Township Council — December 17, 2025

What was decided

The township’s notice moved this regular meeting from Thursday, December 18 to Wednesday, December 17, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. Present: Councilmen Kirsh, Kurdyla and Ring and Council President Norgalis, with Mayor Moench, Administrator Michael Pappas, Township Attorney Christopher Corsini and Clerk Grace Njuguna. Councilman Pedroso was absent. Unless noted, every vote below was 4-0 (ayes Kirsh, Kurdyla, Ring, Norgalis; Pedroso absent).

Ordinance 25-24: the AH-3 zone at Cornell Boulevard

Ordinance #25-24, repealing and replacing §126-321.10, the AH-3 Affordable Housing Zone on Block 406, Lot 2.01, for eleven 100% affordable multifamily units and four disabled veterans’ housing units, was adopted 4-0 (#25-12-17-300).

Seventeen people spoke at the hearing:

• Amanda Kronemeyer, an attorney with Herold Law, said she represents six residents living within 200 feet of the site, named in the minutes as Jennifer Fleer and Jason D. Rodkar and Brian Riley of Somerville, and Richard F. Cash, George E. Cook and Barbara Cook of Bridgewater, who are parties to pending litigation over the original AH-3 zoning (SOM-L-1455-25). She reviewed the site’s frontage next to 199 and 203 Cornell Boulevard (Bridgewater’s R-10 zone) and Somerville’s R-1 district, setbacks under the prior C-1 and R-10 zoning, and the ordinance’s buffering, landscaping, fencing and access provisions, and asked the Council to weigh them.
• Residents raised the site’s closeness to the Route 202/206/22 ramps and the Somerville Circle, traffic and pedestrian safety, noise and air quality, drainage and impervious cover, the loss of trees and the natural buffer, distance from services, and whether the site suits veterans and families; several asked the Council to consider other sites or leave the vote to the incoming Council. They were Larry Dwire of Foothill Road, a Marine veteran; Carolyn Gioia of Palley Court, who described a 2023 accident at the Cornell Boulevard intersection; Cathy Franco of Weemac Road, who also asked about the rules for comment by residents represented by counsel; Kim Wortman of Somerville, who offered to help find other sites and prepare grant applications; Gaynor Neumaier and Heinz Neumaier of West Summit Street, Somerville; Nathan Cook of Raritan, whose parents live at 199 Cornell Boulevard; Lauren Hutcherson, Brett Radi, Jocelyn Eckardt, Cynthia Hollod, David Hollod, Liam Rodke, Eileen Foley, Hassam Baig and Colleen Runyon, all of Somerville. Mr. Baig, who grew up in affordable housing, spoke about integrating it into surrounding neighborhoods; Ms. Neumaier said she supports affordable housing generally.
• Attorney Corsini said the matter is in litigation and discussion should stay on the ordinance. Kirsh said concerns about water, traffic and environmental effects are addressed in site plan review before the Planning Board. Ring said the Planning Board had recommended the ordinance, the site is in the township’s fair share plan, and the developer had received a $3 million grant from the Department of Community Affairs. Norgalis said the state-mandated obligation, originally 477 units, had been negotiated down to 421, and that the township’s planner had visited many sites.

See Cornell Boulevard housing.

Middle Brook sewer bond adopted

Ordinance #25-13, the $4,100,000 bond ordinance for Middle Brook Sanitary Sewer Pumping Station Improvements, Phase 2, was adopted 4-0 (#25-12-17-299). Norgalis said the public hearing had been held on December 3, on bond counsel’s advice, and the vote deferred to this meeting; that the station is about 50 years old; that an engineering firm assessed pumps and controls; and that the work adds alarm and monitoring systems for crews who now descend about 50 feet with gas detectors. He credited Tom Genova, Director of Municipal Services and Sewer Utility. Kirsh and Ring called it a necessary, preventive investment. See water and sewer.

Other ordinances adopted

No one spoke at these hearings.

• #25-25, amending the BRCC Bridgewater Regional Corporate Center zone to conform to the 2025 Master Plan Re-examination Report (#25-12-17-302). See redevelopment areas.
• #25-27, permitting additional conditional uses in the C-1 Neighborhood Business Zone (#25-12-17-303). See land use applications.
• #25-26, Chapter 26 compensation standards (#25-12-17-301).

Resolutions

• Audit: certification of the 2024 municipal audit and approval of its corrective action plan (#25-12-17-304 and -305). The Mayor said the audit found one item, monthly reconciliation of all accounts, and a process was in place to address it. See budget and taxes.
• 2026 insurance (part of #25-12-17-306 to -311): Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield health insurance, $6,508,000; Benecard prescription coverage, $3,980,000; Delta Dental dental and vision, $376,000; and The Hartford supplemental retiree coverage, $598,000, all annual premiums. The Mayor said health insurance would see a 0% increase for 2026 and that prescription usage drove the largest cost rise. The same vote added $50,000 to the 2025 affordable housing legal services contract with Savo, Schalk, Corsini, Warner, Gillespie, O’Grodnick & Fisher, P.A. (up to $150,000), and awarded the Somerset Ambulance Shared Services Agency (SASSA) contract with Robert Wood Johnson Health Network for weekday daytime ambulance service in 2026–2028 at no cost to the township. See fire and emergency services.
• #25-12-17-312, a settlement agreement with 555 Route 22 Associates, LLC (“ADP”) and Somerset Center 1, LLC and related entities (“SCC”) over litigation on Block 411, Lot 39 and Block 408, Lot 67 (555 Route 22).
• Engineering and drainage (#25-12-17-313 to -319): the final change order for the Rolling Hills Road project (DeSantis Construction), up $12,142.37 to $1,302,721.10; Colliers Engineering & Design for design and inspection of Country Club Road, Ardsley Lane and Goldfinch Drive ($149,500) and Van Veghten Drive and South Avenue ($89,750); a NEPA environmental review for the Camp Cromwell rehabilitation ($50,500, HUD grant); and drainage design for the Tributary to Chamber Brook (The Reynolds Group, $38,500), 1024 Brown Road ($93,750) and the Spring Run neighborhood ($95,250). See flooding and stormwater and roads and traffic.
• #25-12-17-320, budget transfers of $855,178.14 in the 2025 current fund.
• #25-12-17-321, the collective bargaining agreement with PBA Local No. 174, Jan. 1, 2024 – Dec. 31, 2027. Ring said the PBA had been without a contract for an extended period and he believed the agreement fair. See police.
• #25-12-17-322, a contingent-fee agreement appointing Carlin, Ward, Ash & Heiart, LLC special tax counsel, failed 2-2: Kirsh and Ring aye; Kurdyla and Norgalis nay. Norgalis said the Council had rejected the agreement several months earlier.
• #25-12-17-323, John Kulak appointed a regular member of the Board of Adjustment; #25-12-17-324, Sarah Housman, the township’s Qualified Purchasing Agent, appointed Director of Finance. See Council process and appointments.
• The December 3 minutes were approved by voice vote, Ring abstaining.

Reports

• Kirsh reported that the Zoning Board continued its hearing on Café Emilia into the new year and that the Planning Board granted an extension to AR Bridgewater 2 LLC. Ring reminded residents that sidewalks must be cleared within 12 hours of daylight after snowfall ends.
• Councilman Kurdyla and Council President Norgalis, leaving the Council at year’s end after more than 20 years each, gave farewell remarks; Norgalis said he had served 21 and a half years and closed the meeting at about 9:39 p.m. Kirsh, Ring and the Mayor thanked them.

Public comment

Five people spoke in the general public comment period.

• Christine Rose of Woodfield Road, a former councilwoman, Joan Geiger, the incoming Council President, and Bob Albano of Papen Road, a former councilman, thanked the departing members and spoke about the transition.
• Joseph Alfieri of Washington Valley Road, a member of the sewerage authority committee for 15 years, stressed maintaining the sewer system and asked the incoming Council to support the authority.
• Cathy Franco of Weemac Road asked whether an ordinance sets deadlines for clearing roads; Ring said roads are maintained by the township, the county and homeowners’ associations and concerns should go to the Administration. She asked to see the 2024 audit’s corrective action plan; Norgalis offered his copy.

Records

• Minutes (township document page)
• Agenda (township document page)
• Rescheduling notice (township notice)
• Ordinance 25-24 and Ordinance 25-13 (township ordinances folder)
• Video on the township’s YouTube channel (2:08:51). This page follows the Clerk’s minutes.