Buena Vista Township January 5, 2025 Reorganization Meeting

Lisa, where's Reverend Mallerie?
No way. He's in church.
Good afternoon, everybody. Thank you for
coming out on our Sunday. Today is our
annual reorganization meeting for
January 5th,
2025. Uh on January 2nd, 2025, notice of
this meeting was mailed to the daily
journal in the press and dy posted in
the main lobby of the municipal complex.
All requirements of the open public
meetings act have been met in compliance
with the sunshine law. Uh at this time
we will stand for the flag salute. Uh
committeeman Krenzer, can you lead us?
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the
United States of America and to the
republic for which it stands, one nation
under God, indivisible, with liberty and
justice for all. Um if you remain
standing for just a moment.
Unfortunately, Reverend Mallerie was not
able to make our rescheduled meeting.
So, I just like to take a moment in
silence for
today. Thank you. Please be seated.
Uh, at this time we will do the oath of
office to our newly elected officials
starting with swearing in of our newly
elected township committeeman Aaron
Krenzer for a three-year term. He will
be sworn in by mayor of Vinland Anthony
Fenucci.
And uh the Krenzer family would like to
come up.
All right. Yes, sir.
Aaron, please repeat after me. I Aaron
Quenzer. I, Aaron Krenz, do solemnly
swear do solemnly swear that I will
support the Constitution that I will
support the Constitution of the United
States of the United States and the
Constitution and the Constitution of the
State of New Jersey of the state of New
Jersey. I will bear true faith. I will
bear true faith and allegiance to the
same to the same and to the governments
established and to the governments
established in the United States in the
United States and in this state and in
this state under the authority of the
people under the authority of the
people. So help me God. So help me God.
I do further solemnly swear I do further
solemnly swear that I will impartially
that I will impartially and justly
perform and justly perform all the
duties of all the duties of the office
of the office of committeeman
committeeman according to the best of my
ability according to the best of my
ability so help me God so help me God
congratulations
Thank you.
Do you want to say a few
words because I know you have to head
out or you good? Okay.
I'll see you Anthony. Thank you. Thank
you, mayor.
Thank you. Thank you, mayor.
At this time, we will do the swearing in
for our newly elected township committee
woman, Ellen Ta, for her three-year term
by New Jersey State Senator Michael L.
Testa, Jr.
shot.
Going that way.
Okay. Mom, please repeat after me. I,
Ellen Ta, I, Ellen Ta, do solemnly swear
do solemnly swear that I will support
the Constitution that I will support the
Constitution of the United States of the
United States and the Constitution and
the Constitution of the State of New
Jersey the state of New Jersey and that
I will bear true faith and that I will
bear true faith and allegiance and
allegiance to the same to the same and
to the governments established and to
the governments established in the
United States in the United States and
in this and a mystic under the authority
of the people under the authority of the
people. So help me God. So help me God.
I do further solemnly swear I do further
solemnly swear that I will impartially
that I will impartially and justly
perform and justly perform all the
duties all the duties of the office of
of the office of committeewoman
committee woman according to the best of
my ability according to the best of my
ability. So help me God. So help me God.
Congratulations.
Thank you.
[Music]
You're good. No, you're good.
Congratulations.
Okay, this time we will take our roll
call. Mr. Krenzer here. Mr. Renard here.
Mr. Rigeri here. Mrs. Ta here. Mr.
Williams here.
At this time, we will do our appointment
of mayor and deputy mayor. Uh I will
take a motion to nominate a mayor and
chairperson. I make a motion to nominate
William for mayor.
Okay. Okay, there is a motion on the
floor. Is there a second? Second. Second
by Krenzer. Are there any other
nominations? Hearing no nominations.
I'll take a motion and a second to close
nominations. Motion.
And is there a second to close
nominations? Second. Okay. Roll call for
William Rajiri as mayor. Krenzer. Yes.
Renard? Yes. Reier? Yes. Ta? Yes.
Williams? Yes.
Congratulations, mayor. Thank you. At
this time, I will take a motion to
nominate a deputy mayor, vice
chairperson. I make a motion to nominate
John Williams.
And second.
Okay. I have a motion and a second for
John Williams. Is there any other
motions? Hearing none, I will take a
motion and a second to close
nominations. Motion. Second.
Okay. And a roll call for John Williams
as deputy mayor. Krenzer, yes. Renard,
abstain. Rajiri, yes. Ta,
abstain. Williams, yes. Okay, that
motion will
carry. And at this time, we will do an
oath of office for mayor chairperson for
Williami. And I believe I have the
pleasure of doing that this evening.
Thank you.
[Music]
Got it.
Okay,
raise your right hand and repeat after
me. I, William, I, William, do solemnly
swear do solemnly swear that I will
support the Constitution that I will
support the Constitution of the United
States of the United States and the
Constitution and the Constitution of the
State of New Jersey of the state of New
Jersey. and that I will bear true faith
And that I will bear true faith and
allegiance and allegiance to the same to
the same to the governments established
to the governments established in the
United States in the United States and
in this state and in this state under
the authority of the people under the
authority of the people. So help me God.
So help me God. I do further solemnly
swear I do further solemnly swear that I
will impartially that I will impartially
and justly perform and justly perform
all the duties all the duties of the
office of mayor of the office of mayor
according to the best of my ability
. So
help me God. So help me God.
Congratulations.
And at this time, I believe I also have
the pleasure of swearing in our deputy
mayor.
Congratulations.
Okay. All right. Repeat after me. I,
John Williams, I, John Williams, do
solemnly swear do solemnly swear that I
will support the Constitution that I
will support the Constitution of the
United States of the United States and
the Constitution and the Constitution of
the State of New Jersey of the State of
New Jersey and that I will bear true
faith and that I will bear true faith
and allegiance and allegiance to the
same to the same and to the governments
established and to the governments
established in the United States in the
United States and in this state and in
this state under the authority of the
people under the authority of the
people. So help me God. So help me God.
I do further solemnly swear I do further
solemnly swear that I will impartially
that I will impartially and justly
perform and justly perform all the
duties all the duties of the office of
the office of deputy mayor according to
the best of my ability according to the
best of my ability. So help me God. So
help me God. Congratulations.
[Applause]
to buy little things.
Okay. And at this time, I will turn the
meeting over to Mayor Rajeri.
Uh, item number nine. Thank you, Lisa.
You're welcome. Item number nine,
resolutions.
Uh, resolutions. We will take items 0125
to 0925 together. That includes the
appointment
0125 of Matthew Lions Esquire and Gart
and Kefir as township solicitor.
02-25 is the appointment of Dominic
Diani as conflict township solicitor.
03-25 is the appointment of Michael
Garcia as of Ford Scott Associates as
township auditor.
04-25 is the appointment of Tiffany
Kuielli Kuiello as township planner.
05-25 is the appointment of Joel
Flechman as township bond counsel.
06-25 is the appointment of Dominic
Diani of Eric Bernstein Associates as
labor counsel, records counsel,
foreclosure and tax appeal.
07-25 is the appointment of Hardenburgg
Insurance Group as risk management
consultant.
08-25 is the appointment of Kmar
Associates as environmental engineer and
09-25 is the appointment of Shore Animal
Control as the township's animal control
officer. We need a motion and a second
to adopt 125 through 925.
Motion to adopt. Second. Roll call.
Krenzer, yes. Renard, yes. Rajiri, yes.
Ta, yes. Williams, yes. Thank you.
Welcome back, Matt. Thank you. Thank
you.
Uh number 10 is consent agenda. Consent
agenda includes items of business which
are not controversial and do not require
individual discussion. A motion
approving the consent agenda is moved,
seconded, and voted upon as one item by
the township committee. If any
discussion is requested on a consent
agenda item, it is removed from the
consent agenda to the regular agenda.
Starting with
10-25 is authorizing the annual schedule
for our workshop and regular township
meetings. 11-25 is authorizing the tax
assessor to file appeals for roll back
taxes. 12-25 is a designation of
official newspapers. 13-25 is adoption
of the cash management plan. 14-25 is
adopting our temporary municipal
operating budget for 2025.
15-25 is establishing interest rates and
penalties for non-payment of taxes.
16-25 is designate designation of bank
depositories.
17-25 is authorizing the tax collector
to conduct a tax lean sale. 18-25 is
cancellation of tax overpayments or
delinquent amounts less than $5.
19-25 is authorizing the signature of
the township clerk on checks issued by
the current payroll funds. 20-25 is
appointment of municipal officials and
municipal design. I will read them
individually. Uh we have the wild and
scenic rivers counselors which is Julie
Acres, Lou Harvey, and Jen
Jennings. 21-25 is the appointment of a
public agency compliance officer.
that that will be uh township clerk Lisa
Tilton. 22-25 is the appointments on the
joint planning and zoning board starting
with class one which is uh mayor Rajiri,
class two which is Quinton McClendon,
class three which is Kurt Bernard. Class
4 which is Michael Bone, Kathleen Babel,
Greg Okonnell, Morgan Crocus. Class four
alternates. Alternate one is Terresa
Kelly. Alternate three is Matthew Smith.
And then class four alternates for a
one-year term is Cayman Pots and Michael
Moore. 23-25 is appointments to the
environmental commission and clean
communities sustainable Jersey. That
includes township committee John
Williams, William Rajiri, and an
alternate Ellen Ta, Kathleen Babel for
regular members, and alternates Michael
Moore and Tim Schuler.
Appointments to special events
recreation committee. Uh township
committee Aaron Krenzer and Ellen Ta. Uh
25-25 is appointments to the Martin
Luther King Advisory Board. Township
committee John Williams and Kurt Renard.
26-25 is appointments to the Municipal
Drug Alliance Committee which will be
until June 30th of 2025. That's township
committee for John Williams, William
Rajiri, and advisor Janelle
Halls. There's a lot. Hold on. Turn the
page. And appointments to our public
safety committee under resolution
27-25. That's William Roger and Aaron
Krenzer. And 28-25, appointments to the
Veterans Advisory Board Township
Committee. William Rogeri.
Need a motion and a second to adopt
resolutions 1025 through 2825. Motion.
Second. Roll call.
Frenzer? Yes. Renard? Yes. Rigeri? Yes.
Ta? Yes. Williams? Yes.
Uh, number 11, committee assignments as
designated by the mayor. All righty. Uh,
I'm just going to go through this
quickly. The administration
committee, Aaron Krener, John Williams,
the finance committee, uh, William
Rajiri, John Williams, insurance
committee, William Majeri, Ellen Ta
personnel, township committee, that's,
uh, really a cohort, so to speak.
Construction oversight, William Majeri,
Aaron Krenzer. Public works,
emermergency management, public safety
dispatching. William Majeri, Aaron
Krenzer. School and Education, John
Williams, Kurt Bernard. Senior and youth
programs, John Williams, Ellen Testa.
Union negotiations, Aaron Krener, Kurt
Bernard. State Police liaison, William
Rogeri, Aaron Krenzer. Economic
development, William Majeri, Ellen
Testa.
Item 12. Uh, I'd like to give the floor
to any dignitaries that are here with us
this evening, this afternoon, I should
say, have a few words. Anybody? No.
Okay. Joe, anything? No.
Okay. Item
[Applause]
13. Just want to say a few words.
Good afternoon everyone and happy new
year. I'd like to start by thanking
those those who are here with us in
person and those who have tuned in from
home. I'd like to briefly touch on a few
highlights from 2024 and then quickly
look ahead to our objectives for
2025. Our goal, as always, is to engage
this community as frequently and
meaningfully as possible. 2024
accomplished that goal. We were able to
make significant upgrades to several of
our playgrounds across town in 2024,
making our recreation area safer and
more versatile for
residents. Last year was met with
unexpected challenges due to attrition
in several key departments as well as
our EMS organization. Our team was able
to regroup, restaff, and quickly rebuild
all affected departments to provide
uninterrupted services to our residents.
Please join me in formally welcoming
aboard all new members of township staff
and EMS employees that became part of
our team in
2024. The year ahead will see further
progress in our roads programs with the
repaving of Old Lannis Avenue and
Country Club Lane along with road
striping upgrades for Cumberland Avenue
and drainage projects planned for
Petrini Gardens. We also look to
continue the ongoing modernization of
all equipment across our public works
department into 2025 and
[Applause]
beyond. We are extremely afford we are
extremely fortunate to have a wide array
of outdoor recreation areas across the
township and look forward to providing
residents with a full slate of events in
these great spaces in
2025. A tremendous amount of time and
energy goes into the many activities we
have scheduled for the year ahead. So,
we encourage you to join us and most
importantly have some
fun. Do not hesitate to reach out to us
during the course of the year for
assistance with any matter related to
the township. We're always here to
help. Township committee is eager to
serve the community in 2025 and we look
forward to seeing residents at the many
events we have planned across town in
the coming months. On behalf of myself
and this entire committee, I want to
thank our staff at town hall, our public
works department, our fire companies,
EMS department, our volunteers,
appointed professionals. Our partnership
with the New Jersey State Police, and
most importantly, our residents. The
commitment and resolve we continue to
showcase across BBT is
unrivaled. An increased level of
community engagement remain visible at
every Township event that took place
this year. We look forward to carrying
this momentum into
2025. With this weather impending, I
encourage you to please stay safe. Thank
you all and happy new
year. Item 14. We'll start with
committee remarks. Mrs. Ta, what do you
have for us tonight? Well, first of all,
I wanted to wish everyone a happy,
healthy, and prosperous new year. And
I'd like to thank my son, Senator Ta,
for uh swearing me in today and my
husband, Michael, for holding the Bible
and also for their unwavering and loving
support. I also want to thank all the
dignitaries that they are in attendance
this afternoon. Um,
uh, Violent Mayor Anthony Fenucci,
Atlanta County Clerk Joe
Geraldo, and Atlantic County
Commissioner June Burns. I'd like to
thank everyone for their confidence and
trust in giving me the opportunity to
serve Buunav Vista Township. Once again,
it is both an honor and a privilege,
especially since this is where I grew up
since
1951. As a matter of fact, my family
chicken farm is now cranberry run and uh
the two farms uh owned by my uncles are
now Tractor Supply and soon to be uh the
Auto
Zone. Uh, I also want to thank the mayor
and committee members for their
cooperation in working for our
committee. We've had several challenges
this past year that we had to overcome.
And although we didn't always agree on
how to handle them, we were able to
compromise on a solution to the best
interests of our
constituents. Moving forward into 2025
and beyond, I sincerely trust we will
continue to unite for the best interests
of all of our citizens.
We continuously upgrade our parks and
the Martin Luther King Center where we
hold our popular events that have been
enjoyed by our residents and their
families. I would be remiss if I didn't
thank Lisa Tilton, Gio, Quinton
McClendon, Anthony Poli, and all the
Bunav Vista Township employees that make
all of this possible. We will continue
to be available to all the residents and
look forward to everyone's participation
in making Buuna Vista Township a safe
and enjoyable community in which to
reside. Thank you.
Thank you, Mrs. Ta. Mr. Krenzer. Yeah,
thank you, Mayor. Uh first off, thank
you everybody for coming out tonight and
or today this afternoon as uh we're the
impending snowstorm is is happening. So,
but first off, thank you for to my
wonderful wife Kate and our two girls,
Harper and Abby. They continue to
support me through all my crazy
adventures. And thank you to Lisa
Tilton, Quinton McClendon, Anthony
Pulley, Natalia Stockm, and the entire
BVT uh team for your support. You guys
are awesome. So, we appreciate
everything you do. And thank you to
Mayor Anthony Fenucci, who swore me in
for his continued support and guidance
throughout the past three years. And
there's a lot more support and guidance
that I need in the next three years from
him, too. So get ready. But as we kick
off 2025, I'd like to wish uh you a
happy prosperous new year and express
Buuna Vista Vista Township's gratitude
for extraordinary support and continued
engagement in 2024 as we successfully
worked together towards our mission
ensuring the growth and success of our
community. Reflecting on 2024, BBT was
busy in all areas of new adventures and
additions of equipment and team members.
Our team is the best and continues to
challenge themselves each and every day.
We are not a big city with endless
resources. Each person has several job
responsibilities and works above and
beyond their job description. Lisa, how
many job responsibilities do you have?
15. About half a dozen. So, it's uh it
it's everybody does a lot. So, we
appreciate it. And as I said many times,
you know, I'm not a politician. I'm
someone who cares about our community,
engages with our community daily to
ensure they had any questions or
concerns are answered. I'm laser focused
on our community and this past year we
have worked through several situations
together efficiently. I encourage
everyone to look over our beautiful
Bunav Vista Township calendars which
were delivered uh right before the
holiday and familiarize yourself with
all the events and uh and things going
on in in our community. We would like to
see you participate in any and all BBT
township
activities and we host wonderful events.
So I encourage everybody to come out to
them. So congratulations to Mayor Rajiri
and newly elected deputy mayor Mayor
Williams. Congratulations guys and thank
you Bunavista Township for ensuring me
entrusting me with duties as
committeemen. Thank you all.
Thank you Mr. Krenzer. Mr. Bernard. Uh
yeah I uh would just like to wish
everybody here and everybody in Buista
Township a safe and healthy and happy
prosperous new year.
Uh I personally think we had a great
year last year. Not uh maybe not great,
but we had a good new year last year.
And I think that uh with the uh
leadership on this board and the
leadership in the country, we're going
to have a great 19 2025.
Uh, I know I'm going to try my best to
make Bu
Vista residents proud that they elected
me and I, uh, I love this township.
Wasn't born here, but I've been here a
long time and, uh, I consider it my home
now. And,
uh, I'm proud to be up here. I That's
all.
Thank you, Mr. Bernard. Mr. Williams. Uh
this is the beginning of my 11th year on
township committee and I'm uh proud to
serve on this committee with with all
the uh individuals on this uh committee
that did a great job this year and uh
and the staff was uh outstanding in uh
in in in finishing up uh uh problem
situations that we had with uh EMS and
some other uh uh appointments uh w for
for the township. Um I I love this
community. Um and I'm favorable in in
our uh our team. I think we have a good
team on this committee and we're doing a
lot of uh good things for the community.
Um, I I I want to thank the uh the
entire staff uh Lisa and particularly
and um Gia and uh all the staff on the
uh uh Quint McClendon who's been
outstanding with his uh job as the
director of the uh MLK center and
working in uh public works.
Um, I think we have a good group of uh
people that that care about what's going
on in this township and we will be
successful in this in this coming year
of
2025. Thank you. Thank you, Mr.
Williams.
[Applause]
And I'd like to uh to quickly echo um
before we jump over to item 15. Um, I
think this is something kind of everyone
has touched on this evening, just the
importance of of family and how critical
it is. Uh, and I think I can speak on
behalf of everybody up here. Uh, you
guys are 100% the energy that charges
the batteries that we utilize to be the
catalyst for what we do with the
community. So, what we what we do is
completely, you know, negated with the
absence of you guys. So, I appreciate
everybody in this room for being here
with us this evening. I can't overstate
the significance of how critical family
is. I think so much of what ails us as a
society is the lack of just that
foundation. Uh I think the success
stories you hear more often than not
have that common theme of of family
being central and and you know to to the
counter. Um that's typically really the
key component when you hear kind of you
know things that that go ary is that
lack of family presence. So I tip my hat
to everyone in this room. Thank you
guys.
Item 15, public comment.
The committee welcomes participation of
interested organizations and individuals
during regular caucus, workshop, and
special meetings. However, in order to
conduct the business of the township in
the most productive manner possible,
attendees will be given four minutes,
all inclusive, including all dialogue,
questions, and responses from both the
speaker and the committee for the
designated public portion of the
meeting. There may be no transference of
a speaker's time to other attendees. So,
please step up to the microphone at the
appropriate time and state your name and
address for the record. We need a motion
and a second to open to the public.
Motion to open. Second. All in favor? I.
Anybody tonight or today?
Motion to close.
Second.
and number 16.
Need a motion and a second to adjurnn.
Motion to adjurnn. Second. All in favor?
I I. Thank you everyone. Happy new year.
I just want to wish everybody a happy
new year. Happy new year. Please be safe
tomorrow. Somewhere between an inch and
a foot.