e e e e live we go ready this meeting is called to order in accordance with the open public meetings law adequate notice of this meeting has been provided this meeting of July 1st 2024 was published in the Cur news and Star Ledger and placed on the Burrow's website notice of this meeting was also placed on the bulletin board at burough Hall a copy of this notice is available to the public public and a copy of the statement shall be included in the minutes of this meeting mayor Brian Gallagher here council members Teresa bonor here uh Glenn Den is excused this evening Tom Mitchell here Randy pittz here Gus traic here Roger V here all right please stand for the salute to the flag I pledge Al to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God IND and jice for all all right motion for approval of the minutes of June 17 2024 so moved second discussion roll call council members teres of Honor yes Tom Mitchell yes Randy pittz yes Gus dravic yes Roger verm yes all right we have no departmental reports or notices uh committee reports let's start with Tom yes sir okay uh we received two bids for the burough Hall entry Portico restoration project on June 18th the low bid failed to include a required page containing unit prices making it unacceptable the other bid was substantially higher than the estimate and the grant therefore both bids are being rejected by resolution 206 and the bid process will be repeated the history on the green program will take place on Saturday July 20th starting at 10:00 a.m. it will begin at the Wallace house in Old Dutch parsonage then proceed up Main Street to the courthouse green on Grove Street with a F and drum band history on the green is Somerset County's annual living history event the historic advisory committee uh met a couple of weeks ago discussed the burall chiller HVAC re repairs and how they will affect the building's interior and exterior appearance uh the historic committee is also committed to the weekend Journey again this year they will work around any scaffolding or obstruction caused by the facade work the history the historic advisory committee continues to photograph the old newspapers is stored at the police station they've completed the 1930s and are now scanning through 1943 nearly 100 books have been sent to good homes over 200 books were pulled by the library and there are still about a hundred books left some are old enough to be somewhat rare Marge will go to the library board to see whether they would like to do with them and finally the history Roundtable will be meeting uh week from tonight on the 8th uh they will be discussing banks in Somerville Bank buildings and uh how they were designed they meet at 7 pm Monday thir the excuse me 7 PM the second Monday of the month which is the eth a week from tonight and that's all I there all right thank you Tom Gina uh on behalf of the Board of Health uh I'd like to report that they're recommending people over 75 get an RSV vaccine um so um if you meet that criteria keep yourself safe and and think about that vaccine uh Somerville Squad um no meeting uh since last uh month but U since last B council meeting but uh I know they've been very active uh several calls in towns uh needing their their help um on behalf of the environmental commission uh uh Glenn's absent today but uh I didn't want to report that there was a garden Workshop um at the community garden uh this past Saturday uh there uh was amazing attendance I think there were 16 people signed up I heard but there was many more people there than that um they talked about holistic insecticides and plantings and all good stuff um there's growing interest in the community garden and um and probably a need to uh to uh expand um I know they're talking about expanding on that site and and also I think as we we we look in uh development in town uh I think this one thing that maybe we should think about in in in planning is uh asking developers that put in fitness centers and pools and maybe we we need to think about you know uh Garden space so um Food For Thought on that interesting yeah so okay that completes my report thank you Teresa thank you uh the Somerville Public Library Youth and adult summer reading challenge started on June 10th and will continue through August 17th to take part in the challenge you need to register online uh register and log your reading on the beanstack app through the sclsnj.org website or in person at the library the more you read the more re rewards you earn uh you can register as a family or as an individual thank you all right thank you ready thank you mayor sumerville was featured by World Atlas nine towns with thriving local businesses noted downtown businesses were Blue Marble Studio Art Gallery gimme gimme te's kaima Greek and utaka restaurants the June uh teth event in partnership with the county cultural and Heritage commission drew a huge crowd those in attendance were entertained with poetry music and a special acknowledgement to our very own art adir for his achievements and dedication to our borrow uh Division Street last Thursday was alive with inclusivity I have trouble saying that word with pride night starting with yoga by yoga Odyssey Benders in attendance were Community organizations and businesses promoting inclusivity and provided resources for the community a lineup of speakers uh honoring nurse Jamila Carter with Robert Wood Johnson and entertainment by the golden Gaz made a fun and engaging evening with the community thank you to all the vendors and sponsors for making the event possible looking ahead to Starlight Cinemas kickoff July 11th on Division Street and the rescheduled Summerville Market on Sunday July 14th on Main Street New dates have been added to the cinema uh please check out downtown. org for more more information thank you thank you Roger so spray parks just as a reminder spray parks are open until 6 PM Michael LEP opens at 10: a.m. John Long opens at 11: am and both are open until 6:00 p.m. uh our pool is open daily on Park Avenue from 12:00 to 6:00 p.m. um just as a reminder to the residents to register prior to attendance and it is free to all Summerville residents tomorrow night is Somerville Community night at the Somerset Patriots ballpark they're playing the reading fighting Phils and the starter for tomorrow night's game is our own mayor Gallagher uh so he's warming up practicing so uh make sure that you get there early um the F game game time is 7:05 but obviously first pitch will be uh a little before then fireworks will be at the end of the game tickets are $10 and the link is on the burrow website and registration is currently open for fall soccer for students entering grades one through eight uh so again check out the recreation website great thank you um just one thing to uh to comment on uh Randy pittz and I had the opportunity to attend dinner on Saturday night uh it was a retirement dinner for a number of our police officers uh some some for it was a belated dinner uh and some a very recent dinner uh it it celebrated the careers of Manny Garcia Kevin Collison Ed Purcell and John cover and these gentlemen spent uh a good portion of their lives protecting our citizens and Randy and I were there to thank them uh we presented them with a proclamation on behalf of the mayor and Council and uh it was a wonderful event families uh was really nice it was it was good to see and they're all looking forward to retirement so and some are already in in retirement so it's a good thing um so that's it for that um do we have a a motion to open the meeting to the public so move second discussion roll call council members Teresa boner yes Tom Mitchell yes Randy pittz yes Jus traffic yes Roger FM yes okay if you have public comment please come to the microphone uh please state your name and address for the record and please address your comments directly to me public portion is now open hello Helen fenelus 8 Lori drive also Vice chair of the environmental commission um there are some concerns about the trees on Main Street uh in front of the new building it appears that they're smaller than uh what was proposed so I just wondered if that's going to be addressed okay and the other one was um I know we had sent a recommendation about the Park View playground and I also wondered when that would be addressed okay anything else um that's it okay thank you for your comments any other public comment J disapio 46 East Main Street um I'm also a member of the environmental committee um but my remark is is really addressed to the mayor about the sidewalks on Main Street particularly between Warren and South Bridge although I would say it it really concerns most of the sidewalks on the south side of Main Street excuse me I've had two personal experiences um shortly after I moved to Somerville I took a really bad trip not on psychedelics but on the sidewalk where I lunged and to stop myself from hitting the ground I pulled every muscle in my neck and back and went to a chiropractor for months last week I had a similar issue I not as bad but I did take another trip and almost fell it's it's by the pops bicycle shop where sometimes I think you need to take a look at the roots of of these trees as they're pushing up the sidewalk and making the paving stones uneven I saw a woman fall her glasses cracked I saw a child fall there split open a leg I think it could be a really serious issue that we need to look at for the safety of our people thank you thank you any other public comment hearing n I'll ask for a motion to close so moved second discussion roll call Council memb Teresa bonor yes Tom Mitchell yes yes Randy pittz yes Jus traic yes Roger ver yes all right public session is now closed um Ju Just a couple of couple of items um one in regards to um the the trees in front of the project that is a site plan issue um that is something that uh it's it was approved by a Judicial body if there are issues with it they will be handled um as the the project continues uh the project has not been completed yet uh the the site is in in the hands of burall I'll call it burall code enforcement um as well as the planner and engineer for the project uh that the burrow has um those are site plan issues uh and they will be dealt with accordingly um environmental is not the enforcement arm uh the environmental commission is not the enforcement arm of the planning board nor of the burrow the B this is a site plan approved by a Judicial body and the developer must comply with with what is in the approved site plan that cannot vary it cannot be changed without coming back before the planning board um so if there are issues those will be dealt with if they are compliant they are compliant uh and I'm not going to comment any further on that uh until the project is complete uh in terms of Park View uh that is a burrow issue at this point and uh um we had some discussions in executive you'll see it listed on the executive session and uh there are ongoing discussions between the burrow and the uh the developer regarding that partiel of property uh once the burrow makes some determinations regarding that property uh everybody will be well informed on what those determinations are so uh that's where we stand on those two the um as for the sidewalks I absolutely agree with you um the sidewalks uh before I left the first time probably back in 201617 we actually had come up with a um a plan to um to sequentially over time prob I think it was a 10year period begin to replace some of these trees specifically for that some trees were dying um some were upheaving the sidewalks creating a very dangerous uh situation for folks and creating a big liability for for the burrow and and the Downtown Association um it's a problem and it continues to be a problem uh what I would like to see is a a plan that addresses this over the course of time uh I saw one it was a five-year plan I think that is probably a little bit aggressive I'd rather see it as a 10-year plan so we have the ability for trees to begin to grow again rather than in A Five-Year Plan um you know you're going to have this stunted trees throughout downtown we need to uh my feeling uh and at some point in the very near future council's going to weigh in on it we need to get rid of the tree grates uh we need the real estate we I think the tree grates when I say the grates those are the the uh the iron the RW iron railings the fences the grates are the ones that are flush to the gra thank you um so you know I think they need to be removed um if you look all around the grates and all around those trees the the the pavers are upheaved they are they're in bad shape um probably about eight years ago we we worked with the Downtown Association and uh we we went on a an improvement plan and we actually regraded a lot of them but over time as they grow more they're they're beginning to upheave again so um no quick fix uh but there is a fix at hand and and we can begin to look at that to to fix it I I can't tell you I can't give you a time frame uh because we have to work between the DSA and uh and the environmental commission and and figure out how we're going to begin this streetscape replacement so but thank you but I agree uh consent resolutions are there any anybody would like to have pulled off for further discussion okay hearing none do we have a motion on 205 through 214 so moved second all right 205 is authorizing the return of application fee for application as noted uh for 27 Park Avenue 206 is rejecting all bids for the Somerville Barrow Hall entry Portico and exterior restoration project as Tom had mentioned 207 is authorizing settlement of a tax appeal for the property located at 45 North Gaston AV also known as block 66 lot 16 in the burough of Somerville 208 is approving Somerset County Library System of New Jersey to use the lawn at Burrow Hall on August 28th for a chalk the walk program 209 is approving Somerville Market on July 14 from 12:00 to 6:00 p.m on Main Street from Grove to dowy 210 is memorializing an agreement between the burough of Somerville and the county of Somerset for certified recycling professional to sign annual recycling tonnage report to1 is approving life chain event for Sunday October 6 on Somerset Street in Mountain Avenue from 2 until 3:30 p.m. 212 accepting the resignation of Lisa Glock effective July 12 2024 213 approving history on the green on Saturday July 20th 2024 at 10: a.m. to 4m. contingent on OEM and police department approval 214 is authorizing final payment for the time accumulated for Manuel Garcia in the amount of , 68610 uh roll call Council memb Teresa boner yes Tom Mitchell yes Randy pittz yes Gus traic yes Roger V yes all right bills and vouchers I make a motion to pay bills and vouchers in the amount of 1,426 5281 second discussion roll call Council members terresa boner yes Tom Mitchell yes Randy pittz yes Gus straic yes Roger ver yes all right and Tom we need a motion for adjournment move to adjourn second I was going to say nobody wants to leave all in favor I opposed this meeting is adjourned