Tri everybody ready all right everybody thank you we're coming at a close at uh 6 4 p.m. Missy could you please please call the roll mayor n here council president McOwen present councilman beg Roberson here councilman Gman Council Del con here councilman quadron here cman kley here thank you uh Missy could you please uh do the changes we'll be adding one item on under resolutions on consent item K resolution number 91 adopting the fees and regulations pertaining to the Rutherford community garden and that's all I have thank you missy anybody else from the Council of anything seeing none I ask for um motion motion motion by council president I have a second second second by councilman Del Co any questions or comments the council see none may have roll call council president mwan yes Council beg Roberson yes Council Del con yes councilman quatron yes councilman kley yes thank you now we're going to move to hearing of citizens anybody wishing to speak please step up the microphone um state your name and address keep your comments at five minutes or less if you choose not to want to state your name you may sign the book Mr gun Charles Gun 19 Milton Court well I came with two things one is the followup with the American Legion postart 453 with the wall is my understanding that for some reason with the LA of material the wall was stopped approximately 20 months ago and no further action have been taken uh if they're waiting for material how can they get material or why is there a delay in the material and while they're waiting for material can they clear the land in preparation for when the material come but it seems like it kind a little awkward for not to receive material for 20 months the other thing I would like to have a speed limit sign on Milton Court speed limit 25 miles per hour when they come out out from Elliot plays they just see a straight shoot and lately they just speed faster and faster I realize that it's not our kids it's our grandkids thank you thank you Mr G anybody else from the public wishing to speak Mr Tomaso hi my name is Lois D Tomaso I live at 180 Mountain Way um I hadn't intended to come tonight but there were 170 planes over Rutherford yesterday a landing approach to Runway six and today there were 150 so I decided I would come and ask councilman Del con whether she's had any luck getting that meeting with the Port Authority that was question one the other thing I'm concerned about is the FAA has moved the control of New York airport flights to Philadelphia um Teterboro has always said that they don't control The Landing approaches to teer Bro Newark does does that mean I mean I know you don't know the answer to this I'm just asking kind of a just asking a question does that mean that control of the tibero flights are now going to be done out of Philadelphia I know that's a question for tanak Tan's meeting is next month and I plan to go but again I wanted to bring it up in case councilman Del con hasn't met with the Port Authority yet it's a question that could be added to the agenda because I'm a little concerned about that they don't I don't think the Philadelphia air controllers have any feeling for what it's like to live in Rutherford and have the constant air traffic that we have CU it's not just The Landings which are the noisiest but we have the takeoffs and we don't have Landings and we have the new Jets as well so anyway that's all and I just after all those flights the last couple of days I had to vent to someone so you're the lucky group so anyway thank you thank you Miss Tomaso and my house is on the outbound route so I I get it anybody else from the public wishing to speak seeing none I'm going to close it to the public and open up up for any Council con um anyone Council hi Miss Ste is this where oh there we go um my me my first meeting is tomorrow actually um it's a phone call with just one individual who wants to understand the breth of what our concerns are so I will add your uh recent concern about the offset from Newark and Philadelphia to that list um but that is not the meeting that is sort of an initial conversation to arrange for a meeting with the appropriate group so I should have more information by close of business tomorrow I hope um if you want to email me you know I'll answer so um we could talk about it further yeah thank you um B administrator yes Mr gun um yeah we had the burrow engineer out to your site when you were here uh two meetings ago um what we found out is that the uh the project manager that was responsible for that from his firm um whatever reason is no longer there and uh don't know why the project didn't get finished so we will have to re-engage uh you know the contractor or get another contractor to finish that project so uh they're working on the specs right now and we're trying to find a vendor to kind of finish that project for you but we have not forgotten it um when we identify that contractor that person will be responsible for at least clearing the site to make it uh in preparation for the uh you know the wall installation so we are working on it thank you anybody else from the public all right I'm I'm going to change protocol a little bit right now um two of our police officers are here so I'm going to just move to the promotions if that's okay with everybody real quick so they don't have to sit here and endure this and then we'll get back to our regular agenda all right ask for Council consent to promote officer Anthony Merlo to police sergeant in accordance with the rules and regulations of the New Jersey civil service commission effective April 1st 2024 i' ask for Council consent motion motion by council president may have a second second second by councilman Roberson any questions or comments by the councilman women men everyone see n may have a roll call council president mwan yes counc big Roberson yes Council Del con yes Council quatron yes councilman kley yes [Applause] okay uh next I have officer uh fanan I'd ask for councel consent I'm sorry uh i' ask for um Council consent to promote James vcan and police Sergeant accordance with the rules and regulations New Jersey civil service commission effect of April 1st 2024 may I have a motion motion motion by council president may I have a second second second by councilman Clon any questions or comments seeing n of roll call yes counc B Roberson yes counc Del con yes counc quatron yes councilman kley yes thank you congratulations [Applause] bu B you guys congratulations to the guns [Applause] guys consent council president thank you mayor um all items authorized to be sent by the council will be enacted by one motion these items are routine in nature motion I have a motion by the council president I have a second second second by councilman Robertson any questions or comments by the council see none M roll call council president mwan yes Council big Roberson yes Council D Co yes councilman quatron yes councilman kley yes thank you council president next we're going to move on first reading an ordinance uh this ordinance is to exceed the municipal budget and establish a cap bank for the year 2024 motion oh I'm sorry Missy can you read the ordinance by title only for count the year 2024 the ordinance to exceed the municipal budget appropriation limits and to establish a cap Bank thank you I'd like to make a motion to move that the ordinance be passed on first reading and advertised according to law I have a motion by the council president may have a second second second by councilman quatron any questions or comments by the council see none may roll call council president mowan yes councilman beg Roberson yes counc Del con yes counc clone yes councilman cley yeah thank you all right we have resolutions now separate from consent thank you mayor um as you can tell by the uh the next one that's coming up which is resolution number 90 is the beginning of our introduction to the budget um first I would like to take a moment and thank our burough administrator Bob keski and our CFO Gordon uh come on we'll wait wait go Stettler I know it's 10 years Gordon and it wouldn't be a budget hearing if I didn't say your last name wrong I'm so embarrassed uh Gordon no keep going away I'm I can't even I'm so embarrassed right now um first of all all joking aside outstanding work that were was led by both of you um and working closely with myself and and councilman Guzman who is second on finance um is a very difficult time um and and a lot of things are in flux and we knew that this was going to happen the years coming after covid uh managing different situations with um changes in Revenue right um having to do projects with infrastructure other operational costs um and ensuring that we have the employees that we need and then of course the changes um that are expected and unexpected and so briefly I just wanted to mention um some salable points of which I believe um Bob will lead in in this introduction as we go forward first um it is impressive that after the work that has gone into this that this year's budget will be introduced on the operational side at a 1.89% municipal rate um thank you both for understanding the importance of caring for the taxpayer dollars um this takes into account um fairly sign uh significant decrease in Revenue um which historically we've had um and and we've seen that shift postco and the fact that we we are able to um demonstrate our strength financially uh because we have been responsible for a number of years that have put us in a position to be able to not just withstand this but really advocate in the best interested taxpayer um some notable uh increases of which uh impact this tax rate um 40% increase in general liability insurance that's that's significant 40% increase and additionally over a 30% almost 33% % in increase in work workers comp um these are increases that are um every municipality is facing um and again the responsibility and the restraint I believe that you showed in this um this budget this year is incredibly notable what I am really proud of though and and you know it's not the the thing that jumps off a spreadsheet but I want to make sure that my colleagues up here have great appreciation for um we have been able uh to continue our payments with Debt Service uh because we have planned well in advance we've really been able to stabilize that process um when it's not stable you see those Jagged um hikes you feel that the taxpayer feels that and what we pay the fact that we have planned appropriately even as we've fixed our infrastructure and we have moved forward with these larger scale projects um we've really minimized the impact to the taxpayer in this way and so um as a taxpayer myself I want to extend my heartfelt thank you for that without further Ado um resolution number 90 introducing the calendar year 2024 Municipal budget motion I have a motion by the council president I have a second second second by Council Roberson any questions or comments by the council um B administrator do you care to to share a few words or will you save that for your presentation thank you council president uh I'll I'll save it for the presentation later during this uh budget season uh but the plan is uh to have a a public hearing on the budget at the second meeting in April uh at which point if authorized by the state we will seek to adopt the budget on that date thank you Bob mayor any other questions may I have a roll call please council president McOwen yes Council B Roberson yes Council Del con yes councilman quatron yes councilman kley yes next is resolution number 88 authorizing the settlement agreement number one with a burrow employee pertaining to the employees employment motion I have a motion by the council president may have a second second second by councilman Dory con any questions or comments by the council see no May roll call council president mcowan yes Council beg Roberson yes Council Del con yes councilman quatron yes councilman kley yes next is resolution number 89 authorizing settlement agreement number two and general release with a burrow employee pertaining to the employees employment motion I have a motion by the council president m second second second by councilwoman Roberson any questions or comments by the council see n man have roll call council president mwen yes councilman beg Robertson yes Council dely con yes counc cotrone yes councilman kley yes um next up we have a new business discussion to change in time I'll leave it to council president thank you mayor um there is uh obviously we are scheduled to begin at our normal time time of 6:30 on April 8th 2024 uh this year the Women's Club um is hosting um a dinner to celebrate uh a very Monumental uh Milestone I believe it's 135 is 30 or 35 it is 135 um it is a significant um achievement in this community um and I believe I it was shared with me the other night that of those 135 years I believe they've it's it is 130 thank you thank you councilwoman thank you from the folks in the back um wait I was wrong yes you are sorry mayor um but I'll I'll since I'm the one who said it I will I will admit my my mistake on that um they'll be here for 135 and 140 and 150 quite frankly so it's it's indifferent but nonetheless um the fact that uh they have um been a Cornerstone of this community I would like to ask my Council colleagues and mayor you as well um to move the start time of this meeting on Monday April 8th 2024 to begin at 5:00 p.m so that we would be able to attend and represent the burrow um for this event and I'm curious to see how my colleagues may receive that information thank you councilwoman council president my apologies um I and we'll ask now for a vote I I'm I certainly have no problem with going to a motion I just wanted to ensure that my colleagues felt okay with the change as a discussion item then we don't need to go to V good okay we have to make a motion to get do okay correct so uh okay I make a motion uh to begin the April 8th 2024 council meeting uh at an amended time of 5:00 pm motion motion is that Easter Standard time or second second by councilman Del con any questions or comments by the council see May roll call council president McOwen yes Council beg Roberson yes counil Del con yes Council quatron yes councilman kley yes thank you um next up we're going to start we'll move to the committee reports council president I'm just feel like I'm just going to keep going okay um so uh under my Council uh committee liaison reports tonight again um we introduced our Municipal budget uh on the great work I mentioned the B administrator and our CFO I also want to acknowledge the department heads uh there's a lot asked of these department heads when they come in they make recommendations they're asking for um uh different projects that they want to see through and and um I I don't know every year I'm I'm always so incredibly appreciative that they are willing to work with us um to make sure that we spend our taxpayer dollars wisely and so um thank you uh for for that a gentle reminder there is an access for all uh committee meeting that is uh this upcoming Monday and um and there are some amazing events that are taking place um at the Kip Center uh as I conclude my remarks for my liaison assignment I want to uh just take a moment of privilege um you know March is coming to a close uh the month of March and the month of April acknowledge two things that are very very near and dear to the mwan family um the month of of March recognizes developmental disabilities awareness uh March 21st was the recognition of uh Down syndrome awareness um as an advocate as an advocate I would uh call upon members of this community um that I think have been some of the greatest Champions and support that I've known to really move past awareness to be honest I'm really sick of people being aware um I am I am demanding quite frankly that the people in my life and in this community and the people around me that we move past awareness and we start thinking about inclusion and advocacy and acceptance um and finding incredible ways to engage the developmentally disabled community not just children but adults they deserve to work they deserve to live and they deserve to have Independence and then I will end this with April is around the corner um and April is historically known uh for recognizing uh Autism Awareness um you know it's very popular it's very trendy to say light it up blue and I know we are Bulldog blue and I appreciate that going to challenge us to think about maybe the color red right it's call to action um and again um these are really changing the landscape um we've never been afraid or shied away from it you know 10 years ago we started this conversation mayor in March about access for all and I'm so proud of what we've done um but I'm not tired and I don't think we should be finished thank you thank you thank you next up uh councilman Robertson okay so um I want to thank the recreation department for the hard work they put into the Easter egg hunt every year that is an event that people clamor to go to and there's only enough space there only enough eggs you know there's only enough field and it always ends up to be a wonderful event it's always a cold day I don't know why it's always a very cold day but I definitely want to thank direct department and all the hard work they're putting into the preparation for summer camp summer is around the corner and they are thinking about staff they're thinking about salaries they're thinking about a lot to make sure our children are prepared for the summer and I want to thank councilwoman mcgaan for um council president Macwan for the speaker series that she put on um last week she brought some really um powerful women together and had a wonderful panel discussion and I call it a speaker series because I think it's going to be a series it's not the last one it's one of many so I just want to thank you for bringing so many women together um it was just a really powerful event and that is it for me thank you thank you uh mov on to councilman Guzman who's not here but I believe he has a prepared statement for the council president to is also second on police uh that is correct thank you um uh I'm reading um a statement from councilman Guzman mayor my esteemed Council colleagues and residents of Rutherford during the last mayor and council meeting residents spoke of their deep concern regarding vehicular safety and pedestrian safety around the schools this governing body could not agree more with the voiced concerns our children School staff crossing guards visitors residents living in the parameters of our school and all Rutherford residents deserve a safe school zone after the meeting I asked our burough administrator Bob keski and chief of police John Russo to conduct an overall review of safety around all of the Bro schools this review was not limited to vehicular violations as it also included a review of signage yellow curb and crosswalk conditions within days of my request Chief Russo and his team presented the burrow administrator and me within detailed study of a current conditions around the schools and suggested remedies as a result of the report the ruford police department will be strategically going to each school zone to enforce violations any violation observed whether it is parking or moving will be enforced these strategically planned Traffic Safety enforcement days will be unannounced but easily recognizable these measures are solely to enhance driver Behavior around our schools and increase the safety of every child in the burrow parking reminders number one no parking within an intersection number two no parking in front of a driveway number three no parking 50 ft from a stop sign number four no parking facing the opposite direction number five no parking 25 ft from an intersection and number six no double parking in furthermore the Rutherford police department has made recommendation of the following and will be working with our burrow administrator and other burrow departments to accomplish all schools repainting the yellow no parking zones with striped rectangles into the roadway add additional stop signs 14 in total stop ahead roadway painting or signage repaint yellow curbs add pedestrian crossing signs 10 in total refresh painted crosswalks trim trees in any obstructed view areas the burrow will also be looking into the possibility of installing a few light up solar powerered stop signs as residents we must do our part in creating safer school zones please let's all slow down observe signage and restrictions our children deserve this I'd like to thank our B administrator chief of police and the Rutherford Police Department for their Swift dilig diligent study and recommendations since sincerely councilman Guzman um although I I know many people up here know this this was in direct response to the hearing of citizens and several people who had reached out um and uh the councilman is unable to be with us tonight because he is with his daughter who is accepting her College um her College Choice which I will not spoil in case there's some big reveal forthcoming um but I appreciate his excellent work thank you for letting me read that thank you council president councilwoman Del re con thank you mayor um for the Green Team I just wanted to uh remind the community that we're on the impetus of some fun stuff about to happen um on tonight's agenda was a resolution approving uh funding and allowing us to move forward with uh having residents participate in the community garden so I encourage you to do that and reach out to the Green Team if you have any questions also uh just under a month from now on April 20th is the Arbor Day tree Fest which is a an event that is really wonderful in Lincoln Park I believe it's from noon until 5:00 p.m. there will be crafts and educational materials and a lot of other good stuff related to sustainability and the environment um there's also typically a town cleanup before a tree Fest I have to confirm that's happening I don't see why it wouldn't be but um please keep an eye out for that um I want to Echo councilwoman beg Roberson's remarks about the event that was take took place uh last week in honor of women's History Month um I really can't overstate what a beautiful job the council president did in putting that together and choosing speakers we had students from Felician we had members of the community we had members from outside the community and it really stirred something very beautiful and educational among what was a far larger group of women than I expected um so I was pretty pleasantly surprised and I'm hopeful that means next year we will need a bigger room um and finally um upon hearing councilman Guzman's letter about pedestrian safety safety and with regards to school safety um being a newer council person I often hear you know who comes to those meetings and does anyone watch those meetings and um I know that the audience seems scarce but it makes me happy to know that when you do come to us There is almost always a response and some action um and I think councilman Guzman's uh answer to that issue that was raised by our residents um is a good example of that I'm not saying it's the answer you want necessarily but it is an a strive we strive to um get you some results so I'm really proud of the speed with which um our burough department heads and our burough administrator and councilman Guzman um sought to remedy that concern thank you councilwoman quat thanks mayor I just want to recognize once again the Rutherford public library and its supporters for a wonderful event this past weekend that many of us were able to attend I'm running out of superlatives to describe the manage the excellent management of the library but I will just say that the Honore again as I've mentioned before was Dan Meredith who runs very active Chamber of Commerce in town and he was the perfect Honore for a couple reasons one is because he's as humble and hardworking as the library itself so I think he's like perfectly enigmatic of the library and he it he also represents the incredible collaboration between the the businesses in town and the library and just how incredibly suppor of businesses and individuals are of this Library I think senator Paul sarlo said it best last year when he said he's he's been to a lot of Library events and he's never seen like the glamor and the excitement and the celebration that he sees in town here so it's it's really quite exceptional so once again kudos to the library and its supporters thank you councilman councilman kley thank you sir uh real quick tip of the hat to Dan Meredith the Honore I apologize for not being able to attend this year just aligned with a an annual trip I have um on a very nice bright note in this spring month uh the art committee B youth art month banners will be installed within the next I would say 10 days to two weeks we have 62 submissions uh everything from every age ranging from uh 3 years old to 17 years old and every medium you can imagine so keep your eyes up in Skyward as you walk down Park Avenue uh in the coming weeks in this beautiful spring thank you thank you councilman I want to ask you how the trip was in the rain but I'll wait till later um yes council president you did a phenomenal job um Kim thank you for helping her you guys did a great job and I'm sure the council um dely Co will be impressed I'm sure you guys will make it a lot bigger next year um Missy did a great job my I'm sorry Margaret scandin was a great contributor to the egg hunt uh this weekend um Gordon you did a great job Bob not I can say I mean there were a lot of outside factors that the uh council president was being very polite about regarding um other entities that are not the chamber that have influence over our budget so again I truly appreciate all your guys hard your hard efforts um I'll move on now to to um the next thing I have is the summer daycare staff the attached memos I would ask for Council consent motion motion by council president May a second second second by councilwoman quatron any questions or comments by the council see n every roll call council president mwan yes Council beg Roberson yes Council Del con yes coun quatron yes councilman kley yes thank you uh um now I'm going to open it up for uh the hearing of citizens for agenda items and agenda items only anybody there's nobody here for the public see n m roll call I'm sorry seeing none I'll open up for councel count comments say none we're g to move on war some first read Council and Del Ray con thank you mayor I'm just pulling it up yes thank you thank you um ordinance on first read I'd like to briefly explain the ordin ordinance which is a storm water management salt storage chapter 107e Missy would you please read the ordinance by title only in order to amend chapter 107 of the burrow code to add section 107e to regulate privately owned Sal storage in the Bor raford thank you I'd like to make a motion to move that the ordinance be passed on first reading and advertised according to law motion I have a motion by Council Del come have a second second second by council president any questions or comments by the council see n Moll call council president McAn yes counc B Roberson yes counc Del con yes counc mad coun mogley yes thank you we're going to move on to ordinance on second second reading Recreation councilwoman Roberson okay so I have an ordinance on second reading amending the salary ordinance for sumay Camp staff um Messi will you please read the ordinance by title only and ordinance to amend and supplement ordinance number 34716 adopted on November 28 2016 ordinance number 341 18-17 adopted April 10 2017 and ordinance 351 18-20 adopted on June 24th 2019 and entitled an ordance regulating the employment tenure and discharge of certain officers and employees of the burough of Rutherford under the provisions of the civil services Act of New Jersey thank you um I make a motion that the ordinance be passed on second reading and advertised according to law I have a motion by Council Rober may have a second second second by councilman quatro now I'm going to open this up to the public for any public comment on this subject matter and this subject matter only seeing nobody here but Gordon I'm going to close it to the public and now open it up for any Council consent uh comment sorry seeing none oh Kim did you want to say anything seeing none I'm going to close to the public and open up for any Council comments seeing none a roll call council president mcowan yes councilman B Roberson yes Council Del con yes councilman quatron yes counc yes okay um I will now take a motion to adjourn motion motion by council president all