Borough Council - Regular Meeting

Yes. But I don't mind.

Absolutely.

Let the record reflect, we've reconvened with all members present. Council President John Forte is absent excused. For those who are able, please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. I ask you to remain standing after the pledge.

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.

Tonight we remember One of the great residents of Madison passed away on June 1st, Rose Agnes Holm Zipper. She was born on July 23rd, 1920, in a private home now in the area known as Green Village, which would be the corner of Britain and Green Village, to be exact, which is part of Chatham Township. Her passing came two months short of her 106th birthday. She lived in Madison for 100 years. Her father, Carl Holm, was part of the horticulture industry, which gave Madison the name of Rose City. I'm guessing that might be where her name came from also. Carl E. Holm Nurseries on Greenwood Avenue was her home, with two large steam-heated greenhouses in the back, acreage planted with trees and shrubs for sale, chickens, and farm horse named Pete that Rose and her three sisters could ride. memories of a far different time in madison that's for sure rose had identical twin lillian who passed away at the age of 37 and her husband also her husband eugene her older sisters catherine margaret and her daughter jane her grandson christopher also a pre-deceased rose rose and lillian attended st vincent martin grammar school in madison high school graduating the class of 1939. Many classmates noted they could never tell the two apart and would just call them twin and sometimes double trouble. They rode the train to New York for a few years, working as secretaries. And Rose enjoyed telling the story of how she and Lil shared a single driver's license, knowing no one would be able to tell who was actually driving. Nice to tell that in front of the police right here. Rose married Eugene Edward Zipper at St. Vincent on June 8, 1947, so today would have been their 79th anniversary. Eugene was a World War II veteran. He passed away in 2019 at the age of 99. Together they raised five children in Madison, Carl, Jane, Barbara, Richard, who's here tonight, and John. Rose's father, Carl, lived with the family on Greenwood Avenue until the age of 97. Some great health in that family. Rose was a member of the St. Vincent Martyr Parish all her life. She was an active member of the Rosary Society. She was a 59-year member of the Thursday Morning Club. And her son, Richard, just told me how they really showed up at her viewing yesterday. And she also served multiple leadership roles with the Thursday Morning Club. She and Eugene were charter members of Noe Pond Club, where she played tennis and paddle ball leagues and where the family swam in the summer. I'm pretty sure she and my mother also played tennis against each other. They also delivered meals. She and Jean delivered meals on wheels. And as a member of the Rose City Steppers Walking Club, she earned a commemorative Y2K award for walking every street in Madison. Might be the only person to do that who was not campaigning. She was a leader for her daughter Jean's Girl Scout troop. She was also a member of the Madison Ambulance Corps for a time. She was an accomplished seamstress and knitter. She taught sewing classes for Madison children at the community house. She sewed hundreds of baptismal bibs for St. Vincent parishioners. She was awarded several first place ribbons by the New Jersey State Federation of Women's Clubs for knitting project entries. And growing up during the Depression taught her that making clothing and items for the home was better than buying. All her children and grandchildren were blessed with her handmade sweaters and quilts. Rose lived by the motto, if you don't have something nice to say, don't say it at all. I'll have to work on that. She taught her children to respect all children and all people and all their differences without ever having to say it. During her long, busy life in Madison, she joined or volunteered for just about every club, organization, committee, league, or group in town. And Rose and Eugene rarely missed coming every other Monday in this very room sitting at council meetings and Rose was just there at Eugene's side as he came up would always speak saying Eugene Zipper I've lived on Greenwood Avenue for a few years and Rose was sitting there to support him at every council meeting he attended and always had some good suggestions and her children believe her Her picture appeared in Madison Eagle more than any other resident, past, present, or future. That's probably true. We'll put bread on that one. Rose will be deeply missed by her children, her nine grandchildren, her nine great-grandchildren, and certainly Madison has lost a matriarch. So let us now remember Rose Zipper and let us pass our thoughts on to her family and friends that she leaves behind.

Thank you.

We have a motion for the executive minutes of April 29th, 2026. I'll move it.

Second.

All in favor?

Aye. Aye.

And a motion for the regular minutes of April 29th, 2026. move them second any corrections or changes or comments all in favor aye all right a few uh things before we do some very special business so thank you for all those that have come out on this beautiful evening and it was nice to have some warm weather weekend weather for the madison community pool finally yeah three weekends since this summer On Wednesday, I attended the 25th anniversary for Hollenbach Family Chiropractic. And as I mentioned, the celebration, this was not only a recognition, for 25 years of business in Madison, but for 25 years of Dr. Jim Hollenbach's commitment to Madison. He's been a member of the Taste of Madison Committee, I think since its inception. He chaired the Mayor's Wellness Committee and has been a multi-term member of the DDC, and that's just a few examples of his overall volunteer work in Madison. So we congratulate him on 25 years in business in Madison and also thank him for all he has done. And then this past Saturday, we recognized Trail Days by walking the new and, in fact, not quite completed trails in Memorial Park, the event organized by Councilwoman Melissa Honahan. And it celebrated our partnership with the county commissioners and their trails program funded through the County Open Space. And this, of course, supplemented by our Open Space Recreation Historic Preservation Fund. We were joined by County Commissioner Director Stephen Shaw, who joins us every year for we do Trail Days for a walk. And while our group was not that large, what was really great was we ran into quite a few hikers and dog walkers as we went through Memorial Park, and they were all raving about the new trails. And once completed, they will not only allow for a great walk in the woods, but provide connectivity to the Madison Plaza. So you can go to the plaza, to Ball Field, to Del Barton, to the pool, and so on. And I'm sure we'll probably hear some more about this from Melissa. And then also on Saturday after that, I crossed the border to visit the Fishawak Festival in Chatham. So it was nice to walk the street fair with Council Borough Mayor Dempsey, along with council and committee members from both Chathams. And then we were joined by our newest Congresswoman Mejia. And just a update. And I know Those that are here for other occasions, we're not expecting to hear about rats, but it's been a high on a list for one of our neighborhoods. I just want to bring an update. So as you know, we had residents from the Greenwood, Britain, Alexander neighborhood sharing concerns about rats coming from commercial property. I visited the neighbors last Thursday and noticed some issues, which I shared with the property owner and the health department. I also have a summary of additional actions the health department have taken since the last council meeting because no matter where this happens in Madison, we will take it seriously and follow through. They visited the immediate neighbors and inspected neighborhoods. They inspected the dumpster area. They completed another walkthrough inspection of properties on Alexander Avenue and no evidence of rodents were found there. They spoke with the commercial property owner about having pest control vendor being more proactive. Additional proactive actions have taken since this conversation which includes pest control services have been increased and pest controls being provided additional measures to eradicate the rodents. They've had increased visits to the dumpster have taken place. A notice of violation has been sent to the property owner and today there was a communication with Walgreens about the importance of keeping their dumpster closed and sanitary. This is on the same lot but a different location than the one that's been in consideration the inspection of the Walgreens dumpster did not reveal any evidence of rodents and since the last council meeting there have been eight visits to the dumpster site to check on activity and that's just that is in the two-week period and two additional visits occurred today as follow-ups to the reports and sightings that I shared after my visit and we don't I don't see any neighbors here right now but they may be checking at home but for anyone I fully understand that what I've just reported is helpful to know, but the neighborhood just wants to see the rats gone and gone for good. And all the action taken by the health department, have that in mind, and they will continue inspections and enforcement until this is achieved. And I also understand the desire to have the dumpster moved to another location. And we have ongoing discussions with the property owners, but the bottom line is the conditions that attract rats cannot be allowed anywhere, so that The location of the dumpster is secondary to the eradication of the problem. And so we will enforce dumpster maintenance and erodent elimination until it is clear. I know I talk too long here. Sorry about that. Okay. All right. Shifting gears very quickly here. I have an announcement for the employee of the month. And the employee of the month, very appropriately for today, is Liz Osborne. And it's appropriate that we announce it today because 17 days, this very day, Liz Osborne started working for the Borough of Madison. She started full speed as her very first day was a council day. So she was sitting right up here at the end of her work day. Next to them, Mayor Holden. So congratulations. But that is not why you're the employee of the month. The reason you're the employee of the month, because in addition to your regular workload, Liz has been covering registrar duties during employees' long-term medical leave. And she's also coordinated three elections already this year, with another one coming up in November. And while for everyone in the room, election is just a quick trip to the polls, each election for Liz includes several days of early voting, and then on election day, she gets here at 5 a.m. and often doesn't finish until about 10 p.m. So, congratulations. All right, come down below here. Two things, Kenesha. This is a proclamation for Friday, June 19th as Juneteenth. And if you've been walking through downtown, you see our hidden figure signs are back up, banners are up, and just a reminder of the great impact in Madison. And I think Juneteenth this year is taking extra special meaning because there's national parks and places of history where history is now being hidden. And we have to remind everyone that the United States' freedom did not start 250 years ago for everyone. It was much later. So it's an honor to present this proclamation. Whereas on June 19, 1865, two and a half years after President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, Union soldiers led by Major General Gordon Granger arrived at Galveston, Texas with news that the Civil War was over and enslaved people were now free. And whereas, with its origin in Texas in 1866, Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of ending slavery in the United States. Since then, Juneteenth has been celebrating communities across the United States, providing opportunity to mark the emancipation of enslaved people. And whereas Juneteenth symbolizes for many African Americans what the Fourth of July does for all Americans, liberty, freedom, and justice for all. Whereas Juneteenth is a day for us to reflect on suffering caused by slavery and commit to being allies of our African American friends, family, and neighbors. And whereas Juneteenth commemorates the strength and resolve of African Americans throughout our history and serves as an opportunity to celebrate the rich and numerous contributions of African Americans. And whereas Juneteenth is opportunity for Madison residents of all races, nationalities, and religions to acknowledge the painful history and lasting systemic impact of slavery and racial injustice in the United States. Now, therefore, I, Robert H. Conley, the mayor of Borough of Madison, on behalf of the governing body, here I recognize Friday, June 19th, 2026, and call on all residents to join observance, education, celebration of this historic day.

Thank you Mayor Conley and the Borough Council for your consistent commitment in ensuring that Madison remains a community where all members are represented, safe, and protected. Thank you for acknowledging the pivotal moment in American history that serves as a unique reminder of our duty to ensure that all people are rewarded the freedoms and liberties secured in our Constitution and the Bill of Rights. We once again stand at a threshold where it's vital that the pursuit continues. So thank you. And I'll do a shameless plug. As Mayor mentioned, the banners are up. So throughout the month of June and July, I will be leading walking tours. So if you want to visit our website and just select a day that works for you, please sign up. And thank you again for your commitment because we also have plaque ceremony that's coming up with the work with the cultural religious studies and conflict we earn a marker for Madison as a part of the New Jersey State Black Heritage Trail so you can hold that date on October 8th there'll be a plaque ceremony that will also commemorate another historical moment in Madison thank you

All right. Michael Ramos, please come up. And family. And the chief, yes. That's family. We're a big family here. Just a little bit of background on our newest officer. Michael Ramos was born and raised in Union County and has lived in Kenilworth his entire life. Kenilworth is the Madison of Union County, in case you're wondering. He graduated from David Burley High School in 2018, where he was a three-sport varsity athlete in football, baseball, and basketball. After high school, Michael went on to Montclair State University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in science. Michael played football for Montclair State University and was a two-time captain of its team. After earning his degree, Michael coached football at high school and college level. He was then hired as a per diem dispatcher for Madison Police Department. Shortly after, he accepted opportunity as alternate route candidate at the Morris County Police Academy, where he was then hired by the Madison Police Department. Michael graduated from the Morris County Police Academy on June 1st, a week ago today, as a member of the 106th Basic Police Class. I was honored to be there, along with Councilmember Landrigan. Michael finished number one in his class for physical fitness and was also the recipient of the 200 Club Morris County Award, which presented to the recruit whose outstanding effort and attitude best exemplifies the training goals of the Morris County Police Academy. During his spare time, he enjoys coaching football, spending time with his family, friends, and girlfriend. Michael is extremely honored to be hired by such a great community and police department.

I'm sure you wrote that and I didn't.

All right. Ready? Right hand, left hand of the Bible. I state your name.

I, Michael Ramos. I solemnly swear that I will faithfully, impartially, and justly perform all the duties of police officer for the Borough of Madison according to the best of my ability. I further solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of New Jersey, and that I will bear true faith and allegiance And I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same and to the governments established in the United States and in this state under the authority of the people. So help me God. Welcome aboard.

Thank you.

Thank you. All right. For those still in the room and those watching at home, we now have reports from committees. In public safety, Mr. Landrigan.

Thank you, Mayor. From the Police Department, on June 1st, Chief Misha, members of the governing body, and members of the command staff attended the Morris County Police Academy graduation of Patrolman Michael Ramos at the Birchwood Manor. Patrolman Ramos graduated with high honors, earning the number one ranking in physical fitness and receiving the 200 Club Award for outstanding effort attitude that exemplifies the academy. Chief Mishur presided over the graduation ceremony as the president of the Morris County Police Chiefs Association. During the end of May, members of the Aruba Police Force visited New Jersey while traveling to Washington. for National Police Week. The Madison Police Department was proud to host the group at headquarters during their trip to Yankee Stadium and provide an overview of our operations and community policing efforts. On June 11th, Chief Misha and Captain Longo will appear before the New Jersey State Association of Police Chiefs accreditation board for the department's reaccreditation hearing. They will testify to the police department's compliance with standards and its continued commitment to department policies and excellence in law enforcement services. We are proud to be one of the few agencies to continuously achieve impeccable ratings thanks to our officers and staff. On June 11th, the officers of the Madison Police Department will be at Badass Cafe of Matt of Hawaii on Lincoln place for coffee with a cop beginning at 8 30 AM. Please stop by to meet with our officers, share concerns and some conversation. We hope to see you there from the fire department. The month of May for the month of May, the fire department responded to 202 calls. 123 people were transported to the hospital by the EMS division. The fire department's EMS division provided EMS support to the Drew University commencement and the Madison Junior Lacrosse Platypus Festival. One volunteer firefighter started the accelerated fire class this past week. Two more are scheduled to take the class in August. On June 15th, the fire department will be hosting a blood drive from 1 to 7 p.m. Currently, there is a blood shortage emergency. All donors will receive two vouchers for MET tickets. In May, the Fire Prevention Bureau conducted 37 inspections in the borough. There were also eight fire permits processed. Fire prevention investigated three fires. The Madison High School forensics class recently performed a project of building a small wooden model of home, a small wooden model home. Engine 3 along with Captain Blair and Chief Wickman visited the school and lit each home on fire in the parking lot so the students could watch and record how their homes would hold up under fire. The students learned about fire investigations, how to see how to see hot women. Got to see how hot each home burned during the department's thermal energy cameras. Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you. Finance and Borough Clerk, Mr. Range.

Thank you, Mayor. From the tax collector this evening, the new annual tax bills will be sent out next month. Each year we need to wait for the state to pass their budget and to certify the budgets of the borough, the school district, and the county before we can send the new tax rate and begin creating bills. The bill will include the third and fourth quarter amounts for this year, as well as the first and second quarter payments for next year. As in years past, there will be a one-sheet document included in this mailing with various information, including a summary budget, major appropriations, and services provided to each resident by the borough. From the finance department this evening. The finance and administration teams have been meeting with our bond council to discuss the steps needed for the borough to borrow funds to complete the purchase of the Drew Forest. A bond ordinance will need to be adopted, which will allow the borough to issue either one-year bond anticipation notes or long-term bonds. The bond ordinance will be introduced within the coming weeks. Because certain grant funds will be coming in over the next 10 years, administration is recommending issuing bond anticipation notes annually with the hope that the debt will be paid off within this 10 year period. And one other topic this evening, Mayor. At our last meeting, the mayor issued a proclamation declaring June as Pride Month in Madison. Coincidentally, we also issued a proclamation recognizing Gun Violence Awareness Day. And over the course of the year, we issue proclamations for mental health awareness to support law enforcement. Tonight, we had one for Juneteenth to raise awareness around many mental health issues, cultural groups, and milestones. On June 1st, as we have for several years, the borough hung pride flags on Waverly Place. We do so to recognize the contributions of the LGBTQ plus community, acknowledge how far the fight for civil rights has come, and recognize that there is still work ahead. For those wondering why this is something we continue to do each year, you need to look no further than the comments made on the social media posts of your friends and neighbors or even the borough's own official social media channels. Or you can look at an email that the mayor and council recently received from a Madison resident and business owner downtown using words like disgust and pedos and claiming those flags must represent less than 1% of Madison residents. Let's be clear on a few things. While it is difficult to determine the exact number of LGBTQ plus residents in Madison, or even nationwide, most reputable surveys place the figure somewhere between five and 10% of the adult population, with some estimates, particularly among younger generations, reaching considerably higher. These are your friends, your neighbors, and yes, probably some people you don't like, but that's no different than any other demographic group you would look at. Our downtown flag program celebrates many different people, organizations, events that make up the fabric of Madison. In the coming weeks, we'll fly Dodger flags celebrating the high school seniors. Over the course of a year, we fly flags recognizing our university communities at the beginning and end of each academic year, flags for the Shakespeare Theater season, Bottle Hill Day, other local events, and even the New York Jets. We fly flags alongside the American flag and the borough flag outside of Hartley Dodge Memorial that flies every day. American flags are predominantly displayed throughout downtown and along our streets year-round, especially around Memorial Day, Veterans Day, Labor Day, and Independence Day. This July, we'll also be displaying flags commemorating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. We also have other programs and events that recognize our veterans, Madison's Hidden Figures, cornerstone community organizations like the Rotary Club and Thursday Morning Club, the Christmas Committee, the holiday events, and many others. The contributions of Madison's large Italian-American community is recognized year-round through the Columbus Monument near the Museum of Early Trades and Crafts. While not every group or event can be included in every program, the great thing about our flag program and being a welcoming community is that inclusion is not a finite resource. It isn't pie. Celebrating one group in a particular way does not diminish any other. Recognizing one community does not lack does not mean we lack the capacity to recognize others. We can celebrate multiple parts of our shared community and at the same time and in various ways. The mayor mentioned in the proclamation the Stonewall riots of 1969 as a beginning of the modern LGBTQ civil rights movement. While Stonewall was certainly a watershed moment, I encourage anyone interested in understanding this history more deeply to also learn about the lavender scare of the 1950s and early 1960s. During this period, thousands of dedicated public servants were investigated, dismissed, and forced from federal employment simply because they were suspected of being gay or lesbian. These actions occurred alongside the red scare and reflected a belief that all LGBTQ individuals pose both moral problems and a security risk. It serves as an important reminder that the discrimination against the LGBTQ plus Americans are not ancient history and occurred within living memory and continues right up until today. If you're interested, read The Deviant's War. It's a great book covering this history. And if you don't like reading and would rather watch a TV show, check out Fellow Travelers, which is a cool dramatized portrayal of that era. In short, The events and conversations of the last eight days has served as a reminder for me and many others in our community of why we fly the pride flags, and it remains an important thing to do in 2026. Everyone is certainly entitled to their opinions and beliefs and are protected by arguably the greatest of all the amendments to the Constitution, the First Amendment. but as individuals and as a community, we must decide how we respond when speech or actions are inconsistent with our shared values. Madison has long inspired to be a welcoming and inclusive community, and I believe we should continue to strive toward that ideal. Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you very much for your comments. And Public Works and Engineering, Mr. Howard Puttis.

Okay, thank you, Mayor. Welcome everybody from the community. Thanks, Eric. Very well said. Hopefully we never have to repeat that again, but that was great. I took some notes too, a few things I should look up. From the Department of Public Works, something, a short message. The DPW has been planting and mulching street trees around the community. And they've also been patching potholes, which there are a lot of around the borough. Unfortunately, it was a rough winter, but they're working hard to cover them all up. The Parks Department has been preparing fields for all the spring sports every week, soccer, lacrosse, baseball, and softball. And they also assisted with our annual Platypus Lacrosse Tournament, which is a boys' lacrosse tournament held every year welcoming about 20 towns, that was the weekend of May 30th and May 31st. Our DPW mechanics assisted the Central Avenue School annual bike rodeo. They checked and fixed bikes as needed. The DPW assisted the water utility with new water connections. From the engineering and land use prepared by Jim Savage, our official there, Madison Road Projects, Shady Lawn Drive to D.S. Meyer, Inc. Started work June 22nd. Cefalian Sons, E Street. I don't need to tell you all the people who are doing the jobs, but Dogwood is starting soon. Spring Garden Drive and Ashland Road and Tooth Place. Green Village Road, Wilmer Pedestrian Improvements. Concept designs are complete. The plans and specifications are underway. Green Village Road and Woodland, new traffic signal intersection design kickoff meeting has been held the end of May with the Morris County engineer and police. Capital projects. The DBW garage windows replacement notice to proceed has been issued. Shop drawings and field measurements will be has been pushed ahead for a final building department inspection punch list items. And Cook Avenue punch list and contract closeout, that's the Cook Avenue parking lot, is being coordinated right now. HDM, Hartley Dodge Memorial EW project continues, coordinating electric elevator shaft, mechanical sprinklers. Glenwald and the GBR sewer main update kick off this week. Parks and land, Memorial Park. Memorial Trail phase three surface trail is near complete. Rosedare Soccer Field plans are ready for resodding bidding. Anticipate bidding in the next few weeks. Possible construction this year or the spring of 2027. We got a notice to proceed issue for the wayfinding signs, yes. Gateway phase one. NTP issued for shady lawn. I don't know what that is. Awarded wayfinding signs phase two for emerge to prepare the second bid. Awarded design of Glenwall Green Village Road sewer main replacement. This is a big one. Madison PFAS study proposals have been received. The borough interviewed three consultants to present the study and concept plan. We're finalizing the selection and award of the contract. Coordination with PSE&G gas, construction lines, and milling and paving throughout the borough, including Garfield Avenue, has been completed. Holden Lane, Park Lane, and Woodland Road, after the school lets out at the end of June 2026. Danforth, prospects to be repaved in August, September of this year. One more, Mayor. NJDOT Municipal Aid 2027 grant application due June 30th. We're preparing a grant application for old greenhouse lane. We're evaluating a solar carport at the community pool. That's awesome. Planning a 2027 road program, milling overlays, reconstruction signals. We're evaluating spring garden drive area for a stormwater hydraulic study and DEP coordination. The NGDP annual stormwater report is completed. GIS development for required watershed improvement report required underway. US EPA audit of MS4 program scheduled for June 11th. Integrating stormwater system GIS on engineering. And last, milling and paving, crack sealing, curb and sidewalk, line striping, co-op contracts are all being planned, scoped, and awarded to vendors. We're anticipating the CDBG grant funding award for Britton Alexander Sewer Lining. Planning a summer borough stormwater outfield inspections for MS4 permit. So this hasn't been reported for months, that's why it's so long. Hopefully everybody got some good information out of that. And one more from the Environmental Commission. Very short. They have an event tonight. The MEC reports the Borough of Madison has been joined by Morris Township and the Chathams in launching the Quiet Summer campaigns. In all four towns, Quiet Summer is simple. All it involves is a phone call to ask your landscaper to pause gas leaf blowing from now through September. Last Saturday, the MEC promoted Quiet Summer in Madison at the Farmer's Market, and they'll be out again this weekend. Their response is very enthusiastic. Residents listened, they took flyers, and quite often said, I can make that call to my landscaper. Pausing gas leaf blowing is an easy request to make. It involves asking a landscaper to do less, and no equipment purchased is involved last saturday the mec held a native plant giveaway at the farmer's market members potted up some 150 extra plants from the yards more native plant giveaways will be held in july and august to get on the mec's list for the news and events please email mec rosenet.org that's all no shade tree management board report thank you a lot of information utilities okay from the water department uh there were

Several reportable points, upgrade services from three quarter inch to one inch for new construction after a tear down of an existing home at 8 Lorraine Road and 31 North Street. They dug and repaired four curb boxes and shut off valves in need of repair. Installed a one inch service for new construction at 41 North Street. They excavated and searched for a leak at 212 and 214 Main Street after Route 124 contractor confronted running water. Wells B and D have been manually run in anticipation of SCADA control upgrade and alarm certification and the D well booster pump has been inspected and will be pulled and sent to the remanufacturer. Upcoming events include a hydrant relocation to the roadside of Chateau Thierry. Also from Jim Finnelli at the Water Department, a reminder to residents that we are still in a drought You should be limiting your water use and should limit the amount of water you use on your lawn. From the electric department, standby was called out to 15 Nolwood for a reported power outage. Electric department has been working on a pole replacement and transfer on Green Avenue and Hillside Avenue from a carpool accident. The department has been doing work on Madison Avenue to prepare for the new building that will be taking place in Geralda Farms. and the electric department finished transformer upgrades on Ferndale Avenue. They also continue to make good progress with tree line clearance. Thanks to the mayor for joining, among others, for National Trails Day at Memorial Park. I think the best feedback I heard was 86-year-old Young, I guess, was thrilled to be able to walk on something that was accessible and safer for her and so she can keep moving forward with her exercise. So it is true, we ran into a lot of people, a lot of dogs on leashes, and everybody was happy to be in the woods. And congratulations to the police department, the Madison Police Department and Fire Department for their participation in the Torch Run for the Special Olympics this past week.

Thank you very much. And with health and community affairs for John Forte, Ms. Cohen.

All right, I'm going to start with Madison Pool update. We had another great weekend at Madison Community Pool with warm weather finally bringing many members out to enjoy the facility. A reminder that deep water testing is required annually for members wishing to use the deep end. For those unable to test over the weekend, an additional testing opportunity will be held on Wednesday, June 10th from 4 to 6 PM at the pool. This will also provide an opportunity for those planning to attend the fifth grade party and wishing to use the deep end to test in advance of the event. The cornhole tournament completed its second week this past weekend. Congratulations to weekly winners Corey Green and Mike Bruno. Additional pop-up tournaments and activities including wiffle ball and basketball are planned throughout the summer. We are continuing to explore programming opportunities for our youngest members and look forward to announcing those soon. A reminder that guest policy changed, the guest policies changed this year. Madison resident non-members are permitted to enter the pool as guests a maximum of three times throughout the season. Beginning June 19th, Madison Community Pool will officially open seven days a week for the season. There is still time to join us poolside this summer. Visit madisonpool.org for membership information and details. Leading into the business development, Healthy Italia had their 10 year anniversary celebration on Saturday at the Madison Arts and Community Center. Lots of food, people, and it was a rousing success and we're thrilled that they've been here for 10 years. downtown development commission director of business development the next meeting will be held on july 16th at 7 15 in hartley dodge the public's invited to attend june has been canceled the 2026 madison farm and artisan market is open on saturdays through december 12th it will be closed on the 4th of july and bottle hill day new vendors can request the information by emailing lisa ellis ddc roseneit.org Information regarding Bottle Hill Day 2026 went out to past vendors and is now available on rosenet.org as well. From the Chamber of Commerce, the Madison Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring fire extinguisher inspections on Tuesday, June 9th from 11 to 4 at the corner of Central Avenue and Main Street. $30 per inspection, $25 for chamber members. Make checks payable to the mayor, sorry, not to the mayor, to the Madison, not to the mayor, to the Madison area Chamber of Commerce. All businesses and the general public are welcome. Take advantage of this great service. Madison Community Arts Center has a ton of stuff. The seniors are continuing to play Mahjong and Canasta on Tuesdays from 1 to 4. Tonight, right now, the Madison Environmental Commission and the Nature of Reading are presenting When the Forest Breathes. Wednesday night is Music Open Mic Night, which is every second Wednesday. Local musicians perform two songs each. Friday, June 12, Just Say Gay Comedy Show, Celebrate Pride Month with a night of stand-up comedy, community, and queer joy. June 13th at 8 p.m., too old for that, the Improv Comedy Show. June 17th is Comedy Open Mic Night, which is every third Wednesday. Local comics take the stage to try out new and old material. June 19th, the Summit Film Society is showing Reading Lolita in Tehran. Saturday, June 20th at 7.45, Steal the Spotlight 2.0, monthly drag competition show, All Stars. The winner from each month will compete for the crown. Links to the tickets can be found on rosenet.org. And finally, the Health Department. For the month of May, the Health Department completed the following activities. 51 retail food inspections, seven environmental complaints, 16 communicable diseases. The Health Department has opened their new WIC site in the Summit Community Center, 100 Morris Avenue in Summit. For appointments, call 908 There will be a bone density screening on June 25th from 11 to 2 in the courtroom right here in Hartley Dodge. Registration will open this week and will be posted on the Board of Health's website. There will be a blood pressure screening on June 29th from 10 to 11 a.m. in the library. No appointments needed. The department continues to offer free vaccinations to adults 19 and older who are non-insured or underinsured and free vaccinations and physical exams to children up to age 19. please check our website for information on how to schedule an appointment. And just a very quick follow-up to Councilman Range's comments, which thank you. You summed it all up nicely. Just a reminder, as we tell our high school students and middle school students, what you put on social media can be screenshot and sent anywhere. It's not necessarily just to who you're sending it to. And being respectful, and as the late Ms. Zipper said, if you can't say something nice, don't say it at all.

Thank you. Very good. A lot to report tonight. Now communications and petitions.

Yes, Mayor. The Mayor and Council received an email dated June 8th from Laura Benuto of Woodland Road supporting a ban on gas-powered leaf blowers.

Now we move on to invitations for public comment. This is when you may comment on items that are on our agenda discussion, which we have none tonight. and anything on our consent agenda. We'll go through the consent agenda right now so you know what to comment on, and you will also understand what is under the consent. So resolution 182 is ratifying salary increase for full-time confidential employees excluded from union participation. This is a $1,500 increase effective July 1st, and this just puts the non-union on par with the union employees. resolution 183 is renewing liquor licenses for the borough of madison for the 2026 2027 light license term and as you will note that during when that comes up that council member uh hiring putus will be recusing himself as a partner or license in town license 184 is appointing connor benway to the position of public safety communications officer dispatch This is at annual salary of $54,281. Resolution 185 is ratifying appointment of Riley Ferrara to position of assistant swim coach at the community pool at $18 an hour. Resolution 186 is trust fund grant application for restoration of Hartley Dodge Memorial Clock Tower. And if a state grant is approved, It will require a matching grant from us for $1.285 million. Resolution 187 is authorizing the purchase of three police vehicles, accessory equipment, and other related equipment from the Police Outside Duty Fund. It should be noted that our goal is to purchase hybrid vehicles, but they are a year to two years out, and we need to replace vehicles now. life of police vehicles, we will get to the point where we can get those hybrids in a timely manner. Resolution 186 is authorizing the three vehicles through the Morris County Cooperative Pricing Council. Resolution 189 is authorizing an award of contract with Dewberry Engineering for engineering design and permitting services for PFAS enhanced treatment facility master plan and related work, and this is not to exceed $52,094. Resolution 190 is ratifying the appointment of Owen Duffy as paid intern in the engineering department Resolution 191 is updating our personnel policies and procedures, and this is to keep in response to a new state law that was signed by Governor Murphy last year. Resolution 192 is appointing Stephanie Cumberley as part-time per diem EMT. That's easier to say. at the rate of $30 per hour without benefits. Resolution 193 is ratifying the appointments of water safety instructors Riley Ferrara, Cecilia Timmons, and Ethan Sims for the community pool at the rate of $17 an hour, no benefits. Resolution 194 is appointing, appointment of Anthony Albanese to the position of truck driver in DPW, annual salary of $586, which is in accordance with the collective bargaining union contract. And resolution 195 is a resolution for us to be able to participate in a co-op pricing system for Camden. Thank you. And this allows one that specializes in natural turf. So you may comment on those resolutions. If you wish to comment on any of those resolutions, you step up to the lectern, state your name and your town, and state the resolution you're commenting on. Anyone who wishes to comment, please step forward. Seeing none, I close this part of the meeting. And we have no agenda discussion, so we move on to ordinances for hearing. Will the clerk please read the statement?

The ordinance scheduled for hearing was introduced by title and passed on the first reading at the regular meeting of the council held on May the 27th, 2026. It was posted and filed according to law and copies were made available to the general public requesting same.

I call up ordinance 27-2026 for a second reading. I ask the borough clerk to read said ordinance by title.

Ordinance 27-2026, ordinance of the borough of Madison amending and supplementing chapter 195 of the borough code entitled land development to prohibit data centers, data centers.

Either way. Anyone wishing to comment? Ordinance 27, please step forward. Seeing none, I close the hearing. Mayor, I move ordinance 27-2026.

Second.

Any council discussion?

Just of note, this was before the planning board last week, two weeks ago, and was deemed to be not inconsistent with the master plan.

We'll call vote, please.

Mr. Landrigan? Yes. Mr. Range? Yes. Mr. Harold Amputas? Yes. On the hand? Yes. Ms. Cohen? Yes.

I declare ordinance 27-2026 adopted and finally passed. I ask the clerk to publish notice and file the ordinance in accordance with the law. And now we'll move on to our second of invitations for public comment. This is when you may comment on any topic. Anyone wishing to comment, please step forward.

Insurance.

. . . . . . They were on.

The other thing that surprised me was the sense of community that matched the family. I just want to share with you two things that might find us here in the past.

Noreen from the Madison Historical Society today presented me with this whole sheet of stuff that she researched about my mother and my family. And this first one, just to show you how long she's been around here, this was published in the Madison Eagle in 1935. And it's about scholarship and things in the class, proficiency in scholarship, deportment, honor, courage, and leadership. And they have a number of names here, and mom was one of them. But the most interesting one here that she gave me was the fact that three Madison women shaken up in train wreck. Down in Philadelphia, my son Googled this train wreck and it was a huge, huge train wreck. 79 people died and 115 people were injured. It was Mrs. Carlholm, her 23-year-old twin daughters, that's my mom and her sister Lil, and this was from 1943. Lillian and Rose of 197 Greenwood were on the once great Congressional Limited when the crackup occurred. they were in the dining car at the time of the accident and were thrown almost the length of the car when it upended and turned into a gigantic slide. And if you, they Googled this, and this was one of the largest train wrecks in history at the time. The 79 people were killed. It was down in Philadelphia. They were coming from Washington, D.C. up to New Jersey after visiting someone down there. But I just thought you might find that interesting. I mean, it seems like there was kind of a center of gravity surrounding her. And that was just one of the things that happened to her over a lifetime. And luckily, she wasn't one of the 79 people that were killed. But they lost all their luggage. And once again, Mayor, I want to thank you for all your kind words and say that Madison is a great community.

Thank you for coming down on a very difficult time and certainly appreciate it. Just to add a few, your mother was just one of the kindest people to know and always smiling. I think the last time I saw her, she probably was setting the record for the oldest person to ever watch one of our parades in town. I think this was only maybe two years ago, maybe three at most. Right, Memorial Day. Yep, Memorial Day Parade, and there she was.

Missed it this year.

Yep, right on the side. We will miss her, and Madison is a greater person place because of her presence for 100 plus years. Thank you. Anyone else wishing to comment, please step forward. Seeing none, I close this part of the meeting. And we now move on to introduction of ordinances.

The ordinance is scheduled for first reading. Have a hearing date set for June the 22nd, 2026. It will be posted on the borough's website. posted on the bulletin board and made available to members of the public requesting copies.

I call up ordinances for first reading and ask the borough clerk to read that ordinance by title. Ordinance 28-2026.

Ordinance of the Borough of Madison appropriating $60,000 from the General Capital Improvement Fund for signalization improvements.

Mayor, I move ordinance 28-2026.

Second. Council discussion.

Just for maintenance, yeah. This is, Mayor, just money that we have in capital improvements for maintenance of our signals around the borough. It's all routine stuff.

And I found it interesting in the packet that, you know, you must push the button. Please push the button so that the new signals work properly for the pedestrians.

Good point. Push the button campaign is on.

Yes, exactly.

Any other comments? All call vote, please.

Mr. Landrigan? Yes. Mr. Range? Yes. Mr. Haralamputis? Yes. Ms. Vonahann? Yes. Ms. Cohen?

Yes. Ordinance 29-2026.

Ordinance of the borough of Madison mending and supplementing chapter 195 of the borough code entitled land development.

Mayor, I move ordinance 29-2026. Second. Council discussion?

And this is related to two different things in land use coming through the planning board subcommittee. One is attached garages to make sure that they are not ports in the front of the house, that they can only protrude a certain amount. And the other is for developments that have multiple homes, that there's a variety in the design and the variety design variety is not just a mirror image which is often used that it actually has to have some different elements in there and this would be uh well it came from the planning board go back for consistency and then come back here again any other discussion we'll call vote please mr landrigan yes mr range yes mr harold buddhist yes yes yes

ordinance 30-2026 ordinance of the borough of madison appropriating 250 000 from the general capital improvement fund for the hartley dodge memorial roof doors gutters clock and clock tower mayor i move ordinance 30-2026 second and uh council discussion on this one uh this is a uh our portion of these

improvements to Hartley Dodge notably the clock tower which is in severe disrepair with water intrusion and structural problems at this point so we'll be seeking grants from the county and the state I think both right right as well as

financial support from our friends at the harley dodge memorial trustees thank you any further discussion roll call vote please mr landrigan yes mr range yes mr harold yes yes yes now move on to consent agenda resolutions will the clerk please read the statement Consent agenda resolutions will be enacted with a single motion. Any resolution requiring expenditure is supported by a certification of availability of funds. Any resolution requiring discussion will be removed from the consent agenda. All resolutions will be reflected in full in the minutes.

Mayor, I move consent agenda resolution 182-2026 through 195-2026. Second.

House discussion.

So so may I would recuse myself please from Resolution 183 2026. And I also am not in favor of Resolution 187 2026, which is our purchase of three new police vehicles, gas combustion. We've had this discussion at previous meetings that we're trying to promote ourselves.

Hold on just a second.

You don't want to know?

Sorry, Mayor. We'll pull that one and then you can make that comment.

Okay, sorry, Mayor. Thank you. I'm just recusing myself from 183 2026.

So that'll be in 23 will remain in the consent. But you just mentioned was as we do roll call vote, just sorry, reaffirm your recusal. And it's 187 188 that we will. All right, so the consent agenda has those any further discussion on the consent agenda, minus those two.

call vote please mr landrigan yes mr range yes mr harold putus yes i recuse my that to say it again i recuse myself from resolution 183 2026 and don't approve and no don't say anything about the other two those are okay yes

All right, I will take a motion for resolution 187-2026 and 188-2026. First one is authorizing the purchase of three police vehicles from using police outside utility fund account. And the second one is authorizing the use of the Morris County co-op. And so I'll entertain a motion.

Mayor, I'll move.

agenda resolutions 187 2026 and 188 2026. second council discussion mr helen putus okay sorry mary that's all right i remember the protocol i i just i want to comment that i'm not in favor of these i i appreciate that the department wants to have the newest uh possible vehicles to to uh operate in the borough but uh we've had this type of um request before and we've pushed the police department and they have responded a few times finding at least hybrids which are more in tune with what our Climate Action Plan is stating for the borough that we're trying to move as best as possible away from at least total gas combustion. If we can keep the vehicles that are still in our fleet operable for another year or two while we wait for the hybrids to come available, I would appreciate us trying to do that. So that's my opinion.

Thank you. Let's go to Bob, Eric, and then Deb.

Well, I appreciate what you're saying, Tom. I did have a conversation with the police chief. The vehicles in question have an excess of 100,000 miles on them. And unlike a personal car that you or I might own, these vehicles need to be fully operational and dependable because they're responding to emergency situations. It's not really, I don't want to say it's not an option, but it's not a wise move to put off the purchase of these. And he also indicated that there seems to be quite a long delay in getting the hybrids. We're saying two years could be longer than two years. For some reason, the dealerships have stopped making them, and now they're playing catch up. So I don't see, while the borough has been very good at adhering to what the environmental commission has done, and the police chief did say to me they're committed to doing this, they can't do it right now. They need these new police cars. and sooner rather than later.

Just to echo Bob's points, but more importantly, I think Tom has a reasonable point here. And we've run into this the last couple of years where we have these long runways and we have to kind of fit and start and stop. So I don't see this problem unless Ford drops out of the sky and starts making hybrids at like twice or three times the rate that they're making them. So I wonder if there's a opportunity not for these cars that we need right now today but is there an opportunity you know every year that i've been on council i feel like we've bought at least one patrol car so if we know this is coming how do we get in line in 2026 so when we get to 2028 the hybrids are actually there for us when we want to buy them. And I'm sure that there are procurement and, you know, financial tomfoolery we need to do to figure that out. But it seems to me like Ford's not going to fix our problem. We're going to have to be creative in how we address this because I don't think anybody on council wants to just kick the can down the road, but we need reliable vehicles that are not you know older engines that are you know that and these cars do idle right they have to idle um to run all the equipment and and so on and so forth so um i would be highly in favor of that and the the chief has also indicated to me in more than one conversation that he's also um interested in some of their support vehicles being not only hybrids, but fully electric. Vehicles that may not be fully appropriate for day-to-day patrol, but like the traffic pickup truck, or the community policing vehicle, or vehicles like that. So anyway, I think we should be looking now at how we prime the pump for the hybrids, because this has been a conversation for three years now. that we do this. So Tom, I think it's a fine point. Yeah.

Um, just to make it clear, it's not that the police department wants the newest vehicles. I mean, we'd all love a new vehicle. I'm driving a 14 year old car. Um, but that it is because of end of life. Um, so I just wanted to make sure the public understood that, that it wasn't, they don't want the newest vehicles and then Bob and Eric already covered everything else.

Tom, I feel your frustration because we've been here before. So I like the approach that Eric has made is let's not keep getting at the end of the line. Let's figure out a way to get in the line so that we're not having this conversation next year or the year after. So we can charge the chief with that. Any further discussion?

I want to say something else, Bob. Excuse me, Mayor. Well, to your point, everybody's saying we knew the end of life was coming. And I'm not following this, so if somebody had said to me in February, you know what, in a few months we're probably gonna have to replace our cars, but when you tell me the day of the meeting that this is up for discussion, it's not really any time for us to discuss it either. I don't know anything about the conditions of the vehicles. I'm not challenging them on their good faith information to us, but all of a sudden three of them have to go at the same time? I don't know, Bob. And I don't know for a fact that you have to wait two years. Because we got one recently, didn't we?

No. Yes, we did. We did, but it was after a couple years wait.

Yeah, okay, but we got one somehow. I didn't know what the queue was.

We got in the line and then I think we also had to buy some gas vehicles in between. Yeah, yeah, I do remember that.

So like I said, we had this discussion before, but Of course I'm in favor, like everybody else that have us having the most suitable equipment to protect the community. I just, you know, don't want to see us continuing to keep the can and we're not going to get rid of these. Probably we're just going to replace other ones with hybrid. So hopefully the new electric option shows up in a couple of years. It's viable and that'll be the best way for us to operate.

it doesn't take long for a police cruiser to get 100 or 150 000 miles yeah i mean we're a pretty small town but yeah they're driving back and forth and pointed out ten times a day you get there yeah that doesn't as you point out that it doesn't reflect all right i may have roll call on resolutions 187 and 188. mr landrigan yes mr range yes

Carolyn Pudus?

No.

Ms. Honahan? Yes. Ms. Cohen? Yes.

And there is no one finished business. We move on to approval of vouchers. Will the clerk please read the voucher totals?

From the current fund, $474,521.42. From the general capital fund, $64,092.21. From the Electric Operating Fund, $376,636.67. From the Water Operating Fund, $11,358.53. From the Water Capital Fund, $3,520 even. From the Trust, $63,830.86. The total is $984,000. $959.69.

Mayor, I'll move the approval of the vouchers. Second.

Any discussion? Roll call vote, please. Mr. Landrigan? Yes. Mr. Range? Yes. Mr. Harold and Pudas? Yes. Ms. Conahan? Yes. Ms. Cohen?

Yes.

There is no new business. I entertain a motion to adjourn.

Mayor, I move that we adjourn the meeting.

All in favor? Aye. Aye.

Thank you.