Council - Special Meeting

Coming soon to Hackinack.

We will be perfect. I can't do it. I'm not good enough. I'm a baseball player now.

You drop a pass, you run a mile. You miss a blocking assignment, you run a mile. You fumble the football, you will run a mile. Perfection. This summer, champions rise under the stars. Let's go to work. From the slam dunk action of Space Jam to the emotional journey of Inside Out 2, the inspiring story of Remember the Titans and the ultimate underdog story, Rocky. Don't miss Movies Under the Stars at Atlantic Street Park. Join us for sunset yoga.

Have you signed up for our NIXL alerts yet? Nixel keeps you up to date by text and email with instant updates from our office of emergency management so you can get important information when it matters most. Get alerts about severe weather, emergency situations, road closures, severe traffic, criminal activity, and local events. Signing up is quick and easy. Text 0761 to888777. That's 0761 to888777. Don't wait. Sign up for Nixl alerts today and stay connected to what's happening in Hackinack. Stay informed and connected with everything happening in the city of Hackinack by subscribing to the Hackinack weekly newsletter. Each week you'll get the latest updates on city services, events, important announcements, and more delivered right to your inbox. Signing up is quick and easy. Just visit the city website to join. And if you have something to share, the newsletter includes a community bulletin for local announcements and events. Send your submissions to news@ hackansac.org.

for the for the viewing audience. Calling this meeting of the Hackin City Council to order. It is Tuesday, May 12th, 2026. It is 5:00 p.m. U if you can read the notice, please. This meeting meeting is being held in accordance with the open public meeting act NJSA10 col4-6 at SEC notice of which was posted on the municipal website pursuant to public law 2025 chapter 72. Thank you. Roll call please. Mayor Gaines here. Deputy Mayor Tumi here. Councilwoman Clark Collins. Councilman Carol here. Councilman Diaz. We have a quorum. Okay. Please rise for the flag salute. Ready?

Ready. Salute. 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.

Okay. Uh, we have no approval of the minutes for this meeting. We are I'm going to ask for a motion for a resolution to go into executive session to discuss ongoing litigation matters involving attorney client privilege matters involving the purchase, lease or acquisition of real property and/or any pending or anticipated litigation or contractual negotiations. Can I have a motion to go into executive session? I'll second. All in favor? I. Any opposed? Any abstensions? Okay, we'll be back approximately 6:30. Thank you.

Coming soon to Hackinack.

We will be perfect. Can't do it. I'm not good enough. I'm a baseball player now.

You drop a pass, you run a mile. You miss a blocking assignment, you run a mile. You fumble the football, you will run a mile. Perfection. This summer, champions rise under the stars. Let's go to work. From the slam dunk action of Space Jam to the emotional journey of Inside Out 2, the inspiring story of Remember the Titans and the ultimate underdog story, Rocky. Don't miss Movies Under the Stars at Atlantic Street Park. Join us for sunset yoga.

Have you signed up for our NIXL alerts yet? NIXL keeps you up to date by text and email with instant updates from our office of emergency management so you can get important information when it matters most. Get alerts about severe weather, emergency situations, road closures, severe traffic, criminal activity, and local events. Signing up is quick and easy. Text 0761 to88877. That's 0761 to888777. Don't wait. Sign up for Nixl alerts today and stay connected to what's happening in Hackinack. Stay informed and connected with everything happening in the city of Hackinack by subscribing to the Hackinack weekly newsletter. Each week you'll get the latest updates on city services, events, important announcements, and more delivered right to your inbox. Signing up is quick and easy. Just visit the city website to join. And if you have something to share, the newsletter includes a community bulletin for local announcements and events. Send your submissions to news at hackansac.org.

Coming soon to Hackinack. We will be perfect. You can't do it. I'm not good enough. I'm a baseball player now. You drop a pass, you run a mile. You miss a blocking assignment, you run a mile. You fumble a football, you will run a mile. Perfection. This summer, champions rise under the stars. Let's go to work.

From the slam dunk action of Space Jam to the emotional journey of Inside Out 2, the inspiring story of Remember the Titans and the ultimate underdog story, Rocky. Don't miss Movies Under the Stars at Atlantic Street Park. Join us for sunset yoga. Have you signed up for our Nixl alerts yet? Nixel keeps you up to date by text and email with instant updates from our office of emergency management so you can get important information when it matters most. Get alerts about severe weather, emergency situations, road closures, severe traffic, criminal activity, and local events. Signing up is quick and easy. Text 0761 to 88877. That's 07612888777. Don't wait. Sign up for NIXL alerts today and stay connected to what's happening in Hackinack. Stay informed and connected with everything happening in the city of Hackinack by subscribing to the Hackinack weekly newsletter. Each week, you'll get the latest updates on city services, events, important announcements, and more, delivered right to your inbox. Signing up is quick and easy. Just visit the city website to join. And if you have something to share, the newsletter includes a community bulletin for local announcements and events. Send your submissions to news@ hackansac.org.

Coming soon to Hackinack.

We will be perfect. Can't do it. I'm not good enough. I'm a baseball player now. You drop a pass, you run a mile. You miss a blocking assignment, you run a mile. You fumble the football, you will run a mile. Perfection. This summer, champions rise under the stars. Let's go to work.

From the slam dunk action of Space Jam to the emotional journey of Inside Out 2, the inspiring story of Remember the Titans and the ultimate underdog story, Rocky. Don't miss Movies Under the Stars at Atlantic Street Park. Join us for sunset yoga.

Have you signed up for our NIXL alerts yet? NIXL keeps you up to date by text and email with instant updates from our office of emergency management so you can get important information when it matters most. Get alerts about severe weather, emergency situations, road closures, severe traffic, criminal activity, and local events. Signing up is quick and easy. Text 0761 to88877. That's 0761 to888777. Don't wait. Sign up for Nixl alerts today and stay connected to what's happening in Hackinack. Stay informed and connected with everything happening in the city of Hackinack by subscribing to the Hackinack weekly newsletter. Each week you'll get the latest updates on city services, events, important announcements, and more delivered right to your inbox. Signing up is quick and easy. Just visit the city website to join. And if you have something to share, the newsletter includes a community bulletin for local announcements and events. Send your submissions to news at hackansac.org.

Okay. Thank you for your patience. We are out of executive session. There are no proclamations or presentations this evening. We have a uh we're on to reports and presentations from professionals and department heads. We will now open to the public for our public hearing on the 2026 city of Hackinac budget amendment which was posted on the website. Um can I have a motion to open to the public? Second. All in favor? I.

Any opposed? Any abstensions? Anyone from the public wishing to speak on the 2026 city of Hackinack budget amendment? Seeing none, motion to close to the public. Second. All in favor? I. Any opposed? Any abstensions? City manager report if you have one. I actually don't have much to report and I'll hold off on the two follow-ups maybe before our next regular meeting when the people that brought it up are present. Okay. I didn't want to forget you though. Thank you. He gets very sensitive.

Okay. So, opening to um can I get a motion to open to the public on any agenda item only? Second. All in favor? I. Any opposed? Any abstensions? Any member from the public wishing to speak on any item on the agenda? Is there is something on the agenda? Anything on the docket, right? Yeah, something on the docket. Yeah, sure. Please come on down. And when you come on up, if you can just state your name, your municipality, and which item on the agenda you are referring to, and uh you have three minutes. I'll keep time for you, and you're good to go whenever you're ready.

Yeah. Hi, my name is Sam. I'm not a Hackinack resident. I'm me a resident of nearby TAC. Just came to learn about local government and how that proceeds. So, I guess I should have spoken at the public hearing or raised my hand if a minute ago. I'm just curious what the budget amendment is. That's That wasn't my only thing. Fair enough. We'll answer that before we vote. Thank you, Sam. Anyone else from the Oh, sure. Good evening, Reverend Davis. I don't have an agenda in front of me, so I have a question about Oh, go ahead. Go ahead. Oh, that's it. No, no, no. Go ahead. What's your What's your question about? Well, it's about building. Like, is this have anything to do with the buildings that are being built? Is that on the agenda?

Can you do me a favor? Can you just hold on? We're going to do another public comment in about five minutes. Can you save that one for that? Sure. Thank you, Rean Davis. Okay. Um motion to close to the public on agenda items only. I'll second. All in favor? I. Any opposed? Any abstensions? Okay. New business. Ordinances and resolutions. Resolution 135-26. Resolution 135-26 is a resolution authorizing the 2026 municipal budget adoption. Thank you. Actually, I'm going to I'm going to ask Sorry, I said that I would answer your question before we voted on this. I want to make sure. Mayor, I'm sorry. No, please.

You can do a motion and a second and then just hold off the vote and then ask Jim to speak. You got it. Thank you, Mayor. All right. Um, can I have a motion? I'll second. Okay. And before we vote, um I'm going to ask for our CFO to just give a a quick overview as to the nature of the amendment. Yeah. Thank you.

Uh yeah, when we sent the uh the budget down to the state for approval, uh they asked for two corrections to be made. One had to do with debt service uh because the debt service wasn't matching what was in the audit. Um so we had to shift money around. Nothing changed as far as the amount to be raised by taxation. Uh but we did have to increase the uh principal and interest on the wastewater loan and decrease the deferred charges for future taxation. Uh that was a wash. And then there was also uh an issue with inside cap and outside cap. So we had to shift money from outside cap to inside cap and inside cap to outside cap um to satisfy the state again. uh had nothing to do with the amount to be raised by taxation and this was to satisfy the state.

Jim, before you go, I just want to ask one quick followup because I've had some people ask me this as well. I just want to explain um for for Sam and for anyone else who may be watching. So, um can you explain what are some things that the state allows as outside cap just so that um cuz folks are familiar with the fact that we have a cap but just what are some things that the state allows to be outside

caps? Yeah, there are two caps. Um there is a cap on taxes. You can't raise taxes more than 2% with certain exceptions. And then there's a spending cap. you can't raise spending more than three and a half%. And then there's certain exceptions. Now the exceptions for both of them is uh debt service capital uh grants uh deferred charges um those are the standard exceptions and then um there are the year-to-year u exceptions. Health benefits are an issue for every municipality. So for the last few years, they've been making health benefits as an exception uh to both. Um this year they made the uh the costs of the January blizzard an exception to the spending cap. Um what else? Uh let me think I can think of anything else off the top of my head.

I think it's fine. I just wanted to give just sort of an an example of a couple of things, but I think that that satisfies All right. All right. Thank you. Sure. Sam, you good? All right. Great. All right. Um Okay. Uh we had a motion. We had a second. Um roll call, please. Deputy Mayor Tumi. Yes. Councilman Carol. Yes. Councilman Diaz. Yes. Mayor Gates. Yes. Motion passes. Okay. Can I have a motion to open to the public on whatever your heart desires for three minutes? Thank you.

A second. All in favor? I I I. Any opposed? Any abstensions? Okay. Reverend Davis, please. Sam, you can come up now. If Yeah, Sam, if you want to come back up, you're you're welcome to. Good evening again. I just have a question. The um proposed project for Anderson Street and Pake Street, is that still going forward? As far as we know, 123 Anderson Street, the where the where where Walgreens was and Righty, Right. Aid, all of that.

Yes. So, that's a that's a project that just so the record is clear, that's a project that was approved prior to this administration, as I know you know. I know. Um that's a project that is moving forward. They have their site approval and and certainly their pilot and they have raised that area. I think they've they've stopped working and I assume they stopped working. So it's been I was wondering because it's nice out. I haven't seen anything going on. So I was just wondering if they were still going ahead. I I assume they'll be back. Okay. Yeah. Thank you though.

Uh anyone else from the public wishing to speak? Sam, we usually do have a few more people here. I feel like we're disappointing you today on your lesson on civics, but okay. Um, motion to close to the public. Oh, second. All in favor? I. Any opposed? Any abstensions? Okay. Deputy mayor.

Hello everyone. Good evening and um I don't have much to say except um thank you for coming out and if anyone is watching us um uh thank you for uh listening to us and hearing us out and um as far as the budget is concerned um we're still learning, we're still absorbing Um, and we did the best that we could. Um, and we tried dotting all the eyes and crossing all the tees and making sure that, you know, we're we're not the experts. We're not the financial experts on this, but we trust that the people that we um that are here doing that um have explained everything to the to the best of of you know and and we understood it and um but going forward um we hope to do better um and um That's all I can say about that. Thank you. Have a good evening.

Thank you, Deputy Mayor. Councilman Carol. Hello, everyone.

Um, I just want to express the same thoughts that the deputy mayor said. Um, we had a budget that we had to go through. Um, some of us have never went through a budget before, but while we're going through this, we learned a lot. And one of the things that I think that I took was the pilot programs. And although years ago with the old administration um they loved the idea of this pilot program, it is now affecting us right now because now taxes are due and some of these buildings don't have to pay. So that means that the increase in the tax budget, we the regular folk out here, we have to pay for it. So the buildings are paying a minimum but not at full price. So, we had to raise our tax levy and we are going to get an increase in our taxes. We, I believe, don't want this to happen anymore. So we are going to go through every pilot program to make sure all the dots everything was done so that if there's any leeway we going to go after these people for taxes. So, there's

different routes that we're going to take and I hope that us and our uh rest of the council and our inside people can go through this and hopefully try and find something that'll save us money. But anyway, um it is what it is. We'll try and do our best to make it better. and I wish you guys a good night. Council, thank you, Councilman.

Good evening. Tonight marks the final approval of the amended uh 2026 budget. And I think it's important to recognize the amount of time, work, discussion, and difficult decisions that went into getting us here. As a council, our responsibility is to protect the financial future of Hackinac while continuing to provide the services our residents count on every single day. That balance is never easy, but it matters. Like I said last week, we inherited financial challenges that could not be ignored. And instead of pushing them down the road, we choose to address them responsibly and transparently. I'm proud of the direction we're moving in. and I truly believe we're building a stronger and more fiscally responsible future for our city. Thank you. Thank you, Councilman. I want to um just take a moment and reflect on this time last year. We were probably a little jittery this time last year. I'd say today is May 12th and May 13th of last year was the election. And so it's a good time to to think about our time sitting here. And one of the things that we did

immediately was start to look at the fiscal health of the city of Hackinack. One of the first actions that we took was rescending three pilots. I believe it was our first meeting is when we introduced that.

I believe it was our first meeting or maybe our second meeting where we took action in Johnson Park and tried to save folks money. And that doesn't mean that nothing will happen with Johnson Park, but what was happening there was expensive and um unnecessarily expensive. and we said, "Let's look at this and let's try and figure out if there's a better way of doing it." And we've pursued grants, lots of grants. Um, in fact, the Shade Tree Committee told me, and this is in something that is on the website somewhere, something like 85% of the total grant money that was brought in by the Shade Tree Committee since I think 2018 or something like that was after July. like 85% of it. And so I say that with with some level of pride. I say that with some level of um gratitude to our employees and to our our vendors and to folks who work with us because they're the ones that are out there pursuing on um a vision that we're trying to execute for the people of Hackinack. But I also say that to renew an ask that um I made on behalf of all of us when we were sworn in, which was for a couple of things. And one of those things is patience. One of those things is patience. Um, I appreciate that we've been here for about 10 months and folks believe that in 10 months we would have solved all the issues in the city of Hackinack by now. Um, I appreciate that level of confidence that people have in us, but the truth of it is

our predecessors were here for 12 years. The former mayor was here for 16 years. And that's a long time. That's a long time to move a ship in a different direction. It's not going to be overnight. And as the councilman said, this budget is a budget of necessity. It's one because there was some stunt budgeting. Certainly last year. There were some um practices regarding pilots that were overused. It's a tool. Doesn't mean that you can't ever use it, but you you can't be the only tool you ever use. And um as the deputy mayor said, we are looking every day to find where we can continue to improve upon the fiscal health of the city and also the quality of life issues that are important. Um everyone in Hackinack wants the same thing. They want the greatest amount of resources at the lowest cost. And that's we want that as well. And we're going to continue to try and make that happen. So, um, for those of you that are still trying to figure us out, that's where we're coming from. Um, we've got three more years in a bit to to make a good impression on everyone and we will because we're hard workers and we do our homework and we ask questions and we ask questions to our satisfaction. Um, but work with us. We are working for you. And with that, I'm going to ask for a motion to adjurnn.

I'll second. All in favor? I. Any oppose?