all right thank you for joining us I'd like to call this meeting to order at 11:03 a.m. we're going to start uh with the salute to the flag please rise I pledge allegiance to the flag flag of the United States of America repic which it stands one nation under God indivisible liberty and justice for all thank you uh Sunshine Law notice this is the June 19 2024 special meeting of the mayor and Council the burough of Fairhaven this meeting is via Zoom only broadcast from bur Hall 748 River Road fairen New Jersey and was called pursuant to the provisions of the open public meetings act notice of this meeting was provided to the public the Asbury Park Press the Two River times and the fairin patch on June 13 2024 has been posted on the Bolton board in the municipal building and through the Burrow's social media platforms and has remained continuously posted as required under the statute in addition copies of the above notices are and have been available to the public and are on file in the office of the municipal clerk with adequate notice having been given the burough clerk is directed to include the statement in the minutes of this meeting Alison M please have a roll call council members Cole here here here here on you bet La bar hereon here also have administrator cassan attorney Mal engineer gella and C Brit and Os upstairs there's ch thank you um I want to start off just say today we're recognizing juneth it's a day that marks the end of slavery in the United States it is a celebration of freedom and a reminder of the ongoing pursuit of equality and justice for all let us honor this day by reflecting on our history and committing to a future where everyone is truly free um so we are here today uh to discuss solid waste and recycl recycling collection um it's it's been a whirlwind of a week uh with a lot of moving parts and I want to start off um first by thanking everyone that was involved in this process um and then specifically the community uh we had two open houses that were engaging collaborative um you know we learned a lot from our residents hopefully they learned a lot uh as far as the process is concerned from us um and uh we came out of there with with a better understanding I I think of the challenges for our residents and how we might be able to solve them um with all that being said in those meetings I made a commitment to our residents that um yesterday on Tuesday I was going to be having a meeting with our state representatives um that meeting did take place and I would I would say it was very productive I want to thank state senators Vin goal and dein cin um for their time uh working with us and uh they worked pretty fast they connected us with dgs um and this morning already uh Teresa had had the opportunity to have an equally productive conversation with them however they need some time to review the specifics of what's going on with our municipality um obviously we're up against uh a time crunch here in having to make a decision um so we pulled as Drew would say we pulled another lever um that that we think that we can take advantage of and we also got confirmation from our um our current trash company who is the single bidder as well on the new waste contract that they are indeed willing to go month-to-month with us um as well as extend out um the bidding deadline by 60 days so by doing that that will provide dgs some additional time to review the particulars um you know of our financials and look at the possibility of granting us some sort of exemption as it relates to um our trash and recycling uh I heavily support this idea I'm asking for the support of the council um I think it benefits us in many different ways including if we do not get the relief that we want it also would shorten the amount of time if we were to choose option two that we would be without a recycling center for our for our cardboard um with that being said I don't know if there's anything else um Teresa that you wanted to add um based on the conversations that we've had in the last 24 hours is that cover it um no I I I Echo your uh praise for the help we're getting from our local officials and I and I do think that um dlgs is going to give this a review um I think everyone knows that towns are struggling with the Appropriations cap and I'm not certain whether they're they're going to look for individual relief uh for the towns or more Global relief for uh Appropriations caps in general um and and I I can forward to the rest of the govering body the email I provided to uh both the LGs and uh Senators uh of scalan and gopal um it's just just as an FYI so you can be aware of it and I I will add one thing that I did not add so in in going month-to month we would be maintaining the exact same services that we have currently um not the new contract what we currently have in place until we make our decision um and it would be at the same uh price point that it was previously is that correct Teresa yes it'll be at the old rate and and noting that when you do award the bid for three or five years uh it would start uh the three the clock would start ticking as of the date of the award of new service whatever start dat you pick correct so this let's just say it's September 1st it' be three years from September 1st so you they would get full three years under the new bid correct um with that being said um does anyone on the governing body have any questions um before I ask what if you all support this approach yes may I ask a clarification question please so firstly thank you um the state won't approve our budget if we allocate funds that exceed our Appropriations cap and so we're in a really top spot and it takes a kind of leadership and advocacy that you and Teresa have been doing and I'm grateful um not just for this contract but for other things the burrow may want to do that were simply handcuffed and unable to because of the Appropriations cap so um my only question was is 60 days an adequate amount of time for we for us for the dgs to do their process and get back to us I think it is uh and if it's not um you know I I'll for you the exchange with Suburban um they made it very clear that they're willing to work with us all right that's really great news I do have a question sure um when you talk about uh we'll maintain the same level of services for the next 60 days will that include monthly full pickup I I I I believe so Teresa but can you confirm that well I'll confirm that's that's one thing we will have to confirm Betsy but but I I would um yeah let let's let us get back to you personally I don't think that the answer to that question would change this strategy but it's a good question I agree right I'm curious Y and I want to make it clear too I I I when I talked to dgs I told them you know the the percentages for all three years for the trash contract and um because you know it's not enough just to get some sort of relief in year one um if you're going to you know be pinched in years two and three I was going to say um thank you to the mayor and the burough administrator for creating this option uh it's it's uh great news from my perspective I was going to add that in addition to shortening the time without the recycling center it will also um be 60 days of this summer of twice a twice a week pickup correct Brian and I I want to say that the mayor um did an excellent job yesterday when he spoke with our elected officials he was very cognizant of of the facts the Appropriations cap our numbers on the bid um he did he did a very good job just question on that on Brian so 60 days from now we have we have two more garbage pickups is that what you're saying that's what it sounds like yeah we would have existing service for 60 more days which is 60 days of this Summer perfect thank you well just just to qualify right if if let's say July 7th I'm picking a date out of thin air we accept three or five year option whatever doesn't matter the new contract would start on the 1 of the the preceding month the next month so not I told Drew I told him the first or whenever practical because if you approve it on like the 27th you might have to make it the first of the following month by the time you get the contract signed and all that stuff sure I just don't want there to be any confusion that we have 60 days of service that is as is right we have up to 60 days okay and when the bid is awarded right and so to what Teresa just said the the new contract would kick in on the first of the following month or went practical and T 100% yeah if it was approved on 27 July we're not going to implement it on 0 on August that doesn't make sense but I don't want the message to be that we're extending the current contract 60 days that's that's not and just so you know this the 60 days the the bid should have been awarded uh on July 19th uh that's 60 days from the opening it's actually the 21st but that's a Sunday so it's the 19th and so the 60 days would be August 19th September 19th beyond the original 60 days great okay yeah and I'm cautiously optimistic um that that we get the full belief that we're seeking and it's not just 60 days of two day I'm not making any decisions for the rest of you but that that's my hope is that it's two day a week pickup for the next three to five years so that that's that's that's what we're hopeful hopeful for at this moment um I I don't see I don't see on the special meeting agenda that we put a spot for public comment um but I think maybe we should just in case before I ask for um everyone 's official support here Allison is there anyone J real quick Mr Mayor uh councilwoman Dei has her hand raised I'm sorry sorry that's okay um I just have a quick question it's not really a question but I heard some sple butt that we are looking at other opportunities I mean I guess this changes now with this new information which also thank you for doing this I think it does put us in a lot better position to make decisions which is awesome um but uh there was talk about maybe having like our DPW do a second pickup I'm guessing is the discussion is changing now that we may have some other options can you speak to that a little bit there's there there's uh there's a lot of different options that we've considered um a lot and uh what I would say to you is almost all of them are disadvantageous to us um so you know I think I think I'd like to lead with strength here and focus on um you know where we're heading and and if for some reason we have to head in another Direction and deal with a um a really unconventional service to our residents we we'll we'll discuss that at that time Michael but great question and I did make it clear to dgs that um that the burrow would be able to Comm in under the levy cap um and still award this this contract our issue was not is is not the the pricing increas or the or the tax increase to our residents it's the actual Appropriations cap and we discussed other areas where the appropriation cap is tying our hands and they're well aware of it they that's an an Antiquated law that was passed many years ago and um it's no surprise to the to them down there that the towns are struggling and and Teresa if I could just double click on that for a minute and and Josh and Brian I just want to Echo this because it was it was a key theme at the open house right Fair Haven doesn't have a spending problem right we are fiscally responsible we have great Reserve right we have the appropriation cap right issue right that budgeting issue so T I appreciate you just hitting that I just want to Echo that um because it was it was a big educational Point uh for the public in the open houses to learn that okay um thank you and then uh I'm going to ask for public comment uh please state your name and address for the record please please keep your comments to 3 minutes Allison is there anyone with a public comment we have eight attendees no hands on okay with that being said um you know do do I have a uh motion to um to confirm with our existing trash and recycling company to move services to month-to Monon um until we get additional information from dgs moved mayor second it Alison may I please have a roll call council members Paul yesi yes yes yes yes yes thank you um with that being said we're going to adjourn uh time is 11:18 a.m. do I have a motion motion second second all in favor hi anyone opposed thank you great job everybody thank you mayor