Good evening and welcome to the township council meeting for April 8th, 2025 coming to you live from council chambers. At this time, I'd like to turn the meeting over to council president Joe Koviaak. Council President, Mr. Fagen, thank you. Uh, welcome everybody
to the April 8th council meeting. We have a packed schedule, so we would like to move along very quickly. Uh, not only here but through the presentations. We have a a potentially very large agenda. So, we'd appreciate uh uh everybody's
cooperation. Mayor McCartney. Oh, sorry about that. Please go ahead. 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 annual notice was emailed
to the SPAR ledger and filed in the township clerk's office on January 7th, 2025 and published in the West Orange Chronicle on January 16th, 2025. Councilwoman Castelino is uh coming in the building now. Councilwoman
Gabber present. Councilwoman Ruden here. Councilwoman Scarpa present. Council President Kakovia present. Mayor McCartney. Okay, I sort of jumped the gun on this. Mayor McCartney, please take us
away. Council President, council colleague, we wanted to do the cheerleaders first. We're waiting for Michelle Castelino to come in. So, we're going to start with a proclamation uh because um April is also sexual
assault assault awareness month and we have representatives from Family Service League here if you would like to come up and join me as we present this proclamation. So this is proclamation whereas sexual assault awareness month was first
nationally recognized in April 2001 to increase awareness on sexual violence and its profound impact on individuals and the community. Sexual sexual violence does not discriminate and affects individuals of all gender identities, races,
ethnicities, ages, socioeconomic backgrounds. Survivors often remain silent due to the fear of blame, shame, disbelief, or revictimization, making it crucial to foster a culture of belief and support. The goal of sexual assault
awareness month is to bring visibility to the issue of sexual violence and promote prevention efforts symbolized by a teal ribbon ribbon which represents trust, devotion and healing. The sexual assault awareness month also
expands a focus on prevention edi education in communities, workplaces and campuses encouraging behavior change and respect to prevent the physical, emotional and social impacts of sexual violence. We have here this family
service league representative. Family service league was estab established in 1881. A nonprofit organization committed to strengthening and supporting individuals with counseling, sexual violence adv
advocacy and education. The Family Service League provides traumainformed services to survivors, their loved ones and the broader community. Sexual assault violence and education established by the family
service league in 2004. state designated sexual violence program for Essex County. This program plays a crucial role in the county sexual assault response team which includes forensic nurse examiners, law enforcement, and
confidential sexual violence advocates. This multidisciplinary team works to provide direct support to survivors while advancing prevention through education and advocacy. and the numbers are outstanding. Uh since 2015, the
education program has answered 4,145 hotline calls, provided 1,300 support uh calls to support survivors at hospitals and law enforcement agencies, and served 4,750 survivors of sexual violence
through various services. And since 2017, the education program has provided 15,000 sexual violence counseling services. And additionally, since 2021, the violence sexual assault violence
education program has facilitated 1,653 Uber rides to ensure transportation for challenged survivors. They have safe and reliable transportation to access the services that are needed. So now therefore, be it
resolved that I, Susan McCartney, town council, mayor of the township of West Orange in Essex County, recognize April 2025 as Sexual Assault Awareness Month and commend Family Service League, their education program for its unwavering
dedication to supporting survivors, educating the public, and advocating for the future free of sexual violence. This is an opportunity to call upon all our residents to take an active role in prevention and awareness efforts within our community. Thank you. If you'd like
to say, thank you very much, May. Um, just speak into the microphone, please. Thank you. Everybody here, council president, council women, um, the you know, my town. I am a resident of uh West Orange.
Um and I work in Essex County. Uh so I'm really uh grateful for um the township um of West Orange for recognizing sexual assault awareness month um with this proclamation. This is uh really important for us uh to raise awareness
within our community to stand uh with victims and survivors of sexual violence and uh create a safer and better world uh for um all of us and especially for our children. Thank you. Thank you.
See pretty s Councilwoman Castalina is going to take our second uh event on the conference agenda. Thank you, Mayor and Council President. Uh always happy to present. I I I didn't realize I thought you were
going to do the presentation today. So, welcome uh West Orange PL. Let's hear you in the road here. This is our chair team. A little bit louder. That's more like it. Always a an honor to present to this group. They've
been here before and to have them here again is just outstanding achievement. uh my own daughter being a part for the program for many years and the program was not what it is today. And I want to thank Cheryl Mkelinger and all the other
PAL coaches and I see Lou in the back of the room and all the other uh uh folks at the PL if you're here today if you could just stand up. Uh and all the parent coaches. Come on. takes a lot of work and hard dedication
to achieve these accomplishments and should all be proud of yourselves and the program for all that you obtain today. Uh, PLA has always been a great rep representative of community support for our student athletes and our church
squad is definitely a athletic group as we know with all the stunts and uh, activities that you have to provide. But, uh, this year the West Orange PIL cheer team. Oh, thanks. These were good. Thank you, madam clerk.
The West Orange PL cheer competition team represented West Orange with a 90 record during the 20 I asked them to do it. Thank you though. Good. Okay. Go. No. Sorry for interrupting. I was causing trouble. I apologize. No, that's okay. I want everybody to see this is
great accomplishment for our young athletes with the 900 record during the 2024 25 competition season. This is quite an accomplishment. So, let's give them a hand. We have first place 14U at a season over
in Montville. Uh 14U non-umble use uh UCA. Uh Brookdale Community College. Mount Olive High School first place 14U non-tumble. Roxbury High School uh first place 14U. Uh Dave Brley Bears annual
competition first place 14U. Mustang Maniac. Uh JFK Memorial High School, first place 14U on tumble. Edison Sher Classic, Edison High School, first place 14 on Tumble. Uh Impact March Madness, Brookdale Community College, first place
14U non tumble. And Impact last team standing, American Dream Mall. Very cool, ladies. First place, last team standing, 14U non-tumble UCA. The mayor and the township council. We're very proud to uh recognize and congratulate
the team on their excellent sportsmanship and our dedication uh and dedication and much much success and future success in the program which I know you will be because you all work so hard and again great thing about the PL
program is just community pride and service to the community and uh and we're just all so proud of you. So, I will call up your uh the coaches, Cheryl Markinger, if you could uh lead for us. Megan, let's give her a hand.
Congratulations, coach. So, thank you, um, Mayor McCartney and Town Council for having us here today. We're truly honored to be recognized by the township. Um the PAL is a great program um serving the youth of West Orange and I couldn't be more proud of
these girls. Um they started in August uh with sessions uh in the lab uh with Mike Percy for uh conditioning and strength training and as well as practices um with coach Taylor Kixo, myself, coach Jessica. Um, and once the
sideline season dies down, they really ramp it up. Um, and they are non-stop practices, three days a week, two hours. Um, and it's a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, and these girls put everything into it. So, a lot of bumps and bruises along the way, but um, they had an
incredible season. One of the things that, um, I love about our program is that we are the theater program for the high school. So, a shout out to our high school team who made nationals. um 90 just for everyone's knowledge 90% of that team came through the PAL
organization. Um and of those 90% all of the freshmen were on our cheer competition team last year that was recognized by the town council last year. So um truly you know a great thing to see the girls go through and I'm going to be sad to see that we're losing graduating 12 girls to high school next
year. um they're going to do an amazing job with the high school team, but um just want to recognize what an incredible job that they've all done this season and I can't wait to have the rest of you come back next year. and and as coach Merkelinger has mentioned, there are feeder program to
the high school and so important that the PAL being one of our township organizations that always work with our high school coaches to deliver quality programming and and just just a great moral compass for our student athletes. So, thank you, West Orange PA. With uh
with that, coach, I would like like to call up the girls. Do you want to fold them out or Okay, go right ahead and we'll pass these out. Abigail Trinidad all the way around. Um
Ellie, Juliana Sackman, Kiki Garcia, Kimberly Lopez, Leilani Yasina Harris, uh Vera Hackro, Morgan Mangveri, Parker Doer, Sarah Callie,
Sophia, Summer, Violet Conbury. Yeah, Juliet Sman and of course Jessica Tiramanti who come by also part of school team that likes to national okay we're gonna get a group
Okay, everybody look this way and smile. Okay, continue to look. Okay, now just hold that pose because I'm sure there's some proud parents. Councilwoman Castelino, are we going to have a cheer after this? Oh,
just I know it's Let's build the permits. I'll be on top. W E S T That worked out finally. An idea that worked out. Great job, ladies. That was a
nice gown with um and he's a junior. He just registered for his senior year at that family. Hey Tam. Tam, is that was that? I'm sorry. Is that your youngest? Yeah.
Oh my god. like her. No, no, her daughter. No, no. I said, "Does he look like her youngest?" Yes. No, her daughter. Oh, how Thanks. Oh, nice. Congratulations. Fine. Okay. I know that's going to be a
hard act to follow, but if anybody can do it, I think it's Mayor McCartney. and council president. So, just a little history is this is the blue envelope program that the township put in place only a month or so ago. Um, and the backstory is that
back in the fall of 2024. I read in the paper about Washington Township putting together this blue envelope program and I reached out to the mayor, put me in touch with their police chief and sent us details. Uh the township has a police
clergy alliance. We meet quarterly and I presented the idea of having a blue envelope program in town and it was really overwhelmingly received. So after a question and answer period I have uh officer Granados here.
He gave a presentation to the police clergy lines and they immediately put it into effect. So I would like officer Grenadics and Lieutenant Squireers and Jason Padilla uh they were all part of this coalition and I thank
the police department for their reset this. Thank you. Good evening West Orange at home and here present mayor council members. Good evening. Uh I'm Ganalos been with West Orange Police Department 20 years. Uh
the mayor asked me to look into the blue envelope program. Uh it began in Connecticut and it took off. It's a it's a really popular program throughout the country and the mayor wanted it here and like she said February this year it it became
a reality. It's active. But the blue envelope program is designed to create safer and more positive interactions between law enforcement officers and individuals with autism during a traffic stop. The program provides autistic drivers
with a distinct blue envelope to store essential documents such as their driver's license, registration, and insurance information. The envelope also includes instructions to inform officers that the driver is on the autism spectrum. The
envelope also includes instructions. I'm sorry, sorry. Providing specific communication tips to reduce the likelihood of misunderstanding or unnecessary escalations for law enforcement officers. The blue envelope serves as a
visual cue, alerting them to modify their approach when communicating with an autistic driver. Officers are encouraged to practice patience. Use simple language and allow extra time
for the individual with autism to prog to process information. By improving mutual awareness and communication, the Blue Envel program aims to reduce stress and anxiety for artistic individuals,
helping to prevent potentially volatile situations and promoting positive community relationships between law enforcement and the autism community. to request a blue envelope. Families or individuals who would like to participate can request an
application from the West Orange Police Department Community Service Unit located at 92 Washington Street. Or if you have any questions, feel free to call me at 973 3254038. If I'm not around, any of our community officers can assist or you can
email me directly at h granados hgrpop.org. That's my email. Uh, one more note, the prosecutor's office in partnership with the Essex County Sheriff's Department and Essex County Police Chief's Association, they will roll out a countywide blue envelope
program as well. Uh, they will be handing 50 envelopes to all the municipalities in Essex County. For us, it's just a supplement for us. We our programs active. So, the more the merger. The blue
envelope look just like this. When I say I need your license, registration, insurance, I don't need the originals. I just need copies and with the envelope will be an emergency contact form just in case the stop went bad,
went south, I have an emergency person, most likely a loved one I can call to assist so we can resolve the situation. Thank you. Thank you. Any questions from the day? How do you
get the forms? Could you speak into the Thank you. the forms. Yeah, just contact me via uh phone number or email or stop at 92 Washington Street or community service building. Uh we can provide it for you there. There's a quick application we need to fill out just for our records. Can you put the forms on
the police website as well? I think they are. They ask someone uh the information is online. Okay, on our website. Great. Thank you. Thank you. Anybody else? Thank you. I think we're uh ready for
council leaison's announcements report. Councilwoman Castelino. Uh sure. Um so I want to thank everyone who went out to our participating restaurants for last week's West Orange
Restaurant Week. Uh really appreciate the support to our local businesses of few of them that I stopped in. They were very busy. Uh feedback was great. We'll do an an analysis with the next couple weeks with the downtown alliance and between the public relations commission.
I want to thank all the commissioners for their support and getting the restaurants signed up. And I really want to thank shout out to all our restaurants. We had 17 restaurants participate this year. uh 15 uh what we call the quick bites uh restaurants and
um takeouts with specials and the website's on up all year long. So anytime from someone out of town leaving the zoo, the museum, uh the golf course, if anybody Googles, you know, uh restaurants in West Orange, the site pops up so people can see it. We're
going to leave it up all year. Uh we got great positive feedback last year. drove some uh traffic to our restaurant owners from the website. So again, um it's between thank you to all our sponsors who sponsor the event. So we're
able to provide this service uh free of charge to our business owners to help to support them. Uh now that that is over, uh Downtown Alliance will be gearing up uh for June 7th uh town street fair. So everybody look for your notices. That Saturday is also combined with Thomas
Edison day. Uh last year we had 6,000 people visit downtown West Orange. And I'm all pumped up and cranked up because I just came back from Philadelphia late this afternoon from our annual uh national conference. and just a great
opportunity to um to um you know um to um com to uh speak with other downtowns, see what's working, what's not working, going to the workshops, and we're looking forward to sharing it with our commissioners, uh turnkey a lot of
strategies that we learned over the last uh couple days uh just to keep working on and uh recruiting more volunteers and just uh turning our downtown into more vibrant visitation place for everyone to come. So that's about it. Council
President, that's good. Thank you. Council, right? It's already seven, no new council leazison announcements. Council, uh, I don't have a council leaison report, but I just wanted to um make a public announcement, which is that for the past month, if you received the West
Orange Chronicle, you might might have noticed that we do have crime in West Orange. and we always had crime, but now we all know about it um because it is now being reported in the West Orange Chronicle. I wanted to thank the chief
for um working with myself and with Joe Angaro from the uh from the I was going to say Washington Post from the uh West Orange Chronicle um so that we can um read in the paper the crime that is taking place in West Orange. And people
might not realize the value of that, but the value is all about transparency. When you know that there is crime in your area and you know what type of of um incidents are happening, you can take action and you can protect yourself, your home, your neighborhood. So, thank
you to the chief for making that happen. And um I believe you're also posting it on the your your web page as well. So, just wanted to give that update. Thank you, Councilwoman. Okay. Um the seniors of course are on the move working hard
on various programs. Um Laura Van Djk has been doing a wonderful job uh making us aware of agism and has a number of programs coming in May and this fall. So uh which will be really interesting and a lot of fun which will bring uh
intergenerational programming together. Um, she's also has a nice transportation has always been one of our most difficult nuts to crack for the seniors. Communications, transportation, and programming, which is our focus. And Laura does have a program at the library
this week on trans on transportation for seniors. So, any seniors who are interested in learning more about the opportunities for you to get more transportation, come on over to the library. I believe it's the 10th. Uh I have also been working very hard to do
my own little focus groups uh with the seniors. I'm doing a walk-in talk and uh we're doing some roundt discussions to get a sense of the challenges that seniors have and how we can develop programming to meet their needs. And uh
that's all that's all I have. Sounds good. Thank you. I think we're ready. Madam clerk, please. 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 Star Ledger and the West Orange Chronicle on January 7th, 2025, and published in the West Orange Chronicle on January 16th, 2025. Councilwoman Castelino, present. Councilwoman Gber, present. Councilwoman
Ruden, here. Councilwoman Scarpa, present. Council President Roia present. Mayor McCartney. Will everyone please rise for the pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands nation under God
indivisible with liberty and justice for all. The council is now in their public meeting. So, the delay is being caused by my need to get a new laptop and uh my keypad doesn't work, so I'm having
to use a mouse and it's been a while. So, I apologize. I will be right with you. Okay. Uh, first item at the public meeting is public comment. If anybody would like to speak of public comment, let me just explain you. You're more
than welcome. Just hold on just a second. Uh, please come to the podium. speak your name uh and your address slowly for our minutes and then you will have up to five minutes and don't feel obligated to
use all five minutes. We have lots of stuff to do tonight and uh just want you to get through I want you to speak but uh uh just want you to be cognizant of of the time period. I also want to read a few items to keep in
mind while you're speaking. And it has to do with uh excuse me, it has to do with what our ordinances, our municipal code says about public comment. I just want you to be aware of
uh of what the essentially the rules of behavior are. But before we get to that, I'm going to let Mr. Fagan talk because he looks like he needs to talk more than I do. Thank you, Council President. Uh, absolutely. I could have
I would have no problem making the cheer team because I do have a loud mouth. So, uh, I look forward to this opportunity. Good evening, council uh, council president, council, your council colleagues, mayor, and to all the people home in the zoom audience. Tonight I would like to start April is
autism awareness month and this is uh perfect with the introduction of the well not the introduction the reintroduction you might say of the blue envelope program and uh a April is not just autism awareness month. It's really more about acceptance month. uh it's
equally as important as awareness uh to all the uh uh to those in our community and uh in the world who are on the autism autism spectrum. Uh so please be aware that this is autism awareness and acceptance month. Uh equal shares
equally important. Uh, also want to point out that ArabAmerican Heritage Month, uh, we want to, um, acknowledge all the important contributions of Arab Americans within our community and certainly around the world. Uh, congratulations to Noel Douglas of West
Orange. You set a new state record at 9 ft. Awesome. 8.25 in. Now, that's amazing for a pole vault considering sometimes I'm tripping over a curb. So, uh congratulations to her. Um also, uh the
new date, uh this was originally scheduled for last week, but it has been pushed out. Uh let's support our West Orange Community Band. The new date, April 9th, Liberty Middle School, One Kelly Drive. They always do a great performance. Uh I also want to point out some uh good news here. the uh Garden
State Municipal Joint Insurance Fund, GIF. I'm sure you never heard of it, but it's property and casualty fund serving 38 uh New Jersey municipalities, and it's commercial insurance with uh for municipalities with long-term and cost-effective risk management. West
Orange has received an accidentfree award of $15,000, and West Orange is one of only three municipalities to receive this statewide award in 2024. And um the credit goes to the entire staff whose hard work and due diligence
has made this possible. So I just wanted to acknowledge that. And uh also um Chief Ecio uh sent me this picture. And the West Orange Fire Fire Department officially donated 16 self-contained breathing apparatuses. SCBA is the
acronym, not to be confused with scuba, which is self-contained underwater breathing apparatus. These are for above ground. These units were replaced five years ago with an award grant. And there's Chief Beckio with uh Chief Matthew Persio of the fire training
coordinator. I believe that's in Mars County. Um this Friday uh begins uh at sundown, I'm sorry, this Saturday at sundown, April 12th. Happy uh Passover to all our Jewish friends and neighbors as the Passover season begins. Also, I
want to uh let you know uh one of our best community partners um uh there are several uh the Lions Club of West Orange having their annual spaghetti fundraiser dinner on April 10th at the Carnival Tonoff Cafeteria. Please stop by and
support 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Uh the next council connection office schedule uh where you can come in and talk to the council here is Thursday, April 24th from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. No appointment is necessary and it's right here in Council
Chamber 66 Main Street. Also, Mayor McCartney's next office hours are May 1st. Uh we're still at the beginning of April here, so I'm not even thinking May 1st, but wanted to point that out. And again, no appointment is necessary. Um this information is on our website,
west.org. Uh Department of Senior Services is seeking Earth Day volunteer opportunities and this uh the actual date is April 22nd and uh it will they need volunteers to go out and clean up yards for uh senior citizens. This
information is on our website as is a transportation form which is very important. I think uh Councilwoman Scarpa mentioned earlier about transportation. This is going to be at the library uh from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. on April 10th. Uh everyone knows where the
library is at 10 circle and there will be several representatives there to navigate the ins and outs of senior transportation. And uh this also is on our website uh New Jersey Property Tax Relief. There's information there for three programs
combined into one application that makes things uh very easy. As I say, you can go to our west uh to our website, westarn.org. These are all in the scroll and you can scroll through them and click on these um these graphics, these icons and find out more information at
your desire. Uh, and you can reach the town council with one single email, council west.org. Uh, thank you very much, council president, for the opportunity to speak this evening. At this point, I'd like to introduce my colleague, Mr. Anthony Plesi.
Hi. Uh, Anthony Plesi representing County Executive Joe Definenzo. I actually have some written notes today. That's the first time in a long time. I'm going to start with some upcoming events. Uh first, today uh we opened the new Barry Estraki Animal Wellness Center
at Turtleback Zoo. Uh as the zoo has become more popular and we've brought in additional animals. The AA which accredited the facility uh told us that we needed a larger and more modern hospital. So that was open today. Uh the thing with the uh building is that not
only is it a hospital, it's also an exhibit. So if you go you can watch the veterinarians give exams, do operations and other things in the amount in the uh with the animals. Um and in that uh vein it's just an opportunity for us to show
the public um how much we care for the animals and raise awareness about conservation and and all that. Uh Thursday we're opening another exhibit that's the outback adventure. Uh it's an existing exhibit. Uh the walkway through
the exhibit is on a boardwalk. Um and we found that uh it was too narrow. Uh people with strollers and wheelchairs could not get through. So it's a wider boardwalk. We made a um a formal viewing area and it also links the exhibit with the prehistoric playground and the
petting zoo which is located adjacent to the outback adventure. So that opens Thursday at 12:00 noon. um keeping uh with the zoo theme, April 26th, which is a Sunday, I believe, um is sensory day at Turtleback Zoo that starts at 9:00
a.m. Um at this event, um we'll try to make it as quiet as possible. No train whistles, uh no music at the carousel. Uh there are a significant number of visitors who do come to the zoo who have uh sensory um uh I don't want to say
issues, but they challenges. Challenges. Thank you. Um, so we just wanted to make a special day for them where they could have a day to themselves. Um, and then even though Joe doesn't want May to begin, uh, May 3rd is our household hazardous waste collection day and May
17th is the computer and electronic uh, day both in Cedar Grove. And all that information is on our website. Um, at a previous meeting, I'm changing course now. Uh, the council did talk about Mount Pleasant Avenue. Uh so the county
uh and several West Orange representatives led by uh the chief and the assistant business administrator uh we met at our public works building to go over what has been done and what possibly could be done to uh enhance
that experience along the roadway. So first I'm going to talk about things that were not going to p be pursued because for some reason they keep being brought up. Uh so initially we were going the county was going to install a guardrail along Mount Pleasant Avenue. Um however when
the resident uh saw the path of the guardrail uh they changed their mind. So we know we are no longer considering that. Uh there was also a suggestion to install jersey barriers down the middle of Mount Pleasant Avenue. However, the road is not wide enough to accommodate
those barriers. In addition, if we were to install the barriers, it would create another obstacle for vehicles to hit, which could possibly create an even more dangerous hazard for motorists when they cross the center of the road. Uh then there was a suggestion that the county
purchase the Ridge Road parcel at the corner of Mount Pleasant Avenue and Prospect Avenue and straighten the road. Uh that property is too steep. Um, so even if we were to build a road, it would be steeper than the existing roadway. Um, also there's a tremendous
amount of rock that had to be re be removed and I'm sure the residents along that ridge line would not appreciate any blasting and any any potential instability to that cliff uh that the blasting would uh cause. Um there's also
um historical elements to that property and Ridge Road that we would have to uh maintain if the county were to purchase it. So we don't think that it is um economically feasible to do that. Now the things that we have done or will do
uh I think within the last couple years the the speed limit was reduced from 40 miles per hour to 25 miles per hour. uh rumble strips have been replaced um up from the curb. Um the uh the section of roadway has was
repaved with a higher friction material. Uh flashing lights sorry the the higher friction material on the roadway did not stick. So we are looking at another alternative. Uh the flashing light beacons, the flashing lights and the
beacon over the roadway have been upgraded with larger beacons and out fitted with LED lights which are brighter. Uh that's to uh warn motorists of the curve. Uh a temporary trailer with a speed radar has been placed at the curve. Uh and a permanent speed
radar uh will be installed in the coming weeks. Uh we also are going to install um additional signage alerting motorists about the curve and to slow down. Uh and we will also in install additional chevron signs. Chevron signs are the
signs that have the arrows pointing to the right in this case pointing to the right or pointing to the left. They're the the big yellow signs. Um uh there's also a uh talks are underway with West Orange to uh assist the county. We do install signs with um
lights around the outside of it. We have asked that the if the if the county were to purchase it if the town would help us maintain that. So that is being discussed. Uh we were also going to uh investigate whether we can put any additional road markings on the pavement
to alert motorists to start to slow down. Uh we the county also installed RPMs which are raised pavement markers. Those are the markers that are on the double line in the middle uh of the road. So that outlines the uh lanes.
Um, we also asked the town council's liaison, that's councilwoman uh um oh, I'm getting old about uh establishing a school zone in that area because there is the Gddard
school at that intersection and we're just waiting to see if that's uh uh permissible to do a school zone there. Um and then also in conjunction with West Orange, uh the off police officers who were there indicated that in severely inclement weather, they do close the roadway if they feel the
conditions are dangerous and they will continue to do that in the future. Thank you. You have any questions? I was at the meeting so Yes. And I but I just do want to commend you and you the entire county staff for
working so hard and diligently uh to try to make that uh that area safer. And this is just a reminder to everybody. What would really make it safer is if you slow down. Slow down. Yes. If everyone drove 25
miles, there wouldn't be any accident. Yes, indeed. Anybody else have any questions? Thank you. I just Yeah, just thank Thank you, Mr. Plesi. I'm gonna have some jinsen. I remember this. That's why I needed in the beginning of the meeting.
So, so now we're ready for public comment. Let me just read a couple of items from our ordinance that should guide your uh your your uh speaking and then I want to add a couple words after that. uh public
requires the speaker to first state their name and address and please just speak into the mic, speak your name slowly, speak your address slowly. It just is very helpful and saves time. Uh our time limits ordinance uh article
3-15.2 two uh provides time limits that uh also controls conduct by public comment speakers who quote shall at no time engage in any personally offensive or abusive remarks. The chair shall call any speaker to order who violates any
provisions of this rule. End quote. 3.16.2 3-16.2 Conduct of the public. Quote, "Any person who shall disturb the peace of the township council, make offensive or abusive remarks, or conduct himself or herself in a boisterous manner while
addressing the council shall be forthwith barred by the presiding officer from further audience before the council, except that if the speaker shall submit to proper order under these rules, permission for him or her to continue may be granted by a majority vote of the council." End quote.
As an aside, people who watch these council meetings that I've been council president on know that I'm a big First Amendment fan. I'm a big US Constitution fan and I want everybody to have a chance to seek redress from their government, especially those that I
disagree with. But I'm also a big fan of civility and I think the lack of civility and manners contributes to uh the national political conflict and inability to reach a middle ground. I think of this our council as a place to discuss our
differences and often to find compromise to make West Orange an even better place to live. So I urge all of us to treat everyone else as they would like to be treated. You can make your point without insulting anyone else or
cursing and I will enforce the ordinances. Okay. So please anybody who would like to speak you can come up to the deis I mean come up to the podium and if you want to line up behind give her you know five or 10 uh about five feet uh and I just want to make one more
announcements before we get this going a late deletion from the agenda the administration you want to just read you want to okay the administration uh has pulled proposed ordinance 2914-
25. That is the ordinance to put in overlay zoning at the Mayfair Farms property. So, we will not be considering any legislation related to that today. You're certainly welcome to come speak,
but it's not going to uh uh uh make any progress in consideration of that ordinance because it's no longer on the agenda. So, please go ahead. Thank you very much, sir. My name is Valerie Palma Douzi. I am an attorney. I
represent Lieutenant Tito John who is a West Orange police lieutenant and a resident. Due to Daniel's law, I will not publicly state his home address because of course, as you're aware, it's protected. It's actually for you as the speaker. You don't have to speak anybody
else's address or or name. Okay. I represent a West Orange resident and police lieutenant. I am not personally a resident. No, that's fine. That's fine. We just for our minutes, we will show who spoke and where they're from. Okay,
no problem. My firm address is 1425 Broad Street in Clifton. Thank you. Thank you. West Orange is home to approximately 50,000 residents and approximately 60% of them are minorities. West Orange Police
Department prides itself on recruiting and hiring minority officers. However, promoting minority officers doesn't seem to be happening. And for the record, I'm not blaming the chief for that. We're blaming the mayor. And we are here to
make sure everyone is aware that there is an issue so that the issue can be resolved without having to escalate into litigation. So, we're here to solve a problem, not to create one. An opening for captain became available on August
1st, 2024. The position is in the table of organization. It is in the budget and the town's staff directory on the website shows that the office of professional development has a captain
vacancy. Now, this is a really important office and right now it has a vacancy. West Orange has never had a minority captain. And for some reason there seems like there's not going to be one now for no
articulable reason. Lieutenant John sits first on the list. This is a meritorious promotion. This is a civil service department. He took the exam. He is first on the list. There is an opening. There has been an opening. He would be the first minority captain. He is not
being promoted. He didn't retake the test because he thought he would get made as he should have been. However, if he is skipped over and he dies first on the list, everyone else who took the test and who who will be on the new list starting in May, they're all white. And
we're just finding it hard to believe that that's a coincidence. There is no justification for failing to promote my client who made it on merit. This is not DEI. This is a meritbased promotion that my client is being denied and it certainly appears on its face that he is
being denied because he is a minority. There has never been a minority captain and if my client is not promoted now it will be years before there is an opportunity to make another one. We find that appalling and we think you should be made aware so that you can correct
it. You want to vitalize downtown. That's great. The way to do that is to ensure that it's safe. the crimes are now being reported in the local media. Well, you want to keep that news section as small as possible, right? The way to do that is to ensure that the police
department is fully staffed and functional. Right now, you're operating short a captain. The mayor came here, I'm sorry, the police chief came here in 2017 and asked for a fifth captain position to be added to the budget and table of organization. This body
approved it, but now you're operating one short. And if it's not because my client's a minority, well, I have not been told any other possible reason that it can be. This town talks a good game about inclusion. I am asking you to
practice what you preach and ensure my client receives his merit-based promotion. Thank you. And I went under the five minutes, so you're welcome. Yes. Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, I appreciate that you are enthusiastic and are engaged,
but clapping I would like not to see. It simply takes up time. So, please reconsider your desire to clap. Please go ahead. Hi, how are you? My name is uh Rasher Jones. I reside at
44 Rock Spring Road. I am also the co-chair of the West Orange CPAC. Um I'm here um for the the blue uh the blue letter program and also to bring awareness to this being autism
awareness month. And in addition um with the blue envelope program, I wanted to mention another program that is here and a part of the West Arm Police Department which is called Take Me Home. And with Take Me Home, we feel that that would be
um a nice um uh one two or or go well with the blue envelope program because it gives a sticker um a West Orange Police sticker um that that has the symbol of autism on it. So, I know that the blue envelope
program is for the individual who has a disability, but nine times out of 10 with our community, those individuals are driven by the parents like myself. And with this uh decal and this sticker, it's a way for the police officer and
people who are driving behind us to know that the driver might not be disabled, but we may be driving someone who is because my daughter is non-verbal and I have that decal. And I think that that is something that would work um together
with that. I've spoken to um officer um Mango about it. She's also helped me out a lot about it. And I think right now we just need more st more stickers and that um hopefully we can um merge those two together. So in conjunction with um autism awareness month, we wanted to
kind of put that in and um we're here representing the West Orange uh CPAC. Thank you. Thank you, Miss Jones. All right, good evening. My name is Brian Miranda. I live in 360 Valley
Road. I have the uh signatures of 16 of my neighbors from Valley Road and it's a petition to restrict Lost Pomera's restaurant from operating from midnight to 2:00 a.m. saying they should close at
midnight. unanimous reason. And let me backtrack. I was nervous to knock on my neighbor's doors because Valley Road is not really like a baker neighbors some pie type of street, but it was a unanimous decision. And this is because there's lots of crime, people fighting
the street. There's chaos. And really, it's if we want to address crime, there should be no reason why there's a nightclub in the middle of a residential street. That's the first matter. Secondly, I live closest to this
restaurant. Everyone in attendance would be outraged if they heard bass in their bedroom at night when they want to read a book. You would be outraged at 8:00 p.m., but for me, it lasts until 2:00 a.m. every single night. This is damaging for my health and my peace at
night. I am a business owner and I am pro business. And I can assure you that this business would not go bankrupt from lowering their music at night. They somehow have a liquor license against all odds, I may add, cuz we all know the things that they do. And they serve food
throughout the day. Just look at how much they've remodeled their property. They are not struggling. Just look at how many noise fines they've been able to pay after I keep calling. They are not struggling. I support restaurant week in restaurant in West Orange, but I
do not support nightclub week. So, what is a possible solution? change the language in the ordinance, the noise ordinance from stating. So the officers show up to my home and they tell me noise must be heard at least 25 feet away. My house is
within 25 ft. I live well within 25 ft. So my house just doesn't matter in this rule because I live too close. I'm I'm I'm exempt from it the noise being in violation. It makes no logical sense. Let me repeat it. These people, I'm sorry, I don't want to say these people, but these officers show up and I respect
them and they say to me, "Oh, we don't hear this 25 feet away, but we hear it clearly in your driveway. We just can't market it a violation." And and I respect it. We got to follow the rules, but I'm here I'm here to ask, can we please change this funny rule?
Secondly, I've received many suggestions to let West Orange Police Department into my bedroom at 1:00 a.m. Let me paint a picture. They play music every single night. If I'm supposed to let West Orange Police Department in my bedroom, I'm supposed
to do that every single night. It's insane. I'm not the one breaking the rules. I shouldn't have to do all this work. West Orange Police should go into their place, not mine. You'll see sirens going off for music. It's an insane nightclub in there. Um, and and lastly,
to to be only able to begin complaining at 11:00 p.m. is really late. I want to go to sleep at 8. So, for me to wait three hours in my bed until I'm allowed to call, I I think is excessively late to to to say, "Oh, anything past 11, that's when it's something's in violation." 8:00 p.m. for me is night
time. And uh the person that lives next to Lilland Park, I can't pronounce it. Lilland Park Bar, they couldn't make it tonight, but um I know other people in this town are affected and I'm going to read their text. You speaking today already helps both of us. Feel free to mention how other residents are dealing with similar situations like my case. I
think it's important that they hear this is not just one business. It's a pattern across West Orange where more establishments are disrupting quiet residential neighborhoods. And uh let's see what else I got. Uh I got a minute. I got to make it
count. You don't have to. It's not requirement. I have to. I ask you to please consider my perspective. I live through this every single day. The patrons in this restaurant have a nice vibe for an hour or two. they get drunk and they move on with their life. I deal with this every single night. Please be
considering of this. And just because they're a business doesn't mean they can break the rules. And this is a broader discussion, but maybe West Orange should review what licenses are given to businesses in residential zones. Are we really a town that allows nightclubs in the middle of residential street? Milbour would never allow this. Towns
like that, like why why can't we be at this standard as well? And uh thank you. Thank you all for your time. Appreciate it. Miss Miranda, you're going to leave your signatures the uh Okay. Would you please put your uh address and not
address, your email address and phone number on that so that uh uh council can get back to you. Somebody will get back to you. That's fine. Thank you. Thanks for your thoughtfulness. Hello again. My name is Shannon Breen.
I'm at 325 Gregory Avenue. During the last town council meeting, the ordinance for roadway improvements, including those that are grant funded, was tabled. That same ordinance is up again for a vote tonight. Our Gregory advocates and a growing number of concerned neighbors, understand that this specific ordinance
doesn't cover most of our needed traffic changes. It is a critical step, though, to get these roads paved and other necessary work done. But it's most critical that we avoid setting a precedent for allowing grants to expire and putting our town at risk of losing future grants. Our hope going forward is
to work together with the council and administration to get these safety measures implemented. New Jersey now has the distinction of being the most dangerous state in the country for car crashes and top 20 for pedestrian deaths. Essex County specifically has
one of the highest rates of pedestrians killed and injured in the country. Between 2018 and 2022, 915 pedestrians were killed in vehicle accidents, some of them children. 106 of those were in
Essex County alone. The numbers and the stories tell us that it's not getting safer. In fact, it's getting more dangerous every year. We see it in our communities. We see and hear about impatient drivers going around other cars that are stopped at crosswalks or stopped for school buses. Crossing
guards are getting hit. An elderly woman in Orange named Lois Scott was killed in a crosswalk by an SUV just 5 days ago. Another elderly person, Lee Gilbert, was killed in Nutley about a week ago after being struck by a vehicle. A teenage pedestrian was killed in Maplewood last
fall. Multiple children were recently hit while walking to school in Maplewood. Never mind the countless near misses. It happens all the time. The distracted drivers, the speeding through school zones. West Orange Police Department told me from January 2022 to
fall of 2024, an almost threeyear period, that only nine tickets total were issued on Gregory Avenue. Seven for careless driving and two improper lane changes. We were informed that the speed can't really be enforced in the area of Gregory and Walker, which is where
Gregory Elementary is, because it's quote, "not conducive to speed enforcement there." In other words, drivers are allowed to go as fast as they'd like with no consequences. It's the autobond. We see the polarization in Washington. We see it here, too. Discord
between the council and administration, between our own residents. This is our town, our community, where we choose to live and raise our kids. We're a diverse town and might disagree on a number of issues. I mean, who knew lawn equipment could be so
divisive? But we can all agree on making our streets safer. None of us want our kids or anyone to get hit by a car just crossing the street in their own neighborhood. Councilwoman Ruden said, "This shouldn't be that hard to figure out." Councilwoman, this is personal to
you as you've shared with us before that your sister was killed in a pedestrian accident. We appreciate your advocacy and know this issue is important to you. You're the council liaison for the West Orange Pedestrian Safety Board and we'd love to get together with you to figure out our next steps after this ordinance
passes tonight and passes on second reading on April 22nd. Councilwoman Scarpa, you shared last meeting that you were recently rearended backing out of your driveway on Gregory Avenue and that you would be reaching out to us soon and we look forward to working more closely
with you on this. And CL Councilwoman Castelino, I know you care deeply about this too, pedestrian safety in particular, and have been supportive and responsive to our efforts. You've been there for meetings with the community and have been very encouraging. and counts a woman, Gabria Mickel. You grew
up in West Orange, went to school here, your son now goes to school here. You work for the county in your day job and you've been what? Working in government for more than a decade. Yeah, you're no stranger to this issue, and I know your shared support in the past. And Council
President Koviaak, you were very encouraging to me personally last fall with our efforts and even shared some institutional knowledge on how to make it all happen. You understand the system that we're dealing with. You're a self-described numbers
nerd. You've said that you want to improve the quality of life for West Orange residents and we hear you about your debt concerns and we have them, too. We understand that our town is dealing with serious debt issues and there's a need for some austerity measures, but we do need to prioritize
safety above all else. We need to prioritize our roads, our routes to school, and not in a peacemeal sort of way. It shouldn't take five or more years to break ground on installing sidewalks and months or years for crosswalks or signage or lowering and enforcing the speed limit in school
zones or other safety initiatives. We need to figure out how to push forward and faster and we need to do that together. We can't wait for another tragedy. Thank you all. Thank you, Miss Green. Good evening. You can move the
microphone up closer to your mouth if you'd like. Sure. Sure. Sure. Thank you. Thank you. Um my name is Frank Bars. I live at 4 Ridge View Avenue. Um my house is at the corner of Ridgeview Avenue in South Valley across from Nia Fellowship
Baptist Church and diagonal to Valley Vintage. During the during the 26 years that I've lived here, South Valley Road has become an increasingly heavily traveled and dangerous roadway. From a poorly designed retaining wall on the
west west side of South Valley going south into South Orange to drivers area near 175. This has been the scene of many accidents including at least one fatality. Our neighbors are a mix of
families with young children, several who walk their dogs, middle-aged adults who walk to the jity, stop uh and home from the train, and older adults who walk for exercise. Some neighbors have slow mobility, and others are wheelchair
bound. Shoppers come to this area to patronize the establishments along South Valley from Ridge View Avenue North to Rollinsson. They park on Ridge View and other perpendicular streets to cross South Valley, to go to South Valley
Vintage or to the Cleaners or to the nail salon or to Harper's Cafe or to South Valley Barbecue or to the CVS shopping area. Everyone at some point who comes to that area crosses South Valley
Road. Needless to say, this our ours is a very busy and dangerous area for pedestrians. made worse with parking allowed on both sides of the road and a narrow sidewalk with broken slabs in some areas on the east side mainly. If
the administration is truly interested in developing commerce in West Orange, focusing on this area with the benefit of improving safety conditions would be a good place to start. Bond Ordinance 29:15-25, which calls for improvements
and repairs to portions of South Valley Road in this area, attempts to address some safety issues with curbs, sidewalks, and ADA compliant ramps. The bond will include CDB and DOT grants to cover town required down payments. This,
however, falls far short of helping people to safely cross South Valley Road. Prior to its revision, this bond ordinance identified as 291025 included item number seven,
purchase and installation of common measures, including but not limited to signs, striping, and LED high visibility lights. This item was identified only for Kelly Drive, but was eliminated from the revised ordinance, presumably
because it required a down payment on the part of the township. I sit on the older adults advisory board along with Councilwoman Scarpa. Nearly every month during the public comment portion of our meetings, someone tells us how dangerous it is for
pedestrians to navigate the streets and sidewalks in West Orange due to poor traffic controls and poor underfoot conditions. Right now, as we speak, West Orange is not friendly to pedestrians.
This kind of modification and the equipment I previously described is exactly what's needed at several crossing areas along South Valley Road, specifically at Nassau Street, Tmont Avenue, Ridgeview Avenue, and Lington
and should be included in this ordinance. We all realize that funds are tight and we appreciate the focus on fiscal responsibility that the town council is taking, but sometimes we need to spend money in order to save in the
long run. Investing in the safety of our residents and helping our shop owners to sustain and grow their businesses is one of those times. Please find a way to pass this ordinance, including the addition of calming measures with signs, striping, and LED high visibility lights
at the locations mentioned and allow our community to take advantage of these available grant funds. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. Bars. Good good evening, everyone. My name is Dr. Kale Kani. I am a long-term West
Orange resident. and I live at uh seven Glennon Place. I have a couple of uh points I want to bring up tonight. Um first and foremost, it wasn't on my agenda to bring up, but I want to support uh Oops. Lieutenant Lieutenant uh Tito
John in his pursuit of becoming captain. I I think that um you know my son has gone through the uh explorer program you guys have here and you know we have good relationships with the officers and I think it's important that we continue to develop uh in that area and be
considerate of the fact that that we need to have a a diverse set of folks at all levels uh in the captain and all you know all the different levels in the in the police department. I think that that as we we look at those things, we need
to make sure that we we look broadly and I'm someone who studies race relations. I'm a sociologist and I think that uh you know if you have questions, someone who's an expert in the area, I'd be glad to provide any insight on that and can look at data to address some of those things. But I think we need to make sure
we consider those things as we're doing. The first thing I actually came to talk about, I sit on the board of the Black Inventors Hall of Fame Museum uh that is proposed um uh at the Mayfair Farms uh spot uh spot lot uh which we we're uh
purchasing 5 and a half acres. I know some questions have been brought about that and I want to just say that that u my hope is that here in the township that we have full support for this endeavor. um as the past vice president of the West Orange African Heritage
Organization and uh a professor who has lots of students uh it who live here in West Orange and just as an educator. I think that this was a great opportunity for West Orange uh as part of uh the state of New Jersey to here have an
opportunity to represent something that's going to transform not just West or not just New Jersey but the United States. There is no Black Inventors Hall of Fame Museum that exists in the US. And so this is a rare opportunity for West Orange to take the lead on something that is going to be a longtime
benefit asset to students, staff, community, and tourism uh in the township that could bring uh revenue uh uh because there you know sometimes people think that we won't have room but we also have revenue generating uh uh opportunities through the museum that
will continue the space that we're continuing to use the Mayfair Farm space uh building FGO's physical a uh edifice that's there. So that's going to continue to be there. So it is a a landmark in town and so we continue to
build on that. And I just want us as we're looking at that and and then the property next door that we make sure that we're making uh um the types of analyses and comparisons that are are are fair and and uh do not present
anything that's going to impede the process. Uh there was a a a a notice that was put out about it and it had a picture on it with that highway that street being a two-lane highway. It's a it's a four-lane road. So there was a little bit of deception in terms of that presentation. I think we have to make
sure that we present to the population a clear image about what's going on in terms of traffic, in terms of other things. We've looked at a lot of these things and we we're continuing to work with the township to push that in the most strong and and uh uh the best way. uh it does it will do something for the
students in the community that connects the uh Edison Museum in ways that may not have be done right now. I see I think that that the synergy between the the West Orange uh well the Edison Museum and the Black Inventors Hall of Fame is going to be uh we're looking
forward to doing things with them. Uh we went to before we're before the the state of New Jersey right now or for funding. uh we're up for uh being considered on their budget, their current budget for $7 million. So that's going to contri contribute substantially
to uh uh to our endeavors and we are are continue to build in that process. We have lots of letters of support from colleges and universities in the area, from school districts in the area and all of this uh uh momentum is something I think we should take strongly in
consideration as you look to do all the things necessary to bring that space into being. Uh the only other thing I had that I wanted to mention was about and this is a more maybe a little more selfish piece and that is uh that where I live over by uh
I live on on on Glennon but coming to Glennon is SERS and parking over there is horrific. Uh and uh if we there there's no there's there's a lot of uh I guess people park on our block who come from other areas uh on on on Glennon but
there also is a problem with the sers is wide enough for two for parking on both sides but the parking is only allowed on one side and then the ticketing is like it's like water being poured over every morning there's tickets on on cars all over the place. Now, some of them are
parking illegal on on on close to the corners, but there's because there's no spaces. Dr. Calfani. Yes, sir. Thank you. Please complete your Yeah. Yeah. So, that's all I want to say is just is that if we can just uh uh if we can do a study or whatever is needed to consider
uh bringing parking into that area, it would be of tremendous help. Thank you. It's near the POW field. Hi, good evening. Hello again. I'm Aaron Robbins. I live at 6 Ridge View Avenue. Uh I am one house away from South Valley
Road. Uh I was here for the last meeting and told you of how treacherous the road conditions are on South Valley Road. Uh since then, uh we have been working tirelessly to understand the ordinances. Um, and I have spoken to myriad
community members um, who have shared their stories and experiences, further solidifying the evidence that we are in dire need of restoration for this road and this project. Once again, I am here to advocate for you to push through
ordinance number 2915-25. From the neighbor who just two weeks ago heard a scream and then tires screeching outside of his window. on Luington and South Valley to the shop owner Elise Alandre of Valley Vintage
who actually gets out in the road and directs traffic in front of her shop so patrons can cross safely all along praying please don't die to another neighbor on Maker Street
sharing that the crossing guard at Walker and South Valley was removed but that she eventually gave up After months of trying to advocate and to understand a labyrinth of red tape and political puzzlements to my near traffic collision
just this morning while turning left out of Ridge View Avenue where there's a terrible blind spot of cars parked and of course as you know no crosswalks, no stop signs, nothing to indicate that there uh is another street coming um
while taking my child to school. Each day that passes brings us closer to an entirely avoidable but utter tragedy. Amidst this new mission I and we have taken on in the past few months and it is a
mission. I have a part-time job now. Um on top of all of my other jobs, uh I spoke with my mom, a resident of West Orange for many years uh about the efforts we're collectively putting forth to get this ordinance through. She lived
in the house I live in now for 30 years before retiring down to the Jersey Shore. While living here, she lost her vision to macular degeneration. She reminded me that crossing South Valley Road was terrifying for her and she avoided it at
all costs. This was 20 years ago. She told me she always thought that this little corner of West Orange was neglected and she never understood why. I don't understand why. We don't understand why nothing about the roads
in this little corner of West Orange has changed in over 20 years except that we have more traffic, more school buses, more families, more older folks, more shop owners and small businesses, more
humans and even animals, dogs and deer and bunnies. Uh, and yet here we are still 20 years later in the same place. Broken roads, dangerous crossings, broken and missing
signage or traffic flow, no crossing guards, flooding issues, and no safety precautions whatsoever for pedestrians or drivers. Yet, I took a walk up through the Roosevelt neighborhood a few days
ago in West Orange. Guess what I saw? Brand new double crosswalk, signage, paving, proper curbs everywhere I looked. And these are calm, quiet streets, not a car in sight. I could lie down in the middle of the
road. How can this be? I don't understand. How can you not take this more seriously? Will you please take it more seriously? What is stopping you all from putting
your issues with one another, with yourselves, whatever it is, aside and taking care of your community. The community that elected you into office deserves to be heard and taken seriously. And we deserve to be safe and
we deserve to have pride in where we live. We have this golden opportunity to re receive something that can change our very everyday experiences. something we can feel good about and be proud of like the rest of West Orange as well as the
surrounding towns. Please don't squander this opportunity. We need it. We need you to learn how to work together to lead this community in a purposeful, wise, safe, and fair way and to pass this ordinance.
And we will not stop until that happens. Thank you very much. Thank you, Miss Robbins. My name is Jennifer Jones. I live at 239 South Valley Road and I was here also two weeks ago. I am once again voicing
my support for bond ordinance 2915-25. Uh, I know that since we were last here, uh, Councilwoman Ruden actually did pay visit to my nextdoor neighbor, Charlie Biscupic. I know that you may be in
receipt of his email about the dangers that are at our corner, uh, South Valley Road and Letington, where our driveways, uh, come out onto Letington. However, our street addresses are at South Valley Road. Uh, Mr. Biscupic gave me
permission to just mention his email since he is attending to bedtime duties um at home with his very young child which uh I must say again surround our property. Um there West Orange has done
a great job of attracting young families uh with young children to its you know neighborhoods and schools and we want to really support the families that have come in. Um these families also are
often commuting into the city. So, not only are they trying to cross South Valley Road with, as I mentioned last time, strollers, toddlers, and you know, hand in hand, they're also crossing uh maybe dark times of day in the morning
and evening, and they're they've all told me, the people who surround our property, that they take their life in their hands every time they do it. Um so that is a lot to ask of our older and newer residents.
Um again I would like to echo what was said at the last meeting which is though I have older children oldish children now who are 11 um they are you know yearning for more independence and we would like to give that to them. We
would like to allow them to be able to cross their own street and be able to walk, you know, down to maybe some of the shops that are there and patronize the businesses that are there on South Valley Road. There are a few, uh, you know, obviously Harper's Cafe, uh, The Nail Place, um, since I have twin girls.
Um, you know, things that they would like to be able to do more independently and we would like to patronize those businesses. we kind of rarely do because even though it's right down the road, we're not really walking that way very often. Um, so again, just here to voice
that support for the ordinance and thank you for taking the time that, you know, many of you have taken to, you know, get to know more about this corner of West Orange, which borders South Orange and we should, yeah, show it some love. Thank you very much. Thank you.
Hi, my name is Sarah Ellis Tracy. I reside at 268 Gregory Avenue on the corner of Orange Heights. Um, my family has lived here for 9 years. And during that time, I've served as a teacher at Gregory Elementary School. Um, I also performed the school duty of monitoring
traffic in the teacher parking lot, school bus loop, and the kissandgo lanes during student arrival. In addition to being a resident and school employee, I'm also a mother of two Gregory students who walk to and from school, often independently. I also walk my dog every morning in the Gregory neighborhood and witness my former
students navigate the rush hour traffic patterns as they travel to Roosevelt Middle School or towards their bus stops to Edison or West Orange High School. It should go without saying that I feel heavily invested in the safety of my children, Gregory families, my former
students, and myself. I personally cross Gregory Avenue on foot at least six times a day and every time feel that my life is at risk. The speed at which cars travel down Gregory Avenue is appalling and rarely enforced. During our time here, I've witnessed countless accidents caused by speeding, reckless driving,
wildlife crossings, illegal passing, and more. It should go without saying that I feel heavily invested in the safety of my children. I am here today in support of the capital improvements ordinance that was tabled during the Tuesday uh during the council meeting. From what I understand, there are multiple traffic
safety grants that are set to expire, totally more than $1 million, along with the time and efforts of many community members. The importance of this ordinance cannot be overstated and needs to be expedited to ensure that these grants are secured for the safety of our communities. It would be egregious to
lose out on this opportunity for our town and its youngest citizens. The ordinance that we're supporting includes a number of traffic safety improvements throughout Gregory. Currently, the families that live on Orange Heights Avenue in the University Hill neighborhood have to backtrack to Forest Hill Road or to Walker Avenue to find a
crosswalk crossing guard or crosswalk. This is.3 mi of heavily trafficked road without a safe path for crossing. For anyone who has ever parented small children to get their shoes on and to get out the door to school on time, you will understand that this extra walk is often not feasible. While monitoring the
parking lot from 8:15 to 8:45, I witnessed countless families crossing Gregory Avenue, having to flag down oncoming traffic, dash across the road with small humans in tow. A crosswalk here has overwhelming community support with over 500 petition signatures and support of the houses directly impacted
by a crosswalk, one of which is my own. I also frequently whis witness near collisions as cars attempt to drop off people near the school, navigate buses, or attempt to pass others who are pulled over or moving slowly. Every day, I fear that I will witness an unthinkable tragedy involving our community's
beloved children. While walking my dog between 7:15 and 8, I see middle school students traveling independently to bus stops or Roosevelt Middle School. In conversation with a crossing guard at Walker and LOL, she writely expresses her grave fears about the speed at which cars travel down Walker Road. During
rush hour, cars frequently use Walker as a cutthrough to South Mountain Reservation to avoid traffic lights at Northfield and Mount Pleasant, leading to an increased local non-local traffic. Even with speed humps, the cars travel quickly and carelessly as distract distracted teens, often with headphones
and without sidewalks, navigate their school commute. Gregory School also recently built a new playground for students and families. This has created a wonderful new social hub on both school days and weekends, drawing more kids and families toward the school campus. Without adequate pedestrian
safety and precautions for travel, this also becomes a dangerous liability. There's also a lack of appropriate pedestrian lighting on both sides of Gregory Avenue. On occasion, I walk to and from the school in the evening for school events or Girl Scout meetings. And there's a lack of lighting between the school and the parking lot
and Orange Heist Avenue. The issue of visibility is also a concern for our high school students who travel to the bus stop located at our corner in the winter months when it is still dark and before the crossing guards are on duty. As a mother, an educator, and community member, I respectfully implore you to increase pedestrian safety in the
neighborhoods surrounding Gregory School. Specifically, I request a crosswalk and crossing guard at Gregory Avenue in Orange Heights. I also ask for increased police presence and enforcement, decreased school zone speed limits, increased sidewalks, and improved pedestrian lighting. There is adequate evidence of the severity of
this issue, as well as community support, and the stakes could not be higher. Our children's lives must be protected. Thank you. Thank you. Good evening. Andrew Lambertson, uh, 15 Florence Place. As a resident of the Gregory
neighborhood, I am concerned about the tableabling of the capital improvement ordinance from last meeting. Due to the safety grant set to expire at the end of this month or the early May, uh there is more than $1 million to improve our
streets, specifically Gregory Avenue. And I have the uh West Orange Vision Zero document right here where Gregory Avenue appears as it is a major artery through a town through multiple parts of this document saying how unsafe it is.
I have a child who will be entering kindergarten in September and I am concerned about the lack of sidewalks on the western side of Gregory Avenue. Councilwoman Scarpa, we are neighbors. You live on that western side
of Gregory Avenue. You have no sidewalk in front of your house and you campaigned uh on making the town more accessible to all. I have been in multiple situations much like the last speaker uh who have uh when I've been
pushing my baby stroller recently across Gregory Avenue or have either been blown past uh by a car or have basically went to another part of the street to cross because it was unsafe. Residents of Orange Heights like
the last speaker, they put up signs asking for a protected crosswalk as well as a crossing guard. We have that on the corner of Lawrence and uh Gregory. However, if I am alone, if I am pushing my stroller, if I am with other groups
of people, if I have seen people walking with their children to Gregory's school, which I am going to do in September, or my wife is going to do in September, uh they have basically turned around and walked up the hill, up Lawrence Avenue,
and up around Lace in order to get to school, which is obviously a huge hill and much uh out of their way in order to do that. Um, I work at West Orange High School where we are no stranger to budget cuts.
We are about to have a very large class of kindergarteners enter Gregory School and the rest of our schools in September, my daughter included. In education and in any dealings with public money, we like to say if you
don't use it, you lose it. So, we need to spend the money. The grants are there. We need protected crosswalks. We need more uh crossing guards. We need sidewalks in order to not cross Gregory Avenue. I shouldn't have to take my kids
across Gregory and then cross on Walker just to get to school. Also, one last thing, the uh Department of Education meeting is April 28th at the high school. If you care about our school's budget, I invite everyone in this room to show up to the
meeting as we are facing serious cuts across the entire district as well as staff and programs for our students. Thank you very much. Thank you. Good evening. My name is Tammy Williams and I reside on Buckingham Road. I am
here today to discuss the Mayfair forums redevelopment proposal. It's important that we bring clarity, facts, and common sense into this conversation, not fear, misinformation, or political posturing. Let's start with what's been missing
from some of the narratives that I've seen on social media. West Orange is legally obligated to plan for over 1,000 affordable housing units. I'm sure you all are aware of that. This isn't a suggestion. It's a mandate. If we fail
to create a realistic path forward for meeting our affordable housing obligations, the courts can and will impose solutions that leave our town with zero local input. Mayfair is one of the few parcels that allows us to plan intelligently with infrastructure
access, proximity to transit, and the potential to integrate affordability, sustainability, and economic growth. high-rise high density nightmare. Let's stick to the facts. The proposed maximum height is just over 70 feet, consistent
with other developments in sumearily zoned areas of town. These aren't downtown skyscrapers. They're modern, well-designed buildings that reflect regional housing needs and market trends. The alternative sprawl, higher
taxes, and local and losing local control over future development. There are environmental protections in place. No developer can just cut down trees at will. West Orange has a tree ordinance that requires either
replanting or paying into a township fund that directly supports reforestation. Let's not weaponize environmentalism to block needed progress, especially when the same project can incorporate green building practices and storm water
management improvements. Traffic concerns are valid valid. Let's be honest, the Eagle Rock Prospect area has traffic problems because it's a regional corridor, not because of one proposed housing
development. Smart development allows us to invest in safer streets, upgraded intersections, and traffic calming infrastructure. Blocking housing doesn't fix traffic. Better planning and investments do. There's nothing
spotzoning about this. This ordinance is about aligning the site's zoning with its highest and best use. That's planning, not spot zoning. What's truly reckless is pretending we can ignore our obligation and let properties like Mayfair sit underutilized while
residents struggle with affordability and rising taxes. The master plan is not being erased. It's being implemented. The master plan entailed hours of resident input, expert testimony, and data analysis. The
Mayfair corridor was always seen as a candidate for mixeduse and residential development. We have a mental a a memory care facility that was also just completed there. Especially as our housing costs continue to rise and our
population diversifies, we need affordable housing. We need workforce housing. We need housing so that my son can afford to live outside of my house. That's him back there. Here's the
bottom line. We need smart growth, not scare tactics. We need housing options for young families, for our seniors, for our working people, not just large lot single family homes that exclude everyone else. And we need leaders who
understand that planning is about meeting all of our communities needs, not just the agenda of specific advocacy groups. Let's build a West Orange that's sustainable, inclusive, and economically sound, not one paralyzed by
misinformation and fear of change. Thank you. Uh good good evening uh Seth Weiss letter 17 How drive. So I am also here on the ordinance of Mayfair Farms. I'm
all in favor for a black investors museum. The more museums, the more culture we can provide to our residents, the better. It's a great opportunity. However, I must raise significant concerns. Here we are coming again of
talking about another zoning overlay. Look what's happening to the WestX Highlands project. That was because this body decided to enter into an agreement because of fair share housing issues and we are stuck with a major development
and a major problem and because of an ordinance we bottlenecked our planning board, our zoning board and the residents are raising oh explicitive but anyway this cannot be again.
The ordinance, while ambitious in scope, lacks foundations for planning, integrity, transparency, and due diligence required to shape the future of West Orange. It is a great thing to have the museum, but guess what? We can't do this
without a planner. This is a major planning action without a planner. We're talking about streets, safety, everything. We're all trying to do a peace meal. There's infighting, outfighting. It's
your fault. It's their fault. Enough is enough. Let's hire the right people for this town. Whether it's a police officer, whether it's a town planner, if this institution can't run efficiently, all this goes out the window. We're
missing grants, etc., etc. It all goes back to having a town planner. West Orange does not have a town planner on staff. This begs the question, who's writing these ordinances? Who wrote that ordinance on that agenda this evening? I
don't see authors next to each of these or ordinances. Going forward, I would like to see on the agenda we talk about visibility, clarity. Put your name next to it. Who authored that? Which attorney did you go to? We can't I don't even
know how many attorneys we're using in this town. Was the attorney even consulted? Are things correct? Not correct. I have no idea. In the amount of research we're spending, the people are spending to try to figure this all out. It's a disaster. So, let's make
sure that our ordinances have footnotes and authors on it when they're on the agenda. And why was it pulled tonight? There's a discussion. We all made plans to be here and then last minute it gets pulled. I don't know why or who pulled it, but anyway.
We need to con, you know, conduct necessary impact analysis, traffic, in infrastructure, environment, economic. We can't have an overlay zone. Was this crafted by a developer's plan under the pretense of public planning?
Without a town planner to lead or vet proposals, this ordinance lacks professional credibility and appears to be developerdriven rather than community centered. We need to move back to being
community centered and not developer developerdriven. This continues. The developers are going to continue to take advantage of West Orange. Fight us in the courts. more litig litigation, more spending, and the attorneys and the developers are going to win, and West
Orange is going to lose. The museum is in the wrong place. This is not a town centered location, by target, and by that intersection. Cultural institution thrives on foot traffic, visibility, and
connectivity to other civic uses. Mayfair Farms is isolated and lacks the public synergy. Where is our public input? Who consulted? Who in the community asked for this? It's unclear if neighborhood residents, adjacent owners, local
institutions were engaged in any meaningful discussion. Who benefits from this? Who stands to profit? All these questions come up. um a proper redevelopment plan under local redevelopment in housing. We need
a formal planning process. We need clear declarations. We need to adopt the relevant redevelopment plan. We refer back to our master plan. That message is being lost and that plan is deteriorating day by day. We need a new
master plan with the town planner. Where's our traffic studies? How will local schools be impacted, especially on their budget? 65% of our tax dollars, as a reminder to all our residents, go to our school board. Show up at the budget
meeting. Be concerned. 65% of what you give this town goes to the school board. You know what are environmental impacts? West Orange has served much better. Thoughtful development requires community engagement, professional planning, and a clear vision. This
ordinance was drafted without a planner, without transparency, without respect to residents who will be most affected. It favors our developers flexibility and offers minimal public safeguards. So, let's stay focused.
Let's get a town planner and let's develop this town efficiently and correctly. Thank you. Uh Doug Adams, nine west over. Um you know, I think it's it's um it's challenging when you sit in the
council meetings and um we listen to the conversations of all the different issues that are going on. Um, and so we have residents that are concerned about uh their streets and the funding to be able to get their streets so that they
can be safe. I know last uh spring walking around. I met some families up in that area and they had walked up from Gregory Street to go up by Roosevelt so that they could have their kids play with the other kids because they couldn't play down on the street that
they were on. But then we also have the conversation about um not wanting to bond and spend the money because we're concerned about debt. But then we have the conversation about not wanting to spend money that we already have to be
able to fix up a park in an area when all the other parks have been fixed up, but we don't want to fix up that park in that area. Then we have the conversation about not wanting to have uh the development for the museum or for a
property owner to be able to subdivide their property so that they could sell their property when the reality is they could probably sell it off to a developer as a whole and stopping development on that with our housing contingent, our affordable housing responsibility where a developer could
actually go to the court with a plan and say, "I have a plan to meet these obligations and the court could actually require us to allow some of that development because we haven't had any smart development. So we got issues
where we have revenue needs and people want or we have spending needs and people don't want to spend money. I get it. We don't want to go into debt. But then on the other side of it, we don't want to do anything to develop revenue. So and then we say we want to hire a
planner. Let's hire a full-time planner. I don't know the last time I heard some of the people that have retired from West Orange make more in their pension than the average person makes when they're working their salary. So, why
would we want to hire somebody full-time that we have to pay benefits to when we won't spend the money to fix up a park in a neighborhood that barely has any space for a blade of grass? I just don't
understand. It seems to me and and I say this with great uh respect because I do believe people do what they do because they care about something. We may disagree with what we care about, but we care about something. And the councilman, council president said
something and it it sounds true at first glance, right? Nobody runs their household like this that you just spend money. Well, the reality is if you've never been poor or you've never really lived in a whole lot of debt, then it's kind of hard to make that decision and
understand because the truth is growing up the way that I grew up, my mom was only going to have us eating uh pork and beans and hot dogs for so long before she went and got a second job or a third job. Why? because ultimately you can
only cut so much before you have to make some more money. You've got to generate more revenue. And so the gentleman talked about the the the museum. It's the wrong place. Well, the actuality is, if I understand correctly, that
intersection is the busiest intersection in all of Essex County. The busiest. It's right around the corner from Ozac. Nobody's struggling with Ospac being up where Ospac is. So to talk about it's where Eagle
Rock reservation is. It's where some of our major uh uh restaurants are. So what happens when we start getting buses? Think about the zoo. The zoo is not in a residential area. Have you ever tried to drive around there when it's time for
those people to come to the zoo? But nobody is trying to say, "Oh, well, we can't have that there." And I understand that there's some concerns about the residential development. I think that's a different
conversation. But I do know this. If West Orange and our leadership doesn't move past some of the conversations that have us stuck and we start figuring out how to bring in some new money, those roads on Gregory are still going to have to get
fixed. It's just going to show up in a budget and it's going to show up in a tax increase. And I think that when we talk about schools, I said this before, we need to establish a township. Your time is up. District task force to assess what the
overall needs are because we are in this together. Thank you pastor. Good evening. Sangita Badlani 22 Florence Place. I wasn't even going to come up here and speak but uh you know I
these Gregory advocates they were phenomenal. I'm so happy that there is someone else that is pushing this uh agenda forward about traffic safety. Um but I just want to bring back to last year some of you were there and uh we
had received a grant from NJ dot to do a holistic study uh and so uh vision zero action plan was revealed. No, a lot of the issues that you heard today from the Gregory parents are all in that action
plan and that was revealed early last year. So, it's been a year and we haven't taken any action since then. So I just want to bring that to everyone's attention that if we decide if we had a
project leader who was going to lead this project, we wouldn't have all these parents coming up here and talking about the you know their concern for the safety for their children uh on our roads. I know we have a grant now also
for to build a sidewalk on some of the uh on Gregory uh but you know again that is information that's not been shared and they don't know about it. So I think it's important to have that open communication with the public for people
to know about it. Uh but again when we receive a grant we want to make the most of it. We don't want to let go of it because that shows that West Orange is not committed to traffic safety and
that's not what we are about. county also is developing an vision zero action plan and so we need our voices to be heard because we need all of these whatever we've heard today from uh Gregory parents and you know what really
worries me that we're talking about all the development all the issues that we have around Gregory neighborhood but I'm sure we're seeing the same around St. Cloud Mount Pleasant and other schools also. What about those parents? You know, we need to look at it holistically and not just focus on one neighborhood.
So, I urge you to look at the vision zero action plan and have a leader lead that project. Thank you. Good evening. Uh, Michaela Bennett, Old Indian Road. So, I'm going to talk about
a little West Orange history that some of us might prefer to forget. In 1980, Chief Abbott was appointed a police officer. And according to his bio in the Council for a Strong America, he quickly rose through the ranks. And by January
1997, he became chief. But back in December of 1989 through February of 1992, Albetti was a lieutenant looking to make captain. Those were the years that the Newark branch of the NAACP sued West Orange. You see, back
then in 1990, West Orange was a township of about 39,500 residents and only 2.4% were black, 948 people. And of the 314 full-time employees of the
township, two were black people. Two of those two full-time black employees, none worked for the police department. And the NAACP alleged that that was due to discriminatory employment practices, specifically residency requirements. that if a
predominantly white town, a town where only 2% of the nearly 40,000 residents were black, if that town required police to be residents, according to the NAACP, that township could essentially point to a residency requirement and claim, "We're not
racists. We just require that you live here before you can join our police department." The mayor rather than defend an obviously racial discrimination case entered into a consent order and changed things and we hired a few black
officers. Couple in 1993 and then a few more in 1994. By 1995, the chief had made captain and was seeking the support of his fellow captains, all white men, to become chief. Guess how many officers of color were on the West Orange Police
Department back in 1995? six, maybe eight. One Asian man, Officer Tito John, the first Indian-American officer at the West Orange Police Department. Two years later, James Abbott becomes chief.
1997. I'm going to go very quickly now. Under the chief's leadership, 30 years as a chief, guess how many non-white officers have made the rank of sergeant? Maybe five. 20 spots over 30 years, maybe
five. Guess how many women? Zero. You got it. None lieutenants in the nearly 30 years of Chief Abbott's leadership. Two
lieutenants. Two Lieutenant John and one other captains. You heard it earlier. None. Never. Not one. Not one black captain, not one Hispanic captain, not one Asian captain, not one female captain in the history of the West
Orange Police Department. Never. There's five captain spots and there's one vacancy right now. And the number one officer on the list for promotion is Lieutenant
Jump. We've used that spot before many times. All for white officers. But they're waiting for Lieutenant John to die on the vine. Die on that list. They refuse. The mayor and the police
chief refuse to make him captain. I don't know why. How much would a discrimination suit cost? Oh, wait. Let me go back. Hold on. Just like in 1990, I expect the rationale will sound very
non-racist. Budget, saving money. How much would that promotion actually cost this township? Maybe $1,000 a month, maybe. How much would a discrimination suit cost? Ask the two
officers, the white woman who was permitted to stay home while pregnant and the black officer who sued because she was brought back while nursing. Ask them. Might have been close to a million dollars. I don't know. Ask the chief. He probably
knows. Since 1990, there's been legislation. And the legislation says we have to improve diversity in policing because every metric, every data point shows that when your police department reflects your community's diversity, then your police department is more
responsive to the needs of the community. They hurt people less. They care more. They protect and serve better. So between the New Jersey legislature and the AG's office, new rules in policing are in effect. Police departments must report their officers
demographics, determine where they are crime represented, report on their official website and to the AG's office that data and their plan to correct. Miss Bennett, would you just please finish quickly as you can? Check and see if the chief complies with that law.
Look at the official West Orange Police Department website and see if you find what's required since June 7th of 2022. Miss, thank you. I have to cut you off. I have to give everybody the same five minutes. I would just like to I would just like% if you want to just send an email
to the council. Uh I would just ask you to support anti-racism and encourage this administration to do the right thing. Thank you. Richard Leonard Valley Way like to address the last meeting that I was here
at two weeks ago. Uh when Daria Paxton spoke, she handed the board a piece of paper and the paper was from Vaness Feldman, an attorney to write their Danzic talking about a lawsuit in
Montlair. So you guys all got that piece of paper. When the when she got done talking, she sat down and we're all allowed our five minutes. Uh I was asked to be removed. I didn't say a word. I was asked to be removed and you
apologized to me and I I respect that. Thank you. Um, two other people were removed. The woman here, Joyce Ruden's counterpart wanted to talk and she couldn't talk. She raised her hand. So, she was I watched her send you a text
message and it was talking about how that lawsuit wasn't. So then when the meeting was over and you spoke, Miss Ruden, you called Daria Paxton a liar. You said she lied. The information wasn't factual, which it was factual.
She gave you the the paper showing uh u from one attorney to the other. So if he to get up there and say she lied and calling her a liar in front of everybody, I think is awful. Um then as you as this proceeded, I mean
she got to talk twice. This woman, everybody else only got to speak once. Um then I got accused because I had given the town equipment to use, battery powered equipment and uh Miss Ruden said
that I that I sell the worst equipment, the low functioning machines that I sell, which are the same machines that Montlair, many of the golf courses, Glen Ridge are using. Uh you seem to have
this tie to ego. I don't know why. I don't know if they fund you or they fund your group, but that's a machine that's sold in Lowe's. So, that's not even at par with the equipment that I sell. So, you then proceed to talk about how a
third of the gas gets spilt into the ground. That's not true at all. And how a backpack runs a half hour on a gallon of gas. A 7500 Redmax backpack blower will run 8 to 10 hours on one gallon of
gas. So a lot of the misinformation that was quoted last week was totally misinformation. It wasn't true. But yet we called Daria Paxton a liar and we talk about me selling subpar equipment.
So I don't quite understand how this to me this is like a a circus here. You guys are supposed to be professional people. And then as this meeting continues, we talked about the mayor and her minions. Well, she's the mayor.
Don't we have any respect for the mayor? Doesn't Doesn't she the mayor of the town? How do you address this woman like this? I have nothing to do with her. Right. But I think that's horrible that you people as board members would talk like this. I think Miss Ruden, your
total lack of respect and and the the way you talk to people, it's vindictive, it's slanderous, it's damaging, it's biased. I think you'd leave us open for a lawsuit. I I you're you're paid by the tax you're here by the taxpayers, right? How do you talk down to people like
that? As a professional person sitting up there, you should be embarrassed. Uh I think it's an embarrassment to the town. I think there's a total lack of respect. And I' I've sat here. I don't know how many nights listening to this. It's just terrible. You You present
facts that aren't even true. You You say things just whatever you want to say, you pull them out of the air and it just it's bad. It's just it's bad business. Susan Scar, thank you very very much for for standing up and doing what you did last week. I'm sure you had a lot of
pressure at the other end. I commend you for standing up and making the right decision. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Leonardis. Is there anyone else here who wishes to speak at public comment? Then I will close public
comment at 8:35 p.m. and ask if any of my colleagues would like to respond in any way. Uh, I try to follow everybody's comments and anyone who asks questions that we
keep those questions and make sure that we answer them either now or at the next meeting. There was a question uh about the authorship of the uh Mayfair Farms ordinance uh the
overlay ordinance. Uh, just want to get the number right here. Uh, 2914. And the question was who wrote the ordinance? Now, at the end of most of our legislation, you'll see a name in
parentheses. And that's typically, I won't say always, but typically uh the author on that ordinance. It's listed as legal-trank. Who uh Mr. Trank is our town attorney and I would assume that
he's the one who uh largely if not completely uh authored this and I I would throw it out to the administration if there's uh uh more information there than that Mr.
Tran wasn't the author and uh and I think there was also the question of of who pulled it off of the agenda so late tonight. I I know it was the administration, but just wanted to uh provide any more detail on those two issues. I those are the only two issues
I thought were asked that we could answer this evening. So, Chief Abbott, so it's my understanding the Tranquil Firm is responsible for the ordinance and it is my further my understanding that the owners of the Mayfair property are not interested in
pursuing this project any longer. Okay. Well, there you have it. Was there any other questions that anybody remembered that uh that we could potentially get answered? I have that in my response. Okay. Okay. So, I'll take
that as a I'll take that as a hint registration or Well, no, just any questions that were asked that we uh should try to answer. I'm just Yeah, it's in my response. Okay. So everybody's okay. Everybody's got it.
Okay. Uh just want to throw this out to uh Councilwoman Scarpa. Do you want to start us off with response, please? Sure. Thank you. Um I want to start with all the Gregory School parents. Um I think you know how
deeply concerned I am about all of the traffic safety issues in that area. I began my career at Gregory School when I was five years old and witnessed many, many horrific accidents right in front
of my home. Um, I agree with you that even though we have some serious um financial concerns, this is an area that we need to pursue and I will be voting for it. Um, and I will also be reaching
out to work with you to um, take a look at what what other kind of uh, initiatives you have. I must say that I really appreciate your advocacy and getting those crosswalks at
Lawrence Avenue and Lowel. It is amazing the amount of traffic that is lessened just due to those two crosswalks. and I would advocate for having them wherever we could. Um, I like the idea of putting the one by
Orange Heights. Um, I think we would have to talk to our engineering department and and our administration about the feasibility of that. Um, but they have very much slowed down the traffic and even with that, I was backended when somebody raced around
that curve only two months ago, month or so ago. So, I will be voting for that and I want to thank you all for your advocacy and look forward to working with you in the future. Um, to uh Brian Miranda, thank you for your courage for
coming out. I share all of your concerns and I am going to work with my colleagues to do absolutely everything we can so that you can sleep at night. Right. And um we you made some really
good points. You know, we have nightclubs in residential neighborhoods. This should not be happening in West Orange. So, uh thank you for coming out and, uh I hope we can make the situation
a little better. Um, Seth, I think you, Seth Wiselander, I think you summed up my sentiments uh on creating the overlay zone uh very very succinctly. Uh we cannot do
projects like this without a planner. um we have a real lack of community engagement which facilitates these types of projects that don't meet the needs of the community. I sat and read a letter
la our last council meeting from all of the neighbors who have tremendous concerns about traffic in that area. They can't even pull out of their street. It's a mess. And with Target coming, it's an area of town that we're
going to have to take a serious look at with really good traffic engineering, not a traffic engineering that person that is hired by a commercial real estate developer. We need to really take
an unbiased approach to the traffic sit situation there. And we need to look at our master plan. uh I we have so many we have to do impact analysis. I just really agree with your summation of everything. So in the
interest of saving time I won't go through it again but um I think you quant quantify the situation very well. Uh Sanangita Balani thank you for all you do. I agree vision zero has to get
done. It's amazing that in a year nothing's happened. And I think you summed it up real clearly. It's a lack of leadership. You know, we have we just don't have a lot of staff. And I think we need to use our council members um
more efficiently. I would be happy to lead that kind of a project. I'm sure councilwoman Ruden, who's on traffic uh safety, would probably be interested. And I think it's only when we really engage our council members and make us
part of these projects and engage our communities that we can get really quality programs and projects going. And I just like I in business I love private and public partnerships. I think we need the same thing here on our council. I
think we need more engagement of our council members with our administration and our neighbors to make these projects work. So, I am offering uh whatever leadership I can in that area and I think that's about it. Thank you, Councilwoman. Councilwoman Ruden. Yes.
Hi. Um good evening everyone. Um, I just wanted to to just clarify a little bit for the audience and for um and for people in in the Zoom audience that there's a big difference between the legislative and the administration and
many of the ordinances that you most of the ordinances that you see coming forward are put forward by the mayor and that's the administration. And many of the questions that you brought to us tonight are questions that really should go directly to the mayor. There are four
questions I heard tonight. Why hasn't Lieutenant John been promoted? That's a question for the mayor. Why was this proposal for Mayfair Farms put forward? Yes, it was written by our township
attorney, Mr. Tran, but why was this put forward? Why was it put forward without any community input, without any education to the public, um without any community involvement? Um
why has there not been a planner in this town for 20 years? And why isn't there a special planner or maybe the planner who should be working for us who is
overseeing vision zero? The solution to our traffic problems is in hiring somebody for to to head vision zero. And um that was that was suggested tonight by Miss Budlani. All of the people who
came out and spoke about the roads so eloquently. It's a lot to digest. One of the big problems we have in West Orange, and again, this is a question for the mayor, is what is happening with the grants that come to
West Orange? Where do they end up? I mean, these there was a lot of feeling that the council here is not in favor of promoting uh traffic safety. I can speak for myself. I am. I think I speak for my
council colleagues. This is something that we all tremendously care about. Um why did this grant sit for years and not get done? Why are the people who live in the Gregory area on on South Valley, why
are they suffering with this type of fear for their lives, for their children's lives when grants are just sitting on the table? So these are questions that honestly we as a council can ask. What I would like to ask the
administration, the mayor, the our BA is for us to have a list of every grant that we have been granted and where are we in the project? We should not be having grants sit on the table for years and then when we the council got it two
weeks ago, it was it's an emergency. You better pass this or you're going to lose the grants. That's not how you make important decisions and that's not how we want to be fiscally responsible with your taxpayer dollars. So, I would ask
the administration to please provide this township a list of all the grants that are out there, this being a very good example, and put it on the board, put it on the U website. let us all be able to follow this so that we don't end
up having to make a decision at 11:30 at night on 10 10 million plus bonding. The reason it was pulled was because we frankly didn't have the background to make that kind of decision. It's um it's
the type of leadership that that we need here in this town. So the council, the legislative body is prepared to make make proper decisions. Um I I want to thank everybody who came out on the on the street issue. I think Mr. Bar's um I
questions about calming measures on on signs, stripping, lead light, uh LED lighting. Really, this this should happen. These these this is common sense safety. We need to be um promoting this.
We need to have this in the plants. I'm not sure why it got taken out. Um, and again, I really just think that, you know, our engineer does a terrific job on on on figuring out what projects need to come, but we need somebody planning
and and and have an oversight person in terms of taking care of vision zero. It affects every area of our town. We need that. Um, so I would like to to ask the administration, I would like to ask the engineering department um, can we put
back in the calming measures that were um that were part of the Nassau, Tmont, uh, Lington um, initial buildout um, for for the pedestrian safety. Um, as far as
um, noise, um, Mr. Miranda, thank you for coming down. Thank you for reaching out to your neighbors and for letting us know that it's not just you that's that's irritated by this. I frankly am confounded about why we have allowed
bars to to morph into into nightclubs in B1 districts, why our residents are not treated with the respect that they that they need. You live here, you pay your taxes, you should be able to go to bed at 8. And tonight at under new business,
I'm going to be again talking about the noise ordinance and what changes that we can do. I made several changes um to the noise ordinance and I proposed it to legal. Um I really did not get the feedback that I was hoping for to be able to um move forward in more details
this week, but I hope and I will make sure that all of my comments are sent to legal before Wednesday. I guess that's our deadline and that we can address this and that we can roll back the time so that you can go to sleep and that your neighbors who have children around
you can go to sleep. Um, our current noise ordinance is that there should be no noise after 11:00. So that was very gracious of you to ask for midnight, but really our ordinance right now says 11:00 there shouldn't be hearing noise. and the fact that you have to be um
disturbed by vibrations. Vibrations also are very disturbing to your ability to sleep and to the residents who who live near Llewellyn Llewellyn Bar. How that has been allowed to to continue for year after year and I know you've been
complaining and I know you've been suffering. Um I I just don't understand. Um, so I hope to I hope that we will move forward with the noise ordinance that will roll back the time that will address specific areas in the B1 area uh
specific changes that need to be made in B1 and um and also deal deal with the vibrations. Um, I wanted to um just respond to some of the response I guess about or public
comment about um the development that was that was pulled off the table tonight. I also would like some some more more answers to the questions um about how this came about. You know, why so quickly? How did this get in front of
us so quickly? and uh and to the to the uh former council person who raised um concerns about this being an issue of affordable housing. My response is that is misleading and disingenuous at best.
85% of those um units will be at market rate. They're not affordable units. It was a tremendous overbuild and it was spot zoning. And for somebody who sat on the planning board for so many years who does not seem to understand what spot
zoning is, spot zoning is when you allow a small area of land to be singled out, reszoned differently from the surrounding area in a way that benefits a specific property or owner rather than serving the public interest. We do have
a master plan and the master plan sets out very specific guidelines of how we should be developing all of our neighborhoods. And some of those guidelines that are in our master plans say that we should ensure that the p public safety is secured. That there's
adequate light, air, and open space. That the development and general welfare is considered. That we are encouraging the preservation of neighborhoods and the environment, safe and efficient transportation, and to promote a desirable vis uh visual environment.
None of this was in that recent plan. um while the former council person sat at this deis um and under her watch many many developments came up and affordable housing was supposed to be part of the
plan. I think we can all look at the former library. All of us considered that that was going to be really affordable housing for our seniors. But the truth of the matter is that of the 64 units that were put up, only 17 are
affordable. Stonehill came up under her watch, 4 20 25 units, only 64 are affordable. Absolutely zero affordable units in in the Edison loft. So I I say
that this is disingenuous. As a matter of fact, she also sat on the planning board when um she passed an ordinance that was to change the zoning of Mayfair Mayfair Farms. That was just 5 years ago
the zoning was changed. And I'd like to to ask what changed in five years to justify three times the amount of units per acre that she approved. So, I do think that we need affordable housing in West Orange, but we have to
do this at a sensible pace and with a planner that takes into consideration all of West Orange. Um, I hope I've I've addressed all of the concerns. I also just wanted to say a a thank you to somebody who is in the audience tonight.
Um, Mr. David um Schneerman who is a sound engineer um par excellence who has worked with the likes of Whitney Houston and Kiss and he is a West Orange treasure and he is here to help us with our sound. So, for all of the people
who've been concerned about the sound, I want to know, is it sounding any better back there tonight? Because I know he's done some tweaks and I hope that you can you can hear us better. And I thank you, sir, for coming down to your town hall
and and helping us out. So, thank you very much. Yeah. Thank you. Yes. Are you done, Councilwoman? I think so. Okay. Councilwoman Gabriel Michael. Thank you, Council President. Good evening, West Orange. To those of you
here in council chamber still with us, and to those of you online, can you hear me? Okay. Okay. Thank you. Um, so I have uh prepared remarks. So, um, regarding Mr. or excuse me, Lieutenant Tito John. Um, thank you.
Thank your attorney for her public comment and for bringing this important matter to your attention. I want to express my full support for Lieutenant John and his continued dedication to our community. I have known you since I was a little girl. Grew up in this town. Um,
and I believe it's crucial that promotions within our police department are based on merit. And Lieutenant, you certainly deserve this opportunity to advance based on your qualifications, hard work, and commitment to the job. Shame on the mayor, who is the
first who made history as the first female mayor for not promoting the first minority, the captain. This would have been the perfect opportunity to make history in this town. Yet again, there's no excuse for not promoting you. With
60% of our town's population identifying as minorities, it's essential that our leadership reflects the diversity of our community. The opening of the captain position on August 1st, 2024 presented a great opportunity to ensure that merit-based promotions is the guiding
principle. This could be a significant moment in our town and it would set a powerful example of leadership that represents the people of West Orange. So that way my son, who's a minority growing up here, can could see
that for his future. You deserve this promotion based on your abilities and this would be a meaningful step forward for our community. Thank you again for speaking up and I stand with you supporting and I stand with everyone and the attorneys um supporting Lieutenant Tito's
advancement. I really hope the mayor does the right thing and promotes you. Um, Miss Jones, thank you for your thoughtful public comment and for your continued advocacy and support of the blue letter program and and the decal initiative. I'm sorry, I forgot the name of of what it was called. It's truly
appreciated and as it plays a vital role in improving accessibility for those facing challenges in our community. Mr. Miranda, thank you for coming out tonight and sharing your concerns. You and your neighbors, thank you for giving us this petition.
Um, the council met with residents at our last council open house in regards to some of the issues and we're, you know, I echo all of council ruden's councilwoman Ruden state um, sentiments. We reached out to to legal to ask to see
what could be done and we are working on amending the noise ordinance and seeing what we can do to actually make a difference here. And again, I sincerely apologize that your quality of life and everyone else's in these areas have been uh significantly um
diminished. Regarding ordinance 29:15, um I want to thank everyone who spoke tonight and to those who sent emails. And I just want to clarify that I am in support of this and do plan to vote yes. Um for Miss Robbins and Mr. Andrews, I'm
not sure where the information came from that the council doesn't support this ordinance because you you stated it tonight, but I just want to reassure you that that's simply not the case. Um I know I've never stated I don't support this. Um public safety is absolutely a
priority and essential for quality of life and I understand how important this ordinance is to the community. Um, at the last council meeting, we as in the council made it very clear that we're going to table several
ordinances because it was already almost midnight and I believe no elected official should vote on any resolutions and ordinances or have detailed discussions on important topics near or after midnight. when we're exhausted,
we're not thinking clearly. And in addition, the administration stated that they'll be leaving the council meetings at 11:00 p.m. And frankly, I don't blame them. They work an 8 hour day and then come and sit here
at 6:30. And for any of us, no one should be here after 11. And if we need to discuss such important matters, then we need the administration present. We made sure that we had time to table the matter. We didn't table it jeopardizing this
because we're here voting on it on first reading and going to discuss it and then do the same in the next meeting. So, I really hope that this helps clarify why we table this. And again, I'm not sure where you got that the council is not supportive of this ordinance. Um, and
again, thank you to all the residents for all your emails sharing your thoughts with us regarding this board ordinance for roadway improvements. You know, I understand there were concerns about the town's financial situation. Clearly, we're all concerned. Um, and I want to assure you that we're going that
I know I'm going to fully support this measure. Um, the safety and quality of our roads are vital to the well-being of our community. Properly maintained roads roads not only improve daily travel but also contribute significantly to public health and the overall quality of life in West Orange. The improvements
outlined in this ordinance from storm drains to ADA compliant ramps will ensure that our infrastructure supports the needs of residents. And while it's important to be mindful of our town's debt, investing in our roads is an essential step in preserving and
improving the community's overall safety aspect. I'm confident that this is a prudent investment in the long-term safety and prosperity of West Orange and I look forward to seeing these much neededed improvements come to fruition.
Um, so that's it with that topic. Um, Mr. Bars, I have a question for the administration. Is the administration or director of engineering have a plan going forward to make the streets Mr. Bars mentioned safer? So, that's one question. Do you want me to keep going or you guys want to answer that question
and come back to it? want to wait because they might have same question or it's up to the council, right? Yeah, I'd like to bring her up now just uh because it's answering a question that uh we've asked during public comment. So, if that's if that's okay uh Miss Garbalo,
please. We're going to answer it either now or or later. So, good evening, council president, council members. In regards to South Valley Road, we do have improvements along the roadway. We do have the crosswalk at Rich View Avenue, which is what a lot of
the residents have been expressing about. I've been getting the emails in my office. I've been getting it since last year, and I did explain to them it would be part of this project. And I did do a crosswalk study at that intersection. Um, I'm currently having another study being done for the Lington Road
uh intersection with South Valley Road and whether or not there will be a crosswalk in the future or as part of this project, it will be dependent on the results of the study. Thank you, director. You're welcome. May I ask a question? Sure. Go ahead. I know we've
talked about this um outside of um this this um council chambers, but what can be done? What can you do? What can the residents do to speed this up? Speed what up? To speed up getting in
crosswalks, getting in signs, getting in stripping, getting in LED lighting is I know these studies need to be done and they take time, but time is of the essence. What can be done to speed up the process so the residents
feel safe? Are we talking in general or are you speaking specifically to South Valley Road? Well, I'm I'm tonight I'm talking about South Valley Road, but it is part of the project. Any road improvement project would always have a striping. The road needs to be striped
after we pave it. There's going to be crosswalks. The signage I've been asking in every project basically the signage to be replaced. It was an initiative from our chief and I'm following through it because I used to do it also on a lot
of my other projects. So the signage will be replaced. The LED push buttons will be are part of the project. There's actually over I would say over $50,000 worth of uh signage. What is the time frame to have that done? Well, first you
need to pass the ordinance on first reading. Then you need to pass it on second reading. Then I need do to do a resolution to award the project which was actually the bid opening was last Thursday. After that I need to submit the paperwork to NJ dot and JD dot will get back to me. I will have to do a
little bit of paperwork with the clerk and after they approve that I can then schedule when they give me the go-ahad a pre-construction meeting with the contractor who gets awarded the contract. Okay. It's a process. It's not done overnight.
And if all goes well, let's see. I will be awarding the first meeting in May. So figure you're going to have to give me at least a month by the time I get back from DOT or hear back from them. So figure I will be able to schedule maybe a meeting sometime in June, June, July.
And if we're lucky, then maybe we could start the project in August. Okay. Like I said, everything takes time. It's a process. So then I have a question for the administration. Thank you so much. You're welcome. Um, in the meantime until since this is this is Councilwoman
get up to be recognized by please please I I'm wondering if we should wait for you to address the administration as opposed to the town engineer on this project later when it comes up during uh the ordinance when it's coming up on the
ordinance. Oh, okay. I'm so sorry. Okay. Could I just ask a follow-up question too, please? Uh yes, council president just very quickly there was a mention
of the ordinance being in a slightly different form for 2910-24 and I think there was another follow-up question here was it Mr. Bars uh indicated that there was
uh there were parts of that ordinance 2910 that did not come over to the south uh valley project that we're talking about now. Did did I understand that correctly? Yeah, that's he referenced
section seven from the 2910 ordinance. I don't have it on me. He said sign striping and high visibility lights he referenced specifically was what he was looking for. Maybe that is part of the project. That may be Yeah, he he said he
he was concerned about sign striping and high visibility lights, but it sounds like signs and striping will be part of your project. Signage and striping are always part of the roadway improvement projects. The lighting that's different. If there is any lighting issues, I'll write it down and then I will call the
PCNG and they will come out and do a survey. I believe the gentleman mentioned the trafficcoming measures like on Kelly Drive. Um, our original ordinance only referenced trafficcoming measures for Kelly Drive. That was
broken out into a separate 625K ordinance. So I I don't think we ever referenced traffic coming for any other roadways in the in the previous we just broke it out with that separate ordinance. So that's correct. So just to
clarify just hold on please just a second. What Mr. Bars was saying may have been just a mistake a mistaken uh perception on what happened. Is that what you're saying? I believe so because the Kelly drive was in the old ordinance. It was, you know, we threw everything into the one ordinance. Um,
and the Kelly Drive mentions trafficcoming measures. That's we were very specific with that. Um, that trafficcoming just moved into the separate ordinance where we have Lando and uh and Boland um along with the
Kelly Drive. So, okay. Cuz we're not talking about Kelly Drive. I I don't think I thought it was 2910 then morphed into the current one that we're we're discussing now. But does that does that explain why you don't seem to uh
acknowledge that that's actually what happened that the that you still have the traffic calming in the current ordinance current proposed ordinance? I could tell you what is on the South Valley Road project that just was just bid last week. We do have crosswalks. We
do have LED push buttons at the crosswalk signs for pedestrians. We do have signage is being replaced and as that will be only from the limits of the project which are from Lington Road which is the limits with the U city of
South Orange up to Walker Road. Okay, that's the first phase of that project and one of the other grants that is on the ordinance will be the second phase which goes from Walker Road all the way to the city of Orange. Okay. Okay. Thank you, Mr. Harbalo. You're welcome. Thank
you. Can I go back to my public comment, M? Yes. Okay. Yes, please. Um you could say have for the next um resident spoke. Mr. Kani or doctor, excuse me, Dr. Kalfani um asked a question about parking within his neighborhood. So, can you address
this concern? Is there anything that engineering is doing to help with parking issues in that in that neighborhood? We're currently doing a traffic study. I will have to look what the final results are. Okay. The report and what the
recommendations are of the study to then start working on an ordinance and then um how it can be implemented. All right. Thank you, Mr. Counc. Um just so you so we're aware uh the public's aware and council this study that we're doing for
the entire parking for the entire eastern half of this the municipality we have already scheduled for the next council meeting for the presentation. Oh great. So that's going to be up here. So, I'm encouraging to pack the audience to keep our public comment
questions down. But, but um the companies that have been um been doing the study for the last six months, we met with them recently um and they're going to present we we took the entire half an hour just dedicated to parking in the township. So, is there traffic
studies? Is there an email notification or a letter that went out to all those residents so that they're aware that this presentation is happening? No, this this was in draft form. We we just finally did the draft form. This is going to presented be presented to you to look to make decisions so that we can
get public comment after the fact. We can't we can't ask public comment what they don't see. Got it. Once they see this program and once they see what's been provided the study, I am sure we're going to get a plethora of questions. It's a council west orange.org. Thank
you. Thank you. So, um I but we have we intend to do that. We asked Madame Clerk to uh to block out that half hour so that we can make that presentation to you. Thank you, Mr. So, I'll continue on with my response to public comment. U Mr. Weisler, um I believe your question
was answered by the council president. The township attorney wrote this ordinance. You can see who writes every ordinance and resolution on the agendas right next to them. Um, and it was pulled by the administration. So, Chief, I don't know if you want to give an explanation as to
why to the public because I believe he did ask why was it pulled because residents want to come and speak about it and it was pulled and I thought I covered that the owner of the property no longer wishes to pursue this project. Okay. He made us aware of that late last night. I only found out this afternoon.
All right. Thank you, Chief. And then so to address uh this ordinance, I echo Councilwoman Ruden's statement regarding um following our master plan. So thank you for your due diligence and your commentary, Councilwoman. Um and I also would like to add that I met with Mr.
James Howard um regarding the museum on March 23rd and I was promised that I would receive critical documents including financials and development plans. However, I'm still waiting. I have not yet received anything and I don't think my cal colle colleagues did either. Um, similarly, we would have
needed that information, you know, from the developer of the apartment project. Um, and I just want to make a comment. I am happy that it was pulled and I think it was pulled. I'm glad to know why it's pulled now, but I was really shocked to see
such an ordinance on our agenda considering it was it was there's too many holes in it. It should have been more concrete. How can we as a council make significant legislative changes without necessary documents to assess the proposal thoroughly? So, I'd like to
formally request that, you know, going forward that we receive such critical information. And here's the perfect analogy. The zoning board would never approve an application without reviewing materials. I mean, we haven't seen plans, financials, nothing. And and that's, I think, important when we're
being asked to make a legislative zoning change. um you know the ordinance was terribly written very pro-developer it in my opinion um and gave them cart blanch um you know what is the fiscal impact what is the estimated tax impact to the
residents if the project becomes tax exempt or seeks a pilot I mean like we don't even know how many apartments we're going to be built it's very v it's very vague um so I could never have supported it the way it was written but I do just want to make it clear that I am 100% supportive of the museum coming
to town. Um, and I stated it during the March 11th uh, meeting. I read a long um, statement regarding the museum and I just believe that it's important for us to do our due diligence. I I 100%
support this museum coming to town. So I and I hope it does. Um, and on that note, I'm going to end my response to public comment. Thank you, Council President. Thank you, Councilwoman. Council President, if I can just jump in really quick, I just
would recommend going forward that uh we refrain from comments about personnel issues. I know we all appreciate the lieutenant's hard work, and that's been touched on a few times by uh council members, but just for the rest of the comments, I'd recommend not commenting on uh personnel issues outside of closed. If you if you want to go into
close and discuss it, that would be the time to do it. Okay. Thank you, Councilman Castelino. Um, yeah. So, I'm going to touch on it, but I'll be very very careful. Thank you to our
attorney. Yeah, because I I do want to speak to Lieutenant John. And what I want to speak in something that the attorney mentioned in 2017, um, we did approve a fifth captain. I
was on the council that time. I did I did make that vote for a yes. Um my experience with the police department, I've always been very supportive of our officers and a good understanding of
having my mother-in-law work as you know for 34 years in the police department as well as her husband. Thank you. So, but at that time a white male was promoted and uh and the mayor who was a
councilman at the time did not support that vote and stayed at the fourth captain. And I'm going to leave it at that. What I'm disappointed about tonight is that I don't believe this is about race and am very disappointed to hear those overtones.
um why um you know obviously I'm not going to get into unless we do you want to go into close session to talk about but I I do have to share that because I am disappointed I don't think this has anything to do with race um and I'm
going to leave it there but I again I did support that vote at the time uh she did not because she felt that way with the department structured at that time and she'll have to answer that and this was a long time ago before anyone. What
I do feel about the test is problematic. I apologize, Councilwoman. I again just want to recommend that we not talk. I appreciate it. I personally in general with whether it's the fire department or the police department with these tests and their expiration dates is is very
frustrating for our our staff. And I totally get that. And I I feel for all staff members when you're you're coming up on the test and and expires. I just wish there was a better system, but that's the way the system is and I'm
just going to leave it there. So, I'm really sorry about that part of it. Um, I mean, I wouldn't mind going I make a motion to go into executive session to get some not, you know, if that's
appropriate at this time or not. But, uh, that's okay. Please just finish the public comment and and I'll leave that up to you, council president, we can do bring that up later. Okay. So, with all that being said on that topic, I'm just going to leave leave it there.
um Mayfair Farms. I was very disappointed to to uh with the ordinance being on here this evening. Even more disappointed that the administration did not give us a presentation. We need to move forward
with these presentations prior to council meetings whether it's 221. We had a very smallcale presentation in December with the former council. Um and so again these prior years when we pass
other large large items such as this we would sit down um with the with the administration whether it's two at a time and uh go over these proposals so we could get an indepth view. I gotta be
honest though, if I uh did have a little bit more of in-depth view, I I still don't think I could have been supportive of it. I just feel it's just too ambitious of a project on this very very uh part of Eagle, precious part of Eagle
Rock Avenue. It starts down as a steep slope. I I've said it before with some other projects mentioned in that area. Eagle Rock Avenue is not Route 10. It may be two lanes uh on each side, but there's not a shoulder. And uh it's it's
tight. Uh I drive it quite a few times a day being on that side of town and coming up that hill and and you know knowing you know the accidents that have occurred there. It's it's and it's very
steep there. So, um, disappointing to see that much, uh, planning, but not to say that, you know, we have to move forward with with these kind of developments. I don't want to feel threatened anymore about the fair share housing. I have a very good handle on
it. Very upset um, with West Essex Highlands and I had a vote for that and I don't ever want to be put in a situation where I feel like I am threatened that I have to vote for a project. That's not going to happen again for me. um the library uh the old
former space here. I was very supportive of that being 64 uh uh 100% affordable housing and not even 30% of our residents uh got in the building. So, that's another issue that I have with a
lot of these projects that are, you know, I I went down to the League of Municipalities and the DCA is is making a pitch for, you know, your your your kids, your firemen, your senior citizens, your young professionals. These are the people that are going to,
you know, have access um to these apartments and our West Orange residents are not seeing a a good chance of getting those spots. So that is you know very concerning and uh we do have a lot of need in this community uh amongst
many. So that is disappointing. So I will be very selective when we pick these projects. I will not feel threatened in any way that we're going to have to do something especially on a roadway which I travel often and know it very well. uh you know, we put Target
there with uh support buildings that had to come so Target would be successful and um so yeah, we're I'm always one to cheerlead and bring smart development into the community and we just really really need to be careful. So, I'm glad
this was uh asked to be pulled by the property owner um because, you know, that property owner has done a lot for our community and I you know, I did feel bad that I couldn't be more supportive of of the project. In regards to uh the
Gregory community came out, I want to thank all of them. They have been awesome. They've been working very diligently. Um, I appreciate our engineer, our director, uh, for all of her efforts with this. And, you know,
these are monumental tasks. There's a lot there. There's a lot of, uh, moving parts over in that section. Years ago, we had a um, soon as I got to the council, we had to put a a driveway uh, with the board of education. They had to put a driveway. We had to help them
access that on Gregory uh in the front which was controversial at the time because of safety with pedestrian walking and safety and we had gotten that done and these pro these projects I'm glad are coming tonight. I've I've been
supportive one part of the reason with the money and council to answer your question, you know, the 20 we never did a 2024 capital budget. So part of that is because these items never got before us sooner and so that's had slowed things
down. Uh tonight is everything that is attached to a DOT grant on on this particular ordinance 2915. So I hope everyone can support it. These are roadways and we get to that we should name them and I hope there's a
little bit of a presentation um because there's many other streets in that area. Hillside Terrace is is not on the list that needs to be done and and I know that engineer has that on a list in the future that we need to get all these roadways done and um and make it safe.
But again, you know, this is one section of town. We have many uh in in the area and we have to you know plan it out, map it out and uh keep keep this moving. Uh some of the speakers tonight I want to thank Seth for for his comments and on a
full-time planner. I have been very supportive of that initiative um as of late and uh you know holistic planning. we are we are suffering from the lack of it and that's something that I will
continually to support and advocate for with the administration. Um I want to thank Mr. Puglesi and the county officials that sat with us last week along with council president and our officials and our
engineer. Um that was a great meeting. and for the Gregory parents that were here earlier, Gregory Avenue was discussed and our engineers sat with their engineer and exchanged information. So, that part of the project and safety concerns over there
are being met as well. I just want to mention that because it wasn't it wasn't all about Mount Pleasant Avenue that day. We discussed uh Gregory Avenue and uh council president and I left that meeting and went to a board of ed uh liaison meeting to meet with our school
board friends. And just so Mr. Plesi knows um as in regards to the um all of the preschools that are now operating um as uh the prek universal for the school district. They are considered vendors
not part of the school district. So that what we discuss in regards to school safety zones they don't think applies. So they were going to double check that with their attorneys but um that's you know but not none none at least to that
we can in those certain areas designate and change it to 25 miles hour. That subject came up when we were talking about the Goddard school. They're not one of their schools yet. Uh they may be. Um but Mr. Uh uh Pastor Adams, thank you so much and your comments tonight
and and yeah, we there's a lot of discussions with the school district. A lot's going on there. They have the u one of the gentlemen from Gregory, a teacher at West Orange High School. Um Mr. Lambertson, you know, we've been in discussions with the school district. Um
obviously they weren't too happy with us with them having to make a purchase. We had discussed that better communication. Um we also um discussed with them some decisions that they're making affecting uh the township as well and and the
students with uh their budget cuts. So we're hoping that everyone works together and mindful of each of the needs as we always work with the township and the school district especially being a former school board member. I know their challenges. They are their own entity. Um, we could give
them recommendations and suggestions, but in the end, just like with us, our decisions are decisions and their decisions are theirs. And we have to be respective of our different forms of government as well as being uh collaborative as we work together for
the betterment of our community. And uh, no one addressed I don't believe Miss Jones. I want to thank her for coming forward with the West Orange CPAC. Oh, you did? I'm sorry, Councilwoman. Um, the Take Me Home program is another exceptional
program. Uh, Mr. M Miranda, I I definitely feel for you. Um, we have been and again, I'm going to watch what I say because um, with the situation and
we also act as the ABC board uh, trying to bring resolution to to your community. Um, unfortunately the state isn't always helpful. Um, they don't really give us much of uh, help in
regards to these types of situations with uh, with fines and um, you know, even with some of the rulings that the AB sort BC board made and um, at our hearings and that's been disappointing. And again, I'm going to watch what I say
here, but I wish the state would be more helpful with these situations because residents do suffer. And uh I appreciate my colleagues efforts working with the noise ordinance, although my my downtown people are a little stressed with APM. So, we got to talk about that. And and I
want to bring it to that board as well because they need unfortunately we you know, we have a lot of B1 that lines right up with our residential properties. And um I have to say we had a good run for many many years you know not having many issues and the past
couple years since you know I call it crazy co um since then you know we just have these issues and I don't understand why and um you know our business owners have to be respectful to our residents and our residents also have to be
understanding that they have to operate but again there is a balance and why that balance is tilting the wrong way as of late is is really disappointing, but we're determined to all fix that and be committed to make sure that we have peace and enjoyment and a vibrant
downtown uh without causing chaos and havoc in our community. So, thank you for advocating for your neighborhood and for and keep keep coming and be in touch. And as well, um for sake of time, I
think we hit everyone. Just folks, if you could just give me a second here. Um, I think we did pretty well with all the questions. Can I just respond to Mayor? Yes, please
go ahead, Chief. Before you do though, Chief, just real quick, why I have the note here, I could cross it out and then I'll I'll be done. Um, Miss Ellis Tracy, um, the one Gregory parent, Miss Carbala, I'm not
sure, and Mr. Plesi, there was mention of a resident on the corner of Orange Heights and Gregory that the county needed to talk to in regards to the county crosswalk. So maybe, Miss Carbala, maybe she may be the resident that we were discussing. So if you could
just reach out to her and I'll, you know, we'll connect later on that. And um what was the other resident? I could I could do it after the meeting or I'll email you, Mr. Pissy. There was one other comment that they made.
All right. Thank you. I'm done now. Council President, thank you. Chief, would you as far as the the zoning overlay, I made multiple attempts to have a two in one meeting. So the for council to sit here and say we would have liked to have this. It would have been nice. I'll read you my March 3rd
one which was again after many just following up here to see if there was an interest in meeting as a follow-up to the original proposal which was prevented presented to the previous council previous email went to the previous council I know some of you didn't see it I do recall I can't find everything on my phone but I do recall
Councilman Rwoman Ruden would prefer a public meeting you said a public presentation here rather than meeting 221 and Councilwoman Gabberich wanted to see the financials There are other me emails where I try to do a two two in one because nobody's going to present
their financials in public. We went through this with Matrix. You know, it's a private issue. So, that offer was made. So, for anybody to sit here and suggest it wasn't is really incorrect. I I apologize, Chief. Thank you. Uh, Councilwoman, please. I'd just like
to respond and say that I did ask for other information as well, and I was told by uh Mr. Howard that he would get that information to me because I made it clear that none of us can meet with whether it's 2211 with them unless we have the information including the plans. So that
way we come into the meeting with informed questions and know what to ask not be put on the spot in a meeting like we don't we we can't have constant meetings with the same surrounding the same subject often. So, it makes sense
to work smart, not hard. If we received the materials, we would be prepared for that meeting and that's what I articulated to you. It's why I articulated to Mr. Howard and we still don't have anything. I understand the financials, but I'm just trying to let you know that that's the conversation I had with Mr. Howard. I wouldn't dispute
that. I wasn't there for that conversation. If that's what you say happens, if if you would come to me and say, "I need these things. Can you reach out to I sent you an email?" Please, please have them while you're here. Um, you know, I don't I don't know what to say. It's this was all done. So, um, you
don't like the ordinance, that's fine. But Mr. Horn spoke to at least three of you who said they would not support this. So, that's where this is at. Okay, let's put the cards on the table. This isn't because the administration messed it up. Thank you. No, but it's because the administration wrote a very vague ordinance, terribly written. That's
fine. Transparency is important. Lack of transparency. Well, if you want, we can rewrite the ordinance and you can bring it back up. Is that what council wants? Here it is. Take the vote. Get us the information we asked. Yeah, please. Let's not uh argue back and forth. We can discuss
this at another time. But I but I do want to say this. I do want to say this. We did not get the ordinance until last week. We've been we have had some meetings and I I can't speak for everybody. I don't know the complete,
but I second uh Councilwoman Gber Michael's uh observation that we had so very little to work off of. Um the ordinance, which is actually setting up the overlay district, again, we didn't
have that for until a week ago. That would have been much more informative uh to us so that we would know what questions to ask. We I I'm speaking for myself. I've met with both parties and uh with Mr. Horn. Everybody I think here has met with Mr.
Horn. Councilwoman Castle, I don't I'm not sure if you did. I spoke to my phone. Okay. Okay. So, but we did not have anything I would I would say agree approaching the data and information that we needed. Like it would have been
much help much more helpful if we'd have had this ordinance a month or two ago so that we would have a foundation for asking these questions because some of these some of these proposed changes in the overlay district are significant and
substantial. I know I asked at the last meeting and in my questions for a sidebyside comparison between the proposed district and the existing district and I never got. So if you want to bring that back,
I would suggest that that's what we need. We need plenty of time to see the ordinance and we need plenty of time to see what is the side by side of all the differences between the B2 zone and the and the MF1 zone. Um, and this is this
is that going forward. So, uh, does anybody else have any questions because I'd like to move on. No, I agree. And and just to say and just to say it wasn't it it it I'm not blaming you. I'm just saying that's why we felt handcuffed uh by all of this. So, uh,
you finished, right, Councilwoman Castle? Yeah, I was done. Thank you. Okay. So, very quickly because the the evening is is uh running away. I I uh Pastor Adams made a reference to Lafayette Park and I just wanted to put that in perspective. A month ago at the
council meeting, uh the the uh purchase of equipment at Lafayette Park came up and the council uh decided not to move forward on it in the perspective of we do have
enormous debt that we need to start dealing with. And what we seem to have agreed as a council was that we we need to cut back on any sort of borrowing that leads to uh discretionary projects
that we can put off and we need to put it off until we get a debt management plan so that we know where we're going with this enormous debt. And we agreed then. And uh at the time when
we when we decided not to move forward on this, I thought it was only going to be a month or two to the point where we get a debt management plan and we can start uh dealing with these important projects because it's an important
project. It's no question about it. But this council seems to be uh moving in the direction of greater due diligence for all of this borrowing and all of this spending and transparency. And uh that's what we're doing. And that's
sort of also what's going on uh with the overlay uh uh proposal, the proposed overlay onto the Mayfair Farms property and the projects there. Uh again, the Black & Veterans Hall of Fame is a great
project. It would be a jewel for West Orange if we could get landed here. That's not the question. I don't think of any any of the council up here. The question is, was that or is that the right location for that project in in
tandem with a a potentially very large residential area? all coming out of essentially one exit on Eagle Rock Avenue uh where there's a blind rise in both directions and that's uh largely
what our concern was. Now, I'm hoping if if uh as as chief says that the that the property owner is not interested in in that sort of project going forward that we make every effort to find another place that works for the Black Inventors
Hall of Fame because it makes so much sense to have that near uh the Edison uh historic uh uh location downtown. It just makes a a world of of uh a world of sense. So, I'm I'm hoping that's going
on, but it's not opposition. It's more due diligence and and seeking more transparency. Uh, all I can say to anybody who is listening to Lieutenant John, the the council, as I think
somebody pointed out, doesn't have hardly any if any say over personnel. That is under our charter. That is something that the administration handles and we can we can try to get involved and maybe we we should uh have an executive session. But
I agree with Mr. Burke that we need to be very very careful talking about any sort of personnel issues and I'm sorry that that this whole situation has come up. But uh we're we're precluded uh uh from getting too heavily involved here.
Um, and then the last thing I want to bring up again because I know the time we've got other things to do. I was a little a little confused on the discussion about Lost Pomeis where Mr. Miranda said he he needed to get the police to stand 25
ft away from the from the uh Los Palmer. Uh, and then they even came into his bedroom, but they couldn't write a ticket or enforce the noise ordinance. And I just I I don't understand that. So if if there's if there's something that
I'm missing, Chief, so after 11 p.m. if the music can be heard from 25 ft away, it's a primmaacasia good on its face violation, but it wasn't heard that night. What I've been asking residents to do, because I think it's more the vibration than the sound, if that makes
any sense, um to allow the police officer into their home to experience it firsthand so they can sign the summons. Mr. Mr. Miranda is on the body camera. He was adamant that he's not let anybody in his house. He god bless him. I'm not saying he asked. I'm just trying to find a viable solution. Um I had that worked
out with Miss Munos up by the Well Park Bar and the first time it came up, they would not allow anybody in the house. So again, they don't have to, but it's we're not getting anywhere if they don't. Okay. So, so the question to me is if you can hear the noise in his
driveway, do you you don't really need his house is right up against their driveway. It's not 25 ft away. So, the fact that you can hear it within 25 ft is not a is not a primapacia violation. Oh, see that's what I don't understand
because I I read the I read the ordinance and it seemed to say 25 ft away, but he's he's 25. He's closer than So So why wouldn't an officer take 10 steps farther away? He did and he couldn't hear it. There's other times we've written the summons. I mean, don't
get me wrong, but I I also my understanding when they did all these renovations, which if anybody's going to ask, yes, they had all the permits and inspections. when they did all the renovations that they did further soundproofing, but I don't think that stops that vibration from the base and I think that's what people are
experiencing. So, the police officer is not hearing the noise. He can't swear to a summon under oath that he hears a violation he doesn't hear. And that's why I would really appreciate the residents allowing them into the into the home to experience it firsthand and they can say, "Hey, I wouldn't want to live try to sleep through this." Okay.
So, I'm sorry to take your time, but now I understand. You know, it's very difficult to understand. It's not it's not very easy to understand. And and to follow up on uh something uh someone else said up here on the deis, uh the ABC board for West Orange has been uh
involved with enforcement actions with Lost Palmer. Uh and that's all I really can say about it. But those are public uh those are public hearings on the enforcement actions for the ABC. So if anybody is interested in attending uh just take a look at the website because
it uh it's there. Uh so I think one chief I have a question. Can we amend the ordinance? So it's less than 25 ft. Can we say within 10 feet or 15 feet? Is that reasonable? Is that an option? No. So the ordinance
stipulates that if the music can be heard or noise at a distance of 25 ft or more, it's an automatic violation. Primopacia they call good on its bases. So there's an assumable violation. But can we amend it to change it from 25 ft to 15? The problem with the noise
ordinances are that if you differentiate from the model ordinance that the state has, you have to get approval from the D on your ordinance. What is that? Is there a cost to start that process or to do that process? Can we do that? The um
one of Mr. Burke's uh senior partners, Mr. Anthony, who you've all met, um indicated, which I wasn't aware of, but apparently we're in some type of litigation over our noise ordinance. Um I don't know if that relates I don't know Mr. Burke knows, but I don't know if that relates to Los Palmer or it's
something separate and aside, but um Mr. Antelli did not feel it would be prudent to take make any changes while we're involved in that litigation. Um we can certainly have a further conversation with the legal department and Oh, I got it.
Okay. Thanks, Council. I I read um Mr. Antonelli's remark and he also said that the council could take action. He didn't he he re while recognizing that Las Palmer is currently before the ABC board
he also said the council had the prerogative to make a change. So I I would think that we should be making a change. I also don't really understand why the police are not just interpreting
um the piece of the ordinance that says unreasonable noise. any excessive or unusually loud sound which either annoys, disturbs, injures or endangers the comfort, repose health, peace or safety of a reasonable person of normal
sensitivities. We are we are listening to reasonable people and and in in the case of Llewellyn Park that's well within 25 ft that those residents live directly above the the building there with body. Just one at a time. when I'm
done because just hold on a second. Are you finished? Yes. Okay. I have officers there with body cams on recording it and you can't hear anything and have they're public. Anybody can have them file an open request. I'll gladly share them with you. I don't have to you don't have to file an open request. If if they
don't hear it, they don't hear it. I mean, you're you're listening to people saying that that they hear something, they're complaining, and that's why I want the officer to be able to go into the house. It's the same vantage point. Maybe they can hear it. Maybe they can experience it and they'll write the summits. To be clear, we have written a number of noise summones at I think both
locations certainly down and about and I think we've written some up at Well Park, I'm sure at least once. Um, so again, it it's it's not right to say we're not writing summones. We are, but I can't expect an officer to write a summon just because somebody complains to them and they go there and they don't
experience the same thing that the resident's experiencing. Okay. Well, at some point maybe we do have a uh uh the council has an executive session to discuss this more with Mr. Antonelli. I I don't know when that might be uh a good time for that,
whether it might be at the next council meeting or somewhere down the road because I know there are some there is some work being done on the ordinance. So yeah, uh at the appropriate time maybe, but that's what we'll do. So can we move forward, please? Council President, just before you ask the
administration questions, um Councilwoman Ruden asked before about being known about our um grants. You were sent a report on April 1st from the mayor. It's from our Millennium Strategies. Um it outlines all of them
going back to 2023. This is a new service that they're providing to us. So, so you do have a copy of it. It does show project, you know, but I just want to make sure you have it. I can resend it to you all if you want. No, I remember it coming. Yes. Okay. So, we do have it. We do get it. And part of the practice what we did with with Millennium was that we wanted to make
sure that we have this issue so that so that we do know what what grants are there, what their statuses are, and things of that nature. So, if if you didn't receive it, let me know. I could reord I can forward it back to you. All right. Just wanted to point that out. That's all. Council, I do appreciate receiving the notification of the grants
that have been received. My question is not that the grants have been received. Obviously, I want to know what grants have been received, but I want to know where the township is in in relation to those grants. Have we started projects? Because we just had we just had a two
two instances since I've been on the council um where the grants have been sitting and there are reasons why they're sitting, but you know, projects are not being done and then we're up against a deadline. That's not 100% true. projects are being done and and
there may have been a project or two that was lacking and we we addressed it. Um the the director pointed out to you what the process is. The council woman pointed out that there was no uh capital projects last year afforded to us. So some of these projects are sitting
because one we lack funding and two they u it just takes time. I mean, some of these projects, we have two distinct projects I can attest to up the hill off of Mount Pleasant that are DOT's funded that are taking three years to get to to
get to work. So, it's it's not for lack of effort. It's not for lack of leadership. It's not for lack of concern. It's just that sometimes these projects take a little longer. And and that's the full transparency of this. So, and I can tell you that this director here, she works her butt off.
We're talking a lot of times 7 8:00 at night if not later. Um so it's for not for lack of safety too because you know as we we spoke this week we or last week we met the three of us and we discussed these projects. So, we do have these and
and per your suggestion and which I brought up to the mayor and to the administrator is that we should have either not not the two ones cuz I think to the chief's point it's very difficult to hurt cats sometimes for all of us and I'm I'm talking to all of us not just
the council and but if we have a liaison to have these that may be a better way of transparency and and um we can meet we we could set up meetings and if that's the case you know so that we we don't run into these proc problems, you know, we understand that, too. But not
this. Sometimes it's not always that this is like we're jamming it down your throat. It's just it is the the timeline. It is the process and and trying to get these things to come to fruition. It's just working with the DOT, the D, and all the other government agencies. You think we're
slow. So, so I just wanted to make sure that there was an explanation here at least so that so the par the public knows there's transparency in this there. You guys are all about transparency. Well, we're going to give you a little bit of feedback based on that. So, I just want to make sure that we can clear the air. So, the we don't
want the public to think that by comments such as what you said before that we lack trust. We're doing our job. So, we're doing what we can. And if there is a misgiving, please let us know. We'll take care of it. My my concern, please go ahead. Please. Um my
my question was whether or not these grants can be publicly listed maybe in the hall. so that people who are concerned about certain projects can come in and see where whether the grant has been received and maybe we can have
some some more information on when the award is going to be uh when the project is going to start. We knew that already. Where is where is that? Because there was Excuse me for interrupting. May I suggest respectfully that the two of you
get on the phone tomorrow or you have a meeting where you can discuss this absolutely outside of the council. We've got Absolutely. We've got Okay. Thank you. I think we've identified an issue and I think the solution should be relatively easy to do. Pella lunchon. Oh
yes, Miss Carvalo. Yes. So what I just um had Mr. Fagan passed around is actually the list of the grants and their status as of today for every single one of the grants that being awarded that are related to the engineering department for the rowway jobs and their status. That table is
actually on our website. Everybody can access it, download it and check it. There's also another list also in the engineering website that lists every single one of the projects that are under construction and more or less when the construction will begin.
make a list of the roads and everything. Thank you. That's really helpful. Thank you so much. Thank you, director. And council president, just to add on to that, um our staff in the engineering office sends out daily reports on which roads are going to be closed. Sometimes we don't know that morning because of
weather and and the utilities and things of that nature. But we make an attempt a reasonable attempt to the public to let them know that certain streets will be closed and possibly the duration or what the project may be and which utility is performing that. Am I correct in saying that? That is correct. We do it on the
daily basis especially now that it's going to start our construction season which is the spring, summer and fall. We will be sending emails constantly to the administration and to Mr. Fagan for publication. Thank you.
Now, can we move on, please? Madame clerk. Okay. Uh, the consent agenda. Approval of minutes of previous meeting public meeting March 25th, 2025. Wait, no, not yet. I have a comment, council president, about the minutes,
clerk. Um, it is my understanding that one of the uh ordinances on second reading, Hold on. Sorry. Yes. 2911.
29. Yes. 2911. Um, I don't think we voted on it last time. We did vote on it. We voted to table it according to the minutes. Yes. And it's on for second reading. I don't think we voted on it for we didn't vote it for so I'll I'll
correct it. That's why I was a little confused. So that's I meant to tell you earlier but like we had a press conference busy day. Okay, I'll correct it. Thank you. Thank you. 2911. We never voted on it. Yeah, we tabled it. Well, you table you voted to table. Oh, we voted to table according to your
minutes. Yes, exactly. So, that was a test to see if we were reading. Okay. Thank you. Oh, thank you. Um, okay. Uh, report of township officers, none. Reading of petitions and
communications and bids. Uh, there's rebid for the maintenance of various township owned parcels, including turf maintenance, litter and debris collection, weed control, and fall leaf collection and disposal, and RFQ for professional
services for a affordable housing planner. Um, billist, are there any questions on the bills? No. Madame clerk, before we move forward any further, I don't think we actually voted on uh the minutes of the previous
meeting. So, I think we at least need a uh a voice vote. You you just made the amendment only and then we Oh, you want it as amended? Huh? Or I could put them on the next agenda. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Here he you're talking about two
sides of of the same coin. The minutes reflect that we voted to table that ordinance 2911. That was correct. Yes, that is correct. Correct. So what councilwoman is talking about I think is
today's agenda which has 2911 on the agenda for second reading. So there are two different things. I think that I think the minutes are correct. minutes are correct. We can do this. Yes. And we just need to move it today. I mean, I don't I I think I have the power to move
it from second reading to first reading. So, I mean, Jack, should you Didn't we just consent to the It was advertising. I didn't I didn't hear us consent. That's why I wanted to make sure we cleared. No. So, it was I I only you consent to, Michelle. Yeah. Well, that's all that matters. That's all that
matters. She sits next to the clerk. That's That's why got a heads up. I'm sorry. So, yeah. Council President, you I in the township code, you can move things around in the agenda. Okay. So, yes, the power. So, they the power.
Would they need a a um motion to do so to move it to first reading or just just do it? Let me just make sure. All right. So, the minutes were correct, but the agenda is incorrect. Gotcha. And the question is, did we take a vote on
or to approve the minutes? Well, I heard a consent from Okay. Sorry. Consent. Okay. On the Thank you. Talk about power. Just on the minutes. Great. Keep going, please. Okay. Well,
we're waiting here whether or not we can. Okay. So, I can continue on. Okay. Billless. Are there any questions on the bill? I have Bill. I have questions. Um I'm This is I think the fourth week. I'm asking again why we do not have an
overall contract for CME and matrix not the individual resolutions but an overall professional contract which sets out their rates. I'm also asking again although I do see that the um contracts
for both the planning um planning board attorney and the zoning board attorney have been adjusted. they have still not been presented to us the council and I would like to know why we this this is happening this is irregular it happened
every other year and uh I'd like to ask that I'd also like to ask why we are continuing paying for Nishawane group which also has no contract okay let's take these one at a time and
let's look at this from the perspective of Let's settle this before council meeting. All right? We we do this every meeting. We shouldn't be doing this every meeting. We should be finding out from either our attorney and or our business administrator and or our
retired town attorney what is going on. I'm I'm really frustrated that we keep bringing this up. Can we just go one at a are any of these questions pending before anybody in an email? I I sent a a
long um letter to um Mr. Mr. uh Ramon Riverz um with all of the details about the planning board and zoning board attorney outlining all of the what I saw as the inequity and the problems. I did
not receive any response. I did get a response that it appears as if the contracts have now been revised and the um some of the rate the rate for for um special meetings has been raised. Um but
and that those those contracts are signed but they are not in front of the council. So, I'm asking once again, why is the council not able to approve these contracts, especially since they will go over the pay-to-play rate, or at least
it has in the past. It's always a a practice of this um council to have approved the planning board and the zoning board's attorney's contracts. Okay. Is there anybody who can definitively answer these quest any of
these questions tonight right now so we can put through it shouldn't go to Mr. Rivera it should go to Mr. Trank if he wants to bring in other counsel to answer it he can do that I think we've answered this a number of times that a resolution and a purchase order both Mr.
Mr. Rivera said the same thing I'm saying. Both count as a contract under the local public contract law. You don't need a separate contract. If you want to start doing a separate contract for every resolution, you better put an awful lot of money in your legal budget this when it comes up because you're going to get build for every contract
that the legal department has to write. Yes. So, is that not a suitable answer to you? Is there That is not a suitable answer. Well, it's a legal answer. It's the law. Well, are you a lawyer? Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. All right, let's just calm down. I
know I'm a little uh agitated here because this keeps coming up and it doesn't get fixed. I want to make sure it gets fixed so we can not spend any more time on this uh at a council meeting. So, uh I guess my solution
would be could you send this to the business administrator, to the town attorney, and to Mr. Rivera because Mr. Rivera had attended the previous two meetings and now Mr. Burke is might as well throw in Mr. Burke so that we can
we can get this that we can get this settled. This seems to be as the chief says legal issue. Let's let's find out what the legal issue and and get this done. But let's try to do it outside of a council meeting. If we need to bring it back for a council meeting, let's
bring it back. But let's let's we we we can't keep doing this. We we can't. It's it takes up too much time. So, please can we just move on with with the understanding you send your detailed letter and you can CC the council if you want to the business administrator, to
the town attorney, and to the two special counsels and try to get this done and then you can hopefully report at the next council meeting how this all got settled. Is this is that acceptable? I I I understand. I understand. I've I've got her as soon as I finish
talking, but I'm talking to Councilwoman Ruden because I want her to have the answers that she needs. I I appreciate that. I It's really a simple question and it's just why aren't we get being presented with an overall contract and
that is, you know, I don't need to present any more documentation. CME and Matrix had contracts in the past. They no longer have contracts. We seem to be operating on an open checkbook to CME and to matrix that it's project by
project by project. I do understand that resolutions are in itself contracts, but I want to see a contract with a with a set rate with a not to exceed clause. That's what we don't have and that's what I'm requesting. So, I don't know how much more information I need to
communicate. I've asked the exact same question. I believe it at four meetings. I also don't understand why we don't have contracts that we can see and we can sign for the two um two um attorneys who represent us on the planning boards.
Okay. So So you say okay you say you you you don't need to present any more documentation. I think you do. I think we should just have one email that lists all of this to keep it all compact. Send it to the people that have got to have a finger in this and then see what comes
back. Right. Is that send it to Richard Trank if he says anything differently than what I've just said? That's what we'll do. I I have no skin in this. You know, it doesn't matter to me. Right. Does that sound like a plan? Yes. Should Mr. Datiniac be involved in this? Uh, I
guess he writes the checks, but I think he just does whatever the lawyers tell him. Just like us to hurt to copy us. Mr. Zak, should you be part of this? Sure, you can include me. Okay. It's always good to be in the know. Okay. I
will defer to our legal counsel. Um, but you know, you can copy me on it. Sure. Okay. Sound good? All right. Please. Now, council. Okay. So, just logistically, you're pulling those items. No, I'm questioning them. You're
questioning. So, are the is the planning board attorneys and the zoning board attorney getting paid? That's my question. Are they getting paid? They have been getting paid. They have been getting paid. Yes. I'm asking why we are doing it this way. Okay. I just want to make
sure they're they're getting paid through all this because I was under the assumption they have not they didn't get paid because we didn't pass the uh the bills list last time. You just pulled the amendment. They are they weren't paid last week
meeting. That's been pulled in past meetings. There hasn't been a motion tonight to pull them. So assuming nobody makes any motions, they'll be paid tonight if this bill list is approved with whatever's on this bill list. In the past, they were pulled off of the bill list. And so with
them, okay, so correct me if I'm wrong. The things that have been pulled have not been reviewed and approved by whoever needs to do that. Is that correct? We've had, this is now the fourth meeting. So, we've had three meetings where we've pulled bills. Now, I think I think one or more of them was
uh the Tran Isabel uh bill. Is that correct? Wasn't that one of the paid that was paid that was paid because that's paid because of the litigation, right? Yes. Okay. So, but there are other bills that have been pulled and have still not been adjudicated as as ready to as far as you know,
Councilwoman Ruden. Yes. I also I also just want to Yes. Meaning I'm sorry. Excuse me. Just trying to keep it straight. Yes, they have been paid or yes, they have not been paid. that I that I really don't know whether or not they have any that's but but I my my
personally I don't think that people who don't have contracts should be paid but I'm also questioning why when in this mix with CME matrix the two planners and and Nishawane how we are paying people who do not have contracts that are
signed by the township nishawane does not have a contract I'm not going to argue send it to the legal department. I mean, I think Mr. Burke was enough. Did does a purchase order or a res and or a resolution count as a contract under the
local public contract law? I think we we talked about this a little bit in our office before this meeting. The statute has a reference to keeping a contract on file and I think it's best practice to have a contract, but I don't know that it's necessarily required. We are looking at that. Um, so we're happy to
continue to look at that and let you know. And council presidential Wayne Group is is invoicing. There's no resolution and no contract. It expired and they Yes. And we do not have holdovers. I think resolution I think there was a resolution from the planning
and zoning board for them as their planner. I believe Janice sent it. That is the same question where we authorize the money. They can pick them as their planner but ultimately we are the ones who decide whether or not they get the
contract. as far that's my understand incorrect. Absolutely incorrect. We have to sign the contract and that's what we've done in the I disagree with you but again just go to go go to the legal department. Let's document it and send it to the people that we've already discussed
tonight including Mr. Dinak Counciloman Gabra Michael. So chief I just want to make clear I support new showing group. I think they've done a great job for our town but last year we did vote on their contract. the council as a whole did vote for them not only to be the the
planners for the township but also um economic development consultant as well. Right. So both of those resolutions and contracts came before the council. So I just want to let you know I understand it. I remember that. So and we have a vote on them this year
and I would like to support them again. RFQ I believe went out. They did apply, right? So that's the piece and I I don't know if the planning and zoning board did it by RFQ or if they did it by the the non-fair and open process. I don't know. It should always be a fair and
open process. Well, that's not the way the law reads. Shame on allow law allows for it. But last year we did it. The township put out an RFQ and they applied and we not disputing that. So why wouldn't it come? Ask the legal ask the legal department. Yeah. Legal. Could you
I give you an answer and then I said or are you an attorney? I'm not. So I shouldn't be answering it. So I agree. We did vote on this last year. I remember we voted contracts both their contracts the planning and well economic development was absolutely a council
issue. There's no question. We also vote on them planners the planners. remember seeing the resolution being confused because it looked a mirror very similar amounts and um and that was 150 and 150 150 for planning 150 for well was it
that was that was out Mr. please and and let me know because should come before this governing body. Certainly, we have gotten some information on this from from the council and we are looking at it. Um I can't we can't speak to what's happened in the past, but we will look at it and let you know what should be done going forward. Thank you. Okay,
guys. I got to cut this off. We've we we're going to be losing our administration people an hour. I don't know how long the rest of this is going to take. We've got to stop this. And uh I I don't know how we're going to do it. I thought we just I'm going to just recount here. We're going to make sure everybody that we've named is going to
get the documentation, including Mr. Burke and Mr. Rivera and Mr. Datiniac. You're going to make sure that all of your questions, uh, Councilwoman Ruden, are are stated so that and so that they can be responded to. And then you're
also going to, I think, maybe you need to work with the clerk to get all of the bills that have been pulled and let's get them addressed. And if they are adjudicated, payable, we're going to pay them, please. Now, I don't I I know
we've pulled it three times. I didn't three three different meetings. I didn't keep all the records. I think uh Madame Clerk did, but I think that needs to be a separate email unless Mr. Dinak is going to save us all. So, you're correct, Council President. We have not
paid those bills that were pulled because they were pulled and then voted on by the governing body to pull those bills. Um, but we put them back on to every bill list. So, with with every bill list, we we put them back on for your approval. So, if
the bill list is approved, all of those previously unpaid bills will get paid tomorrow. Okay. But doesn't that sidestep the whole issue? is is one of the council people is saying that that these may not be uh properly adjudicated or properly payable.
Is it we have we we put bills up to be approved. If you don't want to approve them, there's a process to pull them off. But we have we have to put them back up. I mean, we we owe it to our come back up each time. The thing you risk is that if you don't pay the land
use professionals and the land use boards shut down, everybody with an application before them has the right to go before the court and ask for a default judgment and get anything they're asking for. So I would be very cautious in what you do. Okay. Before you say anything else, I
just want to close the loop here. So the effect of pulling a bill has no effect. It just keeps coming back and there's no review by whoever knows what the heck is going on whether this is a bill that
we should pay or not. Right. Is that is that doesn't make any sense. That's not that's not the proper process. This should be reviewed by the legal department. I think I thought the legal department responded to this already, but if they haven't I believe they did. I believe I believe Mr. Tran did send it
to you. I'm going to look for it. Um I'm pretty sure he he opined on this already. Um but I'll take a look and see and I'll look tonight. If I can't find I'll I'll have it forward to you if if it in fact exists. Okay. Okay. Yeah. Uh can I make otherwise this is like uh
deja vu the movie without any jokes. Yeah. Please go ahead council. The comment is really just to speed this along. I think we should pave it because they've done the work, right? You know, but the reason why for the general public's knowledge by it was tabled by Councilwoman Rooden and their support
for it was just so we could get the information to the council woman. But they've done the work. We need to pay them and I think we need to move on. It's 10:10. Y everybody clear? Everybody good? Okay, let's move.
Okay, so we're still on the bill list. So, I I hesitate to ask if you want to pull any bills. If you're if you're going to propose to pull bills that have already been pulled previously, we're going to try to excuse me, address them. Uh or go ahead. Yeah,
please go ahead. Um I think I've made my point. My point is is that there are there are people working in town without contracts. I think we should pay the bills tonight. I will put in writing all of my questions
and I hope to get back an answer that can be addressed and that we can understand why we're paying bills that have no contracts and that so that the public can also understand why we're paying bills with professionals who do not have contracts. Unless that's my unless I'm wrong in under in
misunderstanding that. Okay. Yes. All right. We're agreed. We're moving on. We're we're at the bill list and nobody wants to pull a bill. Madame clerk, take it away. Resolutions. Um, are any resolutions being pulled this evening? But do we approve that? We have to
approve this bill list. That's just wishful thinking. Madam clerk, you have to we have to get consent on the bill. Consent bill. Sorry. You haven't trained us. I know. Some of us new people. Well, one of us is apologize. Sorry. Um, okay.
So, I got the consent on the bill list. Thank you. resolutions. Are any resolutions being pulled this evening? Yes. Um to ask questions. Uh yes, we the process we use is to identify two different issues about a resolution. One
is whether you want to ask questions in which case we don't pull them. Correct. Uh if you're just asking questions, if if you're asking questions on the chance that you may want to vote for it or against it or vote against it essentially, then you need to pull it
and then ask your questions and then we can just do the vote. If if you're pulling it to actually vote on it, then uh we need to do that, too. But you just need to identify so we can get them straight. Is that Yes, that is correct.
Does that make sense? Yes. Okay. Uh, Councilwoman Scarpa, do you have anything to pull? No. Councilwoman Ruden. No. Yes. Uh, 111. And that's it. Okay.
Okay. Yes, that's being pulled. Okay. So, that's pulled. Councilwoman Castelino. Nope. I would like to pull uh uh
109 and 113, please. Okay. All right. I'd like to pull 108. 108. Yes. Okay. At least two we didn't pull. Yeah.
So much for preparing ahead of time. Um, okay. So, resolution 10825, resolution permitting display of fireworks at the Essex County Country Club. Uh, Councilwoman Ruden, you pulled that. Yes. Um, I pulled this because I really
understand the importance of community gatherings and celebrations, but I'm against this because of the noise that this uh creates uh and the stress that it creates for individuals with PTSD,
for children, for pets, um, and for our wildlife. Um, there are tons of stories about animals that run away during fireworks. um my own dog, a little dog would shake for I think four hours, you
know, after these fireworks. So, and the chemicals add to air and noise pollution. So, what I would like to suggest and to urge this council is to going forward to consider putting
forward an ordinance that that permits only quieter fireworks. And there are those that exist. We have drones. We have laser shows. They're available. They're in New Jersey. There are other things that are alternative to pyrochnic tech techniques. And you know, finally,
I'm a little bit concerned about this particular um uh country club because they have not necessarily been good stewards of the environment. And I'm aware of several reports to the D um complaining about damage to wetlands
on their property. So, I am urging that the council not vote to approve this. Um, I I doubt I'm going to get much consent on that. I realize that, but I would like to add just one amendment to
to this um fireworks, which is that there are there's a type of of um firework display. I I'm trying to think of what the name of it is. Um, they're bursts that come at the end. uh of the of the fireworks which can be requested
of the um fireworks company not to not to use. And if um I spoke with several firework companies today and let me just find out what the name of those bursts
are. Just one second. And I would just like to request that that this particular uh country club not use the rapid fire bursts at the end and at the beginning of the fireworks. They don't use them in other
communities where there are animals. This is very close to the zoo. And they don't use this these type of fireworks in in communities throughout New Jersey, believe it or not, in Jersey City, in um
um Princeton, uh several other places do not use these. So, I would like to request that if they're going to have their firework display that we request that the country club do not allow for the la loud bursts at the beginning and the end.
You could can't we just request that an amendment to that? Yeah, but is there a cost to it? No, it would save them money. Like, how are we going to It would save them money. They already law. What do you mean there's no law? I'm I'm saying can we request that the country club
um do do this in a way that is a bit more noise sensitive? Listen, the administration can definitely request that of them. I just don't want to give anybody the impression that if you pass a resolution contingent on these things, there's a way to enforce that. There is a way to enforce that. You asked them to
do that and then they negotiated with I spoke with the company that does the fireworks for this for this event and they can do it. I I'm not saying they can't. I mean, how do how do we enforce that? If they say the hell that we're going to just blow them all off at once, there's no way to enforce that. They did
it. It's over with. And there's we can't say you violated the resolution. There's no way to enforce it. Before we go down a rabbit hole, I think that I I understand what you're I think I understand what you're trying to do, Councilwoman, and I I you know, I'm
supportive of that to a certain extent, but I I think if you want to do this, I think the way to do it is to figure out if there's enough support for an ordinance that restricts that particular type of firework and work on that and
then just have everybody have to comply with it. That's that's what I would suggest. If if uh if that works for you, great. We can move on. If not, you want to make a motion to amend and see if it uh gets three votes. Okay. I would like to make a motion to amend this so that
it doesn't have the the loud bursts at the end of the firework which go on for about a minute, minute and a half, and they also are at the beginning. I spoke with the company and they can request this. the the the country club can request this and this can be not part of
the firework display. Council president, I think that when the this comes up every year, the clubs send multiple clubs. Yes. Right. Send the information to the legal department for review. And
I think part of those documents is exactly what they're planning on. Oh, I didn't know that. I believe I I think that's part of it. So if that is part of it, that's what they expect to agree to and that's what they expect the township
to agree to. So to make that amendment, I think is kind of unfair because you're just now, you know, we say you support it and then tomorrow we have to, you know, call the club and say, "Hey, listen, we passed the resolution, but you have to use these types of fireworks
and not the other types." It's not using these types or those types. It's just not using the loud bursts at the end. Right. What I'm saying is they've already presented to legal this whole packet of information with everything they need legally to do and based on
that the resolution went on the agenda and now we want to change that. Okay. Well, she made a motion. Is there a second? Yes. Oh, no. Yes. There's a motion on the floor. It requires a second. Is there a
second? There does not appear to be a second. And I uh Councilwoman Ruden, if you want to work on a ordinance that that does this going forward, I think that's uh I think that's the way to move. So, uh the
amendment failed. Right now we can vote on the resolution itself. Okay. Is there a motion to approve 10825? So moved. Second. Councilwoman Castelino, yes. Councilwoman Gberichel, yes.
Councilwoman Ruden, no. Councilwoman Scarpa, yes. Council President Krobia, yes. Okay, the motion carries. Thank you. Okay. The next resolution pulled was 10925 resolution authorizing the collector of taxes to rebate payment to
the listed taxpayer pursu pursuant to final judgment by the tax court of New Jersey. Council President, you pulled that. Yes. And right after I pulled that, I noticed that I had uh answers to my questions from Mr. Datiniac. And I
actually I was pulling it because I didn't think I got answers. So, I got them in uh right a copy, but I I didn't have a chance to to look at them uh before now, but I did look at them. I was raising the issue of how it is that
we could lose uh lose 70% of our assessed value in this tax appeal. Mr. Diniac answered the question. So, I would like to resend my action, my request to uh put this to a vote. Okay.
So it stays on consent. Yeah, it stays on consent. Okay. So the next one is 111-25 resolution authorizing the execution of a professional services agreement with Blau and Blau to serve as special tax council for commercial
properties for the township for 2025 at the rate specified in the agreement. Councilwoman Gabber Michael, you pulled that. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Uh, this is pending litigation. So, I wanted to actually make I was surprised to see it on here considering the litigation. So, make a motion to table this
and I resolution. Thank you. And I second. Okay. We do need tax counsel. Um, it's the same thing as the land use boards. If we don't have tax counsel, we risk judgments. This is commercial tax appeal. So, let's not I just All I want to do is put on the table. Again, I I have no skin in
the game here. It's not me personally. I'm just telling you that if we don't have tax counsel and we have a this is commercial, this is big money. If we have somebody file a tax appeal, they can apply for a default judgment because we did not have tax counsel to represent us. Do what you want, Susan. Do whatever
you want from there. Okay. Thank you. Um, this came before us a couple months ago and we voted it down. Correct. So, and you know why we're tableabling now and because you were there in the courtroom with us and it's either we're going to continue
this ne negotiations or I believe it's going to be a no to this like we did last time. You can bring the next commercial the next person who applied to the RFQ for commercial because there were several uh vendors. I'm I'm just telling you this is who the mayor put up. It's okay. But then we'll put someone else up. I'm done. Thank
you. Well, you either have to vote to table it or you have to vote to Oh, yeah. They're counciloman. We We We have a motion with a second to table. Um, is there any other discussion? Okay. Yeah. I you know, I I hear you, but I think
the judge made a ruling and I So I um I guess I need to get clarity. Is this still litigation or not? So well remember there's the other this is specifically for the hiring of the attorney for the removal of munic.
So perhaps I can cut this short so that we we we don't get into territory that our council has already advised us not to get into. But this is what our our council advised us to do and I think we have to go with it. So there's a motion. What is the vote?
The motion. Okay. So, there is a motion to table and a second. So, now I'm going to call the vote. Yeah. Thank you. Any more discussion? Did I shut that? Okay, good. All right. All right. To table. Councilwoman Catholine. Yeah. I don't I don't think we should. I'm going to say no. Okay. Councilwoman Gber, yes.
Councilwoman Ruden, yes. Councilwoman Scarlet, yes. Council President Koviaak, yes. Okay. The motion carries. Okay. And finally, 11325, resolution authorizing award of professional services agreement
for NDS for cancer screening for the West Orange Fire Department for the year 2025. Council President, you pulled that. Yes, I did. Again, uh this is uh part of the litigation and uh I would
like to move that we table this. Is there a second? Seeing no second, that motion fails. Okay. Um, is there uh a motion? I'm sorry. Is there So moved. Okay. A motion to approve.
Thank you. Is there a second? A second. Councilwoman Castelino. Yes. Councilwoman Gberel. Just like last year. Yes. Councilwoman Ruden, yes. Councilwoman Scarpa, yes. Council President Koviaak, no. Okay. The motion
carries. Okay. Is there a motion to approve the consent agenda? Consent. Sorry. That's okay. I knew what you meant. Um, all in favor? Any opposed? The consent agenda is implemented.
So ordinances on second and final council president. We have 2911-25 which needs to be moved on to first reading. I so move the move. Second. Okay. All in favor? I. Any
opposed? Okay. So that will now be on first reading. I'll correct it tomorrow. Um 20 uh ordinance is on second and final reading. 2904-25, an ordinance amending and supplementing chapter 7 traffic
subsection 7-11 parking time limited on certain streets during certain hours 7-14.2A parking prohibited on certain streets during certain hours of certain days and 7-14.3 parking time limited on certain streets during certain hours of certain
days of the revised general ordinances of West Orange. I make a motion to put on second final to introduce on second and final read. Thank you. Is there a second? Second. Thank you. Councilwoman Castelino. Yes. Councilwoman Gber. Yes. Councilwoman Ruden. Yes. Councilwoman
Scarpa. Council President Koviaak. Yes. Okay. Uh now is the time for a public hearing. If anyone would like to speak on this ordinance and just on this ordinance, please come forward and state your name and address. Uh and you have five minutes to speak. Is there anyone
wishing to speak on this ordinance? Seeing none, I close the public hearing and open it to my colleagues. Does anybody want to speak about this? No. No. Okay. Make a motion. Is there a motion to approve on second and final
reading? A motion to approve on second and final reading. Thank you. Is there Okay. Thank you, Councilwoman Castelina. Yes. Councilwoman. Yes. Okay. Can I say your name first because I have to have it on the record. So, I know you're anxious, but Councilwoman Gber, yes. Councilwoman Ruden, yes. Councilwoman
Scarpa, Council President Koviaak, yes. The motion carries. 2907-25, an ordinance amending and supplementing chapter 2, section blank of the revised general ordinances of the township of West Orange to establish a
citizens budget advisory board. Is there a motion to introduce on second and final? Motion to introduce on second and final. Second. Thank you, Councilwoman Castelino. No. Councilwoman Gabber Michaels. Councilwoman Ruden. Yes. Councilwoman Sansa. I'm sorry I missed
that. Yes. Thank you. Council President Kakoviaak. Yes. Okay. Now is the time for the public hearing on ordinance 2907-25. Anyone wishing to speak, please come forward. State your name and address. Then you have 5 minutes to uh
talk about the ordinance and only about the ordinance. Is there anyone wishing to speak? Seeing none, I close the public hearing and open it up to my colleagues. But before I do, I just want to describe this to to everyone. Uh this is
uh an ordinance that was created on top of a resolution that's uh been around for a while to create a citizens budget advisory committee to advise the council on the budget process and everything associated with it. I
sort of uh revived this in my first time on the council and uh it had actually existed before I got on the council and uh made made best efforts to try to uh turn it into something that could really
help the council. Uh it was not successful for a number of reasons. Uh so what I wanted to do now is to create it under as an ordinance uh to change some of the aspects of it. uh to now uh for example to allow to allow the uh
board to choose their own chair and also to have uh one each representative from the council and from the mayor and a an additional consensus candidate from the
uh council to uh make sure we have an uh uneven vote total in most cases. And uh the rest of the ordinance can speak for itself because we got better things to do. Any other comments from
uh I do, council president, please. So I was very supportive when we uh you know enacted this years ago and supported you back then. The reason why I'm not supporting this tonight is I just feel like making this a monthly meeting all
year long. Um, also some of the other activities in here, I think it's going to be too burdome to to mainly our new CFO. And again, I I feel that a lot of this is our job. I you know, we want the
public to come out, look at the budget, but like what are you going to do like go over the bill list? And I mean, a lot of this is our responsibility. So I just don't see the need to expand the roles of the committee members to that extent.
Again, you know, you know, you have the support for it, but I just want to let the public know I was supportive of it. I always appreciate their input and they could do that any given time. They don't need to sit on the committee. I just don't want to I just hope it's not
making more work uh for our CFO. That's all. Thank you. Anybody else? Is there a motion to approve on second and final reading? I make a motion to approve on second and final reading. Second. Thank you. Councilwoman
Castelino. Uh, no. Councilwoman Keer. Councilwoman Ruden. Yes. Councilwoman Garfa. Council President Koviaak. Yes. The motion carries. 2908-25, an ordinance amending chapter 2, section 9.4 of the general ordinances
of the township of West Orange special counsel. Is there a motion to introduce on second and final reading? Make a motion to introduce. I'll second. Thank you. Councilwoman Castelino. Yes. Councilwoman Gberichel. Councilwoman Ruden. Yes. Councilwoman Scartha.
Council President Kovia. Yes. Thank you. Now is the time for public hearing on ordinance 2908-25. If you would like to speak on this ordinance and just on this ordinance, please come to the uh podium, state your name and address and you have five
minutes to discuss. Is there anyone wishing to speak on this ordinance? Seeing none, I close the public hearing and leave open it to our colleagues. And I would appreciate um some narrative on
why this is here that I I think for the third time. Uh or do I mis misunderstand that? You can ask the cler. It was on It was on here before, but I think it was tabled. Oh, right. Yeah, it was tabled and then it was brought back.
um um under a new number. That was the only change. I I don't Neither do I. Does anybody remember? You don't remember? Okay. Yeah. I've read the I read the ordinance. It looks great. I just wanted to provide a narrative if uh anybody was interested.
Sounds like we don't have it, so we don't need it. That's why it was tabled in the first place, but I I could always review the minutes or whatever. Let's we can move on. So, do we have a motion to motion to approve on? Second and final.
Thank you. Councilwoman Castelino, yes. Councilwoman Gberel, Councilwoman Ruden, yes. Councilwoman Scarpa, yes. Council President Koviaak, yes. Okay, the motion carries. And and I just want to read some of the blurb on here that there
basically two changes. It requires the appointment of a special counsel by advice and consent of the township council. And it also requires that the bills for the special counsel shall be subject to approval from the township council, which I think is uh uh that way. Anyway,
please. Uh I just want to thank my colleagues for supporting me on the changes that I advocated for just to clean up this ordinance and and make it clear. Um so, thank you all. Thank you. 2909-25, an ordinance amending and
supplementing chapter 7, traffic subsection 7-32.2, restricted parking zones of the revised general ordinances of West Orange for handicapped spaces. Is there a motion to introduce on second and final? A motion to introduce on second and final reading. Thank you. Second.
Thank you. Councilwoman Castelino, yes. Councilwoman Gabber, yes. Councilwoman Ruden, yes. Councilwoman Scarpa, yes. Council President Kovia. Yes. Now is the time for the public hearing that I'm opening the public hearing on ordinance
2905-25. Anyone wishing to speak, please come to the podium. State your name and address and you have 5 minutes to speak on this ordinance and only on this ordinance. Is there anyone wishing to speak on this ordinance? Seeing none, I close the public hearing and open it up to my
colleagues. So, would anyone like to uh discuss this? I just want to say thanks to the administration and to our director as someone who recently, especially after my car accident, uh has a handicap parking permit. Um thank you for all that you do. It's not easy.
Sometimes you go and you park somewhere and people are parked in a spot that don't have a handicap permit or um there aren't enough spaces. So I just I want to say thank you as someone who now at times does need it with my spine damage. So thank you.
Anyone else? Madame Clerk, is there a motion to approve on second and final reading? I make a motion to approve on second and final. Thank you. Um, Councilwoman Castelino, yes. Councilwoman Gber, yes. Councilwoman Ruden, yes. Councilwoman
Scorp, yes. Council President Koviaak, yes. The motion carries. Ordinances on first reading 2911-25 capital ordinance appropriating $1 million to pay for various improvements and upgrades to the Oscar
Shing Schindler Performing Arts Center in the township of West. This is the one that we um move to first. Okay, that's it was tabled. Now we're moving it back to first to introduce this is the one with the grant. Yes, I make a motion to introduce first. Okay, thank you. What
number is it going to be? Would it be at the bottom? No, it'll be the same number. It'll be the same number, just moved down five spaces, right? Um, Councilwoman Castellino, yes. Councilwoman Gber, yes. Councilwoman Ruden, yes. Councilwoman Scarpa, yes. Council President Koviaak, yes. The
motion carries. Okay. Can I Can we say something public on 291? Yeah, sure. I'm first reading it. I want to let the residents know because people are upset about us not bonding money for Lafayette Park. There is no money here. This is a grant.
Zero cost to the taxpayers. Correct. S Director, this is a grant. There's from the way I read it and I understand it, there's zero cost to the taxpayers. Um, no interest. It's just an ordinance approving that we use
this grant um for those improvements. And I'm and these are the type of grants that the township should be continuing to look for so that we can fund projects like Lafayette and like all the other parks. Um so I'm really excited about this and again it's great that we're not
adding to our incredibly high debt ceiling. So I have a comment. Oh go ahead. Sorry. Yeah. So so not to debate you counciloman but just to to be corrected. Lafayette Park is money that we don't have to bond for. It's already been
bonded. The money is sitting there. It is been actually refinanced in a note. So, the money is available. So, I understand the point you're trying to make, but at the same token, I hope when we do have the budget, and I don't see impending matters, and I I know I asked
council president to put on pending matters that we could pick dates for our budget hearing tonight. And we do hear the budget and let Mr. Jatiniac uh uh you know go over the payment plans that you will support
it because that money is sitting there. It's not new money. It's money that's already been appropriated uh or voted on in 2023. it has been sitting there in a note and so that money is sitting there available and I am glad that uh the council is
looking to support uh grant money because you're right we do go and they did get grant money for the other part of Lafayette Park too. So grants were applied for that park and were re and were awarded for $100,000 towards the
projects there. Thank you. I just I can respond to her. I just want to add that I understand what you're saying that I never supported that knowing the debt that we were in. Sure. Myself and Councilman Scarpa, if you recall, voted no to bond that. So, I I hear what you're saying, but I wasn't in support
of it. I understand that we bonded the money, but we issues that money to pay down some of our debt. We need to focus on You'll get $6 back to your household for Thank you. per person. $6. So, I just want to follow up on uh
Councilwoman Castalino's astute observation, but it is it is one of the issues that I think the council needs to address through the debt management plan, which is to stop issuing debt, incurring interest on the
borrowed money, and letting it sit around for a couple of years. That is just not good uh financial practice. So that's what's h sitting there. Again, I'll repeat it what I said before. I
anticipated that it was only going to take us a couple of months to put together a debt management plan and then we would come back to this and almost certainly approve it cuz it's a great project. Now, I got to say I'm absolutely wrong. In the last month,
virtually nothing has been done to move forward the debt service debt management plan. And so I guess we'll just have to see. But uh it's my fervent hope that we move forward on the debt management plan and uh as quickly as as possible. Thank
you, Council President for your statements. Can I just ask when we're going to get it? When are we going to get the debt man and when are we going to get the budget? Well, it's now it's a it's April. Funny you did the budget last year. I think you introduced when
we're getting away from that practice. We don't want to do that kind of thing anymore. Um, so we're working on it. There's been challenges with our ERP system that we're replacing with Edmonds. We're replacing our our payroll system. You know, I'm doing all I can.
I'm sitting here actually working on the debt plan. I don't know if you noticed. I haven't really looked up at anybody, but um, you know, we're working on it. I thought you cracking baseball. That's what I'd be doing. Wishes. Yeah. Um, so
you know, I I'll try to get everything to you as as soon as I can. It's just the back office stuff takes up the majority of my day. Um, you know, it's not an excuse. Like I guess it is an excuse, but um, you know, work on it as
as as fast as we can. uh well other than that you you know you've as a council have authorized much larger sums of money uh than what we're asking you um for today. So you know I
think this fits in just even looking at what your long-term debt services falling off in 2029. you know, what we're asking for in these ordinances and contemplating probably permanently financing around then um fits in with uh
you know, a sustainable debt plan. But I I'll work on I'm working on the individual schedules and and look to get you something soon as I can. So, this is news to me, so I want to follow this up. Did you just say you you were looking to roll it over into longer
debt in 29? So, I would for these ordinances when I needed the cash, when I would need the cash, I would get a a note and then permanently finance probably in 2029 because we're going to go from paying uh
you know, this year in in just the bonded debt $8.3 million. Um but some of those older bonds like the refunding bond um from 2021 they're much cheaper,
right? Um than today. Yeah, the 2021 bond uh or the what is it? Our 2020 bond falls off near 2029. So that's when I would debt service falls off. I'm sorry I misunderstood. So I would do new permanent financing then. So, you would
take advantage of the debt cliff and then do new permanent financing because the difference when you do a note, you know, if I go and get a $10 million note, I just pay the interest on it. I'm not paying any principal. Once you permanently finance, you've locked in.
It's like a mortgage. You got to pay principal back. So, permanent financing is much more expensive because you're going to pay it off over the course of 10 years. included with all the ordinances that we did, I put in there a cost to the
average taxpayer and I gave you a conforming bond schedule. Uh what does that mean? A conforming bond schedule simply means I divided the principle up evenly and I applied a very conservative interest rate. Um, you know, the
schedules can be played around with in that the succeeding principal payment always has to be larger than the one before, but you can kind of, you know, spread it out. You could say, I'll do 200,000 for this year, and then we'll do 210 next year, but then I have a debt
cliff in year three, so I'll do 250. I just did it very evenly and I showed you what the interest would be on these 10-year bond issuances for the two and eight-year for the other. Um, and I gave you what the cost of the average
taxpayer was per year and over the course of the bond. So, I tried to make it as real world as possible. Um, I don't even know what I'm talking about at this point. going on
actually state. Okay. So, when you say you give it, you you mean you're putting it into your your plan. You haven't actually sent us an email or a spreadsheet or anything like that. Oh, no. We have a Oh, we have a presentation. Sorry, I I didn't know if they actually went to you. I apologize.
I'm saying it like you got it. Oh, okay. I don't think we're moving to a presentation now. I mean, we've got You guys are leaving at uh Yeah. What time is it? G my computer died with you. Okay. So,
uh also on this Mr. Tiniac's response, it says that uh that he expects to give us the is is is this the budget or is this just the Yeah, I'll give you the budget. So, I wanted this you're given this. I'm sorry. I'm going to give you the budget
on Friday. I wanted to give you the budget today. You're used to having it's like budget prep software in Munidex. We couldn't roll Munidex over the weekend. We couldn't roll it today. They're rolling it tomorrow. Then I'll be able to actually give you something
where you can plug in, you know, your your council requests. Um so, you know, hopefully if they can roll our MUNDEX, then we'll be able to to give you that budget prep or their
new version of budget prep. Can I just say something? Thank you for doing this. Yeah, thank you. This is really helpful. Thank you, director. We know how hard you're working and Mr. Now, this is this is all our engineer.
Okay, where were we before the good news? I think we had to vote on uh we already 291. Okay. Yeah, we voted. So, we're 2912. We're on 2912. Shall we go on? Yes, please. Question about 2912. If I want to make
an amendment to it, you can't vote on it to introduce it because once it's introduced, it's passed. Well, right. Well, yeah, but you can you can change it for the next for the second year. That's that's the whole point. You introduce it and then you can make an amendment for the next one. It can't you can't make an amendment on second
reading. This is considered you can what you can do is make the amendment tonight. Yeah. presented student legal or whoever made up. Yeah. Mark Moon and then have the final documents. Right. Okay.
So, let me just read into the record. 2912-25 an ordinance amending chapter 11 section 3.4 of the revised general ordinances of the township of West Orange license fees maximum number. This is has to do with the ABC liquor
licenses. Is there a mo motion to introduce on first reading? You have to make the amendments before introduce it once. Can't do that. You got to introduce it, Mr. Bur. Yeah, we voted five about 50. Yeah,
Mr. Burke, if they want to make an amendment, do we take a vote to introduce on first reading and then make the amendment? I think that's fine if you do it that way. Okay. Okay. Because then we can
vote to make the amendment and then Yeah. Okay. So, is there a motion to introduce on first reading? I make a motion to introduce first reading. Thank you. Councilwoman Castelino, yes. Councilwoman Gabber, yes. Councilwoman Ruden, yes. Counciloman Scarpa, Council
President Koviaak, yes. Okay, the motion carries. And now, Councilwoman Gabber Michael, I have a question. So, uh, if if I could just get get clear on this. What is the process, Mr. Burke?
If we already know after it's been, uh, approved on first reading, there's going to be some proposed amendment or amendments. Is that something we can do now as the council and then we would uh
see if we approve those amendments or would they be offered sometime between now and when and the next council meeting when it would come up for second second reading? If you wanted to do this in two readings, I would make amendments tonight. Okay. Um if we need legal
advice for that or something, you might need to wait for the second reading. Um, if you did it if you make changes on the second reading, you can pass it in just a third reading and do three readings that way. So, as long as there's two readings of it with the amendments, that's how it works. Yeah. Okay.
Interesting. Counciloman Gabber, Michael. So, um, I just want to voice some concerns on behalf of our small business community and residents. So, I I I understand that the fee structures need to be updated over time, but this
proposal, which is to increase our liquor license fees by 20% annually until they reach 2500, feels excessive and rushed. Um, let's remember that many of our local restaurants, bars, and liquor stores are still trying to recover from COVID inflation and rising operating costs. If we continue to hike
fees across the board, we're not just balancing the budget, we're creating new burdens. Um, other towns have raised their fees, too, but not like this. So, Maplewood increased their conception license to about 1,500 in 2023. Montlair
sits around 1,700. Livingston is still under 2,000 intentionally, I believe, because they don't want to drive away business. So, and I feel like West Orange, we're just like jumping straight to the maximum. You can't. No. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Please don't interrupt. It's my
analogy that like 20% is such a substantial amount. Um and and it feels like we're squeezing more money from small businesses and residents while and I just don't think it's right. I also want to be clear that I do support revisiting fees. We did it, you know, um
my first year here with the budget. We amended all those um fees uh whole fee lists, right? Um and but I don't support policies that prioritize, you know, what I feel is revenue over fairness. So I want to
propose a couple of amendments. Uh one is that we cap the fees at 2,000 instead of 2500 and extend the phasing period to spread the increases maybe over six to eight years versus instead of four. It
just 20% seems hefty. Maybe do 10% every year or 5%. I don't know. I just I don't want when I look at the numbers and see how much they're jumping up every year. It's several hundreds of dollars. When they have the mercantile license, they have this license. Businesses and the SID have the SID uh uh fee that they're
paying. It just it seems excessive to me. I don't want to hurt them. And so my so my motion is to cap I guess my first amendment is to to I make a motion to cap the fees at 2,000. Okay. But that's a state ordinance. That's 2500 is the state ordinance. So we we don't have to
go up up to that, but that is a state ordinance that says it's capped at 2500. But I thought in our town we can't exceed the state limit, meaning we can't say that we want to increase it to 3,000 because the state is at 2500. But if we wanted to reduce it, my understanding is
that we can reduce it. So I don't know if legal can answer that question and find out. Other towns haven't increased it to to go, right? You don't have to go up that high. So, so then I would uh like to well, first of I want to hear from
legal about the two the the the 2500. See if we can do it. Um I don't know if Mr. Caner can answer that question for the next meeting. Um because he's our ABC. Yeah, Antonelli. Yeah, Antonelli. I mean, sorry. Um and then I would like to
then at least amend it to say 10% instead of um 20%. 20% just seems really high talking about over $300 increase for some of these places in one year. Okay, so I think at this point she has made clear
what her first amendment would be. So now there needs to be a motion and a second and a vote. a motion and a second and councilwoman Castelino question uh would get to speak
I think that's the way to do but well we could to have discussion do do we okay so let me we usually don't do discussion unless there's a motion on the floor so the first motion's on the floor but I can't vote there's not a second on her
decision without asking my question oh you can't be seconded yet so I think you can Okay. So, so my question is why you know, so what was behind the these rate increases and you know how did you
determine the 20% is that standard? So I want to get a little background on why the fees were raised before I could I hear you and I'm the first one to support our small business owners, right? But I also want to hear the logic of why this was done. The logic is that
the the fees have not been raised, as far as I know, ever since they were implemented. I don't know exactly when they were implemented, but I go back as far as 1998. The fees have not been increased. Um, the thing
that motivated this was I received a email from my clerk's association from another clerk that was looking to raise her fees. And I know that, you know, the time is coming up to renew licenses. So,
this would have to be done prior to that. And in order to generate revenue for the township, which we're always looking to do, um, you know, I asked Roseland in particular to send me their resolution that they passed because they
did it basically the way we set it up, like year year this is this, the next year is this, the next year is this, and whatever. And I thought that was a great idea instead of, you know, continuing to bring it back every single year, you know, just increase it. And I understand
what you're saying completely. So if I could make a suggestion, instead of every year doing this, maybe every other year, then it's like 20 and then nothing the next year. So it works out to be 10 10 or do 10% every other year. I don't know how you
want to break it down, but it is time to raise them. they've never ever been raised by, you know, and I' I have literally been bringing this up for about 10 years and nothing has happened. So,
um, you know, there's always push back and yet there's always, you know, we need to bring in revenue and then I give an idea to bring in revenue and then there's push back on it and I I get it. It's it's a balancing act. But, you know, the restaurants maybe the smaller
ones, I don't know. But, you know, some of them some of them do very very well. And, you know, I think yeah, I think it's if if you saw my response to the I think it was the council president's questions.
Um, you know, and this is not a dig at Antelli Caner. doing their job and they're going to get any other attorney is going to get paid just like them. So, it's a lot of money. You know, it costs a lot of money for ABC Council, police overtime for these hearings.
Um, the with the court violations, police overtime, uh, it's there's a lot of money out there being spent on ABC stuff. If it doesn't come from the ABC license holder, it's coming from the taxpayer because either way, it's getting paid. Yes. So, anyone else?
I'm okay. Okay. The motion is on the floor. The motion has been made. It's not on the floor. Yeah, the motion to amend. Yes, the motion to amend. By 10%. Thank you. By 10%. Um, would you go five? I would 5%. I think I
think it's fair. I don't I don't want to hurt the our our business owners. Um, I'm fine with 5%, you know. Okay. So, are you withdrawing your motion and remaking it if council Well, making a 15% instead of a 20% increase. No, 10. I
We shouldn't do more than 10 by I mean for 5% difference. The percentage sounds more than the increase. It's a 20% is a significant increase if we looked at the dollar amounts. So, I made a motion to increase 10%.
Now, the license for consumption license is $1,135 and change. This would increase it to $1362 and change. It's an annual fee. Um, I don't think that's unreason $20 a month. I don't think that's unreasonable. I don't care if that's
unreasonable. You guys vote the way you want to vote. Let's move on. It's 1056. Okay. So, you're saying you're sticking with the motion correct to raise them 10% a year. Okay. Is there a second?
Second. Who seconded it? I'll second it. Okay. Okay. Councilwoman Castelino. This is a motion to amend. Yeah. Yeah. That's a motion to amend from 20 to 10. I'm having trouble with this. I need
more time to examine it. Okay. And come back to you. We'll just pass. Oh, are you You're saying you can't vote tonight? Is that I mean, no, I want to vote tonight. I I Ridiculous. It is. Yeah. I'm I'm gonna I'm gonna say no. Sorry. Don't be sorry to me. One glass
of wine. Sorry to business owners. Great. Literally one glass of wine. Yeah. I know. Um Okay. Sorry. Councilwoman Gabber Michael. Yes. Councilwoman Ruden. Yes. Councilwoman Scarpa. No. Council President for
Phobiac. Yes. Okay. It's three to two. So that motion carries. Okay. So it be 10 that we've just be 10 per year then 10 per year. Yes. And then the second motion I'd like to make is to cap the fees at 2,000
which I believe we can do and find out from legal. And if they say we can't do that then we can just ignore it for the next meeting. And if they say we can we just put it in. Yeah. You can it's up to 2500. I I think I have the statute here. One second. I believe so it's a state statute. So we can't amend the state
statute. Right. Yeah, it's between $ 250 and $2,500 is the correct. I understand that. But my my point in making this motion is that our ordinance wants to go up to 2500 and I want to be able to protect these people and do it at 2,000. I just feel like 2500 is too
much. Yeah. So the the state statute says the fee can be not less than 250 and not more than 2500, which is what I thought when I articulated myself. Thank you so much, Mr. Burr. So I you know, the second motion I'd like to make is to cap the fees at 2,000 instead of 2500.
I think that's too low. Council one, when we get to the 20,000 then we can see where it is, whoever is still on the council by then and then increase it if they choose to. Okay. Increase the cap. Will it be 20,000 five years from now? I don't even
know. Yeah, I think that's too low. Nearly 10% increase 2700. So you need what is it? Probably not. I'm sorry. What are we discussing now? I know I'm the council president, but what
are we discussing now? 2500. You can go up to 2500. Yeah. Right. Right. So once once we get to 20,000 and Mr. Burke has said Mr. Burke has said that it's okay to um let move a
motion to cap it at $2,000. How many? There is a motion. Is there a second? Second. Councilwoman Castelino. Uh, no. Councilwoman Gabber Michael, yes. Councilwoman Ruden, yes. Councilwoman
Scarpa, no. Council President Koviaak, no. The motion fails. Okay. At least we protect the res the business owners, the 10% versus 20% increase everywhere. Okay. So, um Okay.
Okay. Oh, so and then now, oh, we've already approved it. We already approved on first reading. I'm sorry. Go ahead. Okay. 20 I'm sorry. 2913-25, an ordinance amending and supplementing chapter 7, traffic
subsection 7-32.1, handicap parking on streets, and 7-32.2 restricted parking zones of the revised general ordinances of West Orange. Is there a motion to introduce on so I make a motion first reading a
second. Thank you. Councilwoman Castelino. Yes. Councilwoman Gabber Michael. Yes. Councilwoman Ruden. Yes. Councilwoman Scartha. Council President Kovia. Yes. The motion carries. Okay. Uh
2914-25 was removed. 2915-25 bond ordinance providing for various roadway improvements by and in the township of West Orange appropriating 10,30,000 therefore and authorizing the issuance of $6,714,669 bonds or notes of the
township to finance the cost thereof. Is there a motion to introduce? I make a motion to introduce on first reading. Second. Councilwoman Castelino. Yes. Councilwoman Gabber Michael. Councilwoman Ruden. Yes. Councilwoman FARPA. Council President Koviaak. Yes.
And this is uh the bond ordinance that we've been talking about for much of our meeting today to make improvements, safety and uh restoration or reconstruction improvements down on South Valley. Right. Um, bond ordinance providing I'm sorry,
ordinance 2916-25, bond ordinance providing for buildings and grounds improvements along Rooney Circle Bay by in the township of West Orange appropriating 2,170,000 therefore and authorizing the issuance of
2,66,840 bonds or notes of the township to finance the cost parts of the cost thereof. Is there a motion to introduce on first reading? I'll make a motion to introduce. This is for the public library. Oh, okay. Is there a second?
Seeing none, the motion fails. Okay. 2917-25 bond ordinance providing for various 2025 capital acquisitions and improvements buying in the township of West Orange appropriating
$635,000 therefore and authorizing the issuance of $65,600 bonds or notes of the township to finance the part of the cost thereof. Is there a motion to introduce on first reading? Make a motion to introduce on first reading. Is there a second?
Second. Okay. Councilwoman Castelino, yes. Councilwoman Gberichel, yes. Councilwoman Ruden, no. Councilwoman Scarpa, no. Council President Koviaak, yes. Okay, the motion carries.
Uh, discussion. Yeah, it just failed. There's no reason. No, it does fail. Sorry. Yeah, four. Sorry, I was wrong. So, sorry. Fails commentary. Yeah, I didn't I didn't get to do it for 2916 either. We moved so
quickly into 2917. So, I'll start with 2916. Um, the current language is very vague in this ordinance, making it very difficult for the council to make informed decisions. This ordinance, like others before, it lacks I I believe the necessary clarity on the scope of the work that needs to be done and the
detailed breakdown of the improvements, including safety considerations and where in Rooney Circle. Nowhere does it did I see it mention the library just says you know looney circle. So I think before we bond significant amounts of money we need to know exactly what we're
Yeah. But we didn't have that. Wait wait wait wait wait. Okay. Talk about what was in there. You are you're still speaking. When you're finished speaking let me know and we'll get response. Please speaking to the ordinance that we voted on not the bond grant ordinance
2916. Yes. That's so then and then for 2917 wait let's just stick with 2916 for a second please. So uh I I don't know who wanted to talk about this. We actually did get some uh some response uh either late yesterday or today and it
did talk about this. I did but didn't get to see I'm sorry. So there's material there and uh I'm not sure with further discussion on your part and if you don't know but I would like to raise the issue because
the material that we got back indicated that the US department of education uh their civil rights division has is investigating a complaint about uh discrimination based upon uh handicap.
uh that someone made or some people I don't I don't know that the complainant is not identified. It talks about it. There are certain allegedly certain areas of the library that uh violate the uh law for handicap access. There's also
so that's actually in there the actual letter that discloses the investigation. It also asked questions and then the library uh attorney attorney representing library responded uh I guess a few weeks later and that's the material that we
have now. So I am uh I'm certainly interested in finding out more about this to see if this is something that we want to uh we want to do. Uh, I I do have to say we have spent a ton of money on this library and I'm not sure that
now is the right time to it, but if we could get more information that that perhaps uh we could uh consider this again. But I do want to find out not only what the status of the investigation is, but I also want to
understand what aspects of this project are we do we need to do if the investigation has sustained an enforcement action as opposed to the entire project.
So I can see Mr. Smaldo. So, first of all, we need to clarify one thing in and I and I'm going to ask the director to get up too and to help um speak about this, but we did get a complaint from the US Department of Education. The complaint is not identified because it's
considered their matter and they're just they're acting on their behalf. So, we don't know who the complaint was, but except for it's the US Department of Education. Second, what we need to really delineate, people have to we this is not the West Orange library. The access was
to the library, but this is 10 Rooney Circle. It's property of the township of West Orange. So, we have a property, which we have a tenant on the second floor. We have a tenant on the first floor, which happens to be our library, and the lower lobby. This project is
about uh and this complaint was received about access to the library, but it's also tying into the building itself. What this um presentation we have here for you today that we we for consideration is to
address the concerns of the US Department of Education and also address the concerns of the residents who were trying to traverse to the um to the library because of these there was one complaint to the US Department of Education. We've received countless
numbers about access to the building. So, um but this this all-encompassing project includes um using uh efficient lighting in the parking lot because the current lighting that's out there has been deemed um not salvageable, not um
it's not we shouldn't be repairing putting bad money into or good money into a bad product. Uh we're putting in uh gutters and rain uh rain um uh rain recovery system recovery systems in in the center parking lot. We're identifying the areas where we're supposed to park. Uh we're upgrading all
the electric based on the needs of the power grid. We're looking at putting in um uh charging stations for electric vehicle. We're trying to make this more environmentally friendly. Environmentally friendly cost money in addition to the the education. That's a
synopsis of what we're trying to do here. and that and that's also trying to make sure that we have access and live up to um our contracts that we have with our our one tenant and to um ensure a somewhat smooth transition from people
to get into the building into the library which is affiliated with detention. So has I I recognize that councilwoman wants to speak and but I I just want to follow up. Is there any update to the status of the
investigation? The status of the investigation is pending on the improvements we do to the building. Really? Yes. Could you please send us all the materials about this so that we as a council could understand better what's going on? And some of it has to do just so you know with the handicap
access parking outside the building. not so much the parking spaces, but going getting from the parking spaces to the building both in the upper and lower part of the lot. So, that's part of what this discussion is. So, um I'll have to discuss with our attorney because this was going through the let me make sure I
what I can release to you is is release them. That's all I you just give me the day to find out and then we'll do that. Okay? because this is an ongoing investigation and sometimes investigations there's certain things we can and cannot um unless we do something maybe like an executive session or something to that effect. Right. But let
me just check with our legal just to make sure I'm giving you the proper information you need. Okay. Councilwoman. Okay. So what I would like to recommend because again here we are talk about something extremely important because we
like it or not former council bought a building which we own so tag you're so um we have a responsibility to maintain that building and so where we have this
presentation we received now and the way we used to do things is you get up on the first reading, get your homework done by the the second meeting, and and then you you go move and and approve it. I recommend that two members, I'm pretty
wellversed with a lot of this, um, sit down with administration to go over because we we there's work that needs to be done there. Phase two should have been done last year. Now, this building's open what, two years now, uh, Chief, right? Worry about that.
And and as someone who has gone in pushing a stroller at my age with my granddaughter, you know, it's it's tough to get in and out and maneuver. We we need to fix this. We we said right away that we were going to go to phase two
and here here we are again. So this should be looked at. We should get this done. Number one. Number two, if you're worrying about revenue and pavement, I had made a recommendation. And yeah, we have the space there. We also have space
across here. I know you uh uh Mr. Smile has been doing a feasibility study cuz I asked questions on how I found out information, but I highly recommend that we we you know rent out that that extra space that is sitting there dormant. I
know we've been trying to figure out who to go in there, but that may be a way to help pay down some bonds by getting additional rent other than the third floor tenant. So, we do have, you know, space in there whether we could utilize it or not. Uh, you know, office offices
are coming back. People are going back to work. It may be an opportunity for us to make additional income that could pay for the building itself. So, we do own the building. We do need to plan how to pay for it and uh you know hopefully
that will help but I think it's something that shouldn't be done at this late hour but it should be done on at an off meeting. So I'm going to recommend if you could have a committee meeting to get this so next time we get it back on the agenda we can move forward with it.
Township also collects a million three a year in rent. So, you know, you could probably figure out what of that would be taxes if it was still privately owned as an office building, although who knows if it would be filled. Um, I I would defer to Mr. Denny, but you could
probably establish a trust fund so that that money is just put back into that those four corners of that building if that's something you wanted to do. Pay down bonded debt that would improve the library, improve the parking lot, whatever.
Do you want to weigh in here? We we we couldn't do that. Um no uh not without not without like express written consent of the division of local government services. And you know I'll speak for them. They probably wouldn't go for
that. But you know it it will remain a very significant miscellaneous one of our most significant um right up there with you know our larger pilots. Um so you're correct chief in that you know that far exceeds the taxes we would
have got on that wishful thinking. So so before I call on councilwoman have they as a tenant reupted for additional years? No, the the tenant we have a contract. I believe
it goes to a 2030, but we have um I I have to double check the contract. I believe it goes to 2030 and the tenant has an escalating fee scale in there. So, we went from 1.2 to 1.3 million there. So, we have an escalating fee scale inside that contract. Okay. So
when I voted against this against buying this building, I was I did it with the understanding that it would the lease was coming due just in the next year or two. Is that not the case? There's the the lease has been renegotiated. Sounds like it's added another five years. Is
that I I can't answer that. Council person, I I know. All I know is the contract that I have read. I believe the contract was signed. I you know, I don't want to misspe. I Let me do my information. I'll I'll I'll pull up the contract for you, okay? Because there are certain things in the contract that
if we go to share there is definitely a clause in there that this thing cannot be shared by people because due to the sensitivity and nature of the tenant. Okay. So let me uh so let me just make sure that we uh what I can release to you is permissible for just send it to the and I I can probably tell you though
I can give you those parameters of you know how long the contract is for. Okay. All right. and what the escalating fee would be despite what's going on in Washington, which could change everything, you know, if there's no more of these people around. Um, that aside,
we've had talks with the feds on it's a whole different agency that does the property leasing. It's not the people that are there. And I would tell you right out, like I didn't get the impression they're going anywhere. Like they're here for as long as that building standing. That's the impression I got in dealing with them. Yeah. Okay.
And the impression is right now we will probably be renegotiating with them at some point. Okay. So I'd like to thank the administration for explaining all this and hopefully you guys can bring this back on first reading in the next meeting and that we can have go into executive session because if there was
litigation the council should have been informed. Anytime there's litigation the council should as the governing body and the you know checks and balance legislative branch should always be informed of any type of This is not litigation. This is this is an investigation. Well, even investigation something like this which is serious
which impacts the way we vote at le you might not be able to give us detail but at least let us know hey it's important that we vote on this because we have this investigation by so and so for X Y and Z or maybe you can't tell us what X Y and Z is yet. We get it but it would be nice to again just to have that
information. Um on that note I'm because that's the last um ordinance I'm going to ask to be excused. I'm not feeling well. My back is really really hurting. I'm in a lot of pain. So, I have to go home. And please, please do not understand. Uh, it is because we vote
the other one because you and I voted for it and one other person did, but two people voted now. What? 2918? No, we're on 17. Sorry. Can I Can I just We voted on 2917, not 18. I was looking at the old agenda.
Is what? That failed. Just a second. Yeah, we we can bring it back. Can we please vote on 2918 and go back and have discussions? can vote on the storm water ordinance, please. Thank you. Okay, so uh Councilwoman Gber Michael is
asking us to move on. Uh I think there's one more ordinance, isn't there? There is 298 storm water. Yeah. an ordinance amending and supplementing chapter 25 section 29 of the revised general ordinances of West Orange based on recommendations of the New Jersey
stormwater best management practices manual. I make a motion to pass the storm water to introduce first reading. Thank you. And councilwoman seconded it. Thank you. Councilwoman Castellino. Yes. Councilwoman Gabber. Councilwoman Ruden.
Yes. Councilwoman Scarpa. Yes. Council President Kovia. Yes, the motion carries. But I just ask for clarity on on ordinance 2917 that uh we previously voted on. Did that ordinance pass or fail? Failed. Failed. We need four. We
need it. Failed. 32. Correct. Thank you. And that's the one we want to bring back next meeting. Is that correct? No, I think it was the other one. It was the other one because it's important to be handicap accessible. 2916 is the one. I recommend bringing
them both. I recommend you bring both back because one's a parking lot for downtown area and I I highly recommend that two of you sit with the engineer or uh Mr. Tatiniac and go over these bonds. So, because we need we have properties
that need improvement and we you got to sit down. You got to, you know, get your questions answered in person. They will be helpful for you. Yeah, I was just referencing that we didn't forget the first one, which is 2960. Definitely bring them both back. I
mean, I voted for the other ones. So, so we have a consensus. We want them both back on the ne on 422. We should go into executive session beforehand. All right. And wait, we have to we have to vote for the strong. No, we just did. Surprise. Okay.
Yeah. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. So I just want to add can I say something about the storm water? Sure. Okay. So so first of all thank you to the engineer for for upgrading our storm water um regulations. Um this is a significant
change. Um, I would like to make a strong suggestion that everybody who is dealing with land use issues, including the council and the both boards of the planning board and the zoning board, um,
be trained and and educated on what the changes are for storm water. I have spoken with Mike Pizarro from the Watershed Institute and he is willing to put together a training class for all of those um who are elected or appointed to
those boards. And I would just like to um recommend to my council colleagues that you support a motion that along with this ordinance that we have mandated training that everybody has to sign off on. I think that's very important because I know I've spent a lot of time learning about this and
working with Mike Pacero and it's a lot to learn and and the planning board and the zoning board people need to understand this stuff. If I could I think that's a good idea but I think you should deal with uh the interim business administrator and see if you guys can put together an action
plan on that. Yes. Okay. Great. Counc only thing I would ask is first of all the planning board does do training because I said on the planning board we have that I don't know the only thing I would say I would suggest if before we put a motion forward to find out if the land use rules allow it to happen you
know this body tells the other body what how to train themselves you know I I would just we that I just asked council but we're going to we're going to have to look into that that yeah that we do it or not but I'm just saying no one's made a motion okay I'm not going to make a motion tonight I think that needs to
further discussion. I think it's discussion. You may want to find out if the one governing body can tell another body what kind of training they have. There are mandates. There are mandates to train. Every council, everybody who sits on the pling board has to take intro and and other kind of classes. So,
and I can speak to the u the chairman to find out more definitively too. I I understand. But I think we're not afraid of training. Nobody's nobody's opposed to training. I just want to make sure that we this has been a significant enhancement. So, you know, however we can do it, I I recommend that every
board be um be educated on how the storm water regulations education. I'm just making sure from a legal stand process. I also I also want to just do a quick shout out to our neighbor and friend uh Jessica Pearson
who helped us enormously understand this the the importance of this issue and help us to uh get to a point where we can work with our engineer to make these upgrades and Miss Carbalo right yeah she spent a lot of time with us lot of
patience as we brought in experts and talked about this I think that what we what we saw from from working um with Jessica Pearson is that what happens in our town affects the other towns and if our storm water isn't strong, it affects
Verona, it affects Roseland, it affects every place else around. So, thank you and a big shout out to Jessica Pearson for all of her tremendous help. And and I just want to make com I want to thank you both for the time spent with our engineer and because I think when you I
appreciate all the time and the due diligence on it because I understand it's a lot there's a lot to it. I went over it with her today but I again it's easier to get these things moved and pass when everybody's working together. So I I appreciate that effort.
We'll keep it keep at it. All right. I think we are now at pending matters, new matters and council discussion. Yes, sir. Is that correct? Yes. Okay. These things one thing. Yeah. They all fall. The first thing is the proposed ordinance that I emailed
everybody I think yesterday. Uh and this is just a summary of the items. It's the transparency ordinance I've been talking about for some time. Um, and I don't want to read it or anything like that, but you can see
there are seven seven uh sections. Thank you, Miss Carvalo. Thank you. Uh, thank you for all your to provide additional uh transparency. Sorry. Nope. Uh it's a proposed ordinance on increasing transparency to
include uh posting information on litigation involving the municipality. Uh uh small modifications to the public comment at council meetings. The website posting of the annual debt statements and supplemental debt statements. Uh
also posting the details of debt issuance. Uh the public safety blotter that's already been discussed earlier in the meeting. uh posting the bill list and uh issues to try to clarify uh the council email address.
So, I'm can certainly open it for discussion. If I know it's late, so if everybody's decided uh they want to move this forward to first reading at an upcoming council meeting, uh we can take a vote now. Yeah, I would like to and I want to
thank you for all your hard work. It's very important that we have this kind of transparency. But can I ask a question? Isn't all this on the website and all this like I I'm looking down the list here like how do you want it like I'm trying to get I'm trying to understand
what you're like what you're trying to to accomplish. I'm trying to increase transparency. Uh it's a three or four page ordinance and uh the devil is in the details. Councilwoman. All right. So I guess when Yeah, I'll support it. I
mean, you want to I mean, I want to read it. I mean, I support. So you want them to create this and then No, the material is is already created. It's it's essentially just putting it up on the website and the the uh public comment at council meetings. It's just uh setting
the standard for what how we're going to move forward going forward. Public comments. uh the public comment is essentially moving the podium the speakers back to this podium and also
trying to move forward on uh allowing zoom uh public comment. So, council president, wait, wait, wait, wait. Just before the ordinance also says that if the council says that the
something is not working, then we can make changes or we can set it aside. So, the council at some point made changes on both of those issues. safety issue, but we've got an armed guard about three feet from and people
complain the back is to the uh camera and people want to see someone's face when they make public com I don't I I don't think the it's not a big deal. I don't think it's a big deal. The Zoom could be a big deal. We're trying to we're trying to figure out a
way to make that happen. We're on that call and sit in our seat. No, I understand. I understand you do you do not have to tell me how terrible it was. It was horrible. And so I want to Yes. I want to try to figure out how we can
give more access to residents, particularly the ones that either can't or uh attend in person. And I I I I don't think it's a matter of discrimination, but I I I don't think it's equal treatment to people that they
can only make public comment if they get in their car and come down here when they can just fire up their laptop and do the exact same thing. So, uh again, it's again, let me just say this. This is just to move it to first reading,
right? So if if unless you're totally against this at this point, I would just suggest either abstaining or voting for it because you're going to have at least two more shots to vote against it or to modify it. So So please correct. So here's my comment and it could be a
compromise. I I'm I totally don't think we should go back to Zoom. School board's not on Zoom. I think the planning board should be all the planning board meetings should be in person. Same thing with the with the zoning board. I think everybody needs to come back in. Um, with that
being said, and if I'm going to get outvoted, the only recommendation I hope you consider if you want to do Zoom, just do ordinances on second readings. Don't do every public comment. We are here. Look what time it is now. Once you
open that Zoom, we're going to we're never going to get to the order of the business. We're never going to it's not going to happen. So, I I think it's a big mistake. I I cannot support it in any way, but if I'm outvoted, I really want you to seriously think just do it
for a second reading. If you're that cons, you know, you're concerned about because anybody else could and we get emails and calls all the time. So, if they need to reach out to us, you you're doing these Thursday night meetings and you did you have people that came in talked a little looser. So, you are
providing another avenue to reach you. Um, so again, and we're gonna be here all night. Yeah, I I hear what you're saying. I'm just wondering why you think it should be at the second reading rather than the f rather than the first reading because
the first reading is when Yeah, you can make changes and we're more comment anyway. They can't make a They can't That's right. At the second reading, you know, by then some of these meetings, it is midnight. So, I know they would want to be home because especially for
somebody, you're putting a stop sign in front of their house or something of another nature. Um, can we make the Zoom? Wait, wait, wait, wait. Finish what you're But but that that's my piece. I'm going to vote no for any Zoom because I still have like like
flashbacks of that night. Yeah. Um, and again, we we we're never going to get through our meetings if you open up Zoom. And also, council president, public comment, when you have a public meeting, you have to allow for public comment, and I don't think you can limit it to only second and final reading
ordinances. It would have to be all or nothing. Would we be able to limit it to Zoom has to come on after we've finished our business at the very end of the meeting? certain things you can implement like I know living I'm not sure exactly what Livingston does but I think they I don't know if you have to
sign up ahead of time or you have to send I think people send in their questions it's something like I could reach out to the clerk tomorrow but I'm curious but the the key is we have to be able to do our business when we're not tired 100 it's it's going to um take another
hour on I'll start leaving and go home at 11 we didn't start. We didn't start our business tonight until after 10:00. It was 10:30 last time. So, it's well, we can always we can always vote down certain sections of the ordinance, but I
think that we should should agree to allow this to move forward to a first reading. And can I just say one other thing? The bill list, all you have to do is ask me to post it with the agenda, and I literally no issue with that whatsoever. That's actually all it says.
Yeah. So I mean I mean I don't need to have it written in an ordinance to do that. That's of course I you know it's can be accommodated very easily. The annual debt statements and the supplemental debt statements don't Oh John's not here. I thought they they already went on the website. Well they
used to Oh they don't anymore. So even the supplemental debt statement I would have that. I could put that up with the ordinance. So that's actually what that's actually what the proposed ordinance says. And I didn't even see it. You could do this,
right? That's hard for you to do. Yeah. So, I I'll make sure that I start doing that regardless. Live in town even get Yeah. No, you've said that before, too. And I said, "Yeah, I live in town." Don't embarrass me. I've been here for
15 years, Joe. Yeah. So, almost 16. So, why don't why don't we send it to you so you can actually carve it up. Much more exacting. Yeah. And obviously I'm going to send it to legal so that they can format it and review it, make
sure everything's legal about it and so on and so as per our ordinance. Right. Right. Exactly. Okay. What do we got next? Okay. So I think we have to take a vote. It takes three to move forward. Oh, okay. To put it on for first reading. So I I move
that we uh move the proposed ordinance on increasing transparency to first uh reading. I'll second it. Okay. All right. Councilwoman Castelina. Yes. Zoom. Okay. Councilwoman Gberel.
Oh, she's not here. Sorry. Councilwoman Ruden. Yes. Councilwoman Scarpa. Yes. Council President. Yes. Okay. So, that will go on the next meeting. So, Councilwoman Gber wanted to add uh discussion about a future visit to
Council Chambers by the North Jersey chapter of Jack and Jill of America, but we can't do that. So, we will have to move that to the next meeting. She's a great advocate. I I think it's a great organization, but I haven't had any of the conversations. So, I think uh Okay.
I think we'll just have to wait till the next meeting. All right. So, I'll put that on the agenda for next time. Now we have to um I have one more thing I'd like to add under uh discussion. Yes. Yes. Yeah. Okay. There's nobody from the count. I I would
like I would like changes to the noise ordinance to go on for first reading. I will make all of the proposals that I have by Wednesday. I get is that the date that everything has to be in? Yes. The council. I've already I've already
presented most of them, but I'll make an additional change to try to address some of the concerns that were raised tonight. So, I will have I will have all of that in by Wednesday. Okay. So, can you send it to us? Yes, I will send it to everybody earlier. Get get council
feedback. I don't know how to do that actually. Send it to me. Yeah. And I'll send I'll arrange for that. However, if you want it on for first reading at the next meeting, you got to vote on it now. You have to provide it to legal so that they can
review everything and then they Yeah. So, I don't know if it will be ready for the next meeting. We could attempt that, but it might be the meeting after that. Okay. But they but I already sent in changes. Okay. This time, I'm going to
just update it with one more change. Yeah. So, I just don't want such a big deal. Be a disappointment or why wasn't this on talk to the downtown board too next week? I'd like to talk to them before we throw it on. Well, how about if I get it to you before the end of the
weekend? Yeah. Okay. I can't because you need to circulate it. I could circulate it to everybody individually and then they can send me back their comments. Yes. Okay. Well, can't you circulate it and we just don't respond? We just don't respond because everyone always responds. Really? Oh, yes. Can't you
just respond to me privately without copying it? Without copying anybody out? You send a BCC because it makes it harder to respond to. That's true. That's what I hear. I'm sure it drives you all crazy. Okay. But in order to do this, we again have to take a vote. Okay. So, do I hear
a motion? Make a motion. Second. Okay. Um All right. Councilwoman Castelino. Yes. Councilwoman Ruden. Yes, Councilwoman. Council President Kakovia. Yes. So, that we're going to attempt to the next and
if not the one after that, just so no one's disappointed in case it doesn't go on the next one. I just don't want anyone to come back and yell at. And there was another item that Councilwoman Gber asked me to do, but my laptop died, so I can't see my notes. Does anybody
know what Councilwoman wanted to do? Okay. Oh, she'll be here next time. So, I'm sorry. Uh, so let's move on to the ADC. So I need a motion to enter in to adjourn the council meeting and enter into make a motion. Where's my AB? Oh, I put it over here.
Councilwoman Castelino. Yes. Councilwoman Gabber. Um, Councilwoman Ruden. Yes. Councilwoman Scarf. Yes. Council President. Yes. Okay. So almost. Well, for I guess we
are turn so you could say good night. Yeah. Yes. Good night to everyone. Good night, West Orange. Thank you for sticking with us. Hope it was entertaining.