Township Committee April 28, 2025

back and Marie
>> like to call this meeting to order. This
is the Bunav Vista Township Regular
Meeting April 28th, 2025.
We'll start with a roll call.
>> Mr. Krenzer is absent. Mr. Renard
absent. Mrs. Ta
>> here.
>> Mr. Williams
>> here.
>> Mayor Mayor Rajeri
>> here.
On January 7th, 2025, notice of this
meeting was mailed to the Daily Journal
and the press and duly 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. I'd
>> like to ask everyone to stand to salute
the flag.
>> Mrs. Tess, will you lead us?
>> Sure. 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.
>> Approval of minutes. We have the
workshop meeting April 14th, 2025.
>> Need a motion and a second to approve.
>> Motion to approve.
>> Second.
>> Roll call.
Ta
>> here.
>> Williams,
>> yes.
>> Rei,
>> yes.
>> Um, announcements, presentations, and
discussion. There are none. Mayor's
report.
>> Good evening, everyone. Uh, a few quick
items tonight as we venture into our
busier than usual season. Um, I'm just
going to go through these rapid fire. A
few quick uh dates and and events that
we want to highlight. Uh, the mentoring
mother's breakfast will be this
Saturday, May 5th at the MLK Center
starting at 10 a.m. 10 a.m.
>> May 3rd.
>> Oh, May 3rd.
>> Oh, what did I say?
>> Saturday, May 3rd at the MLK Center
starting at 10 a.m. Uh, please call the
community center.
>> Please call the community center at
856697-2100
extension28 to RSVP. And again, that is
the mentoring mothers breakfast. Uh this
Saturday, May 3rd at 10 a.m.
Uh uh Saturday, May 17th, is our
community yard sale at Michael Debbie
Park. Registration is required. Spaces
are still available, $10 per spot.
Please register at our special events
office.
Memorial Day ceremony will be Monday,
May 26th at 11:00 a.m. out front at town
hall. Uh, as always, we encourage
everybody to please join us. So, again,
that's Memorial Day ceremony Monday, May
26th at 11:00 a.m.
Uh, quick plug for summer concerts.
Summer concerts will be underway June
18th. Uh, the first concert will be at
the MLK Center featuring Lonnie
Youngblood. Each concert thereafter will
be Wednesday at Michael Debbie Park. All
concerts are from 7 to 9:00 p.m. Please
join us. It's one of our marquee events
uh that we do every year in the warmer
weather. So, really good food, fun,
music. Please come out every Wednesday
uh starting uh June 18th at Michael
Debbie Park. And like I said, the
inaugural will be at the community
center from 7 to 9:00.
Uh quick plug, this is a little far out,
but just to get on everyone's radar,
national night out will be August 5th
from 5:00 to 9:00 at Michael Debbie
Park. uh township is accepting donations
for our annual fireworks event. Uh far
and away I think the one of the better
fireworks displays in our our general
area. So again, quick plug, National
Night Out, August 5th from 5 to 9 at
Michael Debby Park. Uh and then lastly,
um want to thank uh really just about
everybody that was involved uh with a a
a long-standing issue that we finally,
knock on wood, uh put to bed. Uh, want
to thank BBTEMS, Richland Fire, the
Atlanta County Sheriff's Office. Uh,
several residents, our public works
department, and our township
administrator. Uh, this was a a very
long andbroiled code enforcement case uh
about a property on Main Avenue in
Richland. Um,
lot that went into this over the span of
the last 18 months, but we are are
hopefully kind of putting the worst of
this behind us at this point. Uh big
shout out to public works. The condition
of the property when we were finally
able to access uh was pretty far gone.
So I want to tip my hat to everybody
that was involved and and hopefully
bringing this to to some degree of
finality.
And that is all I have for my report
tonight. Thank you everyone.
>> Thank you mayor. Ordinances for
introduction first reading. There are
none. Ordinances for public hearing
second reading. We have ordinance
156-2025
authorizing acceptance of land donation
for block 1403 lot 27.
>> I need a motion and a second to open to
the public on 156 2025
>> to the public.
>> All in favor?
>> I
>> uh motion to close.
>> Motion to close.
>> Second.
A motion and a second to adopt 156 2025.
>> Motion to adopt.
>> Second.
>> Roll call.
>> Ta.
>> Yes.
>> Williams.
>> Yes.
>> Raji?
>> Yes.
>> Public comment on current agenda items
only. In order for the committee to
conduct the business of the township in
the most productive manner possible,
meeting attendees will be given two
minutes, all-inclusive, to comment on
any agenda items without comment or
question from the committee, but only on
items specified on the agenda listed for
the current meeting. Please step up to
the microphone at the appropriate time
and state your name and address for the
record. Resolution 77-25 is authorizing
payment of bills in the amount of
$447,34.71.
Consent agenda includes item 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 if any discussion is
requested on a consent agenda item, it
is removed from the consent agenda to
the regular agenda.
78-25 is authorizing refund of
applicable fees for Independence Day
celebration. 79-25 is authorizing the
refund of taxover payment to Nadia
Chevchenko.
80-25 is authorizing change order number
one for the reconstruction of Landis
Avenue phase 1. 81-25 is accepting the
annual audit report for calendar year
2024.
82-25 is authorizing the mayor to
execute anou with the ACIA for CDBG
funds for the MLK center parking lot
improvements.
>> You thought I was gonna mess that one
up.
>> Sounded like a wrap.
>> I've had many years of practice on that
one.
>> Sounded like a wrap song.
83-25
is accept proposal from Schaefer Asher
Shyig for postroad reconstruction phase
1 and 84-25 is authorizing the mayor to
execute an amended agreement with BBT
EMS.
>> We need a motion and a second to open to
the public for agenda items only.
>> Motion to open to the public.
>> Second.
>> All in favor?
>> I.
>> Motion to close.
>> Second.
>> All in favor?
>> I. Uh motion and a second to pay the
bills.
>> Motion to pay the bills.
>> Second.
>> Roll call.
>> Ta.
>> Yes.
>> Williams.
>> Yes.
>> Rigeri.
>> Yes. Uh motion and a second to adopt
consent agenda resolution 78 through 84.
>> Motion to adopt.
>> Second.
>> Roll call.
>> Ta.
>> Yes.
>> Williams.
>> Yes.
>> Rajeri.
>> Yes.
>> Item 12, our administrator's report. Do
you have anything?
>> Um,
thank you for everybody reviewing the
audit and accepting the audit. Um,
again, we have a very clean audit, uh,
with no findings ever in this audit as
well. So, um, hats off completely to
township staff, um, all staff, tax
office, finance office, uh, clerk's
office. Um, they definitely put a lot
behind everything that the township is
required to have audited. Um so I
appreciate everybody's due diligence and
making sure that we continue to stay
within compliance. So um that is the
audit that we present um for you guys
this year. So I am very happy about
that. Um we are moving on to other
certain requirements. We also did our um
right to know was completed. Uh we have
some storm water management reports uh
annually. I will be working on those as
well. uh we just submitted for our
tonnage and then at the the last meeting
we got a tonnage grant for over 9,000.
So we're continued to move in the
forward direction to be able to continue
to get certain grants that are
happening. Um I just received some
quotes for the hockey court at Michael
Debbie Park. Um I'm working on those to
work out them to be with under the bid
threshold. Um otherwise we may have to
go out to bid for that. It's it's right
there. So, I got to see um what some
other quotes could possibly come in at.
We should be able to start working on
the Michael Debbie Park uh hockey court.
So,
>> what is the the scope involved with
that?
>> So, that is um what we are planning on
doing is redoing all of the boards um
around the hockey court, redoing the
kickboards, and then prior to redoing
those is redoing the surface. But
instead of actually coming in and
resurfacing, which actually costs more,
um we're going to switch over to now
what is permitted to be a new hockey
surface, which everybody is now doing.
Hamilton Township has it. A Carver
Township has it. And they're um squares.
So if a square is broken, you have extra
squares. You pop it out, you put another
one in.
>> They call it a sport court, right?
>> Yes.
>> Sport court.
>> And we can design it. We could put our
logo on it. um it's not supposed to um
fade by the sun, things of that nature.
So, uh the thought process for that is
to hopefully which we have the grant to
be able to cover the cost um to have
that new surface and then redo the
board. So, hopefully by fall we should
have that project complete. Um it'll all
be done by public works staff other than
the cost of the materials which would
hopefully be covered by staff or covered
by the grant. So, um the other grant
that we applied for on the recreation
that was due for this year, we did not
get. Um a lot of those grant awards went
up north. There were only three
Atlantic County towns that got the
grant. They were towns that didn't get
the grant last year. So, we didn't get
that grant. That was hopeful to be able
to resurface the tennis courts and be
able to do pickle ball. Um so, I'll have
to look at some other crafty ideas to be
able to work on that. So, so that's kind
of where we're at.
>> Okay.
>> Working hard, moving on to the next
phase of events.
>> That's a good uh a good update. I
normally am uh cornered by pickle ball
players uh once a week on on updates.
So, at least it's good to have something
to communicate back
>> to really do the courts uh justice. They
really need to be stripped down. um they
need to be cleaned and then that clean
has to dry and then they have to be
painted and then they have to be coated.
Uh but before all that a lot of them re
uh have to have new um nets to be
installed which means concrete post. So
there's
>> got it.
>> That would be a pretty good feat
especially um Michael Debbie there's one
of them that definitely has to be fully
replaced. Uh the nets we were able to
get through um the school district
because they get them all the time for
theirs. So they basically sold it to us
at the cost that they got. So I'm not
worried about getting the nets more than
I am about getting a contractor in that
specializes specifically for tennis
courts. So and not at such a high cost.
>> That's a specialty.
>> Yep.
So
>> got you.
>> Yeah, it's a little bit above our grade.
>> Got you. Okay. So, that's my update.
>> Thank you, Lisa.
Item 13, committee reports. Mr.
Williams.
>> Yes. Um, I just wanted to mentioned that
the uh on April 14th, we uh approved the
municipal budget and uh this year the
township was under state review and the
state has cleared us to pass the budget.
The tax increase was 3.6 6 which is $36
per 100,000 assessed value property
value and the township is $118,000 below
the spending cap and 27,000 below the
tax levy cap. The increase is due to all
code funds have being used and this is a
very conservative budget. Um also I
attended the um
uh Martin Luther King Advisory Board and
um we uh we decided to go to a uh a
quarterly schedule for having the
meetings on January, April, June and
September. So that that was uh approved
by the entire group and also they me um
Quinton mentioned the uh early voting
which is going to be on June 3rd to June
8th and then the primary will be on June
10th.
Also, um, as you had mentioned, we're
going to have the mentoring Mother's Day
breakfast on Saturday, May 3rd from 10
from 10:00 a.m. And, uh,
and fresh flowers and a specialty omelet
station will be provided.
Also, uh I wanted to mention the uh
spring uh leaf con leaf collection was
uh completed and uh that was on the week
of April 14th and that was completed in
Collins Lake, D. Rosa drives, Cedar
Gardens, and Country Club. Um
we uh I wanted to give a shout out to
the public works. did a great job in
picking up all the leaves,
particularly in Collins Lakes.
And um I attended the uh League of
Municipalities uh meeting on uh Friday,
last Friday, and they had a speaker at
this uh for um
for a com accommodation of a a digital
ADA disability advisory board. And the
uh the uh presenter was very uh thorough
in going over to the uh all the
formatting and the uh five disabilities
that uh that people uh would go through.
And they were particularly uh talking
about um um a hospital system where the
blind use the braille on the phone and
multiple formats on in a kio system.
It was uh very informative and was uh
enjoyed by the all who attended.
>> Was Jesse Kurts there?
>> Huh?
>> Was Jesse Curts there?
>> I know Jesse Kurts from Atlantic City is
very involved in the digital ADA stuff.
I didn't know if he was a part of that.
>> Jesse Curts. Um
>> I don't know if he was there. He did
reach out. I talked to him.
>> Yeah. I don't think I don't think he was
there.
>> Got it. Okay.
>> And that's all I have.
>> Thank you.
>> Thank you, John. Mrs. Ta.
>> Well, I would just be reiterating
everything the two of you have said
about uh the upcoming events. Um so, no
reason to to redo that to revisit all of
them again.
>> You have all your stuff ready for the
yard sale.
>> I will help out in the kitchen, but I do
not participate in the yard sale.
>> My uh my son wants to have his own table
for the first time this year, so he's
>> Oh, boy. He's been like unbolting stuff
off the wall. Things that were not quite
ready to sell.
>> Oh my goodness.
>> All righty. Uh item 14, public comment.
>> Um so just to piggyback on Mr. Williams
regarding the digital age. So there is a
state requirement that um all
municipalities by 2026 have to upgrade
their websites um to this new digital
capacity which allows for various ADA,
autism, blind um you know deafness. So
we actually um over probably the next
month and a half we'll be upgrading our
website to be in compliance with that.
Um, it's actually a really neat app um
that gets installed on the back end of
the website that is utilized by
everybody who would have any type of
ADA, even autism. It changes the colors
on the website. It stops anything from
blinking on the website. So, if there's
any triggers, things of that nature. So,
uh we are working to that to be in full
compliance. That is one of the checklist
items. But, uh um our website definitely
will be in compliance way before the due
date. But in case you see any changes on
the website or wonder why things look
different,
>> um, or you see a little widget on there
that pops up and says, "Do you need any
of these services?" Um, you know, that's
that would be the purpose for it. So,
I'm actually excited about that. That'll
be a neat upgrade to the website to do
that. So,
>> Lynn Kerson also mentioned that they're
going to be uh checking out the uh post
offices and see which ones are truly
handicap accessible. Got it. So, she
asked us to try to stop by there and see
if if you could pull the door open with
a wheelchair.
>> Okay.
>> And then they're going to present all
them that exist in Atlantic County.
>> Cool.
Public comment. Um, I will say that, um,
please step up to the microphone at the
appropriate time and state your name and
address for the record.
Uh motion and a second to open to the
public.
>> Motion to open to the public.
>> Second.
>> All in favor?
>> I.
>> Motion to close.
>> Second.
>> All in favor?
>> I.
>> Anything for executive tonight?
>> Uh we do have executive.
>> It will be quick, but let me read that
into the record. So we have resolution
85-2025
whereas there are three items scheduled
for discussion. those items to include
any pending or anticipated litigation or
contract negotiations, which includes
attorney legal updates and a request
from the Richland Fire Richland
Volunteer Fire Company, and any matter
involving the employment, appointment,
termination of employment, or terms and
conditions of employment to include the
reorganization of the finance office and
appointment of a chief financial
officer. I estimated roughly 15 minutes
for executive session with no action to
be taken after.
Uh motion and a second to enter
executive session.
>> Motion to enter executive session.
>> Second.
>> Roll call.
>> Tesa,
>> yes.
>> Williams,
>> yes.
>> Reeri,
>> yes.
>> And that's it.