Transcript for Piscataway Council meeting on November 29 2022
Note: Transcripts are generated by rev.ai and may not be fully accurate. Please listen to the recording (below) if you feel any text is inaccurate.
Speaker 0 00:00:11 November, recording in progress 2022. I'd like to call this meeting to order. Adequate notice of this meeting has been provided as required under chapter 2 31 PL 1975, specifying the time, date, location, login or dial in information and to the extent known the agenda by posting a copy of the notice on the municipal Building municipal court and the two municipal library bulletin boards municipal website, providing a copy to the official newspapers of the Township and by filing a copy in the office of the Township clerks in accordance with the certification by the clerk, which will be entered in the minutes. The Township continues to use a remote meeting format in an effort to mitigate the chance of exposure to Covid 19. As a part of the township's ongoing effort to slow the rate of transmission and overwhelm overwhelming our treatment centers. In order to make sure a clear record of the meeting can be made and that all parties are heard in an organized fashion, all members of the public will be muted during the meeting. Speaker 0 00:01:14 If a member of the public wishes to speak during any public comment portion, please raise your hand. This can be done either through Zoom app or by pressing star nine on your phone. When it is your turn to speak, you will receive a prompt or request to unmute. Please click on the prompt or press star six on your phone to unmute. Upon being unmuted, you should begin to ask any and all questions you may have. You will have three minutes to speak at the conclusion of which you will be muted again, and the council or administration will respond as necessary. Should you have any further comments or questions. The Town Council is always available by email and phone, and you could always call the mayor's office during normal operating hours. Each member of the public shall have one opportunity to speak during each public portion. Speaker 0 00:02:02 As the technology does not allow us to know if there are multiple callers on an individual phone line or log in user account. We ask that if you wish to speak, that you log in or dial in separately so that we can recognize you as a separate individual. Individuals may also submit written comments to the Township clerk up to 48 hours prior to the meeting to be read by the Township clerk during the public comment portion of the meeting. Said Comments shall be limited to three minutes of reading. Thank you in advance for your patience as we continue to move the Township forward during this. Miss Cedar, can you please call the role Councilman Bullard. Councilwoman Cahill. Here. Councilman Cahn. Councilman Rouse. Yeah. Councilman Shah. Yeah. Councilman Uhrin. Here. Council President Lombardi. Here. Mayor. Brian Wahler. Speaker 1 00:03:00 Present. Speaker 0 00:03:02 Business Administrator. Timothy D Speaker 1 00:03:04 Here. Speaker 0 00:03:06 Township. Attorney Raj. Vera Goomer. Speaker 1 00:03:08 Here. Speaker 0 00:03:09 Deputy Township. Clerk Kelly. Mitch here. And I'm here. Melissa Cedar, the Township clerk. Would everyone please join me in the flex Speaker 2 00:03:22 Flag? Speaker 1 00:03:30 Invisible. Thank. Speaker 0 00:03:43 At this time we'll move to number five, which are comments from the administration or counsel regarding the adjournment of any matters on the agenda. Do we have any regarding any adjournment from any of our counsel members? Speaker 0 00:04:02 Seeing none, we'll move to number six, which will be open to the public. We will be opening to the public for comments regarding the consent agenda items only. Again, this will be the open public portion. For the consent agenda items only, if you wish to speak at this time, please raise your hand either on Zoom app or if by phone by pressing star nine. When it is your turn to speak, you'll receive or hear a request To unmute yourself, please click the prompt or press star six on your phone to unmute yourself at that time, please state your name and address and know that you have three minutes in which to make your comments. The council or administration will respond if necessary. After you have completed any comments or questions, we're now open to the public for comments regarding the consent agenda items. Speaker 0 00:04:57 Council president, there are no individuals with their hand raised regarding this agenda item. The public portion is now closed. Number seven is an ordinance per second reading the accept acceptance of Traffic Control signal intersection of New Brunswick and Carton Avenue. It will be open to the public and is a resolution adopting ordinance. Mrs. Cedar, can you please read this ordinance be resolved by the Township Council, Piscataway Township, New Jersey that an ordinance entitled Ordinance Approving the Traffic signal improvements for New Brunswick Avenue County County Route 6 47 and Carlton Avenue in the Township of Piscataway County of Middle six State of New Jersey was introduced on the 10th day of November, 2022 and I passed the first reading and was published on the 16th day of November, 2022. Now therefore be resolved that the officer of ordinance having had a second reading on November 29th, 2022, the adopted pass and after passage be published together with a notice of the date of passenger approval in the official newspaper. Speaker 0 00:06:01 Be further resolved that this ordinance shall be assigned number 20 22 22. Thank you Mrs. Cedar. We will now open this to the public cuz it is a second reading for number seven. If you wish to speak at this time, please raise your hand either on the Zoom app or if by phone, by pressing star nine. When it is your turn to speak, you'll receive or hear a request To unmute yourself, please click the prompt or press star six on your phone to unmute yourself at that time, please state your name and address and know that you have three minutes wish to make your comments. The council or administration will respond if necessary. After you have completed any comments or questions, we're now open to the public for number seven. Second reading. Speaker 0 00:06:53 Council president, there are no individuals with their hand raises regarding this agenda. The public portion is now closed. May I have an offer please? Councilwoman Cahill. May I have a second? Councilman Uhrin. Second. Thank you Ms, can you please call the vote? Councilwoman Cahill? Yes. Councilman Rouse. Yes. Councilman Chaill. Yes. Councilman Uhrin. Yes. Council President Lombardi? Yes. And the ordinance passes Second reading. Number eight is a fully funded ordinance. It's the second reading to million 500,000 for various sewer improvements. It will be open to the public. It's a resolution adopting ordinance. Ms. Cedar, can you please read this ordinance? Be it resolved by the Township Council, this Township New Jersey that an ordinance entitled Ordinance Appropriating 2,500,000 from the So utility budget capital outlay for various. So utility improvements in and by the town Piscataway in the county of Middlesex, New Jersey was introduced on the 10th day of November, 2022 and had passed the first reading and was published on the 17th day of November two. Now therefore be it resolved that the said ordinance having had a second reading on November 29th, 2022 be adopted. Pass and after passage be published together with a notice of the date of passage or approval in the official newspaper. Be further resolve the, this ordinance shall be assigned number 20 22 23. Speaker 0 00:08:25 Thank you. Miss Will now open to the public for number eight. So if you wish to speak at this time, please raise your hand either on the Zoom app or if by phone, by pressing star nine. When it is your turn to speak, you'll receive or hear a request To unmute yourself, please click the prompt or press star six on your phone to unmute yourself at that time, please state your name and address and know that you have three minutes, which to make your comments. The council or administration will respond if necessary. After you have completed any comments or questions, we're now open to the public for number eight. Speaker 0 00:09:11 Council president, there are no individuals with their hand raised regarding this agenda. The public portion's now closed. Can I have an offer? Offer? Can I have a second? Second. And Cedar, can you please call the role Councilwoman Cahill? Yes. Councilman Rouse. Yes. Councilman Shah. Yes. Councilman Uhrin? Yes. Council President Lombardi? Yes. And the ordinance passes. Number nine is a bond ordinance. It's the second reading 9 million slash $1,689,811. It's the acquisition of a communication network who will be open to the public and it's a resolution adopting ordinance. Miss Cedar, can you please read this ordinance be resolved by the Township Council, Piscataway Township, New Jersey that an ordinance entitled Bond Ordinance providing for the acquisition of a communication network in and by the Township of Piscataway in the county of Middlesex, New Jersey, appropriating 9 million there for and authorizing the issuance of $1,689,811 bonds or notes of the Township to finance part of the cost there are was introduced on the 10th day of November, 2022 and had passed the first reading. Speaker 0 00:10:32 It was published on the 17th day of November, 2022. Now therefore be it resolved that the opposite ordinance having had a second reading on November 29th, 2022, we adopted past and after passage be published together with a notice of the date of passage or approval in the official newspaper. You further resolve that this ordinance shall be sign number 20 22 20. Thank you Ms. Cedar. We'll now open this to the public because this is a second reading regarding this ordinance. If you wish to speak at this time, please raise your hand either on the Zoom app or if by phone, by pressing star nine. When it is your turn to speak, you'll receive or hear a request to unmute yourself, please click the prompt or press star six on your phone to unmute yourself at that time, please state your name and address and know that you have three minutes of which to make your comments. The counsel or administration will respond if necessary. After you have completed any comments or questions, we're now open to the public for number nine, the bond ordinance Council president, I'm asking the first individual with their hand unmute themself. Speaker 3 00:11:44 Hi, this is Jessica Kratovil at 1247 Brookside Road. Can you hear me? Speaker 0 00:11:51 Yes, we can go ahead. Speaker 3 00:11:54 Hi. Yeah, I had a, a question about this 9 million expenditure. I understand that 7.3 million are coming from a federal fund, American Rescue Plan Fund, but I'm confused why Piscataway would need to make a purchase for a communication system for police and emergency response when both the Middlesex County and the state of New Jersey have systems that cover this area. I would be really interested to hear why this is something that we need to invest in ourselves as the Township and why the council members think that this is a fiscally responsible move for Piscataway to make. That's the extent of my question. Thank you. Speaker 0 00:12:51 Thank you Mrs. Crowd. Mr. Mr. Dacey or our Township attorney will answer that question for you. Speaker 4 00:13:01 So communications equipment like TVs, electronics, all eventually wear us out and the federal government's been narrow banding over the last 30 years and changing the frequencies. So our department went out and looked at the options that were available to them and it was determined that it would be the best interest of the Township if we have our own system that we can operate and maintain and not have to rely on on anybody else's systems as some other towns have chosen to do. And the fact that we're using the federal funds to pay for the vast majority of it makes sense fiscally and financially to us at the same time as it makes operational sense for us to maintain and control our own system. Speaker 5 00:13:54 Thank you. Council president. Council president, if I could just before we go to the next person. So Mr. Dacey, it's my understanding too is that the, the bandwidth that we'll have with this system will give our residents much better service, much more reliable service. This was my understanding as to some of the reasoning why our, you know, our law officers and the Township too felt like this was a better route than going through the county. Is that's Speaker 4 00:14:30 Accurate? We've got some, unfortunately we've got some spots where the communications in the Township aren't quite as crisp as they are in other parts of the Township and we had a communications company come in and design the system and they recommended putting up some additional towers that we could put repeaters on and the result of that will be we'll get better coverage throughout the Township and especially in some of the larger buildings if there's an emergency in the talk to police fire departments. The ambulance. Speaker 5 00:15:08 And if I could, just on a follow up question, just to make it clear for this resident, is that without that repeater system, which we would not necessarily have gotten had we signed on, that's what we're talking about, the gap in communications. Is that fair to say? Speaker 4 00:15:26 That's correct. Speaker 5 00:15:28 Okay, thank you. Speaker 6 00:15:29 And, and council president, I just wanna add in that we do have the certification from the FCC for the bandwidth. So not many towns have that in the state. Speaker 0 00:15:41 Thank you. And I would also add that the safety of our emergency services personnel is of utmost priority. We have any other comments regarding that issue? Okay, we'll take the next person. Council president, I'm asking the next individual with their hand raised, unmute themselves. Speaker 7 00:16:06 Hello, Brian Rack 1247 Brookside Road. I'd just like to address a few of your previous comments. First of all, to Ms. Cahill, the, the system does not, the residents do not get any additional bandwidth from this. This is a purely used by the town and the fire department, the police departments and stuff. So like that's sort of related. Speaker 5 00:16:27 I did not say that Mr. Rex. So maybe you misunderstood what my questions were to Mr. Jason. All Speaker 0 00:16:32 Right, let's, let's let him do his question first. I Speaker 7 00:16:35 I would appreciate that. And yeah, I'm concerned also because the Township dispatches EMS via the existing Middlesex County or state system. So if there's dead spots in the town, is EMS unable to contact their dispatch when they're in those dead zones? Is this system gonna remedy that in any way? Do we have qualified people on staff to do this or are we tying ourselves to contractors forever? This is 11% of the 2022 budget or it's equivalent to 11% I should say. Does this include the cost of buying new radios for all the fire departments and all the municipal employees? And does this include any sort of maintenance on an ongoing basis? Thanks. Speaker 0 00:17:20 Thank you Mr. R. Mr. Dacey, do you wanna allude to some of those questions please? Speaker 4 00:17:27 So the ambulances are dispatched through JFK right now and there's no dead spots for JFK dispatch. The additional towers will be for, to make sure that we have good coverage for the police, fire, and EMS all throughout the town to improve coverage. It is designed by, we do not have radio, radio design experts on our staff. So we did hire a company to do the, to do the design, but we'll not be tied to the company after the system is implemented. It does include money to buy radios for police department and I believe public works and some other departments and the police are working with fire commissioners for what they to do and it's managed in-house by of our polices. That covers it all. Speaker 0 00:18:31 Thank you Mr. Dacey. Council president. There are no other individuals with her hand raised. The public portion is now closed. Can I have an offer please Speaker 1 00:18:50 Offer Councilman Speaker 0 00:18:53 Cahn. I have a second. Speaker 1 00:18:55 Second. Speaker 0 00:18:57 Can you please call the role Councilwoman ca? Speaker 1 00:19:02 Yes. Speaker 0 00:19:04 Councilman Rouse. Speaker 1 00:19:06 Yes. Speaker 0 00:19:08 Councilman Shah. Speaker 1 00:19:09 Yes. Speaker 0 00:19:11 Councilman Uhrin. Yes. Council President Lombardi? Yes. And the bond ordinance passes Second reading number nine. Number 10 is in ordinance first reading. Amending this and supplementing various chapters of the municipal code resolution adopting ordinance Miss Cedar, can you please read this Ordinance Mayor Resolve by the Township Council, miss Getaway Township, New Jersey Speaker 0 00:19:36 That an ordinance entitled Ordinance to amend and supplement the revised general ordinances of the Township of Piscataway, county of Middlesex, state of New Jersey. Amending chapter two administration, section 10 departments Section 18, division of Police. Chapter three, police Regulations Section 27, smoking and edibles on public property. Chapter seven, traffic section E, parking Section 14, parking prohibited at all times on certain streets. Section 20 stop intersections, section 25 vehicles over designated weight excluded from certain streets. Chapter 10, health regulations section 2.4 fees, chapter 12, parks and recreation areas Section one, use of parks, playgrounds, fields, rinks and courts hours permits. Section 4.1 fees and charges. Section 5.1 Rules and regulations for public use. Section 10.1, display of flags on Township flag holes. Chapter 14, building section 1.3 fees. Chapter 15, short term rentals. Section five fees. Chapter 17, property maintenance code adopted PM section PM 1 0 1 0.8. Speaker 0 00:20:52 Application to creditors section PM one 13.5. Registration of World Property Mortgagey holding mortgages in default. Chapter 21 zoning section 1 1 0 2. General parking schedule Chapter 23, sewers and wastewater. Section 3.3, strength measurement section 23 dash 1.4 Township responsibility, section one 1.5 System improvements. Chapter 24, site plan review section 7 0 2 0.3 Other design criteria Chapter 32, stormwater management and control. Section five definitions and section seven a green roofs and the salary and compensation classification plan for the officials and employees of the Township getaway being is here by adopted on the first reading that it be published in the official newspaper. And that a second reading in public hearing be held at 7:30 PM prevailing time at the Piscataway Municipal Building 4 55 Hose Lane, Piscataway, New Jersey as well as by a remote meeting format on the 13th day of December, 2022. Be further resolve that a copy of this ordinance shall be posted in at least two public places within the Township prior to the day of the second meeting and final passage and a copy of this ordinance shall be made available at the office of the Township Clerk for any interested member of the public. Speaker 0 00:22:14 Thank you Mrs. This is the first reading. So can I have a motion to accept the first can the Councilwoman Cahill? Yes. Councilman Rouse. Yes. Councilman Shah. Yes. Councilman Uhrin. Yes. Council President Lombardi? Yes. And the ordinance passes. First reading number 11 is an ordinance first reading. Also it's an ordinance adopting amended read development plan for block 11 901 lot 22 5 8 57 hose lane West Ms. Cedar, can you please read this ordinance Mayor Za by the Township Council of Piscataway Township, New Jersey that an ordinance entitled in Ordinance adopt an Amended Redevelopment for block 1 9 0 1 Lot 22.1 5 8 57 Hose Lane West as shown on the tax map of the Township of Piscataway Bean is hereby adopted on the first reading that be published in the official newspaper. And that a second reading in public hearing be held at 7:30 PM prevailing time at the Piscataway Municipal Building 4 55 Hose Lane, Piscataway, New Jersey, as well as by a remote meeting format on the 13th day of December, 2022. You further resolve that a copy of this ordinance shall be posted in at least two public places within the Township prior to the day of the second reading and final passage. And a copy of this ordinance shall be made available at the office of the Township Clerk for any interested member of the public. Speaker 0 00:23:50 Thank you Mrs. Cedar. Can I have a motion for the first reading Speaker 5 00:23:55 Motion. Speaker 8 00:23:56 Second. Speaker 0 00:23:57 I have a second. Cedar, can you please call the role Councilwoman Kale? Speaker 5 00:24:03 Yes. Speaker 0 00:24:04 Councilman Rouse. Speaker 8 00:24:06 Yes. Speaker 0 00:24:07 Councilman Shaw? Speaker 9 00:24:09 Yes. Speaker 0 00:24:10 Councilman Uhrin. Speaker 10 00:24:11 Yes. Speaker 0 00:24:12 Council President Lombardi? Yes. And the ordinance passes First reading Number 12 are the consent agenda. Resolutions for efficiency items have been consolidated into a consent agenda to be voted on together. The materials for these items have been distributed to the council in advance of the meeting at this time. Are there any items that the council would like removed from the consent agenda to be discussed or voted on separately? Seeing none. Can I have a motion to accept the consent agenda resolution? Speaker 10 00:24:53 Councilman Uhrin. Speaker 0 00:24:56 Do I have a second? Speaker 9 00:24:57 Second. Speaker 0 00:25:00 Can you call the Councilwoman Caho? Speaker 5 00:25:04 Yes. Speaker 0 00:25:05 Councilman Rouse? Speaker 8 00:25:07 Yes. Speaker 0 00:25:08 Councilman Shah? Speaker 9 00:25:09 Yes. Speaker 0 00:25:10 Councilman Uhrin? Speaker 10 00:25:11 Yes. Speaker 0 00:25:12 Council President Lombardi? Yes. And the consent agenda passes Number 13 are announcements and comments from officials. Councilwoman. Cao, Speaker 5 00:25:26 None at this time. Council Speaker 0 00:25:30 Councilman Rouse? Speaker 8 00:25:32 None at this time. Speaker 0 00:25:33 Councilman Shaw? Speaker 9 00:25:35 No thanks Speaker 0 00:25:37 Councilman. Uhrin? Speaker 10 00:25:39 No, nothing at this time. Council President Speaker 0 00:25:43 Mayor. Brian Wahler. Speaker 6 00:25:45 Thank you Council president. I just wanna just remind the residents to please get their leaf bags out on the D PW will be collecting them until the 31st of December. Thank you. Speaker 0 00:25:58 This is Administrator Tim Dacey Speaker 9 00:26:01 Nothing tonight. Thank you. Speaker 0 00:26:03 And our Township attorney Raj Numar. Speaker 9 00:26:07 No comment. Thank you. Speaker 0 00:26:09 And I just have one quick item. I just wanna remind people that our Township tree lighting with Santa will be on Friday evening, December 9th. I believe we do have another meeting prior to that, but I just wanted to get that out there for people making their schedules. So we'll now move to the number 14, which is the agenda session for the December 6th, 2022. Meeting. On that agenda will be a fully funded ordinance for second reading 1,080,000 various capital improvements. It will be open to the public a resolution adopting ordinance. We'll have a bond ordinance second reading 9,700,000 slash 9,215,000 for various capital improvements. And that also will be open to the public. Do you have any questions or comments regarding either of those? Speaker 0 00:27:06 We have a resolution authorizing renewal of contract with microsystems New Jersey Cahn dot com for a mod program for assessing January 1st, 2023 through December 31st, 2023 not to exceed seventeen thousand four hundred seventy four thousand and eighty two cents. Questions or concerns? We have a resolution authorizing return of street opening bond block 72 0 3 lot 25 at one 14 Avenue and we have a resolution authorizing return of escrow's various blocks and lots. We have a resolution authorizing a return of a cash performance bond three lot 9.02 at two 16 Plainfield Avenue and a resolution authorizing of cancellation of taxes and refund of overpayment due to tax court judgment block 7 0 3 lot 1.06. We have any questions? I'm sure there will be more to follow at this point. We'll now be open to the public for any comments or questions on any matters. If you wish to speak at this time, please raise your hand either on the Zoom app or if by pressing star nine, when it is your turn to speak, you'll receive or hear a request to unmute yourself, please click the prompt or press star six on your phone to unmute yourself at that time. Please state your name and address and know that you have three minutes in which to make your comments. The council or administration will respond if necessary. After you have completed any comments or questions, we're now open to the public council resident. I'm asking the first individual with our hand raised, unmute himself. Speaker 7 00:28:55 Hello, Brian Rack, 1247 Brookside Road. Still, I'd just like to address Mr. Dacey, JFK uses the state system. I'm looking at an Oprah request from about a year ago where there's a bunch of emails between JFK and the New Jersey, o i t, where they're talking about setting up the dispatch talk groups on the state system. So I mean, they're, they're using that so there's coverage problems that that's a potentially big issue. That was it. Thanks. Speaker 0 00:29:24 Thank you Mr.. Dacey, do you wanna comment on that? Speaker 7 00:29:33 No comment. Speaker 11 00:29:38 Council president, if I just wanna comment a couple things that Mr. Rack had brought up earlier that I wanted to comment. He, he said it's 11% of the budget. He seems to ignore the federal grant. You know, so that that doesn't make it 11% of the actual budget if you reduce the amount by the federal grant. The other item is, I think Ms. Kratovil, she had stated that, you know, why don't we use the state and the county systems? You know, we would have to contribute to those systems if we use them too. So that has to be taken into account, constant annual contributions to those systems. Whereas if we, you know, install our own system, we're not paying anybody else for, for of their system. Speaker 0 00:30:23 Thank you Mr. Dacey, council president. There are no other individuals with their hand raised at this time. The is now closed. Number 16 is adjournment. Can I have a motion to adjourn? Motion? May I have a second? So I, all those in favor? Please say I I have a good evening everyone. Goodnight everyone. Good. Good night. Goodnight.