WEBVTT

METADATA
Video-Count: 1
Video-1: youtube.com/watch?v=QP1kiDby5Vg

NOTE
MEETING SECTIONS:

Part 1 (Video ID: QP1kiDby5Vg):
- 00:00:05: Meeting Call to Order, Roll Call, and Flag Salute
- 00:02:19: Approval of Previous Meeting Minutes and Communications
- 00:03:22: Open Public Comment Period (No Speakers Present)
- 00:04:12: Consent Resolutions Approval and Special Presentations Introduction
- 00:05:17: Special Presentation: Athletic Achievements and Recognition
- 00:14:31: Introduction of Public Hearing for Ordinance 11-2026
- 00:15:21: Ordinance 11-2026: Capital Improvements Funding Detailed Explanation
- 00:18:44: Open Public Hearing on Ordinance 11-2026 and Vote
- 00:19:40: Appointment of Conor McHugh and Budget Presentation Introduction
- 00:20:15: Budget Presentation: Fiscal Responsibility and Shared Services
- 00:23:47: Budget Overview, Tax Rates, and Statutory Requirements
- 00:26:32: Open Public Hearing on Budget (No Speakers Present)
- 00:27:26: Committee & Liaison Reports: Public Safety, Planning, Utilities
- 00:32:40: Committee & Liaison Reports: Governmental Relations, Social Services
- 00:37:54: Council Member and Administrator Final Remarks
- 00:43:25: Budget Reading, Discussion, and Final Adoption


Part: 1

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He's retiring. >> Yeah. >> Okay. All right. Good evening everyone. Excuse me and welcome to the regular session regular session meeting of the mayor and council of Burl Ramsey.

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Wednesday, April 22nd, 2026. This meeting is also being conducted telephonically and the dial number is 4254366365 access code 21351 563. And the meeting may also be viewed on the Ramsey YouTube channel which is

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accessible through the Ramsey Burough website. May I please have a roll call. >> Mayor Dylan >> here. >> Councilwoman Cusk >> here. >> Councilman Gerson >> here. >> Councilman Gutwer is not here. Councilman Kilman >> here. >> Councilman Pablo >> here. >> Councilwoman Poppy

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>> here. >> Thank you. called the flag. I'll ask OEM coordinator English to lead us to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God,

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indivisible, liberty and justice for all. The New Jersey Open Public Meetings Law was enacted to ensure the rights of all citizens have advanced notice of and to attend all meetings of public bodies at which any business affecting the public

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is discussed or acted upon. In accordance with the provisions of this act, notice of this meeting of the mayor and council was published in the Bergen record and the suburban news on Wednesday, January 15, 2026 and is posted on our legal notices page at

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www.ramenj. ramj.com. Hey, can we have approval of minutes? >> Madame Mayor, this is Councilwoman Cusk and I would like to make a motion to approve the minutes from the work session on the 8th of April, 2026. >> I'll second.

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>> Thank you. >> Do we have any comments on the minutes? >> Not hearing any. Roll call, please. >> Councilwoman Cusk, >> yes. >> Councilman Berson, >> yes. >> Councilman Kilman, >> yes. >> Councilman Pablo, >> yes. Councilwoman Poppy. >> Yes.

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>> Thank you. Communications. >> Yes, Madam Mayor. I make a motion to receive and file the communications as listed on our agenda for April 22nd, 2026. >> I'll second. >> Thanks. Any comments on the uh communications?

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>> I just want to um notice that Ramsay is once again receiving a the Tree City USA recognition. >> 30 years in a row, Madam Mayor. >> Right. And we're planting a tree this Friday. Okay. Thank you. All right. Roll call, please. >> Councilwoman Cusk, >> yes. >> Councilman Gerson, >> yes.

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>> Councilman Kilman, >> yes. >> Councilman Papo, >> yes. >> Councilwoman Poppy, >> yes. >> Thank you. Okay, we'll now open it. Open it to public comment. Anyone wishing to address the governing body, please give your name, spelling the last name, and address. Please speak in an audible tone

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and address your comments to the chair. There will be a 5m minute time limit per speaker unless reduced because of the volume of business on the agenda. Please note public comment is your time and respect and fairness to all. There will be no interruptions or questions answered during your time. No time shall

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be seated to anyone else and no time shall be saved for later use. Any responses may be given during the governing body's comments later in the meeting or is directed by the chair. The burough clerk is the official timekeeper. Anybody in chambers want to make public

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comment? You do, please step up. Okay. Anyone on the line? First call for public comments for anyone on the telephone line. Second call for public comments on the telephone line. Third and final call for public comments

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on the telephone line. Not hearing any, I will close public comment. Okay. Consent resolutions. Um, be it resolved that the following resolutions here with listed have been

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considered by the governing body of the Burough of Ramsey and are hereby passed and approved. Resolution 092206 through and including resolution 100-2026. Be it further resolved that the

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following applications and recommendations be hereby approved. There are no special permits to approve. There are no block party requests to approve. >> I'll second that. >> Thank you. Any comments on consent resolutions?

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>> Not hearing any. Roll call, please. >> Councilwoman Cusk, >> yes. >> Councilman Gerson, >> yes. >> Councilman Kilman, >> yes. >> Councilman Pablo, >> yes. >> Councilwoman Poppy, >> yes. >> Okay. Now, we'll go into special presentations. Are we ready for um Jake's award? Obviously Jake's here.

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Okay. The girls indoor track and the boys basketball. You ready? Okay, let's do it. First one we'll do. Oh, here's someone coming up to this award. We need to stand over here

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by >> Yeah. All right. So, first up is Jake Stevens. And Jake is the intermediate division at 105 pounds USA wrestling 2026 New Jersey Scholastic State Champion. Wow.

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Hey, congratulations and well done. >> That's for you. All right. Picture. You can come over here and take a picture. >> Thank you. Sure. Girls want to go first. >> All right.

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Do we have any of the coaches? >> Congratulations. Thank you. Perfect. Perfect. Thank you. Um, yeah. So, our our girls indoor track team had a fantastic uh winter season this year. Uh, state group relay

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champions for the second year in a row, state sectional champions. um and just did it all as as big team cheering each other on REALLY CATCH. CONGRATULATIONS. >> You want to get a picture?

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So, Ella and Grace, >> congratulations. >> Congratulations. Congratulations. >> Congratulations. come up and we'll take pictures. >> Thank you so much. I appreciate it. the boys basketball. >> Yes, those are your

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>> few words. >> Sure. Uh yeah, the boys basketball team had incredible uh season this year. Uh winning the the section and then also going on and winning the group two state championship which was the first title for boys basketball in 76 years.

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GREAT YEAR. GREAT SEASON. >> Well done. >> It's all the guys. >> Congratulations. Charlie Taylor. >> Congratulations, Jack. Trevor Bro,

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congratulations. Congratulations and Michael LED and Owen Farley. YOU >> GOOD? CONGRATULATIONS. >> Maybe those shoulders.

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>> Zack, you got the back, bud. sit there. >> I put the strawberries. >> Thank you so much. Congratulations. Wow. Wow. Great job.

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>> Perfect timing. >> Well, at least you know. >> Well, just >> Oh, she's just We didn't know. >> We were trying to figure out mystery. Give me one second and we'll get back to it.

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Okay, let's move on to Do you want to do your committee leans on report? No, we'll go in order. You do it. Okay. All right. So, let's move on to committee and leazison reports. Finance and administration. Councilman Gutwer

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who's not here. So, um we'll have Mr. Bose talk about that because that has to do with the budget. different. >> Oh, should be the hearing, right? >> Oh, all right. So, sorry. I have a different looking agenda.

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>> I Well, I mean, I think the >> numbers are the public hearings usually before >> before. Okay. So, let's move on to the advertised public hearing for final consideration of ordinance. Ordinance 11, 2022. >> Thank you, Madam Mayor. Final ordinance

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number 11, 2026 bond ordinance to authorize the making and various public improvements in by and for the burrow of Ramsey in the county of Bergen, state of New Jersey to appropriate the sum of 1,460,000

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to pay for the cost thereof to make a down payment to authorize the issuance of bonds to finance such appropriation and to provide for the issuance of the bond anticipation notes in anticip anticipation of the issuance of such bonds. Having been brought up for public

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hearing and all persons interested, having given an opportunity to be heard, pass final reading by title, and that said ordinance be adopted as an ordinance of the Burough Ramsey. And be it further resolved that the burough clerk be and she hereby is directed to

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cause a copy of the title of said ordinance to be published in an official newspaper of the burrow in the manner provided by law together with the notice of the date of introduction and adoption of said ordinance. >> I'll second. >> Thank you. Uh do we have any comment on

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this ordinance perhaps Mr. Bose? >> Um sure madam mayor. Uh this ordinance addresses needed capital improvements for the burrow in four areas as follows. This includes supplemental funding for the resurfacing and new lighting for the pickle ball and basketball courts at

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Finch Park. Um this ordinance provides the supplemental funding for project upgrades on the Finch Park pickle ball and basketball courts with a removal of the court service and a full resurfacing of all the courts. Subsequent to the original design and funding, the burrow has added two additional pickle ball

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courts to the project. In addition, after reviewing the options of asphalt courts versus post-tension concrete, the recommendations of the engineering and contractors in the field was to go with the post-tension concrete for better long-term value and durability of the playing surface, including a 50-year

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warranty on the cracking. Over the last few years, the burrow has sought out and received three different grants for this project work, which cumulatively total $312,775, which will reduce the burrow's net cost of the project. The ordinance also includes resurfacing of Shadyside Road.

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Uh the burrow will be resurfacing Shady Side Road later this year. We had over two years applied for and received two municipal aid grants from the state totaling $427,528. These grants are reimbursements to the burrow after project completion will cover over 80% of the estimated project

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project cost. We also have safety improvements in the vicinity of Tisdale School for U incorporated. They consist of sidewalk and curb replacements in the area of Tisdale along with some pedestrian crossing signs. The burrow again on this project sought out and applied and received grant funding in

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the amount of 250,000. The grant again will reimburse the burrow upon project completion and will cover about 75% of the project cost. Also included in this is uh the annual road resurfacing uh with an allocation of 290,000 from

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this ordinance which will be partial funding for our annual road resurfacing program which is in addition to the shady side road project that I just mentioned. Cumulatively, the grants the burrow has obtained for these projects that are included in this ordinance total $990,33

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or just under $1 million in grants uh for these projects. Thank you. Okay. Any comments from the council? Not hearing. I will open up ordinance 112026 for public hearing. Is there anyone in chambers who would like to comment on

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this ordinance? Not seeing anyone. Is there anyone on the telephone line that would like to comment on ordinance 112026? Second call for comments on 112026. Third and final call for comments on ordinance 11 2026. Not hearing any. I

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will now close the public hearing. May we please have a roll call. >> Councilwoman Cusk. Yes. >> Councilman Gerson. >> Yes. >> Councilman Kilman. >> Yes. >> Councilman Pablo. >> Yes. >> Councilwoman Poppy. Yes. >> Thank you. I hereby appoint Conor McHugh to the Ramsey Rescue Squad as a

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probationary member. Can I please get a motion to go out of order for the 2026 budget adoption? >> Madame Mayor, this is Councilwoman Cusk and I make a motion to go out of order for the presentation. >> I second. >> Thank you. All in favor?

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>> I. >> Thank you. Okay, here we go. >> Right. Just some comments before uh we actually um open this up to the public hearing. I would just talk about the municipal budget. First, in terms of timeline, the budget presentation and

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the introduction of the budget was on March 25th. In mid April, uh at that time, we also posted the budget and the budget presentation on the burough website. Uh in midappril, the annual budget brochure was mailed out to all residents in all homes. And tonight,

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April 22nd, is the public hearing after advertisement and the vote on adoption of the budget. The 2026 municipal budget continues to face similar challenges to all households and businesses that are also seeing now in that there are escalating expenses across a lot of

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essential services. This budget's focused on the delicate balance between minimizing the tax burden and investing in the bureau's vital services and aging infrastructure. Our 2026 appropriation levels for salaries are about a 2.8% increase over 2025. Health insurance

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costs, as with all employers, continue to escalate. Ramsey for 2026 has provided active employees with a high deductible health insurance plan option that has mitigated some of the impact of an over 35% increase in health insurance premiums in rates from the state of New

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Jerseyy's Horizon health insurance benefit program. Uh the burough debt re recently the bureau went out for renewal of its bond anticipation notes with a one-year term. This issue was rated by Moody's with an MIG1 short-term rating which is the highest level they issue.

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The investor bids to purchase the debt came in with a net interest cost to the bureau of 2.26% down from 2.97% in 2025. The 2026 budget includes principal payown on debt of about 1.14 million.

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The burrow's net debt at the end of 2025 was less than 10% of what the state allows for the community of Ramsey size. So, the burough is well positioned to access the debt market for future long-term capital improvements. Uh, also included in this year's budget, Ramsay's entered into an agreement with Allenale

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whereby Ramsay will provide public safety dispatch services from Ramsey PD headquarters for both Ramsay and Allenale as part of a shared service with Allenale paying Ramsay for these services. It's become increasingly difficult for towns to maintain an independent dispatch service. There is a

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high cost of maintaining and upgrading the communications equipment along with maintaining personnel for a 247 365 day a year operation. This was a collaborative effort from the governing bodies of both towns and the police department in having the foresight to

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pursue this opportunity which should be a win-win situation for both our communities moving forward. In terms of looking at Ramsay's municipal tax rates across Bergen County, of the 70 municipalities, Ram in the county, Ramseay's in the lowest tier with the

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12th lowest municipal tax rate of those 70 towns and also the seventh lowest share of total tax dollars going to municipal services for 2025. Both of these figures are more than 25% below the countywide average. In terms of the municipal tax rate, as indicated

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earlier, there's inflationary pressures and a number of expenses, but the work bureau has worked hard to offset these items with other budget savings to minimate mitigate what the municipal tax increase would be. These items have the 2026 budget with a collected municipal

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tax rate increase of 2.8% above the 2025 certified rate. The budget is compliant with both the New Jersey state tax levy cap and is significantly below the cap by approximately $400,000. Those will conclude my general remarks. >> Thank you. Mr. Gabini, do you have any

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remarks? >> Uh, two real briefly, madman. Administrative Jose mentioned the Moody's rating. They complimented Ramsey on your fiscal responsibility, your strong surplus,

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and uh the rate that you got, the rating that you've got translates into a lower interest rate for two reasons. One, it allows uh certain bidders to bid on the rate, which lowers our rate, which normally wouldn't be able to bid without

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a rating. So, it's really important that you get a rating now. and it translate to there's no way to know for sure but at least $100,000 a year savings over not having a rating and that's after the soft cost involved in that u on as far

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as the budget goes uh the administrator had outlined it pretty thoroughly the only thing I want to add is there's also a appropriation revenue cap right so we have the revenue uh levy cap they call it uh and the

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appropriation cap which I think you meant. >> So there's two different caps that you met. The budget also meets all statutory requirements and uh this year you are eligible for self-exam which we did and uh that would be it.

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>> Thank you Mr. Gabini. For those in the audience Mr. Gabberini is the auditor for the burough. >> Thank you. Um and also I'll note that I did a video on the budget and it was posted to the website on Monday. All right. So, at this point, do we have

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any comments from the council on the budget? >> This is Councilwoman Cusk. I just want to thank our budget committee and burough administrator Bose for such fiscal responsibility and for working so hard to

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to deliver such a a quality budget. >> I would like to second that. I left that out of my remarks. I apologize. and also uh the finance committee, the uh the staff here is just an absolute I say it every year, but an absolute

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pleasure to work with and it helps a lot. >> Thank you. >> It's a busy time of year. >> Yes, I thank you very much for this budget. Really, it's a good budget. Very good budget to say the least. And also, I want to thank and recognize

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everybody that works so hard to get grants. I mean, we have an offset of nearly a million dollars in grant money for all kinds of projects and that's, you know, a million dollars that is not a burden to the taxpayers in the town. All right. So, at this point, I will

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open it up to public hearing. Is there anyone who would like to comment on the 2026 Ramsey municipal budget? And remember, this is just the municipal portion. Has nothing to do with the county, the board of education, or the library. It's just the municipal portion. Anyone

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have any comments? Okay, not seeing anyone. I'll ask if there's anyone on the line. First call for comments on the 2026 Ramsey Municipal Budget. Second call for comments. Third and final call for comments. Right. Not seeing anyone and not hearing

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anyone, I will now close the public hearing. May I have a roll call, please? Miss Bendy. Councilwoman Cusk, >> yes. >> Councilman Gerson, >> yes. >> Councilman Kilman, >> yes. >> Councilman Papo, >> yes. >> Councilwoman Poppy, >> yes. >> Okay, thank you. We'll now turn to

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committee and liaison reports. Finance and Administration, Councilman Gutter. Um, he's not here with us, so but a lot of it has already been taken care of with the budget hearing. So, that's good. We'll move on. Public safety, Councilman Kilman.

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>> Thank you, Madam Mayor. Uh first off, the board of health did not meet this month. Um they were unable to reach a quorum, so it will take place next month and I do have remarks regarding our new emergency services complex uh in February. Neta architects and our

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emergency services building committee presented an overview of the project's design. At this time, the design is nearing completion. Members of the Bureau's Emergency Services Building Committee have worked hard to develop a highly functional state-of-the-art complex while keeping the costs within

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realistic budget parameters. Once completed, reviewed, and approved by the mayor and council, we expect to go out for bid sometime in the second quarter of 2026. We will also showcase the new emergency services building drawings at a date to

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be determined for the public. And that's my report by the way. >> Thank you. Building planning and zoning Councilman. >> Um I would just like to congratulate again Jake Stevens, the girls indoor

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track team and the boys basketball team um on seasons. Um for the design review board, our meeting is not until April 28th. So I don't have anything to report on that. With the

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April zoning board meeting, there were two hardship variances approved for renovations of single family houses and additionally there was a court overturned uh the denial of the previous application from 2021 and new conditions

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were approved for that application. >> Thank you. Utilities buildings and grounds council president Cusk. Thank you, Madam Mayor. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. Um, Councilwoman Cus report

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22nd of April. I attended the Ramsey baseball and softball opening day parade. Thank you to John and Bobby Dugan and the other RBSA volunteers. I look forward to the season and I thank our Department of Public Works. The fields look great. And uh I also want to mention again thankful to the Ramsey

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Police Department for their uh presentation at the April 8th work session for traffic safety on Island Avenue. It's greatly appreciated. Happy Earth and thank you to our environmental commission for Ramsey Cleanup Day. I

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participated along with Mayor Dylan, Councilwoman Poppy, and Councilwoman Popp and your families. The library grounds are debris free. Congratulations to the Ramsey High School student athletes who commitment with practice,

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time management for their studies, and dedication to Ramsay have led to championships. Tonight, I'm also grateful for ordinance 11-2026, which includes the Finch Park upgrades and Tisdale area safety improvements to

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uh to name a few. Um, congrats to Tom Connor McHugh Ramsey rescue squad. And my report tonight will be an update regarding our planning board, our Sha Tree Commission, and Board of Public Works. The next planning board meeting will be on May 5th, 2026. The no knock

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registry. The Burough of Ramsey maintains a no knock registry that allows residents to opt out of door-to-door commercial solicitation. Addresses on this list may not be approached by licensed commercial solicitors. Enroll by visiting the

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Burough website and complete the online application. Search the no knock list. The Shade Tree Commission uh next meeting is confirmed to be tomorrow, the 23rd of April, which is a date change. Ramsey has been a tree city for 30

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years. Happy Arbor Day and spring planting preparation is ongoing and starting. The Board of Public Works last met on the 20th of April, 2026. The next meeting is May 18th. The BPW continues planning and implementation measures to

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comply with NJD's lead service line replacement mandate requiring that all lead service lines in the water system be replaced by 2031. The bureau will cover the cost of replacing the portion of the water service line that it owns while property owners are responsible

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for the portion they own. Please go to the bureau's website for more information. And at our last meeting together, we extended the bureau's um reimbursement of um a portion of those fees, $750

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from um now till the end of the year for those who have previously been notified. Um I thank the Ramsey Public Works for their fire hydrant flushing program. Please check the burough website for details and dates. Thank you, Madam Mayor.

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>> Thank you. >> Public and governmental relations councilwoman Poppy. >> Thank you, Madam Mayor. So, first I would like to congratulate Connor McHugh on his appointment to Ramsey Rescue as a probationary officer.

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Thank you in advance for your service. Um, I would also like to congratulate the high school sports award recipients. Um, their hard work and dedication have taken them far this year. We're having a great year for sports at uh, Ramsey High

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School. Proud of all of our athletes. Um, I also attended Ramsay cleanup day on Saturday. It was a great event. Very well coordinated, a welloiled machine. Um absolutely love to see people out and

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about cleaning up their community together. Um it's it really just uh is just such a positive experience, rain or shine, getting out there and you know cleaning up in the in the areas you don't normally dig around into in the

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forest and seeing what you can find. We found half a bowling ball which was that was my friend. >> Um >> often um I also participated the RBSA

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parade. It was a spectacular >> You're welcome. It was a spectacular day. The weather was beautiful. The kids were adorable. Everybody was smiling. It was a fantastic time. Um, I

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also attended the in the uh Ramsey shop. They raise money every year for the uh the hungry for um food insecurity through partners in caring. Um, and then

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they raised $66,000 for local food banks just at our local Ramsey Shop, right? So, um, to all of our community and those from around for donating, thank you. They are again

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featured on the Cheerios box. Um, it was another great event to be at. Uh, last night we had an America's 250th birthday celebration. planning committee meeting. Planning is still underway. It's coming

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together quite nicely. We're going to have a wonderful weekend, the 3rd through the 6th. Um lots of events, lots of organizations involved. So, we look forward to unveiling um what we have planned for our community.

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Um, the next pool commission meeting will be held May 20th at 7:30 p.m. and their opening day is May 23rd. If you register before May 1st, you get a $100 off as a resident on your membership.

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So, I encourage everybody to get out there and and uh do that. They've had more early registrations to date, like to this date, than um last year. So, the $100 discount is definitely bringing

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people in early. And that concludes my report. >> Thank you. Health, Education, Social Services, Councilman Pompo. >> Thank you, Madam Mayor. Congratulations to Connor on his appointment and again, thank you for his service. Again, congratulations to the

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Ramsey High School teams. Uh what an unbelievable year with soccer and now with basketball and and indoor track. All getting state championships. It's great. Uh a brief report tonight. Uh two of my committees are meeting next week. Board of Ed is is next week on uh

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Tuesday 428 and Ramsey Municipal Alliance is on Monday the 27th. I will remind it's May 1st. They have Rampfest. So I think that's been circulated pretty good. So hopefully they get a a big attendance there. Uh for Reife, they opened up softball on Saturday. It was

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very very uh again beautiful day and a lot of a lot of Rifers were out there with their gloves which was good. Uh and that'll be every Saturday at 3:00 at Finch Park and they do have a May 1 spring dance. Everything is on May 1. It's just a lot of stuff going on that

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day at St. Paul's. Uh big weekend for environmental committee. Uh they did have the cleanup which was very very successful. Uh as well as styrofoam pickup which had uh 39 cars and 25 bags filled which they sent me a picture. It looked like a lot probably the most

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we've ever had with styrofoam recycling that we kind of had. Uh and they did have on Sunday the the uh EV car show which had you know 20 organizations volunteer. It wasn't great weather so it was a tough u a tough go at that but they also had the plastic uh toy drive.

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So that's all I have for time. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. Um so congratulations to all the athletes and coaches that were recognized this evening. I can't believe 76 years to the men's basketball team. That was amazing. Um thank you to Mr.

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Ros, Mr. Gabberini, Councilman Gutwater, and all of you who worked on the budget. Um it was a really good budget this year. I think we should be proud of it. Um because we are facing so many inflationary um issues that I'm glad we were able to

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keep it below the caps. So I appreciate that very much all your work. Um it was very satisfying to drive around town on Sunday and to see all the blue recycling bags and black garbage bags during the cleanup on Saturday. They were everywhere. So I thank everybody who

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participated and helped clean up. Um and yes, Sarah really did half of the desk of the bowling ball. Uh, and Glenn was also instrumental in removing a big piece of wood from the brook behind the library. >> I look dirty in my new sneakers, Glenn. Sorry.

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>> Yes. And of course, people have mentioned already the RBSA parade, but it was a true success. It's such a wonderful parade. The kids are so cute. They're so enthusiastic, so energetic, and what a lovely opening ceremony. And thanks to John and Bobby Dugan and all

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the other volunteers who put that together and congratulations and thank you to Connor McHugh and of course to the DPW. The fields really do look great. They were working on the fields that morning making sure that they were ready to go and it showed all of their

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hard work. Um and that's all I have for administrator. >> Uh thank you, Madam Mayor. Just a couple things just first off on the budget. I would uh also like to thank uh the governing body for all of their support and work on the budget uh CFO Denise Bartalada and all of our department

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heads who submit their departmental budgets and then we go through that and then move on and speak to the governing body and go through that it line by line with them as well uh to come up with the collective budget for the whole bureau in again

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balancing between the needs of providing services as well as trying to keep in line the tax increase. And you hopefully we work that balance pretty well year in and year out. Um so thank you to everybody and obviously to Paul and his

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team um for putting it all together and pulling it together with ours all the other towns they have all at the same time and they do a great job between him and Rob and Maria and everybody else. Thank you. Um other comments? I just

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have a couple things on the resolutions tonight. I would just uh mention uh with the resignation of one of our technical assistants in the building department. Earlier this year, we had an opening advertised for the position, interviewed candidates. The recommendation uh was to

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offer Carrie Conklin the position. She's currently completing her technical assistant courses from the state and scheduled to start with us next Monday. Uh resolution 96 awards a contract to Asscape landscaping for the shade trees annual uh planting. Uh shade tree

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coordinator Jim Truth solicited quotes from the qualified firms. Uh ascape was the low quote. They performed these services successfully for the burrow in the past. So that was the recommendation to award that contract to ASCAPE. Um,

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resolution 97 on the agenda tonight, uh, in conjunction with the new fire rescue OEM complex being designed for South Island Avenue, a new prefab steel garage building will be constructed behind the current DPW headquarters. This new building will house the fire and rescue

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apparatus during the construction period and then upon completion, the new South Island building. This building at the DPW will then serve as an inside storage uh facility for the DPW vehicles and equipment thereby extending their useful

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life. So this uh contract that to Conklin is for ser some surveying work to be completed prior to construction of that building. Uh and resolution 100 on the agenda confirms the appointment of Robin Gardner as a part-time

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administrative assistant in the burough clerk's office. Again, we had a resignation earlier this year of a part of an the prior part-time assistant in the office. Uh that position was advertised and Meredith and Kelly interviewed candidates and the

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recommendation was to offer Robin the position and she also starts with us next Monday. That will conclude my comments. >> Thank you, Mr. Bose. And one thing I did forget to mention, I'd like to thank the friends of the Ramsey Library for having the book and jewelry sale over the weekend. um because of all their hard

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work and fundraising, they were able to expand the museum pass program to now include two passes to the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. So that was quite the accomplishment attorney. >> Nothing. Thank you. >> Nothing. Thank you.

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>> Thank you. Things have been out of order. Okay. Well, we we have no introduction of ordinances this evening. We've already done the budget. No new business. And I have a motion to >> adjourn. >> Did you do the budget? I'm sorry.

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>> Oh, that's >> Oh, we got Oh my goodness. I can't believe that. >> Thank you. All right. So, >> who's going to read that? >> Sorry. I apologize. >> Councilman Popp, you're up.

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>> Thank you. All right. So, 2026 municipal budget of Burl Ramsey, County of Berg in year 26. Be it resolved that the following statements of revenue and appropriation shall constitute the adopted municipal budget for the year 2026.

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Current fund general appropriations with caps and municipal purposes 25 million 02245 appropriations excluded from caps minus the purposes we have 5,9886,554.96 and the reserve that we have for

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uncollected taxes of 1,ion50,000. Total general appropriations is 32 million 058799.99 96 less the anticipated revenues which is 7 million 9684358 amount to be raised by taxes for support

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of municipal budget. Local uh municipal tax purposes 22,37175188 and the minimum library tax of 1,718 613. Uh total to be raised by taxes 24,090

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364 and 888 cents. Water and sewer appropriations of 9,481. Utility reserves 9 million481. Swimming pool utility fund we have appropriations of 992,000 and utility revenues of 992,000. The

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governing body of Burl of Ramsey here does adopt the following as the budget of 2026. >> Thank you. Do I have a second? This is Councilwoman Husk. I second. Okay. And once again, we'll open this up for public hearing. Is there anyone from the public wishing to comment on the

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2026 Ramsey Municipal Budget? Not seeing anyone in chambers. Is there anyone on the line? Second call. Third and final call for comments on the 2026 budget of the Burough Ramsey. Okay.

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Not hearing any. I will close the public hearing. Can we please have a roll call? >> Councilwoman Cusk, >> yes. >> Councilman Gerson, >> yes. >> Councilman Kilman, >> yes. >> Councilman Papo, >> yes. >> Councilwoman Poppy, >> yes. >> Okay, thank you. The budget passed. Thank you to everyone for all of your

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hard work. It's truly appreciated. Appreciate it. All right, we have a motion to adjourn. >> I make a motion to adjourn. >> Do we have a second? >> Second. >> All in favor? >> Thank you. 747.