Common Council - Regular Meeting

on to our last council meeting of 2025. Woohoo. Um and uh very excited uh to get uh proceedings uh moving here today. Uh and with that, uh madame clerk, uh would you please uh 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 16th, 2024, 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. Thank you so much. Uh, roll call, please. Mr. Ber, present. Miss Hamlet, here. Miss Calmanson, here. Mr. Palowski, here. Mr. Smallwood, here. Miss Toad, here. [clears throat] President McTurn,

present. Um, at this time, I would like to call on Miss Donna Patel to 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.

Thank you very much. All right. Um, madame clerk, will you please read at this time the explanatory note regarding closed session and hearings and comments?

A close 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 channel 36 and Verizon channel 30 and rebroadcast on Thursdays and Saturdays on HGTV 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 citycler cityofsummit.org. To help facilitate an orderly meeting and to permit all to be heard, speaker shall limit their comments to three minutes. Unless you are using an electronic device to follow the meeting agenda or needed for professional emergency contact purposes, please turn it off. Thank you.

Thank you very much. All right. Um, at this time, do I have a motion to approve the minutes from regular and close session of December 2nd, 2025? So moved. [clears throat] Second. All in favor? I I opposed. All right. Motion carries. All right. Uh, we are on to our report section of our meeting. Um, Madame Mayor, do you have a report for us this I do. Second meeting of December. Okay.

I do. Thank you. Good evening, everyone. I can't believe it's actually the last meeting in December. last meeting of the year. Um, I would like to make sure that everybody's aware that we have our reorganization meeting on January 6th at 7:30 here in council chambers. That's our 2026 organization meeting. Um, we will be swearing in our newly elected officials, re recognizing retiring council members and board members and announcing our new volunteer appointments for city boards and commissions. I will also deliver my state of the city address updating you on what we have accomplished in the last year in 2025 and where we're headed in 2026. And before the meeting at 7, um there's a welcome reception. We invite all of you to come and join us in the main lobby outside council chambers. And if you'd like to attend, please RSVP by December 20th to our city clerk's office at city clerk@cityofsummit.org or call 908-277-9416. Uh the farmers market is coming to an end. It's been a great season for the farmers market, but this weekend and marks the end of the season. And if you want to stock up on food for the holidays, maybe unique gifts, head on over to Deforest and Woodland at from 8 to 1 on Sunday, December 21st. And the market will be back in the spring. And I want to wish everyone a happy holiday season, happy Hanukkah, merry Christmas, happy new year. Um I hope you make beautiful memories with loved ones. And if you're in Summit, wonderful. Hopefully I'll see you around town. If you're traveling, I hope you have safe and happy travels. And it's really been an honor to serve you as the mayor uh in 2025. And I look forward to continuing our work together in 2026. Thank you.

Awesome. Great report. Thank you, Madame Mayor. All right. At this time, do we have a city administrator report? Uh Miss Baldwin,

we do. Thank you, Council President. uh free parking downtown to encourage residents and visitors to support our local businesses this shopping season. Our parking service agency and Summit Downtown, Inc. have teamed up to provide free downtown parking through December 31st. This applies only to 90minute on street spaces, the Bank Street lot, and the ground level of the tier garage for up to two hours. The time limits will be strictly enforced. We need to let everybody have a chance to park and shop downtown. Uh in addition, city office closures for Christmas and New Year's holidays. Uh we do have a lot of upcoming schedule changes and closures due to Christmas and New Year's holidays. City offices will be closed on December 25th and 26 and January 1st and January 2nd. Those days are all parking holidays as well. The transfer station will be closed on December 25th and January 1st. The community center will be closed December 25th to 28th and January 1st to the 4th. There is also a modified uh recycling schedule for the holidays. There's no collection on Christmas Day and New Year's Day. And the Thursday route for both of these weeks will be picked up Friday and the Friday route will be picked up on Saturday. This was a lot of information. So all of these details are available on the city website um for you to look at in more detail. And I'd also like to wish everyone a very happy and healthy holiday season to everyone who lives, works, plays, and visits Summit. Thank you very much, Council President.

Thank you very much. All right. Uh for my uh council president report, um uh just a quick update on where we stand with our uh round four negotiations. People have been tuning in. has been an ongoing uh uh process that the city has found itself in uh really this entire year. So, that's been a lot of fun. Um but we are getting close to the finish line here. Uh we've uh I think our city sol our solicitor who um helps us with affordable housing, I think she characterized it that we are on the five yard line. Um we're hopefully we'll punch the ball uh through and and and get there. Um, from a timeline perspective, we do need to have this all wrapped up by the end of the year. Um, and then there will be a process to actually implement the um all the agreements that we will put in place uh with um the the different challengers to our uh round four plan that will take place in the first quarter of next year. So, Councilwoman To, good luck with that. Um [laughter] and uh so but we're really really excited. I I everyone up here has worked super super hard. Um from uh Miss Baldwin uh our uh professionals have really gone above and beyond. We've had a Mount Laurel committee that literally meets at once a week. Um spends hours and hours on this every week. So there's a lot going behind the scenes. Um and um and again very happy that we are continuing to move forward with this and um really can't talk a lot about what's in these potential agreements because they're not finalized yet, but we're very very confident that between now and New Year's. Uh we'll have something and in fact there's something on the agenda

this uh meeting to authorize the mayor to sign off on that um between now and the end of the year. So that's really really good news. Um then the only other thing I' I'd like just to mention, you know, we are in a season, the holiday season. And the holiday season is a time of love, of good cheer. Um where we're supposed to, you know, cherish family and friends. Um sadly though, if you look at the news over the last couple of days, it's hasn't been that way. And um you know my my side job beside being up here is I'm a teacher and I teach history. And I think there's a lot of people out there who just kind of assume that you know the march of of time and history things just get better. And the reality is that's not the way it really works. You know, it gets better if people care and they don't get complacent and they push for better things. And and sadly, what we've seen over the last really couple of years everywhere is a real rise in anti-semitism. You know, we just had Hanukkah kickoff. We had a a manora lighting the other day. I know there's one tonight at one of the temples. Um this is a joyous time for our Jewish friends and and and [clears throat] neighbors. Yet there's this Paul that that has been growing. I don't think there's any doubt that it's gotten worse over the last several years. That's really disturbing. And when people see it, we need to say that that's not acceptable. We just had this horrible event in Australia that highlights that. Um but you just have to turn on the news or look at social media and it's coming from all directions. You

know, you have, you know, campus stuff going on that's justifying this oppressor versus oppressed ideology that seems to, you know, uh, in in way, shape, or form kind of countenance some of this attitude. You have right-wing influencers on social media who seem to glorify, uh, you know, you know, Nazi past and stuff. It's insane. But we have to call this out for what it is. It's hate. And if we don't, you know, we're going to slide backwards and it's really really sad. So, you know, in our community, we I I know there are signs and stuff that we see sometimes that said hate has no home. And and I think that that's you know, I used to say it kind of goes without saying, you know, why do we have to put those signs up? Um, but I do think it's a a good reminder that we do have to say that when we see things like that, it is never acceptable around any of that and we should call it for what it is. And like I said, both extremes um promote this type of thing and and it just is something that saddens me. But when we see it, we should say no to it. there is nothing that you know to treat people in any way, shape or form except for what their character is. Um, and saying that, you know, I I I had an email exchange. I know I I talked about um, you know, political violence and uh, excusing it because of rhetoric when when Charlie Kirk was assassinated. you know, we just had a very sad incident in in Los Angeles um with uh with Rob Reiner. Um and sadly, it it seems like, you know, this is another situation where, you know, an an epidemic that people don't really seem to want to grapple with, which is uh mental health

and addiction that might be somewhat uh due to this. But you know we we've had sadly like the leader of our country is started to politicize this is and and make some statement that you know tries to in some way shape or form I don't say justifies maybe too strong a word but um talk about you know rationalizing someone's death. That's just wrong. We again, you know, um it's just sad when the tragedies happen like this and no one should look to politicize any of that and um and you know whether or not you're on the left or the right and um and we're better than that and we should be better than that and and I I just know people in our community do look at each other as friends and neighbors and sometimes in political seasons it can get heated but we're in the holidays and we should put that aside. side and and turn to our friends and neighbors and cherish them and um and celebrate that we are one community and and our friends like that. So that's all I wanted to say. So I'm going to end that with a a happy holidays to all um as we approach this season. Okay, here we go. Um we've got something really cool uh this evening which is a ceremonial award. Um, our esteemed uh, mayor is going to present the volunteer of the year award uh to Miss Donna Goagan Patel. [applause] Hi, Donna. So, I I think probably many of you know Donna. Um but if you this working love this um but if you don't you should get to know her because she is one of our uh

probably hardest working volunteers in summit. Um she is the chair of the envir environmental commission and has literally donated I I don't even know how many hours but I I know that when I first was elected we sat down and talked and you told me about um something you were doing. It wasn't the ERRI, but you had spent hours and hours and hours and it was all volunteer. It was all just incredible, you know, institutional knowledge that you've gathered over the years that you've worked on the environmental mission. So, we're we're as a community, we are indebted to you for all of the work and all of the time that you've spent. Um, I know you love it and the tiny forest is also a uh I know that Mimi um has been an integral part of that, but Donna has been, you know, driving that as well. And I there's too many things to list that the environmental commission has done under Donna's guidance. So, I felt that this was a fitting opportunity to honor Donna for all of the hard work and dedication to our community. Um, so I have a certificate that says um, City of Summit 2026 volunteer of the year awarded to Donna Gagen Patel in recognition of your exceptional contributions as a dedicated community leader. We commend your unwavering devotion to the city of Summit through the environmental commission leading sustainability and the many green initiatives that benefit the community. We are grateful for the countless hours you've dedicated and for being a true embodiment of volunteerism and service. That's for you. [applause] [applause] And there's [applause] and inside this box there's a really beautiful um picture. So that is for you to take with you.

[snorts]

Thank Thank you, Mayor Fagen, for this honor. It's my privilege to serve on the environmental commission. I I feel fortunate to live in a community that focuses on sustainability and the environment to the extent that Summit has for decades now. The two women who recruited me to the environmental commission, Marian Glenn and Beth Lovejoy, set a very high bar for service with their dedication and innovation. Uh the amazing city staff, several of whom are here tonight, um consistently help us to accomplish and promote our projects. Both Mayor Fagan and Mayor Nora Raidus before her strongly support our work and all the common council members approve grant applications and volunteer at our Earth Day cleanups. A special shout out to my council liaison over the years who help with everything behind the scenes of David Naidu, Marjgerie Fox, Jamie Lavine, Kevin Smallwood, and Michelle Calmanson. Of course, none of this would be possible without the amazing volunteer members who serve on the environmental commission and lead many of the projects. since I've been chair. Uh those people are Rick Bell, Helen Kana, Francancy Cho, Dan Chrysafouli, Ryan Felmmet, Rich Fiori, Paul Formicelli, Jeff Heninson, John Kilby, Laura Mendenhal, Kelly Mukalian, Chris Sprag, Melissa Spur, and Mimi Zukov. Special thanks to my husband Henrik, and our children Hunter and Laurel, who allow me to spend the time that I do as an environmental volunteer. If you're interested in learning more, we always welcome guests at our meetings and we would love to have you join us. And please save the date for the next Earth Day cleanup on April 18th. This weekend on Saturday at 9:00 a.m., you can join the Summit Conservancy at the Tiny Forest to watch installation of a new bird nest. Or grab up to three free packets of seeds from the library seed catalog and add a native plant to your garden or window sill. Thank you.

[applause] [applause]

That was great and truly inspiring. Thank you again and congratulations. Um, okay. Uh, we're moving along now to the our historical minute. Uh, Councilman Palowski, do we have a historical minute this evening?

We do. Um, we had scheduled [clears throat] Andrew and Katie Smallwood to come in, but due to unavoidable conflicts, they weren't able to make it. But they still worked hard on their presentation, which their dad will read in a minute. Uh, Andrew is 17 years old. He's a senior at Summit High. He plays football and lacrosse, and he'll be heading off to Lynchburg to play lacrosse in the fall. Katie is 15. She's a freshman who swims for the high school team and plays flag football. Thank you. Uh unfor, you know, fortunately, our high school football team had a tremendous season this year and uh went into the playoffs a little bit longer than um uh not a little bit longer than they would have liked, but unfortunately ended sooner than they would have liked and uh it pushed back their football banquet to tonight. So, they're having a wonderful dinner at the uh Canubert Country Club while we are here. So, [laughter] uh, they I said, "Do you do do you want to come do the historical minute or do you want to go have dinner at the Canuba Country Club?" And obviously, we know what that decision was. So, um,

we'll get them back in next year.

So, I, uh, they did some research on Summit High School. Summit High School's story mirrors the growth of our city and it and its deep commitment to public education. The school was founded in 1888, originally housed near the town center. As the community grew, so did the expanded facilities. That growth led to major milestones in 1923 when a new high school was built on Morris Avenue. The building many of us know today as Lton C. Johnson Summit Middle School. At the helm was principal Albert J. Bartholomew whose leadership helped shape generations of students and set enduring standards for academic excellence and character. His legacy still lives on today through the Albert J. Bartholome Bartholomew scholarship awarded each year by the Summit Foundation to a graduating senior summit summit senior. An ongoing reminder that the impact of great educators extends far beyond their time in the classroom. Just another act of generosity supporting the next generation of hilltopers. And speaking of lasting impact, Summit High School also holds holds a unique place in American music history. In 1965, a littleknown band called the Velvet Underground played their first paid concert at the high school's auditorium, which goes to show you never quite know what kind of future is being shaped within those walls. So, Councilman Ber, there is hope for Evan and his band Lorraine. [laughter] In 1957, the high school moved to its current location on Kent Place Boulevard, where it continues to educate, inspire, and anchor our community. For more than a century, Summit High School has been more than a building. It has been a

launchpad for leaders, for scholars, for athletes, and yes, occasionally for rock legends. That legacy lives on today in every Hill Topper who walks in those halls. All right, [applause] that was really good. Awesome. Um, all right. That that was great. Now, um, we're getting into the, uh, meat of our meeting this evening when we're going to have a couple of ordinances uh, for hearing. Uh, we have two from law and labor and one from safety and health. Um so uh madame clerk at this time will you please read uh law and labor ordinance 25-3363

an ordinance amending the code chapter 12 parks public areas recreational facilities to add a new section 12-7 Tatlock sports complex athletic facilities. Thank you so much uh Councilman Palowski.

Thank you. [clears throat and cough] This is ordinance number 25-3363. We've talked about lights at Tatlock for nearly if not over a decade at this point and really going all the way back to the early 2000s when we first put turf in. Council has had numerous meetings uh council members have had numerous meetings with our residents including those in the Tatlock neighborhood, the local sports clubs, supporters and opponents of field lights. We've done our due diligence. The primary purpose of lights is to provide um safe field space for our youth. Um just to give you an example, when I grew up here, um I guess this would have been in the late 80s, early 90s, we had five youth lacrosse teams in town. There was a a seventh and eighth grade boys team, seventh and eighth grade girls team, and a fourth, fifth, and sixth grade boys team. Now we have two or three teams per grade for both sexes starting in first grade and going through 8th. So, uh, field space is at a premium. Um, we've also seen, uh, in the fall of football practices go, um, into dark. We do have some lights up there right now, but they're very inadequate. And with the lights that uh that we'll be getting soon, um they'll have a safer place to practice. Um we also have parent coaches who are really the lifeblood of our youth sports programs who work. So they have to have their practices scheduled in the evening in order to to be able to donate that time for the betterment of our children. Um, this lights will also provide an opportunity for our high school field

sports teams, both girls and boys, to play under the lights. This ordinance sets the parameters for usage. Some of the highlights are that uh practices uh are to end by 9 when scheduled. Uh games are to be scheduled to end by 9 and there'll be no more than 10 regular season varsity contests under the lights per school year. Um, that last highlight has been uh the most contentious at least lately. And I get it. The Tatlock neighborhood uh is a challenge during big events. But I'll remind everybody that not all varsity games are big events. Football and certain lacrosse games may draw a big crowd, but not every varsity night game will. I also remind everybody that this council is setting these parameters here tonight and the next council could change them. Kevin [snorts] and I, Kevin Smallwood and I, Councilman Smallwood and I, DCP, the council as a whole, plenty of input from the mayor, we've done our very best to balance the needs of our youth with the concerns of the neighborhood. But we are faced with a series of unknowns here. So, I urge our youth uh sports players, parents, coaches to be respectful, follow the rules, don't speed, clean up after yourselves, and I urge the same of our high school fans. Even though 80% of municipalities in New Jersey have field lights, they are not a god-given right and they are not an entitlement. uh they are a privilege bestowed upon us by some very generous donors and made possible by a council that takes its job as stewards of our hill city very seriously. Um and that includes every hill citizen.

So with that, I move to adopt and open the hearing on this long-awaited ordinance. I second. Okay. Um I'm going to declare the hearing open uh for this ordinance. At this time, would any member of the public like to come and comment on this ordinance? Okay. Um All right. I'm going to close the hearing, the public se portion of the hearing. Um would any member of council like to comment on this ordinance? Um yeah, Councilwoman Toe.

Okay. Thank you, Council President. Um, recognizing that this ordinance is flawed, I'm going to vote to enact it. The ordinance allows, as Council Member Palowski said, for up to 10 high school night games a year, plus night youth football games. That's way too many to to to start with. My understanding is the schools aren't looking to hold them. We haven't had Friday night lights for several years, and that was not because of the lights. Um there are many unresolved safety issues with day games that need to be addressed before the city can consider night games. And to any any move to including night games should be incremental much as um teenagers start with um probationary driver's licenses before they get the full driver's license. Um so I'm confident that the ordinance will be amended to so provide going forward.

Thank you. Uh, other comments from council. Councilman Palowski. Yeah. So, just in response to uh Councilwoman Toth, um, you say it's way too many games to start with, but the high school has no intention of using those games.

Maybe they will, maybe they won't. Um, also, if the um, you know, if the lights are up in time for the spring, there's going to be maximum of three games probably and we're going to get a good idea of how things go, what we can improve um or if everything is is great. Um there's another resolution coming up about uh tatlock in this meeting. Um over the course of our discussions there were a lot of other things that we would have if we were able to do just an allen encompassing tatlock ordinance we would have put it in about postmortem meetings about reports about um post installation studies. We just couldn't put that all in this ordinance [clears throat] which really focuses on light parameters. But we are going to be putting something like that in um by resolution. So that will memorialize these things that we have agreed to do. And one of them is that after this spring, uh, council's going to take a real close look at this ordinance and the number of games that, uh, that we have permitted to allow, um, or that we're going to permit, um, the high school to schedule and see if it needs to be, uh, revised in any way based on those outcomes. So to say that you want to immediately make changes to it uh and do some kind of a probationary period. Um, I have confidence in our uh public, our residents, our neighbors, and our uh board of ed and athletic department that everybody is going to be uh working really hard to make these events go as smoothly as possible and to project into the future that bad things

are going to happen when again these are a series of unknowns. I just don't know why you would do it. But um you know if you uh if you want to propose that to the next council uh you will be the council president and so uh there's nothing we can do to stop you. But um you know I would also ask did you talk to the high school talk to anybody at the high school about whether they want to have these games? I mean I've had meetings with the athletic director about it. I've had meetings with Scott Huff about it. They seem pretty excited and um as do all of our youth sports programs. So I'm not sure where you're getting your information from. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I heard something different straight from the horse's mouth. So um maybe you could talk to them before you um uh try to you know change this ordinance too much.

Thank you. Other comments from council? Council President.

Councilman Ber. Uh what I what I do really like about this ordinance is that it establishes the installation of security cameras. Uh I think that when the lights are on late, people are walking or using the track or kids are playing on the track, uh having security cameras there, I think it really fits into the overall uh security posture of the future of the town as well. So, that's a that's a really good inclusion. Uh, I'm just happy that the lights are there. I know that the details about when the lights are going to be off and on and how many games, frankly, that's going to change over the years, right? I I don't think that we can predict the future. And Councilman Palowski tried his best. Thank you, Councilman. to see into the future to see all the problems that may occur. But we, you know, we just don't know. But the the the next council, the next councils, they'll pivot. They'll make it. They'll adjust it. They'll talk to the parents and the athletic directors and and the police, right? Like things are going to happen. But I'm so glad that the lights are here. I think it's going to be a great event for the city for all of us to come together and watch the different sports in that field. It's gonna be excellent and you know we'll figure out the the other things. So um I am very in support of this ordinance and thank you for all your hard work uh on this councilman. Appreciate it.

Thank you. Uh other comments, Councilwoman Hamlet,

I just like to say thank you Council Member Toth. At least you're being honest about uh what you will be changing in uh 2026. Uh I however am am am am am am am am am am am am am am am am am am am am am very very proud of this herculean effort that the community has come around and and I'm glad that in 15 or 16 or 17 days when I'm no longer on council uh this will be our legacy. And when you see the the young children practicing in the dark, it is very very scary. Um kids are going up trying to catch a ball, bumping heads with another kid. It's it's absolutely dark. We're one of the very few towns uh that does not have lights and if you've spent any time there uh you'll see that and and not all of the kids in Summit go to a country club, right? They just don't. There's kids from uh you know, Mr. Veto Gallow, all all the Weaver, Glenwood. These kids, it is so important. They're off their phones. They're outside. When you go there, you get really passionate about it. And as I said a few months ago, we're going to do the right thing. And this is just a start. I urge you uh the new council to just work with the community and come up with some reasonable expectations. Work with the work with the athletic directors. There's so many simple things that we're not doing right now. I keep saying hand the bus drivers a card, a big yellow card that says you can't go this way. Have everybody sign off on it. Just stick with the basics. Uh but let these kids play. It's good for their mental health. It's good for the community. And I'm glad it's our legacy.

Thank you. Other comments from council. Councilman Smallwood.

Thank you, Council President. You know, for one of the first things that you say in your comment is that you're going to repeal this or change this uh as soon as this is is done in in January. You know, you're going to have a lot of other things to do next year. um you're gonna there's going to be there's a lot of work that goes into being on council and for you to for you to comment that that one of the first things that you're going to do is just simply repeal and replace what we're currently doing now is I I just don't understand it. Um especially when we're talking about children. You know, this has been a discussion since long before 2018 when the Department of Committee programs came and presented to council. There's been a need for this for a long time. This wasn't just thrown together. There have been meetings after meetings after meetings. And whether the neighborhood wants to believe me or not, in 2004, we set to have community meetings with just the Tatlock residents to find out what their concerns were. And we had five separate meetings, the Department of Community Programs. What are your concerns? Is it the lights? Is it safety? Is it crowd? Is it traffic? Is it parking? And we came up with those that we have example after example after example what those concerns are. And that's something that we have been trying to address.

We created the Tatlock task force just solely of Tatlock neighbors. I don't know of any other neighborhood that has their own task force. We have done everything that we possibly can in a transparent way to satisfy the need for our children to get out and be able to play. This is for our youth sports. And we've also done it and I believe in a very compassionate way with the neighborhood. Like me or not, I did nothing but try to be transparent. [snorts] We have over 50 pages of notes on the Department of Community Programs that David and Mark put together. We were criticized for having three studies done. The environmental study, the traffic study, and the um lighting study. I believe in 2019, it was either 2019 or 2020 when the council approved $50,000 for a lighting study. That's taxpayer dollars. We got criticized for inviting the entire neighborhood or I'm sorry, the entire community and not just having three separate meetings with the Tatlock neighbors. We felt compelled to invite the entire community because we were using their taxpayer dollars for these studies.

Councilwoman Calmanson put together a a list of of items and we read through those items when we were putting together and discussing this ordinance. Their recommendation was 8:30 to turn off the lights. Our hopeful recommendation was 9:30. So we compromised and we came to nine o'clock. 90% of our youth athletes, youth programs are parentcoached. The use of these lights are going to be from September to December and then from March to June. That's when we have daylight savings and we have less light. Parents are coming in from the city, rushing home, grabbing a bite to eat, grabbing their kids, and heading off to the field. We did not with the intention put these lights in place for high school. Are they going to benefit from it? Yes, I hope so. The reason why they stopped doing Friday night lights is not because of the lights. It's because from a safety standpoint of the lights being on the the temporary lights being on the field. We used to be able to put them on the track and then I believe it uh Mark is it 21 we reser or 20 20 or 21 that we resurfaced the the track and then we couldn't because they were dieselgenerated temporary lights uh we couldn't put them on the new track because it would have melted the track and we just put it in place.

So, the last time that we had Friday night lights, we put them on the field. There were athletes who were getting sick because of the diesel fuels. And then Coach Kosa said, "Listen, I'm not going to do this anymore because they're too close to the field. I don't want a kid being pushed off the field and into the into the lights. It's too dangerous." It's not because they didn't want lights, Friday night lights. It's because of a safety issue. We couldn't put them on the track anymore. putting it putting them on the field, the temporary lights on the field were too close to the athletes. Our only option now is for permanent lights and we got that. Now that we have them, we have compromised with the neighborhood and we are going to continue and I hope the new council will continue to work with the neighborhood. But over the last two years, we have listened. We have compromised. And we have tried to find the right balance to create an opportunity for our children to get off their screens, off their couches, off their video games, and give them an opportunity to play sports. At five o'clock, beginning in October sometime, it gets dark. We have three poles on the upper tatlock lights. It lights up a quarter of the field. You had sixth graders on one end, seventh graders in the middle, eighth graders on the the most lit portion. And it is getting dangerous. I'm sorry. We have youth sports. Kids want to play. We're getting more and more youth out to get into. We have more and more children signing up for youth programs. Whether it's flag football, boys and girls,

youth football, lacrosse, we're not going to deny them. I'd much rather have them out [snorts] playing a sport, learning how to be a teammate, learning discipline than being on their couches, on their video games, and on their phones. You have more important things to do than to repeal what we're trying to put in place. Give it a year. Give it a chance. See how it works out. Adjust. You know, the resolution that Bob mentioned earlier talks about how we're going to how you should at least going forward um review and see how it goes. You can make adjustments, but it shouldn't be the first thing that you've got to do. There are so much more important things that you need to do than to than to repeal and replace what we're putting in place tonight. Hopefully,

thank you. That's all I have. Thank you. Thank you, Councilman Smallwood. Other comments from council. Councilman Palowski.

Yeah, just a couple other things. Um, first of all, thank you Kevin for all your hard work on this. Um, [snorts] he did as much as I did, if not more. Um, second, going back to this number of 10 varsity contests, when we had our town hall, um, we proposed a range of 8 to 14. Now, why did we do that? There are seven field sports. Uh, at our high school, boys football, girls flag football, boys lacrosse, girls lacrosse, field hockey, boys soccer, and girls soccer. And we f that um at a minimum we'd have to give each of them one. Um that would be seven and um you know maybe that's where we should have started but um you know uh we we went with 10 because it was somewhere in between and we left it at the discretion of the school to make that decision. Um you know how how can we and this is one of the questions that I got from the public too. Who's going to be able to use these? What about the girls? What about other sports? This can't just be for boys football. Uh when we contemplated eight, boys football had an extra game. Why is that? It was so that uh it was because that's really the one sport that actually makes some money, brings in some money for the band, brings in some money for the um the board of ed and their athletic programs. Um but you know to be equitable um we set the number where we did. So um that's all I had to add.

Great. Thank you. Other comments from council. Dare I say anything. Madame mayor. Come on. It's the last meeting of the year. Get in there.

I was going to bite my tongue. Um, I just want to say that um I I agree with the sentiment uh Councilman Small Smallwood uh suggested that let it play out. Give it a test drive. I don't I there's no way that um assuming that the lights go in on schedule that they could even the high school could even have 10 games in 2026. So, um my advice would be I think that this is a really nice compromise. I think that there's a lot in here that has has um valuable um input from the residents, from the neighborhood. Um I think that a lot of that has been considered and I think that um the right thing to do is to allow this to play out for a year and then revisit it. If you really feel that strongly about changing it, I would at least give it a year.

Thank you.

Thank you very much. Other comments from council? Yeah, I'll just uh wrap up and say one, I want to thank Councilman Palowski and Councilman Smallwood for all their hard work um around this. Um it has been real herculean effort to get this uh all set up with incredible amount of um community input uh to make this happen. Um I'm I'm just will comment you know even the the ordinance as it is has incorporated stuff from the last public meeting that we had a couple of weeks ago. I I see happily that Mr. Bassman's suggestion about speakers uh is in here which I thought was great and the the council listened and incorporated that and I and I would say the process every step of the way has been to ask for input get it work with people compromise and end up with a I think a a really really good final product. Um look I don't know whether the high school is going to use 10 games or not. Um, you know, the girls can play under the lights already. A lot of them do. Uh, well, they they have that opportunity because a couple of the sports play at upper um at the upper high school field. Um, it would it could be cool for them to play with bleachers and all that kind of stuff. Um, so who knows whether they'll uh do it, but it is a really neat opportunity for them. Um, but I would say look, just going forward, let's assume that people are of good intent and that they're going to use the facility properly and that they will be respectful of their neighbors. That's what we should assume. Let's not assume it's going to go off the rail. It's going to be a disaster. Um, let's assume it's going to be good. People want to use this. It's for our kids. And I would

say if there is going to be changes made, don't be arbitrary about it. Talk to people. Have more input. How's it working? Can we make changes? Have some more town hall meetings to make this happen. Don't presuppose the outcome without talking to people. That was the problem with the last council. That's how we ended up with the monstrosity proposal on Broad Street West. listen and see what they have to say. See how it works out. That's good governance. And again, if you want to change it after all that, go ahead and change it. That's your prerogative. But don't presuppose the outcome and see how it works. [snorts] And that's my comment. All right. Any other comments? All right. With that, I'm going to close the hearing on this ordinance. We're going to move on to the second law and labor ordinance for hearing. Uh, madam clerk, will you please read ordinance number 25-3364?

An ordinance [clears throat] to repeal and replace chapter 2, administration, article 2, meetings of common council, section 2-2, council meetings, subsection 2-2.1, rules of the common council. Thank you so much. Uh, Councilman Palowski.

Thank you. This is ordinance 253364. Um, when we introduced this, I gave a a pretty good explanation. Our council rules are a part of the city code, but we also tweak them from year to year. And uh, the current uh, ordinance in the city code uh, provides that u, if there's a resolution making one of those minor changes that that will um, that will be applicable and it's incorporated into the ordinance. But the ordinance hasn't been updated on um on e-code 360, I think it's called, right? Um for a while, and that's because we've only been making amendments with uh by resolution. So, this is really going to cotify the current state of our council rules, this ordinance will. And there are basically two substantive changes. The first one is um to uh codify the council's long-standing practice of not allowing council comments after the introduction of an ordinance. And that's at section 8 uh paragraph I and and um memorializing uh or removing the limitation on public comments to be for items only uh that are not on the agenda and that can be found at section 8 m. As to the latter, uh the way it currently is set up, if something's on the agenda, you need to come and speak about it when it's on the agenda, and you're not supposed to mention it towards the end, but the uh public comment at the end from here on out is going to be uh whatever it is that anybody wants to talk about. So, with that, I move to uh open the hearing and adopt this ordinance.

I second. All right. I'm going to declare the hearing open. At this time, would anyone from the public wish to comment on this ordinance?

Good evening. [clears throat] I'm Diego Ho Nard. So, a couple of weeks ago, um, my son addressed this council and council president McTurnon, you were kind enough to let him speak relatively earlier on in the meeting. And [snorts] in thinking about that particular moment, I think we have an opportunity. I understand why the public comment meetings for adults are placed at the end of the council meeting. And I think that that's probably for the better on balance. I would however wish to suggest that should a child a person who is a student in one of our schools doesn't have to be the p the public schools. It could be a private school student as well. Should they wish to address council that they be afforded the ability to address it early on in the meeting so they can go home and get what they need which is a good night's sleep. So, may I submit that for your consideration? Thank you. Thank you. Great comment, Diego. Other comments from the public? No. Okay. I'm going to uh declare the public comment the public uh portion of the hearing closed. Uh would anyone from council like to comment on this ordinance?

Council President. Councilman Boyer.

Uh I would I would have to agree with uh Mr. Hoick. Um but I'd take it a step further. Uh I think there are times where there are a lot of people that come to council meetings that are not summit residents. Um, there have been several meetings where we had people upstairs and out in uh in the atrium as well as in here and uh the residents in town did not get to speak. Now, I don't know how we would be able to do that. I don't know if um that's a violation of the law. I would submit that to law and labor. But if somehow we could make public comments more available for our residents, I would actually I would really appreciate that. So, not just the the children, there are there are other residents that come out that have uh that need to get home to their children because there's no one there that can watch them. Maybe it's a family friend next door or something like that, but there's something important that they need to come out and want to express themselves. And it's not right for them to sit here until 3:00 in the morning just to say three sentences. I mean, that's that's that's fair that the people that pay taxes and live in this community get to speak first. Everybody gets a right to say what they want to say. It's a open public meeting. But the people that live here should take precedence over everyone else. And that's just my opinion. You know, maybe

wrong, but that's just how I feel. So, um, thank you. Thank you, Councilman Ber. Other comments from council? Councilman Smallwood. I would also, you know, like to make a recommendation that since after this meeting I I'll no longer be here, I would like to recommend that uh council comments or public comments be given at least 10 minutes instead of three. [laughter] Um, you're hilarious.

But [clears throat] I would certainly, you know, even being on council, I I I would probably, you know, even recommend, and I I I talked to Councilman Palowski about this, even increasing it to to four minutes. You know, I I know we've had some people are asking, you know, five minutes, but you know, I I think four minutes is a is a good good number if you have to put something behind it. Um, you know, three minutes there there's a lot people need there's a lot of things that people need to say and when you're trying to rush through three minutes and you've been very kind with most people and asking them to just wrap it up once they hit the three-minute mark. But um yeah, I think going forward it's something to consider extending the you know time limit for public comments.

Thank you for your comments. Other comments, Councilwoman Hamlet.

Um yeah, you're probably all going to disagree with me here, but I think comments during introductions are are really important. Um maybe not every introduction. Um there's actually one on here tonight and I'm going to give you all an example of why I think and I know you're not gonna agree with me council president of why introduction in introduction comments are important. So, if you look at um ordinance for hearing, uh it's with the parking. We're all busy. E we have either have full-time jobs. I think collectively we probably all have 15 kids up here together and the amount of times we're on the phone every day. I can't possibly call all of these council members one by one and and Claire will have the same situation. But had I had the opportunity to talk about this parking introduction at the time and just said, "Hey, I know you're introducing this. I didn't get to it this week, but it's actually not right. Right. The parking spaces are wrong. So, you know, take take a closer look at it or maybe the intent maybe it's a scrier's error, but I do like commenting during introduction. The other thing is a lot of these these introductions are very technical. So, it gives a council member an opportunity to just say, you know, let me just explain why we're doing this because when we pull out of this space, there's a car here and there's a car there and every day somebody's going to get hit. And so I find value in introduc in introduction. Thank goodness we don't do it often, but I really like commenting during an introduction. I think it's a huge disservice to the public to to take that away. Um Bob, you're one of my best friends and I'm sorry, but it's how I feel.

Thank you. Good comment. Uh other comments from council. Councilman Palowski.

So I don't think we're really taking it away. Um, it's been the long-standing practice of the council not to allow uh comments on an introduction. We're just making it official now. Um, as far as the uh length and placement of public comments, folks, I'm the only one up here who wants to put all public comments at the front of the meeting and extend them to four and a half minutes with a warning at four minutes. So, uh, you got to work on the rest of the folks up here. Um, and I would put it at the beginning of the meeting, not just so that children can come in, um, like my friend Diego just mentioned, but um, you know, there may be maybe folks that just can't stay up that late uh, for any number of reasons and they lose their and they lose their ability to do that. I understand that this is a business meeting and that we have to be able to get to the business of the city and we certainly have had some enthusiastically attended uh meetings in the past where public comment goes quite a long time. But I I feel like having it at the end kind of deters those public comments that everybody ought to be able to make. As far as comments on an introduction, um we we also still have the ability to do that at the end. You know, I know it's easier for somebody who wants to say, "Hey, what happened with this introduction? What a deal you have to say about it." Uh, to go to that part in the meeting and not have to search for it at the end, but council can always comment on whatever they want at the end. And now so can the public. So, I'm going to support this.

Thank you. Other comments from council? All right. I I'll just wrap up say I think the way the meetings are run now is perfect. So, change, [laughter] but just kidding. We can always be better. So, I appreciate people looking at this and looking to uh to tweak it and I look forward to watching the council meetings next year from there [laughter] and I can go home when I need to. Um because I'm one of those people who have a hard time staying up late. Um but uh but that's it. Uh any other comments from council. All right, I'm going to declare the hearing closed on this ordinance. Um we're moving on to our third ordinance for hearing at safety and health number 25-3365. Madam clerk, will you please read this ordinance?

An ordinance amending the code chapter 7 traffic section section 7-8 parking subsection 7-8.7 parking prohibited at all times on certain streets. Thank you so much, Councilman Ber.

Thank you, Council President. Uh, this is ordinance number 25-365. The purpose of this ordinance is to establish no parking zones on several streets where safety, visibility, and traffic flow have been ongoing concerns. Uh these areas include portions of Bedford Road, Mars Avenue, Broad Street, Ashwood Avenue to Park Avenue, and east of New England A near Christ Church and the southside Chicago. uh and the south side of Weaver Street from the Summit High School exit to the driveway at 46 Weaver. Uh these adjust adjustments follow [snorts] recommendations from our police department and our Department of Community Service [snorts] and are intended to improve pedestrian and driver safety. I move to open this ordinance for a final hearing.

Second. All right. Great. I'm going to declare this hearing open. Um would any member of the public uh like to comment on this ordinance?

I'm uh Lewis Blanco, 30 Beakman Terrace. Um I'm also on the executive board of Christ Church. And uh before I begin, Mr. President, I would like to thank you for your uh remarks at the beginning of this meeting. They were very timely and poignant. uh not only for this time of year but for all times. Um my concern and I just became aware of this this afternoon. Um I understand that this ordinance would prohibit parking between the Christ Church driveway and the driveway uh next to it at 59 uh New England Avenue. And that's a space of about 30 feet. Um, and it would also eliminate a parking space to uh on both sides of of each driveway. So, essentially there would be three parking spaces that would be eliminated. Um, Christ Church is a very busy church is we're not only a church, we're a school. We host several AA meetings uh every day. Um and we support and host other community organizations uh blood drives meetings and um parking is very important to us. Uh for the past several months parking has been restricted on the west side of New England Avenue where historically it has been allowed on Sundays. It's been u uh Sundays only. Uh but we can no longer park there. We have a lot of elderly in our uh church community and uh uh elderly people and disabled people

coming to the AA meetings and uh I I guess my concern is especially with regard to the driveways. Um, typically you don't see in town where there is a no parking zone the size of a parking space on either side of a driveway. Um, so I like this to be reconsidered. Um, I use these areas. I don't feel as a driver that the hazard is any greater exiting or entering our parking lot than it is any other parking lot in the city. Thank you.

Thank you for your comments. Other comments from the public. All right, I'm going to close the public uh uh public uh section of this hearing and uh open it up to council members. Any council member wish to comment? Councilwoman Hamlet.

Um well, I just want to say thank you for your comments, sir. Uh a couple of clarifications I wanted to make. So, on the area that has been restricted on Sundays, um I believe it's just no parking in general, whether or not they were letting that slide on Sundays. Um but I do agree with you. I don't I think that's a reasonable request to be able to park on the other side um on Sundays. I also think it's reasonable for you to request that the space potentially I haven't been inside that parking lot. The space that's on your side um could be opened up. I just don't know what the parking rules are, Director Shreger. I think that's reasonable. Um, I will tell you that I live with 12 other it's uh eight units on 59 New England and literally when we have our kids in the morning taking them to school. Your your cars are 6 in and 6 in here and every morning there's almost an accident and and the entire there are so many um complaints from the neighborhood. So I think it's truly two spots. I don't necessarily know if it would need to be three, but again, I don't know what the the rules are for for parking, but I think the two reasonable requests would be if you're not having site issues at your exit of um Christ Church. I think that that we could be amendable to that. I would say that I'm not familiar too much with the Bedford. I think we cleaned that one up, that that area. Um, so I think that's reasonable, but all of the the community members that live around 59 New England, we we literally can't see anything. And anybody who lives [cough and clears throat] on New England um knows that when cars are parked on both sides, it's very hard for two lanes of traffic to get through, but we live with it. It's it's just what we have to do. Um, so I think it's really just two spaces, and it's just because that area is so congested. So, Director Shreger, I'm not sure if you can opine on on his concerns around um you know, how many feet. I I don't know how big that. It's pretty tiny though. I'd have to get my tape measure out.

No, I just threw you council president. We could work with safety and just limit the number of spaces. I don't have the dimensions with me and stuff, but we um I mean, if it's parallel parking on the street, typically you want like 24 feet. Um so but we we could take a look as you know when the ordinances passed if we you know we could stripe it or just work with um the neighborhood to to make it maximum safety and maximum parking. So

I think even if it was even it was five feet I don't think you need to take away an entire parking space. Even if they had five or six feet on that far end that one spot though is is almost impossible to see because you have cars coming this way. I'm happy to bring you over and show show you our challenges over there. But um but I think we can work with work with those concerns. Yeah. So

yeah, Councilman Boyer and if you move down the other way, it it's the same thing. So, um, council council president, um, and to the public, what we're seeing more and more about, uh, parking close to driveways is that, uh, cars are bigger and people can't see. The if you got an expedition, I think there's only one person in town that's got an expedition. [laughter] Um, but if you I mean, or excursion, my bad. Uh, but you know, you have your Infiniti trucks, you got your Cadillac trucks, you got your GMC Yukons, you got your Suburbans. Um, I think that comprises of about 60 70% of the cars in town. And it's not just Christ Church, it's really all over town. and the visibility on both of those driveways if someone is parking whether to the right of the driveway or the left of the driveway and even by Dillia's house. Um that's a busy street too because the opposite side there are is apartment complexes there where there's a bunch of cars there in the mornings is really bad because that's a cut through to get to the high school. Every once in a while I drop my kid off. Um, so it it is it is a problem. It is a problem. Uh, and Director Shriger, if even if you striped it and people park outside of the striped area, uh, you would still need an ordinance to prevent that, right? Like, so either way, you have to make an ordinance to prevent the parking there, right? And so we're talking about one space or two spaces

now, one more. Um, you know, I I personally think it's needed, but I will say, and thank you for bringing this up because I didn't know that there were parking restrictions on Sunday. Uh, Sunday is church day, and I feel you on that. We I will work. Let's see if we can do something about that. Um, I I can appreciate that. So, I go to church a little bit down the street from you. um a pilgrim and you can't really park on on the street that often. But anyway, let's let's work together. I'm on parking next year, so it just kind of works out. So, we'll we'll work that out maybe sooner than later. All right. Um as for the other ones, uh they're all appropriate, especially the one on Weaver Street. Uh, I mean, coming out of that lot, the far right lot next to uh where the um um where the field is is atrocious. Uh and then if you're making a left, you got people that's coming from the culdeac. That's a blind spot that the kids almost get hit there every day. So, um I I think this is a a good ordinance and uh I support it, but again, we can work out the the Sunday park and hopefully that may alleviate some of your concerns.

Uh Councilwoman Hamlet,

um the one thing I would leave with you, Council Member Toth, um as I'm looking at Mr. Gallow again is uh Uklid is a is a big concern for the kids who cross at Uklid and Summit Avenue. I've had my tape measure out. I have a big giant one and I think it's 25 ft, but I I'm almost positive it's like a foot short. But regardless, um, and there's also a huge tree there. So, when the kids are crossing at the crossing guard, it's it's an accident waiting to happen. And I know Director Sher's going to yell at me for saying that, but um, if we could eliminate those two spots, I think it would be really uh important for the community. It's impossible to make a left out of Uklid, uh, especially around 3:00. So, I would urge you, Jamal, to put that on your agenda for next year. Thank you. Other comments?

I've closed the comments section. Um, [clears throat] all right. Uh, no other comments. I'm going to close the hearing on this ordinance and we're going to move on to ordinances for final consideration. Um, madame clerk, will you please read ordinance the first one from law and labor 25-3363? Ordinance amending the code chapter 12 parks public areas recreational facilities to add a new section 12-7 Tatlock sports complex athletic facilities. Thank you so much Councilman Palowski.

Thank you. This is ordinance number 25-3363 ordinance amending the code chapter 12 parks public areas recreational facilities had new section 12-7 Tatlock sports complex athletic facilities and establish a Tatlock field lighting policy having just completed the hearing on this ordinance I move to adopt it I second thank you uh roll call please Mr. Byer. I. Miss Hamlet. Hi. Miss Caminson. Nay. Mr. Palowski. I. Mr. Smallwood. Yes. Miss Toe. I. President McTurn.

I. Motion carries. Okay. We're moving on to uh the second law and labor ordinance. Uh Madame Clerk, will you please read number 25-3364? An ordinance to repeal and replace chapter 2 administration article 2 meetings of common council section 2-2 council meetings subsection 2-2.1 rules of the common council. Thank you so much Councilman Palowski. Thank you. This is ordinance 253364. Having just had the hearing on this ordinance, I move to adopt it. Second. All right. Roll call, please. Mr. Ber, I. Miss Hamlet. Hi. Miss Celson. I. Mr. Fowski I Mr. Smallwood I Miss Toad

I President McT. Motion carries. All right. Last uh ordinance for u adoption. Uh madam clerk will you please read safety and health number 25-3365. An ordinance amending the code. Chapter 7 traffic section 7-8 parking subsection 7-8.7 parking prohibited at all times on certain streets. Thank you so much Councilman Ber. Thank you, Council President. Uh, having just had a hearing on ordinance number 253365, I move this for a final adoption. Second. All right. Um, roll call, please. Mr. Ber, I. Miss Hamlet, hi. Miss Cuminson,

I. Mr. Palowski, I. Mr. Smallwood, I. Miss Toi. President McT. Motion carries. All right. Uh we're moving right along to the resolutions uh portion of our meeting this evening. Um we have one from admin uh this evening. Uh Councilwoman [clears throat] Camelson.

Um thank you council president. This is ID number 12318 and this resolution amends the personnel policy manual. The city of Summit completed a comprehensive overhaul of its personnel policies and procedures manual. The proposed revisions include structural reorganization, policy consolidation, removal of outdated provisions, and updated updates required by law risk management authorities, and guidance from the city's labor attorney. The changes aim to modernize the manual, ensure legal compliance, and clarify expectations for both management and staff. Major policy updates include equal employment opportunity, anti-discrimination and anti-harassment combined and expanded with updated language including expectations for conduct outside the workplace when it affects the work environment. Whistleblower sea discipline, grievance and ethical conduct. Strengthened reporting channels, anti- retaliation protections and standards for employee behavior and accountability. conflict of interest reintroduced to address outside employment use of city property and gift restrictions, time off policies, clarified vacation carryover rules, updated bereavement leave, and revised jury military and domestic violence leave per legal recommendations, workplace and technology policies, added a new AI LLM use policy, updated privacy expectations, and revised procedures for early closures, attendance, and overtime. time benefits and compensation updated health insurance references to reflect the shift from SHBP to NJ solutions GIF um managerial procedures modernized background check requirements updated nepotism rules and removed outdated managerial policies. Um this also included removals and structural changes including several outdated policies were eliminated. Some older

procedures um are retired as recommended by the labor attorney. An acknowledgement of receipt page is added to meet GIF requirements. And finally um there is an addendum. It includes the required GIF policies for CDL drivers regarding controlled substances and alcohol testing. I move to adopt this resolution. Second. All right. Uh at this time, do I have any members of the public who would wish to comment on this resolution? All right. Anyone from council like to comment? Um, Councilwoman Toth.

Okay. Thank you, Council President. I I know admin has been publicly pretty quiet this year, but they've clearly been doing a boatload of work. Um, and I just want to say congratulations to council members Calmanson and and Hamlet for for all that hard work updating the manual and c and certainly along with with Megan Champney, our HR manager who I'm sure did the lion share of it. Thank you. Good comments. Uh, other comments from council. Yeah, council president. Yes, council.

So, you know, this came up before uh with the nepotism policy and uh council members. Uh, I don't know if y'all know this, but I have about 50 family members in in Summit. So, if I was on council for 6 years, that would mean that any of my 50 family members would not be able to work for the city of Summit. That's kind of ridiculous. They need jobs, right? Like, if you're good at a job, you should be able to get a job. Um I you know I I think that when you look at um immediate family should really be your your spouse, your children, right? not like um your your your cousins or any person related by blood or marriage residing in an employees household. I mean um that could be a lot of people, right? I mean this is a this is kind of a small town with a lot of family ties. Um there are like five different families and and and and the HR um uh director knows this, right? They're like five main black families in town, right? And we're all related. I you know, this is this is problematic, right? Uh and I think that um for some it could be looked at as uh discriminatory

if if if there is if 3% of the population is summit are indigenous black Americans, right? And the first black American ever elected to council has 50 members who are black in town, right? And for six years they cannot be employed by the city of summit. What it should say is that the the sitting council person should just have nothing to do with that procedure, right? like you can't be involved, you can't submit an application for them, you can't talk about their employment, but to bar them from employment is absolutely ridiculous. It is. This is not New York City. This is not, you know, New York, New Jersey. This is not, you know, a city with 150,000 people, right? This is a small town. So, you know, I mean, I I disagree with that policy. And by the way, let we could keep it real. There have been firemen sons, police officers, sons, you know, like it has never been a council person that's had that's hired a a family member as far as I know. What is the focus on council for? Like what is that about? And I raised this the last time that that this came up. My issue with the nepotism policy quite frankly would be, hey, if I'm the chief of police, right, you shouldn't be able to hire your son in the police department, right?

or, you know, if I'm the if I'm the the fire chief, right? Um, you know, my son shouldn't be in the fire department while I'm there, right? I mean, those are the issues, not the council person, you know, that that may be elected um where 50 of the people in town are that it's not fair to them. That's not fair. I'm going to run for council and I have some relatives who want to get a decent job in the city. How is that fair to them? That's not right. You should focus on the city employees and stop the nepotism within the city of Summit and don't focus on people who are up here volunteering. I'm a volunteer, man. So, you're going to prevent my nephews from seeking employment or or or or my my wife's nephews and nieces from seeking employment in the city of Summit because I'm volunteering as a council person. That's absolutely ridiculous.

Thank you, Councilman Smallwood.

Thank you, Council President. Um, Councilman Boy, I I 100% agree with you on your first point, uh, with regards to a, you know, not being able to hire a council member's uh, family member. um you know to be honest with you we that's not even part of our process that you know whatever position that person is applying for it's up to the that department director as well as uh our business administrator and our HR person who actually hires that person. Uh it's it's not the the actual city council members. Um, with regards to the nepotism in terms of firemen and police officers, I I I I do have to disagree with you on that. I I love hearing the fact that we have or may have a fifth generation fireman or a fifth generation police officer. Um, [clears throat] you know, I I I think if if we discouraged, you know, those family members from following their fathers or their grandfathers, um, yeah, I I think that would be, you know, that would be disheartening to me. Uh, because if they're willing to put their lives on the line as a fireman or or a police officer and follow in their their parents or grandparents' footsteps, I I I certainly would would encourage that. Um, but I I totally agree with you in terms of the the policy in terms of a council member's family members not being able to even be considered or being able to apply for that.

Thank you. Uh, Councilwoman Hamlet,

so I think it's important to clarify the redline version of this for anyone who and Jamal, I totally agree with you, but in this version, correct me if I'm wrong, Council Member Camelson. Um what we did was we changed the nepotism policy. So the last version wrote a candidate is an immediate relative of the current mayor. Sorry, the last version wrote read a candidate is an immediate relative of the mayor or anyone who has served as mayor in the last five years. The red line version also read, "A candidate is an immediate relative of an active sorry, a candidate is an immediate relative of a member of common council or anyone who has served on a common council in the last 5 years." What we took away in this version was now it reads, "A candidate is an immediate relative of the current mayor." We took away or anyone who has served as mayor in the last five years. Now it reads, now the second paragraph reads, a candidate is an immediate relative [snorts] of a member of common council. We took away or anyone who has served on common council in the last five years and I actually skipped the last admin meeting and I just read the redline version today, but that's why it's really important to read the redline version. So I hope there's not any misunderstanding, but the nepotism policy has changed for the better to to address those concerns.

Council President, Councilman, unless there's something wrong in the packet. Well, um I think uh city administrator um Oh, is the red line version not in there? No, it's not. Would you like to clarify? Let me explain things. Yes. Through you, Council President, there is um and I think that we all recall this when we hired um a fireman

um in the last year or so. Um, but there is a clause in here that says that the common council may wave the limitations of this section for good cause. So, there is an ability for the current council member or the current mayor, you know, who's active to recuse themselves from the decision and not vote on the waiver resolution, but to do a waiver resolution. So, that ability to hire a relative still remains with the clause for a waiver resolution. So, just to clarify that it is a possibility and it would just mean that the active elected official would have to recuse himself from voting on that waiver resolution. But a person could still be hired if they were qualified and related to council member, but there are also in there a candidate is an immediate relative to the city administrator. I can't do that. So, there's to the city clerk. There's a lot of other features in here that were what everybody was looking for. But again, there is the waiver possibility

and council president, the the the main difference and I and I want people to um to capture this point, right? Uh when you're on council, you're you're not in the line in the chain of authority, right? Like no one will directly report to me. No one. If if if I work in the fire department or the police department and I'm the chief and I hire that line goes up, right? You might not directly report to them, but that affects internal hiring decisions, right? That affects uh the morale within the department because people it may not be happening, oh, you know, that's the guy's son or the the daughter or whatever. That's why they got the That doesn't happen on council because we don't make any of those decisions. It doesn't to me this is an attack on a volunteer. It really is. And is the fiveyear line in here too?

I mean took it out.

Oh well that's great. So you took the five to well at first it was going to be you know can't hire a relative of a of a council and for the next five years after they were off a council like come on where where are we getting this stuff from we are volunteers no disrespect city administrator you're paid you're a paid employee what benefit is it that I get so I get elected to council and I'm a volunteer and then now all the people that I actually are have a blood relationship with in town suffer from that. That ain't right, man. I'm sorry. All right. Other comments from council. Yeah. I um just a couple things. I mean, this is just as a visual for the public. This is the

the policy. It's a lot. Yeah,

I think we killed a couple of trees to print this. Sorry to the environmental commission. Um, it's a lot. So, this was a this was a big undertaking by the admin committee as Councilwoman Tote said as as well as Megan. So, she she did a lot of work uh on this. So, I thank her for it. Um, look, I I I have a lot of sympathy for Councilman Ber's comments. I mean, an immediate family member to me is your kids, right? um you know this is this is a pretty wide net um particularly for for council members where we don't really have much to do if anything to the hiring process and um I I think this I I I don't want to you know not vote for this because of this one thing but I would recommend whoever is steering admin next year Councilwoman Toth maybe would look at this to maybe try and make this a little more rational because it is it's very broad and and I think it is uh you know penalizing to someone who does have a lot of relatives in town. I know I have nieces and nephews in town. Um I think one of I think some of them would really enjoy a job with the city and I had no idea that they were excluded from this. Um which u which I think is a little little harsh. So I I kind of agree with you.

Councilman Palowski, I have a question for city administrator Baldwin. H how does the waiver clause here work? You know, who initiates it? How does anybody even know? Um you know, I could envision somebody coming and making an application asking, "Are you the stepchild of any sitting council person?" and then you know they're just you know just out of it. So you know how does it work and and is there a way to memorialize it in this actual policy?

So through you council president all of [clears throat] the recommendations here were that of labor attorney. That's first. Second the waiver provision is here. We have had instances where um folks have applied for a job and if you are the most qualified person for that job regardless of on counsel it can't be I can't obviously hire a family member but if somebody on council we can do a waiver resolution if they're the most qualified person for the job they can still be hired there's just we've done it before while I think all of you were here earlier this year or maybe it was last year losing I think it was this year. Um, so you just do a waiver resolution which is allowed for in this clause and that person can be hired. The person that they're related to again would just have to recuse. So if they apply and they're the most qualified person, there is nothing stopping them from being hired.

Thank you for the explanation. So just to follow up, um, if I understand it correctly, someone comes in, they apply for a job, they have a family member who's the mayor or who's on counsel. They'll go through the normal process and then if you decide that you want to hire them then you will come to the council and ask for a waiver. That's right. And then the council person or would recuse themselves in the process.

That's right. And and technically the council person should should not serve on the committee for which that person is employed. like if the person is employed in uh DCP then the council person should not serve on that committee because while you don't while it's not your decision to hire or to [clears throat] fire um employees it can be perceived as pressure if you're on a particular committee where that person that's all and it's very easy to work around if there is somebody qualified for a position in the city we're we're not a New York City we're not a New York we're not a large municipality. So, we have to have ways to work around that.

Yeah. And I think that's my point. We're not Right. We're a small town and No kidding. I'm not joking. Right. Like I have a lot of family in this town. And when you and it it's approved by a council vote, the waiver, right? See, I mean, that that's a that's a problem. If y'all can't see the problem in that, then that's I I don't understand. So you need you need the council to approve a waiver which you know people may not even know that they're even the relative right like a cousin or something like that but now you need to the council to approve a waiver and to be honest what if they don't like me right y'all know how y'all do right so I mean then this person is the best person for the job and now they're penalized because of pro maybe possibly my political affiliation. And the reason why I'm I'm I'm doing this is so that people would want to volunteer, right? I mean, think about it. There were there were two there were two black people ever elected in Summit's history since 1889 or 66. Two. I'm one of them, right? So, if you enact this and I got a big family in town, if I was a black person, why the hell would I run for council if half of my family can't apply for a job?

Can I make a comment? Yes, council. With all due respect, Councilman [clears throat] Ber, I've been incredibly busy trying to sell the firehouse for the last two and a half weeks. And as much as I appreciate your comments around this, you had several opportunity. I would have been more than happy to change this. More than happy. and we've had a year to talk. I would have been more than happy to talk about this. So, we can either table it and move it on to next year, but we we have and I I empathize with you. I think it's very important. But Ron, can you opine on the local government ethics law? Uh or can you educate us on isn't this covered in the local government ethics law? It's 40- Yeah, this is permitted. So, so can you just Right. So, I mean the waiver

this is very basic. Yeah, there's not there's nothing illegal about that, right? But this is covered. Municipalities are covered under the local government ethics law. So why do we even have a separate policy in here? Why why do we even Isn't Isn't that superseded? You should have a policy based on You should have a policy that is in conformance with the ethics law. Right. That's my point. Shouldn't it just mirror the local government ethics law 40 4A9-22.1? Right. that the ethics speak to waiverss and things like this.

But but as a as a as an elected official, right, we I mean this is we are elected officials. So we we do have we are held to a higher, right? But there's nothing in the ethics law that says you can't hire a family member, you know, you just have to recuse yourself and we're not hiring. Understand? Yeah. So, and and by the way, I objected to this last year and everyone knew my opinion of it. I actually we took it out. That's why we took out the five years and you took out the Yeah, but wait, wait, wait. Just

please let's wait to be called on. So, Councilman Ber, you want to finish? I mean, it's still restrictive. So you Okay. So what you took out was if I'm on council and I served three years, you took out the fact that for after my three years, for five years, no one from my family can work for the city. You took that out. Thank you. I mean, so that's eight years, right? Like what?

I'm so for three years, no one can work, right? And then for five years after that, you took that out, right? So great, I'm happy about that. It still comes back to the same point, right? Where you have a big family in town, right? There is a small small group, but large very intermingled family members of of black folks that live in this town, have lived here for a hundred a hundred years. Right. We have a we have big families. Only two of us have been elected. So if I'm on council and there's 50 of you my family members who are blood relatives, right? Like they can't work for the city of summit without getting a waiver. Like come on. But anyway, I'll I'll move on for you. However, other councilwoman camelson.

Thank you, Council President. Um this has been um a a really huge um task and Megan has been working on it since April. Um you know, we were supposed to um pass this resolution earlier this fall and it just took longer than expected. This was a recommendation um from our labor attorney. Um it is important that we pass this. However, I would say that um Councilman Boyer, you're going to be on um admin um next year, and I think that this would be a great um you know, um subject for you to discuss with um Megan and the labor attorney and see if um you know, if it can be amended in a way that everybody can agree on.

Um that's that's my um Thank you, Councilman Palski. Yeah. So, um, question for the city solicitor. We can amend a resolution from the floor, right? Yes. Can we amend an [clears throat] employment policy that is attached to a resolution from the floor? You can do that. You can do that. Okay. Well, so so I mean what I would just suggest is cutting these two bullets for the moment and then about uh the mayor common council and then

um and then uh we can talk about maybe redoing this page afterwards. It's my understanding that we need to pass this tonight so that we have a current employment. My my my recommendation would be unless you know of someone who's getting looking for a job in the next couple of weeks that we pass this resolution. There's a lot of work and then as Councilwoman Toth just mentioned there's lots of opportunities to make changes next year. So she can drive that as an agenda item um in admin and we can relook at this and make this better because I do agree with you Councilman Ber. But um but I do think uh you know this is a resolution but I I would not want to there's a lot of legal terms in all this. There's there's a lot of statuto

statuto things that's why I would be very uncomfortable by winging it by making any changes on the fly uh from from the the dis. I think it would be better to um to pass it with the note that that this needs to be examined. Uh it's a resolution can bring this up at any time in the in the first quarter if if admin decides to make some tweaks to it. Councilman Smallley. Thank you, Council President. I mean, we currently have an employee handbook in place now, correct? With pretty much all of this. This is the handbook, right? This is the employee manual, right? But

with adjustments that have been made since April. Yeah. Correct. So, is there any legal issue why this has to be passed tonight? My understanding from Megan, if I may, Council President, yes. My understanding through Megan is that there are parts of this manual that need to pass because they're their mandatory language this year. They have to pass,

right? And and the other point is that this there, as Councilwoman Hamlet said, there have been red lines to this where this is better than it had been. Doesn't mean it's perfect, but it's better. And uh that's why I would my my view would be to pass this and make changes to it. Um if I'm if I may add one more thing. Yes, please.

It's also my understanding from Megan that the attorneys did a complete overhaul of the entire policy. So they've reviewed it and done a a fine sweep of all of the sections to make sure that they are in compliance with state regulation. So that's what this is all about. Those policies that concern any council member can be addressed through amendments [clears throat] in the following year. Thank you. Other comments from council? Councilwoman Hamlet.

Uh I'd like to uh I agree with Bob. I think we're supposed to amend it from the floor. um we're going to lose the majority in 13 days. It's important to Councilman Ber. Um I see his point and I think if we just strike those two lines, come back next year and do with it what you want. But um I certainly missed it. I thought we took out the right pieces. Again, we've been we've had a busy couple weeks, so let's just amend it from the floor if we can. There's two lines, three lines. I make a motion from the floor to make a motion. I'd like to make a motion to amend this resolution. Second. All right, let's have a vote on amending the resolution. So, it just would be to strike out those two lines.

All right, so all in favor of amending the resolution I I opposed. Nay. You're amending the policy? Amending the policy. Can we have a roll call vote? Yeah, let's go to roll call. Mr. Ber, I. Miss Hamlet, I. Miss Calmanson, nay. Mr. Powski, I. Mr. Smallwood I. Miss Toe. Nay. President McTay. Okay. The motion to amend it passes. Um so we'll be voting on the amended resolution. Um we'll do a roll call on that one too. Mr. Ber. I. Miss Hamlet.

I just have a quick question. Do we want to specify which are we we're going to talk about the specifics of it after this vote? the lines we just talked about. We already did it. We already did that. You made a motion to strike the two lines. Yeah, we've done that. But we don't need to identify exactly which two lines it is. You already did it. Okay. It's a long night. I Miss Calmanson. Nay. Mr. Powski. I. Mr. Smallwood. I. Miss Toth. I. President McTurn.

I. All right. Motion carries. So we pass the amended resolution. All right. Okay, moving right along. Uh we have uh couple a few from law and labor. Uh Council Mowski, law and labor number one. Thank you. This is resolution ID number 12311 to memorialize this uh the city's commitment to monitor and address ancillary issues to general field use and the installation and use of field lights at the Tatlock sports complex. So, as I said earlier, uh we as council members have an obligation to do our very best to look at best to look after all hill citizens. And as I also said, the use of field lights at Tatlock or at least the use of field lights in a neighborhood like Tatlock uh in particular for varsity games presents a series of unknowns. Nobody has a crystal ball. Nobody can predict the future, but we can closely monitor our failures and successes and everywhere in between and work to improve uh how we how we address uh various issues including lights at at Tatlock. Um we've promised to do uh that with Tatlock lights every step of the way. This ordinance memorializes that promise. Um so some of the specifics are that um uh we will do a post installation lighting analysis to assess any off-site impacts. Uh we're going to take another look at or continue to look at the existing landscaping and trees to make sure that they properly shield field lights. We will continue to explore pedestrian and vehicular safety. continue to explore

the potential expansion of parking within Tatlock Park to alleviate challenges posed by street parking. Continue to garner and solicit community feedback about lights and at Tatlock Park both pre and post construction. Uh we have in here that we will conduct town hall meetings in June and in December of 2026 which obviously um is just after the spring and fall sports seasons respectively and that the city uh through DCP working in conjunction with the uh capital improvement committee and safety uh is going to shall provide reports in April, May, June, October, November in December of 2026 along with June of 2027. Um so and and then I note in particular the final provision here which I'm going to read after the first three high school games under field lights as ordinance number 253363 defines those terms. Uh defines those terms. Um, pursuant to uh section 1272E of ordinance 253363, which states that the the SHS athletic department shall schedule no more than 10 regular season high school games. Um, the common council shall evaluate whether to amend the number of high school games allowed under field lights under the ordinance. With that, I move to adopt this resolution.

I second. All right. Uh, does anyone from the public wish to comment on this resolution?

Okay. Anyone from council? All right. Um, I'll just make one quick comment. Uh, just again I I think I want to just commend Councilman Powski and Councilman Smallwood. Um, you know, we talked about this um when we've gone through this entire process with the field lights. uh it became incredibly obvious that that neighborhood had issues not just with lights but with large events at Tatlock uh with parking and safety and noise and all that kind of stuff. And I'm really proud that this council has really addressed those issues. And this is a great resolution um that kind of uh enshrines that commitment to continue to address that neighborhood uh in order to check in with them to get feedback to improve the way that those fields are done. And so I I commend um law and labor uh for for putting this together. So thank you. All right. Um that um all in favor

I opposed. All right. Motion carries. All right. Law and labor number two. Councilman Palowski.

Thank you. This is resolution ID number 12289 and it's a resolution by the city to oppose Senate Bill number 4736 which provo proposes to preempt the municipal power to zone for properties owned by religious and nonprofit institutions uh which in many's opinion will diminish home rule for municipalities. Um, this resolution is based on one suggested by the League of Municipalities. And if you've been paying attention over recent years, you know that uh our good friends in Trenton have taken steps to erode our autonomy as a municipality, particularly when it comes to forced development. Um, affordable housing and Mount Laurel is is always a hot topic and controversial at that. I've spoken before about why the city of Summit has been unfairly burdened with certain obligations under the Fair Housing Act over the years.

[snorts]

Um, Summit's always embodied the attributes that the Mount Laurel doctrine strives to achieve in municipalities. We have economic diversity and that's that's the main uh crux of Mount Laurel. three lowincome housing developments with 195 units to give families who otherwise couldn't afford to live in Summit a chance to live uh in in our great town and and be hill toppers uh along with the rest of us. This is affordable housing with a lowercase A. Um, but it's not affordable housing with a capital A, which means that it it it doesn't count towards our numbers because of residency preferences. Overlook Hospital also has 91 affordable housing units with a lowercase A. They don't count either because they're not affirmatively marketed. They can't be because they have to be hospital workers who serve our community and the surrounding communities, but they still don't count. Um, there are plenty of other rentals in town that fit the bill of lowercase affordable housing and they don't count because they aren't deed restricted. And I think the most recent deed restrictions that are required in order for it to count are that they be restricted for 60 years to maintain their affordable housing status. Um, 40. I think we said 60 at the meeting just now. Um, so without being forced to do so, and I I'll add that 15% of our students have free and reduced lunches. Summit, compare that to Chattam, it's one. Um, we're 33% minority in this town. Cadam

is 11. And, um, the diversity among our minorities is far greater than that in our neighbor. uh 10 of their 11% are Asian. Um 10 of our of ours are Asian. So um we don't need um well so without being forced to do so, Summit has for a century um accomplished been what Mount Laurel is looking for. And we don't need another set of entities, religious institutions, and nonprofits to be able to bypass our local planning processes and increase planning and zoning processes, which is what this bill would do, and um force us to increase density against our will. Now, I understand that um maybe this bill isn't going to go anywhere in the uh in the state senate, but just in case it does, I move to adopt this resolution.

Council President, I was asked by by Councilwoman Toth to second this. So, I second this resolution.

All right. Uh thank you. Um anyone from the public wish to make a comment on this resolution? A gallow tenuc summit. [clears throat] I would be remiss if I didn't say I'm impressed with the the work of all the volunteers on this council. You do amazing work. I I attended my first council meeting in 1971 in Summit. So, and I've looked up close at the work you do and nothing but admiration and thanks for for all you do. I don't always agree with what you do, but I respect what you do and your your commitment and the volunteerism you do on this particular bill. This is I I certainly hope the legislature passes it because we have an enormous need for affordable housing statewide. It may I I doubt that this this uh this bill, should it pass, will have much impact on the city of Summit, but I can tell you all over the state there are religious properties that are underutilized. Uh I my first job in city planning was in in Hudson County and the town that was my hometown that I went in Bayon, New Jersey. They had six Catholic schools with uh elementary schools, two two u uh religious high schools. Uh there were and they're all they're all but one closed. All the all those schools are closed. The two high schools are closed. five of the six elementary schools that that were around when I was a child uh and and sitting vacant buildings all over. There's enormous shortage of affordable housing throughout throughout New Jersey. This is an affordable housing issue that needs to be addressed. and to prelude towns that really should be dealing with this issue. Uh by taking a parochial view of this, no pun in the word prochial as a prochial school boy. Um I think is uh is unnecessary for the

council to take any action or position on on this bill. I would hope that you would just table this. If you pass it, I understand it's your expression of of your view of of what the state of New Jersey should do, but this is a a nationwide problem. Affordability is on the lips of everyone uh running for office or will be running for office in the next year. This is an affordability issu is issue. We don't have an adequate supply of private housing. We're increasingly losing the diversity of the minority population and lower income population of the city because it's so hard to afford rents in this town or housing. The price of admission to move into a town like Summit is extraordinary. So I think that this you need to take a broader perspective. This issue of preeemption of uh of local uh zoning powers. Uh I I need not remind you that you serve as an instrumentality of state government. uh your your powers that you you exercise here are delegated to you by the state government and this is an issue of statewide statewide importance. I' I'd respectfully ask you to not take this action. Respect the fact that you may take this action uh but I think it's really unnecessary to take this action because I don't think it has much impact here in this community but has enormous impact throughout the state of New Jersey. Thank you.

Thank you for your comments. Other comments from the public? All right. Comments from council. Okay. Well, Councilwoman Toe.

Thank you, Council President. I think Council Member Smallwood kind of signal this. Um, and this, as Council Member Powski noted, this this resolution opposes a bill um or the Senate bill. It is going to die in Senate committee at the end of the year. Um, the bill would essentially mandate overlay zones for land owned by religious and nonprofit institutions in hopes that they would choose to develop affordable housing on unneeded land rather than sell that land to the highest bidder. Um and because that bill is not going to become law this year, opposing it at this late stage with two weeks in well a month left in the legislative sess session is would only serve to confirm the suspicions of those who think that summit is opposed to affordable housing. Um I'm going to oppose this resolution.

Thank you. Other comments? Anyone? I just councilwoman Hamlet

I think in a perfect world Mr. Gallow, I would I would love to agree with you, but as I sit here for the last 3 years, the amount of churches who will not sell us their property to create affordable housing is shocking. We were able to work with the church around the corner and get 13 units. We have asked the Beacon Church to sell us the property on the corner and and they are holding out for the highest bidder, right? So, as much as I want to agree with you and and St. Teresa's, we're we're begging you to put some units on there, we're working with Catholic Charities now. And and so I find it ironic for as hard as we work and as as hard as we're working to negotiate with fair share that the churches around here will not give us their land. That's the problem. And that's why we're at an impass.

Other comments, council president. Councilman Boyer. Um m Mr. Gallow, uh you know, thank you for your service. Yes. Right. Like

you've done a lot for this city, man. And and I know you know a lot of my family members. I saw you over there smiling like, "Boy, you're right. You got a lot of family members, man. Good job." Um, now [clears throat] I I I I agree with uh Councilwoman uh Toth at in a sense that um this is kind of like a setup for municipalities um for the state legislature to to believe that municipalities are against affordable housing, right? Because they're against this bill. It is is kind of a setup, right? But when you look at it, um this is like a money grab here. Like affordable housing has been a money grab for a for a quick minute. First of all, the fact that nonprofits, and I was telling Bob this, Bob, you know what? You and I go down to the state, right? We can go to Secretary of State, get an LLC, you know, become a 501c, get a nonprofit, and then we can, you know, we could buy some of this property, 20% set aside, right? Keep the 80%, make it, you know, $5,000 a unit, jackpot. I'm on to the game, man. Right. Like, so if this if if this bill said um you have to build 100% affordable housing, okay, so we talking about something different, right? But doesn't say that. We're talking about these folks can come in, get land without the municipalities input, zoning, planning board input, and um do a 20% set aside and profit from this. This is not about affordable housing.

And and that's why um I I agree with um uh with this resolution going against uh this this state action and I think it's an overreach by the state of New Jersey. Thank you, Council President. Oh, one more thing. I don't know if y'all know this, right? New Jersey is the most densely populated state in the entire country. New Jersey is I mean that just says that says it all too, right? We're losing open space. I remember when it was like green piece, right? Like you know those days are kind of over. But thank you council president.

Thank you. Uh other comments from council councilman Smallwood.

Thank you council president. Um Mr. you go. Thank Thank you for your kind words and I thank you again for for your service and what you've done for for Summit. Um yeah, I'm I'm I'm really torn about this because, you know, affordable housing really needs to start at the state level and it needs to be restructured. Um you know, we're we're mandated we're given a mandate for around four 345 units. If a developer comes in and builds a 100 unit building, only 20 20% of it has to be affordable. The other 80% goes to the developer. Um they're making a lot of money on this. And so what is it about? Is it about the perception of building affordable housing? But 80% of the markets, 80% of the units in that building is at market rate. So that tells the next developer or even the next building, apartment building, if they renovate, if a if a tenant moves out and they renovate their building, they can increase that rent for that particular [laughter] unit. And I think what all it does is by building more and more units at 80% market rate only allows for other owners who currently own an apartment building to renovate their empty apartment apartments and be able to charge a higher rate. That to me does not bring down affordability. Um, you know, Bob listed in his comments in the introduction of how much Summit has already done in terms of affordable housing. Um, you know, as as you well as you well know, uh, that we just don't

get credit for. You know, I think Summit has been a leader in trying to build affordable housing, but we just don't get credit for it because we don't fit into the rules. Uh, so, you know, for for that reason, that's why I'm I'm going to support this because I I really feel like the the current affordable housing structure benefits the developers more than it does the people who need affordable housing. Thank you. Other comments from council? Councilman Palowski.

So, uh, thank you, Mr. Gallow. you're a huge part of our history that I relied on in um making the point that I made a couple of minutes ago. But yeah, as to the comment that voting for this is going to confirm suspicions that uh Summit's against affordable housing, anyone who thinks we're against affordable housing hasn't been paying attention. Um what we're against is unreasonable density being forced upon us, taxing our infrastructure. Um and I don't want to get into a discussion about unalienable rights here, but if indeed the legislature does give us the ability to do the things that we do here, one of those things that they give us is the ability to plan and zone. And I don't want to see that eroded any more than it already has been. and that's why I support this resolution.

Thank you. Other comments? Yeah. Yeah. I I just wrap up um by saying one, Mr. Galla, thank you for all your hard work over the years for Summit. Um you've left literally marks all over town. So with your name on him, by the way. So thank you. Um yeah, look, I I take uh issue with the fact that if you oppose this, it's because you oppose affordable housing. That's ridiculous. absolutely ridiculous. Um, you can you can oppose this because while we agree with Mr. Gallo, we New Jersey is [snorts] a unitary government. Uh, what that means is that local government, county governments are given power at the behest of the state and they [snorts] just give it to them and they can always take it away. So, so Mr. Mr. G is absolutely right that the legislature has every right in in the way our system's set up to take these powers away. But just because they can doesn't mean they should. And where I sit, I represent the community here. And my constituents are the people who live here. And so I'm going to fight like hell to make sure that our community people are represented and that their wishes and the way they want to live in their town with the um willingness to create affordable housing in a way that's consistent with the character of our town. Councilman Palowski has mentioned on several occasions and I think Mr. G would attest to. We have a long history of providing affordable housing in this town. Anyone who looks at this community and makes the assumption because there are wealthy people here that we hate affordable housing is lazy and hasn't done their

homework about what makes Summit tick. That's just a fact. And we can. So where I would support this resolution is because we should have control over development in our community. And and again, that doesn't mean we're against affordable housing, but we want it to be consistent with the character of our community. We don't live in Jersey City. If I wanted to live in a high density area, I would move there, but I don't. And there's lots of people who love the town the way it is with the willingness to increase affordability. Now, my part on this around the way New Jersey works, we do have a affordability crisis in New Jersey, but the way New Jersey goes about fixing it is completely wrong. It's broken. We have this evil alliance between money grubbing developers and you know uh people who truly do care about affordability for people and have gotten in bed together and have railroaded any, you know, local uh say in how to do this. And if you think about the 8020 split, yeah, we're getting 20% affordable housing for those people and we're always struggling to find more land for it. But the dirty secret is for the other 80% of the units that get constructed, guess what? They're more unaffordable for everybody else. the the developers charge a higher price for those 80 units. So they subsidize the affordable ones that the state is forcing them to make. They still want to make the same profit. Capitalism hasn't died here. So, we're saying we're we're focused on

the 20, but how about the [laughter] ban from 20 to 50 who now are looking for apartments in Summit and and every building that's getting built here, they're charging five grand for a for a one-bedroom. How affordable is that? The system in New Jersey is broken. And I am happy this is just going to continue to break the system more if this uh bill gets passed. And that's not to say that I'm against affordable housing. I'm against the way it is propagated in our state. I know it's not going to change. There's a lot of money that floats around and makes this happen. And that's the sad truth. Um and we've talked about this a lot. But um you know, eroding uh eroding our ability to control our own destiny. We should fight for that. I can't believe any municipality anywhere in the state of New Jersey, whether they're for affordable housing or not, would be for this. Every municipality should want to control their own um you know, area and and you know, work for their constituents, not some person down in Trenton. Um, and again, you know, so there's lots of things in this uh this bill I I find objectionable. Um, but you know, the the basic thing is is like we work for the people here. We have a community that cares. We've had a community that's cared for decades about promoting affordability. We don't need more make a broken system even more broken by passing legislation like this. That's my comment. All right. Um, all in favor?

I opposed. Nay. Two naysay. Two nays. Motion carries. All right. Um, law and labor number three. Councilman Palowski.

Thank you. This is resolution ID number 12308 to award bid sale of old firehouse property at 396 Broad Street. The common council adopted resolution number 41805 authorizing the advertisement and receipt of sealed bids for the uh the property as I just mentioned uh that I just mentioned block 2706 lots 1 through 4 sealed bids were obtained on December 11th and four bids were received. Tabulation of those bids has been provided by the city manager Tammy Baldwin um and published um commencing December 12th. Uh discussions were held with various biders including Milbour Town Homes LLC, MRY Associates LLC and K&K Developers. The two highest biders as a part of their bid package qualified their offers and significantly revised the proposed contract to incorporate various proision provisions which exceeded the scope of the bid specifications. Discussions were held with the two highest biders but unfortunately the issues regarding their qualifications to the bid could not be resolved. Therefore, since the two highest biders did not comply with the conditions of the bid and they were unwilling to accept the property in ASIS condition, uh council discussed at close session uh whether to award that bid to K&K developers in the amount of 5,450,000. Um, it's my understanding that we'll be paying a commit, if we accept this, if we award this, if we pass this resolution, we will uh be paying a commission of $268,000. So, the city will realize $5,182,000.

KK Developers is a division of Garden Homes, which is owned by the Wolf family. They've developed thousands of units in New Jersey and their proposal was fully consistent with our bid parameters and exceeded the minimum bid by $850,000. Uh sale of the firehouse will bring in the substantial funds we've been counting on for years. Uh and again, it comes at a premium uh above $850,000 above the minimum. With that, I move to pass this resolution. I second.

All right. comments from the uh from the public. [snorts] Um not having seen the bids, I don't have a comment on whether the accepting the third highest bid is a good idea or not. But I do have one thing that I worry about. Um what is there to prevent an eventual buyer from once they owned the property lock, stuck and barrel from holding off on actually building a building and then trying to get the courts via the Mount Laurel process to get us through this regarded zoning and overlay zones and all that stuff that you guys worked on to get us back to where we were three years ago. How are we prevent how how can you prevent that from happening? Thank you for your comments. Other comments from the public?

Good evening, Mayor Fagan, Council President McTurnan, members of council and staff. Jim Bennett, bennet, 38 Fair View Avenue. Uh this has been a long time coming and I urge council to get on with the business of getting the property sold. Uh getting the sales proceeds in the door and applying that towards the knocking down of the municipal debt and getting the property on the tax roles which is probably more important than the actual sales price because with property on the tax roles you get uh recurring revenue in the form of taxes. So, uh, in the interest of, uh, enabling council to get on with that, I'll conclude by comments.

Thank you, Mr. Bennett. Um, other comments from the public. Sorry. [laughter]

Susan Bowen, 45 Waldron Avenue. I think you did the right thing. You let the market set the price and the market set the price and now you just have to make sure you negotiate a really good binding agreement that protects the city. And Jim Bennett's right. What you're doing is setting up an annuity and the present value of that annuity I bet is even more than the principal value you're getting right now. So I think you did the right thing and it was hard fought and you did a good job. So that's all. Thank you very much. Other comments from the public?

Just a point veto gallow 10 Uclid Avenue. Just a point of information is is the the governing body had an opportunity to do a 100% affordable housing project and you chose not to and then you criticize the developers for doing 20% affordable when you had an opportunity to do exactly what you didn't want to do. Have a greedy developer come in and do 80% market and 20% affordable. This will this pro this point of information uh question of information is this an inclusionary housing project is that

this the question through is the chair is this is this in fact the proposal the [clears throat] conditions of sale is is this an inclusionary housing development does it include 20% affordable or some percentage includes more than that includes that what may I ask what the percentage is uh is it seven units

it's a minimum of seven so it really depends on how many how many units Yeah. Okay. Okay. I just I just just I just see a certain uh in congruity between criticizing developers that do affordable inclusionary projects and the town is just is about to vote on an inclusionary housing project which you find isn't in in the economic interest of the municipality. This this this only point. Thank you. Thank you. Other comments? All right. Comments from council. Council President, Councilman Boyer,

uh, a city administrator, uh, administrator Bowwin, um, in 2021, the common council approved a bond for the firehouse, right? It was $16.1 million. I think we're about 17 million probably right now, right? through you, Council President. It's still a $16.1 million bond. Um, we're paying it down each year.

That's good. I'm glad I'm glad we didn't go over like that much. But the reason why I bring that up is because um the one thing that I think people may may miss here is that um we want to keep Summit affordable. We want to keep it affordable, right? So, if we were to put an 100% affordable housing on that lot, we miss out on the ratables for the next hundred years or whatever, we uh we don't get the $5.4 million to pay down the bond debt of the firehouse. Uh we would have to take out a pilot. We would then have to uh use money from our affordable housing trust fund that would fix places like Vita Gala, right? Um, that's a that's a commitment, right? Uh, a commitment that the taxpayers here in Summit can't afford. Last year, I was getting phone calls with the last bill uh with some residents were calling me saying, "Hey, you're you're going to go up $1,000 on our on on our taxes." Crying like, "Yo, we can't live here anymore in Summit, right? So, we have to do something about our debt. We have to. And this helps us with our debt payments. And by the way, we've lost what I mean 300 parking spaces.

400,000

400,000 a year. That's a lot of money, right? So, I mean, this this helps us in in in a certain way. And Summit should not be in the development business. We're out of the development business. I think we said that after Broad Street West. We're no longer in the development business. We're selling the land. Fair market. This company that purchased it uh is a reputable company. Uh they have money. They're going to close the deal. Um [clears throat] my concern and I'm glad that we are doing this deal is is that the city really really needs to pay down our debt. And I think with this upcoming budget, even more so. And let me just ask the city administrator one last question. So, let's say uh we didn't sell this property and we made this property a uh we made it a park, right? I like parks. I I mean

Yeah. But okay. So, what but what would be the the consequences of that? Right. city buys the property and you know soy well we keep the property thank you I appreciate it yeah we keep the property we don't get any money for it

so through you council president um if I may just kind of give a synopsis of what I have been saying to council all along which is what uh when I came here as the chief financial officer in 2019 I was told by the then council by the then administr ministator. This was always the intention was always to build the new firehouse to use the old property to offset the debt that we took on for the new firehouse. That was always the intention. That never changed. What changed was how we were doing that. Um, originally it was uh the the L&M Toll Brothers with the Broad Street West and and they were talking about well maybe it could maybe we'll get 8 million for that and then that came down to uh around 55 and a half by the time there were some contingencies and whatever that was going to work out to be. Well, Broad Street West as we all know is gone. Um so when the appraisal came in, it came in I think it's public knowledge the appraisals in at 4.6 million. So that was a minimum bid and what we've been able to do is to sell that property as is with any remediation or contamination off the back of the city for the 5.250. It's not just that we that you know it's not a quick cash thing. I think I've heard that comment a few times. It's not that the city needs quick cash. Yes, next year's going to be a challenging budget year. We are going up approximately $1.2 million in health benefits. Whether we stayed with New Jersey State, that was going to be 37% increase. We went into a HIF, that's 34%. So, we're trying to manage all of these things that are coming at us, these financial challenges that we have being able to use the the net profits of this just under five million to pay off the debt to put it into reserve and to pay down the firehouse piece of the

debt. the purchase of the the uh seven seater which made a contingent property. So in in continuous property the ability to pay that down to some extent takes the pressure off of the budget for that amount. So it does help. It brings a a piece in as a revenue. It's a responsible way of budgeting. It's a responsible management practice. The other thing that it does down the line in, you know, how long it takes to develop, is it two or three years, however fast the the um garden homes can get that property up, we have a ratable. There are very few ways to bring revenue into a municipality anymore. I mean, the economic development advisory committee is always looking how can we find new revenue streams. There just aren't new revenue streams, but a ratable is one of those. So that's, you know, I put blinders on and I look at what is the fiscal health, the financial health of the city and where are we going to be, not just today, but where we're going to be in the future. So those are the reasons why I've been talking to council about it. Those have been the tenants that I've been putting forth. So I hope I answered your question and all of that.

Couldn't have said it any better. Thank you. Thank you. Uh, Councilman Palowski, I just want to add, um, [clears throat] the density of this project is going to be 30 units an acre. 32, sorry. Um, I don't remember exactly what at home was. Close to 50 units per acre. Broad Street West would have been 88. So, it's better for our density as well.

Councilwoman Hamlet. Um and and we really don't know the the overlay zone or sorry the zoning for the this district allows for 32 units per breaker, but it it could be less. Um I will say that this most of us were elected up here for again those who fought against Broad Street West. So once we finally got up here, it took some time to number one put the overlay zoning together. Uh we worked with our planner um extensively to get that overlay zone done. It just takes some time. So, I'm really pleased the last meeting of uh at least my council career uh to hand a gift to the new council, which is uh a sale of a municipal property. And I want to say um from the bottom of my heart, thank you, Rosie. Um and all the the other employees who put so much work into this sale. There's uh for the last four weeks, there's been documents and emails, and [clears throat] I think most of us have been working uh 12, 14 hour days um to get this property sold. It's the right thing to do for the taxpayer. it's the right thing to do for the town. Um, and we heard the community loud and clear that this was to be sold as a comprehensive tract as a readable. Um, so we are really pleased to uh be awarding this this bid tonight and uh I'm very pleased that it's uh the last council meeting. Couple questions that came up. Uh we had very specific reverter clauses uh Mr. Ho uh in the in the bid um which which really talks about how a developer has to finish this project has to get approvals um within two years. There's there's some extensions but uh we're very specific around that reverter clause and then uh Mr. Gallows you had was uh regarding the the number of affordable units. set the minimum of seven uh as as really that's going to be more that'll ultimately be more um than the than depending on if they build 48 units or or 32. It's a sliding scale, but you know, we wanted

to make sure that our commitment to affordable housing was reflected in this and and we will get at least seven units. Uh we might get more. Um but I'm very very pleased and thank you uh city administrator and and especially Rosie. uh Rosie put her heart and soul into this this sale and and all the there's a lot of specifics that go uh around selling municipal property and and and deadlines and notices and things like that. So, thank you, Rosie, uh for all your hard work. Councilman Smallwood,

thank you, Council President. Uh I just from a a financial perspective I I just want to give a an apples to apples comparison versus the Broad Street West versus what we would receive here. So business administrator B I'm going to ask a couple of questions. Uh during Broad Street West, I believe it was a pilot program, $8 million, right? The city also purchased the building directly behind the current or the former firehouse for $ 1.55 million, right? And then there was going to be a $1.7 million RAB, right? So that brings it if if it did receive $8 million, that brings it down to $4.75 million. And then there was a 30-year tax abatement. Correct. Okay. So, with this current sale of $5.45 million minus the broker commission of $268,000, that brings us down to a sale of $5.1 million. And within a two-year period, once the development starts, that brings us the tax ratable to roughly around $600,000 per year. Okay? I just wanted to clarify that. Thank you. Not to mention the density.

Other comments from council councilman Palowski. Yeah. I just also wanted to thank uh uh the mayor's task force who worked very hard on this uh Rosie Tammy, everybody else, but in particular Councilwoman Hamlet who um has been living and breathing this along with all of our affordable housing stuff, which uh hopefully very soon we'll have some good good things to report on. So thanks thanks again to everybody. Thank you.

Imag I do have uh one more comment. I I would also like to because this started several years ago. I I would like to thank the residents for summit um that stood up that fought for this that elected us to to represent them because of the broad street west project and we I don't feel like I would even be here uh if it hadn't been for the group of residents for summit and I would like to thank you personally for supporting us giving us the the opportunity to serve you and uh it it is a very great pleasure and heartwarming feeling to to get this done. So, thank you.

Thank you. Other comments?

Yeah, I would just wrap up um to say a couple things. one around um I think it was discussed already um about the the all affordable unit proposal and why that was um rejected. Um made no sense economically put the taxpayer on the hook. It was more dense. Um I think the honestly the big problem with that project is they never went out and found private money to fund the thing. Um, you know, we're having a veteran housing proposal and we're stocking our committee. People are going to go out and raise money to support this. I would have loved to have had at home bid on this property. They had no money. They wanted the taxpayer to foot the whole thing. Um, and uh does doesn't make any sense when we have these other obligations that we have to think about for the city. And and I think, you know, it's not in congruous to work within the system that the state has created. I told you I didn't like it, but that's what we're given to do. And we've tweaked it to add more affordable units uh than was required by the the the state to do it. But again, there's lots of different ways that this that affordable housing can be promoted without this marriage of developers and housing advocates. We've just New Jersey has chosen to go down that route. And that's the that's what we live with. And so I don't have to like it, but that's the system we live in and that's how we ended up uh doing this project. Um this has been a long time in coming. I know Council Bald or uh city administrator Baldwin has mentioned, you know, this goes back over 10 years when probably longer than that. The the firehouse uh was first proposed to be moved back in like 2012.

Um and everyone knew it was going to be expensive and everyone knew that it would open up this site. Um and that's when we started down that Anor path uh to think about developing it. um uh and kind of succumb to the siren call of having this ability to work with a developer and put in what we want and and and we'll negotiate things. And it turned out that that was the wrong thing to do. Um because you had a developer who knew everything and you had a council not their fault. they're not developers and it wasn't a fair negotiation uh getting in bed uh with a developer around Broad Street West and I I commend the community for standing up and saying enough is enough and having that to be changed and this is the the long culmination of that process. This was not easy to do. Um if my hair could go any grayer it would uh going through this. This has been a nightmare. My wife, she she [laughter] she'll be happy when she's going more happy than me when this thing sold. Um the uh but you know, it's very complicated. You know, we we changed the zoning. We we had to get out of the uh we had to declassify it as an anor site. Uh change change the zoning. We we had to consolidate the property uh by buying the finger lot. Um we had to negotiate a land swap with them. We had to get the whole thing reserveyed and redided and work out an agreement with that group. Um, doing that, we've had feedback that the uh that we could change tweak the zoning that uh the council two years ago worked on to make it more uh lucrative for a potential developer to change the

way the parking uh would would be, etc. Um so and and we worked with um our fair share obligations to actually harden the uh over to the zoning instead of an overlay zone. We hardened it to say it is the zoning where we're going to require the seven affordable units. All that took time. Um he had to close on the old property, get it all done, and then he had to go out and market all this. It has been a herculean task. And I just really want to thank Rosie. I want to thank uh Miss Baldwin. Um I want to thank our solicitors um Matt, Ron, and Brian Chicowski. They've worked really really hard on this uh getting all this done. Um I would have felt personally kind of like a failure if we hadn't done this uh before today's meeting. This was one of my goals when I joined council to to get this done. It's good for the city. It's good for the taxpayer. Um, it's it's going to be in line with our zoning and we now have a property that the market valued. We went out to bid. We got the bids back. Um, this is what the market says it's worth. And as uh Tammy mentioned, we sold it as is. Um, we, you know, the environmental issues, etc., which we don't think there are many if any but we don't need to worry about that going forward. Um, it's done as is. And, uh, this is, uh, the gift, as I think Councilwoman Hamlet, uh, alluded to, this is the gift that will keep on giving from a budgetary perspective because we will pick up a ratable. Um, that's going to be, uh, substantial that will really, really help future councils deal with all the different um, uh, cost

hikes that happen. you know, huge increase in health care. These are these are things that you have to deal with. And if you want to keep, you know, your tax levy under the 2% cap, you better find ratables here and there. And and this is a a really really good one. So, I'm super super um happy that this got done. I'm proud of all the work that people did uh to make this thing happen. And um and again, I'm I'm I'm incredibly excited to see what'll end up uh there. It's going to be a great uh addition to our downtown. So,

oh, and and we had our I would also want to thank our broker. I know they're getting paid for it, but they did a really really good job. Uh so, thank you for all your advice and as well working with us. Um we were not an easy client. We had a lot of demands. They were like, "What?" [laughter] Um, but they were really willing to work with us and and make this happen. So, uh, thank you very very much for for for doing that for us. Okay. All right. Uh, any other comments? Uh, all right. All in favor? I opposed. All right. Motion carries. Woohoo. All righty. [applause]

All right. Moving right along. We have one from community programs. Councilman Smallwood. Thank you, Council President. This is ID number 11645, authorized execution of shared services agreement with the Summit Board of Education and the for the Anderson Fieldhouse. Uh this is a 5-year shared services agreement between the city of Summit and the Board of Education for the use of the Anderson Fieldhouse. Under the agreement, the board assumes full responsibility for maintenance, repairs, and cleaning of the facility at no cost to the city. While the city's role is uh limited to snow removal and weekend restroom cleaning when the school is not using the building. For taxpayers, this means reduced city operating cost, clearer accountability, and a well-maintained facility and without additional spending uh or new fees. I move to pass this resolution.

Second. Comments from the public, comments from council. All in favor? I opposed. Motion carries. Okay. On to safety and health. Uh, Councilman Ber. Thank you, Council President. Uh this is ID number 12292 authorizing a grant application uh for the US for the DOJ bulletproof vest partnership. Um I would like to move this for adoption. Second. Thank you very much. Uh would anyone from the public like to comment on this resolution?

All right. Any comments from council?

Yeah, council president. Just real quick, you know, I I just want to say that um this grant I think I think we get it every year, every other year, I'm not sure. Every um vests are vests are expensive. I'm not sure if you guys wear the plate to the soft body, whatever. Um but they're expensive, you know, $1,800 and the DOJ um cares about police officers. This is great, right? Like this is this is a great um grant program. It takes some of the pressure off of the municipality to put it in a capital budget. Um, so I I commend the DOJ for supporting police throughout the United States. So, thank you, Council President.

Thank you. Other comments from council. All righty. All in favor? I opposed. Motion carries. Thank you, Councilwoman Toth. Um, all right. Uh, moving on to capital projects and community services. Councilwoman Hamlet number one.

Uh, thank you, Council President. This is a resolution of the city of Summit County of Union authorizing the mayor to execute a mediation agreement between the city of Summit and Fairshare uh housing center. Um, I just want to say uh briefly as an introduction as we as we move forward uh on our fair share housing obligations, I want to note that this has been a very collaborative process. Uh our work with not only Fairshare Housing Center um as well as Russo Development and Onyx has shown that mediation can produce uh realistic lawful outcomes. Uh mediation allows us to meet our obligations responsibly with greater predictability and local control uh while keeping the focus on solutions that serve the community and our future residents. Uh I'm going to read this one uh sort of at length just because it's an important one and then the mayor will sign this one upon our mediation with fair share. Uh whereas pursuant to the March 2024 amendments to the Fair Housing Act, the city of Summit filed a declaratory judgment action on June sorry January 22nd, 2025 with the affordable housing dispute resolution program and the court. Whereas in order to maintain immunity from all Mount Laura lawsuits, the city was required to prepare a fourth round housing element fair share plan which the city's planning board adopted, the common council endorsed and the city submitted to the program and the court for review on June 25th, 2025. Whereas Russo Development Company, Russo filed a challenge with the program and and the court to the city's fourth round housing element fair share plan. Whereas Incline Capital uh did the same as well as fair share housing center. [snorts] Uh whereas in order to resolve fair share housing c center's challenge before the program and the court the city Russo and fair share housing center negotiated a settlement and drafted a mediation agreement which outlines a global settlement between the city Russo and fair share housing center and sets forth certain deadlines that must be met by the city moving forward in the process so that the city can obtain a compliance

certification approving its fourth round housing element share fair plan which will give the city immunity from all Mount Laurel lawsuits. including builder's remedy lawsuits through July 1st, 2035. And now therefore, be it resolved by the common council of the state of Summit, the city uh union, New Jersey, that the common council hereby authorizes and directs the mayor of the city of Summit to execute a mediation agreement between Russo Fairshare Housing Center um and approved by the city's professionals. I'd like to move this resolution. Second. All right. Um, any member of the public like to comment on this resolution?

More than a comment. I have a couple of questions. Um, earlier, Councilwoman Hamlet mentioned uh difficulties getting to agreements with St. Teresa's and um the other houses of worship that had it was part of our round three uh solution. So it sounds like the round three plan that was put forth on paper is not happening or how does that factor into resolving our round four with fair share because we had an obligation to complete certain units and we arrived at them for round three thanks to two houses of worship in the city. Right. Um so are those h those units getting built? Are they not getting built? How is that happening? Um, and also, uh, for the benefit of of the public, if we're going to allow our mayor to sign an agreement, um, do we have any description for the public of what a round four settlement agreement might look like? I mean, are these developers actually coming in and building buildings? Are they not? What's going what is in the agreement? because it sounds like this has to be signed by December 31st and there's no another there isn't another meeting by December 31st. I actually stayed here because I wanted to understand this and I'm going to go home tonight not understanding this any better than I did when I came in. So, uh it would be wonderful if we could get some clarity. A how did we finish round three? Uh what happens with specifically with the houses of worship? Um secondly, what happens with the two developers that uh filed challenges to our round four plan and what if anything is fair share wanting

us to do in addition to whatever those developers might want to do and how where do we are in terms of what they might choose to build or not build. Thank you. Thank you for your comments. Other comments? All right. Comments from council. I would just say I'll be

Oh, I was just going to say um uh Mr. Hook, um Listen, I am so frustrated with this whole process because every time I always ask, "What can we say?" I want to tell the people. I want to tell them everything that everything that's going on. And it's like, no, we're in negotiation. Legally, we can't say anything. This process is terrible. Let me I want to I'm going to use some jargon. This process is whack. Like I mean, it is. It really is. I mean, like I Why can't we tell the public like what's going on? I'm frustrated as hell, man. Just like you. I'm listening to you when you come up here and I'm like, "Yeah, you're absolutely right. You are absolutely 100% right." And it's frustrating, I gotta tell you. And it ain't right.

Agreed. Other comments. Council, I just say, you know, we've been working really hard um like I said, in collaboration with Fairshair Housing Center, uh and Russo Development in Onyx, uh as well as creating affordable housing overlay zones throughout the city. And I think Claire, you'll probably be able to give an update in January, but you know, unfortunately, we're still in in mediation and it's all subject to attorneys and you know, but I think we'll be you'll be pleased with the the results. So, other comments? I have. Yes, Madame Mayor.

I have to comment on the process because Mr. I agree with you and I've been screaming about it for two years. Literally, every time we have a Malaro meeting, which is every week, I complain about how frustrating I the process is. So agreed. Unfortunately, um that doesn't really change what we can and can't share. So apologies. Um I think we we all um have the best interests of summit in our hearts and um we've pushed back as as hard as we can. I think so. Um that's all.

Yeah. Um I I would just say, you know, this is what we're talking about is round four. Round three is, as far as I'm aware, is done. Um, there is no round three uh issues and and just to clarify, we had a 50 unit best effort, not an obligation. I know that word has been bantied around on what that means, but round three has been put to bed. Um, as far as I know, uh, round four has is what we're we're talking about. And as I mentioned in my opening comments, you know, our lawyer would, you know, describe it. We're on the 5 yard line. Um, I completely agree with Councilman Ber and and Mayor Fagan. The process is horrible. You know, one of the goals of this process, I think, when they passed this legislation a few years ago was to promote transparency, and it's done anything but, you know, we we didn't write the legislation. You know, I I this is we should send pass another resolution to say, "Don't do this again, Trenton, because this was horrible." Um, but we have to live with the way they set it up. And, um, you know, I'm I'm sure when these people created the legislation, they didn't think that it would come down to um, you know, having these negotiations where the public is fairly in the dark about where this stuff happens. But that's that is the that is how they created this. It is incredibly frustrating that we can't talk about this. Um, but because they set it up as a mediation, which is a legal process, that's where we are. I mean, we have a couple of lawyers up here. Um, I'm sure they're just as frustrated, too, but

they understand where we where we are on this. And, um, the the good news is, like I said, I think, um, the prognosis is we're going to have a good settlement. We've worked really really hard um to um you know fulfill our obligations around what we take very seriously is affordable housing uh in the context of working within our community and and what our community would like to see as well. And um you know we'll see what the public thinks how we do you know when this thing gets announced probably sometime in January I guess right um and and then you know I'm sure some people may love it some people be you know may hate it and and that's sadly it's very difficult to get input in between because of the way the process has been structured. So I apologize for the process and we're working as best we can with it. So, okay. Any other comments? All right. All in favor?

I opposed. Motion carries. All right. Moving right along to capital projects number two. Councilwoman Hamler. I'd like permission to bundle the next one, two, three, 4. All right. I love it.

Okay. We've got uh ID2306,12305,12254 and 12265. All of these are authorizing 2026 professional services. Uh this is authorizing Serenian Edwards, Boozac, and Nolan not to exceed 125,000. Authorizing City Planner affordable housing services. Uh that would be uh Burgess and Associates not to exceed $100,000. uh authorizing 2026 city planner in-house general services for Neglia not to exceed 75,000 and authorized 2026 consulting engineering services to Stonefield Engineering and Design not to exceed 85,000. I'd like to move forward and bundle this four resolutions. Second.

All right. Uh do any member of the public wish to comment on any of these resolutions? All right. Any member of uh council like to comment? I'm gonna comment on each and every one of them right now. All right, [laughter] let me [sighs] get you out of here. That was a good comment. Thank you for the brevity of it. Any other comments? Councilman Smallwood, I would like to thank Councilwoman Hamlet for bundling these and can you guys seriously Sorry. 10:45. Come on. Get out of here. All right. Any other comments? All right. [snorts] All in favor? I opposed. Motion carries. All right. Capital projects number six. Councilwoman Hamlet.

Thanks, Council President. Resolution 12307. Whereas two bids were received and opened Tuesday, November 25th at 11 a.m. in the council chambers for the public works transfer replacement trailer. The submitted lowest bid was Gabrielle Kennallorth of New Jersey uh in the amount of $192,000. The city has purchased numerous vehicles from them. This purchase is for 100 cubic yard transfer trailer used for solid waste transportation at the city's transfer station. It will be utilized daily and is being purchased to replace the one that was totaled during a fire in February. I'd like to move this resolution. Second. [snorts] All right. Um, any member of the public wish to comment on this resolution, please do so now.

All right. Member of council. All right. All in favor?

I opposed. Motion carries. Uh, capital projects number seven, Councilwoman Hamlet. Uh resolution 12288. Proposals were received by the purchasing department on November 16th uh for the marketing and transportation of recycling materials uh for 24 and 25 for the summit recycling center. A sole bidder submitted a proposal for the project which was Gordano. Uh based on the scoring and options provided in the bid, it was recommended that they uh be awarded a contract for 24 months beginning in January ending on December 31st. However, that had um an extension and that's where we're at right here. So, at this time um I'd like to move forward the resolution uh authorizing that extension. The anticipated cost for 2026 should not exceed $50,000. Like to move this resolution.

Second. All right. Uh any member of the public wish to comment on this resolution? Comments from councel. All right. All in favor? I opposed. Motion carries. All right. Uh moving on. Last three resolutions from finance. Resolution number one, Councilwoman Toth. Thank you, Council President. Uh, beginning in November each year, the city can move funds between accounts from those with the surplus to those facing a deficit. And this allows us to pay our bills while keeping our budget balanced. Resolution 12296 is the third of these, moving a total of $68,500. I move to adopt this resolution by roll call vote.

Second. All right. Uh, comments from the public, comments from councel. All right. Roll call. Mr. Ber. I. Miss. Hamlet. I. Miss. Calmanson. I. Miss. Powski. I. Mr. Smallwood. I. Miss. Toth. I. President McTary. I. Motion carries. Okay. Uh, finance number two. Councilwoman Toth.

Thank you, Council President. We noted at the last council meeting that officer Jonathan Sour is retiring from the summit police department at the end of the year. Per closed session discussion, resolution 12304 authorizes payment of his terminal leave, unused vacation days, and compensatory time consistent with the city's personnel policy and procedures manual. I move to adopt this resolution. Second. All right. Comments from the public, comments from council. All in favor? I opposed. Motion carries. All right. Last finance resolution number three. Councilwoman Toe.

Thank you, Council President. Per closed discussion. The city's account clerk, Lasa Garzen, recently received a well-deserved promotion to assistant treasurer. Resolution 12302 declares a vacancy for the position of account clerk. I move to adopt this resolution. Second. Comments from the public. Comments from councel. All in favor? I opposed. [clears throat] Motion carries. All right. Um, at this time, do I have a motion to approve the consent agenda as presented? So moved. Second.

All righty. Uh, would any member of the public like to comment on any part of the consent agenda? All right. Council comments. All right. Uh, all in favor? I opposed. Motion carries. All right, [snorts] guys. Good. Okay. All right. I just I just have one question for M before he goes.

Um I'm sorry, Erin. Uh I got like a bunch of phone calls and this in this there and I don't know, right? So, I'm asking you um when it snows, people have complained about um the snow that's built up by the meters on the curb side. And is there is there I know this came up last year and I forget what the reasoning was, but is there a reason why that that happens? is like we can't move the move that snow out so when people get out of their cars they can just get on the curb and walk to Dunkin Donuts or whatever like they got to jump over it or something like that. I don't know if that's if there's a reason why I I just don't know and

yes through so through you council president. So what happens during a snow event is we have, you know, two actions in conflict where we're pushing the snow off the street and it's the property owners who are trying to push it as close to the um curb line as they can to keep their sidewalk free. So it kind of winds up there. Uh typically after 9 in um or more of snow or accumulative nine, we will do what we call a downtown cleanup. Uh but even that's usually a day or two after the snowstorm just so crews can rest. It's costly because it's all overnight. Um, we could do it, you know, more frequently is something we could do, but typically in a storm like this, we're still doing cleanup the next day and then all the people start coming out while we're doing cleanup and it's just packed in there. So, um, there's nothing on our ordinance that says you can't just kind of stack it there. They should and and we we could look into making sure they do shovel just a little path to each space. Um, but even then, they'd have 24 hours to do so after the storm. Unfortunately with the timing, a lot of people went out Sunday. There was a lot of areas that weren't cleaned yet. But um but yes, but if they reported, you know, anything they see snow related, they could put in clay fix. If there's something we could do with the ordinance, we will property maintenance will be out to address it. But but some of that is just there's two conflicting operations. So

thank you for that explanation. That was that was perfect. And by the way, great job on the snow removal. You guys were great. I can hear those trucks going down Morris Avenue like I'm like yeah getting out of here. Good job. Thank you. Good. All right. Do you have a specific comment about snow removal that maybe why don't you come up now and then Aaron I'm sorry you can stick around for another minute Paul. [snorts]

So we are on public comments uh part of our meeting. So this is perfect timing. By the way, really great job on the snow portion, but could could I ask Can you feel me? Just speak into the microphone. One one little tidbit. Um on with the snow removal as a disabled person. Um when they're salulting, could they pay please a little more attention to the ramps? the the ramps are not quite getting salted.

So yes and through through you council president. So a lot of the ramps are the secondary to the operations. So I know Sunday late morning into Sunday afternoon they were getting them all specifically. Um but by all means there's hundreds of them. So, if there's one that you feel needs a little more TLC, if you absolutely call um BCS number, we'll go look at it. But at some point, they should be good during the day Sunday, but you do have refreezing and and some and then people also we clean and then people push on it. Um so, absolutely. It it it seems to be most of them and it seems to be I I think what is happening is as people are shoveling the sidewalks that what's happening is because they're not getting salted well that the shoveling is pushing it down. So it's becoming a a clear problem. So, if there's a way to maybe pay a little extra attention to the ramps.

Yes, we can. Is there anywhere specific though? Like, do you have a specific instance? Just everywhere. Everywhere. Generally everywhere. Generally everywhere. And And I know that sounds really, but it's it's pretty much everyone I have encountered. Okay. So, um, if you go down every single one on Springfield, it's every one of them. Springfield Avenue downtown downtown district. Yes. Okay.

So, um, but it it's it's it's a little bit of a situation. And it wasn't just me. There was I mean there were other other pedestrians um in fact that I encountered tonight. There was a woman that was having quite a bit of difficulty. So, okay, we'll take a look at it. Appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you very much for your comments. Other comments from the public. This is public comment. Is it going to be about engineering or parking or anything? No. Okay. All right. You guys can go. Thank you. Thank you, Aaron. Aaron, thank you.

No, very briefly, it's the end of the year. There's three members of this council that are not coming back on the days and I just want even though I may have disagreed with you often, I just want to thank you for your hard work. Thank you. And the rest of you too, but [laughter] especially the ones who are um stepping back to being normal civilians, I guess. Thank you, Diego. [snorts]

Other comments from the public? Bonnie Morrison, Rotary Drive. Uh, Diego kind of took my thunder because that's what I wanted to say. I didn't prepare anything, but I just wanted to thank Dileia, Mike, Kevin for all your hard work, your commitment to doing what was best for the city. Love you guys. Thank you. And we're going to miss seeing you up here. Thank you. But we'll see you back here with the rest of us. [laughter]

Thank you, Bonnie. Other comments from the public? All right. Um, we'll move along to uh council comments and new business. We have any tonight?

I'm just going to keep it really short. I just want to wish everybody a happy Quanza Hanukkah. Yeah, I didn't think I was going to say Quanza, right? Coch. Happy Quanza, Hanukkah, merry Christmas, happy holidays. Um, you know, people are struggling, right? Um, this is a tough time for folks. You know, uh, be nice. Reach out and hug somebody, right? You know, um, people are, uh, things are expensive. You know, people are trying [clears throat] to buy those gifts. They're under a lot of stress. You see, look at me tonight, right? I look all, you know, I'm just joking. But um be, you know, happy holidays to the summer residents. You know, I I I love all of y'all and just be nice, you know, be nice this this holiday season, Christmas spirit. Thanks.

Other council comments, Councilman Palowski. So, um [clears throat] I just want to thank you guys, too. Um Mike for your mentorship. um and hard work. Dileia for all of your incredibly hard work. Kevin for uh being a great partner in a whole bunch of projects. Um you guys did a great job. She can't hear you. Sorry.

Just wanted to thank uh Mike and Kevin and Dileia. Uh Mike for your mentorship. Dileia for um all of your hard work. You work harder than anybody up here. and uh Kevin, great partner on a whole bunch of projects on lawn and labor and and community programs. So, thank you guys. We'll miss you. You did a great job. And for the public out there, happy holidays to everybody. Be safe. If you uh you know, if you uh uh partake in some holiday cheer, don't drive. Thanks.

Good one, Councilwoman Comlson. Thank you, Council President. Um, I just wanted to say to our retiring council members that I know it takes a lot of time and personal sacrifices to serve the city and I just want to thank everyone for their volunteerism. Thank you. Other comments? Councilman Smallwood.

Thank you, Council President. I'd like to I'll I'll hold that for a second. Um, no, I I this has been this has been great. I I've really enjoyed this since I had the the shortest term on here of two years. Um but uh you know it's I I feel like we we accomplished quite a bit in in two years. So uh thank you for your service. Thank you for all those who entrusted me with your vote um to put me here. And I I'm taking my gold plate that says Kevin Smallwood on here. Um and uh thank you. It's been it's been an honor. So, thank you very much,

Councilwoman Toe. Thank you, Council President. Um, you know, Mike, we're all grateful to you for stepping up a second time as Council President, even knowing what you were getting into. Um, [laughter] we've had our disagreements, but as you've often noted, we agree far more often than we disagree, and it's been a pleasure serving with you. Enjoy your second return to private life.

Thank you. Um, Dillia, we've known each other for quite a while and it's been enlightening to see you in such a different role. The work you've done, particularly on the mayor's task force on homelessness, has been outstanding and I'm truly grateful you'll continue that work on the board of bridges outreach. Kevin, I've also known you I've known all of you a long time, but I' joyed really enjoyed working with you on finance committee this year. you brought forward some creative solutions to some funding dilemmas and we're very grateful to you for that. Enjoy enjoy your futures. Thank [snorts] you. Thank you. Other comments, Councilwoman H.

I have I I have one announcement that um came in during the meeting when I went to the restroom. So, um, very exciting, uh, convenient new event for Summit residents, sponsored by the Summit Police Department. Um, the Motor Vehicle Commission will be doing vehicle inspection here in Summit at the new firehouse, 281 Broad Street, on December 22nd, which is next Monday, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. And I also want to tell you that I'm not saying anything about our departing council people tonight because I'm going to say that in January. Thank you.

I just want to say thank you to everybody. Uh this has been an incredible honor and thank you to Rosie and all the city staff. Um it's been a tremendous experience and uh hopefully we left summit a little better off than we found it and uh wish the new council the best of luck had already had those folks in our committee meetings uh getting everybody ready. So just wish them the best of success and uh just thank you for everything.

Thank you. All right, I'm going to wrap up. Um, real quick, I want to thank Councilman Smallwood for all his hard work um that he's done up here for the last couple of years. Um, your particular focus on our kids, on recreation, on making this place a better place for everyone in our community for listening. Um, has been amazing. And and I've seen what you've done behind the scenes, too. Um, you know, you revitalized uh the PL's fundraising efforts, for instance. Um, no one asked you to do that. You just did it. And that's the type of person you are. And um, so I've been a real honor to um, to work with you up here and and you've done an amazing job. Councilwoman Hamlet to same thing. I I you know, I don't even know what to say. You you I've been this is my second stint up here.

I can honestly say I have never worked with a council person who works harder than this woman right here. It It's not even close.

And and I wish I wish people could have seen all the things that I saw on what she did for this community. Whether you were rich or poor, you lived in the biggest house in town or you were forced to live in the bus station. Um she didn't care. She rolled up her sleeves and she worked like nobody else I've ever seen. [clears throat] And um I know as a private citizen I'm gonna miss that you're not up here. Um so you you did an amazing job and and I'm really been very proud to have uh spent some time and worked with you. So good luck with your

30 or 40 hours a week that you're going to get going forward. Yeah. 80 hours. Um so I never do this. I actually did write something. Um, but I I do want to say because this is my last time up here and and it is promise this is really my last time up here. [laughter] Um, I am not coming back. Um, but um, so I'd like to just give a brief and I mean really brief reflection on my last 16 months on council. Um, first and foremost, I'd like to thank city staff for their unwavering professionalism, positivity, and their drive to make Summit the bestrun town in New Jersey. It's really true. Uh while a lot of us up here we hog the limelight, it's really their dedication that makes our city function on a day-to-day basis. So a a huge shout out to our city administrator Tammy Baldwin, city clerk Rosemary Licates, Chief Peters, Chief Edwards or Evans Evers, I'm sorry, Director Shrager, Director Siki, uh Director Kublisa, and Director Azerowski for helping me with my countless questions and hairbrained ideas. Um, I would also like to thank Austo Domaso, David Guida, Jenny Hoff, Nicole Catigga, and Megan Champy for all their hard work and help. There are many, many others I could mention, but I don't want to keep us here till midnight. Um, but they've all been amazing. Um, I also like to thank the professionals that we've worked with. A lot of times they don't get the recognition. Um, they were always on call and spent many hours helping um, solve really intricate problems. So, huge thanks to our city solicitor Matt Jacobe who's uh not here this evening, but also to his colleagues Ron Kavanaaugh and Brian Shakowski. Um I'd also like to thank our city planner Tom Barrens as well as Nancy Holmes, our affordable housing attorney. Both showed amazing patience when I would be less than understanding about the process we

had to navigate. Um, I also wish to express my strong appreciation to all the council people up here. We did a lot. We really did. Um, I've often said that the council accomplishes these things, not a bunch of people with Rs or D's next to their name. I really truly believe that. And and so just to list some of the noteworthy items to mention, um we've provided the expected high level of service to our community while keeping the budget below the 2% cap. That's not easy. And I want to thank Councilwoman Toth for taking the lead on that. This year, we've added additional police officers, investing in technology, and strengthening the resident protection ordinance, which I believe has had a direct impact on carjackings and home breakins going down. adding two new firemen to keep us safe while while we've actually in the last 14 months we opened the new firehouse after all this time. Um achieving effective net zero homeless in town. Not just moving homeless folks around, but actually compassionately housing them. That's an incredible achievement that Summit should be incredibly proud of. Um we've invested in infrastructure. It's not sexy, but it can't be uh ignored uh like it has been in some instances. Um restoring our recreational facilities, including getting work started at maybe playground and tatlock. Raising funds and getting lights to be installed for the spring season at but at both upper and lower Tatlock. Addressing parking and safety issues for the neighborhood of budding Tatlock literally for the first time in 20 years. They've been ignored for 20 years. So, I'm really proud that um uh we we actually started to listen to that neighborhood. Um and then uh navigating our affordable housing obligations for round three and putting the final touches on round four. Um and we'll see,

you know, as I said, um uh to be uh announced in a week or so. Um in addition, we've sold the firehouse site. This was a multi-year effort that included u a bid swap, reszoning, and marketing the property. I'm extremely pleased to depart council with this important piece of our downtown uh and the city's future finances uh firmly in place. And then finally, I'd be remiss to say we hired some amazing people in the last 14 months. If you recall when I started, we did not have a city administrator. We didn't. That was not easy to work the first several months. couldn't be happier that we actually looked inside and found Tammy. So, u that when I look back on one of the things I'm most proud of doing uh the last 14 months is working to uh have Tammy um run this the city for us. So, this that was awesome. But we also hired Jenny Hoff, um Jennifer Koplinsky. We did a lot of work in putting filling empty boxes on the org chart to make our city run more smoothly. And a lot of people don't see that, but it's super super important. Um, and then lastly, just one of my goals when I started was to kind of try and improve the tenor of the dialogue during council meetings. I worked really really hard uh to do that. And while sometimes I wasn't sure whether that was working really really well, we had some interesting meetings. Um, but for the most part, I think, you know, people have been very, very respectful. I've been very, very proud of the way people have handled themselves in public and um, and I think that's a great reflection out of me, but of our community. So, that's really, really good. I would love it if we could lower the tone on social media. Um, I'm not a magician, so I'm not going to hold my

breath in whether that's going to happen, but I can always hope. Um, and then finally, I just want to thank my wife and my family for allowing me to do this one more time. Um, it's been a real pleasure to serve the community. I, you know, I've made a lot of new friends. I've reconnected with old friends and um, proud of the work I've done, but I couldn't have done it without their support. So, but I do want to thank all of you. So, thank you, [applause] Mr. Smallwood. Council President, I'd like to make a motion to adjurnn. Second. All right. All in favor?

I I opposed. All right. We are journed. Have a great holiday and a very merry Christmas, Quanza, Hanukkah to all of you.