Call the meeting to order. Councilman here. Councilman Agamando is unable to be here this evening to work. Councilwoman Sanchez. Councilwoman Sanchez will be a few minutes late. Council me.
>> Council President Garrick here. Please rise to the salute to the flag and remain standing for a moment of silence in solid remembrance of December 7th, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor and memory of Nina Galvo, wife of retired police officer Charles Galvo and mother of
retired police captain James Galvo and retired township employee Charles Galvo, retired police sergeant Robicki and firefighter Frank Bella. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the
republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, liberty and justice for all. Adequate notice of this meeting has been consent to all council members and to all legal newspapers in accordance with the provisions of the open public
meeting act chapter 231 public law 1975. The public is hereby advised that any statements made during a meeting with the township council of the township of Santa Brook may not be privileged or protected and that persons or entities who take issue with such comments or are
offended by saying have to pass or be redressed through reports. Any member of the public who addresses the council speaks for themselves and not the council. Have >> a motion to open the meeting to the public. >> All in favor? All right, the meeting is
now open to the public. Please step up to the microphone, state your name and address if you'd like to address the council. Thank you. Hi, my name is John Manza, 179 Market Street, Saddle Brook, and I'm here to
address the re redevelopment or whatever 93 Market Street. I know it was a done deal. you already um last passage studying it a redevelopment area but
I I'm I'm totally opposed to it as you all know and uh I will be speaking uh against it uh and I will tonight if we get it in tonight but uh let me get it this way people come to Soundwork
because it's a wonderful town and it has circle. Fantastic police department, fantastic fire department, uh, ambulance core, DPWF. It's a really nice town. It has what you would call a good quality
of life. The town is very well kept. People are happy with their houses. I mean, you drive around for holidays, everybody's direct, uh, decorating, and the streets are clean. People take care of their houses. So,
I don't think it's the benefit of Sabbrook or any of the residents of this town to keep on overdeveloping it. We do not need another apartment complex in this town. There's 20 of them now.
There's only 2.4 square miles in this town. And I think we've saturated the market. Uh they're especially on Market Street. Everybody knows what Market Street is like. And
the traffic and definitely you're going to hear people say it's not going to affect the infrastructure. It is going to affect the infrastructure. Uh and I don't think it's another town, another apartment complex
there is going to serve anybody. Now, the poor people of Harrison Avenue, they are going to get hit the most. Their property value is going down. Uh, their quality of life is definitely going down. If they go to sell their
house, they're going to get less for it than if somebody who's lived on the tree streets or on Bell Avenue or sheep is because they're going to look out the front door and there's a three-story apartment complex in front of them. Now, these people deserve more than that.
They're taxpayers. They go to work. They've been paying their mortgage. They're proud of their houses. And I'm sure that when they come home, like from a trip to ah I'm home. It's good to be home, you know, and
it's not it's not uh taking them into consideration. I mean, it seems like you're sacrificing them and their life and their property value and everything just to put uh to develop that property.
Now, we've been in this new building for like 3 years. Okay, it's my time. All right, I'll continue the next meeting. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Manso. >> Anyone else wish to address the council?
Seeing no one else, motion to close the meeting to the public. >> All in favor? >> I Okay. Uh, mayor and council comments. Mayor. >> Yes. Thank you. Um, I want to congratulate the First Reformed Church
of Saddlebrook. They celebrated their 125th anniversary with a dinner at the BFW on Saturday evening, November 22nd. Um, Councilman Garrick and I attended that. It was a nice event. Congratulations to the South Recreation
Football Junior Football uh, Falcons on their undefeated season and winning the Super Bowl against Rutherford on Saturday, November 22nd. The team had a pizza party on Monday, November 24th, where the football players and the cheerleaders were
acknowledged. The town tree lighting was Friday, November 28th, the day after Thanksgiving. I want to thank Santa and Mrs. Claus, Father Bruce from St. Phillips and Pastor Tom Harden from First Reformed, Saddok High School,
Middle School Band, Recreation Department, Fire Department, Ambulance Corps, Police Department, DPW, and of course, uh, Project and Activities, uh, Christine Jenner, Arielio and Shannon Akamando, and also
the women's club for their help. Uh congratulations and best of luck to Kawia Fitness on their grand opening which was last Friday, December 12th. Uh Kawas is an all women's gym at 82
located 82 South Midland Avenue. Uh Mr. Simaluca and I attended that grand opening which looks a very nice event. Some upcoming things, uh, our annual fire department Santa,
December 20th. Uh, thanks to the fire department members for for doing that every year. It's a town favorite. The recreation department is also continuing to hold the town's toy giveaway uh, until
Saturday, December 20th. We've been doing it since the 14th. Um, if you're a South resident and you are in need of uh toys or help paying for toys for your kids, you can please visit the recreation department anytime between
8:30 a.m. and uh 7:30 p.m. tomorrow. Tomorrow and then Saturday between uh 8:30 and 3:30. 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Um there's not much time left. So, please if you if you need the toys, come
get. We still have a lot available. I also want to thank uh Dollar General for collecting the toys, the women's club and the saddle recreation. Uh some other things, Town Hall and the DPW will be open until 12:00 noon on Wednesday, December the 23rd, and are
closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We will reopen Friday, December 26th. DPW yard pickups for section three and four will be Friday, December 26th. Uh the home holiday contest uh winners
will be posted on our website, saddlebrookenj. us on Christmas day. Thanks to all who participated. Uh Christmas tree recycling begins on Monday, December the 29th using the same days as yard waste, the grass and leaves
pickup. This will occur weather permitting. Town Hall and DPW are closed January 1st, New Year's Day. Section 4 pickup will be Friday, January the 2nd. Uh reminder now that we had a snowfall to remove your vehicles from the streets
when snow was predicted. Also, shovel your sidewalks and clean the area around the fire hydrant in front of your home if you have one. Uh please do not throw the snow in the street. Um, condolences to the Ricky Galpo and the Bella families. And uh, last I want
to wish everyone a joyous uh, and happy holiday season. Merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah, happy Quanza. If you celebrate a happy new year, thank you all for being here. Thank you. Thank you, Counciloman. >> Thank you, Council President. Um at this
time I just want to extend my condolences and prayers to the GBO family, the Ricky family and develop family and um wish everyone a merry Christmas and happy holidays.
>> Thank you very much Councilman short and sweet. >> In regard to Market Street, I know Mr. Manzo came up here and spoke uh and will continue to speak and I understand his
position on this. One thing that can see um one thing that we should remember is that when we built this place when we went into contract to purchase this place and refurbish it and make it the uh the nice building and facility for
use by a residents uh a few years ago. One of the things that we said was that we were going to sell the Market Street property uh and use that money kind of to make up for some of the money that we
were spending on this. So, when we came up with a number, we said, "Well, we're going to we're going to be getting money from here from Market Street to supplement uh and help alleviate the costs." So, uh, we did promise to do
that to sell that property. It was part of our, uh, one of the things that we, we sent, um, in order to gain support for this property. Uh, we also have to remember that not only will that
property help us with our fair share housing obligations, but it's also going to bring in maybe $300,000 a year in taxable income and in rainbows. So, um, I understand that it's a concern for
people, especially people on Harrison and like I said, I feel for you. Um, one thing that we didn't want to uh have happen, as uh, Mr. Akamando has said, is to be subject to the whims of fair share
housing where they come in and say, "Listen, we're going to control this. At least we were able to control this." Remember, first person came in 120 units, which is absolutely ridiculous. But if fair share comes in and they, you
know, and they steamroll us because they're the government and they're a bigger government than we are, um it it would look a hell of a lot more worse. Now, the planning board is going to have this in their hands.
Uh and uh I invite you to go to the planning board meetings. It's uh everything they've done everything. I'm talking about the developer. Uh we gave them parameters and they've met all of those parameters
in terms of um meeting the redevelopment goals that that we had set. So in terms of uh how it looks, where it looks, and the the traffic uh flow information, that's
going to be before the planning board. uh may be starting as quickly as January, but definitely by February. Uh as the mayor said, there's a new place that opened up, Kawawai, which means strong women. It is a woman's only gym. Uh we welcome businesses to
Southwork. Again, helps our community. This is Mr. Man said, a great community and uh we want to keep it that way. uh the Santa fire truck ride. Uh we we've been told uh they're going to gather at 2:00 and they're the trucks are going to
go out at 3:00. So if you've got young kids, can't tell you when, but my understanding is if you're serviced by one of the one of the uh the house the firehouses, that firehouse will go around in that area that it services um
starting at around 3:00. So, just gather the kids over there. In terms of uh we had some people pass away uh this week. I I don't know the former Sergeant so I can't really speak to him but I do know Nina Gallo very well and obviously
the Gallo family. I was with her um doing some end of life legal work. Uh, but I certainly didn't think that uh, you know, 2 weeks after I met her and she, I can tell you, she looked great. I was in the hospital with her and she looked great. And then, uh, I got the
phone call that she had passed away. So, it was shocking. And then a few weeks later, I was over at Jimmy Gallow's house and he said, "Hey, you know, Frank Devel, who lives right next door to him, is not in good way." And I said, "Oh, really? I mean, I haven't seen him in a while, but the last time I did see him,
he looked great." And then that same night, it was so eerie. That same night, he called me up. He said, "Frank passed away." So, and Frank's a guy that never uh, you know, I don't think anyone has a bad word to say about Frank. Another person that wasn't mentioned, that was a
friend of mine, not from Saddle, but uh, Frank Dresser. He's the county surrogate, county official, constitutional officer. I ran for his job in 2011. I got to tell you, I had gone to his office before that doing
legal stuff with uh proating rules and things like that. And he said, "Hey, Andy, you know, we're friendly now, but after this election, we're going to be friends." And it's true. He's a gentleman all the way throughout that uh I get close, we didn't win. Um but, uh
he uh he was a gentleman. Had a sick sense of humor. Uh and he will be shortly missed. Thank you very much. Have a great uh holiday. Merry Christmas. Happy Hunger and Happy New Year. Thank you, council. Uh also my condolences, my sincere
condolences to the Galvo Ricky and Develop families. Um I don't have a lot tonight, so uh just merry Christmas to all, a happy holidays and a happy and healthy new year. Uh we do not have any ordinances this
evening. Um, I would just like to ask our township attorney, John Scatino, to discuss a little bit of the redevelopment, the 9395 market. John. >> Uh, yes. So tonight on the agenda is a
resolution designating a developer for the site as well as uh statewide uh council member Simaluca setting forth the parameters of the project that would be uh developed there as well as the uh
consideration that has to be paid to the municipality for the purchase of the property. And just to summarize uh briefly because I think there's been somewhat of a mischaracterization as to whether the uh concerns of the Harrison Avenue residents were
addressed. Now they may not have been addressed to the extent that they would have liked but they were addressed and they were addressed in this in this way. The project was this has way been going on for over a year. I know some people saying oh what's the
rust? This started over one year ago in terms of the sale and the development of that site. And initially what was sought was a developer to build a very similar project that is located across the street which was retail spaces and apartment units on twice on top. Uh
there was no interest whatsoever from any developer not even a request as to how much the property would cost. So there was including the developer across the street no interest in developing the side of market street in that way. And
interestingly enough the Harrison Street residents said they didn't they requested that there be no retail at the site. So one of the concerns of the Harrison Street residents that was addressed was to have no retail at the site and make it solely residential.
Secondly, they wanted as much of a buffer behind the building as was possible and the developer decided was required to move the project as close to Market Street as could be. Third, all outdoor parking which could be
considered an eyesore for any types of development was eliminated. All parking will be underground and and contained within the building. Another concern of the Harrison Street resident staff avenue resident that was addressed was traffic on Harrison Avenue
from the site. There is no access to the building from Harrison Avenue. All access in and out of the building is from Market Street and it was asked and the uh mayor and uh council agreed that if necessary permit parking would be implemented if it becomes necessary.
Although again with access limited only on Market Street uh they not may not be necessary at all. The height of the building again maybe not with the Harrison Street residents would have preferred but is lower than what was initially proposed by different developers.
Parking uh more parking is provided than is required by any structure in this community. So access parking is provided within the underground parking for the residents that will ultimately reside
there. As to what the residents on Harrison Avenue will be looking at, another concern that was raised and another requirement is a significant landscape buffer which will involve the planting of evergreen probably giant green arbor bodies which can grow as
high as 20 ft in height and maintain their full body up and down. So the the reality is they may see a portion of the building, but when they look out the door, they'll be seeing a hedge of giant green arts. Now, as to what are the benefits that
the municipality is receiving, the purchase price is $1.6 million. So that will be paid upon purchase of property. Secondly, the developer is restricting and I don't want to say donating, but providing to the
municipality 40 underground parking spaces which have an estimated value of $1 million at no cost to the municipality. And that will be primarily used by the police department or for whatever other purpose the township designates, whether it's also the uses
some of it's for storage. It will be uh secured and it will be monitored and again that's at no cost to the municipality. Uh the developer will also be require uh will be providing a digital uh communication board at the triangle
piece of the property at his sole cost and expense as well as a a flag pole uh for the municipality. Uh further the police monument will be relocated at the sole cost and expense of the developer.
Uh also as was mentioned there will be nine affordable housing units. So this helps satisfy part of our affordable uh affordable housing obligation. We're getting credit for 12 even though they'll be nine because it is an area
designated for redevelopment and the state law allows you a credit when you redevelop and you provide affordable housing. So there'll be 12 units there and and just to point out and and you can contact any municipality in the state when it comes to affordable
housing. When a municipality owns vacant land, it is a target for affordable housing to provide as high a density as possible and to place as many affordable housing units as possible at that location. Why? Because the land is
available. And in Burlington County, land is at a premium. And typically the most difficult part of providing affordable housing is finding locations for it. So, a location such as Market Street would have been a prime property
for developing uh significant density with affordable housing. And also, as was mentioned, once the property is sold, which we're hoping for a closing date in January, it will be immediately uh placed on the tax
rent rolls. So, uh, a non-t taxable property will now be generating a ratable and it's estimated when it's completed and occupied will be anywhere from 300 to $350,000 a year in a ratable
to the municipality. I think that uh covers it. Well, let me just say this with respect to the developer too because this is part of the process that the developer was thoroughly vetted. He is a successful developer. Uh he has built many projects
throughout Bergen County and throughout the state. He's well respected for building quality buildings, for maintaining them, and for being what is described as a good neighbor to the community and being willing to participate to the extent that he can in
supporting programs in the municipality. So those are all of the reasons why this developer uh was selected based upon his background, his willingness to work within the criteria and for meeting the demands of the municipality as to the
compensation that the municipality was seeking and the benefits they were seeking from the development of the site. >> Thank you, John. All All items listed with an asterk are considered routine and not controversial by attaching council and will be
approved by one motion. There will be no separate discussion on these items unless a council member or members still requested in which case the item or items will be removed from the consent agenda and considered in its normal sequence on the agenda. The one motion signifies adoption of all resolutions,
receive and file letters, correspondence, reports, and approval of minutes and applications. Um, not part of consent agendas, the minutes of the October 16th, 2025 meeting. >> Motion to adopt.
Uh, roll call. >> Councilman Sluga, >> yes. >> Councilwoman Sanchez, >> yes. >> Council Mer, >> yes. >> Council President Garrett, >> yes. Okay, we have the minutes of the U October 16th, 2025 council meeting.
>> Motion to approve. >> Motion second. >> Roll call. >> Councilman Samuka. >> Yes. >> Councilman Sanchez. >> Council Measer. >> Yes. >> Council President Garrick. >> Yes.
>> Um, old business. Any new business? Uh motion to open meeting to the public for agenda items only. Motion second. >> All in favor? >> Uh the meeting is now open to the public for agenda items only. Anyone wishing to
address the council, please state your name and address. >> Okay. I address the the >> you come up. You could come up and speak. Mr. Mano. Absolutely. John Van's over here. Uh I I I'm not going to get into a lot of
stuff now. I just want to You're talking about the parking uh underground parking. 40 parking places you said has a value of a million dollar. You selling the whole thing for $1.9 and there's going to be 60 apartment
comp 60 apartments there. It's at least two cars per family. That's 120 plus 100 plus 40 more for the police department. That's 160 cars alone. I don't think the
footprint can hold 160 or uh 60 cars. That's it for tonight. Thank you. Just have a have a good uh holiday everybody. Just just through the chair. The the developers are required to provide 214 total underground parking spaces exclusively for you. If he can't do
that, then he has a problem. Thank you. Anyone else wish to address the council 599 Cypress just a question if they are giving us these parking spots if that owner of that property sells to another
owner what if the new owner says now that the agreement is forever no matter who owns Okay. I was just >> Yes, that was a good question. >> All right. Thank you. >> Thank you. Happy holiday. >> Anyone else wish to address the council?
>> See no one motion to close. Second. >> All in favor? >> I final comments? Yeah, I um I'm not sure if it was, you know, if anybody mentioned it before, but I just wanted to thank everybody who did come out and participate in the
cleanup that was sponsored by the green team. Um it went well and um the next green team meeting is going to be January 7th at 7:00 p.m. and it's open to anybody who wants to attend. So, please come by. And other than that, I hope everybody has a happy
holiday and a happy new year. Thank you. Through the chair. >> Yes, ma'am. Council president, the uh town attorney wants to go into closed for a short period of time. >> Okay. Uh motion to go into close session. Second. Second. All
>> in favor? I >> Okay. We will be in close session for litigation. The meeting will reopen. Further action may be taken. We should only be in close session for approximately 15 minutes. Would you 15 or less?
Does anyone have any final comments before we adjourn the meeting? >> Merry Christmas. Happy holidays to everyone. Happy healthy new year. Motion to adjourn. >> Uh all in favor? >> I Good evening everyone. Take care.
Tonight.