##VIDEO ID:hDCMDoL3Ljo## good evening the December 23rd 2024 council meeting of the Long Branch city council will now come to order roll call Mr dangler here Mr razus here Mrs whtas here Dr vote here Mr Vieira here let's please stand for a pledge of allegiance I pledge allegiance to the flag the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all I will now read the mission statement of the city council The Long Branch mayor City counil and administration are committed to cultivating an environment of mutual trust and respect that values the diversity of our community we will strive to enhance the quality of life for all who live live here by making La Branch a desirable place in which to live and prosper we will treat all members of the public with respect and expect the same in return clerk I hereby certified that this meeting has been published in the newspaper in accordance with the open public meeting act and posted as required by law thank you I need a motion to approve the minutes of December 11th 20124 so move second R call Mr dler yes Mr rases yes Mrs whts yes Dr V yes Mr Vieira yes motion passed consideration of ordinance of public hearing and final consideration ordinance 026 d24 an ordinance amending an ordinance establishing titles and setting salaries for the certain employees of the city of Long Branch for the year 2024 this ordinance was introduced on the 7 11th 2024 and amends an ordinance establishing titles and setting salaries for certain city employees for the year 2024 I need a motion to open the public hearing of this ordinance only so move second all in favor if any member of the any member of the public has a comment to make on this ordinance only please come to the podium state your name and address clearly for the record you'll have five minutes and may only speak once on ordinance 026 d24 [Music] requesting one minute notification Vincent leor 33 Ocean terce Long Branch in the reading of the header of ordinance 26 an ordinance amending an ordinance establishing titles and setting salaries for certain employees of the city of Long Branch for the year 2024 Mr known is that incorrect should it be 2025 no it's 2024 how can you explain that please because I think it's effective January 1st 2024 is that correct um Mr Martin that's correct it's all encompassing the Year yes it's effective January 1st 2024 correct then why is it being done now the city has always done its ordinances this way I'm sorry Mr report they do it they do them in December of every year why why why are you doing the 2024 salaries at the end of the year instead of the beginning of the year would be the other one once again that's just been the practice so I that it's been continued on for as long as I've been here I I know I don't really know when the practice started it's nothing illegal about doing it that way it's just been the practice of how the city does it under the listed Animal control officer it has under non-union part-time position 11 to 25 per hour so by this ordinance Mr rown there will no longer be a full-time Animal control officer as there's been in the past no well this is part this is a part-time position the the salary ordinance doesn't establish positions the full-time of course salary for an animal control set byle the bargaining agreement and under the faulnak statute salaries are either set by salary ordinance or by collective bargaining agreement so that might be a title that's in a collective bargaining agreement does this doesn't eliminate any titles it doesn't eliminate any titles no sir if it's in the Sal if it's in the um I guess that would be CWA if it's in the CWA agreement um so njsa 40 call 69-43 small a says that you can set salaries by either ordinance or collective bargaining agreements so you've chosen full-time Animal control officer by believe that's that's a recognized position in that Union and it has a salary in it so the city currently has an animal control officer full-time on inde definite layoff I think she was terminated is that correct we hir a new one we hired a new one you said you had one on indefinite layoff though that's correct the former Animal control officer is on indefinite layoff is that correct she's she's not terminated yet oh not terminated yet suspended without suspended without pay so that position under correct so that position is fulltime under CWA yeah it's a full-time position in the CWA contract correct and this ordinance doesn't affect that position no it's got nothing to do with it under non-un elected officials there's a salary figure here for mayor and counsel I'm request requesting and no vote on this ordinance I disagree with the salary figures for the brackets of minimum to maximum it should be 0 to zero on ordinance 26 I request a no vote thank you see there's no no one else I need a motion to close to move second all in favor I I this is the second reading of the ordinance 26 -24 I need a motion to adopt on second and the final reading and advertise according to law to move second roll call Mr dangler yes Mr Rouses yes Mr R Mrs whts yes Dr vote Yes Mr Vera yes motion passed ordinance for introduction there's none public participation resolutions and general comments I need a motion to open the public portion for all for the meeting for all comment so moved second all in favor oppos if there is anyone in the audience that has a comment to make please stay step to the podium and stay your name and address clearly for the record you'll have five minutes and may only speak once I need a motion to questing one minute notification Vincent laort 33 Ocean terrist Long Branch council president Vieira at the last council meeting on December 11th you motion to move a consent agenda which included resolution 284 which eventually you and Council approved council president Vieira on March 13 2023 the city bought the building at 46 Atlantic Avenue prior owned by Oliver Byron fire company for 650,000 to make a museum Mr Vieira not withstanding that the purchase price is suspect and under active investigation why did you in Council vote via resolution 284 to issue a rent check for the year 2024 in the amount of $5,350 to the Oliver Byron Fire Company when in fact the city own 46 Atlantic Avenue for the entire year of 2024 I you I'm Happ answer the question if you want so I believe that the way that it's coded in the city budget is it's a lease but it's actually the yearly subsidy to uh the volunteer organizations um in the city so that's what that is Mr that's what that payment is Mr Laur it says rent payment I it's always and once again I I I don't like answering this way that it's something that's always been done but that's how they've always characterized it but uh statutorily we're allowed to um subsidize volunteer organizations of course we save a lot of money because we have volunteer organizations so we subsidize them that small stien um every year I I disagree with that you can if you want I'm just tell the resolution stated rent payment I understand nobody at 46 Atlantic Avenue from Oliver Byron occupied that building for the entire year of 2024 okay so they're getting a payment from the city for no occupation of a building it's a subsidy to a volunteer Fire Organization Mr laor and that's just the way they've been I disagree you can it's okay council president Vieira did you and council issue the rent check to the head of the Oliver Byron Fire Company who recently had a separation of employment from the city of Long Branch due to Mammoth County prosecutor's office criminal charges for the falsification and destruction of government records Mr Vier yes or no who did the check go to and Oliver Byron I'll read you the commission statement I read before does anybody in the AR like to come to make a comment Mr VI are you going to answer the question yes or no do you know the answer I'm not going to answer any of your questions you have no respect I'm not going to answer I'm not to no no you're disrespecting the People by your ignorance council president Vieira likewise resolution 284 you inv Council voted to issue a $5,350 rent check to the Atlantic engine company that for sale Firehouse directly across the street from City Hall at 353 Broadway has been inactive for quite some time except for a hall wagon which belongs to the Atlantic and not the city Mr Vieira again you Council issued a rent check in the amount of $5,350 to the Atlantic which hasn't occupied that Firehouse why Mr Vieira same if I came Mr leport that's the same all them if you ask for every Firehouse I'm going to give you the same answer council president Viera why did you in Council vote via resolution 284 to issue a $5,350 rent check to the elberon engine company for the year 2024 when the elberon firehouse has been vacant for a couple of years once again Mr leport the ongoing support for our Volunteer Fire companies you could ask the I Mr G council president Vieira being that the city one minute notification being that the city is paying rent to three fire companies that no longer house trucks with two of them moving their companies into another Firehouse that also gets a rent check of $5,350 why Mr Vieira are you in Council allowing the residents of this city to pay triple rent for one truck I think that what's happening Mr leapor is that you you're not happy with the fact that the city subsidizes their V I disagree Mr Vieira will you cooperate with Federal inves tigators into the alleged criminal public official misconduct and racketeering involved with the issuance of these rent checks with these fire companies in all du in all du respect Mr leapor accusing somebody of committing a federal crime Mr Ron listen alleged you're catching some nasty habits from Mr viea you can't get away you can't get away with that Mr leaport making public welled you're find you're going to find out defamation case that you might end up getting so you be care careful junk government anyone else Mr Tex merry Christmas happy holidays um I'm Nick deagle yelmo I recently started uh coming here to the meetings I moved back to Long Branch I'm at 580 Patton Avenue Long Branch uh had been a lifelong resident and back I was originally here during the summertime with my outrage over my 21% tax increase I still don't understand it uh John palone was nice enough he uh hooked me up to speak to uh to the tax assessor there still are a lot of things that are not correct I I I I'm still very uneasy the reason I'm here again tonight is it appears that there will be an additional 10% increase for this coming year I find that ludicrous outrageous it's it's something that's going to be unsustainable I had stated you know I was raised in in this city the friendly City you still have it in your logos but what's happening now is something that's unsustainable to continue to go from 20% increase to an additional 10% increase makes zero sense I understand that the budget is $9 billion for this city and perhaps the Chief Financial Officer can elaborate on this if you do 10% of9 billion that's $900 million can can that be that from one year to another there's going to be an additional $900 million now of that 9 million billion dollar budget sir just just just so you know I'm sorry I don't know where you got it's hi I'm L Reon I'm the City attorney the budget for the city is $75 million and we haven't struck a budget for next year so there's no way what you're seeing is the assessed value of your property go up but that doesn't necessarily mean your taxes are going to go up cuz we haven't struck the budget yet so correct so so it's it's when I'm saying it's two completely different things because and I'll give you a really easy example if the value of the entire city goes up 10% nobody's taxes go up because the taxes are only one component you have to strike the budget first before you know what you're going to Define so you don't know what the budget is going to be and by the way $9 billion I I it's just not it I don't know that number is you just pulled it out of the air I didn't I didn't it was quoted to me but in either event regardless let let's just make it if there indeed had been an increase of 21% what was incurred to me this summer and now the valuation I mean I hate to say it perhaps in the area that we live in in in the North Long Branch maybe a little bit more desirable as opposed to the pilot that we have here that makes zero sense at all so if indeed that's the case what am I going to wind up doing coming back here when I do get the next tax statement to and and and incur that additional expense I did speak with the tax assessor he told me what the denominator is for this city and I appreciate that but I but I maintain that our taxes continue to increase we have representation I hate to use the old Boston adage but taxation without representation I beg and urge all of you to do something to cut taxes because otherwise I won't be back at any of these meetings because I'm going to high tail my ass out of this friendly City it's unsustainable as we speak right now our neighbor Community Ocean Township is having a forum so that way people can discuss the tax assessment this city doesn't do anything comparable it's a shame because the working class that pay taxes are too darn busy they're unable to come here and they're intimidated by all of you legal Representatives or whatnot I'm not intimidated by any of you what I am though is I'm outraged and and I would like to see someone take the bull by the horn and say we're not going to take this anymore we're going to do something to lower taxes in this what used to be a friendly city of Long Branch 5 minutes if someone could answer that I would appreciate it thank you thank you anyone else I need a motion to close the public public participation portion of this meeting so moved second all in favor I oppose I will now res Madame clerk if there's any changes to the resolutions no changes have been made thank you oh yeah I'm going do that next I don't have here okay we can take a cons list of cons we can take the list of resolutions the consing agenda so moved second vot call Mr dangler yes Mr rasses yes Mrs witus yes Dr V yes Mr Vieira yes motion passed yes I got that one yeah applications I need a motion to approve the list of the applications renew of various taxi cab owners license for the year 2025 so moved second roll call Mr dangler yes Mr rasses yes Mrs witus yes Dr V yes Mr Vieira yes motion passed thank you miscellaneous business for the good of the order councilman dangler yes good evening thanks everyone for coming out um please have a I hope that you all have a blessed holiday season with family and friends and uh be safe and stay warm thank you councilman rasses thank you I'd like to thank everyone for coming at this evening like to wish everyone a happy holiday uh and happy and healthy New Year and please stay safe thank you thank you councilwoman wit us I too would like to thank everyone for coming out this evening for all your comments and uh wishing everyone happy holiday and healthy New Year thank you thank you counc want V you're going to hear the same theme what what else are we all thinking about right now right wishing you a wonderful wonderful holiday season whether it's Merry Christmas or happy Hanukkah I hope you have a wonderful time with family and friends and a Happy New Year for all of us thank you mayor palone thank you council president want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas a happy Hanukkah and of course a happy and safe holiday season and New Year to you and all your family uh a reminder that our 2025 calendars will be mailed out uh in the coming weeks our Hanukkah celebration and manur lighting will be uh on December 30th at 5:00 pm. at the senior center join us for Refreshments music and activities and uh our student holiday holiday art show is currently being displayed at the Long Branch Arts and Cultural Center stop by before it's over on January 1st we're looking forward to our next exhibit which is something interesting and usual called fiber art and that will be starting in January and for many um new exhibitions in 2025 thank you thank you mayor palone and I also want to thank everybody for showing up thanks the the Chiefs in the back for coming and keeping us company here and um have a happy holidays and enjoy the your evening thank you like the motion to the turn some move second all in favor I oppose thank you