e yes okay you good 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 May 20th 2024 was published in the curer news and Star Ledger and placed on the Burrow's website notice of this meeting was also placed on the bulletin board at Burrow Hall sorry so good we got to hear it twice a copy of this notice is available to the public and a copy of the statement shall be included in the minutes of this meeting mayor Brian Gall here council members uh Teresa boner is excused this evening Glenn Den here Tom Mitchell here Randy pittz here Gus traic here Roger verm here please stand for the salute and I'd like to ask Chief Barry to come forward and please lead us in the salute aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic which it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all thank you Chief all right motion for approval of the minutes of May 6 2024 so moved second discussion roll call council members Glenn Den yes Tom Mitchell yes Randy pittz yes Jus traic yes Roger verom yes departmental reports are as noted uh girls night out has passed uh another successful evening so that can be taken off of the uh the agenda items and just a quick correction on the Memorial Day Parade uh it has an 8:30 a.m. start it's actually 8:15 down at Culver and East High Street uh we'll begin the parade with memorial service at 8:15 at Culver and East High uh proclamations so we are lucky uh to have uh here tonight a number of representatives from the uh the rescue squad um and and they come in each year uh sometimes more than once a year and always a welcome site um it it is uh Emergency Medical Services week May 19 through 25th and uh you know a lot of folks don't know that uh that we're still a volunteer Squad I think we are the the oldest Inland the third oldest Inland uh Squad in the state country oh all right so who was okay so um it's always a pleasure to have representatives of the squad here I'd actually ask if you'd maybe just come up and line up up front here if that's possible if you want to and and if you would and if you don't mind just introducing yourselves um because I think it's important that our community understand who the volunteers are in in in Somerville so we'll start to to your right my left okay my name is uh Jessica Decker I've been on the squad for 12 years and about a year as an emcor on almost EMC years almost awesome awesome it's great [Laughter] a and how many times have you served as chief [Laughter] well I you know I I know I I speak on behalf of the council that it's it's a pleasure to have you protecting our town um when we go to sleep at night we know that when we make a call if we should happen to have to make a call that uh that our Squad comes running and the nice thing about having a our own Squad as opposed to just a an ambulance service is that the people responding are your neighbors they're your friends the amount of times that I've had people tell me you know it was so gratifying you know I fell down I some have heart attacks um so I'm stopped breathing and and we've had a number of folks actually come here to uh sing the Praises of the squad for you know just being nice or as much as saving my life and and you deal with everything in between with Grace with style with knowledge and with professionalism and uh and that's pretty cool uh there's not a whole lot of towns that have that you know you look around and and a lot of towns have Ambulance Service it's you know it it's not personal it's not community-driven you're at every football game you're at every Community event you're a staple at our bike races um so you know it's not just responding to a call for emergency it's responding every day to what does the community need and I think that's very important for our public to understand so with that because they can't hear me unless I speak directly into this so I'm going to speak it and then I'll come down and present it to you so whereas Emergency Medical Services is an essential Public Safety service and whereas the members of the Somerville Rescue Squad are ready to provide life-saving emergency medical care or technical Rescue Services to those in need 24 hours a day day 7 days a week and whereas access to Quality emergency medical care dramatically improves the survival and recovery rate of those who experience sudden illness or injury and whereas the main stay of the somerville's Emergency Medical Services System is volunteer in nature and whereas the men and women and Cadets of Somerville Rescue Squad provide over 10,000 hours of community service to the citizens of Somerville and whereas the Somerville Rescue Squad answered the call for help over 1,700 times and whereas it is appropriate to recognize value and support the accomplishments of the Somerville Rescue Squad now therefore be it resolved that I Brian Gallagher mayor of the burough of Somerville recognize the extraordinary efforts of the men and women of the Somerville Rescue Squad as well as their ongoing accomplishments and commitment to our community do hereby Proclaim May 19 through 25th as Emergency Medical Services week in the burough of Somerville thank you and congratulations Gina do you have anything you want to add as Gina is the is the liazon to the uh to the rescue squad well uh I know better than most um i' I've lived their work my husband is former Chief and and president and life member so um certainly uh I've been wake W woken up with you guys and helped out whenever I could so I I know the work you do and as Brian could have said any better um you're you're the lifeblood of our community in terms of Public Safety along with our police and fire so thank you for your good work thank you thank you J you thank uh we also have a uh Proclamation raising awareness regarding period poverty and recognizing period poverty Awareness Week May 20 through 28 2024 Kevin can you get that to the appropriate folks sure we'll do thank you uh let's go into committee reports we'll start off to my left Tom okay mayor uh two two items here first of all the veterans will be holding Rolling Thunder this Sunday May 26th they will pass through Somerville on motorcycles and other vehicles around noon to 100 p.m. they will take Mountain Avenue to West End Avenue and then proceed down Main Street to finer Avenue also uh New Jersey Transit has announced that refunds will be made available for unused oneway bus rail and Light Rail tickets purchased prior to June 1st of 20124 tickets purchased on or after June 1st must be used by July 31st and they will not be eligible for refunds that's it okay thank you Tom Gina so kind of a lot to report here today uh Board of Health met um on Wednesday um so uh just some highlights from that meeting number one they're working uh to uh with the county health department to uh uh set up programs uh for our municipality um we we did have some uh presents uh at their uh at the um Fair um green fair in April um also they've been doing their food inspections um so feel safe that we're taken care of like that and then uh there's a number of um housing complaints and public assistance that that they have taken care of for us so um those seem to be the leading um pieces of um their work for us the County Health Department represents us for um uh Health officials so um so that's what's going on there and then the um Rescue Squad was here but uh they did also provide a report um their year-to date we have 495 calls um primary the calls are in in three main categories sick fall and respiratory so that's mainly what they're going out for I would suspect a lot of elderly um so fall safety is something I think the Board of Health needs to board board of health committee needs to work on and then lastly I I have a um a resolution I'll be attending uh a dinner um for um the uh the planned uh one of our local uh companies that deals with the disabled and um they they honoring one of our uh former residents um U at planned Lifetime Assistance um and uh Teresa Terry beer wish I know her at she she uh was an active uh Community uh citizen before moving out of town but she'll be honored at their dinner uh later this week next week so um lot going on great thank you glad thanks thank you mayor so environmental commission met uh last week last Tuesday and uh we have a couple good things to report I think I mentioned last time we met that uh we had some Flags planted in our Parks well those flags have been replaced thankfully with 150 uh well- growing trees so uh thank you especially to DPW as well as the some high school environmental Club came out to help with some of them and uh Girl Scout Troops all local Girl Scout Troops came and helped as well so we're excited to see those uh grow and hopefully they'll get a good season in uh I noticed that some were already flowering so it's great it's great uh in addition to that we did also have 16 Street trees planted um we're always looking for additional funding to try to get more we had uh I think it was over 60 applications for Street trees so still looking to help fulfill some more of that need as well uh and then lastly the uh J Scott Community Garden had a great opening day and uh seems to be the beds are being planted and is starting out as a great success so uh looking forward to see what grows there this summer uh as always we meet the second Tuesday right here in the Civic Center but the time has changed to 700 p.m. so come a little bit earlier and we'll see you June 11th great all all right thank you thank you br thank you mayor as you mentioned earlier this past Thursday the annual dsa's girls night out event was a huge success with excited crowds lining up for the fun activities this year's theme 80s versus 90s added more excitement from the business owners and attendees the DSA will send out a survey this week for feedback on the event to all the uh participating merchants our upcoming summer events include Friday cruise nights which should start this Friday uh summer concert series The AUM crafts fair and Summer movie Nights we look forward to a busy and eventful pack summer for more information please check out the DSA website at downtowns su.org that's all I have great all right thank you Roger uh from Recreation just a reminder that registration is currently open for Michael LEP pool registration is free and available to residents only registration must be done in advance to obtain your 2024 badge uh there is a flyer on the uh on the website um the family fund ride again as was mentioned before will be at 8 a.m. on Memorial Day morning um registration is $5 per family and you can do that online or you can do it in person on the day the event uh but just as a reminder cash only on the day of the event uh and at this time it is expected that spray parks will be open as of June 1st okay awesome great all right thank you um at this point we will open the meeting to the public can I have a motion so moves second discussion roll call council members Glenn Den yes Tom Mitchell Randy Pitts yes Jus traic yes Roger ver yes okay public portion is now open please state your name and address for the record and please address your comments to me hi U my name is Mark panic I live in 215 East Main Street uh I just had a I guess a couple of simple questions uh I think it might have been mentioned in the last meeting but I'm not clear on like how someone or how these resolutions come up or the ordinances like how are they initiated um and I think one of the reasons that I'm asking is I was looking at the agenda yesterday specifically about the Oprah Mon Mon opr modernization and like what I'm seeing on the agenda today is very different from what there was uh maybe a few days ago and so I just wanted some clarity on what that process was and can you tell me what's different I remember reading that um you know the argument for it was that uh there was a financial burden um from the uh I guess from people abusing uh the system and uh I guess it is written here but there's a lot more information here um that you know are actually really good reasons and you know I was going to initially come up and you know ask if we could have more explanation as to what those costs were but you know now that it's changed I'm just kind of confused as to um what the process is and uh how I could get that information or when I know that it's finalized okay yeah do you have any other questions or comments uh no not at this time okay thank thank you very much any other public comment hearing none I'll close the public session and ask for a motion to close so moved second discussion roll call council members Glen Den yes Tom Mitchell yes Randy pittz yes Jus traic yes Roger vro yes so um a few questions in there uh so I'll deal with the broader question first about resolutions and ordinances obviously the business of government uh we we deal with day-to-day challenges and at times we have to make uh adjustments to the ordinances that we have on the books um some ordinances deal with as you can see on this one we have ordinances dealing with the alcoholic beverage licenses um we have some that deal with the uh the salary ranges of all of the burrow employees all of those have to be done in an open public uh forum and if it's a an ordinance uh it must be read into to the record uh on a first reading an initial reading and then we wait two weeks and then we can have a uh an adoption a hearing a public Hearing in an adoption we do something a little bit differently I do something a little bit differently you do not have to have public comment at the initial uh introduction phase um I allow uh I I actually encourage people to come and comment at at the introduction phase because I think it's good for counil to understand if there are supporters or uh detractors from from that ordinance that that being adopted so it's really it's the business of the burrow and the ordinances are done by uh uh it's basically writing it into law resolutions are uh the the policies of council uh and and we take those on a case-by Case basis uh some of those resolutions are brought forward by council members some are brought forward by myself some are brought forward by staff and administration um and some are recommended by uh the public and um we take each of those and we craft an agenda based upon uh what we feel is uh appropriate for this body to weigh in on and uh and that's what we do in regards to the Oprah I don't know that it has changed the language has changed um what I can tell you is that the uh the legislation for the opah reforms has passed um uh uh it's wa it's on the governor's desk they're not an an infringement of the general Public's ability to obtain public information over the course of time uh the commercial side of Oprah uh has seen some abuses not in every instance but has seen some abuses so I think what the government what the state legislature is trying to address are those some of some of those abuses so that the onus of Private Business isn't placed upon the taxpayer of public business and in addition there're also Al uh addressing some of the legal fees that are associated with it uh so what's interesting is when you have the New Jersey Conference of Mayors and the New Jersey state League of municipalities in agreement on legislation uh which has pass both houses now uh houses but um it's it's legislation that it has been softened a bit from my believe from what it was originally intended to be uh and some of the provisions were taken out I couldn't tell you exact exactly what those Provisions are um but that's kind of the general uh thought behind it rarely do we make changes we do have some changes that we make to the agenda we will publish an agenda typically on a Thursday or a Friday um we actually have one walk on sometimes the business of government needs to move a little quicker and uh so we have a walk-on for a uh a seasonal laborer for our DPW so we have one walk- on I'm not a fan of of Walk-Ons cuz I I'd like to give Council as much time to and the public as much time to review those resolutions as possible but sometimes the business of government warrants a a walk-on agenda so um hope that answers some of your concerns so that's I appreciate appreciate you coming out thank you uh let's go into ordinances for public hearing and adoption ordinance number 2733 is amending ordinance number 2716 chapter 45 alcoholic beverages article one licensing regulations Section 7 fees subsection a paragraphs 37 and 8 uh do we have a motion to open the public hearing second discussion all in favor I I opposed public hearing on 2733 is now open hearing none I'll ask for a motion to close so moved closed discussion all in favor I I opposed uh 2733 is closed motion for adoption please so moved second discussion roll call council members Glenn Den yes Tom Mitchell yes Randy pittz yes Gina traic yes Raj of yes all right 2734 is authorizing a standing standing historic advisory committee uh this uh uh puts into an ordinance the uh the historic advisory committee which all of us assumed was already a standing committee uh because it it's always been done that way uh this just formalizes the process uh and there's been no contention behind that uh whatsoever so I will ask for a motion to open the public hearing on 2734 so moved second discussion all in favor I I opposed all right motion to adopt 2734 close the public here did I we opened it oh M sorry with all the voting that goes on I get a little I get a little so all right motion to close 2734 got to open it first open to public sorry public hearing on 2734 is now open hearing none we'll close 2734 motion to close so moves second all in favor I I opposed motion for adoption so moved second discussion roll call council members Glenn Dene yes Tom Mitchell yes Randy pittz yes JIS traic yes Roger verm yes sorry all right 2735 is amending the uh ordinance 2730 establishing a salary range for employee titles to be paid to certain officers and employees of the burough of Somerville as I mentioned before this is just adjusting the salary guide overall to uh to burrow employees uh public hearing do we have a motion so moved second discussion all in favor I I opposed public hearing on 2735 is now open hearing none we'll close 2735 motion for closure so moved second discussion all in favor I opposed uh motion to adopt so move second second okay discussion roll call council members Glen Den yes Tom Mitchell Randy pittz Jus traic yes Roger V yes all right got it all right 2736 is amending chapter 5-73 of the burough code entitled Department of Community Development replacing the community development director term with the title of land use director uh do we have a motion to open the public hearing so moved second discussion all in favor I I opposed public hearing on 2736 is now open hearing none we'll close 2736 motion for closure so moved second discussion all in favor I opposed uh motion to adopt 2736 moved second discussion roll call council members Glendon e yes Tom Mitchell Randy pittz yes tenis traic yes Roger V yes all right uh consent resolutions I have one add-on which is number 172 which is approving the Nicholas drain to be hired as a seasonal laborer at an hourly rate of $18 per hour for the public works department effective May 27 2024 uh I will also pull for further discussion item number8 any others that anybody would like to have pulled okay uh5 calling for the modernization of the open public records Act and the Swift passage uh of uh s 2930 a445 156 is authorizing the sale of surplus property being a 2009 Sterling dump truck through municibid in accordance with the state Cooperative pricing system 157 authorizing the sale of surf plus property being a 2001 Sterling vacon through municip in accordance with the state Cooperative pricing system 159 approving chapter 159 for the state of New Jersey 2024 recycling tonnage Grant 160 approving chapter 159 from the national opioid settlement trust 161 authorizing a refund of $2,000 to JSM at East Cliff Brookside Apartments East Cliff Street block 71 lot 15 for application withdrawn submitted for a minor sight plan project as noted 162 is authorizing a refund of $2,000 to JSM at East Cliff LLC Brookside Apartments East Cliff Street block 71 lot 15 for application withdraw and submitted for a minor site plan project as noted 163 is authorizing tax collector paig elster to execute electronic sale tax sale agreement and participate in the 2024 Electronic Tax sale 164 approving tax sale cost 2024 165 authorizing the application to the New Jersey clean energy program Community energy planning grant program 166 is approving event permit for just another day to use Carol pager park for adult kickball tournament and giveaways on July 27 rain date August 3rd from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 167 is awarding a contract with 1075 emergency lighting to purchase a base model uh Tahoe as noted uh 168 is appointing Aon Rosenberg to serve on the municipal Alliance commission and youth services committee 169 is authorizing opioid settlement funds to be used for challenge day 2025 170 is authorizing the burough of Somerville to apply for an emergency man management performance Grant uh EP empg Emergency Management agency assistance emaa with the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety uh Office of the Attorney General in the amount of $10,000 171 is appointing hun J Lee to serve as alternate prosecutor for special DUI sessions do we have a motion so moved second discussion roll call council members Glenn Den yes Tom Mitchell yes Randy pittz yes jus traic yes Roger verm yes all right uh you know what I didn't read out 172 so I will take 172 as its own so uh 172 is approving Nicholas Draven to be hired as a seasonal labor at an hourly rate of $18 per hour for the public works department effective May 27 we have a motion so moved second discussion roll call council members Glenn Den yes Tom Mitchell Randy pittz Jus traic yes Roger verm yes all right and 158 is accepting the retire resignation of Manuel Garcia effective July 1 2024 end of business June 28 2024 uh uh Manny was here uh Captain Garcia was here last our last meeting and uh he has had an unbelievable career here in Somerville I think he was 32 years was it no 28 years sorry 28 years with the burrow and uh you know he's he's one of these men who quietly goes about his job um and he does it extremely extremely well he has been nothing but an asset to this burrow um he's conducted himself as uh a stellar officer at at all points um he's also a United States Marine just an incredible guy I don't know that we can thank him enough for his service uh to our community and uh we wish him well we wish him godspeed we're sorry to see him go but we wish him uh a a wonderful future so I have a question yes if we all vote no that Force I'll let the chief know that that was a consideration uh do we have a motion to accept with regrets second not getting that from me discussion roll call council members Glenn Dene yes Tom Mitchell yes Randy pittz yes Jus traic yes Roger V yes all right bills and vouchers uh I make a motion to pay bills and vouchers in the amount of 2 million 392,000 [Music] favor I I opposed this meeting is adjourned