thank you everybody Welcome to the first regular monthly meeting the mayor and Council being held at the ruford police headquarters 18 Donaldson Avenue Monday November 13 2023 starting at 6:30 p.m. May I have a roll call please miss mayy noot here Council M cley here Council mcowan presid counc B Robertson here counc Guzman here counc here C quadon here thank you and if you're willing and agle could you stand salute flag thank you flag United States of America stands na indivisible Miss could you please read the provisions of the open public meetings act in compliance with the open public meetings Law chapter 231 public laws of 1975 notice of this meeting was transmitted to the record and Herald news and filed with the bur clerk on December 21st 2022 and June 22nd 2023 and is posted on the bulletin board outside of burrow Hall thank you missy we'll now have the burrow Engineers report Brian thank you mayor uh just want to give you an update on the Jackson and Erie traffic signal uh we talked to the county uh last week and we'll be finishing up the bid documents for to put them on the bid schedule for early next year uh so we just had to uh straighten out some RightWay issues with the former uh uh train tracks which is now becoming part of the linear Park uh that we had uh understand what impact that had with respect to open space and using that as part of the roadway and we're coming to a conclusion on that so we're looking forward to getting that bid and hopefully in construction uh early spring or if we have to take a pause after school like when school's over if that might be a better way of doing that after spring spring Sports uh other than that we have um we open the bids for the road um 2023 Road program we had the pre-construction meeting with the contractor and uh we were hoping they can get some concrete work done this um winter but the contractor was delayed on other projects and doesn't have any concrete Clues to start that work so all that will start in the spring uh and we put in for the Burrows uh reimbursement from NJ do was a 75% because we met all the conditions to get your 75% reimbursement up front uh so that's where we are with that and we've been supporting your grant writers and some numerous uh grants uh I think the next one uh is to support Memorial Field and we work working on that and uh other than that we wrapped up on a lot of the construction projects for this season uh and we're WRA now we're going after the money for those projects for the various agencies like NJ doot cdbg or uh whatever money we have left in our Green Acres for other projects that's all I got anybody uh from the council have any questions I have a question thanks Brian um so since we only just now got bids in October for the roadway improvements so what is the timing for that so uh typically um weather breaks on or about uh like the second week in March if if it's not a bad winter we get going with the concrete uh some tree management and then we take it from there uh curves and sidewalks and most likely pave in June that's been that's that's the schedule and hopefully we can uh railroad that with the 2024 Road program so it's one cycle that will seem like a seamless project all throughout that's what we're hoping to do for next year so to sort of catch up yes okay uh but we did pave uh it took me nine years to get Union a page so and that started with the Ada ramps we had design them all and they took him back and they put him in the bid and then uh we were able to manage that so uh we were happy we got that there that was a long-term project you good Chris thank you yeah anybody else um the only thing I would add is um are we going right just real quick so the compliance that we're going to need for the cross walk for the um Rails to Trails uhuh U they're going to grade that roadway down correct is that going to be an issue for the light well for the light it you know because it's um it's awkward if it's a stop control but if we rely on the light it's similar to the grades I don't know if you have Costco and Clifton when you come up from Costco and you go up the hump it's similar so it's the grades aren't a preclusion I'm going to try and lower it and and make more of a platform at the intersection but because I have a traffic signal that if I give the traffic signal uh a good Vision Line when you're coming in from East Rutherford uh going Southbound that's not a fatal flaw for the interception okay actually it's better suited for traffic signal because you're controlling the right away green you go green red you that up there all right thanks I'm trying to avoid that because that's a major cost item too okay thanks thank you Brian now we're going to move on to a Clos session we have a legal update tax appeal um can I have a motion to go on to close motion motion by council president may have a second second second by councilman guzon any questions or comments by the council can read the resolution whereas the open public meetings act requires that a public body adopted resolution at an open meeting before going into a closed session to discuss the matter which exclude the public as permitted under Section 7B now therefore be it resolved that the mayor council will hold a closed meeting at 6:37 p.m. on November 13 2023 18 dson Avenue to discuss the following matter legal update tax appeal egdc roll call roll call please councilman kley yes Council mcowan yes councilman B Roberson yes counc Gman yes Del con yes Quon yes thank you action can that's why you come up front as opposed to the end and we would say that e Monday what Monday or Friday okay oh than thank you e e e for for for e e e e e for e e for e e for spe spe spe upper Jack upper Jack you have a motion to go back in open motion second the councilman guzon all in favor Chang yes on page three under Finance we'll be adding item e the resolution authorizing the egdc property tax appeal settlement and that's all I have can I have a motion please to accept the item e motion motion by Council McAn have a second second second by council president any questions or comments see number roll call councilman C yes counc McAn yes B robers yes counc Gman yes counc Del con yes councilwoman Quon yes thank you uh did anybody else have my apologies anybody else have anything wanted to add okay thank you all right we'll move on to council president council president oh I'm sorry sorry sorry sorry hearing hearing of citizens anybody wishing to speak from the public please step forward to the microphone state your name and address keep your comments at 5 minutes or less should you choose not to want to State your address or name you may write it in a book okay hello I'm uh Ryan green uh I live on 12 Carlton Place uh I'm here to request a noise ordinance test on our property uh and I I want to share some concerns I have about the wetherford Car Wash uh to all as one of the neighbors is a my first time doing a public hearing so it's a little intimidating uh so uh yeah I I want the um I'm I'm requesting a no noise ordinance because um um the noise that uh we've been able to record in um our backyard uh is uh like 90 DB and I think the town's ordinance is 65 um so I think it'd be important to make sure you know it's correct um uh yeah uh when I'm in my backyard usually um when a car is being blown from the fans of the car wash uh it can um if if I'm there I have to speak kind of loudly which makes it kind of hard um you know just doing stuff I I like to Garden in my backyard and um it makes it difficult or kind of unpleasant because I I can't really uh you know it's super noisy um yeah we've uh we we've tried to talk to um the car wash um the owner of the car wash business um and uh we sent him letters and stuff but there's uh nothing's happened so uh yeah just looking to um see if there's anything that the town can do with the noise uh pollution issue um yeah and and I've been doing a little bit of research kind of uh uh seeing like uh what the car wash is allowed to do because um I don't know how many people uh remember this or are informed about it but um it was uh where the car wash was was once a EPA site so um it had to go through a certain kind of planning um process with the EPA and um when I was looking at the stuff what I saw was that uh it was made to just be like a handwashing service not to have the machines uh a part of it you know the issue I have is the um the like kind of blaring um air air uh blowers um so yeah I I'm not sure if that's a part of it I mean I don't want to I you know I I've only done so much research obviously so um yeah I I think that would be important uh obviously like there's some other issues uh there's like littering issues which uh you know it's on Jackson in Eerie Avenue which is uh where the community garden is um I've found like linear kind of uh on the side of the street kind of where um me and some of the other neighbors are um so yeah and that's just some issues and uh with the town I I I think it'd be important to um make sure that uh the noise pollution is under certain um rances um so that's why I'm requesting for the town to um do a test okay um and I haven't done this before so we'll see if anybody else wants to speak and then we'll answer you it's public speaks first and then we answer the public okay thank you anybody else from the public wishing to speak so Christine Leno uh 12 C in place also um just making a mention that it's not uh specifically uh our house alone um we do have a house on the corner that has little children um and the noise is deafening um so if I'm in the middle of my backyard it's can raise up to well beyond uh 93 DB at times and that's in the backyard behind a fence behind trees uh and then up actually raised up so so that's pretty considerable and the noise actually my house like kind of shakes a bit um when it comes on in the morning they start uh blowing about uh 7:45 in the morning um the property and then they're up at uh they start at 8:00 in the morning and they don't finish until 6:00 p.m and that's seven days a week so um it pretty much takes over uh the property for the whole day period for the whole summer so uh we didn't we didn't do anything in this in the backyard and I know our other uh family members feel the same on the on our side of the block as well so that's all I have Chris you you said blowers are you talking about like the blowers that drive the cars or is it they have those big leaf blowers so two of those go on in the morning uh I don't know between 6 730 7:45 is they go on I guess to blow the property from all the litter and whatnot okay I don't need okay I I think see this is why I wanted a clarification I wasn't sure if you meant like the air blowers from the no no those come on at 8 in the morning got it thank uh okay we're going to close it to the public and now open it up for any Council resp response council president anything else um I uh Bob is this something that we can just request to have a a noise test done in that location specifically and um so I guess my question is twofold one um about compliance regarding our ordinance and what time you're allowed to be using blowers Etc and then the second part which is the all day noise and and the deciel readings how do we go about that so so there's two approaches here one um I'll have code enforcement go down there and pay a visit to them and and educate them on the uh the proper time that uh the the the leaf blowers are allowed to be turned on I believe that might be 8:00 in the morning 7:30 7:00 or 6:30 way too early uh with regards to the constant noise um we might have to reach out to the uh Department of Health the buron county department of health uh we do not possess a decel meter uh we'll have to seek uh some assistance from them in terms of enforcement with that if that's an issue um and we I believe we do have a noise ordinance I think you referenced it um and so uh once we get information from the county I know the police does not have that device and I know our health department doesn't have it so we'll reach out to the county and see what uh assistance we can get from them and uh and I'll even ask our our code enforcement to look at was the Landscaping changed in any way over the years the initial approval probably required some buffering I wonder if anything has changed that now has allowed that that uh noise to become more of an issue U recently as opposed to in the past um but we'll look at different approaches and see what we can do for you anybody else from the count Council any comments seeing none I um Chris I I also know somebody that lives in town that does this for a living so I'm going to ask him if he could uh maybe look into it for us as well so um we will um if you would I'm going to get in touch with you uh we'll keep you posting We have no presentations evening counc president thank you mayor first I'd like to approve the regular meeting minutes of October 23 2023 absent Council woman McAn Roberson and Quon motion motion by council president may have a second second second by councilman Guzman any questions comments by the council see n call councilman kley yes Council MCW abstain counc big Roberson abstain counc Gman yes CC D yes CC qu obain next thank you mayor next um next is next is a discussion regarding the best practices checklist Bob can you lead us in that discussion please thank you council president so the um the municipal best practices uh inventory is a a process started several years ago by the state of New Jersey to assess municipalities compliance with the uh various laws and uh evaluates the implementation of various fiscal and operational best practices um you know they have a a a series of 60 some odd questions some are applicable the municipalities some are not um but they they they require a certain amount to uh be compliant with uh failure to comply or to uh reach the stated goal uh will impact uh the municipality's fourth quarter state aid uh that we all rely upon for our budget uh so in 2023 I I am happy to report uh Buford has more than uh uh met our minimum requirements uh we have uh we will ensure uh state aid for the burrow in 2023 U the the burrow the the minimum score had to be a 29 uh the burrow is at 34 A2 uh as I said a lot of the questions are were not applicable so we we did very well this year and um you know I thank you for allowing us to uh you know establish certain policies in order to maintain this high standard uh any questions I will certainly take them um but I thank you know our department heads and our CFO for ensuring that uh the burough is very transparent and uh is following the best practices as recommended by the state of New Jersey thank you Bob um mayor I just want to Echo um Bob's sentiments about the commitment by a department heads um and certainly by um Bob and Gordon um for their due diligence um and assisting Us in establishing and uh executing policies that enable the buau to um demonstrate Excellence on the best practice checklist so I would just want to extend my appreciation thank you uh consent agenda thank you thank you mayor all items authorized to be consent by the council will be enacted but in one motion these items are routine in nature motion motion by council president M second second second by Council Del Co any questions or comments by the council see none may roll councilman kley yes councilman mwan yes councilman big Roberson yes councilman Gman yes counc con yes Council yes thank you now move on committee reports councilwoman president thank you mayor first I'd like to move resolution number 233 authorizing an amendment to the grant agreement between Rutherford in the state of New Jersey and the Department of Environmental Protection motion motion by council president M second second second by Council Quon questions or comment by the council none Moll call councilman kley yes counc McAn yes big yes mman yes counc Del con yes counc Quon yes next I like to move resolution number 238 authorizing the transfer of funds motion motion by council president may have a second second second by Council Roberson any questions or comments by the council see n r call councilman kley yes counc McAn yes counc big Roberson yes counc Gman yes counc Del con yes counc Clon yes next I like to authorize neglia engineering to perform construction management services for the 2023 Road program in the amount of 8,700 motion motion by council president May a second second second by councilman Guzman any questions or comments by the council see none may have roll call councilman kley yes counc McAn yes counc B Roberson yes coun Gman yes counc Del con yes counc Quon yes thank you next I'd like to move resolution number 239 granting release of a performance Sor Bond and stabilization Bond number b125 3681 in the amount of [Music] 43,6 to18 Park urban renewal LLC 1200 Avenue at Port Imperial Le hawen motion I have a motion by the council president may have a second second second by councilman Robertson any questions or comments by the council see M call councilman kopley yes counc mcowan yes counc B Roberson yes counc Gman yes counc Del Co yes yes mayor um under my leison assignments I want to uh mention that uh 55 Kip Center is currently um in their Festival of trees and wreaths please come by and visit um and they're also doing a fundraiser on December 1st call uh I can't remember what it's called but it's um FAL tree n it's a cocktail something or other um Mixology Mixology um it's a a blast I strongly encourage everybody to come uh tickets do sell out so please get them quickly and finally uh mayor I just want to congratulate you on your reelection to the burough as mayor and thank you for your continued service um and I I see that I was remiss and left off one resolution so I just want to keep going mayor if you don't mind of course I'd like to move resolution authorizing the egdc property tax appeal in the of R motion motion by council president May a second second second by Council woman quatron any questions or comments by the council same n call coun kley yes coun McAn yes c b Roberson yes coun mman yes coun de con yes C Clon yes thank you mayor and and forgive me I'm sorry I forgot that part but uh I also want to congratulate uh my Council colleague Matt kley on his re-election as well thank you thank you councilman guzar please thank you very much mayor first up I uh like to ask for authorization to request certification of promulgation of the new police officer Civil Service list I have a motion motion I have a motion by councilman Guzman may have a second second second by council president any questions or comments by the council seeing none I'd ask that councilman uh Guzman say promulgation again promulgation i' ask for all councilman kley yes Council McAllan yes counc B Roberson yes counc MC Gman yes councilwoman Cohen Council qu yes anything else sir of course uh in police news I uh in late October the police department took uh held Pro um excuse me operation takeback which is prescri prescription drug takeback event which yielded 22 pounds of prescription drugs surrendered uh thank you very much chief for your efforts there um that was the police department's last um uh time taking uh an by annual give back part being part of the event um because our Police Department was uh is gracious enough to put their efforts forward and secure our own box so that um our residents will have more better access to dropping off the prescription drugs uh the Box will be in place uh by early next year thank you that's all I have thank you sir Public Works councilor thank you mayor I uh first have resolution number 235 Award of contract for DPW staff uniforms to unifer Corporation in an amount not to exceed $30,000 motion I have a motion by councilwoman Del con May second second second by councilwoman Roberson any questions or comments by the council see councilman kley yes counc McAn yes big robton yes counc Gman yes counc Del con yes yes thank you I also have resolution number 237 authorizing the sale of surplus personal property no longer needed for public use on an online auction website motion motion by Council woman Del R col I have a second second second by councilman Guzman any questions or comments by the council see no m M cley yes coun McAn yes c b Roberson yes coun McMan yes C Del con yes C madon yes anything else counc yes mayor um I just wanted to Advent again thank our veterans um council president and myself and uh councilman Guzman had the honor of attending the veteran ceremony on Saturday for Veterans Day um for anyone who doesn't know and I think there are probably a lot of residents who don't know um there are monuments in Lincoln Park to all of our significant um conflicts in the world where we had veterans fighting um and it's worth taking a look um we were had the honor of um being with Mr gun and others to travel through the park and read essays written by Juniors at Rutherford High School about those respective Wars and what we sacrificed for them so um again if you have the opportunity to take a look at the memorials um you won't be disappointed it was a really a beautiful beautiful ceremony um I'm very grateful to have attended um with regard to the Green Team um I'm super excited that tomorrow I will be going to a lunch in for sustainable Jersey to collect our silver Commendation um for our efforts for the Green Team um and I just thought I'd share anecdotally that I was um a very good friend of our buau is Mayor the mayor from Patterson who was bragging a little bit about the fact that his that he's getting a silver commendation and I pointed out to him that his silver Commendation was secured by employees and our silver Commendation was secured by volunteers so I think it's worth noting that our Green Team um is purely volunteer um to get the Sustainable New Jersey silver commodation is a tremendous amount of work Gathering a tremendous amount of information from the bureau so I will be very proud to represent them tomorrow um and get their plaque updated for this year and that's all I have thank you thank you councilman councilman kley thank you sir would like to ask for support on resolution number 234 authorizing fire engine refurbishment change order number eight in the amount of $821 motion motion by councilman Co May second second second by councilman Quon any questions or comments by the council see none may roll call councilman kley yes counc McOwen yes counc big Roberson yes counc kman yes Council Del con CC yes thank you all uh moving forward resolution number 236 authorizing 2023 Fire Department uniform allowances motion a motion by councilman C have a second second second by councilman Roberson any questions or comments by the council see number roll call councilman kopley yes counc McAn yes counc B Roberson yes counc cman yes coun de con yes counc yes thank you all um just in quick closing speaking of another group of volunteers I want to commend Matt akman and the Arts committee on their exemplary uh Grand porch Fest I'd like to thank councilwoman Del Ray con for the use of her home and and many others in town who volunteered their time and energy was absolutely a fantastic day the weather cooperated everyone moved along quietly and seamlessly for the most part uh thank you to RPD and everyone else who contributed for the Safety and Security of all of our residents so Matt again hat tip to you and uh your entire team thank you all for the hard work and uh just in closing council president and mayor congratulations it was a pleasure spending the last eight weeks with you off and on uh but we did it so thank you again for your support and your two delig and wisdom I appreciate it thank you sir councilman C thanks mayor I have nothing on my committee assignments but I do just want to put a word in about elections and veterans um as was mentioned there was an election last week and congratulations for me also to my colleague the mayor and the council like my fellow council members I think it's a beautiful thing that election day and Veterans Day are on in the same week and sometimes I think they should be on the same day I think that veterans are most courageous citizens they sacrifice so much for our country for the principles that we believe in um I work at a Veterans Administration Hospital every day and I work with veterans who have been so either damaged by War I see the toll that war takes on the body and the soul and I also see the flip side of how resilient veterans can be and how generous and kind they're my favorite I have other clients but they're my favorite clients they work so hard and they're not entitled and they really work to help me help them and you know it strikes me that veterans and the elderly are the two groups that actually have a real social safety net in this in this country you know it's not a lot of money if you get V veterans disability benefits but it's enough to live on it's enough to survive and I'm proud of our country for providing that for veterans the the VA Administration costs a big a lot of our budget but it's absolutely deserved so I just want to say that you know I'm proud of that small role that I play and when I go to vote every tying in the election when I go to vote every November I think about those veterans I think about my clients I think about what they've gone through that tremendous sacrifice and that the time it takes us just to walk to the voting booth and sometimes wait online but not for very long is not a huge sacrifice it's an absolute gift that's given to us by veterans and and others who sacrifice for this country I thinkk everyone out there and my colleagues for running and everyone out there for voting especially on an offe non-presidential election and really valuing and cherishing that gift so thank you that's all mayor that was actually beautiful so yeah thank you for that that very moving statement um councilman Roberton that's a tough one to follow good luck good luck to me okay so um we had howow and Rutherford and we had a positively amazing parade um and I wanted I I got my puns in I got my puns in but I want to thank councilman Guzman I you know I remember sitting with him I think it was a year ago and we were like we should have a doggy parade and we had it we did it and I want to thank our borrowed administrator I want to thank all our department heads that it was a lot to pull off but it happened and I know the residents loved it so it's here to stay and annually at the annual doggy porade and I especially want to thank Maria schlam from working with schlam because she was a huge sponsor of the event and that's what we love our small business owners who step in to support our burrow event and that's it for me mayor thank you w moving on um I have really um nothing except I have the appointments of the recreational uh seasonal sta seasonal staff uh with the attached list I'd ask for Council consent motion motion by council president May second second second by councilman quatron any questions or comments by the council seeing none may have roll call councilman kley yes councilman mcowan yes Council big Roberson yes councilman Gman yes Council Del cooh yes Council cro yes and I would also like to uh congratulate my colleagues um for the selection and all the support we got from everybody up here as well as the public uh it was a very interesting year since as as Susan said it was an off year and it takes a lot to get people to come out and vote and I'm still a little caught up on the veterans part of this that was uh really moving thank you thank you we'll move on to ordinances council president thank you mayor um the first ordinance is to repeal chapter 22b contracts pursuant to PL 2023 C30 Missy can you please read the ordinance by title only an ordinance to repeal chapter 22b contracts of the the bur code to the Bur of ruford 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 Guzman any questions or comments by the council seeing number loal councilman cley yes Council McAn yes counc bigon yes Gman yes de con yes yes thank you next I'd like to um introduce an ordinance establishing the salary for the maintenance supervisor Missy can you read the ordinance by title only an ordinance to amend and supplement an ordance entitled an ordance regulating the employment tenure and discharge of certain officers and employees of the B of brother under the provisions of the Civil Service Act of New Jersey number 3668 d23 adopted on October 10th 2023 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 M have a second second secondly Council Roberson any questions or comments but can oh I'm sorry it's okay councilman sorry um any questions or comments by the council see none M roll call councilman cley yes coun McAn yes counc B Roberson yes councilman Guzman yes counc de con yes councilman Clon yes councilman Guzman thank you mayor I'd like to introduce ordinance to establish a handicap parking space on Park Avenue Missy can you please read the ordinance by title only and ordinance to amend revise chapter 126 vehicles and traffic of the burough code of the bur of reers motion to move the ordinance excuse me motion to move that the ordinance be passed on first reading and advertised according to law I have a motion by councilman Guzman may have a second second second by council president any questions or comments by the council see no councilman Copley yes Council mcowan yes counc big Roberson yes Council Gman yes Council Del con yes Council W quadon yes thank you seeing that there's no ordinances on second read i' ask for a motion to adjourn motion motion by council president may have a second second second by councilman Guzman all in favor I I have a