[0:04] Welcome to the mayor and council.
[0:11] » Good evening. Welcome to the mayor and
council meeting. Please take notice that
[0:14] in accordance with the open public
meetings act NJSA10
[0:17] 4-1 at SEC. the notice of this evening's
meeting time, date, location, and
[0:22] agenda. Fulfills requirements by sending
a copy to the newspapers officially
[0:26] designated for 2026. Filing a copy in
the Burough Clerk's office and posting
[0:31] it on the Burough Building Bulletin
board. Burough Bagota will hold a public
[0:35] meeting at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March
5, 2026 to address such matters as
[0:40] business as may be brought before the
mayor and council. This meeting will be
[0:43] held with Burough Council Chambers, 375
Large Avenue. Please rise for the
[0:47] pledge. And we'll have Councilman
Mitchell Leiance
[0:53] to the flag of the United States of
America and to the republic for which it
[0:57] stands. One nation under God,
indivisible, with liberty and justice
[1:02] for all.
[1:07] » Good evening.
Please call the role.
[1:11] here.
>> Council person
[1:13] » here.
>> Council member Carpenter
[1:14] » here. Council member
>> here. Council member Mel
[1:17] » here.
>> Council member Mitchell
[1:19] » here.
>> Council member here
[1:23] » for attorney um William Bish
>> here.
[1:27] » Administrator Omari
>> here
[1:29] » and myself W. Clint
>> Danielle. Thank you. Diana just texted
[1:33] me she can't make the meeting. She's at
work. She's okay. She's stuck. So
[1:38] council member is absent. Thank you.
[1:42] Okay. So, before we go into citizen
remarks, I want do want to make a remark
[1:45] about telephones on the desk. Um, I
would ask the cell phones be put away. I
[1:51] mean, it's very good that we got
information from council woman regara,
[1:54] but I ask that cell phones be put away.
I ask that we don't quote scores. I ask
[1:58] that we don't report anything we see on
our cell phones. To the extent that we
[2:02] can leave them away, please put them
away. That goes for open session and
[2:06] close session. Um, when it comes to
responding to citizens remarks, I would
[2:11] ask that the council uh respond if they
wish to. If we want the administrator or
[2:16] the attorney to answer, we'll direct
them to do so. Keeps it a little bit
[2:21] more orderly. So now, do we have a
motion to go for citizen remarks?
[2:24] » Motion.
>> Motion by Mitchell.
[2:26] » Second by Carpenter. All in favor?
>> Okay. Now is the time for citizens come
[2:30] forward. All you need to do is state
your name.
[2:36] Sorry, I moved I moved that for a
wedding.
[2:45] » Hello.
>> It doesn't project.
[2:48] » Okay. Uh for the town council, uh
assuming that Connie approves of it, are
[2:55] there going to be up any updates on
Richfield Park and the transfer the
[2:59] rescue squad there?
Uh, I'm assuming that there's also a
[3:04] change of status and that it's not going
to any longer be referred to as a merger
[3:10] but an elimination
uh from the council.
[3:15] Uh, Mr. Mitchell, uh, sent you an email
yesterday
[3:20] and I was wondering if you could set up
a date that we can all get together.
[3:24] » I'll take a look at that.
>> Okay.
[3:27] And again, how many fines have been
issued involving the new garbage
[3:31] ordinance?
There's also a rumor going around now
[3:35] that one of the Bagota H firehouses is
going to be closed. Uh if this is true,
[3:40] when is this being done and why is it
being done? Okay. What cost savings has
[3:46] uh resulted from the closing of the
rescue squad?
[3:50] What is the budget for the training of
the fire department personnel to assume
[3:55] those roles that uh the rescue squad
used to hold? What is being done with
[4:02] the Kennedy building?
And my wife would like to discuss the
[4:07] terms of her new job uh in the town. Uh,
I don't think she's being paid enough to
[4:13] be the head bus driver, but I think that
uh, you know, maybe doubling what she's
[4:18] getting now is is appropriate. She's
been listed as being the senior bus
[4:22] driver.
[4:32] Um, Rebecca Foster, I want to comment on
last week's meeting when our seventh
[4:39] council person, Mr. Bettish, decided to
speak out of turn um, and say something
[4:46] in regards to the Boda Rescue Squad
being taken over by Ridgefield Park. And
[4:51] that in fact is not the case. Um, I do
have a document here from Mirfield Park
[4:58] that I would like to read to set the
record straight
[5:04] and it states
[5:08] February 2nd, 2026,
change of membership status. Dear Ascar
[5:13] Misra, he is the liazison to the rescue
squad in Metro Park. We are writing to
[5:18] inform you of a change of membership
status effective January 29th, 2026 for
[5:23] the following applicants to be made
probationary members of Richville Park
[5:27] Rescue. Danielle Fiti, Jim Fessel, Mike
Leong, Rob Foster, Rebecca Foster, Wayne
[5:35] Sourge, Adil Khan, and Pete Pellet. If
you have any questions, contact Chief
[5:40] Rich Shields. All the best. Oicier will
be your interim secretary. Um, this list
[5:48] has somebody who I don't know on it
who's never served on the Boda Rescue
[5:51] Squad and it eliminates I think maybe 13
volunteers who did not choose to come
[5:59] over with us. Um,
the burough attorney, his role is to
[6:04] advise so to not get six of you and the
mayor in any legal trouble. His role is
[6:11] not to speak out of turn. His role is
not to comment. His role is to advise.
[6:17] With that being said, this is not the
first time Mr. Bettish has decided to
[6:21] interject. I believe it was in 2021. I'm
actually digging through the minutes now
[6:26] when a resident on high place requested
a handicap parking spot and the police
[6:34] approved it. Sergeant Cole approved it.
Chief May approved it. It came here for
[6:37] resolution and Mr. Vet said that he
decided he needed to do a Google Earth
[6:42] look up to see if that person actually
needed a spot where they had a driveway,
[6:47] but he did not understand that the
resident had a grown son and a grown
[6:52] daughter, both with special needs, who
needed assistance in and out of that
[6:56] car. And doing that in that driveway, in
that tight driveway, was practically
[7:00] impossible. And anybody who knows
anything about High View Place, as I've
[7:04] lived there, it's a steep hill.
Again,
[7:09] it's to advise not to comment unless the
council asks for it. That shows
[7:16] transparency.
[7:21] » Sorry. Anybody else wishing to come
forward?
[7:24] » Seeing no one motion close.
>> Second. Motion closed by second by
[7:27] Carpenter. All in favor?
>> I
[7:30] I'll address the uh the fines for the
garbage. There has been none
[7:34] » for the simple reason is it's unfair to
find anybody if they don't know about
[7:38] the law and they don't know about it
yet. So
[7:44] » so Pat it's practice to provide a
warning. Have people been provided
[7:48] warnings and it's practiced to provide
warning?
[7:50] » No.
>> You can't warn anybody when they don't
[7:52] know anything about it. He hasn't he
hasn't done anything yet until we put a
[7:56] letter out and let people know.
>> I mean it's not fair.
[7:59] » Yeah. And then also as enforcement
practices to issue warnings and then if
[8:04] the warning is not heated then
>> okay I'm sure we can put that on the
[8:08] next uh newsletter
>> calendar
[8:12] that should be placed on the calendar so
people would know that we have it is on
[8:16] the calendar it is on a lot of people
don't
[8:22] » as for the other thing I don't know why
you directed anything to me with regards
[8:25] to Richmond Park because I have no idea
about Richmond Park nor do I there. Um,
[8:30] no, you can't. You can do this in the
next slide. Um, but I have nothing to do
[8:34] with Richfield Park. Uh, with regards to
the other stuff, I'm just wondering if
[8:38] you operate them because we don't have
that information here. Uh, I don't know
[8:43] what kind of information actually that
you're looking for. So, if you operate
[8:46] it, then we can try to answer that
questions for you. If unless somebody
[8:51] else already did, okay, I'm sure.
>> Did we hire a bus driver?
[8:56] » Yeah, but that was my next. Did we hire
somebody?
[8:59] » We did. We did not. Joe, I'm wondering
if that was And you're going to have to
[9:02] wait to answer, but I'm You could just
shake your head. Was that a clerical
[9:06] error on the website or or something
like that?
[9:08] » It's there.
>> Okay. So, I'll make sure I fix that for
[9:11] for Mary. I apologize.
>> Unless she wants to be the most voter.
[9:14] » I don't think so.
>> We need a second check.
[9:18] » She has a CD. Hello.
[9:22] » All right. So I I would like to just
take a second to respond here because
[9:26] » well so I did ask that you don't really
I mean
[9:28] » well I I I am going to address what was
raised. I mean as as the attorney in the
[9:33] past when a resident has asked a
question I I have when there's
[9:38] information relevant to that question
answered it. Um, there was questions
[9:43] that were asked by the fire chief, a
number of questions having to do with
[9:47] the rescue squad, having to do with
membership, and I
[9:52] did my best to address those those uh to
answer those questions. Certain answers
[9:56] weren't given by members of the council.
So, I took it upon myself to answer
[10:00] those questions since I had information
that I thought was relevant to the
[10:03] question. Um, you know, since I've been
here. Um, when a resident asks a
[10:09] question, sometimes questions come up
regarding Oprah. Sometimes questions
[10:12] come up regarding other legal matters.
Um, I've made it a point to answer those
[10:17] questions when I'm able to. And I don't
think that I was out of turn answering a
[10:25] resident's question. So, I mean,
again, think it was relevant information
[10:32] for the for the question and that was
why I answered it.
[10:37] Washington.
>> Well, I I'm just going to say something
[10:40] about that because this is ridiculous
that that this was even brought up. I've
[10:44] gone to so many meetings either covering
another area or working in three
[10:50] different uh districts.
Attorneys answer questions all the time
[10:57] for exactly for that. So then they can
protect the town or the council. You do
[11:03] not have to ask the attorney or tell the
attorney you can speak now. That's
[11:08] ridiculous. It's never happened before.
And maybe somebody should start going to
[11:12] other meetings in other towns so you can
see how a council is
[11:19] how they work, how they what the process
is. This is not the first time that's
[11:24] happened. If a question was answered and
he can answer it for us, what's the
[11:29] difference? I've never heard of that. Uh
I I remember going to meets when you
[11:34] were sitting both out there and sitting
on the de. Um Murphy used to answer
[11:41] questions all the time.
>> Murphy
[11:43] » all the time.
>> Not sorry. Monahan.
[11:47] » Oh yeah.
>> Answer questions all the time.
[11:49] » All the time. So I I remember sitting
here when Lanigan was the mayor and all
[11:53] the time. It it happens everywhere.
>> Every attorney's answer. So, I just
[11:57] don't see why this was brought up to
bring up something that's not necessary.
[12:04] » Just it's I think it's it's constant
>> bringing up stuff that doesn't need
[12:09] » but I think the reading of the text, you
know, I already have made made my point
[12:13] about that. Let's just not bring outside
information into this council chamber
[12:16] about what's going on in other texts.
>> But the question was,
[12:20] » wait, wait, wait, wait. What' you say? I
cannot bring up stuff that goes up in
[12:24] others.
>> I didn't say you
[12:26] » but the question was we we were talking
about um membership and resignations and
[12:31] all that that that's been an ongoing
issue with emails and everything else
[12:35] » question.
>> Everyone's been asking that question.
[12:37] Did anyone resign? And I mean so
>> with that
[12:41] » he answered he answered. They're now in
Rich Hill Park. That's it.
[12:45] » So that's not
>> it doesn't matter. He he just informed
[12:48] us it. I'm not even going to discuss it
because it it is kind of silly. I'm not
[12:52] I'm not going to go into just to make
the element clear.
[12:55] » A person can be a volunteer in multiple
towns.
[12:59] » We have firefighters that are volunteers
in multiple towns. No one's saying that.
[13:03] No one's saying it.
>> Well, if there is an issue if they're
[13:05] not coming to the to the now Bod Fire
Department, okay, they're not doing
[13:11] both. They're not doing BOD and Richill
Park. So, that's an issue. There's
[13:16] insurance on the members. Okay. So,
either you're going to join the fire
[13:19] department or you're not. or you're
going to resign. Like when are you gonna
[13:23] get an answer? I mean, you're stringing
along, which is fine. You want to string
[13:26] along, fine.
>> So, I bet I'm not gonna
[13:28] » You don't have to comment. You're You
just made a statement and I'm making a
[13:31] statement.
>> So,
[13:32] » it's either you're resigning or not.
Then then tell or Jif and tell everybody
[13:36] else what you're doing because we're
right now they're still members. Okay.
[13:40] They're members.
>> Nobody members.
[13:43] » Okay, that's great.
>> The answer I gave wasformational. It
[13:47] wasn't gossip. It was a matter of public
record stated at another public meeting
[13:52] was relevant to the question that was
asked.
[13:54] » It's all good.
>> I I have a question. My my only my only
[13:59] point was the information was obtained
in the middle of a meeting and I would
[14:01] really like everybody to focus on the
meeting and not be looking at their cell
[14:04] phones. That's all I'm asking.
>> That's all I'm asking. But mayor, as far
[14:09] as as far as bill responding to
questions from the public, if it's if
[14:12] it's regarding something legal, I mean,
you know, I would I would prefer I think
[14:16] the council would in some case I think
you would prefer that bill. We defer to
[14:21] them. Every public hearing council,
please summarize this. Council, please
[14:26] answer that. I just
>> That's all.
[14:28] » Okay. I'd like to bring up something
that was brought up at the last meeting
[14:31] also. It was a question that was never
answered. Um, and I know Bill did say
[14:36] that you can operate, but as council
members, um, I would like it tomorrow.
[14:43] Tomorrow, whoever it supposedly over
the, um, information, the email that was
[14:51] sent from um, the chief, right? It was
the chief's mail. Oh, no. Um, Mr.
[14:57] Bruce's Alex Bruce's email. Whoever
opened for a copy of his email, I would
[15:02] like to see it. Can
>> Yeah, that's what I'm saying. I'm
[15:05] letting her know this. So, tomorrow I'd
like to see who opened Alex Bruce's
[15:13] email,
please.
[15:17] Finish now.
Okay. So, no discussion, no
[15:21] correspondence. The first item is
introduction of ordinance
[15:25] 1655, the 2026 salary ranges for certain
non-union and supervisory personnel. Do
[15:31] I have a motion to introduced by
Mitchell, second by Carpenter? Since
[15:36] it's introduction, are there any uh
comments, questions, or do you want to
[15:40] proceed to the uh
[15:44] Okay. So then uh please call the
council president.
[15:50] » Yes.
>> Council member Harington.
[15:52] » Yes.
>> Council member.
[15:54] » Yes.
>> Council member Met.
[15:56] » Yes.
>> Council member Mitch.
[15:58] » Yes.
[16:02] Now moving on to public hearings and
adoption of ordinances. We have
[16:05] ordinance 60 16 sorry 1653 amending
chapter 3 of the beagota code entitled
[16:11] police regulations increase snow removal
penalty around fire hydrants. Do we have
[16:16] a motion to go into public hearing?
>> Motion by Mitchell. Second. Second by
[16:20] Kohl's. All in favor? I. Now is the
public hearing on ordinance 1653
[16:25] regarding increased snow removal
penalties on fire items. Anybody like
[16:29] forward do so?
>> Seeing no one. I have a motion to close.
[16:34] » Second.
>> Motion to close by carpenter. Second by
[16:36] male. All in favor?
>> I. Okay. Do we have a motion to motion
[16:39] to pass?
>> Motion to adopt by Carpenter. Second.
[16:45] » Second by Kohl's. Could you please call
the RO?
[16:49] » President Kohl's.
>> Yes. Council member Parker.
[16:52] » Yes. Council member.
Council
[16:55] » member. Yes. And council member.
>> Yes. Okay, I'll have uh council
[17:00] president preside over ordinance 1654.
I he didn't note that I left the desk.
[17:07] Okay. Um
ordinance 1654 amending chapter 2 of the
[17:12] BOD code entitled administration modify
the purposes section of the BOD fire
[17:17] department.
[17:20] » Motion second.
>> Yeah. If anybody from the audience
[17:24] public hearing
[17:33] as I did on this morning.
I did raise in the introduction that the
[17:43] shall respond to all emergency
situations when requested uh doesn't say
[17:47] by requested by who the
former ordinance said but police
[17:54] department. So that's
[17:58] the purposes of the rescue squad as
you're rescue squad
[18:04] and assigned to other departments
including the fire department not
[18:09] completely transferring all the
responsibilities
[18:13] fire department
um I witnessed last meeting that the
[18:18] firemen really just want to put up fires
um they want to be left alone they don't
[18:22] want to be micromanaged and they don't
want to handle task. So we don't proceed
[18:28] but
the records.
[18:34] Thank you.
[18:37] » Seeing no motion to close
[18:43] » a motion to adopt ordinance 165.
>> So moved.
[18:47] » Second.
>> Can you call the roll, please?
[18:50] » Council President Kohl's.
>> Yes.
[18:52] » Council member Carter.
>> Yes. Council member
[18:55] » excuse.
>> Council member M.
[18:57] » Yes.
>> And council member Mitch.
[18:58] » Yes.
>> Thank you. Can I make a comment on the
[19:01] record please for the BOD fire
department?
[19:05] They came here last week and they did
not ever say that they were never going
[19:09] to take over any duties that the Lakota
rescue squad did. And I'd like to know
[19:16] who said they weren't going to do any of
the duties and what duties did they say
[19:20] they were not going to do. As far as I
know, they stated that they were there
[19:24] to do everything when called for. So,
can you please stop making things up
[19:30] like that because that was not and
they're not m they it's not that they
[19:34] don't want to be micromanaged,
>> but they are because you have you know
[19:39] you're invested in the rescue. So,
you're micromanaging.
[19:42] » I haven't talked to them in two weeks.
>> Okay. In two weeks since the meeting.
[19:45] Okay. That's fine. Before that, before
that. So, again,
[19:48] » I'd be happy to share the email. Please
do not say that they are not they do not
[19:52] plan on doing any anything that they're
needed for because that never came out
[19:56] of any one of them.
>> They're volunteers and when they're
[19:59] called they'll do what they need to do.
Okay.
[20:02] » You were copied on the emails where they
said
[20:03] » well I'm just saying do not say that
they will not do anything that they're
[20:07] called for. When that bell goes out
they'll do what they need to do like
[20:11] they've always done.
>> Okay.
[20:13] » Look at the emails and speak forms.
>> I don't care about the emails. I care
[20:16] about what you just said.
>> They speak for themselves. Okay. I just
[20:18] heard what you just said. Okay.
>> Okay. Fine.
[20:22] » Okay.
[20:25] Next uh item on the agenda is the
>> Excuse me, Danielle. Can you please tell
[20:29] these two please stop talking? I didn't
hear. Okay. Thank you.
[20:33] » I heard a cough. I apologize.
>> Uh
[20:37] the next item is on the consent agenda.
We have 20 26 81 82 83 84 85 and 86. Do
[20:45] we have a motion? Motion. Motion by
Mitchell. Second by Carpenter. Could you
[20:49] please call the RO? Council
>> President.
[20:51] » Yes. On everything except for 2026-86.
I refuse.
[20:58] » Council member Parker.
>> Yes.
[21:00] » Council member.
>> Yes.
[21:02] » Council member.
>> Yes.
[21:04] » And council member.
>> Yes.
[21:06] » Okay. Next. A resolution to be voted on
separately. Uh 202687 authorizing the
[21:11] sale of 13 East Fort Le.
>> Motion by Mitchell. Second by Horurn.
[21:17] Is there any discussion? I just want to
call
[21:19] » back.
[21:23] » Yes.
>> Council member Parker.
[21:25] » No.
>> Yes.
[21:28] » Council member M.
>> Yes.
[21:30] » Council member Mitchell.
>> Yes.
[21:34] » Great.
>> Thank you. Uh moving on to the payment
[21:37] of claims. Payment of claims 26-04.
Payment of claims. Motion by Carpenter.
[21:41] Second.
>> Second by Mitchell. Can you please call
[21:43] the role?
>> As a clause.
[21:45] » Yes. on everything. I recuse myself on
anything pertaining to the Bagota DPW or
[21:50] Superintendent Gordon
Carpenter.
[21:53] » Yes.
>> Yes. Recuse anything pertaining to fire
[21:58] department.
[22:01] » Yes.
>> Council member Mitchell.
[22:04] » Yes.
[22:08] » Uh next on to approvals. The approval of
the regular meeting minutes of February
[22:11] 19th.
>> Motion.
[22:12] » Motion by second. Second by calls. Can
you please call roll?
[22:17] » Council.
>> Yes.
[22:19] » Council member Parker.
>> Yes.
[22:20] » Council member.
>> Yes.
[22:22] » Council member M.
>> Yes.
[22:23] » And
[22:27] next item on the agenda is the approval
of the close session minutes of February
[22:31] 19th.
>> So moved.
[22:32] » Motion by Carpenter.
>> Second.
[22:33] » Second by Macau. Can you please call the
RO?
[22:36] » Council President Kohl's.
>> Yes.
[22:38] » Council member Carpenter.
>> Yes.
[22:40] » Council member.
>> Yes.
[22:41] » Council member Male.
>> Yes. and council member Ring. Um
[22:45] Mitchell.
>> Okay. Uh next, um late entry, but
[22:51] important entry, uh boot drive
fundraiser for the Pagota Junior Police
[22:55] Academy, Saturday, May 9th, 2026.
>> So moved
[22:58] » from 9 to 9:00 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the
intersection of Palisade Avenue and East
[23:03] Main Street. Motion by Carpenter.
>> Second.
[23:05] » Second by male. Could you please call
the role?
[23:08] » Counc.
>> Yes.
[23:10] » Council member Carton.
>> Yes.
[23:11] » Council member G. Yes.
>> Council member K.
[23:14] » Yes.
>> And council.
[23:16] » Yes.
>> Is um just as maybe Mike can answer is
[23:20] are you going to have the kids there or
is that just going to be your
[23:23] instructors and stuff?
>> I think the last time we said the kids
[23:27] can be cheerleaders on the sideline.
>> Yeah. I was just just out of curiosity.
[23:30] » Yeah. I have no problem.
>> Not in the street.
[23:34] » Um okay. Next, uh, the appointment of
Alumi Ojo as a new member of the Bagota
[23:42] Recreation Committee for a three-year
term expiring December 31, 2028. This is
[23:46] something that needs council consent as
I
[23:49] » motion. Motion by Mitchell.
>> Second.
[23:52] » Second by I'll give it to her. Could you
please call the role?
[23:55] » Council President.
>> Yes.
[23:57] » Council member Carpenter.
>> Yes.
[23:58] » Council member.
>> Yes.
[24:00] » Council member Max.
>> Yes.
[24:01] » And council member.
>> Yes.
[24:03] » Okay. Uh now opening up to the second
citizen remarks motion. Motion byel
[24:08] second. Second byurn. All in favor.
Okay. You can please come forward. State
[24:12] your name.
>> Sorry.
[24:16] You guys said there was no question.
[24:22] Um I have it right pulled up and I'm
happy to use my five minutes to help you
[24:28] guys remember what actually happened
last week. Let's see. Eight
[24:36] 0 seconds.
[24:49] » This was the St. Joe's
wanted to report
[25:02] » and then Bill came in with his
membership statement. So there was no
[25:06] question you guys had moved on from
membership and fire and all the things
[25:11] and that was just interjected from a
text spread and possibly shown. I I
[25:16] don't see that on camera on film on tape
but it was interjected. It was after
[25:24] we talked about it. It was onto a
different subject and it was interjected
[25:28] and it was growing information because
the true part didn't take us all.
[25:32] Some of us just
[25:42] want to know why I put up the name.
>> Oh, just made your menty
[25:47] hand the phone to show you what was
going on in Richmond Park before he
[25:52] spoke. So that's why your name was
mentioned.
[25:54] » So you need my permission.
[26:00] When you talk about the Oprah and Oprah,
uh, apparently today I found out the
[26:07] hard way from the lawyer that you have
to have all specific information. So,
[26:12] you have to know exactly what number is
involved.
[26:15] Uh,
>> okay. If we are not enforcing the
[26:21] garbage ordinance, uh, why is it there?
Obviously, it has been uh sent out as a
[26:27] warning essentially to the whole town
and it's not being acted on. So, if
[26:32] we're going to have a dead law in the
books
[26:36] and
yes, there was a couple questions from
[26:39] the first round that nobody answered.
What are the cost savings resulting from
[26:44] the closing the rescue squad? What is
the budget for the training of the fire
[26:48] department personnel assuming their
role? What's going on with Ken in the
[26:51] building? Thank you.
[26:58] Seeing no one else. Motion to close.
>> Motion to close by. Second.
[27:01] » Second by calls. All in favor?
>> So Joe, to answer you specifically, um
[27:09] » it's not that we're not enforcing as we
said the we are we are giving warnings.
[27:13] We're letting the commercial properties
know. um you know some of the apartments
[27:18] just you know we we had two
I don't want to say I guess historic
[27:23] snowstorms in the past six weeks. We're
we're trying not to go after people
[27:28] right now for for every little thing.
Um, you know, I I think that I spoke
[27:33] with Nick this week. Um, and I spoke
with Dan Deowski, our health officer,
[27:38] and you know, we are going to attack it
more seriously when spring comes, let's
[27:42] say another month. Um, obviously, we
came up with this this law for a reason.
[27:46] As you said, we didn't do it for for for
no reason at all or to not enforce it.
[27:51] Um, however, we really just got this
done just before the end of last year.
[27:55] And I, you know, I didn't feel it was
appropriate to uh necessarily be going
[28:00] and attacking everybody as soon as, you
know, that's not how we how we govern
[28:03] here. We're not, we don't put a law out
and then see if people caught up to it
[28:06] yet. You know, we give them some time to
um to make sure that they understand why
[28:10] we made these changes. And and as the
mayor said, you know, there's we try to
[28:14] warn everybody first. Everybody gets a
warning. um you know to but at the end
[28:18] of the day the the goal is compliance
and education to get compliance. Um
[28:23] however I I can promise you Joe uh if we
start seeing the uh bags piling up that
[28:29] aren't allowed uh on Main Street
Palisades Queen Anne you know and and
[28:35] other places obviously around the
burough we're going we're going to start
[28:38] penalizing people for sure this this
spring into summer. So, um, you know, as
[28:43] you saw, there was a, uh, a fire hydrant
update on there. Um, that was a problem
[28:50] during these past storms. Uh, you know,
the fire department and, uh, fire, you
[28:55] know, Danny and fire prevention, Nick
Burice, we spoke with, uh, our attorney,
[28:59] Bill Fetish. Um, you know, that's where
we've uh addressed a lot of our
[29:03] attention in the past few weeks with
that is to, you know, come up with this
[29:06] plan to make sure that we're um keeping
the town safe by holding people with
[29:10] fire hydrants in front of their
properties accountable because that's
[29:13] that's the ordinance. Um, we're also
looking into um also uh uh updating and
[29:20] Bill can correct me if I'm wrong. I
think might be the same ordinance or or
[29:23] or in the same group of ordinances. Um
we're looking to do um you know corner
[29:28] cleans for people because we got a lot
of complaints about that this year that
[29:32] people who live on corners were not
cleaning them and excuse me every other
[29:37] municipality um that I've spoken to
that's that's what their ordinance reads
[29:41] is that the uh corner property is
responsible to clean off a corner onto a
[29:46] crosswalk and the ADA ramp. Um, so that
is probably going to be our next uh
[29:51] action when it comes to updating
ordinances is is to make sure that's
[29:54] done so that we're prepared for next
year's snow season. Luckily, we got it
[29:57] through we got through it this year
without having a real, you know, major
[30:00] incident. But, um, you know, we're we're
trying to improve every day. But, uh, as
[30:05] far as with the specifics with the
garbage, I I promise you, Joe, you'll
[30:08] see a difference this spring. Um, and,
uh, and I and I hope you hold me
[30:12] accountable for it. Um, as far as the
other ones, um, there are some
[30:16] legalities revolving around, um, this
entire fire and, uh, rescue process. So,
[30:21] I'm not going to get into specifics, but
we don't have any set plans for the
[30:26] Kennedy building at the moment. This
wasn't a cash grab to move that property
[30:30] off of our books. Um, you know, we'll
we'll have to see what unfolds. That's
[30:34] all I'll say. Um, and I I I don't
believe I can speak to any of the the
[30:39] other questions you asked um at the
moment. So, thank you.
[30:43] » Well, Conno, I think uh there's no way
right now we just merged
[30:49] » correct
>> in January for for us to answer how much
[30:52] have we saved in two months,
>> right? There's
[30:56] » is a ridiculous question
>> and we're working on the budget right
[30:58] now. So, I could probably get back to
you in about a month with
[31:00] » No, I would say more at the end of the
year.
[31:03] » Put Well, no, I meant put aside for
training for the fire department. Um I
[31:07] I'll try to get you that answer, Joe. Uh
because I know that's the one you asked
[31:10] as well. Um, but again, right, as as
Connie said, we are kind of in the
[31:14] process of these things. So, uh,
hopefully I can get you an answer later
[31:17] in the year to some of those things.
>> Also, Connor, we just, uh, approved last
[31:21] meeting, uh, for Pam Durr, who's going
to be going through the training for
[31:27] the fire, the firefighter for the
rescue,
[31:32] » right?
>> So, we already have one person there.
[31:34] Just to touch base though on the garbage
real quick is that it you can't hold
[31:39] it's tough to hold people accountable
for an ordinance that we did that
[31:42] they're not necessarily aware of. So
obviously it just went out on the
[31:44] calendar and this is obviously a problem
that getting information out to our
[31:49] public right that you know ordinances
that are been updated changed and stuff
[31:53] like that. And you know we talked about
signage we talked about multiple things.
[31:58] we might want to go back to a quarterly
newsletter because we're if we want to
[32:04] disseminate more information to our
public and you know have updated
[32:07] ordinances we have to get it a better
way out there and I get it we did it as
[32:11] a cost savings I'm assuming because it
was done prior to me getting on but we
[32:15] might want to go back to a quarterly
newsletter so we can basically educate
[32:19] the public on what ordinance has been
changed and basically gives us the
[32:23] ability to enforce them but you're right
we can't enforce something that they
[32:27] don't know about But if we go to a
quarterly newsletter or find a better
[32:30] way of getting that information out,
then we can enforce it as it needs to
[32:33] be.
>> So when we had the um
[32:37] issues with recycling and people were
putting the recycling in a plastic bag,
[32:42] » there is a yellow orange sticker.
>> Yeah. That
[32:46] » was put on saying we're not picking that
up. Unfortunately, you can't do that on
[32:51] a bag of garbage that the garbage people
are going to pick up. Right. But that we
[32:54] that was a very effective.
>> We're not picking up your recycling
[32:58] because it's in a plastic bag. Here's a
yellow orange sticker telling you so.
[33:02] And I think that was a really effective
form of educating public. I don't know
[33:06] how we're going to place a sticker on a
pack of garbage.
[33:09] » Yeah, it's I mean it's difficult.
>> We're just going to have to troubleshoot
[33:14] it and figure out something, you know? I
mean,
[33:18] » again, we find we find people that are
violating and, you know, we have that
[33:22] conversation with them. I mean, some
people are going to disregard either
[33:25] way, but um I think the biggest problem
that myself and the CFO tried tackling
[33:29] is it's just it's it's becoming so
expensive to send letters out for every
[33:33] ordinance. Um you know, with the amount
of households in in town, you know,
[33:38] we're talking thousands of dollars every
time we want to send out a onepage
[33:41] ordinance. So, which as everyone here
knows, I think most of our ordinances
[33:45] are in one page. Um so, we're trying to
pick and choose. We're trying to be
[33:48] creative. Um, we thought about this year
with budgeting, but you know, with with
[33:53] how many updates we do, we, you know,
uh, we've been updating, you know, our
[33:56] ordinances that have been in much need
of updating, you know, for the past, I'd
[34:02] say at least two years. Um, you know,
few a few a meeting. So, um, we're we're
[34:07] going to work on that, Joe, and we're
going to work to try and get that stuff
[34:09] out there to the public better. But, uh,
right now, you know, it's just very
[34:14] costly when when we do it, uh, the
oldfashioned way, which I know a lot of
[34:17] towns still do through, uh, USPS. Um,
but, uh, but we'll we'll continue to
[34:22] improve on that.
>> Can we just drop something in their
[34:24] mailbox? Like say like our we can't
>> you we could you could you can put for
[34:29] temporarily in in
>> put in the door
[34:31] » online. No, online
>> on our web.
[34:33] » Well, we do we put the stuff up there on
the web.
[34:36] » Set up door knockers. Let the kids
>> You mean like a card they can shove in
[34:38] the front door? something, you know, and
then, you know, we could the DPW sees
[34:42] something, they could log the address,
it gets forward to Nick, and Nick can
[34:46] drop it.
>> DPW is not picking up the garbage, so
[34:47] you almost need to have like Nick go
around the
[34:50] » Well, yeah. I mean, getting our Yeah,
absolutely. But the tough part is I've
[34:54] even spoke to Gordon, but it's hard. You
know, we we have a smaller DBW in in
[34:58] other towns sometimes, I don't know if
this
[35:02] » is legal, but they'll they'll have the
guys as they're picking up garbage slide
[35:06] into, you know, like like the door jam,
they'll they'll slide it.
[35:10] » As a private vendor, they're not going
to do it,
[35:12] » of course. And you're not doing this at
every house. You're doing this as just
[35:16] for garbage. If we did this on our
recycling days with the DPW, we could
[35:21] probably Well, I've talked to Gordon. It
would be very tough because again, we
[35:24] only have so many guys and
>> well perhaps perhaps perhaps Nick says,
[35:29] "Okay, this week I'm going to do these
three streets and shoves them in the
[35:33] doorway." But it doesn't necessarily
like if say during recycling happens,
[35:38] they can just radio into Gordon an
address, Gordon logs it and then then
[35:43] you know the following day if Gordon or
Nick or whatever goes there and puts the
[35:48] blackard there. Hey, listen on this date
this was done incorrectly. This is your
[35:53] your warning. You know what I'm saying?
And in there you could put this goes for
[35:57] recycling and trash, you know, so this
is what needs to be done. But as long as
[36:01] you're logging the addresses, you can go
back at a later time. And as long as
[36:05] you're the date, hey, on this date, this
was observed,
[36:09] » you know? I mean, I we got to get
creative because like you said, it we
[36:13] can't just keep on mailing out stuff.
It's just
[36:16] » Yeah, it's expensive.
>> It's not going to be cost effective.
[36:18] We're working right now towards your
point. Um
[36:21] » Nick Nick actually started this for us.
Um getting every other department
[36:25] involved. Um we are starting basically a
welcome package for people in town. that
[36:30] is um going to have some of these
ordinance that are most pertinent to us
[36:34] and our operations. Um we're also going
to have um you know uh almost almost
[36:40] like frequently asked questions for each
department and their answers. Um plus
[36:45] you know I'm going to ask the clerk's
office to help with putting together
[36:48] something that shows for when people
move into town, you call Violia for your
[36:52] water, PSEG for this that you got to go
through this to do this. And that way,
[36:56] you know, I I'm hoping we you know, the
one thing we started this with was we
[37:00] wanted to get stuff out to the
apartments because those people are
[37:03] probably the farthest from our reach. Um
uh uh you know, as far as communication
[37:08] because a lot of them don't have a big
presence in town on a regular basis.
[37:12] They come, they go, they you know, a lot
of them work in the city or elsewhere.
[37:16] And we see it with um you know, parking
parking during storms and whatnot. There
[37:20] were a lot of violators with some of our
older apartment buildings. And we want
[37:24] to make sure that the landlords there or
the building managers are getting these
[37:29] people this information that hey, we get
it. You rent. This might only be
[37:32] temporary, but we want you to adhere to
our rules and and help us make our
[37:35] operations as smooth as as we can for um
you know, for residents. So, we started
[37:40] with that. We're trying to build off of
it and kind of throw in there the idea
[37:44] of like the uh the the quarterly
newsletter where we're getting this
[37:47] information out and we hope that um I'm
going to get a price for that to be
[37:50] printed and then we hope from there that
if if it's successful, if it works, if
[37:54] we hear good feedback from from you
guys, from the public, from our frequent
[37:58] visitors here, that um maybe we take
that next step to looking as you said
[38:02] back into doing that quarterly and
updating and and new messages from you
[38:07] guys and whatnot. So, we're we're
definitely working.
[38:11] is a good idea. How would you plan to
disseminate that like as a we do a co
[38:16] maybe like just drop it off with the CO
and like hey can you give this to the
[38:19] new tenant you know kind of thing.
>> We were going to have them in every
[38:22] department. I asked Nick uh to make sure
that we print stacks and we literally
[38:27] hand them to every prop like a
commercial property owner so that
[38:31] they're aware. But as you said like we'd
like to have some in the clerk's office,
[38:35] the tax office when people come in for
that. Um and and again, you know, we we
[38:39] haven't we'll look at a price to see. We
we were having the same internal
[38:43] conversation. Can we have somebody go in
door door to door, slide it in the door,
[38:47] something like that, you know, what
would this all cost? But right now,
[38:50] we're just trying to work together to
put together the information and
[38:54] hopefully in in maybe another month, we
we will be at the point where I can
[38:57] report back to you guys and say, "Hey,
this is what we found. This is what
[39:00] we're looking at as far as pricing if we
do it this way." Um, but again, it's
[39:04] just as you guys know, the cost of
everything is just going up.
[39:07] » Take a look at Richfield Park. I believe
they have a welcome package on their
[39:09] website.
>> I'll do that, man.
[39:11] » Not that that's the only way, but one
way and the realtors are another way.
[39:16] And just
>> Yeah, absolutely.
[39:18] » Um, I'd like to go back to one of the
statements were made before because
[39:23] » to be honest with you, I was not given
that report that I asked for because the
[39:28] lazy for police department said he was
going to look into it, which I know you
[39:32] did. So, if we can give the update to
the rock throwing incident that
[39:36] happened.
>> You know,
[39:40] I basically forgot about
>> Okay. All right.
[39:46] » We'll circle back up.
>> The next meeting. Thank you.
[39:49] » Okay.
>> Well, before is the timeline.
[39:51] » Okay. Okay. So, we can move on to um
executive
[39:55] » want to tell everybody that we'll have a
recycling day at the county on Saturday.
[39:59] » Please do.
>> You can do announce it.
[40:02] Well, there's a hazardous waste day on
Saturday. So, if you guys have any
[40:05] waste, bring it over to the county.
We'll take it
[40:08] » where community or
>> it's over at Little.
[40:13] » Thank you. Okay. Um,
going on to close session or resolution
[40:20] 202688C,
close session. The matters are
[40:24] litigation and personnel. Um, action may
or may not be taken. Do we have any idea
[40:28] how long this will be? So
I don't I think those are updates. So 30
[40:36] minutes.
>> Okay. Approximately 30 minutes. Uh do I
[40:39] have a motion to go into close? Motion
by Mitchell, second by Carpenter. All in
[40:43] favor?
>> Okay.
[40:59] Life
[41:15] Okay.
>> All right. It's working.
[41:18] » Okay. Welcome back from close session.
Uh do we have a motion on promotions?
[41:24] » Yes. So now you have to say what the
motion is.
[41:26] » Um I'd like to um so I start with the
first one. Correct. Okay. I'd like to
[41:31] make a motion to promote John Gallupi to
the rank of sergeant.
[41:38] » Is there a second?
>> I'll do I'll give a second to
[41:41] Commissioner Male.
[41:45] The motion by Paul, second by Muel.
Would you please call the RO?
[41:49] » Council President Kohl's.
>> Yes.
[41:51] » Council member Carson.
>> Yes.
[41:53] » Council member,
>> yes.
[41:55] » Council member Muel,
>> yes.
[41:57] » Council member Mitchell,
>> yes. and counc.
[42:02] » Thank you. Congratulations.
>> Congrats.
[42:05] » Is there um
>> I'd like to make a motion to make Ryan
[42:09] Ward
>> um to the rank of sergeant.
[42:14] » Motion by motion by Cole, second by
Carpenter. Would you please call the
[42:17] roll?
>> Council President Kohl's.
[42:20] » Yes.
>> Council member Carpenter.
[42:22] » Yes.
>> Council member member G.
[42:23] » Yes.
>> Council member M.
[42:25] » Yes.
>> And council member Mitch.
[42:27] » Yes. Council member absent motion pass.
>> Okay. Congratulations to Mr. Ward. Um
[42:35] next I guess would be a motion to
adjurnn. Correct.
[42:37] » So moved.
>> Motion by Carpenter.
[42:39] » Second by male. All in
>> favor. Good evening.
[42:58] There's always a tough week here.