like more people popping in. Like to call to order the April 10th, 2025 Vendor City Commission meeting. Uh if I could all raise for flag salute, please. America to the stands
nation for all. Thank you. Lisa, would you read the open public meeting announcement, please? How about we do want to do roll call first? Oh, I'm sorry. How about we do roll call first? Roll call, please. Commissioner Langraph, absent. Commissioner Mento, here. Mayor Creel, here. Lisa, would you
read the open public meeting announcement? Pursuant to the open public meetings act, adequate notice of this meeting has been provided. The agenda for this meeting is posted in city hall and on the city's website. Thank you. Would you read the live streaming announcement, please? The city of Vander offers live streaming and the
option of public comment via remote access as a convenience to the public. In the event remote access is unavailable for any reason beyond the city's control, the city will not pause or stop the live meeting, the city reserves the right to discontinue remote access at the discretion of the city for
any future meetings. Thank you. Shifting to uh may I have a motion uh to uh for the resolution 2025-127 resolution the city of Ventner County of Atlantic State of New Jersey authorizing the municipal budget for
2025 to be read by title only. I'll make the motion. I'll second. May have a roll call, Lisa, please. Commissioner Mento. Yes. Mayor Creable. Yes. May I have a motion to open the for public hearing the 2025 municipal
budget? I'll make the motion. I'll second. Roll call. Lisa. Commissioner Mento. Yes. Mayor Creable. Yes. Recognizing former mayor Tim Ker. My thank you mayor. First name sake and I'm sorry.
So Tim Chryser, Vetner City, just have a few questions and comments. Uh on sheet seven uh and anticipated revenues, it's listed uh 202526,000 from Long Long Longport Uniform Construction Code Office. I
believe that should say Morgate Z shared service agreement. That's reflected on page 22. Just I think you're right. Yeah. All right. Uh in there's a line item celebration of public events uh
other expenses 45,000 and another line item special events with salary wages 100,800 and 1685. What's the difference between the two? The celebration and the uh celebration of public events is a
fund that we use for various things like uh we we address the fireworks. Uh it's kind of in the mayor's um uh purview. You want to and then if you want to speak that's that's the best way to put it. It's things that we specifically pay
for uh where there are no fees involved or vendors or any of that stuff. So uh Fourth of July those kinds of celebrations are public celebrations. Special events right is different animal all together. That's the concerts.
That's the holiday parade at those types of Yeah. So your other question was about salaries or was it about the special two different accounts? Why they weren't just lumped into one? Yeah. So one some significant it gives us a little bit of a net of leverage. That's
not a net number. Correct. Is that a net number? A net number after donations. No. So there's some significant donations that come in that go towards that cost. Just so you know that. Okay. All right. just was curious. Uh an
inspection of housing in 2022 was 138,000 plus 23 80,000 plus 24 32 446 25 32,000. So over a 4-year period it's been cut in a quarter. Just wondering if
we're shortch changing our code enforcement or those costs went somewhere else or yeah with all the problems with Airbnbs. I would I would think code enforcement would be well we've we've recently hired
a company to handle a lot of our code enforcement outsourced. So there's a fee that goes to them and then there is likely a savings in salaries. Okay. So you subcontracted out some of them. Yeah. Okay. which has been uh we from contractors that I've spoken to, they're
they appreciate the service. Lead inspections. Okay. Yes. Lead inspections contracted out. You know that. Sorry. The lead inspections. Oh, okay. You know that one, right? The shared service, right? Yep. Which you guys adopted last
meeting, I think. Uh on sheet 28, the list $100,000 for judgments. Is there this an actual judgment that you have or is it money put in because of a pending case or No, it's that's an actual uh settlement that we had of litigation,
right? That that's been closed out. Can you disclose what that's for or is it still pending? No, it's it's closed. It was a lawsuit brought by CompTEC that uh had to do with the purchase of our new phone system. Okay. Thank you.
Um, also on sheet 39, the balance sheet, this property acquired by the tax title lean liquidation for $267,000. Is this a particular property that the city acquired? That's been there. That's the uh foreclosed property that the city's
acquired over the years changes. Okay. Um, does the city charge allocate and I think you do, but allocate any monies from the water and sewer from the back to the uh the city budget for like your
salaries, the administrator salaries. Yes, we do. And how is that determined? Is that the $410,000? Yes. And how is that calculated? Is it just a percentage or something or there's a work up that's done to show
that like for example the tax office handles almost the same number of activities for consumers it does for taxes so a portion of salaries and wages is allocated portion of her salary wages allocated it's I guesstimate how much time was
spent different from each department the mayor or the commissioner is passing the budget okay I'll just how how it was developed. But I do have concerns about the municipal debt that has increased over the last 5 years from 27,000 plus
to 40 or no 27 million plus to 49 million plus. This is an increase of 75.6%. And also concern about the amount of money that the municipal budget spends on debt service over the same time has increased from 15.89 to
19.845. So, I'm just concerned about the level of debt that the city is incurring and the amount that the budget supports a debt service. So, the you want to do this one? Go ahead. I'll I'll follow up you if you want. Okay. So, when these
two and one more first took office, there was a need to do a lot of capital improvements and those capital improvements, we did five ordinances in October your first year because things had not been completed a few years before that. the amount of money that we're paying in debt service and we'll
have another bond sale this year that's going to actually save us some money which will lower the debt next year. We're trying to have a sale in one year, wait three or four more years, have another sale when another issue falls off. So keeping the amount that's paid out by the taxpayers relatively
consistent and capital has to be addressed. You can't let everything die down, right? So the the so the bonding was for capital improvements for infrastructure that and with all due respect there we we've created a lot more I'm going to just say something we've created a lot more ordinances to
create these infrastructure improvements in our tenure than I think previous administrations have for reasons for for for the sustainability of Ventner in in in a in a in a mechanical way. So, we've got you can we we have our we have our
our our head of department of public works here that's ongoing and we have some improvements that I think were overlooked in in years times. We have we have new pump stations. We have new new uh uh new infrastructure in Ventner Heights drainage um and and ongoing we
have a major issue with Ventner Heights and the drainage that doesn't take place there. So, we have more to do in those spaces. So, I think the reason you're seeing that debt that is managed well, it's managed in a in a in a in a financially responsible way so that the taxpayer doesn't see an increase over
time, but the city benefits in a structural way. That's our that's that's our goal. Okay. So, when you talk about infrastructure, you're not just talking about water and sewer. No, talking about drainage, talking about the the the Yeah, there's more general improvements
than there are water and sewer. The the big project that's coming up in the water and sewer utility is the lead service replacement project. Lead service replacement. But the the general improvements are streets and storm sewers and those sorts of things. Building improvements, purchase of
equipment. There's, you know, you you've been here, you know, there's a whole host of things that need that are expensive items to deal with. We get a constant barrage of people asking us, "Why is my road the worst road in Bventor?" We have roads that were around the the the the around uh Edgewater
around um around the the the the school area. Roads that had been overlooked for decades that there were almost unpassable and we we had a we had a policy of doing the worst first and there's still more to do uh in those roads that have to be raised and and
invested in. And now we have the boardwalk, which we're I think we're doing a good job of finding grants for and and and executing them. We we have a great grant team, but um these are long-term debts that if we don't do them now, they're going to be emergencies
later. Thank you. If I may, one one last comment for me just to echo what you what you just said, Mayor. We've been very successful in uh funding a lot of the capital improvements through uh through grants. Uh but also our
debt our existing debt is well below the statutory limit. I mean we're we're not even close to that. So we we could borrow a whole lot more if we needed to. So I think I think the approach has been pretty conservative although uh had to be somewhat aggressive because things
had been neglected for so many years. Yeah, there's quality of life issues. I think if you drive down Vner Avenue now and you see the signalization that happens, you don't have to stop. you can get through Ventner in a in a without tapping the brakes as much. Those t kinds of things are part of quality of life that people come to expect when
they move down to a c to a city that's trying to be current. They expect that kind of quality and and yeah, I mean when you're in office of an ambulance cost $100,60 $160,000 today it costs
$360,000. So you know there you know it's like anything else the that that inflation is um it not only hits us in the in the in the apparatus and devices that we require but in the infrastructure and um we've got a I
think the public works department especially Ed Stinson and and and um and Mr. Santor right there are doing a great job of prioritizing things and the feedback is better than ever. You've got a person in our in office, Lance Langraph, who could build a city from
scratch that has that we are getting for free in a way that leads that department that knows where to find the right people and can with a phone call can get the kind of attention that the people of Ventner City deserve on those kinds of understands what they're talking about and he understands what they're talking about.
And one of the things we do at Leon at least once a year, but also when we're looking at um projects is he'll come out with a spreadsheet that I mean it's on the computer, but imagine it like this. And he's taken it way out there. Yeah. For the impact on the taxpayer and and
like you were saying ways to smooth that out over time. I don't think we're being frivolous in our spending. We're we're being we're being as surgical as possible. And Lance has been a part of some of these original designs, so he knows the infrastructure as well as anybody. Yeah. And if if I may, I said I
was was going to be my last comment. Turns out it wasn't. Um, one of the things to keep in mind is the reason that you do things this way that you bond and borrow money for, you know, capital improvements is that they have a longterm lifespan. So the idea is
to make sure that people in the future are contributing to the cost of that. You're not paying as you go and having today's taxpayers bear all of that burden. And you know the list of projects if you look at the capital budget that you can find on paid sheet
40B uh not to even talk about the numbers but the types of things purchase of public works equipment public works infrastructure IT equipment building improvements fire equipment fire vehicles and including ambulances and rescue police equipment including vehicles beach patrol equipment
boardwalk improvements. Those are the types of projects that we're undertaking that you want to pay off over a long period of time. You don't want to impose that cost all on today's taxpayers. Yeah. Example is the air conditioning
units that were done at the school. We bonded that over a period of time. So that one year was impacted by that. That uh it's still in phase five of the air conditioning replacements at the school that we helped bond. Yeah. Part of those decisions, I'll just briefly is part of that kind of thinking
that Maria spearheaded and and made us look not just look good on paper, but be good on paper raised our rate to an A to an A+ in a in our bond or an A an A a double A. Yeah. Which means that money
was cheaper for us. So all those moving parts I think we're I I think we're doing a pretty good job at. And thanks for your explanation. And just sidebar, I agree with what Tom said about people that's going to be using the service in
the future should pay for it. If you remember, I spoke at the school board of estimates meeting when the school board wanted to put the money all into one year. And I agreed with you, the administration, that it should be spread and that people that are going to enjoy that service over the years should have
to pay for it. And then the last point, if I recall that first budget from the school that we did this, they had $8 million in there, I believe. And was it 8 million or 8 million 8 maybe? It was a lot of money in one year. 1.8 million. 1.8 million. Imagine the impact in one
year on the tax rate of that. And we, you know, you've had a school tax decrease every single year. Yeah. And we offered to finance it. So it and it, like Tom said, it spreads it o over the future beneficiaries of attending the school. Oh, well, thanks for the explanation. I
just have one last point is you probably recall that I've come to several meetings or budget hearings in the past and suggested that the city use a greater percentage of surplus because after all, it is the taxpayers's money
to either have a lesser tax increase or even a tax increase or maybe even a tax decrease. In the last five, six years, you've used less than 50% of the surplus. This year, I think you use
59%. And without that, you would have probably a two two and a half cent more increase. So, I I think it's, you know, I want to thank you for use using some of the surplus to keep the tax uh increase down a little bit more than what it is as I've suggested in past
years. So, I want to thank you on that. You're welcome. I'll add something to that. The increased ratables in this city due to the the development that's been happening has also Leon uh reduced our tax rate by how much? Another two
and a half cents or uh let's see it would be a little over one cent. Yeah. Yeah. So 39 million dollars increase. It was a record year. I think we had just 39 million ratables this year. about
$56,000 increased actual income that was translated into the rate. Not not to be argued at this point, but some people will disagree that we've had too much development and too much uh added capacity to our housing stock, but
that's an argument for a different day. Okay. Thank you. Any other comments from the I don't unless the from the from the chamber or from the uh the Zoom platform. Any comments in the public hearing for um our
municipal budget 2025? Anybody on Zoom who wishes to comment on the municipal budget? Please raise your hand or make notice in the chat and you will be recognized. No. No. Hearing none. I may I have a motion
to close public hearing on the 2025 municipal budget. I'll make the motion. I'll second. Roll call. Lisa, please. Commissioner Mento. Yes. Mayor Creable. Yes. And Mayor, before you vote, I uh Commissioner Langraph has a statement
that he's asking be read at this point, if I may. I apologize for not being able to attend tonight's commission meeting, but I am traveling this week. I support the budget as introduced. We consistently look for ways to save taxpayer money and
reduce costs where feasible while remaining committed to providing residents with highquality services. We make sure our emergency services, including fire, police, and lifeguards, as well as our city hall staff, and public works are equipped with the necessary tools to support the city as
efficiently as possible. Our city administrator, city clerk, department heads, police, fire, and lifeguard chiefs have collaborated with our finance department under Commissioner Mento's direction to develop a budget that advances our city. The increase is due to rising salaries, insurance costs,
and general expenses. Like any business, we must offer competitive salaries to retain staff and our city follows the same principle. We have excellent staff in our departments and want to make sure we keep them here in Bentner. We are using another $500,000 from our surplus
in an effort to reduce the tax rate. Maintaining a surplus is key planning for future issues that may arise. Again, no different than a business or a household having an emergency nest egg or account in a case in case of an emergency. We will continue to improve
our infrastructure and public recreation opportunities and provide the best emergency services that we can. I also want to thank Mayor Kel and Commissioner Mento for their work on the budget in their respective departments. As we have said all along, this team always tries to put the city of Bentner in the best
position to succeed. I believe this budget continues to put our city in the best possible position as we move forward. Thank you, Commissioner Lance Landraph. Very well said. Yep. Thank you, Bento. Do you have anything else to any comments on the budget? I just like
to thank staff and of course our auditor who um between the two of them, we couldn't do it without you. Yeah. So I I know you've been working on it. Amy's been grinding away for weeks if not months. And Leon, without your expertise, resource, and spreadsheets
also. Um, you're you're just you're such a um I don't even know what to call it, but you're you're lucky. You're such a value to us. We're so lucky to have you. So, thank you. And don't forget the scones.
Don't forget scones. No, I I'll just I'll just uh agree. I agree. I think you uh both of you have worked together on this uh countless hours and showed us different scenarios so that we can understand where the which levers need to be pulled and which pressures are being put on us. And I'm not um and and
at the end of the day this translates into an additional $160 annually for a home that is that is valued at assessed at $500,000 roughly. Um there are pressures on us. Uh police and fire pensions are increased. These are things that are are that are that that are that
are that are normal and natural in every city. We fi we land in the middle of the price increases for cities in our nearby uh police and fire pensions $300,000. Insurance and health benefits for our employees, $270,000. Utilities like electric that
everybody in the city of Ventner in Atlanta County is is taxed with in a way $100,000. police and fire salaries increased uh with with no with with no real adding of staff of $530,000. So uh despite all those and
the and the growth that we've had um uh I think it's only uh we've using the fund balance uh and keeping the reserve that we have is is is the right way to to stay fiscally responsible. So I appreciate everything you've done Tom as
well. Tom, you've been a big help in understand helping me understand uh the in shorthand um with um some of uh your folksy wisdom. Well, I was just going to say thank you, Tom. Also, I I know you kind of corral and and sometimes I get
into the weeds, but that's just me. So, thank you for putting up with me. Yep. All right. All right. Um So, um, we're going to vote on the resolution now. Um, so, uh, we have a may I have a
motion to vote to vote on resolution 2025-128, city of Ventner, County of Atlantic, state of New Jersey, adopting the 2025 municipal budget. I'll make the motion. I'll second. May I have a roll call, Lisa? Commissioner Mento. Yes. Mayor Creable. Yes.
Thank you. Thank you very much. Thanks, Leon. take care of Ocean City now. See you. Bye. Bye. Good night. Okay. Um, moving forward with the workshop portion of the meeting. We have no presentations
tonight. Uh, we have no department head uh reports. Uh, we have any capital discussions. I don't believe so. Uh we'll have minutes from February 13, 2025 to approve. Uh we'll have the uh we
have no ordinance introductions, but we do have a number of uh public hearings. Um the first one uh we will have a uh public hearing for the adoption of the vendor professional campus and redevelopment
plan. Um and then we will have uh that will be the public hearing. We will have uh uh ordinance 20 2025006 which is uh fees for land use
compliance. Um we have another ordinance amending chapter 114 um 007. Uh this is uh also fees for housing standards and mercantile licing. This has to do with short-term rentals. Um
any questions on any of those so far? I believe they're um kind of in U Commissioner Langraph's court. Um and then we have uh ordinance 008 will be housing standards. We're removing a subparagraph for clarity in that uh in
that chapter. And then we have uh 009 which is also uh fees. This is uh for increasing the fishing pier fees. um uh prior to the summer arrival. Any questions on
that? Um then we will have resolutions uh by consent. We have uh resolution 129 uh which is naming towing companies for the next year. Uh we have resolution 130
um which is a supporting application for a grant. This is for Dorset Avenue uh uh application for uh streetscapes on Dorset Avenue for uh transportation. Uh we again we lean on Jim Retella and his
team to create a an argument for that business district. Um includes uh streetscapes and sidewalks uh if we get it. Um so fingers crossed. Resolution 131 is authorizing closing out uh escrow
accounts which is typical. Uh resolution 132 is uh authorizing uh purchase agent uh rebid specifications for maintaining uh exterior advertising of Ventner city boardwalk beaches and business districts. This is reissuing that uh for
our banner program in the city. We had no responses from the the first issuing. Um so hopefully they'll get out to uh to those uh interested parties. Uh it's a very popular program and usually sells out. Um
uh uh resolution 133 is accepting the retirement of Joseph Fner effective April 30th. So, I'll take this moment um if you'll end and if you will um indulge indulge
me um to uh to read a little bit about Chief Fustner on a um on a personal level. He's been um he's been a really uh a really really uh valued professional
partner through COVID, through a number of uh a number of emergencies um like the Sackos fire where he was basically shutting down a whole section of the city um managing that managing not not just
the not not just the fire department but he was there as well working that fire. Uh he would come in for emergencies like that. um as well as parades, block parties, uh and uh things like uh the p the public safety of all our special events. Um but um uh and he was always
watching social media for things that um that seemed out of place to me. We would have communications and then usually follow up before u before things would get uh out of hand. um but always for the serious incidents for managing major crimes um and also um holding his own
staff accountable um for uh to to to to a high standard. Um he's he uh Chief Lustner has a bachelor's degree from Mammoth University. I won't go through I won't bore you with too much of this, but he is a highly uh a highly trained individual. Has a master's degree in
police administration and public policy from University of Cincinnati. Uh his law enforcement career uh began in Veteror City, but his municipal career began uh working in public works. Um rake in the beach. Uh I I I think I think he he uh he may go back to that
maybe in his retirement. Um but uh uh his uh one of his accolades is he was one of the um uh a DR officer, an expert in in um in identifying drivers under the influence. Um that's something that he would be counted on throughout
Atlanta County for that skill set. Uh field training officer uh for dozens of officers um and um uh promoted to the rank of of of sergeant in 2012. Uh promoted to the rank of lieutenant in uh
2014 and um promoted to the rank of of patrol ship c commander. um uh uh Chief Hustner promoted to the rank of of captain in 2019 and in uh 2021 uh since 2021 he's been uh chief of police. So
he'll be he will be greatly missed I'm sure by his staff as well. Um uh not always the not always the the soft and fuzzy uh approach to
management but uh but you could count on I've tried to teach him and somebody like uh and a and a and and and in a in a department um like ours that runs in the in the north of 18,000
incidents a year. Um and everything from vandalism to uh burglar alarms and and ambulance calls uh to to assist on and of and traffic accidents. We're not just uh we're not
just a a a a um a seasonal town to the police department. We're we're a year round town. So, um moving forward, um do you have anything to add? So, we'll take his retirement. Pretty much everything you
said. I mean, Joe was so not is so knowledgeable in his job. He knew right from wrong and with him it was either right or it was wrong. He didn't usually blend it in the middle. Um, and he held us accountable, too. So,
um, and he was also, I will tell you, there were a couple times I had him personally, um, talk to him about something that had occurred with me and, uh, he was very helpful. So, for that, I'm very grateful. But, yeah, he he knew his stuff. He really does. and um very
knowledgeable, very smart and um at times very personable too and we'll give you a couple chuckles, you know. Thank you. Yep. Um so um we'll we will uh at that point
we will uh accept that resolution accepting his retirement and um and here in the audience we have uh the next resolution um 134 will be uh accepting the appointing uh chief of police to Joseph Wooten. here in the audience. Uh uh Captain Wooten began his law
enforcement career in 1996 as a class one officer with the Venor City Police Department. Um after serving as a corrections officer in Atlantic County Justice Facility starting in 2000, he returned to Ventner as a full-time police officer in 2003. His leaders your leadership path
began in uh when promoted to patrol sergeant in 2012 followed by graduating the West Point command and leadership program in 2014 and 2015. He was uh pro he was promoted to patrol lieutenant and in 2020 took on the role of
administrative lieutenant overseeing training internal affairs and the departments of accreditation served as captain since 2022 bringing over two decades of dedication experience and professionalism to the department. I look forward to working with you, Joe. And
um moving on, we'll have approval of bills and payroll. Um we have one discussion item. Um former Commissioner uh Chryser U brought up some issues of ambulance billing. If you have a uh if
you have a moment, I'll I'll just uh um I'll just address some of the things that you said about that. Um, and I have uh we have Chief Cahill here as well that might offer some some some color to that conversation. Excuse me while I
fumble through some papers. But um um so one of the things that um and we take every we take everybody um we take everybody as as uh as as as important
um uh information. So, he took your your your comments uh uh as you said them. You're you're I think I believe you you were you basically said that there's a situation that needs to be corrected of us billing residents for and if you'd
like to come up and join us in the discussion, that's fine. Um billing residents uh you asked us not to bill residents for uh for ambulance chart uh for um non-insured ambulance um bills. And I just want to clarify that some of
the things you brought up um that are are are a little non-quantifiable. The idea that someone may not um may not use ambulance services as frequently for for a s if they if they fear being build and and
the and the overriding the overriding I think sentiment that the city has is that people need to call emergency services when there's a problem. and the city the current policy that the city has and we've discussed it discussed it with the chief discussed it
internally the policy is fair it's financially responsible it's similar to other cities in a lot of ways it applies equally to all individuals so the idea that we can treat one individual differently whether they're a resident or a guest or a visitor is kind of off
the table it's not it it it is off the table um full-time residents uh the main concern is ensuring those who use the service and contribute to its costs ra uh contribute to its cost rather than shifting the burden and I think that's what would happen if we we took your
advice is shift we would be shifting the burden to those people unfairly to taxpayers particularly those that may not even use the service. So the idea here is there's no measurable data um that the existing policy is a problem. So, we don't want to make a change and
create a solution where we believe there is no problem at this point. And I'll just ask um uh I'll just ask Chief Cahill if you want to take some of your experience. Again, this is a very busy department and ambulance um the ambulance billing helps offset major
costs. Um ambulance operations are expensive. I can tell you that Chief Cahill and I talk about it a lot. Um and training is different now. uh th these individuals now under Chief Cahill's um leadership are all EMTs that the the
ability for them to to keep that training is part of the cost of running a running a the sophisticated fire department that he runs. So I I'll just take to to you then um just to give you broad overstrokes of how we came to the
current billing system we use. We had used a system that was being under they did a horrible job. We weren't receiving what we should have been receiving in bills. We finally got rid of them. We took on the company that
we're currently using as Corona Health. Coronus Health used their matrix of what the standard billing is across New Jersey and nationally and what insurance companies will accept for billing for transport and emergency treatment. So, if I can just interrupt you for a second, we interviewed a number of
companies. This particular company is run by retired police or fire chiefs in a lot of ways. So, these are people that have an intimate knowledge of not just the processes, but the the the the costs and the and the overruns that can happen. The insurance company input
determined what we built for our calls. We when we put our billing together, I believe the initial bill was $725 was what they say the industry standard is for transport. That's what we used as the base. And then all items that are used on a call which are no
longer able to be used, other words, disposable items like oxygen, mass, glucose, and things that we have to replace, they were actually build per insurance company regulations as alle. So basically you were build for what you
used. So now when a resident, homeowner, visitor, anything uses our service in the city, they receive and I I'm going to show you this when we're done. This is a current bill that my mother received for use of emergency medical
services. On this is a breakdown of the cost. It's the ambulance cost. There's a mileage cost, which is also standard. Uh then it goes into how payment was received when we transport you. You either show an insurance card, we take that information that gets put into the
system. If we don't have a card or you're not unable to produce it, the insurance company get or pardon me, our billing company gets the insurance information from the hospital. A bill is sent out to your insurance company. When that bill comes back, all
different insurance companies pay at different rates, but there is no standard payment rate. So to give you the broad The way of explaining this the best is if you have better insurance, they pay more money. Medicare and Medicaid, which
is a predominant amount of the people we transport, only pays, I believe it was $230 of our total bill. That bill comes back. That money is sent back to the city. The city then pays a percentage for operating costs to that
company. The individual then will get this letter. And this letter is not a bill. It's a statement and it requests more insurance information. Some people have secondary insurance that wasn't included. If it occurred in a vehicle, that's also covered under your vehicle
insurance. So, that's another way for the city to be made whole on the total bill. On this bill, it says, and I have to put my glasses on because can't read anything anymore. Your insurance has paid its portion of the claim. If there is an an
additional coverage for your balance, please notify our office. If you have no coverage for this balance, contact our office to clear your account. So, in other words, it's a request for insurance information. If you do not have any insurance, you call and tell
them it goes away. We do not pursue billing. We, and we discussed this today, there's money left on the table if the city chose to collect. Like anything else, you use a service, you should pay full restitution for that. We don't do that. So, if people use our
service and get a bill and they're upset that there's a bill, it's not cheap to run a railroad. Like the mayor said, an ambulance is now $350,000 without a tool in it. The cost of running EMS is going is
exorbitant. The EpiPen is the best example I have. We carry two of them on every ambulance. They cost $700 a dose and they last for seven months. Then they have to be disposed of. The expenses of the
equipment far outweigh what they're built people are built for. So I I can understand if somebody's upset because I don't like seeing like I owe money either, but we're not chasing it. Thank you. But it's owed to the city. Thanks. I mean the alternative to the current
system would shift costs uh onto I can get you taxpayers that that um that may rarely or never use the system and it it might also be detrimental in a way that encourages people that to use the system for something that is not as uh an as
much of an emergency. We feel that policies should be based on data not assumptions or hypotheticals and should be most first they should be people should not have a a reticence about using these that is the first and foremost and we don't see any data of people not wanting we we have a very we
have a we have call I we we have calls uh our call datas go up like every every short town but the top priority is is service and fairness to to everybody every taxpayer so if you have any other comments We're we're we're happy to
hear. I want to thank Chief and you guys for a very detailed explanation. I I have some comments on some things that were said, but I do feel better that the letter that's sent to the uh resident says uh
whatever it says, but it it clears the matter up significantly. My question when I came to the last meeting was does a city send two bills to the resident and the answer was yes. That's what but
now with a chief's explanation it's not a bill it's a letter. It doesn't say send the money says call us. So I I I think that's much better and I have a I have a better understanding okay than when I addressed the uh the governing body previously. Couple comments though.
Yes, everybody should call if you have a a problem, you should call 911 immediately and get an ambulance. However, not everybody thinks that way. They should, but they don't. And while you address them as hypotheticals, I I think there are real
situations that could help. You may not have quantitative data to support it, but I think the a reasonable person would say that it's it's possible that that situation could exist. Is there docu data to prove that? No. But I think
it's it we don't know. And for something that you may not collect, I still think it's be better. I I don't know how I feel now with a letter that the chief is going to give me that that may clarify it and it be sufficient. I I'd have to
think about it. Uh you said that everybody's treated the same. However, you know, resident, visitor, taxpayer, but that's not what the ordinance said that you sent to me. It says in the event the health insurance of a taxpayer or year round
resident does not have health insurance. So, that was one of the questions I was going to ask tonight. What about a visitor? Your ordinance that you sent me specifically deals with resident or taxpayer, but now I'm hearing that the visitors are treated the same. So, just
like you to clarify Do you send do you send that letter to resident or to the visitors get the same letter? Everybody that is transported or treated by the ambulance gets that same letter. The way the insurance company
billing company does it. All money that is not collected absent the insurance payment is basically written off like it never existed. the money that is not collected from people that aren't residents or
outside the city people when we go mutual aid that basically becomes what they call a bad debt that we just don't go after and they don't send that to it. No, everybody gets the same three letters. Everybody gets the same letter. The letter to your chair, everybody gets
the same letter information. All right. Thank you. You think there should be any consideration maybe amending the ordinance just to say any user of the ambulance so that volunteer policy but for clarity I'm sorry not not
changing the policy but for clarity is what you're suggesting. Well the ordinance the what what you sent me the ordinance deals with taxpayers or year round residents. You may I don't know just a suggestion you may look at changing the ordinance to say any user of the ambulance to include the visitor.
We'll look at that. So, um, you know, and I agree with user fees. I mean, I fought this battle with the fishing pier and the money to re rehab the fish and pier that people said that, well, it's our taxes. We should be able to use it, you know, not have to buy a membership.
So, you know, we you charge for the beach, we charge little league. I mean, we charge we have a lot of user fees. You put in a zoning variance, there's, you know, money that's put in espro there's an application fee. you know, a parking permit is is a fee, but I
disagree with fees for public safety issues. And if if it's all everything, every user should be charged now that we have new Chief Wooten, will we be charging for like
police calls that when I my car gets broken into that I I mean, what do you draw? It's a good It's a good idea. You have I know that you charge for, you know, alarms that repeated alarms. Public comment be free. Repeated alarms.
You know, if they they just have alarm after alarm after alarm, you do charge for that. But again, when it comes to public safety, I mean, I think this is a slippery slope and, you know, are we going to be start charging for, you know, police calls? When I had a when I had a storefront, uh I had a glass uh
alarm. Every time the wind would blow, the the burglar alarm would go off in Lynwood and after it happened three times, they would send me a bill. As I said, I agree. I agree with that. You know, if you have a faulty alarm or something, but you know, the city's
going down this user fee as we suggest. Well, well, getting back, I think it's a slippery slope that we're and again, I don't know how I feel because the letter is different than what I was originally under the impression, but you know, the one of the things was saying that
ambulance services are very costly and and we need to charge for that service and collect money. I just it's a matter of opinion. It's a matter of perspective. I disagree and I think it's a slippery slope because are we going to be talking next
year that you know the budget is two cents. We need to start charging for police calls. I I I don't know. But you know the philosophy of the city is user fee as was explained with the ambulance service. I'm just concerned we're going
down a slippery road. Mayor Ker, if I may, I I don't think that we're ever going to see a day when you're charging for police services. We charge for ambulance services because insurance companies pay for those services. I don't think they pay for police to roll
out. So, you know, back in the day, ambulance uh service was not build to people. Many many towns still have volunteer companies, but even they started billing once they learned that insurance companies and Medicare and
Medicaid would cover those at least a portion of that cost. So that that's the genesis of ambulance billing by municipalities. There's no such uh insurance program for police services or complic or even contemplated. Oh well
today again I don't want to belabor the point I may feel different after I look at the letter from that chief cahill spoke about but you don't have to tell me about the ambulance service. I was the one that started it after much convincing by chief the late great Dan
Cahill the chief because I don't want to send bills or letters out out to residents for something that they always receive for free. So I understand that but and it was my understanding I'm the one that talked to you that we send out two bills um but now I understand it's two statements and that's what I get for
returning a call while I'm on vacation. So thank you for your comment. Thank thanks everybody for your consideration. I don't know if I agree with you, but thank you for taking the time to give a detailed explanation. Thank you. All right. Uh any other discussion items? Do you have anything? Um Commissioner
Mento? No. All right. Uh we'll have a public portion now. The uh have the uh this is a portion where anyone uh interested in um uh speaking about anything that we've talked about on the agenda so far. Um, may I would like the
uh motion to open the meeting for public portion. Make the motion. I'll second. Please second. Roll call. Mr. Mento. Yes. Mayor Kel. Yes. Anyone wishing to speak about anything in public portion on anything we've addressed so far in the
agenda? Seeing Mayor real brief. Christ. But I I just want to go on the record of echoing everything you said about Chief Hustner. Oh, you know, I I swore the chief in as an officer. I would get monthly reports of police activity. He
was always at the top of the list when it came to motor vehicle stops, tickets issued. I mean, he he did his job. And when I saw that month after month after month, I knew that Chief Hustner had a future in law enforcement. That's right.
Uh, and Ventner has had a long history of excellent chiefs and I'm sure Chief Wooten will be just another one in that list of great chiefs that we've had. I just want to go on the record about Chief. Thank you for your comments. Any public comments from the Zoom forum?
Jim, anybody from Zoom wishes to question or comment any of the items spoken about? Please make yourself um known and you'll be recognized. No hearing. None. I have a motion to close public portion. Make the motion. I'll second. Lisa, roll call, please.
Yes. Mayor Creable. Yes. I have a motion to close the workshop portion of the meeting and call to order the regular session of uh today's commission meeting. I'll make the motion. I'll second. Roll call. Lisa. Mr. Mento. Yes. Mayor Creel.
Yes. May I have a motion to approve minutes of February 13, 2025 regular meeting? I'll make the motion. I'll second. Roll call. Lisa. Commissioner Mento. Yes. Mayor Creable. Yes. We have no ordinance introductions. We have
um uh ordinance uh for public hearing. May have a um we have a motion to open for public hearing. Ordinance 005 adopting the Ventner City Professional Campus Redevelopment Plan.
I'll make the motion. Um, I'd like to make an announcement that the redevelopment plan Oh, I'm sorry. So, right. I'll second the motion. Commissioner Mento. Yes. Mayor Creable. Yes.
So, uh, in the is there any public comment, except from Mayor Ker. Tim Crerser. I hate to I hate to keep delaying the meeting, but it just happens to a lot of interesting things on the agenda tonight. So, I I went I attended the
planning board meeting last night and uh the Phillies was a close game, so I was a little slow in developing my thoughts. So, I'm going to read pretty much uh what I wrote uh as opposed from memory. Uh first, I want to acknowledge
the members of the planning board. I I I thought they did extreme due diligence in the subject. They asked a lot of questions. They expressed a lot of concerns. um such as density, the number of units, the amount of green space, uh the uh
need for commercial on the Vetner Avenue site. So, they were very diligent and I've been somewhat critical of the board in the past with a number of variances they've been given. So, I want to make sure they acknowledge when I think they do something right that I acknowledge that as well. So my my thanks and and
they all expressed the importance of this site to the perception of veter and the need to create a wow factor. So, I just want to point that out to the governing body, although you sit on it, mayor, but I want uh to go on the record
that I thought they did a great job. Uh the end of the night and today, I know you're going to read a statement probably will confuse me more, not your fault, but just the process. Where where is the process now? Uh what will there
you I know you and Commissioner Langraph expressed that you wanted to see some changes. Will there be another introduction? Will there be another plan with those amendments? Will there be another public hearing? Exactly. How do you proceed from there? Yeah. Here here's here's what's going to happen.
And that that's not really a comment about the contents of the ordinance, but that's that's neither here nor there. The the vote is going to be tabled or the ordinance is going to be tabled until uh the next meeting two weeks from now. Um because there are changes that
will be made. Okay. So, um, so some of the concerns that you brought up that were, you know, echoed from the myself and the rest of the board are going to be incorporated into the actual ordinance. So, that's what we're going to be moving forward with uh, at a different time. So, there's going to be
a second reading and a hearing. Um, yeah. So, this public hearing is going to be carried until the meeting of the 24th. Um there's something that just came up who who that these are all going to be
town houses where the prop the owner owns the townhouse and the land and I guess you won't need to have a subdivision hearing because of the redevelopment process and the the
uh it's governed by the plan. There's going to be an association and there'll be there'll be an association document that uh that binds that those town houses together that they'll have their own um they'll have their own set of bylaws, but the the subdivision itself
is what this process is meant to um codify. Yeah. So, but each townhouse is going to be a separate unit ownership. Will they have to go through a subdivision process or is that the purpose of the plan is to circumvent?
Circumvent is a bad word. To to not have to go through that process because the plan spells out that these will be individually owned. Yeah, I I think uh mayor I would suggest you ask that question of the planning board when they have their next meeting. Yeah, I think that's exactly it's a question for that
planning board when they get into the nuts and bolts of that development. use I have I may I didn't have time last night to address it but I'd like to give you some suggestions that I think that you should consider so that when you develop this plan again this isn't the
form for that make your comments so the end result is that I come up the next meeting with the greatest idea in the world which you know a blind squirrel finds an acorn every now and then and somehow you guys didn't think of it no
that the the ordinance is Don introduced and you haven't had time to consider it if you okay I want you know I'll make those suggestions then end but I just think in the process of things that it would be better to hear my suggestions I think you're misinterpreting the motion
that's on the table right now this is this is a public hearing for the professional campus redevelopment plan but not and we we're in the process of having of carrying it forward to the next commission meeting um for a second
reading there. It is a it is a work in progress that doesn't happen at this forum in this meeting at this time. I think your three minutes are up. Okay. So, you will not have time to consider my suggestions to incorporate them into
your into your plan. Okay. But again, it's going back to the planning board. They will they will be conducting further business on this. You can make your suggestions there. They will then again submit something to this body for consideration and they may or may not
adopt it. Great. Okay. So, I'm going to make this announcement now. So, the redevelopment plan second reading hearing is being carried to the next commission meeting, April 24th,
2025, commission chambers at 5:30 p.m. and that a new not that no new notice will be published. Thank you. May I have a motion to close public hearing on ordinance 2025-005? Mayor, you're being carried. It's being
carried, right? So, I don't need to don't need to close it. All right, I'm done. Excellent. Um, that was easy. Uh, next is ordinance adoption. We're skipping that 006. I can't, if I
could, I think procedurally you may want to make a motion just to table that for right now so that way it's at least closed for this particular meeting and you can carry it to the next meeting and make a motion to move it from the table. Tabling ordinance adoption tableabling the public hearing. Public hearing. So
it's carried over. So make a motion to purposes of carrying it. Okay. So would you state that for me then? Just we need a motion to table the um public hearing for the purposes of carrying it to the next meeting. All right. I'll make the motion. I'll second as described.
Lisa, may I have a roll call, please? Mr. Mento? Yes. Mayor Creel? Yes. All right. We have um next we have ordinance 2025- 0007 006 that didn't include 006 adoption or
no do the public hearing you just closed 005 button line steps to get us oh I see I'm sorry public hearing for 006 land use okay I'm sorry I'm I'm caught this is fees so uh we have a
motion to open ordinance 2025-006 uh amending chapter 114 entitled fees uh certificate of land use compliance. I'll make the motion. I'll second. Mr. Mento, yes. Mayor Creable.
Yes. May I have an a motion to adopt ordinance 20 open uh open to the public hearing? Sorry. Yep. Any comments from the Zoom platform or
ordinance 006? Comment on ordinance 006. No. Hearing none. We have a none in the audience. May I have a motion to close public hearing for ordinance 2025- Z006?
I'll make the motion. I'll second. Commissioner Mento, yes. Mayor Creable. Yes. May I have a motion to open or for adopt? May I add a motion to adopt ordinance 2025-006? Make the motion. I'll second Lisa. Yes.
Mayor Creable. Yes. May I have a motion to open for public hearing ordinance 007 housing standard fees? I'll make the motion. I'll second Lisa. Roll call, please. Yes. Mayor Creel. All
right. Any It doesn't look like there's anyone in the audience. Any any comments for public hearing in the Zoom platform? Anybody on Zoom wish to comment on ordinance
00 six seven lost no apology necessary. No no hearing none. May I have a motion to close public hearing on ordinance 2025-007. I'll make the motion.
I'll second. Lisa, roll call, please. Commissioner Mento. Yes. Mayor Creel. I have a motion to Yes. May I have a motion to adopt ordinance 00 2025-007 as described? I'll make the motion. I'll second. Roll call. Lisa.
Commissioner Mento. Yes. Mayor Creable. Yes. I have a uh motion to open for public hearing. Ordinance 2025-008. This is uh removing sub paragraph K from uh chapter 138.
I'll make the motion. I'll second. Roll call. Lisa. Commissioner Mento. Yes. Mayor Creel. Yes. Anybody comment on 008? No. Hearing no comments from the public. I have a motion to close public hearing on
ordinance 008. I'll make the motion. I'll second. Roll call. Lisa. Commissioner Mento. Yes. Mayor Creable. Yes. I have a motion to adopt ordinance 2025- 0008 as described. I'll make the motion. I'll second. Roll call. Lisa.
Commissioner Mento. Yes. Mayor Kel. Yes. And I have a motion to open to public hearing ordinance 2025-008. This is fees for fishing pier. Nine. Motion. Is it nine? 09. I'm sorry.
Okay. I'll make the motion. I'll second roll call. Lisa Mr. Mento. Yes. Mayor Creable. Yes. Open for public hearing. Anyone in the Zoom platform regarding fees at Fishing Pier? Anybody
wish to comment on resolution zero or ordinance 009? No. No. Hearing none. Can I have a motion to close public hearing on ordinance 2025- 009 fees? I'll make the motion. Second.
I will second. Uh I have a roll call. Lisa, Commissioner Mento. Yes. Mayor Creable. Yes. May I have a motion to adopt ordinance 2025-009 entitled fees for the fishing pier? I'll make the motion. I'll
second. Roll call. L. Commissioner Mento. Yes. Mayor Creel. Yes. All right. Awesome. May I have a motion to adopt resolutions 2025-129 through 2025-134 by consent as described in the
work in the workshop portion of the meeting. Make the motion. I'll second. Roll call. Lisa. Commissioner Mento. Yes. Mayor Creel. Yes. Thank you. Uh may have uh Amy, may we have bills, bills and payroll, please?
Payables for this period is $4,467,477.33. Payrolls for this period $619,27120. Thank you. I have a motion to approve bills and payroll, please. I'll make the motion. I'll second. Roll call. Lisa. Commissioner Mento. Yes. Mayor Creable. Yes. Um, any announcements or safety
reports that not none here. Uh, any commissioner report? Commissioner Mento, no no uh events coming up you want to plug. Well, the
I don't know if we sold out yet, but chef's Night Out coming up in May. So, that's the first event of the spring, I guess. Want to attend? You better go online and uh see where you can get your tickets, right? Chef's Night Out. And the block part is the next parties also
in May. So we have those two events coming up. It's hard to believe May is here. May is here. All right. Um I I have uh I don't have any report myself. Uh I will so may I have a motion to open the meeting to
public comment for uh any topic under discussion or at any topic at all. Make the motion. I'll second. Roll call. Lisa. Commissioner Mento. Yes. Mayor Cable. Yes. Anyone in the Zoom? Anybody in Zoom wish to comment on any items? Please make
yourself known and be recognized. No. No. Hearing none. Uh we may have a motion to close the public comment portion of the regular commission workshop. I'll make the motion. I'll second a roll call. L Commissioner Mento. Yes. Mayor Creable.
Yes. We have no executive session. No executive session. May I have a motion to adjurnn? Make the motion. I'll second. What's that? Do you object? Roll call. Commissioner Mento. Yes.
Mayor Creel. Yes. Meeting adjourned.