[0:00] Okay.
Good evening. I would like to introduce
[0:03] a very special guest this evening.
Uh he is a fourth grader at the Lana
[0:08] school and he is our 2026 mayor for the
day. Cameron Trask, would you please
[0:12] come up and join me and would you please
bring your parents forward with you so
[0:16] that I could swear you into the office
of mayor.
[0:31] Okay.
I have a Bible.
[0:41] All right, who's going to hold the
Bible?
[0:43] I'll hold it for you. Who's going to
hold the Bible? And which hand did I
[0:46] tell you? Um left. Left hand on the
Bible, right hand up.
[0:53] And then
All right, you're going to stand there.
[0:56] You got All right, that's perfect. All
right, you're going to go like this, but
[0:59] I'm going to go like this so that you
can also maybe read along if you need
[1:03] to, okay? Right. All right.
Ready? Mhm.
[1:07] I
I Cameron Trask do solemnly swear do
[1:12] solemnly swear that I will support the
Constitution that I will support the
[1:16] Constitution
>> of the United States
[1:19] » United States and the Constitution of
the state of New Jersey and the
[1:23] Constitution of the state of New Jersey
>> and that I will bear true faith and that
[1:28] will bear true faith and allegiance
>> and allegiance to the same to the same
[1:33] and to the governments and to the
governments
[1:36] » established in the United States
established to in the United States
[1:42] » this state and in this state
>> under the authority of the people under
[1:45] the authority of the people
>> so help me God so help me God I I
[1:51] Cameron Trask do solemnly swear
>> do solemnly swear that I will faithfully
[1:56] that I will faithfully
impartially impartially and justly
[2:01] perform and justly perform all the
duties of
[2:06] all the duties of mayor for the day
mayor for the day of the Borough of
[2:12] Emerson of the Borough of Emerson
>> according to the best of my ability.
[2:16] » according to the best of my ability.
>> So help me God.
[2:19] » So help me God.
>> NOW SMILE.
[2:22] » [laughter]
[2:25] » YOU ARE THE NEW MAYOR.
SHAKE MY HAND AND CONGRATULATE YOU.
[2:31] WE'VE already signed our
oath and Tricia will get you a copy of
[2:35] this.
Uh and now we are going to I'm going to
[2:39] take all this and we're going to go back
up [clears throat] and we're going to
[2:41] start the meeting, okay?
You guys go sit down.
[2:52] Take your seat right next to Councilman
Timmerman.
[2:59] Okay, and you're going to pick up
[3:05] Okay, you got
[3:10] Welcome to the meeting.
Welcome to the May 19, 2026 meeting of
[3:16] the Emerson governing
governing body.
[3:21] For those of you present, in case of a
fire, follow the fire exit signs above
[3:28] the doors and exit calmly.
Mom and Dad, please lead us in the
[3:33] Pledge of Allegiance.
At the completion, we will remain
[3:38] standing for a moment of silence. Thank
you.
[3:45] to the flag
of the United States of America, and to
[3:49] the republic for which it stands, one
nation under God, indivisible, with
[3:54] liberty and justice for all.
[4:00] I would like to remember this evening
and take a moment of silence
[4:03] for Emerson residents that passed away,
Mr. Raymond Pacla, who I saw every month
[4:09] down at the senior center and you
couldn't ask for a kinder, sweeter man.
[4:14] And for Marie Castrovalary. Marie was an
Emerson treasure who spent every day of
[4:19] her life living and loving the community
of Emerson. May they both rest in peace.
[4:27] Thank you.
[4:35] This meeting is called pursuant to the
provisions of the Open Public Meetings
[4:42] and Laws and
adequately noticed pursuant to the
[4:48] N.J.S.A.
10:4-10.
[4:52] This meet
This meeting of May 19, 2026
[4:58] was noticed to the Record
and The Virtual News on January 12, 2026
[5:07] and published in said newspapers, posted
on the bulletin board
[5:14] in the
municipal
[5:17] building and on the website and has
remained continuously posted
[5:25] as required under the statute.
[5:31] Ms. DeSimone, please call the roll of
the governing governing governing body.
[5:39] Mayor Travers?
Here.
[5:43] Mayor DePaula? Present.
Councilwoman Angelina? Here.
[5:47] Councilwoman Argenziano?
>> Here. Councilman Ellis is absent this
[5:51] evening.
Council President Rey?
[5:53] » Here. Councilman Timmerman? Here.
Councilwoman Sayers? Here.
[5:58] May I have a motion to excuse Councilman
Ellis from tonight's meeting? So moved.
[6:01] Second. All in favor? Aye. Okay. Oh, we
need a roll call. Sorry.
[6:05] Um Councilwoman Celano? Yes.
Councilwoman Argendzia?
[6:08] » Yes.
Um Council President Rey?
[6:11] » Yes. Councilman Timmerman? Yes.
Councilwoman Sayers? Yes. Thank you.
[6:14] Thank you, Sierra.
Okay. So, I'm going to read this
[6:17] proclamation while we're standing here,
and then we're going to go down and ask
[6:21] your parents to come back up and take
some photos, and then the council's
[6:24] going to come down and take photos with
us, okay?
[6:27] All right. Proclamation, Office of the
Mayor. Whereas Cameron Trass, a
[6:31] fourth-grade student at Patrick M.
Valano School, won the 2026 Mayor for a
[6:36] Day contest. Look at the camera and
smile.
[6:39] Through a drawing sponsored by the
Emerson PTA, and whereas Cameron Trass
[6:43] loves dogs. Lucky day for you. And
enjoys playing soccer and video games,
[6:49] and whereas the governing body of the
Borough of Emerson supports the
[6:53] initiative of introducing youngsters to
and engaging them in the democratic
[6:57] process of local government, providing
them with a hands-on experience of an
[7:02] acting policy and conducting business on
behalf of the for the goodwill of the
[7:08] residents of Emerson. Whereas Cameron
Trass, as Mayor for the Day, will gain
[7:13] insight as to what elected leaders are
asked to do, the difficult decisions
[7:18] that they must make, and the procedures
they must follow to ensure that Emerson
[7:22] residents' rights and freedoms are
protected and valued. Now, therefore, I,
[7:27] Danielle De Paola, Mayor of the Borough
of Emerson, do hereby proclaim Tuesday,
[7:32] May 19th as Cameron Trass Mayor for the
for the Day, 2026.
[7:38] And in witness thereof, I have hereunto
set my hand and cause the great seal of
[7:44] the Borough of Emerson in the state of
New Jersey to be affixed on this day,
[7:48] the 19th of May in the year 2026.
So, now we're going to get up and we're
[7:53] going to go take a picture.
And then I'm going to need that, right?
[7:59] And then where's the Yoshi?
All right, let's go take a picture.
[8:06] Let's do a picture first and then your
parents will come up and then the
[8:10] council will come down.
So, here's the proclamation.
[8:15] All right, Michael's going to take our
picture.
[8:22] Now your parents are going to come up.
And your brother.
[8:35] Anywhere you want.
So, get in here.
[8:48] And now the council can come down for a
quick photo.
[8:51] Cuz I know they just love photos. Not.
[laughter]
[8:59] Uh you can do one with you, one without
you. How about that? All right,
[9:02] everybody get in.
Emerson, we're all family.
[9:13] Thank you parents for coming up.
Council, stay here and we'll do one just
[9:16] with our little mayor.
All right, stand right here. You can
[9:21] come in a little bit tighter.
And one more photo shot.
[9:30] All right, awesome. All right, now we
are going to move on
[9:34] to one of your favorite things,
remember?
[9:36] We're going to tell a story. Come here.
Tonight, I have a beautiful story to
[9:41] share
about resident Annie Der Ohannessian's
[9:45] dog Yoshi.
This past December, on the evening
[9:49] before a major snowstorm, Annie's
neighbor, Kathy Frost, who's also a dear
[9:54] friend, had a serious fall in her
backyard in the dark
[9:59] and broke her hip.
Unable to get up on her own, she was
[10:03] left in a very vulnerable situation.
Annie let Yoshi out and quickly noticed
[10:08] he was barking with an unusual urgency
that immediately caught her attention.
[10:14] She opened the door to see what was
going on and heard Kathy calling her
[10:17] name. I'm going to cry. Annie had her
sons run over while she got dressed and
[10:22] they all ran to help Kathy.
Because of this chain of events, Kathy
[10:26] was able to receive medical care without
delay. She has since undergone hip
[10:31] replacement surgery and is continuing to
recover.
[10:35] At 76 years young, she has always
carried herself with independence and
[10:39] pride and she continues to approach this
new chapter with resilience and
[10:43] strength. Kathy shared how meaningful
that night was to her and always refers
[10:47] to Yoshi as her hero.
Kathy mentioned to Annie that she wanted
[10:52] Yoshi recognized for his heroic efforts
and this evening we are doing just that.
[10:58] Tonight, we honor Yoshi. Bring him on
up. Everybody come on up.
[11:02] FOR HIS
[11:08] HOW OLD WAS YOSHI?
HE JUST HE TURNS TWO IN APRIL.
[11:15] SO, tonight we honor Yoshi for his
heroic efforts in assisting a neighbor
[11:20] in need. Yoshi and Kathy's story is a
reminder that even in difficult moments,
[11:25] there is a connection and care within
the Emerson community. And we have a
[11:29] little
gift for Yoshi.
[11:33] I'm going to open it up for him so that
he can see. Little American Idol.
[11:36] » [laughter]
[11:43] » Excellent choice.
All right, let's get a picture with
[11:47] Yoshi.
[11:54] Come over here, Kathy, what do you want?
I didn't want her to trip on Yoshi, so
[11:59] why don't Why don't you come on this
side, Beth?
[12:02] I I trust you to walk beside the dog
better than I trust Kathy. And then
[12:05] we'll all get in here.
You can't see the dog at all? All right,
[12:09] let's move in the front.
[12:14] You know what? Maybe we'll do a group
picture.
[12:19] Come over here, you get up in front with
the dog.
[12:22] Get over here, everybody get in the
picture.
[12:30] Let's hold on to Yoshi.
Good boy.
[12:34] Yoshi is here. Good.
[12:38] Does someone want to shake? Yoshi.
[12:42] » [laughter]
[12:50] » That's awesome. Kathy, we're so happy.
Yes, thank you.
[12:56] Best dog in Emerson today.
Congratulations on the Thank you, Yoshi.
[13:02] » [laughter]
[13:09] » I think we're going to need to back up.
Good boy.
[13:18] That was the first commendation for a
dog, I believe, in Emerson history.
[13:22] And it was, I believe, duly uh
appropriate.
[13:29] And now we're off going to mention that
it is What do you want to help me with
[13:32] this?
Say these things.
[13:35] Tell everybody what week it is. Here,
follow my follow my
[13:42] National Police Week, May 15th, 2026
to May 21st, [clears throat]
[13:49] 2026.
National Public Works, May
[13:55] uh week one, May 17th, 2026
to May
[14:02] 23rd,
2006.
[14:07] 26.
National
[14:11] EMS. EMS Week,
May 17th,
[14:18] 2026. 2026 to May 23rd, 2026.
Peace Officers Memorial Day, May 15th,
[14:29] 2026.
And all of those proclamations are
[14:32] listed on the borough website as well as
in borough hall.
[14:36] Okay. And now we are going to go on to
[14:42] Cameron, could you tell us what you did
today?
[14:46] Speak into the mic.
Tell us some of the stuff you did today.
[14:50] Um
Today
[14:53] I got picked up from Emerson Borough
School
[14:58] at 11:00. 11:45. 11:45.
All right.
[15:04] Who picked you up?
>> Um
[15:06] uh the mayor and the chief of police
picked me up in his vehicle
[15:15] and drove over here to the Emerson
Borough.
[15:20] And what's the first thing we showed
you, the minute books? Yeah. And how
[15:23] long do we have to keep the minute
books? Forever. Forever.
[15:27] » [laughter]
>> And how What's the oldest book we looked
[15:30] at? 1903.
1903. So, he looked at some minutes from
[15:34] 1903. And then what else did we do
today?
[15:38] Um We had lunch. We had lunch.
[15:44] And What did we do at DPW? We went to
the DPW.
[15:50] And what did you like at the DPW? Um we
liked the salt.
[15:57] So, a lot of salt. There was 300 tons of
salt that he got to see in a pile.
[16:02] And then after the DPW, we went where?
Um To firehouse?
[16:07] » To the firehouse and we got to ride in a
fire truck.
[16:14] And we beep beeped all around town,
right? With the sirens. All right. And
[16:18] then after the firehouse, we went back
to Borough Hall. Mhm. And then what did
[16:22] we do? We put you in the cage? Yeah.
We explored the
[16:28] police station.
And you met Sergeant Rizza. Yeah. Right?
[16:34] Yeah. And then did we do anything else?
We did a lot of stuff in between. It was
[16:39] a long day and I think you had a lot Did
you have fun?
[16:41] » Yeah. Yeah? And was it worth it? Yeah.
Was it worth every penny your mother
[16:44] paid FOR THOSE TICKETS?
>> [laughter]
[16:48] » PROBABLY.
>> GOOD.
[16:50] ALL RIGHT. SO, now I want to ask you if
you have any motions to make.
[17:01] Yes, may I have a motion to get the
entire fourth grade no rain homework on
[17:07] a date chosen by Miss Vitali.
Can he get that motion?
[17:13] » So Second. And he's got it and you need
a second.
[17:17] And now like all in favor. All in favor.
And now's
[17:21] And then ask for a roll call just for
fun. Roll call, please.
[17:25] Councilwoman Celina? Yes. Councilwoman
Argenzia?
[17:28] » Yes. Council President Reyes? He will be
very happy, yes.
[17:32] Councilwoman Zimmerman?
>> Yes, absolutely. Councilwoman Sayers?
[17:35] Yes. That passes 5-0, Mayor. Okay. Now,
these are the passes that you're going
[17:40] to bring to school and you're going to
pass out to your friends and Mrs. Vitali
[17:44] will tell you when everybody could use
them. Okay?
[17:47] And then we are going to You're going to
have another Now, you're going to read
[17:50] this proclamation.
[17:55] I, Cameron Trask, fourth grader at
Patrick M. Villano School and Mayor for
[18:01] a Day in the Borough of Emerson by the
powers vested in me
[18:07] by the Mayor and Council of the Borough
of Emerson do hereby have authority to
[18:13] grant grant permission for a free
homework pass for all fourth grade
[18:20] fourth graders at Villano School in the
Borough of Emerson, County of Bergen,
[18:28] and the
State. State of New Jersey.
[18:35] There. THAT'S A LAW NOW.
>> [laughter]
[18:41] » ALL RIGHT, AND BEFORE WE SEND YOU OFF TO
BED, IS there anything else that you
[18:44] want to say?
[18:50] Really thank the Mayor.
>> [laughter]
[18:54] » No thanks is necessary. It was a lot of
fun.
[18:56] Well, I'll say I had a great time with
Cameron and we did do a lot of stuff, a
[19:01] lot of walking today in the heat. Um and
we he we were very happy because when I
[19:06] picked him up what was the unusual
thing? There were two other mayors in
[19:10] your class, right? So, two of our past
mayors were in the class, so when he
[19:14] goes in tomorrow, there will be three
mayors in Mrs. Kelly's class.
[19:18] Which I think is also a record for the
town.
[19:21] So, you guys are the three amigos now,
and you could show him them what you got
[19:27] as your gifts. And I also wanted to
thank Corrine at Neenie and Company, who
[19:32] is one of our very talented Emerson
residents who graciously donated
[19:36] personalized gift items for our mayor
for the day. We always order them and
[19:40] expect to pay, and she always says, "No,
no, no. I'd like to donate them." So, we
[19:44] appreciate that, Corrine. Thank you. And
thank you for making this day extra
[19:48] special for the mayor with all of the
goodies. All right, do you have anything
[19:51] else to say before you go?
[19:55] No?
All right. Well, today's 2026 mayor for
[19:59] the day, Cameron Trask,
is in the book, okay?
[20:04] All right. GOOD JOB.
>> [applause]
[20:07] » YOU CAN TAKE THIS ONE.
THIS ONE, YOU CAN TAKE THAT.
[20:12] TAKE THIS.
Take your homework passes.
[20:17] I'm going to make a copy of this, and
then we'll send the original to your
[20:20] house, okay?
Cameron, it's been a pleasure.
[20:24] We'll see you soon, okay?
Trask family, thank you for playing
[20:29] along.
>> [laughter]
[20:33] » Now, go play soccer and hit some goals.
Get some goals.
[20:37] Bye. Thank you.
[20:42] All right, that brings us to
appointments and
[20:46] resignations, of which there are none
this evening. Minutes for approval by
[20:50] Kathy. Bye, everyone. Thank you. Bye,
Yoshi. Thanks for bringing Yoshi in.
[20:55] Do you have the eagle?
Yeah, he's going to tear that up when he
[20:58] gets home.
Uh we have to
[21:02] Yeah, do you mind?
[21:07] Okay. May I have a motion to approve the
regular meeting minutes of May 5th,
[21:11] 2026?
[21:14] Roll call, please.
[21:19] Councilwoman Celina?
[21:24] Councilwoman Arganzia?
Council President Wright?
[21:39] He might have had to run down the steps.
What do we do since he walked up the
[21:43] dais for half a second to bring me uh
You have enough.
[21:47] Okay, so we he doesn't need to vote. Uh
Councilwoman Sayers?
[21:52] Okay, and may I have a motion to approve
the closed session meeting minutes of
[21:56] May 5th, 2026, which are not for release
to the public at this time?
[22:02] And a roll call, please.
Uh Councilwoman Celina?
[22:08] Councilwoman Arganzia?
Council President Wright?
[22:15] Off the dais for the moment.
Um Councilwoman Sayers?
[22:21] All right, there was no Thank you. There
is no correspondence this evening.
[22:24] Financial business, may I have a motion
to approve resolution 150-26,
[22:29] approval of the May 19th, 2026 bills
list. Sorry about that, Mike.
[22:35] Roll call, please.
Councilwoman Celina?
[22:39] Councilwoman um Arganzia? Council
President Wright?
[22:43] Uh Councilman
He doesn't even know Hold that vote cuz
[22:47] you don't even know what we're voting on
yet. We'll do the next one.
[22:51] So um Councilwoman Sayers?
Yes.
[22:56] May I have a motion to approve
resolution 151-26,
[23:00] certify the annual report of audit the
year ending December 31st, 2025.
[23:06] Roll call, please.
Councilwoman Tolentino? Yes.
[23:11] Councilwoman Argenziano?
>> Yes. Council President Ray? Yes.
[23:14] Councilman Timmerman? Yes. Councilwoman
Sayre? Yes.
[23:18] Motion passes. Very good. And may I have
a motion to approve resolution 152-26,
[23:23] approval of the corrective action plan
for the audit.
[23:27] So moved.
Second. And a roll call, please.
[23:30] Councilwoman Tolentino? Yes.
Councilwoman Argenziano? Yes. Council
[23:34] President Ray? Yes. Councilman
Timmerman? Yes. Councilwoman Sayre? Yes.
[23:39] Motion passes.
[23:43] Okay. We Can we just have a motion for
the minutes that says that Councilman
[23:47] Timmerman left the dais at 8:33 and
returned at 8:35 to assist our mayor for
[23:52] the day. So moved.
Second. Okay. All in favor? Aye. Okay.
[23:57] So, that'll be in the minutes now. Thank
you, John.
[24:00] Um and unfinished business, there is no
unfinished business. New business,
[24:04] discussion of pickleball fees. So,
um
[24:09] last year we introduced an ordinance and
adopted an ordinance um that we were
[24:14] going to charge for the pickleball fees,
and it was suggested to me by the school
[24:20] that it is just way too difficult um to
figure out how to
[24:28] put lock them and then have a swipe card
with all of the children they need to to
[24:32] have access to the pickleball courts,
and that it was suggested by the um
[24:38] administration at the school that we not
charge any fees, and I think when having
[24:42] just some sidebar conversations with
council members, everyone's in favor of
[24:46] that as well. Um it's for the community,
it's for the children. We want everybody
[24:50] out there playing pickleball, not
worrying about how much they have to
[24:53] pay. Uh it was only a nominal $25, but
um
[24:58] we need to rescind that ordinance. Is
everyone okay with that? Absolutely.
[25:02] Okay, I am too. Everyone good down
there? Now, do we have to do any kind of
[25:06] formal motion? I've never just
rescinded, so we did we just do it?
[25:09] » Just do it. All right, so I'm going to
make a motion to rescind ordinance
[25:13] number 1706-25.
So moved.
[25:17] And a roll call.
Um Councilwoman Tulinello? Yes.
[25:22] Councilwoman Argenzia?
>> Yes. Council President Brinke? Yes.
[25:25] Councilwoman Timmerman? Yes.
Councilwoman Sayers?
[25:27] » Yes. Council Vice President Brinke?
Okay, tennis and pickleball court fees
[25:32] are now waived. Get out there and have
some fun, Emerson.
[25:35] Okay, and that brings us to our next
piece of business, which is welcome to
[25:39] Emerson signs. Michael. Thank you,
Mayor.
[25:42] Uh yes, so tonight discussion will
ensue. This has been a project that I've
[25:47] been working on since coming on board.
So the intent at least
[25:53] you know, back to last year was to
install new welcome to Emerson signs.
[25:58] Both the pedestal signs and the larger
signs that you would typically see in
[26:02] some of our surrounding communities.
So I did work with Perry, our
[26:06] superintendent of public works, to come
up with some suggested locations.
[26:12] So locations have been produced in your
meeting packets. We have seven
[26:16] locations.
Forest Ave at Soldier Hill Road,
[26:20] Ackerman Ave at Woodside Ave, Lincoln
Boulevard west of Hillcrest Ave. We have
[26:25] Kinderkamack Road at the Dairy Queen,
Kinderkamack Road at Stop & Shop. Old
[26:30] Hook Road leaving Harrington Park, and
Main Street north of Ridge Road. And we
[26:38] did break down our suggestions in terms
of pedestal signs and large signs at all
[26:43] of those locations. We have large sign
locations at Forest Ave at Soldier Hill
[26:49] Road, uh, Kinderkamack Road at Dairy
Queen, Kinderkamack Road at Stop & Shop,
[26:55] and Old Hook Road leaving Harrington
Park. So, those are the suggestions that
[27:00] we've come up with. I don't believe that
we have signs at all of those locations
[27:04] right now. If we do, they are
deteriorated and past their youth useful
[27:09] life.
Um, so the second phase of this project
[27:14] was obviously to figure out how we would
pay for those. Um, the governing body
[27:18] could choose to fund it in a subsequent
budget year, but typically, uh, most
[27:23] municipalities that I've seen, uh,
do this type of program, uh, do have
[27:28] some sort of sponsorship program where
applicable business owners could sponsor
[27:33] the signs at the cost of the sign. We're
not looking to make any money on this.
[27:37] We're simply just looking, uh, to
beautify the Borough of Emerson through
[27:42] this program. So, again, this is the
season, uh, the the
[27:47] uh,
signs typically take about 6 to 10 weeks
[27:50] to manufacture and have installed. And
then, I did produce a sample sponsorship
[27:57] application for the governing body.
Uh, so the pedestal signs are priced at
[28:03] uh, $1,500 per sign, and the large signs
are $4,500 per sign. Um, so I was
[28:10] talking with Perry of the DPW.
I think the strategy would be to
[28:15] approach the business owners that in
which storefronts are where the sign
[28:20] proposed location is, such as Dairy
Queen or Stop & Shop, or you know,
[28:25] whatever other locations we have, and
give them the first opportunity to
[28:29] produce a sponsorship. Um, but in the
same breath, the uh, program must be
[28:34] open to the public, uh, so we must
advertise to the public, and it's a
[28:38] first come, first serve basis. So, if
anyone has any objections, questions, or
[28:43] concerns, uh, please let us know, and
we're looking for support for the
[28:47] project. Okay. So, if somebody wanted to
sponsor one of the big signs, it's
[28:52] $4,500.
>> Correct. And if they want to do one of
[28:55] the smaller post signs, it's how much?
$1,500.
[28:58] » Okay. And we're going to give right a
first refusal to the business owners
[29:01] whose property or whose vicinity it is.
>> Right. Cuz, you know, typically in my
[29:05] experience, you don't want to upset the
business owner. Say, you know,
[29:10] you know, ShopRite for instance, and put
a Stop & Shop sign in front of ShopRite.
[29:15] Um you know, it might cause some
controversy.
[29:17] » Controversy. So, we just want to give uh
opportunities to those uh
[29:20] » reach out to those seven businesses
where the signs are first, and then if
[29:25] for some reason they're not able to do
that, [clears throat] then we will open
[29:27] it up. Now, one one other point uh I'd
like to make is the sponsorship
[29:32] application. In my experience in the
past, maybe the verbage that I've
[29:37] included was too vague, but I did put uh
I did put a clause in that individuals,
[29:43] families, nonprofits, and/or political
associations are not eligible to apply.
[29:49] I've had local clubs try to apply in the
past. I've had council members apply and
[29:53] subsequently leave office. Uh so, you
have a donation plaque with a former
[29:57] council person's name on it, or a family
and they move out of town. So, I think
[30:01] we're just The suggestion would be to
keep it to businesses.
[30:04] Um but, it's open for discussion.
So.
[30:08] » go get in the businesses to purchase the
signs or to to sponsor,
[30:11] and then if a family wants to do it,
We could perhaps amend the program and
[30:15] open it up to families at that point. Um
but I guess we'd have to see, you know,
[30:21] what type of response we get.
[30:24] I hate to say it, but the same thing
could happen with a business. A business
[30:27] might move out of town, change their
location, or retire, ultimately close.
[30:32] So, I think we just take one step
[clears throat] at a time, start with
[30:35] the businesses, and then keep rolling
with it.
[30:39] Right. And the program does call for the
borough reserves the right to remove the
[30:44] donation plaque should the business
leave Emerson. Um so we could do that
[30:49] for families, individuals, or clubs if
the borough wishes.
[30:53] » even if they paid for the sign, if they
leave Emerson, we would remove the
[30:56] plaque but leave the sign.
>> We have the discretion to do so. I don't
[30:59] know that we would do that, but we
reserve the right to do that.
[31:02] » Okay. Um
So that's such a That's the suggestion,
[31:06] excuse me. Um should there be no
objection, we would have a resolution
[31:11] memorializing the program at the next
meeting. Anyone have any comments or
[31:15] concerns other than Councilwoman Genzia?
Did we approve before anything was
[31:20] awarded when the applications come in?
Did we look
[31:23] you know, what it will know before it
gets to families or political things or
[31:27] whatever you said we didn't want that.
If
[31:30] I'm just a little confused. Did we say
we are allowing that over just the seven
[31:34] businesses? Go ahead, Michael. I would
suggest we stick to businesses first and
[31:38] see where we go with the whole thing.
>> And they have to be Emerson businesses.
[31:41] Emerson-based businesses. It can be an
at-home business.
[31:45] You know, working out of your home, but
Emerson-based
[31:49] » or a doctor's office or something that's
working out of their home. Okay.
[31:53] But but we're going to first offer them
to the closest business to where we're
[31:57] going to place the sign.
It's like he said, we don't want a Stop
[32:01] & Shop sign in front of ShopRite and a
ShopRite sign in front of Stop & Shop.
[32:08] Okay.
Okay. Does anyone else have any
[32:10] comments?
No? I think it's a good idea. Um is
[32:14] there an update on the electronics sign
on when that's going to come? I'll
[32:17] address it in my report.
Yeah.
[32:22] Okay. That brings us to adoption of
ordinances. This is the second reading
[32:26] and public hearing of ordinance number
1720-26.
[32:29] Mr. De Simone, would you please read the
title of this ordinance?
[32:32] An ordinance amending the salary ranges
for certain employees of the borough of
[32:36] Emerson. May I have a motion to open the
meeting for public comment on this and
[32:40] only this ordinance?
Second. All in favor? Aye. All right,
[32:45] we're open to the public. Seeing that
everybody left, including the dog, uh
[32:49] may I have a motion to close this
portion of the meeting to public comment
[32:52] on this ordinance? Second. All in favor?
Aye. Okay, uh we're closed. May I have a
[32:57] motion to adopt ordinance number 1720-26
on second reading? I'll move. Second.
[33:04] And a roll call, please. Councilwoman
Celina? Yes. Councilwoman Argenzia?
[33:10] » Yes.
Council President Reyes?
[33:11] » Yes. Councilwoman Timmerman? Yes.
Councilwoman Sayers?
[33:14] » Yes. Passes by zero. All right, good.
This is the second reading and public
[33:18] hearing of ordinance number 1721-26.
Ms. De Simone, would you please read the
[33:23] title of this ordinance? An ordinance to
amend chapter 132-3,
[33:28] construction codes, uniform fees. May I
have a motion to open the meeting for
[33:32] public comment on this and only this
ordinance? I'll move. Second.
[33:36] All in favor?
>> Aye. Okay, we're open to the public.
[33:39] Seeing no hands, may I have a motion to
close the portion of the meeting of
[33:42] public comment on this ordinance?
Second. All in favor? Aye. Okay, we're
[33:47] closed. May I have a motion to adopt
ordinance number 1721-26
[33:52] on second reading?
Second. And a roll call, please.
[33:56] Councilwoman Celina?
>> Yes. Councilwoman Argenzia?
[33:59] » Yes. Council President Reyes?
>> Yes. Councilwoman Timmerman? Yes.
[34:03] Councilwoman Sayers?
>> Yes. Passes by zero. Okay, uh
[34:07] introduction of ordinances. There are no
ordinances to introduce this evening.
[34:11] That brings us to reports.
Um Councilwoman Celina, do you have a
[34:15] report for us this evening? Yes, a
report.
[34:19] I will start with the short one.
Just make sure you're talking to your
[34:22] microphone. It's awfully far away.
>> Sorry. Thanks.
[34:26] Uh from
>> [clears throat]
[34:27] » um the DPW,
uh they helped out the Environmental
[34:31] Commission with such a truck on Earth
Day, which was a huge success. The kids
[34:35] loved it. Uh DPW did a cleanup and some
minor repairs of community garden beds.
[34:41] Uh they worked with the Shade Tree
Commission
[34:44] planting a tree for Arbor Day and
Memorial Day tree plantings.
[34:47] Uh they created some garden beds around
the train station in preparation of the
[34:51] Grow South planting beautiful flowers
around the building.
[34:55] And they're in the process of putting up
uh the military banners and getting the
[34:58] monument ready for Memorial Day.
[35:02] And then for fire, from the fire chief.
[35:08] Uh
>> [clears throat]
[35:09] » sorry, it's in small print. Uh during
the month of April, the department
[35:12] responded to 19 calls for service, which
included vehicle
[35:17] accidents, fire, activated fire alarms,
gas leak emergencies,
[35:21] mutual aid fire structure responses. Uh
in total, department members contributed
[35:26] 264 hours of service
encompassing emergency
[35:30] response, apparatus and equipment
maintenance, training, and community
[35:34] activities. Amongst the calls responded
to in April, the month began with a
[35:37] significant vehicle accident that
underscored both the
[35:41] dedication of our members and the
far-reaching impact of a single incident
[35:44] that can have
that can happen upon our community.
[35:48] Upon arrival, crews were met with a
serious accident scene on Elm Avenue
[35:51] that required an extended response
and a coordinated effort to mitigate the
[35:56] situation safely. The incident resulted
in the closure of Elm Avenue for
[36:01] a sub- substantial period of time due to
the loss of power in the affected area.
[36:06] Uh ultimately led to the closure of our
uh schools.
[36:10] Our members worked diligently alongside
Emerson Police, Emerson DPW, PSE&G to
[36:14] stabilize the scene and restore normal
restore normalcy to the neighborhood as
[36:18] quickly as possible.
Uh the department also responded to
[36:22] mutual aid for structure fire during the
month, supporting a neighboring uh
[36:25] community in time of need. These
responses as a reminder of the strong
[36:29] partnerships that exist between our
surrounding fire departments and the
[36:32] importance in helping
to protect the lives and property of all
[36:35] our residents.
Uh, department members continue to
[36:38] demonstrate the highest level of
professionalism and commitment
[36:41] whether it's responding to emergencies,
maintaining apparatus and equipment, or
[36:45] training to sharpen their skills. The
Emerson Fire Department is dedicated to
[36:48] providing this community with the best
possible coverage and response.
[36:52] And we are so grateful
for the continued support of the Borough
[36:56] Council and residents that they have
provided.
[37:01] Very good. And just let the record
reflect that Councilwoman Alice joined
[37:04] us at 8:48 p.m.
Um,
[37:08] Councilwoman Argenzia, do you have a
report for us? No, I do not. Okay,
[37:12] Councilwoman Council President Rice, do
you have a report for us this evening?
[37:16] No, I'll just uh, share that the last
Board of Ed meeting for the academic
[37:20] school year is June 15th.
Oh, that's early. Yeah, in the
[37:24] summertime the last one is May's done
for June.
[37:28] Yeah, but that's really early usually in
the 20s. Um, Councilwoman Alice, do you
[37:32] have a report this evening? Yes, I'd
like to share on from the Shade Tree
[37:35] Committee
that [clears throat] um,
[37:38] DPW cut down four dead and dying trees
around town including the Chris- the
[37:42] Christmas tree at Borough Hall which had
a fungal disease.
[37:47] DPW planted a red oak tree
>> [clears throat]
[37:50] » at Rosengard Park as as a memorial for
all the residents who we lost last year.
[37:56] DPW planted a new Norway spruce tree at
Borough Hall to replace the old
[38:01] Christmas tree. DPW grounded uh, ground
eight stumps
[38:07] with the new stump grinder purchased
last year. This saved the town roughly
[38:11] $1,800.
PSEG will be in town at the end of May
[38:17] or beginning of June to trim trees away
from the wires. This will take place in
[38:22] the Soldier Hill area of town.
And the next DPW Shade Tree Committee
[38:26] meeting is tomorrow night. Okay, good.
Thank you.
[38:30] Um Councilman Timmerman, do you have a
report this evening? Sure, yeah. Uh from
[38:34] recreation, uh fall sports
registrations, uh early registrations
[38:38] are open for flag football, cheer,
football, um recreation soccer will be
[38:44] opening shortly.
Um the recreation commission also
[38:49] started uh a new event this year.
They'll be hosting a seventh grade
[38:53] social.
They do the fourth and fifth grade
[38:56] social. The sixth graders and eighth
graders have their school dances, so
[39:00] they decided to open one up for the
seventh graders. It's cool. Uh you can
[39:03] see it on Emerson Recreation Facebook
page.
[39:06] There's a QR code with more information,
uh and I think there's a
[39:10] small fee at the door for that.
Um
[39:14] Again,
Emerson Summer Kickoff is Saturday, June
[39:17] 13th at Hillman Field. Uh
there'll be a lot of activities
[39:21] throughout the day.
Uh look for some more information on
[39:24] maybe some additional activities this
year. And again, it all wraps up with
[39:29] the fireworks display at the end of the
night.
[39:31] And the rain date?
The rain date? June 14th. It's the 14th,
[39:35] yeah, the next day.
Sunday.
[39:39] Councilwoman Sears, do you have a report
this evening?
[39:41] » I do not, thank you. Okay. Um I'll give
a brief report. Um the borough in
[39:46] collaboration with the BCUA held another
successful shredding day this past
[39:50] Saturday, recycling thousands of pounds
of paper. Council
[39:54] Councilwoman Iannacone took advantage.
Um one day I will, I haven't yet.
[39:59] Thank you to everyone who had a hand in
getting it coordinated, especially Perry
[40:03] Salamondo and Tom Carlos. Uh we will
keep you posted with more details about
[40:07] the next shredding event in the fall,
which is right now scheduled for October
[40:11] 24th.
Um the next meeting of the uh
[40:16] well, no, that's not what I'm trying to
say. The Memorial Day is this Monday,
[40:20] May 25th, and we will be having a
ceremony at 9:00 a.m. at the monument.
[40:26] Uh, we will be joined by American Legion
Post uh, across from the Lano school,
[40:32] and we are working on details that
should it be raining because there is a
[40:36] lot of rain in the forecast, Michael
will probably move over to the senior
[40:40] center. And if we're So, if you don't
find us at the monument, we are probably
[40:44] at the senior Well, we we will be at the
senior center.
[40:47] Um, we are holding a patriotic home
front decorating contest. The page is
[40:53] live on our website. Please visit
www.emersonnj.gov/250
[41:02] for contest details and the entry form.
Uh, Councilman Timmerman already told us
[41:08] about the fireworks and the summer
kickoff. Um, June 6th, the Emerson
[41:12] Chamber of Commerce Commerce is hosting
their car show from 9:00 to 2:00 p.m. in
[41:17] the parking lot at 800 Kinderkamack
Road, just south of Dairy Queen. For
[41:21] more information, please visit
www.emersonchamberofcommerce.org.
[41:28] Borough Hall offices will be closed on
Monday in observance of Memorial Day,
[41:33] and the next regular meeting of the
governing body will take place Tuesday,
[41:37] June 9th at 7:30 p.m.
Uh, Teresa, did you have a report this
[41:42] evening?
>> I do.
[41:44] Um, I just wanted to say as we approach
the primary election on June 2nd, uh,
[41:49] there's just some important information
I wanted to highlight. Um, May 26th is
[41:53] the last day for the county clerk to
receive vote-by-mail applications in the
[41:57] mail for the June primary election.
The early voting period is from May 26th
[42:04] through May 31st. Polls will be open
from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Tuesday
[42:09] through Saturday, and 10:00 a.m. to 6:00
p.m. on Sunday.
[42:13] The deadline to apply for a vote-by-mail
ballot in person is June 1st, 2026 at
[42:19] 3:00 p.m. And that would have to be at
the county clerk's office in Hackensack.
[42:25] Um and election day is June 2nd. The
polls will be open from 6:00 a.m. to
[42:29] 8:00 p.m. And just a friendly reminder
for Emerson District 6 voters, you will
[42:34] continue to vote at the high school
cafeteria. This was a permanent change
[42:38] approved by the Board of Elections last
year. There will be dedicated voter
[42:43] parking um right outside the door number
six, which leads voters directly into
[42:48] the cafeteria.
So, if you haven't voted in the last
[42:51] couple of elections when they've been
there, you have to
[42:54] go to where you originally went to vote
and then go around the back of the
[42:58] building so that you don't miss the
cafeteria, just in case you don't know.
[43:02] So, the the cafeteria windows face
Palisade Avenue behind the building.
[43:07] Um Mr. Corallo, do you have a report?
Yes, thank you, Mayor.
[43:13] Please note that I met with the
superintendent of public works and a
[43:16] contractor uh at the Department of
Public Works for the salt bin project.
[43:20] The borough is investigating several
options for the repairs to the
[43:23] structure, including capping the
existing storage garage and constructing
[43:28] a new salt dome adjacent to the garage.
This appears to be the cheapest option
[43:32] uh to ensure continuity of operations
for the residents of Emerson. A
[43:37] construction cost estimate from our
architectural engineers is pending, and
[43:41] we will circulate upon receipt. The
borough will likely then phase in
[43:45] repairs to the garage structure in
subsequent capital plans for the
[43:49] replacement of the roof, siding, garage
doors, among other improvements.
[43:54] Um in addition, I did attend today a
meeting with the Bergen County Community
[43:58] Development Block Grant Program, in
which the allocation subcommittee
[44:02] approved funding in the amount of 52,000
for the renovations to the Emerson
[44:07] Senior Center kitchen project. Uh so we
are looking forward to that. Uh we will
[44:11] be replacing
>> Wait, I blinked. What did you say?
[44:15] Uh the whole thing? Just
the that she got excited about. Oh,
[44:20] that's okay.
>> You said we got approved for this.
[44:21] » Yes, so I attended a meeting with the
Bergen Coun- Bergen County Community
[44:25] Development Block Grant Program in which
the allocation subcommittee approved
[44:29] funding in the amount of 52,000 for the
renovations to the Emerson Senior Center
[44:34] kitchen project.
>> Awesome. Uh this project includes
[44:36] replacement of the refrigerator, stove,
and other amenities to bring the kitchen
[44:41] up to modern standards for our seniors
and community members. So we're looking
[44:45] forward to that. We're looking with uh
Catherine and Dave's office on that
[44:49] project. So thank you.
>> will be very happy about that. They also
[44:52] just got new brand new um electric
electronic doors. And we did have our
[44:57] meeting on Thursday, [clears throat]
and they are overjoyed because as we
[45:00] know, they are hands-free, and the
seniors did sometimes walk with walkers
[45:05] or canes or carrying something, and they
love that they're hands-free, and they
[45:08] could just walk right into the building
now without having to deal with opening
[45:12] doors. Thank you. Uh please note that
I'm in the process of meeting with the
[45:16] borough engineer and superintendent of
public works to finalize the 2026 road
[45:21] resurfacing program uh now that the
capital plan is in process, and we are
[45:26] working with Catherine and Dave on the
FY 2027
[45:31] NJDOT municipal aid program. We have
selected a candidate. Uh so we will
[45:37] uh
more to come on that. Um in addition,
[45:41] Perry and I met with the borough's
contractor MRC Recreation at Ackerman
[45:45] Park to take measurements for the
Ackerman Park phase one and phase two
[45:50] improvements project. Uh we will convene
with the Parks Committee in the next few
[45:54] weeks to finalize our plan before it is
implemented. So I'll be reaching out to
[45:59] Council President Rice and Councilwoman
Chelino on that and the mayor. And
[46:04] lastly, I did distribute uh new
statistics from the Valley Hospital on
[46:09] the new agreement for ambulance
services. Uh so, the hospital is going
[46:13] to send us a monthly recap of all of the
calls for service.
[46:18] Uh so, I will be sending that as we
receive those. And that is all I have.
[46:22] Thank you. Thank you very much. Um
Katherine Orellano from uh Neglia is
[46:28] with us this evening. Welcome. Do you
have a report for us? I did.
[46:31] » Okay. Um so, already mentioned by the
mayor, but uh for the senior center
[46:36] doors, um with the effective Bergen
County um
[46:40] community development grant, we did get
the extension for that grant with
[46:43] assistance from uh Michael over here. Uh
and then the doors were finally
[46:47] installed as of the first week of May.
Uh
[46:51] they'll be coming back to complete the
flooring after election day, you know,
[46:54] not to disrupt the polling location. So,
they'll be in the week following uh to
[46:59] complete the flooring. We had to install
the doors first to see how everything
[47:01] aligned before they could finish
ordering the map parts. So, that will be
[47:06] shortly to come.
Um following up with that, the Westside
[47:09] drainage project uh study was completed
and finalized, and the plans and
[47:13] specifications are now in their final
stages. Documents were submitted to the
[47:17] Department of Community Affairs for
their review and approval. We got some
[47:21] comments back at the end of last week,
and we've already resubmitted, so it's
[47:25] back in their court. Um we had our
monthly meeting with DCA today. And that
[47:29] they advised us that um they'll most
likely get the plans and comments back
[47:32] to us by tomorrow or the end of this
week. So, we're looking to go out to bid
[47:36] and um pending advertisement and bid
opening dates, we're coordinating with
[47:40] Michael and Teresa on those. So, that's
to come.
[47:45] Uh looking to hopefully award that in
the second June meeting. That's the
[47:49] timeline for that. Um for the 2026 road
program as well as the 2027 fiscal year
[47:57] NJDOT grants. As Michael mentioned,
we're coordinating with him and DPW as
[48:02] well on the selection of the roads for
that. And then for the MS4 Tier A
[48:06] permitting and
stormwater prevention plan updates, we
[48:11] were able to submit the annual report
ahead of the May 1st deadline with the
[48:15] assistance of Department of Public
Works. And we're working on completing
[48:19] the SP3 as well. Once that's finalized,
we'll send it over to Alyssa so she can
[48:24] update the stormwater Emerson website.
That's all. Very good. Thank you.
[48:28] » [cough and clears throat]
>> Yes, of course.
[48:31] Uh just really quick on the digital sign
project. Uh we did contract with an
[48:36] electrician from the Department of
Public Works and we are under permit
[48:41] review through electrical subcode.
Uh and this this sign is in the process
[48:45] of being ordered from the manufacturer.
So, we hope to have that scheduled soon.
[48:49] So, thank you.
>> Okay.
[48:51] So, just note
even the bureau has to wait for a
[48:54] permit.
>> [laughter]
[48:56] » Not just the residents, we have to wait,
too.
[48:59] Um okay, John, any report this evening?
Okay. Um moving on, we will
[49:06] go to public comment. Members of the
public are welcome to speak on any topic
[49:10] by coming to the podium, stating your
name for the record. In the interest of
[49:14] time, speakers are limited to 3 minutes.
In consideration of all who may wish to
[49:18] speak, please keep your comments brief
and concise. May I have a motion to open
[49:22] the meeting to public comment?
So moved.
[49:25] » Second. All in favor?
>> Aye. Okay, we are open to the public.
[49:28] Seeing no hands, may I have a motion to
close the meeting to general comments
[49:33] from the public? So moved. All in favor?
Aye. All right, we're now closed. That
[49:38] brings us to resolutions on consent.
They are considered routine and will be
[49:42] enacted by one motion of the council and
one roll call vote. There will be no
[49:47] separate discussion of these items
unless a council member requests an item
[49:51] be removed for consideration. May I have
a motion to approve consent agenda
[49:55] resolutions 153-26
through 164-26.
[50:03] So moved.
Second. And a roll call, please.
[50:07] Councilwoman Celina? Yes. Councilwoman
[clears throat] Argenzia?
[50:10] » Yes. Councilman Ellis? Yes. Council
President Race? Yes. Councilman Sayers?
[50:15] I'm sorry, Councilman Timmerman? Yes.
Councilwoman Sayers?
[50:19] » Yes.
It passed with 6-0.
[50:22] Okay, very good.
Um that brings us next to
[50:27] closed executive session. Um may I have
a motion to go into closed executive
[50:32] session to discuss matters that are
exempt from the public pursuant to NJSA
[50:36] 10:4-1 et seq. and adequately noticed by
resolution 165-26.
[50:45] Can I get a second?
>> Second. And a roll call, please.
[50:48] Councilwoman Celina? Yes. Councilwoman
Argenzia? Councilman Ellis? Yes. Council
[50:54] President Race? Yes. Councilman
Timmerman? Yes. Councilwoman Sayers?
[50:58] Yes. It passed with 6-0. Very good. We
are now going into closed session.
[51:01] Members of the public may remain on
YouTube until we return to open session,
[51:06] at which time formal action may be
taken. And we're live. May I have a
[51:11] motion to reconvene? So moved.
Do we have any further
[51:15] All in favor? Aye. Okay, do we have any
other business?
[51:20] Hearing no more business, may I have a
motion to adjourn at 9:57 p.m. Second.
[51:26] Aye. All in favor? Aye. Aye.
Thank you, Mayor Cameron, for joining
[51:31] us. Have a great school rest of the
summer and school year.