called to order the meeting of the mayor and Council of burough River Edge December 11th 2023 regular meeting 700 p.m. I ask for a moment of Silent prayer for all those in the world who are suffering in mentally physically in danger uh from uh war or from distress and also for those people in New York City whose homes uh whose building partially collapsed and now they are uh in a shelter ready salute I pledge allegiance 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 out all statement of compliance with the open public meeting act this meeting complies with the open public meeting act by notification on January 9th of this location date and time to the town news and the record and by posting of the same on the municipal bulletin board and the burough website and filing notice of the same with the municipal clerk Madam clerk roll call councilman kigo pres council president cman here councilwoman monano Cohen here councilwoman canella here councilwoman Mal Larry here councilman Benson here mayor Papo here so I asked for uh some flexibility within the agenda for tonight is there objection without objection can we have flexibility within the agenda is there objection hearing none it is so moved okay uh we only have one member of what looks to be a part of the environmental commission uh at this point so we're going to wait for the uh other invitees to come we'll move from item number four to item number six uh and we're going to move proclamations and WS to from the beginning of the meeting to council comment time okay um so this is the last meeting for councilman kigo and that's why we're moving that second piece he has served with distinction and we will offer comments and congratulations for time well served at that time at the end of the meeting okay so approval of the minutes could I have a motion from Council president Kaufman and a second from councilman kigo to approve the minutes of the mayor and Council regular meeting and close session meeting of November 27th 2023 and improve the minutes of the mayor and Council special meeting and close session meeting December 4th 2023 so moved thank you mayor I second all those in favor oh hold on if you need to abstain abstain as uh after we've had the general vote and simply say I'm abstaining for one part but not the other all those in favor please say I I are there any abstaining from any portion I abstain for the regular meeting and close session of November 27 as I was not present is there any other abstentions hearing none it is so moved okay uh Patty can you turn on your camera and your mic for a minute Patty olber yep sorry gotcha who who else are we expecting tonight you know uh it was going to be um David craft but he was not able to make it due to a work conflict okay so there is no one else we expect at this time no all right Patty uh so we'll start with the sustainable Jersey bronze certificate and Patty if you could introduce yourself your role within the burrow and then speak to that item sure um so my name is Patty Amberg I am the co-chair along with David craft for the Environmental prot protection Commission in River Edge so we um just recently this year September um recertified bronze for Sustainable New Jersey they had a luncheon down in Atlantic City in November uh we have received um some information from them uh we were able to get you have to have at least 150 points to be sustainable we reached 200 points um in different items um you have to have a Green Team which we do we our Hackensack River cleanup uh we have points for we get points not just for things that you might think of as um environmental right it's kind of a really great big picture of the municipality as a whole so I would definitely encourage people to go on sustainable Jersey site and click on River Edge and you can see our report you can see anybody's report but you can see the areas that we got points in um so the hacken River Keeper is one uh the farmers market because it's a community event um we submitted information for building Healthy Communities that is uh you don't really the library programs all our youth programs are youth Sports um uh senior programs then entire Community things like the Riveredge run um so a lot of different things once you start assembling the information we do a lot of great stuff so it's all in our report um a lot of people know about our storm drain education and art program that we do with the fifth graders in both elementary schools we just recently painted two U storm drains on Continental um let's see what else I'm trying to highlight um we get about 60 points in our report uh through the shade tree commission they do uh a tree protection ordinance Community forestry management plan tree hazardous invent excuse me tree hazards uh inventory they keep track of those trees tree maintenance and tree plantings all separate things that they get um we uh we do the prescription drug uh drop off right at the police station uh we do a paper shredding event twice a year we do our styrofoam shred uh styrofoam collection twice a year and our Second Chance toy drive uh plus we also submit our annual reports um for both Green Team and Environmental Protection commission to the mayor and counsel and also as part of the sustainable Jersey so I think that pretty I just wanted to highlight some of the things that we do in the report like I said you can go right onto their website and see every all the writeups and every um backup information for all these things that's outstanding Paddy outstanding um I foret our liazon to environmental and shade tree is that's we have a yep councilwoman claudiana do you want to say a few words uh about this uh sustainable Jersey bronze certificate councilwoman if you don't that's okay but I didn't want to I know the work that Patty and all the team of the Environmental Protection committee puted put into it uh we sat down at the beginning uh we went through uh the options and what we could do so we can collect as many points as possible and then was all Patty and the rest of the commission that worked I very happy and very proud of the whole team thank you Patty thank you thank you Patty like I said oh go ahead no just like I said I just want to say just take a look at the report because it really is um quite a an extensive amount of information that was collected and gathered and submitted and Patty I I think the council uh would Echo Council malari that uh you you've done a phenomenal job you and Green Team and all of the ancillary groups shade Tre and others uh I think also don't we also get points for um being um um oh not bias free um stigma free yeah that's probably under um the healthy Community yep yeah and I'm sure and that that is our health department does a lot towards that and then of course yeah we we want to congratulate councilwoman caufman and and all the work of the uh farmers market so yep you're we we really uh I think I speak not just for the council but for the town when we thank you for for all that you do to uh make New Jersey to make River Edge a town of New Jersey that uh is worth emulating and uh how hard uh how many towns in the state or what percentage of towns can can get the bronze silver or gold any anybody can get it you just have to do the work um so and I actually had that up and now I let me just scroll back to that page I'm trying to think ah sorry so here we go so there are right now currently 136 bronze certified towns and if I'm not mistaken there are 565 towns in the state of New Jersey I believe so yep y so and there's 70 um silver so silver is 300 points we had to do 150 Silver's uh 300 might even be 350 so those towns do quite a bit um they do have a great website so you can kind of look and see like all the they have dots and they're either bronze or silver so you can scroll right up to um right up to Bergen County and see you have uh let's see who's silver and our are there any gold um oh there are five gold so so about pounds are they oh so that's about 250 out of 50065 towns are are getting awarded which means that that we're in the top 50% oh yes yep and so we're we're very grateful paty are you also going to speak to the environmental commission's request for a resolution supporting continuation of the corporate business tax is that something you're here to do yes I am then why don't we move on to that and then we can tie tie it all in great okay so I'm not sure how familiar anybody is with this I was not too familiar until we received an email from anjac which is um the associate Association of New Jersey environmental commissions um So currently it uh so it started in 2018 that Trenton enacted a 2 and a half temporary sir tax for businesses with incomes over 1 million okay that is set to it was supposed to expire in 2020 they extended it for three years and it's going to expire the end end of December um within that uh corporate business tax they call it a CBT there are things for um it protects open space it helps cleanups for hazardous sites in New Jersey and as we know um we have a very large industrial Legacy in New Jersey and a lot of contamination um it also helps preserve farmlands historical preservations and open space environmental issues that's only a part of what the tax does um so if so once they roll that back every I think we're all oh it's part of uh I think Transportation all of our roads is funded by that our schools um so it's a lot of different things that are part of that taxes um so there's a lame duck session until early January so we're hoping um they had asked a lot of the environmental commissions if they would reach out to their mayor and councils to pass a resolution of which they had submitted um a sample resolution so I'm not sure if it's something that the mayor and Council would be interested to do um in order to be able to get Governor Murphy to rethink the taxes because um in 2014 we as tax we as voters actually approved a change in the New Jersey Constitution to add money that would add make it so that we preserve our open space and that money we I believe um agreed that it would come out of this fund this um corporate business tax so Patty this would not be uh something the council would debate under Robert's Rules we would do it during new business but but the coun but the council is free to ask you questions so does any member of council wish to ask a question about the request from the environment commission uh for a resolution for this corporate business tax all right um paty I I think I think that that it's not that they disagree I don't know if they agree or disagree but I think they they're they're they they understand it so Patty we think coming we congratulate the environmental commission and all the anary commissions and committees uh and for working with you and Boards uh Library board working with you and everyone else uh to make uh to give us this status of bronze certification we appreciate that well done thank you thank you it's a great way to see how many wonderful people there are in town doing lots of great things so thank you DPW included thanks oh yes of course oh my God they're big yeah they're a really big part of that so huge and painting of the and the police department painting and the auxilary police the painting of the uh of storm drains all right y thank you for coming uh we're going to move you out of panelist you're absolutely welcome to stay if you want as a participant but we're going to move you now out of pan panelist thank you Patty thank you all right uh we will now move to uh to open to public comments on any item of the agenda could I have a motion from councilwoman Montan Cohen a second from councilwoman canella to uh toh open to the public on the agenda Mo second all in favor please say I I there any opposed or any exstension hearing none it is unanimous we are now open to the public if the public would like to raise their hand we could uh um allow you bring you over be a panelist turn on your camera and let you speak council president do you see anybody do not all right could we have a motion to close to the public uh could we have a motion from councilwoman malari and a second from councilman Benson so moved second all in favor please say I I I I any oos or any exstension hearing none we are now up to appointments could I have a motion from councilwoman canella in a second from Council mineno uh once I finish reading into the record appointments and Personnel changes so to approve the salary change for Mark Ry Department of Public Works uh from laborer step two salary of 49,53 to equipment operator Step 1 62967 with with a six- months probation period effective December 11 2023 and approval the approve the salary change of uh Roger tar or tarpe uh Department of Public Works from General Repair step7 salary of $77,500 to uh laborer step 10 7878 effective December 11 2023 so moved second all in favor please say I I any opposed any exstension hearing none it is unanimous on the agenda we have monthly report uh Environmental Green Team land use land use St commission and tax collector they are all either from October or November any member of public would like a copy simply needs to contact the burrow clerk um second reading and hearing on ordinances in a moment could I to open to the public could I have a motion from Council marari in a second from uh councilman Benson to open to the public on the three ordinances I'm about to read into the record the following ordinance published here within were uh was first read by title only on November 27 2023 posted on the bulletin board outside of the clerk's office ordinance 23-24 an ordinance creating a new chapter in revised General ordinance of the burough River Edge entitled privately owned salt shed salt salt storage I'm sorry ordinance 2325 an ordinance amending and supplementing the revised General ordinance of the burough River Edge chapter 400 vehicles and traffic ordinance 2326 Bond ordinance to authorize the Improvement of Bulet Road Section 8 in by and for the burough of River Edge in the county of Bergen state of New Jersey to appropriate the the sum of $373,500 to pay the cost thereof and to appropriate a state Grant to authorize issuance of bonds to finance such appropriation and to provide for the issuance of bond anticipation notes in anticipation of the issuance of such bonds so mov second all in favor please say I I I any opposed any extensions okay Miss aola could you please uh give us a synopsis of for the Public's benefit of 23-24 25 and 26 absolutely ordinance 23-24 is required um of all municipalities to adopt by the Department of Environmental Protection for our Municipal storm water permit and we will have um other such um types of required ordinances in the New Year 2325 enacts um the parking restriction of prohibited parking on Summit Avenue during school days and hours as well as adding a stop sign on River Street and lastly 23-26 is a bond ordinance to finance bogert Road Section 8 we receive $249,250 to from the New Jersey Department of Transportation so the state Grant covers um construction costs and the burrow just has to pay um the soft cost meaning the engineering and traffic detail and um our intent is to bid section seven and eight together in early 2024 good so we're basically bonding in 2326 uh before they give us the grant we then do the work and they reimburse us yes um all state grants are done on a reimbursement basis so we're not really paying uh the public is not really paying 3 73,5 it's just we need to bond that until we get reimbursement yes the project can come lower and if the project comes lower so does the reimbursement from the state so ultimately uh it all depends when the project is completed and um the Chief Financial Officer handles that with Bond Council for permanent financing but that's several years down the road okay excellent if any member of the public who are participants would like to ask a question or make a comment um please feel free to raise your hand at this time council president I don't see anyone all right could I have a did I leave out uh could I have a motion from councilman Benson and a second from Council president Kaufman to close to the public so move counc president second all those in favor please say I I I okay could I have a motion from councilman kigo and a second from councilman marari to adopt ordinances 23-24 23-25 and 23-26 so second it is now open for debate is there debate on any of the ordinances does any member of council at this point wish to pull out for a separate vote uh any of the ordinances hearing none Madame clerk roll call councilman Cano yes council president cman yes councilwoman Montano Cohen yes councilwoman canella yes councilwoman Mal Larry yes councilman Benson yes okay okay before we move resolutions uh 23- 326 through 335 Miss aella can you speak for the Public's benefit to the change orders that are listed so that the public might understand what we're doing generally and why you don't need to get too specific um change orders happen during construction once a contract um is awarded based on a bid sometimes there are um changes in quantities addition work may have to be added additional materials or um the scope of the job um is done and there's actually less materials to be used so you have to do a change order whether it's an increase or a decrease and um this is required under local local Finance law and then the payment is adjusted as enumerated in the resolution what the original contract amount was and um the the amount of the change order the reason for the change order and um the updated price okay um the council has gotten this beforehand so they've had it for a couple of days does any member of council have a question they'd like to ask at this time about any of the resolutions before we move them councilwoman canel um just one question mayor um just more elaboration on 23330 um just a quick question on uh that that Amendment would increase much of uh the municipality's uh costs correct yes it um this would be a change to the workers compensation law particularly um the amount wed for attorneys fees and New Jersey already has um the highest workers compensation costs in the country so this would just be an additional financial burden on the taxpayer so um many municipalities if not all of them in the state of New Jersey are imploring our legislature to not adopt this um pending Bill okay thank you any other questions or inquiries all right could I have a motion from Council canella and a second from uh Council Montano Cohen to move resolutions 23- 326 to 23- 335 so mov second all in favor please say I I any opposed any extensions hearing none is unanimous council president Koffman would you please read into the record 23- 336 and would one member of the finance committee second payment of bills at a regular meeting of the mayor and Council of the burrow of Riveredge County of Bergen state of New Jersey held on December 11th 2023 be it resolved that the mayor own Council of the burough of Riveredge approve the following expenditures current fund 1,518 4798 Capital fund2 m1242 201651 Animal Control fund $215 62 trust other fund $2,500 payroll fund $1,569 developers escrow fund $25 $82.50 Recreation trust fund $17.91 so moved second all in favor please say I I I any opposed any extension heing none it is so moved okay we come to new business does the council wish to consider uh the Green Team suggestion at this time um if it does not the council simply remains silent okay is there any other new business or old business that the council would like to raise uh Miss appella yes I just wanted to give an update on the library project with respect to the generator um psng sent an inspector about two weeks ago and advise the contractor they need um to finalize the connection of the generator and get it running they have to patches they have to purchase Downstream Regulators to regulate the gas Downstream um the contractor is working with somebody very specific at PSC andj ordered The Regulators um and the this product should arrive within a week or so and once it's installed they could um schedule the startup of the generator and provide training to our our DPW on it as well as the library appella is there any other um updates on construction at this time no not at this time very good all right uh so what we're going to do now uh some flexibilities we're going to open to the public um with one exception we're going and then we're going to close to the public with one exception we're going to remain open to Beth Keno in fact Michelle would you please move Beth into a panelist position okay uh and Beth we're going to hold off on reaching out to you until after we close to the public okay um so is there uh so could I have a motion from uh councilman Benson and a second from Council president Kaufman to open to the public on any questions so moved second and first in line is Patty one second Patty I'm moving you over yes okay great okay this time you have to say your full name and address because you're speaking as a resident sure uh it's Patty Amberg I live at 659 fth Avenue um I would just gonna see if we could um ask a question uh we do a styrofoam collection and somebody had mentioned uh the possibility of doing a small scale one on January 6 and we would bring our styrofoam to the county styrofoam densifier which is currently housed in Ridgefield Park uh we would be able to actually um see how the machine is run um and we were wondering if it's possible to do that in that Community parking lot by the library and what we would need to do to um we would just be like a 2hour we're not looking for a a massive collection as it would just be a handful of us cing the materials the following day Miss Abella um that would have to be coordinated with our DPW and Library director since it's um for burough purposes um we're covered with our insurance it's just working with the departments on that okay so c um all in favor of allowing a uh a mini styrofoam collection for a well actually I need a motion from some member of council to allow for a mini styrofoam collection on January 6 2024 at a time to be uh to be determined uh in the parking lot adjacent to Memorial Park and the library so moved second it's been moved and seconded it is now open for debate comment or question is there debate comment question hearing none all in favor please say say hi hi hi all right Patty I got your your date thank you for doing that appreciate it P we oh you have something else I have one other quick thing um just as an environmental commission as we're kind of trying to uh look a little bit more into our responsibilities and our role in the town uh one of the things that they um suggest is you have a liaison to the land use board so I was wondering if that's something that the uh mayor and Council would consider looking into um in the we have a council member on the luse board uh it's been councilman Keno this year and next year I believe it'll be councilman glass and I'm on the land use board but are you ask so what what's what's recommended is to have an Environmental Protection commission member to be um like a Lea that sits on like we have um a shade tree person on our commission and a wreck person on our commission so um Miss appella and Mr sarlo would that require an ordinance change I I've seen it in the code I've seen that position codified that it's a a council member um serving on the land use and um an environmental commit or a council person on environmental commission but every municipality is different I defer to Mr sarlo yeah so mayor if I understand correctly they're not looking to be appointed to a voting member position they're looking to have a liaison but the liaison then would be sitting there asking questions of the applicant I don't know though if that would be I would rather if they want input on a application perhaps the planning board could send a copy of the plans to them and then they can maybe prepare a memo or put their comments to the planning board or zoning board ahead of time so like we do like other towns do with their Emergency Services Emergency Services will take a look at the plans and we'll you know take a look and and make comments whether the turning radius is accurate or so be it uh if you want you could do it that way uh not certain though you're going to be pointing a liaison that they're going to be sitting on the deis um as a as a a person they may can sit to the side you know what I'm saying yeah I'm concerned about uh asking questions also of the uh applicants uh there is a process and we certainly don't want to open ourselves up to a possible lawsuit depending on uh if there is opposition voiced by the liaison so uh but I think I hope uh that we might be comfortable with uh with what you suggest and that send a copy of the materials or or or for a copy of the materials to Liaison and that liaison then can write up a memo and share that with the um land use board president Mr sarla would that would that require a change in ordinance solution or would it just be something that the council could agree to now no it would be more of a just you know kind of a a directive or I mean again it would really be the planning board again they're an autonomous board right so it' be the planning board to say yeah we would like their input so it' really this request really should go to the planning board and be coordinated with the planning board Patty can you uh type up the request send it to miss appella uh she will then send it to uh Miss alter Edwin alter and he would uh put it on the agenda uh for the next meeting or if the next meeting's happening this week so it might not go on the agenda this it it might wait to January uh and then we can uh if the pl board is an agreement to a u input uh non partis non panelist input then um then it would go into effect next year okay great thank you and Miss appella you'll send that you'll send that to miss appella as a formal request yes cool okay great thank you all right so we're going to move you back into attendees does any other attendee wish to ask a question or make a comment all right um so we're going to close to the public with the exception of Beth Keno so could I have a motion to close to the public with the exception of Beth Keno so second it's been moved in second all in favor please say I I I I so um so now we we're going back to agenda item number seven Proclamation and awards plaque presentation to councilman Keno councilman Keno has served this um and I'm sharing my screen right now councilman kigo has served the burrow very well Dario how many years is it now um eight or so uh I'm just finishing up my seven so seven seven in total oh that's right because we we appointed you to your first right correct uh he's done a tremendous service to the town uh absolutely committed to doing the very best job and so we present this plaque to you I'm going to drop it off at your house um we're not in person so I can't give it to you so I took a picture of it uh and it says burrow River Edge Bergen County New Jersey 1693 presented to Dario Keno councilman 2018 to 2023 council president 2020 and 2021 in appreciation for your dedicated and valuable contribution to serve the best interest of the best interests of the residents of the burrow of of River Edge Thomas papalo and Council 2023 everyone a round of applause for councilman Keno now councilman Keno if you allow me I'm going to let you and Beth if she wishes to close out the evening the close out this portion of the session um I'm going to say a few words to start us off um Dario you honestly um never give less than 110% to everything you do it's amazing you you just um your commitment is always there you have offered thoughtful and wise uh direction to the council and um we will miss you and we appreciate and I personally appreciate everything you have done for the town and you have done for this Council um and uh we wish you well in the future and um if you wish to be appointed to something please let me know um and now what we'll do is uh if we're if it's okay we'll we'll start off with council president Kaufman and then we'll work by seniority okay sounds good councilman Keno you've done a fantastic job for the burough as council person during these last seven years and we are very thankful for that in particular I'd like to call out your efforts to make sure that the girls of Regal finally got improved fields at Roosevelt thank you so much for that also you accomplished a lot as council president for two years and with your work on the Personnel committee the land use board the legal and contracts committee the traffic and Safety Committee and the finance committee and many other departments that you were leaz on including fire this year we greatly appreciate your astute input into River edg's governance and we are going to miss you and wish you all the best in all that you do councilwoman mon S Cohen thank you mayor Dario thank you for over seven years of service to River Edge I personally will miss your wit passion knowledge and partnership enjoy the time you're getting back and hopefully you will be with us again sometime in the future um councilwoman canella thanks mayor um Dario I think you're one of those rare individuals who who grew up in a town went to school in a town then decided to um put all of your efforts and time a lot of time into um making the town even better so so that in itself is a massive accomplishment um you're I think that your uh being your running mate gave you a little bit more um knowledge about you and how much effort you go into everything that you do um your knowledge dedication and insight um to and for the council has it has been invaluable and I personally will miss you and we've not always agreed on everything but I know your your passion for this town is immense um so I want to wish you and your family um a good and wonderful future thanks for your service Council malari well it was a pleasure knowing you Dario and working with you even for a short time um it was I learned a lot uh from you and I wish you all the best happy holidays to you and your family and I'm really going to miss you but I'll see you around in town councilman Benson thank you uh Dario it's been a pleasure working with you over the past year though I never actually got to see you in person at a council meeting it's only been on Zoom uh but I've only known you for a year this is my first year and to be honest with you you've sort of served as a role model for me um I watch you in our meetings and many times I wish I had your insightfulness your humor your cordiality as well and all those things I watch and observed and say well I I hope in the future I can do it kind of like Dario did it so thank you for that and um I wish again you and yours all the very best and I look forward to working with you ongoing on whatever else you do here in Riveredge um I don't know coun glass or uh an or Lizette or Tom if you want to say anything you don't have to uh but uh you know if you'd like to please please feel free I will totally unprepared but Dario um I've only had the opportunity to be at these meetings recently for you know a short time but it only took a New York minute me to realize what value you've added and provided on this governing body so I will take that um as lesson learned as well thank you for your service so uh Miss no yes yes D Dariel thank you so much you've given me uh great counsel lot of humor you know pure honesty and a lot of background and insight it's been a pleasure working with you um my past three years with the Bur and as well working uh with Beth in my first year with the Burl and um I I'll greatly miss your leadership and your guidance um thank you than all right um be do you want to have uh dere it's the last word so do you have uh I don't know if you want to but you are free to if you wish sure um I'm not going to turn on my camera because I'm here with the kids and we're all kind of ready for bed but um we just wanted to say how proud We Are of Dario and I'm going to get choked up because I know that um this has been you know it's a long time to serve your community and um he has done it so very selflessly um and I know that you know we miss him when he spends all of these times um at meetings and all of the time that he has given to the burrow so we're very very very thankful that we're going to get that time back with him but I also know how badly and how much he's going to be missed his uh Insight is always something that I value everyone knows that so um I know how much other people will miss it because it is really he has a wonderful mind and um brings so much to everything he does he's always uh gives 100% of himself um so babe we love you um congratulations on a really amazing um career as a politician um and um we love you and uh dinner will be ready for you when you're done with your meeting do you guys have anything to say to death no we love you congrats honey all right um okay uh councilman Keno darl yes yes uh thank you all I'm I'm moved and it's um very touching and I appreciate all your words uh it's very kind bear with me I've got a statement I'm going to do my best um seven years is a long time you know to dedicate to doing anything and and and to uh working at your best uh or trying your best at least at all times to to do the right things um it has been an absolute honor serving the people of River Edge it's been a fantastic experience I've given of myself and in return I've learned I've gained knowledge invaluable experience I've made friends and I count you all amongst them uh and having you appre appreciation for the complexity of human beings in general uh I learn to be patient uh to live with frustration and that anything can be done with the right attitude the right team around you and with a lot of luck a lot of luck I've been a liazon to just about every commission committee Department in Riveredge uh I've been elected by the council very thankfully uh twice thank I'm thankful for being like twice to serve as council president which has been and is one of the greatest honors of My Life um I've worked uh early in the morning with the budget committee trudging into burough Hall at 7:30 in the morning on cold February mornings and March mornings on Saturdays uh with the rest of the council and the mayor and and a few uh brave souls who agreed to serve on the budget committee to make sure that every Pence every penny that is spent in the budget was reason it was necessary and it was accounted for uh I've served with Incredible passionate generous volunteers who give of themselves without ever asking for anything in return as we saw miss alberg here today telling us all about her service and other people's service that benefit everybody in in in our town uh I've interviewed helped to hire or helped to promote probably more than half of the River Edge police force I think we have uh excellent leadership now uh we have uh the the best rivered police force we've ever had I've been a liaison to the police for many years I got to work with both Chiefs and I've Just Seen uh what I think at least what I see is an improvement and just the attitude and everything seems a little better uh during our time I've worked hard to ensure that our record of commitment to resident safety uh continued to be Paramount we've put in eight or nine crosswalks with flashers at the different schools uh and uh dangerous intersections more will come uh look ultimately I'm just so thankful to everyone who uh voted uh for me who gave me the opportunity and the ability uh to not only fulfill a dream which is to have been elected to a a public service job uh but also to give back to my community uh now I'm just going to list uh some people I hope I didn't forget anybody but I'll do my best because I think all these people do deserve to be recognized uh because it really does take a village and anything that I was able to do was because of help from others so first and foremost Beth my family my mom who just passed away they've been such rocks in support to me I couldn't have done it without them uh I began my career because uh the chairwoman of the democratic committee put my name up to be somebody who might replace uh her when she suddenly quit Kathleen Murphy thank you uh to her uh then there were two people I'll talk about them later but uh they're very important and I'll address them in a second everybody on this Council uh who uh has been on this Council and I've served with uh I served with veto aquaa God Rest his soul he was a fantastic man I learned so much from him uh albart Loney fantastic individual still in town still serving still helping uh Mary Davis I couldn't say enough about her edmin yon Joe guder a friend uh who now I get to bike with a little more often because we'll have more time uh Michelle Kaufman you you're you're fantastic you give so much of yourself Lisa you know your your friend I treasure our friendship uh indir we worked uh together we ran together and yeah of course you know there's always going to be differences but I appreciate you uh claudiana Barry uh you're you're you're growing as a councilman I see it I appreciate everything you said bana I appreciate you too as well I don't need to Short Change you uh but I see that you know our future is bright you guys are doing great job and just you know remember the people are electing you they believe in you so believe in yourselves and do what you think is right and ultimately if you follow that you'll be fine um you know so many people uh in in the administration first and foremost uh lazette uh and an you two are just I I couldn't say enough about you guys you're you're fantastic Judy oconnell just retiring right now you deserve the best in retirement thank you for everything thank you for putting up with me being late to sign things and and not getting too terribly upset with me uh Chief Tom who who uh left us a couple years ago he was a great Chief and chief Walker who is tremendous in what he does and all all the excitement exuberance he brings to this position all the changes he's made for the betterment uh he's bringing us into the 21st century thank you the the RPD all the uh Patrol men and women all the sergeants lieutenants uh Captain Casey you guys are all terrific um the RF RFD right it's volunteers people who give up their time selflessly truly they risk their lives to to uh save us you know the Chiefs I've worked with uh obviously our our current chief GRE K uh just a just an amazing individual uh and Bill Sanders and and George O Connell the past Chiefs uh the new guard coming in Rob slosberg I mean I could I could name them all and they they give so much of themselves uh they really do they do so much for us uh the library board darl Daryl Connor um you know I I started as liaison there and kind of cut my teeth and you see the passion of these boards and and I really saw the love they have for the library and how they expand and what they do and they've done a tremendous job and they should be uh uh certainly commended Jason M or our DPW superintendent I was liaison to the super DPW for a couple of years uh he just gives I mean if somebody gives 110% of themselves I mean you know it's not technically possible but he does you know that's and he should be commended um all the members of all the boards I've served on the land use board that'll be my last meeting as a council person this Wednesday so I'll thank them individually but certainly the chair people there Chris gaslin before him Jim arilan uh they give them themselves and and they they work really hard the members of the traffic and Safety Committee I've been a member of that committee I think the entire time I've been uh on the council almost the entire time uh they do a lot of great work they really take their their their task seriously and and try to do best for traffic here in town uh obviously all the members of the budget committee I want to uh say thank you to Neil Carroll uh who uh works so hard for This Town volunteers on so many different levels and has for so many so many years it's individuals like him who just make this town uh move forward uh Tom sarlo your friend your Confidant uh you're an amazing attorney uh I think very big things are coming uh for you I really hope uh everything we've talked about comes true uh and I'm very fortunate to count you as a friend and I thank you uh uh Tom's wife uh Marie pepo who the chair woman of the rivered Democrats now and has been for many years uh puts up incredible candidates who are now sitting on on this Council uh who cared uh tremendously about the the town um and and uh certainly has given uh me and our candidates uh some great support and should be uh thanked uh I'm gonna also thank jool Lagana Lisa Swain and Chris Tully from the beginning they've been there uh and before uh Mr Tully was there it was Bob Gordon who was the senator and leg and Swain were the assembly people and I walked with them I marched with them um trying to get elected and they certainly helped and and continue to help the people of River Edge and and they should be uh thanked and certainly uh every chance you get vote for them uh and um I think I I named everybody but if I did it's not because I was not thinking of you I it's a an emotional time for me um thank you move to adjourn to the next meeting all right so uh so uh councilman Keno could I have a motion from you to go to close session 23-33 7 resolution to go into close session include the public Personnel njsa 10 colon 4-12 V8 police Lieutenant interviews for the last time so moved I have a second from anyone else second it's been moved and seconded for the Public's benefit we will not be coming back into public session because um we do not need to take action is that correct Miss appella yes that's correct so uh we will be adjourning the public session going into Clos session but we will not be returning to public session all in favor please say I I I any opposed any exstension we are adjourning the public meeting at this time thank you and good night okay could I have a motion to reopen the uh uh the public session the uh from a regular meeting December 11 2023 second all right um Madame clerk roll call please oh wait I'm sorry all in favor please say I I I Madame clerk roll call please councilman Keno pres council president calman here councilwoman Montano Cohen here councilwoman canella here councilwoman Mal Larry here councilman Benson here mayor papao here okay we are now back open for uh December 11th the uh chair recognizes councilman can you go uh thank you and thank you all for reopening it for just this very brief uh purpose uh in my closing remarks I mentioned early on that there were two people I was going to talk about later and of course I forgot uh in my emotions so uh the last two people and they're not the last they were they were first amongst uh who I have to thank uh are two individual who are so important to not only my career as a councilman but they became friends they became confidence uh we we have heads at times uh but we've always wanted the best for Riveredge and I have to thank Ellen bued uh former councilwoman former council president uh just a terrific uh individual uh and a Force for good here in Riveredge uh she has been missed in this past year and not to say that anybody who replaced her bar You' been great but her her her font of information and knowledge has been tremendous uh and last but not least mayor papalo you know when when uh I got elected I think I I talked about how important you were to uh my career and everything uh we've gone through together uh we were running mates as well uh one year we ran for Council together um I I first uhand knowledge I am a witness to your dedication uh to your absolute love for this town um again we may not always have agreed but I've always respected uh that you have truly wanted the best uh for Riveredge and have uh worked hard to get there uh you're always even tempered even keeled uh and I've seen you grow not only as a council person but I've seen you grow as a mayor uh really exponentially every year um and I think River Edge is in really great hands uh so thank you and and thank you uh to Ellen for everything you guys did for me uh for being there um and uh of course uh I'm not dropping dead hopefully uh knock on woods so I'll be around if you guys need anything want to bounce anything off I'm more than happy to be here for uh everybody uh thank you again and with that I move to closing meeting all right we have had a motion can we have a second second all in favor please say I I I thank you and you will be missed Dario good night I'll miss you all thank you good night