[Music] [Music] good evening it is February 20th 2024 and we are here at the Howell Township Council regular meeting I hereby call the meeting to order this meeting is being held in accordance with public law 1975 chapter 231 open public meetings act adequate notice has been provided in a manner prescribed by law this agenda is complete to the extent known and formal action will be taken I'll begin with a roll call councilwoman Fischer here councilman gager here councilwoman odonnell here Deputy Mayor Nell here mayor Burger he present you is there any reason to go into executive Mr Clark yes there is Mayor we have a presentation in back about Energy savings that we're going to do a straw poll about we also have um potential litigation contract negotiation and attorney client matters thank you may I have a motion to go into executive motion to go into exec a second councilwoman fiser yes councilman gajer yes councilwoman odonnell yes Deputy Mayor Nel yes mayor Burger yes thank you um good evening it is February 20 2024 which I cannot believe um we are at the Howell Township council meeting at this time I would like to take a roll call councilwoman fiser here councilman geser here councilwoman odonnal here Deputy Mayor Nell mayor Burger present thank you I would like to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance and for any fallen heroes i al alance 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 thank you at this time may I have an acceptance or a motion for acceptance of minutes for January 16 2024 I'd like to make a motion to accept the meeting minutes of January 16th 2024 second thank you councilwoman fiser yes councilman gager yes councilwoman odonnell yes Deputy Mayor Nel yes mayor Burger yes thank you may I have a motion for February 6 2024 motion to accept February 6 2024 minutes minutes second Council fiser yes councilman gager yes councilwoman odonnell yes Deputy Mayor Nel yes mayor Burger thank you um are there any reports for from the officials on the side Mr Clark I just have a couple small items um we're nearing the end of our landlord registration season as expected we had a record number of um landlords in town um our compliance rate on our violations was over 87% so we have improved our systems and we've been trying to get uh email notices out to all landlords so I think it's working pretty well um um the last meeting we had a public hearing on the echol lake playground that Grant was submitted we are currently we have identified or Grant consultant has identified another opportunity which we are applying for through um New Jersey DCA which will offer to cover even more of the percentage that we were going to pay out of that Grant so could wind up costing the taxpayer even less um the last item I have is um a big change coming soon we're going to put forward a draft ordinance and eventually an ordinance for introduction um for a residential resale certificate of occupancy um since I've been here which has been over seven years the town hasn't done this um it was done away with probably over a decade ago um for some reasons that might have made sense then um but we feel that there's a level of oversight that the township and its residents could benefit from um we're taking a close look at how other towns administer their res uh residential resale Co programs some work really well some don't some have very good reviews some don't so we are taking a a page out of every book we read and we're going to try and put together a system that is efficient coste effective um and most importantly gives value to the resident nobody wants to go through that process nobody wants to pay money for that process but through our inspections through our um oversight we think it'll be of value to everyone for the buyer and the seller that they know what they're getting um and that there's no surprises after the fact so stay tuned for that in the next couple months thank you okay uh a few quick updates so I want to give credit to uh DPW and our Township engineer Justin yo they have been working with our sports leagues helping the fields get ready for spring and summer Sports they'll be reaching out to other leagues periodically throughout the year uh and addressing some of those needs with them so they've been doing an amazing job so far and I feel they'll be keeping it up pretty well um Stephen fetcher our community relations Guru has a concert series planned this summer um we will be announcing more in the near future uh but we're looking for an Independence Day event probably on July 2nd you know that we have a band Book for it already that uh made the rounds on social media so the Amish Outlaws I think everybody's pretty excited about that and then um let's see it looks like every Wednesday thereafter July 17 2431 we'll be doing a concert and then I think we're going to try and have movies in the park throughout August um a Fall Fest different than how day which we'll also be having in the fall so stay tuned for details Stephen's been working hard on it and uh I think it's going to be it's going to be a good series so there we go very nice Kaitlyn anything no legal updates how nice at this point is there any thing that Council would like to share at this point I just have one thing uh you had uh an incident in town uh last week uh a robbery with a gun and uh the program's been uh available for a long time but the police department does have a safe area set up for exchanges of internet purchases so if I mean they've started I believe like 2017 I think it got lost in the shuffle but it's there and it is available to anyone yeah I just had a question for Mr Howard regarding that uh Co ordinance that's going to be coming in will we have the choice of what we we're actually going be looking for so it's not overburdening sellers and buyers where you hear from other towns where they get very nitpicky on certain things where it's going to hold up sales absolutely um that's that's really the meat and potatoes of this ordinance is what we're going to look at we're going to have that's what we're looking at other towns too and we've heard that there are certain items that just will hold up a closing we're trying to just to make our system so that the last thing we do is hold up a closing there's obviously things like if we go into a house and there's a finished basement without permits and it may be very old but the buyer normally that due diligence is on the responsibility of the buyer they have to recognize hey this might not have been like this you know all the time let me do an Oprah request let me look at open and close permits huh I don't see something from for a basement and then they have to know and say you know that's a red flag and I have to get that taken care of that's a lot for your everyday homeowner um so we definitely want to be looking at things like open permits work done without permits but the last thing I want to do is send everybody for a variance because their patio has a 9ot set back instead of a 10 we're not looking at that level of things we are specifically looking at the other towns and finding out what all those items were that were hard to fix hard to fix quickly we're going to make sure those aren't on our list unless they are Absolut Life Safety hazards um and even in our ordinance we're going to have an affidavit process where the buyers and the sellers can agree on their own terms to fix an issue and then they can close we don't want to be delaying closings so we're trying to tackle it from all avenues and the last thing we want to do is make it a burden for the residents that was actually what you just said at the end was perfect because at the beginning it was like the buyer was the person who's responsible and how are they supposed to know if something if the basement was done with or without you know what I mean the common normal human being who's going to buy a house is going in to look at his beautiful home and just say I want I love but I got to go and that's the system now without that check you know they have to they have to be the ones to say something doesn't look right here now yeah but how would they know it doesn't look exactly unless you're you're in this business you know so the idea is that we're going to be going through and again if you if you add an outlet it's probably not something we're going to be able to catch but if a b basement's finished if a new deck is built on the back of the house that hasn't had inspections everybody has a right to do that the township has a responsibility of course through our you know our regular duties and the the resident has a uh has a um obligation to get the permits and the new Resident has an um a right to feel safe in what they're purchasing so that that's the middle ground we want to we want to find yeah thank you great question by the way I have something in terms of the resale cos's wonderful opportunity to continue to keep people safe when they're buying a home especially when you're looking at electrical work or something that may be um really love kill cure uh years ago I think there was a house fire that may have been a turning point for these resale cosos to have been uh stopped however um very necessary so really glad to see that come back uh in terms of things coming I know Stephen will be putting out some soon for uh Easter because it does come early this year and we have some time before he puts it I'm I think he actually already posted something but um so we have Easter in the park and the Egg Hunt whatnot so that's still in the works and um importantly I'd like to mention that our meeting with Chris Smith on veteran housing is right around the corner I know administration's been working on some of the possibilities of the properties and doing those things that get that in line and I'm just thrilled that we're moving on that line so I thank you for everything that you're doing so far and I really look forward to continuing um to see those projects you know come to an end and take care of um some of our veterans so I thank you so good I think we're we're good um I just wanted to ask I know we discussed in the back but just for clarification for who was not there the results of the fire district Mr Clark would you just I don't think they're quite final yet the last I heard there were still some provisional ballots and some of the mailin uh still being counted so be a couple more days thank you I just wanted that to be out there um so at this point I would like to open up for public hearing may I have a motion motion opening public actually I am very sorry but on the original agenda and on my new agenda there is a proclamation that was not on my new agenda that's correct uh we're waiting for the family to get back to us with a good date to attend you go with that okay perfect thank you thank you wanted each per person shall first give their name and address to the clerk the council should be addressed as a collective body and not as individual members each person shall have one turn to address the council and comments shall not exceed a total of five minutes speakers shall be notifi when their time has run and no time extension shall be permitted at this time if anyone may I so I may I have a motion to open public comment motion open public comment second all in favor I I is there anyone in the audience that would like to come up to talk about anything on the consent agenda I see no one coming up may I have a motion to close motion to close may I have a second second all in favor I I I may I have a motion for the consent agenda items does anyone have a request to pull one of them out for separate vote would be R 2488 through 24-12 any special requests no may I have a motion then to approve the consent agenda R 2488 through 102 motion to accept resolutions r24 d88 through r24 d102 second second thank you councilwoman fiser yes councilman gager yes councilwoman odonna yes Deputy Mayor Nale yes mayor Burger yes thank you the consent resolutions passed thank you um unfinished business I would like to open for public hearing for ordinance 024-0003 ordinance of H Township authorizing the acceptance by the township of a donation of certain real certain real property designated as a tax block 3582 lot 41.3 may I have a motion to open motion to open to the public second all in favor I I anybody want to discuss 24-3 may I have a motion to close motion to close just so the council has some background this is um the property just to the north of town hall it's currently occupied by AutoZone um they have a deep lot they're using the front third to a half um the back half is wooded and it's adjacent to the township parking lot and Township property so they've offered to donate that to the township um we can use it for the future maybe you know we can keep it as is ex extend the parking lot um accessory buildings uh but it'll become part of the Town Hall lot thank you for that um may I have a motion to close motion to close P thank you second okay may I have a all in favor I can call a vote like to make a motion to accept second I'll second that councilwoman fiser yes councilman gager yes councilwoman odonnell yes Deputy Mayor Nel yes mayor Burger yes thank you the or say adopted and thank you to AutoZone oh absolutely yeah shot their all time ordinance 24-6 ordinance of the township Council of the township of Hell Mammoth County amending schedule 3 of section 3.5 of chapter 7 traffic of the Township Code of the township of Howell I would like to open for public comment I have a motion motion open public comment second thank you all in favor I I does anybody want to comment on 24-6 as I see no one I would like a motion to close motion to close second thank you Council M Fischer oh excuse me yep okay councilwoman Fisher all in favor no no wait not yet not yet you're right yet all in favor there we go all in favor okay F may have a motion to accept ordinance 24-6 I move to adopt ordinance 2406 second thank you councilwoman Fischer yes councilman gajer yes councilwoman odonnell yes Deputy Mayor Nell yes mayor burer yes ma'am thank you the Orange is adopted thank you thank you at this time there are no new ordinances and so I would like to mention the next regularly scheduled council meeting will take place on March 5 2024 um 6: p.m if executive is needed and 700 p.m. for regular session so I would um ask for a motion to adjourn the meeting motion to adjourn may I have a second I'll second that motion all in favor I I thank you may I have a motion to put on the record that there has never been 7. 22 that we started and ended may I have a second it should be in the minutes yeah I think this is thank you everyone it was painful what's in here I believe