Councilman Filipe Pedroso addressed a serious incident involving hateful anti-Muslim graffiti found at the mosque pillar at the AL Center in Bridgewater. He condemned this act of discrimination, emphasizing that Bridgewater is a diverse community where individuals of all backgrounds coexist. “We will not allow the despicable actions of a few to tarnish the welcoming spirit of our community,” Pedroso stated. He also brought up another issue concerning false accusations of discrimination made by AJ Joshi, a Board of Education member. Pedroso asserted that Joshi misled the council about an incident involving the Bridgewater Police Department, with findings from the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office revealing no misconduct. Pedroso argued that false accusations undermine genuine struggles against discrimination and called for Joshi to apologize and step down from his position.

Public safety was another primary concern addressed during the meeting. A long-time resident, Denise Ren, expressed her worries about speeding on Hayward Street, describing it as a troubling cut-through street. Ren noted that her daughter had made several calls to the mayor’s office about the issue but had not received a callback. She requested a study to consider installing speed humps or rumble strips and enhancing stop sign visibility to address the speeding problem. “People are speeding all the time… they do not stop at the stop signs,” Ren stated, emphasizing the need for enforcement and safety measures to protect residents, particularly children.

Another resident raised several concerns about safety and quality of life issues in the community. They highlighted the speeding of vehicles in their neighborhood, the illegal smoking of marijuana in local parks, and the lack of mosquito control in areas with standing water. The resident described the marijuana smoking problem as “God-awful horrible” and noted its negative impact on children. They urged the council to take action against this behavior, which they viewed as a significant quality of life issue. Additionally, they reported suffering numerous mosquito bites due to inadequate mosquito control, particularly near Shady Lane Park and the Bound Brook High School football field. A council member noted that mosquito control is managed by Somerset County and agreed to provide the necessary information to address the issue. The council also emphasized the importance of reporting illegal activities in parks to the police.

Following these public comments, the council discussed an ordinance concerning a quit claim deed to release affordability controls on certain affordable housing units. This ordinance pertains to eight rental units in the Somerset Griggs area that reached the end of their 30-year affordability period. The deputy township attorney explained that the quit claim deed is a procedural necessity following the expiration of the affordability restrictions. The attorney clarified that the expiration of these controls means the township must legally provide a quit claim deed, allowing the owners to proceed without the previous restrictions. The council debated the implications of not acting on this ordinance, with the attorney noting that failure to act could lead to the owners obtaining injunctive relief.

The council then introduced an ordinance related to lead-based paint inspections for rental properties built before 1978. A council member acknowledged that this requirement stems from a state mandate and confirmed that the township had been given a two-year window to comply, with the deadline recently having passed.

In other business, the council approved a series of appointments for legal positions, including special counsel for redevelopment matters, an alternate municipal prosecutor, and an alternate municipal public defender. There was no discussion on these items, and a motion was made and seconded for their consent approval.