[Music] Good. Welcome to the regular regular public meeting of October 20th, 2025, the township council of the township of Washington. Adequate notice of this meeting was given in accordance with the open public meetings act by the township clerk on May 20th, 2025 to at least two
newspapers and this meeting has been posted on the township bulletin board, electronic message board, WCTV, and on the township website. Please notify the municipal clerk for any disability requirements necessary for attendance at council meetings. The fire exits are located through the double doors to your
right and through the door on your left. Please silence all cell phones. If you're unable to attend a council meeting in person and would like a topic to be addressed at a council meeting, please visit www.twp of washington. us contact us tab. Click on mayor and council send email to
contact all council members at once. Can everyone please stand for a salute to the flag? I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and
justice for all. >> Thank you. Roll call. >> Councilman Cio >> here. >> Councilman Sears >> here. >> Councilman Omen >> here. >> Councilwoman BZ >> here. Council President of the Senate >> here. Let the record reflect also in attendance, Mayor Peter Calamari,
Township Administrator Mark D. Carlo, Township Attorney Siobhan Bailey, and Township Clerk Susan Wakowski. Payment of bills. Resolution number 25-328. Authorized payment of bills October 3rd through October 15, 2025. Do I have a motion? >> So move. >> Second.
>> Any questions? >> Roll call. >> Councilman Casio. >> Yes. >> Councilman Sears. Yes. >> Councilman Omen. >> Yes. >> Councilwoman, >> yes. Council President, >> yes. Public service announcement for October 20th, 2025. The 2025 general election on
November 4th will be held at the Bethle Community Center. This location will also be used for next year's primary and general election with construction about to begin at the DBW facility. Town hall parking will be limited. Official notices will be sent to township residents. Early voting begins on
Saturday, October 25th. Please visit our website for locations. Our ballot dropbox has been relocated in the municipal parking lot. and now sits across the police department entrance. Please note the signage as you pull into the parking lot. Leave pickup begins on November 3rd. Residents are responsible
raking leaves into piles and placing them at the curb. Avoid placing leaves on top of storm drains and keep piles clear of litter. Branches and other branches and other debris for recycling purposes. Plastic bags are not acceptable. However, biodegradable bags are permitted. If you live on a county
road, please leave place leaves in barrels or biodegradable bags. Do not rake leaves into the street. To avoid a fire hazard, do not park on leaves. Crews will work from the west to each east in each zone. A second pass of each zone will begin after the completion of the first collection. Collection is
weather dependent. Please be patient. To ensure that you do not miss your schedule leaf collection, please visit our DBW website and our Facebook page for weekly updates during leaf collection. 2025 road program. The resurfacing of Fern Street from Cypress to Bergen, Salem Road, Bergen Avenue,
and Carriage Court is projected to begin in the latter half of October. Any storm CA catchbas within those project limits will be reconstruction reconstructed if needed. Residents in the affected areas will receive a notification letter advising of the upcoming work schedule in their neighborhood. The milling and
paving schedule will be posted once it is received by our vendor. The Township of Washington Board of Health and Northwest Bergen Flu Health Commission administered a total of 10 vaccines at the flu clinic on October 8th. Thank you to our senior group for allowing the nurses to set up during their senior meeting. The Township of Washington
annual Washington Wicked 5K Kids Fund Run will be held on Sunday, October 26th at 9:00 a.m. Fund starts at Gardener Field. Please visit our website for registration information. Our annual rabies clinic will be held on Saturday, November 1st from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30
p.m. at the DBW. All dogs must be leased and cats must be in carriers. The Township of Washington Police have observed an increase in illegal electric and gas powered dirt bikes around the township and have issued a zero tolerance if someone is caught riding on one of these vehicles. Not only will the
operator receive a traffic summon, but depending on the circumstances, the bike may be impounded. A dedicated e-recycling container is now available year round at Town Hall through a partnership with E-Revival LLC, a certified electronics company. Drop off is available Tuesdays from 7:00
a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and Saturdays 900 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. by Ecology Permit only. Please visit the yard. Please note the yard is closed on Tuesdays during bulk and leaf collection weeks. Please visit our website for further information and list of acceptable items. Friendly reminder, please curb your dogs and pick
up their waist when necessary. Please do not throw your pets bag waste into your neighbors garbage cans or bodies of waters or into wooded areas. Our next council meeting will be held on November 10th, 2025 at 7 p.m. Thank you. >> Thank you. That was a long one.
>> That was a long one. Approval of minutes April 17, 2024 budget meetings. Do I have a motion? >> So move. >> Second. >> Roll call. >> Councilman Casio. >> Yes. >> Councilman Sears. Yes. Councilman Alman. >> Yes.
>> Counciloman BZ. >> Yes. >> Council President. >> Yes. >> Just a quick statement. The the the meeting minutes are done as quickly as possible. Um >> we have four Well, that was a 50 page minute. >> Yeah. So, you know, >> time >> I I know the Facebook warriors are upset
that they don't get posted in time. However, the meetings are done as diligently as possible. You know, the the staff does have other duties that they need to get to, but they do get posted in a diligent fashion. So, thank you for all your work and your staff and all the administrative staff. Report of
the administrator. >> Uh, good evening, Council President Senna and everyone. Thank you. This is my response from the township meeting October 6th. There was two resident concerns questions. Residents conveyed concerns regarding speeding on Woodfield
and Washington Avenue and pedestrian safety around the lake due to high volume of walkers, runners, and baby strollers. These concerns were brought to the attention of the police department command staff on October 7th, 2025. Captain Por informed me that these concerns would be looked into by the
traffic bureau. Additionally, directed patrol initiatives focusing on the speeding complaints will be focused on by the patrol division. The street light at Colonial and Ridgewood was reported to PSEG. We informed it was repaired. Residents are reminded that street light and power outages can be reported at
nj.psg.com. psg.com. There was no council concerns or questions to follow up on. We have a few updates. Our chief financial officer, John Corkran, has completed the township's 2025 best practices inventory. The
results of this inventory determine how much state aid we receive from energy tax receipts. The score of 32 or better receives 100% state aid distribution. The township received 722,33 for 2025. This year, the township received a score
of 41.5 out of a total possible score of 43.5. There are 70 questions on the best practices inventory. Some of the questions do not have a point value associated with the questions. Questions pertain to transparency, technology, shared services, redevelopment,
procurement, personnel, le remediation, insurance, financial administration, ethics, environment, emergency services, capital projects, and budgeting. For emphasis, the township homeless received the perfect score. Mayor Calamari and I are extremely proud of this achievement
and especially proud of our staff members that assisted us in obtaining the highest score ever on the best practices inventory. The squapsync brook update. On October 14, 2025, the New Jersey D informed the township that the flood hazard and wetlands permit for the Msquapsync brook
restabilization project has been approved. Frank Rossy of Boswell Engineering informed me that the next step to is to submit for a soil erosion conservation permit Bergen County. From there, the finishing touches will be put on the project bid and specifications documents. We are hoping to go out to
bid for a contractor sometime in December or sooner. 450 Pascac road update. Liscoco Environmental has received three quotes for the excavation and removal of the contaminated soil on the property. Final review of the proposals is being conducted and Liscoco hopes to have a recommendation for a
contractor within the week. As a reminder, the cost for this remedial work is being paid for by an escrow established by the seller, not tax dollars. Once the excavation is completed, the demolition of the two structures will take place. The demolition work will be paid for with
grant funds. Swim club update. Frank Rossy of Boswell Engineering advised that the United States Environmental Protection Agency is currently reviewing our self-implementation plan for approval. This is the plan created by Boswell Engineering, which describes how the decontamination will take place. It
is unknown how long this process will take. Swim Club HDSRF grant update. The hazardous discharge site remediation fund grant has been approved by the NJD and is now under final review by the New
Jersey Economic Authority Economic Development Authority. The grant has been recommended for approval by the NJD for $83,951. This amount will reimburse the township for expenses paid for the preliminary assessment, site investigation, and a
remedial investigation pertain to the contamination of the swim club. further update on the Swift Club grant. I was notified by NJ uh economic development authority that they will be approving the grant and hope to send out the approval letter later this week.
Reminder to the residents that leaf pickup will start the week of November 3rd, 2025 and will continue till all the leaves are picked up. When placing your leaves at the curb, please be considerate of the start date and that of Halloween so people will be safe walking. DPW is prepared for this leaf
season with the 10 full-time employees, four seasonal workers, Wolf Hive garbage trucks, and three front loaders are operational. An update to that today, our fourth and uh brand new front loader came in. So, we'll be able to use that as well and everything is operational.
We are making good progress with our special building department escrow project. Most recently, we have corrected accounting in several escrow project accounts from 2017 that have identified approximately $30,000 to be moved from escrow into the current fund. These are funds due to the township from
the utilization of police vehicles and equipment from outside billing. Thank you, Council President. That's the report. Carl, can >> I just have a couple of questions? >> Sure, Mr. >> Regarding number two, the Muslink
Brook update. uh bid in December hopefully or sooner. Any thoughts on when it might be shovel ready? >> You mean the start of the project? >> Yes. >> Um I don't only you know with uh historically you know we go out to bid
for like 30 days you bid the award have the construction thing. So I would hope within two or three months from doing that okay >> or sooner. And then um >> if we're prolonged by weather and you know the winter >> understood and just in number seven
uh you talk about the escrow project and uh escrow accounts from 2017. Are we only up to 2017 or no? The review actually included escrow
accounts starting in 1999, but out of that I categorized them and prioritized them. There was five escrow accounts um for Sue as the Suez and
previous to that there was uh um United Water. So there's still accounts there that have money. Um, this was prioritized because out of those five accounts, you know, today we set up uh we have a trust fund for police outside
building. Everything goes into one fund. Back in the day, prior to the current employees, they would set up escrow modules for these projects. So, at face value, and again, these are not specific numbers, but if you went into these five SUZ accounts, they were established for
police outside Dell. The accounting was never completed. So, we were able to prove that the township did not receive its entitlements from either the admin fee, the car fee, or the equipment fee. And
kind of answer some of your question from when you had on the bill list. That's what um LVB was assisting us in assuring that our accounting was correct. So, out of the the balance that was in those counts, we're able to prove that roughly $30,000 is due to the
township. So, it will be moved from the escrow over to the current fund. I'm imagining it eventually will end up in surplus with the appropriate general ledgers. Um, so there's a few of those and and those are the priority again to get the township the money it deserves.
Um, and again, let's just say for discussion sake, it's going to leave a balance of maybe four or $5,000 that's actually due back to Sue as well as needed. So, that's helping clean up everything. >> Is there an anticipated expense
Is there a scenario where there's an anticipated expense to the township? >> No. No, I don't believe so. I mean, you know, other than if we're paying um employees the extra salary that, you know, is included in the salary ordinance or like LVB to assist us
financially, but I'm not expecting um anything, you know, it's not bills. It's more this balance exists. Is it accurate? And what do we do with it? you know, did someone complete their project? Should this performance bond go back to this company? Things like that.
>> And just one last question, is there sort of an inventory of accounts that fell within the review? And of those, how many have been resolved or?
>> So, there was again, it's it's a rough number, but it was like 2343. You know, the 2300 number is accurate. the 43 is not. So between 1999 and when I printed it out uh you know maybe it was May um you know there's like 2,300
something out of that I know good about 500 just need to be made enacted you know it was just a you know a step in the process that wasn't done back in the day we're able to prove project was done there was no money due to people and we just had to go in and do a clerical
entry um from there we then divided it into the group of Azelenas which are like 900 of that because we closed out those POSs, it put a balance back into an escrow. Then from there, we have soil moving permits, performance bonds, backfill bonds. So, we're trying to figure out
what all that meant to somebody when they entered those words, you know, in 2006. So, you know, we're still and then um Miss Kish has been reviewing, you know, because there's plenty of them that are appropriately still active from 25 24,
you know, big projects, people putting on additions and and the projects is still there that, you know, account for a couple of hundred. Um, so we're getting there, you know, we're getting there, but it's still time. and and the fact the the staff is being very conscientious. You know, we haven't
spent much money out of paying them additional hours. You know, we're focusing on u you know, seeing what can get done um during our normal work hours and then utilizing it for our professionals that we need to pay um that we don't have a choice from. So,
you know, again, out of that 5,000, I don't even think we got up to the,000 yet. you know, the council had asked, you know, when I get to the 2500 mark, give another report, see if we're going to use the 25. I don't I don't see us needing that um for the rest of the year. But, you know, I will certainly
keep everybody up to date on it. >> Okay. And I'm sorry, just one last thing. Although the update was pretty extensive, the revaluation >> re uh yes, I just spoke with seems like
Wednesdays come pretty quick nowadays, but I just it was actually last Wednesday that I spoke with Sarah Holig. um every you know those reassessments to catch ups on people that weren't um and then it's not going to be till like December late November December until
those letters um or I'm sorry I guess it's a letter that go out to the their residents as to what their reassessed value is. So that's just what they're doing now. >> Okay. And are they on schedule for the overall >> schedule that they initially proposed? >> Yes.
>> Okay. Thank you very much. >> You're welcome. Mr. Mr. D. Carlo on 450 um we got the three quotes for the soil. Who who is going to prepare the bid specs for the demolition of the structure? Is that coming from Beckmire or
>> No. >> So I don't know it I I don't think it has and maybe Miss Bailey can bail me out on this but I don't think it has to follow the purchasing requirements because the township is not paying for it. So I have not seen them but from my understanding.
Are you talking about the demo? >> Yeah. Yeah. >> That that's not part of the escrow. What do you mean the township is not? >> No, not the the demo, the excavation, I think. >> Well, I'm just concerned like I'm I'm thankful that council made the decision to have them post the escrow so we don't have to pick up this tab for the soil
remediation. But what about the environmental aspects of the homes? Like there's le paint on the outside of these buildings. So >> that should come out of the escrow. So I want to make sure >> that will not come out. the demo of the two structures will not come out of uh the escrow, but we do have a grant for
it. So, um there's been some discussion on how we will remedialize whatever contaminant is in the structure or on the structure that can either be, you know, folded into one and then all taken
out, you know, into a hazard site or it can be remediated. And you know, I don't have the the proposals in front of me because they don't exist yet, but based on them, the engineer said it will probably be most cost effective to the township to have it all the material
considered hazardous and then just removed, you know, that again, the numbers are wrong, but you know, do we pay $15 a ton or $25 a ton? >> Mhm. >> But why wouldn't that why wouldn't that abatement of the hazardous condition be considered part of the escrow? the that
was not cont to come from somewhere. So that's the source, right? We we're we're assuming it was from the paint. >> So the soil the soil remediation was one issue and that's what we were focused on when we established the escro. In terms of the demolition of the building, I
think when the deal was made and I was not here, it was always contemplated that that was an old structure probably with a lot of warts and would need and necessarily you know some these issues would need to be taken into consideration but certainly when the
escrow was created that was not part of okay discussion. >> Thank you. Any other question any other comments? >> Motion to open the public comment period of the meeting. So move >> second. >> All in favor? >> I.
>> Would anybody like to talk at this time? >> Good evening, Mrs. >> Hi, Mary Ellen Stickle, Washington Township. Um, I just wanted to uh say thank you to Tom Sears, Councilman Sears for like bringing up the whole um Teter Burough
issue of the lowflying private jets coming over uh our town. Um I just wanted to clarify a couple of things. Um there was quite a few days in especially August and also September um when there
were many jets flying over the township. And just one example was that there were 235 uh private jet arrivals that came over Washington Township in one day. I don't know if uh Tom had said something about
it being over like a week or something, but I wanted to clarify that it was like on this specific day, I'm picking out like August 24th, uh runway 19 saw 209 um arrivals, which meant 209 private jets came over Washington Township and
then um 26 were on a a different runway. Um, so what I just wanted to clarify was that if you want to complain about these low-flying loud private jets flying over your house on arrival to Teterboro, then you can attend um the TANK meeting. And
TANK is the Teter Aircraft Noise Abatement Advisory Committee. And they do it four times a year. And the next one is this Wednesday, October 22nd at 6 PM. Um, so basically you can actually go to 90
Minaki Avenue in Teterboro. You can go into the administrative building and you go into this conference room. You can sign up ahead of time if you want to speak at tanacab.com and you can um, you know, speak your piece about everything about planes
coming over your house. Um, my group is um a nonpartisan grassroots group called TANS Taxpayers for Aircraft Noise Solutions and Safety. Um, we're represented by quite a few different
towns, Park Ridge, Woodcliffe Lake. Um, and uh, my group um, it we have meetings with um, assemblymen off once a month about what we can do. He's trying to um
engage with Shan Duffy and um quite a few other, you know, politicians that we hope he can make some headway with. Um again, it's non-political. It well, it's political in the sense that we need, you know, politicians to help us, but it's
not a Republican or Democrat thing. It's really just about our overall health and safety and just about um noise in general being um disruptive. Um, you know, I was reading, I think, an editorial on somebody saying about the
the blowers, uh, the leaf blowers, and if that bothers him, I I could see that that definitely is it's a noise hazard and is terrible. And but yes, I guess this is my platform to talk about uh lowflying jets. Um, so again, thank you,
uh, Councilman Sears. Um, thanks for the green team. Uh, you put out all the paperwork at the town fair. I appreciate that. And um if anybody wants to contact me, you can kind of go through Facebook Messenger or uh Tom knows how to get in touch with me. Also,
um that's it on my PSA announcement. As for I I do feel bad about like, you know, I go on and I look a little bit about Facebook and you say the Facebook warriors and I I'll be honest with you, it it you know, I hate social media so I
don't comment a lot on it. And I will tell you one thing that is my biggest pet peeve right now is uh people who post anonymously. Own your words. If you're on Facebook or whatever social media media uh outlet, own your words at this point. This seems
to be the new thing. And it that could be anybody saying anything, but own your words. Unless you got some serious like STD that you need to find the special veneerial disease doctor post anonymously. But other than that, own your words and
you know, >> thank you, Mrs. Great. >> All right. Thank you. All right. Thanks. >> Would anybody else like to come up at this time? >> Good evening. >> Good evening everyone. I'm Angela Macker. I'm on Horizon Court. So, I know
this was brought up last week um like briefly. So, we had an incident on uh October 2nd where we had to make an emergency call because my son was my three-year-old son was unresponsive. >> Yes. >> For um unresponsive, I found him
unresponsive by hands and police arrived within seven minutes. They did a great job. They did everything they could. We were amazing. Um but the paramedics took 25 minutes to get there. Um I know my wife has reached out and spoke to a couple of you about this. Um, so just
wanted to see if there was any updates or how this process works where, you know, you call 911, is the township notified, how do they dispatch, and we really want to like make sure this doesn't happen again because >> we had asked the last meeting for an update, and I believe the mayor is still working on the update, >> right, Mr. Mayor? I don't want to speak
for you, but you have an update for him tonight. I don't know if you >> How annual. Good to see you. Yeah, we uh the chief and I have been in email touch with your wife. uh he's putting together a comprehensive thing not just for this issue isolated but moreover for us to
understand the process of what happens from the time the call comes in until people show up on the scene. Um we expect uh as I spoke to him earlier today about it. We expect to have all that information uh ready sometime next week to uh bring you your wife you know
whoever wants to come and get educated about the process uh in for a meeting. Uh, I think you know, Councilman Senna may want to be part of that. >> Absolutely. Yeah. Because I Mrs. Mackey reached out to me and I I put her in touch with Chief Palomari. Yeah. And I was not aware of it until the day of her email, which I called her right away
because it was very disturbing that it took 25 minutes for your what's it three? I didn't want to say his age. I don't want to say his age, but um yeah, I was very I was very stressed cuz you know it's a very difficult time have an unresponsive child and at any age even an adult and to wait 25 minutes and I'm
glad I'm glad the police department was there quickly but it's still not getting you the the >> Exactly. They were Yeah, exactly. >> You've always said they were wonder, you know, >> amazing. Yeah. But >> it's just they, you know, they can only do so much. And my son has a congenal heart disease, so it could happen again, right? So, and it could happen to any of
us, right? So, could be somebody in this room right now. And I'm sure >> that's >> nobody wants to wait 25 minutes for to survive. It's a life or death kind of situation. I think it's a priority topic that needs to be >> really figured out. >> You know, just really as a town. I'll be
here my whole life, right? this is we just moved here not too long ago and we love this town and we just want to make sure it's it's like a public safe safety like want to make sure this is like fixed you know so it doesn't happen again that's all >> I appreciate everything >> we'll be we'll be in touch right yeah
we're looking >> I'll get back to you I'll get back to you directly so much >> thank you good to see you >> anybody else you guys >> well can I just ask that uh understanding that uh we owe a response to Mr. MRI and his family. Uh will will
there will there be an opportunity to have that review uh socialized at a council meeting? Because I'm sure other people would appreciate understanding what the process is as well as you know what we're doing to ensure
that it doesn't happen again. So, you know, I know that the volunteer ambulance corps, the county as well as hospitals are involved and you know what that coverage looks like because
I guess I had an an expectation of certain level of response based on our various conversations about funding and about uh the county being involved with our ESB. And in this
particular instance, it sounds like it didn't happen. So, uh, I think it would be beneficial. >> Yeah, I don't want to get too far ahead of all the things that you just brought up. Uh, but, you know, we'll we'll certainly, uh, once we have the meeting, you know, we'll see if it's appropriate
to bring it back to council to, you know, inform everyone in a council meeting and see what steps, if any, the town can take at a local level to help the situation. Mary. >> No, please go ahead. Sorry. Mind if I ask? >> Go ahead, please. >> Mr. Macker, uh, you said paramedics. Did
you mean the paramedics or did you mean the ambulance and or both? >> So, there was no ambulance. It was >> Mr. Macker, if you don't mind coming back up. I'm sorry. We can't hear you back. >> Sure. So, it was Holy Name paramedics and ambulance. They both arrived at the same time. So, it was 25 minutes. It was like I guess they're a team. So, there
was no volunteer from around town nearby towns. It was basically Holy Names, paramedic, and ambulance. So, there was no nearby volunteer. Was it the same vehicle or was two different vehicles but they brought at the same time? Looked like they were a team traveling together. So, >> thank you, Mr. Mack. >> Yeah. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Mack.
>> Would anybody else like to come and address the council at this time? Seeing no one motion to close the public comment period. >> So, move second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> Ordinance is adoption second reading. Ordinance number 25-21. Ordinance providing for the improvement of Memorial Field in and by the township of
Washington in the county of Bergen, New Jersey and appropriating $68,61.38. Therefore, from pro proceeds of obligations of the township here24 issued and capital fund balance of the township. Resolution number 25-329
authorizing second reading and opening of a public hearing for ordinance 25-21. Do I have a motion? So move. Second. Would anybody like to discuss this? Would anybody from the public like to discuss this? Seeing no one,
>> uh, we need a roll call for the first one, please. Roll call. >> Councilman Gio, >> yes. >> Councilman Sears, >> yes. >> Councilman Omen, >> yes. >> Counciloman BZ, >> yes. >> Council President, the Senate, >> yes. Seeing no one in the audience that would like to discuss this motion to close the public hearing for ordinance
25-21. Do I have a motion? So move. >> Second. Roll >> call. Councilman Calio, >> yes. >> Councilman Sears, yes. >> Councilman Omen, >> yes. >> Councilwoman BZ, >> yes. >> Council President, >> yes. Motion to adopt ordinance number 25-21 at second reading by title. I have
a motion. >> So move. >> Second. >> Roll call. >> Councilman Casio. >> Yes. >> Councilman Sears. >> Yes. >> Councilman Omen. >> Yes. >> Council BZ. >> Yes. >> Council President,
>> yes. Ordinance number 25-22. Ordinance providing for the construction of a new department of public works facility in and by the township of Washington in the county of Bergen, New Jersey and appropriating 150,349.85 therefore from proceeds of obligations
of the township here24 issued and from capital fund balance of the township resolution number 25-330 authorizing second reading and opening of public hearing for ordinance 25-22. Do I have a motion? So >> move second. >> Any discussion?
I just have one question. Um, we are, I guess, appropriating uh 91,000 from 17-04 and in this evening's
expenses, there were some very minor expenses against that. Do we know what the remaining balance is for 1704 >> after
this as well as those expenses the uh miscellaneous expenses paid. >> I'm good in section three. >> So 1704 is 91,685. And then you said you saw some stuff on
the bill list. >> Yep. It was one of the questions I asked about the sidewalk. it was charged to 1704. So I just want to make sure one that we're not paying out of something that isn't there and two
I'm assuming it is there. How much more is there? So that's um the bill you saw for Boswell actually covered the money. So there was a full expectation that that job was going to
happen. the um inspection of well that the replacement of the the concrete was going to happen at ESB. Um so I had encumbered the money. I did a blanket for Boswell for a thousand. So that money was encumbered prior to getting
the number for this ordinance. >> Okay. >> So I since closed it out so there actually should be more money in there. So we're not going to use that whole thousand. >> All right. >> Thank you. >> Any other any other discussion? Roll call. >> Councilman Casio, >> yes.
>> Councilman Sears, yes. >> Councilman Olman, >> yes. >> Counciloman BZ, >> yes. >> Council President, >> yes. Would anybody like to discuss this resolution or ordinance from the audience? Seeing no one, motion to close the public hearing for ordinance 25-22.
Do I have a motion? So move. >> Roll call. >> Councilman Calio. >> Yes. >> Councilman Sears. Yes. >> Councilman Omen. >> Yes. >> Council BZ. >> Yes. >> Council President Denna. >> Yes. Motion to adopt ordinance number 25-22 at second reading by title. Do I have a motion? >> So move.
>> Second. >> Roll call. >> Councilman Casio. >> Yes. >> Councilman Sears. >> Yes. >> Councilman Omen. >> Yes. >> Council BZ. >> Yes. >> Council President. >> Yes. >> Continued public hearing for ordinance number 25-20. An ordinance amending
article 15 entitled site plan review chapter 540-84 entitled demolition of residences tree preservation and related requirements of the ordinances of the township of Washington. Resolution number 25-331 authorizing reading and publication of ordinance
number 25-20 by title and scheduling a public hearing. Do I have a motion? So move second. >> Any discussion? Miss Bailey, do you want to just go through the the changes or we have the red line so it's fine? So I this um if I may
>> go ahead. >> So this uh is coming as a referral from I guess the planning board. >> Yes. So just very quickly the um the council considered the this ordinance in
its August meeting. It was on for first reading in September I believe September 22nd as a zoning ordinance. It was thereafter referred by Sue to the planning board for its 35day review process. Um, and it came back, you know,
you can have a report, a letter. These comments came back by way of revisions to the ordinance and that's what you see in the red line. These are planning board suggestions and revisions after consultation with the board engineer, planning board uh members and and so
forth. I believe zoning officer weighed in. >> So the so the only changes were the township engineer became the board engineer in C and D >> in C, excuse me. And the it's actually identifying the three the there's three
different ways to calculate the um >> well >> square footage. Now, >> well, it's a step. It's a clarification >> to make it really clear because I think that was the problem. My understanding is that was the problem. There was an issue in town with >> Yeah. with the way people calculated.
So, I'm glad I'm glad we got this. >> Yeah. This clarified >> the revision because it makes it easier for the homeowner. >> And the and the and the board. >> Yeah. The board also and the uh township officials. So, in the planning board meeting, uh I
had suggested that we add some further language that uh the board uh elected not to move forward with. >> Would you like to share that language with us and see if we'd like to add it? Mr. >> Well, it's just uh you know, I agree one
with everything that is in here. Uh two, it is uh you know, as Miss Bailey noted, we've had a number of incidents in town where construction started as a sort of
a uh rehab, remodel, rehab, and we wind up with just a flat slab because they demolish the building without approval. Um so my only what I had suggested that we add is some
language that should they uh go beyond the anticipated scope that they need to engage the town immediately uh the zoning or the uh building department, excuse me. Uh and I think
the consensus of the planning board was that that's implied in our code and the process. Uh >> can I go ahead >> are are do you mean like from an enforcement perspective? Well, so we can
enforce and so that's you know we have steps one, two, and three and they're taking down, you know, 30 linear feet of wall and that's what's approved. And then they get in there and all of a
sudden they want to take down 50 ft of linear wall. when they make that determination to go from 30 to 50 before they do anything, I feel that they should have to come back to the building department because they're they're getting approval
on plans that say 30 linear feet. >> Well, the plans are reviewed by the zoning officer and this c these steps are used based upon the plans. Sure. Yeah. Are you? So then they get their permit, they go off and do the work
>> and you know they start doing the work and they find some rot and all of a sudden >> they need to take out another 20 linear feet which puts them over or potentially doesn't put them over. My feeling is based on these situations that have been
before the planning board is that you know once they realized that the 20 ft was necessary that there should be a step that they have to come back to the building department. >> Well, I think the scope of the permit is
go as as any type of construction permit. You have to comply with the approved plan and no more. You cannot go beyond the approved plan. >> Yeah. But I I I understand I understand where where Mr. Almond's coming from, but I also understand as a builder like
if you have a crew out there and you find 20 foot of extra wall while you're demolishing it and you're the framing crew is right behind them, you you're supposed to get an amended permit for that extra 20 ft. but to stop them and send everybody home until you do that.
>> But if that 20 ft puts them over the 50% then it's a demolition. >> They have to amend it correctly. B the the the zoning officer would have to make that determination. >> A permit only permits what what's approved. A plan is approved.
>> Any deviation needs an >> any deviation requires an amendment and that's stamped on applications all the time. So when if so in in your situation what should happen what should what I've seen happen in the past Mr. moment is the building inspector shows up and he
says, "Hey, this is not a this is this is now a tear down. You need to resubmit all your plans, resubmit the fees and all that based on a tear down now." >> But I I guess the concern is, you know, ask permission or forgiven better to ask forgiveness. Yeah, that's that's a human
Exactly. That could be with any type of construction approval, I would imagine. You know, not and that's not limited to this. Maybe it's more susceptible to that because of the nature of the work. I don't know. Uh but but you have an approved plan.
You know, you have a calculation based on these steps that you're under the 50. Otherwise, you go to the planning board or if you're in front of the zoning board for a use variance that's incidental to that application, whatever the the scenario, um you've got an approval based upon an approved plan.
You cannot go beyond that without an amendment to that. Otherwise, you're in violation of the ordinance. So you could get a summon issued, you could get, you know, you go put it back, you know, I same thing. You put an extra story on >> that you weren't approved, rip it off. >> That that's a violation of the
ordinance. So I I just, you know, I'm loathed to overlegislate sometimes things that are obvious because once you start doing that, then you start to say then you start to get into the problem of, well, you didn't say this and that.
You you want to keep it. So I I appreciate the over legislation. I think last meeting, >> you know, we saw a another flavor of that. My only point is that, you know, we've
had, I believe, three applications in the plan to the planning board this year uh for scenarios similar to what I've stated and you know,
>> so they should have reappeared in front of the planning board after. Well, you know what? What are we to say? >> If if if we caught you, you got to come. If we don't see it, then you're going to go ahead and do it. And I kind of agree with Mr. Alman that it takes one phone
call to the the official here to say, "Hey, we overstepped it. Could you come take a look?" Let him come out, but you have a safety issue here that you may take 30 more linear feet of that wall and could collapse. So, I kind of agree
with Mr. Man that there should be some notification to the official to say, "Hey, >> but the official should pick it up also." >> But, but the official But wait a minute. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. When when the official is doing his inspection, right? Like just like he's supposed to be measuring things.
>> Yeah, but that's after. >> No, no, no. But after the fact or not, like >> don't they pop in? So, no, but but but Tom, like so I've seen I've seen in other towns a guy decides to put an extra three feet on his foundation and
he doesn't say anything. Right now, he goes for a CO and they measure everything, right? He gets a foundation survey and the thing is 3 ft bigger. He thought he got away with it, but now he's caught. Right? So, now you can't get a CO. He's got to move out of his house, right? But those are things that are part of the process. So if he go if
the building inspector goes for a framing inspection, he should have the plans in front of him showing, hey, this wall in the front of the house is supposed to have 30 ft or 50 ft of existing structure. Right? If he notices that there's only 30 ft, he's got to issue us a violation saying this doesn't
meet the plan that was approved. You need to resubmit an amendment. And if it changes the calculations, then they need to resubmit a total amendment and possibly go in front of the board again. But these are things like if we start, you know, I'm I'm just concerned with
like look at what happened on um North Ridgewood, right? That sat like that and those poor people that lived next door had to deal with that for 6 and 1/2 months because he went there. He got but he he he kept going before he stopped. >> But we should have caught it as soon as
the house all came down. Somebody driving around in in in a vehicle should have said, "Wait a minute. That house is not supposed to be totally turned down." Not for the neighbors to say, "What's going on here?" We find out that he tore the whole thing down and never applied for new permits. Right. Somebody should pick this up while it's being inspected.
>> Well, I picked up two of them when we referred it. >> But we shouldn't be picking What I'm saying is we shouldn't be picking them up. And it's not, you know, and and unfortunately if you're framing if your framing crew is here and you know, most of the time they do the demo and they start framing at the same time, right?
So now to say well now you got to go back in front of the planning board and wait a month or maybe wait two months. No because that's what that's what the way the way the revisions are. You might be waiting two months and now you have a structure your crew is on another job because they have to keep working and now you're behind you know so it's a
it's a catch 22. But if if the officials are doing their they should send it back for an amendment. Say I'm not issuing you I'm not passing you rough inspection because it doesn't it's it's violating the approval. Does that make sense? I mean, that's
that's what should occur is he or she should go out there and say, "I'm here for your rough, you know, the homeowner calls for his rough framing, right?" And he or she goes out there, does the rough framing, and says, "All right, this front wall was supposed to remain intact. It's fully gone. What happened?" Guy said, "Well, it was all rock." Well, that's too bad. You got to get an
amendment and go back. But at least at least then you know I mean if the process exists you know but the the challenge is that
you know the process exists today. This definition you know maybe addresses one of the scenarios. >> Oh yeah. There's always scenarios we're not going to catch. There's always a loophole >> and you know where then they come before the
planning board and they have a slab and you know what's the planning board to say at that point when they come for the demolition uh approval. >> Yeah. But at that point they're coming for demolition and they're not coming for a rehab anymore because they you know they have to come back and say I'm
I'm amending my plan because it didn't work the way we we had originally planned. >> Yeah. They, you know, because we want to be uh sensitive to the situation,
you know, they come in. What if if they came in initially, there was opposition to the plan by the planning board. You know, they come and there's opposition and it gets denied. Once the house is
down, you know, what are we what's the planning board going to say? You know, you can't rebuild. You know, you have >> Well, you can rebuild, but you may have to change something. I I you know, I've seen that happen. I mean, look at look at look at Miss Veza's neighbor years ago. She She didn't live here back then.
But how many times did they rip the roof off that house? Three. Mike. They the town made them rip the roof off that house three times to get it to the right height. Good. Yeah. >> That roof came off three times. You know, like So, it does happen. And it's just a matter of when it does. And unfortunately, it's, you know, it
shouldn't be us fault. >> They're fined as well. >> What's that? >> Yeah, they're fined as well. >> Well, you don't have to find them as long as they come in and make corrections, you know. >> And Mike, if I can just make a quick comment again without statistics, you know, it's probably working in 99% of
the cases. Yes. And so where you're coming from is the over legislation of the 1% u you know, and those >> it makes it difficult for everybody else, >> of course. Yeah. But, you know, I think it's working in most of the cases and, you know, we we try and get the bad actors. Uh, do we catch them all? Not
necessarily. But, no, >> you know, that that's life. You know, life isn't perfect. We all know. >> Any other discussion on this, ladies and gentlemen? >> No. I lost my page. Uhoh. Page. Um, six.
Five or six. >> Three. Two. We need to roll call on ordinance 2520. We need a roll call. >> No, we didn't. We just did motion a second. >> So, yeah, you need roll call. Yes. >> Councelman. >> Yes. >> Councelman.
>> Yes. >> Councel. >> Yes. President. >> Yes. Introduction. First reading. Ordinance number 25-23. An ordinance authorizing entry into a lease agreement with Bethany Church. Motion to introduce and pass ordinance number 2523 at first reading by title. Do I have a motion?
>> Some move. >> Second. >> Roll call. >> Councilman Casio. >> Yes. >> Councilman Sears. >> Yes. >> Councilman Alman. >> Yes. >> Councilman Veles. >> Yes. Council President. >> Yes. Resolution number 25-332. Authorize publication of ordinance
number 25-23 and schedule a public hearing. Do I have a law move? >> Second. >> Roll call. >> Councilman Calio. Yes. >> Councilman Z. Yes. >> Councilman Omen. >> Yes. >> Council. >> Yes. Council President. >> Yes. Ordinance number 25-24, an
ordinance repealing chapter 307 of the of the ordinances of the township of Washington entitled noise. Motion to introduce and pass ordinance number 25.4 at first reading by title. Do I have a motion? >> So move. >> Second. >> Roll call. >> Councilman Casio. >> Yes.
>> Councilman Seers. >> Yes. >> Councilman Olman. >> Yes. >> Council VZ. >> Yes. >> Council President Cenna. >> Yes. >> Resolution number 25-333. Authorizing publication of ordinance number 25-24 and scheduling a public hearing. Do I have a motion? >> So move.
>> I'll second. >> Roll call. Councilman Casio, >> yes. >> Councilman Sears, >> yes. >> Councilman Omen, >> yes. >> Councilwoman BZ, >> yes. >> Council President, the Senate, >> yes. >> Resolution, just on on this matter, I'm going to ask the the attorney um who with this
particular ordinance, who is um the resident supposed to contact to enforce that? Do they call the police? They call the zoning officer? Because I'm unclear. had a a patient come in the other day had an issue with um uh workers starting
at 7:00 in town and um she wasn't unsure she was unsure who to call. So, can you give me some guidance on that if you wouldn't mind? >> Sure. There's a designated officer in the ordinance. I just don't know it off the top of my head. Noise control officer. >> That would be for any noise. Correct.
>> Well, a noise complaint, >> right? A noise complaint is a noise complaint no matter what its origin is. Correct. >> Yes. So, I just need to see who we designate. One minute. >> Was it a code enforcement? I thought it was a code for >> Yeah, I think it is. I just looking for it.
>> They don't they don't contact the police. They contact the the enforcement official. >> They can. Yes. >> Well, they would contact the police during the weekend when the co officials run around. >> Okay. >> And they can refer. I've done that. and
refer the ordinance. >> So there are two types of officials under this ordinance. One's a noise controlled officer. It it's a general uncertified certainly the police. Anybody who's familiar with the provisions of the ordinance um you know
and can do generalized duties under this ordinance. I would say the police department is fine to take in complaints and so forth. noise control investigator is a special certification you know and certain certain types of complaints
require certain proof >> and Mark who would that investigator be in our government >> so I think the difference in definition um is if someone's trained with that particular device okay >> so here I think the most appropriate call should be to the police >> okay
>> because in most circumstances a noise um complaint could be a disturbance of the piece you're going to have to ability enforce it. But so um currently we don't have an official by that definition that is certified. I believe it actually came
up um as a conversation between Chan and I on another matter but that person would have to go and use I think it was it called the decimal reader >> or something. >> There's a certification process. You know, there's certain clauses within the noise ordinance where that device has to
be used, >> but in most circumstances, it can be um I think it's called a noise investigator, which any police officer as long as they're trained on this ordinance itself can enforce it. You know, you get called to a house party and the the music's heard from quarter mile down the road, you know.
>> Okay. >> So, that that would be I would direct your your constituent. >> So, are we having um are we having our our police um get the training? Are they going to train or is this just that they have to read the orders? >> I I don't have an answer for because again, you know, it's so difficult if
you only have one person, you know, working, >> you know. Um I I don't have an answer for you. >> I think >> there's also an ability to avail yourself of a regional or uh officer so that you don't have to have somebody
specialized trained. You could there's a process where you could um and I would have to look at the procedure to to have somebody does it, you know, Washington Township. >> Okay. Yeah. I don't know how how involved the training is. Is it an hour? Is it a day? You know,
>> we had a particular circumstance. We're trying to figure out what to do and we called our our health our health department and they don't do it. They turn us on to the county and I forget the name of the agency. The entity that's within Bergen County. >> Okay. But then we had a question, you
know, Siobhan and I were trying to figure out, well, can that person come in and actually write a summons and then the uh situation kind of resolved itself and you know, following through with that answer just went on the back burner, but we can certainly once you come have a complaint, they're going to turn the music down then you can't
investigate, right? So that was just the question, but thank you very much for the information. I appreciate it. I'll pass it on to the >> just based on that response, how do we have responsible people? How do we have a responsible party or a
uh an entity defined but we don't have that entity? I mean there's responsibilities for the NCO as well as the NCI. And if we don't have an NCO,
>> I I forget which is which, but essentially all of us could be the let's just say it's the NC. I think it's it it defines what it is and it's just someone that has training on this ordinance, right? So >> that's the NCI. >> There's certain NCI. So there's certain uh components of this ordinance that
something is prohibited in and of itself, right? Sure. Blasting loud music at 2:00 in the morning, doesn't matter what the decel reading is. And then there's other circumstances maybe interior noise that's disturbing someone else, you know, maybe.
>> So >> I think I'm sorry. >> No, no, no. I was >> I think it's the next component to figure out what we do. But I Sean, this had to go down to New Jersey D. >> They had the comments on it. >> So that's why we're bringing back to
you. So officially it's not, you know. >> Right. Right. It's it's revised slightly to com to comply with the the comments of the EP, but the NCOs's there are many areas in this statute that are ready to
be enforced by an NCO. Police depic officers are obviously trained. They are authorized to issue summones which is required and they are a they they know the ordinance. the the NCIS. That's the piece where we get into a more specialized
proofs proofs and and specialized summones uh for particularized noise complaints that we don't have in place. I believe we have the ordinance, but we don't have the person. >> I think most of the complaints come from basically two sources. One, workers starting early, whether um it's
construction or it's landscaping. I think that's what we get most of. Um, so as long as we have an avenue to to approach that, I think that would be great, you know. Um, and I would assume now that we're talking about police since they know the ordinance, they
would be the NCO for that type of situation. So I'll make sure >> speak with the mayor and we'll identify the most appropriate staff member or you know contract in person to >> and and how would we communicate this new ordinance to the construction people
the landscapers how is that going to be communicated out to them? >> Do they get a copy when they come for a permit? >> Well that's a thought I was thinking you know you have you have to be registered right >> to do so to do construction. So maybe there should be a pamphlet, you
know, in there restating it, you know, very generally that >> in the application. So >> and then landscapers. >> Are we only [Music]
>> Thank you very much. >> Thank you. Any other? Okay. Resolutions consent agenda. The following items have been determined to have the unanimous consent to council and be enacted in one motion. Should any item require independent consideration,
the council member may have such item removed from the consent agenda. I would like 336 removed to just do it by itself. Please. Anything else? Anyone? Resolution number 25-334 authorize release and refund of performance
guarantees block 1102 lot 7.91 and 8.01 in the amount not to exceed $3,537.3. Resolution number 25-335 authorize release and refund performance guarantee block 4312 lot 16 in the amount not to exceed $1,55. Do I have a motion?
>> So moved. >> Second. Second. >> Roll call. Excuse me. Councilman Casio, yes. >> Councilman Seers, yes. >> Council Middleman, >> yes. >> Councilwoman Veles, >> yes. >> Council President Deta, >> yes. >> Resolution number 25-336 authorized
appointing EB Employment Solutions LLC doing business as the difference card to provide HR services for the township of Washington. Do I have a motion? >> So move. >> Second. >> Discussion. >> Mr. D. Carlo, would you be the one that could present this really quick to us? >> Uh, yes, sir. I know we we went over it
last year, but I just want to put it on you. >> Want to be, you know, transparent and put on the record for everybody. >> Yes. And and it's good good news, too. It It's good for the town and it's good for our members. WCTV, do you have our presentation that you could put up the first slide, please,
if you had it. Um, if not, I'll just move forward. But council, you you have the uh resolution with you and behind it, you should maybe have three pages. So you're putting up the first page, the ASIS page. Is that what you wanted to put up? >> Yes, the ASIS page. Yes. And that would be the first thing. So just to quickly
go over the resolution, the resolution is essentially exactly what was put um in front of the council um a year ago about a year and a half ago when we went to the difference court. >> The only the only question I had Mark is it's it should be 112025
to 12312025, right? Because it's showing >> 26. So, okay. So, currently we have the difference card, right? Nothing nothing's going to change with the usage of the difference card. Nothing changes with the premise >> behind the difference card. What we're
proposing is um currently we have the the uh state health benefits plan 2035 plan. We are recommending to go to the state health benefits plan high deductible health plan. So that's why
you will see an effective date of January 126 to December. >> Oh, did you plug in those numbers versus the 2035 versus the high deductible? >> Right. So um when I said I see it's it's
exact except for the dates changed. >> Um >> but the asis is is is really just a comparison of the 2025. >> I'm sorry sir. I'm I'm still on the resolution. I just wanted >> No, I was looking at this. That's where I would get. >> Sure. If you give me 15 seconds, I'll get to that. So just telling the council the resolution is essentially what you
saw and approved um about a year and a half ago with the exception that the uh effective date would be January 1, 2026. The health plan is references New Jersey direct HDHP plan. And then um three
paragraphs up from the bottom of the first page, you'll see the township will fund an HA account for each employee regardless that amount of 12,400 has changed from the previous amount of uh 16,000 and change. All right. So those
are just the difference in the resolution and I'll explain to you why why those changes. So now sir we'll go to that first as is >> the conventional cost it says carrier benchmark plan >> that is if we didn't do anything a year and a half ago right so that would
represent 2026's uh cost for the direct 10 plan all right so what happened as all of you know maybe even personally on this day is is the state health benefits plan went through a tremendous price increase in
23 um 24 I'm sorry 24 and 25 right like a 20ome they gave us a little bit of a break and in 25 it was like a seven or 8%. Right. The proposed >> for you it was
>> the propo yeah the proposed increase for 2026 for direct 1015 is 36.9%. >> Correct. >> The increase for the 2035 plan is 55%. They increased it 55%.
So even even with the township paying for the 2035 plan with a 55% increase is still cheaper than if we stayed with direct 10 and took on a 36.9%. So I don't want anyone to think, oh, you know, we we we did our ourselves bad. No, it was still the right move because
we saved um a lot of money uh switching to the difference card. So now so this as so if we did nothing, the conventional cost would be 1.6 6 1,651,880. The revised fixed cost at 1,453,966 represents the cost of the 2035 plan if
we do nothing tonight, right? The difference card claims. So last year when we went to this, the difference card was um estimating about a $75,000 claim, right? that would have been for
the whole year. But in 2025, in 2024, we started using the difference card and the 2035 plan on July 1st, right? So any math, you'd figure those last six months of the year, we're going to use half of 75,000. So let's just call that 36,000.
The claims actually came in at about 46,000 for those six months. So, when preparing for the budget uh for 2025, we had to account for um about $95,000 $96,000 in claims rather than the 75.
So, again, when they gave us the proposal, it was based on historical use of claims uh with our members. We have about 34 35 members on on healthcare plans. So, um, unfortunately, you know,
that that proposed expense for claims went up from 75 to about 96. Based on what's happening this year, um, we're looking at a potential claims of 145,000 for 2026.
Okay. So, if you add that to the revised fixed cost, which is the carrier, that's the cost of the 2035 plan the difference card. the difference card to have the difference card is about uh $22,800
a year. It's going to be the same price for 2026. That's going to bring it up to a total cost of $1,599,757. So, if we do nothing tonight and we go on with the 2035 plan, we will only save
an anticipated $52,000 from the direct 10 program. Right? So, just to remind the council and all of us for 2025 budget, we budgeted 800,000 for the health benefits line. We budgeted $22,
uh, $800 for the difference card fees and we budgeted um, $30,000 for employee claims. Okay? So, if you go, let's just round it up to 900,000 for health for the health stuff in 2025. If we do
nothing tonight, we're going to have to raise 1.599. So, you're looking at that big of an increase. Okay. What we're proposing tonight is if you go to page two,
page two says the high deductible high plan alternate, you'll see the conventional cost that amount of $1.43315 that represents when it says conventional cost is now the 2035. So this is actually what we have. If we go
to the high deductible health plan, the cost of the plan will only cost $870,000589. $870,589. That's for the cost of the premium and the difference card. So now the difference card claims, just stay with
me, are expected to be 240,000, which is double what I just told you if we stayed on 2035. The reason why is with the high deductible plan, there's more of a deductible, right? So, it's almost a high it's twice the amount of deductible. So, based on the usage of
health insurance in 2025 going to this new high um high deductible um health plan, the claims are expected to be 240,000 with a total cost of 1110,000. So, if we go to the high deductible
plan, we will save $322,243. And if you go to the third page, I'll show you the difference now of those numbers. Nothing, the most important thing is nothing is going to change for the employee. Nothing is going to change for the township. This will assist the
township in uh increasing you know what's required in those budget account lines for the health for the health benefits and it's also going to assist our employees. So if if you go down what we're going to
call the first column benefit category and the second column is conventional plan design. That's our 2035. If you go all the way down to the bottom, you'll see conventional renewal.
That's the monthly cost. So there's there's 11 employees that are employee only. There's seven employees that pay employee and spouse. There's two members that are employee and children. And then there's 14 that have family benefits.
Right? So if you look at that family, you know, we'll just stick with the family because it's the highest percentage of category. The renewal is $4,86840 in a month. >> What's that? >> That's to stay with 2035. If you go over
a column to current base plan design, the current column represents what we're actually paying in um 2035 this year. the renewal. You see how the price goes down? So, it's even cheaper than what we're paying for 2035
um this year. >> So, the 28.86 is divided by two per we get paid the employees get paid by weekly, right? >> Mhm. >> So, we'd be cutting that in half, right, Mr. Darl? That would be >> uh they get they get paid >> twice a month, not by week. >> But I'm saying you cut that number in
half. So, it's you're talking about $1,443 out of each paycheck for medical, >> right? That's that's a monthly that's a monthly rate. That's not what that's not what they pay. >> That's the cost of the premium. So you would do 2,88676
times 12. That's how much that plan costs. Then based on chapter 78, which is the employees contribution, which is based on what their salary is. So again, um, you know, we'll go to a top top
bracket employee that makes more than 105,000, they're paying 35% of the um premium fee, right? So on a family plan, their contributions
will go up if we do nothing tonight, their contributions will go up $700 a member per month. per month. >> Per month. >> Per month. Mr. Sears. >> So this there there's by us going in a
high deductible and moving forward a year, the members actually going to save a few dollars in what they're having to contribute and the town's going to save significantly. The most important thing to restate is that no benefit
is lost. like nothing gets um I just want to be so simple. Nothing gets worse for the member. You know, they're not losing any benefit. The difference card still works the way it does. There may be um that clerical inconvenience. You know, there might be
more uploading of of um >> EOB. >> Yeah. What did you say? >> EOB explanation. >> The EOBS. Um, but we did three presentations over the last several weeks for employees with uh John Clancy, which is Trinity Brokerage, and uh
Cecilele from um the difference card and family members came and the big hurdle that we had to get over last time was the uncertainty of how the difference card works. We're beyond that. You know, everybody likes it. Um you know, uh conferring with um with Joy, who's the
health benefits coordinator, you know, how's it going? what kind of complaints are we getting? We had a couple of stumbling blocks and and you know in the beginning you know one was like how do we get you know someone's child a uh prescription while they're down in say you know South Carolina on at college. We were able to figure it out and um you
know I don't want to say the word love it but um it's definitely a benefit to everybody with a little bit more clerical you know they they make it very easy to upload these EOBS um and get reimbursement. You know they say reimbursement supposed to come
within two days. We're seeing that and um you know we're not getting the complaints which tells us it's working. Um and and the members at all three meetings were able to ask as many questions as they wanted. And uh I'm happy to say that both um unions, the
teamsters and the PBA are on board. They gave me the go ahead to uh start working on the MOAS with um our attorney. So the first step is for the council to pass a resolution. The next step is to get the
memorandum of agreements signed by the union members. And again, nothing's going to change. It's kind of like, you know, find where it says 2035 and replace it with HD HDHP. Um, so that's what we're looking at. And if we can if we can miraculously get
this done while the open enrollment is in October, we should be running off the presses January 1. If not, we'll have to ask for a special enrollment period. >> Thank you. What's up, >> the expected the difference card claims
um last year we exceeded the projection? Do we believe are the claims grossed up for that expectation? I mean are they recasting these on a continuous basis
because you know the savings disappears if the claims continue to grow. So did did they have any insight as to why?
>> So can I use different words? um the savings didn't disappear. It's just less. Right? So when when I um was presenting this to the council last year, it was all based on different kind of proposal. Right? So they base it on the year before they're expecting
$75,000 worth of claims. If it stays there, the township will save, and again, I'm just making these numbers up, but they're pretty close. 165,000. If the claims are 85,000 instead of 75, then the township saved 155 or 145. So, we still saved a tremendous amount of
money. We just didn't save as much as we could have. So, and I and I can uh actually provide the one report to um the council. It doesn't give anybody's names or anything. It was actually a pretty pretty cool comprehensive report that when we just met with Trinity and
the difference card, they gave us a breakdown of the claims. like 14% is because of this 35% is, you know, just doctor's office visits. And I specifically asked him, does any of this jump out to you? Is any of this, you
know, um, you know, can you tell pulling us in the right direction? That's something we have to fix. And he said, no, it's just, you know, it's just life. It's just, um, you know, regular usage. there was nothing that jumped out um you know that suggests any type of you know
again inappropriate usage is not the right words but I can't think of something better like there there was just nothing that jumped out and I can certainly share that um with the council it's just whatever happened this year um there was you know that that much claims
so if >> that much include what what is the expense to the township like what's going to be in the budget line? So again based on this proposal >> I will ask for
essentially if you go to page two 1 million 1110,772 right so that's the cost of the carrier which is the HDHP and the difference card and the expected difference card claims the reason why it's 240 is if you
go to page three and look at the differences between the columns The deductible the in network deductible for 2035 is 200. The in network for the HDHP is 4,200. Right? So the township is expected to
pay more in claims but saving a humongous amount of money on the plan itself. So if the So 1 million 110 we have we get the budget book claims go to
300,000 you know. >> Mhm. >> So we would be short the funds. How is that raised or >> So we um we essentially had that happen
this year, right? So we expecting 95 and it's going to probably end up around, you know, again projecting might be like in the 120 125 range. But there was a buffer in um the large line of the
health benefits because when we budget, we budget for the largest expense. I don't want to say the worst case scenario, but we budget as if say, hey, we're going to hire two new police officers. We're going to assume that they're coming in with a
family. So if that family plan cost 50,000, that's what we're going to ask the budget for. If they come in single and it only costs 20,000, we now have that 30,000 buffer. But we have to do that and and assume that, you know, someone's going to come in with a family so we have enough money. If
unfortunately we exceed exceed that buffer, then that's where we'd have to either do a transfer, which kind of sounds silly because it's usually the health line that we transfer out of rather than uh transfer in. Um so you
know again whatever would be the most appropriate you know budgetary thing whether it's an emergency um >> understood. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. And do does you know Joe Smith who's an
employee he is responsible for a percentage of the premium based on his salary. Yes. You explain that. Is there any benefit that he receives
over and above in terms of the funding of the card? Meaning we have to fund this at a certain level. If it's not spent,
does he benefit from it? >> No. The township wouldn't spend the money that was in the account. So that's that's the net s that would impact the net saving. >> Yeah. >> Right. So on page two, we're expected on
these numbers to save 322 by going to this rather than standard 2035. If the claims are lower, then we might save 350. If the claims are higher, we might save only 310. Right. Mark.
>> Yes, sir. Correct me if I'm wrong. when we put that funding in for the difference card, right? That goes into a separate account that carries over here, does it not? >> I thought that's Well, >> this is where this is where me and the
CFO have the disagreement. So, um >> I'm trying to think of how to answer it to not confuse not only myself, but the rest of us on the day. Okay. >> It's it's more of an accounting. John, do you want to take a stab at it? >> Yes. Um Basically, we were required to open up a
separate bank account for the claims, >> right? >> And uh and then basically what happens at at like at the end of this year, whatever money's in that account as of December 31st, I will transfer back to the current fund bank account because uh
theoretically that that account should show a zero balance at the end of each year. The reason why I say that is because unlike the current fund, that bank account is not is not self-sufficient. Meaning there are no deposits that go into or anything like that. So basically whatever whatever
amount is short in my bank account, I have to transfer from current regardless of how much is budgeted in that specific line. That's the issue we've had with that is the claims have been higher than we expected. So, uh, whatever there was only like a certain
amount in there and we went over that 75,000 that Mark said earlier. So, that's basically how it works and we required to open up that separate bank account. >> Okay? So, make it real simple for me because I'm bad at math. We have we have
$10 in the account for last year 2025. Okay? We used >> 10 we used $5 of that to pay out claims. We should have five five left. That five that's left, does that go into next year's account? We're we're growing on
we're building on it. Is that >> No. What? No. Well, I'm actually there's there's two steps. The first step is at the end of the year that $5 I'm going to transfer back to the current fund bank account. >> Okay. And and then and then what's going to happen is on January well not January
1st January 2nd when a when a bank is open I'm going to transfer money from current to the health bank account based on what I perceive we're going to need for the year. That's definitely what I wanted because that's really the way it should be done.
>> So the $5 the $5 that we didn't spend does that go back into account to use for the next year's health fund health card? >> Are are we >> technically yes it is. Yes. But then but then you have to start fresh each year, >> right? So So we're going to add another $10, right? >> So now we have 15.
>> Well, that's what I wanted to do. But that's not because of the accounting and of our budget. >> It's not So like if we budgeted $1025 and we only used five and now I'm telling you we need 15 for the next year.
>> We can't just raise 10 because five was there. We have to raise the full 15. And that's where the confusion comes in. I'll never get you to understand it because >> I wanted to I wanted to I agree with how your mind works with that. Like if I had five left over,
>> you're the only person that ever agrees how my mind works. Thank you very much. >> That's But how do we take it back into I mean you're you're talking on the cash side. I I believe you know you're talking there's a a separate account
that's for claims. you transfer it back to current fund. What's what does it look like on the ledger? Like where is that money? >> Where is that? >> Okay. Yeah. Well, yeah. Basically, on the ledger side, it it's a very simple accounting entry. Basically, you're you're just you're debiting the current
fund cash account and you're crediting the health benefits bank account cash cash account because you're zeroing it out. So, so and the next and also keep in mind when when the AFS is done and it shows all the bank balances for each
account for the health line, it'll show zero and that $5 in this in this uh you know in in this uh instance would would be part of the current fund bank account on AFS. Yeah.
>> So they all have to time >> the the reason why we need that bank account is because the difference card draws from right from it. So if we didn't have it, it'd essentially be coming into our coffer. So it's really like any other account. So say we have
$200 left in office supplies, that $200 doesn't go towards the money we need in in in 26. It goes to reserve and then ultimately surplus. So it's really the same concept as every other account line. So that's So I think
and perhaps I'm uh misremembering if that's the term that the excess could be used for the next year. So in the case of the 240
that potentially you know that's part of the 1 million 110. So 240 is projected claims and we've we will in theory tax our constituents taxpayers for 1.1
million through the budget process on December 31st if we have only spent you know 140,000 in claims there's a $100,000 in that account. Now,
I understand from Mr. Parker that that has to come back into the current fund bank account, not talking about the cash side. >> That 100K is eventually going to work its way into surplus. >> Yes, that I mean that's how I explain it.
>> Well, yeah, if I can interrupt uh there there's there two distinct things. The the money you have in the bank account is the cash accounts represent the cash account. >> Sure. So you so you so you want to zero out the health benefits bank account. Now now when you talk about the budget
lines that's a totally different thing. In other words, if you budget 240 and you spend 140, then basically that 100,000 in two years will go into fund balance. And and the other part of it is is if if you if you have another line, one of
those help lines you overspend, you could do a transfer November 1st, taking money from the claim budget line and put it into the other help line. So you just got to keep in mind that that that they're two two distinct things. The budget lines have nothing to
do with how much money you have in the bank account. And and John, if we if we budgeted 240, you're not putting all that 240 into the cash the health cash account in the bank at once, right? You're transferring. >> Well, I I I I definitely would like to
you really you really should because if if if you budget 240 and the council approves it, that means you think you're going to be spending 240 next year. So or for I'm sorry, for that year. So, so I I would like to put all that that 240 into the help line to reimburse it,
hoping that there's enough money in that bank account to get us to the end of the year. >> But John, you would you would have to do that January 1st, correct? That would have to be your temporary budget. >> Yeah, cuz the temp, you know. Yeah. No, no, but he'd have to put it in a temporary budget because the way I because the way it was described to me was if if I don't have a difference card
or my FSA, HSA, whatever card I have and I go January 1st and I have a heart attack. I hope I don't. Knock on wood. Right. Based on this high deductible plan, my family is going to owe the hospital $10,400 because that is my max out of pocket based on this high
deductible plan. So, if that money is not in the difference card, there's no way to pay that claim. >> Well, uh, council president of the Senate, basically what I would do is when I do the temporary budget, >> um, >> you would put the full amount in there for that reason. >> Well, no, no, I wouldn't put the full amount because you're supposed to only
do 26 and a quarter, like temporary budget. But, but here's the thing. Um, uh, it I I might do more than 20 cents a quarter of what was budgeted this year if we think we're going to be spending a lot more out of claims account. So, if in other words, if I think we're if I
think we're going to be spending 240, what I might do is is is um, when I do the temporary budget, there's usually certain exceptions that I drew that have to be more than that. And what I would do is I would probably put 60 in the temporary budget for that claims budget model so that I can transfer, you know,
from the current to the health bank account just just so we're covered. >> That's the problem is >> honestly I'm not I mean my only concern my concern is not the cash cuz I think we'll find a way to get the cash. My my
concern is the excess or potential excess at the end of year. So >> excess claims or >> no cash excess cash. So if claims are at 140 against the 240 that $100,000
>> right >> again there is no um >> way to get it back. >> Yeah. Basically there's no way to accelerate that and use it. I mean, >> well, what I was going to say, if I can interrupt for a minute, John, would it be okay if we kept a memo entry of that
100,000 and then when it went into surplus in two years, if that money was earmarked, could we bring it back in at that point and not have to fund the health insurance line fully because we would have that 100,000?
>> It's all accounting and I I really admit I'm no accounting major. >> No, I know. Uh BA basically there there's two things and that's why I'm trying to keep them separate because they are in terms of the cash. If if you if you put if you eventually put 240 in
that bank account and you spend 140 on December 31st I'm transferring that from the health bank account to the to the current fund bank account and it it will be reflected in the current fund cash that will show up on the AFS. Now the
other thing is the budget line itself. If you have $100,000 left over in that budget fund, one one or two things are going to happen. If you leave it alone in two years, it'll go into fund balance. But if you have another account that you over that you overexpend and
and you need to make a transfer, you can take it out of that. Let's let's say you need $40,000 at that $100,000. You'd have 60 left. So that means in two years $60,000. So you got to try to remember they're two separate things. the budget line
really has nothing to do with the the amount that's in both bank accounts. >> So, so >> the idea is to zero it out every year. So, so that because it really should be zeroed out because it the current fund has has to provide it has to uh give it
money because it it can't sustain itself. There's no there's no activity now other than the claims the swipes that go through. So, that's why the current fund has to fund it every year. But whatever balance is there I I will transfer back to the current. >> Okay. >> But but the budget line is different.
The budget line whatever balance you have in two years will go into fun. >> And there's no way to accelerate that. There's no provision. >> Uh >> accelerate what? I'm not sure what you mean. Accelerate >> accelerate >> bringing it back in. >> Bringing it back in.
Well, you really can't because theoretically you could have you could have a claim swipe that goes in on December 30th which would which would lower the bank balance in healthcare. >> So let's say you have $5,000 that goes in on on December 30th. Um I I I would
have to wait until like the last day and even because I see it coming into the bank every day. So on December 31st, if I see $5,000 coming in, I mean, I'm sorry, being taken out of that bank account, then at that point, I will know the what the ending balance is in that
account and I'm going to transfer back to current. >> Yeah. >> So that on December 31st, at the end of business day, the health bank account will have a zero balance, which is which is how it should be. >> And again, Mr. Carpenter, I don't mean to belabor this.
>> Yes. I have no concerns about the cash because I feel there is very tight control over that and I really have no concerns about the budget because there are controls there. My only thing, the only thing I'm
trying to understand is in 2026, we're proposing to raise t um we're proposing to raise 1.1 million.
That's the total cost. And in my example, we're only going to spend one million. And so we've uh raised an extra $100,000. There's been a levy against our residents.
And I guess it's no different than any other other account other than to say this expense uh is clearly uh designated. There's a clear attribution and you know we're changing it on the
fly. So, I don't I what I want to know is can we bring that $100,000 into the budget in 2027 quickly or do we have to wait and let it
flow through and come across as surplus in 2028? >> Uh if it's okay and I give you the example of like let's say you budget million100,000 and and you only spend a million. Mhm. >> So you could look at, okay, we're over
taxing the the residents by $100,000, but in two years that's going to go into fund balance. So theoretically, they might get the opposite back. They might get it. Not that it could that will happen. I'm just saying it's possible that it will work in the other direction
because if your fund balance goes up, you know, it's possible that you might be able to lower what your budget is. But but it it does take two years though because if you have a reserve year >> okay >> so your example of 2028 is is
appropriate is the most >> yes that would be the quickest we can get that reduction if we had a reduction >> but but you'd still raise the amount you need in the budget but it would be offset by the additional 100,000 you'd use in surplus revenue right you still if you need a million you still have to put a million in the budget you don't
put 900 you just put more on the revenue side so the overall taxation becomes lower that way But yes, there's no quicker way to use it. I believe me, me and John probably almost became physical over, you know, how we were trying to understand this.
>> It wasn't that bad that >> I wanted to go the way we're all thinking up here, but unfortunately the accounting way. >> Any other questions for Mr. Carlo, Mr. Corper? >> Yeah. Well, you know, again, I think when my understanding was that that
account was just for the card itself, right? M >> it didn't have to do with the premium. So that money the 200 200,000 whatever it was and then that would roll into the next year what we didn't use and then we use I mean obviously we have to keep uh
enough in there that we calculate that it's going to it's going to be used but my understanding was after 3 or 4 years that we have enough in there to cover and we wouldn't have to replenish that um difference card unless it you know became low at a certain time. So, if we
just keep putting it in, you're going to have all this cash in account that you'll never you'll the the the the uh the staff won't use. It'll just keep growing. So, I thought we were going to be able to, you know, basically zero that out eventually and not raise taxes
for that particular line item. I mean, didn't you get that impression? >> That's what I >> Okay. And that's how not that it was sold, but that's how it was inter that's how I interpreted that we're going to take that line. We're gonna make it, you know, um we're gonna try not to use it all, but we have enough in there just there as an emergency. And then we just
build on it. Just build on it. Build on it. So eventually we wouldn't have to put more in there and, you know, raise the >> raise the tax. We'd have it for savings over time. So maybe I was um not too bright or I was misled. I don't know. But that that was my impression. And I think Tom, you had that same impression
as well, right? So that's all I'm saying. >> All right. >> So Okay. >> I just just to clarify real quick. So Mr. D. Carlo, you said that nothing is changing for the employees or the township. >> Say that again. I couldn't hear. >> That nothing is changing for employees
in terms of coverage. Um, and you said that some employees are actually going to see a lowered cost. Is that correct? >> Yes. based on their contribution. Um, they may even see like because again I I base most of my examples on the family
pan someone that has a family plan paying the highest contribution of 35% they were actually going to save like $90. >> Okay. And both unions were on board with this? >> Yes. >> Any other discussion?
>> Just one quick comment. Uh I spoke to a couple of the employees. They actually approached me after these meetings and they were very appreciative uh that the town went to the difference card because otherwise they'd be looking at these huge increases. And so for no loss in coverage, you know, they listen, they
hear things, they know what the rates were going up to. They're very appreciative and uh you know again the the taxpayers u you know should be also because even though we may disagree with the accounting principles they are what they are and you know that dollar gets
temporarily lost for a year but then it comes back where we use it to defer tax increases in that year after. Thank you, Ro. >> Um, one >> Oh, sorry. >> Sorry. Um, I understand everything that was presented tonight. I I just to put
it on the record, I'm just concerned about what's happening with health insurance in the state of New Jersey. I know this is not >> it's an office in the box. >> Yeah. I mean, it it happened for me, so I understand how the costs are increasing, and it does concern me how
we're saving, but our plans are changing and just something isn't making sense. So, I'm I'm It concerns me what's coming down the pipe. >> So, you and I both personalized. >> Yeah. Not just here in town.
>> Oh, no. It's everywhere throughout the state. It's it's >> so we we as >> it's in every state. >> Yes. But we need to keep an eye on it because >> what's happening across this state in particular >> to to even put 55% increase out as a as
a realistic number is a abomination all itself. To to tell your your your state employees that we're going to tax you, we're going to increase you by 55%. It's just an un like when when I saw that published I said this has got to be a
typo. It's supposed to be 5.5%. And when you know it was you know I was convinced it was 55%. I said this is incredible. >> No I mean it it happened to me you know not to to go into too much detail but I saw you and I $800 increase per month.
That's not sustainable with the way the >> the inflation and the cost of living. It's not sustainable. We've made less in the last three years due to medical than we have with our with our raises and >> so I just it's it's a message for all of us regardless of what town or you know
county >> agency we work for. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Roll call. >> Councilman Calio. >> Yes. >> Councilman Sears. >> Yes. >> Councilman Omen. >> Yes. >> Councilman Blaz. >> Yes. >> Council President Denn.
>> Yes. Motion to adjurnn to the conference agenda. >> So move. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> Next meeting of the township council will be held on November 10th, 2025 beginning at 7 p.m. Sign up for Nixl tech07676
to 888777 key code TWWP of Bergen. Conference agenda for October 20th, 2025. Uh under administration, we have best practices inventory, Mr. D. Carlo and Mr. car.
>> Uh yes, council. And um again, we're just we're very proud of our score. Um there was uh four questions that we were again, I don't like the word deficient. Um but 32 points would have gotten us the full um the full state aid just like
last year. Same amount. Uh however, we we scored a a 41 and a half. The four questions just to bring you through. Uh let me go to different notes here. Hold on. Um had to do with electric vehicle
stations. So just to remind council, the uh the plans for our new DPW building do include an electric vehicle charging station, but this question is specific to the public. So, question 13, have one
or more public electric vehicle charging stations been installed on municipal property, right? So, that's it was a half a half a point that we didn't score. And then question 14, when purchasing new vehicles, does your
municipality have a formal policy to purchase hybrid or alternative I'm sorry, alternative fuel vehicles whenever such vehicles are suited uh to the intended use. only answer NA if your municipality does not own any vehicles.
Obviously, we do. You know, I'll be reaching out to uh my fellow administrators to see if they actually have a formal policy, but I can't, you know, wish I could lie, but we don't have a formal policy to um to include those into our into our fleet. You know,
we've we've looked at it. We've talked about it with DPW. It's just it does not make sense to have an electric, say, garbage truck. Um, we don't have, you know, we only have one vehicle that's a township vehicle outside of DPW or
police and it's, you know, a Hyundai, you know, so we'd be like selling a fuel car to try and buy it brand new, you know what I mean? So, and then, you know, uh, electric vehicles for police use. I don't know how practical, um, that is, but, you know, a hybrid may may
certainly, um, be an option, you know, for for police vehicles. So, we're going to look into um getting a formal policy and see what it's all about. Question 18 um talks about the minimum dollar amounts for the tax collector shy
bonding. Um however, to provide a higher level of security for public funds, municipalities are encouraged to adopt the more stringent schedule for tax collectors. So again, we we have what's required, but they would give us an extra half a point if we had a higher
level of security. And then the next question 19. This this, you know, this we kind of get beat on a little bit because there's only a yes or a no. There's not an NA. And we certainly fit into the NA because we have a shared service agreement with Saddle River. And
as part of the Saddle River shared service agreement for the municipal court, they provide the shorty bonding for us. So, we lost a half a point there because we could only answer yes or no. Um, but other than that, you know, we we're we're doing very well, but I'm
really happy to to say that we're doing we're doing very well, but we're going to even try to get even better um with those at least those three three questions after the four. So, thank you. >> Thank you. >> May I ask? >> Sure. Go ahead. >> No, go ahead. Please.
>> Um, number 11. >> No, that's >> Oh, great. >> No problem. >> Um, no. I just I saw in the notes the township will be scheduling a disaster preparedness drill before the end of 2025. Would um can you just elaborate on >> Yeah, it's just a tabletop exercise with
the office of emergency management. So, right now, Clayton Kenny, our deputy coordinator, um, and Sergeant Fashiano, our actual coordinator, I met with them about a month ago, and they're going to be put together putting together a tabletop exercise where they encourage
you to use either other agencies or county agencies. It's just a tabletop exercise. You know, you come up with um, you know, a scenario that's most likely to occur here, right? I mean, we could use certainly, this might not be funny, but a plane crash, right? with all the planes we know are flying over town or
or even more realistic a flood another you know high high level flood um in our lower lower levels of of the township like down at Bergen and stuff you know we can certainly come up with something that maybe won't happen uh but there's plenty of scenarios and they're working on you know who's going to be sitting at
that table what kind of scenario and um when we're going to do it but we want to do it before the end of 2025 >> do municipalities do these drills typically like actual ual drills. Is is that >> like a physical drill? >> Yeah. Is there something like that that they need?
>> I mean, I imagine it's up to the imagination of >> of the you know, >> yeah. How far they want to take it, but you know, obviously the bigger scale, the more money you're spending, >> right? So, you know, they're looking for like, you know, um they say they have it
there, you know, limited not limited to natural disaster. There's active shooters, wildfires, or chemical spells. But again, if we're going to be utilizing our time, we want to use it as something that most likely could happen here. Unfortunately, active shooter could happen anywhere. Um, so I'm I'm
waiting to see what uh OEM is going to bring back to the mayor and I and we're going to put it together. But obviously, the larger scale it is, the more money you may be spending or a tabletop exercise may only cost coffee and, you know, bagels or something. Mhm. I'm just thinking if we did something more of
like let's say the website that if X happened these would be the appropriate appropriate steps just to kind of educate the residents as to I don't know >> is that is that something >> I'm not sure I understand what you're talking about. So, for example, let's
say um I I'll take yours like flood. If there were a flood in township, you know, we tell residents this would be the proper procedure should something like this happen. >> So, this exercise is for the emergency personnel to practice their response
tip. >> It wouldn't wouldn't I'm not saying it's >> not for the public. >> It's not for the public. >> No, it's not for the public. >> Okay. I mean that that would be I think something beneficial if you don't know what to do if there's a tornado where you go, right? I know
>> here's the thing. Um and I was going to bring this up and I'll just add on to Daisy. Um at one time the high school and I don't know if you remember Pete. Um I think you're the one or Tom. We want to use the high school as a pod point of distribution. So if there was a natural disaster or a big disaster, we
can use the high school as like a bedding and you know handing out medication, first aid, stuff like that. And I don't know if you want to talk to them about it because it would be nice to have at home because we do have a nice big uh facility to use their gymnasium. It would be the it would be
the pod and the pod usually takes care of a couple surrounding communities. Westwood, Washington Township, Hillsdale, Hocus, you know. um we can look that we can also call the medical reserve corps in Hackinack. They do those type of um
emergency procedure things. So if maybe um Fastiana wants to call them and see what they can do so we can at least get a point here. You know, they're a great resource. >> They also do um a lot of training if you want. You know about them, right, Tom?
>> Um and they're down at um the Bergen County complex. So I gave them a call and they do a lot of training for zero. >> Yeah. You know >> in OEM they have emergency service plan book >> everything we're talking about is listed
in there. >> What buildings you go to you know procedures but what Dr. Cassio was talking about would be in addition to that which would be we haven't >> you know we probably haven't updated that in a very long time. >> Yeah. But that Westwood High School
would be a great pod, a great place to distribute stuff, especially for our residents in Washington through Westwood and the surrounding area. I'd rather have our people come locally as opposed to going to, you know, Hillsdale or Pan somewhere. We can do that. That would be wonderful.
>> So, what Mr. Sears is referring to is the emergency operations plan. It's it's huge. It's updated every year. It's updated by our coordinators and written reviewed by myself. So that has all the latest and greatest information. >> Yeah. >> Of what sites would be your
>> evacuation plans, >> meeting points, you know. >> Okay. >> Reunification areas, all that kind of stuff. >> Where where do you find that, Mr. Depart? >> In my office. >> It's not for the office. >> It's not for public. It's not for the
public. >> Okay. Well, yeah, that's that. But once I was um stuck in between tornadoes, not in New Jersey, and I didn't know where to go. So, just this made me think of
that situation. What do you do as a resident? Where do you go? >> Underground. >> There were locations that >> we have a pod right here in town. So we can >> well Washington school is like um has some kind of security or something I
forget they have it on the outside that yellow and black little sign >> mean shelter >> is it I don't know >> I wouldn't go in that >> they have something truthfully >> since we're on this discussion of
preparedness and uh response and recovery um Does does the town shift that do a disaster recovery? Uh for instance,
the building if there was a fire in the building and it was uninhabitable, do we test that we can recover to a remote location, whether that's home or do do we have an alternate uh location where employees would report
to? Do we do we do that type of uh planning? >> I mean specifically um >> may I we we just did Chelsea this Sunday. The fire department made a mock response of a fire call there. So the
people within Chelsea, they labeled the doors when there was nobody there. The fire department came in, walked through. We looked at the sprinkler systems, the water pressure, where do we hook up the hose, how how much line that we have to drop in, where do we bring high-rise
packs up into it, and where does Chelsea move their residents? You know, they have two different types of residents there. So, where they position them and half of them would go down over to Bethany. >> Mike, are you talking about if this facility? No, you talking about our
facility. I think if this facility went down, he goes, "Where do our employees and the police go as a second generator?" >> No. If this goes up in flames, this is doesn't exist anymore. >> Where do they go? They go to the firehouse. Do they go to another meeting place? So, I think he's talking the
firehouse has a secondary radio dispatch that's being that's in there for the police department. >> No, I there's no no doubt that he's correct. I mean, I think we funded it. Well, I I might disagree with that,
>> but you know, uh you did you did there was I think the chief of police identified say three um phases and in the council funded the first and I think you know next year they're coming to you for the second phase, but you know they're they're set up somewhat for a
dispatch center over there. not fully, you know, 911 wouldn't go down because that's being done at the county, but staff here like our staff um the pertinent people that um need the log ends, they have loins and we encourage
at least once a month staff members to do an at work home day to make sure all their faculty is working, you know, their logins, their their, you know, their computers, their their um their zooms, you know, their off premises things.
You need to speak up, Mr. D. Carlo, please repeating. >> I'm just talking directly to Mr. Thank you. >> Anything else, Mr. Roman? >> No. >> Anyone else? >> Roll call. Oh, no. No roll call. >> Block party draft ordinance. Anything we
have up on this one? >> Siobhan, we have we have an update in here. >> We have a draft. >> Yeah. Draft block party policy. [Applause] So, the police department would handle the uh application form. It says >> that's that's the proposal in the
ordinance, but the different >> so this is >> this is specific for blocking off uh roadway y >> to have an activity. >> Well, limited to block parties. In fact, there's a petition that requires 51%
of the residents on that block to find a streettore intersection to to be on board with it. It's to encourage social. It's not for a private birthday party or or a wedding. It it's 51% of
the residents want this event to occur. It's to encourage socialization in the in the town. >> All right. So when you say block, it's from an intersection to intersection. Yeah. >> Not from border to Hillsy. >> Okay. >> Yeah, that was that was actually
>> that's going to be that's going to be tough. You can't you're lucky if you get 51% of anything. Um, and this was tailored after >> I believe the the request was East Rutherford or >> Yeah, I believe Eastford. >> Yeah, it it's it's
>> it follows that one pretty much. >> Yeah, [Music] >> I just had one comment on it. On page three, um, no more than one block party shall
be granted in any calendar year. um for the same designated area. So I just I was curious maybe we need to be more specific as to how much that covers in terms of the length of a block.
>> I think if it's from >> from one well you got to in your list you got to list the cross streets. So you couldn't use our same cross. >> Some some streets here are very long. So then that whole street couldn't have more than one. >> Can have or can't
>> can have more than one. Yeah. >> Yeah. Like there's long runs on Jackson like you're saying. There's no cross streets, >> right? So that length can only have one that year. >> I mean this is what we used as the sample for, you know, from East Rutherford.
>> But again, you can't have a private birthday party or a private family party block party. It'd have to be a true block party. Well, as we celebrate 2 our 250th year, this may be something that >> Yeah. >> A lot of families do. Yeah.
>> Halloween. >> Yeah. The last day that you could have a block party is Halloween. Mr. Seed the ordinance. I don't know if we wanted to hold Halloween or do we want to leave that alone? And I didn't know on page one. I didn't know what the township policy department
was. Deputy police department or is that a typo? >> Oh, that's a typo. Sorry. >> Carla >> where? I'm sorry. >> On approval. It says the township policy department. So, >> I don't know if we created another job for Mr. D. Carla or
>> it's in his office. Thank you very much. >> And the personal >> the person that's taking out the permit will be the person that will be doing the clean up >> policy. Sir, do you police instead of policy? >> Okay. >> What's that,
>> Mr. Said the person that taking out the permit will be the responsible person for cleaning the block area >> or they're going to get charged $100, which is peanuts. I mean, >> yeah. I mean, but how how restricted do you
want to make it specific? >> I don't want to make it restricted. I mean, a minimum if it's more >> broken glass and things in the street, you know. >> What's that? >> You can't have broken glass. >> Yeah. Yeah. I mean, hopefully, >> right, clean. There has to be some type of volunteer cleanup. So,
>> yeah. Well, it says if the township deems it necessary to have its personnel clean up, any portion of the block party or that was not taken care of by the applicant, at a minimum, cleaning fee of 100 will be charged to the applicant. So, And there's no fee for this, correct? No,
>> other than the cleaning fee. >> Yeah, there's no permit fee. >> The this draft has no permit. >> No, I agree with you. >> Okay. >> I didn't want a permit fee. Yeah, cuz I don't want to. >> Growing up in Brooklyn, block parties were incredible on the 4th of July when
the whole block is out and the tables are out in the street with the string lights. It was an awesome experience. So, if we could bring that back, I mean, that's a part of the charm of the township. If we could bring that, that'd be awesome. >> I just I'm to um Councilman Casio's
point, 51%. That seems a little high. >> Not really. No, that's >> 50%. I mean, like you said, where do you get 50% anywhere? >> Well, we talking Well, is that of Let's Let's just look at that. Is that of the population? If you have 40 If you have
40 houses, you need 21 houses. >> Yes. >> Right. That's what the ordinance by house. It's my home. Okay. >> So, if you do from, let's say, from Ridgewood to Lincoln, you need 51% of those houses. >> Nothing. >> It's not a big deal.
>> Most people, even if they're they don't want to attend, they'll probably just say, "Yeah, go ahead and do it." I don't think anyone would be a fun sucker, right? >> Well, suckers out there. >> You'd be surprised. >> You'd be surprised. >> Yeah. Well, they're they're fun. Sometimes you get people with leaf blowers purposely
>> or hose their hose out. >> I don't like >> everybody okay with this or we want to digest it. >> I I'd like to get have some time. >> Okay. >> All right. >> We'll table it for the next meeting. We'll we'll put it on for the next meeting and if you can have uh the
comments for the next meeting. All right. >> All right. >> On conference. >> On conference. Yes. >> Thank you. Uh resolution number 25-337 personnel police chief employment agreement. Uh Mark, we don't have to come back out for this, right?
>> No, we will not come back out of close session. Motion to enter into close session. >> So move. >> Second. >> All in favor? I >> Thank you everyone. We'll wait for Ricky to come down and turn off the cameras and