Good evening, West Orange, and welcome to the township council meeting for April 14th, 2026. We are coming to you live from council chambers. Uh you are welcome to join us here for public comment, but as always, uh there is no public comment permitted on Zoom. At
this time, I'd like to turn the floor over to our council president. >> Okay, great. Thank you. Thank you all for being here. Madame Clerk, this is to inform the general public that this meeting is being held in compliance with section 5 of the Open Public Meetings Act, chapter 231, Public Law 1975.
The notice for this meeting was emailed to the West Orange Chronicle and the Star Ledger on October 30th, 2025. Councilwoman Castelino, >> present. >> Councilman Koviaak, >> present. >> Councilwoman Ruden, >> here. >> Councilwoman Williams, >> Council President Scarpa,
>> present. Mayor McCartney. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Tonight we have a um a very special surprise. Uh Mayor McCartney is going to introduce us to the fifth grade boys traveling basketball team, the
seventh grade boys traveling basketball team, and the eighth grade girls traveling basketball team. Thank you. Thank you, Council President. So, this is another proud moment here in West Orange, especially when we see the
council chamber full uh like this to recognize, as council president said, fifth grade boys basketball team, seventh grade boys basketball team, and eighth grade girls. We're going to start with the fifth grade team. I would like to ask the coach Dean and our recreation
director Edwin Johnson to join us. >> So on behalf of the mayor and the West Orange Town Council, we are recognizing the fifth grade boys traveling team uh for their commitment and dedication. the dedication and commitment of coach Cowins that was essential in instilling
the values and sportsmanship, the competitiveness and the integrity in these young athletes. On March 4th, 2026, the West Orange Recreation Department's fifth grade boys traveling basketball team won the Suburban Basketball League with a 49-32
victory in the championship game. On March 7, 2026, the team won the fifth grade boys division of the Clark basketball tournament, which capped off an undefeated season of 220 to 0. The mayor and the town council proudly
recognized 2026 West Orange Recreation Department's fifth grade boys traveling basketball team for their exceptional teamwork, dedication, and sportsmanship. Congratulations on an outstanding season. So coach tell the players right and then
>> okay first and foremost just want to thank everyone uh for being here tonight and congratulations to all the teams and also the supporters and parents um for this wonderful occasion. All right, I'm going call up my first player um Cameron
Adams. Little K up loud. Think Ken might be uh might be delaying pick and roll set or something. All right. Um come on up.
Come on up. Lane Bman. Oh guys, that's fine. >> Here guys, just come around the back. >> Let me see. Zen cars Dickerson. Great job.
It's drugs and then ban a little bit. >> So, you're right with your face >> with Councilwoman Cass where we should really be in the front. >> It's okay.
>> Yeah, this way. >> Go ahead. >> Yes. >> Paris, we want to take a picture. Get those ready. >> Thank you. Congratulations. >> Congratulations. >> Congratulations. Okay.
>> All right. Next up, we're going to go with the girls with the eighth grade girls basketball team and with their coach. Welcome. Welcome. Thank you. >> So again, we have the commitment and dedication of coach Fabian. They were
essential in instilling the values and sportsmanship, competitiveness, and integrity in these young athletes. On March 5th, 2026, the West Orange Recreation Department's eighth grade girls traveling basketball team won the Suburban Basketball League with 43 to 41
victory in the championship game. Right. Impressively, the team won the eighth grade league while being made up of players of various middle school grade levels. This signature victory allowed the team to complete the season with a
12 to1 record. So, on behalf of the mayor and the town council, we proudly recognize this team. And we're going to ask the coach to give out these certificates. Please go. How y'all doing? Uh, first player is Aspen Aspen Capers.
Next player is Madison Curry. Next player is Leah Daniel. Next player is Juvia Guerrero. 510. >> Next fire is Laya North. >> Olivia Philadelphia. Next player is Jet Patcher.
Next player is Kanye Silver. >> Next player is Jenna Smith. Next player is Amalia Washington. Last prayer is Lauren Williams. >> That's it. Start the first one right here. >> Yeah. Down a little bit. >> Little bit.
>> Okay. Hold those proudly. >> My bad. Okay, everybody. >> Everybody look this way. >> All right. All right. Grand All right, here we have the seventh grade boys.
>> Okay, ready. This time I would like to ask coach coaches Michael Gordon and Corey James. Sorry, Corey Jones. >> Great. Thank you. >> All right. Again, again, the commitment and dedication of Coach Gordon and Coach
Jones were essential in instilling the values of sportsmanship, competitiveness, and integrity in these young athletes. On March 7th, 2026, the West Orange Recreation Department's seventh grade boys traveling basketball team won the Suburban Basketball League
with a 66 to 41 victory in the championship game. This victory over the defending league champion allowed the team to complete the season with a 14-2 record. Congratulations. Uh okay.
>> So on behalf of the mayor and the West Orange Town Council council, we proudly recognize 2026 West Orange Recreation Department's seventh grade boys traveling basketball team and their coaches for their exceptional teamwork, dedication, and sportsmanship.
Congratulations Congratulations, boys. Uh, Montes Batanis, come on up. >> Congratulations, >> Christian Gaddy. Congratulations. >> Congratulations, >> Sincere Hopson.
Congratulations Aiden Jones. Congratulations, >> Emanuel Manning. >> Congratulations, >> Maddox. Mad Dog Madden. That's a good name. >> Alam salam.
>> Nice >> Josiah Sanders. Congratulations. >> That is it. >> Just want to thank all the boys, all the parents. Uh coach and I have been doing this since third grade with this team. So, we've come a long way. They've come a long way. And we're super proud and
thank you for having us. >> Here we go. >> Make sure it's not lucky. All right, everybody look this way. Thank you. Thank you. That was fun. >> Thanks.
>> Good. Looks like they're gonna stay. >> That was a good highlight. That was a highlight. That was the best. >> Pray tomorrow. despite it still.
Thank you so much. What the [ __ ] is the Anybody else cold or? >> Yes, it's getting cool. Where's Asthma at with her blanket? Okay. >> Okay. So, let's continue on. Um
Bev Riley uh requested that I survey the seniors several weeks ago. As we began to look at the DNA park grant, there were we were talking about the the value of exercise equipment for the and the
expansion of the Beckio garden. Um I did some research and I did I did survey uh a large amount of seniors and we found that there's a need real need a pressing need for both for both the garden and
for substantive exercise equipment for our seniors. One senior who walks Verona Park uh every day said that she noticed there's some exercise equipment there,
but it really gets very little usage. And she commented to me that the seniors probably would not even know what to do with it. So I followed up with a prominent resident of Verona who kind of confirmed this. So, I would hate to see
us waste money on a few pieces of equipment, individual pieces, when there are whole exercise systems geared towards seniors use. One that AARP has put into many playgrounds has videos
with QR codes and actually trains volunteers on how to instruct others. It's called FitLot, the FitLot system, which I had shared with our engineering department. And in light of our research
and knowing that we now have open space funds available for park expansion, it would behoove us to look carefully at what would be best to meet the needs of all of the seniors of our community. So
Sheila Lecoitz is going to share a little bit of her research and her observations. Thank you, Council President Scarper. Thank you, Council. Good evening. For those who you already don't know who don't know me, my name is
Sheila Lecoitz. I'm no stranger to this microphone. I've spoken out to advocate for what I think is best for our town many times. I am also a social worker for 41 years, having served as a
hospital social worker, a school social worker, and for the past 24 years as a dialysis social worker. making me quite an expert about health and well-being of seniors and what they can do to improve
their overall mental and physical health to lead the most satisfying and enjoyable life possible. I've been Mayor Susan McCartney's appointment to the Older Adults Advisory Board for over two years and have served
as its chair for the past year and a half. Tonight, I would like to educate the West Orange community about an opportunity for seniors and all West Orange residents to enjoy outdoor exercise in a park setting that will
boost physical strength and well-being. At a recent meeting of our older adults advisory board, Robert Rashkus, a West Orange resident and an awardwinning AARP representative,
educated our older adults advisory board about an organization called FitLOT. Fitlot began in 2013 as an organization with the sole purpose of helping communities like ours find the resources
they need to plan, build, and program outdoor fitness parks. In 2018, Landscape Structures, Inc. entered the scene as Fitlot's exclusive equipment provider.
A AARP teamed up with FitLot to plan the donation, construction, and activation of one AARP sponsored outdoor fitness park park in each state. Fit lot is an
exercise equipment that is installed outside in a park and can be used by adults. Unlike exercise equipment for adults that you may have seen in Verona Park, FitLot equipment is fully
adjustable for a person's height and the tension of exercise that is preferred and it also has video guidance. Once a park location that residents can walk to
such as Park has been identified, then funding needs to be obtained for the project. Funding sources can be grants, local foundations, and corporate sponsors that want to promote public
health. Once funded, the Fit Lot circuit of equipment is installed in the park setting and then volunteers and or fitness professionals can host no cost community classes to teach
residents how to use the equipment. Use of this equipment is free of charge to the community. This is so important because while West Orange has an excellent exercise opportunities for seniors through the West Orange
Department of Senior Services, we simply don't have enough resources to meet the demand of every senior who wants to attend. And so many residents have told me that they have been weight listed or
turned away from exercises classes that were hosted by West Orange Senior Services. With FitLot, there is access every day during park hours. It gives all residents a chance to use exercise
equipment while soaking up the sun and not having to pay a gym membership or pay a class fee. In this time where taxpayers want return on their tax obligation, here is a golden
opportunity. What a great opportunity for seniors to enjoy outdoor time and exercise. We know that studies show that exercise boosts cognitive function, reduces chronic disease risk, and helps
to improve balance to prevent falls and results in higher bone density. Studies show that moderate to intense activity can slow biological aging by 10%. Studies show that outdoor time for
seniors increases vitamin D levels, reduces chronic pain, lowers blood pressure, and boosts cognitive function. Outdoor time also reduces anxiety, depression, and social isolation.
West Orange has already been awarded HUD funds primarily for a senior fitness area in Dn Park. As part of the application, West Orange certified to the federal government that the information presented in the application
was true and complete. Any significant deviation requires an amendment. There's been discussion at recent council meetings regarding how much of the grant money should be appropriated to the exercise equipment and how much should
be appropriated to the expanding the veo gardens. Our seniors need both of these programs given that we have open space funds that could be used for park. I
leave it up to this governing body to make sure that both programs are fully funded and that they materialize to benefit our seniors and the larger community.
Outdoor exercise equipment in Verona Park is the nearest to our town and it's barely used. It is not adjustable and the format does not lend itself to classes and social interaction the way
that Fit lot with its adjustability, physical layout and video instruction and volunteer coaches can. The nearest FitLot and the only one in all of New Jersey is in Perth Amboy. A centrallylo
fit lot in West Orange means maximized public health benefits for seniors and the whole West Orange community. West Orange has an opportunity now to build a stronger, healthier future for all her
citizens, especially seniors, by installing Fit Lot in Decan Park using the $250,000 grant money awarded for this very purpose. Thank you very much for this opportunity to speak. And again,
additional fundraising and grants for Fit Lot and the Veio Gardens can and should be fully identified so that everyone in our town can enjoy social engagement with their neighbors and enjoy the great outdoors and live their
best life. Thank you. >> Thank you for this person. Okay. So that that's the clo is the close of our conference agenda. Madam clerk, this is to inform the general public
that this meeting is being held in compliance with section 5 of the open public meetings act chapter 231 public law 1975. The notice for this meeting was emailed to the West Orange Chronicle and the Star Ledger on October 30th, 2025. Councilwoman Castelino,
>> present. >> Councilman Koviaak, >> present. >> Councilwoman Ruden, >> here. >> Councilwoman Williams, >> present. >> Council President Scorpa, >> present. >> Mayor McCartney. Will everyone please rise for the pledge of allegiance? 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. >> The council is now in their public meeting. Okay. Um I want to uh apologize to the
public. We have a a need to go into public to uh executive session again this tonight and um it is an emergency. It's it's something that we really need to do. We need not only guidance on how
to approach you when we do public comment, but we have some professionals whose schedules um could not meet at other times. But I do want to uh tell the administration that I
personally called as many people as I could who do speak at public comment and they were rather livid. This is the second week in a row that you know we've postponed the public comment. So, I want
to ask that we not do it again and we really start to work our executive sessions either on another evening or find a way that you know would better meet the needs of all of the public. >> Okay. >> Okay. >> Council President, that's that's fine.
Um, as you know, you set the agenda, right? So, we had this executive session, we had the conference, you asked us to change it, so we did. So, we follow the lead of the council president. So, we need to have one night, but we're going to refrain from doing this in the future. So, just all the lawyers and everything. I just
wanted to make that that rather clear. So, um uh the uh we're going to make a motion to go into um >> statement first. >> Okay. Go ahead. >> Okay. Um, first of all, Council President, I as as some of the people who you spoke with, I strongly strongly
object to us going into executive session before we've heard public comment. We have a lot of people out here. They've come to make their voice heard. Um, with all due respect to the attorneys in the room, um, you work for
us and we work for the residents and, um, I just think it's very very disrespectful to put off public comment and especially this being the second second time that this is happening. I also want to express um a lot of concern
that our agenda to this executive session was updated almost at 6:00 tonight. That's less than an hour ago. And how is the public supposed to know what's on the executive session when things are flying on the
agenda at the very last minute? We have six items on our agenda tonight on our executive session. This is too much. I cannot believe that there couldn't be another time when the attorneys could come back and meet with us and we could
schedule a a different session and not interfere with our public. >> Right. Well, we did make a commitment to do this and they are here. So, for the future, we will make sure that we do not do this again. Yes, Council. >> Dr. And I agree with Councilwoman Ruden that we really need, except in
exceptional emergency situations, to have the public comment at 7:00 when everybody in town has been expecting 7:00 public comment for years and years. Right. And I think it's it's uh only fitting that we continue to do that. And
if we have to put off these executive sessions, then I think that's an appropriate thing to put them off. And >> I agree and we will do that moving forward. If you noticed, I did ask the administration to redline that in our documentation so that pe the public
would know that. >> If I could just finish my my thought, which is that we should have the public comment to start at 7:00 and then without responding to public comment, which would take additional time, then we should go into executive session. And
uh I think that might meet better meet the needs of uh all the participants today. >> Yeah, Council Keslin. >> Yeah. Now I I I appreciate my colleagues comments and I know the frustration of the public, but it was clearly noted on
the agenda that we would be starting this tonight. We have our attorneys that can only stay to a certain time frame. We have a lot of legal um issues that we need to deal with. And uh I know it's frustrating, but we have a lot of
business that we have to take care of. Uh taking care of this business at 11 12:00 at night when we get done with the meetings is no longer acceptable because these are important decisions that we need our wits about us um when we make them. Uh on the other hand, um you know,
we'll try to be as brief as possible. I'm not sure what the time frame is for our our our one attorney that's here this evening. Um if maybe we is you want to poll the public to see how many people plan on speaking or >> I think we need to move forward since we
made the commitment to the law to for tonight to go right into executive session but in the future we're not going to let it happen again. >> Okay. And folks all I could say is just well you say that but things come up that are beyond our control. So I would always recommend to the public to you look if you look at the agenda online it
will tell you >> it was clearly noted. >> It was clearly noted. So it was announced that we were going into um uh close session first. And please just always make sure you look at the agenda before you come down because I I would hate to waste your time and and
frustrate you. It it's not fair. >> Okay. Yeah. >> Um Council President, just just two more issues. One, I believe that the notification to the public that the executive session would be held first was a later update. It was not original. >> No, it was originally on it needs to be
on our homepage so that people understand and these people came down even if they looked at the agenda, maybe they didn't understand how long it would take. According to the open public meetings act, um it is required that we tell the public at right now what time
we will we will be returning. Well, we're usually in there two hours. >> So, I'd like to I'd like council president to make that announcement. What time will we we will be returning? And if we do not meet that mark, then somebody from the council needs to come back and update the public because
they're waiting here. >> Sister, could you estimate give us an estimate of how long you think we'll be? >> Can we ask the council if >> you're asking for my estimate? >> Yeah. >> I mean, based on past practice, I would say
8:45. >> Okay. >> Okay. 8:45 it is. >> Hour and a half. Yeah. >> Yeah. Okay. >> So, we roll. >> So, we'll >> I move that we recess into executive session. >> I second. >> Okay. And uh just so the public knows, it's 11926,
the resolution authorizing an executive session for the purpose of discussing matters falling within attorney client privilege to the extent that confidentiality is required in order for the attorney to exercise his ethical duties to this body and for the discussion of matters by which express
provision of federal law, state law, rule of the court are required to be rendered confidential, specifically including personnel L matter, lease retirement payouts, contract redevelopment, litigation, affordable housing, builder remedy lawsuits, and
PBSC OxyCam litigation. >> All in favor? I. >> Any opposed? >> I I oppose. You oppose. Okay. I do too. >> Three to two. Thank you, sir. The motion
carries. No phones, right? >> Favor. >> Need. >> Okay. We're not on the record yet. >> Oh, >> all right. Now we can do it. Just make sure >> orange. We are back on the record. As you can see, council has returned from
executive session. And at this time, I'd like to turn the uh meeting over to our council president. >> Okay. Thank you very much. >> Yeah. I'll make a motion that we council return executive and enter into public session. >> And I'll second it.
>> Okay. All in favor? >> I. Any opposed? The motion carries. >> Okay, we're back. Thank you to this public for waiting so patiently. I am very sorry. we had some really important business to take care of and uh I think
we're going to be talking at um at the end of our meeting about having our executive sessions on a different day from the uh council meeting so that this doesn't happen again. So with that, it's time for public comment. Can I have a a
show of hands? Who would like to make public comment tonight? Okay, very good. Thank you. Why don't we start over here with Mr. Debobi. Mhm. We're going to just go down the Oh, Mr. Mr. Fagan.
>> I mean, if you want me to >> go ahead, make it brief. >> Okay. I will I will try and move along as quickly as possible. Um, April is autism acceptance month. This has moved away from uh awareness month
and it has uh focused on acceptance. uh to uh accept those on the autism spectrum and uh respect them and understand their situation. And the uh last year at this time, the West Orange
Police Department introduced the uh blue envelope program. And uh for those autistic drivers, this is a uh an envelope that they can hand the police officer here in West Orange and has all their information on it. So, it's it's geared towards helping them and making a
um what could be a stressful situation less stressful. Uh mayor's open office hours are Thursday uh this Thursday uh 6:00 to 8 uh here at the mayor's office, council chambers. No appointment is ever necessary. And the next council connection uh will be uh April 30th. We
have a meeting before that. So, I will uh put out a reminder at that meeting as well. Also, uh you can check this on our website. the um April schedule for the uh West Orange Tacers uh hours. This
information is on our website. Also, the uh mayor's newsletter is accessible from the website that's posted at westn.org. Um you know, we had a bunch of we had a room full of young people here before uh all participating in basketball. We
don't know that we won't we don't have the next Elliot Kadau. And I mentioned that because um uh you may be aware that the uh March Madness tournament uh what's known as the March Madness tournament was won by Michigan and uh
Elliot Kadau from West Orange, his parents still live in West Orange, plays from Michigan. And not only that, he was selected as the most outstanding player of the men's tournament. So, as I said, we don't know. Uh we had a young room full of young people here. Uh we might not we might have the next superstar
among us uh here tonight. Um the uh West Orange DPW is picking up um curbside pickup March through May of springtime debris. There are more details on the website because they're just picking up leaves and they have to
be bagged. So uh if you have anything, please uh check out the website and and and so you're familiar with what they are picking up and what they are not picking up. Um on uh Wednesday, April 29th, there is a volunteer and job training resource fair
for adult for older adult adults, excuse me. This is at the West Orange Public Library and this information is posted on our social media. Uh they're also the Lions Club of West Orange. They're a great community partner. They uh serve
West Orange uh residents. There's the annual fundraiser coming up on April 16th in the West Orange High School Tornoff Cafeteria from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. It's a $20 per person. Uh so please support them if you can. Um also
there's a program uh sponsored by the American Red Cross in partnership with the West Orange Fire Department free smoke detector installation program. Uh limited quantities for West Orange residents are available. You can call the number uh arrange for installation
seven May 7th, 8th or 9th. Um uh you can it's uh free to West Orange residents. It's one and two family homes. Uh and so you can call and arrange for installation on those dates. And as I mentioned, there is limited quantities
available. Uh the West Orange Junior Police Academy is scheduled for June 22nd to June 26. Now I know that we're only in April. The reason I bring this up is because the application is available on our website and uh parents might be looking for uh activities
during the summer for their kids, might want to schedule uh vacations, whatnot. So this information is here uh so that they can uh look at uh fill out the application on the website. Uh also uh I have this on our e sign. The uh countdown to the street fair is June
6th. Uh exciting development. The uh Skyline to Shoreline Road Tour bus will be appearing. Uh that's for the World Cup. It will be at the uh Street Fair this June 6th. Uh and this countdown clock is uh is paused here, but it's on
our uh uh on our e sign and updated. Uh also, we get a lot of calls. We still get a lot of calls uh for uh street lights uh that are out and we appreciate residents bringing that to our attention. But if you get the poll number uh you can call PSNG directly and
just provide the poll number to them and they will take care of it. Uh contrary to popular belief, the West Orange DPW is not responsible for the street light outages. Um so you can call us and we'll be glad to report it, but you can eliminate uh us as the middleman. just
go directly to PSCG with if you provide them with the poll number. Uh also there's a uh election coming up on April 16th. Now the uh clerk's office has been receiving some phone calls uh how uh people can vote in the 11th congressional district special election.
However, West Orange is in the 10th congressional district. So uh therefore uh there's no West Orange residents will not be voting in the special election. I believe that special election uh was uh is for the uh spot vacated by uh our
governor who uh when she uh was elected governor, there's uh left a void and that's what this election is for. So if you're in West Orange, uh you're not missing anything. Uh our um public information director, Anthony, was here earlier. uh he has left but he asked me
to um to uh bring to your attention the household hazardous way coming up Saturday May 2nd. Uh this information is posted on our social media and uh I would suggest that you familiarize yourself with it because there's many items hard to get rid of items that are
listed here but there's also items that are not accepted. Uh so um you can go on our social media, can go on the county's website and check this out and uh just familiarize yourself what you can bring and what you can't bring. And finally, the uh Essis County Earth Day
celebration is coming up on Saturday, uh April 20 25th. This information will be posted on our website, too. I don't want to take up any more time. I know we're running behind. Thank you for your >> So uh Council President, uh thank you for your your patience.
>> Okay, so let's get Mr. Debie up here. >> Good evening everybody. >> Good evening. >> Todd Deovi, Professor uh Bernette Terrace. Where do I live? >> All right.
>> Uh first question. Where's the budget? It's late. It's as late as it was last year. I think everybody is asking the same question. Doesn't require any more elaboration.
Contracts. Uh I've seen numerous proposed contracts for view uh for new or prop promoted employees that contain such things as longevity pay, holiday pay. These are categories that most municipalities in New Jersey are phasing
out. Um and CBA had recommended that they be phased out. Um these extra benefits were designed to help elevate pay for underpaid municipal employees, not people whose base salary
exceeds that of those holding similar positions in neighboring municipalities. It changes the whole purpose of what it's for. Um, I would request that the council look at these things carefully
and consider what is bringing this township down. What is creating $170 million in debt? Our biggest costs are labor and pension costs. That's no there's no dispute.
Um, I also wanted to address the issue of retirement payouts. It should be go without saying uh but must be stated publicly that retirement payouts should not be made
for any former employer employee who may be subject to an investigation or even who have has allegations of potential uh wrongdoing. Um,
I mean that's that's also something that is raising our t our our our debt and our taxes and it can't continue. Um, the last thing I wanted to talk about was is really addressed to
Councilwoman Castelino. There have been several council meetings where you have basically stated that you have always been or for a very long time in favor of a town planner. That kind of leads people to think that
for ye decades or years you that as long as you've been there, you've been in favor of a town planner. But that's not the case. The first time that you spoke out in favor of a town planner was just after you came back from a trip to a
real estate convention. I believe it was out west somewhere. Might have been ICSC maybe. I'm not sure what the conference was that you attended, but you referenced that and having spoken to people there that helped you come to the
realization that we do need a town planner. but then shortly thereafter you then spoke out against it. Um I'm just correcting the record uh that you have not been in favor of that for quite some
time, years in fact. And I think that just people need to know that. >> Okay, >> that's all I got. Thank you very much. >> Thank you, Mr. Debi. Um I had said in previous meetings that what I'd like to do is I'd like us to stay on a topic. So, if there's anyone who wants to talk
about any of the topics that Mr. Deaui has just raised, would you raise your hand and I'll have you go next? Okay, Miss Bennett. Good evening, Michaela Bennett, Old Indian Road. Um, some some are on topic
and some are off, but I'll start with uh the ones that are on topic. So, uh, starting with his first, uh, as another member of the Citizens Budget Advisory Board, it's deeply concerning to me that we were assured by
the administration that there would be a more timely budget. Uh we spent an awful lot of time making recommendations uh to you all about getting a budget into your hands sooner um into our hands
sooner and um and passed sooner so that the public was not put in a position detrimental to themselves. So I would encourage you to make every effort to get um you know a
budget presented so that we can get to work. Um that's number one. Number two related to Mr. Deaui um and 119 it's E on your agenda 119-26.
Uh this is about your executive session I believe. um anytime and I'm going to cite to the open public meetings act sorry it's very small but I believe it's um NJSA 10 col4-6
um times in which you can go into an executive session uh specifically sorry I'm going to now go back when you're not um when you're not going to be in the public you need to and this
is specifically NJSA 10 col4-12 meetings open to the public exceptions you'll find that you may exclude the public only when a portion of the meeting relates to specific topics you're supposed to list each of the topics you're supposed to identify when
you will be back in session you're supposed to identify if you will be conducting business when you come back into session and you're supposed to identify for the public as best as possible when those meeting minutes will be made available. I don't think I can
remember a time where you've been in executive session and the meeting minutes have been made available to the public and that's a a flaw in this municipality that that needs to be addressed. And then the last thing that I would like to address is that I can
say Michaela Bennett, an attorney in the state of New Jersey, that there is an active investigation pending related to certain personnel matters in this township,
the former police chief, and I don't know if it's former or not, but the I do know it's former, the former um director of OEM. am I know that for a fact because I was interviewed. I'll say no more than that. I'll be happy to
share that information with the township attorney or with the labor council. I'd be happy to share all that I know with them so that they can verify, you know, what I say is true. But I spent more than three hours being interviewed by
public authorities. And um I I'm saying to you that before any pension payout is made, I'll read to you from the comprollers's report on this. Sorry, just give me a second. Receiving pension
benefits for service time that was not honorable is unwarranted under state law and represents a form of pension abuse. To receive a public pension, every public employee is required to serve honorably. Receipt of any public pension
requires more than merely showing up to work each day for the requisite number of years. I would submit to you that if you don't show up to work or if you take a salary for a job that you're not performing because you're working elsewhere,
those are grounds for the certifying officer of the township who is the CFO. Certifying officers, typically chief fiscal officers or designated officials, are pivotal in managing public pensions,
ensuring documentation accuracy from enrollment to retirement. When working as intended, they act as safeguards. As pension boards lack resources to independently verify member information, they bear primary legal responsibility
for providing truthful and complete information to the pension board in connection with a member's retirement application. This township is not doing its job properly in that regard and we should be looking into that. Thank you.
>> Thank you. Does anyone else want to talk about any of the issues that we've just talked about? If so, raise your hand. If not, I'll just take the next Mr. Colin, will you? >> Good. Good evening. Good late evening. Uh, Tony Lincoln, West Orange. I'd just
like to speak on behalf of uh neighbors that I've spoken to about their concerns of just being able to stay here in West Orange. Um they're so concerned about the property taxes that they they think they can just hold on maybe one or two
more years. And this is working class and also particularly elderly. and they're also concerned about the um the state New Jersey programs now being talked about by the governor, new governor to be cut. So there's a lot of
fear and there's a lot of uh financial insecurity. So I hope that as as administration and also that the council controls the purse that the budgets get cut, people's salaries are are are taken
in that people take into consideration that a lot of people are hanging on by a string by a by a toenail here in in the town and that these are um these are difficult times. And um then lastly um
the town the the meeting the o the open uh comment public comment here uh I think should always be in the in the beginning. because the town council is for the town people. I think primarily the residents should come first and if the specialists, the
lawyers, the consultants, whatever, uh say that they want to get home early this and that, I don't think that should be the consideration. We should we should take that into consideration as a town. We we should hire them. If we're going to have a executive session at 10
p.m., tell them to come at 10 p.m. Don't Don't start clocking them at 6:30. clock them at 10:00 and if it's over at 11 then um they've worked an hour over 11:30 an hour and a half and that's the way it should go. They work for us and
the town people that come here to the meetings they they're doing it for free. Uh thank you very much. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Uh who would like to go next over here? Anybody? Anyone? Jackie. I'm gonna go down. I'm going to go around this unless
I'm gonna go around this way. Good evening everyone. Jaclyn Hendy, Beverly Road. Um, I am here tonight on behalf of West Orange Aiding Neighbors, W. We are a group of 90 West Orange residents advocating for vulnerable
people in our community. On March 25th, Governor Cheryl signed the Immigrant Trust Act into law. The ITA creates a clear boundary between local law enforcement and federal immigration enforcement. It states that local law enforcement is to cor cooperate with federal law enforcement only when a
judicial warrant signed by a judge is present. The NJ DOE has also established similar protocols in January 2025. Tonight, we are humbly requesting the town council consider our resolution to affirm these protections at the
municipal level and extend them to town property and resources. As we all know, there has been an increased federal immigration enforcement activity happening all across the United States over the past year. This has increasingly put immigrant communities at risk of being targeted by ICE
activity and has led to thousands of wrongful arrests. Approximately 25% of the people living in West Orange are foreignb born individuals. West Orange would not be the wonderful and diverse place that it is today without our immigrant communities and neighbors. I
want to share what we are hearing from our community. People are afraid that they are going to be targeted simply because of how they look or how they talk. Parents are asking whether it's safe to attend school events. Attendance at church and adult education classes has plummeted. People who have lived and
worked in this town for years are afraid that accessing basic services could put them or their loved ones at risk. Every person in this town deserves to feel safe bringing their children to school, shopping for groceries, picking up prescriptions, and using public
resources like our library and our parks. When people withdraw from public spaces out of fear, the whole community is less safe and less connected. Now, I understand municipal government cannot control federal law enforcement, nor
should it. but it can control how its own property and resources are used per New Jersey law NJSA4-2 which states that municipalities have the authority to regulate the use of their own facilities to protect the
health, safety and welfare of its residents. Our community's diversity is our strength. I and many others move to this town specifically because we want to live in a diverse place where everyone is equal and everyone feels safe. West Orange has no excuse not to
be leaders. Thank you. And because one of my neighbors could not had to leave and put her son to bed, I'm going to read a little bit of her statement since I have 2 minutes and 14 seconds in counting on the clock. This is on behalf of Aaron Robbins who lives on Ridgeview Avenue. She has been here to advocate
for local street local streets and you listened and now she's coming before you to appeal to support the immigration trust act. G is part of a group of 67 members deep. It's called West Send the Mothers. All of them are West Orange residents, taxpayers, parents, people who want to foster a kind and decent
community worth saving. She is here to support the members of W and the introduction of the West Orange immigration trust am resolution. We have been to the suffering of our neighbors, friends, and business and community members for months. They are hiding in their homes like prisoners suffering
from fear and anxiety daily. We took um the initiative to get direct testimony from several residents. So this is not just hearsay. This is from a gentleman who is afraid that he'll be taken from his young and family un unexpectedly. Every night he vomits gripped with fear. Our immigrant neighborhoods are losing
their livelihoods, their dignity, and the people they love most and trust. And when they lose, we lose. We lose the beautiful thriving practice of multicultural and multilingual community. We use v we lose vital community members who contribute to our economy, our workforce, our lives. But most important, we lose our humanity.
This resolution is an opportunity to evolve, to invest in your own sense of integrity and to choose the people, your people. We need action and we need bravery and we need it now. And here are the list of the names of people to from send the mothers who are explicitly supporting this resolution. So, thank
you very much. They are Dagmar Hobson, Jenna, Emily Dino, forgive me if I mispronounce your names, Jenna, Shannon Aldine, Diamarara Jimenez, Ashley Nick Linn, Heather Abu, pardon me, Abuja, pardon me, Heather, I'm sorry, Jessica
Puit, Barnett, Megan Bait, Kristen Cruz, Rebecca Martin, Jessica Gaglaniano, Andrea Graci, Helen Quesar, Kayn Pab Pabanabo, and Lauren Nunan. Thank you guys for your time. Appreciate it. >> Thank you very much. Is there anybody who wants to speak about this topic?
Okay. >> Welcome. I'm sorry I didn't know your name. Go ahead. >> Good evening. Um Matthew De'vorin uh Forest Hill Road. Uh tonight we're here we are at excuse me tonight we ask for regular reporting
on any known ICE or federal immigration enforcement activity happening in West Orange and reports of when it affects West Orange residents. I'm going to read a short list of incidents which have occurred in West Orange or which have involved West Orange residents within the last 4
months. On October 12th, a man was dragged out of his car on Virginia Avenue. This incident was witnessed by West Orange students who were waiting for their bus. On December 16th, a West Orange resident was detained at a Home Depot Sharp uh parking lot in Newark. On
January 30, a video was shared of ICE chasing a man on Valley Street in West Orange. In early February, another West Orange resident was detained in Newark. On February 26, a masked ICE agent was witnessed detaining someone during a
vehicle stop. On March 19th, the father of a West Orange student was detained. We have received two separate reports of ICE agents attempting to access private apartment buildings and pounding on doors to see who might open them, causing fear and panic in the community.
We have learned about these incidents through informal channels, not through any official reporting by the town. We have no way of knowing whether this is a complete list or if there are more incidents that occurred where people just disappeared with no chance for legal help. Every one of these happened
to someone's friend, someone's parent or sibling or child, someone's neighbor. It is because of incidents like these that people are afraid. Persons of all legal statuses legitimately fear for their safety and think twice before going
about their daily lives. Even documented people have a legitimate worry that they may be ta may be detained if if they do not have the correct paperwork on them. As West Orange residents, we have an obligation to be formally apprised of how our community is being disturbed. We
need accurate, timely, and reliable information so that our community can respond appropriately. Thank you. >> Thank you. Is there anyone else who'd like to speak about this topic? The woman in the purple Sorry, I did not know your name. Please introduce yourself. You have five
minutes. >> I'm an Travers live in Rainbow Terrace. Thanks. Uh, I'm here to support the resolution that was just described to you. Uh above and beyond the upsetting stories that were just told about what's happened to our neighbors so far. Uh I
have many reasons why I'm supporting the resolution. First, as my colleague just said, we don't know about the scale of the problem. How many stories have we not heard because there were no witnesses or because no one knew where to report what
they saw or they felt too vulnerable themselves. Second, given that our government is undertaking the harshest crackdown on immigrants in 60 years, the current numbers are only likely to go up.
What would be the basis for that? Well, for one, ICE itself made public last month that it plans to ramp up its activities along the East Coast. Of all the states on the East Coast, our state has the highest proportion of
immigrants, 24%. and the highest proportion of children living in an immigrant household, 40%. If we zero in on West Orange, as somebody mentioned, our township population is more than 25% foreignb
born, including a large Haitian community, which is a favorite target of the Trump administration. Then there are signs that the Trump administration increasingly wants to target undocumented school children. school children, excuse
me. They've taken a number of steps in this direction, most recently trying to get kids thrown out of the school system in Texas if they're undocumented. But that's just one of several things they've done over the last year, targeting children. So, with our geographic location and our
demographic profile, we have all the ingredients to be a major target. And that doesn't even take into account the $75 billion in increased funding ICE got this year. 45 billion of which is for new detention
facilities. They're trying to put one with 1500 beds in Roxberry, >> a half hour away from here. And if they overcome the injunction that they're fighting right now, they're going to want to fill those beds.
So we, our neighbors, children in our community are facing a clear and present danger and we should not be caught unprepared. This resolution would ensure the town has clear protocols in place so town employees know exactly how to respond if
ICE were to attempt to increase its activities that threaten the safety and welfare of our neighbors. One final point about the risk of doing nothing. Town resources exist to serve us, the
people who live here and pay taxes here. If we allow federal operations unwarranted use of town resources, those resources may then be unavailable to us for local emergencies. And that would erode trust and
discourage people from freely using the town property and the services that are funded for them by their tax dollars. The state law, the New Jersey Immigrant Trust Act, is a good law, but our neighbors and especially the children
among us need a separate and independent layer of municipal protection that will be carried out at the local level and that is the purpose of this resolution and why I support it. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. Does anybody else want to
speak about this topic? I'm Amy Pratt, 96 Walker Road. So many other communities across New Jersey are taking action with uh with town trust resolutions, ordinances, and executive orders that provide the clarity that we
are proposing for West Orange. Just this year, since the start of 2026, 11 New Jersey municipalities have passed down legislation that bans the use of municipal property for federal immigration staging operations, requires a judicial warrant to enter non-public
places on municipal property, res, and resolves to not collect or share information on the immigrant the immigration status of any individual. In some cases, it even provides legal support and know your rights training for community members and staff. These
municipalities include New Brunswick signed an executive order in January. Jersey City signs an executive order in January. North Bergen passed an ordinance in February. Newark signs an executive order in February. Her signed an executive order in February. Teneck
passed a resolution in February. Piscataway passed a resolution in March. And Bloomfield passed a resolution in March. Lyndon's board of education passed a resolution in March. and Roxbury filed an injunction in March to block the new ICE detention center. Most
recently, Montlair is voting to adopt an ordinance at their next town council meeting on April 21st. This is in addition to Princeton, who passed a similar resolution in August last year, and Hoboken, who passed an ordinance in September last year banning the use of
city property for federal immigration agents and declaring that they will not collect or share information about the immigration status of any individual. Maplewood, East Orange, Planefield, and Patterson also passed similar resolutions years ago in 2017 and 2019,
paving a way for all the progress that has been made in the past 4 months. Every week, it feels like I'm adding another town to my list of New Jersey communities that are choosing to st take a stand and protect our immigrant neighbors. I hope that the next town I
add to my list is West Orange. >> Thank you very much. >> Thank you. Anyone else would like to talk about this topic? Come right up. >> I'm sorry I don't know your name. Just introduce yourself. >> Hi,
I'm Charlotte Wescott. I'm on uh St. Cloud Avenue and I've been a West Orange resident for 24 years. So, I'm sure we all remember how wonderful March 28th was when we had the No Kings ice out rallies across the
country and across Essex County. But did you know that here in West Orange, we have our own version of No Kings Ice Out rallies. They happen every week. Sundays. Sundays from 12 to
1 on Northfield Avenue in front of the Cody Ice Arena. Your neighbors, your friends gather. We're a fun group. We have signs and we have flags and our numbers are growing. When we started
this in late January, snow on the ground, four people showed up and I was one of them. But the next week, still snow on the ground. 84 people showed up. It was awesome. And we have
been doing this. This Sunday will be our 12th Sunday that we have gathered in front of the Cody Arena having a ball. People bring their kids. People have mobility problems. No problem. We got chairs for you and parking is free. So I
am inviting everyone to come join us. We will be doing this Sundays for as long as we need to. So that means we may be going up until like the midterm elections, but you know what? We're going to be there Sundays 12 to 1. Thank you.
>> Thank you. Thank you for your advocacy. You sound like a lot of fun. Anybody else want to speak on this topic? >> It's been a long night. It pass >> for all of us. Um um I'm glad you folks are paying attention to what we've all been saying. My name is Steve Block. I
live at Jewish Federation Plaza at 750 Northfield where I have been the leader of the Plaza Tenants Alliance for the past 5 years. You may know we are a lowincome HUD subsidized facility for seniors and
persons with disabilities. We house 140 women and men mostly in our 70s, 80s, and 90s. And thankfully, our residency increasingly reflects significant racial, national, and
religious diversity. We have too many emergencies and regularly benefit from the great work of West Orange police, fire, and EMT personnel. By contrast, the great majority of us
are vehemently opposed to the Trump agenda and in particularly to all the reasons why ICE should never set foot anywhere in America, certainly not here in West Orange. We urge you to support
the resolution presented tonight by W. And let me add my voice to what Charlotte Wescott just uh just suggested. You support you support and urge others to join us every Sunday
in front of Cody from noon to 100 p.m. to protest ICE and the horrible policies and personal behavior of the most destructive president in American history. Thank you. >> Thank you very much. Hope we see you again. Is there anyone else who wants to
speak about this topic? Any anyone who wants to speak about another topic? No. Okay. Seeing Oh, come on up, Miss Mr. Goldsmith. Um, good evening members of the council.
Um, Justin Goldzman, Moran Road. Um, prefacing my commentary tonight with the fact that I believe over the years I've shown everyone on the deis respect. I've always called you councilwoman, councilman, council president. Even when we're outside of the chambers, I've never raised my voice at anyone on the deis. So maybe a little out of character
for me tonight. Um, at the last council meeting, there was a resolution that I had asked the council to entertain, the make polluters pay for more affordable New Jersey agenda. Um, there was no motion to move that forward. Disagree with that decision. Quite frankly, disagree with most of the rationale
provided there. The resolution to support that um that legislation does relate to West Orange. We are vulnerable to storms, to flooding, to the climate crisis, to tree replacement, to the fact that we've admitted that we still don't have storm water mapping in town. We are
$171 million in debt. The resolution would have affirmed our commitment to holding those accountable for exacerbating the climate crisis and would have sent an affirming message to create funds that we, as a town, would have been potentially eligible to apply for. I say that so that the next time there's a bill somewhere in Trenton that
has to do with other things that we care about like downtown revitalization projects like super fun sites that we need to clean up to build a movie studio which we cannot do on our own and we need state help to do so. We want to talk about Mount Laurel and affordable
housing. We want to talk about the salt deduction. We want to talk about all these other things. I expect the same quite frankly short-sighted and isolationist approach to how we govern. There's an agenda item tonight that has to do with $150,000 of a shared partnership agreement with East Orange.
Those programs get funded when municipalities ask for them because they speak about the needs that they have. PJM is our grid manager that does a terrible job throughout the Northeast and that's why our utility bills are so high from mismanagement. Mount Warl's
not housed in West Orange yet. We've opined on affordable housing and how it impacts our town. We don't live in a bubble. That resolution was no different than advocating for additional grant funding to help us clean up environmental challenges. But such is the beauty of democracy. Thumbs up, thumbs down, yay or nay. I can
appreciate our democratic processes and still be disappointed with the outcome. Not everyone wins. That's democracy, and I'm okay with that. What is also democracy, however, is a resident's prerogative to bring forth those issues to the council. Those issues that they care about, they think might be helpful,
or want to offer for the council to consider. It's why I diligently read every agenda item. It's why I provided you multiple pages of supporting documents and frequently asked questions so that advocating for our town to receive potential monies and trying to be good environmental stewards um is
addressed. Unfortunately, at that meeting, it was said that those resolutions, and I will lump in this valiant effort as well, were quote unquote a waste of taxpayer money. That's not just categorically false and an affront to the future generations
that inherit our planet, but it's also highly hypocritical because I want to ask, how do you determine a waste of taxpayer money? Some might say that debating something is worthwhile. You wasted 90 minutes of executive session at the last meeting and tonight it was 3 hours. I would say that was a waste of our time. There are books on Robert's
rules of order. I've had this since I was 18 years old. You can borrow a copy. How much time do we spend in our meeting saying, "Do I need to motion this? Do I need a second? How do I do this? What do I do?" I would nickel and dime that if we're doing that because that was more than the 31 seconds that I spent talking about that resolution. 15% of towns in
New Jersey passed that resolution. 15% of towns in New Jersey passed that resolution. We hire our town attorney who I like and I think is doing a good job and this is not about him. He's here to guide us. If the money spent on our town attorney is a concern to you, that is a conversation that you have in
contract negotiations. That is not the way you stifle and make people feel guilty about speaking their rights at the deis. I should not come up here and worry about where I am on a clock because of how much it costs the town attorney to be here to do his job. If we have those conversations and we can have
those conversations, but issues when residents come up here to speak their truths, whatever the issue is, deserve to be heard and not me thinking that you're looking at a clock to wonder how much it is costing the town as opposed to listening to the words that the residents are up here speaking. So, I
don't think it's good governance. It corrods the public's trust and their ability to come up here when we do things like that. I have more. I'm done. But I also just want to say the World Cups in less than two months. We're missing out on any massive economic opportunity. I've been saying for months, we need to be a unified effort
in this. That town does not have many businesses that have the license to stream. We should be bringing in our different cultural and heritage groups together. It's the beautiful sport for a reason. It brings people together all over the world. And on the U agenda that has to do with the sewer replacement,
once again asking if there's any update on the ordinance where my proposal would save us time and money by getting the data from there since we don't have a map. And that's all I want to say, but you know, we got to treat residents with respect, not waste three hours of time, and not make people feel like they have to watch the clock up here. Thank you
for your time. >> Okay. Thank you. Does anybody else have anything they want to talk about? No. Okay. Seeing none, we'll close public comment. Um, since there were so many things tonight that um really
require um thoughtful response from our administration, I think I'm going to let them go first and um uh and adjust uh take on the budget uh the retirement payouts. I think Mr. Moraldo and um
there's a lot of these things that really you might need to address the contracts um the police chief and the OEM because there are limitations to what we can speak about is okay and some are legal.
>> Okay. So the the budget um so we have a a summary sheet we'll pass out to the uh council at the end of the meeting and then the big packet which is like the packet from last year times two or three. Um we're still putting that
together. It's a lot of printing, a lot of scanning. We're trying to get that sent out to CBA and to everyone here um for tomorrow. But at least we have the summary sheet which has uh revenue, the totals for each of the um budget line
items, and then a a tax rate calculation. Um and like I said, the big packet that has all the actual supporting documentation for each each uh salary and wage line item. Um which we added a lot more to it this year. we
we added all the earnings as of our eth payroll which is our April 10th payroll. So we have for each individual um department along with the salary ask where we we've showed what we've spent so far by person by earning code. So, a
lot more detail to the SNW. And then in the OE, we have the 2025 um spent listed by sub account. And then we have a 2026 as of March 31st, what's been spent so that we're giving, you
know, the council and the CBA. Um it's not up to date. It's it's to March 31st, but you know, I had to pick a date and get everything in there. Um so, we have that spending. And then we have individual items like you know give you central GIF joint insurance bill. Um so
you can actually see some of the actual items significant items that that support the the budget ask. So it is a significantly bigger document. Um and we will get that PDF in first it'll be
letter sized and then the next will be uh legal sized. So, we'll put them up on the website as soon as we can and get them out to everyone. Uh, and we'll also have paper copies available. So, um, but we have, uh, summaries today for the for
the council. >> Great. >> Um, oh, sorry. >> Go ahead. >> That's it. I'm sorry, Council President. >> Okay. So, between Mr. Spaldo and our legal counsel, you could decide who who would like to talk about the retirement
payments or contracts or what we can >> I'll jump in on on the retire the retirements and the contracts. >> Okay. Um th those were uh primary topics of uh close session, executive session. Um they they're not uh for public
consumption at this time. There will be public discussion and debate uh uh when they're uh brought up for for uh for consideration by the council. In fact, I believe um two of the uh pending contracts are up for discussion tonight.
So, um I think we can wait until after public comment for those, but the retirement payouts and any any law enforcement activity is is not uh appropriate for public forum. >> Okay. >> Okay. Um and then uh the meeting minutes
uh there was a question about whether the meeting minutes are made available to the public. There was some there was some concern about meeting minutes being made available to the public. >> Yeah, I I can chime in on that as well. >> Close. So the the way the public meeting act reads is that once the uh issues and
items that are discussed discussed in executive close session are concluded um and and handled publicly either by way of resolution, ordinance uh settlement of litigation or or whatever the the final resolution is then u and at that
time close session minutes should be made public. Uh obviously I've only been uh representing the township for about five months now. So I don't know what the uh historical uh practice has been but um you know in terms of what I've uh
done uh in terms of close session minutes um you know I'll get those to to Karen. uh other uh attorneys have have taken uh their minutes and then it'll be a question of and obviously not everything we discussed tonight will
come public at the same time right so >> take considerable time >> we'll have yeah we'll have to sort of roll them out as the matters are concluded for example again and I we have the chief and uh deputy chief of police's contracts on uh the agenda for
discussion and consideration uh once those are finalized and executed, then the issues related to those topics in close session will be uh available to be made public. So, okay, >> I think that kind of gives a flavor for where we're at. >> Okay. And Mrs. Carbalo, um Mr. Goldsman
had the question about the sewer mapping. if you would like to briefly address our plans to uh deal with that. In regards to the storm water mapping is actually currently under
I don't know mapping. It's being drawn. Um I actually had a meeting with the consultant last week. Eventually, I'll be coming back to you for a resolution for the other half of the MS4 um compliance
with respect to the mapping for the I would say sanitary sewers. Um that's definitely going to be part of my I guess request for capital monies >> and that's going to be probably a
million a million and a half if not more. Mhm. Okay. Um I know that you have um just two ordinances and one resolution on the agenda tonight and I hate to see you sit here all evening.
Are there any council people who have any questions for Miss Carbalo on 12326, 296626 or 296926? because if not and if there are not any
anyone in the the public who wants to speak about those it would be nice to let you go home so that you can work tomorrow. Does anyone have any Is there anyone in the public who has any questions on those two ordinances or
any comment? >> Public hearing. >> Oh, we can't >> Well, I mean you can go out of order but you have to open it up to >> Okay. So maybe we should just we'll do after public comment maybe we'll just do them today. >> Still technically in public comment. So
yeah want to invite questions or comments to those while Miss Calva is here. That's >> okay. >> And then we can do them before we resolution. >> We'll have a separate public >> Yeah. I just don't want her sitting here all night because she needs to be fresh to be able to work tomorrow. Um
>> okay. So is there anyone in the public who has any comment about those two ordinances? All right. So, we'll start with response to public comment then. M Counciloman Williams. >> Thank you. Good evening and um thank you
very much to the public and uh apologies for us having to have you all wait. I'm sorry. I think Councilman Kovak had something. >> Oh, I'm sorry. Councilman Kakoviac. >> I just wanted to follow up as long as we were talking about the budget. I certainly have some questions that I'd
like to ask. Thank you. >> Uh Mr. Tiniac, thank you for uh finally getting us here. >> Um just so everyone knows, I sent a long email last week on the budget to the mayor and key administration people and posted it to Facebook yesterday. So, I'm
not going to go through it, but if you really want to know, please just search Facebook because after uh 2025's budget debacle, uh I wanted to know when we were getting the budget and what in the world is
holding it up uh for the last roughly uh three and a half months. Oh, so um it just there was a lot of work that had to go into it. Um, you know, I wanted to really make sure
that I I I comb through it as as closely as I could. I think that's what this represents. Um, and and and like I said, there's a lot more information that we put together for this. Um, it's it's it's significant. I mean, and I even paired
it down. Um, so I I hope that all the detail that you're going to get is going to make the decision to move forward with what I've presented a little bit easier. Um, but you know, we'll go through the whole process. So,
>> okay. Earlier this uh earlier this year, I drafted up some principles to try to guide the 2026 budget process that the council subsequently uh approved unanimously. and that those principles uh require a
timeline and milestones from the administration. Is this package going to contain this information that we requested uh many weeks ago? >> Yes, I think and more. Uh this is the most detailed budget package I've seen
out there. Um like I said, we have information on all of our employees and their earnings. because obviously we leave out deductions, but it's it's pretty granular. Um, so, >> okay. Uh the state's uh local finance
notice 2025-18 from December 12th, 2025 seems to say that we as the governing body responsible for reviewing and adopting this budget need to get it uh and
either by March 31st or the next council meeting after which is tonight. Mhm. >> But it seems to say we need to adopt, which means complete the entire budget process by April 30th or the next following council meeting. Do I read that notice correctly?
>> Yeah, that's I mean that's the timeline, but I mean if you look at the state of New Jersey and all the municipalities, you know, very I'm going to say the minority of of municipalities actually follow that timeline. So, I I
think if we if we were able to adopt in May, I think we're going to be okay. The state is really concerned with the introduction more so than the adoption. Um because we're also going to have to wait for, you know, the state to to certify their
budget before we could even certify tax bills. So, you know, you can adopt in in May and not be able to do anything till late June. So, I mean, even if we introduce tonight, we we know that our our budget hearing
process is is pretty long, you know, so we weren't going to make the first meeting of May anyway for adoption. Let's be honest. So, um again, I I hope that the detail that we
put into this package will help CBA and and the council. um cut down on the questions that we'll need for the hearings. Um because we really tried to spell out like this is what we spent so far. This is
absolutely what we need. Um you know, here's all the people, here's all the everything they've been paid. You know, overtime's not padded, salaries are not padded. It it it's all there. I mean, it it's it's really all there. It's exhaustive. Well, I I I understand, you know, you're
much more experienced in this than I am. And if you're saying, you know, that that the state regulators are more invested in the introduction rather than the adoption. >> We took that route last year and each one of us up here on the council got
threatened with rather significant uh personal fines. Yeah. >> For failing to meet the timeline. So have you >> introduction but it was for the introduction. It was not for the adoption. It was for the introduction. Uh and and that is still the case. So
>> and I just wonder if they're going to be as uh understanding this year rather than last year when when when that happens. >> I think if we were able to introduce this in two weeks, nobody's coming after towns that introduce in April. I don't think anybody's coming after towns that
introduce in May. Um, City Network is not going to introduce anytime soon. I don't think they have. Um, so I think we'll be okay, but I can't predict the future. So, um, but I'm just
saying, you know, not many towns will be completely adopted by the end of this month. >> Okay. Uh the uh the local finance notice mentioned uh the annual financial
statement needed to be submitted by March 6th. Has that been done? >> No. Samuel Klein is is working on that with me. >> Okay. >> All right. Looks like we got our work cut out for us. Thank you. >> Okay. Williams, go ahead.
>> Oh, if I if I could, I'm sorry. I apologize. I just wanted to follow up, Mr. Pastor, because Mr. pastor is relatively new to the township service and we appreciate him here. Uh but there may be
that on executive session minutes that there's a much bigger job here to identify and release the minutes that no longer need to be
kept confidential. And I'm talking about perhaps going back years. So because right now, as far as I can tell, I can't find any executive session minutes on the township website and we should be able to have them uh on the website so
that when people want to see them and when we can release them, we we do that. And I think that might be part of the issue here. You go to the website, you can't find any executive session minutes. So, uh, you may be biting off a
little bit more than you expected, but I I think it's a good exercise to go through because we need to be compliant with the Open Public Meetings Act. >> Yeah. I I I think that the problem you run into there is government is a constant and and you're you're always
dealing with today and when something gets in the rearview mirror by weeks or months, it's easy to forget. So, you know, look, we can only do our best and and try to, you know, be as compliant as we can. But it's it's one of those things that slips through the cracks for
just that reason. We're all sure worried about today and tomorrow, six months ago, a year ago, fall through the cracks. But, you know, >> for my part, I'll I'll do what I can to is compliant. >> Sounds good. Yes. I just want to flag it because it might be a lot of work ahead. >> I know there are there are a lot of
towns. I mean, there's 565 or so in New Jersey and I would say probably a super majority have no meeting closed session meeting rooms available to the public. So if we can change that around that >> right thank you.
>> Thank you council president. >> Yes. You want to go ahead? >> I just want to just want to ask one question um on the budget the you you mentioned the introduction of the budget. >> I mean the introduction of the budget is
when the mayor presents it to us. Uh the introduction of the budget that I'm referring to is when the the governing body um approves a resolution introducing the budget setting forth a public hearing date. That's what I mean for the introduction.
>> Right. I understand. But the fines come to the council >> for introducing it late. >> We're introducing it late because it was given to us late. >> Yeah, that's what you said last year. Um Um >> Yeah. Yeah.
I mean that's that's what was said last year. Um >> that was that is what happened last year. >> Nobody got fined, right? And on the record, no one was fined. >> But but it should be the mayor that gets fined, not the council since it's the
introduction. just just saying >> I >> I think has done in the past when they have levied fines, they've levied it against voting members. Um so if like a mayor doesn't vote, they they wouldn't levy
the fine against the mayor. >> But if the mayor was fined for introducing it late, maybe we'd get it a little earlier. >> 18 we move >> neither here nor there. Yeah, let's move on. >> Okay, >> Councilwoman Williams, start. >> Go ahead.
>> Go ahead. >> Thank you. >> And again, thank you to the public uh for enduring such a long executive session. Um just want to point out um that we sometimes have uh information that has to be and remain confidential.
Um and it impacts the decisions that we make as well as the responses that we have to the public. Um so again, apologies uh for not being able to prioritize your needs and interests. Um but again, we are servant leaders who do
need the direction and uh recommendations from our legal team. I think you've heard our council president u make suggestions and recommendations that it won't happen moving forward. Um so we will do our best to u meet that responsibility.
um wanted to thank uh Sheila Lewitz for her recommendation for the FIT program. Um but um certainly would like to see more information on that. I haven't seen any details or uh descriptions of what that program would look like or even the
cost associated um with that and how it would impact uh the $250,000 grant. So looking forward to more detailed information. Um so as far as the budget is concerned, we've heard the response uh from our chief financial officer that
we will be moving forward with the budget. Uh the next topic of conversation, I'd just like to u thank everyone for coming out to discuss the immigration trust act. Um I wanted to make one small correction however uh to
Matthew Devon. I think that is how you pronounce your name and I apologize if I did not pronounce that correctly. But you mentioned some incidents that have happened in and around West Orange with some of our residents. I just wanted to make one small correction. The incident
that you referenced in, if I'm not mistaken, October actually happened on December 9th. And the reason I am very familiar with that December 9th incident is because December 9th is my birthday. Um, and I received many, many calls as well as uh visited some of the
homeowners on the street where that incident took place. I am in absolute and total agreement um that ICE incidents um have impacted our West Orange residents. Um back after that incident happened, I asked that the uh
governing body, our administration, different stakeholders within schools um meet, including our uh police chief um to discuss ICE incidents, what our involvement and level of involvement is in and around West Orange, and what we
could do to support um the residents who are concerned about immigration. Um we have met on at least two times collectively um to discuss ICE incidents and then as a response um requested that
the administration put up information um for our residents on ICE information which is a dedicated um space on the township website at this time. Is that enough? Absolutely not. Um have we known
or do we have records? Um there has been discussion um with various communities about how we can support and continue to help our residents. What we know um is that this fear is real. Um speaking to
residents again just afraid to walk your dog, which is something that obviously if you have a pet you have to do. Um afraid to just take a walk around the neighborhood. And now that the weather has changed, what we know is that there
are some very real concerns that we have to address. Um, even mentioned uh to our Hispanic Foundation um a possibility of having some type of um
internal process where we can have on the website when people do see ICE incidents if it could be documented. Um again there's a concern with privacy and safety. So that did isn't something that
um materialized. And what I um am aware of is that there are a lot of local chat groups and Facebook groups and as well as um telephone uh chat groups where people are self-reporting ICE incidents. Um, but we can do more and I think on a
local level we should um do as much as we can to let our residents know uh that we are here for them and to support their interests. So um anything that we can do on the local level to reinforce um strong support uh for our community residents, I think we should move in
that direction without hesitation. Um certainly um we also know that it's not just ICE. There are tremendous amount of other alphabet agencies that do detaining um as well as um uh removals
quite frankly. Um it's not just um ICE, it's Homeland Security. Um there are a couple of other alphabet agencies that are under homeland security. Um this is information that I actually participated in a panel discussion and a workshop over the weekend because we are a border
state and we have border patrol as well. that is also going to ramp up um detainees. So yes um the community of Roxbury is um trying to prevent um a a detention center um from being in their
community. There are two detention centers um currently in operation in the state of New Jersey and we want to be mindful that um West Orange has empty warehouses right now and could possibly be a site um that is looked at for
opportunity. And um I I encourage us again to just do all that we can uh to support our residents. And that that support goes further than just um some type of regulation or ordinance to
protect our residents. What we have to look also as um each of us helping and supporting our neighbors. When a person is removed, usually it's the head of the household and usually
that's the income person. Um, and so then you have a family that no longer has the opportunity to pay their bills, to feed their children. Um, I've asked uh our West Orange schools if they will look at how many children are now um not
looking at school, not attending schools. Um we know that um some of our services that are provided by the library um our secondary language um programs and classes are not being well attended anymore. Um so whatever we can
do collectively uh we need to do but we also need to look out for our neighbors personally. Um so if there is incidents that you know of um just help our neighbors let us know if we can help our neighbors. There are tremendous amount of groups and organizations in town and
there are other resources perhaps not housed in the West Orange community um but in our neighboring communities um that are doing a little bit more than we're doing right here. Um, so looking forward to the administration and again if you listen to um I'm sorry if I
didn't catch her name, but where she stated all of the communities um that have supported uh immigration uh uh conservation locally. Um a lot of those things have been done by executive order. Didn't even require the council
to vote on resolutions and ordinances. Um so there there are some some uh things that we can do differently in our community um to reassure our residents that we do support them. We see them and we hear them. So thank you for bringing
that to our attention uh today. Also wanted to um talk about um storms and the climate crisis. um th those things are being um moved forward with our engineering department.
Everything costs money and so it's not that um we aren't aware and we're not looking to move forward. Uh I think it's just the appropriate departments having the time and the space to to move these issues um forward. As far as the World Cup is concerned, um I think uh our
council colleague um can speak a little bit more to the details that the downtown alliance is doing. Um I attended a workshop earlier today um that where the West Orange Chamber of Commerce um is a member of and looking
to work with and understand how we can uh get more involved with World Cup, World Cup, FIFA activities. Um the licensing uh is something that I think the downtown alliance was looking into and the chamber was looking to partner
where possible. Um but this is a missed opportunity if we aren't able to galvanize and really introduce something um immediately. So looking forward to understanding where we are. Uh a lot of organizations are uh taking um
opportunities to um screen post special events, but again, if the public doesn't know what we're doing and where we're where to go, um those dollars will be spent elsewhere. One of the things that um was
important on the conversation and the call today um was just knowing that if businesses will um upgrade their social media presence appropriately um World Cup sponsors are picking those uh that
information up and putting it on a master list. So, for instance, if you have a restaurant that is going to do specials um around World Cup um or off of discounts to ticket holders of World Cup um attendees, then that's something that this uh these entities will be
looking to promote uh so that towns can become more successful and take advantage of those opportunities. Also wanted to talk about Junth. I'm not certain that that was um showcased by our administration. Um but this will be
our third annual Junth film festival and until April 30th, any of our um film creatives um would please uh look forward to submitting your work um short films, long films, drama, uh anything uh
highlighting the black experience. um we're welcoming those uh entries so that we can again have our third annual film festival, our third annual Junth film festival. Um also wanted to talk about affordability in West Orange. Um just
understanding that affordability is a grave concern. Um certainly I um and am in agreement in talking to neighbors whether it be our elderly neighbors or our working class. Um financial insecurity is a real um uncertainty uh
with the school board um budget um having a shortfall. Um people are concerned about increased class sizes. People are concerned about uh some of the um activities that may be impacted by the loss of funding. And I think this
is a an opportunity where the township and the uh board of ed can look to see um how we can reduce cost expenses and increase shared services. Um that was something that I had introduced many years ago um that we needed to have a
task force just look at um where there is opportunity for more collaborative efforts. We do know that we work with our schools for our fields and maintaining some of those spaces. Um but again both the the township as well as
the um board of ed there's IT opportunities there's trash collection opportunities um there's basic um procurement of u paper pens pencils all these things um need a a very uh strong review um so that we can see how we can
reduce the financial burden on our taxpayers. So, totally in agreement with those comments. That is a real concern and we have to do something uh to stabilize our taxes. Um with the last reassessment that we had in 2025,
um also talked with the neighbor who had a $6,000 tax increase and missed the deadline. Um is just under the age for a senior freeze and basically working two jobs right now to be able to meet their financial obligations. but with the
$6,000 tax increase is going to have to have a third job. And then these are people who, you know, have some health issues at home with other members in their household as well. Um so this burden is very real and um as as elected
officials, we should be doing everything that we can to see that where we can cut costs and expenses. Uh I think that covers most of the points that were mentioned this evening except um just wanted to bring to um the
attention of our legal um with the open public meetings act um we talked about or there was commentary that we should advise the public um when we expect to return or at least um some type of estimate about how long we will be in
executive session. So, if I could just get clarification on um the interpretation of the open public meetings act, what we are required to do um as your governing body when we go into executive session um if that type of um information is absolutely
required, how we can inform the public of the time that we will be um out of the >> So, a lot of governing bodies do their close session at the close of of their business. Um, and
the the primary question is whether official action will be taken afterward uh to inform the public whether they want to hang around or not. Um, I've never, you know, in 25 years of representing municipalities
really been asked to pin down a time frame because it's very hard to to estimate. Um, you know, it's it's really up to the governing body how long they're in close session, not not the the attorney or the the presenting
officials. Um, but that's generally the way I've experienced it is at the end of a meeting. at the beginning of a meeting like we did tonight. Um, you know, certainly it's it's it's in it's in the statute that you should give an estimate, but it's, you
know, it's it's not if you're 15 minutes over or a half an hour under um it's not a a quote per se violation of the of the statute. So, um I don't know if that answers the question, but um you know, it really is more dependent on when
you're going to your close session than than the actual time. Yeah, my understanding is that we do have an obligation to come back if we're going to be longer, just as we did tonight. If we're not going to be back by 9:30 and we say we are, that we have an obligation to come back and to let the
public know. >> Yeah. I I and I think what that arose out of um that's a more recent change to the statute that originated from the Ruters board of trustees for many years would go into close session at the
beginning of their meetings and basically do most of the evening's business or the day I think they met during the day uh of the day's business uh in close session and then came out and just me memorialized everything and so they would spend three or four hours in in a closed session, come out in a
half hour, do all the rest of the business, and and I think at that point the I'm almost sure that that the legislation was changed to include the provisions that you're referring to. So, um yeah, it's it's certainly in addition to being blight, uh it's uh enhances
transparency and um you know, the public interest to um you know, to try and and estimate how long it been. >> Great. Thank you. >> All right. And just wanted to update um the community as well on the West Orange Arts Center um council or West Orange
Arts Council. They did have their April uh opening on Sunday. Um over a hundred people attended uh the exhibit. There were over uh 16 different artists from the around the area. Um and the title of the exhibit um honoring Earth Month in
April this year um is Earth a living canvas. Um, so want to invite uh our residents to attend uh on either Saturdays or Sundays from 2:00 to 4:00 um to visit the Art Center Gallery and
also just go to the West Orange Arts Center um website because they will be hosting some different activities uh this month um for your uh pleasure and entertainment. So looking forward to
seeing uh you at the art center gallery. >> Thank you council president. >> Thank you council woman. >> Okay. Thank you so much. I hope I won't be taking 21 minutes um to make my remarks. So tonight um we have been
asked several times by residents. I guess the theme would be what can we do for you and for our community? And the the one of the things that we can do is to listen to you when you come to us and
ask us for a resolution. So tonight um we had many many speakers come and they were also in support of a resolution that I have in front of me that I will be bringing to the entire council under new business tonight. And um basically
what this what this um resolution does is it it mirrors the executive order number 12 which was done by M uh Governor Mikey Cheryl which said the in the executive order she created safe
spaces um that are stateowned property where ICE raids cannot take place unless there is a properly executed warrant. We in West Orange um we would like to do I would like to do the same thing and I
hope my my colleagues support that this is something that really does hit home. It's right in our backyard. We're hearing stories of parents being taken away and um you know we've seen we've seen images that have been brought to us where there have been ice stops. Um,
this hits home and we have the ability and I believe the obligation to create safe havens in in our town on all municipal properties. And that's what this resolution that this group has has
brought to our attention is calling for. So, I hope that um you know, we'll discuss this tonight or you'll have time to read it at some point and that we can bring this back and and adopt this resolution. As was said tonight, um
there are 11 other municipalities that have already done this and you know, we are one of the most diverse communities in New Jersey and we should be leaders in this. Um so, thank you everybody who
came out. Um the ice the ice um anti- ice rally on Sunday is a lot of fun. I've been to it several times and we get a lot of of um horn blaring and mostly horn blaring. um a couple of times not
such nice gestures, but most of the time people are really really happy to see West Orange residents out there and claiming that West Orange does not stand for this type of um atrocities that are being brought out by our our federal
government. Um thank you everybody who came out and spoke on on that issue. Um, the other issue that we were being asked to do was to pass a an ordinance for a resolution
last time for make polluters pay. I just want to say that I was the only one who supported that. And again, I know that there I have colleagues who feel that this doesn't hit home. To me, this does hit home. We have polluters in West Orange and and you know we we have
pollution in West Orange and we need federal help to um clean up these sites. Um and I think that that's another resolution that was brought to us. Actually, this one was brought by the administration and supported by a
resident who came and spoke about it and I think that we should have supported that. Um, in terms of public comment coming first, I think I've already spoken about that public comment should always come first. We are here for you. If you guys were I mean really you pay
for us so you are valuable to us and um I just feel that it's ridiculous that we have a three-hour closed door session and that should be done on our own time and not not on your time. So, um I hope
that that never happens again. Um in terms of ex some some questions regarding executive session and minutes for executive session, I just want to say that I asked for minutes from executive session. Now, I understand
that minutes from executive session are not available to the public until after the issue was over, but I asked as a council person for notes on an executive session that I was in because I wanted to to refresh my memory on what had
happened there. And I was uh given an email. I was sent back an email from Mr. Moraldo, our business administrator, on March March 10th, 2026, which said, "Councilwoman, the administration does not record nor maintain copies of the
minutes of any executive session." So, you know, if that's the case, then we are not completely we are in complete disregard of the open public meetings act and and that is not proper in terms
of um payouts uh retirement payouts. We have been told many times from credible people and from credible sources that some people are under investigation. If if an a former
employee is under investigation, we as a municipality should not make payouts to that person until we are assured that that investigation is over. Um, in terms of of contracts, we're
going to be talking about some contracts tonight. And, um, again, I feel that we have been urged by our, um, budget committee commission in West Orange to
to phase out things that we can phase out. And, um, I believe that we should be doing that. This puts a huge huge burden. Our biggest burden on on taxpayers is what we what we um acrew
through payouts um both in terms of salary and in retirement payouts. So I think that's it. Thank you so much. And I really appreciate everybody who stayed and who came and who advocated. And I really hope that that we can get support
to make our municipal properties safe havens for all of our residents. >> Thank you. Are you finished, Councilwoman Ruben? >> Yes. Just one last last point um for the question on whether or not we have the obligation to report our time frame when
we go in and out of um executive session. I just want to refer my council colleague to NJS104-12 which has all the rules on close session. >> Okay. Thank you, Councilman Koviaak.
>> Thank you, Council President. I uh appreciate all the comments tonight. I will try to address some of Mr. Dau's comments on contracts a little later this evening. Uh, Miss Bennett, please reach out to one of the township attorneys you mentioned in your public
comment and provide the information you think they should know. Please, Mr. Cohen, uh, I appreciate your comments. I am painfully aware uh for more than my 15 years uh involved with
uh uh community affairs of the affordability threat to many of our residents ability to stay in West Orange caused by imprudent spending and outsized property tax increases. To that end, last year the council cut
more than $3 million from the mayor's proposed budget, reduced the mayor's proposed tax increase from above 6% to well under 1%. In fact, we cut so much that the state required us to add some of it back. So,
the council as a group is very attuned uh to the issues that you brought up. Uh on the issue of ICE, uh West Orange has long complied with the attorney general's uh immigrant directive and I'm certain that we are already following
the new law to the letter of the law. And I want to say thanks to everyone uh for speaking so well on a very important issue facing our country. I haven't seen the proposed uh support resolution if that's what it is. Uh but
just want to mention that council has turned down a similar support resolution previously as we have several times on a variety of issues since our term started in January 2025. Uh and the approach has been as we've
tried to prioritize and a lot of these support resolutions uh are deemed not likely to have a significant positive impact on residents in our community for the time and expense of the process relative to other priorities. We have many serious
challenges in our township that if we succeed in addressing them, and we're already addressing them, will provide significant improvements to residents and their life here. Uh such as the debt management plan that we passed last year, the budget success we
had last year. We were able to settle some very expensive litigation the mayor filed against the council and in the bargain uh rid the township of the longtime uh township attorney. Uh we're continuing to try to reduce the harm to
our community from our affordable housing disaster. All of these uh are the kinds of issues that that uh I think the council or at least the council majority think have a better return on our investment of time and resources.
Mr. Goldsman, I appreciate you coming to public comment, but you speak way too fast for my fingers and ears even when I'm st I'm sitting right next to you. But I did catch a few issues to respond to. Uh as I mentioned, this council
reduced debt. You mentioned debt uh at the township. For the first time in at least a decade, we reduced the debt by over a million dollars for the first time in a decade and passed the debt the debt management plan that if we follow it, if we have
the discipline to do so, will reduce our debt to zero from $170 million over the next 12 and 13 years and will allow us to direct the $13 million we spend on debt service annually. That's 13% of our
annual budget. 13% of your municipal tax dollar goes to pay for borrowings and buying of stuff that we did a long time ago. If we could take that 13 million and direct it directly into capital projects, we can benefit the township a
great deal more to improve our community. And I also agree with you that that we serve residents much better to hold our public comment at 7 p.m. as we've done for many years. I voted against uh moving to uh executive
session tonight and I'm going to continue to vote against it. We need to have public comment at 7:00 so you guys can know when to come and and can leave at a reasonable time. Uh, and I'm also very concerned to hear Councilwoman Ruden say that she got an
email from the business administrator that says we don't keep uh executive session minutes. We are absolutely required to keep them. So I I hope we get a clarification on that. Mr. SM I I don't want to >> President is that clarified? >> Yes.
>> Clarify. >> It is absolutely the truth. The administration does not keep minutes >> of the executive of of what is the responsibility of the legislative branch. >> I see. So what you're saying is the the >> it calls upon the legislative body to
maintain their own records. We would we would be willing to do it but that I answered her question and her question said do we do it? No. The administration does not do it. >> Okay. So I'm glad I'm glad you clarified >> that. I I need to I need to say something. I asked for a copy of the
executive meetings minutes from 3:10 and I received that response. The administration does not I did not I I sent this to you and if you knew where the executive meeting minutes were held, you should have said where they're being
held, but they're not online. Oh, please. >> Council Nico, I believe you have. >> Yeah, I I was finished. Thank you. Sorry, I should have said something. I just wanted to get that clarification. So, I appreciate it. Thank you. >> Okay,
>> council president. For further clar clerk's office, >> I think we need to know where the >> Yeah, the clerk's office keeps the minutes. >> Always has. >> Always has. Always will. >> Okay. So, there there's where we want to
>> and currently there are more than a few that I do not have at the moment. So, they have not been completed. They come from the >> They come from legal. >> Correct. >> Okay. Very good. That I'm glad that's clarified. Counciloman CL. >> And I'll clarify uh because Mr. Pastor,
you took minutes this evening. You did. Correct. So, it comes from the attorney's office to the clerk's office. So, again, folks, I know everyone was frustrated. We went into close session, which we we always have it at the end
when possible. the past two meetings. Um, we had our labor, uh, council who could only be here to 8:00. So, you know, trying to fit everybody's schedule and trying to coordinate has been tough
and we're going to do our best and I know council president, you know, >> we are >> she she's going to try to hold too. that, you know, with a lot of the litigation that we have on in the community right now and with a lot of
open items, we have to get them closed up. So, you know, it it the scheduling isn't that easy and you you could always email us and we are here for you, but we're also here to do the business of the township and um that had to get done
early this evening. uh we spent quite a while in there and um so any of the personnel items other than what we're going to respond to later on the agenda, we take the advice of our attorneys and so we ask a lot of uh tough questions.
we get a lot of uh answers and you know some things we can share and some things we can't and that's the toughest part of this job but it is the job and uh with that being said uh you know I'm going to leave it at that with some of the questions that were asked in regards to
personnel matters but we w we do get advice from our attorneys on how we respond and how we move forward with some of our decisions and sometimes we don't like some of the answers but we have to uh make the best decisions possible.
Uh Mr. Deobe, I'll start with you because you had a selected question for me. Yes, that is true. When I came here 2015, I saw I had no issue working um and supporting the planning consultant for
many years, couple years, not right out of the gate. And I thought uh the firm that we used at the time um I was very pleased with. But again, I learned over time and from going to conferences and to talking to other communities and
things get done that we really needed a full-time person sitting upstairs. And uh with that being said, an opportunity came where uh the administration didn't want to go in that direction. They wanted to hire another planning consultant.
and I did not support that um in the regards to where I wanted to I still advocated for the full-time uh planner. However, um that vote was passing anyway and I voted for the company because I
thought it was the right thing to do to give them the moral support that we needed. um and then unfortunately couldn't renew renew uh them a year later because I still do and still see the need for a full-time planner in this
building and um I still support that. you know, we have the consultants that we just rehired to the end of the year um because of the time frame of hiring someone else and we all know there's a big mayor's race this November and um
that decision will be made at the end of the year. So, I still am supportive of a full-time person. I think we have a lot of um needs needs in the township and that will help resolve uh those needs.
So, but but you did correct the record and I'm going to correct it even further. So, thank you for bringing that up. Um, folks, thank you so much for waiting and for coming out here and we'll, you know, I guess my colleague wants us to talk at at midnight by the
time we have a discussion or maybe later. So, yeah, again, I'm going to echo my colleagues comments, Councilman Kroviaak, in regards to uh the res resolutions. I'm I'm still standing firm with not passing uh any resolutions and it's not
to be disrespectful. I hear you. I I see you. I I read the emails. I have conversations with many of you. Um I right now feel that you know we have to spend our time taking care of the business at hand and uh and that's where
I think we need to go as far as you know I think the community of course we're care with we care about our residents have multiple conversations with our chief we follow uh follow the attorney general's guidelines I'm in close
contact with our deputy mayor who's heads up our Hispanic foundation and talk to a lot of folks in that organization and they're doing an outstanding job with supporting a lot of families in need. But we also have to be mindful too and I've said that this in
previous meetings because there is a concern like we had a few instances of some things that mentioned this evening. You know some people that we did find out later on um did have arrest records and that's why they were picked up. But there is a fear. There's enough fear
alone just watching television and and all that's going on in our country. But the local business owners when you know just please make sure when you're out on social media with accurate information with ICE being the area because it is
hurting our local business owners with people going out too frequent because they are nervous. So that's another thing you have to take in consideration as well. Um and hopefully we'll get through this as a community and um but
we're going to keep supporting our residents because that's what we do. Also keep in close contact uh with Mr. more um our superintendent on some instances and some things that were mentioned uh today what you know has
happened or what is rumored and always concerned and always looking to do better and we've that's we are a great diverse community and we'll continue doing so. Uh in regards to another comment in regards to our engineer I'm
glad she made some comments earlier um in regards to Mr. Goldsman's other uh resolution that he wanted to bring forward about the pollution. Yes, it's very important and asked our engineer to look into that, but we do need capital
funding uh for the mapping and for many sewer projects. Uh we have on uh our agenda this evening some more emergency repairs. And again, it's something that we have to get to and we have to work out with the mapping and taking care of
our sewer system because it's going to be very very stressed in the near future if uh all of these uh h all these housing developments go through. We're going to be very stressed and uh it's it's very uh troublesome.
Uh in regards to let's see what else this evening the budget Mr. Denniac my one question was in regards to the snow plowing bills have all them I know you were waiting for a lot of those bills to come in to release the budget because you wanted to make
sure you had >> all our bills compiled. Did you get all of them? Yeah, it's it's the single largest year-over-year appropriation increase. >> Yeah. >> So, it's a significant piece of our
budget. Our our snow plowing operation, snow plowing and um >> you know, salt purchasing. >> Now, being the state of emergencies, any any funding available through FEMA or any kind of
>> No, we haven't gotten anything. Okay. >> We've we've tracked all the costs and we're prepared if anything comes out to submit, but nothing yet. >> And >> and we submitted our paperwork to the county which submits it to the state, but then it has to go to the federal
level. So, >> yeah, >> I know it all comes out of all our tax bills in one lump sum, but the school districts, we assisted them with their snow plowing. >> The schools paid our vendor. >> Okay. Directly. Okay. >> Yes. And that's all calculated and
separated out. >> Yeah. Yeah. Originally, I mean, this this was like a really quick we figured this out on Saturday morning um where we were going to use our vendors to to clean their lots. And originally they were going to
the vendors were going to bill us and then they were going to pay us and then it we worked it out pretty quickly after that that they could just pay the vendors directly. >> Yeah, I think that's cleaner too for us. Okay, great. kept us out of it. >> And I've mentioned before, my colleague mentioned earlier about other shared
services. That is one area I see that we should look into with the school district. That's an easy one. I know we looked into the uh the garbage and the recycling and we're going to look at that again, but that a little tougher because the way they manage their their um
>> they don't have the equipment to really do it themselves. They have like a pickup truck with like a plow attachment to it. um you know takes them forever to apply the blast. So I'm sorry >> and and and the and the um you know the you know keeping
in contact with our colleagues over at the school district um you know they have a you know we all see what their issues are. I just really really encourage them to do what we did last year to have public meetings with
the itemized budget and go over line by line by line. Um that was a practice when I was on the school board. We would meet on Saturdays uh and other days and we would have all the directors come in
and go over each section of the school budget line by line with personnel just as as we do. And uh I really hope that they uh take that into consideration because they do have a a lot of decision
making to make. >> I I think a lot of their issue is the school funding formula, right? So, >> well, also, you know, the they started the preschool program and, you know, a lot of the funding for that um isn't coming through. So, and affects, you
know, affects other areas of the budget. So, it's tough. They It's tough. >> Unfortunately, they, you know, they're looking at the NBT, so they're looking at the value of West Orange in general, and then they also have access to the state income tax returns. So they look
at the residents and they see you know what's being reported and you have a high level of wealth >> expensive land and you know state funding formula says well you can pay for this uh yourself so it gets pushed
to taxes unfair so >> so um and and just to be mindful and I know you keep in touch with them of what they're you know what they're looking at per household where were they around 500 or 400 So they're saying 2.5%
which with the current NVT is like $37 on the average home for school taxes. >> Okay. So we have to be mindful of >> they were a little bit they thought it was a little bit lower, but this NVT includes uh there's a $54 million loss
of ratable um that they not taking into account. I'm taking into account in my tax rate calculation. So, it bumps their estimate up. >> And do you have the county figures as well? >> I I don't have I don't have the exact
figures. I just estimated 2% on county. Um, but I I don't have the the figures yet, but like I said, for the school, I have them at $37 per per home. A average home, sorry, on the average
home. And what is the date that we have to get the budget to uh to to the state by? >> Well, we would hopefully introduce the next meeting, the 28th.
>> The 28th. >> Okay. >> And then and then we would have a lengthy period of time for review and potential amendment, um public hearing, all that before we adopt So, I would imagine adoption would
be, you know, early June. >> Okay. All right. All right. Thank you. >> Okay. I think uh Councilman, is it about the budget? >> Yeah, if I could, I just wanted to follow up on on what the council was
asking about the the snow climbing for the schools. >> Yeah. because I haven't seen any news coverage of it and I'm just trying to get a better idea of of how it how it happened, what happened and whether it impacted us in our ability to uh plow
our own streets as perhaps we should give the priority. Can you just tell me what happened? >> We're still the priority and I I should really let Mr. Moraldo, but from our discussions that Saturday morning, um we were always the priority. It was once
once they had some free time, it was go to the uh school lots. >> Yeah, we we met just so you we met on that Friday. We had discussions with people. We had a meeting. We actually wound up having meetings for probably seven or eight days in a row. From that Friday till the following
week, we met with our team every day. Some in person, most most in Zoom because everybody's all over the place. But the schools was part of our discussion. They were invited to the meetings. They participated and they were the ones who came to us and said, "Listen, we're having a little bit of an
issue right now >> without getting into their details and into their business." And they asked us if we can help them. So, in our meetings, we also invited our vendors to come in and participate. and we were able to really uh hammer that out within an hour's time on a Saturday. We
hammered out how we were going to do the ser provide the services. We were worried whether we were going to open the schools that Monday or not, whether we're going to close the schools that Monday or not because we had to take in account um not only was the schools going to be open, but our roads getting our our residents being able to get to work if they can or cannot because we
didn't know the timing of this the storm by that point. um whether we need to cancel garbage and recycling and so on and so and every daily operation that we we do u as as a community um but knowing that the schools were also a priority
because if our residents had to go to work our kids had to get to the school they had to be someplace. So we we worked with them collaboratively to come up with a plan. Um they re we all realized early on within within 24 hours we were closing schools out Monday because it just made sense for all of
us. Um and that's and that's how we and every day we met to decide what we were going to do the next day and how we were going to operate and whether we needed to hire overtime for our police and fire um whether we needed to whether the schools needed to hire their overtime.
So there was it was a collective effort by the entire team and our our team probably had 14 15 people in a meeting every single day and that included the school system. So we were we were well on top of that and we had everybody whether it be PD uh finance whatever the
case we needed particularly um DPW um so that's how we handled it >> but it didn't cost us anything and they they also paid for what was allotted for salt usage right >> because the vendor was able to say okay
we used x number of tons for the lot so they they paid for that as well >> so how much was the total cost of uh of providing the schools the service services >> then would build the school directly. So I I really don't know >> didn't even pass. So we have no idea
>> to we there was no cost passed on to us I don't know what their final bill was but that was we it didn't cost us any extra than our what our regular services were. >> Okay. And what was the reason for it? Because the snowfall was just so heavy they couldn't keep up with it. They
didn't have a vendor. Um, >> I'm sorry. They didn't have a vendor contracted. >> Um, so again, it was like Friday. You're right. Friday afternoon, we had that call and we found out they did they didn't have a vendor and we couldn't
provide our own DPW to do it. So, >> okay. Thank you. I I don't want to take up any more time. I just wanted to clarify. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Have the floor. >> Yeah. Go ahead. >> Thanks. Um and just to end on um
positive note, Mr. Bsman, I want to thank him. He attended our uh at our downtown uh our downtown uh venue for small business workshop. We had NJEDA there, the GNEC,
and um a lot of great information. And I want to thank our board for having weekly uh bi-weekly meetings with all of our business owners. Uh they have been in contact with um our restaurant tours in regards to the World Cup. Uh downtown
has a website. All the information is on there for any business owner that wants to participate. We are educating people on the benefit. In fact, we've been doing so for two years since it first came out. uh and been preaching this all
along along with uh Revolution New Jersey 250, how it's an opportunity for business owners to uh attract uh tourists to their uh establishments. So, we will continue on those efforts, but
I'm really excited and proud of our um of our down for downtown uh executive and uh assistant um uh Amy McCl and Megan Bril. they did a a great job in a presentation
um to the uh to the World Cup committee and uh secured that fan bus uh which we're really excited to have. So we looking forward to making some announcements on that. And last comment of the evening, it was great to open up
with our young athletes as usual. It's because of these great jobs our coaches are doing with our feeder program. And a shout out to all our coaches that came down tonight, especially Coach Cowins. He's been so involved in working with the recreation department and and when
we see our feeders programs uh work so well, it just really um goes up right up to the uh to the high school and we see success there. Uh, also, uh, hopeo hopefully when he comes back to town,
uh, uh, Elliot Cadell, uh, congratulations to him and his family. Uh, Michelle and James, longtimes members of our community. They have so much to be proud of. Um, and he's a fine young man as well. And what a great
recognition. So, we look forward to hopefully having him here in the future when he's back in town. Council President. >> All right. Great. Well, it's West High School. No, >> he unfortunately he did not burden Catholic. Yeah, >> you heard West Orange.
>> Yes, >> he left before high school. >> Yeah. >> And his brother's an outstanding tennis player as well. >> Okay, finish. >> Yes. >> Okay, great. Well, I want to thank everyone in the audience for hanging in here till midnight. I'm very impressed
with you with your interest and your advocacy. Um, I think my colleagues have basically said it all and the administration. So, I'm just going to sum up in two areas. I'm going to apologize to you once again for the situation with the closed session. Uh,
Mr. Smaldo, I'm telling you right now, we are not going to do this again. If we the the residents have a right to be heard at 7:00. If we need to have executive sessions, I think we need to schedule them a few days before our meetings, you know, at an at another
time, unless it's going to be something that's going to be 15, 20 minutes and and we know it's going to be like a quick in. >> Mr. President, you set the agenda, we'll make it happen. >> Yeah. I think we need to just make it a policy that this is not going to happen again. We're going to move forward with that in mind. So, the lawyers have to
get on board and everybody has to get on board. Um, the second thing, um, for everyone who came out on the, um, the immigrant trust, I understand and appreciate your advocacy. I most of you know I'm a speech language
pathologist at Washington School. I'm smack in the center of all of this and I I can't tell you how much concern and love and support we give to our immigrant families. I mean, every
teacher at that school is just so committed and you know, I believe what it has to really come down to is like we said, individual responsibility. It's so important that we reach out to all of these families and make them feel safe
and make them feel welcome, especially the children. You know, we have a lot of these parents are working, you know, two and three jobs and everything that we can personally do for them and reach out to them and take care of them is really
important. And the kind words, you'll be surprised how far they go. I think it will make them feel a lot safer. Um, in terms of what we can do about it, I believe that we are um following the
attorney general's immigrant directive. I've talked about that in detail and read a statement about it. That is our responsibility as elected officials. And um I have to maintain that we have so
many things that really require our time and our our money that we h I have to stick by the comments that I've made in the past and say we are going to move forward on the things where we can affect real change. And just with that,
I I I want you to know that, you know, a lot of what we hear all over, some of it's happening in other places. You know, a lot of a lot of what happens, we really don't have the detail to act on, but I know that our mayor is concerned
and has a lot on the website and I know that our chief and our whole police force are incredibly sensitive to the plight of our immigrants. and chief, if you just want to say uh, you know, a word or two about our commitment to that
end and our obligation to follow the law, I would appreciate it. >> And reiterate what I have said in the past and continue to do in the future is we follow the attorney general's immigration act to the letter of the law. We do not participate with ICE. We
do not supply any facility, any equipment or anything to ICE. However, we cannot interfere in a federal law enforcement agency's investigation. I will relay all the information that I get when there is ICE interaction in
town as I have in the past. I will continue to do so >> and I appreciate it. I appreciate all that all of our police force does. I know how sensitive we all are. Is there a central location or is there a possibility when we do have ICE
incidents that we can post that information or at least make it available to the public? >> It's very limited what I receive. Um the last two state chief's meetings that I've attended, the sack of uh the
federal agency has been there. he has been more than accommodating now going forward that there is a command uh ICE notification center that I can contact if there is uh an incident that occurs within our township. They have on the
past two incidents notified the township when they were coming what they did and when they were concluded. They have uh um complied with that and and I relayed the information to the administration accordingly. >> Great. Thank you. Thank you so much.
>> Thank you. And then what did the administration do with that information? >> It it's it's very limited what the response is. We all all it says that the incident occurred. So we just we just noted that it occurred. Um we weren't getting involved with it. We didn't post it or anything because it was just a m
there's no detail. The chief could back it up. There is no detail. They'll just say >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Yeah. There's >> no specific details, names or what the detainer is for. just that the date, the time and the location that they were here and the date and the time and the location when they left,
>> right? And of course, we can't act if we have no details. >> Okay, great. Thank you so much for all you do. >> Of course. Thank you. >> Okay, and with that, I'm going to just move on, Madam Clerk. >> Okay. So, uh, the consent agenda,
approval of minutes of previous meeting, public meetings March 3rd, 2026, March 10th, 2026, and March 24th, 2026, and special meeting March 19th, 2026. >> Thank you.
>> Report of township officers, none. Reading of petitions and communications and bids, none. Bill list, Are there any questions on the bills? Yes. Um, I just want to make a few comments
on the on the bill list. There was a um $600 late payment um for it was for it's uh the the bill number is 1 191218.
I do not want to pull the bill. I would just like an update from uh our CFO whether or not we were able to get this fee waved. >> There's there was uh Miss Reynolds provided me an email or provided us an
email later today uh saying that that the company is going to wave it as a one time >> one time fee. But but if it happens again and I think it was a delay in what happened with some bills we had um I I can't speak to that part but but that was provided us today. Well, I'm very
glad that she was able to get it waved. Um the the second issue that I would like to um just question is um do you have I can do this I can do this at another time. Um well, we're getting
individual bills for the doctor at the animal control. Um is that under the not to exceed clause of 8532? because I understand he has a contract but you can tell me that another time.
>> Which vendor is it? What's the the >> Dr. D defilipus >> the nation? >> He provides veterary services and I just want to know if if he's getting a contracted rate because I see individual bills.
It says here that he he gets a contracted rate. So what is it? >> So we'll we'll pull that. If Mr. Panzino hasn't responded, we'll we'll definitely >> He did respond. He did respond. I just want I just want that. I just want an answer whether or not he's he has a
contracted rate or whether we are paying, you know, as needed and have we exceeded whatever the not to exceed clause is. Yeah, I don't I don't think we did a resolution with an NTE for for Dr. D. Philippus. So, I'll have to okay
review how much we've spent this year and and in the past to see. >> Okay. So, the other the other bill I just wanted to mention had to do with money that was paid um by the recreation department for the classic film
festival. Um, there was revenue that was received from the um from from those who attended the films and I'd just like to know what the amount of revenue that was received was. >> Yeah, I've reached out to Edwin because
we we we talked about this a little bit before so I should have an answer for you in the morning. >> Okay. I don't think Edwin has the the answer. The the money actually went entirely to the West Orange Arts Council. So, I'd just like to know what >> doesn't go to the Arts Council. It goes to the classic film festival directly
which is a separate entity. >> So if it's not going to us Yeah. >> Well his answer was that it it goes to the West Orange Arts Council. So if you could just clarify where the revenue goes from the from there. The other thing I just wanted to quickly say is that at the last meeting I pulled the
cell phone bill um as I have been want to do since I got on council and found that there were 30 phones that had zero usage. And I appreciate that. um that Mr. Garcia found that seven of these phones um are really not being
used at all and he's disconnected that and that brings a savings of over $2,200 just to the rest of the year and he's looking into the rest of them. So, I appreciate that he took action on what I brought to his attention. Thank you so much.
>> Thank you, Council President. Question on that. have we put in into I know we keep talking about these the phones and devices and I I commend my colleague on doing the due diligence. Have we
done anything with tracking them? I'd ask them through HR have we do we have like a system a mechanism in place shift for any any new issues of >> of phones or devices? >> We do. Um we so we contracted with Prime
Point for payroll services. It also includes a a human resources portal. So we we just did the 1095 C's last month. That was sort of the focus of the HR uh uh department in Prime Point. And now
we've moved into uh the employee maintenance portals where we can track um any sort of property that we provide the employees. So, we're building that out now. So, if you have a computer or a phone, um, uh, keys, um, you know, fobs,
whatever, uh, that's going to be part of everybody's employee pro, uh, profile. >> And who's responsible for tracking all that? >> So, that's going to be Kate, um, Davenport, myself, and Mauricio, and and his assistant.
>> Okay. Thank you. Okay. resolutions. Are any resolutions being pulled this evening? >> Yes. Question. >> Uh question on 117 to 26 about the
discharge of the mortgage for 12 Street. I just wanted to know if there is any information about how many properties that we still have under the rehab program that are outstanding mortgages. If we don't have the information tonight, that's fine.
>> You know, there's a lot. >> We'll find that out. Maldo, we'll we'll we'll get that information. >> Thank you. >> Yes, Councilia. >> I'd like to pull 108-26 and 109-26,
please. >> Okay. Anyone else? >> Is that it? >> I think that's it. Is that it everyone? Okay. >> Is there a motion to approve the consent agenda? >> So moved. >> Thank you. Is there a second? Second.
Second. Thank you. All in favor? I. Okay. >> Any opposed? The consent agenda is implemented. Okay, excuse me. Resolution 108-26, a resolution authorizing agreement with Matthew Fula, Chief of Police.
Councilman Koviaak, you pull this. >> Thank you, uh, Madame Clerk. Uh, I'm I pulled these so that I can basically make a statement and try to explain why it is that the council has been essentially wrestling
with these two contracts since before the appointments uh in December December 1st, 2025. So, I'm voting for these contracts despite my misgivings and I think uh residents uh
are owed an explanation. First, let me just say that I tried for weeks to get the resolutions to contain the actual amount of compensation uh for these uh uh two
employees and was only able to get them get the information in the actual contract. That's an attachment. So, if you want to see the line item stuff, you can you can go there. But just basically, uh uh the chief is going to
have a base salary of $248,517 this year. And with a bunch of other uh benefits, it rises to $296,000. uh two, excuse me, $296,814.19. The deputy chief has a uh a base salary
this year of $199,96 and with the added benefits has a total compensation of $239,93948. So I just want to make sure that people understand the the gravity of this
compensation. I'm not making any any comments about the suitability. It's uh uh of these people because uh this is not about the individuals. This
is about the compensation approach and structure in our township that is not supported by our challenging financial condition. So first of all these promotions uh for
these officers took effect December 1st. It is past time to confirm all aspects of these appointments. Second, the delay in confirming is not related to the officers themselves, at least in my opinion. The delay has everything to do
with the continuing conflict between the mayor and council members on the need of the two branches of our municipal government to collaborate under our Faulner Act charter, statutes and state regulation and ordinances. And I will
add common sense related to the best interest of residents. It is a continuing problem as those of you who have followed this council's term from January 2025 can attest. More specifically, the two branches are given authority and responsibility to
collaborate on highlevel hirings, promotions, and compensation. Each side has a role that working together for a common goal should be coordinated and if necessary negotiated. The council has repeatedly made crystal
clear its desire for collaboration and its concern that our compensation framework for senior level positions is painfully above the ability of our current financial situation and process to support and those two object
objectives have predated the current contracts before us. Third, I believe our government needs a break from past practice to a new framework that better reflects our difficult financial circumstances. And I believe a council
majority agrees. Council has asked for months to collaborate before any offers are made. And this issue came up well before these two promotions. And I and other council members made clear the need for a big change. but this was
pretty much ignored. We've also asked to begin a revision of our salary ordinance which gives the same annual percentage increases in base compensation to everyone regardless of whether there are any labor contract terms. That means
that some upper level employees exempt from a labor contract are automatically getting annual raises of more than $9,000. We have an excellent workforce that deserves appropriate compensation, but that has to be within the framework of
our many financial challenges. The mayor insisted in last year's settlement of her litigation against the council that the business administrator get the highest possible pay in that salary ordinance. Five incremental steps above assistant business administrator, his
previous position, essentially doing the same duties. an increase in annualized base of more than $74,000 or a 55% raise to more than $29,000.
Now, as I've said before, Mr. Smaldo does a good job, and this is not a comment on him and his capabilities, but we can't afford some of these numbers. The mayor could have kept the BA at the same step for an
annualized raise of less than $33,000. Now, that's only $33,000, but it's a still significant 24%. Folks, we have to rein in this kind of drunken sailor extravagance. But the mayor appears to continue to make
decisions unilaterally without consulting council first. This resulted in an offer to a potentially new public works director from from the outside of our employee base that when council tried to use this authority to rationalize the offer terms, the
candidate walked. Similarly, the compensation package that was offered to these promoted officers without any council input and only then presented to us in a contract. That's basically what we've been wrestling with for months. And it's not the officer's fault for
accepting the promotions and for expecting the traditional compensation terms and process. And they may also have legal offenses if council tries again to rationalize. So I'm gritting my teeth and confirming the terms despite my grave concern at the extravagance.
Finally, I want to tell everyone now, and this includes everyone at the higher end of management, including outsiders, that I'm not going to vote to approve any hiring, promotion, or compensation terms that council has authority for, but does not have pre-offer
collaboration on terms. Period. This financial abuse of taxpayers and constraint on council authority and input must end. Thank you, Council President. >> Okay. Thank you.
>> So, I agree with everything that my council colleague said except the conclusion. I don't think that we postpone making a decision on what we can actually control right now.
And um and again, this is not personal to any employee. Um this is just the situation that West Orange is in. West our our West Orange um police chief
will be earning at this year $298,000. That's including all of the extra uh contractually offered items like longevity and holiday pay and etc etc etc which bump up the
pensionable salary to 298,000. We have 98 police officers um in West Orange. I just want to compare that to New York City where the police chief makes $290,000
and there are 33,000 police officers. Or Newark where the police chief is making $269 and there are,20 officers. or in Jersey City where the
police chief is making 234 and there are 812 officers. So, you know, I think that we all have to do a little statistical comparison when we look at what we are paying our our top
employees in West Orange. For this reason, I feel that offering a contract that is above and beyond what I feel is a generous base compensation of 248,000
which is the base compensation. I think that is fair and generous. Um for anything above that I feel is fiscally irresponsible. I feel that it is our role as the fiduciaries up here to re in
costs and we have to make hard decisions. Um in addition to the to the 10% longevity which is in this contract and in the other contract um the this contract also adds in things
which are not contractually necessary. What's necessary is the base pay according to our salary ordinance. What is not necessary is full benefits for health
for the employee and or and and spouse and children until age 26. Other municipalities throughout New Jersey are now insisting that employees partake in some measure
of payment for the health benefits. Um when an employee gets or when this employee gets to Medicare age, u Medicare A, B, and D will be completely paid. In other municipalities, the
health care that is provided um before 65 becomes your supplemental and then the employee pays for Medicare. We also are providing Irma reimbursements. Irma is income related monthly adjustment
amount which means that if an employee is single and ow and earns higher than 109K or is married and it earns more than 218K, we will pay the difference that the employee should be paying to Medicare
for an added amount that is put in Medicare. I think that this is insane and I think that we need to start reigning in prices right now. So for this reason I cannot um vote for this contract. I also feel
that the mayor has put us in a very untenable position in regard to the deputy police chief's um contract. um a prior deputy was hired and is getting a salary and has been getting
that salary for a year and now we have a new deputy who is being hired and and there should be parody between the two officers. So for that reason I cannot vote against that. But in West Orange, I just want the public to know that there
has been a long institutional practice of granting 24% increases between the ranks. So if you're a captain and you go up to to a deputy, you get 24% more. But in this particular case, our chief will be
making 26 almost 27% more than the deputy. In other municipalities, the norm is five to six%. So my suggestion of bringing it down to the base salary would be exactly that. It would be 6%
increase over what a deputy is making. Thank you. >> Anybody else? Yes. Council member Castelina. Yeah, I just want to correct the record because there listen I I know we are looking at
different salary guides and how we pay our our staff and you know we have between the two the deput the chief and the deputy chief over between the two of them almost 80 years of experience out there. They've been with us a long time.
But just briefly looking up Newark, there's a police chief, a public safety director, and four deputy chiefs. New York City, the same thing, too. I get a chance to Google Jersey City. So, you know, just to be fair to them and the statements made just comparing apples, you know, to apples. Um, we are looking
at everything and I know this has been tough on them for the past five months to have your uh contracts up on agenda and um and public comments out there. But
again, we're we're going to review in all this. Um the reason why the administration um put uh the salary where it was was because of the salary guide that we had passed and uh they they sit on a salary guide.
So moving forward there are you know in the future we do have to look at and make changes but now is not that time has passed for that. So, I appreciate the work of our um of all our personnel
and and just just wanted to make that comment. I also want to correct the record too with Mr. Smaldo. Mr. Smaldo did not take the um he he waved having a
assistant business administrator. So, we are saving money on his prior salary. um he is doing probably five times the work that he has done in the past and um I appreciate all his efforts and time
that he spends uh on on his position. So we are fortunate to have such dedicated staff. We pay well for them. Um but I think they're holding up uh their end of supporting this community. So, I will be supporting the contracts this evening
and thank you to all our staff for their efforts. >> Councilwoman, do you have anything to say? >> I'm ready for the vote. >> Okay. I just want to say that um we are in a very difficult position. I agree with everything that Councilman Graoviac have said. Of course, I'm going to vote
for this, but it's the lack of respect for the council and for the taxpayers that have brought all of us to this point. Um, our administration needs to manage the personnel and labor costs because
by not attending to this explosion of of money that is just devastating our budget, we are going to find ourselves in a very very difficult place and we need to get this under control and expect the administration to work with
us to make that happen. one comment. >> Um, in light of of all the comments from the council members, I think it's important that the public knows that these contracts were recommended um for legal reasons in addition to um
performance and uh and fiscal reasons uh to be adopted. I won't go into any more of it than that, but I think that's important to know. >> Yes. Thank you very much for making the comment. Okay. Is there a motion to approve 108 uh-26? Make the motion to
prerequisite. >> Okay. Councilwoman Castelino, >> yes. >> Councilman Koviaak, >> yes. >> Councilwoman Ruden, >> yes. >> Councilwoman Williams, >> yes. >> Council President Scarpa, >> yes. The motion carries. Resolution 109-26, a resolution
authorizing agreement with Kevin DGower, Deputy Chief. >> Oh, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I misvoted. I misvoted. >> How do we handle that? change both. >> I Yes. I I thought I was voting on the
other one. Um mine was a no. >> I could just change it without >> Yeah. >> anything. Okay. >> It's 12:30. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> The show on the road. >> All right. I changed it. Councilwoman,
um Councilman Kobak, you pulled this. >> Yes. Thank you. I think I've said more than enough about these two. Again, it's it's not for the individuals. They as from everything I know, they are doing outstanding job. Uh it's it's really
other factors here as I as I mentioned. So I I'm happy to make a motion to uh to approve. >> Second. >> Councilman I'm sorry, Councilwoman Castellino. >> Yes. >> Councilman Koviaak. Yes.
>> Councilwoman Ruden. >> Yes. >> Councilwoman Williams. >> Yes. >> Council President Scorpa. >> Yes. The motion really short. >> Yeah. >> And I just want to say thank you all of our first responders. Everybody knows how I feel about them. I've said it many times up here. Incredible. And we we owe
them a lot of gratitude. >> Okay. Ordinances on second and final reading. 29. >> Somebody >> I'm sorry. Was 118 pulled? >> No. >> No. >> Okay. I meant a full 118. I'm sorry. 2966-26
an ordinance amending and supplementing chapter 20 streets and sidewalk section 5.2 removal by township of the municipal code of West Orange. Is there a motion to introduce on second and final? >> Make a motion. >> Second, please. >> Councilwoman Castelino, >> yes. >> Councilman Kovia, yes.
>> Councilwoman Ruden, >> yes. >> Councilwoman Williams, yes. Council President, >> hearing. >> Public hearing. >> Okay. Does anyone in the public want to make comment on this ordinance? Seeing none,
>> close. Move a comment. >> Okay. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Councilwoman Castelino. Yes. >> Councilman Koviaak. Yes. >> Councilwoman Ruden. Yes. >> Councilwoman Williams. Council President. >> Yes. >> Okay. >> Is there any discussion amongst the
council? No. >> No. Is there a motion to approve? Second. Councilwoman Castelino, yes. Councilman Koviaak, Councilwoman Ruden, yes. Councilwoman Williams, yes. Council President Scarpa, >> yes. The motion carries.
>> 2967, an ordinance amending chapter 18 of the revised general ordinances of the township of West Orange to add a section regarding fire pits. Is there a motion to introduce on second and final? >> Second. >> Okay. >> Councilwoman Castelino, >> yes.
>> Councilman Kovia, yes. Councilwoman Ruden, >> yes. >> Councilwoman Williams, >> yes. >> Council President, >> yes. >> Public hearing. >> Is there Is there anyone in the public? >> That's my public. >> Is there anyone in the public who'd like
to talk about the fire pits 2967? Seeing none, close public comment. >> Second. >> Okay. Coun. Um, hold on. Hold on. I'm sorry. >> Yes. Um, Tammy. >> Councilwoman Castelino.
>> Yes. >> Councilman Kovia. Yes. Councilwoman Ruden. Yes. >> Councilwoman Williams. Yes. >> Council President Scorpa. >> Yes. >> Okay. Any discussion among council? >> Yes. Yes. So, um, this ordinance talks
about uh, Yeah. And I appreciate our fire chief spending time with my council colleague on getting this finally to a point where I think we could all agree on. My question for council may not be
able to answer it tonight. Um but I didn't give you notice and I apologize for that because this goes back to the business that we need to take care of and there's not enough hours in a day with everything else that comes up. But this is important. So, we this this
ordinance we wanted to strengthen because of some of the calls we've been receiving, but since it came out, I did receive even more calls. There are landscapers, and this covers it for what you cannot
burn. So, I think it's great that it's it's clarified in here, but what about the fines for I mean, we have I've had to send property maintenance over on calls that we received in regards to
some landscapers bringing home materials and throwing it in their backyard in a in the fire. I I mean if >> I mean the the admit I had no participation in
>> in this in this conversation. Yeah. >> So >> or contractors may not be just landscapers. So I mean where would that do we need to enumerate anything in here or that's under the property maintenance violations? >> I'm sure it's property maintenance. Uh
you know if you're talking about building materials. >> Yeah. That's that's certainly going to be in a separate category from firewood or paper towels. But uh yeah, that's certainly something if if it's a concern
and if it's a problem that I imagine the ordinance at some point, but if you want to pull it for I mean you just voted, right? >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Yeah. No, I don't want to pull it. I just I want to get this passed. Yes. You could always make an amendment, but >> Okay.
>> Right. >> All right. Thank you. So, there is there is a need for this. So, thank you. >> Okay. Is there a motion to approve 296726? >> I make a motion to approve. >> A second. >> Thank you. >> Councilwoman Castelino, >> yes. >> Councilman Koviaak, >> yes.
>> Councilwoman Ruden, >> yes. >> Councilwoman Williams, Council President, >> yes. >> Okay. 2969-26, an ordinance amending and supplementing chapter 7 traffic section 32.2 restricted parking zones of the
municipal code of West Orange. Is there a motion to introduce on second and final reading? >> So moved. >> Thank you. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Council Councilwoman Castelino. >> Yes. >> Councilman Koviaak. Yes. >> Councilwoman Ruden.
>> Yes. >> Councilwoman Williams. >> Yes. >> Council President Scarpa. >> Yes. Is there anyone in the public who would like to make a comment on 2969? >> I move to close. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Second. >> Second.
>> Okay. Councilwoman Castle. >> Yes. >> Councilman Kobiac. Yes. >> Councilwoman Ruden. >> Yes. >> Councilwoman Williams. >> Council President. >> Yes. >> I move to adopt 2969. >> A second. >> Okay. >> Councilwoman Castelino
to adopt. >> Yes. Councilman Koviaak. Yes. Councilwoman Ruden. Yes. >> Councilwoman Williams. >> Yes. >> Council President Scarpa. >> Yes. The motion carries. >> Ordinances on first reading. None. Pending matters. New matters. Council discussion.
>> Dates for the budget. >> Yeah. >> The first thing I want to get done is the dates for the budget. That is a priority. >> Um I don't think >> Huh. >> We have to get it done. Yeah. And then we're done.
>> Otherwise, it'll be months. >> Uh we said we're going to have this this week >> just for budget hearing. Is that your >> for the budget hearing? Yeah. >> We need to pick dates. >> So, um if I am hearing and recalling
correctly, I understood that the administration is willing to do um everyone on a weekend. >> Yep. Okay. >> I am not willing to do it on a Saturday >> and I offered that we consider a Sunday
afternoon >> and why >> we're will we're willing to do any day of the week because we want to get this process done. >> Yes. >> Yeah. So, >> we're open anything. >> Absolutely. And and um >> All right. So, we have to get this done. We went through this last year and and
I'm going to I I again I don't like to announce when we're on vacations or when we can't or can't, you know, maybe we should do this. >> Let's just pick some days we all can do. Let's have Are we able to do any Sunday afternoons or No, do we need to do
during the week? >> Is Sunday uh the 26th available? >> I can I could actually do the >> do the 26th. >> Is that a bit >> Yeah, I know. Are you available on the 26th? >> Uh, I believe so. I'm sorry. I'm just
having some trouble hearing with uh if everybody could speak up a little bit. >> Oh, I'm not available on the 26th. I'm sorry. >> Okay. So, let's go to during the week. How about I'm available anytime after >> the next weekend or what about on the 19th?
>> I'm not available. >> I'm not available. >> Why don't we get started? We started >> But the 19th is a Sunday, right? Yeah, it is. I can't do that Monday. >> I can't do that Sunday. >> So, why don't we just do like four or five hours?
>> One, one night. >> Is everybody good on Monday nights? I know we have other committee meetings, but I mean, you have you have to forfeit your committee meetings. Yeah. I I mean, last year, >> nobody could meet other than Thursday, and I had to forfeit all my committee meetings on Thursdays.
>> If I have to meet miss a meeting, I could do that. >> I mean, you have somebody else covered. It's not the end of the world. the 23rd. Um, you said Mondays. >> Monday the Yeah. >> Okay. So, Monday would be the 20th. >> Yes. >> I'm I'm available on Monday the 20th.
>> I am not. >> I'm going to see Bruce Springsteen. >> And then if you're not meeting, >> you can Monday the 20th. The the clerk's not available. We can we can >> Okay. Um, we'll >> have great take the notes. Well, here
here's here's the question that I'm going to have for all of you because if we're getting this this week, that's only next weekend. >> Everybody going to have a chance to digest it before then? Because that's the other problem. >> Well, he said it's going to be much more detailed than it ever has been before
>> and we're going to have the presentation from the >> We'll make a suggestion the week of the 20th. There's no council meeting scheduled, right? >> We're in between the two. >> Why don't we do that Tuesday? >> Do that Tuesday. >> Okay. The 20th. Can we do Tuesday during the day? >> No, >> I'm working.
>> No, >> can't do I cannot do the day. >> So, can we start at 4:00? >> Yeah, 4:00. >> No, I cannot. >> Huh? >> What time can you start? >> That day, the 21st is something else.
What else is the 21st? What kind of time can you start on any day? >> Oh, I'm not available that night. That's what it is. The 21st. >> Okay. What time on any day can you start? >> Uh maybe 4.
>> I I know, but that day I couldn't. >> Yeah, I only have >> Okay. So, can we go back to Monday the 20th at 4? >> Yeah, >> that's good. We have to get started. But um that means that there's no time to to ask questions. We're getting it
when? >> Well, you're do it on the 20th. Then >> push it the following Monday. >> The following day. >> Let's do the following Monday. >> Once you have enough time to review it. So >> So the following Monday is the 27th. >> It's the day before a council meeting.
>> And I I have a funeral that day. Well, that's in the afternoon, so that's fine. Are we available? So, I mean, it's okay if we have a council meeting the same day. We got to get it done. As everybody is saying, our obligation is to get it done. So, can we meet on the 27th at 4
p.m.? >> I can. >> Okay. So, let's let's schedule that first day for the 27th at 4 p.m. >> Council Chambers. >> Yeah. Are we going to have the presentation from the directors the way we typically do? What's going to happen?
>> We'll have the director show up. Uh we have to you have to tell me the duration that you think we're going to go that night. >> Four to >> four to nine. So if we have five hours, I'll I'll budget it. I'll I'll set them up according to the the size of the departments. >> Okay. Okay. Thank you.
>> 30th. >> Just for clarification, that's the 27th, 4:00 to 9:00. >> Correct. >> Thank you. And then can we go into the next week? >> How about the 30th? Continue on the 30th. >> Thursday the 30th. >> We have council connection, but we can
we can cancel that one. >> Yeah, >> I'm fine with that. >> That's good. >> Same thing. >> Yeah. 4 to 9 to 9. >> Yep. >> I'm sorry. What's What's that date again? >> The 30th. >> It's a Thursday. >> Thursday. >> So, we're doing the same week, the 27th.
So, we have a council meeting the 28th and you want to do the 30th. >> Is that what you're saying? Yeah. >> Yes. At at 4:00. >> Yeah. >> Council meeting is on the 28th. >> Um, we have to cancel council connection. >> That's okay. >> No way.
>> Council meeting is 6:30 on the 20th. I I Can we I With all due respect, colleagues, three nights in a row. >> Yeah. >> Long nights in a row. >> I have uh >> Can we Can we >> I have downtown on the 29th.
>> Yeah. Let's not do Let's not do um Well, it's not three nights in a row cuz it's Wednesday. >> It's not in a row. There's a whole day. >> I said the same thing. It's not in a row, but it is. >> But for me, for me, it is. I'm going to have downtown also on the 29th, >> right? >> Next week. >> So, wait a minute. So, let's go back. We
have the 27th and then I wrote down the 30th. So, what are you cancelling? >> So, we're I I don't want to do the 30th. That's three long meetings. >> So, you don't have to cancel the council connection then. Okay. >> Why I Yeah, I probably won't go that anyway.
Okay. >> What about Tuesday, May 5th? >> That was one second. One second. >> Go to Maya. >> Good. Someone bring margaritas. >> Bring a blender. Bring tacos.
>> Wait, >> I'll get the >> What? What date did you just say? >> Tuesday the 5th. today. >> What about Sunday the 3? >> Because I I'm not available. No, I'm not available on the third.
>> If we go like five, six hours, we should be able to >> not available at any time on the 3. >> Third? No, I'm not. No, no. I mean, if we have to, we can go 4 to 10. >> Are you available on the second? On Saturday? >> I didn't realize that all Sundays were all my bedtime.
>> I I didn't say that all Sunday. I asked for a Sunday to accommodate you, but if I'm not available, do you want us to switch it to a Saturday? >> What date were you speaking? >> Thank you. >> May we said Tuesday the 5th of May? >> Yeah.
>> If we can make an accommodation for Saturday or Sunday, we can do or for a Sunday, we can accommodate a Saturday as well. >> I'm sorry, but there are religious reasons. I don't think that he religious reasons too. I go to church on Sunday every Sunday. >> Well, Sunday.
>> Okay. >> So, Tuesday the 5th is it folks going once, gone twice? >> Four to nine. >> Okay. The fifth. >> Cinco de Mayo. >> Okay. >> Might need that. >> Okay. Then we have council meeting the
12th and the 26. Mhm. >> Well, uh, you wanted who? May Monday, May 11. >> Are we scheduling three days now? >> Yes, we are because we did 18 last year.
So, >> I was just that. >> Hey, maybe we won't have to do all these days. Let's just have them there. >> Yeah. Okay. Just keep guessing. >> Let's be positive. >> I'm sorry. On the 5th is what time? >> 4 to 9 >> is June. I am not. I have. >> All right. And then
>> 4 to 9. >> Yeah, we'll do we'll always do 4 to 9. >> So why don't we just make it Mondays >> and the Tuesday we don't have the council meeting? >> Huh? >> Well, May. So if we do Monday, May 11th,
>> Tuesday, we have the meeting May 19th. >> Yeah. You don't think we're going to need four? >> No, I don't. I'm thinking positive. And if we get to the third meeting and we need more dates, then we can schedule them. But I don't have my calendar that far out right now. So >> yeah, that's good. >> This is the story.
>> So we have the 27th of April, the 5th of May, and the 11th of May. >> I thought we had the 30th as well. >> No, >> no. >> No, they we decided not to do it that night. >> No, that's too >> because I would have been three nights that week.
>> Council connections back on. Yeah, I didn't. Yeah, I wrote that down. >> So, the 27th, the 5th, >> and the 11th. >> Yeah, that's good. >> From 4 to 9. >> So, then
you give us the budget. You're going to intro, you wanted us to introduce the first version when? >> 28th of April. >> I have that written down here >> before. Wait, we have one meeting before that happens. Yeah. The night before.
>> Yeah. So, get it introduced >> and then the hearings will maybe they lead to an amendment. >> You could always amend. >> Yeah. So, we So, you're going to So, so everybody gets that. We're going to introduce what they give us and then the
amendment will come in. That is due by when? >> Well, you'd amend before you adopt. So we cut through the hearings, figure out where we want to end up, amend, and then final adoption.
Let's try for beginning of June. >> So let me ask you this question. When does it need to be done so our residents don't get another estimated third quarter tax bill? >> We're going to we're going to authorize an estimated third quarter tax bill because again, we have to the state has
to certify Um, but we will tailor that third quarter tax bill to be as close as possible to what the real levy will >> Okay. >> We did that last year as well. >> When we could see that the uh the budget,
>> they'll get it the same time you guys get that and we'll make paper packets available for anybody that wants to come up. >> Okay. >> Okay. >> No paper for me. Please don't die. >> Oh, I need paper.
>> I need paper. I highlight. I have a lot of colors. >> I put all my notes in that book. >> Okay. >> Okay. Great. Yes. Yes. I have for new business. Um, tonight the residents
brought to us a resolution. I just want to explain to everybody what this resolution is about. I I know but you don't have the support for it. >> No, but but there is not clarity on what this resolution is for. >> Well, have we seen it?
>> Why are you talking about something we haven't even seen in the morning and talk about Exactly. Let us give us >> I That's exactly what I'm doing. >> It's not time for discussion cuz I'm not going to discuss something that I haven't >> I am not asking for a discussion.
>> Okay. I am I just would like to clarify what the residents have asked for. They have asked us to mirror the executive order number 12 from Mikey Cheryl which creates safe spaces in West Orange. This
is the only thing that they are asking for that we can designate this so that the the residents understand and our leaders understand and our police understand that there cannot be ICE
raids without warrants on our municipal property. >> It's not just regular warrants. It's a judicial warrant. So again, can you give us the document so we have an opportunity? look at it and discuss it at so so this is not something that does
not affect West Orange. It's not something that we can take care of our students and say that they're going to be fine. They're not going to be fine. We need to do an extra step to try and if you could take one and pass it down. >> Okay. We'll read the resolution, see
what they're asking for, and then come back next time and or we can discuss at another time because what they're asking for is very limited and very much affects safety and security for our residents. >> I don't have the >> Yes, Councilman Koviac.
>> I I have an issue with transparency again on on new business. If we are going to be expected to discuss something uh a document, we need to get it ahead of time and it needs to be on the agenda so that everybody in in uh
the township who cares about this stuff can look on the agenda and see what we're going to talk about. >> That's not how it if you could just let me finish. I >> I'm sure that there are things that come up at the very last second that nobody
has ever thought about and need to be put on here, but that should be a rarity. Again, transparency so that people in uh uh the uh township will know about this and if they care about it, they'll come or they'll watch or
they'll speak at public comment. But this stuff about just throwing stuff on at the very last second, I don't think is a good practice. >> We agree. >> Actually, the people of the town knew about this and they came and they spoke
about it. So this was >> this was not >> of 50,000 people. This was not something that was thrown on at the last minute and there's no other >> I'm asking I I'm asking council
colleagues to just look at this and we can discuss it next time. I am not bringing this for a resolution. I'm asking to just start thinking about this. >> Okay. So let's do that and let's get going. It's
>> why does it say second job? What was the first draft? >> It they gave me a first draft and they made changes. >> Okay. >> Okay. >> Um I'll list it on the next uh agenda under >> correct. >> Yeah. Defending matters and we vote if
if it moves to >> correct. >> Okay. Is there a motion? Is there anything else? Second. >> All in favor? Any opposed? The meeting is adjourned.