Township Council - Regular Meeting

[Music] [Music] [Music] Go ahead, Mayor.

Good evening, everybody. Uh, Madame Clerk, please call the role. Councilwoman Peterson. Council, you're muted. I am here. Can you hear me? Yep. Got you. Thank you. Thank you. Councilwoman Scavage absent. Councilman Zazali here. Deputy Mayor Miseri here. Mayor Mig

here. Can we all rise for the flag salute, please? To the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, liberty and justice for all. Adequate notice of this meeting was duly provided to the Verona Cedar Grove Times in the store ledger by email and published in the annual schedule of meetings on December 12th, 2020 2022. Filed with the town 202, sorry,

filed with the township clerk and posted on the public bulletin board in the municipal building lobby in accordance with the open public meetings act. All right. Good evening everybody. Can I have approval of minutes? Right. Yes. So to consider approval of minutes of the regular public meeting July 14. Yeah. July 14th, 2025. May I have a motion? So moved. Second. Councilwoman Peterson, you will have to offer the second, please. I'm sorry.

You will have to offer the second. Council uh Deputy Mayor Missi was not present at this meeting. Okay, I second that. Yep. Thank you. Roll call, please. Councilwoman Peterson.

Yes. Thank you. Council Mazali, yes. Deputy Mayor Miseri, abstain. Mayor Migga. Yes. 2B to consider approval of minutes of executive session July 14th, 2025. May I have a motion? So move and release without. Yes. Thank you. Second. Thank you. Roll call, please. Oh, council. Oh, excuse me. Council woman Peterson. Yes. Councilman Zazali. Yes. Deputy Mayor Miseri. Abstain. Mayor Migga. Yes. Thank you.

Item number three. The meeting is open to residents of the township wishing to be heard on any item on the agenda. Is there anyone wishing to be heard? No. Seeing no one, that portion of the meeting is closed. Uh 4A, Township Manager, Mr. Zelli, do you have a report?

Good evening, Mayor. I do have a little bit of a lengthy report just given the duration. between our meetings. Uh the townwide garage sale, this is taking place Saturday, September 6th with a rain date of Saturday, September 13th. When I typed this report, over 60 people had signed up for it. Uh a map is being created and will be shared by our recreation department. If you want to sign up for the townwide garage sale, please go on our website or through our social media uh for the link to sign up. Uh we are currently wrapping up the returfing of Panther Park. This is scheduled to be completed within the next week ahead of schedule. Uh this took approximately one whole month to complete. The the township was initially quoted $590,947 for the removal and reinstallation of the brand new synthetic turf field at Panther Park, which is one of our most frequently used uh facilities. Through some negotiations and enrollment in a class action settlement, we were able to get this price reduced by $40,000 and the total cost was now $550,947 which was paid for out of the 2025 capital budget. Uh I expect our residents, athletes, and pickup games to be able to resume uh hopefully by this time next week. But I do ask the residents kindly to stay off the field until we give the green light. As the council and the public is aware, a net was put on the field before the pellets were put down. We had to remove it. So, please, please, please just be patient as we try to wrap up this project. Uh, also, as the council knows, an update, we're trying to wrap up the North End Firehouse. It's uh been a very long process. Uh, one way or another, I'm optimistic that our fire department will be able to move in uh sometime this month. Um, once they are in and settled, there will obviously be a ribbon cutting that the council members and community can attend and uh see our our new firehouse facility. Tomorrow is National Night Out in Verona. Uh for the past few years, Cedar Grove Police Department's been partnering with the Verona Police Department. And this year, Verona is

hosting it at the Verona Town Hall located at 600 Bloomfield Avenue in Verona from 6 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Uh our officers put a lot of time and effort into this as do the Verona police officers. I expect it to be a great event and hopefully our residents uh make it to Verona for that. A personal favorite of yours, Mayor, is Operation Chill. I want to give an update on that as well. Our police department has been patrolling and handing out free slurpee coupons to 7-Eleven uh when they observe our residents and our children exercising bike safety, picking up litter and overall just uh proactive community engagements. Uh I know you're a big fan of bicycle safety and wearing helmets and this is a great endeavor that our our police department has embarked on. And my final update here is just uh a pool membership uh update. As of July 31st of last year, $371,124 was collected for the pool membership. As of July 31st this year, $381,744 was collected. That is $10,620 more than where we were last year. Um, guest fees are $555, I'm sorry, $559 more than we received last year. Obviously, we don't have final numbers yet. We still have another month of concession stand and guest passes and uh other items as well. Um so it looks like it it's a slight increase uh in the membership as of right now.

Excellent. And I have a few other items I will comment on through the agenda. Mayor. Okay. Thank you. Good evening, Madam Clerk. Good evening, mayor, members of council, and those in attendance. I have no report this evening. Thank you. Good evening, U Mr. Attorney. Good evening, Madame Mayor, members of council, and members of the residents. Uh, I have no formal report this evening, just a couple comments on one of the items on the agenda. Okay. Thank you. Good evening, Mr. Zali. Good evening, Mayor. Should I call you, Mr. Councilman?

That's fine, too. Uh, no report this evening, Mayor. Look at this. We're moving right along. Good evening, Mr. Deputy Mayor.

Good evening, Madame Mayor. Nice to see everybody tonight. Um, no formal report, but I just want to make a couple comments. First, on Panther Park, I was down there recently. Um, I know the tracks open, so sometimes we do get some of the people going over. I did notice the night I was there, somebody was on the actual field, but nothing crazy going on. Um, field looks great. Um, the colors for the end zone look really nice for the town. Um, I know we utilize it every day as you as you mentioned in the last few reports and it's something that certainly uh is probably something that Cedar Grove offers even outside of Cedar Grove. People know Panther Park and come to Panther Park and certainly we're proud to have that here. So, great job. great job for having it on schedule and it looks like next week hopefully everybody could use it at full capacity. So great job there. Also for tomorrow's national night out um the municipal alliance is having a table. So we will have a table there as well and uh we hope to see everybody join us in Verona. So that's all I have. Thank you.

Thank you. All right. I just have a few comments as always. Mayor, do counciloman Peterson on Oh, sorry, Councilwoman Peterson. Good evening. Thank you so much. No, I don't have any report. Thank you. Thank you. Sorry about that.

Um, so I would like to say thank you very much to our township manager and Chief Pumphrey for bringing us Operation Chill. It is a um something that's very important to me. The bike safety, the h the helmet safety is very very important to me. Um, and I hope all the parents and the children will do their best to wear their helmets always. I have a 23-year-old biker, mountain biker. He does not leave my driveway without that helmet on. So, I I just it's a personal thing of mine. I'm sorry I can't be at National Night Out. I'll back down the shore. Um, Morgan's Farm is producing many delicious crops. They were not open this past Saturday, but they will be open this coming Saturday from 10 to 1. Um, and they expect to be open every Saturday thereafter as long as they have the uh volunteers and the crops. They will also be having a family dinner night with Lakeside Deli on August 20th. And August 13th, they will have what's called an appraisal day. If you have treasures at home that you would like to have appraised, you can do so right at Morgan's Farm. The details are listed right on their website. Um the cost is $20 for one item, $30 for two items, and it runs from 11 to 4. Um and fall programs have been announced. I'm going to highlight three senior citizens programs. That's another thing near and dear to my heart. Um September 4th there's a memory loss seminar. September 11th through uh through November 13th there's senior exercise. And October 9th there is another trip to Paper Mill Playhouse. My recommendation would be to ear register as early as you can. That sold out in about a day last time that we offered a paper mill playhouse trip. You can call the registration to register at

the recreation office or you could do it online. I also have a meet the mayor on Saturday, August 16th from 12. Is it 12:00 to 1 or 1 to 2? Wherever you want it to be, mayor. Um 12 to 1. 12 to1. Is that what I'm doing? Yeah. Um if you'd like to join me, I'll be at the pool. A little different venue. And that's it. Mayor, that is also that is open to residents who are not members of the pool also. Right. Right. Right. You don't have to be a member to join. Yes. To come there. Yes. Thank you. And that is it for my report. So, moving on, we'll go to the consent agenda. And I'm going to take these all together.

5A through 5E to consider resolution concerning approval of raffle application Somerset Hills Learning Institution. 5B to consider resolution concerning approval of raffle application for Friends of the Cedar Grove Library. 5C to consider resolution authorizing tax exemption due to permanently and totally disabled veteran status as per NJSA 54 semicolon 4-3 blockar my stomach block 123 lot 14 which is 21 Eastwood Place for Christopher Sullivan to uh 5D to consider resolution authorizing T tax exemption due to permanently and total disabled veteran status as per NJSA 54 semicolon 4-3.30 30 block 270 lot 19 that's at 28 Highland Avenue Robert Maldano right

Maldonado Maldonado and 5e to consider resolution appointing Alex Conte as a full member of the zoning board for adjustment and appointing Anthony Dlesandro as an alternate number one member. May I have a motion? I make a motion to approve, mayor. Thank you. I have a second. Thank you. Good. Moving on to new business. Oh, sorry. Roll call. Councilwoman Peterson? Yes. Councilman Zazali? Yes. Deputy Mayor Miseri? Yes. Mayor Mika? Yes.

Thank you. Item 6A to consider resolution authorizing the increase of 2024 professional service contract with Suburban Consulting Engineers for engineering design services for bank stabilization of the PCman River at and around 615 Pmpton Avenue in the amount of $10,000. Mayor, Mr. Kelly

through you, mayor. Briefly, this is just an increase to the uh professional service contract for the work to secure D permitting to stabilize the bank around 615 Pontton Avenue. Um, as the council may recall, about two years ago, we received a notice of violation for putting hard armoring or rip wrap on the opposite side of the bank here. Um, which has since been cured and abated. Uh this is an attempt to get the proper permitting to secure and stabilize the other side of the bank. Um I believe we're probably nearing completion with the D on this. Um this is the final push to get the permits approved to actually allow uh a scope of work to be set forth.

Okay. Is that is that the permit fee? Uh the permit fee was $22,500. That was what we had to pay to the state of New Jersey, which as the council recalls we did object to. And um we called Senator Kra's office requesting some assistance there. U we don't believe that we should have to pay fees to another governmental agency. The state of New Jersey feels differently. Okay. So of the whole professional service amount over a third of the cost was in fees to the D. Thank you. Mayor May I have a question? You may. Is this for a general permit or is this this is an individual permit? Because if um given the length of armoring on the other side, there were two things that could have happened here. Mayor

threw you. Um the first was we could have removed the hard armoring on the other side and then secured the general permit on this side.

But why would we do that? Um the alternative was to go out and secure the individual permit, the IP for this side of the bank. Uh we had a pre-construct or pre-permit meeting, pre-application meeting I should say with the D where they advised um the scope of the permit, the wetlands, the uh riparian zone, all the different requirements. We submitted that application, they came back with comments, we resubmitted, they came back with comments, we just resubmitted again what I believe to be for the last time. That should hopefully get the IP um which is good for five years. Um the general permit is still good for five years. um the one that we we ultimately received to cure the violation that we did receive for the work on the other side of the PC.

Thank you. Anyone else, questions? May I have a motion? So moved. Second. Roll call, please. Councilwoman Peterson, yes. Councilman Zazali, yes. Deputy Mayor Miseri, yes. Mayor Miga,

yes. 6B to consider resolution authorizing the increase of 2024 professional service contract with TRIF and Modu LLC attorneys at law for professional legal services in connection with the demolition and reconstruction of the north end firehouse in the amount of $50,000. Mr. Zakali, would you like to

Yes, please. this um as the council's aware, we did retain special counsel for the North End Firehouse um about a year ago, be a year in September. Um we have achieved substantial savings through having the special counsel appointed. Um included but not limited to uh securing releases of claims uh pending claims or claims that should have been known against the township from uh litigation and also um negotiating uh potentially uh acred liquidated damages uh against the contract value. We are nearing completion of this and I do imagine that um there will probably be another time for our attorneys to intervene as we try to wrap up this this uh project. And uh this is the resolution to increase spending uh with the professional legal counsel, the special counsel hopefully to wrap this project up once and for all.

Okay, any questions? Um, may I have a motion? So, move. Second. Second. Roll call, please. Councilwoman Peterson, Councilman Zazali, yes. Deputy Mayor Miseri, yes. Mayor Mig, yes. Six. 6 C. to consider resolution concerning the insertion of an item of special revenue in the amount of $18,386 from the bodywn camera grant. Mr. Zakali, would you like

through you, Mayor? We received a grant um I believe from the state of New Jersey for um bodywn cameras. As you indicated, it's in the amount of $18,386. This is us actually inserting that amount into the 2025 budget, which is good because if the council recalls, we put a capital line item in the capital budget for bodywn camera stations. If we cannot spend it out of capital, we will cancel that and spend it out of here instead, not to pay the interest on the debt. Excellent. So, this is not a reimbursement.

No, this is a this is a grant that comes in and then once we add it to the budget, we can actually spend out of it. Okay. So, we don't have the equipment yet. We not necessarily through you, mayor. This isn't really even for any equipment. This could be for the docking stations. It could be anything related to body cameras. I know in the capital budget we put in the docking stations, but um anything related to the body warn cameras can be purchased through this this grant. Perfect. Thank you. May I have a motion? So move second. Roll call, please. Councilwoman Peterson, yes. Councilman Zali, yes. Deputy Mayor Miseri, yes. Mayor Miga,

yes. 6D to consider resolution authorizing award of the 2025 traffic striping on roadways contract through the Mars County Cooperative Pricing Council to Dan Oh boy. Sees and Suns Incorporated in the an amount not to exceed $25,000. Mr. Zelli.

Yes, Mayor. This is for the um all the road striping, the stop bars, the yield triangles um as well as the striping of a double yellow and shoulder on Bowen Road and the restriping of the municipal parking lot. Um this is in conjunction with the 2025 road overlay. This will allow through the cooperative pricing council. Um, like I said, the parking lot's going to be completely milled and paved and restriped with parking spaces. Alen Road's going to be getting a double yellow with a shoulder. And all of the other streets that have stop bars, crosswalks, yields, triangles, or any other type of pavement markings will be uh redone.

Thank you. May I have a motion? So move. Second. Second. Roll call, please. Councilwoman Peterson, yes. Councilman Zazali, yes. Deputy Mayor Miseri, yes. Mayor Ma, yes. 6E, to consider resolution authorizing award of 2025 pavement contract through the Mars County Cooperative Pricing Council to Tilcon, New York, Incorporated in amount not to exceed $600,000. Mr.

All right, mayor. This is a resolution as you indicated to Tilcon for their 2025 road overlay. Uh this is the most uh amount of streets that we have paved through an overlay and I'm going to list them now including Laura Drive, Frederick Court, Lawrence Way, Dominic Court, Eileen Drive, Timber Rock Court, Suzanne Court, Jenny Court, um the driveways for the VFW and Eileen Drive water tanks as well as Clover Court, Woodstone Drive to Forest Hills Way and the municipal parking lot. This is the township list that we are using in the overlay. Um we've uh put in the capital improvement fund a significant amount of money this year. That is money that we are paying in cash. We did not take out debt on that. Um we put in a lot more than I anticipating spending which is good. We can always cancel the difference. It goes right back to our fund balance. Uh I do not want the residents to be confused. This is not the second round of PSEG paving that is also taking effect in the fall. There's a separate list of streets um including Cedar, Union, Garrett, um Eastwood, and Summit uh and and others that will be paved as part of PSNG's paving operations in the fall. So, there's a lot more paving. This is just the township's overlay.

Okay. Thank you. May I have a motion? So, move. Second. Second. Roll call, please. Councilwoman Peterson. Councilwoman Peterson. Yes. Okay. Thank you. Council Mrs. Ali. Yes. Deputy Mayor Miseri. Yes. Mayor Miga. Yes.

6F to consider introduction of pending bond ordinance number 25-952. A bond ordinance amending bond ordinance number 25-549 finally adopted by the Cedar Grove Council of Cedar Grove Township Council on May 5th, 2025. Mr. Zawi, do you have

Yes, Mayor. This is a revision to the existing capital bond ordinance that was introduced and adopted this year. Uh there were some typos in the appropriation lines on the original bond ordinance. uh specifically with regard to the repaving of Reservoir Ridge which was erroneously titled Reservoir Place. Um this ordinance also adds the design work from Mountain Way, which as the council is aware, we just applied for a grant uh at the last council meeting for that. Um it also adds the MS4 watershed phase one design work um to that. That is for MS4 storm water permit. It requires um a phase one assessment and understanding of different catch basins and waterheds and uh different water capturing mechanisms that the township has. Uh another item that needs to be changed in there was the line item previously titled tax map upgrades which should have been properly classified as 2025 property reassessments. Um this is just clearing up the language in the bond ordinance. There's no new debt being created. Our debt for this ordinance was sold at our June note sale where we got a pretty favorable rate. Uh this is simply amending the already existing language in that ordinance.

Okay. Thank you. May I have a motion? Mayor, I move for introduction of pending bond ordinance 25-952 to be published in full in the Verona Segrow Times as a pending ordinance with public hearing scheduled for September 8th, 2025. Thank you. I have a second. Second. Roll call, please. Councilwoman Peterson, yes. Councilman Zazali, yes. Deputy Mayor Miseri, yes. Mayor Migga, yes. 6G to consider a resolution to increase the bid threshold. Mr. Zeli,

yes. Pursuant to NJSA 4A 11-3C and 18A 18A-3b, the state treasurer has exercised their authority to adjust the bid threshold when awarding a contract effective July 1st, 2025. for municipalities with a qualified purchasing agent, which we have in Rebecca Roth. Uh this increases the bid threshold from 44,000 to 53,000. It also increases the quote threshold to $7,950. Okay. Thank you. We have a motion. So moved. Second. Roll call, please. Councilwoman Peterson, yes. Council Zali, yes. Deputy Mayor Miseri,

yes. Mayor Mig. Yes. 6H. to consider resolution acknowledging and authorizing 36 Cliffside Drive Urban Renewal Owner LLC to assume the terms and conditions contained in the financial agreement related to development of affordable housing to be located at block 280 lots 247 320 330 551.1 and 552 Mr. Kelly, I'm going to defer to council on this one and I will add any uh additional comments after if needed.

So, as as the council is aware, 36 Cliffside Drive has been under development um for quite some time, number of years. It um anybody who has been up to the site knows that it's stalled out really at foundation work and has not moved forward. after um speaking with the uh current developer multiple times about refinancing um there was a lot of uh promises being made but no real actions. At some point uh last week, I received a correspondence from the attorneys for the lender um saying that they the developer has defaulted on their loan obligation and that they have assumed the deed and flew a foreclosure uh and now have taken title to the property as part of that exercise. So now the developer has been defaulted by the lender. The lender is now asking to assume the obligations and rights under the redevelopment agreement and under the financial agreement. So they are moving the developer out and then moving in place of the developer. It looks like the lender is going to take the property over. Whether or not they are the ultimate developers is still yet to be seen. uh they have shown interest in keeping the property as a um asset and developing it and finishing it or they can continue to find um move move on and and partner with the developer. Uh so this is really the the first step to protect the township. Um where the obligations under the redevelopment agreement and the financial agreement will remain now with the lender who we know is solvent and uh and has the capabilities of actually developing it where the developer that has been uh with the property now for several years um has gotten only as far as foundations. So, this is an unfortunate um thing that that the original

developer could not complete the project as was promised. Um, but it's now time for the township to um shift and move on and I would say cut its losses, but it's it's time to get the project moving again. And this is the really the first step to having that project start up again.

I also want to add, mayor, that uh the the assuming entity uh paid the property taxes in full. uh they brought the outstanding balance uh com to completion and and paid in full. Um they are also aware and I am hopefully receiving um the $1.328 million water connection fee and the $ 1.388 million sewer connection fee um over the next month. That's my goal. um council and I have met with the lender um as he indicated they've seemed willing to um embark on the project and and see it to completion and I'm I'm hoping that they uh they take that step and and do just that.

So ownership uh the transfer wasn't contested. They they have ownership of they have title. What was relayed provided to us was the deed in l of foreclosure. So they have title, they have the deed, correct which has been filed and recorded with the clerk. So that to me is the county clerk,

you know, that's the sign of now the developer has has been moved out and uh you know they they defaulted on their obligations under the loan and now they no longer have the that title to the property. So lender ca came in and asked to do the assumption which is a good sign. I think as Mrs. As the Kelly indicated, the payment of the back taxes shows a willingness to at least show the township that at this point they are serious about being a partner with the township. There are no other obligations besides the connection fees right now. Taxes are current.

Um once the connection fees are paid, that'll do a wonder for our utilities. Um and then I'm I'm hoping that they uh they get moving. There's also escrow money withheld still which is

that's really we have to discuss that that's really between them because um but yeah there's there the performance bonds and the escrow uh that's in place currently. Um but again like I said this is really the first step. I don't think this is going to be the last step. Um they have the ability to come in now and you know really take it over a new and and see it to completion. But again, this is really the first step to acknowledging that the prior dedicated redeveloper is no longer the developer of the property. And we think the development of that property is still going to remain housing. Oh yeah. Yes. Oh, it's that's what that's what the approval is.

Okay. um with the units and the affordable units and the breakdowns. Um they might change they might decide to change certain layouts and way the flow of the site would be, but that's on them and that's for them to go back to the planning board on a full site plan application should they choose to do that. But in terms of the approvals, the approvals are all in place. So what was approved at the planning board is what has to be built currently. Correct. Gotcha. Thank you. All right. Uh, may I have a motion for 6H? So move. Second. Second. Second. Roll call, please. Councilwoman Peterson? Yes. Councilman Zali? Yes. Deputy Mayor Miseri?

Yes. Mayor Mika? Yes. Okay. Moving on to item seven, approval of bills. Madame Clerk. Yes. Thank you, Mayor. Be it resolved by the township of Cedar Grove, County of Essex, New Jersey, that the summary of bills having been duly audited and found to be correct are hereby ordered paid in the aggregated amount of 7,126,936.71. May I have a motion? So move second. Thank you. Roll call, please. Councilwoman Peterson, yes. Councilman Zali, yes. Deputy Mayor Miseri, yes. Mayor Ma.

Yes. Item number eight, meeting open to the residents of the township wishing to be heard on any item on or off the agenda concerning township business. Okay. Uh seeing none, this portion of the meeting is closed. May I have a motion for German? Right. Yeah. So move second. Second. Thank you everyone. You need a roll call. Oh, sorry. Roll call. Councilwoman Peterson? Yes. Councilman Zazali? Yes. Deputy Mayor Fiseri? Yes. Mayor Mika? Yes.

Thank you everyone. Thank you. [Music]