Common Council - Regular Meeting

Good evening everybody. The meeting will call come to order. Um happy St. Patrick's Day and in advance of Friday Eid Mubarak. Um madame clerk, would you please read the adequate notice of compliance statement? Adequate notice of this meeting has been provided by the city clerk's office in preparation of the council annual meeting notice dated December 5th 17th, 2025, which was properly distributed and posted per statutory requirements. Please be advised that fire exits are to my right, your left, and at the back of the room. The city has a listening system to assist the hearing impaired. If anyone needs hearing assistance, please obtain the system at the deis and return it thereafter. Um, thank you. Roll call, please.

Mr. Ber, present. Mr. Chrisoy, here. Miss Calmanson, here. Miss Landman, here. Miss Lucarina, here. Mr. Palowski. President Toth here. Um, thank you. Um Carolyn King, would you please lead us in the pledge of allegiance? I pledge algiance 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, would you please read the notices regarding closed sessions and hearings and comments?

A closed session meeting is authorized by state statute was announced and held prior to the start of this meeting and the known items for discussion were listed on the published close session agenda. Please be advised that council meetings are broadcast live on Comcast channels 34 and 36 and Verizon channel 3030 and re broadcast on Thursdays and Saturdays on HTTV on Comcast 36 and Verizon 33. When invited to speak, please come to the lectern clearly state your name and address, spell your last name, and speak into the podium microphone so that your comments can be understood by all and properly recorded. Whenever an audience or council member reads from a prepared statement, please give or email a copy to the city clerk at city clerk@c cityofsummit.org. To help facilitate an orderly meeting and to permit all to be heard, please limit your comments to no more than 3 minutes in length. Unless you are using an electronic device to follow the meeting agenda or need it for professional emergency contact purposes, please turn it off. Thank you.

Okay. And I'm going to expand a bit on the city clerk's note about hearings and comments. This will facilitate a smoother process, particularly for those watching remotely. Um, if you're seated in the first two rows, please remain silent. Good luck. Um, anything you say will be picked up by the recording microphones and make it difficult to hear the official proceedings. Um, the 3minut limit on public comments corresponds to a bit less than a single typewritten page. If you're leaving your written remarks, please put your name on them and place them in the box near the lect turn when you're done. Um, and with that, let's move on to the city's business. Um, now, minutes for approval. Do I hear a motion to approve the minutes of the regular and closed sessions of February 17th and March 3rd?

So moved. Second. All in favor? I opposed. Motion carries. On to reports. Madame Mayo,

thank you. Good evening everyone. Happy St. Patrick's Day. Thank you for being here. Lighter crowd than usual. Um, first I wanted to share a reminder that the Summit Police Department is still accepting applications for its Summit Summer Youth Academy. The deadline is April 1st and applications are available on the city website and at the police department records window at city hall. Two one-week sessions are held in late July every year and the program is open to children entering six grades six, seven, eight and nine the following school year with a maximum age of 14 at the start of the program. Cadets undergo physical training and instruction in criminal investigation techniques, patrol practices, and much more. During their week with the officers, um these really are two of my favorite weeks. Um we hear the kids in the lobby the first day. Um, we watch them evolve from meek, uh, kind of floppy to buttoned up and and, uh, and really, really, um, impressive young young people. So, really fun. Um, more information is available at the city of summit.org/ youthacademy. Summit Police Department is holding hosting a cyber crime presentation next week on Wednesday, March 25th from 7 to 8 right here in Council Chamber. A representative from the FBI will lead the presentation on the latest cyber crime trends and how individuals can protect themselves. The event is free and open to the public. One more for the police department. As the weather starts to warm up with the start of spring, please remind your kids about ebike and e- scooter safety. Can't say it enough. I think I've said it a thousand times. Um over the past couple of weeks, the police department has seen a lot of dangerous behavior such as riders not wearing helmets and weaving in and out of traffic. And so if your kid has an ebike or an e scooter, please remind them of traffic safety rules and the importance of wearing a helmet. This keeps everyone on the road safe, including our drivers and our pedestrians. And as a reminder, no one under the age of 15 is permitted to ride an ebike or e scooter per New Jersey

state law. And coming this summer, every ebike rider will need will be required to have a license, registration, and insurance. We have all of the information on our website for you to review at cityofsummit.org/bikesafety. org/bikesafety. Tomorrow at 6 p.m., Superintendent Huff will present the 2026 2027 board of ed budget to the board of school estimate and then the board of education meeting will follow at 6:30 during which the board of ed will discuss and vote on the proposed tenative budget. The public is welcome to attend to learn more. And last, I had the pleasure of attending the SCF spring for excellence event this past Saturday and it was an amazing celebration of their 40th anniversary. So, happy birthday, SCF, and congratulations on a successful event. Thank you.

Thank you. Um, and on to the city administrators report. Administrator Baldwin.

Thank you, Council President. Good evening, everyone. A few quick points of interest. Um, a reminder about the New Jersey American Water Lead Service line replacement project. They have been door-to-door canvasing and summit over the past couple of weeks to perform inventory assessments and scheduled inspections of water service line materials. This is expected to continue for several weeks. We have their canvasing map linked in the news feed on the homepage of our website as well as additional project information and links to the water company's website where you can learn more about the project. Spring is right around the corner and so is the city's annual Earth Day cleanup. This year's event will be held on Saturday, April 18th from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. And it's a wonderful volunteer opportunity to help beautify our city, parks, and open spaces. Individuals may volunteer on the day of the event at Bryant Park or Martinsbrook Park without pre-registering or to participate as a group. You can pre-register to be assigned to a site ahead of time. More information is available at the cityofsummit.org/earthday on the website. Uh lastly, if you're doing any spring cleaning this month, the summit free market is a great resource you can use to rehome your gently used household items instead of contributing to the waist stream. The next event will be held on Friday, March 27th from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the transfer station. Summit residents with a parking disposal permit can attend and browse donated items and take what they want for free. Please review the donation guidelines on our website at cityofsummit.org/freearket before bringing items to donate. And that's it for my report. Thank you.

Okay. Thank you very much. um for the president's report. Um the sale of the old firehouse property did not occur on schedule. Given state rules and how we construct our budget, this has lift left us with an $800,000 hole. On top of a million dollar increase in health care and snow removal costs. Council member Landman will speak to this more fully in her council remarks, so please stay tuned for those, but I wanted to alert you ahead of time. Um, in happier news, council has scheduled two more listening sessions for the public. They will be held on two Mondays in April the 6th and the 27th from 700 p.m. in the Jordan Glat Youth Lounge in the community center. Please come and tell us whatever is top of mind. Have a conversation with us. We love we love hearing from you. Um, and finally, I will be out of town on Monday, March 30th. So, I'll have to cancel my office hours that day, but please see me this coming Monday, the 23rd, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. Um, and let's move on to happier things. And I believe we have a ceremonial award. Um, Chief Peters,

thank you. Through you, Council President. Tonight, I'm here to present the 2025 Police Officer of the Year Award. While this newly adopted initiative is designed to highlight the actions of the previous year, over the course of the last 14 years, Officer Keith Quiet has demonstrated unwavering integrity while consistently upholding the highest ethical standards through accountability, honesty, and professionalism. His performance has not only been exceptional, but sustained over time. Officer QuietC executes his duties with consistency, sharp attention to detail, sound judgment, routinely operating at a level of excellence that elevates the entire police department. Whether handling routine calls or high pressure situations, he remains composed, decisive, and effective, ensuring that each task is completed thoroughly, and in accordance with the highest standards of law enforcement. Through clear initiative, Off Officer Quiet consistently steps forward to take on challenging assignments and additional responsibilities without hesitation. He leads by example, setting the tone through his actions rather than words, and serves as a dependable resource and mentor to fellow officers. His proactive approach to policing, combined with his willingness to go above and beyond, directly contributes to safer outcomes and stronger team cohesion. Officer QuietC's commitment to service reflects a genuine care for both the community and his fellow officers. He fosters trust trust through see I mean listen to that. The the crowd can barely contain themselves. He he fosters trust through respectful fair and compassionate interactions strengthening relationships and enhancing the reputation of the Summit Police Department. His presence in the field is not only reassuring to the public, but also a source of confidence for those of us who work alongside him. Above all, his dedication to the Summit Police Department's mission is selfless and unwavering. Officer Quietch shows up prepared, focused, and fully committed every day, embodying the core values of

this profession. His work ethic, leadership, and character make him exceptionally deserving of this honor, 2025 Police Officer of the Year. There's two more. appreciate it. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Um, and let's move on to our historical minute. Council member Landman. Thank you, Council President. Uh, tonight I would like to invite Lizzie and Maddie Griffith to the podium to give the historical minute. Maddie and Lizzie are sophomores at Summit High School and are members of the girls soccer team. They were selected by their coach to present tonight on two legends from Summit girls sports history. Over to you.

Okay. Good evening everyone. My name is Lizzie Griffith and my name is Maddie Griffith. We are sophomores at Summit High School and are members of the girls soccer team. This woman's history month, we are honored to speak about a vital and inspiring part of Summit history. The impact that sports legends Mimi Murray and Lindseay Clark Rosoff had on Summit girls sports. Dr. Mimi Murray helped break stereotypes about what female athletes can or cannot do. Mimi, class of 1957, made her mark on Summit High School sports. During her four years, there were no formal varsity athletic teams for women. But she didn't let that stop her. She participated and excelled in field hockey, basketball, and soccer. In fact, her formative years as an athlete shaped her and women's sports for the rest of us. After graduating from SHS, Mimi went on to Springfield College and ultimately earned her her doctoral degree in sports psychology at the University of Connecticut. She coached women's gymnastics and led her team to five Eastern Championships and three D1 national championships. She coached the USA team for the World University Games and was named coach of the year. In later years, she served in various coaching positions around the world, promoting girls and women's sports. Mimi Murray's days playing Summit High School sports led to a career as a teacher, coach, pioneer in sports sports psychology, and a crusader for gender equity. Her work to help build confidence and self-esteem, improve physical and mental health, and encourage teamwork and leadership for many athletes under her guidance. Lindsay Clark Rosoff, class of 1996, was a star athlete in soccer, basketball, and track and field. Over Lindsay's four years at Summit High School, she earned 12 varsity letters, a rare and amazing accomplishment representing her discipline and commitment to hard work. In track and field, Lindsay set the school javelin record which still stands today. Within her four years of track, she was named allconerence all county and was a twotime sectional state champ. On the soccer field, Lindsay served as a

captain and earned team MVP honors. She was recognized as all county three times and all state honors three times. Lastly, on the basketball court, Lindsay was again a fouryear starter and captain. She helped bring the team to the 1994 state sectional championship and earned defensive player of the year in 1994, 1995, and 1996. Lindsay's lasting impact is not just just with her record. She was known for mentoring younger teammates, teaching cooperation and communication, and encouraging girls on our team. She was repeatedly selected as a captain because of how she set the tone for effort, attitude, and sportsmanship. She raised the bar for what girls can achieve in high school sports, both on the field and off the court as a role model. Lindsay Clark Rosoff and Dr. Mimi Murray made their mark on Summit Sports. Both Lindsay and Mimi serve as key reminders to all women athletes what it means to be a leader and how it and how to make a longlasting impact. Lindsay and Mimi represent what it means to be a Hill Topper, and we appreciate what they have done to pave the way and set an example for all athletes like us. Thank you. Terrific. And now we have one more presentation. This evening we have with us Carolyn King, who's the chair of the Historic Preservation Commission. Um, and Miss King is going to present the HPC's annual awards along with Mayor Fagan. So, take it away, ladies. Yeah,

we're working on the technical.

Can you do it over there? I was just about Thank God for the chief younger than both of us. What's that? Yes,

I think this is the best we're going to get. There's a full screen. We are good. We're good. Okay. So, these are the Historic Preservation Commission awards. Excuse me. Could you get them? Yeah. Am I close enough?

Now you're close enough. These are the Historic Preservation Commission awards for uh historic homes and it's something that we look at every year to appreciate the character of Summit. And so on the slide you can see uh that we'd like to identify and designate historic landmarks and historic districts in order to maintain and enhance the historic character of the city of Summit. And we want to h foster civic pride in the history and architecture of the city. And we want to promote appreciation of historic landmarks and historic districts for the education, civic-mindedness, pleasure, and welfare of the local population. And we have the first whoops house is 36 Kent Place Boulevard. And just to have people hear a little bit more um about the language on how we can describe why the houses look so beautiful. This is a second Empire Victorian home and it's 1875. And the home has been recognized by the HPC for a thoughtful restoration of its period detail. And that includes a number of homes on Kent Place Boulevard that have that same design. And the style is characterized by its Mansard roof. That's the part that's sloping if you look on the slide. Asymmetrical massing and deep porches. And this home was meticulously restored, bringing back the original clabboard siding, uh the cornice trim, uh the ornate brackets that you can see and the second floor bay window. Uh so this is really a beautiful home and you can see the decorative woodcut railings. So that's our first home. And our next home is 13 Hughes Place and it's in the Deantown historic district. And this vernacular Victorian dates back to 1890. And Deantown is sometimes

referred to as East Summit and is a neighborhood of homes that developed in the late 19th century. And this is a wellpreserved example of these original homes. And they feature a front gable. That's the triangle part. Um, and the porch was enclosed for a period of time and that was actually restored to its original condition which you see here and you can go by and see at the house and it has square porch posts um, which are consistent with the details of this style. And the next house is 41 Valley View. And this is a shingle style home um from 1900. And it features a gamrell roof, a round tower dormer, and a three-sided bay dormer and something they call an eyebrow window, which is that half moon shape that you see. And it has a deep porch that extends across the main massing of the house with paired posts. And there's a sister home on 37 Valley View. And the renovations to this home have been sensitive to the historic scale, massing, and detailing. And we want to recognize this home for the stewardship. And next is 17 Ashland. And it's in the Summit Homeland Company, Historic District, and this was developed in the early 20th century. And it's the area around Memorial Field, Brighton School, and the middle school. And this is called a Craftsman bungalow. And these homes were common in the early garden suburbs and there's only a handful of these in Summit. So, it's special. And this home is characterized by its tapered brick porch columns and its gable porch roof with exposed rafters and supporting brackets. And these details are what makes these homes so beautiful. Uh, and the next one is Nine Robin Hood Road and it is in the north

side historic district and that is known for its park-like setting and it's designed in a variety of romantic styles. Uh this is one of the earliest houses in the Ivanho Park subdivision of the north side. And this home was designed with Norman French and Tutor influences and features a circular tower element as you can see. And the historic details include rusticated clabber siding, another eyebrow dormer um and the tower element. and nine Robin Hood is being recognized for its ongoing stewardship of the home and the grounds. And our last is 47 Hillrest and this is a shinglestyle family home and it was built in 1890 and it was designed by a noted Summit architect John Katy. There are a number of these homes in Summit and he's credited with many of the homes built on the north side district and there are character-defining details here. something called a decorative freeze, dental molding molding, which is what looks like little teeth all the way across. Um, the cornice, elliptical windows, gamal roof dormers, and flared shingles. And the de decorative freeze features rope swag details on the front porch beams, around the side sunroom, and on the attic window heads. And this house was also awarded a stewardship award by the HPC in 2022 for its longstanding maintenance of the original historic nature of the home and property. And we just like to recognize these homes and why it makes summit so beautiful.

Thank you very much. You know, AS any folks here Yes. if any of the homeowners. Yes. Um no. And I just want to quick say thank you to you Caroline for your dedication and your incredible hard work with regard to everything HPC related. So thank you for being here. Thank you for educating us. And these are the beautiful plaques. Come on up for the hundred years. Oh yes. Thank you. So this is for 47 mil. We'll have the mayor to you. And it weighs a lot.

Let's go. Ashley 1779. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you so much. I'm a proud alum of the HPC and and I particularly love that historic homes are in every part of Summit um in a variety of sizes and you know they're they're not all the giant mansions that we tend to think of and I think it's important to note that. So thank you very much. Um now we can move on to the ordinances for hearing. Um, so madame clerk, would you please read the or ordinance number 26-3374?

An ordinance amending the code chapter 7 traffic section 7-8 parking subsection 7-8.4 stopping or standing prohibited during certain hours on certain streets. Um, thank you. Um, yes, Council Member Calmanson, please. Over to you.

Thank you, Council President. This is ordinance ID 26-3374 and it amends the code chapter 7 traffic section 7-8 parking subsection 7-8.4 stopping or standing prohibited during certain hours on certain streets. Specifically, this ordinance will prohibit stopping and standing on Beakman Road between Oak Forest Lane and Oakley Avenue from 7:00 a.m. to 400 p.m. on school days. I move to open the hearing on this ordinance. Second.

Um, thank you. Do we have any comments from the public on this ordinance? Do we have any comments from members of council on this ordinance? Okay, I'll declare this hearing closed. U Madame Clerk, would you please read ordinance number 26-3375? An ordinance amending the code chapter 7 traffic section 7-25 regulations for the movement and parking of traffic on municipal property and board of education property subsection 7-25.2 municipal parking lot areas. Thank you, Council Member Calmanson.

Thank you, Council President. This is ordinance ID 26-3375 and it authorizes an increased daily parking rate in park and rail lot number 14. The park and rail lot located at the center or I'm sorry at the corner of Union Place and Summit Avenue is owned by NJ Transit and managed by the city of Summit. Under the existing agreement between NJ Transit in the city, all revenues generated from the lot are shared equally on a 50/50 split. This lot is primarily utilized by non-resident commuters as no permit is required to park. It also offers 24-hour parking for up to 5 days. The current daily rate is $13 per day. On January 20th, 2026, NJ Transit agreed to an increase to $20 per day. This rate increase reflects the lot's convenient location to the train platform and long-term parking allowance. I move to open the hearing on this ordinance.

Second. Do we have any comments from members of the public on this ordinance? Do we have any comments from council members? Okay, I'll declare this hearing closed. Um, Madame Clerk, would you please read Ordinance 26-3376, ordinance to exceed the municipal budget appropriation limits and to establish a cap bank? Thank you, Council Member Landman.

Thank you, Council President. Ordinance number 12431. Under New Jersey state law, municipalities can only increase their budgeted appropriations or spending by 2.5% from the previous year. But the law also says that if the council passes an ordinance, the town can increase the budget to up to 3.5% instead. This mechanism allows municipalities to manage budget increases for rising operational costs like inflation while adhering to statemandated cap laws. The law also says that if the city does not use the full 3 and a half% increase this year, it can bank or save the unused amount and use it in either of the next two years. This type of ordinance is called a cost of living adjustment ordinance because it allows the budget to grow slightly more to keep up with rising costs. I move to open the hearing on this ordinance. Second.

Thank you. Do we have any comments from the public on this ordinance? Do we have any comments from members of council? Okay. I'll declare this hearing closed and let's move on to ordinances for final consideration. Madame clerk, would you please read the title of ordinance 26-3374? An ordinance amending the code chapter 7 traffic section 7-8 parking subsection 7-8.4 stopping or standing prohibited during certain hours on certain streets. Okay. Council member Calmanson.

Thank you, Council President. This is ordinance ID 26-3374 and it prohibits stopping and standing on Beakman Road between Oak Forest Lane and Oakley Avenue from 7:00 a.m. to 4 p.m. on school days. Having closed the hearing on this ordinance moments ago, I move this ordinance for final adoption. Second. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Would you please read the bill? Mr. Ber, I. Mr. Christopher Foley, yes. Miss Camson, I. Miss Landman, I. Mrs. Laroscina, I. President Toth. I. The ordinance passes. Um, madame clerk, would you please read the title of ordinance number 26 26-3375?

An ordinance amending the code, chapter 7, traffic, section 7-25, regulations for the movement and parking of traffic on municipal property and board of education property subsection 7-25.2 municipal parking lot areas. Thank you, Council Member Calmanson. Thank you, Council President. This is ordinance ID 26-3375 and it authorizes an increase in the daily parking rate in park and rail lot number 14. Having closed this hearing on the ordinance moments ago, I move this ordinance for final adoption. Second. Thank you. Roll call, please. Mr. Ber, I. Mr. Chrisoy, yes. Miss Cmanson, I. Miss Lman, I. Mrs. Saroscina, I. President Toth,

I. Thank you. Uh, madame clerk, please read the title of ordinance dash uh, number 26-3376, ordinance to exceed the municipal budget appropriation limits and to establish a cap bank. Thank you, Council Member Landman. Thank you, Council President. Ordinance number 263376, establishing a cap bank. Having just closed the hearing on this ordinance moments ago, I moved to adopt this ordinance. Second. Thank you. Roll call, please. Mr. Ber, I. Mr. Chris Foley, yes. Miss Camson, I Miss Landman, I Mrs. Sarosina, I. President Toth I.

We have no ordinances for introduction, so let's Yes. Thank you. Thank you. Ordinances all pass. Um, but we have no ordinances for introduction, so let us move to resolutions. Council member Landman.

Thank you, Council President. Um, so first on resolution number 12458, uh, consistent with previous years, until we pass the 2026 budget on May 5th, the city is operating under a temporary municipal operating budget. The city needs to spend now on some items uh, like salaries for city staff and day-to-day operating expenses. The only way to authorize authorize this needed spending is via this resolution. We're required to call it an emergency, but it is standard operating procedure. I move to adopt this resolution by roll call vote. Second. Thank you. Do we have any comments from members of the public?

Do we have any comments from members of council? Madame clerk, would you please call the role? Mr. Ber, I. Mr. Christopher, yes. Miss Cmanson, I. Miss Landman, I. Mr. Sarcena, I. President Toad, I. Council member Landman,

thank you. Uh resolution 12432 approves the renewal of the Summit City Cooperative Pricing System. This program allows us to act as the lead agency and work with nearby mun municipalities to buy services together. Uh by combining our needs, we can get better prices. Over the past 10 years, Summit and partner towns including Chattam Burough, Chattam Township, Floren Park, Milbour, and New Providence have used this system to coordinate projects like um their annual micro surfacing program for our roads. The cooperative pricing system must be renewed every 5 years. The current approval expires on March 28th, 2026. So, we need to approve a renewal to keep the program going. There's no cost to renew it. I move to adopt this resolution.

Second. Do we have comments from members of the public? Do we have comments from members of council? No. Um, all in favor? I. Any opposed? Resolution passes. Um, back to you, Council Member Landman.

Thank you, Council President. Resolution 12460 authorizes 2026 case management services for the unhoused in summit in an amount not to exceed $113,615 for 2026. Uh residents, you may have heard the mayor's comments in January about Summit's unhoused population reaching functional zero. That means homelessness is rare, brief, and non-recurring. doesn't mean we have zero homeless individuals in our in our uh city. Um case management is still required to support the unhoused here in the city and we anticipate needing this early intervention support year round for the foreseeable future. Importantly, the funding for this case management service will be covered by the opioid fund. The opio opioid fund committee reviewed this request and the mayor has informed me that the committee feels very strongly that this is an excellent use of the funds. I move to adopt this resolution.

Second. Do we have any comments from members of the public?

Thank you, Council President. Uh Andy Miner, Edgar Street and Summit. So, this is uh through you, Council President, for but for the mayor. How often is the mayor's task force meeting this year? Uh what are the goals for 2026? Uh, how many unhoused people are in summit today? And I don't know if this is specifically for the mayor, but could be for anyone. How much is left in the um opioid funds? Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Do we have any other comments? Okay. Um, any comments from me members of council or others on the dis?

Council president. Yes, council member Ber.

Thank you. Uh last year I had the opportunity to go to Bridgeway and their their annual uh uh awards dinner and they laid out the services that they provide and it is just absolutely amazing, you know, and um our our town the last couple of years dealing with homelessness has been exemplary. It's extraordinary. the mayor has done a fantastic job and I'm sure had her hand in the uh in the Bridgeway um partnership as well. So, I am extremely happy about this. I'm so happy that uh this is continuing. I I just ran into uh maybe some of you not know but Steve the other day and he's been out on the street for you know several years and you know he's like hey Janelle how's your wife? He didn't even ask about me first but anyway um but he he's got an apartment in Irvington. He looks great. He lost weight. lady was sh I mean it it just warms my heart when I see these folks and I think of I think of our mayor and her commitment uh the first day that she took office. Um and I know there's a lot of people involved but uh what an extraordinary job. Thank you council president.

Thank you mayor. Yes.

Thank you for the questions Mr. Miner. Um couple of things. So this um this proposal came to us obviously as a result of the work of the homelessness task force um and we've been working really closely with with many organ service organizations um Bridgeway bridges Grace um our first aid squad our police department our fire department there are 25 representatives on the homelessness task force so it was a massive effort of not me but of all of the volunteers and the organizations um and services working together. It was a a really remarkable collaboration. Um one of the the key pieces of getting folks housed um was Bridgeway and their ability to um address a lot of the mental health pieces and to work with Bridges in their case management. Um it was really a team effort of case management. Um it's it's a very complicated obviously a complicated um problem to solve because every individual is has a different circumstance. Um so you know Bridgeway was able to do a lot of street outreach. um the Bridgeway outreach indivi um woman uh spent a lot of time at the hospital where that was really a great opportunity to engage with our with our unhoused individuals um and get them to really buy into um and to trust the the folks that were really trying to help them here. Um so this proposal came to the opioid uh fund distribution committee which is comprised of um first aid squad rep representative of police representative uh fire representative board of ed representative um our our business administrator uh myself and who am I missing there's somebody I'm missing

health no Atlantic Health is not on the opioid they're represented on the mayor's homelessness task force but not on the opioid distribution committee. Um there's um yes and there's some I'm missing somebody. I feel like Bridges Bridges is not because they're a service organization. No.

Oh, chair safety. Yeah. Yeah. Bob. Um so, sorry. Um and so we've met and we've had proposals from the police that from the police department actually fulfilled um because their dollar amounts were lower than um need needed resolution. So actually they've already um rece been the recipient of some of the opioid fund distribution um which has been very well received. It's it's a terrific um actually we should do a show and tell chief at some point. Um and so this is one of a couple of um proposals that have been received by the opioid committee and um have been approved um by the committee. This one in particular needed a resolution because of the the large number. Um and as far as the homelessness task force meeting this year, we've only had a couple of meetings. You know, when we first started, we met every week. Um, and there is the home there's a subset of the homelessness task force that meets weekly still, but the larger group doesn't meet quite as frequently because we just don't have the need to, which is a really awesome problem to have. Um, so I'm really happy happy to report that. Um, num dollar amount left in the opioid fund. I would have to defer to um CFO business administrator Baldwin and I don't know if she's prepared for that tonight.

Through you, Council President. It's I don't have an exact number uh but it is over 900,000 under a million over 900 in that neighborhood. Um and then you know the number of homeless individuals or unhoused individuals in Summit currently you know it fluctuates but there's one individual that's um you know a consistent uh individual that we see um there are folks that come through the hospital um that end up you know being discharged to the streets. So, in part, this uh this grant um will help actually prevent that. I mean, that's part of the goal is to prevent the discharge of individuals who didn't originate here, but are that are in need of of case management. Um and hopefully we can we can help them um get settled. So, I think it's a really great thing for not only just for summit, but just for you know, a humane um engagement with people who need help.

Thank you. Thank you. Any other comments? Okay, then all in favor? I. Any opposed? No. Resolution carries. Um, Council Member Landman. Thank you, Council President. Resolution number 12449 grants a leave of absence without pay for a sewer maintenance unit employee. Having just discussed this matter in close session, I move to adopt this resolution. Second. Okay. Thank you. Do we have any comments from members of the the public? Any comments from members of council? No. All in favor? I

I. Any opposed? Resolution carries. Capital projects and community services. Council member Chrisulli. Thank you, Council President. Resolution number 12433 would establish 2026 fees for our sanitary sewer system, formerly known as the joint meeting of Essex and Union counties, which covers 11 municipalities and was created in n I'm sorry, $1899. That's a long time ago. This year's proposed fee increase of I believe it's $4. Is that correct, uh, Erin? Yes, that is correct for your council president. Yes.

Is is one of the lowest increases in several years and I believe the number is just above $400 per residents. Um, as a new member of the board of of the joint meeting since January of this year, I'm working to ensure accountability and cost effectiveness of this fundamental part of our infrastructure. Uh, and I move to adopt this resolution. Second. Thank you. Do we have any member any comments from members of the public? Do we have any comments from members of council?

No. I almost feel obligated to follow in my predecessor's footsteps and talk about how this is probably the best run um joint meeting sanitary sewer in the state and keeps our costs well below state average. It's quite an asset to us. So um it's wonderful that we can keep keep our increases down. Um, but let's call for a vote. All in favor? I I. Any opposed? Resolution carries. Back to you, Council Member Chrisouli.

Thank you, Council President. Resolution number 12459 would authorize the placement of approved temporary art at city hall in partnership with Summit Public Arts, one of Summit's volunteer organizations that helps make our town special. Temporary installation of a new piece of art is being planned for April. I move to adopt the resolution. Second. Thank you. Do we have any comments from members of the public? Okay. Thank you. I I didn't read the full packet. I just have the the the tiny bit. Um where is this new location? Okay. So, this is perhaps a question for

Well, yeah. Let's see if we have any more public comments. Okay. Comments from the the C members of council. Thank you, Council President. I would call on our city engineer to address the question.

Yes, certainly through you, Council President. Um, two years ago, approximately uh I have the date somewhere, the art location at City Hall was converted to what's called a permanent location, which is why we have the structure out in the courtyard. The arts committee has been very interested in adding additional art at city hall. The CAPS committee feels this is warranted. So, we're basically just adding a new temporary location at city hall. Exact location will be determined by each application. We do have one coming in that will go through the caps committee process. Uh, and this will just add another location that's covered through our insurance and it's on the official map that we'll update once this is approved. Okay. Is that understandable, Mr. Mineer?

Okay. Thank you. Do we have any other comments? Yes, Council Member Lucer Cena.

Thank you, Council President. I just want to express gratitude to the Summit Public Art Committee. I I am biased. That's how I first got my start in uh local government volunteerism was on as a member of Summit Public Art for several years. It is a really remarkable, dedicated, passionate group of community volunteers who bring beautiful permanent and temporary installations much to the delight of our community. and Summit has as a result of their work uh earned the reputation as a city of art in New Jersey. We are a destination for public art lovers which is a really really special thing and it's all because of the volunteer work summit. Public art is is um privately funded. Um so it's through the work of the volunteers and the the generosity of the donors. There is support provided by our community services and other city teams but um the lion share of the work is done by this dedicated group of volunteers. So we thank them.

Okay. Any other comments? All in favor? I I. Any opposed? No. Um, back to you, Council Member Chrisouli.

Thank you, Council President. Resolution number 12464 would support an application for federal funding to mitigate flooding of the Payic River through dn snagging. That's removing large trees and other items as well as debris removal through a multi-town Payic River mayor's flooding coalition. By working with our neighboring communities, Summit hopes to attract scarce federal funding for flood mitigation in our primary watershed. Most of our town drains into the Pay River. This application is part of Summit's broader initiatives to better address the rising challenge of storm water management in the coming years. I move to adopt the resolution.

Second. Do we have any comments from members of the public? Any comments from members of council? Council President. Yes, Council Member Ber. Uh just a real quick question to engineer Shrager. is will this also involve a salt brook removing debris or just to say because I know we were come off the committee but I know we were talking to New Providence and uh different neighboring towns to to help mitigate that as well.

Yes, through you council president and you know a special thanks to the township of Berkeley Heights who is spearheading this kind of pursuit but um Salt Brook is not listed specifically but it's listed under you know major tributaries. So the salt poke does go through some and then it goes through uh New Providence um where it connects to the Payic River. Obviously, you know, cleaning the river anywhere downstream is only going to benefit all the upstream communities. So even if the funding doesn't go fully up the Salt Brook, which we we hope it does, it will benefit the the watershed as a whole. So it it will the intent is to include the Salt Brook and get as much money as we can. Thank you. Good. Nice thorough answer.

Thank you. Any other? Yes, mayor. I just want to say thank you to Director Shreger because this did not happen. It was it was a a decent amount of work for you and it was on a short timeline. So, um it was well done and we we managed to get all of the things in by the deadline. So, I just want to thank you. Yes, you're here. That th this is an important part of of our storm water management and climate resiliency efforts. Any further comments? Okay. All in favor? I I opposed.

Motion passes. Um, safety and health. Council member Calmanson. Thank you, Council President. This is resolution ID2450 to accept a 5,500 donation from the Summit Elks to fund our Summit Police Officer Trading Card Program for the current year 2026. The Police Officer Trading Cards are beloved by children and adults alike, and we thank the Summit Elks for their generosity in supporting this program. I move to adopt this resolution. Second. Thank you. Do we have any comments from members of the public? Any comments from members of council?

Uh, council president, when it comes to the summit elks and voting on any donations, if you're if you're a member, is that I guess that goes to our our uh city solicitor. Um, if you're a member of this summit, Alex, even if it's a a a donation that we're we're voting on, uh, is it appropriate for us to vote or is that a conflict? Uh, you could recuse you could recuse yourself from the vote on the But you don't It's not necessary though. I don't believe that it's necessary. It's just accepting the the donation. Just want to make sure.

Okay. Any other comments from members of council? No. I was going to say for years I carried a photo of my son and and Detective Thomas Rich um with the complete set of of cards from oh must have been 21 years ago. You know what I just I just realized it is the 25th anniversary of the 21st anniversary. Oh I thought it was 25. Okay. No correct no I remember taking my son from CCD to the police department to get the card of the week. Um, okay. All in favor? I.

Any opposed? Resolution passes. Council member Calmanson. Thank you, Council President. This is resolution ID 12446, and it authorizes the donation of various firefighting equipment and furnishings. At the old firehouse, we have firefighting equipment, office furnishings, and fitness training equipment that is no longer needed by our department. They will be donated to the New Jersey State Police in Galloway, New Jersey and Newark Firefighters Foundation in Newark. I move to adopt this resolution. Second. Any comments from members of the public? Comments from members of council. Council President. Yes.

I just have one question for Chief Evers. Uh First of all, sir, it is so great to see you. I feel like I have been a long time missing safety. Um, so with the move, I know there's probably some equipment uh maybe historical equipment. Are you is the fire department selling anything? Like if people want to buy a hat or maybe some uh um what's it called? The uh not throw down or you know the turn or what? you know, I just wanted to Yeah. So, um, all of our historical equipment have been archived and brought over to our new, uh, building. Okay.

A lot of lot of the gear we can't sell because of safety reasons. It's out of the compliance. You that's why it's old. So, we really can't sell it. So, we just usually donate it to other people who they can destroy it or we just get rid of it. We destroy it. But most of the equipment that we got rid of, a lot of it was donated to us for firefighter use. So, we're passing it along to other firefighters around the state. And the foundation does that. They do a great job with finding apartments in need and donate to kind of give back to what was given to us. So, but most equipment is all the equipment that is we really have no use for it and uh they do a great job donating around the state. Same thing with the state police. There's use for that as well. Some of the weight equipment would donate to us from another from the YMCA. So, we're just kind of donating that back to to the cause. So,

um thank thank you chief. And and will there be an opportunity to uh to to purchase a brick at some point from the new firehouse again? Oh, yeah. That's always open. Yeah, it's always open. Okay. So, residents, you can purchase a brick, reach out to the fire department and definitely there's always opportunities there. Always looking to financially help our our fire department. Definitely. Thank you, Chief. Appreciate it. Thank you. Any other comments from members of council? Excuse me. All in favor? I. Any opposed? Resolution passes. Back to you, Council Member Calmanson.

Thank you, Council President. This is resolution ID 12372 to appoint a probate pro probationary firefighter as discussed in closed session. I move to adopt this resolution. Second. Do we have any com comments from members of the public? Comments from members of council. Council president. Yes. Council member boy. Chief Evers, I am so sorry. I just I could have said stay up there. I you know what?

I need the exercise. Can you can you just give us an update how um the impact of the new firefighters uh during the last year uh has impacted the the fire department? Um uh the use of them basically uh just give a quick rundown to our our residents how their how their extra money is being spent. Fire department.

Yep. Yeah. So I know last year we got the through council we were able to put on a couple new firefighters. This is the tail end of that. But one of our big goals was to increase our um exposure for um houses that um o overcrowding on our code enforcement of things. So it was able us to do a couple things. One was to put an extra body on an apparatus that usually has one firefighter on it. So our typical crews now are seven firefighters per platoon. Um the one platoon has eight. Typically we have one engine that runs one firefighter and multiple call by a little over 33% of our call volume are multiple calls. Meaning our initial engines are out of call. Another call comes in. We have to send reduced staffing on an engine. Sometimes it's only one firefighter on the engine which isn't ideal. That again the opportunity to have a second firefighter on that engine. In cruise firefighter safety and improve safety to the public and allow to do our job a little more efficiency than having to firefighter on the code enforcement end of things. Um we're able to have keep a firefighter in the bureau. Typically we had one firefighter assigned to bureau on the line to help with overtime cost and things that nature. So we have one the ability to keep an extra firefighter in the bureau which allowed us to get out in the streets more do code enforcement overcrowding is a big issue it's been coming so that we in the last probably 6 months we had a lot of up um up um identifying a lot more um overcrowding in towns and hose and houses like that so we're able to get in there more and on you know find those houses and overcrowding situations and correct them. So we work with u the zoning officer safe homes as well if they get involved. So it's a great way to keep you know citizens and the people who are in need houses safe. So

so the additional firefighters um you know really helps protect the town code enforcement and um especially with the concerns of the overcrowding and the makeshift uh um uh uh walls that they have set up causing a a dangerous situation they do. Um but but thank you for that rundown. Appreciate it. We're actually preparing a little pres report sometime end of the year with the with the effect of have that additional firefighter on on the job. So we'll prepare that by late fall. Perfect. Thank you. Appreciate it. Okay. Okay. Thank you. Any other comments from members of council? Okay. All in favor?

I. Any opposed? Motion. Resolution carries. Um, on to the consent agenda. Do I have a motion to approve the consent agenda? So moved. Second. Okay. Do we have any comments from members of the public on the consent agenda?

Okay. Dio Hoy Argo Court simple comment about every year chief uh ever comes back from that fire fallen firefighters celebration and he does a he it's a very emotional thing and I think it's important that we support that one resolution. Thank you. Good comment. Yeah. Any other comments from the public? Comments from council. All in favor? So, council president. Yes. I'm sorry, Council Member Chrisouli.

Thank you, Council President. On the final resolution number 12455, it authorizes attendance of all licensed construction code officials and inspectors at Building Safety Week in Atlantic City. Now, we're taking a very tough look at all budget items. So, this one was a bit of a red flag for me, but given the particularly given the city's tight budget situation, and so I looked into the expense, uh the cost of this training is paid by permit fees and does not impact the city's budget directly, but the attendance at the conference satisfies uh helps to satisfy the officials mandatory three-year rellicensure uh continuing education requirement. So, this is a mustave. This isn't a nice to have, but we're taking a close look at all these expenses.

Thank you, Council Member Chrisouli. Anything else? Okay. All in favor of the consent agenda? I. Any opposed?

No. Consent agenda passes. Um, let's move on to public comments. Um, and as we begin public comment, we ask that the residents of Summit step forward to speak first. We value input from everyone and certainly any member of the public is welcome to speak. We simply ask for your courtesy in allowing our local neighbors to lead the public discussion if they are prepared to speak first. And I am being reminded yes um city staff, thank you for for sticking it out and you do not need to stay for this part. Thank you. I can leave

except so can Tammy, right? You don't know what we'll do because you're back. Um, okay. Good evening.

Good evening, Council President Toth, Mayor Fagan, members of council and staff. I'm Jim Bennett, bennet, 38 Fairview Avenue. I just wanted to reiterate the mayor's comments about the meeting tomorrow at the Summit High School. Uh the board of school estimate meeting is going to be at 6 pm at the high school at the library media center followed by a meeting of the board of education at 6:30 at the same place. Uh this is a very important meeting and I encourage uh people both on and off the deis to attend the meeting. Uh the school budget is over 50% of the tax bill. uh whereas uh we spend a lot of time here talking about the municipal budget which is also important but uh that is about 20% of the tax bill. So uh if you're concerned about your pocketbook you should go to this meeting. Uh the number I heard as of last Tuesday uh was an increase of 5.17% which is substantial and I do believe that's uh somewhat uh that would be somewhat of a record or recent record at least. Um, now that was uh subject to whatever the figure was going to come in on Thursday uh for state aid to the school system and I understand that that has decreased by 3%. Now, I don't know how that's going to impact that figure or whether the 3% decrease has been baked into the 5.17% figure. And I'm not saying that the uh amount is unjustified, but it's very important for your pocketbook. We want a good school system for uh the city of Summit. Uh but we also uh need to be

very mindful of the budget and this is a very important meeting. So at the risk of being repetitive, I urge everybody to attend. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Bennett. Do we have any other comments from members of the public? Mr. Hoy,

dear Hoy, Argal Court, I want to echo Mr. Bennett's call for people to attend this meeting. Um, last year, uh, our schools lost a mental health support. They lost text support. Kids in our middle schools have to stand in line to get their Chromebooks fixed. Um because we parents were not assertive enough in ensuring that our kids' education were properly fun, educational needs were properly funded. Um I understand that most of the increases of the school budget come from uh pension related matters and uh other benefits, statutory matters that we do not control. And there are many forces in this country that are trying to defund a highquality liberal arts public education. Um, some of those forces are at play here in summit and it's up to us to defend the quality of the education of our children. Thank you.

Thank you. Other comments from members of the public?

Hi, Carol Pang. Uh, 234 Summit Avenue. I came to also speak to uh the meeting tomorrow about the school budget. Um so something that was very alarming and um concerning to many parents was that last year the PSATs were cut from the school budget. What did this mean? This meant that the students were that it was not uh town sponsored. So then it could not be on a school weekday and it had to be scheduled for a Saturday and then people had to pay out of pocket and um come to you know on on a Saturday when all of our kids are in sports, theater, all the extra extracurriculars are just like catching up on time to do their homework. um because you know I know my kids stay up until midnight most nights doing homework in addition to their afterchool activities and it caused a significant disruption and I I you know I had um I went to the summit high school PTO meeting in which Scott Huff the superintendent came there and you know the there was some conversation after the fact as well and there seems to be quite a lot of confusion whether or not this is being added back into the budget. it um just he you know he said that he would be in communication with us and some of the uh PTO board presidents and such and the leadership of the PTO we have heard that there's actually he felt pretty confident um this was last Friday but now there seems to be some confusion of whether or not this very critical component is being added back in this is a access issue most families don't really know how critical the PSCTs really are if you don't know you don't know and many families that we talked to do not know how this is impacts your ability to get scholarship to be on a national merit

scholar it's solely based on the PSAT uh many people don't know because it's not like a required test for you to get into college how significant the importance of this is to pay out of pocket for a test that if we are one of the top schools in this state I I personally think it's quite embarrassing not to be supporting the PSATs um for one of the top schools in the state as it's a critical component of how we get our kids money, how we get them recognition, how we um the statistics around PSATs that then is used as a marker for our town and where we sit in in rankings compared to other schools in the state. Um, so I really urge those of you that are on the board of school estimates to ask questions about this. Um, to listen to folks, I'll have um, as someone who's heading up reinvigorating SpeakUp Summit, we're going to have some members come speak to this tomorrow at the board uh, budget meeting because it's it's a component that I've been hearing non-stop since this was cut last year. So, thank you so much.

Thank you, doctor. Any other comments from the public? Okay, let's move on to council member comments. Do I have any of those? I'd like to speak. Yes. Oh, council member Landman, please. Do you want to stay or do um I probably should recuse myself. Okay.

Okay. While we're waiting, I will echo the plug for the board of school estimate meeting tomorrow. Um, council member Lucerina and I are members as is the mayor. Uh, so we will look forward to seeing hopefully some of you tomorrow night. Okay. So, um, Council President mentioned this earlier. We entered the budget season anticipating a pretty significant increase in cost of health care. Uh but we also got hit with a pretty big bill for snow removal that we did not anticipate. Um the combination of those factors combined with the cost of good and goods and services going up as we all experience in our day-to-day. Um you know these factors have increased expenses for the city going into this year's budget. In addition, as the council president mentioned, we were surprised by a big loss in anticipated revenue uh because the sale of the old firehouse site has not closed. While discussions with the buyer are still ongoing, we cannot build that revenue into our budget for this year. Therefore, in order to submit a balanced budget, we have made some difficult choices. We have eliminated some jobs that are open. Nobody's in those jobs today. We've cut operating expenses as much as is possible and responsible. We're making some overdue adjustments to some fees and assessments. And if we are able to recover revenue, which we are hoping for, we can make adjustments later this year. Administrator Baldwin, who has been leading the budget process for us, will share the details at our next common council meeting on April 7th. I encourage anyone who is interested to attend. And I just would like to say on behalf of council uh I'd like to thank administrator Baldwin and director of

finance Kabaliska in particular as well as all of the department heads for tremendous effort in adjusting the budget over the past couple of weeks in a very it's been a very difficult uh process for us. So just want to say thank you and that's it for my comment. Council President, she's coming. Pro temp. I think you you got it.

Welcome back. Thank you. Yes, Council President.

I thought you were waiting to speak. Yes, Council Member Voyage. Uh first I just want to say how much of a pleasure it is to work with everyone on council. Uh Michelle um is it's been a pleasure to work with Michelle the last two years. I think I I think I finally understand Michelle. Um and right and we're and she may finally understand me, you know. So um Shantel uh great rundown on the the finance. Uh Shantel's been doing a good job. I takes it personally which is which is what I love. Um anything comes up with finances it's like what what's happening? No I I I love to hear that. It means like we have a responsible person at the helm of uh of our financial matters especially with uh Tammy and Jennifer. Um I'd like to thank the two young ladies for coming in for their historical minute. It was kind of like a personal thing for me. Um, Lindsay Clark, uh, I grew up with and like Lindsay is, uh, we had a bunch of good athletes. So, at the time from '92 to 96, I didn't really know how really good she really was until after high school. I'm like, "Wow, you were amazing." and she is such a uh she is she's so not an arrogant person. So, she doesn't even probably want me talking about her right now, but uh Lindsay was great. And I just have one example. Uh to say that she was good in basketball is an understatement. After high school, her her husband, myself, and uh another couple went out and we played a pickup game, right? And I mean, we were balling. I mean, Lindsay was hitting threes and everything. I

mean, this was just like a random pickup game. Uh, and hey, we won that tournament. It was great. So, uh, Lindsay Clark, um, congratulations for for Lindsay Clark Rosoff. Congratulations for being honored. Uh, cyber security, please attend that. Um, in our current state, this is what I do on a daily basis. It would blow your mind to to to see some of the stuff that I see on a daily basis. Um I personally am really concerned about municipal governments and their cyber security posture. Uh we have you know towns from uh East Orange and towns in California and I mean it's it's we're really easy targets you know I just want to make sure that we are we are really keeping pace with the technology. Cyber security today is not something that uh we can say u we can't put money to it because a ransomware attack will shut the city down. Average cost $500,000, right? So, we got to make sure that we're taking care of our infrastructure there. Um Earth Day, one of my favorite days. Uh, if you're interested and you're listening out there, I think that I'd like to get a bunch of people to do Glintside Avenue. There's a lot of debris over there, especially we have the sidewalks coming in at some point. Make it look nice. Uh, and the board of school estimates. Uh, please pay attention to that. Right? Like, you know, go I don't think it's televised. Um, but I know it's a public meeting, but please pay attention. uh the council here although we have some people appointed to the board of school estimates it's it's the department of education's budget right and you know we have to really we we have to as as

residents have to really be involved in that so there are no surprises and and report it to them right like the the board of ed like really get on them about stuff right like you know um I'll help you with that too so PSATs, you know, I don't know if I don't know if it's true or not it was taken out of the budget, but um I know my son went to Noburn. Uh there's a lot of kids there, but um it would be nice, I guess, to take it in in Summit High School. I think I remember doing the same thing. Uh last but not least, oh, congratulations to Officer Cry. Uh he is um that officer Krytekch is uh um he he embodies what the Summit Police Department is. I mean he we have the best police department. I I I got to tell you most of those guys back there could get officer of the year. Um and ladies uh and if you want to volunteer for the Summit Housing Authority, every month they do a game night. Uh the residents there are really happy about it. I messed up bingo one night. But uh if you want to volunteer uh reach out, contact me, or you can contact Wanda Fortune, who's a commissioner. Thank you.

Any other comments from members of council? Yes, Council Member Calmanson.

Thank you, Council President. Um I know Councilman Boyer just said he wasn't sure about the PSATs being cut, and I do know that they were cut. Um, a parent called me very alarmed last year when they realized they were cut um because they said now it was on a on a Saturday and they they said, you know, my child can't make this Saturday and I'm able to to take them to a neighboring town, but not everybody's going to be able to do that. So I so I do just to clarify, I do know that that was cut. Um, and also I just wanted to thank um, Council Member Landman, Council Member Lucer Cena, city administrator Baldwin, and Director of Finance Copisa. Um, we've heard herculean task quite a bit recently regarding affordable housing and I think um, you know, with with the whole um, hole in our budget of $800,000 um, for them to be able to quickly come up with you know nothing was pretty but they were able to address it. So appreciate all of the efforts and um, that's it. Thank you.

Okay. Yes, council member Lucerena.

Thank you council president. There are many reasons why summit is wonderful. Our beautiful green spaces, sports programs, generosity of spirit. Uh but conventional wisdom is that there are three main reasons why people want to live in Summit and love living here. One is proximity to New York City. Summit's own assemblyman Andrew McCertie serves on the state transportation committee. He's introduced legislation to improve the efficiency and integrated capital planning of our state transit agencies. Assemblyman McCertie is hosting a transit policy forum at the Summit Community Center on Wednesday, March 25th from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. He'll be moderating a discussion. So, anyone interested in transit related issues encourage you to attend. Uh second, in addition to Roxan Beach, New York is our wonderful downtown. We need to continue making smart investments in our downtown shops. Shopping local and leaving positive online reviews for our favorite local spots are great ways that we can support our local businesses. And third is our schools. So, pardon me repeating some comments that have already been made, but here too, we need to continue to make smart investments in the excellence of our public schools. To echo, there will be an important meeting tomorrow evening. If you're able to attend, please do so to 6:00 and 6:30 p.m. at the Summit High School Media Center. There is great information available on the Summit Public Schools budget development web page. So, please go take a look there. There's great presentations and overviews of the draft budget that has been presented to the board of ed uh in brief. Oh, and I'm sorry I didn't put myself on the timer. I promise I'll be good. Uh in brief, the the administration faced some really serious headwinds in developing this draft budget. There was

approximately a 19% increase in health care costs, 19% year-over-year, as well as an anticipated decrease in state aid, which I'll come back to in a moment, as well as rising energy costs and across the board costs that that we are all experiencing from the grocery store to the gas station and and elsewhere. Uh on the state aid, the draft budget reflects a an estimated 5% year-over-year decrease in state aid. The reality was a bit better. It's only a 3% decrease year-over-year. So, it is still a decrease, but not as much as had been built into the budget. So, that's conservative uh best practice planning on behalf of the administration. So we'll learn tomorrow what if anything has changed as a as a result of that somewhat better picture with respect to state aid. Uh all in so these are kind of the big headline numbers. The school administration has prepared a draft budget with a tax levy increase of 5.17% year-over-year. 3% of that 5.17% is attributed to the rising health care costs. Um, so it's not a perfect one to one, of course, because it's off of a different base, but if we control for that 3% increase in health care costs, then kind of the true operating budget increase is only 2.17%. Uh, this is under the 5.17 is under our allowable tax levy adjusted cap for the schools of 5.55%. That was a lot of numbers. They're all in the publicly available draft budget information that's on the submit public schools budget development web page. Uh importantly, the draft budget does not include any cuts to existing headcount. So, it protects our student teacher ratio. Uh we thank our teachers, staff, and administrators. Y'all are doing amazing things to help our children

achieve their full potential in the classrooms. Uh, and I think I can speak on behalf of myself as well as the mayor and councilwoman Landman uh, to say that we're looking to participating in a focused and collaborative process to finalize the school budget. Thank you. Thank you, Council Member Lucer Cena. Anyone else? No. Um, wow. Do I hear a motion to adjurnn? So moved. Second. All in favor? I. Any opposed? I don't know if it's a land speed record, but it's close. Close.