okay microphones are on tape is on This meeting is being held in conformance with the Sunshine Law Notice of time date and place has been furnished to the Bergen record in the Ridgewood News Notice has also been posted on the uh bulletin board in the administration building With the clerk
Connley take the role Mayor Gerardano here Miss Sarah Polar Drake here Mr Marello here Mr Roando here Mr Richie here Mrs Weber here Everyone kindly rise for the pledge of allegiance 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 with liberty and justice for all Have a let's have a moment of silence for all Waldwick veterans and all veterans across the country who have given the ultimate sacrifice to serve
our country Some not coming home so that we could assemble as we are today and live in a free country Amen Clark please do the prayer Dear Lord we start this meeting asking for your guidance and wisdom May we find unity and fairness the outcome to reflect our wishes to assist the burrow
in all their endeavors Thank you in his name Amen Amen Good evening everyone and under my report um just a couple of items Last Thursday I attended the uh Hope Christian Service Breakfast uh in Woff We have a home here
in Waldwick that is right across the street from the high school that houses uh six young women And uh it's a yearly event that they invite the mayor and council to come out and uh they thank us for allowing their um people or their
community to come into our community Also um I attended the Chamber of Commerce meeting last Wednesday and um other than that uh on uh last Wednesday also I attended the sewer authority meeting Uh nothing to report on that but
if you have any questions you could ask me and I'll give you any details you need to know That's all I have to report Financial and administrative committee Mr Richie Thank you Mr Mayor and good evening everybody It's nice to see you Welcome to uh the I think we're going to introduce the budget this evening So um
yeah so it's great to have so many people here to to listen to that I will hold my comments on the budget until we we go through it Um I did uh I did uh just a couple comments on that I did email the finance committee this week and I really do hope in the future we
can present to you uh slides I think as over the years I've watched introduc you know introduction of budgets it's very difficult I can see you trying to grasp what we're saying kind of comprehend things uh that's that's going on but with nothing in front of you it's very difficult So I do think if we can when
we maybe adopt the budget you know at the next meeting maybe we can do you know pull the projector down have some slides put something together and then in future years I think we should be giving committee reports with with those you know slides and and kind of guides for the for the public Um but but we
will we will be going through it today Um you know high level it's it's a tough year Um I as I've said we have a revenue issue in this town um and we need to address it So uh a couple weeks ago I reached out to the finance committee and I said "Hey we we should meet after we
pass this budget every 3 weeks to review what is our non- tax revenue items How do we help to get them to grow what are some new ideas we need all hands on deck here because uh the the budget's it's it's in a tough spot Um so we will be uh we will be you know calling those
meetings starting in May I think input from everybody in council uh from the public from from uh all of our employees You know there's no bad ideas in in this uh in this environment So uh we'll be I'll be looking forward to uh giving updates on those and and and hopefully
we can make recommendations to the council Obviously it's it's a subcommittee so we don't you know we don't draw policy or or pass policy there but we can make recommendations So I look forward to that process and and and again I'll hold the rest of my comments on the budget until we introduce it That's my uh report this evening Mayor Thank you Thank you Fire
and police protection committee Mr Bernick's not here and he didn't give no report He'll make a report at the next meeting that he is here at public safety committee Mr Sakola Drake thank you Not many updates They'll give me a comprehensive update at the end of the month Um but Wbec has been reaching out
to local clubs and businesses to share awareness about the organization and the services they provide They're also offering handsonly CPR training to any clubs or businesses that are interested They're working with the library to reestablish the hands-only CPR training program that was run in 2024 by John and
finalizing a date in the coming weeks So I'll keep you all posted Thank you Recreation Health Committee Mr Monell Thank you Mr Mayor Just a few items for reminders tonight Um Wick Baseball Association registration is still open There over 410 kids We never turn kids
away so it's never too late to register You can go to wick baseball.sportengine.com Uh we take preK through 8th grade Great numbers this year Um we thank our local sponsors once again for coming out to support the the teams and their banners on the field Uh
great response so far there And uh the golf outing is coming up on April 10th which is sold out It's going to be a great event for the association and looking forward to opening day April 26th Hopefully a lot of you can come out and and take a look at all the the work that has been done down at the facility
this year It's really in great condition probably the best it's been in in in decades I want to thank the uh um DPW for bringing some uh machines down for us to dump some leaves in over last weekend and for dropping some uh some much needed top soil down there which uh
helped the volunteers Um we all spread them last week So it was a a great event team building exercise We thank the Wicker High School boys and girls uh softball and baseball teams for coming out and helping It's a way for them to pay back to the community that supported them over the years Now they get a
chance to to pitch in and help the community out Um Wick Soccer their registration for the rec program for the fall is open You can go to www.worldwicks.org to register And a couple of health items We have a blood pressure screening I'm sorry um the
Lions blood drive on April 11th from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m at the Legion on Franklin Turnpike And also our pool registration opens on April 1st And also one other item the annual Easter egg hunt from the uh PBA happens on April
12th at 10:00 a.m Great event for all the little kids to come out And that's it Thank you Mr Mayor Thank you very much Public works committee Mr Roondo Thank you Mr Mayor Uh spoke with Superintendent Lour uh gave me several updates uh regarding some of the border works uh items that were done They were
working on some of the loops and reopening them Uh as well as doing several uh valve changes over the weekend on over time through Saturday They did several items Uh one was in regards with the the
school and then uh they started spring sweeping So they're starting to do the annual spring sweepings of the streets and they started all the burrow properties and the spring cleanups and they'll be continuing to do that so that they're up
and ready for the rest of the springtime That's all Mr Mayor Thank you Thank you Public I'm sorry builds and grounds committee Mrs Weber Thank you Mr Mayor Uh the fire suppression system at the public safety building is uh still ongoing Uh we had an an incident at the one of our wells at Well 5 the roof was
damaged by a down tree That's being taken care of Also um the DBW did a walk through at the burough pool to identify some areas that were in need of updating Um they're going to take care of some of the office areas and also the restrooms
Um on Friday March 14th myself uh Burough Administrator Mr Neil and Councilman Roando met with a gentleman by the name of Curt Springstead at the signal tower that's over by the train tracks um here And uh uh Steve is
working with the county to get a grant going for them to update to I'm sorry repair the outside the exterior of that location Um also we had on March 12th we had a safety meeting with the board of
ed uh to discuss the uh the retired police officers in the school theos and there's more to come on that as well That's all I have Thank you Thank you our administrative Thank you Mr Mr Mayor um on the waterfront we encourage
residents to continue reporting using our online form Uh we've had a lot of success with that so far Uh every email blast every social media post we get we get a few more that come in every time Uh I just want to note we're up to about 100 total complaints since last fall Um
so we are tracking that and and we're working with our engineering firm H2M on the hydraulic study and and tackling the discoloration issue Um so more to come on that soon Uh traffic safety Uh hope you saw there's two new blinking crosswalks We're were installed on
Crescent A near the school and one on East Prospect near the library Uh which are great We happy to see those go in We're actually planning to get at least two more um near the other schools at at different locations this year once the budget's passed and um continue work
with PD um on evaluating different traffic patterns near Trapagen So we actually have a meeting set up next week with our traffic engineer and the police department to um come up with a plan for there for for the September uh start of the new school year Um and then lastly
um actually have to talk a little bit about the bus shelter You might have seen some work being done over at the bus shelter It is being demoed right now Uh we're going to reuse some of the ballards and we're actually going to reuse this shelter that's out here that was abandoned by New Jersey Transit and we're going to relocate um that shelter
out by Route 17 It's obviously not in a great location So we're hoping to put it in a much safer spot Um we had a spot picked out but we actually have to change locations again So hopefully more to come on that soon but we are moving ahead with that project and hopefully have something in place within the next
month or so Um and then lastly we are we're going to dive into the budget a little bit more so I'll save the rest of my comments Thank you Thank you Bur Clerk Thank you mayor Um first on the agenda just wanted to mention we have uh two
social affair permits that um are up for your consideration One is for the Wald Community Alliance for their annual car show and the other is for uh Gearblock Brewing Company and that's for their uh anniversary weekend We also have two raffle licenses one for Waldo Fire
Department and one for Waldo Baseball Association um for your consideration They've met all the requirements and we also have approval from the state Um I just want to remind everybody that April 16th is the deadline for change of party affiliation declaration forms which are
available on our website Um we've issued 877 dog licenses to date Um alarm and tenant registrations continue to come in Um with regards to the calendar I just want to urge residents to look at their 2025 calendar for the recycling pickup schedule as well as deadlines to
schedule bulk heavy metal and electronics pickup Um there's also a digital version on our homepage uh of the 2025 calendar so you can also look at it there Um the March monthly newsletter will be coming out this Friday and I will be attending the uh
MCJ conference in Atlantic City from April 8th to the 10th That's all I have Thank you Thank you confidential assistant Thank you mayor Uh I had mentioned last meeting that I would be reporting to the council some of the numbers uh that we're seeing on the EV
charging stations that were installed by the burrow uh in May of 2024 We've had uh good success with them um especially given our location off of Route 17 It's a convenient um it's a convenient place
for people to stop to do their charging when they're in the area or coming through from you know other states Uh in December the burrow did and and what we're looking at is what the PSCG costs are uh to run these EV stations with the
usage and what we bring in and then um we take out the charge for the company that you know that manages the program But um we've had some great success In December we were able to bring in $2,2146 January that went up to $3,38 Uh and then in February we're
looking we looked at $1,861.33 Um usage is pretty good so far for March We'll see how we end there I don't have the PSEG bill yet for for that time period but um again a good good successful program for the bureau Um and we're happy to have that in town
available to residents and and like I said available to people who are coming through the area That's all I have Mayor thank you very much Bur clerk I'm sorry burrow attorney Thank you Mr Mayor The only item I have um we're still waiting on the numbers from the POS uh litigation as to what our base scores
translate to into dollar values So as soon as we have that we'll uh we'll pass it on That's all I have for this I do have one item for a close session for uh litigation updates Okay And no decision being made no decisions Okay Consent resolutions and resolutions of the governing body
Be resolved that the following resolutions here with listed by consent having been considered by the governing body of the bureau of rollick are hereby passed and approved 2025107 approval of consent 2025 108 approval of minutes regular and business meeting January 28th 2025 Policy votes A Joseph burn 43
highway eye requests to replace existing wooden fence with a vinyl fence around the entire back pro of property over the burrow easement as per her email of March 14 2025 and to include all fence post holes must be hand dug over the easement No augur can be used Uh B
Environmental committee requests to hold a townwide cleanup on Saturday April 12th from 11 to 1:00 p.m C Waldwick United Methodist Church request to hold a fish and chips dinner on Saturday April 26 from 5:00 to 7:00 as detailed in their March 1st uh letter T Waldo
Fire Department request to use the bay of fire company number one to host the raffle drawing on June 21st 2025 E Waldo Community Alliance request waiver of fire inspection fees for the food service providers in connection with the WCA annual car show on J uh June uh June
1st 2025 with a rain date of June 8th 2025 Wald Education Foundation requests to hold a townwide garage sale on Saturday April 26 and Sunday April 27th from 9:00 a.m to 5:00 p.m and a regular garage sale permit fees for those residents that participate in the WF
townwide garage sale fundraiser G Superstar Tennis request to amend their February 11th policy vote to rent two tennis courts at Veterans Park from May 26th to May 28th to Mondays and Wednesdays from 3 to 7:00 p.m at the cost of $1,500 per court Just a reminder
that their previous vote was for Tuesdays and Thursdays that you did approve 2025109 approval of social affair permit for the Waldo Community Alliance annual car show June 1st with a rain date of June 8th 202510 approval of social affair permit for Gearblock Brewing
Company for April 25th to through the 27th 202511 approval of rapha license 202501 for the Waldo Fire Department 2020 202512 approval of rapha license 202502
for the Waldo baseball association 202513 approved temporary emergency appropriation 2025114 approval of temporary capital budget amendment 2020 2515 uh payment of vouchers Do I have a motion to second to accept motion by M
Sarah Colola Drake second by Mr Martinell Anyone on the question um just one question on the Superstar Tennis Are they changing the dates or adding dates no they're they're changing Yeah they're just changing They don't they you approve Tuesdays and Thursdays
They would rather have Mondays and Wednesdays which is actually better I think probably cuz later in the week residents are going to want to use it So That's what I was going to ask is that it's not interfering with residents or anything like that No no it's I think it's actually better
How about the uh high school tennis team practices schedule do we know that's their request that is for after season ends okay Yeah got it Anyone else i have a question for the attorney Uh do I need to recuse myself from 25 2025 111 and
item D as they pertain to the fire department fundraising If it's fundraising I just don't want to put myself in a bad position um for for D and 25 2025 1111 for the
approval of the license for the Waldick Fire Department Not no you you'll be okay with those because those are general votes on the entire but it's for the benefit of the fire department which I'm a member I just want to make sure But do does the money that's raised there go towards the fire department
financial benefit from goes to the back room yes Well then yes you would about Well Michelle she doesn't benefit My husband does If it's a family member it's okay We have a motion to second Anyone
else clerk please take the role Uh Mr Uh Miss Sri Yes Mr Martinelloo I will recuse on the baseball item for 2025 1112 and approve the rest Um Mr Roando I will recuse from D and
2025 1111 But yes Mr Richie yes Mrs Weber I'll have to recuse myself from D as well and for the 2025 1111 But everything else yes Thank you Okay Okay Okay we have one public hearing Would the clerk kindly read
ordinance number 2025-02 ordinance number 2025-02 An ordinance to amend chapter 48 col 87-7 of the code of the burough of worldw swimming pool municipal fees Anyone from the council would like to comment on this or audience that was
just Yes please Thank you Um so after reflecting on this recommendation proposed by Councilman Ramunda at the last meeting um I believe that the amendment to this ordinance was done in haste and required a more thoughtful analysis So all of us received a letter from the resident um and after meeting
with this resident I agree with a lot of the issues that she raised So most importantly um we didn't do a financial analysis on how offering free memberships would impact revenue which is concerning given that the pool already operates at a deficit Asking taxpayers to shoulder an even greater financial burden without a clear plan
for offsetting costs is not responsible I'd love to give our municipal employees everything under the sun because of how wonderful they are but I don't think it's fiscally responsible to be throwing things into this budget at the last minute Um you know with a proposed 3.5% tax increase already on the table I
don't think we can afford to add additional expenses that will exacerbate our financial challenges So in light of these concerns I propose that we remove this fringe benefit from the ordinance and ensure that we remain fiscally responsible
Anyone else yeah I I apologize I wasn't here during the meeting when it was introduced but I wholeheartedly agree with uh with my colleague Um yeah I think she said it perfectly So uh I agree Anyone else yeah And unfortunately
after getting the audit report back this week and seeing what the increase was going to be for the taxes and the items that we had to cut out of the budget which uh we'll go over in more detail later I agree with I don't think we should be giving away any other fringe benefits if we want to keep in things
like raises and things like that for our employees I think those are more valuable than uh giving away a pool membership at this point Maybe it's something we could look at um for next year um if the financial condition improves
Anyone else yes May I comment a it wasn't unh uh you seem to have financial you're saying that this increased the budget significantly Do you have the numbers Mike i did not say it increases the budget significantly All three of you did No I said that in a in a Let me let
me let me uh recclarify for you Uh Council President please explain So the the budget's in serious trouble folks We're we're we're drawing more and more from our surplus every year We took 2.3
million last year We're proposing 2.5 We lost a half a million dollars in non- tax revenue this year We're increasing your taxes because we don't have the money We don't misappropriate We do not have a spending problem in town spending is kept very
flat but we're losing revenue every year And in a year when we're raising taxes we're losing revenue I just don't think it's responsible to be giving free memberships away to anybody Well can I ask another question so you can ask any question you want but it's not going to change my opinion Um we had a $219,000
miss by your team A what a $219,000 miss because of the sewer up charge because we didn't have a chance to go after an appeal Can you comment on that since according to only the one up here fighting the sewer authority what
are you talking about i I want to I want to start finding the sewer authority Let's let's not let but forget the misses They the H2S levels that they're uh that they're recording every day Let's start our own recordings every time They're one standard deviation above median Let's start finding them
Let's make it a profit share Let's take they're they're bringing $16 million a year in Let's take half of that If we have to deal with the the offset I that's a great recommendation If you want to talk about the super authority let's talk about that Not not the fact that they raised our bill And now now you're going to try to hit me with some
we all spoke about the the increase If you knew then that there was an ability for us to appeal you should have raised your your voice then not I didn't get anything from you or the team until it was too late All right For everyone who's here I apologize It's my fault Apparently the the increase for the
sewer authority the fact that we're paying that bill is my fault I apologize Does that Does that help no Okay Did anybody figure out what the the charge would be to have all the uh
employees um come to the pool oh that wasn't Yeah I don't know Okay Yeah we honestly just don't know what that impact is because we don't know who would be attending what memberships we would potentially lose with its impact So we we honestly just don't have that data Do we know what percent of the DPW
is on the fire department that already gets that existing we would have to find that out for you So that would be a point Three people if they're already currently getting that service You're only looking at the police department and those members of the council or
administrative staff that would want to use it We asked for a number I thought that was going to be the point that there was going to be a number before we made a a change We I we just don't know who would who would join and who wouldn't I guess at
that point we could look at the uh the volunteer numbers that already receive it and come up with that number for you Anyone else so are you going to put If we edit it does it still make it in time
the the removal of this fringe benefit you you could vote to remove that tonight and still have the public hearing That would not be a substantial change to this like four-page ordinance or whatever Do you want to do that it's everyone's
pleasure I'd like to remove that ordinance and that line from the ordinance and vote as the rest of it is and review it later on that you want to do Correct And review it later on Well I want to see actually it kind of
depends on what the rest of the vote is on the budget and how we're looking there If we're going to raise any other sources or raise the budget at all there's zero chance that I would vote for any more dollars to be spent because
it's already a higher increase than I want to do Okay Do we have a second to remove that we have a motion by I just want to clarify is the is the amendment to remove section
Mor in in its entirety Yes Yes Correct Okay The original one volunteer fire department and roll back that states That's a different number That was my bill I believe Yeah Okay I just wanted to clarify motion So I have a motion by Joe to remove M Second by Katie Second
by Katie Okay Thank you Clerk take the role No On removal of that and then we're going to open the public hearing Correct Okay Miss Sarak Drake Yes Mr Marello Yes Mr Rodo Yes Mr Richie Yes Mrs Weber Yes
Okay Now anybody from the public would like to comment on this audience that was just read please come to the microphone and state your name Just Good evening My name is Moren Daniels Um I'm the author of the previously
circulated comment and um I'll subside on how section M got in uh to the draft but uh limit I guess reduce my comments to just
a single one I want to amplify um my opinion that section M should in fact be removed from the proposed ordinance but I think that earlier I think the questions about the cost or the numbers
is actually the wrong question I think the real question is why we would extend exemptions in a way that equates the volunteer work the community service work done by Walvac and the volunteer
fire department with salaried positions at the burrow Um I certainly am not unappreciative of the work that the municipal employees of the bureau uh do on our behalf but I also
believe that all work is good work And I think that the salaries of the employees put them on an equal footing with the other working families of the burrow and as such should decide for themselves whether they care to be members of the
pool or not And I think that other than the specified volunteers found elsewhere in the ordinance that all of us should pay to use the pool So the question about the cost of it the extension of
the benefit and what it means budget-wise I think is fundamentally the wrong question Salaries distinguish you from volunteers and that matters That's it See was a lot longer at first Thank
you Anyone else if not I close the public's comments and I ask for a motion in a second to pass this on second reading and that the clerk be authorized to advertise on local legal newspapers as required by law Do I have a motion in a second motion by uh Katie Sarakola Drake Second
by Mr Martell Clerk take the role Miss Sarakola Drake Yes Mr Martinelloo Yes Mr Romano Yes Mr Richie Yes Mrs Weber Yes Okay We have a couple of introduction of ordinances Would the clerk kindly read ordinance number 2025-03
ordinance number 2025-03 bond ordinance to authorize the making of various public improvements and the acquisition of new additional replacement equipment and machinery new communication and signal systems equipment new information technology and telecommunication equipment new
additional furnishings and a new automotive vehicle including original apparatus and equipment in by and for the Bureau of Wald in the county of Bergen State of New Jersey to appropriate the sum of $2,270,000 to pay the cost thereof to appropriate burrow open space trust fund
monies and uh state and state and county grants to make a down payment to authorize the issuance of bonds to finance such appropriation and to provide for the issuance of bond anticipation notes in anticipation of the issuance of such bonds
A motion in order to move and pass motion and a second is in order to move and pass his ordinance on second on first reading and that it be advertised in local legal newspapers required by law setting a public hearing two weeks from tonight's meeting at 7:30 p.m or soon thereafter uh as the matter may be
reached Do I have a motion in a second motion by Mark Rando second by Michelle on the question Anyone uh thank you Mr Mayor I'll just comment This is our our general capital bond ordinance uh on for introduction Uh kind of outlines all the the equipment we're
looking to get which includes various things like HVAC playground improvements uh it our road program So if anyone has any questions be happy to answer Anyone else clerk take the role Makola Drake
Yes Mr Martinell yes Mr Romano yes Mr Richie yes Mrs Weber yes Will the clerk kindly read ordinance number 2025-04 ordinance number 2025-04 bond ordinance to authorize the making of various public improvements
and the acquisition of new additional or replacement equipment and machinery in buyin for the water utility of the Pearl of Waldwick and the county of Bergen State in New Jersey to appropriate the sum of $1,120,000 to pay the cost thereof to make a down payment to authorize the
issuance of bonds to finance such appropriation and to provide for the issuance of bond anticipation notes in anticipation of the issuance of such bonds A motion in a second is in order to move and pass his ordinance on first reading and that it be advertised in local legal newspapers required by law setting a public hearing two weeks from tonight's
meeting at 7:30 p.m or soon thereafter as the matter may be reached Do I have a motion in a second motion by Mrs Weber second by Mr Montelloo on the question You're on Thank you Mr Mayor Uh similar to the previous one this is uh
specifically for our water capital Um so various projects include we we doubled our infrastructure improvement uh line uh some well rehabs like electrical upgrades and um you know leak detection throughout the burrow So some good good
equipment good projects in this one Anyone else clerk take the role Miss Drake Yes Mr Montello Yes Mr Rando yes Mr Richie yes Mrs Weber Yes Clerk kindly read ordinance number 2025
05 ordinance number 2025-05 borrow folded for uh Bergen County uh New Jersey calendar year 2025 ordinance to exceed the municipal budget cost of living allowance and to establish a cap bank pursuant to NJSA484-45.14
[Music] A motion in a second is an order to pass the thoughts on first reading and that it be advertised in local legal newspapers required by law setting a public hearing two weeks from tonight's meeting at 7:30 p.m or soon thereafter as the matter may be reached Motion in a
second Motion by Mr Monell second by Mr Richie Anyone on the question you good you're on The last one The last Oh for the uh Sorry the cap back Uh no actually I don't know if Colleen you want to come
up and kind of explain this one a little bit more detail This one's always a fun one to try and explain Um in regard to the municipal uh budgets there's a new Jersey Jersey law stating back to 2004 which limits uh
municipalities to a 2 and 12% appropriation increase or the cost of living whichever is less This year the cost of living is set at 2.5% However governing bodies can authorize an ordinance to increase it to 3 and a half over the previous year's uh
final appropriations This ordinance gives the governing body the ability to allow for a three and a half% calculation and whatever is not used can be banked and carried over to the next two years for unplanned events So it's kind of like an insurance policy Um you
know we don't always use it uh but we're we're building it so that it's there if if we need it Um the 3.5% increase over last year's appropriation would amount to an increase of about 379,000 $380,000 as opposed to uh
271,000 for 2 and a half% So it's about uhund something uh you know difference uh but again it's it's an insurance policy You don't use it unless you need it Any
questions no Thank you Thank you Clerk take the role Mr Poig yes Mr Marella yes Mr Yes Mr Richie yes Mrs Weber yes And now we'll be talking about the 225 uh miss budget A motion and a second is
an order to pass in this ordinance on first reading and that it be advertised in local legal newspapers that required by law setting a public hearing two weeks for tonight's meeting at 7:30 p.m or soon thereafter as the matter may be reached Or a motion in a second Motion by Mr Richie second by Mr
Martinelloo Go ahead Thank you Mr Mayor Um so I'll kind of go through the highlights here and then take questions and comments from the council Um just want to talk a little bit about the process for for developing the budget Um so you know we're at our point right now
for 2025 but we're already looking towards 26 27 28 29 and 30 We're looking 5 10 years out every single day when we start planning these projects Um so we have input from the council the residents and our department heads throughout the year We're constantly communicating with each other and
evaluating the needs of the community So we'll start with that It's it's a a long long project to get to this point Um this year presented us with a lot of challenges Obviously everyone's feeling increased costs um even at home in your own pocket So we also feel those same
increases So we have to try and balance that out um with our needs So um you know it's it can be difficult because we do have kind of uh flat revenues You know local governments really aren't in the business of making money like private business necessarily but we do
have ways to bring in money So those revenues help offset our expenditures So we did see uh some major increases in um some salary and wages um mainly in police department and DPW due to some contractual items Uh the store authority
is has been talked about So we did see a big increase with that That was about one tax point So 1% on the the increase that we're propos proposing about um our debt service went up Our insurance costs skyrocketed I'm sure everybody's seen in the news our health health benefits plan
um has been doubledigit increases for the past couple years and there's no stopping in sight So that that's been a struggle Uh the pension system or pension cost social security and our another big one is the solid waste collection which is also
contractual So it's it's important to note that all these are critical to maintaining a high level of service for the community Um so you know we've really take a hard look at our operating budget and I think over the the past you know several years the council and admin
previous administrations have done a really good job at kind of cutting out the any of the fluff that's in there So you know we're pretty thin with our operating budget A lot of the fluff has been eliminated So everything that we are presenting is we feel a necessity to
run the town Um it does these increases do actually include uh a new officer in the police department Um so the goal there is to actually create a traffic safety bureau within the police department and we feel uh an additional officer will help us get to that point
Um it does include two uh special law enforcement officers for the schools and it also um incorporates increased utility bills which I'm sure a lot of people have been reading about in the news too So um some significant increases there Uh we also put in there
one of the reasons PD is up is a police records clerk Um that's that's a new position that would help them process Oprah requests Um so we're actually looking at that as a possible new revenue stream um or an offset to cover that position because we can actually
charge fees for those those um OPRA requests Uh which we're currently not doing right now because we have our uh police officers doing that Um in addition to the increases mentioned we also were not able to
anticipate um some some large revenue sources uh from last year One is the American Rescue Plan money Um so that was in the amount of you know a grant offset in the amount of over a million dollars 1 million 57,000 and there was also a state mun municipal relief
program in the amount of 257,000 that was realized the past couple years but that went away this year Uh we also had some things like a uh tax appeal settlement that we are receiving regular monthly payments on last year for about $110,000 We were not able to
receive that this year Um we were able to account for two months but that that's now gone also So seeing that situation when we rolled everything up um you know we were facing a pretty significant increase Um so it forced us you know staff we went
back we had a good team with our auditor We met met with department heads again went back to operating and tried to thin things out where we could Um we did make some cuts to uh some some areas like cotification uh
a couple buffers in our our group insurance you know things like pool paint um some of our lawn maintenance some equipment lines um you know a buffer that we like to have in some of our utilities Um so we did make cuts there to try and get us to this point Um
but you will see you know we are we are back um with an increase to about uh 3.4 or 7% Uh this does break down to be about $79 per average homeowner here in Waldwick Um and if you look at that even further it's about
$6.58 per month So given all that we we do feel it's a a pretty fair presentation So that is our request to the council that's before you tonight Um and I just want to note that you know we have some really good capital projects lined up Um working with staff we've
identified some big areas Obviously everyone knows we need some uh water infrastructure improvements So we are planning to tackle that head-on We have some big numbers dedicated to that Um we also have again an aggressive road paving program So we're looking to get
that off the ground And we are um utilizing some Department of Transportation grants to rework totally reconstruct some other streets and focus on uh drainage on some of those on Schuler Avenue specifically Um so that's kind of where
we're at Um if anyone has any questions comments could I just ask one question then you could go absolutely Y um next year are we working on INI because that helps us a lot with the sewer bill Yes So that is actually one thing uh important to note is INI we are working on We've talked with the sword authority
about that I know they were doing their own study We're going to kind of partner with them and do our own study also here throughout town Um and also we are working on a water rate study through our auditors and they have an expert on there who actually does calculations for
other sewer authorities So we're going to tap you know into his brain over the next couple weeks as we finalize that water rate study and see what could be done there Okay Mike Uh thank you Thank you Mr Mayor So yeah I let me first I just want to thank uh everyone who
really put this together Steve uh Colleen Tatiana Kelly the whole council everybody I mean last year was uh my first year uh leading finance committee It was Steve's first year as uh administrator on town We were kind of thrust into it It was a it was organized
chaos but we got through it Uh this year felt a lot smoother Um we I think we're getting a better handle on on everything So I really appreciate that Um it was it was good that it it was smoother because it was a much more difficult year Um and
I think I I see I I respectfully see things just a little bit differently uh than Steve I I think um actually I think the burrow uh current and past councils have done a really nice job controlling costs Uh if you look over the last 10 years it's like 2% roughly Uh so I I
never thought that this this uh this bureau had a spending problem Um this year we cut our capital budget uh by more than half by more than half I think as well Um we we brought it from 4 million roughly down to below two So I think everyone does a really good job of of of you know tightening tightening
things up and and looking at you know providing the services in town that that we need but u but nothing more Um but but but I think I do think our biggest issue is that we rely too much on the the uh residents and we're increasing taxes where if you look over
that same period at non- tax revenue things like uh you know uh fees that we bring in to the to the to the bureau if you look at uh grants um you know it's been flat at like between 3.9 million and 4.6 million it it fluctuates up and
down over 10 years With all this inflation we haven't been able to increase that that revenue Um you know the we did a revaluation last year and that that certainly helped But if you look at the net valuation of properties in town all this information is available online By the way that also
remains flat So you know every time even if it's a minor increase a couple percent right in in in all of these these uh line items Steve mentioned that we by and large have no control over we have to put that on you We have to put that on us all of us right as as as
taxpayers So I really do believe that we need to um get very serious about increasing the uh that tax base with new ratables I think that we need to get more creative at bringing in non- tax revenue I I I I do think we need to
start thinking like as a business because um we may not want to make profit but we need to increase these other sources of revenue or it's it's going to get very bad Uh we're using 2.5 million from surplus to balance this year's budget That's up from I think 2.2
last year The last balance that we had was like around 7 million So you can all do the math we're going to run out of surplus and then we're going to have a budget gap of more than $2.5 million And what'll happen it's either coming to all of us in in in the form of a new tax
increase or we're going to have to cut $2.5 million out of this budget It it's going to be a very bad day So uh we have to get more aggressive and um and that's why I I I think I continue to push on some of these I know it's annoying and I know that it can it can it can seem uh a
a tad much but we really need to bring more money into town So um that that being said I I I will vote to pass this I don't love the tax increase but I don't think we have we have a spending issue and we need to continue creating these services for for for folks in town
but man we've got to address this very very quickly Thank you Mr Thank you I know you've been waiting He's been waiting That's fine Thank you Um I hate tax increases you know number one this everyone knows that was going to the
accountant Yeah Right But uh there are things in this budget that the residents are asking for Um the safety officers at the schools the additional officer to help with traffic safety Those are things right there that add a
significant point to the budget Would we be able to keep this at 1% sure But we'd have to cut all that stuff out we'd have to not include that We'd have to remove all of that extra things that we're trying to provide for the town Um and there's only other one one other way to
do it is raise tax a little bit Uh Colleen maybe you can talk a little bit more about the surplus and what your prediction is for the next few years if we don't bring in some more revenue somewhere I'd be happy to hear that from you Um yeah I think we have to support it
because we want these extra things We've heard from the residents the Councilwoman Weber and Councilman Raundo has been sitting on the board of education um committee on safety and I think those guys want those right that that's what they want wanted to do Want
to add that in Town's asking for it The traffic safety comes up every meeting I don't know how else we uh we don't pass that for the town And we're also trying to give our employees in the town um a raise this
year right so we put that in as part of the the budget We had the increase for DPW and police department for contractual raises These are things that are pretty much out of our control Hey anyone else i'm sorry Go ahead Yeah
thank you Mr Mayor I get one question regarding the aid and the grants When do we know when we're not getting those dollars is it in January is it when you start the budget talks in November is it mid year when when when are we made
aware of that so the municipal relief one we weren't made aware until we had our first meeting with the auditor actually Um so we we had originally accounted for that but he told us um yeah that was just kind of a a one-time hit for two or three years I think and
then that one that one went away Um so yeah that was actually news to us so it created even more of a hole We were trying to to recover the ARP Um again we knew it was floating out there We had allocated that to our bond ordinances last year Um so at that point I'd say
towards the end of the year but again we just we didn't really know how it was going to be taken in or taken into account until we met with the auditor So moving forward that those dollars are not even in play Those are out of Yeah those are completely out of play So you know you're looking at you know 1.3
million goal for next year right anyone else yes I'd like to agree with Councilman Martinelloo's comment that I also hate tax increases I think my first year on council I was the only person to vote no on like a 1% increase So um I'd
like to also touch on the fact that the reason or part of the reason why we're so you know outspoken about redeveloping the downtown and looking at where we can bring in revenue is because of the situation that we're in with our budget So I'd rather get new revenue from people that have it than be pushing
those increases on you guys So thank you Thank you Anyone else clerk take the role I didn't I need a a motion in a second We did Did I do it no Yeah I did Didn't
I said Mike and Joe was it those so this is this is resolution 2025 1117 which is the intro uh I'm sorry 116 which is the introduction to the budget right okay I'm sorry I do I I was on the wrong one
I'm so I'm so sorry Quite right So I have Mike and and Jo Okay ready Miss Sarah Coldrake Yes Mr Martinelloo Yes Mr Leande Yes Mr Richie yes Mrs Weber Sorry about that It's okay I went ahead of myself That's okay
Anyone on the council have any unfinished business yes I do And I apologize Uh there's a few things So um I was just curious what where where things stood with the redevelopment feedback and uh you know can we start having a conversation about what we want
uh downtown um yes So I pretty much have comments from everybody Um we're going to try and now that we're in a better spot with the budget try and wrap that all together and maybe you know I guess I would ask if we want to have a close session discussion or you know I could
send out all those comments first kind of try and capture everything as best I can let everyone digest that come back with feedback and then maybe we take that to the next step Close session's fine We can do that at the next meeting If everybody wants to go that path I
could have everybody's comments prepared but I I leave that up to everybody Yeah I think so Yeah Okay Uh on the same on the same topic I I I know of a developer that is interested in the right aid property We have uh condemnation power of that property So uh I was wondering
if if I could connect uh this person with Craig have them come in give a presentation Um if nothing else it'll get the folks who own the property maybe moving on presenting something themselves because you know uh we got to kind of create some FOMO here or some
fear uh that they're going to miss out on an opportunity or we're just going to continue looking at that that uh empty lot and I don't know I went in there for deodorant There was nothing So I Everyone keeps telling me there's there's things back in that in that right aid but there's nothing there No
there's nothing there What do you What do you all think would you be willing if if I could connect Craig with this i have no personal relationship with this person I know the the the attorney who represents them and uh he he reached out and said "Hey they'd love to present uh to the council." I said "I'll pass it
on." May we ask who the attorney is what may we ask who the attorney is do Do I have to i I guess I can It's Matt Gillson Interesting What's interesting what's interesting yeah He represents a lot of land use stuff He works for a big land
use law firm So um yeah So I'd be more than happy to to make that introduction And you know we're not obliged to do anything but at least we can start hearing some some ideas So just keep us informed Yeah And and just on that too uh I spoke about the other one and
hopefully maybe at the second meeting in April we'll have the uh the other uh attorney who had a a proposal that we had spoken about before for the um drawing a blank Harrison Durant Yeah The
one that Yeah Rocket Durant Rocket So they stood up last time They're probably looking for April 29th Yes Exactly Got stood up Yeah And and and I think on that one thing that we should do is is recruit developers in I think we should meet with as many as possible We should put a a package together put an RFP out
there We should get as many people competing for this space so that we have a little bit more of a say in what goes there If we you know with the the I think the biggest problem with the the War Property we were we were obviously there were a few of us uh who were seeing things a little bit differently I
think the biggest issue with that was not that we disagreed I think we should disagree is that we had one had one project to choose from So we really didn't have a whole lot of leverage there Um and you we were going to either continue looking at uh empty lots or or the project that was proposed So I think
this time around with these other projects the more options we have I think the the better uh we'll be able to find a middle ground for for all of us So I advocate for the recruitment and and the meeting with as many of these people as possible Do you work on that okay Absolutely Mr Mayor Any other
unfinish unfinished business from anybody any other a few just a few other things Sorry So and I'll and I'll try to be quick on the on the sewer authority So I know that they are measuring H2S Uh do we have an idea of when they'll be releasing those readings to us
didn't they say yeah for a month they're going to do it for a month and then they're going to do they're going to get the data for in a month and then they're going to give it to us Okay So it was 30 to 60 days Yeah So I was just you know again I said it earlier but I'm wondering if we can't start make taking our own readings and creating an
ordinance where if they're one standard deviation above we start finding them Maybe that's what gets them moving because I think that if they're measuring we should also measure Can we do that Greg i don't know how I I would have to look into that to be completely honest I'd have to look into that
because I know that they're extensively regulated by the D So there might be a a preeemption issue but I I can definitely look into that and advise the Do we have the equipment no we would have to buy it We would have to buy it Have to spend money We would have to spend money but I
promise you we would be making it They as I said they make 16 million a year So you know if we were to charge them a if we were to find them excessively half of their their revenue for an hour right that's a lot of money to us And uh maybe it would offset the cost but take care of the problem And it's it's a revenue
stream I'm I'm curious and and maybe Eric has an answer when he comes up later Since they started monitoring has the smell changed at all i'm just curious I didn't notice it I still notice it Oh yeah No change Cuz I I'm not close to that area anymore so I
don't smell it as much So I'm just curious if it gets really bad at around 8:00 at night When I go for walks around Richard Drive with all my neighbors we all smell it And that is I think they're only measuring from 3 to 7 right so that falls outside the window of when of when
they're doing the measurements So I don't know if that's a coincidence or or or what but at nights and on after the long weekend on Monday mornings like it's it gets it gets really bad Um okay one more Sorry The um and I
missed this at the last meeting So we discussed uh potentially speaking with the police about expanding that traffic study and I just was curious if there was an update on what their feedback was Uh none yet but we do have a follow-up meeting on Monday uh with a traffic
engineer representative from Boswell so we could try and you know get more of a plan and some feedback together for you Yeah I think that would be great if we could accelerate that because uh I used this I used the walkways this this weekend It was nice car stopped It was
It was kind of hard to see the lights I don't know if when we when we purchased uh uh other ones in other places of town if the yellow one yellow is is the most effective during the day it was kind of hard to see but after three or four cars came by one finally stopped So it it
does work And just to note too on those um we're we're looking actually to pair them with rumble strips So painted rumble strips you know maybe two sets So that's what we're going to be talking about with the traffic engineer and additional signage before you actually approach the intersection So everything
together we hope will really calm traffic One item Uh last time when Mr Mayor um volunteered me to wear the dog ears for his dog park at the uh the new Whiteoff facility over there White Avenue facility I got Uh do we get any uh can
we include that in our next close session too to talk about what we want to do and plans for that because I want to put that in conjunction with the redevelopment plans so that one either we maybe we can get community aid from one of them and two as we are developing we can make sure that the residents know
we're opening green space for them too It's very important to me Yeah If everyone agrees I think it'd be helpful Definitely Good Anyone else new business Old business New business Nothing Okay Public comments
Anybody from the public would like to comment please come up Just state your name for the record Hi everybody Tom Hi Hi everyone My name is Tom McCormack I'm really excited to be here I work with the environmental advisory committee I'm the executive director So
for the open space we would love to be more involved with the decision-m in that And I just want to make sure that we put ourselves out there for that cuz we would love to access both be you and the access ro all involved Oh perfect Okay I just wanted to make sure And then
uh something we would like to uh come as a group and present to you guys some of the things that we're working on So if during one of your meetings we could get on the schedule Kelly right i have to talk to you Okay perfect Um I'll do that and follow up Um we would just love to come and tell you what we're doing what we're thinking and what we need and what
Mark is helping us do So we really appreciate your time Thank you Thank you I Well we want to learn how to use that for our meetings too I'll come in on a weekday We don't have to do that now It's okay Speak to the two bosses There you go Perfect Thank you sir I appreciate it Thank you all Thanks
Anyone else eric Laora I got a couple questions Why does the town sub out so much work that's number one Um lawn maintenance fertilizing uh mulch from downs Um I think we could
say drainage if they have to re repair the sewers Uh Jay Fletcher Kramer does it They got to charge the town We have the gentleman in this town who can do that And I think we could save a couple bucks that way That's just you know an
opinion Uh regarding the sewer authority the past week 10 days uh there was gentlemen there correct taking air samples Um however when I go to dialysis at 5:00 in the morning now it's starting
to get the last three times And I've called the D and they they're not going to get anybody out there 5:00 in the morning And the stench has been there last Monday Wednesday and Friday And this past Monday was the worst You know
just getting out We like I said we do see a gentleman there in their truck maybe 3:00 till 6:00 You know we talked to them Um he says "How do you expect me to smell this i work here all day." That's
exactly what the gentleman said Another one said "Uh well to me it smells like a somebody's having a barbecue." Um which was very different And another guy said "Well I just ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich I can't smell anything."
So you know there's conflicting reports that I'm sure the you you you know the council is going to get and that what we hear on our street He does not go to any other street Uh you know we're by the ambulance court He doesn't go on
Steven's Lane Uh he doesn't go on DAO He just comes there you know So it's something that you know it's very very different but like five o'clock in the morning it's horrible I'll reach out to John tomorrow morning
tell him about what these men were saying to you and that they don't go anywhere else but your house That's I only seen I've never seen him go down Steven's Lane Okay You know they do park by the firehouse Thank you 5:00 Okay great I'll let them
know Hey Stephen Quick question Mhm Uh since you've instituted the uh the online uh complaint for lack of a better term have we seen any trends from the analytics as to certain times that people are noticing
these off notes so for the the odor complaint form that we were working with we have not pushed that out yet We've been working with the the sewer authority and directing people to call their hotline which now goes directly to a a worker on site What happened is
during the daytime the Nubio gets the emails or the phone calls and then after hours there's a woman that gets all the phone calls but I I tomorrow morning because he knows I will be calling him tomorrow morning I will question him about all the stuff that was brought to our attention tonight
Mr Mayor Feb Sure I'm sorry I just wanted to comment on the other portion of Mr Leaport Absolutely Um so I will say thank you for bringing that up Um our DBW does do a lot Uh there are some things that get contracted out You know specifically the lawn maintenance that I
referred to before it was actually fertilization uh which does require a pesticide license So that is something we're looking into We've actually met with the DPW staff to see if if people would be interested in pursuing that route So right now we just don't have anyone licensed to do that It is a
difficult one to obtain So that's ju that's just one example Um they do do all the catch basin repair work sewers The drainage that I referred to is actually part of a larger rec road reconstruction project So that's just incorporated in that project but they will do you know minor drainage and
grading and things like that Anyone else from the uh from the public mr Mayor Oh I'm sorry When you when you speak to Mr trip to Nubio tomorrow Can you ask them if in the report that they're going to send if it if it's going to have like like a on the dates like this date we were there on this
location this with the readings okay How specific it is I guess is really you want to know what the data is question right i think also what what is their baseline um so you can't baseline Waldwick right so if they're going to be taking readings from the surrounding towns and getting what that is I think
could be interesting Baseline Okay Got it Yes sir Don't get scared My printer broke I had something prepared and it got printed last minute Don't worry Joe I'll get you out of here soon Oh no I need my glasses Hold on Put your
glasses on Yeah I got it Thank you Okay Um hi board members My my name is Sergio Scardino I reside at 33 John Dao A Um you may or may not remember me um from the council meeting that was held on January 23rd of last year Um it's been a
little over a year since I presented the issue of light uh pollution and light trespass in my neighborhood Um I approached this podium to tell you about my neighbor who installed a stadium light um to support his auto business for which he has a sign hanging on his
residence After presenting my situation um to the the council the mayor asked if the council could get the building inspector to investigate the issue He came out Um what also came out of that meeting and in emails or after that meeting in emails was an acknowledgement
that our town's lighting ordinance needed to be updated for the widely available stadium lighting that you can purchase anywhere I was told in an email uh the light ordinance would be reviewed and updated in April and work was already underway to review what other towns had
on this subject Okay and it's now a year later and I haven't seen a new ordinance posted online Um I've screen captured you know what I had back last year to what I have this year in March There's no difference Um regarding light the
building inspector sent a letter to the house uh the owners right to remediate the issue but the situation is really no better in the weeks leading up to the uh the inspector reviewing the adjusted light Um you know my neighbor was using
a dimmer so I doubt even if the the inspector and maybe it got duped by it I I don't know how it's approved to be honest with you What's even better about this stadium light is after auto hours it goes into a motion detector mode and the gentleman has flags that blow all
night and so it goes on and off on and off right um so needless to say this lighting makes my neighborhood look at used car lot right i'm surprised Um well I guess one of the questions I'll have to follow up with the board is like how does somebody establish a new business in
town right how do they get to put a new business in a residential area um are there any checks and balances to that um I'm not happy with the building the inspector sign off Um but again the ordinance makes his his decision very um subjective right the ordinance all it
says is any outdoor lighting shall be adequately shielding shielded and directed away from adjoining properties that's it there's no talk about specification looming levels height and placement stadium lights there's no mention of it um and I'd even welcome
any of you who want to come to my home and sit in my living room after dusk to see what I'm dealing with um so like while The light is positioned very high It doesn't trespass on my ground but it's directly it passes over the ground
into my house Um so my last email with the border office was really there was nothing more that could be done He who told you that um the building inspector No I I don't want to call out people I got it I got it Um I I want to stay
friendly with the council if possible Um but I can share emails with you if you're interested I understand what you're talking about All right So if there's nothing more to do there I I think I'm left with only two options right and and that's to file maybe a civil case against my neighbor Or or two
um the only thing I can think of is maybe publicize an issue all right of light pollution in local towns with with the local papers to draw some attention on my neighbor I don't know if that's going to do anything but maybe maybe some council reads it and wants to take a case pro bono I don't Why don't we
could we reach out to the uh to Joe and just figure out maybe changing this ordinance yeah we're already talking about it Why don't Why don't you Why don't we get the budget through and then after that they're already looking into the ordinance to see changing it Okay
But I don't Does that help me after the fact or is that grandfathered in i don't know Well you're you're the case study that we're going to use So okay Well we we'll take care of you All right As I say Okay So you kind of stole the rest of my thunder here So uh and just do me
a favor send me the emails Sure we'll do Um yeah So my final thing was asking for an update but you you beat me to it So thank you Thank you All right Thank you Anyone else
i just miss Daniels I just want to say just address you on one issue and I'm not picking on you or nothing like that but you you said something about the employees about they should not be going to the pool Not not going to the pool but they work and they get paid and all that stuff Our DBW there's 16 of them
and 14 of them are firemen So the DBW is not going to cause any issues with with this I'm just want to let you know So they'll they'll be exempt because they're they already exempt They're already exempt A lot of a lot of organizations they they double dip and
the jobs and then also volunteers and those people already get rewarded for what they do I just want to bring it to your attention Yeah that's fine Thank you Uh could I have a motion to go into close motion by Mike second by Michelle All those in
favor all those opposed