Oh, this is >> adequate notice of this meeting as required by the open public meetings act was provided through the posting, mailing and filing of the annual notice of regularly scheduled meetings of the town council on December 10th. 10, 2025. The notice was on that date posted on
the bulletin board of the municipal building, provided to the Westfield leader and the star ledger and filed with the clerk of the town of Westfield. Miss Lowshi, may I have a roll call? >> Mayor Bman >> here. >> Council members Gilman >> here. >> Domala >> here. >> Pecker >> here. >> Kefir, >> here. >> Saunders >> here.
>> Adar, >> yes. Here. >> Thank >> Please rise for the invocation which will be given by Councilman Pcker and then remain standing for the salute to the flag. We seek blessings on the tasks before us. Bless our efforts with clear insight, our deliberations with wisdom,
our work with clarity and accuracy in our decisions with impartiality. >> I allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and
justice for all. Good evening and thank you to everyone who is joining us tonight both here and in person and via the live stream on the town's YouTube channel. As always, the replay of the meeting will be available on Facebook, YouTube, and TV36. Public comment will be accepted in person only.
I'll make a few remarks before we begin tonight's agenda. Uh first, thank you to the Westfield Police Department and Union County SWAT for their swift response to a domestic incident this evening in the Sandra Circle Apartments. We were notified a short time ago that the subject is in custody and the
situation is fully resolved. I'd also like to thank the residents in the media area for their patience and cooperation. Moving on, today is National Library Workers Day. Um, and I'd like to take a moment to thank the entire staff of the Westfield Memorial Library under the
leadership of Library Director Alan McInley for the important role they play in meeting the needs of our community through a wide range of programming and resources. for the Raway Avenue Railroad crossing. The repairs uh of this crossing began
this morning and will continue through Friday with Raway Avenue closed between Lamberts Mill Road and Terminal Avenue in Clark. Detours and signage are in place and residents are asked to allow for extra time driving in that area while work is underway. Moving on to our
Memorial Day parade. Planning is in progress for the parade on Monday, May 25th. As always, this long-standing Westfield tradition is led by the Martin Wahberg American Legion Post 3 to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice. The town is assisting the Legion by collecting parade participant
information on our website where you can register and find full details of the day's events. Uh, tomorrow is Earth Day and I'd like to thank the Green Team for the work they do to support and amplify Westfield's commitment to sustainability. Be sure to stop by their
free market this Saturday at the South Avenue train station lot. And it's also not too late to sign up for the annual park cleanups at Brightwood, Tamakquis, and Clark Park. And those are happening on May the 3. We'll also celebrate Arbor Day this Friday with a tree planting at
Jefferson School. And we are honored as always to be selected once again as a Tree City USA community by the Arbor Day Foundation which celebrates the importance of a sustained tree canopy and the improved care of vital trees in a community. Many thanks to our DPW and
the tree preservation committee for their work to help us achieve this designation. Other upcoming town events this Saturday include Autism Family Funday hosted by our police department at town hall from 12 to 2 and DWC's spring into fitness on open quinby from
12 to 3. Additionally, I will be hosting my next town talks this Friday from 12 to 1:30 at Rock and Joe's Coffee on Prospect. I look forward to connecting with all who are able to stop by. Speaking of Open Quinby, the DPW has
begun setting up um the the Open Quimby Street for a great lineup of seasonal downtown activity, starting with Spring Fling on May the 3rd and Girls Night Out on May the 14th. The street will once again feature expanded outdoor dining and retail space, entertainment, and a
wide range of programming by the DWC. The one-way traffic pattern on Kibby is now in place and the street will be fully closed to cars on Tuesday nights in July and August during the Sweet Sounds Downtown Music Festival. Public works has also been working to get the parklets ready for participating
restaurants to welcome the many residents and visitors who take advantage of the outdoor dining. Notably, this will be the last year of the temporary open quibby configuration as we continue to move ahead with the plan established last year to transform the street into a permanent pedestrian
plaza. As a reminder, following a public RFP and RFQ process, the town awarded a contract to Arterial in August of 2025, last year under the previous administration to produce engineering and design plans for a new streetscape.
These plans are being guided by our Quimby Street steering committee, which now includes myself, ke council members Saunders and Venitarammen, planning board chair Mike Ash, DW executive Dan Toger, and key members of our municipal staff. Next steps consist of crafting a
final concept, which will be then shared in stakeholder meetings with local businesses and tenants, followed by a public presentation and opportunity for community input. Our goal is to finalize these plans and go out to bid for construction by year end with the project slated to be complete before the
start of summer 2027. For tonight's agenda, uh it is brief uh but let me highlight a few things from our public safety committee. We have a resolution authorizing an award of contract for the purchase of personal protective equipment, turnout gear for
our fire department along with a thermal imaging camera. 80% of this purchase is offset by grant monies the fire department received in 2025. In addition, we will hear a public safety ordinance on second reading to add two
on street handicapped parking spaces on Kakiola Place and at Wilson School and also to extend a no parking here to corner on Bchester Way to provide a better line of sight onto Lawrence Avenue. Finally, we'll vote tonight on
the adoption of our municipal and SID budgets. As I said when the budget was introduced last month, Westfield remains in strong fiscal health. The 2026 proposed municipal budget reflects our shared priorities, the needs of our community,
and our long-term responsibilities. Importantly, it does so through a careful and measured approach as we, like many municipalities, face significant cost increases. I'd like to once again extend my thanks to the members of the finance policy committee and our municipal staff for their
diligent work in preparing a budget that balances increased costs with the high level of services that our town provides while continuing to invest in our infrastructure and our community. With that, let's begin. Miss Lowshi, are there any advertised
hearings? >> Yes, mayor. We have three advertised hearings tonight starting with general ordinance 202613 an ordinance to amend the code of the town of Westfield chapter 13. Anyone wishing to be heard on general ordinance 202613 please come to the microphone state your name and
address for the record. See no one may close the hearing. >> This hearing is closed. >> Next is a public hearing for the 2026 special improve improvement district budget. Anyone wishing to be heard on the 2026 district budget, please come to the microphone, state your name and address
for the record. Seeing no one, mayor, you may close the hearing. >> This hearing is now closed. >> Last for the 2026 municipal budget. Anyone wishing to be heard on the 2026 municipal budget, please come to the microphone, state your name and address for the record. >> Seeing no one, mayor, you may close the
hearing. >> This hearing is closed. Councilwoman Gilman, please move for the adoption of general ordinance number 2026-13. >> Thank you, Mayor. I would like to move general ordinance number 2026-13, an ordinance to amend the code of the
town of Westfield, chapter 13. >> May I have a second? >> Second. >> Second by councilman Dagmagala. Any discussion? Please call the role. >> Council members Gilman. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Keeper, >> yes.
>> Saunders, >> yes. >> Yes. >> Mayor B. >> Yes. This motion is carried. May I have a motion to approve the minutes from the town council conference executive and regular meetings of April 7th, 2026? So
move um moved by Councilman Saunders. Second >> second by Councilman Pcker. Any discussion? All in favor? >> Yes. >> Opposed? This motion is carried. Now it is time for open discussion by citizens. Uh anyone may come up to the microphone
and speak to the council on any subject on which the council has jurisdiction. Please state your name and address for the record and limit your comments to five minutes. Hello. Uh my name is Dan Peterson. I'm actually a resident of Scotch Plains. I appreciate you allowing me to be here. I
actually spend more time here in Westfield than I do at home, particularly at 153 Central Avenue, which you may know as the post office. I'm here representing the National Association of Letter Carriers or local branch 1492 just to inform uh the council and the
town at large of our upcoming annual stamp out hunger food drive that's going to be taking place as it does each second Saturday of May, the day before Mother's Day, May 9th this year. Um you know, as letter carriers, we spend a lot of time in the community. We care about
the community, everybody in it. you know, we watch your houses when nobody's home. Uh we watch children grow up and go to college and get married and move elsewhere in the town. And as a result, we get very invested in the community.
So things like this mean a lot to us. Um, the USDA says that nearly 48 million Americans experience food insecurity, including over 7 million children, which accounts for one in seven households
across the country. So since 1993, the National Association of Letter Carriers has put together this food drive, which up till now has accumulated about 1.9 billion pounds of food over the course of that 30 plus year period. Um, here in
Westfield, we work with Keith Gibbons uh at the Westfield Food Pantry. Um, last year we were able to collect about a thousand pounds, a little bit more, but I think we could do a lot better. So, I just wanted to come today and try to get the word out. And, uh, that's it. I
appreciate you guys for your time. Thank you. >> Thanks for coming. >> Sorry. Thanks for coming. >> Where do you drop off the food and when? I I missed a listing. We the Westfield Food Pantry actually now is located at 425 North Avenue. Uh they used to work out of the Trinity Church, but they
moved last year. So that's they actually come and pick it up. But yeah, but what we what we ask that you do on May 9th is just that, you know, residents leave food out by their mailbox. Letter carrier picks it up. You don't have to bring it anywhere. So we just come and
we get it. We'll be delivering these little Monopoly money size bills to you guys to so you can see it. Usually attach that to the bag. Um, you know, there's something like 10,000 delivery or addresses in Westfield. So, if everybody gave like two cans of food,
it would be quite a bit. >> Um, so anyway, I'll see some of you guys tomorrow. >> Thank you. Thanks, Dan. >> Thank you. >> Uh, any other comments? Seeing no further comments, I close this portion of the meeting and move to bills
and claims. Uh, Councilman Pcker. >> Thank you, Mayor. I'd like to move bills and claims in the amount of 894,5796. >> May I have a second? >> Second by Councilman Armento. Any discussion? All in favor?
>> Opposed? This motion is carried. Uh, next on the agenda is reports of standing committees beginning with finance policy. Councilman Pcker. >> Thank you, Mayor. I have eight resolutions, six of which I would like to move as a package. One, resolution authorizing the chief financial officer to refund recreation department fees.
Two, resolution authorizing chief financial officer to refund street opening cash bond. Three, resolution authorizing the chief financial officer to draw warrant for first quarter construction official state permit fees. Four, resolution authorizing the chief financial officer to draw a warrant to treasurer state of New Jersey for
marriage civil union license fees. Five, resolution to defer local school tax. Six, resolution to read the municipal budget by title. May I have a second? >> Second. >> Second by Councilman Dagala. All in favor? >> Yes. Opposed? This motion is carried.
>> Thank you. Resolution to adopt the SID budget. >> May I have a second? >> Second by Councilwoman Gilman. Any discussion? Please call the role. >> Council member Gilman, >> yes. >> Domin, >> yes. >> Parker, >> yes. >> Keeper, >> yes. >> Saunders,
>> yes. >> Yes. >> Mayor Burman, >> yes. This motion is carried. Mayor, would you allow me just to say a few words real quick? We have in the audience tonight, we have uh the chairman of the SID Downtown West Corporation, Jeff Kersinbomb, and the executive director, Dan Toger, here. And
just um this is another, you know, significant when you adopt a budget. um uh even though it's a little antilimatic after the introduction, but it's a very important and I just want to thank both of them and the and the whole board and the staff at DWC for uh managing this money very well. It gives a lot back to
the community and the downtown businesses, events, and other support. So, just want to thank them publicly and uh thank you for approving another great budget for test. Thanks. >> Thanks, Jim. >> Okay. Uh Councilman Pcker. >> Okay. Eight. Resolution to adopt the
municipal budget. May I have a second? Second. Second by Councilman Saunders. Any discussion? Please call the role. >> Council member Gilman, >> yes. >> Domo, >> yes. >> Becker, >> yes. >> Keeper, >> yes. >> Saunders, >> yes. >> Armentoto, >> yes.
>> Mayor Burman, >> yes. The motion is carried. >> Mr. Gildette, >> me again. Sorry. Um, again, this is uh like the the budget vote before, these are big pieces of business. Um, and uh, I just want to thank the staff particularly. We have Scott Olsson, our
CFO. Uh, one of the best CFOs in the state of New Jersey. We have Heather Ray, our assistant administrator. We have our chiefs in the back of the room. We have Dan Hunts, our recreation director, our town attorney, other people as well. Uh, we have really excellent staff, excellent department heads, and while this year's budget was,
uh, another puzzle to put together, I want to thank the finance committee and the mayor and council. This is uh uh as we talked about before in the exe or the uh close or conference session uh this budget provides everything we need to do for the public but provides in a very responsible way and compared to other
communities uh municipal level uh this is very reasonable increase for 2026. So thank you again for your support. >> Thank you. Uh Councilwoman Gilman please move the items for public safety committee. >> Thank you mayor. I would like to move a resolution authorizing an award of
contract for the purchase of personal protective equipment, PPE, turnout gear for the Westfield Fire Department. >> May I have a second? >> Second. >> Second by Councilman Armento. Any discussion? All in favor? >> Yes.
>> Opposed? The motion is carried. Councilman Pcker, please move the code review and town property resolution. >> Thank you, Mayor. I would like to move a resolution to approve children's amusement device licenses. >> May I have a second? >> Second. >> Second by Councilman Damagala. Any
discussion? All in favor? >> Yes. >> Opposed? The motion is carried. May I have a motion to adjurnn? >> So moved. >> Councilman Pecker second. Second by Councilman Saunders. Uh any discussion?
>> I actually mayor if I may for for a moment. Um, I wanted to actually thank the uh, Westfield Police Department and the chief for being so responsive to the um, communication and neighbors uh, for Councilman Do Mcgall and I in Ward 3
with the closing of the rail railway crossing on Railway and Lamberts Mill. We're seeing a lot more traffic activity as you mentioned, Mayor. Um, so thank you so much for for being responsive. Um, and I second leaving extra time,
being uh a aware of your surroundings, driving carefully and slowly. Uh, we certainly have seen an uptick in um traffic in in the ward. >> Thank you. >> Thank you, Councilman. Uh, all in favor? >> Yes.
>> Opposed? The motion is carried. This meeting is adjourned. Thank you all.