##VIDEO ID:nMTvp2Ywxyk## [Music] time is 7M December 3rd 2024 hereby call this meeting of the Howell Township Council to order Danel will statement please this meeting is being held in accordance with public law 1975 chapter 231 open public meetings act adequate notice has been provided in the manner prescribed by law this agenda is complete to the extent known and formal action will be taken I'll begin with a roll call councilwoman Fischer here councilman gager here Council no Donnell here Deputy Mayor nadell here mayor Burger is absent this evening now please rise with Pledge of Allegiance followed by a Moment of Silence pledge alance to the flag the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation God liy and justice for all thank you before we begin I just want to uh acknowledge mayor elect John legio joining us on the day us this evening uh it's customary how Township for our final meeting of the year to have newly elected members join us on the council uh welcome John thank uh we have a presentation by the shat Tre commission uh Lisa da hi good evening thank you for having me tonight appreciate it um so the shat Tre commission just wanted to do a yearly recap of the accomplishments that we had in 2024 so um is my clicker perfect thank you um so we started off the year with our spring seedling giveaway where we distributed over a thousand seedlings to the community um we received an ARB Day Foundation Grant and we also received a superstorm Sandy recovery grant for be root seedlings so we had a great turnout by the community for that event we also received our tree City USA um certification it is our 26th year of being a tree City and we look forward to applying again next year um our project at Easy Street continues um we currently have a native plant guarding there we also received a New Jersey autobond grant for hummingbird Garden which we installed in the spring and we are registered as a community wildlife habitat for that location um we've been doing a lot of projects with the house schools so we did do our annual Arbor Day program with the H schools uh we distributed over 600 seedlings to the third graders and and we distributed a tree to be planted at each of the house schools along with supporting their yearly ARB Day contest um where we provided shrubs to all the winners of the contest um in the fall we did our fall seedling giveaway where we distributed over 300 trees so in the fall for our fall seedling giveaway we do do larger trees for the community um so we did that at the uh DPW garage just because we do larger trees so we had a great turnout for that um Soldier Memorial we did a rain Garden Project there so we've been working with Rucker's Water Resources Department they drew up the plans for that project um and DPW um came out and helped us dig that along with Rucker's Water Resources we also received a manisan bank Grant and Manasquan Bank sent about 15 volunteers to help us plant that rain Garden so if you haven't been by Soldier Memorial it's a it's a great rain Garden we just need some rain um we planted about 300 trees plants and shrubs in that um garden and that will prevent some of the runoff that we get in that parking lot area at the front of soldier Memorial we Al also partnered with aldd school to do a pollinator Garden for them so um we actually received a grant from First Energy to do that project it was the first pollinator Garden that first energy has planted in the state of New Jersey so they came in out and helped us with that they supplied all the plants and the volunteers for that project and then um we also provided all the third graders with pollinator seed packets um as part of that project and uh the Green Team the environmental commission and the Master Gardeners all came out to help us with that and then for Greenville school we also partnered with First Energy for that project uh we planted some shrubs at the front of the school and also some trees along the side of the school and First Energy donated 100 seedlings for the students uh for that project so in 2025 we look forward to continuing our spr our spring seedling giveaway um the community uh ex turns out for this and it it's something that they know we do every year so uh currently we're looking at 300 to 700 seedlings uh to give away for that we'll apply for the grant with the state again for the superstorm standy recover recovery project and then we also are planning on applying for the Arbor Day Grant again um Easy Street the community wildlife habitat we're going to continue to work on that project uh we have a native tree and shrub planting project planned and then we'll continue to um maintain our native plant garden and keep adding to that that project uh for Winston Park we also are planning some tree plantings there along with the current project we have at Winston Park so we did do a project there several years ago where we received a grant and planted over 700 seedlings at that location um we've been working with the town in DPW to identify some detention Basin areas where we could do some native plantings with trees and shrubs also some open space area plantings and then we are planning on continuing to work with Ruckers on another rain Garden installation also for 2025 um it is a recertification year for our community forestry management plan so that is something that we um are required to do every five years we did get an extension so we will be working on that in 2025 uh for submission in 2026 um and there's also a grant with the New Jersey Urban and Community forestry um Administration that um we'll be applying for with the help of our tree expert who will be helping us out with that Grant and then we'll also be looking at some tree inventory software because we have such a big town and we have a lot of trees um we've already done our hazardous tree inventory so we'd like to put that into some software and it will help us keep track of areas of town where we need to do tree maintenance or do some tree plantings to maintain our canopy we will uh continue to do our Arbor Day program with the schools um maintenance on the soldier Memorial rain Garden uh Mammoth ridings we do have a rain Garden Project there too that we planted about 2 years ago so we'll be doing a maintenance project there we're also planning on doing our fall seedling giveaway again and then we'll continue to do our partnership um and apply for Grants with First Energy and manisan Bank who have been excellent partners for us uh we'll also work with um the house schools um we've partnered with Middle School South to do their um tree fruit Forest which they started um and they also have a 10,000 tree planting project that they're working on so we continue to partner with them on different projects um along with the other house schools that contact us so um are there any questions leis I just want to thank you for your service not only do you do this but you also chair the green team too so everything that you're doing here for this you have a completely different set of projects going on for 2025 on the Green Team so yes thank you as well as when the two partner up together I think it just even goes much further than it would otherwise and your vision on one complements the other area so we're very fortunate in that respect very good to hear and very nice to hear the partnership with First Energy and um your other Partnerships um I think uh First Energy is really trying to step up in the communities um to do more and I know if there's a way to squeeze out one extra tree you're the lady to do it so we're very happy that you're at the home but you have an incredible amount of uh people around uh the group very supportive everybody's hands on and um the amount of work that your committee push outs just ridiculous had a question some of the things that you talked about are with the schools is that involving Josh down there too at the school yeah actually yes we've worked with Josh um and I've been in touch with him so we're um thinking about a project in the spring with First Energy so we're working on getting that Grant application in like I mentioned the the kids there are working on their 10,000 Tree project so we're looking at supplementing that and then First Energy does always like to do a a giveaway for the kids when we do a project so Middle School South has been a great partner and um they always have a different project that they're thinking of um so uh I have spoken to Josh and we're working on a project for them yeah no we just uh delivered a a load of compost to him he asked for it the town had it we they dropped it off well he has the Moon tree now so they actually have a tree that um it went to the moon and it came back and uh there were all kinds of requirements that they had to have to to get that tree so so it's one of their but yeah they have uh they're very active and Alder schools uh we've been doing a lot of work with the school with Aldridge School uh the pollinator Garden the kids have been really active in coming out and that um so we're looking at possibly doing something with them um but yeah those schools are getting more and more involved and they've been great Partners Manis Juan Bank um actually the person who reached out from manisan Bank actually lives in Hal and wanted to do a project here so the timing just worked out where we were doing the the rain Garden at Soldier Memorial so we're looking forward to doing more projects like that I know um our partnership with DPW um is great um they're great partners and um you know we want to to help them reduce the Mowing and look at areas where we can plant um where we can do that and get more trees in our open space areas so um yes and I do have to thank all of my committee members on the sha tree commission the Green Team and the environmental commission um they're great they come out for all the projects and uh I we couldn't do it without them so and all the community members that come out we're always looking for for volunteers um in 2025 we're looking at planning our our volunteer days out um earlier so we can push the information out to the community because we we could do more we just we need volunteers so huge thank you thank you thank you thank you for your support we really appreciate it thank you Lis so move on to acceptance of minutes of previous meetings may have a motion for acceptance of minutes for November 12th 2024 motion to accept second councilman fiser yes councilman gaser yes councilwoman odonnell yes Deputy Mayor Nell abstain thank you reports of Township officials Mr Clark so not a lot to report this meeting we have the tree lighting going on as we speak which is always great um the manora lighting will be December 26th so we'll have some information on our website about that reorg this year will be on January 1st at noon here in the meeting room so anybody who's interested is welcome to attend um and I just wanted to um thank Lisa for all the work that shade tree does we work with her a lot never says no is very helpful and uh we got a lot of good stuff coming up in the next year as a result so Mr Howard nothing for me tonight any legal updates nothing for me either clerk's office no nothing thank you now to open the floor for hearing of citizens and public comments each person shall first give their name and address to the clerk the council should be addressed as a collective and not as individual members each person shall have one turn to address the council and comments shall not exceed a total of 5 minutes speakers shall be notified when their time has run and no time extension shall be permitted is there anyone on the list anyone wish to speak come up now hello um my name is Marcy Craig um I live on denella Wayne Howell um I wanted to just talk about what's going on in my neighborhood I live in the development Mammoth ridings um in the past six months um 20 houses in our development have gone up for sale um the houses that have sold all of them have sold to llc's um they're only three that people are actually families are living in that bought the houses all the other houses are being rented out my concern is um I live a house over from one that the people just got evicted they made a three-bedroom Colonial into an eight-bedroom home and this is happening all through my development the people are buying the homes they put lock boxes on the doors people come in all hours of the day and night looking at the houses unaccompanied um we've talked to the zoning board and we're at the point where we feel it's not safe anymore there's cars parked all over the street um I just wanted to come up here I've lived at my home for 30 years my kids have been raised here I love my development but I feel like it's just not safe there anymore all my neighbors are scared um I just don't know too what are the restrictions as far as people buying houses and not screening who's living there we've seen ads on Facebook in Spanish saying that they're going to rent rooms as a rooming house and I have proof of all this I have all documents from my neighborhood none of my neighbors showed up but um I just wanted to be here just to vocalize how I feel it's very upsetting and I just don't know at this point what we can do to you know I know you can't you can't it's going to be sold to whoever sold to and that's fine but I don't understand why these people are buying the houses to destroy the neighborhood where I live and I keep my house up the people who moved out two houses over I watch them take their trash bags go over to the woods throw them in the woods and go back and leave they climbed in the windows two days later the police had to come trying to get in to get more of their stuff so I really feel it's like a huge safety concern ER at this point and I'm very worried and I just wanted to come here and just say that what was that street again did you it's my street is denell away in Howell but my whole development it's um there's 140 houses and 21 of them have sold since June so it's a huge problem and I know it's not just my development but I don't know why all of a sudden it's been so quick and such a huge shock to everyone so thank you for listening I really appreciate it thank you thank you does anyone else wish to come up seeing none we have a motion to close public comment motion to close second all in favor I I uh for response to public the comments uh Matt do you want to start so let me just very quickly so ma'am um call Town Hall tomorrow you said that you have information we'll set up a time we'll meet with you personally here and we'll go over everything that you have if any of your neighbors want to come as well they're more than welcome um we're aware of what's going on we've come up with ways that we're dealing with it um and Mr Howard's going to go into some more detail about it right now okay so Dell away and Mammoth ridings has become one of our main stays over the last month or so um we've gotten complaints some have been verified some haven't um we've gone to some properties multiple times and not been ble to find any violations and you know we have to respect people's privacy and people's rights at that point um you even mentioned yourself obviously the township can't stop anybody from buying a house we can't force somebody to sell to somebody and not somebody else that's all free market conditions and um llc's intent to rent intent to own or occupy we we can't do anything about it so we've gotten a lot of complaints we've done weekend work night work and morning work on an laa we've verified several complaints and uh as um the speaker mentioned we've already had one property vacated because of the issues um things like lock boxes those are standard practices for a property that's being marketed so if a property's being marketed to rent or to to buy obviously Realtors put a lockbox on nothing we can do about that we have gotten the complaints about a couple properties where it seems like people are coming and going but it is just for showings we've been able to verify that um if anybody's using that for a living situation um in the form of come here spend a couple nights here's the key to the lock box and we get evidence of that which we have in other parts of town um that doesn't meet our zoning that doesn't meet our code and we make sure um that that doesn't occur um things like more cars on the street we understand that there's more occupancy in some of the rentals than a normal um condition or the condition that we're at least used to um but our occupancy code Cod is governed by state housing code so it's based on the number of bedrooms and the size of the bedrooms um a lot of our normal four-bedroom houses have actual occupancies well exceeding 10 so there is a limit to how much the township can reduce occupancy and if it so happens that there's more adults in a house and more cars that obviously leads to parking and more cars in the driveway more cars in the street if it's not creating an unsafe condition if it's not a title 39 or traffic violation little that we can do I understand it's a change in the sense of how properties look but there's a limit as to what we can do um just in terms of what this Council has done and what I've been tasked with with code enforcement over the last I'd say two years is a number of ordinances and they're still taking effect they're still gaining traction we're still coming up with new ones but that includes everything from making sure occupancy standards are codified in our law so that we are following state law on that uh making sure that we have a a very strict revocation policy so that there's repeated violations if there's um several criteria to be met um that we can take away the Privileges to rent I've just this week had two hearings on revocations um with parties that wanted to be heard and reconsider um so we know that these revocations the threat of the revocation or when we get to that point and actually have to do it it's having an impact and um it's going to get better compliance in the future um other ordinances we've done just the most recently we've ensured um that code enforcement is checking for mortgage um on the mortgage document the occupancy Clause somebody buys a house it's a very different process if you're buying it to own or occupy it that's what most people have gone through when they bought their house but if you're going to rent it there's different requirements there's different loan packages and your lender usually really wants to know that so we are now checking all of our rental applications as they come in uh if they have that documen Clause we're making sure the lender is on notice and guess what a lot of times the lender is not on notice and we're not issuing a certificate unless the lender is okay with that property being used in that manner um one of the biggest changes that is just taking effect is that we've also instituted a annual rental inspection policy so starting really November into December um we've divided the town up into 12 different groups of properties for for inspection because we're going to tackle them month by month and every month we're doing rental inspections so if you get a new rental approved today instead of having to wait for a change of tency or ownership for us to come in and reinspect the property we're going to do that every year and that's going to make sure that we can see if there's rooms being built and if we find that which we have in cases that's an immediate revocation um there's rooms being built if there's illegal Construction in some other way there's over occupancy signs that's going to let us see that by going in every year no no more can you go four five six years let these problems Fester um let these issues creep into bigger and bigger issues we're going to have much more handson involvement uh yearly with these um obviously if there's any complaints code enforcement we've staffed up over the last year we have three new inspectors positions that we filled since this time last year we about yeah since last year we have more admin positions that we filled since last year um my staff is ready and willing to do overtime like I said nights weekends overnights we have weekend overnight overtime that my staff is doing they're working very hard they understand most of them live in town they understand the issues they understand the the task in front of us um so if you have complaints if it's something that's not happening during office uh our normal office hours come to us we can still get out and track those issues um so that's a lot of what we're doing um in terms of Dell way specifically like I said said we're on that street a lot um we've gotten multiple complaints and again some of them aren't founded um and we're weeding through those but we never stop so if there's an issue send it to us and we're going to take a look and we're going to um see if we can do anything for and and doke look I meant it call and set up an appointment and we'll sit down with all of the you have and any of your neighbors so and we'll explain we can't prohibit rentals outright but by the same token you know with every right there's also responsibility and we'll make sure that those responsibilities are being followed you shouldn't have to live in a neighborhood that you feel as unsafe so and the only other thing I have to add is that we are actually introducing an ordinance tonight that is mimicking uh state law on the definition of boarding and rooming houses um boarding uh boarding houses have to be licensed by DCA so if you have proof of ad advertisements of something you know claiming to be a boarding house and it's not licensed it's not going to be allowed I just want to say one thing this is a daily thing with us all of us up here we're calling them on a daily basis or I know we all have gone and driven to these streets to take a look uh I've been on Daniel away and taken a look and it just about every time I call Matt to say hey I got a complaint from a resident about Dani yel away or some other Street he already knows about it or he he'll already say uh we've already been there or he'll already say there's been a legal construction and we've shut them down or so we're we're working to come up with as many things as we can uh some of it's a little bit creative but I think we're on Uncharted around here so we're setting the Precedence to do it perfect example is zero tolerance on some issues I believe it was and I'm dealing with a lot of property so I forgive if I missp but I believe it was D La way and the house that we found illegal construction added bedrooms signs of over occupancy it's immediate revocation and and that's just that if if we're going to issue a certificate of inspection and come come talk to me after the meeting but the the idea is if you're going to come and get a certificate of rental and immediately break our ordinance so egregiously Zero Tolerance get ready to be revoked and we'll go we'll be in County Superior Court um if the occupancy doesn't cease yeah and that that's a good point too I mean ultimately we we have more lawyers than you can imagine ready to go and seek injunctions against rentals if we need to go that far usually we get compliance but if we don't we have no problem going into court and handling it that way the hard way works too and specifically with d l one of your neighbors I'm in contact with probably about once a week filling Us in other the council members as well filling Us in on what's going on on your block specifically but this is something that we know about and we've adopted all the ordinances so far that we can just to whatever we're thinking up just to try to curb this issue and address it anything else from Council no sir now move to the consent agenda items does anyone wish to vote on any of these separately may I have a motion for the consent agenda resolutions r24 401 through r24 427 I can make a motion to approve resolutions r24 d401 through r24 d427 I'll second councilman fiser yes councilman gazer yes councilwoman odonnell yes with a Proviso that I would like to absent on r24 uh 425 thank you Deputy Mayor Nell yes thank you the consent resolutions pass resolutions to be voted separately r24 428 providing for the insertion of a special item of Revenue in the 2024 budget 20204 dri sober get pulled over yearend Crackdown I have a motion for this resolution I'll make a motion for resolution 24- 428 second councilwoman fiser yes councilman gager yes councilwoman oon yes Deputy Mayor Nell yes thank you the resolution passes resolution 24 429 providing for appropriation transfers in the 2024 Municipal budget pursuing to njsa 44-58 may have a motion for this resolution motion to approve 24429 second councilman Fischer yes councilman gaser yes Council no Donnell yes Deputy Mayor Nell yes thank you the resolution passes unfinished business ordinance 24-44 Bond ordinance providing for the 2024 Road program appropriating 4 million therefore and authorizing the issue of $3.8 million bonds and notes to finance a portion of the cost thereof authorized in and by the township of Howl in the county of Monmouth New Jersey public hearing on ordinance 2444 is now open and wish to comment on the ordinance please come up seeing none have motion to close public motion to close public second Matt I have a question is this money earmarked for anything in part particular it's mostly our road program so it's Paving our streets okay I have a motion in a second councilwoman Fischer yes councilman gager yes Council noon yes depy mayor Nell yes thank you may have a motion to adopt ordinance 24-44 I'll make a motion to adopt ordinance 24-44 second councilman Fischer yes councilman gajer yes councilman odonnell yes Deputy Mayor Dell yes thank you the ordinance is properly adopted ordinance 24- 45 Capital ordinance providing for the acquisition of various capital and appropriating $400,000 therefore authorized in and by the township of Howell in the county of Monmouth New Jersey public hearing on this ordinance is now open any wish to come up please do so seeing none may have a motion to close public comment motion to close public have a second second all in favor I thank you I have a motion to adopt ordinance 24- 45 I move to adopt ordinance 2445 second councilwoman fiser yes councilman gisher yes councilwoman odonnell yes deputy mayor nidel yes thank you the ordinance is properly adopted and just for the record on that one that is for the purchase of a loader and excavator um out of the sewer trust it's used all the time so and the funds are there ordinance 24- 46 an ordinance of the township of Howell amending chapter 139 article 9 section 16 permit inspection and copy fees of the Township Code public hearing is now open any wish to come up please do so seeing none we have a motion to close public hearing motion close second all in favor I may I have a motion to adopt ordinance 2446 motion to adopt ordinance second councilman fiser yes councilman gager yes councilwoman Odon yes Deputy Mayor Nell yes thank you the ordinance properly adopted ordinance 2447 an ordinance setting forth and amending and supplementing the salary range schedule for the salaries of certain officers and employees of the township of how public hearings now open any wish to come up please do so seeing none have motion to close public hearing M motion to close second all in favor I I I have motion to adopt ordinance 2447 motion to adopt ordinance 24- 47 second councilman fiser yes councilman gazer yes councilman odonnell yes Deputy May Rell yes thank you the orance is properly adopted introduction of ordinances ordinance 24-48 and ordinance of the township of howwell amending part two and 188-223 executive session begins at 6 regular session begins at 700 p.m. any closing remarks by the council before we finish uh that if I may that particular meeting uh may be uh quite late we were planning on a couple of days away so hopefully we can Curel the trip and I'll be here on time for the 17th yes sir so we can discuss I mean it's it's possible I think I I foresee a relatively light agenda um I'll keep my eyes on it we could probably do it by Zoom okay I mean I think it would be a pretty quick one so seeing no further business may have a motion to adjourn motion to adjourn second all in favor I I thank you