[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.

Mayor and Council Meeting, May 19, 2026 at 8:00 PM

Transcript