[0:02] Delanco Township Committee special
[0:04] meeting of August 31st, 2026 beginning
[0:07] at 7:00 p.m. at the Delanco Township
[0:09] Municipal Building, 770 Coopertown Road,
[0:12] Delanco, New Jersey.
[0:15] » Time?
[0:17] 7:00.
[0:18] » It is 7:00. We are
[0:21] recording and we are live.
[0:23] » Thank you.
[0:24] I'd like to welcome you to the special
[0:26] Township Committee meeting on August
[0:28] 31st, 2026.
[0:31] May have a roll call, please?
[0:32] » Mr. McFadden.
[0:33] » Here.
[0:34] » Mr. O'Leary.
[0:34] » Here.
[0:35] » Miss DeCesari is absent. Miss
[0:36] Fitzpatrick.
[0:37] » Here.
[0:38] » Uh also present, Mrs. Russell, our
[0:40] Municipal Clerk, Mrs. Hart, our Deputy
[0:44] Municipal Clerk, and um Mr. Reinhold,
[0:47] our Township Solicitor. Uh please join
[0:49] me in a flag salute.
[0:53] I pledge allegiance
[0:54] » To the flag of the United States of
[0:57] America, and to the republic for which
[0:59] it stands, one nation under God,
[1:03] indivisible, with liberty and justice
[1:05] for all.
[1:10] » Hot bed, would you please read the
[1:12] sunshine statement?
[1:14] » Please be advised that proper notice of
[1:15] this meeting has been given in
[1:16] compliance with the Open Public Meetings
[1:18] Act in the following manner. Notice of
[1:20] special meeting is posted on the
[1:21] official website of the Township of
[1:22] Delanco on August 20th, 2026 and posted
[1:26] on the official bulletin board of the
[1:27] Township of Delanco.
[1:29] Live stream statement. This meeting of
[1:31] the Delanco Township Committee may be
[1:32] transmitted via live stream on YouTube
[1:34] video. The streaming of the meeting is
[1:36] not intended to be relied upon as formal
[1:38] public access under Open Public Meetings
[1:40] Act, and if the technology is disrupted
[1:42] for any reason, the Township meeting
[1:44] will proceed in person as an official
[1:46] meeting in accord with the official
[1:48] notice. Please silence your cell phones
[1:50] and refer to the rules governing public
[1:52] comment attached to this agenda.
[1:54] » Thank you.
[1:55] Uh meeting is open to the now for
[1:58] comments and questions regarding agenda
[2:00] items only.
[2:04] Uh, there being no
[2:06] comments or concerns from the public,
[2:08] I'll close this portion of the meeting
[2:09] to the public. Um,
[2:13] Beth, do you want to explain the
[2:14] appointment process that we're going to
[2:16] do?
[2:16] » Yes, Mayor.
[2:18] So, as
[2:19] all of you know, or many of you know, we
[2:21] did receive a letter, um, of resignation
[2:23] from Mr. Bartlett on August 10th, um,
[2:26] resigning his position on Township
[2:28] Committee. That started the calendar,
[2:30] um, rolling because, um, I was
[2:34] um, he was nominated as a Republican.
[2:37] The Republican Municipal Committee is
[2:39] the one that suggests the nominees to
[2:42] fill the vacancy, and that vacancy will
[2:44] be filled until the November 3rd
[2:46] election is certified. Um, there was
[2:48] going to be an election. There are two
[2:50] people who will be running in November,
[2:52] and they will, uh, fill the seat.
[2:54] Whoever runs wins will fill the seat
[2:56] until December 31st, 2027, which is when
[2:59] Mr. Bartlett's, um,
[3:01] current, uh,
[3:02] term was going to be up. So, the
[3:04] calendar starts clicking on August 10th.
[3:07] There are 15 days for the Municipal uh,
[3:10] Republican Committee to suggest three
[3:12] nominees, which they did. Um, the
[3:14] governing body then has 15 days to,
[3:18] uh, to nominate one of those nominees
[3:21] and and to appoint them. If for some
[3:23] reason tonight, they do not appoint
[3:25] someone, a statement will go back to the
[3:28] Republican Municipal Committee, and they
[3:30] will make one nomination of the the
[3:33] three that they have already given, and
[3:35] that person will be certified to fill
[3:38] the seat until the November election.
[3:41] Um, if for some reason they do not give
[3:43] us, um,
[3:44] a nomination again, then the governing
[3:47] body will then fill the the seat with
[3:50] any Republican.
[3:51] So, that is and they and it's 15-day
[3:54] increments. So, there will be 60 days
[3:56] from the occurrence, someone will be
[3:58] filled in that seat until the November
[4:01] election is certified.
[4:03] » Now, Mayor, do you or any of the
[4:05] committee members have any questions on
[4:06] the process?
[4:08] » Nope.
[4:08] » Any questions, Mayor?
[4:09] » No, I'm good.
[4:11] » Okay. So, right now we are um at a um
[4:16] ready to do an appointment to fill the
[4:18] committee vacancy until the
[4:20] certification of results of the November
[4:22] 3rd, 2026 elect- election.
[4:26] Is there a nomination to make a uh
[4:29] appointment?
[4:31] » I nominate Kim Jenkins.
[4:34] » Uh second?
[4:36] » I'll second it.
[4:38] » I'll second that, Ben.
[4:39] » Okay.
[4:41] » To appoint Kim Jenkins.
[4:43] And we'll have a roll call.
[4:45] » Mr. McFadden.
[4:46] » Yes.
[4:47] » Mr. O'Malley.
[4:48] » Abstain.
[4:48] » Ms. Fitzpatrick.
[4:50] » Yes.
[4:52] » All right. So, as the uh this
[4:55] the vote requires three affirmative
[4:57] votes um to appoint. So, as we did not
[5:01] receive that, the three votes, um that
[5:03] motion does not carry.
[5:05] So, this is where we will reach out. Um
[5:07] I'll reach out on behalf of the
[5:08] committee to let the Republican
[5:10] Municipal Committee know that we did not
[5:12] appoint someone this evening. And the
[5:15] process will will continue. Um
[5:18] I don't expect that we'll have another
[5:20] special meeting. The The process will
[5:23] continue at the September 14th
[5:25] » Right. So, it will um
[5:29] the Republican Party will have to send
[5:30] in their nomination, and then that
[5:33] person will actually be certified at our
[5:36] uh sworn in at our September 14th
[5:38] meeting.
[5:39] » Yes.
[5:39] » Okay.
[5:40] All right.
[5:41] » I just want to note that um
[5:44] if that is received in advance, that
[5:46] person can be sworn in outside of the
[5:49] meeting.
[5:49] » Oh, good.
[5:50] » So, the intended of the statute is to
[5:53] fill the seat as soon as possible.
[5:55] » Okay.
[5:56] Thanks.
[5:56] » So, if we get notification, you can go
[5:58] ahead and have them sworn in, and they
[6:01] can start assuming the function, get up
[6:03] to speed, and then
[6:05] um you can do a ceremonial one at the
[6:07] next meeting, but it it can have taken
[6:09] place earlier.
[6:10] » Okay, great. Thank you.
[6:13] Okay, meeting is now open to the public
[6:15] for comments and questions, general
[6:17] session two.
[6:23] Ask.
[6:26] » Harold Klingler, 509 Buttonwood Street.
[6:29] I was uh just wondering
[6:32] uh
[6:33] I I see we have a Republican Committee
[6:37] and a Democratic Committee,
[6:40] and that's normally
[6:42] who's up here and who is represented,
[6:44] and who makes decisions.
[6:46] Just wondering, is there a such thing as
[6:49] a independent committee?
[6:51] » Uh not to my knowledge. I mean, there
[6:53] certainly could be um in the future, but
[6:57] to my knowledge, for as long as I have
[7:00] been
[7:01] a resident of Delanco,
[7:04] um there's only been two parties in town
[7:08] that actually
[7:10] would run for an office. And um
[7:13] I'd like to say, and I think I would
[7:15] speak for everyone sitting up here that
[7:17] even though a certain party um
[7:20] supports you in the election, that
[7:24] the
[7:25] the Township Committee represents the
[7:27] people of this town, not a political
[7:29] party.
[7:31] And we take into consideration
[7:34] everything that the residents bring
[7:36] before us,
[7:38] so that we can make the best decision
[7:41] for the town.
[7:43] Uh I don't like to think that one party
[7:46] runs this town. It's
[7:49] this township committee works as a
[7:52] cohesive group to make the best
[7:54] decisions for this town and I think
[7:57] we've worked very well through the years
[8:00] regardless of what party has been in
[8:02] charge or
[8:04] when I say in charge has
[8:06] more if there's three Republicans or
[8:08] three Democrats, it it really hasn't
[8:10] mattered. I think we've always worked
[8:12] for the residents for the best um for
[8:14] the best result.
[8:17] » Right.
[8:17] And and I don't disagree with anything
[8:20] that you said there.
[8:22] I was just wondering uh
[8:26] what the process is. Does Does somebody
[8:28] just go, "Well, I'm starting an
[8:31] independent committee?"
[8:33] » You would probably ask the county clerk
[8:34] since they take care of all that
[8:36] election process. I would have no idea.
[8:38] » Take county back to the county.
[8:40] » Yeah, I don't I don't know. It's not
[8:42] like we would do it here on the township
[8:44] committee.
[8:45] » Oh, okay.
[8:46] All right.
[8:47] Uh and then one more question and that
[8:49] is uh
[8:53] uh
[8:54] I guess the question that that
[8:56] I've brought up
[8:58] in the past uh but for some reason we
[9:01] never have
[9:03] the
[9:04] uh
[9:06] township engineer
[9:08] and the township solicitor. It's very
[9:11] rare that they're both here at the same
[9:12] time.
[9:13] » They're usually both here at the first
[9:15] meeting of the month.
[9:17] » Is that when they're both here?
[9:18] » Yes.
[9:19] » Okay. So, I'll I'll wait for that.
[9:22] » Okay.
[9:22] » All right, thank you.
[9:23] » All right, thanks, Ken.
[9:25] Anyone else?
[9:29] Ken?
[9:29] » I have a question.
[9:30] » Come forward.
[9:32] Please.
[9:34] » Tim Kishler, 12 Powers Court. I just
[9:36] have a a question about the the
[9:38] election.
[9:39] Um so
[9:41] this is a Republican who's
[9:44] going to fill the vacancy.
[9:46] Um
[9:47] could you vote for this person if you
[9:49] chose to as cuz you're done?
[9:51] » I abstained.
[9:52] » I understand, but it doesn't
[9:54] » Uh yes.
[9:55] » It doesn't have to be just Republicans
[9:56] voting.
[9:57] » No.
[9:57] » Exactly.
[9:58] » That Okay. One, maybe two other
[10:00] questions. Um I couldn't catch the name
[10:02] of the person and it probably doesn't
[10:04] make any difference now who that person
[10:06] is, but the person that's appointed
[10:09] can that person or is that person then
[10:12] running in November? Do you know who's
[10:14] running?
[10:14] » Yes.
[10:14] » Yes.
[10:15] » If So, once an appointment is made,
[10:19] it doesn't technically under the law
[10:20] have to be the same person that ends up
[10:23] running for the seat.
[10:25] It's up to the party to make that
[10:26] determination.
[10:28] Um
[10:29] » Okay, maybe you misunderstood my
[10:30] question.
[10:31] Are they allowed to run? In certain
[10:33] elections nationwide, a placeholder
[10:36] cannot run.
[10:37] » Yeah, I thought you were
[10:38] were asking me if the person who was
[10:40] voted on tonight is going to be a
[10:41] candidate. My answer is only to address
[10:44] that.
[10:44] » Oh, I see.
[10:45] » It can be or it can't be. It's not
[10:47] mandated one way or the other. But they
[10:48] are allowed to run, yes.
[10:50] » Okay. That's it. Thanks.
[10:52] » Thanks, Tim.
[10:52] » And usually that is what happens.
[10:54] » Yeah.
[10:54] » Usually that is what happens.
[10:56] » That's appointed then runs.
[10:57] » Okay.
[10:59] » Anyone else?
[11:02] Okay, I'll close this portion of the
[11:03] meeting to the public.
[11:05] Uh does anyone from Township Committee
[11:07] have any comments or questions,
[11:10] concerns?
[11:11] » Nothing at this time.
[11:12] » Okay.
[11:14] A motion to adjourn?
[11:16] » I'll make a motion.
[11:17] » Second.
[11:20] » Roll call.
[11:21] All in favor.
[11:22] » Aye.
[11:23] » Aye.
[11:24] » Aye.
[11:25] » Thank you. Thank you for coming out.
[11:32] » Come on.