Transcript for Piscataway Council meeting on January 2 2026
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 00:00:00 Sla, key Historic Preservation Advisory Commission. William Kerwin and Roxy James to the planning board, Dawn Corcoran, class two. And Michael Foster, presiding Municipal Court Judge Spiro Kaumba. Speaker 2 00:00:23 Thank you. We'll now move to number nine. We have to take a vote on that. No, that's all. Appointments number nine is open to the public for the comments regarding the items on the consent agenda. Items only though we will now open to this, open to the public for any items for the consent agenda items Speaker 2 00:00:47 For each public comment portion for remote attendees, 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 will receive or hear a request. To unmute yourself, please click the prompt or press 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. So we're now opening the public portion for the remote attendees. Speaker 0 00:01:24 Council president, there are no remote attendees with their hand raised regarding this agenda item. Speaker 2 00:01:29 Okay, that's closed. Closed the public portion for remote attendees and we will now open it for the in-person attendees. Anyone wishing to speak on consent? Agenda items only, please come up at this time, state your name and address and know you have three minutes in which to speak. Speaker 3 00:01:52 58 Curtis Avenue. Speaker 2 00:01:54 Come. Speaker 3 00:01:57 Happy New Year's people. Happy New Speaker 2 00:01:59 Year. Happy New Year. Gustav. Speaker 3 00:02:01 I'm glad I have an audience. Happy New Year's to you. The planning board, a property maintenance. How come I don't hear, excuse me from them people. Speaker 2 00:02:13 This is for the consent agenda items. Now I anything, do you have anything on the consent agenda? Speaker 3 00:02:19 It's item H and I want to do something with the Property Maintenance Planning Board, which is none existed. This is the sixth year I've been complaining about ordinance violations pertaining to residents and a township. My complaint is none existed. Speaker 2 00:02:49 Is that for the public portion? Your next public portion. This is the consent agenda item, Speaker 3 00:02:53 Sir. This is about the appointments. These are appointments. What is the Board of Property Maintenance gonna do for us? Speaker 2 00:03:03 It's people that were appointed to that position. Speaker 3 00:03:06 Nothing. Speaker 2 00:03:09 Thank you. Speaker 3 00:03:10 Thank you. Speaker 2 00:03:17 Anyone else? Seeing none will close. The public portion for the consent agenda for efficiency Items have been consolidated into a consent agenda to be voted on together and the materials for these items have been distributed to the council in advance of the meeting. Do I have a motion for the consent agenda? Oh, Speaker 0 00:03:44 I'm gonna read the names just because we're doing all the appointments tonight. Okay. Thank you. So the appointment of Jennifer Johnson as Deputy Municipal Clerk. Appointments of Jennifer Johnson and Deputy Registrar as Deputy Registrar and Bunty sued as alternate Deputy Registrar of Vital Statistics. Sharon Carmichael. Stacy Lopez, Shamala Shyla Mu. I apologize for my pronunciation. Mural Krishnan and Manela Petya to the Cultural Arts Advisory Commission. Crystal Anderson, Kevin Mayers, and Steve Slat. Key to the Health Advisory Commission. Frank Ern and Joanna Renan to the Housing and Community Development Advisory Committee. Evelyn Hartman, Cindy Galley, Paula Elli, and Christopher Ivano to the Library Board of Trustees, animal Control Solutions as Certified Animal Control Officer. And Sean Morelli as Animal Cruelty investigator Joanna Renan, Henry Kinneally and William Kerwin to the Property Maintenance Board of Appeals, Dawn Corcoran as Municipal Housing Liaison for Affordable Housing Program. Gabrielle Cahill to the Planning Board as a class three member. Speaker 0 00:05:01 Raheem Hashmi, Michelle Lombardi, Yusef Nasir, Helen Perillo and Sharon Carmichael to the Public Relations Advisory Commission. Theresa Douglas, Dennis Espinosa, Uhrin Gibbs, Darius Griffin, Rico Hernandez, pat Morgan, Frank Uhrin, Abba on Yi and Kail Shaw to the Recreation Advisory Commission. Catherine Riss and Jeffrey Tillery To the Rent Leveling Board. Karen O'Donnell, Rosemary Pito, Antonio Banno, Joyce Coles and Joan Vent Trilia to the Senior Citizen Advisory Commission. Paula Elli, Veronica Klein and Linda Hill to the Senior Citizens Housing Board of Trustees. Roy Reggio to the zoning board of Adjustment. Robert g Kinneally. Esquire as as supervising prosecutor Michael KCI Esquire and John Kozinski Esquire as township prosecutors. Paula Kelli as Public Agency Compliance Officer John Wisnewski Esquire and James Harding, Esquire as Public Defenders Sparrow Kabaka as Municipal Court Judge Angela Dos Santos as Deputy Municipal Court Administrator. Christopher Yodas. Kenneth Schultz, Thomas pki. Brad Stover, Joseph Quigley and Christian Young as special police officers. And Jonathan and Ms. Rawhi as the CDBG township certifying Agent Fund Administrator. Speaker 2 00:06:52 Can we have a motion to accept the consent agenda? Motion. Speaker 4 00:06:57 Second. Speaker 2 00:07:00 Can we please have a roll call? Speaker 0 00:07:02 Council member Cahill? Yes. Council member Carmichael? Yes. Council member Espinosa? Speaker 5 00:07:07 Yes. Speaker 0 00:07:08 Council member Liebowitz? Speaker 4 00:07:10 Yes. Speaker 0 00:07:11 Council member Rashid? Yes. Council member Rin? Yes. Council President Lombardi? Speaker 2 00:07:18 Yes. And the consent agenda passes. We'll now move to number 11 with which is the oath of office to all of the appointees. So everyone please come up, grab a Bible and we'll do the oath of office for everyone together. Speaker 4 00:08:02 Like everybody's group hug here, Speaker 5 00:08:15 Gabriela? Yes. Speaker 4 00:08:28 And we're gonna try to make this as painless as possible. So can everybody please raise your right hand and repeat after me? I and state your name do solemnly swear that I will support the constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the state of New Jersey. That I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same and to the government's established in the United States and in this state. Under the authority of the people that are will facial faithfully and partially and justly reform all the duties of the office and state your office name. Okay. Just the way we love it in bis scattering according to the best of my ability. Okay. Congratulations everybody. Now get to work in 2026. If I may. We're gonna have everybody's os if we can go to the clerk's office. We'll get here. I'll, I'll hang on. Yeah, Speaker 6 00:10:01 Yeah. Okay. Call. How you doing? Happy do year coming out. Happy year. Thank you. Come work. We will. Yeah, don't, don't, don't look like comfortable. I know, right. Speaker 5 00:11:20 Number one. Speaker 2 00:11:22 Congratulations everyone. We're now gonna move into the next portion of our meeting. Number 12 is an ordinance First reading amending chapter 21, zoning section six, general regulations. It's a resolution adopting ordinance. Ms. Cedar, can you please read the ordinance? Be Speaker 0 00:12:06 It resolved by the Township Council of Piscataway Township, New Jersey that an ordinance entitled Ordinance to amend the revised general ordinances of the Township of Piscataway, county of Middlesex, state of New Jersey. Amending Chapter 21, zoning Section six, general Regulations B and is hereby adopted on the first reading that it be published in the official newspaper. And that a second reading of public hearing be held at 7:00 PM prevailing time at the Piscataway Municipal Building 4 55 Hose Lane Piscataway, New Jersey on the 20th day of January, 2026. Be it further resolved 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 2 00:12:50 Thank you Mrs. Cedar. Have any questions from council regarding this? I have an offer. Offer. Can I have a second roll call Vote please. Speaker 0 00:13:03 Council member Cahill? Yes. Council member Carmichael. Yes. Council member Espinosa. Yes. Council member Liebowitz. Yes. Council member Rashid? Yes. Council member Rin. Yes. Council President Lombardi? Speaker 2 00:13:18 Yes. And the first reading passes 13 is an ordinance first reading amending Chapter seven, traffic, traffic section 26 turn prohibitions resolution adopting Ordinance. Ms. Cedar, can you please read the ordinance, be Speaker 0 00:13:33 It resolved by the Township Council of Piscataway Township, New Jersey 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 seven traffic section 26 turn prohibitions bean is hereby adopted on the first reading that it be published in the official newspaper. And that a second reading of public hearing be held at 7:00 PM prevailing time at the Piscataway Municipal Building 4 55 Hose Lane Piscataway, New Jersey on the 20th day of January, 2026. Be it further resolved 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 2 00:14:19 Thank you Ms. Cedar. Do we have any questions? Speaker 7 00:14:23 Offer Councilman Uhrin. Speaker 2 00:14:26 Go ahead Raj. Speaker 8 00:14:29 This is just that the Wawa left turn going into and out of the Wawa, the planning board had already put that restriction in there in the, in the planning board approval. However, people are still doing it. So this is so that we can enforce and ticket people. So we're, we're gonna make sure that the Wawa puts up those signs. Yeah, Speaker 9 00:14:52 This is going left into left. Speaker 2 00:14:55 Yeah. Thank you for that clarification. Can we have an offer? I think Councilman Ern? We have a second. Speaker 0 00:15:03 Second. Speaker 2 00:15:05 Roll call vote please. Speaker 0 00:15:07 Council member Cahill? Yes. Council member Carmichael? Yes. Council member Espinosa. Yes. Council member Lebowitz? Yes. Council member Rashid? Yes. Council member Rin? Yes. Council President Lombardi? Speaker 2 00:15:21 Yes. And first reading passes 14th is an ordinance first reading fully funded 1,235,000 for various sewer utility improvements. It's a resolution adopting ordinance Ms. Cedar, can you read the ordinance? Please Speaker 0 00:15:38 Be resolved by the Township Council of Piscataway Township, New Jersey that an ordinance entitled Ordinance appropriating $1,235,000 from the Capital Improvement Fund to provide for various sewer utility improvements in and by the township of Piscataway in the county of Middlesex, New Jersey. Beanie hereby adopted on the first reading that it be published in the official newspaper. And that a second reading in public hearing be held at 7:00 PM prevailing time at the Piscataway Municipal Building 4 55 Hose Lane Piscataway, New Jersey on the 20th day of January, 2026. Be it further resolved 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 2 00:16:22 Thank you Mrs. Cedar. Do I have an offer? Speaker 9 00:16:28 Offer Cahill Second Dennis Speaker 2 00:16:32 All call vote please. Speaker 0 00:16:34 Council member Cahill? Yes. Council member Carmichael? Yes. Council member Espinosa. Yes. Council member Liebowitz? Yes. Council member Rashid? Yes. Council member Rin? Yes. Council President Lombardi? Speaker 2 00:16:49 Yes. 15 is an ordinance First reading fully funded $3,915,374 and 3 million from Capital Surplus Fund and $915,374 from Capital Improvement Fund. Various capital improvements resolution adopting ordinance Ms. The Can you please call read this ordinance be Speaker 0 00:17:14 It resolved by the Township Council of Piscataway Township, New Jersey that an ordinance entitled Ordinance Appropriating $3,915,374 3 million of which is from the Capital Surplus Fund and $915,374 of which is from the Capital Improvement Fund to provide for various capital improvements in and by the township of Piscataway in the county of Middlesex New Jersey B. And is hereby adopted on the first reading that it be published in the official newspaper. And that a second reading and public hearing be held at 7:00 PM prevailing time at the Piscataway Municipal Building 4 55 Hose Lane, Piscataway, New Jersey on the 20th day of January, 2026. Be further resolved 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 2 00:18:07 Thank you Ms. Cedar, do we have any questions from council? Seeing none, can I have an offer? Speaker 10 00:18:15 Offer Carmichael second Leitz Speaker 2 00:18:19 Roll call. Vote please. Speaker 0 00:18:20 Council member Caho? Yes. Council member Carmichael. Yes. Council member Espinosa. Yes. Council member Lebowitz. Yes. Council member Rashid? Yes. Council member Rin? Yes. Council President Lombardi? Speaker 2 00:18:35 Yes. First reading passes. We'll now move to number 16, which is the announcements and comments from our officials. So our council members, Gabrielle Cahill. Speaker 11 00:18:50 Thank you Council president. I'm just wanna wish everyone a very happy two, 2026. I'm looking forward to serving the town again this year in hopes that we really do have a great year as a community and as a board and working with my colleagues. So happy New Year everyone. Speaker 2 00:19:13 Sharon Carmichael. Speaker 10 00:19:15 Thank you Madam President. First I want to thank President or former President Dennis Espinosa for his skillful leadership of the the Council for the last year. And congratulations to Michelle Lombardi who moves into the presidential role. I know you do a great job. You always do. And thank you all for your vote of confidence for me as vice president and everyone have a great, happy, prosperous New Year. Thank you Speaker 2 00:19:49 Dennis Espinoza. Speaker 9 00:19:52 Thank you President. Congratulations to you, you, you you always do a hell of a job. So thank you and of course congratulations to you Vice President Carmichael. I know you do a great job as well. It's kind of weird kind of being in third 'cause I always had to be last, last time so I actually get to speak to everyone. So again, like everyone says, happy New Year. Maybe we have a great and continue making Piscataway great a place to live. And also just wanna remind everybody of course that the free clinic, the first session is going to be in January 31st. We'll get those, our pets over there. It's gonna be with last names beginning through eight, through K and then the next one's in February. So Speaker 11 00:20:36 Yeah, I might need special dispensation for somebody 'cause I might not be around early enough to take my dog that day. Speaker 9 00:20:42 I I am pretty sure you can find someone. Thank you. Speaker 2 00:20:49 Laura Leitz. Speaker 12 00:20:50 Hello everybody. Happy New Year. It's funny to think this is my first full year on this board and I really am, have learned so much and look forward to continuing to serve the residents of the town looking out on this full house. I'm really grateful to have raised my children here, worked in our school district and now serving so many amazing residents of this town and looking forward to continuing to do so. Happy New Year. Speaker 2 00:21:24 Sarah Rashid. Speaker 13 00:21:26 First of all, congratulations to the president and the vice president and congratulations to all of you for your new appointment. Very exciting. Happy New Year. I am very optimistic and hopeful for the year. So wishing everyone a happy and a healthy, happy New Year. Speaker 2 00:21:47 Frank Uhrin. Speaker 7 00:21:49 Yes, congratulations Michelle and Sharon. I know you guys will do a great job and I just wanna wish everybody a happy and healthy new year. Speaker 2 00:21:58 Our mayor is not in the room at the time. Our Business Administrator, Paula Elli. Speaker 14 00:22:05 Thank you President Lombardi. Congratulations. Congratulations Vice President Carmichael as well and thank you to our former council president. A lot of pressure on the president position. I just would like to say we're gonna continue. We're we're working on the budget as you can see, you just voted on our capital fully cash. This is cash that the township has been very fiscally responsible and is able to purchase these items without having to bond. So that is what you just voted on first hearing. So thank you for that. We will continue. The administration will continue with getting more grants. The governor just announced a local registration improvement grant, which is up to a hundred thousand dollars. We were awarded $92,000 last year and we're gonna continue along changing out our lights from sodium vapor lights to LEDs in our sports facilities. And there's another grant out there. It's the local Efficiency Achievement Program grant that is to have local government entities enter into shared services agreements. So it's about kicking off that effort and supplying the funds in order to do that. So that's what we're gonna head toward and we're working on or have worked on the 2026 budget. So that'll be ready to go for introduction in March and hopefully adoption in April. And a happy new year to everybody. Thank you. Speaker 2 00:23:31 Thank you so much. Our attorney Raj Kumar. Speaker 8 00:23:36 Just a happy new Year to everybody. No other comments. Thank you. Speaker 2 00:23:41 Well this is the downside of being here Christie. Everybody says everything before they get to me now. Exactly. But anyway, thank you so much for your leadership skills, Dennis, in the last year. Congratulations Sharon to being the vice president and congratulations to all of our volunteers in town. You are what makes this town a wonderful town to live in. Our volunteers. Thank you everyone and I look forward to leading with honesty, integrity and doing what is right for the Piscataway people in our town. Thank you. You have anything to say? Township clerk? You sure we You can. That's okay. All right. We'll now move on to our agenda session for January 20th, meeting 2026. Speaker 2 00:24:50 On the agenda for the next meeting will be an ordinance for the second reading amending chapter 21 zoning section six, general regulations open to the public resolution adopting ordinance. Do we have any questions or concerns? Ordinance second. Reading amending chapter seven, traffic section 14, parking prohibited at all times on certain streets open to the public resolution adopting ordinance. I believe we received all the information and had the first reading on that one. Do we have any questions or concerns? Ordinance second reading fully funded 1,235,000 sewer utility, various sewer utility improvements open to the public resolution. It will be an adopting ordinance. Speaker 2 00:25:38 An ordinance Second reading fully funded. $3,915,374 to 3 million from from Capital Surplus Fund and 915,374,000 300 7400 from Capital Improvement Fund. Various capital improvements. It will be open to the public. It's a resolution adopting ordinance. Do we have any questions or concerns from council Ordinance? First reading amending chapter seven, traffic section 14. Parking prohibited at all times on certain streets. It will be a resolution adopting ordinance, questions or concerns? Solution authorizing settlement agreement and general release. Township of Piscataway and New York SMSA. Limited partnerships. Do doing business as Verizon Wireless. It will be a resolution authorizing purchases from various vendors. Questions, concerns, resolution authorizing calendar year 2026 and 2027. Recer approvals, questions or concerns? Seeing none. I'll move to number 18, which will be open to the public for our remote attendees. For each public comment portion for re remote attendees, 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 will 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 counsel or administration will respond if necessary. After you have completed any comments or questions, we're now open to the public for our remote attendees. Speaker 0 00:27:32 Council president, there are no remote attendees with their hand raised regarding this agenda item. Speaker 2 00:27:37 We're now closed to the remote. Attendees will now open to the in-person attendees, anyone wishing to speak? Please come to the podium. State your name and address and know that you have three minutes in which, just Speaker 3 00:27:53 58 Curtis Avenue. I finally got awarded the Purple Heart. I'm now a hundred percent no taxes going to Piscataway. I'm done with that after a lifetime. And yet property maintenance is not working for us, not just in my neighborhood alone. There are so many ordinance violations. It is ugly, ugly. Anyone who wants to come and visit my house, walk around lot. Take a look at these ordinance violations, bring it to this council. 'cause as far as they're concerned, my complaint is nonexistent. It goes way back a lifetime to Mr. Binky's time. I made complaint to deaf ears. Speaker 2 00:29:18 Thank you for your comments. Anyone else? Seeing none? I'll move to number 20 Speaker 3 00:29:34 If I Speaker 2 00:29:34 May. I want, I advise for not, hang on. I'd wanna close the public portion. Okay. Speaker 3 00:29:40 I Speaker 4 00:29:40 Apologize for not being out here. I was masquerading as the deputy clerk. I hope I did everything correctly and therefore everybody said, and no, you didn't sign your oath of it wasn't a second mortgage. So everybody that signed in there, don't worry about it. It's not a second mortgage. I wanna thank all the volunteers out there. We're very blessed in this community to have about a thousand volunteers. The the governing body here and myself can't do it all. We rely on a lot of the folks that are out here in the audience. Thank you for all the hard work that you did in 2025. I look forward to all more work you're gonna have to do in 2026 to help our keep our community. Great. So thank you and happy New Year to everybody. Speaker 2 00:30:24 Okay, now we will move to number 20, which is an adjournment. I wanna thank you all for being here tonight, and I wish each and every one of you a happy, healthy, and peaceful new year. Do I have a motion to adjourn? Motion Second. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Have a nice evening and a safe drive home.