Borough Council - Regular Meeting

Since our last meeting, we'd also like to acknowledge the 25th anniversary of September 11th terrorist attacks. 25 years later, we continue to remember the nearly 3,000 lives lost that day, including six members of our own Madison community who never returned home. We also remember first responders, recovery workers, members of our armed forces, and countless others whose lives were lost in the months and years following as a result of their service and sacrifice and exposure to the aftermath of September 11th. We honor their memory, their families, and all those who carry the impact of that day with them. Okay, now in regards to Madison residents, Edward J. Diemer, a lifelong Madison resident who passed away on September 6th at the age of 90. A 1954 graduate of Madison High School, Edward proudly served in the United States Navy and later spent many years giving back to the community, including a crossing guard at St. Vincent's School and as a member of the Madison Elks for more than 40 years. Edwards is survived by his wife Carolyn, his daughters Diana and Lydia, his sons Melvin, Skipper, and Scott, five grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, many nieces and nephews, and extended family members. Sean Patrick Latoff, a Madison resident, passed away on September 9th at the age of 56. Sean and his wife Diana made their home on Maple Avenue where they raised their three children, Alessandro, Logan, and Grant. A graduate of Temple University, Sean built a successful career in software sales, most recently with Cisco Systems. Beyond his professional accomplishments, Sean was known for his warmth, humor, generosity, and ability to form long-lasting friendships wherever life took him. He had a great love of music and also enjoyed golf, bicycling, cooking, traveling, and most importantly, spending time with his family and friends. Sean was a devoted husband and father who took tremendous pride in his sons and his life with his family and built together in Madison. He is survived by his wife Diana, his sons Alessandro, Logan, and Grant, his mother Anne, his brother Robert, Bruce, and Alan, his sister Andrea, and many extended family members and friends. And finally, we also remember Dolly Parton, who passed away last month at the age of 80. While known around the world for her extraordinary career in music and entertainment, she will also be remembered for equality, equally extraordinary commitment to giving back. Whether supporting the people in other communities of Tennessee, or helping children around the world discover a love of reading through their imagination. Her imaginary library, Dolly used her success to make a difference in the lives of others. What began as a local effort in her home in early 1995 grew into a worldwide program that today sends millions of free books to children each month. Her life serves as a fitting reminder that a legacy is measured not simply by what we accomplish, but we'll give back to others. Please join us in a moment of silence as we remember those we lost 25 years ago on 9-11, and those we've lost since, as well as Madison residents Edward J. Dimer Jr., Sean Patrick Latoff, and Dolly Parton, and let us keep their families and loved ones in our thoughts. Thank you. Okay. Can I have a motion for the approval of the executive minutes of July 27th, 2026? So moved. Second. All those in favor? Aye. Could I have a motion for the regular minutes of July 27th, 2026? So moved. Second. All those in favor? Aye. Before I come down to read the proclamation, I would like to announce the employees of the month for September. Employee of the month for September is Hillary Barbosa from the building department. While three members of the department were out on vacation recently, Hilly was instrumental in keeping this very busy office running smoothly for residents and contractors. An anniversary for the month is school crossing guard Miss Miroslav Hadvab celebrating his 25th anniversary with the Borough of Madison on September 10th. Okay, and finally, before I do the proclamation, I just want to recognize and congratulate the residents of Pine Avenue in Madison. They celebrated the 50th anniversary of their block party. I was there and it's a wonderful group of people. And I would also like to thank the Department of Public Works. They took time out of the very busy schedule to repair the sidewalk, the pavers that were destroyed or broken during this winter, all along Green Village Road, along Main Street, and as well as Waverly Place, so thank you to them. Okay, and now I'd like to come down and read the proclamation. This proclamation is presented for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, Rockaway Township member Jonathan Sackett. Rachel Sackett Putman is Jonathan's sister and an ovarian cancer survivor. Whereas ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer related deaths among women in the United States and an estimated 21,000 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer and 12,450 will die from the disease nationwide including an estimated 652 cases and 340 deaths in New Jersey and whereas A woman's lifetime risk of being diagnosed with ovarian cancer is approximately 1 in 91, and her lifetime risk of dying from the disease is approximately 1 in 143. And whereas due to vague symptoms and a lack of reliable detection tests, most women are not diagnosed until stage 3 or later. when the cancer has already spread beyond their ovaries. And whereas although the five year survival rate for stage one ovarian cancer exceeds 90%, only 15% of ovarian cancers are diagnosed at this early stage and the five year survival rate for late stage ovarian cancer is below 30%. And whereas while screening tools such as mammograms and pap tests exist for other cancers, no equivalent screening tests exist for ovarian cancer, making awareness of symptoms and risk factors essential. for early interventions, and whereas increased public education about ovarian cancer can help save lives by promoting early diagnosis, supporting access to gynecological oncology care, and encouraging research funding for better detection and treatment opportunities, and whereas this month the Borough of Madison joined survivors and families, healthcare professionals, advocacy organizations, and other committed and all those committed to raising awareness, remembering lost lives, and offering hope for a future with better outcomes and ultimately a cure. Therefore, I, Robert E. Landrigan, Acting Mayor of the Borough of Madison, on behalf of the governing body, do hereby declare September 26, 2026, as Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, and I encourage all residents to participate in awareness activities We're at TEAL in support and encouraging conversations to help save lives and support the thousands of families affected by this devastating disease.

Thank you.

Can I say something real quick?

First of all, thank you, Madison. I appreciate it. We started this back in 2021. My sister was diagnosed in 2020 during the height of COVID and she lives in Arizona and she was by herself with her husband and give him a lot of credit. He drove my sister from Arizona to Texas to see a really good specialist when she was diagnosed with stage three. And also at the same time, she doesn't mention a lot. She also had breast cancer at the same time. So in 2021, After she had battled through it and was in the clear, she made it back home to Rockaway Township and we threw a little cancer-free party for her. And the mayor at the time in Rockaway Township gave her a proclamation for ovarian cancer awareness.

That was the first one.

This year, with the help of myself and many others, we're on pace to collect 115 proclamations throughout New Jersey, Florida, and Arizona. So this is great. The Sackets really work hard. There's a lot of Sackets. And about an hour ago, my mom was at a council meeting in Livingston collecting a proclamation. this is probably my sixth or seventh meeting already this month so really appreciate all the support Madison since day one one of my sister asked the mayor you guys have been very good supporters so thank you so much appreciate it

OK, we'll start with reports from committees. Community affairs. I guess. Deb, could you do it for John Forte?

All right. Downtown Development Commission, Director of Business Development. The next meeting of the DDC will be held on September 17th at 7.15 in the second floor committee room in the Hartley Dodge Memorial Building. The public is invited to attend. The Farmer's Market is open on Saturdays through December 12th. It will be closed on Bottle Hill Day. Sorry, new vendors can request the information by emailing Lisa Ellis. Information regarding Bottle Hill Day on Saturday, October 3rd is now available on rosenet.org. Upcoming events through the Chamber of Commerce, Madison Car Show on the October 3rd, Comedy Night, Friday, October 9th. Scarecrows on Waverly Place, October 21st through November 4th. Halloween Parade and Magic Show, Saturday, October 24th. I know people were looking for that one on Facebook. Rose City Dog Day and Parade, Saturday, October 31st. Wednesday nights are Comedy Open Mic Night at the Community Arts Center. Friday the 18th, there's the Summer Stage Series, Kate Dressed Up, Blue Crew, Nematode. Food Trucks and Local Craft Vendors will also be there. Wednesday, September 23rd, show up your shorts. Every fourth Wednesday, local filmmakers submit and show their short films. Saturday, September 26th, Jonathan Van Halen comedy show. And Sunday, September 27th, the Summit Film Society will be showing the documentary Wild Inside.

Thank you. We're going to order here. Eric, could you do finance and borrow clerk?

Absolutely. Thank you, Bob. From the tax collector this evening, a reminder to our residents that the deadline to submit an application for the senior freeze and other tax relief programs is Friday, October 31st. Any seniors who have not done so should bring their forms to the finance office. Please contact the tax collector's office if you have any questions. Also, the tax collector was scheduled to have the tax sale earlier this month. However, we are pleased to report that We were able to collect all 2025 tax delinquencies. As such, there was no need for a tax sale. Special thanks to Christy and Hattie from the tax department for all their help doing those collections. From administration, borough staff and members of the community pool advisory board will be giving a presentation at the September 28th council meeting, which is our next council meeting. This report will cover operations of the 2026 season, challenges for the next year, a summary of revenues and expenses for the past season, capital needs, and results from a survey that was recently sent out to membership. And from finance, budget season is here. So it's hard to believe that budget season is here already for 2027. And this week, administration met with various department heads to review their operating budgets for the upcoming year. This is an important first step in building the budget, and department heads have been asked to keep their budgets flat for 2027. in addition to the operating budget administration is working with department heads on reviewing and revising the five-year capital plan administration has sent over a draft of the five-year capital plan to each department head these documents will be discussed in the coming weeks and we hope to have the five-year capital plan presentation before the end of the year which is traditionally our first budget hearing that happens in december Also want to highlight this evening a couple of larger and more important payments that appear on tonight's voucher list. There is a payment for over $254,000 from the Open Space Trust Fund, which is for the MRC land and turf debt. $145,000 is the principal payment on the land and $85,000 is principal payment for the turf field. We have two more years to pay off the turf field, and the remaining $24,265 is the semiannual interest payment on the debt. As reported annually, we have principal payments on the turf field through the end of the year, 2028. A second notable payment is more than $7,450,000, which is the monthly payment to the Board of Education for their share of the property taxes that the borough collects on their behalf. That payment was made on August 15th, and the next monthly payment for September will actually be made tomorrow. And finally, on August 15th, the borough paid $3,221,523 to Morris County, which was the third quarter payment of the county taxes that are collected by the borough on behalf of the county. The council receives the voucher register or bill list ahead of every council meeting, and the list is compiled by the accounts payable department and includes all payments that were processed and upcoming checks that are set to be issued requiring approval. Thank you. And that's it for tonight, Bob.

Thank you. Okay, Public Works and Engineering. Tom?

Thank you, Councilman slash Mayor Landrigan. Hello everybody from the community. Very quick from the Department of Public Works. The DPW installed two sets of pedestrian rapid flashing beacon signals for the police department. There's going to be a total of ten around town. You've probably noticed some of them already. The DPW is continuing to repaint road stop lines and crosswalks throughout the borough. The Parks Department continues to maintain recreation fields and parks now that the fall sports have started in full swing. The DPW replaced sidewalk pavers at various locations on Green Village Road, Main Street, and Waverly Place. And the DPW assisted the Water Department with a new service line on North Street. As a reminder to the community that twice a week garbage collection has ended as of last week, September 5th. Curbside leaf collection will be coming starting around the middle of October, depending on the weather and leaf accumulations. And the weekly yard race will continue until December 4th. Bags are available at DPW Garage and the clerk's office. From engineering and zoning, our new borough engineer, Christine Bugle, organized a report for me. The way finding phase one sign project is moving forward. The Ms signs met Ms signs group met with the borough staff to mark out the location of the gateway signs in the field. We're awaiting a schedule for installation of the signs. Paving of East Street Dogwood Drive and Hardwood Drive is complete. We're waiting the pavement core sample test results to confirm compliance with NJ dot standards for compaction and air voids. Cook Avenue Municipal Parking Lot will be evaluated this week to quantify cracked sidewalk and pavement repairs that are needed. Once the timeline has been established to make the repairs, the staff will work closely with affected businesses to minimize the disruptions during the repairs. Schifano Construction has tentatively scheduled milling and paving of Oak Court for the first week in October. Residents will be notified in advance to prepare for disruptions to access and road closures. The Planning Board and Zoning Board continue to work with applicants to make progress on their development applications. From the Madison Environmental Commission, the MAC won an Environmental Achievement Award for its Nature Lovers Speaker Series with the Nature of Reading Bookshop. The award is the eighth in a row, starting with Plastic Free Week in 2019. Thanks to Sustainable Jersey Grant, the MEC is doing a shrub swap. You get a free replacement shrub when you remove a Japanese barberry bush. Barberry is a thorny tick host and it may be well behaved in your yard, but birds spread its berries and it's a problematic invader in our forests and parks. Those interested in removing a barberry and getting a free shrub can write to the MEC at rosenet.org for more information. Finally, the MEC advises residents to leave the leaves in their garden beds. It's an easy way to reduce the ecological harm of gas leaf blowing, provide essential nutrients for the soil, and create a habitat for fireflies and overwintering insects. Don't miss Bridget Daly's upcoming talk, Leave the Leaves and Stems, How and Why, will be given at the library September 30th at 7 p.m. And one more really brief message from the Madison Community Garden on Sunday, September 27th. They're having their a fall Haymarket Festival. Haymarket? I forgot what it's called. I didn't write it down. But at the Madison Community Garden facility, they welcome the residents to go and see what all the farmers have been growing over the course of the summer, see the beekeepers' hives and wherever else. So Sunday, September 27th at 2 o'clock. That's it, Mayor.

Thank you. Thank you, Tom. Okay, utilities, Melissa?

Thank you. On behalf of the Borough Electric Utility, standby was called to 40 Prospect Street because the power was flickering on 811. On 816, standby went to Dean Street for a power outage. On 34 South Street, there was a report of a transformer leaking oil which was replaced. Multiple power outages and standby reporting in to fix those things. 822, standby was called to Niles and Pine Tree for the report of a loud pop and loss of power. And standby was called out to both substations for breaker trips. The cause was due to JCPL dropping one of the 234 lines that feed us. No power was lost because the second line picked up the load. So they've been extremely busy. On the agenda this evening, we have the introduction of an important ordinance that will establish a rate class and other requirements for high intensity electric customers. That's primarily data centers. The borough has already passed land use regulations on data centers. Data centers draw significant amount of electricity and cause serious issues with our distribution system. The ordinance does the following. It defines what a high intensity user is. It establishes a rate class within our utility, and we will set the actual rate at an upcoming council meeting. It requires that the potential customer submit an application for review and approval before we provide them service. It mandates that the customer and Madison Electric Utility have a service agreement that includes various terms to protect our utility. This agreement also requires the customer to pay for any on-site or off-site improvements that are required. It states that the borough has the right to mandate immediate load curtailment. In other words, if our local grid is stressed, we can shut it down. As most of you know, the borough is one of only nine municipalities in the state of New Jersey to have our own electric utility. And when lines go down, you don't call PSEG or JCPL, you call our municipal linemen. they fix the problem we're really lucky we have a very reliable electric service and we have less outages when the power does go out we go and when the power goes out we get it back online so our top priority is serving our residents and current commercial customers and ensuring we have reliable electricity and therefore we have that ordinance on our agenda this evening And from the water department, there was a repaired hydrant on South Street. They dug a curb box to turn off water to buildings slated for demolition, assisted some residents with water service leak, and continued to manually run B and D wells to meet demand during communication change over SCADA monitoring. The scheduling for hydrant replacements continues and a six are presently earmarked by age and operation. And that's it.

Thank you. Thank you. Okay, health, Deb.

Thanks, thank you, Bob. The health department has been awarded a competitive grant to expand our tobacco age of sale enforcement, which is the TAZE program. This funding will allow us to inspect nicotine retailers more frequently and focus on educating about the harms of non-tobacco nicotine products such as vapes and nicotine pouches. The department is providing free flu and COVID vaccines for homebound residents to schedule an appointment. Residents can email nursing at westfieldmj.gov or call 908-789-4070. There will be a free flu clinic for residents ages six months. and older on October 15th in the Hartley Dodge Memorial courtroom from 11 to 1230. No appointment is needed. Locally, we are seeing rates of COVID and influenza A starting to slightly increase. A reminder to residents to be seen before Halloween for both of those shots. For the month of August, the health department completed the following activities, inspected 35 retail food establishments, provided immunization training to two childcare centers, investigated six communicable diseases, investigated 16 environmental complaints. Thank you very much.

Okay, thank you. Okay, now for public safety. Chief Mischa from the Police Department. Chief Mischa attended the Morris County Commissioner's meeting on August 26th to represent the Madison Police Department and the Morris County Chiefs of Police Association at a recognition of the one-year anniversary of the countywide Arrive Together program. The event highlighted the continued partnership between law enforcement, mental health professionals, and community organizations in providing an appropriate response to individuals experiencing behavioral health crises. Captain Joe Longo is currently attending the West Point Leadership and Command Program, which began August 10th and runs through December. The program is conducted by the New Jersey State Associations of Chiefs of Police in partnership with West Point and is a selective leadership program for law enforcement professionals. The program focuses on leadership, management, and command responsibilities. Captain Longo's participation is a great opportunity for continued professional development and leadership growth. With schools back in session, the Madison Police Department reminds everyone to slow down, obey posted speed limits, and remain alert, especially in and around school zones. Drivers should expect increased pedestrian traffic and bicycle activity, school buses, and children crossing roadways. Officers will be highly visible and actively enforcing traffic laws near and around our schools. Please allow yourself extra time and put the phone down and drive safely. The Police Department was proud to participate in the Patriotic Celebration Committee's 25th Anniversary Memorial Service commemorating September 11, 2001. The ceremonies brought members of our community together to remember the nearly 3,000 lives lost that day and to honor the bravery and sacrifice of the first responders who answered the call. The department was also honored to stand alongside community members, elected officials, and fellow first responders as we remembered the events of September 11th and the lasting impact they had on our nation and community. And finally, on October 14th, the Madison Police Department's accreditation team will be presented the certificate of accreditation during the council meeting. This marks the police department's third reaccreditation through the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police. The reaccreditation recognizes the department's continued commitment to professional standards, best practices, accountability, and excellence in law enforcement. From the Fire Department. For the month of August, the Fire Department responded to 189 incidents. 112 patients were treated and 79 were transported to the hospital. As of today, the Fire Department has responded to over 1,700 calls for help. EMS coverage has begun for home high school football games. The department responded to two large hydraulic leaks. Both were cleaned up by the department and the Department of Public Works. The department is also in the process of installing HASS Alert in a few of the emergency vehicles. This program will warn drivers on their navigation systems that an emergency vehicle is approaching or is up ahead. And finally, during the last month, the Fire Prevention Bureau conducted 33 inspections in the borough. There were also seven fire permits processed. The Fire Prevention Bureau has been scheduling fire safety visits for each of the borough schools as well as nursery schools in anticipation of Fire Prevention Month in October. Okay, that's it for public safety. Were there any communications and petitions?

None received.

Okay, this is the first invitation of the public to comment. You may ask questions or make comments on any discussion items in the agenda or resolutions. There will be another invitation for discussion later at the meeting where anything can be discussed. uh each right each speaker will be given three minutes to speak uh but you'll also be given a one minute grace period uh all ask is that you'll state your name and write your name and address on the log up ahead okay in regards to the agenda requisitions consent agenda resolutions i will that you could discuss, a resolution of the Borough of Madison authorizing use of the Emergency Operations Center EOC room at the Public Safety Building by Bloodgood Law Enforcement Training Group, LLC. resolution 248 resolution of the borough of madison rescinding the award of a contract with dewberry engineering for engineering design and permit permitting services for the pfas enhancement enhanced treatment facilities master plan and a warning sid contract to the mcdernal in the amount of eighty two thousand dollars Resolution 249, resolution in favor of full and expanded funding for the New Jersey Child Care Assistance Program in the Borough of Madison, New Jersey. Resolution 250, resolution of the Borough of Madison granting turn the town's teal permission to tie ribbons around trees and other streets of to trees on the streets of Madison from September 1, 2026 to September 30, 2026 of their Turn the Towns Teal campaign to fight ovarian cancer. Resolution 251, resolution of the Borough of Madison authorizing the State of New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection green acres enabling green acres enabling resolution and an application for open space acquisition of seven million two hundred seventy five thousand four seven million four hundred seventy five thousand dollars resolution 252 resolute resolution of the borough of madison establishing the position of part-time fire inspector for the madison fire department Resolution 253, resolution of the Borough of Madison appointing Todd Holland to the position of substitute crossing guard. Resolution 254, resolution of the Borough of Madison awarding professional services contract to Greener by Design LLC for battery storage technologies in the amount not to exceed $17,200. Resolution 255, resolution of the Borough of Madison approving a special event permit to allow the use of Memorial Park parking area by the Thursday morning club. Resolution 256, resolution of the Borough of Madison authorizing the 40th annual Geraldo Farms run on November 8th, 2026. Resolution 257, resolution of the Borough of Madison approving raffle licenses application by the Madison Rotary Club Foundation. Resolution 258, resolution of the borough of Madison, amending resolution 43-2022, authorizing for ultra low sulfur diesel fuel through the Morris County Cooperative Pricing Council. Resolution 259, resolution of the Borough of Madison authorizing purchase of police vehicles for the police department through the New Jersey Cooperative Pricing System. Resolution 260, resolution of the borough of Madison promoting Jim Trimble to the position of utility collector. Resolution 267, 261 rather, resolution of the borough of Madison authorizing the establishment of a $1 charge fund, change fund for use by the utility building department. Resolution 262, resolution of the Borough of Madison awarding professional services contract to Environmental Connections Incorporated for asbestos abatement services at the Hartley Dodge Memorial East Wing. Resolution 263, Resolution of the Borough of Madison authorizing emergency contract to Accra Electric for storm response work. Resolution 264. Resolution of the Borough of Madison authorizing emergency contract to Loeffler Schools Pool Management Incorporated. resolution 265 resolution of the borough of madison approving contract award to frank galbraith and sons excavating and demolition llc for on-site log and brush grinding services and finally resolution 266 resolution of the borough of madison authorizing design electric eei master contract between the borough of madison and Dynergy Marketing and Trade LLC from Irving, Texas, a wholly owned subsidiary of Vistra Corporation. There's one more. One more? Okay. Resolution 267, resolution of the Borough of Madison approving raffles license for applications submitted by PTO, Tory, Jay Sabatini School. Anyone wishing to speak on any of these, please step up to the lectern, write your name and address, and also let us know your name. Thank you.

Hello, my name is Alexandra McCullough-Garcia. I am a resident of Madison. I'm here to speak about Resolution 249 in favor of full and expanded funding for the New Jersey Child Care Assistance Program in the Borough of Madison. I'll actually save my own comments because I have a testimony that I'd like to read on behalf of an immigrant mother who lives in Madison, if you'll permit it. It's called Behind Closed Doors. Who are our children left with? What kind of education do they receive? And how do they spend their free time? Behind closed doors, children today are not spending their free time doing the things they should be doing, because everyone is working. Adults do not have enough time, and children have nowhere to turn. Many times, all they have are their cell phones or the television. And we, as single mothers, sometimes work two jobs just to support our families. When I first arrived in the United States, I went to Texas. I lived with a young woman who also had children. She and her children lived on one side of the house while my son and I lived in a small room. Every day when my son got out of school, my roommate's older son would go pick up my eight-year-old from school and bring him home. They were two minors, but they had to protect each other. Later, in New Jersey, there were periods when I again had no one to pick up my son from school. At that time, my roommate would help me with pickup, but I had no one to take care of my son while I was working. I worked at a deli during the day, and I had to bring my son to work with me. He would wait for me in a corner, sitting quietly in a chair. I also had another job at night. I had to leave my son waiting for me alone in the room where we lived. He was only eight or nine years old. When my son was in fifth grade, I had to start working very early, so I had to take him to school very early as well. He had to wait outside the school doors for 10, 15, or even 20 minutes before they opened. His teacher was very concerned. She spoke to me and suggested that I enroll my son in a community care program near our home. That option was not viable for me because it was too expensive and I couldn't meet all their requirements. As the days went by, my 10-year-old son had to learn to walk home by himself when school ended. Childcare has always been very expensive and I have had no way to afford care for him. As a single mother, I have had to face many moments alone. Today, I try to spend time with my son during school vacations, but that time cannot bring back the years when my son needed me most by his side. My son has had difficulties at school. When he was eight years old, I had to transfer him to another. Now his academic performance has improved. However, his teachers tell me that he has a very difficult time socializing. He spent many years of his childhood alone because there was no one to take care of him and no one for him to spend time with. I ask our legislators to think about our families, all families, but especially families like mine, single mothers, working families, hardworking, working class families. Our children also want to participate in activities. We want them to be able to spend their time doing hobbies while single mothers like me work the two or three jobs we need to stay afloat. Summer camps are too short and unaffordable for many families. Only those who have money have the opportunity to participate, while families like ours are left to navigate this path alone. New Jersey needs an affordable, reliable, and dignified childcare system that prioritizes and provides care to those who need it most, our children. Thank you.

Thank you. Anyone else?

Okay.

Good evening, my name is Helen Zamora Bustos, and I am here with Wind of the Spirit, a local organization. They are located at 2 Green Village Road.

Okay, just have to say, where do you live?

Welldale.

Okay.

I am here, yes, representing Wind of the Spirit, but also as a parent. I am a parent of three and I just want to share some numbers with you guys because I feel like I am here to support the resolution 249 for the expansion of affordable childcare, but I need to paint the picture with numbers first. I'm a visual person so I feel like by extension I should share this information. So, New Jersey, about 41% of New Jersey communities are childcare deserts, right? Here, bringing it closer to us, here in Morris County, the median income is about $137,000 per family. And child care here in Morris County may cost about $26,000 a year per child, per family. Now, I live in Morris County. I have three kids, and my median income in my household is less than the average here in the state of New Jersey. So as a parent, this is something that I've had to navigate often. What can I afford to do? Can I bring my children to a safe, adequate place? And will I be able to work? in a place that I will be able to afford then child care, or do I stay at home and then the income in my family, of course the sacrifice and other things and affordability are sacrificed as well. And additionally, I have a child who has special needs, so adequate child care is the key for me and my family. And I know that that is the very same case for at least one in 10 families in the state of New Jersey who have a child who has special needs. So with those numbers.

You have about a minute to go. You have three minutes.

So with those numbers and that information and my personal testimony, I ask that today you support and say yes to passing the resolution 249 to expand affordable child care here in the state of New Jersey. Thank you.

Thank you.

Good evening. My name is Stuart Seidenstruck. I live at 34 Ridge Hill Avenue. I'm with Win in the Spirit. And again, we're supporting the resolution 249. In our community work, we have heard several testimonies of people struggling with childcare. In my particular case, we had to considered several options when we were taking care of our children. And at one point, one of our incomes was dedicated exclusively to pay for childcare. We had to decide, do both of us go to work and one salary goes completely for childcare or not? So those numbers that Helen just mentioned have been part of our life, not today. One is 21, the other is 31, but we struggle on that too. So we urge you to pass this resolution, say yes to it. And it's a resolution that is very inclusive. It supports everybody. It supports the children, the families, and all of us. particularly on the immigrant community that normally lives on the low end of the income scale, we can benefit on both ends of it. We need help supporting our children when we need that. And if we're doing the caregiving, which a lot of times we are doing, we're the caregivers, we need to be hired at a rate that is a living wage. And this resolution will help the parents of those children that we take care of be able to afford paying us the right way. Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Hi. I apologize. I'm a little under the weather. I feel like I'm losing my voice. I just want to thank you all for your comments because .

Excuse me. Say your name and where you live. Sorry.

I am Beth Krawcheck and I'm a Madison resident. I live on Belmont Avenue. So thank you for your comments. I'm a mother of twins and one is a special need so I appreciate that. It resonates with me as well. But I'm here to speak about the ordinance for the gas leaf blower ban to phase out the gas leaf blowers. And as we know Maplewood and Montclair

That would be in the next invitation to speak. That's not one of the listed ordinances. We'll call you up again.

Okay, so I go for the second one.

I'm sorry You know what the hook yet we'll get you back Okay, anybody else want to speak about the list of the agenda items Okay with that we'll move on to the introduction of ordinances and actually right now we have our second invitation to speak so guess what you can come back up now I know that's great thank you we just have our protocols we have to follow I know I totally understand and I'm terrible at listening and following rules so okay I appreciate it thank you

So I'm here to support the ordinance to phase out the use of the gas leaf blowers here in Madison. And as we all know or may have heard, Maplewood and Montclair have each been gas leaf blower free year round since 2023. And I'd like to share a few words from a Maplewood resident about how this has positively impacted life in Maplewood. And this resonates with me also because I work from home. So this woman, she works from home, and this is her letter. I run a design business out of my home and for many years I would dread working in the summer and fall because the constant gas leaf blower noise made it difficult to focus, attend meetings, and generally accomplish anything creative. Virtually everyone on my block, including myself, has paid for landscaping services. So there was never a moment of quiet peace as the gas blowers would blast from all sides. When the ban started, the improvement was immediate. The electric rechargeable blowers are much quieter and certainly better for the environment, our health, and air quality. In the summer, we used to smell gasoline everywhere, and now that is non-existent. I cannot emphasize enough what a positive life change this has been. In fact, when I go to another town and hear, see, and smell the gas blowers, I'm shocked that this has not been mandated everywhere. So her name was Kirsten Rogers Dean from Maplewood. And then I also wanted to thank the Madison Environmental Commission for all the education around how leaving the leaves provides much needed nutrients and really improves the health and success of your yard. I'm very negligent to my yard and having left the leaves has been a wonderful improvement for my own yard. So I really appreciate all the work that they're doing to let people know that. Thank you.

Thank you. Anybody else wishing to speak about any topic?

okay with that we'll close this portion of the meeting and now we'll go into introduction of ordinances ordinances scheduled for first reading have a hearing date set for september 28 2026. all will be published on the borough website posted on the bulletin board and made available to members of the public requesting copies

Okay, I'll call up ordinances for first reading and ask the borough clerk to read certain ordinances by title.

Ordinance 34-2026, ordinance of the borough of Madison appropriating $42,600 from the general capital improvement fund for the purchase of new sets of firefighting turnout gear.

Move ordinance 34-2026. Second. Any discussion?

Okay, roll call vote.

Mr. Landrigan?

Yes.

Mr. Range? Yes. Mr. Harold Amputas? Yes. Ms. Honahan? Yes. Ms. Cohn? Yes.

Okay, I call up ordinance 352026 for the first reading and ask the borough clerk to read the said ordinance by title.

Ordinance of the borough of Madison amending and supplementing chapter 94 of the borough code to establish an electric rate class and associated requirements for a high intensity electric customer.

I move ordinance 35-2026. Second. Any council discussion?

Can I just, I know Melissa presented it and she talked about it for a second, but who exactly does it pertain to? Jim, you want to help me here?

There's a definition in there of a high intensity energy user. And it involves both someone that just has a significant increase in their electric consumption. There are small nodes that people can actually have at their home that act as data centers, but they can draw four times the amount of electric vehicle. And we have a transformer out on utility pole that serves four homes, and all of a sudden one home quadruples their consumption. The transformers are going to blow, people are going to lose their electric, it's going to be a problem. So it deals with smaller, but then it also deals with larger entities that might want to rent a floor at Draw the Farms or some other location like that. And all we're doing is establishing a rate class and a rate and some rules around it, like, hey, we're gonna have an agreement and we're gonna understand what you're doing and how much load you're gonna need and all these things and how will this impact our, as Councilwoman Honohan said, our primary goal is to make sure we're delivering reliable electricity to our existing residential customers first.

So as an example, so if a resident has a few electric cars and then the neighbor gets, let's say, two electric cars.

So this is one resident getting like five electric vehicles and you're not going to charge them all at the same time. This is when someone is drawing that amount of electricity all at the same time. So it's only going to be for specific types of equipment.

Yeah. Do that. Or some surge in their home usage of electricity.

It's designed to exclude someone, even a piece of property that is rebuilt into a larger home. It's going to exclude that increase in load. It's really for high intensity user, which that would not be a regular residential home.

Right, like Tom, we have a server in our house for my husband's job. It draws almost no electricity.

Right.

So, but if you put a room full of servers in, then I think so, I think that's the kind of quantity we're talking about.

Okay, thank you for the clarification, Jim. Okay, any other discussion?

Okay, roll call vote.

Mr. Landrigan?

Yes.

Mr. Range? Yes. Mr. Harold Amputas? Yes. Ms. Honahan? Yes. Ms. Cohn? Yes.

Okay, and I ask the Borough Clerk to do the first reading of Ordinance 36-2026.

Ordinance of the Borough of Madison appropriating $177,238 from the Municipal Open Space Trust Fund for the renovation of the Dodge Field Basketball Pickleball Courts.

I move ordinance 362026. Second.

Any council discussion?

Yes.

Okay.

Go ahead. Sorry. No, that's okay. Just to note that this is amended to read 177,238 appropriation ordinance to upgrade with a match of $20,000 from the Madison Basketball Association. Okay.

And just so people are aware, when we did the playground a couple of years ago, we put a paint of coat on the basketball court, but they weren't redone. So this isn't like, wait, you just did this three years ago. This is actual work that needs to be done. We just threw paint on it so it would look fresh.

Okay, any other discussion? Okay, roll call vote.

Mr. Landrigan? Yes. Mr. Range?

Yes.

Mr. Harold M. Putis? Yes. Ms. Honahan? Yes. Ms. Cohn? Yes.

Okay, we'll move on to the consent agendas.

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.

I move consent agenda resolutions 246-2026 through 267-2026. Second. Any discussion?

Okay, Melissa?

Just a comment, and thank you for the comments earlier. I too am a single mother and know firsthand how essential, reliable, and affordable childcare matters to families. Much like Stuart mentioned, it's such a balance. You're like, is it even worth going to work if I have to pay many tens of thousands of dollars for care. But it's not just a service. It allows parents to work, it allows us to grow, it allows us to be better for our families, and it allows us to provide stability for our kids. And I fully support the full funding of child care for all resolution. And regardless of what anyone's family situation is, everyone deserves access to safe, high quality child care. By expanding the resources in the state of New Jersey, we strengthen our children's futures and our community as a whole. And I'm committed to making this a reality for the families who depend on it. And I thank my fellow council members as well and the mayor for their support of this important resolution.

Okay, thank you.

Nice and formal.

I just wanted to express my support. I have three kids, also twin 21 year olds and then a 24 year old. So it's been a little while since they've been in daycare. But I know even then we paid and it was a subsidized daycare through my husband's employer. We paid $22,000 a year when all three of them were in daycare. And we happen to have several nice options in Madison. But I think it is important. It does help socialize the kids. It lets them play rather than when they get to school. And it's an immediate, oh, play? What's that? We're going to learn this, that, and the other thing with a little bit of play mixed in. And my husband and I both worked. I couldn't get home before they got out of school. And my husband works in IT, so his job was never reliable to do pickups. I used to go, they went to one local in town, and I would get there at four, because I'm like, I'm home, I'll pick them up. And then I would come back at 5.30 when the daycare closed, because they wanted to be with their friends, which, okay, fine, I have an hour and a half to myself. But the fact that not everybody can afford it, and we, for the Madison area, I would say are middle to middle low income comparatively, Other areas, we are definitely in that upper middle class. But it's just hard, and nobody should have to be working two or three jobs. I teach in West Orange, and we have students who have parents. Dad works two jobs, mom works three. When is somebody home? other than the big sister or the big brother to help. And I think childcare does offer us a lot more than just babysitting. And our daycare workers are all underpaid for what they do. And that's maybe the next step. But first of all, we gotta make it affordable so that we can all have one thing taken off the plate of worrying about when you're trying to raise kids and function and be an adult. Thank you.

Any other discussion? Okay, roll call vote on the consent agenda resolutions.

Mr. Landrigan? Yes. Mr. Range? Yes. Mr. Harold Impudus? Yes. Ms. Honahan? Yes. Ms. Cohn?

Yes, but I need to recuse for R251-2026. Thank you.

Okay, with that, we'll move on to unfinished business. I don't believe there is any. Let's approve the vouchers. Big vouchers.

The current fund, $12,093,188.16. The general capital fund, $684,142.27. The Electric Operating Fund, $1,378,859.24. The Electric Capital Fund, $118,905.74. The Water Operating Fund, $68,106.35. The Water Capital Fund, $721.22. The trusts, $276,747.59 for a total of $14,632,670.57. I move approval of the vouchers. Second. Any discussion? A roll call vote. Mr. Landrigan? Yes. Mr. Range? Yes. Mr. Harold Lamputis? Yes. Ms. Honahan? Yes. Ms. Cohn?

Yes.

Okay, and do I hear a motion to adjourn?

Acting Mayor Bob Landrigan, I can't talk today. It was a really rough day, my actual job.

Let's adjourn the meeting.