##VIDEO ID:TSzxvruVU5o## Mary would you like to begin yes please good evening this is the meeting of the burough of Highland mayor and Council regular meeting on Wednesday September 4th 20124 the notice requirements provided for in the open public meetings act have been satisfied notice of this meeting was properly given by transmission to the as Park Press in the two gr times and by posing at the burrow of Highlands municipal building and filing with B cler all on January 1st 2024 items this on the agenda are subject to change please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance I pledge Ali to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all I will now do roll call council members SES council member CH here Council mik council president sheski here mayor buan here first we have approval of minutes April 21 um August 21st 2024 meeting minutes um I'll offer it I'll second council member santes absent council member cha yes councilman melck absent council president sheski yes mayor buan yes motion carries to approve August 21st 2024 meeting minutes next we have August 21st 2024 executive session minutes I'll offer I'll second council member yes coun president oesi yes mayor bran abin motion carries to approve August 21st 2024 executive session minute next we have public hearing on proposed ordinance 02 2414 amending chapter 11 uniform fire code section 11-4 organization section 11-7 non-life Hazard uses section 11-8 smoke detector inspection fees section 11-9 permit fee are there any comments from table here regarding these ordinances I will open up public uh hearing on this uh updating of our bur code any questions no okay I'll close the public hearing and I will offer this ordinance I'll second council member T yes council president meski yes mayor bran yes motion carries to pass uh motion carries 0 2414 pass on second and Final reading next we have introduction of proposed ordinance 0 2416 amending chapter 4 licensing General section 4-14 short-term rentals section 4-1 14.4 short-term rentals permit permit registration fee application and certification certificate of occupancy section 4-4.5 application process for short-term rental permit and inspections again any questions uh what this basically did with was it changed um instead of having four inspections per year um upon speaking with the construction official he figured he he said that one is uh enough uh not to have four and then we just had one fee instead of having a schedule of of two different fees just to simplify the process for staff so with no questions I will offer that I'll second Council M yes council president meski yes mayor bran yes motion carries to pass 0246 on first reading with a public hearing to be held on September 18th next we have consent agenda mayor would you like me to read resolutions by title yes please R 24159 authorizing payment of bills R 2416 authorizing the award of a non-fair and open contract for professional Engineering Services in connection with the phase two sanitary sewer improvements project I will offer I'll second Council M yes Council pres meski yes mayor bran yes motion carries to adopt resolutions R 24159 through r460 next we have mayor's report uh my report for August um first off we're pleased to release our new website address is now shortened to ww W Highlands nj.gov uh there's been um a lot of um movement about having all U Municipal entities as well as counties and states to have a.gov address so now we're live with it um in school news there will be a non-binding uh ballot referendum on November 5th the general election on whether to continue regionalization with sebr for our Emergency Services um called answered by the first aid squad for the month of August were 45 fire department 34 and police department 963 um for code enforcement we had five summons four warnings 15 reports 31's inspections 20 permits and 11 op requests and answered the building department was very busy in August they had 100 inspections of those 72 passed nine failed 19 not ready and uh 21 per building permits were issued um grants so far that we won in 2024 is 2,954 and that includes a grant that we uh just got last week and that is the planning Grant to upgrade the um the James T white clan plant so we're very excited about that um burrow events as always check the recreation page on the burough website and Highlands nj.com for event information um also as a public question there is going to be a non-binding referendum on the ballot uh for the Army Corps of Engineers study um go going into current projects very pleased to report that as to as of today the London Avenue New curbs and sidewalks were completed um the North Street valve I'll defer to um our engineer as to where we are in that place with the waro B for North Street uh I believe we were waiting until Pat came back to get authorization to coordinate that back I should have it at the next meeting down one more time so we'll have another update at the next meeting uh the sanary sewer projects um completed in August were the sidewalk replacement of Central and Beach um planned so far for September is the replacement of ocean uh curbs and sidewalks and then finally to pave Central beach and ocean and uh the county is going to pave Lyon from the top of Lyndon in 36 to the circle on Bay Avenue uh they estimated it will take about 3 to four days to complete and they will do all the work at night so as not to interfere with the school the ferry and everyday life um Jones Creek dredging we're hoping to get something done in September for that and the update updates to uh Veterans Park uh we are expecting in September the delivery of solar lighting and solar picnic tables um we are awaiting uh Grant awards for Frank Hal Park and we are working on um the final plans to go out to bid for Portland Road um to also go out to bid for the other side the sea drift side of marine place um we're looking finalize plans for also the Shore Drive pedestrian improvements which are sidewalks from waterwood to Willow um then for Parks um also doing some survey and concept plans and the works for creating Overlook Park which is little grassy empty area on Route 36 for updating Frank Hall Park we already sent in a grant request to Mammoth County open space in July and we're hoping to hear back in October um last meeting we approved um for our Engineers to have a look at Washington AB so we can finally Mill and pave Washington a from Marine place to cherful place and as I said that asset activation for the clam plant um that's just uh upgrades uh for that for the clam plant and to possibly make it more of a a Historic Museum like quality where it's in a separate area than where the clammers are working and where the retail and wholesale operations take place so um that's all yeah it's it's an interesting idea the planning grants were $50,000 so um that would offset a great chunk of what the cost would be for the planner um these updates are nothing really to update on the resiliency projects everything's in some area of Permitting um and also environmental assess assessments for the large um uh the large brick study not study but project and we continue to work with uh FEMA 2 to get our entrance into the first first phase of CRS which was the community rating system which would uh lower flood insurance and that's all I have I did both months at the last meeting so I don't really have a report for tonight but I will have one for next does anyone else have anything they would like to report on them I would just add that I think doing stuff like that with the pl plant it's so verifies what this town was what kept it going and what it continues to be and what it continues to be I think I I had the chance you of course have been there and knew it but to go to the plant plant and talk to these people and hear what goes on every day 100,000 plans a day go through that plant and it was with eye opening I so much enjoyed it and I thought that it could be have some some Museum quality stuff going on but that merits sure right um would be great absolutely was that one of the first uh Industries in in Highlands itself was claming sure yeah so no I think it's great too to to see somewhere in that history stuff that I was doing uh last year on hone I kept going back digging into the the history of Highlands and it was the Indians I believe who who taught them about the clams but then um somebody who came from someone else explained you can go deeper into water for clams the idea of going out with some device was amazing it changed everything so the bir of the clam rake yeah and I see those climers go out every single day from my house sure you know snow wind sleep hail they going I'm impressed by that work ethic very that's wonderful absolutely well with nothing further to add uh we have the public portion statement individuals wishing wishing to address the council shall be recognized by the presiding officer and shall give their name address and the group if any they represent although the council encourages public participation and reserves the right through his presiding officer to terminate remarks to in or by any individual not in keeping with the conduct of a proper and efficient meaning if any individual refuses to commit themselves themselves in a proper manner they will be removed from the meeting the council will not during the public portion of this meeting discuss matters involving employment appointment termination of employment negotiations terms and conditions of employment evaluation of the performance of promotion or discipline of any specific or perspective for current employee there's a three minut three minute time limit to your comments [Music] Joseph Doren 102 Valley Avenue um I believe the first industry in Highlands was bootlegg oh I'm not sure well maybe the CL certainly in the 20th century yes yes um just briefly I wanted to uh thank the mayor and the council and all the other members here who worked on on the last uh Town council meeting and um started the process moving back to the land use board on the 14-32 North Peak Street project um how close to a resolution we are uh remains to be seen next week we'll we'll uh will determine I think quite a quite a bit not sure but we're going to find out um not that it's pertinent here right now but I do know that he submitted a modified plant to the land use for with essentially the same two houses but with two separate septic tanks I don't know where that's going to go it's an interesting but we haven't seen anything yet right you haven't seen it can't really speak to it so yeah we can't speak to it but I'm just just brought it up that I that he has he has submitted modifi play um so um just thanks again and um the process is now somewhere in the middle Innings and hopefully we'll get a a resolution because it's it's uh it's to nobody's benefit for this thing to to just stagnate the way it has so so um those are my comments for tonight thanks again okay appreciate thank you you welome hi my name is Kathleen py I've been a resident of Highlands for eight years and I'm currently residing at 11 Ralph Street compliments on the marvelous job that the gentleman did putting the new sidewalks in that's been pretty amazing to see how quickly and how efficiently they did it um I'm here to request that the curvs on the corner of Ralph and lynon the painted yellow to reiterate and bolster the visual message of the freshly and recently painted sight lines indicating no parking 25 ft from the stop sign to preserve the sight line [Music] um also I've noticed I was introduced to the neighborhood by a very lovely person who shook my hand and said welcome to the parking Wars I myself have two parking spots on my property so I don't have any skin in that game okay however I have noticed that there is a parking L um and I just thought in my spare time to survey the neighbors as it turns out there are two rental income properties on lynen one is a long-term rental income property that has two residents and three cars and one is an air BNB that sometimes has no need for parking but sometimes needs three spots um and then you have Jay Davis the former police chief who has his um handicapped assigned spot um including Mr Davis's spot there seems to be a need for seven spots possibly assigned to the people who have no parking I don't know if the people who own the rental inome properties need to pay a fee to accommodate that more importantly when the road is repaved people going into town particularly those that are on the schedule to get a boat that may not be you know they have to make it um because the cars are parked right across from rout even if they're not even if they're parked a little further down anticipatorily toally the cars are swerving into opposing traffic right in front of R so it's quite difficult to um to pull out safely um and a little bit scary although I'm not easily scared um and I was wondering if perhaps they might consider also painting a white line cross from route to you know to move the parking a little further down it looks like there is room for seven spaces um and Mr uh the former Chief is on this side of the street so to the extent that it would help him not to have to cross the racing cars perhaps his handicaps spot if he's so inclined could be on R so that's it okay thank you Mike can we look into getting uh cost for striping yeah okay I know the guys can I mean DPW can take care of the yellow lines for actually striping of spots M okay I one question do you know what the address is in the Airbnb no okay I do know that there are two houses one has a long ground ball and the air and seeing no other comments I will close the public portion and I will make a motion to adour I'll second all in favor I meeting adjourned at 8 7:20 thank you everyone