Township Council - Special Meeting

Good morning everyone and welcome to the December 30th, 2025 emergency meeting called by our chief financial officer. This is an emergency meeting called by the chief financial officer pursuant to the provisions of the open public meeting act. The need for this meeting could not reasonably have been foreseen at the time when adequate notice could have been provided. According to our chief financial officer, notice of this emergency meeting was posted to the township website. The meeting will be limited to discussion of and acting with respect to an emergent resolution authorizing transfers of funds pursuant to NJSA4A 4-58 regarding expenditures for quarterly health waiver payments for 69 township employees prior to December 31st, 2025. Please rise for the pledge.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Madame clerk, please the roll call. Deputy Mayor Anderson absent. Councelor Birmingham here. Councelor Tomato here. Councelor Harrison here. Councelor Toller good morning. Present. Good morning. Councelor Williams here. Mayor Baskerville

present. Um at this time if there are people from the public who wish to be heard. Uh we ask please that you first sign in at the table in the front and then um we'll take number one. Seeing none, we will um proceed with the agenda. We'll go to new business resolution. Resolution authorizing an emergency meeting. Um the I'm going to make a motion. Uh [snorts] oh, we're not going to do doesn't have to be done in executive. Okay. So, second

the e Huh. The second Oh, I didn't I'm sorry. I didn't make it yet. I'm sorry. I was just trying to find um the sudden and unexpected action of the meeting. So, this is um an emergency meeting called by the chief financial officer for a sudden and unexpected action authorizing transfer of funds and ISO move. Second. All in favor? I Well, can I do it that way or since we're talking about funds, do we have to do a roll call? I would do the roll call. Yes, ma'am. Madame Clerk. Deputy Mayor Anderson, absent. Councelor Birmingham, yes. Councelor Damato,

yes. Councelor Harrison, yes. Councelor Toller, yes. Councelor Williams, yes. Mayor Baskerville, yes. Um, okay. At this point in time, I'm going to ask please our chief financial officer if you would begin the discussion.

Good morning.

Um I called the meeting uh and I apologize for the late notice. I was under the impression um well in any event um their health waiver budget line um will be overexpended if we don't approve this transfer. There are 69 employees that are entitled to this benefit. It's uh the reason that they're entitled is because they're waving to be covered under the township's health insurance. So that's saving the township money. Um unfortunately the amount that was budgeted it's uh not enough. I've been here two months and when I did the salary projections since the township of Monontlair pays this benefit on a quarterly basis, I was not aware that that was going to be overextpended and I became aware of the situation on the December 19th. I am trying to make sure that the employees get their benefit and that it hits the books in the correct fiscal year and I am trying to also make sure that the township is in compliance with all the regulations as per NJSA484-57. So that's why I would appreciate if you guys um support this transfer so that we are in compliance. Council,

just quickly, how much are we talking about? Just just for the record, it was around 15,000. So, I just put 20,000 cuz there's another payroll. And in case we have any other employees that were omitted on the last round just that way I cover myself and just in case we have a little bit extra. Yes. Um, councelor Birmingham. Um, thank you. And can you just explain that that that it's typical in it's November and December that you're allowed to make these shifts between line items? Yes. So, uh the law allows the last two months of the fiscal year that you can move funds around.

Okay. So, just so everyone is clear, just so we say this very loudly and clearly for everyone who may be watching around calling the CFO calling an emergency meeting, especially in our township right now. This is just a very like it's an administrative issue that it is not that we are short on money or anything in this township. Can you just say that very clearly? This is really a transfer of funds that could have been done earlier but as you explained was not you know you noticed it late and it for various reasons it didn't get on our schedule. So just to be clear.

Yeah. So typically in every municipality the there usually might be a meeting called for a special meeting at the end of the year especially when the last council meeting is so early in the month. Sometimes things can happen like emergencies that will require the council's attention and the budget is approved by council. So any transfers within the budget also need to be approved by trans by the council. So nothing is overexpended per se at this moment. But if this is not approved, then it would create an overexpenditure. We are not there is um funds available on another budget line, which is what I'm trying to do. Move it from the line that has been paid for through the end of the month. Um I already made sure that that budget line um the December bills were paid and then I'm just moving the some of the excess from that budget line into the health waiver because that's the budget line that is short at the moment.

Thank you. [clears throat] Do Okay. So, um, yeah, it's not so much that, you know, that it's typical that people wait till the last minute or wait too late to get it on to a regularly scheduled agenda. It's just that these things where where we transfer funds often often happen. So, now can you explain please for the public to um clearly and thank you. You did explain it to me and so did Mr. Monzo. I appreciate that. the repercussions. Um, you know, if we did not call in a meeting at this late um date to to accomplish this, what would the repercussion be? Say we would just decided nope or if we were all not able to come in, what would the repercussions be? Um, moving forward if we just said we'll wait until the next meeting.

So, if you mean like if council doesn't want to act on the transfer, I'm sorry, what did you You mean like if you don't want to approve the transfer like what would be the repres if you did not call this meeting at this late date if you decided to wait and I heard you but I want the public to understand because they need to understand that these things that we do you know we try to work together to get things done and they're for a purpose and so I want you to explain as you and Mr. Monzo, explain to me what would the repercussions be if we did not do this meeting?

Well, the options would be that then there would be an overexpenditure of a budget line that would create an emergency that would have to be raised in the next fiscal year. The audit uh company will write up the the township for overexpending their budget line. or the alternative will be to tell all 69 employees that they're not going to get their benefit and then that can create um a lot of chaos and distress between employees. So when they they write us up, what does that do for for us? Does it change, you know, um anything in terms of our township or what does that

we just saw that we have poor internal controls and that we're not abiding by the law. So, it can impact negatively if somebody's trying to review our um financial stability. Good. Thank you. No problem. Miss Bartlett, again, would there be an issue with the Deputy Manager? Oh, I'm sorry. Would there be an issue with those who've already received their benefit having to come back with a personal check? And yes, if the transfer is not approved, I will have to email every 16 all the employees that are entitled to that so they can bring me money back by the end of the year by tomorrow.

Just I mean just so the public is clear. Councelor Harrison,

this is fairly common in many municipalities doing transfers because the budgeting process is never precise enough. Uh, this transfer involves $20,000. I I've seen many towns do transfers far larger than this because they have surplus in some accounts and deficits in other accounts when they get to the end of the year. That's why the statute authorizes the transfers to occur in the last two months. And I'm actually pleased that we've had we've had a couple before, but they've been for very modest amounts. And I've seen other towns do it hundreds of thousands of dollars being transferred. So, I think our budgeting process is working very well. Only have these modest transfers, the two we approved previously and this one.

Yeah, I I would agree um councelor Harrison, but I would hope moving forward we try um very very hard to get it done so we don't have to, you know, have these special emergency meetings, especially something that we knew about from the 19th. I think that would probably be helpful. But I think we are doing a great job. Um, and I hope that we continue to do so. Anyone else? Um, I'd like to please ask our, um, chairperson of the finance committee, um, Councelor Birmingham, please, if you would be so kind as to read the resolution. Um this is resolution [clears throat] authorizing transfer of funds pursuant to NJSA4A col4-58. Um whereas the municipal chief financial officer has recommended certain transfer of funds from appropriations made in the budget to cover anticipated expenditures in accordance with the provisions of NJSA. And whereas NGSA4A4-58 provides for transfers in the last two months of the fiscal year from appropriations with an excess over and above the amount necessary to fulfill the purpose for such appropriations to those appropriations deemed to be insufficient. And whereas the governing body has determined that there is an excess in appropriations over and above the amount necessary to fulfill certain appropriations and attached schedule A. Now therefore, be it resolved by the mayor and council of the township of Monontlair not less than twothirds of the full membership voting affirmative that transfers be made between 2025 budget appropriations set forth opposite its designation. So that will we are taking it from taking from health insurance group

dental to health benefits waiver and it's $20,000 shift. Correct. Did you um can I move second? Madame clerk. Deputy Mayor Anderson absent. Councelor Birmingham. Yes. Councelor Damato. Yes. Councelor Harrison. Yes. Councelor Toller. Yes. Councelor Williams. Yes. Mayor Baskerville. Yes. I'd like to make a motion to adjourn the meeting. Second. All in favor? I. Any opposed? Happy New Year. Happy and healthy. Happy New Year. Happy new year.