Township Council — January 22, 2026

What was decided

Present: Bucko, Isla, Kirsh (left at 8:08 p.m.) and Council President Geiger. Councilman Ring was absent. Administrator Michael Pappas reported for the Mayor. Every resolution below passed 3-0 (ayes Bucko, Isla, Geiger; Kirsh and Ring absent).

• Professionals: Township Engineer William H. Burr, P.E. (Colliers), up to $140,000.00; Township Planner Katherine Sarmad, P.P., A.I.C.P. (Sarmad Planning Group), up to $77,500.00; Affordable Housing Planner Darlene Green, P.P., A.I.C.P. (Colliers), up to $40,000.00; Bond Counsel John Draikiwicz, Esq. (Gibbons, P.C.).
• Appointments: Arthur Akins, Jr., a school resource officer, to the Bridgewater-Raritan Youth Services Commission; the EMS Advisory Committee (Timothy Ring, James Edwards, Allen Kurdyla, Robert Albano, Katelyn Sowden, Christopher Ireland); Matthew Moench and Michael Pappas to the Regional Center Partnership Committee; and Christine Madrid, Ridwana Isla and Stam Stellakis (alternate) to the Middle-Brook Regional Health Commission, described as a compromise between the Administration and the Council.
• Health insurance and health services (consent): the Middle-Brook Regional Health Commission’s 2026 public health services, $132,220.00; an additional $110,672.52 to Horizon BCBSNJ (2025 premium total $6,323,288.52) and $3,857.48 to Delta Dental (2025 total $362,621.48), paid from funds transferred into the health insurance account on December 17, 2025.
• Snow: road salt from the Somerset County Road & Bridge Division, up to $150,000.00; an additional $150,000.00 to RJM Landscape and Design, LLC for snow removal, bringing the 2025-26 total to up to $210,000.00; and an emergency appropriation (N.J.S. 40A:4-46) for snow removal salaries and wages.
• Recreation and permits: a Soccer Centers agreement for recreation soccer and field hockey, up to $154,250.00 from registration fees in the Soccer Recreation Trust Fund; release of a $5,000.00 performance guarantee and $14,400.00 landscaping bond for Kanhaa, LLC (Crossroads Plaza), 600 East Main Street; fee waivers for St. Bernard of Clairvaux Parish, which hosts homeless families through “HOME”, and the Somerville Elks “Jack’s Kids” fundraiser.
• Bridgewater Commons: the fifth amendment to the Consolidated Phase I Property Development Agreement, transferring The Village (Block 553 Lot 1.03) to Urban Edge Properties as redeveloper under a new redevelopment agreement. Pappas said the arrangement dates to 1988 and is a revenue-sharing agreement, not a PILOT, because the mall sits on township-owned land; The Village will keep paying standard property taxes, the revenue-sharing obligation moves to the main mall, and $26,000 is an additional negotiated payment. Township Attorney Christopher Corsini said the new agreement has an escalating payment scale through the 2030s. See redevelopment areas.
• Tabled to the next meeting (3-0): Redevelopment Planner Michael Sullivan (Clark Caton Hintz), up to $20,000; Savo Schalk fee schedules (general up to $460,000; affordable housing up to $100,000; tax appeals up to $40,000); Labor Counsel Matthew Giacobbe, up to $120,000; Municipal Prosecutor John Lanza, up to $80,000; Public Defender Scott Mitzner, up to $40,000; and Carlin, Ward, Ash & Heiart as special tax counsel (contingent, no cost).
• The December 17, 2025, January 5 and January 8 minutes were approved by voice vote. The Mayor appointed Jeff Foose and Ronald Cerenzio to the Environmental Commission (no vote needed).

Discussion and reports

• Council proclaimed January 2026 School Board Recognition Month (about 8,000 students, 11 schools and 1,200 staff).
• Snow: Pappas reported 3 inches on Saturday and 3.7 inches on Sunday and said most reports of unplowed roads were resolved. Bucko reported complaints about uncleared sidewalks and lots at Bridgewater Square (Routes 202/206). He said Code Chapter 182 appears to cover only sidewalks on public streets; Pappas said “qualified communities” (condominiums and HOAs) receive township snow funding while private apartment complexes do not. The Administration will review its authority to compel clearing of private lots and a possible ordinance; the property was cleared after outreach.
• Appointment protocol: Geiger and Kirsh are drafting bylaw amendments requiring a resume and letter of intent for judicial, quasi-judicial and statutory boards, with a lighter process for volunteer committees.

Public comment

• Board of Education members Stacey Friedlander, Steve Singer, Jennifer Loughran, Jeremy Li and Lucy Li thanked the Council for the proclamation; Singer noted full-day kindergarten and sixth graders returning to the middle school. Rebecca Hassouna of the BR Theater Arts Board invited residents to the high school musical.
• John Arcoleo of Washington Valley Road asked the Council to review road reconstruction in the budget, saying road debt service has averaged about $8 million a year, and asked that bond counsel information be shared with the Council; Pappas said he would consult bond counsel.
• Filipe Pedroso of Yohn Drive, a former councilman, objected to the criteria used for the January Zoning Board appointments, saying appointments should rest on qualifications rather than identity characteristics, and opposed not reappointing Jeff Foose and Don Sweeney; asked by Bucko, he said his criticism was of the selection criteria, not the appointees’ qualifications. Geiger said women, people of color and non-Republicans have been underrepresented on quasi-judicial boards and that seeking a representative board does not sacrifice merit. Kirsh said the prior board was not all-white or all-male and that the changes removed younger members of diverse heritage.
• Cathy Franco of Weemac Road asked about the bid threshold for legal services (Corsini and Pappas: professional services are procured by RFP, and several appointments were postponed to review submissions), how snow contractors are paid (by vehicle; Pappas to send rates) and the Commons amendment, and said she supported the qualifications of the Zoning Board appointees.

Records

• Minutes (township document page)
• Agenda (posted on the township site; LocalWhy has not yet reviewed it)
• Video on the township’s YouTube channel (1:43:11). This page follows the Clerk’s minutes.