Thank you everybody and welcome to the regular monthly meeting of the mayor and council Monday, January 26, 2026 starting at 6:30 p.m. I'm sorry, Thursday, the Monday meeting which we had to change because of the storm and we apologize for that. Uh
Missy, could you please call the role? Mayor Niato >> here. >> Council President McGawan >> present. >> Councilman Kley >> here. >> Councilman Erico >> here. >> Councilman Gusman >> here. >> Council Delone >> here. >> Council Mano >> here.
>> Thank you. And then if you're willing and able, could you please stand for the salute to the flag to the flag of the United States of America and to the stands nation? Missy
>> in compliance with the open public meeting law chapter 231 public laws of 1975. Notice of this meeting was transmitted to the record in Herald News and filed with the burough clerk on November 21, 2025 and January 26, 2026 as posted on the bullets board outside
of Burough Hall. >> Yes. On consent agenda, under authorizations, we'll be adding item G to authorize the multicultural festival at Lincoln Park on September 19th, 2026 with a rain date of 9:20.
>> That's all I have. >> Thank you, Miss. Anybody else have anything? Seeing none, mayor, just a question regarding the date. Does that conflict with Rutherford Day? I looked at the burough calendar. I didn't see it.
It's scheduled for the following weekend, the 26th. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Uh I ask for a motion. >> Motion. >> Motion by council president. May I have a second? >> Second. >> Second by Councilwoman Delray Con. Any
questions or comments? None. Have a roll call, please. >> Council President McGawan. >> Yes. >> Councilman Kley. >> Yes. >> Councilman Erico. >> Yes. >> Councilman Guzman. >> Yes. Yes. Councilman De Con. >> Yes. >> Councilman Mazone. >> Yes.
>> Thank you. Ordinances on first read. Councilman Buzzman. >> Thank you, Mayor. Um, first up, I have a ordinance on first read to establish a handicap space on higher place. Missy,
could you please read the ordinance by title only? An ordinance to amend and revise chapter 126 vehicles and traffic of the burough code of the burough of Rutherford to establish a handicap parking space on a place. >> Motion that the ordinance be passed on first reading and advertised according to law.
>> I have a motion by Councilman Guzman. May I have a second? Second. Second by council me. Any questions or comments? Seeing none, may have a roll call, please. >> Council President McGowan. >> Yes. >> Councilman Kley. Yes. >> Councilman Eric.
>> Yes. >> Councilman Guzman. >> Yes. >> Came de Con. >> Yes. >> C Manzo. >> Yes. >> Thank you. Uh we have nothing on second read this evening. We have no hearing of citizens. We do, but they're not here.
Um we have nothing for resolutions separate from council. Um council president. >> Thank you, mayor. All items authorized to be consent by the council will be enacted by one motion. These items are routine in nature. Motion.
>> I have a motion by the council president. May I have a second? >> Second. >> Second by council in Delray Con. Any questions or comments? Seeing none, may I have a roll call, please? >> Council President McGowan. >> Yes. >> Councilman Kley? >> Yes. >> Councilman Ero? >> Yes. >> Councilman Guzman?
>> Yep. Yes. >> Council Dev Con? >> Yes. >> Councilman Mazone? >> Yes. Thank you. We do not have any new business discussions, so we're going to move on to committee and llays on reports. Council President, >> thank you, mayor. Um, I am going to hold
my committee reports until the next meeting. Thank you. >> Thank you, Council President. Councilman Kley. >> Thank you, sir. A couple things this evening. Uh first uh on consent agenda items, I just want to recognize Vincent Gordano as his on his acceptance as a
probationary member of the Union Truck and Bucket Company number one. I thank you for your service and also to Shawn Benson as the special duty firefighter for the Rutherford Fire Department. Thank you both gentlemen and best of luck uh in your new service. Um I also want to bring up the youth art banner
program. It is in full swing. Uh again, this is um an effort to get our children of the community 18 and under to submit their best and brightest work, whether it be with crayons, fingerpaints, photography, charcoals, whatever the case may be. It can be as simple as an 8
and a half1 sheet of paper. The submission can be an iPhone or Android photograph from above. Um we have our own in-house designers to set the art artwork. Um the deadline is February 10th. Um, please seek out the email through the Rutherford Arts Council
Facebook page or similar. Um, the theme is America's 250th anniversary or birthday. So, communicate that to your kids and and let them have some fun and get off the screens for a little bit. Uh, finally, just a a nice little update on, you know, a lot of the work up here sometimes is met with um some conflict
or or you know, a a bit of a disagreement in in why we are doing things. U but in meeting with the bureau administrator just a week ago or so uh had a nice update on the um conversion of Belelfford Avenue to single-sided street parking. Uh for a better part of almost a decade, we were averaging three
municipal vehicle accidents per year because of the the dual parking and just the width of the street. Um to recap, we had presented to the community options uh street widening. Um the one the vote that won was to just move over to a single side of the street uh parking
rule. Um it took effect over a year and a half ago. We're going through our second winter uh with that rule and regulation in place and we have yet to have a single municipal vehicle accident. Um and so I just want to uh thank my colleagues for their support in that resolution. Thank the community
members who live on that street who some of whom were you know wishing for a different outcome. Um but again this is for the betterment and safety of all involved. Um so I want to thank everyone uh for you know buying into that effort. Thank you sir.
Thank you, Councilman Erica. >> Thank you, Mayor. Um, from the green team, I wanted to update everyone that this Saturday is the repair cafe. It is from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the basement of the Rutherford Public Library. Uh, it's a great resource to
the community. I've uh taken advantage of it myself in the past, so I encourage everyone in need of repairs to come out to the public library this Saturday. Um, I wanted to take an opportunity to clarify some appointments on the board of adjustments that have uh changed since our initial appointment at the
last meeting. Uh, Oscar Rodriguez is being appointed to a full-term uh or non-alternate member. His term is expiring 12:31 2026. Danny Simone will be alternate one uh term expiring 1231 2026. And Devin Soraniano will be
alternate 2 uh with the term expiring 1231 2027. Uh, and finally, I want to thank our DPW, our first responders, police officers, and fire department, um, for all their tremendous effort and work over the weekend with the storm. Obviously, that's why our meeting was delayed, uh, was the weather event we
had over the weekend. I know was, uh, the first major storm I I can recall in several years. And I think our burough staff did a tremendous job in uh, digging us out. And I also want to thank and also acknowledge the many community members that I saw in my neighborhood on
my street helping each other to dig our cars out and borrow snowblowers and things like that. It was really heartening to see everyone coming together. So, thank you to our employees and thank you to the community for um being resourceful during these difficult times. >> Thanks, Mayor.
>> Thank you, Councilman Councilman Guzman. >> Thank you very much, Mayor. I uh have nothing new to report on my assignments this week. Thank you very much. >> Thank you, Councilman.
Councilman Delray Con. >> Thank you, Mayor. Um I just wanted to remind the community that uh Rex Sports is well underway for the winter. Um, and if you are looking for something to do on a cold Saturday, you can certainly go watch plenty of basketball. Um, both for
our wreck and travel teams. Um, we have robust programs for girls and boys. So, um, I encourage you, especially with little ones, I think I recall when mine were little, which seems like ages ago now, I was always looking for something to do with them inside um, when the
energy was high in the house and the temperatures were low. So, um, please support our WCK programming. Even as a, um, bystander and, um, I too just want to echo Councilman Erico's thanks to our first responders in DPW. I think that
there are always battling opinions about whether uh, our public works team is doing um, the best they can and I having worked with them for three years as a liaison can assure you that they are. Uh this was a significant storm and I was um happy to see as much snow removal as
I have um as I got around town in the past couple of days. So thank you again um to all of them to help keeping us safe. That's it. >> Thank you, Councilwoman Council Mone. >> Thank you, Mayor. Um I would echo the
comments of my colleagues uh regarding DPW. Um I know Chris Sidler and his team worked nearly around the clock for multiple days. I know the snow removal efforts are still ongoing. Um serious uh I'm forgive me the most significant snowfall I think we've seen in several
years uh coming into our community and um I think they did a a very good job managing it. Um again I know that there were some that had wished there were um that it may have been done a little bit more efficiently and I think I take the feedback constructively but at the end of the day I think they did an excellent
job trying to balance everything. Um I'd like to also point out that this effort is ongoing. I know that they'll be doing this for several more days. Um, I'd also like to thank our first responders. Um, EMS in particular, I know maintain crews and quarters. So, um, but I do appreciate the efforts of both police,
fire, or all three, police, fire, and EMS. Um, and last but not least, um, just to call out that the health department for future planning does have a rabies clinic on the 28th of March coming up. You'll be able to also get your dogs and cats licensed there accordingly. So, I hope the community takes advantage of the opportunity.
Thank you. Thank you, Councilman >> Mayor. If I may, real quick, apologies. Uh, in my haste to move through my liazison assignments, I forgot to neglected to uh congratulate Thomas Stuffer on his acceptance as a special duty firefighter to the Rutherford Fire
Department. Uh, I thank Thomas, Sean, and Vincent for their service. Thank you. >> Um, I'll move on to myself. Um, I'd ask for council consent regarding Albert Buckold to the 26 camp director at a
rate of $42 per hour council consent. >> Motion >> motion by council president. May second. >> Second. >> Second by council del. Any questions or comments? >> Seeing none. May roll call please. >> Council president McGowan. >> Yes. >> Councilman Kley.
>> Yes. >> Councilman Erico. >> Yes. >> Councman. >> Yes. >> Council del. >> Yes. >> Counc. >> Yes. Um, we'll move on to another hearing of citizens. Uh, Chief Farrell, you want to speak? You're good.
>> All right, everybody. Close to the public. Anything from the council? Seeing none, I'd ask for a motion to adjurnn. >> Motion. >> Motion by Councilwoman Delray Con. Uh, all in favor? I >> The eyes have it. Have a good night,
everybody.