Township Council — November 6, 2025

What was decided

The meeting began at 7:30 p.m. Present: Councilmen Kirsh, Kurdyla and Ring and Council President Norgalis, with Administrator Michael Pappas, Deputy Township Attorney Alex Fischer and Clerk Grace Njuguna. Councilman Pedroso was absent. Every vote below was 4-0 (ayes Kirsh, Kurdyla, Ring, Norgalis; Pedroso absent).

Ordinances introduced (hearing December 3)

• Bond ordinance, $4,100,000, for Middle Brook Sanitary Sewer Pumping Station Improvements, Phase 2 (#25-11-06-262). Council President Norgalis said the repair was long overdue and that he and Councilman Kirsh had visited the station; Kirsh said he had taken on moving the project forward. See water and sewer.
• Chapter 138, massage and bodywork therapy (#25-11-06-263). Kirsh said inspections and enhanced enforcement under the ordinance were a more effective way to address businesses not in full compliance with the law.
• Chapter 216, wrecker roster, adding a license suspension provision (#25-11-06-264). Pappas described it as an enhancement to the existing towing ordinance.
• Chapter 94, health fees (#25-11-06-265). Norgalis said health services are provided in part by the Middlebrook Health Commission and the proposed rates parallel those of other towns it serves.

Resolutions

• #25-11-06-266, the 2026 operating license for the Stavola quarry, Block 711, Lots 3, 4 and 6, Chimney Rock Road. Thomas Branch, Stavola’s vice president, said the renewal application, filed October 7, was administratively complete; that there had been no mining beyond previously approved limits; that a flood control study had been started at the DEP’s suggestion; and that the year’s blasts were within Department of Labor limits for air overpressure and ground vibration. Councilman Ring said blasting is regulated by the Department of Labor, not the township. See land use applications.
• #25-11-06-277, a contract with RJM Landscape and Design, LLC (Branchburg) for snow removal in the 2025–26 winter, up to $60,000. See snow removal.
• #25-11-06-279 and -280, inserting a $404,652 FY 2024 NJDOT Municipal Aid grant into the budget and awarding Top Line Construction Corp. (Somerville) $642,997.23 to rebuild Plymouth Road, Ryan Way and Jeffrey Lane from the 2025 Capital Road Fund. Pappas said two-thirds of the project is grant-funded and one-third comes from the bond ordinance adopted earlier in the year. See roads and traffic.
• #25-11-06-278 and -281, a $156,000 Universal Drainage Assessment: the grant insertion, and a professional services award to Colliers Engineering & Design, funded through the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and the 2025 capital ordinance. Pappas said Township Engineer Burr found the grant; Councilman Kurdyla suggested working with the Stavola quarry on it. See flooding and stormwater.
• #25-11-06-276, $44,300 from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund for repairs to two low- and moderate-income homes through the Housing Rehabilitation Program. See Fourth Round housing.
• #25-11-06-283, consent to two new turf fields at the Prince Rodgers baseball complex, to be installed by Bridgewater Baseball and Softball, Inc. at no cost to the township. Pappas said the Township Engineer had approved the plans; asked by Kurdyla about replacement in five to ten years, Kirsh said BBSI is responsible for all repairs and replacement. See parks and open space.
• #25-11-06-271, budget transfers of $308,496.98 in the 2025 current fund. Norgalis said this year’s transfers would help cover electric bills; Kirsh attributed rising electric costs to State management and said he had spoken with Senator Steinhart about State help. #25-11-06-269 cancelled $203,488.22 in trust account reserves with no activity for at least ten years and moved it to the current fund. See budget and taxes.
• #25-11-06-272 to -274, additional amounts to professionals: $15,000 to Colliers Engineering & Design for township engineer services in 2024 (total up to $135,000); $15,000 to Darlene Green, P.P., A.I.C.P., of Colliers as affordable housing planner for 2025 (up to $55,000); and $10,000 to Sarmad Planning Group, LLC for the master plan update in 2025 (up to $30,000).
• Also adopted: grant insertions for Bring Out Your Best ($10,000) and the Newcomers Club ($6,000) (-267, -268); an electronic tax sale by Tax Collector Blanca Lyons (-270); the FY 2025-26 Bridgewater/Raritan Municipal Alliance application for $22,575.36 (-275); and the 2026 fireworks schedule for Somerset Patriots games (-282).
• The September 18 and October 6 regular session minutes were approved by voice vote, Kirsh abstaining on September 18.
• The Council went into closed session at about 9:02 p.m. on public safety, contract negotiations and litigation (#25-11-06-284); the agenda listed emergency services, health insurance and affordable housing negotiations, and litigation including Fleischer v. Bridgewater Township and a Warren Township matter. It reconvened at about 10:20 p.m. and adjourned at about 10:21 p.m.

Reports

• Somerset Corporate Center: speaking for the Administration, Township Planner Katherine Sarmad said the township had a request from the Somerset Corporate Center, an office complex in the BRCC zone with about one million square feet of vacant space, where potential tenants had shown interest in medical offices. She said the township was not seeking to rezone the property but was considering permitting additional uses, such as laboratory and ancillary medical uses, within the existing facility. Pappas said a full presentation would follow at the Planning Board and Council. Kirsh supported reasonable flexibility but said expanding medical offices across many facilities may not be the most effective approach. See redevelopment areas.
• Kurdyla reported an NJDOT letter on a virtual public information center for long-term Route 22 improvements and a fire on Leghorn Avenue in Bradley Gardens answered by the volunteer fire companies.
• Kirsh reported Planning and Zoning Board business (the Stavola quarry plan on October 7; the Clubhouse of Somerset County presentation on October 21) and said that on October 28 he questioned the Washington Valley Park plan at the Somerset County Commissioners meeting. See Washington Valley Park.
• Norgalis said he would work with the incoming Council members on the transition and thanked Councilmen Kurdyla and Pedroso, who leave the Council at year’s end. Ring congratulated the election winners. Ring read a proclamation naming November 11, 2025 Veterans Day.

Public comment

Six people spoke.

• Carolyn Troia of Palley Court encouraged the Council to work more with the Shade Tree Board and suggested a fundraiser to plant 250 trees for the township’s 250th anniversary. Asked about the Newcomers Club, Pappas said it is grant-funded.
• Andy Cytroen of Stangle Road, Martinsville, asked for better communication on the county’s Washington Valley Park project; Ring said the relationship with the county on it rests with the Administration. She asked how the master plan guides zoning decisions (Ring described the process), asked for the 2024 audit (Pappas said the township was awaiting the auditor’s final draft), and asked about the $60,000 snow contract; Ring said contractors supplement the Public Works crews.
• Joan Geiger of Hillside Avenue and Andrew Bucko of Berrywood Lane, elected to the Council the week before, thanked the members and voters; Bucko spoke about federal SNAP cuts and Somerset County households that rely on the program and asked residents to support the food bank. Ridwana Isla of Timberline Drive, also elected, thanked the departing members and urged residents to seek medical care.
• Hursith Adimulam of Milltown Road asked about vacant lots and when a Chick-fil-A would open on the former Ruby Tuesday lot; Kirsh said the Planning Board had approved it and he believed work would start in 2026.

Records

• Minutes (township document page)
• Agenda (township document page)
• Video on the township’s YouTube channel (2:50:46). This page follows the Clerk’s minutes.