Council - Regular Meeting

And I think I think you guys have done your due diligence to find the right location and to find the best option. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Who else would like to be heard? Run up. Lorraine Thman from 238 Liberty Avenue in Hillsdale. I agree. We do need more cell coverage, but the location is horrendous. The swim club is used by everyone in the town from small children with the waiting pool

to the seniors. It is a recluse during the summer. People go there with their family, their friends. They're going making new friends. And by putting that cell tower there, it'll destroy the swim club as it exists. The cell tower can be placed in another location. It does not have to be placed in a location that everyone can use from the very young to the very old. You have the high school which has in the northeast corner is away from the street. You can't see it. It's camouflaged by trees. Woods are there. You have Centennial Field which also is away from a street out of sight and is camouflaged. Riverdale just put in a giant cell tower. I don't know if it has any effect on the people in Hillsdale if their cell service was improved any because of this gigantic cell tower. It is not the place for the cell tower, not Stonybrook. It's right there where the street is. Welcome to Hillsdale Cell Tower. And I know in the past the council said, "Well, we haven't had any complaints about our existing cell towers." But you know what? Two of them are in the commercial area of town and the other was on the Garden State Parkway. Who's going to complain? This is in an area that is used by everyone and highly visible. And that swim club is a lovely recluse for people in the summer. They do not have to drive down to the shore. They don't have to put up with the heat and the traffic. They have something right in town. Thank you.

Thank you. Anybody else want to be heard?

Good evening, Teresa Gorman, 3 Drake Drive. I think it's Three Drake Drive. I just would like to say that I would like this cell tower to be at the high school and if we could vote to make that happen, that would be appreciated. Thank you. Thank you. Who else like to be heard?

Sam Resnik, 5 Drake Drive. Uh uh thank you guys so much for all the effort that you put in. This is a complicated choice. Obviously, a lot of um of tough decisions to make. And I just wanted to say that I I agree with a lot of people who are saying we need service. Um I think a cell tower may not even be the right solution. We just don't know what the right solution is based on the studies that were done, the experts that were here. We don't have a conclusive answer. Maybe it's small cells with our hilly town in Hillsdale. We just don't know. I implore you to vote no instead of voting yes on a 30-year lease in a tower that may not be effective. It may not provide service in our schools or it may not provide what everyone is looking for. We just don't know the answer. Please vote no.

Thank you. There was someone over here. Yeah, you had had your hand up before. Hi,

Colleen Tranowski. Thank you for listening to me. I just want to vote no. I'm not prepared to speak, but I think you should all lean on the side of caution for the children going to school there. My children are grown now. They're not going to school there. But if any kids start feeling dizzy and nauseous and if they start getting sick and you already signed that contract and you have to go years of worrying about children being sick and then for so many months out of the year they're going to school and then they're spending the summer at the pool. their little brains are growing and um and for any animal people here, there's I know it affects the birds and stuff like that. So, if you start seeing little dead squirrels and birds that might affect somebody, I just think it's I have no problems with my phone. I call I was on the ambulance core. I There was never any problem. I I think that It's too soon and we don't know enough and the industry is the one paying money for the testing and stuff and it's too little money for what for the danger that could come of this. God bless everybody and all your children. I hope they're safe. Thank you.

Thank you. Next up here I'll get you I'll get you guys next. Are you coming in?

Hi, I'm Sarah Costello, 24 Shoeacher. I didn't write a big speech. Thank you for taking the time to hear us. I know this has been very difficult for both sides. We absolutely need a cell tower. The first time I heard about this, I was so excited because I don't get good service. It affects my job in my house, but not at this location. We trust you. I'm sorry. Okay, I won't look at them. I We trust you guys. We voted for you guys to lead the way. And I believe you've been really trying, but some of the missteps have made the community not trust you guys so much from the beginning when you said, "Oh, well, it was advertised. You just had to go on the website and look up the exact right thing." And then it was a 404 error. It wasn't a great foundation to start on. And I just felt like we haven't been brought in to the extent that you think that you have brought us in. There are other options. I am horrified to ever think of anyone I know in the situation these women have discussed about their kids being in danger. It's truly horrifying. We need a tower. We need a solution. I just urge you to vote no right now so we can come up to one where we all feel like we're community in this decision. Thank you. Thank you.

Next. One more time. Megan Garin, Drake Drive in Hillsdale. Um, we've spoken many times about this. I am horrified to hear about any child, any person having any type of an emergency and not being able to call 911. That should not happen. That cannot happen. But putting a tower in a spot that is more likely to cause harm than good is not the right thing to do. It doesn't it has yet to be prove proven that the tower being placed at Stonybrook will actually make a difference in that area. It sounds more likely that if you put something like a small cell or something else near the high school, which sounds like that's the main problem, that that could actually fix it. So, I implore you to say no today, but definitely look into this. Thank you.

Thank you. We had another person over here who wanted to take one up.

Hello, Amelia Bowers, 44 Palm Street. I stand before you once again as a resident and a commissioner of the Stony Brook Club to once again ask you respectfully urge you to vote no on the proposed cell phone tower in the parking lot of Stony Brook Swim Club. Stony Brook is more than just a swim club. It's a cornerstone, a flagship, a treasure of our community. Decisions that impact it should be made with the utmost care, transparency, and long-term vision. First, the proposal places a real financial burden on the club. The presence of a cell phone tower in the parking lot risks deterring both current and prospective members. For a club that depends heavily on membership to survive, even a modest decline could have serious consequences. If the health of the club declines, the ripple effects extend far beyond membership numbers. Programs that families rely on, swim lessons, youth activities, community events, could be reduced or disappear altogether. Job opportunities for local teenagers and young adults who depend on the club for summer employment and valuable work experience could shrink. Even local vendors and small businesses that support or partner with the club could feel the impact. This is not just about a structure. It's about sustaining an entire ecosystem that benefits our community. Second, the tower would be a clear visual intrusion in a place that's meant to be welcoming, relaxing, and family oriented. The character of Stonybrook and the surrounding neighborhood would be permanently altered. Equally concerning is the lack of transparency throughout this process. Residents and club members have not been fully informed and key details have either been unclear, inconsistent, or presented too late for meaningful community input. Please understand that trust in this process has been compromised. In addition, there are serious questions about the accuracy and completeness of the information that has been shared regarding the necessity of the tower. We've heard claims about need

and coverage gaps. Yet, those claims have not been clearly substantiated in a way that the public can evaluate with confidence. A man driving around town using a cell phone app to collect data on which this decision is being made is not good enough. It is unacceptable. We have also not heard clear nonbiased expla explanations for why existing character carriers with current infrastructure can provide adequate service while the proposed solution before you tonight is presented as a necessity. That distinction matters and it has not been convincingly addressed. It's evident that alternative solutions have not been fully explored and before approving a project with such lasting impact, we owe it our we owe it to our community to properly examine all other options, whether that be different locations, technologies or partnerships that could meet the same goals with less harm and collateral damage. Know this, it is not a question of being against progress or improved service. Is it about it is about making thoughtful responsible decisions that balance progress with preservation, transparency and community trust. We can do better and our expectations for how the Hill Hillsdale Town Council partners.

Yes. Your three minutes is okay. Thank you. Thank you so much. Please vote no.

Would anybody else like to be heard? Harold Schill 7 Bradshaw Gorton Hillsdale. Some of you are probably getting tired of hearing from me and I totally understand that and I appreciate the length of time that council has taken to consider the alternatives here and their impact and I trust in your good judgment to come up with solutions that do the greatest good for the greatest number with least harm there as befits a good representative body which I think you are um to I've spoken about property values previously and I will not dwell on that at length because you you've all heard from me. Several council members have responded to me and I'm very grateful for that. Uh but I just encourage you before doing a final vote to maybe either uh with your cell phones either Google or do a little AI search on the search topic property values and cell towers. And I think you'll find the preponderance of the research supports that there is an impact u on property values from the erection of cell towers. Now, to reiterate something I said long ago, I think in December, um I think most of us would like to see a win-win situation to this and the I'm speaking to the opponents. uh I'm sorry the proponents of the cell tower in particular and I'd encourage them to take a look at the Pier 4 report which is on the burough's website which listed six possible locations for a monopole to be located and the Stonybrook pool location was number six and uh I just want the

proponents to know that we are not opposed to improved service we would like to see something that is better in a different location or a series of locations as would be the case with small cell technologies or DAS which is another one spelled out in the pure for report. So I I've communicated off and on with some of the other opponents of the cell tower location at Stonybrook and I wanted to just make clear this is a bipartisan group. We have both Republicans and Democrats uh in the group and that has never ever come up in conversations. uh we are simply concerned with a whole variety of issues which have been explained and I hope that the council will maybe give some more extended consideration to small other alternatives be they small cell be they DAS be they some or a bottom pole in a different location but I would agree with previous speakers the Stonyiebrook pool location is number six in the peer four report and it's the least desirable of the sites that may have recommended and so thank you for your attention tonight and for your continued attention to this issue. I'm very grateful for the attention that council has given and I will not use my whole aotted time. Thank you.

You just did um one and then two. Hi, Rob Stigleiano, Conquale. I'm the chairman of the Stonybrook Pool Commission. The pool commission understands the need for a cell tower in the area. Our point is finding an alternative spot. The commission does not want the cell tower on the swim club property. This has been discussed at our pool commission meetings for the past three months. Myself and the four other commissioners are in agreement on this. The swim club is the gem of Hillsdale. It's a million-doll operation that's been able to show a surplus every year. The pool is a self- sustaining utility in town. The town does not subsidize the pool in any way. Even coming out of COVID, the pool showed a surplus in 2021. Even though emergency repairs last year were over $100,000, the pool still showed a $90,000 surplus at the end of the season, of which the town took 50,000 to assist with the town's budget. Putting the cell tower on the property could diminish the revenue we earn. We've had numerous calls already and comments from people about the cell tower stating they would not join the pool if the tower was on the property. As everyone knows, membership drives our revenue. A reduction in membership would mean a reduction in revenue and could very well result in not meeting the pool's expenses at the end of a season. Finishing a season in the red is simply not an option. Parking in the pool lot is already tight with members having to park across Piermont at Metobrook parking lot. Losing an additional number of spaces, whatever it may be, to a cell tower would require

more members to park in the in the lot across the street, causing more families to cross Pier Manav with all their poor pool gear and their children, which is, of course, increasing a safety risk. The other three towers in town, as others have mentioned, are in commercial areas such as the DPW behind the firehouse and on the Garden State Parkway. Tying down the town to a long-term lease lease with Verizon is risky. Bottom line, putting the tower on pool property just does not make sense. I urge the council, please, to vote no on this issue and then look for an alternative situation. Thank you. you want to speak up.

So, I don't know. I don't know. I'm Pamela Stir, 42 Maple. Um, I don't know a lot about this. I just heard about this tonight. Um, but I do know that it's a Verizon cell tower. I have Verizon. I've never experienced any problem with service in town. So, I'm not even quite sure why we need a tower, another tower. Um, possibly we don't need a tower at all. Um, and I have a question for you regarding the insurance that Verizon provides. Does Verizon Does Verizon provide insurance? Should there be any illness or injury that ends up being proven to be related to the cell phone tower,

we This is a chance for you to comment. It's not a back and forth. Okay. Well, I urge you to check that out. If you don't already know that question, the answer to that question. Um, if they do not provide it, there's another reason right there why we should perhaps rethink this and vote no against it, at least for now. Um, that's all. Thank you. Okay. Anybody else like to be heard? He he uh just end up earlier. You want to come on up? We'll get to all of you.

Uh, how are you? Eric Landy, 20 Bradshaw Court. Um, so thank you all for your continued service to the community. I'm here to respectfully express my strong opposition to the proposed macro cell tower at Stony Brook Pool parking lot. uh just urge a more thoughtful placement and alternative solutions. Again, we agree that service is needed. Nobody can contest that and agree it should and agree that it should be done rather quickly for everyone's concerns. Um there are just better ways to get it done. There are many concerns that have been talked about over and over and over. I've emailed you all today so I don't have to rehash all of that. But I mean, Hillsdale's character, desiraability, and quality of life are among its greatest assets. So, I just urge you all to pursue a solution that improves coverage without compromising the neighborhoods, the amenities, and the assets that make this town exceptional. So, there are definitely ways to get this done without drastic measures such as this. So, I just want to say thank you. Please vote no. And thank you for all your work.

Thank you. Thanks. You wanted to be heard, ma'am. Come up.

Kim W, 69 Baylor Avenue. Um, first I just want to thank the mayor and council for all your hard work. Uh, I've lived in town for over 20 years. Um, have my own cell phone issues that have been ongoing. We've been managing boosters, etc. But it's a well-known established fact. My daughter went to PV, same issues, same issues. Um, I was at the first meeting and I learned a few things at that meeting. Uh, one, I was very heartened as a member of the community to learn that everybody is on the same page with solving the problem. And I thought that's great because that's half the battle. Everybody wants to solve it. The second thing I learned, I believe it was from Mr. Lupo, was that I asked the question if Verizon guaranteed that the problem would be solved by installing the tower. His words were, and I quote, "Verizon said it would be improved." So to me that stood out because I said gee you know that's not a guarantee. Um so that was the the second thing I learned. The third thing I learned from a member of the community who stood up and works in cellular uh said you know I don't know if you guys are aware but you know there's other solutions to this. The neighborhoods can be targeted with small cell. I know you've all heard this but this is what I learned at that meeting. So for me as a member of the community, it was surprising to me that we jumped from here's a problem we need to solve, which I'm grateful for. I want it solved as well. I want solved for everybody. Um, but we jumped immediately from that to a cell tower. Typically, when you're trying to solve a problem and you have many people that you need to kind of answer to that have different opinions, you try to come up with solutions that are starting at a smaller part, the least invasive, and then kind of work your way up from there. Um, if Verizon were have to said, "We guarantee this would have solved the problem," I

probably wouldn't even be talking right now. But they didn't. Um, and Mr. Lupo did say that. Um, and he confirmed it to me when I asked him to confirm that again. So, I don't know if the gentleman that spoke knew what he was talking about. He said he worked in cellular. He said you start with the targeted areas um so that people can get service. I would just ask you to um consider that before jumping to a tower. And if that doesn't work, then you can kind of work your way up. Um, perhaps you're concerned about that you've already gone out to Verizon and you're concerned about how that would look as a town and and as a council. You've already asked them to invest time in this. But the truth is, you answer to the community and you all live here, too. So, we have a right to change our minds. We have a right to hold off and try other things before jumping to that. There's nothing wrong with that. And um, like I said, I'm not opposed to getting service. I want it. Believe me, I have problems at my house and I want these people to feel comfortable. I want everybody to feel comfortable. But I just ask you to consider working your way up to the solution before jumping to the big one. That's all I want to say.

Thanks. Anybody else want to be heard?

Good evening.

Glenn Hansen, Denver staff. I um have about 40 years of telecom experience. uh somebody that started as a splicer for New York tell and then worked his way up and into an executive position. I have a lot of information with regards to telecom. I would ask why is Verizon so enamored with this placement? Why that spot? I hear people talking about their children and the future and I would say we've gone from 3G to 4G currently 5G. We're headed to 6G. Cell towers are not going to just be cell towers. FiOS and landlines are things of the past. The same way that we had copper lines that have moved over to fiber optics. Uh if that's a 30-year plan and they're that married to this location, I would wonder why. And my thought would be because we're going to be delivering signals to the home eventually through cell towers. And that's a much different signal than the one that you get on your cell phone. And I would caution the panel to please understand that as we're moving into a 30-year contract in a location that is extremely desirable by a very large corporation whose job it is to continue to service that need. Thank you.

You would like to be heard? You and you. No. Well, come on. No, she I I asked. Snooze, you lose. Hi, my name is Jackie Toil. 106 106 Holiday Lane.

Um, in one of the meetings where Verizon was here, I said to him, I never have a problem. I have AT&T. So, I said, "Did you do your research? Did they really investigate?" He's like, "Well, maybe AT&T has it up higher." Well, maybe it's something that they should consider doing. Whatever AT&T is doing and T-Mobile is doing because nobody seems to have problems with that. Verizon should be doing the same thing. So, they might not need the cell tower. And I also said, well, what about Riverville? They have a cell tower. Is that going to make things better over here? That's something that they should consider. I don't think they did their research. So in in all reality research is important because if we don't have the proper research how do we know we actually need this cell tower at this particular place. So in all reality the best is to say no for now and then see when they complete their research and come back with actual results. Not him driving in a car and saying oh it's okay but actual research data that proves that they need that cell tower. then steps can be taken but until then I don't think anything should be done at this point. Thank you.

Thank you. Who else would like to be heard? Now is your chance. You got your hand up there this time. That's it. Everybody gets a turn.

Uh good evening. Uh my name is Alexander Tishanka 23 Avenue Hillsdale resident. I'd like to say that safety and the kids are non-negotiable. Everybody understand it. cell service has to be improved and uh transparency matters. Um as you can see during those section sessions asking question improves the quality of decision. Uh and we're definitely on the right track and let me remind you just for example it um without public hearing public question we didn't uncover a few more places that research shows more favorably even geographically mentioned high school and department of uh board of education parking lot. This is great this is great results. Uh let me remind you that also during those hearings because of your questions and your work as a council the proposed tower heat was lowered from 140 to 120 uh yards which is great I think also and because the question asked we had that research which is a great start it's not complete as me as as others mentioned but it's a great start we already know some things and I think It's a great foundation to continue on it, but it's not a finish line and today it cannot be finish line and I urge you to vote no to that uh placement and I urge you as a council to continue to uncover these things for the better solution. I understand it's much easier to plan and to build on a town property rather than high school grounds or uh board of education. But let's that don't stop you who's working very hard to find a solution for this um cell uh coverage problem from making right decision instead of the easy ones and I ask you to continue to do this job involving the public more and to vote no today because this solution seems premature and it's

not solving the major problem for high school for all all the towers and and for the area around. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thanks. Anybody else? Okay, seeing you've already spoken. You've already spoken. Everybody gets one bite at the apple. Um, you would you like to speak? Unless there are other

No. Well, you're the you may be the last guy that hasn't spoken. Come on up. Come on up. Now there are more. I'm Raymond Cohan, 253 Raymond Street by accident, Hillsdale. Been a resident for 55 years. I'm going to shift gears. Okay. Okay. You might be very receptive to this, I hope. Uh, I've been a member of the Hillsdale Targeters or known as the Hillsdale Gun Club.

If this isn't if this isn't on the agenda tonight, there's a time for that. It's got to be on the We're talking about items that are on the agenda. Okay. Do I have to end the meeting? We'll we'll we will have a future meeting. No, no. At the end of this meeting, there'll be a public comment section to speak about whatever you'd like. So, sorry to pull you out. That's quite all right. Quite all right. I'll be back. We'll save you the space. Anybody else? Okay, seeing nobody else, we're going to go on to We're going to move on with our meeting and we're going to move on to correspondence. We have three letters received. Uh we filed them on April 6th. Can I get a motion to receipt and file?

Motion. Second. Second. All those in favor? I. Correspondence is filed. We have professional monthly uh reports. Barry, do you have anything you would like to You weren't there. Do you have something you want to add or you just here for enjoying the place? Just to hang out. Just hanging out. Just enjoying. You're here to get the accolades because Barry has been very busy lately.

Um spring thaw and all the roads that are breaking and and everything else and all the repairs and he is leading a kick you know what department fixing it all. And we can't thank you enough. So glad you're here for it. Just shout out to Barry and I know that I'm speaking for everybody on it. Um, let's go to committee reports. We'll start down here with Chris Candy. Councilman Camp. Yeah, you faked me out, mayor, by looking that way. That's what I did. I don't know if I go left.

Okay, so let's let's start with uh the Stony Brook Pool Commission that met on April 8th. Um the discussion as as uh the members uh noted in public comment a discussion continued regarding the proposed tower at the pool site. Commissioners shared concerns related to potential impacts on membership site access and traffic flow and the long-term nature of the proposed 30-year lease. Uh the commission majority expressed a preference for the council to consider alternative solutions. From an operational standpoint, preparations for the upcoming season are well underway. Uh current registration levels are tracking in line with this time last year, which is great. The commission is continuing outreach to local businesses for banner sponsorships with strong early interests, including expected renewals and new participants. A new punch card system will be implemented through community pass to manage guest passes more efficiently. If you have any unused guest cards, it's my understanding that you'll still be able to use them. So, you know, if you dig through those drawers, try to find fish them out for everybody. you know, you there's they're still good. Uh the annual open house is scheduled for May 16th and remains one of the primary drivers of membership each season. A staff cleanup day is also planned on May 2nd as part of the preseason preparation. Uh significant maintenance work has been completed and is ongoing. A new pump and motor were installed on April 9th, which was a cause of lots of issues last year. Additional seasonal work includes power washing, painting, tree trimming, irrigation system startup, and fertilization. The kitchen suppression system will also be repaired using funds from the 2025 budget. And thank you to the DPW, Barry, for assisting with uh the removal of old equipment. Much apprec appreciated, sir. Uh the commission reviewed the the cost of replacing the damage competition pool cover, which came in approximately at $15,000. The prior cover lasted 18 years and which is well beyond the typical

lifespan of 10. Uh staffing is in a strong position with with approximately 85% uh of last year's team returning and two school events are scheduled for June including one involved high high school dis uh age students. Great. Yes. Uh I also have some comments about public works. Yeah. Yeah. I put you on spot. Here we go. So later this evening, we'll be voting on a resolution to engage uh Kier's engineering to pursue funding through stop the sit grant program. This would give the burrow an opportunity to replace an end of life equipment including a street se sweeper. Uh currently we rely on contracted sweeping through paramis at a limited frequency which falls short of NJP MS4 requirements for more regular maintenance. A burrowowned sweeper would improve compliance, provide greater operational flexibility, and allow us to better utilize existing clean communities funding. It would also enhance capabilities including clean storm drain bases, which has a challenge with shared uh shared or aging equipment and could create future shared service opportunities. Yep. Just want to want to point that out. All right, that's it. Thank you.

Great. Thank you. And I I won't look the other way when I say Anthony, you're up.

Thank you, mayor. Uh just a brief report on the regional board of education. That's the high schools. Um there were numerous uh recognitions for coaches, valadictorians, choir, the wrestling team, which uh was very successful this year. Um the board of education like the bureau is looking to offset costs uh in their budget due to the increase in healthcare uh insurance. So um the there was mention of possibly outsourcing the custodians at the high school. Um you may have seen on social media um there was an urging of uh residents to turn out the board of education meeting to express their concerns over that you know is it safer to have a group of people who you know versus outsourcing it and and saving the money. So the board was very upfront and just said no decisions have been made. They're just considering what their options are. Um it would affect if they they were to do it would affect the 2627 budget year. Um, several custodians, several faculty, and several students spoke uh mostly in favor of of keeping the custodians that we have. Uh, that is all, mayor.

Okay, great. Clemente, you're up. Actually, nothing to report this uh this week. Um, the police committee will be meeting on April 20th and the environmental commission and the library haven't met yet. So, I'll provide updates to that to those on the first meeting of next month. Thank you, Councilman Kleti. Thank you, mayor. I will provide a report on the fire department in the next meeting. So, just a brief update on the planning board. Next meeting is April 28th. The last meeting was April 9th. Is your microphone? It is. Okay. Sure.

So, planning board last meeting was uh April 9th. Next meeting April 28th. Uh during the last meeting, they handled again business as usual administrative duties. They reviewed and approved one new one new C variance application for a single family home ad level on St. Nicholas. And they also reviewed and carried over into the June 23rd meeting a new application for a Dvariance which is for a single family home uh requiring a four uh excuse me a floor area ratio variance on Florence Street. That's it. Thank you, Council.

So I shared all my uh committee reports last week. I have nothing to report today. Um, yeah, I uh gave my reports last week just in terms of looking to the future. The senior lunch is tomorrow at 11:30 at the community center. We have an access for all meeting April 27th at 7 p.m. in the library and the board of health will be meeting April 22nd at Burough Hall at 7 p.m. I'll be able to attend all three of those sessions and report at the next council meeting. Thank you. Thank you for reminding me. It's in my calendar for tomorrow's lunchon, but I wouldn't have otherwise seen it till probably 11 o'clock and then gone racing after it. BA Gasali, you're up.

Just one very quick uh item, Mr. Mayor. We will start a shared service agreement with Westwood to use a part-time uh uh part-time fire inspector. We'll have a resolution on the May 5th agenda for you to approve.

Thank you. Okay. Um we are now moving on to ordinances. And so this is an introduction of 26-15, an ordinance to provide and determine and for and determine the maximum rate, amount, and method of payments of compensation to persons holding certain office and positions of employment in the burrow of Hillsdale, County of Bergen. Be it resolved that ordinance 2615 entitled an ordinance to provide uh provide for and determine the maximum rate and amount of methods of payment of compensation to persons holding certain offices positions of employment in the brow of Hillsdale, Bergen County, New York uh of New Jersey. Um I guess where we the first one is all up here. All right. Be further resolved. Uh that the burough clerk is hereby directed to advertise set ordinance with a hearing date of May 5th on the official burrow website under public notices. Can I get a motion to introduce?

Motion. Second. Second. Uh discussion. Yeah. Question. Um would it be uh I think it would be helpful if the mayor and council were provided with a schedule of the actual salaries not now but for the next meeting because this particular ordinance lays out the maximum maximum and I think it's always helpful as the governing body to see where we actually pay our our folks in relation to the maximum. Uh it also makes the this the whole process a little more tight. Um so is that possible? I think it's a reasonable request, but I don't know whether or not um I mean the salaries are all public records with an Oprah request.

With an Oprah request, right? So I mean I don't know I just don't want to be Do I have to make an Oprah request? No, I'm I'm talking to the VA at the moment just trying to figure out what the logistics might look like. Let me discuss it with the CFO and the attorney see if we can pass that around or if you want. I just want to I I just want to make sure that we provide, you know, privacy where it should be, but but that you have the information you need, right? I mean, because I think, you know, it's helpful to see that you're not going up to the maximums all the time. Otherwise, you're overselling what this ordinance particularly stands for. Yep. Okay. Um, so that was the discussion. Any other questions, comments? Um, all those in favor of introduction?

I.

Anyone opposed? It's introduced 2616 for introduction capital ordinance to appropriate the sum of $300,000 for the improvement of Liberty Avenue and Arcadia Way in by and for the Burrow of Hillsdale in the county of Bergen State of New Jersey and providing that such sum so appropriate shall be raised from a state grant and from the capital improvement fund of the burrow. Be it resolve the ordinance 201616 entitled capital ordinance to appropriate the sum of $300,000 for the improvement of Liberty Avenue and Arcadia Way in by for the Burough of Hillsdale and the county of Bergen State, New Jersey, providing for that sum so appropriated shall be raised from a state grant um from the capital improvement fund for the burrow. Be it further resolved that the burough clerk is hereby directed to advertise set ordinance with a hearing date of May 5th, 2026 on the official burrow website under public notices. Can I get a motion?

Motion. Second. Second. Any discussion? All those in favor? I. It is introduced. Okay. We are going down to resolutions now. Um on the consent agenda, resolution 26108 through 26116. Would anybody like does anybody want to take something from the consent to move it off consent? Yeah. I'd like to pull 112, 114, and 115. just for a question or two. I'm going to ask you to give me those numbers when you come back to it. Okay. So, without those three items that uh the councilman would like to speak to, can I get a motion for the remaining resolution? Motion. Second. Second. All those in favor? I

I opposed. Those are um approved. So, the first one was 2611 11112 1112. resolution increasing the price for applied landscape technologies for Memorial Park improvements. Change order. Um, I'll make a motion. You want to make a motion? Yeah. Can we get a second? I'll second discussion. Yeah. My question was, will residents have an opportunity to grab some of this to landfill before the uh they they cart it away. Have we already thought about that in

So, we were trying to get that uh soil moved out to a different town and they did some testing. They didn't feel comfortable taking it. So, we decided that let's just get it out of uh so you don't want it. We want to do that. Yes. Okay. All right. Thank you. That answers that question. The next one will switch numbers. Um Okay. So, we will we will we'll do the meter. So, we have a motion in a second. So, all those in favor of 2611 I. Anyone opposed? The motion passes. We're going to take up 26114 1114. Right. I make a motion. Oh, motion. Second second discussion.

I um I sent an email earlier a couple of days ago. I thought it would be helpful for the residents. I think we know why this is on the agenda, but can you, Mr. Mayor, or the burrow attorney or the burough administrator just give like a one minute or two minute background as to why this is here?

Sure. So, as you know, we have an affordable housing obligation and part of that is that a certain percentage of new residences that are constructed have to be deemed as affordable. Um, our RDP, which is our um basically our final number for what we had to do was four. So, we have to come up with four affordable units within a unit within a comp within the town. Um we identified a property on West Street. Part of that street um is the burrows and in order to make this property viable to make it large enough that we can satisfy our affordable housing plus um get the number of units into the into the place to make it an economically feasible department uh uh uh development. The burrow as part of our concession decided to vacate a small portion of West Street from the parking lot area back to the fence which backs up towards the train station. I don't know if you guys know where it is. It's along um Broadway West Street. Um not far from Bagel Place and uh Henry's Bagels in in that general area. Um so we're going to vacate part of that street and that's what this resolution is about for that purpose.

Right. I I I thank you so much because I think the public oftentimes comes to the meetings, they don't they don't really understand what's behind a resolution that helps. Our our realistic development potential was four, which is a phenomenal number. And there's a certain mayor who maybe on this day is not me that is going through uh a much larger number. I don't know who it might be, but but we're with him in solidarity um to to get through that. So, we're pleased with where we are with that. So, anyway, having gotten that, uh, aren't you a mayor? Are you the mayor of Montville? No. Okay, we have a motion in a second. All those in favor are. Anyone opposed?

Okay, the motion is passed. And the next one you wanted was 115. Yeah, the last one is 115. And I spoke to the federal attorney about this. Just need a motion for a motion. Motion. Second. Okay. Discussion.

Yeah. Um, this is a resolution to amend uh the manner in which we compensate our burough attorney, but it refers to a resolution that I I'm curious. It's a 2025 resolution, right? Why aren't we referring to the one we passed in January 2026, which has the more upto-date um, you know, at the reorg, we always pass these resolutions. And I I I spoke to the bur attorney. told him I was going to ask the question and hopefully somebody up here can can answer it. Mike, do you have an answer to that? I mean, we could refer to the January second to the 2026. The clerk can answer

some leftover 2025 billing that wasn't paid to the attorney. So, it really falls back to the 2025 budget. So, it's money owed from activity performed in 2025 that should be compensated. We found a couple missing invoices and that's why you have to go back to amend that particular Gotcha. Okay. Thank you. So we've had a first and a second. All those in favor? I. Anyone opposed? It passes. Okay. Now we come to the off just before we do that. Yes.

When uh earlier council asked that 26112 be pulled off consent, but when you called for and it was motioned and seconded and discussed. But when you called for the vote, you actually called for a vote on 2611. Oh, which was actually on the consent agenda and was not on Okay. So, so just let's let's do revote 26112. All those in Can I motion? Motion. Second. Second. All those in favor of 261. Anyone opposed?

Thank you for the housekeeping. Okay, good. I always want to be on track. Thank you for keeping us there. We're at the offconsent um agenda 26117. Um can I get a motion? Motion. A second. Second. Okay. We're obviously going to have some discussion here. Who would like to be recognized first? Does anybody want to be recognized at all? Well, if no one's going to Well, please go ahead. Okay. We'll start. We'll go over what's on top.

Thlight of the evening, right? Um, so as an elected official, um, one of my goals is to enhance the value of residents property or at the very least not take any actions that would destroy that value unless absolutely forced to. Putting a monopole tall cell tower on the Stony Brook property, I believe, in the midst of a residential area would destroy property value. um it would set up an unhealthy situation that would result in property value destruction of some residents for the expressed purpose of perhaps helping another set of residents who live in the Verizon coverage gap and I don't think there's any doubt that there is such a gap. Um I don't like robbing Peter to pay Paul. Uh, moreover, putting a tall monopole on our pool property would reduce the value of that property, Stonybrook, should in the future the burrow wish to consider alternative uses for that property and also likely detract from the pool's ability in its current operating mode to attract members, thereby affecting its financial future viability. I'm not convinced from the comments made to date over several months and we've been at this for a long time that there aren't alternatives to putting the proposed cell tower elsewhere, particularly with the cooperation of our school administration to address the gaps around the high school and perhaps address most of the gaps in the in the coverage area. um these potential alternative sites for a monopole really uh should be explored before we conclude that we must approve the present proposal and devalue other people's property. And there's little doubt in my mind that that devaluation would occur. It's just a question of how much. It could also address the concern that has been expressed by many residents that the radio frequency waves emitted by the monopole cell tower has a harmful effect

on humans. I'm not so sure that I buy that given the FCC determinations. However, I've come to distrust government since I've been in government and even and even and even before. Please, please.

So, so I'm a little bit uh skeptical of it. Um I'm furthermore not convinced that alternatives involving small cell towers is unfeasible. Yes, I know that Verizon has no particular interest in following that particular pathway, but I think it's a viable option as opposed to destroying market value of people's homes. The residents who live in the gap area and are admittedly not well served by the status quo of having Verizon as their choice of carrier. Um, and we hope to find viable alternatives to that. But meanwhile, those residents do have alternatives to improve their situation that do not involve us destroying property values. And these would include switching carriers or using Wi-Fi in their homes or using extenders uh on their properties. So for all those reasons, I don't support the resolution, but I do support, as many of us have said here at this meeting, uh addressing the gap through other means. Thank you. Thank you,

Councilwoman. Next, you would like to be heard.

So, I just want to say that we've spent, as you guys all know, a significant amount of time and energy on this, and I appreciate the thoughtful discussions from everyone here. I think we can all agree on a few things. Selfservice on the east side of town is not adequate, and we all genu genuinely want what's best for our residents. In January, we received a letter from a resident who shared a very personal experience about her daughter at Pastac Valley. Her daughter has a heart condition that causes her to faint unexpectedly. One day, she felt an episode coming in while in the bathroom and tried to call for help. She had no service. She couldn't reach anyone. After that incident, the school provided her with Wi-Fi access so she could contact the office if needed. But in another situation, she was outside on the track during gym class. She began to feel unwell and no way to reach the nurse because the Wi-Fi doesn't extend outdoors. Not to mention, there are students and adults who rely on medical devices, pacemakers, sorry, pacemakers, cardiac monitors, insulin pumps. Those all depend on connectivity and when they're not near Wi-Fi. We also received a letter from another resident who described a situation where their family needed an emer call emergency services from their home and they couldn't call due to poor reception. Making that call was extremely difficult and added unnecessary stress to an already critical moment. These are real situations happening in our community. Heard some examples tonight. And if preventable tragedy were to occur because emergency communication failed in an area where we already know there are coverage gaps, that's just not that's just that's not just unfortunate. It's something that we have the opportunity here to address. Where I struggle is that I can't sit here and vote no to something that directly impacts public safety. That's not something I'm comfortable with doing. Yes, there are a handful of homes near the proposed location. I respect those

concerns. I'm in that area. I respect your time and effort and all the thought that the residents have put into this. But there are far more families, students, and first responders who stand to benefit from reliable service. Our role is to weigh those pros and cons. And for me, the safety benefits outweigh the drawbacks. And at the end of the day, I have to be able to stand by my vote. I can live with something being an eyesore. But I can't live with knowing that in an emergency, someone couldn't get through to 911 when we had the chance to do something about it. Thank you. Would you like to be heard or Yes. Oh, you would? Okay. Yeah. Yeah.

So, I have obviously a prepared statement which I'm going to read. it'll be the fastest way to get through this for everyone. So, so the I believe that the record developed over the past several months confirms that there is a Verizon service gap on the east side of town that we need to address in some fashion. Reliable communication infrastructure is important for residents, businesses, and emergency services, and I support the goal of addressing that need. However, my concern is not whether additional infrastructure is required. My concern is whether the Stony Brook Swim Club location has been demonstrated and then demonstrated factually to be the optimal municipal solution. Throughout this process, the governing body has received testimony from Verizon representatives, Verizon's consultants, and the burrow's consultants. While there is agreement that a coverage gap exists for Verizon, several important issues remain unresolved. For example, and let me stress that this is not an all-inclusive list. Centennial Field has been described by Verizon as unsuitable because it's a former landfill. However, it's my understanding that telecommunication facilities are constructed on landfill sites across the state and across the country. And I've not seen documentation showing this location has been formally evaluated and ruled out from an engineering standpoint. We have been told the board of education and Bergen County properties are unavailable, which they may be, but I have not seen formal written determinations confirming that those options were fully explored. Greenacre restrictions have also been cited as limiting alternative locations. However, I believe there's an established diversion process through the state of New Jersey, and I have not seen evidence that this prop this process was formally pursued. Verizon has indicated the tower could be capped at approximately 120 to 125 ft, but without confirmation that this height would support additional carriers. That raises the question of whether the structure would function as a shared regional solution or primarily as a single carrier solution just for Verizon. In addition, the Burl's

consultant indicated that supplemental infrastructure such as small cells or distributed antenna systems may still be required even after construction of the monopole, suggesting this installation may be one component of a broader solution rather than the complete solution. We also received a conceptual hybrid alternative near Pasak Valley High School area supported by several smaller nodes. While it's not a 100% solution, it hasn't been engineered, it does demonstrate that additional configurations may still exist that can improve service while reducing impacts to a very important municipal recreation property. Given the long-term nature of the proposed lease and the significance of dedicating public recreation land for such, I believe additional comparative analysis of alternative locations is appropriate before moving forward. For that reason, I'm not prepared to support the resolution this time. Although I'm voting no tonight, I want to acknowledge that Verizon has been a strong partner to this community and to many municipalities across the region. I also commend their representatives for participating directly in the public meeting and engaging with residents, which I understand is not typical on projects like this. I encourage Verizon and the other service providers to continue working with the burrow towards a true win-win solution that addresses service needs while identifying the most appropriate long-term location for the community. Thank you.

Would you like to be heard? Yeah, I I've also prepared a statement. I'm just going to read it. It's slightly over three minutes. So, you're not you're not held in the constraints of time. Hope the attorney doesn't cut cut you off. As a member of council, my primary time is up. Sorry. saw that work.

As a as a member of council, my primary responsibility is to balance the immediate needs of our bureau with the long-term management of our community's assets. I recognize the challenge of cellular debt zones in the east part of town and I deeply prioritize public safety. The decision for me comes down to a fundamental assessment of risk, utility, and our future as a municipality. First, we we must address the scale of this structure. 125 to 150 foot macro tower. Uh Stony Brook is a high density recreational meeting place where over 1100 families gather. Introducing a structure of this height creates a fall zone and a permanent physical hazard that simply does not belong in the heart of a premier family facility. Placing industrial scale infrastructure in a space designed for leisure and play is a contradiction that poses an unnecessary risk to public safety. We must also be practical about our infrastructure. Stony Brook is often at capacity and every square foot of parking is critical to its safe operation. I walked the property today and there are currently 210 unrestricted parking spots at the pool site. a number that is already materially insufficient, often forcing families to park off site. On well attended days with over a thousand people present, we require parking for at least 250 plus vehicles, allow allowing a tower to permanently occupy these spaces is a disservice to the members who sustain this facility. Furthermore, with Verizon moving the tower's location without notifying the burrow, it is clear we must prioritize what is best for the town. was best for the carrier. This year alone, the pool generated a $50,000 surplus to help offset our burough's budget and has contributed significantly more in years past upwards of a million dollars back to the burrow. As economic pressures mount, we must

protect the pool's appeal to ensure it remains self- sustaining. Any decline in revenue could turn a burrow asset into a financial liability we are not positioned to subsidize. I'm on the finance committee and I know that we are not in a position to subsidize the pool. Furthermore, we do not have to accept a 120 foot macro tower or nothing ultimatum. We should be championing a small cell or odas solution. By leveraging existing burrow and board of education property, we could bridge coverage gaps without the intrusive footprint of a massive monopole. Third party experts have already identified these options as viable, confirming that an incremental addition of smaller nodes on existing infrastructure can effectively address the majority of our coverage gaps. This is the reality. This is a modern distributed network solution already successfully utilized by towns like Cliffside Park, a town I grew up in, and Fort Lee. And I know a lot of council members there that attest to these facts. that respects our zoning and our neighborhoods. Finally, we must look at our fiscal reality. This 11 acre burough owned parcel is one of our most significant assets. Entering into a 30-year lease is strategically shortsighted. It effectively handcuffs future governing bodies, preventing the burrow from repurposing or maximizing the value of that land until the year 206. For a modest initial fee of $48,000, we would be trading away three decades of municipal flexibility and risking the long-term character of our pool. I believe we can connect our residents without compromising our town's assets. Our responsibility now, and I firmly believe this, is to use what we've learned to compel Verizon to partner with us on a solution that serves their

interests without dividing our community or negatively impacting our residents. Gaps in coverage can be addressed without a macro. Thank you. Anybody else want to be heard? Would you like to be heard? Please. Go ahead.

Yeah. I'm also going to read some prepared notes that don't want to go off the cuff on uh issues that are this important. So, I'll first say that I live on on Ruckman Road, Ruckman and uh or up by Ruckman and I know firsthand how poor the services. So, I would welcome the improvement. Uh second, I'll also add that uh the financial benefit of a cell phone tower was never really a driver for me for the project. Um when I was on council in 2013, I had asked the VA to look into improving cell coverage. At the time, we were told that Verizon was not interested in in investing. I was not on council last year when the topic came up again and I can't say that I would have approached it differently than the council at that time. However, I'm not comfortable with the way the burrow went about trying to solve the issue. It was an awkward process. I'm concerned to hear conflicting information as to whether the high school superintendent was for or against the tower at their location. I'm told cons Centennial Field isn't an option because it's a landfill and on Rossi then to find out that it's not really Rossy land and that cell phone towers are built on landfills. Um it seems we went directly to Verizon and settled on the location of Stonybrook without in my opinion accurate adequately exploring other locations. That said, my feeling is that the mayor and council is not charged with providing residents cell phone coverage. What we are prov charged with is safety. Um so the lack of coverage does concern me with respect to two things, the schools and communications for our first responders. I believe I see alternatives to address the safety issue, small cells, micro cells, but no provider is going to provide that at this time. Verizon has said that at public meetings they are not interested in any further locations. I feel that might be because they have a lease pending and until the lease is not signed, they are not interested in exploring other options. I feel Stony Brook is a is a poor location

due to a number of reasons. impact on property values, the financial impact on the swim club if membership um should drop and saddlings the Stony Brook property with a tower for 30 years that may prove problematic once the burrow does if the burrow should have to repurpose the property. So, I want a provider to come back to us with a plan that will at minimum address the safety areas and possibly a better location for a macro tower. I don't feel Verizon will do that unless we reject the lease at this time. So, I will vote no at this point. That's all I have. Councilman Camp, would you like to be heard?

Well, uh, we we kind of know where things are going, but uh, so I'll I'll be concise. Um, the the thing that I concur with, um, uh, Councilwoman Maza Chong's sentiments that that safety is is what what's driving my decision behind uh, behind my vote tonight. And I personally would feel a little uh disingenuous as a council person if if I chose not to proceed when we I I have to disagree with some of my council members that we didn't explore all other uh avenues and opportunities. Um, I found uh we we found by testimony by Verizon and our independent experts that small cell towers would uh not be a great solution and they would lack emergency backup which brings me back to the s safety issue again. And so uh not to blabver the point uh I'm going to vote yes tonight and that's it.

Okay. Thank you. Um, since everybody's already been heard and I don't get the vote, um, let's at this point, let's have the clerk call the role on the vote. Council President Oso, no. Council member Rico, no. Council member Camp, yes. Council member Kleti, no. Council member D. Rosa, no. Council member Mazach, yes.

The resolution does not pass. Um, we are now Please, please. We have work to do. Um, it is time for the public comment period. The gentleman in the orange shirt now gets to speak on any topic he would like. Come on up. Now I'm forcing you to speak.

Please, please show respect for the speaker. Keep your comments off, please. You've got you've got you've got gun issues. He wants to speak about guns. Guys, I'd be careful. Right. Be careful. Okay. Raymond Cohan, 253 Raymond Street. Okay, people again. That's okay. Excuse us. Mr. Cohen has now come up twice to speak among his neighbors after 55 years of living in town. Let's give him courtesy. Let's please afford him the courtesy that you all got when an issue was important to you. That's how this works. Go ahead, Mr. Cohen. Yes, sir.

All floor is yours. We'll start your three minutes again. The longest three minutes we'll have, but Oh, okay. But go ahead.

As you said, I want to talk about guns. Terrible, terrible things in the wrong hands. Uh, in 2022, the Brewan decision allowed citizens to apply for and obtain concealed carry permits. The state at that point quadrupled their fees for the application to process these permits. The state now charges $200. $50 to the state police and $150 to the local government, which far exceeds the funds necessary to process these applications. A three judge uh

panel

panel, thank you. No problem. a three judge panel struck down the $50 fee that the state police gets. What I'm requesting is for the council to consider reducing or eliminating the $150 that is being charged by the town for the processing of this fee of this application. Everybody thought that it was going to wind up to be the okay corral. Well, so far since 2022, I have not heard of any concealed carry permit people causing major trouble. I'm very proud to say that as having been a sportsman, an avid shooter for oh, good grief, 75 years, um, the concealed carry permit cost me almost $500 just to obtain it. And then to renew it, it's another $200 that we have to put out for the application plus the training that has to be exhibited that you're proficient. So, what I'm requesting tonight is that the council consider reducing or eliminating the application fee for a concealed carry permit. And as I come to you as the ex president of the local gun club that has been here for gez I think since 1976 and

all these people who have utilized pe people might not know it but there's a gun range next to the parking lot that all that time we were walking through the police department with firearms and ammunition and nothing occurred. I just wanted to we we've gone to three minutes. Okay. But but you got you got my appreciate you. Thank you. Thank you for all you do. Okay. Thank you. Appreciate. Um would anybody else like to be heard? Comment any topic you'd like. Anything I want. You sure? Well, within reason. We do. We do have we do have proprietary, you know. Okay. I'm gonna be quick.

Okay. Okay. Megan Delisera, I live at Arcadia on Arcadia Way.

Um, I know we've heard at length about the cell tower tonight. I'm just going to ask you to please don't drop this, okay? We're about to hit the summertime. I have two children who are attending town camp. Due to the construction, the town camp is going to be dropped off and picked up at Beachwood. No service for them to call me. Or Metobrook. No service for them to call me. Um, my daughter plays softball. We only have one field, Beachwood. No service. Um, every day. Every day. It's It's a pain in the neck for me to get in touch with either one of my kids. If there's an emergency, I have no idea what's going on. So, I'm just asking, please keep it up. I understand we're not You don't want to put it at Stony Brook. Fine. But just don't drop this topic. It's It's an important one. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Would anybody else like to be heard of the public comment? We have one more. No, you're getting you. Please. Not about the cell tower again. Alexandria Avenue Hillsdale res. I would like to go ahead. Is it better? Much better. Yeah. Go ahead. Okay. Uh should I repeat?

No, no, no. We we we know. Thank you. I'd like to say thank you for the council mayor for their for process and it's astonishing for me to see the democracy in work because I'm originally from Russia and I see a lack of it in depth. So it's really important to see and I'd like to reiterate the previous speaker uh told you please uh don't uh stop working on that solution find that solution and solve it. It's really important as I mentioned the safety and kids is not negotiable but thank you very much to take in consideration all the points and u not making a rush decision. It's I think shows the maturity of the council and I'm much more relieved to put my trust in you. Thank you very much.

Would anybody else like to be heard on it? I I I would say the cell tower has been talked about. So if it's not the cell tower Okay, come on up. one first then we'll go up next. Mr. Bradshaw Court. Yeah. Yeah. All right. So your name sir and

Rob Stigliano conquale. I've attended as you guys all know many many meetings. I'd like to just ask councel when we talk about correspondence and I'm noticing that you know people write in and they write because three minutes sometimes is not enough time to get your point across. So we write to the mayor and council and it's probably much more detailed. I'd like to just ask to consider instead of just uh accepting and and putting the correspondence into the the minutes so to speak that maybe correspondence is read so that the people that are here or the people that are watching can actually hear what people are writing and then you take the appropriate action.

You believe we should read every single letter we get out loud in public meetings. Mark Mark, please. Thank you. I can talk to you. No, no. Everybody gets a chance. It's It's public comments, not back and forth. You've already laid that out. Come on up. You're absolutely right. Nothing to do with the cell. You're absolutely right.

I would just like to uh Harold Schill Bradshaw Court Hillsdale. I would just like to thank the mayor and council for advancing the resolution to advertise for improvements on East Liberty Avenue. They are badly badly needed. I it it is my most direct way home, but I tend to avoid it and go on Hillsdale Avenue instead uh to get home. And this is very very much appreciated. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Would anybody else like to be heard? Seeing that, we will move on to council comments. Um I usually kick things off. I just want to say thank you for everybody on on the board um for going through this process. No, I it's of my opinion that we still have a long way to go. There are issues that need to be addressed. Uh on the topic dour, I don't have to go into it. Um and I wanted to thank your department whether you were here or not. I was going to say something because you guys have um it's it's remarkable. I feel like every day I spend half an hour sending emails back and forth to our DPW. um and every time they rise to the occasion and are doing remarkable work for the residents here. So I thank you especially thank you Mr. Peterson.

You're welcome. Thank you. Okay. Um and since we started this way, let's start down here with public with uh council comments.

Yeah. The only thing I'd like to say uh is that with respect to that diesel modernization program, I'm very pleased that it's going to that we're starting that process because the the need for a sweeper uh and I've exchanged emails and Barry's informed me about what the situation has been and is now. Um, I'm glad that the the sweeper, if we if we purchase it, you know, we get the grant written and we're we get the grant, then we can go out and buy the sweeper. Um, it it will remove the blockage that I see all over town at times uh of the storm drains. Um, for certain blocks like mine, it's it's pretty critical. For other blocks, it really doesn't matter. The water can go to the next drain.

Yes. And and now we take care of it. Yeah. By hand. So, I'm I'm pleased to hear your answers in the email that I received from you. Thank you. You're welcome. That's all. Okay. Councilwoman, I have no comments, council. Thank you, mayor. No comments. Okay, we'll go down now. We're going to start with the president here. Yeah, no comment. Councilman, uh yeah, just a reminder that the correct me wrong community center, it'll grand opening is April 29th, right? 4 p.m. encourage everybody to come down. It's um it's a really great facility and it came out I I was expecting four vanilla white walls and it's so much more than that. So I encourage you to come down and see it. That's it.

Council Camp, I would encourage my colleagues to find a solution quickly on the cell tower. We have to work together. We got we and I and maybe we can uh come together and and knock this out. Thanks. Okay. Um can I get a motion to adjurnn? Motion second. Second. All those in favor? I. This meeting is adjourned.