[0:00] back and Marie
[0:03] » like to call this meeting to order. This
is the Bunav Vista Township Regular
[0:06] Meeting April 28th, 2025.
We'll start with a roll call.
[0:11] » Mr. Krenzer is absent. Mr. Renard
absent. Mrs. Ta
[0:17] » here.
>> Mr. Williams
[0:19] » here.
>> Mayor Mayor Rajeri
[0:22] » here.
On January 7th, 2025, notice of this
[0:27] meeting was mailed to the Daily Journal
and the press and duly posted in the
[0:30] main lobby of the municipal complex. All
requirements of the Open Public Meetings
[0:34] Act have been met in compliance with the
Sunshine Law. I'd
[0:38] » like to ask everyone to stand to salute
the flag.
[0:42] » Mrs. Tess, will you lead us?
>> Sure. I pledge allegiance to the flag of
[0:46] the United States of America and to the
republic for which it stands, one nation
[0:52] under God, indivisible, with liberty and
justice for all.
[1:01] » Approval of minutes. We have the
workshop meeting April 14th, 2025.
[1:07] » Need a motion and a second to approve.
>> Motion to approve.
[1:10] » Second.
>> Roll call.
[1:13] Ta
>> here.
[1:15] » Williams,
>> yes.
[1:17] » Rei,
>> yes.
[1:20] » Um, announcements, presentations, and
discussion. There are none. Mayor's
[1:24] report.
>> Good evening, everyone. Uh, a few quick
[1:26] items tonight as we venture into our
busier than usual season. Um, I'm just
[1:32] going to go through these rapid fire. A
few quick uh dates and and events that
[1:36] we want to highlight. Uh, the mentoring
mother's breakfast will be this
[1:40] Saturday, May 5th at the MLK Center
starting at 10 a.m. 10 a.m.
[1:44] » May 3rd.
>> Oh, May 3rd.
[1:47] » Oh, what did I say?
>> Saturday, May 3rd at the MLK Center
[1:51] starting at 10 a.m. Uh, please call the
community center.
[1:56] » Please call the community center at
856697-2100
[2:01] extension28 to RSVP. And again, that is
the mentoring mothers breakfast. Uh this
[2:06] Saturday, May 3rd at 10 a.m.
Uh uh Saturday, May 17th, is our
[2:13] community yard sale at Michael Debbie
Park. Registration is required. Spaces
[2:18] are still available, $10 per spot.
Please register at our special events
[2:22] office.
Memorial Day ceremony will be Monday,
[2:27] May 26th at 11:00 a.m. out front at town
hall. Uh, as always, we encourage
[2:32] everybody to please join us. So, again,
that's Memorial Day ceremony Monday, May
[2:37] 26th at 11:00 a.m.
Uh, quick plug for summer concerts.
[2:42] Summer concerts will be underway June
18th. Uh, the first concert will be at
[2:46] the MLK Center featuring Lonnie
Youngblood. Each concert thereafter will
[2:51] be Wednesday at Michael Debbie Park. All
concerts are from 7 to 9:00 p.m. Please
[2:57] join us. It's one of our marquee events
uh that we do every year in the warmer
[3:00] weather. So, really good food, fun,
music. Please come out every Wednesday
[3:06] uh starting uh June 18th at Michael
Debbie Park. And like I said, the
[3:11] inaugural will be at the community
center from 7 to 9:00.
[3:16] Uh quick plug, this is a little far out,
but just to get on everyone's radar,
[3:20] national night out will be August 5th
from 5:00 to 9:00 at Michael Debbie
[3:24] Park. uh township is accepting donations
for our annual fireworks event. Uh far
[3:29] and away I think the one of the better
fireworks displays in our our general
[3:33] area. So again, quick plug, National
Night Out, August 5th from 5 to 9 at
[3:38] Michael Debby Park. Uh and then lastly,
um want to thank uh really just about
[3:43] everybody that was involved uh with a a
a long-standing issue that we finally,
[3:48] knock on wood, uh put to bed. Uh, want
to thank BBTEMS, Richland Fire, the
[3:54] Atlanta County Sheriff's Office. Uh,
several residents, our public works
[3:58] department, and our township
administrator. Uh, this was a a very
[4:03] long andbroiled code enforcement case uh
about a property on Main Avenue in
[4:07] Richland. Um,
lot that went into this over the span of
[4:12] the last 18 months, but we are are
hopefully kind of putting the worst of
[4:17] this behind us at this point. Uh big
shout out to public works. The condition
[4:21] of the property when we were finally
able to access uh was pretty far gone.
[4:25] So I want to tip my hat to everybody
that was involved and and hopefully
[4:29] bringing this to to some degree of
finality.
[4:32] And that is all I have for my report
tonight. Thank you everyone.
[4:37] » Thank you mayor. Ordinances for
introduction first reading. There are
[4:41] none. Ordinances for public hearing
second reading. We have ordinance
[4:45] 156-2025
authorizing acceptance of land donation
[4:50] for block 1403 lot 27.
>> I need a motion and a second to open to
[4:56] the public on 156 2025
[5:01] » to the public.
>> All in favor?
[5:04] » I
>> I
[5:07] » uh motion to close.
>> Motion to close.
[5:10] » Second.
A motion and a second to adopt 156 2025.
[5:17] » Motion to adopt.
>> Second.
[5:20] » Roll call.
>> Ta.
[5:22] » Yes.
>> Williams.
[5:24] » Yes.
>> Raji?
[5:25] » Yes.
>> Public comment on current agenda items
[5:28] only. In order for the committee to
conduct the business of the township in
[5:32] the most productive manner possible,
meeting attendees will be given two
[5:35] minutes, all-inclusive, to comment on
any agenda items without comment or
[5:39] question from the committee, but only on
items specified on the agenda listed for
[5:44] the current meeting. Please step up to
the microphone at the appropriate time
[5:47] and state your name and address for the
record. Resolution 77-25 is authorizing
[5:53] payment of bills in the amount of
$447,34.71.
[5:59] Consent agenda includes item of business
which are not controversial and do not
[6:03] require individual discussion. A motion
approving the consent agenda is moved,
[6:08] seconded, and voted upon as one item by
the township committee. If any
[6:12] discussion if any discussion is
requested on a consent agenda item, it
[6:16] is removed from the consent agenda to
the regular agenda.
[6:20] 78-25 is authorizing refund of
applicable fees for Independence Day
[6:24] celebration. 79-25 is authorizing the
refund of taxover payment to Nadia
[6:31] Chevchenko.
80-25 is authorizing change order number
[6:36] one for the reconstruction of Landis
Avenue phase 1. 81-25 is accepting the
[6:42] annual audit report for calendar year
2024.
[6:45] 82-25 is authorizing the mayor to
execute anou with the ACIA for CDBG
[6:51] funds for the MLK center parking lot
improvements.
[6:55] » You thought I was gonna mess that one
up.
[6:57] » Sounded like a wrap.
>> I've had many years of practice on that
[7:00] one.
>> Sounded like a wrap song.
[7:03] 83-25
is accept proposal from Schaefer Asher
[7:06] Shyig for postroad reconstruction phase
1 and 84-25 is authorizing the mayor to
[7:13] execute an amended agreement with BBT
EMS.
[7:16] » We need a motion and a second to open to
the public for agenda items only.
[7:20] » Motion to open to the public.
>> Second.
[7:24] » All in favor?
>> I.
[7:26] » Motion to close.
>> Motion to close.
[7:28] » Second.
>> All in favor?
[7:30] » I. Uh motion and a second to pay the
bills.
[7:33] » Motion to pay the bills.
>> Second.
[7:36] » Roll call.
>> Ta.
[7:38] » Yes.
>> Williams.
[7:40] » Yes.
>> Rigeri.
[7:41] » Yes. Uh motion and a second to adopt
consent agenda resolution 78 through 84.
[7:47] » Motion to adopt.
>> Second.
[7:50] » Roll call.
>> Ta.
[7:52] » Yes.
>> Williams.
[7:53] » Yes.
>> Rajeri.
[7:54] » Yes.
>> Item 12, our administrator's report. Do
[7:59] you have anything?
>> Um,
[8:03] thank you for everybody reviewing the
audit and accepting the audit. Um,
[8:07] again, we have a very clean audit, uh,
with no findings ever in this audit as
[8:12] well. So, um, hats off completely to
township staff, um, all staff, tax
[8:17] office, finance office, uh, clerk's
office. Um, they definitely put a lot
[8:22] behind everything that the township is
required to have audited. Um so I
[8:26] appreciate everybody's due diligence and
making sure that we continue to stay
[8:30] within compliance. So um that is the
audit that we present um for you guys
[8:35] this year. So I am very happy about
that. Um we are moving on to other
[8:40] certain requirements. We also did our um
right to know was completed. Uh we have
[8:46] some storm water management reports uh
annually. I will be working on those as
[8:50] well. uh we just submitted for our
tonnage and then at the the last meeting
[8:55] we got a tonnage grant for over 9,000.
So we're continued to move in the
[9:00] forward direction to be able to continue
to get certain grants that are
[9:04] happening. Um I just received some
quotes for the hockey court at Michael
[9:08] Debbie Park. Um I'm working on those to
work out them to be with under the bid
[9:15] threshold. Um otherwise we may have to
go out to bid for that. It's it's right
[9:19] there. So, I got to see um what some
other quotes could possibly come in at.
[9:23] We should be able to start working on
the Michael Debbie Park uh hockey court.
[9:28] So,
>> what is the the scope involved with
[9:30] that?
>> So, that is um what we are planning on
[9:34] doing is redoing all of the boards um
around the hockey court, redoing the
[9:39] kickboards, and then prior to redoing
those is redoing the surface. But
[9:43] instead of actually coming in and
resurfacing, which actually costs more,
[9:48] um we're going to switch over to now
what is permitted to be a new hockey
[9:52] surface, which everybody is now doing.
Hamilton Township has it. A Carver
[9:56] Township has it. And they're um squares.
So if a square is broken, you have extra
[10:01] squares. You pop it out, you put another
one in.
[10:03] » They call it a sport court, right?
>> Yes.
[10:05] » Sport court.
>> And we can design it. We could put our
[10:07] logo on it. um it's not supposed to um
fade by the sun, things of that nature.
[10:14] So, uh the thought process for that is
to hopefully which we have the grant to
[10:18] be able to cover the cost um to have
that new surface and then redo the
[10:22] board. So, hopefully by fall we should
have that project complete. Um it'll all
[10:28] be done by public works staff other than
the cost of the materials which would
[10:32] hopefully be covered by staff or covered
by the grant. So, um the other grant
[10:37] that we applied for on the recreation
that was due for this year, we did not
[10:41] get. Um a lot of those grant awards went
up north. There were only three
[10:47] Atlantic County towns that got the
grant. They were towns that didn't get
[10:50] the grant last year. So, we didn't get
that grant. That was hopeful to be able
[10:54] to resurface the tennis courts and be
able to do pickle ball. Um so, I'll have
[10:58] to look at some other crafty ideas to be
able to work on that. So, so that's kind
[11:05] of where we're at.
>> Okay.
[11:07] » Working hard, moving on to the next
phase of events.
[11:11] » That's a good uh a good update. I
normally am uh cornered by pickle ball
[11:16] players uh once a week on on updates.
So, at least it's good to have something
[11:20] to communicate back
>> to really do the courts uh justice. They
[11:25] really need to be stripped down. um they
need to be cleaned and then that clean
[11:29] has to dry and then they have to be
painted and then they have to be coated.
[11:33] Uh but before all that a lot of them re
uh have to have new um nets to be
[11:39] installed which means concrete post. So
there's
[11:44] » got it.
>> That would be a pretty good feat
[11:46] especially um Michael Debbie there's one
of them that definitely has to be fully
[11:50] replaced. Uh the nets we were able to
get through um the school district
[11:55] because they get them all the time for
theirs. So they basically sold it to us
[11:59] at the cost that they got. So I'm not
worried about getting the nets more than
[12:02] I am about getting a contractor in that
specializes specifically for tennis
[12:06] courts. So and not at such a high cost.
>> That's a specialty.
[12:11] » Yep.
So
[12:14] » got you.
>> Yeah, it's a little bit above our grade.
[12:17] » Got you. Okay. So, that's my update.
>> Thank you, Lisa.
[12:23] Item 13, committee reports. Mr.
Williams.
[12:27] » Yes. Um, I just wanted to mentioned that
the uh on April 14th, we uh approved the
[12:32] municipal budget and uh this year the
township was under state review and the
[12:38] state has cleared us to pass the budget.
The tax increase was 3.6 6 which is $36
[12:44] per 100,000 assessed value property
value and the township is $118,000 below
[12:50] the spending cap and 27,000 below the
tax levy cap. The increase is due to all
[12:56] code funds have being used and this is a
very conservative budget. Um also I
[13:03] attended the um
[13:08] uh Martin Luther King Advisory Board and
um we uh we decided to go to a uh a
[13:16] quarterly schedule for having the
meetings on January, April, June and
[13:21] September. So that that was uh approved
by the entire group and also they me um
[13:30] Quinton mentioned the uh early voting
which is going to be on June 3rd to June
[13:36] 8th and then the primary will be on June
10th.
[13:41] Also, um, as you had mentioned, we're
going to have the mentoring Mother's Day
[13:46] breakfast on Saturday, May 3rd from 10
from 10:00 a.m. And, uh,
[13:55] and fresh flowers and a specialty omelet
station will be provided.
[14:01] Also, uh I wanted to mention the uh
spring uh leaf con leaf collection was
[14:10] uh completed and uh that was on the week
of April 14th and that was completed in
[14:17] Collins Lake, D. Rosa drives, Cedar
Gardens, and Country Club. Um
[14:23] we uh I wanted to give a shout out to
the public works. did a great job in
[14:28] picking up all the leaves,
particularly in Collins Lakes.
[14:34] And um I attended the uh League of
Municipalities uh meeting on uh Friday,
[14:41] last Friday, and they had a speaker at
this uh for um
[14:48] for a com accommodation of a a digital
ADA disability advisory board. And the
[14:56] uh the uh presenter was very uh thorough
in going over to the uh all the
[15:03] formatting and the uh five disabilities
that uh that people uh would go through.
[15:10] And they were particularly uh talking
about um um a hospital system where the
[15:18] blind use the braille on the phone and
multiple formats on in a kio system.
[15:24] It was uh very informative and was uh
enjoyed by the all who attended.
[15:31] » Was Jesse Kurts there?
>> Huh?
[15:33] » Was Jesse Curts there?
>> I know Jesse Kurts from Atlantic City is
[15:37] very involved in the digital ADA stuff.
I didn't know if he was a part of that.
[15:41] » Jesse Curts. Um
>> I don't know if he was there. He did
[15:43] reach out. I talked to him.
>> Yeah. I don't think I don't think he was
[15:45] there.
>> Got it. Okay.
[15:49] » And that's all I have.
>> Thank you.
[15:51] » Thank you, John. Mrs. Ta.
>> Well, I would just be reiterating
[15:56] everything the two of you have said
about uh the upcoming events. Um so, no
[16:03] reason to to redo that to revisit all of
them again.
[16:08] » You have all your stuff ready for the
yard sale.
[16:14] » I will help out in the kitchen, but I do
not participate in the yard sale.
[16:18] » My uh my son wants to have his own table
for the first time this year, so he's
[16:22] » Oh, boy. He's been like unbolting stuff
off the wall. Things that were not quite
[16:27] ready to sell.
[16:31] » Oh my goodness.
>> All righty. Uh item 14, public comment.
[16:38] » Um so just to piggyback on Mr. Williams
regarding the digital age. So there is a
[16:42] state requirement that um all
municipalities by 2026 have to upgrade
[16:47] their websites um to this new digital
capacity which allows for various ADA,
[16:53] autism, blind um you know deafness. So
we actually um over probably the next
[17:01] month and a half we'll be upgrading our
website to be in compliance with that.
[17:05] Um, it's actually a really neat app um
that gets installed on the back end of
[17:10] the website that is utilized by
everybody who would have any type of
[17:14] ADA, even autism. It changes the colors
on the website. It stops anything from
[17:18] blinking on the website. So, if there's
any triggers, things of that nature. So,
[17:22] uh we are working to that to be in full
compliance. That is one of the checklist
[17:26] items. But, uh um our website definitely
will be in compliance way before the due
[17:32] date. But in case you see any changes on
the website or wonder why things look
[17:35] different,
>> um, or you see a little widget on there
[17:38] that pops up and says, "Do you need any
of these services?" Um, you know, that's
[17:43] that would be the purpose for it. So,
I'm actually excited about that. That'll
[17:47] be a neat upgrade to the website to do
that. So,
[17:51] » Lynn Kerson also mentioned that they're
going to be uh checking out the uh post
[17:56] offices and see which ones are truly
handicap accessible. Got it. So, she
[18:03] asked us to try to stop by there and see
if if you could pull the door open with
[18:08] a wheelchair.
>> Okay.
[18:10] » And then they're going to present all
them that exist in Atlantic County.
[18:17] » Cool.
Public comment. Um, I will say that, um,
[18:24] please step up to the microphone at the
appropriate time and state your name and
[18:28] address for the record.
Uh motion and a second to open to the
[18:32] public.
>> Motion to open to the public.
[18:34] » Second.
>> All in favor?
[18:37] » I.
>> Motion to close.
[18:38] » Motion to close.
>> Second.
[18:40] » All in favor?
>> I.
[18:42] » Anything for executive tonight?
>> Uh we do have executive.
[18:47] » It will be quick, but let me read that
into the record. So we have resolution
[18:52] 85-2025
whereas there are three items scheduled
[18:56] for discussion. those items to include
any pending or anticipated litigation or
[19:01] contract negotiations, which includes
attorney legal updates and a request
[19:05] from the Richland Fire Richland
Volunteer Fire Company, and any matter
[19:09] involving the employment, appointment,
termination of employment, or terms and
[19:13] conditions of employment to include the
reorganization of the finance office and
[19:17] appointment of a chief financial
officer. I estimated roughly 15 minutes
[19:22] for executive session with no action to
be taken after.
[19:26] Uh motion and a second to enter
executive session.
[19:29] » Motion to enter executive session.
>> Second.
[19:32] » Roll call.
>> Tesa,
[19:34] » yes.
>> Williams,
[19:35] » yes.
>> Reeri,
[19:36] » yes.
>> And that's it.