Call to order the meeting of the mayor and council of the burough of River Edge, April 24th, 2025, River Edge Library, 685 Elm Avenue. regular meeting also held on Zoom at 6:30 p.m. I ask us to stand for a moment of silent
reflection uh for all those firefighters throughout the United States and the world who are firing uh fighting brush fires especially those down in Ocean County and our own River Edge volunteer fire department who fire fought a brush fire today uh at the uh intersection of
Midland and Kamak. um for all those firefighters who put themselves at risk, including one of our own who was uh a minor injury, but an injury nevertheless, that we be conscious of the commitment and the risk
our volunteers are making to keep us all safe. We thank our firefighters. A second reflection will be offered by Councilwoman Darw. On 22nd of April 2025, the world witnessed yet another horrific act of
terror on Indian soil. An attack not just on innocent civilians but on the very idea of peace and religious freedom. 27 lives were taken in cold blood including pilgrims and tourists who came to Palgam, a city in Jammu and
Kashmir, India in search of not violence. We call upon the international community to support India's long-standing demand for a comprehensive convention on international terrorism. It's not just India's fight, it's a
fight for humanity. My heart goes long for those who've suffered and suffering in these difficult times. As we mourn the loss of innocent victims, let's take a moment of silence and stand in solidarity to honor them, keeping their
families in our prayers. I call on council large to lead us in the pledge. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation
under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Statement of compliance with the open public meeting act. This meeting complies with the open public meeting act by notification via April 22nd, 2025 sunshine notice
containing location, date, time, and access information to the town news and the record of by posting of the same at the municipal bulletin board and the burough website and following notice of the same with the municipal clerk. Madame clerk, roll call. Council President Monttoano Cohen
is absent with prior notice. Councilwoman Canella here. Councilwoman Malari here. Councilman Benson here. Councilman Glass is absent with prior notice. Councilwoman Darwal here. Mayor
Papalo here. Okay. We um we're going to go into close session till about 7:00. Uh could I have a motion in second to go for resolution 25-124? Resolution to go into close session. Attorney client privilege
NJSA 10 col4-12B5 Burough Hall exterior project second. All in favor please say I. I. We are in recess until approximately 7 p.m. Let us pause our recording.
I call to order the meeting of the mayor and council of Bur of River Edge April 24th 2025. We resume our meeting at 7 pm. Madame clerk, roll call, please. Council President Monttoano Cohen is
absent with prior notice. Councilwoman Canella here. Councilwoman Malari here. Councilman Benson here. Councilman Glass is absent with prior notice. Councilwoman Darwal here. Mayor Papileo
here. Okay. Could I have a motion and second to approve the minutes? Uh, of course, if you need to abstain, please abstain after we uh call for yay or nay. Uh, approval of minutes of the mayor and council special session meeting of March 1st, 2025. And approval of the minutes
of the mayor and council close session meeting of April 10th, 2025. Could I have a motion? Second. All in favor, please say I. I. Are there any abstensions or uh nays? Hearing none. It is unanimous. Okay, we're going to uh skip our
proclamations uh for now of the Regal's Girl 4 and we're going to move to opening to the public for comment on the agenda. Could I have a motion and a second? So move. Second. All in favor, please say I. I. All right. Um so,
um Councilman Canella, can you show us the participants? And do we have any attendees? We do not have attendees. Is there anyone present physically who wishes to ask a question about the
agenda? Seeing none, could I have a motion second to close to the public on this agenda? So move. Second. All in favor, please say I. I. We have municipal reports. We have historic commission and we have land use both reports from March which are available
through the clerk's office. We have um municipal budget hearing and adoption. Could I have a motion and second to move I want to move 12 25 uh 125126 right together and then we'd have a separate
vote. Yes. Okay. Could I have a motion and second to move resolution 25-125 resolution to read the budget by title only and 25-126. Are you guys ready? All right. Let's suspend that activity. Let us move back
to our recognition of the girls uh Regal Hawks. Could we invite the Regal Hawks over to the center? Uh please, if you can't see yourself on the camera, uh Deira, would you please pin them? Okay. Would you close the um
participants? All right. Great. Oh, wonderful. Wonderful. Wonderful girls. Very, very proud of you. Okay, so let me actually come around this way and you and I are going to step in a bunch. I'll come down. Okay,
wait. Okay, great. Okay, so um we have certificates of recognition for the girls and for the coach. Thank you. And what I'm going to do is read the certificate without a name and then uh we're going to call each one of you
uh by name and you'll come forward. Your coach will call you. Then she'll give me the certificate. I'll hand it to you and you'll shake my hand. And you are currently on YouTube and then we're going to put we're going to upload this to the Mayor River Edge page. So you'll be on Facebook, too. Very good.
Congratulations. Okay. So, certificate of recognition. I and the council, the mayor and the council of the Bur River Edge are proud to present this certificate to we'll say your name in a minute in recognition of the River Edge Girls Athletic League fourth grade
travel basketball team for winning the Bergen Travel Basketball League Championship and congratulate them for an outstanding season. All right, and my first certificate goes to head coach Christine McHugh. Christine,
congratulations. Our second certificate goes to uh James Hotel. Okay. You can go behind. Stay on camera. Good. Mike Cerillo.
Mike. Yes, sir. Thank you very much. Thank you. Hi, Emma Burn. This is yours. Okay, hold it in front of you when you go back to your place. Okay, Madison Castro, congratulations. Here you go.
Paige Cerulo, Alyssa Fox, Melinda Hotone, Chloe Keller, Mara McGee, Maddie Mchugh, Congratulations, Abby Shim. And Valentina Trainer.
Now, coach, uh, we give you, you know, I'm gonna go behind. Coach, we normally give uh the coaches a moment to talk about the uh the work the girls put into this and what it meant to them and their families and to you as
coaches to be a part of it. Okay. Well, they put in a tremendous amount of work. They did a great job. Look this way. Okay. They put in a lot of work. They did a great job. I'm very proud of them. Um they worked hard. They had fun. And they learned a lot. Excellent.
Excellent. And any of the other coaches you want a few words? Most proud of the commitment they put in and proven seen from day one till the end. Wow. Nice. Nice. Yeah, I think I think we all knew that uh team was going to be special from uh the first practice and you know they uh they proved us right. So
wonderful. Well, on behalf of the council and the people of River Edge, congratulations girls. Does anybody want to take a quick picture? You want to come stand over here? You can do that.
Stand right there. Come stand. Nice job. One last time. A round of applause. Well done, girls. Well done, coaches. Thank you for coming. Congratulations. All right. Now, you can stay for the
rest of the meeting, but it's really quite dull, but it's up to you. But you guys can leave that way now. All right. We'll just give them one second, everybody. 25 years. All right. Are we ready?
Okay. Could I have a motion? and a second uh for resolution 125, resolution to read the budget by title only and resolution 25-126 annual budget examination.
Second. All in favor, please say I. I. Okay. Um now I would move to public hearing. Yes. on the budget. Could I have a motion and second for public hearing on the 2025 municipal
budget open to the public? So move. Second. All in favor, please say I. There is no one in the chambers at this time and online. There is no one in online. So could I have a motion and second to close to the public uh for a
public hearing on 2025 municipal budget? Second. All in favor, please say I. I. Okay. Could I have a motion second to approve resolution 24? Yeah, I was going to say 25-127 adopting uh the 2025 municipal
budget. Before we do that, um madame chairwoman of the budget committee, is there anything you want to say about the time, the energy, and the commitment of the citizen budget committee as well as uh the uh the council budget committee in
putting this together? Sure. I I'd just like to to thank um my fellow um committee finance committee members uh Kodiana Malari and David Blas for their efforts as well as the the timeless hours that uh our BA Lette Appertella
and um our C CFO Chris Baglia uh went through for this and all the crazy amount of hours and u meetings that we had to go through for this and the citizen budget committee. Thank you for their efforts and their um thoughts on
everything and as well to the mayor and my f fellow council members. Excellent. Excellent. Uh the chair recognizes Mr. Bag Bag Taglia. Thanks, mayor. I just wanted to procedurally um make sure that we are
adopting resolution 126 before we adopt the budget, that self-examination resolution um just in order. It has to be done prior to the adoption of the budget. So, I just want to make sure that that we Yeah, we moved it and seconded. Then I asked for all in favor.
They said I Oh, excellent. Okay. We moved seconded opening to the public and then closed it. And now we're up to the adopting. But I'm glad Chris that you're watching because the worst thing in the world would be if we had messed up and we missed our deadline. So, thank you.
Thank you. um our CFO, man of the hour. So many ways uh really a great job and and very very patient with us. Thank you, Mr. Baglia. All right. Uh so it is now been moved and seconded. Robert's rules call. Is there debate, comment, or
inquiry? Hearing none. Madame clerk, roll call, please. Councilwoman Canella, yes. Councilwoman Malari, yes. Councilman Benson, yes. Councilwoman
Dario, yes. All right. Now, I'm just going to double check only because we move 25-125 and 25-126 together. That's not a problem, is it? Not from your side. No, I don't think
that that's a problem. No. Okay. And then we and we we all recall that we did vote on that, right? Yes. Yes. Okay. Good. It's recorded for posterity. And is that you have it recorded? I mean, Ann has it recorded, right? Good. He's muted for you. All right. So, we're we're good with that. Great. Thank you.
Uh Mr. Becktagle, thank you very much. Uh wait, does the C should he stay for further discussion? I don't think he needs to, right? So, uh thank you, Chris, and have a good night. If you wish to stay, feel free to, but we're good. My pleasure. Thanks a lot. Have a good night. All right. Take care. Good
night. All right. Could I have uh a motion and second after I read into the record? Uh I I don't need to um What we're bringing in is a resolutions, right? No. Is it there's one ordinance and one resolution? Okay. So, after this
ordinance, I'll I'll read bring in the next ordinance, right? Yes. Okay. So, uh, we're going to Could I have a motion and second, uh, for the following ordinance to be introduced and passed on the first reading and setting May 8th, 2025 at 7 p.m. soon thereafter as a
matter can be heard as the date and time and the River Edge Library is a place in Zoom as a virtual platform for hearing on said ordinance. Ordinance 25-11, bond ordinance to authorize the making of various improvements and
acquisitions of new um new additional or replacement equipment and machinery, new information technology equipment, new communication and signal system equipment, new automotive vehicle vehicles, and a new fire truck partial funding including original
apparatus and equipment in and by and for the Burough River Edge in the county of Bergen, state of New Jersey to appropriate the sum of $3,579,128 to pay the cost thereof to appropriate a county grant to make a down payment to authorize the issuance
of bonds to finance such appropriation and to provide for the issuance of bond appreciation notes in anticipation of issuance of such bonds. We're going to do the mot the two ordinance separately. So could I have a motion and second for this ordinance 25-11
so move second okay it is open for debate is there debate inquiry comment hearing none roll call oh well no I can do this one by acclamation right correct uh all in
favor please say I I any opposed any abstension so we have four I votes that is what we need for funding Okay. So now we want to move to an ordinance that we are walking in. Ordinance 25-13.
The hearing will also be unpaid. And so I'm going to read into it. The a motion that the or following ordinance be introduced and passed on the first reading and set for May 8th, 2025 at 7 PM or as soon thereafter as the matter can be heard as the date and time and
the River Edge Library is a place in Zoom as a virtual platform for the hearing on said ordinance. Ordinance 25-13, an ordinance appropriating $300,000 from the general capital fund
balance for the undertaking of renovations to and furnishings for the municipal building. May I have a motion and second? So move. Second. It is open for debate, inquiry, or
um comment. hearing none. All it's a funding so we need four affirmatives. All in favor please say I. I. Are there any opposed? Are there any abstensions? Hearing none. We have fulfilled the four votes for uh
the funding ordinance. Now we have a resolutions. We're going to add a resolution. Yeah. So 25139 is to reject the bids. Okay. So, we're going to add uh a resolution to our resolution list. Um we have
resolutions 25 128 through 25-139. Now, 139 on the agenda was payment of the bills. It's going to be changed to 140. Our new 139 is going to
be um a resolution to reject and rebid for the Burough Hall. um entrance and u police parking lot project. Okay. Is everyone clear on that? Yes. Is there any questions before we move the ordin
uh the resolutions as a block? I do have a question. Sure. Um for resolution 25-129 um the tax map updates. Yes. Is that in addition to the 100,000 that was already allocated to that? No, that is using
that 100,000. That so that's just Okay. I just want to have that clarification. Yes, please. Thank you. Okay, cool. Anyone else? Okay. So, could I have a motion second to move resolution 25-128 through um through a um not an
amendment, what we'd call a um correction, a revision revision to 25-139 with 25-139 me rejection of the bids. All in favor? Could I have a motion second for that? Second. It has
been moved and seconded. Is there debate, inquiry, comments? All in favor, please say I. I. Now, the payment of the bills has been renumbered as 25-140. Could I ask the finance chair,
Councilwoman Canella, and one member of the finance committee to second uh but uh if Councilwoman Consella could read it into the records. Sure. Thanks, Mayor. uh at a regular meeting of the mayor and council of the burrow of river edge county of Bergen state of New Jersey held on April 24th 2025 be it
resolved that the mayor and council of burrow of river edge approve the following expenditures current fund $690,6986 general capital fund $7,32750 grant fund $1,692 trust other $3,400
$1.13. Unemployment trust, $6,474.66. Developers escrow, $2310. Recreation trust, $422. So moved. Second. All in favor, please say I. I. Any opposed? Any
abstension? Do you want to abstain? Yes, I uh we recognize uh Councilwoman Darwal to abstain to specific elements. Councilwoman. So I abstain from check number 66149
66153. Check number 66161 check 66178 66194 checks 2956 check 618 and check 619. Excellent. There's one problem with that. What?
There's only four council people here. So only three vote on it. Then it's not it's not going to pass. It's payment of the bills though for those checks for those checks. So you should put to list them for the next council meeting to be paid. They should be real. Those checks
should be relisted. Okay. And we'll need to relist those checks. Okay. We'll let the finance department know. Okay. Cool. Thank you, Mr. Okay. Um, is there any new business
before this body? Is there any old business? I love that. Could I have a motion second to open the public for any reason? Second. All in favor, please say I. I. I. Okay. There is no one in the virtual
attendance. And there is no one. Well, officer, do you have a question or comment? No. All right. Could I have a motion and second to close to the public? So moved. Second. Second. All in favor, please say I. I. Okay. Are there any council comments? Just one mayor. I
just want to remind everybody that the river edge run is uh on Saturday. So, hope to see everybody there. Yay. I regret that I will not be there. I'm going to go visit my sister who's recovering from a surgical procedure. Uh but I wish everyone well. Thanks, Mayor.
Any other announcements? All right. Uh very good. Um could I have a motion second to adjourn the meeting? Okay. All in favor, please say I. I. Thank you all. Great job. Uh we will now end