Town Council - Regular Meeting

All right, I'd like to call this uh meeting to order. Uh this meeting is being held uh with the benefit of public notice as required by the open public meetings act. Madame clerk, please call the role. Mr. Caribelli here. Mr. Ty here. Mr. Whan here. Mr. Pero here. At this moment, Miss Phillips is not here. Can we stand for the flag, please? I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Please remain standing for the invocation.

Dear God, we humbly acknowledge our continual need for your presence and guidance in times of rapid change, uncertainty, and deep division. Steady our hearts and anchor us to your truth. Help us place our trust fully in you and seek your wisdom above all else. Grant wisdom, humility, and courage to those who serve in elected office. May they lead with integrity, pursue the common good, protect the vulnerable, and work toward justice and reconciliation. Where there is conflict, inspire cooperation. Where there is fear, so understanding. Where there is pride, cultivate humility. We offer these intentions in your holy name. Amen.

Amen. Okay, Madame Clerk, please proceed with the agenda. Okay. First, for your consideration, we have minutes, the executive session minutes from February 10th of 2026. I'll make a motion. Council President, I'll second. Madam Clerk, Mr. Caribelli, yes. Mr. Ty, yes. Mr. Whan, yes. Mr. Papero, yes. Passes 40. For communications, we have uh I do have a amendment to agenda. the agenda. Yeah. Do you want me to do that now or you wait till I get there? Go ahead.

Okay. Uh there has been an amendment to the agenda uh since it was posted on the website. Uh we have an addition of resolution 126119. Resolution naming Britney Ranis Calderon as acting deputy municipal clerk for the meeting of the Hamilton Township Council on February 25th, 2026. CA17 is 26 to 120 resolution authorizing amendment to the 2026 temporary budget and we have uh two changes for resolution titles. CA626106 is a resolution authorizing an alternative an alter alternate award full disclosure contract with Princeton Hydro LLC for vegetation removal services at S Gardens for the upper and lower ponds and Sunny Bray Park for the Department of Public Works Division of Parks not to exceed $57,150. Ordinance 3 26011 is ordinance amending and supplementing the code of the township of Hamilton, New Jersey. Code 24 criminal history background checks 24-1 definitions and 24-2 request for criminal history background checks costs. Can I please have a motion to amend the agenda?

So moved. A second. Mr. Carbelli? Yes. Mr. Tai, yes. Mr. Wven, yes. Mr. Paparro, yes. Okay. Passes 40. Okay. Okay. Now on to communications. We have acknowledgement receipt of documentation on file to amend the ABC license 1103-44-014. Ahalok Incorporated trading as South Broad Street Liquors located at 2695 South Broad Street, unit number three, Hamilton, New Jersey 08610.

Motion to accept communication C1. I'll second that. Mr. Caribelli, yes. Mr. Ty, yes. Mr. Whan, yes. Mr. Paparro, yes. Passes 40. Okay. Resolution, 126119. Resolution naming Britney Ratis Calderon as acting deputy municipal clerk for the meeting of the township Hamilton Township Council on February 25th, 2026. I'll move it. I'll second that. Mr. Caribelli. Yes. Mr. Ty, yes. Mr. Whan, yes. Mr. Papero, yes. Do we need to open that up for public comment?

Yes. It's a single resolution. You're right. Any comments for or questions from council? No. Questions or comments from the public? I know we took the vote already. I thought you were already the deputy. So, uh, you do your job very well. Thank you. Um, you can continue. Okay. So resolution number 22 26100 resolution of certification to the local finance board of the state of New Jersey of the re review of the township council of the calendar year 2024 annual single audit. You want to open it up? Yes. Any questions or comments from uh council? No council president.

Questions or comments from the public? J motion. I'll move resolution 26-10. I'll second that. Mr. Caribelli. Yes. Mr. Ty. Yes. Mr. Whan. Yes. Mr. Pero. Yes.

Passes 4. On to consent agenda. For your consideration, we have CA1 through CA17. All right, just a brief rundown. Uh we start off with a couple grants. Um 16,000 and 7,000. Um another grant uh 35,000. We have some curb sidewalk improvements uh throughout the town. We have two uh three items purchased uh through capital with um two mowers and attachments for public works and uh 2026 Ford uh F550 um uh both replace uh all three are replacement items. Couple professional service agreements. Uh some road improvements on CA14. We have a decrease uh which is always nice. some refunds uh of over tax overp payments and the resolution authorizing the amendment to the uh temporary budget. Any questions, comments about anything on the consent agenda items for council?

Council president didn't have any questions. I have no questions. Obviously, CA17 is is just adding for for recent storms that we've had as as far as budget for um snow removal. Not not much we can do for that one. Yeah. Road improvements and and grant money. It's a good agenda. Janice, you have any questions? Yeah. Come on up. We're holding your four minutes.

It's a quickie. Uh CA4 uh Robert Frost Drive, that's where Alexander School is. Are they just fixing the drive or are they making the circle bigger or what are they doing? It's improvements on uh several streets. Scobby Court, Robert Frost Drive, Farm Drive. So, it's going to be um 464,000. That's a big ticket item. It's going to be uh road road improvements to uh those three streets. Okay. It'll be interesting to see what they do. I'm sorry. It'll be interesting to see what they do, you know. Yeah. Should it just be a repavement? You just be repavement. Okay. Cuz Robert Frost isn't that long, you know, but if it has the school on it.

Yeah. So, here is always nice to get those areas done around the schools to keep everybody safe. Right. You got it. That's it. That's it. You sure? All right. Do we have a motion? I'll make a motion on uh the consent agenda item CA1 through CA17. I'll second it. Mr. Caribelli. Yes. Mr. Ty. Yes. Mr. Whan. Yes. Mr. Pero. Yes.

Passes 4 Z. Next we are on to ordinances. Second reading and public hearing. Ordinance number 126-00005. An ordinance of the township of Hamilton in the county of Mercer, New Jersey, providing for the capital improvements to the roof of the police municipal court building fully funded by capital improvement fund for the total amount of 200,000.

Any questions? I know we had uh already um approved in the past uh the roof. This is uh some additional improvements uh that are needed uh for that uh building as well. Questions or comments from council? No questions. John, is she good? Madam Clerk, do I have a motion? Council President, I'll make a motion to close the public comment portion and move on second reading um and approval of uh ordinance number 126-005. I need a second. Sorry, Mr. Caribelli. Yes. Mr. Ty, yes. Mr. Whan,

yes. Mr. Repro, yes. Passes 40. Ordinance number two, 26-006. Ordinance authorizing a revised long-term lease from the township of Hamilton to the Hamilton YMCA for a portion of block 27 30 lot 14.01 as recreational facilities. Any questions or comments uh from council? I know we have one recusal. Um any other questions or comments? No, I'm I'm glad to see us renewing the lease for the YMCA and the service that they provide to the community. Agreed. Grease B.

Any questions or comments from the public? And this is strictly for the soulmill property, correct? That is correct. Okay. You guys Okay. Um I'll take a motion. Seeing no members of the public wishing to comment, I move that we close the public comment portion and move ordinance 226-006 on second reading. I'll second that. Mr. Caribelli? Yes. Mr. Tai, yes. Mr. Whan, uh, I'll be abstaining from that vote. Okay. And Mr. Paparo, yes.

It passes 30. Ordinance number 326-007. Ordinance accepting a deed of rightaway dedication Meadow Brook Reality LLC 1201 State Highway 33 block 1945 lot one. Any questions or comments from council? Any questions or comments from the public? Come on up.

Okay. Uh Janice Slonic Kuno Heights. Um where is state highway 33? I mean there is what do you mean by right of way? This is the this is the go council president. This is the former val or the going to be used sign. It's going to be yeah at at 1201 state highway 33. Um the valvalene location. Is it open yet? on a shop right by shop right by where right where by the shop right yeah it is yes in front of the shop right and this you know where the Panera sits right across the street from the Paneras oh okay gas station the old Stevens furniture

which sat empty for many years oh all right okay gotcha thank you any other questions or comments from council I I guess this just was Um, this was um I'm sorry I should have looked this up before, but this was just a Was it a just a deed of like it was owned by the township back there? No, the property itself. I'm just curious. So we are accepting the right we are accepting it

from the from the owner and so I guess there was a um transfer of ownership at some point between the current owner and the previous owner and so this is for whatever reason cleaning up cleaning up that okay part of the terms of the approval Seeing um no further comment from the public, I want to close the public uh portion and move on ordinance number 326 0007 on second reading. I'll sign them up. Mr. Caribelli, yes. Mr. Ty, yes. Mr. Whan, yes. Mr. Pero,

yes. Passes 40. Ordinance number 426-008. an ordinance to vacate, release, and extinguish any and all existing or proposed public rights which have been conveyed to the township for portions of Williamson Avenue in the township of Hamilton County of Mercer and state of New Jersey. Can you just explain why uh why we're doing this? Probably alleviate any questions. So, this was is a paper street. We have so where this is located is if you go out uh the the township building and take a left

and there is the um well there's the restaurant that used to be a pizza shop and then so this paper street between where that restaurant with the pizza shop was and I don't know it's turning to now and the car dealership the new car dealership so right next to that the blue building um and so we have no use for it and uh the they could it'll make their lives easier kill bomb on way in. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. All right. Thank you. Figured that would clear up any questions anybody had. Yeah. There's several I noticed there are several property owners um mostly commercial which makes sense in that location.

They're going to maintain it and makes more sense. Any questions from the public? I'll take a motion. Council President, seeing no further questions from the public, I look to close the public comment portion and move on ordinance for 26-008. I'll second it. Thank you, Mr. Caribelli. Yes. Mr. Ty, yes. Mr. Whan, yes. Mr. Pero, yes.

Passes for Z. First reading and introduction. Ordinance number 126-00009, an ordinance amending and supplementing the code of the township of Hamilton, New Jersey. Part three, land use leg legislation. Chapter 550, land development, article 5, expectations, modifications, and development alternatives. Chapter 550, section 167, affordable housing development fees by repealing the previous chapter 55167 and replacing it in its entirety. I'll move ordinance 126-009 on first reading. I'll second it. Mr. Caribelli, yes. Mr. Ty, yes. Mr. Whan,

yes. Mr. Pero, yes. Passes 40. Ordinance number two-010. Ordinance amending and supplementing the code of the township of Hamilton, New Jersey. Part three, land use legislation. Chapter 550, land development, article 5, expectations, modifications and development alternatives. Chapter 550, section 168, affordable housing by repealing the previous section, chapter 550, section 168, and replacing it in its entirety. Madam clerk, I just want to correct the record. It's not expectations, it's exceptions for both ordinance one, ordinance two. For the record, I'm sorry. It's okay.

That being said, I'd like to move uh ordinance number two on first uh 26 dice 010 on first reading and introduction. I'll second that. Mr. Caribelli, yes. Mr. Ty, yes. Mr. Whan, yes. Mr. Paparo,

yes. passes 40. Ordinance number 326-011, Ordinance amending and supplementing the code of the Township of Hamilton, New Jersey. Chapter 24, criminal history background checks. Chapter 24, section 1, definitions, and chapter 24, section 2, request for criminal history records background check cost. I'll move ordinance 326-001 on first reading. I'll second it. Mr. Caribelli, yes. Mr. Ty, yes. Mr. Whan, yes. Mr. Papero, yes.

Passes for zero. Okay. On to resolutions. We have resolution 1 26117, resolution referring proposed amendments to the code of the township of Hamilton, New Jersey, part three, land use legislation. Chapter 550, land development, article 5, exceptions, modifications and development alternatives. Chapter 550, section 167 affordable housing development fees by repealing the previous chapter 550, section 167 and replacing it in its entirety to the Hamilton Township Planning Board for review pursuant to NJSA 40 semicolon 55D 26.

Any questions or comments from council? I do not. Questions from the public? Madame Clerk, uh, take a motion, please. I'll make a motion to, uh, move on resolution 226-11817. 1117, I'm sorry. Resolution 126-117. Thank you. I'll second that. Mr. Caribelli? Yes. Mr. Ty, yes. Mr. Whan, yes. Mr. Pero, yes.

Passes 40. Resolution two, resolution referring proposed amendments to the code of the township of Hamilton, New Jersey. Part three, land use legislation. Chapter 550, land development. Article 5, exceptions, modifications, and development alternatives. Chapter 5501 168 affordable housing by repealing the previous chapter 550 section 168 and replacing it in its entirety to the Hamilton Township Planning Board for review pursuant to NJSA 47 KOI 55D-26. I'll move resolution or excuse me. Yeah. Any any any comments?

So it'll be it's my understanding that um if this is past planning this should be on our next meeting agenda. Correct. Yeah. For the time, this is according to, you may have remembered LA last year when our planners came in to talk to us about the new affordable housing law. Um, we are required by law to have new ordinances in place on before March 15th. So, luckily this meeting and our next meeting, we are on time and doing our thing. Any questions from the public? I'll take a motion.

In that case, Mr. President, see no members of the public wishing to comment, I move uh to close the public comment portion and move resolution to uh 26-118. I'll second it. Thank you, Mr. Caribelli. Yes. Mr. Ty, yes. Mr. Whan, yes. Mr. Pero, yes. Passes 4. All right, Jonas, we're going to play Let's Make a Deal. There's usually at least three people that come to the meeting, so you could have 12 minutes and then we'll call you back for an additional six.

Oh god. Thought I had that much to talk about today. Uh John Slanic Corn. We don't have to give our address anymore. They said something. Okay. Um, was this put out that the meeting was canceled for today? I mean, was it on the website or whatever? It was then on social media. Oh, okay. So then our other two regulars come Howard didn't get it or whatever. They may have had other commitments for tonight. Oh, okay. That could be true. Uh, all right. Uh, you you could beat Jeff Martin's record for the shortest meeting, too. We know that. I think it was 10 after seven. I think I think Rick That's how you I think Rick had a quick one last year. So, okay. Um,

drag it on another 12 minutes and Jeff will keep his record. I don't I didn't have that much. Um, I'm glad to see Good Old Rubber is finally going to be fixed in a couple weeks. They're going to start doing something. So, I assume they're all going to be hauling it out the back, not the front. That fence is going to stay there. And heaven only knows what they could possibly build there with that road right there. So, but at least it'll be cleaned up and look a heck of a lot better than it is now. Anything's better than that. Long overdue, right? It's what, three years going in March. That's unbelievable. Yeah. I mean, that, you know, it beh we we've been fighting with them for a while.

That'll be one one thing off your plate. So they have so they have started though to

uh no it's a the the well obviously with the snow it's kind of difficult. Uh the hope was to start March 1st. Um we still the litigation is still ongoing to keep control over the uh situation but the first part of the cleanup has already been completed which was the removal of the hazardous material um which was the hand sanitizer that was on the premises. That's been removed completely and correctly. The cleanup will start March one hopefully with the snow melting. Um it's projected to be about eight weeks long and it's going to take that long because of so much stuff and they have to truck everything out and bring it to the correct um location a dump that that's approved for this kind of material. Um and it's it's a wet cleanup which means because they're they're treating it all as asbestous. not been tested, but it's just presumed that it's all asbesus. So, it's a wet cleanup, which means they water, they wet it down and and and test and continue to make sure every the air air quality and so forth is correct. Um, so we'll see. Knock on wood, it goes smoothly, but uh the litigation is still ongoing if if if it uh doesn't work out because I don't trust anybody.

Oh, okay. I mean, eight weeks. I mean, there's there's a lot of stuff. I would think that would definitely be 8 weeks. But why why are they fighting? What are they fighting? Um, some people aren't happy unless they're fighting. I mean, you got to clean it up. You just can't leave it like that. Cleaned up. Yeah. I have lots of thoughts, but I'm not going to say them publicly. Okay. All right. Sounds good. We're glad you made it out of your house from the storm and you were able to join us tonight. Oh, you're quite welcome, dear. You wouldn't have been a meeting without you. Oh, make me feel good. We should give you a seat up here.

And one other question. What are they building on Cruiser Road across from almost across from Foley shopping center? Is that facil storage facility? yard storage facilities like like a almost you know the municipal building them storage boxes something similar to that but they're they're stacked. Oh, okay. Cuz they're really going to town on that. You can rent a unit. It's like a garage. Oh, okay. Garage size. All righty. Different sized units you can rent.

Sounds like a plan. Whatever floats your boat. I don't know. Some of them some of them unit some of them are climate controlled. So depending on what you're putting in there, you have different various units that you can purchase for whatever your or rent. I don't mean purchase, but whatever your needs are. Like keep a body cold or something like that. Well, LET'S HOPE NOT. JESUS, just listen to Okay. All right. Thank you. Cry. True. Cry. Any any uh comments from council? You mean council comments? Okay.

No. Uh real quick, first off, um Janice, thanks for attending tonight.

Going out of your way. Uh it's been a tough uh couple days, naturally with the storm. And uh you know publicly I'd just like to say that you know hats off to our public works department. The men and women are are some of the subcontractors that were in involved in the snow removal. match. We've had backto back major storms and I'm sure a lot of us you know see get phone calls and you know about my streets but I know I traveled not all the streets cuz there's you know a lot of streets in Hamilton Township but I try to hit different ones you know after the first day you know they had a path down the roads and since then I today I was out and about and I was checking out some of them same roads and you could see that they're doing cleanup right they're opening up the the the walkways for the kids for handicap ramps and school walks. Uh so, you know, I see our employees out there every day working hard and you know, I think it's a a testament to them. I'm sure after the last major storm we had, they sat down and said, "Hey, how do we come up with a better plan to make, you know, make it smoother and I think they did a tremendous job." Personally, some people might disagree, but my personal opinion, I I think all in all, they did a tremendous job. And I think we should be um all proud of the the the work our the men and women of uh from the public works and and those other employees that from different departments have probably assisted. So it was a team effort and congratulations to everybody and let's hope we don't see any more snow.

That's all I have. Council President,

I'll just echo those comments of uh Councilman Whan. thought it was uh was a tremendous job by um our public works team. It's uh it's not it wasn't it was a very difficult storm. Um it was one of you know one of the most historic storms that we had here in the county. So um so they did a tremendous job and um you know I I and you know what it one of the things that I have to say is like you know even though we get hit with impacted by a storm we also it's nice to see neighbors helping neighbors and and I saw that when even my um in my community. So um and that's that's what Hamilton's about. So, um I also just wanted to mention um I also since we had them in our last council meeting um the marriage between CHOP and Hamilton Township. I love the fact that they are allowing us to utilize the space um you know the mayor put something out I know in the administration that they're going to allow us to utilize the space uh before the property is actually demolished for our emergency um first responders. You know, that's that's important there. uh you know, they're already showing that they want to be a good community partner. So, I like seeing that um along with everything else that they bring. Um so, thank you. Thank you, Janice, for coming out tonight and uh we'll see you at our next meeting.

Yeah, my my colleagues said it well. Uh glad for the hard work from our public works department. Grateful for the work that they did. Um glad to be with you and we'll see you in two weeks. just going to express my uh thanks to uh Department of Public Works and to all of you. Um you know, we we do what we do with uh dignity and integrity and um I appreciate uh all your friendship and and everything that we do. I know it's a lot putting this agenda together and uh I just want to say thank you. Have a good night and uh sir, have a good night.

Yeah. We have fun.