##VIDEO ID:ujvHtd0H7M8## this this meeting is called to order in accordance with the open public meetings law adequate notice of this meeting has been provided this meeting of November 4th 2024 was published in Courier News in the start Ledger in place on the Burl's website notice of this meeting was also placed on the Bolton board at bar Hall with a complete agenda a copy of this notice is available to the public and a copy of this statement shall be included in the minutes of this meeting mayor Brian Gallagher here Teresa Bonner here Glen Deni here Tom Mitchell here Randy pittz here Gina straic here Roger R here please stand for the salute to the flag I pledge to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all okay can I have a motion for the approval of the minutes of October 2124 so moved I think we're gonna oh we're we're not gonna we need to make some changes to those minutes oh okay I thought it was just the executive ones okay those as well yes okay all right so we will defer those until next meeting uh departmental reports and notices are as listed in case uh anybody hadn't heard tomorrow's election day uh polls are open between 6:00 am and 8:00 pm so um please be sure to do your civic duty and uh and get out and vote uh committee reports start with Tom okay uh ridewise is holding a downtown Somerville walkability workshop at 9:15 a.m. Thursday November 14th on Division Street wear comfortable walking shoes and warm clothes and meet in front of Ambi coffee for more info call 9087414671 job of keeping us all appr prised uh during the water main break and that's all I have this morning thank you Tom uh Gina the uh Somerville Rescue Squad um was pleased to be part of the Emergency Services uh dedication ceremony and uh they also have a trip uh this coming Saturday to the uh 911 memorial um in New York City um the uh Board of Health uh commission meets uh the 18th of November or 20th sorry the third Wednesday of the month on the 20th so I have no report on that okay thank you good great uh fire department just has two quick things one we're just about a month away from the light parade it'll be held on uh Saturday December 7th and then also last weekend hopefully you remember to change your clocks back and that's also one of our yearly reminders to also change the batteries in all of your smoke and other detectors in your house to make sure you stay safe and then for the environmental commission we meet next week uh here at 7 pm November the 12th on Tuesday but before that we also will be voting on our community forestry plan I just wanted to send a thank you to the environmental commission for putting that together for us um and uh that'll actually take our community Forest plan will actually take all us all the way until December 31st 2029 which just sounds like a really long time away but that sounds uh effective so I'm looking forward to to that thanks great thank you Teresa thank you uh the library Board of Trustees met on Thursday October 24th uh according to the branch manager's quarterly report program attendance and Outreach is up 235% since last year the same quarter uh the uh new library accounts are up 97% since last year uh the same quarter and the door count is is up 12% uh the friends of the library um met for the first time in quite a while trying to revitalize that um on October 17th to discuss bylaws potential projects and next steps for fundraising uh lastly there's a wonderful new adult program at the Somerville Public Library on Wednesday November 6th at 6 PM in the children's room it's evening yoga so that will be nice uh and uh please register for any events that will be that you you're interested in attending at the cerville library thank you great thank you R may I have nothing at this time okay Roger all right so uh just a reminder the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning we'll have rolling road closures if you'd still like to participate or would like to see the map of where the route is you can go to Somerville turkey.com and register by November 10th to be guaranteed assur online registrations will remain open until November 21st cash registrations only will be accepted on Thanksgiving Day uh so again if you uh have questions about the Turkey Trot or what roads will be closed and and kind of an idea of when that's Somerville turkey tr.com and if you'd like to register my recommendation is come on down and support the Turkey Trot that day and then you have to worry about road closures awesome very right thank you um briefly uh and Tom touched base on it I had asked Jason crasa roem coordinator to uh to come in tonight uh to talk a little bit about the response to the uh water main break that that we had and unfortunately he has a prior commitment but uh just to kind of give everybody a very brief overview uh because it was a very no pun intended fluid situation that that we had to deal with Wednesday this past Wednesday morning we had a very large 36 water M break uh on 206 just north of Sarah Janes restaurant and uh very large water M it comes on the heels of a large water main break in the same general area a year year and a half ago or so um back then New Jersey American Water had put in some um for lack of a better term additional valves uh upstream and downstream from that pipe break uh and that work allowed them to restore water fairly quickly to Somerville uh while we were in a boil water advisory uh we did get water pressure back after the uh after the that section of May could be closed off and the the whole SE the whole system could build up enough pressure again um we activated our emergency Operation Center for 48 hours um we went after that we went into standby mode because the instant crisis was over we had constant contact with our County OEM with New Jersey American water with neighboring towns um all of our Emergency Services uh the downtown Somerville Association burrow Administration uh the Board of Health and DPW throughout the entire incident um we had consistent uh twice daily at least twice daily uh phone conferences with New Jersey American water and our uh our neighboring communities as well to get status updates during the course of the event which we then translated immediately uh into social media posts and uh we gave uh updates I think we had 11 or 12 different updates over the course of the uh the incident as well um there are plans to redo that whole section of Maine uh the New Jersey American water is creating a bypass uh that bypass will be on Veterans Memorial Drive and Mountain Avenue they plan on beginning that after the first of the year once that bypass is in place it will allow them to shut that section of main down that they deem is is having these difficulties and uh and it'll allow them to replace that main as well um fire department uh incredible again as usual as long as well as the squad fire department immediately relocated to the uh with the crew to the hospital uh they called in uh water tankers because the water pressure was so low uh they had water tanker uh standing by at the hospital and then there was another one uh I don't know where they kept it Roger but I think another one was either in town or it was available to be deployed to town on a moment's notice um DPW had obtained pallets of water uh in case they were needed to be deployed anywhere um so you know I think it's just important for folks to know in a situation like this that you know they have you have all of these volunteers all of these professional emergency responders um kicking into action immediately and that happened from Wednesday morning it I think the main blew around 6:00 a.m. or so uh from that point forward up until uh Saturday when uh the boiled water advisory was lifted all of these different entities were in constant communication making sure that uh that Somerville was well taken care of so uh in a very bad situation uh I think we we fared well and uh and that's doing no large part in large part due to uh to our OEM and emergency resp respond so I want to thank them for that um all right item number seven let's go to mayoral appointment this is a planning board class 4 appointment uh with the term expiring 1231 2026 and uh that appointment uh will be Barry Van Horn Kevin can you strike the Junior from that uh that should not be on there I'll just make that change right now uh and he will be sworn in at the next uh planning board meeting um we have no items for discussion uh at this point I will open up the meeting to the public please state your name and address for the record and please address your comments to me I will ask for a motion so moved second discussion all in F uh roll call sorry Teresa Bon yes lend yes Tom Mitchell yes Randy pitz yes jusic yes Roger yes public portion is now open hearing none we'll close the public portion uh motion to close so moved second discussion roll call Teresa boner yes Glen Den yes Tom Mitchell yes Randy pittz yes Gina St yes Roger yes okay uh ordinances for public hearing and adoption ordinance 2744 is amending chapter 166 section 461 entitled schedule of va which allows for permit parking uh to be established uh to include South Bridge Street on the east side from Southside Avenue to Second Street uh I will ask for a motion to open the public hearing so moved second discussion roll call Teresa Bonner yes Glen Den yes Tom Mitchell yes Randy pittz yes Gus straic yes Roger V yes public hearing on 2744 is now open hearing none we'll close 2744 motion to close did I did I close a public session no motion to close a public session so moved second discussion roll call Teresa boner yes Glen Den yes Tom Mitchell yes Randy pittz yes GIC yes Roger Room yes all right motion for uh adoption so moved second discussion roll call Teresa Bonner yes Glen Den yes Tom Mitchell yes Randy pittz yes Jus tra yes Roger yes all right 2745 is amending chapter 80 entitled fire prevention Life Safety increasing the fee schedule uh public I will ask for a motion to open a public hearing on 274 no moved second discussion roll call Teresa Bonner yes Glen Den yes Tom Mitchell yes Randy pittz yes gusic yes Roger V yes all right public hearing on 2745 is open hearing none uh ask for a motion to close the public hearing so moved second discussion roll call Teresa Bonner yes Glen Den yes Tom Mitchell yes Randy pittz yes Gus project Rome yes all right motion for adoption so moved second discussion roll call Teresa Bonner yes Glenn Den yes Tom Mitchell yes Randy pitz yes Jus TR yes Roger yes I'm getting tired 2746 is amending chapter 95 housing standards to include article three entitled prohibiting valet Trash Services uh public hearing uh request for a uh a motion or public hearing so moved second discussion roll call Teresa Bonner yes Glen Den yes Tom Mitchell yes Randy pittz yes Gina straic yes Roger Room yes all right public hearing on 2746 is now open hearing none will'll close 2746 motion for adoption please so moved second discussion um I see that we trim this down quite a bit but I I still think that um it's irrelevant whether we have Val people picking up their trash by paying someone to pick pick it up as long as it's not left in the hallway so I find a difficult reason to to approve this I agree okay roll call Teresa Bonner yes Glen Den yes Tom Mitchell no Randy pittz yes Gina straic no Roger Room yes all right 2747 is amending chapter 147 of the burough code entitled Solid Waste Management requiring containers for the disposal identifying enforcement positions uh motion for public hearing so moved second discussion sorry roll call Teresa boner yes Glen Den yes Tom Mitchell yes Randy pittz yes Gina St yes Roger Room yes all right public hearing on 2747 is now open good evening Dr Gran Brady from nine leeway I have a question about the use of bags because apparently that has been omitted from this ordinance Struck from the ordinance it says that the container shall have uh a lid or cover and be used for refu for automated collection which I assume is going to be the same way they do the recyclables now if I put a lid on my garbage can well I'll put it in plastic bags normally I don't use a garbage can but if I put the plastic bags in the garbage can and put a lid on it what's going to happen to that lid as soon as the automated collector comes with their little machine because I think the lid would probably either fly off or go into the garbage can or do I have to replace it every time or is there a special type of garbage can I I have to purchase that's the question okay how can you put a lid on something and make it automated unless you have someone pick up the lid after it gets thrown thrown off does that make sense you have to have the hang no this is a public hearing let's does that make sense I'm just asking this is not a give and take you allowed to make your comment I made my comment so that's the question I have do you have any other comments question and that's the question I would pose to the council because it seems Superfluous to have the automated system pick up the can with a lid on it to lose the lid and then what happens next thank you thank you any other public hearing comments hearing n I'll ask for a motion to close they moved second discussion roll call yeah I wanted I no we're this is the close we're closing the public hearing oh there go we have it's not on the table yet okay all right Teresa boner yes Glen Den yes Tom Mitchell yes Randy pittz yes Gina straic yes Roger Room yes okay motion for adoption so moved second discussion yes no sorry to jump the gun there that's okay uh now uh I I agree with uh Dr Brady and furthermore we have a another year to go on our existing contract which is picking it up the way it's being done now why are we doing this so so soon why why are we uh re revamping our garbage pickup for automated pickup a year before our existing contract runs out I have another comment so Dr Brady it requires a hinged lid so you won't lose the lid second of all um interestingly enough I I was out for a walk the other morning and I happened to see a garbage can a garbage truck on West uh High Street and uh it was moving about the same speed I was so I saw him move forward and pick garbage up um when he picks a can up with the hinge lid no problem there's a trash bag on the ground or a garbage can with a removable lid not a hinged lid he had to get out of the truck and it's a oneman truck one person truck um the driver is on the street side so he has to he or she has to get out take the the trash bag put it in the in the trash in the in the truck or take the lid off and then take the bag out or dump if there's no bag inside the unhinged lid dump it so it does delay the process of the of picking up the trash um and I would think that this is also an economical move for the trash company so that you know speed and and timeliness in one person versus two too remember the old days we had two or three guys on the truck picking everything up so that was my observation um just ironically tied in with with this um but to answer your question it's a hinge lid and and I agree with you Gina um and you know we have to begin somewhere um and over the course of the next year you're right the the contract isn't up for another year but we have to begin educating the public you can't just it's not like a spot where you can just turn it on and turn it off um all of the equipment is is moving towards uh the the articulated arm lift um it's just the nature of the way garbage hauling is going um to have people uh to have uh folks on garbage trucks multiple people on garbage trucks is becoming cost prohibitive um and and we have to begin to move in this direction and I think there's another reason too and that's rodents and pests right if you put a plastic bag out we we we um leave ourselves vulnerable to rodents and pests in our neighborhoods so I I think that's another point to think about and just for the record mayor if I may the the ordinance effective date is January 1st of not this coming year of the next year right so so what happens is is it'll it'll enable us to and because I think it's supposed to be 2026 correct yeah so the effective date of that is 2026 I apologize for the confusion the bid that's required to go out is it has to be go out six months before state law right so so it gives us six months to start educating um the residents and you know it's very good points about the lid because what I'm thinking about it is most of the lids are hinged but you can certainly buy a 64 gallon plastic container that's not hinged so it does give us an opportunity to kind of educate the public as to what's the appropriate bin to buy um given photos things like that so it you know so so I did want to make sure the correction on the date was January 1st of 2026 or 25 thank you all right roll call yes yes no yes yes yes all right 2748 is authorizing the mayor to execute the First Amendment to the financial agreement buy and between Avalon Somerville station urban renewal and the buau of su pursuant to njsa as noted for the property located on block 123 lot 2.04 and 5.01 is shown on the official tax map of the burough of Somerville located in the landfill Redevelopment area uh do we have a motion for public hearing so move second discussion roll call yes yes yes yes yes yes all right public hearing is now open hearing none we'll close the public hearing uh can I get a motion so moved second discussion roll call yes yes yes yes yes yes right motion for adoption so move second discussion yeah uh I I just uh just a quick question to verify that that the only this is not a change in any of the terms of this contract that we have with them merely a reorganization of the redeveloper uh I don't know if it was just the reorganization of the developer I believe there was a couple of other housekeeping items in there Tom we discussed this uh in executive previously at our last meeting and also on the introduction of this as well but yes that is the case that is the case I just want to make sure that that's still the case Okay uh roll call yes yes yes yes yes yes okay consent resolutions any to be pulled off for further discussion 318 please okay all right uh number 312 is adopting Community forestry management plan for January 125 to December 31 2029 313 awarding a non awarding a contract to Elite vehicle solutions for fit out of law enforcement vehicles under New Jersey state contract uh in the amount of $726 34 appointing the burough clerk as the municipal housing liaison for 314 315 is awarding a contract to pno Giordano Construction LLC for Caro pager playground improvements 316 is appointing Zena vaness the young lady over here who's got the wonderful warm smile and happy face whenever you going to burall um to the position of Deputy clerk 317 is appr approving the high of Ryan bakey as Administrative Assistant planning board and Zoning Board secretary 319 is authorizing the award of a fair and open contract for professional planning services for affordable housing planning to colon Associates LLC 320 is awarding a contract to Island Tech Services Under New Jersey state contract as noted for quote as noted in the amount of $15,366.00 by Ryder for revenues derived from donations to the police department K K9 unit njsa noted 322 is authorizing a negotiated contract with dtech for the Somerville burall entry Portico and exterior restoration project 323 is authorizing transfer of funds to fund certain line items in the 2024 budget 324 is adopting a title and job description for construction coordinator 325 IS cancelling Municipal tax lean on tax sale certificate 10- 298 on block 51 Lot 24 known as two Fairview Avenue 326 is intent to award a national contract through Omnia partner through eisneramper managed technology Services LLC DBA computer systems and methods in the amount of $161,100 for emergency services facility 327 authorizing the mayor to execute a memorandum of understanding between the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the burough of sum for the Landfield Brownfield Redevelopment area 328 is authorizing a donation of library books from the New Jersey room collection to the Somers County Historical Society 329 is approving local support for suitability of cannabis business to kava cannabis LLC for the issuance of a class 5 retailer license at 960 route22 East Somerville as per application dated July 17 2024 330 is supporting the brownfields uh Development Area process and the continuation of a steering committee 331 is appointing Jennifer kuchi to the position of administrative assistant for the administrator's office and Department of Public Works do we have a motions I'll move second roll call yes yes yes yes yes rer yes all right 318 is authorizing the award of a non-fair and open contract for professional legal services for affordable housing to rown Coughlin Mello attorneys at law do we have a motion so moved second discussion yes uh I I just uh wanted to point out that the reason we need specialized legal uh coverage on this is because the affordable housing is a state regulated system and it is deed restricted if you if you buy a house under the affordable housing plan you have to sign an agreement to keep it that way you can't well it's it's it's it's it's really as as we go through the uh the approval process for our food affordable housing plan um not only from a planning perspective do we have to ensure it's correct we have to ensure it's correct from a legal perspective as well exactly so uh it makes it makes good sense uh roll call yes yes yes yes yes yes all right bills and vouchers Roger I make a motion to pay bills and vouchers in the amount of 1,816 uh 100 eight sorry 1,816 10755 second discussion roll call yes yes yes yes yes yes Mr Mitchell I will ask for a motion for adjournment okay don't forget to vote tomorrow unless you've already done so uh motion to adjourn second discussion all in favor I