Borough Council - Regular Meeting

This is a regular meeting agenda of the government body of the Burough Bloomale, Tuesday, November 25th, 2025 at 7 p.m. to order. I aliance 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. [clears throat] Roll call, please. Mayor here. Broner, present here. Juber here. Councilman Yasi

here. We also have an additional clerk Ariana Smith, business administrator Michael Smire, and Burough Attorney Dawn Sullivan. This being is called to pursuant to the provisions of the open public meetings law. Adequate notice of this meeting was advertised by Herald News on January 9th, 2025. Copies were provided to the local news meeting and posted continuously in the municipal building. A copy of this notice is available to the public as file the office of municipal clerk. As first day fire code, I am required to acknowledge that there are two emergency exits in this council chambers. The main entrance which you enter through a secondary exit to the left where I am seated. If there is an emergency, walk quarterly to the exit. Exit through the door down the stairs and out the building. If there any questions, please raise your hand. See, we do not have any non-aggenda items. We will be removing under new business removing item D. um the award contract to the Bloomale Senior Center and repair that that uh contract is not completely ready for adoption. We'll probably do that in December. Okay, we have a motion to open up early public comment.

Second. All in favor? I Anyone wish to come up? I have number right there in front of you. I got to pull the table. Sorry about that.

Linda 86. Um the first one is just a matter of [clears throat] comment for the 2 and a half% raise for the department heads and non- Indian employees. I know I mentioned this last January when we did when we did this 2% cap and I was told that we'd always come in under the cap. Well, we know we didn't do that this year. So I just think that that's something that should be reconsidered. Uh second item I've got is for the garbage trucks. The garbage truck. Uh the first proposal was received on 3525 for the chassis uh for the body. The proposal came in 102325. Was this included in the budget? This is not

This is not No. We have a garbage truck. It's got 147,000 miles on it. It went out one completely. We just sold it. Correct. Correct. All right. because hadund 57,000 miles on it was not running anymore. So, we're short one garbage truck to cover the work that needs to be done in Bloomington. So, we're purchasing a garbage truck at the end of the year through the lease program that we have within our budget. So, that's where that money is coming from. So, all the debt all the money is coming from there and not from any place else.

Coming from the bank. The first payment of $50,000 will come out of the uh recycling tonnage and uh tonnage tenants trust trust and tonnage grant. This recycling trust has 21,608. What what where else is the other money coming from? The recycling grant we're getting wrong 51,000 of that is out of the out of those roughly $2,000 that's going to have to come out of the budget. 2,000 out of the 55ish deposit. Yes. Which that we paid for 5 years. It'll be seven years. Seven years paid off in the trucks last 10 to 12.

We're getting about 13 years on the truck, right? So we're not bonding money to paid for 30 years. We're getting paid off in seven years. But you're still borrowing money at least. That's still borrowing. It's still built into our budget. Yes. And why wasn't this budgeted beforehand? If you had in March and in October you got proposals. Why wasn't it in the budget?

We had to wait to see where we were at this time of the year. Um the one truck has been down. Frank, you know, just correct me if I'm wrong. The one truck has been down a lot since we tried to get through the year with what we had and it's just not working. And it takes approximately 5 months to get a truck. So that truck will not be here until sometime next year. So we place the order now and then the truck will be in next year's budget. Cabies are taking about 8 to 10 weeks to get to 10 weeks. Okay. The next item is the or resolution 202511-3 for the cancellation of the water capital ordinance. Um where is this going to is this going to the water and sewer capital surplus?

Yes. because that doesn't it's not what it says in the resolution. It just says to the cap created to capital surplus

but anything water has to go to water. Correct. Yes. That's I just want to make sure that that happens. Can that be adjusted to make sure that that does specifically state that? Well, that's where it should go. That's where I want it to go. So, it's kind of whether states or not, that's where it's going. It's not coming into the regular budget. That's what you c we kind of in agreement with that water takes care of water. Uh the next item is what is the status of the live streaming of the meetings?

I have not done any research in this. I talked to the kennel on there. I thought we we said we could do that. Oh, we could, but we're just not there yet. I want to open it up. How long is that going to take? I don't know. I haven't really g be honest with you, I have not really given it much thought since we talked about it. We're dealing with other stuff going on and with the holidays and everything coming. So, probably next year. When? Next year. I don't know. I can't get you. Okay, thank you. Anyone else wishing to come up to agenda items?

Okay. Motion to close early public. All in favor? Okay. Report of committees. Mayor, the senior center. Um, so that that one comment that uh the repair that's for the HVAC it's not it's not being um it's still being they're going to work on it. Correct. The HVAC repair. You under new business.

Yeah. That's under new business. That has been removed. Okay. that we did not award a contract to to the to the bids because we're not ready to accept the bids that can't come in. They are being reviewed. All right. So, that is being removed from the agenda tonight. So, um from Saturday uh Monday's meeting with Mike was there about the uh repairs that the construction that's going to be done that's in you guys haven't awarded that bid yet. Correct. the governing body had to

govern. We have not approved it. We or you guys have not approved that yet. Once that bidding comes in, it gets reviewed again by our engineer and then by our attorney to say everything is good and then we will accept whatever bid has fed the lowest bid that had lowest responsible bidder. Correct. Is what the statute requires and we're not there yet because those bids are still being reviewed. Um they have

that work will be done. As far as the senior center, um nove uh December 1st they have a uh part of golden age club uh event. Uh December 15th they are hosting their uh function for the police department. On uh December 17th the senior center will um have the children's dance concert. um they're going to perform for them. And every second Tuesday of the month, the Bloomingdale Senior Center does have the um health screenings and um for any um interested seniors in the in the town. Um we will be including uh for the next tax letter in January. Um they they are going to include a little uh notification one page so people understand that um that the senior center is here and all the resources and um online they have um their all the um functions that they could go online on our Bloomingdale senior our Bloomingdale website the town plus um various Facebook pages. Um for tribal their numbers for um October uh to date were um 185 calls. Year to date worth of 1663. Um they don't have any um fundraisers the rest of for the rest of the year. Um and

as for the library, um they have many event many activities coming up. Next year is theirund 100 year anniversary. They're going to be preparing a lot of um interesting events [snorts] for that. Um and they also have coming up um the children's on Tuesday, December 9th, there's a child uh waterless snow globe craft and for and of course there and on December 15th sponsored by uh the Bloomale um library. They're um going to hold classes at Fireman Hall um for another it's a it's a sculpting collage and sculpt class December 15th ages 5 to 11 that's for the children's and of course online you can um on their library website um they have their book club and and their series for um the Steph Creat true tree true crimes and again the uh Bloomanddale library has um there's also very important for any um tenants that citizens that would like to become a US citizen there's a huge um there's resources for them to do that including um language. That's something that um it's important. And uh Ally, the director, she was um

nominated and voted as a member of the executive board for uh PAL Plus. And that's going to give uh her a louder voice um with the consortium going forward which is happened on Saturday and last month they answered 96% of their calls which is actually really really good. So that's kudos to them. EDC met last night doing final preparations for the holiday stroll. It's December 13th from 4:30 to 7 and we're all set from everybody that's involved. DPW police from us up here from DC library where all all systems go. So looking forward to a nice evening.

Yes. Um a couple things off our social media as a reminder. Burough Hall is closed Thursday, November 27th, Friday, November 28th, and no GPW pickup as well. Burl Hall is also closed Thursday, December 25th, along with no GPW pickup. Uh December 17th at 7 p.m. will be the Manura lighting ceremony here at Town Hall. Fill the Fleet is Saturday, November 29th from 12:00 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Bloomale Fireman's Hall. Police and fire departments will be there. Bring an unwrapped toy to help fill the police car and the fire truck. [clears throat] uh health screenings every second Tuesday of the month from 2:30 p.m. to 400 p.m. at Burough Hall Council Chambers. Um anyone interested, they do blood pressure, blood glucose, cholesterol, hemoglobin. The city county also offers lead testing. All children under age six should be tested at least twice for elevated levels. Anyone interested 9738814396. Also for the uninsured and those enrolled in New Jersey family care plan, there's a monthly children's wellness clinic. This is uh for state required vaccinations and physicals, there are four locations and all the information is on the burough website under the health department page. There's also free eye and hearing screenings, specifically vision, glaucoma, um and hearing um for appointments 973881-439 uh 96. Um, that is also for residents who are underinsured or without insurance. I know I mentioned this uh last meeting, I'm going to mention it again. Ham Radio Popton Lake 13 has a ham radio group. They're looking for uh people in Bloomingdale. Um, amateur radio operators. Uh, they meet several times a year for Inerson meetings and training period. They hold weekly net check-ins every Sunday evening at 8:00 p.m. in which all licensed operators are invited and

encouraged to check in. If anyone wants more information, you can contact mikev0311 at protonmail.com or message pomtonlakes on Facebook. Uh Santa is coming to town on December 20th and 21st with our fire department. Your route schedule would be posted on the fire department social media page. And as a reminder, please do not call the police desk asking where Santa is. You'll find it on the on social media. And they also have, I believe, an app, right, John? They can follow travel and you'll hear.

Yeah. DPW is a reminder. Leave curves uh leaves at the curb in a leaf bag and the DPW will collect them multiple times a week. Um, also DPW is open Saturdays from 8 to 12 for everything but garbage. Also a reminder, if you have not signed up for our emergency notification system, you can do so. You can go to the town website on the homepage bottom right hand side is rave. You can also click on the rave link if you would like to edit your um account. [laughter] Right. Nothing.

Dave, uh, yes, the environmental commission met on November 5th and they are actively looking for community members who are interested in joining and wanted to share that there are drop offs uh, containers at the DPW for packaging film as well as styrofoam and batteries. The board of education met on November 19th and there was a presentation by their architect and they will be submitting or opening up for bids uh shortly for the renovation to Walter T. Mike, nothing to report. Mike, nothing. Great. Thank you.

Nothing this evening. Just for me, um, just want I don't know if anybody really knows, uh, Linda Bennett is moving out of town. Um, I think she last 19th, the 19th of December, she's sold her house and she's, I believe, moving to South Carolina. I think as as a burrow we should um really appreciate what she did with the Sloan Park um Summerfest that that she organizes and she's a really big part of the toy drive. So a big thank you to Linda Bennett and also her husband um for helping out cuz he he's um Steven's been Santa a few times.

All right. Uh but she's um very instrumental in the public events that uh she started down at Sloan Park and kind of kicked off Sloan becoming what it is. Um I believe they'll be collecting toys this Sunday at Spanzinis. Is it right? Spazini. Spazinis up in Butler and she will be there. So they would like to stop up and say thank you. Um she will be there. Um I think that's 12. That also is 12.

Okay. There's a lot of stuff going on for the toy drive. Um, and there's there's people donating and putting boxes all over through our businesses, which is great. But again, thank you to Linda for what she's done for our community and our communities next door and the food pantries and everything else she's been involved with. Um, and she still says the Quick Park has to make a salary in the area, but she put that on Facebook. So, thank you to her and her. Okay. Resolution number 202511.12 consent agenda. Motion to accept the consent. Second. Any questions?

Mr. Mayor, I'd like to uh make a motion that in resolution number 2025 111.13 paragraph 2 line two. Uh we amend it to say balances may be credited to water and sewer capital surplus receivable and unused debt. Yeah, that's fine. You would have to then if it passes, we would have to adopt the consent agenda as amended. Okay. Or you can do that one separate. Um, we'll do that one separate. All right. So, he made a motion to

Okay. There's no need to add those words because it automatically goes to the water and so but it makes you feel more comfortable. Okay. Um, we have a amended version and a second on that. We'll do a separate roll call for this. for 11 just for resolution 251 just for

yes yes yes yes yes yes okay now resolution You already have a a motion for the consent agenda with the elimination of the excluding B. Okay. Any other questions on the consent agenda? Roll call, please. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

Okay. New business. Discussion of Bloomill animal uh annual status progress report of a burrow's flood plane management plan under community rating system. This is simply a report that we up um um our burrow engineer submits to the New Jersey D for our storm war storm water management. He has to update it yearly. Um so this is we do not have to have a vote on this. You just have to be aware or if you have any questions you can either email Tom or ask questions now if we can if we can. But this is just an annual report that he has to file for a minute. Any questions on that?

It's an living active report. So he said he can amend it. There's some of the comments uh we talked about today. Council Rosiano. Some things have been completed or they're process being completed. They're not 100%. I talked this afternoon about the Starlake Road one. He said paid them yet full. The grass isn't growing yet. So it's not really truly completed. So he said when it's done you can amend it or just wait for the 2025 just take all that stuff.

Yeah. I mean overall a really important document captures all the work we've been doing over the years going back 10 plus years really and every year we make progress on that to mitigate wherever we can flooding risk and and water runoff. And I believe the Straw Lake Road project we just finished is really going to help out the middle of Catherine Street. Um because the size pipe we put in a 6 in pipe to a 32 or 42 in pipe and take all the water from Catherine that should really help out that center where we use it issues. We'll find out if not yet. Item B adopts a resolution number 2025 1119 payment of the bills. Is there a motion to pay the bills? So

move second. Roll call, please. Any questions? Yes. Hudson, yes. Gilbert, yes. Gy, yes. Yes. Yes. Okay. Item C, adoption resolution number 20251 111.20 transfer of appropriations. Do I have a motion? [clears throat] So moved. Second. Questions. Roll call. Preston. Yes. Gilbert. Yes. Yes. Broner, yes. Catalano, yes. Braziano,

yes. Okay. Item item D we removed. Um item B, purchase of a garbage truck, adoption of resolution number 2020 11 20 for the 2026 Kenworth T480 65x4 chassis. Do have a motion. Any questions? Roll call. Um I I do have a question. So the chassis is the one that's completely gone 2008.

The chassis is the first part of the truck and the second part is the real motor which takes the garbage in the back. There's two different items here. One is the truck itself, motor cab, and the second one is the back part that gets mounted to the chassis. One doesn't work without the other. And that that's all to repair the 2008. Yes. As we discussed, yes. Yi, yes. Frankurt, yes. Catalano, no. Graziano, yes.

Hudson, yes. adoption resolution number 202511.22 22 Leech model TR 3 rear loader body. Do I have a motion? So move. Second. Second. Any questions? Roll call. Gazzy. Yes. Rockers. Yes. Catalano. No. Graziano. Yes. Hudson. Yes. Schubert. No.

So, you don't want the back part to go on the garbage rack? I don't want I don't want any truck honestly, but I just I thought that the You can't have one without the other. Those get a chassis. We're not going to buy the real loader to fill it up with garbage. He's just voted yes on the chassis. I thought I thought you said something about two separate trucks like one and then No, both of those you put them together. You put them to make one truck. You put those two items together to make one truck. Okay. Okay. The motion carried. That's fine. Motion over late public comment. So moved.

Second. All in favor? I. Anyone wishing to come up here 17 Avenue again about the garbage truck? I just wanted to make it known that I had the ability to through a conversation speak to a mechanic from Wayne who takes care of the trucks. They've got trucks into the 1980s that they still have going on. What What's with our fleet that we can't keep our trucks that long? I respect you talked to somebody Wayne, but that person has not seen our trucks.

He he also says yes, they got the proverbial, you know, sign in the floor of the floor riding of that famous story. They've got that, too. But they've got trucks the 1980s that they still got going on. Well, we still got to buy new ones. We We got We got new ones. We got new ones. We got new ones. This truck is a 19 uh It's a 2000, right? The one that's gone. The one the one uh 2006

2006 that the one that we we sold, right? That has 157,000 miles on it. And that's just miles. That's not ours on on the the back part that we put I think this this last year actually the truck that we're replacing now we put over $30,000 into that truck to keep it running. Does it make sense to spend good money for a bad piece of equipment and keep doing that to repair it? I don't know what way does. That's up to them. But I know here take $30,000 and put it into a truck that's a 200 six. is 2020 almost 2026. Take $30,000 and put it into it is that's just throwing money out the window. A little bit more.

How much a new one or how much does the new one cost? Three and change. The the new the complete new truck is 315. The body itself is 160. The repairs on that body alone when the blade rotted off was over $60,000. So, does that make sense? And how much your new ones cost? 315. 315. 315. So you put 30,000 this year, 60,000 a year before. That's $90,000 to throw it into a truck. They're just going to keep on breaking down. So when do you stop? When we can do our I'll call our lease payment, which is 52,000 about a year. A year and pay that truck off in 5 years and keep it for 10 or 12 years.

But I mean it moving forward. Well, okay. But moving forward, how is it that Wayne is able to keep those relics of 1980s on and we can't? I didn't talk to the guy Wayne and I don't know what Wayne does, how they operate their system. I would not put our employees into a truck that is being repaired that's a 1980 truck going up every day with guys standing on the back of that truck. That's safety. I would never do that. What Wayne does is their business. What Wayne does is their business. We don't I don't know what their trucks are, but he said that they're able to maintain and keep and they've got trucks all the way in the 80s. And I'm like going, why can't we do that? Like what's what's wrong with our our maintenance people?

I can't speak for Wayne, but I would not do that to our employees. On the back of a garbage truck, you have two guys standing on the side step on a 1980 truck hauling going down a road hauling garbage every single day. That's a complete safety issue. I don't know if the truck is rotted away. I don't know. Our trucks were rotting through. Do you know what the blade is? Yes. On the truck, you know, the back that comes down $60,000 to replace that. Just it just makes no sense. It just doesn't

Well, okay. I moving again, moving forward, does it depend on which which company that you buy your truck from that lasts longer? I mean, again, the guys from Wayne are able to keep their trucks alive. Again, I don't know how they're keeping it, but they're alive and well. So, I I don't know how they're doing it. what brand that they buy versus what brand that we seem to be buying that don't last that long that die easily that die that I don't know what Wayne does. I can't speak for Wayne. I can only speak for us. We currently have three different trucks. The one that died last year was an international. The one that's in the process of dying is a Peter built and we we are switching to KW. Okay.

Yeah. I don't I don't know what what Wayne has. Maybe I should look into that. See what Wayne has. Maybe they have their their their certain brand that they use seems to last. But when he said he maintains them and they're in the 1980s, I just blew my mind. I would love to see a report of how many trucks went and how many hours they spent in each one of the trucks. I'll Yeah, I would love to see I'll look into that. I've got time on my hand. One example of one thing for one town doesn't make it right or wrong. I'll bring it up what this town needs from to service your needs. Trust me, I'll find out for you and I'll come back here.

I'd like to add to that too. The fact that from what you said, the gentleman from Wayne said that yes, they are using signs. I'm saying that to me um is is not um looking after the well-being of their employees. And for me, the health and safety of our employees is paramount. And I would never agree I I 100% agree with John. We would never put our employee in something like that.

That's the proverbial one truck with the with the side. Yes. and he had the proverbial sign at the bottom of the board. I I get it. Everyone's got at least one of those, but it's not all the trucks that have. So, it's one truck from the 80s, but you make it seem like all the trucks are lasting since 1980s. Wayne doesn't do her own Wayne doesn't do her own garbage. We should speculate as to I don't look into it further. I will find him out and I will ask him about what trucks are what, how, but he said they're making trucks in the 80s. I'm just like going on how are they doing in the 80s and we've got to buy on the truck. So, okay. So, I will I'll look into

Good evening, Jennifer Allfield, 17 Cedar Street, Bloomingdale. I just want to remind the council and the mayor that we in the past years have had several men that were on the back of the garbage truck get injured and injured badly. You don't want that. It was horrific when it happened. I was on the council. Don't want to see that happen ever again. Thank you. Thank you.

Anyone else? Hi, good to picture. I guess I have a question. The deer have been kind of getting out of control. And I don't [snorts] know, do we have an ordinance not to feed the deer? I know like when we had the problem with the geese, we finally have the signs not to feed the geese and got the geese police and we know not to feed the bear. But I know there's people in the neighborhood feeding the deer and they're not even like afraid of us anymore that you can't even get them out of your yard. I had five in my yard over the weekend and my wife was taking pictures out the front door. So yeah, I just they're there. I mean it's they're all over the place. Oh, I know they're all over but

I don't know. That's actually that's an interesting question. Oh because I do know there's some people that do apply the the feed and they're feeding them in their backs. It's actually interesting because we've been obviously discussing this deer thing for months now. Uh but that's that's never been brought up. The police had on Facebook to be careful driving and stuff. So with [clears throat] the five bears that are running around there I think it's the same fives. They're all over the place. They look the same. They are. That's all.

Thank you. Appreciate it. Esner and Joey. We do have We do. Sorry, what was your address? So, actually, how is that enforced? Um, first of all, I didn't know we had it. So the animal it's under animal control.

So we will talk to our animal control person and see what we can do to monitor that or enforce it. Maybe that's something as well we can since we don't didn't know it existed. Maybe that's something that we should get out on social. We can work on We we'll work on that and get it on our social media pages and that might help somewhat. It's a starting point. It's a starting point. Yeah. Because I know mentioned that right three days ago police actually posted on their Facebook page that deer related accidents Yep.

has seen a significant increase over the past few weeks. So obviously a deer doing something to control the deer population would um you know wouldn't impact that. You know other people have spoken at the meeting um about seeing visibly seeing sick and injured deer walking around. Um, obviously overpopulation has to do with, you know, an increase in disease, male archment that impacts deer health. Um, you know, driving around the neighborhood. We're going into winter, right? So, there's no there's no food for the deer anymore. And if you drive around the community, you see this browse line that everything's been eaten. There's nothing for the deer to eat. And I know you've talked about um deer coming down avenue from Starling. And so I looked into that because I seem to see the same deer in my yard morning, noon, and night. They don't seem to be going anywhere. Um and there have been um you know, research studies that show that in suburban areas like ours, deer don't actually wander very far. In nature, in, you know, large expanses of wooded areas, their range, their range area is typically a square mile. But in suburban areas like ours, it's half of a square mile or even like onethird of one square mile. So, they're not they're not roaming. They're not roaming. And, you know, as things are getting eaten, um, we used to see a lot of other animals. We used to see wild turkeys. We used to see um rabbits. We used to see chipmunks. We don't see those anymore because the deer have eaten everything, you know, six feet down. So, we're sort of by not doing anything about it, you're sort of

choosing deer over everything else. I don't think we're choosing anything. But I, as I said last week, I would I could never support a hunt that we talked about originally. I could in in in residential areas. I mean, I've I've got people throughout the town that,

you know, questioning or they've seen this on YouTube or whatever and they said, "Get be out of your mind to do that. You never know if a little kid's going to be in the woods. You never know if somebody's You just don't know." And I I could never support that. I support hunting. I support harvesting if you want to call it. All right. and and all that, but to do it in a residential area, I I personally me how everybody else feels is different, but I could never support that. That would be the wrong thing to do for our community. And I think the the majority of our community would be outraged if we let that happen.

Well, so the state of New Jersey, right, they said that for a deer management program to be effective, it has to include people in addition to methods. And there's many other municipalities throughout New Jersey, throughout the country that have done effective deer management control programs with community support. And I know that, you know, you're all public servants, so you know that usually opposition is much more loud than support. And so I think in a way to gauge actual community um you know to assess community um you know how the community feels about it that there should be some sort of a survey perhaps because then you can really accurately gauge how people actually feel because you know we've been speaking with friends and neighbors and you know trying to get people you know when we talk to people they seem to be in support of it and we encourage people to come to these meetings But, you know, usually it's [clears throat] when you're against something that you speak up. When you're pro something, you tend not to. You tend to sit back because you think that other people feel the same way that you do. It's a her mentality. So, um, you know, I think actually gauging and, you know, to that point about um, a hunt, it to really clear up some misconceptions. Again, I'm not a hunter. I'm a lifelong vegetarian. So I've never touched a gun in my life, but there's sort of perceptions around deer hunt and then there's sort of reality and you know looking into it um you know in a municipality like ours of course you couldn't open it up to like Joe Smith hunter off the street right the hunt would be done in the middle of the night if young children are wandering around that's [laughter] that's a completely different issue I

mean that's more of a parentic issue than a hunting issue. But um so the you know I have um you know some things I wanted to to give to share um for reading but there's specifically the concern concern that [clears throat] you've expressed before from your friend who's a hunter is that um from bow hunting for instance someone can shoot an arrow with a deer and not hit it properly but the arrow passes something runs.

So this [snorts] program that the state supports, there's resources available to support it. Is not that it's not opening up hunting anybody come on down and shoot whatever you want. It's not that. No, I understand that. It's a USDA trained um very specific and targeted program with USDA trained sharpshooters to address the issue. What does that word does it say what it cost?

Um quotes that I've seen it can you pay per deer and includes the price of butchering it's like 200 to 400 and food gets donated to food pantries and so you're really just sort of covering the cost of the processing. Um think of it as like a surgical calling operation. It's not mass slaughter where there's control where the money come from from us.

Well that's what we're asking as taxpaying citizens. I mean, there's plenty of other things that we pay for with our taxes in the town that we personally don't ever utilize and we don't have children and it's never easy to come to schools. We don't plan to. So, you know, and and I believe the paperwork that we shared the last time we were here talks about a grant. State the state has grants that can cover this. Um, but you know the sharpshooters to talk about uncomfortable subject a little bit more, but they for example, they have to prove they have to take a test showing that they can shoot three consecutive shots within a 1 in target from a distance of 100 yards. I'm not a hunter, but I think people who are hunters probably realize the skill involved in that. And you know, there's um in this article specifically, it talks about two US USDA employees taking down 71 deer with 71 shots. They're not the deer aren't they're not missing. They're not um you know missing the deer. They're not the deer aren't taking off and running and like bleeding out in other people's yards. Like

were by police. Yes, that was um cited by a police lieutenant who oversaw the calling. What town does it say? That was in Chester, Pennsylvania. And the article also talks about um calling in um Marine Corps base camp loun. Um but you know there's other articles online about I I have your article here you gave me last time. I tried to reach out to a Jodie Powers phone tag. You give me a cell phone. I left a message back. I guess our question is how does that work on when it's a quarter acre lot or 100 by 100 lot? Sure. So um actually so there's

neighbors against it. How do you the deer come on your property and your neighbors around you are all against it. They don't want it to be killed. How does that

how do you play that out? Well, so there was um another article that I don't have here, but it was um written by a a former USDA sharpshooter who was involved and and he honestly said that he he has done deer calling from children's playhouses, tree houses. They make really good vantage points. Um he said he really likes backyard decks um because also the elevated position, but what they do typically is um you know they bait for a few weeks and put cameras on the site and so they get sort of a deer path um that brings the deer in and then you know after about 3 weeks of doing that right you know deer are creatures of habit so they get the routine and then once they get the routine then um you know but that type of a situation and I know right it evolves it's a very small area but it's specifically designed for that small area in larger areas like um

I'm just I'm just pitching the flats where deer come down in Miss Humpkins backyard Federal Hill and you have a neighbor and a neighbor right behind you. You share the same back fence. Sure. You see deer in people's backyard along there. How would they do that? That's the question I have is maintain that

quarter acre. It's exactly that. It's baiting and drawing them into a specific area and they don't need much space. They don't need more. You know, they don't need much because they're very skilled. They're not, you know, they're not taking a shot from a long distance. In fact, it's preferable not to. And um the article that the sharpshooter wrote, um he was he was talking specifically about a calling that he did on Long Island, which is very densely populated. Depends where on Long Island. If you go to the outskirts of Long Island, it's used wineries and it's it's huge. But [clears throat] I'm not sure specifically. He said Long Island. That was Long Island.

Yeah. Yeah. So he said Long Island and and but he did say that, you know, in in areas where there's larger space, they would do it from the back of a pickup truck in areas where it's more closely, you know, population density that it would be from like the backyard deck with permission of of a homeowner. My assumption is that not 100% of the properties are going to be suitable. No. Right. Yeah. There's going to be a step behind the goal is kids. The goal is to do something, right? They don't have to be 100% because they're not taking out 100% of the deer. You bait them into an area that's conducive and again it's not

to circle back about baiting and feeding the animals. We were quickly doing some googling. There is an ordinance currently about feeding animals. It prohibits it within the municipality. It's 517. Yeah. Yeah. Animal control who runs it. So,

and then for baiting, I guess my only question would be I know that obviously they want to bait to drive into small traffic, but I think that baiting for the purposes of hunting is actually illegal within the state of New Jersey for traditional licensing. So, I don't know what process they would take to bait and drive it for this, but it's another I think that that's a specific um point about these being programs supported by the state itself. There's sort of like it seems that there's special consideration for those rules.

For example, they use silencers. That's also not typically allowed. But in a instance like this, there are things that they allow that are not on this is not open to the general public. This is not something that like, hey, it's come shoot whatever you want in Bloomingdale this weekend. Like

So, I mean, I'm happy to give you these. I um I brought actually a copy, for example, the I know we've talked about um Radaran Valley Community College and the deer surveys that they do. I have a copy actually of the deer survey that they prepared for Salad River talking about our good friends up the road. Um so this is you know if we were if the the town were to um you know work with Radon Valley to to conduct a deer survey I this would be the expectation of what you could receive. Um, and again that's the starting point of all this is is a survey to identify Can I have the population and its range

and then this is actually a presentation that Jay Kelly who runs Ron Valley um the center there that does the deer surveys that this is um the article about the USDA sharpshooter to your earlier point about you know cost where is it going to come from again there's a grant program for this specifically in the state. But that would be honest with you, that will be the only way if we are able to get to that point.

And again, these aren't quick solutions. It's not going to happen overnight. It takes time. You have to have a survey done. You have to apply for the grant, etc. All that takes time. But that's kind of part of the point a little bit about why we've been so persistent with this is population growth is in in deer is not linear. Right? So this spring the the the group that we're talking about the the herd that we're talking about somewhere around 20 individuals six fawns this year that you know we've seen I've seen I have pictures of them standing together. So like it isn't the same fawn that I've seen six times. It's six fawns together this year. Those six farms in a year or two will produce another

six eight probably 12 because usually one deer produces two per year wasting disease issues that exist at some point too.

I also think from a budgetary standpoint obviously we want to see grants and funding but to be candid we we just discussed $55,000 a year every year on a garbage truck. We provided raises for staff that I think was welld deserved, right? We had to take care of our own. If we're talking about the number of deer at $200 a deer, right? Even if it was 20 deer, you're talking four grand. So the number based upon the rough math they're giving us, I think is something that we should seek, right? Obviously through a grant, but then discuss like is that worthwhile given the way that we spend up here. I mean, what's the what's the cost? They said around $200 to $300 a year in the process. The

number of deer that we got to get. No, I'm saying if we I'm just saying if we did 2000 by you know someone. No, I'm just saying they talked about a coin that was 71 deer. They're talking about a herd that's 20 plus by his estimation. Even if it's 20 deer, that's five grand at $200. What if it's 100? That's $20,000. I If it's a,000 that's $200,000. I agree. That's That's where you need a rare. That's where you need the rare. Well, there's six of you back here. That's why you need the rare. That's why you need the rare in the study. But I'm going to make the argument that it's probably highly unlikely when we consider Chester, Pennsylvania doing 71 deer that we do more than Chester, Pennsylvania, right? It's going to be lower than that. So, let's

Well, the S River does far lower than that. I mean, they they're talking about like 10, you know, like because it's also one of those things where you start to control it. It's not just and maybe the cost. No need to get ahead of ourselves. I'm just pointing out we're way ahead of ourselves, but $200 a deer. Then you got to pay for the baiting. Then you got to It's not just doing I know budgetarily that's not I'm saying that's not right at all for budgetary reasons, right? Donating the food to a food pantry. Yeah.

I got a problem. What do you do for your Okay. Thank you. But and actually along the cost I mean you talk about the cost. I mean what's the cost? You know, again, all the police having to respond to deer related accidents. What's the cost of That's a flat That's a flat fee. They pay for a cleanup service. I know we can get that from Danny. At one point, he told me I mean, how much do you pay for a deer? Yeah. We use space. They come down, they feed the animals, they come and take space.

We have a contract with they come down, take the deer, and they so we're helping them out. And I know the state has somebody they hire to come on the highways when they come on. We can do that and give them to Space Farms after they call them. We can give them to Space Farms. [laughter] Yeah, we can do that. Sounds good to me. Anyone else?

It's John. Just just for what they don't understand there is no permanent process for them to hire someone to get rid of what their problem you have to be 100t away from any res.

Good evening. Um I was here a couple weeks ago. Payment address. Payment address. Kenneth Backer eight Ladv. Okay. Okay. Grandfather of Michael Pachet as a fireman. I'm assuming what?

Uh he's three jobs and putting himself through college. So yeah, busy. Um, I was here about rent control and you at that time had said to me there is no rent control in New Jersey. Okay. Now, I went home and I did my due diligence. Unfortunately, after my due diligence was done, it was misplaced. But what I did read after we spoke,

this might be where you cuz I started looking myself. Yeah. I believe I believe in the state of New Jersey, you can correct me if I'm wrong, if you don't, that a landlord can only rate your rent by a certain percentage. No, that's what I that's what I read. Yeah. No, it's that's only a suggestion, unfortunately. I thought the state New Jersey had a had a a cap on that. I wish they did or they wouldn't have been able to raise mine. I did not over $1,210.

I I know what you told us last time. Yeah. Yeah. And then I started I started digging into it a little bit because I don't blame you for

Yeah. Okay. New Jersey has if if I may just read this two paragraphs. I printed out the whole thing twice so I could give it to you. And somehow it got misplaced, but I was [clears throat] not misplaced under [snorts] Google. New Jersey has no statewide rent control law, but individual municipalities can enact their own ordinances with about one in five municipalities currently having some form of rent control. So rent control is completely legal and actually in my mind an excellent thing because New Jersey is in such bad shape. People in other parts of the country don't even get I mean we're we're catching up with the likes of Alaska and Hawaii as far as costs. of living. I mean, when you have the ability to make a 4% max uh for a a yearly, you know, something like that, you're helping your senior citizens. you're helping you're you're helping your town and like I said um you know how rent control works in New Jersey. Basically municipal authorities or local [snorts] governments decide whether to implement rent control

and set the specific rules. They have various, you know, but New um Jersey City, East Orange, Highland Park, um you know, it's like I said, I'm so sorry that I didn't bring the paperwork that I that I got. Well, do you have do you have it home that you know where it is? Do a week so we can actually see it. We just give the website to I could I'd be happy to uh find it and I don't know. I didn't look into it because I was on to Yeah, I could I could find it and Yeah,

here's what we're going to do. All right, cuz we went through this the last time you're here and I understand what you're saying and for your rent to go up as much as you're saying is kind of ludicrous. Kind of crazy. Well, that's we're going to instruct our attorney to look into what we [clears throat] can and cannot do. Okay. And then we'll have an answer for you. Um, can you email me so I have your email and then we can communicate back and forth on what we find. Okay. Can I text you? I prefer you email. It's jodumnj.net or have Mike send it to me. Mike has my number.

Okay. Yeah, I'll have Michael do because I don't have have any presence on just have Michael. I believe he has my number. If not, he can get my number and he can text me your email an email. As long as you okay with with him, you know, he'll be fine with that and he can do that in a second. Okay. Thank you for your time. You're welcome. Thank you. Anyone else? You can go first this time. [laughter]

I just want to move on to the rent control things. I looked that up myself. Considering we're going to have old housing coming in, we really should do doing something. I know we have it for the low income and the moderate, but what about forum market value? Yeah, I like I told the gentleman here because I have to go back and see where I found it on Google and that munic can set a percentage of what they do up on a yearly basis. And I thought the state had a percentage that was already set and I thought it was 4%. I obviously can't find it that quick here, but I'm going to look into that and I'll communicate with them and then we're going to instruct Don to to look into it. It might be something worthwhile.

What do we do? What are folks doing? Do they have something where they don't increase the rent tremendously? I'm not sure they don't. Where is that for affordability? Um I I don't know. I you know I just don't know. So I never really rent it. Right. When I rented it was a long time ago. I don't know that I can ask people that actually live there. There's something to especially if this new housing goes up because that's going to be for him for the gentleman that was here. He said his rent went up over $1,000. That's insane. That's ridiculous. That's that's I move for anything but

it's a concern for for the town and for any residents that move in that do start renting and if that's a president that that place is setting that's that's not very good [snorts] [clears throat] at 30 related to this topic just out of curiosity does the town do you know how many housing units like rented or owned just you know accommodations in the town. We have like

you mean like two family homes and we we do have a list of that cuz they're supposed to register with us if they're a rental property. Um we do have that information. I mean, obviously the bigger complexes, we know Waterfall and Treetop, we know what um Forest Drive, Avalon Bay, we know where those rental property are, but there's a lot of two family homes that are in in town. And this specific gentleman here, he lives, I call the Gary Todd Estates, which is right next to the IGA, the townhouse is there. All right, that's where he lives. And there's one gentleman that owns I think four of them. So that that's that guy's rental property because he bought it from the original owner. He used to own the IG. But any that's a long story short, but we do have a a database of rental properties.

Yeah. Just one. Yeah. One like relative to in the town there's I know 10,000 housing units and 15% of them are rentals. Just just wondering what that percentage is. I don't I bet I I don't know a percentage. No. All right. Thank you. Anyone else? See no on a motion to close late vote. Second. All in favor? We do not have an executive session tonight, so motion to adjourn. Second. All in favor. Thank you all for coming out. Appreciate it. Happy Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving. Enjoy the holiday.