Township Council - Regular Meeting

regular council meeting to order. Please stand for the flag. Sorry, these mics are a lot. Uh, moment of silence to remember the service and sacrifices of the armed service members who protect our nations and the first responders who protect our neighborhoods.

Clerk, please take the role. Councilman Freellander, here. Councilman Sacket, here. Councilman Quinn here. Councilman Brooks. Councilwoman Noun here. Councilman Sberg here. Councilman Vtovich here. Council Vice President Brooks here. Council President Morrison.

Adequate notice of this meeting was provided to the daily record and the official newspapers for the township of Rockway. Notice was posted on the official bulletin boards of Rockway Township, the township website, and notice was filed in the office of the township clerk. [snorts] Um, November 25th, township council regular meetings. Can I have a motion? So moved. Second. Clerk, please take the role. Councilman Freellander, yes. Councilman Sacket, yes. Councilman Quinn, yes. Councilwoman Nune, yes. Councilman Salberg, yes. Counciloman Vitoovvic, yes.

Council Vice President Brooks, yes. Motion passes. Um, I'm going to invite the mayor up for a presentation from the Rotary Club of the Rockways.

So, it's uh testing. There we go. privilege of being at the grand opening of prevention is key on the road. Uh we presented an a to them uh uh Thursday night. I'll be presenting one to pound of B Rockaway for installation in the community center and this I gratefully or happily

give to you folks uh for installation at the field. That's the lighter of the two boxes. [laughter] So, and how many boxes for Toys for Tots do they have so far? Uh we put out 10 boxes this year. Last year we filled eight boxes brokered there to pick up eight boxes of toys, deliver them upin. Uh we have 10 out this year. Uh and I think that's this Saturday. We're finishing that up. Uh we expect to have 10 full boxes of toys for toys tots. Uh you all enjoyed our flags, the flag banners around the lake this year. Thanks to uh the uh DPW in here in town and Morgan for his help getting the the uh

flags in place for us. So that's one of our projects and you mentioned Unico. That was a Unico project uh that started with the Ray Odiero General Odo Memorial. So we try and keep busy. If there are other things you folks need, we say this to police departments, the fire departments, ask try and do it. Thank you. Thank you. [applause] Thank you very much.

Okay, we're going to move to open to the public the sheet. No sheet. Excellent. Um, if even though you haven't signed in, if anyone would like to speak open to the public, feel free to come to the mic, state your name and address. No. Okay. All righty. We are going to um at this point we're going to go into a close session. Um it's unknown if we'll we may or may not take official action. Um but we expect to be in close session. no longer than 30 minutes. So, uh, authorize resolution 25227, resolution authorizing executive close session in accordance with the New Jersey Open Public Meetings Act to discuss pending litigation. Can I have a motion, please?

So move. Second. Roll call. Councilman Freellander, yes. Councilman Sacket, yes. Councilman Quinn, yes. Councilwoman Nune, yes. Councilman Salberg, yes. Council Vitovich, yes. Council Vice President Brooks, yes. We will be back.

I'd like to have a motion to return from close session. I'll make the motion. I'll second. Uh, clerk, take the role. Councilman Freellander, yes. Councilman Sacket, yes. Councilman Quinn, yes. Councilwoman Nune, yes. Councilman Sberg, yes. Counciloman Vtovich, yes. Council Vice President Brooks, yes.

Motion passes. Okay, we're going to move to item 9, consent agenda. We are voting on [sighs] resolutions R25221, R2522, R25223, R25224, R25225, R25226, R25228. May I have a motion? So move. Second. Councilman Freellander. Yes. Councilman Sacket, yes. Councilman Quinn, yes. Councilwoman Nun, yes. Councilman Selberg, yes.

Councilman Boyovich, yes. Council Vice President Brooks, yes. Motion passes. Um, moving on to new business and reports. I'd like to Can I personally make this motion? Um, yeah. motion. All right. I'd like to make a motion to appoint Brady Gabe to the Mount Hope Fire Company number two as a full member. Second. Roll call, please. Councilman Freellander, yes. Councilman Sacket, yes. Councilman Quinn, yes. Councilwoman Noun, yes. Councilman Sberg, yes.

Councilman Vtovich, yes. Council Vice President Brooks. Yes. Welcome, Mr. Gabe, and thank you for your service. Okay, we're going to move on to new business and reports, and I'm going to start with Councilman Quinn, please.

Thank you. Well, first I want to uh seeing this is our last meeting of the year, I want to thank Mary and Rachel and Doug for their service. uh on the council and moving forward. Uh good luck. Stay well. Also, I'd like to uh say that we had a very chilly uh Santa coming to town in Christmas tree lighting at the gazebo. It seemed once we got up on top where the gazebo and tree was, the wind really picked up. Thank god that tree was really nailed down because otherwise it would have been all over the place. Rachel caught the remote as it got blown off. She did a great job. Good hands. I'd like to also um looking forward to the manora lighting. I'm also looking forward to the new year. I wish everybody a happy, healthy, and safe new year. and Hanukkah and Quanza and Christmas of course. Thank you.

Thank you so much. Just like Echo wishing everyone a great holiday season, whatever you may celebrate, have a have a healthy and happy one. Just to a couple of council members. First, uh Doug Brooks is not here tonight. Um wishing Doug the best. I've known Doug for over 40 years and uh it was a pleasure to serve with him. I'll still see him quite frequently, but uh wishing him the best. To Mary, thank you so much. You came in on a time where we needed you and thank you for coming in for your service. Really much appreciated. And to Rachel, excellent work. You came in also in a time where you were very needed. Um I've known the Brooks family for a while. Coaching your son who's back there. It's good to see him and [clears throat] um you always good been a good year to listen to. If I had something really appreciate I really appreciate your service. So best of luck to you as well. Thank you,

Councilman Selberg. Thank you. Uh no report for board of commissioners this week. Uh but again to echo the sentiments, I just want to thank the council administration uh for a very successful 2025 and I look forward to working with you again in 2026. Thank you, Councilman Voytovich. I have no report. Councilman Freellander,

historical society. We had, excuse me, uh we had uh two uh projects uh this past week. Uh we had the Christmas in early America, which was well attended, and that was uh Thursday. And Saturday we had uh kind of crazy uh day at the Ford Face House before we close up for uh more uh repairs, but uh we were joined by a couple of chickens and some goats on the front lawn. It was it was it was a nice it was a nice day. Uh substance abuse. Uh we're in the phase one of our four phases where we had the a speaker at at at Copeland. Um, the firehouse had a breakfast Sunday. Uh, started at 8:00 to 11:00. I got so involved. Uh, I was there for the all three hours. Just a lot of kids, a lot of family. It it was it was a great morning. Uh, on a different note to you, uh, Mary, and who are you? Ms. Ms. Brooks. And uh my buddy uh where is he? Doug uh it was a good four years. Going to miss you. I want to thank you again for your friendship and uh working uh we worked well together and I'm going to miss you guys and uh to the holiday time of year whether whatever you celebrate people enjoy because now I'm going to get all choked up because last year this is my anniversary of a rough year and made it through it and it's very important to be with your family, friends, and don't uh don't take it for granted because you never know what's going to happen. Thank

you,

Councilwoman Noon. Thank you. So, I attended the uh tree lining, which was very windy. And uh I also got a chance to go over to the Ford Face House. I always enjoy that. And I always enjoy it, especially around Christmas time. It's always nice. But uh I've been on the council six years and I want to thank everyone and I will miss it and I want to wish everyone a happy holiday season. And that's it. Um as this will be my last meeting, I just want to take a moment to express my gratitude. Um serving our township has been an honor and a privilege. Uh over the years I've not only built valuable relationships, I've actually built some interesting friendships. Um, and I never expected that to happen, but all those connections will carry with me. So, I thank you for that. Um, I want to thank the staff, the administration, and the entire community for their trust, their collaboration, and their support. None of the work that we do is possible without the dedication of so many people behind the scenes. Um, and then the engagement of the residents we serve. I think people don't realize that, and I think they forget that there's a lot of moving parts. Um, I also want to spend uh extend a very special thank you to my friends and family. Their patience and understanding for events and dinners I've missed, things I've left early, I've arrived late. [laughter] Um, their unwavering support has always made it possible for me to give my best here. So, it's truly been an honor. I want to wish everyone a happy and healthy holiday season and new year. John

[applause]

except to wish everybody uh on the day uh and everybody a happy Hanukkah, merry Christmas, happy new year. Uh I'm going to pass it over to the mayor uh who's got something very good to tell everybody. So, I'll I'll start by saying um part of the closed session was um the Washington Prime Group, the owners of the Outer Mall, had filed a tax appeal um and tried to lump it into a bankruptcy um court case. Uh we put together a great team, uh Lou Eisenberger, Levi Cool, and our own tax center uh assessor, Kimberly Johnson. um and they were able to reach a settlement and save the township um several million dollars um through the course of their negotiations and the work they did and the time they put in. So um it's best case scenario in our opinion and I just want to congratulate them and the council was just informed of it. So um I want to start with that and I wanted to go into um got a few letters I want to read. Uh I have to write you to tell you how wonderful your employee Allison Lombardo is. She's terrific. She's always helpful, knowledgeable. If she doesn't have the information, she immediately lets me know and either forwards to whoever can help and lets me lets me know and or gives them the information. Um, please make sure she's recognized as a very dedicated employee who does a wonderful job helping employees and retirees. You have a fantastic employee. Um, and I can tell you there's many nights I'll come in to sign things and Allison's working late because she spent an hour on the phone with a retiree helping them. So, she's fantastic. Also, there was a um I think it was last week there was a water main break um over by our house um off of M Mount Hope A in the middle of the night. I think it was 1:30 in the morning and this person just said, "I want to thank the Rockway Township water crew for an excellent repair of a water

mane break on Mount Hope a um in the after midnight hours. Literally, they were able to stop a raging river minutes before it would have destroyed our home. Um they worked all night in the cold and dark to restore water to the area and I'm so grateful for them and that's why uh it's one of the reasons why they're considered first responders now. They always should have been considered first responders. So, um, I want to thank, [clears throat] uh, talked about the tree lighting. Um, Pastor Ryan Herren from the Pur Presbyterian Church of Rockway did the opening prayer. Pastor Ryan's always participating in our events. He's he's a great part of the the Rockway area community. Uh, the Mount Hope Fire Department um, who brought Santa with them. Um, the RTPD, DPW, um, Boy Scout Troop 160 of White Metal Lake. uh the Morris Nolles choir. Um there were several students from Morris Hills that volunteered inside. Um John Donado, Jean Licker, um Steve Dotchnak. Um they were members of the historical society and Danielle Aante uh balloon mama I think is her tag on Facebook or something. She did the uh balloon arch um for free in in the uh area. Um, we had a planning board meeting last night where uh we uh uh reviewed and are getting ready to approve solar panels um for New Jersey natural gas and her facility up Green Pond Road. Um Manny talked about the breakfast for Santa. I think um when you look at somebody that served on the uh on the uh township council for as long as he has and uh is a uh not a practicing Christian, stayed there all morning and gave presents out to kids. Kids would walk by. He had little chachkas to give them and all. And it just says a lot about Manny and the type of person he is and his commitment to

the community. Um, so thank you, Manny, for doing that. Uh, we had the 5K race um for Divine Mercy Academy. It was a little cold out. I woke up in the morning, saw snow on the road. I'm like, "Yes, it got cancelled. I'm not going to have to do this 5K thing." And then I ping Dave and Dave's like, "Oh, no, it's still on." I'm like, "Yeah, all right." So, um, and it is remarkable. We went over to the Ford Face House. The work that's going on there, um, it it just looks great. Um, it's it's really coming out nice. And I I want to end my report by saying, you know, Mary and Rachel, you're you're both going to be missed. And I think whoever said it, you know, you came at a time when you were both needed and uh it's been a pleasure working with both of you. Um I will say you are both advocates for the wards you represented. Um your your pains, you know, you would constantly call and make sure that things were getting taken care of in your wards and that's what a ward council member should be doing. and uh you guys were great at it, but you did it with class, you did it with dignity, you're always partners um with the administration and myself, and I greatly appreciate that, and you'll both be greatly missed by me. [clears throat]

I have no report, but I just want to wish everyone a happy and healthy holiday season. Thank you. Ditto. [laughter] [clears throat]

Well, um, Council Vice President, I was going to utter two words that are usually, um, appreciated by many and provide disappointment to few, which would be no report, but I did want to, um, wish the outgoing did want to wish the members of the council that are outgoing very wish you well and and thank you. It's been a pleasure working with you. Um, also wanted to just mention the prevention is key opening at 322 Green Pond Road. A couple of days ago, several members of uh our staff went there on behalf of the mayor and the governing body. Uh myself, our event coordinator, Shannon, uh Britney, our local health outreach coordinator, Sue Gabe, our recreation supervisor, and a couple of members of the police department were there, other officials from the county. And um because this agency really focuses on preventing and and minimizing the effects of substance use uh and also infuses the community in general with health and wellness. It's a great partner that the division of health in particular has worked closely with and the mayor's wellness campaign as well. Um so we're happy to have this resource right here in our town. Um and also just wanted to wish everybody happy holidays. Council Vice President and Councilwoman Nune thank you for the opportunity to work together. Um, in my time, [clears throat] the fire department certainly appreciates it. Happy holidays to everybody. Thank you.

I I just want to uh express my my gratitude for uh allowing us to become uh first responders. Uh it's been 23 to 24 years, a long battle for the Public Works Association of New Jersey and American Public Works Association to to get this through. Uh I thank you very much. Um that being said, we got salt ordered and uh we're waiting for tomorrow's storm. That's all. Happy holidays everyone.

No report. [laughter] Uh just a quick reminder, the December 23rd meeting was cancelled and I know Jonathan wanted to stay, but um can I have a motion to adjourn by consensus? So moved. So moved. Happy holidays everybody. Thank you.