Council Meeting 1-29-2026

26 regular agenda meeting. Lieutenant
Hank Q, please lead us in the flag.
>> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the
United States of America and to the
republic for it stands, one nation under
God, indivisible with all.
>> Roll call, please.
>> Clark here. Evans here.
>> Light here.
>> Parker here. Sykes here. S
>> Yes.
This is to advise a certain advanced
notice has been given to the date, time,
location, and to the extent known the
agenda of this meeting in accordance
with the provisions of the open public
meeting act. This notice the notice of
this meeting has been posted permanently
at the bulletin board in the municipal
complex lobby on the city's website and
communicated through the newspaper
designated by the governing body. This
is to further advise that this meeting
is being recorded electronically and can
be viewed on the city's website at
obsseenj.gov.
Regular meeting 2026 ordinances for
introduction amending the code of the
city of Epcin chapter 251 rental
housing.
May I hear a motion? Motion second.
Discussion.
Essentially this just has to do with
lead paint inspections. Moving forward
we have a new zoning official and he is
updating the books and there will be
many of these as they come. Anybody
else?
>> Roll call, please.
>> Clark,
>> yes.
>> Evans,
>> yes.
>> Bartenda,
>> yes.
>> White,
>> yes.
>> Parker, yes.
>> Sykes,
>> yes.
>> D Rose,
>> yes. This ordinance will be posted, laid
over, and published according to law. A
public hearing, second, and final
reading will be held on February 5th,
2026.
2026 ordinance for adoption amending the
code of the city of chapter 3
administrative code section 11 council
committees. Do I hear a motion?
>> Do I hear a motion for the second
reading of ordinance 012026?
>> Motion.
>> Second.
>> Roll call, please.
>> Clark,
>> yes.
>> Evans,
>> yes.
>> Sartunda,
>> yes.
>> Light,
>> yes.
>> Parker,
>> yes.
>> Sykes,
>> yes.
>> Yes. Ordinance, 1226, amending the code
of the city of chapter 3, administrative
code, section 11, council committees.
May I hear a motion to open the meeting
to the public for comment or discussion
of this ordinance?
>> Motion. Second.
>> All in favor?
>> I opposed.
>> Would anybody from the public like to
come up? This is just creating the
committees of council. Don't everybody
jump at once. May I hear a motion to
close the public portion?
>> Second. All in favor?
>> I opposed. May I hear a motion for the
final reading and adoption of ordinance,
1226? Motion. Second. Roll call, please.
>> Park,
>> yes.
>> Evans,
>> yes.
>> Fireende,
>> yes.
>> Light,
>> yes.
>> Parker,
>> yes. Sykes.
>> Yes.
Ordinance 1 2026 amending the code
of the city of EPS chapter 3
administrative code section 11 council
committees. This ordinance has been
heard and is finally approved.
Do I hear a motion to add resolution
number 412026?
a resolution authorizing the final
change order number seven for the
construction of the fire department
facility to the consent agenda. Motion
>> second.
>> All in favor?
>> I opposed.
>> Do I hear a motion to add resolution
4226,
a resolution cancelling the unexpended
balances of bond ordinances to the
consent agenda? Motion. Second.
>> All in favor? I
>> opposed.
Consent agenda. All matters listed under
item consent agenda are considered to be
routine by the city council and will be
enacted by one motion in the form
listed. There will be no separate
discussion of these items. If discussion
is desired, that item will be removed
from the consent agenda and will be
discussed separately. 33. Confirming
meetings of the city committees,
commissions, and boards for the year of
2026. 34. Permitting a charitable
organization to solicit funds, namely
Charles A. Hamilton Post 28 American
Legion. 35. Permitting a charitable
organization to solicit funds, namely
the Upseek and Blue Devils. 36
permitting a charitable organization to
solicit funds, namely the VFW Post 9462
Auxiliary. 37. Authorizing to cancel the
property taxes for the first and second
quarter of 2026 on the property located
at 28 Delway Lane. 38. authorizing to
cancel and refund property taxes for the
fourth quarter of 2025 and to cancel the
first and second quarters of 2026 on the
property located at 68 West Delray Lane.
39. Appointing a deputy register of
vital statistics, namely Tina Lawler.
40. authorizing and hereby granting go
net speed and its successors and assign
assigns to use polls erected by parties
that have lawful right to maintain poles
within the public rightway of
41.
>> Oh 41 authorizing the final change order
number seven for the construction of the
new fire department. 42 cancelling
unexpected balances of bond ordinances
to the con uh cancelling unexpected
balances of bond ordinances. Do I hear a
motion to open the meeting to the public
for agenda items only?
>> Motion
>> second.
>> All in favor?
>> I opposed.
>> No. Um one second. Uh essentially the
the one that we added about the
firehouse. Um in 2021, this resolution
was supposed to be approved by city
council and unfortunately uh city
council did not act. Therefore, we have
to retroactively go back and act so that
we can access certain funds. Um would
anybody from do I hear a motion to close
the meeting to the public?
>> Motion second.
>> All in favor? I
>> opposed.
Consent agenda. May I hear a motion to
move the consent agenda?
>> Motion.
>> Second.
>> Roll call, please.
>> Clark,
>> yes.
>> Evans,
>> yes.
>> Bartenda,
>> yes.
>> White,
>> yes.
>> Parker, yes. Sykes,
>> yes.
>> Rose,
>> yes to everything except 34 and 36 I
abstain from as I hold a leadership role
in or those organizations.
Yep. Approval of the bill list. Thank
you. $989,317.61.
May I hear a motion to accept the bill
list?
>> Motion.
>> Second.
>> Roll call, please.
>> Clark,
>> yes.
>> Evans,
>> yes.
>> Yes.
>> White,
>> yes.
>> Parker,
>> yes.
>> Yes.
>> Zero.
>> Yes. Council committee reports. We'll
start with uh council.
>> May I hear a motion to accept the
minutes? Motion.
>> Second. Roll call.
>> Clark,
>> yes.
>> Evans,
>> yes.
>> Bartender,
>> yes.
>> White,
>> yes.
>> Parker,
>> yes.
>> Sykes,
>> yes.
>> Rose,
>> yes. Council committee reports.
Councilman uh Light, we'll start with
you on the We haven't met this month. Uh
we'll be meeting next month and we'll
clarify the times and the dates. So,
look forward to seeing everybody. Thank
you. Thank you, sir. Councilman Clark.
All right. So, I'm going to start with
first uh good news from Councilman Light
staff where we were at on the public
works. We have the flashy yellow on New
Jersey Avenue is up and hopefully should
be running within the day or two, we're
hoping. So, that was all done. So, that
took us a couple years to get done, but
finally is there. And then from my
finance standpoint, just want to give a
quick idea of where our budget was last
year, what each thing spent. I'm going
to be about 2 minutes. I promise I'll be
quick, but to give everyone an update,
uh, total budget for 2025 was $12,340,
273.66.
We had grants in there for 220,50118.
Total budget net of grants was
12,119,76948.
Uh, breakdown of the departments real
quick. Public works operating expenses
just under 200,000. They were down about
73,000 year-over-year. The vehicle
maintenance for the apartments was down
about $13,000.
Fire and operating expenses was actually
up. They used their entire budget this
year, $70,000.
Police operating expenses, they were at
$109,896.
Police overtime, however, was down
$19,170.
Engineering and operating expenses was
down $78,631.
and legal operating expenses was also
down $20,627
from 2024 to 2025. Uh one cost of deop
as I can imagine was health insurance or
cost for health insurance for 2025 was
675,33760
and keep going. court revenue. Court
revenue was up $26,599.95
and our hotel occupancy fee
year-over-year
was up 5,39347.
And one last thing I want to highlight,
there was non-budget revenues in 2025.
The cannabis program so far brought in
$60,2389.
And we also had land sales last year for
around $300,000.
So,
>> thank you, Council President.
>> Thank you, sir. Uh, Councilwoman Evans.
>> Um, yes. Um, community affairs have not
has not met yet this year, but our first
meeting will be February 5th, 2026.
Um,
the uh time we're going to leave it at
the same time at 5:30. Even though um
the council meetings have been moved to
6:00, I think uh the first meeting a
half hour will be fine cuz I want to
talk to each one that's involved to make
sure that um a half hour earlier is
convenient for them. Um top on our uh
list of things that we're going to
discuss is uh we want to confirm a date
for the CreekFest. Um I know it's been
going back and forth for Saturday to
Sunday. I think we're leaning towards
Saturday this year. So, I want to talk
it over with obviously the police
department and any date that um is good
uh in September and also the planning of
this senior brunch which is the first
Saturday in May.
>> Thank you.
>> Thank you, councelor Council.
>> Um public safety has not had an official
meeting in January. Um we will have our
first official meeting February 2nd at 6
p.m. Chief, do you have anything you'd
like to say? I think the biggest thing
I'd like everybody to remember is is
we're uh we're upon the cold weather.
Obviously, I think everybody's feeling
it the last few days. Unfortunately,
we're probably really going to feel it
this weekend. We have a huge storm
coming in. So, if the residents could
please remove anything in the street
that doesn't belong, try to keep the
move your cars out of the street if you
don't really need to have it in the
street. It really helps with public
works and the huge task of removing the
snow and making your navigation much
safer uh going you because eventually
we're all going to have to get our kids
back to school. We're all to go back to
work. Um on Sunday if it's really bad,
please stay home. There's no reason for
you to come out and and and see what's
going on. It only creates more problems
not only for public works but most
importantly our our emergency services.
We are going to um uh be at
at a high applause and dealing with
people that that really need help and
you know you going out just to go out or
or because you're bored. Uh I I strongly
urge you stay home. You got football to
watch on Sunday and um we appreciate it
if you stayed home and stayed safe and
we don't have to come out to see you.
>> Chief
, can you address the ebike law
that was put in place this week? So,
unfortunately, I I really can't because
it's it's so new. Um, you know, it's
they're going to give you approximately
a year to to
fully put it in in place. I mean, look,
um,
Governor Sinus on the last day was here,
so I don't know if there was a lot of a
lot of foresight or or discussion on
specifics of it. It was pretty much um
it covered everything. So, uh,
eventually, right now, nobody's going to
be able to ride one unless you have a
license and you have it registered and
you have it insured. Um, so more to come
out as as we as we dive into it. And you
know, I believe you know, you know, the
state of New Jersey is unique because um
you know, the state recognizes when they
do this and they allow the the people of
the owners of this. I'm sure there'll be
a coalition and attorneys getting
involved in looking at this and maybe,
you know, there might you may or may not
see some some adjustments to that. Uh
but, you know, moving forward, I think
it's important that we did something.
Uh, you know, again, a lot of times,
unfortunately, we we go over the top uh
without thinking of the the
consequences.
>> Thank you, Chief. Anything else,
Council?
>> That's all I have.
>> Councilman Sykes,
>> thank you. Um, we have not met yet.
Parks and Wreck, we plan to meet on
February 17th. Um, same time, we're
going to meet around 7:00 p.m. Uh,
usually about an hour meeting. We got a
few things to discuss. going to start
getting ready for the park uh concerts
in the park and some things on the
agenda to start uh speaking about that.
Um I was just going to piggy back, you
know, off of what Chief was saying with
public works. Just a reminder, the
public works is going to get to the main
roads first. So if your road isn't paved
right away, just or or plow right away.
Just understand they're going to take
care of the main traffic areas first and
then um probably get to all the back
roads and the side streets and
everything like that. Um and kudos to
them in advance. I know they do a really
great job of cleaning out our streets
and trying to get them done as fast as
possible. So,
>> thank you, councelor. Uh excited to be
chairing our newly formed uh code
enforcement uh committee. Uh our first
meeting will be on February 2nd and
looking forward to working with our code
enforcement team to updating a lot of
our codes that are pretty much uh
outdated and getting our code book uh up
to up to par. So, looking forward to
commencing that first meeting.
>> Thank you, sir. Um I don't think I have
anything I'll spare you all. Um Carrie,
official clerk's report.
>> I have um since we only had the one
meeting in December, I have both
November and December's reports for um
the municipal court for November was
$7,4918
and for December was $8,11912.
The clerk's office November was $713.
Then for December was $2,275.
For the construction office, it was
$10,276.
Uh for November, December was $11,193.
on for the tax office for November was
44 $4,469,3987.
December was 1,239,178.93.
>> Thank you very much. Uh Mayor Marone's
not with us today and um Ed, our
engineer, um is either going to be late,
my guess is not going to make it due to
a conflict. Um, so we'll hold off on
that as well. Uh, administrator report,
Jessica.
>> Um, excuse me. The city hall main
entrance construction is now complete
and our city hall ADA entrance is now
accessible to the public. Um, thank you
for your patience over the last month
and a half or so um, as people had to
come and go through alternate entrances
and exits. Um, just a reminder that
February 1st, property taxes are due
with a 10-day grace period and looking
forward to a great 2026 and absein as we
move forward.
>> Thank you very much. May I hear a motion
to open this meeting to the public?
Motion.
>> Second.
>> All in favor?
>> I opposed. Would anybody from the public
like to speak?
I'm I'm going to force one of you one of
these days.
>> May I hear a motion to close the meeting
of the public?
>> Motion. Second.
>> All in favor? I
>> opposed. May I hear a motion to adjourn
this meeting? Motion.
>> All in favor? I opposed.
>> Thank you everybody for coming tonight.