Sokolowski award and share that moment with her family. A small but meaningful way for our town to recognize a truly remarkable life. Our condolences go out to her family, a
life spanning 100 years, leaving behind an extraordinary legacy, and we are fortunate she was part of our community. Our thoughts are with her loved ones during this difficult time. Now, on a positive note, I had the opportunity to visit the Golden Age
Senior Club yesterday. It was a pleasure spending time with such an engaged and active group. I answered a wide range of questions and had some great conversations. It's clear they value our facilities, and it's important that we continue to support spaces where our seniors can gather, stay active, and
enjoy the quality of life they deserve. I'm also happy to report that the Knoll Country Club opened last Friday. We were fortunate to have great weather over the long weekend, and it was a wonderful to see so many residents out enjoying the course. It's in fantastic conditions,
and we're looking forward to a strong and successful golf season. Pilots, I do listen. Councilman McGrath mentioned a pilot committee at the last meeting. This is something that will be done. So, it will be a transparent process. It is something the town, the council, and
the Board of Education never got, and I plan to deliver. Finally, we had a budget town hall last week. I appreciate everyone who came and asked thoughtful, direct questions. These conversations matter. They give us the opportunity to be transparent about
where we are, how we got here, and the choices in front of us as we move forward. You deserve the truth and transparency. The budget is where it is because walking into this administration, we're saddled with some
external pressures. Tariffs, and within the last few months, two snowstorms, and gas prices due to the current ongoing war. All within the last few months, and we are currently experiencing this today. Let's not forget that there have been
accounting tricks used over multiple years and multiple administration, both Republican and Democrats, that cannot continue, in my opinion. Business as usual got us here today where it is. Is it right to continue business as usual? Where does it stop?
I assure you, I'm committed to do the right thing. Things will be done. This administration is going to going to be the one of action. We're all taking questions under considerations. Thank you. Township Council. Okay. Um this is from the Parsippany
Environmental >> Could you just speak into the mic, uh Council President? Thank you. I'm going to read this for Matt Cavanaugh, who's not here, from the Parsippany Environmental Advisory Committee. Please join the Parsippany Environmental Advisory Committee and the Whippany
River Watershed Association for a presentation by Steve Mariconda of the New Jersey Chapter of Dark Sky on light pollution, how to protect the nocturnal environment. You will learn about the impacts of light pollution on the ecosystem and health, and best practices
and policies to reduce light pollution. This will be at the main library on Halsey Road at 6:30 on Thursday at April 9th. And um I met with the Historical Committee this week. They met They're meeting like every 2 weeks now because of the 250th
anniversary. And they're planning many events throughout the year, starting this spring. It will begin with Pathways, which is an annual countywide event celebrating local historic sites. And the Pathways occurs in the spring and fall, and this year all
municipalities will focus on um uh 250th. Parsippany's history and relics from the areas will be exhibited throughout the year, and there'll be special readings on Memorial Day and around the 4th of July and more.
And we'll also be working with the ad hoc committee and doing special events that around the 4th of July. That's all I have. So, oh, wait. The Parsippany Green Team will be meeting April 22nd at 7:00 p.m.
at the library. It's their first meeting. Okay. I just um before we go into committee reports, I just wanted to make a quick comment about the budget. Um so, I hear you guys. I understand money's tight. I'm broke. So I really hear you
guys. Um, and this is an increase that's big. It's a large increase. We're not going to deny that. It's 9 and 1/2%. Um, but as the mayor said, as we've said numerous times, this is a compound effect that we are seeing here from numerous previous administrations. We're
not going to just blame one. We're going back 10 years. You can see the numbers and how it has created this problem today. Um, and I also wanted to kind of remind the public that 4 years ago we saw a 14% increase that was passed through.
And there wasn't talks of cutting the fall festival or cutting our programming or not hiring new staff that we need, but we put through a 14% increase. This budget increase is still much lower than
what we saw 4 years ago. That's it. That's right. Okay. You have a report though. Yeah, I was going to wait for him to Okay, any other reports from council? Okay, council attorney. Uh, nothing for me. Okay, and we're going to go along to the
business administrator, Mr. Seeman. No reports for this week. Thank you. Uh, I don't have any reports. No reports for committees, correct? >> one. Yeah, committee report? We're not allowed. Now, go ahead. You got to blame Frank. Sorry. So, the Parsippany-Troy Hills Economic
Development Committee continues to welcome new businesses to the township. Celebrating recent openings while preparing for several upcoming ribbon cutting ceremonies. The committee, joined by Mayor Polkit Desai, recently celebrated the grand opening of Ricardo Foot and Ankle Surgery with a ribbon
cutting ceremony on Saturday, March 21st at 181 New Road. On Sunday, March 29th, the Economic Development Committee and Mayor Polkit Desai also welcomed Surprise Surprise Surprise Surprise with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 176 Parsippany Road.
Additional grand openings are scheduled in the coming days. On Thursday, April 9th, the committee and Mayor Polkit Desai will welcome EL or ECLC of New Jersey, located at 40 Baldwin Road with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 11:00 a.m.
ECLC of New Jersey is a non-profit organization making a difference in the lives of many of more than 900 individuals with autism, Down syndrome, and other special needs. On Saturday, April 11th at 1:00 p.m., the Parsippany-Troy Hills Economic
Development Committee, together with Mayor Polkit Desai, will welcome Wall Automotive, located at 1195 Littleton Road with a ribbon cutting ceremony. On Sunday, April 12th at 11:00 a.m., the committee, together with Mayor Polkit Desai, will welcome Unisex Hair and
Beauty Lounge, located at 73 New Road. Jonathan's Haven two Sherbourg Sherbourg Road Well, [laughter] sorry. I don't want to pronounce anything incorrectly. Sherbourg Road will be
joined by the Economic Committee and Mayor Desai at a ribbon cutting ceremony on Saturday, April 18th at 1:30 p.m. Jonathan's Haven is a premier disability provider agency assisting disabled adults to live their best lives in a comforting and stimulating environment.
Residents, business owners, and members of the community are invited to attend the ceremonies and help welcome these new businesses to Parsippany to Parsippany. The Economic Development Team remains committed to supporting local entrepreneurs and strengthening the township's business community. The
Economic Development Committee's next meeting will be held on Thursday, April 16th at 6:30 p.m. in the third floor conference room at 90 East Halsey Road. The meeting will feature a special presentation of the future of Parsippany's commercial landscape by
Thomas P. Consigli Leo, principal of Resource Realty of New Northern New Jersey. The public is welcome to attend. To RSVP, contact contact Chairman Frank Cahill at 973-559-6000. Thank you. Okay, thank you. Moving along
to the ordinances first reading to be reviewed and passed the next meeting. Moving along to the non-consent agenda R2026-83 authorizing and approving an emergency repair at Littleton Road and Spartan Avenue. Motion to approve the resolution, please. Motion. Second. >> Motion made by Ms. Patel, seconded by
Mr. Hernandez. Roll call, Mr. Carifi. >> Yes. >> Ms. Patel. Ms. Patel. Yes. >> Mr. Hernandez. >> Yes. Motion passes R2026-84 authorizing and approving emergency repairs at 89 Edwards Road and 149 Edwards Road. Motion to approve the resolution above, please. Motion. Second. Motion made by
Mr. Carifi, seconded by Ms. Patel. Roll call, Mr. Carifi. >> Yes. Ms. Patel. Yes. >> Mr. Hernandez. >> Yes. Motion passes R2026-85 adjusting the public bidding threshold retroactive to July 1st, 2025. Motion to approve the resolution above, please. Motion. Second. Motion made by Ms. Patel,
seconded by Mr. Hernandez. Roll call, Mr. Carifi. >> Yes. >> Ms. Patel. Yes. Mr. Hernandez. Yes. Motion passes R2026-86 authorizing the person-to-person transfer of plenary retail distribution license Avalon Parsippany ASVCS from HST Lessee CNBS
LLC. Motion to approve the resolution above. Motion. Second. Motion made by Ms. Patel, seconded by Mr. Carifi. Roll call, Mr. Carifi. Ms. Patel. >> And Mr. Hernandez. Yes. Motion passes R2026-87 authorizing the appointment of Thomas DiRenzo as a township fire
official. Motion to approve the resolution above. Motion. Second. Motion made by Mr. Carifi, seconded by Ms. Patel. Roll call, Mr. Carifi. Ms. Patel. Mr. Hernandez. >> R2026-88 adopting bidder pre-qualification regulations for the
Craftsman Farms White Cottage Phase Two Rehabilitation Project. Motion to approve. >> Motion. Second. Motion made by Mr. Carifi, seconded by Ms. Patel. Roll call, Mr. Carifi. Ms. Patel. >> Mr. Hernandez. >> Yes. Motion passes. Moving along to approval of payroll and bills list. CFO Andrew Sabatino
recommends authorization for payment. One authorizes payment of the April 10th, 2026 regular miscellaneous payroll estimated at 1,450,000. And two, payment of bills from voucher list of 4/7/26, which is 3,872,566 dollars and 12 cents. Motion to approve the resolution the authorization for
payment. Motion. Second. >> Motion made by Ms. Patel, seconded by Mr. Carifi. Roll call, Mr. Carifi. Ms. Patel. Mr. Hernandez. Motion passes. Can I please have a motion to adjourn the meeting? Motion. Second. Motion made by Mr. Hernandez, seconded by Ms. Patel.
Roll call, Mr. Carifi. Ms. Patel. >> Mr. Hernandez. Yes. Okay, we are adjourned. Everybody have a great night. Thank you. Thank you.