Borough Council - Regular Meeting

Do it.

I'm just kidding.

Let the record reflect that the meeting is reconvened with all members present. For those who are able, please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance and please remain standing while we recognize members of our Madison community who have passed away.

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.

Today we remember three members of our Madison community who recently passed away. Helen King passed away peacefully on June 17th at the age of 92. We also remember Giacomo Alaca, age 93, who leaves behind a legacy of love, faith, and hard work. And we remember Evelyn Fundaco, age 88, who made Madison her home with her husband Jerry in 1957 and was a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother who brought support and joy to all those around her. special way this evening we also remember carmine toto jr on what would have been his 81st birthday carmine who passed away in 2021 spent many years as a volunteer for the borough and is most remembered for organizing the madison christmas parade for many years with his wife marie and passing the parade as well as his love of christmas to his son carmine toto iii please join me in taking a moment to remember helen giacomo evelyn and carmine and keep their families and loved ones in our thoughts Thank you. May I have a motion for the executive minutes of May 11th, 2026, which we've already discussed in executive.

I'll move it. Second.

All in favor? Aye. May I have a motion for the regular minutes of May 11, 2026?

So moved.

Second. All in favor? Aye. May I have a motion for the executive minutes of May 27, 2026, already discussed in executive? So moved.

Second.

All in favor?

Aye.

And may I have a motion for the regular minutes of May 27, 2026? So moved.

Second.

All in favor?

Aye.

Thank you very much. Good evening, everyone. I'm very much honored once again to serve as the acting mayor the second time this year. And I wanted to mention that the role is not lost on me, especially as we approach July 4th when we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States. I'm reminded of what a privilege it is to live in a representative democracy and to have a voice in our government, to be able to listen, to serve one another. and to carry forward the ideals that have guided this country since its founding. It's an honor to play even a small part in that tradition here in Madison. There's been much happening in Madison. With regard to the Madison Public Library, summer reading registration began on June 17th, and the official summer reading kickoff took place today. This year's theme is Unearth a Story. Last month's total circulation, which digital and non-digital combined, was 10% higher than in May. then in May 2019, pre-COVID. The library's Chase Auditorium hosted a total of 31 events last month, including library programming, friends mini-courses, craft sessions, piano recitals, and community nonprofits meetings. We have some exciting news. On Thursday, July 2nd, the Borough of Madison will proudly host a United States Marine Corps event at Madison High School as part of the commemoration of America's 250th anniversary. This special event will begin at 9.30 a.m. and will feature remarks from distinguished guests, including a United States Marine Corps officer and Mars County Commissioner and United States Marine Corps veteran John Crickus, followed by performances from the renowned United States Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon and the 2nd Marine Division Band. Aircraft are expected to arrive at approximately 11 a.m. when the attendees will have the opportunity to view and photograph the CH-53K King Stallion and V-22 Osprey on display. Aircraft are anticipated to remain on site until approximately 2 p.m., at which time the event will conclude. This event provides a rare opportunity to experience the professionalism, tradition, and service of the United States Marine Corps, while also serving as an early Independence Day celebration as we prepare to commemorate 250 years of our nation's history, service, and enduring spirit. We invite residents of all ages to join for this memorable occasion. Parking will be available at Madison High School with overflow parking at the Madison Rec Complex. We look forward to welcoming the Marines to Madison and hope to see our community there. For more information, please visit rosenet.org slash 250. We'll now move on to reports from committees. And I will actually start us off just to get that out of the way. From the Downtown Development Commission, the Director of Business Development, the next meeting of the Downtown Development Commission will be held on July 16th at 7.15 p.m. in the second floor committee room in the Hartley Dodge Memorial Building. The public is invited to attend. The June meeting has been canceled. The 2026 Madison Farm and Artisan Market is open on Saturdays through December 2nd. The market will be closed on the 4th of July and Bottle Hill Day. New vendors can request the information by emailing lisaellis at ddc at rosenet.org. Information regarding Bottle Hill Day 2026 on Saturday, October 3rd is now available on rosedent.org. The DDC has been granted a public viewing license by FIFA. We are now looking at planning a World Cup watch party in the coming weeks. And from the Madison Community Arts Center, every Tuesday from 1 to 4 p.m., seniors play Mahjong in Canasta. And Wednesday, June 24th, this Wednesday at 7 p.m., Show us your shorts. Every fourth Wednesday, local film members submit and show their short films. Friday, June 26th, from 6 to 8 p.m., we're kicking off the Summer Stage Series with two bands, Engineers and Eddie Kemenitzer Band. There will be a food truck and local craft vendors. Sunday, June 28th, at 3 p.m., is Arts by the People, presents Spotlight, featuring three local writers reading and discussing their latest work. After the readings, there will be an audience Q&A and a book signing. Sunday, June 20th, from 5.30 to 7.30 p.m. is Pride Art Gallery Reception. Meet the artists, mingle, have refreshments, and support local drag artists. And Monday, June 29th, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., there's a Red Cross Blood Drive. Wednesday, July 1st, at 7 p.m., the Platform Literary Open Mic and Writing Workshop is brought to you by Arts by the People. Tickets can be found at Madison Community Arts Center Events homepage at rosenet.org.mcac, slash mcac. from the madison community pool last week the madison community pool host hosted several special events including the mhs senior barbecue and pool party the fifth grade celebration and the dare celebration in partnership with the madison police department it was great to see so many families and students enjoying the facility last friday also marked our non-member day in the official start of summer operating hours madison community pools now open seven days a week for the season During non-member day and throughout the weekend, we welcomed 131 guests to the pool. As a reminder, guest visits are capped at three visits per season for Madison residents and 10 visits per season for non-residents. Guests who attended non-member day and decide to purchase a membership may apply their guest admission fee toward their membership purchase. Overall attendance from Friday through Saturday totaled 173 members and 22 guests, reflecting a strong start to the full summer season. Noodle Day begins tomorrow and will take place weekly on Tuesdays from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Swim lessons also kicked off today. There are still three additional lessons available, including Saturday-only session, and registration remains open. Additional events and programming will continue throughout the summer. To stay up to date on upcoming activities, register for programs, or view the weekly newsletter, visit madisonpool.org. Go to Public Safety. Mr. Landrigan.

Thank you. Okay, from the police department. The police department has reinstituted its bicycle helmet safety awards program to promote safe bicycling habits among children throughout the community for the summer. Officers who observe children properly wearing their helmets will reward them with a special safety ticket redeemable for a free ice cream cone from a participating local business. The program encourages helmet use through positive reinforcement while fostering strong relationships between our officers and the Madison youth. On June 11th, Chief John Misha appeared before the New Jersey State Association of Police Chiefs of Accreditation Commission as part of the Madison Police Department's reaccreditation process. Following a review of the department's onsite assessment, Chief Misha answered questions regarding department operations, policies, and compliance with accreditation standards. The commission subsequently granted the Madison Police Department its third consecutive accreditation, recognizing the agency's continued commitment to professionalism, accountability, and law enforcement best practices. I would like to thank our accreditation team led by Captain Longo for all their hard work. On June 18th, the Madison Police Department Community Policing Unit, along with our LEAD instructors, hosted a year long pool party at the Madison community pool to celebrate the conclusion of the school year and recognize students who successfully completed the LEAD. That's the law enforcement against drug and violence program. The event provided an opportunity for officers and students to come together in a fun and positive environment, reinforcing the strong relationship built throughout the year while recognizing the student's commitment and responsibility and accomplishments. And finally, from the fire department, the department is actively involved in the World Cup standbys and strike teams as needed. Since June 1st, there have been four motor vehicle collisions on Main Street between Union Avenue and Sampson Avenue. And finally, the department responded to a two-along fire in Florham Park this morning. That's it. Thank you.

Thank you. Finance and Borough Clerk.

Tonight, we're going to do something we don't do very often. We're going to introduce a bond ordinance to authorize the issuance of debt. Our CFO and our bond attorney are here to talk about the borrowing process a little later in this meeting. For the last decade plus, the borough capital program has been largely pay-as-you-go, which is not something a lot of towns do, so we don't issue a lot of debt. Tonight's ordinance involves borrowing funds so we can purchase the Drew Forest. We're still working out all of the details with Drew, and we hope to close later this year. In preparation for that, however, we need to have our finances in order. The purchase price for the forest parcels is $23.8 million. The good news is that we have $17.5 million in grant funds from federal, state, and county sources. So the net cost for purchasing the drew parcels is approximately $6.2 million. The mayor and council, along with our attorneys and staff, have collectively put in well over 1,000 hours over the last few years to get us to this point, and hopefully we are ever closer to the finish line. From the tax collector this evening, the tax collector reports that tax bills are expected to be mailed by mid-July, with the third quarter taxes due on August 1st. We realize this is a short turnaround time. However, every year we need to wait for the state to pass the budget and to certify the budgets of the borough, school, and county before we can get our new tax rate and begin creating bills. As a reminder, due to the normal tax billing schedule, billing halfway through the year, the third and fourth quarter amounts are always a little bit higher than the first and second quarters of the following year. Please contact the tax collector's office if you have any questions about your tax bill. That's all tonight, John. Thank you. Thank you. Public Works and Engineering Councilman Harold Poudis.

Thank you, Council President Forte, Acting Mayor Forte. Hello, everybody. Big turnout. Okay, I have a few things to report. I'll try and make it quick. From the land use and engineering, you probably have noticed around town the road reconstruction projects are underway. Dogwood Drive, Orwood Drive, and E Street. Curb repairs, milling, and paving to follow. Reconstruction work on Shady Long Drive is ongoing. It includes installation of new curbing, milling, and roadway resurfacing funded by some county grant money. Centerline striping, roadway markings, crosswalk repainting, and crack sealing activities continue throughout the borough. The engineering department welcomed three interns this summer. They are currently conducting an inventory and evaluation of stormwater inlets throughout the borough to identify older inlets that do not meet current standards and will help prioritize future replacement locations. The wayfinding signage project is underway. Thank goodness. The borough is currently awaiting the shop drawings, For final review and approval, following approval, the signage will move into fabrication and then installation. This signage represents one phase of a broader wayfinding program that will be implemented in stages. Upcoming events, Central Avenue will be closed between Main Street and Cook Avenue and Elmer Street on the east side, Cook Avenue on the west side. Tuesday through Thursday, there will be a demolition of numbers 3 to 5 Central Avenue, the old luncheonette. So that's gonna be the end of that little history. Additional curb and sidewalk repairs are planned for the Cook Avenue parking lot, as well as selected locations throughout the borough identified need of repair. Communication regarding impacts to the businesses will be shared as the project schedule is finalized and the construction date is confirmed with the contractors. From the DPW, the DPW finished planting street trees around the borough. They planted 90 trees, throughout the borough on the curbs. Now they're starting to mulch them, and hopefully we get some rain so that they stabilize. The ADPW continues to patch potholes around town. The Parks Department is preparing fields every week for spring sports, which are finishing up soccer, lacrosse, baseball, and softball. We're working continuous work on maintaining the downtown parking lots. The Rhodes crew installed new signs for the police department, if you've seen them. They are solar-powered. radar signs that give you a little message if you're driving safely or not driving safely, which is great. We approved money for 10 of those, so there'll be 10 of those over the next year around the borough. One is on my block, which we desperately needed. DPW assists the water utility with new water connections and a water main break on Union Hill. Two more things really quick, Councilman Forte. From the MEC, The Environmental Commission and the Nature of Reading Bookshop held a successful June 8th event on trees. Participants learned how to plant a pocket forest that's suitable for front lawns. A pocket forest is easier to take care of than a meadow or a lawn. There's no mowing, no watering once the trees are established. In addition, pocket forests are a great way to recharge the aquifer where we get our drinking water. With the current year-long drought, the aquifer needs all the help it can get. And the MEC's Quiet Summer campaign is in full swing. All it takes is to ask your landscaper to pause on the gas leaf blowing from now through September. It's an easy way to be kind to the birds, to children who like to play outside. Gas leaf blowers, as we know from hearing residents speak before, can damage the hearing of young children and they emit health-harming pollutants. The MEC is partnering on the Quiet Summer campaign with the Chathams and Morris Township and Morris Town, as they have mandatory seasonal gas blower bans also. One more report from Shade Tree, if I can find it. This one? No, this one. Again, they repeated that the Department of Public Works planted 90 trees around the borough. They're gonna enhance watering plans for these trees. The Shade Tree Management Board also has endorsed a new initiative to plant 40 trees and shrubs in the MRC Meadow. to replace the removed trees that Florham Park took down when they installed their big billboard. So these trees will hopefully shield the light from that billboard from coming onto our MRC complex. The Friends of the Madison Shade Tree will help with funding to purchase and maintain the new trees and shrubs. That's all, sir.

Thank you very much. Utilities, Councilwoman Honahan.

Thank you. From the Water Department, It's a theme. Yesterday, a mandatory water usage restriction was put in use, replacing the voluntary restrictions which had been recommended due to demand and the drought. Odd and even days are in full force, and there's no watering between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. The Water Department also dug and repaired two main valves in the distribution system ahead of hydrant installation job on Chateau Thierry. The booster pump at DeWild distribution was pulled to be evaluated for a high heat issue and the temp pump was installed. Shut down for two separate main leaks in the Madison Commons. Repaired an eight inch water main break on Union Hill Road. And hydrants on Lower Lawonika Way will be cleared and a six foot radius of asphalt installed so they do not continually become overgrown and hard to access. From the Electric Department, standby responded to Main Street in front of Quick Foods to inspect a pole that was struck by a car. Electric Department responded to three power outages from squirrels. Standby was called out on the report of a loud bang and loss of power on Kings Road. And standby was also called out to Greenwich Court for an emergency mark out. There were a couple of low hanging wires which were taken or fixed on Rosedale and Niles and Woodland at Garfield. The Electric Department continues to make good progress with the tree line clearance. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Health, Councilwoman Cohen.

Thank you, Mayor Forte. Just a short one. The department will be hosting a bone density screening on June 25th from 11 to 2 right here in the courtroom. Registration is available online or by calling the health department. There will be a blood pressure screening on June 29th from 10 to 11 at the library. Walk-ins are welcome at that. The Board of Health introduced two ordinances during their June meeting, one to provide a requirement for extermination services when indicated, and one to allow for the keeping of chickens. The hearings for these ordinances will be heard at the August 3rd meeting. The department would like to remind residents to eliminate mosquito breeding conditions by eliminating standing water from their property and cleaning gutters. That's the health report. But just to add super quick, uh, those of you that like the lobster truck at the farmer's market, they will be there this coming Saturday rather than the next Saturday. Cause it's July 4th. They will be in Florham park for their events. So little schedule change.

Thank you very much. Communications and petitions.

Yes, sir. We received, Mayor and Council received emails on June 11th from Josephine Salco of Belmont Avenue supporting a proposed ban on gas-powered leaf blowers. On June the 15th from Diane Teller of Lorraine Road asking the borough to display wartime heroes awards. to display something for the wartime heroes that lived in Madison on June 18th from Thomas Abadante in support of the proposed ban on gas-powered leaf blowers and on June the 22nd from Katie Zurich of Rosedale Avenue recognizing borough director of communications Michael Pelsey and his efforts to the borough.

Thank you very much. We now open the meeting to invitation for public comments. During this portion of the meeting, members of the public may ask questions and make comments on any discussion items on the agenda or any resolutions. There will be another invitation for discussion later in the meeting for any other subject. If you have any questions or comments, please proceed to the lector and give your name and address and print the same on the sheet provided for the record. Please limit your questions or comments to three minutes or less, but we will give you one minute grace period. We have one agenda discussion item tonight related to bond issuance, and we have the following resolutions. We have Resolution R196-2026, Resolution of the Borough of Madison Authorizing Contract Extension for the Prevention, Repair, Testing, and Inspection Services to Asplund Electric Testing of Foxboro, Mass. R197-2026, Resolution of the Borough of Madison Renewing Liquor Licenses in the Borough of Madison for the 2026 to 2027 License Term. R-198-2026, resolution of the Borough of Madison approving raffles license applications submitted by the Thursday Morning Club. R-199-2026, resolution of the Borough of Madison awarding contract to Cefali & Son General Contracting for concrete improvements under Morris County Cooperative bid in an amount not to exceed $40,000. R200-2026, resolution of the Borough of Madison authorizing purchase orders under the interlocal purchasing systems contract number 240101, technology solutions, products and services. R201-2026, resolution of the Borough of Madison awarding contract to Gen Electric for traffic signal improvements under Mars County Cooperative bid in an amount not to exceed $55,000. R202-2026, resolution of the Borough of Madison promoting Amy Greeley to the position of senior technical assistant to the construction code official in the building department. R203-2026, resolution of the Borough of Madison authorizing use of a competitive contracting process for laboratory testing services. R204-2026, resolution of the Borough of Madison authorizing a $295,000 NJDOT municipal aid application for the old greenhouse lane milling and overlay project. R205-2026, resolution of the Borough of Madison authorizing renewal of a settlement agreement with Madison Commons Condominium Association. R206-2026, resolution of the Borough of Madison ratifying appointment of intern Leo R. Tumblakian as part-time unpaid intern for the fire department. R207-2026, resolution of the Borough of Madison approving temporary signs for the Madison Chatham Coalition. R208-2026, resolution of the Borough of Madison approving temporary signs for the Thursday Morning Club. R209-2026, resolution of the Borough of Madison amending the capital budget. R-210-2026, Resolution of the Borough of Madison requesting the Director of Local Government Services to approve the insertion of an item of revenue in the budget of the year 2026. And R-211-2026, Resolution of the Borough of Madison promoting Michael Pellissier to the position of Director of Operations. Those are the items you may comment on. If you are interested in doing so, please step forward.

Claire Whitcomb, 12 Fairwood Road. I want to comment on the bond issuance. I really want to compliment the council. Eric mentioned thousands of hours working on the Drew Forest project. I think that makes it, emotionally, I think there are about 5,000 hours out there. Yeah, and I think you in particular, Eric, have maybe 10,000 emotional hours. But all of us at Friends of the Dew Forest are so grateful for the five years of persistence and dark alleys and dreams of saving this forest. And when the purchase agreement was signed earlier this year, it included a $5 million fundraising pledge, basically to supplement the borough's purchase price so that it would be helped through help Drew and help fuel an agreement to have a conservation sale. So I'm proud to report that Friends of the Drew Forest are nearing the, what it is is it's 2.5 million that we need to raise that will be matched by anonymous donor. And the Friends of the Drew Forest are pretty close to that goal. And residents and forest lovers are invited to support the home stretch at friendsofthedrewforest.org. So thank everybody here for your tireless support. And to the public, everybody who has a yard sign, all, you know, the many years we've done this and I look forward to the presentation.

Thank you very much. Anyone else wishing to comment, please step forward. Seeing none, I'll close this portion of the hearing. Okay, end of discussions. Tonight we have, would you like to introduce, Jim?

Well, tonight, Mayor, we have our bond counsel, Steve Rogut, who is here to discuss the technical aspects of issuance of a bond, but Michael's going to project up on the screen the quick summary of the funding. I'm hoping he's going to do that in a moment, basically as a councilman. range had stated it's $23.8 million is the purchase price. There's various funding sources from state, federal, and county that bring the total amount that we're probably going to need to actually bond for to about $11 million. But then there is additional funds from Green Acres that are paid out over 10 years. So in essence, the borough net cost for the purchase of the Drew Forest, not including borrowing costs, little over six million dollars so just wanted to get that out in the public realm because we've talked so much about all these different grant amounts but there it is in a simple summary document with that I invite Steve Rogat to come up to talk for a minute about how bonding works because this councilman range said it's something we don't do too often thank you Jim good evening everyone

Tonight for consideration for introduction is a bond ordinance for $23,800,000, which is the purchase price of the Drew Forest. In the bond ordinance, it references the various grants that we anticipate receiving. As we receive those funds, the bulk of which we will be receiving simultaneously with the acquisition of the property and the borrowing of the the borrows portion of it, so we're anticipating that we'll need to borrow initially around $10.9 million. The $23.8 million that we authorize will be reduced by the grants that we receive, so we're contemplating So the bond ordinance is up for introduction tonight. It would be up for final approval July 13th, and the ordinance would be effective. There's a 20-day waiting period before the ordinance takes effect. So the ordinance would be in effect on August 4th. At that point, we'll have an appropriation of funds, and we will be really ready to complete the purchase of the property once the conditions are met for the acquisition. What's contemplated is that we would issue short-term debt, one-year bond anticipation notes, which we're able to renew on an annual basis for up to 10 years. This will allow us to reduce the amount of debt every year by the DEP, the Green Acres money, comes in on an annual basis. So we'll be getting money every year from Green Acres, and we'll use that to reduce the amount of the debt. If there's any additional private funding or municipal open space funding that's appropriated, we'll continue to knock down the debt. So it's contemplated that we would have the debt outstanding for a maximum of 10 years. The goal of introducing the bond ordinance now is to get us in position to be ready to close on the transaction once the conditions of sale are met.

Thank you. Any questions? Any council discussion? Much.

You're welcome.

Let's move on to ordinances for hearing. Will the clerk please read the statement?

The ordinance is scheduled for hearing. We're introduced by title and passed on a first reading at the regular meeting of the council held on June 8th, 2026. They were posted and filed according to law and copies were made available to the general public requesting same.

I call up ordinances for second reading and ask the clerk to read said ordinance by title.

Ordinance 28-2026, ordinance of the borough of Madison appropriating $60,000 from the electric capital improvement fund for signalization improvements.

Mayor, I move. I open the hearing. Is there anyone wishing to comment? Seeing none, I close the hearing.

Mayor, I move Ordinance 28-2026. Second.

Second.

Any council discussion? Roll call vote, please.

Mr. Landrigan? Yes. Mr. Raines? Yes. Mr. Harold Hootis? Yes. Ms. Honahan? Yes. Mr. Forte? Yes. Ms. Cohen? Yes.

I declare ordinance 28-2026 adopted and finally passed and ask the clerk to publish notice and file the ordinance in accordance with the law.

Ordinance 29-2026, ordinance of the borough of Madison amending and supplementing chapter 195 of the borough code entitled land development.

I open the hearing. Is there anyone wishing to comment?

Yeah, so I would appreciate, Claire Whitcomb, 12 Fairwood Road, I appreciate some elucidation on what land development means. I don't know what this ordinance is.

Oh, you want me to tell her? It's in here. Yeah, Karina.

There we go.

Okay, so this is the land development section of the ordinance, but the specific... changes are to attached garages I think it was discussed at a previous meeting and then attach what attached garages garages the garage it's changing the how far an attached garage can encroach into the front yard setback and then Adding additional criteria for what is considered design variation. So if there's multiple houses being developed instead of it just being a mirror image, the planning board can look or zoning board can look to different criteria to show that design is being varied. That's the only two changes that are in this ordinance.

Thank you very much. I missed the earlier discussion.

No problem.

Anyone else wishing to comment? Seeing none, I close the hearing. Is there a motion? Oh, I'm sorry.

Mayor, I make a motion for Ordinance 29-2026. Second.

Any council discussion?

just real quick um for me i i like the fact that we're finally saying you can't have the same builder build four houses on the same street that well you can have the same builder they just can't all right yeah yeah same builder building the same exact structure same builder can build as many houses as they can can on a street but that it needs to vary the design to keep the nature of um madison what it is with varied house design and not all looking one in the same

would i would add that i would concur having spent a lot of time on the planning board i think this will save everyone a lot of time hopefully you know we'll get those applications up front where there's not a give and take and push and pull over several meetings to get that done so it seems like a good move roll call vote please mr landrigan

Yes. Mr. Range? Yes. Mr. Harold Poudis? Yes. Ms. Monahan? Yes. Mr. Forte?

Yes.

Ms. Cohen? Yes.

I declare Ordinance 29-2026 adopted and finally passed and ask the clerk to publish notice and file the ordinance in accordance with the law.

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.

I open the hearing. Anyone wishing to comment? Seeing none, I'll close that portion of the hearing.

Mayor, I move ordinance 30-2026. Second. Council discussion? Just a note, and I think we noted this last time, this is $250,000, which is the borough portion of a much more expensive project that will be funded alongside grants from the county and the state and dollars from our friends at the Hartley Dodge Memorial trustees.

would just add there too that this this is uh something that's desperately needed we we have to tackle this so it's going to be money well spent roll call vote please mr landrigan yes mr range yes mr harold hudas yes miss honahan yes mr forte yes miss cohen yes i declare ordinance 30-2026 adopted and finally passed and asked the clerk to publish notice and file the ordinance in accordance with the law Okay, so now we have invitation for public comment number two. We now invite the public to comment on any topic. And again, the same rules apply. Anyone wishing to comment, please step forward, state your name and address. Please try to keep your comments to three minutes, but we will give you a one-minute grace period.

Good evening. Hi, Paul Daly, 32 Longview. Dr. Thomas Abitante, I hope I pronounced it right, has asked me to read this statement, if that's all right. to Mayor Conley and Madison City Council in absentia. I am writing to express my support for the proposed ban on gas-powered leaf blowers while I'm sure that others have spoken with regard to the noise pollution and ecological and environmental effects resultant of the overuse of gas-powered blowers. I specifically want to focus on the adverse health effects that these devices pose both to the operators but also to the community. I'm a medical research scientist whose primary area of focus is the effects of airborne hazards and pollution on the heart and lungs. Though my work involves veterans exposed to toxic inhalation exposures while deployed in combat zones, there is significant overlap in both the makeup of airborne hazards and the potential health effects. Gas-powered internal combust engines release a multitude of health-harming byproducts that are emitted into the atmosphere. These, among others, include fine particulate matter and volatile organic compounds. Compared to vehicles with other large equipment utilizing combustion engines, two-stroke gas leaf blower engines are highly inefficient, greatly increasing the amount of emissions released. Fine particulate matter and volatile organic compounds can have serious long-term effects on cardiopulmonary health. They can trigger inflammation of the airways of the respiratory tract, leading to conditions like asthma or chronic bronchitis. Due to the small size of the particulate matter, they can penetrate deep into the lung periphery and cause inflammation and subsequent damage to the alveoli. Wow, I haven't said that since high school. Eventually leading to obstructive or restrictive diseases. The particulate matter can also be small enough that it can transfer to the pulmonary vasculature system. This can lead to inflammation and eventual stiffening of the vasculature, which over time can lead to pulmonary hypertension, a critical condition. The particles can also travel into the heart and throughout the cardiovascular system, affecting the heart's geometry and its ability to effectively pump blood, also known as heart failure. The military personnel who were deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan after 9-11 are experiencing a common clinical condition that is currently under investigation, unexplained exceptional breathlessness despite normal lung function testing. The leading theory is that there is deep lung periphery damage and early damage to the pulmonary vascular representing the beginning stages of lung disease or pulmonary hypertension. Further, military veterans are observed to have left ventricular concentric remodeling in early stage of heart failure, significantly higher than that of civilians of similar demographics. The main source behind these changes is thought to be inhaled fine particulate matter and volatile organic compounds. While the degree of pollution created locally by gas-powered leaf blowers will not compare to those produced in combat regions, the current health issues facing the cohort of military veterans highlight that the exhaust created by gas-powered leaf blowers is not harmless. Due to the inefficiency and the ever-increasing use of these toxic devices, it is not a leap of logic to assume harm is being done to the operators and potentially the local community. For the health of Madison's residents and workers, please follow the lead of Maplewood, Montclair, and other municipalities and institute an ordinance that will end the use of gas-powered leaf blowers here. And that was, again, from Dr. Thomas Abitante. Did I make it in three minutes?

It was with nine seconds to spare. You know what I'm doing. Anyone else wishing to comment, please step forward. Seeing none, I'll close this portion of the meeting. Introduction of ordinances.

The ordinances scheduled for first reading have a hearing date set for July the 13th, 2026, will be published 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 said ordinances by title.

Ordinance 31-2026, ordinance of the borough of Madison appropriating $245,000 from the electric capital improvement fund for the purchase of a new bucket truck and accessories.

Mayor, I move ordinance 31-2026. Second.

Any council discussion? Roll call vote, please.

Mr. Landrigan? Yes. Mr. Range? Yes. Mr. Haralamputis? Yes. Ms. Honahan? Yes. Mr. Forte? Yes. Ms. Cohen? Yes. Ordinance 32-2026, bond ordinance to authorize the acquisition of real property known as the Drew Forest property for open space and other public purposes in, by, and for the Borough of Madison in the County of Mars, State of New Jersey, to appropriate the sum of $23,800,000 to pay the cost thereof to authorize the issuance of bonds to finance such appropriations and to provide for the issuance of bond anticipation notes in anticipation of the issuance of such bonds.

Mayor, I move ordinance 32-2026. Second.

Any council discussion?

I just want to reiterate that everybody between Jim and Ray and Eric and all of you that were involved in this whole process of being so proactive, which is going to be a big benefit to the borough if we actually move this forward. Hopefully we find more grants, Jim, like I've asked you in the past, and the money that we are responsible for gets paid down like you've done with some of our other open space acquisitions. So let's see if we get this to the finish line in a few months. Thanks again for everybody's hard work.

Any other council discussion? Roll call vote, please.

Mr. Landrigan? Yes. Mr. Range? Yes. Mr. Haralamputis? Yes. Ms. Honahan? Yes. Mr. Forte? Yes. Ms. Cohen?

I need to recuse myself.

Okay, now 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 and full in the minutes.

I'll move consent agenda resolution R-196-2026 through R-211-2026. Second.

Full call vote, please.

Mr. Landrigan?

Yes.

Mr. Range? Yes. Mr. Haralamputis?

Yes. I abstain from resolution 197-2026.

Yes. Ms. Honahan? Yes. Mr. Forte? Yes. Ms. Cohen? Yes.

There is no unfinished business. Approval of the vouchers?

From the current fund, $4,691,294.03. From the general capital fund, $526,303.01. From the Electric Operating Fund, $323,128.55. From the Electric Capital Fund, $2,646.76. From the Water Operating Fund, $58,013.68. From the Water Capital Fund, $205,541.89. And from the Trust, $5,924.13. The total is $5,812,852.05. Yes, I'll move the approval of the vouchers.

Second. We'll call vote, please.

Mr. Landrigan? Yes. Mr. Range? Yes. Mr. Haralamputis? Yes. Ms. Honahan? Yes. Mr. Forte? Yes. Ms. Cohen? Yes.

There's no new business? We do have. Oh, yes, we do.

Sorry. On your agenda. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

OK. sorry i had it but i didn't really have it under new business i would like to announce the following mayoral appointment and request council confirmation parks advisory committee michael belt kings road one year term through december 31st 2026. mayor i move the foregoing appointment all in favor aye may i entertain a motion to adjourn we move that we adjourn the meeting