At the meeting, Mayor Radest reported on the Summit Police Youth Academy application deadline of April 1, the OM3D emergency response simulation program at the high school, and her appointments to the Board of Education. 

Administrator Michael Rogers reported on curbside leaf collection beginning April 3, the Summit Free Market being rescheduled to April 15, and the State of NJ's Senior Freeze program for property tax relief. 

Council President Vartan reported that city staff and officials will continue to analyze the city’s emergency communications system based on the decision by New Providence to withdraw from the Mountain Valley Communications Center last month. Councilmember Facebook live events will continue, and councilmembers will have a booth at the Summit farmer's market sometime this spring to share information, answer questions, and further increase accessibility to councilmembers outside of meetings. 

The 2023 Volunteer of the Year award was presented to Donna Puzella, a well-deserved tribute to a lifelong Summit resident with outstanding generosity. 

Council heard two presentations, asked questions, and made comments. The first presentation was from Dr. Michael Callahan, the Director of the Office of Homelessness Prevention at the State of NJ Department of Community Affairs. The second presentation was from Mike Coyle, a representative from PSE&G.

The hearing on the ordinance to add a four-way stop at the corner of Blackburn Road and Prospect Street continued and, after a lively discussion, was approved by council. This four-way stop sign is another step to increase the city’s efforts to improve pedestrian and traffic safety through education, enforcement, and engineering. 

An ordinance related to the municipal budget and an ordinance adding a parking holiday were both introduced and the hearings for both will be held at the April 4 council meeting. 

Several resolutions were adopted unanimously and include:

• Housekeeping resolutions related to the acknowledgement of federal employment standards in the city’s hiring policy and authorizing appropriations in the city’s temporary operating budget;
• Authorization to purchase IT equipment for the new fire headquarters;
• Appointing a new firefighter and declaring a vacancy for a police officer who was hired by the state police;
• Awarding bid for road repairs on Wildwood Lane and Oxbow Lane;
• Authorizing grant submissions for sidewalk and pedestrian safety as well as equipment that would allow for the expansion of the Teens Teach Tech to Seniors program; and
• Appointing a seventh grade science teacher at LCJSMS to the Summit Recycling Advisory Committee.

The Council Chamber AV equipment upgrade is in progress and should be completed in the next several weeks. 

Watch the meeting online on the City of Summit YouTube channel.