Mayor and Council - Regular Meeting

Okay. Adequate notice of this meeting of the mayor and council was sent to the Asbury Park Press and the co-star our official newspapers and notice of this meeting was posted on the bulletin board and not the municipal website. Team prov here. Mayor Mesco here. Councilman Delasio here. Council Moroni here. Please stand for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance 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.

Please remain standing for a moment of silence for our troops, their families, and all first responders. Okay, thank you. Okay, this evening we have a number of proclamations, EMS week, police safety week, a police week, and we're going to have a presentation honoring Tom Walsh. So, why don't we start with the EMS EMS week proclamation. Thank you so much. Okay, emergency medical services week is May 17th to the 23rd to designate this week of May 17th to 20 to the 23rd 2026 as emergency medical services week in the burrow of Belmar, New Jersey. Whereas emergency medical services is a vital public service that stands as one of the cornerstones of health and safety in the burrow of Delmare. And whereas the members of emergency medical services teams are ready to provide life-saving care to those in need 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And whereas access to quality emergency care dramatically improves the survival and recovery rate of those who experience sudden illness or injury. And whereas emergency medical services fill health care gaps by providing important out of hospital care including preventative medicine, follow-up care, and access to tele medicine. And whereas the emergency medical services system consists of first responders, emergency medical technicians, paramedics, emergency medical dispatchers, firefighters, police officers, educators, administrators, prehosp n nurses, emergency nurses, emergency physicians, trained members of the police of the public, and other out of hospital medical care providers. And whereas the members of emergency medical services teams, whether career or volunteer,

engage in thousands of hours of specialized training and continuing education to enhance their life-saving life-saving skills. And whereas it is appropriate to recognize the value and the accomplishments of emergency medical services providing providers by designating emergency medical services week. Now therefore, be it resolved that the Burough of Delmare does hereby proclaim the week of May 17th to 20 to the 23rd of 2026 as Emergency Medical Services Week in the Burough of Delmare in recognition of the 52nd anniversary of EMS week and the spirit of this year's theme EMS week improving outcomes together.

Thank you. Let's go on to beach safety week. Um, before I begin, I just would be remiss without welcoming Harry, our chief lifeguard, and all the lifeguards, uh, water rescue and first responders that we have here. Thank you so much for being here tonight, and thank you for all the work you've done in the past and the summer that we're going to have for keeping our shore and our swimmers safe. National Beach Safety Week. Whereas the Burrow of Balmar, New Jersey, is a coastal community whose beaches are enjoyed by residents and visitors alike, particularly as the summer season begins. Whereas the United States Lifeguarding Association sponsors National Be Safety Week annually to remind all beachgoers to use caution in the aquatic environment. Whereas National Beach Safety Week is designated to begin the Monday before Memorial Day and end 7 days later on Memorial Day Monday. Whereas this annual observance emphasizes essential water safety practices such as learning the USLA's top 10 beach and water safety tips, knowing how to spot and escape rip currents, and always swimming within the vicinity of an open lifeguard stand. Whereas promoting beach and water safety is a fundamental responsibility for the Burrow of Belmar to protect the lives and well-being of all individuals who enjoy our shore. Now therefore, be it proclaimed that the mayor and council of the burrow of Belmar, New Jersey, do hereby recognize and declare the week of Monday, May 18th, 2026 through Monday, May 25th, 2026 as National Beach Safety Week in the Burrow of Belmar. And be it further proclaimed that all residents, visitors, and community organizations are encouraged to observe this week and commit to practicing and promoting water safety in all beach activities.

Thank you. Uh, one more to go. That's National Police Week all through that. Uh it's from May 11th to May 16th, 2026 in honor of the men and women of the Belmore Police Department who serve with dedication, courage, and integrity to keep our community safe. Whereas the men and women of the Belmore Police Department selflessly serve our residents, businesses, and visitors each and every day, often at great personal risk. And whereas the officers of the Belmar Police Department have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to protect uh to protecting life, preserving peace, and upholding the rights of all people and our community. And whereas law enforcement officers across the nation, including those who have proudly worn the Belmar badge, have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. And their memory deserves to be honored and preserved. And whereas the families of Belmar police officers share in the sacrifice of service, supporting their loved ones through long hours, dangerous conditions, and the demands of a calling greater than themselves. And whereas May 15th is the designate is designated as peace officers memorial day, a national day of remembrance for all foreign officers and their families on which US flags are flown at half staff. And whereas National Police Week observed May 11th through 16th, 2026 provides an opportunity for our community to come together in gratitude and recognition of those who serve and protect us. Now therefore, be it resolved that the Burrow of Belmont does hereby proclaim May 11th through 16, 2026 as National Police Week in the Burough of Belmont, New Jersey, and calls upon all residents to recognize and celebrate the professionalism, bravery, and dedication of the Belmont Police Department, and to honor the

memory of all officers who have given their lives in service to their communities. And now we're going to proceed with a ceremony honoring uh Tom Walsh. And I'm invite the council to step down. Okay. What I have is a proclamation honoring Thomas Walsh for his extraordinary act of heroism and selfless courage. Whereas Thomas Walsh, a resident of Freel Township and a former Mammoth County Corrections Officer, is recognized throughout the community as a person of extraordinary character, bravery, and dedication to the welfare of others. And whereas on the evening of August 15th, after lifeguards had concluded their duties for the day, Thomas Walsh was present at the 8th Avenue Beach in Belmar when he was urgently alerted by bystanders that a child was in distress in the ocean. And whereas without hesitation and in complete disregard of his own safety, Thomas Walsh immediately entered the ocean and through great physical effort and determination, located a 12-year-old girl who had been caught in a powerful rip current near the jetty and was in imminent danger. And whereas Thomas Walsh, drawing upon his years of experience as a surfer, brought the young girl to safety on the jetty rocks, performing a swift and courageous rescue that preserved her life. And whereas the actions of Thomas Walsh on that evening stand as a profound demonstration of compassion and the spirit of a true good Samaritan qualities that reflect the finest values of the burrow of Belmar and the broader

community he calls home. And whereas Thomas Walsh has since used this experience to advocate publicly for ocean safety, encouraging beachgoers to swim only when lifeguards are on duty and urging school districts and community organizations to provide water safety education to residents, particularly to young people who may be unfamiliar with the dangers of ocean currents. And now therefore be it proclaimed the mayor of the mayor and burough council of the burrow of Belmar in the county of Mammoth state of New Jersey that we do hereby extend our deepest gratitude, admiration and the highest commendation of this governing body to Thomas Walsh in recognition for his extraordinary bravery and selfless heroism in saving the life of a young girl on Thmar Beach on August 15th, 2025. May his courage and commitment to the community serve as an enduring inspiration to all residents in the burrow of Belmar and beyond. Thank you. Thank you uh members of the board council. Uh there was uh several people in this room that were also there who uh I just happen to be the closest to this young lady and uh did what I did. Uh Mr. Delasio, Mr. uh Bert Rothenberg, there's other gentlemen that showed up to uh help and looking for her sister. Uh it's a tragic uh terrible thing that uh really could be avoided. It's uh senseless. Uh I just want to thank everybody. Miss Ellen, my big

cheerleader right there. Thank you.

Family or anything? Come up. Say one. You don't have to interrupt though. It's okay.

I'm just going to take a picture. No, I don't want to be in it. I'm not the one that saved anybody. Okay,

congratulations. So, uh, in addition to honoring Tom, um, I just want to take this moment to bring attention to the work our lifeguards do and the water rescue did that day and do every day. Um, like Tom said, I was personally there. I witnessed a 45minute non-stop coordinated effort looking for her sister. Um, it wasn't easy to see. It wasn't easy to be there. It's not easy to talk about it. But, um, our guards are there for us and we need to recognize them, too. Um, they keep us safe every day, saving lives every day. There is no easy day at the work at work for our ocean lifeguards. With that said, I'd like to introduce our chief lifeguard, Harry Carson. We'll talk about some key ocean safety and beach tips. Uh, if we can all listen, learn, uh, talk to others about this. Maybe one day we can make their lives just a little bit easier. Uh, can do it.

Uh, first of all, I can thank I'd like to thank the mayor and council for bringing attention to this very uh important uh issue is water safety. Um, as you know, Belma's very fortunate to have a beachfront and is certainly, you know, our crown jewel. I also want to thank all my fellow Belmar lifeguards and water rescue team members that showed up today. I know a lot of college and uh weren't able to make it, but I'm happy to see the ones that are here and I and I do truly appreciate it. Geographically speaking, Delmare is like an island. Uh we had the Atlantic Ocean to our east, the Shark River to our west, the inlet to the north, Lake Com to the south, and God planed Silver Lake in the middle. So having grown up in Belar, becoming a lifeguard 1979 and serving 27 years as a Belmar police officer, I can assure you that all these bodies of water have had their fair share of water related emergencies throughout throughout my career. And before I talk about water safety, I just want to give you a little insight about the Delmare Beach Patrol that most people aren't really aware of. The stereotype of a lifeguard wearing mirrored sunglasses and zinc oxide in their nose is is long over. Um it's no easy task becoming an ocean lifeguard, especially in Belmar. First, you need to pass a 500 yard swim test in under 10 minutes, which is five football fields. So, that's not easy. Then, you have to attend approximately 3 weeks of rookie camp, uh 3 hours a day. At camp, you learn everything there is to know about being an ocean lifeguard. From blowing a whistle to jet speed rescues and everything in between. You learn our policies and procedures. You're trained to advance first aid and CPR, as is every lifeguard. We put a strong emphasis on physical training. And why? I'll I'll give you a quick example. If you are stationed on 10th Avenue and 18th Avenue has a big job and they're calling for a backup, well, you have to grab the torp and you have to now run eight blocks in the sand and now you have to get there and do

what they need you to do, whether it's swim a line, swim a torp, throw a boat, paddle a board out, pull somebody in. So, you can't get there and like this. Now, you got to do So, we put a huge emphasis on physical training because it is a very physical job. Uh, we also teach you to become familiar in unfamiliar situations. I use that a lot in my every training camp. Um, so what does that mean? So, we teach you how to jump into rough water when you normally wouldn't. Uh, we teach you how to jump into a rip current when you normally wouldn't. So, it helps you get to the victim quicker. Use it to your advantage. We teach you to swim around jetties instead of away from them because a lot of times the victims that we that deal with, you know, are close to the rocks and we try to go out to them on one side. Next thing you know, the current's taking them around and the other. So, we got to get to them and bring them around and the waves are crashing. So, we teach you to, you know, be familiar with with that near the rocks. It's it's kind of eerie, but we do that. We do that all while trying to promote an atmosphere of team, family, and tradition as a Delmare Guard. I'm proud to have been hired and trained by Howard Roland, who was a leg a legendary lifeguard at the Jersey Shore. For those of you that remember Howard Rowan, he was both a grizzly bear and a teddy bear in one. And I try every day to keep his legacy alive. Uh the Beach Patrol is subject to two surprise inspections uh per season from the Mon County Health Department. They inspect certifications, radios, first aid kits, and all equipment. If you pass, what you hope you do, you get one of these that says satisfactory. And that's what you want to do because believe it or not, the Mama County Health Department has the ability to close the beach. So, we get that they come and check us all the time. I also have to um annually submit a comprehensive water uh rescue plan and aquatics plan to the USLA for certifications. Um it's quite len lengthy. It's it's very detailed about Belmar and then you hope that you get

one of them which allows our beach to stay open which we got. We also are inspected by PIOSHA public employee safety health act and they uh are ensuring employee safety lightning and lightning protocols. We also have to satisfy the requirements of the CHIF for their recommendations and safeties as well. Personally, there was a bill in legislature to re uh to recognize open water lifeguards as first responders which is which is very important for us as lifeguards. role focuses on prevention. Keeping patrons out of harm's way, scanning the water intently, watching hundreds of bthers in front of you, diving under rolling waves and making sure they pop up after each one. Assisting bthers attempting to get out of the wash so they don't get knocked down by the waves. Trying to avoid rescues before they happen and making sure that everyone goes in the water comes out. Lifeguards are trained to see dangerous water conditions that the that the average person wouldn't know about. They're taught to never become complacent when the water is calm because you never know when someone could have some type of medical emergency in the water. They stand there, they have any type of heart attack or anything and then they become uh incapacitated and need help. Every blow of the whistle, every time a lifeguards to jump off the stand to run to the pier, the pipe, the pilings, and the jetty, moving to safer ground and answering patrons questions about water conditions is what we call a preventative action. I often refer to our beachfront as being a city within a city because of the huge crowds we get. Whenever something happens on the beach, most of the patients run to the lifeguard stand because they know where to find us. We are the first first responders. Lifeguards need to be prepared for anything. Like my father's having a heart attack, my baby's choking on a pretzel. I stepped on a shell. My 8-year-old son is buried in an 8ft hole.

I can't find my child. The people next to me put up a large umbrella or fenton that blocks my view. People are smoking or drinking. Their radio is too loud. Their kids kickstand on my blanket or someone is acting in a disorderly manner. The list is endless. We have a tremendous working relationship with the Belmar Police Department and EMS. And if we can't handle an incident, we notify them immediately so we can get back to watching the water. We also trained with the Belmore Fire Department. And you say, "Why would lifeguards and water rescue train with the fire department?" I'll give you one one example. If there is a boat fire in the marina at the docks and the fire department is there, it could be any time of the year and one of the firemen fall in the water. We're there to assist getting them out. That's just one example of why we train with all the emergency services in town. To put everything into perspective, we write up daily report cards that transpires of what transpires every day and calculate them for statistical purposes. Last summer, we performed 692 documented rescues. So, that's a lot of rescues, but I can tell you that there's more because when we try to get people's information, some of them don't want to come and give us their information. Some of them disappear or we're gathering our equipment up, something else happens, we have to run in again. So, it's actually more than that, but that's 692 documented rescues. We reunited 186 lost children with their lost parents. Uh, we administered first aid to 156 patrons, not including the thousand band-aids that we give out and calculated 22,483 preventative actions. So, as you can see, Belmar is a very busy beach and our lifeguards work hard every day. So, I just want you to know a little bit about what goes on behind the scenes because sometimes when you come to the beach, you don't pick up on any of that. I just want you to know how hard that the lifeguards work every single day. And with that, I want to introduce

talking about some of the rules and regulations of the beach and her first your experience as a lifeguard. Hi everyone. My name is Ingred. I am a Belmar lifeguard and I'm here to talk about my first year experience. Uh so I've been in Belmar ever since I was 10 and ever since then I've been a part of the junior guard program. First as a camp as a camper and then a counselor and I've always looked up to the Belmar lifeguards. Getting the opportunity to become a lifeguard last year was very meaningful to me. I definitely did not realize how much preparation and discipline it takes to become a BAR lifeguard. This training pushed me physically and mentally every day, but ever but every part of the training prepared all of us for real situations that we later would that we later on would face on the beach. Last summer was a very busy summer in Belmar. As you all know, I had around 40 saves myself. And in every situation I encountered, I felt prepared and ready to act quickly and confidently thanks to Harry, Dave, Steve, and Kin that all taught us everything we need to know. I want to thank them all for the time and dedication they put into this amazing program that Belar has. I also want to say thank you to my captain, Brian, for uh building my confidence on stand. Brian would always uh point out a patriot, create a scenario, and how I would respond. This and many other efforts he made prepared me for real life scenarios and situations throughout the summer. I believe that the duties and responsibilities of being a lifeguard are truly overlooked. Personally for me, when I was younger and enjoying the beach with my family, I appreciate and recognize how much lifeguards do to keep us safe. There is so much that goes on at the beach that is unnoticed. Every preventative action we make has a purpose to keep everyone safe. Um, every day at the beach is challenging, but this job really is so

rewarding. I have so much respect for all lifeguards, and I'm proud to call myself a bummer lifeguard. And then here are another couple things. Um, so I'm sure you all have seen the flag on the beach, but just to remind everyone, uh, green flag means it's safe to swim. swim between the flags, but you should always still just swim with caution. Um, a yellow flag means uh you can go waste deep in the ocean, but always stand for the lifeguard stands. And red flag just means no swimming. Um, so in Belmar, we have specific designated zones across the beach. So boogie boarding is 7th, 14th, and 20th Avenue. Surfing is 17th and 18th Avenue. and jetties. Just the overall rule is to never go on them unless you have a fishing pole and our experience.

And now back to Harry.

Thank you. Thank you. Um now I'd like to touch on um on water safety, which I know from my other what we're here to talk about. So the number one rule for water safety is never swimguards are off duty. Um we can say we're blue in the face, but we know people, you know, just just don't listen. So So what can we do? Number one, education. I would love to see schools have a block of water safety instruction, possibly during health class to give them an introduction to water safety. Two, teach your swim your children to swim at an early age. It could be the best investment you've ever made. There are many pools in the area that teach swimming. The Neptune Aquatic Club, the Atlantic Club, the Rock. I personally sent my kids to the Silen Swim School in W Township and very happy that I did. Um, the Belmar Beach Patrol gives water safety talks to students at Belmont Elementary School, St. Rose, West Belmar, and many other schools in the area every spring. Three, sign your children up for the Junior Guard program. Even if your child does not aspire to be a lifeguard, this is an excellent program to familiarize your child with the ocean, physical fitness, and all experiences that go along with the beach atmosphere. They eat new friends and it gets them away from video games and I I highly recommend it. Swimming in the ocean is so unpredictable. You're dealing with waves, wind, tides, sandbarss, and of course rip currents. In the mid '90s, Belmore underwent a huge beach replenishment project. And one of the things they did was notch our jetties to allow north south flow water to try to prevent beach erosion. In my opinion, it has substantially increased the amount of rip currents and moving sand bars that Belmmore experiences on a daily basis. Sand bars offer a full sense of security because some days you can walk 50, 75, 100 yards out and only be up to your waist. Then the next step you take, you walk off the ledge and now you're at the mercy of the

current. If you're a nonswmer, this could be trouble. So, what is a rip current? Simply put, it's an outward flow of water from shore to sea. The bigger the waves, the more powerful the ocean can be. So, what comes in has to go out. So, if there's smaller waves, it'll be a smaller push out. Bigger waves going to make a bigger pull. Rip currents can pop up anywhere. The lifeguards know where they are and do their best to keep you away from them. If you do get caught in rip current, what happens? Well, you start to swing to shore. You see you're getting pulled backwards. So then you start to fatigue and then you panic and then you're in trouble. The rule of thumb is to swim parallel to the shore, which would be north to south here in Belmar. You want to try to swim out of the rip current. Um signal uh north to south signal and wave your arms that you need assistance. Call out for help. Most importantly is try not to panic. Tread water and keep your head a float. Usually the current will dissipate within 100 yards. So almost by the time you get to the end of the jetty, it will disappear. I always say when the water is rough and the lifeguards are off duty, surfers are your best friend. And we can't tell you how many times we do get calls after hours and, you know, we're responding from our home and there's a there's one of the victims, you know, out there floating on surfboard where the surfer came over and got him and, you know, then we help assist get them in. But the surfers are your best friend in the in in the water when the lifeguards aren't there. In 1996, 30 years ago, I started the after hours water rescue team. I called up friends that were lifeguards, surfers, and good watermen. The reason behind this was because being a police officer and chief lifeguard, I knew that when the lifeguards went off duty and someone saw a person in trouble, they would call 911. The police would respond and every police officer's ability in the water varied greatly. Often times, good Samaritans would attempt to help, often finding themselves in trouble, too. The point of the water rescue team was to let the

officer or the good Samaritan know that if he or she entered the water, Becca was on the way to assist and bring the victim back to the shore. Since then, the water rescue team has evolved to a year-round first responding team with over 30 members. They were instrumental. They were instrumental part in rescuing rescuing stranded residents from their homes during Supertorm St. Sandy. We respond to all water related emergencies throughout the year day or night. In 2025, we responded to 24 calls and rescued 49 victims. So, obviously, a lot of our calls are multiple victims. Belmont takes water rescue very seriously. The lifeguards in the after hours water rescue team do everything we can to keep our residents and visitors safe. So, please don't swim alone. Don't swim at night. Don't swim impaired. Watch your children. Don't run and dive in the water as you be diving into shallow water and sustain a spinal injury. This happened years ago on 10th Avenue and unfortunately the person succumbed to his injuries. If you have a pool and have young children or have friends that have young children, I recommend that you have a flotation device close by and a motion pool alarm that sounds if someone is near or in the water. People drown in pools every day. I've never seen a rip current in a pool. Remember, we want everyone that goes in the water to come out safely. Be smart. Use common sense. If the water looks rough, it probably is. Listen to the lifeguards and please don't go in when they are not there. Thank you.

Thank you. Good job. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you, Harry, for that excellent presentation.

We appreciate that. all the lifeguards who uh you know put their life on the line every day. Well, we go to the beach and try to have some fun. So, uh keep up the good work. Oh yes. Okay. Before we get to the presentation or the workshop discussion on the lake outpour, I'd like to um review something with the council that I know they received um from an employee concerning this employee that is making $100 an hour. Um and I'd like to give the council the story on this, the backstory, and how this came about to be. Um for those of you who who may not realize this is our HR manager uh resigned in December of last year and at that time I had asked Mr. came to uh do a posting for a new HR manager because it was always my impression and through

experience I was an HR manager myself for some time that the burrow needed an HR manager. When I took office the personnel HR area was was totally um I won't say devastated but not working the way it was supposed to work. We had people on on um provisional status for two years when they should have only been on six months. We had people who who voted to borrow money because of um for medical payments. There are a number of things that uh were just not being taken care of. So at that point uh we were able to recruit a um an HR manager who was with us for what was it two years? Yeah, two years. and uh pretty much we got everything in order. So, she left and I was going to hire someone and at that point I realized I was not going to run for mayor again. So, uh, even though I had resumes in hand of of some very good qualified people, I I talked with Kevin and I said, I don't really think it's it's a it would be ethical or in in good conscious I could interview people for a job uh and have them start and then ultimately, you know, have them in a position where they might lose their job once a new mayor comes in because we do know the reality is that most of the time when when an administration changes, the administration has the right to put in appointees of their own. So I said to Kevin at that point, I don't think we really should move forward with this. I don't want to put anyone in that position. So we didn't. And um Kevin was okay with that. He said he would pick up some of that responsibility. As we got into the year, uh I became a little concerned though about the uh

preparation for the hiring of our beach staff because we do hire like 400 individuals uh to to serve, you know, on the beach, whether they're uh ticket uh sellers, gatekeepers, you know, the lifeguards and whatever. So I thought it would have been a good idea to have someone on board just temporarily for you know April May to get some to get some backup for the person who's doing our payroll. Uh we reached out to a consultant firm that that does these kinds of placements and uh we found out that they it's really hard to get someone to work for for just two months. that if they're usually placing people for six months or longer, but we did receive the name of someone who they said might be interested in doing a shortterm stint. So we interviewed that person and um it worked out that you know she was available for a short time and to just take a side note on that at during that point I forget if it was February we we were looking at changing the the payment of of salary payments right from bi-weekly to monthly.

When was that? When did we start? March.

March. Yeah. Just so you know, every uh every employee in I don't say everyone but in in Belmar, everybody gets paid bi-weekly, which is usually the standard practice in in the in government. Uh but the every so many years was it like every five years, the calendar works in such a way that instead of having 26 pays during the year, there are 27 pays. And uh it it requires an adjustment to a few pays to try to I mean you can't get paid more than you than your salary is for the year. So the pays have to be adjusted so that you know you you're getting the same amount of money. You can explain it a little better than I can.

It's the same annual amount. Instead of being divided by 26 pays it's divided by 27 pays. So at the end of the year it's the same total. Right. and that and that's but that caused some kind of a issue with a lot of controversy with some people because they they just couldn't see it.

Okay. Uh on the other hand, a lot of counties and municipalities are moving to a two pay per month system, right? which is something that we thought would be good for Belmar because then we would avoid this situation in the future of every so many years having to do this this 27th PEG. Um, and it just so happened that the person we interviewed had hands-on experience in doing this. So, we explored, we said, "That would be fine. That would be great. Perhaps we can get Elmar on the two pay month system and that would, you know, straighten things out. for the future. Uh, unfortunately, I think there was an issue with timing. We were we were going to try to do it in June and and July and and it just wouldn't work out. And I think you told me it was better to do it at the beginning of the year.

Yeah. So, what happened uh the experience um with with Melinda uh with Prime Point and and doing this transition, she had direct access to the people at Prime Point. We were looking at there's three pays in July. So we figured August would be a great time to try to implement this new change. However, trying to do it midyear created all kinds of ramifications. So it was suggested and then further documented that it would be better to make this transition in a new calendar year. Um which we found out after we we did all this research.

Okay. So to back up a few steps though, so we brought her on board as I would say an adviser or consultant at a rate of $100 an hour. But um the the issue is that to bring someone as a consultant, you know, you have to have a, you know, a vendor ID. They have to go through all kinds of stuff. And this was going to be a very very shortterm thing. we she was only available probably mostly for the month of May. I think that was the and it was something that you know just needed her her advice and direction on to to get us to this point. But as they looked at it they said no this is not going to work. In the meantime uh we were starting to look at the the water utility and the issue with the decrease in revenue which has disturbed me greatly. because we we increased the fines last year. I mean the fines we increased the rates last year and in spite of increasing the rates the revenue went down and I don't understand why that happened. Um and I'm going to find out why that happened and we enlisted the assistance of Melinda uh to do that because it should not have happened. Uh the gentleman who was at the last meeting brought up a good point. Uh apparently we have meters who that need to be uh fixed and people are only getting um basically you know the base level bill of $88 per month the estimates and uh that shouldn't be Mr. Kane and I had conversations with staff about this the last year or two and it just there's no way that water utility revenue should be going down. People are not using less water. All right. So, um

it should be at least the same. So, we we've enlisted her to do an analysis to do that. So, yes, her if you look at the payroll, her name comes up the rate is $100 an hour. There is no rate of $100 an hour when you look at the pay the pay scale. But um in my view it was necessary to do that for the short term. Let me just back up a little bit. Uh people are concerned about the amount of money that's being spent. Yes, it is $100 an hour, but with the absence of our HR manager, we basically are saving the borrow in four months. We probably save the borrow $40,000 in salaries. So this this salary that we're paying her at that rate is going to be just a drop in the bucket and it's really for a very specific uh reason and it's going to be very short term by the time uh I think by the end of the month it's going to be done and be finished. So uh it's kind of like a of a fall between the cracks kind of thing. there's no mechanism to hire someone for a very short term uh for you know for a special project or something and and get them paid without you know them being a consultant and have a vendor ID and all this stuff. So um I I took the position and I think I'm correct is that uh and her title was the aid to the mayor. Correct. I have the authority to hire someone as my aid and uh that's why we use her title. I'm hiring her as my aid and I think the salary range for my aid is anywhere from I don't know 25 to $60,000 and I felt justified in that uh

accepting her rate because it was nowhere going to be it wasn't even going to be the minimum of $25,000. So that's why it's on the schedule. That's why it looks like a $100 an hour, but this is not a regular part-time employee. It's just a mechanism to to get this individual paid as a consultant without being technically, you know, in in the scheme of things, a a consultant. So, um that's the story behind it. Um, like I said, it's it's going to be for a very limited time, but uh I think it's necessary and as I said, you know, I'm responsible for what goes on and I think we really needed to have somebody come in obviously initially to um, you know, to look at the to help out in HR if we needed backup for the onboarding of people and then to do the uh do the conversion from the 26 pace to the 24 pace and now for the um for the the analysis of the of the water department. So, it's a short period of time and uh and that is really the the the essence behind the uh rate. It's not being hidden. It's on the payroll. Uh it's there, but it's not it's not like somebody's working 20 hours a week getting $100 an hour. Okay. So, that's that's the explanation for for that. question it out

to never actually don't love that defer to each other. Um, thank you council. You're welcome. Um, can you tell me mayor how much has been budgeted for this employee and uh you had mentioned the water meters and you mentioned on boarding the summer uh employees. Are there any more tasks you can that she will be doing? any the budget is is coming out of the the personnel budget, but there is still money budgeted for a human resource manager. I was asking you if you knew approximately how much you're anticipating on spending the employee. Uh I don't know. I don't know if we can estimate. I have no idea at this point.

You said another maybe like four or $5,000 total. 5,000 total.

Um I just want to publicly state that we are constantly overbudget raising taxes and raising utility. Every penny is a drop in the bucket. There is no drop in the bucket. And when it comes to spending our taxpayers money, um we have not had an HR manager for the last 25 years. It has been handled by payroll and it has been handled by the BA. So that's why it's been I wasn't here when you came in. I don't know if it was a disaster or what you found um when our HR manager left. Um it it didn't seem to be a need to be filled. And even though you're pulling on the aid to your mayor, that's a salary position. She's not salaried. She is part-time. Uh ordinance 20251 has been violated. Schedule D, the max amount for a part-time employee is $35 an hour. It's your schedule. You amended it in 2025. Um and everyone here knows that. Uh so whether you call her an aid to the mayor or payroll assistant manager or special projects as it was uh written in the in the papers um it's unacceptable. We weren't brought in. It should have been brought to the council. Not one person up here knew this person was being hired or their rate except for the mayor and the business administrator. Um so that's not transparent. You have been transparent to us. you have been transparent to the public and you have been transparent to your own employees who are even in contract negotiations. So I find this um you know not appropriate. Let me I also like to I also like to make a point

can I just say uh I'm not going to comment on everything you said but I do think it's a very it's a very um shortsighted view to say that you don't need an HR manager. Just because things have been done for the last 25 years doesn't mean that that's the way it should be done in the future. There are very very many things that an HR manager does that that haven't been done and weren't being done in terms of maintaining you know compliance with various employment laws EDOC ADA um all kinds of other laws that you know in this building are posted and for 25 years they were just posted on the wall and nobody knew anything about it, right? Training there there are many things that should be assisting in in disciplinary action. Um bringing bringing charges against employees. I mean those are the duties of the HR manager. It is very narrowminded to think that all an an HR manager does is hire people. That is not that's the easy part of the job. That's just the the you know the payroll clerk part of the job. But the human resource manager has a very very important role in in running the burrow. And I think it's it's a very uh shortsighted uh and you know and just not not beneficial for the burrow to to not have one moving forward in the future. Right. I think my concern here would be that if there hadn't been an open request made and then been made public, I don't think we'd be having this discussion today. I think it just would have been left to happen. Um, just speaking to Councilman Delasio's uh concerns about transparency. That's

the only reason we're talking about this today is because it came up as part of an OSHA request and was made public. Did you receive an OPER request? A copy of that request? Uh, no I did not. Okay. Because I have a copy of an OPER request that was actually sent to you by an employee. Right. So now you want to change your answer. Did you receive a copy of that request? I misunderstood your question. What's that? I misunderstood your question. My apologies. Do you understand it now? I did. So you did receive something. Yes, I did. Okay.

What they're referring to is an employee um sent a memo regarding this to all of the council members except myself. Okay. And only one council member had the decency to make me aware of it and that was a council woman Dunovan. Okay. She asked me what it was about. And I told her, "Okay, why I didn't get close from the other, I can only assume, but I think it was to put on a presentation here tonight uh so that they could, you know, uh make me look bad." But it was not.

We didn't know you didn't get it. So, I didn't know you thought you were coming. If you looked at the uh if you looked at the who it was sent to, you didn't see my name on it. I have it right here. And I'm not saying you're wrong, saying I didn't pay attention to that. All right. You didn't pay attention to it, but you know, I can uh I can I can read it if you'd like me to. No,

I'm not going to read it. But I'm going to tell people that a warning. Okay. When you send something to a council person or to me or to Mr. Kaine or to anyone in the burrow, that email becomes accessible to the public. Okay. that email can be opered basically. So be very careful when you send something in because this Oprah request 26-368 is going to appear on the on the list of of Oprah requests and anybody can go in there and look at it. I mean we have a tremendous uh database of reports and of Oprah requests that I think most towns should have. So, I'm not going to read it. If you want to see it, you can look at it yourself. I mean, you can you can go into Oprah and Oprah by people's names. You can say, you know, I want to see all the Oprah requests that Jerry Buckusco made. That's going to be like a couple of pages, right, April? Um, you can say, you know, I want to see all Oprah requests that that went to uh Mr. right? So, I'm just telling you, be very careful when you're sending something in because it can be appropriate and it's not confidential. All right. I'd just like to say that I find it remarkable that the mayor chose to say that we didn't contact him when we received this when there's been multiple conversations amongst um here at the at the at the meetings about us being left out and a lack of transparency, but he expects it from us. So, if let's get on a level playing field, let's all be transparent with each other and then maybe we can move forward. Um, April,

I agree with you 100%, Mr. Ron. We should all be transparent with each other. Okay. Uh, since we're in workshop, April, I'd like to read and introduce a resolution that I wrote um and had adopted and put on the resolution workshop. Council, I don't think this

Wait. Yeah. Um recently we've had some issues and um when everything is um everything's moving smoothly. You don't really need to uh follow or quote rules. However, we do have rules and we have an agenda rule and um the resolution that anybody's going to read or want to introduce has to be given to April two days before um the meeting. So today's Tuesday um so in the future it's Friday. Get these resolutions over we'll get them on the agenda. Um but that's the way we have to operate at this point in time because otherwise we'll we'll have uh you we can't really have a meeting by ambush. Everybody should know we talk about transparency. Let's be transparent. You have a resolution give it to April. People have two days to look at it at least. So um you know that's my position on adding anything to uh the agenda at this point in time. We have an agenda. It's fixed. can be changed by the mayor when an emergency arises. There's no emergency here that I know. So, that's my position on it.

Can we move on to the late comfor we have time after the Lake Ko public? I have a lot of questions about um the bond ordinances and things. We should leave the questions for the ordinances when the ordinances come up for vote. Okay, that's the the cleaner way to do that. Okay, the the Lake Ko alpha pipe. Um, this came up at when we were at our agenda meeting and again, Mr. Kane, you got to fill me in on on on the detail. Basically, we're replacing it and it's going to cost us another what, $63,000, right? You have the exact number?

Um, not off the top of my head, but it is in the $60,000 range. Yeah. The valve itself was 40ome,000. I think I believe the valve itself was 29 or or 30, but with installation and everything, it was uh

yeah, the the cost of the valve itself was somewhere in the range of $30,000. the uh labor to install and the uh associated improvements that are necessary for it to function properly brought the total cost up to $61,70. The reason why I added this to the agenda as we were talking about it, I was like, why are we always replacing the water because we we have a very small portion of Lake Ko and most of the lake is in Spring Lake and Lake Ko and it's like, well, when do they get to to chip in for the for the alpha pipe? So, it's something I wanted to bring before the council because I think we've replaced it now. I don't know how many times, Billy. How many times have we replaced the

a number of times? This will be the third time.

So, I I think the council, as a council, we need to address this issue with with Spring Lake and Lake Ko and say, you know, guys, it's time to chip in because we only have a little bit of a of a lake there. And you know, I know in the past uh it was decided I mean it's actually I guess on our section of the thing, but you know, but we're we're we're responsible for that while they have the entire lake. I think it should be something that should be at least shared. Um so I mean I I bring that to the council for future discussion, but I I I think we need to reach out to both of those uh municipalities and say, "Hey guys, you know, what's fair is fair. Let's work something out.

They they've got grants for that lake. They did the the walkway around it. They did some dredging around it. So, they're I mean, is there a way we can get a grant? I mean, they're getting the benefit of grants for the lake and they're doing work around their lake. Obviously, this valve is on our property and our portion of the lake. So, that's a tough uh you know, when they're doing other things around the lake, you know, they're not asking us to mow their grass. But uh you know it's um I something to bring up but I would say is there my real question was is there a grant or a or something we can get from the DP for a pipe that leads into the ocean. We could and it would be a good thing if we all you know came together all three municipalities can apply for that grant because uh you know again I I know the history of it but I mean I think they're getting the benefit of of what we're doing at our cost and I I think it's fine that we should just address that with

mayor. Have they made been made aware that we've replaced this now three times? I mean, I really think they should be made aware of that if they don't already know and I do think they should have some part of the bill. They know and I conversations with both of those towns.

Um, my question though, can you do uh did is the valve replaced right now or is it being replaced? I I actually don't want to speak out of term, but I got somewhat of an update this morning and although although it's not in writing, um, but they're expecting the valve to be ready to ship at the end of May. So, that's not a uh a rock solid date, but that's what they're leaning towards. If I recall correctly from the last time we talked about this, originally they were talking about March, so this is a bit of a delay. Yes.

Um, have I have uh some email addresses from the residents who came and I can notify them unless they've been notified already about this update. No, this was just out this morning.

Thank you for letting us know broadly. Not not to be, you know, flippant about it, but you know, I would be willing the council would be I would even be willing to give them the Belmont part of the lake and let them, you know, here here you go. Take the take the Belmar, the water part. We'll just we'll just, you know, throw the property line up to the shore and you can have the entire lake and then you can be responsible for the val. Probably not possible, but again, you know, it is very frustrating. uh to have to you know pay that cost every summer so many years.

Yeah. I think the one the one problem with that would be is that our residents would still suffer from the flooding down there that happens and we don't want to be relying on them to to alleviate all our flood problems.

I mean the good news is my experience working with the other towns is that they are very interested and willing to work with us and there's a lot of things we have in common. So, there's no reason we can't talk to them about um going in for grants that would include purchasing another valve. We've talked before about how it would be a good idea to have a valve here to replace it since we don't know reliably when how long one will last. Um so, that's certainly something we can look into. I don't think we should be handing off part of our town though to accomplish that. I just said that and it's looking way too I wasn't serious about this.

Conversations need to be had. It should not in any way delay the installation of this valve as soon as we get it. We have to do that and then um you know work it out for sure. Have a conversation. Let's get them in the room. Let's talk about you know who can be responsible for the next one. Maybe they can purchase the backup valve since it breaks all the time. Uh I believe you know when we were discussing it I think I think I was on council it was last year we were talking about it and Billy you explained how manually it's open and closed right now in the event of storm sele is dangerous for our DPW at the moment uh and that needs to be fixed first and foremost to make sure they stay safe.

Just to confirm we are not delaying the installation now it will be installed as soon as it gets here. Good. Anything else? Let's move on to petitions. April mayor, I did not receive any petitions. Approval of minutes. Can I have a motion to approve the minutes of the May 28th meeting for April 28th meeting? Motion. Second.

Councilman Donovan. Yes. Councilman Kenny, yes. Councilman Delasio, yes. Councilman Rooney, yes. Yes. Mayor Monesco. Yes. Reports of council. Councilwoman Dunan. Thank you, Mayor. Uh, first actually, I'd like to start with the tourism commission. Um,

we the last meeting discussed feedback on that film ready ordinance that we all discussed at the last meeting. So, I wanted to bring you up to date because we did come to one very good conclusion actually, uh, which is our recommendation is that any ordinance we did pass should have a clause that would require anyone filming at Delmare to use Delmare vendors. Um, so I want to update you on that. We have a scheduled workshop on and update on that ordinance, but I I wanted to apply that for everyone. Um, and the next tourism meeting will be due June 10th. Um, we I know uh council president does the the schools and recreation, but I'm gonna steal a little thunder here. Um, the PTO had a fashion show, Kentucky Derby themed fashion show uh this past weekend, which was a wonderful way to raise money while looking absolutely ridiculous. Uh, I had one kid who walked the runway, one who volunteered, and one who managed to find all the extra available sugar in the room. It was fun for at least two of us. Um, I'd also just want to say thank you to Triure. We had opening day. Uh, Triore is our little league. Uh, Bel Mars along with Lake Ko add a Spring Lake secret and Spring Lake Heights. Um, Porchfest was also this weekend. Thank you to Johnny Comfort in particular for all the work he did on that. It was a wonderful event. I hope everyone came out. Um, finally, Harbor Commission. Uh we have a plan in place to replace the T head of H do new electric on C dock and potentially moving ID do and additional pilings. Um so work is continuing at the marina. This is really important work um especially with the season coming up. The next meeting will be held outdoors reminder at the marina on May 19th. And finally the environmental commission um this Thursday at 6:30 in the library. Please come by if you're interested. um we will present the community energy plan. Um to remind you, this is a grant-f funed initiative to examine the burough's energy use and recommend ways

to be more efficient. So, please come by. We will want public input um in your opinion matters here. Thank you. Thank you, Council President Kenny.

Thank you, Mayor. Uh my I was a host porch for Porch Fest and it was great. My son's band played. They were so much fun. I think there were two left. No kidding. They loved it. Um that was great. Uh seafood festival this weekend. Um Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Friday hours are 4 to 8. Saturday is 11 to 8. Sunday is 11 to 6. Supposed to be beautiful weather. So come out, check check out the food vendors, all the vendors and uh and the music. Graduation banners are going to be up um along Main Street. We need every senior high school senior's graduation pictures. Please by May 21st. The link to upload your photo is on belmare.com. So please do that. I have sent out a bunch of texts. I will be resending emails and more texts. Hopefully we get everybody's pictures up on Main Street. The deadline again is May 21st. That is next Thursday. Um, uh, recreation. The Friday concert series will start next Friday, May 22nd, and go every Friday for the summer. The Luckenville band will be playing at T, uh, Taylor Pavilion every Monday, 700 p.m. starting July 6th and ending the week of April 30, sorry, August 31st. Uh, recreation also wants us to know that there's going to be a marine science camp coming to Belmar. That's going to be six sessions from June 22nd through August 21st, ages 5 through 14. Uh they're going to be around McClary Park to learning all about marine science. The cost is $315 for the week, but if you show proof of residence, you get a $40 discount. So that sounds like really fun. Maybe something different for the kids. Um the skate park, we will be having a tent also at the seafood festival. Come by, buy a t-shirt, learn a little bit of more about the updates with the skate park. Um, we're hoping to kind of change up our little plan moving

forward with the skate park to phase it out as opposed to one big park and there's ideas and plans moving forward with that. Um, Belmar entries Belar Elementary, their spring concert and art show is next Thursday, May 21st. Come out. I think that's 6 7 6 p.m. in the auditorium. in there. And the shade tree commission is also um going to have their arborist Bill Brash speak at the next shade tree commission which is also going to be a joint meeting with the environmental commission um also at the library and that is going to be on June 11th at 6:30 and there's going to be some a lot of information joint information there and I believe that's all. Thank you Councilman Delasio.

Okay. Uh Harper Commission, I just wanted to attend on the uh May 19th meeting which is going to walk outside Councilwoman Donovan. We are meeting here first to then adjourn to go outside. I believe that's the format we had to

Yeah. Uh 6 p.m. got that one right. I always get confused with the times on this. Uh planning board is next. Uh so coming to the Harbor Commission, we start here. We walk to the marina 6 p.m. Tuesday the 19th. Planning board is May 18th, uh, 7 PM. Uh, no, uh, no applications in front of us this month that I've seen yet. Uh, we are going to be re reviewing again our second round with the awning ordinances. Um, and then I just wanted to piggyback the seafood festival. Please come out. Um, we unfortunately lost one of our biggest local restaurants is Klein's. Um, if you're not going to be at the seafood festival, get down to Klein's. Go enjoy their riverfront. Go enjoy their food. Uh it's a shame that we uh lost them this year and I hope we can get them back for next year with a little uh more communication and uh coordination um for for Seafood Festival. So please support all of our local restaurants at Seafood Festival.

Council member Mooney, um I've been working with Barry Tro for the ADA. Um, apparently there used to be a kind of anti-bullying and awareness uh program that they used to do, but it fell off recently um at the ADA meeting that we had last month. Um there was quite a bit of um interest in restarting that. Um it looks like it's going to be July 14th at this point. Um I'm sure that the incredible committee that is has so many different um resources for that. I was I was very impressed when I met with them. Can get that together in time. So, look for that around July 14th.

Okay. I have nothing. So, let's move on to public session on the resolutions. Mayor, my mic's not working. So, when I was speaking before, I used the term uh meeting by ambush. And I I want to apologize to Mr. Councilman Delasio. might have been a little rough. The attorneys in the room know what I'm talking about. We have a term in the law that's trial by ambush. That's why we have discovery. So, it dawned on me that people may not know um that reference. So, that's what it is. So, that's all I meant by it.

I've been called worse. If anyone from the public has a comment or question about a resolution on the agenda, please step forward and state your name and address. See none. Can I have a motion to close the public session? Motion. Second. All in favor? I. Can I have a motion to approve the resolutions as listed on the consent agenda? I'll make a motion. Second. Councilman Donovan, yes. Counciloman Kenny, yes. Councilman Delasio, yes. Councilman Moroni, yes. Mayor Busco,

yes. Next, we have the 2026 municipal budget amendment hearing.

I just want to make a statement. at the last meeting um because the the burrow was required by the state to have state review of our budget. They required that we amend the budget. The budget was amended by resolution of council at the last meeting. This is a public hearing to allow the public to speak to that agenda and the amendments that were made at the last meeting. Thank you. May I ask one quick question? What is the percentage increase from last year? Percentage increases. The budget as a total of the tax rate was about 9.7%. I'm sorry. 9.7%. Thank you.

We're looking for comments. Uh yes, we can open it up the public hearing. Uh please remember to state your name and address. Hi, my name is Ken Pringle. Um the 203 first. Um I was just uh following the And u was it the um the state that required you to reduce the the surplus? Was it the state that required you to um to reduce your surplus that you're anticipating in the budget for the for I'm talking about the beach utility? No, I'm sorry. For the main for the main budget, the current fund budget

the fun budget it was a function of where we needed to move the appropriations and and as a result user was diminished slightly. Okay. So, so and I gather that the issue of an appropriations related to uh the funds that you had appropriated inside the cap uh for the police retirement right PFRS as well.

Yes. Initially I had included them as an outside account appropriation because in 2025 they were we were allowed to u anticipate a a or expend a portion of that outside the cap because the increase was over right the increase was over 4% last year but not this year. Is that right? That's correct. this year although it's outside the cap the levy cap it's inside the appropriations cap and I missed that in the initial guidance so that was the reason we had to move it inside the cap which required us to reduce other appropriations to account for that

right in addition to reducing appropriations um inside the cap to make room for that um you also um you also um I guess moved extended appropriations thanks to beach utilities. Beach utilities appropriations went up by $100,000. Oh, you have to anticipate grant revenue, right? Is that that was the other

we also had to anticipate grant revenue in the current fund. The beach fund did it did increase by $100,000 and that was primarily because we received a huge first quarter unemployment. um liability. We we are self-insured as for unemployment insurance and our first quarter bill was over $40,000. So, we need to and the majority of the unemployment claims that we're paying for are seasonal employees or beach employees basically.

So, that's why it's coming. We're we're appropriating it out of the beach. they accept a summer job and then um summer's over they put in for unemployment. Well, the state ch the state and the federal government changed the rules. They they now allow uh seasonal lifeguards to apply for unemployment if they're not working at another full-time job in the winter. So, we have seasonal employees who work the season for us. Then at the end of the season, as they are allowed to do, they apply for unemployment and that turns into a liability for the borrow. Okay. So, um that's pretty consistent amount, correct? Could you just say that? I'm sorry. That's a pretty consistent

Yes. phenomenon because you only had budgeted for that line item um in the beach utility budget both this year and last year. Um actually last year you had budgeted $25,000. Um and I'm talking about the um statutory obligation for the um unemployment. We had funds in reserve. Okay. So and you didn't we expended those funds in reserve and we I was required to to make an accommodation for what I believe to be our increased liability for this year.

Okay. So, what struck me when I was looking at the budget and following that that the money in the flow was that you don't um itemize appropriations in the beach utility budget. We're not required to. Is that right?

No, we're not we're not required to itemize appropriations in the utilities in the budget document. Well, let me tell you something about why the beach utility is not like the water story utility or the parking utility. The beach utility was set up pursuant to a court decision. The Belmar lost and it lost it because the public trust doctrine requires that we maintain our the funds in in a beach utility so that we monitor it so people know whether or not money is being spent only for the use of beachgoers. And you you you did an itemized budget uh in 2022 when and you were the chief financial officer then too, right?

I was. Why suddenly in 2023 did you stop? If there is a court order that specifies that the appropriations have to be specified in the beach, I follow the state budget law.

Let me let me tell you a different way about it. Um the we won a decision against Belmar a few years back that said that if you fail to comply with the beach fee law. In other words, you spend your money in a way that's inconsistent with what the beach fee statute states, you're subject to suit for violation of the civil rights of beachgoers. You won legal fees for doing that. You only can prove that case or bring that case if you can see the records. And and it's not like you don't keep the budget. You do, right? You you have somewhere you have line items for each of these same issues that you had in 2022. Do you not?

That's correct. And you know how I know is because at the end of the year when there's money excess in certain accounts, you do transfers. Correct. That's correct. So you do a transfer. this the the accounts that you take money from and move money to in the beach utility. So what are you accomplishing? You you you're saying you don't have to by law. I don't think that's true, but you're saying you don't have to. Every town around us does. I guess with the exception of one where you came from, right, Seager? Is there a question there?

Um yeah, the question is why would you not make following the statute and the statute as far as I know is not supplanted by a court order. All right. So the statute may be wrong. Maybe the statute says you can't itemize the the the statute says you don't have to specify you you specify salary and wages and other expenses certain statutory expenses. What do you do in the water utility? I'm asking a question. Okay. I'm I'm telling you that I was exposed to liability because of the way you keep the books. And you think that's funny? No, I don't think it's funny.

Okay. So So why don't you do it? What's the reason? Tell the council what the reason is not to do it. Not to do with the towns around us. Not only does Avon do it. Avon specifies what like what we pay each the gatekeepers. Why would you not do it? I I I think Ken she answered that. She says that it's not required by statute. So, she doesn't

Okay, fair. I'll ask you all. Why would we not do it? It's not that it hasn't been done. She keeps it books. It's in there. Why wouldn't we adopt each budget that lists the amounts that we pay because it also shows you the amounts that you took in in each line item in prior years. So, you know whether or not you you've expended all the money or not. Essentially, All that information is in the bill list. Every every dollar that we spend is is listening. No one's going to go through the bill, but it's there. Correct. Is is the information is the information that the beach utility spends in the bill list that we have on the council every week. Just answer my question. No, I I I don't know. You But I do.

So So yes, the answer is So the answer is the public has to go through the bill list, compile them every week. for two weeks and make a list of it. Put in a spreadsheet. No, I'm just saying that to what I'm not saying that. Don't put words in my mouth. You actually did just say No, I'm just saying that if you want to know, that's what you can do. Should we be putting it on the list? Perhaps. But I'm just I don't want the public to think that there's no information out there. As cumbersome as it might be to find it, but it is there. And I'm not agreeing or disagreeing with you on that. Well, you're not agreeing with me certainly, which means you're disagreeing with me.

All right. Well, we can we can do this all night. So, have any other points to make? No, I I'm I'm I'm good with that one. I guess one other one. The state of New Jersey requires requires I believe I can get you the break for it. Uh that we post a userfriendly version of our budget every year. We don't have that posted. We have a basically the summary portion of the userfriendly budget component that's attached to a couple of the last years not going back to 2016 when this started. But why don't we do don't do that. We do post we submit the user friendly budget to the state and it's provided to the court to post on the website.

It's not posted on the website. There's 20 page tags up other other towns put a separate have on Spring Lake. They have a separate they have a budget. They also have the userfriendly budget. There are 20 tabs. We will put that on the tremendous on the website. Sounds like we have it. It's just putting the budgets are there. They're just in a PDF format. That's not Excel. Well, it's just the five pages of the PDF though that is the summary. It's basically it's like like the first nine pages is from the summary portion of the userfriendly budget. It's not the bulk of the user friendly budget. There's really valuable information in there um that that the public would benefit from including

we'll see too that's posted. Thank you. Any other comments on the budget? We're in public session.

Did you raise your hand, Mr. uh Eugene Kamemer uh 4th Avenue. Um I guess it was at the last meeting and u number of seniors actually they were all seniors I believe that had u problems with the mailing of the u water and sewer bills. Um, and um, I think I've I've figured out why they are so concerned about it is that when you send a bill, not a tax, seniors are protected when it comes to municipal t property tax. In other words, we get reimbursed by the state for any increase in tax. So really, I don't care what you spend uh on taxes here because my taxes are frozen. And I'm sure it was the same story with those people that appeared before the mayor and council and expressed concern about the doubledigit increases uh in water and sore rate. And the reason being there is a lot of these people are on fixed income and uh you slap them with the bill. Now the remedy for that actually uh was about five years ago. Uh, Governor Murphy signed what they call rain tax for New Jersey and more municipalities are picking up on that for the cost of uh our our water

bill by the way is a storm water problem just like it is for uh the Red Ko pipe. That's a storm water problem and that the cost of keeping and maintaining that storm water infra infrastructure should be a burden on the property owners or the property tax payers. I see an immediate solution to this doubledigit u increase in the water and and and the s not not the water portion of it but the sory portion of it. Now Oprah from the burough I don't want to cut you short but I want to get to anybody else who has a question on the budget. This is you're talking about the water sewer rates. This is the this these are the um public hearing on the amendment to the budget. Yeah, this is this would be a budget.

This would be a a rain tax would be a budget item, sir. Just like uh where we get our tax bills. Uh we have municipal and school, a rain tax would be on the same bill. also uh this is the way a solution to solve uh the dilemma that this has sending a separate bill creates a dilemma for the seniors that live in town. Okay, I don't know what that number is but uh and I tried New Jersey Treasury. They consider that information uh much of it I guess I really wanted to know how many people uh in in Belmar are recipients or participate in the senior freeze program and and they told me politely that they don't supply that detail level but I can tell you u you have a number of people that a large number of people and they vote of seniors that uh are are damaged by this doubledigit increase. when there is an opportunity to move that uh sewage charge over to a property tax or in addition to the property tax and then they would be immune to uh the doubledigit increases in water rates. They still pay for their water. They still pay for their storage. Now the problem with the surge is I contacted

uh SM South Monet Regional Surge Authority and I asked them uh for 2025. How many gallons of of waste water have we sent there for 2025? And it was 331 million gallons. Okay. And I also over at uh Belmar is to how many gallons of water did you enter? 183 million gallons. Okay. So for every gallon that we buy from the town, we we we pay to dispose of 1.8 eight gallons. The numbers just don't jive. U and and actually I was surprised that number the last time that I had looked at it uh was closer to two. Uh in other words, u the change in the construction codes, the houses now were elevated. the cause of the excessive flow being sent to South Mouth Regional Sewage Authority. Um most of that probably is some pumps that are connected to the sewer line and it it it's been a problem in town for years. Uh but one way to to attack this sort of thing, this problem itself of sending too much water to the sewage authority is to impose a rain tax and also it would provide funding for other storm water related projects. Also, a rain tax would uh perhaps help

with the good work that the environmental commission has has has done in getting grants because very often those grants require matching funds or matching work uh in order in order for us to accept them. I guess what I'm asking the council here to do is to take a look at this and analyze it. And uh this is one way to avoid uh dinging this, you know, dinging the seniors in town with an excessive bill. And uh there there would be an end to this at some point. U tax essentially would end when our discharge or our sale of water matches our discharge to the service commission.

Okay. We we will definitely take a look at that. I'll sit with uh our CFO and where else to see if that's something that we can do here in in the borrow. Yeah, actually there was a show on public television just uh just this past week of uh Cranford and uh some other towns in Union County that are affected by the rolling rolling river. Uh they've taken on the imposing of a a water tax. We'll we'll look into that. But

excuse me, a rain tax. It got a fair play in New Jersey, but over 40 states have some sort of rain tax. Okay, we we need to move on. I get the point. We'll look into it and see if that's something that's feasible for Belmore. I don't know anything about it. So, I can't I can't even offer any kind of comment.

Are there any other um comments as part of the municipal budget amendment hearing? I have a motion to close the hearing. I'll make a motion. Second. All in favor? I I have a motion to adopt resolution 202696, a resolution authorizing adoption of the 2026 municipal budget as amended. I'll make a motion. Second.

This would be the point at which if if we want to make comments the council before we vote if you want to. I want to say that I I spent some time over the last two weeks uh looking at other municipalities and I just want to state very explicitly that this um the health care costs and pension costs are a problem everywhere in the state. Um not just in this area, not just in Mon County, everywhere. Um, and I think it's going to be incumbent upon us as a council going forward to really take a careful look at what we can do uh with those costs, how we can encourage the state to lower them for everyone and take a careful look at very hard decisions in in the next year.

I agree and I think um, you know, Mr. Pringle had some good points about itemizing and detailing some of these utilities even for us to review the budgets as they go. sometimes, you know, we don't understand where everything is being spent and, you know, we're not going to go through every payment of bills. We know where the money's going. But it's also, you know, a way to track um is there money coming from municipal to water? Is water paying for something it shouldn't be? And those are way things, you know, we're trying to figure out um you know, not saying it is, but we'd be able to understand it better if we had those itemized uh budgets and and bills. Okay. If nothing else, let's uh proceed with our Councilwoman Donovan,

yes. Councilwoman Kenny, yes. Councilman Delasio, yes. Councilman Moroni, yes. Mayor Basco, yes. Uh, next we have first reading and introduction. This is on ordinance 2026, which has been amended uh based on the planning board's comments and our discussions from the last meeting. It's an ordinance amending and supplementing chapter 40 development regulations specifically section 7.24 signs. Do we have a motion to offer for first reading? Motion. Second.

Councilman Donovan. Actually, I had a question. Last time we we talked there was one who raised some uh civil liberties questions. Have those been properly addressed in this? In my opinion, yes. Thank you, counselor. That was my question. You're welcome. Council McKinn, I didn't vote. Sorry. Council, yes. Council McKini, yes. Councilman Delasio, yes. Council member Rooney. Yes. Mayor Fusco. Yes.

Next, we have first reading and introduction of ordinance 20269. This is a bond ordinance providing for various capital improvements and the acquisition of various capital equipment appropriating 2,448,345 and authorizing issuance of $2,379,783 in bonds and notes to finance a portion of the cost. We have a motion to offer for first reading and introduction. I'll make a motion. Second question. I think we need a second. Second.

Second. Yeah, we need a second. We need a second. I'll second. I have a Mayor, if I may, I'd like to just go down this list. Can we Can you do that please? Um, so first this the way I'm reading this about half of this will be covered by grants and funding. Am I reading that correctly? Mostly for the Eth Avenue street project. Yeah. Let me Yes, that's correct.

So the the first thing is the $60,000 for uh scanning permanent files. I think that's necessary. that we've run into these issues without that many times with the Silver Lake project. Um, can we break down the cost of these two Durango for $227,000? The two Durango are $112,000. There's $112,000 for um a taser bundle for the police department. How old are the vehicles they're replacing? I believe I'm not sure. I I don't want to tell I don't want to misstate. So, I'm not sure.

I don't I don't know if the public is doing has access to what I'm looking at right now, but um the next item is the DPW public works replacing windows electrical services that is $220,000. Turnout gear for the burrow fire department is $50,000. I know how expensive that equipment is. That's turn out here on radios. Yes. Thank you for your service, Mr. Room. Um the road improvements to 8th Avenue are part of this. That is 1.13 million. Uh but that is the one that we have the NG do grant for and that is covering that for 1.13. Yes. The grant covering

that is a grant. We we do expect to receive it and but it's a reimbursement grant so we have to spend the money first. So therefore we have to have the money in hand in order to expend it and then we justify what we've spent. We supply all the supporting documentation to uh in this case the DOT and it's been expected to receive it or we have received things. No, we expect to receive it. We have we don't you don't it's a reimbursement. So we don't receive it until we expend it. That that's the word I was looking for. We have the award.

Yes. Okay. Uh the next one is a recorder and computer for the court. That is estimated cost of $9,500. That seems a lot for a computer. Is that a question? It is. Um and we pay the full cost of that as like KO or any of our shared.

The contract doesn't call for them to pay for capital equipment. Thank you. Uh the next item is the municipal building roof for $240,000 and the 25. So um the major question is just um we have two different bond ordinances. Is there a reason why those are separate?

Yes, because one is water sewer. So solely water sewer. This is general general capital. what we call general capital in in municipal parliaments. So general capital applies to any um facilities improvements for or equipment purchases for equipment that that is has a useful life of five years or more. And the improvement the improvements are the same. They're expected to last for a minimum of five years or longer. And that determines the useful life and how would repay the ordinance, but it's general capital covers everything other than what's what's purchased for the utilities. So beach and and water sewer would be separate. If we had equipment that we had to buy for for the beach, we would have a separate bond ordinance, but we try and fund those internally though.

And where is this First Avenue?

Want to check that? Yeah. So on on 1 Avenue between Ocean and A Street, we have a triangular park. It's called Schroer Park. And then on the um on the north side of First Avenue, there is no sidewalk. It forces people to walk in the street. And uh we've gotten quite a bit of complaints about it. So one of the improvements is to put a sidewalk there. So just just so I can be clear the the 2.379 million is might is going to expected to be less by this 1.131 million after we finish and get the uh the reimbursement of the grant. Correct.

Yes. Okay. So, the total cost of the improvements less the down payment, the 5% down payment which we're required to to have on hand, that's 59,836 in total. The total of bonds and notes to be issued if we issued all of them is a million1368.884. That's accepting the grants that we expect to receive. So, th that total is um 1 million2428.99. That's what we need to find. That's what we expect to receive.

The 1,136 is the cost to the borrow for all of these projects. Yes. This is appropriated in the current budget. No, this is the capital budget. These bonds are how long? Did you say that again? The the bonds will be for how long? Once we

Well, they're generally issued. If we go for a permanent financing of of the bond ordinance, it would be generally through the MCIA, which is sponsored by the county, uh provides us with a better u return on investment, lower interest rate, right? Usually 20 years on the bones. Okay. Do we know the interest rate or we don't know that? I'm sorry. Do we know the interest rate or we don't know that until we apply?

No, we wouldn't know that until close to the point when the bonds are issued. We'd still have to apply to the county through the MCIA, which they don't usually do until July or August. And this would be an issued sometime in in December is generally what the timing is. So it it we wouldn't know the interest rate until sometime early November definitively. Does that interest rate tie to anything else like prime or anything else? Do we have any idea what it might be? Well, the county has a triple AAA rated uh credit rating. So, they're

the the rate is tied to the amount that they're borrowing. Generally, the larger the the issue, the lower the rate. Um offhand, I can't tell you. I I don't have a good handle on what they might be um looking at in terms of of possible interest rate given the circumstances out in the general general economy.

If this doesn't go through, let's say we, you know, we can't come to agree with all of these projects right at one time with one big fund. a project like the 8th Avenue improvement that's seems to be fully well I guess we need a bond but then we got to get it back we were going to pay that off with the grant uh that would not go through at all that that project would be squashed completely. Yes.

Can we have that separated for a separate ordinance? on anticipation. We could certainly do that. I will speak to bond council, but I believe that they can break it out. What would that do for I'm sorry.

What would that do for uh the is it better to borrow a larger sum or a smaller sum and produce systems like these? Well, generally the the more money you you seek to borrow, the lower the rate. I guess we just I mean the council went through the list. We don't have many details on a lot of this. We know what the 8th Avenue project is. Um I guess we just would have some more questions on some of the other items or some more looking for more details. We need to take a vote. You're going to vote for or against? Let's uh I I don't know. I mean, maybe you could go through the process of how these numbers have come up with like what's the backstory on all this, you know, like when you say, you know, two Durango and all that. How does that information come to you to to put it in the in the bond or post?

That comes from department heads. We have several meetings over the course of the winter during the preparation of the budget and um they come with their prioritized list of what they feel the bur what we need to do to improve conditions in the bur. Um, if you want to delay the introduction of the ordinance, you certainly can can hold it until the next meeting if you choose to. It's not, but this is this would be the introduction and there would be a public public hearing at the next meeting. I'm wondering why railings around Pavilion are $265,000. like that.

That's a high-end estimate to replace the railings. It's different when we have to go home. Well, the railings that are around the pavilion now were only supposed to be temporary. Um they were they were supposed to be for a short amount of time and then we were going to upgrade to the aluminum railings that are along the um avenue entrances. And um at this point the uh the railings are are sagging. They're uh they're a little on the wobbler side. Uh some of the posts are starting to rot. So, it would be it would be in the best interest to replace them at this point.

I think the problem for the council is that the the people who are asking for these things are not here. you know, it's a it's a two-step process that they they've made justification to to you, but we don't see it. You know, like like I'm saying like, why do we need a a a sidewalk on First Avenue? You know, I'll use that old phrase like we've never had one, you know, for how many years and now all of a sudden we need one, you know, and I'm not against it. I'm just saying though, you know, some will say, "Oh, why do we need it now?" You know, or you know, like

why do we need a new roof? didn't we replaced it, you know, 5 years ago, uh or or not? Or I mean, there has to be some justification. Is is it leaking? Is it not leaking? Um, you know, railings on Fifth Avenue, is that something nice to have or is it something that must be done? You know, are people getting splinters on on them? you know, I I I think those are the issues that that are, you know, causing causing the questions, you know, and um you know, I I don't I don't have a opinion either way. I mean, I think I think if if the council wants to investigate it more further, then they should not pass, you know, not vote for this and maybe we need to have more details. What's the what's the what's the effect? Is there any time issue in in in not doing this tonight? Is is there like a a a deadline or something we're going to miss or or you know, are we hurting ourselves by not by not doing this?

Not on the the not on the general capital items on those grant items. microphone on. Yeah, you got to press your microphone. I'm sorry.

Uh not on the general general capital items on the grant items. Um obviously, we have to fund see we have to fund the grants in order to to move forward with the projects. We can't move forward with those projects. We can't move forward with any of this if council chooses not to to introduce the ordinance tonight. But that is certainly your decision to make. If you want some additional information, we can try and provide you with the additional information that we can hold this until the next meeting. We can provide you with additional information in the interim and then you can determine if you have additional questions or you'd want to move forward with this. Do we know what the date is for getting the funding in place? I mean, the mayor asked about timeline. Do what's what's the timeline to have this in place so that we do get the grant if we decide to move forward? If the ordinance is introduced tonight,

I would say if I think I'm leaning towards saying let's table this until the next meeting so that everybody here who has questions can get those questions answered or at least have a chance to um research it. And if we do that, is it going to affect the grant amount? Are we up against a deadline that we're not aware of?

Not on not on these grants at this particular time. And just so everyone's aware, um, Mr. Ring, I'm going to use your phrase, trial by ambush. This is an ordinance by ambush. We received this yesterday at 2 p.m. to decide whether or not to bond $2 million, you know, and with some of it being reimbursed. It's a big decision and we're up here to review it and discuss it and and decide the necessity of each and every one of the these things. I don't want to say no to radios for the fire department or tasers for the police department, but you know, let's just leave it there. But, you know, you know, these are very important items, but if I have to give 48 hour to everybody, we should get more than that and we should we should have that respect, too.

You do have the right to make a motion to it at this time if you want to. I would like to make that motion. I'll second. All in favor? We need a roll call. Councilman Donovan. Yes. Counciloman Kenny. Yes. Councilman Delasio. Yes. Councilman Moroni. Yes. Mayor Basco. Yes. And I did apologize for the use of that word.

I apologize, Mr. McN. The only the only thing I want to add is we we need to come back and have more information than we have here. There's no point in tableing this and then coming back next week and still be staring at the same ordinance. Like there has to be some more information given between now and the next meeting to to make this, you know, to to address the concerns that you have. How can how can that be done? I mean, short of having every department head sitting here telling us why they need to have um the items in the agenda, maybe that's what we need to do. Maybe we need to have everyone sitting here with the council and say, you know, I need two durangles because this

Well, mayor, if you could just um give the verbal okay, I'm sure we can meet in twos with some of the staff over the next weeks when they're available.

I don't know that that's good enough. I mean, I think if we're if we're going to postpone this and hold it, you know, as Councilman Delasio said, you know, we got this on short notice, but I think the public also needs to know that what what what this money is being spent on. On on the other side of the coin though, you know, I I I always like to explain to people bond ordinances are are designed, you know, if you have a million dollar bond ordinance. Of course, it's designed for future generations to be paying the cost of these things. You know, it's not it's not fair. Like we don't pay all this out of our our current fund, but you know, putting up a roof or building a school or doing something like that, you know, future generations will benefit on that. And that's why you you have a loan because then you know the taxpayers in the future are paying for that cost also. But I just do that as a public service announcement. But I think maybe we need to have um maybe we need to have more, you know, more um in-depth requests. I wouldn't be opposed to that.

I agree with that. And I'm sure every department had either wrote a letter or had a meeting with with Lorraine and uh that would be fine. emails or letters or and I'll reach out to everyone or request you know the ones that I have questions on the most I would discuss it and email you and request for any I'm going to ask the council though to leave the the questioning and and in public I don't want council members reaching out to department heads directly to get information because that's not fair to the rest of us and I think if we're going to have them come here and then we can all hear it at the same time That's my only concern.

I I would like to lightly push back on that only because I think um to take this job seriously. We have to be able to know what we don't know. And um that can involve more in-depth conversation. It could be asking for documents. And I I think I try my best to walk the public through what I've been thinking and doing when I'm up here. Um, but I don't see a difference between what we're doing right now and what we'll be doing in two weeks if I haven't had that time to prepare and and ask questions ahead of time. We could always do a work session next week. We can schedule one. I I don't think you should be limiting council to talking to department heads to the public. I

We're allowed to talk to the department heads. We're allowed to discuss oneonone what what their requests are just like anybody else's. And you'll make a report of that when you come to the next meeting. Absolutely.

Okay. I'll I'll agree to that if everybody writes writes up a a you know an email to inform all of us what what has been said and what you have found out from whoever and please make a schedule or make sure that you're not interfering in the work that they're doing because that is their primary uh goal. I don't want people, you know, being saying I couldn't do this because Councilman X wanted to talk to me on that that, you know, work with them in terms of their their scheduling. Okay. Did we did we Yeah, we voted on this. We're up to the next one.

Yes. Uh, next one is ordinance 202610. This is a bond ordinance providing for various water sewer utility improvements and the acquisition of water sewer utility equipment appropriating $192,500 and authorizing the issuance of $192,500 in bonds and notes to find some portion of the cost. Would someone like to offer this ordinance for first reading and introduction? I'll make that motion. I will second. Is there any discussion? Second. Yes. I didn't know if there was any discussion before. I think

um Councilman Donovan, yes. Counciloman Kenny, yes. Council, yes. Council Money, yes. Mayor Michael Pasco, yes.

Okay. Uh now we're on the public session. If anyone is going to come up to speak, please remember to state your name and address first. Linda, I guess what I heard tonight was a concern that you're going the bond repayment period would be 20 years when the lifetime of the things that you're looking to get the money for is much shorter than 20 years. We don't want future generations to be paying for obsolete or old products. So that's one comment. I I really don't think I think we have to examine what the lifetime of the the goods are. Um second, I want to ask there was a lot of talk about redoing the um plaza with pavers. Is that still a consideration? Um, I think it is. Yes.

Yeah, the bids came in too high and there's going to be rebid. Okay. Okay. So, that's where we're at. Considering all our expenses, why do we need to replace those papers? I understand the tree isn't the piano isn't aligned with the Christmas tree, but we have far bigger problems than having squares out of alignment. And I I think it would be good to reconsider or postpone that until we get our other expenses under control.

Was that project fully fully grant? Was that a grant or was it 50% batch? There was a for that and and the bids came in too high and they were looking to scale back a little bit so the grant would pay for it. So how much I'm sorry

349 and that money had to be spent specifically in the clos specifically for that. Correct.

Okay. Thank you. Good evening, Drew from South Lake Drive. Uh, this has been a very productive meeting tonight. I have to say that watching this last session was excellent. Great conversation. Taking our time to make decisions in the town. Mayor, I totally agree with you when you said the thing about building. I'm not saying anything about the sidewalk. I'm sure people are complaining up the wazoo about it, but I'm saying it'd be great if in the context of the work you're going to be doing over the next couple weeks to figure out these specific line items to also bring it up another level and try to think a little bit within my five minutes right here.

Uh just just a little bit about the more macro issues in the town. And I you know I appreciate the last statement. Obviously we must have a grant for that that plaza. So that's has to be applied there. But we have a lot of big decisions to make in this town. And when I look at 8th Avenue, that's a big issue for the sewer line there. I understand that's, you know, key to all the houses, all the But when I think about a sidewalk, when I think about railings, maybe a major issue there. I think about I I sit on South Lake Drive. That road there is a catastrophe. We have huge sewer issues. Every time the lake has a big rain, we flood. Now, I know Fifth Avenue had to be dealt with just like many of the roads. I just don't know. And I'll leave it at this, what the the more macro plan is for paving and sewers and so on. And so when we look at each of these things, and I I definitely want the police officer to have everything we need to protect us. That's really important. I know the equipment is expensive. We also have to think about the flooding in the basement and the damage that's going on on the south side of the lake. So I would just ask you to maybe think about that in this context and uh prioritize. And I think as the residents, we would love to at some point hear the output of that prioritization in a more macro sense. What are our big issues? What do we need to apply it? How do we do mid to long-term planning? And how do we look at Mr. Gramer? I thought it was a great uh input about thinking about how to move things around so that seniors are not impacted the same way. And not everybody's a senior though is also struggling with their bills. So I appreciate it. I appreciate the sidewall comment. Hopefully we can look at these things in a more macro way.

Just so you know, we we had a whole presentation by our thorough engineer a few meetings ago. You might want I would like to. Yeah, I quite a bit was done and it's probably on tape somewhere because we went over all of the things that you we could certainly do that again if we need to. I'll be praying that you were worried about our side of the lake there, but we'll see in a few minutes. U through the chair if I may. Um Mr. That actually is a project that has a grant funded and um it's partially funded and then part of the $1.1 million grant for 8th Avenue has storm drainage improvements

that will help with the water quality in the lake. Is that part of 8th Avenue drains to the north uh to the lake, but we do have a DOT grant approval for South Lake uh down uh down to the end basically. Well, thank you. appreciate. You're trying. No, I know you're trying. I I I must I knew you were talking about that. But just the prioritization though is crucial and I appreciate the rigor. Thank you. Any other comments?

Okay. Bob Jack, 616 Fifth Avenue. I just had a question. I don't know if you could answer or somebody could direct me to someone about beach lockers. Uh when I moved here 10 years ago, you know, I put my name in for one which which I knew would be a while. And the lady said I could do one street, we did second. We lived on fifth, we go to the beach on second. And uh each year I would go and she said, "Well, you're number three and I have you on two streets." So I thought there's going to be maybe a chance. Well, two years ago I went and it's a different lady now. and she said, "Well, they changed everything and now everybody's on one list," which meant either all the number ones were 1 to 20, all the number twos, or they looked actually when we signed up. What I really couldn't understand is that if your name is the next and the locker on 18th and you live on second, you have to take 18th. And I didn't understand the rhyme and reason of that. And maybe somebody could possibly answer. I'm I'm not familiar with the day-to-day.

I mean, I went the other day and they now told me I'm number 362. I mean, it's something I didn't know we had that many lockers. And sadly, many of them are not even used, you know, they still have the uh the zip ties on them. That's something we have to look into. I have to look into that and see what what changed, how it changed, and how the new list came about. I'm not familiar with it myself. Yeah. Honestly, a couple years ago there were multiple lists and and we we consolidated and put one person in charge and um I was under the understanding that she was doing a great job on the list. Um but we'll we'll look into it. We'll find out where you're at and we'll get back to you.

Okay. I know Bradley Beach had an issue in the fall. I was reading about it, but I've been away for 4 months and I don't know what ever happened there where they were not allowing out oftowners to go to their lockers, but that's not us. I believe they got sued. What? I believe they got sued for that. Yeah. All right. So, somebody will get back. Any others? Katrina, class is 1304 Street. Um, I have two things actually as far as the resolution with the bond on it. Um, did I understand you guys? You just got it like 48 hours ago. Is that what you thought?

24. 24. Okay. Who puts that bond all those bond things together? Who's whose responsibility? Is it our BA? I mean is our is our what happens typically and you can correct me if I'm wrong all that has to go up on council. Correct. She the bomb council was the one who actually prepares the the u

the bondance prepares the ordinance so that it meets the the legal requirements. The information in the bond ordinance reflects the priority as presented to her in the list. We give her we give her the list that tells her what projects we we are looking to fund. We check verify that we have enough money for the 5% down payment. we then provide a a summary of what we think the the bonds and notes are going to are going to cost today. I I appreciate and I know

well I think the I think the the main thing to to take away from this is that even if it is less than 48 hours the council has the ability to not move it like we did tonight. So, no one's being forced to to to um you know, vote on something if they don't feel comfortable doing that. I understand that, but I guess the whole uh who who oversees who's asking for bonds. I mean, does this is what I'm a little confused about. You didn't know any of these bond requests. Mayor, I'm asking you a question. You didn't know these bond request. So, you never looked at this beforehand as mayor? No. Really?

So, The information comes to me first from the department heads. Okay. So the so we have several meetings during the course of the winter to come up with with what we believe to be an appropriate plan for the burrow. That summary list is provided to members of council. They get a chance to review it. Um the information then is sent to the bond council so that she can put it put it in the proper legal legal format and then it's presented as it is tonight in the form of the ordinance and then the ordinance is either introduced or not depending on council's

okay and I appreciate everybody pushing back on that a little bit because that's a overwhelming a overwhelming amount of money and b like to to find out about something 24 hours before you you need to and I understand there's a twoe period and all of that. Um I understand that. The other thing that's concerning is is the the amount of interest on the bond. I mean to be able to make a decision on bonding money but not know until you pass it how much bond interest is going to be. Is that am I correct?

Issuing bonds with these ordinances. What we're doing is giving us the ability to issue bonds at some point in the future. That's a totally different process and you would know what the the interest rate is going to be. There's a bid process if the borrow was to do that on its own. If we go through the MCIA, they they generally give you an estimate of what the interest costs are going to be based on prior experience with similar issues. So each one would be individually you pass that all of those and then individually each one would be taken and you would bond not individually the ordinance as a whole.

Oh, okay. Okay. Okay. All right. Wow. Okay. Um, one more thing I wanted to just bring up and I know it it's a sore subject for a lot of people. Um, and there's nothing in, and I could be wrong about this because I didn't read the budget because that's way above my pay grade, but we have a building sitting on 12th Avenue and that building we're paying for and that building has a major um environmental issue. It's been since this administration has come on board. It's like we're in our third year and nothing has been done with that building and in the meantime our environmental issue is getting worse. I want to know is there any plan anywhere that no one even talks about it where across the street from an elementary school this envir this brown brown site I guess it's called right is leeching over.

Let me just let me We a lot is being done about that, but it's not subject to public review at this point. Why? Because there there's a potential of litigation and we're we're we are on top of it though. So even though you see that nothing's being done, there's there's a lot has been done. So the public will be made aware of that as soon as we can people know that being done. We're having a meeting tonight about that finally. Okay. Not finally. We It's It's been a long time going. Okay.

And you know, we've had to we've had to go through council. You know, everything is being done correctly legally so that once we decide what is going to do, council will be making that decision. Uh and they'll have all the information they need to move forward with that. So you could not have you couldn't talk about this at all during these period of time just like you did with all of the other things when we had redevelopment. This is not affordable housing. This is this is a a piece of property that the borrow purchased that was contaminated at the time of purchase. We're we don't not going to talk about that any further.

Okay. Can we have an expectation of this? Will this ever be done anytime soon? Uh I I won't go I won't add the phrase anytime soon, but it will be addressed as well as it can. It's actually being addressed as we speak. So you'll hear about it. Thank you. Any other comments?

Thank you. Uh, Leila Mars 605 motion. Uh, I'm not going to talk about the sign tonight because you're not going to vote on it, but I do have more comments about it for next time. Um, I do want to talk though about the beach utility issue that came up earlier. Mr. Primal is not here anymore, but he's probably aware of it and he didn't bring it up. Maybe he's not aware of it. Maybe none of you are aware of it, but there is legislation that's in committee right now in New Jersey, right? So, you know about it. I was going to bring it up actually. Yeah.

I you know, I just want to read a couple things quickly into the record because I think people that might listen to this later, then they'll know about it and they can look into it if they want. So, there was a bill that was in committee. It was the Assembly Tourism Committee. was last week, May 7th, and the assembly version was amended in committee, which famously for anybody that watches the New Jersey legislature, you never know what's actually going to get voted on in committee until during the committee and or after the committee uh because they're still working out the details. But so the amended version of the bill, the name of the bill or the bill description requires certain municipalities to include certain information concerning beach costs and revenues in municipalities public access plan. Um they did amend it and one of the committee amendments uh actually I was a little surprised but I don't know that much about municipal land use law and I'm not sure if that's the reason why they added it but for our camps that are on the beach now they would also have to be included in these revenue and um also these estimates I guess going forward in time. This is something that would happen on a yearly basis based on this version. Now, that's the assembly version. It's going to be in committee on Monday the 18th in the Senate. Probably they'll adopt these amendments, but they might have something completely different and we won't find out about it until Monday. Um, I did hear somebody from the League of Municipalities was there. The League is against it as everybody would expect. Uh, I did also hear a guy from Seaside, I think he was from Seaside Heights, Seaside Heights or Seaside Park, but he mentioned that in the case of their municipal master plan,

which this touches, that theirs wasn't even approved from 10 years ago. I don't know where we're at with ours, but I guess they're just all concerns because we really don't know. Um, I would imagine we don't we can make estimates, but the push back from I'll just leave it at this. There's definitely influencers. We've seen them come here and give the whole spiel about people shouldn't have to pay for beach badges. I see it, you know, in certain online venues. I think that there's an opportunity for Belmar, for other shore towns to be responsible and show the public where the money's going for beach expenses, but at the same time to, you know, give people an understanding or at least an appreciation of the amount of work that everybody in this burrow, burrow employees, you mayor and council committees that they all put into even creating all of what makes our beach function. And so, you know, the money is what it is. Obviously, we have the public trust doctrine that we have to abide by, but uh I I would be interested to hear any comment. And I also would be interested to hear if anybody the senator who sponsored the bill uh or who who runs that committee is a Mammoth County senator and I don't know if there's been any discussion and it just seems a little bit it seems a little bit unfair but but maybe that's because of the way the municipal land use law is and maybe we we have to give those numbers but that we didn't until now or we won't till now. We have always we have always

I mean the number my comment too is you guys have put it all it's it's there it's our budgets have always absolutely in the we have spreadsheets that you can see how many badges are sold. Absolutely. I know that we all know that in this room but the general public and the people who are online stirring up narratives about well the everybody's an expert online. Did you know that? Yeah, I know. I do try to um keep a breast of the beach related legislation that goes on in the assembly in the Senate because I I know that Belmar has had an unfortunate tendency to become in the in the limelight.

Yes. Um, and the other thing is that uh, as much as free beaches can have the moral high ground, I I think on a very very basic level, my question for that is always like, well, where in teachers pensions are we paying for the beach on the state level,

you know, um, because we're talking about hundreds of millions of dollars we would have to be appropriating on the state level to do that. Um, and I look at this and I think there's a lot of momentum amongst certain corridors to try and come down harder on beach towns as far as transparency and and other issues. And I I think it's only smart and savvy of us to be on top of that as much as possible to to be an example rather a good example rather than a poor one. So with you 100% on that and um I know I consulted with our attorney when that bill was introduced. I think it was the last year's uh version. Um, and the problem with it was that it it requires amending the master plan annually, which is a very weird way to do that.

It seems unfair to the shore towns was my impression on reading it. Now, I'm not a lawyer and I'm not quoting him directly, but I think I think your basic premise was that it was unnecessarily cumbersome. There was just more transparent, easily, more accessible ways for the public to get that information that we can provide. I think I said it's shorter than that. I'm sure. I'm sure. Notoriously over there. Use cumbersome more colorful. Just so you know though, in general, the biggest expense of the beach utility is personnel,

hours, and wages. And that's, you know, that's, you know, lifeguards. Um, you know, everyone who works on the beach, that is the biggest biggest expense. So um you know whatever the law comes we will comply with if they requiring more information if they want to know you know how many cars parked on the beach you know we'll have to count them I guess but you know they get that revenue the cars that park along the boardwalk that's all beach revenue that does not come to the town right Mr. Pringle was the one who uh who gave us that in his lawsuit.

Fair enough. Yeah. Just one last comment on it and I think that you touched on that the people are at the expense but you know those people are also the our first line of defense. They know what's going on on the beach. Um, you know, I I think looking forward in time, there will be a push to have, you know, not people there, drones, cameras, whatever. I don't know that that's going to happen next year, next decade. I hope it doesn't, but I will be happy to come up here every time and say that we need those people there because they're part of our community and they're part of our our local economy. So, you know, I appreciate anything that you guys can do as elected to actually talk because I mean, I could go out to Trenton. I could make an arrangement to get there and I could say some things as a private citizen, but frankly, they already have the script. They know what they're going to do. So, me showing up would be limited. We'll put it like that. So, thank you.

Thank you. Any other comments? Okay. Can I have a motion to close the public session? I'll make a motion. Second. All in favor?

I have one last item is a resolution to go into executive session. Resolution 202697. Whereas it has been determined by the burough council that it is necessary to discuss the following specific matter at its regular meeting in the absence of the public which is attorney client privilege matters pending a potential litigation and contract negotiations and whereas open public meetings act permits the bureau council to exclude the public from that portion of a public meeting during which such matters are discussed. Now therefore, be it resolved by the burough council as follows. That the council shall recess into a private executive session from which the public shall be excluded to discuss the above reference matters. That the scope of the executive session shall be limited to the above matters as stated. That those matters discussed in executive session shall remain confidential until such time as the need for confidentiality no longer exists as determined by the burough attorney. and that minutes of the closed session shall be taken and kept free from public review until such times that the need for confidentiality no longer exists. And then the the regular meeting of the council shall resume after the private executive session at which time the burough council may take action in reference to the topics discussed. We have a motion to adopt this resolution.

I'll make a motion. Second. Councilwoman Donovan. Yes. Councilwoman King. Yes. Councilman Delasio. Yes. Council Yes. Mayor, yes.

Can you just mute it?

Are we on? Yes. Okay. So, we're back in public session. I think Mr. McIll, are you going to prepare put a resolution on the record or we have a comment? Let's have a simple No, I'm not going to prepare a resolution with wherees and stuff. Let's just have a Let's just have a motion to extend the uh police uh and I'll put it in writing, but it's going to be simple. So, a motion to uh extend the contract for police services with Lake Ko to January 1. We could have that motion. Wait, because we were saying we didn't want to go to January 1 because that was

December 31st. December 31st. 31st. In November, we start renegotiating. Yeah. Oh, I see. All right. Motion to renew the current police contract and extend it until December until December 31st, 2026. Motion. Second. Uh, Councilman Donovan, yes. Councilman Kenny, yes. Councilman Delasio, yes. Councilman yes. Mayor McFusco. Yes. All right. And then can I have a motion to

adjourn? Second. All in favor?