call our meeting to order this is a work session of Mayor bur Council of burough Seaside Park County of ocean state of New Jersey held on Thursday December 28th 2023 advertised for 700 p.m. pursuant to the provisions of New Jersey open public meetings act adequate notice of this meeting was properly provided by transmitting the notice of the meeting for publication in the asberg Park Press and the Star Ledger on January 4th 20 23 notice of the meeting of the governing body has also been posted in the corridor of the municipal building and in the office of the municipal clerk roll call council member Amil yeah got turn got council member condos here council member craft here council member Dr mchu ABS here is excuse he's out of the country right now thank you council member wel here council president it's Michael absent May Peterson here thank you and we also uh have on the speaker phone our attorneys Mr Zari and we thank him and wish him all the best uh he is airing on the side of caution uh not being here in person but he has the agenda naturally up on his screen uh and is going over the with us earlier so welcome Steve thank you good evening mayor and Council thank you thanks for not spreading your germs the [Music] holiday the uh first item on the agenda is for informational purposes it's an njde approval of a permit to install gaban B it's at 14th Avenue and we uh thank everyone involved and that uh making sure that that has happened and obviously that getting going on that will uh entail uh working with Eric uh and the public works department uh who are obviously stretched thin at limited man hour and time but I I know they are doing uh a considerable amount of that work inhouse and that by doing that that saves us a lot of time in the bid process a lot of money uh and otherwise also you know it's being done right uh but we thank them uh we thank obviously everyone that had a hand in making sure that this happened as the wheels of state government and especially federal government uh turned very slowly as we've learned but uh this came about uh as quickly as possible and we thank everyone involved I think it was uh uh efforts of uh the members of the Public Works uh committee chaired by Dr McHugh Doug RAR and CME had a hand in it uh obviously they consulted with rbe as this DB tails and touches upon the uh cable and the other issues that the planing board has right next door and we've been working on and we thank everybody and also may I just want to mention that they can only do this project when there's a blowout TI have so it also have to be test be tied out with our ties yeah so that's another Advantage if Eric can work it in because obviously he monitors that once they get the base in then be a little easier first have to apply for a tide Lan instrument so before we proceed as well yeah so just another another another another step before we actually do the work the uh next item of the working isn't it work session is discussion of the 39th biannual Beach sweeps uh sponsored through clean ocean action to be held on Saturday April 13th and Saturday October 19th that's listed as resolution 2023 319 for consideration at the regular meeting um this is something that Seaside Park uh is one of the original towns in Ocean County Mammoth County in the whole state to have participated in this event and has done so every year all 39 years so well good event anybody on Council any questions on that that's on for Action the next is discussion of renewal of a shared service agreement with County motion for fire inspection services that too is listed for action on the regular meeting agenda resolution 320 and I don't know any they did a did a good job in the pass mayor so I support that decision yeah I gu it's an inspection service really for municipal buildings and hotel as opposed to residences that is correct we have every year I guess they' just been late in getting it to us so the next is a resolution authorizing tnm Associates engineering as for a proposal dated December 6 2023 to provide professional Engineering Services to apply for Greenacres funding for the park development 13th Avenue Mo Bean field that too is listed for action on the regular meeting agenda it's resolution 223 318 and that deadline is approaching on that one we we discussed several times in the past as well the applications will come out in February and the item D is discussion authorizing Professional Services there's a proposal from Professor Paul balna of Monclair State it's dated December 13th and that's concerning assistance with sa related studies in the area of the bonette bay uh as per the requirement of the army Corp of Engineers and I believe I'd given everyone a lot of reading months back from the professor he's the uh author of a study a 10-year study of Barnette Bay Sav the post Sandy over the last 10 years and that article was uh interesting in terms of its conclusions uh also he renders a more positive outlook in terms of them trying to enhance Sab growth than uh at least one of the other experts with whom we've consulted was kind of impressed with the number of Publications he has on the subject amazing yeah so he's done a lot of work in barn Bay as as well and related to that issue we have E and F also e is a Professional Services proposal from Stockton University and through the professors there including Dr farell they've been providing us with Consulting work concerning Bay and their the bay situation it's flooding habitat restoration living Shoreline construction is their U specific component of the current plan in the one area in the bay but they're also consultants for the entire Bay as well mayor I had a question I guess when I look at this when you have um do I guess he's a doctor right Bel um and then we have stock in and then the next one which is the American in the toural society so what is I guess I guess I what's what is each of their's role and where is their overlap like are they all doing something unique or is the plan that they work collectively so that we can move forward I mean because it's collect I mean overall the cost I mean I'm not opposed to it if it gets us to the end bow but I don't know how far along they're going to get us and also my question specifically stocked and as the majority of their cost they just list as salaries and I just don't know how many people are on that team and like what their hourly rate is where the other gentleman at least tells us his rate which seems very reasonable but do we know that it just says salaries next to each task but it doesn't say like how many people is sucked in putting on it I mean that would be good to know I mean I think the task at hand is good I'm fully supportive I just feels like it's a lot of money for not knowing if they're going to move the needle how much further I mean we can certainly ask do I mean they've had the professors usually supervised graduate students when they doing these that's been the uh there at least four individuals that work with Stockon it's and Dr F uh has indicated he would come here he would also participate me meetings in a consultant capacity he's in a situation where he was a former state employee and he had waited the 180 days has now passed and he's not to my knowledge yet formed an LLC or anything but he's regularly Consulting uh bya cell and reaching out that's how I've communicated with them by taxt okay I mean that would be my question on the stock in answer to earlier point they each focus on a different area of the component of the bay and the expertise that Stockton provides uh entails the living Shoreline component and the computations whether the uh suggested modification from the Army Corp of engineer will still satisfy F's goals on Wave attenuation and stopping the force of the wave action right that's that's their specific expertise okay it's Steve hner is the individual the engineer that's involved is this just for the the 2024 is it for the entire project for 2024 just these tasks I have to bite my tongue about the federal agencies involved so I remain cautiously optimistic that perhaps some of the Consultants work may be toward completion in 2024 but whether that occurs is dependent upon actions of the Army core of engineers in particular of course yes the item G is authorizing rbe for a proposal for task number three they previously uh been authorized and completed the prior task one and two this is Professional Services for design permitting and construction concerning deer Avenue Water Tower Rehabilitation that too is on for rate action at the regular meeting it's resolution 223 323 don't anyone wants to put any background on that I know that came about through the committee's recommendation the engineering and the urgency in terms of the uh it's the rehab of the the U water tals self and cluding are not limited to painting and also the interior yeah it's work it's been over 20 years yeah it's been over in June uh tasks one and two were authorized and that tasks one and two got us through the bid PA that we receive the bid which is also on the regular meeting um and could the bids actually came in over $200,000 under the construction G here's construction cost estimate so now that we we have the the bid we want to award it to the lowest responsible bidder who's also the same uh firm that did the wood Tower in South Seaside so hope hopefully they can mobilize quickly as well because they like South Seaside um this last task just gets us through contract Administration and construction okay and item I is discussion of the sale Surplus property no longer needed for public use that's two is on for Action at the regular meeting resolution 223 330 and that entails uh a lot of work for which we thank Eric in particular in the public works department and terms of the cataloging and itemization of the various items for public auction um and the recommendation is to sell the TVs in lots of like 25 individually like two lots of 25 each they're they're not they're old TVs you know technology changes every five minutes so is dumpy the most worth all thing are the hotel room they are very valuable actually I think so yeah and items J and K are interrelated and partially for information purposes uh for the council and that entails the uh extension changing of deadlines through the state uh and that notice that came out uh concerning the 2024 deadlines for state for introduction of the budget and approval of the budget and you see those deadlines that what the as fores there that the introduction that moved from uh uh February 10th at the lest to March 29th and the adoption got moved from March 20th to April 30th in both cases the end dates really is that date where the first meeting the so it may stretch into the following week com on the the T of the next meeting if we don't do by that date by these dates so it's in March yeah the introduction again is by March 29th and the adoption is April 30 so gives us more other I guess to uh to work on the budget Capital as well and related to that is uh item J and I know a lot of work has been ongoing throughout the lot of Person of the fall and that includes uh the members of the budget committee our admin administrator uh and every department head has submitted the proposed budgets and comparing the facts the figures requests for Capital expenditures and the like uh and I believe the council members had previously been alerted to the fact that uh prioritization of various projects would be uh recommended and critical some of those projects may be eligible for Grant some may not and um why I put that on the agenda really entails the extension of the deadlines and for anyone on the council to make their own recommendations as necessary for all projects that they feel are urgently needed and perhaps listing them in priority and maybe area of the budgets that they think could be considered for modifying cutting uh anything and everything that uh individual council members may suggest or the Committees and we do not necessarily have to make a decision this evening but everyone should be alerted that at some point we should have an inclusion of a lengthier discussion on a work session agenda so that everyone can back go back and forth in various proposals and I know through all the work of those that I mentioned there's at least a working draft already in place of the budget certain line items get modified what are capital what are not what can be current expenses I took M will cut out it and if I did my wish list um it's just over 5 million if three to jump on it and do all of those um that that that tle is really includes the the um the regular fund the current fund as well as the water sewer and and the marina so it's all doesn't fall under all but under the tax pay because some of would come to the you know the marina utility and and that's concerned about the work but anyway that's that was just my initial cut it today just to play around with the numers to see what it looks like there were a couple of other things I thought that may need to be added such as the J Street love uh building um I think that's in little this repair and the uh the actual eaer replacement of this very building oh yeah should be considered as well which is not really on this list yet but anyway that's my opinion well said and even those items that may for one reason or another not get placed in this budget can be on a five plan for looking into the future [Music] yes that was certainly everyone on the council is welcome and in fact encouraged to submit any kind of list of how we think items might be prioritized especially with respect to Capital items and and current expenses probably would make sense to give this entire package to our about to be elected uh canil uh since it contain because both are on the finance committee yeah so K could you change to have a copies and this made here well I SW yet so I don't I want to make sure it's okay they're elected but the in so is it okay these are these are public right now they're work work in progress they're not locked in but certainly something that can and should be share I think more information thank you do we know any estimate yet obviously we don't have the state figur so we really don't know what to plug in whether to put the numbers that were state aid last year grants and the like but a rough number for what a penny might look like on the tax rate it's too early for that it's too early right now the the revenues we have in there just based on 2023 it's just it's I mean as soon as we get some idea there that would be last year was in quot me I think it was about $117,000 it was it right yeah that includes the written items anyone else on Council any work session items at this jump hearing none we'll go into the audience if anyone has any comments on any of the work session items if you have them if you could give your name and address in the record C Ed CL 48 11th Avenue just a couple things we're talking about the installation of the gambian baskets and something about the tide and I didn't quite get what what you said Mr P can need to apply for a tide something yeah it's um it's probably just a formality but it's a called a TI lands instrument TI and who do we that [Music] for uh Bureau of TS management MJ okay okay um I think it's probably just ative getting a little more money thank you um in regards to um resolution 319 about the uh Beach sweeps I see where the resolution is just suspend paid parking for that day now I brought this up in the past in terms of um other events that are charitable events I would encourage the council going forward since you may very well vote to put this resolution into um the books that in the future when um you know these these runs that run for charity that they also be given the courtesy of suspending paint parking because it would seem to me if somebody from you know XYZ Chariot uh charity comes and says you know blah blah blah blah blah blah uh we'd like to you know have the parking fee suspended and the answer is no and they're going to say but you did it for this particular and I would C I would characterize the beach sweeps as kind of a charity event um so I just recommend that or ask for that consideration going forward and the last thing I have has to do with this whole Bayfront and the sa and all that stuff um are we not waiting or have we heard back as far as the plan that was submitted in June that we were supposed to hear back by December as far as our plan and I think that went to Army Core didn't it have we heard from them on that many times well have we had an answer never wait a minute I'm confused I thought we were supposed to get a definite answer by by December you that of a federal agency or a state agency that would be responsive to people and responsive to the public uh I'll leave it at that okay so then that lead leads me to my next question is if we're authorizing these Professional Service proposals that I'll have to do with sa related studies is that because I'm wondering why those weren't done before we submitted this most recent plan or is it because why are these being why are these being done now when we've already submitted a plan I guess that's my very very appropo questions when you go back in time I hesitated to mention your earlier question the tide land um one of the individuals proposed to be appointed by the governor on that commission is our consultant Dr Stuart F way back in time and going back years even before my time as the mayor we were legs to believe Sude Park the public officials our Consultants that an army core permit would be relatively straightforward not a rubber stand but relatively straightforward and we were told that we would never receive a d permit we were the only town that even had the go that's the right word to apply to move out the what had been the 1977 Shoreline after much work public input public meetings we were successful we may be one of the only towns if not the only Town that's ever received that permit the next step in the process and the next Agency for which a permit was necessary was the Army Corp we didn't think it was going to be a slam done immediate action but we were never ever given any kind of a hint that two of the prior individuals in charge of that Agency for this region would then go and leave and some of the other individuals that we dealt with insisted on going back to square one and then insisted on Reinventing the wheel and changing that which our consultants and the engineers had already been led to believe would be approved and that included representatives from the Senator's office we've reached out to Senator menendez's office Senator Booker's office then Congressman Kim's office all the office everyone had been led to believe that was not the case we were then told that our particular project had a potential to disturb sa which is the underwater Eel Grass to such an extent that we needed to submit an sa mitigation plan that process yielded and I why I was somewhat vicious in my earlier answer and I am not saying what I'd like to say because we want to work cooperatively with these individuals at the Army Corps of Engineers but the response we got did not delineate A to Z you want 50 ft of Sav you want 10 acres you want the entire Bay they did not spell out what specifics would be necessary for us to satisfy their concerns as to an sa mitigation plan so that's kind of the process where we are now one of the individuals in the most recent zoom call has given a more positive response that has translated and that's why these proposals are there that what we would do would in fact generate them granting a per per and this is not something we're necessarily happy about but it has a potential to overall be a benefit to the Bay uh and that's it's more feasible economically whom does the army corpe of Engineers report to do we know it's schedule government so president of the United States the head of the Army Corps is a political appointment under that there's career individuals there's regions in the Army Corps and if you want to get further into the leads and I don't want to be factious one of our legal arguments and I certainly hope it doesn't come to that but one of our legal arguments is our particular project in and of itself if the oysters were to take that's actually regenerate and grow Not only would it have a great benefit for water FL in the bay but the growing of the oyster reap in and of itself will promote an enhance sa growth as such the argument is our project should be considered and interpreted as an Sab mitigation plan in and of itself we shouldn't be required to do anything else we're doing it that argument has been accepted by the Baltimore region of the Army Corps of Engineers they accepted that with one project in chesap play so that's what the agency you're dealing with two different regions have two diametrically imposed interpretations of what is essentially the same legal argument is there anything that we as Town residents can do to I don't know to write to somebody to to help this along it's I I I would encourage this I mean absolutely I mean you have Senator Menendez Senator Booker the congressman's office it's Congressman Smith now Congress the prior Congressman Kim has knowledge about it well I'm thinking the president I mean absolutely I mean they all have jur I know who's going to Rattle who cage and I know that everybody is frustrated by this there's no question extremely change in the rules as you go along m in the goal post yeah no absolutely and then I mean the more you dig into it to I've learned this in the late summer early fall that the Baltimore region has accepted that very argument that we've been advancing for some time okay well thank you for clarifying some of this I appreciate that to Parts where we are it doesn't get us to the finish line no but I think it's I think it's important and um for the town's people to to know and of course we've got a very limited audience here um and for the town's people to know that that we keep trying or you keep trying to to move the ball but the go po keep keep you know keep moving but I don't think people really understand that because they don't have the information you know what I'm saying No it's it's it's very very frustrating and I mean these meetings they they happen on Zoom they don't come out in person I know the one Congressman did bring out the director of the Philadelphia region bayad obviously has a flooding issue very similar and it's dramatic as the last storm demonstrated and uh I I don't know which but who rattled whose cage and who may own a property they head but I suspect there are individuals that are very well connected in both political parties but they actually got the head of the Army Corps of this re Philadelphia region is assigned here and did show up for a meeting in the summer do you have the names of the heads of both of those Baltimore and Philadelphia regions I can I don't not no no no mean right this yeah all right okay yeah I mean it's difficult thank you thanks any other comments on the work session items hearing none I'll close the work session anything else from Council no if not I'd entertain a motion to adjourn the work session take a brief moment and then move into the regular meeting council member second by been adjourned at uh 7:40 and take a few [Music] moments