##VIDEO ID:mWdn1PUmv8A## than good evening afternoon ladies and gentlemen happy New Year and welcome to our January 1st reorganization meeting of the dellan burrow Council our first order of business is a call to order of the 2024 Council by well myself as the mayor so our Municipal uh clerk Lauren stats is not present with us in person today but she will be joining us online so uh Mrs stats if you'd like to call to order technology is great if it works okay we will try to get a hold of unmute how's everybody doing we'll improv I took a class like that in college one time y if we could uh turn off our cell phones please okay just one moment okay but call okay so we'll just start with the Pledge of Allegiance how about that I to flag of United States of America indivisible okay Mrs stats are you with us now can you hear us yes oh beautiful welcome uh can we have a reading of the sunshine statement and roll call of council by our municipal clerk uh Mrs Laurence stats this meeting of the nellan burrow council is called pursuant to the provisions of the open public meetings law this meeting of January 1st 2025 was included in a list of meetings that was advertised in The Courier on January 8th 2024 and as a teleconference was noticed on the official dellan website on December 20th 2024 and on the public bulletin board on North Avenue on December 20th 2024 and has remained continuously posted as required notice under the state statute mayor salento present council president Albertson present Mrs Lance here Mrs Rios here Mr Scott here Mr Sigman here and Mr vanderark item number four on the agenda is the adjournment of our 2024 Council can I have a motion and second on resolution number one move it Rios roll call please Mrs Albertson yes Mrs Lance yes Mrs Rios yes Mr Scott yes Mr Sigman yes and Mr vanderark yes okay item number five on the agenda is the oath of office of by a representative of the legislative district 21 to our two council members who are being sworn in today uh we welcome assemblywoman Nancy Munos and assemblywoman Michelle matsakis from our legislative district 21 they're here to swear in our council members uh first is uh an oath of office to council member Teresa Albertson being conducted by uh assemblywoman Michelle matsakis we got our photographer right there yep Billy for photos direct them let me get out of the way hi PR that I will support the Constitution of the United States that I will support and theit of state of newey and theit of state of newy that I will bear true faith and Ali I will andg to the and to government the United States I will Faithfully that I will Faithfully partially partially and justly and perform all the duties perform all the duties of the office of council member of the office of council according to the best of my ability to next on the agenda will be administering office to um Willam Scott I your name I will swear swear that I will that I will bear true faith and allegiance that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same to the same and to the government established in the United States and to the governments established in the United States and in this stat and in this stat under the authority of the people under the authority of the people and that I will faithfully and I will faithfully impartially impartially and justly and justly perform all the duties perform all the duties of the office of council member the office of council M according to the best of my abilties according to the best of my abil help got are over here congratul oh oh you do oh you sign it why don't you wait actually sign it now yes congratulations conratulations okay next up is item number six on the agenda call to order of the 2025 Council and uh by myself and roll call by our municip municipal clerk Lauren stats mayor salento present Mrs Albertson present Mrs Lance here Mrs Rios here Mr Scott here Mr Sigman here and Mr vanderark here okay let's get to business folks uh item number seven is the appointment of our burough attorney um I I recognize it was a little empty up here uh William Robertson uh can I have a motion and second on uh resolution number two move it sigment second Albertson okay roll call please Mrs Albertson yes Mrs Lance yes Mrs Rios yes Mr Scott yes Mr Sigman yes and Mr vanderark yes okay Mr Robertson join us up front and I will administer your oath go I William Robertson I William Robertson do solemnly swear do solemnly swear that I'll support the Constitution of the United States and the constitution of the state of newy was United States state ofy I allegiance to the sa that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the sa and to the government established in the UN States and in the state the government establish in the United States and in the state under the authority of the people God next order of business is resolution number three the appointment of council president um are there any nominations to the floor for a council member to be council president I nom Daniel Cole Sigman is there a second to that second Scott I'll give it to Mrs stats motion on Albertson second on vandermark okay any other nominations to the floor without hearing any can we take a roll call on uh well let's have a mo we did a motion second on three right so we can do a roll call number three with uh council member Daniel Co Sigman becoming the council president Mrs Albertson yes Mrs Lance yes Mrs Rios yes Mr Scott yes Mr Sigman yes and Mr vanderark yes uh council member you would like to join us up front uh we've asked the assemblywoman uh Nancy Munos administer the oath I I Daniel Z do solemnly swear do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States that I will support the Constitution of the United States as the constitution of the state of security and the constitution of the state of New Jersey that I will bear true faith and allegiance that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the Saints to the Saints and to the governments established in the United States and the government established in the United States and in the state and in this state under the authority of the people under the authority of the people and that I will faithfully and that I will faithfully impartially impartially and justly and justly perform all duties perform all duties of the council president of the council president according to the best of my ability according to the best of my abil don't help me that help me so at this time um before we move on with our agenda uh we've asked that Assembly women Nancy mutos and John mudas say a few words on behalf of the legislative district gell and I will say very briefly um we're very fortunate to have these two Representatives representing den and Dowing their district' been treating us as if we've been in there for decades so thank you for your your service to the whole District but Den so welcome well your Senator we want to you know thank you wish you a happy New Year and we look forward to continuing to represent ATT to doing the work of the people listening to what you have to say and making sure that your voices are heard down so thank you we feel like we're part of the family here and as your mayor said we feel like we've been here forever because that's how welcome you have all been to us and we hope that you feel the same about us so thank you so much Happy New Year de this is the nicest way to start the new year by being here in donen um we've been coming for since we've we've uh been representing you we've been coming every year and I always love seeing a pack room and all of the vibrancy of the community members here and uh I have no doubt speaking on behalf of Nancy John and myself that the council that you have in front of you is here to work hard for you and they are here with your best needs and to do the best job for you so anything that we can do going forward happy to help with so thank you very much we're also represented by Senator John bramnick who could not be here today but I know he sent his regards and he's been in great public service and assist so we thank you for service he there going to be a lot of up and down today so just bear with us yeah if I didn't get to the gym this is my start for the new year it's my resolution um okay item number nine on the agenda is uh a resolution uh hiring a police officer uh Paul Condit uh and before we do that I'm going to ask that Chief Daniel Smith um along with Captain venders introduce the candidate and then Council we can do a motion second and roll call and vote Paul he's been a resent for well over a decade prob desired and children prior to law enforcement offic serve off ener began with Department he then left to attend the mer merer County Police Acy by the county Serv Department 201 okay can we have a motion in a second on resolution number three oh sorry four I apologize Sigman second Scott a roll call please Mrs Albertson yes Mrs Lance yes Mrs Rios yes Mr Scott yes Mr Sigman yes and Mr vanderark yes congratulations I will say personally I'm very excited about this hire he lives in denen his family's from Den Allen and there isn't a time that you don't see Mr con that uh there isn't a smile on his face so looking forward to our community okay and on Bible after I Paul cond I Paul cond do solemnly swear do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the constitution of the state of New Jersey and the Constitution that I'll bear true faith and allegiance to the same I'll bear true Faith to the same and to the governments established in the United States and the government that United States and in this state and in this state under the authority of the people so helpy godr time than congratulations okay everybody wants to move to the front of the classroom you're more than welcome to okay next on the agenda is one through uh nine uh it's the appointment of committees boards and commissions there's no votes necessary for this um but how we will administer the oath is anyone who is here this afternoon being appointed to their rightful committee or commission you received an email I'll ask you to stand in the audience raise your right hand I will read to you the oath of office um it'll be I state your name member of State the committee or commission you're being appointed and we'll just go right through it we'll welcome you to those various committees and commissions and council members who also appointed for voting uh positions should join us as well too so everyone who's here for yes oh yes I apologize um we have your oath of allegiances here uh so wait until the end of the meeting to join us up front to sign them um those who are not present today will go to the clerk's office to get a swearing in or at the first meeting of the year of their their respective committees just for a record okay everybody ready I state your name member of the state Authority how fun do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States unit States and the constitution of the state of New Jersey that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same I will and Al to to the governments established in the United States to the governments established in the United States and in this state and this state under the authority of the people under the authority of the people so help me God congratulations in my state of the buau address I note how important volunteering is but I will note now too we've had over 167 volunteers over the last year and I know we're going to keep going strong uh this town can only move forward it's built on the backbone of those who step forward and volunteer to help move our vision forward and support the community so thank you all for your service okay what did I missed there we go next up on the agenda is our agenda resolutions we have number five through 23 our municipal clerk uh Mrs Lauren stats we'll read through each one we'll motion second and uh do our business so Mrs stats resolution number five is appointing Lauren stats as public agency compliance officer move it Rios second Albertson Mrs Albertson yes Mrs Lance yes Mrs Rios yes Mr Scott yes Mr Sigman yes and Mr vanderark yes resolution number six is to approve the 2025 council meeting dates move it Sigman Mrs Albertson yes Mrs Lance yes Mrs Rios yes Mr Scott yes Mr Sigman yes and Mr vanderark yes resolution number seven is to declare the official newspapers for the burrow of dellen move it Sigman Becket Rios Mrs Albertson yes Mrs Lance yes Mrs Rios yes Mr Scott yes Mr Sigman yes and Mr vanderark yes resolution number eight is to appoint burrow depository move it Sigman second Albertson Mrs Albertson yes Mrs Lance yes Mrs Rios yes Mr Scott yes Mr Sigman yes and Mr vanderark yes resolution number nine is to approve a list of employee holidays move it Sigman second Lance Mrs Albertson yes Mrs Lance yes Mrs Rios yes Mr Scott yes Mr Sigman yes and Mr vanderark yes resolution number 10 is to authorize eligible signatories for municipal financial documents move it Sigman second Albertson Mrs Albertson yes Mrs Lance yes Mrs Rios yes Mr Scott yes Mr Sigman yes and Mr vanderark yes resolution number 11 is to approve the rate of interest for non-payment of taxes assessments or other Municipal charges move it Rios second sigment Mrs Albertson yes Mrs Lance yes Mrs Rios yes Mr Scott yes Mr Sigman yes and Mr vanderark yes resolution number 12 is authorizing the tax collector to cancel tax refunds and delinquencies Below $10 move it sigment second Ros Lance Rios or Lance Lance thank you Mrs Albertson yes Mrs Lance yes Mrs Rio yes Mr Scott yes Mr Sigman yes and Mr vanderark yes resolution number 13 is to approve the temporary Municipal budget for calendary year 202 move it Sigman second Albertson Mrs Albertson Mrs Albertson yes Mrs Lance yes Mrs Rios yes Mr Scott yes Mr Sigman yes and Mr vanderark yes resolution number 14 is to approve the temporary sewer budget for calendar year 2025 mov Rios second sigment Mrs Albertson yes Mrs Lance yes Mrs Rios yes Mr Scott yes Mr Sigman yes Mr vanderark yes resolution number 15 is to hire Kelly cupit as a qualified purchasing agent move it Sigman second Lance Mrs Albertson yes Mrs Lance yes Mrs Rios yes Mr Scott yes Mr Sigman yes and Mr vandermark yes resolution number 16 is to recognize the appointment of elected 2025 line officers and executive officers for the fire department move it Albertson second who's the second anybody the line stand conat now let's take a roll call Mrs Albertson yes Mrs Lance yes Mrs Rios abstained being a member of the fire department Mr Scott abstain position with the fire department Mr Sigman yes Mr V Mark yes resolution number 17 is to appr approve Towing contracts for 2025 move it Sigman second Lance Mrs Albertson yes Mrs Lance yes Mrs Rios yes Mr Scott yes Mr Sigman yes and Mr vandermark yes resolution number 18 is appointing a fund commissioner to the central Jersey joint Insurance Fund move it sigment second Rios Mrs Albertson yes Mrs Lance yes Mrs Rios yes Mr Scott yes Mr Sigman yes and Mr vanderark yes resolution number 19 is to establish a petty cash fund move it Sigman second Albertson Mrs Albertson yes Mrs Lance yes Mrs Rios yes Mr Scott yes Mr Sigman yes and Mr vandermark yes resolution number 20 is to approve ADP as a third party provider for payroll and Human Resources services for the 2025 for the bur of dellan M Rios second Sigman Mrs Albertson yes Mrs Lance yes Mrs Rios yes Mr Scott yes Mr Sigman yes and Mr vanderark yes resolution number 20 number 21 is to approve a solicitor's license for Comcast move it Sigman second Albertson Mrs Albertson yes Mrs Lance yes Mrs Rios yes Mr Scott yes Mr Sigman yes and Mr vanderark yes resolution number 22 is to amend resolution from December 2nd 2024 number 338 awarding a contract to AA burms for Washington Avenue beautification Improvement move Rios second Sigman that's the continuation of the decorative lighting correct Mrs Albertson yes Mrs Lance yes Mrs Rios yes Mr Scott yes Mr Sigman yes and Mr vanderark yes resolution number 23 is authorizing the municipal clerk to administer all Cottage food licens for the 2025 licensing year move it sigment second Rios Mrs Albertson yes Mrs Lance yes Mrs Rios yes Mr Scott yes Mr Sigman yes and Mr vanderark yes okay great that's the joys of reorganizing our government on January 1st um next up is our consent agenda we have resolutions 24 through 48 uh they can be voted upon in one consent agenda motion as they are all appointments for municipal court and other Professional Services so Council if you've had a moment to review and you have consent can we have a motion and a second move it sment second Albertson vanderark on the second Mrs Albertson yes Mrs Lance yes Mrs Rios yes Mr Scott yes Mr Sigman yes and Mr vandermark yeah next on the agenda are other matters uh the state of the burough address by myself as mayor so let's buckle up good afternoon ladies and gentlemen members of the dellan bur Council and burrow staff it is an honor to stand before you today to deliver my sixth state of the burough address and I'd like to begin by wishing you and your families a happy and healthy New Year it's hard to believe that it's already been a year since our last reorganization meeting but 2024 has been filled with many accomplishments milestones and achievements that have pushed our burrow forward and I'm eager to share them with you today the burrow of dellan is truly a special place we all know that and it's thanks to the amazing people who call it home the business owners who invest in our community our volunteers many of whom you saw get sworn in today and so many others it is a true privilege to know that the denell and burrow Council and I are up here today thanks to your faith in us thank you for allowing us to lead this great community at this time I'd like to introduce the council members to you we have croa IES Lance Trina Rios Daniel Cole Sigman Hal vanderark as well as Teresa Albertson and William Scott who I congratulate on their swearing in today congratulations to Daniel Cole Sigman for being appointed as the dellan burough council president for 2025 it is an honor to spend another year working with you all thank you to assembly woman Nancy Munos and assembly woman Michelle matuas of New Jersey's 21st legislative district who sworn our council member members today I would like to also acknowledge other individuals here today from our Police Department emergency services and volunteers who are are in attendance today and we uh the burough is truly grateful for your ongoing support and I thank you for being here today I'm filled with immense Pride as we reflect on our Burrow's remarkable achievements over the past year and the spirit of our community together we've made tremendous strides in enhancing the quality of life for all who call Dell andol we've welcomed new bus uh members to our team many of whom are here today whose New Perspectives have helped Elevate the quality of services we provide to our residents from our administrative staff to our First Responders their contributions have strengthened our ability to address challenges deliver essential services and create opportunities for growth as we celebrate our progress we also look to the future with optimism and determination one of the things I am personally most proud of is our Redevelopment efforts Redevelopment in dellan began back in 2001 under my predecessor mayor Robert Cedar 2024 was our most successful year so far with the completion of several projects the start of others and the approval of more to come 526 North Avenue the Burrow's most recently completed project is home to Metro 526 a modern 43,000 sqt apartment complex featuring 40 Apartments including six affordable housing units this transformative development replaces several vacant buildings that were severely damaged by fire bringing new life to the area Metro 526 was celebrated its grand opening on September 28th marking a significant step in the revitalization of our downtown another notable accom accomplishment this year was the completion of 150 North Avenue a three-story mixed to building consisting of 1500t of commercial retail space and a 14 apartment rental development at the corner of Jackson Avenue and North Avenue including two affordable housing units this replaced a vacant parking lot in former mechanic shops the commercial office space located on the first floor is home to new businesses and the residential units on the second and third floors have welcomed new residents to each unit the space Also offers ground covered level covered parking for both residents and businesses currently under development the Gateway at 745 Bound Brook Road exemplifies our commitment to Smart growth and thoughtful design it is projected to have 23 luxurious and boutique multif family units with three affordable housing units a significant architectural feature is a turret that symbolizes the entrance to the burrow this PO project will replace an exist existing vacant restaurant club that unfortunately closed due to to the pandemic and will truly act as a new welcoming Gateway into our burrow finally one of the most significant and successful development projects is the art color complex now known as the dellan station once an underutilized industrial site and start of the discussions for redevelopment in denan over 20 years ago it is now home to a thriving mixed use development that integrates town homes apartments and Retail spaces many of those residents who have I I have had the pleasure of meeting have quickly become involved in our community and are proud to call dellan home the completion of the denal station is a testament to the power of smart Redevelopment and as such the Nell was awarded the prestigious 2024 New Jersey future smart growth award on October 22nd of this year past year which burough administrator Alex Miller and I had the pleasure of attending alongside our partners from Prism capital partners and others this award honors projects plans and policies across the state that demonstrate smart growth principles in action this project not only preserved the character and charm of our buau but also introduced a diverse range of housing options and amenities that attract both new residents and businesses to the area further accolades from this year include dellan being featured in business view magazine in October 2024 this National leading publication showcase the Burrow's unique blend of a small town charm strategic Redevelopment efforts and commitment to preserving our Rich history and values while engaging the future additionally in November of 2024 downtown Den nelen received the great downtown designation from the New Jersey chapter of American Planning Association this annual award celebrates outstanding places that demonstrates the transformative power of great planning to create vibrant healthy Equitable and sustainable communities in 2025 we look to continue this great momentum for our Miracle Mile and we will be featured in the January edition of real estate New Jersey monthly issue which will be available in both digital and print formats this article will cover new construction projects in the buau as well as our larger efforts to revitalize the downtown the January edition of real estate New Jersey is expected to be online a week or so into the month with physical copies being released the following week that is a significant thing for our bur if you ask me personally these Redevelopment initiatives have brought New Commerce to our downtown and the increased population has helped support local businesses driving further economic growth for example since taking office in 2020 we have seen nearly aund million of investments in downtown dellan that is on top of the dellan station Project's $100 million investment secured by mayor Robert Cedar totaling around $200 million in investments in downtown dellan and less than just a decade the success of our efforts would not have been possible without the use of pilot agreements in 2024 the buau received nearly $2 million in Pilot Revenue accounting for approximately 14% of the bureau's anticipated total revenue without these Redevelopment projects and the financial flexibility provided by pilots which is one of the municipalities all municipalities in the state's only toolbox to attract some economic growth in their downtown this Revenue would either have had to be raised through property taxes or the reduction of Municipal services to avoid a significant tax increase additionally this Revenue year-over-year will assist with Debt Service payments therefore alleviating any additional burden caused by payments of note on bonds most specifically on the interest of said bonds which will help lower taxes over time pilot agreements therefore play a critical role in stabilizing taxes for all our residents while driving New Growth these projects have contributed also 200 nearly $250,000 directly to the community funding important in initiatives such as a bike and pedestrian safety improvements upgrades to our parks and playgrounds and necessary infrastructure enhancements a common misconception and concern with Redevelopment is is the impact it can have on our school system however the results here in dellan have been reassuring our Redevelopment projects have introduced 51 new students to the school system across the board which is actually 25% fewer than originally projected demonstrating that our Buu is well prepared to manage growth without overburdening our schools moreover the burrow and School District maintain an open line of communication regarding the potential impact of Redevelopment in schoolage children so that we may probably prepare for the completion of these projects and more accurately project any impact on our school district and I will as a side notee from my speech say kids in a school system increase in population is a sign of a healthy community and I'll put a period at the end of that in addition to Redevelopment a main focus of our Administration has been improving roads throughout the D through cost effective means such as through relationship building and Partnerships with New Jersey American water and PS shared services through the midix county Mill and pave program as well as the NJ doot Municipal Aid grants since 20120 we have successfully paved over 10 miles of our 16 miles of Municipal roadways so we're clearly over half in 2024 alone 1.8 miles of roads were paved including Center Street palaski Street Klein Place North Washington Avenue Penfield Place Maple Avenue Madison Avenue and Mountain View Terrace each completed project includes Advanced measures to increase pedestrian safety throughout the bureau such as enhanced striping and signage to further enhance pedestrian safety especially for our students we have begun work with the New Jersey Department of Transportation on North Avenue and Bound Brook Road to install ADA compliance sidewalks with flashing Beacon crosswalks at Key intersections to follow in a later phase of this project this NJ do project started in November of 2024 and span from Warrenville Road and boundbrook Road intersection to Jefferson Avenue and North Avenue intersection since 2020 the burrow of den has been awarded a total of 8,262 20626 and grants from state and federal agencies for various Road Park Environmental and Transit Village projects that have already been or will be implemented over the next two years it's a lot of money for a small town in 2024 this includes a 496000 NJ doot Municipal aid grant for Second Street Phase 1 to improve the roadway a 529,000 Transit Village grant for Bound Brook Road uh Bound Brook Road Street decorative lighting and a $218,000 grant for a Mountain View Terrace bike path Beyond grants and other infrastructure improvements we have been happy to welcome Comcast as a Broadband provider in the Bureau of dellan following the adoption of ordinance 2024 4-03 at the April 21st council meeting and authorization from the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities service to the burrow will be delivered with fiber to the home that can be provide highspeed internet access digital video video on demand high definition television and exfinity voice Comcast will join Optimum Altis who's had a monopoly as another provider for internet television and phone services in the Bureau of dellan this will promote competition which should improve quality of services and hopefully competitive pricing allowing residents to have more options in the market for choosing their provider choices are good over the last couple of months Comcast has been conducting underground work throughout the buau to install fiber lines in preparation of the availability of their cable and internet services in 2024 the burough implemented key organizational changes within the administrative offices aimed at improving efficiency effectiveness and transparency in local government operations Alex Miller to my right how are you Alex completed his first full year as burough administrator balancing his part this part-time role with his full-time duties as superintendent of Public Works Parks and Recreation Alex has streamlined internal internal processes improved communication across departments and identified cost-saving opportunities and shared services he will continue to serve in this role moving forward Lauren stats in her first year as municipal clerk has ensured timely completion of clerical and secretarial tasks delivered excellent constituent Services coordinated council meeting agendas and helped run productive Council meetings Brianna Deanda who earned her registar certification this year serves as a Frontline administrative assistant in the clerk's office and has done a very good job herself the Department of Community development was created led by Derek white the new director this department consolidates several divisions including the Construction office code enforcement and planning board to improve operational efficiency and revenue collection while supporting Redevelopment and economic development efforts alongside the office of the mayor Kelly Cedar who is here with us today as Recreation programs coordinator has effectively managed the recreation department programming events and facility scheduling so keep up the good work Kelly William Billy George who's also here with us today the uh new Communications coordinator has enhanced burough Communications designed Graphics coordinating the dellan report handled press Outreach and supported Community engagement efforts so thank you Billy Chiron rry supported the burough administrator in developing organizational structures improving processes exploring shared services and managing grants Don Hutchinson took on the role of full-time tax collector ensuring accessibility for residents while collaborating with the finance team including part-time CFO Scott Olsen to streamline Communications and budgeting Maria Santos was hired as a full-time tax clerk to assist with tax collection and support Debbie Weaver our accounts payable and receivables and human resources manager Ken B and dist join the property maintenance department as second code enforcer alongside Property Maintenance officer George Dean together they are dedicated to ensuring more effic efficient Property Maintenance throughout the buau which helps maintain the appearance of our neighborhoods and increases public health and safety as well as the overall property values of our homes in dellan by ensuring each department is properly staffed and cross Tred and that's important they're cross trained we are better equipped to provide efficient transparent and effective services to the residents and businesses of denel ensuring they receive the value they deserve for their taxes this past year saw our continued efforts to further increase the Burrow's communication methods and how we uh most effectively distribute information to our residents and Beyond we continue to virtually broadcast each council meeting host engaging mayor oral town halls and monthly walks and talks with the mayor and deliver monthly messages from the mayor on our website important alerts such as emergencies and road closures are promptly shared across multiple platforms including the Burrow's Facebook pages as well as my Facebook page and Instagram and the council members Facebook pages in addition to e notify system to further spread these notifications the bur's website D- nj.gov remains a centralized hub for Den's information in addition to Facebook pages Instagram email blasts through myre next stop dellan e newslet newsletters and our quarterly print publication the dellan report which I'm proud to say is now entering its 14th year of publication which is mailed to every resident in the buau on a quarterly basis 2024 was an exciting and eventful year for the dellan Parks and Recreation Department uh providing countless hours of community engagement for residents of all ages through successful programs and new initiatives the department successfully expanded 11 youth programs including the addition of the summer tennis academy and organized three adult programs two senior citizen events and nine CommunityWide events for all to enjoy flag football Spring Track tennis and summer camp all saw record participation this year a feat that is also thanks to the dedication of 58 volunteer coach who made these programs possible let's give a a round of applause for those volunteer coaches Recreation Le events Drew larger crowds than ever and new events such as the volunteer Picnic Day and Founders Day prove to be big successes that we are excited to build upon further this upcoming year they also partner with the dellan public library to host family favorite events including movie in the park and a night out at the Somerset Patriot Stadium meanwhile denel senior community has remained as active as ever through the senior holiday parties a senior picnic monthly pizza parties movie days and special activities in collaboration with middle sex County the hometown heers program continued to grow now honoring 112 of our armed service members with banners along North Avenue and North Washington Avenue out of these 112 banners 177 were added in 201 24 and again great kudos to Kelly Cedar and Alex Miller for getting this program started and getting as many veterans that we get to honor so good work guys and of course one of our most anticipated events of the year was organized through the recreation department as we celebrated the homecoming of Dell's native and four-time Olympic gold medalist Sydney mlin lone on September 23rd at the Sydney mlin track at Columbia Park Sydney competed uh this past August at the 2024 Paris Olympic games where she won the gold and women's 400 meter hurdles setting her sixth world record in the event with a time of 5037 seconds she would go on to join the team USA and win her second gold at the Paris games and fourth in her Olympic career in the women's 4x400 relay so good work Sydney this event was attended by local County and state official offal as well as individuals from throughout Sydney's Journey to the Olympics including lieutenant governor tahisha way Assembly women amuno and mat audus Senator bramnick a fav principal Brendan tenant a union Catholic coach Mike McCabe and principal sister persley Hart middlex County Commissioner Chanel Scott McCollum and middlex County Sheriff Mildred Scott following the conclusion of the event Sydney greeted her fans staying at Columbia Park for over two hours to make sure she had the chance to speak with everyone take pictures and sign autographs so thank you Sydney for doing that and remembering our community thank you our Municipal clerk's office has been instrumental in handling a variety of services for our residents including the processing of pet licenses and marriage licenses and Municipal services such as planning the agendas meeting minutes ordinances and resolutions for the denell and B Council meeetings their work during the 2024's election season was especially invaluable in ensuring that all residents were able to successfully cast their votes and have their voices heard 202 uh4 served as a homecoming for the denell and fire department marking the end of a challenging journey and S uh signaling a new start for our firefighters on December 7th we celebrated the fire department's resilience dedication and commitment to our community with the reopening and red dedication of the George W hodik Firehouse after a fire shut shut down the facility just over 3 years ago the state-of-the-art facility is named for a lifelong resident longtime fire department member in World War II and Korean veteran George W hodulik George first joined the Department at the age of 35 in 1961 and has been an active member ever since I mean ever since up until this day he still shows up uh in anti anticipation at the age of 98 by the way in anticipation of this Milestone event the denell and fire department proudly accepted the delivery of truck four and engine three further uh in vital pieces of apparatus which will be joined by rescue 5 in 2025 further strengthening their ability to serve the people of dellan and neighboring communities so welcome home guys and guys important to note that the challenges presented by the temporary loss of the firehouse did not stop the fire department throughout the rebuilding process they continued to operate and responded to over 300 emergency calls in 2024 and you ended one last night so 301 oh okay so your first one was last night H start over ranging from structure fires to car accidents to unintentional alarm activations the denalan burough Police Department celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2024 and it is truly fitting that a milestone year would be filled with many notable happenings the department saw the retirements of several officers Sergeant press Scott chin Detective Joe Dudley and patrolman James Daniel and I and I know the entire Council and Community thank them for all their years of dedicated service to our Miracle Mile let's give them a round of applause we also welcome the new officer patrolman Vargas who joined the Department on January 16th so he's almost out a year good for him several officers were promoted including detective Sergeant Nicholas Goldman Sergeant Jonathan D'Angelo lieutenant John dhy and Captain Christopher beers who is here with us right here uh Den's first police Poli captain in nearly 30 years so congratulations they had a busy year with 161 arrests 2,920 motor vehicle stops and 3,856 summonses issued as a testament to their hard work patrolman Keith irons was recognized by Mothers Against Drunk Driving in June of 20124 for his outstanding efforts in 20 2023 with the most DWI arrests in denell in middlex county and for excuse me a municipal officer in the state of New Jersey patrolman Michael louder patrolman Mara neur neurotics and Drug recognition expert uh Sergeant Brian Robbins were also recognized for their outstanding efforts so congratulations gentlemen in uh 2024 the construction Department achieved significant Milestones that highlight the ongoing growth and improvements within our community over the past year the office issued a total of 275 permits reflecting the thriving development in our Bureau they also conducted uh 93 rental inspections a number they they anticipate to doublin 2025 as we welcome new residents into our th thriving housing and rental market additionally construction completed 34 time of sale inspections which is actually fewer than last year's total which if you think about it indicates that more residents are choosing to stay here in our Miracle Mile and not move finally 104 zoning applications were processed highlighting the work our residents are putting into working on and improving their homes and properties so let's say thank you to them I would like to take a moment to recognize the significant accomplishments of our Municipal Court this year led by the honorable Judge Katherine house particularly during a time of transition as we welcomed new court administrator Liz duah and celebrated the retirement of Terry chrisop Foley the promotion of Denise denado as Deputy court administrator and the addition of part-time violations clerk Dawn Mayor dah were essential in assuring that our courts continue to run smoothly their tireless tireless efforts allow day-to-day functions to continue without having to delay Justice in our court system the NS Department of Public Works is a vital backbone of our community ensuring the daily operation of the burough through their dedication to maintaining and improving the quality of life for our residents in addition to their ESS essential responsibilities of maintaining our park downtown area streams curbside pickup and snow plowing DPW swept 310 miles of Road collecting 380 tons of debris to keep our streets and clean and safe these efforts extended even further to the restoration of 10 catch basins and beautification efforts such as the installation of a new landscape planter at Washington Memorial Park redesigning two Planters at Columbia Park and planting 45 new trees in our downtown while repairing the surrounding brick cavers to enhance the area's Aesthetics and functionality the department has played an integral role in the maintenance of the bandalong Bandit litter trap which they helped install in the Greenbrook as part of a new pilot program that is the first of its kind in New Jersey volunteering in denell thrived in our Miracle Mile this past year with 167 total volunteers between our Recreation programs and other volunteer organization organizations see I told you volunteers the backbone of our community one such organization is the downtown denell downtown management organization also known as the ddmo the ddmo celebrate its 11th annual Harvest Fest a fall favorite that has become a cherished dellan tradition and the organization's largest fundraiser proceeds from the harvestfest help fund volunteer-led downtown enhancements including holiday trees hanging basket planting benches and more the ddmo also celebrated the grand openings of several new businesses and commemorated a milestone anniversaries for longtime local businesses in their ongoing support of our local business Community the ddmo once again offered their small business Saturday promotion in November which helps Drive traffic to many unique local businesses throughout the burough let's give ddmo a round of applause another volunteer organization with a highly successful year in 2024 was the dellan Arts inclusion and culture commission the commission made significant strides in enhancing the Burrow's public art landscape with the completion of the Madison Avenue murals and approval of the Prospect Avenue mural which support the organization's mission to celebrate creativity and community and public spaces the completed muraly picks characters participating in a wide variety of programming and activities offered by our Recreation Department recently upgraded lights were installed in the underpass allowing more opportunities to view this piece once installed in the spring of 2025 we finally got those approvals from New Jersey Transit the Prospect Avenue mural is expected to be completed and installed by the end of 2025 and the artwork will be a tribute to our First Responders who protect and serve our community the great thing about these murals is they are done by local artists who either live in dellan who are are very active in our community and they are done in a way in which children at the summer arts camp and uh anybody at our community events get to help paint them and be a part of the process truly a community effort so congratulations on that to denell and arts inclusion and culture commission the denell municipal Alliance has remained committed to its mission of educating our students and Community about substance abuse disorders providing training to 45 youth leaders to facilitate programs for students from grades 1 through 12 working in teams of two or three these youth leaders have brought meaningful and engaging lessons directly into the classrooms empowering students with knowledge and tools to make Positive Choices the dellan Education Association provided support to the municipal lines providing valuable educational materials for our students looking ahead the municipal Alliance continues to work with the burough Council burough Administration and the burough Police Department to continue their efforts so good work by the dma the denal office of emergency management uh led by Homer Mosley our OEM coordinator hi Mo Homer uh secured its fourth consecutive $10,000 Emergency Management assistance grant which helped facilitate the purchase of a 40-foot container and shelving for emergency supply storage along with additional radio equipment I see you over there council president yes OEM expanded its leadership team with the appointment of Joe cumins as a second OEM Deputy Joe has been instrumental and ele evaluating dellan schools as a potential Emergency Shelters as well as recognized in December with an outstanding service award from the New Jersey Emergency Management Association at the same event OEM coordinator Homer Mosley was sworn in as NJ EMA's recording secretary like you didn't need enough to do Homer GG are you okay with that [Laughter] additionally OEM insert member Chris Mueller was appointed as the Nel and search and rescue coordinator and is being nominated as middle sex County's outstanding C member of the year for his dedicated service omam also held educational events throughout the year including the first ever senior official all hazards preparedness workshop at the denal senior center safety Saturday sessions and the August mayoral town hall on OEM and storm preparedness they also provided support for their major commu other major community community events throughout the year let's give a round of applause for omem and St the denell and rescue squad which we have members here today uh began their next chapter by saying goodbye to their old building on North Avenue and have begun focusing their energy and attention on continuing to provide highquality EMS Services as they prepare for their eventual move to 635 boundbrook Road or infamously known as strip joint uh this new location will house a brand new facility that will allow them to better serve the community setting the rescue squad up for success for current and future members we wish them well in this endeavor and offer our support where appropriate so good work folks and congratulations we're over the halfway mark everybody there's a lot that we accomplished and everybody who accomplished it throughout the town I believe deserves full recognition the denal par Authority implemented several changes to better serve the community including the board transitioning to a monthly meeting scheduled to ensure the prompt resolution of operational and business matters a new superintendent position was created to manage day-to-day operations improving efficiency and responsiveness routine maintenance kept all the burrow parking meters fully operational and the organization celebrated the holiday season by offering free parking throughout the entire month of December since June the parking authority has received and resolved 21 complaints related to on street parking and is actively addressing parking issues near boundbrook Road Front Street and Lincoln Avenue in collaboration with the burough Additionally the parking authority worked closely with the burough Administration to comprehensively amend and adopt an ordinance that aims to improve Downtown parking this ordinance included no overnight parking along Route 28 and the designation of specific parking spots for free 15minute drop off and pick up locations to better support the needs of the businesses in downtown dellan I'd also like to take the moment to honor and remember those who have helped shape our community especially those who are no longer with us this past year dellan mourn the loss of a dear friend Mayor John Gibney mayor of dellan from 1988 to 1992 he's right over there on the left side of President Kennedy he passed away on May 5th at the age of 76 there was still plenty of life to give in my view as a lifelong resident he was deeply committed to his family especially his wife Jean and their children John's Public Service included four years on the denell planning board two terms on the burough Council from 1982 to 87 and as we all know as mayor too he also gave back through Dell's Line Club the high school booster club and as a coach for the little league and Pop Warner John's professional skills helped beautify the burough designing key signage including the welcome to dellan signs and park markers to me he was a friend and Mentor particularly during my time as mayor and I will personally miss our conversations about the Miracle Mile he had a few good stories may his memory remain Eternal and his legacy of service to dellan be remembered for Generations can we please give mayor Gibney a round of applause now as we look ahead I'm proud to say that the future of denel is bright and that is reflected in the many upcoming initiatives also on top of our accomplishments on the horizon that will continue to propel our buau forward in 20025 and Beyond this year we look to continue our Redevelopment efforts with several approved projects set to begin construction which will play a key role in revitalizing the downtown area these projects will capitalize on their Transit oriented design taking advantage of the proximity to the Dell train station and local bus routes the development at 12026 North Avenue will replace vacant properties with 33 residential units including five affordable housing units and over 2,000 square F feet of commercial space enhancing the walkability and expanding the commercial district North Hamilton project at 45 North Avenue will transform the former bank and rescue squad building into a mixed use complex featuring 50 residential units uh which is inclusive of seven affordable housing units commercial space parking and providing the rescue squad the ability to build a new facility at another location in downtown dellan 431 441 North AB development will add 62 new residential units including nine affordable housing units and ground level retail further enhancing the downtown area 337 Front Street project will create uh eight residential units including one affordable unit and a two-story building preserving the neighborhood charm with rear parking for residents in for the residents in the back the 440 North Avenue project will feature a three-story mixed use building with 1,100 square ft of commercial space and nine residential units including one affordable housing unit and an ADA accessible apartment this will replace a vacant house that sits in our downtown the 5 in1 North Avenue project which is currently under negotiations and is proposed to redevelop a dilapitated old mechanic shop at the corner of North Avenue in Madison Avenue this mixed use project if approved will further enhance the Aesthetics of this area in downtown these projects are essential not only for improving the physical landscape of denel but also for addressing the Burrow's fiscal Health as Den's tax base is heavily reliant on residential property values nearly 90% increasing commercial property values is vital to alleviating the financial burden on homeowners by generating additional commercial Revenue these projects will provide long-term benefits to the community and stabilize the bur's finances to reduce the Reliance on residential taxes while simultaneously stimulating our local economy we will also be adding way finding signage that we received funding for through the New Jersey Department of Transportation Transit Village Grants this will help guide residents and guests to key locations throughout the burrow such as burough Hall and public parking areas reminder the train station parking is free parking after 5:00 p.m. for the entire downtown additional signage will detail the history of dellan while owners well others not owners others will provide QR codes for digital maps and a directory of Dell's businesses the coolest thing I think is we're gonna have those two signs that talk about the history of dellan that I think is the coolest we'll also continue our assessment of a special improvement district for our downtown with Inc creative strategies and we'll be holding a follow-up to our October 30th meeting with local business owners and stakeholders on January 15th for further discussion and input special Improvement districts serve as an additional tool to support our downtown businesses and provide them with the resources to help them Thrive as a commuter town with its own train station we will continue to Advocate alongside our state representatives from legislative district 21 for the modernization of the dellan train station to Pro to improve travel for residents and commuters year after year we continue to issue requests to the State offices in Trenton to help fund improvements to the denell train station as we realize that the train station not only need to be accessible for all but it's a means to access to jobs in and out of the burrow as well as an economic tool that can be utilized in the ongoing revitalization of our downtown this Administration and Council will continue advocating so that we are not forgotten when it comes to these needs of the dellan train station and we appreciate the efforts of Senator bramnick and Assembly women Munos and mudas as they have continued to advocate for this funding on our behalf down in Trenton as we've done in previous years we will continue to apply for grants that will allow us to further beautify our burrow and we will work with the middlex county Mill and pave program PSG and New Jersey American Water to improve infrastructure and roads in 2024 contracts were awarded to two projects that are anticipated to begin in the spring Second Street excuse me phase one which will span from middlex border to Madison Avenue we'll see the removal and replacement of severely damaged curbs and sidewalks the installation of new Ada accessible sidewalk ramps at the intersections and the replacment of any damaged castings and the installation of two speed check radar systems push button Beacon lights enhanced Traffic Safety stripes and markings concluding with the milling and Paving of that street the Washington Avenue street lighting project will see the installation of decorative LED lights along Washington Avenue between First Street and denell Avenue and between denell North Avenue and the railroad tracks 2025 will also see further Improvement ments to pedestrian safety were projects scheduled to be bided on this year including the NJ do project along North Avenue and boundbrook Road this project includes the installation as we noted earlier of compliant uh ADA Compliant ramps along Route 28 push button flashing beacons will also be installed at the intersections of Sanford Avenue and Bound Brook Road Lincoln Avenue and North Avenue Prospect Avenue and North Avenue and Jackson Avenue North Avenue additionally push button flashing beacons will be installed at Madison Avenue at dellan Avenue in First Street and North Washington Avenue at dellan Avenue in First Street to further assist with school traffic walking traffic the traffic lights at Washington Avenue and Madison Avenue will also receive updated pedestrian Crossing signals and we're also doing a traffic uh truck route study this year to uh help get these trucks off our residential roads and also look at turn signals at North Washington Avenue and north and Madison Avenue and North so that is on the uh agenda as well for this year year the bureau would like to continue uh their work with the denell and parking authority for Downtown parking assessment to determine locations for future parking and how we can make our current lots more accessible for parking and bicycling I would like to end my address we're there guys we're there I would like to end my address to you today by thanking the buroughs administration and staff and our various boards commissions and committees though there are many I'd like to recognize by name here are just a few individuals Alex Miller our superintendent of Public Works uh Recreation and Parks our administrator Lauren stats of municipal clerk and registar Derek white our Comm director of Community Development Deborah Weaver our human resources manager uh Kelly Cedar and all Recreation staff and the Recreation Commission Richard herkin and all our Department of Public Work employees Chiron rree our spe uh special project adviser William Robertson our burough attorney Scott olssen our Chief Financial Officer William George our Communications coordinator tax collector Don Hutchinson tax office clerk Maria Santos and tax assessor Don gutell uh judge kathern H Municipal Court Administrator Liz de Deputy Court Administrator Denise Donado and violations clerk Don Mayer doll George Dean and Ken B and dist and code enforcement Scott Brasher Clare Bell es avido John Mike Travis and Michael in our Construction office police chief Daniel Smith Captain Christopher beers lieutenant John dhy administrative uh assistant Debbie Richie and all of our police officers Chief William Scott of the fire department and all of their membership Chief be de Jeff best and the denel rescue squad and all of their membership OEM coordinator Homer J Mosley Deputy OEM coordinators William Carlson and Joseph cumins and their entire search team and OEM staff thank you to all of our government of services employees and volunteer agencies in 2024 as we noted 167 volunteers part participate in Recreation programs or burough commissions committees and boards and I hope we can continue to build on that number dellan success is truly measured by those who serve our community personally I would like to finally uh recognize and thank you my family and friends for their unwavering support I extend my love and gratitude to my wife Lindsay and my daughter Kennedy uh because without them I would not be able to be here today actually last year at this reorganization meeting my wife was pregnant with Kennedy and now she's going to be almost a year um and many thanks and love to my mother father sister brother and their families my in-laws and thank you I would like to say to former mayor Robert Cedar for his friendship and mentorship to me throughout all of these years he's really helped me guide to this position finally I'd like to extend a special thank you um to my popup uh who originally inspired my journey into local politics I thank him every year I am humbled and proud to serve the community that helped raise me and my family and serve as your mayor as mayor of I promise to work with all members of the dellan council and all Municipal staff and volunteers to ensure responsible and transparent and government is delivered to our constituents with all residents feeling they are fairly represented and welcomed in our Miracle Mile may we continue to devote our minds and hearts to Public Service above all else so that delling continues to be a place where our neighbors friends and families seek to create the greatness that uniquely defines our community Community thank you for your time today and your patience for this speech and a happy and healthy New Year okay next up on our agenda is public comments if anybody would like anything to say we just ask that you please state your name or address whether you're joining us virtually or in person we don't want to prolong this anymore okay well next up we're going to close that portion of the meeting so nobody stood up for public comment let the record note um our next up is Awards and proclamations uh first is the presentation of dellan volunteer citizen of the year for 2024 and it's my great honor to welcome uh Margaret Peg Lockwood up as we present her a proclamation and a plat so Proclamation awarding Margaret Peg Lockwood the's 2024 volunteer citizen of the Year whereas P Lockwood is a founding member of the denel downtown management organization and the D Arts inclusion and culture two volunteer organizations that have significantly contribute to gr and whereas she has served on ddmo as a chair for for acting chair exception in 2012 and has participated in many organization events such as hard bringing to Wellness brand opening anniversary celebration restaurant week and many more and whereas P represents the business owner role in the Dell downtown management organization and is a longtime Dell business owner dating back to the purchase and renovation of 000 and Maggie M's in 2013 which he continued own and and whereas through her work with theen Arts inclus culture Commission P has continued to promote and Inspire Arts and proser Cultural recognition and inclusivity in our or mile by assisting with the organization of programs such as music in the park plays in the Park summer Hearts program the neural program qu window decorating Black History Month events and more and whereas Peg leadership with the know Arts inclusion and culture commission including roles as treasur and secretary as well as her efforts in securing grants and support letters have ensured the success ability of numerous programs and whereas head dedication creativity and passion what it to volunteer now therefore I mayor Jason Mento along with Council congratulate Margaret P Lockwood and award the honor 2024 volunteer you're good than family years so I and I think it has enous potential so I have invested financially also to volunteer with and I would just say it's volunteering is a great way to meet a lot of people Town small town a huge difference so and we just encour next is the presentation of dellan Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024 we have the great honor to recognize the legendary p okay Proclamation Kathleen Kath wil the's 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient whereas Kathy Wilson is a longtime regiment having grown up in our Miracle Mile moving away briefly in 1972 and returning in 1979 making the burrow for lifelong home and whereas Kathy's involved inel her participated in arts and crafts and the summer playground program later taking on leadership responsibilities by supervising counselors and whereas she has dedicated a decade of service to the Girl Scouts and as as a group leader and as a member of the Girl Scout service team participating in many programs and events and whereas Kathy was involved in the Summer Park Park program at the denel high school which developed while Columbia Park was being renovated as a counselor planning cheroni trips teaching arts and various other classes and whereas she has served on the general Recreation Commission for over 35 years starting as an associate member and later becoming a regular member donating for time volunteering countless events and programs back and whereas Kathy has been married to her husband Jeff for over 50 years and together have children Matthew Sarah and Kati along with four grandchildren Justin Abby syus and Jack and whereas Kathy embodies all characteristics and attributes to follow by her with the designation of the's Lifetime Achievement price one now therefore I mayor Jason F along with burough Council extended congratulations to you captain in awarding her the honor of being D's 2024 Lifetime Achievement a recipent your come on everybody come on now ready everybody to know it's been a pleasure being involved with Recreation forever sorry okay well before we conclude uh everyone is welcome to join us at the denell hotel for reception um we have food and soft drinks and coffee and tea no alcohol just so you're aware and so but you're welcome to join us everybody who is uh present in the room um so please join us can I have a motion and second on resolution number 47 uh to adjourn our council meeting move it sigment second Albertson Sigman Albertson okay can we have a roll call please well all in favor any nay okay happy and healthy New Year everyone what